Mech Crusaders

Mech Crusaders, or MechG, is a free text-based role-playing game that can be played in a browser. The game is in the style of the MMORTS genre of games. Mech Crusaders is part of the Vantage Gaming Network.

MechG is free to play, with donations accepted.

As of December 2012, the game has several hundred active players.

Mechs
In this game, the player is cast in the role of a 'Mech Commander', controlling an army of mechs (mechanized "humanoïd" robots), and working their way up the ranks with the thousands of other players in the game. Levels are gained by winning battles against other commanders in the arena or against monsters on the plains. Mechs automatically defend against attacks while the player that controls them is offline. As the player advances in levels, his/her mechs, their weapons and armor can be upgraded, trained and improved.

Clans
The game is influenced by dozens of 'clans.' Three or more players may form a clan. Being in a clan gives a player the advantage of borrowing upgraded weapons and armor from a common armory without having to spend resources, of having access to advice on the best way to build mechs, and of earning titles and prestige as the player advances within the ranks. Wars between clans are possible, with the winners being judged by a variety of conditions. Sometimes the debate over these conditions are as exciting as the wars themselves.

Credits and mining
Each player begins with just a few credits and the opportunity to build their reputation by buying mechs and battling them against other players to earn more Credits by selling scraps from battles. Credits may also be earned by playing games in the arcade, investing in the game's 'bank' or 'stock market', or by offering sigs for sale to other players.

Minerals (Zinc (or Zn), Copper (Cu), Platinum (Pt) and Exotic(Ex)) are minerals that are used to upgrade equipment to improve a mech's battling abilities. Zinc, Copper and Exotic are found in the mines. The only location for Platinum is on the Plains. As skill is gained, the amount of Platinum a player can retrieve from the plains grows.

Minerals affect the performance of weapons and armor. Enhanced weapons cause more damage; enhanced armor reduces damage taken but is heavier, slowing down the armored mech. Sector 3 has the Plasma Smith, where all upgrades are done if the player has enough skill and the right minerals.

Energy
Instead of being turn based, each commander receives energy every hour according to their maximum energy/24, or full amount after a day, and is drained by attacks, training, or searching the Plains. When the energy allotment is used, waiting an hour or voting for the game's ranking restores energy by 1/24th. Energy can be stored, up to 3 days worth, but not sold or traded. Maximum energy is "grown" by attacking targets: winning augments it, losing lowers it.

Energy may also be gained by winning battles in the Drazil arena.

Drazils
Drazils are small dragon-like mechs that battle in a mini-arena and consume minerals to grow. All commanders begin with a level 1 Drazil and a set number of tokens. The goal is of Drazil Wars is to beat the enemy by reducing their health to zero. Winners of offensive battles gain tokens, energy and Drazil minerals. Losing a battle does not impact the player negatively outside of their Rankings.

The number of battles a player may have per week is based on the number of tokens in that player's possession. Tokens are not buyable or tradeable; they may only be acquired by winning offensive battles and weekly income. Energy may be transferred to mechs, allowing more battles to be pursued. Minerals won in Drazil Wars are automatically consumed by the Drazil, allowing it to grow in levels and skills. Players get a fifth of their Weekly Tokens every weekday.

Strategy
Strategy is an important part of being a commander, and more abilities become available with additional experience. Weapons are upgradable with minerals mined or bought, and armor, though not as important, can make a big difference in some ways, and is also upgradable. They may be sold or traded. As machines gain experience, the level of weapons available increases. The other factors are Intuition for weapons and Movement for armor.

Battling
Battlingfor the most part is done in the Battle Arena, where if the attack is successful, the defender is protected from the attacker for four hours. If the attack is unsuccessful, the attacker may repair and attack the same defender, having weakened them. Winning means all the defender's mechs have been incapacitated, or defeated, losing means the same for the attacker. Winning the match gives experience for the winning player and his/her mechs, Hero Points, scraps to sell for credits, and boosts the player's maximum energy. Battles can also be conducted on the Plains against monsters, for less experience and maximum energy, but with Platinum gains.

Money
Money is measured in Credits (Cr), and is used to purchase equipment, licenses, mines, food, and items in the gift shop. The Marketplace is where one can buy equipment and minerals, or trade for services. Scraps are what is left after a battle, and can be sold in the scrapyard to help defray repair costs.

Influential Figures
Fleckerman (Fleck): The creator of MechG and thus very important to the survival of the game.

The Staff of MechG are a key component in keeping the game fair, fun, and smooth. Below are the different positions the game maintains:

1. Manager: The Managers have access to the game's database. Managers are completely in control of the game, such that all other staff positions are created, and for the most part occupied by them. Fleckerman currently handles both the design and implementation.

2. Developper: In charge of coding some parts of the game, as directed by the Managers; specifically to analyze and understand bugs.

3. Head ACT (Head Anti-Cheat Team): The Head ACTs are there to organise and run the "Anti-Cheat Team". Their main priority being to keep the game as fair as is possible. In charge of jailing, final decisions on cases, hiring of new ACT members, etc.

4. Head Moderators: The Head Moderators are in charge of the Moderator Team. Their main priority being to keep the game's forums clean of flooding, argument, needless posting, etc. The Head Moderators also may change insulting player names. In charge of forum banning, cleaning, organising, the hiring of new Moderators, etc.

5. Anti-Cheat Team: The members of the Anti-Cheat Team, or ACT, hold the duty of keeping gameplay as fair as possible.

6. Moderators: The members of the Moderator Team hold the duty of keeping the forums as enjoyable as possible. They are a really nice bunch of players.

7. Question of the Day Moderators: In charge of the 'Question of the Day' feature in MechG.

8. Player Support [Head]: Supervising the Support Staff, hiring new members, and other such duties.

9. Player Support [Bugs]: In charge of hunting down and alerting Managers of bugs found in the game. They also moderate the 'Bug-Board' in the forum, where other players may alert them of bugs.

10. Player Support [Idea]: They have the job of thinking up new and exciting/necessary features for the game. They also moderate the 'Suggestions Board' in the forum, to judge other members' suggestions.

11. Player Support [Help]: Do just that: Help. Key function being to moderate and answer questions in, the 'Help Board' in the forum, as well as help newer players in chat.

12. Illustrator: Illustrators have the job of creating color themes and images for the game, keeping everything looking shiny and exciting.

13. Contributors: More of a symbolic position. In short they are players who contribute to the game. Also a sort of 'Honorable Retiree' spot for retired staff.