Another Victory for the Global Battletech Community - Stage 3 Expanded Mercenary Campaign Unlocked!
Once again MechWarriors, Harebrained Schemes High Command salutes you!
Today marks the next stage of our campaign to deliver an authentic turn-based BattleTech experience to the PC - the unlocking of our Stage 3 Extended Mercenary Campaign.
The STAGE 3 EXPANDED MERCENARY CAMPAIGN puts you in full control of your life as a mercenary.
- The single-player story campaign is now open-ended - charter JumpShip transport for your mercenary outfit to travel to various hot-zones across the Periphery and Inner Sphere, and continue your career even after the game's main story arc is resolved.
- You’ll be able to choose your contracts and alliances, with both the 5 Great Houses and other sub-factions within the Inner Sphere.
- A procedural contract-generation system will ensure that you always have fresh contracts available, wherever your Mercenary career may take you.
- The missions you choose to accept and the objectives competed in those missions will determine your reputation as a mercenary, affecting the contracts and contract terms you may be offered in the future.
Funding Goals Update
Now, MechWarriors, it’s ONWARD towards our next major objective: STAGE 4 - PVP Multiplayer!
HBS Command has identified two high-value targets on our march to STAGE 4.
- $2,000,000 - Customizable Home Base: As part of the ongoing campaign, you'll acquire a home base (likely in the form of a derelict DropShip) for your mercenary outfit to call home. At this funding level we'll also allow you to adjust its appearance, repair and upgrade its functionality, and grow and evolve your base as your outfit grows and evolves.
- $2,150,000 - Legendary 'Mech & MechWarriors: In addition to the game's standard 'Mechs and customizable, procedurally-generated MechWarriors, we'll include rare legendary 'Mechs to find, and rare hero MechWarriors to hire - including some famous characters from BattleTech history. Such legends may not stick around for long, but will be well worth hiring if you can afford them.
Again, congratulations on this great victory. The Global BattleTech Community has once again come together to change the course of BattleTech history! We thank you.
Friday’s AMA with Mike
If you were unable to take part in Mike McCain’s reddit Ask Me Anything yesterday, never fear. The power of the Internet allows us to share this link with you so you can see all of the questions and Mike’s responses.
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3p0i7m/hi_im_mike_mccain_a_creative_director_at/
ONWARD!
HBS
Kingsley Gardner on October 20, 2015
Company level battles would be a good feature, maybe after the campaign single player mission timeline. :)
Harebrained Schemes LLC Creator on October 19, 2015
Update awaaaayyyyy!!!
Alex on October 19, 2015
I have a recurring fear of Feature Creep in kickstarters. While everything you've listed so far is good, what's already available looks pretty exciting. I'm good with this. Also, a new Offline Mechwarrior game for Xbox, PC and PS4.
Alyindar
Superbacker
on October 19, 2015
I'd love the idea of having a customizable home base for my mercenaries! The thematic base in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty comes to mind, moving between different rooms, seeing the changes in the hangar as I acquired new units, and talking to different people. I'd love to employ salvagers to find old Star League tech that I could use to upgrade my company! *holds out for an ER PPC*
Eck on October 19, 2015
"... and continue your career even after the game's main story arc is resolved."
I am so happy for this. So many games get this wrong. You spend the whole game getting the coolest upgrades, and picking the best skills and then you only get one final mission to enjoy it. >.<
Allowing the user to play after the game is "over" in an open-ended world is a must. Thanks HB!
- Eck
Ecervele on October 19, 2015
Now next goal:
Pimp yo' dropship... XD
Carl Wippert on October 19, 2015
I can die happy now. :D Well, at least not for a few more years so I can at least play!
William Jones on October 19, 2015
Personally, I love the Merc idea.
I'd love to fight against the Dragoons, Hansens Roughriders, the Lighthorse, etc.... Have us bid for contracts against them, and then have npc interactions.... that will be awesome.
I'd really love to get to the level of recovering your own JUMPSHIP.
Daniel on October 19, 2015
This was the most important stretch for me. I remember playing the old games where you managed a merc outfit over and over again, and on my old amiga500 I also played the "openended boardgame" ALOT
Guy Klutzius Kthul on October 19, 2015
Hey, HB!
Yay for the extended mercenary campaign!
But the additional goals are totally not exciting for me.
Base management can be interesting, but that's the last thing that really needs to be in a game like this. I'd prefer some more depth to the core gameplay, more landscape types, more mission conditions, more MECHS!
And of all people, you guys must know this the best - you are tearing our hearts apart with your 'We are making 3025 game and not commiting to Unseen, which are like 80% of the roster for that era'. You can't do that to us, especially when the ice has been broken and the Unseen return to us in TT and MWO, the game you are borrowing the 3D models from! Please reconsider.
Andy Heong on October 18, 2015
Yay!!! Now I hope it'll get to the legendary mechwarriors stage. The Black Widow takes a short holiday from the Dragoons and joins your unit LOL I hope that the game will be successful enough that there will be later games taking us to the Clans. I also hope that we will never get to the WOB Jihad which was just plain dumb.
Val Cassotta
Superbacker
on October 18, 2015
So glad to see an open ended system for continuing the fight after the initial campaign. It also gives hope for expansion models or special missions :)
Really hoping to see the Dragoons in game (not just the Black Widows).
Having it be the commander makes total sense - especially if you read the BT source books for the various merc companies. Many of the smaller companies (and even the large ones) had combat active commanders. So, following the commander's story totally makes sense.
The Shadow Run games were fantastic, and there were some cool mods out there - hopefully this will see much of the same!
Very excited for this game :)
Jefferey McDowell on October 18, 2015
Rabble Rabble Rabble... Come on backers stop whining like a busted servo joint. This is a great update with good news! Hey I am dig'in it anyways! Thanks Harebrained Schemes, I also love the next two goals as well.. looking ever more more forward to this game.
Question, with all the new stuff, will that push the deadline for the game due to the coding involved?
Richard_Chilton on October 18, 2015
I missed the AMA, but I have one question about the tone of the campaign - will there be "darkness"?
I.E. Some of the books included drug use, heavy drinking, depression, betrayal, insanity, sadism, and other dark or mature themes. Over the course of a campaign (especially after losing battles / personnel) will there be a darkness to some of the pilots we can hire or the missions we go on?
Geomancer on October 18, 2015
@William
That question has already come up, they said that while time will pass, the game will stay in the 3025 timeframe.
Clans are 100% not going to be in this game.
If this game does well, than follow on games can expand further out... Shadowrun is up to three games, hopefully we get at least that far.
Karl Malm on October 18, 2015
William Jones, that's probably outside the scope of development.
As for us hitting the big campaign stretch goal, awesome! That means we're actually having a shot at multiplayer!
Jeff V on October 18, 2015
http://community.fortunecity.ws/tatooine/aldiss/95/mw1dropship.gif
William Jones on October 18, 2015
The real question I have... is will the universe still develop as you play the merc stuff... so you play for 20ish years game time and in 3050 have the clans show up?
I'd also love to have historical campaigns that tie in with the canon from the novels... you are doing the raid to rescue Melissa Steiner, etc.....
Scott Selden on October 18, 2015
Fantastico!
Rune on October 18, 2015
Awesome, This was the goal I was looking for. Now to add the bonus of a home base. A Merc needs a home away from the battlefield. Always remember, No Guts, No Galaxy... Rock On My Battletech Brothers and Sisters. The dream is now reality.
cmdrnmartin on October 18, 2015
This was the level I wanted to see. Everything else form here is just Gravy. An open-ended campaign like MW2 Mercs? That's basically perfection.
Treetop on October 18, 2015
Legendary Mechwarrior? Like The Bounty Hunter will be available for hire?
Oliver Bollmann on October 18, 2015
Excellent! This is just like good ol' Mechwarrior I -- finish the campaign, and it asked if you wanted to quit or just keep playing. I always kept playing. }:)
Is there any consideration for making a non-Solaris VII multiplayer possible? I'd love it if one could make scenarios in the base module and have a friend join up in some good stompy action.
It'd also be rockin' if there could be PBEM option using the base module. Set a terrain, you and a friend pick a bunch of mechs, and face off against each other. Any consideration for making that a possibility?
Thanks a couple of 100 tonners! }:)
Cory D Wheat on October 17, 2015
Is it too soon to put in requests for particular 'legendary' mechwarriors? 'Cause I'd like to request that Duncan Fisher be around - maybe as a young pilot who's yet to make his name on Solaris VII.
Tom Crawshaw on October 17, 2015
Astoundingly awesome!!!
Chris "The Imp" Lozano on October 17, 2015
This was the final piece of the game I was hoping for tbh, its all butter on the toast from here for me!
Eric "Ervkar" Glocker on October 17, 2015
I cannot possibly get more aroused.
Dan Porsa on October 17, 2015
Fully customizable dropship base? Fully. Erect.
Ji Atkinson on October 17, 2015
Just a thought guys. With the customizable base, have you thought that when yo ureach a certain level with a faction they may grant you a planet to look after and defend and gain resources from. this would allow another tactical aspect to the game and give you ways to manage your economy to bring more resources and stuff for your Merc group. You could even allow for the Purchase of your own Dropship.
Ruinous on October 17, 2015
More stretch goals please? Getting the feeling we'll blow past $2.5mil without difficulty!
Kan Tun on October 17, 2015
I said that I'd become a backer if this project hit Level 3. Well, it hit Level 3 and I've just doled out $155 bucks. WE STAND FOR ORDER.
Nohvarr on October 17, 2015
I'll be honest, the open ended campaign plus everything that comes with it is good enough for me but.....I can't say no to having my own Dropship/homebase.
Nicholas White on October 17, 2015
YESSSS Oh man yes! I thought that we might hit this later at the last stretch but now...who knows? 3 mil? lets hope.
J.R. Riedel on October 17, 2015
This is the level I was waiting for. I'll up my pledge when I get to a computer propper!
kylania on October 17, 2015
Oh wow. I am so excited about the next two stretch goals. PDFs here I come!
Otaku Hanzo on October 17, 2015
Hell yeah! Been doing my best to spread the word in order to get this goal. So excited we hit it. And now I want both the extra goals! Woo-hoo!
Bicro on October 17, 2015
This is gettin' biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig!
The mind boggles to see what will happen come release time.
Spaced on October 17, 2015
MERCENARY CAMPAIGN! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy!
=D
:-)
= P
This. Is. Awesome.
Love all you backers for getting us there! Have a snack/beverage/hug of your choice to celebrate!
John Vilnis on October 17, 2015
@Michael Smith, yeah mid campaign would work. Or even as a side set of missions.
Brandon Steeves on October 17, 2015
Hurrah! Home stretch onwards!
Michael Smith on October 17, 2015
@John Vilnis
Honestly I'd rather it be the end of Campaign. You finish it either messing someone up, or your employer getting messed up, and that's how it gets into your hands :) Then from that point it opens up the whole Expanded Campaign :)
Actually, make it mid-campaign. That way you can be fixing it up to "functional" status during the rest of the campaign, and at the end you are good to go :)
Abe Kwiatkowski on October 17, 2015
Considering the success of the workshop based content for Shadowrun, I am curious if there are plans for such things on Battletech. Obviously the PvP aspect of things will limit what kind of custom content might be acceptable from a play balance perspective, but if I may offer the suggestion of taking a note from XCOM 2s playbook; custom NPCs for mercenary play.
XCOM is going to allow people to save and share trooper sculpts and allow them to reappear between playgrounds. What if the procedural contacts could be customized for behavior variables, appearance, faction, and other aspects that could also include custom dialogue written by players? There might still be a balance issue to consider, but it might be cool to be able to download add on micro plots that appear procedurally in open ended play that are more sculpted than what a program could create in its own.
Jeff V on October 17, 2015
Concept artwork, please? =)
Ber on October 17, 2015
I appreciate the weekend update HBS, thanks :) Shiny new funding goals unlocked, they sound fun!
Anthony DeMoss on October 17, 2015
I need more things to contribute towards so I can give you more money!
John Vilnis on October 17, 2015
Yaaaahhhhooooooo.
I love the idea of getting your own dropships and repairing and upgrading it as you go along.
Now finding should be a series of missions that start from a rumour about a merc outfit being lost on a contract to a planet and that they left behind a dropship.
So you then have to race to find it and recover it while fighting off pirates or other mercs who want it too.
K Swanson on October 17, 2015
Gotta have that dropship
ValandilTC on October 17, 2015
yay nice
Marco Tritschler on October 17, 2015
:O i want that too.
take all my money.
damn.. you have it already :(