Battletech is back!!!

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Yup.  Re-do!

[CptHowdy]

So.....

The game is going to be a challenge for me and I'm going to really have to read up on stuff.

After the first intro mission I'm left with 1 serviceable mech, 2 dead pilots and lacking in funds. Do I re-start the game or should I be hiring new pilots? Do I repair those mechs? Buy new ones?

My guess is re-start and suck less 

you could also do skirmish mode to get the hang of battle then try out the story again.

[SirAndrewD]

Yeah, you took too many losses to go on. 

Here's the thing.  Don't take this like X-Com.

Sometimes you'll lose.  If you do, you can re-load from a previous save.  I don't save scum, but I've got back and taken different approaches.  This game has a lose state, you can get wrecked and ended.  If you do, just step back.  Going on just gets you down the drain. 

The first mission is rough, everyone loses Dekker,  least for a bit, if not forever.  Lose more and you're done, for good.  You need to have the resources to press on. 

Survive, do what you can to do so, and then progress very carefully.  Follow the story as best you can, get a couple of heavy Mechs and most of all get the Argo.  The Argo is life.  It's where the game starts.  You can't do anything stuffed in a Leopard.

I got the Argo fast, lost no one.  I've got 10.5 Million C-Bills and no deaths.  No save-scumming.  It can be done.  You just have to be careful.

[Yskonyn]

Battletech is truely tactical. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of the machines and how the modifiers work.
On the Goodwill's Grogheads forum (link in sig) I've posted a tactics primer that's written for tabletop, but applicable to the digital game as well.

[SirAndrewD]

Ha!  Freebirths!  You'll not pass your trial and end up in Solhama!

[JudgeDredd]

So.....

The game is going to be a challenge for me and I'm going to really have to read up on stuff.

After the first intro mission I'm left with 1 serviceable mech, 2 dead pilots and lacking in funds. Do I re-start the game or should I be hiring new pilots? Do I repair those mechs? Buy new ones?

My guess is re-start and suck less 

After the first intro mission?  :DD

You might want to drop the difficulty down. As I knew nothing about this game, I dropped it down at the beginning and I'm having a great time.

[Gusington]

What level are you playing at JD?

[bboyer66]

Salvaged my first Thunderbolt mech and the thing is a monster.

Modified it to max armor, and a f-ton of short range weaponry. All it takes now, to take out most enemy mechs, is one salvo from my Thunderbolt, followed by a melee attack in the next round.

Also I salvaged a Hunchback with the AC-20 on its shoulder. An excellent balanced mech, that can put out a large amount of damage, as well as take it.

So right now I am running a:

Griffin: Excellent for scouting, jumping around, attacking from behind, sensor locking , melee, and has decent armor. Light mechs are just too squishy and do not put out enough firepower. Especially in the battles where you are outnumbered, which is most of them. Oh, I also modified its weapons loadout to be more short range/ambush friendly. Really don't want my scout engaging in long range engagements anyways.

Trebuchet: modified to just fire LRMs  With a LRM-20 and LRM15, this thing just beats the crap out of anything it targets. Removed all medium lasers to make room for the LRM-20 and additional missile ammo.

Hunchback: See above

Thunderbolt: See above

The AI loves to attack by closing in on you. Usually one mech at time, doing a shit job of supporting each other. Keep your mechs pretty close together and Focus down 1 enemy mech at a time with all your mechs firepower combined. Keep your LRM carrier way back, and just shoot indirectly. If the enemy can take shots at your LRM support mech, you likely have already lost the engagement.

[JudgeDredd]

What level are you playing at JD?

I'll have to check, but I think the easiest. I do suck at strategy games

[acctingman]

Wait......there is a difficulty adjustment in the game??? :wow:

[JudgeDredd]

uhuh - first thing I checked

[Gusington]

 

[CptHowdy]

What level are you playing at JD?

I'll have to check, but I think the easiest. I do suck at strategy games

where is this difficulty setting located? i started a new campaign to see if i can find it but i had to go through character creation first. is this option after you create character? i did not finish the character creation. seems like a difficulty setting would be first thing you get to choose. anyway i just liberated house karosas. my toughest mission yet. 8 mechs and 4 turrets against my 4 med mechs. they did not come at me 1 at a time. had all 8 in my face!!! my character was knocked out near end of battle and is now out for 82 days!! any other pilot would have died i imagine. also managed to salvage one last piece for my first heavy mech.

[Grim.Reaper]

i thought i read articles where it was stated no difficulty settings included within the game so will be interesting to hear if that was not true.

[SirAndrewD]

I haven't seen any difficulty settings.