Difference between revisions of "BattleTech (Video Game)"

(columns, touchups, removing duplicate apocryphal warning (the note at the top should suffice))
m (formatting fix)
Line 129: Line 129:
 
==='Mechs===
 
==='Mechs===
 
{{seealso|BattleTech (Video Game)/BattleMechs}}
 
{{seealso|BattleTech (Video Game)/BattleMechs}}
{{columns-start|num=4}}
+
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
 
====Light====
 
====Light====
 
* ''[[Locust]]''  
 
* ''[[Locust]]''  
Line 141: Line 141:
 
* ''[[Raven]]'' *
 
* ''[[Raven]]'' *
 
* ''[[Flea]]'' *
 
* ''[[Flea]]'' *
{{column}}
+
 
 
====Medium====
 
====Medium====
 
* ''[[Cicada]]''  
 
* ''[[Cicada]]''  
Line 159: Line 159:
 
* ''[[Vulcan (BattleMech)|Vulcan]]'' *
 
* ''[[Vulcan (BattleMech)|Vulcan]]'' *
 
* ''[[Phoenix Hawk]]'' *
 
* ''[[Phoenix Hawk]]'' *
{{column}}
+
 
 
====Heavy====
 
====Heavy====
 
* ''[[Dragon]]''  
 
* ''[[Dragon]]''  
Line 174: Line 174:
 
* ''[[Marauder]]'' **
 
* ''[[Marauder]]'' **
 
* ''[[Rifleman]]'' *
 
* ''[[Rifleman]]'' *
{{column}}
+
 
 
====Assault====
 
====Assault====
 
* ''[[Awesome]]''  
 
* ''[[Awesome]]''  
Line 189: Line 189:
 
* ''[[Annihilator]]'' *
 
* ''[[Annihilator]]'' *
 
* ''[[Bull Shark]]'' *
 
* ''[[Bull Shark]]'' *
{{columns-end}}
+
{{div col end}}
  
 
Asterisk * - Denotes DLC-only 'Mechs. Note that while the UrbanMech made an appearance during the tutorial of the game, it did not appear under the control of the AI in single-player until the ''Urban Warfare'' DLC.
 
Asterisk * - Denotes DLC-only 'Mechs. Note that while the UrbanMech made an appearance during the tutorial of the game, it did not appear under the control of the AI in single-player until the ''Urban Warfare'' DLC.
Line 254: Line 254:
 
{{column}}
 
{{column}}
 
===Marauders===
 
===Marauders===
The player character's mercenary unit (the name may be changed by the player at any time), consists of the Commander, three non-player characters serving in noncombat roles, plus four initial playable MechWarriors.
+
The player character's mercenary unit (the name may be changed by the player at any time) consists of the Commander, three non-player characters serving in noncombat roles, plus four initial playable MechWarriors.
 
*[[Darius Oliveira]]
 
*[[Darius Oliveira]]
 
*[[Sumire Meyer]]
 
*[[Sumire Meyer]]

Revision as of 05:57, 6 May 2023

BattleTech Video Game Front Cover.png
BattleTech
Product information
Type Video Game
Development Harebrained Schemes
Publication information
Publisher Harebrained Schemes
First published 24 April 2018
MSRP $39.99
Content
Era Succession Wars era
Timeline 3025

BattleTech is a 2018 computer game by Harebrained Schemes set in the eponymous BattleTech universe.

It was announced on 29 July 2015 that a new BattleTech-themed game was going to be made, supported by very successful crowdfunding campaign. The Backer Beta was released via Steam on 01 June 2017; the finished game was first released on 24 April 2018. Multiple updates would be released over the following two years that would add new 'Mechs and story content.

Canonicity

Computer games are excluded from the current definition of Canon for the BattleTech universe. The game thus defaults to apocryphal.

Jordan Weisman of FASA fame, often called the "creator of BattleTech", was involved in the making of this game but it was technically produced under the offshoot license for BattleTech computer games that has been a separate intellectual property from the original tabletop BattleTech game, sourcebook and novel line ever since FASA's Virtual World Entertainment Group (and the computer game rights with it) was sold to Microsoft in 1999.

However, there was some cooperation between Catalyst Game Labs and HBS regarding this game. CGL Line Developer Randall N. Bills explicitly stated that it was intended for the game's storyline to be fully canonical.[1] While the game as such was not declared canonical, CGL have since published a sourcebook–House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition)–that was written by HBS's Andrew McIntosh and Kiva Maginn. This sourcebook canonized the key worlds, characters and events from the game (but not the game as such).

Gameplay

Steeped in the feudal political intrigue of the BattleTech universe, the game will feature an open-ended Mercenaries-style campaign that blends RPG ‘Mech and MechWarrior management with modern turn-based tactics.[2]

The game features turn-based 'Mech combat scenarios at its core, where the player gets to control up to four 'Mechs. Game rules and unit stats were altered significantly compared to standard "classic BattleTech" tabletop play, though some basic statistics and mechanics can be 'translated' or 'converted' between the underlying systems without too much difficulty (e.g. multiply all tabletop damage values by 5 to get rough equivalence with BattleTech's).

Mission objectives vary, and while most missions are procedurally generated there are also a number of pregenerated missions that serve to narrate the storyline (see Plot Synopsis below). Both procedural and storyline missions may present complications such as limited drop weight, poor intelligence (the actual difficulty of the mission may be higher than displayed), allied units helping out, enemy reinforcements arriving, artillery barrages presenting dangerous areas, and so on.

In addition, there is a metagame with economic and role-playing elements where the player gets to run his or her own mercenary unit (default name "<Character Name>'s Marauders", though the player is free to give it any other name thereafter) and manage their assets including MechWarrior characters between missions. The player will also have to manage relations with various political factions (Successor States, but also groups like pirates and local governments) and negotiate for cash, salvage, or goodwill from these factions when conducting missions depending on their particular needs or goals. Periodically the player may have to resolve random events during travel, such as disagreements between their pilots, mishaps, and so on. These events have multiple choice outcomes, many of which may be unlocked or modified by the characters involved possessing certain traits or modifiers, or other statuses like the player having high reputation with a faction involved in the event.

Aside from the main Campaign mode the game also features a Career mode, where the goal is to simply attain the highest possible score the player can within 1,200 days of in-game time; there are no mandatory story missions involved, though Flashpoints may appear if the appropriate DLC is installed. Scoring categories include unique 'Mechs and variants collected, 'Mech weight class collections completed (e.g. collecting every heavy 'Mech in the game rewards a significant point bonus), missions completed, C-bills earned, Argo upgrades installed, non-Commander pilots levelled up, total systems visited, and more. There are also Skirmish and Multiplayer modes, where players can go head to head against the AI or other human players to prove their skill in battle on various battlefields with handpicked Lance setups.

Finally, as of the last major update, the game itself is also highly modifiable with an integrated mod launcher and official support for modding game assets. It is fully possible for users to add their own 'Mechs (canon or otherwise), 'Mech variants, vehicles, vehicle variants, weapons, mission types, and much more. The underlying gameplay systems themselves can also be modified and expanded to, for example, increase the complexity of the various systems to something more closely resembling classic BattleTech tabletop rules for those so inclined.

Plot Synopsis

Setting

The game is set in the Aurigan Reach region in the rimward periphery, beyond the Free Worlds League, the Capellan Confederation and the Federated Suns and between the Taurian Concordat and the Magistracy of Canopus.

The Aurigan Reach was created for this game, including many of its named worlds that had not been mentioned in canon before, by fleshing out what had mostly been a blank slate in previous BattleTech canon. Given that many named worlds will belong to one of the other, larger powers on canonical star maps set later in the timeline, it is understood that the Aurigan Reach and the realms therein are struggling minor periphery powers barely considered noteworthy by the Inner Sphere.

Storyline

The game is (mostly) set around the year 3025, near the end the Third Succession War. Its optional storyline, narrated via a "breadcrumbs" trail of storyline missions that the player may follow or ignore, is broadly concerned with the Arano Restoration:
In 2910, after the major factions abandoned the area for more than a hundred years, a new state—the Aurigan Coalition—sprang up, centered around the noble families of the trade worlds Coromodir, Guldra and Tyrlon. Coromodir was chosen as the capital and the noble House Arano and House Espinosa became the leaders when the Arano family displaced the figurehead governor the Taurians had left behind in 2820. In 3025 border tensions with the Taurian Concordat rose to a point where war was inevitable, as the Taurians laid claims to border worlds like Qalzi. At the same time, the Capellan Confederation is claiming former Confederate worlds on the other side of the Aurigan Coalition. After High Lord Tamati Arano II died in a space travel accident, the rule of his daughter and heir, Lady Kamea Arano, is usurped by House Espinosa. With the help of a mercenary unit—the player unit—she sets out to restore her rule over the Aurigan Coalition.

BattleTech: Restoration

Cutscene (Prologue)

Campaign Missions

  • Mission 1A - TUTORIAL - Coromodir - Arano Summer Palace — 08:53 Local Time - Captain of the Guard Raju “Mastiff” Montgomery has either rescued or recruited the Commander to assist in escorting Lady Kamea Arano to her Coronation in Cordia City. But first, your Blackjack needs a test run after its overhaul. (Transcript)
  • Mission 1B - CORONATION DAY - Coromodir - Cordia City Outskirts — 13:22 Local Time – Continuing to escort Lay Arano to the tourney grounds with Mastiff. (Transcript)
  • Cutscene Coup (No dialogue)
  • The Story So Far: On the day of Lady Kamea Arano's ascension to the throne, her uncle Lord Espinosa and his daughter Victoria launch a desperate coup. Through surprise, sabotage, and strength in numbers, their forces quickly secure the capital and solidify control over the Aurigan government. With help from you and your old mentor Mastiff Montgomery, Lady Kamea along with her close friend and advisor Alexander Madeira, attempt an escape. Mastiff sacrifices himself to cover their exit, but their DropShip is destroyed during the attempt. In the aftermath of the battle, you and your 'Mech were recovered by Darius Oliveira, the Executive Officer of a small mercenary company in need of a new commander. Three years later... (This text page only occurs if the skip prologue is selected in custom campaign page.
  • Mission 2 – RENT-TO-OWN - Úr Cruinne — Rimward Frontier — Three Years Later – "The Independent Prospectors' League needs your help, Commander. Two months ago, a fleet of corporate DropShips from Majesty Metals & Manufacturing touched down on Ur Cruinne. They jumped our claim, pushed us off of our own mining platforms, and killed our people. We need your help to make things right." "The IPL may not be a high-profile client, but pickings are slim in this part of the Frontier, and... well, let's face it. We're overdue on our loans, and we need the money." (Transcript)
  • Mission 3 – CAPTURE THE ARGO - Axylus — Rimward Frontier – A self-appointed bandit queen has taken possession of the Argo, a derelict DropShip and relic of the Star League era. We believe that it belongs in more suitable hands... namely, ours. You will drop on Axylus, shut down the pirates' antiaircraft capabilities, and hold out while our engineers bring the Argo back to life. Transcript (Transcript)
  • Cutscene Argo (No dialogue)
  • Mission 4 – LIBERATION OF WELDRY - Weldry — Aurigan Directorate – This is it... our first strike against my uncle's Directorate. Our first step toward justice. While I lead the Restoration Army against Weldry's primary spaceport, you will launch a sneak attack against the Icebox and liberate it. I know that you can do this, (Character Callsign). We can do this. Together. (Transcript)
  • Mission 5 – LIBERATE: PANZYR - Panzyr — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 6 – LIBERATE: SMITHON - Smithon — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 7 – SERVED COLD - Anvelt — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 8 – RAISING THE DEAD - Anvelt — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 9 – ESCAPE - Anvelt — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 10 – DEFENSE: SMITHON - Smithon — Aurigan Restoration – (Transcript)
  • Mission 11 – LIBERATE: ITROM - Itrom — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 12 – DEFENSE: PANZYR - Panzyr — Aurigan Restoration – (Transcript)
  • Mission 13 – GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY - Guldra — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Cutscene Capture (No dialogue)
  • Mission 11 – LIBERATE: TYRLON - Tyrlon — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Mission 12– LOCURA - Coromodir — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)
  • Cutscene Crash (No dialogue)
  • Mission 13– SHOWDOWN - Coromodir — Aurigan Directorate – (Transcript)

Featured BattleTech

'Mechs

Asterisk * - Denotes DLC-only 'Mechs. Note that while the UrbanMech made an appearance during the tutorial of the game, it did not appear under the control of the AI in single-player until the Urban Warfare DLC.

Also note that Warhammer and Marauder (denoted with double asterisk **) are added with free game update associated with the Heavy Metal DLC.

Vehicles

Asterisk * - Denotes a DLC-only vehicle

DropShips

JumpShips

Other

Featured Characters

Arano Restoration

Aurigan Directorate

Magistracy of Canopus

Taurian Concordat

Marauders

The player character's mercenary unit (the name may be changed by the player at any time) consists of the Commander, three non-player characters serving in noncombat roles, plus four initial playable MechWarriors.

Over the course of the game there is a wide range of further possible recruits for the unit, both in the form of "Ronin" backers and randomly generated pilots.

BattleTech: Flashpoint Expansion Pack

BattleTech Video Game Flashpoint.jpg

Announced on 21 August 2018 was the game's first expansion pack, dubbed Flashpoint, which released on 27 November 2018. The expansion includes a new challenging mission type "Target Acquisition" which is focused on territory control best suited to light and medium 'Mechs, new tropical biome and three new 'Mechs including the Crab, Cyclops, and Hatchetman - the first 'Mech not taken from MechWarrior Online.

The expansion's key feature is the inclusion of seventeen "Flashpoint" missions, high-stakes branching short stories which are comprised of nonprocedural missions linked together by new crew conversations and special events. To ramp up the intensity, some Flashpoint stories feature "Consecutive Deployments" in which players will not be able to repair their 'Mechs between missions.

BattleTech: Urban Warfare Expansion Pack

BattleTech Video Game Urban Warfare.jpg

The second expansion pack, Urban Warfare, was announced 18 October 2018 as part of the promotional materials for the game's season pass. Urban Warfare was released on 4th June 2019.

As its name implies, the pack's focus is the introduction of urban environments to the game with tall fully destructible buildings hindering line of site offering a new challenge. The Urban Warfare pack also adds ten new Flashpoints and a host of new equipment including ECM and Active Probes, three new vehicles - the Gallant Urban Assault Tank, the Packrat and Rotunda - and two new BattleMechs, the Raven and Javelin.[1]

BattleTech: Heavy Metal Expansion Pack

BattleTech Video Game Heavy Metal.jpg

The name of the game's third planned expansion pack Heavy Metal was announced at the same time the Urban Warfare release date was announced. The pack was released on 21 November 2019.

It was announced at Mech Con 2018 that the Unseen were intended to be included in Urban Warfare.[2] PDXCon 2019 revealed that the expansion would include eight new 'Mechs - the Flea, Assassin, Phoenix Hawk, Vulcan, Archer, Rifleman, Annihilator and a unique new original 'Mech developed by HBS, the Bull Shark. Each 'Mech included a unique feature, with eight new weapon systems including 'Mech Mortars and Inferno Missiles were included. The expansion also includes a new Flashpoint that includes an encounter with Wolf's Dragoons, Natasha Kerensky and the Bounty Hunter. It was released alongside a major free update that introduced the Marauder and Warhammer, and also added official mod support.[3][4]

Resources

Art

References

  1. In this forum thread on the game's homepage:
    Q: "[D]oes your work on MWO and HBS-BT mean the Hero 'Mech fluff in the former and the campaign storyline in the latter are canonical for the core (CGL) BatteTech lore?"
    A (by Randall Bills): "For the Hero 'Mechs, absolutely. And that is the intention with the HBS campaign storyline as well."
  2. battletechgame.com

Bibliography

External Links