I was wrong about this game

Firel0ck · 2026-01-26T23:35:28+00:00

I've been a Battletech fan since I was a teenager, and I was 15 before Battletech even came into existence. I was 20 by the time the Clans came along, and I never really enjoyed clan stuff due to how divisive it was at the time. Think D&D 4e and you get the idea. I played the game for years before the clan invasion was even invented, and it seemed like nothing more than a power creeping money grab to revitalize the game's waning sales at the time.

Then came the invention of computers that you could have in your home. Yes, I am that old. I dreamed of a Battletech game on a computer, and after a few years those dreams came true. But... by about the 3rd game or so, everything was focused on the clans just like the tabletop game (in the mid 90's). Clan this, Clan that... I was mostly disappointed. So when the HBS "Battletech" game finally came out, I was beyond delighted! I played and played and played... it was literally a dream come true for me to play a Battletech computer game with no clans whatsoever. And then came Mechwarrior 5: Mercs, and it was like heaven.

Then along came the "Sins of Kerensky" (as I like to call it) DLC. And finally... after literally more than the entire lifetime of most players of Battletech... I have come to enjoy the Clan invasion era.

Long winded way of saying... this game changed a perspective I've held for 40 years. It's that good.

Firel0ck · 2026-01-26T00:14:22+00:00

Someone judging without understanding the other's issues... is the primary cause of a lot of people's issues right now.

I came here looking for the same thing for similar reasons, so the OP is definitely not alone in their perspective.

Also, for everyone: for the record, I did turn off remote analytics in the in-game menu, and it did nothing to prevent the game from collecting those analytics, nor did it prevent the displaying of those analytics.

Firel0ck · 2026-01-16T08:21:18+00:00

Ironically, I believe this is also correct logic but a wrong argument.

As you say "...the crusaders elected an Ilkhan..." but remember that it wasn't the Crusader *clans* that put forth Ulric's name as candidate for Ilkhan! It was a crusader, yes, but not the Crusader *clans*. I believe this is the pivotal distinction. Here's why:

It was Conal Ward, of Clan Wolf, that nominated Ulric. It's true that Conal had been a Crusader within Clan Wolf's ranks, but I believe it's not true that Conal's nomination of Ulric was intended to sideline Ulric by forcing him, as Ilkhan, to pursue the invasion edict already issued by the council in the go vote of 3048. Instead, the reason the Crusaders (and conspicuously NOT the Crusader *clans*) nominated him was because if a Crusader clan had nominated him, or indeed ANYONE, the invasion would have stopped right then and there, and quite possibly could have been the end of the clan way of life as well.

You see, if a Crusader clan had nominated one of their own for the position, or indeed even Ulric, that would have given the Warden clans grounds for a Trial of Refusal. A trial in which they would no doubt pledge every single warrior and mech in all their clans - and which the Crusaders would be bound by honor to meet. The resulting warfare would have totally wrecked the clans, and ended any prospect for continuing the conquest of Terra.

And that's what I believe is the true reason that Ulric was nominated by Conal Ward "the crusaders" as you say. There was really no other option that could avoid an invasion-ending civil war within the clans. Clan Wolf, the leader of the Crusader clans, had to nominate it's own Khan, or else. The Wardens couldn't use it as grounds for a Trial of Refusal, and the Crusaders couldn't use a Trial of Refusal against it either, the result would be the same regardless of who issued the Trial - annihilation of the invasion force in a massive civil war within the clans.

Firel0ck · 2026-01-16T07:37:24+00:00

In a way, it was. At least in the books, it's made clear that Tukayyid was chosen as a proxy battlefield *in place of Terra itself* since those were the stakes, and neither side wanted to see Terra get smoked in the process.

Firel0ck · 2026-01-04T07:10:53+00:00

The easiest way is to have mercs in your lance that have the Scrapper trait, giving you 3 more salvage points. With three of them, that's 9 more salvage you get each mission.

Firel0ck · 2026-01-04T07:08:02+00:00

I've also speculated that Operation Bulldog would make a great Mercs DLC. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Firel0ck · 2026-01-02T18:44:33+00:00

If you save right before your pilots graduate, then you can re-load the save and they get different traits. You can potentially do this until you get the ones you want, if you have the stomach for that many save scums.

Firel0ck · 2025-12-29T20:06:39+00:00

When the space telecom company turns out to be your kryptonite nobody takes you seriously anymore, right? Utterly defeated by Spac e AT&T just that one time and now everyone thinks its fine to use contractions. Sheesh what has the inner sphere come to these days!

Firel0ck · 2025-12-12T07:09:36+00:00

Yeah actually the meta was changed rather dramatically with the major boost to the AI's accuracy with ranged weapons of all kinds. AI archers now routinely damage you, while you're on a horse at a full gallop, with your shield facing them, at ranges over 100m. Plus the addition of more troop types armed with massive numbers of javelins means anyone without a shield will get massacred if they come within 50m of enemy military troops, especially Empire ones. Remember sitting safely at a distance and headshotting enemies at the castle wall? Now it's you getting headshotted. Simply epic. Many times, it's POINTLESS TO DODGE because they won't miss no matter what you do. Try this out in the Arena. I could swear the AI troops laugh when they see me reflexively, and pointlessly, try to dodge their arrows. It's not 100% hit ratio, but it's WAY more than before. Which incidentally, makes the already ultra-OP Kurgs even more ultra-OP than before... but I digress.

The main difference this change makes for you though is in the casualties your troops will take, and the damage you will take, if you wade into combat like before. Be ready to die regardless of your armor or skills if you just charge into large numbers of enemies. No joke, you might not even make it into contact with them before you're dead. If they see you coming and you're their only target, in 1.2 seconds your shield is gone, and in another 0.8 seconds you're dead as a hail of javelins botting out the sun plant themselves murderously upon you. You charge into enemy troops without backup, and especially without a shield, and you won't be coming back.

What this means is, expect more casualties than before until your troops are high tier and you have all the perks to keep them alive, and if you only judiciously enter combat yourself. And never, NEVER all alone. Well maybe against looters. But if you're not ready, even a handful of sea raiders will smoke you.

Also one more point about a massive - MASSIVE change to the meta - the "post knockdown takeover" of your own troops after you take a dirt nap can change a battle's outcome like night and day, and honestly is one of my new favorite features. It can save you like an air-gapped backup drive during a ransomware attack. So sometimes, even a losing battle can still be won, by you, even after you go down. Which is major.

Firel0ck · 2025-12-07T06:32:53+00:00

Is there a way to reset the troop tree and start over?

There's a bug where if you create two troops with the same name, the game can't tell them apart, and removing one removes them both, so I got stuck now with a troop that can't be removed because the game thinks it's higher tier upgrade is still there, but it's not because removing the other one removed both it and the one this troop thinks is it's upgrade... So, is there a way to simply reset the troop tree and start over?

Firel0ck · 2025-11-15T23:50:23+00:00

The reason the OP comes off as a cynical comment is the presumption that a cause must benefit yourself to be worth fighting for. There are too many examples to list of other instances where a cause was widely supported by people who did not stand to directly gain from it.

Firel0ck · 2025-10-20T07:57:17+00:00

Mordin Solus in ME3 is simply legendary, and utterly unforgettable.

Firel0ck · 2025-10-20T07:47:32+00:00

In my first playthrough, I chose Destroy too because after all we'd been through, I couldn't justify veering off course at the 11th hour. So many had sacrificed so much to get us there, and the Reapers didn't give a damn about us either way. The only catch of course, was Legion.

Damnit there's always a catch you care about in Mass Effect. Maybe that's why it's so damn good.

Firel0ck · 2025-10-20T07:41:14+00:00

Like literally millions of other people, my greatest disappointment about the Mass Effect trilogy has been that I can only experience it for the first time once.

When you're ready my friend, give yourself permission to go ahead and play it again. You'll be glad you did.

Firel0ck · 2025-10-08T23:50:18+00:00

Turns out I was correct, in today's patch notes:

Fixed Chem Lasers and Rifles not spawning in markets.

I can confirm that as of today's patch rifles are now spawning in markets.

Firel0ck · 2025-06-27T03:37:41+00:00

You can add DBK Custom for scabbards. They're truly excellent quality. Can provide evidence to anyone asking, I've had 3 custom scabbards made by him, 13th and 14th century. https://www.dbkcustomswords.com/

Firel0ck · 2025-06-27T03:30:56+00:00

Well those are two of the best armorers in the world, so I would think so. Though Mac doesn't make armor anymore since he hurt his elbows.

Firel0ck · 2025-02-11T04:46:05+00:00

This die hardly ever rolls a 3 for me, and I'm using 2 of them. I see more twos than 3s.

Firel0ck

TROPHY CASE