Battletech is back!!!

[Jarhead0331]

"-repetitive missions" --- Nope. I have never seen a mission even close to another mission. Tonnage is randomized, as well as mech types and amounts. Each new mission is a complete surprise to me, in a tactical sense.

I disagree with this. The side missions are undeniably repetitive. Its part of what is going to impact the longevity of the game. Sure, the mix of enemy forces is randomized, as is their location on the map, but the objectives are always the same and once you've done a mission type a few times, you more or less know whether you are going to face one lance, two lances, a mixture of mechs and vehicles, or automated turret defenses.

Compounding this problem, I think overall there is a lack of tactical complexity to the game. The only way to really be successful in late game action is to field the heaviest mechs available and alpha strike the crap out of everything. Maximum tonnage and maximum firepower. There is no real incentive to use lighter mechs and there is a striking dearth of technology to add to player strategy...no ECM, no stealth, no smoke, no shields, etc.  If there is one thing I would like to see fleshed out, its more useful gear to equip your mechs with in order to open up the tactical possibilities.

My main beef is the tactical requirement to field the heaviest mechs you can. It would be terrific to be able to have a light mech lance, and missions tailored to your force.

The randomization of the lance, and their placement, is sufficiently random for me to accept that the developers can only do so much.

LoL. yeah. With 60 hours invested, I'm not really complaining. 

[mikeck]

I'm to the point in the game now where my lance always consists of 4 big assed mechs. Max tonnage. Same problem that has been discussed before: there is no reason to bring a light or medium mech. I think we all want a way to make lights and mediums relevant.

So, instead or messing with game mechanics, is the solution as easy as reducing the drop tonnage a lance can have? You could have 2 huge 65t mechs and then a light and medium...or maybe some "lighter 55-60 Ton mechs and 2 mediums. Of course, the enemy must be made to play by the same rules. What do you think?

I really want more strategic decision making in deployment and a reason to being my Kitano, Blackjack or Jenner

[Jarhead0331]

I'm to the point in the game now where my lance always consists of 4 big assed mechs. Max tonnage. Same problem that has been discussed before: there is no reason to bring a light or medium mech. I think we all want a way to make lights and mediums relevant.

So, instead or messing with game mechanics, is the solution as easy as reducing the drop tonnage a lance can have? You could have 2 huge 65t mechs and then a light and medium...or maybe some "lighter 55-60 Ton mechs and 2 mediums. Of course, the enemy must be made to play by the same rules. What do you think?

I really want more strategic decision making in deployment and a reason to being my Kitano, Blackjack or Jenner

No...this isn't an acceptable solution, because tactically, the lighter mechs are still pretty irrelevant. I want a reason to take a light, fast mech into the field that I can equip with special comm, sensors, or surveillance equipment. I want to be able to take a light mech that can remain stealthy in order to make surprise attacks into an enemies flank, or rear. Maybe radar absorbing armor, or active camouflage.  How about a lighter or medium mech equipped with a missile defense system that can take out incoming LRM and SRM strikes?  The only way to do this is to open up these possibilities with new modules and upgrades with gear that makes this possible.

[joram]

Yeah, I wish there was a point to fielding lighter Mechs as well beyond economic reasons outside the scope of the game.   

[mikeck]

I get what your saying and I'd like that too...but in the short term, with less tonnage, you would HAVE to use light mechs in order to deploy 4 under tonnage. Not ideal but could be awile before we get what you mentioned JH; although some ECM, surveillance, etc would be ideal. I just don't know if they can make it matter regardless. WW2, no armored platoon preparing to enter combat would replace anM4 Sherman with M3 Stuart. When you know your in combat, take the meat.

Now...if the maps were much larger and rockets had a longer range...maybe with INCREASED ACCURACY if fire could be adjusted by a light mech...

I just have a hard time thinking of when I would rather have a light than heavy. Maybe if they allowed lights to move, fire and move again? Dunno

[SirAndrewD]

The nature of the "One Lance Only" system really makes light mechs useless in the pre-Helm Memory Core era of Battletech.  They're really meant to scout as part of a Company and provide skirmishing support for other lances of slower mechs.   That can't be represented in the scope of this game.

[jomni]

Yeah. Max tonnage won't be "historically" accurate based on Battletech lore.

[RyanE]

I'm to the point in the game now where my lance always consists of 4 big assed mechs. Max tonnage. Same problem that has been discussed before: there is no reason to bring a light or medium mech. I think we all want a way to make lights and mediums relevant.

So, instead or messing with game mechanics, is the solution as easy as reducing the drop tonnage a lance can have? You could have 2 huge 65t mechs and then a light and medium...or maybe some "lighter 55-60 Ton mechs and 2 mediums. Of course, the enemy must be made to play by the same rules. What do you think?

I really want more strategic decision making in deployment and a reason to being my Kitano, Blackjack or Jenner

IIRC, in MechCommander 2, ECM was the reason to use light mechs.  Plus they were fast and had better detection equipment.  There were some missions where it was all heavy tonnage, but there were a number where having three heavies and a light recon mech was the only way to win a scenario.

[DennisS]

The only way to make a light mech lance viable is to increase the number of missions, AND have a subset of those missions specifically designed for scouts and raiders.

As it stands now, the only missions really needing light(er) mechs are the ones where you chase convoys around.

This can work, but the entire campaign mechanic needs work. You can't have four light mechs running around, against only light mechs if you want to win the campaign. You HAVE to attack - and defeat - heavy mechs to gain salvage.

Unless you can purchase heavy mech components from vendors a little more reliably, then a light scout lance just isn't a possibility.

[Destraex]

DennisS. I think that assault mechs on their own are hard to handle. I always need a lighter mech to scout and flank.
I am just about to try a Victor freshly captured and modified actually. Hoping to jump jet around the place and hit them in the rear with an AC-20.

As for scout lances..... you really need larger maps to make them viable and particular battlefield situations where they are part of a larger army. A light mech lance as you say, needs scout missions. NOT multi role missions that currently exist. I would have to see "joke" mech load outs for lights that enabled them to wiz around like firing while they move and avoiding fire like acrobats. That's just silly. They are very specialised mechs. However the mechanic intended to allow them to slip in and out of cover is hard to use...you need to reserve... use your light mech at the end of the last phase... there by allowing your light mech to move again right after in the light mech phase.

P.S. My menu ---- the mech bay especially is very slow. The mech bay freezes when I drag weapons around unless I am very slow about it. This did not happen early campaign. Could have been a patch or simply the databases or saves becoming too big and corrupt I guess.

[DennisS]

DennisS. I think that assault mechs on their own are hard to handle. I always need a lighter mech to scout and flank.
I am just about to try a Victor freshly captured and modified actually. Hoping to jump jet around the place and hit them in the rear with an AC-20.

As for scout lances..... you really need larger maps to make them viable and particular battlefield situations where they are part of a larger army. A light mech lance as you say, needs scout missions. NOT multi role missions that currently exist. I would have to see "joke" mech load outs for lights that enabled them to wiz around like firing while they move and avoiding fire like acrobats. That's just silly. They are very specialised mechs. However the mechanic intended to allow them to slip in and out of cover is hard to use...you need to reserve... use your light mech at the end of the last phase... there by allowing your light mech to move again right after in the light mech phase.

P.S. My menu ---- the mech bay especially is very slow. The mech bay freezes when I drag weapons around unless I am very slow about it. This did not happen early campaign. Could have been a patch or simply the databases or saves becoming too big and corrupt I guess.

I read a tip that deleting unwanted saves will significantly speed up the game. I have done this, and have noticed an improvement.

Still..I have a good system, and I lag hard at times. There may be a memory leak here, a process that repeats that isn't closed properly. I would also suggest saving, shutting down, and re-starting every couple of hours. This also seems to work.

As far as mech play, I have one medium, and three heavies. Dekker has the skill where he gains another initiative point, and he has sensor lock. I use his medium as my scout mech, with the advantage that he also has 1120 armor points, and a lot of missiles. He is not a front line fighter, but can take care of light mechs on the flank, and do a moderate amount of damage. If I get him in a position where he is focused, he's gonna lose an arm. Or two.

[DennisS]

When I get a fourth heavy mech, I will be tempted to just say, screw it, BRING IT! Keep them together, and nothing will survive four full salvos from four heavy mechs.

[sandman2575]

HBS definitely needs to work on the post-campaign. The game turns into nothing but "Field 4 Assault Mechs. Hope for exotic weapons/components salvage."

I'm glad about the HBS / Paradox merger. I know there are those out there who regard Pdox as the Antichrist for its nefarious DLC practices. I've never understood the criticism. DLC means Pdox is still supporting and improving games that have been out for years now, like Crusader Kings II. I'm looking forward to seeing how DLC will improve Battletech, which is terrific in its release state, but definitely of limited replayability at the moment.

EDIT -- I tried the 'delete old saves' thing a couple of times. Never noticed a shred of difference in the overlong load times.

[DennisS]

HBS definitely needs to work on the post-campaign. The game turns into nothing but "Field 4 Assault Mechs. Hope for exotic weapons/components salvage."

I'm glad about the HBS / Paradox merger. I know there are those out there who regard Pdox as the Antichrist for its nefarious DLC practices. I've never understood the criticism. DLC means Pdox is still supporting and improving games that have been out for years now, like Crusader Kings II. I'm looking forward to seeing how DLC will improve Battletech, which is terrific in its release state, but definitely of limited replayability at the moment.

EDIT -- I tried the 'delete old saves' thing a couple of times. Never noticed a shred of difference in the overlong load times.

Load times ARE excessive. I fire mine up, and go refill my drink, wash the car, and research some other games on boardgame geeks. Easily the longest load time of any game I have ever played.

[Gusington]

 :o