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

[Sara Nilsson]

so what mech is needed really? and what do we have a surplus of?

[Wargtass]

So far I have no need, surplus or limitation. My goal this time around is that everyone should be able to play what they want to play and everything else be damned. I don't care if you are ten assaults, a light and a chimp, as long as all players are happy with the 'Mech they will be piloting.

[Sara Nilsson]

omg.. i can haz chimp??!?!?!?

[Sel Nar]

So far, the only confirmed ones are the King Crab, the Awesome, a Jaegermech, and a Wolfhound. (Of those, the Crab, Awesome, and Hound are from the previous game) Depending on how many come in from the prior game, we will likely have more than just those, of course.

My suggestion? Go with what you want to play, not something that 'fits easily' into a predefined slot. Personal 'silly' suggestion; the Tarantula Quad 'mech. 25 tons, 8/12/8 movement profile, 2 medium lasers and a Streak SRM-2. It's stupid-fast, small, and a superb harasser because next to nothing has a jump profile that gets near what it has.

As a 'Goddamn bullshit' option [read: makes players on the tabletop ragequit, which is as funny as you might expect], the Wraith is also a fun option; 55 tons, 7/11/7 movement profile, Large pulse and 2 medium pulse lasers. Its entire reason for existence is to jump behind an enemy, savage their thin back armour with its weapons and jump away before any meaningful retaliation can be applied to it. (the reason it's so fast is because its engine, even as an extra-light, weighs nearly half of what the 'mech does, and the pulse weapons means that it's more accurate than conventional, longer-ranged weapons)

[Inash]

Is forgotten the tarantula.  I was treat hung robotech and thinking:  there's a maurader, and a rifleman, and an ostol, and a warhammer.  Gotta like the classics.

[Inash]

On the subject of mech that make you go wtf?  What about aeromech?

[TheGlyphstone]

You mean Land-Air Mechs? They exist, but mostly in museums as a centerpiece of 'really stupid ideas in Mech Design' exhibits, and the only remaining factory making LAMS and LAM parts was captured/razed in-universe seven years ago by Clan Nova Cat, so parts would be stupidly hard to get.

[Sara Nilsson]

I was actually looking at the tarantula. it is such a good looking mech

[TheGlyphstone]

It does look nifty, Quads are pretty cool-looking - though at 25 tons with 4.5 tons of armor, it'll go BOOM if it's not moving flat-out and someone sneezes on it too hard.

[Sara Nilsson]

who wants to live forever?

[Inash]

I was thinking of LAMs.  I lost track of this game shortly after the clan invasion though, so...

[Sel Nar]

Admittedly, the entire ~point~ of the Tarantula is to zip in, chew up someone's back armour as fast as possible, and scarper, leaving them going 'What the shit just hit me at 130 Kph?'

[Wargtass]

I'll be gone during the weekend, so you will have to do without me. Any questions just ask these knowitalls.

[TheGlyphstone]

I was thinking of LAMs.  I lost track of this game shortly after the clan invasion though, so...

Yeah, Sarna says that the sole remaining LAM factory got overrun and captured by Nova Cat in 3050, and since the Clans don't like LAMs, its fate is unknown but presumably repurposed or razed. They'll get a resurgence of popularity during the Jihad, though.

[Wheresmycow]

So, my character who I shall name Brooklyn until I can come up with something better, call sign "Payday", will pilot the Jaegermech but aspire to one day piloting a Highlander.  I don't want to start with it, I want my character to dream of owning one.

[Blobbe]

Yeah, Sarna says that the sole remaining LAM factory got overrun and captured by Nova Cat in 3050, and since the Clans don't like LAMs, its fate is unknown but presumably repurposed or razed. They'll get a resurgence of popularity during the Jihad, though.

"Razed" doesn't do it justice. The Cats went so far as to burn individual microchips and melt the equipment. The factory was destroyed beyond the point of salvaging anything from it.

The last combat-worthy LAMs were destroyed during the Clan invasion; death of supply meant that the survivors were grounded and useless. The (breif) LAM revival during the Jihad came at the hands of the Word of Blake who crafted new LAMs for the Mane Domeni. Those are very extinct too

Besides, LAMs suck

[Sel Nar]

LAMs were a case of 'great in theory, utterly crap in practice'.

The fact that actual Aerospace Fighters were better in air and space compared to the (under-armoured and under-armed) LAMs was one thing, but on the ground, while a LAM was comparable to an identical Non-LAM (Stinger, Wasp, Phoenix Hawk), they were immobile and defenceless during the conversion from aircraft to 'mech format, and a 'lucky' shot (read: everything in range with line of sight) could, and often did hit something vital, turning the LAM into little more than expensive, and ugly sculpture.

There's a reason the format went extinct by 3050 (read: 1992 IRL).

[Blobbe]

Technological advance was also cruel to them. LAMs cannot use XL Engines (Or light, or XXL), Endo Steel structure, Ferro-Fiberous armour (Or LFF, HFF, Reflective, Reactive, hardnened or any other type, really), XL Gyros, Torso-mounted cockpits or a host of other things that I can't recall off the top of my head.

The Word's Spectral LAMs "cheated" by using Clan weapons, but that was less an advantage as it was a catch-up

[Inash]

Here is my sheet so far.  I need to do a bit more work on it still.

Pilot

Name: Gregory Schmidt
Sex: Male
Homeworld: Tharkad
Original Faction: Steiner

Description:
He is average height and fairly thin with dishwater blonde hair and brown eyes.  He is usually clean shaven and has no significant scars.

Background:
Gregory started his career as a mech pilot working for TharHes Industries.  He did tests and sales demonstrations.  MERCENARY COMPANY was one of the clients he demonstrated for.  When he decided it was time to leave TharHes, he purchased an old demonstration Bushwaker and left to try and start life as a mercenary.

WIP

Personality: (Just a few sentences on the pilot's personality)
Though he seems fairly quiet and reserved when you first meet him, he can be quite gregarious and a bit silly when around people he knows well. 


Speciality Skills: (Anything that doesn't have to do with piloting a 'Mech)
Adequate cook
Adequate poker player
decent mechanic in a pinch (i.e. knows which end of the wrench to use, but not too much else)
General outdoorsmanship
Need to add 1-2 slightly more hobby-ish skills, just need to think of some
Attempting to write a mystery novel (poorly)


BattleMech Characteristics
Bushwacker BSW-X1(with plans to upgrade to a Marauder, and eventually a Marauder II if possible)  Information on Bushwacker from:  http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Bushwacker

Bushwacker BSW-X1g

BSW-X1 Bushwacker (modified with light gauss rifle instead of AC/10, scratch that, it appears the light gauss can only be mounted on inner sphere omnimechs.)
55 tons 
BV: 1,073
Cost: 9,807,366 C-bills

Movement: 5/8  (86.4 km/h)
Engine: 275 XL  (8 T)
Heat Sinks: 11 [22] (1 T)
Gyro: Standard Gyro (3T)
Cockpit:               (3T)

Internal:  (5.5 T)
Armor: 161 (9 T)
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Head                        3        9
Center Torso               18       26
Center Torso (rear)                 8
Right Torso                13       22
Right Torso (rear)                  4
Left Torso                 12       22
Left Torso (rear)                   4
Right Arm                  9       11
Left Arm                   9       11
Right Leg                  13      22
Left Leg                   13       22

Weapon                         Loc  Heat      Critical     Tonnage
———————————————————————
Light Gauss Rifle           RA     1            5                 12
LRM 5                           LA     2           1                  2
LRM 5                            LT     2           1                    2
ER Large Laser               CT     12           2                    5
Machine Gun                 RT       0            1                   .5
Machine Gun                 LT       0            1                  .5

Ammo                           Loc Shots
----------------------------------------
Lt Gauss Ammo               RT    16                1                1
MG Ammo                      RT     100             1                  .5
LRM 5 Ammo                     LT    24            1                  1
CASE                           RT & LT                  2                  1

[PaladinZenaku]

Ok warg I will post the archer I was talking about. I might go with it but I am still looking around for another so dont expect it. I am right now looking at the archer, crab and a wolverine. Specific models is still being researched on dates made.

Archer

Archer ARC-PZ
IS TW non-box set
70 tons 
BV: 1,596
Cost: 6,099,374 C-bills

Movement: 4/6
Engine: 280
Heat Sinks: 10
Gyro: Standard Gyro

Internal: 107
Armor: 208/217
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Head                        3        9
Center Torso               22       33
Center Torso (rear)                 10
Right Torso                15       24
Right Torso (rear)                   6
Left Torso                 15       24
Left Torso (rear)                    6
Right Arm                  11       22
Left Arm                   11       22
Right Leg                  15       26
Left Leg                   15       26

Weapon                         Loc  Heat
----------------------------------------
Medium Laser                    RA     3
Medium Laser                    LA     3
Small Pulse Laser               CT     2
Small Pulse Laser               CT     2
Gauss Rifle                     RT     1
LRM 10                          LT     4

Ammo                           Loc Shots
----------------------------------------
Gauss Ammo                      RT     8
Gauss Ammo                      RT     8
LRM 10 Ammo                     LT    12
LRM 10 Ammo                     LT    12

[TheGlyphstone]

Very odd weapon loadout for an Archer, and would require a complete rebuild of the right torso. Why not set that up as a customized Marauder variant instead? You've already got the ballistic weapon shoulder mount, the torso-mounted lasers could be replaced with the LRM, and the arm PPCs swapped for the laser batteries.

[Blobbe]

Here is my sheet so far.  I need to do a bit more work on it still.

Pilot

Name: TBD
Sex: Male
Homeworld: TBD
Original Faction: Steiner

Description: (A few sentences describing the physical characteristics of the pilot)
He is average height and fairly thin with dishwater blonde hair and brown eyes.  He is usually clean shaven and has no significant scars.

Background: (A paragraph or two about the pilot's history and career)

WIP - need to get back up to speed on the setting.

Personality: (Just a few sentences on the pilot's personality)
Though he seems fairly quiet and reserved when you first meet him, he can be quite gregarious and a bit silly when around people he knows well. 


Speciality Skills: (Anything that doesn't have to do with piloting a 'Mech)
Adequate cook
Adequate poker player
decent mechanic in a pinch (i.e. knows which end of the wrench to use, but not too much else)
General outdoorsmanship
Need to add 1-2 slightly more hobby-ish skills, just need to think of some
Attempting to write a mystery novel (poorly)


BattleMech Characteristics
Bushwacker BSW-X1(with plans to upgrade to a Marauder, and eventually a Marauder II if possible)  Information on Bushwacker from:  http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Bushwacker

Bushwacker BSW-X1g

BSW-X1 Bushwacker (modified with light gauss rifle instead of AC/10)
55 tons 
BV: 1,073
Cost: 9,807,366 C-bills

Movement: 5/8  (86.4 km/h)
Engine: 275 XL  (8 T)
Heat Sinks: 11 [22] (1 T)
Gyro: Standard Gyro (3T)
Cockpit:               (3T)

Internal:  (5.5 T)
Armor: 161 (9 T)
                     Internal    Armor
--------------------------------------
Head                        3        9
Center Torso               18       26
Center Torso (rear)                 8
Right Torso                13       22
Right Torso (rear)                  4
Left Torso                 12       22
Left Torso (rear)                   4
Right Arm                  9       11
Left Arm                   9       11
Right Leg                  13      22
Left Leg                   13       22

Weapon                         Loc  Heat      Critical     Tonnage
———————————————————————
Light Gauss Rifle           RA     1            5                 12
LRM 5                           LA     2           1                  2
LRM 5                            LT     2           1                    2
ER Large Laser               CT     12           2                    5
Machine Gun                 RT       0            1                   .5
Machine Gun                 LT       0            1                  .5

Ammo                           Loc Shots
----------------------------------------
Lt Gauss Ammo               RT    16                1                1
MG Ammo                      RT     100             1                  .5
LRM 5 Ammo                     LT    24            1                  1
CASE                           RT & LT                  2                  1

Well, you win from me just for using the Bushwhacker

[TheGlyphstone]

The Bushy still holds a soft spot in my heart from being the starter-mech of Mechwarrior 3. So what if I eventually upgraded to a Daishi with more Medium Pulse Lasers than God, Bushwacker was my first.

[PaladinZenaku]

Very odd weapon loadout for an Archer, and would require a complete rebuild of the right torso. Why not set that up as a customized Marauder variant instead? You've already got the ballistic weapon shoulder mount, the torso-mounted lasers could be replaced with the LRM, and the arm PPCs swapped for the laser batteries.

Do you mean upgrade the madauder to the MAD-5S variant? That model is the closest to what your saying but doesnt have LRM-10 and I am liking the idea of the marauder. I will do some research on the date on the MAD-5S to see if it was possible in 3057. If so it is a yes.

[Sel Nar]

The MAD-5S variant was considered standard production as of 3052, so it's almost as common as the Original 3R version by '57. (Personally, I'd keep the old medium lasers instead of the pulse upgrade, and use the extra 2 tons of space to increase the armour on the Marauder's notoriously thin-skinned side torsos.)