HBS Battletech Discussion Thread (there may be spoilers)

[Nav_Alpha]

Hmm.. the “capture the Argo” mission is hard! Keep getting chewed up badly

[Bedwyr]

Hmm.. the “capture the Argo” mission is hard! Keep getting chewed up badly

I had three pilots out of service and three mechs with torsos blown off, but I got it done. What I realized is that the contract award is high enough that I can weather the month's expenses to heal and repair.

[Nav_Alpha]

I’ve tried it twice - first time I stuffed up taking out turrets and tanks and was all banged up when I faced the pirate queen.

Second time it ended with half my guys dead or punched out and the two Sh-Hawks beating each other to death. I had one arm, pirate had none. Eventually the pirate DFA’d me...
It was macabre.

Anyway, will try this scenario again.

Tips: knock out the turret power straight away. Then focus your fire on the heaviest Mech you see.

[Bedwyr]

I’ve tried it twice - first time I stuffed up taking out turrets and tanks and was all banged up when I faced the pirate queen.

Second time it ended with half my guys dead or punched out and the two Sh-Hawks beating each other to death. I had one arm, pirate had none. Eventually the pirate DFA’d me...
It was macabre.

Anyway, will try this scenario again.

Tips: knock out the turret power straight away. Then focus your fire on the heaviest Mech you see.

Yeah, the last part of the scenario is brutal. You basically have to fight conservatively to maintain enough systems that you can focus fire *hard and fast* to prevent deaths. As I said, I lost basically three arms/torsos but could still hit hard with PPC, many M-lasers, and other goodies. Earlier, I used what cover I could to take down opponents one at a time. That meant jumping behind and running around buildings when in-base a lot to conserve hurt units.

[IAMCLANWOLF]

Tips: knock out the turret power straight away. Then focus your fire on the heaviest Mech you see.

Always good advice. Also, stay at range. Just like in the TT circa 3025-- LRMs are key. They allow you to deal damage, while avoid taking damage in a lot of scenarios. 

[Tai Dai Cultist]

Holy crap... my saved game from yesterday isn't available :(

[Nav_Alpha]

Yeah, the last part of the scenario is brutal. You basically have to fight conservatively to maintain enough systems that you can focus fire *hard and fast* to prevent deaths. As I said, I lost basically three arms/torsos but could still hit hard with PPC, many M-lasers, and other goodies. Earlier, I used what cover I could to take down opponents one at a time. That meant jumping behind and running around buildings when in-base a lot to conserve hurt units.

Everything was going fine until my Blackjack took a side hit and the AC ammo cooled off. It was a freak hit and it honestly sent me from smiling to getting the shit kicked out of me in a one armed Shadow Hawk competition in one round.

On another note - anyone actually salvaged anything decent yet?

[guardiandashi]

Anyone played much with the modification System? After a mission or two, I am really wishing I had a Whitworth or trebuchet, and wondered if you could refit and mount 2 LRM 10s on the blackjack or something.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Something I finally realized this morning: visually, your Blackjack is a BJ-2O Prime.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

Anyone played much with the modification System? After a mission or two, I am really wishing I had a Whitworth or trebuchet, and wondered if you could refit and mount 2 LRM 10s on the blackjack or something.

I was forced to after the Vindicator lost its PPC arm (and later my salvaged Centurion lost its AC/10).   I had yet to find any plant where new PPCs or ACs larger than AC5s could be found in my game.... and now it's looking like I have to start from scratch.  No idea why my saves from yesterday are not available for loading.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Hey, is it just me, or does the opening cinematic show Atlases being used by the Star League a couple centuries before they should be available?

[nighthunter]

I was forced to after the Vindicator lost its PPC arm (and later my salvaged Centurion lost its AC/10).   I had yet to find any plant where new PPCs or ACs larger than AC5s could be found in my game.... and now it's looking like I have to start from scratch.  No idea why my saves from yesterday are not available for loading.

I just read something regarding the save game issue on one of the forums.  Apparently it's been happening with some frequency since launch yesterday.  A Paradox Studio tweet indicates that exiting the game and restarting it has been working as a workaround.  Figured I would pass that along.
-nighthunter

[Tyler Jorgensson]

I've lost a pilot from DFA and gotten six pilot head hits in two missions.....

[Bedwyr]

I've lost a pilot from DFA and gotten six pilot head hits in two missions.....

You have the worst luck I've seen so far. Wow.

[guardiandashi]

In the first "real" mission the double cross one my shadowhawk pilot took enough hits to be out for like 122 days to heal.

I'm thinking that early on a tactics specialist in the equivalent of a Whitworth would be brutal.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

On the second mission, the one after you sign up with the mercs, I had my Blackjack destroyed in one round- stupid LRM turrets.

[omega2010]

Since I was still getting used to the game on the third (first merc) mission, I ended up getting Dekker, the Mechwarrior in the Spider, killed by turrets.  Then I discovered on Reddit that many players had Dekker die on them.  I think we've found our "Arrow to the Knee" meme.

[NeonKnight]

Hmmm....Just did the Argo Mission, with only a single Pilot hit to my Commander, no losses.

Now, something I HAD done probably 4 missions earlier is strip the SRM and LRM 5 from the Shadowhawk and gave it an LRM-10 instead. As the Argo mission began, I kept my troops back, using Dekker to sensor look the tanks/turrets to enable me to rain pain before they could close.

After taking out both radar towers/turret emplacements (with acracely a hit to me), I used the fact that my entire lance had Jump Jets, and made my way around the far left of the gates and jumped the walls, and then made my way to the mustering area.

When the enemy came, again, I hid in the buildings and used the cover to limit the attackers to a one-at-a-time approach that enabled me to deal with them. Now, the Pirate Queen, was a little tougher, but still, this approach allowed me to win the day with no loses, and a slightly beat up Vindicator.

[Daryk]

Do LRMs outrange AC/2s in this game?

[guardiandashi]

Do LRMs outrange AC/2s in this game?

I don't think so but due to not needing Los the effectively do

[Ghost0402]

Hmmm....Just did the Argo Mission, with only a single Pilot hit to my Commander, no losses.

Now, something I HAD done probably 4 missions earlier is strip the SRM and LRM 5 from the Shadowhawk and gave it an LRM-10 instead. As the Argo mission began, I kept my troops back, using Dekker to sensor look the tanks/turrets to enable me to rain pain before they could close.

After taking out both radar towers/turret emplacements (with acracely a hit to me), I used the fact that my entire lance had Jump Jets, and made my way around the far left of the gates and jumped the walls, and then made my way to the mustering area.

When the enemy came, again, I hid in the buildings and used the cover to limit the attackers to a one-at-a-time approach that enabled me to deal with them. Now, the Pirate Queen, was a little tougher, but still, this approach allowed me to win the day with no loses, and a slightly beat up Vindicator.

Working through a bunch of the side missions to beef up my mechwarriors skills before i attempt Argo again.  Haven't tried that with an LRM, i'll give it a try to morrow after i get up.

[Daryk]

I don't think so but due to not needing Los the effectively do

That assumes you have a spotter, right?

[Nav_Alpha]

Working through a bunch of the side missions to beef up my mechwarriors skills before i attempt Argo again.  Haven't tried that with an LRM, i'll give it a try to morrow after i get up.

Third run through Argo mission - hit save just as the pirate queen arrives. Managed to take out the first pirate lance and vehicles with only minor damage - apart from a badly battered Vindy.
Figure I’ll lose the Vindicator but might have it licked this time.
If not, I’m going to rewind a bit and build up some pilot experience, etc with some side ops

[Alexander Knight]

Lost Dekker and Glitch so far.  AI is confoundingly good at concentrating fire.

[Empyrus]

Lost Dekker and Glitch so far.  AI is confoundingly good at concentrating fire.

Is it? Sure ain't that in my experience. No losses whatsoever after some 5 story missions and 10-12 contracts.

I complained about the AI in the beta, and it doesn't feel improved here either.

[Alexander Knight]

Is it? Sure ain't that in my experience. No losses whatsoever after some 5 story missions and 10-12 contracts.

I complained about the AI in the beta, and it doesn't feel improved here either.

Lucky you.  When they ignore the armed and angry Blackjack, Centurion, and Shadow Hawk to fire on the downed, armless Vindicator, then yes, they are concentrating fire.

[Empyrus]

Lucky you.  When they ignore the armed and angry Blackjack, Centurion, and Shadow Hawk to fire on the downed, armless Vindicator, then yes, they are concentrating fire.

The Vindys seem to draw fire for some reason. I exploited this by jumping one back and forth, the AI switched targets when it didn't see the Vindy, then back to it when i jumped it back...

[Drifter]

This does not feel like Battletech, its more like a reskinned version of the new xcom

[Reldn]

I'm extremely 'imaginitive' and used my real name :P

I pretty much did the same thing. The only thing I did differently was use the Gaelic equivalent of my name instead. Probably what I get for trying to think up something when I was dead tired and was just eager to play. *laughs*

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

This does not feel like Battletech, its more like a reskinned version of the new xcom

You can DFA enemies in XCom now?