/btg/ Battletech General!

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Friendly reminder

>>51775076
pity the actual model looks like a depressed shrunken skull.

>>51775076

I've never really looked closely before, but what in god's name *happened* to that poor Catapult in the background?

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>>51775309

>>51775313
Loose happened

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Jade Falcons, post your command stars and/or your cluster of choice.

Falcon Guard need not post

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>>51775563
>Falcon Guard

>>51775313
What, you've never seen an obese cat before?

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>>51775563
>Jade Falcons, post your command stars

In the current live tabletop War of Reaving-era campaign I'm in, my CJF Command Star is currently (as of last game) as follows:

Point 1: Stormcrow B
Point 2: Night Gyr B-1 (custom: replace UAC/2s with ERLLs) - 3/4 pilot
Point 3: Hellbringer F - 3/4 pilot
Point 4: Timber Wolf H - 3/4 pilot
Point 5: Visigoth C (x2) - 3/3 pilots

Star Captain Hazen is driving the Stormcrow, obviously.
>3/4 pilot
>SPAs: Sandblaster; Weapon Specialist (cUAC/20); Tactical Genius; Hot Dog
>+3 blanket init bonus when not using Tac Genius
>2 EDG

It's terribly non-representative of standard CJF force building, as ASFs aren't supposed to generally be part of a Star. But it's also terribly fun to run, and the build for the Star Captain is a positively brutal duelist. I think of all the players (~15 players), nobody else has their Star Captain in anything less than 75 tons.

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>>51775755
>Stormcrow B

>>51775755
Just curious but is your Hazen character's first name also your first name? Not judging.

>>51776346

Nope. Well, sort of nope. The character in the campaign isn't. My canonization theoretically is/was supposed to be since it's supposed to be commemorating what I personally did.

>>51776183

I know, right? Stormcrow B is probably one of my favorite Mechs. It's kind of like running a Blitzkreig on steroids, and Blitzkreigs are fun incarnate.

What IS WarShip (still existing IS designs, so no SL ones that ceased to be after they all went to be new Clan ships) has the greatest DropShip capacity? Obviously the Potemkin is right out due to the above, but most of the ones I've looked at only hold at most 6 Drops.

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>>51774119
Is there anything like this for the Ghost Bears? Say if I wanted to make a star for them in the same era.

I've been doing some independent research and what I can find for them as common or favored mechs are the Fire Moth, Viper, Mad Dog, Warhawk, and Executioner. Anything else?

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Artist Anon? Could you please try your hand at whipping up an Excalibur?

>>51774627
>>51774198
At least it wasn't a stern rake...great diorama.

What AoS systems do you play?

>>51776955
>Is there anything like this for the Ghost Bears?
Nah, there was never a ghost bear phonebook like the wolf and falcon ones.
>>51776479
Hey NEA, the warship discussion last thread got me thinking about IS naval doctrine in your more ships AU. I've got some of my own ideas about the periphery, but I'm interested in hearing what you think about the IS navies

>>51776955

Nope. Wolves and Falcons got a full write-up in their SBs. According to fluff the most common Bear machines are the Viper/Dragonfly, Mad Dog/Vulture, and Executioner/Gladiator. They have more Fire Moths than anyone else but apparently mostly use those for Elemental transport.

I'm currently running a 3025 era BT mercenary campaign for my group. The players mechs are as follows: Dragon DRG-1N, Griffin GRF-1N, Hatchetman HCT-3F, Panther PNT-9R, Firestarter FS9-A.

Depending on the players actions in the next few sessions, they may or may not get an addition mech to join their unit. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations as to what that mech should be to best round out the team.

>>51776946

Avalons and Feng Huangs have 6, most others have 3 or 4.

>>51777386
A bug, or Archer. Bugs are common and reasonably priced, Archers are common and would let Griffin multi role more as FS is covered.

>>51777386

That unit is pretty light so I assume you don't want the GMNPC to roll in with a heavier machine and steal all the limelight. I'd add a Trebuchet or something to beef up the ranged firepower a bit, medium and short is pretty good though.

>>51777386

Maybe a trenchbucket? TBT-5N - Mobile, good fire support?

>>51777386
If air support is going to be a thing, a Rifleman is an extremely good idea. Otherwise, a Dervish or Treb or Archer for fire support sounds like just exactly what they need

>>51777450
>>51777386
Or a Dervish, since it seems like they're on the DC/FS border.

>>51777318
>>51777330
Ok. I'm considering the Viper for my GB MechWarrior's first Omni. From what I can gather reading fluff Clanners usually start in lighter vehicles.

Thoughts on the Prime through D configurations?

The A Configuration looks like the best general purpose to me but I'd like to hear what others who have used it might think.

>>51777422
Archer would definitely be a good addition but I probably should have mentioned I want to keep it relatively close to the same weight as the rest of the team.
>>51777448
>>51777450
Trebuchet seems solid. I definitely agree that the groups long range firepower is lacking.
>>51777485
I wasn't planning on bringing air support in any time soon. Aside from myself and one of the players (and even then neither of us have played in a few years), this is the groups first experience playing BT so to keep things simple for now I'm keeping it mostly mech-centered.
>>51777493
Funnily enough, they're actually operating in the Periphery around the bottom of the FWL/CC/FS. Not sure if there's a specific name for that region of space. The MechWarrior they may be picking up is from the FWL.

>>51777779
Yeah, then give them a Treb. make him a disaffected Regulan for lulz.

Does anyone have a blank copy of whatever the most recent Dropship record sheet looks like? I have to fill some record sheets out for tomorrow ASAP.

>>51777386
>>51777779
Why not a hunchback 4J?

>>51777729
For a jack of all trades A is the way to go. C is pretty clear an infantry/ba hunter B is a decent sniper but pretty dedicated as such. The prime is just meh and D is like a junkier A

If anyone can tell me where to find info about the Shadow Hawk SHD-11CS2, that would be awesome.

>>51778279
Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Project Phoenix, p. 83

>>51778371
Wait, nevermind, that's just the 11CS
Dunno about the 11CS2

>>51777208
I was questioning the wind conditions that allow the flags to be blowing aft like that, but otherwise, yes.

>>51778387

Heh, the wind conditions which forced the flags to do that was quite real.

To make the posting deadline, I had to take the diorama outside to get well-lit pics while the PVA glue on Java's flags was still drying, and I suppose they promptly blew back like that and dried before I noticed them in the photos later. The wind was outside was quite strong. You will note that the Connie's flags and pennants are correct for the wind direction indicated by the sails, and both sets of sails are correct as per the course track from the records of the battle.

>>51778386
Yeah, I'm trying to find the 11CS2 specifically for /btg/RO purposes.

>>51778387
Chalk it up to masts swaying from the broadside, which they do.

>>51778001

I have a 4J as one of my mechs in our 3040 campaign, and can confirm; it gets work done.

Would the Sea Fox and Nova cat warriors of the Clan Protectorate lead units of IS troops? I kinda want to make a unit with a shit-hot Clan pilot in a Clan mech supported by 4 IS guys in Hunchbacks and Anvils and stuff.

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So a lady from my church just came by to give me this.

>>51779814

I need to start going to church.

But for real, that's awesome. Does she know you do BT? Or was it "hey, here's a box of little figurines, and I know that guy does little toy soldier games"?

>>51779989
She has heard me talk about BT specifically

>>51779433
>The Protectorate thus formed two new Clusters of native, freeborn troops with deep loyalties to the region and placed Spirit Cat and Sea Fox warriors in senior leadership positions.

>>51779814

I need to start going to church.

But for real, that's awesome. Does she know you do BT? Or was it "hey, here's a box of little figurines, and I know that guy does little toy soldier games"?

>>51779989
>>51780083

Thank you 4chan captcha system, for making me think I never made the first post

>>51779433
Funny you ask, talking about this right now for /btg/RO related stuff.

How many escape pods/lifeboats is "too many" for a DropShip?

>>51780366
>escaping a doomed vessel
Do you even Drac, son?

>>51780366
1. Technicians go down with the ship, warriors are already planetside.

>>51780366
I'd say enough for all the crew, bay personel and potential passengers +25% is about right

>>51780387
Heh. Refitting a DS to be a combined armor/infantry carrier and my calcs are saying I need over 120 to jettison everyone. On 'mech and cargo carriers, obviously, smaller numbers due to smaller numbers of bay personnel. But friggin' infantry, man. Considering stripping many out and just put a few small craft bays in there and use something like an Ares to bail the infantry out.

I recently used the -1A5 version of the Charger in a game... And was impressed. I mean I knew the staple Charger was shit so this thing really did a number.
Anyone else here use Chargers?

>>51780366

1.

t. clanner

>>51780484
>tfw you will never fight an unaugmented trial of possession for an escape shuttle while the ship blows up around you

>>51780526

I've always wondered why clan society havent broken down in pointless trials over the pettiest things. Their entire society is so amazingly retarded on every level you just cant help but stare in disbelief. Especially the ones trying to mix religion into it.

>>51780526
>You will never roleplay as the clanner who killed the trial challenger (and only witness) with a weapon and Had to cope with his lack of honor

>>51780429
Yeah, dracs.

Seriously though I used one to punk my players. They still don't trust me.

>>51780429
I have one, but since I'm a 3067+ player at heart, I don't use the 1A5 so much as the 3K and the SA5, but the 1A5 is definitely a Liao beast. The 1A9 for House Kurita is still a bit anaemic, but is far better than the original.

>>51777779
>Not sure if there's a specific name for that region of space

The Froncs

>>51781236
That's more of the triangle between the taurians, capellans and canopians. He's just talking about the general spinward periphery

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Okay, so I decided that I'd try out MegaMek for the first time. I randomly generated a lance of mechs for each side, then realized I'd probably prefer to start small and deleted all but one from each side. I know literally neither of these mechs. So, because it was just a 1 on 1 match, I tossed it into a tiny Solaris map, just so I could get a taste of how the game played quickly. And boy, was my wish granted. First turn, I moved up, and my AI opponent moved up right next to me. I proceeded to fire everything but a pair of large lasers, to keep me at zero heat, and the pic related happened.

1/3

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>>51781983
With him just down on the ground like that, I of course delivered a swift stomp to the arm.

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>>51781983
>>51781994
So to get this straight. In my first ever game of BT, on my very first shot I got a through armor crit that smashed my opponent's gyro. He ejected because of this. My first shot ever randomly killed the guy outright in a single shot.

Way I figure it, this is an excellent way to be introduced to BT.

>>51780366

I usually put on enough Life Boats to evacuate everyone, including bay personnel, and then also enough Escape Pods to evacuate everyone, including bay personnel. 200% coverage, with the reasoning that some may be unreachable in the case of emergency due to damage, and that escape craft that aren't filled to capacity allow longer margins for rescue.

OTOH I do remember looking at some canon ships with far less than 100% evacuation as well.

>>51780417

I guess you can put in a bay if you like, but consider the loading rates for that as opposed to escape craft. Infantry will have to start getting into the SC and the DS will have to survive long enough to get out. If you've crammed over 7K personnel into one DS... well, there's your problem. That sounds like a regimental-level carrier, which is a lot of eggs in one basket.

>>51780617

The Clans that feud to that level get slapped down with Absorptions.

>>51782079
7K? No, try 700. 12 platoons of infantry and a battalion of armor. That's not really unheard of; an Excalibur carries the same or more.

>>51782113

My bad, I literally just woke up and added an extra zero.

In the end it's up to you. With escape craft you can just press the nope button and bail out. With a small craft you need to either load everyone in before entering combat if you have enough warning or hope you get enough time while combat is going on.

I'd still go the escape craft, it's less than 1kT.

>>51781835
Umm hunnie that's actually the Aurigan Coalition

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I have a battle report for you guys on the warship fight I asked about yesterday.

So this was a 1st Succession War fight, 600kBV, all warships, canon selections. 100x100 map, newtonian vectors and extreme range. We wound up using ECM rules, which were less complicated than I thought. When you have nothing but warships without stuff like fighters; however, it just turns into a random stat boost/penalty each round. You can't even use it strategically other than by clustering since it's rolled during weapon phase and not for the next round.

I was FWL and brought 2 Atreuses, 2 Essex I's, 2 Block I League Destroyers, 1 Block II, and a Baron

He was Lyran and brought 1 Tharkad, 2 Block II Commonwealth Light Cruisers, 2 Makos, and a Dart

He deployed his forces with the Battle Cruiser at its core, limited overlap and the Makos as flankers to the side.
I kept my forces in an overlapping knot and smashed through the center of his line before he could cluster up properly at about ten velocity full broadside.

The Baron being way too slow for a destroyer was the only one of my force slightly separated from the rest. He singled it out on turn three when I zipped through the middle of his force and he wiped it off the map. The Tharkad meant business.

My ships, however, had a target in basically every arc. The Essex's used all their sinking and everything else struck out with everything but point defense and short range bays. I took out one of his Mako's that got a sorry ECM role, and chewed into everything else.

1/3

>>51782285
We passed each other, flipping end over end and rolling to present fresh sides as we positioned to burn back toward each other. He let his remaining Mako drift far out of range, I think worried that I would focus on it. I was just hitting with everything I could and trying to get in the best position I could to do so. My stuff had the guns but not the armor. I needed to bring everything on target I could. His fleet had essentially broken in two, with the Tharkad and the Dart pairing up for ECM cover and the Commonwealths clustering to go after my own destroyers.

I did something similar, and paired up my Atreuses to keep both his groups in the Nose FRL, BSL arcs while bleeding velocity off my destroyers to keep them on the map, giving them access to only the nose and front side weapons.

I stripped more armor off his everything until I began to break things and he blew an Essex out of the sky that had taken a nasty nose hit the last round. His ships continued to drift further off as he tried to disentagle himself from my force. I brought my Battleships in to focus on the Tharkad, and he welcomed them with a broadside. A lucky hit and he wrecked the sensors on one Atreus, rendering it essentially useless.

Now as his fleet drifted and scattered into extreme range, he finally began to try to maneuver them back together. I had a two round head start on him with my own destroyers and brought them in a looping counterclockwise curve to join my undamaged Atreus in attacking the Tharkad.

I got excellent ECM rolls on both my Battleship and my Block II, while he flubbed several of his and my whole fleet clobbered both the Tharkad and the Dart. Those Darts can really take a beating. I'd never fought a ship with reinforced internal structure before.

His Mako tried to reinforce them but all it did was draw my guns for a round before exploding.

2/3

>>51782276
Only during the span of that game. I'm sure it will collapse as quickly as it stood for sake of continuity, and the Argo will be consumed by the supernova that eliminates all the worlds that were inserted into the lore to make the story work, making it as though none if it ever happened.

>>51782276
>hunnie

About this time, his Commonwealths were arriving to contribute, all in the yellow from the previous exchange, several missing whole sections of armor. The Dart was missing four at this point. I really hadn't hurt the Tharkad all that much, a combination of targeting and bad rolls, but I figured if I could just keep pounding at it, it would succumb eventually.

The next round I cracked it with a double hit from my Block II Naval Gauss and double-critted the sensors, rendering the monster as toothless as my own second Atreus. That was when the match was pretty much decided. He had four chewed up functional ships and I had five mostly undamaged ones. We still fought it out because you never know how the dice can go but four rounds later and the last of his Commonwealths got cored by a bank of NL45's without a single of my other ships going down. He did tag the KF drive on one Block I, the cargo hold on the remaining Essex twice, and some dropship collars on the Atreus, which would all suck in a campaign but don't make much difference in a pickup.

Also, the megamek ramming rules don't seem to work with newtonian aero stuff engaged. Both me and my opponent tried some tactics from the Davion School of Warship Command with our useless but couldn't get it to work.

All in all, a lot of fun. Next match is SLDF Amaris Coup, 2 million BV, 12 units, final destination. Dropships allowed this time, but no fighters. All I know is the stars are gonna be full of Mckennas.

3/3

>>51782318
Something must happen since they've stated the game and the Aurigan Coalition are canon.

>>51782276
After the evident collapse of the Coalition, a couple of those worlds ended up in the Fronc Reaches

>>51782379

Randal's canon is shit. I don't think he knows that much about BT really and a bunch of MWO stuff he's declared canon fits into continuity poorly if it all.

The Argo by itself breaks construction rules and canon, so l stopped paying attention right there.

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Whelp, it looks like I'm scrapping my current BT campaign.

The problem is that to reduce the logistic burden, I had essentially split the game into a lot of 1v1s instead of having a single 9v9 table, and people are unhappy with the lack of socializing.

So I brewed this up in the last hour as a replacement. Not for tomorrow's game, thank god, but maybe as something I can show them as a "here's where I'm thinking of going". Again, because I'm all about reducing logistic burdens (since if I don't do stuff it oft-doesn't get done), I'm looking to essentially leave the actual GMing up to AtB. That is, we use AtB to generate contracts and missions and OPFORs while playing a 3044-start-date merc campaign.

I'm planning on using a combination of bullshit kludged-together group generation and FM:Mercs(r) for the overall formation. I am, however, making sure to use Xotl's 3039 tables for people's lances, and we're going to give the Quirk system out of the BT Manual a real workout; all Mechs have listed quirks.

Any thoughts before I shove this in their face during lunch break tomorrow (technically today)? Anything I've missed horribly in the last hour of typing? I'd *really* appreciate a second or third look - typing rules while medicated, pissed-off, and at 1am leads to less good times than one might like.

>>51782470
Being triggered by the Argo is real fuckin' autistic, man.

>>51782470
The Argo is the best thing about the new battletech game.

>>51781983
> I know literally neither of these mechs.
>dont know the flashman

You are an excellent individual. Flasmen are for bad people that should feel bad.

And yeah, that's a pretty wicked first game. Welcome!

>>51782855
The Argo would be awesome if it signaled an initiative to redo all of the aerotech bs, but no. It's just a two-off illegal-as-fuck ship that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.

>>51782926
Redoing aerotech would require a significant demand from the fans to do so. If that demand didn't exist, and wasn't vocal, they'd just be terrified it would alienate the playerbase.

>>51782926
>gravdecks don't make sense

>>51782826

No, it's just symptomatic of how little people like Randall know or even care about BT canon proper.

If they're going to declare it a pseudo-canon game where the broad strokes happened but not necessarily exactly like that, then fine, whatever, I'd give no fucks. MW3 is nuts, how does one Lance go through about a Jag Galaxy by itself? MW4 likewise, or the BT cartoon getting relegated to being IC media. none of that bothers me.

"There was a relatively large, unusually well-equipped Periphery nation in this region of space that nobody noticed, and also the mercs they were using had a one-of-a-kind technological marvel ship" is a bit different.

And then on top of that there's Randal declaring it's now canon that Noton had a Rifleman II, may have used it on Solaris, that female pilots are oppressed and looked down on with the Razorback, and more.

>>51782523
The "better pilots for lighter rides" thing is a neat concept but I get the feeling it might fall apart if an enterprising player thinks about it for more than a few minutes. 45 tons is very forgiving to create a lance out of and there are several options than when paired with 2/3 pilots could cause some serious hell. The random rolls help smooth that out but it's something worth noting. I dunno how "powergamey" you are in your campaigns NEA, but I'd be a bit worried about that notion. Especially if OpFor follows similar composition rules; a bunch of 2/3s in energy Lights might really screw with a lance of 4/5s in heavies, and conversely your players might find a lance of 2/3s in fast energy Lights to make OpFors in heavy lances with regular pilots trivial.

Also, letting AtB generate contracts might lead to some strange OpFors that when controlled by Princess are fine, under the control of a human player they are way out of line BV-wise. At least in my experience AtB will stack double BV against you, at the very least. Mind you much of it is vees, but still.

All in all, seems 7/10, would like to play in. Made for a nice little read whilst I sip my "life sucks then you die" scotch and ponder how to waste two or so hours till I finally sleep.

>>51782988

>And then on top of that there's Randal declaring it's now canon that Noton had a Rifleman II

I dont really think he gets the point of canon rumor. Noton MAY had a Rifleman IIC. No one knows.Its funny to guess and adds to the mystery and nebulousness of the character. Less is sometimes more.

>"There was a relatively large, unusually well-equipped Periphery nation in this region of space that nobody noticed

Oh yeah, time to rehash the clan invasions again.

While I do like the idea of some completely random humans out there, this is just lazy as fuck.

>that female pilots are oppressed and looked down on with the Razorbac

opression olypics managed to creep into battletech? I'm impressed

>>51782988
>>51783160
>Female pilot oppression.
You guys can rest easy knowing that if Randal thinks women are still oppressed in the future, as an obvious reflection of current politics, it means in his fantasy world the SJW regressive liberals are as weak shit as we know they are now.
In his fantasy, the cucks stay cucked. Bet he didn't think about that angle :D

>>51783294

I mean, how retarded you have to be to think women are impressed when you always have atleast one woman running a successor state(even outside of Canopus) and some female war heroes running around.

>>51783294
Battletech really is pretty egalitarian and progressive in its own quaint 80s-90s manner. Weird place for inserting identity politics

>>51783371
Yeah, really. There's like two actually sexist places in battletech, one of them is the designated villain faction, and the other is the old cheap sci-fi cliche of "what if 50s sexism but with women running the show". And aside from the random Planet Of 80s South Africa and a bit of "it's WWII anti-jap racism IN SPACE", there isn't any real race issues either, as Best Samurai demonstrated indirectly by nobody commenting on it

>>51783495
>There's like two actually sexist places in battletech,
I'm pretty sure the Marians are pretty sexist as well, though I may well be confusing them with Caesar's Legion from FNV, though

>>51782881
>hating on based flashbulb

Meet me in the Circle of Equals, surat.

>>51783632
I thought you hated LLs paired with MLs.

>>51783160

The thing with Noton using anything other than a RFL-3N is flatly impossible given how Solaris works. 'Mechs are rigged with sensors for the bookmakers and spectators, the arenas are rigged with sensors to show spectators what's going on, 'Mech sensors between seismics and MAD would spot the difference between a normal Rifleman and a II, and so on and so forth. Him having or using a Rifleman II before was a canon rumour that a lot of players latched onto OOC to explain how a Solaris champion could have racked up that many wins in a shitpile, but Randall decided to go ahead and just say Noton had it.

Just as with the Razorback stuff, even in the oldest fluff you've got Natasha, Candace Liao, and a number of the notable pilots in TR 3025 being female, but nope, instead of just being treated as any other professional outside the Dracs and Capellans, they're treated like shit because fuck it I say so.

I can just ignore it for my home games because it's fucking retarded, but that shit is canon now because the Line Dev said so.

>>51783546
>Caring what glorified pirates think.

Are we gonna complain about Grimm being a sexist with a massive slave harem next?

>>51783160
>No one knows.

We know. It's one of those things that the readers know for certain no matter what the in-universe conspiracies say. Like we know for certain that Sun Tzu Liao is alive in a cryo chamber on Liao in the Dark Age while the Confederation claims he ascended to godhood and the Republic claims he died in his mech back in the early 3100's during a raid. Or all the pre-Civil War conjecture in universe about how Victor killed his mother when we knew 100% that it was Katherine and who she hired and everything.

>>51783663
Plus Justin Allard actually drives the damn thing and it IS just a regular-3N
Thankfully all the MWO fluff technically canonizes is that Noton has ordered or otherwise acquired some sort of extra-specal Rifleman but implicitly never actually recived or used it

>>51782961
Grav decks make a lot of sense. A mothership to dropships without the ability to jump is just pants on head retarded.

>>51782941
So instead of redoing aerotech, they just do dumb stuff with it.

No, it's not that they're terrified of alienating the playerbase, they're terrified of doing a lot of work on something that probably won't directly generate income. And that's actually defensible.

>>51782523
Why can they choose 2 or 4 but not 3?

>>51783690
>Caring what glorified pirates think.
>Are we gonna complain about Grimm being a sexist with a massive slave harem next?
That's a valid point. Two *actual states* are sexist. Pirates are obviously a different deal.
But it's true, if it wasn't for capfagging, the taurians would probably have blasted them to bits in the 60s and we'd have escaped Dark Age Rome Sheng bullshit, but oh well

>>51783663
>>51783690

You dont get the point of canon rumors either.

>>51783658
Not particularly. It's not my favorite thing, but the Flashbulb looks cool and gets some slick variants later on.

>>51783690
>Like we know for certain that Sun Tzu Liao is alive in a cryo chamber on Liao in the Dark Age while the Confederation claims he ascended to godhood and the Republic claims he died in his mech back in the early 3100's during a raid.

H-h-hold the fuck up, we what now?

>>51783773
It's the Flamer. Chicks dig the Flamer.

>>51783715
>>51783767

I thought the story was set before his tilt on Solaris.

And the special Rifleman he gets, the one the story is written about, is "Legend-Killer," which is meant to have been Noton's ride and a RFL-3N.

>>51782523
What's with the double asteriks after some of the RAT mechs?

>>51783767
We do. There's just a massive difference between rumors we don't know the answers to and rumors we don't. The second is speculation that's fun to talk about and the first is where we get to chuckle at the scrubs of the 31st century for their goofy tinfoil hat stuff. It's not even like that's new. In Lethal Heritage, Kai comments on how the Feddies testing new aerospace fighters gets called UFO's sightings by the locals.


>>51783785
Read By Temptation and By War. Or just skip to the end. The first half of the book is basically just a bunch of Liao students doing what UC Berkley is right now in the real world.

>>51783325
>>51783294
>>51782988
>>51783160
Randall didn't just drink the SJW kool-aid, he chugged the whole pitcher.

>>51783785

AFAIK they flash-froze him at the moment of death and it may or may not be possible to restore him to life. Nobody wants to thaw him out in case they can't revive him and fuck up any chance of actually doing so.

>>51783690

I still remember seeing people posting on the OF, absolutely convinced that it was Victor who killed Melissa and ignoring a number of novels where Katherine stands around doing her IT WAS ME MUHAHAHAHA monologues.

>>51783736
And yet, there are people who want this in the real game... they call them monitors.

>>51783846
Aerotech is such a forgotten and neglected thing that they could maybe re-direct the energy they were going to spend on Levs to a reboot of the blackwater Battletech stuff. It could be that the Argo ends up a legal thing. It could be a sneak-peak of things to come. Or it could not matter and people could stop cunting off about it and the fucking Legend Killer and just play the game and enjoy it knowing they can just ignore or not include things they don't like and the world will continue to turn.

>>51783844
>and ignoring a number of novels where Katherine stands around doing her IT WAS ME MUHAHAHAHA monologues.
YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS
ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS GIVE HER THE DICK, VICTOR
>doomhanse.hpg

>>51783885

He must be rolling in his grave. Seeing how his idiot children managed to fuck over his entire legacy and the state that would have eventually conquered the Inner Sphere. Except the part when his son fucked both Kurita and Marik princesses.

>>51783953
>Except the part when his son fucked both Kurita and Marik princesses.
Exactly. All he had to do was go three for three on princesses, and one bulldog would just be the warmup, the second League would be standing strong, the WoB would be shown who's boss and Xin Sheng would just be sunny-T's jackoff fantasy while raw Steiner-Davion power showed everyone who's boss.
Hell, in the late 50s, even the fucking taurians wanted in on vic's dick, let alone everyone else

>>51784048
>the WoB would be shown who's boss
laughingprecentors.png

>>51784147
I mean, if it weren't for receiving actual magic in order to molest the setting so as to make it ready for more edge than an extinction-level weeb's imaginary katana, it would have been well within the power of Victor's theoretical princess-fucking Second Star League to whip up on the robes like a rented mule

>>51783953

Victor did OK. Katherine just shat on everything.

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>>51784147
>>51784226

Gentlemen please. The solution is obviously to fuck Milf Waterly before Operation Scorpion.


>>51784251
Victor was a fucking failure for the sole reason that he cared about the whole Inner Sphere equally. That's a terrible attitude to have as a feudal lord, not putting your own people first.

>>51784251

Nah, he refused to slap down the capellans when he could, refused to deal with his sister and refused to actually be a ruler. He just wanted to be a general.

>>51784277

>Victor was a fucking failure for the sole reason that he cared about the whole Inner Sphere equally

Well duh, he should have conquered it first. Behead the ilkhan, come home as the prince of havoc, tell kathy her time is up, time to resign before he goes kerensky on her ass, have a light chuckle before placing his ass on the FedCom throne his sister united again, then give a booty call to his rice waifu while he plans how he will use the whole St Ives thing as a pretext to finish what his daddy started. He could have done the fucking same thing, marry Omi and declare war on the capellans on the same day.

but no, muh humanity, muh pees, muh everything

>>51784277

>Victor was a fucking failure for the sole reason that he cared about the whole Inner Sphere equally.

He cared about the FedCom first. If he could help the IS more generally he did, and that's far from the worst policy to have. Even with Kaatherine he was hoping she'd stop being such a psychotic cunt when she had everything she said she wanted, but she decided to go to super saiyan bitch mode instead and fuck things up even worse. If she hadn't been such a dolt she could have lorded over the FedCom and told everyone she was so much smarter and prettier than Victor for another fifty plus years.

In hindsight starting a war the second he got home was a smarter choice, but I can't really fault him for trying to avoid that.

>>51784308

>Nah, he refused to slap down the capellans when he could

Enlighten me as to how he would have dealt with the Xin Sheng Capellans. Seriously. That's what he was dealing with, authorial fiat from Coleman.

No faction or individual can withstand that, not even peak WoB.

>>51784342

>He cared about the FedCom first. If he could help the IS more generally he did, and that's far from the worst policy to have. Even with Kaatherine he was hoping she'd stop being such a psychotic cunt when she had everything she said she wanted, but she decided to go to super saiyan bitch mode instead and fuck things up even worse. If she hadn't been such a dolt she could have lorded over the FedCom and told everyone she was so much smarter and prettier than Victor for another fifty plus years.

Nah its peacenik syndrome. Its a pervasive writing symptom, it crops up in pretty much every fantasy and sci-fi setting, particularly in warcraft, star-trek and the like. When a writer decides to write "someone whos not a great warlord but still a great leader" they default to this. Showing good peacetime rulership, is hard. You have to go in detail with the policies, make them beleveable and not boring and writers generally cant deal with it. So how do you make a "great leader?" By avoiding war at all costs of course! Muh pees! Muh people! Think of the war orphans! You can practically see the halos and the doves flying. Never mind that this kind of behavior often comes up when non-violence is not an option, the characters have been already established as very capable warriors/leaders having an advantage and a quick, decisive preventive strike would solve pretty much all problems. What a great leader! He doesnt want to war but he is forced to! Such wisdom! Even when his inaction causes more deaths and damage it prevents! Yay kindergarden morality, if you fight youre bad! In the setting of a wargame!

Peacenik syndrome is just a lazy crutch of bad writers. There was nothing logical in Victors behavior. He was a horrible ruler, constantly failing to consider the stability of his realm and kept ignoring a huge danger even when he had several good opportunities to permamently remove it. All this jus because he could moralize about the future of humanity

>>51783763
>But it's true, if it wasn't for capfagging, the taurians would probably have blasted them to bits in the 60s and we'd have escaped Dark Age Rome Sheng bullshit, but oh well
I've actually never heard this before, but it sounds like a fun campaign backdrop
any more info?

>>51784920
by periphery 2e, Jeffery "I hate caps like the writers hate dracs" Calderon was extremely torqued over the whole "Marians Invading the Lothian League" thing and the TDF was hardcore behind him, and without things like "dying for the glory of the capellan confederation" to distract them, beating on romefags would presumably be pretty damn high on their priorities list, especially with the MoC to do the logistics work for such an operation

>>51784920

I'm not sure if he means the Taurians killing off the Canopians or Marians, but neither makes any sense.

For a bunch of people who likes Battletech you seems you don't like Battletech

>>51785011

>let's mount an operation against a power with a growing military that we're trading with that's literally a year away, that should go well for us

The Marian Hegemony is a fuck of a long way off, anon. Even from the Magistracy.

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>>51783788
>revisit MW2 Mercs for the first time in ages
>instant action take a Kodiak agaisnt a bunch of IS mediums and heavies for lols/seeing how tough Clantech is in the game
>pop off a Flashman's arms, "Oh, it's shooting its flamer, how cu- *heat spikes to max, Kodiak explodes*
>mfw
I forgot how fucking insane flamers are in that game.

>>51785090
That's because the people making Battletech for a long time now have been shit.

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>>51785090

We like battletech. We don't like a lot of the writers, and the stupid shit that they do.

>>51783112

Good response, thank you.

First answer: it's a 1st draft.

Second answer: very good point, and I'll probably drop that to 35 tons average mass. I *do* want to incentivize taking lighter units, which is normally a problem with players in campaign play. I may also use something like "stating light Mech pilots are 3/3, mediums are 3/4, heavies are 4/5, assaults are 5/5"

Third answer: I'm using the normal AtB rules for pilot skill improvement (I know that's not in the doc I put up), so it's like 15 XP to go from a 5 pilot to a 4 pilot, and like 60 XP to go from a 3 pilot to a 2 pilot. Taking lights enables someone to front-load their pilots at the expense of having more fragile rides, while taking heavies means pilots will be in more durable rides but will have to upgrade over time.

Also for your consideration: I'm thinking about a specialization rule for pilots. Once in their career for free, and once for ~40 XP, a non Lance-leader pilot can "specialize" in a standard production variant ("Marauder -3R", "Wasp -1A"). As long as less than 10% of the total mass of the Mech has been changed since specializing in the variant, the pilot receives a free point of Edge. Any thoughts?

Finally: I don't plan on using these rules for OPFOR generation. Basically, I kind of plan to plug the final merc unit into AtB, and generate contracts and the resulting missions as normal. Which makes MY life a lot easier; I'm not going to be spending 5-8 hours/week for 3 weeks playtesting various OPFOR force compositions anymore; what the computer spits out as an OPFOR is what the PCs get to deal with. The BV issue can be adjusted for in settings, so I'm not worried about that.

>>51783755
>Why can they choose 2 or 4 but not 3?

It makes things like figuring DropShip berths for the whole unit much easier.

>>51783814
>What's with the double asteriks

Ask Xotl.

Is a full head ejection system worth it?

>>51785373
If you're counting C-Bills they're quite pricey, but they don't occupy weight or space.

>>51785449
I just vaguely remembered hearing that they could actually hurt your pilot more than normal ejection, and I was thinking about a design without my books handy.

I'm looking for any BT art that revolves around a duel, be it before the fight, during, or after.

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>>51785511
This piece comes immediately to mind.

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>>51785511

>>51785566
Camera Crew (CO: Anchor Greta Marx) V/F Bumfuck IV 75%

>>51785566
>Regulan on Regulan violence

This is pay-per-view material.

>>51785653
How do you know it's two Regulans?

>>51785676

One of them is from Rolling Thunder, they're a company from the 1st Regulan Hussars. Can't make out what the other says, Plague [Something]. Mantis?

>>51785710
Yeah, Plague Mantis.

>>51785566
Jesus Christ, what a shitty piece of art

>>51785715
>tfw no Clan Plague Mantis

Trying to work on some mech art. Where do Mechs normally have unit markings, ID numbers, nicknames, kill tallies, all that stuff?

>>51785825
State insignia on the left chest/shoulder
Unit on the right chest/shoulder
Unit number on the upper thigh or shin
Mech name or slogan on any open flat space in the torso
Kill tallies next to the cockpit
Any other flair wherever, like "Can Opener" by your AC20

Generally, anyway. Not a lot of hard and fast rules outside a few mentions of proper big units and brigades like the BoG.

>>51782988
>that female pilots are oppressed and looked down on

Yeah what's up with that?

Sure in reality women are at a biological disadvantage in military and scientific endeavors but that's never been the case in BT.

Has he even read the lore?

>>51783844
>I still remember seeing people posting on the OF, absolutely convinced that it was Victor who killed Melissa and ignoring a number of novels where Katherine stands around doing her IT WAS ME MUHAHAHAHA monologues.
please be joking

>>51784226
>actual magic
It's a shame some people are so unread in the fluff that they believe this.

>>51786148
He's not. Plenty of people don't actually read the material. Just look at how deep the Legend Killer BS has dug in when it's a major scene in the Warrior Trilogy, arguably the most famous Battletech Trilogy behind the Blood of Kerensky. Not like it's tucked away in the corner of Far Country or something.

>>51786195
But that's so damn moronic. This stuff is laid out pretty clearly. I never read the books before the FCCW and I still picked up that Vic was the idealistic momma's boy (muh star league, muh bulldog) and Katherine was the ambitious bitch (literally severing your country in a time of war and hiring a Liao as an advisor).

Fuck this shit was obvious. Is everyone on the OF actually retarded?

>>51786116
>women at disvantage in scientific endeavors
Wtf, anon

>>51786116
Nope.

>>51786232
>Is everyone on the OF actually retarded?

Yes

>>51783814
It's in the Xotl RATs. Second-line machines, i.e. if you're A-rated, probably re-roll, because these are shit as far as that faction is concerned.

>>51786263
He actually believes the meme that all women are driven entirely by feelings and cannot into logic. It's actually just a slight majority of them... But they're usually the more attractive women, so they're the only ones we notice.

>>51786903
>meme
Lol

>>51786903
>meme
lol

>>51786903
It's pretty much proven. Women who excel in science are the exception, not the rule. Doesn't mean they're inferior or should have fewer rights or anything, but we aren't doing science a face by ignoring reality.

>>51783663
>instead of just being treated as any other professional outside the Dracs and Capellans

Not even the Dracs. Take a look at the deployment tables in the old Kurita book and count the female regimental commanders. There are several prefecture generals as well.

If memory serves, the old Liao book mentioned that women generally have lower educational standards (which stands to reason given the Chinese influence on the CC) but if you're a Mechwarrior, there is no difference in education between boys and girls.

>>51783690
>Grimm being a sexist with a massive slave harem

That's called "it's good to be the Pirate King", not sexism. The Oberon Confederation had female soldiers, see: Lori Kalmar and her Locust.

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>>51787233
>Lori Kalmar and her Locust.

Wasn't she in one of the Police Academy movies?

>>51787147
For someone loving science so much you sure lack sources for your claims

>>51787396
Yes, and I should know. I watched PA4 too many times because old fashioned crush.

>>51787442

Your original suggestion was probably my inspiration for putting together the picture in >>51787396.

>>51787487
Fantastic. Thank you. I'd let her pilot me left over Shadow Hawk if you know what I mean.
I should stop watching reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway late at night before turning in. We need a trio of pilots that look like Colin, Ryan and Wayne.

>>51783953

>would have eventually conquered the Inner Sphere

FedCom's days were numbered he second it was created.

In fact, had they completely consumed the Capellan Confederation or achieved their aims in 3039, I'm sure FedCom's destruction might have came earlier than 3060.

I think FedCom was also one of the main excuses the Crusaders among the Clan used in their reasoning to launch an invasion of the Sphere.

>>51782988

> female pilots are oppressed and looked down on

I think the Clans threw that notion out the window, if not the Successor States and Star League.

>>51787623

The fuck? They housed the largest army and the two largest economy of the IS together, they completely crippled the capellans who would have never recovered without writer fiat. They sort of managed to ally or atleast turn the Kuritas neutral with Victor fucking their princess. The FWL was in the process of disintegrating again(oh wow)

They had just an absurd lead in everthing, their rivals pacified and free to pick their enemies. After the truce of Tukayyid even the ComStar was crippled and their shadow war put on hold.

Victor could have just gone with St Ives and partition the Liaos together, work with the Kuritas to divide up the clan incursion zone and the Rasalhagues or just wait till the FWL collapses again and plan a grand invasion with troops transferred from the draconis march

Hell, if not for ComStar fuckery and Theodore being highly competent, Hanse would have conquered or crippled the Combine in 3039, no one was able to stand up aganist the FedCom, they would have eventually ground down the clans alone because of their strategic depth and manuactoring capability.

>>51787839

Had FedCom managed to achieve Hanse's aims of finishing off the Confederation and neutralizing the Combine, they would have had to likely face the Clans alone.

This means the Jaguars would likely have finished off what was left of the Combine and could have easily been able to push all the way to the Suns border, securing them vast swaths of Inner Sphere territory and possibly allowing them to reach Terra ahead of the others.

Given FedCom's utterly poor performance against the Clans and the advantages held by the descendants of Kerensky in technology, I'm not sure they would have been able to repel the Clans or stop them from making even greater gains in Lyran territory.

>>51787420
Well this really isn't the place for spamming links, is it? Common sense.

>>51787950

>they would have had to likely face the Clans alone.

And have all the resources needed for defence in depth too. Sure, the clans go deeper but in the process they also stretch themselves thin and allow defeat in detail as they struggle to pacify and garrison worlds. The falcons and jaguars were already struggling to keep the lid on the uprisings. It would have been Germany vs. Soviet Union again, a bunch of extremely impressive victories by a highly advanced and trained army eventually getting crushed by numbers, industrial production and deep battle. Much like the nazis, the clans also have common sense working aganist them with all the zellbrigen shit.

I think this would actually make a pretty good alternate universe, especially playing up the WW2 analogies. The Blockade of Tharkad as Leningrad, clanners getting in a couple jump ranges of Terra before having a decisive battle of Kursk, Luthien getting razed to the ground but holding out as Stalingrad before a massive Uranus-like counterattack beats back the clans etc., FedComs becoming just as brutal as the clans chanting FORWARD TO STRANA MECHTY as they push out the clans from the IS and prepare a bulldog much larger in scope. FWL could finally get a flavor other than "lolcivilwar" and finally be the space america they always wanted to be.

>>51783495
>random Planet Of 80s South Africa
What planet is this, and where can I get more info?

>>51788221
New Capetown, in the LC.

>>51788219

>And have all the resources needed for defence in depth too.

Those defenses likely wouldn't have meant much.

If they had, worlds like Tamar and Sudeten wouldn't have fallen as easily as they did.

>>51788221
They're not even racist against kaffirs anymore. The Clan invasion made them "racist" against Clanners now.

>>51788219
>and prepare a bulldog much larger in scope

>Com Guards under Focht's command open a second front a la France

[blakist nukes intensify]

>>51788274

I dont really think you know what defence in depth means. In the moment ComStar stopped managing clan worlds they were in a world of shit. Worlds were net drags on their economy and their manpower, not gains. They only had a tiny clanspace manufacturing stuff for them and had to ship everything back and forth alongside the Exodus Road. Sure, they would have had more Alynas, more Tenientes where their quality and the shock of invasion absolutely crushes spheroids but eventually they would have been buried in shit tons of crappy IS mechs. because they can take absorb the losses but the clans cant. Just look how Tukayyid permamently crippled some clans.

>>51788153
You can just name some papers, show a list of scientists ordered by scientific production and how few women are in the top, or simply count how many female Ph.D are in the world or even US alone.

What I mean is that if you are telling the truth you could easily prove it, but right now you are just showing your lack of knowledge in the matter. I bet my ass you don't even know what "peer review" means.

If you want this discussion to end just show me a single paper backing up your facts and show me you are not being driven by emotions :^)

>>51788366

>Just look how Tukayyid permamently crippled some clans.

It's also mentioned that, had any Great House fought such a campaign, it would have likely ruined them.

> but eventually they would have been buried in shit tons of crappy IS mechs

In the time it could have taken that to happen, the Clans could have easily won Terra and begun the Il-Khan process.

>>51788153
>Well this really isn't the place for spamming links, is it?
It really is, if you're making a claim.

>>51788460

Thats where the WW2 analogy comes in. You know, getting within the suburbs of Moscow and still losing.

>>51788527

>getting within the suburbs of Moscow and still losing.

Given they would have captured Terra, that means they would have gotten further than the suburbs in that analogy.

There is also no guarantee they would have lost past that point either.

>>51788616

>There is also no guarantee

There is also no gurantee a single locust left on autopilot wouldnt have defeated the entire invasion alone.

Please dont forget the traditional clanner battle cry "PLAY BY WEIGHT" next time.

>>51788670

>"PLAY BY WEIGHT"

What bearing does that have in this conversation exactly?

>>51788755
>>51788616

Wait, its the same guy shitposting,

>>51788489
It's an observation. Doesn't change this isn't the place, not that you /pol/acks care.

>>51788772
Then stop replying, dumbass.

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>>51788772

You sure you aren't the shitposter there?

>>51788793
people here love arguing too much... over anything

>>51788891

It's not arguing, its just shitposting. When you ignore them they will always agressively cry and spam bait then leave.

>>51788887
It's a different anon.

What's your favorite low-tier House regiment?

It's not the a royal guard, it's not A or B or even C grade in equipment. It might not have a regional patron even.

Its pilots aren't from prestigious schools like Sun Zhang, Allison or the Nagelring.

What regiment is it?

>>51789077
Marshigama's Legionnaires

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>>51789077
The Legion of Vega, hands down.

Do the Death Commandos have the most broken special rules?

I mean select mechs from anywhere? Any opponent not elite having -2 to initiative? Wow.

>>51789077
The whole of the Regulan Hussars
>paz y capitulación?
>Guerra y cuchillo

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Dark Age just got plural

>>51789521
>MUL

>>51789521
>3999
Fucking. Kill. Me.

>>51789545
Glad to see your eyes are okay

>>51789580
That's just placeholder, dude.

>>51789521

>Stone

I understand how tumblrites get triggered now.

>>51789521
>>51789580
>>51789685
Eight Centuries of Dorkness! Truly they're taking time scale lessons from the mighty Gee-Dub!

>Wasn't there a rumour a while back about how they'd planned for a considerable time jump before the wizkidzisation happened and maybe now they're back to attempt it?

>>51789685
>That's just placeholder, dude.
You say that now, but >>51789769 may be right and we're back to the big time-jump. That'd be a hell of a surprise with IlClan, wouldn't it?

>>51789077
8TH ORLOFF

REMOVE PERIPHERAT

>>51789685
Thanks, glad to see you're taking fanon seriously

>>51789769

Why not just publish what-if's and AU's exploring interesting ideas if they are only going to put out fanfiction anyway?

>>51790469
>Why not just publish what-if's and AU's exploring interesting ideas if they are only going to put out fanfiction anyway?
I'm actually all for that. Just put out a "What-Ifs: X" series of cheap fanwritten sourcebooks, get some blood flowing that way if they're not going to advance the metaplot

>>51789738
Second best faction leader in the entire canon, just behind Tomas Halas:

>not a Davion
>not a Liao
>not a Steiner
>not a Kurita
>not a Kerensky
>higher chances of being just a regular guy doing things right
>if not that, he is part of BEST FACTION plan to fuck with the Houses
>creates a faction that does not have hereditary rulers

How would you guys ranks the five major houses in terms of interesting fluff?
I just finished reading all five Handbooks, and here's how I'd rank them from most interesting to least:

>Liao
>Marik
>Davion
>Kurita
>Steiner

Which would make a better tabletop campaign - MW3's Operation Damocles or MechCommander's Port Arthur Campaign? My impression is that MW3 would make a better RPG/co-op style campaign for a smaller group of players and Port Arthur would be more scaleable, but how would you handle either?

>>51791044
If you're playing a warchest style TT campaign, MW4. Now, you have an invasion to get to.

>>51791044
Fuck, my brain said Mechcommander but my fingers typed MW4. So, Mechcommander. I blame the beer.

>>51791044
>>51791153
I would love to recreate the mission where you have to escort an ambulance through a city, it was simply yet amusing

>>51789521
If anyone was wondering why people only take 3025 to 3060 seriously..

>>51791044
With MW3, I don't know if it would be interesting to let the players find a dropship that would let them keep their haul by the end of the game unlike in the VG. That might be fun then.

>>51791007

>What if the ComStar loses at Tukayyid?
>What if the Davions win the war of 3039?
>What if the FWL doesnt have a civil war and actually gets to do something?
>What if Justin Xiang actually turned and became a triple agent?
>What if Leo Showers lives and the clans reach Terra?
>What if Gray Noton actually had a Rifleman IIC
>What if Max Liao just feigned his insanity the whole time?
>What if ALL the clans get to participate in the invasion?
>What if the Liao-Marik-periphery alliance actually goes through and they grow strong enough to take on the FedCom for MUH WORLDS
>What if there are more breakaway clans out there
>What if some clan suddenly declares itself ilClan, writes a vastly different version of zellbrigen and starts to take willing defectors from all clans, basically a clan version of WoB?
>What if some clan decided to leave the whole zellbrigen and trueborn shit and just become a normal IS nation?
>What if there are more human nations lurking out there in the deep periphery
>What if it turns out some early star leaguers invented K-F drives with the range of not 30 but 3000 light years and it turns out there is a huge thriving empire out there, not even giving a shit about the IS
>What if the Outbound Light bumps into a Warden clan?
>What if the Dragoon Compromise goes awry and some other clan gets to form the dragoons? Maybe even a crusader one? I'd love to see a Fire Mandrill or Blood Spirit Dragoons
>What if Katherine isnt a huge retard?
>What if Phelan Kell gets captured by another clan? I want to see him pull his mary sue bullshit with the Jaguars
>What if Nicholas Kerensky was a WoB plant?

>>51791240
Derp Age has been a major letdown. Just about everyone I know has gone back to playing eras between 3025 and 3067.

>>51788460

>By the time..

There is a trillion people in the Inner Sphere. The clans were always hopelessly, utterly outnumbered and the idea they could make any progress is silly.

>>51791299
>Blood Spirit Dragoons
Take every last dime that I have to FUND THIS

>>51791299
I have a feeling if he was captured by someone like Lincoln Osis then that shower scene in Lethal Heritage would have ended in *actual* rape. Phelan probably wouldn't be too smug after being a Clan cumdumpster.

>>51791315

Yet when they're divided and fighting one another, numbers can mean little.

>>51791299
When I lived in Atlanta I was in a BT group running a Dragoon AU where all of the Clans, yes all, were included in the Dragoons. Called it the Unity Dragoons. It was pretty fun, and there were splits like with Snord's Irregulars that happened. The Goliath Scorpion contingent pretty much wandered off after we played Anton's Revolt.

>>51791315

You're replying to a shitposter bro.

>>51791299
>What if Phelan Kell gets captured by another clan?

I would have loved to see him get captured by the Jade Falcons, like that one guy from some military academy (Blackjack?) who did some hard grinding and made it to... Star Captain, IIRC, in the JF touman.

>>51791240
I don't get your post, I really don't. What's the problem with >>51789521
?

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With the green birds, you really have to level grind.

>>51791348
I could honestly see the Blood Spirit Dragoons giving everyone hilariously inaccurate intel estimates on sheer spite alone
>yeah lol there's like 20 mech regiments total in the inner sphere
>they do almost all of the actual fighting with extremely fast light hovers and infantry
>this bunch of RWR leftovers calling themselves the Circinus Federation actually have the largest mech army; it's like five regiments of LAMs that they use exclusively for piracy

>>51791471
Yeah looking back at how smoothed out Phelan's path was in Clan Wolf it's pretty shitty.

Can't believe there weren't more Crusader Wolves in a clan with thousands of warriors who'd want to try and take Phelan out or kill Ulric or Natasha.

>>51791693

While I accept the need of a viewpoint character in the clans it was beyond retarded

>instant waifu from the start
>gets to be the advisor of a khan
>the fucking martial precentor keeps visiting him
>juuuuust turns out he is eligible for a bloodname despite not being a trueborn or anything
>he can keep up with warriors trained for piloting mechs since childhood
>beats elementals barehanded
>saves the life of his khan
>manages to hack into the clan security system easily

>>51791240
>>51791307
Aren't most of the problems with Dark Age solely the fault of Wizkids, though?

>>51791518

It's just people belly aching for no good reason as per the usual.

>>51791787
>>he can keep up with warriors trained for piloting mechs since childhood

He was taught from childhood to handle a 'mech by Morgan Kell, debatebly the best mechwarrior in the setting.

As any number of people point out, clan warriors really aren't that great. Better on average, but their intense training can't quite make up for the lack of age and experience with the best IS warriors.

>>51791810
Sort of but not really.
CGL has done an admirable job of smoothing out old WizKids bullshit in some areas of DarknEdgy Age retardation, while continuing and exacerbating the idiocy in other areas

>>51791787
>manages to hack into the clan security system easily

What I found most bullshitty about this was the way Phelan went "I used to need a room full of computers to burn one EPROM" etc.

I know it's the Space 80s, but for fuck's sake, my father burnt EPROMs in the real 80s with a Commodore 64 and a burner the size of a pack of cigarettes.

>>51791518

The 'dark ages' might, at most, last for fifty years. By that point every HPG in the Inner Sphere could be replaced and Comstar would be a footnote in history books.

They say it last for 8 centuries, far beyond the point that anybody would remember who the fuck Stone was.

>>51791882
That's how much data is in that one EPROM, since clearly bigger = more powerful computers. Thus, computer systems of the future must be massive to handle all that advanced science fiction data.

>>51791581

And then they save the Inner Sphere through friendship and coordination!

>"good job Blood Spirits" - Marik
>"youre the best Blood Spirits" - Steiner
>"we only won this was because of you, Blood Spirits!" - Davion
>"HONORABRU DISPRAY BARADU SPIRITU" - Kurita
>"You truly held us together in the time of need, Blood Spirits " - Liao
>"Come, help us found another Star Leage, Blood Spirits" - ComStar
>"Quit daydreaming and focus on the stravag battle, Star Commander!" - rude asshole

>>51791867

Yeah I can see Morgan Kell kicking trashborn shit in, but Phelan was a rebellious little flunked out shit. He was just way too good at waaay to many things.

>>51791348
>>51791581
The Blood Spirits almost feel like not even a clan but an actual remnant of the SLDF.

Why do you like them? Just curious.

>>51791867
Pretty sure Kai takes the top spot.

>>51791882
What's an EPROM?

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>>51791930
That's... alarmingly appropriate BT tech, since we've gone from "I had to replace entire circuit boards to fix a balky whatsit" to "the standard 'Mech armour is full of independently networked cables that automatically connect with the 'Mech's main computer so we can get the fluff-accurate damage displays". I imagine the old books had 'Mechs packed with a 50/50 makeup of ordinary printed boards and Space Veroboard replacements a clever tech put together.

Also, that lock-picking thing Phelan built (for the sonic locks) has always made me think of that chessboard puzzle in Impossible Mission, the one where you had to put different tones in the correct order, but instead of a password you got an open lock.

Do they ever explain why the Clans didn't just.. go to terra?

I mean, Jumpships don't have to go though inhabited systems. They could have jumped all the way to Terra before they started their invasion and opened by taking their objective.

>>51792086
The short answer: it's a computer chip that contains code. With the C64, for example, you could burn an EPROM that contained code which interacted with the computer base but had increased functionality, like a turbo loader or more BASIC commands.

>>51792096
>Jump to terra
>Blitzkrieg local comstar defenders and declare Terra under the protection of the re-established Star League
>violate earths neutrality pact in the eyes of the nigger sphere
>have the entire inner sphere now surround and gang up on you because they feel like Terra is fair game now

>>51792086
Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. A computer chip that can be "burned" with data once then updated later with new data, but can't typically otherwise be written to. They are non-volatile, so they hold their memory without power.

The most common example you'd run into in normal life is holding the BIOS for a computer. The program that handles input and output for the hardware and is loaded before everything else when you power up.

In Ye Olden Days they also used them for programs, as they were higher capacity and faster then most media like casset tapes or floppy disk.

In that case, the example you'd be likely to be familiar with would be video game cartridges.

>>51792096

Because they likely wanted to carve a swath through the Sphere and cow it into submission or knock out troublesome powers.

I believe conquering the entire Sphere was on the eventual "to do list" anyway and carving out occupation zones then and there could have given them a head start on that.

>>51792017
The nobility of failure.

>>51792017

Cause they are the only ones who took Nicholas' dream seriously and all the other retards devolved into animal totem tribes.

>>51792017
>The Blood Spirits almost feel like not even a clan but an actual remnant of the SLDF.
That's exactly it. They were the last of the old SLDF, the other clans were really just nicky K's sex cult gone horribly wring

>>51792508
Reminder that Clan Wolverine was annihilated because they wouldn't drink the Kool-Aid

>>51791867
>Better on average, but their intense training can't quite make up for the lack of age and experience with the best IS warriors.

I think that's the main thing, even pretty green IS troops will be trained for a wide variety of unusual shit, while Clanners are focused on duels and zell.

>>51792572
And of course only the blood spirits disagreed, and nearly got annihilated for it themselves

>>51792303
>>51792465
>>51792508
>>51792695
Fug, I want to be a Blood Spirit now.

>>51789383
Not just anywhere, it's been pointed out a few times that with the way the rules are written, it's anyWHEN. Royals in the 3020s? Yes please.

Why didn't the Blood Spirits like the Inner Sphere? Given how Spheroid they are(at least compared to the other Clans), I'd think they'd be the first to try and switch sides, just to get away from the other Clans that hate them if for no other reason.

>>51792981
Being fairly Crusader, they had a bitter mentality due to their disdain for the rest of the Clans, and they probably viewed the IS as a bunch of savage barbarians seeing what they reduced themselves to from the various Succession Wars and other conflicts.

>>51791299
>What if Gray Noton actually had a Rifleman IIC
FFS, you've been getting this wrong for at least the last two threads... it's Rifleman II, not Rifleman IIC! One is a radically different from baseline variant fielded by the Star League, the other is fielded by a pack of inbred peripherats that wouldn't be pestering the Inner Sphere until a few decades later!

>>51793113

>not getting the joke

>>51792952
Whenever? Are you sure?

>During the 4th Succession War the Death Commandos failed in their raid on Kathil and the 1st Kathil Uhlans rescued Justin Allard on Sian

>During the Jihad the Death Commandos inflicted critical damage on the shipyards at Kathil and rescued Kai Allard-Liao from New Syrtis during Operation THUNDERSTRIKE.

It's like poetry, you see. It rhymes.

>>51793143
I believe the person who pointed it out the first time had them fielding mechs that had just became prototypes elsewhere. I don't think they get stuff that hasn't been invented yet, but everything else is fair game.

>>51793143
A common joke with the Death Commandos is bringing Hellstars in 3025 and laughing at your opponent as he realizes their rules are written terribly.

>>51793129
Since it was done repeatedly last night, there's no way the guy was joking, just fucking up.

>>51793356

Bet you took the "What if Nicholas Kerensky was a WoB plant?" line seriously too.

>>51793373
>Damn, somebody pointed out my fuckups, gotta play the "It's a joke, haha!" card!

Cool story, bro.

>>51792981
Honestly, I figure the Spirits mostly hated the Inner Sphere by default; when you hate everyone you've ever met, you probably are gonna hate strangers too.
If they actually made it to the IS or periphery(the latter moreso, I think, since they know the ancient art of having neighbors without hating them somewhat more than the successor states), I suspect they would have slowly stopped hating absolutely everything and came out of their shell a little, so to speak

>>51793426
>ywn have a Clan yandere for your periphery state

>>51793452
It's more tsundere, really.

>>51793426

They came out in the wars of reaving, got defeated, humiliated, genocided then annexed. Bad end.

>>51793464
I don't know my way around all that weeb shit

>>51792981
>>51793426
>>51793452
>>51793464
Actually, if the blood spirits *were* to have relocated to the IS in say the mid-late 50s, where in the IS or periphery do you think would be the most appropriate or fun place for them to settle?

>>51793475
Humiliated? Details please.

>>51793572
Rim Worlds area - not too far, the Lyrans are busy on other fronts, and the people there are isolationist weaklings just like the Spirits.

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>>51793572

Solaris

>>51793572
Taurian Concordat.
Their relationship would be face-meltingly tsundere

>>51793658
>"I-It's not like we want to help you against the Davions, b-baka Bulls!"
Kawaii

>>51793575
They tried attacking Burrock while the Adders were absorbing them, and got gangbanged by both Clans. Then after the Reaving sideshow ended, the Adders finished the job so thoroughly, none of the civilians survived.

>>51794151

IIRC they even got their gene storage destroyed or something

>>51793475
But they didn't get annexed. They got genocided, the other Clans were so pissed about them arming civilians that everyone died.

>>51794176
Yeah, clan wank snake blasted it from orbit

>>51794205
>mass murder of civilians

Finally, they're the SLDF again!

What would you want to see in a Brush Wars 2 book?

Me? I'd like to see Operation Guerrero and Operation Scorpion.

>>51794593
I don't want to see a Brush Wars 2

>>51794624
Why?

>>51794593
They are never, EVER going to cover Guerrero. I don't have a screencap, but they said either during a dev chat or on the OF that they are just ignoring it because shit is too fucked to reconcile with even BattleTech logic.

>>51794717
Wars of the Republic Era was supposed to be BW2 already, and I thought the series focus too much on certain factions. Not exactly a bad book, just not my taste

>>51794851
Maybe the Liao half, but the Marik half adds up. I'm sure they could figure it out the way they have with other things.

>>51794884
I for one welcome our new purple burd liberators.

Who would win, an elemental or a Brute from Halo?

>>51795290
Unarmored, most assuredly the brute.
In armor, it depends on if infantry plasma weapons wreck BA as thoroughly as mech scale ones do

>>51795591
Since Halo plasma weapons at the personal scale are capable of melting titanium, it's all a matter of the Elemental not being a retard and the Brute getting stuck with a Mauler or a Spiker.

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>>51782021
>Way I figure it, this is an excellent way to be introduced to BT.

Sort of.

It's happened the other way around too. The results vary from "An ammo explosion does how much damage" to "This is fucking bullshit this game is so stupid rabble rabble rabble".

Glad you enjoyed yourself, though. Is it just the first time using megamek or playing Battletech altogether?

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>>51795649
First time playing BT at all. And don't worry, my next game had my Awesome getting randomly headshot and dying instantly. I got my revenge.

>>51795801

I've always loved this little "luck of war" thing of BT. You can be the baddest motherfucker who have ever driven a mech, you can have an ace custom clantech mech but there is always a chance you get shot in the face and die before you realize what happened.

>>51795801
Jesus, all those whammys. What were the forces on that field?

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>>51795801
>brazzers

>>51787623

If the Clans hadn't arrived in 3049, the FedCom literally has enough troops to send 2 regiments for every Drac one into the Combine while also saving 25 to secure the Capellan border (probably overkill, but whatever) and 45 for the Marik border.

Then once the Dracs are done for they can finish the Capellans and prepare for the FWL.

The only way to prevent this from happening is external factors, like ComStar going full Jihad or, as in canon, the arrival of the Clans. The FedCom was just retardedly strong.

>>51787950

>Given FedCom's utterly poor performance against the Clans

man what

The only sucky time the FedCom had against the Clans was when Katherine was in charge and because she wanted to Falcons running riot.


>>51789383

>Do the Death Commandos have the most broken special rules?

Yes. Quickly followed by the Red Lancers. Who are both Capellans. In a book written by Loren Coleman. I wonder what it means.

>>51791693

Whilst pretty much everything else about it is dumb, the lack of Crusaders challenging them makes sense. Ulric kicked everyone's ass and going by his listed exploits should probably have a longer list of special abilities than Kai did. Motherfucker killed *both* Ghost Bear Khans in duels, along with several other Bears, in a god damn Gargoyle Prime. Natasha was Natasha, and even Phelan was like 2/2 at the time. Then you've got Conal Ward leading the Crusaders and biding his time to seize a post, he wasn't going to tolerate anyone stealing his limelight.

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>>51795911

>>51783736
>A mothership to dropships without the ability to jump is just pants on head retarded.

They already exist in the game in the form of the very largest dropships that can't land on a planets surface anyway. They all carry small craft to ferry stuff to the surface and back, so why not design a dropship from the ground up to do exactly that?

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>>51795932
All right, that's worth another one.

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>>51795970
Have another one.

>>51795886
It was a Scenario entitled "A Few Crystals More". Don't know how to get a list of all the mechs in it, but you can take a look at it if you want. My side had a ludicrous number of PPCs.

>>51795932
Yeah, that definitely takes the cake.

>>51795930

Remember ComStar was keeping Hanse from totally obliterating both the Capellans and the Dracs. Interdiction, tech, supplies, intel, everything. It took the fucking ComStar intervening to keep the FedCom from shitting on the entire inner sphere. If not for their religious faggotry, the clans might have very well arrived just in time to the inauguration of First Lord Hanse Davion and his troops mopping up the last FWLM and periphery stragglers.

>Yes. Quickly followed by the Red Lancers. Who are both Capellans. In a book written by Loren Coleman. I wonder what it means.


Its funny because I have always liked the sneaky original capellans and getting dumped on by the Suns was a better story for them than the author fiat shitshow. I'd much rather play a skilled and crafty underdog heroically trying to defend our homeland than being the authors pet and getting everything haded to me.

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>>51796009
If you ever come up with one where there's a mess of mechs and tanks all in black surrounding one little white mech, I will not stop laughing.

>>51794593

I'm not sure there's really enough to cover with Scorpion, it went badly awry and basically all of ComStar's military was at Tukayyid. It would have been mostly special forces and intel assets in conflict, not really conducive to playing out in a game about 'Mechs.

The FWL side of Guerrero could be interesting but then you have to deal with the utter, pants on head retardation of the Capellan side of it. Where dozens of AFFC regiments in communication with New Avalon and under the comand of the Prince with their own transport assets completely fail to secure the border, because XIN SHENG XIN SHENG XIN SHENG XIN SHENG. It'll be even more nonsensical than H: Wo3039.

That being said, what other low-level conflicts are there? Mostly FCCW-era stuff, like the Bears raping the Dracs, the Suns raping the Dracs, the Cap/Suns conflict and so on. Maybe they could cover the St. Ives War, I dunno.

>>51795930
>killed *both* Ghost Bear Khans in duels, along with several other Bears
I forgot there was a time when the Bears didn't always get what they want.

>>51796060

The other thing is that even with ComStar pulling the strings by 3030 or so their advantages are gone. Their WarShips are in mothballs, only two are active due to the strain required to keep them staffed and maintained. The Hidden Worlds haven't ramped up, and the ComGuard have ~60 regiments, not all of which is LosTech, and the Houses are upgrading rapidly to. Given FedCom power and fiat in that time it's not hard to see them getting stomped flat and lost in the noise as Hanse strolls to victory.

They made the FedCom way, way too strong. It had to be broken even if only for OOC concerns.

>>51796142

And that was just in one fight.

Vandervahn Chistu shat himself and forced the entire Turkina Keshik to be refit with LRMs loading semi-guided missiles he had the targeting device for when he knew Ulric was coming for him.

>>51796060
Just to add my .02 C-bills, I don't think Hanse would have had to conquer the Free Worlds like he would the Dracs and Capellans. I think Thomas would strike a deal, seeing what he has arrayed against him.

>>51796076
BTW don't google "Poor little white boy" for their images sections. Poor little white mech... I don't want to even think about it.

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New thread for later.
>>51796189

>>51796210
>New thread for later.
>for later

are you a fag or something? new thread for now, it has entered into auto sage

>>51796174
Was that really him shitting his pants? I thought it was a "just as planned" thing.

>>51796175

True. If the Dracs went into full collapse mode the FWL could see the writing on the wall. Kapteyn a shit, just strike a good deal right now. Hanse would be the kind of leader who values such a deal and it would add greatly to the legitimacy of his First Lordship to have another successor state willingly bow to him. The Mariks would be still around, still nobles, still sector governors, possibly even married to the Hanses and Melissas issue and the whole of FWL could escape a beating.

Or they could just implode into yet another fucking civil war

>>51795884
as >>51795649 mentions though, it makes games a tremendous pain in the ass when balance is essentially meaningless in the face of a lucky shot. Your 4000 bv Clan assault randomly gets an LBX2 cockpit crit three turns in? Game over man.

>>51796152
>They made the FedCom way, way too strong. It had to be broken even if only for OOC concerns.

My personal preference would have been for the fedcom to actually conquer everything but then be forced to break up into St ives style feudal statlets under the nominal control of a Terran Hegemony based Victor as First Lord. But they would be feuding all the time with the central government only intervening to keep the conflicts from getting too big.

Would have been great from a gaming perspective.

>>51796688

Thats actually a pretty good idea.

>>51796060
To be fair, I doubt the FWL would put up much of a fight. I'd expect them to just shrug and go along with it.

Although a campaign in which the Regulan Hussars, Orloff Grenadiers, the Legionnaires, Knights of the Inner Sphere, and Marik Militia form a five-man band fighting a guerilla war to keep freedom alive in the Inner Sphere would be fuckin' sweet.

>>51796210
>implying anyone would care about Adelaide enough to fight over it

I know a lot of stuff in BT doesn't make sense but come on.

>>51796653

Then don't create a force that's so skewed towards any one Mech design that a lucky shot killing it will crater any chance of winning. Force composition is on you; if you're not willing to change your own force composition to deal with the fact that TACs exist, then the problem is you and not the rules.

>>51796876
>Then don't create a force that's so skewed towards any one Mech design
>Don't play a Clan pilot in a heavy mech, a very ordinary thing

Fuck you and the Savannah Master swarm you rode in with.

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>>51796254