BattleTech Pods: A Weekend Night

[Kereminde]

So tonight, or rather, "last night" since it's past midnight . . . okay I'm starting over.

. . . so, my brother and I went and checked out a 'MechWarrior pod arrangement. The Tesla II pods being used by "Mechcorps" and for $20 a head two friends and us went there expecting to maybe have another small smattering of regulars show up and we'd just kill hours until midnight having fun.

Instead, it turns out a lot of people turned up tonight, enough we could rotate groups of eight with only a small overlap towards the end. Most of the night was spent without heat management on, and with free-for-alls, but this was all very fun. On another note, we learned a few things here.

- Excepting conventions they go to, they're open Saturday nights and there's a fee to play. But once you pay, you can play as many games as can be squeezed in. $25 for a period of 6pm to midnight. It's a sweet deal if you have fun.

- The software is still being worked on. They're on version 5.0.6 from what I heard, which is due to be released "in two weeks" for the last few months. But it's in live testing here and that means close to (or over) 200 different variants are programmed in. Some of the Unseen are getting in, like the Warhammer, which I saw someone playing with.

- The pods are in the kind of shape a 'Mech during the Succession Wars would be. That is, they function but are a case of being patched together and kept running without a source of actual authorized replacement parts. Four of them were turned off, and a couple had glitchy displays which didn't exactly hinder the gameplay.

- They also have "Red Planet", but I don't expect it'll be played without everyone actually agreeing to it. The general love was for basic gameplay instead of the more advanced play, but as everyone settled in and the group grew into 'two shifts' we started having alternating basic and advanced matches. Ending our night (had to drive home) with a Capture the Flag match where "Steiner Scout Lance took it home" as my Atlas and my brother's Behemoth (Stone Rhino to you others) paired up with a Hollander and Bushwhacker and pretty much just stomped face. It was glorious, terrible fun. Can't wait to go back.

I got more photos, and once I get a chance to sort through and clean them up I'll post. For now, bed!

 

[unclecid]

makes me kinda wish i lived in texas.....kinda.

though must be nice having that near.
i hope the locals keep interest alive so they can keep it going.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

If Philly or NYC had these, I'd be up for a road-trip. : )

 

[Kereminde]

makes me kinda wish i lived in texas.....kinda.

though must be nice having that near.
i hope the locals keep interest alive so they can keep it going.

On the first part, living in Texas isn't that bad until you start realizing what summer temperatures you're going to have to deal with . . . also, when you stop being able to forget it's Texas. Second one, it's "near" in the sense of we can drive there any weekend we choose, it's the time investment which will be the sticking point. It'll be roughly $60 for us to do a night (admittance, gas, and food) so once or twice a month isn't out of the question.

And as for keeping it going . . . it's been going for at least 4 years, the Mechcorps people do conventions, so there's all that. From all appearances it's pretty healthy and has regular people. Several of them seeing me with my jacket and knowing immediately what we were there for, striking up conversation easily enough. So they're friendly, welcoming, and willing to instruct people who ask questions about how to do things in the pods.

9.5/10, would go again. (Points deducted for friendly fire; careful splashing those LRMs.)

 

[Timaeus]

This really awesome. Kudos for getting to play in the sim pod.

 

[Kereminde]

This really awesome. Kudos for getting to play in the sim pod.

Oh, we're going back. Our guests/tagalong players were suitably hyped over this to want to do it again another time "soon". Like, semi-regularly if we can cope with it.

 

[Marauder3D]

I remember doing the pods in Pasadena in 1995 or so. They are super fun. Wish I could mosey over and drop with you all, but the flight might put me over budget.

 

[Kereminde]

Mind you, this group does do conventions - though they didn't make MechCon 2018.

 

[Landsknecht]

If Philly or NYC had these, I'd be up for a road-trip. : )

That sounds like you're relatively near the East Coast -- FWIW, the convention MagFest, here in DC, regularly has Battletech pods apparently! I got to try them out this year. They were playing on intro settings for crowd-pleasing dynamics at a con (free-for-all, no heat, infinite ammo) but it's still super fun.

EDIT: Oh, and they're kinda cramped. I'm 6' and I was definitely feeling a bit squeezed in.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

That sounds like you're relatively near the East Coast -- FWIW, the convention MagFest, here in DC, regularly has Battletech pods apparently! I got to try them out this year. They were playing on intro settings for crowd-pleasing dynamics at a con (free-for-all, no heat, infinite ammo) but it's still super fun.

EDIT: Oh, and they're kinda cramped. I'm 6' and I was definitely feeling a bit squeezed in.

Missed it byyyyy THAT much! : )

Too bad too. I lived in DC for more than 3 years awhile back. It would have been great fun running a BATTLETECH / MW5 Meet and Greet, all the while visting some of my old haunts. :bow:

 

[Landsknecht]

Well hell, there's always next year! I didn't realize that Battletech pods would be there until like 1-2 days beforehand -- if I had the presence of mind, I would have mentioned it on these boards.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Well hell, there's always next year! I didn't realize that Battletech pods would be there until like 1-2 days beforehand -- if I had the presence of mind, I would have mentioned it on these boards.

I’ve already included MAGFEST on my calendar for 2020!

Thank you for brining it up!

When looking for apparments I almost went with one at Natonal Harbor. It would have been a blast and within walking distance from the convention site! #smallworld

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Well hell, there's always next year! I didn't realize that Battletech pods would be there until like 1-2 days beforehand -- if I had the presence of mind, I would have mentioned it on these boards.

I’ve already included MAGFEST on my calendar for 2020!

Thank you for brining it up!

When looking for apparments I almost went with one at Natonal Harbor. It would have been a blast and within walking distance from the convention site! #smallworld

 

[The Shadowhawke]

A shoutout to the people at MechCorps, they put their machines on the road annually for hundreds of miles. Every Labor Day weekend they bring them here, to the ATL, for DragonCon.

Takes me far back to the amazing days when all this was new. C. 1990, and Jordan opened his first Battletech Center downtown Chicago at North Pier Mall. I came out of the Chicago metro 20 years ago, and the Tristate region has a long standing tradition of cranking out some fantastic tabletop gaming. I always get a bit warm and fuzzy when I see the Tesla pods, that I was there to see the start of that, in the original location...the stand alone Battletech/Red Planet centers were amazing. Not just for the game itself, but the immersion as a small theme park.

You would see the scale model Mad Cat, the reproduction of a PPC, and the real size LRM round in the glass case...at the end of the hall was the wall with a cluster of monitors where everyone could gather to watch the live match and the replays...a bit of a Solaris down in the city.

Interesting though, as Battletech became the clear favorite. While I witnessed a few games of Red Planet as a spectator, I never got a chance to play one. It was a very interesting concept as well, and I liked the designs.

Being there for the first commercial LAN games, around the time I was introduced to tabletop BT, with a game group that had the original, big pewter minis...those were special years.

 

[Kereminde]

If anyone is reading this and in the area, I'm hoping to make it out there again this weekend. With any luck.

 

[NotADemo]

Texas is the best place. They have been independent for a while.
Still, its an old graphic arcade. Adding a few mods wont' change that.
For a few hundred bucks a week, it doesn't seem to be a good business model. They make much better money on the conventions. But, there won't be the experienced palyers for Capture the Flag and such.
It is a tough call, retro game or some new VR startup.
Next time I am in Houston, will make that choice.

 

[Nichino]

If Philly or NYC had these, I'd be up for a road-trip. : )

Otaku Times Gaming & Hobby Clubhouse is trying to open in Flushing, NYC, with 8 Tesla II pods. They've had some setbacks as they hoped to open in January, but now plan to open April 27th, 2019.

I miss when Virtual World had pods in San Diego... oh the memories...

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Otaku Times Gaming & Hobby Clubhouse is trying to open in Flushing, NYC, with 8 Tesla II pods. They've had some setbacks as they hoped to open in January, but now plan to open April 27th, 2019.

I miss when Virtual World had pods in San Diego... oh the memories...

Thanks! I’ll be up in Flushing in a couple weeks. Too bad about the missed JAN opening. I’ll keep an eye on this one for later this Summer. Thanks again. :bow: