Author Topic: THe GHost TOwns of Battletech Muxes (Read 4471 times)

Caplin · « **on:** 24 February 2019, 22:38:18 »

I've been trying to get a Battletech fix while waiting for some kind of accessible Megamek prototype, so decided to investigate the old Battletech muxes. It's a very strange feeling wandering around a bunch of empty real estate.

I'm currently the only Capellan Confederation player on Frontier Mux. As near as I can tell I'm the only player at all. THere are no officers, no one to give me orders or set mission objectives. I managed to get killed by an AI-controlled unit but have no real idea what I was doing. There are two other players who show up on the Who list, but they seem to be automated, or perhaps admin accounts.

THis experience is a little sad, because the BTMUX implementation is clearly a labor of love and seems to include a ton of mechs and equipment. I don't know how good the AI is, but it's clearly not any substitute for other players. I wonder how long the games at btmux.com will keep running before they just go down one day.

For anyone interested, FrontierMUX is at btmux.com port 5555. All commands are still operational. The wiki doesn't seem to be reachable from the main web page anymore, but you can still find it on the Internet Archive.

Giovanni Blasini · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 February 2019, 23:01:29 »

I may have to check that out. I played the various Battletech MUSE/MUSH/MUX sites pretty heavily from around 1992 to, what 1998? My username for the forums here came from '92, when I signed up for the 3050 MUSE? Hit the later Luthien 3056, Varxsis, and a bunch of others.

Luciora · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 February 2019, 23:23:29 »

Good times roleplaying on Btech56, even got to start Explorer Corps there before it closed. I'm happy to leave it as a memory though. I'm not sure my timing can keep up with the muse rules anymore

Caplin · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 February 2019, 23:26:31 »

THere's fairly extensive documentation, and a large command list, though most info presumes familiarity with the tabletop game, naturally.

I've unfortunately discovered that I can't promote myself to faction command, despite there being no officers otherwise listed. The AI seems aggressive at least, even if the specifics of how to use various mechs are a little opaque to me. In addition, the hex map doesn't play very well with my screen reader, though perhaps that's just a matter of practice.

Hammer · « **Reply #4 on:** 25 February 2019, 09:45:38 »

Quote from: Caplin on 24 February 2019, 22:38:18

...... Megamek prototype.....

Are you looking for MegaMek? We've got releases out that are fully playable on Windows/Mac/Unix.

klarg1 · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 February 2019, 10:21:48 »

Quote from: Hammer on 25 February 2019, 09:45:38

Are you looking for MegaMek? We've got releases out that are fully playable on Windows/Mac/Unix.

It sounds like the issue is with MegaMek's compatibility with accessibility tools, rather than its existence.

Caplin · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 February 2019, 11:02:35 »

Quote from: klarg1 on 25 February 2019, 10:21:48

It sounds like the issue is with MegaMek's compatibility with accessibility tools, rather than its existence.

Precisely. :-) I am aware that people are working on this, and I am looking forward to seeing whatever they can come up with.

Thatguybil · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 February 2019, 21:20:21 »

Have not thought about BT MUSE or MUD since the mid 90s.
Neveron was the also a thing back in the day.

beachhead1985 · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 February 2019, 23:36:01 »

I'm sorry; what are MUSE/MUX?

Phalanx · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 February 2019, 23:40:41 »

Quote from: Thatguybil on 27 February 2019, 21:20:21

Have not thought about BT MUSE or MUD since the mid 90s.
Neveron was the also a thing back in the day.

Neveron...now that's a name I've not heard in a long,long time. :D

Nightlord01 · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 March 2019, 01:15:21 »

Quote from: beachhead1985 on 27 February 2019, 23:36:01

I'm sorry; what are MUSE/MUX?

They are an old form of multiplayer online gaming, from before MMOs.

MUX is Multi-User eXperience.
MUSE I think is Multi-User Strategic Environment.

Battletech had a massive fanbase involved in these websites, essentially playing MegaMek with the strategic/operational overlay. I haven't been involved with one since the late 90's.

*edit to fix spelling.

mikecj · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 March 2019, 01:17:24 »

Caplin · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 March 2019, 01:35:46 »

I’ve been popping on to the game every so often, just to have a wander around. I wonder if there is any chance the code for some of these could be preserved. I found a sourceforge project, which seems to be an implementation of a minimal starting point, at least. I would hate to see this fade completely out of existence just because the host they are on dies someday.

There are two fully operational games I am aware of, the previously mentioned Frontier Lands and something which seems to be called Battletech 3065. The latter is running on, properly enough, btmux.com 3065. It seems to be much more geared towards random death match style play, instead of having a strategic component.

Giovanni Blasini · « **Reply #13 on:** 02 March 2019, 15:58:24 »

Domain down? I tried telnetting into FrontierMUX at btechmux.com 5555 and I can't resolve the site name in DNA.

Caplin · « **Reply #14 on:** 02 March 2019, 16:06:07 »

It's btmux.com, not btechmux.com. :)

Giovanni Blasini · « **Reply #15 on:** 02 March 2019, 17:40:42 »

Well, that helped. I can telnet to 3065,and selected my starters, but still can't telnet to 5555. It is telnet and not ssh, right?

Caplin · « **Reply #16 on:** 02 March 2019, 17:44:53 »

YEah, it's btmux.com 5555. I'm just using Tintin++ over here, which doesn't have SSH support at all. I was just able to connect on my end, so something's probably up.

beachhead1985 · « **Reply #17 on:** 03 March 2019, 12:44:11 »

Where can I find out what these games were? Like Online Mechwarrior 2? Succession Wars? MegaMek-pre-MegaMek?

Caplin · « **Reply #18 on:** 03 March 2019, 14:21:52 »

It's trite, perhaps, but you can log in and poke around :) More seriously, I think a lot of these games don't quite have the scope of something like MechWarrior Online. The Frontier Lands simulates the battle for a particular planet, between multiple factions. Battletech 3065 seems a bit more Megamek-like in style, with a bunch of arenas you can compete in but no over-arching campaign economy I'm aware of.

THere's a decent amount of info available on the Internet archive, for instance here. Check out their wiki and look at the Battlemech manual they offer. I'm amused/sad that the actual web site seems to be down while the game is still up.

Caplin · « **Reply #19 on:** 04 March 2019, 21:57:09 »

It looks like just as I was starting to get used to the way these worked, the two I mentioned have gone down. I'm not sure if it's forever, but at any rate I can't reach either now.

It's sad to see this era of Battletech history fading so quickly. I wish I'd been into the franchize back when these were more frequently played.

Caplin · « **Reply #20 on:** 07 March 2019, 13:17:47 »

Looks like they're both back now for me, at least.

I have no idea what's going on with that, but I'm glad they weren't gone without a trace after all. Now to see if I can actually figure out how to read the text-based hex map…

Luciora · « **Reply #21 on:** 23 May 2019, 16:49:45 »

They used to be named for the era they took place in.. I used to play alot on '56 and it was set during the right before and during clan invasion before it was shut down. It was faction vs faction play with simulations vs other players.