History of the Heavy Gear series. Mini version. Part 1.

Hi all! Many people know the MechWarrior franchise, which takes place in the BattleTech universe. Until 1997, the publisher and developer of computer games was Activision. The gameplay feature of these games was that the player controlled huge mechs. Due to certain circumstances, Activision has lost the license to produce new MechWarrior games. Then management began to look for other franchises that also use combat robots as their main weapons. The choice fell on Heavy Gear, a military science fiction universe in which people fight each other with the help of mechs.

We can say that the Heavy Gear franchise was still gaining momentum, since the first card game was developed in 1994. The Canadian division Dream Pod 9 is responsible for its creation. This group was formed from the Canadian publishing house Ianus Publications, which was formed in 1987. They originally had a deal with Harmony Gold USA to publish material for the Robotech sci-fi franchise, which included titles featuring mechs.

The publishing house’s leaders were so inspired by the idea that in 1991 they released their own magazine, Mecha Press. Each episode focused on one specific anime or manga, describing and showcasing mecha and characters. However, it only lasted 17 issues and closed in 1995 as the design team decided to focus on board games. It was during this period that they became known as Dream Pod 9.

Their subsequent projects were also related to anime mechs. But already in 1994 they released a card game for two players – Heavy Gear Fighter. It was small in format, and the completion time was only 10 minutes. The first 8 mechs were shown in the set for the first time (4 units on each side).

Heavy Gear are humanoid combat robots. Unlike their huge neighbors from the world of BattleTech, the vehicles were from 3 to 6 meters. Also, their armor was of medium thickness and could be compared to an armored car. For the most part, mechs are reinforcements for infantry. Due to their size and lightness, they can run and crawl quickly. For even greater speed, many versions were equipped with wheels or tracks.

Another distinctive feature of their structure is the external engine, which is shaped like the letter V, which is why it became known as a V-shaped engine. In addition, the mechs were equipped with simple artificial intelligence, which was trained as the battle progressed. Over time, he could begin to predict the actions of the pilot and thereby provide assistance during battles.

What is the main plot?. The earth experienced a centuries-long ice age, which caused enormous upheaval in society. During most of this cataclysm, people lived in large cities under the dome.

While the planet was melting, the scientific field continued to develop. Over time, scientists were able to detect some anomalies near the outer edge of Earth’s solar system. Using an antimatter generator, they were able to create a wormhole, which they called the Tannhäuser Gate (after the scientist who explained space-time discontinuities in the Grand Unified Theory).

This allowed earthlings to gain access to the planet known as Caprica. Unfortunately, life on this planet was little better than on Earth. The only place that could be colonized was a large tectonic crack on the surface of the planet, which was later called the Cat’s Eye Trench. From Caprica, the settlement of other planets began, some of which could be terraformed into habitable worlds. Among them was the Helios system, where the planet Terra Nova was located.

Terra Nova also did not have good climatic conditions. It is an arid planet where most of the water is underground. Strange anomalies of magnetism allowed sea vessels to float above the surface. Most of the population was concentrated near the poles with a more temperate climate, while the equator was a desert where there were few people but many resources. Over time, it began to be called the Badlands.

At the end of the 58th https://casinospingenie.uk/ century, a crisis occurred on Earth. It was decided that the colonial system no longer needed support. All ships suitable for interstellar travel were sent to Earth orbit. Terra Nova and other planets were isolated from each other. The long wars began again. Several countries gradually formed in Terra Nova:

In the southern hemisphere – Southern Republic, Humanist Alliance, Mekong Dominion and Eastern Emirates of the Sun. Under the leadership of the Southern Republic, the Union Southern Territories faction was formed;

In the northern hemisphere – Northern Lights Confederation, United Trade Federation and Western Frontier Protectorate. They formed a triple alliance called the Confederate Northern City-States. Unlike the southerners, they communicated on equal terms.

Particularly powerful of them were the Confederacy and the Southern Republic. The first built a huge transport and energy infrastructure for their cities. With financial and military support they encouraged those who shared their common faith. If there were settlements within the country that adhered to other religions, then they received the lowest provision of resources.

Northerners were required to adhere to a very strict set of moral laws to ensure that believers were not corrupted or corrupted by cruelty. But at the same time there was a paramilitary branch that condemned aggressive states. They believed that their weapons and military training were as great as their faith. The military was always ready to punish the enemy, who could risk attacking both their territories and allied states.

The powerful Southern Republic dominated other countries, making them vassals. The Republic constantly sought to expand its influence. Its army was one of the most influential structures on the planet. Combat exercises were always a priority, and regardless of rank or position, soldiers were expected to perform with maximum efficiency.

At the same time, numerous conflicts over the Badlands did not weaken the state in the face of a common enemy. Centuries later, a resurgent Earth returned to Terra Nova with expeditionary forces to conquer the colonies. The Alliance War began as the polar factions allied with each other. It was in this war that combat mechs were used, which were converted from ordinary machines for mining. In the end, the earthlings were forced to retreat through the gate, but two decades later, the South and North were again on the brink of war.

Let’s go back to the card game Heavy Gear Fighter. In 1995, it received a re-release called Heavy Gear Fighter: Weapons and Equipment. It contained a new deck of cards with 36 base mech modifications, twelve weapons, various power-ups, multiplayer rules, and a small map.

Then they began to produce amplifiers called Heavy Gear Fighter, Booster I Card Set. Some of them could be obtained from magazines. The cards expanded the base game with the powerful stats they were given.

It was planned to release another card booster set, but with equipment. However, it had to be abandoned, and all efforts were thrown into the board game, which was released in the same year. Unfortunately, the start was very bad, since all the figures were made entirely of lead, and at that time the ban on such products began to spread intensively. There was no money for remelting at that moment, so Dream Pod 9 had to urgently recall the product from sale in order not to receive a fine and avoid legal proceedings.

In 1996, they managed to release only a stripped-down version of the card game to make it easier for beginners to get used to it. But 1997 turned out to be a fruitful year. Activision acquired a license to release computer games based on the Heavy Gear universe. The game was released on Windows 95 and was made as close as possible to MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries so that users could smoothly transition to the new game without any difficulties.

The game engine has undergone minor improvements, the information signs on the screen when viewed from the cockpit have been slightly redesigned, some of the sounds have been borrowed, and the fur damage system has also been moved. Everything else was different.

Now the player had three game modes:

Three training missions are also available separately, which verbally explain the basics of control, but you yourself must know what to press. Because of this, a slight dissonance may arise during the game, when in training the target designator for an artillery strike can be called up to the letter F, but in the campaign this can only be reproduced through Q.

If we talk about the controls in general, then at first it may seem that they are inconvenient, since they are scattered across the entire area of ​​​​the keyboard. For example, on F1-F3 – squad control, movement – on the arrows, W and angle brackets, and various sensors and target designators are located on the right side of the letter keys. Even without reassignments, you quickly get used to this option, but others can easily customize the buttons for themselves. But I warn you that the configuration menu is missing on the main screen. It is called from the game by pressing the Esc button when the fur is being configured.

I’ll focus on the plot for now. All major events are conveyed using videos with live actors. It looks pretty good. The player takes on the role of Senior Ranger Edward Scott, who pilots a mech and serves on the Vigilance ship from the army of the Confederate northern city-states.

Colleagues respect him exactly until he is captured along with his subordinate Janus. Edward manages to get out, but Janus dies because he decides to stay with the enemy, because, in his opinion, he should not be bullied. The dead soldier was the son of Vigilance commander Arthur Janus. Edward falls out of favor. Everyone considers him a coward and also a traitor. Moreover, rumors are spreading throughout the ship that there is a spy on board. All this happens during constant skirmishes with the ship "Draco", which belonged to the Southern Republic.

It’s worth noting that the campaign is a bit non-linear. For example, if you take partners on a mission and they die, then after completion they will write to you that the characters died heroically on the battlefield. Additional tasks may also not be activated. Let’s say the player rushes in to clear out said enemy units while allied infantry nearby is fighting armored vehicles that don’t even show up on the radar. You can arrive in advance and defeat the enemy corps or accidentally crush a friendly commander with your fur. And then you can’t count on that after the initial targets are destroyed, a notification will appear that you need to save the infantry commander. Well, in addition, the last 32 mission can be divided into 2 endings:

In addition to the basic information that is given to the player through cutscenes, before starting the mission you can see the geopolitical situation as a whole. Clicking the “Situation” button will open a world map, which is divided into northern blue and red southern territories. It will mark the location of the main character’s squad, as well as additional information. And in conclusion, you can listen to a briefing where they talk about both the mission and the thoughts of some characters.

Now about the gameplay component. As in the MechWarrior games, the player is given control of a combat vehicle. Before the start of the mission, you are given the opportunity to either select a ready-made mech, or fine-tune it. And this is where the eye candy begins. The fur can be assembled with your own hands from the following main parts: