Withdraw and evac make no sense

[unmerged(459832)]

What is the point of Evac in the game as is? It's always placed on the other side of the map next to where most of the enemies are, making evac kind of a useless thing.

To make matters worse, Withdraw just magically ends the mission, without requiring further input from the player.

Why didn't they combine the 2 together, and let the player decide the evac zone, like in XCOM 2, only after hitting the withdraw button? You could still get a mission successful, but you wouldn't get the bonuses or most of the salvage.

This way, if you withdraw, you still have to get your mechs to the evac zone, but said evac zone is actually in a usable spot.

That is honestly one the biggest design pet peeve I have with this game.

Is there a mod that fixes this?

 

[Hobbes__]

Evac allows you to complete the mission without having to kill all enemies and get the rewards from each objective achieved.

Withdraw means that the mission is a complete loss, regardless of any objectives achieved. No salvage, no C-Bills, no reputation, only thing you get is the MechWarriors XP points and avoiding further damage/deaths to your lance.

 

[unmerged(459832)]

Why is it a loss though? The vehicles they asked to destroy magically came back to life? Withdrawing shouldn't be considered a loss if you completed your objective.

 

[Hobbes__]

Why is it a loss though? The vehicles they asked to destroy magically came back to life? Withdrawing shouldn't be considered a loss if you completed your objective.

Otherwise players would abuse it to get easy victories?

 

[Jade_Rook]

It's a game mechanic. That's all it comes down to. If you want a lore explanation for it, maybe there are additional costs associated with an emergency evac. Maybe the Leopard takes damage. Maybe you have to pay off the enemies to let you leave (there is support for that happening in canon).

I have some complaints about how evac zones and enemy reinforcements are positioned, but there are good reasons for the easy withdrawal option. It helps prevent a mission loss from spiraling into a campaign loss.

I don't know if any mods that adjust these, but I know enemy spawns can be modded.

 

[foamyesque]

I sort of headcanon the withdraw option as a surrender, leaving the enemy in possession of the battlefield and therefore the salvage. It's still a little awkward, because sometimes your objectives are just a smash and grab, and somehow you can still get the salvage on an evac even if you're rocketing back to orbit one step ahead of an assault lance, but it helps.

 

[Corraidhin]

Withdraw is admitting you can't complete the objectives. The little salvage you get is basically what the Leopard can grab easily on the way.

Evac is calling for a hot dust-off to avoid further losses after completing objectives. Evac being the other side of an enemy lance is a design choice I think. Either draw the enemy to get around them or run the gauntlet.

 

[Kereminde]

Withdraw means that the mission is a complete loss, regardless of any objectives achieved. No salvage, no C-Bills, no reputation, only thing you get is the MechWarriors XP points and avoiding further damage/deaths to your lance.

Well, there's two types of withdrawals. "Good Faith efforts" and "Bad Faith efforts". If you can complete at least one objective or generally take out a few targets? Good Faith. If you appear to make no effort to do the mission and jump pack in Sumire's Leopard as soon as things look rough? Bad Faith.

Good Faith efforts will at least give you something.

 

[Hobbes__]

Good Faith efforts will at least give you something.

A Precentor's robe to use as a Halloween costume?

You're correct, thanks for the clarification.

 

[Kereminde]

A Precentor's robe to use as a Halloween costume?

While ComStar does specialize in customer service, giving away such valuable and distinctive uniforms would likely not happen. But they will give you a 10% raise on your next HPG usage bill! Remember, ComStar cares.

 

[Corraidhin]

Remember, ComStar cares.

And if you believe that, I have a box of LosTech staplers to sell you.

 

[foamyesque]

And if you believe that, I have a box of LosTech staplers to sell you.

They certainly do care, why else would they have planted an agent in my crew?

 

[Hobbes__]

And if you believe that, I have a box of LosTech staplers to sell you.

Do you have refills? I had to resort to low grade Kuritan refills but man, those paper sheets just don't get joined together like they did on the Star League days.

 

[Wayward Son 5]

I always felt the Withdraw option is heavily supported by the lore. This is set in the 3025 era, when technological know-how has dropped to one of its lowest points since the fall of the Star League, overall. Jumpship construction is a black-box system, with nobody left fully understanding how the few factories work, just how to maintain the machines. New battlemech design and construction is focused entirely in the major Houses, and still can't come close to the Star League's designs and tech. With that in mind, battlemechs are precious commodities, not to be thrown away on hopeless fights against overwhelming odds. Over the last 5 centuries of warfare "civilized" rules of engagement developed recognizing this reality. allowing for ceasefire agreements to let both sides recover their precious mechs and fall back before they are completely destroyed. Being mercenaries, our clients may not be happy with a withdraw before all their objectives are met, but they understand the reason for doing so. (After all, usually they could have sent their own forces, but didn't want to risk their assets when they can hire yours.)

In terms of game design, placing the evac zone near where enemy reinforcements spawn makes for tactical challenges for a successful mission. You might have noticed the loading-screen text saying "Speed is more important than firepower for Escort and Recovery missions." This is exactly the reason that is true. Getting to an evac zone under fire is a challenge, and successfully doing so gets you the full rewards of a completed mission. On a practical note, I've noticed this applying more early-game, when mechs on both sides are more fragile, but also more likely to swiftly reach the evac area.

As an aside, there's one map I know that breaks this pattern. I don't know the name of the map, but it appears in lowlands Assassinate missions. From the starting perspective, your lance drops in about the middle of the map front to back and 1/3 of the way to the right map edge. The target appears on a hill straight ahead, with the supporting forces spawning far to the left side of the map, and any reinforcements spawning at the far map edge behind your drop zone. It's the only map I know where you can easily proceed directly to the target without triggering the supporting forces or reinforcements. Once the target is down, the evac zone appears at the base of the hill on the right map edge, opposite the approaches for both supporting forces and reinforcements. I love getting this map early game, because it's a very good chance of getting high salvage on the target with minimal risk to my lance.

 

[PaulCl]

Is there a mod that fixes this?

In Battletech Revised, hitting Withdraw gives you an evac zone that you have to get to. The mod also makes an attempt to put the zone somewhere sensible.