BattleTech coming back via Kickstarter

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:22 pm

There really hasn't been much done with them lately - too bad they can't just re-license them.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:25 pm

Blackhawk wrote:There really hasn't been much done with them lately - too bad they can't just re-license them.

Yeah...I saw someone asked them in the Kickstarter comments (based on Google's cache) if the Unseen were going to be in the game but unfortunately haven't seen the answer. It's possible that they have

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:41 pm

Well, if they're using MWO models, this is what the intertubes tell me a MWO Marauder would look like:

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:43 pm

I'm ok with that.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:09 pm

Ah...from the Kickstarter FAQ (scroll down)

Will “The Unseen” ‘Mechs be in your game?
We’re excited by the great redesigns Piranha and Catalyst have done for some those “imperially entangled” ‘Mechs but we’re not committing to them right now. However, it’s a long time until we ship, so cross your fingers!

And

Which ’Mechs will be in the game?
BATTLETECH is in pre-production, so many decisions, like the final 'Mech roster, are not yet determined. But here are the 'Mechs we're currently planning to include:

LIGHT: Locust, Commando, Spider, Firestarter, Jenner, Panther, Raven, Urbanmech

MEDIUM: Cicada, Blackjack, Vindicator, Centurion, Enforcer, Hunchback, Trebuchet, Griffin, Kintaro, Shadowhawk, Wolverine

HEAVY: Dragon, Quickdraw, Catapult, JagerMech, Thunderbolt, Cataphract, Grasshopper, Orion

ASSAULT: Awesome, Victor, Zeus, BattleMaster, Stalker, Highlander, Banshee, King Crab, Atlas

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Oct 21, 2015 12:33 am

How could I forget the Awesome? So very nice.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:07 am

12 days to go and only $104,000 left before I get my customizable home base/dropship.

So... very... close...

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:16 am

Cicada?

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:47 am

El Guapo wrote:Cicada?

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Cicada

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:48 am

El Guapo wrote:Cicada?

Cicada.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:54 am

According to the email I just got...re-imaged Warhammers and Mauraders are in

http://www.masterunitlist.info/Unit/Det ... er-whm-11t

http://www.masterunitlist.info/Unit/Det ... nty-hunter

Just upgraded to the Order of Vahalla level, so hopefully a few other idiots like me will do the same so we get some more stretch goals

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 11:14 am

IceBear wrote:
El Guapo wrote:Cicada?
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Cicada

I'm just not sure why you would name a war machine after an annoying but harmless insect. At least "Locust" invokes swarm imagery.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 11:55 am

Ah, yeah...There's a few like that. King Crab doesn't exactly fill me with terror like an assault battlemech should

It's more like....hey now, where's the garlic butter

Biyobi · Post by **Biyobi** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 5:10 pm

Even though the dollar amount doesn't show $2mil reached the funding tree now shows that milestone has been reached. Customizable dropships for everyone!

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 6:02 pm

Biyobi wrote:Even though the dollar amount doesn't show $2mil reached the funding tree now shows that milestone has been reached. Customizable dropships for everyone!

They also take direct pledges through Paypal, outside of the Kickstarter system. The Paypal total is shown just above the "The Basics" section on the project page, and they use the total of the Kickstarter+Paypal amounts for milestones.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:29 pm

Biyobi wrote:Even though the dollar amount doesn't show $2mil reached the funding tree now shows that milestone has been reached. Customizable dropships for everyone!

Yea! Furniture made from the shattered wrecks of my enemies, shag carpet and a hanging disco ball that will double as a holographic projector for briefings here I come.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:36 pm

El Guapo wrote:
IceBear wrote:
El Guapo wrote:Cicada?
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Cicada
I'm just not sure why you would name a war machine after an annoying but harmless insect. At least "Locust" invokes swarm imagery.

They don't seem like much, but once every 17 years they absolutely kick your ass.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:08 pm

For GreenGoo

Warhammer

Marauder

Zenn7 · Post by **Zenn7** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 12:10 am

IceBear wrote:Ah, yeah...There's a few like that. King Crab doesn't exactly fill me with terror like an assault battlemech should It's more like....hey now, where's the garlic butter

Didn't someone develop a direct counter to the King Crab? The Butter Dip or something like that?

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:26 am

Sweet early engine video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPQ4cEv ... e=youtu.be

tru1cy · Post by **tru1cy** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:59 am

Battlemaster is one of my favorite assault mechs

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:53 pm

tru1cy wrote:Battlemaster is one of my favorite assault mechs

Battlemaster is another readily identifiable image tied to Battletech. In that I like the look.

I'm not a fan of the mech itself though.

I've been giving some thought to which mechs I "like" and don't like, and why. I like the look of a lot of mechs. I like using some mechs in tabletop that I don't actually like the look of. The centurion is a mech that is very versatile and effective beyond it's weight cost, even if it's the most boring mech to look at, even just on paper (ie. stats). But man, it gets under estimated and therefore is under estimated all the time.

So if someone were to say I like the centurion, my first instinct is "it sucks" based on looks, but then I remember "it's awesome" in play. Not as a main battle mech but as a support mech for almost any mission.

Archinerd · Post by **Archinerd** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 1:45 pm

Which Mech Are You?

Apparently I'm a Thunderbolt.

Arkon · Post by **Arkon** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 1:53 pm

Hah, that was fun. It says I am an Atlas...well of course I am!

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 2:20 pm

I also got the Atlas. Yay!

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 2:58 pm

Panther

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:25 pm

That video makes me really, really want this game! I'll have to wait for release, but it will be at the top of my list when it does.

Also:

Zenn7 · Post by **Zenn7** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:17 am

I'm an Atlas.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:37 am

I'm a Victor. Yay.

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:48 am

I'm hoping they don't hit the 2.5 mil mark just so that they will focus exclusively on the single player game quality.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:06 am

killbot737 wrote:I'm hoping they don't hit the 2.5 mil mark just so that they will focus exclusively on the single player game quality.

Me too. I think adding MP significantly increases the risk of creating a single player game that isn't as much fun to play.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:16 pm

I'm in at the $85 Initiate level. I would have considered the $125 Scion level, but I just don't see myself wearing a cap with "Battletech" printed on the peak. My public displays of nerdacity do have limits.

OTOH, I actually do need to replace my ratty old Steamwhistle cap, so I may take the extra money and use it to get one of these instead.

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:00 pm

ColdSteel wrote:
killbot737 wrote:I'm hoping they don't hit the 2.5 mil mark just so that they will focus exclusively on the single player game quality.
Me too. I think adding MP significantly increases the risk of creating a single player game that isn't as much fun to play.

Count me in that camp. On the other hand, I would love to stomp some of friends in local or remote competitive play. Well, whatever, I trust these guys.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:04 pm

GreenGoo wrote:Panther

Same

NickAragua · Post by **NickAragua** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:09 pm

I got Thunderbolt. Really, I'd be happy as long as I didn't get a light or a slow-poke assault.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun Nov 01, 2015 11:10 pm

At the moment, they are a little more than $52k shy of the multiplayer stretch goal, with a little less than 2 days to go.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:05 am

Well, with the Paypal funds included, they've hit the 2.5 million mark and MP will be added. I was waiting to see if they hit that to see if I wanted to back it or not. If they looked like they were not going to hit the MP goal, I would have backed it. Since MP is in, I will wait until it comes out and see what impact that actually has on the single player portion of the game before I buy it. I think they made a bad mistake there, but time will tell.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:08 am

They haven't officially marked it as unlocked, but it looks like multiplayer is on. At this moment, I'm seeing a grand total of $2,517,728, with about 30 hours to go.

Edit: Oops, Isgrimnured by ColdSteel.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:15 am

ColdSteel wrote:Well, with the Paypal funds included, they've hit the 2.5 million mark and MP will be added. I was waiting to see if they hit that to see if I wanted to back it or not. If they looked like they were not going to hit the MP goal, I would have backed it. Since MP is in, I will wait until it comes out and see what impact that actually has on the single player portion of the game before I buy it. I think they made a bad mistake there, but time will tell.

I don't think it will be a problem (famous last words, I know

). As I understand it, they aren't trying to add multiplayer to the entire game, they're just adding multiplayer arena combat on Solaris VII. Aside from consuming development resources, it should have little-to-no impact on things like play balance in the main singleplayer game. As long as they haven't seriously underestimated the budget to add the multiplayer component, I think they'll be fine.

IceBear · Post by **IceBear** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:29 am

Max Peck wrote:
ColdSteel wrote:Well, with the Paypal funds included, they've hit the 2.5 million mark and MP will be added. I was waiting to see if they hit that to see if I wanted to back it or not. If they looked like they were not going to hit the MP goal, I would have backed it. Since MP is in, I will wait until it comes out and see what impact that actually has on the single player portion of the game before I buy it. I think they made a bad mistake there, but time will tell.
I don't think it will be a problem (famous last words, I know ). As I understand it, they aren't trying to add multiplayer to the entire game, they're just adding multiplayer arena combat on Solaris VII. Aside from consuming development resources, it should have little-to-no impact on things like play balance in the main singleplayer game. As long as they haven't seriously underestimated the budget to add the multiplayer component, I think they'll be fine.

Agreed. Plus they are successful Kickstarter veterans so they know how to budget things properly. Plus, not sure how much balancing there needs to be...all they should be doing is recreating the mechs that already exist in the pen and paper system (which has decades of balancing built into it in terms of mech designing and assigning Battle Value (BV) to each mech so that two players can pick a lance each from a set BV total (say 1000) so have fairly balanced battles.