Preview BattleTech Kickstarter Update #30: Super-Pre-Alpha Gameplay Footage

[Infinitron]

Tags: BattleTech; Harebrained Schemes; Jordan Weisman; Mike McCain; Mitch Gitelman

In the middle of a quiet summer for RPG news, Harebrained Schemes have broken the tedium today with the release of a BattleTech Kickstarter update featuring pre-alpha gameplay footage. Narrated by Jordan Weisman, Mitch Gitelman and Mike McCain, the gameplay video showcases an assault on a House Marik-controlled salvage base, including a short skirmish against several enemy mechs and vehicles. It's a very early version of the game (hence "super"-pre-alpha) and many features such as melee are still missing, but the combat model is already looking pretty cool. Check it out:

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Harebrained will be attending Gen Con in Indianapolis this weekend, so we might be seeing more of BattleTech soon. If you like what you see and didn't pledge to the Kickstarter, the game is now available for preorder via BackerKit.

 

[Darkzone]

Seem to be OK for a pre alpha.

 

[Kev Inkline]

Seem to be OK for a pre alpha.

Graphically looks gorgeous compared to Shadowrun, and it's not fixed isometric angle either. They've surely improved in that regard.

-Apart from the portraits which are still a bit too edgy.

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

Graphically looks gorgeous

HELL
NO

Also, leave it to Harebranded to make any gameplay completely boring and repetetive

 

[tindrli]

seems decent

 

[Black]

3 white guys showcasing, not very inclusive.

 

[imweasel]

Looks good for a "pre-pre-pre-alpha". Gameplay is still pretty basic. The graphics also need some work.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

If not for the commentary, I would have though the player was a dumb AI and the AI was lead by the player.

 

[Kev Inkline]

Graphically looks gorgeous compared to Shadowrun

HELL
NO

Don't misquote. Or, if you seriously think SR:Returns looks better, then it's just best to agree to disagree.

Trees need quite a bit of work, the rocks are, well, pretty solid.

 

[Yeesh]

Hi I'm old and cranky and I'm the only one who's bothered by the fact that devs have been trying to cover their asses for their shoddy though entirely playable early access releases by calling alphas and more often betas "pre-alpha" for so long now that these guys here have to turn to the nonsensical term "Super-Pre-Alpha" to cover their asses when back in the old sensible days, just accurately calling unreleased, not-fully-playable code "alpha" would have been enough. Thanks for listening.

 

[Drowed]

It doesn't look "amazing/gorgeous" for sure... But it sure looks way, WAY better than what I expected - very atmospheric.

It has already passed the level of "good enough" for me, if the gameplay and customization of the mechs is satisfactory.

 

[eXalted]

So when is the next Shadowrun with an Aurora-like editor coming out?

 

[Jedi Exile]

I like it, but it's not really my thing. I want new and better Shadowrun game from these guys...

 

[jungl]

they could of least made the battles cinematic and zoom in on your mechs when they fire. Front mission, ring of red 10+ year old games do this why can't we have it now? This battletech shit looks like it was quickly whipped up in rpg maker. who the fuck kickstarts these hacks a million dollars?

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Elwro]

What is this, I expected 2d hex

 

[Daedalos]

Inb4 beta engine

 

[Wizfall]

Looks good.
Would have liked much better isometric fixed camera but we knew from the start it would be 3D.

 

[The Bishop]

Looks a lot better than I expected. These MWO models and animations sure blend right in.

 

[Direwolf]

Looks identical to Shadowrun in terms of gameplay. Just in 3D and with mechs.

 

[Mozg]

Looks okay. I don't really see much potential for it not to be a rote "concentrate firepower on dumb AI" game in single player but they might be able to figure something out. Maybe randomness and the strategy layer will help also.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Looks OK for an alpha version, visually it's always going to be vastly inferior to the shadowrun games.

The combat looks very banal, boring, tho.

 

[Ismaul]

Looks promising. More than I thought, but then again I just backed because I like HBS.

 

[Crescent Hawk]

Looks great, I just hope combat holds up.

Maybe hex based would be better? But maps would probably suffer.

What really breaks or makes the game is how varied encounters and objectives are and AI, especially AI. From the look of the vid seems like simple focus fire and kill the enemy.

 

[Archibald]

Looks better than expected, but I hope this doesn't indicate final state of flow of the game, because its looking very slow and boring so far.