BattleTech - Flashpoint Expansion Revealed

@PCGamesN A new expansion for BattleTech called 'Flashpoint'.

A significant feature is a new kind of mission. Flashpoint missions aren’t single contracts, but a string of consecutive missions, and ones that you won’t be able to repair your mechs in between. Think of a Black Hawk Down style rolling conflict, where you aren’t able to extract and the objectives keep changing. In the original game it was already hard to keep your mechs intact on a single mission so these Flashpoint missions are going to be a real challenge.

[…]

loading…

More information.

The core game was great, so I'm happy to see more content.

Great news. I'll play this straight after I finish D:OS2 Definitive Edition, PoE2 with all DLC, Kingmaker with all DLC!! Waiting is pretty much mandatory these days! I still buy them all on day one though to support the developers.

As I've not played the base game as of yet, I'll likely wait until this one is fully out before starting. I wonder if this will be the only extra content released?

I want a good solid long campaign. the one that came with the game was crappy crap. This seems to just add more random missions with a few more bots.

Really happy to see more battletech content, I will get this on the release day. I liked the original, although the rules/mechanics seemed a little off, the campaign stunk, there was no reason to not take 4 assault mechs, etc, but… inner sphere robots! Shooting and punching each other!

Originally Posted by you
I want a good solid long campaign. the one that came with the game was crappy crap. This seems to just add more random missions with a few more bots.

I agree about the original campaign, but I'm hoping that additional content and more complex, multi-stage procedural missions will be sufficient. Battle Brothers is a game that pulls it off, so maybe this game can, too?

Originally Posted by you
I want a good solid long campaign. the one that came with the game was crappy crap. This seems to just add more random missions with a few more bots.

Count me as well but procedural missions are cheaper and easier to make.

At this point just release mod tools and let the community make campaign mods.

That was my thought when it was announced; cheap - and I mean cheap in more than one fashion. I.e, it won't add a lot to the game - i might have a pleasant surprise as the new missions (or better maps) might add a lot but i have strong doubts.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Count me as well but procedural missions are cheaper and easier to make.

At this point just release mod tools and let the community make campaign mods.

Base game needs a long war style overhaul instead of these little addons.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
As I've not played the base game as of yet, I'll likely wait until this one is fully out before starting. I wonder if this will be the only extra content released?

Maybe if nobody buys this, but no. They're talked about plenty of long-term plans for Battletech.

Originally Posted by you
I want a good solid long campaign. the one that came with the game was crappy crap. This seems to just add more random missions with a few more bots.

Did you actually read about what the missions are planned to be? They are not random/procedural missions.

Originally Posted by JFarrell71
Did you actually read about what the missions are planned to be? They are not random/procedural missions.

Link - https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/bat…n-release-date

About these Flashpoints:

"Flashpoints are high-stakes branching short stories, comprised of procedural mercenary missions linked together with new crew conversations, special events, critical choices, and valuable rewards. To ramp up the intensity, some Flashpoint stories will feature “Consecutive Deployments” in which players won’t be able to repair their ‘Mechs between missions."

The three new Mechs are the Hatchetman (with "armor-chopping power">, the Cyclops (with multi-range firepower), and the Crab (with the ability to taste delicious). There'll also be a new Encounter called 'Target Acquisition', where players have to control three territories on a map to win.

"Flashpoint stories give us the flexibility to design a huge variety of experiences, all with different sequences, events, challenges, decisions, rewards, etc. We’re combining core gameplay mechanics in new ways to create deeper content," said Mitch Gitelman, Battletech Game Director and co-founder of Harebrained Schemes.

@Couchpotato Okay, my bad, there's a procedural element to the missions, but I think it's clear from that description that calling them "random" doesn't come close to what they are. There's clearly plenty of intentional content involved. You can make elements of the missions procedural (the biome, the exact mech composition, etc) while still building scripted narrative content around them (the rest of that sentence you bolded)

I actually haven't played BT much and decided to wait until it's all patched up. This is good news, I guess. But I hope they are planning to return to Shadowrun for their next big project.

Originally Posted by daveyd
I actually haven't played BT much and decided to wait until it's all patched up. This is good news, I guess. But I hope they are planning to return to Shadowrun for their next big project.

Might not be that easy nowadays.

As Paradox bought them and they hate making someone else's game if they don't own the IP. This information was taken from various interviews with the CEO of Paradox.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Might not be that easy nowadays.

As Paradox bought them and they hate making someone else's game if they don't own the IP. This information was taken from various interviews with the CEO of Paradox.

Do they own the Battletech IP now? I thought HBS was also licensing that through another company just like SR (can't remember who may have been Microsoft as well).

Originally Posted by daveyd
Do they own the Battletech IP now? I thought HBS was also licensing that through another company just like SR (can't remember who may have been Microsoft as well).

HBS never bought they leased the IP.

Though I don't know for how long or the terms in the contract.

Wiki says the Ip was owned by -

Shadowrun was developed and published by FASA from 1989 until early 2001, when FASA closed its doors and the property was transferred to WizKids (a company founded by former FASA employees). WizKids licensed the RPG rights to Fantasy Productions (who were already publishing for the German version) until they were acquired by Topps in 2003. Catalyst Game Labs (a publishing imprint of InMediaRes Productions) licensed the rights from Topps to publish new products.WizKids itself produced an unsuccessful collectible action figure game based on the property, called Shadowrun Duels.

Update: I stand corrected.

In September 2007, Microsoft closed FASA Studios and licensed the Shadowrun electronic entertainment rights to Smith & Tinker, a company owned by Jordan Weisman, one of the original creators of Shadowrun.

Still Paradox is the problem not HBS.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
HBS never bought they leased the IP.

Though I don't know for how long or the terms in the contract.

Wiki says the Ip was owned by -

1. FASA
2. Fantasy Productions
3. Catalyst Game Labs

I think Catalyst owns the rights to the tabletop game, but Microsoft still owns the rights to make BT and SR video games as they acquired digital rights to FASA properties. This stuff gets complicated, but at any rate, BT is also someone else's IP so if we go by the CEO of Paradox's word this means they won't want to make future BT games either…

I think the only IPs HBS owns the rights to are Golem Arcana and Necropolis. Necropolis bombed pretty hard and Golem Arcana is primarily a tabletop game with some mobile app gimmicks… although a video game based on that world could certainly be interesting, I'm sure it wouldn't attract fans the way a SR or BT game would.

I suppose Paradox could have HBS make a World of Darkness / Vampire the Masquerade game since they acquired those rights awhile back… I'd be up for that

Originally Posted by daveyd
I think Catalyst owns the rights to the tabletop game, but Microsoft still owns the rights to make BT video games as they acquired digital rights to FASA properties. This stuff gets complicated, but at any rate, BT is also someone else's IP so if we go by the CEO of Paradox's word this means they won't want to make future BT games either…

I think the only IPs HBS owns the rights to are Golem Arcana and Necropolis. Necropolis bombed pretty hard and Golem Arcana is primarily a tabletop game with some mobile app gimmicks… although a video game based on that world could certainly be interesting, I'm sure it wouldn't attract fans the way a SR or BT game would.

I suppose Paradox could have HBS make a World of Darkness / Vampire the Masquerade game since they acquired those rights awhile back… I'd be up for that

Yeah the whole who owns what gets very complicated, but I updated my reply. Seems Microsoft leased the IP to Smith & Tinker, a company owned by Jordan Weisman.

As for World of Darkness / Vampire the Masquerade Paradox said they were interested, but nothing has come out of those talks except more talking. With nothing happening.

It's depressing as they bought the IP three years ago. On the plus side the Vampire the Masquerade rule-book has been revised and re-released. So theirs some hope.

Link - https://www.worldofdarkness.com/v5