The Use of Reserve

[SteelOnyx]

I've played in a couple of multiplayer matches now and I have a question about what people think about spamming Reserve when they are overwhelmingly up in a match?

My own choice when up has been not to use it once my opponent is down to their last mech or two depending on tonnage, firepower and the state of my own mechs, but I am kind of curious what the community thinks although I'm pretty sure I know what the answer is.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

During our match you chose to not reserve and I... “followed suit” is the best term I can think of. That continued for our entire match if I recall correctly. Which was apparently fine by the both of us.

But you might be surprised just how rare a BATTLETECH Multiplayer Match that was.

It was a true exception that proves the Rule. : )


After more than... 3 or 4 hundred matches (maybe just a bit more) between BATTLETECH, BATTLETECH Beta and my three accounts, I have found that both sides defer to Phase One until the Movement to Contact portion of the Match is complete. This point can be just a bit different in each match.

But as Contact is established, opposing Mechs become visible, Line of Sight gained and Weapons come into Range...

...there is a point where it GREATLY behooves a Multiplayer Gamer to go as early as possible in a given turn.

This is where the worm turns as it were and BATTLETECH Turn Order truly shines.

From there it is back and forth from deferring to seizing the Initiative as early and as often as possible.



Ideally in the Endgame, HBS would reinstitute the “Surrender” button we had in Beta.

Absent that “Surrender” button, so very, very many gamers succumb to rage quitting rather than complete a lost battle.

I favor moving toward my opponent and presenting my Rear Torsos... but I must be honest, this does grate on me to a high degree,


Anyhow, great thread topic!
I look forward to the follow-on discussion, : )

 

[SteelOnyx]

So after playing a few more multiplayer matches I've just taken to spamming through the reserves if that is constantly someone's first option just because they don't want to go first when they had initiative. Sometimes I wish this game was like Starhammer where everyone programed their moves and then the game executed all actions simultaneously.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

So after playing a few more multiplayer matches I've just taken to spamming through the reserves if that is constantly someone's first option just because they don't want to go first when they had initiative. Sometimes I wish this game was like Starhammer where everyone programed their moves and then the game executed all actions simultaneously.

That was one of the Turn Order models that HBS looked at prior to selecting HBS_Kiva’s suggestion which has become the Turn Order Mechanism we have today.

But when it was simultaneous execution, there was a Turn Dial, where after movement was programmed by each player, they could dial forward and backward through that turn’s movement to select where and when Weapons Fire occurred!

Wow! It would have been a novel feature but likely cumbersome and not quite as intuitive as HBS had hoped.

I am very glad that Team HBS selected Kiva’s Turn Order suggestion as the Turn Order mechanism we have now. : )