MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries announced!

I just started playing, so I have maybe 4 hours of actual game time, however, something just feels off about the movement. I may just need to tweek a few more settings and key bindings.

I do enjoy it so far though, and thought it was awesome they used the Independent Planets patch from Firefly for the Independents faction.
 
Soooooo close

Mechwarrior 5 Mercenaries Screenshot 2019.12.21 - 18.29.08.74.png
 
Only thing I'm conflicted about is the weird restrictive maximum mission weight.. Sure balance but the grind is a bit much. I guess that's what trainers are for? bork bork
 
Blackstone said:
Does this get better as you go?
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I'd say it does:

  • Great way to "cheese" the dreaded random mass spawns (only partially fixed in the most recent patch) is to be using 4 assault Mechs (preferably something that can "tank" a ton of dmg, as well as dish it out, like Atlases or custom variants/Heros of Banshees, Annihilators, etc). I like to go with me in my Nightstar, 2 AS7-K Atlases (AMS is somewhat useful), and one of the Hero Banshees. The assault Mechs can take heavy dmg, and dish it out -- this is key for the later missions, which "spawn throw" a whole bunch of stuff at you (especially when you kill opponents fast with headshots).
  • Other known way to "cheese" is to use light/medium Hero mechs with tons of MGs or SRMs -- this works out surprisingly well, since MG fire (in terms of DPS) is neck-and-neck w/that of PPCs (and SRM boat Kintaros are a nightmare for opponents to deal with). Can be risky against Elite enemy pilots in heavy/assault Mechs, tho, due to their weaponry (don't want to be legged or cored out by an AC/20, Gauss, dual PPC, etc ...) and Elite status (which allows them to absorb more fire, just like how you/your NPC teammates' "armor" stat works).
  • At the higher difficulty levels, using commands becomes more and more key for your team's survival -- recently, I had a mission where my NPC's 9M Awesome took way too much dmg, so I ordered her to stay in place, while the rest of the team (minimally damaged) finished off the mission. Worked like a charm!
  • Upcoming major patch later this month (Jan) should fix many other problems in-game,
  • So far, I like the campaign, even if it does feel disconnected from your overall progress, at times (storyline is better, IMO, than many think, especially if you're familiar with much of the Battletech/Mechwarrior lore) -- I haven't finished the campaign yet
    (terminated Andreas Kane & his ComStar Boss, just got the Nightstar)
    , but it still seems promising. That having been said, it does need a LOT more work, as it's quite bare-bones.
  • Core game mechanics are really, really good. THIS is the Mechwarrior 5 game that we've been waiting for. I'd gladly fork over some more dollars for additional DLCs, hopefully detailing other units of note (Gray Death Legion, Wolf's Dragoons, McCarron's Armored Cavalry, Sorenson's Sabre's, etc.)
  • I'd even greatly enjoy a quick, "one-shot" out-of-Mech FPS quickie w/you as a "mere infantryman" who has to find a way to disable or destroy a Mech (a la Decision at Thunder Rift, a respected Battletech novel), then taking/stealing it for personal use. Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries did something like this with the "hovercraft" mission, and I don't see why this game can't do the same.
  • Lots of "fun nods" to those familiar with the Battletech/Mechwarrior lore (in-game ad billboards noting that Pharaoh beer is popular with tankers, as per Technical Readout: 3025, for example ...)
 
I am now ~24 hours into this game so I though I would provide my observations.

The game is a blast, it is the first game to sideline my Destiny 2 addiction. There is nothing quite like piloting a Mech with a HOTAS. The environments are really well realized. I really like the look of that erupting volcano environment.

It is disappointing that the loadout editor is limited, in that there are permanent weapon slots which dictate weapon type and size. So you don't quite have as much freedom to put whatever you want wherever you want. This causes you to have to find the correct mech variants if you want certain weapon loadouts or combinations.

The star map really could use some improvements. I just wish there were more easily visible indicators as to what each planet has available. Yes contracts are visible and rare+ mechs, weapons, and some contracts are. I feel like there are a whole lot of "empty" planets which may have a crappy market but don't have any pilots in the barracks or contracts available. Perhaps having a skull rating or rating range, visible on the star map, for each of the coloured regions would help as well. There is a lot of trial and error when you first start the game. I also don't understand how new mechs populate the markets. Is it based on your reputation, is it based on your lances power rating, or the rating of the mechs you own, is it based on the number of missions you have run or maybe how much money you have accumulated?

I am just now at the point where I have an orange mech (blackjack) and some blue weapons. I do enjoy the multi-part missions where you don't get a chance to repair and re-arm between missions. This forces you to take a damaged mech into the second mission or switch damaged mechs out for fresh ones.

I do feel the missions are pretty "grindy" and the mission variety is limited. It would be a nice addition to have missions which perhaps effect variables in other missions in the same region. For example ... have a mission to destroy enemy infrastructure within a certain time limit, or other limit, and depending on how much of that infrastructure you destroy this could effect the number and difficulty of the enemy units on other missions in the region, almost like setting up a beach head. Or maybe have multi-part missions at the same location and if you take out a repair bay then when you return to that location the enemies retain the damage they had in the previous encounter.

All in all it is a fun game, it feels like mechwarrior to me, I just hope they make some improvements in some areas.

When you mechs are powering up and the computer is doing the audible system checks .... why does it sound like the computer is drunk when it says "weapons online" specifically the weapons word?
 
So literally one month after release and they're saying they're not going to be regularly patching it? That seems rather concerning.
 
MavericK said:
So literally one month after release and they're saying they're not going to be regularly patching it? That seems rather concerning.
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Kinda bizarre, true, but I guess they will simply be releasing really "big" patches (as needed), like the upcoming one this month.

They also might release each upcoming DLC w/patches as well.

The game itself doesn't seem to need a lot of fixes (spawn one is, by far, the biggest offender) -- what it does need is more content, and the upcoming access to mod tools, combined with DLCs, should (in theory) solve that.
 
I probably can guess the answer but does your character come pre-made? Or can you make your own? considering getting this and was just curious about it as I like to have my own designed characters. Most likely will get it either way. lol
 
Draax said:
When you mechs are powering up and the computer is doing the audible system checks .... why does it sound like the computer is drunk when it says "weapons online" specifically the weapons word?
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Because they ruined Bitching Betty that is by.
 
kamxam said:
I probably can guess the answer but does your character come pre-made? Or can you make your own? considering getting this and was just curious about it as I like to have my own designed characters. Most likely will get it either way. lol
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Your character is "pre-made" (at lowest possible stats), and the NPC pilots you can pick up in-game are also pre-made (varying stats & stat caps, quite random, but their stats/stat caps get better as the reputation of your unit gets better).

Your character/NPCs "level up" their stats via gameplay, with each category corresponding to a particular weapon type or skill.
 
mr_zen256 said:
After 40+ hours of gameplay, the best decision I made was to remove the drop tonnage limit with the trainer. It removes the grind and makes the progression way more fun and satisfying. They should really have it as an option for players. My enjoyment factor has increased 10 fold without the ridiculous drop limit.

Here's a link if anyone is interested: https://flingtrainer.com/trainer/mechwarrior-5-mercenaries-trainer/
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hmmm.. I may have to buy the game and use this. I'm all for not having to grind shit but just wanting to stompy robot.

edit, link isn;t working right now.
 
How well does this game support controllers/HOTAS? I have a Thrustmaster T.1600 HOTAS setup that I would not mind breaking out for some good mech blasting fun.
 
ThatITGuy said:
How well does this game support controllers/HOTAS? I have a Thrustmaster T.1600 HOTAS setup that I would not mind breaking out for some good mech blasting fun.
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I use a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X and it works great. The only thing that doesn't work is the two way button on the back of the throttle. To be fair I haven't tried to get it to work ... but I know Mechwarrior treats it as an axis and not two buttons so it cant be assigned to a key. I had wanted to use it for zooming in and out.
 
ThatITGuy said:
How well does this game support controllers/HOTAS? I have a Thrustmaster T.1600 HOTAS setup that I would not mind breaking out for some good mech blasting fun.
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It works but I wouldn't recommend it. This game is made for keyboard and mouse. It would be like using a gamepad in an FPS. The last game in the series that was made to be used with a HOTAS was MW4
 
https://mw5mercs.com/news/2020/01/21-mod-editor-release

Mod tools released today. Over the next month or two we should start seeing some really interesting mods as there are a ton of great ideas out there. I'm sure the first will be overhauls of AI spawns and whatnot. I'm running a mod right now where enemy reinforcements from dropships spawn further away and vehicles drop with them which is pretty cool
 
Business6 said:
https://mw5mercs.com/news/2020/01/21-mod-editor-release

Mod tools released today. Over the next month or two we should start seeing some really interesting mods as there are a ton of great ideas out there. I'm sure the first will be overhauls of AI spawns and whatnot. I'm running a mod right now where enemy reinforcements from dropships spawn further away and vehicles drop with them which is pretty cool
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The number one thing I want to see come from this is handcrafted maps and spawns. Hell, just use the random map generator and then place spawns on that if you want to do it quick and dirty. The devs claim it would push the system requirements up too high if this was done but we'll see.
 
New patch out. Doesn't mention anything about the crazy enemy spawns though..

https://mw5mercs.com/news/2020/01/25-mw5-mercs-patch
General Improvements
  • You can now sell 'Mechs directly from cold storage!
  • Created a default joystick button binding template for supported joysticks based on the Thrustmaster button layout
  • Adding the ability to change Anti-Aliasing Modes
  • Social overlay subheadings can now be collapsed
  • Created separate movement controls for the drop ship navigation and 'Mech controls
Gameplay / Mission Fixes
  • Mission "Intriguing Offer" now has a warning in the transmission that accepting this quest will cancel out any other active mission
  • Federated Commonwealth no longer has allegiance to any other faction
  • Davion contracts against Federated Commonwealth are no longer possible
  • Federated Commonwealth now has its own unique selection of 'Mechs
  • Removed Comstar as a potential enemy for (non-quest) procedural missions
  • Periphery is no longer set to have allegiance to Independent
  • Magistracy of Canopus now uses the Periphery icon
  • Fixed an issue where a DropShip was arriving over a specific garrison and clipping through buildings
Mission / Reward Fixes
  • Mission "Cost of Freedom" - The correct opponent faction now displayed on the post-mission screen
  • "Blood and Treasure" Story Quest now produces ammo for the LosTech it rewards
  • Completing mission "The Shadow Coup" now rewards the correct pilot
  • Mission "A Dragon in Sheep's Clothing" - User can no longer claim rewards after completing Part 2 (must complete Part 3)
  • Mission "Pirate Hunt" - Completing Part 3 now grants the completion rewards
  • Tier 0 Burst Fire AC/10 now has correct salvage shares
Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an issue where Narc on an enemy turret displayed an incorrect HUD indicator
  • Audio - Hitting TAB to close the pause menu no longer causes the audio to remain muted
  • Instant Action - Users can no longer get stuck on a black screen if they press Tab or Esc in the Paint 'Mech menu
  • Tutorial - Unable to complete 'Press "A" and "D" to turn' when certain joysticks are plugged in the PC
  • Fixed an issue where some users were unable to look around using the mouse
Co-op Fixes and Improvements
  • Epic Online Services - Upgrade to EOS SDK 1.3
  • Clients are no longer able to advance time on host campaign when healing an injured pilot
  • Clients can now always access the pre-drop screen by clicking the contract button along the top menu bar when a mission is queued
  • Custom paint will no longer revert to the previous state if another client submits a work order and completes it
  • Player name will no longer become a random number if not connected to EOS
  • Social will now update when removing the last friend from your friends list
  • Clients no longer see empty brackets in campaign when Rare weapons or 'Mechs are for sale
  • Clients no longer see a menu overlapping the Post Mission stats when connecting while host is on this screen
  • On the drop screen itself, there is now an icon to show which player is readied up
  • Fixed an issue where the client was unable to join host campaign if they have a large inventory
'Mech Related Fixes
  • 'Mech Hitbox Tuning Pass for the following chassis:
    • Banshee
    • Kintaro
    • UrbanMech
    • Crab
  • Highlander - HGN-HM - Equipping a Narc to the second LT slot no longer places the weapon in front of its head
  • Nightstar - Fixed the Cockpit so it is no longer tilted to the left
  • Annihilator - ANH-2A - Destroying either arm will no longer show weapons floating in the air
  • Shadowhawk left arm laser texture fixed
  • Cicada - Cockpit bounce has been improved
  • Thunderbolt TDR-9SE - Upper rear RT no longer does damage to the front
  • Faction Camo - Taurian Concordat now has correct Primary, Secondary, Tertiary colours set
Text and Localization Fixes
  • Fixed some incorrect mission descriptions
  • Fixed some long, incorrect, or missing translations (German, French, Russian)
  • Cold Storage & Market sorting by class, name or tonnage now works in any language
Stability and Performance
  • Fixed some crashes on loading screens
  • Fixed a case where users would hang in instant action loading screen due to glitched friend request
  • Drop Preparation Screen - no longer able to switch tabs with the abort popup on-screen (this would result in being stuck)
Art and Levels - Multiple fixes and improvements
  • Fixed floating art and game objects in some missions
  • Fixed level of detail settings on some art assets
  • Fixed texture resolution on some art assets
  • Fixed collision and stuck locations in some levels and missions
  • Fixed issues with some objects spawning under the terrain
  • Fixed a tutorial checkpoint issue
 
Nice find! I was just talking about MW5 with my Brother the other day. My conclusion was “ I’ll try it when it’s not exclusive to Epic.”
 
TheHig said:
Nice find! I was just talking about MW5 with my Brother the other day. My conclusion was “ I’ll try it when it’s not exclusive to Epic.”
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Its a good Mech game, falls a little short in the mechlab, but most of the complaints are that all mechs are not omni mechs, which frankly is as it should be.

If i had a wish list, they'd drop weapon size limits (for example you get 1 large laser slot, 2 med, etc) and just go with maximum weapon limit of x type, add in endo/ferro changes, and engine changes. That would basically fix the mechlab imho.

the other problem is the AI is dumb as a rock.

the biggest positive is they basically released the full game in unreal editor for mods.
 
How is the actual gameplay and storyline compared to Mechwarrior 1 ?

None of the Mechwarrior games after that really mad me want to play.
 
cyclone3d said:
How is the actual gameplay and storyline compared to Mechwarrior 1 ?

None of the Mechwarrior games after that really mad me want to play.
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What do you mean mechwarrior 1? Like the OG 80's polygon mechwarrior or the Mechwarrior everyone usually refers too which is 2 and you are part of the clans?

Storyline is there, thats about it. Gameplay is spot on apart from the dumb AI.
 
Armenius said:
MechWarrior 5 was quietly added to the Microsoft Store half a year before the exclusivity deal with Epic Games is scheduled to end. It is also on Game Pass for PC, so subscribers can download and play the game now.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/mechwarrior-5-mercenaries/9pb86w3jk8z5?activetab=pivot:overviewtab
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Thank you!
I had been interested, but not enough to purchase due to the backlog I already have. Thankfully I jumped on the B1G1 deal on the Ultimate Pass so i can now try it out.

MW:Mercenaries is still my probably favorite, but that is probably looking through nostalgic glasses.
 
Aireoth said:
Love that game, this is not that game and sadly I don't think we will see OG Mechwarrior again.
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I remember having to run a CPU limiter when playing OG Mechwarrior, because I had a 486 (DX) and missions would be over in seconds because it was designed for slower CPUs.
 
bought this on sale...not really digging it. Feel like I never make bills, progression seems way to slow. I want more stompy mechs.

HUD is atrocious. Already downloaded a mod to make it work.
Sounds are great in some areas but terrible in others.

the star map sucks. other than rep level, how am I supposed to know what I can and can't take on with the mechs I have?

I think many gripes come from me comparing to MW:O, which I think did a lot of things much better than this.

the music all sucks so bad....I can't stand it.
 
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Bigbacon said:
bought this on sale...not really digging it. Feel like I never make bills, progression seems way to slow. I want more stompy mechs.

HUD is atrocious. Already downloaded a mod to make it work.
Sounds are great in some areas but terrible in others.

the star map sucks. other than rep level, how am I supposed to know what I can and can't take on with the mechs I have?

I think many gripes come from me comparing to MW:O, which I think did a lot of things much better than this.

the music all sucks so bad....I can't stand it.
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1. Turn the music off, put on DOOM 2016 soundtrack.

2. Grab the alters spawn mod or a similar one, helps with the insane amount of vehicles.

3. They screwed up salvage, legging actually has less likelihood of salvaging then coring, so either snag the mod or just core mechs.

4. I downloaded the tonnage limitation remover because I got tired of the rep level dictating tonnage. The AI has points to spend on what it deploys, those points are a combo of REP level and tonnage you deploy.

5. Raids are a great way to grind early game, take a fast light mech (like a spider or raven if your lucky and have one) and just demo the objective and run away, even if you die its a 250k repair bill against a 500-700k earning.

Overall I agree, the game is rough and the company that made it sucks, but its still more mechwarrior and all the modding tools are released so I hope some dedicated fans tackle the project.
 
This gamenis so shallow....i mean, like 4 mission types, they all play the smae you you spend 99.9% of battles fighting tanks, turrets, and helicopters.

Very little mech combst and when the mechs show up the AI is so atrocious they circle you into and object and you pound on them and they die.

Swear mw2 had better AI than this. Mw2,3,4, 4 mercs were all Way better than this. Id rather continue to play MWO, its much more interesting.

Please if there are mods to fix all this and make it a real game let me jnow what they arr.
 
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