Mechwarrior
Mechwarrior 3 Game Guide Mechwarrior 3 Game Guide
Mechwarrior 3 Game Guide

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Effective Torso Twist
In first-person shooters it's called "circle-strafing." For the purposes of the Mech game, however, let's call it "torso-twisting" - but the basic principles remain the same. In an action game like Quake or Half-Life, circling around your opponent using the strafe keys causes you to become a more difficult target and your enemy to become an easier target. Though the players are much larger (and slower) in Mechwarrior 3, the basics remain the same. Instead of the Mech moving sideways, or "strafing," the Mech can twist its torso left and right so that it moves in one direction but faces another. When battling an enemy Mech, especially one that's slightly damaged (especially in the leg causing slower movement) or just plain slower, torso-twisting and "circle-strafing" around the Mech can be an easy way to eliminate it.

To perform the maneuver effectively, get your Mech up to a moderate speed (probably half to three-fourths of the way) then torso-twist so you're facing your opposition. Keep your crosshairs pinned on the enemy Mech (or better, on a specific area of the enemy Mech) and rip into the armor with close-range weaponry. As you continue to move, you might have to turn your Mech left or right to keep the crosshairs perfectly aligned on the enemy. Remember, though, that although the principles are the same, torso-twisting doesn't share much else with its first-person shooter counterpart. Mechs have far greater accuracy at close-range, even against a moving target; so, make your shots count and go for limbs or a head shot for a quick kill.

Staying Out of Range
Note the ranges for the various weapons and keep it in mind when engaging enemy Mechs. An ER Large Laser, for instance, can nail targets at around 1,000 meters. But long-range missiles (LRMs) can only lock onto targets within 800 meters. So, if you want to get in some useful sniping at a particularly tough Mech far off in the distance, don't creep within, say, 700 meters to torch its legs or arms with your ER Large Laser - there's no reason to! Stay back, above 800 meters and the Mech will be virtually defenseless against your sniping ability (unless, of course, it's packing an ER Large Laser himself). As soon as you approach within 800 meters, you'll likely hear the missile lock and will need to retreat. If the enemy Mech finally finds your sniping intolerable and decides to advance, kick in the reverse engines and keep within that 801-999 meter range to continue to make its life difficult.

Line of Fire
Against the more powerful Mechs, such as the Annihilator, the Thor or the Orion, keeping out of the line of fire against their stash of autocannons can be a Mechwarrior's only hope of survival. If you've ever approached an Annihilator from the front, you'll understand exactly where this statement is coming from. Keep an eye on the target ID and targeting window located on the bottom left of your HUD. From here, you can see approximately which way the enemy Mech is facing relative to your current position. If an Annihilator is heading straight for you and is coming from around an obstacle then you had better make an adjustment. Don't stand still, instead keeping moving so you can get shots in on the enemy Mech when it's not facing directly at your vehicle - in other words, stay out of its line of fire.

When controlling faster Mechs this becomes even more important. Keep moving around the enemy Mech and switch direction (left or right) or acceleration (forward or reverse) to keep that enemy Mechwarrior guessing. Taking on larger Mechs at close range is almost always suicide; however, if you can remember to stay out of the line of fire and attempting to keep your opponent's back or side turned to you, you'll fare much better.

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