KickStarter BattleTech Pre-Release Thread

[Infinitron]

After previous Kickstarters having these and them failing to deliver properly, I am against this.

Failing to deliver what? Novellass?

 

[Abu Antar]

Failing to deliver what? Novellass?

Nah, the whole social media stretch goals. I don't like them at all, even if this only refers to novellas in this case.

 

[Hellraiser]

I want to believe.

 

[Infinitron]

Nah, the whole social media stretch goals. I don't like them at all, even if this only refers to novellas in this case.

Oh, you mean the stretch goals don't work in terms of bringing in backers? I don't know if there's any proof of that.

 

[Abu Antar]

Oh, you mean the stretch goals don't work in terms of bringing in backers? I don't know if there's any proof of that.

Again, no. They promise to add more stuff if people like/share or whatever stuff on social media, but it doesn't make sense to me. You're not actually getting any money for actually doing it. Or adding stuff depending on how many backers there are.

Shit like this.

 

[prodigydancer]

Sorry men, no more Shadowrun games.

Well, that's a shame.

 

[Abu Antar]

Did you say concept art? I'm sure you did.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Did you say concept art? I'm sure you did.

Goddamit, now I have to play some mech game ASAP!

 

[Neckbeard Shitlord]

Concept art all looks awful. Just like I feared - battlemechrun. It literally looks like they took an ingame shot with shitty lighting and crappy mud filters and added some rain drops.

They realize that colors are a thing that exist, right?!

Concept art generally is higher fidelity than 90s 3d games as well for yahweh's sake.

 

[Excidium II]

Well, that's a shame.

It's really no big loss. Hong Kong was a p. lazy effort, it seemed like from this point on they'd just milk it with extra content.

 

[Infinitron]

Kickstarter goals revealed: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Returning To Battletech 31 Years Later

In January, I had the opportunity to chat with Harebrained Schemes’ Jordan Weisman and Mitch Gitelman about Shadowrun: Hong Kong. During the conversation, we discussed how the studio was evolving its approach to Kickstarter. Jordan also hinted that one of his classic IPs was coming home, andour guess at Battletech was spot-on (if you don’t count us hedging with Crimson Skies).

Today, I had a chance to chat with Weisman, Gitelman, and co-director Mike McCain about what’s in store for Battletech. It’s been more than 30 years since Weisman and Gitelman created the franchise, and while much has changed, their love of giant robots stomping smaller things into dust hasn’t waned.

Harebrained Schemes’ Battletech is a turn-based tactics game set in 3025. The universe is in a “technological retrograde” according to Weisman. While newer mechs are still being produced, the older machines are more powerful and better performing. Pilots are members of noble houses, but this game puts players in the role of a mercenary leading a mech lance.

Battletech will have similarities to Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun, but the two will ultimately be quite different. Weisman says that Battletech is tactics first, whereas Shadowrun is very much an RPG that happens to have turn-based tactical combat.

Just like with Shadowrun: Hong Kong, Harebrained Schemes is bringing a funded concept to the community. For its fourth Kickstarter, the studio has a four-stage plan for Battletech.

Stage one, which is entirely funded by Harebrained Schemes, is a player-versus-AI skirmish game. The Kickstarter campaign goal is set at $250,000, at which point “combined arms” (vehicles that complement mech combat) will be added. Infantry is being considered, but will only be implemented if it works well.

“There is no stretch goal associated with [infantry],” Weisman says. “In our point of view it’s part of combined arms, if we can pull it off in a way that works.”

There are a number of smaller steps like this on the way to the three big phases that the studio is planning to implement to grow the game. At the $1 million level, Harebrained Schemes will add a single-player campaign. At $1.85 million, the solo play will become more open-ended with side missions and procedural generation. The final stage kicks in at $2.5 million with player-versus-player multiplayer.

This staged approach worked well for the Shadowrun: Hong Kong campaign, which raised $1.2 million. That game was delivered on time in August of this year. Unlike that campaign though, Battletech is a completely new endeavor on a new engine (Unity 5) with systems that evoke the the tabletop game without mimicking it.

“It’s a new set of mechanics, but the goal is to model it heavily on the spirit of the tabletop,” Weisman explains. Feel is more important than strict adherence to what already exists. “I designed those mechanics 31 years and not for use by computer. In some respect, we can get closer to the spirit of the tabletop without using those mechanics.”

“It’s gotta feel like Battletech,” Gitelman says. While the team is still prototyping systems, they are pushing towards movement and risk/reward that mirrors what players experience while gathered around the tabletop with friends. Part of that is allowing a more methodical approach to combat.

Unlike MechCommander, which was a real-time game, Harebrained Schemes is taking advantage of the more thoughtful pace of turn-based play. “The biggest thing to me is the discreet understanding of risk and reward,” Weisman says. “In a real-time game, you can’t be shooting all these numbers at a player and expect them to make intelligent decisions. In a turn-based game, we can tell you what your chances of falling over are if you plot a really tight turn for a mech that’s moving fast. We can tell you what your chances of success are for a weapon group when you’re targeting a mech through intervening terrain.”

Weisman says this gives players a heightened sense of control, but also gives access to deeper systems. Battletech will include a mechbay for player who wish to customize their big, stompy robots. Not only will this allow players to customize arms and armor, but also more granular elements like actuators and gyros. These impact turning radius, as you wouldn’t want your mammoth war machine to fall over.

You won’t need to go that deep if you just want to get out on the battlefield. “Our goal is to offer you more than you’ve ever had before, but not require you to use it,” Weisman explains.

With the Inner Sphere currently existing in the tabletop realm and in MechWarrior Online, Harebrained Schemes wants to make sure that its strategy-tactics game fits in thematically. Battletech will use art created by Mechwarrior Online studio Piranha Games for a sense of consistency.

Unlike Shadowrun: Hong Kong, Harebrained Schemes is planning for a longer development curve as it works on its first Battletech game. The latest Shadowrun title took eight months between Kickstarter launch and game release.

Battletech will take about 18 months. “We’re building a new house,” McCain says. “Battletech is an all new house and an all new foundation that we’re building.”

The Kickstarter goes live at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern tomorrow, September 29. Jordan Wiesman, Mitch Gitelman, and Mike McCain will be appearing on No Guts, No Galaxy TV tonight, September 28, at 6 p.m. Pacific / 9 p.m. Eastern. They’ll be talking about Battletech and taking your questions about the upcoming game.

 

[undecaf]

Might be just me since I don't really know how big or committed community this franchise has, but the later goals seem a bit steep... almost 2mil for a better storyline... I'm pitching in anyway, but, well, fingers crossed for a major success and a decent campaign. Don't know how far a sole skirmish game'll go.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Was there any new revelations in 2nd Q&A?

 

[Hobo Elf]

Too much brown and dull muddy colors in the concept art. I hope this doesn't reflect what the finished game looks like.

 

[Abu Antar]

Summary from NeoGAF

• Been in pre-production for a few months, working on core gameplay loops at the moment. Development timespan is estimated to be 18 months
• Hoping for the game to be free movement, no grids. Prototyping different approaches: free, hexes, grids, etc.
• Melee and "Death From Above" will be in the game (Hatchetman, etc.)
• High level of interaction with environments. Bushes being crushed as you walk over them, blowing up buildings, etc. Deformable terrain is unlikely
• Atmospheric environments. Fire, smoke, water, etc. Inferno rounds are likely in the game
• Will be true to the spirit of the tabletop game, but will be its own beast. "As deep or deeper than the original Battletech game"
• A lot of depth. Mech classes, maybe even different chassis. Training your merc pilots, etc.
• Tactical in terms of complexity and using a lot of information to your advantage. Like XCOM, satisfying 30 minutes of tactical gameplay rather than needing hours for a satisfying experience
• Between matches, you upgrade mechs, take on contracts. No overworld, exploration, etc. outside of missions
• No cooperative modes, could appear in a Battletech sequel
• Resource management and logistics will be a big part of the game, revolving around the salvage-based economy. Paying salaries, paying repairs, for interstellar travel, etc. Would love to have contract negotiations between houses as part of the larger campaign
• One of the stretch goals will be legendary mechwarriors and mechs
• Want to make it as authentic a Battletech story/experience as possible, steeped in lore. Unclear if it will be canon
• Choices revolve more about mission choices and decisions on the battlefield, rather than dialogue. Choosing to take on a rival house, secret secondary objectives adjacent to your main objectives, etc.
• Combined arms/aerospace units will be one of the stretch goals. Jumpships and the like
• Origin stories and deeper merc group customization will be a stretch goal, building on the expanded campaign
• Mech aesthetic customization: color schemes, banner/emblem creator, etc.
• Takes between third and fourth Secession Wars
• Skirmish will let you choose objectives, choose where enemies spawn, select special modifiers. No map editor
• Devs are really excited to explore the lore and universe in a more impactful way compared to other Battletech games, and being able to have gameplay with the kind of depth that's true to the tabletop game (compared to real-time strategy)
• Will be available on Steam, Humble, GOG, and DRM-free
• Paypal backing option from day one if you can't back through Kickstarter

 

[Infinitron]

Might be just me since I don't really know how big or committed community this franchise has, but the later goals seem a bit steep... almost 2mil for a better storyline... I'm pitching in anyway, but, well, fingers crossed for a major success and a decent campaign. Don't know how far a sole skirmish game'll go.

If you define "one million" as "almost two million".

 

[Lord Andre]

I don't care if the game will be a piece of shit, it's Battletech, it has my beloved mechs, it's turn fucking based and even has distinction between mech stats and pilot stats.

Day 1 Purchase! Day 1 Backing! Alpha Strike bitches!

 

[undecaf]

If you define "one million" as "almost two million".

No no. Meant the one after that (the 1.85M). Should've said campaign instead of storyline, but surely those are in some way interlinked.

Nevermind, though.

 

[Infinitron]

They probably aren't. It's procedurally generated side missions you can do alongside the main campaign.

Hardcore storyfags should hope they get to $1.8M and stop there.

 

[DwarvenFood]

So how much longer until the Kickstarter ?

 

[ArchAngel]

This sounds better and better with each infodump. All that is left now for my backing is the 20$ early bird tier :D

 

[LESS T_T]

So how much longer until the Kickstarter ?

7 and half hours. There's a counter at their website: http://battletechgame.com/

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

2nd Twitch session can be found here: http://www.twitch.tv/ngngtv/v/18262067

Stuff from 2nd Q&A
-They are going for salvaged look for the mechs
-They want to have high reactivity in environments, destructible buildings etc.
-They want to model multiple gunnery and piloting skills for mechwarriors with perhaps an option to specialize to certain chassis
-Compared to shadowrun and xcom this game will have less emphasis on use of cover
-No exploring outside of missions.
-Co-op won't be in this title
-Air support will play a role in game and is included into combined arms stretch goal.
-No space battles (why this was even asked; I don't know)
-Nothing concrete about initial character creation yet
-All of the game happens in ´timebuble´ between 3rd and 4th succession wars, so timeline doesn't progress in open ended campaign
-Localizations for german, french and russian. Those don't require additional funding goal.
-No map editor, but skirmish mode objectives etc. could be set by player.
-Release on Steam, GOG, Humble and DRM-free
-Heat is in.(Inferno rounds mentioned and water will have an effect also mech loadout concept includes heat sink. Though they haven't decided yet if environmental fires have game play effect)

Abu Antar posted most of these earlier.

Paypal backing option from day one if you can't back through Kickstarter

Hmmm. They are confident.
Also .

So how much longer until the Kickstarter ?

http://battletechgame.com/
About 7 1/2 hours.

 

[Athelas]

No space battles (why this was even asked; I don't know)

You have to ask why somebody would inquire about the possibility of giant mechs duking it out in space?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I is having sex I think.

(if anyone catches this reference, I'm going to be amazed, shocked, and terrified)