BattleTech 3025 - Recruitment - A Time of War and Total Warfare

[Tavarokk]

That's true actually others have dead weight they need to compensate for, Noele is comparitively lean. Possible exception of Tech Empathy.

I'm curious why you took that, by the way. Or, vice versa, Technician/Aero by itself, rather than together with Electronics, Nuclear, Jets and Weapons. Going for the full package of aerospace craft maintenace/repair would've made Empathy quite handy.

[Voidknight]

Life path handed tech empathy to me- maybe it can be a bit of her development, learning a bit more.

[Tavarokk]

Life path handed tech empathy to me-

Ah, I see. It's possible to sell it off by taking Gremlins and having them cancel out, assuming you have a free -300 worth of negative trait allotment. Not sure how attached you are to -1 Wealth and Equipped ^_^

[Voidknight]

Ah, I see. It's possible to sell it off by taking Gremlins and having them cancel out, assuming you have a free -300 worth of negative trait allotment. Not sure how attached you are to -1 Wealth and Equipped ^_^

You are right- but eh, makes sense to give her something sub optimal, I like her being dirt poor- fits the story. Spent 75 of her starting 100 c-bills on nice clothes, that she keeps safely stored away. (Possibly even a gift to her)

[Tavarokk]

Makes sense. Meanwhile, Tech Empathy is super valuable for me cause I went for full technician. Considering that you need to level 6 separate skills to be able to handle every kind of repair and maintenance task possible for a battlemech (or 5 for aerospace), 10% xp discount and +1 to checks is godsent.

[TheGlyphstone]

Is this still accepting applicants? I adore BT, am insanely super hyped for MW5 next week, and would love to get that itch scratched with some authentic Battletech RP.

[Stendarr]

Um. What it is? As in, what, if any, is the flat retainer each of us gets, and what, if any, share of the profit (so, after all mission expenses are paid) from the contract pay and the loot are we entitled to?

Also, how much does "necessities will be issued for free" cover? Neurohelmet, cooling vest, sidearm, technician's tool kit, first aid kit?

Right, I think I was just tired when I asked last night. I'm still working on numbers, but the idea is that you're going to be given a not so generous sum upfront. That is compensated by the fact that you'll have a dropship, fighters, and 'Mechs loaned to you at a good rate. Because the League profits not only directly from your operations, but also indirectly by selling to the states what you deprive them of, you will get a good share of the profit. But vehicle repairs will be your responsibility.

Ah, that's an interesting thing to know.  So we were Dispossessed Mechwarriors (and pilots?) who were hired for this job in the Deep Periphery to pilot the loaner mechs.  One more reason to take a job so far out.  Perhaps we were hired separately and bonded as a team, forming a unit on the long trip there?  Or were in a unit that disbanded and were headhunted together?

The characters won't know each other prior to this (not as a whole unit anyway). You'll be organized into a group while in the League and given some time to be acquainted while traveling to Neuva Castile.

Is this still accepting applicants? I adore BT, am insanely super hyped for MW5 next week, and would love to get that itch scratched with some authentic Battletech RP.

If you're quick you can jump in. I'd be glad to have you.

Unless I'm counting wrong I think we still have space for a 'Mech pilot or an aerospace pilot.

[Hawkwood]

I imagine Tech Empathy for a pilot to be something rather like... [this]

[Tavarokk]

Right, I think I was just tired when I asked last night. I'm still working on numbers, but the idea is that you're going to be given a not so generous sum upfront. That is compensated by the fact that you'll have a dropship, fighters, and 'Mechs loaned to you at a good rate. Because the League profits not only directly from your operations, but also indirectly by selling to the states what you deprive them of, you will get a good share of the profit. But vehicle repairs will be your responsibility.

The characters won't know each other prior to this (not as a whole unit anyway). You'll be organized into a group while in the League and given some time to be acquainted while traveling to Neuva Castile.

Wait, do they own the unit and we use the gear, or do we own the unit and they loan the gear to it? If they own the unit and its stuff, they we don't owe them anything whatsoever (good rate or not) and they're covering costs, but they decide how much we're paid. If we own the unit, then we owe them loan payments and we're covering costs (such as repairs), but we keep all the mission payments and loot we can and decide among ourselves how to split it.

That aside, 'necessities' question?

[TheGlyphstone]

If you're quick you can jump in. I'd be glad to have you.

Unless I'm counting wrong I think we still have space for a 'Mech pilot or an aerospace pilot.

I can whip together an aero-jockey tomorrow, sure.

[Stendarr]

Sounds good.

[Stendarr]

Wait, do they own the unit and we use the gear, or do we own the unit and they loan the gear to it? If they own the unit and its stuff, they we don't owe them anything whatsoever (good rate or not) and they're covering costs, but they decide how much we're paid. If we own the unit, then we owe them loan payments and we're covering costs (such as repairs), but we keep all the mission payments and loot we can and decide among ourselves how to split it.

That aside, 'necessities' question?

You and your "co-workers" will own the unit on loan. You keep most of the mission payments and other profits, but as a sort of fee for setting you up with the opportunity, your profits will be slightly garnished.

How do I keep missing your questions!

Among personally distributed belongings will be, a neurohelmet, a cooling vest, a sidearm, a first aid kit, communication gear, power packs, a recharger, a basic tool kit, and survival gear just in case. An initial stock of amenities like food, water, repair tools, ammunition, vehicle armor, etc. will be provided, but restocks are on you. The League will be willing to sell you things like that, but you might find better deals locally, for purchase or plunder.

[Cessali]

I juggled skills around a bit and added the more obvious Compulsion triggers.  I'll make a pass at equipment at some point, but that'll all be in the character thread when I actually post there.  @_@

Tonight, you see, is drinking night!  And drinking night does not always play nice with numbers.

[Stendarr]

Midnight this upcoming Monday EST is going to be the deadline for having at a minimum a partial sheet submitted so we can get things rolling at least a little bit.

The character sheet thread link again: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=313925.0

[JFD99]

I just updated my character sheet to put more details into Caelus' sexual tendencies and preferences :)

Also, not related, but I just learned that there's a new Mechwarrior coming in a matter of days :O https://mw5mercs.com/

I will most likely get it since I'm in a MechWarrior mood and it might give me RP inspiration as well.

[Stendarr]

Not gonna lie, MW5 made me start playing MWO again which made me start this up.

[JFD99]

Looking at gameplay videos now :) It looks pretty good.

I wonder how well it plays with a flight HOTAS?

[Hawkwood]

What puts me off about the first-person MechWarrior games are two things (and yes, I'm a nerd):

1) Engagement distances. Why am I not launching cruise missiles from 500km away?
2) Targeting computers. How can you miss in line of sight within 500m with a laser?!

Having said that, I've been happily playing both the HBS Battletech game and have pre-ordered MW5.

Can I suggest Mace's Marauders for our name?

[Voidknight]

Mechwarrior 5 upset me greatly by going epic store exclusive. Had to cancel my own pre-order, just going to wait for it to hit Steam, GoG, or anywhere else really.

[Tavarokk]

1) Engagement distances. Why am I not launching cruise missiles from 500km away?
2) Targeting computers. How can you miss in line of sight within 500m with a laser?!

The answer to both questions is 'dispersion'. You're not launching cruise missles because you have no way to secure a direct hit necessary to take out hardened targets and you're missing with a laser because it travelling in a straigh line does not mean you can perfectly align it with target every time.

[TheGlyphstone]

The BT universe is famous for having incredibly archaic, barely 20th-century-grade targeting systems and computer software stapled to its 30th-century giant robots.


Rules question - there don't appear to be stats/prices/etc. for Aerospace units in Time of War that I can find? Since Custom Vehicle is barred, how would I get a gunship/VTOL helicopter since that seems outside the realm of 'necessities'?


EDIT: Life modules are confusing. As much as I want to use them, I'm going to go with points-only and use the Modules as a guideline for 'this sort of character would have X'. Currently shaping up as a Terran Belter native, asteroid miner/pilot/smuggler who ended up on the wrong end of a nasty inter-syndicate war and fled to the Deep Periphery, as far away from Terra as you can literally get. Or maybe a corporate agent instead. Yeah, I think a corporate spy who got burned and turned to smuggling.

[JFD99]

EDIT: Life modules are confusing.

I struggled with them at first too, but after fiddling with them and asking questions, I actually like that system quite a bit.

1. You only pay the XP for the module itself, then get all the traits and skills in them for "free" (I realized the total cost of the traits/skills inside them is actually equal to the cost of the module).
2. Optimization phase is key - that's when you get to remove "incomplete" traits and skill levels and end up with a bunch of XP to spend as you see fit.

[Hawkwood]

Is hydroponics / gardening an interest, a science, or a career? I ask because it suddenly occured to me how bleak it must be spending your life on most kinds of dropship

[TheGlyphstone]

I struggled with them at first too, but after fiddling with them and asking questions, I actually like that system quite a bit.

1. You only pay the XP for the module itself, then get all the traits and skills in them for "free" (I realized the total cost of the traits/skills inside them is actually equal to the cost of the module).
2. Optimization phase is key - that's when you get to remove "incomplete" traits and skill levels and end up with a bunch of XP to spend as you see fit.

Maybe I'll take a second pass at it, then. I wish I had someone experienced to bounce ideas off of in real-time Discord, but the GM is absent.

[Hawkwood]

The way I approached character creation was to use the lifepath system as a rough guide to the sorts of skills I should / could have. The previous editions of the RPG were much more heavily dependent on dice rolls, but also had much more flavor