The Heavy Gear II section of Local Ditch Gaming has been completely revised, with an install guide, completed walkthrough, downloads, weapons stats, gear details, and more.
Here’s one to add to the list of things I didn’t anticipate for 2025: I replayed Heavy Gear II, got inspired, then decided to rework the Heavy Gear II site.
Every time I replay this game, there’s a huge adjustment period for me. Especially, I think, jumping into it right after Mechwarrior II was a mistake. Gears are not slow and tank-like. Instead, they rely on speed, maneuverability, stealth, and most importantly of all: not getting hit. My first re-playthrough was rough. So, I did it again and it was much more enjoyable the second time around. And with that, I’ve shared all my new and relearned knowledge of Heavy Gear II on the site.
There are tons of updates on the Heavy Gear II section of Local Ditch Gaming; basically every page has been reworked, redone, updated, and filled with new, relevant info.
The install guide, walkthrough, and weapons table are some highlights. Update Specifics
It only took a decade, but they Deus Ex section has been updated to match the rest of the site, plus more info on the Deus Ex literature pages.
Finally, after talking about doing it for 10+(!) years, the Deus Exportion of the site has been updated to match the site’s current formatting. Mostly, the content is the same, but I’ve added a bit more context to the literature pages of Deus Ex, explaining the stories and theories of the original writings.
Similarly, the long-forgotten System Shock section has been updated, too, as it used the same format as the Deus Ex page. System Shock & Heavy Gear
Updates continue, particular to the Mechwarrior section of Local Ditch Gaming.
As always, I’ve been tweaking the layout of the site a bit. The homepage itself has mostly incremental changes. But, the Mechwarrior and I ’76 sections, a lot of Javascript has been removed and the navigation has been simplified. Hopefully it all translates to a nicer feel. Not to mention, the Mechwarrior 2 mission guide, 3dfx conversion info, music pages, and more are now active.
Hit the jump to see the specifics
Moral has improved. Local Ditch Gaming is out of maintenance mode.
The Local Ditch is back in action. We’re on a new host, faster server, and everything on the back end is upgraded. The site theme has been tweaked for the year 2024 (should look a little cleaner on tables and mobile now) and all of the old content should be up and running. With all that taken care of, now the focus turns to the most important thing: new content!
That being said, if you find anything missing, broken, not working, etc., then contact me and I’ll get it fixed. Hey, I’m only human and mostly building this site in Notepad++, so I’m sure there’s something that’s slipped past me.
Updates:
I ’76 – Poems – updated with writer Zach Normans commentary (WIP)
I ’76 – Has its own Q&A Page
I ’76 – Pre-release pictures – captions in image box for easy viewing
I ’76 – Articles – Gamasutra article archived
I ’76 – Links – All the dead sites are linked via Archive.org
I ’76 – Trivia – source for Krager’s writing credentials
Mechwarrior – The Clans – New info and images
Mechwarrior – History – Updated with more screenshots and up to MW5:The Clans (WIP)
Mechwarrior – Mercenaries Walkthrough – Started to reimage the mission flow charts (WIP)
There’s a slew of items on the to do list, including finally updating the Deus Ex and Heavy Gear pages to match the current formatting. The Battlezone pages are cooked, but I’d like to get the latest blog posts to show up on them if relevant.
While the world plays Mechwarrior 5: The Clans, I’m revisiting Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. So, expect some Mechwarrior 2 updates and info popping up.
Also, thanks to Art of Battletech for archiving years of awesome Battletech imagery. The featured image comes from them!
Site maintenance will continue until moral improves.
Hey, everyone. I’m doing some much needed maintenance on the Local Ditch at the moment. I’m not sure how long things will be in maintenance mode, so in the meantime, here’s a direct link to nearly all of the pages on the site. These update issues should really only affect the front end, like the news, Q&A,and contact sections, so everything else should be alright. (I hope!)
Hit the jump for the site map.
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Mechwarrior Online introduces the Tourmaline Desert map, consumables, missile issues, and grants a double-XP weekend, where the Local Ditch decides to check out Spiders and Ravens.
Every time a patch rolls around, I feel a bit like I’m playing “Let’s Make a Deal.” You might win big or you may get zonked. Which will it be? No one knows. And of course, there are usually some other zany things to happen along the way.
Update #13 saw the introduction of a new map: Tourmaline Desert. I’m pretty happy with it. It’s a big map, littered with jaggering scenery that provides ample areas to both hide and ascend. The map is bright; there’s a lot of light bouncing around in it, which gives the mechs a nice sheen. (more…)
Hey, Local Ditch Gaming looks different. Or rather, it will very soon. For now, you’ll have to settle for just the Mechwarrior section.
Yesterday, the Mechwarrior section received a a new splash of paint. I’ve been working on something a bit more modern for a while now, and I think I’ve got a nice look that should last for a bit.
For a while, I’ve been wanting to get a more uniform look for the site. The news and I ’76 section were already blended a bit, while the Mechwarrior branch had some commonalities with the two.
I’ll probably get the I ’76 section to match the new look next, then get the front page up to snuff. After that, my plan is to get the Deus Ex and Heavy Gear sections matching.
Also, I’d like to get some MWO online info up. I’ve been playing the thing since June of last year, so you’d think it’d be about time for me to ramble on about the game. Should be happening soon.