BattleTech 3057 - Recruiting players and co-GMs for new run.

[Wargtass]

Don't think I have the Strategic Operations book, so that would account for my lack of knowledge in the field of no torso twists.

I don't think we should restrict Clan Tech entirely, rather be a little reserved about it. I don't want people to be forced into piloting 'Mechs they don't want, just give them some drawback ingame if they have them. Say an OmniMech blows a DHS or shatters an Endo-steel strut. If the OmniMech is to remain Omni it must be repaired with Clan ESS or DHS, otherwise it means restructuring it an losing its Omni-status. And with the black market Clan Tech will be in such high demand that replacing such items become nigh impossible. Things like that creates a flaw which players can use in their character and even play a small plot around.

As for your Crab Glyph, I would say go for the Gauss. Sure, you lose a little close combat edge but you gain a whole lot of diversity in the field. Also it is not like the Gauss is worthless at short ranges either.

[Wheresmycow]

So I apparently need to do a -lot- of reading because most of that conversation went over my head.  This is the first time I've ever been a newbie in a nerdy discussion, it's kind of refreshing.

I like the Jagermech and the two gauss rifle variant.  Seems fun to me.  Question though: what's the advantage of having two gauss rifles over one?

[TheGlyphstone]

You can fire twice as many slugs? Shooting multiple guns doesn't impede your accuracy (range and speed are the primary degraders of aiming), so two gauss rifles would potentially deal damage twice as fast.

[Wargtass]

Double the firepower. That's about it. One takes up 15 tons of weight and seven "slots". To put that into perspective the largest practical ballistic weapon, the AC/20, takes up 14 tons and 10 slots. A JagerMech is a 65 ton 'Mech, so with double Gauss that's almost half the weight in Gauss, not counting ammunition. Add to that stuff like the Gyro, internal structure, armor and engine and you have no much to go on from there.

[TheGlyphstone]

Which means you're basically a 'glass cannon', so to speak. Two extremely powerful, extremely long-range guns, but very fragile versus return firepower that manages to close with you.

[Wargtass]

I am making Mechs with BarbaraGordon over PM to get her something she would like, I can give you a double and a single Gauss suggestion for the Jager once I am done there.

[Sel Nar]

I'm probably the stodgiest of stodgy old farts in BT; take one 8Q Awesome, laugh mercilessly as everything within the 540-metre range of four PPCs Melts.

(Admittedly, back in 3025, a perpetual favourite was the Griffin; 5/8/5 With a PPC and LRM-10 was the penultimate mobile sniper of the era, and even in the 3050's era, the Griffin is a surprisingly tough customer)

[Wheresmycow]

I will say that the highlander looked attractive because those jump jets add some great maneuverability.  I'm fine being fragile to a certain extent, but positioning is incredibly important if you want to snipe.  Since my knowledge is far below your guys, how likely are shots that hit weapons, cockpits or ammo?  Like if someone is sporting missile launchers, would a good sniper be able to hit those reliably or is it lucky shot territory?

[Wargtass]

With a Gauss in a Jager (made for being a heavy weapons platform or an anti-air one) it's pretty damn much up to the skill of the pilot if he can hit such things. And with the Jagers arms basically being positioned above its torso one could theoretically hide almost the entire 'Mech behind cover and still shoot (I hate those double Gauss Jagers in MechWarrior Online I can tell you...).

Here they are either way. Single Gauss:



Not too shabby when it comes to armor and can engage targets at most ranges efficiently. C3 Slave which coupled with a commander with C3 Master at the front can give accurate directions for fire even at extreme ranges, as well as a Beagle Active Probe (BAP) for easier targeting and target identification. Anti-missile system in case some pesky LRMer sees you.


Double Gauss:



Surprisingly easy to build. There's not much more to do with it once the two monsters are in place. Two medium lasers, just don't get too shooty with them, you might actually overheat.

[TheGlyphstone]

But to answer the sniping question - not easy. Mechs are designed with lots of ablative armor, which generally has to be worn away before weapons or ammo can be put at risk - that includes things like missile launchers, which often have drop-down plates that shield the launch tubes when they're reloading. So directly sniping someone's ammo compartment is almost impossible (though a 'sniper' could focus his shots on the body compartment that stores the ammo and hammer away that armor faster), and weapons are such tiny targets relative to the mech's bulk that trying for the sort of hail-Mary shot down a laser barrel or missile tube you seem to be envisioning is incredibly difficult and impractical compared to just shooting them (especially with a Gauss rifle, which will core right through most Mech's armor in one or two shots). Gauss rifles are good for headshots, though, assuming you can hit the head (again, very difficult, but not impossible).

[Wheresmycow]

I think I'll go with a one gauss rifle Jaeger concept.  Is it possible to sacrifice a little armor and a laser or two to equip it with a jump jet or something that'll give it increased mobility?  I'm not aiming to play a gundam here, but a customised Jaeger with extra jump height might be good for being able to take surprising positions.  Or should I just go for the Highlander and call it a day?

[Wargtass]

As far as I know Jagers cannot even have jumpjets. Some Mechs are just too awkwardly built to jump. I might be wrong though. Even so, you'd need about 3-5 jets to make any difference, each weighing in at about half a ton. Then again, when it comes to surprise positions you would rarely find such a position in the field I think. 'Mechs are pretty damn big and hiding behind anything smaller than a multistore building or hill is nigh impossible unless you're in one of the smaller Light Mechs.

[Sel Nar]

Not trying to dissuade you here, but if you're looking at Battletech through the lens of Gundam's mobility, you're going to be sorely disappointed; think more 'walking tank with all the aerodynamic properties of a dropped anvil.'

A ~Good~ 'Mechwarrior can do things like make the (typically-ponderous) 60+ tonners like the Rifleman, Jaegermech, Archer, Marauder, etc. do things like sidestep missile spreads, or duck, and 'mechs with hands do have cockpit waldoes when the pilot needs to exert delicate control; usually not when the 'mech is yanking a girder out of a collapsed building and proceeding to beat another 'mech over the head and shoulders with the length of iron, or simply slugging one another.

Getting a 'mech into the air under its own power is inherently unstable; the further a 'mech can jump, in general, the rougher the landing is, regardless of how well-designed the machine is; A 'mech without lower arms or hands, such as the Jaeger or Rifleman, if given Jumpjets, is a faceplant away from expensive, embarassing hilarity for everyone but the pilot; try to lever yourself from face-down without using elbows or hands and you'll get a good idea of how that would be like. (The pilot, by the by, would be at severe risk of concussion, broken bones, or worse, despite being strapped into their seat tight enough to let them dangle upside down)

In general, a 'mech is slow, ponderous, deliberate, and the heavier they get, the slower they get; top feasible speed for the average assault 'mech is 54 kph at a dead run, because the next-rated engine 'up' has a weight curve that goes from 'slow' to 'goddamn vertical'. (As an example; the 75-ton Marauder uses a 19-ton 300-rated engine to run at 64 Kph. a 100-ton 'mech wanting to move at the same speed would need a 400-rated engine, which weighs 52.5 tons)

Edit; Warg; jumpjets have incremental weight based on 'mech weight, remember? from 20-55 tons each jet is half a ton; from 60-80 tons it's 1 ton per jet, and from 85+ it's 2 tons per jet.

And yes; 'mechs are goddamn huge. The smallest 'mech ever, the Locust, is still a good 9 metres tall. The Atlas, while no longer the deadliest, is still the tallest, at 14 metres (with surface-to-space antenna retracted).

[Kadigan]

Finally settled on a nice Hellbringer with War, who was a great help on everything. Sort of working on a paint scheme for now, but other then that I'm ready to go I think..

[Sara Nilsson]

good luck hun :)

[Wheresmycow]

Oh, I know BattleTech Mech's are cumbersome and clunky, I just didn't know how clunky they were.  I skimmed the Battle Armor section and I'm guessing there's probably nothing there that would fit and be survivable.

I still need to do more reading, but I'm going to say that'll go for that one gauss rifle JagerMech for now, unless someone highly recommends the Highlander over it.

[TheGlyphstone]

Battle armor is generally the size of the average mech's shin...powered armor units don't fight mechs one-one-one, they use swarm tactics and hope enough of them live to climb on and go for the cockpit hand-to-hand. The only reason Elementals (Clan battle armor troopers) can survive hits from even the smallest of 'Mech weaponry is because they're genetically enhanced super-soldiers and their suits come with auto-injectors pumping anesthetizing painkillers, and the Clans consider 5 elementals to be of equivalent combat value to a single 'Mech.

I'd go with the Jaegermech myself, since we'll already have two Assault-class mechs, an Awesome and a King Crab (80 tons and 100 tons respectively), and it's always beneficial to have a good spread of weight classes across a 'Mech company.

[Wheresmycow]

Jaegermech it is!

Plus the name is cool.

[Blobbe]

Still trying to decide whether to pick up with Elisa again or restart with a fresh character. I've put a lot of time into Elisa and had plans for her but... she's kinda dull and lacking in personality as well.

[summoner2183]

Can I use a character from another Mechwarrior RP?

[Wargtass]

Can I use a character from another Mechwarrior RP?

Sure, you haven't used it here yet. 

[TheGlyphstone]

Technically, we have 2 or 3 characters who are already from another Mechwarrior RP (though specifically a prequel to this one, so it's kinda fuzzy). But if the character you already have fits into the parameters of time and setting and isn't utterly abhorrently repellent, I don't see any reason why you couldn't recycle them.

[Sara Nilsson]

if there arent objections i am interested

[Inash]

I got rid of all of my old Battletech books and stuff years ago :(  But.... Thanks to the wonders of the web, I will rise again!!!  I mean join this game after a bit of research.

[Wargtass]

if there arent objections i am interested

I have none and that is what is important I should say. 

I got rid of all of my old Battletech books and stuff years ago :(  But.... Thanks to the wonders of the web, I will rise again!!!  I mean join this game after a bit of research.

You are most welcome!