The Best Game You'll Never Play - Steel Battalion

[@dmsr1234]

8:28 the fact that you, personally, need to pay for a new mech like a car in the middle of a war is one of the subtly funniest parts of this entire game

[@youdontknowme3935]

Maybe he is part of a mercenary corp?

[@MadmanEpic]

that would make sense, but nah you're part of the 1/3rd world government

[@furinick]

Uhhh my guess would be special forces groups make their own procurement

[@ATR-_]

Same exact thing happens in MechWarrior

[@stevenclark2188]

@@ATR-_ The original MechWarrior had you as a Merc and every sequel borrows from that gameplay formula, so it tracks.

[@boi8328]

"So instead of launching yourself around like it's Armored Core..." You launch yourself around like a 1st-3rd gen Muscle Tracer (MT) in Armored Core.

[@dragoontype00alphaz19]

Yeah pretty much and suddenly AC turn up to ruin your day god dam it!! that would be very interesting battle but literally be horror tho I've wanted to play game like that technically u can do that in AC6 if u build to MT Specs but good luck to u

[@bagusarif1199]

We're NPC on our game😂

[@ChubbsMcgoo]

It's more like MechWarrior. Which I've used this controller for MechWarrior and it's a lot of fun.

[@xedrickOG]

Do you still have the controller?​@@ChubbsMcgoo

[@yocapo32]

​@@dragoontype00alphaz19 Isn't that basically the final boss of Verdict Day?

[@imstupid880]

God game manuals used to be so cool "You're not working with the best the future has to offer here" and that's exactly the way I goddamn want it, top kino. Basically the Japanese equivalent of MechWarrior.

[@superhetoric]

which is ironic considering MW (or rather battledroids) wouldn't be a thing without their yoinking of various japanese Real Robot IPs' mecha designs

[@dakaodo]

Japanese Mechwarrior, but done better for the sim nerds! I spent a big chunk of my childhood and early adulthood playing TT Battletech and several of the Mechwarrior games starting from 1, plus a bit of time more recently in MWO. But as my non-gaming interests grew up, I wanted a more thorough sim experience than the simplified arcade direction Mechwarrior went. I missed Steel Battalion b/c I never played XBox and never heard about SB in time. Give me something like DCS or Gunner, Heat! PC with mechs, and I'd be happy as a clam. Camera view attached to the mech, so that it pitches and rolls with the mech's movement over micro terrain, or slightly stumbles on rough ground (which was an explicitly separate category of terrain in the original TT game). Sim racing in first person view, but in mechs, would be rad. Even normal movement should show up in camera movement, modified by varying degrees of camera stabilization depending on a mech's tech level and bling factor (bargain basement clapped out rustbucket that's been in service 250 years, or pristine top of the line Star League warehouse find). Get a foot actuator shot off, and your mech will lean and limp. Falling over and getting back up should matter and make a meaningful impact on gameplay. How cool would it be to have to actually use a mech's arms and hands to drag your crippled mech up into a standing position and brace it against a building? Or to see your perspective responding to the mech's movement and tilt as it dashes at 80 kph over rolling hills or dunes? Maybe I'm just the weirdly specific minority for being disappointed with MWO on completely missing these visceral aspects of mech operation and combat. After all, even normal meatbag FPS games don't simulate any of this. But because different gamer segments have different appetites and tolerance levels for painful attention to detail, it'd probably be a good idea to give the player these things as options or difficulty modes, like in sim racing games.

[@hahafunnyman-on5rq]

​@@superhetoric​the orignial 10 battletech tabletop models were ripped from some old mech anime. But pretty mech everything after was original. Back then, the 2 main mech archetypes werent really seperated (tank with legs or fighterjet with legs) so there was a lot of similiar stuff around

[@LoliMaster69227]

Play the game outside on a hot summer day to simulate being boiled alive when you walk your mech slightly above its speed limit for too long lol

[@henlostinky273]

SB is a really neat take on it that reflects a lot of what happens in the real world. you DO have the best the future has to offer, but what they're offering is an unproven concept as interpreted by design boards who haven't done this before. the results are functional but all kinda wrong in their own way. there's clear performance tiers forming but it's the barely adequate outshining the mediocre outshining the obviously bad. it's not a mechwarrior or an armored core where they have a few decades of practice, mechs were invented 8 years ago and people haven't even figured out a good name for them yet.

[@quox3987]

Steel Battalion is the experience of being in a mecha-anime but there’s no magic making everything work. There’s no ravens, nu-types, cyborgs, there’s no sync-ratings that decide how good you are. There is no meta-materials to make you bullet proof or nondescript power supplies that keep going until the plot demands it. You are not invincible inside a VT, you need to breath, eat, and if there’s a fire your going to have to fight it yourself, and there IS going to be a fire. You are meat wrapped in metal, and so is your enemy. You are both human and you both want to come home alive, so the both of you are going to abandon pretentious concepts like honor or mercy. You both are going to use every dirty trick in the book and when you finish it whoever’s left alive is going to author the next edition of it.

[@tgdm]

VTs are presented very much as weapons of war.

[@sztypettto]

Is it just me, or did the makers of this game bank in on the popularity of Evangelion, Mech Warrior and similar mech themed titled in popular entertainment during the 90s?

[@annebaisden8717]

Yup. It really has those "get in the robot Shinji" vibes. Especially if you don't read the manual.

[@michaelmartin9022]

So it's a mecha anime but you're one of the grunts who is still standing in the background of S3E07, not the hero? A lot of sci-fi military anime in general takes "hero ships" to insane heights. Like LOGH, the heroes' ships barely get scratched, while forty-thousand strong fleets melt like chocolate around them.

[@charuzu2895]

This is true to an extent. After all making a tank a biped in real life..is a physically stupid idea. The magic here is the practical use and functionality than a mcguffin or plot device.

[@luketfer]

I love the fact that the OS startup includes "coin switch - ok" as a nice nod back to the old arcade cabinet boot ups in a 'blink and you'll miss it' reference

[@db345t]

This would be a cool arcade machine experience

[@absoluteshambles6905]

"7-9 PERSONAL EFFECTS INTO THE COCKPIT There is a compartment for holding provisions inside the cockpit. If the personal effect is capable of fitting into the compartment space then it is possible to bring personal items into the cockpit. However, carrying private items into the VT must be cleared beforehand by an accompanying commander. Also, it is forbidden to carry the operation manual, which is strictly confidential, into the VT." > Don't read the manual while playing because you'll leak intelligence to the enemy

[@thisguy6559]

Liking the 'viewing the outside world through a camera/screen' concept, much more true to real armoured combat than sitting in a glass cockpit like most other mech sims.

[@MansMan42069]

And that's only the Gen 1 and 2 VTs. The Gen 3 VT cockpits feature complete visual passthrough thanks to screens seamlessly surrounding your periphery.

[@Lord_Evidar]

To be fair, in Mechwarrior games, it might look like glass but it is infact screens like steel battalion. (And the laser effects are added by the HUD so pilots can track shots, they're invisible outside the cockpit.)

[@quantum5661]

i always liked how in titanfall 1 you could see so much of the cockpit itself when looking out of it, it didnt feel like everything was made out of sci fi glass like in titanfall 2.

[@eur0be4t3r]

Like Titanfall’s Titans

[@agentoranj5858]

@@Lord_Evidar That's how it was in the old books, but the TechManual changed a lot of things. It's fully transparent armour now, tough enough that you could paint your whole 'Mech clear but expensive enough that you don't want to.

[@plugslums1896]

So for those wondering, yes there is a kind of "Steel Battalion" game being developed for vr called OVRLRD. its made by a guy named Niall Slater and is set to come out in Q4 2024 but the demo for the game is currently available...

[@AdamHillikerLikesRobots]

I just discovered Iron Rebellion, which looks interesting if a little fast paced.

[@eaglesblades]

God I wish there was a true sequel to this game.

[@trd3228]

​@Fishy_Chameleon wasnt there a remake for the xbox 360 kinect?

[@69Deez_Nutz69]

Monkey's paw:

[@Matthias129]

@@trd3228 Yeah, and it was basically a WW2 tank crew game that uses some of the terms from the OG game. Like seriously, the VTs are just WW2 tanks with squat legs instead of treads. And the only "pilot sim" aspects are using the Kinect to interact with small things, and sometimes unreliably thanks to the Kinect. Granted, the game is not awful, but having missed out on the OG because of the cost of the game & controller, and seeing critics dunk on Steel Battalion because of that price, but then turn around and praise things like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, being almost the same price, because you get to pretend you're a musician (except without the fame, money, or, most importantly, talent) really ground my gears. But wait, here comes a Steel Battalion sequel! Better graphics, and now with those musician games bringing specialty controllers into the mainstream SB will get the recognition it deserves! What do you mean you play it with a Kinect, and where's all the cool VT designs?! It was just disappointing to have it basically be a completely different style of game after hoping for a true sequel, when shortly after SB's original run the game quickly became a collector item even within like a year of its release.

[@MansMan42069]

It should be on the PSVR2

[@manemperorofmankind8119]

The Kinect version, while done poorly, wasn’t a terrible idea

[@BlitzWhat]

My best friend had this game when we were 15, one time I went over to his place and was getting bored and jealous just watching him play with his toy for hours. He always kept the safety cover on the eject button up so he wouldn't have to fumble with it in an emergency. I thought it would be funny if I closed it and he had an extra little moment of panic the next time he took an artillery shot to the cockpit. Long story short, he ended up with a finger splint, a deleted save and I ended up outside. RIP big man, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't love mecha as much as I do today.

[@cookiesboi5]

He never let you try it?

[@milanstevic8424]

@@cookiesboi5 No. But they kissed one time.

[@tomtheman2155]

He died irl when he couldn't eject in time

[@Scaevola9449]

A mere 10 hours to learn the basic controls of a combat vehicle is fantastically short.

[@MYR_112]

I assume you were in the military at some point.

[@alphahurricane7957]

@@MYR_112 or in dcs

[@kazzjarmin]

Amuro Ray piloted the RX-78 with less, read your manuals kids.

[@xaagripha7326]

took me like 20 mins

[@JoeMamasBestie]

Same energy as, "I watched, One Piece in a day" 😂

[@obliviousfafnir01]

Before Steel Battalion, the only other well known emersive mech experience here in the US was the old Virtual World Battletech Pods. While the Battletech Centers are ancient history, there are still a few dedicated groups of people who keep, maintain, and operate the pods.

[@DarkRavenhaft]

Catalyst Game Labs (current Battletech IP holder) rents/maintains 6 sim pods at GenCon every year. Bring a bottle of air-freshener if you go.

[@paladin8522]

Those pods are so incredibly fun

[@cookiesboi5]

Had the honor to pilot a mech through one of those pods at a local Dave and Busters when I was a kid. This was long before my modern day battle tech obsession.

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

@@DarkRavenhaft Lore accurate experience though if the classic novels are anything to go by.

[@had_fun_once]

Praise the algorithm. Also, I fucking love documentation that includes tons of unnecessary details that have absolutely nothing to do with playing the game. I would definitely love reading that manual.

[@MadmanEpic]

it's all up on archive.org if ya wanna look through it, though it may compel you to spend a lot of money if you're impressionable enough

[@superhetoric]

except it has everything to do with playing the game methinks

[@had_fun_once]

@@superhetoric Yeah, because knowing what to do if you get hungry in a VT is 100% relevant to gameplay.

[@Herr_Gamer]

@@had_fun_onceof course. I mean, what if you get hungry?

[@shivalah]

@@MadmanEpici have the game, the controller and an XBOX. I couldn’t make out anything on my 100hz CRT, so I just ordered a Kaico HDMI adapter, maybe then it will look half as good as it did in your video. (It won’t as it’s a PAL version and not modded).

[@JuiceboxCE]

Finally got a bunch of my coworkers to try this game out, and we didn't have the manual onhand. I gotta say, tackling this on Rookie, you get a solid hang of how to play by your 3rd attempt in the tutorial, which was refreshing to witness as I worried it'd be a notable barrier of entry. We also did a party mentality playstyle, where 3 people, one per section of the controller (middle piece had the pedals to accommodate lack of stuff to do), were in charge of those functions, so communication was key. If the mech died, the ejection button block person takes a shot, if the pilot escapes, everyone takes a shot, victory was up to a vote on shot or no, and would vote on the weakest link in the match to take a shot. TLDR - This game is a surprisingly awesome party game, especially when you divy up the elements, and so much more immersive and impressive during solo play. Couple that with the sequel's online modes being functional through Insignia, there is a LOT to love about this game

[@TheAmazingCowpig]

Oh yeah. My friends and I had infinitely more fun once we went two-seater, with one person on the left two controllers basically controlling movement, and the one on the right putting all their brain power into aiming the weapons.

[@watch.v-dQw4w9WgXcQ]

@@TheAmazingCowpig you just turned it into the average multi-crew experience (we need more multi-crew vehicles games)

[@quinnmarine549]

35 pages is nothing compared to reading a near 800 page for a single aircraft.

[@georgedahuha4876]

dcs player be like

[@charuzu2895]

@@georgedahuha4876 This has sent me down a rabbit hole from which there is no return. Damn you.

[@quinnmarine549]

@@charuzu2895 Flying planes is a bitch after all.

[@mk6315]

It was a lot for a game on an OG Xbox

[@georgedahuha4876]

@@charuzu2895 you fool...

[@ThommyofThenn]

13:23 i love how they made limitations add to the immersion of the setting. It's *meant* to feel janky and state of the imperfect art. That's great design! this is also really impressive technically on the hardware. The multi-monitor and visuals overall are just terrific

[@TheSillyDragonfly]

It makes the immersion SO MUCH BETTER❤ it makes you feel like a real ace once you master the controls

[@delphicdescant]

Calling a mech a "vertical tank" has the same energy as calling a snake a "danger noodle."

[@superhetoric]

"reddit-brained" is the name of the energy

[@seb24789]

You can always be Front Mission and just do it in german for extra style points.

[@brendo7363]

this comment unalived my sides.

[@d3bugged]

Vertical One man Tank for Offense and Maneuvers From Armor Trooper Votoms

[@vaele723]

​@@d3buggedPeak show.

[@TehNoobiness]

I love that the very first mission involves having to cold-start your mech and do the cockpit startup sequence while under fire.

[@hotcyder]

Respect for getting your hands on the Steel Battalion controller. Really enjoyed the vid, definetly vibed with the developers Tekki rituals.

[@dapizzasnake8462]

This gives me highfleet vibes, cause in highfleet the open world interface is clogged up with cold war looking radar, radios and other grainy interfaces with nothing but the beeps of machinery and the fire of the engines quietly humming in the backround. And in combat the vessels feel unwieldy, engines overheating, heavy viehicles are a hasle to get moving where you want it to, and the sound design is excellent, with the sound of artillery and autocannons fireing and desperately waiting for your heavy artillery to reload as you hear each shell being loaded one by one.

[@_Jay_Maker_]

As someone who basically binged Highfleet over the weekend, yeah, Highfleet has big "realism cemented in frustrating graphical confusion" vibes. The problem that Highfleet has is that you can't turn off individual graphical touches. Like, I'd love to _just_ turn off rain, but nope, I have to turn off all this other shit too. The visual feed is _so_ cluttered that on top of having to track multiple enemies fighting your single unit, you're at risk of being overwhelmed with all of these other environmental effects. That's on top of the targeting system being fairly terrible, forcing you to rely on tracers from your own weaponfire to get accurate shots on target. Thankfully my giant, hilariously tanky bottom-fighting CIWS platform literally cuts everything in half, so fights don't last very long. 😆 You're right on the sound design, too and the worldbuildng, which is also excellent. I bounced off of this game pretty hard when it first came out, but I just re-purchased it and it's absolutely a great addition to my collection.

[@Pawsome_Opossum]

The controller segment reminded me why I love VTOL VR so much; it lies in this beautiful space between AC and DCS that is just wonderful. As far as controls go, it takes an eighth of the buttons from DCS and puts them in a virtual cockpit that you can flick to your hearts content. If it had the ability to simulate foot petals I’d say it’s the closest thing to a VR Steel Battalion controller there is that isn’t DCS.

[@Flatlala]

An amazing part of VTOL is that the virtual controls are accurate enough that the game can be played at a competitive level. There's still room for improvement but that will only get better. Hopefully a Steel Battalion game comes to VR eventually. OVRLRD seems to be trying to blend the two right now.

[@cupman7326]

I was just thinking this! The issue he discussed of abstraction in VR games doesn't apply nearly as much in the cockpits of VTOL VR, because the action of using the controllers is pretty similar to actually flipping switches and using flight sticks.

[@MrChainsawAardvark]

The quote about Steel Battalion I always remember is an observation "Many games try to put you in the cockpit of a giant robot - SB won't let you out". I do hope we see more games like this both for a love of mecha and as a way to create more physical media. Think about those various "retro-arcade" controllers you can get from Walgreens and amazon for fifty bucks that are an Atari joystick and a bunch of old games. A controller that is the console for sims would work nicely these days. One of the stand-out factoids in the tabletop game "Heavy Gear" is that they point out the eponymous mecha are to some extent controlled by macros like a fighting game. There is a programable and basic AI computer under the pilot's seat that learns the inputs and the operator's preferences over time.

[@user-ym9fp8tb6x]

Love this game. The most difficult part is probably having a room set up in a way that helps you play it. You seriously need a desk in the middle of a room facing a large TV that's in no way above you. This is the reason my controller is strapped to the wall as art instead of in use these days.

[@animanaut]

friend had it. one of us was always tasked as a co pilot and hover over the eject button in case the pilot was too locked in to eject in time. teamwork makes the dream work! playing it on an actual big crt adds to the experience as it adds to the clunckiness of it

[@NotSoMelancholy]

This game always enamoured me from when I first saw it in elementary school in a Guinness world record book. But never got to play it and kind of forgot about it. I was genuinely smiling ear to ear by the end of this video. This is the kind of game I love and I didn’t know how to articulate it until seeing it described here. Piloting games with little abstraction. I love games with super technical mechanics, that ask for something from the player, are full if tactile inputs and try to avoid or atleast blur the line between abstraction and simulation. It’s why I could never get into Mechwarrior, despite people trying to sell it as a “mech sim” and why I love games like Carrier Command, or Scavenger SV-4. I love when games treat their vehicles as vehicles and something to learn. I don’t want to act like I’m in a pilot seat, I want to feel like I am.

[@MadmanEpic]

based Scavenger SV-4 enjoyer (VTOL VR is worth looking into if you like those sorts of games)

[@NotSoMelancholy]

@@MadmanEpic maybe one day! It’s been on my list, just need to get a VR set first.

[@rico653caines3]

Carrier Command enjoyer spotted 🤝

[@ericatkinson5433]

Its aged more than the video implies but it was and still is an amazing experience. if you ever get the chance to play it, don't pass it up. I was lucky in that at the time I worked at Gamestop and ultimately ended up with two complete copies But few people were so lucky. But stay far, far away from the Steel Battalion for the Kinect on 360. Its nowhere near the same game at all.

[@Android_ELITE]

for reference, after rotating 4 people through playing this game for several hours, we settled on a strategy of forming two 2-man teams to split the workload, with one person handling each side of the controller and a tad of overlap. it genuinely made the game easier. we still only got through about half a dozen missions in as many hours. 10/10. it’s horrible. I loved every second of it.

[@ulforcemegamon3094]

What is funny is that attack helicopters follow the same strategy , a single person can Pilot a attack heli , but will get tired quickly , but two people controlling the helicopter? Now is way more doable and makes the Pilot way less tired

[@PaleCrestedWolf]

@@ulforcemegamon3094”you move me there, I shoot, you take us home”

[@MrLemmy82]

All I knew about Steel Batallion was the name and the controller. It definitely looks like a unique experience that makes full use of the peripheral to give the most unfiltered pilot experience possible, and I respect the dedication to create a game like that! The dedication to play it as well, but after spending that much money on it, I'm sure giving up when the going gets tough isn't an option, haha!

[@_Jay_Maker_]

I used to own this. And yes, it was just as fucking awesome as the controller made it out to be. That is, back when it came out, anyways. Nowadays, the game itself is honestly pretty bare-bones _as a game,_ but as a giant mech simulator? Complete with physical experience? Only hardcore sims can compare, and very few things (DCS, mainly) come close. When you start this game, you literally start it. Flipping all those switches was fucking radical. Also, the VT designs were just so realistically solid. Having cameras mounted everywhere to project the outside inside makes so much more sense for a gigantic war machine than having a glass canopy or visor that risks getting headshot. Not enough developers even consider that these days. Getting imbalanced and _literally falling over_ was some hilarious shit that required _actual_ practical skill and practice to avoid. Goddamn I wish we could get a game like this again, with this level of tactile response. The world itself was so gritty and real, something I've only seen replicated with games like Titanfall, Hawken, Highfleet or the upcoming _Forever Winter._ I hope more people come back to games like Steel Battalion and remember how unique it was. 20:49 - the mechanics of this particular VT's cockpit sequence are visceral to me. I need this in my life again.

[@RendOnYouTube]

never would have guessed this game had a perma-death mechanic -- that's really cool great video :D

[@slayerd357]

I remember watching my buddy buy this monstrosity, get it back to the barracks, hook it up, and play it. By the third day he was hopping mad because he kept dying which was permadeth. But he had spent the better part of his childhood waiting on a full on mech sim so to him it was all worth it. I had to admit it was pretty daggum cool. He had a hoot trying to get his mech to start and he kept stalling it. Man that manual. This is back when games were REAL. Imagine a new version with full VR!

[@nathanielhartsuff2336]

The steel battalion game and controller is a huge inspiration for a lot of hardware based mechanics for a game im building.

[@j0k1g]

PAX West did a campaign of this game, 5v5, faction v faction, you enlisted, got tokens at the end of battle you could trade between games, 3 of the same was 1 respawn, and there where 5 tech tiers for the mechs to keep things balanced. It. Was. AWESOME!

[@GreenShark4]

Owned this back in the day, was a hoot when it worked and boring when it didn't. Had a night where my friends and I each controlled a different segment of the controller and it was a blast!

[@Reynard_11]

Still have mine, original green button version. I had built a mount for the controller on an old office chair. Spent hours every night playing "Line of Contact". which was fantastic, providing you had a group with great broadband. As an old gamer and longtime fan of vehicle sims & peripherals to play them with, I think this was as good as it ever got for a console.

[@JZStudiosonline]

The funny thing is, as mentioned this kind of setup is really pretty easy these days, just a shame there's not really any dual stick games in general.

[@adissentingopinion848]

Found a Virtual-On: Cyber Troopers machine in my local barcade. It's got me so entranced I've been dreaming about twinstick flying tank controls a la L.A. Machinegunners. Seconding you on twinstick being less explored than it should.

[@agentoranj5858]

@@adissentingopinion848 Love that game, most fun I've had in an arcade. I run some builds in AC VI that are meant to copy the feel of Virtual-On's roster.

[@MayhapsOmegon]

1:35 it does work for other games though. Not well, but it does. I got it to work for Rockband on the 360 back in the day.

[@Grimdark_Replays]

PC drives exist for at least windows 7 using this controller for mechwarrior is popular, and wiring a usb to xbox adaptor is as simple as a spare break away and usb cable and some electrical wire.

[@kamerona4723]

As an enormous mecha fan i have to get this now, if i go bankrupt im blaming you (and gunpla)

[@gamedierepeat3351]

Ive gotten to play this game a few times at a nearby board game convention. There is a group who usually shows up, and they are very good with the presentation. They sit you down at the start for bootcamp, you get yelled at for a few minutes by a guy in a army outfit and then they make some teams and you get to play. This game kicks so much ass

[@RazorStoJ]

Great video dude 👍 thanks for showing off some of the multiplayer Steel Battalion Line of Contact with footage from us around the 26:40 minute mark! If anyone is interested we play Steel Battalion Online every weekend with original hardware

[@ThePlayerOfGames]

Wait how? I've got a original controller and LOC!

[@RazorStoJ]

@@ThePlayerOfGames look for us on google "Steel Battalion Online"

[@MadmanEpic]

@ThePlayerOfGames there's a Discord server folks use to organize LoC games at discord.gg/steelbattalion, they play every weekend and can get you set up for it

[@RazorStoJ]

@@MadmanEpic Thanks man

[@remigusker6024]

​ I'd love to, but no fucking way I'm giving a 3rd party site my discord login details for that captcha shit

[@MrSMLEWeeb]

I owe you my life for making me remember this godsend of a mech game existed

[@Wzrd8]

This game ruled. I've been thinking about converting the controller for use on my PC. Would make using mobile suits in KSP a lot easier.

[@MadmanEpic]

Someone's actually made a custom Windows driver for it, so you _can_ use it for other stuff that way (and I want to sometime), but it has some limitations and the controller isn't really well suited to anything other than Steel Battalion because of some quirks like the stick behavior.

[@johncannon2022]

Some years ago I spent entirely too much time making the SB controller work with various PC games, including printing custom overlays for the physical control panels. It worked great with Elite Dangerous and Evochron Mercenary but, surprisingly, wasn't very good for Mechwarrior 5.

[@Wzrd8]

@@johncannon2022 oh shit elite would be absolutely sick with my VR setup and the SB monster.

[@henlostinky273]

FYI original xbox controllers don't need to be modified to work on PC. they're just USB controllers with a funny connector so all you need is a $5 adapter to let it plug into a USB-A port.

[@fgregerfeaxcwfeffece]

It is a bit more complicated. In the lore presented it actually makes sense that there is no abstraction. Because abstraction always locks you into choices. And the correct ones are only available in hindsight. Aka experience. For example the start up sequence. This might very well be a case of: Most of the time you just flick them on one after another in whatever sequence. But for example if something breaks. Does that order still apply? What about other unforeseen conditions? So even with an unlimited dev budget you might still leave some stuff manual. And even if we skip 10 years ahead, and just assume for the sake of simplicity: Yes, all of these assumptions where true. There would still likely be the manual fall back for edge cases. You don't want to be trapped in a giant paperweight because one gear broke. Leading to one step not working maybe still disabling 80% of your mechs functionality. But you can still run away. Or maybe some of these are technically optional. like coolant pumps. You only have very little power left. So maybe you just leave these off because you will run out of power anyways before something more severe happens due to over heating. Or you might just risk it for some reason.

[@yonsisac264]

This is one of the true Mech experience. Thus game needs a TRUE Sequel.

[@MansMan42069]

Failing a purpose-built controller or arcade cabinet, the sequel should be on PSVR2

[@ZZZHarpy101]

@@MansMan42069 Nah! Sony's corporate prefers invest in FPS game made by former big name studio devs "cough...Bungie" than holding a candle to Capcom for remastering a more than 20 years old game.

[@MansMan42069]

@@ZZZHarpy101 o...kay...?

[@eighthinfinity]

... folks need to make 3D printed controllers and an open source remake problem solved

[@CrackShotCleric]

I mean, the mechwarrior battlepods are just as technologically complex. Admittedly, not made for average mechheads, but still. Great video. Thank you for your dedication

[@Ribbons0121R121]

The cold start section I find very funny because it implies fucking radiator antifreeze was a mechanic

[@alexlowe2054]

Oh, that controller light up during the boot sequence at 2:45 is just so beautiful. And oh dang, that sound montage at 16:10 sounds so great. Also, "combat forklift" is hilarious.

[@TheRauzKindred]

Gives me Mechwarrior 3 vibes with how you have to scrounge and scavenge cause you're out of range of proper supply lines during the campaign. The only way to get new anything or repair anything is literally by highway robbery of the enemy forces, because you're on their home planet terribly enough.

[@Brickster-cf8x]

Can we appreciate the level of detail he put into this video? Especially your writing and word choice paired with the graphics and visuals was top tier. Particularly the section on Abstraction and Immersion. I really do feel like this game captured a level of immersion I’ve never before seen in 20+ years of gaming.

[@05Matz]

Ooh, new video essay channel to watch! Lots of cool thoughts on this game and its unique design! ...and yes, HBS Battletech (especially with mods) is a nice rabbit hole of a game to become engrossed in!

[@LizardPilled]

One of my fondest memories is taking part in a Steel Battalion LAN campaign at PAX around 2010. I was a Hai Shi Dao artillery officer and racked up a good amount of kills, firing at coordinates relayed to me by our scouts. It kicked ass! I even had a few showdowns when enemies rushed my firing position. I really wish I could relive that whole experience. The group that put it on even issued us pilot cards and stamped our kill counts into them.

[@fiddlestickjones]

i would love a mech game made in vr with a giant controller like that, would be really immersive

[@Matthias129]

Or even just having the buttons be present in world for you to interact with using standard VR controllers, even if there's less buttons than the SB controller has. Iron Rebellion is the closest to my dream, but it's a more arcade-y arena PvP shooter instead of mech sim. But maybe it'll tickle your fancy.

[@dixieduffy7]

The hardware is definitely there. You could probably use a flight HOTAS if you designed the game around it. Or for a more steel battalion feel you can do twin stick like people use in space sims.

[@theancientsam]

so true, we will never see something like this again. thanks for making the video so i could check it out. i always wanted this game as a kid

[@Furluge]

I really wish they would re-release Steel Battalion on PC. I think it'd find a happy home among all the other heavy sim games out here.

[@arostwocents]

GREAT video. Started watching on the home screen and had to come in ❤

[@sourpork]

man imagine playing a mechwarrior game with that controller

[@BadHarmonics]

I was a really dedicated mw4 player, guild and everything. That's all I thought about since I saw this.

[@MajorCinnamonBuns]

It would be tough to beat the MS sidewinder FFB joystick experience with MW4.

[@BadHarmonics]

@@MajorCinnamonBuns that's what I had, and honestly all I knew there was. It was revolutionary for smaller mechs but I'll always be a dire wolf guy.

[@the_algo_rhythm]

Besides one of the arcade sim pods, using one of these to pilot my Marauder was all I really wanted.

[@the_algo_rhythm]

​@@MajorCinnamonBunsExactly this. Cranked all the way up, it felt like assault mechs were actively fighting you when you tried to turn at full throttle.

[@Leon_Portier]

Steel Battalion is so cool, I hope something like that gets made sometime again

[@nicholasyost8400]

Steel Battalion hands down was an epic game and I'm still upset they haven't made an updated version or an actual proper remake.

[@sentbyjaybird]

the most partizan game ive seen, i love it, thanku for covering this!!

[@impreza0109]

2:59 funny that's how Gundam 0079 started

[@doodlingthedayaway]

I appreciate you keeping the language PG. a welcomed and noticed difference from most video game reviews I've seen. The attention to detail was well done. Thorough. Articulate. Attention keeping. Great work.

[@Kaijudomage]

A friend of mine keeps a og xbox around just to play this, neither one of us have been able to beat it without having our save eventually getting wiped from dying. 10/10

[@TheSpectralFX]

I went to the store one day and saw that for sale for 100$ CAD. Went back home, told my ma about the thing and since I wasn't the kind of kid to ask for much... she was surprised at the sudden request but happily obliged. on my bicycle I went back to the store and hauled that back home in the biggest backpack I owned. Jeez this game is hard... but fun.

[@forcedevil]

almost made me want to spend 500 dollars in getting an original xbox, controller and game good job

[@Dewm_]

Absolute legend for whipping out the Sega GT 2002 OST. More people need to play that game.

[@furinick]

Aaaa now i kinda wish there was a more universal version of this control scheme, slap some segmented displays in there or something to change labels and some overginerring to mske stuff more configurable But then i remember there wouldnt be enough games and nerds willing to deal with this. I dream of a day a whole genre of sim games that use a universal controller with maybe a couple sticks, bunch of buttons and some levers and a knob or something. Though this setup could def rock in a static location like a university club or utopian tech jobs that dint exist anymore where people actually got rest time

[@blitzronin9256]

Actually it's highly possible the problem is cost and game coverage, i did start a project on that but, development is hard on a budget and without much help. Still your enthusiasm gives me hope that, it ain't in vain.

[@widdrshinswonders]

I remember playing SB as a kid. Nothing has ever given me the rush of hitting that eject button.

[@haruruben]

My coworker had this game, he said he broke the controller like the third time he played it, I bought the pieces to use in a sci-fi short film I was making for school

[@empty5013]

on the topic of the startup sequence, i love this type of thing in simulations, elite dangerous isn't the best game i've ever played, arguably it's not even a good game, but the fact you have to physically launch and land your ship every time you dock with a port remains one of my absolute favourite parts of the game. yes there's an autopilot that can dock for you but even then you have to sit through the whole song and dance and it's just such a wonderful level of immersion, i wish more games would commit to 'slice of life' elements of the fantasy they are presenting.

[@skurtlil9824]

This looks like a forklift but with guns kinda thing. And OSHA is just 200 meters away with a 300m howitzer.

[@aries144]

Fantastic review! Your description of the controller and its effect on the player experience was superb.

[@saratsuki777]

5:52 so it teaches you militaristic strategical thinking?

[@williamglass2223]

One of my favorite things to do was invite a friend over who had never heard of the game, set them down for the tutorial and watch them try and figure it out. Was fun watching them “learn to walk” so to speak. I had some knowledge when I first played it, but it’s still such a learning curve. I can’t describe it. Going from an original Xbox controller to the SB control is like going from a bicycle to an F1 car. Whenever I tell people about this game, I call it the Microsoft Flight Simulator of mech games. What other mech game had a radio, fire extinguisher, magazine change, and windshield wipers? Freaking windshield wipers! Hands down the most interesting mech game ever made.

[@yukko_yoshida]

2:10 intern shenanigans

[@llmkursk8254]

I did a light delve into how sci-fi mechs work, namely the powerloader from Aliens, and part of it is judging movement from your arms and legs, using the neurons n such in more advanced types of mechs. A VR mech game, using additional strap-on sensors, would honestly kick ass!

[@SlermmMcderm]

I was OBSESSED with this game as a child 😂 got my ass legitimately beaten by my stepdad for trading in a ton of games and an entire shitty computer for an Xbox and this game

[@sgtepic4659]

Yo that's fd up 💀

[@JuiceboxCE]

o7 Literally put your ass on the line for the war effort, big salute

[@cyanyde4950]

I respect the sacrifices made to have the ability to enter the cockpit of a mech.

[@DoRC]

The pacing and delivery of your presentation are perfect! Fantastic watch I can't believe you don't have more subscribers.

[@OzoneDepleter]

You got picked up by the algorithm. Have fun man

[@JohnnyCocas00]

The ignition sequence is why I keep going back to Mechwarrior 5 every now and then. You don't actually have to do any sort of input to get going, but the drop sequence where the mech slowly turns into the outer door and starts up, gets me a "LET'S DO THIS!!" every time! I can imagine myself playing this game, turning all the switches on and going "hell yeah, let's go". From the games I've played lately, I think only "Elite Dangerous" sort of has something like this, if you're the type of guy to shut systems down every time you dock/undock, or if you have the "pre-flight check" setting enabled.

[@Zenitchik_130]

Now imagine something like this on a modern engine, in AC or Gundam universe, shit would be so complex that good players would be qalified to pilot real thing probably

[@warehouselead]

If you love getting into the nitty gritty, I HIGHLY recommend getting the Roguetech mod for Battletech. I bought Battletech specifically just to play the Rougetech mod, and it ended up being my favorite game of all time.

[@preciousshatterings177]

Being a 21 year old and an absolute nut for Mecha related media, im so distraught that I NEVER heard about this game until now....... Though i'll likely never be able to actually play it, I feel like this video does an amazing job of conveying just how it feels to play the game as a mecha fan. Honestly, I dont think theres a better person to make this video, you did an OUTSTANDING job presenting the game. Although we'll likely NEVER get another physical controller based mecha game like this, I am pretty excited to think about the future of mecha games in the vr medium, and as a game dev myself once I finish college, I aim to one day bring out the potential of the vr medium in regards to mecha

[@omaracevedo4784]

I give the creators an A+ for their attempts at making this game as realistic as possible, I mean you're operating a vertical walking tank. I like the fact that it has an those buttons as that's for I would imagine the controls of such a machine to be like. And for that time period. It was super advanced.

[@Zalian]

I had the pleasure of owning this game and its online sequel. It's so terrifically clunky, yet immersive in a way that's hard to match. Like you said, tough to fully capture in words too. It gets even more awesome once you get better and can afford the fancier mechs. Their faster reaction to your inputs lets you pull off crazier maneuvers with your growing skill. The sequel "Line of Contact" went even further, approaching actual Gundam with one of the limited VTs. It also added more input tricks, like actually having those startup toggle switches *do something* when turned off in combat. As far as I know, Line of Contact is still playable online through LAN-tunneling methods! Not sure if anyone ever made an English private server for online campaign mode or not. Either way. Definitely not just a controller, it's an interactive piece of fine art.

[@RuddsReels]

I still have this! I completed it about 4 or 5 times in a single save. I remember finishing Magnum Force difficulty but then stopped playing since another difficulty was unlocked. I haven't played it in nearly 15 years now and I don't dare play where I left off just in case I die and lose my old save of 40+ hour run!

[@shezmu24]

I cannot tell you in words how much I love the idea of needing to do a startup sequence every time, the devs are absolute legends.

[@simonphoenix3789]

I really have to applaud the decision to have the player start the mech up each time. so many games just dumb things down and take all the immersion out in the process of making it easy and simple and quick. Having to manually do these small things is an important part of selling the illusion that you are inside a machine and not just playing an fps game with a funny hud and powerful weapons.

[@EPY0N]

Armored core with that kind of controller would be awesome

[@rustyshackelford312]

A lady gave me a fully functional steel battalion controller for fixing her dryer back in 2016, said she was happy to get rid of it. She had no idea what she gave away.

[@sonphan2188]

I love that i found you covering this game. THIS IS MY JAMM

[@Miroku2235]

I had this game way back in the day. It was truly one-of-a-kind

[@twistsnakeanklesvids261]

This is a brilliant review and breakdown, thank you for this blast from the past. :D I hope against hope someone does an updated Steel Battalion, the whole enchilada.

[@fozzibab]

I own it. I did play it. So there. HAH! Also the controller, with a USB adapter and drivers, can be made to work with various modern games.

[@thedarkcloakartist]

As a day 1 owner of both SB and LOC (I happened to work at a gamestore as one of my first jobs - first dibs rule was instantly applied!), this is a fantastic video. Every now and then, I will go through the trouble of setting it all up to take my VTs out for a run or two, especially once huge televisions became so much cheaper to acquire! There's definitely something special about hooking everything up and setting the controller right up against the screen (unless it's too big! lol). Even better if you can do anything else to enhance your makeshift living room VT cockpit (like good theater sound and maybe some video reactive LED lighting). I'm really hoping people figure out ways to adapt the SB Controller to PC so we can use it with not only SB and LOC emulations or online pvp but maybe even figure out ways to configure it for other games too! Great stuff and solid presentation. Definitely checking more of your vids out!

[@MadmanEpic]

Both games apparently support 5.1 surround (like a shocking number of games on Xbox, actually), and I reeeeally gotta try that. I already think lightning is striking outside every time I fire the railgun, I can only imagine what a more elaborate audio setup would do for it.

I played it once for like 30 minutes. I remember getting mud on the canopy and having to hammer button to activate the wiper. And I absolutely loved the right stick for weapon controlls which has no return spring making it virtually function like a mouse.

[@Dr.W.Krueger]

The boxes still sit in my basement. Both versions. Haven't touched that controller in 20+ years. It's all show and little substance. Worth a play if you can get it for cheap. Overall this is probably one of the more "realistic" takes on house-sized bipedal fighting machines...which is a pretty dumb idea in itself considering how well regular tracked vehicles work in warfare. Escapism at its best.

[@the_zens]

Although I've never heard of this game (except the Kinect one, oddly enough), this was a thoroughly great & enjoyable video to watch! I might even be tempted to try this some time in the future if the price doesn't hike too far up. And I'd love to see that Line of Contact can opened up by you in the future!

[@oscar.p3214]

this was amazing , I'm still nostalgic of the awe i had when i bought this game. simply incredible. someday I hope to play it again someday or at least get one more chance to to beat the 4th mission.

[@vonshroom2068]

Congratulations on enjoying mechwarrior 3. The missions, mech mechanics even down to the controls! Seriously you could assemble the entire controller setup you needed to run it as a simulator. Sadly we never got a mechwarrior controller set but hey 2 joysticks an steering wheelset and a keybaord with a detachable numpad and you're set! However there were entire simboxes from mechwarrior 2 as well but they were never sold as an option. I did love my refridgerator box sim setup i had as a kid in the 90s though.

[@moonsie_8253]

This video made me sub, love the long form content, and the game/piloting experience seems fascinating.

[@JohnSmith-sk7cg]

The "space sim" genre has a few entries like this. A number of them have come with special release controllers that are made to match the in-game controller. Elite Dangerous mapped its stick and throttle on the common consumer X-52 controller so it was mapped 1:1 for a lot of people by default. I think the general public doesn't notice this because space sims usually take a smarter approach where performing all these actions automatically is toggled on by default in the Assists section and a lot of separate actions can be bound to the same button to make it possible to play on a controller. But you can turn all the assists off, you can map every action to an individual button, etc. if you want to have that experience. Playing Elite Dangerous in VR with an X-52 hotas was so unbelievably immersive that when I took my hand off the joystick to scratch my nose, my brain no joke decided my arm was still on the controller and that I now have a third arm. My brain was so convinced I was there that I could feel my first hand holding onto the throttle, I could feel my second hand holding onto the joystick, and I could feel my suddenly existing third arm/hand scratching my nose.