MechWarrior: Living Legends

MechWarrior: Living Legends
Developer(s)	Wandering Samurai Studios
Engine	CryEngine 2
Version	Open Beta 0.5.1 (May 29th, 2011)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	2009 (beta), 2010 (more recent editions), 2011 (latest release)
Genre(s)	Vehicular combat Game Modification
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Media/distribution	Online
System requirements Intel Pentium 4 (2.8GHZ for XP ; 3.0GHZ for Vista); 3 GB RAM for XP ; 4 GB RAM for Vista; DirectX 9.0c; Full version of Crysis Wars

Mechwarrior: Living Legends (also known as MW:LL or MWLL) is an award-winning,^[1][2][3] fan-created, multiplayer mod, based in the Battletech universe, and using CryEngine 2 as its engine; it is one of the few mods based on the Battletech universe (and its supporting Intellectual property) to have been sanctioned by Microsoft - who currently (as of 2011) owns the rights to the Mechwarrior video-game franchise - and additionally received pre-SDK support and sanctioning directly from CryTek, producers of the games' engine.^[4][5] On December 26, 2009, an open beta (version 0.1.0) was released via BitTorrent and other distribution methods.^[6] Because the project changes the play-style and feel of the game it is originally based on (Crysis and Crysis Warhead) so completely as to be unrecognizable in comparison, it is billed as a "full-conversion" mod, since little to no trace of the original game's art or play-style (besides the most basic menus seen when first loading the game) exists any longer within MW:LL.^[7][8]

History

Mechwarrior: Living Legends is based in the Battletech universe and began as a mod for Quake Wars. However, for a number of reasons, the team decided to switch to Crysis and continue development on the CryEngine 2. Not long after the switch, German Crysis developer Crytek announced that the team would be one of only four to receive the Crysis Software Development Kit (SDK) in advance.

With the release of open beta version 0.4.0,^[9] support for Crysis Wars was added. With the release of version 0.5.0, the team only supports Crysis Wars.^[10]

The project was the recipient of the ModDB 2009 Mod of the Year award and - due to rules preventing one mod from winning the same award twice^[11] - an Honorable Mention in 2010.

Gameplay

MW:LL is a network multi-player only game with no single-player mode. As such, it has no specific story and does not seek to establish canon. The game is limited strictly to the first person point of view, and focuses largely on vehicular combat, including the franchise hallmark Battlemech. Additionally, it is the first game in the MechWarrior series to allow players to operate a wide range of vehicles in addition to 'Mechs including tanks, hovercraft, VTOL's, aerospace fighters, and the Elemental powered battlearmor.

References

1. ^ "ModDB.com 2009 Mod of the Year winners". webcitation.org: ModDB.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5xedCIpNQ. Retrieved 2 April 2011. 
2. ^ "ModDB.com 2010 Players Choice Award". webcitation.org: ModDB.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5xecWFSH0. Retrieved 2 April 2011. 
3. ^ "MechWarrior: Living Legends reinforcement pack v0.2.0 released". webcitation.org: IGN.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fve3d.ign.com%2Farticles%2Fnews%2F53389%2FMechWarrior-Living-Legends-MechWarrior-Reinforcement-Pack-v0-2-0-Released&date=2011-04-02. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
4. ^ Chris Faylor (24 September 2007). "MechWarrior Crysis Mod Given Legal Clearance". webcitation.org: Shacknews.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shacknews.com%2Farticle%2F49121%2Fmechwarrior-crysis-mod-given-legal&date=2011-04-02. Retrieved 17 November 2009. 
5. ^ Cry-Alex. "New Crysis pre-SDK Mod - MechWarrior: Living Legends". Crymod.com: CryTek. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrymod.com%2Fthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D9928&date=2011-04-03. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
6. ^ "MechWarrior: Living Legends Crysis mod stomps out". webcitation.org: shacknews.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shacknews.com%2Farticle%2F61750%2Fmechwarrior-living-legends-crysis-mod&date=2011-04-02. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
7. ^ "MechWarrior: Living Legends mod gives Crysis Nanosuit a run for its money". webcitation.org: Joystiq.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joystiq.com%2F2010%2F01%2F04%2Fmechwarrior-living-legends-mod-gives-crysis-nanosuit-a-run-for%2F&date=2011-04-02. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
8. ^ "15 Modders who changed PC gaming". gamingbolt.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgamingbolt.com%2F15-modders-who-changed-pc-gaming&date=2011-04-03. Retrieved 3 April 2011. 
9. ^ "Mechwarrior: Living Legends announces Open Beta 0.4.0 release". Wandering Samurai Studios via ModDB.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5xeZ0XDpR. Retrieved 2 April 2011. 
10. ^ http://www.mechlivinglegends.net/2011-02/discontinuation-of-crysis-support-for-mechwarrior-living-legends-with-mwll-0-5-0-release/
11. ^ "ModDB 2010 Mod of the Year awards and rules". WebCite: ModDB.com, DesuraNET. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5xebz1VoK. Retrieved 2 April 2011. 

External links

• Official website