HBS Battletech Discussion Thread (there may be spoilers)

[Nightsong]

You can DFA enemies in XCom now?

That would have been fun to do in MEC suits in Enemy Within...

[Nav_Alpha]

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

Really? It feels massively like a cross between Shadowrun and BT.
And I liksey...

[Tai Dai Cultist]

Finally got the game working again.. and as suggested upthread the inability to load saved games was a problem that just magically went away :}

Got to re-try the Liberation of Wendry... and knowing what I'll have to fight in later stages made clearing the early stages a little easier... no silly running my light mechs up into more harm than my lance could handle at once :}

And now that that plot mission is down... I have a system where AC/10s and even PPCs can be bought!  No more Swayback Vindicators and Centurions for me!

[NeonKnight]

So, something I noticed, and has me thinking.

The mission where we capture the Argo, at the end of said mission, Ol Princess Whats-er-name says she has bought out our entire debt to allow us to prosper as a merc Company.

Great, No More Money Woes...except...I'm still paying 70,000 C-Bills Loan interest every month.

I guess, Yes she bought my loan out, but now she's collecting money from Me...Wait a Minute!

I've just become a 1800's MINER and she's the Company Store!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_store

I guess if she's paying me a big Merc Job she can afford it, cause I'll be paying back at the end of the month :P

[Tai Dai Cultist]

You want a spoiler?

Paying 70,000 cbills a month to cover your debt interest payments even after she bought your debt won't last.

Be careful what you wish for in wishing to not have to pay 70,000 in overhead each month :D

[deathshadow]

I've just become a 1800's MINER and she's the Company Store!

That on my first go I went bankrupt before I even got to play the second 'real' mission, this comment speaks to me.

I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal, and the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"

In some ways reminds me of my first outing with the dumbass character generation in Mw 3rd edition where I went to roll up a clan trueborn warrior and ended up with a paraplegic forty-something.

[NeonKnight]

You want a spoiler?

Paying 70,000 cbills a month to cover your debt interest payments even after she bought your debt won't last.

Be careful what you wish for in wishing to not have to pay 70,000 in overhead each month :D

Oh, I've heard.

I just thought it was funny. I've bought your debt, so you don;t need to worry about Paying the Bank back...Just need to worry about paying me!

[Daryk]

Sadly, I can only look forward to such problems... my new RAM will be here next week...

[Karasu]

So, something I noticed, and has me thinking.

The mission where we capture the Argo, at the end of said mission, Ol Princess Whats-er-name says she has bought out our entire debt to allow us to prosper as a merc Company.

Great, No More Money Woes...except...I'm still paying 70,000 C-Bills Loan interest every month.

I guess, Yes she bought my loan out, but now she's collecting money from Me...Wait a Minute!

I've just become a 1800's MINER and she's the Company Store!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_store

I guess if she's paying me a big Merc Job she can afford it, cause I'll be paying back at the end of the month :P

This is a long-established tactic in Battletech.  Allow me to offer you a different link instead:

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Company_Store

[Nav_Alpha]

Managed to finish the Argo mission - with one remaining Mech. Lost two pilots and my Blackjack was scrap.
Ended up selling it for parts, refitting the Centurion (Jump Jets, AC-5, mediums and LRM-10) and now we're based on Herotitus taking missions for the independent government - mainly against Canopus.

I'm pretty flush with Mechs and equipment but churning through cash. The next story mission has dropped up but I'm thinking I might take a few more low key ops to build up skills and cash before declaring war on the Directorate.

My frankenmech Centurion is... not bad. Little under gunned though

Anyone jumped into Liao, Marik or Canopian space and worked for the Houses?

[deathshadow]

Gotta say, this losing 'Mechs to my own dropships thing is wearing a bit thin.

[marcussmythe]

When I played last night, there was a 'warning' on hexes where a Dropper would land, many many turns before it landed.  I nearly missed it, so I can see how that could be a problem.

[nckestrel]

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...

My guess is, all else being equal, they go for the lighter (easier to destroy). I just finished upping the armor on my Vindy to try and compensate..

[Luciora]

Maybe keep the Vindi in sensor range but out of range and use it as bait?

[Empyrus]

My guess is, all else being equal, they go for the lighter (easier to destroy). I just finished upping the armor on my Vindy to try and compensate..

Let's see, my lance had a Quickdraw, Centurion, Shadow Hawk, and Vindicator...
The AI's next target was indeed the Centurion, despite it having most armor in the lance. The AI did shoot the Quickdraw at one point (nearly killing it actually), but i presume that was because the Centurion was farther away at an angle that made attacking it too difficult.

[Daryk]

My guess is, all else being equal, they go for the lighter (easier to destroy). I just finished upping the armor on my Vindy to try and compensate..

Upping the armor on a Vindicator?  Did the game strip some off or something?

[Empyrus]

Upping the armor on a Vindicator?  Did the game strip some off or something?

Stock Vindicator doesn't actually have max armor even in tabletop BT. And this game actually allows 'Mechs to mount more armor than BT tabletop does.

[Bedwyr]

Stock Vindicator doesn't actually have max armor even in tabletop BT. And this game actually allows 'Mechs to mount more armor than BT tabletop does.

I'll be dogged. <Runs to the shop to get an order put in>

[Daryk]

Yes, but I don't think adding a whole half a ton of armor would merit the kind of remark it did...

I'd heard the armor points were wonky, but not that the usual limits could be exceeded.

[smdvogrin]

When I played last night, there was a 'warning' on hexes where a Dropper would land, many many turns before it landed.  I nearly missed it, so I can see how that could be a problem.

This - pay attention to the popups when you mouse over terrain.  Dropship LZ is probably the worst thing to miss, but when your on a Martian biome (85% less heat sinking) and you run your energy heavy mech across a radiation zone (+10 heat for 2 turns), you will be sad.

[Bedwyr]

Yes, but I don't think adding a whole half a ton of armor would merit the kind of remark it did...

I'd heard the armor points were wonky, but not that the usual limits could be exceeded.

I should have considered stripping all S lasers and MGs for armor. I think the use of the weapons is so low that survivability outweighs any firepower advantage.

[nckestrel]

Yes, but I don't think adding a whole half a ton of armor would merit the kind of remark it did...

I'd heard the armor points were wonky, but not that the usual limits could be exceeded.

I also removed jump jets and the small laser and possilby some heat sinks?  I added quite a bit of armor :).

[Daryk]

The heat sinks make total sense... Vindicators were always over-sinked.  Are jump jets less useful in this game?

[marcussmythe]

As someone who almost never willingly mounts Jump Jets in Tabletop, I found myself taking them off and almost immediately regretting it in the computer game.

It seems that terrain is brought to you by 'Cliffs and Mountains are Us'.  Lots of tight up and down, though with pretty long lines of sight available if you can get up high.

So JJs are very useful for both your brawlers and your 'jump to firing point' snipers.  The only mech I took them off of and didnt miss them was (oddly) the spider.. whose sprint movement speed is more than enough to do what I want it to do - which is go high speed through LOS of the enemy, identify them, and get home in one piece (which the armor that replaced the JJ helps with).

You have a Quickdraw?  Salvage from the Pirate?  Im currently rockying Vidy/BJ/Spider/SHD as my main force, but Mr. Spider may be replaced by a recently salvaged 2nd SHD, though the weapons mounts on the SHD make me sad...

[Kharim]

So far I have managed to fulfill 12 contracts and I must say it would be impossible without Deker and his swift Spider. I use him to scout ahead, sensor lock targets and then position in the rear of enemy formation, effectively drawing some fire/attention from the rest of the lance. Just keep those evasion stacks high, and stay in the woods.

[Bedwyr]

So far I have managed to fulfill 12 contracts and I must say it would be impossible without Deker and his swift Spider. I use him to scout ahead, sensor lock targets and then position in the rear of enemy formation, effectively drawing some fire/attention from the rest of the lance. Just keep those evasion stacks high, and stay in the woods.

I'm not sure it's cause and effect, but I think Dekker is pissed at me for sitting him out while another pilot gets experience. He's got a morale demerit.

[Empyrus]

Morale effects are from events. Also seem to be bugged, they should be temporary but they seem to last forever (shows "days 0" and doesn't change at that point). EDIT Wait, that doesn't appear anymore. Uh, guess it is permanent then?

[Tai Dai Cultist]

I'm not sure it's cause and effect, but I think Dekker is pissed at me for sitting him out while another pilot gets experience. He's got a morale demerit.

I'm still kinda sore about Dekker and Behemoth getting squished by our dropship suddenly deciding to land w/o warning.

[marcussmythe]

Has anyone managed to salvage a whole mech yet?  Even when headshotting otherwise healthy machines, I seem to only get the 'Partial Salvage', or as I call them Mech-Tinker-Toys.  If theres a chance to actually get a working machine out of a single opponent, I may start working much harder to head-hunt worthy enemies.  Of course, if I can get the same mech by buying it, I may just wait rather than save-scum hoping for otherwise unobtainable machines.

Counterpoint - has anyone managed to BUY a whole mech yet?  Ive seen 'Partial Salvage' of Panthers and what not, but never a working machine.  I also cant figure out how to sell a spare, fully functional, machine.

[Bedwyr]

Has anyone managed to salvage a whole mech yet?  Even when headshotting otherwise healthy machines, I seem to only get the 'Partial Salvage', or as I call them Mech-Tinker-Toys.  If theres a chance to actually get a working machine out of a single opponent, I may start working much harder to head-hunt worthy enemies.  Of course, if I can get the same mech by buying it, I may just wait rather than save-scum hoping for otherwise unobtainable machines.

Counterpoint - has anyone managed to BUY a whole mech yet?  Ive seen 'Partial Salvage' of Panthers and what not, but never a working machine.  I also cant figure out how to sell a spare, fully functional, machine.

I've collected a 2/3 set from leg-shotting so far. I imagine that headshotting yields something similar. Three pieces of the same 'Mech that you 'assemble' back in shop rather than one whole one.