BetterRandomStart
⚪ Last updated 2024Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 2.6% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #53 of 154 Gameplay mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Better Series Discord Server (REPORT BUGS HERE)
It is possible to cause an infinite loop with bad settings. We've done our best to test for this but check your weight settings if using lance weights.
UseAncestralMech - Start with your Ancestral Mech in Story or Carrer.
MechPercentageStartingCost - Removes funds based on how expensive your lance really is.
UseWhiteList - Allows you to populate the list of mechs in the pool that can be used to start your new game
Whitelist: List of MechDefID's (FileNames without the .json in quotes) to build your pool. Only used if UseWhiteList is set to true. This is a json array and needs a comma after each filename with the last one NOT using a comma.
"Whitelist": [
"mechdef_annihilator_ANH-1A",
"mechdef_annihilator_ANH-JH",
"mechdef_archer_ARC-2R",
"mechdef_archer_ARC-2S",
"mechdef_archer_ARC-LS",
"mechdef_archer_ARC-XO"
NumberLightMechs
NumberMediumMechs
NumberHeavyMechs
NumberAssaultMechs
These settings are only used if UseWhiteList is set to true. This will pick the number of mechs from each weight class from the Whitelist created above.
These following settings are used if UseWhiteList is set to false.
useMinAppearanceDate - If you are using an appearance mod which puts MinApperanceDates on the MechDefs this will honor that based on the starting year. Optional mods will allow you to set that starting year.
AllowDuplicateChassis - Not Yet Implemented (NYI) as there have been no duplicates in testing.
AllowCustomMechs - This mod will load any mechs from json files which have been added to your game this setting is not needed to enable that feature. This setting allows you to use custom mechs build in the mechlab.
MinimumStartingWeight for your lance.
MaximumStartingWeight for your lance.
MaximumMechWeight is the maximum weight a single mech can be while randomizing.
MinimumLanceSize / MaximumLanceSize - How large or how small you'd like to start your lance off with. (Min 1 / Max 6)
Blacklist - Do you just hate the urbie? Maybe the blackjack? Adding MechDefIDs to this list will prevent them from being picked.
These following settings are used in pilot generation.
BypassCanPilotBeCareerModStarter: Allows pilots that wouldn't normally be allowed at the start of the game to appear in the randomization list.
NumberRandomRonin / NumberRoninFromList / Number
BetterRandomStart is a gameplay mod for BattleTech that gives you control over your random starting mechs. You can set a whitelist and weight class restrictions, or leave it to RNG with weight limits. It works with custom mechs from any modpack and also lets you randomly select your starting lance. With 60 endorsements and recent updates, it's a niche tool for players who want more variety in their campaign starts.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Gives you real control over your starting mechs—no more rerolling saves for hours.
- Plays nice with modpacks, so custom mechs are fair game.
- Recent update (July 2024) means it's likely compatible with current game patches.
⚠️ Cons
- Small but dedicated following (60 endorsements) — you're not getting a huge community behind this.
- If you're not into customizing your start, this mod adds nothing—it's purely for tweaking the initial RNG.
For BattleTech players who are tired of restarting campaigns to get a decent starting lance. If you use modpacks with custom mechs and want to ensure they show up in your start, this is for you. Skip if you're happy with the vanilla random start or don't care about min-maxing your opening roster.
💡 Beginner Tips
- If you're using a modpack, make sure BetterRandomStart is loaded after the modpack to ensure it recognizes custom mechs.
- Start with a whitelist of your favorite mechs to guarantee a solid lance, then experiment with weight restrictions for more variety.
- Check the mod's forum page or comments for any hidden config options—since the description is thin, other players may have posted tips.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Battletech Mods
- Author
- BTN
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Downloads
- 2,290
- Endorsements
- 60
- Category
- Gameplay
- Created
- 2/6/2023
- Updated
- 7/8/2024
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