Your first impressions of Flashpoint?

[Zeusbunnyears]

I think that first flashpoint is bugged for me, faces off against a bunch of mediums plus a Liao hatchetman then proceeded in the second half to face off against 12 medium mechs including a demolisher, all of which had long range weapons to shoot the buildings, or had an ac20 to one shot the buildings.

Tried doing again with an uber lance and faced off against two weak lances of vehicles including a wolverine and another medium :facepalm: I did the second route that time, but i feel that shouldn’t have impacted the second half. Buildings went completely untouched and the friendly hatchet took a couple scratches.

Kinda ticked I couldn’t get a normal enemy lance instead of the unstoppable long range lance against my n00b lance. But c’est la vie


Anyone know what triggers the other flashpoints? Is it allying?

 

[Nakkivene]

Starting a new career save, so it’s mostly been low-tonnage fights so far.

* Placement of Opfor and extraction points is better. Now that you can get to the extraction without fighting through the Opfor, hit and run tactics become more practical. I've had a couple of missions where I was heavily outclassed by the defenders, but managed to sneak in, hit the objective and pull out before getting trashed.

* AI seems improved; light mechs appear to be more likely to maintain evasion and manoeuvre for back attacks. Swarms of Spiders and Locusts are more interesting than before.

* Mission variety is increased.

Much of goodness.

I wonder about your first two observations, because I've still only had the objective and the extraction point placed exactly so that the opfor is between them, and just last mission the AI derped around in a pond allowing me to kill 2 heavy mechs with back shots from my Awesome and Stalker.

 

[SQW]

No, the AI is still the same. Light mechs still sometimes choose not to move before shooting and the crowd favorite, turning its back towards you after retreating then bracing.

I've always bumped the default evasion for light mechs from 3 to 6 just to give the AI a fighting chance.

 

[Chipchat2]

When do Flashpoints spawn? I loaded up a save after finishing the campaign but I don't have any flashpoints.

 

[SQW]

When do Flashpoints spawn? I loaded up a save after finishing the campaign but I don't have any flashpoints.

It spawns randomly. You just have to keep grinding vanilla contracts until one pops up.

 

[mmurray821]

Yeah, they pop up in ones, then twos, then like mushrooms after a rain.

 

[SQW]

How different are the FPs compared to regular contracts?

The two missions showed during live stream were...pretty basic. You do get a little context through pre-mission brief but it seems the actual mission is still pretty standard. Just how much "hand crafted" do you feel those 30hrs of extra content are? Do you feel playing a 3-contract FP mission is much different from taking 3 vanilla contracts back to back without repair?

 

[Revan Katarn]

Wait. One is the 10Z, but which one was the other?

Probably the 10Q, as @Justin Kase says, but now I don't remember. For now the Cyclops is the new 'Mech that appears the most for me.

@Chipchat2 , for me the first flashpoint appeared 3-4 days after the final mission of the campaign, while I was traveling. I didn't even have time to do any random contract.

@SQW , I've only played one so far, but I feel that they are different, better, but that's probably because they're new. The text/conversation before the contract seems unique, designed for the specific contract. You get to choose the approach (I guess that only sometimes), and there's definitevely a difference in playing a flashpoint with X consecutive deployments than X random missions, because, be honest, you will wait to repair some of your more precious 'Mechs. Also, it's different for the "plot", meaning that the X consecutive deployments of the flashpoint are connected, developing a short story. On the other hand, X random contracts will be... random

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Had my second Flashpoint called "Headhunting" for the Davions. Difficulty of 3.5 skulls, two missions with a break for repairs in between. First mission was a battle. Then I got to decide, which of the two pirate leaders I want to hunt down in a Assassination mission, which is important for the potential loot. I have to admit, that I expected something more difficult and maybe the risk vs reward ratio is a bit off here.

Spoiler

I got a frigging Gauss Rifle! Which is great, because the one I had on my Highlander since that campaign mission got destroyed sometime in the past.

Besides that I have a good enough standing to Ally with the Davions or Taurians. But I am a bit reluctant to mess up my standing with one of these two.

 

[SpectralThundr]

Very happy so far, I love the branching nature of FP's, this really adds alot for replayability and the actual short stories themselves so far have been fun and entertaining for sure. Of course getting rewarded at the end of a long contract with a pair of gauss riffles is oh so very satisfying.

 

[Brother Diogenes]

The new mechs are in the skirmish mechlab, so everybody can check them out there if they haven't seen one in campaign yet.

Notably, the Cyclops 10Q doesn't have the battle computer.

 

[Nakkivene]

Okay, I'm a bit confused. I thought the Flashpoints were supposed to be post-campaign content, but all of them thus far have had me face mostly mediums and even a locust. And some low-armor pirates? It seems like they're more like career mode content.

The pirates in this Liao mission were a bit annoying, up-gunned mechs which I've never seen before I think? Low armor but they spawned in and oneshot a few buildings, denying me a perfect mission score. Bah.

Also the choice was weird, okay I don't steal the mech. Then I receive it anyway?

What do I do with a SLDF Griffin, anyways?

 

[Manu Forever]

Really enjoying it!

I decided to try to get maximum points on an Ironman first playthrough so I've been taking every mission on a planet and moving as little as possible, am about 100 days in. I have 6 pilots nicely rounding into shape, a pretty upgraded Argo, but only 45t and under mechs... and an Orion from the mission where you go against "veteran mechwarrriors in old mechs".

Paid $500k to access to black market stores (well worthwhile! Now I have to make the money to buy the shiny things), have been offered 2 flashpoints but figure I need at least a couple of 55ters to give them a go. Also turned down the new mission type because I figured my 45ters would get splattered waiting around for 3 turns while the artillery comes in.

Overall really enjoying it.

 

[Confector Tyrannis]

Wait, so despite having 15 mechs in your bay, you can't switch mechs in between flashpoint missions? Does this hold true for every FP missions? If so, that's a pretty bad way of implementing this. There's no tactics - just RNG on whether your follow up mission fits your first mission's lance profile. Since ALL missions are search and destroy, it's pretty awful that a player picks his/her heaviest mechs only to get shafted on a random convoy destroy mission through the woods later on.

SOME missions are consecutive deployments, meaning no chance to change/repair anything. Some Flashpoints DO have intermissions where you're back at the Argo and need to accept the new part, so you will have time to repair/swap out 'Mechs some of the time.

The whole POINT and PURPOSE of Flashpoint was actually to address the community desire FOR such things like long deployments where that unluck legging your Scout took in mission one comes back to bite you later etc. It's the modern day version of the old "War" contracts you used to get in the original Mechwarrior (i'm talkin like 386/486 cpu days..)
The only thing I miss is being able to 'force' the potential employer into better salvage.
Right now we just have the sliding bar... In the original you could put together a counteroffer to the contract ,and they either accepted it or didn't. Funny how a lot of them would finally cave in and give me 'all salvage' in order to run their war for them.

 

[Wanderfound]

I wonder about your first two observations, because I've still only had the objective and the extraction point placed exactly so that the opfor is between them, and just last mission the AI derped around in a pond allowing me to kill 2 heavy mechs with back shots from my Awesome and Stalker.

Yeah, it looks like it was wishful thinking on my part. I've had a mix of extraction point placements since then, and light mechs are still occasionally doing their daft stand and shoot behaviour.

Shame; an AI and scenario layout tweak is the feature I'd be most interested in. There's room for improvement that isn't being used.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

I just had the Flashpoint "The Opportunist". And it had such a great plot twist at the end, it was amazing. Whoever has created the story line should get a free beer by @HBS_HighCommand

 

[Gronk311]

Shame; an AI and scenario layout tweak is the feature I'd be most interested in. There's room for improvement that isn't being used.

Yet. I’m sure that the HBS team is watching for our reactions to Flashpoint and will make decisions about Urban Warfare and the next release with them in mind.

I’m not saying that HBS will give us anything we say we want (@HBS_HighCommand says NO!), but our input will be taken into consideration.

 

[DutchRits]

My first impression of Flashpoint?

I don’t have one, even though I paid for it and downloaded it. I’m waiting for an update to ModTek and BTML so I can have my Warhammer, Marauder, and Phoenix Hawk, again, along with the JK_Variants and my other customizations.

Once you mod, it’s too painful to go back to vanilla.

Edit: just saw that there’s movement on the mod front. Gonna try this weekend, hopefully.

 

[HF22]

A lot of these hand crafted Flashpoint missions needed more play testing.

I'm doing the Marik Alliance one, & there is some weird choices. A destroy convoy mission where the escort lance spawns & fights in your extraction point.

And tonnage limits by 'Mech & not for the lance? I can design my 18 'Mech bays to carry a couple of 200 ton lances. I can't have it hold 6 50 tonners all the time.

 

[ranger101]

Wait, so despite having 15 mechs in your bay, you can't switch mechs in between flashpoint missions? Does this hold true for every FP missions? If so, that's a pretty bad way of implementing this. There's no tactics - just RNG on whether your follow up mission fits your first mission's lance profile. Since ALL missions are search and destroy, it's pretty awful that a player picks his/her heaviest mechs only to get shafted on a random convoy destroy mission through the woods later on.

You can switch mechs between missions. You cannot do any repairs. Yang will replace armor and nothing else! I did Joint Venture, took option B. Went in with a Vindicator, Panther, Jenner & Firestarter: 1st mission found 1st lance Shadowhawk H, a Trebuchet, & an Awesome 8Q, 2nd lance Shadowhawk H, a Kintaro, & a Trebuchet. 2nd mission: went in with Vindicator, Panther, Jenner, & Hatchetman(Ally/Locked Slot) as Firestarter was missing both arms & torsos. 1st lance Striker, Bulldog, Locust S, & Shadowhawk H, 2nd Lance Stiker, Manticore, SRM Carrier, & an Orion K.

Booty: 1st Mission 2/3 Awesome misc weapons 2nd Mission Shadowhawk H SRM6 +++ misc parts

Rare weapon LRM 15 ++, 1/3 of 3 different mechs 1+40arm mod, 1 +5DFA leg mod, Flamer ++, LLaser + PPC++ Good Loot