Battletech is coming to GOG. WOOT! :bd:
https://www.gog.com/game/battletech (https://www.gog.com/game/battletech)
Quote from: Shelldrake on May 12, 2017, 06:20:53 AM
Battletech is coming to GOG. WOOT! :bd:
https://www.gog.com/game/battletech (https://www.gog.com/game/battletech)
Isn't that the one in development from the creators of the
Shadowrun Returns series?
They made millions on the Kickstarter (once more) which unlocked what I thought were essential to making it awesome - a dynamic campaign.
I've been following this. Would have backed it, but the single player alpha skirmish has been significantly delayed.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 12, 2017, 06:43:45 AM
I've been following this. Would have backed it, but the single player alpha skirmish has been significantly delayed.
Being a Kickstarter which unlocked a ton of extra features, it was inevitable that this thing would take a lot longer to be finished.
So many KS projects like this drag out so much longer. :-\
Just hope it comes as advertised. It's one of the few upcoming PC games I'd actually go out of my way to check progress on. 8)
Think somebody posted an Alpha video of the early gameplay awhile back.
June 1st is the rumored release date so we will know soon whether the game passes muster.
The old thread:
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=14373.90
Old early dev gameplay vids from last year:
Paradox is distributing! -- good for the devs, that should bring lots of exposure. :bd:
There was just a KS update released today.
The Beta is scheduled for June 1st.
Quote from: Shelldrake on May 12, 2017, 07:01:34 AM
June 1st is the rumored release date so we will know soon whether the game passes muster.
For the game, or the SP skirmish alpha build?
EDIT: Sorry, missed Tpek's post above.
WEGO? Or gentlemans agreement turns?
This post gave me a chub! O0
^Hahaha!
As someone who has no Battletech experience, this game looks pretty awesome.
I've played it, and that was like..right around the time of The Clans being added.
It's a blast when you're with people. FASA even made their own line of minis for it.
But I've never played anything resembling it since maybe..Titans of Steel? But that was it.
Quote from: Gusington on May 12, 2017, 04:47:57 PM
As someone who has no Battletech experience, this game looks pretty awesome.
+1. Somehow missed out on Battletech in my youth. (I remember following Robotech in its bowlderized American syndication for a while...).
Anyway, this looks pretty rad.
Yeah, Battletech originally stole designs from several places including from whoever owned the Macross series (later incorporated into Robotech). That was ironed out years ago, but the influence can still be seen in some of the Mechs (slightly) even now.
The closest I ever came to playing the mini/RPG system was the Crescent Hawk duology, which my brother and I really loved. I did get Mechcommander 1 and 2 eventually (on sale in a collection somewhere), but somehow just couldn't get into it. Not enough detail compared to the Mechwarrior tactical FPS series I suppose.
Jason I was under the impression that battletech PAID for the designs from a japanese company and then was later denied them because said japanese company was not authorised to sell them?
Quote from: Destraex on May 12, 2017, 09:35:43 PM
Jason I was under the impression that battletech PAID for the designs from a japanese company and then was later denied them because said japanese company was not authorised to sell them?
Here's info about the unseen
http://www.qqmercs.com/now-you-see-me-and-now-you-dont-a-brief-history-of-the-unseen/
TBH, I haven't tried Battletech (itself, not its derivatives) in many years.
So, is it still about 100 foot tall anthropoid robots hitting each other with maces over the "head"? :P
Quote from: Tpek on May 13, 2017, 11:22:07 AM
TBH, I haven't tried Battletech (itself, not its derivatives) in many years.
So, is it still about 100 foot tall anthropoid robots hitting each other with maces over the "head"? :P
Think it's more like 100 missiles shot up your arse than a mace over the head.
I prefer the point blank particle projection cannon to the face myself
Jump jets and Death From Above is where it's at :bd:
Quote from: acctingman on May 13, 2017, 02:32:56 PM
Quote from: Tpek on May 13, 2017, 11:22:07 AM
TBH, I haven't tried Battletech (itself, not its derivatives) in many years.
So, is it still about 100 foot tall anthropoid robots hitting each other with maces over the "head"? :P
Think it's more like 100 missiles shot up your arse than a mace over the head.
So they've made it more Anime style over the years?
Quote from: Tpek on May 14, 2017, 08:11:53 AM
Quote from: acctingman on May 13, 2017, 02:32:56 PM
Quote from: Tpek on May 13, 2017, 11:22:07 AM
TBH, I haven't tried Battletech (itself, not its derivatives) in many years.
So, is it still about 100 foot tall anthropoid robots hitting each other with maces over the "head"? :P
Think it's more like 100 missiles shot up your arse than a mace over the head.
So they've made it more Anime style over the years?
;D
I thought the "anime style" was big robots hitting each other over the head with swords & wotnot. Perhaps you're thinking of the Japanese stuff (such as Robotech?).
Not really a thing in
Battletech. Ever. Well, not since I started playing the tabletop game back in the late 80s anyway. All about the Pew Pew and hex-based squad (and up) tactics.
Quote from: Tpek on May 14, 2017, 08:11:53 AM
Quote from: acctingman on May 13, 2017, 02:32:56 PM
Quote from: Tpek on May 13, 2017, 11:22:07 AM
TBH, I haven't tried Battletech (itself, not its derivatives) in many years.
So, is it still about 100 foot tall anthropoid robots hitting each other with maces over the "head"? :P
Think it's more like 100 missiles shot up your arse than a mace over the head.
So they've made it more Anime style over the years?
They stole images of Anime robots to begin with. Hahahaha!
Quote from: Nefaro on May 14, 2017, 06:58:45 PM
Quote from: Tpek on May 14, 2017, 08:11:53 AM
Quote from: acctingman on May 13, 2017, 02:32:56 PM
Quote from: Tpek on May 13, 2017, 11:22:07 AM
TBH, I haven't tried Battletech (itself, not its derivatives) in many years.
So, is it still about 100 foot tall anthropoid robots hitting each other with maces over the "head"? :P
Think it's more like 100 missiles shot up your arse than a mace over the head.
So they've made it more Anime style over the years?
;D
I thought the "anime style" was big robots hitting each other over the head with swords & wotnot. Perhaps you're thinking of the Japanese stuff (such as Robotech?).
Not really a thing in Battletech. Ever. Well, not since I started playing the tabletop game back in the late 80s anyway. All about the Pew Pew and hex-based squad (and up) tactics.
I remember the game (tabletop Battletech) in the 90's.
And going over the books&manuals, it had a lot of stuff about medieval melee weapons, and rules for melee combat.
Japanese style mechs are often far more agile and fast, and tend to shoot lasers and missile swarms, and once in a while resort to giant laser swords.
They also tend to be able to turn into planes :P
Went hands-on with this over the weekend. Was pretty cool. We're not allowed to talk more about it until June 1st so you'll probably see a lot of coverage on it that day.
The most recent iteration (
Mechwarrior Online) still features the ability to put on articulated hands on the arms, even though they serve no useful function I've ever been able to discover. A vestigal holdover from melee weapons would make sense. But I've never once seen melee weapons used (or even separate "guns" to be "hand held"), in any computer iteration, and not that I recall in any schematics and the last I saw of those were back in the 90s. (Though to be fair, I've slept fitfully since then. ;) )
Quote from: MetalDog on May 13, 2017, 03:25:01 PM
Jump jets and Death From Above is where it's at :bd:
Indeed; I'm upset that MO doesn't feature a down-pointing camera for this purpose (previously available in earlier versions of Mechwarrior, whenever a model had jumpjets).
However, I prefer ludicrous numbers of small caliber long distance sniping cannons, pumping out 24+ points of damage as fast as I can pull the trigger.
I backed it during kickstarter. I can't wait. I still own 2 pistol guns cases of the miniatures. I play a game a while back I still love it.
I prefer Battleforce scale though where each unit is a lance (similar to a tank platoon). Would love to see a computer remake. This is a scale not tackled before.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3616/battleforce
And also The Succession Wars. Strategic level where one unit is a division and you try to conquer the galaxy. Would be good for a 4x title.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3966/succession-wars
You can do this all with MegaMek and MekHQ.
From the fine detail micromanagent to the coarse strategic stuff.
The AI in MM is workable (athough limited in various ways) with some additional rules.
There is an 'Against the Bot Ruleset' available on the official catalyst forums. With some alterations to this you can wage a campaign as big or as small as you'd like.
(Books required)
Great, looking forward for it.
Bought in at the recruit level. Haven't played a Battletech game in ages.
First time I played it was still called Battledroids and we played at some guys house with 1/144 scale robot models from Japan. He had a whole wall full of the kits, like a hobby shop. And a giant table to play on.
Picked up on the boardgame version again later on in college. Then got pretty involved in Kesmai's brilliant Multiplayer Battletech Online: Solaris (and AirWarrior, Go BZ!) till Kesmai shut down. Messed about with some of the Mechwarrior series but was busy with other games.
This looks like it might be fun.
Quote from: JasonPratt on May 12, 2017, 09:00:18 PM
Yeah, Battletech originally stole designs from several places including from whoever owned the Macross series (later incorporated into Robotech). That was ironed out years ago, but the influence can still be seen in some of the Mechs (slightly) even now.
The closest I ever came to playing the mini/RPG system was the Crescent Hawk duology, which my brother and I really loved. I did get Mechcommander 1 and 2 eventually (on sale in a collection somewhere), but somehow just couldn't get into it. Not enough detail compared to the Mechwarrior tactical FPS series I suppose.
I played Mech Commander back in the day. Lots of fun IIRC.
Backed this and really looking forward to it, the videos look great.
Beta! Beta! Beta! Beta!
I want to get this but will I know what the hell is going on if I never played before? This would be my first foray into the Battletech universe.
Quote from: Gusington on June 01, 2017, 01:36:34 PM
I want to get this but will I know what the hell is going on if I never played before?
Giant battling robots. What else do you need to know?
If you really want to know about Hanse "The Fox" Davion, you can always read the Wiki
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
That should keep you busy for a while.
Never played one second of any giant robot game, but how the BLOODY HELL can anyone NOT like the idea of blowing up giant robots? :uglystupid2:
Anyone here going to be in the beta?
Quote from: acctingman on June 01, 2017, 01:56:04 PM
Never played one second of any giant robot game, but how the BLOODY HELL can anyone NOT like the idea of blowing up giant robots? :uglystupid2:
Anyone here going to be in the beta?
I'm a backer. Still waiting for my beta code. Its actually a very limited single player skirmish mode. They will add MP function soon, but other than minor fixes, the beta will not be updated or expanded upon. They've made clear that this is just to collect data and is not meant to be an early access release.
Got my code. Will look at it tomorrow.
Thanks for the info.
Looking forward people's opinion on this game (when they're able to)
Got my key, currently downloading.
Hot off the press! Grogheads screenshot feature!
http://grogheads.com/?p=14695#more-14695 (http://grogheads.com/?p=14695#more-14695)
Thanks for posting. Those are some great shots. I pray for a solid campaign.
I do as well. Not sure I have the time to invest in a Clan, but, younger me would have been on this like stink on doo-doo.
For some unknown reason, ,y machine is having trouble loading those images. All I get is the initial text blurb with the blank image boxes only containing the captions.
However, I didn't really need them - this is going to be a day one buy for me.
Thanks for posting :notworthy:
Quote from: JudgeDredd on June 02, 2017, 12:15:23 AM
For some unknown reason, ,y machine is having trouble loading those images. All I get is the initial text blurb with the blank image boxes only containing the captions.
However, I didn't really need them - this is going to be a day one buy for me.
Thanks for posting :notworthy:
They're porn shots. Battletech porn.
You need to get an adult to turn off the parental controls, JD.
:DD
they're .bmp files, so they take a little while to render. click on each individually and they'll load a little quicker in their own windows/tabs
Played my first game! :clap: \m/
Graphics are gorgeous and the battle effects are awesome. Finally a BT game where melee is animated nicely!
The spirit of the BT tabletop is captured quite well. To hit chances are calculated and things like terrain, movement speed and range matter.
It runs very well and even though the gameplay is limited to lance vs lance against the AI at the moment, you do have a choice of different lance loadouts and a handful of maps.
I can see myself have several hours of fun with this!
I enjoyed my first skirmish too, but I can't say that it felt very tactical or strategic. It was more like, find the enemy, close to contact and bang away to see who is left standing. Detection, maneuver, etc. didn't really seem to make a difference.
Yes it does. Speed and cover do matter. Facing does as well.
I just think you don't fully grasp it yet. :)
Quote from: Yskonyn on June 02, 2017, 06:35:32 AM
Yes it does. Speed and cover do matter. Facing does as well.
I just think you don't fully grasp it yet. :)
I grasp it just fine. That's presumptuous and insulting for you to say.
It just didn't seem deep. Yeah, I noticed indications when my mechs were in cover, and I notice that I could set facing when moving. I just didn't see deeper features like EMCON, countermeasures, concealment, ballistics, armor facing, being modeled and things like holding the high ground didn't seem to make a major perceivable difference.
I've only played one skirmish, so those initial impressions are subject to change, but please, don't patronize me. ;D
Detection always seemed a siginificant factor in BT. Like not running hot to minimize detection or using countermeasures. Do you think those will be modeled?
From what I remember, a mech's armour is weaker at the back, so flanking is an encouraged strategy and so your mech's facing at the end of movement can be important.
Holding the high-ground only seems to effect Line of Sight at the moment, however if you have a smaller mech on top as a 'Spotter', and another mech hidden behind cover with missiles, it can attack an enemy on the other side thanks to LOS-sharing, I think? Might need to double check that one.
In the current build of the game, the main tactics/strategy stem from managing your resources in terms of Heat generation,making best use of terrain in terms of cover from forests, full cover to block LoS, and then flanking or knocking enemies off their feet. Holding back mech actions (their answer to reaction fire) is also a useful tactical tool I've found.
Given the implied customisation options for mechs though, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to bring in some of those features that you mentioned Jar, especially counter-measures for missiles.
'Stealth' only really makes sense for the smaller mechs IMO, but would be cool to see small mech builds that use the concealment tactics like EMCON and camouflage.
There are precisely 2 billion Battletech products available for purchase on Amazon.
One subtle tactical point, nicely modeled in the Mechwarrior games (MWOnline being current) is that weapon placement can make a big difference. Putting them on the arms can be a little more flexible about aiming, but the left arm weapon will be partly blocked by the body if you turn rightward too far and vice versa. Also, arms can be shot off. Putting weapons low is always worse than putting them high (whether on the arms or on the chest -- no small head weps anymore), because you're probably going to have your shots blocked by any terrain you're masking behind. Arm'd weps can have that problem, too: edging around from behind cover to take a shot, but being unable to because your weapon is still behind the cover. Weapons high on top of (better than in) the left or right chest are most ideal. (Center chest is good, too, but tends to be low, being mounted under the head.)
All that is to mention that while it would be great to see this modeled in the tabletop port, I'm not expecting it, due to the limitations of the format. But, since I'm mentioning it: is there any evidence it's modeled? :dreamer:
Also, I'm worried that flanking doesn't sound properly modeled? -- back armor and the effects of arm-armor ought to be easy enough to simulate in this format.... (Actually, side-shots in Battletech tend to be worse, although safer than front shots! Because the target profile is narrower, and you've got what amounts to shields, the arms and their armor, that have to be punched through before getting to the core damage. A major tactic in MW for those who can swing it, so to speak, is to rotate the torso with the strongest arm toward the enemy between shots, if possible. While still maneuvering, if possible!)
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 02, 2017, 06:48:52 AM
Quote from: Yskonyn on June 02, 2017, 06:35:32 AM
Yes it does. Speed and cover do matter. Facing does as well.
I just think you don't fully grasp it yet. :)
I grasp it just fine. That's presumptuous and insulting for you to say.
Aparently one smiley wasn't enough. I didn't mean to be patronizing at all. It was a harmless jab. :smitten:
My apologies.
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 07:22:31 AM
There are precisely 2 billion Battletech products available for purchase on Amazon.
How many have you purchased so far?
All.
What do you recommend to start off and learn the universe?
Quote from: Yskonyn on June 02, 2017, 07:59:10 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 02, 2017, 06:48:52 AM
Quote from: Yskonyn on June 02, 2017, 06:35:32 AM
Yes it does. Speed and cover do matter. Facing does as well.
I just think you don't fully grasp it yet. :)
I grasp it just fine. That's presumptuous and insulting for you to say.
Aparently one smiley wasn't enough. I didn't mean to be patronizing at all. It was a harmless jab. :smitten:
My apologies.
No way, bro! I put an even happier smiley in my post!!! :2funny:
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 08:33:26 AM
All.
What do you recommend to start off and learn the universe?
Read the wiki. I played the tabletop game 25-30 years ago and read a bunch of the source material back then. The Technical Readouts were always fun to read through.
They must be because there are like 1000 tech manuals.
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 08:33:26 AM
All.
What do you recommend to start off and learn the universe?
This is a nice introductory guide:
http://www.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/BattleTechUniverseGuide-1.pdf
Sarna.net is an expansive wiki with more background info than you can read in your lifetime!
Thank you!
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 02, 2017, 08:41:02 AM
Quote from: Yskonyn on June 02, 2017, 07:59:10 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 02, 2017, 06:48:52 AM
Quote from: Yskonyn on June 02, 2017, 06:35:32 AM
Yes it does. Speed and cover do matter. Facing does as well.
I just think you don't fully grasp it yet. :)
I grasp it just fine. That's presumptuous and insulting for you to say.
Aparently one smiley wasn't enough. I didn't mean to be patronizing at all. It was a harmless jab. :smitten:
My apologies.
No way, bro! I put an even happier smiley in my post!!! :2funny:
You Americans are weird sometimes. :D :uglystupid2: :2funny:
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 07:22:31 AM
There are precisely 2 billion Battletech products available for purchase on Amazon.
I'm not even sure they have an equivalent of a "core set" anymore, for the tabletop.
As if BT was divided up into a bajillion smaller packages. Got damned confusing, so I didn't really dig much more than my initial investigation. :uglystupid2:
Quote from: Nefaro on June 02, 2017, 12:23:05 PM
I'm not even sure they have an equivalent of a "core set" anymore, for the tabletop.
I think they do or at least did a few years ago. I bought a starter-type box a while back. Need to start playing it with the kids.
Quick primer for Gus:
1.) humans migrated toward the galactic center, then fringe elements migrated back toward the rim again, and then (possibly after this game?) clan'd up to invade the Inner Sphere core regions of the galaxy.
2.) Inner Sphere groups are run by feudal noble houses (more or less). Clans are run by, well, feudal clans (more or less). IS tend to be more old-timey sophisticated. Clans are rougher in culture, but proving to be much better innovators in weapons and tactics. Clans don't infight quite as much as the Houses (still) do, although the Clans are still competing with each other. IS outnumber Clans by a lot, but their tech and tactics and political infighting keep them from just steamrolling the Clans. The game's campaign will no doubt fill in the more specific context for whatever fighting is going on.
3.) Aircraft and tanks (and other AFVs) and infantry are still around as war platforms, but not usually simulated in the computer games anymore. (Mechwarrior 4's set of games did feature other weapon platforms including capital ships. They tended to die easy.) Mechs are expensive but due to their ability to stack and concentrate large weapons in a fashion more mobile than even tanks, they've more-or-less taken over the land functionality of tanks.
4.) Being able to customize your loadouts on your mechs (and in games like this, to manage your mech pilots) is a huuuuuggggeellly important part of the game. That includes tweaking how much armor should be put on the various parts of your mech(s). There are maximum limits per chassis of course.
5.) Heat management and thus heat sinks are also hugely important. But sinks usually take up physical slots on the mech that could be used for weapons, ammo, or special sensors or other tactical packages. Putting heat sinks in leg slots, if possible, is typically agreed to be ideal in case there are bodies of water around to help cool off the mech faster.
6.) For that matter, weight management and slot management are hugely important factors to customizing effective mech loadouts. Every chassis is categorized by the amount of weight it can carry and still function properly; in practice this weight is simply never-exceeded, and serves as a big limit in how mechs are kitted out. In strategic and RPG versions of the game this is even more important, because there are wider reasons to have mechs with various capabilities and roles. In tactical games, whether turn-based (like this one) or real-time (like the Mechwarrior series), the "roles" for mechs tend to be more limited because every mech needs to be able to fight and survive in a front-line anti-mech situation.
7.) There are basically three weapon systems with variations within the basic types. Grouping when these weapons fire singly or together can be important.
7.1.) "Ballistic": these are the cannons, occasionally small enough to be packs of short-distance machine guns. They take up the most room on a mech with the most weight, but generate the least heat, for their damage output, and need ammunition which also takes up room and weight. The ammo doesn't have much explosive punch, being mainly kinetic. Damage drops off over distance to zero. Smaller calibers reload faster (reloading for all weapons is automatic but does take certain amounts of time). Some games account for the ability to dodge at long ranges due to flight times. Guns are rated in caliber sizes that directly tell the damage of shells: an autocannon (AC) 2 will do 2 damage per hit (potentially, modified down by various factors); an AC20 will do 20. Smaller calibers shoot farther than larger ones, usually: machine-gun packs are worthless over 150 or 200 yards, but an AC2 will reach out to 700 or 1000 yards before losing damage to range, while an AC20's maximum damage distance might be 300y. LBX weapons are long-range shotguns which fragment to spread damage around the point of impact instead of directing the damage. "Ultra AC" are more expensive cannons which use better tech to compress two or three barrels into the slot of one gun; depending on the game they may also have special packs of ammo, so that one shot of normal AC is one shell while one shot of UltraAC would be two or three shells. They tend to shoot hotter than the same number of regular AC, and Ultras can jam if shot too often. (A game factor to help offset their damage output.) There are also rotary cannons which are much shorter range for their calibre. Finally there are gauss rifles (magnetic rail guns) which don't have any explosive power (so their ammo won't explode if hit within a mech either).
7.2.) "Energy": these are mostly lasers, but also flame throwers and particle projection cannons. They generate the most heat, naturally, but take up the least room and weight for their damage. At light speed their shots cannot be dodged after shooting. In some games, lasers stay on for short periods of time when shooting and can be walked around the target. Pulse lasers are more like machine gun bursts but deliver all their damage more quickly per shot. PPCs are like ballistic weapons, all the damage at once -- they also disrupt electrics on mechs they strike. Energy strikes naturally increase the target heat more than other weapons, which is the whole point of flamethrowers (which do paralyzing short range damage). Energy weapons never run out of ammo, which is a MAAASSSIIVVEE advantage. But for their damage they're naturally the shortest range weapons. Larger energy weapons shoot farther, unlike ballistics (in this game).
7.3.) "Missile": these are average heat, weight, size, for their damage. They use ammo packs like guns, of course. Mostly there are short range and long range missiles. (Some medium missile systems exist in some games.) SRMs have larger warheads, LRMs smaller, but all missiles of a range-type do the same explosive damage per hit. The damage difference between a SRM2 and a SRM6, for example, is that one shoots two 5-point missiles at you and the other shoots six 5-point missiles. Missiles are relatively easy to dodge, although LRMs are always guided -- they necessarily require missile lock unless volleyed at close range like SRMs. Depending on the time-frame of the game and/or which general 'side' you're playing, you can get guided SRM systems, called "streak", but their range is shorter and/or they weigh more. SRMs are much like the shotguns of Battletech; LRMs are the ballistic arc arty.
7.4.) There's also a limited 4th category of defensive weapon -- I don't recall if it's nominally missile or ballistic -- which shoots down nearby missiles (friend or foe!) passing through its range.
7.5.) There are also various electronic warfare packages which help mask your mechs and allies nearby; which crack such masking (the same item can do both); and which help with targeting for you and for your allies.
That was a "quick" primer?
Shortest and most concise I have seen in years.
Quote from: mirth on June 02, 2017, 01:15:30 PM
That was a "quick" primer?
It's quick for the Battletech universe.
Giant battling robots pretty much covers it.
You had me at 'Battle'.
Thank you Pratt for the above, abridged PrattPost.
So what's the difference between Robotech and Battletech?
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 01:35:21 PM
So what's the difference between Robotech and Battletech?
You had to go down that road :crazy2:
Quote from: mirth on June 02, 2017, 01:15:30 PM
That was a "quick" primer?
I'm assuming you would be part of the group that migrated back to the "rim". :))
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 01:35:21 PM
You had me at 'Battle'.
Thank you Pratt for the above, abridged PrattPost.
So what's the difference between Robotech and Battletech?
Absolutely no connection whatsoever other than giant robots.
Should the word "rim" not be discussed when Mirth and Gus are involved? :-\
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 02, 2017, 01:46:36 PM
Quote from: mirth on June 02, 2017, 01:15:30 PM
That was a "quick" primer?
I'm assuming you would be part of the group that migrated back to the "rim". :))
I'm definitely part of a fringe element.
Quote from: acctingman on June 02, 2017, 01:50:01 PM
Should the word "rim" not be discussed when Mirth and Gus are involved? :-\
There are a lot of words that shouldn't be discussed when Gus and I are involved.
dongle
'squeaky clean urethra'
Quote from: SirAndrewD on June 02, 2017, 01:23:41 PM
Quote from: mirth on June 02, 2017, 01:15:30 PM
That was a "quick" primer?
It's quick for the Battletech universe.
And for me. ;)
Also, for most game purposes (outside of role-playing) it's the most that the game lore really matters: what matters a lot more is how to design and operate the mechs. I'd be hard put to remember more of the surrounding lore than that; but how heat sinks are implemented in the games makes a huge impact on gameplay, and some significant difference between the game systems themselves.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 02, 2017, 01:47:09 PM
Quote from: Gusington on June 02, 2017, 01:35:21 PM
You had me at 'Battle'.
Thank you Pratt for the above, abridged PrattPost.
So what's the difference between Robotech and Battletech?
Absolutely no connection whatsoever other than giant robots.
Anymore. ;)
Originally some of the Battletech robot designs were borrowed from Robotech (by which I mean "Macross Saga") and other properties, through a middle party claiming to have rights to market the licenses overseas. A lot of the mechs bearing those designs still exist, and can be found in modern BT games (including Mechwarrior Online), but the designs have been shifted several points off spec to avoid copyright infringement: now they're more like legitimate homages.
Edited to add: but never any story connections at all other than giant robots.
In story terms, the difference is:
Battletech == Game of Thrones with various sizes of war robots. Also comparable, in anime terms, to Legend of the Galactic Heroes but with war robots.
Macross Saga == Space Battleship Yamato, with the Yamato and the jet planes being giant robots.
Robotech = Macross Saga('s first season) spliced together in sequence with two other far more obscure anime series to create a (different) three generation story (from the rest of Macross Saga). The 2nd and 3rd parts of the show featured war robots much more like Battletech.
Quote from: RyanE on June 02, 2017, 02:02:46 PM
dongle
...aaaarghhh!....He said the 'D' word....................
So there is a distant, early relationship between RT and BT...so weird and Japanese and stuff.
All of these properties are Japanese in origin, aren't they?
you can pull an enemys arm off and beat them with it - sold
Quote from: Gusington on June 03, 2017, 08:19:55 AM
So there is a distant, early relationship between RT and BT...so weird and Japanese and stuff.
All of these properties are Japanese in origin, aren't they?
Heh. No, BT isn't really, just... borrowing some inspiration from "real robot" genre works (vs "super robot" genre works. The two genres are mostly distinct in Japan, with the "real robot" genre having started with Gundam. Which has occasionally slid into "super robot" more or less.)
Quote from: undercovergeek on June 03, 2017, 09:50:04 AM
you can pull an enemys arm off and beat them with it - sold
And see, I didn't even realize until recently that melee combat had ever been a 'thing' in BTech. But I'm sure not gonna complain if it's back! (Finally those vestigal hands can get some use.)
Quote from: Gusington on June 03, 2017, 08:19:55 AM
So there is a distant, early relationship between RT and BT...so weird and Japanese and stuff.
All of these properties are Japanese in origin, aren't they?
There's no in universe connection between Robotech and Battletech at all, no. As Jason above said, it's only giant robots. The connection was purely born of the attempt to save art design time and money at the early stages of Battletech's creation.
Battletech was created by Chicago based FASA Corporation, and designed by Jordan Weisman (who is on this game's team) and Ross Babcock. Robotech was originally a Japanese anime called Macross, that was dubbed, recut and imported to the us by Harmony Gold.
When FASA created Battletech, they bought the licence to use Robotech/Macross Mech designs from a company called Twentieth Century Imports, who represented themselves as the visual rights holders for the US. Unfortunately, TCI misrepresented their status as rights holders on the designs, and the true rights holders, Harmony Hold and Playmates sued FASA. This was after the Robotech designs had become firmly entrenched in the Battletech universe, so both sides had it out until the late 90's, when FASA finally relented and removed all the Mechs they'd taken from Robotech from the game.
From what I understand Battletech's current rights holder, Catalyist finally hammered out a deal to use slightly reworked designs of the original unseen Mechs, hence their appearance in Mechwarrior Online.
Wow you guys are really deep into this universe. Which gives me more reason to buy, since everyone is so psyched for it. And use this gif once again \m/
(https://media.giphy.com/media/OMK7LRBedcnhm/200.gif)
You don't do warhammer
You don't do mech
Wtf are you doing here?
Seriously. How it Gus knows nothing about Battletech or Robotech? L:-)
I'm gonna buy the frikkin' thing! Better late than never and all that. God you nerds are insufferable. Not like us chill dorks.
Quote from: mirth on June 03, 2017, 03:53:23 PM
Seriously. How it Gus knows nothing about Battletech or Robotech? L:-)
He's 'low tech'.
^Jomni gets me.
Quote from: Gusington on June 03, 2017, 03:47:34 PM
Wow you guys are really deep into this universe. Which gives me more reason to buy, since everyone is so psyched for it. And use this gif once again \m/
I absolutely love the Battletech universe, even if it didn't have giant battling robots, and funnily enough the giant 'bots of Battletech are only one part of the game and story's use of combined arms.
The politics, science and a lot of the characters of Battletech are every bit as interesting as the concept of giant robots pummeling each other. No knock on Japanese properties, but I think the western influences on Battletech makes it, at least for me, more interesting than some of the more fantastical and out there stories that we get from Eastern sci-fi big 'bot universes. Battletech is more grounded, a bit more cynical and absolutely more Machiavellian. It's worth getting into almost just for the story.
So yeah, I'm all in on this game.
To should work for Battletech marketing!
Quote from: SirAndrewD on June 03, 2017, 09:28:26 PM
The politics, science and a lot of the characters of Battletech are every bit as interesting as the concept of giant robots pummeling each other. No knock on Japanese properties, but I think the western influences on Battletech makes it, at least for me, more interesting than some of the more fantastical and out there stories that we get from Eastern sci-fi big 'bot universes. Battletech is more grounded, a bit more cynical and absolutely more Machiavellian. It's worth getting into almost just for the story.
This.
Battletech is a sci-fi wargame, and the gritty background lore supports that.
It's not cheesy anime. So if you instantly think of anime, when you see big robots, don't be worried about that being the case with Battletech. Not a weeb thing.
Quote from: Gusington on June 04, 2017, 10:51:12 AM
To should work for Battletech marketing!
It'd pay more than teaching 6th graders, though I do admit I'm enjoying my three months off.
Working for Battletech marketing and you'd feel like you were off for the rest of your life.
Quote from: Gusington on June 04, 2017, 04:00:01 PM
Working for Battletech marketing and you'd feel like you were off for the rest of your life.
I probably would be after a couple of weeks.
You're a glass half empty type feller, eh?
Again, GAME OF THRONES PLUS VARIOUS SIZES OF WAR ROBOTS!
This even comes through in the computer games occasionally, e.g. the old Crescent Hawk duology and the various storylines of Mechwarrior 4.
Quote from: Gusington on June 05, 2017, 07:32:15 AM
You're a glass half empty type feller, eh?
Only when the glass is half empty of the whiskey I use the drown my sorrows.
Quote from: JasonPratt on June 05, 2017, 07:57:11 AM
Again, GAME OF THRONES PLUS VARIOUS SIZES OF WAR ROBOTS!
To be fair, Battletech isn't like Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones is like Battletech in a fantasy setting with Dragons. The Battletech universe did come first.
When my then girlfriend, now wife, started reading the GoT books, she used to go on and on about them to me and suggest I read them. I constantly told her that I already read that story in the Michael Stackpole Battletech novels, so I would pass.
I watch the heck out of the show though. Makes me wish there was a Battletech TV series with the same clothing optional rules.
Naked robots?
Giant naked robots
Took a while for this thread to get here but here we are.
3 pages of hard hitting facts and pertinent information and 5 pages of prepubescent toilet humor
We will try to improve that ratio.
Indeed, there needs to be a lot more toilet humor.
Robot poop? Mechanized farts?
Giant flatulating robots.
You missed out 'naked'.
It was implied.
Quote from: mirth on June 05, 2017, 02:12:12 PM
Giant flatulating robots.
Wasn't that called Transformers.
Quote from: Gusington on June 05, 2017, 01:17:43 PM
Naked robots?
Technically the robots are always naked.
However, Inner Sphere Mechwarriors typically strip down to their skivvies or less to deal with the heat in their cockpits. There was some racy cover art in the 80's on Battletech campaign guides that sent sensibilities aflutter.
Add to that the Clan's opposition to the concept of monogamy and you've got some stuff that could give Game of Thrones a run for its money.
See! In universe information AND juvenile interest in nudity.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on June 05, 2017, 03:51:05 PM
See! In universe information AND juvenile interest in nudity.
Is turn length random? Watched some videos where one turn some mechs moved and fired and the next turn only one moved.
Quote from: Geezer on June 05, 2017, 04:14:55 PM
Is turn length random? Watched some videos where one turn some mechs moved and fired and the next turn only one moved.
It's based on pilot initiative and whether or not you want to move your pilot down in the order by putting him/her in reserve. Deciding when in the order your Mechwarriors go is a pretty big part of the management of a turn.
I am interested to see how the turn behavior turns out. I have never been a fan of a straight IgoUgo system, but I always like trying new forms of turn-based designs. I have seen some board games use initiative-like mechanics and have liked them.
OK, thanks Andrew.
RPS reports Battletech is delayed until early 2018 :/
What are you going to buy in the meantime?
I have Shadow of War and Vampyr to enjoy. You should too.
Foul Temptress!
Quote from: mirth on August 14, 2017, 12:41:20 PM
Foul Temptress!
In both games, probably! >:D
(Certainly in ShadWar, where Shelob has now become... basically Llolth.)
TEEHEE
Quote from: Gusington on August 14, 2017, 12:08:40 PM
RPS reports Battletech is delayed until early 2018 :/
Crap.
Yea, this is a bummer, but I've got enough on my plate right now, and I'm hoping for a beta release for CY6 :smitten:
Related to the lawsuit? Or no?
2018? Oh well that gives me some time to get a new PC. :2funny:
Quote from: Bardolph on August 14, 2017, 08:21:08 PM
Related to the lawsuit? Or no?
Doesn't seem to be.
Harmony Gold coming out of nowhere and deciding to sue, yet again, is surely a problem, but the courts will have to ask the question "why now?" Piranha and Harebrained have been advertising and using the "reseen" Mechs since their redesign and there wasn't a peep from HG for five years. Now on the heels of a new release they sue again, and this after the designs were tweaked to at least be slightly different from the original 80's concepts.
If the Battletech rights holders feel they've got a decent case, I can't see it holding them back a lot. I'm hoping that based on Harmony Gold's sudden interest in the IP again, after such a long lapse, and the fact that they're doing virtually nothing with the Robotech/Macross IP anyway, that this one might end up being swept out before it becomes yet another anchor rights on the Battletech franchise.
Thanks for the info.
Guess I'll wait a while longer then ;)
I got a look at the actual paperwork on the lawsuit against Battletech on their public posting, and I'm more convinced that we don't have anything to worry about in regards to this game.
Harmony Gold is suing Catalyst/Piranha, Harebrained and Jordan Wiesmann as part of one lump suit. The case against Piranha is the one that looks like it's got some teeth, as Harmony Gold is contending that Piranha sent over concept art to Harmony Gold several times, and the HG legal staff communicated to Piranha that the concepts on the "Reseen" designs were still in their opinion infringing. It seems that after HG legal rebuffed them several times, Piranha stopped asking permission and just put their designs in Mechwarrior Online anyway. On the comparison page of the suit, it's clear that Piranha is still using almost the entire design of the original Robotech/Macross Mechs, so it looks hard for them to fully defend their position. This clearly puts both Mechwarrior Online and Mechwarrior 5 in a bit of jeopardy.
On the Harebrained side though, it looks like Harmony Gold is doing some really dirty copyright trolling. They claim that Harebrained is infringing on Robotech/Macross designs, however, the designs they claim are infringing are NOT part of the original "Unseen" designs that were taken from Robotech.
Instead, Harmony Gold is comparing FASA in house designed mechs like the Atlas, to completely different looking Robotech robots and saying they infringe because....well...because they're both big walking combat vehicles. It seems that in that part of the lawsuit, Harmony Gold is making a very weak and difficult to prove claim that they own even in house designed mechs because Macross/Robotech came first and the entire idea and core of Battletech is their intellectual property. Considering the can of worms this opens in regards to all the other big robot universes, and how dissimilar Battletech and Robotech are, I can't see how they're going to win that portion of the suit.
Of course, it all comes down to the question of why Harmony Gold has waited till now. The answer is, there is a live action Robotech movie in the works, and of course HG is going to want to reap the marketing benefits of that with their own merchandise and games to coincide with the release. It would appear this lawsuit is a paving of the way by eliminating brand confusion for their plans for 2018-19.
Good info. Harmony Gold can go rot.
;D
NSFW notice:
Razorfist's trademark F-bombs, eloquent elucidation, and manic metaphors contained within.
:2funny:
^Weird Al is really pissed.
:o Wow. That's some serious NSFW there, bro.
But he's got some points too.
Quote from: CJReich46 on September 05, 2017, 01:14:24 PM
:o Wow. That's some serious NSFW there, bro.
But he's got some points too.
Yeah, I pretty well agree with him. Harmony Gold has essentially made a business out of creating nothing and copyright trolling the licences they acquired from the true creative sources. Heck, they even sued Tatsunoko, the original creators of Macross, when Tatsunoko dared file a request for relief from the legal fees that HG has incurred by firing off lawsuits left and right for the last two decades.
The good news is that Harmony Gold's licence with Tatsunoko expires in 2021, and with it their ability to keep enforcing these kinds of suits. Considering how deeply HG has managed to sour its relationship with Tatsunoko recently, I can't see there being much chance that they'll get an extension. Maybe then Battletech will finally be safe to just exist and continue to be the better property.
Quote from: CJReich46 on September 05, 2017, 01:14:24 PM
:o Wow. That's some serious NSFW there, bro.
But he's got some points too.
I planted the "NSFW: Language" warning before the vid.
Did my duty. :peace:
;D
Quote from: SirAndrewD on September 05, 2017, 02:27:07 PM
Quote from: CJReich46 on September 05, 2017, 01:14:24 PM
:o Wow. That's some serious NSFW there, bro.
But he's got some points too.
Yeah, I pretty well agree with him. Harmony Gold has essentially made a business out of creating nothing and copyright trolling the licences they acquired from the true creative sources. Heck, they even sued Tatsunoko, the original creators of Macross, when Tatsunoko dared file a request for relief from the legal fees that HG has incurred by firing off lawsuits left and right for the last two decades.
The good news is that Harmony Gold's licence with Tatsunoko expires in 2021, and with it their ability to keep enforcing these kinds of suits. Considering how deeply HG has managed to sour its relationship with Tatsunoko recently, I can't see there being much chance that they'll get an extension. Maybe then Battletech will finally be safe to just exist and continue to be the better property.
Oh you're not getting any argument from me on that either.
Quote from: Nefaro on September 05, 2017, 03:59:37 PM
Quote from: CJReich46 on September 05, 2017, 01:14:24 PM
:o Wow. That's some serious NSFW there, bro.
But he's got some points too.
I planted the "NSFW: Language" warning before the vid.
Did my duty. :peace:
I chalked it up to "What a typical day in the Navy sounds like." :DD
;D
<Duplicte deleted>
http://www.pcgamer.com/mechwarrior-5-mercenaries-hands-on-the-series-goes-back-to-its-roots/
Quite an interesting article on RPS about the new Battletech game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/15/battletechs-campaign-mode-is-a-robot-dark-ages
When the game was announced I was a bit underwhelmed at the thought of another turn-based tactics game as I was a huge fan of XCOM 2 and I wasn't sure if it could top that - but the campaign dynamics they talk about in that article sound really interesting, keeping your mercs happy and well-paid for example so they don't decide to leave you in the lurch the day before a battle.
Spoiler alert!
Playthrough of a story mission showed earlier:
https://youtu.be/tIGmwTcR2Q8
That looks neat
GIGGITY GIGGITY, GIGGITY GOO
Some of my best work.
I don't disagree.
is this a "loins moisten" worthy?
Quote from: acctingman on November 15, 2017, 01:37:33 PM
is this a "loins moisten" worthy?
Has been for me!
In large part due to it getting a dynamic campaign system. :nerd:
LOOK THERE'S MORE :notworthy:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/15/battletechs-campaign-mode-is-a-robot-dark-ages/#more-493723
Pretty incredible sounding. Loins fully moistened!
Manassassas ninja'd you by 7 hours. I guess that doesn't qualify as ninja'd. More like molasses'd in this case.
Oh. My bad.
QuoteThe game is set in 3025..
The other thing I was grateful for.
The introduction of the Clans screwed up BT in more than one way. The old school 3025 House deadlock was great. It didn't need all the extra factions & crap of the later Clan additions. :tickedoff:
Quote from: Nefaro on November 15, 2017, 10:11:29 PM
The introduction of the Clans screwed up BT in more than one way. The old school 3025 House deadlock was great. It didn't need all the extra factions & crap of the later Clan additions. :tickedoff:
+1
Quote from: mirth on November 15, 2017, 10:29:16 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on November 15, 2017, 10:11:29 PM
The introduction of the Clans screwed up BT in more than one way. The old school 3025 House deadlock was great. It didn't need all the extra factions & crap of the later Clan additions. :tickedoff:
+1
+ 2
Quote from: Gusington on November 15, 2017, 10:10:54 PM
Oh. My bad.
Don't let that unmoisten you! I'm looking forward to it too.
^HA!
Rest assured that what is moistened is very difficult to make unmoistened. Dismoistened? Less moistened.
Quote from: Gusington on November 16, 2017, 08:49:36 PM
^HA!
Rest assured that what is moistened is very difficult to make unmoistened. Dismoistened? Less moistened.
De-moistened
I started playing BattleTech right when the Clans were being introduced to the game-world, so for me it was normal to have them around and/or show up in a campaign -- generally as antagonists (our group still always played Mechwarriors from the IS or Periphery). I can easily see why other players wouldn't care for them, though.
Either way, this is a game I'm still looking forward to getting. Even though I've not sat down and played the pen-and-paper version in almost two years now, the world of BattleTech/Mechwarrior maintains its grip on me; there's something about it I've always found fascinating.
Quote from: Martok on November 17, 2017, 02:37:26 AM
I started playing BattleTech right when the Clans were being introduced to the game-world, so for me it was normal to have them around and/or show up in a campaign -- generally as antagonists (our group still always played Mechwarriors from the IS or Periphery). I can easily see why other players wouldn't care for them, though.
Either way, this is a game I'm still looking forward to getting. Even though I've not sat down and played the pen-and-paper version in almost two years now, the world of BattleTech/Mechwarrior maintains its grip on me; there's something about it I've always found fascinating.
I got introduced in the MW world with Clans as welll. I've always liked the invasion era tbh.
The sole reason I have such a hard time playing the tabletop game is the humongous time investment a single battle requires.
But, like Martok, the game never slips from my mind. The lore is just so well established and the game is so broad; you can play anything from tiny special ops insertion scenarios to full fledged intergalactic wars. Its insane really and the Mech vs Mech combat is just a tiny bit from the broad options the game system represents.
I hope the upcoming BT game will slowly expand over time and will include combined arms at some point.
At any rate, the game is easily my most anticipated game, along with MW5.
Quote from: Gusington on November 16, 2017, 08:49:36 PM
^HA!
Rest assured that what is moistened is very difficult to make unmoistened. Dismoistened? Less moistened.
Dessicated
Quote from: bob48 on November 17, 2017, 04:03:47 PM
Quote from: Gusington on November 16, 2017, 08:49:36 PM
^HA!
Rest assured that what is moistened is very difficult to make unmoistened. Dismoistened? Less moistened.
Dessicated
Dessicated loins? That sounds rough.
And in all probability, chaff.
Super excited personally. I played the table top for years before I had to give it all away. While I enjoyed the lore and preset mechs, I spent countless hours designing my own and running them against my friends. I even once was inspired to write a (very) short story set in the universe. I hope what they discussed in the RPS article is just the tip of the iceberg.
I haven't followed this game for a while, but it's been pushed back to a 2018 release now, right?
Quote from: mirth on November 17, 2017, 04:23:27 PM
Quote from: bob48 on November 17, 2017, 04:03:47 PM
Quote from: Gusington on November 16, 2017, 08:49:36 PM
^HA!
Rest assured that what is moistened is very difficult to make unmoistened. Dismoistened? Less moistened.
Dessicated
Lotion?
Dessicated loins? That sounds rough.
Aveeno...official lotion of GrogHeads (not approved by management or Aveeno, but, hey, that's the running joke....isn't it?)
You're kicking it old school now.
Is it worth buying the early beta access on this ? 60 is a lot for an unfinished game.
Hard to say. The skirmish game is pretty well polished and in my opinion, pretty hard. Whether that's enough for you or not depends in your interest in the universe.
Quote from: bob48 on November 17, 2017, 04:30:28 PM
And in all probability, chaff.
Handy if you have a bandit on your six.
An interesting article, along with some gameplay footage:
http://www.pcgamer.com/if-you-lose-battletechs-main-storyline-the-game-doesnt-end/?utm_content=bufferb2ce8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=buffer-pcgamertw
loins moistened
I can only imagine what is happening to Gus.
Quote from: mirth on December 06, 2017, 11:37:33 AM
I can only imagine what is happening to Gus.
(https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1438092465ra/15664271.gif)
^ :2funny: :2funny: :2funny: :2funny: :2funny: :2funny:
argh!
Looks great and LMAO at Jarhead
I don't know how you got that pic of me but it's deliciously accurate.
Has anyone got any idea when this game is coming out or a general guesstimate? I went on their forums but it's a bunch of nerd spazzing posts.
^Nothing like our posts here.
😎
Quote from: acctingman on January 29, 2018, 01:02:51 PM
Has anyone got any idea when this game is coming out or a general guesstimate? I went on their forums but it's a bunch of nerd spazzing posts.
The latest State-of-the-game update from January 16th stated that there is no release date yet. However, it also stated that "release is in sight over the next few months..."
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/battletech/posts/2089189 (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/battletech/posts/2089189)
I would guess maybe sometime between March and May?
Thanks JH!
The game footage looks stunning.
Releasing in April.
$39.99
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/battletech/BTBT01GSK-MASTER.html
FINALLY...I was beginning to suspect...bad stuff. And things. Thank you!
About time!
Cheers Nef
Not a Battletach fan (only because I've never played any battletech games before), but this game looks too fun to pass up. I mean, who doesn't like giant robots shooting lasers and missiles? :uglystupid2:
That does look tasty O0
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 02:10:57 PM
Not a Battletach fan (only because I've never played any battletech games before), but this game looks too fun to pass up. I mean, who doesn't like giant robots shooting lasers and missiles? :uglystupid2:
Security!
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 02:10:57 PM
Not a Battletach fan (only because I've never played any battletech games before)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fallthingsd.com%2Ffiles%2F2013%2F08%2Finconceivable.jpg&hash=d584d7c652b147b6868d0df2288db63b64a19a1d)
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 02:10:57 PM
Not a Battletach fan (only because I've never played any battletech games before), but this game looks too fun to pass up. I mean, who doesn't like giant robots shooting lasers and missiles? :uglystupid2:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.motifake.com%2Fimage%2Fdemotivational-poster%2F0810%2Fburn-the-witch-burn-witch-kill-monty-python-demotivational-poster-1223816026.jpg&hash=8d741ee77e3b108ff34e65658888f79fd9a70be1)
so, do I need to turn in my nerd card? #:-)
(https://image.spreadshirtmedia.net/image-server/v1/designs/13763254,width=178,height=178/burn-the-heretic-retro-t.png)
Quote from: Nefaro on February 27, 2018, 12:57:50 PM
Releasing in April.
$39.99
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/battletech/BTBT01GSK-MASTER.html
Outstanding! I may not even wait for a sale to purchase. :)
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 02:10:57 PM
Not a Battletach fan (only because I've never played any battletech games before), but..
Looks like somebody just won a trip to the House Liao political (re)education camps. C:-)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcfw.sarna.net%2Fwiki%2Fimages%2F6%2F68%2FCapConEducation.jpg%3Ftimestamp%3D20160923175355&hash=ca050b3dca9812955721513f391727a59352d719)
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 03:55:20 PM
so, do I need to turn in my nerd card? #:-)
I think the general consensus seems to be just leave it on the dresser, don't let the door hit you on the way out and don't come back :DD
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 03:55:20 PM
so, do I need to turn in my nerd card? #:-)
You need to play some Battletech.
So.....we going to have a grog Battletech clan?
I bet you asshats make me the 'lube boy
That spot is already taken.
Quote from: acctingman on February 27, 2018, 11:14:15 PM
So.....we going to have a grog Battletech clan?
I bet you asshats make me the 'lube boy
Spot #2 is Pivot Man.
#3 is Cabin Boy.
There may be a hole needing filled in one of those positions.
:))
Quote from: Nefaro on February 27, 2018, 12:57:50 PM
Releasing in April.
$39.99
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/battletech/BTBT01GSK-MASTER.html
Yes and an object lesson for me and my own need for games. Paid twice as much for half the game, just so I had something new and.could see it. Palyed around with it a couple of times thsts all. No more early access for me.
Quote from: Zulu1966 on February 27, 2018, 11:59:09 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on February 27, 2018, 12:57:50 PM
Releasing in April.
$39.99
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/battletech/BTBT01GSK-MASTER.html
Yes and an object lesson for me and my own need for games. Paid twice as much for half the game, just so I had something new and.could see it. Palyed around with it a couple of times thsts all. No more early access for me.
That's the wrong attitude Zulu. You didn't pay twice as much for half the game. You paid twice as much to support development. For people who wanted to see this game succeed, that's reasonable.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 28, 2018, 07:18:42 AM
Quote from: Zulu1966 on February 27, 2018, 11:59:09 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on February 27, 2018, 12:57:50 PM
Releasing in April.
$39.99
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/battletech/BTBT01GSK-MASTER.html
Yes and an object lesson for me and my own need for games. Paid twice as much for half the game, just so I had something new and.could see it. Palyed around with it a couple of times thsts all. No more early access for me.
That's the wrong attitude Zulu. You didn't pay twice as much for half the game. You paid twice as much to support development. For people who wanted to see this game succeed, that's reasonable.
Ok JH it is a good idea I look at it that way. I enjoyed what I played of it but I bought in late so my beta access disappeared soon afterwards.
I guess the most interesting part for me is to see how the management side of things works in the full game
I was just ever so slightly disappointed that you couldn't seem to target specific body parts.
I think you could with a special attribute but never quite got to figure that before my access went.
Anyhow glad to see this arrive and hope it's a truly immersive mech game.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 28, 2018, 07:18:42 AM
That's the wrong attitude Zulu. You didn't pay twice as much for half the game. You paid twice as much to support development. For people who wanted to see this game succeed, that's reasonable.
I have a $100 House Davion Hat. I like it a lot.
Mech lab screenshot:
(https://i.imgur.com/7VItyml.jpg)
Fanatical currently has 20% Off the Pre-order.
https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/battletech
^ I saw that. I would hop all over it if I didn't have Kingdom Come waiting, and Vampyr and Thrones of Brittania coming.
Hell I may wake up tomorrow and just get it. Been waiting for it for a long time and ~30.00 is a good price.
I have a real Jones for this one. Been playing boardgame Battletech for decades. First day purchase for me.
I lied.
Pre-pruchased last night.
For the price I could not resist. THE GAMING FLESH IS WEAK!
^Landru is pleased. You are of the body, friend.
Quote from: Gusington on March 04, 2018, 06:55:52 PM
I lied.
Pre-pruchased last night.
For the price I could not resist. THE GAMING FLESH IS WEAK!
:DD
^Am I supposed to believe that you didn't pre-purchase? Jerk.
I'm still wondering how the 'dynamic' part of the campaign plays out.
The KS donations unlocked a dynamic campaign feature, but I'm not sure of the details or whether they've talked about it much yet.
Anyone heard anything about that facet? Other than the vague, "you run a mercenary group choosing contracts"?
The need to purchase this now is great, but I'm waiting for some of you fine folks to give your opinions before I buy :bd:
Quote from: Gusington on March 04, 2018, 08:20:44 PM
^Am I supposed to believe that you didn't pre-purchase? Jerk.
I have not. So suckit.
Liar.
Quote from: Gusington on March 05, 2018, 09:36:39 AM
Liar.
Nope. I'm on a break from buying games.
Managed to resist that Slitherine sale on Steam last week. Haven't pre-ordered this one. Want to, but it wouldn't be prudent.
When has that stopped you?
Quote from: mirth on March 05, 2018, 09:41:58 AM
...but it wouldn't be prudent.
Not at this juncture?
I don't know if he's talking about the game anymore.
A quick vid on the Merc "open-ended" campaign.
Hrmm..
I wonder which game will require more updates after it's release next month. This or TW:Britannia.
White TW always needs some fixes, it's also coming out earlier. Whereas Battletech's devs have never done a game this complicated, including one with a dynamic campaign layer on top of the tactical play.
Hrmm.. :dreamer:
Looks pretty cool though!
Quote from: Nefaro on March 19, 2018, 03:34:17 AM
A quick vid on the Merc "open-ended" campaign.
Hrmm..
I wonder which game will require more updates after it's release next month. This or TW:Britannia.
White TW always needs some fixes, it's also coming out earlier. Whereas Battletech's devs have never done a game this complicated, including one with a dynamic campaign layer on top of the tactical play.
Hrmm.. :dreamer:
This sounds like exactly what I was looking for...a game with a strategic layer where you choose the jobs you take, earn money, manage finances and resources...kind of was looking for a "modern, contemporary" version along the lines of Strike Commander from the 90's - but this will do O0 :notworthy:
The video definitely moistened my loins.
Definately looking forward to this!
Quote from: mirth on March 19, 2018, 05:46:54 AM
The video definitely moistened my loins.
"Moistened my loins"? I'm glad I was wearing my super-absorbent pants today! :))
I borrowed your moisture absorbent pants last week. They're a little snug.
My loins have moistened to the point that the local authorities have had to dam our street.
Smells kinda funky.
Quote from: Gusington on March 19, 2018, 08:38:17 AM
I borrowed your moisture absorbent pants last week. They're a little snug.
I shrunk them :-"
That was my old set. I thought they couldn't absorb anymore, so I threw them out.
Well, I won't comment again on how or why I've never played any Battletech games in the past since I guess it's nerd card revoking worthy, however, I have to admit this game looks pretty damn slick.
Do any of you cooler nerd Battletechies want to give me the skinny on Battletech history ? or can I just Wikipedia it?
I bow to your nerdness :notworthy:
I don't know anything about the series - sorry. I'll leave with you :2funny:
Quote from: acctingman on March 19, 2018, 04:08:02 PM
Well, I won't comment again on how or why I've never played any Battletech games in the past since I guess it's nerd card revoking worthy, however, I have to admit this game looks pretty damn slick.
Do any of you cooler nerd Battletechies want to give me the skinny on Battletech history ? or can I just Wikipedia it?
I bow to your nerdness :notworthy:
Battletech is pretty hard to cover in short form. You could probably plop a 100 page tome of backstory in front of you that still leaves a lot out.
I found this to be a good intro though. It gets you to the starting point...
You can get a much more in depth look here http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
Quote from: SirAndrewD on March 19, 2018, 04:33:52 PM
Quote from: acctingman on March 19, 2018, 04:08:02 PM
Well, I won't comment again on how or why I've never played any Battletech games in the past since I guess it's nerd card revoking worthy, however, I have to admit this game looks pretty damn slick.
Do any of you cooler nerd Battletechies want to give me the skinny on Battletech history ? or can I just Wikipedia it?
I bow to your nerdness :notworthy:
Battletech is pretty hard to cover in short form. You could probably plop a 100 page tome of backstory in front of you that still leaves a lot out.
I found this to be a good intro though. It gets you to the starting point...
You can get a much more in depth look here http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
Thanks! O0
No problem. If you want a shortcut to the history section on Sarna, this is a good brief overview with more detail than the video.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Inner_Sphere_(history)
Note that this Battletech game does not concern itself with the Clans or their invasion (thankfully). It's set well before that.
Just wait until JasonPratt shows up.
That was a good video. I'll have to find more lore. I played to table top a little in high school and some of the mech warrior stuff in the late '90s, but that's about it.
Quote
Just wait until JasonPratt shows up.
LOL, that was just what I was thinking.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on March 19, 2018, 06:44:53 PM
Just wait until JasonPratt shows up.
I WILL POST A BOOK INCIPI...wait. {checking topic again} Never mind, I don't know much about Battletech lore. (I know something about the game mechanics as interpreted in the Mechwarrior games, but I'm sure I've posted a book about those somewhere earlier.)
:'(
Your tears convinced me to look up my previous book on Mechwarrior Online (and the differences between that and World of Warships): http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=18996.msg505539#msg505539
:'( :'(
Quote from: Gusington on March 20, 2018, 05:49:43 PM
:'( :'(
Gus is only moist like a snack cake, now, due to his tortured tears falling on his sob-spasmed lap.
See what you did!? You animals!
Quote from: Nefaro on March 20, 2018, 08:48:17 PM
Quote from: Gusington on March 20, 2018, 05:49:43 PM
:'( :'(
Gus is only moist like a snack cake, now, due to his tortured tears falling on his sob-spasmed lap.
See what you did!? You animals!
Ah! Weak freebirths! I'll only bid one Recon Star from my Touman in the batchall to vanquish this rabble. A trial of annihilation at noon Quiaff?
I barely understood that and I'm still like :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Quote from: JasonPratt on March 20, 2018, 09:51:51 PM
I barely understood that and I'm still like :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
I actually don't like the Clanners very much, but it's absurd how much lore I've absorbed.
I'll clarify that. I like the concept of the Clans in the story. It's interesting and provides a really good antithesis to the Inner Sphere's selfish feudal nightmare. Story wise, the Clans are really necessary in Battletech to actually make the Inner Sphere sit up, take notice and drag themselves into the 31st Century and think of themselves as unified.
But mechanically, blah. They blew the curve on Battletech in the 80's tabletop, and kept on doing it ever since. Worst thing that happened to Mechwarrior online was the intro of Clan OmniMechs. Once Clan tech enters, everyone flocks to it, because why wouldn't they? It's like choosing an F-22 to dogfight a F-4.
Very glad this game is set in the 3020's. That's the golden age of Battletech for me. Successor States operating at a mid 21st Century level or less. Mechs being rare as hens teeth. Jumpships being off limits for attack because the tech is totally lost. Comstar controlling all communications. Mercenaries ruling the battlefields, scavenging every scrap to keep going.
Ah, Battletech. How I missed you.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on March 20, 2018, 08:51:57 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on March 20, 2018, 08:48:17 PM
Quote from: Gusington on March 20, 2018, 05:49:43 PM
:'( :'(
Gus is only moist like a snack cake, now, due to his tortured tears falling on his sob-spasmed lap.
See what you did!? You animals!
Ah! Weak freebirths! I'll only bid one Recon Star from my Touman in the batchall to vanquish this rabble. A trial of annihilation at noon Quiaff?
Insufferable clanners.
We don't want no stinking Ghost Panda or Smoke Kitten nutters, from the Jonestown of the galaxy, in these parts! :knuppel2:
I'm wondering how many of you old BT hands wouldn't choose House Davion as their first IS faction pick. When you were given the choice between just the houses.
Friggin' Davion marshmallows. Flavor of the IS century. :P
Quote from: Nefaro on March 20, 2018, 11:40:51 PM
I'm wondering how many of you old BT hands wouldn't choose House Davion as their first IS faction pick. When you were given the choice between just the houses.
Friggin' Davion marshmallows. Flavor of the IS century. :P
Guilty. I like Davion. I like Steiner equally though. I was a pretty big FedCom guy back before Kat screwed it up in the story.
Though, I'm totally down with the Marik Knights of the Inner Sphere. Great concept, but the Marik Captain-Generals are Space-Dicks that don't hold up their side of those ideals.
Free-Rasalhague Republic FTW
I actually take the above back partly. Yeah, I like Davion. But I looked at a few of my old painted IS Battlemechs and saw they were all pure white.
So, yeah, ComStar. Not the loony Word of Blake stuff. But old school, Earth owning, high tech ComStar. I choose you.
Back on the dork track in this thread. Well done all.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcfw.sarna.net%2Fwiki%2Fimages%2Fthumb%2F5%2F57%2FSmokeJaguar.jpg%2F191px-sld5qej8bpnbqmrfxom9ufys9oju69f.png%3Ftimestamp%3D20120718230619&hash=7d75a3ab873058a1c38749b18388f8c696cb2b6a)
I am mostly with Sir D.
I like the concept of the Clanners and I liked them in MW2. But in the tabletop they can be a nuisance more often than them being a cool addition.
Also happy the initial release of BT will be pre 3050.
I grew up on the Succession Wars as a kid. The Clans broke a lot of stuff in game. The idea was pretty cool though. And I was Davion first, Steiner second. And I always thought that Comstar were the bad guys. Holding the keys to communication and better Battlemechs to spread the Word of Blake.
Kurita
because rules suck.
Steiner
Why fight them when you can buy them?
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on March 21, 2018, 11:53:27 PM
Kurita
because rules suck.
I lol'd way too hard at that.
Smoke Jaguar.
Because I like kitties; because you damned Yankees need to stop it already, and because all your base are belong to us.
Quote from: Pinetree on March 22, 2018, 01:12:05 PM
Steiner
Why fight them when you can buy them?
I thought that was Marik's thing, hyper-capitalism?
Although, admittedly, I haven't read the lore or owned the tabletop stuff for well over 10 years. Those memories are on old worn-out gray matter backups at this point. Travelling further down the conveyor towards the thinkmeat recycle bin.
Honestly, the groups in Battletech I always felt the most tied to were the Mercs.
The Grey Death Legion, Kell Hounds, Wolf's Dragoons. All really awesome.
Always loved the clandestine nature of the Dragoons, how they were all secret Clanners and went native.
Mercs are the heart of pre-Clan Invasion Battletech. Heck they're the heart after. Clan Wolf ended up under the leadership of a Merc, Phelan Kell (Ward) and a badass one at that.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on March 25, 2018, 12:50:46 AM
Clan Wolf ended up under the leadership of a Merc, Phelan Kell (Ward) and a badass one at that.
Now _that_ should be a Mechwarrior game story (if it isn't already)!
Quote from: SirAndrewD on March 25, 2018, 12:50:46 AM
Honestly, the groups in Battletech I always felt the most tied to were the Mercs.
The Grey Death Legion, Kell Hounds, Wolf's Dragoons. All really awesome.
Always loved the clandestine nature of the Dragoons, how they were all secret Clanners and went native.
Mercs are the heart of pre-Clan Invasion Battletech. Heck they're the heart after. Clan Wolf ended up under the leadership of a Merc, Phelan Kell (Ward) and a badass one at that.
irony was that Wolfs Dragoons were the clans scouts.
According to RPS BattleTech will be out 24 April. :clap:
Quote from: Shelldrake on March 27, 2018, 09:07:43 AM
According to RPS BattleTech will be out 24 April. :clap:
Yes. I believe that date has been listed elsewhere, too.
I may wait until May to pick it up. Just to wait out the post-release updates & such.
Quote from: Nefaro on March 28, 2018, 03:09:28 PM
Quote from: Shelldrake on March 27, 2018, 09:07:43 AM
According to RPS BattleTech will be out 24 April. :clap:
Yes. I believe that date has been listed elsewhere, too.
I may wait until May to pick it up. Just to wait out the post-release updates & such.
I'm with Nef on this too. As much as I don't know shit about giant robots and the lore of BT, it just looks too damn cool.
You will...you will...
Quote from: acctingman on March 28, 2018, 03:11:15 PM
I'm with Nef on this too. As much as I don't know shit about giant robots and the lore of BT, it just looks too damn cool.
It's never too late to get into Battletech lore. You just have to have the right thing to grab you about it. Honestly the best way to get into it is to play one of the games based on it. I knew nothing about the lore the first time I threw down a lance of Mechs back in '88, I just knew giant robots were cool.
A couple of Michael Stackpole books later and I was hooked.
This is probably the best game to get into it with the least required knowledge curve I've seen. They're setting this earlier in the universe timeline than any previous game, so you don't have any of the more complex stuff of the post 4th Succession War and later post-Clan invasion story. Lore shouldn't be much of an obstacle. Just jump right in.
There used to be an introductory box that could be had for small money. Gave you the basic rules, paper maps, a few plastic mech minis. Easy way to get into the game.
Quote from: mirth on March 28, 2018, 05:08:21 PM
There used to be an introductory box that could be had for small money. Gave you the basic rules, paper maps, a few plastic mech minis. Easy way to get into the game.
I have the old version of that around here somewhere. Back when they still had cardboard chits. And yes the chits have the corners.
Lol
There is a "Mechwarrior" table top mini's game. Is that similar? I know Mechwarrior is not Battletech....I at least know that :uglystupid2:
Mechwarrior is Battletech. It's set in the Battletech Universe.
Quote from: mirth on March 28, 2018, 05:21:28 PM
Mechwarrior is Battletech. It's set in the Battletech Universe.
(https://i.imgur.com/SS0uITg.jpg)
Quote from: acctingman on March 28, 2018, 06:08:39 PM
Quote from: mirth on March 28, 2018, 05:21:28 PM
Mechwarrior is Battletech. It's set in the Battletech Universe.
(https://i.imgur.com/SS0uITg.jpg)
Mechwarior is the RPG branch of tabletop Battletech
Well, Mechwarrior has morphed into a lot of things for the brand.
Mechwarrior was always an idea of the 1st person view of Battletech. Close and in the cockpit. So yeah, it was the RPG and later all the simulations.
Battletech has always been the third person view, war game version. I hated the MechCommander title, because it should've been Battletech. But at the time the Mechwarrior brand was just so much more well known.
But yes, Mechwarrior is Battletech and Battletech is Mechwarrior. Same mechs, same story, same universe. Just different branding for a different concept of how the game is portrayed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BattleTech_games
Damn. We're nerds.
I love BattleForce (units at platoon / Lance level) and Succession Wars (strategic "4x", unit's at division level.). Still no computer equivalent.
Quote from: jomni on March 28, 2018, 09:01:12 PM
I love BattleForce (units at platoon / Lance level) and Succession Wars (strategic "4x", unit's at division level.). Still no computer equivalent.
Nerd.
best mech ever.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/0e/c7/280ec75ac3fb4e097005e2494f9c991a.jpg)
^yep
^Unfortunately copied from Macross anime. Picture above has the UN Spacy (Macross Faction) logo on the leg.
http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/28839-tomahawks-pinup/
And read the thread... The vampire logo on the leg was copied and used by Marik Hussars!
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on March 28, 2018, 09:57:41 PM
best mech ever.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/0e/c7/280ec75ac3fb4e097005e2494f9c991a.jpg)
That's Optimus Prime, right?
Quote from: jomni on March 28, 2018, 10:10:57 PM
^Unfortunately copied from Macross anime. Picture above has the UN Spacy (Macross Faction) logo on the leg.
http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/28839-tomahawks-pinup/
And read the thread... The vampire logo on the leg was copied and used by Marik Hussars!
Mechwarrior Online put its middle finger up at Harmony Gold and brought it back along with the Maraduer.
But yeah, hence the current lawsuit.
there were tons of Macross mechs in Battletech, along with Crusher Joe and Duogram.
back in the day kaybee toys sold the diecast mechs from Macross under the Robotech lable. I took them all and we used them as minis.
This thread is giving me MechWood.
You Mechniac!
BattleBoner!
Ok guys that's it damnit!
I've had the intention before, but lets just do it now!
You are not going to *need* any books to participate. Get the free rules at the Catalyst Gamelabs website and for the additional stuff we can just teach eachother. There are enough people with BT experience here it seems, so everyone is welcome.
I am going to host a Battletech campaign via MekHq and MegaMek. So this will be full tabletop Battletech but in digital form (like Vassal).
Setup is as follows:
Have a few players on the 'good guys' team where you get to roleplay a bit and play matches against OpFor, also player run, but without a dedicated Lance.
OpFor players just play what the scenario gives them. Ideal for people who want to participate, but don't feel they have the time or commitment to manage their lance and support cast.
We'll avoid Clans for now. If the campaign works and people want it we can progress into the Clan age later.
Getting a dedicated part on this forum for various tasks would be very helpful for managing the game easily and enable roleplaying, so that request stands please!
I'll be using the Campaign Ops book for low level campaign management.
TacOps advanced rules can be used.
And if we set out to reach for the stars we can upscale accordingly.
We need to establish wether the 'good guys' are house affiliated or a Merc unit.
Who is interested??
I'm not 100% certain of the time commitment I can give but I'm in
Recruitment thread has been opened here! O0
Goodwill's Grogheads - Battletech Campaign (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22010.0)
:nerd: :cowboy:
Quote from: acctingman on March 28, 2018, 05:18:03 PM
There is a "Mechwarrior" table top mini's game. Is that similar? I know Mechwarrior is not Battletech....I at least know that :uglystupid2:
On tabletop:
Battletech is the minis & hex-map battle game that started it all.
Mechwarrior is the RPG title which is mechanically compatible with the Battletech wargame.
I don't know if people role-play much with Mechwarrior, as in outside of their mechs. The Mechwarrior RPG was a nice for creating your mech pilots, giving them some background and start point for a Battletech campaign. That's the way I always used it.
Battletech is the meat of the whole thing. The core of it, and where it started.
BT also had expansions covering other areas, such as Aerospace and Space battles for a couple examples. So, when you had collected all the goods, you could run big campaigns modelling everything from the Jump Ships (think of as FTL motherships), to the Drop Ships, to the planetary air forces, and down to the mechs and grunts on the ground.
^Has there been any mention of these other ships appearing in the upcoming title?
Actually the RPG part is now called A Time of War.
Mechwarrior: Dark Age is not current anymore. It was an RPG product in a specific era of the lore whereas AToW is the general rulebook for BT RPG gameplay, regardless of era.
@Gus, the initial release of the BT game will only feature Mechs, but the devs have mentioned this might change in future versions.
^I cannot express how awesome just the possibility of that is.
FFS, you've gone and made Gus all wet again.
Watched a few minutes of some of the early release lets-plays on Youtube. Man, the opening cinematic depicting man going to the stars and the rise and fall of the Star League was just beautiful.
I kind of hope that one day they'd do a story based Battletech game about the Amaris Coup and the fall of the Star League. It'd be interesting having Mech battles on Earth around famous known landmarks, something that's canonically absent post Comstar making Earth neutral.
Quote from: Gusington on March 31, 2018, 05:49:58 PM
^I cannot express how awesome just the possibility of that is.
You can always join my campaign that's setting up and play with the full range of vehicles right now!
Thank you Yassy but I am a n00b at Battletech...
So what?
Pick up the introductory rules and join in! The era we will start in does not have high level tech yet. Aside from various 'advanced' / optional rules, which I can explain, you will not have any trouble playing along.
Ok - I will sign in on your invite thread.
I did some digging...pre-pay on their site is $39.99. Seems pretty reasonable, and one I will wait for. Release date is in about 3 weeks.
^There are occasional pre-release sales for it through GOG and Fanatical...I got a copy for around 30.00.
I think you can still get it for $32 through Fanatical
https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/battletech
^There you go - yeah that's the deal I got.
I know.
Quote from: Gusington on April 01, 2018, 05:35:22 PM
^There you go - yeah that's the deal I got.
Thanks for the inputs..I'm not against saving some money.
Prepare yourselves!
Sadly such a terrible attempt to bring Battletech to the mainstream.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on March 31, 2018, 07:59:51 PM
FFS, you've gone and made Gus all wet again.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/18/1a/2a181a9949e9147616d5caa7f025c9ca.gif)
Indeed, it was a terrible show. Battletech didn't lend itself to being a mid afternoon kids show.
The show was only nominally attached the canon anyway. It tried, but it constantly dumbed itself down to try to appeal to kids and streamline the story.
The big draw and gist of the show was to show of early 90's CGI, it wasn't a good recommendation point. They'd have been better off just animating the Mech on Mech action.
The most interesting thing about the cartoon is how it ended up fitting in canon. The cartoon itself was not canon, its story was sort of in line with the story of the Clan Invasion, but was divergent enough to not fit with what people wanted or expected.
However, in the later Battletech novels, the cartoon is referenced in universe. Essentially, in the Battletech canon, the cartoon is real and was something showed in the Federated Commenwealth as a highly fictionalized television show for kids, that told the story of the Clan invasion from the Lyran perspective.
So, the cartoon, is canon, because the cartoon exists in the Battletech canon as an actual TV show shown in the Inner Sphere as a fictionalized account of the Clan Invasion for kids.
Wrap your heads around that fellas.
Still wrapping my head around hawt mech on mech action.
This thread is making me NOT want to play Battletech :'(
Quote from: acctingman on April 03, 2018, 09:22:06 AM
This thread is making me NOT want to play Battletech :'(
Maybe this one does, then.
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22010.0
Quote from: Yskonyn on April 03, 2018, 10:17:01 AM
Quote from: acctingman on April 03, 2018, 09:22:06 AM
This thread is making me NOT want to play Battletech :'(
Maybe this one does, then.
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22010.0
:P
I thought about it Yskonyn but my time commitments these days are shaky at best. Don't think I can even buy the game when it comes out.
You don't need the upcoming BT game at all.
We will play using free software to simulate the tabletop game rather than the video game.
We now have our own little corner! Yay!
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?board=92.0
christopherodd has video up on youtube. start of campaign mode. says he can show first 6-8 hours of game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtIi_PiLQLg
Wow Yassy - you have spent a lot of time on this.
Quote from: Gusington on April 06, 2018, 05:19:06 PM
Wow Yassy - you have spent a lot of time on this.
Well yes, but I don't mind at all.
I apologise that it takes so long to start shooting up stuff, but if we prepare properly it will benefit us greatly in the campaign once we actually start playing.
Don't worry, soon enough those lasers will start ripping through armor!
Dig the new avatar.
I saw scuttlebutt saying Harmony Gold's lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice. :bd:
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Harmony Gold's Case Against Harebrained Schemes Dismissed!
2018/04/14
The case against Harebrained Schemes has been dismissed according to the most recent document in the ongoing legal battle against Harmony Gold!
The document, titled "STIPULATION OF DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE," confirms that the judge has dismissed the suit between Harmony Gold and BattleTech creators Harebrained Schemes. The news is fantastic for all BattleTech fans and even better for Harmony Gold haters around the world. By dismissing the charges with prejudice, the judge has effectively barred Harmony Gold from bringing forward a similar case in the future.
(Continued At Link ..)
http://www.sarna.net/news/harmony-golds-case-against-harebrained-schemes-dismissed/
^That's fantastic news. Still, seems that the Harmony Gold case against PGI is still alive. PGI was the one that was actually using the "unseen" designs in Mechwarrior Online and Mechwarrior 5.
Still, based on the revelation earlier that Harmony Gold may not own the rights to any of the mech designs at all, and the rights instead reside with the Japanese studio Big West, I'd imagine that the end to this entire 20+ year mess is finally on the horizon.
Sid Alpha, a youtuber, has a concise series of posts on the legal issues surrounding Harmony Gold, and all of the players.
There is considerable depth and nuance to what is going on in the background. Good news is that Battletech appears to be go for release next week, with no significant legal challenges.
Indeed. I've followed a lot of Sid's videos. Leonard French, a Copywright lawyer also has some good videos on it.
Sid just made a new video on it, and it's just followed what we've said before. Battletech by Harebrained is in the clear, Mechwarrior 5 and Mechwarrior Online by PGI is not.
PGI is going to have to prove Harmony Gold doesn't have the rights to the unseen to get the same results. If Tatsunoko or Big West give Harmony Gold an affirmative on the Rogatory letter HG has asked for, then PGI will have to prove they changed the unseen enough to not infringe.
It looks like PGI has a good case. If they win and all these lawsuits go against Harmony Gold, we might see beloved unseen mechs like the Warhammer and Marauder in Battletech.
Anyway, here's Sid's latest video on the suit. This isn't over, but it's getting there..
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 17, 2018, 07:48:18 PM
Indeed. I've followed a lot of Sid's videos. Leonard French, a Copywright lawyer also has some good videos on it.
Sid just made a new video on it, and it's just followed what we've said before. Battletech by Harebrained is in the clear, Mechwarrior 5 and Mechwarrior Online by PGI is not.
PGI is going to have to prove Harmony Gold doesn't have the rights to the unseen to get the same results. If Tatsunoko or Big West give Harmony Gold an affirmative on the Rogatory letter HG has asked for, then PGI will have to prove they changed the unseen enough to not infringe.
It looks like PGI has a good case. If they win and all these lawsuits go against Harmony Gold, we might see beloved unseen mechs like the Warhammer and Marauder in Battletech.
Anyway, here's Sid's latest video on the suit. This isn't over, but it's getting there..
Sid French has been a terrific advocate for those youtubers fighting against DMA strikes for years. I have watched several hours of his videos...and it's clear he knows what he's doing.
Less than a week.
Gonna be some 'splodin to do. :nerd:
Quote from: Nefaro on April 18, 2018, 12:13:53 PM
Less than a week.
Gonna be some 'splodin to do. :nerd:
Gonna be enough to pull you outta yer slump?
Quote from: Barthheart on April 18, 2018, 12:42:18 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on April 18, 2018, 12:13:53 PM
Less than a week.
Gonna be some 'splodin to do. :nerd:
Gonna be enough to pull you outta yer slump?
Maybe not.
Has the best chance, however! ^-^
got my key. pre load monday and play tuesday :D
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 22, 2018, 01:27:47 AM
got my key. pre load monday and play tuesday :D
Just curious, where did you order from? Mine was from Fanatical, but nothing yet.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 22, 2018, 01:58:31 AM
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 22, 2018, 01:27:47 AM
got my key. pre load monday and play tuesday :D
Just curious, where did you order from? Mine was from Fanatical, but nothing yet.
kickstarter backer
Yeah, got my backer key yesterday. No big, just added it to my Steam library. Pre-load is still Monday.
But yeah, happy it's almost ready. BY FREEDOM'S SWORD! FOR DAVION! Or...eh....for money. Money is good too.
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 22, 2018, 02:04:23 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 22, 2018, 01:58:31 AM
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 22, 2018, 01:27:47 AM
got my key. pre load monday and play tuesday :D
Just curious, where did you order from? Mine was from Fanatical, but nothing yet.
kickstarter backer
Thank you...makes sense you would get it earlier:) Of course I won't have access to my computer until Thursday next week, of all weeks:( Guess it will give me time to see people's impressions first.
Got my key as well, I'm using GOG so will download on Thursday my time.
My key is locked and loaded as well!
:D
Game purchased. Check.
Research done. Check.
Several Battletech books ordered from Amazon Prime. Check.
Approximately 20 hours of Youtube and Twitch streams watched. Check.
Hazy ideas on how to construct my Mechs ... Check. WIP.
Quote from: Pinetree on April 22, 2018, 06:49:13 AM
Got my key as well, I'm using GOG so will download on Thursday my time.
Why Thursday? It comes out on Tuesday...
^I pre-ordered from Fanatical as well...nothing yet for me either, don't worry.
Pre-load starts 9 AM PST tomorrow (Monday). Game unlocked 9 AM PST, on Tuesday.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 22, 2018, 09:17:37 AM
Quote from: Pinetree on April 22, 2018, 06:49:13 AM
Got my key as well, I'm using GOG so will download on Thursday my time.
Why Thursday? It comes out on Tuesday...
Which is Wednesday down here, and Wednesday is Anzac Day so going to be busy doing other things.
Really looking forward to what you all think about this game. I like the reviews here more than any where else on the net O0
My loins are so moist that they've started to be colonized by pirates and kraken.
I'm actually trying to curb my enthusiasm a bit. I've heard that the game has some balance and teething issues from pre-release versions, especially in regards to heat buildup with energy weapons. They seem to be working overtime to get it right for release.
Till then I'll be over here polishing my Neurohelmet.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 22, 2018, 06:54:16 PM
My loins are so moist that they've started to be colonized by pirates and kraken.
I'm actually trying to curb my enthusiasm a bit. I've heard that the game has some balance and teething issues from pre-release versions, especially in regards to heat buildup with energy weapons. They seem to be working overtime to get it right for release.
Till then I'll be over here polishing my Neurohelmet.
One lets player specifically took his beam firing mechs back into the mech lab to increase the number of heat sinks, and to remove one medium laser.
I think that the developer DOES have it right. You can't expect to alpha-strike with four medium lasers every turn, unless you were up to your ass in water.
I look forward to trying out myself.
I would hope you weren't Alpha Striking with a lot of beams, that's what Autocannons are for. I just also hope you can effectively use large lasers and PPC's, I've read some grousing complaining that you can't on the latest build.
I'm not going to read to much into it. The product as it stands on Tuesday is what I'm going to judge it on. I trust Harebrained to get it correct, dudes know what they're doing with this licence, obviously.
have they changed anything such as damage and heat build up from the tabletop version? I was watching TTB play on youtube and he said this is how the PPC should hit(percent to hit and range) and do actual damage(50 damage in BT version) unlike the MWO version of the PPC which is garbage. Im thinking a lot of the complaints are going to be people comparing MWO to this battletech game.
What is using a weapon effectively? those weapons(large lasers and PPC) are long range and need line of sight. Most of the maps ive seen are not wide open prairies but have plenty of cover such as hills and mountains and buildings!
From what I've seen this is closer to the tabletop, which makes me happy. Not surprising either, it's Wiesman after all.
I've only done limited dives into the Youtube arena to watch early play throughs. I don't want to taint my first experience with it.
I did get my steam key through the kickstarter backerkit this weekend. This puppy is ready for preload.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 22, 2018, 10:56:45 PM
From what I've seen this is closer to the tabletop, which makes me happy. Not surprising either, it's Wiesman after all.
I've only done limited dives into the Youtube arena to watch early play throughs. I don't want to taint my first experience with it.
I did get my steam key through the kickstarter backerkit this weekend. This puppy is ready for preload.
as
ive only watched 2 people on youtube play. I have not watched the opening cinematic. saving that for when i get to fire it up!! think this one is game of the year material!
LoL. Game of the year material before it's even out and anybody has played it? You may ultimately be right, but that there is what I call being on the hype train! :crazy2:
^And how many times has that train derailed? :D
TOOT TOOT
Just got my codes from Fanatical!
TOOT TOOT
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:09:48 AM
TOOT TOOT
Just got my codes from Fanatical!
TOOT TOOT
Well not got mine yet. At this rate even though I bought into the beta backer at twice the price of the release game there will be people in steam who have theirs before I do. >:(
TOOT TOOT
Quote from: Zulu1966 on April 23, 2018, 09:35:35 AM
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:09:48 AM
TOOT TOOT
Just got my codes from Fanatical!
TOOT TOOT
Well not got mine yet. At this rate even though I bought into the beta backer at twice the price of the release game there will be people in steam who have theirs before I do. >:(
did you get the email on 20th about the New Digital Content for Battletech on Backerkit? That gave me a link to the code.
.....aaaaand pre-load complete!
Quote from: bobarossa on April 23, 2018, 10:52:49 AM
Quote from: Zulu1966 on April 23, 2018, 09:35:35 AM
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:09:48 AM
TOOT TOOT
Just got my codes from Fanatical!
TOOT TOOT
Well not got mine yet. At this rate even though I bought into the beta backer at twice the price of the release game there will be people in steam who have theirs before I do. >:(
did you get the email on 20th about the New Digital Content for Battletech on Backerkit? That gave me a link to the code.
Yeah got the mail. But said they hadn't finished distributing all keys and would mail when it was sent. No mail yet.
Quote from: bobarossa on April 23, 2018, 10:52:49 AM
Quote from: Zulu1966 on April 23, 2018, 09:35:35 AM
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:09:48 AM
TOOT TOOT
Just got my codes from Fanatical!
TOOT TOOT
Well not got mine yet. At this rate even though I bought into the beta backer at twice the price of the release game there will be people in steam who have theirs before I do. >:(
did you get the email on 20th about the New Digital Content for Battletech on Backerkit? That gave me a link to the code.
Well thanks for that decided to check anyway based on what you said and the steam key wá there
Locked and Loaded
TASTE THE RAINBOW!!!!
(https://orig00.deviantart.net/8337/f/2015/123/a/5/mad_cat_7_by_shimmering_sword-d8s25wr.jpg)
I came across this site:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
Terrific WIKI on the history and lore of Battletech. I highly recommend hitting the "random" button on the left side. This is truly whetting my appetite for this game!
^Nice, thank you
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 23, 2018, 06:32:10 AM
LoL. Game of the year material before it's even out and anybody has played it? You may ultimately be right, but that there is what I call being on the hype train! :crazy2:
nothing ive seen from the players i have watched play the game has made me think it will be a dud. punch my ticket mr. conductor!!
Yeah, but a declaration about Game of the Year sure doesn't give reality much wiggle room around expectations.
preloading :)
Quote from: RyanE on April 23, 2018, 01:45:38 PM
Yeah, but a declaration about Game of the Year sure doesn't give reality much wiggle room around expectations.
well it does have to compete with some big AAA games but i think it will hold its own and be in the discussion come time to vote! reality? havent been in touch with that in awhile :uglystupid2:
Quote from: RyanE on April 23, 2018, 01:45:38 PM
Yeah, but a declaration about Game of the Year sure doesn't give reality much wiggle room around expectations.
Game of the Century.
Of course I had to pick this up :-\
You are now assimilated.
Resistance is futile.
I myself am preloading right now.
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:07:45 PM
I myself am preloading right now.
I had that problem when I was younger. I just learned to think about baseball.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 23, 2018, 08:08:58 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:07:45 PM
I myself am preloading right now.
I had that problem when I was younger. I just learned to think about baseball.
;D
*nevermind*
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:11:50 PM
*nevermind*
It's fine Gus. This game has everyone adding a little extra oil to their Autocannons.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 23, 2018, 08:08:58 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2018, 08:07:45 PM
I myself am preloading right now.
I had that problem when I was younger. I just learned to think about baseball.
Oh man, that just ain't right..... :2funny: :2funny: :2funny:
Quote from: RyanE on April 23, 2018, 01:45:38 PM
Yeah, but a declaration about Game of the Year sure doesn't give reality much wiggle room around expectations.
Confidence is high, I say again, Confidence is high!
This base game appears to be excellent, at least from the 30+ hours of videos I have watched. It may be better still, when they start cranking out the DLC's.
Not many games I will buy all the DLC for....Cities Skylines, Civ 3, 4, 5, and 6, Euro and American Truck Simulators, and CK II. That's about it. And potentially this one.
I was going to describe the technique I use for preloading but then...well, you know.
Yet another thread derailed by childish banter!!
Keep up the good work men! O0
Here is a very, VERY good link from Sarna.net, on the timeline of Battletech. The Third Succession War ran from the year 2866 until 3025. This game universe starts off in 3025. Good stuff!!!
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Third_Succession_War
Gus, I used to do the manual preloading thing, but then I realized that with just one or two tweaks you can use an automatic preloader...
My work here is done.
Preloaded. I don't know a damn thing about Battletech or any of the factions. I just want 'big robot shoot big robot and make explode'. ;D
Make explode? Well I can tell you a few stories about.....wait. No, I'll stop.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on April 23, 2018, 11:33:52 PM
Preloaded. I don't know a damn thing about Battletech or any of the factions. I just want 'big robot shoot big robot and make explode'. ;D
+1
You guys are in for a treat then, the lore of Battletech is awesome.
Quote from: Pinetree on April 24, 2018, 02:47:38 AM
You guys are in for a treat then, the lore of Battletech is awesome.
QFT
this person seems less than impressed
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/battletech-review-pc/#more-536745
a little better one...
https://www.pcgamer.com/battletech-review/
9/10 and they lived it here. I can't wait!
https://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/battletech-review/13020
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 24, 2018, 05:44:36 AM
this person seems less than impressed
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/battletech-review-pc/#more-536745
Finally, a review on RPS that reads like a review of a game rather than commentary on social injustice or gender inequality.
Hard to criticize the reviewers opinion here. I'm surprised to read that the environment doesn't react to your mechs. Also, infantry, or some element of humanity on the ground would be great to show the scale and power of the mechs. Disappointed to see that isn't there either.
Still hopeful.
https://www.strategygamer.com/reviews/battletech/
4 stars out of 5
It's a game that invests heavily in a well-established universe and fails to be an entry point in that universe whatsoever.
That's a shame because, between every mission, you can see how much thought has gone into shaping a narrative and world that's so consistently and richly BattleTech.
But the takeaway is ultimately what you bring to the story rather than anything original. This is a fairly by-the-numbers tactics game that becomes ethereal if you have the right set of memories.
Being that I do, this is a game that I'll cherish, for all its stompy clumsiness.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 06:12:14 AM
Finally, a review on RPS that reads like a review of a game rather than commentary on social injustice or gender inequality.
that's just because they gave in and build it in preemptive, watch DasTactic's tutorial when it comes to character setup @14:10 :hide:
https://youtu.be/6SQj-SQmAH8
...well i dunno much about Battletech Universe lore and fluff and what might goes on in the outer rim systems ^-^
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 06:12:14 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 24, 2018, 05:44:36 AM
this person seems less than impressed
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/battletech-review-pc/#more-536745
Finally, a review on RPS that reads like a review of a game rather than commentary on social injustice or gender inequality.
Hard to criticize the reviewers opinion here. I'm surprised to read that the environment doesn't react to your mechs. Also, infantry, or some element of humanity on the ground would be great to show the scale and power of the mechs. Disappointed to see that isn't there either.
Still hopeful.
When you say that the "environment doesn't react"....does that mean that the environment is NOT destructible? No knocked over trees or craters? Not game breaking but in this day and age...why?
Quote from: mikeck on April 24, 2018, 08:12:15 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 06:12:14 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 24, 2018, 05:44:36 AM
this person seems less than impressed
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/battletech-review-pc/#more-536745
Finally, a review on RPS that reads like a review of a game rather than commentary on social injustice or gender inequality.
Hard to criticize the reviewers opinion here. I'm surprised to read that the environment doesn't react to your mechs. Also, infantry, or some element of humanity on the ground would be great to show the scale and power of the mechs. Disappointed to see that isn't there either.
Still hopeful.
When you say that the "environment doesn't react"....does that mean that the environment is NOT destructible? No knocked over trees or craters? Not game breaking but in this day and age...why?
Well it wasn't in the beta and guess isn't now. Truly fluff though .... might be nice to look at but no material affect on the game.
Also was quite surprised to see tanks were in fact in the game ... Though agree with JH infantry and other non mech equipment would have been awesome. DLC perhaps.
The RPS review was a little difficult to understand in that he seemed to say it was boring but then went on to talk about things it did well.
Still was a beta backer so reviews at this stage somewhat irrelevant anyhow. I played a bit and liked what I saw. Though think there is a lot they could add and hopefully they will.
Quote from: Zulu1966 on April 24, 2018, 08:33:22 AM
Quote from: mikeck on April 24, 2018, 08:12:15 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 06:12:14 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 24, 2018, 05:44:36 AM
this person seems less than impressed
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/battletech-review-pc/#more-536745
Finally, a review on RPS that reads like a review of a game rather than commentary on social injustice or gender inequality.
Hard to criticize the reviewers opinion here. I'm surprised to read that the environment doesn't react to your mechs. Also, infantry, or some element of humanity on the ground would be great to show the scale and power of the mechs. Disappointed to see that isn't there either.
Still hopeful.
When you say that the "environment doesn't react"....does that mean that the environment is NOT destructible? No knocked over trees or craters? Not game breaking but in this day and age...why?
Well it wasn't in the beta and guess isn't now. Truly fluff though .... might be nice to look at but no material affect on the game.
Also was quite surprised to see tanks were in fact in the game ... Though agree with JH infantry and other non mech equipment would have been awesome. DLC perhaps.
The RPS review was a little difficult to understand in that he seemed to say it was boring but then went on to talk about things it did well.
Still was a beta backer so reviews at this stage somewhat irrelevant anyhow. I played a bit and liked what I saw. Though think there is a lot they could add and hopefully they will.
Seemed like his biggest gripe was boredom caused by long delays in battle due to unit animation. I can see this getting frustrating over time and in larger engagements. What he likes seems to be the character and flavor of theame, which will have special appeal to fans of the IP and battletech universe. Seems to be exactly why strategy gamer loved it so much.
I don't think a destructible environment is "fluff". It's about immersion. May not be important to some BUT, I can't imagine why someone would develope a tactical combat game like this without it. I'm not saying it's a sea-killer...just a questionable decision?
I've never been into turnbased tactical games so it's no skin off my back either way
I'm off to try and find a fix :'(
Uh-Oh.
If I read RPS correctly, somebody released a faithful adaptation of a TTG on a PC.
This always ends badly.
Except for ME.
Can't wait to get home now...
I just requested a refund. Fire it up, get several logos and get to the skull logo and screen goes black.
Error report says this
Unity Player [version: Unity 5.6.5p1_b5fcd78dd1ab]
AVProVideo.dll caused an Access Violation (0xc0000005)
in module AVProVideo.dll at 0033:f12eb237.
Error occurred at 2018-04-24_190444.
D:\Steam\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\BattleTech.exe, run by Billy.
23% memory in use.
16324 MB physical memory [12509 MB free].
32645 MB paging file [27808 MB free].
8388608 MB user address space [8386292 MB free].
Write to location 738ae000 caused an access violation.
Context:
RDI: 0x738ae000 RSI: 0x7537dfa0 RAX: 0x735b0060
RBX: 0x004baf70 RCX: 0x004eb060 RDX: 0x01acffa0
RIP: 0xf12eb237 RBP: 0x75b3f8a9 SegCs: 0x00000033
EFlags: 0x00010203 RSP: 0x75b3f858 SegSs: 0x0000002b
R8: 0x20228ec0 R9: 0x2011c230 R10: 0x75080000
R11: 0x201637c0 R12: 0x00000000 R13: 0x677e7fb0
R14: 0x00000000 R15: 0x00000008
You might think a refund is a bit harsh - but I'm conscious you've only got a set period of time for a refund on Steam. If the issue gets fixed, I'll buy back in. I checked the internet and couldn't find anything recently or for this - several things about MWO and even MW4 (same thing?)
Anyway - back to my modelling. And I might try again in a week or two.
Enjoy boys O0
Quote from: Pinetree on April 24, 2018, 02:47:38 AM
You guys are in for a treat then, the lore of Battletech is awesome.
Medieval warlords IN SPAAAACE
robots™
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 24, 2018, 01:11:57 PM
I just requested a refund. Fire it up, get several logos and get to the skull logo and screen goes black.
Error report says this
Unity Player [version: Unity 5.6.5p1_b5fcd78dd1ab]
AVProVideo.dll caused an Access Violation (0xc0000005)
in module AVProVideo.dll at 0033:f12eb237.
Man, you've been having some PC problems lately, JD.
First your HOTAS issues, now some video player software balls out on ya. Sorry to hear it. :-[
Looks like a video driver issue.
Quote from: mikeck on April 24, 2018, 08:59:32 AM
I don't think a destructible environment is "fluff". It's about immersion. May not be important to some BUT, I can't imagine why someone would develope a tactical combat game like this without it. I'm not saying it's a sea-killer...just a questionable decision?
I've never been into turnbased tactical games so it's no skin off my back either way
The game does have destructibles on the map. Your mechs trample through fences, walls, trees and small buildings for an example, though I believe you can't just blow up a mountain.
I'm pretty sure this is a game/driver conflict. The joystick issue I'm sure is hardware.
I'll pick it up later. There's bound to be some teething issues for some people. I can be patient. I've got plenty to be getting on with O0
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 24, 2018, 01:41:56 PM
I'm pretty sure this is a game/driver conflict. The joystick issue I'm sure is hardware.
I'll pick it up later. There's bound to be some teething issues for some people. I can be patient. I've got plenty to be getting on with O0
The "AVProVideo.dll" sounds like it might be an in-game video player (pre-gameplay intro vids) that may be screwing up.
___
Quick 'net glance tells me it is, indeed, video playback software for the Unity engine. Likely crapping out on some intro vid or cut scene load.
Probably having a conflict with your current video or audio drivers.
O0 Possibly - I saw a post somewhere about changing an INI file entry to switch videos off...but that was for a,different game and I couldn't find that ini file or setting in the Battletech stuff
Yeah, it's a Unity conflict error. Looks like it happens with other Unity games as well.
Played the first two story missions and I like it so far.
The story itself starts off nicely and draws me into the world. The Mechs are cool and for the first time I see a Mech game with animated melee. Very cool.
Haven't gotten to the management part yet, but so far I am enjoying myself.
On a weird note: MekHQ (a program I am using to host the Tabletop BattleTech game) decided to not load anymore all of a sudden... Would it be jealous?
I'm enjoying the combat so far, but I can certainly see some of the animations, particularly when it snaps into a "chase" view, getting old really fast. This mechanic really slows down the action and its really unnecessary.
The first couple of missions are tutorial ones...the writing is pretty poor and some of the dialogue is borderline embarrassing. However, the overarching plot and the cut scenes are engrossing and well done.
I'm just about getting into the management part. They severely restrict you at first...I hope these eases up eventually.
I'm disappointed there is no sandbox, or open-ended mode. There is a campaign mode and skirmish. I would like to have had the option to manage a merc company beyond or outside of the canned single player campaign.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 05:54:03 PM
I'm disappointed there is no sandbox, or open-ended mode. There is a campaign mode and skirmish. I would like to have had the option to manage a merc company beyond or outside of the canned single player campaign.
Haven't got there yet, but from what I understand from the Devs only the "story" part of the campaign is canned. You can take contracts outside the story to make money and build your Company with dynamic, procedurally generated missions, and play out the story as well. Ending the story is not game over either.
I didn't watch a lot of the lets plays, so I don't know if that's how it ended up turning out, but that's what they've said in a lot of the promo materials.
I was kind of hoping it would allow managing for four mechs per mission. Hopefully it will be expanded a little, although it sounds like a rigid design decision. I'll wait and see how the whole thing pans out.
You get 4 mechs a mission. Where do you see otherwise??
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 05:54:03 PM
...but I can certainly see some of the animations, particularly when it snaps into a "chase" view, getting old really fast. This mechanic really slows down the action and its really unnecessary.
....
You can turn off these animation in the options I believe. There are settings for them in there, but I haven't messed with them yet.
Having fun so far. Made it through the first few "tutorial" missions and on to a merc ship, then stopped there.
Had really hard game crash when I first fired it up but think I might have caused that by setting all the video settings to max and 4K resolution. When I restarted and set the resolution back to 1920x1080 the game ran fine.
I'm liking the story so far... and was pleasantly surprised by the character creation to start the campaign. Been a very loooong time since I did anything Battletech....
Gameplay impressions are pretty positive for me overall, but, my God is the story-writing awful. I mean, written-by-12-year-olds-who-never-met-a-cliche-they-didn't-like awful. It does kind of amaze me that devs can pour so much effort and manhours and dollars into producing a game without recognizing that the story and characters they've come up with aren't even B-movie level... much more like Mystery Science Theater 3K spoof-worthy level.
I guess the tutorial (such as it is) is pretty story-driven, so that may be what's leaving an unpleasant aftertaste. Having gotten past the initial mission, I hope the story-elements will take a backseat for a while so that I can enjoy what the game otherwise has to offer...
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 24, 2018, 06:00:15 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 24, 2018, 05:54:03 PM
I'm disappointed there is no sandbox, or open-ended mode. There is a campaign mode and skirmish. I would like to have had the option to manage a merc company beyond or outside of the canned single player campaign.
Haven't got there yet, but from what I understand from the Devs only the "story" part of the campaign is canned. You can take contracts outside the story to make money and build your Company with dynamic, procedurally generated missions, and play out the story as well. Ending the story is not game over either.
I didn't watch a lot of the lets plays, so I don't know if that's how it ended up turning out, but that's what they've said in a lot of the promo materials.
This is correct. Dynamically generated missions, and an infinite number of them.
These missions are rated from 1/2 star up to five star, so ten different difficulties. The only real issue, as I see it, is that you may be able to beef up you lance to much higher than the story level requires. This isn't such a bad thing, I guess..but if you have four assault mechs, and the story line only needs two mediums and two lights, this will diminish the challenge somewhat.
As a Battletech fan...
I already love this game.
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?board=92.0
Shameless plug: all battletech fans should report to Rally point Goodwill's Grogheads for true BT experience.
I am enjoying the new game as well.
And yes, the camera sway and cinematics during combat can be disabled in the options for those wanting a snappier experience.
How is the AI ?
i heard not so promising things in a German YT review (https://youtu.be/DBz3fIv3YUc) ???
AI just send out one lighter Mech, the Mech get destroyed it send in the next heavy Mech, that has no scout then and get destroyed also ...no much tactics used by the AI, it just run straight to you.
if the AI sensed that it cant win the Mechs don't move at all, went into their defense stance and wait to be found and destroyed.
the AI often does not make good use of the weapons mix, jumps into melee instead of firing with their long range it had available
the previewer said he used the same approach for all missions and pulled his Mech back behind a different Mech when the armor was washed away (because armor is replaced for free in the campaign) and the AI goes mostly for the first Mech and not the damaged one ...and so he never run out of money.
he also reported that the mission design has no variation, no surprises, no traps or such
well, he loved the other aspects of the game as a BT fan so and reckoned the time until the game getting bored to about 20h-40h millage may very depending on the fandom affiliation with BT universe and the learning curve until the milkrun through every mission with the same simple tactic method is discovered
I did notice this behaviour in the starting missions. But I didn't think anything of it yet as they are obviously scripted.
Its also weird to see a much smaller Mech going into melee with a much larger Mech. The smaller one doesn't stand a chance.
It is honorable though. True Clan behaviour.... oh wait.
Quote from: MikeGER on April 25, 2018, 02:11:36 AM
How is the AI ?
i heard not so promising things in a German YT review (https://youtu.be/DBz3fIv3YUc) ???
AI just send out one lighter Mech, the Mech get destroyed it send in the next heavy Mech, that has no scout then and get destroyed also ...no much tactics used by the AI, it just run straight to you.
if the AI sensed that it cant win the Mechs don't move at all, went into their defense stance and wait to be found and destroyed.
the AI often does not make good use of the weapons mix, jumps into melee instead of firing with their long range it had available
the previewer said he used the same approach for all missions and pulled his Mech back behind a different Mech when the armor was washed away (because armor is replaced for free in the campaign) and the AI goes mostly for the first Mech and not the damaged one ...and so he never run out of money.
he also reported that the mission design has no variation, no surprises, no traps or such
well, he loved the other aspects of the game as a BT fan so and reckoned the time until the game getting bored to about 20h-40h millage may very depending on the fandom affiliation with BT universe and the learning curve until the milkrun through every mission with the same simple tactic method is discovered
Which is completely at odds with one of the reviews posted earlier in this thread which actually implied the AI was rather good...
Feel sorry for them - but at least I'm not the only one
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/batteltech-black-screen-with-cursor-and-fps-count.1091331/
And seems there could be a fix
Quote
Some users reported having this fixed after installing the CCCP Codec Pack. Can you guys try that and let me know if it fixes the issue for you?
You can download it here:
http://www.cccp-project.net/
It might be a good workaround until the devs find a proper fix for it.
and
Quote
That did the trick.
Thanks Aldath.
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 24, 2018, 08:56:51 PM
You get 4 mechs a mission. Where do you see otherwise??
Typo meant more than 4...
Gosh darn it Paradox!
Still can't do any MP or get my backer stuff because their password retrieval system is f***ed up and hasn't been working for over a day now.
I really hate that company.
I lost the first escort mission live on stream last night. Made it to the end of the mission where the "boss" shows up and he hammered Mastifs mech with a alpha strike. Unfortunately Mastifs armor had been breached from being my point the whole mission and the strike took him out.
Loving the game.
Enjoying the game so far, despite some things that are lacking.
Had zero performance problems or bugs, glitches etc, so far.
Am I missing the part of the tutorial that tells you what all the symbology is on the screen. Like what is heat, what is armor, etc?
Might start over since I had no idea on how to use the multiple target function (once again, why no mention in tutorial). I had no idea that you could tick which weapons you wanted to use for each target.
Is there any official documentation for this game?
Had to stop playing once I got back to the ship. The customization and repair options are just overwhelming, and I need to spend some time figuring all this out. How many heatsinks do I need, how much armor, hell if I know. Heck it took me 5 minutes just to figure out how to progress time.
So all in all I am enjoying the game, but their is a learning curve, which the game does not give you a whole lot of help with.
Just found this that might help us all with the learning curve. O0
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1365402907
^SWEET
Early in.
Early in.
But, I think I called the shot re: the RPS review. This is TTG Battletech rendered digital and you will either like that or you will not. It's all I wanted from it.
All y'all know I don't give much of a fig for the single-player experience, although it's been fine so far.
And the customization options are terrific.
My wife, who hasn't followed the game since she played "Crescent Hawk", was looking over my shoulder for some time and commented on how the game seemed to have gone home.
Looking forward to spending more time with it.
And smashing Vance's walking robots.
Bring it! :knuppel2:
Quote from: Barthheart on April 25, 2018, 08:41:32 AM
Just found this that might help us all with the learning curve. O0
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1365402907
Thanks for this Barth
The comments you all have made here are making me want the game!!
I would be really interested in hearing all of your strategies...
So far, I amass as much firepower in one place as possible and alpha strike everything as much as heat and LOS will allow. I focus all of my fire on one target wherever possible and I rarely split up my lance. On occasion, I will send lighter recon type mechs to high ground in order to serve as eyes for LRM launchers capable of indirect fire. I also make efforts to move in on the flanks or envelope from the rear. No other tactics seem really feasible to me yet.
I'm hopeful that deeper into the game, there will be technology and modules that will make new strategies possible. For instance, ECM or even ECCM modules, or tech that will baffle sensors permitting stealth approaches, etc.
Also, is there any mechanic for opportunity fire? I would like the ability to move into a good covered or concealed position in order to wait for the enemy to approach me to spring an ambush and get the first shots down range. So far, this doesn't seem possible...
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 25, 2018, 03:21:08 AM
Feel sorry for them - but at least I'm not the only one
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/batteltech-black-screen-with-cursor-and-fps-count.1091331/
And seems there could be a fix
Quote
Some users reported having this fixed after installing the CCCP Codec Pack. Can you guys try that and let me know if it fixes the issue for you?
You can download it here:
http://www.cccp-project.net/
It might be a good workaround until the devs find a proper fix for it.
and
Quote
That did the trick.
Thanks Aldath.
So the the game installer was missing a required video playback codec which everyone may not have.
Should be an easy fix from the dev side. If they didn't overlook that need, again, when investigating the problem.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 09:55:55 AM
I would be really interested in hearing all of your strategies...
So far, I amass as much firepower in one place as possible and alpha strike everything as much as heat and LOS will allow. I focus all of my fire on one target wherever possible and I rarely split up my lance. On occasion, I will send lighter recon type mechs to high ground in order to serve as eyes for LRM launchers capable of indirect fire. I also make efforts to move in on the flanks or envelope from the rear. No other tactics seem really feasible to me yet.
Not far into the game myself but these are the same things I've been doing.
Quote
I'm hopeful that deeper into the game, there will be technology and modules that will make new strategies possible. For instance, ECM or even ECCM modules, or tech that will baffle sensors permitting stealth approaches, etc.
Also, is there any mechanic for opportunity fire? I would like the ability to move into a good covered or concealed position in order to wait for the enemy to approach me to spring an ambush and get the first shots down range. So far, this doesn't seem possible...
I've not seen anything mentioned about OP fire. Maybe they think with sensors being able to locate enemies out of sight but in sensor range would preclude this ability. So your idea of ECM would come in very handy.
It will be a rough pill to swallow having a tactical TBS game without opportunity fire. I suppose if there are no such rules in the table-top version of the game, I can see why the mechanic would have been omitted, but it drastically reduces the importance of wise strategic positioning and placement of your mechs and forces the player to utilize a very aggressive strategy. It will definitely limit my enjoyment of the game.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 10:16:57 AM
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?
Quote from: MikeGER on April 25, 2018, 11:02:25 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 10:16:57 AM
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.
Yeah, I had to restart my campaign as I got banged up really badly in the first non-tutorial mission due to the lack of overwatch/op fire. I kept moving up and taking position behind hills, thinking I'd be able to op fire enemies as they moved up but always forgetting that they get to move and shoot before I can react and that firing on the move seems like a benefit, not a hinderance. Gotta unlearn and adjust to no op fire.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 09:55:55 AM
I'm hopeful that deeper into the game, there will be technology and modules that will make new strategies possible. For instance, ECM or even ECCM modules, or tech that will baffle sensors permitting stealth approaches, etc.
ECM is certainly a thing in Battletech tabletop, and it's very useful.
However, if they're sticking to the story, ECM is Lostech, so there shouldn't be any until the recovery of the Helm Memory Core in 3045, about 20 years after the game's setting.
I know that it's been confirmed you can find and recover Star League era Mechs with lostech, someone put up a screen shot of an Atlas II which had ceased to exist for centuries by the game's timeline. So, it's possible you might get lucky and find a Raven with a Guardian ECM system in a Brian Cache.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 11:27:06 AM
Quote from: MikeGER on April 25, 2018, 11:02:25 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 10:16:57 AM
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.
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. :)
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?
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 25, 2018, 01:16:35 PM
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.
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!
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 :idiot2:
Nvidia just released some drivers that are supposed to have video updates relating to this game.
Quick tips & UI info for the unfamiliar who don't feel like reading:
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.
Quote from: RyanE on April 25, 2018, 07:15:06 PM
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?
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.
Quote from: jomni on April 25, 2018, 08:13:30 PM
Quote from: RyanE on April 25, 2018, 07:15:06 PM
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.
And what's your plan when he punches you in the face?
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.
Oh. So they changed things. :(
Quote from: jomni on April 25, 2018, 11:20:47 PM
Oh. So they changed things. :(
Yes, initiative is based on Mech weight and can be modified by actions or pilot abilities. It works, I feel it's more balanced in some ways. It's not pure tabletop though.
Quote from: jomni on April 25, 2018, 11:20:47 PM
Oh. So they changed things. :(
It still alternates one-by-one. It is just separated into five different phases generally dictated by mech size class. The smaller the class, the earlier they can act compared to the larger size classes.
So if one player had 3 light mechs and the other had only 1, then the first player would activate one mech, then the other, then the guy with the extras would finish those in a row before the phase moved up to the next larger class (Medium).
There is supposed to be mechwarrior skill(s) that can improve it by at least one. So after getting such a skill for a pilot in a Heavy mech, for example, it would act in the same phase as the Mediums - effectively before any of the similarly sized Heavies.
Quote from: Cyrano on April 25, 2018, 09:39:43 PM
And what's your plan when he punches you in the face?
Trick question...everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Quote from: DennisS on April 25, 2018, 01:05:54 PM
I have already gotten Dekker killed. :)
+1
Now I'm stuck with that other guy in the Locust. I'm surprised he's survived a few missions at all. His sole purpose is to hop around, tagging enemies with Sensor Lock, and keep out of sight. He's all Jump-jets.
Good tips. thanks.
Flamethrowers are included here?
Yep as melee weapons. >:D
That is...quite delicious.
Are we sure your character cant die? Mine just spent 53 days in the infirmary after being injured from a lucky headshot.
When my character got hurt, I ran 2 small mechs and 2 mediums. You must get the skill that gives you an extra evasion pip for your small mechs. As long as you keep them sprinting around, they do not take that much damage. Also get the sensor lock skill ASAP. The small mechs are also great at stomping on all the little tanks you come across in the easier mission, and instant killing them.
Toughest mech I have come across so far was a Wolverine. That thing could really take a pounding. Was able to salvage a piece of him, so I guess 2 more and I will be able to build my own.
Gameplay sounds a lot like the new XCom games.
I'm enjoying the game overall, but I struggle with the state of technology so far in the future. In many ways its extremely archaic and mechs, while being described as extremely advanced, seem to be lacking a lot of basic features and capabilities I would expect them to have. I really have to suspend my disbelief here.
No ECM as standard equipment? No stealth capability? How about active or optical camouflage that can be countered with thermal or IR sensors? Why is something as simple as "sensor lock" a pilot skill, as opposed to something that comes standard with a radar or sensor suite?
I'm finding that strategic possibilities and diversity of tactics are lacking since the tech is just so basic. These things are essentially armored buckets with guns.
X-Com combat is far more dynamic than what you have in Battletech. No opportunity or reaction fire for starters. It's all on the initiative system per turn. It's very much a chess game of getting in the best position to attack while attempting to minimize incoming damage. I'm also not so big on the fact that you can just run behind a Mech and blast it in the back. Then have that Mech run behind you on its turn. Rinse and repeat when close in. This game may have faired better in a wego setup, but I get its need to match the board game mechanics. Still kind of fun. Need to play more when I can find the time.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 26, 2018, 08:38:46 AM
I'm enjoying the game overall, but I struggle with the state of technology so far in the future. In many ways its extremely archaic and mechs, while being described as extremely advanced, seem to be lacking a lot of basic features and capabilities I would expect them to have. I really have to suspend my disbelief here.
No ECM as standard equipment? No stealth capability? How about active or optical camouflage that can be countered with thermal or IR sensors? Why is something as simple as "sensor lock" a pilot skill, as opposed to something that comes standard with a radar or sensor suite?
I'm finding that strategic possibilities and diversity of tactics are lacking since the tech is just so basic. These things are essentially armored buckets with guns.
This is Paradox, you have most likely just layed out all their expansion pack plans !!!
From Battletech update #26 on turn order (early 2016; sorry the formatting didn't copy):
Translating Tabletop
Whenever I'm at a game convention, I'm always asked, "Why don't you just port the BattleTech tabletop rules to the computer? They've worked great for 30 years!" For the answer, let's start with the obvious - tabletop games have the enormous benefit of in-person social interaction. Being around the table with your friends is entertaining all by itself and taking more time to resolve game results is not necessarily a negative. On the other hand, waiting for a remote opponent in an online game can be frustrating at worst and boring at best. Even if your opponent is your best friend, it's just not the same as being the table together.
Beyond social interaction, another key difference between tabletop and computer games is how you absorb information. For example, during a tabletop game, every move and every die roll you make (along with all the moves and die rolls of your opponents) happen at a speed that allows you to process that information. And don't underestimate the tactile and social fun of rolling dice or the visceral feeling of filling in armor boxes on a 'Mech's record sheet. It is the tactile power of those experiences that helps us understand and retain the game information conveyed during the event.
BattleTech's turn order is a good example of a tabletop design element that doesn't port well to the computer. The tabletop design attempts to reflect the fictional reality of 'Mechs and vehicles moving and shooting simultaneously by splitting movement and combat into two different phases. Movement order is based on initiative, and then alternated between players. Combat is resolved simultaneously - players take turns rolling damage, and then that damage all takes effect at the same time. This works great for tabletop, where it's easy to accept the nonlinear abstraction. Even though my attack may have destroyed your 'Mech, I know you'll still get to roll for its damage to mine. This is much harder to present on screen, where a certain linearity of events is expected!
So, now that you understand the basic design challenge, we'll start where HBS always starts - at the goal level.
Design Goals
Our design process starts with explicitly stating the goals for every system, so that we have a way of evaluating if the system design is not just "cool" but most importantly achieves its design criteria. The design goals that impact the turn order system are:
Fluid play in both singleplayer and multiplayer game modes - This is actually a bigger deal than you would think because our emotional reactions to a turn order system are quite different with a computer opponent that takes zero time to make a decision and a human who takes considerably more than zero time.
Make Light 'Mechs useful and versatile - Light 'Mechs were included in the game to be used as scouts, flankers, and forward observers. Historically, these roles have appeared in BT fiction more than in game play, so one of our major goals is to make Light 'Mechs really useful.
Don't overwhelm me with information - BattleTech is a very information heavy game. Previous computer / video games have handled this in one of two ways: greatly simplify the game, or overwhelm the player with too much information. We want to find a balance that allows us to maintain the depth of the simulation while making sure that the information provided is digestible and actionable.
Provide me visceral feedback on my actions - When you perform an action you should see a satisfying result to that action, and most importantly you should understand the results of the action.
It's gotta feel like BattleTech! - This one might seem obvious, but it's important to make it explicit - the results of the turn order system should feel like BattleTech.
Rapid Prototyping
Working from an established set of design goals for a system, we like to move directly into rapid prototyping. As designers, it's always tempting to engage in lengthy debates, waxing poetic about the merits of different approaches, but we've found that it's by far more effective to simply try out each compelling idea! Our designers and engineers jump right into Unity to quickly create crude working versions of design concepts that we can play right away. These prototypes look ugly, and are missing a lot of bells and whistles, but they're enough for us to really get a feel for how the design element plays in both singleplayer and multiplayer scenarios.
This approach has made working on BATTLETECH a great deal of fun for for the entire team as we can all discuss the merits of each approach from an informed position. Even more importantly, the rapid prototyping methodology has allowed us to vet the game design many months before a fully architected code base would allow us to.
We have built and played the hell out of seven (7!) different approaches to turn order, from a completely linear XCOM-like system to a completely simultaneous action system with many variations in between. Since a simultaneous action approach is a natural one to gravitate to for BattleTech, I'm going to take some time to outline how those particular prototypes went in a bit of detail.
Our first simultaneous action prototype was one in which players plotted both movement and combat secretly and then watched as the round unfolded. The biggest issue with this prototype turned out to be with targeting and weapon selections for each 'Mech. In the prototype, players could target enemies with specific weapons while plotting their movements and then, during a simultaneous resolution phase, they'd see their choices play out in real-time action.
Sound great, doesn't it? Unfortunately, things often went very differently than folks anticipated. Watching everyone's plans going awry is supposed to be part of the fun of a simultaneous action system but instead, players felt frustrated watching one of their MechWarriors slavishly waiting to shoot their designated target rather than unloading in the rear armor of an enemy 'Mech that wandered right into the line-of-fire. To compensate, we started to give the MechWarriors the ability to override the player's targeting and weapon selections in specific circumstances and... eventually it just started feeling like the player was losing control of critical decisions. So much for Simultaneous Action Prototype #1!
Our next attempt at simultaneous action was to break the round into two phases, Movement and Combat - with both phases being revealed simultaneously. The idea was that player would plot movement for all their 'Mechs and then everyone's movements would be revealed simultaneously. The players could then use a scrollbar like a video "scrubber" to roll time backwards and forwards to determine when to fire during each 'Mech's movement, who the target was, and which weapons would fire. This prototype was interesting, and returned complete control to the player, but was a slow and laborious system to interact with.
Both of our simultaneous action solutions also really failed on the information overload and visceral feedback goals I mentioned above. Because so much happened so quickly, you often found yourself needing to dive into each 'Mech's data after the action just to understand what happened in the previous round. As you can imagine, that wasn't very fun. The other goal these prototypes failed at was actually the most important - they felt like you were commanding fighter planes, not BattleMechs. They didn't feel like BattleTech.
I won't take you through the pros and cons of all seven Turn Order prototypes we built and played the hell out of and instead cut to the chase by introducing you to the turn order system we finally embraced and are building the game around.
So - Where Did We End Up?
Here's the basics:
Each weight class of 'Mech has an Initiative value. Light 'Mechs are the fastest, with an Initiative of 4 and assaults are the slowest, with an Initiative of 1.
Combat rounds are divided into 5 Phases, counting down from 5 to 1. 'Mechs are allowed to act during the Phase that matches their Initiative. (That 5th Phase is the province of extremely skilled MechWarriors piloting Light 'Mechs.)
Each Phase, each side takes turns choosing a 'Mech to Activate. When a Mech is Activated, it can both move and then fire its weapons. However, once the 'Mech fires, its turn is over and it can't act again until the next Round of combat.
After you Activate a 'Mech and take a turn, the game attempts to give the next action to the other side. If the enemy has units available to use in the current Phase, they get the opportunity to activate one of them. If, on the other hand, they have no more units they can activate in the phase, and you do, you'll get to go again.
This means that if you and your opponent are both using full lances of assault 'Mechs, every Round will be pretty predictable: You'll go, then your opponent will go, and so forth until all eight 'Mechs have been Activated and have taken a turn.
When the game finishes counting down Initiative values and Phase 1 units have taken their turn, the Round ends. The Phase counter resets to 5, and every 'Mech is ready to act again.
And now the really cool part:
We think this is a neat system because it reinforces and distinguishes between the different weight classes of 'Mechs - but the place where it really becomes really interesting is when you start reserving 'Mechs' Phases for use later in the Round.
Any 'Mech that isn't an assault can be held in reserve when its turn to act comes up. That temporarily sets its Initiative Value one lower. So a Light 'Mech that normally acts in Phase 4 will instead act in Phase 3.
With this system, you can keep reserving your 'Mechs' actions, holding an entire lance of 'Mechs until Phase 1, if you wanted to.
What's so interesting about reserving actions? First of all, consider the case of a whole lance of Light and medium 'Mechs being reserved until Phase 1, where they'll get to act right at the end of a Round. Then, when the round ends and a new Round starts, they'll immediately get to act again in Phases 4 and 3! (This tactic isn't theoretical - in a recent battle, I snuck up behind our Lead Designer Kevin's Centurion with a Jenner I'd reserved to Phase 1. Then, on Phase 4 of the next Round I got to make a full alpha strike right into his back armor.)
As you'd guess, there's also a lot of value in using this tactic to locally outnumber an opponent. You want your engagements to be uneven in your favor, and you want to be able to fall back from any engagement in which you're outnumbered. Focusing your forces in one spot when your enemy is spread out is right out of Sun Tzu.
Our initiative system, which allows you to reserve units, means you can locally outnumber your enemy in time as well as space. If you can take three actions in a row, and all three actions are effective fire on a target with no chance for it to respond by moving or returning fire... you've essentially made part of the turn a 3-on-1 battle.
Conversely, reserving your faster 'Mechs to break up long sequences of enemy action with opportunities to respond can be useful in preventing your own forces from becoming focus-fired.
We're reinforcing the role of Light 'Mechs in other ways, but this system is a significant component of their value. Light 'Mechs get to choose where and when they engage, and if used carefully can be exactly the tool you need to get out of a bad situation. Heavy and assault 'Mechs pack a much bigger punch, but the tradeoff is that they're inherently more predictable - and thus are more often reacting than acting.
The Results
This turn order system is the one that made us immediately say, "Yes, that feels like BattleTech." (Randall Bills, who's in charge of BattleTech at Catalyst Game Labs, had the same reaction, which is obviously a good sign!) It captures the feeling of the world in that 'Mechs feel like 'Mechs, not aircraft or stationary gun platforms. It really helped to emphasise the difference between the various weight classes of 'Mechs. The tactical choices are interesting and the results are immediate and understandable.
And this model also clearly fulfilled all of our design goals from above:
Fluid play in both singleplayer and multiplayer game modes - Because control frequently passes back and forth in this model, singleplayer flows smoothly while still giving the player a variety of tactical options and there's almost always something to watch or do in multiplayer.
Make Light 'Mechs useful and versatile - As explained above, this system gives Light 'Mechs an inherent initiative advantage which can be used in many different ways.
Don't overwhelm me with information - Focusing on moving only one unit at a time, and allowing both sides to clearly see the results of JUST that action, really helped focus the amount of information being presented to the player on a moment-to-moment basis - all the complexity of BattleTech movement and attacks is still there, but now it's being presented in a very digestible way.
Provide me visceral feedback on my actions - Plotting a 'Mech's action and immediately seeing the damage done by your attack is really satisfying!
It's gotta feel like BattleTech - While this admittedly a subjective criteria, this turn-order model immediately elicited this response with the team.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 26, 2018, 08:38:46 AM
I'm enjoying the game overall, but I struggle with the state of technology so far in the future. In many ways its extremely archaic and mechs, while being described as extremely advanced, seem to be lacking a lot of basic features and capabilities I would expect them to have. I really have to suspend my disbelief here.
No ECM as standard equipment? No stealth capability? How about active or optical camouflage that can be countered with thermal or IR sensors? Why is something as simple as "sensor lock" a pilot skill, as opposed to something that comes standard with a radar or sensor suite?
I'm finding that strategic possibilities and diversity of tactics are lacking since the tech is just so basic. These things are essentially armored buckets with guns.
They chose to set the game in 3025. Following the story means all that tech was lost in the first two succession wars.
The Mechs of that era are armored buckets with guns. Most are 200 year old hand me downs.
This is where the Battletech story becomes important. The succession wars plunged the Inner Sphere into a dark age. Most planets operate at 20th Century or earlier tech levels.
Comstar made the problem worse by hoarding tech and having their secret service ROM kill off or kidnap scientists.
Things change with the recovery of the Helm Memory Core in 3045 which has specs for a lot of lostech.
Things change more with the Clan Invasion in 3056.
The Clan Mechs are very advanced with cool energy weapons, advanced ECM, guided weapons, double heat sinks, advanced sensors etc
Part of what makes that story interesting is how outmatched the Great Houses are at the start of it.
^I can appreciate all that, but it still sort of defies credulity. I mean, ships that are capable of long distance space travel, warp jumps, etc., and they have the expertise to maintain and build from scrap these walking behemoths, but can't figure out simple ECM and guidance for weapons? It still sort of doesn't make much sense to me, but I can certainly look past it. I also like the idea of a technological dark age caused by a decades long war of cataclysmic proportions.
Maybe you'll be more comfortable in the 1920+ Iron Harvest game, JH.
Quote from: bbmike on April 26, 2018, 08:28:36 AM
Gameplay sounds a lot like the new XCom games.
XCOM is very VERY similar to this. Turn based, use of cover to decrease % chance to hit, initiative, and choice of weapons.
What XCom doesn't have, is a strong layer of managing your team, the massive number of potential mech types, and the near limitless combination of weapons, mechs, and pilot skills.
I love XCOM, all the way back to 1991, and have played it as much as any game ever, not named World of Warcraft, Civilization, or Railroad Tycoon II...but this is better. Not perfect, but better than XCOM. There. I said it. :uglystupid2:
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 25, 2018, 03:21:08 AM
Feel sorry for them - but at least I'm not the only one
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/batteltech-black-screen-with-cursor-and-fps-count.1091331/
And seems there could be a fix
Quote
Some users reported having this fixed after installing the CCCP Codec Pack. Can you guys try that and let me know if it fixes the issue for you?
You can download it here:
http://www.cccp-project.net/
It might be a good workaround until the devs find a proper fix for it.
and
Quote
That did the trick.
Thanks Aldath.
So I took a punt on the download mentioned in the post on Steam, ran the update and re-purchased the game and it works O0
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 26, 2018, 10:40:35 AM
^I can appreciate all that, but it still sort of defies credulity. I mean, ships that are capable of long distance space travel, warp jumps, etc., and they have the expertise to maintain and build from scrap these walking behemoths, but can't figure out simple ECM and guidance for weapons? It still sort of doesn't make much sense to me, but I can certainly look past it. I also like the idea of a technological dark age caused by a decades long war of cataclysmic proportions.
Yeah, it does strain believably a bit. I've always given it a pass because back in the day FASA put a LOT of work into making it work within the story.
One of the ways they always explained it was that it's not so much the lack of the ability to understand how these things work. It's the lack of functional infrastructure to manufacture the material, and the lack of blueprints of the originals to understand what components were needed.
I guess the best way to imagine it would be the idea of taking an Ipad to 1970. Sure, people there could understand how it works, might even be able to understand how to repair and maintain it. However, they couldn't duplicate it, not without building up to the infrastructure to do so.
They could rip it apart and try to reverse engineer it, but that takes time, effort, resources and technicians which the Battletech Great Houses don't care to invest, at least not in the era this game is set in.
However, the good thing about Battletech's lore is that it's not stagnant. The story isn't about a universe stuck in an eternal state of lack of progression, ala Warhammer 40k. Instead, it's a universe on the edge of a rebirth. Just thirty years after the setting of this game, they've recovered most of the lost technology in the Inner Sphere and are building new types of Mechs, advanced computers and have even started building FTL ships again. The story does move forward, and I'd bet that with the success of this game, we'll get more story down the line, probably in the form of the dreaded DLC.
You just KNOW they're going to do the Clan invasion story with this game. It's inevitable, and it'll bring with it all the balance wrecking tech you could ever want.
^Sweet! Fingers crossed.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2018, 03:03:32 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 26, 2018, 10:40:35 AM
^I can appreciate all that, but it still sort of defies credulity. I mean, ships that are capable of long distance space travel, warp jumps, etc., and they have the expertise to maintain and build from scrap these walking behemoths, but can't figure out simple ECM and guidance for weapons? It still sort of doesn't make much sense to me, but I can certainly look past it. I also like the idea of a technological dark age caused by a decades long war of cataclysmic proportions.
Yeah, it does strain believably a bit. I've always given it a pass because back in the day FASA put a LOT of work into making it work within the story.
One of the ways they always explained it was that it's not so much the lack of the ability to understand how these things work. It's the lack of functional infrastructure to manufacture the material, and the lack of blueprints of the originals to understand what components were needed.
I guess the best way to imagine it would be the idea of taking an Ipad to 1970. Sure, people there could understand how it works, might even be able to understand how to repair and maintain it. However, they couldn't duplicate it, not without building up to the infrastructure to do so.
They could rip it apart and try to reverse engineer it, but that takes time, effort, resources and technicians which the Battletech Great Houses don't care to invest, at least not in the era this game is set in.
However, the good thing about Battletech's lore is that it's not stagnant. The story isn't about a universe stuck in an eternal state of lack of progression, ala Warhammer 40k. Instead, it's a universe on the edge of a rebirth. Just thirty years after the setting of this game, they've recovered most of the lost technology in the Inner Sphere and are building new types of Mechs, advanced computers and have even started building FTL ships again. The story does move forward, and I'd bet that with the success of this game, we'll get more story down the line, probably in the form of the dreaded DLC.
You just KNOW they're going to do the Clan invasion story with this game. It's inevitable, and it'll bring with it all the balance wrecking tech you could ever want.
I am ok with balance wrecking tech *cough*gaussrifle*cough* but it better be expensive, and not in heavy supply
Quote from: DennisS on April 26, 2018, 08:19:46 PM
I am ok with balance wrecking tech *cough*gaussrifle*cough* but it better be expensive, and not in heavy supply
Reading the Paradox forums, apparently Lostech as very rare loot is in the game. Someone claimed to have looted a Gauss rifle, no screen shot, but here's hoping.
Again, we know an Atlas II with ER Lasers is in the game from the lets plays. So there's absolutely a chance to run across Star League era tech.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2018, 09:39:28 PM
Quote from: DennisS on April 26, 2018, 08:19:46 PM
I am ok with balance wrecking tech *cough*gaussrifle*cough* but it better be expensive, and not in heavy supply
Reading the Paradox forums, apparently Lostech as very rare loot is in the game. Someone claimed to have looted a Gauss rifle, no screen shot, but here's hoping.
Again, we know an Atlas II with ER Lasers is in the game from the lets plays. So there's absolutely a chance to run across Star League era tech.
^STORM COMSTAR!!!
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2018, 09:39:28 PM
Quote from: DennisS on April 26, 2018, 08:19:46 PM
I am ok with balance wrecking tech *cough*gaussrifle*cough* but it better be expensive, and not in heavy supply
Reading the Paradox forums, apparently Lostech as very rare loot is in the game. Someone claimed to have looted a Gauss rifle, no screen shot, but here's hoping.
Again, we know an Atlas II with ER Lasers is in the game from the lets plays. So there's absolutely a chance to run across Star League era tech.
The very first DLC should be another campaign, perhaps from the perspective of one of the great houses, such as Steiner or Davion. That would be very cool.
I believe that there are a sufficient number of mechs and weapons to last a couple of years. Heck..just being a merc commander would be enough for me. I don't have to have an overarching story line. There doesn't have to be deep meaning to my actions. I just wanna run my lance, and blow shit up.
^Eh, i agree with MetalDog. STORM COMSTAR!
Lets occupy those MFers.
I've really enjoyed the opening battles. It was very easy...I'll visit the settings tonight...but normally I have to turn games down from their default, not up.
I've just evacuated the planet and heading into my first "no choice" mission. Overall, O0 O0
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 27, 2018, 01:09:38 AM
I've really enjoyed the opening battles. It was very easy...I'll visit the settings tonight...but normally I have to turn games down from their default, not up.
I've just evacuated the planet and heading into my first "no choice" mission. Overall, O0 O0
Your touman is weak freebirth. My touman could crush you with very little effort. My batchall is two light stars to crush your Inner Sphere rabble!
I always enjoyed the 3025, and 3045 updated era, because mech equipment was scarce.
It makes the game's salvage options more important. Gives an importance to looting reminiscent of RPGs, a taste of phat dungeon crawling loot I suppose.
It also lends importance to mechs themselves. When there are so few of them being built, and the antiques being operated are invaluable family heirlooms which are often also handed down with feudal titles, it lends a lot more personality to it. 8)
Quote from: Nefaro on April 27, 2018, 01:47:09 AM
I always enjoyed the 3025, and 3045 updated era, because mech equipment was scarce.
It makes the game's salvage options more important. Gives an importance to looting reminiscent of RPGs, a taste of phat dungeon crawling loot I suppose.
It also lends importance to mechs themselves. When there are so few of them being built, and the antiques being operated are invaluable family heirlooms which are often also handed down with feudal titles, it lends a lot more personality to it. 8)
This is why the devs chose this era. I agree, it was what we've been asking for and what we deserved.
The era endears me a lot more to the game. I'm loving it, and yeah, loving it as a Battletech fan.
But I do think we'll see them go to the more high tech eras in DLC. Face it, the Clans sell. They always have. They'll be the first DLC.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 27, 2018, 01:24:54 AM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 27, 2018, 01:09:38 AM
I've really enjoyed the opening battles. It was very easy...I'll visit the settings tonight...but normally I have to turn games down from their default, not up.
I've just evacuated the planet and heading into my first "no choice" mission. Overall, O0 O0
Your touman is weak freebirth. My touman could crush you with very little effort. My batchall is two light stars to crush your Inner Sphere rabble!
All I heard was
So......I'm thinking all of you who own this give it a O0 up?
I know little about Battletech lore (but have read up on it a bit) and this is my first giant robot shoot em' up game. I have a couple buddies who bought it and they've warned me about the slooooooooooow combat and have given me a few pointers/tips.
Well...what are the tips??
Shoot first and shoot often! :P
What is the Grog consensus on this? Buy? Wait? Pass?
Yes!
My buddies told me that this game is not for the "twitch gamer". That alone is very appealing. My reaction time sucks. They aren't too far into the game, but they both commented that you have to be aggressive. Holding back and letting the enemy come to you isn't a wise strategy, at least early on in the game.
Be mindful of salvaging, but nothing more insightful than that (I didn't ask then to expand on that comment).
Its not full Battletech. Too much is missing.
However, if you're looking for a slower paced Mech Commander where the focus is on Mechs and not all vehicle types in the BT universe and you are up for the slower paced turn based combat, you'll get a good game with a fun Merc management layer (although admittedly not too deep).
To me its a 'light' BT game, but its definately fun and you do get the core concepts of the BT Merc experience.
And its the first time any BT game features animated melee combat! :)
I'm in and pleased.
And I think the DLC will only add.
I was no chicken-walker grog to be sure, but TTG Battletech has been ended for me.
Quote from: acctingman on April 27, 2018, 10:15:46 AM
My buddies told me that this game is not for the "twitch gamer". That alone is very appealing. My reaction time sucks. They aren't too far into the game, but they both commented that you have to be aggressive. Holding back and letting the enemy come to you isn't a wise strategy, at least early on in the game.
Be mindful of salvaging, but nothing more insightful than that (I didn't ask then to expand on that comment).
If you rush forward with your fast, light mech, he will die early, and fast. Scouts and skirmishers HAVE to remain connected to the main force.
A thoughtful, integrated attack, using terrain, and knowledge of weapon systems' range and capabilities will serve you much better.
There is tremendous opportunity for the grognard to show off their tactical expertise.
There are times when being aggressive is appropriate, there are times when turtling is appropriate, and there are times when BOTH are appropriate, in the same battle.
If you hold back, on high ground, with a kill zone in front of you, the enemy may well feed their mechs into your zone one at a time. I would rather they came into MY kill zone than the other way around.
Other matches may not have the physical terrain you need to set up an ambush, due to the conditions of the battle or other parameters.
This is a deep strategy game. No one strategy works.
Thanks DennisS....good to know this. Sounds like I'd like this game!
Buy it yet?
Sign of weakness.
Rough crowd.
Hurry up and buy it already!
Quote from: acctingman on April 27, 2018, 11:10:59 AM
Thanks DennisS....good to know this. Sounds like I'd like this game!
There are a ton of twitch streams and youtube videos out there. COHH is my personal favorite. He isn't a strong player, but he is having fun, and learning as he is going. It was watching perhaps 30 hours of these videos that convinced me to pay the freight for this game. I am pretty cheap, and $40 is a lot for an old retired grognard like me.
I am about four missions in, and doing better than I thought I would. Slow, careful, step by step. Tactical as all hell. Supporting fire, focus fire, and very VERY detailed planning on what my individual mechs will have, with regards to armor, weapons, heat sinks, and even who the pilot will be.
You can get it discounted to ~30 through Green Man, Fanatical, etc.
Buying it Sunday. I have Mon-Tuesday off and plan on doing nothing but Battletech, and what ever "honey - do" list the misses gives me.
Shit.....bought it.
Anyone recommend a twitcher or youtuber that does some nice tips/tricks for this game?
Nicely done.
Quote from: acctingman on April 27, 2018, 02:34:51 PM
Shit.....bought it.
Anyone recommend a twitcher or youtuber that does some nice tips/tricks for this game?
Dennis mentioned COHH above. I concur.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9TXGvv2-7JVVdyKEi0A6A
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 27, 2018, 02:52:27 PM
Quote from: acctingman on April 27, 2018, 02:34:51 PM
Shit.....bought it.
Anyone recommend a twitcher or youtuber that does some nice tips/tricks for this game?
Dennis mentioned COHH above. I concur.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9TXGvv2-7JVVdyKEi0A6A
Thank you!
All you need to know for starters is:
1. Keep your Lance together.
2. Mass firepower on one target at time, whenever possible.
3. Always alpha strike, heat and weapon parameters permitting.
4. Hit them from the flanks or the rear.
5. Use scouts to take high ground and serve as spotters for indirect weapons.
6. Attack from covered and concealed positions when available
7. Stay mobile in the open. A moving target is a harder target to hit.
I found that even with stock mechs, sticking to the above tactics usually works, keeping damage and injuries to a minimum. I've made it through the tutorial missions and 4 contract missions without any significant losses. As I get more comfortable with the game and UI, I am starting to experiment with different mech refits. However, early on, this doesn't seem critical.
Most important of all...its a game. Play it and enjoy.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 27, 2018, 03:18:38 PM
All you need to know for starters is:
1. Keep your Lance together.
2. Mass firepower on one target at time, whenever possible.
3. Always alpha strike, heat and weapon parameters permitting.
4. Hit them from the flanks or the rear.
5. Use scouts to take high ground and serve as spotters for indirect weapons.
6. Stay mobile when possible. A moving target is a harder target to hit.
I found that even with stock mechs, sticking to the above tactics usually works, keeping damage and injuries to a minimum. I've made it through the tutorial missions and 4 contract missions without any significant losses. As I get more comfortable with the game and UI, I am starting to experiment with different mech refits. However, early on, this doesn't seem critical.
Most important of all...its a game. Play it and enjoy.
Thanks JH O0
Quote from: acctingman on April 27, 2018, 02:34:51 PM
Shit.....bought it.
Anyone recommend a twitcher or youtuber that does some nice tips/tricks for this game?
I posted a couple vids earlier in this thread. One regarding basic tips, the other explaining all the GUI details and related mechanics.
In the following post:
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=19526.msg609241#msg609241
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 27, 2018, 01:58:10 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on April 27, 2018, 01:47:09 AM
I always enjoyed the 3025, and 3045 updated era, because mech equipment was scarce.
It makes the game's salvage options more important. Gives an importance to looting reminiscent of RPGs, a taste of phat dungeon crawling loot I suppose.
It also lends importance to mechs themselves. When there are so few of them being built, and the antiques being operated are invaluable family heirlooms which are often also handed down with feudal titles, it lends a lot more personality to it. 8)
This is why the devs chose this era. I agree, it was what we've been asking for and what we deserved.
The era endears me a lot more to the game. I'm loving it, and yeah, loving it as a Battletech fan.
But I do think we'll see them go to the more high tech eras in DLC. Face it, the Clans sell. They always have. They'll be the first DLC.
I'm fine with the inevitable Clan DLC, and would likely get it myself at some point. I'm guessing they would just make a new, separate, campaign integrating the Clan stuff with what already exists. Would likely have this original earlier campaign untouched if I felt the need to go old school. O0
Hell, I'd enjoy the Clan addition if they can make the balancing work. Which should be easy enough being a turn-based strategy game. It's in shooters where people are running individual mechs as an FPS, such as MWO, where the Clans screw it up.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 27, 2018, 03:18:38 PM
All you need to know for starters is:
1. Keep your Lance together.
2. Mass firepower on one target at time, whenever possible.
3. Always alpha strike, heat and weapon parameters permitting.
4. Hit them from the flanks or the rear.
5. Use scouts to take high ground and serve as spotters for indirect weapons.
6. Attack from covered and concealed positions when available
7. Stay mobile in the open. A moving target is a harder target to hit.
I found that even with stock mechs, sticking to the above tactics usually works, keeping damage and injuries to a minimum. I've made it through the tutorial missions and 4 contract missions without any significant losses. As I get more comfortable with the game and UI, I am starting to experiment with different mech refits. However, early on, this doesn't seem critical.
Most important of all...its a game. Play it and enjoy.
If I may add...use your pilot skills effectively. Some have "bulwark", which provides a defensive bonus when stationary. Others can sensor lock a mech, reducing their movement buffs. Others still have an increased chance to hit, through the gunnery skill. My personal favorite is the ability to split your attacks to more than one mech. Not useful on a light mech that has one weapon, but with a big mech, you might fire the close range stuff at a mech close range, and all other medium and longer range weapons at a mech farther away.
To take this one little step further, you NEED to marry your pilots' skills to the available mechs. Having bulwark is useless on a light mech that is in constant motion, for example.
Quote from: Nefaro on April 27, 2018, 05:11:49 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 27, 2018, 01:58:10 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on April 27, 2018, 01:47:09 AM
I always enjoyed the 3025, and 3045 updated era, because mech equipment was scarce.
It makes the game's salvage options more important. Gives an importance to looting reminiscent of RPGs, a taste of phat dungeon crawling loot I suppose.
It also lends importance to mechs themselves. When there are so few of them being built, and the antiques being operated are invaluable family heirlooms which are often also handed down with feudal titles, it lends a lot more personality to it. 8)
This is why the devs chose this era. I agree, it was what we've been asking for and what we deserved.
The era endears me a lot more to the game. I'm loving it, and yeah, loving it as a Battletech fan.
But I do think we'll see them go to the more high tech eras in DLC. Face it, the Clans sell. They always have. They'll be the first DLC.
I'm fine with the inevitable Clan DLC, and would likely get it myself at some point. I'm guessing they would just make a new, separate, campaign integrating the Clan stuff with what already exists. Would likely have this original earlier campaign untouched if I felt the need to go old school. O0
Hell, I'd enjoy the Clan addition if they can make the balancing work. Which should be easy enough being a turn-based strategy game. It's in shooters where people are running individual mechs as an FPS, such as MWO, where the Clans screw it up.
If you kill a mech pilot, without destroying his center torso, then his mech becomes available for salvage. Same with blowing off both of his legs. This adds an additional layer of strategy, if the bad guys have a mech you REALLY want. *cough*firestarter*cough*
Quote from: DennisS on April 27, 2018, 09:20:22 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 27, 2018, 03:18:38 PM
All you need to know for starters is:
1. Keep your Lance together.
2. Mass firepower on one target at time, whenever possible.
3. Always alpha strike, heat and weapon parameters permitting.
4. Hit them from the flanks or the rear.
5. Use scouts to take high ground and serve as spotters for indirect weapons.
6. Attack from covered and concealed positions when available
7. Stay mobile in the open. A moving target is a harder target to hit.
I found that even with stock mechs, sticking to the above tactics usually works, keeping damage and injuries to a minimum. I've made it through the tutorial missions and 4 contract missions without any significant losses. As I get more comfortable with the game and UI, I am starting to experiment with different mech refits. However, early on, this doesn't seem critical.
Most important of all...its a game. Play it and enjoy.
If I may add...use your pilot skills effectively. Some have "bulwark", which provides a defensive bonus when stationary. Others can sensor lock a mech, reducing their movement buffs. Others still have an increased chance to hit, through the gunnery skill. My personal favorite is the ability to split your attacks to more than one mech. Not useful on a light mech that has one weapon, but with a big mech, you might fire the close range stuff at a mech close range, and all other medium and longer range weapons at a mech farther away.
To take this one little step further, you NEED to marry your pilots' skills to the available mechs. Having bulwark is useless on a light mech that is in constant motion, for example.
one more thing to add. use those morale based skills. precision strike is a battle changer and all your pilots have access to those skills!!
The reviewer over at RPS is continuing to post an 'evolving' review, for those who care...he can now enjoy the game despite its timing flaws, as opposed to not really enjoying it a few days ago. He is 20 hours in.
Move those Light Mechs. Evasion is your friend. Salvage a Jenner ASAP, it's speed, weapons and jump jets rock.
Put your Mechs in reserve and bring the enemy to a killing box.
Jump jets are awesome. They add evasion and can get you to good firing arcs. Use them often.
Pick good salvage, and sell mechs that you don't need quickly. A contract that has low payout and high salvage can mean you can assemble several stored mechs and instantly sell them for hundreds of thousands of C-Bills.
Watch the salvage list for Lostech. I randomly got an ER Large Laser. Can't fit it effectively right now, but Lostech is there.
Quote from: Gusington on April 27, 2018, 09:59:21 PM
The reviewer over at RPS is continuing to post an 'evolving' review, for those who care...he can now enjoy the game despite its timing flaws, as opposed to not really enjoying it a few days ago. He is 20 hours in.
Yeah, I saw that.
Translation. He was too harsh and wanted to post a bad review because bad reviews are popular. He found, after actually putting time into it, that it was good.
Oh no, his knee jerk to slam the game and get hits might not work out. What to do. Actually play it? Goodness! It's a good game. Now his view is...EVOLVED.
^He explicitly said that his 'evolution' is not due to the community pushback towards his initial impressions.
TEEHEE
Quote from: Gusington on April 27, 2018, 10:07:33 PM
^He explicitly said that his 'evolution' is not due to the community pushback towards his initial impressions.
TEEHEE
Of course not!
I mean, I hated it...I guess...for a bit...not really.
It got better! Like the guy going in the cart in Holy Grail!
But seriously, the RPS review was total BS and they're reversing course because they didn't get the response they wanted.
The game is actually good, very good. The narrative of a Kickstarted failure doesn't apply here.
It's what the fans wanted and it works. No salacious news, no controversy, it's all what we hoped for and expected.
From what I've been reading game is anything but a failure.
Quote from: Gusington on April 27, 2018, 10:23:11 PM
From what I've been reading game is anything but a failure.
From what I'm playing, it's anything but a failure.
It's fun, smart, engaging, and has a good tactical flare for people that love turn based combat.
It can be simple, but it can also be smart.
It reminds me of the days when my friends and I learned this game in 1988 sitting in a bookstore and shooting at each other with cardboard chits that represented Mechs.
It's what I spent more than $200 to kickstart. I know the price is, well, tough, but I believed in the project and I think the result is what I hoped for.
I get a nice hat, keychain, patch, banner, ect to celebrate that.
Quote from: Gusington on April 27, 2018, 10:23:11 PM
From what I've been reading game is anything but a failure.
I followed the steam reviews very closely. The first four hundred had a 41% approval rating. Metacritic was the same. These were individuals with half a dozen or less hours in the game.
Over time, this has evolved to 71% positive rating of 1739 voters.
Doing the math...47% of all bad ratings were given in the first six hours or so after release. Since then, more than 80% of all reviews have been positive.
I think Steam shouldn't allow ANYONE to review a game if they have less than ten hours played.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 27, 2018, 10:30:09 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 27, 2018, 10:23:11 PM
From what I've been reading game is anything but a failure.
From what I'm playing, it's anything but a failure.
It's fun, smart, engaging, and has a good tactical flare for people that love turn based combat.
It can be simple, but it can also be smart.
It reminds me of the days when my friends and I learned this game in 1988 sitting in a bookstore and shooting at each other with cardboard chits that represented Mechs.
It's what I spent more than $200 to kickstart. I know the price is, well, tough, but I believed in the project and I think the result is what I hoped for.
I get a nice hat, keychain, patch, banner, ect to celebrate that.
I would love to get me a nice t-shirt, to go with my Diablo III one.
Quote from: DennisS on April 27, 2018, 10:34:46 PM
I would love to get me a nice t-shirt, to go with my Diablo III one.
I do actually have a T-shirt.
Won it at GenCon in 2002. I fought in a Battletch Battle Pod.
Took a Clan Ghost Bear Kodiak with an Clan uAC-20 and wrecked face. Got top Mechwarrior and got the T-shirt.
A strong salvage!
Question for those of you getting along in the campaign: are you bothering to recruit / train new Mechwarriors? About 20 hrs in, I still only have my original 4. I fired Medusa early on because money was so tight.
I feel like this is a familiar problem from XCOM (probably even worse in XCOM2) - with the early missions, there's really no margin for error - you can't afford to lose a team member / mech, and by the time you have a more experience and a little more financial leeway, the missions have progressed in difficulty to the point that you can't bring a rookie along to train because they're too much of a liability.
Am I setting myself up for failure, just relying on my original 4 Mechwarriors?
How far in to the campaign are you? How many side contracts have you ran? I had to hire at least one additional pilot to account for injuries, which are fairly common. I don't want an injury to hold up operations for weeks at a time. No fatalities so far, but I can't imagine making it very far with just 4 pilots.
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 28, 2018, 08:49:22 AM
Question for those of you getting along in the campaign: are you bothering to recruit / train new Mechwarriors? About 20 hrs in, I still only have my original 4. I fired Medusa early on because money was so tight.
I feel like this is a familiar problem from XCOM (probably even worse in XCOM2) - with the early missions, there's really no margin for error - you can't afford to lose a team member / mech, and by the time you have a more experience and a little more financial leeway, the missions have progressed in difficulty to the point that you can't bring a rookie along to train because they're too much of a liability.
Am I setting myself up for failure, just relying on my original 4 Mechwarriors?
You're playing a bit of a dangerous game, if one gets killed or more likely wounded, you'll be SOL.
However, as your reputation grows, you'll have access to hiring legendary Mechwarriors. You just have to have a sufficient rating with the Mercenary Review Board. So, I wouldn't go on a hiring spree, extra Mechwarriors that don't fight often are just eating your resources, but I might suggest getting a spare pilot, especially if you see one with a specialty already unlocked.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 28, 2018, 01:47:15 PM
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 28, 2018, 08:49:22 AM
Question for those of you getting along in the campaign: are you bothering to recruit / train new Mechwarriors? About 20 hrs in, I still only have my original 4. I fired Medusa early on because money was so tight.
I feel like this is a familiar problem from XCOM (probably even worse in XCOM2) - with the early missions, there's really no margin for error - you can't afford to lose a team member / mech, and by the time you have a more experience and a little more financial leeway, the missions have progressed in difficulty to the point that you can't bring a rookie along to train because they're too much of a liability.
Am I setting myself up for failure, just relying on my original 4 Mechwarriors?
You're playing a bit of a dangerous game, if one gets killed or more likely wounded, you'll be SOL.
However, as your reputation grows, you'll have access to hiring legendary Mechwarriors. You just have to have a sufficient rating with the Mercenary Review Board. So, I wouldn't go on a hiring spree, extra Mechwarriors that don't fight often are just eating your resources, but I might suggest getting a spare pilot, especially if you see one with a specialty already unlocked.
A spare pilot, and a couple of spare mechs will allow you to take the field more often. Makes sense, even economically, to have the spare.
Well, it happened last night. Lost Behemoth. I'd probably rather lose a Mech, even a decent one like the Quickdraw she was piloting, than a good veteran Mechwarrior. Didn't really have a chance to eject in this case - combination of some fearsome enemies (an Orion and Quickdraw), flanking, focused fire, and some luck meant her Mech went from a little banged up but decent shape to destroyed in a single round.
Which leads to another issue - it seems like the missions have ramped up in difficulty *a lot* since completing the first big campaign mission (pirate moon base). That mission with the enemy Orion and QuickDraw was a '2 skull' level - I haven't taken any missions harder than 2. In another, I faced 3 dangerous medium Mechs I had never encountered (incl. a Hunchback - thing is an alpha strike menace) that led to me having to eject one MW while my other 3 got pretty manhandled.
So I definitely agree with JH's assessment that you need a spare MW or 2 in order to cope with all the 20-40 day injuries your veterans sustain. But how to train them up still seems like an insoluble problem,esp. now that even level 2 missions have become quite dangerous in some cases. Most of the veteran free agents I still can't hire because of not high enough rep. for my merc company.
The other issue I'm running into is *long* repair / upgrade queues with my mechs -- like, 2+ months to get my lance back in working order. I guess I'm learning the hard way I need to keep some 2nd class Mechs serviceable, though I wonder about their survivability in missions that are only getting harder.
Worried I'm caught in a bit of a death spiral -- lost one of my best MWs, missions getting harder (sometimes a lot harder), expensive and long repairs mean I keep going some months without taking any missions, which is brutal for your monthly financial report, morale is rock bottom from an attempt to cut costs. I could frankly use some more 'milk run' missions to rack up cash without incurring damage / injuries, but these seem to have dried up completely. Only level 2 contracts and harder are available.
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 29, 2018, 08:45:46 AM
Worried I'm caught in a bit of a death spiral -- lost one of my best MWs, missions getting harder (sometimes a lot harder), expensive and long repairs mean I keep going some months without taking any missions, which is brutal for your monthly financial report, morale is rock bottom from an attempt to cut costs. I could frankly use some more 'milk run' missions to rack up cash without incurring damage / injuries, but these seem to have dried up completely. Only level 2 contracts and harder are available.
Have you tried just jumping to another planet and rechecking the missions? They seem to generate new ones at new locations. Maybe you will get lucky and find an easier run.
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 29, 2018, 08:45:46 AM
Well, it happened last night. Lost Behemoth. I'd probably rather lose a Mech, even a decent one like the Quickdraw she was piloting, than a good veteran Mechwarrior. Didn't really have a chance to eject in this case - combination of some fearsome enemies (an Orion and Quickdraw), flanking, focused fire, and some luck meant her Mech went from a little banged up but decent shape to destroyed in a single round.
Which leads to another issue - it seems like the missions have ramped up in difficulty *a lot* since completing the first big campaign mission (pirate moon base). That mission with the enemy Orion and QuickDraw was a '2 skull' level - I haven't taken any missions harder than 2. In another, I faced 3 dangerous medium Mechs I had never encountered (incl. a Hunchback - thing is an alpha strike menace) that led to me having to eject one MW while my other 3 got pretty manhandled.
So I definitely agree with JH's assessment that you need a spare MW or 2 in order to cope with all the 20-40 day injuries your veterans sustain. But how to train them up still seems like an insoluble problem,esp. now that even level 2 missions have become quite dangerous in some cases. Most of the veteran free agents I still can't hire because of not high enough rep. for my merc company.
The other issue I'm running into is *long* repair / upgrade queues with my mechs -- like, 2+ months to get my lance back in working order. I guess I'm learning the hard way I need to keep some 2nd class Mechs serviceable, though I wonder about their survivability in missions that are only getting harder.
Worried I'm caught in a bit of a death spiral -- lost one of my best MWs, missions getting harder (sometimes a lot harder), expensive and long repairs mean I keep going some months without taking any missions, which is brutal for your monthly financial report, morale is rock bottom from an attempt to cut costs. I could frankly use some more 'milk run' missions to rack up cash without incurring damage / injuries, but these seem to have dried up completely. Only level 2 contracts and harder are available.
I'm in exactly the same boat. I've completed the first major campaign mission and I'm finding the difficulty has drastically ramped up. I selected a contract that requires my lance to ambush a convoy carrying rare minerals. The c-bill payout and salvage deals are good. I had to put the contract off while my mechs repaired and refit after being banged up in the campaign mission, so my funds are getting dangerously low. Anyway, in mission, this ain't no convoy carrying minerals. It's a heavily armed convoy guarded by a full lance with at least two heavy assault mechs. This is the first mission I've been on where even the tracked vehicles can be a dangerous threat. The mechs are very aggressive and have started to use perks of their own. I've tried a few different strategies and I'm running out of options. I think withdrawing from the contract will kill me financially. Not sure how to proceed.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 29, 2018, 10:48:02 AM
I'm in exactly the same boat. I've completed the first major campaign mission and I'm finding the difficulty has drastically ramped up. I selected a contract that requires my lance to ambush a convoy carrying rare minerals. The c-bill payout and salvage deals are good. I had to put the contract off while my mechs repaired and refit after being banged up in the campaign mission, so my funds are getting dangerously low. Anyway, in mission, this ain't no convoy carrying minerals. It's a heavily armed convoy guarded by a full lance with at least two heavy assault mechs. This is the first mission I've been on where even the tracked vehicles can be a dangerous threat. The mechs are very aggressive and have started to use perks of their own. I've tried a few different strategies and I'm running out of options. I think withdrawing from the contract will kill me financially. Not sure how to proceed.
Just had a very similar experience. Took another '2 skull' contract -- good payout and salvage haul, so I wasn't expecting a walk in the park, but at least something doable. Darius warned that 'these guys are heavily armed.' Wow, that was an understatement. My first contact was a Black Knight, something I've never seen before. Anyway, 3 other mechs quickly show up, at least one of which was another heavy, the other 2 mediums. Then another mech shows up. Then *another.* Six total. And they definitely started spamming special abilities, Sensor Lock especially. I had to Withdraw -- first time I've had to do so -- and was lucky not to lose any of my own Mechs.
But six enemy mechs -- in a level 2 mission. What do 4-5 skull contracts look like ?!
@knightsabret -- are you sure about that? I've never seen contracts refresh based on where you travel. The only thing that seems to refresh the missions is completing a contract - ?
The missions do get difficult quickly. The skull rating can be wildly inconsistent, and seems to be more a best guess than actual evaluation.
I didn't take anything short of one and a half skulls after the pirate base mission, and still spent a lot of time with my Mechs in the bay. But there were some things I learned that helped.
First, I actually picked up and moved to a medium population system with a good store and managed to get a Star League era Comms system for my PC's mech. It cost nearly half a million C-Bills, but it's invaluable because it gave a morale bonus.
Better, they were selling an AC 20 there. I immediately put the AC 20 on the Centurion you get from the Pirate Base, and made it into a Yen-Lo-Wang clone. This mech can take a pilot, and then liberally use morale to Precision Strike the legs of enemy Mechs. This will kneecap all medium and most heavy mechs in one shot.
Keep that Precision Strike handy and hot, and use it to focus down top threat Mechs. Legs are the best target, or the CT from the rear can be an insta kill. Even without an AC-20 it can be super effective with weapons like a PPC or Large Laser.
Most importantly, don't take 2 skull contracts until after you take the story mission AFTER the Pirate Moon. It's a tough mission, but can be completed with a lance of mediums and some care. You'll get solid salvage from it, and more importantly, an extreme upgrade to your facilities that will allow faster repairs and the ability to upgrade your storage and keep more Mechs active. You'll also finally lose that nasty 70,000 C-Bill hit per month on the upkeep of the, very crappy Leopard that you start with.
One other thing I learned...apparently, the mix of enemy units is randomized at some point before the start of a mission. After multiple reloads trying different tactics I finally was confronted by a lance of mechs that was much more manageable. Only one medium assault mech armed with a PPC, a Jenner and 2 locusts. I made short work of them all and can finally move on.
Another suggestion I forgot...
Get yourself an LRM Boat, and look for LRM's that cause stability damage.
LRM's have a VERY disproportionate chance to do head damage and they deal a lot of stability. A Mech that has a couple of LRM launchers shooting 20-40 LRM's at an enemy, especially with plus to stability, will keep an enemy Mech on its back almost constantly.
I think the one enemy unit that gives me more trouble than anything else is that damned SRM carrier truck. Seems like a guaranteed injured pilot with every volley it fires at it can take a fair amount of punishment from the front.
I just finished the 2nd major story mission in the campaign on Panzyr. Once again, those SRMs were the bane of my existence. Once they were taken care of, the mission wasn't too difficult although things did get right down to the wire, time wise.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 29, 2018, 04:38:25 PM
I think the one enemy unit that gives me more trouble than anything else is that damned SRM carrier truck. Seems like a guaranteed injured pilot with every volley it fires at it can take a fair amount of punishment from the front.
Agreed. They add a lot of unsteadiness too and can easily knock your mechs to the ground.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 29, 2018, 04:38:25 PM
I just finished the 2nd major story mission in the campaign on Panzyr. Once again, those SRMs were the bane of my existence. Once they were taken care of, the mission wasn't too difficult although things did get right down to the wire, time wise.
I absolutely love this game. I think they've done a fantastic job with the atmosphere, combat and strategic/management layers. Technically, the game runs flawlessly for me too. No obvious bugs or glitches. Very polished.
However, I'm sorry to read that there is a time element to some missions in terms of completion. I don't mind having to hold a defensive position or base for a set number of rounds, but I hate having to complete an objective before a set time elapses. Those kinds of missions can be very frustrating.
Timed missions usually suck and it generally is a crutch for sloppy scenario design. I am not referring specifically to this game, but my over all experience with timed missions/scenarios.
I hate timed missions in any type of game.
Quote from: Gusington on April 29, 2018, 06:17:03 PM
I hate timed missions in any type of game.
Agreed. If I wanted to be forced to complete something with a deadline, I'd save money and go to work. I game to relax and enjoy and can't stabd when I'm told how I must complete a mission (I.e. fast)
^Yep.
Well, crap.
Horrible money crunch. I will run this next mission, but If I get ANY downtime, then my next mission will be with three mechs. Not good.
Well, after playing nothing but this game all weekend, I think I'm going to hang the cleats up until the devs tweak down the difficulty a bit. It's gotten ridiculous. My last mission, against 1 lance of mechs supported by 4 missile vehicles, resulted in: one MW KIA, two ejected, last had to withdraw 'in good faith.' My entire company is now wrecked for months.
EDIT -- there really needs to be an unlock to increase your lance size, the way you can increase squad size in XCOM from starting 4 to eventual 6.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 29, 2018, 04:38:25 PM
I think the one enemy unit that gives me more trouble than anything else is that damned SRM carrier truck. Seems like a guaranteed injured pilot with every volley it fires at it can take a fair amount of punishment from the front.
I just finished the 2nd major story mission in the campaign on Panzyr. Once again, those SRMs were the bane of my existence. Once they were taken care of, the mission wasn't too difficult although things did get right down to the wire, time wise.
First time I met those bastards was a convoy attack mission. We cleaned up the escorting lance pretty easily, and half the convoy. My Shadow Hawk went around the bend the engage the rest of the convoy and it turned out to be 2 srm carriers. She proceeded to eat salvos from both, and went from pristine condition to missing an arm and down to internal damage everywhere else. Had to run with her tail between her legs and got out of the los.
Really enjoying the game. Had my first mission failure tonight on an assassination contract. Wiped out the escorting lance easily enough, but the target decided to retreat and the extraction zone was right behind her about 2 turns of movement away, and I wasn't close enough to take her out. I was able to engage with lrms, but couldn't get direct fire on her. I'm wondering if she would have bugged out if I left 1 of the escorts alive while dealing with her. The only reason I didn't engage that mech was it was just walking back and forth behind a building. Good lesson to remember to sensor lock and find the primary mission target next time. Was a good faith failure though so wasn't too painful, and I wasn't really damaged so I didn't lose money on it.
Have HBS said whether or not reinforcements showing up at the beginning of missions is a bug or feature? Had a mission where I was facing off against a lance with 2 Wolverines and 1 Firestarter, and another with a Wolverine, a Griffin, and a Kintaro. Facing all of that at once was not fun.
Quote from: vyshka on April 30, 2018, 04:42:58 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 29, 2018, 04:38:25 PM
I think the one enemy unit that gives me more trouble than anything else is that damned SRM carrier truck. Seems like a guaranteed injured pilot with every volley it fires at it can take a fair amount of punishment from the front.
I just finished the 2nd major story mission in the campaign on Panzyr. Once again, those SRMs were the bane of my existence. Once they were taken care of, the mission wasn't too difficult although things did get right down to the wire, time wise.
First time I met those bastards was a convoy attack mission. We cleaned up the escorting lance pretty easily, and half the convoy. My Shadow Hawk went around the bend the engage the rest of the convoy and it turned out to be 2 srm carriers. She proceeded to eat salvos from both, and went from pristine condition to missing an arm and down to internal damage everywhere else. Had to run with her tail between her legs and got out of the los.
Really enjoying the game. Had my first mission failure tonight on an assassination contract. Wiped out the escorting lance easily enough, but the target decided to retreat and the extraction zone was right behind her about 2 turns of movement away, and I wasn't close enough to take her out. I was able to engage with lrms, but couldn't get direct fire on her. I'm wondering if she would have bugged out if I left 1 of the escorts alive while dealing with her. The only reason I didn't engage that mech was it was just walking back and forth behind a building. Good lesson to remember to sensor lock and find the primary mission target next time. Was a good faith failure though so wasn't too painful, and I wasn't really damaged so I didn't lose money on it.
Have HBS said whether or not reinforcements showing up at the beginning of missions is a bug or feature? Had a mission where I was facing off against a lance with 2 Wolverines and 1 Firestarter, and another with a Wolverine, a Griffin, and a Kintaro. Facing all of that at once was not fun.
The game is really in need of some type of ECM, or point defense, to defend against missiles. LRMs are just way too OP currently. Get a sensor lock, and just use a Trebuchet. Absolutely nothing you or the AI player can really do, to defend against it. I'm pretty sure that ECM is part of the tabletop version, and it really needs to make an appearance in the PC version.
Wow Paradox... wow.......
Over a week and still they have their server issues that prevent MP or even resetting the password.
Harebrained Schemes should really have gone with Matrix-Slitherine instead of those greedy Paradox guys. >:(
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 29, 2018, 09:07:22 PM
Well, after playing nothing but this game all weekend, I think I'm going to hang the cleats up until the devs tweak down the difficulty a bit. It's gotten ridiculous. My last mission, against 1 lance of mechs supported by 4 missile vehicles, resulted in: one MW KIA, two ejected, last had to withdraw 'in good faith.' My entire company is now wrecked for months.
EDIT -- there really needs to be an unlock to increase your lance size, the way you can increase squad size in XCOM from starting 4 to eventual 6.
I faced a Panther and SEVEN vehicles. Four vehicles were an enemy convoy, racing to their objective. I had to totally sprint to get in front of them, and concentrate them down. The other four, their convoy guard, were a big time pain in the ass.
Four vs. eight sucks. Even if I get the first kill, the other seven get shots. Then I get another kill, and six gets shots. Then ANOTHER kill, and five get shots. I've received 21 shots, and still not at even strength.
I ended up in vehicle stomp mode, stomped two in one turn, and two in another. I had to use my light mechs to do this, and it took two stomps to kill one of them. Both my locust and spider were damaged severely, and I had to cycle them completely out of combat. The just did get away. My two mediums then faced the enemy four, and it was a little more manageable. I was able to sneak them back in for medium range attacks a little later.
Of the seven vehicles I faced, two were LRM only, one had a PPC, which HURT. My locust took a PPC shot, which almost killed him.
I lost way more money than I earned for this mission. Any more "victories" like this one, and I will lose the campaign. King Phyrrus of Epirus would be proud! (not a bad Grognard ref!) :notworthy:
Quote from: Tpek on April 30, 2018, 08:24:02 AM
Wow Paradox... wow.......
Over a week and still they have their server issues that prevent MP or even resetting the password.
Harebrained Schemes should really have gone with Matrix-Slitherine instead of those greedy Paradox guys. >:(
Dude...if there is a problem, I suspect it is one that is being worked on. I'm sure its frustrating for you, but finally, we have a game that offers a fully featured, functional engrossing and polished single player experience. Why don't you actually try it, rather than just complaining about the Paradox MP issue every few posts in the thread. You might actually enjoy your time in campaign and skirmish mode, and who knows, maybe by the time you're finished, you'll know how to play so you do well against live players once the MP issues get ironed out.
Honestly, the single player game is so fantastic and we who prefer a SP experience are so often ignored these days, that I'm really having trouble being sympathetic to your complaint...although, as mentioned, I'm sure it is no doubt frustrating.
Quote from: bboyer66 on April 30, 2018, 08:22:55 AM
The game is really in need of some type of ECM, or point defense, to defend against missiles. LRMs are just way too OP currently. Get a sensor lock, and just use a Trebuchet. Absolutely nothing you or the AI player can really do, to defend against it. I'm pretty sure that ECM is part of the tabletop version, and it really needs to make an appearance in the PC version.
As was said earlier, the game's setting is 3025, so by lore, there should be no ECM, ECCM, or Anti-Missile systems outside of hyper rare loot or the Clans (who aren't in the scope of this game).
It does show up in the tabletop, but only in modules involving the Star Leauge era, or eras after the recovery of the Helm Memory Core in the 3028 and its dissemination in the 3040's. The primary ECM Mech of the Inner Sphere, the Raven, isn't built until 3048.
There is LosTech in the game, at the least a Gauss Rifle, Atlas II and some advanced Comms have been seen as loot or expensive purchases. I don't think they've put any ECM or missile defense in though. If they have no one has looted any.
A few have talked on the Paradox forums on whether or not they should be added for balance over lore, but this is Battletech we're talking about. From day one of the tabletop lore has trumped balance at every step, see the Clans.
But yes, I agree, missiles are OP, for both sides. However, yeah, they were in early Tabletop as well. Once they did introduce ECM to the battlefield in Tabletop, it was followed pretty fast with the Clans and their Beagle Active Probes that just got right around it.
As one of the registered grumpy old guys here, I find the incomprehension with which so much of this is being met delightful.
This is a well thought through implementation of a beloved TTG franchise where everyone, from the lead designer (the original dude) on down, seems to have been committed to doing BATTLETECH on the PC. That means something to a lot of people -- just reading Sir Andrew's discourses on the various timelines and constituent technologies makes me smile. I have a very dear friend who was the GenCon BATTLETECH champion for several years running and knew the crit tables from memory -- as did everyone in that competition. It was never my main thing -- I was painting French marines or some such -- but I certainly knew the love It can, however, puzzle the living jeebus out of those disconnected from the Quelle who don't seem to understand what's going on. The RPS article is just one example.
Or, as Doug put it more succinctly, "I forgot how much I've missed BATTLETECH".
If you can get to vehicles fast enough, one step on them will be enough to destroy one. Rush in and splat the son-of-gun!
^This. When you see vehicles, sound that bugle call and charge. Get evasive pips and get on top of them quickly. One stomp is enough to wreck most tanks and all the missile carriers.
There's a Reddit AMA with an HBS dev going on right now.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Battletechgame/comments/8g2e8j/im_tyler_carpenter_one_of_the_hbs_devs_on/
Seems that the Reinforcement "bug" is working as intended. So get used to those eight on four slug-fests.
Good news, they're re-balancing Energy weapons.
I'm really loving this game. The mercenary aspect of it is great and is giving me what I always wanted - a new (ok - different take) Strike Commander. A Mercenary game where you get missions, manage money, parts, equipment, pilots and weapons and ammo.
In fact, it's gone better than Strike Commander because it seems to be random where SC was not dynamic and followed a line with a couple of branches.
^Hey remember when you returned it and got all angry?
Quote from: Gusington on April 30, 2018, 07:41:40 PM
^Hey remember when you returned it and got all angry?
I did that with Hearts of Iron IV.
300 hours later...
And to be fair, there are serious technical issues with Battletech. I haven't had any, but there are some deep problems.
One I did run across was my GPU, a was running at 100%. Now, that didn't bother me too much, even though I have a hefty card, but some people had some meltdowns on their machines.
If you are having that issue, bizarrely turning V-Sync on helped me and some others (it's off by default).
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 30, 2018, 04:11:37 PM
There's a Reddit AMA with an HBS dev going on right now.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Battletechgame/comments/8g2e8j/im_tyler_carpenter_one_of_the_hbs_devs_on/
Seems that the Reinforcement "bug" is working as intended. So get used to those eight on four slug-fests.
Good news, they're re-balancing Energy weapons.
what about the energy weapons are they changing?
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 30, 2018, 04:23:47 PM
I'm really loving this game. The mercenary aspect of it is great and is giving me what I always wanted - a new (ok - different take) Strike Commander. A Mercenary game where you get missions, manage money, parts, equipment, pilots and weapons and ammo.
In fact, it's gone better than Strike Commander because it seems to be random where SC was not dynamic and followed a line with a couple of branches.
My idea a few years ago for a game someone should make was a game in the Hammer's Slammers universe where you manage merc unit. I said think Strike Commander meets panzer general. Still think someone should do it.
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 30, 2018, 08:39:38 PM
what about the energy weapons are they changing?
The dev was responding to the issue with Large Lasers, PPC's and LosTech being undesirable compared to all other weapons due to their heat to damage ratio. He said he was literally editing values in a balance pass on those things as he was responding.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 30, 2018, 09:16:21 PM
Quote from: CptHowdy on April 30, 2018, 08:39:38 PM
what about the energy weapons are they changing?
The dev was responding to the issue with Large Lasers, PPC's and LosTech being undesirable compared to all other weapons due to their heat to damage ratio. He said he was literally editing values in a balance pass on those things as he was responding.
If there exists damage/balance issues with the TTP Battletech, then I am 100% in favor of keeping them in this game. I have too many technical readouts and lore for them to be invalidated because some dipshit wants a medium laser tweaked.
Quote from: DennisS on April 30, 2018, 09:47:37 PM
If there exists damage/balance issues with the TTP Battletech, then I am 100% in favor of keeping them in this game. I have too many technical readouts and lore for them to be invalidated because some dipshit wants a medium laser tweaked.
The issue was brought up a lot on the old pre-Paradox forum when the betas were going on. The community wanted the Devs to tweak the effectiveness of PPC's and Large Lasers to be less in line with the tabletop, so as to encourage the use of lesser used and favored weapons like medium lasers and the lighter Autocannons. The devs agreed to do so, and basically did what the community asked. The community decided it didn't like it.
The tabletop numbers don't translate exactly to the game. From what HBS has said about their values, in Tabletop a Large Laser is an 8 Dmg 8 Heat. Translating to the PC game, and adding in the under the hood heat multipliers that HBS put in, the PC game Large Laser would be a tabletop equivalent of 8 Dmg 10 Heat (It's not 8/6 like it looks like as raw numbers).
The devs, and a lot of the post-release feedback feel they went too far and actually made Large Lasers and PPC's worthless next to their Medium Laser and ballistic counterparts, largely due to the fact that the devs decided, after being asked, to assign more heat to lasers than in the tabletop.
Pulse Lasers are are apparently even worse in this regard. They want to make all weapons interesting for the player to use.
I doubt the change will be much.
Quote from: Gusington on April 30, 2018, 07:41:40 PM
^Hey remember when you returned it and got all angry?
I wasn't angry - I thought my post was like "Yeah...won't load. I'll refund and get it when it's fixed"
I don't mind being called angry normally, because I'm well aware I can be - but I do when I'm not :tickedoff:
Anyway - "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry" :smitten:
The fix by the way was downloading a set of video codecs. I don't know why they weren't included in the package or at least mentioned, with a link, that they were required
Are you angry now? Or just hungry?
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 29, 2018, 12:24:38 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 29, 2018, 10:48:02 AM
@knightsabret -- are you sure about that? I've never seen contracts refresh based on where you travel. The only thing that seems to refresh the missions is completing a contract - ?
Yes - travel to another place will generate new missions. Now the difficulty might stay the same, I really don't know. I did read somewhere that when looking at the star map there is a way to see the difficulty level of local missions at a particular planet, but I can't vouch for that personally.
Quote from: Gusington on May 01, 2018, 07:35:32 AM
Are you angry now? Or just hungry?
I was hangry. But I'm good now O0
I think whether travel to new systems generates new contracts is a very important question because I'm pretty far into the game and haven't really found a need to travel beyond where the available contracts take me, or to explore.
it would be nice if there was some incentive to travel to different territory, systems and planets. its hard to justify the sometimes long travel times just for a better deal on some spare parts and gear.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 01, 2018, 09:09:57 AM
I think whether travel to new systems generates new contracts is a very important question because I'm pretty far into the game and haven't really found a need to travel beyond where the available contracts take me, or to explore.
it would be nice if there was some incentive to travel to different territory, systems and planets. its hard to justify the sometimes long travel times just for a better deal on some spare parts and gear.
I've found contracts that are not listed, until you actually stop at the planet. You might want to try just stopping at systems that are on the way to your next storyline mission. Cant really hurt to check out what is there, and it really doesn't slow you down. If nothing is appealing, just head back out to your next destination.
Add-on: Have also found some nice equipment at stores by doing this. Gyroscopes, radios, etc.
Quote from: bboyer66 on May 01, 2018, 09:19:02 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 01, 2018, 09:09:57 AM
I think whether travel to new systems generates new contracts is a very important question because I'm pretty far into the game and haven't really found a need to travel beyond where the available contracts take me, or to explore.
it would be nice if there was some incentive to travel to different territory, systems and planets. its hard to justify the sometimes long travel times just for a better deal on some spare parts and gear.
I've found contracts that are not listed, until you actually stop at the planet. You might want to try just stopping at systems that are on the way to your next storyline mission. Cant really hurt to check out what is there, and it really doesn't slow you down. If nothing is appealing, just head back out to your next destination.
Add-on: Have also found some nice equipment at stores by doing this. Gyroscopes, radios, etc.
This is a good call. A system 17 days away is fine..but if you can find a good contract three days away, financially, it makes sense.
I'm only a couple hours in but this game is FRACKING awesome. It really forces you to look at your surroundings, enemy units, concealment, tactical awareness....all shit I know nothing about so I'm sure I'll get schooled later on :uglystupid2:
Quick noob question.
When your shit needs fixing and it takes 20+ days to do so....uhm...what do you do? Will travel time to the next contract take up that time? I don't remember seeing any interstellar strip clubs to kill some time, so.....yea
Thanks
You can use the time to travel to another contract. That is usually a good use of the time, or if you have spare mechs and pilots you can keep on playing rock'em sock'em robots.
^Otherwise known as Solaris VII the home game...
Quote from: acctingman on May 01, 2018, 03:06:00 PM
I'm only a couple hours in but this game is FRACKING awesome. It really forces you to look at your surroundings, enemy units, concealment, tactical awareness....all shit I know nothing about so I'm sure I'll get schooled later on :uglystupid2:
Quick noob question.
When your shit needs fixing and it takes 20+ days to do so....uhm...what do you do? Will travel time to the next contract take up that time? I don't remember seeing any interstellar strip clubs to kill some time, so.....yea
Thanks
Try as best as you can to progress to the story past the liberation of Weldy. You get a much better ship with upgradable facilities and much lower repair and healing times after that. The Leopard that you start with is not meant to carry you through more than a few getting your feet wet missions. You'll bankrupt yourself if you try to free roam with it too long.
So.....
The game is going to be a challenge for me and I'm going to really have to read up on stuff.
After the first intro mission I'm left with 1 serviceable mech, 2 dead pilots and lacking in funds. Do I re-start the game or should I be hiring new pilots? Do I repair those mechs? Buy new ones?
My guess is re-start and suck less :idiot2:
Yup. Re-do!
Quote from: acctingman on May 01, 2018, 08:10:20 PM
So.....
The game is going to be a challenge for me and I'm going to really have to read up on stuff.
After the first intro mission I'm left with 1 serviceable mech, 2 dead pilots and lacking in funds. Do I re-start the game or should I be hiring new pilots? Do I repair those mechs? Buy new ones?
My guess is re-start and suck less :idiot2:
you could also do skirmish mode to get the hang of battle then try out the story again.
Yeah, you took too many losses to go on.
Here's the thing. Don't take this like X-Com.
Sometimes you'll lose. If you do, you can re-load from a previous save. I don't save scum, but I've got back and taken different approaches. This game has a lose state, you can get wrecked and ended. If you do, just step back. Going on just gets you down the drain.
The first mission is rough, everyone loses Dekker, least for a bit, if not forever. Lose more and you're done, for good. You need to have the resources to press on.
Survive, do what you can to do so, and then progress very carefully. Follow the story as best you can, get a couple of heavy Mechs and most of all get the Argo. The Argo is life. It's where the game starts. You can't do anything stuffed in a Leopard.
I got the Argo fast, lost no one. I've got 10.5 Million C-Bills and no deaths. No save-scumming. It can be done. You just have to be careful.
Battletech is truely tactical. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of the machines and how the modifiers work.
On the Goodwill's Grogheads forum (link in sig) I've posted a tactics primer that's written for tabletop, but applicable to the digital game as well.
Ha! Freebirths! You'll not pass your trial and end up in Solhama!
Quote from: acctingman on May 01, 2018, 08:10:20 PM
So.....
The game is going to be a challenge for me and I'm going to really have to read up on stuff.
After the first intro mission I'm left with 1 serviceable mech, 2 dead pilots and lacking in funds. Do I re-start the game or should I be hiring new pilots? Do I repair those mechs? Buy new ones?
My guess is re-start and suck less :idiot2:
After the first intro mission? :DD
You might want to drop the difficulty down. As I knew nothing about this game, I dropped it down at the beginning and I'm having a great time.
What level are you playing at JD?
Salvaged my first Thunderbolt mech and the thing is a monster.
Modified it to max armor, and a f-ton of short range weaponry. All it takes now, to take out most enemy mechs, is one salvo from my Thunderbolt, followed by a melee attack in the next round.
Also I salvaged a Hunchback with the AC-20 on its shoulder. An excellent balanced mech, that can put out a large amount of damage, as well as take it.
So right now I am running a:
Griffin: Excellent for scouting, jumping around, attacking from behind, sensor locking , melee, and has decent armor. Light mechs are just too squishy and do not put out enough firepower. Especially in the battles where you are outnumbered, which is most of them. Oh, I also modified its weapons loadout to be more short range/ambush friendly. Really don't want my scout engaging in long range engagements anyways.
Trebuchet: modified to just fire LRMs With a LRM-20 and LRM15, this thing just beats the crap out of anything it targets. Removed all medium lasers to make room for the LRM-20 and additional missile ammo.
Hunchback: See above
Thunderbolt: See above
The AI loves to attack by closing in on you. Usually one mech at time, doing a shit job of supporting each other. Keep your mechs pretty close together and Focus down 1 enemy mech at a time with all your mechs firepower combined. Keep your LRM carrier way back, and just shoot indirectly. If the enemy can take shots at your LRM support mech, you likely have already lost the engagement.
Quote from: Gusington on May 02, 2018, 07:10:37 AM
What level are you playing at JD?
I'll have to check, but I think the easiest. I do suck at strategy games
Wait......there is a difficulty adjustment in the game??? :wow:
uhuh - first thing I checked
:2funny:
Quote from: JudgeDredd on May 02, 2018, 07:43:36 AM
Quote from: Gusington on May 02, 2018, 07:10:37 AM
What level are you playing at JD?
I'll have to check, but I think the easiest. I do suck at strategy games
where is this difficulty setting located? i started a new campaign to see if i can find it but i had to go through character creation first. is this option after you create character? i did not finish the character creation. seems like a difficulty setting would be first thing you get to choose. anyway i just liberated house karosas. my toughest mission yet. 8 mechs and 4 turrets against my 4 med mechs. they did not come at me 1 at a time. had all 8 in my face!!! my character was knocked out near end of battle and is now out for 82 days!! any other pilot would have died i imagine. also managed to salvage one last piece for my first heavy mech.
i thought i read articles where it was stated no difficulty settings included within the game so will be interesting to hear if that was not true.
I haven't seen any difficulty settings.
Yea, I don't think there is.....maybe JD has another version of the game :2funny:
;D
My version is...
Mission 1: HAHA! Eight Heavy Mechs destroyed, minor structure to my Jagermech!
Mission 2: Look, a light Lance of Locusts and Jenners.....wait.... Headshot, Headshot, Headshot, Headshot. Mission failure, 100% KIA.
Salvaging Heavies does lower the difficulty a bit though.
Looking at some other posts, people seem to imply no difficulty settings...instead difficulty is determined by which contracts you take.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 02, 2018, 07:27:12 PM
Looking at some other posts, people seem to imply no difficulty settings...instead difficulty is determined by which contracts you take.
More or less. Some of the contract difficulties are either overstated or understated.
I've found difficulty to be a mix of contracts and what Mechs you bring. Having any good brawler with an AC20 makes things easier. Having two is nuts.
First patch released tonight...
QuoteLIVE - BATTLETECH 1.0.1 Release Notes (Updated)
Thank you for playing BATTLETECH! We appreciate your patience and support as our team works to quickly investigate and address reported issues with the game. Release 1.0.1 is now available for all users on Steam and GOG. It will be available for Paradox Launcher and other platforms on 5/3/2018. Note that we are aware of and continuing to investigate OS-specific video player issues and hardware-specific GPU issues that a small number of users are experiencing.
If you experience any issues after pulling this update, the first step we recommend is to restart your computer, and then verify integrity of game files. Occasionally the Steam update process can act weird - this will ensure that the update has been properly applied.
As always, if you experience further issues please contact Customer Support at: https://support.paradoxplaza.com
Release 1.0.1 Notes, 5/2/2018
Trial fix for an issue where save games could sometimes fail to appear upon re-launching the game.
Trial fix for some occasional crashes when loading back into the sim-game scene.
We now immediately apply changes to the windowed mode and fullscreen monitor selection settings.
Added the ability to change the Callsign associated with your multiplayer profile.
Fixed issues with the Vsync setting sometimes not applying correctly.
Setting Vsync to be ON by default.
Capping framerate at 120 when Vsync is OFF.
Fixed an issue where redeeming a valid unlock code could cause a long loading screen.
Fixed an issue where 'Mech model variants unlocked using an access code could be seen clipping through other Argo UI screens, after selecting the unlocked 'Mech in the Mech Bay.
Fixed minor graphical issues with the pre-order Shadow Hawk Umbra skin.
Fixed an issue where enemy AI could sometimes act slowly during Defend Base contracts.
Improved loading sequence stability when alt-tabbed.
Support for non-standard Steam install directories (directory paths with special characters like "=" in them.)
Removing debug F6 pilot-injury hotkey.
Adding version number display to the Main Menu.
Adding protections for errors in the GOG Galaxy client when playing through GOG.
Making DirectX 11 a required component in Steam and GOG installers.
Newsletter is out!
Launch was a big succes! And now they will focus on post launch support.
Bug fixes and quality of life improvements as well as free content additions are inbound.
There is also mention of one or two larger paid expansions.
Quote from: CptHowdy on May 02, 2018, 01:28:02 PM
where is this difficulty setting located?
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 02, 2018, 05:35:00 PM
i thought i read articles where it was stated no difficulty settings included within the game so will be interesting to hear if that was not true.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on May 02, 2018, 06:22:58 PM
I haven't seen any difficulty settings.
Quote from: acctingman on May 02, 2018, 06:48:09 PM
Yea, I don't think there is.....maybe JD has another version of the game :2funny:
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 02, 2018, 07:27:12 PM
Looking at some other posts, people seem to imply no difficulty settings...instead difficulty is determined by which contracts you take.
Well...shit. I can't find it.
What ****ing game did I play where I.....oh, I remember - God of War.
Sorry - please don't ever listen to anything I say again :-[
Quote from: SirAndrewD on May 02, 2018, 07:45:30 PM
...
Some of the contract difficulties are either overstated or understated.
...
That was a bit annoying. My guy found a contract outside the "regular avenues". He mentioned she's rich...blah, blah, blah. When I went to look at contracts, that mission had a full skull and offered 33,000. There were 3 other contracts on there...all 1/2 a skull and they offered over 100,000!
Quote from: JudgeDredd on May 03, 2018, 01:01:55 AM
That was a bit annoying. My guy found a contract outside the "regular avenues". He mentioned she's rich...blah, blah, blah. When I went to look at contracts, that mission had a full skull and offered 33,000. There were 3 other contracts on there...all 1/2 a skull and they offered over 100,000!
Life of a Merc. The new Kickstarter update promised contracts where your employer lies to you.
Yeah, translation, Liao and Kurita will lie to to you. Good luck.
Outside that, yeah, ignore skulls, instead look at payout. A 1/2 skull difficulty with a 500,000k payout should give you a hint that your employer is fudging a bit,
You say that - but my last 1/2 skull mission was for 180k and I tipped up and only had to take out 4 AFVs
Given how difficult people are saying it is to stay solvent, seems a tad harsh to put in rogue "non payment" missions :knuppel2:
^Should we listen to that?
Remember that while the money is all great and stuff. You should make most of your money off of salvaging and rebuilding mechs.Then selling them in a friendly world for profit. Made 4 million last night selling mechs that were just taking up space in storage.
Also, I actually withdrew from a mission last night. Was getting flanked, and even if I wound up winning the mission, I would have been beaten up pretty bad. So I lost some credibility with the mercenary guild, or whoever the hell they are. No big deal as the next mission was very easy, and successful.
Quote from: Gusington on May 03, 2018, 06:28:34 AM
^Should we listen to that?
Of course not. What did I just say literally 7 posts ago? :knuppel2:
Just making certain 👍
I got so excited of the possibility of a difficulty setting, but my dreams have been crushed :'(
JD will do that.
>:D
Heh...quite.
Appreciate all the tips/tricks and links to others.
By ratching back my propensity to just jump in guns o' blazing and using that noodle I call a brain, I've managed to survive a hell of a lot more than I was (wasn't).
Despite JD crushing my dreams, I think all is good O0
Quote from: acctingman on May 03, 2018, 09:19:16 AM
I got so excited of the possibility of a difficulty setting, but my dreams have been crushed :'(
I read that the next major update (June or July) will indeed have difficulty settings.
lost two pilots my last story mission. dekker was one of em :'( i did capture a VIP though and salvaged their complete mech. missiles and stability damage are king. knock em down and get those called shots plus pilot injuries :bd:
I lost my second Mechwarrior last night after almost 200 days on campaign. My medium mechs were up against several heavies. I knew we could win, but not without loss. It is very painful to lose a seasoned pilot. Back to the hiring hall for a rookie...
At least I was able to salvage a Hunchback from the battlefield. It will replace his heavily damaged centurion and continue the fight in his name.
Game was running like a dog on the 1.0.1 patch for me. Very slow loading times, stutters, and pink mechs. Not impressed at all. The game filled all of my RAM and was 100 percenting my hard drive/SSD. On a whim I went beta branch to see if 1.0.2 was any better dealing with mission 2. The good news is the game ran a bit quicker and smoother. Did not overload RAM to the max and also appeared to release some RAM after leaving the game. I had to reboot after the 1.0.1 session because nothing of the 12GBs unloaded after quiting. Did not see any pink mechs this go either. Game play is good, UI is functional, but I could use a undo move button since it is too easy to misclick the mouse and put a Mech in a really bad situation. I have seen some odd bugs. Biggest was magical internal heat damage a couple times when I did not shoot or did shoot and was under the heat bar. It was weird. Seems like a good game. Add it to the stack of games I have no free time to play right now pile.
I got to the story mission where you have to fight Victoria. First time I had to go back and restart the battle a few times in a row. That map setup felt more like a puzzle to be solved than a tactical problem to overcome. I lost two pilots each time I tried it until I figured out the order in which you're meant to do things and then it was pretty straightforward.
I'd only lost one pilot up to that point (Glitch and her voice acting was so annoying I wasn't sorry to see her go) but this battle was just a straight up slug-fest. Difficulty ratings are now up to 4 skulls at default. I suspect things are going to start hurting more.
so are there missions you are supposed to fail? just had a defend the base well behind enemy lines. 10 mechs show up and just destroy the buildings. had two kills but no way to stop them from destroying the buildings. mission failed but i got about 340K for good faith effort!! im cool with that. easiest money ive made so far!!
The mercs you hire are random or pre-made? Sounds like pre-made, like Jagged Alliance, based on your comments.
Quote from: CptHowdy on May 05, 2018, 12:45:38 AM
so are there missions you are supposed to fail? just had a defend the base well behind enemy lines. 10 mechs show up and just destroy the buildings. had two kills but no way to stop them from destroying the buildings. mission failed but i got about 340K for good faith effort!! im cool with that. easiest money ive made so far!!
There are no missions that you're "supposed" to fail.
But, fail you will. There are missions that get out of hand fast and you need to judge lost of damage vs good faith withdrawal.
I just had one I pressed way too hard and lost Medusa for 40 days to the hospital and his Centurion was a scratch. I'm going to have to repair it to sell. But I got a heavy mech in return.
It's all about playing your profit to loss and knowing when to holdem and foldem.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on May 05, 2018, 02:29:05 AM
Quote from: CptHowdy on May 05, 2018, 12:45:38 AM
so are there missions you are supposed to fail? just had a defend the base well behind enemy lines. 10 mechs show up and just destroy the buildings. had two kills but no way to stop them from destroying the buildings. mission failed but i got about 340K for good faith effort!! im cool with that. easiest money ive made so far!!
There are no missions that you're "supposed" to fail.
But, fail you will. There are missions that get out of hand fast and you need to judge lost of damage vs good faith withdrawal.
I just had one I pressed way too hard and lost Medusa for 40 days to the hospital and his Centurion was a scratch. I'm going to have to repair it to sell. But I got a heavy mech in return.
It's all about playing your profit to loss and knowing when to holdem and foldem.
well there was no winning this one. they could take out the buildings with one salvo and a dropship dropped em off right next to the base!! contract guy said the arano restoration could chalk this one up to bad intel!! not sure if i gained or lost any rep. never checked. pretty close to 100 rep with arano. thinking advancing the story ramps up the mission difficulty considerably. probably should have done more side missions but those big payouts are tempting and the argo needed upgrades!!
Anyone else feel like the difficulty was pretty significantly toned down with latest patches? In 2/2.5 skull missions, I'm not facing much challenge at all. The occasional heavy Mech but still lots of Locusts, Commandos, Panthers, etc.
It's frustrating cause I'm not getting any decent salvage at all. (I've completed the Panzyr mission, in terms of where I am in the Campaign. My usual lance is: Griffin, ShadowHawk, Jaegermech, Centurion.)
^Not that I have noticed. It isn't in the patch notes if they did.
I think it's just luck of the draw sometimes, but also in the developer AMA there was some indication that more was going on under the hood than the skulls accurately represented. The dev said to pay attention to skulls plus payout. If the payout was suspiciously high for a low rating, the rating was probably being fudged by bad intel.
Part of the roadmap he laid out was giving a more accurate indication of difficulty to the player in the big summer patch.
Ok, just about to level my mechwarriors and I wanted to know what you all think are the skills to level at first? I've read online Guts and/or Gunnery.
Comments appreciated.
Quote from: acctingman on May 05, 2018, 01:43:20 PM
Ok, just about to level my mechwarriors and I wanted to know what you all think are the skills to level at first? I've read online Guts and/or Gunnery.
Comments appreciated.
Depends on their expected role. Having multi-shot on a light mech that only has two medium lasers won't work. Same with bulwark.
Gunnery is useful for all mechs that have a lot of weaponry, especially if they are at medium or longer range.
Sensor lock has no value for your mediums or heavies...but is very useful for pilots for your light mechs.
Given all the headshots that are flying around, guts seems pretty useful. Personally, I have given gunnery to most of my pilots. I prefer to kill them faster than to prevent a head injury, possibly caused to a longer fight.
I noticed that most missions seemed easier post-patch as well.
I've been tinkering with some different builds for mechs. The one that's been the most effective/fun is the grasshopper/flamer. I stripped off everything and put in nothing but flares, jump jets, and heat sinks. I hold it in reserve until all the enemy is gone then jump it next to one and torch them. My pilot, Dekker, has unit bonuses so he usually actives early in the turn. Most times he can torch the same mech right away and jump back out (can move after shooting) and can score a kill and then escape and avoid most return fire.
Weaknesses are low ammo count, short range, and useless against turrets and vehicles.
Got my Gauss Rifle. All bets are off.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on May 05, 2018, 05:40:32 PM
Got my Gauss Rifle. All bets are off.
just got mine as well. also the mech its equipped on is a beast!! cant wait to take it for a spin!
POSSIBLE SPOILERS -- WARNING
Any tips on succeeding on the ammo dump campaign mission without totally wrecking your lance?
I'm coming up against at least two lances of 8 mechs and most of them are not light ones. This in addition to the base defense towers is extremely formidable. I'm trying to use terrain to my advantage by screening my mechs from as much of the enemy as possible, but this is proving difficult to accomplish while also giving my units an opportunity to strike targets of their own. Furthermore, the longer the mission goes on, the more advantage the enemy gains in terms of firepower and position. It also doesn't help that those ammo transports force my mechs to come out of position and risk exposure to fire in order to stop them from escaping.
What strategies have you guys used to succeed in this mission while only taking acceptable loses. I'm trying the mission with a Blackjack, Griffon, Hunchback and Shadowhawk. All of my mech warriors are extremely experienced and skilled.
Seems a little weird to me that a player is limited to a single lance yet you go against a couple lances and other defenses. Is that how they balance the AI? Do you get any forms of support, like AFVs or Arty?
For the ammo dump, I went with a Grasshopper, a Jaegermech with 2 AC5s and 2 AC2s, an Orion, and a Wolverine. I sent the Grasshopper out to the left to take out the transports with the Orion providing cover. The Jaeger popped up over the ridge to take out the one ammo cache next to the two LRM turrets. Once those two turrets are gone, you can stay behind the ridge and let the enemy come to you. Still a very tough fight but I was able to get through with both transports destroyed and 7/8 ammo caches saved. Didn't lose any mechs but my jaeger and my Grasshopper both lost arms.
Quote from: RyanE on May 07, 2018, 08:57:28 AM
Seems a little weird to me that a player is limited to a single lance yet you go against a couple lances and other defenses. Is that how they balance the AI? Do you get any forms of support, like AFVs or Arty?
Sometimes you get support from allied AFVs and stationary base defenses, but its rare in my experience and they are never under your direct control. I do think that limiting the player to a single lance of 4 mechs is a weakness with the game, particularly when you can modify your drop ship to operate 12 mechs and 24 mech warriors at a time.
That being said, I do not see it as an artificial way to balance the game, or compensate for a weak AI. Its not like the AI in the missions where they possess superior numbers fails to utilize the advantage.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on May 07, 2018, 09:06:50 AM
For the ammo dump, I went with a Grasshopper, a Jaegermech with 2 AC5s and 2 AC2s, an Orion, and a Wolverine. I sent the Grasshopper out to the left to take out the transports with the Orion providing cover. The Jaeger popped up over the ridge to take out the one ammo cache next to the two LRM turrets. Once those two turrets are gone, you can stay behind the ridge and let the enemy come to you. Still a very tough fight but I was able to get through with both transports destroyed and 7/8 ammo caches saved. Didn't lose any mechs but my jaeger and my Grasshopper both lost arms.
Where did you acquire those mechs? I haven't even seen a Grasshopper, Jaeger or Orion and I've only faced off against a Wolverine twice.
Also, this is only a two skull mission...in my experience, this one is much harder than most other two skull ops I've run.
Hey JH -- I just did that mission yesterday. Question: is one of your mechs a dedicated missile boat? Especially in this mission, I think one is indispensable in order to be able to hit enemies at a safe, hidden distance.
For this mission, I had: Thunderbolt, Kintaro, Shadow Hawk, and Centurion. In some ways, the Centurion is always my key mech. It can fire a total salvo of 40 LRM++ (in three banks, 15, 15, 10) that do substantial stability damage. My usual tactic involves my scout Shadow Hawk spotting and sensor locking for my Centurion, who then barrages the enemy from safe distance while my other 2 mechs close for the knockdown.
The supply depot mission is very much a 'let them come to you' type mission, though that's usually my SOP anyway. Ignore the cargo trucks; if you try to intercept them, you'll just come in sight of the Turrets, which you want to avoid at all costs. You also want to avoid being spotted by enemy mechs that act as spotters for the missile turrets.
So like you're doing, use the terrain and stay behind the rocky outcroppings and out of sight as much as you can. Use your scout unit to get high and spot -- yes he'll inevitably get spotted and shot at, but using Vigilance helps here. Meanwhile, use your missile boat to knock the hell out of mechs that stick their heads out. In addition to my 40-rocket Centurion, my Kintaro sports 20 LRM++ missiles. Being able to hit an enemy mech with potentially 60 LRMs in a round is key for me. I'm usually guaranteed a knockdown that way.
This is a tough fight. I ignored the cargo trucks but saved all the caches, and the payout was good. My Thunderbolt had an exposed core that made for some dicey rounds, but he survived. Also, because the mission is on an effin' desert planet, heat management makes things harder. (I find I try to avoid missions on deserts -- and esp. lunar -- worlds wherever possible; i look for tundra and polar whenever i can.)
Question for SDR -- I find the Jaegermech hard to use. Do you like yours? I have mine outfitted with one AC 5++ and one AC 10++. Decent armor and 4 jumpjets, so good mobility and heat management. I just find he never packs enough punch to be worth taking him on missions. I usually ignore the AC 2 but maybe I should try outfitting one.
I got the Jaegermech and Wolverine via salvage very early on from side missions. I think I've had the Jaeger since my 3rd or 4th mission. Same with the Grasshopper and Orion but those came later. They were all pre-patch though when fights seemed harder.
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 07, 2018, 09:37:19 AM
Hey JH -- I just did that mission yesterday. Question: is one of your mechs a dedicated missile boat? Especially in this mission, I think one is indispensable in order to be able to hit enemies at a safe, hidden distance.
For this mission, I had: Thunderbolt, Kintaro, Shadow Hawk, and Centurion. In some ways, the Centurion is always my key mech. It can fire a total salvo of 40 LRM++ (in three banks, 15, 15, 10) that do substantial stability damage. My usual tactic involves my scout Shadow Hawk spotting and sensor locking for my Centurion, who then barrages the enemy from safe distance while my other 2 mechs close for the knockdown.
The supply depot mission is very much a 'let them come to you' type mission, though that's usually my SOP anyway. Ignore the cargo trucks; if you try to intercept them, you'll just come in sight of the Turrets, which you want to avoid at all costs. You also want to avoid being spotted by enemy mechs that act as spotters for the missile turrets.
So like you're doing, use the terrain and stay behind the rocky outcroppings and out of sight as much as you can. Use your scout unit to get high and spot -- yes he'll inevitably get spotted and shot at, but using Vigilance helps here. Meanwhile, use your missile boat to knock the hell out of mechs that stick their heads out. In addition to my 40-rocket Centurion, my Kintaro sports 20 LRM++ missiles. Being able to hit an enemy mech with potentially 60 LRMs in a round is key for me. I'm usually guaranteed a knockdown that way.
This is a tough fight. I ignored the cargo trucks but saved all the caches, and the payout was good. My Thunderbolt had an exposed core that made for some dicey rounds, but he survived. Also, because the mission is on an effin' desert planet, heat management makes things harder. (I find I try to avoid missions on deserts -- and esp. lunar -- worlds wherever possible; i look for tundra and polar whenever i can.)
Question for SDR -- I find the Jaegermech hard to use. Do you like yours? I have mine outfitted with one AC 5++ and one AC 10++. Decent armor and 4 jumpjets, so good mobility and heat management. I just find he never packs enough punch to be worth taking him on missions. I usually ignore the AC 2 but maybe I should try outfitting one.
Good advice. I have two centurians, but I normally shelve them since they don't come equipped with jump jets. I prefer mobility and getting in close with guns and lasers. However, I have not tried focusing on LRM strikes for knockdowns. I will give this strategy a shot.
Once again, I have not even come across a Kintaro or Thunderbolt in my travels.
I agree about the desert and lunar worlds. I avoid them like the plague. Especially with my preferred strategy of using heat intensive weaponry.
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 07, 2018, 09:37:19 AM
Question for SDR -- I find the Jaegermech hard to use. Do you like yours? I have mine outfitted with one AC 5++ and one AC 10++. Decent armor and 4 jumpjets, so good mobility and heat management. I just find he never packs enough punch to be worth taking him on missions. I usually ignore the AC 2 but maybe I should try outfitting one.
Love my Jaeger. It and the Grasshopper are the backbone of my Lance. Mine has 2AC5++ and 2AC2+ (still haven't found any ++ AC2s anywhere). I keep it back and park it on high ground with good LOS. Called shots to legs can usually cripple and knock over most mechs in 1-2 volleys. The drawbacks are weak Armor and slow speed but it's usually far enough back where it's not an issue. My Grasshopper scouts forward to contact, gets behind cover and sensor locks and enemy. Jaeger pummels its legs, Grasshopper jumps out and roasts it with 6 flamers which renders it useless for a turn, Jaeger blasts the legs of the next target, Grasshopper flames that one and the other two mechs are on clean up of the cripples or crowd control against vehicles.
FWIW, my Centurion packs the 3 LRM banks, 5 LRM ammo magazines (total of 600 missiles, so lots of staying power, which is also why dividing up into 3 banks 15/15/10 is nice so as to give you some flexibility / conserve ammo when needed), 2 jump jets (so not really mobile, but can scale heights when he needs to), and pretty minimal armor, since if he's ever exposed to direct enemy fire, i've clearly f***ed up. Getting the + and ++ LRMs with extra stability damage is key. Luckily they seem easier to come by than ++ SRM banks, in my experience.
Love the Thunderbolt. Thing carries a ton of armor and a ton of firepower, but unfortunately no AC slots. I was getting pretty frustrated with not being able to field any Heavies, but eventually I've been able to piece them together through salvage when you have a ton of 1 and 2 pieces of mech salvage lying about. So you'll get them, but it's luck of the draw and frustrating while you wait. But pretty great when you do finally have the 3 pieces.
@SDR -- thanks -- maybe I should give the Jaeger another look, with the weapons config. you use. I *really* want a Grasshopper, but only have 1 piece of salvage from the one time I've come across one. But seems like an awesome Heavy.
Sounds to me like your Centurion is already filling the same role as my Jaeger does for me. Long range fire support causing knockdowns. I initially planned on going down the LRM route and had Glitch piloting a Catapult but I ran into a few missions where reinforcements would appear on the flanks and get inside the LRM envelope. One caused an ammo explosion that took out Glitch. That's when I decided to go with the jaeger instead.
Great advice, guys. Thanks.
I may continue to run side ops until I score some of the heavier mechs before trying this campaign mission, which by all accounts appears to be a real bitch. in the meantime, I will experiment with equipping my centurions as dedicated missile whores.
This game is insanely addictive. HBS was very savvy to use XCOM as a template for the campaign/comp. management side of things, since XCOM is, likewise, insanely addictive. Personally, I much prefer the Mech theme to XCOM's 'little green men invading earth' story. But I hope HBS will eventually let us customize the Mechs and Mechwarriors along lines similar to what XCOM and XCOM2 give you. Just customizing your troopers in XCOM was half the fun of the game to me.
EDIT -- I mean cosmetic customization -- obviously BT gives you lots of customization with Mechs' weapons loadouts etc.
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 07, 2018, 10:56:24 AM
This game is insanely addictive. HBS was very savvy to use XCOM as a template for the campaign/comp. management side of things, since XCOM is, likewise, insanely addictive. Personally, I much prefer the Mech theme to XCOM's 'little green men invading earth' story. But I hope HBS will eventually let us customize the Mechs and Mechwarriors along lines similar to what XCOM and XCOM2 give you. Just customizing your troopers in XCOM was half the fun of the game to me.
EDIT -- I mean cosmetic customization -- obviously BT gives you lots of customization with Mechs' weapons loadouts etc.
My understanding is that the first major free update will permit the player to customize his/her mech warriors.
The game is fun. The memory leaks and not releasing memory after exit (seems to be a unity thing since other unity based games do it too) are annoying.
There is a deception and deflection campaign being waged via pronouns, hair color, and Steam Workshop support covering up the most important question in the BT universe. Where are the aliens? Did humanity, in its own dickish way, lay waste to every ET we encountered in our blood thirsty expansion into the universe? Did the movie industry drive such deep seeded fears of anything not earth based human that we just went native if anything said hello. I want to know the truth of this xenophobic purge. :tickedoff:
Kidding of course. :bd:
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 07, 2018, 11:10:51 AM
his/her mech warriors.
I think you must mean his/her/their warriors.
(yes, completely kidding. Really don't want to touch off arguments about BT's 'choose your own pronoun' option -- I rolled my eyes when I first saw it, but I honestly don't think it's a big deal. But I couldn't resist.)
EDIT -- oops, missed Capn Darwin's post! #:-)
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 07, 2018, 11:22:38 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 07, 2018, 11:10:51 AM
his/her mech warriors.
I think you must mean his/her/their warriors.
(yes, completely kidding. Really don't want to touch off arguments about BT's 'choose your own pronoun' option -- I rolled my eyes when I first saw it, but I honestly don't think it's a big deal. But I couldn't resist.)
EDIT -- oops, missed Capn Darwin's post! #:-)
I refuse to acknowledge the fact that such an option actually exists... :idiot2:
the ammo dump is the only mission ive restarted multiple times. i had to get those damn transports!!! i did not see the ammo cache that takes out two of those turrets as i was to busy running off to the left to get in position for the transports. would have made the mission much easier without those!! i have two dedicated LRM mechs and at the time of the mission i was running a centurion, two shadowhawks and a wolverine. moltenmetal just posted a video of this exact mission on youtube yesterday.
Ha, I forgot you could take out the turrets that way! I would've been tempted to had I remembered. But at least I wound up saving all the caches by forgetting it was an option to blow them up.
To me, the transports just seemed like a "OK you've got to be kidding me" distraction. There was no way I could get to them without jeopardizing the entire mission and probably losing a Mech/Mechwarrior along the way. Just did not seem worth it to me. Not sure I'd go after them in a 2nd playthrough, either. You get plenty for just completing the mission and saving the caches.
I tried that one about a half dozen times without blowing up any ammo dumps and killing both transports. Came close but just couldn't do it without the loss of a mech. I finally went with the option to kill the one ammo dump that knocked out both LRM turrets and that made it doable. The Grasshopper is fast enough to catch the transports and with some LRM assists, can take them both out and get back into the fight without suffering too badly. There is a very nasty turret over where the transports try to get to though.
Thanks for the recommendation on dedicated missile loadoits. Extremely effective. I refit two centurions to mount LRMs with plenty of spare ammo and DAAAAMMMNNN! Let's just say I have a kintaro and trebuchet now too. The kintaro is a killer.
Still holding off on that ammo dump mission, but soon...
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 07, 2018, 10:03:42 AM
FWIW, my Centurion packs the 3 LRM banks, 5 LRM ammo magazines (total of 600 missiles, so lots of staying power, which is also why dividing up into 3 banks 15/15/10 is nice so as to give you some flexibility / conserve ammo when needed), 2 jump jets (so not really mobile, but can scale heights when he needs to), and pretty minimal armor, since if he's ever exposed to direct enemy fire, i've clearly f***ed up. Getting the + and ++ LRMs with extra stability damage is key. Luckily they seem easier to come by than ++ SRM banks, in my experience.
I went the other way with my Centurion, 720 SRMs in 3 banks plus 2 medium lasers, and all the armor I could add to it. Might give your LRM build a try.
Haven't been been able to piece together a heavy yet
I just popped AC20's on everything. Ran with two AC20 loaded dragons, a Jagermech with two AC20's and a Cataphract with an AC20 supported by Medium Laser spam. Not much that lives when you combine that much dakka with Jagermechs.
Just got some Star League stuff though, time to try out Gauss.
@SidAndrew and Kushan -- it sounds like you guys are going down the "Jump jets and mobility are overrated, build tanks" route. I guess that's the only way I can imagine you get those loadouts, by sacrificing JJs, possibly heatsinks too.
I've really been struggling with 'tank' builds myself. Dragon in particular is hard for me to make effective. At 60 tons, it's not really big enough to wield an AC20 *and* have good armor *and* sufficient ammo *and* decent mobility. (The 5-rounds per mag. with AC20 ammo kills me. It's just so little.)
I've tried running the Dragon with an AC20++ (plus a couple of Flamers; no other weapons fit if I get 4 ammo mags. in there, which seems the absolute minimum if the thing wants to fight any sustained battle). But the thing has no JJs, and does not have great armor at all -- somewhere 800-900. It takes a serious beating every fight, since enemies always focus fire on it. And it has to get in close to be effective. But by getting in close, it still lacks good Evasion (2-3 chevrons at most), and you can only use Vigilance so often. So it doesn't take much for enemy mechs to focus fire, get good hits, and wear down my Drag's armor *very* quickly.
I'm struggling too, but less so, with my Thunderbolt, which is a heavier Mech and better overall. Ditching the PPC is a good idea -- thing is too heavy and hot. And this one has great armor (close to 1200). But no JJs, no mobility. Similarly, it always takes a beating.
I guess I just can't see how tanks exceed or even match good mobility in this game. 4-5 JJs seem preferable to good armor to me. What am I missing?
EDIT: Also, SirAndrew, how the hell did you fit *2* AC20s on a Jagermech?? Is the thing made of paper?
This game needs more robust MP to let the min- max jibber-jabber begin in earnest!
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 08, 2018, 12:25:05 PM
@SidAndrew and Kushan -- it sounds like you guys are going down the "Jump jets and mobility are overrated, build tanks" route. I guess that's the only way I can imagine you get those loadouts, by sacrificing JJs, possibly heatsinks too.
I've really been struggling with 'tank' builds myself. Dragon in particular is hard for me to make effective. At 60 tons, it's not really big enough to wield an AC20 *and* have good armor *and* sufficient ammo *and* decent mobility. (The 5-rounds per mag. with AC20 ammo kills me. It's just so little.)
I've tried running the Dragon with an AC20++ (plus a couple of Flamers; no other weapons fit if I get 4 ammo mags. in there, which seems the absolute minimum if the thing wants to fight any sustained battle). But the thing has no JJs, and does not have great armor at all -- somewhere 800-900. It takes a serious beating every fight, since enemies always focus fire on it. And it has to get in close to be effective. But by getting in close, it still lacks good Evasion (2-3 chevrons at most), and you can only use Vigilance so often. So it doesn't take much for enemy mechs to focus fire, get good hits, and wear down my Drag's armor *very* quickly.
I'm struggling too, but less so, with my Thunderbolt, which is a heavier Mech and better overall. Ditching the PPC is a good idea -- thing is too heavy and hot. And this one has great armor (close to 1200). But no JJs, no mobility. Similarly, it always takes a beating.
I guess I just can't see how tanks exceed or even match good mobility in this game. 4-5 JJs seem preferable to good armor to me. What am I missing?
EDIT: Also, SirAndrew, how the hell did you fit *2* AC20s on a Jagermech?? Is the thing made of paper?
I really like mobility, but there gets to be a point where evasion is not as good as sheer firepower and armor. Evasion doesn't mean you won't get hit, just that you've got a chance not to. Hunchbacks, Jagermechs and almost any Assault Mech can one shot a 50 ton range mech with Jump Jets on a lucky shot. Also once LRM15's and 20's start to show up Evasion just doesn't seem to help as much as a stronger chassis.
I do like exploiting firing arcs. But with the current balance, AC's are much better than Energy, and their brute strength can overcome finesse, even with better salvage opportunity.
An AC20, extra crit kneecapper with a strong knockdown means you'll be spamming Precision Strike to leg mechs and get 2 salvage. Precision for the knockdown. Called shot the other leg. Morale bonus pops up another Precision Strike. Repeat.
The BoomJager is something I've toyed with in a lot of other Battletech games. It's not very under armored compared to stock. Two AC20's, three tons of ammo, One Heat Sink, 70, 120, 90 on the front. Arms are weak at 35.
Key with it is to make sure it's not the first Mech up, I usually use that for my Assault Mechs, or Cataphract, so I keep it in reserve. Pick your timing with it and precision shot to the leg with my best sharpshooter. That'll typically take the leg off any Mech not a 85 ton or over. It will one shot most Mechs under 75 tons with a chest target. It's not the best design, but it works in those eight on 4 scenarios where you absolutely need a to kill two Mechs on your turn to stay above water.
For the AC20 Dragon build, you don't need three tons of ammo. If you have more than two mechs in your lance with AC20's, there won't be enough living enemies to ever be there to take 10 shots until Assaults start showing up. One AC20, two tons of Ammo, 2 Medium Lasers. Pump the rest into Armor and Heat Sinks.
First game not viable, on to game two. This completely normal for me..first one is the learning game, to get the lay of the land.
I have four mechs better than the spyder and locust, and I will start the Argo recovery mission next. I have over 1/2m c-bills, and feel I am in a pretty good position.
The several missions I have completed have been relatively easy, except for one building defense mission that had 6 mechs and two vehicles. I was out of position to intercept the second wave. Note to self: Going out to intercept attackers on a defense mission isn't real smart.
I have determined that having one fewer weapon in favor of more heat sinks/front facing armor is reasonable. It's all about the c-bills, and not taking internals.
Story missions are starting to get ridiculous.
SPOILER WARNING
I'm stuck on the mission where you're supposed to rescue Alex from the APC.
First off, I don't think it's possible to even get to the prisoner convoy before it gets to the base so right off the bat, you're up against 5 vehicles, 3 turrets and a mech. I was able to take them down without too much damage but I did burn through a lot of ammo.
Then you have to fight off a wave of reinforcements. 3-4 mechs and 3-4 tanks that arrive as a scripted event and get to activate before you can react. Took them out but suffered a few ammo blowthroughs and burned through the last of my LRM and flamer ammo.
Then you have to get to a rendezvous point. I figured it would end once I got into the zone but nope, you then have to keep all 4 mechs in the zone and just basically get the snot pounded out of you by 8 enemy mechs for 5 turns until relief shows up. Bloody ridiculous.
Quote from: DennisS on May 09, 2018, 12:47:49 PM
First game not viable, on to game two. This completely normal for me..first one is the learning game, to get the lay of the land.
Same here. First campaign attempt ended in disaster. Second has worked out well so far. Though I'm also convinced the difficulty got toned down with the patch. Surprised I haven't seen chatter to that effect on the Pdox forums.
Like SirAndrew says, get the Argo at all costs. Changes the campaign completely for you, for the better.
Woohoo! Finally looted a Heavy Mech not called a Jagermech. An Orion no less. No more Glass Cannons.
I've really been boned by the RNG in this game. Until today, outside story missions, I've barely seen anything outside an endless cavalcade of Dragons and Jagermechs for my heavy pickings. I've got parts of Stalker and Awesome that I killed on a 3 1/2 mission for Davion, but I've never even seen a Black Knight (outside of story) or Grasshopper.
I feel you get to a bit of a catch 22 when you go far in the missions. You need to take higher difficulty missions to get the heavier mechs, but you need heavier mechs to take the higher missions.
Until this last mission I'd been in a rut. Heck, I even saw and got 2/3's of a Catapult!
In my last contract, my four mechs were pink in color and semi-transparent. They looked like pink ghosts. The enemy mechs and vehicles all looked normal. Has anyone else seen this?
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 09, 2018, 06:03:17 PM
Quote from: DennisS on May 09, 2018, 12:47:49 PM
First game not viable, on to game two. This completely normal for me..first one is the learning game, to get the lay of the land.
Same here. First campaign attempt ended in disaster. Second has worked out well so far. Though I'm also convinced the difficulty got toned down with the patch. Surprised I haven't seen chatter to that effect on the Pdox forums.
Like SirAndrew says, get the Argo at all costs. Changes the campaign completely for you, for the better.
I THINK I am ready for the Argo. The money alone will keep me going for several months.
A concern of mine is when to upgrade the Argo. Monies are scarce, and I don't know where and how much to spend right away. COHH says the part of the ship that gives tech points need to be priority one. Thoughts?
Yes to Tech points.
First things you'll want to press are tech points, medical points and morale.
Engines are also great, they make your travel time faster.
Quote from: Labbug on May 09, 2018, 07:53:58 PM
In my last contract, my four mechs were pink in color and semi-transparent. They looked like pink ghosts. The enemy mechs and vehicles all looked normal. Has anyone else seen this?
Yeah, I've gotten this bug a few times. Save/quit and reload the save solves it for me.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on May 09, 2018, 06:21:04 PM
I feel you get to a bit of a catch 22 when you go far in the missions. You need to take higher difficulty missions to get the heavier mechs, but you need heavier mechs to take the higher missions.
I know what you mean. I also *hate* when you get a challenging (3/3.5 skulls for me) "Take the Bait" mission, with high payout, but you go for the 70,000 cash and 3 salvage because, hey, there might be something good you can catch! Except that the 'heavy' bandit turns out to be a single freakin' 80 ton vehicle... 'protected' by a Locust, Panther, and Trebuchet. >:(
I really want an Orion or any 70-ton heavy that can take the AC20 and actually wield it to good effect with decent armor. I just can't make the Dragon or Jagermech work for me tactics-wise. I have a pair of Thunderbolts, which are great, but they have no AC slots.
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 09, 2018, 11:47:43 PM
I know what you mean. I also *hate* when you get a challenging (3/3.5 skulls for me) "Take the Bait" mission, with high payout, but you go for the 70,000 cash and 3 salvage because, hey, there might be something good you can catch! Except that the 'heavy' bandit turns out to be a single freakin' 80 ton vehicle... 'protected' by a Locust, Panther, and Trebuchet. >:(
I really want an Orion or any 70-ton heavy that can take the AC20 and actually wield it to good effect with decent armor. I just can't make the Dragon or Jagermech work for me tactics-wise. I have a pair of Thunderbolts, which are great, but they have no AC slots.
Yeah, I really hate that as well. The last couple of nights I kept hitting 3/3.5 and getting eight mediums and a whole bunch of vehicles.
Luck finally broke tonight though. In just three missions I salvaged two Orions and a PPC Catapult. The Orions are already making for great uparmored brawlers with AC20's with Medium laser spam. They can make a fair multi-range jack of all trades too.
So.......I'm at a point where I think I have to wait for the difficulty sliders/adjustments patch :-\
Game is fun and awesome, but just way too difficult for me. Mainly due to my lack of tactical experience/knowledge, but I don't regret one second buying this game.
I had a mission last night where the stupid dropship kept delivering one of my mechs onto a large rock. The mech wasn't equipped with jumpjets so it could not move. Very frustrating. I had to reload the mission with a reordered lance so that a mech with jumpjets was dropped onto that spot.
Very annoying.
I also had one of those three skull missions last night with a "heavy" target objective where I raised the salvage recovery over C-bills and ended up fighting light mechs and large tracked vehicle. Dumb. This three skull mission was easier than many 1.5 skull missions I've been on and certainly easier than the 2 skull ammo dump campaign mission. The fact that the game is difficult at times isn't the problem. The real issue is that the difficulty rating system is extremely unreliable. I get that there is sometimes a lack of intelligence, or due to misinformation, but that is not always made clear. I think the difficulty rating system needs to be focused and rebalanced.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 10, 2018, 09:05:58 AM
I had a mission last night where the stupid dropship kept delivering one of my mechs onto a large rock. The mech wasn't equipped with jumpjets so it could not move. Very frustrating. I had to reload the mission with a reordered lance so that a mech with jumpjets was dropped onto that spot.
Very annoying.
I also had one of those three skull missions last night with a "heavy" target objective where I raised the salvage recovery over C-bills and ended up fighting light mechs and large tracked vehicle. Dumb. This three skull mission was easier than many 1.5 skull missions I've been on and certainly easier than the 2 skull ammo dump campaign mission. The fact that the game is difficult at times isn't the problem. The real issue is that the difficulty rating system is extremely unreliable. I get that there is sometimes a lack of intelligence, or due to misinformation, but that is not always made clear. I think the difficulty rating system needs to be focused and rebalanced.
Warning - there be numbers here!
I taught statistics for several years. My ideas on difficulty ratings are that they need to resemble a distribution curve, with a small standard deviation.
Lets assume 30 tons per mech average per skull. Not sure what this value is, but for the porpoises of discussion, let's place it there.
30 tons for one skull - 120 tons total
40 tons for two skulls - 160 tons total
50 tons for three skulls - 200 tons total
60 tons for four skulls - 240 tons total
70 tons for five skulls - 280 tons total
One standard deviation, covering about 70% of the missions, would have a total tunnage within 20 tons (5 tons/mech being the deviation)
One deviation - 70% of missions
One skull - 100 to 140 tons
Two skulls - 140 to 180 tons
Three skulls - 180 to 220 tons
Four skulls - 220 to 260 tons
Five skulls - 260 to 300 tons
Adding in a second standard deviation would comprise from about 70% to 95% of all mission generations, or about 1/4th of the time
Two deviations - 25% of missions
One skull - 80 to 160 tons
Two skulls - 120 to 200 tons
Three skulls - 160 to 240 tons
Four skulls - 200 to 280 tons
Five skulls - 240 to 320 tons
Adding in a third deviation would get silly...and would result in 60 tons all the way to 340 tons, with wide variations to individual battles.
With any system where forces are generated semi-randomly, you're going to have cases where a strong one-skull may be tougher than a weak two-skull. The way around this would be to reduce the level of deviation between skulls. This is not optimal. I WANT a combination of easy and more difficult missions.
I do not know how HBS selects what mechs show up in a lance. This is one way to do it:
Roll on the standard deviation table for total tonnage. One skull? Let's say the AI got lucky, and rolled 140 tons.
Roll for first mech - On the 140 ton, none selected yet. This list almost certainly would not, could not have a 100-ton atlas...insufficient tonnage left for three other mechs. I would limit tonnage for first mech to 50% total tunnage available.
BOOM! Nice roll, a 50-ton Enforcer, with an AC-10!
90 tons left, three techs to get
BOOM! A 40-ton Vulcan...down to 50 tons left.
Clearly, gotta save a minimum of 20 tons for the fourth, so you get a 30-20, or two 25 ton mechs.
This system, or one similar to this would work. I suspect that HBS' system is fantastically more complex than this..this took me 5 minutes to puzzle out.
You guys are nerds.
And the best kind of nerds at that.
I'm going to pour me a cocktail, pull up a chair, and listen.
Beta release 1.0.3 is available on Steam.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/637090/discussions/0/2828702372993202160/
:dreamer:
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 07, 2018, 09:47:46 AM
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 07, 2018, 09:37:19 AM
Hey JH -- I just did that mission yesterday. Question: is one of your mechs a dedicated missile boat? Especially in this mission, I think one is indispensable in order to be able to hit enemies at a safe, hidden distance.
For this mission, I had: Thunderbolt, Kintaro, Shadow Hawk, and Centurion. In some ways, the Centurion is always my key mech. It can fire a total salvo of 40 LRM++ (in three banks, 15, 15, 10) that do substantial stability damage. My usual tactic involves my scout Shadow Hawk spotting and sensor locking for my Centurion, who then barrages the enemy from safe distance while my other 2 mechs close for the knockdown.
The supply depot mission is very much a 'let them come to you' type mission, though that's usually my SOP anyway. Ignore the cargo trucks; if you try to intercept them, you'll just come in sight of the Turrets, which you want to avoid at all costs. You also want to avoid being spotted by enemy mechs that act as spotters for the missile turrets.
So like you're doing, use the terrain and stay behind the rocky outcroppings and out of sight as much as you can. Use your scout unit to get high and spot -- yes he'll inevitably get spotted and shot at, but using Vigilance helps here. Meanwhile, use your missile boat to knock the hell out of mechs that stick their heads out. In addition to my 40-rocket Centurion, my Kintaro sports 20 LRM++ missiles. Being able to hit an enemy mech with potentially 60 LRMs in a round is key for me. I'm usually guaranteed a knockdown that way.
This is a tough fight. I ignored the cargo trucks but saved all the caches, and the payout was good. My Thunderbolt had an exposed core that made for some dicey rounds, but he survived. Also, because the mission is on an effin' desert planet, heat management makes things harder. (I find I try to avoid missions on deserts -- and esp. lunar -- worlds wherever possible; i look for tundra and polar whenever i can.)
Question for SDR -- I find the Jaegermech hard to use. Do you like yours? I have mine outfitted with one AC 5++ and one AC 10++. Decent armor and 4 jumpjets, so good mobility and heat management. I just find he never packs enough punch to be worth taking him on missions. I usually ignore the AC 2 but maybe I should try outfitting one.
Good advice. I have two centurians, but I normally shelve them since they don't come equipped with jump jets. I prefer mobility and getting in close with guns and lasers. However, I have not tried focusing on LRM strikes for knockdowns. I will give this strategy a shot.
Once again, I have not even come across a Kintaro or Thunderbolt in my travels.
I agree about the desert and lunar worlds. I avoid them like the plague. Especially with my preferred strategy of using heat intensive weaponry.
I did the Smithon mission with a Kintaro, Quickdraw, Shadow Hawk, and Trebuchet. At the end only the Shadow Hawk and the Treb were standing. The treb ended it with no missiles and 1 arm and he punched the dragon to end it.
I loved my Jager, but it sure was a glass cannon. It mostly sits in the mech bay now.
I just salvaged my first Awesome, but it was an 8T. The 8T is anything but Awesome. I prefer my brawler Orions.
I'm going to head back to the story line with my Highlander, with two Orions and a Cataphract.
All these heavy and assault mechs are starting to make me feel like a Steiner.
What do you put in a Steiner scout lance?
Atlas-D Scout
Atlas-D backup Scout
Atlas-D Support
Atlas-D Brawler
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on May 09, 2018, 12:57:07 PM
Story missions are starting to get ridiculous.
SPOILER WARNING
I'm stuck on the mission where you're supposed to rescue Alex from the APC.
First off, I don't think it's possible to even get to the prisoner convoy before it gets to the base so right off the bat, you're up against 5 vehicles, 3 turrets and a mech. I was able to take them down without too much damage but I did burn through a lot of ammo.
Then you have to fight off a wave of reinforcements. 3-4 mechs and 3-4 tanks that arrive as a scripted event and get to activate before you can react. Took them out but suffered a few ammo blowthroughs and burned through the last of my LRM and flamer ammo.
Then you have to get to a rendezvous point. I figured it would end once I got into the zone but nope, you then have to keep all 4 mechs in the zone and just basically get the snot pounded out of you by 8 enemy mechs for 5 turns until relief shows up. Bloody ridiculous.
SPOILER WARNINGYeah, that was a rough mission. I don't it is possible to get to the APC. Possibly if you had mediums or lights and went up the road, but they wouldn't survive. I think it is part of the story anyways that she takes off with him.
just finished the rescue alex mission. had to take kamea of course but also brought the highlander and two thunderbolts. both thunderbolts were LRM carriers so had plenty of ammo for the fighting. kamea took a pounding. she took a couple of injuries but survived. atlas was wrecked at the end but it was still standing! even fought an extra round at the end because i moved the highlander out of the zone by mistake :( good mission, i liked it. bring plenty of firepower!!
I just came across my first heavy on a 2 skull mission...a cataphract. Wow.
I'm running with 2 kintaros, a trebuchet and a hunchback. My inclination to keep the hunchback in my lance is wavering. The AC 20 is great, but that's all it has going for it. A centurion loaded with LRMs May be more effective overall....
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 11, 2018, 05:57:53 AM
I just came across my first heavy on a 2 skull mission...a cataphract. Wow.
I'm running with 2 kintaros, a trebuchet and a hunchback. My inclination to keep the hunchback in my lance is wavering. The AC 20 is great, but that's all it has going for it. A centurion loaded with LRMs May be more effective overall....
The Cataphract is a great mech. It can do almost anything. If you manage to salvage one you can move the AC20 over there and wreck face with it. It can take the AC20 and still have support lasers and good heat management.
How you decide to use the Hunchback decides its utility. I used mine with a Centurion, both equipped with AC20's to target legs on precision strike. Then I put the kill blow on with the other leg delievered by my heavier mechs. It worked in the early midgame, but I abandoned it when I got heaver machines.
The AC20 alone on one Mech is ok. Bringing two or three is where they become very good. You can get a lot of salvage by precision striking legs, and coming out with 2/3 of a Mech almost every time.
However, like you say LRM's may be more effective overall. I priority hit a Trebuchet or Catapult every time I see one because of their knockdown potential.
I'm not really a fan of the Kintaro. I felt like it was a heat generating monster when I was using it. Like the above it's good for a knockdown though.
im on the assaulting coromordir story mission. currently running missions to collect enough mechs and weapons to field two lances and training some pilots for them. last mission my pilot took a headshot from a hunchback ac/20. luckily i am invincible and only out for 70 days!! my main lance has two highlanders(one from story mission and a different model sporting a ppc) other two mechs are missile boats. both are jagermech A models that have 4 missile hardpoints. i have put one lrm 20 and two lrm 15 on each. also carry 7 tons of ammo so no back armor for these mechs :idiot2: can make mechs unsteady in one barrage and the next one knocks em down. leaves my two highlanders with called shots and hopefully kills. that is the gameplan anyway!! argo has been fully maxed out for awhile now and my morale is maxed at 50. great starting a mission with being able to precision strike 2-3 times if necessary.
I'm trying to set up for the final mission as well. I need to get two pilots up to snuff and get one more decent heavy or assault mech before I try to take on the mission though.
I'm currently on what's turning out to be a very tough random mission. I need to assassinate a legendary pilot leader. He's driving a King Crab Assault mech. First time seeing this beast for me. I was able to knock it down and get my Grasshopper in range to flame/stomp it so it's pretty much totally defensive now. Each turn, my flamers overheat it so all it can do is take a few steps and try to cool down. The problem is that it has 7 mechs (Jenner, 2 Quickshots, Trebuchet, Grasshopper, Orion, and Thunderbolt) And well as 2 Devastators and one PPC tank in support and those things are slowly pounding my mechs into dust. I really want that King Crab though so I'll keep trying this one.
Are catapults worth fielding? The dual PPCs are underwhelming, but if it can be set up as a missile boat, then just maybe....I've presently got a Thunderbolt, Quickdraw, Kintaro and Trebuchet in my lance. Considering subbing out the Kintaro for another Thunderbolt in my bay, but the Kintaro has great firepower...
Well crap. Just lost my first mission. Had to intercept and destroy a convoy. Problem was four mechs interposed themselves between me and the convoy. Two Panthers, a Blackjack, and a Vindicator. I had four mediums, not significantly heavier than them. The panthers jumped all over the place, and it took too long for me to kill them all.
Good news is that I am just about ready to go to Weldry, and I have three bits and pieces of assault mechs, and I JUST spent a ton of money on a PPC++, which will add +10 to the damage!
Beware downloading the 1.03 Beta. After opting in, time progression stalled on a financial report, and it just stuck and done. After that, no time based progress on anything would progress, including repairs, refits and healing. Campaign is broken for me until a fix is in. Saw a few reports on the Paradox forums that indicate I'm not alone.
Seems to be hit or miss. Time progression is still working for me but I have had a few lock ups occur during battles when the melee animations try to load.
I'm on 1.0.3 beta from 1.0.2 without an issue. Did you run a verify on your files?
Quote from: Capn Darwin on May 13, 2018, 10:19:04 PM
I'm on 1.0.3 beta from 1.0.2 without an issue. Did you run a verify on your files?
Doing it now. It wasn't having an issue most of the day. It happened very suddenly, and now I can't seem to roll it back. Going back to previous saves it'll still do it.
I'd just cleared off all my pre 1.03 saves. Guess that was a mistake or I could just roll back. Might be a show stopper till it's fixed.
I finally attempted and beat the ammo dump mission. I used the extreme right of the battlefield which was a very good elevated position with a large boulder for cover, but with room to maneuver, as well. I ended up surviving relatively unscathed. The heaviest mechs I had to deal with were a dragon and griffon. Everything else was 35 tons or less.
The dragon is intimidating when you see one on the field, but my experience fighting against it is that it's really a pussy cat. It can soak up a lot more damage than it can actually deal out. There are much lighter, but more dangerous mechs out there.
How many different mech models are represented in the game?
Quote from: Gusington on May 14, 2018, 06:43:16 AM
How many different mech models are represented in the game?
Buy the damn game!
I did...pre-ordered, even. Just haven't got there yet.
I think some people are having problems due to either missing or corrupted support library files, 3rd party programs running in the background (one guy traced his problem to a Nicon camera app he was running), and drivers. Certain AV programs may be causing problems too. I hope you get it figured out.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on May 13, 2018, 10:29:17 PM
Quote from: Capn Darwin on May 13, 2018, 10:19:04 PM
I'm on 1.0.3 beta from 1.0.2 without an issue. Did you run a verify on your files?
Doing it now. It wasn't having an issue most of the day. It happened very suddenly, and now I can't seem to roll it back. Going back to previous saves it'll still do it.
I'd just cleared off all my pre 1.03 saves. Guess that was a mistake or I could just roll back. Might be a show stopper till it's fixed.
The patch notes didn't seem worth the risk to my campaign. I'll update once the patch has been fully tested and it goes live.
For Gus:
LIGHT
Locust
Commando
Spider
Firestarter
Jenner
Panther
Urbanmech
MEDIUM
Cicada
Blackjack
Vindicator
Centurion
Enforcer
Hunchback
Trebuchet
Griffin
Kintaro
Shadowhawk
Wolverine
HEAVY
Dragon
Quickdraw
Catapult
JagerMech
Thunderbolt
Grasshopper
Orion
Cataphract
Black Knight
ASSAULT
Awesome
Victor
Zeus
BattleMaster
Stalker
Highlander
Banshee
King Crab
Atlas
Here is a link to a ton of stats: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fnaqQv8nnYpy9gtQm75-D6fmYfNJ5u3OALSIe8ckOuo/htmlview?sle=true#
^Thanks Flick and Geezer!
Quote from: Capn Darwin on May 14, 2018, 07:16:15 AM
I think some people are having problems due to either missing or corrupted support library files, 3rd party programs running in the background (one guy traced his problem to a Nicon camera app he was running), and drivers. Certain AV programs may be causing problems too. I hope you get it figured out.
Unfortunately validation and a reinstall didn't do anything. I did have one surviving post 1.0.3 save that went back far enough that it wasn't happening, but in every one after that, the financial report doesn't pop and the time progression stops.
There are more bug report threads on it popping up on the Paradox site, sadly not all consolidated in the same place, but I put my report in. Looks like they have a few save games to look at.
I really hope HBS has a look at this one. It seems to be something that started with 1.0.3, and if they send it up live with this in there, a lot more people are going to hit it, and it's a showstopper.
Well, 1.0.3 went live today, with the Financial Report time stop bug intact. Doesn't look like HBS acknowledged the threads on the Paradox boards. Starting to see a few people getting upset on some other forums.
Lost behemoth last night and felt sad... lost all my original mech warriors now... got mashed by 4 heavy tanks when my hits were either missing or not doing much and then their reinforcement mechs pummelled my damaged team.
Was left with one Shadowhawk with one arm and leg......but won the mission. felt like a loss. Repairs and injuries gonna take ages....
Quote from: FlickJax on May 16, 2018, 03:58:29 AM
Lost behemoth last night and felt sad... lost all my original mech warriors now... got mashed by 4 heavy tanks when my hits were either missing or not doing much and then their reinforcement mechs pummelled my damaged team.
Was left with one Shadowhawk with one arm and leg......but won the mission. felt like a loss. Repairs and injuries gonna take ages....
I just spent a f*ckton of money for a PPC++. The very first shot I took with it, at range, with precision strike, missed. Missed so badly that I got an achievement for it. O0 ... I love this game!
Quote from: DennisS on May 16, 2018, 07:13:10 AM
Quote from: FlickJax on May 16, 2018, 03:58:29 AM
Lost behemoth last night and felt sad... lost all my original mech warriors now... got mashed by 4 heavy tanks when my hits were either missing or not doing much and then their reinforcement mechs pummelled my damaged team.
Was left with one Shadowhawk with one arm and leg......but won the mission. felt like a loss. Repairs and injuries gonna take ages....
I just spent a f*ckton of money for a PPC++. The very first shot I took with it, at range, with precision strike, missed. Missed so badly that I got an achievement for it. O0 ... I love this game!
If they give you awards for bad dice rolls, I'll be having lotsa fruit salad.
Quote from: Nefaro on May 16, 2018, 08:08:44 PM
Quote from: DennisS on May 16, 2018, 07:13:10 AM
Quote from: FlickJax on May 16, 2018, 03:58:29 AM
Lost behemoth last night and felt sad... lost all my original mech warriors now... got mashed by 4 heavy tanks when my hits were either missing or not doing much and then their reinforcement mechs pummelled my damaged team.
Was left with one Shadowhawk with one arm and leg......but won the mission. felt like a loss. Repairs and injuries gonna take ages....
I just spent a f*ckton of money for a PPC++. The very first shot I took with it, at range, with precision strike, missed. Missed so badly that I got an achievement for it. O0 ... I love this game!
If they give you awards for bad dice rolls, I'll be having lotsa fruit salad.
I looked it up. Awarded the first time a called shot misses. Just happened to be the PPC++.
I'll say it again, this one distills a generation of gaming and, for want of a more profound phrase, gaming wisdom into decisions like that.
Ok...been playing for a little while now (just did my first mission post-Argo). I'm trying to figure out how best to set my mechs and lance. Like how I want to distinguish them: this one is an armored brawler, this one is a sniper, etc along with how to outfit them.
I can't seem to figure out how jump jets work. I mean, I know how to use them to jump, but does it matter where on the mech I put them? Or why would I want more than one? If I have multiple jets does that mean I can jump further or more often?
Also, once you get a small stable of medium mechs (and a heavy Jager), is there any point to using light mechs? Doesn't seem like a way to avoid detection so as soon as my spider or locust is spotted, I end up spending more energy keeping the mech from dying than doing anything constructive.
Quote from: mikeck on May 16, 2018, 09:49:11 PM
Ok...been playing for a little while now (just did my first mission post-Argo). I'm trying to figure out how best to set my mechs and lance. Like how I want to distinguish them: this one is an armored brawler, this one is a sniper, etc along with how to outfit them.
I can't seem to figure out how jump jets work. I mean, I know how to use them to jump, but does it matter where on the mech I put them? Or why would I want more than one? If I have multiple jets does that mean I can jump further or more often?
Also, once you get a small stable of medium mechs (and a heavy Jager), is there any point to using light mechs? Doesn't seem like a way to avoid detection so as soon as my spider or locust is spotted, I end up spending more energy keeping the mech from dying than doing anything constructive.
I saw COHH mismanage the hell out of his lance by over-using his jump jets, in an environment where heat is dissipated poorly. He just didn't have the energy available to shoot all his weapons.
But why do I want more than one jump jet? What's the advantage of more? Distance?
Quote from: mikeck on May 17, 2018, 06:04:36 PM
But why do I want more than one jump jet? What's the advantage of more? Distance?
Yes. More distance, and don't quote me, there may be other bonuses as well.
I am thinking, increasingly, that my sniper mech needs to have jump jets, to jump UP onto a better firing perch. You get bonuses to hit when you are higher.
Pilot bonuses of guardian and gunnery would seem to work well together.
I had my first pasting on a storyline mission. Enemy SRM carriers.
Apparently these tiny trucks can carry 4 times the missiles my mechs can. Oh yeah, and the SHORT range missiles they use seem awfully long ranged and accurate
Quote from: mikeck on May 17, 2018, 09:11:32 PM
I had my first pasting on a storyline mission. Enemy SRM carriers.
Apparently these tiny trucks can carry 4 times the missiles my mechs can. Oh yeah, and the SHORT range missiles they use seem awfully long ranged and accurate
LRM carriers, and vehicles in general are a pain in the ass. I try to close the range as fast as I can. A quick stomp, and they're dead.
Quote from: DennisS on May 17, 2018, 09:33:13 PM
Quote from: mikeck on May 17, 2018, 09:11:32 PM
I had my first pasting on a storyline mission. Enemy SRM carriers.
Apparently these tiny trucks can carry 4 times the missiles my mechs can. Oh yeah, and the SHORT range missiles they use seem awfully long ranged and accurate
LRM carriers, and vehicles in general are a pain in the ass. I try to close the range as fast as I can. A quick stomp, and they're dead.
Why then did they invent mechs when vehicles can get the job done?
Kewl factor!
If you hate tracked vehicles now, Wait until you come across an 80 ton nightmare with three PPCs or two AC20s. Devastating.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 18, 2018, 06:55:50 AM
If you hate tracked vehicles now, Wait until you come across an 80 ton nightmare with three PPCs or two AC20s. Devastating.
Silliness.
Why the hell would I spend the time, money and effort building and maintaining a mech when I can carry more firepower in a vehicle. Seems like a cheap way to make a scenario harder or an unimaginative way of making vehicles relevant late game.
Got this in the mail from Green Man Gaming:
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Conan: Exiles 26,79€
But better hurry up - the voucher's only valid until the 25th of May!*
Use BEST33
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Quote from: mikeck on May 18, 2018, 09:23:15 AM
Silliness.
Why the hell would I spend the time, money and effort building and maintaining a mech when I can carry more firepower in a vehicle. Seems like a cheap way to make a scenario harder or an unimaginative way of making vehicles relevant late game.
I know what you're saying but the game does provide a kind of answer to this -- which is that vehicles can really only survive as support weapons. A 'lance' of 4 vehicles, even of the fearsome 80T variety, can't really stand up to a lance of 4 Heavy Mechs with good mobility and good pilots. They're too easy to outmaneuver / flank / close-&-stomp on, or pick off at distance with PPCs/AC10s/Gausses.
But, a lance of 4 heavy vehicles supporting a lance of 4 enemy Mechs -- that's a lot more worrying situation to face.
So, having played BT for probably more hours than is good for me, it's starting to feel like the difficulty of battles all comes down to one thing: Not really the RNG that determines what types of mechs you face, but the amount of armor they have.
The hardest battles, I find, are the ones where you face a full enemy lance supported by another lance of "reinforcements," which tend not to arrive as reinforcements but all at once, so it's easy to find yourself outnumbered 2:1.
When both those enemy lances are fully armored, even if they're not especially powerful Mechs (Heavies/Mediums and even some Lights thrown in): you could be in for the fight of your life.
When one or both of those lances is badly armored -- even if all Heavy Mechs or worse: fight's pretty easy.
Toughest fight I've had so far was a 4-Skull mission -- thankfully on an Arctic world with good covering terrain or it would've been impossible. Anyway, I immediately encountered the "reinforcement" lance of fully armored Grasshopper, Thunderbolt, and 2 Jagermechs (one of which was the super annoying 4-Hardpoint missile-carrying version). Was fending them off pretty successfully, when the fully armored 'main' lance shows up on my flank, in order of least to most worrying: Shadowhawk, Dragon, Banshee, Highlander. I've never had a 'freelance' (i.e. not scripted campaign) mission where I faced off against 2 Assault mechs. It was pretty rough. But I managed to win through without losing any of my Mechwarriors.
But again, it so often seems to come down to the one thing above all: are these guys fully armored or not?
Found a good article over at Strategy Gamer that deals with the economics of maintaining your Lance and avoiding bankruptcy. https://www.strategygamer.com/articles/battletech-guide-campaign-management/
Ok, is there any reason I should go exploring and visiting other planets since it costs $30k to do so? So far I do the storyline mission and then a few of the side missions the planet offers. Then off to the next storyline.
Any reason to pick particular stars and investigate? Doesn't seem to be
Quote from: mikeck on May 21, 2018, 03:05:16 PM
Ok, is there any reason I should go exploring and visiting other planets since it costs $30k to do so? So far I do the storyline mission and then a few of the side missions the planet offers. Then off to the next storyline.
Any reason to pick particular stars and investigate? Doesn't seem to be
i asked the same question awhile back in this thread. The short answer is yes. Various systems contain different items of weaponry and gear in their shops and you will get offered new missions everytime you enter a new system. When the available missions start to get too difficult in one system, I tend to travel to a new one. You can see the average difficulty of the contracts in a system by clicking on it in the navigation map. You can also see other factors, such as the level of industry, technology, etc., whether there is Star League influence, black market, etc. These factors seem to give some insight into how valuable items in the local store might be.
Finally got the third bit of salvage I needed to get my King Crab. Another tough random mission. My lance against the. Fab, a lance of 4 Quickdraws, another lance of 2 Quickdraws, a Cataphract, and a Demolisher tank, and security forces of 2 Demolisher tanks and a Locust. Had to restart the mission because I got slaughtered the first time but I was able to pull it off on the 2nd attempt with minor damage and only one injury tick against one pilot from a head hit.
The King Crab. 100T, slow as hell and not a lot of hard points. Feels like a bigger version of the Dragon. I'm a little disappointed. Going to try to get a Black Knight or an Awesome instead.
OMG! Behemoth took a PPC+ to the face instantly destroying the head of her Thunderbolt5S. It was a three skull mission and we were kicking so much ass. It was extremely one-sided due largely to geography and some lucky hits. After nearly 1,000 days of campaigning with my company, The Black Watch, we lay Behemoth to rest. She is only the second mechwarrior I have lost in combat.
May God have mercy on her soul.
The head-shot instakill is a real bummer...when it happens to you. I have to confess, the other night, when a Demolisher one-shot head sniped my 10-10-10-10 ace scout Medusa, I quit w/o saving. Don't feel good about it. But I really didn't want to lose him!
Black Watch is a great co. name, btw. My avatar is Python. Our company is Python's Flying Circus. He pilots a Black Knight, which is also our logo. Yes, I deem myself very clever for coming up with that.
@SDR -- I initially found the King Crab disappointing too, because I figured I had to load it up with AC20s. But I'm convinced pure tanking does not work in this game, when you're usually facing 2:1 odds, you need to be as mobile as possible. I just can't survive without jumpjets on all my Mechs. Anyway, loaded up the KC instead with 4 ML+++, 2 LRM 15++ and 2 SRM 6+++, and nearly full armor and JJs. Has pretty terrible heat efficiency, but my idea was that it begins a fight by launching salvos of 30 LRMs, and then when it closes with the enemy, uses its MLs and SRMs, so usually never Alpha Striking because the heat cost is so high. Seems to be working out for me so far.
My main guy got headshotted in one of the early story missions. I thought it was game over! But I guess he can't die but he was laid up for more than three months. While otherwise have had a few near death experiences, haven't lost any member yet. My stable is getting strong enough that if it were to happen it would be sad but not a disaster.
Just FYI. The beta for 1.0.4 is up on Steam now. It corrects the "Financial report time stop" bug that has crippled the game for a lot of people since the 1.0.3 beta went live.
Things are now working for me again. It'll be nice to end my forced break from the game tonight.
I'm starting to get reeeeely frustrated with some of these missions. Seems like I go first, move my mech and detect sensor contacts. Next, every single enemy mech gets to go and shoot at my mech. Dead. I can't seem to get the "reserve" and then sensor lock thing down. I reserve a unit, enemies go and bust it up. I sensor lock, then the rest of the enemy blows it up. Lol. I know it's ME but still frustrating. It's ALWAYS "Glitch" getting beat on...with her constant whinging
Now I know that's perception...but the reality part is that I just had 2 pilots injured in 2 successive turns by a locust firing machine guns. One mech was a Vindicator and the other a Trebuchet. Neither had been hit yet. So I'm to understand that with all this armor on a giant metal beast, some guys .50cal is going to punch right through? I dunno. Seems like I'm constantly getting hit in the head. Meanwhile I can't hit the enemy in the head but once a match
I should say that I love this game but any turn based game frustrates me to no end...sitting there watching my guys get pounded and pleading for it to be my turn
On a less bitchy note, is there a way to turn off the combat walking animations? It's cool when it's 4 v 4 but I'm on a story mission and there are about 7 enemies. Gets old
Quote from: mikeck on May 22, 2018, 06:55:53 PM
I'm starting to get reeeeely frustrated with some of these missions. Seems like I go first, move my mech and detect sensor contacts. Next, every single enemy mech gets to go and shoot at my mech. Dead. I can't seem to get the "reserve" and then sensor lock thing down. I reserve a unit, enemies go and bust it up. I sensor lock, then the rest of the enemy blows it up. Lol. I know it's ME but still frustrating. It's ALWAYS "Glitch" getting beat on...with her constant whinging
Now I know that's perception...but the reality part is that I just had 2 pilots injured in 2 successive turns by a locust firing machine guns. One mech was a Vindicator and the other a Trebuchet. Neither had been hit yet. So I'm to understand that with all this armor on a giant metal beast, some guys .50cal is going to punch right through? I dunno. Seems like I'm constantly getting hit in the head. Meanwhile I can't hit the enemy in the head but once a match
Until I get a sense of what I am up against, I reserve my actions. Getting two consecutive actions is terrific..one to move into range, get a sensor lock, and then unload. Crippling the first mech in the battle, the one out front, helps with battlefield management tremendously. Often, I can kill the first one, and get a headstart on the second while only taking minimal damage.
Anyone attempt/complete the final mission? Very minor spoiler - you're told you need to be able to field 2 full lances of Mechs. I assume this means you need 8 pilots in addition to 8 Mechs -- can anyone confirm? I only have 6 pilots in my roster, so was really not prepared for this.
I'm quite a bit behind you guys I guess. Just got a Thunderbolt and am super excited. I have 2 Dragons, one of which I retrofitted with an AC/20 to replace the Hunchback I had doing that role. But the last much is still a medium. I prefer the Shadow Hawk as it's pretty fast and can perform the scouting role of lighter Mechs.
Trying to decide the best kind of pilot to put in my AC/20 Dragon. Am thinking specializing in Piloting with expertise in Gunnery.
Quote from: mikeck on May 22, 2018, 06:55:53 PM
I'm starting to get reeeeely frustrated with some of these missions. Seems like I go first, move my mech and detect sensor contacts. Next, every single enemy mech gets to go and shoot at my mech. Dead. I can't seem to get the "reserve" and then sensor lock thing down. I reserve a unit, enemies go and bust it up. I sensor lock, then the rest of the enemy blows it up. Lol. I know it's ME but still frustrating. It's ALWAYS "Glitch" getting beat on...with her constant whinging
Now I know that's perception...but the reality part is that I just had 2 pilots injured in 2 successive turns by a locust firing machine guns. One mech was a Vindicator and the other a Trebuchet. Neither had been hit yet. So I'm to understand that with all this armor on a giant metal beast, some guys .50cal is going to punch right through? I dunno. Seems like I'm constantly getting hit in the head. Meanwhile I can't hit the enemy in the head but once a match
Regarding reserving. The one thing I really don't like is the all or nothing nature of it. It would be nice if you could reserve individual Mechs. But yes, in the initial sprint, I've learned to be very careful as I've ran right into SRM or some similarly nasty vehicles before.
Quote from: joram on May 23, 2018, 07:11:43 AM
Regarding reserving. The one thing I really don't like is the all or nothing nature of it. It would be nice if you could reserve individual Mechs. But yes, in the initial sprint, I've learned to be very careful as I've ran right into SRM or some similarly nasty vehicles before.
You probably understand this already, but it's not quite all or nothing with reserve. You reserve any mechs that could move in the current phase only. Now if you have all say medium mechs then reserve will hit them all. However if you have only one light and you hit reserve during it's first phase then only the light is reserved for one phase.
And I agree about sprinting. I always try to end up in cover if possible with the first mech who sprints in case he sees and enemy. I rarely sprint after the first turn and instead switch to move mode. The game has the annoying default of being in sprint mode if you have not seen any enemies yet and I have forgotten that on more than one occasion and run out much further than intended.
Quote from: Geezer on May 23, 2018, 07:29:11 AM
Quote from: joram on May 23, 2018, 07:11:43 AM
Regarding reserving. The one thing I really don't like is the all or nothing nature of it. It would be nice if you could reserve individual Mechs. But yes, in the initial sprint, I've learned to be very careful as I've ran right into SRM or some similarly nasty vehicles before.
You probably understand this already, but it's not quite all or nothing with reserve. You reserve any mechs that could move in the current phase only. Now if you have all say medium mechs then reserve will hit them all. However if you have only one light and you hit reserve during it's first phase then only the light is reserved for one phase.
And I agree about sprinting. I always try to end up in cover if possible with the first mech who sprints in case he sees and enemy. I rarely sprint after the first turn and instead switch to move mode. The game has the annoying default of being in sprint mode if you have not seen any enemies yet and I have forgotten that on more than one occasion and run out much further than intended.
My "tank" has very heavy armor, lots of SRM's, a flamer, and two machine guns. The pilot also has mad skills which increase his sprint distance, and he gets bonuses to hit on melee.
90 melee damage, plus flamer and MG's is a world of hurt, and I gain a nice benefit of getting rid of evasion and guard. I renamed the mech "Godzilla", and he just stompy-stomps vehicles and light mechs.
Quote from: Geezer on May 23, 2018, 07:29:11 AM
Quote from: joram on May 23, 2018, 07:11:43 AM
Regarding reserving. The one thing I really don't like is the all or nothing nature of it. It would be nice if you could reserve individual Mechs. But yes, in the initial sprint, I've learned to be very careful as I've ran right into SRM or some similarly nasty vehicles before.
You probably understand this already, but it's not quite all or nothing with reserve. You reserve any mechs that could move in the current phase only. Now if you have all say medium mechs then reserve will hit them all. However if you have only one light and you hit reserve during it's first phase then only the light is reserved for one phase.
And I agree about sprinting. I always try to end up in cover if possible with the first mech who sprints in case he sees and enemy. I rarely sprint after the first turn and instead switch to move mode. The game has the annoying default of being in sprint mode if you have not seen any enemies yet and I have forgotten that on more than one occasion and run out much further than intended.
Yes, you're absolutely right of course but what I miss is the ability to reserve individual Mechs after seeing what the enemy move is. I understand that there is some limited ability to do this if you sacrifice at least one Mech's ability to react. Maybe its a balancing decision.
Quote from: DennisS on May 22, 2018, 08:20:22 PM
Quote from: mikeck on May 22, 2018, 06:55:53 PM
I'm starting to get reeeeely frustrated with some of these missions. Seems like I go first, move my mech and detect sensor contacts. Next, every single enemy mech gets to go and shoot at my mech. Dead. I can't seem to get the "reserve" and then sensor lock thing down. I reserve a unit, enemies go and bust it up. I sensor lock, then the rest of the enemy blows it up. Lol. I know it's ME but still frustrating. It's ALWAYS "Glitch" getting beat on...with her constant whinging
Now I know that's perception...but the reality part is that I just had 2 pilots injured in 2 successive turns by a locust firing machine guns. One mech was a Vindicator and the other a Trebuchet. Neither had been hit yet. So I'm to understand that with all this armor on a giant metal beast, some guys .50cal is going to punch right through? I dunno. Seems like I'm constantly getting hit in the head. Meanwhile I can't hit the enemy in the head but once a match
Until I get a sense of what I am up against, I reserve my actions. Getting two consecutive actions is terrific..one to move into range, get a sensor lock, and then unload. Crippling the first mech in the battle, the one out front, helps with battlefield management tremendously. Often, I can kill the first one, and get a headstart on the second while only taking minimal damage.
Ok, I'm still not clear on the whole reserve thing.
So if , on a given turn- I reserve for all 4 of my mechs, then they basically end up going twice
In a row?
I tried using it with sensor lock but I would get destroyed. Like " click reserve (to let enemy move so I can sensor lock and remove evasion), enemy moves and blasts me, I go and hit sensor lock, then enemy blasts me and hits because by then I have no evasion left"
Clearly I'm doing it wrong
Joram, I don't think I'm ahead of you. I'm getting ready to try the 4th story mission where you try to take the ammunition depo. I'm getting waxed. My problem seems to be my lack of heavy mechs. I have a jager but the others are all mediums. Seems that I can't win the battles against heavy mechs to salvage them so I'm stuck fighting medium mechs which i have a ton of.
I use a Trebuchet as my LRM boat with 20's and 15.
A Centurion with a mix as a brawler and a Humpback with AC 20 and M laser as a brawler as well. Neither seems well suited. I have my Vindicator carrying 2 PPEs for long distance sniping and then a Blackjack. I can't seem to get the builds right so that I can win against an enemy lance with a few mediums
Quote from: mikeck on May 23, 2018, 10:39:40 AM
Ok, I'm still not clear on the whole reserve thing.
...
A turn has multiple phases with the lighter mechs going first. If you reserve a mech or mechs then all you are doing is passing up their chance to do something in the current phase and pushing their chance back one phase. You can't reserve in the last phase of a turn as there are no further phases that turn. So no you can't move twice in a row in the same turn. However, what you could do is reserve a mech down to the last phase of a turn and then use it in that last phase. If it's a light enough mech to activate before the enemy mechs in the next turn then you would essentially be getting two actions in a row.
You don't want to wait until the last phase to sensor lock an enemy mech unless you still have mechs that can take actions in that same last phase because, as mentioned above, the sensor lock goes away when the turn ends.
Also note that if you have multiple mechs that can take actions in any given phase you can take actions with one or more of them and then reserve whichever ones did nothing that phase so they can act in the next phase, again assuming you are not in the last phase.
Hope that helps.
Edit - Also as mentioned above you don't need a line of sight to sensor lock a mech. You just need to be in range of it which you can see by the blue line that marks your range.
Quote from: mikeck on May 23, 2018, 10:46:32 AM
Joram, I don’t think I’m ahead of you. I’m getting ready to try the 4th story mission where you try to take the ammunition depo. I’m getting waxed. My problem seems to be my lack of heavy mechs. I have a jager but the others are all mediums. Seems that I can’t win the battles against heavy mechs to salvage them so I’m stuck fighting medium mechs which i have a ton of.
I use a Trebuchet as my LRM boat with 20’s and 15.
A Centurion with a mix as a brawler and a Humpback with AC 20 and M laser as a brawler as well. Neither seems well suited. I have my Vindicator carrying 2 PPEs for long distance sniping and then a Blackjack. I can’t seem to get the builds right so that I can win against an enemy lance with a few mediums
Hmmm, I think I am just on the 4th mission. I haven't read what it is but given that I have 3 heavy (albeit all on the small side) already, guess im doing all right. I do a lot of side missions and try to make sure my drop weight is worth a half star more than the number of difficulty icons. Then I move to the story mission when I'm either low on cash or feel I have enough weight to handle the story mission. Not always possible to wait but so far that strategy has worked. Even level missions are usually winnable just fine but not always profitable even if the payout is more.
Quote from: joram on May 23, 2018, 05:36:53 PM
Quote from: mikeck on May 23, 2018, 10:46:32 AM
Joram, I don't think I'm ahead of you. I'm getting ready to try the 4th story mission where you try to take the ammunition depo. I'm getting waxed. My problem seems to be my lack of heavy mechs. I have a jager but the others are all mediums. Seems that I can't win the battles against heavy mechs to salvage them so I'm stuck fighting medium mechs which i have a ton of.
I use a Trebuchet as my LRM boat with 20's and 15.
A Centurion with a mix as a brawler and a Humpback with AC 20 and M laser as a brawler as well. Neither seems well suited. I have my Vindicator carrying 2 PPEs for long distance sniping and then a Blackjack. I can't seem to get the builds right so that I can win against an enemy lance with a few mediums
Hmmm, I think I am just on the 4th mission. I haven't read what it is but given that I have 3 heavy (albeit all on the small side) already, guess im doing all right. I do a lot of side missions and try to make sure my drop weight is worth a half star more than the number of difficulty icons. Then I move to the story mission when I'm either low on cash or feel I have enough weight to handle the story mission. Not always possible to wait but so far that strategy has worked. Even level missions are usually winnable just fine but not always profitable even if the payout is more.
I am at the Panzyr mission, which I should have done about ten missions ago! I LIKE having 7 million in the bank, with an almost fully upgraded Argo.
My mechwarriors, the main four, average 7's on their skills, and this really helps a lot, to be able to use better abilities. All have bulwark, most have multi shot, two have sensor lock, and two have breaching shot. Breaching shot works pretty darned well for a PPC+++.
completed campaign ;D i did not need an extra lance or extra pilots. for first phase i used 2 highlanders, king crab and a jagermech-A(LRM boat). second phase i kept the highlanders and crab as kamea came along in her atlas. after completion the credits roll. can mouse wheel up or down to speed those up or go back and read something you might have missed. at end of credits you can press escape and the game will continue. allowing free roam of map. for my pilots i had two master tacticians in my highlanders which let them act in phase 2 and a pilot with bulwark for my crab. my missile boats just need good gunnery. all 4 pilots i brought in last mission were maxed out.
Quote from: CptHowdy on May 24, 2018, 04:06:20 AM
completed campaign ;D i did not need an extra lance or extra pilots. for first phase i used 2 highlanders, king crab and a jagermech-A(LRM boat). second phase i kept the highlanders and crab as kamea came along in her atlas. after completion the credits roll. can mouse wheel up or down to speed those up or go back and read something you might have missed. at end of credits you can press escape and the game will continue. allowing free roam of map. for my pilots i had two master tacticians in my highlanders which let them act in phase 2 and a pilot with bulwark for my crab. my missile boats just need good gunnery. all 4 pilots i brought in last mission were maxed out.
What are your plans now? Will you collect one mech of each type?
Quote from: CptHowdy on May 24, 2018, 04:06:20 AM
completed campaign ;D i did not need an extra lance or extra pilots.
Yeah, me too -- wtf with the "you'll need 2 lances" warning then? My Mechs took plenty of damage in Part 1 of the mission (though no criticals, so no weapons to replace), but they were available in spic-and-span condition for the Part 2.
Also surprising that both parts 1 and 2 were considerably easier than some of the other missions. I think the 'rescue Madeira' mission was the hardest in the campaign by far. Really hated that one, which took forever to complete -- the 2nd go through...
Honing the Lance: A BattleTech Mech Build Guide
https://www.strategygamer.com/articles/battletech-mech-build-guide/
Interesting guide but didn't tell me much. Didn't even mention a single one of the Mechs I'm currently using. Also, am really struggling on why you would ever pick a lighter class of Mech then what you can field. The lone reason seems to be initiative but if you have a tactics specialty, you can get that initiative point back.
I also tend to avoid PPC based builds for some reason but maybe I should revisit that.
Quote from: joram on May 24, 2018, 11:46:56 AM
Interesting guide but didn't tell me much. Didn't even mention a single one of the Mechs I'm currently using. Also, am really struggling on why you would ever pick a lighter class of Mech then what you can field. The lone reason seems to be initiative but if you have a tactics specialty, you can get that initiative point back.
I also tend to avoid PPC based builds for some reason but maybe I should revisit that.
Ian was losing his mind slightly on the amount of build variations, tactical roles etc... he could do write-ups for. The piece was getting pretty long as-is so I asked him to draw a line under it so we could see how the initial version of the article performed. If it does well I plan to go back to it with more builds etc...
I get it. Perhaps too much got lost in editing. There is too much to impart in just one article so maybe it should be a series.
The thing that struck me the most was in choosing the right missions for the right Mechs but I think a lot more could have been said there as well as exploring the inverse when you don't have a choice.
More could be said on not only what makes a good sniping build but what Mechs are best suited for it. Same could be said for other specialty builds too.
Quote from: joram on May 24, 2018, 11:46:56 AM
Interesting guide but didn't tell me much. Didn't even mention a single one of the Mechs I'm currently using. Also, am really struggling on why you would ever pick a lighter class of Mech then what you can field. The lone reason seems to be initiative but if you have a tactics specialty, you can get that initiative point back.
I also tend to avoid PPC based builds for some reason but maybe I should revisit that.
I've been having quite a lot of success with my PPC sniper build. I use the Vindicator and arm it with 2 PPCs.
Armor is significantly reduced due to the range it fires from and the available weight is used to mount 8 heat sinks. I use Behemoth and have her "gunnery" and "guts" score high. I put her up on a hill and watch her pound mechs from waaaaay outside their range. If both PPCs hit, there is almost always significant damage. The only time I don't take it in my lance is if the terrain is very hilly....like lunar. Makes it hard to get long range shots.
You DO need to keep your eye on things as without any short range weapons, an enemy light mech close in can be a pain
I love PPCs. You should give them a try. Longest range in the game, tremendous stability damage and no ammo. Trick is managing the heat
Quote from: DennisS on May 24, 2018, 07:51:17 AM
Quote from: CptHowdy on May 24, 2018, 04:06:20 AM
completed campaign ;D i did not need an extra lance or extra pilots. for first phase i used 2 highlanders, king crab and a jagermech-A(LRM boat). second phase i kept the highlanders and crab as kamea came along in her atlas. after completion the credits roll. can mouse wheel up or down to speed those up or go back and read something you might have missed. at end of credits you can press escape and the game will continue. allowing free roam of map. for my pilots i had two master tacticians in my highlanders which let them act in phase 2 and a pilot with bulwark for my crab. my missile boats just need good gunnery. all 4 pilots i brought in last mission were maxed out.
What are your plans now? Will you collect one mech of each type?
hmm not a collector but i would like a couple more highlanders and 3 more atlases for a scout lance!! dont see myself doing multiplayer but would be nice if some future DLC included a co-op campaign. for now i will see what the rest of the map offers.
Got my first heavy mech; a Dragon. At first, I was a bit upset over how little firepower it can carry but I bought the 3rd component for $650k anyway (had salvaged the other 2).
Holy $&%!....I love this thing. Forget the weapons, I armored it as recommended for melee. I run it around the battlefield throat-punching light mechs. One shot and I get a shower of sparks, pieces falling everywhere, a list of 10 things I busted and then a dead mech. One punch.
I love this game
P.S. Is it me or do medium lasers kind of suck? Yeah, they are lighter than cannon and missiles, create less heat than a PPC and require no ammo...but I hit a mech with AC's or PPCs and pieces are Flying everywhere. I've hammered mechs with laser after laser and seen very little damage. Not to mention they deliver zero stability hits. Meh.
I like guns. Pew pew
Quote from: mikeck on May 25, 2018, 06:28:18 PM
Got my first heavy mech; a Dragon. At first, I was a bit upset over how little firepower it can carry but I bought the 3rd component for $650k anyway (had salvaged the other 2).
Holy $&%!....I love this thing. Forget the weapons, I armored it as recommended for melee. I run it around the battlefield throat-punching light mechs. One shot and I get a shower of sparks, pieces falling everywhere, a list of 10 things I busted and then a dead mech. One punch.
I love this game
P.S. Is it me or do medium lasers kind of suck? Yeah, they are lighter than cannon and missiles, create less heat than a PPC and require no ammo...but I hit a mech with AC's or PPCs and pieces are Flying everywhere. I've hammered mechs with laser after laser and seen very little damage. Not to mention they deliver zero stability hits. Meh.
I like guns. Pew pew
If you put enough medium lasers on a mech, they do juuuust fine.
I respecced a mech to fire LRM's only, and I upgraded these to LRM15+++.
Yeah yeah..I know, right?
Knock them down with missiles, then stomp their guts out. Conventional wisdom, and this strategy is the one all the big kids are using. I have resisted this to this point, because I felt that over-use of LRM boats was a cheese tactic.
But, that's how this game is designed. Can't use light mechs, gotta put the most tonnage on the field you can. Can't use SRM's and light lasers, gotta kit out everyone with long range missiles.
I am not a big fan of being forced to play just one way...but I will say that I just finished a three skull mission with my new LRM boat, and it was almost too easy. Focus missiles until they fall down, shoot them in the legs, rinse and repeat.
I finished it without an LRM missile boat. I went with my flamer/Grasshopper, 2 Highlanders, and a King Crab.
Speaking of lasers, I just salvavged a battle master from the field. When I saw it, I nearly $hit myself, but my lance was able to take it down without it being able to really do much harm. I'm considering giving it a shot. It's the heaviest mech in my bays right now at 85 tons.
I've kept it's configuration, but upgraded some of its weapons to ++. Anybody using one of these and if so are you running with a stock config, or ha e you made loadout changes?
I also salvaged a Jaeger mech. These things really concern me when I start taking rapid fire cannon shells from some Unknown point in the distance that I can't even see and armor starts shattering away, but once I identify the mech, and can target it, I'm usually able to take it down quickly. My concern is the long range harassment thing doesn't really suit my strategy, which is usually to stay very mobile, outflank, move in with heavy forces and alpha strike everything to death. Anybody using a Jaeger mech to good effect?
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 26, 2018, 06:06:17 AM
...Anybody using a Jaeger mech to good effect?
Nope. Had one and it got pounded on it's first or second mission to the point where I just sold it for scrap rather than repair it.
Quote from: DennisS on May 25, 2018, 08:08:01 PM
But, that's how this game is designed. Can't use light mechs, gotta put the most tonnage on the field you can. Can't use SRM's and light lasers, gotta kit out everyone with long range missiles.
If I have one major complaint about the game, it's pretty much this. Most of the unscripted missions really do come down to: you're outnumbered 2 to 1. Yes, you need to be smart about positioning and coordinating attacks and using terrain to advantage. But most of all you just need to be heavier and bring more firepower to to the fight than your more numerous opponents.
And as the missions ramp up in difficulty, that just means you're outnumbered 2 to 1 by heavier and heavier enemies. So, yeah, it sure would be nice to be able to use a fun mix of heavies, mediums, and lights, but practically speaking there's no way the game lets you do this. I'm very much at the endgame stage, having completed the campaign, and every mission I have to bring 4 Assaults to the party if I want to win. It is satisfying to dismantle your enemies with Atlases and King Crabs, but it's also starting to feel pretty redundant, and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to stick with it.
It's a fantastic game, no question, but I do hope DLC will be coming sooner rather than later to make the non-Campaign part of the game more interesting and replayable.
Re: the BattleMaster -- I love this guy. Before I had to replace him with a heavier Assault (as was inevitable for reasons described above), I used him as my heavy scout. 4 JJs, Rangefinder ++, Gyro ++, 7 MLs ++/+++, 2 SLs +++, about 90% full armor and decent heat management. This Mech IMO is a real sweet-spot in terms of configurability, giving you ability to make it well-armored, mobile, and good firepower. It's a much better Mech than some comparable or even heavier Assaults like the Victor, Awesome, or especially the dreadful Banshee.
I've never been able to use the Jaeger to good effect. It's the quintessential glass cannon. I did run for a short while with the Jaeger variant with 4 missile slots; but quickly phased that out in favor of the much more sturdy Orion with 3 missile slots to use as my LRM boat (20/15/10 missile batteries; a good artillery mech).
Quote from: sandman2575 on May 26, 2018, 08:22:45 AM
Quote from: DennisS on May 25, 2018, 08:08:01 PM
But, that's how this game is designed. Can't use light mechs, gotta put the most tonnage on the field you can. Can't use SRM's and light lasers, gotta kit out everyone with long range missiles.
If I have one major complaint about the game, it's pretty much this. Most of the unscripted missions really do come down to: you're outnumbered 2 to 1. Yes, you need to be smart about positioning and coordinating attacks and using terrain to advantage. But most of all you just need to be heavier and bring more firepower to to the fight than your more numerous opponents.
And as the missions ramp up in difficulty, that just means you're outnumbered 2 to 1 by heavier and heavier enemies. So, yeah, it sure would be nice to be able to use a fun mix of heavies, mediums, and lights, but practically speaking there's no way the game lets you do this. I'm very much at the endgame stage, having completed the campaign, and every mission I have to bring 4 Assaults to the party if I want to win. It is satisfying to dismantle your enemies with Atlases and King Crabs, but it's also starting to feel pretty redundant, and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to stick with it.
It's a fantastic game, no question, but I do hope DLC will be coming sooner rather than later to make the non-Campaign part of the game more interesting and replayable.
Re: the BattleMaster -- I love this guy. Before I had to replace him with a heavier Assault (as was inevitable for reasons described above), I used him as my heavy scout. 4 JJs, Rangefinder ++, Gyro ++, 7 MLs ++/+++, 2 SLs +++, about 90% full armor and decent heat management. This Mech IMO is a real sweet-spot in terms of configurability, giving you ability to make it well-armored, mobile, and good firepower. It's a much better Mech than some comparable or even heavier Assaults like the Victor, Awesome, or especially the dreadful Banshee.
I've never been able to use the Jaeger to good effect. It's the quintessential glass cannon. I did run for a short while with the Jaeger variant with 4 missile slots; but quickly phased that out in favor of the much more sturdy Orion with 3 missile slots to use as my LRM boat (20/15/10 missile batteries; a good artillery mech).
I am not as far along as you, but I could have written your post. I will almost certainly take the path of least resistance with this campaign; heavier is better, and nuke 'em with LRMs.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 26, 2018, 06:06:17 AM
Anybody using a Jaeger mech to good effect?
Yes! I LOVE my Jaeger. I have it armed with an AC10 and AC5 along with 3 medium lasers. Have 2 heat sinks. Obviously I can't max armor but I just focus armor on the front and rear it off in the rear. It's a great damage dealer at range. I don't get up close and personal with it. But yeah, using a pilot with high "gunnery" and "guts" scores lets me plug mechs at long range with the cannons and not be affected by recoil.
Quote from: Geezer on May 26, 2018, 06:30:08 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 26, 2018, 06:06:17 AM
...Anybody using a Jaeger mech to good effect?
Nope. Had one and it got pounded on it's first or second mission to the point where I just sold it for scrap rather than repair it.
My jaeger is consistently my best performer. You have to have a lot of armor in front and can't use it as a brawler (although death from above works well)
Quote from: mikeck on May 26, 2018, 10:48:43 AM
Quote from: Geezer on May 26, 2018, 06:30:08 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 26, 2018, 06:06:17 AM
...Anybody using a Jaeger mech to good effect?
Nope. Had one and it got pounded on it's first or second mission to the point where I just sold it for scrap rather than repair it.
My jaeger is consistently my best performer. You have to have a lot of armor in front and can't use it as a brawler (although death from above works well)
The very first thing I do with all my new mechs is to go and refit it.
Almost always, this means reducing the back armor, increasing the front armor, getting rid of one beam weapon, and adding heat sinks. I am not a fan of carrying around weapons you just cannot use, because your heat is too high.
Also...pay attention to the biome of the mission. I have a "hot" lance, and a "cold" lance. This is a big deal for me.
I never use stock mechs
I'm loving my Dragon for killing light mechs and lighter medium mechs. I Approach while using an AC-20++. Probably my favorite weapon in the game. Can one-shot a light mech on occasion and usually blows off some part. Then when I'm close, it's all DFA and Melee after that. One punch and they are done.
Can't find anything on the Paradox forums (but I admit I avoid that place) but is there an ETA on the difficulty adjustments they were talking about?
I have not seen any updates on the difficulty option.
On another note, does anyone have any tips or tricks on preventing your pilot from sustaining head injuries? I think every single mission at least one or two of my pilot sustains head injur on another note, does anyone have any tips or tricks on preventing your pilot from sustaining injury? I'm not talking about injuries sustained after a big brawl where parts of the Mech or armor have been blown off. I'm talking about Bohemoth driving my Thunderbolt and with the first shot, a light mech hits with a laser or something and the pilot gets injured. No way the head armor was compromised but regardless, it happens. Seems to happen a lot. Like a lot more than I score head hits.
Is it possible for a pilot to be injured even if the armor if it penetrated?
You could try equipping the cockpit mod. I'm not sure if this helps with avoiding injuries, or just increasing the chance of survival in the event of destruction.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 29, 2018, 04:11:03 PM
You could try equipping the cockpit mod. I'm not sure if this helps with avoiding injuries, or just increasing the chance of survival in the event of destruction.
The wiki says +1/2/3 injury resist so that sounds to me like you can take extra hits without dying, same as you get with the + health from guts.
Quote from: Geezer on May 29, 2018, 04:19:03 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on May 29, 2018, 04:11:03 PM
You could try equipping the cockpit mod. I'm not sure if this helps with avoiding injuries, or just increasing the chance of survival in the event of destruction.
The wiki says +1/2/3 injury resist so that sounds to me like you can take extra hits without dying, same as you get with the + health from guts.
Behemoth just died..with a TEN in guts. Just kept getting hit in the head while down.
That almost happened to me. In one of those battles with two waves of Mechs. Their first wave had a jagermech, a wolverine, and two of those PPC carrying Cicadas while the second wave had a laser Hunchback (which to me is scarier than the AC Hunchback) and a Trebuchet. I was so beat up after the first wave and at one point, one of my heavies fell and they all were ganging up on it.
Miraculously it survived albeit with one weapon and then I started getting lucky. Withdrew behind a ridge and concentrated fire as they came across. Couldn't stop them immediately so kept getting rained on by the Trebuchet but first I one punched a cicada in the head, managed to knock down the Hunchback and then call my shots to deal with him. Then shot off an arm in the jagermech cutting it's effectiveness in half and then the Trebuchet ran out of missiles (thank god). With a severely beat up lance and every pilot taking injuries (behemoth and medusa for nearly 3 months), I was thankful that I got out alive.
Quote from: joram on May 31, 2018, 06:56:05 AM
That almost happened to me. In one of those battles with two waves of Mechs. Their first wave had a jagermech, a wolverine, and two of those PPC carrying Cicadas while the second wave had a laser Hunchback (which to me is scarier than the AC Hunchback) and a Trebuchet. I was so beat up after the first wave and at one point, one of my heavies fell and they all were ganging up on it.
Miraculously it survived albeit with one weapon and then I started getting lucky. Withdrew behind a ridge and concentrated fire as they came across. Couldn't stop them immediately so kept getting rained on by the Trebuchet but first I one punched a cicada in the head, managed to knock down the Hunchback and then call my shots to deal with him. Then shot off an arm in the jagermech cutting it's effectiveness in half and then the Trebuchet ran out of missiles (thank god). With a severely beat up lance and every pilot taking injuries (behemoth and medusa for nearly 3 months), I was thankful that I got out alive.
Lesson learned. I should have punched out. I got out in front, and had five enemy mechs firing at me. Two turns is all it took. At the higher skull missions, one massive LRM boat can really ruin your day. You're going to take a head hit every round.
Don't get me wrong, I don't take issue with my mech being repeatedly hit and finally sustaining a mortal pilot hit. It's when Bohemoth is trudging around in her Orion or Thunderbolt and gets one-shotted in the grill by a Jenner with an AC-5. I get the critical hit but armor should matter. I'm not going to score a critical hit on the driver of an M1-A2SEP with my WW2 37mm anti tank gun.
I guess I'd like to see a system where armor works more like Combat mission and less like sudden strike. Certain weapons can either penetrate the armor or the can't. I'm not a fan of each hit doing a little damage.
Other than that (and encountering 80 ton vehicles when my huge mechs way 60 tons????) I'm loving it
Quote from: mikeck on May 31, 2018, 08:15:57 PM
Don't get me wrong, I don't take issue with my mech being repeatedly hit and finally sustaining a mortal pilot hit. It's when Bohemoth is trudging around in her Orion or Thunderbolt and gets one-shotted in the grill by a Jenner with an AC-5. I get the critical hit but armor should matter. I'm not going to score a critical hit on the driver of an M1-A2SEP with my WW2 37mm anti tank gun.
I guess I'd like to see a system where armor works more like Combat mission and less like sudden strike. Certain weapons can either penetrate the armor or the can't. I'm not a fan of each hit doing a little damage.
Other than that (and encountering 80 ton vehicles when my huge mechs way 60 tons????) I'm loving it
The 80 tonners, with 600+ HP are not fun. Worse still are the SRM carriers, that shoot an enormous number of missiles at you.
Quote from: DennisS on June 01, 2018, 11:12:07 AM
Quote from: mikeck on May 31, 2018, 08:15:57 PM
Don't get me wrong, I don't take issue with my mech being repeatedly hit and finally sustaining a mortal pilot hit. It's when Bohemoth is trudging around in her Orion or Thunderbolt and gets one-shotted in the grill by a Jenner with an AC-5. I get the critical hit but armor should matter. I'm not going to score a critical hit on the driver of an M1-A2SEP with my WW2 37mm anti tank gun.
I guess I'd like to see a system where armor works more like Combat mission and less like sudden strike. Certain weapons can either penetrate the armor or the can't. I'm not a fan of each hit doing a little damage.
Other than that (and encountering 80 ton vehicles when my huge mechs way 60 tons????) I'm loving it
The 80 tonners, with 600+ HP are not fun. Worse still are the SRM carriers, that shoot an enormous number of missiles at you.
Killing them is easy....just step on them with a heavy mech and they die. I just think it's a bid odd that a vehicle the size of my mech's foot weighs 15 more tons than my mech and can carry more PPCs (3!) or more LRMs (2x20).
Quote from: mikeck on June 01, 2018, 06:06:37 PM
Quote from: DennisS on June 01, 2018, 11:12:07 AM
Quote from: mikeck on May 31, 2018, 08:15:57 PM
Don't get me wrong, I don't take issue with my mech being repeatedly hit and finally sustaining a mortal pilot hit. It's when Bohemoth is trudging around in her Orion or Thunderbolt and gets one-shotted in the grill by a Jenner with an AC-5. I get the critical hit but armor should matter. I'm not going to score a critical hit on the driver of an M1-A2SEP with my WW2 37mm anti tank gun.
I guess I'd like to see a system where armor works more like Combat mission and less like sudden strike. Certain weapons can either penetrate the armor or the can't. I'm not a fan of each hit doing a little damage.
Other than that (and encountering 80 ton vehicles when my huge mechs way 60 tons????) I'm loving it
The 80 tonners, with 600+ HP are not fun. Worse still are the SRM carriers, that shoot an enormous number of missiles at you.
Killing them is easy....just step on them with a heavy mech and they die. I just think it's a bid odd that a vehicle the size of my mech's foot weighs 15 more tons than my mech and can carry more PPCs (3!) or more LRMs (2x20).
My current crew of mechs are between 60 and 75 tons. Not exactly fleet of foot.
You can still do it. I use an Orion, Highlander, Jager and a QuickDraw. The QD is heavy but has a lot of mobility. Throw on some heavy jump jets...like 4. You sprint to get close and the 5-6 chevrons keep you from getting hit. Then next turn stomp.
The trick is to sprint to close the distance.
One stomp=kill
Soooo much easier than using weapons
I am struggling with my heavies... not sure what is the best line up with what i have got.. I have 2 * jager, 2 Dragons, 2 Thunderbolts and 2 Quickdraws so far.
Dragons I have already discounted.
The thunderbolt is a great mech. I used to run my lance with two of them. Lots of firepower, lots of armor and very capable in a fist fight. I replaced one with a heavier battle master and now use an Orion too for its longer range hitting power, but I'm still using one thunderbolt and have he other on reserve in bay 2.
The Jaeger is an attractive option, but it's too lightly armored for my preferred strategies. Still, when I see rapid fire AC rounds whizzing across the map from some unknown location, my heart skips a beat and it becomes a priority target.
I never warmed up to the dragon either. For its size, it's weaponry options are completely underwhelming. Some of the guys around here like them for its close combat and curb stomping capabilities, but for me, the lack of ability to cause any really serious destruction from range is a tremendous limiting factor.
Thanks J, I will try with 2 thunderbolts and drop one of my jagers.
Unlike Jarhead, I'm not a big fan of the Thunderbolt. It's a great mech but I'm not s laser fan and prefer Auto Cannons and PPC. I use a Highlander (which carries a mix of medium lasers, AC and LRMs and has great armor) and an Orion as my frontline brawlers. On my Orion I carry an AC20++with 2 ammo and an AC 10++ with 2. The rest is armor except for 2 sinks. Both hold their own in any fight but I move them close. I do use my Jager to good effect as a sniper...which i think is it's only real role late game. I arm it with a PPC+ and 2 AC5++. The Orion can hit just about anything it can see.
The 4th spot is usually a Catapult fitted as an LRM boat OR -one of my favorites - I use a QuickDraw as a melee brawler; especially if i there are enemy vehicles on the map. It is highly maneuverable and with a leg mod and full leg armor, is great at killing tanks and DFA on wounded mechs. I used to use my dragon for this but the QuickDraw is just as good at it but is more maneuverable.
So, you can still use the Jager but keep it out of brawls. The Dragon....don't know. Anything you would use it for something else works better
Don't forget there are several different variants of the Thunderbolt. I've seen at least three. S, SS and SE. But they do all seem to be laser heavy, so if for some reason (i.e. heat management) you shy away from lasers, the TB probably isn't the best choice.
I liked the quickdraw mid-game but think it is too light for late game combat. My QDs have also been laser heavy and not the best heat managers. I'm surprised mikeck prefers the QD over the TB, especially if looking for a brawler. The TB is heavier hitting in melee, although definitely more lumbering.
i think i need 5th class of heavy.. although i have 8 of the 4 types i have they are not the best ;)
Got an orion last night so will try it out today :)
Quote from: FlickJax on June 05, 2018, 01:30:56 AM
Got an orion last night so will try it out today :)
That's a keeper. Mine likes double-tapping fallen mechs on the ground.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 04, 2018, 08:53:33 AM
Don't forget there are several different variants of the Thunderbolt. I've seen at least three. S, SS and SE. But they do all seem to be laser heavy, so if for some reason (i.e. heat management) you shy away from lasers, the TB probably isn't the best choice.
I liked the quickdraw mid-game but think it is too light for late game combat. My QDs have also been laser heavy and not the best heat managers. I'm surprised mikeck prefers the QD over the TB, especially if looking for a brawler. The TB is heavier hitting in melee, although definitely more lumbering.
Highlander and Orion are my favorites. BUT, the reason I like the QD over the TB for melee is maneuverability. I can move much further in a turn. So with jump jets, I can sprint one turn and then DFA on a vehicle the next. I DONT use any of the mechs for classic punching-kicking melee. Just DFA on vehicles. That's why I bring the catulpult or Thunderbolt instead if I'm just fighting mechs.
I always bring the Orion and Highlander. The Jager, Cat, TB And QD are interchangeable for the last 2 slots
Somewhat off topic however I just saw a post on RPS that Paradox bought Harebrained.
Overall I guess it should be good for the longevity of the game.
Quote from: jamus34 on June 05, 2018, 02:53:56 PM
Somewhat off topic however I just saw a post on RPS that Paradox bought Harebrained.
Overall I guess it should be good for the longevity of the game.
Harebrained just got paid.
If there is one, single thing that Paradox does best, it's DLC's. This is very good news.
I mean it could always be worse.
They could have gotten bought by EA to shut them down after the first underperforming game they release under their bloated release schedule with unrealistic timelines.
I've been reading this thread for a few weeks now, comparing it with reviews on Steam and elsewhere.
The main complaints elsewhere seem to be:
-generic story, which doesn't really do much with the lore or clan affiliation.
-repetitive missions.
-a limited number of side missions.
-enemy random lance generation balance feels off.
Aside from the story, most of those weak spots have been covered here as well, and yet you guys like the game enough to keep playing. That, the gameplay being good enough to overlook what's wrong with it, is quite a redeeming quality.
As someone who has never played tabletop mech games, Battletech in general, and put only a few hours of the MechWarrior franchise, I do still wonder if the game will be as enjoyable for me as it is for you. From what you post, many of you are veterans of the universe and/or series in one shape or the other (which does make it surprising that the game being a bit light on lore and clan customisation options doesn't bother you) so you had some idea of what you were getting into, but the negative points in the reviews are just the kind of thing that have kept me from making the plunge until now.
I liked Shadowrun: Dragonfall, but from what I gather the story in the Hong Kong was already quite a bit less inspired. Maybe they fired their writing team, which would explain why there's not much of a story in this game either.
I do hope Paradox doesn't take over quality control, as though it indeed does DLC well, their games tend to contain more bugs than a Tyranid infested space ship.
Its not the story that makes this game great. If its a really engrossing story that someone wants, then they would probably be better off playing a straight up RPG. The thing that makes Battletech such a great game is the opportunity to manage and command a mercenary company of mechwarriors. To choose contracts, manage pilots and mechs, scrounge for salvage and travel around the periphery improving your lance. On top of this, the tactical combat is fun and rewarding.
While most of the criticisms raised in your post are valid (i.e. missions do get repetitive, enemy lance creation does seem to be random and unbalanced and main story plot is a tad bit on the bland side, and I could even add some other criticisms), these things don't significantly detract from the game and the overall experience. Its not perfect, but there is very little else out there like it and my time with it has been very enjoyable. Furthermore, the game has so much potential to be expanded upon and improved. The possibilities are quite limitless.
Really...if you like management games, sci-fi strategy, turn-based combat action, giant robots, etc. This is not a game you need to think twice about getting.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 06, 2018, 10:31:50 AM
Really...if you like management games, sci-fi strategy, turn-based combat action, giant robots, etc. This is not a game you need to think twice about getting.
+1 :bd: :bd: :bd:
Quote from: ComradeP on June 06, 2018, 09:52:06 AM
I've been reading this thread for a few weeks now, comparing it with reviews on Steam and elsewhere.
The main complaints elsewhere seem to be:
-generic story, which doesn't really do much with the lore or clan affiliation.
-repetitive missions.
-a limited number of side missions.
-enemy random lance generation balance feels off.
Aside from the story, most of those weak spots have been covered here as well, and yet you guys like the game enough to keep playing. That, the gameplay being good enough to overlook what's wrong with it, is quite a redeeming quality.
As someone who has never played tabletop mech games, Battletech in general, and put only a few hours of the MechWarrior franchise, I do still wonder if the game will be as enjoyable for me as it is for you. From what you post, many of you are veterans of the universe and/or series in one shape or the other (which does make it surprising that the game being a bit light on lore and clan customisation options doesn't bother you) so you had some idea of what you were getting into, but the negative points in the reviews are just the kind of thing that have kept me from making the plunge until now.
I liked Shadowrun: Dragonfall, but from what I gather the story in the Hong Kong was already quite a bit less inspired. Maybe they fired their writing team, which would explain why there's not much of a story in this game either.
I do hope Paradox doesn't take over quality control, as though it indeed does DLC well, their games tend to contain more bugs than a Tyranid infested space ship.
Let me give this a shot.
"-generic story, which doesn't really do much with the lore or clan affiliation."
It is a generic story. I strongly suspect that DLC's will address this, and give each "House" their own story or campaign. Personally, I like the back story, and I think it works very well.
"-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.
"-a limited number of side missions." --- Nope. Not unlimited. Only issue is that as you progress in the main story, the missions will get progressively more difficult. For me, I have only played 3-4 story missions, and I am two upgrades from a COMPLETELY upgraded ship. Others can tell you how many side missions I must have played to get 15 million credits or so.
"-enemy random lance generation balance feels off." --- Ummm....maybe. This last mission, I fought EIGHT mechs, ranging from 45 to 60 tons each. Easily 400 tons opposing my lance. It claimed to be a 2.5 skull. Toughest mission I have ever had. Good news/bad news here....I LIKE the variability of difficulty, and that the estimate of enemy forces is just that, an estimate, and one that may not be correct.
I played X-Com, from the original all the way to the newest iterations. This game is as good, or better, than any X-Com game. This is pretty high praise for me.
I have started a campaign for my grandson, who is a very, very bright young gentlemen, and he loves it. We have to fight over who gets to play, when he comes over. Now that I am completely retired, it's an easy call. He plays, goes home, I bust out a Leinenkugel Shandy, and beat the snot out of some mechs!
Quote from: DennisS on June 06, 2018, 01:04:57 PM
"-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.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 06, 2018, 01:17:35 PM
Quote from: DennisS on June 06, 2018, 01:04:57 PM
"-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.
Quote from: DennisS on June 06, 2018, 08:27:53 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 06, 2018, 01:17:35 PM
Quote from: DennisS on June 06, 2018, 01:04:57 PM
"-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. :crazy2:
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
Quote from: mikeck on June 07, 2018, 01:26:57 PM
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.
Yeah, I wish there was a point to fielding lighter Mechs as well beyond economic reasons outside the scope of the game.
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
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.
Yeah. Max tonnage won't be "historically" accurate based on Battletech lore.
Quote from: mikeck on June 07, 2018, 01:26:57 PM
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: Destraex on June 08, 2018, 04:49:57 AM
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: sandman2575 on June 08, 2018, 09:57:30 AM
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.
:o
I like this game (7-7.5/10), seems to reward my game style of 'head straight towards the trouble' with one more mobile mech going for the flank.
I have no idea where I am in respect to the storyline, but I have some pretty decent mechs; Highlander, BattleMaster, Orion, and Awesome. If I see a mech I want to salvage, I take out a leg from distance and then melee it until the pilot is incapacitated. Those LRM++ and SRM+++ are really good for eventual pilot incapacitation.
I have only 2 original mech pilots, the rest have all been carbonized from their mech CTs going critical because their nearly trashed mechs needed to draw fire for just 1 more turn ::). They took one too many for the team.... err lance.
Is there a High AF Hippie mech with 'olde' weapons pack?
Quote from: Gusington on June 14, 2018, 11:14:08 AM
Is there a High AF Hippie mech with 'olde' weapons pack?
that would be the MadCat KAF
[Kool As F***]
HA
Everyone know, that this has been on sale on Paradox's site? Didn't know if I saw the mentiioned here. I think it ends today.
Quote from: Gusington on June 14, 2018, 11:14:08 AM
Is there a High AF Hippie mech with 'olde' weapons pack?
Yes, and I named him "Oddball."
Quote from: DennisS on June 14, 2018, 03:11:48 PM
Quote from: Gusington on June 14, 2018, 11:14:08 AM
Is there a High AF Hippie mech with 'olde' weapons pack?
Yes, and I named him "Oddball."
Enough with the negative waves Moriarty
:D
OK..just raided the SDLF armory, and got myself a couple of assault mechs. Yep...90 hours of gameplay, and just to this point in game. I like taking my time!
Now that my tonnage for my lance is respectable (85-80-75-70), I am looking to spec out one of them as a pure LRM carrier. Right now, my favorite technique is to close the range, and focus fire. Works pretty good, with totally maxed out morale. I can generally take out one enemy mech per turn.
So...what mech archetypes are best suited as LRM carriers? Don't care about armor, it will be kept well back of the FEBA.
I know there is one mech (starts with an "S" I think) that can carry 4 LRM 20s.
I don't have one though. I used to use a catapult and then a trebuchet and they worked ok. Now though, I use one of the Orion models that allows for 3 rockets. I was using 3 LRM 20s but switched to 2xLRM20++ and one LRM15+++. I carry 3 containers of LRM ammo and one double heat sink. The rest is armor. I like the Orion as my missle boat because it carries a lot of armor and has decent mobility. Both important when the enemy begins to focus fire
My strategy is similar to yours. I use a Highlander and Battlemaster equipped with AC 10's, PPCs, a gauss gun (highlander only) and some lasers. I try to get close as I fire. My 3rd is my QD built for melee. Once I'm close and an enemy mech has been damaged, I use the QD for its DFA. It also has a melee damage bonus arm and leg along with a gyroscope.
I WAS using a thunderbolt as a long range sniper. Had a PPC and 2 AC 5's. I found though that I had a lot of trouble keeping the range where I could hit them but they couldn't get me. It was easier to do long range damage with the LRM boat. Not sure I've found a use for long range sniping that is outside the ability of the LRM carrier Orion
Quote from: mikeck on June 16, 2018, 12:52:23 PM
I know there is one mech (starts with an "S" I think) that can carry 4 LRM 20s.
I don't have one though. I used to use a catapult and then a trebuchet and they worked ok. Now though, I use one of the Orion models that allows for 3 rockets. I was using 3 LRM 20s but switched to 2xLRM20++ and one LRM15+++. I carry 3 containers of LRM ammo and one double heat sink. The rest is armor. I like the Orion as my missle boat because it carries a lot of armor and has decent mobility. Both important when the enemy begins to focus fire
My strategy is similar to yours. I use a Highlander and Battlemaster equipped with AC 10's, PPCs, a gauss gun (highlander only) and some lasers. I try to get close as I fire. My 3rd is my QD built for melee. Once I'm close and an enemy mech has been damaged, I use the QD for its DFA. It also has a melee damage bonus arm and leg along with a gyroscope.
I WAS using a thunderbolt as a long range sniper. Had a PPC and 2 AC 5's. I found though that I had a lot of trouble keeping the range where I could hit them but they couldn't get me. It was easier to do long range damage with the LRM boat. Not sure I've found a use for long range sniping that is outside the ability of the LRM carrier Orion
I think the Stalker is the "S" you're looking for. After reading your post I put one together that I'm calling the Phantom. It has 3 LRM20 and an LRM10. It's legs are nothing more than LRM magazines. The paint job is it's armor.
Anybody running the ROGUETECH mod? I hear its fantastic.
What does it do?
Quote from: KyzBP on June 16, 2018, 02:13:02 PM
Quote from: mikeck on June 16, 2018, 12:52:23 PM
I know there is one mech (starts with an "S" I think) that can carry 4 LRM 20s.
I don't have one though. I used to use a catapult and then a trebuchet and they worked ok. Now though, I use one of the Orion models that allows for 3 rockets. I was using 3 LRM 20s but switched to 2xLRM20++ and one LRM15+++. I carry 3 containers of LRM ammo and one double heat sink. The rest is armor. I like the Orion as my missle boat because it carries a lot of armor and has decent mobility. Both important when the enemy begins to focus fire
My strategy is similar to yours. I use a Highlander and Battlemaster equipped with AC 10's, PPCs, a gauss gun (highlander only) and some lasers. I try to get close as I fire. My 3rd is my QD built for melee. Once I'm close and an enemy mech has been damaged, I use the QD for its DFA. It also has a melee damage bonus arm and leg along with a gyroscope.
I WAS using a thunderbolt as a long range sniper. Had a PPC and 2 AC 5's. I found though that I had a lot of trouble keeping the range where I could hit them but they couldn't get me. It was easier to do long range damage with the LRM boat. Not sure I've found a use for long range sniping that is outside the ability of the LRM carrier Orion
I think the Stalker is the "S" you're looking for. After reading your post I put one together that I'm calling the Phantom. It has 3 LRM20 and an LRM10. It's legs are nothing more than LRM magazines. The paint job is it's armor.
Having a Nice LRM boat with 3 LRM-20s (or 2 20's and a 15) makes the game to easy for me. I won't use it anymore. Problem is that I cheated up until the tomb raider mission and restarted of any of my pilots got killed. So now they are all 9's and 10's in everything. So to balance it. I don't use LRM boats. I have a Jaeger that I had outfitted as a sniper with 3 AC5++'s replaced one with a PPC++. Like I said before though, the extra range just doesn't translate to power on the field. I'd rather bring my Orion with an AC-20++ and LRM 15 or something.
I'm not sure if it's from me not losing pilots so they are all good, but I find that besides the light mechs we discussed, I can't find a role on the Lance for anything but the heaviest mechs with the most firepower
Quote from: mikeck on June 16, 2018, 09:32:48 PM
Quote from: KyzBP on June 16, 2018, 02:13:02 PM
Quote from: mikeck on June 16, 2018, 12:52:23 PM
I know there is one mech (starts with an "S" I think) that can carry 4 LRM 20s.
I don't have one though. I used to use a catapult and then a trebuchet and they worked ok. Now though, I use one of the Orion models that allows for 3 rockets. I was using 3 LRM 20s but switched to 2xLRM20++ and one LRM15+++. I carry 3 containers of LRM ammo and one double heat sink. The rest is armor. I like the Orion as my missle boat because it carries a lot of armor and has decent mobility. Both important when the enemy begins to focus fire
My strategy is similar to yours. I use a Highlander and Battlemaster equipped with AC 10's, PPCs, a gauss gun (highlander only) and some lasers. I try to get close as I fire. My 3rd is my QD built for melee. Once I'm close and an enemy mech has been damaged, I use the QD for its DFA. It also has a melee damage bonus arm and leg along with a gyroscope.
I WAS using a thunderbolt as a long range sniper. Had a PPC and 2 AC 5's. I found though that I had a lot of trouble keeping the range where I could hit them but they couldn't get me. It was easier to do long range damage with the LRM boat. Not sure I've found a use for long range sniping that is outside the ability of the LRM carrier Orion
I think the Stalker is the "S" you're looking for. After reading your post I put one together that I'm calling the Phantom. It has 3 LRM20 and an LRM10. It's legs are nothing more than LRM magazines. The paint job is it's armor.
Having a Nice LRM boat with 3 LRM-20s (or 2 20's and a 15) makes the game to easy for me. I won't use it anymore. Problem is that I cheated up until the tomb raider mission and restarted of any of my pilots got killed. So now they are all 9's and 10's in everything. So to balance it. I don't use LRM boats. I have a Jaeger that I had outfitted as a sniper with 3 AC5++'s replaced one with a PPC++. Like I said before though, the extra range just doesn't translate to power on the field. I'd rather bring my Orion with an AC-20++ and LRM 15 or something.
I'm not sure if it's from me not losing pilots so they are all good, but I find that besides the light mechs we discussed, I can't find a role on the Lance for anything but the heaviest mechs with the most firepower
Heavy and then assault mechs with a crap-load of weapons. Focus fire down each in turn, off to the next mission.
Quote from: Gusington on June 16, 2018, 08:19:04 PM
What does it do?
It turns the game into a huge sandbox with hundreds of systems, adds tons of new weapons and gear and makes it much more challenging with enemy AI behavior and morale check rules. Apparently, it also limits the amount of tonnage making lighter mechs more useful.
I want this mod.
RogueTech looks very, very good.
I just finished a couple of videos on this. I will almost certainly install it, after I finish the campaign.
Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries delayed into 2019...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! :pullhair:
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 19, 2018, 09:29:15 AM
Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries delayed into 2019...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! :pullhair:
Good news is that all lawsuits on content are now settled. See SidAlpha on youtube for the particulars.
Dennis I thought the settlement was still pending for piranah games and that it was not without predujice.
You never know, it may just be a standoff or it may require piranah games to withdraw the unseen mechs.
Quote from: Destraex on June 20, 2018, 04:43:09 AM
Dennis I thought the settlement was still pending for piranah games and that it was not without predujice.
You never know, it may just be a standoff or it may require piranah games to withdraw the unseen mechs.
"Not without prejudice" would mean it is "with prejudice", no? When a lawsuit is settled or discontinued "with prejudice" it means that the suit can not be refilled, renewed or relitigated. It would be rare to settle a case of this nature where some form of consideration is exchanged, and not have it include a with prejudice provision as part of the settlement.
I don't know anything about this particular suit or the existence of any settlements. Just commenting on the above generally.
Considering the delay, I'd be surprised if Piranha didn't cave and agree to take out the Unseen.
It was honestly silly for them to have been forging ahead with them in anyway. I love those old designs, but they've been effectively replaced.
Harebrained made the right call not including them in the first place.
Now this is what I call a patch...
https://steamcommunity.com/games/637090/announcements/detail/1693798980350047366 (https://steamcommunity.com/games/637090/announcements/detail/1693798980350047366)
New Kickstarter update is out with news of the new patch and a free copy of Stellaris from Paradox for backers. Nice
Exciting. I bought Stellaris and all its DLC on the Spring sale. Weeee!
Quote from: Destraex on June 20, 2018, 04:43:09 AM
Dennis I thought the settlement was still pending for piranah games and that it was not without predujice.
You never know, it may just be a standoff or it may require piranah games to withdraw the unseen mechs.
Settled without prejudice, according to sidalpha, pending final agreement between the two parties. This should allow MW5 to proceed without fear of additional litigation.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 20, 2018, 09:46:48 PM
Now this is what I call a patch...
https://steamcommunity.com/games/637090/announcements/detail/1693798980350047366 (https://steamcommunity.com/games/637090/announcements/detail/1693798980350047366)
YES PLEASE!!!!!
Quote
Lethality - when enabled, MechWarriors that are disabled in combat will always be killed.
'Mech Destruction - when enabled, 'Mechs disabled from Center Torso destruction are permanently lost. This setting is intended for veterans and those seeking a significant challenge.
No Rare Salvage - when enabled, + and ++ items are no longer generated as salvage results (but remain purchasable in stores).
MechWarrior Progression - adjust the amount of experience that MechWarriors gain after each mission.
Advanced MechWarriors - increase or decrease the frequency of more powerful MechWarriors appearing in Hiring Halls in later parts of the game.
Enemy Force Strength - increase or decrease the baseline strength of the enemy forces you'll face in procedural contracts.
Contract Payment - increase or decrease the amount of C-Bills paid by procedural contracts across the game.
Salvage - increase or decrease the amount of salvage you may obtain from negotiation on procedural contracts.
Currently 33% OFF at Fanatical for another 44 hours.
https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/battletech
I won't lie.....the difficulty settings in the new patch brings warmness to my heart :smitten:
I had Glitch leveled up pretty high but i couldn't take her whining anymore. B&$@* needs to die or shut the hell up
Yeah she does. I sent her out on a lone banzai charge pretty early on in the game because she getting on my nerves.
I can see daylight through my armor!
I hated her at first but now I absolutely love her. "You get a headshot and YOU get a headshot." How are you not entertained? :)
I started a new campaign with the new update enabled and it bleeping challenging. I made the following adjustments:
5 salvaged Mech parts equal a complete Mech (instead of 3),
All salvaged Mechs start out stripped (instead of fully equiped),
A "cored" Mech can not be salvaged (both mine and the enemy's).
I can see myself going bankrupt early but it's really breathing new life into the game. I have to be a whole lot more careful.
Can't take many more hits like that Commander!
Ugh
I'm thinking about starting a new game with increased difficulty but I am hesitant for the same reason I NEVER want to start over: I like the late game goodies. After coring mechs left and right with my 10-gunnery skill character in his Highlander carrying a gauss cannon and AC 10+++, I cant go back to shooting lasers from my locust...praying I can get my hands on a beefy centurion. Nope, late game i feel like I have more fun.
If I do start over, I likely will try the Rogue mod. Anyone know of the campaign is still playable in that mod?
Quote from: KyzBP on June 24, 2018, 11:27:28 AM
I hated her at first but now I absolutely love her. "You get a headshot and YOU get a headshot." How are you not entertained? :)
LOL, my sentiments exactly! Her voice is annoying as f**k, but her dialogue keeps me
quite entertained.
I picture her more as Kaylee(?), the mechanic from Firefly. I think that's way I've grown to like her.
Nice :bd:
I picture her as an ex-girlfriend who- just as your falling asleep- makes some dumbass comment and snaps you back awake....and does it 3 more times
Nice :bd:
Plus, it seems like no matter what Mech I put her in, she gets injured right away. Always the first one hurt and sometimes the only.
Although she does say "I'm taking a pounding commander"....which is kinda hot
Quote from: mikeck on June 25, 2018, 07:15:12 PM
Plus, it seems like no matter what Mech I put her in, she gets injured right away. Always the first one hurt and sometimes the only.
Although she does say "I'm taking a pounding commander"....which is kinda hot
Yeah buddy...I'll give her the ol' SRM.
Quote from: mikeck on June 25, 2018, 07:15:12 PM
Plus, it seems like no matter what Mech I put her in, she gets injured right away. Always the first one hurt and sometimes the only.
Although she does say "I'm taking a pounding commander"....which is kinda hot
;D :smitten: ;D
Quote from: KyzBP on June 26, 2018, 07:21:23 AM
Quote from: mikeck on June 25, 2018, 07:15:12 PM
Plus, it seems like no matter what Mech I put her in, she gets injured right away. Always the first one hurt and sometimes the only.
Although she does say "I'm taking a pounding commander"....which is kinda hot
;D :smitten: ;D
My mind went there too.... I am too old to feel shame though ^-^
Well I did it. It wasn't pretty and it was a bloody trail for my pilots, but it's over. I was injured so I didn't get into the final battle, but I had enough experienced pilots and sufficient assault mech tonnage to put that bitch into the lake (only slight spoilers).
Loved the ending. <:-)
First DLC announced...coming in November! Doesn't seem too beefy though. Chained missions, new mechs and some new terrains/biomes...
I get the feeling that because of the community any dlc will be welcomed, even if it is not that significant.
Hey Guys,
Is there room to join here?
-Mc
Quote from: Gusington on August 21, 2018, 09:18:19 AM
I get the feeling that because of the community any dlc will be welcomed, even if it is not that significant.
Anybody took the plunge ? https://store.steampowered.com/app/799750/BATTLETECH_Season_Pass/
Season pass 20% off (still 40 €) until 25th then sold at full price (50 €).
(or a bit cheaper here : https://www.wingamestore.com/product/9733/BATTLETECH-Season-Pass/
and here : https://www.voidu.com/en/battletech-season-pass?voider=isthereanydeal&utm_source=isthereanydeal&utm_medium=affiliate extra 20% off with code 'BLUEWINTER' or around 33€-$38)
Even cheaper now $32 at GreenManGaming using PDX18 code.
Flashpoint released...
https://store.steampowered.com/app/911930/BATTLETECH_Flashpoint/ (https://store.steampowered.com/app/911930/BATTLETECH_Flashpoint/)
Career mode!
Hatchet kill!!!!!!
https://www.strategygamer.com/articles/battletech-urban-warfare-expansion/
Finally...ECM and active sensors.
No-one else excited by urban battles?
I'm excited in principle! -- but I still haven't gotten around to playing the game. :-[
I just deleted this game in disgust. When it first released, I enjoyed the campaign for about 65 hours...however, after taking a long hiatus and returning to play around with the career mode, the major problems with the tactical system were just too great to hide with no story-line to drive the game forward.
I find the game completely lacking in any meaningful strategy. Whenever possible, the AI will target one of your mechs...and only one of your mechs...it is the only viable strategy in the game, and therefore the only strategy used by the AI. The maps suck. They are small, usually with little room for maneuver. Your pilots also suck. They can't hit the broadside of a barn, whereas the AI units are filled with elite snipers apparently. The limitation on a single lance of 4 mechs is ridiculous and artificially limiting.
Its weird. I used to really like this game...now...I think I hate it. Depressing. AND, I refunded MW5...news of it being an Epic Games store exclusive was probably the worst gaming news I've received in a long time. The only way to show them how pissed it makes me is to demand my money back.
Yeah man, I am with you.
I really feel Battletech could be so much more.
It's why I returned to playing Classic Battletech via MegaMek. Much less graphical fidelity, but at least its the Battletech I love playing.
I bought it earlier this year and refunded it after playing twice. I thought it was a pretty awful game for the reasons you stated and more, Jarhead. I've never understood the love for this game.
I think the love comes from so little being available that is set in the same universe for so long.
That said, I played for about 10 hours only. I go back but not sure when.
Fair point, Gus.
When I played it over the winter I did enjoy it but it quickly got samey for me too, don't get me wrong. I didn't see what all the hullabloo was about but I didn't want to ruin everyone else's good time.
This is a shame as I haven't played since the winter also but was hoping the DLC would have added to the game not detracted :(
Before I stopped my biggest qualm was the accuracy of the opposition compared to my levelled up pilots :(
I was on the fence a couple of times to buy this. The most recent criticism from the Faithful have put the nail in the coffin for me. Sounds like there are no real tactics on display here just gang up and hope you don't get f'ed over by the RNG gods.
^I didn't realize it at the time but that is pretty accurate. At first the novelty of it all kept me going but it began to get stale.
I like the engine as such but yeah under the hood is all wrong....
I FINALLY took the plunge and went through the hassle of installing and configuring RogueTech. There are a few major mods out there for BT, but RogueTech seems to cover absolutely everything conceivable and it certainly seems to address all of my complaints about the game...and then some. It is probably the largest, most all-encompassing, game-changing, massive, overwhelming mod I have ever installed. The amount of work that has gone into reshaping and rebuilding this game is breathtaking. It took 20+ minutes just to configure the mod for install and select which elements would be added to the game.
I'm not sure if I will have the time or wherewithal to actually learn how the mech bay, engineering, contract system, online map of warring factions and tactical combat actually works, but if I do, I have no doubt it will be a rewarding and enriching experience.
Just, wow.
Is RogueTech in the Steam workshop?
There is a guide on Steam: BATTLETECH - ROGUETECH (A Guide to the RogueTech Mod)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1415051734 (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1415051734)
Quote from: Gusington on September 12, 2021, 11:36:44 AM
Is RogueTech in the Steam workshop?
No. I wish it were that simple.
There have been several times over the past couple of years where i intended to get into RogueTech, but every time I tried to download or install it, I was always met with obstacles that I just did not want to waste my time with. First, issues with nexus mods, then issues keeping the launcher and installer updated, then issues with caching, then issues with having to increase the size of my PageFile, etc. I almost even threw in the towel this time, but I just stuck it out and got it all set up finally.
How long did it take this time?
Quote from: Gusington on September 12, 2021, 12:28:16 PM
How long did it take this time?
It didn't take that long once I had all the right files. The problem was that I had an older version of the launcher/installer and so I could not proceed past a certain point without the most current version. So i went back to the nexus mods site and downloaded the latest version. I then ran that and was informed that it too was out of date and I had to go to a completely different site to get the most current version. Why can't the launcher/updater just update itself. It was annoying to have to hunt for everything. Then, I had to create a PageFile in windows that is 48GB in size. Not happy about it, but it is apparently required due to the limitations imposed by the manner in which the game was coded or built. The Rogue Tech mod is apparently very taxing on system memory, again, apparently a byproduct of the limitations of the underlying programing.
In any event, it wasn't as bad as it all sounds, just a bunch of steps to get the mod up and running, at least, a lot more than what we have all become accustomed to. I should add though that the installation is the easy part. Setting up the mod configuration in and of itself is a complexity that requires a manual to understand what all of the options mean and whether you want them to be in your game...like for instance...nuclear armed super mechs. Sound really awesome, right? But nuclear weapons may also make the game unforgivably brutal and difficult. There are a lot of other additions that require a bit of explanation to understand how the options will impact the game. They all sound awesome and enticing, but some of them supposedly really make the game crushingly hard.
:buck2:
Just fought my first battle.
Had very little idea as to what was going on. It's a totally different beast. Jammers, sensors, Fire Control Systems, Life Support, communications...all sorts of systems inside of those mechs now. Fire and smoke all over the place, missiles streaking all around, tanks, aircraft, multiple lances, people panicking. Whoa boy. This thing is a killer. :timeout: :uglystupid2:
Might have to take a look at this.
Thinking of coming back to Battletech after a few years off. RogueTech sounds interesting. Do I need the DLC's to get the most out of Roguetech? Right now I just have vanilla Battletech. Thanks.
Quote from: Geezer on September 14, 2021, 07:53:22 AM
Thinking of coming back to Battletech after a few years off. RogueTech sounds interesting. Do I need the DLC's to get the most out of Roguetech? Right now I just have vanilla Battletech. Thanks.
You do not need them, but there are some features of the mod that are only accessible if you do have the DLC.
Honestly, there might be too much to this mod. I'm thinking about looking into another one that is very deep, but not RogueTech deep...its called BattleTech Advanced 3062.
I found this post on reddit that compares all the "major" mods.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Battletechgame/comments/n8ulki/an_updated_overview_of_major_mods_for_hbs/
Roguetech looks like too much of a good thing for me. I've never played tabletop so having that level of detail would be wasted on me. Installing BTA 3062 now and will give that a whirl.
All three Battletech expansions are now on sale on Steam for 50% off through the 20th. Resistance is futile... 8)
Quote from: Geezer on September 16, 2021, 02:06:05 PM
All three Battletech expansions are now on sale on Steam for 50% off through the 20th. Resistance is futile... 8)
Any feedback on BTA 3062?
Haven't done enough yet to have any meaningful thoughts. Just fired up the game and adjusted my mechs a bit but haven't done any missions yet. I've been watching some recent videos by Baradul and a series of tutorials by MangaMaD from last year.
The game did lock up on me once but that was after I left it minimized on the main screen for a while.
Quote from: Geezer on September 16, 2021, 04:36:40 PM
Haven't done enough yet to have any meaningful thoughts. Just fired up the game and adjusted my mechs a bit but haven't done any missions yet. I've been watching some recent videos by Baradul and a series of tutorials by MangaMaD from last year.
The game did lock up on me once but that was after I left it minimized on the main screen for a while.
Hmmmm..I wonder if Baradul has done a comparison video. He would be the expert.
I don't see any comparison videos on Youtube, but Baradul does have a playthrough for each mod.
i have seen comments in baraduls current bta campaign that suggest once you get a few lrm tanks on the battlefield it becomes easy mode. might be a house rule you would implement that you cant use them or only have one. i stopped playing roguetech mod right before they implemented individual initiative. watched baradul play to see if i wanted to jump back into it but that mod just seems so bloated now i dont even want to mess with it.
Completed the first "training" mission successfully. It felt very laggy at the end and I have a decent rig (i9900K @3.6 GHz, 32 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 2080 Super) so that was disappointing. It took forever to do the mission because my guys couldn't hit the broad side of an Atlas even with sensor locks! >:( Luckily the enemies were all using training ammo or we would not have survived. My play was rusty and certainly sub-optimal which didn't help.
Completed my second mission just now to secure an "abandoned" base. Lag was minimal although there was a bit of a delay in processing a couple of enemy turns. The good news is we completed the mission which was only a half skull difficulty but got us a lot of valuable salvage. The bad news is that my Commander got one shotted by an Urbanmech that ran behind him from a long way off?! :o A PPC shot to the back. His Locust was destroyed and not recoverable and he has 109 days worth of injuries. Any other pilot would have been killed which is why I took him on the mission as it only allowed me to add one mech to the allied group. AFAIK your commander can never be killed. That seems pretty severe for a lousy half skull mission. Can't wait to see how the 5 skull missions will go...
I'm not going to report every mission here but that one seemed worthy of a post.
Ran another mission and the lag was close to unbearable. The enemy had 4 mechs and 6 vehicles. Not sure if that slowed it down or what but even after most of the enemy was gone the game still chugged every time the AI moved. Going to have to check for any recommended fixes. Something has to improve or I may just go back to vanilla.
I don't have lag in RogueTech. Maybe try that?
OK, thanks. I found a few things to try. Might be as simple as switching from full screen to windowed. If nothing helps I'll look at Roguetech.
Switching from full screen to full window looks like it made a difference in cutting the lag. Hard to say for sure as the enemy only had 4 vehicles on the mission, but their turns definitely went faster so I'm optimistic at this point.
Tried playing a mission tonight. The enemy had two lances and every time one of their mechs was deciding what to do the game sat there for at least 30 seconds with nothing happening. I quit part way through and plan to uninstall the mod. Trouble is it's not in my list of programs to uninstall. I also read where some people could not play vanilla after uninstalling it due to being unable to save the game. Makes me wish I had never installed the mod in the first place. >:(
Quote from: Geezer on September 20, 2021, 06:45:55 PM
Tried playing a mission tonight. The enemy had two lances and every time one of their mechs was deciding what to do the game sat there for at least 30 seconds with nothing happening. I quit part way through and plan to uninstall the mod. Trouble is it's not in my list of programs to uninstall. I also read where some people could not play vanilla after uninstalling it due to being unable to save the game. Makes me wish I had never installed the mod in the first place. >:(
Wow. That really sucks. I'm surprised. It seems like it is a quite popular mod.
BTA 3062 changed the Steam Battletech launcher file because when I launch Battletech directly from Steam it still plays BTA 3062. So just manually removing BTA 3062 will probably wreck my Steam vanilla version and it will have to be uninstalled and reinstalled too. :knuppel2:
Quote from: Geezer on September 21, 2021, 04:40:26 AM
BTA 3062 changed the Steam Battletech launcher file because when I launch Battletech directly from Steam it still plays BTA 3062. So just manually removing BTA 3062 will probably wreck my Steam vanilla version and it will have to be uninstalled and reinstalled too. :knuppel2:
Rename the MOD directory and the game should start the vanilla version (or disable all mods inside the game but that takes more time).
That worked. Thanks Pete! :notworthy: Maybe I'll just play through the vanilla campaign again since I never did finish it.
OK, so just for the hell of it I went back to the BTA Wiki and implemented almost every change they recommended for improved performance. Something worked because when I fired up a mission the performance was greatly improved. The enemy only had 4 mechs but the wait time before each one moved was only a couple of seconds. So I'll keep going with BTA and hope for the best. It certainly adds a lot to vanilla so hopefully it will continue to be playable for me. Now if only I didn't suck at the game, but that's a different issue..... :P
Quote from: Geezer on September 21, 2021, 09:36:46 AM
OK, so just for the hell of it I went back to the BTA Wiki and implemented almost every change they recommended for improved performance. Something worked because when I fired up a mission the performance was greatly improved. The enemy only had 4 mechs but the wait time before each one moved was only a couple of seconds. So I'll keep going with BTA and hope for the best. It certainly adds a lot to vanilla so hopefully it will continue to be playable for me. Now if only I didn't suck at the game, but that's a different issue..... :P
:)
Traveled to a nearby system (Cumberland) to get some more half skull missions. Accepted a mission and the game stopped responding on the Prepping for Mission screen. :tickedoff:
Luckily I had saved on my arrival so I'll try it again.
Quote from: Geezer on September 23, 2021, 04:57:08 PM
Traveled to a nearby system (Cumberland) to get some more half skull missions. Accepted a mission and the game stopped responding on the Prepping for Mission screen. :tickedoff:
Luckily I had saved on my arrival so I'll try it again.
Dude, I'm having fun with RogueTech. I would just give it a shot.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on September 23, 2021, 05:44:01 PM
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Dude, I'm having fun with RogueTech. I would just give it a shot.
No crashes or issues, other than I've read it's brutally hard?
Quote from: Geezer on September 23, 2021, 06:04:20 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on September 23, 2021, 05:44:01 PM
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Dude, I'm having fun with RogueTech. I would just give it a shot.
No crashes or issues, other than I've read it's brutally hard?
None whatsoever. It is running very well.
Got Roguetech installed and fired it up just long enough to get the main screen. It better be good or I'll be blaming you Jarhead! ;)