Star League equipment in Campaign?
- Thread starter Chaosticket
- Start date
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By simply purchasing HBS Battletech's three DLCs, or the corresponding Season Pass which include all of them at a discount, and you'll enjoy the full, complete HBS Battletech experience with decision-driven mini campaign scenarios (aka flashpoints), new extra Biomes, new gameplay mechanics (aka EW/ECM), new Battlemech chassis to fight against, salvage parts of, or directly buy in either systems' or black market's shops (including an extremely powerful, peculiar and of unknown origin's one) and new lostech weapon systems and equipment.
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So you're saying that the SLDF battlemechs, the lostech equipment, and the new equipment from the DLCs are all unsalvagable?
Not at all.
- SLDF 'Mechs can be found in stores (best bet is Black Market)
- The stores can also carry both lostech and new (DLC) equipment
- If an opfor 'Mech carries lostech or new tech, you can salvage it after battle if you don't destroy it.
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Now you're just confusing me. None of the SLDF, Lostech, or the DLC equipment is *salvagable* because it doesn't appear according to everyone I asked in this topic.
You're agreeing to that from your very specific wording.
You're agreeing to that from your very specific wording.
SLDF: I'm assuming you are referring to e.g. the Atlas II, the HGN-732b, or the GRF-2N? If so, they can't be salvaged because they are never on the enemy's side. They can be bought though (either in parts or whole).
Lostech and DLC equipment: All of it can be both salvaged or bought in stores.
"Lostech and DLC equipment: " "they can't be salvaged because they are never on the enemy's side."
To get a definitive answer can you tell me if the following appear in enemy hands?:
Double Heat Sinks
Gauss Rifles+ Gauss Rifle Ammunition
Small/Medium/Large Pulse Lasers
ER Large Lasers
ER PPCs
Snub-Nosed PPCs
Ultra Autocannon 2/5/10/20 +Ammunition
LB-X Autocannon 2/5/10/20 +Ammunition
Beagle Active Probes
Guardian ECM
To get a definitive answer can you tell me if the following appear in enemy hands?:
Double Heat Sinks
Gauss Rifles+ Gauss Rifle Ammunition
Small/Medium/Large Pulse Lasers
ER Large Lasers
ER PPCs
Snub-Nosed PPCs
Ultra Autocannon 2/5/10/20 +Ammunition
LB-X Autocannon 2/5/10/20 +Ammunition
Beagle Active Probes
Guardian ECM
I don't have the unit lists memorized, but I believe the lostech mechs are blacklisted from the unit lists, which would mean they are unsalvagable. I believe it would also mean that double heat sinks can not be salvaged normally, because there are no normal units which mount them. I looked through the new Heavy Metal vehicles and the following advanced equipment is included on them. These do appear on the normal unit lists, so all of these should be salvagable, if the appropriate units spawn:
TAG
Inferno SRMs
LBX 10X Autocannons
Snub-Nosed PPCs
Ultra AC/5s
NARC
All of the gear you listed is available in stores, so it is available to you. It just will not be used by normal enemies where it can be salvaged. There are the occasional special missions, events, or flashpoints where you can obtain these as well.
Ultra autocannons use normal AC ammo. There is not a separate ammo bin needed for them. LBX does have unique ammo.
TAG
Inferno SRMs
LBX 10X Autocannons
Snub-Nosed PPCs
Ultra AC/5s
NARC
All of the gear you listed is available in stores, so it is available to you. It just will not be used by normal enemies where it can be salvaged. There are the occasional special missions, events, or flashpoints where you can obtain these as well.
Ultra autocannons use normal AC ammo. There is not a separate ammo bin needed for them. LBX does have unique ammo.
If you are playing BEX-CE the AI will have some of this equipment/mechs. I am playing BEX-CE and have salvaged an Ultra AC-5 from a Scorpion Mk II & a Narc Beacon & ammo from Striker LRM/Narc. I have run into a Black Knight b didn't get anything from it as the AI pulled a contract dispute. Contract dispute is where your employer decides to keep all/certains parts of the salvage, you will be offered a large number of weapons, sometimes there is something good in the offer. you can agree & you get your original split, disagree & loose 5 rep don't remember what else, Dispute lose 4 rep, 15,000 c-bills & something else.
As far as I can tell, yes. IIRC, even while playing an all-inclusive-DLCs-upgraded vanilla game neither SLDF Battlemech chassis nor Lostech weapon systems & equipment can be salvaged from the OpFor. I don't know what happens in BECX, BTA or Roguetech, though.
It would have been better if there simple way to just add them to the enemies. I am frustated that I cannot legitimately earn the Star League Royal Battlemechs.
There isnt much confidence in the DLC is they dont really solve the original problem of unavailable equipment. They would just add more behind the locked door. Just things for me to fume over not being available. They may add whole new issues like unmoddable units.
I was looking forward the SLDF mechs in this game, and Ive been angry that I have to modify the game to allow them. In a sequel I hope they fix all this so when the Clans show up they wont have unavailable equipment.
There isnt much confidence in the DLC is they dont really solve the original problem of unavailable equipment. They would just add more behind the locked door. Just things for me to fume over not being available. They may add whole new issues like unmoddable units.
I was looking forward the SLDF mechs in this game, and Ive been angry that I have to modify the game to allow them. In a sequel I hope they fix all this so when the Clans show up they wont have unavailable equipment.
I am surprised you only consider battlefield salvage to be legitimately earned. Purchasing mechs is an ordinary part of the game.
I think I have a different perspective on lostech in general. When the game first launched, the only lostech available was the two mechs that are granted as campaign rewards. All the lostech in them was completely irreplaceable. Lose a DHS or the gauss? Tough luck, no one has spares. I thought that was the perfect way to include lostech. The campaign mission made it clear how special this gear was. Losing it was supposed to hurt.
As the DLC was released, the devs made lostech more accessible with the black market, at least one event, and flashpoints. All the new weapon systems in Heavy Metal can be purchased normally. Black market access isn't even required. I actually think they became too accessible. I know it is DLC content, so players expect to have the new weapons, but it threw off the balance.
There are some great mods out there if you want more high level equipment or advanced enemies.
I think I have a different perspective on lostech in general. When the game first launched, the only lostech available was the two mechs that are granted as campaign rewards. All the lostech in them was completely irreplaceable. Lose a DHS or the gauss? Tough luck, no one has spares. I thought that was the perfect way to include lostech. The campaign mission made it clear how special this gear was. Losing it was supposed to hurt.
As the DLC was released, the devs made lostech more accessible with the black market, at least one event, and flashpoints. All the new weapon systems in Heavy Metal can be purchased normally. Black market access isn't even required. I actually think they became too accessible. I know it is DLC content, so players expect to have the new weapons, but it threw off the balance.
There are some great mods out there if you want more high level equipment or advanced enemies.
Already mentioned it quite a while ago to explain the ingame economy is completely inbalanced. The Purchase price of Battlemechs and equipment is too high and the sale value too low. Buying items if possible costs about 10 times as much as the sale value. Scrapping things gets even less in return. Neutral reputation with factions add another 10% on top of that so its over a 1000% difference. Looking at the cost of an Atlas 2 its nearly 190 Million C-Bills before another 50% markup from the hated Pirates if they even sell.
If I sold everything I had it still wouldnt be enough.
Stock-quality store items that were once rare salvage are junk now. I have a lot but the sale value is so low that the cost for travel than I would usually spend more than what I would sell things for.
The only practical way to make progress is to salvage everything. That worked very well until I got to this point where I cannot get any of the SLDF mechs. Those require #1 a good relationship with the Pirate, #2 Access to the Black Market market, and #3 Hundreds of Millions of C-Bills. I thought Sierra was the only company that made games with unwinnable situations due to tiny overlooked early game decisions.
The Game Developers have me trapped now by making the SLDF and Lostech "Store Only". The general stores are pointless, the Former Star League Store has some use for overpriced lostech, but that Black Market is only randomly accessible for the overpriced mechs.
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The most valuable finds in the game are the SLDF mechs because as of the 1.9 patch they have +30 cooling per turn, effectively 10 free tons worth of heat sinks. Some of them have extra tonnage for equipment, extra hard points, and they start with Lostech equipment.
If I sold everything I had it still wouldnt be enough.
Stock-quality store items that were once rare salvage are junk now. I have a lot but the sale value is so low that the cost for travel than I would usually spend more than what I would sell things for.
The only practical way to make progress is to salvage everything. That worked very well until I got to this point where I cannot get any of the SLDF mechs. Those require #1 a good relationship with the Pirate, #2 Access to the Black Market market, and #3 Hundreds of Millions of C-Bills. I thought Sierra was the only company that made games with unwinnable situations due to tiny overlooked early game decisions.
The Game Developers have me trapped now by making the SLDF and Lostech "Store Only". The general stores are pointless, the Former Star League Store has some use for overpriced lostech, but that Black Market is only randomly accessible for the overpriced mechs.
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The most valuable finds in the game are the SLDF mechs because as of the 1.9 patch they have +30 cooling per turn, effectively 10 free tons worth of heat sinks. Some of them have extra tonnage for equipment, extra hard points, and they start with Lostech equipment.
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I agree, the engine DHS's are incredibly overpowered and probably the most powerful bonus the SLDF mechs get.
You absolutely do not need the SLDF mechs to beat the game. Well, I suppose that actually depends on what your definition of winning is. If you are going poke-mech (gotta collect them all), then yes, you need access to the black market. Technically I don't think the achievement requires the SLDF mechs, but I don't remember. If you just want to beat the Restoration campaign, then you can do that with any team of 7 decent assault mechs. You only need the extra 3 because the final mission has a consecutive deployment so any mech that gets crippled in the first fight is unavailable for the second. It is possible to win the campaign with 4 assaults/heavies. At least a couple of the later missions can actually be easier if you don't max tonnage because a little extra speed can help.
You absolutely do not need the SLDF mechs to beat the game. Well, I suppose that actually depends on what your definition of winning is. If you are going poke-mech (gotta collect them all), then yes, you need access to the black market. Technically I don't think the achievement requires the SLDF mechs, but I don't remember. If you just want to beat the Restoration campaign, then you can do that with any team of 7 decent assault mechs. You only need the extra 3 because the final mission has a consecutive deployment so any mech that gets crippled in the first fight is unavailable for the second. It is possible to win the campaign with 4 assaults/heavies. At least a couple of the later missions can actually be easier if you don't max tonnage because a little extra speed can help.
The achievement require the collection of all the Battlemech's chassis released at the original game sale launch, so, of all the nine different SLDF Battlemech chassis currently available in game, only the Highlander HGN-732B and the Atlas II AS7-D-HT are needed in order to complete it.
I'm also quite surprised at the base purchase price stated by @Chaosticket for an Atlas II AS7-D-HT chassis at the black market as IIRC I paid my second one 21m C-bills or so, not 190m - and that happened one of the several times when my original outfit's reputation with Pirates went back from a terrible "Loathed" (i.e. +1000% markup) to a more manageable and affordable "Indifferent" (i.e. +10% markup).
So, unless I got it completely wrong, or the last patch applied some worsening price conditions to the black market of which I'm not currently aware of, I'd assume the 190m C-bills price is indeed for a "Loathed" status with the Pirates themselves as, at least in my first and only catch-'em-all, do-it-all pokeMech campaign I've managed to collect all available SLDF chassis twice, of whom only an HGN-732B, an AS7-D-HT and both GRF-2N were collected "free of charge" due to campaign and flashpoints rewards, while the rest were bought either as complete chassis or as multiple salvage parts and then assembled in their corresponding Mech. But I never spent more than 30m c-bills for any of them.
Finally, I agree too that Lostech and SLDF Battlemechs don't need to be actually deployed by the OpFor in order to be legit to collect, as purchasing them in any Black Market shop is as much legit as salvaging or otherwise acquiring them on the battlefield.
I'm also quite surprised at the base purchase price stated by @Chaosticket for an Atlas II AS7-D-HT chassis at the black market as IIRC I paid my second one 21m C-bills or so, not 190m - and that happened one of the several times when my original outfit's reputation with Pirates went back from a terrible "Loathed" (i.e. +1000% markup) to a more manageable and affordable "Indifferent" (i.e. +10% markup).
So, unless I got it completely wrong, or the last patch applied some worsening price conditions to the black market of which I'm not currently aware of, I'd assume the 190m C-bills price is indeed for a "Loathed" status with the Pirates themselves as, at least in my first and only catch-'em-all, do-it-all pokeMech campaign I've managed to collect all available SLDF chassis twice, of whom only an HGN-732B, an AS7-D-HT and both GRF-2N were collected "free of charge" due to campaign and flashpoints rewards, while the rest were bought either as complete chassis or as multiple salvage parts and then assembled in their corresponding Mech. But I never spent more than 30m c-bills for any of them.
Finally, I agree too that Lostech and SLDF Battlemechs don't need to be actually deployed by the OpFor in order to be legit to collect, as purchasing them in any Black Market shop is as much legit as salvaging or otherwise acquiring them on the battlefield.
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I wasnt actually think of game achievements, but rather "Shortest point to destination" In this case the Destination was the final tier of equipment with lostech equipment mounted on SLDF mechs.
The SLDF Mechs can only be gained though convoluted methods requiring a lot of knowledge, tedious grinding and/or real money to buy the DLCs.
It makes me think of some RPG quest that you can only do by buying the Strategy Guide.
Backtracking isnt something I want to do, and when I test it out by going to starter planets new missions dont appear, so it doesnt work even when I try.
It could have gone different, like siding with the Pirates at the beginning so maybe they allow me in the Black Market for only 50,000 C-Bills.
Now its all wrecked so Salvage is the only practical option.
The SLDF Mechs can only be gained though convoluted methods requiring a lot of knowledge, tedious grinding and/or real money to buy the DLCs.
It makes me think of some RPG quest that you can only do by buying the Strategy Guide.
Backtracking isnt something I want to do, and when I test it out by going to starter planets new missions dont appear, so it doesnt work even when I try.
It could have gone different, like siding with the Pirates at the beginning so maybe they allow me in the Black Market for only 50,000 C-Bills.
Now its all wrecked so Salvage is the only practical option.
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if you want to get in good or at least neutral terms with the Pirates, you can always toggle down the OpFor Strength difficulty setting to easy, then travel the rout Ur-Cruienne-Bellerophon-Detroit until you get a 2,5-3 skulls Pirates' contract and carry it out for Reputation only, rinse and repeat until you get to at least Disliked Reputation (-39 until -20) then resume standard contract payment policy and go ahead until Indifferent Reputation status with Pirates is achieved.
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I tested Ur-Cruienne on "easy" difficulty. I found 1 Free Worlds League mission. 1 is more than zero. So am I forced to go to each planet, one by one to look for 1skull pirate missions?
I think the missions available being limited by Faction Reputation is a bad idea. The Whole faction system itself is a "Scrappy Mechanic" that doesnt help anything. If I could I would stay Neutral to everyone. I am playing a mercenary, "Nothing personal". The Black Market is the only reason to play "The Faction Game". The Pirates are the only faction that matters.
Ive also tested the prices. +100 Reputation gets a -10% discount to store prices. +/- 0 reputation is +10% increase to store price. -100 reputation seems to be +1000% price. If you can get access to the Black Market with -100 reputation than everything will be ridiculously expensive. I found a Royal Highlander for 241 million.
I think the missions available being limited by Faction Reputation is a bad idea. The Whole faction system itself is a "Scrappy Mechanic" that doesnt help anything. If I could I would stay Neutral to everyone. I am playing a mercenary, "Nothing personal". The Black Market is the only reason to play "The Faction Game". The Pirates are the only faction that matters.
Ive also tested the prices. +100 Reputation gets a -10% discount to store prices. +/- 0 reputation is +10% increase to store price. -100 reputation seems to be +1000% price. If you can get access to the Black Market with -100 reputation than everything will be ridiculously expensive. I found a Royal Highlander for 241 million.
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