Star League equipment in Campaign?

[Panzer-Killer]

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.

You're right. whenever I had needed to recover from being "loathed" by Pirates I kept travelling among those three system and taking on-planet contracts only, until I managed to get a contract from the Pirates, and went on in this way until I got back to "disliked". It might be a long journey, but it sure is worth it.

As far as prices go, once gotten access to the Black Market I've always kept it, paying whatever the pirates wanted me to pay every now and then, just to be able to go shopping there whenever my reputation was good enough: this is how I managed to get 13 out of my 17 SLDF Royal Battlemechs.

 

[Chaosticket]

What brought on the worst reputation for the Pirates it because they are a common enemy for missions as everyone hates them. I would probably have to skip 50% of the game missions to avoid antagonizing them. Allying with them isnt really an option because every other faction hates them, even the Arano Restoration.

SLDF mechs and technology should have been salvageable by the Player without the Pirates, per the game lore. Forcing to Player to deal with Pirates that should be extremely weak with the lowest quality equipment possible is Game Railroading.

Thanks for the information, I hope it may help in the future.

 

[stjobe]

SLDF mechs and technology should have been salvageable by the Player without the Pirates, per the game lore.

SLDF Royal 'Mechs shouldn't be available to the player at all in 3025, per the game lore. The overwhelming majority of them left with Kerensky in the Exodus 350+ years earlier, and what few remained were either destroyed in the extremely violent first and second succession wars, slowly downgraded to 3025 standards due to the inability to find lostech replacement parts, or simply disappeared into the hands of ComStar.

Think about this: Between Wolf's Dragoons and Snord's Irregulars (two of the very top mercenary regiments in 3025), more than a dozen SLDF caches were found yet not a single SLDF Royal 'Mech was fielded by either of those units.

As for regular SLDF 'Mechs, everything but the Hatchetman and Raven was SLDF at one time or another.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

This is how I see it. I'm taking liberties, but for the game's version of the world (one where a Castle Brian) had stored SLDF Mechs, I could see it.

If a House Government finds a SLDF mech, they keep it. It is used for parades, and photo ops. Overall they project power.

If a pirate finds one on some long forgotten SLDF installation, it is worth more to sell it on a Black Market than keep it. It's too advanced and too high visibility for pirates to field one. They probably couldn't repair/maintain/operate one effectively and they wouldn't be as low key as they need to be. They would rather sell it and use the money to buy better common Mechs or vehicles they are familiar with and that their techs could repair and maintain. Plus they wouldn't draw
unwanted attention to themselves.

Just how I visualize the situation in the game and why the Black Market has this stuff.

 

[Chaosticket]

Fair points, but its still an issue with game design. An unusual problem is that people think ONLY the Royal Regiments got what is now known as lostech. Others got they equipment, but as hand-me-downs after the elite units, per Terran Hegemony policy to control the Star LEague through technology. The Successor States had their own, but they ended up nuking the factories to take out the top quality technology. No Factories=No Replacements.

Recovering Lostech in any way is a major boon. But the game is programmed so you cannot salvage them. Why? Just because. (Im not kidding, its just a tag in the game files.)

Yang is already quite able and even in story he got several Royal SLDF mechs running from being in an unmaintained state for about 270years.

I dont like 3025 for issues like this pure and simple. So after the campaign I intend to start putting lostech in the game to move things up to 3039-3050.

Im looking forward to Battletech 2 where the timeline moves forward and hopefully the Clans are introduced. I hope the same issue doesnt come up where the Inner Sphere cant salvage Clan tech. I remember some successful mercenaries fully refitting all of the their units with salvaged clantech.

 

[DocDesastro]

Would it be too far-fetched, if I would say the game might be fun but was left 'complete' with some poor choices made (like distribution of SL tech) with modders trying to even them out again? For me, the worst choice made by the persons responsible is to abandon the game simply wasting a huge lot of potential. That is, how I am feeling, at least. Disappointed.

 

[Chaosticket]

Too many pauses in that first sentence to have a clear meaning.

Are you saying you don't like game mods?

I was hoping for more like the Clan Invasion, Commonwealth Civil War, Word of Blake Jihad, and Dark Age up to 3150 AD.

My complaints are mostly related to things I keep saying here. I want better Mechs and technology or in other words not to be stuck in 3025.

 

[stjobe]

in other words not to be stuck in 3025.

We're not stuck in 3025, we have both 3028 and 3050 tech to play with.

The game is currently technically set just prior to the Clan invasion.

 

[Chaosticket]

If its 3050 in the DLC then really why isnt any of the 2750 technology equipped by enemies? It was being produced in factories by then.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

I feel like the timeframe is pretty nebulous. It is a non-descript timeframe between 3025 and 3049.

Overall I think the game wants to stick to a timeframe prior to the 4th Succession War, but still release the tech to allow for later timelines so that the player can play and have fun with it, or so modders can draw upon those assets to mod in later timelines.

 

[ranger101]

Chaosticket said- I was hoping for more like the Clan Invasion, Commonwealth Civil War, Word of Blake Jihad, and Dark Age up to 3150 AD.

Below listed Mods cover various time periods. I am playing BEX-CE 3025 start, so I can play the Gray Death Legion flashpoints that should start about 3029. I have salvaged UAC-5's, Tag, and Narc Beacons & ammo from enemy vehicles. You still get the Crate if you want it. I once got 4 UAC-2's, didn't have any mechs with ballistic hardpoints. I plan on playing to 3057 suposed game end just to see what happens.
Battletech 3025-Extended-Commander's Edition (BEX-CE) gives you four time periods to start play in:
3025 - self explanatory.
3039 - Ronin Wars, founding of Rasalhague & possibly St. Ives.
3049 - Starts before Clan invasion, & Battle of Tukayyid Flashpoint.
3053 - After Clan invasion.
FYI 4th Succession War Comstar supplied Kurita with 2750 mechs with SLDF equipment removed. Sometimes SLDF equipment got through, but not much.
Battletech Advanced 3062 (BTA) starts with the Fedcom Civil War.
Word of Blake Jihad - best of my knowledge none has been made.
3094 - should cover 3100 time period.
RogueTech - possible Clan time period, not an easy mod.
The Hyades Rim - Version 6.0 Arano Campaign as flashpoints when released.
OTHER Main Mods - I know of, but know very little about: Battletech Revised, Battle tech Vanilla, Vanilla Plus, Bourbon-Vanilla, XAI Battletech 3025, and Galaxy At War.

If you cannot find what you want in these Mods you will have to live with it, until someone creates what you want! Good luck & remember to have fun!!!!!

 

[Chaosticket]

All this just because I wanted to find SLDF battlemechs and 2750 SLDF tech.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

All this just because I wanted to find SLDF battlemechs and 2750 SLDF tech.

Battletech as a franchise is so expansive that even what seems like the smallest question or inquiry can be a rabbit hole .