KickStarter BattleTech Pre-Release Thread

[SausageInYourFace]

Don't worry, mit dem Codex Fundraiser kommt das alles Ordnung.

 

[Jimmious]

I just want all the expanded campaign goodies and I'll be happy

 

[prodigydancer]

No PvP no buy for me.

PvP should have been their main focus. Unless then have some really innovative AI code already written and tested (which I sincerely doubt), co-op skirmishes can only take them so far. And what else do they have? Story? Who the hell cares about the story in a non-RPG?

The project looks increasingly like a train wreck propelled forward only by the residual momentum of the initial BattleTech namedrop.

 

[ArchAngel]

PvP should have been their main focus. Unless then have some really innovative AI code already written and tested (which I sincerely doubt), co-op skirmishes can only take them so far. And what else do they have? Story? Who the hell cares about the story in a non-RPG?

The project looks increasingly like a train wreck propelled forward only by the residual momentum of the initial BattleTech namedrop.

What co-op skirmish?
The game will not have that in any version.

 

[prodigydancer]

What co-op skirmish?

My bad - I was under impression that their "base skirmish game" included co-op. Well, with single-player only their prospects are even bleaker.

 

[ArchAngel]

My bad - I was under impression that their "base skirmish game" included co-op. Well, with single-player only their prospects are even bleaker.

Singleplayer only worked well for SRR, WL2 and PoE. MP would boost it a lot if they allowed players to play campaign together like D:OS allows.

 

[Excidium II]

I'm only interested in pvp if it has campaign rules and stuff. Just mechs ducking it out will probably get old fast, and I doubt it will have decent enough balance for some competitive ladder.

 

[Ulminati]

Step 1: Add fucking pvp
Step 2: Add Total War-style campaign where 8-64 people refit mechs between skirmishes, pick contracts and end up pitted against AI or other players*
Step 3: ???
Step 4: GOTY

*Have the game generate a number of contracts and offer the player(s) to fight for one (or both) sides depending on their location and reputation with the factions. Once everyone has picked a contract (or passed), do a round of single missions. Each contract supports X lances on either side, with AI filling the spots not taken by players. If multiple players bid for the same slot on a contract with limited slots, give it to whoever bid lowest and let the other player pick a less lucrative minor contract. Encourage a bidding war for the best contracts. Maybe even encourage the loser to sign up with the other side to take petty revenge.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Step 1: Add fucking pvp
Step 2: Add Total War-style campaign where 8-64 people refit mechs between skirmishes, pick contracts and end up pitted against AI or other players.
Step 3: ???
Step 4: GOTY

Dont think HBS has the manpower, the money or the capacity to make something so complex as a mp total war style campaign with TB battles

 

[Ulminati]

There's very little complex code involved in what I just described.
If they're adding pvp, they already have procedural contracts and a galaxy map from the extended campaign stretchgoals.

They just need to sync the turns of multiple players and add an extra negotiation step and allow multiple people on the same contract. Most of the time consuming systems can be copypasted from extended campaign.

Make Ulminati the $2.65 mill stretchgoal and I'll gather a few mates and code it after they give me access to the source code. :3

 

[Lord Andre]

Man, I wish I could stab prodigydancer in the cunt.

 

[Kem0sabe]

There's very little complex code involved in what I just described.
If they're adding pvp, they already have procedural contracts and a galaxy map from the extended campaign stretchgoals.

They just need to sync the turns of multiple players and add an extra negotiation step and allow multiple people on the same contract. Most of the time consuming systems can be copypasted from extended campaign.

Make Ulminati the $2.65 mill stretchgoal and I'll gather a few mates and code it after they give me access to the source code. :3

Don't forget these guys have never made a proper mp pc game, and had a hard time implementing a simple save system and never did pull off a persistent game world with shadowrun.

I bet a lot of those problems were down to unity, but also to skill and money.

Any word on what engine they are using?

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Any word on what engine they are using?

Unity

 

[Ulminati]

Probably unity

 

[Branm]

Yeah not sure if they even have anyone that has experience writing netcode....I still think they will make the 2.8m for multiplayer though

 

[Ulminati]

I'm pretty sure there's a prepackaged "netcode for unity" API out there they can drag and drop into the game. For the money they demand, it should be trivial for them to hire a skilled programmer or two to take care of the rest.

 

[Kem0sabe]

I'm pretty sure there's a prepackaged "netcode for unity" API out there they can drag and drop into the game. For the money they demand, it should be trivial for them to hire a skilled programmer or two to take care of the rest.

I bet if you look at their 5 year plan for the company, in terms of human resources, their one and only bullet point is "hire bioware writer, the gaider the better".

 

[khavi]

Reddit AMA with Mike McCain this Friday at 1030 PDT. If people can't make it or just can't be assed to be there post questions and I'll spam them.

 

[khavi]

There is always a surge in last 2 days. They will make it to PvP, but if there are stretch goals after it, those are in trouble.

No stretch goals after the 2.5m. Anything after that goes into a live team for post release continued development.

My bad - I was under impression that their "base skirmish game" included co-op. Well, with single-player only their prospects are even bleaker.

Co-op play is the stated first item for the potential live team.

One thing that I expect to give them a large jump in funds is when they open up more digital reward tiers, and enable physical add-on items for all tiers. Supposedly both are "in the works™", but I can't get a decent answer out of Mike as to when. For the add-on items they need to get the rights, because apparently reward tiers are considered different than add-ons. Add-ons are considered sale items, while reward tiers are gifts/rewards, thus, different rights.

 

[FuriousGamer87]

Reddit AMA with Mike McCain this Friday at 1030 PDT. If people can't make it or just can't be assed to be there post questions and I'll spam them.

Ask them about the single player gameplay mechanics.

How do initiative and rounds are decided in combat?
How are actions and attacks resolved? Same as their previous game? If not, explain further and in detail.
Does ammunition is kept track off in actual numbers or will be abstracted away as in Shadownrun Returns?
Do you keep track of the health of each mech parts separately or will be just one mech, one hp bar?
How many types of mech are you planning to put in the base game? Can the players mix and match each parts of the mechs with other parts from different mechs?
How many type of weapon are available in the game? How will weapon range be calculated?
If this is a turn based game, what tiles are you using? Squares or hexagons?

 

[Infinitron]

UPDATE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/battletech/posts/1382653

 

[Angthoron]

Exciting news, everyone - I now have word from HBS that they will indeed be happy to work with us again, so, Kool Kodex Kickstarting is gonna be a thing again. I'll be making a newspost about this later today, but yeah - it's a thing. We'll get the 1K (or higher, if we're so supremely fundraisey) overall bonus, and everyone chipping in at $25+ will get a game key as well, just like with SR: Hong Kong.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

What about the backer Atlas?

 

[Angthoron]

I can ask, sure.

 

[Ulminati]

Fuck Atlas. The chicken walkers (Mad Cat, Vulture, Raven, Catapult...) Are the cool mechs