From: olling@jnoc.go.jp (Cliff Olling)
Subject: Report on BattleTech 32-Player Video Game in Yokohama
Reply-To: olling@jnoc.go.jp (Cliff Olling)
Organization: Japan National Oil Corporation, Chiba City, Japan
Distribution: fj
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 06:08:41 GMT

There's an interesting video game arcade in Yokohama called "BattleTech".  I
first heard about it on TV back when it opened in August, but have been too
busy with work to check it out until now.  Currently, they only other one of
these in the world is in Chicago.  That one opened in 1990(?).

The interesting point about this game is that groups of up to 8 customers
play together on a "playing field" for 10 minute periods.  Each person drives
a robot around and tries to blow the sh*t out of the other people :-).  The
staff usually tries to fill out a group, so you're almost always playing
against 6-7 other people, not "the computer".  The other interesting point
is that noone "dies" in this game.  When your robot gets trashed, you eject
out in an "escape pod", and get installed into a new robot :-).  When the 10
minutes are up, some big doors close over your screen.  A "kinder and
gentler" video game?  Well, maybe not, as the only objective seems to be to
blow everyone away :-).  Like the gaming people say, women need a reason to
be violent, but men only need a place.  This game certainly is the place :-).

If you come in a group, the staff will try to put all of you on the same
"field" so you can happily blow each other to bits :-).  There are a total
of 4 playing fields, labeled Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, which can each seat
8 customers.  When you've got someone in your sights, their name is
displayed near the crosshairs, so you can know who your're blasting.  Also,
the game keeps track of hits to different areas of the body, so an arm or
leg can be blown off, but you can still keep moving (yes, I've seen
one-legged robots hopping around :-)).  You can move your crosshairs to
target the remaining leg of some hapless robot, for example :-).

You play for 10 minutes, then go to a "de-briefing room", where they re-play
a bird's-eye-view of the battle on a monitor at about 3x normal speed.  Then
they give you a personalized report of the battle (printed on an Apple Laser
Writer), with stats on who did what to who and a blow-by-blow description of
all major "hits" everyone made on each other.  

Before each game, you watch a "training video", which quickly gets old, of
course.  If you don't want to watch the video (it's about 5 minutes long),
you can poke around in a database of information about the robots and
underlying idea of the game.  The database doesn't have much useful
information in it, but at least it's in English, unlike the video :-(.

All in all, it's pretty enthralling (10 minutes is over "before you know
it"), but it gets expensive quickly.  The first three games (10 min. each)
cost a total of Y2k.  After that, you have to pay Y1k/10 minute period.

The staff give out a 4-page color brochure about what all the buttons in you
"cockpit" mean, and there are a lot of them, so your're better off if you
study the brochure between 10 minute periods, and ask questions to the
staff.  Each staff person has a number of stars representing "skill ratings"
or some such marked on their name badge, so you can judge which staff person
is advanced enough in the game to answer your questions.  

The problems with the brochure are, a) it's in Japanese, and b), it doesn't
describe about 1/2 the functionality currently available in the game.  For
example, your robot can only shoot straight ahead, so in the default
setting, you have to run around in a circle to shoot someone following you.
But one of the undocumented buttons allows your robot to rotate at the
waist, so you can shoot backwards while running forwards, though it sounds
like a good way to run into things to me :-).  There are a few more un-
documented buttons that I asked about, but couldn't understand the staff's
reply.  Sorry about that!  

Also, after you play 10 games, you can pick a more sophisticated type of
robot (runs faster, more armor, etc.) than the default one.  There are 4
types of robot to choose from.  Their differences are described in the
database.  A good thing to check is which parts of the robot are the least
heavily armored.  Then you'll know that a few quick shots there will put
them out of their misery.  Likewise, shooting at the heavily armored
sections will just be wasting your time.

There's probably a few more undocumented features, so if you've got the time
(and the money!), this game can certainly keep you amused finding out how to
use all the details for 10-20 hours :-).

Now for the good news.  I was able to contact the USA honbu of this company,
and they're sending me an Eigo-ban "Operator's Manual".  If I can figure out
how to use my company's scanner, I'll be able to e-mail a copy of the manual
to anyone who sends me a request (via e-mail).  Sorry, but I'm not going to
be able to fax or snail mail it to anyone.  However, if you're willing to
meet me for a game or three :-), I'll bring a copy of the manual along.

Oh, yes, how to get there?  Head towards whatever Yokohama station exit
leads to the subway, and follow the (big) signs to the Tokyu Hands (handi-
crafts) store.  It's about 5-7 minutes walk from the station.  Turn left at
Tokyu Hands and walk for 30m, and go in the building that has a big silver
face on the front (it'll be on your right).  Take the elevator to the 6th
floor, and hold your wallet up to the vacuum cleaner nozzle at the counter
:-).  

The staff will ask you to pick a nickname that'll be shown on other players'
screens when they've "targeted" you, on the de-briefing "replay" and on all
your reports, and they'll make you a "member's card" with that name on it.
They don't care what your real name is, but you have to show that member's
card each time you pay for another 10 minutes.  

Tanoshimi ni,
-- 
Clifford Olling  Japan National Oil Corporation    $@@PL}8xCD(J
Technology Research Center  $@@PL}3+H/5;=Q(J  Chiba City, Japan
olling@jnoc.go.jp    $@KkD%K\6?1X(J   24hrs/day=>81+43-273-5831
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