BattleTech - Tactical Mech Combat Game from Hairbrained Schemes

[Bjorn Le]

Steam Page

I'm going to assume most people on these boards aren't really familiar with the BattleTech franchise. It's a military-science fiction franchise revolving around mecha ("BattleMechs"), and it was created in the mid-1980s, starting with a tabletop game and expanding into PC games (The MechWarrior, MechCommander, MechAssault and MechWarrior Online titles) and hundreds of books. In the last 15 years, there hasn't been much with the exception of MechWarrior Online (MWO). It's an interesting blend of the Japanese mecha genre and western military sci-fi.

On April 24th, BattleTech comes out. It's developed by an indie developer, Harebrained Schemes, which is actually run by the founder of BattleTech Jordan Weisman, who also created the ShadowRun and Crimson Skies franchise. Harebrained released ShadowRun Returns a few years ago, which got solid reviews and solid over a one million copies. It was also a turn-base tactics game, but I feel like the XCOM comparison will be more relatable to most. It's published (marketed and distributed) by Paradox.

Like XCOM, BattleTech is a turn-based tactics game where in the campaign you undertake missions, building up your base and your forces in the meantime. In BattleTech you play as a customizable mercenary company, taking missions to gain salvage (weapons and new mechs) and money . Just like the first XCOM, maps are build on handmade tiles, with missions being randomly generated from a sizable number of options. You control up to four Mechs in combat, but you can face anywhere from 0 on a given mission (essentially only encountering vehicles or turrets), to upwards of 12+ including vehicles and fortifications on more difficult missions. A difference from XCOM is the difficult settings. There isn't any in BattleTech, and instead difficult is based on a per-mission basis. Mission difficulty is based on "skulls", going up in increments of 0.5. A 0.5 skull mission might see 3-4 vehicles and a couple weak mechs, while a 5 skull mission might contain 12+. So easy missions would be akin to lower levels of XCOM difficult, while very hard missions would be akin to XCOMs most difficult setting.

I'm really excited for it, because I've been a longtime fan of BattleTech, and I'm also a fan of turn-based tactics games like XCOM. It's looking really good so far, and the pre-release reception has been very strong.

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[SeidoN]

ok thats weird

2 weeks ago someone asked me what game I would make if I could, and I said a XCOM styles turn based game with customizable mechs

huh

 

[Bocephus86]

Well I love Xcom and I loved Mech Warrior when I was a kid (forget which one I had, to be honest it was my step brothers and I barely understood how to play) so I am 100% buying this. Thank you for sharing; not sure if I would have heard of it otherwise.

Edit: And I just looked up some more info, love the sound of the campaign outside of the battlefield piece as well (no spoilers but one of the Steam videos gets into it a bit if curious). I've never pre-ordered a game in my life but...

 

[SniperHF]

This is a game I pledged to during the campaign and paid zero attention to afterward.
Not sure if this will get my attention first or Pillars 2.

 

[Bjorn Le]

This is a game I pledged to during the campaign and paid zero attention to afterward.
Not sure if this will get my attention first or Pillars 2.

It’s come a very long way since the Kickstarter. One of few ones that fulfilled most of their goals and provided transparent reasons for why some didn’t happen.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I had some trouble with RNG frustration in XCOM 2, but I loved the concept. Mechs make it even more interesting.

Need to watch some more game play, but I think this one might make it on to the wishlist.

 

[Osprey]

I enjoyed the early MechWarrior games and both of the MechCommander games. I've wanted something like the MechCommander games for a long time. This seems like it could be it, just turn-based rather than real-time. Thanks for the tip.

I posted this in the "Games you are currently playing" thread a few weeks ago, but, for anyone who missed it, there's an excellent, little turn-based mech game that came out a few months ago called Into the Breach. It's more reminiscent of the 1994 X-COM than the 2012 one (that this BattleTech is taking after), but it still has strategy, pilot experience, customizable mechs and so on. Check it out if you'd like something to play while waiting for BattleTech. http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...aying-round-six.2389667/page-9#post-143305043

 

[Bocephus86]

I enjoyed the early MechWarrior games and both of the MechCommander games. I've wanted something like the MechCommander games for a long time. This seems like it could be it, just turn-based rather than real-time. Thanks for the tip.

I posted this in the "Games you are currently playing" thread a few weeks ago, but, for anyone who missed it, there's an excellent, little turn-based mech game that came out a few months ago called Into the Breach. It's more reminiscent of the 1994 X-COM than the 2012 one (that this BattleTech is taking after), but it still has strategy, pilot experience, customizable mechs and so on. Check it out if you'd like something to play while waiting for BattleTech. http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...aying-round-six.2389667/page-9#post-143305043

Edit: I'll take my question to that thread, actually. Let's leave this to battletech.

 

[The Macho King]

I enjoyed the early MechWarrior games and both of the MechCommander games. I've wanted something like the MechCommander games for a long time. This seems like it could be it, just turn-based rather than real-time. Thanks for the tip.

I posted this in the "Games you are currently playing" thread a few weeks ago, but, for anyone who missed it, there's an excellent, little turn-based mech game that came out a few months ago called Into the Breach. It's more reminiscent of the 1994 X-COM than the 2012 one (that this BattleTech is taking after), but it still has strategy, pilot experience, customizable mechs and so on. Check it out if you'd like something to play while waiting for BattleTech. http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...aying-round-six.2389667/page-9#post-143305043

If you like old school X-COM, check out Xenonauts (sequel currently in development that takes a lot of inspiration from X-COM Apocalypse).

Anyway - I've been following this for awhile. It's super sexy. Tons of customization, looks like a good level of challenge, awesome gameplay, and giant f***ing robots.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I always felt like XCOM interface was pretty terrible. Especially when inside the facility and not in the field fighting.

 

[Osprey]

FYI, if you pre-order or buy BattleTech from GOG by May 8th, you'll get Shadowrun Returns for free.

BATTLETECH Pre-Order

If you like old school X-COM, check out Xenonauts (sequel currently in development that takes a lot of inspiration from X-COM Apocalypse).

Thanks. I hadn't heard of that. I'll check it out.

 

[Bjorn Le]

I always felt like XCOM interface was pretty terrible. Especially when inside the facility and not in the field fighting.

The UI is quite different in BattleTech. There’s a video on the ParadoxExtra YouTube channel that shows the management/sim section. It’s pretty clean.

I do agree though, I was never a big fan of the anthill style base building.

 

[Suxnet]

FRONT MISSION SON

 

[NyQuil]

I'm going to assume most people on these boards aren't really familiar with the BattleTech franchise.

That's a bit condescending and presumptuous.

 

[Bjorn Le]

That's a bit condescending and presumptuous.

Why? There was no implied disgust if people hadn’t. The tone of my post clearly isn’t, “if you haven’t heard of this, you’re a loser and should feel bad.” Not to mention, the statement is certainly true. BattleTech not a major franchise, and the last game besides the free to play game (which is also not that well known) was released 14 years ago.

I don’t even know why you would post something that. How does this contribute to the thread at all?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I love XCOM!

*clicks thread*

*sees mech game*

*sighs*

That's a bit condescending and presumptuous.

Accurate, though. I don't blame Nullus for being excited, but BattleTech ain't mainstream unless you're a table-top gamer. I am not, and I have the Wikipedia page open to prove it.

 

[Frankie Spankie]

I remember when I was a kid I played this strategy game called Metal Fatigue. You controlled mechs and could salvage other mechs you destroyed for materials and technology to upgrade your own mechs. I thought it was such a cool idea and surprised nobody else ever really did anything like that. This really reminds me of that. I'm more of a turn based fan than a real time fan now too so I'll probably pick this game up.

 

[Bjorn Le]

I remember when I was a kid I played this strategy game called Metal Fatigue. You controlled mechs and could salvage other mechs you destroyed for materials and technology to upgrade your own mechs. I thought it was such a cool idea and surprised nobody else ever really did anything like that. This really reminds me of that. I'm more of a turn based fan than a real time fan now too so I'll probably pick this game up.

Some of the old BattleTech games did this, either in a shooter format (the MechWarrior games), or in real-time tactics (MechCommander games). They're all fantastic games, which I would recommend you check out if you enjoyed that game, but unfortunately with the exception of MechWarrior 4, the old ones are very difficult to install and play on modern PCs. MechCommander (both 1 and 2 I believe) you can find for free on the internet but they require some significant workarounds to work.

 

[mouser]

Or if you really wanna go old school the 1988/90 Battletech games Crescent Hawk's Inception and Revenge.

Watched a bit of the new Battletech on stream, my initial impression is it looks pretty true to the Battletech canon of mechs and weapons loadouts. Haven't wanted to watch too much of the streams to not spoil the story line. Definitely picking up this game.

 

[NyQuil]

Why? There was no implied disgust if people hadn’t. The tone of my post clearly isn’t, “if you haven’t heard of this, you’re a loser and should feel bad.” Not to mention, the statement is certainly true. BattleTech not a major franchise, and the last game besides the free to play game (which is also not that well known) was released 14 years ago.

I don’t even know why you would post something that. How does this contribute to the thread at all?

Even without the table top game, there were the highly successful video games and a pretty expansive series of novels too.

It’s one of the more prominent sci-fi properties out there along with the likes of Warhammer.

Just a funny way to launch into a discussion.

 

[Osprey]

That's a bit condescending and presumptuous.

I think that he just said it so that he wouldn't sound condescending and presumptuous when he explained what the Battletech franchise was in the next sentence. If he'd just started with "BattleTech is a blah blah which started in blah blah as a series of blah blah," one might read it as him presuming that no one knows what BattleTech is. By prefacing it the way that he did, he made it clear that his forthcoming explanation of it was just for those who might need it. I occasionally do the same thing. When I'm about to explain something in a way that assumes that the reader is unfamiliar with the topic, I'll preface it with something so that it doesn't seem like I'm insulting those who are familiar with it.

 

[Bjorn Le]

That is why I prefaced my initial comments with that statement.

Anyways, back to BattleTech. I'm avoiding spoiler streams myself, but for those who don't mind (and want to see more), there's several pre-release streamers on Twitch who are playing the game (there's quite a few now so just search for the game), and Paradox is doing two streams next week, one on Monday (a campaign stream), and one on Thursday with the developers of the game.

 

[The Macho King]

That is why I prefaced my initial comments with that statement.

Anyways, back to BattleTech. I'm avoiding spoiler streams myself, but for those who don't mind (and want to see more), there's several pre-release streamers on Twitch who are playing the game (there's quite a few now so just search for the game), and Paradox is doing two streams next week, one on Monday (a campaign stream), and one on Thursday with the developers of the game.

I've had streams on in the background the whole time I've been working over the weekend. This game is tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

AI is kind of stupid though. One mission he had a lance of mediums, versus a lance of two mediums and two heavies. Both of the heavies presented their rather large backsides to his entire force and got cored in one turn. Made the rest of the fight trivial.

 

[Bjorn Le]

I've had streams on in the background the whole time I've been working over the weekend. This game is tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

AI is kind of stupid though. One mission he had a lance of mediums, versus a lance of two mediums and two heavies. Both of the heavies presented their rather large backsides to his entire force and got cored in one turn. Made the rest of the fight trivial.

Yeah AI needs some work but it appears the influencers are playing a beta version of the game from March, so none of the updates since are in. Mods should be able to improve the AI as well.

I can handle mediocre AI as long as the core gameplay looks great, and that’s good news because I think the gameplay looks fantastic. The simulation campaign is very attractive, especially with the streams indicating the procedurally generated missions being quite varied.

 

[NyQuil]

The hope with these kinds of games is that they are wildly successful, allowing the developers to put everything they wanted to implement in the sequel.

I might get it just on that basis.