Mod Announcement: Going To Add All Missing Varients

[Rhodium]

Also I know I'm a dunce for not confirming my sources on what variants will be in the finished product. But look at it this way, anything that doesn't make it into the final product that's on this list? I'll add it in. If it's already in, that's one less thing I have to add in, and the things I do add in will get here quicker.

 

[Jade_Rook]

I enjoy tinkering with the chassis files and would be happy to assist in this undertaking.

I actually made files for most of the 3025 mechs that are not modelled in the game. They don't have the proper graphics, but the loadouts all work. I plan on updating my scrapyard of mechs when the game is released.

Work is going to keep me very busy for the next two weeks, but I will be around as I am able and I will have a lot more free time after April 17th.

 

[Rhodium]

I enjoy tinkering with the chassis files and would be happy to assist in this undertaking.

I actually made files for most of the 3025 mechs that are not modelled in the game. They don't have the proper graphics, but the loadouts all work. I plan on updating my scrapyard of mechs when the game is released.

Work is going to keep me very busy for the next two weeks, but I will be around as I am able and I will have a lot more free time after April 17th.

Alright, once the launch date hits ill get in contact with you and a few others. Once we know what the launch versions JSON files look like, we can get cracking and probably collectively knock out all of the JSON files in a couple of days, then check each others work. The challenge comes in the second phase where we need to balance rarity, battle value, and cbill costs, and I want to do that before we package up the mod and upload it to the public.

 

[Rhodium]

Expect a second file containing 3026 and 3027 mechs after the previously listed mechs make it in game. Yes that includes the legendary Banshee 3S, but that one requires a bit of model work, to give the banshee a weapon arm instead of a hand actuator arm.

 

[Zythen1975]

This is one of the mods I will be looking into after my 1st play threw that is going to be as the game was released.

 

[Timaeus]

Greetings MechWarriors!
Spinning up the KF-Drive for a jump to a more appropriate section.

 

[ronhatch]

Once we know what the launch versions JSON files look like, we can get cracking [...]

I would strongly recommend working on this based on the beta JSON files so that you can start now.

Any changes in the format for the release are likely to be extremely small.

Also, you should probably start learning as much as you can about the DB... as far as we could tell, it didn't matter for the beta, but there is some indication that the single-player campaign will need appropriate values added. I'll be happy to help with that, but my first priority is getting a rough mod manager ready for release day. (Granted, figuring out the DB may be an important part of having it genuinely ready.)
http://btmodding.warriorsblood.com/index.php?title=The_Database

 

[Amechwarrior]

I would strongly recommend working on this based on the beta JSON files so that you can start now.

Any changes in the format for the release are likely to be extremely small.

Also, you should probably start learning as much as you can about the DB... as far as we could tell, it didn't matter for the beta, but there is some indication that the single-player campaign will need appropriate values added. I'll be happy to help with that, but my first priority is getting a rough mod manager ready for release day. (Granted, figuring out the DB may be an important part of having it genuinely ready.)
http://btmodding.warriorsblood.com/index.php?title=The_Database

Yes, learning the DB tags now but assume any UUID's will change. Just get used to adding or removing tags and tagsets for mechs will go a long way to making the process faster for your first release.

 

[GenTask]

I would strongly recommend working on this based on the beta JSON files so that you can start now.

Any changes in the format for the release are likely to be extremely small.

Personally I am against doing this, since even when the Beta files were updated from v1 to v2 required me to go back through and change things to make my files "v2" compatible. They were just small things, but as was learned, even small changes were enough to throw things off. Not to mention making editing mistakes like extra commas or not pointing to the correct files was enough to make things not work.

At least for me, to reduce headaches I am going to certainly look at the modded beta files I have, but modify/edit the release files.

 

[GenTask]

I've added the below ;Mechs onto my original post that I think are in the realm of possibility to mod into the game and also based on the images of the variants likely in the game recently posted here. The H2 and 6Y require Rocket Launchers and a Binary Laser Cannon respectively, which should be easy to enough to mod in.

I would add in other Tech 2 stuff for different eras, but I don't know if Endo Steel and Ferro are modeled into the game - if it is, well then it's pretty much open season to add multiple eras stocks/variants plus new weapons except maybe things with Ultras and LB-X which require different mechanics (jam chance and switchable ammo types that behave differently).

Catapult - CPLT-H2 (requires new weapon), CPLT-K3 (only requires DHS, which seemed to be in the game)
Cataphract - CTF-4X, CTF-2X
Thunderbolt - TDR-5S-T "Tallman"
Zeus - ZEU-6Y (requires new weapon), ZEU-6S-DC

Also, another thing I forgot about are the vehicles in the game. Depending on what variants of those are in the files for those, variations could be modded for increased OpFor variety and down the line when someone figures out how to add vehicles to our Lances.

 

[Panpiper]

My ideal 75 ton mech, scratch the tonnage, my ideal mech period, when I design it purely from gear, etc., is a 4/6/4 movement, 75 ton mech sporting an XL engine and a total of 20 double heat sinks so it can jump and fire with impunity. It is armed with two PPCs and an AC5 (with two tons of ammo). It is a pure coincidence that this ideal equipment suite matches so perfectly another 75 ton mech that cannot be named. How I would dearly love to have a mech chassis that matches that equipment loadout.

 

[GenTask]

I don't know about stuff with XLs, maybe, if they are modeled in game already with mechanics tied to them, then you might be able to use the chassis of an existing Mech and then make it exactly like some other design in BattleTech.

I know that Lynx7725 in the Beta essentially added every Mech from BattleTech where possible by re-using existing models. So there was stuff like an Ost Scout with the model of a Commando. It would just require your imagination really. They also added other things like Light Gauss, Rocket Launchers, MRMs, LMGs, HMGs, all ER Lasers, Heavy PPC, Light PPC, Pulse Lasers, LRM Artemis, SRM Artemis, and other stuff.

The below are examples from this thread on the old forums (images not mine):

 

[ronhatch]

Endo Steel is easy... just reduce the number of crit slots available and increase the weight available. Done.

XL Engines are a little more tricky, but would be similar. Since the engine is abstracted away and not crittable, I would be inclined to represent the XL as a component in the side torsos that doesn't take up space but results in loss of the section being a mission kill. I'm told that there was a component flag that did that in the beta, so should be possible.

FF Armor is unlikely to be workable, since the game has no concept of different kinds of armor being available at all. When you increase or decrease the amount of armor on a mech, the weight changes per the standard armor rules.

 

[Stormforge]

Endo Steel is easy... just reduce the number of crit slots available and increase the weight available. Done.

XL Engines are a little more tricky, but would be similar. Since the engine is abstracted away and not crittable, I would be inclined to represent the XL as a component in the side torsos that doesn't take up space but results in loss of the section being a mission kill. I'm told that there was a component flag that did that in the beta, so should be possible.

FF Armor is unlikely to be workable, since the game has no concept of different kinds of armor being available at all. When you increase or decrease the amount of armor on a mech, the weight changes per the standard armor rules.

Might not be so easy if you decide to start playing around in the mechlab. There looks to be flags associated with it that determines if a mech is valid or not. For things like Endo you could put in components with flags that work like the jump jets. Base the components on a mechs weight to see if they can be used and instead of adding weight to the build they subtract it.

So for endo-steel adding 14 of these crit slot components would subtract a total of 2.5 tons on a 50 ton chassis, and those components could only be used on a 50 ton chassis. Would have to set a limit on the number that can be added too.

Actually that might be bass ackwards way to do it.

 

[Rhodium]

Yes, learning the DB tags now but assume any UUID's will change. Just get used to adding or removing tags and tagsets for mechs will go a long way to making the process faster for your first release.

Is that the info that goes at the top to talk to the AI? Like jump_ok, Lance_Support, etc.?

 

[Amechwarrior]

Is that the info that goes at the top to talk to the AI? Like jump_ok, Lance_Support, etc.?

Yep, there is instructions in the modding wiki in the steps to adding a new mech. This is what you will need to let the game know what a new design does with tags like "mech, light, jumper, scout, etc" which is what it looks for when it makes a procgen enemy force.

 

[Rhodium]

Yep, there is instructions in the modding wiki in the steps to adding a new mech. This is what you will need to let the game know what a new design does with tags like "mech, light, jumper, scout, etc" which is what it looks for when it makes a procgen enemy force.

I've already been messing with those, so good.

 

[ronhatch]

Might not be so easy if you decide to start playing around in the mechlab. There looks to be flags associated with it that determines if a mech is valid or not. For things like Endo you could put in components with flags that work like the jump jets. Base the components on a mechs weight to see if they can be used and instead of adding weight to the build they subtract it.

So for endo-steel adding 14 of these crit slot components would subtract a total of 2.5 tons on a 50 ton chassis, and those components could only be used on a 50 ton chassis. Would have to set a limit on the number that can be added too.

Actually that might be bass ackwards way to do it.

Yeah, I wasn't thinking in terms of making them available in the mechlab at all... if engines are locked, I don't see any reason that Endo Steel or XL engines shouldn't be. In which case, they are just a feature of the chassis and are completely ignored in the mechlab.

 

[ronhatch]

FWIW, the MechBay livestream essentially confirmed the list of included variants, since they scrolled through the list and even said it was "every mech that we are shipping with". No surprises.

 

[Rhodium]

FWIW, the MechBay livestream essentially confirmed the list of included variants, since they scrolled through the list and even said it was "every mech that we are shipping with". No surprises.

Very well then, we're right on track. I've also decided I'm going to add 4 new skirmish pilots to the game as well. I'm getting a Migraine thinking about how the only pilot with who can shoot then move, paradise, has a gunnery of 2.

Expect these new pilots to be a bit quirky; they'll provide you more options, and help you work out strange little niches with your strategy. They'll look something like:

Rho: Evasive, Master Tactician
G: 4
P: 6
Gu: 1
T: 8

Grim: Sensor Lock, Juggernaut
G: 2
P: 4
Gu: 8
T: 5

Anubis: Multi-Shot, Ace Pilot
G: 6
P: 8
Gu: 4
T: 1

Bandit: Bulwark, Breaching Shot
G: 8
P: 4
Gu: 5
T: 2