I tried, i honestly tried to play HBStech again and the gentleman's warfare is just too much....
I know my opinion on this matter isn't the majority and for those who are beyond excited just to have a Battletech universe game, they may not just disagree but, may hate my opinion.
I remember my excitement that HBS was actually going to make a Battletech game where you control your lance from overhead. Finally something new, current generation! I was on the hype train with everyone else. Then, my heart sunk. When i found they were going to do 1700's gentleman's warfare for combat rather than Battletech's 30 year old, and modern, simultaneous combat. I could not grasp how the guy who made Battletech would regress to such an archaic type of combat.
Immediately they were under fire for going that route, they had to make entire videos justifying their decision, essentially saying that people weren't mentally capable of keeping up with what was going on if they chose simultaneous combat. They came up with all these reasons why it was "better" like the idea that light mechs were now more viable. It was unbelievable to hear this after playing Battletech. After playing HBStech I have never seen light mechs so useless.
One major reason I remember them justifying the need for gentleman's warfare because people couldn't mentally keep up was because of multiplayer. Already I was hesitant because of gentleman's warfare but, when I saw the KS tier that included multiplayer, I refused to donate if it got anywhere near that level. Time and again in many games, even AAA titles when there is multiplayer, there are shortcomings in the single player mode that wasn't there when the focus was solely on single player. One epic example is the catastrophe around the end of Mass Effect 3. They had plenty of multiplayer but, had the resources been committed to the story - what would live on for years and decades longer than multiplayer - they could have given us the truly epic, visual conclusion we were all expecting on release. Minutes more of space combat as thousands of vessels fought for dear life, larger scopes of ground combat as thousands, possibly millions of allied warriors made groundfall, and more. So much wasted potential. What we got in Mass Effect 1 for when it was made was more than what we got in Mass Effect 3 for when it was made. Similar parallels can be drawn such as the Gears of War Trilogy vs 4 and 5, or Halo CE/trilogy vs 4 and 5, etc.
As far as what we get for the time we are in, a great comparison is (IMO) the pinnacle of Battletech on PC, MW4: Mercs. Set during the FedCom Civil War, voice acting throughout the game, picking and choosing missions all over, control of two full lances of mechs at a time, and even on the Overlord Assault, COMPANIES of mechs fighting with VTOL and armor support. How was a game, made 20 years ago, more capable of that kind of onscreen content than one made in the current generation? A homeowner can have more powerful equipment that Microsoft had when they made MW4 Mercs. How can the AI control 15 mechs or more at a time but we cannot control more than 4? Yes, they are two different types of games, I totally see that, but, how are there more restrictions now than then?
Simultaneous combat could easily be implemented and made in such a way that is easy to view and understand plus, the BALANCE. Simultaneous combat balance on tabletop wargaming is the most balanced form of gameplay I have ever witnessed. Massive war machines moving around aren't taking cover like a foot soldier, they are up and moving near constantly, the expectation is to be under barrages of fire and returning that fire constantly. Moving at the same time and firing at the same time are very basic expectations for the battlefields of Battletech. Had multiplayer never even been a (failure) goal, the amount of effort that could have gone into single player would have made it infinitely re-playable (my opinion). I remember checking the MP list on a Sunday afternoon a month after release and there was 1 game being hosted. I was very vocal about how multiplayer should not have been included with this game. Without it we could have easily had simultaneous combat, we could have had dozens of alternate sequences for the space flights, we could have had dozens of more motion slides for the cutscenes, we could have actually taken part in the assaults against the main enemy armies in the campaign sequences.
I find it baffling how games playing with 1700s style gentleman's warfare are successful. The wife and I are a bit into Star Wars and wanted to give the game a try so we got the box sets and a mat and played. We gave the games a few tries and it nearly always ends with one side getting steam rolled because while your fighter is sitting still, it gets shot out of the sky and then you gang up on the rest. After just a few games, we agreed, it was not fun. So, I fixed the rules, I made it simultaneous combat. All the fighters constantly moving, constantly firing, chaos and FUN. I simply told her "This is why I play Battletech". Another game I wish would fix the rules and advance past the 1700s is 40K, somehow after 40,000 years, they fight like the British before losing the Revolution. I really enjoy watching miniwargaming, striking scorpion and other youtubers playing the game because I can just enjoy seeing the models and hearing about battles happening. If I get too into it, as an outsider with little knowledge of the rules, I can even identify stuff that is nonsense balance wise. I get that game has a great many issues but lining up and getting shot, before shooting back will never make sense to me.
After giving HBStech a real, solid try, yes, 20+ hours, it pushed me over the edge tonight. ctrl+alt+delete, end task, steam, uninstall. They had such an opportunity and (IMO) squandered it. I hear roguetech has helped make the game dramatically better and I sincerely hope people keep building on it. Perhaps in a few months when I can stomach gentleman's warfare enough to try to play this game for just being in the Battletech universe, that mod may help salvage my opinion of the game. Hopefully we have a slew of non-MWO mech designs we can play with (just a personal desire).
I am glad that some people really cherish this game and find satisfaction in it but, after experiencing Battletech, HBStech is lacking in so many areas and those areas cause me great frustration when I just want to enjoy it, use some strategy and have fun playing Battletech. I cannot wait until we can start getting back together at the LGS for some games, I miss them greatly. [Written during the C19......situation ::) ]
My one request, of anything, if HBS makes another Battletech game, they make it simultaneous combat.
If you read this through, thanks for the time, I hope I have provided an insight to an idea/opinion that some may not have considered.