BattleTech

About this mod

*NEW PERIPHERY TALES CAMPAIGN* with 53 mini-flashpoints full of loot. The Hyades Rim is a new campaign of 95 original flashpoints and much more new content, including a rework that harmonizes all DLCs with vanilla. It also includes optional CAB and InnerSphereMap mod integration.

Requirements
Permissions and credits
Donations
Hyades Rim - a BattleTech videogame mod

"Slavish adherence to a formal ritual is a sign that one has nothing better to think about." - Natasha Kerensky, Blood Legacy.

The Hyades Rim is an expansion of the HBS videogame that adds both a new campaign of 40 new flashpoints and a rework that integrates both DLC and new original content. Work In Progress.

Discord channel (discussion/feedback) - https://discord.gg/zgeQrnV

Public repository - https://github.com/Hobbes74/Battletech-3025-HyadesRim

Patreon (donations not required but welcome) - https://www.patreon.com/Hobbes74

BattleTech 3025 Hyades Rim now has its own soundtrack playlist!

Features
* A new BattleTech story and Campaign mode, consisting of forty-three planned new flashpoints, featuring an alternative story of the Arano Restoration where Kamea Arano wasn't presumed killed as the ComStar cover-up claims (a.k.a. original campaign). Instead, she was exiled and the company enters the service of canon BattleTech figures such as Interstellar Expeditions and Chandrasekhar Kurita.

* An original setting for the campaign, with hundreds of new star systems, and new 'Mech/vehicle/turret variants, factions, contracts, weapons/upgrades,  events and descriptions written specifically for the new story, mostly based on the canon BattleTech material. 

* Full integration of the base game and DLCs,  to harmonize the game with the 3025 era setting and the new story, and to give a more variated and challenging experience than the original. LosTech has been severely reduced and the Heavy Metal quirks have been added to all the other 'Mechs.

* Optional - Community Asset Bundle integration, includes Bombardier, Chameleon, Champion, Charger, Clint, Crockett, Crusader, Dervish, Devastator, Emperor, Exterminator, Falcon, Firebee, Firefly, Gladiator, Guillotine, Hermes, Hermes II, Hoplite, Hornet, Hussar, Icarus II, Imp, Lancelot, Linesman, Longbow, Lynx, Mackie, Marauder II, Merlin, Mongoose, Nighthawk, Nightstar, Ostroc, Ostscout, Ostsol, Ostwar, Pillager, Sentinel, Shootist, Spector, Starslayer, Stinger, Talon, Talos, Thorn, Thug, Thunderhawk, Titan, Toro, Valkyrie, Wasp, Whitworth, Wolfhound and Wyvern BattleMech models and canon variants.

* Thirty-seven original flashpoints released, campaign mode only: You On The Run, Exodus, Evil Eye, The Periphery Is A Harsh Mistress, The Mad Cat Who Walks Through Walls, Here Might Be Dragons, Jinxed, It Came From The Rim, Death's Mask, God Mecha, Amaris Legacy, Tales of 1001 BattleMechs, The Man Comes Around, Danse Macabre, Rogue Star, Putting Out A Fire, A Country Too Far, Paradise City, Kiss Them For Me, Bandit Kingdoms and Petty Tyrants, The Magistrate, Flesh For Fantasy, Heads Will Roll, Backdoor Man, Dark Forest, Horse Latitudes, Stranger In A Strange Land, Dark Horse, Kerensky's Ghost, Comanche Moon, Question Of Faith, Speak Of The Devil, Otaku, Dreams of Nagayan Mountains, Legend Killer, Wilderness, and Vortex.

* Six more campaign flashpoints are being written for the last part of the new campaign: Sword Of The Restoration, Ghost Riders In The Sky, Unnatural Selection, Barbarians At The Gates, Atomic and The Eyes Of Truth.

Requirements
ModTek 0.8.0.0 (minimum)

ExtendedConversations, by CWolf (already bundled with Hyades Rim)

* Flashpoint, Urban Warfare and Heavy Metal DLCs

Installation
* Unzip the folders to the /Mods folder created as part of ModTek's installation guidelines and activate it on the Mod List.

Recommended Mods (optional)
* Community Asset Bundle - requires downloading and installing the CAB-3025 or the full version, then activating it and the CAB3025-HyadesRim add-on on the Mods screen at start

* InnerSphereMap by Morphyum - bundled with HyadesRim, to activate select it on the game's mod screen.

* Navigation Computer by mpstark, makes travel easier

* ColorfulFlashPoints by JWolf612

BattleTechPerformanceFix by m22spencer - this mod has a known bug that can prevent contracts from being completed, if you encounter the bug either use debug mode to end the contract, or disable the mod.

It's also possible to use the Hyades Rim with several other mods although many others are incompatible, including all the major mod packs. For a full list, see Third Party Mod Compatibility.

Known Issues
* When playing FPs on the Leopard, there's a visual glitch after any conversations with the DropShip's bridge and other areas. This can be solved by saving and reloading the game.

* A saved star map won't update when new mod versions are released that change it, so system tags and black market markers might become inaccurate with future mod updates.

Disclaimer

* The objective of this mod is not a total overhaul of the base game, but the opposite: to keep it as unchanged as possible while expanding it with new and original material, based on the canon BattleTech universe.

* This is Work In Progress - expect bugs (and please report them here or in the Hyades Rim Discord - link above)

* The story and its characters are a mixture of both BattleTech canon and fan fiction and the writing contains vulgar language, personal insults, fictional slurs, drug/alcohol consumption, sexual references, lack of morals and physical violence. If you're legally underage and/or offended by any of these, do not play any of the BattleTech games or this mod.

Credits
* Story and lead developer: Hobbes;
* Additional character artwork: DarkKhaos;
* Additional writing: Camicon_Dachass (Liao systems);
* Text editing: ComStar Grammar Police (DarkKhaos, MarkDey and Tetro75), Ministry Of Bob (Hantta, SanchoPanzer and unclecid) and commiehunter;
* Playtesters: TL_Warlord_Roff, stormfather, Lobo das Estepes, Hantta, MarkDey and SanchoPanzer, dogwart and commiehunter;
* Bug reporting: Bug reporting: taintedloki, 1apetus, mystictiger, nowater, samian, Midicow, Thalion, phearless047, Oldtimer, Silber, l33tn3ss, Thalion, veryinky, LordTyrranus, kasdikana, Frenzier, RedKitsune, UlfrStrongarm, Khairus, GeniusSaj, Ichthyos, don_zappo, SaintBomber, DEADWEIGHT, stormfather, f.abel, Cla, Camicon_Dachass, Sancho Panzer, Azymorath, CatLady, MarkDey, unclecid, A. vak, Stahlseele, ALE999, CryptoDan, Wpmz, CertainNanomachineSenator, Ballonmann, FrozenPear, Spartakus, FoolsGold, TheHolyLancer, TotallyNotEvil, AAAHGaming, St Up Nr, jemy000, Travesty, Questionable Life Decisions, Alexander, T-squared;
* Extended Converstations mod, by CWolfs, MIT license - https://github.com/CWolfs/ExtendedConversations;

Contributors
* BattleTech videogame: Harebrained Studios (HBS);
* ModTek, by several authors, https://github.com/BattletechModders/ModTek
* Logo Replacement, mod by Mpstark, https://github.com/BattletechModders/LogoReplacement
* ConverseTek, conversation editor by CWolf, https://github.com/CWolfs/ConverseTek
* Inner Sphere Map for the coordinates of most canon systems;
* MegaMek for the coordinates of several connecting systems;
* Banner image and several additional artwork (factions, characters) originally released on several BattleTech sourcebooks and copyright of the franchise owners, included under an assumption of fair use for modding proposes;
* Sarna.net for being an amazing resource for all sorts of data BattleTech related;
* Mordel.net for the stats used in the canon 'Mech variants;
* All the people behind the previous mods and those that provided help/feedback on Discord and the forums: LadyAlekto, Morphyum, Justin Kase, Granner, starscream, Dialcaliper, Necromis, bloodydoves, Owca, Oldtimer and the whole BattleTech modding community.

Donations
As I've discussed over the years on the Discord server after several requests, I have created a Patreon page for all my personal mods (https://www.patreon.com/Hobbes74) and including Hyades Rim with the permission of the content creators, namely @DarkKhaos who has contributed all the new character artwork. You can also donate directly through Paypal.
Regardless of donations, all of my work will always be for free to download and play and is released with a open source GNU GPL license. 
If you contribute through Patreon you also have the option of adding your personal touch to the mod by adding your own BattleMech variant and star system.