BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

[NickAragua]

Yeah, this game is in dire need of a good built-in tutorial or instruction manual. I had it figured out because I watched a bunch of pre-release footage and read Eck's tactical combat guide, but there's nothing in the game to call out the various UI elements.

[Paingod]

• After going a few missions into the Storyline, I no longer see 1-1.5 skull missions anywhere. In fact, now I see 3's frequently and even a 4 once. No thanks.

I have not gone that far into the story, but just want to confirm you've noticed that each system has a difficulty rating in the star map to give you an idea of the mission difficulty you are likely to find.

The systems themselves are moving up. I spent time last night pawing through all the systems I could have sworn I was in before, and none of them are 1 or 1.5 anymore. Everything I click is 2 and 2.5. For giggles I jumped into a neighboring sector that I wasn't travel-banned from and everything there was locked due to reputation (not high enough) and started at 4 Skulls.

As a Mercenary, I should be allowed to take on milk runs if I want to. I shouldn't be exclusively locked into the hardest missions the Merc Rating company thinks I can handle... ...if someone released a mod that expanded your contracts list to include low-paying grunt work in addition to top-tier heavy work, I'd plug it in. I'd also hope I got to pick from a set of contracts longer than 2 or 3, and each would have an expiration date - with each contract moving the clock forward a week or something. I think it'd be a better overall mechanic than what I'm looking at.

I am still limiting myself to 2 skull missions because I am afraid.

Me too man. Me too.

I've had my ass near-kicked pretty hard on 2.5 Skull missions. I've got enough Heavy Mechs to field a team of them, but it's not enough to steamroll anything - and that's fine. I like a challenge. I haven't taken a 3-Skull because I worry that my total tonnage isn't heavy enough - or that in building I've focused too much on mobility and armor and not enough on raw damage.

I still have no idea what mechs are good for what and just build things randomly until I found out what works. From memory, I think I have these...

I think the biggest thing in this game is having a plan for how the different builds in a Lance work together. I'm struggling to think of a bad scenario. Even using a Light Scout to trip enemy units and drag them back over/around a hill to a short-range heavy squad could work (as long as you're not on a timer).

[wonderpug]

Ok, hopefully this one reveals good news just like the gold chevrons...


When I'm choosing my salvage after a mission, is there any way to see how much of something I already have in stock? (For weapon parts, not just the count of how many thirds of a mech I have)

[$iljanus]

Oh, just a ease of life thing, I know someone was talking about the jumpship cutsceens during transit and speeding up transit in general. The jumpship cutsceens are skipable with the ESC key (well, some of them are...grrrr)

Didn't know that. Seems obvious in retrospect since you can skip the beginning opening scenes with esc. I did like seeing my merc crest on the side of the Argo and I think it also looks structurally better once you put some upgrades in and less like a Reaver ship from Firefly.

[Paingod]

Ok, hopefully this one reveals good news just like the gold chevrons...

When I'm choosing my salvage after a mission, is there any way to see how much of something I already have in stock? (For weapon parts, not just the count of how many thirds of a mech I have)

No, and I've found it lacking in that regard. As such, I tend to exclusively focus on picking up Mech bits for Salvage and get a pile of guns, heat sinks, and ammo on the side. It's not a helpful answer. I wish there was a mechanic for it, too - even at the weapons dealer, you have no idea if you already have a particular weapon in your inventory. I hunted and hunted for a cue on that.

[LordMortis]

I think the biggest thing in this game is having a plan for how the different builds in a Lance work together. I'm struggling to think of a bad scenario. Even using a Light Scout to trip enemy units and drag them back over/around a hill to a short-range heavy squad could work (as long as you're not on a timer).

It might be my play style but I disagree. Some scenarios really benefit from light mechs. Specifically scenarios that require an agile and crazy fast scout. I've never had a use for Locust or Spider in any other version battle tech, except to balance tonnage restrictions. I am finding one or the other great for spotting.

Also when you have an assassin, I find I need to either a) have a very healthy compliment of LRMs and I take in the chin to take him out while ignoring more immediate threats. this also implies a spotter (Spider with maxed jump jets and med laser) or b) the heaviest mechs I have armored to the teeth melee pilots who can knock his ass down repeatedly to keep him from escaping late. Having a mech with a full compliment o SRMS or medium lasters to target his legs while he's down doesn't hurt either.

I've only scratched the surface, have seen few mission types, but I'm having a blast.

[IceBear]

When I get a chance I'll upload the manual they had for the beta skirmish. I'm sure it's not 100% accurate anymore but they did make one

[Paingod]

Some scenarios really benefit from light mechs. Specifically scenarios that require an agile and crazy fast scout. I've never had a use for Locust or Spider in any other version battle tech, except to balance tonnage restrictions. I am finding one or the other great for spotting.

My playstyle is similar, but I've been using it for every mission.

I use a "heavy" Scout most often - a Cicadia. Up-armored, 7 Jump Jets, 4 Small Lasers or 2 Mediums. WAY more rugged than a Spider or Locust, and almost as fast. Certainly far faster than anything big enough to scare it. It's been working beautifully as a spotter for my LRM Rain - a Spotted target can be hit by up to 75 missiles per turn with my usual group. Sometimes I get to sneak in an AC5 or PPC poke, too, before we get to visual range on everyone.

[NickAragua]

Heh, last night I decided that, since the game was going to throw BS plot missions at me with no retreat option, I'm going to say screw it to stock loadouts.

So, now, I've got a Trebuchet with 2x upgraded LRM/15 launchers, 4 jump jets, 3 tons of LRM ammo and no close range weapons whatsoever. He basically just hangs two or three turns behind my lance and pelts people with 30 LRMs per turn. Two tons of LRM ammo meant that the dumb bastard was running out of ammo halfway through a fight and was stuck with a single medium laser.

I'm looking forward to see how my Thunderbolt "5SE" does.

Next thing I'm going to do is try to cram two AC/20s on the lowest mass mech possible without sacrificing armor. I figure if one AC/20 punches through most armor in one shot, two AC/20s is even better.

I've been reading that LRM and SRM boats are basically superior to everything else, so I might just go the cheapo BS route and load a faster mech up with as many SRM/6 launchers as it can carry.

I'll do an ironman challenge run with stock mech loadouts only another time.

[Paingod]

Next thing I'm going to do is try to cram two AC/20s on the lowest mass mech possible without sacrificing armor.

I'll be curious what that ends up being. I bumped into a Catapult-K2 last night and it made me think of my beloved K2 in MechWarrior Online and the times I loaded it up with AC20's. Comically slow, but very effective at scaring people off.

[IceBear]

I don't think I've used stock mechs since the first few missions. Pretty much all of them are too light on armor or heat sinks to be effective

[Archinerd]

I don't think I've used stock mechs since the first few missions. Pretty much all of them are too light on armor or heat sinks to be effective

I'm doing alright so far. The biggest thing I've gone up against so far is Thunderbolt though, we'll see how much longer I can hold out to my Stock Builds only rule.
I do make official variants though when possible. For instance, my Centurion CN9-A is actually a CN9-AH.

The honeymoon is over with this game though for me. There are some things it does very well and I'm still having fun... but I'm now getting to the point where I miss pretty much everything that is in the Megamek game. Enemy retreats, infantry, better salvage simulation, aerospace fighters, etc.
I really just wanted that with pretty graphics and a better AI.

[NickAragua]

Yeah, it kind of bugs me that, when there's a single enemy Locust left, he bravely charges in, machine guns blazing, instead of running for the nearest map edge.

[IceBear]

Yeah...I could tell that the sameness and lack of advanced AI was going to be a long term issue from watching the streams. I am/was hoping that maybe an update or DLC will improve things later but for now it's a fun diversion.

They really need to invest in some advanced AI programming to spice things up

[NickAragua]

Heh, it's not even that advanced (well, for AI programming, anyway). When the enemy force hits a certain threshold, like 75% units destroyed and they're outnumbered, put everyone into retreat mode, like they do with the assassination targets now or with escort missions where the vehicles make a beeline for the extraction point. Maybe enhance it so they don't show their backs as much.

Other than that, the AI does a reasonable job, I haven't seen it do too many stupid things. It generally avoids plowing into the middle of my lance and giving me back shots, and does an ok job keeping its heat under control. Just needs a little more behavior variety.

[IceBear]

I know the retreat stuff isn't advanced but it could use some deeper strategy than pummel the weakest target it can see that in turn lets me exploit that. The retreat thing I think is mainly mission parameters....it's not retreating because even if it less than 1% chance the only way it can win a Battle type mission is to destroy all our mechs

[Daehawk]

Two things I see wrong with retreating.

1. Its no fun having to chase and find that last mech somewhere in a large map.

2. It would ruin the mission setup as you could chase that single mech into a full other mission spot over and over.

[IceBear]

I agree...I'm sure not having that Loctus run away was a choice as there are already enough complaints that the missions are too slow. And it's not like if the pirates lose that mech they won't have one for the next mission.

I'm more interested in seeing more variable tactics from the AI than pile on to the weakest target. It'd be nice to see them try to pull us into LRM range

[NickAragua]

When I say "retreat", I mean that the remaining outnumbered enemy units will basically head for the nearest map edge. When they get there, they go "off map" and count as having been destroyed for the purposes of the scenario. So you wouldn't have to hunt them down or anything, they'd just go away on their own.

As a shortcut, you could get a "the enemy force is attempting to retreat: let them go?" pop up. Then, you click 'yes' and the scenario ends without having to destroy that last stupid little Locust. You lose out on a little bit of salvage but save some real world time (and maybe, as an in-game incentive, you get a rep bonus with the faction whose units you allowed to retreat).

[Bakhtosh]

Overall I'm starting to like the game more as I'm seeing more in the way of a variety of missions. The maps are pretty amazing, lots of terrain to cover, hide in and run through. Now I just have to keep my budget in line.

This reminds me of one of my few annoyances with the game... does anyone know if there's a way to see what terrain is passable, and what terrain is not without being close to it?

I'm often running into the situation where I think I see a path up a slope, only to find once I get close, it's impassable. You only seem to be able to tell this when your mech is close enough to go through that spot in it's current turn.

Want to comment before I forget, but in case no one has mentioned it, hold down the Alt key during a mech's move, and as you move the mouse, you can see the movement spots (I use it to see where cover is coming up - not sure how well it will display if you can walk to a location).

[Archinerd]

As a shortcut, you could get a "the enemy force is attempting to retreat: let them go?" pop up. Then, you click 'yes' and the scenario ends without having to destroy that last stupid little Locust. You lose out on a little bit of salvage but save some real world time (and maybe, as an in-game incentive, you get a rep bonus with the faction whose units you allowed to retreat).

This would be good enough for me.

[IceBear]

Hopefully that's easy enough for them to add.

[Hyena]

One other thing I've found is that if you go directly towards the goal, you are very often attacked by reinforcements at the worst possible time. Every mission I'm on, I find that strategically approaching the target reveals the reinforcements, allowing me to tackle them at my leisure, then go in for the kill on the main target. I don't see it as cheating, I see it as tactical genius, because to quote Vizzini, "I can clearly not choose the cup in front of me!"

[IceBear]

I do the same, and I don't consider it cheating because you are often told to scout around first...which is what I'm doing

[IceBear]

So here's a link to the beta manual. I'm not sure why they didn't update it and release with the final game.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2scup3345ynu ... l.pdf?dl=0

[LordMortis]

I do the same, and I don't consider it cheating because you are often told to scout around first...which is what I'm doing

It also makes sense to scout and flank when everything is unknown unless you are on the clock. Though I think my favorite mission so far was the prison break, where my mechs felt like seal team six, hopping over one another to kill, position, advance every turn the real battle. Ironically assassinations and rescues generally don't feel that way at all.

[Bakhtosh]

Before the Argo mission, I was hemorraging cash...a single system just didn't have enough missions to keep ahead of the bank. After that mission, it's been much easier to stay ahead. I haven't moved on to the next plot mission yet. I'm almost always able to pull 2 or 3 missions per system, and I've adapted my playstyle to help me succeed:

1: I hate medium lasers. They add so much heat and are most effective at the ranges I want to stay out of. But they're only 1 ton each...
2: I like ballistic weapons and LRMs for long range with a set of SRMs for short range (every mech gets at least one weapon for each range).
3: I want to try an armored SRM boat. Those things are nasty (my SRM6++ makes me do the evil genius laugh every time).
4: I like to sensor lock the first mech and hit it with as many LRMs and maybe a PPC or AC as I can. Hang everyone back and stay together, with exception of my sensor lock mech that may need to move around. I try to find a spot where my long range weapons can be brought to bear for as long as possible. Once the weakened enemy starts to close in, I move up into melee and SRM range.
5: Once you're back into non-combat mode, everyone takes a turn to Brace and bleed some heat.
6: Stomping on vehicles is good for the soul.
7: SRM Carrier vehicles are the devil and

via Imgflip Meme Generator

[jztemple2]

So here's a link to the beta manual. I'm not sure why they didn't update it and release with the final game.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2scup3345ynu ... l.pdf?dl=0

Thanks! Every bit helps.

[Bakhtosh]

And I'll always think of PPC as a Pocket PC.

[Bakhtosh]

So here's a link to the beta manual. I'm not sure why they didn't update it and release with the final game.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2scup3345ynu ... l.pdf?dl=0

Thanks! Every bit helps.

Is an Urbanmech really the slowest mech in the game? An Atlas would pass it with a wave.

[IceBear]

So here's a link to the beta manual. I'm not sure why they didn't update it and release with the final game.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2scup3345ynu ... l.pdf?dl=0

Thanks! Every bit helps.

Is an Urbanmech really the slowest mech in the game? An Atlas would pass it with a wave.

According to the technical readout an Atlas' top speed is about 22 kph faster than an Urbanmech

[LordMortis]

1: I hate medium lasers. They add so much heat and are most effective at the ranges I want to stay out of. But they're only 1 ton each...

Medium laser feel like an unintentional nerf because you "HTH" or fire not both. They're a nice bang for the buck intermediary while engage and then go fistycuffs and are treated as an enhancement. Now their only real purpose is for small mech to do more targeted damage at a prone enemy than could do non targeted damage to a upright enemy. Their other purposes are less value. Remove an evade chevron from an enemy for a larger punch from a larger mech later, using a smaller mech now, this mech only has laser mounts and a large laser is too heavy, and the infamous I already have jumpjets maxed, armor maxed, and my heat is strong, what else am I going to do with these three tons with the available hard points?

[Bakhtosh]

3 tons? SRM4 & Ammo. LoL

[jztemple2]

and the infamous I already have jumpjets maxed, armor maxed, and my heat is strong,

Good gosh, I must be doing something wrong, I'm never anywhere near being able to fill the max armor allowance.

[IceBear]

I'm often able to fire my medium lasers ar the same hit percentage of my AC10 and LRM and SRM (been lowering my minimum ranges with skill upgrades). The scenarios have been running longer lately so I started running out of ammo. I know I could replace the lasers with more ammo but that's just asking for an ammo explosion plus it's not adding to my damage output

[IceBear]

and the infamous I already have jumpjets maxed, armor maxed, and my heat is strong,

Good gosh, I must be doing something wrong, I'm never anywhere near being able to fill the max armor allowance.

Strip equipment, hit max armor and then fit in the weapons that fit (won't be much usually)

[LordMortis]

and the infamous I already have jumpjets maxed, armor maxed, and my heat is strong,

Good gosh, I must be doing something wrong, I'm never anywhere near being able to fill the max armor allowance.

I dunno if you are doing anything wrong but the game's morale dynamic rewards me for hit and fade tactics based on maxed jump jets, and high armor. I combine my hit and fade with a sort of hammer, thumb, and nail and if I want really want make sure I pound that nail, some times the cost is an excessively bloody thumb.

and the infamous I already have jumpjets maxed, armor maxed, and my heat is strong,

Good gosh, I must be doing something wrong, I'm never anywhere near being able to fill the max armor allowance.

Strip equipment, hit max armor and then fit in the weapons that fit (won't be much usually)

That's how I start with these sub 60 ton mech I've used so far. I always strip down (bot not too much) that back armor and I will start scaling back armor on empty arms which either have no hard points or have hard points I am not utilizing to get that extra kick out of tonnage I have. Usually I hit max armor, then do the expected stripping back, then see what I can fit, then tweak the armor further down or restore it according to pittance that is left/needed.

[IceBear]

Yeah that's exactly what I do LM

[hepcat]

I'm just now starting to tweak my mechs. Of course, I'm only about 5 contracts into the game. I'm still getting my little mech feet wet.

[jztemple2]

Dumb question, if I have an arm with nothing in it, why bother putting armor on it?