Battletech - Urban Warcrimes: So quoth the RVN-3L, Arrow IV.

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I R SMART LIKE ROCK: Mar 10, 2003; I just want a hug.; Fun Shoe

ded posted:

Are there any mods out there that adds mechs that are not clan mechs and does not change existing mechs and is not BEX/BTA/RT?

I tried https://www.nexusmods.com/battletech/mods/18 JK variants and it does add some stuff but it also fucks every existing mech out of being able to use jumpjets if they didn't come stock with them. It also hasn't been updated in a long time.

I already tried out BTA and while it was kind of nice with all the new stuff the load times sucked rear end and vehicles are stupid OP along with turning the game into an unstable mess that overflows after 2 missions.

I thought the no jj's thing was optional but the mod being old doesn't really matter

# ? Jan 24, 2024 03:55

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# ? May 30, 2024 15:08

ded: Oct 27, 2005; Kooler than Jesus

I R SMART LIKE ROCK posted:

I thought the no jj's thing was optional but the mod being old doesn't really matter

oh hell. i didnt see there is a .pdf buried inside the mod that talks about this.

also it looks like the community asset bundle was hidden on nexus and its on modsinexile now

# ? Jan 24, 2024 04:01

I R SMART LIKE ROCK: Mar 10, 2003; I just want a hug.; Fun Shoe

ded posted:

oh hell. i didnt see there is a .pdf buried inside the mod that talks about this.

also it looks like the community asset bundle was hidden on nexus and its on modsinexile now

yeah there was a whole drama thing with nexus a while back and a split in the mod community

# ? Jan 24, 2024 04:13

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

Orcs and Ostriches posted:

That's rough news. They got hosed hard by paradox eh?

Nah they made a game that nobody bought. Paradox paid for the game distribution rights and Weisman cashed that cheque so it's fair they stay. If anything Paradox are doing HBS a favour by cutting them loose and letting them keep their name and brand, as opposed to shutting the studio completely and making them set up something completely new if they want to go indy.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 08:42

Runa: Feb 13, 2011

Paradox actually did gently caress them pretty hard, instead of Lamplighters League they wanted to make BT2 but paradox didn't want to play ball with Microsoft. LL was a project they were forced to come up with in its place and Paradox did them no favors there either.

I don't have very much faith in Paradox Interactive's new CEO.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 09:00

Kanos: Sep 6, 2006; was there a time when speedwagon didn't get trolled

Paradox laid off a substantial proportion of HBS's staff mere months before Lamplighter came out, which is pretty definitively loving them over.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 09:06

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

Runa posted:

Paradox actually did gently caress them pretty hard, instead of Lamplighters League they wanted to make BT2 but paradox didn't want to play ball with Microsoft. LL was a project they were forced to come up with in its place and Paradox did them no favors there either.

I don't have very much faith in Paradox Interactive's new CEO.

Sorry that's a narrative that just assumes Microsoft was willing to play ball. On a Microsoft IP.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 09:09

Private Speech: Mar 30, 2011; I HAVE EVEN MORE WORTHLESS BEANIE BABIES IN MY COLLECTION THAN I HAVE WORTHLESS POSTS IN THE BEANIE BABY THREAD YET I STILL HAVE THE TEMERITY TO CRITICIZE OTHERS' COLLECTIONS

IF YOU SEE ME TALKING ABOUT BEANIE BABIES, PLEASE TELL ME TO

EAT. SHIT.

Alchenar posted:

Sorry that's a narrative that just assumes Microsoft was willing to play ball. On a Microsoft IP.

They are still licensing it to PGI who are also owned by a mid-sized Swedish publisher, so I think they might have?

# ? Jan 24, 2024 09:11

Runa: Feb 13, 2011

Yeah, Microsoft is perfectly content to continue licensing FASA IP for more Mechwarrior products. It's possible they balked at a deal with Paradox moving forward but we'll never know.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 09:44

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

I'm sure Microsoft didn't refuse to do a deal. It's not like they're planning a Battletech strategy game themselves. But I think it's very possible that Microsoft asked for more money for Battletech 2 than they took for Battletech 1.

That's kinda the fuckery that companies who own IP do all the time -- if something is successful that means the IP is valuable. Pay up.

I kinda come down in the middle position on Paradox, IMO nobody super hosed anyone else. It sucks that Paradox will close a studio with a good track record after one bomb, but that's kinda pervasive these days if you look at video game news. Everybody is downsizing and retrenching. And letting them re-indie themselves as a continuing entity is at least a nice way to let them go.

If there was a place Paradox hosed up, it was that Lamplighters League got no marketing push whatsoever. I didn't even know the game existed until after it was out and buried.

OTOH it was a meh game, buried in a year that is gonna be on the all-time great years in video games list. The competition was monsters. I don't know that it would have gone anywhere no matter how much marketing it got.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 14:31

Orcs and Ostriches: Aug 26, 2010; The Great Twist

e: Not really relevent.

Orcs and Ostriches fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Jan 24, 2024

# ? Jan 24, 2024 16:48

Sky Shadowing: Feb 13, 2012; At least we're not the Thalmor (yet)

I guess I don't really understand why HBS is barred from working on BattleTech and Shadowrun in the future, since Paradox doesn't own either of those properties and HBS made them in license with Microsoft. Paradox, to my knowledge, doesn't own either property; how could they prevent HBS from seeking a new license?

Unless it's just the complicated legalese of HBS not being able to use any work from the Paradox-owned specific games and not wanting to have to consistently prove that they didn't use any code, assets, or anything specific to those games in any new game.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 20:48

CoffeeQaddaffi: Mar 20, 2009

Sky Shadowing posted:

I guess I don't really understand why HBS is barred from working on BattleTech and Shadowrun in the future, since Paradox doesn't own either of those properties and HBS made them in license with Microsoft. Paradox, to my knowledge, doesn't own either property; how could they prevent HBS from seeking a new license?

Unless it's just the complicated legalese of HBS not being able to use any work from the Paradox-owned specific games and not wanting to have to consistently prove that they didn't use any code, assets, or anything specific to those games in any new game.

Paradox didn't want to foot any amount for the bill for licensing the Battletech IP for a dev studio that they acquired because they made a wildly successful Battletech game.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 20:52

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

I mean I'm presuming at this point that HBS have already gone cap in hand to Microsoft to say 'buy us for $1 and let us make Battletech 2' and that didn't work out.

# ? Jan 24, 2024 21:24

juggalo baby coffin: Dec 2, 2007; How would the dog wear goggles and even more than that, who makes the goggles?

paradox are doubly stupid because battletech is one of the few places where people would be receptive to their 10000 DLCs business model

# ? Jan 24, 2024 21:25

Best Friends: Nov 4, 2011

juggalo baby coffin posted:

paradox are doubly stupid because battletech is one of the few places where people would be receptive to their 10000 DLCs business model

# ? Jan 24, 2024 21:28

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

Sky Shadowing posted:

I guess I don't really understand why HBS is barred from working on BattleTech and Shadowrun in the future, since Paradox doesn't own either of those properties and HBS made them in license with Microsoft. Paradox, to my knowledge, doesn't own either property; how could they prevent HBS from seeking a new license?

Unless it's just the complicated legalese of HBS not being able to use any work from the Paradox-owned specific games and not wanting to have to consistently prove that they didn't use any code, assets, or anything specific to those games in any new game.

Some rear end-pull possibilities:

1. They could make a game with those IPs, but they couldn't call it "BATTLETECH 2" or anything close to the Paradox-owned trademarks so it would be kinda hard to reboot.

2. As part of separating from Paradox they agreed not to make a game with those IPs, because Paradox owns the existing games and sees value in that (long tail sales or maybe putting out a re-release).

3. The licenses from MS for those properties actually had some ongoing nature that hasn't ended, and Paradox kept those rights, so now Paradox technically are the only people who could make a Battletech strategy game or a Shadowrun CRPG. (This seems unlikely -- Paradox didn't want to do that in the first place, so if that was the case I think they would have just let HBS take them.)

edit:

Alchenar posted:

I mean I'm presuming at this point that HBS have already gone cap in hand to Microsoft to say 'buy us for $1 and let us make Battletech 2' and that didn't work out.

I think probably not? The two main guys already had a go-around working for MS and left for reasons.

Klyith fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Jan 24, 2024

# ? Jan 24, 2024 21:29

Captain Oblivious: Oct 12, 2007; I'm not like other posters

The simple fact of the matter is that we have no particular reason to believe Microsoft was the problem in the scenario that led to the Lamplighter League. We know Paradox blueballed them on that, we don't know that Microsoft asked anything outrageous. We do know that Mechwarrior 5 Clans, a new game by PGS who are not exactly an economic heavyweight either, is being made without any seeming problems though.

That makes it, while not impossible, seem unlikely at first glance that Microsoft is the problem here.

# ? Jan 25, 2024 00:12

RBA Starblade: Apr 28, 2008; Going Home.

Games Idiot Court Jester

Klyith posted:

Some rear end-pull possibilities:

1. They could make a game with those IPs, but they couldn't call it "BATTLETECH 2" or anything close to the Paradox-owned trademarks so it would be kinda hard to reboot.

I've got it - they make a sequel and call it Robotech

# ? Jan 25, 2024 00:23

Amechwarrior: Jan 29, 2007

RBA Starblade posted:

I've got it - they make a sequel and call it Robotech

No, even better - Call it BattleDroids.

# ? Jan 25, 2024 00:57

ded: Oct 27, 2005; Kooler than Jesus

Amechwarrior posted:

No, even better - Call it HeavyGear

# ? Jan 25, 2024 02:05

Preechr: May 19, 2009; Proud member of the Pony-Brony Alliance for Obama as President

ded posted:

My man!

# ? Jan 25, 2024 03:58

Dyz: Dec 10, 2010

Preechr posted:

My man!

Browder's first masterpiece.

# ? Jan 25, 2024 12:55

Sky Shadowing: Feb 13, 2012; At least we're not the Thalmor (yet)

Klyith posted:

2. As part of separating from Paradox they agreed not to make a game with those IPs, because Paradox owns the existing games and sees value in that (long tail sales or maybe putting out a re-release).

If anything it's probably this, a non-compete. Legal lettering in the separation agreement of "you will not make anything in the Shadowrun or BattleTech licenses."

# ? Jan 28, 2024 00:54

PhotoKirk: Jul 2, 2007; insert witty text here

I just discovered that a turret beacon is great as a spotter for LRM boats. Put it on a fast mech and drop it on a ridge where it has good LOS> The AI mechs tend to target it while you rain LRMs on them.

# ? Feb 2, 2024 16:35

ilmucche: Mar 16, 2016; What did you say the strategy was?

Figured I'd give a 1 skull base defend a try pretty early on. Expected 1 lance + 1 lance reinforce.

Kill the two mech vanguard and the game drops two full lances of lights on opposite sides of the base. WTF game

# ? Feb 5, 2024 22:19

ded: Oct 27, 2005; Kooler than Jesus

never do defense missions god they are the worst

Unrelated : If you have the CABs how can you add a mech from them to the game? Or is it possible to grab mechs from mods like expanded arsenal and only add in some of the mechs instead of the whole mod?

# ? Feb 6, 2024 04:38

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

ded posted:

Unrelated : If you have the CABs how can you add a mech from them to the game? Or is it possible to grab mechs from mods like expanded arsenal and only add in some of the mechs instead of the whole mod?

Let's assume you want the Hollander from the IS mech CAB.

1. Make a new mod folder to work in. Make a mod.json file for it. Do the header part.

2. Grab the chrprfmech_hollanderbase-001 assetbundle and hardpointdatadef_hollander.json, put them into assetbundles and hardpoints folders in your mod.

In your mod.json set up the Manifest to load these folders:

code:

    "Manifest": [
        { "Type": "HardpointDataDef", "Path": "hardpoints" },
        { "Type": "AssetBundle", "Path": "assetbundles" },
    ]

The assetbundle is the model, the hardpointdatadef controls how the various weapons show up on the mech.

3. From the mod.json of the CAB, copy the relevant lines for the prefabs of the Hollander (lines 1060-1102). Put those into your manifest area.

4. Now make chassis and mech definition files for it. This part is too long to explain, but you can look at mech & chassis jsons for the base game or other mods to see how they work. Refer to the hardpointdef to see what weapon slots you can put where.

Copy & pasting these files from the mega-mods won't work if they are trying to use equipment you don't have. So expanded arsenal might work, but RT or BEX won't.

5. Set up your Manifest to load the chassisdef and mechdef files.

6. That's all you need to have the mech start showing up with enemy forces, assuming you have it tagged with relevant MechTags and not blacklisted. Making stuff show up in stores is a lot harder.

# ? Feb 6, 2024 15:21

Organ Fiend: May 21, 2007; custom title

ilmucche posted:

Figured I'd give a 1 skull base defend a try pretty early on. Expected 1 lance + 1 lance reinforce.

Kill the two mech vanguard and the game drops two full lances of lights on opposite sides of the base. WTF game

Its not so bad. Lights take forever to kill buildings and they die quickly to melee.

Just make sure you take a mech with long range weapons and a pilot with multi-targeting to draw agro when necessary. Attackers will ignore your mechs in favor of buildings until you shoot them. This means that they'll also present their vulnerable arcs to you until you shoot them.

# ? Feb 6, 2024 16:21

PhotoKirk: Jul 2, 2007; insert witty text here

I just had a duo assault mech duel drop a Colossal Turtle as one of the duelists.

drat right I reloaded the game.

# ? Feb 8, 2024 16:03

SirPhoebos: Dec 10, 2007; WELL THAT JUST HAPPENED!

PhotoKirk posted:

I just had a duo assault mech duel drop a Colossal Turtle as one of the duelists.

drat right I reloaded the game.

Did you at least try to bring it down?

# ? Feb 8, 2024 16:09

PhotoKirk: Jul 2, 2007; insert witty text here

SirPhoebos posted:

Did you at least try to bring it down?

I tried.

It one-shotted my Atlas-JJ, it took a couple turns to kill my King Crab-BD. I could barely scratch it, even with rotary gauss rifles.

# ? Feb 8, 2024 17:20

SirPhoebos: Dec 10, 2007; WELL THAT JUST HAPPENED!

PhotoKirk posted:

I tried.

It one-shotted my Atlas-JJ, it took a couple turns to kill my King Crab-BD. I could barely scratch it, even with rotary gauss rifles.

You probably need lights to shoot it in the back and not get hit to bring something like that down.

Given the sheer variety of mechs in BTA (or even the base game), it would be nice if there was a way to scout the OpFor. I aim for generalist composition, but if I knew I was going up against something that I had a counter for I would change up what I was dropping with more often.

# ? Feb 8, 2024 20:31

GD_American: Jul 21, 2004; LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AS IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT!

Looks like it has seven volleys' worth of ammo and moves 1/2.

Keep sprinting around at long range and try to make it miss as much as possible until it runs dry. Then stay the gently caress out of melee.

# ? Feb 9, 2024 00:17

ilmucche: Mar 16, 2016; What did you say the strategy was?

Are support weapons classed as energy or ballistic? If I have something that gives +damage to energy weapons will it work with small lasers?

# ? Feb 11, 2024 03:01

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

ilmucche posted:

Are support weapons classed as energy or ballistic? If I have something that gives +damage to energy weapons will it work with small lasers?

Support weapons are neither Energy or Ballistic, they're Support. That's their Category, which defines which slot they go into.

Is this the TAG, or something from a mod? The TAG, no, it doesn't effect any support weapons. Only the full size energy and ballistic weapons.

Something from a mod, it would depend a lot on how it was implemented. Small lasers have a Type of "Laser", which they share with normal lasers. If the mod author made something that effected everything with the Laser Type and didn't restrict it to the Category of Energy (which means full-size only), I think it would be possible to have something that boosted all lasers but not PPCs etc.

(You couldn't do the same with MGs and ACs though.)

# ? Feb 11, 2024 03:30

ilmucche: Mar 16, 2016; What did you say the strategy was?

i'm using ptn's mod pack with the extended cockpit mods, was more curious than anything.

weirdly it hasnt fired any flashpoints in the campaign so far, i must've messed up that part of the mod pack somehow

# ? Feb 11, 2024 19:57