Things We Would Buy After Launch (New Scenarios, Voice Packs, etc.)

[MagnusEffect]

For "FREE" content patches & updates you want to see, @GenTask has a good discussion thread about it here.

First off, I realize the game is not even out yet. I realize some of you may find it hard to think about expansions and whatnot for a game you haven't even played yet. That's fine and I totally understand. That being said, I'm just a HUGE Battletech fan and this is like finally coming home after being stuck on a deserted island for 15 years. I'm also a very proactive kind of guy so I like thinking three steps ahead... so bear with me. Now on to the discussion...

I'm curious to see what good ideas we can come up with that people would be willing to pay for. Let's start by quickly acknowledging mech packs (a very obvious choice), but one that we shouldn't dwell on too much. The reason I say this is because mech packs alone will not be something unique that HBS can bring to the table. There is little doubt that many mechs will find their way into the game with mods (seriously, a big thank you to HBS for making this game mod-friendly). That is great for all of us, but it doesn't make mech packs a great choice for HBS to pour significant resources into and hope to earn anything significant for their efforts (kudos to them if they do it anyway, though). I would also like to exclude things that we feel might be made available to everyone as a free update (fingers crossed on campaign coop ). I want to talk about content that most modders have neither the time nor resources to do. I want to talk about content that HBS could focus on to continue supporting the game. I want to talk about content you and I would "throw money at".

There are two things for me that immediately come to mind:

• Scenario Packs (aka new campaigns)
• Voice Packs

Regarding Scenario Packs...
Lets put this in perspective. Here's a basic map of the Inner Sphere in 3025:

As you can see, the current campaign takes place down in a "southern" little spot that is dwarfed by the "rest of it". To be honest, I think it was a brilliant move to choose a new area that no previous installment of the franchise has explored. That being said, there is still A TON of ground that can be covered out there. Here's just a small sample of interesting events that happen between the years 3025 and 3049 (or before the Clan Invasion):

• Discovery of the Helm Memory Core
• The Fourth Succession War
• The Battle of Misery
• The War of 3039
• Formation of the Free Rasalhague Republic and the ensuing Ronin War
• Formation of the St. Ives Compact (and all the drama that House Liao brings)
• Pretty much anything involving Snord's Irregulars
• Oh and don't forget the various adventures of various canon mercenary commands
• The list goes on and on...
• And let us not forget that's all just before the Clans

I think you get the idea. These Scenario Packs could potentially integrate with the current map we have right now. Theoretically, the campaign map we have right now could double, triple, quadruple (and more) in size. New official battle maps, planet biomes, and mechs could be added with each Scenario Pack as an additional bonus. The amount of content possible from creating new scenarios alone is almost limitless. Best of all, each person could be free to pay for the Scenarios they want without dividing the community behind paywalls (similar to how Stellaris handles its expansions). I think if it was done in a compelling way, there would be a lot of demand for it.


Regarding Voice Packs.
Obviously, this one is a bit more straightforward. I admit this may be less of a demand for some people, but I still think it holds enough merit to be considered. The really important thing is that this would be something that HBS could offer for a reasonable price without fear of their sales being undermined by mods. Not to say a modder couldn't do it, but let's face it... most voice acting in mods is just terrible.

In summary...
So there it is. What do you guys think? Is there something else you would be willing to pay for that is unlikely to get a lot of attention from modders?

 

[Sedmeister]

The capacity to control a house on the strategic map. Plan battles, invasions, spec ops missions etc.

 

[UncleGamer]

The capacity to control a house on the strategic map. Plan battles, invasions, spec ops missions etc.

I think this falls way outside the intent of the game. Plus controlling a Great House has implications on the Lore, something no dev would want to touch.

 

[Lardaltef]

Hmmm. LAMs. I don't see how they could actually work per battletech. They (along with aerospace fighters) do have to carry fuel. So once a LAM runs out of fuel it is an undergunned, underarmored mech. No one would ever take them unless they had no other option.

 

[KrazyK33]

I would really like to see campaign expansions for different events from 3025 through the clan war and beyond (I will buy them all, and be kickstarter funder for them if needed).

With grand finale expansion, a true sandbox game starting with a meager mercenary team in 3025 struggling to stay afloat through the clan wars and beyond. Include the option to play through some optional mini campaigns related to the events going on at the various times and locations throughout the inner sphere and periphery. With new tech slowly being implemented at the proper times. Full company missions (3 lances of mechs and vehicles), the ability to deploy infantry and aerospace fighters for support (these can be AI controlled). An improved salvage system not being so generous with mechs. An improved C-Bill system, finances are too easy right now, partly due to the ease of mech salvage. Slower MechWarrior skill progression. Long term multi mission contracts. Multi stage contracts with only limited time to repair mechs between missions. Various drop ships for rent/purchase, bank loans available.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

At some point, I would literally buy a functional save-game and config file editor, to extend the replayability.

 

[AresGOW]

Love these suggestions.

 

[Karantov]

Make Mercenaries 2 campaign. Still (sorry guys) best Battletech game ever.

 

[DutchRits]

I haven’t read through the rest, but...

I want the rest of the 3025 ‘Mechs. Just take my money, then.

I want an ELH campaign. Or one for the 4th Succession War.

I also want to be able to NOT advance the storyline when a new DLC occurs. I’m quite happy in the pre-Clan eras.

 

[Helaton]

Things I would pay for:

• Much bigger multi-objective maps. (8-10x the size of the current maps) Bring back missions that required waypoint alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, epsilon, foxtrot and gamma please There's also not much use to plan around ammo efficiency as most missions now against 2 lances don't or barely put ammo in the red depending on type of weapon. Would also be a little discouraging against boating and instead go for a mix of weapons. Most of the maps feel really small, it also has an impact on LRM/ER/Gauss and similar weapons. - PRICELESS (But you can start at $20+)
• More story lines. Keep a chronological timeline rather than bounce around please. As long as it has a good story, few new biome/map styles, and new content (mechs/weapons etc) all is well. A well done storyline expansion I would pay $24.99 for. (minimal bugs) Storyline can introduce new mechs relative to a particular house and content. Just make sure it is at least 10-20+ hours of content and I'll be more than satisfied. If it has good additions to the OST, then $29.99
• Co-op Campaign. I'm desperate to play with some of my buddies. Free to ~$19.99
• Zeus-Equivalent from Arma for a 'GM' to run their own missions with up to 4 other players who would each control a single pilot. The GM could add units to the maps via dropship etc. Goes hand in hand with the bigger maps. Would pay $30-$50 for this. This would give battletech lasting power for years amongst non-modders. Include infantry, aerospace and more vehicle types with a decent map selection. (Make maps extremely large, but allow a GM set aside an area of a large map as the opfor. So you can experience the same map in different ways depending on the GM's creativity.)
• PvP Maps - around $10 or so. They would need to be large and really good with a diversity of terrain/features and textures. A set of 10 maps for $10 would be up my alley. Also an option for 1 person to control 1 mech (so you can do 4v4).
• Character missions. Equip your mercenaries to infiltrate using the same gameplay mechanics but with your pilots. Go in, espionage, sabotage, hostage, VIP. Give battletech a personal element (I think this would be good going into the Davion Steiner era for example.) Rather than raid the base and level it by holding a control point, I want to be able to go into the mission (maybe eventually elemental armor if we get far enough.) If your character gets incapacitated, you either have to rescue or they get held for ransom that you have to pay off to get them back (or abandon them but it would be fun for them to come after you in the future plus the - morale effect) ~ $14.99 (More character to character interaction that I feel is missing sometimes during a story.)
• Expanded contracts - A lot of new content for taking contracts. New types. It would be fine to me to put mechs, weapons, (even ships) here.
• Deluxe versions of the above that include aesthetic content for an extra 5-10$ or so (but see note below about aesthetic packs). If a DLC is released, should have no problems playing with someone who has the normal DLC vs Deluxe DLC as an example.

Things I wouldn't want to pay for:

• Mechpacks - If you give us storytelling/expansion content that involves new mechs, that's fine. But if its just mechpacks for the sake of PvE, PvP etc, please don't.
• Weaponpacks - Same as above.
• Aesthetic packs - While the art is fitting, I don't feel that the mech details that show up when playing missions are that visible. Although the color selection choices for the current mechs are a little horrid and limited, I can deal with it. If I have to pay to make up for the limitations of the current mech color system, I wouldn't be very happy. If you give new colors as included in storyline expansions, I'm ok with that (see above entry in storylines).
  Note: If you want to make aesthetic additions, offer it as a deluxe version of storyline expansions. (see above entry again). Don't sell it separate.

 

[Lawler]

Hmmm. LAMs. I don't see how they could actually work per battletech. They (along with aerospace fighters) do have to carry fuel. So once a LAM runs out of fuel it is an undergunned, underarmored mech. No one would ever take them unless they had no other option.

Battlemechs have fusion engines so they don’t require fuel unless they go to aerospace configuration. And the rules for them specifically state they have 30 points of fuel with no option to add more. This fuel neither requires tonnage nor takes up any critical space in the mech.

So they’re basically quick strike units that need a base of operations to fully function from an aerospace standpoint. And realistically, you would prefer even he lightest actual aerospace fighter to any size LAM in a dogfight scenario. They’re just fun to use. They’re not better that anything else in the game. Unless you like really fragile medium mechs that move twice as fast and can pretty much crash on demand.

Their armaments get pretty decent with star league tech. XL enigines don’t add any more frailty than the basic design and they give you enough weight to upgrade the guns. Pulse lasers take the sting out of the jumping penalties in airmech mode and, while endo steel would be the ideal go to, practicality suggests ferro fibrous armor to get that little extra protection when speed wasn’t enough.

 

[Aggaire]

• More story lines. Keep a chronological timeline rather than bounce around please. As long as it has a good story, few new biome/map styles, and new content (mechs/weapons etc) all is well. A well done storyline expansion I would pay $24.99 for. (minimal bugs) Storyline can introduce new mechs relative to a particular house and content. Just make sure it is at least 10-20+ hours of content and I'll be more than satisfied. If it has good additions to the OST, then $29.99
• Co-op Campaign. I'm desperate to play with some of my buddies. Free to ~$19.99
• Zeus-Equivalent from Arma for a 'GM' to run their own missions with up to 4 other players who would each control a single pilot. The GM could add units to the maps via dropship etc. Goes hand in hand with the bigger maps. Would pay $30-$50 for this. This would give battletech lasting power for years amongst non-modders. Include infantry, aerospace and more vehicle types with a decent map selection. (Make maps extremely large, but allow a GM set aside an area of a large map as the opfor. So you can experience the same map in different ways depending on the GM's creativity.)

These three are the things that I think would be the best additions to the game, specifically 1 & 3, but if 3 were done the best possible way, it would include 2.

GMed games! This would allow players to play against each other in asymmetrical scenarios, with one player placing and controlling turrets, vehicles, other mechs, while the other is controlling their mechs. GMs could set up their own scenarios.

Ideally I'd like to see the ability for a GM to set up a scenario and then for several players to go up against the GM, each fielding 1-2 mechs. The biggest issue I see here is that the GM would actually have more play time, which might require it to keep to 1v1?

 

[DutchRits]

I think that the most important thing is to recognize the draw that classic 3025 BattleTech had on mobilizing the community. There are numerous complaints about MWO advancing the timeline without adequately fleshing out Faction Play or even including iconic 3025 Mechs (HG lawsuit nonwithstanding).

In short, HBS needs to focus on maximizing the 3025 content BEFORE advancing the timeline, no matter how juicy it may be to get to the 4th Succession War, the Ronin Wars, Andurien Crisis, GDL escapades, etc.

Or...

Have a means to allow gameplay in different eras. That would allow for continued release of 3025 goodies (more Unseen, please!) while simultaneously introducing the Helm Memory Core, advance the storyline, etc.

 

[Cromag]

A game i can actually play.

 

[Hanse]

I would pay to see the original campaigns/scenarios and storybook addons from the tabletop game recreated in chronological order into expansion packs. which could be quite profitable considering how many there are

 

[SentosKarum]

Content I would pay for...

Take the House Books and other TRO from the Pen and Paper game, bundle them with their mechs, weapons (and ASF? WarShips?) which aren't already in the game, maybe add some sidequests and expand the map...

Well that sound like the House Books at least would proper expansions on their own. And I'd pay for that. TRO might be more of the Content Pack variety, and I'd pay for that. But the inclusion of a digital Field Manuial House Davion or TRO 3025 in the DLC inspired by those would be cool.

Also, the ability to field some tanks, ASF and infantry (Elementals, we all know what we mean by Infantry) would be worth money to me.

Dropships? The Leopard is bit dinky, like to trade it for a propper Dropper.

 

[Lawler]

Content I would pay for...

Take the House Books and other TRO from the Pen and Paper game, bundle them with their mechs, weapons (and ASF? WarShips?) which aren't already in the game, maybe add some sidequests and expand the map...

Well that sound like the House Books at least would proper expansions on their own. And I'd pay for that. TRO might be more of the Content Pack variety, and I'd pay for that. But the inclusion of a digital Field Manuial House Davion or TRO 3025 in the DLC inspired by those would be cool.

Also, the ability to field some tanks, ASF and infantry (Elementals, we all know what we mean by Infantry) would be worth money to me.

Dropships? The Leopard is bit dinky, like to trade it for a propper Dropper.

If by elemental infantry you’re specifically thinking clans, they’re a long way out. It wouldn’t be terrible to see, but I think playing as the clans would break the game for me, sorry. There would be almost zero challenge in it. Best tech, best mechs, best pilots... hard pass. Spheroid for life, baby!

That said, I think the game really could benefit from a clan invasion patch for players dedicated to putting in the 1200+ weeks to get that far down the timeline. And a “montage” button for those that don’t want to put in that much time.

At that point HBS could start filtering in all sorts of crazy tech a piece at a time. There’s certainly no shortage of ideas out there, and the House books are an excellent resource for this.

 

[SentosKarum]

Well 'normal' infantry would be a bit too perishable to really have fun with for most players, I'd think.

 

[MagnusEffect]

Well 'normal' infantry would be a bit too perishable to really have fun with for most players, I'd think.

They shouldn't take up the slot that would be used for a mech, but basic infantry are actually quite dangerous in urban environments; especially when using better equipment. In an open battlefield, motorized Infantry with mobile field guns (yes, that's a thing in tabletop) are downright deadly and are actually much cheaper to field in mass numbers than tanks or mechs. Their one major drawback is comparatively decreased mobility; generally speaking, infantry work better in defense than in offense.

Then there are mechanized infantry, which are essentially just light vehicles with weapons mounted on their backs. They have better mobility, but suffer for it by having less ability to take advantage of cover.

They could make infantry particularly dangerous in this game by making them undetectable in heavy cover or buildings until you moved within their attacking range. This might be partially counted when BAP becomes available.

The only thing I would caution the devs in doing is not sacrifice one of the four mech drop slots for infantry. Rather, it would be better to have a seperate "support" forces tab where you could take something like four 50 ton vehicles, two aerospace, or whatever the rough equivalent of infantry would be (I forget). Nothing so big as to be your main force, but just a touch of more tactical variety to make things more interesting.

But like I said before, basic infantry generally work better in defense whereas tanks and aerospace are better for offense so the devs would need to consider how this would work right.

 

[Rusharn]

Things I would pay for

Mini planetary territorial campaign missions, like the Dawn of war or Dune games. You sign on for the campaign, and go to a planetary map and fight for control of territories.
Pro: lots of work in rapid succession without the need for travel,
Con: no access to the store or hiring hall forcing you to rely on your own stores, limited time between missions for repairs, modifcations and pilots to heal.

More Main story campaigns that carry us through all the major wars and conflicts allowing us to take our company with us.

A long war endurance campaign from 3025 all the way through to the end of he Blake Jihad.

Side campaigns for each of the IS houses 10-12 missions each, and show us the color and character of each house.

A Solaris campaign.



I don't think we need to worry to much about a clan expansion making the clans over powered. Given some of the numbers we have seen them to select for the weapons as well as certain mechanics I would expect the following:

Clan range advantage neutralized because of short visual range.

Clan weapons to be 30 to 50% hotter than their Table Top Counterparts

Clan Double Heat Sinks to be 30 to 50% less effective than their Table Top Counterparts.

So while the clan weapons would do more damage and be smaller they will generate a lot more heat and put them with in a scale that can be engaged on an even battle field with the IS mechs

I think this is why the PPC and LL heat values are so high is because they are testing the shift in heat numbers for balancing against IS and Clan double heat sinks and Clan weapons.

Personally I look forward to the clan invasion as several of my favorite mechs of both the Clans and the IS come from the invasion.

And if we get to then move on and fight the Word of Blake, that would be icing on the cake.

More so I wouldn't expect us to just toss our old mechs aside as we progressed through a long war. Several of the mech chassis served through every major war and as mercenaries the cost of clan mechs and weapons could be economically crippling to repair and maintain much less find replacements for, and Omni tech while allowing fast modifications and replacement would be expensive to maintain, and worst to replace the battle damage especially if they allow mixed tech load outs.