Battletech is back!!!

[Jarhead0331]

I had a mission last night where the stupid dropship kept delivering one of my mechs onto a large rock. The mech wasn't equipped with jumpjets so it could not move. Very frustrating. I had to reload the mission with a reordered lance so that a mech with jumpjets was dropped onto that spot.

Very annoying.

I also had one of those three skull missions last night with a "heavy" target objective where I raised the salvage recovery over C-bills and ended up fighting light mechs and large tracked vehicle. Dumb. This three skull mission was easier than many 1.5 skull missions I've been on and certainly easier than the 2 skull ammo dump campaign mission. The fact that the game is difficult at times isn't the problem. The real issue is that the difficulty rating system is extremely unreliable. I get that there is sometimes a lack of intelligence, or due to misinformation, but that is not always made clear. I think the difficulty rating system needs to be focused and rebalanced.

[DennisS]

I had a mission last night where the stupid dropship kept delivering one of my mechs onto a large rock. The mech wasn't equipped with jumpjets so it could not move. Very frustrating. I had to reload the mission with a reordered lance so that a mech with jumpjets was dropped onto that spot.

Very annoying.

I also had one of those three skull missions last night with a "heavy" target objective where I raised the salvage recovery over C-bills and ended up fighting light mechs and large tracked vehicle. Dumb. This three skull mission was easier than many 1.5 skull missions I've been on and certainly easier than the 2 skull ammo dump campaign mission. The fact that the game is difficult at times isn't the problem. The real issue is that the difficulty rating system is extremely unreliable. I get that there is sometimes a lack of intelligence, or due to misinformation, but that is not always made clear. I think the difficulty rating system needs to be focused and rebalanced.

Warning - there be numbers here!

I taught statistics for several years. My ideas on difficulty ratings are that they need to resemble a distribution curve, with a small standard deviation.

Lets assume 30 tons per mech average per skull. Not sure what this value is, but for the porpoises of discussion, let's place it there.
30 tons for one skull - 120 tons total
40 tons for two skulls - 160 tons total
50 tons for three skulls - 200 tons total
60 tons for four skulls - 240 tons total
70 tons for five skulls - 280 tons total

One standard deviation, covering about 70% of the missions, would have a total tunnage within 20 tons (5 tons/mech being the deviation)
One deviation - 70% of missions
One skull - 100 to 140 tons
Two skulls - 140 to 180 tons
Three skulls - 180 to 220 tons
Four skulls - 220 to 260 tons
Five skulls - 260 to 300 tons

Adding in a second standard deviation would comprise from about 70% to 95% of all mission generations, or about 1/4th of the time
Two deviations - 25% of missions
One skull - 80 to 160 tons
Two skulls - 120 to 200 tons
Three skulls - 160 to 240 tons
Four skulls - 200 to 280 tons
Five skulls - 240 to 320 tons

Adding in a third deviation would get silly...and would result in 60 tons all the way to 340 tons, with wide variations to individual battles.

With any system where forces are generated semi-randomly, you're going to have cases where a strong one-skull may be tougher than a weak two-skull. The way around this would be to reduce the level of deviation between skulls. This is not optimal. I WANT a combination of easy and more difficult missions.

I do not know how HBS selects what mechs show up in a lance. This is one way to do it:

Roll on the standard deviation table for total tonnage. One skull? Let's say the AI got lucky, and rolled 140 tons.
Roll for first mech - On the 140 ton, none selected yet. This list almost certainly would not, could not have a 100-ton atlas...insufficient tonnage left for three other mechs. I would limit tonnage for first mech to 50% total tunnage available.
BOOM! Nice roll, a 50-ton Enforcer, with an AC-10!
90 tons left, three techs to get
BOOM! A 40-ton Vulcan...down to 50 tons left.
Clearly, gotta save a minimum of 20 tons for the fourth, so you get a 30-20, or two 25 ton mechs.

This system, or one similar to this would work. I suspect that HBS' system is fantastically more complex than this..this took me 5 minutes to puzzle out.

[Cyrano]

You guys are nerds.

And the best kind of nerds at that.

I'm going to pour me a cocktail, pull up a chair, and listen.

[Geezer]

Beta release 1.0.3 is available on Steam.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/637090/discussions/0/2828702372993202160/

[Gusington]

 :dreamer:

[vyshka]

Hey JH -- I just did that mission yesterday. Question: is one of your mechs a dedicated missile boat? Especially in this mission, I think one is indispensable in order to be able to hit enemies at a safe, hidden distance.

For this mission, I had: Thunderbolt, Kintaro, Shadow Hawk, and Centurion. In some ways, the Centurion is always my key mech. It can fire a total salvo of 40 LRM++ (in three banks, 15, 15, 10) that do substantial stability damage. My usual tactic involves my scout Shadow Hawk spotting and sensor locking for my Centurion, who then barrages the enemy from safe distance while my other 2 mechs close for the knockdown.

The supply depot mission is very much a 'let them come to you' type mission, though that's usually my SOP anyway. Ignore the cargo trucks; if you try to intercept them, you'll just come in sight of the Turrets, which you want to avoid at all costs. You also want to avoid being spotted by enemy mechs that act as spotters for the missile turrets.

So like you're doing, use the terrain and stay behind the rocky outcroppings and out of sight as much as you can. Use your scout unit to get high and spot -- yes he'll inevitably get spotted and shot at, but using Vigilance helps here. Meanwhile, use your missile boat to knock the hell out of mechs that stick their heads out. In addition to my 40-rocket Centurion, my Kintaro sports 20 LRM++ missiles. Being able to hit an enemy mech with potentially 60 LRMs in a round is key for me. I'm usually guaranteed a knockdown that way.

This is a tough fight. I ignored the cargo trucks but saved all the caches, and the payout was good. My Thunderbolt had an exposed core that made for some dicey rounds, but he survived. Also, because the mission is on an effin' desert planet, heat management makes things harder. (I find I try to avoid missions on deserts -- and esp. lunar -- worlds wherever possible; i look for tundra and polar whenever i can.)

Question for SDR -- I find the Jaegermech hard to use. Do you like yours? I have mine outfitted with one AC 5++ and one AC 10++. Decent armor and 4 jumpjets, so good mobility and heat management. I just find he never packs enough punch to be worth taking him on missions. I usually ignore the AC 2 but maybe I should try outfitting one.

Good advice. I have two centurians, but I normally shelve them since they don't come equipped with jump jets. I prefer mobility and getting in close with guns and lasers. However, I have not tried focusing on LRM strikes for knockdowns. I will give this strategy a shot.

Once again, I have not even come across a Kintaro or Thunderbolt in my travels.

I agree about the desert and lunar worlds. I avoid them like the plague. Especially with my preferred strategy of using heat intensive weaponry.

I did the Smithon mission with a Kintaro, Quickdraw, Shadow Hawk, and Trebuchet. At the end only the Shadow Hawk and the Treb were standing. The treb ended it with no missiles and 1 arm and he punched the dragon to end it.

I loved my Jager, but it sure was a glass cannon. It mostly sits in the mech bay now.

[SirAndrewD]

I just salvaged my first Awesome, but it was an 8T.  The 8T is anything but Awesome.  I prefer my brawler Orions.

I'm going to head back to the story line with my Highlander, with two Orions and a Cataphract. 

All these heavy and assault mechs are starting to make me feel like a Steiner.

What do you put in a Steiner scout lance?

Atlas-D  Scout
Atlas-D  backup Scout
Atlas-D  Support
Atlas-D  Brawler

[vyshka]

Story missions are starting to get ridiculous.



SPOILER WARNING

I'm stuck on the mission where you're supposed to rescue Alex from the APC.

First off, I don't think it's possible to even get to the prisoner convoy before it gets to the base so right off the bat, you're up against 5 vehicles, 3 turrets and a mech.  I was able to take them down without too much damage but I did burn through a lot of ammo.

Then you have to fight off a wave of reinforcements.  3-4 mechs and 3-4 tanks that arrive as a scripted event and get to activate before you can react.  Took them out but suffered a few ammo blowthroughs and burned through the last of my LRM and flamer ammo.

Then you have to get to a rendezvous point.  I figured it would end once I got into the zone but nope, you then have to keep all 4 mechs in the zone and just basically get the snot pounded out of you by 8 enemy mechs for 5 turns until relief shows up.   Bloody ridiculous.

SPOILER WARNING

Yeah, that was a rough mission. I don't it is possible to get to the APC. Possibly if you had mediums or lights and went up the road, but they wouldn't survive. I think it is part of the story anyways that she takes off with him.

[CptHowdy]

just finished the rescue alex mission. had to take kamea of course but also brought the highlander and two thunderbolts. both thunderbolts were LRM carriers so had plenty of ammo for the fighting. kamea took a pounding. she took a couple of injuries but survived. atlas was wrecked at the end but it was still standing! even fought an extra round at the end because i moved the highlander out of the zone by mistake  :(    good mission, i liked it. bring plenty of firepower!!

[Jarhead0331]

I just came across my first heavy on a 2 skull mission...a cataphract. Wow.

I'm running with 2 kintaros, a trebuchet and a hunchback. My inclination to keep the hunchback in my lance is wavering. The AC 20 is great, but that's all it has going for it. A centurion loaded with LRMs May be more effective overall....

[SirAndrewD]

I just came across my first heavy on a 2 skull mission...a cataphract. Wow.

I'm running with 2 kintaros, a trebuchet and a hunchback. My inclination to keep the hunchback in my lance is wavering. The AC 20 is great, but that's all it has going for it. A centurion loaded with LRMs May be more effective overall....

The Cataphract is a great mech.  It can do almost anything.  If you manage to salvage one you can move the AC20 over there and wreck face with it.  It can take the AC20 and still have support lasers and good heat management. 

How you decide to use the Hunchback decides its utility.   I used mine with a Centurion, both equipped with AC20's to target legs on precision strike.  Then I put the kill blow on with the other leg delievered by my heavier mechs.  It worked in the early midgame, but I abandoned it when I got heaver machines. 

The AC20 alone on one Mech is ok.  Bringing two or three is where they become very good.  You can get a lot of salvage by precision striking legs, and coming out with 2/3 of a Mech almost every time. 

However, like you say LRM's may be more effective overall.  I priority hit a Trebuchet or Catapult every time I see one because of their knockdown potential.

I'm not really a fan of the Kintaro.  I felt like it was a heat generating monster when I was using it.  Like the above it's good for a knockdown though.

[CptHowdy]

im on the assaulting coromordir story mission. currently running missions to collect enough mechs and weapons to field two lances and training some pilots for them. last mission my pilot took a headshot from a hunchback ac/20. luckily i am invincible and only out for 70 days!! my main lance has two highlanders(one from story mission and a different model sporting a ppc) other two mechs are missile boats. both are jagermech A models that have 4 missile hardpoints. i have put one lrm 20 and two lrm 15 on each. also carry 7 tons of ammo so no back armor for these mechs    can make mechs unsteady in one barrage and the next one knocks em down. leaves my two highlanders with called shots and hopefully kills. that is the gameplan anyway!! argo has been fully maxed out for awhile now and my morale is maxed at 50. great starting a mission with being able to precision strike 2-3 times if necessary.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I'm trying to set up for the final mission as well.  I need to get two pilots up to snuff and get one more decent heavy or assault mech before I try to take on the mission though.

I'm currently on what's turning out to be a very tough random mission.  I need to assassinate a legendary pilot leader.  He's driving a King Crab Assault mech.  First time seeing this beast for me.  I was able to knock it down and get my Grasshopper in range to flame/stomp it so it's pretty much totally defensive now.  Each turn, my flamers overheat it so all it can do is take a few steps and try to cool down.  The problem is that it has 7 mechs (Jenner, 2 Quickshots, Trebuchet, Grasshopper, Orion, and Thunderbolt) And well as 2 Devastators and one PPC tank in support and those things are slowly pounding my mechs into dust.  I really want that King Crab though so I'll keep trying this one.

[Jarhead0331]

Are catapults worth fielding? The dual PPCs are underwhelming, but if  it can be set up as a missile boat, then just maybe....I've presently got a Thunderbolt, Quickdraw, Kintaro and Trebuchet in my lance. Considering subbing out the Kintaro for another Thunderbolt in my bay, but the Kintaro has great firepower...

[DennisS]

Well crap. Just lost my first mission. Had to intercept and destroy a convoy. Problem was four mechs interposed themselves between me and the convoy. Two Panthers, a Blackjack, and a Vindicator. I had four mediums, not significantly heavier than them. The panthers jumped all over the place, and it took too long for me to kill them all.

Good news is that I am just about ready to go to Weldry, and I have three bits and pieces of assault mechs, and I JUST spent a ton of money on a PPC++, which will add +10 to the damage!