Battletech! (The new one)

[Triaxx]

Logos no, Cutscene yes. If you press a button during it, a message pops up in the top left and tells you to hit escape.

[Kaptin Keen]

I cut this from another forum. Behold, an answer:

I don't skip the cutscenes but i do make the travel time go very fast. The true beauty of this game is that it's very easy to mod. I recommend notepade ++, it's free and is an amazing tool for many things.

ok so the file you are looking for is in (for me):

C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\Battl etech_Data\StreamingAssets\data\simGameConstants\S imGameConstants

1)Open SimGameConstants with notepad++

2)Look for:

"Travel" : {

"DefaultSystemTravelTime" : 4,
"DefaultFuelTime" : 3,
"FuelStationFuelTime" : 3,
}

2)change those 3 values each to 1

3)Next look for time:

"Time" : {

"DayElapseTimeSlow" : 3,
"DayElapseTimeNormal" : 1.25,
"DayElapseTimeFast" : 0.5
},

change the 3 to a 1, the 1.25 to a .5, and the 0.5 to a .2

These are just the values I use, but you can make them faster or slower depending on the values. They do make the cut scenes easier to endure, since the days past very fast when traveling between planets.

Between this and the debug speed option during battles, the game pacing is much more enjoyable, and should have been options in the release instead of having to mod to get them.

EDIT: Posted this further down in the comments but I'll combine it here as well.

Using the debug menu to activate speed makes battle pacing much better, and it only takes one line to put into your Registry to bring the menu up during any battle.

These instructions are for Windows 7:

1) Windows key+R to bring up run

2) Type regedit and hit enter

3)Go into HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Harebrained Schemes/BATTLETECH

4)right click between any of the registries in here to add a new entry, select DWORD as the type

5)call it "last_debug_state_h176629417"

6) give it a value of 1

7) and you are all set

Now whenever you go into combat hit "CTRL" + "SHIFT" + "-" to bring up the debug menu. In that menu is a bunch of tempting stuff to use, but what you want to do is resist that, just select the speed button, then CTRL+SHIFT+minus again to close it, and you will now have very fast travel time making the game much more enjoyable then the snail pace the game sets.

You're Welcome.

Enjoy.

It's not the answer I need. But then, it's not 'press esc' either.

[Drasius]

So, the game is easily slow enough as is - has anyone found a way to get rid of logo's and cutscenes on start-up, and that always-identical cutscene every time I travel to a new system?

Push ESC and skip it.

The only one that can't be skipped is the Jump cutscene - and I'm about 95% convinced its a disguised loading screen for the system you're jumping to anyway.

I hope to god it's obvious that's not the answer to the question I asked.

Sounds like exactly the answer to one of the questions you asked, as well as an accurate answer to the other parts too.

Just to reiterate what Olinser said, no, there's no way to skip the dropship & jumpship scenes at this time, you're stuck looking at your transport(s) flying through space/jumping to another system while you wait for the random event timer to kick in or until you get to your destination.

[Kaptin Keen]

I didn't ask if they could be skipped. I'm not retarded, I know what esc does. I asked if they could be gotten rid of. Removed for good and ever - not in so many ways, but I wasn't aware it could be misunderstood.

In other words: Remove the videos, modify the ini file, stuff of that order.

Not 'press esc'.

I feel any basis for misunderstanding has now been removed. Can we move on?

[Erloas]

Well I appear to be one of the "it doesn't work" group. I knew I was on the low end of the requirements, but I think it is something else. Mostly because my GPU usage never leaves 0%, except when the game is first loading, and my RAM usage and CPU usage never cap out either. CPU sits at about 60-70% the entire time, RAM was similar, hard drive wasn't being used much either.
A match would load, and once or twice something would move, but for the most part it didn't act like it was registering anything that I was doing. Screen wouldn't pan, although every once in a while it would jump to some other view point.

Got FRAPs to run finally and the framerate was fine during all videos and during load screens and the initial pick your character thing. But the faces didn't actually render, just the outline. The 'Mech rendered just fine in the initial "select your emblem and color scheme" thing though. Once the map loaded the framerate dropped to 0 and stayed there, GPU usage did as well. So its not like it was struggling to run, it just wasn't trying to run at all.

[Drasius]

Well I appear to be one of the "it doesn't work" group. I knew I was on the low end of the requirements, but I think it is something else. Mostly because my GPU usage never leaves 0%, except when the game is first loading, and my RAM usage and CPU usage never cap out either. CPU sits at about 60-70% the entire time, RAM was similar, hard drive wasn't being used much either.
A match would load, and once or twice something would move, but for the most part it didn't act like it was registering anything that I was doing. Screen wouldn't pan, although every once in a while it would jump to some other view point.

Got FRAPs to run finally and the framerate was fine during all videos and during load screens and the initial pick your character thing. But the faces didn't actually render, just the outline. The 'Mech rendered just fine in the initial "select your emblem and color scheme" thing though. Once the map loaded the framerate dropped to 0 and stayed there, GPU usage did as well. So its not like it was struggling to run, it just wasn't trying to run at all.

That's unfortunate. I know there's a few workarounds and such people have come up with, but the patch that came out the other day apparently fixed a bunch of stuff for some and broke a few things for others. The only thing I can suggest is both posting and poking around here --> https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...g-reports.998/ to see if someone else has ahad a similar issue, or at least make the devs aware.

[Kaptin Keen]

I think there has to be something I'm doing wrong. Or I'm just really bad at the game.

So I have a mission to protect some buildings. Unsurprisingly a bunch of enemies rush past me to pummel the buildings. Now, that's fine, I didn't expect any different. But I have four mechs against ... well I haven't seen the end of it, but they have at least 10 mechs and four crawlers.

And I quite simply do not have anything even remotely like the firepower to pick them off. If I killed an enemy each round that wouldn't nearly be enough - and I don't.

I believe that, possibly, I could pick them off if I had built all my mechs as close range alpha strikers. Only I haven't. And refitting them takes forever, so that's not an option. So the mission is just impossible. Bah =(

[The Glyphstone]

Sounds like you might have selected a contract of too-high difficulty? How many skulls was it rated as, relative to your drop tonnage?

[Kaptin Keen]

Sounds like you might have selected a contract of too-high difficulty? How many skulls was it rated as, relative to your drop tonnage?

Rating 2, and I drop 4 mechs in the 45-55 ton range. It's the lowest available to me =(

Different question: I pay through the nose in wages for my mech warriors - in the hopes that the morale bonus is worth it. I have no idea if it is though =)

[Hunter Noventa]

Rating 2, and I drop 4 mechs in the 45-55 ton range. It's the lowest available to me =(

Different question: I pay through the nose in wages for my mech warriors - in the hopes that the morale bonus is worth it. I have no idea if it is though =)

I don't know what low morale does, high morale lets you get off precision strikes earlier. Though after you've raised the morale, you can bring the pay back down to neutral and not lose your gains, except to random events.

[Kaptin Keen]

I don't know what low morale does, high morale lets you get off precision strikes earlier. Though after you've raised the morale, you can bring the pay back down to neutral and not lose your gains, except to random events.

Well, yea - I know that's what it does. What I don't know is ... how much of a difference it does. Precision strikes are the only way I win battles, and having more of them feels like it should be really nice. I'm just not sure how many of them I'm buying? Is it like, two more each battle? Cause that'd certainly be worth a few 100k c-creds.

[LuckGuy]

I'm really liking this game. My only wish is that enemies would sometimes eject or retreat or surrender, it gets a little silly sometimes.

I once fought a lance vs lance battle that ended with my 4 shot up mechs vs one last Jenner. I shot off everything that could be shot on that mech without it being a kill, and he finally died from a punch after headbutting my Vindicator in the face. I want to hire that pilot.

[Triaxx]

Enemy Pilots are clearly in the Never Give Up, Never Surrender camp. It's okay, I'm the same way.

[Mechalich]

Different question: I pay through the nose in wages for my mech warriors - in the hopes that the morale bonus is worth it. I have no idea if it is though =)

Increasing the salary rating adjusts morale by +1 or +2 points out of the base score of fifty and is generally not worth it. Base morale rises naturally on its own through travel events and via dropship upgrades. Morale rises in combat via round turnover: slow, not usually significant, and kills: substantial, two kills generally nets another precise strike.

[quote]Rating 2, and I drop 4 mechs in the 45-55 ton range. It's the lowest available to me =([quote]

If you're having difficulty finding suitably easy missions, you should voyage to low rated planets via the star map. Do not feel obligated to take only the immediately available contracts. Note that mission difficult varies widely despite skull rating, depending on a variety of factors including map layout, reinforcements, and what specific opposition shows up - since even among mechs of the same tonnage there is immense variability and there's the possibility of vehicles instead of mechs. Vehicles are usually weaker, but LRM and SRM carriers combined with sensor lock in the enemy squad can wreck you.

[LuckGuy]

SRMs: they seem to get the shaft from the hardpoint system. In tabletop, they are already balanced against LRMs with range for damage. With hardpoints though, we are limited to a certain number of missile systems. When the hardpoints are the limit, it seems LRM15s and 20s will always be better than SRM6s, because more missiles means more stagger and more crit fishing chances. Is there something I'm not seeing that balances the scales for SRMs? Or is that not supposed to be balanced because the SRMs leave tonnage for other systems?

[Triaxx]

SRM's are still in the TT slot, balancing damage for heat. Early on an SRM 6 rack is quite the punch on anything that can mount it. An almost gauranteed 48 damage is one heck of a blow.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

SRMs: they seem to get the shaft from the hardpoint system. In tabletop, they are already balanced against LRMs with range for damage. With hardpoints though, we are limited to a certain number of missile systems. When the hardpoints are the limit, it seems LRM15s and 20s will always be better than SRM6s, because more missiles means more stagger and more crit fishing chances. Is there something I'm not seeing that balances the scales for SRMs? Or is that not supposed to be balanced because the SRMs leave tonnage for other systems?

LRM's and SRM's are two totally different weapon systems for two totally different tactical scenarios, despite being virtually identical in mechanics.

LRM's have a severe close-range penalty, and even a high Tactics skill isn't going to eliminate that. LRM's are also heavier, and more ammo-hungry per ton of weight.

LRM's are for ending a wounded enemy at long range, or by pounding an enemy in the first salvo and scouring their armor (and stability) so that follow-up weapons will breech armor (and possibly knock down). An LRM/20 only has, what, six shots per ton of ammo? Which means in addition to weighing as much as some AC's, and generating a surprising amount of heat, you've got to devote *more* tonnage to ammo just to keep yourself from shooting yourself dry. Minimum two tons per LRM/20 is needed for even standard engagements, much less some of the drawn out scenarios you run into in the campaign. Maybe you can get away with a single ton per LRM/20 if you are just skirmishing against your buddies, but you'll run dry in no time if you do that in the Campaign.

SRM's are an up-close and personal weapon, having the same range as a Medium Laser or an AC/20. It is designed to complement a weapon system with single-hit punch, like an AC/20 or 10 or a PPC, and either knock over an already destabilized enemy for follow-up called shots or crit-fish after a couple of armor slots have been penetrated. Ton for ton, and heat for damage, an SRM/6 is one of the nastiest weapon systems in the game. It weighs 3 tons, takes up 2 crits, and one ton of ammo will net you fifteen shots before you run dry. As far as up close and personal weapons go, you'd have to go a long way to find something equally nasty. Granted, the AC/20 does more damage to a single location, but an SRM/6 isn't supposed to do damage to a single location, it's designed to do stability damage and crit-fish vulnerable spots in an enemy mech's armor. It only takes one missile to cause an ammo explosion, after all...

Two different weapons for two different situations. LRM's are to hammer your opponent from out of their optimal range, SRM's are to close and finish someone off.

[Drasius]

Well, yea - I know that's what it does. What I don't know is ... how much of a difference it does. Precision strikes are the only way I win battles, and having more of them feels like it should be really nice. I'm just not sure how many of them I'm buying? Is it like, two more each battle? Cause that'd certainly be worth a few 100k c-creds.

If you're using/abusing the high spirits bug, it's nigh infinite. If not, it's minimum 1, more likely 2 more uses per battle. The big perk is having 2 called shots available right off the bat as this can be a huge turning point and a great equaliser when facing multiple opponents who need to either go away, or be pushed back in the initiative order.

SRMs: they seem to get the shaft from the hardpoint system. In tabletop, they are already balanced against LRMs with range for damage. With hardpoints though, we are limited to a certain number of missile systems. When the hardpoints are the limit, it seems LRM15s and 20s will always be better than SRM6s, because more missiles means more stagger and more crit fishing chances. Is there something I'm not seeing that balances the scales for SRMs? Or is that not supposed to be balanced because the SRMs leave tonnage for other systems?

LRM's have less damage per ton, can't be fitted in great number on many of the smaller 'mechs and only if the first missile of an LRM salvo hits the head can any further missiles from that salvo also strike the head. SRM's have a chance to strike the head with every missile and don't cluster the way LRM's do. They also make ideal secondary weapons or bracket fire options, even on larger 'mechs. If you're boating missiles like a min-maxer, then no, +stab LRM's are the master-race with no challengers, but for a balanced build, SRM's definately have their place.

[Kaptin Keen]

If you're using/abusing the high spirits bug, it's nigh infinite. If not, it's minimum 1, more likely 2 more uses per battle. The big perk is having 2 called shots available right off the bat as this can be a huge turning point and a great equaliser when facing multiple opponents who need to either go away, or be pushed back in the initiative order.

I'm not aware of any high spirits bug - but I may well be unwittingly abusing it, I seem to get it constantly.

But yes - Precision Fire twice right off the bat is a game changer, and if that is my reward for overpaying my dudes, it's well worth it =)

[Drasius]

I'm not aware of any high spirits bug - but I may well be unwittingly abusing it, I seem to get it constantly.

But yes - Precision Fire twice right off the bat is a game changer, and if that is my reward for overpaying my dudes, it's well worth it =)

High/Low Spirits don't expire when they're meant to, they persist indefinately. Given that killing a 'mech usually gets you 10+ morale, and High Spirits lets you use Prescision Strike for 10 Morale, well, it can get a little silly to the point where you can easily chain called shots on every turn, making an already relatively easy game absolute cake.

[Kaptin Keen]

High/Low Spirits don't expire when they're meant to, they persist indefinately. Given that killing a 'mech usually gets you 10+ morale, and High Spirits lets you use Prescision Strike for 10 Morale, well, it can get a little silly to the point where you can easily chain called shots on every turn, making an already relatively easy game absolute cake.

Ok, I haven't been at a point where I used Precision Strike every turn - but maybe that's simply because I'm bad at the game.

If you're having difficulty finding suitably easy missions, you should voyage to low rated planets via the star map. Do not feel obligated to take only the immediately available contracts. Note that mission difficult varies widely despite skull rating, depending on a variety of factors including map layout, reinforcements, and what specific opposition shows up - since even among mechs of the same tonnage there is immense variability and there's the possibility of vehicles instead of mechs. Vehicles are usually weaker, but LRM and SRM carriers combined with sensor lock in the enemy squad can wreck you.

Meh. I appreciate the advice - I haven't even looked at the star map yet - but ... see, after finally completing the mission I mentioned (losing all the secondary objectives, but managing to hold on to the main one), the next mission was rated 3, and I hammered that one with barely a scratch to my mechs. I think it's just rather random really =)

[Misereor]

Has anyone else noticed that the called shot hit percentages can be, well, wrong? I've repeatedly taken called shots with my Trebuchet (usually via the precise shot ability, if that matters) that have an 88% to 96% chance to hit a specific segment, only to find that while all 30 missiles hit, only a few actually hit the segment I shot at. Do the called shot percentages only apply to the first missile or something?

Missiles work differently than other weapons when determining hit locations.
A non-missile weapon will use the normal hit table to determine what it hits, and if you fire 4 lasers, each of them will get a roll on the normal table.
However, when you fire missiles, only the first missile fired by that launcher will roll on the regular hit location table. All the remaining missiles that hit will use a special hit location table specifically for missiles. This is to make the spread more realistic.

[huttj509]

Missiles work differently than other weapons when determining hit locations.
A non-missile weapon will use the normal hit table to determine what it hits, and if you fire 4 lasers, each of them will get a roll on the normal table.
However, when you fire missiles, only the first missile fired by that launcher will roll on the regular hit location table. All the remaining missiles that hit will use a special hit location table specifically for missiles. This is to make the spread more realistic.

Is this all missiles, or only long-range missiles?

Does an SR6 hit like 6 M lasers would, or like 6 LRM hits from the same weapon would?

How about a Minigun?

[Misereor]

Is this all missiles, or only long-range missiles?

Does an SR6 hit like 6 M lasers would, or like 6 LRM hits from the same weapon would?

How about a Minigun?

Ahh, sorry. I meant Long Range Missiles.
Short Range Missiles work normally, as do Machine Guns.

[Hunter Noventa]

Is this all missiles, or only long-range missiles?

Does an SR6 hit like 6 M lasers would, or like 6 LRM hits from the same weapon would?

How about a Minigun?

I think it's like that for all missiles, and the machine guns probably work in a similar manner.

Last night's session got off to a rough start. I was a little low on funds so I headed for the next Priority Mission, since those always have a juicy payout. The first half, disabling vehicles so we could take over the turrets, went fine, vehicles are chumps. the next part got a little dicey, I got bogged down coming down a hill with a time counting down to take out the Dropship Control building. If I didn't have those turrets it would have gotten real ugly. I lost one of my lesser pilots and ended up scrapping two mechs (a Trebuchet and something else I can't even remember.) But I manage to capture the Dragon that had showed up in the mission, while racing my Shadowhawk past the enemy to jump up and take out the target building.

So needing to recover funds and injuries, i headed back to the easier planets to follow up. Took an assassination mission that went amazing. I incapacitated every pilot somehow, including taking out the actual target with a DFA attack. I didn't get their entire Grasshopper, but I did get enough parts to finish a Kintaro, so I'm in a much better position to fight now.

[Drasius]

I think it's like that for all missiles, and the machine guns probably work in a similar manner.

Nope, only LRM's have the clustering and anti-head-hit mechanics, SRM's and Machine Guns both work just like every other weapon in that they can hit any facing.

Machine guns are a bit noteworthy for 2 reasons though:
1) they can hit the head in the melee phase, this giving you a 3rd possible pilot injury in a single activation (torso destruction/ammo explosion/head hit, then knockdown, then the support weapon follow up). This is not unique to machine guns as both flamers and small lasers can do it too, but the odds are much higher since the machine gun fires 5 shots instead of 1.
2) they have the highest crit rate of any weapon at 50% per hit

[LuckGuy]

That was a fun mission. I finished it by destroying the command center on the last turn with a hail Mary shot from a Shadow Hawk. My JaegerMech bravely strode into battle to lay waste with its AC20++, only to be headshot, killing my best pilot. Bit of an oh-crap moment.

If the part about SRMs not having the same head hit restrictions as LRMs is correct, then I'd say that evens it out. Otherwise, without acknowledgement of the min-maxer comment, I'm a big fan of taking as many LRMs as will fit and knocking mechs down as much as possible. Now if only they had inferno SRMs... If they do, don't tell me! Haven't done the decrypt mission yet.

Anyone else remember the mission in Crescent Hawk's Revenge that you have to fight in UrbanMechs?

[Drasius]

Now if only they had inferno SRMs... If they do, don't tell me!

No infernos without mods.

[Kaptin Keen]

I now have my first heavy - a dragon - plus a hunchback and a griffin. The hunchback pretty seems obvious in what it's good at, I'm less sure about the other two? I'm kind of assuming everyone arrives at this point, so what are the best uses for these fine new beasts?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I now have my first heavy - a dragon - plus a hunchback and a griffin. The hunchback pretty seems obvious in what it's good at, I'm less sure about the other two? I'm kind of assuming everyone arrives at this point, so what are the best uses for these fine new beasts?

The dragon is one of the fastest heavy mechs in the game, and just as fast (if not faster) than many Medium mechs, and is a star 'brawler' chassis, someone designed to close the gap and pound the other guy into scrap. My loadout generally includes a PPC, and 2x SRM/6's. In many ways, it is the direct upgrade from a Hunchback, who tries to do the same thing, less successfully, due to less tonnage. If nothing else, the Dragon mounts more armor than a Hunchie does, so he can close under heavier fire without sustaining much in the way of actual damage. If you want a mech that is more ammo-dependent but colder, strip out the PPC for an AC/10. You can afford to strip a few heat sinks to make up the difference, since the heat the AC/10 does is far less. While it's not an AC/20, a second ton of ammo on the AC/10 really can help on extended scenarios.

The Dragon can be your point-man from the mission you are given one (and can thereafter acquire more if you feel like spending the cash) and can continue in that role for quite some time, and even after you find something heavier to act as your lynchpin, he can still come out on missions where mobility is key (such as base defense or escort missions).

The classic Hunchback's AC/20 puts the fear of close range into anything that isn't an Assault mech, and even then, Assaults still have to respect the punch it can deliver. However, it sacrifices mobility and armor to get that punch, making it something of a 'hammer in an eggshell'. It doesn't have much ammo for the massive weapon either, and once it shoots itself dry, it's effectively neutered (other than melee attacks). If you see one coming at you, make it your primary target (unless there's something like a Firestarter charging you on a desert or moon map). The laser variant is only viable on Tundra missions, it has way too much heat accumulation in any other scenario, and its damage is far more spread out. I'd have rather stripped out three or four of those ML's for an SRM/6.

Modifying the Hunchie is a delicate balance between weapons and armor. Personally, I like to swap out his AC/20 with an AC/10 and either shore up his armor or give him another weapon system like an SRM/6 to back up his big punch with something that can crit-fish.

The Griffin is a flanker/sniper or missile boat mech. While the standard loadout includes an LRM/PPC combo, you can strip out the PPC and make him your first truly effective missile boat. I think I got a pair of LRM/15's on mine without sacrificing too much. In this configuration, he can replace your Trebuchet entirely, being strictly superior in every mechanical way. His mobility lets him stay out of reach of the nasty stuff, and he can rain down the pain... at least until he runs out of ammo, that is. But hey, still beats out a trenchbucket any day.

Another is to make your Griffin a 'Panther-Plus'. Strip out his LRM/10 and you've got quite a bit to play with. Give him some armor,, a couple of heat sinks, and an SRM/6 to mind himself in closer quarters if someone DOES close with him, and you've got an excellent skirmisher who is mobile enough to flank around for rear-shots with a PPC (which is NOT something even a heavy or even an assault mech wants), and in general keep people's heads down while your brawlers close in. If someone does try to close with him, the SRM/6 is a very effective close-fire support weapon system with significant stability and high chance of finding chinks in armor that has already taken a beating. Give him to someone with Master Tactician, and he's moving in Phase 2 with the rest of the Light Mechs, giving you the option to hit and run even other mediums, much less heavies or assaults.

Either way, the Griffin is a highly mobile and relatively robust mech for missions which require more mobility than raw firepower.