A Fan Discussion of BATTLETECH Free Update 1.9

[DarkSpade]

Each of the HEAVY METAL BattleMech Quirks are physically represented by a piece of specialized equipment in one or more Critical Spaces.

The problem comes up when a save for... let’s say a Griffin, tried to put its new Quirk - the 7-Critical Space “Battle Fist” into an Arm that already had all its Critical Spaces already occupied, thus a Broken Save.

True, but with the pilot skill changes, no one loaded a save mid battle and found all their pilots had no skills. Nothing happened until after the battle was done. Something similar could be done with the mechs. Sure, maybe the build is now illegal, but as mentioned above, shouldn't affect anything until you try to drop into your next battle.

Just like the pilot update stripped your pilots and restored XP, Strip gear off the affected mechs. While making rebuilding those mechs a one time instant and free thing would be ideal, simply giving everyone a one time cash influx could also work.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

True, but...

HBS has been very clear on this. They will not be adding BattleMech Quirks to all remaining BattleMechs.

However Mech Quirks may indeed be something our Modding Community chooses to pursue. :bow:

 

[Icewraith]

HBS has been very clear on this. They will not be adding BattleMech Quirks to all remaining BattleMechs.

However Mech Quirks may indeed be something our Modding Community chooses to pursue. :bow:

Adding quirks is easy. Adding good, reasonably balanced quirks that don’t steal the thunder of the HM mechs...

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

The majority of players won't know an update is coming until after it is installed. There are only a couple of games that I check the news for. Most players have never been to the forums.

People who use mods are probably in the habit of not auto-installing updates, but most players don't use mods.

Yeah, maybe. But that's PC gaming, isn't it? There's a trade off. It's a bit more complex and fiddly than console gaming, but you have a lot more freedom and options.

Declining to add cool new content because a fraction of players might be on the bleeding edge in a career, and might not know that updates are coming, and might not care to spend a few minutes problem solving if an update changes their save just seems a bit limiting.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

In an ideal world, a post patched game could autodetect what patch save game you were running and not implement the quirks unless you started a new game. That way you could keep running the old game without quirks taking affect.

Then again, who's to say other issues might not stack down the line for an old saved game even with that option.

As a person who used to play Minecraft, I can say that old saved games did not like new patches (mostly when affecting world generation code). Straight cliffs at chunk boundaries where new chunks were generated post new patch. Weird borders to biomes, etc... It basically made the world look terrible and glitched.

I'd often just start a new world, but with people who put in 100s or 1000s of hours into their world, I am sure it was disheartening.

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

Yeah, I get that. I play Subnautica from time to time. I once spent the better part of a week building a base on and around a sea spire. It was cool. Then they did an update and removed my spire, leaving my base floating there and looking stupid. I was bummed, but such is life. That was an early access game (though near full release at the time) so it's not quite the same, but that's hardly the only time I've experienced something like that.

It's a bummer, but it's a bummer that comes with new content, and new content is fun. And if you don't like it you can generally roll back to an earlier build.

 

[Eximar]

I would just like a day's warning of a patch dropping.

 

[Orbitone]

I just wished the Quickdraw had support weapon hardpoints like the Firestarter and Grasshopper.
With its 5xJJ and 140 movement it would be a nice alternative.
Currently with my game modded to make Quickdraw a Medium I still cannot justify playing it, while as an opponent it is only slightly more dangerous.

 

[Icewraith]

I just wished the Quickdraw had support weapon hardpoints like the Firestarter and Grasshopper.
With its 5xJJ and 140 movement it would be a nice alternative.
Currently with my game modded to make Quickdraw a Medium I still cannot justify playing it, while as an opponent it is only slightly more dangerous.

Which version, and how dangerous should it be? The Quickdraw, especially the 4G, isn’t exactly the pinnacle of Battlemech design.

It turns a 1 ton payload advantage over the 55 ton designs into a 1.5 ton disadvantage by insisting on mounting the heavier jump jets, cuts the armor it can carry more of than anything else at its speed for the red-headed step-child of LRM launchers, and IIRC carries 2 tons of ammo for its SRM 4. It was even worse in TT since the torso lasers were rear-mounted.

The -5A on the other hand, can carry more armor and medium lasers than anything else at 5 speed, and unlike the Crab, can fill its energy hardpoints with a hit defense gyro and cockpit mod equipped.

Drop the Jump Jets and up the armor, and the 5A looks more like an energy version of the Kintaro.

 

[Orbitone]

Which version, and how dangerous should it be? The Quickdraw, especially the 4G, isn’t exactly the pinnacle of Battlemech design.

It turns a 1 ton payload advantage over the 55 ton designs into a 1.5 ton disadvantage by insisting on mounting the heavier jump jets, cuts the armor it can carry more of than anything else at its speed for the red-headed step-child of LRM launchers, and IIRC carries 2 tons of ammo for its SRM 4. It was even worse in TT since the torso lasers were rear-mounted.

The -5A on the other hand, can carry more armor and medium lasers than anything else at 5 speed, and unlike the Crab, can fill its energy hardpoints with a hit defense gyro and cockpit mod equipped.

Drop the Jump Jets and up the armor, and the 5A looks more like an energy version of the Kintaro.

Yeah that is a good point.
I was mulling over there was no nice in between the Firestarter and the Grasshopper.
But I can see adding support hard points even to the weakest Quickdraw is sort of breaking the lore/game structure to some degree, and does my thought on this even warrant it.
On the plus side as Prussian Havoc mentioned in my suggestion topic we have the new mechs incoming so a reasonable chance one of those may fit this gap.
Just with the campaign and coming across the Quickdraw at the time I cannot help but think it is a shame there was never a Quickdraw design in lore history that bridged the two nicest support weapon jumping mechs, and the appearance of the Quickdraw at that point of the game campaign would had been the nice time for such a bridge.

 

[Icewraith]

Yeah that is a good point.
I was mulling over there was no nice in between the Firestarter and the Grasshopper.
But I can see adding support hard points even to the weakest Quickdraw is sort of breaking the lore/game structure to some degree, and does my thought on this even warrant it.
On the plus side as Prussian Havoc mentioned in my suggestion topic we have the new mechs incoming so a reasonable chance one of those may fit this gap.
Just with the campaign and coming across the Quickdraw at the time I cannot help but think it is a shame there was never a Quickdraw design in lore history that bridged the two nicest support weapon jumping mechs, and the appearance of the Quickdraw at that point of the game campaign would had been the nice time for such a bridge.

The-5A actually does have 2 support in the CT. The Dragon also has 2 energy and 2 support split between the left arm and torso.

If you’re looking for a support weapon mech in between the Firestarter and Grasshopper... have you considered the Vulcan 2T or the Blackjack DB?

 

[Orbitone]

The-5A actually does have 2 support in the CT. The Dragon also has 2 energy and 2 support split between the left arm and torso.

If you’re looking for a support weapon mech in between the Firestarter and Grasshopper... have you considered the Vulcan 2T or the Blackjack DB?

I do like the Vulcan 2T and ironically find it just as effective for small mech hunting as the Assassin due to the accuracy mechanics involving support weapons.
But it was an all out 6 support weapon mobile jumping-movement mech I was thinking of, which would compliment the space between both the Firestarter and Grasshopper, which has less slightly lower movement/JJ capability than say something like the Quickdraw that hits the players in the campaign at the right time possibly for something like it.
It is strange there is no 140/5JJ mech with such a configuration in the game when it exists at 120/4JJ and 165/6JJ, probably make the Quickdraw too effective lol (and kinda break the mech lore somewhat),

 

[SnzKGB]

So, is that 1.9 topic just for lulz, or we can really hope for this update? Any news about what we should wait for, if we should at all?

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

So, is that 1.9 topic just for lulz, or we can really hope for this update? Any news about what we should wait for, if we should at all?

The 1.9 Update is in the works, we just don't have an ETA for when it will officially launch (other than soon).

The big bullet points for the update are...

• New AI for convoy in Escort missions
• New Mech variants
• New vehicle variants

 

[SnzKGB]

The 1.9 Update is in the works, we just don't have an ETA for when it will officially launch (other than soon).

The big bullet points for the update are...

• New AI for convoy in Escort missions
• New Mech variants
• New vehicle variants

Thanks!

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

Thanks!

You're welcome.

Also, in 1.9, there will be a toggle to reduce the number of Lostech items from the stores (basically 1.8 store settings). I forgot about that one.

I'm not 100% sure how exactly it will change (if Ultras, Coils, LBX, etc...) Will be completely removed, or just a lot more rare. Maybe someone else knows better and can clear that one up.

 

[Orbitone]

I cannot find the video now but did they suggest vehicles will be able to pass through the mechs (context was Convoy missions)?
If so I can think of some amusing moments that will happen, but maybe I am imagining this because I cannot find any reference now.

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

Also, in 1.9, there will be a toggle to reduce the number of Lostech items from the stores (basically 1.8 store settings). I forgot about that one.

I'm really hoping for a slider, but I'm expecting it to pretty much be either on or off.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I cannot find the video now but did they suggest vehicles will be able to pass through the mechs (context was Convoy missions)?
If so I can think of some amusing moments that will happen, but maybe I am imagining this because I cannot find any reference now.

Yes, vehicles will be able to pass through BattleMechs, but they will have to stop on their very own “pip.” There will be no doubling up on “Pips.” So while the actual move may be sort of psychedelic, it’ll all shake out as movement ends. : )

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I'm really hoping for a slider, but I'm expecting it to pretty much be either on or off.

No talk of sliders, just the ol’ binary Yays and Nays. :bow: