So here we are at the fifth part of my series on the elements I enjoy most in games. This time, I’ll be talking about games that allow you to create and customize something. The two games that come to mind as having done this very well are the Mechwarrior series and the old Commodore 64 game Autoduel. Both give you the ability to construct vehicles and modify them with weapons and armor, and then ride them into combat.
I haven’t played Autoduel in many years, but I loved putting together vehicles with specifications geared to my own play style. You could select a sedan, a station wagon, a van, or any of a number of vehicle bodies. You’d then select a power plant and a tire type. Puncture proof and solid tires did especially well against spikedroppers. Then you’d place armor on the car’s various locations. If you were planning on charging enemies head-on, you’d put lots of armor up front. If you felt daring, you could save weight and money by not putting armor on the car’s undercarriage, but then if you ever hit a landmine, you were screwed.
The game then let you pick from many weapons, and place them wherever you wanted. You could mount dual rocket launchers on the front, a recoilless rifle on the side, or maybe a flamethrower on the vehicle’s rear. Personally, I was a big fan of the side-mounted laser. I’d just put tons of armor on that side of the vehicle, then drive circles around the enemy and fry him.
If there were ever an update of this game, they could add in turrets, gas versus electric engines, varying traction for different tire types, and maybe even ablative armor, which was always a favorite of mine when we’d play tabletop Car Wars.
In the Mechwarrior series, you select from a number of light, medium, heavy, or assault chassis, and then pile on armor and weapons. Weight is a serious consideration, as each chassis has a maximum weight limit. As you begin to add weapons, the heat they generate also becomes a factor. You can add heat sinks, but they take up more space and weight. Thus, the four limiting factors you have to consider are weight, heat, space, and of course money.
Mass driver weapons such as machine guns and autoguns are a standard, but you need to be sure to add ammunition for them, which takes up space. You can add as much ammo as you like, but should the part of the mech where you’ve stored the ammo take significant damage, the ammunition might explode, causing additional damage.
There are also energy weapons such as lasers and particle projection cannons. They require no ammo, but tend to generate much more heat, and you may find yourself waiting longer in between shots in order to prevent a forced shutdown triggered by excessive heat buildup.
Missiles can also be a good option. They tend to lock on, and thus require less work to aim manually. They require ammo just like mass drivers do, and have the same potential issues with ammo explosions. But they can take up a lot of space and weight, and don’t usually fire as quickly as the other alternatives.
Thus, it’s a trade off. The construction of a mech can be as much fun as playing through the actual combat. When you perfect a build that you really enjoy, deciding to add in jump jets, enhanced radar, anti-missile devices, or any of the other options, playing with that mech can be all the more rewarding.
I’ve always loved these types of games that give you a lot of depth in creating your engine of destruction, and then use them to kill enemies. I haven’t seen a good one in years. Hopefully this lawsuit doesn’t stop the new Mechwarrior game from coming out. I’d love to play it.
