BattleTech: Flashpoint is the first DLC coming from my personal favorite turn-based strategy small business mech simulator this year, BattleTech [8 out of 10]. This thing has all the requisites of reasonably built downloadable content: new maps, new mode, new mechs.
By new maps, Harebrained Schemes is introducing a tropical biome. Should be a nice mix of heat to keep yours and your enemy's weapon barrages in check, but also oceanfront property to cool things off. I'm just guessing about that part, the change of scenery will be nice regardless.
This DLC also introduces flashpoints. They're a series of action-packed short stories. Extended contracts with big bonuses.
New mechs. There's the Hatchetman in the trailer above. But also the speedy and versatile Crab, and the multi-range firepower of the Cyclops.
Importantly, a new encounter called "Target Acquisition" will put your light and medium mechs to better use. As it stands, in the vanilla game, bigger is always better, and the sooner you can get out of your light and medium mechs the better. This is Hairbrained Schemes tuning in directly to their fans and addressing one of the louder complaints the game has received: Needing a reason to keep a more weight-balanced stable of mechs.
Hopefully they tease a lot more of these features coming up. Twenty seconds of pre-rendered Hatchetman footage is less convincing than the entire features list as a whole.
BattleTech: Flashpoint launches this September. The vanilla BattleTech game will be required to play BattleTech: Flashpoint.
First BATTLETECH Expansion, FLASHPOINT Coming This November
High-stakes Short Stories, New Biome, New BattleMechs and a Multi-Territory Encounter
COLOGNE - Aug. 21, 2018 - Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes today announced that the first-ever BATTLETECH expansion, FLASHPOINT will be available in November 2018, complete with three new ‘Mechs (including the highly anticipated Hatchetman), a challenging new mission type, and a new tropical biome, along with its featured namesake, 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.
Key Features:
Flashpoints - Test your command skills in a series of action-packed short stories, completing extended contracts to earn big bonuses. Somewhere in there are also "consecutive deployments" where you'll be forced to hit up multiple missions without the downtime required to repair your mechs and heal mechwarriors. BattleTech just introduced a hard mode.
New Biome - Navigate a lush tropical beach environment, with sunny shores and just a pinch of alien flare, for good measure. Sunscreen optional.
New BattleMechs - Get your ‘Mech on with the armor-chopping power of the Hatchetman, the speed and versatility of the Crab, and the multi-range firepower of the Cyclops.
New Encounter - In “Target Acquisition” you’ll put your light and medium ‘Mechs to good use by taking control of three territories on the map to prevail!
“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. “These more elaborate, longer-term objectives are an awesome interactive storytelling tool, which we think BATTLETECH fans will really enjoy,” added Jordan Weisman, CEO and Creator of BattleTech.
Get more information and pre-order FLASHPOINT at https://www.paradoxplaza.com/battletech
