Even on the hardest settings, the game is entirely too easy and one dimensional. The following could help to change that and make it much more immersive:
Improved AI
The AI is entirely too predictable and doesn't behave anywhere close to the way real people would in a similar situation. If a lance just had two of it's mechs completely blown away and were still facing double the tonnage they would not charge forward, they would run. Most people are not suicidal, the AI should not be either and it would make it an additional challenge in the game.
In the same vein give the AI pilots names and make it so they can eject or run away if possible. It would make the game more personal than some random faction head appearing in a pop up message to tell the player how they will make us pay. It also would contribute to the strategy there would be some incentive to keep the AI warriors from amassing more XP with each encounter.
In attacking, a lance would not send the faster mechs ahead to battle the opposing lance by themselves only to get blown away by greater fire power. Put some logic in place so it actually checks what the odds are (based on sensor data) so the AI doesn't march its mechs single file into a hail of gunfire to uselessly die. Maybe the quick and dirty is to only have the AI deploy mechs with relatively the same run and jump capabilities.
Provide the AI with some actual strategy, at times they just seem to randomly attack the nearest available target instead of doing any kind of threat analysis to see which mechs it should target first. Some people go for the lightest armored first, others go based on who can do the most damage.
Give the AI the ability to target critical areas on player mechs. If I see a mech coming at me that has an AC20 or multiple PPC's, the first thing I do is look for the area on the mech to target with the least amount of armor that is easy to hit with a called shot and will disable the weapons.
Stop with multiple mechs in a lance opting to sensor lock. In my own play style I found sensor locking useful early in the game, but once the range enhancers are available it is a tool I almost never use. However the AI seems to love using it later in the game, I have been in situations where 2 out of 4 AI 80 and 90 ton mechs opt to hide behind a boulder and sensor lock me instead of actually firing or at least maneuvering to a position that will give them a better firing solution next round.
Lastly it would be nice if the game adjusted AI to the play strategy of the player. For example in my play style I almost never close to a range of less than 400m. It is stupid for the AI to throw a couple of Crabs mounted with AC20 at me since I have usually blown off their arms, legs or torso before they can even get in range to use them. To counter the AI should either switch more often to specialty long range mechs or mechs capable of closing the gap faster. The point is it should be tracking what the player does and adjusting accordingly especially if we have fought against that faction multiple times.
Dynamically Adjust Story Line Mech Tonnage
I usually get access to heavier mechs fairly early on because I go for the harder missions. The result is that by time I get to the story line missions my lowest tonnage mech is significantly higher than anything the AI deploys.
Multiple lances on the same mission
The original PC game supported multiple lances and from a systems standpoint there are multiple missions in this version where there are 12 or more mechs on the screen at any given time.
Late Game Light and Medium Mechs
At a certain point in the game keeping light and medium mechs becomes a waste of bay space and cash because they serve no strategic purpose later in the game. If there is a mission that requires a speed element, I just grab a heavy or assault mech capable of hitting 120 and great jumping. It would be nice to have situations that actually require the use of those mechs which would be made much easier with being able to have multiple lances.
Change Up the Mech Load Outs
The game appears to keep the AI mechs loaded out according to the base variants which in many cases means more weapons than they will actually ever use in combat resulting in wasted tonnage that could be used for extra armor or cooling thereby making them more effective in combat. While a mech having a balance of long, middle and short ranged weapons is nice on paper, more often than not it just winds up in them doing mediocre damage under AI control as the player deploys mechs and tactics for the purpose of maximum damage.
World Play
The original BATTLETECH is focused around putting a drop ship on a planet as a base of operations and accomplishing the strategic objectives, i.e. topple the planetary government. The missions would be a lot more engaging if it was up to the player to determine where to set up base camp on a planet, decide which targets to hit first, ie bases, factories, power plants, etc. while at the same time having to defend against counter attacks. It would make for nice level progression as the first mission might be to capture just a single town on a planet and eventually working their way up to a full planet assault.
- Improved AI
- Dynamically adjusting the Mech tonnage on story line missions to the tonnage deployed
- Multiple lances on the same mission
- A reason to actually use light and medium mechs as part of a mission strategy once the heavies become available
- Change up of the mech load outs
- World Play
Improved AI
The AI is entirely too predictable and doesn't behave anywhere close to the way real people would in a similar situation. If a lance just had two of it's mechs completely blown away and were still facing double the tonnage they would not charge forward, they would run. Most people are not suicidal, the AI should not be either and it would make it an additional challenge in the game.
In the same vein give the AI pilots names and make it so they can eject or run away if possible. It would make the game more personal than some random faction head appearing in a pop up message to tell the player how they will make us pay. It also would contribute to the strategy there would be some incentive to keep the AI warriors from amassing more XP with each encounter.
In attacking, a lance would not send the faster mechs ahead to battle the opposing lance by themselves only to get blown away by greater fire power. Put some logic in place so it actually checks what the odds are (based on sensor data) so the AI doesn't march its mechs single file into a hail of gunfire to uselessly die. Maybe the quick and dirty is to only have the AI deploy mechs with relatively the same run and jump capabilities.
Provide the AI with some actual strategy, at times they just seem to randomly attack the nearest available target instead of doing any kind of threat analysis to see which mechs it should target first. Some people go for the lightest armored first, others go based on who can do the most damage.
Give the AI the ability to target critical areas on player mechs. If I see a mech coming at me that has an AC20 or multiple PPC's, the first thing I do is look for the area on the mech to target with the least amount of armor that is easy to hit with a called shot and will disable the weapons.
Stop with multiple mechs in a lance opting to sensor lock. In my own play style I found sensor locking useful early in the game, but once the range enhancers are available it is a tool I almost never use. However the AI seems to love using it later in the game, I have been in situations where 2 out of 4 AI 80 and 90 ton mechs opt to hide behind a boulder and sensor lock me instead of actually firing or at least maneuvering to a position that will give them a better firing solution next round.
Lastly it would be nice if the game adjusted AI to the play strategy of the player. For example in my play style I almost never close to a range of less than 400m. It is stupid for the AI to throw a couple of Crabs mounted with AC20 at me since I have usually blown off their arms, legs or torso before they can even get in range to use them. To counter the AI should either switch more often to specialty long range mechs or mechs capable of closing the gap faster. The point is it should be tracking what the player does and adjusting accordingly especially if we have fought against that faction multiple times.
Dynamically Adjust Story Line Mech Tonnage
I usually get access to heavier mechs fairly early on because I go for the harder missions. The result is that by time I get to the story line missions my lowest tonnage mech is significantly higher than anything the AI deploys.
Multiple lances on the same mission
The original PC game supported multiple lances and from a systems standpoint there are multiple missions in this version where there are 12 or more mechs on the screen at any given time.
Late Game Light and Medium Mechs
At a certain point in the game keeping light and medium mechs becomes a waste of bay space and cash because they serve no strategic purpose later in the game. If there is a mission that requires a speed element, I just grab a heavy or assault mech capable of hitting 120 and great jumping. It would be nice to have situations that actually require the use of those mechs which would be made much easier with being able to have multiple lances.
Change Up the Mech Load Outs
The game appears to keep the AI mechs loaded out according to the base variants which in many cases means more weapons than they will actually ever use in combat resulting in wasted tonnage that could be used for extra armor or cooling thereby making them more effective in combat. While a mech having a balance of long, middle and short ranged weapons is nice on paper, more often than not it just winds up in them doing mediocre damage under AI control as the player deploys mechs and tactics for the purpose of maximum damage.
World Play
The original BATTLETECH is focused around putting a drop ship on a planet as a base of operations and accomplishing the strategic objectives, i.e. topple the planetary government. The missions would be a lot more engaging if it was up to the player to determine where to set up base camp on a planet, decide which targets to hit first, ie bases, factories, power plants, etc. while at the same time having to defend against counter attacks. It would make for nice level progression as the first mission might be to capture just a single town on a planet and eventually working their way up to a full planet assault.
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