Forgot it was coming out this week. Also forgot that I had bought it the second it went up for preorder on Steam.
Going to install it before I hit the sack and give it a solid try tomorrow.
Kind of worried about the “Mixed” reviews though. Edit: Not that I put much stock into Steam reviews, as its more often than not goons crying about video card support or optimization or other technical gak that I don’t know or care about. I had just expected something a bit more positive since its such a beloved IP and a somewhat highly anticipated game(amongst my eclectic MWO gaming gang).
I've been looking forward to it. Unfortunately the internet round here has taken a massive dive for some reason. Some kind of issue. Until they fix it I can't really download anything.
I grabbed it after Green Man Gaming threw a discount code out at me.
I have only played the first mission, and have not see the mech-lab yet.
But, the UI is good enough, and has the usual strategy game buttons for action mode (move or sprint, single or multi-attack, etc). Weapons show hit probabilities against each target, so splitting them is easy.
Camera control is nice, with the standard zoom and spin options.
I've played a couple of hours into it. It's very fun. It's not much like Xcom. There's no cover, and the battles are more plodding than the fluid fights you end up with in Xcom. Not that the combat is bad, it's just different.
You get some fun random outcomes to fights - I had my light Spider hit the side of a Shadowhawk, manage to rupture the SRM ammo, and blow the whole mech. Made the fight kinda short. It can happen to you as well, and repairing a mech is expensive, so play carefully.
The negative reviews have boiled down to actual legitimate issues (it's got some weird performance issues, like making some peoples 1080ti's run mega hot), to people rambling about the developers being SJWs.
My laptop tends to run hot (cramming an I7-770 and a 1070 into a laptop can cause some heat issues) but it runs the coolest of any major game I've thrown at it.
Great bit is the company customization screen. Nice little shout out to tabletop gamers. Trust me, just go there.
I ran a temperature monitor when I was playing. My 1070 sat at 70, which is about what it gets with any game. My CPU ran at 75-80, which is pretty low for this laptop.
Not saying it's not happening, just doesn't seem to be happening to me. But yet, it doesn't dip in cutscenes which is odd.
Yeah, there seems to be area terrain. My Spider was missed a lot in a forest, seemed to get a good Evasion bonus. But it's nothing like Xcoms cover system.
Now that I understand the game a little better I'm liking it more. I played the tutorial but still wound up not understanding how some basic stuff worked. Not sure if it was unclear or if I was just not paying attention well enough.
I had thought I did pretty well on a mission where my mech lost his left torso, left arm, and my pilot was injured, but alive. Not so much: the pilot is out of commission for 54 days, and the repairs to my my mech were expensive both in cbills and time. Avoiding damage seems pretty important. Like xcom, you're going to want to have a stable of pilots available so you can have a few spares for when people are injured or killed. They level up, as well, so like xcom, always try and take a rookie with you to get him some XP.
I just had my first end-of-month financial report. Hemorrhaging money, but the game starts you out deeply in debt.
If you find that the x-com-esque action camera that fires up and follows your mech on random actions slows things down you can toggle those off. I haven't done so yet though.
Lots of little micromangementy stuff between battles. Not a complaint, that was the heart of Mechcommander.
Complaints: It doesn't support ultrawidescreen, which is kind of annoying.
More of an observation that a complaint - It's really hammering my 1080. it's not a problem - the game runs very smooth - but there is definitely some performance optimization to be had which perhaps should have happened during development.
Is anyone playing it with integrated graphics? I'm curious if it'll work on my laptop that doesn't technically meet the specs (512Mb video ram instead of 1 gig).
Graphic cards going hot definitely sounds off. The game isn't exactly a graphical marvel. Memory leak or something somewhere burning processing power a rate in excess of necessity?
LordofHats wrote:Graphic cards going hot definitely sounds off. The game isn't exactly a graphical marvel. Memory leak or something somewhere burning processing power a rate in excess of necessity?
-Loki- wrote:NVIDIA released new drivers today optimised for Battletech. Hopefully that solves some issues for people.
Installed it yesterday, the improvement is notable for me, even in loading times (I have an OCed 1060). Not it goest smooth and fast with everything at max and the card runs as normal.
Having quite a bit of fun so far with the game. I really feels like Battletech.
It's the last week of university, then finals next week. After that, I'll get in some serious game time.
My interest in this game is high because it's Battletech, but low because it's all pre-Clan. Clans are coming though. I have a source...
Hopefully the latest Nvidia drivers help with the performance issues. I've played a bit of Alpha and beta, but they never let us see how the game was impacting the hardware.
For the question about playing with an integrated graphics on a laptop: You might be able to play it, if you turn off all the cut scenes, move all the graphics to their lowest settings... but depending on the laptop and it's integrated graphics, it might not support 3d acceleration, in which case it doesn't matter what settings you use. If the laptop is, maybe 2-3 years old and was top of the line when you got it, you might be able to play it. There are just too many factors that go into this to really tell. Good luck!
-Loki- wrote:NVIDIA released new drivers today optimised for Battletech. Hopefully that solves some issues for people.
*shakes fist with impotent rage* I am stuck using a fairly old driver because my Oculus Rift has a bug with drivers after 388.59 (december 2017). What was only a little annoying how now become more annoying, I guess
Graphite wrote:There's something glorious about a Battletech game requiring more heatsinks
My interest in this game is high because it's Battletech, but low because it's all pre-Clan. Clans are coming though. I have a source...
Hopefully the latest Nvidia drivers help with the performance issues. I've played a bit of Alpha and beta, but they never let us see how the game was impacting the hardware.
For the question about playing with an integrated graphics on a laptop: You might be able to play it, if you turn off all the cut scenes, move all the graphics to their lowest settings... but depending on the laptop and it's integrated graphics, it might not support 3d acceleration, in which case it doesn't matter what settings you use. If the laptop is, maybe 2-3 years old and was top of the line when you got it, you might be able to play it. There are just too many factors that go into this to really tell. Good luck!
Is this your source?
Yeah, my laptop is a 2017 midrange productivity laptop (thin and light) with AMD hardware (so worse CPU but better integrated GPU/graphics than Intel). It can play older AAA titles just fine (like Mass Effect 3) but I haven't tried it with anything beefy that is newer. I've done simple things like the Shadowrun games at max settings no problem but obviously those are borderline indie titles and mobile ports so it's not surprising that I exceeded their stats. I've watched a youtube channel called Low Spec Gamer that really shows minimum specs are suggestions depending on how bad (and it can get really bad) you're willing to tweak the settings down to. The fact that there are folks with GTX 1070's complaining about overheating and choppy performance on the steam forums isn't a positivie indicator of good optimization though yesterday's patch as Albertorius mentioned seems to be helping.
Enjoying the game so far, it really captures the feeling of Battletech. I don't like how they handle salvaging mechs though. You get 1/3 of a mech regardless of how you destroy it. Early on I took the leg off a Panther and knocked it down, thinking I could get some good salvage I used called shots to blow it's other leg off. I got 1/3 of a Panther....
The struggle for money is unreal. I got dealt a bad hand of rng on the first world after the tutorial and lost half my money on repairs, now its scraping by every month...
vonjankmon wrote: Enjoying the game so far, it really captures the feeling of Battletech. I don't like how they handle salvaging mechs though. You get 1/3 of a mech regardless of how you destroy it. Early on I took the leg off a Panther and knocked it down, thinking I could get some good salvage I used called shots to blow it's other leg off. I got 1/3 of a Panther....
That's my only complaint so far though.
Actually, no. You get 1 part if you core it (destroy CT), you get 2 parts if you leg it (destroy both legs), and you get the full three if you headshot it or you knock the pilot down. I've just got a complete Firestarter and Cicada that way on the last mission. In your case you probably blew off the CT at the same time as the leg I guess.
Wether you get to choose all three parts of a downed 'mech, though, comes down to the salvage negotiations.
If it includes the OST and the artbook (I got those from the KS) I would say that IMHO very much so. The OST is great, and the artbook is positively MASSIVE at 450+ pages.
vonjankmon wrote: Enjoying the game so far, it really captures the feeling of Battletech. I don't like how they handle salvaging mechs though. You get 1/3 of a mech regardless of how you destroy it. Early on I took the leg off a Panther and knocked it down, thinking I could get some good salvage I used called shots to blow it's other leg off. I got 1/3 of a Panther....
That's my only complaint so far though.
It’s a little misleading, I’ll give you that, but the less of a mech you destroy the more “thirds” are available in the salvage screen. If you negotiated for high salvage you can potentially get free mechs every battle. Of course, that means fewer c-bills...
I've seen a few mentions of people getting fewer mech salvage parts than they should have in the Steam forums, and I've a weird instance of getting a whole mech--a second Shadowhawk--when I only took out both its legs, and in a previous campaign I got two Jager parts after resorting to blowing the entire thing to bits and nuking its CT.
I'm not sure if there's a small chance you might get less or more, and the 1 for coring, 2 for legging etc. is simply a baseline it works off rather than an absolute rule, or if there's actually a bug.
The only major issue I've had with the game so far is
Spoiler:
in the Liberation of Weldry campaign mission, where Kamea says "I'll send you support" but actually means "I'm going to come alone and unescorted from the opposite end of the prison and try and manfight an entire enemy lance, but you'd better keep me alive because I'm important".
I only just saved her in my first campaign, but she succeeded in getting herself killed in my second, half because she tries to walk into middle and get surrounded, all the while spreading her shots as best she can to minimise her effectiveness, and half because the game apparently has an erroneous trigger for the "breach the prison" objective and it triggered before either of the gates had even been touched and before I'd jumped inside the walls, so I basically had 2 turns of being able to do sod all to help out.
In WW2 they had Tiger fear. In this, I have SRM Carrier fear.
Also I finally did a mission where I met Demolishers. I managed to kill it after it fired once. It almost killed a Centurion.
Armor units can really ruin your day if you get in their ranges, particularly because they also appear on low-skull missions. Facing multiple SRM carriers and Shrecks when your heaviest is a Shadow Hawk can get real rough, real fast.
As to the SRM Carriers, well, someone said it better than I could at rpg.net:
Spoiler:
New thing to hate: SRM Carriers. Up to that point vehicles - outside of Bulldogs - had been more of a nuisance than threat. Then I saw a SRM carrier open a portal to the Missile Dimension and spend the next ten seconds spewing an utterly improbable number of missiles into the side of my scout's Jenner.
Avatar 720 wrote: I've seen a few mentions of people getting fewer mech salvage parts than they should have in the Steam forums, and I've a weird instance of getting a whole mech--a second Shadowhawk--when I only took out both its legs, and in a previous campaign I got two Jager parts after resorting to blowing the entire thing to bits and nuking its CT.
I'm not sure if there's a small chance you might get less or more, and the 1 for coring, 2 for legging etc. is simply a baseline it works off rather than an absolute rule, or if there's actually a bug.
The only major issue I've had with the game so far is
Spoiler:
in the Liberation of Weldry campaign mission, where Kamea says "I'll send you support" but actually means "I'm going to come alone and unescorted from the opposite end of the prison and try and manfight an entire enemy lance, but you'd better keep me alive because I'm important".
I only just saved her in my first campaign, but she succeeded in getting herself killed in my second, half because she tries to walk into middle and get surrounded, all the while spreading her shots as best she can to minimise her effectiveness, and half because the game apparently has an erroneous trigger for the "breach the prison" objective and it triggered before either of the gates had even been touched and before I'd jumped inside the walls, so I basically had 2 turns of being able to do sod all to help out.
I'm thinking there may be a bug or some random chance involved as you said. A couple of people above have had different experiences than I have had and playing last night I head shot a mech and got all three parts like they said is supposed to happen but when I legged that Panther the rest of it's body was intact (should have gotten two pieces from that apparently) and another mech that I DFA'ed and hit it's head only gave me 1 piece also. Not sure what is going on but I felt better after the head shot and recovery last night.
I haven't yet encountered a SRM carrier, but I did encounter a LRM carrier and was pretty unhappy with it. I was, as said in here previously, kind of expecting a nuisance and was surprised with the missiles started coming and didn't stop for a really, really long time.
I watched this tip video earlier and I find it to be handy - there was stuff in there that I didn't know about from having played the tutorial. Like, all of your "support weapons" like MGs and small lasers fire when you do a physical attack, you don't gain heat from a physical attack, exactly how evasion works, initiative order, and so on. Good use of 10 minutes if you're new to the game.
What kind of builds are you guys running? I'm still mostly in mediums all-rounders, but just got a Trebuchet which I'm outfitting into a lurm boat to support my guys.
I'm going PPC/Missile/Ballistic heavy, going for the knockdown.
I run a Hunchback P with that to capitalize on the knockdown. I'm aiming to get the pilot at +1 init so he can core any knockdowns before they can act.
It's a good idea during the salvage screen to scroll through the weapons, and see if there are bonuses that fit your play style. For a few games I had an AC 20 that did + 20 stability damage (before some Directorate fool destroyed it), and it was heaven. Everyone just fell down near me, and got cratered.
I'm still sub-300 days into the campaign, but so far I'm using the starting Shadowhawk as a pseudo-LRM Boat, fitted with 2 LRM15s and an LRM5; got the starting Blackjack in default gear; a Centurion with 2 SRM6s and an SRM6+, two medium lasers, and an MG; and a Jager with 2 AC5s, an AC2, and an AC2+. Stored the starting Vindicator, but was running with with PPC/LL, and just picked up another Vindi I'm outfitting as a brawler with some SRM6s, and heap of MLs and two SLs, alongside a good whack of heatsinks and near max armour to see how that goes.
I'm just wondering if there's a fix to me crashing after the "3 years later mission".
After the mission "3 years later", I am able to see the mission report, then the games screen goes black and starts to show the loading spinner. After a time that goes away and leaves a black screen w/ a cursor. The game freezes and crashes at that point.
Oh God the maintenance fees are real. I’m living paycheck to paycheck and fixing mechs/healing mechwarriors is keeping me from running more than 1 contract per period.
I love it!
I really hope they implement Ironman mode at some point.
Oddly finding that a lot of the same stuff that works great in MWO works great here. More than I'd thought given the difference in genre and mechanics.
LRMs are disappointing me.
Laser and SRM boats are murder.
Ballistics are okay.
Loving the Centurion I got from the first story mission. Good old Centurion never fails me.
My general tactic is to build a gun line with my Blackjack and Vindicator, use a Jenner to draw the enemy out, and once I got them in a nice kill zone the Jenner and the Centurion start flanking. Precision shots to take out the legs are ungodly effective. Needs nerf. I'll probably continue to tactic while upgrading weight classes over the game. Really looking forward to my first King Crab. One of my favorite mechs and none of things that leave it "meh" in MWO are going to hinder it in Battletech!
I'm getting to a point where trying to cut off the leg to maximize salvage is getting tricky. Too much damage means I'm killing the torso, too. Too little, and I'm facing an assault mech getting another turn of fire.*
I just need more money, and to find worlds that aren't all 2.5 Skull in difficulty. I can't handle 6 mixed med/light + 1-2 heavies /heavy 'Mechs in each mission.
LRMs, for me, are more of a utility weapon that I use with a multi-target mechwarrior to strip evasion from the next target that the rest of my lance will then attack.
Ballistics are sweet because they help with knockdown.
I just need more money, and to find worlds that aren't all 2.5 Skull in difficulty. I can't handle 6 mixed med/light + 1-2 heavies /heavy 'Mechs in each mission.
Don't worry, the skull-rating counts for guff all. I've had 1.5 skull missions with two lances of mediums, a Manticore, and an SRM Carrier that had converged on my lance by round 3. After hammering Withdraw, deciding it was bs, and reloading the pre-battle autosave, it put me against the Manticore and SRM Carrier again, but also mainly lights with a single medium, which was infinitely more tolerable. From what I can tell, this is the normal experience; contract difficulty RNG is pretty loose, and there are some which you'll be reloading a few times if you want to try and complete them--ignoring the people who claim "you're not supposed to be able to win every fight, suck it up and git gud".
There's also anecdotal evidence that contracts get harder with each campaign mission you complete, though considering how irrational the contract difficulty is, I'm not sure if that's true or it just feels like it's true.
It's a point of credit in the game's favour that it makes you want to replay unfairly stacked missions as opposed to giving up and calling the game horsecrap, though it would obviously be better if you didn't have to.
Also, progressing the story too early can result in the random mission RNG putting higher end enemies in. But since the story isn’t gated you can easily progress too early and end up with random missions that you can’t realistically complete.
The game is really good, but I hope post release they take a look at how swingy the random mission difficulty is.
-Loki- wrote: Also, progressing the story too early can result in the random mission RNG putting higher end enemies in. But since the story isn’t gated you can easily progress too early and end up with random missions that you can’t realistically complete.
I was afraid of that. The normal missions are hard to plan around. You almost never get more than one one the same planet. The second will disappear and force you to go to another so I often only get 1 mission in a month which is at best enough to break even.
I'd like to see either the normal missions be a little more rewarding, or have the game force less wasted time traveling to make managing your finances easier.
Getting really frustrated by Liberate: Smithon. My 4 medium mechs vs 8 mechs, they have turret support, plus I'm supposed to task one of my mechs to stopping 2 transports? Not sure how I'm supposed to handle this. I've taken 6 or 7 swings at it in various ways and nothing really has worked for me.
Love the art
Love the fact its so lore intensive - so many things to click on and read and go oh yeah I remember that - everything that MWO is missing.....
Like all the characters and not sure what all the keywords do but its fun and interesting.
The campaign feels like a BattleTech novel - that's what I wanted so great
Game play I am getting the hang off - likely will need to restart the campaign at some point, injuries hurt and I missed some ways of playing more effectively earlier.
Some queries for anyone - I have six mechs salvaged in storage but can't seem to do anything with them - not even sell them? It says repair them in the Mech Bay but not an option to bring them out and I have space.
Just got my first mission to start the reconquest but a bit short on cash - how long can you leave it before there are issues?
Infected by the SJW
No idea what this means - if its about the fact that women have major roles in the story etc - well - have you read any BattleTech lore in the last thirty years!
If its about the pronoun choice - meh...does that really matter to anyone that its there - you just choose what's appropriate for the character in your head IMO.
No idea what this means - if its about the fact that women have major roles in the story etc - well - have you read any BattleTech lore in the last thirty years!
Presumably it's because you can pick your pronoun, which is an o-o-outraaaage!
For those who dont know, you need 3 salvaged parts of the same mech (and variant! Can't build a locust m with locust v parts) and it auto builds itself. You get more parts the less destroyed the mech is (so long as it has 1 point of structure ldft its not destroyed). Blowing off both legs gets you 2 parts, a lethal headshot or pilot incap w/o breaking both right and left torso (I think from my experience it's ok to break one of them, not totally sure on it though) gets you 3, and killing the center torso gets you just one. Best way to injure the pilot is knockdown (breaking legs/stability damage), headshots, crits on ammo, or breaking the left or right torsos.
If you get stuck and have pushed the story too far too quickly a tip I saw to get around that is go into a mission, complete one objective then withdraw. Withdrawing is instant and you'll still get salvage and c-bills for it.
Currently running the grasshopper (6 flamers and MLs) double orions (one is a 20/20/10 lrm boat with damage/stability damage increases, the other a twin AC20 platform) and a highlander (mostly long range fire power). I'd like to get a king crab but I've only seen one and the armor was too low on it to knock down endlessly and injure the pilot.
Wolfblade wrote: For those who dont know, you need 3 salvaged parts of the same mech (and variant! Can't build a locust m with locust v parts) and it auto builds itself. You get more parts the less destroyed the mech is (so long as it has 1 point of structure ldft its not destroyed). Blowing off both legs gets you 2 parts, a lethal headshot or pilot incap w/o breaking both right and left torso (I think from my experience it's ok to break one of them, not totally sure on it though) gets you 3, and killing the center torso gets you just one. Best way to injure the pilot is knockdown (breaking legs/stability damage), headshots, crits on ammo, or breaking the left or right torsos.
If you get stuck and have pushed the story too far too quickly a tip I saw to get around that is go into a mission, complete one objective then withdraw. Withdrawing is instant and you'll still get salvage and c-bills for it.
Currently running the grasshopper (6 flamers and MLs) double orions (one is a 20/20/10 lrm boat with damage/stability damage increases, the other a twin AC20 platform) and a highlander (mostly long range fire power). I'd like to get a king crab but I've only seen one and the armor was too low on it to knock down endlessly and injure the pilot.
Thanks that's really helpful - biggest Mech I have seen so far in battle was a Quickdraw!
I’m finding a Firestarter to be a godsend on hot maps. Locking down heavier mechs through overheating and just hanging around behind their line while they focus on my bigger mechs is very effective.
You can blow off both sides of a 'Mech off and one of its legs, killing the pilot in the process, and get 3 parts. Killing the pilot without taking off both legs or killing the CT always nets 3 parts.
Sometimes it takes quite a lot of effort (spent 1/2hr savescumming an Orion and a Thunderbolt until I managed to kill the pilots by tipping them over). Took some serious damage, and nearly lost a pilot, but eventually I tore 'em apart. Got 2/3rds of the Thud and the entire Orion, so it was worth it.
Nostromodamus wrote: I’m finding a Firestarter to be a godsend on hot maps. Locking down heavier mechs through overheating and just hanging around behind their line while they focus on my bigger mechs is very effective.
I'm loving a humble spider with a single LL. You hide and reserve him (sensor locking for LRMs) then one turn you sneak behind a mech and double-tap with the LL on the back (you reserve it for last, then it moves first on the following turn), it's almost guaranteed to crit something, or destroy CT altogether).
H.B.M.C. wrote: You can blow off both sides of a 'Mech off and one of its legs, killing the pilot in the process, and get 3 parts. Killing the pilot without taking off both legs or killing the CT always nets 3 parts.
It's definitely not guaranteed. Had another instance A day ago where I'd incapacitated the pilot without taking off both legs or the CT, and only getting 2 parts from it. It was only a lighter Medium and I had a part for it spare already, so I wasn't too fussed, but I'm sure now it's either a bug or intended that 3 for head/injury incap and 2 for legs is simply a cap it's still possible to get less than.
Ouze wrote: Getting really frustrated by Liberate: Smithon. My 4 medium mechs vs 8 mechs, they have turret support, plus I'm supposed to task one of my mechs to stopping 2 transports? Not sure how I'm supposed to handle this. I've taken 6 or 7 swings at it in various ways and nothing really has worked for me.
Same here, I ended up having to load an earlier save just to do some other contracts. It feels very unbalanced, you start in what is basically a ditch and those transports start running behind another hill only two turns in. The game is like oh use them ammo dumps, but the mechs avoid the aoe radius like the plague and those lrm turrets don't help. It isn't two skulls by a long shot. I'm just levelling my pilots some more so they miss less. Perhaps next time they could drop you on the side that doesn't give the defender a massive advantage and terrain shielding? What genius picks an insertion point like that?
No idea what this means - if its about the fact that women have major roles in the story etc - well - have you read any BattleTech lore in the last thirty years!
If its about the pronoun choice - meh...does that really matter to anyone that its there - you just choose what's appropriate for the character in your head IMO.
I think its what people say who are stuck at the duke nukem stage quality of video game characters and plot.
I managed to complete that mission by accepting the ammo trucks were a lost cause, and that I'd be tanking some LRMs courtesy of turret Sensor Locks, but otherwise by never actually cresting the starting hill until all the enemy mechs were dead. Not once.
I began by peeling off towards the left, where there's a lone Spider guarding a light laser turret. It should be pretty easy to take him and the turret out within a round or so unless you're very underpowdered. Don't go too far to the left, though, as the terrain is deceptive and you can be targeted by mechs and turrets in the FoW over the factory complex.
After that, I pulled right back into my starting zone and prepared to repel two more light mechs, including a Firestarter which is a priority target. You'll want your tankiest mech closest to the hill so it can eat the sensor locks and LRMs from the turrets and other mechs you can't see; having the passive skill that auto-guards/entrenches you if you don't move can be handy for reducing damage without eating an action, but judicious use of the Vigilance morale action works well, too, and with the number of mechs you're killing you should be getting morale fairly easily to refuel its use.
Hopefully you can take out the firestarter and other light before the next mechs crest the hill, and you can take them out. The most difficult enemy will be the Dragon, which took a good while to get over the hill for me, but did so alone, and I got a full mech out of the deal within a round of shooting.
That said, my pilots were fairly experienced, and I was using a loadout of 1 Medium--an LRM Shadowhawk I've been using since the beginning--and 3 Heavies: an Orion kitted out for brawling, with an AC/10, a few lasers, and 3 SRM6s; a Jager with pretty much stock loadout of 2x AC/2s and 2x AC/5s; and a Grasshopper equipped with a lightshow of max MLs and max SLs, but I took sod all damage because nothing lived long enough to do much; coming at you in groups of 1-2 really cuts their strength down.
This is what I was looking at by the middle of Round 10, just after taking down the Dragon (spoilered for size):
Spoiler:
My Shadowhawk and Jager are hidden further down, and the reason I can see the enemy Medium on the other side is because that little bit of terrain my front-most mech is standing on is elevated just enough to see and be seen over the ridge, which I didn't know until I stood there because sometimes it's impossible to know what terrain will block LoS and what won't until you're sitting in it. The dips to either side of it are hidden, though.
I will reiterate that I was probably overgeared for the mission is terms of mechs and pilot skill, though, even though my first attempt was a complete failure after my Grasshopper was laid low by BS and I couldn't hit anything for love nor C-Bills.
Depending on the mechs you're bringing an all-med Lance might be able to pull it off, but with half the enemy mechs having PPCs and being stupidly accurate with them in my experience--point-blank PPCs is a valid strategy the AI pulls on me every time--they might take a beating when combined with LRMs every turn; moving, shooting, and bracing with Vigilance will be necessary.
Jump jets are probably the best use for this, as you can quickly gain enough evasion that Sensor Lock won't remove it all, and you gain a lot of manoeuvrability--as well as DFA for use in emergencies. Being able to JJ for 4+ Evasion chevrons, shoot, then Vigilance for the 50% damage reduction to any shots against your front/side that get through your evasion, as well as moving up the Initiative table by 1 next round, can be deadly.
It could well be that you have to load up an earlier save and grind some more, though. Taking on 2-3 skull contracts for more likelihood of heavy mechs you can salvage might be the only way, even if it means reloading a few times to get a matchup you can deal with.
It sounds like you got lucky to an extent. I tried camping the 'barrel', but all that I ended up with was endless sensor locks and LRM barrages without the enemy seriously attempting to come up the hill. Felt like a fish.
Been playing it - I was too busy during the whole beta thing so the game has been a pleasant surprise. Combat feels like you really are toting giant battle titans around and there is a tension between knowing all the punishment you can take versus the weak points of your model. I feel a spike of fear whenever my Jagermech takes an arm hit and there is serious elation when the enemy hunchback has an ammo explosion.
The plot is pretty good is that kind of techno-anachronistic way that BT has always been known for. My only complaint is that you only get to mess with a fifth of the inner sphere map and the date - 3018, if before the really fun mechs like the hatchetman and axeman.
I almost screamed when a simple battle mission had a pair of thunderbolts show up. Only a judicious use of precision targeting saved my hide, but my centurion has been rebuilt more times than Yen-Lo-Wang at this point.
Ouze wrote: Getting really frustrated by Liberate: Smithon. My 4 medium mechs vs 8 mechs, they have turret support, plus I'm supposed to task one of my mechs to stopping 2 transports? Not sure how I'm supposed to handle this. I've taken 6 or 7 swings at it in various ways and nothing really has worked for me.
Same here, I ended up having to load an earlier save just to do some other contracts. It feels very unbalanced, you start in what is basically a ditch and those transports start running behind another hill only two turns in. The game is like oh use them ammo dumps, but the mechs avoid the aoe radius like the plague and those lrm turrets don't help. It isn't two skulls by a long shot. I'm just levelling my pilots some more so they miss less. Perhaps next time they could drop you on the side that doesn't give the defender a massive advantage and terrain shielding? What genius picks an insertion point like that?
I ended up writing the wounded guys off. They're a side mission; the transports to the turret base are a hard fail. Sucks to be them.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I finished the campaign last night. It was fun. I moved to FedCom space (what there is of it).
Avatar 720 wrote: That said, my pilots were fairly experienced, and I was using a loadout of 1 Medium--an LRM Shadowhawk I've been using since the beginning--and 3 Heavies: an Orion kitted out for brawling, with an AC/10, a few lasers, and 3 SRM6s; a Jager with pretty much stock loadout of 2x AC/2s and 2x AC/5s; and a Grasshopper equipped with a lightshow of max MLs and max SLs, but I took sod all damage because nothing lived long enough to do much; coming at you in groups of 1-2 really cuts their strength down.
(snipped) It could well be that you have to load up an earlier save and grind some more, though. Taking on 2-3 skull contracts for more likelihood of heavy mechs you can salvage might be the only way, even if it means reloading a few times to get a matchup you can deal with.
I really appreciate you taking the time to type all of this out. I've decided to take you advice - I'm going to load an earlier save and save this mission for when I have more tonnage. The mechs you did this with are much heavier and better armed than the mechs I currently own.
Wolfblade wrote: I think I got through that with a really lucky shot on an ammo crate when ~4 of them clustered around it.
I did win a single time, but it was such a pyrrhic victory I can't live with it. I caught 3 of them around a crate, but even then I "won" with 2 dead pilots, 2 destroyed mechs, and an 80 day medbay stay for myself, along with the 2 surviving mechs having lost all the fancy ++ weapons and gyros I had accumulated to that point.
Yeah that mission was brutal, looking back on it, I would have gone into higher skull territory (manually by using the map) and farmed up some heavier mechs.
As for the stop the transports mission, I found that one to be bs too. One bad miss means the APCs won't all be killed fast enough, and they only take 2 moves to reach the base.
Just played the prison mission - took it slow and steady on the attack so still had all four mechs in good shape when the second part started.
Hard fight but won through - although my chracter again is in bed for the next 111 days ! Still have plenty of money and good experienced pilots plus mechs in good shape so will do some more missions to build up a larger stable, cash and more mechs - as our new patron suggested :0
Currently just got a JaegerMech as my only heavy then ShadowHawk, Vindicator and Spider as line mechs.
Light mechs don't like being punched or kicked I have found
They did a reddit AMA. Some nice information - summary I found.
Game has been very successful for them.
More content is coming. Didn’t go in to specifics, but based on things he said likely new mission types, crew interactions and events.
Patch is their number 1 priority at the moment. Expect s lot of fixes and improvements.
DLC is of course being planned, nothing concrete, but they’ll make sure everyone knows when they got something.
Artillery is something they are working on, not a high priority, but they want it to be a fun thing to have.
No actual plans for this, but they have talked about the idea of missions in which you deploy more forces (besides your main lance) offscreen to help complete the mission.
Very, very unlikely we’ll be in command of anything bigger than a lance.
Headshots working as intended.
Also missions where reinforcements show up right away is also working as intended. What they are changing is the language used as it should be less “enemy reinforcement have arrived” and more “Oh gak our intel was bad!”.
They want to add ways of gaining some LosTech outside of story missions.
They are tweaking weapon values as we speak.
They would also like to add difficulty modifier options. Stuff like CT gets destroyed Mech is gone and collect 5 salvage instead of 3 to build a Mech.
They do not want to artificially force players to use light and mediums via tonnage limits. They are however working on late game reasons to use lights and mediums.
Oh yeah and the Withdraw button at the top of the screen? Yeah you’re supposed to actually use that from time to time.
Honestly the only way they're going to get people to use Light and Medium mechs late game outside of their Heavies and Assaults being in the shop is tonnage restrictions per mission. But it's too late now to really introduce that into the campaign, it would be a major rework.
Also missions where reinforcements show up right away is also working as intended. What they are changing is the language used as it should be less “enemy reinforcement have arrived” and more “Oh gak our intel was bad!”.
Yeah... no it's not.
You get a reinforcements warning after you defeat the enemy force and instantly get a mission successful after acknowledging the incoming reinforcements, because they're already dead.
Also missions where reinforcements show up right away is also working as intended. What they are changing is the language used as it should be less “enemy reinforcement have arrived” and more “Oh gak our intel was bad!”.
Yeah... no it's not.
You get a reinforcements warning after you defeat the enemy force and instantly get a mission successful after acknowledging the incoming reinforcements, because they're already dead.
Exactly First time that happened I thought “Oh gak, MORE?”, then I got the mission successful screen...
Against my better judgement, I bought it Saturday and spent all weekend playing, much to the determent of my college studies. It's finals week and I really needed to finish some projects! Oh well.
Call Sign Thumper has spent more time in the Med Bay then on the Battlefield. I manage 1-2 missions, then "Critical damage! Mechwarrior wounded" plays out. And then Thumper is in the Med Bay for 97 DAYS. OMG. So I lose my commander and have to replace him with some scrub I hire at the next port of call...
Speaking of which... there seem to be a lot of Mechwarriors wandering around. I thought they were supposed to be kinda rare, given that Mechs are so rare. I've also managed to kill every Founders Mechwarrior I hire. Hammer- one of them there SRM Death Spitter Carriers got in range of his Jenner and that was that. Sunny Bear took a PPC to the head. Pretty much if I need to sacrifice a Mechwarrior, I just hire a Founders Mechwarrior.
What else? Saw an Awesome in a store on Kilma for 1.3 million C-Bills, and bought it. Turns out I just spent 3/4 of my C-Bills for 1 part of an Awesome. Spent the next two months playing scrub missions so I could afford to keep playing.
The biggest PITA Mission so far: Stubborn Surrender. Two skull mission, worth 700K C-bills and salvage. Couple old Mechs with maintenance issues been harassing the local populace. I jump in with my Shadowhawk, Jenner, Centurion, Vindicator. The first mech I see? A Quickdraw. OK. I can deal with this. Then a Shadowhawk pops up. Hmmm. This could be tough. WTF is that?!?! A GRASSHOPPER TOO?!?! WTH just cored my Vindicator? A JagerMech?!?! This isn't a couple Old Farts trying to relieve their glory years! This is a full on Death Squad dispatched to deal with the local Merc Problem! OMG! The Grasshopper just did an DFA on my Jenner and squished it like a bug! Come on guys! Rally to... <insert PPC noise followed by lurms, and just as an FU, a medium laser> Critical Hit! Structural damage! Internal damage! Knockdown. Pilot incapacitated. OK Glitch. It's all up to you! Remember, these are rust bucket mechs piloted by geriatric Mechwarriors wearing Depends Adult Diapers and... Did that Quickdraw really just kick your mech so hard in the crotch that the force of the blow traveled up the CT and blew your head clean off? "Argh! Commander! I'm hit..." Structural damage. Internal damage. Knockdown. Pilot incapacitated. MISSION FAILURE
I play Ironman Battletech. All the ejection systems in my mechs have been disabled. We do not withdraw, run away, tactical retreat, whatever you call it. We've declared Jihad on House Espinosa! Death to Santiago Espinosa! Long Live Kamea Arano! If you have a problem, and no one else can help, and if you can find me, then you can hire the A-Team. For a (negotiated) fee, of course. And if I hear about how unhappy the crew is one more time... the beatings will continue until morale improves!
H.B.M.C. wrote: If you're going to use Light 'Mechs, get a Jenner ASAP, strip out the SRM4, and fill that space with more armour.
I meant I punch them
So far I quite like the whole - "we think this is what's there but it might not be" - fits with the fluff / war in general - but then I have not had any really bad match ups yet and certainly not faced carriers which were terrifying in tabletop.
Some escort and destroy convoy missions are so ass backwards. I had an escort mission where the friendlies started halfway across the map and had to drive past the enemy to the extraction. Needless to say they were dead by the time I reached their position. Another one, escort engineers, they start midway and have to move to a point behind me. "Ok great" I think. What did they do, the actually started driving directly away from their objective into the enemy. Nothing was obstructing their path to my mechs, it even had a road to travel on
Same for enemy convoys, spawn far away and escape in two turns. Glorified 5 min loading screens.
Also missions where reinforcements show up right away is also working as intended. What they are changing is the language used as it should be less “enemy reinforcement have arrived” and more “Oh gak our intel was bad!”.
Yeah... no it's not.
You get a reinforcements warning after you defeat the enemy force and instantly get a mission successful after acknowledging the incoming reinforcements, because they're already dead.
Last night I had a mission where reinforcements spawned on me.
They weren't dropshipped in, they didn't walk in from offscreen, one turn they weren't there and then the next they'd pinged into existence next to my LRMhawk and right behind my Jager, whereupon they got a full round of shooting at my Jager's backside before I could even do anything about it.
If that's working as intended then frankly their intentions are BS.
I also disagree with their assessment of the Withdraw button; sure, use it if you fethed up and need to GTFO, or the enemy was a little more than you could handle; saying "you can always just withdraw" to excuse the awful matchups you can come across when the game decides that you're artificially not allowed to win, though? Sod off.
I want to have to pull out because I failed, not because I was never supposed to win. That's never, ever fun, only irritating.
When do you guys start seeing assault mechs? I'm at about 425 days in, and the heaviest mech I've seen was 65 tons, and that was an outlier. I almost always see the same variants of shadowhawks, vindicators, jenners, locusts, and sometimes hunchbacks.
Ouze wrote: When do you guys start seeing assault mechs? I'm at about 425 days in, and the heaviest mech I've seen was 65 tons, and that was an outlier. I almost always see the same variants of shadowhawks, vindicators, jenners, locusts, and sometimes hunchbacks.
outside of the story mission, ~3.5 skulls or higher
edit: they're still fairly rare in 3.5, uncommon in 4 and very common in 4.5 or higher
Were you seeing them at 3.5-4.5 before the story mission that introduced them? Because I'd not seen any up until then at 3.5-4, and not seen a single 4.5 mission available.
I've only just completed that mission, myself, so I'll see what happens later.
Avatar 720 wrote: Were you seeing them at 3.5-4.5 before the story mission that introduced them? Because I'd not seen any up until then at 3.5-4, and not seen a single 4.5 mission available.
I've only just completed that mission, myself, so I'll see what happens later.
I think I had to complete the story mission, and even on 3.5 missions it's still very rare to see an assault, even a light 80 ton like the viktor.
Yet to see an assault 'Mech. Seen everything up to Grasshopper in size.
Rocking around with a Orion/Thunderbolt/Centurion/Hunchback crew right now.
My Hunchback pilot is a monster. She just steamrolls anything in her way. If they don't die to endless medium laser fire she just punches them to death.
Anyone seen a Marauder yet - probably my fav 'Mech.
So far my "I Spy" of enemy Mech's is:
Jenner, Locust, Commando, Griffin, Shadowhawk, Kintaro, Wolverine, Centurion, Firestarter, Spider, Blackjack, Jagermech(*), Quickdraw(*),
Mr Morden wrote: Anyone seen a Marauder yet - probably my fav 'Mech.
So far my "I Spy" of enemy Mech's is:
Jenner, Locust, Commando, Griffin, Shadowhawk, Kintaro, Wolverine, Centurion, Firestarter, Spider, Blackjack, Jagermech(*), Quickdraw(*),
(*) main story only
Plenty of Panthers on my campaign, quite a few hunchbacks, blackjacks and cicadas, too. A single Dragon on the mission to prevent the dropship from landing.
Mr Morden wrote: Anyone seen a Marauder yet - probably my fav 'Mech.
So far my "I Spy" of enemy Mech's is:
Jenner, Locust, Commando, Griffin, Shadowhawk, Kintaro, Wolverine, Centurion, Firestarter, Spider, Blackjack, Jagermech(*), Quickdraw(*),
(*) main story only
Plenty of Panthers on my campaign, quite a few hunchbacks, blackjacks and cicadas, too. A single Dragon on the mission to prevent the dropship from landing.
Ah yes forgot the Cicada - might be where I have been - which is not that far.
It and the Warhammer were cut due to the Harmony Gold lawsuit.
Really - I thought that was all sorted by MWO pushing back - there they have Locusts, Marauders, Warhammers and the like
Given that Natasha Kerensky is supposed to turn up as a NPC I would be disappointed if she is not in her sig Mech as she is in MWO?
The Marauder and Warhammer are derived from "Robotech" designs. The Locust and Thunderbolt meanwhile come from Crusher Joe and Fangs of the Sun respectively. They were never very contentious and even if they were once upon a time when's the last time anyone actually watched either of those Anime's? The problem is basically that Harmony Gold lives and dies off lawsuits over the Robotech IP.
It and the Warhammer were cut due to the Harmony Gold lawsuit.
Really - I thought that was all sorted by MWO pushing back - there they have Locusts, Marauders, Warhammers and the like
Given that Natasha Kerensky is supposed to turn up as a NPC I would be disappointed if she is not in her sig Mech as she is in MWO?
The Marauder and Warhammer are derived from "Robotech" designs. The Locust and Thunderbolt meanwhile come from Crusher Joe and Fangs of the Sun respectively. They were never very contentious and even if they were once upon a time when's the last time anyone actually watched either of those Anime's? The problem is basically that Harmony Gold lives and dies off lawsuits over the Robotech IP.
Yeah I know that but that is why a lot of people wanted to see what happened when MWO had marauder and Warhammer's - which they did and still do have in their game.
The Kickstarter does say:
) A UNIQUE ORDER OF VALHALLA PAINT SCHEME available for 8 'Mech chassis of historical significance to the Order. These exclusive paint schemes will appear on the Locust, Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt, Warhammer, Marauder[b], and BattleMaster and two more classic BattleMechs we’ll announce at a later date!
Was this changed in an update I have missed? I will have a look on the KS page
Checked the FAQs and they have this:
We’re excited by the great re-imagined 'Mechs Piranha and Catalyst have done for some of those “imperially entangled” ‘Mechs. We're excited that the Marauder and Warhammer will be in our game.
Oddly enough, no Catapults or Dragons outside of the story in this campaign. Saw one Catapult not far into my first failed attempt, but nothing this time around.
My current lineup is a Lightshow Grasshopper, Orion K for the increased armour over the V, LRMJager that replaced my Shadowhawk, and a fire support Jager I swap between an AC and PPC version of depending on climate, expected resistance, and how I feel.
Now I've got hold of a Highlander and a Battlemaster, though, I'll be making a few changes.
I'm still loving this game, but I'm definitely seeing how swingy things get at 2 stars. I had a battle mission (destroy a lance, scramble to defend against a reinforcing lance), the first time I went through I got nailed by a Kintaro, 2 shadowhawks and a wolverine. Slugged through them only to be met by 2 hunchbacks and a heavy. I lost two pilots, so I quit and reloaded my save for the exact same mission. This time I got a medium/heavy vehicle lance (most of whom died as soon as they entered range) and a wolverine backed by two cicadas and a striker tank. I steamrolled the whole lot of them.
I suspect the random forces generator is using tonnage as a factor in a much wider band than it really ought to be. There's a big difference between facing a stock cicada versus a stock hunchback. I love the idea of the unknown, but a little scaleback might make sense.
Right now, I'm really hoping to run across some nice heavies. I have 2 thunderbolt salvage, but would love a nice catapult or other dueling heavy.
Does anyone know if they've released al ist of all the mech chassis in the game? I dream of a warhammer or charger, but I don't have high hopes.
ChargerIIC wrote: I'm still loving this game, but I'm definitely seeing how swingy things get at 2 stars. I had a battle mission (destroy a lance, scramble to defend against a reinforcing lance), the first time I went through I got nailed by a Kintaro, 2 shadowhawks and a wolverine. Slugged through them only to be met by 2 hunchbacks and a heavy. I lost two pilots, so I quit and reloaded my save for the exact same mission. This time I got a medium/heavy vehicle lance (most of whom died as soon as they entered range) and a wolverine backed by two cicadas and a striker tank. I steamrolled the whole lot of them.
I suspect the random forces generator is using tonnage as a factor in a much wider band than it really ought to be. There's a big difference between facing a stock cicada versus a stock hunchback. I love the idea of the unknown, but a little scaleback might make sense.
Right now, I'm really hoping to run across some nice heavies. I have 2 thunderbolt salvage, but would love a nice catapult or other dueling heavy.
Does anyone know if they've released al ist of all the mech chassis in the game? I dream of a warhammer or charger, but I don't have high hopes.
Good question - I'll ask on the KS page
I am hoping that the Marauder and Warhammer are still in as per their original statements. Agree on the slightly random opposition and it can be a big difference.
Adds 51 New 'Mech variants to the Skirmish portion of the game (working on the DB to add them into the Campaign as well - I will update once I do) Also adds 14 New Vehicle variants, in preparation to be added to the Campaign.
I will wait and see what DLC and add ons the main team come uop with.
We’re excited by the great re-imagined 'Mechs Piranha and Catalyst have done for some of those “imperially entangled” ‘Mechs. We're excited that the Marauder and Warhammer will be in our game.
Yes, and then they were removed, because Harmony Gold is suing everyone. Again. Mother fethers are even trying to claim that the Atlas was ripped off Robotech designs this time around.
Their case against HBS was dismissed with prejudice the week before last, but as the Marauder/Warhammer models are derived from PGI's MWO models, they still cannot be used as the case between HG and PGI is ongoing. As is the case against In Media Res/Catalyst Games, the makers of BTech proper.
They also removed the Raven from the game, but that's for different reasons (they couldn't figure out how to make ECM work). As a replacement they added the K2 Catapult variant, and also added the Black Knight 'Mech.
ECM should be easy:
1. No Sensor lock of allied units within radius.
2. Auto sensor locks own target so long as multi target skill is not being used.
That would do it. Ravens should be in full production at this time but under strict lock and key. They were not distributed prior to the Fourth Succession War.
I was so excited about finally moving past that one story mission.
Then in the second round, he got knocked down, focus fired, and when his arm got blown off I quit angrily. Maybe I'll try again when I get even more tonnage. I saw a Jager but I couldn't get it whole - he was doing too much damage to my bros.
I am really enjoying the game except for this one mission I am stuck on
Also, kind of hard to believe that head injuries really are working as intended but ok, whatever.
See, I've never had that happen (so far) - whenever I've lost a pilot, I've always seen it coming ahead of time, either after a lot of attrition or during a sequence of bad but plausible events, like a knockdown and a lance's worth of focus firing.
Hey, side note. have you guys ever noticed that like... the AI will sometimes seemingly adapt to your tactics? I feel like this game can't possibly have the capability of doing it, but if you form a gun line like battleships, the AI is cool with doing that all day long. If you leapfrog over a mech to shoot into the rear armor, though, the AI will start jockeying you for position to do the same. Same for melee - I've never really seen the AI typically initiate physical attacks, but if I do one, then the AI will start doing them that drop even with mechs that were out of range - they will close and melee instead of shooting.
Maybe just coincidental but I've seen it kind of a few times now.
-Loki- wrote: I actually get barely any head injuries.
Though saying that I’m sure next mission I play Dekker will get instakilled by a stray AC round.
Dekker just got killed in mine last night - veteran pilot in his Spider - was ultra careful with every mech for an entire game as had been warned in the deploy screen "I should bring more firepower" than I had.
Killed off the vehicles with no real damage and then the turrets of the pirate base, Pirate mechs appeared - picked them off after checking what they were - again minor damage not even a armour breech.
Last enemy mech standing (just) - I stepped around the corner to finish it off with the Spider didn't quite manage it and it ran over - punched him in the head and killed him!
We’re excited by the great re-imagined 'Mechs Piranha and Catalyst have done for some of those “imperially entangled” ‘Mechs. We're excited that the Marauder and Warhammer will be in our game.
Yes, and then they were removed, because Harmony Gold is suing everyone. Again. Mother fethers are even trying to claim that the Atlas was ripped off Robotech designs this time around.
Their case against HBS was dismissed with prejudice the week before last, but as the Marauder/Warhammer models are derived from PGI's MWO models, they still cannot be used as the case between HG and PGI is ongoing. As is the case against In Media Res/Catalyst Games, the makers of BTech proper.
They also removed the Raven from the game, but that's for different reasons (they couldn't figure out how to make ECM work). As a replacement they added the K2 Catapult variant, and also added the Black Knight 'Mech.
Ah thanks for the info
Was this in an update I missed - looked through the KS page and could not see it? I do like my K2 in MWO
Hmm so whats Natasha going to be driving I wonder......
Now I've got hold of a Highlander and a Battlemaster, though, I'll be making a few changes.
Bought or salvaged? Which planet/missions?
Nothing over 65 tons on my campaign so far (and haven't been able to salvage a full heavy mech yet, everything 55 and under so far).
From the story mission where Assaults are introduced. You're guaranteed the Highlander--not sure what happens in the very unlikely event it goes down--but if you're tactical/a little lucky enough you can get another whole Assault out of it.
I picked up a second complete Battlemaster from another story mission last night, too, in the easiest battle I've fought so far.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Just done the Defense of Panzyr mission, and I feel like the secondary barracks objective there is purely to annoy people. Unless you go into the mission with knowledge of it beforehand, or you just happen to still be dragging a speedy light mech around with you all the time, you won't complete it. Ever. There's simply not enough time.
Leaves one hell of a sour taste knowing that there was nothing I could've done about that objective if I hadn't researched the mission on the internet or reloaded it after finding out, or just happened to still have a Jenner or a Firestarter on hand this late into the game.
There's been sod-all other motivation to have a Light mech with me after the early game, so to suddenly spring this one you, after the story has already potentially given you 3 complete Assault mechs, feels silly.
Just got a second Orion, so now I can field a full heavy lance if I want (2 Orions, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 Jagermech). Trying to get my pilots to the point where they act one initiative step before.
A full lance of heavies going when mediums go would be wonderful!
Pretty sure the AI is determined to make sure Dekker dies. His last mission in his Spider 5 LRM/SRM carriers came out of nowhere, singled him out, knocked him down and put flight after flight of missiles into him until his spider was just little pieces.
If I wasn't such a shameless save scummer he'd have been gone, but I like him.
Finally beat the first story mission (yeah, I play games slowly). Those last 2 mechs had my lance on the verge of heat shutdown. They were already at their limit from dealing with the previous lance, and out walks a heavy and a medium. By the end, my mechs were so heat damaged it cost me a small fortune to repair them, but that loot was worth it.
So, what's everyone's favourite loadouts? I usually run a mech loaded with LRMs (how ever many it can carry), a mid range mech (ac10s backed up by mlasers and SRMs) then a couple crawlers (max armor, jump jets and either 2 AC20s with either two SRMs or mlasers, or one AC20 then packed full of mlasers and as many SRMs as I can fit).
Honestly I think the balance could use some work overall. I want to like PPCs, but their heat usage is insane, and anything below an AC10 is just too heavy for how little damage it does later on, and Llasers just generate insane heat compared to mlasers, especially once you factor in that you can have 3 mlasers for every Llaser while Llasers only deal double of a Mlaser. On top of that, SRM4s are in a weirdly efficient place heatwise (2s are 3 heat per missile, 4s are 2 per, and 6s are 2.33 iirc) but overall SRMs are fantastic. It's not too huge, but it feels like late game is where a lot of build diversity dies compared to mid or early game where everything has it's use.
There's been sod-all other motivation to have a Light mech with me after the early game, so to suddenly spring this one you, after the story has already potentially given you 3 complete Assault mechs, feels silly.
Just like tabletop battletech then
I did the mad Locust goose chase in Mech Commander as much as the next guy, but it was a gimmick due to poor AI.
Wolfblade wrote: So, what's everyone's favourite loadouts? I usually run a mech loaded with LRMs (how ever many it can carry), a mid range mech (ac10s backed up by mlasers and SRMs) then a couple crawlers (max armor, jump jets and either 2 AC20s with either two SRMs or mlasers, or one AC20 then packed full of mlasers and as many SRMs as I can fit).
Honestly I think the balance could use some work overall. I want to like PPCs, but their heat usage is insane, and anything below an AC10 is just too heavy for how little damage it does later on, and Llasers just generate insane heat compared to mlasers, especially once you factor in that you can have 3 mlasers for every Llaser while Llasers only deal double of a Llaser. On top of that, SRM4s are in a weirdly efficient place heatwise (2s are 3 heat per missile, 4s are 2 per, and 6s are 2.33 iirc) but overall SRMs are fantastic. It's not too huge, but it feels like late game is where a lot of build diversity dies compared to mid or early game where everything has it's use.
My Mech as are not far off stock and still only have one heavy! a JaegerMech
Completed 2nd reclamation story mission - that was quite hard - narrowly failed on first attempt, reloaded and managed on second. Money still tight as the ship well on the way to fully functional.
Main Lance
My Best pilot is Medusa with her Vindicator - stock with enhanced Gyro+ (+2 Dam), PPC+ (+5 dam), less JJ more HS's - she is high level veteran and so her overheat is very high and seldom occurs and then she is there to punch 'em out.
Me usually in jaeger with 4 AC2 and 4 Med lasers - my pilot is also high level Vet
ShadowHawk 2h - stock
Used to be Dekker in a Spider as scout but that's gone - so usually another ShadowHawk, Enforcer or Blackjack with Regular newer pilots.
I'm very much enjoying direct fire support (autocannons and ppcs) but I've started mixing in brawlers with SRMs cause damn is melee effective. One of my best mechs at the moment is my Panther (piloted by Dekker). Constant jump jetting around the battlefield to gain evasion and maxed armor is really tanky for a 35 tonner. I swapped out the PPC to put in four medium lasers and most of the mechs I kill now are my Panther finishing off targets softened by the fire support mechs.
Got my second heavy an Orion. Used it to ruthlessly destroy a scout lance, but then a one-legged no armed wolverine DFA'd my Gunnery9 Jagermech pilot who died instantly, despite his mech's head being perfectly unharmed.
I tried progressing, but I really think I'm going to reload that one.
On a side note, I'm enjoying Autocannons. I don't think that's ever happened in a BT game before - I normally swap them out as soon as I can. I'm also happy to notice that most of my fellow players are playing without duplicate mechs in their lances - as MechaJeebus intended!
Mr Morden wrote: My Mech as are not far off stock and still only have one heavy! a JaegerMech
How? The first story mission practically hands you 2.
Which ones? I have lots of "bits" like 2/3 of a Quickdraw but no actual Hv Mech apart from the Jaeger. Got 2/3 of a Dragon, 2/3 of Grasshopper, etc....
I finished up the campaign, and I went to Davion space. I had an assassination mission, and I had to take down a Highlander. The evac zone was guarded by 8 assault mechs, all of whom had the +1 initiative perk, who had a ton of knockdown weapons.
Apparently my friends most exciting feature is that you can chose singular they as your pronoun of choice. Not because of any LGBT stuff or SJW whatever but because he is apparently super excited that singular they isn't just something he does (I do it to but I know people who don't understand the idea of singular they).
... I'm still stuck on that same mission. I got a Grasshopper, so now trying with a Grasshopper, a Trebuchet, a Shadowhawk, and a Centurion. Getting really, really mad at this point to be honest - if I back out and do a mission that is rated twice as hard, I can breeze through it, but this one stupid story mission just feels completely unwinnable to me.
I guess I am going to try watching some youtube videos and I guess grinding some more, maybe I can get an additional Grasshopper.
Ouze wrote: ... I'm still stuck on that same mission. I got a Grasshopper, so now trying with a Grasshopper, a Trebuchet, a Shadowhawk, and a Centurion. Getting really, really mad at this point to be honest - if I back out and do a mission that is rated twice as hard, I can breeze through it, but this one stupid story mission just feels completely unwinnable to me.
I guess I am going to try watching some youtube videos and I guess grinding some more, maybe I can get an additional Grasshopper.
Which one? The one with ammo crates? I'd suggest going in with 4 heavies and no mediums, and play a mid range game forcing them close to you, and hopefully grouped up around an ammo crate or two for a couple easy kills.
I never bothered trying to get the transports in that mission, just kill the enemy and use up to 2 crates to help you. The transports seem like bait to stretch you too thin, like the “save the barracks” sub-objective in a later mission.
I've only gotten a single heavy so far. I have been looking at strats tonight and will try again tomorrow, I guess. I have tried with what LRMs I have but I don't think I've been using them wisely. I'm also going to start scum saving just so I can move on.
Mr Morden wrote: Am i the only one that enjoys the cut scenes and animations.
I freaking love the artistic style they've gone for. It's reminds me of a lot of classic sci-fi artwork with the aesthetic and colour pallet they've gone for. I think its really great and wish they had longer cutscenes and even more going on. Visually I think they've really well directed and chosen their music and visuals though I think a lot of gamers under rate/appreciate that work.
Mr Morden wrote: Am i the only one that enjoys the cut scenes and animations.
I freaking love the artistic style they've gone for. It's reminds me of a lot of classic sci-fi artwork with the aesthetic and colour pallet they've gone for. I think its really great and wish they had longer cutscenes and even more going on. Visually I think they've really well directed and chosen their music and visuals though I think a lot of gamers under rate/appreciate that work.
might be my age but quite happy with the pace of the game and the visuals during travelling etc - find it quite soothing.....
Honestly I think most of the people complaining on pace are three kinds
1) Those who didn't really read the reviews/product page and rather wanted an RTS instead of turnbased game; or didn't realise what turnbased meant (ergo perhaps they thought it was like Total War- turn based map and then real time battles).
2) Those who are getting significant lag during games between giving orders and the animation playing out
3) Those who are grinding a lot. People who grind in games a lot often push for far simpler interfaces;simpler mechanics; faster gameplay etc... To me they've often lost sight of the game for the grinding rewards
Getting her mech will be a great asset in the early game, you will have enough salvage to take it, but you need three parts. That is best accomplished by pilot incapacitation. For that you need four injuries. As headshots are random the best way to get that is to avoid her, kill off all her help then surround her mech. You will get two pilot injuries by destroying torso sections, you need er to make two falls also without removing both legs or destroying centre torso. All this can best and most reliably achieved in melee backed up by SRM fire. If you shoot her too much you risk making her mech unsalvagable.
Once you have her mech you will be better placed to repeat this technique whenever you have three choice slots for salvage. it can be worth the hassle to harvest the mechs you want, though this trick must be used with caution as it doesn't offer the fast takedowns needed to reduce your own repair time and risk.
You will have to use your on judgement as to whether your lance is healthy enough at that point in a battle to punch out and fully salvage premium targets.
Overread wrote: Honestly I think most of the people complaining on pace are three kinds
1) Those who didn't really read the reviews/product page and rather wanted an RTS instead of turnbased game; or didn't realise what turnbased meant (ergo perhaps they thought it was like Total War- turn based map and then real time battles).
2) Those who are getting significant lag during games between giving orders and the animation playing out
3) Those who are grinding a lot. People who grind in games a lot often push for far simpler interfaces;simpler mechanics; faster gameplay etc... To me they've often lost sight of the game for the grinding rewards
Personally I wonder if people aren't grinding enough, by which I mean mainlining the story and ignoring side contracts. I've been doing lots of side stuff and have acquired a gak ton of mechs and parts of all weight classes.
If you find you aren't getting many heavier mechs, knock out some non-story missions and see what happens.
Mr Morden wrote: My Mech as are not far off stock and still only have one heavy! a JaegerMech
How? The first story mission practically hands you 2.
Which ones? I have lots of "bits" like 2/3 of a Quickdraw but no actual Hv Mech apart from the Jaeger. Got 2/3 of a Dragon, 2/3 of Grasshopper, etc....
Your probably a better player than me
When I finished the first story mission I got the full QuickDraw, and I absolutely wrecked it. I got all three salvage parts, so I figured they gave that to you.
Then just after the cinematic my mechbay guy said they found a full Centurion on the other ship and I got it for free, sans weapons.
I guess that’s not normal after the first mission then?
Overread wrote: Honestly I think most of the people complaining on pace are three kinds
1) Those who didn't really read the reviews/product page and rather wanted an RTS instead of turnbased game; or didn't realise what turnbased meant (ergo perhaps they thought it was like Total War- turn based map and then real time battles).
2) Those who are getting significant lag during games between giving orders and the animation playing out
3) Those who are grinding a lot. People who grind in games a lot often push for far simpler interfaces;simpler mechanics; faster gameplay etc... To me they've often lost sight of the game for the grinding rewards
Personally I wonder if people aren't grinding enough, by which I mean mainlining the story and ignoring side contracts. I've been doing lots of side stuff and have acquired a gak ton of mechs and parts of all weight classes.
If you find you aren't getting many heavier mechs, knock out some non-story missions and see what happens.
completely true - its how I finally got my 2nd (and 3rd, 4th) Heavies.
Completed the ammo dump mission first time - just ignored the warehouse and killed the enemy mechs around my starting area - lost a pilot but not one of my best
When I finished the first story mission I got the full QuickDraw, and I absolutely wrecked it. I got all three salvage parts, so I figured they gave that to you.
Then just after the cinematic my mechbay guy said they found a full Centurion on the other ship and I got it for free, sans weapons.
I guess that’s not normal after the first mission then?
Centuion is Medium no salvage is generated as normal on the Quickdraw i think - I only got 2/3 as still learning and nearly lost that fight - killed it with my last Mech!
Been playing for a week or so. Restarted right after the the first story mission (well, loaded a save after the tutorial/intro missions) because I fethed up some pilot skills (Guarded and Evasive don't really mesh well) and wasted almost a month on poor planning of refits and travel times. Picked up an LRM20+++ (50% crit and +2stab) after the first few side missions, so now my Centurion just sits back and knocks mechs over for me. Haven't picked up any new meds or heavies, and after save scumming a few times to get the quickdraw, I gave up and moved on. Still, AC5/4ML Blackjack and SRM boat Shadow Hawk with my LRM Cent makes most missions a breeze. I alternate between a 4ML Jenner and full MG Firestarter for my lights, both hilarious and awesome for different reasons.
Really liking the game. Picking up one or two ++ weapons at the store really eats into your bottom line.
2) Those who are getting significant lag during games between giving orders and the animation playing out
This would be my issue. There are times where the game really lags after a target dies or a unit moves. From a "time spent to game play completed" perspective, Battletech is a really slow game. Especially when there's a lance of mechs, a bunch of tanks, and some turrets hanging around I spend more time waiting for the AI to finish all its moves than I do actually putting in any commands by a margin of 2-1.
More than that though I hate that I can't skip the jump ship animations. Big waste of time there, especially with all the flying around we do going from system to system.
Honestly. This is a game that could afford some streamlining to speed things up and generate less downtime for the player without really losing anything.
Last 2 missions had 3 elite mechwarriors die to headshots from the first attacks made against them. Feels fething cheap seeing as I can never seem to get them even when using called shots.
Mr Morden wrote: My Mech as are not far off stock and still only have one heavy! a JaegerMech
How? The first story mission practically hands you 2.
Which ones? I have lots of "bits" like 2/3 of a Quickdraw but no actual Hv Mech apart from the Jaeger. Got 2/3 of a Dragon, 2/3 of Grasshopper, etc....
Your probably a better player than me
When I finished the first story mission I got the full QuickDraw, and I absolutely wrecked it. I got all three salvage parts, so I figured they gave that to you.
Then just after the cinematic my mechbay guy said they found a full Centurion on the other ship and I got it for free, sans weapons.
I guess that’s not normal after the first mission then?
You are never 'handed' salvage. The number of parts is not scripted it depends on the kill. There are three ways to kill a mech
Head destroyed or pilot incapacitated/ejected = 3 parts
Both legs destroyed = 2 parts
Center Torso destroyed = 1 part
Take the worst case if multiple deaths are inflicted on the mech. Arm and side torso damage doesnt effect parts salvage. However a single leg destroyed might.
To get three parts you need to target the meat. Headshots are too risky, however keep track of lucky headshots so you will know if a mech worth being targetable for salvage. Best way is to inflict three to six wounds on the pilot, you wont know how many but its usually four. Other than headshots you get wounds by knockdowns or destroying torso sections. Two knockowns plus two side torsos destroyed equals an incapacitated pilot, with any headshots accrued making this easier.
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Nostromodamus wrote: Last 2 missions had 3 elite mechwarriors die to headshots from the first attacks made against them. Feels fething cheap seeing as I can never seem to get them even when using called shots.
Don't do allied headshots, your chances are 2%, consider headshots a lucky bonus for regular shooting.
To maximise headshots using multi targeting on pristine to spread the damage and mount heavy hitting weapons like PPC's and heavy autocannon. You wont get many headshots but you will from time to time get an early one which shifts odds greatly in your favour as well as providing quality salvage.
And there is no point seeking headshots unless you have enough salvage choices, even if you only have two choices you might get allocated the last piece anyway.
Don't do allied headshots, your chances are 2%, consider headshots a lucky bonus for regular shooting.
To maximise headshots using multi targeting on pristine to spread the damage and mount heavy hitting weapons like PPC's and heavy autocannon. You wont get many headshots but you will from time to time get an early one which shifts odds greatly in your favour as well as providing quality salvage.
And there is no point seeking headshots unless you have enough salvage choices, even if you only have two choices you might get allocated the last piece anyway.
with the first rank of increased called shots, it's 5%. with mastery, it's 18%, not too bad honestly.
But if you work hard enough, eventually you can get a swanky new Black Knight and a host of other decent 'Mechs:
Spoiler:
Yes, my Orion is called 'The Belt'.
LordofHats wrote: ... he is apparently super excited that singular they isn't just something he does (I do it to but I know people who don't understand the idea of singular they).
I used to do singular they all the time, then I got told off by my editor, so that ended that habit.
Don't do allied headshots, your chances are 2%, consider headshots a lucky bonus for regular shooting.
To maximise headshots using multi targeting on pristine to spread the damage and mount heavy hitting weapons like PPC's and heavy autocannon. You wont get many headshots but you will from time to time get an early one which shifts odds greatly in your favour as well as providing quality salvage.
And there is no point seeking headshots unless you have enough salvage choices, even if you only have two choices you might get allocated the last piece anyway.
with the first rank of increased called shots, it's 5%. with mastery, it's 18%, not too bad honestly.
Not bad, but rarely good enough to bother with in my experience. At the level of skill for an 18% headshot you're likely almost guaranteed to hit side torsos and have a solid chance at legs, both of which I'd say are more tactically viable to aim for. Most of my complete mechs I've gotten through injury spam and mass ammo detonation, the only ones I've had through headshots are two Jagers I accidentally hit with AC/10s without Calling the shots, and a Battlemaster I knocked over and Allied turrets and tanks tore the head off for me. Haven't made a single Called headshot myself for the entire playthrough so far, either because I'm better off targeting other limbs or by the time I get the opportunity--I.E. I can easily knock it out if I don't make the shots/letting it live another round won't hurt--the CT is damaged enough that I end up coring the mech first thanks to the 82% of shots that miss the head.
The time to try a headshot is with a pristine opponent, if you dont get it, shoot on with normal fire. If you do you dispatch a mech with the first salvo.you are ahead of the curve. One fresh mech in five will fall to your PPC.
Complete waste of a Precision Shot IMO. Rather than risking a lower than 1/5 chance at best, I'd much rather go for an almost 100% chance of ripping a torso and arm off and a good chance of detonating any ammo stored inside. An 18% chance of headshotting an enemy mech but an 82% chance of leaving it able to fully fight back isn't reliable enough for me.
Headshots however have less risk if you want the incap, unless you're using missiles which only roll once to hit the head (and then only one missile will hit the head) per missile weapon fired.
Avatar 720 wrote: Complete waste of a Precision Shot IMO. Rather than risking a lower than 1/5 chance at best, I'd much rather go for an almost 100% chance of ripping a torso and arm off and a good chance of detonating any ammo stored inside. An 18% chance of headshotting an enemy mech but an 82% chance of leaving it able to fully fight back isn't reliable enough for me.
Think f it this way. You have an elite gunner in a Black Knight, Awesome or Thunderbolt. You have a PPC and other weapons, which in the Awesome's case are more PPCs. You dont want one shot, you want to fire your whole mech arsenal. So you do, possibly using multi target possibly not. Do the damage, the next turn heat is high, s just fire one PPC. Now make that shot count. You could target the torso of a damaged mech, but if you focus fire you are likely going to shoot that mech up anyway. Firing at a leg or torso of an undamaged mech isn't the same, you get a called shot, not an autocrit. the head however has the 45pt armour cap and a PPC is guaranteed to go through. You have good chance of one shotting that mech, if you fail you still do random damage, and cant fire more that turn anyway.
I like the skill distribution of the game, all the skill combos are useful, you just need the right mech and circumstances for the pilot, and the circumstances will turn up regularly due to the heat and movement mechanics..
That's looking at it in a vacuum, though; I'm never going to waste a Precision Shot on a single PPC when I've got 3 other mechs who could probably use it more effectively, or if I've got to choose between a Precision Shot and a use of Vigilance. I also doubt I'm going to be choosing the PPC over the 4 MLs I could fire for the same heat generated but double the damage output.
On a knocked down mech, it would depend on how dangerous it would be if it got up and still had full use of its weapons should the headshot not take it out.
If it works for you then it works for you, but it hasn't worked for me and what I do instead does. /shrug
Mr Morden wrote: Centuion is Medium no salvage is generated as normal on the Quickdraw i think - I only got 2/3 as still learning and nearly lost that fight - killed it with my last Mech!
Huh I could have sworn it said Heavy when I checked the Centurion.
Guess I got lucky with the QuickDraw. Could have sworn after tearing it apart and it still not dying I knocked it over and took out the CT with a precision shot but that shouldn’t have given me full salvage.
Finally beat that stupid mission. While more tonnage and having read some tips on positioning helped; a lot of it was also luck of the draw. I didn't have the RNG come up with mostly Cicadas with PPCs hanging out in the back focus firing on sensor locked guys, they didn't avoid the ammo crates, and so on. truthfully I think it wasn't so much as the mission was impossibly hard as I just had a lot of unlucky elements working together several times - I was doing 4 skull missions with relative ease. When I finally did beat it, it was 10 turns and no one was even seriously damaged.
Now I'm breezing through the game and again really enjoying it. I think they may have done some minor speedups last patch too - I noticed ally movement seems a little faster without stops when transitioning between allied units.
I think the ammo crate mission is a player trap. The only reason to go forwards is to kill the escaping ammo wagons. Disguised as Mobile HQ units.
You can send a fast mech with a decent throw weight around the left flank to kill them, and target the LRM turrets early. Hang back aftrerwards with the rest and bottleneck. I did the mission without too much difficulty that way, though I did get lucky with my Thunderbolt which ended up with 45 points of armour out of 1040 and was still walking (actully running away) at the end.
The first time I did the scenario I used the lake as a firepoint, its a trap doing that as the opponent can use numbers against me.
And yes opponents avoid the blast radii of ammo dumps, I didnt set off a single one.
I cannot recommend going through the Tactician tree to get that +1 Initiative skill enough.
I've got a Medium that goes when the Lights go, and 3 Heavies that got when the Mediums go. It's incredible.
When I bring my Kintaro ('Shokan'), with Dekker piloting it, he can sometimes get the drop on Lights before they get their evasion up and tear 'em to pieces with 3xSRM6++ and some medium lasers.
The initiative skill only gets stronger the heavier the mech you get, that's for sure. That and bulwark are my go to skills for pilots. (Don't move to get remove stability damage and 50% DR rin a 270 degree radius? crazy good!)
H.B.M.C. wrote: I cannot recommend going through the Tactician tree to get that +1 Initiative skill enough.
I've got a Medium that goes when the Lights go, and 3 Heavies that got when the Mediums go. It's incredible.
When I bring my Kintaro ('Shokan'), with Dekker piloting it, he can sometimes get the drop on Lights before they get their evasion up and tear 'em to pieces with 3xSRM6++ and some medium lasers.
2 of my guys have it and it's an enormous game changer. I would tie split fire with tactician in terms of usefulness.
Ouze wrote: Finally beat that stupid mission. While more tonnage and having read some tips on positioning helped; a lot of it was also luck of the draw. I didn't have the RNG come up with mostly Cicadas with PPCs hanging out in the back focus firing on sensor locked guys, they didn't avoid the ammo crates, and so on. truthfully I think it wasn't so much as the mission was impossibly hard as I just had a lot of unlucky elements working together several times - I was doing 4 skull missions with relative ease. When I finally did beat it, it was 10 turns and no one was even seriously damaged.
I breezed through that mission yesterday (mostly thanks to reading here that the trucks were a lost cause).
I just hung back with my standard loadout of 4xmediums (since I didn't have a heavy yet, I got the last 1/3 of a dragon on that mission) and kept target locking and LRM'ing everything as they came at me. My lance has 2xLRM15 and one LRM20++ (with some medium and heavy lasers), paired with a PPC+2xmediums with just target locks without revealing itself and throws all the firepower to whoever crests the ridge. All of them at max or close to max armour.
Didn't even have to blow a single ammo crate. You just have to rotate whichever of your mechs is closer to the enemy as most of the time they will target lock him, so as to split all the LRMs going your way.
I can't wait to get my hands on an archer or catapult and it will be just like the old tabletop days.
Had a good weekend where I went from just a Jagermech to 5 heavies.
I'm using a Dragon.
I cannot describe how weird it is that a Dragon is a viable choice for a lance. These things were on the crap list for 3025 in almost every previous game, but in BT it's a huge asset in recon. I've been thinking about it and I think it's because recon has never really mattered before.
My only compliant is how minimal the hardpoints are. I would love to change some of my mechs to other known variants, but the hardpoints just aren't there.
Only about 30 hours in, and unfortunately my old GPU shat itself so I'm running a really crap card...and getting a lot of game crashes.
However, still love the game. The quick file-edit to remove the pauses before/after shooting have made the game 10x more enjoyable. It's just a great turn-based game and so far I've found a reason to take almost every skill, and a reason to use almost every different type of weapon. The one thing I'm missing a bit is that as the game progresses you never need lighter mechs. I'd have liked some form of contract which was a "low profile" contract and put a tonnage limit on your lance --- so you had an excuse to run lighter mechs after you get 300+ days into your career. I am enjoying the pacing of the game, still middling around in 50-60 ton mechs even after quite a decent chunk of career.
Some of the missions are tough but once you play them once or twice and figure out the tricks it's not too bad. Picked up some worthwhile tactics.
- Bulwark, all day every day on a strong mech which can stand up front, draw enemy fire and survive.
- LRM boat behind that a good ways, dumping fire to kill stuff.
- A high gunnery driver with really long range guns (Even quad AC/2s) can be really good.
- Shoot what you can kill, and stagger your best weapons last (i.e. as the enemy has lost the most evasion)
- Shadow Hawks make great forward operators, armed with sensor lock and evasion, if they get charged they can punch really well, and jump jets let them skirt around picking off leftovers.
- PPCs are a one-trick pony, long range support.
- If you have the slots, spare space for a bunch of small lasers are fun as a last-ditch defense effort. They do plenty of damage but have crap range. I put them on support mechs and if they get charged or baddies get too close, a bank of 4-6 small lasers will put out some hurt.
Overall, really enjoying it. Really looking forward to future expansions, etc.
My secondary "tank" if my bulwark pilot gets too beat up is a Grasshopper with like, 8x small lasers+ or something, atop medium laser vomit.
If you can close to range, then small lasers are absolutely amazing for the tonnage, especially when you're a dude who is going to be meleeing when possible anyway.
ChargerIIC wrote: Had a good weekend where I went from just a Jagermech to 5 heavies.
I'm using a Dragon.
I cannot describe how weird it is that a Dragon is a viable choice for a lance. These things were on the crap list for 3025 in almost every previous game, but in BT it's a huge asset in recon. I've been thinking about it and I think it's because recon has never really mattered before.
My only compliant is how minimal the hardpoints are. I would love to change some of my mechs to other known variants, but the hardpoints just aren't there.
The dragon is my "assault" mech, it likes going physical so I geared him for close quarters. SRM6++ and a SRM4 and, IIRC two medium lasers and a MG with max armour. Speed helps him to get close, but I'm sure at some point I'll regret the tradeoff of not having jump jets.
After finishing the campaign I feel like it kind of fizzles out without a bigger goal even if you can keep going, not many campaign missions overall. Also wanted more cut-scenes because they we're great. Still can't complain for my 0.50 euro to the hour. Can't wait for DLC.
I’m curious where they will go with DLC. The campaign progression is clearly geared towards progressing your lance from lights/mediums to assaults. The DLC can’t exactly build on the old campaign since there’s nowhere to build on from there.
I'm hoping it gives more to do along the lines of being merc company. You know, reasons to really gain rep with factions or something, picking a side between two warring factions and fighting for them or something.
I'd love a Kell Hounds-lite story, where a small merc unit grows into a significant player in the great houses struggles.
Hard to fit into the canon, though, and being stuck in the periphery space between the two lesser great houses seems a deliberate choice so tough luck of that happening.
An X-Com long war-like mod would be awesome though, managing multiple lances in different simultaneous missions with longer recovery times. Make the strategic game longer and more relevant.
Well, gotta say I just quit the game for the first time with a general "feth this game!".
For no reason I can discern my game difficulty just doubled. Several missions were "tough" and then there must have been some arbitrary switch where my missions are now two or more full lances of 100% health opposition which are equal weight or more.
I don't care how good I play, I can't beat 2:1 or worse odds most of the time. Unfortunately if that's where I'm stuck story-wise I might be done with the campaign (around 450 days in). I've been loving the game so far and was - up till now - incredibly happy with the perfect line they'd found between tough and impossible.
Elbows wrote: Well, gotta say I just quit the game for the first time with a general "feth this game!".
For no reason I can discern my game difficulty just doubled. Several missions were "tough" and then there must have been some arbitrary switch where my missions are now two or more full lances of 100% health opposition which are equal weight or more.
I don't care how good I play, I can't beat 2:1 or worse odds most of the time. Unfortunately if that's where I'm stuck story-wise I might be done with the campaign (around 450 days in). I've been loving the game so far and was - up till now - incredibly happy with the perfect line they'd found between tough and impossible.
That has really friggin' soured my enthusiasm.
A few times now I've run into a pirate Assault Lance (King Crabs :-( ) but when I've re-loaded they're Heavy/Medium Lances. I wonder if it's just the RNG being odd.
Elbows wrote: Well, gotta say I just quit the game for the first time with a general "feth this game!".
For no reason I can discern my game difficulty just doubled. Several missions were "tough" and then there must have been some arbitrary switch where my missions are now two or more full lances of 100% health opposition which are equal weight or more.
I don't care how good I play, I can't beat 2:1 or worse odds most of the time. Unfortunately if that's where I'm stuck story-wise I might be done with the campaign (around 450 days in). I've been loving the game so far and was - up till now - incredibly happy with the perfect line they'd found between tough and impossible.
That has really friggin' soured my enthusiasm.
I am about the same way in - just done "Graverobbers" - I was on occasion facing larger odds before that though - often when I tried to flank the main target and ran into their reinforcements first. I do play mostly cautious so even then I can usually pull back and draw off part of the forces and destroy them in detail.
Last game I had Battlemaster, Thunderbolt, Grasshopper and Kintato (first 3 with Master pilots) vs Thunderbolt, Quickdraw, Trebuchet, reinforcing Demolisher, Shreck PPC, Manticore and a couple of light units. Not fought any assaults in non campaign play yet.
In the Campaign the odds are longer but there I found they have made it so there are ways to play clever.
Maybe DLC will have extend the campaign to have multiple outcomes - I don't think it does this now but have not failed a campaign mission so not sure?
I also just did "Graverobbers", and was doing pretty good halfway though, but when those reinforcements dropped and I saw them, I just spend the rest of the mission sprinting every mech to evac.
I agree with Elbows that the difficulty curve is not very polished at all. I have 4 skull missions that are utter cakewalks and 2 skull missions that are super difficult. I'd really like to see that addressed in a patch; some of these missions really need to be adjusted - some up, some down.
Ouze wrote: I also just did "Graverobbers", and was doing pretty good halfway though, but when those reinforcements dropped and I saw them, I just spend the rest of the mission sprinting every mech to evac.
I went for the opposite, proceeded quite slowly and killed every Mech and vehicle in my way - didn't loose any mechs but i do watch my heat and happy to go h-th for a round to cool off.
Spoiler:
The Drones on the first mission were worrying but again smashed my way up to the gates and then held tight - especially when I saw that some of the drones just patrol the lower area and don't interefere.
The initial light lance on the way out - I moved forward abit and punched them all - two went down quickly and then engaged the reerves from range, steadily advancing.
The fnal wave was just a slugging match but again our Mechs are so much more powerful Focuss fire was very important and got some good slavage includng a complete battlemaster out of it.
On non campaign missions - the sides can be quite different/random and yeah it would be good to focuss this down a little
I'll travel and try some other missions, but I'm only running 50-60 ton mechs at the moment, and while most of the "tough" missions have been the usual 10-12 vehicles/mechs which are maybe 20-50% armour, etc...I've just started running into full health 8+ mechs, and even being clever I can't beat most of those. I'll be facing a lance of mechs thinking "this is going to suck" and then another full lance will show up, etc.
Maybe I've had a really bad draw with mech scraps that I'm unaware of and I'm supposed to be fielding larger/stronger mechs than I'm currently running, but I do hope this doesn't kill my campaign dead.
I did beatifully in the ammo mission - right up until the final stages of cleanup where my leader died to a CT critical and his partner died to a desperate DFA. Gonna hafta reload it, but damn I was close to 100% success there.
There are so many times where I can only look at myself in shame and ask why?..why did I crest that ridge?
Elbows wrote: I'll travel and try some other missions, but I'm only running 50-60 ton mechs at the moment, and while most of the "tough" missions have been the usual 10-12 vehicles/mechs which are maybe 20-50% armour, etc...I've just started running into full health 8+ mechs, and even being clever I can't beat most of those. I'll be facing a lance of mechs thinking "this is going to suck" and then another full lance will show up, etc.
Maybe I've had a really bad draw with mech scraps that I'm unaware of and I'm supposed to be fielding larger/stronger mechs than I'm currently running, but I do hope this doesn't kill my campaign dead.
It sounds harsh - I am now looking at 3 to 4 skulls and even then its no more than 8 enemies -some not on full health.
That sounds like Convoy missions - yeah I don't tend to do those - I stick to battle and destroy bases etc.
Where are you up to in the campaign as for quite a long time I had a single heavy - a jaeger and the rest were 55 tons or less - did very well with Jaeger (AC 2 sniper), Vindicator (tank), Shadowhawk (scout) and a n other - often a Blackjack or another Shaodwhawk - at this stage I tended to fight from a distance, now I will dictate but quite happy up close. I was always aware that a single SRm carrier could devastate any of my Mechs.
What are your pilots like - I have two from the start and they are now very, very good. Abilities are really important. Training mod in the Argo is very handy.
Travelling is a great idea - avoid convoys go for battles and destruction and make the battle work for you. That's how got my Grasshopper finally and then a Thunderbolt and a Dragon and never looked back.
@ HBMC None of the pic links work for me.
I did beatifully in the ammo mission - right up until the final stages of cleanup where my leader died to a CT critical and his partner died to a desperate DFA. Gonna hafta reload it, but damn I was close to 100% success there.
There are so many times where I can only look at myself in shame and ask why?..why did I crest that ridge?
Yep - we all know better but you do it I lost a pilot in that mission too as I poked out a crippled mech to finish one off - didn't need to but thought it was worth it - one LRM salve later and he was toast.
I did beatifully in the ammo mission - right up until the final stages of cleanup where my leader died to a CT critical and his partner died to a desperate DFA. Gonna hafta reload it, but damn I was close to 100% success there.
There are so many times where I can only look at myself in shame and ask why?..why did I crest that ridge?
Yep - we all know better but you do it I lost a pilot in that mission too as I poked out a crippled mech to finish one off - didn't need to but thought it was worth it - one LRM salve later and he was toast.
I did it with all ammo carriers destroyed and only 2 dumps blown up. After failing about 5 times with medium mechs I came back to it after grinding some heavy mechs, sensor lock and LRM boats enabled me to take out transports from cover. Meanwhile just coring every enemy mech I saw, using precision shots to insta gib light mechs to murder their spotting. Suprisingly easy to core light mechs with 6 med lasers or an AC/20. With 4 heavy mech I just rolled on through the rest without needing to grind for the other missions.
Still, the allied AI is BS with its suicide tactics and skulls mean zero. I had a mission crash on me so I was forced to reload my pre drop save, no biggie. So the reload turned 6 heavy mechs and 2 assault mechs into 4 vehicles, 3 heavy mechs and 1 assault. The same skull difficulty! Like WTF, the first time was a challenge, the second time was a complete faceroll for my team of 2 heavies and 2 assaults.
Had an interesting mission. The Leopard dropped by lance on a cliff face. My Black Knight could move two spots, my Thunderbolt and Dragon couldnt move at all, and only my Firestarter could freely move due to jump jets.
Maybe I should take on a four skull opponent with just a Firestarter?
Challenge refused, reloaded instead. I get a free retcon methinks.
I'm at the 2 heavies, x mediums, 1 Panther, stage right now. Everytime I see Lrms with +'s I buy them and I have a med kitted with 2 LRM20++, a med with 2 LRM15++, and Orion with 2 LRM20++. I try and take 2 of those in each lance and one of them raining on a mech normaly takes it to full unsteadyness, with just a kiss from a second mech needed to knock it down. Being able to do it twice a round is fairly potent. Guard and cover don't reduce stability damage, and enough LRMs will tend to hit a mech to cancel its evasion due to unsteady.
Hunchbacks are pretty good, although I liked mine as a laser boat instead since MLs are REALLY good damage for the tonnage and heat, and the PPC is... underwhelming unless dedicated to it (like an atlas with triple PPC and every slot filled with heatsinks)
Maybe I'm missing something, but the ACs just don't seem good, at all. The sheer tonnage investment for one of them is rather steep. I feel that LRMs do the long range + stab damage shtick much better for less investment and greater flexibility. At closer ranges, med lasers and SRMs are more effective for less tonnage. I really want to like them, but I feel gimped running them. In fact, most of the long range direct fire weapons feel like that; PPC is so heavy and generates a gak load of heat, while the large laser is slightly less so, but loses stab damage and the funky sensor effect.
I am, however, thoroughly enjoying my light show grasshopper. Max JJs, 2LLs (in spite of my feelings towards them, the range is nice on occasion for turrets or SRM carriers), 4ML, and 6SL. I can't fire all of them at the same time, but the flexibility is great and damage is amazing, especially at sub 90m when the small lasers kick in.
Finally upgraded to an all heavy lance; Commander is in an SRM/ML Orion, Glitch rides in an ML/SRM Thunderbolt, Decker in his lightshow Grasshopper, and Behemoth in a long range Cataphract. Missing the LRM boat I used to run, but its nice to mix things up on occasion. Anxiously awaiting some catapults for LRMs though.
Oh, and the Argo is a huge upgrade over the Leopard. I don't know why I waited so long.
Everything outside of LRMs, SRMs, Gauss Rifle, and MLs are generally subpar. It doesn't mean you can't make it work, but the tonnage/heat gen generally aren't good. Support weapons overall are ok (MG is the worst, SL the best), but there are mods out there that have already been focused on the balance (mostly being closer to the table top)
Wolfblade wrote: Hunchbacks are pretty good, although I liked mine as a laser boat instead since MLs are REALLY good damage for the tonnage and heat, and the PPC is... underwhelming unless dedicated to it (like an atlas with triple PPC and every slot filled with heatsinks)
The HBK-4P, commonly called a Swayback (hence why I renamed it) is one of my fav Succession War-era 'Mechs. It's such an interesting take on the regular AC/20 Hunchback.
Plus for someone who doesn't like putting all their eggs into one basket, it gives you lots of shots to make, rather than one all-or-nothing heavy shot.
PPCs are underwhelming most of the time, but if you've got a sniper with the right skills, then they can be. As the main armament on a Hunchback? No, not ideal, but better than the Vindicator for getting stuck in. Really my Mob 002 'Mech is Glitch's ride until I can get something better for her (a Grasshopper or a CPLT-K2 Catapult).
Also not sure how I feel about PPCs. I've got a build with 2X PPCs and they don't really seem to deliver the damage you would think, and of course that's a lot of eggs in a basket that might just miss.
Medium Lasers, LRMS, and SRMS really are my go-to weapons, with small lasers for my punchers.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Right now her ride has a PPC+. Haven't found one above that.
I haven't found much + stuff actually. Most of my things are stock. Dekker's Kintaro has the lion's share of what I've found.
I have a ++ PPC with +10 damage on my Battlemaster which is nice - Behmoth's ride and she has Gunnery 8 Quite a few other + guns with either Accuracy or +5 Dam
I run not far off stock for most Mechs but up their armour to max or near max.
I hadn't noticed you could name Mechs so that's a must do!
I tend to put ammo in the legs but that might a MWO thing....
Almost pulled of the Ammo desctruction mission with all ammo crates intact and both trucks stopped only to lose a near-pristine mech to a double DFA. I love this game, but it can bring me so close to rage quitting at times.
Plus the range on the triple AC5 turret is insane. If it wasn't so far back I'd blow it up first.
On the subject of Autocannons, I enjoy using mine. The trick is to have at least three of them on a single target for the stability damage. I've become a big fan of the AC10 for this reason.
This thread convinced me to pick the game up, and I'm glad I did. The love for the setting just shines through constantly with so much attention to detail, and I like that it actually feels tactical--the one time I didn't bring anyone with Sensor Lock, I regretted it pretty quickly. I like that lights and mediums actually feel viable in their own right, rather than speedbumps--I want to see how much I can get done with an all-light wolfpack that just ignores front armour.
Just finished the prison mission, which was probably far easier than it had any right to be. But ammo-critting the Jager as soon as it turned the corner didn't hurt. Then I tried a two-star and got slapped around pretty badly. Any vehicle with "Carrier" in the name is now the primary target.
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H.B.M.C. wrote: Yes, and then they were removed, because Harmony Gold is suing everyone. Again. Mother fethers are even trying to claim that the Atlas was ripped off Robotech designs this time around.
Their case against HBS was dismissed with prejudice the week before last, but as the Marauder/Warhammer models are derived from PGI's MWO models, they still cannot be used as the case between HG and PGI is ongoing. As is the case against In Media Res/Catalyst Games, the makers of BTech proper.
Okay, why do Harmony Gold even exist? Have they done anything for the last twenty-odd years other than try to stop other people having fun?
No idea what this means - if its about the fact that women have major roles in the story etc - well - have you read any BattleTech lore in the last thirty years!
Presumably it's because you can pick your pronoun, which is an o-o-outraaaage!
It might also be because the universe of the year 3025 is actually varied--one of the support staff is a Muslim, and the background of one of the hiring hall pilots mentioned in passing that she'd had gender reassignment. Apparently merely acknowledging that people from those demographics exist in the future is a bad thing? Gotta love how it's the ones who complain about people being easily offended who get their hackles up over such minor things.
No idea what this means - if its about the fact that women have major roles in the story etc - well - have you read any BattleTech lore in the last thirty years!
Presumably it's because you can pick your pronoun, which is an o-o-outraaaage!
It might also be because the universe of the year 3025 is actually varied--one of the support staff is a Muslim, and the background of one of the hiring hall pilots mentioned in passing that she'd had gender reassignment. Apparently merely acknowledging that people from those demographics exist in the future is a bad thing? Gotta love how it's the ones who complain about people being easily offended who get their hackles up over such minor things.
If the find that offensive they should avoid the 1980s material as well. There are whole muslim worlds.
of course, the Cappellean confederation used to be the best testament you could find that americans really didn't understand what chinese culture was. All those chinese katanas.
Well I ran into the swinginess issue that some people have talked about in the thread. Hit 3/3.5 missions got got a line of heavies. First mission was a normalish medium lance that was followed up by a lance of three Thunderbolts and an Orion. I only had to deal with them a lance at a time so I came out of it alright and wishing I had negotiated for more salvage slots.
Next mission I think the game just did a giant, "Frak you!" and dumped two identical lances on me of 3 Thunderbolts and 1 Orion again, this time though the obligatory reinforcements showed up at the same time. I nuked one Thunderbolt real quick and then just withdrew, there is no way to deal with over twice your tonnage at the same time.
And then the mission after that was a lance of heavy vehicles and a medium/heavy lance of mechs that came at me together but vehicles just are not equivalent to mechs in the slightest, no matter how nasty they may be with two AC/20's or 3 PPC's.
Things went back to "normal" whatever that is after those three missions. Very weird. I am enjoying the game a lot but they need to work on the balance as far as the mission difficulty actually reflecting what you have to defeat. I don't mind the missions that are next to impossible due to placement like some of the convoy missions can be, the enemy had better placement that my lance did, life happens but you don't hide an extra lance of heavy mechs easily and don't feel that should be a "normal" thing that happens.
Finished the main story and am just steamrolling stuff with an all-Assault Lance (got 2 backup Assaults too). Really wish there was a reason to use anything smaller for variety.
I agree with Elbows that the difficulty curve is not very polished at all. I have 4 skull missions that are utter cakewalks and 2 skull missions that are super difficult. I'd really like to see that addressed in a patch; some of these missions really need to be adjusted - some up, some down.
The skull ratiings are intel estimates, sometimes they are inaccurate. This frankly is how it should be.
The game already encourages partial success and withdrawal and has hard coded them in. Many similar games require you to replay a mission if you fail this one you just play on. Have a difficult mission run for evac or withdraw.
Remember the Battletech mercenaries mantra: There is no profit in death.
If you have to run, run. Frankly I would like the game coded so OpFor try to save their mechs in bad situations.
I agree with Elbows that the difficulty curve is not very polished at all. I have 4 skull missions that are utter cakewalks and 2 skull missions that are super difficult. I'd really like to see that addressed in a patch; some of these missions really need to be adjusted - some up, some down.
The skull ratiings are intel estimates, sometimes they are inaccurate. This frankly is how it should be.
If accurate, I don't think I'd have a problem with that if the game made that more clear - that the skull estimates are based on best-guess intel. As you say, it would even add flavor. However like many things I've learned I don't believe the game supplies this information very well and without that information you have to assume it's bad game design.
I agree with Elbows that the difficulty curve is not very polished at all. I have 4 skull missions that are utter cakewalks and 2 skull missions that are super difficult. I'd really like to see that addressed in a patch; some of these missions really need to be adjusted - some up, some down.
The skull ratiings are intel estimates, sometimes they are inaccurate. This frankly is how it should be.
If accurate, I don't think I'd have a problem with that if the game made that more clear - that the skull estimates are based on best-guess intel. As you say, it would even add flavor. However like many things I've learned I don't believe the game supplies this information very well and without that information you have to assume it's bad game design.
The first mission after the opening tutorial mentions something about (the mission where you have to defend a base while killing some vehicles). It passes by really quick and it doesn't make much mention of it though.
Sorry my review is so long, I tried to be brief but there’s a lot of stuff in this game to talk about. Overall I’m loving the game, but there’s a lot of pluses and minuses in the game.
Pros
It feels like Battletech, there’s a lot of love for the setting. There’s even some stuff that’s captured in this game that no media ever really evoked before, like travel between worlds, I love watching the dropship travel to the jump point, jump, and then leave dock. Probably the only thing that in Battletech that came close to capturing that feel before now was the Explorer Corps handbook.
It’s set in the periphery!
The game has been tweaked in lots of positive ways. Alternating activations with each unit firing after moving is more dynamic and satisfying than the original game’s movement/shooting phases. Upping the AC2 and AC5 damage was necessary, though I’m not sure the recoil penalty is necessary or that interesting. Giving different bonuses to different weapon types makes the weapon types feel different, and opened up lots of new strategies. Making knockdown a stacking mechanic rather tan a dice roll is a big improvement, and while it took me a while to get used to it changing knockdown from a temporary mobility loss to a state where you’re really vulnerable to targeted damage works really well.
Even with all those changes it still captures the essential thing that is Battletech. This is no small thing, I’ve played the tabletop game for a couple of decades, I’ve played hundreds of variant rules written by others or by my gaming group, and it’s amazing how small changes can make a game lose the Battletech feel. This game changes a lot, but it still has the Battletech feel.
More than just feeling like Battletech, this modded version of the game is solid in its own right, and often produces tactical choices with no clear, optimum choice. You have to weigh a number of factors, some of which matter a lot more in one circumstance than in another. A few times I’ve tried a certain approach, got hammered, and then when I reloaded the mission and approached with a different strategy the outcome was much better. This is not common, even among the better tactical games.
I’m not that far in to the game, I’ve done a few main missions, but I really like how tight money is so far. Not so tight I can’t expand, but tight enough that I can’t buy most things I want. Most games like this break somewhere around the mid-point, when you end up with more money than there are things to buy. But here I’m constantly looking at my bank balance and deciding if I can spare the cash to get that LRM20++.
I like the hardpoints system. I think they first used that in Mech Assault, the forgettable Xbox game. They’ve executed really well here, most mechs have enough different options that they’re not straightjacketed, but not so many options that every 50 ton mech can be modded in to the same design. Mech design is a good challenge as a result.
Cons
Missions have limited model counts but no tonnage limit is boring and breaks lore. I just take my heaviest mechs in each mission, maybe sometimes opting in one lighter mech with a big jump ability if I have to shoot up a convoy. Shifting to tonnage limit would encourage a much greater range of mech builds to play each mission.
It’s slow. I don’t mean technically, I understand some people have had some problems but the game runs fine on my PC, which is interesting because my PC is really old. And I don’t mean the time it takes to grind down enemy mechs, that’s just what Battletech is. I mean the gaps that pop up constantly, a bad guy moves, he fires and does his damage, then there’s a second delay before the computer gives a damage report, then another second delay before the pilot gives a colour comment about the state of her mech, then a delay before it comes back to my turn. Add in the load time between missions and it feels like the whole game could be maybe a third quicker.
There’s lots of tweaks that don’t work so nicely. They’ve flattened spread RNG to determine hits, its percentile now rather than 2d6, this means things that are +1 to hit in battletech mattered in a way they don’t in this game where they’re shifted to +5. The result is outside of a couple of big mods like high evasion mods and minimum range, its best not to worry. So at first I thought it was really interesting that weapons in the arms got +1, I’ve since learned it’s a pretty meaningless detail.
Making evasion degrade with more attacks doesn’t quite work. For one it tips the game balance too strongly towards targeting each mech one at a time.
Dropping all the non-weapon crits is boring. Hip actuators and engine hits are interesting elements, trying to get the most out of a damaged mech is a good game skill. It didn’t need to be streamlined out of this game.
The UI is a little weird. It should be a lot more obvious whether my guns will be inside minimum range from a possible move point. You can do it by clicking to move to a point then watching the hit % appear when you set your facing and put it over the enemy mech, but that’s unwieldy and not immediately obvious.
They’ve done an okay job of explaining the rules, but they could do a lot more. I still don’t get how you shift from movement in to combat, and this ruins stuff like planning sensor pings to use indirect LRMs. Sometimes I do it, it starts combat, then the enemy mech just moves and I lose the ping. Annoying. Also having a bunch of +1 and -2 mods all combine to produce a hit percentage is weird, each + or – shifts the % by 5, so just call it that.
The mech design screen is buggy. Things don’t drag and drop properly. They get stuck not falling in to place. Sometimes they get stuck and can’t be unstuck and I have to restart the mech design.
The main mission is about a noble family being unfairly usurped by the evil side of the family, leaving you to come in and defeat him. It’s the same story as so many Battletech games, and while this has so far been better executed than most, but there’s so many stories in Battletech that haven’t been told.
They let me do one black market operation outside of the mech review board, and then just dropped that. Let me do higher paying, legally hazy missions for more pay and more risk, it’s a cool setting option.
Mixed
In Battletech there’s always been a problem in Merc campaigns with salvage, because even basic mechs are 5 million c-bills, while everything else like wages, drop ship travel and the rest is thousands, or maybe tens of thousands of c-bills. As a result the only thing that ever mattered was salvage and not losing mechs. This game solves this in a weird way, the massive price differences are there, but they stopped the ‘only salvage matters’ issue by making your sale price on salvaged mechs insanely low. It works, I can’t ignore mission payments and live on selling salvage, but it’s still pretty silly it only works because I can only sell stuff for 10% of its actual value. It works, but it is silly.
The idea behind the withdraw button is great, and it’s an idea we’ve always tried to build in to our tabletop mech campaigns, having to judge the point where you realise the mission isn’t worth the cost. But it’s really hard to adapt to the idea in a computer game, where I’ve spent decades with the assumption that I can kill everything and never run away. I love the idea of the withdraw button, but I’ve never pressed it even when I probably should have, instead I just loaded over. Scummy by me.
The mission variety is limited. The game even admits this early on, and ultimately it’s Battletech, so straight fights, attacking stuff that’s running away, defending bases and attacking bases then running away is pretty much what there is. But there’s some good work adding details and twists to some missions, especially given a lot of them are procedurally done.
Physical attacks as a separate option has gains and losses. In the tabletop after movement and shooting any mech that was next to an enemy could choose one of a range of physical attacks. There was some tactical options (punching for head hits, kicking for lots of damage to a single leg) and it worked okay. In this game making physical attacks a separate attack option has strengths, the attack is more immediate and it becomes part of heat management. But its also a little weird, in Battletech mechs with good melee were given short range, brawling weapons like AC/10 and med lasers, but here you don’t get to fire those weapons, so instead I’ve found melee is for mechs with high heat or minimum range weapons. It’s not better or worse, just different.
LordofHats wrote: The Marauder and Warhammer are derived from "Robotech" designs. The Locust and Thunderbolt meanwhile come from Crusher Joe and Fangs of the Sun respectively. They were never very contentious and even if they were once upon a time when's the last time anyone actually watched either of those Anime's? The problem is basically that Harmony Gold lives and dies off lawsuits over the Robotech IP.
The original Marauder and Warhammer designs are in that legal mess, but Battletech has since produced 'reseen' designs that are sufficiently different from the original design that they avoid the legal issues. Both the Warhammer and Marauder have reseen designs. The new warhammer design is hideous, though.
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Mr Morden wrote: Am i the only one that enjoys the cut scenes and animations.
You and I know they're different, but Harmony Gold doesn't care. Lacking foreknowledge the the Marauder was derived from the Battle Pod I doubt anyone would peg the MWO design intended for BattleTech as ever having any relation with a different IP. It's sufficiently different that it just looks like another cool mecha sharing a common style. Unfortunately Harmony Gold sued when the Reseen were released, like they sue over everything they can because the Robotech IP and lawsuits concerning it are literally their only source of revenue at this point.
LordofHats wrote: You and I know they're different, but Harmony Gold doesn't care. Lacking foreknowledge the the Marauder was derived from the Battle Pod I doubt anyone would peg the MWO design intended for BattleTech as ever having any relation with a different IP. It's sufficiently different that it just looks like another cool mecha sharing a common style. Unfortunately Harmony Gold sued when the Reseen were released, like they sue over everything they can because the Robotech IP and lawsuits concerning it are literally their only source of revenue at this point.
Yeah, I'm just saying battletech has found ways to get unseen designs back in the game. I don't know if HG is fighting against the new designs which they've allowed back in tabletop, or if there's an issue with the designs intended for this game that maybe are closer to the unseen originals. I certainly agree HG are really annoying.
On the mech designs in this game, it's the one part of the aesthetics I'm a bit meh on. The designs are all call in isolation, chunkier and generally less goofy looking that the original designs, but when they're all on the field together they all look a bit the same.
The current suit I think has been going on since MWO released the Marauder and Warhammer in game. They didn't even bother if I remember right to sue over the models, probably because at this point Tabletop Battletech doesn't have the same presence as it used to. The games based on the Franchise have more recognition and financial power.
On the mech designs in this game, it's the one part of the aesthetics I'm a bit meh on. The designs are all call in isolation, chunkier and generally less goofy looking that the original designs, but when they're all on the field together they all look a bit the same.
I dont mind that, there is a lot of variance though, and I like how modding the mech changes the model.
What I don't like is the rescaling, mechs used to be about 10m tall with little variation. An atlas was similar size to a Commando just considerably beefier, tanks had a substantial presence, they were just inferior. Now light mechs are the right size, assaults are the size of titans and tanks are armed mobility scooters.
Some of those tanks scare me though. Sure they die easily, but there's one that's loaded with PPCs and another that's loaded with autoguns. Even if you kill them quick taking a hit from one of those gun boats is really going to hurt.
Yeah TBH some of the vehicles terrify me more than the mechs. I will definitely ignore a 60 ton mech in favor of attacking an SRM carrier or a Demolisher.
I've ran into one or two of those vehicles before, but I just had a mission with four of the fethers. Two demolishers, backed by a SRM and a LRM carrier. Plus, the mandatory reinforcements we totally didn't know about. That was an unpleasant fight for weak salvage.
Finally got a catapult, which I've wanted as a replacement LRM boat. Too bad the variant I got was the PPC version. Still a damn good looking mech.
Ironically the mech I like the most in this game is the Centurion, which was a real mediocre mech in MWO in my opinion.
It's mediocre now because Mediums in MWO in general are mediocre. Heavies are only slightly slower if not outright faster, are generally not significantly larger in front/side profile, have more weapons, and generally better hit boxes. The overwhelming number of mediums and most mediums suffer from horrendous hit boxes, are way too volumous for their tonnage even after the "normalization patch", and suffer from either being no more heavily armed than a Light mech or no faster than a Heavy mech.
Mediums in MWO suck from a balance stand point. Even the best mediums are mediocre compared to light Heavies.
There was a time when the Centurion was one of the best mechs in MWO because it was so absurdly tanky but various balance changes have left it horribly behind. A damn shame. It's my favorite (medium) mech. Fortunately in Battletech mediums are super useful and the Centy ain't bad. I load mine up with a set of 3 SRM4s, 2 mediums, and an AC10. It runs hot but it's murder on anything it gets close to. I'm actually surprised how similar the balance in Battletech for weapons is to MWO. The only significant difference is that LRMs are actually okay instead of being bottom of the barrel trash.
Ouze wrote: Nice. That is probably #2 on my list of most desired mechs, right after the Stalker. Also want a King Crab pretty bad.
Ironically the mech I like the most in this game is the Centurion, which was a real mediocre mech in MWO in my opinion.
I'm not a massive Battletech universe guy, with my only experience being Mechwarriors 3 and 4, so my limited exposure was to to the Clan invasion era and all those sweet mechs. The Catapult to me is the closest thing aesthetically to a number of mechs I loved from MW3.
I'm looking forward to my first Assault mech in game. I'm running all heavies right now (1x Orion, 2x Thunderbolt, 1x Jaeger or Cataphract) so I'm trying to hunt down assassinate missions to find a target with an assault mech.
I'm struggling to find missions that are above 3 skulls, but I've only done the 2nd story mission. Am I gated from getting assaults until I complete the next few story missions? Most of the systems I have access to are only listed as 2 skulls with one or two at 2.5.
LordofHats wrote: The Marauder and Warhammer are derived from "Robotech" designs. The Locust and Thunderbolt meanwhile come from Crusher Joe and Fangs of the Sun respectively. They were never very contentious and even if they were once upon a time when's the last time anyone actually watched either of those Anime's? The problem is basically that Harmony Gold lives and dies off lawsuits over the Robotech IP.
The original Marauder and Warhammer designs are in that legal mess, but Battletech has since produced 'reseen' designs that are sufficiently different from the original design that they avoid the legal issues. Both the Warhammer and Marauder have reseen designs. The new warhammer design is hideous, though.
.
The great thing about this game is that it's reseen models were to be based onteh ones used for MWO and not those terrible phoenix project models.
A quick screenshot (this one has been modified for an ungodly numebr of LRMs because MWO):
One with a more traditional loadout:
Automatically Appended Next Post: I took my sixth or so attempt at the ammo mission and finally completed it with all objectives at the loss of my second to last orignal pilot (who was DFA'd to death - again)
I took 2 Orions, a dragon and a Thunderbolt since the Jagermech was weak against the constant map-wide LRM threat. The entire lance went wide across the bottom of the map, settling in the spares forest to engage the chasing light mechs before the rest of the enemy mech company could engage. The dragon lost an arm and quite a bit of armor to the incredibly accurate multi-AC5 turret, but eliminated both mobile HQs. The entire lance then fought a meatgrinder in that little forest space, with the only turret support to worry about being the God-LRM machine. The Griffen and Dragon actually ran their LRM bins dry and I managed to win the resulting close quarters combat by virtue of the stability damage from multiple AC10 impacts and a sheer willingness to melee any poor sob that still had a viable weapons system.
In the end I had two mechs standing and deep,deep hatred for HBS for creating such a difficult mission. I decided to take the results and the 1.8mill payout.
Insult to injury was the report that I could now buy all the Dragons I wanted. Who the hell wants more than one? I'm going hunting for assaults.
They do state that the ammo supply trucks are optional and for bonus payments.
I did not bother once the reality of the scenario - enemy turrets plus 2 lances of enemy mechs revealed itself. Went for the primary objective - kill the enemy mechs and ignored everything else.
I had a Vindicator, Shadowhawk Jaegermech and some other med mech - i Forget which. Tough but only lost one mech and the a pilot and that was because I was careless.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Is it just me or do turrets have endless vision?
Definitely not. If there aren't any spotters around they are trivial to roll up; once they get detected you can sensor lock them with one mech and then have the other 3 mechs kill it in a single round of shooting without them ever having a chance to shoot back, they just turn orange again if you don't kill them. You can roll a whole base up pretty fast.
Of course, what you clearly experience is what i often get, as Wolfblade said - some other unit or mech acting as a spotter for them, in which case they paste you from max range, which for a LRM or PPC is super crazy far, further then you can see unassisted.
As an old school tabletop player I've been loving the game, it took some adjustment to get used to the evasion mechanic which can be annoying at times but once you unlock some of the heavier mechs and LRM20s you can grind through most everything at range and melee is a god send for smashing light mechs. Nothing is more satisfying than coring out the torso on a spider or locust with a single punch.
Spoiler:
The Star League Highlander, OMG is good and the double heat sinks are solid gold I live in mortal fear of them getting damaged with a crit. After salvaging and modifying an Awesome with double sinks it's a non stop rain of PPC fire and you can core out most medium or heavy mechs with a called shot alpha strike to the center torso. With the Highlanders gauss rifle and the ppcs they lay out a ton of long range fire power that pretty much keep them damage free while I keep a shadowhawk 2D close up in their face.
I do a lot of killing by using the heavy or assault mechs with LRM-15 or LRM 20s to knock down enemies and a close range shadowhawk finishes them with called shots at the start of the round before they can get back up. It's loaded up with SRMs (x2 srm-6 x1 srm-4 x2 med lasers and no jump jets) The Shadowhawk can also stomp most 60T vehicles on one attack so it's super helpful keeping it up close and personal with the enemy line. Just keep it moving and use the vigilance morale skill to give it guarded while shooting and moving so that the combination of evasion and guarded's damage reduction keeps the mech alive.
Ammo Truck Mission:
Spoiler:
When doing the ammo mission I was able to stop the trucks by detonating the ammo crate on the first one then running up and stomping the 2nd one with a Shadowhawk because missile fire is too weak to do it and it's too far for most direct fire to be accurate enough. A Griffon would also work as they are the same speed and combat ability. I think I hate that mission the most out of any that I've played, I think I had to try it 6-7 times before I gave up and had to build up a heavier selection of mechs that let me complete it successfully. I only saved 5 of the crates but not going to replay it yet again, feth that.
If you aren't making an immediate kill shot with your first action make use of reserve on units to keep the evasion bonuses as long as possible before moving and generating new evasion. That way you can easily absorb an extra 2-3 hits on your mediums which soaks a huge amount of damage.
When shooting out legs for salvage keep in mind that damage from a destroyed location transfers to the torso when it exceeds what was in the leg so you may want to turn off a few weapons before making the called shot because overkill on the leg will also tend to take out the torso with it and cost you salvage. Missile cause a lot of randomized splash damage so they tend not to work as well for targeting legs, if you are knee capping try to use direct fire weapons Lasers/ACs/PPCs and watch the overall damage total to avoid overkill carrying over to the torso.
One shotting a head with a PPC or the Gauss is amazing, but happens very rarely. However I have downed several mechs with punches to the head and salvaged a few complete mechs as a result. If you can afford to opt for 3 salvage during negotiation those are the missions where you want to take care to use called shots and melee as much as possible to capture heavier prize mechs, the lights and mediums blast away at them with impunity as you won't need them and you'll just tend to sell them once they are rebuilt.
I definitely wouldn't consider what mechs or weapons are in the game to be spoilers. This is based on a tabletop game older than the majority of posters on this forum, and you're complaining someone "spoiled" that a weapon was in the game that was introduced into the canon in 1989 and was installed a mech that was introduced in 1996.
LordofHats wrote: The current suit I think has been going on since MWO released the Marauder and Warhammer in game. They didn't even bother if I remember right to sue over the models, probably because at this point Tabletop Battletech doesn't have the same presence as it used to. The games based on the Franchise have more recognition and financial power.
They've sued over the tabletop models as well. It's why the old models disappeared, the 'unseen', and new models were released, the 'reseen'. You're right that the tabletop is tiny compared to the games, but scale and meaning isn't important here. HG sues where it can, regardless of the meaning of the fight.
I only mentioned the tabletop in this context because they're all related. The video game versions are based, for the most part, on mech designs originally developed for the tabletop. Other times when mechs have returned to the game, they've often first returned as new, altered, reseen versions in the tabletop, and then those new, altered versions are what you see in the video games.
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Orlanth wrote: I dont mind that, there is a lot of variance though, and I like how modding the mech changes the model.
Yeah, that is cool.
What I don't like is the rescaling, mechs used to be about 10m tall with little variation. An atlas was similar size to a Commando just considerably beefier, tanks had a substantial presence, they were just inferior. Now light mechs are the right size, assaults are the size of titans and tanks are armed mobility scooters.
That's something that's come from the tabletop game. There used to be basically no scale to battletech miniatures, I've got 50 ton models that are bigger than Atlas models. But later models have set something of a scale, with a real size difference built in to the four classes. New light mechs are all pretty close in size, and notably smaller than mediums, heavy are jump up from there, and assault mechs are now all pretty big.
The same pattern has been followed in this new game.
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Ouze wrote: Yeah TBH some of the vehicles terrify me more than the mechs. I will definitely ignore a 60 ton mech in favor of attacking an SRM carrier or a Demolisher.
Something else that's very close to the tabletop. The rules on the tabletop limit armour based on internals, and vehicles have less internals so they just get less armour. On top of that armour is increasingly less useful on vehicles as they get heavier, because after so many hits the vehicle is going to get done in by its special crit rules, even if the armour is still intact. So many designs don't even reach the already small max armour on vehicles, because it's unlikely all that armour is going to be used.
As a result, vehicles carry a lot less armour than mechs of a similar tonnage, but carry a payload equal to a much heavier mech. Just count the number of SRMs on that carrier, and then try and find the lowest mech tonnage you could sensible put that many SRMs on.
That kind of vehicle design is another clue these guys play the tabletop game. They haven't attempted a direct port of Battletech (which is good), but they've brought across a lot of the quirks and sensibilities of Battletech, which is one of the game's best strengths, in my opinion.
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ChargerIIC wrote: The great thing about this game is that it's reseen models were to be based onteh ones used for MWO and not those terrible phoenix project models.
Okay. That explains why these versions got caught up in the MWO suit.
Cheers for the MWO images. That's a much nicer model.
I thought the Atlas would be larger. In MWO it's a pretty thicc boi but here it just seemed a little... underwhelming, size wise. But it was about the same size as a Highlander, which is about right, so I am gonna have to chalk that up to difficulty of showing enormous scale when all of the models are viewed from overhead and are usually about half an inch tall.
Kinda bummed the Raven isn't in the game. Shouldn't it be, timeline-wise? I sure could use an electronic warfare mech. It seems like it would be pretty easy to implement, too.
Which are the ones that should be in at this time but are caught up in legal problems (again, ffs) - Marauder, Warhammer, and maybe Rifleman?
Orlanth wrote: No spoilers please. We dont want to know about no **** **** Highlander with **** ****.
Be more careful in future.
Added a spoiler for the overly sensitive, but given that the 2750 tech manual was released in 1989 I don't think it's really revealing anything new or shocking since the mechs, weapons and all of their stats are all lifted directly from the tabletop game. That particular mech and load out has been in every Battletech, Mechwarrior, or Mech Commander video game that they've made over the last 25+ years so it's pretty iconic. Star League is repeatedly mentioned and waxed about from the introduction narration of the game onwards. But you can never be too careful online because you might slip up and reveal there's a shark in jaws. Oh I've done it now and I hope I didn't just ruin that for anyone.
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Ouze wrote: Which are the ones that should be in at this time but are caught up in legal problems (again, ffs) - Marauder, Warhammer, and maybe Rifleman?
Raven has Star League tech so if it were to appear it'd be with Star League Lost Tech and not something you'd have in a straight up 3025 setting.
Wasp, Stinger, Crusader, Longbow, Rifleman, Warhammer, Marauder, Ostroc, Ostol were all "unseen" ones that are part of the ongoing HG/Robotech suit and were part of the original classic Battletech line up.
The Locust, Wolverine, Griffon, Shadowhawk, Thunderbolt, Scorpion, Goliath and Battlemaster were also "unseen" at one point but are back in the game after some minor redesigns and Studio Nue's approval as the new designs are far enough removed from the originals.
They were originally from Crusher Joe and Dougram series. They reached an agreement with the Japanese design studio who also did the design for the Macross/Robotech series but unlike the Macross properties the US rights aren't owned by Harmony Gold and contested. The designs were done by Tatsunoko/Studio Nue and they didn't have a dispute with the mechs being used by Battletech at least initially and Studio Nue was even contracted by FASA to do a Japanese version of all the classic designs. Only later when Tatsunoko broke into 3 companies and the Japanese vs international rights were split between companies did it become a problem. US rights to Macross went to Big West and licensed to Harmony Gold and they clamped down on other US holders. FASA had thought they were licensed to use under their agreement with TCI (twentieth century imports) which apparently was either based on an improper sublicense or the original license agreement fell apart during the Tatusnoko break up. Revell also used to produce models licensed from all 3 series under the Robotech Defenders and Robotech Changers line but they also lost their license after the change and HG exerted US control.
Are any of you guys using any mods? I'm more or less happy with the gameplay but have considered some sound mods. I'd love to get that proper PPC crackle and sizzle back.
Ouze wrote: I thought the Atlas would be larger. In MWO it's a pretty thicc boi but here it just seemed a little... underwhelming, size wise. But it was about the same size as a Highlander, which is about right, so I am gonna have to chalk that up to difficulty of showing enormous scale when all of the models are viewed from overhead and are usually about half an inch tall.
I think it's pretty hard to show 100 tons that differently to 90 tons, unless you want to make it a kind of comic book scale. I'm nowhere near those mechs, though, so it'll be a long time before I can give an informed impression of how the Atlas looks.
Kinda bummed the Raven isn't in the game. Shouldn't it be, timeline-wise? I sure could use an electronic warfare mech. It seems like it would be pretty easy to implement, too.
The Raven was a new design, built in 3048. I don't know how long this game goes in to the setting, but I'm guessing not that late? Anyhow, while the Raven was a new design the improved probes and counter measures the mech operated were recovered Star League tech. There's a period of about 200 years where the tech was lost to the Inner Sphere, but it wouldn't be that big of a deal to the setting if the player recovered an active probe or ECM some of this stuff. Especially not if you're getting some other lostech stuff.
Ouze wrote: That artwork is neato. Real...... neato.
Are any of you guys using any mods? I'm more or less happy with the gameplay but have considered some sound mods. I'd love to get that proper PPC crackle and sizzle back.
I'm using Battletech enhanced (which contains various other mods, but overall it adds a bunch of new equipment, i.e. small/large ammo bins, more heat sinks, more jump jets, a new armor type that reduces weight by a little (but takes up a slot), and adds SL tech to stores at pretty low chance (and only on SL worlds), along with a quick start mod to skip the intro for my second run. So far it seems nice, and I even got some really good luck with an AC20++ (stab/damage up) in the 3rd store I visited which is a godsend considering I'm still in the early stages (good bye lights or low armor mediums with a single called shot!)
Kinda bummed the Raven isn't in the game. Shouldn't it be, timeline-wise? I sure could use an electronic warfare mech. It seems like it would be pretty easy to implement, too.
The Raven was a new design, built in 3048. I don't know how long this game goes in to the setting, but I'm guessing not that late? Anyhow, while the Raven was a new design the improved probes and counter measures the mech operated were recovered Star League tech. There's a period of about 200 years where the tech was lost to the Inner Sphere, but it wouldn't be that big of a deal to the setting if the player recovered an active probe or ECM some of this stuff. Especially not if you're getting some other lostech stuff.
iirc, Raven is coming post launch, only because they had trouble with the ECM stuff.
paulson games wrote: Raven has Star League tech so if it were to appear it'd be with Star League Lost Tech and not something you'd have in a straight up 3025 setting.
The Raven is a brand new design in 3048. The tech it uses was extinct before the memory core allowed its rediscovery, but if what people have said about the Highlander is true, no reason you couldn't do the same with an active probe and ECM.
Battletech artwork has sometimes struggled for a consistent level of quality, it must be said.
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Wolfblade wrote: iirc, Raven is coming post launch, only because they had trouble with the ECM stuff.
I had to edit my previous reply as I'd forgotten about the Raven being 3048, it's been a few years so I only remembered it having SL tech and I think an XL engine to make it fast.
Some of the missing mechs had really good options for load outs and weapon placements that aren't matched well with the mechs I've seen in this version which is kind of a let down. It shouldn't be that hard to just do a different looking body design that has the same weapon selection. Come up with something generic like the Bull Rusher that shares the same weapon hard points as a Marauder or Warhammer but looks considerably different.
I'd love to get an Archer with torso mounted LRMs instead of making due with a slightly lighter Jagermech with them in the arms as they are more vulnerable. Not a deal breaker but it feels like it's missing something given their heritage in the game and the fact that I can use those mechs in MWO. (sadly I can't stand MWO's first person format)
Trying like hell to get some Stalker and Atlas salvage but so far only managed one of each. I ran into both an Atlas and Highlander in the same mission and only had 3 salvage choices, 2 of which went to completing the Highlander and haven't seen another Atlas after 6 missions and I think it's been 11 or 12 since I saw the Stalker
paulson games wrote: Raven has Star League tech so if it were to appear it'd be with Star League Lost Tech and not something you'd have in a straight up 3025 setting.
The Raven is a brand new design in 3048. The tech it uses was extinct before the memory core allowed its rediscovery, but if what people have said about the Highlander is true, no reason you couldn't do the same with an active probe and ECM.
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Wolfblade wrote: iirc, Raven is coming post launch, only because they had trouble with the ECM stuff.
Does the game go out to 3048? Huh.
The Raven actually has a 3025 data sheet but it had a completely non-functional ECM suite. It was this 3 ton component that had no rules attached. Fluff-wise, they are mentioned in the Warrior triology (which is the story fo the 4th succession war).
The one caveat is that like some of the Davion designs, it was a secret project until the outbreak of the war. I'm not certain how a merc would get one beforehand.
Yeah, the RVN-3L Raven went into production in 3048, but the Raven itself had been around for quite some time. 3024 for the original prototype and by 3030 the FedSuns had tons of the things captured during the 4th War, all converted to Large Laser carriers.
Also remember that the Cataphract is in this game, and that's just as new as the Raven.
ChargerIIC wrote: The Raven actually has a 3025 data sheet but it had a completely non-functional ECM suite. It was this 3 ton component that had no rules attached. Fluff-wise, they are mentioned in the Warrior triology (which is the story fo the 4th succession war).
How much should I be grinding in between story missions? I'm still fairly early in, having just liberated the first founding family and have the mission to rescue the second now (and to apparently decrypt some SL-era stuff found on the Argo). I don't have any heavy mechs yet, but I do have a decent assortment of mediums. Should I keep grinding away to get a heavy or two, or continue the story?
Tannhauser42 wrote: How much should I be grinding in between story missions? I'm still fairly early in, having just liberated the first founding family and have the mission to rescue the second now (and to apparently decrypt some SL-era stuff found on the Argo). I don't have any heavy mechs yet, but I do have a decent assortment of mediums.
I found it was important if you want to get Heaves also to upgrade your pilots - travel is useful with the training pod/s. Also travel can get access to new stuff via Store - especially + and ++ weapons.
You can probably get away with one Heavy for the next mission but I don't think pure meds and lights will cut it.
Orlanth wrote: No spoilers please. We dont want to know about no **** **** Highlander with **** ****.
Be more careful in future.
Added a spoiler for the overly sensitive, but given that the 2750 tech manual was released in 1989 I don't think it's really revealing anything new or shocking since the mechs, weapons and all of their stats are all lifted directly from the tabletop game. That particular mech and load out has been in every Battletech, Mechwarrior, or Mech Commander video game that they've made over the last 25+ years so it's pretty iconic. Star League is repeatedly mentioned and waxed about from the introduction narration of the game onwards.
Its a 3025 era game set prior to the Helm memory core. We don't know what we will get in game, and that information was carefully omitted. Nobody else has spoilered it here or on the thread in CBT forums. Some Star League equipment might be available but what or when is unknown. i was expecting a lone Star League weapon with lots of quality plusses after it.
Also the mech you described wasn't included in every game. It wasn't in Crescent Hawks Inception, Crescent Hawks Revenge, Mech Commander 1, and not in some of the MechWarrior games either. Granted it is an iconic design, but its presence is not universal and in some of the above games one could not capture Star League equipment.
But you can never be too careful online because you might slip up and reveal there's a shark in jaws. Oh I've done it now and I hope I didn't just ruin that for anyone.
So you post idiotic spoilers, but somehow its my fault. Jaws had a shark on the cover and was about the shark from the outset. This game starts you with a Blackjack and is set in 3025 periphery, and its hard to get normal equipment let alone lostech.
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Tannhauser42 wrote: How much should I be grinding in between story missions? I'm still fairly early in, having just liberated the first founding family and have the mission to rescue the second now (and to apparently decrypt some SL-era stuff found on the Argo). I don't have any heavy mechs yet, but I do have a decent assortment of mediums. Should I keep grinding away to get a heavy or two, or continue the story?
Story missions can bite hard, I wont say when. There are sudden difficulty jumps, getting better mechs and more cash is a very good idea. I suggest you go to a planet and see two miissions take one mission for the cash to pay your monthly bill, and one with high salvage so if you take down a good mech intact you have a good chance of getting all three pieces. Do the easier mission first so you can minimise downtime, or you might not be able to take on both missions.
One of the great things about this game is that you cannot be complacent over money. You can go from over a years worth of upkeep funds in the bank to a quarter away from bankruptcys in a short time and without any failed or disasterous missions.
I could understand not wanting plot spoilers, and people have been respecting that, but not saying what mechs are in a Battlemech game is an absolutely outlandish request.
Ouze wrote: I could understand not wanting plot spoilers, and people have been respecting that, but not saying what mechs are in a Battlemech game is an absolutely outlandish request.
It is reasonable if the mechs themselves are spoilers. Content from 3025 is expected,
We're well past release date and 9 pages into the discussion so anybody looking to be spoiler free discussion is taking a risk by reading anything online. This isn't a movie thread nor was a spoiler request/warning made for the thread. I didn't comment on any aspect of the story line.
The only person acting upset is you so maybe avoid open & public discussion groups since it's a given that you're going to read or overhear random details once everything is in common circulation. People asking questions about the time period, mech availability, tactics and load out options are just as legit as discussions about the games combat mechanics. Sorry to burst your bubble.
paulson games wrote: We're well past release date and 9 pages into the discussion so anybody looking to be spoiler free discussion is taking a risk by reading anything online. This isn't a movie thread nor was a spoiler request/warning made for the thread. I didn't comment on any aspect of the story line.
The only person acting upset is you so maybe avoid open & public discussion groups since it's a given that you're going to read or overhear random details once everything is in common circulation. People asking questions about the time period, mech availability, tactics and load out options are just as legit as discussions about the games combat mechanics. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Everyone except you has kept their advice generic. Why not accept that you posted spoilers, cover the spoiler if you haven't already and carry on.
I dunno I mentioned the gauss rifle several times iirc. Never talked about ER lasers or pulse variants though.
I think it is perfectly reasonable to talk about them, so long as we avoid story spoilers. I mean it's been nearly an entire month, expecting to go totally spoiler free on even the most minor detail is a little silly.
ChargerIIC wrote: I took my sixth or so attempt at the ammo mission and finally completed it with all objectives at the loss of my second to last orignal pilot (who was DFA'd to death - again)
I took 2 Orions, a dragon and a Thunderbolt since the Jagermech was weak against the constant map-wide LRM threat. The entire lance went wide across the bottom of the map, settling in the spares forest to engage the chasing light mechs before the rest of the enemy mech company could engage. The dragon lost an arm and quite a bit of armor to the incredibly accurate multi-AC5 turret, but eliminated both mobile HQs. The entire lance then fought a meatgrinder in that little forest space, with the only turret support to worry about being the God-LRM machine. The Griffen and Dragon actually ran their LRM bins dry and I managed to win the resulting close quarters combat by virtue of the stability damage from multiple AC10 impacts and a sheer willingness to melee any poor sob that still had a viable weapons system.
In the end I had two mechs standing and deep,deep hatred for HBS for creating such a difficult mission. I decided to take the results and the 1.8mill payout.
Insult to injury was the report that I could now buy all the Dragons I wanted. Who the hell wants more than one? I'm going hunting for assaults.
Ha!
I too am "happy" for the shared struggle.
I have 1 Orion, 1 Dragon, 1 Jagermech and a Quickdraw.
I have found out the hard way as well chasing after the ammo trucks is a good way to die.
I found shuffling over to the left and taking out the first turret and using a choke point works well but I had to rush to take out those darn LRMs and retreat (smoking a bit however).
I like the puzzles and with what "spoilers" I hear of, I am happy to see there is a whole lot of game to go.
I really hate "destroy the convoy" missions.
I have a "special" high speed Spider who's only job is to stomp on vehicles (and a couple support weapons to make sure they are dead).
He was the first one to get the cockpit upgrade for when missions go badly.
Is it just me or do all the non-specialist loadouts seem to be variants on the Shadowhawk armament?
An energy weapon, an AC and LRM and SRM if possible and if medium (or a Quickdraw) jump jets.
The heat efficiency and the ability to always have an effective shooting range is gold.
It is also helpful to shoot at a couple targets for effective range or at least reduce their evasion pips.
I lean on the light or medium mech "assassin" designs, come in behind and carve a large hole into a mech with a physical attack (secondary function as spotter heavy on piloting skill and logistics "lock" ability for the ultimate spotter).
I am playing around with flamers finding that I have managed to shut down a couple mechs and they become victims (it is death incarnate for Mars worlds).
The missile "boat" heavy in logistics and weapons (those penetrating shots are deadly as well as improved indirect fire aim). He intends to stay out of sight no matter what.
I have got into a few items that are "++" types and I find I am scared to death of those getting blown off, I NEVER put those on arms if I can help it unless I crank up the armor (and put any ammo on the other torso and the special weapon/gear NEVER with the ammo).
I find lance design (sum of it's parts) is almost more complex than the strategies employed on the field.
But the #1 rule is alpha-strike the spotter no matter what.
Using the moral abilities at the right time: when you think the spotter will come to you, or you are racking up unsteady points.
The more I play, the better i like this game.
Oh yes, and the ship we fly around in is nice and all, though I would be happy to pass on a poker night or burger event.
A few more random events (which look easily done) would be nice.
Our friend in engineering patting her own back all the freaking time could also use some more diverse voice acting: she seemed so awesome in her intro mission, it is rather sad to see so little character afterward (at least during the non-storyline events).
ChargerIIC wrote: I took my sixth or so attempt at the ammo mission and finally completed it with all objectives at the loss of my second to last orignal pilot (who was DFA'd to death - again)
I took 2 Orions, a dragon and a Thunderbolt since the Jagermech was weak against the constant map-wide LRM threat. The entire lance went wide across the bottom of the map, settling in the spares forest to engage the chasing light mechs before the rest of the enemy mech company could engage. The dragon lost an arm and quite a bit of armor to the incredibly accurate multi-AC5 turret, but eliminated both mobile HQs. The entire lance then fought a meatgrinder in that little forest space, with the only turret support to worry about being the God-LRM machine. The Griffen and Dragon actually ran their LRM bins dry and I managed to win the resulting close quarters combat by virtue of the stability damage from multiple AC10 impacts and a sheer willingness to melee any poor sob that still had a viable weapons system.
In the end I had two mechs standing and deep,deep hatred for HBS for creating such a difficult mission. I decided to take the results and the 1.8mill payout.
Insult to injury was the report that I could now buy all the Dragons I wanted. Who the hell wants more than one? I'm going hunting for assaults.
Ha!
I too am "happy" for the shared struggle.
I have 1 Orion, 1 Dragon, 1 Jagermech and a Quickdraw.
I have found out the hard way as well chasing after the ammo trucks is a good way to die.
I found shuffling over to the left and taking out the first turret and using a choke point works well but I had to rush to take out those darn LRMs and retreat (smoking a bit however).
I like the puzzles and with what "spoilers" I hear of, I am happy to see there is a whole lot of game to go.
To complete that mission take three f th heaviest mechs you can take, with a blend of short and long range armament, good armour is important, speed is not. A fourth faster mech with a good alpha.
Send the faster mech left as soon as you start. Head around and destroy the two ammo wagons, I hung him around longer expecting a third. the ammo supplies have a lot of armour, so you need to stomp or have big guns on this mech.
The other three mechs go forwards to kill the LRM turrets then hang back drawing the defenders to take them on. Mop them up in a running battle in the start area.
Is it just me or do all the non-specialist loadouts seem to be variants on the Shadowhawk armament?
An energy weapon, an AC and LRM and SRM if possible and if medium (or a Quickdraw) jump jets.
The heat efficiency and the ability to always have an effective shooting range is gold.
It is also helpful to shoot at a couple targets for effective range or at least reduce their evasion pips.
I don't know, I keep mechs mostly as they are, but I either remove MG's or take at least four, and try to improve armour coverage as much as I can afford. Each mech needs at least one energy weapon. Other than that, no rules. I dont try to cool mechs for alpha strike, but to fire either all their short or all their long ranged weapons.
I lean on the light or medium mech "assassin" designs, come in behind and carve a large hole into a mech with a physical attack (secondary function as spotter heavy on piloting skill and logistics "lock" ability for the ultimate spotter).
I am playing around with flamers finding that I have managed to shut down a couple mechs and they become victims (it is death incarnate for Mars worlds).
Dont overdo it. The amount of times I have done enough damage that it is better off continuing to hit the front by the time your faster mech closes. Backshooting is something I do less as the game moves on and firepower increases.
I have got into a few items that are "++" types and I find I am scared to death of those getting blown off, I NEVER put those on arms if I can help it unless I crank up the armor (and put any ammo on the other torso and the special weapon/gear NEVER with the ammo).
But the #1 rule is alpha-strike the spotter no matter what.
Using the moral abilities at the right time: when you think the spotter will come to you, or you are racking up unsteady points.
Generally wise, though it is generally wise to thin opponents and the spotters present themselves early. Sure they might have lots of evade chevrons, but a couple of PPC shots is a good as a Sensor lock, it removes one chevron and one limb. A good trade in practice.
All in all if the mech that dies first is the oppositions spotter I don't really notice.
Update: My game arbitrarily went back a step in difficulty and suddenly I'm awash in 2-2.5 skull missions which are now too easy...
Either way, I can at least play. My lance has upgraded quite a bit and I've managed to accomplish a couple 3-4 skull missions whcih went way too difficult with better planning/play. Sadly that mostly equates to: Everyone has Bulwark...sit in a tight diamond formation and hammer each mech as they show up.
Having fun and will continue to slowly play this see-saw difficulty of the game. I have a strong enough lance now that I'm confident for most stuff, but still haven't run into proper Assault mechs (thankfully). My game has crashed FAR less than it was the first week (which crashed almost every session at some point). I do wish there were some better alternatives to Bulwark but it's really almost too good. Taking half damage while sitting still in a treeline is really difficult to beat. Occasionally I'm left scrambling if the mission requires maneuvering, but even then I've bump most of my pilots up so their sprint is longer/faster.
Have been enjoying creating mechs though. Love the perfect mix they hit - with the varied hardpoints instead of "if it fits, it works" like some older Mechwarrior games. It's fun getting a new mech and seeing what hardpoints it has available and what weapons you have that match it.
Nastiest surprise at the moment:[i] A Jaegermech with a Gunnery 9 pilot, targeting computer add-on, and four AC/2s each of which is + or ++. They have 720 meter range, the remaining space is extra AC ammo and maxed out armour across the board. She sits on a hilltop and just murder hoses things. One of her guns is like +50% critical chance, etc. She of course has Bulwark so she's really tough to kill.
I have bulwark on none of my pilots, ace pilot is my go to , the pilot tree is so good, that extra evasion and ability to move after shooting combined with the super OP fire starter mech, so far I am using 4 fire starters over my assaults etc. 2 med laser, 6 small laser and max armour/JJ
Wasp, Stinger, Locust, Crusader, Longbow, Rifleman, Warhammer, Marauder, Ostroc, Ostol were all "unseen" ones that are part of the ongoing HG/Robotech suit and were part of the original classic Battletech line up.
The Phoenix Hawk should be on that list, as well (it's a Super Valkyrie from Macross). And I'm not sure that the Locust should be there. It's from Crusher Joe, not Macross.
Formosa wrote: I have bulwark on none of my pilots, ace pilot is my go to , the pilot tree is so good, that extra evasion and ability to move after shooting combined with the super OP fire starter mech, so far I am using 4 fire starters over my assaults etc. 2 med laser, 6 small laser and max armour/JJ
That’s 170 damage per alpha for very little heat.
On the downside they have very little armor, combined with facing enemies with high gunnery/melee it might be a bit dangerous, especially since a 170 alpha is really low.
Personally, 2tact 1gun/guts seems to be the way to go imo.
All this discussion of ammo trucks and bs mission times makes me want to continue ignoring the campaign, royal Highlander be damned!
Orlanth wrote: Everyone except you has kept their advice generic. Why not accept that you posted spoilers, cover the spoiler if you haven't already and carry on.
As Ouze said, not discussing the 'Mechs in he game is a ridiculous request.
My lance just took a brick to the face on a non-story mission. Hostile Insertion 4 difficulty mission on Ryan's fate, goal is to take out an Assault lance but what was actually there two assault lances that both attack at the same time on a hot desert planet so it was fighting while frying like eggs. Almost all of the AI pilots all had advanced piloting so they'd move after firing and had very high evasion ratings or bullwark guarded, I'd spend each round trying to grind on a single mech and knock it down only to have it immediately get back up on the following action and entrench so it was brutally difficult to down any of them. They've wiped out my lance 3 times in a row and the best I've done is get them down to two mechs their stalker remaining pristine every time. Ugh.
My lance is
2 highlanders AC-10+ and x2 LRM-20++ other has gauss rifle, med laser+++ and x2 LRM-20s++
1 Awesome with x2 PPC++ and PPC+ with dual Heat sinks, has to spend most round only firing two PPCs due to the desert heat, where most missions I can alpha 3 turns in a row without overheating.
1 Shadowhawk x2 SRM-6++, SRM-4++ x2 Med Laser, pilot gets extra evade and normally skates around virtually undamaged most missions but having 8 assaults hammering it every turn with concentrated fire kills it fast.
Enemy Lances
x2 Black Knights
x1 Banshee
x1 Grasshopper
x3 Highlanders with PPCs and LRMs
x1 Stalker with what appears to be massive amounts of everything
I get one round vs the first lance, then the second lance joins in the following round all of the mechs aside from the black knights are packing at least a pair of LRM-15 or 20s and in the case of the Stalker I think it has 4 LRM clusters as there's a staggering amount of missiles coming out of it and for 2-3 rounds they are firing from max range spotted for by the first lance so I can't even see them on my map but they are pounding away relentlessly. It's brutal and rated only at a 4, it has me wondering just how bad a 5 rated mission is going to be.
Going to give it another attempt or two before I may have to back out to an earlier save as I'm not sure I have the firepower to beat this one.
Orlanth wrote: Generally wise, though it is generally wise to thin opponents and the spotters present themselves early. Sure they might have lots of evade chevrons, but a couple of PPC shots is a good as a Sensor lock, it removes one chevron and one limb. A good trade in practice.
I guess I never thought of it that way but you're right. I'm hesitant to unload heavy stuff on someone with a lot of chevrons - I'll give up a sensor lock instead. In reality a heavy attack is half a sensor lock but also, with damage. I will have to reconsider how I've been doing that.
Hey, campaign question.
Spoiler:
How long did it take before you guys were able to leave the starting.... sector or what have you? I just got a contract in Steiner space that I couldn't take because I didn't have enough rep. This made me realize that a really big percentage of the map is not accessible by me - travel restricted. I'm mostly just bouncing back and forth between the 8 or whatever planets that make up the Arano area. I'm also hated by the Capellans now.
Orlanth wrote: Generally wise, though it is generally wise to thin opponents and the spotters present themselves early. Sure they might have lots of evade chevrons, but a couple of PPC shots is a good as a Sensor lock, it removes one chevron and one limb. A good trade in practice.
I guess I never thought of it that way but you're right. I'm hesitant to unload heavy stuff on someone with a lot of chevrons - I'll give up a sensor lock instead. In reality a heavy attack is half a sensor lock but also, with damage. I will have to reconsider how I've been doing that.
Hey, campaign question.
Spoiler:
How long did it take before you guys were able to leave the starting.... sector or what have you? I just got a contract in Steiner space that I couldn't take because I didn't have enough rep. This made me realize that a really big percentage of the map is not accessible by me - travel restricted. I'm mostly just bouncing back and forth between the 8 or whatever planets that make up the Arano area. I'm also hated by the Capellans now.
Spoiler:
You mean the ability to go anywhere? Finish the story to unlock everywhere. (I''m assuming you're well past the argo)
A bit of luck smiled has happened for me. Decided to grind a little bit more before doing the next story mission (liberate the second noble house, planet Smithon). First mission was only 2.5 skulls, and consisted of three enemy mechs, two mediums and one Thunderbolt. I already had one Thunderbolt part, so I legged this one and got the last two parts I needed. Rolled into another mission that had three heavies, two Thunderbolts and a Grasshopper. Not quite so lucky on this one, only managed one Grasshopper part out of it. Third mission, was another simply "kill the enemy lance" mission, and it was two Orions, 1 Thunderbolt, and 1 Trebuchet. I managed to pilot kill one of the Orions, destroyed the remaining mechs. Only problem is that it was that the mission rewards I could only pick two salvage, but RNGesus smiled on me and gave me the third Orion part in the random salvage.
So, in the space of three missions, I looted myself a Thunderbolt and an Orion as my first two heavy mechs. Feeling pretty good about that. I do enjoy rolling around in my 8 medium laser Hunchback. It was my favorite to run with in MWO, too.
Just went through a difficult Assassination mission where the old "Reinforcements that are just there from the start" bug played a big role.
The first enemies weren't that special - an Enforcer, Wolverine, Blackjack and a Panther that was so far in the distance it played no immediate role. I had both my Kintaros, an Orion and my Thunderbolt.
But I kept getting peppered with LRM5 salvos from out of sight. Didn't know what was going on.
Eventually I sent my new Kintaro ("Montego") to see what was up and he stumbled across a pair of Shadow Hawks and a Vindicator. The enemy leader turned out to be in a Thunderbolt as well. Thankfully Montego was set up as a new light indirect 'Mech, and I wasn't in The Belt but rather my other Orion, Farstrike, which mounts a pair of LRM15++'s. Thus I was able to pull back, use the water to my advantage (desert maps SUCK) and just throw endless streams of LRM at them/
We didn't take much of a pounding (a critical missed DFA from the enemy Wolverine helped there), and dealt with all the 'Mechs, but I learnt what sustained LRM fire can do to bring things down.
And in the end? Pilot incapacitated on the Taurian diplomat (the 'Mech-piloting diplomat???). I got me a new free T-Bolt!
H.B.M.C. wrote: All this discussion of ammo trucks and bs mission times makes me want to continue ignoring the campaign, royal Highlander be damned!
Just ignore the ammo trucks - they are a bonus item - says so in the briefing - you get enough stuff from the main mission payment to enable you to decide if you can (most stroy missions) or can not do all the bonus elements.
Makes things more difficult, makes your starting 'Mechs even worse, and adds drop weight limits.
No thanks.
EXACTLY!!!
Harder game: Yes please !
Weight limits: havent noticed them actually matter yet, but happy that they are there.
Also sorts a fair few weapons out, i actually use large lasers now! and adds certain weapons to the game at a large cost and extreme rarety in the "late game"
I know its not for everyone, but im having a blast with it at the moment, especially as i get to use some of my favourite mech variants.
Formosa wrote: I have bulwark on none of my pilots, ace pilot is my go to , the pilot tree is so good, that extra evasion and ability to move after shooting combined with the super OP fire starter mech, so far I am using 4 fire starters over my assaults etc. 2 med laser, 6 small laser and max armour/JJ
That’s 170 damage per alpha for very little heat.
On the downside they have very little armor, combined with facing enemies with high gunnery/melee it might be a bit dangerous, especially since a 170 alpha is really low.
Personally, 2tact 1gun/guts seems to be the way to go imo.
Yeah its pretty hairy at times but thats why i like to do it, managed to off 6 assaults and a couple of heavies (damaged as they were pirates) with 4 of these firestarters.
I just wish the game could be stretched out a bit as I really like using lights and mediums, I would also like a difficulty bar or something, this game is far too easy at the moment for me.
So, in the space of three missions, I looted myself a Thunderbolt and an Orion as my first two heavy mechs. Feeling pretty good about that. I do enjoy rolling around in my 8 medium laser Hunchback. It was my favorite to run with in MWO, too.
Heh, I just finished the starport mission and hit the jackpot on salvage--an intact Dragon, Trebuchet and Hunchback, with a Griffin shortly behind. Too bad Dekker died on the mission, distracting said Hunchback from my objective runners.
It's a little thing, but I like how even the voice lines for generic pilots give them a fair bit of personality, to the point where I now have a policy of only hiring Mechwarriors with strong accents.
So, in the space of three missions, I looted myself a Thunderbolt and an Orion as my first two heavy mechs. Feeling pretty good about that. I do enjoy rolling around in my 8 medium laser Hunchback. It was my favorite to run with in MWO, too.
Heh, I just finished the starport mission and hit the jackpot on salvage--an intact Dragon, Trebuchet and Hunchback, with a Griffin shortly behind. Too bad Dekker died on the mission, distracting said Hunchback from my objective runners.
It's a little thing, but I like how even the voice lines for generic pilots give them a fair bit of personality, to the point where I now have a policy of only hiring Mechwarriors with strong accents.
Hmm I don't seem to get other pilots speaking in missions etc - just my cockpit computer?
Wasp, Stinger, Locust, Crusader, Longbow, Rifleman, Warhammer, Marauder, Ostroc, Ostol were all "unseen" ones that are part of the ongoing HG/Robotech suit and were part of the original classic Battletech line up.
The Phoenix Hawk should be on that list, as well (it's a Super Valkyrie from Macross). And I'm not sure that the Locust should be there. It's from Crusher Joe, not Macross.
And the Thunderbolt, Griffin, Wolverine and Archer.
All mechs, and the odd few other units like the Galleon tank that are third party derivatives are Unseen. However attitudes to them are different depending on the IP. Catalyst secured deals which resulted in no further action against non-Macross unseen, but the images were resculpted anyway.
Only Harmony Gold has issues, the actual owners of Macross do not, and Harmony Gold presses its issues even post resculpt.
Orlanth wrote: Generally wise, though it is generally wise to thin opponents and the spotters present themselves early. Sure they might have lots of evade chevrons, but a couple of PPC shots is a good as a Sensor lock, it removes one chevron and one limb. A good trade in practice.
I guess I never thought of it that way but you're right. I'm hesitant to unload heavy stuff on someone with a lot of chevrons - I'll give up a sensor lock instead. In reality a heavy attack is half a sensor lock but also, with damage. I will have to reconsider how I've been doing that.
i like the skills because they add to the tactical diversity rather than formulate w in button playthrough. the above advice is an option, not necessarily the superior one. Sensor Lock has its place. You get Sensor Lock on the way to Master Tactician so it becomes a rarely used skill button on some of your better mechs. Sensor Lock with a tooled out Black Knight? Unlikely you want to do that. But instead of firing at a difficult target, which admittedly is my primary choice you could alpha strike with a mech, then Sensor lock on the cooldown turn.
Even supposedly useless skill combos are useful depending on mech, pilot target and circumstances, and a turn or two of forward planning to pull them off.
Battletech has always been about asset management and foresight. Looking at the beta test videos too many people fell into the noob trap of opening up with as many guns as possible as early as possible, and then have to overheat or cooldown in later turns with ostensibly better firing opportunities. I wish the tactical skill options were in the tabletop game because they add an extra dynamic to the flow of battle, with opportunities to combo a cooldown with a tactical skill like Breaching Shot or Sensor Lock.
Hmm I don't seem to get other pilots speaking in missions etc - just my cockpit computer?
Same here. What have I setup wrong?
On another matter, I love the Stability damage idea. That would be one thing that I'd like to see in tabletop games.
Everything does the equivalent of its damage rating as stability damage except for ACs and Gauss weapons, which do double. Couple that with the increasing piloting skill mods which go up with the amount of damage (can't remember what edition that was from, but I don't recall seeing in the most recent edition that I've got).
Hey presto, ACs get better without mucking around with 30 years of solid design too much, more mechs fall over and piloting skill becomes more important.
Stability damage is definitely where it's at. Since I have 2 mechs with about 30ish lurms apiece, I'm scoring pretty constant and fast knockdowns.
Also I know this is super obvious but I'm gonna say it anyway; I've pretty recently realized that called shot on center torsos isn't usually a great idea since the CT's are always so heavily armored. A called shot to an arm or a torso with a PPC or AC20 or what have you is very nearly the same as killing the mech; I managed to destroy a torso on a heavy in the first volley that left him with just 2 small lasers, just as good as a kill really.
Hmm I don't seem to get other pilots speaking in missions etc - just my cockpit computer?
That's weird, maybe there's an option somewhere? Or it might be worth asking on the forums.
On a related note, I did hire one guy ("Corsair") who doesn't have any dialogue, presumably to make him the strong silent type. He died to a headshot in the first mission I put him on, so overall, he.....didn't make much of an impression on the company.
Getting a bit boring post-campaign. Every mission is just my 4 Assaults against 2 mixed Lances of Assaults/Heavies/80+ ton vehicles. Absolutely no Light or Medium mechs in play, or really of any use.
New missions with drop weight limits really need to be implemented to keep things useful and varied.
Got a Grasshopper now, and I turned it into my own walking laser light show: maxed out the medium and small lasers on it.
I finally realized the Trebuchet just sucks as a LRM boat. The Centurian can carry two LRM15s and two medium lasers, and still have more armor than a Trebuchet with the same loadout.
H.B.M.C. wrote: All this discussion of ammo trucks and bs mission times makes me want to continue ignoring the campaign, royal Highlander be damned!
Orlanth wrote: Everyone except you has kept their advice generic. Why not accept that you posted spoilers, cover the spoiler if you haven't already and carry on.
As Ouze said, not discussing the 'Mechs in he game is a ridiculous request.
Stop being so precious.
I have been misrepresented, that wasnt the issue, but posting
Spoiler:
specific star league tech salvage rewards in the campaign
Hmm I don't seem to get other pilots speaking in missions etc - just my cockpit computer?
Same here. What have I setup wrong?
On another matter, I love the Stability damage idea. That would be one thing that I'd like to see in tabletop games.
Everything does the equivalent of its damage rating as stability damage except for ACs and Gauss weapons, which do double. Couple that with the increasing piloting skill mods which go up with the amount of damage (can't remember what edition that was from, but I don't recall seeing in the most recent edition that I've got).
Hey presto, ACs get better without mucking around with 30 years of solid design too much, more mechs fall over and piloting skill becomes more important.
With none for energy weapons except for the PPC, as energy has enough advantages already.
AC's have a quiet upgrade. AC2 does 5pts of damage and an AC5 does 9, in tabletop terms.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Tannhauser42 wrote: Got a Grasshopper now, and I turned it into my own walking laser light show: maxed out the medium and small lasers on it.
I finally realized the Trebuchet just sucks as a LRM boat. The Centurian can carry two LRM15s and two medium lasers, and still have more armor than a Trebuchet with the same loadout.
200 Rating (4/6) vs 250 Rating (5/8) speed engine. Speed is a luxury for fire support mechs. Most of the dual LRM launcher mechs are 4/6 namely; Whitworth, Catapult, Crusader and Archer.
The Centurion is a very versatile and efficient chassis for tinkering, just ask Justin Allard. In this game it has favourable hardpoints for modding, furthermore most hardpoints are torso located.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Nostromodamus wrote: Getting a bit boring post-campaign. Every mission is just my 4 Assaults against 2 mixed Lances of Assaults/Heavies/80+ ton vehicles. Absolutely no Light or Medium mechs in play, or really of any use.
New missions with drop weight limits really need to be implemented to keep things useful and varied.
Not got that far but many games have a campaign and generic post campaign open gameplay. the latter is an optional add on. once you have maxed out it is time to call it quits, the game gently allows you the time when you have had enough yourself.
The only real way forward is to add a second Leopard to the Argo, and/or mod in two more mech bays. The natural progression from an assault lance is a company sized deployment, or larger, as in reality your unit is already a combat company, it just needs multiple trips to unload all the ground assets for an extended operation. In terms of fluff this should not be a difficulty so long as Aerospace cover could be provided.
It would be an aquired taste but I would be happy with a company scale mod, even if it slowed down turns. It would extend the game enormously and would feel like true Battletech.
So, messing with mods a bit, JK variants adds a lot of interesting mechs, like a commando that's a baby black knight/grasshopper (~3 MLs and ~6SLs) and is actually a pretty scary force to be reckoned with even against heavies. Or notables so far are a panther variant with a LL-, and upon finishing building it the quip about it is something along the lines of "first chance I get, I'm ripping that piece of gak laser out"
Overall it adds a lot of new variants that actually make some mechs worth using or a bigger challenge to face (I.e. the treb that's loaded up with SRMs)
H.B.M.C. wrote: Yeah, the RVN-3L Raven went into production in 3048, but the Raven itself had been around for quite some time. 3024 for the original prototype and by 3030 the FedSuns had tons of the things captured during the 4th War, all converted to Large Laser carriers.
Also remember that the Cataphract is in this game, and that's just as new as the Raven.
Sort of but not really. There are both 3025 Cataphract and Ravens, but they're both 3025 technology only. Which is fine I guess is okay for getting the mechs in to the game, but people weren't so much keen on getting the Raven in, but its electronic warfare kit. Which the Raven only had in a really crappy, abandoned prototype version before the 3048 version.
I guess if they use that to get some EW stuff in the game I won't mind, because I'm not really one for messing about with timelines. But it is what it is.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Yeah, the RVN-3L Raven went into production in 3048, but the Raven itself had been around for quite some time. 3024 for the original prototype and by 3030 the FedSuns had tons of the things captured during the 4th War, all converted to Large Laser carriers.
Also remember that the Cataphract is in this game, and that's just as new as the Raven.
Sort of but not really. There are both 3025 Cataphract and Ravens, but they're both 3025 technology only. Which is fine I guess is okay for getting the mechs in to the game, but people weren't so much keen on getting the Raven in, but its electronic warfare kit. Which the Raven only had in a really crappy, abandoned prototype version before the 3048 version.
3025 Ravens would have been probably OK if not used by house Liao. Force multipliers are only good if you have any force to multiply
Chillreaper wrote: Everything does the equivalent of its damage rating as stability damage except for ACs and Gauss weapons, which do double. Couple that with the increasing piloting skill mods which go up with the amount of damage (can't remember what edition that was from, but I don't recall seeing in the most recent edition that I've got).
Hey presto, ACs get better without mucking around with 30 years of solid design too much, more mechs fall over and piloting skill becomes more important.
It was never in a core set of rules, it was an optional rule in Maximum Tech. The other nice element to that rule was giving assaults and heavies a bonus to stay standing, and lights a penalty. This did a bit to overcome that weird phenomenon where Assaults would regularly take 20 points in a turn and fall over routinely, while light mechs would rarely take 20 damage and so fall over a lot less often.
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Tannhauser42 wrote: Got a Grasshopper now, and I turned it into my own walking laser light show: maxed out the medium and small lasers on it.
I finally realized the Trebuchet just sucks as a LRM boat. The Centurian can carry two LRM15s and two medium lasers, and still have more armor than a Trebuchet with the same loadout.
The Trebuchet is faster, it can move 5 compared to the Centurion's 4. The Trebuchet gives up a fair bit of guns and armour for the bigger engine. In the way this version of Battletech plays that little bit of extra speed doesn't seem to matter much.
sebster wrote: Sort of but not really. There are both 3025 Cataphract and Ravens, but they're both 3025 technology only. Which is fine I guess is okay for getting the mechs in to the game, but people weren't so much keen on getting the Raven in, but its electronic warfare kit. Which the Raven only had in a really crappy, abandoned prototype version before the 3048 version.
I guess if they use that to get some EW stuff in the game I won't mind, because I'm not really one for messing about with timelines. But it is what it is.
Yes really. I've already outlined when it came to be and how it was used. You wouldn't be messing with any timelines by including it. It wouldn't have the BAP/ECM, but that's what you get with earlier tech.
Slowly moving along in the game.
Finally snagged a bigger Mech not quite up there with the Orion.
Spoiler:
I got a Catapult but the beam weapon type, sucker likes to heat up with those two PPCs despite the many heat sinks, got a guts/gunnery pilot so it can dig in and snipe pretty good.
Seeing a bit more "Mod" equipment lately, will have to research more what they can do, though anything to protect my delicate pilots is proving to be a godsend (I tend to get beat up a bit and missile headshots are irritating).
I have this small problem that every time I see a Thunderbolt, I shoot the heck out of it so little is left to salvage: I really have to be smarter about these things, I still do not have one.
Seeing what the "+" PPCs can do I may have to look at those a bit more, my leaning on missiles have been paying dividends though and even the lowly AC 2 (though 5s seem to be the norm) with a few bonuses have pulled a couple surprising headshots.
I am seeing a real difference with being careful with a few custom moving things around and things to keep in mind:
- Heat sinks in legs I "think" do the old trick of cooling better in water where the upper body ones do not. It seems to work from what I am seeing.
- I tend to keep the big guns in the torso where possible and like ammo with it so other weapons do not become inoperative if we get an ammo explosion (also take some armor from the arms and add to torso)
- If I must keep the weapon on an arm, then add more armor to the arm (take from maybe the other arm if no or little in weapons (keep ammo in arm as well not torso).
- Stock mechs are more cost effective and tried but true designs that have been around a long time for a reason.
- Where possible I get LRMs on mechs, if they become damaged, run away / jump and get out of line of sight, get evasion pips and cover, then "bomb" where you can (Breaching shot helps this. Most line of sight weapons mean death for a low armor mech. The AI really likes to pick on them and may even give chase which may raise some opportunities. I find a PPC or big AC and LRM on a mech benefits greatly from breaching shot and becomes useful for splitting shots between targets.
- Stomping on vehicles is the #1 fast way to end their reign of terror. The trick is avoiding those couple turns of being bombarded. Surprisingly LRM 20s seem to take out a turret or vehicle on their own if the percentage to hit is good.
- I am a big fan of the high piloting so being able to move again: unmask-move over a hill, unload, retreat behind cover... that is awesome, not so with an enemy that can do it however.
- The aimed torso shots seem to be a bit better, just place your bets on which side has the ammo if any and if the torso blows off, remaining damage goes into CT while the arm flings off... win-win. It seems to be the way to go and the odd pilot hit.
Not sure if I am using the sensor lock right, on first encounter they then get a "surprise" activation if I use it so nothing else can be done. At least it gets them to come closer so I can then move and shoot so is a wee bit safer rather than getting line of sight and then they get the surprise turn.
It has been helpful for hiding behind a hill and bombing some light spotter mech after that first encounter.
I still find a bit of analysis paralysis on the "right" mix of mech/pilot/loadout.
Almost as much fun as when the shooting starts on an arctic environment.
Finally got me a LRM Catapult. Now I just need to find some LRM20s that have a stability bonus to start knocking mechs down like dominos.
I'm loving my disco Grasshopper. Jump behind an enemy, target the rear center torso, and let loose with all those lasers. Nothing has survived that, yet. Sure, it sucks for salvage since I'm taking out the CT, but sometimes you just gotta kill something fast.
Leg heat sinks in water works like the tabletop where you cool extra heat for each sink in the leg. I have an Awesome that can fire all 3 PPCs every turn while in water and not generate any heat build up, without water it's 2-3 turns and it's cooking.
I just completed the campaign so I've been looking at restarting and going with a mix of pilots better suited to their individual roles, where the first time through I just sunk most of my skills into gunnery and sensors which is helpful but not the best mix where a range of abilities would create a much stronger lance synergy. Once you unlock some of the heavier mechs Bulwark becomes very helpful I didn't need it much early on but assault mechs tend not to be on the run as much so their evasion bonuses aren't as high and it costs morale to use vigilance which Bulwark can offset.
The extra evasion bonus from the piloting specialist is useful for almost every mech so that along with multi-target will probably be the default skill that most of my mechwarriors will have on the second run, save for the heavy gunner or a support gunners who I'll use split fire and bulwark on. The higher guts skill for adding init penalty to melee is nice but I think it's a bit unreliable and it'd probably work best with a melee dedicated mech with arm mods but with the 4 mech lance cap I'm not sure I'd want to replace one of my missile boats with a mech intended for melee.
I keep a shadowhawk as my recon mech, movement specialist pilot so it maxes out the evasion and removed the jump jets and it's loaded up with SRMs. Since it moves first it finishes off a surprising number of knocked down mechs. On top of the boosted evasion I tend to use vigilance on it to help it soak up a lot of damage since being in the front tends to attract a lot of fire especially in missions where you are facing two lances at the same time or a stack of defensive turrets.
I rarely used sensor lock once I was past mid campaign, melee takes care of high evasion as do weapons with stability dmg bonuses. I ignore the lighter mechs focusing on knocking down their heavy hitters with massed LRM fire and called shots with direct weapons, once those are taken care of it's mopping up the lights which fall pretty fast to concentrated fire even with evasion. Early on when you only have lights and mediums to work with evasion bonuses are a bit trickier to deal with as weapons also don't have as much punch behind them where heavy mechs only need a single hit to rip something apart on a light mech.
Tannhauser42 wrote: Finally got me a LRM Catapult. Now I just need to find some LRM20s that have a stability bonus to start knocking mechs down like dominos.
I'm loving my disco Grasshopper. Jump behind an enemy, target the rear center torso, and let loose with all those lasers. Nothing has survived that, yet. Sure, it sucks for salvage since I'm taking out the CT, but sometimes you just gotta kill something fast.
I find that in the later game ranged knockdown is of comparatively limited benefit compared to melee, sometimes it works well, but usually it takes most of a turn to set up the unsteady then the opponent braces. Sure that is useful as it reduces firepower but not as good as extra damage or crit bonus. Now in melee a single punch or kick from a heavy will topple an opposing heavy allowing for follow up attacks while it is on the ground. Its a good way to cool down too.
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paulson games wrote: Leg heat sinks in water works like the tabletop where you cool extra heat for each sink in the leg. I have an Awesome that can fire all 3 PPCs every turn while in water and not generate any heat build up, without water it's 2-3 turns and it's cooking. .
Does the game recognise heat sink location, I move mine to the legs on first refit anyway. unless they are sandwiching ammo.
I just completed the campaign so I've been looking at restarting and going with a mix of pilots better suited to their individual roles, where the first time through I just sunk most of my skills into gunnery and sensors which is helpful but not the best mix where a range of abilities would create a much stronger lance synergy. Once you unlock some of the heavier mechs Bulwark becomes very helpful I didn't need it much early on but assault mechs tend not to be on the run as much so their evasion bonuses aren't as high and it costs morale to use vigilance which Bulwark can offset.
Multi Target is great, Master Tactician is great, but so are Bulwark and Ace Pilot. Juggernaut has its place, on a medium heavy brawler mech, to set up extra pugilism from its mates.
i found Bulwark great from the outset, used it with my starter Shadow Hawk until I found other meatier rides. It doesnt require an assault mech to be useful, and in the intro months a Shadow Hawk or Hunchback is essentially an assault mech anyway.
The extra evasion bonus from the piloting specialist is useful for almost every mech so that along with multi-target will probably be the default skill that most of my mechwarriors will have on the second run, save for the heavy gunner or a support gunners who I'll use split fire and bulwark on. The higher guts skill for adding init penalty to melee is nice but I think it's a bit unreliable and it'd probably work best with a melee dedicated mech with arm mods but with the 4 mech lance cap I'm not sure I'd want to replace one of my missile boats with a mech intended for melee.
Do take Bulwark anyway, and take one or two Sensor Locks even if you only use the skill on a cooldown turn, as its the way to Master Tactician.
I keep a shadowhawk as my recon mech, movement specialist pilot so it maxes out the evasion and removed the jump jets and it's loaded up with SRMs. Since it moves first it finishes off a surprising number of knocked down mechs. On top of the boosted evasion I tend to use vigilance on it to help it soak up a lot of damage since being in the front tends to attract a lot of fire especially in missions where you are facing two lances at the same time or a stack of defensive turrets.
Shadow Hawk can do a little everything, that is its curse, three tons of ammo yet the firepower is only a dribble. Wolverine or Griffin is a better ride for armoured recon.
I rarely used sensor lock once I was past mid campaign, melee takes care of high evasion as do weapons with stability dmg bonuses.
Sensor Lock is the weakest skill, alongside Breaching Shot in my opinion, yet both are still useful. Get Master Tactician on some mechs, give those mechs high alpha, and use Sensor Lock whenever you want to cooldown. Sensor Lock is a good way of providin intel on approaching enemies also, even if you dont use it to track fire. An enemy out of range is almost always braced.
Multi target is another anti evasion skill, separate a medium laser off and aim it at the difficult target, do this twice and you have a free sensor lock while still shooting. Do this with the first two mechs to shoot or there is little point though. Sometimes I Multi target a single light weapon against the high evasion recon mech while shooting at something heavier, three evasions lost later my fouth mech can blow away the enemy recon mech easily.
I think a key part of playing the knock down game is holding units in reserve until the target has moved and locked in their new evasive or guarded bonuses for the turn. (or hitting them with the kill shot before it resets) If you go in the normal turn sequence you spend a bunch of effort to knock it down only to have it stand up immediately after it fell and resets it's bonuses so it's a ton of extra work for little gain. Timing with reserve is important as I try to set it up so that my forward/scout mech draws much of their fire making use of vigilance/guarded or left over evasion from the previous turn. That lets you milk a lot of shots from the enemy without taking too much effect and then you can act as needed.
I have two knock down units with boosted LRM-15s or 20s and a AC10 for a direct fire so they can also make called shots if opportunity comes up early, they benefit a lot from multi target as they can soften up evasion with a single med laser shot while the majority of their fire in on the main target. My 4th mech is the finisher with a larger hit weapon like PPC, Gauss Rifle, AC20 as they all deliver a lot more damage to the CT or areas I need to target to cripple the mech. The finisher mech also has an LRM20 for more punch. That combination usually downs a mech pretty fast and it's pretty consistent where I've have two mechs downed in a turn and usually at least one is killed. If that fails then I usually have first action with the scout which unloads with the SRMs and lasers finishes off the downed mech, it's not a perfect strategy but it works pretty well. One drawback though is that it doesn't generate tons of salvage as you're primarily coring out the center torso and a lot of stuff gets destroyed results from all the missile splash damage.
The Shadowhawk load out I like best is a modified 2D x2 SRM6 in the torso, SRM4 in head and a med laser in each arm. Ammo stored in the legs and extra heat sinks, it usually loses an arm during a mission but not much else so I've been able to keep the all of the SRMs intact with ++ bonuses, the arm lasers I'm constantly losing & replacing so I just leave regular ones in. Not having jump jets can limit some of the mobility but it performs pretty well overall and the extra firepower and heat management has it dishing out a lot of extra damage and it pairs well with the knock down strategy.
Just finished a mission, "Extraction", which is pretty late in the campaign. I'm going to blur out the spoilery bits. I had to reload from a save twice because it's not clearly indicated where the dropshop actually lands.
In image one, you can see a single little warning indicator that a dropship is going to land there. Intermittently through this mission there would be a few warning icons in the area I selected, they would appear and disappear randomly per round but always in the area indicated:
Spoiler:
You figure it's going to land sideways next to the building.
It does not.
Not only does it land on the roof (crushing any salvage you left there), the wings also jut out substantially more than you think they would, potentially killing any mechs that are in what appears to be a safe place.
Spoiler:
This is particularly bad design from a few different angles.
1.) The incoming dropship markers are very buggy in at least this mission
2.) You're required to have your entire lance occupy a very small area without it being clear the dropship will occupy 75% of said area
3.) It makes you realize how dumb this entire dropshpp landing mechanism actually is; that the dropship will decide rather than wait a few seconds for a mech to move, it would rather kill friends and presumably damage the ship enough for it to get destroyed itself when it hits escape velocity and burns up. If the dropship actually doesn't take damage from cruhing assault mechs, then why am I even fighting at all instead of having my pilot crush them with the dropship? Just dumb, dumb design.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Yes really. I've already outlined when it came to be and how it was used. You wouldn't be messing with any timelines by including it. It wouldn't have the BAP/ECM, but that's what you get with earlier tech.
And as I already explained, the conversation was about including electronic warfare in the game. Saying that there's a fluff justification to get the Raven in the game without its EW suite is nothing to do with nothing.
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Ouze wrote: 3.) It makes you realize how dumb this entire dropshpp landing mechanism actually is; that the dropship will decide rather than wait a few seconds for a mech to move, it would rather kill friends and presumably damage the ship enough for it to get destroyed itself when it hits escape velocity and burns up. If the dropship actually doesn't take damage from cruhing assault mechs, then why am I even fighting at all instead of having my pilot crush them with the dropship? Just dumb, dumb design.
"Why are they bothering to do all this stuff with walking tanks" is a pretty much the constant Battletech question. It gets worse during the tech renaissance, as you start getting bigger, heavier armed dropships and then you start getting the returned of armed and armoured jumpships. By all reason mechs should be a niche force at best.
Ouze wrote: Just finished a mission, "Extraction", which is pretty late in the campaign. I'm going to blur out the spoilery bits. I had to reload from a save twice because it's not clearly indicated where the dropshop actually lands.
In image one, you can see a single little warning indicator that a dropship is going to land there. Intermittently through this mission there would be a few warning icons in the area I selected, they would appear and disappear randomly per round but always in the area indicated:
Spoiler:
You figure it's going to land sideways next to the building.
It does not.
Not only does it land on the roof (crushing any salvage you left there), the wings also jut out substantially more than you think they would, potentially killing any mechs that are in what appears to be a safe place.
Spoiler:
This is particularly bad design from a few different angles.
1.) The incoming dropship markers are very buggy in at least this mission
2.) You're required to have your entire lance occupy a very small area without it being clear the dropship will occupy 75% of said area
3.) It makes you realize how dumb this entire dropshpp landing mechanism actually is; that the dropship will decide rather than wait a few seconds for a mech to move, it would rather kill friends and presumably damage the ship enough for it to get destroyed itself when it hits escape velocity and burns up. If the dropship actually doesn't take damage from cruhing assault mechs, then why am I even fighting at all instead of having my pilot crush them with the dropship? Just dumb, dumb design.
Just completed the same mission.
I should point out that:
Spoiler:
Every time I moved into the danger area it warned me - I ignored them until near the arrival time and then made sure I was out - I was engaging the last enemy Mech by then so no issues.
I assumed correctly that you only need to occupy the area when the dropship arrives so can use the cover and /or move in and out until that final round.
I read It as its a hot LZ and the pilot is risking her life and ship to get in and get out quick, potentially damaging her ship with the landing but not enough to destroy it - and at this point in the time line Dropships are very valuable, not LosTech but you don't want to loose them.
Every time I moved into the danger area it warned me - I ignored them until near the arrival time and then made sure I was out - I was engaging the last enemy Mech by then so no issues.
I assumed correctly that you only need to occupy the area when the dropship arrives so can use the cover and /or move in and out until that final round.
I read It as its a hot LZ and the pilot is risking her life and ship to get in and get out quick, potentially damaging her ship with the landing but not enough to destroy it - and at this point in the time line Dropships are very valuable, not LosTech but you don't want to loose them.
Yeah, I get that you're supposed to get warnings.
Spoiler:
Certainly in the campaign it's not the first mission that there was the idea the dropshop was going to land and you might get squashed. I also ran all around that area while I was fighting and assumed I just needed to avoid the area on the turn it landed.
There's a known bug about the dropship not always announcing where it will land. This issue never showed up in editor, but in the built game every so often, it decides to land stealthily. If it lands on a mech, it will completely destroy it and kill your pilot. Terribly sorry!
....and badly designed. Not only did I not get those warnings on the turn it actually landed (which you can see from the screenshot - we're at the last phase of turn 1 before it lands), at no point during all the turns was I waiting for it did the game accurately represent where the dropship was going to land. Again, you can see from the screenshots I'm on the last turn before it lands, and there is no LZ indicated aside from literally a single red dot that doesn't adequately represent where it's actually landing. It certainly wasn't clear that it was going to land on the roof (destroying the structures there, by the way) and then on the second attempt, when I knew where it was going to land, it certainly wasn't clear that the wings would overhang so far that even after carefully moving my mechs into the limited space I guessed was free, one still got crushed.
I understand games have bugs, whatever; but I think it also forces you to realize this is piss-poor game design. Yeah I get that the idea of battlemechs is kind of dumb, but I mean specifically that the mechanic with the dropshop potentially destroying the entire lance is pants on head. If it's possible for the dropship to destroy the mechs when it lands (which it shouldn't be, because it's not possible to explain that in the lore without the most ridiculous stretching), then at least the bounding box to call it should be big enough that you're aren't trying to herd the entire lance into the forward 20% of it that's safe like some kind of fethed-up tetris where you can't see the piece that are already dropped.
I have liked the game a lot but this is the second piece of just bad work, I think.
First time that happened I thought “Oh gak, MORE?”, then I got the mission successful screen...
Did that Quickdraw really just kick your mech so hard in the crotch that the force of the blow traveled up the 
