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IGNORE the haters and whiners spamming around here. I've played for 17+hours and haven't had a single crash. Yes, loading times could be shorter, but that's it. The game is solid, true Battletech through and through: Great turn based tactical combat, solid economic/ management layer, beautiful graphics and, above all, TRUE Battletech story and atmosphere, rich in lore and ultra faithful to the base material. Haven't tried multiplayer yet (so I can express no opinion yet on that Paradox account stuff)
All in all, an excellent game, one that I've been expecting for years. Eagerly awaiting the expansions and DLC's- there's so much great content in Battletech, they could keep it running for years. Well made and done!
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.
5 Stars in the context of a small independent studio with a small budget (If you agree 2m is a small budget). If you are a fan of the tabletop game (I have been playing tabletop since 1984), then you will almost certainly love this game. It’s like being able to play the tabletop without having to invite friends over. (Especially if they are all grown up and married now and can’t get permission from the boss (rolls eyes). There are some minor rule deviations, but nothing to complain about. The balancing is spot on.
Pros:
- Well balanced but very challenging (No difficulty levels, just straight rules)
- Great sound editing (love the sound of the AC firing)
- Decent Story Arc
- Great maps
- It is apocryphal (slightly?) but is very, very, close to being canon. It is 100% true to the spirit of the BattleTech Universe.
- It just feels like BattleTech!
Cons:
- Some ‘wasted’ time during turns can take its toll after 20+ hours of play. Needs a ‘Don’t waste my time” mod akin to the one for XCOM.
- Would like to have seen some perks and/or consequences for getting to know the crew. The conversations are ok, but I suspect they are only for flavor (no impact on game play).
- It is not easy. You must plan your fight (before it even starts) and plan your turns carefully. Of course, this point may belong on the Pro list (*grins*).
As a game, it's fairly good. Difficult, good combat, uncertain what does what. If you don't know anything about BattleTech, you'll be fine. It's a good, if not BattleTech, game. It's pretty, and decently polished. The story is about what you’d expect for BattleTech (don’t expect Shadowrun Returns). It doesn't seem to be terribly well optimized, as it's chugging along with my i7/1080 gaming rig.
As a BattleTech game, it's sub-standard. I get that you're going to change things going from the board game to a digital representation, and that makes sense. What doesn't make sense is completely changing an entire group of weapons to make them awesome while nerfing the existing good weapons.
The decision was made, during development, and rallied against, that all AC's (save the AC/20) got a massive damage increase. The AC/2 is now an AC/5 for damage, but still has AC/2 range and ammo. The AC/5 is now an AC/10 with AC/5 range, heat and ammo, and the AC/10 is now, basically a Gauss Rifle with slightly less range. This has, basically, ruined, the game for anyone who doesn't assume Autocannons are the be-all and end-all of BattleTech. Supposedly, there is a way to edit the files to change this, and I'm looking into that myself.
Basically, consider that the JM-6 JagerMech now packs the same fire-power as an AWS-8Q Awesome with 1/10th the heat gain.
Actually, it's worse than that, as heat gain has been spiked as well. Energy 'Mechs WILL overheat regularly, even when playing cautiously. As a point, the AWS-8Q, which could fire all three PPCs and only gain a little heat, will shut down the first turn you try that. The JM-6? It can keep that up until it runs out of ammo.
TL/DR: Really think about this if you like BattleTech. If you just like tactical combat games, it’s really good.
