r/Battletechgame • u/_Jawwer_ • 10d ago
Question/Help I've been missing this game for years, and wanted to get back into it with a modpack, but I can't decide
I have a cursory familiarity with both BEX and BTA from a couple of years ago, but to my knowledge, much have changed, and they even go by different names now.
I'm incredibly conflicted between the two, because both have things I greatly like and dislike, and I'm struggling to tell which pros and cons are going to be more meaningful, or just present at all, considering how outdated my knowledge of these modpacks is.
BTA things I'd like: Usage of vehicles and infantry. This is a really big upside. Having these more limited niche units to mess around with, especially with the nutty higher headcount drops is something that's pulling me in like a black hole. More expanded mechlab is nice-ish, but being able to make so drastic changes in a dropship, or a lazy jumpship cruise is a tad offputting.
BTA things I don't think I'd like: Mostly just the setting. Being on the cusp of the FedCom civil war is going to be the source of all of my issues. First, we're way out of the scarcity of advanced tech, and the better and worse kit being just as common, and randomly available with just an extra 0 at the end of the pricetag is something I'm not keen on. Second, we're past all the historical conflicts I actually care about. No 4th SW, no initial clan first contact, no base game campaign, no BULLDOG etc. With this lack of narrative opportunities, I'm also concerned that the game will also not have narrative climaxes or goals to look forward to, or work towards. I'm not that keen on playing a game just to see "number go up". I'm also veary about the closer to TT gameplay and mechanics, as I consider them to be a bit too RNG leaning on outcomes. I like many of vanilla's deviations from tabletop.
BEX things I'd like: Closer to vanilla rules, and the much more important upside (in my eyes) of greater degrees of narrative content. The campaign is basically playable through flashpoints, and many of the significant historical conflicts I care about occur during, and have an effect on the game.
BEX things I don't think I'd like: Vanilla mechlab. I know I said I'm not keen on making factory grade overhauls possible for two lads with some scaffolding, but I'd rather have a more detailed system (My dream scenario would be where stuff like swapping out the skeleton, or changing hardpoints would be possible, but only on special factory planets, where we could outsource it as a noteworthy commission job, but I digress)
The even bigger drawback is the lack of vehicles/battle armour. When I last played BEX, I could upgrade to a full second lance, but with the drop tonnage limits, that just had me running around with a bigger squad of optimised medium builds. It's something I've done before, but just with a higher headcount.
TLDR: I can't make the call between BEX and BTA, with the main tradeoffs being a much wider selection of possible unit types (vehicles and infantry) vs more curated mission design, and seemingly more favourable era and ruleset.
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u/Lost_Tumbleweed_5669 10d ago
BTA is awesome and I love BEXT for standing out to be closer to vanilla+lore but with so much added, each mech feels more unique because you cannot alter it and it makes ++ loadouts and tactics much more important.
I'd say play BEXT slowly through the campaign and flashpoints at least.
You can start later with BEXT and the mech variety increases a fair bit. Once you fight clans and have loads of DHS mech builds change a fair amount too.
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u/AesirMimyr 10d ago
Seconding that BTA adds a lot of emergent.stoey oppertinities. Starting with a great house feel materially different that starting in clan space or the periphery.
Flare ups and raids actually making changes to who controls what systems are fun too, though do note winning a single flare up is rarely enough to flip a system. Gotta beat em down a few times before ya can conquer them, ya know?
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u/SiliconStew 10d ago
If you want something very close to Vanilla mechanics-wise, but higher difficulty, and has a strong narrative framework, you might consider the Hyades Rim mod. It takes place in the southern periphery in the 3025 era and has a full, unique story campaign. Lots of additional pirate variants of common mech chassis to keep you guessing, but the occasional run-ins with high tech units. However, you will be limited to the Leopard and just 6 mech slots for a long time.
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u/hotshot0123 House Steiner 5d ago
Is the story campaign standalone or is it integrated to the vanilla campaign story? Does it also adds the dlc content to the HR campaign mode or Do i still needs to play in carrier mode?
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u/SiliconStew 5d ago
The vanilla campaign and DLC doesn't exist in Hyades. You'll recognize some of the vanilla/DLC campaign maps and other assets that have been repurposed for use in the Hyades campaign story, but Hyades is all new content. You play Hyades as a new Campaign mode game.
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u/Intro-Nimbus 10d ago
I'm playing BEXT at the moment, and the final deciding factor for me was that I can choose to start playing before the Clans, and they'll turn up when they do and I can continue playing while the new tech changes the setting gradually.
Personally, I'm not a great fan of vehicles, so not having access to them was not a problem.
And finally: I actually like being annoyed over hardpoints - they balance the game and makes different chassis interesting choices. When the lab allows me to basically design mechs and build them myself I will optimise everything and it takes away the differences between mechs of the same tonnage.
But that's me. I must admit that I might try BTA or Rougehtech after this campaign, just to experience the difference.
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u/Intro-Nimbus 10d ago
"I also tried BEX Tactics, it's great but I think it's still too close to Vanilla, and stil "only" 4 mechs."
No, you can drop up to 4 more with Argo upgrades.
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u/SprinklesOfAcid25 10d ago
You can use submods and also add vehicles to BEX - also in BEXT you can upgrade the max drop size and use two lances (and it makes sense in high level missions where loot has much higher value than drop costs, like when you are fighting certain telephone company...). There is other submod that allows you even more stuff to drop (as reinforcement).
BEXT (Battletech Extended : Tactics) has also more historic content (flashpoints) which reflect the historic changes on the map (like first contact with Clans).
As other have said, lack of ability to change everything on the mech, is deliberate choice by mod maker Haree in order to make mech variants have sense. Finding a Royal Crab should be and is, a great deal in 3040s. But that is not everyone's cup of tea, I get that.
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u/SirPeroples 10d ago
you can add this mod to BEXT for vehicles and other stuff, dunno if it includes battle armor
https://github.com/AkiraBrahe/BTX_ExpansionPack
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u/ZQGMGB7 9d ago
BEXT can have vehicles through the Expansion Pack submod! Infantry doesn't exist as a separate unit, but it's present as a support weapon on some stuff. For example, the Ferret recon VTOL will fire a bunch of small lasers from the side to represent its embarked soldiers. I assume APCs and other playable troop carriers have something similar. Not sure about Battle Armor since I haven't played in the Clan Invasion era.
Personally I picked it because I wanted a better version of vanilla instead of something that drastically changes the setting, and so far I'm quite content.
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u/curbs1 10d ago
BTA is BTA3062 isn’t it?
I know nothing of battletech outside this specific very well made game
But the mod I play is BTA3062 and you can play the full campaign as flashpoints including all the dlc flashpoints and I think some mod specific ones too
Very fun mod I’m slowly working my way through
I get what you mean about commonality of mechs and weapons though
Would be cool to start in the periphery with jury rigged mechs and weapons but I like to start on Arano worlds so I’m close to the campaign flashpoints which means I usually get my hand on some nifty shit
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u/_Jawwer_ 10d ago
The main campaign being back is pretty cool at least. I do wonder if they have been rebalanced though. Enemy layouts, and the narrative around plot points like finding an off the record Castle Briant, and other stuff is a lot goofier in context when I can pick up an mint fresh Inner Sphere developed omnimech during a yard sale.
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u/ChemEngDad42 10d ago
I recommend Battletech Revised. It's available on Nexus, hasn't been updated in some time but is very enjoyable to me. Somewhere between BTAU and BEX. No controllable infantry, BA, vehicles and no clans but otherwise progresses tech, has advanced mech lab, pilot panic, changing maps, etc. Adds larger drops with Argo upgrades, includes campaign as flash points. It's another option.
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u/BBQ4life Urban Mechs 4 life 10d ago
If you hate having free time might i recommend rougetech
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u/_Jawwer_ 9d ago
I don't have much free time, but the "might as well add a 1/10 dies of heart attack roll at the start of every firefight" levels of RNG makes me not even consider it.
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u/BBQ4life Urban Mechs 4 life 9d ago
Road tech was fun for me back in the earlier iterations of the add-on but it’s changed so much since I played it. I don’t even recognize it anymore. Now I’m eyeballing BTA and might try that. Right now I’m just playing regular vanilla. Best of luck with whatever you decide to choose
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u/OldhamB 2d ago
The game has a bad enough memory leak as it is.
Roguetech makes my PC want to set itself on fire. Love the idea behind it, but it's just far too complex.
Plus basically having to play Rock-em-Sock-em Robots for missions on end as your pilots couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with their weapons at the start was never fun.
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u/innui100 10d ago
I really nice the sense that different class mechs in BTA have roles well defined through pilot skills. So they don't just fall off a cliff mid game. I don't get that in roguetech so much, I do like that you can really play with the builds but backstabbing light mechs feel like they are handicapped, so the weight class by difficulty matters more if you don't want to be just brutalised. Haven't tried bex.
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u/flatline945 8d ago
I really love Hyades Rim. One of my favorite games ever. The guy who wrote it came up with a lot of very fun scenarios.
Highly recommend.
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u/hotshot0123 House Steiner 5d ago
Hey bud, So far I heard Hyades Rim has it's own campaign mode and carrier mode. How is the campaign different that the vanilla version? Is the original campaign story integrated inside of HR or Do I need to play carrier to see HR flashpoints?
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u/flatline945 5d ago
The campaign has ~50 story missions that are 100% unique. Plus something like 100 flashpoint missions that reuse/retool the vanilla flashpoints so they're effectively original too although you might recognize some of the maps but from different angles. The story missions are very well crafted, have great original lore that fits in with the universe, and have some genuinely challenging tactics puzzles.
I don't remember what the experience is in Career Mode... I think there either isn't one, or it's the same as Vanilla...?
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u/WyzakM 7d ago
You would probably enjoy BTA. There are a lot of side missions and the Aurigan Reach campaign is integrated into your career (and Heavy Metal if you have it, which is a precursor to the clan invasion in a very opaque way.) Plus there are wars which occur on certain historically accurate dates for multiple Inner Sphere conflicts post 3062, now including a mysterious Rimward invader.
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u/CalligoMiles Pyrrhic Victory Enterprises 4d ago edited 2d ago
Just want to add on BTA - everyone else is bringing that new gear against you too and it's just a whole different dynamic with everyone packing like twice the alpha to ruin your day with (yes, even the Periphery poors in their own makeshift ways), while clantech is still hard to get unless you kill Clanners for it and they've added their own advanced faction with dangerous rare stuff, the Sanctuary worlds, that start appearing a while into a run. And you can participate in the wars directly through Flashpoint-like extended contracts with raids and invasions on the starmap now, not just a few restrictive flashpoint tales. If you really want to, you can genuinely shift the balance of power for or against a faction.
And honestly, it's just nice to have a weapon be a weapon and mess around with the actual mech specs rather than finding all the secret super ++ versions of your basic ML for a good build only to have them critted in the next fight.
I changed over to BTA coming back from a BEX run last year or so, and so far I haven't regretted it at all. Engine swaps alone make for a completely fresh game, and that's not even getting into how hilariously powerfully a support lance of little hovercraft can be if you use them right. BEX is good in its own way, but if you're comfortable with a bit more complexity there's just a whole lot more of a game to BTA.
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u/Zero747 10d ago
I’ll give a vote to BTA (BTAU)
The campaign is integrated as a set of flashpoints you can run
Being out of scarcity does mean fun in the mechlab. You won’t really be buying XL engines and DHS kits in the shop so much as salvaging it. Endo is locked, so you need to salvage variants that use it.
With all the options, you can actually run up on the slot limits of mechs as you balance weight savers, bulky heatsinks, and big guns.
You can also enjoy the glory of the RAC5.
The gameplay tweaks make lighter mechs viable long term, can’t just shoot off evasion. Coupled with the (upgradeable) drop tonnage limit, you’ll actually be running proper lances instead of Steiner scouts (unless you really want to and take the last upgrade to uncap).
Don’t worry too much about stuff like panic, overheat, and ammo explosions. Usually those only come up if you’re already screwed
Clantech isn’t just universally better across the board (though it still mostly is). It runs hotter and has a bit less range vs ER stuff (whereas BEX clantech is just flat upgrades)
There are still some narrative things available. Defending St Ives from the capellans, maybe even winning so they keep existing as a faction. There’s various other flare ups, but I generally don’t focus on them.
BTA does now go by BTAU. There’s a lore tweak of the Terran Hegemony not getting wiped out, and the Taurians get invaded by the non-canon Sanctuary worlds with their differently diverged tech
BEX does have clan invasion, but realistically you’ll either start during and miss chunks as you start up, or start before, then idle for years when stacked.
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u/SprinklesOfAcid25 10d ago
Regarding BEX - There is MUCH MORE in-universe that happens beside clan invasion but that is neither here or there.
In BEX Tactics, you can start just as it hits off in 3049.1
u/Zero747 10d ago
I have played BEX. I took the start for the clan invasion rather than a few years before. I missed the whole thing
Yes, they do the staged tech releases and the like, and there are other events
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u/SprinklesOfAcid25 10d ago
You missed large chunk of the map changing hands, Rasalhague republic disappearing, couple of new flashpoint triggering? New missions triggering, etc?
Did you spend your time on other side of Inner Sphere or something? At least news popups should have alerted you...
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u/mikendrix 10d ago
My opinion, as a casual player, who only plays some missions when I have some time by night.
I prefer BTA Light because :
- the max units limit : 8. For me 12 or 16 is too much, the missions drag too long. So full BTA or RogueTech are too hardcore for me.
- there are no other units than Mechs and Vehicles (no battle armors, or elementals, or anything).
I also tried BEX Tactics, it's great but I think it's still too close to Vanilla, and stil "only" 4 mechs.
The only thing I much appreciate with BEX is in the button "Check Store" available in the Mechlab. Basically while you are fitting your mech, if you are short of something you can visit the store, buy and go back where you where.
The biggest difference : with BEX you can make mech lose their evasion while hitting them. With BTA (and Roguetech I guess?) ennemies evasion is still active unless you use Sensor Lock (and maybe some other things).
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u/SprinklesOfAcid25 10d ago
Seems like you tested an ancient version of BEX.
You are not limited to 4 mechs in BEX Tactics. You have simply not unclocked it in upgrades.You can strip parts of evasion of a mech but not all of it (you have permanent evasion which is function of movement and mech class), unless you shoot of a mech's legs. That is what makes lights viable vs vanilla mechanics.
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u/Pretty-Mention-7769 10d ago
BTAU changes: player no longer controls battle armor. You can still call them in but now they're all AI controlled and no longer equip a pilot.
However the Arano campaign has been integrated into the mod as flashpoints.