Battletech is back!!!

[Zulu1966]

It will be a rough pill to swallow having a tactical TBS game without opportunity fire.

isn't that "putting in reserve" and so unit gets activated after the next enemy works as a kind off opportunity fire at least for the lance.
so display bar above is actually a 'sub-turn counter' and a new round is when all Mechs (friendly and foe) hade moved or fired once?

No. By opportunity fire, I mean something more traditional where if an enemy unit comes into my line of sight during its turn, I get to interrupt by engaging the target. The reserve system does not function that way.

I can't remember anything about opfire in the beta. I vaguely recall some ability to  return fire but maybe misremembering.

Certainly no xcom type deliberate action.

[DennisS]

No overwatch, no opportunity fire.

A few of my strategies...with the caveat that as much as I try, I am not a gifted or truly skilled player.

Mechs - You gotta dance with the girls you brought with you. Two lights, two mediums. The lights are squishy, but you can make them less so, by keeping up your speed, looking for cover, and keeping your distance from the four enemy mechs. The enemy WILL go after your lighter mechs first.

Mech refits - I did this first thing, in response to what I saw a youtuber do. Get the mediums into your mech bay, and strip off some of the backside armor, and put it on the front. Use your good judgment on whether to swap out or replace weapons. Not a big fan of mix and match long and short range. If I want a LR missile boat, I'll create one, and reduce their armor all over, as they will be much less likely to engage tactically.

Targeting - If the AI thinks it's a good strategy go from 4 vs. 4 to 4 vs. 3, then you should too! Focus fire on the weakest mech, get them down one early, and the battle becomes much, MUCH easier. Sensor locks are worth it, to increase your chance to hit.

Pilot upgrades - I may be wrong in this, but I am throwing early experience into gunnery. I LIKE the extra chance to hit. Similar to sensor lock, but everyone gets it, and you can use the mech that has sensor lock to fire instead, or upgrade the CTH even higher. I don't have sufficient experience, or skill, to take some of the more esoteric upgrades. Yet.

Merc company management - Money is an issue. Getting spare parts doesn't seem to be. I will be getting more money, and fewer salvage items for the forseeable future. If you run out of money, the campaign ends. In the meantime, I will hoard cash, and slowly upgrade. Upgrading takes time, and upgrading time is not time you will spend blowing shit up, at least until you can get to 6 or 7 mechs, and can kill/upgrade concurrently.  I am not, as of yet, selling stuff in the stores. Selling price is terrible, and this seems like a desperation move.

I keep my avatar in the light mech. I can't die, and this will reduce the chances of losing a very valuable and experienced hand. I have already gotten Dekker killed. :)

[Jarhead0331]

Interesting points, thanks. Particularly about putting your avatar in a light mech. I didn't realize the player avatar is immortal. I figured death meant end of campaign.

How exactly does salvage work? I did one mission and split the payout between C-Bills and salvage. There was a list of salavage that included two partial mech hulls and a number of weapons and modules. I was able to select one item as the salvage payout (I chose one of the partial hulls). What happens to the weapons and modules? Do I get those, or are they lost?

[DennisS]

Interesting points, thanks. Particularly about putting your avatar in a light mech. I didn't realize the player avatar is immortal. I figured death meant end of campaign.

How exactly does salvage work? I did one mission and split the payout between C-Bills and salvage. There was a list of salavage that included two partial mech hulls and a number of weapons and modules. I was able to select one item as the salvage payout (I chose one of the partial hulls). What happens to the weapons and modules? Do I get those, or are they lost?

You choose how many items you can pick from at the negotiation screen. More money = fewer picks.

You may see a slider giving you the option of between $100k and $300k, with another slider from 1 to 3. Options are $100k and 3 picks, $200k and 2 picks, or $300k and a single pick.

Luck of the draw as to the remaining random picks...may be as much as 20 or so..and with some of these random picks being very high value mech parts or primo weapons.

If you get six of these random salvages, they could be anything. you could get six mech parts (takes three of the same one to complete a mech) or you could get six machine ammo.

[DennisS]

I read a very good tactic online. You need money, but you don't want to travel the 22 days to Bellepheron, cause you are struggling to make the monthly rent. No missions interest you, or they appear to be too difficult for your banged up lance.

....so advance the timer a day, and look again at the missions. Not sure of the timing sequence, but the mission generation system appears to be infinite. Wait a day or two, or three, and see what pops up as available for your little merc company!

[Tpek]

Ugh... Still no Paradox servers.

And the devs stupidly decided that the game doesn't even need hotseat, because it's not like it's supposed to be a digital adaptation of a tabletop miniatures game 

[Nefaro]

Nvidia just released some drivers that are supposed to have video updates relating to this game.

[Nefaro]

Quick tips & UI info for the unfamiliar who don't feel like reading:

[RyanE]

Someone mentioned no opportunity fire...does that mean you can walk right up to a mech that has fired and just blast it with no repercussions?  Just curious.

[jomni]

Someone mentioned no opportunity fire...does that mean you can walk right up to a mech that has fired and just blast it with no repercussions?  Just curious.

If they followed the tabletop rules, the answer is No. As movement and fire are at different phases.

Movement phase.  All units from both sides make alternate moves. The side that lost initiative roll moves first.
Fire phase. All units from both sides fire at targets in an alternating sequence. The side that lost initiative roll fires First.

Is it the same in this game?

[Barthheart]

RyanE - yes.
Jomni - no.

Turn is broken down in 5 initiative phases. Faster/lighter Mechs act earlier phases. Each phase, each Mech in that phase moves and then shoots OR just shoots. Alternating friendly-then-enemy Mechs. Once they are done that they can't act until next turn.

That's very basic but the general gist of a turn.

[DennisS]

Someone mentioned no opportunity fire...does that mean you can walk right up to a mech that has fired and just blast it with no repercussions?  Just curious.

If they followed the tabletop rules, the answer is No. As movement and fire are at different phases.

Movement phase.  All units from both sides make alternate moves. The side that lost initiative roll moves first.
Fire phase. All units from both sides fire at targets in an alternating sequence. The side that lost initiative roll fires First.

Is it the same in this game?

This is correct. It gets better. Five different initiative values, lighter mechs go first. If you have a light mech, you can "reserve" his movement, to go last. Essentially, this makes his initiative a "1", the lowest value. After all other mechs have gone, he then gets his turn, either move/shoot, or sprint, or some other action.

This ends the turn. The next turn, his normal high initiative may well mean that he is first to move. It is entirely likely that a light mech that reserves a turn will get two consecutive turns.

I fully plan on taking advantage of this, with a light mech, and as many flamethrowers as I can fit on it. First turn to get close, maybe fire off a weapon or two, second turn full roast mode. If you don't kill the enemy mech, you will severely limit what weapons they can fire, due to already being hot as hell.

[Cyrano]

And what's your plan when he punches you in the face?

[SirAndrewD]

Yeah, it's not pure tabletop.  However, you can put pilots in reserve and let the other side put itself in a bad situation. 

I don't like the lack of opportunity fire either, I really like the overwatch mechanic.  I'm a big fan of Space Hulk for just that reason.  But I think the system in this game works once you get used to it.

[jomni]

Oh. So they changed things. :(