In the game, the player takes the role of Spectre, a male mercenary BattleMech pilot travelling inside the fictional interstellar region of the Battletech universe called the Inner Sphere during the FedCom Civil War (specifically during the time period from January 1, 3066 to late July 3067). The player makes a living earning cash and useful salvage from completing mission contracts for various factions. With these resources, the player can purchase new weapons and BattleMechs, pay for 'Mech repairs, and hire additional MechWarriors for his or her company.