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Sad news for those of you wanting to play BATTLETECH, as the release has slipped into 2018. There is a glimmer of good news though.

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Announced today in their latest Kickstarter update:
QuoteWe’d previously been projecting a late 2017 release but now that we’ve revised our AI & combat mechanics in reaction to your feedback, completed a thorough review of the work remaining on the game, and are poised to release the Multiplayer Backer Beta update, all indications are that Paradox & HBS will release BATTLETECH in early 2018.

Since they're pushing the release window into next year, this gives them time to improve the quality of the game. I am really hopeful for this one, since it already looks damn good.

I asked them about the status of Linux support since they're putting out Beta versions for backers to test, they say Linux will be supported at the main release, but not during the Beta stages. It's good news that they are so far keeping to their promise of Linux support!

They are planning to release on Steam, GOG and Humble Store.

About the game
QuoteFrom original BattleTech/MechWarrior creator Jordan Weisman and the developers of the award-winning Shadowrun Returns series comes the next-generation of turn-based tactical ‘Mech combat.

The year is 3025 and the galaxy is trapped in a cycle of perpetual war, fought by noble houses with enormous, mechanized combat vehicles called BattleMechs. Take command of your own mercenary outfit of `Mechs and the MechWarriors that pilot them, struggling to stay afloat as you find yourself drawn into a brutal interstellar civil war. Upgrade your starfaring base of operations, negotiate mercenary contracts with feudal lords, repair and maintain your stable of aging BattleMechs, and execute devastating combat tactics to defeat your enemies on the battlefield.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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7 comments

gabber Aug 15, 2017
Quotethey say Linux will be supported at the main release, but not during the Beta stages. It's good news that they are so far keeping to their promise of Linux support!
How are they keeping their promise?
Is there any sign of the linux client?
They can still pull the 'technical difficulties' at launch...
Sir_Diealot Aug 15, 2017
I loved Mech Warrior 2 back in the day, but somehow this game doesn't get my interest. Hope it turns out well anyway.

HBS is a somewhat odd studio. I liked the new Shadowrun games, but they had severe problems. It took them three games to implement acceptable inventory management. While the third game turned out best from a technical point, the story was totally obvious from the start, hence very boring and a hell of a reading exercise. Not quite sure what to make of them.
Expalphalog Aug 15, 2017
@gabber

Yeah, they could do that but both HBS and Paradox have a pretty solid record of supporting Linux so it seems unlikely.
DrMcCoy Aug 15, 2017
Quoting: Sir_DiealotWhile the third game turned out best from a technical point, the story was totally obvious from the start, hence very boring and a hell of a reading exercise.

I for one disagree there. I really loved the story of the third game. Yes, Dragonfall was better, IMHO, but still, I loved Hong Kong. And I also loved the amount of reading, but I generally enjoy text-heavy games (including Interactive Fiction, i.e. textadventures).

Their engine, however, was always a bit wonky. I had several situations where fights locked up, enemy turns took weirdly long and items disappeared. Saving a game took longer the longer you played and was nearly unbearable at the end of each campaign. The save game list also couldn't cope with a lot of save games (I save a lot) and additionally became a complete mess once you started playing community campaigns.

The modding scene was also quite hampered by how it's three separate games in Steam, I guess, with many resources and music pieces only available in one game, but not the others.

Stepping off this tangent, I'm really excited for BattleTech nonetheless. I hope they get their tech in line this time.

(I'd still like to see more Shadowrun games, though.)
Sir_Diealot Aug 15, 2017
I guess we have different tastes there. I even liked the first story more than the third one, simply because the third one had zero twists and surprises in it. If you read everything and talked to everyone you pretty much know everything very early on and just had to grind missions until you finally were allowed to go where you knew you had to go. The characters amd their background confused me a fair bit as well, especially the main characters 'brother'. Took me a long time to realize that he wasn't from Hong Kong, because he spoke Chinese perfectly and acted like he was from there. I liked the straw sandal bit but most of the docks were pretty dull. Dragonfall was way better.

Yes, it had a lot of technical flaws, but at least the interface improved over time. The skill stuff was odd because the very high skill levels were there but basically unreachable within the game. Overall I liked to get to know a different roleplaying system and universe. It certainly has its charms. I think I'd rather see a fourth incarnation than this Battletech game.
Schattenspiegel Aug 15, 2017
Will be interesting to see how this turns out. Definitely high on my whishlist but there have been so many flaws alongside so much promise in previous BT games that one can only hope for the best. The timeline setting at least was a wise choice and if they manage to stay away from to much mech loadout customisation resulting in boring multiplayer meta this could actually become a really good game.
slaapliedje Aug 16, 2017
I wonder if the delay is at the behest of Paradox wanting the game to be more stable? They definitely have a reputation for awesome strategy games. To be fair this is the first TRUE (commercial) Battletech game. There was a very basic one that was free if I recall, but all the other games were Mechwarrior ones (same universe, but the RPG version basically). As far as I know this is the first one that is a fully tactical version of the board game.
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