Mech Simulators

[MechCorps]

Rare maybe, but is that a good thing? Is this version any good? What makes it different compared to others?

Rare:
1. Hard to find replacement parts for.
2. Another reason for a higher price.
3. Wasn't produced much due to being a bad design.
4. Hard to get help from other owners due to little knowledge of this design.

Please don't tell me I'm right 

Both are good versions, just like Doom is fun to play every now and then to remind us of the old times.

Rare:
1. depends on round or square versions.  Round pod electronic parts are easily found with exception of two major ones.  External Plasma display and internal RIO board (translator board between CPU and controls)
2. supply and demand.  Play the second one for a lower price.  They probably need the space more than storing them. But they'll probably want to sell ALL of it rather than only one.
3. not bad design...  the rarity here is because it was  MAJOR investment to get sets new.  Think on the price level of a New Mercedes sports car at the time.  Not everyone can pop for one of those when new, only businesses.  XBoxes are cheaper which is why you see much more of them around...  but you can't sit in an xbox with 7 displays plus all the controls, etc...
4. You don't know *US* very well, now do you? 

There are owners who are VERY willing to help with advice and possibly parts...  at least to make them run as originally intended and we are looking into way to run other games with all of the controls operational.

Feel free to talk with the guys at VirtualWorld.com or on our site MechCorps.com if this thread is not appropriate on MWLL's site.

[Landros Radick]

It's appropriate, just not nearly as well informed or in the know as the stated one..

[Landros Radick]

To run MWLL and to ahve everything functional in the pod(s), there would have to be a (probably substantial) rewrite to make it work with all of the MFDs and buttons in either pod. (although, if someone on the MWLL dev team would like to discuss that possibility, I'm sure we would be MORE than willing to share ideas.    )

It would probably require a pretty big rewrite of code. You most definitely wouldn't be able to play it the way the stock game works! xcav8r, you listening here?

[MrBRAD!]

Ok, first off these are round pods. The arcade has 4-6 of them (I can't see into a storage area properly because of a fence, but there are some (4?) pods out the front that I can see).

The condition is hard to tell as the corner they are in is quite dim.
They shouldn't cost too much, as they are trying to unload them

This is part of an email they've sent me:
"The issues with machines are varied but basically the reasons for us to not continue with them are as follows.
a) The licence to use the current Virtual World systems software is too excessive to consider this option
b) The technical requirements to maintain the current system is not in our technicians ability (They're not familiar with apple mac systems)
c) The size of the machines takes up too much room for the revenue that it earns...compared to other machines we could use there.
d) We are struggling to find the parts that we need to keep them operational for the "day in day out" use they receive."

"They as yet have not been completely sold, but we have two other people wanting to make purchases also." 

I am going to get more information when I go see them, They are fairly far away and going there is not something you would do spontaneously.

This seems like too much for me  I have very limited electronics skill, I fear all I'll end up with is "a lot of dead instruments in a really cool desk".  I'll email virtual world and ask about that software you mentioned.

[bullseye69_mech]

The very first pods used a front in run by Macs. The game was run by multiple video cards tied in together. had a friend that worked at d+B in Atlanta and his job was to fix them when broken.. The Tesla 2 ,project firestorm pods run off of a dell system.

If your in South Carolina and got 10,000 these 4 could be yours.

Picture here.
http://picasaweb.google.com/NickolasRSmith/SCPods#
This info off of the Mektek Site.

Four Tesla II cockpits in Charlseston, South Carolina For Sale       Print        E-mail
Written by Solarmech   
Thursday, 28 August 2008
PropWash let us know:

Four as is, where is. You tear 'em down, load 'em, and ship them.
Two of the four need minor power supply and PC work, all 4 in good physical condition.
Includes consoles, camera ship, and everything you need to operate them

$10,000.00

[MrBRAD!]

Necro-ing this thread. I don't care.

I can't believe I didn't leave any addresses or anything for you guys, I'm suck a dick!

The arcade's name is Intencity. It is on the Gold Coast, inside a shopping centre called Pacific Fair.

Intencity Pacific Fair
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre
Gold Coast Highway
BROADBEACH QLD 4218
Ph: (07) 5572 2874
Email: intencity_pacificfair@village-leisure.com

This is the guy you want to email about the pods:
Tony_Dunne@village-leisure.com

PM me if you want my email chat I had with him.

I hope they don't, or haven't already gone to the rubbish dump. It would be a pity.
I remember once I saw them operational... I even had a look inside. I wish I gave it a go. 

Please post if you find out what has become of them.
If they have been sold, see if you can get in contact with the people who bought them.

[EFFalcon]

THey used to have some of these things at Westfield Paramatta (NSW Aus)
Running Battle Tech and Red Planet, was fantastic fun.. albeit pricey but so good.

i never tried red planet, was too interested in the battletech stuff!
i always got my arse kicked though.

would love to see these things set up again, i'd deffinately go for a game or 2.

[(TLL) Chesterwiz]

I have posted about trying these before. Major fun. I think I might still have the print outs from them.

[(TLL) Heretic]

You know, if money was no object you could easily build your own pod, companies like CH Products sell off the shelf MFD kits, control buttons/switches/joysticks, pedals etc, that you can set up for your own pod, all you need is a little DIY and a lot of disposable time and cash.

http://www.chproducts.com/retail/mfp.html

If it wasn't for the cost, space, time and the divorce that building a cockpit would need I would have one already!  And that was before AoP teased us with the news of 64 and 128 configurable buttons 

[(TLL) Chesterwiz]

You know, if money was no object you could easily build your own pod, companies like CH Products sell off the shelf MFD kits, control buttons/switches/joysticks, pedals etc, that you can set up for your own pod, all you need is a little DIY and a lot of disposable time and cash.

http://www.chproducts.com/retail/mfp.html

If it wasn't for the cost, space, time and the divorce that building a cockpit would need I would have one already!  And that was before AoP teased us with the news of 64 and 128 configurable buttons 

I wonder what the better half would think of me building something like this. /ponder

[Valaska]

There's a Tesla pod setup in Houston at Dave & Busters. I only used it once but it was ok.

 Back in the day I went all the way down there from Alberta.. I dunno I loved it lol, only darn place with air conditioning I could find!

[Blackaces]

They dont have them at the gold coast anymore unfrotunately mate i went in there a little while ago to give them another go couldnt find them.


I remember about 2 years ago i was on holiday with my then girlfriend at the time was going up into the movies at pacific fair and they had them sitting out the front of the store...... i litterally freaked.

It was $10 a run and it lasted about 15 minutes but i spent about $200 dollars that day nerding it up......

just out of interest they were only multiplayer. they said they couldnt run it with only one player if that helps.


sad they got rid of them..

[CHHš Siege]

I was just at the Dave and Buster's in NY and I'm sorely disappointed that they didn't have one.

=(

They had them at the Dave & Busters in Atlanta for a really long time, but then took them out about... 2 or 3 years ago now. I think they went to some place in Texas. It was too bad, really, I loved playing in them and went to D&B to play them and for no other reason. It was cheaper by far than going to Chicago, which I did once, to meet up with the friend that introduced me to Battletech in the first place. He moved up that way some years later and he and I spent an entire day in BT heaven.

Too bad, but I doubt they can feasibly be upgraded with a reasonable amount of effort... I have a sneaking suspicion that it would take more code to make one of these things functional with modern, standard games than has gone into making MWLL up unto this point.

[redrock]

I see there's no place in fla that has anything.....if ypou would like to store one at my house till you find a place that would AWSOME!!!!!
..oops i mean ummm that would not put me out at all and  iwould  be glad to help 

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

No suprise there... New Yorkers and Californians get screwed over being correct and us Texans have all the fun. Guns, 2-stroke jetskis, and Tesla pods...

the 2strokers seem to hold most fun ^^^  are they from bombardier-rotax?