OK, so that just happened.
I just finished up an Escort mission for a max-difficulty career playthrough I just started, and the mission went a bit pear-shaped at the end. I'm very familiar with the free move the OpFor gets when the escorted vehicles evac from the mission (I've posted my frustration about the same previously.) Here I was punching up slightly, with a 1.5 chevron lance (PXH-1, BJ-1, PNT-9R, COM-2D (very early game)), on a 2-skull mission. It's the Grand Theft Auto mission, where the vehicles you escort are heavy-hitters with 1/4 armor, including a Demolisher, Gallant, SRM Carrier, and a Striker NARC.
The first encounter comes after getting to the first waypoint and getting the convoy underway, consisting of a CRB-20, TBT-5N, JVN-10A, and a JVN-10F. It goes as expected, with minor damage to my mechs' armor, only the Commando getting any structure exposed (naturally.) The vehicles are taking their time getting to the evac point, and the Striker is the first in, triggering the 2nd OpFor demi-lance, with a TDR-5SE (!!), CN9-AL, and a JVN-10A. The map doesn't give the vehicles much LOS on the OpFor, so I'm jumping the Phoenix Hawk and Panther to try and get rear shots on the Thunderbolt and sending the Blackjack and Commando wide around the other way to get the enemy to expose their rear to one of my mechs every turn. I start taking structure damage on most of my mechs, but we're still in the fight when the enemy Javelin wanders into LOS of the vehicles (that are STILL milling around without evacuating) and gets ripped apart by the SRM Carrier and Demolisher. I jump the Phoenix Hawk in close for a point-blank shot into the Thunderbolt's stripped rear armor, hoping for crits from the MGs (none). The Centurion rushes over and makes a melee attack on the Phoenix Hawk, stripping the armor on the right arm.
The vehicles then evac and we "leave combat". I think, "OK, how will they reposition now?" and look for where the Phoenix Hawk will have to jump for advantage. The Thunderbolt makes a move and braces.
Then the Centurion MAKES A MELEE ATTACK OUT OF COMBAT and scores a head hit, destroying the cockpit, removing my Phoenix Hawk from the mission, and killing that mechwarrior.
The rest of the lance made it out, barely, but that's the first time I've ever seen the AI being allowed to engage in melee when not in "combat" mode. I've been in similar positions at this point in an Escort mission (which is really the only time mechs are close enough for melee but not in combat), but the OpFor would always just move and brace.
Anyone else have this happen before?
I just finished up an Escort mission for a max-difficulty career playthrough I just started, and the mission went a bit pear-shaped at the end. I'm very familiar with the free move the OpFor gets when the escorted vehicles evac from the mission (I've posted my frustration about the same previously.) Here I was punching up slightly, with a 1.5 chevron lance (PXH-1, BJ-1, PNT-9R, COM-2D (very early game)), on a 2-skull mission. It's the Grand Theft Auto mission, where the vehicles you escort are heavy-hitters with 1/4 armor, including a Demolisher, Gallant, SRM Carrier, and a Striker NARC.
The first encounter comes after getting to the first waypoint and getting the convoy underway, consisting of a CRB-20, TBT-5N, JVN-10A, and a JVN-10F. It goes as expected, with minor damage to my mechs' armor, only the Commando getting any structure exposed (naturally.) The vehicles are taking their time getting to the evac point, and the Striker is the first in, triggering the 2nd OpFor demi-lance, with a TDR-5SE (!!), CN9-AL, and a JVN-10A. The map doesn't give the vehicles much LOS on the OpFor, so I'm jumping the Phoenix Hawk and Panther to try and get rear shots on the Thunderbolt and sending the Blackjack and Commando wide around the other way to get the enemy to expose their rear to one of my mechs every turn. I start taking structure damage on most of my mechs, but we're still in the fight when the enemy Javelin wanders into LOS of the vehicles (that are STILL milling around without evacuating) and gets ripped apart by the SRM Carrier and Demolisher. I jump the Phoenix Hawk in close for a point-blank shot into the Thunderbolt's stripped rear armor, hoping for crits from the MGs (none). The Centurion rushes over and makes a melee attack on the Phoenix Hawk, stripping the armor on the right arm.
The vehicles then evac and we "leave combat". I think, "OK, how will they reposition now?" and look for where the Phoenix Hawk will have to jump for advantage. The Thunderbolt makes a move and braces.
Then the Centurion MAKES A MELEE ATTACK OUT OF COMBAT and scores a head hit, destroying the cockpit, removing my Phoenix Hawk from the mission, and killing that mechwarrior.
The rest of the lance made it out, barely, but that's the first time I've ever seen the AI being allowed to engage in melee when not in "combat" mode. I've been in similar positions at this point in an Escort mission (which is really the only time mechs are close enough for melee but not in combat), but the OpFor would always just move and brace.
Anyone else have this happen before?
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