First BATTLETECH Expansion, FLASHPOINT Coming This November!

[Prussian Havoc]

No, that was the point behind them. To force the player to not turtle, and overwatch their way to victory. My first playthrough did not last long, and I had to restart once I realized I need to do to manage the Advent project too.

I agree and my initial XCOM2 experience was quite similar. :bow:

But I think we might be overestimating the impact of Timers in BATTLETECH. Kiva has been quite consistently adamant that she does not want to force restarts. So while Timers may make an appearance in BATTLETECH, given all we know of Kiva's intent, I think they'll be somewhat generous in nature. So while we may BATTLETECH-game with one-eye on a countdown, I don't think it'll be harsh or brutal in the least.



(Of course I could be mistaken. : ) )

 

[i64man]

A release date has not been announce yet, and yes you can since Flashpoints will be post campaign content if you do the campaign instead of the career mode.

Thanks for the answer, and I did do the campaign, finished it and keep that game save. I started a second campaign modded (DZ_CCC mod). But I do not understand the career mode remark?

 

[Timaeus]

Thanks for the answer, and I did do the campaign, finished it and keep that game save. I started a second campaign modded (DZ_CCC mod). But I do not understand the career mode remark?

Here is a link Dev Diary #4 that talks about career mode: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/developer-diaries-4-career-mode.1123028/

 

[i64man]

Here is a link Dev Diary #4 that talks about career mode: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/developer-diaries-4-career-mode.1123028/

Thanks.... now that is clear.

 

[Kidzin]

So turns out it’s going to be 20$... Well considering feature list and based off from streams absolutely overpiced in my opinion.

 

[stjobe]

So turns out it’s going to be 20$... Well considering feature list and based off from streams absolutely overpiced in my opinion.

$20 for something that content-wise matches the length of the original campaign, with new mechanics, new 'Mechs, new rewards, a new mission type and a new biome is overpriced to you? Well, our opinion sure differs on that.

For reference, Flashpoint includes

• Over 30 hours of content
• Branching story-lines in every Flashpoint
• 3 new 'Mechs (Crab, Hatchetman, Cyclops)
• Special rewards (even LosTech)
• New Target Acquisition mission type
• New Tropical Beach biome

And various other sundry and bits (e.g. the new crew animations and transition screens we saw in the first stream).

If you think $20 is overpriced you could buy the season pass before Oct 26th, that makes each DLC only cost $13.33.

 

[Ice Trey]

I have to admit, that with all the 'mechs that PGI have already made, only getting the Crab and Cyclops with HBS's exclusive Hatchetman felt a little underwhelming, but I think that this Flashpoints system would lend itself very well to a mission / campaign editor. I'd love to see what kinds of home-brewed campaigns the community could cook up.

Further, having HBS review and possibly host some of these campaigns, we could get so much more content and mileage out of the game, and not only could it expose HBS to new ideas, but possibly give them a pool of new talent that they might be able to hire on.

 

[Nikolai II]

$20 for something that content-wise matches the length of the original campaign, with new mechanics, new 'Mechs, new rewards, a new mission type and a new biome is overpriced to you? Well, our opinion sure differs on that.

For reference, Flashpoint includes

• Over 30 hours of content

If you think $20 is overpriced you could buy the season pass before Oct 26th, that makes each DLC only cost $13.33.

I did get the season pass because Battletech was a big thing for me in the past, but I can't say the "30 hours of content" is anything I belive will match the campaign.

Right now I believe that figure to have been pulled from "if you'd play through all of the flashpoint missions, on a reasonable speed" but since they are random that could take a while. (Also for a slow player that might mean like "8 flashpoint trees")

Personally I'd prefer something more believable, like "30 new flashpoint trees, each similar in scope to a campaign mission" possibly with "and more will be added alongside future updates" (or "with future updates" to make it a buy-in)

But I'm not the target audience for the ad anyway, since I'm sold pretty much whatever it says. (Let's call it me doing a kickstarter for those future expansions - Shadowrun in space, here we come

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I have to admit, that with all the 'mechs that PGI have already made, only getting the Crab and Cyclops with HBS's exclusive Hatchetman felt a little underwhelming, but I think that this Flashpoints system would lend itself very well to a mission / campaign editor. I'd love to see what kinds of home-brewed campaigns the community could cook up.

Further, having HBS review and possibly host some of these campaigns, we could get so much more content and mileage out of the game, and not only could it expose HBS to new ideas, but possibly give them a pool of new talent that they might be able to hire on.

Underwhelming?

Not to me. Meet the hard-working HBS Mech Animations Team:

 

[Ice Trey]

Underwhelming?

Not to me. Meet the hard-working HBS Mech Animations Team:

I'm not knocking the development team, but in all honesty, with the current lineup of mechs at over 7 mechs per weight class, only introducing three mechs doesn't really even compare. I appreciate them making an all new mech, but three mechs man. For an expansion I'd expect somewhere in the range of 25-50% increase in mech options in each one, bare minimum one per weight class. At the very least expanding some existing mechs that only come in one flavor to have alternate configs.

But again, my concern is with them opening the story creation elements to allow players to make their own campaigns, and possibly allow HBS to pull from the fan community talent pool in the future.

 

[Antagonist85]

I'm not knocking the development team, but in all honesty, with the current lineup of mechs at over 7 mechs per weight class, only introducing three mechs doesn't really even compare. I appreciate them making an all new mech, but three mechs man. For an expansion I'd expect somewhere in the range of 25-50% increase in mech options in each one, bare minimum one per weight class. At the very least expanding some existing mechs that only come in one flavor to have alternate configs.

But again, my concern is with them opening the story creation elements to allow players to make their own campaigns, and possibly allow HBS to pull from the fan community talent pool in the future.

I did ask in another thread whether we were only going to get those three new chassis, or if there were going to be new variants of existing chassis as well. There sure are a bunch of really nice variants around, after all, and I would love to get a shot at grabbing a BLR-1Gb.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I'm not knocking the development team, but in all honesty, with the current lineup of mechs at over 7 mechs per weight class, only introducing three mechs doesn't really even compare. I appreciate them making an all new mech, but three mechs man. For an expansion I'd expect somewhere in the range of 25-50% increase in mech options in each one, bare minimum one per weight class. At the very least expanding some existing mechs that only come in one flavor to have alternate configs.

But again, my concern is with them opening the story creation elements to allow players to make their own campaigns, and possibly allow HBS to pull from the fan community talent pool in the future.

I did ask in another thread whether we were only going to get those three new chassis, or if there were going to be new variants of existing chassis as well. There sure are a bunch of really nice variants around, after all, and I would love to get a shot at grabbing a BLR-1Gb.

Please recall that HBS is working toward two types of expansion, the more episodic FLASHPOINT-like Expansion and then an as-yet-unseen (ironic, isn’t it?) more epic RESTORATION-Solo-Campaign-like Expansion.

We’ve got Season Pass opportunity to 3 episodic expansions, FLASHPOINT, URBAN WARFARE and a THIRD EPISODIC EXPANSION.

We’ve not yet seen the number of BattleMechs that just may accompany... an, ooooh... say... potential, more epic FOURTH SUCCESSION WAR Solo-Campaign type of BATTLETECH Expansion.

I would be very surprised if we didn’t see more than three new Mechs included in such a perhaps $40 to $50 major/epic expansion. I also hope to see additional BattleMech Variants, new biome/maps, new Game Features & Mechanisms... the whole shebang, accompany such a (in HBS’ own vernacular) “major motion picture” of an expansion.

So let’s not pin all our expectations and hopes to these three upcoming episodic expansions.

More is yet to come... : )

 

[stjobe]

For an expansion I'd expect somewhere in the range of 25-50% increase in mech options in each one, bare minimum one per weight class.

We currently have

• Light: 6 chassis
• Medium: 11 chassis
• Heavy: 9 chassis
• Assault 9 chassis

So you were expecting 1-3 light 'Mechs, 2-5 mediums, 2-4 heavies, and 2-4 assaults in the first expansion?

Well, in that case I'm not surprised you're disappointed, but perhaps a reality-check on those expectations are in order.

 

[Antagonist85]

Please recall that HBS is working toward two types of expansion, the more episodic FLASHPOINT-like Expansion and then an as-yet-unseen (ironic, isn’t it?) more epic RESTORATION-Solo-Campaign-like Expansion.

We’ve got Season Pass opportunity to 3 episodic expansions, FLASHPOINT, URBAN WARFARE and a THIRD EPISODIC EXPANSION.

We’ve not yet seen the number of BattleMechs that just may accompany... an, ooooh... say... potential, more epic FOURTH SUCCESSION WAR Solo-Campaign type of BATTLETECH Expansion.

I would be very surprised if we didn’t see more than three new Mechs included in such a perhaps $40 to $50 major/epic expansion. I also hope to see additional BattleMech Variants, new biome/maps, new Game Features & Mechanisms... the whole shebang, accompany such a (in HBS’ own vernacular) “major motion picture” of an expansion.

So let’s not pin all our expectations and hopes to these three upcoming episodic expansions.

More is yet to come... : )

My point regarding new variants of existing chassis being that they have negligible time requirements for implementation. All the hard work regarding dynamic weapon placement has already been done by PGI while the chassis itself exists as an animated model in the game files right now.

By no means am I expecting HBS to add 15 new mech chassis per expansion, but around ten variants of mechs including any new chassis would be nice.

 

[stjobe]

My point regarding new variants of existing chassis being that they have negligible time requirements for implementation. All the hard work regarding dynamic weapon placement has already been done by PGI while the chassis itself exists as an animated model in the game files right now.

By no means am I expecting HBS to add 15 new mech chassis per expansion, but around ten variants of mechs including any new chassis would be nice.

There's a list floating around somewhere with all the 3025 chassis and variants; I think you'd be hard-pressed to find all that many eligible variants of existing chassis.

And just so there's no confusion; HBS had to do a fair bit of remodeling of the PGI models to make them work in Unity instead of CryEngine (including redoing all animations and adding new ones not present in MWO like physical attacks), so saying that it is negligible time requirements for implementation of variants may be short-selling it by quite a bit.

 

[Antagonist85]

There's a list floating around somewhere with all the 3025 chassis and variants; I think you'd be hard-pressed to find all that many eligible variants of existing chassis.

And just so there's no confusion; HBS had to do a fair bit of remodeling of the PGI models to make them work in Unity instead of CryEngine (including redoing all animations and adding new ones not present in MWO like physical attacks), so saying that it is negligible time requirements for implementation of variants may be short-selling it by quite a bit.

I was specifically referring to chassis already in the game with that. The models are animated in Unity already and from what I've read, even the modular weapon system is working in the various mods, so what's the technical issue with adding a few new variants?

That said, your point about available 3025 chassis that cannot currently be mimicked with hardpoints ingame is taken, though I did find one in the AWS-8V even while discarding any lostech variants.