Turn-based tactical 'Mech combat set in the classic 3025 era of the BattleTech Universe. From the creators of the Shadowrun Series!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Beta & E3 Reactions, Beta HotFix Incoming, and More!
over 7 years ago
– Fri, Jun 23, 2017 at 12:55:10 AM
Thanks to all our Backer Beta participants for the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the BATTLETECH single player skirmish mode release! We really appreciate all the great feedback you’ve given in your after-action surveys and on the BATTLETECH Beta Discussion forum - useful stuff. It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to read your comments, see your amazing screenshots, and watch your livestreams and YouTube videos.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun - BATTLETECH is the ‘Mech game I’ve always wanted
“...it’s likely to be one of my favourite games of 2017. I’ve only played the skirmish mode, against AI opponents, so I can’t assess the quality of the campaign. But the actual mech clashes are absolutely glorious, and as spectacular as any turn-based battles I’ve ever seen.”
Destructoid - BattleTech Let’s You Unload Mech Mayhem XCOM-style
“The maps (you can currently choose from a few at varying times of day/weather conditions) are gorgeous and the battle bots look solid. I've had a New York accented pilot who's just tyna pilot a mech ovuh heyuh, which is delightful.”
CGMagOnline - BATTLETECH Preview - Complex But Approachable “...get a couple games under your belt, and start to play around with some of the Mechs and pilots in the drop screen, and you’ll quickly realize that there’s an awful lot going on under the hood.”
A small update to the Single Player Skirmish Beta is live and Steam will update your game automatically. This update fixes several stability issues and allows more players on lower-end machines to play the game (Huzzah!). It also contains some minor combat interface upgrades.
The hard work continues on our multiplayer update to the Backer Beta and we can definitely tell you that it will not release in June. While diagnosing some particularly nasty bugs, the team took a step back and realized that sections of our networking architecture needed to be reworked rather than bandaged up. That work is underway but we have no ETA to share with you at this time.
What we can tell you is what you can expect beyond the addition of multiplayer. First and foremost, it will contain a substantial update to the single-player AI. For example, the enemy will know how to Reserve their actions, use light units more effectively, and call shots on fallen or shut down ‘Mechs. The multiplayer update will also contain some incremental balance changes based on feedback from our surveys and the forums. Those changes will be listed in a Kickstarter Update when we release multiplayer.
In addition to the above, expect some minor improvements in the “lance configurator” - the interface in which you choose your ‘Mechs and MechWarriors for Skirmish play, including the ability to play skirmish matches with unlimited Lance Values.
And last, you’ll find the complete Settings menu, including options for audio, video, custom key binding, and more!
Can we expect more updates for the Backer Beta after that? We’ll update the Beta as needed to fix high-impact and game-breaking bugs but we have no plans to update the Backer Beta with additional features or content beyond the scope of the Beta Kickstarter reward. This is a targeted Beta to get data on BattleTech combat with our Backers, not an Early Access game release.
Quick Production Update
There’s a ton of stuff going on in the game’s development beyond the work we’ve done on the beta and multiplayer update.
All the story missions in the game have been designed and implemented and each one contains placeholder voices so we can hear how the story is working before we bring in professional actors.
All the story cinematics have been written & storyboarded and placeholder voices have been recorded so we can work on the timing of each shot.
All story conversations with your mercenary crew aboard the Argo have been written and are ready to put into the game.
All open-ended mission types have been designed and implemented across a large variety of biomes and maps.
Every room and every character in the Argo has been designed and 3D modeled and the majority are fully lit and textured in the game.
And last but DEFINITELY not least, we hit a major milestone on the project and were able to play the mercenary simulation core game loop for the first time. That means traveling to a system, navigating crew events aboard the Argo, choosing and accepting a contract, managing your reputation, purchasing equipment, using the MechLab, hiring new MechWarriors, simulating the outcome of the mission (from complete failure to complete success), getting paid, and taking salvage.
That’s some fantastic progress, for sure. There’s still a TON of important work left to do including designing and implementing the UI for the entire single-player campaign, a boatload of campaign balance and iteration work, iteration and polish on the story and missions, creation of our story cinematics, reactions to feedback from the beta, and a bunch of stuff we haven’t listed. The best part is that the more things come together, the more excited we get about the game - a nice place to be, indeed!
Take a Look at These!
HBS at the E3 PCGamer Event Jordan and Mitch headed down to E3 earlier this month to share a look at BATTLETECH at the E3 PC Gamer event. They showed off a fun new trailer, a tour of the Argo, and some new combat footage. Take a peek if you missed it!
June 14 Dev Q&A
And, in case you missed it, here’s the link to June’s Livestreamed Dev Q&A. Mitch interviewed Ryan Burrell (HBS_RedMenace on our forums) about how he became a designer, what the toughest design challenge has been in retaining the spirit of BATTLETECH, how he lost to Eck and more. And then McCain joined them to answer your questions live. Take a look!
OKAY, BACK TO WORK!
--HBS
Backer Beta Incoming!
over 7 years ago
– Thu, Jun 01, 2017 at 11:27:12 PM
With swirling heads, sweaty palms, and soaring hearts, we are pleased to announce that the BATTLETECH Kickstarter Backer Beta is ready, and keys will start arriving later today!
Distributing 25,000 Steam keys into BackerKit accounts will take hours, so please be patient! WHEN YOUR BETA KEY LANDS IN YOUR ACCOUNT, YOU WILL GET A NOTIFICATION EMAIL DIRECTLY FROM BACKERKIT.
As noted in our last update (which included a Beta FAQ), today’s release contains single-player Skirmish mode ONLY. We will automatically update the Beta with PvP multiplayer as soon as it's ready and let you know with another Kickstarter update.
So How Do I Get Started?!
Instructions for getting your Steam Key from your BackerKit account, downloading the game, and how to play the game are located in your Backer Beta PDF Manual(which you can start studying up on while you’re waiting for your notification email from BackerKit to arrive!)
Since this isn’t the finished game, our Backer Beta does not include an in-game tutorial. You’ll likely have way more fun and be able to give us better feedback if you understand how things work, so it’s highly recommended that you review the PDF Manual before your first game.
BTW, you can also view the manual in-game at any time by clicking the “Help” button on the Main Menu.
What We Need From You
We hope you enjoy this first taste of our BATTLETECH game and we want to learn from your experiences playing it. So what do we need? MEASURABLE DATA! After EACH battle, you’ll get the opportunity to give us your feedback in a short 1-page survey on a variety of topics - controls, audio, AI, maps, tactics, and more - so be sure to take as many surveys as possible.
And plan to fill out the same survey more than once! We fully expect your answers to change over time (that’s an important part of the feedback process) so don’t skip a survey because you’ve seen the questions before. This is the best, most helpful way to positively impact the project and help us make the game better for everyone. (Yes, it’s even more helpful than reporting bugs.)
The other way to get us your feedback is to join the BATTLETECH Forum. The Backer Beta Discussion sub-forum is the place where you can expand on your experiences playing the game and share your constructive criticism with others. While the dev team won’t respond to feedback or engage in debates, we’ll definitely be reading and learning from your conversations.
Have fun! Melt armor! Kick myomer! --Klimecky
Important Backer Beta Info
over 7 years ago
– Fri, May 26, 2017 at 12:14:09 AM
Hey everyone,
Thanks for all the kind words about our last Kickstarter Update and gameplay video - seeing your reactions and excitement means the world to us, especially when we're in the thick of things.
The whole team here is really excited to get the Backer Beta into your hands on June 1st. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, we've been working through some significant multiplayer connectivity issues and as of yesterday, we don't believe multiplayer will be stable enough for release by June 1st. Therefore, the June 1st release will contain single-player Skirmish mode ONLY, and we will update the Beta with PvP multiplayer as soon as it's ready. No time estimate on that yet but we'll keep you posted.
We're bummed that we’re not releasing multiplayer simultaneously with single-player Skirmish (especially since we've been having so much fun competing with each other at the office, and telling you guys all about it!) but sometimes the soup just needs a little more time on the stove. As always, we’ll continue to keep you informed, and we still can't wait for you to be able to go hands-on against the AI in Skirmish mode on the 1st.
Expect another Kickstarter update next week with more specific information about how to get your Beta key. In the meantime, since we’re getting down to the wire, we thought we’d proactively answer a bunch of your questions in advance of the Backer Beta release with this FAQ.
Thanks and happy hunting! Mitch
Backer Beta FAQ
What’s in the Backer Beta at launch? The Backer Beta contains Single Player Skirmish versus the AI. You’ll be able to choose one of five deathmatch maps, set weather conditions, select your lance of ‘Mechs from 32 avaialable ‘Mech variants, assign MechWarriors to each, and choose the enemy forces you’ll fight.
What will be in the Backer Beta when it’s updated?
In addition to bugfixes, the update to the Backer Beta will add 1v1 multiplayer with all of the same content (maps, ‘Mechs, MechWarriors) that's available in single-player Skirmish. Hosts will be able to set the C-bills level of the match, choose the time limit for each turn, and more.
Can we expect more updates for the Backer Beta after that? We’ll update the Beta as needed to fix high-impact and game-breaking bugs but we have no plans to update the Backer Beta with additional features or content beyond the scope of the Beta Kickstarter reward. This is a targeted Beta to get data on BattleTech combat with our Backers, not an Early Access game release.
How long will the Beta last? At least a month after the multiplayer update is released. You should expect the Beta to “go dark” at some point during the run up to the launch of the game so we focus on the shipping version without the need to maintain the beta version.
Can I customize my ‘Mechs in the beta? No. MechLab and the ability to choose colors, paintschemes, etc. are not part of the beta.
I heard you were doing a livestreamed “Backer Beta Bash” on 6/2. Is that still on?
The livestreamed Backer Beta Bash on twitch.tv/hyperrpg has been postponed to coincide with the release of the Second Backer Beta Release containing multiplayer. We’re disappointed we won’t be able to celebrate with you but we’ve got work to do and need to stay focused.
What platforms is the Beta on? What about the final release? The Kickstarter Backer Beta will be downloadable from Steam for Windows and Mac. The full version of the final game will be available on Steam, GOG, and Humble for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Can I pre-download the Beta the day before so I’m ready to go on June 1st? No, you will not be able to pre-load the Beta, but the download isn’t massive so you’ll be up and running pretty quickly!
How do I give you feedback? Each time you finish playing, you’ll be prompted to fill out a short survey. The survey is different each time, so please check it out after each game you complete. In addition, we’re setting up a series of Beta sub-forums on battletechgame.com for folks to discuss what they like and could use improvements. The team regularly reads the forums and the discussions players have there are very helpful to us.
How do I report bugs? If you encounter an uncommon bug (one you think won’t be found with standard testing), consult the Backer Beta Manual (available on June 1) for further instructions.
Can we stream and share our Beta experience? You bet! Feel free to stream your gameplay, post on Youtube, share screenshots, blog about your experience, etc.
I backed below the Reward Level containing beta access. Can I still get into the Beta? Yes! If you are already a Backer and would like to upgrade your pledge, email us. Since this is a manual process, we’ll need to send you specific instructions.
Can my friends still get in the beta?
Yes, just tell them to go here: https://battletech.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Will BATTLETECH be released on Steam Early Access after the Beta but before Release? No. The only thing between Beta and final release is a lot of hard work.
Can I get into the Beta after it launches? Yes, but we will stop taking Backer Beta Tier pledges and upgrades two weeks prior to the close of Beta (which we’ll announce ahead of time.)
What are the system requirements for the Beta?
We’ve done our best to ensure a wide audience can play the Backer Beta but won’t have final system specs until much closer to the release of the full game.
Here are the minimum and recommended specs for this Beta release.
WINDOWS MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7 or Higher Processor: Intel Pentium Core i3 3210 3.20GHz or AMD FX 4300 3.8GHz Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 630 GT or AMD Radeon HD 6670
DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 11 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX 9 sound device
WINDOWS RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7 or Higher Processor: Intel Pentium Core i5 3450 3.10GHz or AMD FX 6300 3.5GHz Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750ti or AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 15 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX 9 sound device
MAC MINIMUM:
OS: OS X Mavericks Processor: Intel 2.5 Ghz Mid 2011 Graphics: Radeon HD 6970M Memory: 8 GB RAM Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 11 GB available space Sound Card: On Board Audio
MAC RECOMMENDED:
OS: OS X El Capitan
Processor: Intel 2.9GHz Late 2013 Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 775M Memory: 16 GB RAM Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 15 GB available space Sound Card: On Board Audio
Beta Date! Gameplay Video! New Partnership! Exclamation Points!!!
over 7 years ago
– Fri, May 12, 2017 at 11:35:40 PM
Hey everyone, Mitch here.
I’m happy to tell you that our Kickstarter Backer Beta is on track for release on June 1st. The game’s looking good, playing well, and the team is firing on all cylinders but we need to take some more time to further test and bugfix our multiplayer code before confidently releasing the beta into your hands - that way, we can minimize networking issues and everyone can have a good time on day one.
Now we know folks are itching to see the game in action, so our Game Director Mike McCain and I recorded a friendly multiplayer match to give you a peek at what to expect in the Beta. Full disclosure here - Mike is one of the better players in the studio and I… am not. Nevertheless, I think I put up a pretty good fight as you’ll see in the video. Hope you like it!
For those of you interested in even more detail than Mike and I provided onscreen, Designer Ryan (RedMenace on the forums) wrote a post annotating our gameplay. Check it out here.
New Partnership
Right now, somewhere in Sweden, BattleTech & MechWarrior creator Jordan Weisman is announcing a partnership between Harebrained Schemes and Paradox Interactive to publish BATTLETECH on PC. As our Backers, we feel it’s important that you get this information straight from us before it hits the press, so here’s the deal in a nutshell: Paradox will provide marketing support, localization services, and funds for additional testing in exchange for a cut of the game’s sales. This allows us to focus all our efforts on making a great game while maintaining complete creative control.
I’m really excited that HBS will have the chance to work with Paradox as they are the clear category leader for PC strategy games. We respect the quality and depth of their games and they have lots of players and fans in our studio. Equally important to us is the way that Paradox respects and engages with their community, values we share.
(Plus, they’re huge fans of our work on the Shadowrun Returns series and are really excited about our game - good qualities in a publisher, right?)
So why is this a good thing?
Because with Paradox’s additional test funding, we’ll have more professional testers banging on the game earlier so we ship the highest quality game we can.
Because with their help, we can also deliver higher quality localized versions of the game to our overseas players and spend far less time managing the process.
Because we won’t need to divide our attention away from making the game in order to sell the game. We’re not marketers - we’re game developers, and we want our focus to be firmly on delivering the best BATTLETECH experience we can.
Because we all love BattleTech and the more attention that Paradox can bring to the game, the better its chances for success in an incredibly crowded and competitive marketplace. As I’m often quoted, “In success, all things are possible.” Paradox’s marketing support will hopefully result in increased sales of the game and allow for years of BATTLETECH expansions and sequels for all of us to enjoy.
We’re happy to be working with a publisher who knows how to make great strategy games, loves BattleTech, and respects BattleTech fans. Nothing has changed, except that our chances for success are now even higher.
How ‘bout a little video to get the hype train rolling???
We figured you might have questions so we wrote a little FAQ about our partnership. Please take a look and let us know if you have any other questions on the BattleTech Forums.
FAQ
Is this the real reason the Backer Beta was delayed?Absolutely not. Our new relationship with Paradox had nothing to do with the delay of our Backer Beta. See the explanation in Kickstarter Update #36 for details.
Does Paradox have control over the design of the game?Nope. HBS has complete creative control of the game. Paradox has lots of BattleTech fans who have opinions (just like our Backers) but HBS is not obligated to take their feedback. That said, the company has lots of experience with strategy games and we’d be dumb not to listen.
Who is responsible for testing the game now? Harebrained Schemes controls the testing of the game. Paradox is funding it.
Who will handle customer support for BATTLETECH? For our Backer Beta and service to our Backers, it’s Harebrained Schemes all the way.
Once the game launches, Paradox will handle customer support. They have a full team of experienced support staff and a history of quality customer support. They will (of course) team up with our development team for investigation and vetting of technical issues.
What happens to our personal information from the Kickstarter? Does Paradox get it now? Definitely not. We take your privacy very seriously and will not be sharing any information gathered via Kickstarter with Paradox or anyone else.
Will the game still release on Steam, GOG, and Humble? You bet. BATTLETECH will release on Steam, GoG, and Humble on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Nothing has changed there and, as we mentioned in an earlier update, we're looking at a late Summer/Fall release.
Will I still be able to download a DRM-Free version of the game? Yes. A DRM-Free version will be available on GOG.
You mentioned expansions. What's the plan for post-launch content and DLC? In success we hope to release full-fledged expansions to the game and intend to focus on that over small pieces of DLC.
What about sequels? Does Paradox have a say in those? We have no agreement with Paradox to release sequels to the game at this time. If our relationship goes well, we’ll consider it in the future.
Fresh Screenshots & Novella #2 Delivered!
over 7 years ago
– Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 12:11:48 AM
Hey y'all, Mitch here!
On behalf of the whole team, thank you for the overwhelming show of support and positive energy we received after our last update. We deeply appreciate it. When you’re flying full-throttle down the Death Star trench with turbo-lasers blazing past your cockpit and the exhaust port coming up fast, it’s nice to know that “The Backers are with you.”
No update on our Backer Beta timing yet - we’re stepping back to make sure our plan is solid, our team is working at a healthy pace, and we have the right level of internal testing before releasing it into the wilds of Backerdom. As many of you have speculated, it’s unlikely we’ll announce a new date until we’re very confident we will hit it.
In the interim, we thought we'd show some new screenshots of the game in action to help tide everyone over. These are unedited shots - though we did turn off the interface and use a debug camera in-game to get the pretty we wanted.
You can click on the images to get a hi-res version for each. Hope you enjoy!
2nd Novella, APPARENT CATASTROPHE, Now Available for MechWarrior Level Backers
We’re happy to announce that the second in a series of four linked digital novellas by Mike Stackpole is now available for Backers at the $50 MechWarrior level and above! Again, if you’re a current Backer and you want to upgrade to the MechWarrior tier to get your copy, email us.
You’ll find a file including the pdf, mobi, and epub versions to download when you hit “Get My Digital Rewards” in your BackerKit account. It takes a little time for the files to populate to everyone's account so please check back in a couple hours if you don't see the files right away.
That’s it for now. Remember that there’s a great community waiting for you on the BATTLETECH forums and the dev team often stops by to say hi and answer questions.
