Come experience BattleTech: Firestorm at The Invasion!
PropWash
April 9, 2008
Kalamazoo, MI
On May 24th and 25th, the VGL Underground Site: 2112 in
Kalamazoo, MI will host its annual open event, The Invasion.
The Invasion is a non competitive event that has been held since 2000
for BattleTech enthusiasts from around the country.
MechWarriors will converge on the small Midwestern town of Kalamazoo
to take over the'MechJock Pod Bay' and play the 8 Virtual World Tesla II cockpits
for 2 straight days at no cost to the participants.
The Invasion will also feature active Classic BattleTech tables as well as other forms of entertainment.
Battletech: Firestorm The Ultimate Battletech Experience
BattleTech: Firestorm delivers adrenaline-pumping game action. From the moment you spot an opponent on your radar screen to the explosive battles, you are exhilarated. Enjoy the hunt for prey in a futuristic wasteland. BattleTech is not hide and seek, it's seek and destroy.
Every moment counts as you control a thirty-foot tall, 75 ton walking tank, blasting your way to victory. You're the pilot of a BattleMech® competing against seven other players in the 31st century. Each 'Mech® is equipped with tons of ammo, cannons, lasers and missiles. Your job is to destroy your opponents while trying to withstand their vigorous attack on you.
When seated in the Tesla IITM System cockpit for your BattleTech: Firestorm game, you will be amazed. The BattleTech game is like nothing you have experienced before. The main screen is a window, your view from your giant 'Mech. Five surrounding monitors display your 'Mech's systems. A secondary radar screen helps you hunt down your opponents. The throttle, foot pedals and military-style joystick help you pilot this massive fighting machine. At your fingertips are enough weapons to destroy anything in your path. Or so you think.
The depth of the BattleTech game is unparalleled in location based entertainment. As your skills progress in the game, you discover more advanced systems and controls. You are responsible for the 'Mech's wear and tear. You control how much use you get out of the 'Mech. There are over thirty different 'Mechs to choose from. Each has a variation on size, speed, weapons and controls. Choose from more than twenty different battlefields, including cities, swamplands, canyons, and more.
Jeep Doors saved at Solaris Babylon!
January 5, 2008
West Babylon, NY
First event for site delivers on fun and competition.
Evil Empire MechWorks (EEM), a private site run by Rob ‘RABID’ Welsh, hosted it’s first public event to benefit longtime VGL member Michael ‘Dirty Gump’ Fisher. Sixteen pilots from the region came together to show their support through total ‘mech mayhem and destruction!
After several warm up games, pilots got down to business with the main event. A fixed ‘mech tandem destruction with no return. The teams were made up of both new players and seasoned vets, current talent and returning heroes. The teams battled their way through the double elimination brackets. After many thrilling games, the stage was set for a final round with “Slayer” (Sauron & Airion) squaring off against “Friendly Fire” (Grendel & Oracle). The map was Ghost Highway using the powerful Highlander assault ‘mech. Spectators were treated to a real nail-biter of a finish. The fighting was intense, with a brilliant display of piloting and coordination on both sides. In the end “Friendly Fire” claimed the victory.
The winners were inducted into the Order of Tesla, and in addition the winners and runner ups were awarded custom merchandise from the newly created Special Events section of the VWE Cafepress store.
Words From The Corner Office
PropWash
December 7, 2007
Kalamazoo, MI
Greetings fellow VGL adventurers! An update from the corner office!
It has been quite a while since I have taken a moment to 'chat' with a good many of you, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to reach out and give an update as to whats going on in VWE land.
Smith & Tinker is pleased to announce that it has licensed from Microsoft the electronic entertainment rights for Mr. Weisman's previous creations of MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies and the other properties of the FASA catalog. We’re not quite ready to announce our plans for each property, but please be assured that our goal is to surprise and delight old fans, while welcoming new fans to these fantastic worlds
RED PLANET IS COMING TO TESLA II IN 2008
PropWash
September 15, 2007
Kalamazoo, MI
BattleTech: Firestorm Invitational
Muerte
July 24, 2007
Houston, Texas
Meet BattleTech pilots from across the nation in Houston, Texas for the 2007 BattleTech:Firestorm Invitational. This is the first national Firestorm invitational to be held in Houston and MechCorps is honored to be the host! This event is a combination of pilot convention, competition and all things BattleTech®. All pilots are encouraged to attend, no matter what the experience level. If you want to learn what it takes to be a BattleTech Master, just ask the Masters!
Compare your skilz to other pilots.
Investigate the BattleTech® Universe.
Meet strange and unique people... and frag them.
The events coordinator for our Invitational is none other than Dave "Joker" Eichler.
Joker has been a BattleTech Pilot since 1993 and has logged over two thousand missions in the pods. He's also participated in over a hundred events and three national Invitationals, judged three Invitationals and the event coordinator of another Invitational.
When asked what would entice pilots to attend OUR Invitational that he is planning, he states: "I won't kill them, well I'll try. Events are going to be structured so everyone knows them already with no surprises. As some already know, I will be fair with the rules, but the rules will be enforced to the letter."
For a schedule of the events, location information, registration or to see who all have registered, go to http://www.MechCorps.com/Invy2007
BattleTech: Firestorm Barker
[SOLD] BattleTech: Firestorm Tesla II Cockpits ready for immediate sale.
PropWash
June 27, 2007
California
We have 4 gently used 100% operational Tesla II cockpits to sell by July 22nd.
Sale includes all hardware and software for a turn-key 4 player attration.
These cockpits are sold as-is where-is and are currently in Central California.
Due to the need to move these cockpits immediately, they are available for only $11,500.00.
To secure these cockpits, you will need to immediately pay a deposit and sign a purchase and license agreement.
Buyer is responsible for tear-down and transport by the 22nd of July.
Email nsmith@virtualworld.com if you are interested.
VGCORPS at A-Kon!
VGCorps
May 17, 2007
Dallas, TX
VGCORPS presents the ultimate giant robot simulation experience!
For the first time at A-Kon, you can be the pilot of a multi-ton
armored behemoth. Come play Battletech Firestorm™ in our completely
immersive Virtual World Battlemech™ combat simulator pods. Engage
your friends and computer opponents for explosive head to head combat
in the most realistic Battletech cockpit simulators ever produced.
Prospective mechjocks should report to the PODBAY on the third level
(convention side) in the San Antonio B ballroom. Missions run 24
hours a day. While you are there, check out our exclusive line of
Battletech™ merchandise. Uniformed VGCORPS personnel will be roving
throughout the convention to answer questions and pose for pictures.
For more information, vist us online at www.vgcorps.com.
Broctoberfest 2006
PropWash
October 19, 2006
Kalamazoo, MI
Kalamazoo, Michigan
October 28th, 2006
Attention Tesla 4.10 Pilots!
On Saturday, October 28th, The MechJock.com pod bay in Kalamazoo, MI will host the 4th annual
'BroctoberFest' event.
Join Tesla BattleTech and Red Planet pilots from around the country for this annual special event.
As always, this is also a costume event, so dont hesitate to show up and test your Halloween gear (Not required)
The main event will kick off at 6PM, so dust off your VTV pilots gear, read up on the 'Screamin' Broc', and get ready to
triple your way to victory!
Thursday, October 12th is Columbus day, a great day to celebrate the spirit of the age of discovery and honor the founding forefathers of the VWE VGL (Bell, Tesla and Picard) by kicking off the 3rd Annual Battletech Firestorm Invitational, the Palisades Division will be hosting action packed events during 4 days of non-stop death, destruction, solo and team-based mayhem!!
Virtual World Tesla Cockpits at GENCON Indy
August 27, 2006
Kalamazoo, MI
To help celebrate the FANPRO release of Classic BattleTech: Total Warfare, MechJock.Com in cooperation with FANPRO LLC, ClassicBattleTech.com, and BattleCorps.com brought 2 Virtual World Entertainment Tesla II cockpits featuring VWE's BattleTech: Firestorm to the greatest 4 Days in Gaming, GENCON Indy.
VWE's President, Nickolas 'PropWash' Smith, assisted by his Brother, James 'Komodo' Moe, and fellow BT fanatics Jeff 'Goober' Stone, David 'Goobers Dad' Stone, Charles 'Chas' Borner, and other volunteers launched missiones from open to close for all 4 days of GENCON.
The line for the free attraction was always 20+ minutes deep, but VWE managed to make 'special' time for some of our friends like Mike Stackpole, Loren Coleman, David Stansel-Gardner, Randall Bills, and other BattleTech luminaries. VWE celebraties Conn Man and Buddy Lee also made an appearance!
Those of you that made it out to Indy for GENCON, thank you! I hope you had fun, and be sure to check out Classic BattleTech: Total Warfare over at www.classicbattletech.com.
We hope to see you at another con or two in 2007!
Site-Link Testing Continues Sucessful Link with 5.06 and 4.10
Sauron
August 26, 2006
Pompton, NJ
OK, so a few major updates for the sitelink project over this past week.
1) We had successful tests with 16 pods in action 8 in NJ and 8 in Houston over the past week.
2) We moved to phase II of the testing, centralized Virtual server, we connect sites up to it and working on the automation and scripting, Dicion, you da man! He is cranking and doing some awesome stuff on this project. Things are moving along very well.
3) 4.10 testing began today. We had successful drops in both RP 4.10 and BT 4.10 today between NJ and Dallas. The biggest drop was a BT 4.10 FFA with 7 pods via sitelink, 2 in NJ and 5 in Dallas. Both RP and BT drops were VERY smooth and ran aok. We had one crash, but we believe that was an isolated incident due to a pod problem.
So as you can see this project is VERY much alive and moving along very well.
We are still in testing and not ready to fully release to all yet, but stay tuned, if we continue with all the success we have seen, I am confident we will be able to get sitelink to all owners who want to be in on it in the future, I still can't release any time frame at this point though. But take heart that it is alive, we have people that care and are driven and are helping make this happen.
Thx to the Dallas, Houston and NJ pilots and owners for all your time and efforts in this project, especially Dicion, and of course PropWash / VWE for allowing us to continue to develop this to fruition.
Sixth Update to BT:Firestorm Released
June 14, 2006
Kalamazoo, MI
Virtual World Entertainment is thrilled to announce the newest release of Battletech: Firestorm for use in the Tesla: II cockpit system.
Release 5.06 is set to ship with 8 new ‘Mechs and 2 new Maps to once again amp up the thrills and excitement of piloting a 100 ton walking tank in the arenas of Solaris 7.
Virtual World will continue to bring the work of MekTek.Net to the fans of Battletech by incorporating MekTek custom Battlemechs along with another traditional ‘Mechs that Battletech fans around the world are familiar with.
In this Release, you will now be able to pilot the following ‘Mechs along side the 34 that have already been integrated into the system.
25 Ton: Brigand
35 Ton: Puma
40 Ton: Arctic Wolf
45 Ton: Hollander II
65 Ton: Cauldonborn
75 Ton: Thanatos
80 Ton: Zeus
85 Ton: Deimos
The new maps include 2 fan favorites from Solaris 7, the Jungle (Liao Arena) and the Factory (Marik Arena).
Along with the new content, VWE is now giving Tesla II operators a chance to further enhance the Battletech: Firestorm experience by providing optional content upgrades.
‘Mech Variants
For the first time since Battletech VR System 3.0, VWE is integrating ‘Mech Variants into the Battletech: Firestorm experience. Mech Variants will allow a player to select from 135+ different ‘Mechs allowing for a huge increase in mission strategy and play options. All of these ‘Mechs are Classic Battletech TRO versions of ‘Mechs currently implemented into the Battletech: Firestorm software. For more information about Classic Battletech visit www.classicbattletech.com .
16 Cockpit Capacity Upgrade
For the first time ever, sites will be able to ‘break the limit’ and operate up to 16 Tesla II cockpits as a single set. Also, with this feature, a site with only 8 cockpits would be able to run up to 8 human players, and 8 bots in a single mission for 16 Battlemechs in the field at one time!
Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Virtual World Entertainment is a leading supplier of high-end, centerpiece attractions to the location-based entertainment industry. Virtual World has produced and distributed cockpits since 1989 and boasts a U.S. player base over 500,000 strong and growing. Virtual World Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh PA. Gets a full set of 8 pods up and running and holds their first tournament!
“A lot of students were excited to see the pods in their building” Steve Audia remarked. “They have been walking by and waiting for the day to play them.” Well that day came of Friday April 8th around 40 students and faculty played in the pods over that week all with pleasing results. H3nry was even in attendance earlier in the week to reflect on his memories of the pods. He was definitely rusty when getting back in the pods but that didn’t faze him as the grin on his face was from ear to ear.
The students were taught the basics of expert mode in the auditorium after their brief lecture they were chomping at the bit to blow something up. Every student was loaded in free for all games in expert mode. They all caught on very quickly and were excited to see prizes awarded to the winners of each game. After the warm-ups some of the students wanted an opportunity at winning the first Tesla pin for their site so we held a Fixed ‘Mech Free for all. Conditions were as follows:
Round 1: Gatorbait Night Light Fog, Bushwackers
Round 2: Lunacy Day Clear, Cougars
Round 3: Central Park Day Pea Soup, Dragons
Round 4: Stormdaggers Canyon Day Pea Soup, Templars
8 students signed up for the tournament and all competed well in every round by the end of round 4 we had a tie between Psaltz and Thrad They were then dropped in a 1 on 1 dual on Palace Gates Day Light Fog in Madcats. It was a close battle but in the end Psaltz defeated Thrad to win the first Order of Tesla and a Battletech Shirt. Final results were as follows:
1st Psaltz
2nd Thrad
3rd Howard
4th Adam
5th Shao & SR
7th Asif
8th Sinner
Thanks to everyone that showed up to play and those that competed in the first CMU tourney. I expect great things from this site. They have a few hardcore BT players and 1 very hardcore Red Planet player. Special thanks to Staque, Jim, Shao, Adam and Steve for their help and interest in putting the pods together and the repairs needed.
Thanks again folks enjoy them,
Tesla II Battletech: Firestorm Leagues at Misty Mountain Games in Madison, WI
2/24/06
New Tesla II operator, Misty Mountain Games of Madison Wisconsin, will kick off thier innaugural Battletech: Firestorm
leagues on Sunday, February 26th at noon.
Ripped directly from the in-store pamphlet, here are the details.
Teams will consis of a minimum of 4 players (alternates can be implemented as lons as they are listed on the team roster)
Don't want to be on a team? Me a merc!! They can serve as substitutes for missing roster members or entire teams. (If one team doesn't show,
the mercs get to go!)
Mercs will also assume the cost of the absent members fees (i.e. $7)
Best 3 out of 5 format with changing situations each game (Normal 10 minute games apply)
Experience the full gamut of Battletech Firestorm Mechs as different scenarios will be played each round (with limitations on mechs, firepower, radar, etc.)
Cost will be $28 per week per team ($7 per person)($5 per person for fee, $2 per person for prize pool.)
League will run 10 weeks, highest points total after the 10 weeks will be declared the winner. Second highest scoring team will win second place.
Special prize for highest scoring mercs as well.
Transmission "GSNG-PAL-RSLT" was intercepted on the 22nd of January, 2006.
It appears the message originated from near the "Palisades Division" site
and was intended for general broadcast. It contained 7 reference
contradictions, 3 direct violations of the VGL "Non-disclosure of
Technology and Assets" by-laws, and a rather rude reference to one of our
established contacts. You should find the following edited version
acceptable for general public release. Please inform Mxxxxxx that future
violations of this sort will result in a permanent note in his file and a
temporary suspension of his General Operators license as per VGL by-law
Section 3, Article 2a.
I thought you said that you could keep them in reign...
~RB
After a year of lawlessness, the Palisades Division finally has a
local Sheriff!
Last year's Gunslinger tournament resulted in a double-elimination, and
thus lawlessness has been the order of the day. This year, 11 brave souls
were willing to put their lives on the line to tame the "Wild, Wild East"
during the 2006 Palisades Gunslinger's tournament.
Round one was held at "The Freezer". This challenging first round was,
as always, chaotic, and fairly energitc despite the extremely low temps.
The results from round 1:
Plattenfaust defeated Teneda.
Vintage defeated Stingray.
Sauron defeated Crickett.
Grendel defeated Corpus Decrepid.
Conn Man defeated Nanook.
Outlaw had a bye.
Round 2 had pilots dropping on Frostbite. The temps were rising, but the
action settled down into less chaotic and more ritualized one-on-one matches.
The results from round 2:
Plattenfaust defeated Vintage.
Sauron defeated Grendel.
Conn Man defeated Outlaw.
Round 3 was a single match in the Coliseum, pitting Plattenfaust against
Sauron. Conn Man sat on the sidelines, and would face the winner. The
dust was thick and the crowds were unruly, but this did not distract Sauron
from another victory.
The final round opened things up a bit as Sauron and Conn Man dropped onto
Ghost Highway. In the end Sauron came out on top, narrowly ousting Conn Man
in the final seconds.
Congratulations to Sauron, the new Palisades Division Sheriff, and to Conn
Man, the new Deputy Sheriff. We sincerely hope you can bring law and order
to the East!
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Hail all Mechwarriors! On Saturday February 4th, The MechJock.Com PodBay in Kalamazoo, Michigan will be hosting a Battletech 4.x and Red Planet 4.x Bootcamp!
Learn from the best, and annhialite the rest!
Battletech Bootcamp begins at 2PM
Red Planet Bootcamp at 7PM
For more information, visit the VWE forums!
Virtual World Entertainment Acquired by Nick Smith
12/23/05
On December 16, 2005, Virtual World Entertainment, maker of the critically acclaimed Tesla II Battletech: Firestorm attraction, was acquired by MechJock.Com founder and entertainment industry insider, Nickolas 'PropWash' Smith. Through the transaction, Smith acquired 100% of the membership interests from the three predecessor owners, James Garbarini, Ted Keenan and Bill Ettelson.
Nick had this to say about the transaction:
"Virtual World has been a staple in the BattleTech franchise for over 15 years thanks to the pool of talented and creative minds behind it, but also in large part because of its devoted fans.
"I look forward to doing great things with the company for both the Tesla II operators as well as the BattleTech community as a whole"
In regards to the future operation of Virtual World Entertainment, he added:
"The Tesla II system has proven itself to be a valuable centerpiece attraction in the location-based entertainment industry in venues around the world.
"VWE will continue to enhance and maximize the value of the Tesla II System for its owners and operators through system updates. We also intend to put together some creative promotional techniques and community development initiatives."
James Garbarini, former president of Virtual World, had this to say about the transition:
"Virtual World in its new chapter was ready for a new owner, and Nick will serve the community well. He is passionate about the product and is fully invested in its success. I feel fortunate that an individual with stature of Propwash was interested in taking on the torchbearer mantle."
In connection with the acquisition, Nick has relocated the principal offices of Virtual World from Chicago to Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company's new contact information is as follows:
Virtual World Entertainment, LLC
5671 N Westnedge
Kalamazoo MI 49004
269.978.2514
Parts and support requests should be directed to the telephone number above.
You can look forward to more exciting news from Virtual World Entertainment in the near future!
Fifth Update to BT:Firestorm to be Released
06/29/05
Challenged to come up with one way to improve BattleTech: Firestorm? Well, Virtual World has come up with a couple dozen and has crammed them into its fifth update to this very popular experience. BattleTech: Firestorm Release 5.0 debuts at all locations in July 2005. This latest update features another EIGHT new BattleMechs and TWO new maps. Release 5.0 will contain other great features like increased armor for veteran play, and many of the 'mech's have been upgraded or modified.
The eight new 'mech's include at least two from each 'mech class: 2 light, 2 medium, 2 heavy and two more pounding assault class 'mechs. The new BattleMechs are the Commando and Wolfhound IIC (lights), the Hunchback and Black Lanner (mediums), the Grizzly and Black Knight (Heavies) and the Cyclops and Daishi (assaults). Four of these 'mech's were custom built by MekTek. VWE looks forward to continuing to work with MekTek in the future to provide even more new content in future releases.
Release 5.0 brings the Inner Sphere class of 'mechs a new level of weapon systems. Introduced are the Extended Range (ER) class of lasers that provide more reach to add to their already devastating damage capability. Several of the 'mech's have been upgraded with these new weapon systems including the Chimera, Bushwacker, Dragon and the Awesome.
Two exciting maps are being included in the Firestorm 5.0 Release. One of these was custom built to provide for a mission objective type play based off of historical fiction from the BattleTech universe. This map, titled TribeIncursion, stems from the Minnesota Tribe attack on a Kurita held planet called Richmond. The other map "Reduex" is a Martian-like terrain containing a number of bases. During Siege Assault missions, these bases are bristling with defenses that have to be overcome along with the defenders.
These are just some of the new features and updates included in BattleTech: Firestorm Release 5.0.
June 27, 2005 (SEATTLE) - WizKids Inc., creators of the runaway hit games MechWarrior(r): Age of Destruction and Pirates of the Spanish Main(tm), are proud to announce an alternative special prize for the winner of the MechWarrior World Championship held at Gen Con Indy 2005: a BattleTech: Firestorm Tesla II System (TM) cockpit from Virtual World Entertainment, LLC in cooperation with www.mechjock.com
"This partnership with Virtual World allows us to offer our finest players one of the greatest MechWarrior prizes ever," said Mike Samora, vice president of Sales and Marketing at WizKids(r). "The Tesla II virtual reality pod system has pleased millions of fans at Tesla BattleTech VR equipped entertainment venues for years." The pod comes complete with a full version of the Firestorm software that fuels the /BattleTech/ virtual reality experience, and, says James Garbarini, President of Virtual World, "is, hands down, the closest a person can come to climbing into the cockpit of a genuine BattleMech(tm)."
Should the winner choose not to accept the pod, he or she shall receive a full supply of MechWarrior for one year. For images of the pod, and more details as Gen Con approaches, visit www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior.
Founded by 25-year game-industry veteran Jordan Weisman, WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination. Its Mage Knight(r), MechWarrior and HeroClix(r) CMGs and Pirates and Rocketmen(tm) CSGs are among the most successful games on the market today, and the company has sold hundreds of millions of game pieces worldwide. WizKids Inc. is owned by The Topps Company Inc. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.
Headquartered in Chicago, Virtual World Entertainment is a leading supplier of high-end, centerpiece attractions to the location-based entertainment industry. Virtual World has produced and distributed cockpits since 1989 and boasts a U.S. player base over 500,000 strong and growing. More than 15 location-based operators feature Virtual World's systems, including sites in Chicago, New York, Houston, Denver and Detroit. Virtual World Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company. Visit them at www.virtualworld.com.
On June 16th, at Dave & Busters Palisades, A sneak peak of the soon to be released Version 5 will available for play for one day only. Michel ‘Firestorm’ Lowrance will be on hand to observe the event as well as take player feedback on the latest update before it goes to general release. This sneak peak will provide players with an opportunity to play with eight new ‘Mechs ,two new maps, and many more new features. One of the new missions is based on a BattleTech Universe historical event and has bonus features to go along with the normal gameplay.
Virtual World has announced the debut of BattleTech: Firestorm Release 4. This exciting update to the successful Firestorm software will include the first-ever VR BattleTech map created by a player. Atlanta pilot Ken “Flambé” Ray was inspired to create Storm Canyon, a map designed specifically for objective-based team play. Storm Canyon can be played with both teams attacking the others’ base while defending their own, or with either team only attacking while the other attacks. We chatted with Flambé about the inspiration behind Storm Canyon and how he felt about being the first pilot map designer for Virtual World. Here’s what he had to say:
VWE: Flambé, Virtual World has been around for 15 years. In that time, there has not been a single map released by the company that was conceived and designed by a non-employee pilot. Congratulations on being the first to receive that distinction.
KR: Thanks!
Click here for the rest of the [Interview]
Click here to view [Storm Canyon] - As close as possible to Original Submission
Click here to view [Storm Canyon Siege] - Heavily modified version for Sieage Assault
Just when you thought the Hellhound would be your favorite 'mech, we decided to make your decision a little tougher. BattleTech: Firestorm Release 4.0 debuts at all locations Thursday, January 13. This latest update features another FIVE new BattleMechs and THREE new maps, including the first ever player-designed map released by VWE. Release 4.0 will contain other great features like rear-firing weapons and a new Siege Assault game type that will be available on two maps.
The five new 'mech's include at least one from every 'mech class: 1 light, 1 medium, a heavy and two more pounding assault class 'mechs. Those new BattleMechs are the Uller (light), Ryoken (medium), the Dragon (heavy) and the Templar and Hauptmann (assaults).
Three exciting maps are being included in the Firestorm 4.0 Release. One of these three was submitted by Atlanta pilot, Ken "Flambé" Ray. The new maps are "Nazca" - a salt flat containing a number of watch towers that can be used for cover, "Cantina" - a wasteland of meteor craters and crystal rock formations, and "Storm Canyon" - Flambé's map created specifically for team play features bases to defend/attack over varying elevations.
Release 4.0 marks the debut of rear-firing weapons. These weapon systems will be only be able to fire to the rear - not to either the front or the sides. Only the Templar will include this weapon system for now…others may emerge from the 'Mech Bay in future releases with this mod.
You will also find in Release 4.0 that the missile lock is now tied to the radar system. A pilot will only get a target lock if that target appears on your radar. This means, of course, that having Beagle, ECM or running in passive radar mode will now have an impact on missile lock performance. Naturally, this is a veteran-pilot-only feature.
Team games get a new twist with a Siege Assault game-type. Team games should see more attack/defend scenarios with this game-type. It will be available on two new maps - Cantina and Storm Canyon. If a team objective is accomplished during the mission time, the mission continues to termination, but no further points for destroying buildings or achieving objectives are awarded. Only standard 'mech destruction points are awarded from that point on.
These are just some of the new features and updates included in BattleTech: Firestorm Release 4.0.
BattleCorps is a subscription-based website developed by InMediaRes Productions, LLC, to actively support the Classic BattleTech® universe with new art by fan favorite artists, fiction by such authors as Loren L. Coleman, Randall N. Bills, Michael Stackpole, and Robert Thurston, and a dynamic community.
Under license from WizKids, Inc, BattleCorps delivers new material every week, keeping fans and readers entertained with the ongoing politics, battles, and technological development of the 31st century.
After a year-long development cycle, InMediaRes Productions, LLC successfully launched www.battlecorps.com on August 2nd, 2004.
To celebrate their grand opening. BattleCorps will present many offers to the community as a demonstration of appreciation for its subscribers. These include:
o A give away of over 500 full-color posters
o "BattleCorps editions" of the leather-bound, Limited Edition Classic BattleTech Master Rules
o Exclusive purchase of the 20 Year Anniversary etching from Iron Wind Metals
o New, unique 'Mech variants and their famous pilots, on sale first from Iron Wind Metals to subscribers.
"We hope that membership will continue to bring more advantages," said Heather J. Coleman, one of the founders and the Executive Manager of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. "As BattleCorps.com grows, so will the benefits."
InMediaRes Productions, LLC is an electronic publishing company specializing in media tie-in fiction and the strong support of web-based communities. Its first foray is www.battlecorps.com, a Classic BattleTech fiction-based subscription website.
Chicago, IL, June 2004 – Q-ZAR Family Entertainment Center and Virtual World Entertainment, LLC have teamed up to bring the Tesla II System to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The attraction will debut at Q-ZAR, Colorado’s greatest laser tag location, on Friday, June 25, 2004.
“The Tesla II System is a totally unique attraction and, in my opinion, one unsurpassed in the genre of virtual reality entertainment. It will perfectly complement our very popular laser tag experience,” said Mike Ritchie, Q-Zar’s operator, “I believe the addition of Tesla II makes Q-ZAR the best family entertainment and team-building experience in Colorado Springs and El Paso County. Brian Tagli, Q-Zar’s General Manager, believes that Tesla II will be a huge hit with his clientele. “What VWE has done with the BattleTech simulators is amazing. Our players are already pumped to jump into those cockpits and command their own ‘mech.”