BattleTech is a turn-based strategy game mixed with a management part. Although it is similar on some points to XCOM, you will find differences especially in the evolution of the difficulty.
BattleTech is a demanding game that can sometimes lead you to a technical "Game Over" situation because your development choices have not been the right ones. Find in this guide the details of the hub (representing the management part of the game) with some advice.
You will find several elements such as your obligatory monthly expenses (note that your total money is at the top right of your screen), the morale of your troops which allows you to have access to special skills in combat, your mechtechs repairing your mechas , and your medical staff caring for your MechWarriors. These last two points are important to mount since they determine the speed of healing and repairs.
Your monthly expenses and morale are linked. Each month, you will have the opportunity to pay for your morale; you have three options:
→ pay more than necessary in order to increase your morale;
→ pay less than necessary in order to save, while losing morale;
→ pay the amount requested so as not to affect morale while keeping it at a good level.
The last option is the one to be preferred, since the normal evolution of the morale of your troops is enough to keep an acceptable threshold for the use of your special abilities.
Point to note you start with a capital allowing you to last two months you will therefore have to develop it as quickly as possible because if it drops to zero the game is lost.
Much of the management will be done from this menu.
LARGO
The ARGO allows you to hire MechWarriors. For a good start, do not hesitate to buy the two cheapest directly in order to be able to send 4 of them on missions. Eventually you will need 5 that you can customize and specialize in the Barracks section in order to have the following combat configuration: 2 Gunners, 1 defender, 1 pilot/tactician (according to needs). Still in the ARGO, you will have access to a component market. Use it only in case of real necessity otherwise it is better to favor the harvest in mission (harvesting called "Salvage").
CMD Center
The CMD Center gives you the opportunity to choose your contracts and renegotiate them in order to have more collectibles, money or reputation. If the contracts offered are too hard, you will have to go to the navigation tab in order to select a lower level system on the sector map (indicated by the skulls). You can also consult the status of your reputations with the different factions present in the CPT Quarters tab in order to guide you on your needs during the missions. Reputation being an important point of the gameplay since it determines your access to reductions for example.
Mech Bay
Finally the Mech Bay tab is the management of your mechas. You can buy them, upgrade them or repair them. There are several types of mecha, do not hesitate to consult the Stock combat role tab which will detail you each time the specialty of the selected mecha.
Finally we will ignore Engineering at the beginning since this tab will be unlocked much later in the game.
