MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Q&A

By Staff, GameSpotPosted Jul 5, 2001 6:54 pm PT

Cyberlore's lead designer gives us some details on this upcoming add-on for MechWarrior 4.

The MechWarrior series is probably one of the only licenses that has become more popular on the PC than it ever was during its roots as a Battletech paper-and-pencil RPG. Although the franchise has been developed for the PC for some time, it really fell under the spotlight with the 1995 release of Activision's MechWarrior 2. Since that time, the series has switched hands between different developers, but with each successive release, the MechWarrior series has maintained its addictive gameplay while constantly offering improved graphics and more options. Fasa Interactive and Microsoft's MechWarrior 4: Vengeance was widely regarded as the best game in the series, and its GameSpot review score certainly reflects that fact. Recently, Microsoft announced an expansion pack to MechWarrior 4, which is entitled Black Knight. This add-on will let you assume control of the Black Legion, a group of mercenaries known for its brutality. We sat down with Cyberlore's Dave Fifield, the lead designer for MechWarrior 4: Black Knight, to find out more about this expansion pack.

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GameSpot: Dave, how long ago did you start development on Black Knight?

Dave Fifield: We started in mid-March of 2001.

GS: Tell us a little about the plot. Who is the Black Legion? How loyal are its members to House Steiner?

DF: The Black Legion is a mercenary unit renowned for questionable recruitment, Spartan discipline, and a willingness to work for just about anyone (for a price, of course--preferably a large one). Every legionnaire's first loyalty is to the Black Legion and its officers. Their loyalty to any employer is commensurate with pay and assignment.

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GS: When does the single-player campaign take place? During or after the rebellion by Ian Dresari?

DF: The campaign takes place immediately following the battle for Kentares, which saw Duke William unseated and Davion loyalists in charge of the planet.

GS: Will you encounter Ian Dresari or fight any of the MechWarrior 4 lancemates in the field of combat?

DF: You will be fighting on Kentares at some point...

GS: How many new mechs are there? What about the new weapons?

DF: There are five new mechs: three Inner Sphere and two Clan. Nine new weapon types are available. New autocannons fill out the expected lineup and a cluster bomb launcher has been developed on Long Tom technology. The ancient Lostech X-Pulse Lasers have been rediscovered and put into mass production throughout the Federated Commonwealth. In a remarkably short time, they have been turning up in significant numbers.

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jakeboudville
Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:17 pm PT

kinda impressive
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