2023/08/05 - Patch v16.4

v16.4 (aka the "Quirks Are Pretty Cool, Huh?" patch) has been released to the installer. This is a fairly important patch, so be sure to read closely!

NEW MECH: The Verfolger, a 65 ton Inner Sphere heavy mech, has strode into play. This companion to the Wolfhound is surprisingly fast for its size and is all about that pursuit life. The Steiners field it and Arc-Royal will sell you one.

NEW MECH: The Komodo, a 45 ton Inner Sphere medium mech designed to hunt Elementals, has bounded into combat. Built like a Mini-Nova, the Komodo is both very cute and surprisingly dangerous. Give it a try. You can find it fielded by House Kurita and sold by them at Luthien.

NEW MECH VARIANTS: A number of new mech variants have been added, including a double AC/20 Inner Sphere Hunchback, a new Talos that carries a Hatchet, a Blitzkrieg with a Sniper Cannon, a Bombard with twin Thumper Cannons, a Hunchback with a Thumper Cannon, the Jenner JR7-A has been updated but isn't new, and a new sword and board Valkyrie II.

UPDATED MELEE INFORMATION DISPLAY: Thanks to the tireless work of FrostRaptor, we have a new display for when you make a melee attack! Now you'll get a small display box beneath the melee attack type selection buttons that tells you the *precise* damage as well as the possible hit locations for that attack type and even the return damage you'll take on DFAs/Charges. Enjoy the new info!

MAJOR QUIRK PASS: A number of mechs have had adjusted quirks or had special quirks added to them, specifically, the Stable Weapon quirk has been completely removed and replaced by other quirks (depending on the chassis). However, to replicate the effect, a number of mech variants have gained a special "second" quirk that is a unique hard-wired weapon attachment for a highly specific weapon or set of weapons. For example: the Annihilator has lost its Stable Weapon quirk, which has been replaced by Easy to Maintain. However, several specific Annihilator variants have gained a special weapon attachment named Annihilator Stabilized Aim. This attachment only works on Inner Sphere AC/10s and LB-10Xs as well as Clan-spec UAC/10s and is only found on four specific Annihilators that use those weapons. A full list of mechs with these adjustments follows (unless noted, not every variant for a listed mech gained an attachment, only *some* variants did):

Gained Attachment, Main Quirk Replaced:

• Hollander/Hollander II (Attachment: Gauss, Heavy Gauss; Quirk: Reinforced Legs [bonus armor/structure])
• Vanquisher (Attachment: Light Gauss; Quirk: Reinforced Legs [bonus armor/structure])
• Legacy/Rising Star (Attachment: AC10/UAC10; Quirk: Nimble Jumper)
• Annihilator (Attachment: AC10, LB10X, cUAC10; Quirk: Easy to Maintain)
• Bombard (Attachment: AC20, Gauss; Quirk: 360 Twist)
• Fafnir (Attachment: Heavy Gauss; Quirk: Narrow Profile)
• Helepolis (Attachment: Sniper; Quirk: Reinforced Legs [bonus armor/structure])
• Mauler/Linesman (Attachment: AC2; Quirk: Easy to Pilot)

Gained Attachment, no Quirk Replacement:

• Pulverizer (Attachment: ER PPCs)
• Enforcer (Attachment: AC/10s)
• Emperor (Attachment: IS Large Laser)
• Mongoose (Attachment: IS Medium Laser)
• Mercury II (Attachment: IS Medium Laser)
• Stag (Attachment: IS ER Large Laser)
• Avatar (every variant has attachment, IS Medium Lasers)

Gained Bonus Quirk:

• Mackie (has a searchlight quirk now, lol)

UPDATED WEAPONS: The Heavy Gauss Rifle and the Snub-Nose PPC have been changed. Now they operate much like the Varible Speed Pulse Lasers (VSPLs) do, with dedicated range brackets with fixed damage values at each range bracket. This more properly reflects their tabletop behavior and, in testing, has proven to be a fairly decent buff to the weapons (especially the Snubbie, which is VERY good now).

UPDATED WEATHERS: Thanks to a community member, SlugLife, we have a few extra weather moods for Lunar/Martian maps. Thanks for making those terrains even worse, SlugLife! :D

UPDATED FACTORIES: A number of factory worlds gained the Periphery Rifles and their ammos: Antwerp, Circinus, Ingvolstand, Lushann, Mechdur.

COMMUNITY CONTENT: There's a little new CC with this patch, including: a Cicada OmniMech, a new Dragon Fire.

• Battle Armor Shield has been added to stores and has been changed to simply provide a flat armor bonus instead of a percentage multiplier.
• The Malak has been added to the WoB Faction Store. Whoops!
• Changed Thermo Police spawn list to more closely match the OWA's forces and restricted them to only spawn in place of Outworlds Alliance forces.
• Adjusted the Laser FCS to be slightly less good.
• Fixed a number of descriptions to be clearer about what the piece of gear does (Sanctuary ECM, C3 Master, Suppressant ammo).
• A number of pieces of equipment have been slightly renamed. Basically, if it had a + in the name, the + has been replaced with an actual word. I hate the +, all my homies hate the +.
• The Capellan Stealth Field is now actually considered a stealth item and requires ECM to function. Not really sure why it didn't in the past, to be honest, seems like a weird oversight.
• Stone Rhino heroes spawn correctly as gladiators and not in random OpFors, whoops!
• Inner Sphere ER PPC has had its heat reduced somewhat.
• The Catapults have had a few support hardpoints added to variants without them.
• Hollanders and Wasps have gained a few expanded hardpoints.
• The Alsvin APC can properly carry two BA squads. Hurray, I guess.
• AC Frag ammobins are no longer halved.

IMPORTANT: v16.4 is an "update" update. In this case, clear your Mods folder manually and then run the installer, it'll do the work for you.

IMPORTANT: v16.4 is not a save breaking update, your saves are compatible and will work fine.

REMINDER: This update, and others like it, are made possible by my Patreon and Ko-Fi supporters. Without their support, updates would come slower and be less impactful. If you feel like being a part of the support for BTA, you can find me on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bloodydoves) and on Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/bloodydoves)

REMINDER: Custom mod commissions are still available if you're interested. If you'd like to get your own community content added to BTA DM me, bloodydoves, and we can work something out.