Flashpoints & What to Do Next

[jrhmurray]

HI, I am new to Battletech but have gotten the bug bigtime. There are no mods, I just started playing the game in default mode.

I am only on first campaign. I have reached week 235 and completed all the available flashpoints.

What do I do next, or what happens next.

I have finished Arano, then jumped as fast as possible from flashpoint to flashpoint, but no new ones have appeared for a few weeks. I saw a mention of a flashpoint at Tarragona that might cause a problem, but I have been there and completed the mission.

I don't know if this matters but I have a Star league Atlas, 2 x Star League Highlanders, BSK-Maz and a Star league Griffin.

Thanks for any help.

 

[MarkDey]

Sounds like you've finished the preset stories! You can continue to fly around and get more lostech from other systems, or work on improving your reputation with different factions, but I would recommend starting a new game in Career mode. That mode gives you 1200 days to try and get the highest score you can within that time, and afterwards, your company can keep flying around and doing missions. An alternate path would be to download a mod - I'd recommend the Hyades Rim mod since that focuses the most on more story instead of more rules and gear.

 

[Jade_Rook]

Yep, it sounds like you have completed all of the pre-made content.

Switching to a new Career mode game can be a lot of fun. You get a semi-random starting lance then get set loose on the universe. There are no Arano campaign missions and the flashpoints start showing up pretty early. Taking the flashpoints during a career with a bunch of medium mechs is a lot different from blasting through them with end-game assault mechs and, in my opinion, it's more fun.

 

[Kereminde]

Taking the flashpoints during a career with a bunch of medium mechs is a lot different from blasting through them with end-game assault mechs and, in my opinion, it's more fun.

Except for the one where you deal with that drunken lunatic who calls himself 'Lord Commander'.

(That one's always fun. One day... one day, I'll manage to properly snipe Talon out of the chair.)

 

[jrhmurray]

Thanks for the Hyades Rim suggestion. Just a couple of questions.

Do Flashpoints repeat if you miss them out?

The reason I ask, I have gotten to Madcat II but can't seem to do very well in it. I can destroy the four vehicles but can't escape with more than one badly shot up mech. I wondered if I miss this flashpoint out, will it repeat later and will other flashpoints appear if this one is missed. I am hoping that if it reapears later and I will have some better equipped mechs, maybe even a Heavy mech of my own. All I had left after this scenario was one medium mech plus 3 x light mechs in storage.

(The madcat II flashpoint seems awfull hard for early on in the canpaign. I have 4 x medium mechs and I have to go up againt 2 x heavies and 2 x mediums plus an LRM and SRM carrier. The extra lance that appears after 2 vehicles are killed consists of 3 x mediums and a Heavy mech.)

 

[Kereminde]

They will cycle back if you miss their window, but only when all others have had their turn.... at least in the base game.

 

[MarkDey]

Thanks for the Hyades Rim suggestion. Just a couple of questions.

Do Flashpoints repeat if you miss them out?

The reason I ask, I have gotten to Madcat II but can't seem to do very well in it. I can destroy the four vehicles but can't escape with more than one badly shot up mech. I wondered if I miss this flashpoint out, will it repeat later and will other flashpoints appear if this one is missed. I am hoping that if it reapears later and I will have some better equipped mechs, maybe even a Heavy mech of my own. All I had left after this scenario was one medium mech plus 3 x light mechs in storage.

(The madcat II flashpoint seems awfull hard for early on in the canpaign. I have 4 x medium mechs and I have to go up againt 2 x heavies and 2 x mediums plus an LRM and SRM carrier. The extra lance that appears after 2 vehicles are killed consists of 3 x mediums and a Heavy mech.)

@Hobbes__ could give you more details, but yes, Flashpoints will repeat if not completed the first time. The Hyades Rim story does have a different type of difficulty than vanilla, but from what I understand it's not designed to be a 'hard mode' mod.

 

[jrhmurray]

They will cycle back if you miss their window, but only when all others have had their turn.... at least in the base game.

The flashpoint did come again, it repeated, it was the next one to appear.

I hav spent the last 150 days aquiring better tech, so will have another go at the flashpoint tonight.

 

[Hobbes__]

Thanks for the Hyades Rim suggestion. Just a couple of questions.

Do Flashpoints repeat if you miss them out?

The reason I ask, I have gotten to Madcat II but can't seem to do very well in it. I can destroy the four vehicles but can't escape with more than one badly shot up mech. I wondered if I miss this flashpoint out, will it repeat later and will other flashpoints appear if this one is missed. I am hoping that if it reapears later and I will have some better equipped mechs, maybe even a Heavy mech of my own. All I had left after this scenario was one medium mech plus 3 x light mechs in storage.

(The madcat II flashpoint seems awfull hard for early on in the canpaign. I have 4 x medium mechs and I have to go up againt 2 x heavies and 2 x mediums plus an LRM and SRM carrier. The extra lance that appears after 2 vehicles are killed consists of 3 x mediums and a Heavy mech.)

As already said, the FPs repeat until you complete them since their completion is required to progress the new story. So feel free to go farming if you feel you're not prepared yet.

Mad Cat II is what you describe... the trick is to destroy the Kittens convoy and escape without taking too much damage. The first time I playtested after writing it, it took me a few attempts to figure out a way, and I've seen other possible solutions on other players' streams. And there's also an easier way to win Mad Cat III, although in that case you'll still need to defeat all the enemy 'Mechs.

 

[jrhmurray]

As already said, the FPs repeat until you complete them since their completion is required to progress the new story. So feel free to go farming if you feel you're not prepared yet.

Mad Cat II is what you describe... the trick is to destroy the Kittens convoy and escape without taking too much damage. The first time I playtested after writing it, it took me a few attempts to figure out a way, and I've seen other possible solutions on other players' streams. And there's also an easier way to win Mad Cat III, although in that case you'll still need to defeat all the enemy 'Mechs.

Finally figured out how to complete this FP. In part 2, I filled my Catapult and Shadow Hawk with infernos, they kept the original lance of mechs from doing too much shooting while my other two mechs shot up the convoy. I did lose a pilot and a mech during the retreat but very happy with the result. Part 3 was much more straightforward. I only had 3 serviceable mechs, but my Thunderbolt and Kintaro along with a Panther made short work of ambushing the supporting lances. The Madcat took a lot of punishment before it went down.

My mechs did take a lot of punishment, it will be 60 days before I can field a full lance.

I have steered away from reading any spoilers, so now I have to wait and see what happens now that I have released the Black Widow.