BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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NickAragua
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

Heh, I get it.

Anyway, looks like most mods (at least the ones that require BTML/Modtek) are currently non-functional.

But the rest of the game is pretty fun. I haven't really seen much of the new content yet, but they've definitely improved the polish on it.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by GreenGoo »

Am I reading steam right? $56 for the season pass? Does it come with season opera and football tickets too? $56 is more than I'll pay for a game, let alone a season pass.

What am I missing?
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Hyena »

Nick, are you planning on trying out Career mode? I'm really tempted, seeing as I don't usually need the massive payouts from the story missions. Well, maybe the first one or two, but once I get going, I don't even notice the payday...
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

Yeah, I started up a round of career mode, mostly because I don't want to get into a replay of the story campaign + all the flashpoints and such right now. I figure once people get their mods working again, then I may go for a campaign playthrough. But for now, career mode it is.

I like it, nobody bothering you with their back stories, teenage angst and royal intrigue. Just me, and my mechs vs the galaxy. I even saw a Hatchetman. It hung out across a ravine and took some fire, until one of my mechs blew out its AC/10 ammo bin, at which point it fell over. I did manage to score a Shadow Hawk from that mission though. Since I"ve got the "salvaged mechs come empty" setting on, I felt ok about changing its loadout to an AC/10 and an LRM/10 launcher. Kind of like a Centurion, except with jump jets. Same mission, my Vindicator's right half got blown off, so now it's got an LRM/10 launcher instead of the piddly little 5 and small laser that it started with.

I also made an unfortunate mistake customizing an empty Panther. Put in a large laser and two mediums, plus an SRM/6 launcher. Send it out on a mission, go to hit the jump jet button. Beep. What? Why aren't the jump jets work... oh, right. Forgot to put jump jets on it. :(

Another mistake I made was picking all salvage on a target extraction mission. Thinking I'd blow up the mechs there as well and bag some goods. Well, turns out I was outnumbered and outmassed, so I just had the Spider jump in, extract the guy, then we all ran for the evac point. The problem: pay out was like 30k C-Bills, since I took max salvage. Could have been 400k. :(

Anyway, I'm not having any trouble financially so far. Beelining for the tech upgrades for the Argo so I can get my mechs fixed up faster.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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NickAragua wrote: Tue Nov 27, 2018 3:50 pmPublic service announcement, RE: Bulwark. It works differently now. It stacks with cover and the guarded state. So if you want to tank incoming damage, you better be in some woods or a whirlwind. At least the way I read it.
Accurate. Instead of a fixed 50% damage reduction and standing out in the open like a badass, you now need to be more active in using it. The details are (from the official forums):
No Bulwark, in the open: 0% DR
No Bulwark, in cover: 20% DR
No Bulwark, guarded: 20% DR
No Bulwark, in cover, guarded: 40% DR
Bulwark, in the open: 0% DR
Bulwark, in cover: 40% DR
Bulwark, guarded: 40% DR
Bulwark, in cover, guarded: 60% DR
I spend a lot of time working inside Forests naturally, so this makes Bulwark more appealing than before. Doubling tree cover bonuses is nice.

Also from the official forums:
Players can now move 'Mechs from one Mech Bay slot to another. Organize away!
Worth every penny. :P

Still hasn't fixed my "Bright Pink" mech deployment sometimes, where I drop with no skins on my Mechs maybe 5% of the time. I'm certain that I've updated my video drivers before but will try it again. It has no bearing on the game play except to make my Mechs garish for a fight now and then.

I started a fresh Campaign (which means no Flashpoint missions until its done). The only other setting I tweaked was requiring 5 salvage parts to get a Mech instead of 3. After three hours of fighting Light mechs, I got a Firestarter. Woo!

I know I'm wasting my time, but I really want to get at least one of every Mech - and am sticking with the pre-Argo missions for a while to try and get the Lights. I remember having a really hard time prioritizing acquiring them when I had better (bigger) Mechs to choose from. Staying in the tight "Lights Only" zone that every mission has before the Argo is making it very easy to decide. It's also comical (sad) when I get -all- of the Salvage from a mission - which amounts to 2 Mech pieces and a medium laser.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

NickAragua,

I was looking over the list of mods you use from a couple pages ago - while also browsing mods on Nexus - and wondered what you thought of the Vehicle Improvements mod. I like the thought of crawlers being useful and not just target practice, but sometimes don't care for the way modders implement things. Did you feel this was a clean mod and meshed well?

I'm looking forward to re-installing a few mods once the authors catch up to 1.3 and Flashpoint, and was considering this one.

I used some of the others you were playing with, as well as Battletech Enhanced - More Gear More Options, which may not be completely lore-friendly and as such, may not be your cup of tea.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

The "vehicle improvement project" (https://www.nexusmods.com/battletech/mods/255) is definitely on my list and gets a big thumbsup. For one, it adds a bunch of fast-moving hovercraft (including the dreaded Saladin with its AC/20). Also, the increased vehicle variety makes it so that you can't immediately tell what kind of vehicle you're facing just based on the tonnage level.

I'm waiting on a full campaign playthrough until the modders catch up because, every time you install a mod, you run a risk of your save becoming unusable. So that makes career mode perfect to putz around a bit.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by jztemple2 »

I broke down and got the DLC although I don't plan on playing till after I burn out on Just Cause 4. This is one of those games where I'd like to show support for the devs, although I just can't pull the trigger on spending all that money for the Season Pass :roll:

I put in 30 hours on the game earlier this year and got part way through the Campaign, but when I restart I think I might jump into the Career mode, it sounds more like the play style I'd enjoy. Any recommendations on how to get back up to speed with the game, besides doing some skirmish mode battles?

Also, I picked up the beta manual before release, has there ever been a true manual made available?

And although I'm not playing the game right now, I am geeking out on all the Mech talk here in the thread :clap:
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Isgrimnur »

Image
The BATTLETECH Season Pass includes Flashpoint and two upcoming BATTLETECH expansions at a discounted price.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Kasey Chang »

Is there a post to help a BT noob like me? I won the first mission, got exiled, and won the first merc mission but lost 2 mechs and one pilot. I figure I such really bad. :-P
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

Ouch. Nasty loss for the first mission.

A beginner's post? I can start putting one together - but I expect others might too... Maybe we can all compare notes as we go? :D I'll add my notes here as I come up with them.

Combat Concepts
  • Movement is life. By moving you build Evade, which reduces an enemy's chance to hit. Each time someone fires at a Mech, it loses a point of Evade. Basic moves generate small amounts of Evade, but no heat. Sprint generates more Evade, but more heat. Jumping generates lots of Evade, and lots of heat (based on the number of jump jets).
  • Heat is generated by most actions. You can see your Mech's current and projected heat in their quick reference indicator. Current heat is solid red, projected heat flashes. If you exceed the 'safe' heat levels (a bar about 2/3 of the way up the bar), your Mech will take internal damage until it cools down.
  • Stability is also shown in your Mech's quick reference indicator as yellow bars. When this hits 5 bars, your Mech will fall over, causing 1 point of damage to the pilot and reducing your Mech's initiative by 1 until it gets up. PPC's and ballistics can generate stability damage, missiles can generate more, and direct melee hits generate the most. If a weapon causes stability damage, it's shown in the stats.
  • Internal Structure is shown as grey on the quick reference and red on the paperdoll for the Mech. When a segment of your Mech hits zero internal structure, it breaks off - taking everything with it. If you lose a left or right torso, that also takes the arm off with it. Internal damage costs time and money to repair after combat.
  • Armor is the white bar on the quick reference, and white on the paperdoll. Armor absorbs damage safely, and costs nothing to repair at the end of combat. Each segment of your Mech has it's own armor value, and it's not shared as a whole by the Mech. If an Arm loses 20 points of armor, only that arm has lost armor, not the rest of the Mech.
  • Pilot Health is shown as bars below the pilot portrait. Basic pilots have 3 health, and it increases with experience and skill gains in Guts.
  • Initiative is the speed a Mech moves in combat turns. Faster Mechs go first, and slower ones last. Turrets typically go last in combat. If you want to save your turn to go after enemies (for tactical purposes), you can click "Reserve" (I think). Reserving your Mechs will hold onto any defensive bonuses they may have accumulated until you either end the turn or use them for something else.
  • Sometimes a direct fight isn't the best way in a mission. Look for circuitous routes to objectives, turret generators (which will destroy turrets attached to it when it's destroyed). Especially in scripted Campaign missions.
Combat Actions - Each turn of combat lets you perform certain actions.
  • Attack - Select a target within range.
    • Normally this ends your turn and you can't move or defend afterwards.
    • Unless your pilot has the skill that allows them to move after firing, it's best to end your turn by shooting.
    • Each weapon will generate heat when it's fired. You'll see the projected aggregate heat shown on the quick reference as a flashing bar. Be sure this doesn't go over the safe line, or you'll take internal damage. To reduce the heat generated by firing, de-select some weapons from the list on the side. You'll perform fewer attacks, but won't hurt yourself.
  • Move - Move to a space within range of your Mech.
    • This range changes based on some pilot skills, Mech speed, and terrain.
    • You can Attack or Defend after a Move, but not Jump or Move again.
    • When you move, lines will show between each hex you mouse over and potential targets you can hit with that Mech from that hex.
    • You'll see >>>> marks over your potential location. Each is a point of 'Evade' - move further to get a larger stack of Evade.
    • Moving through "rough terrain" (rocky icon) will make your Mech 50% more susceptible to stability damage.
    • Moving into light cover (indicated by green dots in the middle of the hex) will provide Cover, adding 20% damage resistance to your Mech.
    • When you mouse over a target, you'll see chevrons around them. These chevrons denote the weapon group's effective range.
      Example: Your Blackjack moves to a hex and you have two targets. One of them is further off and has a pair of gold chevrons around silver ones. This indicates group 1 (AC2's) is perfectly in range, but group 2 (Medium Lasers) is not in ideal range and will be harder to hit with. The other is a little closer and has two pairs of gold chevrons. This means both the AC2's and Medium Lasers will have good chances to hit.
    • Some weapons have minimum ranges that they either can't hit within or are very ineffective at. PCC's and LRM's are good examples of this.
    • If you Move into an enemy Mech, your Mech will position for a melee attack.
      • You can select any space available before executing this.
      • Melee attacks do high stability damage and can blow through armor and internals on some lighter Mechs.
      • Tanks are susceptible to melee damage.
  • Sprint - Move at a faster pace and go further, but generate some heat doing so.
    • Sprinting ends your turn. It's a good way to retreat a Mech that's taking heavy fire or is in danger of being destroyed.
    • Sprinting is a good way to move from cover to cover safely if it's too far to walk.
    • I believe Sprinting "heals" the least stability damage.
  • Jump - Jump a number of hexes based on how many Jump Jets the Mech has installed.
    • Jumping generates heat for each jet used, and I think more if you jump further.
    • I don't believe Jumping "heals" stability damage.
    • Jumping does let you build high amounts of Evade easily, but at the cost of building heat. If you've got a really heat-efficient Mech, it's a solid defensive plan.
    • Jumping can be used as an attack. This is called "Death From Above" or "DBA" - the damage this does is shown in the weapons panel in the bottom-right corner.
      • When you execute a DBA, your attacking Mech will suffer damage to both of its legs.
  • The next three slots in the quick bar are reserved for pilot abilities, like multi-target or bulwark.
  • Defend. Your Mech assumes a defensive posture, and your turn ends.
    • This adds 20% damage reduction. It combines with other Defensive bonuses. Being in Cover adds 20%, so does Bulwark (when used with Cover or Defend). This caps at 60% damage reduction.
    • Defending "heals" all Stability damage.
Last edited by Paingod on Wed Nov 28, 2018 2:36 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

Like, "no idea what's going on" beginner? Or "need some tactical tips" beginner?

For the former, that Beta manual still holds true for most of it:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.harebraine ... manual.pdf

The "cover", "guarded" and "entrenched" status effects have changed considerably as we discussed above, as have the mechwarrior abilities.

As for tactical tips, here are a few:
Don't stay still. Try to maximize the number of evasion chevrons (the little >>> icons next to your mech's name) to make yourself harder to hit. You get evasion chevrons by moving. Other things that affect shot difficulty are weapons range and obstructions. Until your mechwarriors level up their piloting skill, your mechs max out at 4 evasion chevrons, so don't bother trying to go for more than the max.

Use obstacles to your advantage. Instead of running into a crowd of enemy mechs/tanks, hang out behind a rock outcropping or something - you're only shooting at the one guy at a time (most of the time) anyway, no need to let all his buddies get shots on you. At the very least, hang out in the woods for some slight damage reduction.

Watch your heat. If you go over a certain level, your mech will start slowly frying itself. That's expensive. And if you heat up enough, it'll just plain old shut down on you. Unless you're running a "Sleepy Awesome", that's not great. Watching your heat means not firing weapons that have low hit odds, and sometimes not firing weapons even if you have good hit odds. Or even sometimes running away for a turn to hide behind a rock and cool off. Water is great for helping with heat management, some other terrain is "not so great" (watch out for radiation fields).

Concentrate fire. Every time you take a shot at a mech with a lot of evasion chevrons, it knocks one of them off. Sensor lock knocks two off, so it may be worth it to forego firing to sensor lock a particularly fast mech, and watch your hit odds go up. While a mech's performance degrades with damage, it never really goes to 0 until you completely destroy it.

Don't neglect melee (hit "V" during the movement phase). You do 2x the listed damage against tanks. "Support" weapons (flamers, small lasers, machine guns) automatically fire "for free" during melee attacks as well.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Hyena »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 2:15 pm
Don't neglect melee (hit "V" during the movement phase). You do 2x the listed damage against tanks. "Support" weapons (flamers, small lasers, machine guns) automatically fire "for free" during melee attacks as well.
This last part is so true. First time I played the campaign, I didn't really get into melee range that often. I thought, "Hey, I have a PPC and lasers, why the hell would I want to get up close?" Then I crushed a tank with one step that would have taken me three or four alpha strikes and an entire turn (or two) to kill and it clicked. I even went so far as to outfit a Battlemaster with six "++" small lasers and a "++" arm mod that did an additional 60 points of damage. I started taking down heavy mechs in one melee attack (with the aftershock of 100 or so points of small laser damage, as well) with around 190-220 points of total damage in one punch.

Melee is your friend.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

I never really decked out a Mech for melee. I should try it.

I mostly use it for stomping tanks and body-slamming other Mechs from behind - not as a deliberate offensive move. If I recall correctly, too - a clean hit can break defense and reduce Evade to zero.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by jztemple2 »

Keep posting those tips, I'm pasting them into a Word file :D
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Cylus Maxii »

Due to the evasion mechanics, it is sometimes advantageous to spread fire around to knock as many chevrons off as you can. Even if a weapon does little damage or has a small chance to hit, it will knock off a chevron. It is also sometimes good to delay an alpha strike from a more potent mech so that you can knock of a few chevrons with other mechs. You need to develop a similar sensibility about stability damage and maybe delay an energy attack to use a melee or ballistic attack to first knockdown a mech and then hit it with energy weapons. IIRC, sensor locks also reduce evasion chevrons.

Also not mentioned by others is to try look at target damage and hit them from a side where you are more likely to penetrate damaged armor (or from behind where they have less). Even if your skills are more basic, its sometimes worthwhile to take leg shots to knock down a mech. Conversely, you need to move/position your mechs to take advantage of partial cover from buildings and terrain, or to keep the enemy from firing into exposed areas of your damaged mechs.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

Cylus Maxii wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 4:31 pm Due to the evasion mechanics, it is sometimes advantageous to spread fire around to knock as many chevrons off as you can. Even if a weapon does little damage or has a small chance to hit, it will knock off a chevron. It is also sometimes good to delay an alpha strike from a more potent mech so that you can knock of a few chevrons with other mechs.
Yeah, this works really well with a mech that has a lot of guns and a guy with the multi-shot ability, enabling you to take an evasion chevron off of everyone in the area.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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Another combat tidbit - be sure you adjust your facing so your damaged limbs aren't facing enemies. Everything has four sides to attack, and the side facing an enemy is the most likely to be hit. If you've got an arm with an AC10 installed in it and there's 5 internal structure left on it, keep it well away from hostile fire!

When I move, I usually try and keep targets right at the edge of my cone of fire, ensuring they will most likely fire back at my sides and not my tenders.

Also: I'm toying with a Firestarter that has 6x Machine Guns right now. He walked up to a Spider and did a called shot on it's head - leaving it with 6 internal health. From across the map, my Blackjack cleanly poked out the rest of the cockpit with a random shot.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

Well, that was quick. Mods are working again.

You'll need the latest releases of BattleTech Mod Loader (BTML) and ModTek from here:
https://github.com/janxious

Drop dead simple how-to guide:
https://github.com/janxious/ModTek/wiki ... odTek-mods

Then, apply mods as per preference. Here's my current list:

JK_Variants (tons of new mech and tank variants)
Hangar of the Disposessed (Warhammer, Marauder, Phoenix Hawk)
Vehicle Improvement Project (tons of new vehicles and variants)
BlueDoves Annihilator
BlueDoves Assassin
Mission Control (allows missions to have non-standard spawn spots, extra objectives, mixes the lance lists up, etc)

I'm going to putz around for a little bit more in career mode, but things aren't looking too good for us after we lost a Spider and a mechwarrior, and failed a mission (thanks to a Firestarter jumping in behind said Spider and unloading all of its short range weapons). We'll probably have to take a month to fix up and refit mechs.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Hyena »

I'm in the same boat. I dropped into a 1.5 skull assassinate mission in the corner, and I see three mission objectives:
1. Assassinate diplomat
2. Eliminate escort (4 mechs)
3. Eliminate ambush (4 mechs)

No matter which way I go there's an ambush. Then all eight mechs converge as the diplomat in the Hunchback (AC-20 variant) waltzes up behind them and plays mop up. I've tried the mission three times, and I can usually take out one of the groups, but then they pick me off one at a time.

Back to the drawing board...
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:08 pmHangar of the Disposessed (Warhammer, Marauder, Phoenix Hawk)
I had considered that one, but saw a pile of known bugs with the models (mostly in the Mech Bay) ... does it not cause a problem for you there?
NickAragua wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:08 pmJK_Variants (tons of new mech and tank variants)
Having started a game with 5 salvage required per chassis, I'd worry that this may actually cause me to never get a new Mech again... but what an achievement if I did! I was pretty disappointed that Grim Sybill (Pirate Queen) didn't take to the headshot I gave her, and I only got one part of her Mech at the end. Now I need to collect 4 more pieces of that Quickdraw. Even a cleanly killed Mech only drops 3 salvage, so a perfect headshot =|= salvaged Mech.

I did finally pick up a Panther and Jenner last night and with that moved on to the Argo. The Commando and Locust variants weren't enough for me to keep wading through mission after mission when they're so rarely used.

I often wonder why companies don't include more of their modders' content. I mean, a lot of the work is done for them and it would make the game better for everyone. JK_Variants adds a huge span of options and some extra challenge by thinning out how fast you acquire new Mechs through salvage. When they license these things for games, do they only license variants or can they use the whole chassis and it's entire line?

If they're worried about people who don't like having to collect more salvage, they could toggle it in the menu - like Jagged Alliance did with "Tons of Guns" - you either played with basic guns that covered categories, or lots of guns that were sometimes only marginally different statistically. I always played with Tons of Guns turned on.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Archinerd »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:08 pm Well, that was quick. Mods are working again.

You'll need the latest releases of BattleTech Mod Loader (BTML) and ModTek from here:
https://github.com/janxious

Drop dead simple how-to guide:
https://github.com/janxious/ModTek/wiki ... odTek-mods

Then, apply mods as per preference. Here's my current list:
I followed those and am unable to get BTML working.
When I run the injector .exe file the console spits back an error - says it can't find something called the system.io.filesystem primitive version 4.01.0.
Looking further into it, I haven't been able to find anything I can even make sense of. I'm not even sure if it's something wrong with BTML or with my operating system (Win 7).
Any ideas?
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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When I got it running, I downloaded the Injector Zip file (not the project files). Then I saved the extracted .EXE and other files into the specified BattleTech folder. Running the Injector alters the DLL files in the folder to look for mods as the game loads.

Then you save your mods to a new folder you create with the ModTek.dll in it. It's one of the easiest modding setups I've ever had to do. There wasn't any troubleshooting - but I'll admit that hunting for the "usable" file on GitHub was slightly annoying.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Archinerd »

Paingod wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:30 am When I got it running, I downloaded the Injector Zip file (not the project files). Then I saved the extracted .EXE and other files into the specified BattleTech folder. Running the Injector alters the DLL files in the folder to look for mods as the game loads.

Then you save your mods to a new folder you create with the ModTek.dll in it. It's one of the easiest modding setups I've ever had to do. There wasn't any troubleshooting - but I'll admit that hunting for the "usable" file on GitHub was slightly annoying.
Sounds like what I was doing but didn't work for me.
So far, haven't found anyone else with the same problem as me so I'm thinking it might be a problem with my computer and not the exe.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

Archinerd wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:27 amWhen I run the injector .exe file the console spits back an error - says it can't find something called the system.io.filesystem primitive version 4.01.0.

Looking further into it, I haven't been able to find anything I can even make sense of. I'm not even sure if it's something wrong with BTML or with my operating system (Win 7). Any ideas?
A quick search didn't turn up anything great - but one other mod loader for a different game with a similar error was fixed by ensuring .NET 4.0 was installed and up-to-date.

Can you verify that you've got the most up-to-date version of .NET 4? My best guess is that the Injector is looking for something .NET would install and can't find it. That's just me shooting into a dark closet, though. No guarantee it'll hit anything.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

Paingod wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 9:29 am
NickAragua wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:08 pmHangar of the Disposessed (Warhammer, Marauder, Phoenix Hawk)
I had considered that one, but saw a pile of known bugs with the models (mostly in the Mech Bay) ... does it not cause a problem for you there?
I haven't actually seen one of the "new" mechs yet, so I couldn't tell you. I think I'm going to start up a test campaign tonight with some of the new mechs as starting mechs, just to see how it shakes out. I honestly don't even pay attention to the background in the mech bay, so I didn't feel it would be an issue for me.

Archinerd: I agree with Paingod's assessment that it might be a .NET issue.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Archinerd »

Thanks, I'll try when I get home.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by NickAragua »

I quickly checked whether or not the "new mech" mods work in the campaign by editing the starting lance.
Spoiler:
Image
Left to right: Assassin, Phoenix Hawk, Marauder, Warhammer.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Archinerd »

Worked, thanks guys!
Turns out it was some problem with the Windows .net. Not sure exactly what was wrong but I fixed it by downloading and installing the 4.7.2 version.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

Archinerd wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 12:28 am Worked, thanks guys!
Turns out it was some problem with the Windows .net. Not sure exactly what was wrong but I fixed it by downloading and installing the 4.7.2 version.
I actually had the same issue when I ran the new version of the injector, and it was fixed the same way. Don't know what they changed, but the old one worked fine for me on whatever older version of .Net 4.0 I had ... but not the new one.

The JK_Variants and 5 Parts to Salvage setting combo is going to kill me. Normally I've lucked out and gotten a single heavy somewhere along the way before I get too far into the story. Not now. Right now I've got 1/5 of a Jagermech A and 1/5 of a Quickdraw 4G - and that's it for Heavies. I'm 3/5 of the way to adding a Trebuchet 5N, 2/5 of the way to a second Shadowhawk 2H, and 2/5 of the way to a Hunchback 4G. Those are my next "best" bets to increase the firepower of my team. I do have 1/5 of a Hatchetman - a leg, I think - and am considering bringing it into combat to bludgeon things with it.

My Mech bays are: Shadowhawk, Centurion, Blackjack, Vindicator, Firestarter, and Spider. That's the heaviest assortment I have. Outside that, I've got a Jenner, Panther, and two Locusts in storage. I've gone as far as getting the Argo and opted to build my lance up before moving on in the story. I've added two extra MechWarriors, and because of all the random deployments I've done, all of them are 5's and 6's across the board for skill.

I'm prioritizing salvage over pay as much as I can without being silly. I think, though, that with 4+ million in the bank, it's time to get silly and accept contracts where I'll get $56,000 and 3/14 salvage. With the game changes that Flashpoint and 1.3 brought in, every planet I park over seems to have 3-4 missions I can run in quick succession. It used to be that I'd be lucky if I found 2. That has done wonders for my finances - doubling my income and halving my travel.

Most of the time I do the missions back to back. My Mechs come out the other side with some patched over internal damage and get repaired on the way to the next planet. It doesn't bother me (yet) to deploy with a leg that's half broken or a single torso side that's banged in. In fact, it's kind of cool to feel like my team is pushing through with grit and getting the job done.

I bumped into a difficult Tank last night thanks to the Vehicle Improvement mod. I had to focus fire on it with all four of my Mechs for two full turns to take it down. 186 front armor, 120 on the sides, and I think over 100 on the turret. I want to say it was a Myrmidon. It was nice to run into something that gave me pause and didn't have two legs. :)

I do like the new change to Bulwark. I think it's a more useful skill now than it was. It's nice to be able to stack evade and double damage reduction in cover.

I've been brawling more in this playthrough than before in others. Mostly I'm trying to get Knockdown effects for pilot damage, and a couple solid melee hits is a good way to do that. Rip off a leg - Knock them down, pilot looses 1 health. Move up, hit him a couple times in melee - maybe destroying a L or R Torso, another -1 health. Knock him down again through Stability damage, another -1 health ... and if I can just get that other Torso section, -1 more health and ... Salvage!
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by MonkeyFinger »

Hmmm... been away from this for some time but coming back to it now. Not sure what changed other than the 1.3 update but now the streaming movies stutter like mad. Audio seems to be fine in game, just any "cutscenes" have this issue. I moved this over to my SSD thinking it might help but it did not. Updated my Nvidia drivers to the latest, turned on v-sync, validated in Steam and "reacquired" one file and it still continues. Still hunting around online but thought I would ask here if anyone had seen (and hopefully solved) this issue.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Paingod »

I haven't had any stuttering issues - but I haven't done much by way of streaming or movies. I'm still trying to build a roster worth moving ahead with.

I've got 8 MechWarriors - all 6/7/8 in skills. I've got a number of Mediums aside from the starting lineup - including a Wolverine 6K, Trebuchet 5N, and Hunchback 4G... along with a few more Lights, that's it still after a few evenings of play. (JK_Variants)*(5 Salvage Required) = Long Slog. I do have a lot of parts, though, and it won't be hard to add more Lights and Mediums as I go.

I have a sparse handful of heavy chassis parts, and 3 Assaults underway. The closest is an Orion V that I captured fully intact - didn't even destroy a single segment - just kept knocking the bastard over with melee hits and +2 Stabilize Dmg LRM fire.

I keep wanting to get at least one Heavy or Assault before moving the storyline up, but may have to bite the bullet. My team is doing well enough, even against two Light/Medium lances, so maybe the heavy hitters aren't so essential. It's probably more important that I've got skilled pilots and a small collection of ++ and +++ weapons (purchased through the Black Market, which I paid $2.5m to access, and still pay a huge markup for being enemies of Pirates)
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by MonkeyFinger »

As an FYI - Paradox support said "Run BattleTechLauncher.exe and click on Video Player. Whichever option is in use, try the other one". The switch from the default of DirectShow to the alternate MediaFoundation Video Player API fixed the problem for me. 8-)
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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Glad they were able to address your problem.

I've been cranking through the campaign, and have gotten up to the Smithon mission. My settings are "slow mechwarrior progression", three parts per mech and "mech destruction", which means if I lose a mech via center torso destruction, it's gone. The rest at default. No actual ironman, since I'm paranoid about crashes and also because I don't want to have to restart the campaign if I happen to whiff on a plot mission. The three parts per mech is because I've modded some ridiculous number of new mech chassis and variants into the game, so anything higher than three means I'll never actually get a new mech unless I buy it in a store.

I think I've got "Mission Control" configured to where it's a bit more fair, as I had quite a few missions where I would get spawned on top of two lances of hostile units in addition to whatever the mission generates, making it impossible. So I turned down the max number of spawned enemy lances to 1 and reduced the chance of allied lances spawning to .2 from .4 to compensate.

One involved having to blow up a specific target. It turned out to be a Phoenix Hawk (added via mod), guarded by a full company (12) of tanks and lighter mechs. Somehow, I was able to goad it over a hill while its buddies, for some reason, couldn't make their way over. So I was able to blow it up then run off to the evac zone.

Another one was having to extract a piece of data with about twelve mechs and tanks shooting at me. Luckily, I had a Spider that I used to hop into the target zones then hop out.

I'm also playing with a self-imposed restriction where, if I don't address the contracts on offer in a particular system immediately, I don't take them (with the exception of travel contracts, as those guys are obviously not on a tight schedule). I think I'm going to have to do a lap around some lower-skull systems before I hit Smithon, as I tried it last night and got blown up to hell and back. Maybe it's my crappy Blackjack customization - I tried out a loadout where I upped the armor and put in two AC/5s with a single ton of ammo. It's great heat-wise, but runs out of ammo after 8 turns.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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NickAragua wrote: Mon Dec 03, 2018 2:01 pmMaybe it's my crappy Blackjack customization - I tried out a loadout where I upped the armor and put in two AC/5s with a single ton of ammo. It's great heat-wise, but runs out of ammo after 8 turns.
I've shifted my Blackjack to a PPC carrier. Instead of two AC5's with ammo, I've got two PPC's, more heat sinks, and jump jets. It can Alpha for three turns and then shifts to 1 shot each turn. Unless it's a frozen planet or I get to stand in water, which changes the ratio.

It works as a distant support Mech. I've been playing with a lot of PPC's and LRM's to knock enemies off balance because...
NickAragua wrote: Mon Dec 03, 2018 2:01 pmThe three parts per mech is because I've modded some ridiculous number of new mech chassis and variants into the game, so anything higher than three means I'll never actually get a new mech unless I buy it in a store.
... I've only got a few less options, and I'm running the 5 Salvage option. I don't recommend mixing it with JK-Variants - but I will admit that I'm becoming very familiar with what I have and any added Mechs feels like a big step.

When I get my first Heavy or Assault, it'll be an event.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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... And we're back to the campaign now that I've got something bigger than 55 tons. Last night I picked up a Orion V. For the second time, one popped up in a mission and I thankfully had 3 Salvage to spend to collect the entire thing. Again, I crippled it and knocked out the pilot. The really strange thing was that it popped in on a 1.5 star 'Battle' mission - and all I had to fight was a Locust and the Orion. A very lopsided battle against my 4 Mediums.

I've refitted the Orion with 4 Jump Jets, and 3 LRM15's (4t ammo) for maximum stability damage at range. Shortly before, I picked up two additional Shadowhawks - another 2H and a 2D. All three of them (including my original) are currently equipped identically. AC5, LRM10 (1t), Medium Laser, 5x Jump Jets. The other Mechs in my roster are a Wolverine 6K (5x ML's, 1x LRM10, JJ's), and a Centurion (the first one you get in the campaign) with an AC10, LRM15, and ML.

That's a decent strike force.

I'm not entirely sold on the Orion being an LRM boat, though, or even the JJ's. 3 x LRM15 is great for knockdown, but weak on real stopping power. If we get into a fight with tight timers, it doesn't help to spread damage out in such a broad fashion. I was surprised, though, by how far it can move with a pilot that has 8 skill. It doesn't really have a problem keeping up with the Mediums. The Jump Jets, though, burn damn hot. Going max jump range can add something like 40% of my heat in one move. It might be better to strip out an LRM15, add a couple PPC's, and then replace the JJ's with Heat Sinks.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Post by Kasey Chang »

I found the initial merc battle (4 mechs vs. bunch of defenders, turrets, and betrayal) a bit difficult. Do I just suck, or is there a way to make things a bit easier? I don't mind running mods, and I'd prefer not to cheat if I can.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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I don't actually know if there's any kind of difficulty slider. I know you can make the game harder or easier by toggling some things on and off, but I don't remember at all if there's a general setting.

I wouldn't go with "Suck" as much as maybe needing a lesson in game mechanics and strategy... :D

That first fight can be rough with untrained pilots and low-end Mechs. I think the last couple times I finished it, I had internal damage on a couple Mechs - but now I'm in a place where I can tackle an equal force with a fair shot at coming out with my armor intact still. You shouldn't lose any weapons, Mechs, or Pilots there... if you do, then you'll need to check how you're playing.

I think the best way to do that stage is...
Spoiler:
Circle around towards the first base by going down into the valley behind the large rock, using the trees for cover as you engage the hostile Mechs. Turrets may sensor lock you and lob missiles over the hill. Moving keeps Evade up, which helps.

Try and push forward enough to shoot out the Turret Generator in the base, disabling the turrets, before the hostile Lights are done. It'll help.

With the Mechs done and the turrets offline, circle back down the road but stay on the cliff so you keep high-ground advantage. Keep your lance tight so you don't engage with one that has no support. As needed, jump down to trees or cover while fighting the Mech and 2 tanks.

With them dead, take out the structure.

With that gone, head back and stay clustered. When the next fight starts, take out the Generator immediately and then the tanks. Don't forget that stomping on tanks does double-damage.
Last edited by Paingod on Wed Dec 05, 2018 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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Just had a pretty epic and narratively appropriate battle. The one where you get the Spoilermech.

I got to the point where you have to destroy a bunch of turrets, so I have Kamea work on that (her Kintaro is awesome at taking down stationary turrets, even the big ones) while my mechs help her out and/or keep the incoming enemy units down. Medusa in the Quickdraw goes "orange" pretty much all across the board except for the legs - losing a torso section really cramps his ability to jump around, since half the jump jets were in there. We took out the turrets and start working on some of the enemy units that are providing line of sight for their longer-ranged guys to shoot PPCs and LRMs. Kamea's mech got nearly blown to bits after she missed a kick on a spotter - she wound up on the ground with a sliver of center torso left. Thankfully, she was able to take out the last spotter. However, there are still like eight tanks outside our little cul-de-sac, all packing PPCs and LRMs. Glitch's Vindicator is shot to hell, missing the right arm with the PPC. So, with one turn left in the mission, to preserve Kamea, I move my guy out in the ancestral Blackjack and stomp on one last tank that had a chance to spot her. Then, he takes about six PPC shots in a row and the mech just disintegrates. Wound up in the medbay for 90 days. But hey, when he gets out, he's got a nice, new, shiny Spoilermech waiting for him.

We also got an Awesome 8Q out of that set of missions. So basically we've skipped heavy mechs and went straight to assaults. Can't wait to finish off those campaign missions and get started on flashpoints.
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Re: BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

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NickAragua wrote: Wed Dec 05, 2018 1:48 amCan't wait to finish off those campaign missions and get started on flashpoints.
I'm of the same mind - but I have to ask ... WTH were you doing in that mission with Mediums?! If I recall my last campaign, I was there with a group of mostly Heavies.

Now that I've got the one Orion V and a pile of heavier Mediums, I'm advancing up the campaign line. I have a love for the Wolverine 6R, more than the Shadowhawk, which I like. It's base movement makes it an excellent 'Scout' Medium, and 4 ML's + an LRM10 make it a capable hunter. Doesn't even really have heat issues unless I fire everything and jump for a couple turns. All he needs to do to cool off is jump back and fire LRM's at range. :)

We bagged a Dragon 1N after the last campaign mission of the night, too. I had a couple parts from previous missions, and snagged four segments at once - so now I've got the Mech plus a start on another. Nice to start filtering back the lighter Mechs. Now I've got 75t/60t/55t/55t/55t/55t in Mech Bay 1.

Discovered last night, too, that the Movement bar on your Mech in the bay does tell you the movement range as a direct value. You just have to mouse over it. You'll get Move, Sprint, and Jump distances as you design.

One thing has been bugging me in this play through that I remembered from my last one - Stability damage. My Orion can lay down something like 150 stability damage (if every missile hits). That's enough to topple some Mechs even if they weren't Unstable, and certainly topple them if they passed through Rough Terrain. However, the game mechanics don't seem to let you Knockdown a Mech unless it was already Unstable. I can fill that Stability bar and then some, and the guy's just there wobbling. Since the Orion goes dead last every turn, this means I need to be sure to scramble and knock the enemy over with my Scout next turn.

Last night I had a nice fight. My Orion, 2 Shadowhawks, and a Wolverine against 7 hostile Mediums (the second group hit us just as we finished off the first, so it was like one prolonged engagement). We took abusive advantage of LOS and trees. Dekker in the Wolverine was spotting and jumping max distance each turn, and keeping himself just in LOS of the enemies. With 6 Evasion bars, they had a helluva time hitting him. Meanwhile, in the background, the 2 Shadowhawks laid down AC5 and LRM15 fire and the Orion pounded them with 45 LRM's each turn. We came out of that one with maybe two missing armor segments and no other appreciable damage - and took down a Griffin, 2 Shadowhawks, 2 Blackjacks, 1 Vindicator, and a Wolverine.
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