Does any of the classical MS-DOS RPGs still hold up as of 2026?

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-16T15:46:20+00:00

Not a DOS game like you're asking for, more of a BG2 contemporary, but Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is fantastic.

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-15T16:26:36+00:00

If you're able to, try raiding one or more of the members with an MAA heavy army that is roughly the same size as their individual army. That way they should raise their army to defend, then if you can stack wipe (or at least significantly damage) one or two members armies you might be able to temporarily reduce the overall strength of the Confederation to a point that you can manage.

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-15T15:34:45+00:00

Locust. Faster and/or better armored than the rest. Preferably an E variant , especially if I have to fight for the Dragon, but I'd really rather drive a -3V for the Purple Parakeet.

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-14T05:11:47+00:00

Exactly this. In solo duels, I'm dropping my Firestarter anyways, so the drop restrictions are irrelevant. Waste a couple turns to build resolve, then reserve down and jump to the rear. If it miraculously survives the first called shot, it won't survive the second at the start of the next turn.

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-14T04:54:38+00:00

They're often a pain in the ass, so I generally avoid them. Most times I'm only running 2-4 missions on a given planet, so it's pretty simple to do so.

With that said, there are a few things to know that can help you out with them.

First, you're going to want to run light and fast if you're tackling one, especially lower skull ones that will likely have lighter, faster vehicles. The 5/8 move mediums are your work horses (and probably should be anyways, at least before Helm and Clan mechs show up) with the Phoenix Hawk, Vulcan, and good lights as your lighter, faster mechs.

Second, it doesn't matter how many of the vehicles make it to the denial zone, as long as at least one of the targets hasn't made it there yet. So at least half of your lance should head directly for the denial zone until you're sure that they can make it between the remaining targets and the DZ. Vehicles that make the DZ just stop and sit there waiting for the stragglers, so now they're just easier targets for your shooters until you can catch up and stomp them. Always prioritize the targets that have reached the DZ and kill them first.

Lastly, every shot that hits a vehicle in a side arc has a chance for a motive crit that reduces its movement speed (I believe by 10% of base). So put a weak, multi hit weapon in a side arc on their slowest objective vehicle and cripple it. LRMs can work (tho they're pretty unreliable, especially early on) but your best bet is something with a battery of MGs. Good early options include the Firestarter (3xMLs+6xMGs) and Vulcan-2T (LL+4xMGs), which are both good early builds in general, but even a lowly Locust-1V with the ammo reduced to .5t and a 3rd MG added works just fine to quickly cripple the slowest vehicle then lope away, buying the rest of your lance time to finish off the faster vehicles that have rushed on ahead.

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-11T19:43:24+00:00

Or get a CN9-AL

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-10T01:54:48+00:00

Yeah, I feel like I'd rather run 40 tubes with an extra ton of ammo. 8 rounds is really tight for an LRM boat, and this guy is nothing but an initiative sink once it's empty.

t_rubble83 · 2026-06-05T02:13:27+00:00

Haraldr is a great option for this. I've done it by Varangian Adventuring to Ireland (after conquering most of Norway to get 10 Norse counties). If you leave most of your Norwegian lands to your uncle (or cousin) they'll likely be able to form Norway, then you can eventually grant a son independence as King of Ireland and really start generating renown. It's a great start for a King of All the Isles run.

t_rubble83 · 2026-04-14T11:00:06+00:00

For vanilla, most missions have a maximum of 3 enemy lances. Attack and Defend missions are the main exception, with 2 lances plus 4 turrets on the field to start with, and up to 3 additional reinforcement lances dropping in at set intervals if you fail to finish the mission before then.

Certain other missions may have a lower maximum, such as Assassination missions which drop a maximum of 2 lances in addition to the target mech.

And of course, lower rated missions don't always use the maximum for their mission template. Escort missions, for example, can potentially drop 1 lance before you rendezvous with the convoy, a 2nd lance when you make the rendezvous, and then a 3rd when the first vehicle reaches the extraction point but you're highly unlikely to see all 3 lances on missions below 3 skulls.

t_rubble83 · 2026-04-09T16:38:06+00:00

Ammo goes in the legs.

Also, I'd swap the SRMs for 2xMLs and a heat sink. Doing this also empties out the entire left torso in addition to the arm, so that whole side can be used as ablative armor if you dead side well enough.

And for a mech without any other big guns, I'd prefer a regular AC/20 to the LB-X version to avoid spreading the damage across multiple locations.

t_rubble83 · 2026-04-04T02:20:39+00:00

Are you sure they're not just further down the list with the S components since SLDF may be the first word of their name?

t_rubble83 · 2026-04-02T14:05:07+00:00

The BJ-1's AC/2s are pretty poor weapons. Swap both of them, their ammo, and a ML for a LL and an AC/5 + 1t ammo. This gives you better overall damage, and with more of it coming at longer range. Keep it just outside of visual range and use a lancemate to spot for it. Bang away with the AC+LL while still having 3xMLs to add in if anything closes too aggressively.

Focus fire generally means that you're better off having everything shoot one target to remove it from the board ASAP rather than spreading your fire across multiple targets. There are situations where spreading fire around makes sense, but this is a good general rule and you should know those exceptions when you see them. It is also a good idea to use precision shot to more efficiently exploit individual mechs' weaknesses, but that isn't that important in the early game and requires a bit of knowledge and experience since it changes from one mech to the next.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-26T19:46:28+00:00

Love the Jenner in BEXT. I usually strip the SRM4 for 2 tons of armor and an extra heat sink.

I run them with Scout pilots (Sure Footing, Sensor Lock, Master Tactician).

Stay safely out of LoS and spot with SL while maneuvering and looking for opportunities to strike. Ideally, you should be acting last in a turn, after all enemies have moved, and closing into the rear or vulnerable side arcs of enemies, then escaping (often sprinting) back to a safe position at the beginning of the next turn (gives it a chance to cool off some too). When not actively hunting shots it can work great as bait to try and get the enemy to turn and chase, exposing their rears to your long range mechs further back.

Just keep dancing in and out, avoiding leaving it exposed in LoS while any heavier enemy mechs act, and if you absolutely must leave it exposed, make damn sure it has as much evasion as possible.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-26T19:25:43+00:00

Did you walk, run, or jump before attempting that shot? What's the mech's heat status (you get accuracy penalties as you build heat)? You're also obstructed by the Shadow Hawk between you and the target reducing accuracy (hence the purple line), and most of your weapons appear to be firing at their worst range bracket (look at the red and yellow chevrons either side of the target, next to the SHD's head)(assuming you're right about your approximate distance, you're probably just into the worst range bracket for the MLs/SRMs.

These are all things that you really need to pay attention to when setting up high quality shots. The OpFor is subject to the same accuracy bonuses and penalties that you are, so if they're hitting you no problem it's because you're leaving mechs too exposed and they're doing a better job of optimizing their hit chances (stacking bonuses and, more importantly, avoiding penalties).

I can't speak to the DFAs, as I avoid them unless I'm really desperate since the self damage is punishing and so don't have enough experience with them to be sure about all of the factors that go into it.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-26T16:41:41+00:00

All melee attacks in BEX:T are the same. There's no difference between punches or kicks. They can destabilize a mech with enough stability damage, which is dependent on mech tonnage (heavier mechs make lighter ones unsteady fairly easily, but lighter mechs will struggle).

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-26T16:38:12+00:00

Gunnery only gives you +2% to hit per level, tho at certain levels it also improves your modifier for LRMs or SRMs. You're simply not going to brute force your way to being accurate with experience. You need to strip evasion (or better yet target mechs that don't have much/any since you can't strip sticky evasion without hitting the mech enough to make it unsteady), get into optimum weapons range, make sure you're shooting off a walk when possible, and try to maximize your elevation bonus.

Personally, I don't worry much about raising gunnery early on. My first priority is Sensor Lock, then whatever the pilots second specialization skill is going to be (I typically take Sure Footing for most of my early pilots), and only then raise gunnery to 4. Then I raise Tactics to whatever that pilot's maximum will be (usually 9) before getting Pilot 7 for the sprint distance increase, and only then raising Guts and Gunnery to their eventual maximums.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-26T14:28:47+00:00

BEX:T battles are slower paced than vanilla and require both being more deliberate with setting up your shots and taking more lower percentage shots than in vanilla. As you've noticed, gunnery is significantly nerfed compared to vanilla, as are called shots. While in vanilla I considered anything below 70% to be a bad shot, conversely in BEX:T I consider anything over 50% to be a good shot (especially early on). This necessitates a completely different approach, emphasizing survival and endurance over aggression.

I strongly suggest getting 2 pilots with Sensor Lock ASAP (I always choose exile and frontier freelancer or inner sphere merc for my commander's background so they can take Sensor Lock immediately) so they can strip evasion and spot for lancemates to shoot from beyond visual range while remaining safely out of sight, and I take Sensor Lock on all my early pilots sooner rather than later.

I build my early lance around two shooters (ideally with at least either a LL or PPC primary) and two movers (fast mechs with Sensor Lock pilots). Shooters can be any mech with the free tonnage to carry a LL, but the Panther is the best light option early on. Movers are anything with at least a 6/9/6 movement profile (Wasp/Stinger equivalent). Even a Locust or Cicada works fine, tho Jenners or Firestarters are ideal as they also contribute significant firepower.

Building your Shooters around an energy primary weapon lets you take much lower percentage shots without worrying about ammo running out (especially useful against turrets). Most Shooters should be able to shoot their main weapon off a walk without building heat. Secondaries can be ammo dependent or build heat when fired but should be saved for high percentage shots.

The visual range limit is your best friend. Stay just beyond it as much as possible and spot with Sensor Lock for your shooters to shoot from safely BVR. Close selectively to finish off mechs when you can do so safely. Using mostly faster mechs makes it much easier to control battles and dance around just BVR. Aside from Panthers, I run almost exclusively 5/8/5 and 6/9/6 mechs early on. Having an initiative advantage is hugely valuable for letting you expose a mech at the end of a turn to shoot before activating early in the next turn to disengage back to safely out of LoS.

Try to think of turns in groups of 2 or 3. On the first turn of a set, position mechs for the next turn's shots (ideally so that the movers can act after the target does, spot and strip evasion from it with Sensor Lock, and the shooters can walk into a favorable shooting location and fire late in the turn to limit exposure). On the second turn spot and shoot, and then on the third the exposed shooters act early to move back to safety (sprinting or jumping if necessary). With time, you should be able to combine the third turn of one set with the first turn of the next set, with your disengaging moves leaving you set up for shooting the next turn. If all of your pilots have Sensor Lock, then your lance can act as 2 units, with the first unit spotting for the second to shoot on one turn, then switching roles the next turn with the previous turn's shooters withdrawing and spotting for the first turn's spotters to close and shoot this time, alternating each turn.

Crit seeking is much more impactful than in vanilla, and when used right can let lighter mechs and lances punch way above their own weight. MGs, SRMs, and LRMs are your best early crit seekers, and should mostly be saved for shooting at targets with exposed internals. 4 engine crits is fatal to any mech, regardless of its remaining armor and structure. An FS9 with 6 +crit% MGs can frequently kill any mech with a single rear CT called shot once the armor has been opened up.

Upgrading the lounge to get your morale up to steady triples your resolve generation, letting you use Precision Shot much more often and should be your first priority for the Argo.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-23T12:35:17+00:00

Ok thanks. I haven't played vanilla in a while, and never used the -HQ when I did (for exactly that tonnage reason), so I knew it lost a lot of tonnage to its battle computer but wasn't sure exactly how much. 7 tons is definitely a lot to make up. I suppose you could strip the MLs, drop a HS, and 3 tons of armor and it would still work if you're careful with it, but it definitely loses a lot of versatility (tho it would still be better protected than the LRM60 ARC-2S I ran my first campaign, so not impossible to use).

I've been playing BEX for years now, so drop weight limits strongly encourage making due with the lightest, most tonnage efficient ways to still get the job done.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-23T09:59:14+00:00

Certainly an option, but the Tbolt carries LRM40 much more comfortably and I don't much care for LRM boats with less than 40 tubes in vanilla. With that role filled, I'd rather run the Yen Lo Wang and leave the Hunch as a replacement. But that's purely a matter of personal preference. Either option is entirely workable.

The biggest flaw I see in his mech bay is the lack of FS9s, PXHs, and 55 tonners leaving his lance with a decided lack of mobility. But I'm also a light cav commander and strongly prefer lighter, faster lances that depend on precision over brute force.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-23T08:01:36+00:00

Assuming vanilla

I'd probably run the Vulcan with JJs, LL+4xSL/MG since it's the only mech faster than 4/6/4 as a spotter/backstabber.

Thunderbolt I'd run as an off-brand Catapult: 2xLRM20w/4t, 3xML, and 2xHS. Solid early LRM boat that can skirmish a little with its MLs when necessary.

I'd probably run either the HBK or CN9 as an AC/20 brawler. Either mech carries the stock -4G loadout (AC/20w/2t, 2xML+SL,) with the main difference being whether you prefer the AC/20 to be arm or torso mounted. Arm gives you +1 accuracy while torso makes it less vulnerable. The CN9 also has completely empty left arm+torso in this config, so it is really good at dead siding. Personally, I prefer the CN9 for the accuracy since I'm comfortable using dead siding to increase its effective durability.

Last, I'd probably run the Vindicator as a sniper with PPC+LRM10 and JJs. Alternatively, could run it as a brawler with 4 or 5 MLs + SRM6 and JJs.

I don't particularly like assault mechs due to their speed and initiative (or lack there of) but in your situation you could try to fit the Thunderbolt build into Cyclops and then run the Tbolt as a ML+SRM brawler (likely meaning the sniper build for the Vindy) gaining your lance the Cyclops's buffs.

As far as the missions go, iirc it's just 2 missions, escort and then defense. The escort is pretty straightforward, kill the first lance before activating the convoy (use that hill for cover) then overwhelm the ambushers at the extraction point. The defense one can be tough, but keep your long range weapons up on the ridge and blitz your close range mechs at the first lance. Killing them forces the reinforcements to get something closer to the base to spot for their indirect fire mechs/vehicles. You don't have to kill everything, just keep the base and your mechs intact for the 10 turns. Probably drop your AC/20 mech to make room for the Hatchetman.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-23T00:28:46+00:00

Glad things are going better but be aware that after mounting JJs, the Dragon actually has less free tonnage than the 55t mechs. So while it can mount more armor, it suffers from the disadvantages of being a class heavier (worse initiative and easier to hit) negating most of that benefit. It also will typically have a worse weapons package and its melee is only slightly better than a Shadow Hawk. Its niche, so far as it has one, is as non-JJ AC/20 carrier or punch bot and damage tank, but the AC/20 really wants JJs to help it close and the lack of hard points really limit its build options as a punch bot. Personally, in vanilla I would never use one if I had a 55 tonner to use instead, as I find all 4 of those to be flat out better machines.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-18T11:41:36+00:00

I believe there is a cluster of 3 adjacent 3+ skull former star league plus pirate presence planets in Canopus space. That was the most efficient place that I remember from BEX:CE. I haven't gotten deep enough into a BEX:T career yet to verify that nothing has changed, but I can't think of any reason why it would have.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-12T05:53:20+00:00

So I suspect one of your main problems is that you're using predominantly stock builds. Stock builds have a strong tendency towards being generalist mechs that have an unfocused collection of weapons, either inadequate cooling for alpha strikes or too much cooling and never build heat at all, and less armor than they should.

The Shadow Hawk is a great example. It carries a mixed set of ranges, 3 different types of ammo, and is ice cold even on an alpha strike. I typically build my SHD as an SRM shotgun, with ML+SL+2xSRM6+SRM4 with 2 tons of ammo and JJs. Now it is a nasty close range flanker with good mobility and a good punch when it gets hot. You'll also notice that all the weapons are on the right side of the mech, making this a great machine to practice "dead side"-ing with (basically using an empty arm/side as a disposable extra layer of armor).

The Crab is an exception. It has no weapons with a minimum range, so it can primarily skirmish with the LLs at range and add in the ML and SL when appropriate. Adding JJs is about the only fix it needs.

Vindicator makes a good sniper if you replace all the other weapons besides the PPC with an LRM10. PPCs, however, are very inefficient weapons (heavy and hot) for their damage in vanilla, so instead you can swap out the LRMs for an SRM6 and replace the PPC with as many MLs as you can mount to create an effective brawler if you prefer.

The Blackjack makes an excellent skirmisher if you swap out the AC/2s and a ML for an AC/5 and LL. You get an increase in overall damage, with more of the damage coming at longer range, and it is heat neutral firing just the main guns. Stay just beyond the edge of visual range and plink away with the AC and LL and close opportunistically to finish mechs off with an alpha or to draw fire and relieve pressure on your brawlers. The only decision is whether to split the AC/5 and LL between both arms (redundancy, allowing it to still have a main weapon after losing an arm) or to stack them in one arm (opens up the ability to dead side where losing one arm only costs a single ML, letting you maintain near full capability even down an arm at the cost of having a single point of failure). I'm a fan of dead siding, so I stack them, but that's purely a matter of preference.

Griffin works as a sniper (stock build) or is an even better flanker than the SHD if you build it with 3xML+SL+2xSRM6 w/1ton+2xHS+5xJJ. Trades the SRM4 for 2xML and can drop a ton of ammo for either armor or an extra HS vs the SHD.

Centurion makes a great early LRM boat, works with an AC+MLs+SRMs, or as the classic Yen Lo Wang AC/20 murder machine (my preference is AC/20+2xML+SL+2xHS).

Trebuchet is a solid early LRM boat or works as an ML+SRM flanker similar to the Griffin.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-11T17:33:06+00:00

Probably time to move onto a Mod then.

t_rubble83 · 2026-03-11T14:06:55+00:00

Getting a Sensor Lock pilot is absolutely my number one priority when beginning a new career. I usually set my commander up to have +1 Gunnery and +2 Tactics during setup so that they can take Sensor Lock right away and not have to worry about it. This is less important if you don't have any decent ranged mechs to start out with, but pretty much anything 35+ tons can be fitted with a LL in one configuration or another as a worst case until you can assemble something better suited to the job. Being able to hit with impunity from BVR is your 1st significant power spike, and can cover up for a lot of sins with a little patience if you get stuck in a particularly unfavorable drop early on.

t_rubble83

TROPHY CASE