First impressions: - Awesome music -- There is a chello playing in the background. In a game with giant mechs? I am OK with this. - Great pacing for a turn-based game - RNG is not rage-inducing - Storyline is kinda klunky - How does anything work? - Encoutered a few bugs - Lore tooltips are helpful without being patronizing or obnoxious - Camera is janky After playing for a few days: - My mechwarriors are shit-talking enemy pilots as they obliterate their mechs and vehicles - I'm collecting salvage and earning money - I've figured out the mech bay and I have some ridiculous customizations - My pilots have ramped up in skill and can do some neat things in combat - Storyline is fairly satisying (not going to win an Oscar, but it fits the merc vibe pretty well) - I'm hungry for more salvage, and the satisfying sounds of enemy mechs and vehicles exploding - Camera is still janky I've played MechWarrior 2 Mercenaries, MechCommander 2, and MechWarrior Online on PC. The last turn-based game I remember enjoying was Fallout 1 / 2 / Tactics. More recently I played XCOM 2012 and hated it because the pacing and RNG sucked, so I was not thrilled that BATTLETECH was turn-based. However, I've found the pacing is fine and the RNG seems pretty reasonable. Compared to MechCommander 2, MC2 had bigger maps, had a much more sophisticated radar model, and had some more complicated mechanics. For example, in MC2, ammo management had ammo supplies, while BATTLETECH has "containers" that automatically refill between missions. BATTLETECH has a lot of closer engagements, visceral camera angles in combat (when it works properly), and a lot more freedom between missions. Compared to MW2 and MWO there is a lot less mech and equipment variety. However, I am very excited and hopeful for the prospect of seeing clan tech, etc. come to BATTLETECH. I really enjoy this format and I hope they bring more of the BattleTech universe into the game in the future. Overall I think Harebrained Schemes wanted to design a fun game. They accomplished this in spades. It is not easy or intuitive, but it is learnable. Additionally, I think the devs had a passion for the BattleTech universe and lore and wanted to make it accessible without shoving it down your throat. They did a great job -- the storyline does not get in the way of blowing up mechs, and lore stays out of the way unless you want it.
First impressions: - Awesome music -- There is a chello playing in the background. In a game with giant mechs? I am OK with this. - Great pacing for a turn-based game - RNG is not rage-inducing - Storyline is kinda klunky - How does anything work? - Encoutered a few bugs - Lore tooltips are helpful without being patronizing or obnoxious - Camera is janky After playing for a few days: - My mechwarriors are shit-talking enemy pilots as they obliterate their mechs and vehicles - I'm collecting salvage and earning money - I've figured out the mech bay and I have some ridiculous customizations - My pilots have ramped up in skill and can do some neat things in combat - Storyline is fairly satisying (not going to win an Oscar, but it fits the merc vibe pretty well) - I'm hungry for more salvage, and the satisfying sounds of enemy mechs and vehicles exploding - Camera is still janky I've played MechWarrior 2 Mercenaries, MechCommander 2, and MechWarrior Online on PC. The last turn-based game I remember enjoying was Fallout 1 / 2 / Tactics. More recently I played XCOM 2012 and hated it because the pacing and RNG sucked, so I was not thrilled that BATTLETECH was turn-based. However, I've found the pacing is fine and the RNG seems pretty reasonable. Compared to MechCommander 2, MC2 had bigger maps, had a much more sophisticated radar model, and had some more complicated mechanics. For example, in MC2, ammo management had ammo supplies, while BATTLETECH has "containers" that automatically refill between missions. BATTLETECH has a lot of closer engagements, visceral camera angles in combat (when it works properly), and a lot more freedom between missions. Compared to MW2 and MWO there is a lot less mech and equipment variety. However, I am very excited and hopeful for the prospect of seeing clan tech, etc. come to BATTLETECH. I really enjoy this format and I hope they bring more of the BattleTech universe into the game in the future. Overall I think Harebrained Schemes wanted to design a fun game. They accomplished this in spades. It is not easy or intuitive, but it is learnable. Additionally, I think the devs had a passion for the BattleTech universe and lore and wanted to make it accessible without shoving it down your throat. They did a great job -- the storyline does not get in the way of blowing up mechs, and lore stays out of the way unless you want it.
Fallout Tactics is a great extension of the Fallout franchise that's heavy on combat and light on storytelling. While Fallout 1 and 2 focus on character development, speechcraft, and open-ended objectives, Tactics is a straight-forward brawl. Tactics uses an optional pseudo-real time system based on action points, flirts with vehicles, and retains all of the gory wasteland goodness from the first two games. If you've wanted to have fun with heavy weapons and dastardly traps while controlling a squad of customizable henchmen, this is the game for you. If you're not interested in carefully planning your assault, unleashing the power of Fallout's ultimate weapons, and relishing the gory demise of your enemies, this game is not for you. If you are, then you'll feel at home in the Brotherhood of Steel.
