Loading Screen Tips

A list of all the loading screen tips included in BTA.

• While jump jets increase the chance of evading enemy fire, they also reduce your weapon accuracy.
• If you have trouble moving around and laying traps, try jump jets and enjoy a whole new dimension of freedom.
• War sucks, but it pays well.
• There is no 'overkill'. Only open fire and reload.
• Positioning is key. Take the high ground or dig in deep.
• Upgrade the Argo! Don't scoff at morale upgrades or ignore your MechTechs.
• Choose MechWarriors who work well as a team and complement each other's skills.
• Equipment is key. A well equipped Light can kill a poorly equipped Assault.
• Instability removes evasion! Perfect for a follow up volley.
• Ammo explodes. Don't have too much of it. Also, don't run out of ammo. But you do you, chief.
• The danger zones in a DropShip landing area are no joke, no matter what your fellow MechWarriors say.
• Plan your lance according to the range & strategy you intend to use. A lance of 3 snipers dependent on one spotter won't do well.
• Manage your resources. Keeping your company in the black and your 'Mechs functioning are equally important.
• A 'Mech needs an engine core to function.
• An XL engine will save a lot of weight, but if you lose a Torso Side, you lose the 'Mech.
• Evasion pips don't go away when you shoot at a target. Bring some streaks or pulse lasers to deal with those pesky Lights!
• If it's stupid and it works, it's still stupid and you're lucky.
• Watch your heat. Riding the redline will shut you down or blow you sky high.
• Basic components that come with a 'Mech like the cockpit and gyro are easy to come by and replace. Don't worry if they blow up! They'll be replaced when the 'Mech is repaired.
• It's hard to aim on the move! Your pilots may have trouble hitting a target while moving, especially when sprinting!
• ER Lasers have slightly higher damage and much longer range than their standard siblings but build up significantly more heat!
• If you ever want to progress, you may need to punch above your lance's weight! Choose your contracts carefully and you can get yourself some great salvage!
• Scare your enemy into bailing out! Destroying their allies, flanking, and reducing their offensive capability are some of the ways to frighten them into submission.
• Stack the odds in your favor! Take precision or Artemis ammo, equip targeting computers, and fire TAGs to drastically increase your chance to hit!
• Being a warrior means killing your enemies, but equally important is knowing which of your enemies to kill.
• I once was a mercenary like you, but then I took an Arrow IV to the lower leg actuator...
• Failure is always a possibility! RNGesus giveth, and it taketh away.
• The most important mantra you can learn: 'Guns off the field.' If you can remove a target do so. Ignore salvage. Ignore target priority. Get it gone.
• Riding the redline is dangerous... but fun.
• C.A.S.E PROTECTS! C.A.S.E IS LIFE!
• If your 'Mech is considered invalid, you can hit the "Confirm" button to see what issues it has.
• DHS Engine upgrades require a DHS Kit, which can be installed in the cooling slot.
• It's not the chassis but the components that separate a Light 'Mech from a walking coffin.
• Money is the key enabler. Without money, there is no company or a chance to rebuild and experiment on 'Mechs.
• Just because you rolled out to the battlefield with your new shiny heavy 'Mech, don't get too cocky. A few light 'Mechs can still kick your ass.
• Always keep an eye on the weaponry the enemy has. Just because a 'Mech is light doesn't mean it doesn't pack real firepower.
• If you need some quick C-Bills, scrap some of the 'Mech chassis parts you have. Drop them into the trash compactor and milk some money out of them. You can sell extra weaponry as well.
• Always keep an eye on your expenses. If you overspend, don't be surprised if you can't afford the next bill.
• Sometimes a bigger or smaller core is better for your 'Mech. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what works best for your designs.
• If you are in a tight spot you can try to wrap up the mission by completing only the main objective then escaping. If it isn't possible, sometimes withdrawing in bad faith is better than losing your lance completely.
• Upgrading the training module will help your MechWarriors get experience even if they are out of combat.
• War. War never changes.
• Darius has no idea what he's talking about half the time.
• The enemy often fires at whatever is easiest to hit. You can sometimes distract them from a vulnerable 'Mech by offering a slower moving and more heavily armored target.
• Winning isn't just about getting all the objectives. Most importantly, you need to bring your 'Mechs and pilots home safely. Don't let pride ruin a good campaign.
• If you can't see them, sometimes they can see you.
• Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from LosTech.
• Don't expect the enemy to cooperate in the creation of your dream engagement. Always try to dictate the engagement, don't be dictated to.
• The lance you've got is never the lance you want.
• The intel you've got is never the intel you want. Double when Darius is on the job.
• If nothing can go wrong, something will.
• Nothing is as easy as it looks.
• Everything takes longer than you think.
• If this keeps spinning, go to Discord and get help!
• If the loading wheel isn't spinning, it hasn't crashed. Be patient.
• Narcs attach to a unit, providing visibility beyond sensor range and increased accuracy!
• Tags increase your sensor check for tagged units, but this bonus degrades as they move from the position they were originally tagged.
• A trained sniper not only has deadly weapons, but keen eyesight. Same applies to 'Mechs. Have a scout to see where to shoot.
• Any shot not taken is a miss.
• Killing Rocket Launcher (RL) units before they blow their load is tactically advisable.
• Generous use of FASCAM LRMs or other mine-laying ammunition can destroy lighter mechs before they get close by removing their legs.
• Vehicles designated as weapon carriers, such as LRM Carriers, normally have low durability but high firepower. Prioritize and destroy them.
• Attacks against the side and rear of a target have an increased chance to hit.
• Anti-Missile Systems (AMS) will intercept and destroy missiles fired in a radius around the AMS carrying mech.
• C.A.S.E greatly reduces damage from ammunition explosions. Like a fire extinguisher, it is often better to have and not need, than need and not have.
• A Gausszilla is only as dangerous as the local geography is flat. Careful positioning defeats mad courage every time.
• After a forest tile has been burned, it offers no cover and negatively affects the stability of BattleMechs standing on it.
• Switch between your equipped ammunition types by clicking on the name of your current ammunition in the 'Mech's weapon panel.
• When opportunity comes knocking, don't complain about the noise.
• Light Engines don't save as much weight as XL Engines do but mechs with Light Engines don't die when they lose a side torso! Build accordingly.
• Heat is dangerous, the longer you're hot, the higher the chance of a shutdown or ammo explosion. Take time to cool off!
• You can get multiple criticals in a single attack but so can the enemies. Be careful when using your structure as hit points.
• Juggernaut braces you when you use it, melee isn't suicidal anymore! Punch away!
• "It's only a flesh wound...."
• When you're just getting started, don't be afraid to rock'em sock'em robots with the OpFor!
• Want Double Heat Sinks on your mechs? Get the kits off of assembled mechs!
• Flamers are good against mechs but they're better against tanks! They do bonus damage versus vehicles of all kinds, let the flames flow!
• Tanks are terrifying. They go down easy but they can do real damage. Respect them!
• Respect the OpFor or die. They're not playing around, you shouldn't either.
• When in doubt, apply firepower until the enemy stops moving.
• Remember that you can destroy buildings to make your own cover. Use the terrain to your advantage!
• Artillery is powerful but risky. Missed shots can damage your own units, use caution when deploying it.
• Sometimes, attacking the ground is your best bet. Use it to deploy smoke and mines and get value out of artillery.
• You're usually outnumbered and out-gunned, use dirty tricks to even the playing field.
• Bring at least one big gun to actually blow enemies away, lots of little weapons can take a long time to kill and that's more time the OpFor can shoot you.
• Heat damage does extra damage to tanks! Burn them to a crisp!
• Ctrl-A toggles through aura modes, showing ECM and other range circles if you don't like the default behavior.
• You can see mech affinities your pilots have unlocked in the barracks, under a MechWarrior's Service Record.
• [Skills_and_Abilities#Mech_Pilot_Abilities|Sensor Lock]] is one of the best ways to deal with Light Mechs. Light 'em up with sensors, then light 'em up with explosions!
• Use Tab to cycle through your units.
• To shift weapon modes or firing rate, click on the that weapon's mode selector entry in the HUD. To change ammo types, click on the ammo selector.
• Old age and treachery always overcomes youth and enthusiasm.
• Got questions? Check out the BTA Wiki at www.bta3062.com!
• Did you know? You can use Careful Maneuvers to get out of tricky spots! Check the Active Skills tab in combat!
• Did you know? You can hold Shift and place waypoints during movement as long as your unit is just walking. You can do it on a sprint with the Piloting 10 skill Lightfoot!
• Did you know? You can hold Left Alt while selecting movement location to see all the nodes around your position so you can see terrain nodes and dropship locations!
• Did you know? You can hit Left Ctrl + A to cycle through your aura display modes (default, show all, hide all)!
• Did you know? You can hit Ctrl + T to enable or disable attack direction indicators on all units so you can see (or not see) what angle you're hitting from!
• Did you know? While you have Attack Ground selected, you can hold Left Alt to use it to select and friendly fire allied units!
• Did you know? While selecting a unit for a deployment beacon or a strafing attack, you can hold Shift and Left Click to change the unit for the beacon or strafe!
• Did you know? If you have a Battle Armor garrisoned inside a building, you can hold Ctrl while "dismounting" the building to exit to the roof!
• Did you know? You can hit Left Ctrl + Left Click your ammo to eject ammunition in combat!
• Did you know? You can hit Left Shift + Left Click a weapon to enable or disable all weapons with the same name!
• Did you know? You can hit Left Shift + Left Click your ammo to sync your ammo for all similar weapons!
• Did you know? You can hit Left Shift + Left Click your weapon mode to sync your mode for all similar weapons!
• Did you know? If you hold Ctrl and click the Brace button, you'll get a dialogue to enable or disable individual heat sinks! Not super useful but it's cool!
• Did you know? Did you ever want to hear every single voice line? If you hold Ctrl and click the Sprint button you'll get a dialogue that lets you play any audio lines you want!
• Did you know? In the mechlab, you can hold Ctrl and click Max Armor to do the old vanilla style max armor that doesn't work correctly! Yay, it's broken!
• Did you know? If you hold Ctrl and click the Strip Equip button in the mechlab you'll only strip weapons and ammo! Everything else is safe!
• Did you know? In the mechlab you can hold Shift and click the +/- buttons for armor to increment by only 1 point instead of 5 at a time. Great for Battle Armor!
• Did you know? In the store, if you hold Ctrl and click to change the quantity of something you're buying or selling, you'll buy or sell 5 at a time. If you hold Ctrl, it's 50 at a time! Great for Heat Sinks!
• Did you know? On the salvage screen, if you hold Shift and click on something you have received as salvage (not a mech or tank part), it'll automatically sell it right there!
• Did you know? On the starmap if you hit Ctrl + F it'll pop up a search bar! So useful!
• Did you know? On the starmap if you hold Shift and click a starsystem you can set waypoints for jumps. Very handy if you're going for planet visited score!
• Did you know? In the barracks, with a pilot selected, you can hold Ctrl and click SERVICE RECORD to reset their OpFor and Mission Specializations. If it's the Commander you can also change their StratCom bonus!
• Did you know? When you're on the main Argo screen, you can hold Shift and click an item on the timeline (injured pilot, mech refit/repair) to advance the timeline to exactly that point and then *stop*!
• Did you know? You can Shift-Click the "Done/Brace" button while in combat to reserve that unit all the way to the last initiative phase of the round!
• Battle Armor works best striking quickly and withdrawing. Reserve to initiative 1, swarm the enemy, then get away before they can react.