(Interest Check) Battletech: Small Soldiers (Infantry-centric RP)

[TheGlyphstone]

So I was watching (again) the Mechwarrior 5 trailer today, and amidst all the stompy robot fighting action, something stuck in my head - the POV shots on foot, looking up at the Battlemechs from ground level. And I started wondering what it has to be like for people who aren't glorified knights in walking tanks in this war-twisted hellscape of a universe.

Most BT-set RPs are about Mechwarriors, naturally, but I'm curious if there is any interest for a game that steps outside that mold for a focus on Poor Bloody Infantry. Think of movies like The Dirty Dozen or The Expendables, but set amidst a backdrop filled with terrifying giant robots whose pilots regard foot soldiers as crunchy things to step on.

[Ron Don Volante]

I've been a BT fantatic since middle school. 100% in.

[pdragon]

I've never played battletech before, but I'd be interested to give it a try

[Marie Reynolds]

I would be interested in this! Would it be a  House, Clan or Mercenary Unit? Would we be using Elementals and vehicles as well?

[TheGlyphstone]

I would be interested in this! Would it be a  House, Clan or Mercenary Unit? Would we be using Elementals and vehicles as well?

I think the FedCom Civil War makes a good timeline point - that's 3062, a decade after Tukayyid, which enables the most variety of potential character origins and the widest assortment of stories to explore. My default assumption is a Mercenary squad of some kind, which will slant the game's atmosphere towards stories like The Expendables and The A-Team.  But if people are really interested in playing a group of Faction loyalists - either House or Clan - it can be done. This sort of game is going to resemble stories like Dirty Dozen or Band of Brothers.

The idea is to play up the Man in Man vs. Machine, so while your squad might have an APC or a VTOL transport (with accompanying pilot), don't plan on power armor or a tank (unless you 'borrow' someone else's  ). That wouldn't stop, say, a Clanner Elemental PC, they'd just be sans Elemental battlesuit.

[Marie Reynolds]

I would say a Merc unit would be a good route to go for this game, It would not require much knowledge of the long history of Battletech and allow the players to develop there own flair and story and  grant  the players a chance to build their own legacy and deeds.

I think a unit supported by an apc and maybe a combat capable cargo vehicle, That has a focus in scavenging for different resources and having a knack for industrial espionage, The unit could serve a unique role in appropriating military tech for their employers or in denying employers enemies the development of new military advances. The unit may even have skilled demolition experts.

This is not meant to be a sit in stone suggestion, Just more of launching point for brainstorming ideas of the units nature.

[Mister Ugly]

Okay I am in for this. A long time BT player that ran a unit that had non mech parts.
Might I suggest a group like the 'Black Cats'. Special Ops which also fits an Expendable concept.
I would suggest maybe one ot two suits of battle armor there are some very interesting ones in the Innersphere by 3062. Look at the Achileus as an example and could be explained in ways. Useful as long as there are only a couple and maybe mix them up.
One of my favorite was the Kanazuchi

>MU

[TheGlyphstone]

Okay I am in for this. A long time BT player that ran a unit that had non mech parts.
Might I suggest a group like the 'Black Cats'. Special Ops which also fits an Expendable concept.
I would suggest maybe one ot two suits of battle armor there are some very interesting ones in the Innersphere by 3062. Look at the Achileus as an example and could be explained in ways. Useful as long as there are only a couple and maybe mix them up.
One of my favorite was the Kanazuchi

>MU

Something like the Black Cats was pretty much exactly what I had pictured - I knew they had to exist, but it's nice to see one explicitly named in canon. Might just end up stealing that directly since so little is written about them.

Good point on the battle armor, though. Mostly, I think what I'm trying to avoid is the incoherency of a 'mixed' unit, where you end up with one VTOL pilot and one tank driver and one Elemental battlesuit-wearer and one infantry sniper and trying to make sure everyone can participate in the story becomes madness. Having a mixed squad of unarmored and power-armored troops seems logistically difficult - but if we assume the squad as a whole is cross-trained in power armor, that increases the potential options for missions to go on. So I'll amend the earlier statement - no vehicles heavier than an APC or light VTOL, power armor maybe depending on how people feel.

Plenty of interest, so I'll work on a formal Recruitment thread for posting tomorrow.

[Mister Ugly]

I read a short story in one of the manuals about the Black Cats and the name stuck with me.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Black_Cats_Cross_Your_Path

I no longer have any of the old manuals so if ya can find a cope ya might find this story?

>MU

[Mister Ugly]

You might want to look this over http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Category:Infantry_Units

The closest I think you may want is a unit like this http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Motorized_Heavy_Infantry

>MU

[Ollumhammersong]

As someone who is a long time fan of BattleTech and loves the idea of a non mech related view of the setting, I would like to tentatively throw my hat into this. As well as pitch my two-cents worth, that I would personally prefer not to include power armour at all. If the goal of this is to do the infantry experience lets do that.

If power armour needs to be included, make it either everyone deploys with it or no one. Or make it something the company works to try and afford and/or steals or salvages down the road.

[Mister Ugly]

As someone who is a long time fan of BattleTech and loves the idea of a non mech related view of the setting, I would like to tentatively throw my hat into this. As well as pitch my two-cents worth, that I would personally prefer not to include power armour at all. If the goal of this is to do the infantry experience lets do that.

If power armour needs to be included, make it either everyone deploys with it or no one. Or make it something the company works to try and afford and/or steals or salvages down the road.

I can live with that idea. Though I would suggest someone or two have the ability to use power armor. Sorta Like Kai Allard did in the books where he helped the elementals free the rest

[TheGlyphstone]

Official recruitment thread is live:

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=305985.0