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Made in au
Longtime Dakkanaut




The reddit battletech page has a handy buying guide all on one page to save. Brief but gives some info, and is at the top pinned. they also working on a new players guide but it won’t be ready for a little bit.

Camo specs is great if you want to browse factions before looking them up.

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page Is the wiki, all the info you could ever want.
Bit more advanced, but it’s got all the faction stuff if you are curious.
you can just do your own merc company and do what ever you want!

Another resource you can use, is master unit list. It’s alpha strike, but for lists on the units each faction uses it’s the best!

https://megamek.org/ Is useful learning once you start to step out of the starter boxes

There is also a few discord servers depending on what feel and play style you want.
You can also play online so easy, even if you want to set up a table physical.

   
Made in gb
Moustache-twirling Princeps




United Kingdom

From FB (not seen a 2023 one yet...):

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/03/29 08:43:37


 
   
Made in au
Owns Whole Set of Skullz Techpriests






Versteckt in den Schatten deines Geistes.

"Tournament Standard".

Not a phrase I'd ever associate with BTech.

Industrial Insanity - My Terrain Blog
"GW really needs to understand 'Less is more' when it comes to AoS." - Wha-Mu-077

 
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

Alternate buyers guide.

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/The_BattleTech_Compendium

The rules haven't changed, so pick up any old copy from ebay.

There are expansions, but 99.9% of the time you wont need them. The 0.1% of the time your mech stands in front of a train with five carriages moving at speed 7, there are lengthy calculations you can use to determine how destroyed the mech is and where the derailed train scatters.

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

 Orlanth wrote:
Alternate buyers guide.

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/The_BattleTech_Compendium

The rules haven't changed, so pick up any old copy from ebay.

There are expansions, but 99.9% of the time you wont need them. The 0.1% of the time your mech stands in front of a train with five carriages moving at speed 7, there are lengthy calculations you can use to determine how destroyed the mech is and where the derailed train scatters.

That is not entirely true. While the basic ruleset is the same, many values and concepts have changed since then.

Just focusing on the rule changes for Mechs, and not including new tech:
Inclusion of Battle Value for a way of determining a unit's value.
The order in which over-number units are moved is changed.
TAG operates in its own Phase, and allows the spotter to shoot.
TAG affects all Indirect Fire, not just Arrow IV.
Dumping Ammo, Indirect Fire, Four-legged Mechs, and Flipping Arms are standard rules instead of Special Case Rules now.
GATOR is introduced to help keeping track of To-Hit (technically not a rule, but still a very good update).
Partial Cover is changed from a +3 to a +1, and instead of using the Punch Table, Leg Hits are ignored.
Target Movement Modifiers adjusted from a maximum 4+ at 10+ to a 6+ at 25+.
Physical Attacks use the Piloting Skill as a base.
Hatchet and Pushing Attacks provide a -1 To-Hit.
Kicking provide a -2 To-Hit.
Environmental Heat rule limiting the amount of Heat a 'Mech can receive from outside sources in a turn is added.
Infernos are changed to an absolute Heat increase based on the number that hit that turn instead of just adding to the duration it lasts.

And that's just for the 'Mechs. The other units, including the addition of Protomechs, have seen a lot more changes across the board. Most of them were for the better (at least for them).

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





 Charistoph wrote:
 Orlanth wrote:
Alternate buyers guide.

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/The_BattleTech_Compendium

The rules haven't changed, so pick up any old copy from ebay.

There are expansions, but 99.9% of the time you wont need them. The 0.1% of the time your mech stands in front of a train with five carriages moving at speed 7, there are lengthy calculations you can use to determine how destroyed the mech is and where the derailed train scatters.

That is not entirely true. While the basic ruleset is the same, many values and concepts have changed since then.

Just focusing on the rule changes for Mechs, and not including new tech:
Inclusion of Battle Value for a way of determining a unit's value.
The order in which over-number units are moved is changed.
TAG operates in its own Phase, and allows the spotter to shoot.
TAG affects all Indirect Fire, not just Arrow IV.
Dumping Ammo, Indirect Fire, Four-legged Mechs, and Flipping Arms are standard rules instead of Special Case Rules now.
GATOR is introduced to help keeping track of To-Hit (technically not a rule, but still a very good update).
Partial Cover is changed from a +3 to a +1, and instead of using the Punch Table, Leg Hits are ignored.
Target Movement Modifiers adjusted from a maximum 4+ at 10+ to a 6+ at 25+.
Physical Attacks use the Piloting Skill as a base.
Hatchet and Pushing Attacks provide a -1 To-Hit.
Kicking provide a -2 To-Hit.
Environmental Heat rule limiting the amount of Heat a 'Mech can receive from outside sources in a turn is added.
Infernos are changed to an absolute Heat increase based on the number that hit that turn instead of just adding to the duration it lasts.

And that's just for the 'Mechs. The other units, including the addition of Protomechs, have seen a lot more changes across the board. Most of them were for the better (at least for them).


But not one of those changes the basic mechanics, feel, or tactics of the game to any meaningful degree. The game itself still plays just like it did in 1985, and someone who hasn't played since then will not be troubled by these changes.

The new technology will probably overwhelm them, sure, but they can still play basic, level 1, 3025 technology just fine.

CHAOS! PANIC! DISORDER!
My job here is done. 
   
Made in gb
Fixture of Dakka







Well, thanks for the useful answers, folks.

Looking at the image posted by beast_gts, I think I've got some of the books there from the Introduction to BattleTech Humble Bundle from... last year? Either way, I've been reading Technical Readout: Clan Invasion, and amusing myself with some of the TLAs in use. Not sure why some Mechs are firing cash machines at people...

Either way, it definitely looks like I've got copies of Total Warfare and the Alpha Strike Commander's Edition to look at, which is handy - that gives me the basics for both approaches to the game, if I'm not mistaken?

I can see I might need a printer for record sheets - can't recall the last time I had a working printer in my flat.

Will definitely need to have a look at the paint scheme site Flinty mentioned - as someone whose initial exposure to BattleTech back in t'day was the Decision at Thunder Rift novel, Grey Death Legion is a definite possibility

Side question, actually - I noticed that on the back of the Primer in the starter box is an advert for the novels, and some of them are now listed as "BattleTech Legends" instead of just BattleTech. Are we dealing with a Star Wars EU situation here, where some of the books are no longer canon?

In terms of basing, I guess I was more thinking about the scaling of materials - the finer sand I have for 6mm figures is likely to be a better fit than the coarser stuff I have for 28mm, right?

2021-4 Plog - Here we go again... - my fifth attempt at a Dakka PLOG

My Pile of Potential - updates ongoing...

Gamgee on Tau Players wrote:we all kill cats and sell our own families to the devil and eat live puppies.


 Kanluwen wrote:
This is, emphatically, why I will continue suggesting nuking Guard and starting over again. It's a legacy army that needs to be rebooted with a new focal point.

Confirmation of why no-one should listen to Kanluwen when it comes to the IG - he doesn't want the IG, he want's Kan's New Model Army...

tneva82 wrote:
You aren't even trying ty pretend for honest arqument. Open bad faith trolling.
- No reason to keep this here, unless people want to use it for something... 
   
Made in us
Rampaging Chaos Russ Driver





Albany, NY

Grey Death Legion rule, you'll be in good company!

In regards to the Legends label on some books, that's just the subtitle CGL uses for reprints of books with updated covers, not any comment about canon.

For basing, I definitely agree that finer materials look better in scale than some of the gravels you'd be using for a 28mm figure. Look at whatever material you're using next to a 'Mech's foot and imagine if it could actually walk over that. I tend to prefer using basing texture pastes for my BT minis as that provides more contour and texture without obvious grit or boulders.

   
Made in au
Longtime Dakkanaut




If it’s offical to the game, it’s cannon from my understanding. But some are myth, legend or false accounts.
Anything outside is often side cannon, it’s possible or true until contradiction.

For basing I would use the fine grit as a base. Even bigger sand can look rather rocky.
Easy basing, I use thin blue tack and paste over. There is also good road texture that will last years!

For alpha strike you can get away with just your stats on a PC, and a peace of note paper

Cool I didn’t know that about the reprints !

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/03/30 12:33:37


 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

Vulcan wrote:But not one of those changes the basic mechanics, feel, or tactics of the game to any meaningful degree. The game itself still plays just like it did in 1985, and someone who hasn't played since then will not be troubled by these changes.

I rather disagree, and I played with the Compendium. If you think that values and how rules are processed don't change feel of a game, then you really haven't had to deal with subtle changes before. For example, having your "Defense" reduced by 2 in a situation is huge. Changing from a 1/6 chance of a Head Hit to a 1/36 chance is huge. Plasma Cannons and Rifles created the necessity for the Environmental Heat rule, which allowed Infernos to apply Heat as an increasing force. Physical Attacks are now more accurate than before. And that's all within Total Warfare.

While the changes are not hard to deal with and adjust to, they do have a notable impact on how the game feels in the situations where they did change, and Partial Cover (the most notable) is one that comes up a lot in every game I play.

Dysartes wrote:Looking at the image posted by beast_gts, I think I've got some of the books there from the Introduction to BattleTech Humble Bundle from... last year? Either way, I've been reading Technical Readout: Clan Invasion, and amusing myself with some of the TLAs in use. Not sure why some Mechs are firing cash machines at people...

That's actually pretty funny!

Still, the Advanced Tactical Missile system is a pretty nasty weapon system, provided you have the Ammo Bays to take advantage of it. And it's not even as nasty as the improved ATM, which is a Streak Mode version for the same weight class!

Dysartes wrote:Either way, it definitely looks like I've got copies of Total Warfare and the Alpha Strike Commander's Edition to look at, which is handy - that gives me the basics for both approaches to the game, if I'm not mistaken?

Those are the central rules, correct.

More advanced rules for Total Warfare play can be found in Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules, The Battlemech Manual, and Campaign Operations. More advanced equipment can be found in Tactical Operations: Advanced Units and Equipment (Artillery equipment, Hardened Armor, and many other fun things), Interstellar Operations: Alternate Eras (iATMs, Super-Heavies, Tripods, and more), and Strategic Operations (for space Warship fun).

Dysartes wrote:I can see I might need a printer for record sheets - can't recall the last time I had a working printer in my flat.

I believe most copy shops will also have ways of printing PDFs as well, so if you can make a PDF of a Record Sheet, you'll be good. MegaMekLab and MechFactory both provide ways of getting PDFs of the units they have on record, and CGL has provided some record sheets for the released plastic models as a free download here.

Dysartes wrote:Will definitely need to have a look at the paint scheme site Flinty mentioned - as someone whose initial exposure to BattleTech back in t'day was the Decision at Thunder Rift novel, Grey Death Legion is a definite possibility

Grey Death Legion is a great unit, and if you like the color scheme, by all means paint them up that way. There is no requirement to follow a specific unit's pattern, though. Feel free to make adjustments based on what you can get and what you can handle.

Dysartes wrote:In terms of basing, I guess I was more thinking about the scaling of materials - the finer sand I have for 6mm figures is likely to be a better fit than the coarser stuff I have for 28mm, right?

Probably. For a long time I used railroad modeling gravel. I got a 1-2 pound bag of the stuff and I think I've used maybe a quarter of it, and I've been using that bag since I was doing 40K and WarMachine, too.

However, I did come across a tip to use baking soda, of all things. Just put a layer of super glue down, sprinkle baking soda on it, and if you want more clumps add a drop more of super glue on top of that. It works amazingly well, you just need to make sure it mixes in with the glue properly and gets covered by primer or it will get picked up by your brush.

Here's a picture of my Dragonflies. The 2 plastic CGL models on the left have the Baking Soda base, while the Ironwind Metals one on the right has the railroad gravel.


Edit: It would help to add the picture, wouldn't it?

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2023/03/30 16:12:30


Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in us
Lieutenant General





Florence, KY

 Dysartes wrote:
Will definitely need to have a look at the paint scheme site Flinty mentioned - as someone whose initial exposure to BattleTech back in t'day was the Decision at Thunder Rift novel, Grey Death Legion is a definite possibility



'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents
cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable
defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'

- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty
Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
 
   
Made in us
Grisly Ghost Ark Driver






 Dysartes wrote:
In terms of basing, I guess I was more thinking about the scaling of materials - the finer sand I have for 6mm figures is likely to be a better fit than the coarser stuff I have for 28mm, right?
There's also 'florist' sand. Don't know if you've big chain art stores in the UK, but here in the US, one can get a fine sand which is used in floral displays and other household decorative uses. It's what I used for Dropzone Commander and now BT & AS, since the HO scale gravel was obviously too big for both games. If you've the 6mm, you won't need it now, but I mention it for later, since the decorative sand comes natural or pre-dyed, and is cheaper in bulk than the hobby stuff.

Kings of War: Abyssal Dwarves, Dwarves, Elves, Undead, Northern Alliance [WiP], Nightstalkers [WiP]
Dropzone Commander: PHR
Kill Team: Deathwatch AdMech Necron

 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





 Charistoph wrote:
Vulcan wrote:But not one of those changes the basic mechanics, feel, or tactics of the game to any meaningful degree. The game itself still plays just like it did in 1985, and someone who hasn't played since then will not be troubled by these changes.

I rather disagree, and I played with the Compendium. If you think that values and how rules are processed don't change feel of a game, then you really haven't had to deal with subtle changes before. For example, having your "Defense" reduced by 2 in a situation is huge. Changing from a 1/6 chance of a Head Hit to a 1/36 chance is huge. Plasma Cannons and Rifles created the necessity for the Environmental Heat rule, which allowed Infernos to apply Heat as an increasing force. Physical Attacks are now more accurate than before. And that's all within Total Warfare.

While the changes are not hard to deal with and adjust to, they do have a notable impact on how the game feels in the situations where they did change, and Partial Cover (the most notable) is one that comes up a lot in every game I play.


I'll grant the change to the partial cover did make partial cover useable, rather than something to be avoided in game. But that's a small change in the tactics of playing the game. Physical attacks being slightly less accurate didn't prevent us from making them left, right, and center when the opportunity arose before the changes.

The biggest changes to the feel of the game come not from those fairly trivial changes to the rules, but the ongoing proliferation of technology as time passes. But when playing 3025 rules, the game still plays virtually identically to the way it did in 1985, small changes in tactics aside. In fact, one of the bigger changes you mention, environmental heat, comes strictly from the changes in technology, not changes in the basic rules of the game.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/03/31 14:02:17


CHAOS! PANIC! DISORDER!
My job here is done. 
   
Made in us
Lieutenant General





Florence, KY

Since tomorrow is April 1st...

Plenty of Room at the Hotel California (April Fool’s Day 2023)
PDF Only: $4.99

This Could be Heaven, or this Could be Hell



Rimward of the Inner Sphere, far beyond reach or relevance to the major Houses and Clans who battle each other even now, lies a nebula long thought to be mundane, uninhabited, and insignificant. The last expedition to that cloud of space dust never returned. Over fifty years later, a second expedition now embarks to delve into the mystery that is the California Nebula!

Plenty of Room in the Nebula California is a special follow-up to Welcome to the Nebula California, with more off-beat settings for BattleTech adventures far from the hustle, bustle, and cyclic chaos of the Dark Age-era Inner Sphere. Here in this space—where the very laws of logic, physics, and biology seem warped and twisted beyond recognition—worlds, societies, and technologies have arisen among populations long lost to the realms humanity now calls home! Special rules, backstories, and record sheets are included for a host of new (and hopefully unique) … things, ready for play in your (really) advanced BattleTech and A Time of War games.

Catalyst Game Labs web store: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-plenty-of-room-in-the-nebula-california
DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/432111/BattleTech-Plenty-of-Room-in-the-Nebula-California

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/03/31 20:39:56


'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents
cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable
defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'

- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty
Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

Vulcan wrote:I'll grant the change to the partial cover did make partial cover useable, rather than something to be avoided in game. But that's a small change in the tactics of playing the game. Physical attacks being slightly less accurate didn't prevent us from making them left, right, and center when the opportunity arose before the changes.

Again, I disagree because I'm talking about how the game rules FEEL. I didn't really address the tactics at all.

Partial Cover was usable back then because of the +3 To-Hit, even with the worse Hit Chart. It didn't change my tactics at all, really. Getting in to water was a viable tactic for a sniper back then, and it is now. Finding those sniper nests on a map were equally as useful. It is how it was useful that changed, which alters the FEEL of the game.

Physical Attacks are now something to be more sought out as well as they become more and more effective. As I said, it changed the FEEL, not necessarily the tactics.

Vulcan wrote:The biggest changes to the feel of the game come not from those fairly trivial changes to the rules, but the ongoing proliferation of technology as time passes. But when playing 3025 rules, the game still plays virtually identically to the way it did in 1985, small changes in tactics aside. In fact, one of the bigger changes you mention, environmental heat, comes strictly from the changes in technology, not changes in the basic rules of the game.

I don't disagree that the tech race changed a lot of the feel of the game, but we haven't seen as much new technology with Total Warfare, but it was rampant in the 90s and just became more formalized in Tactical Operations. I believe that Plasma Weapons and Hyper-Assault Gauss are the only weapons that didn't have something based on it by the time of the Master Rules book. They showed up in MechClix, but they weren't in the CBT rules until Total Warfare came out.

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





 Charistoph wrote:
Vulcan wrote:I'll grant the change to the partial cover did make partial cover useable, rather than something to be avoided in game. But that's a small change in the tactics of playing the game. Physical attacks being slightly less accurate didn't prevent us from making them left, right, and center when the opportunity arose before the changes.

Again, I disagree because I'm talking about how the game rules FEEL. I didn't really address the tactics at all.

Partial Cover was usable back then because of the +3 To-Hit, even with the worse Hit Chart. It didn't change my tactics at all, really. Getting in to water was a viable tactic for a sniper back then, and it is now. Finding those sniper nests on a map were equally as useful. It is how it was useful that changed, which alters the FEEL of the game.

Physical Attacks are now something to be more sought out as well as they become more and more effective. As I said, it changed the FEEL, not necessarily the tactics.

Vulcan wrote:The biggest changes to the feel of the game come not from those fairly trivial changes to the rules, but the ongoing proliferation of technology as time passes. But when playing 3025 rules, the game still plays virtually identically to the way it did in 1985, small changes in tactics aside. In fact, one of the bigger changes you mention, environmental heat, comes strictly from the changes in technology, not changes in the basic rules of the game.

I don't disagree that the tech race changed a lot of the feel of the game, but we haven't seen as much new technology with Total Warfare, but it was rampant in the 90s and just became more formalized in Tactical Operations. I believe that Plasma Weapons and Hyper-Assault Gauss are the only weapons that didn't have something based on it by the time of the Master Rules book. They showed up in MechClix, but they weren't in the CBT rules until Total Warfare came out.


Just pointing out the advancing technology has done FAR more to change the feel of the game since 3025 than the changes to the actual rules of the game, that's all.

3025 games still feel the same now, 2023, as they did in 1985. It really is that simple.

CHAOS! PANIC! DISORDER!
My job here is done. 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

 Vulcan wrote:
3025 games still feel the same now, 2023, as they did in 1985. It really is that simple.

Again, I disagree that it feels the same. Just because the tactics are pretty much the same from 2nd Edition to A Game of Armored Combat, doesn't mean that the feeling hasn't changed.

I play every level here locally. I agree that tech causes things to get weird. There is a large difference between having a Fireball XF and a Locust as your fastest 'Mechs. There's a huge difference between having an AS7-D Atlas bearing down on you and a 100 ton MunchkinMech that is 4/6 with maximized Ferro-Lamellor Armor, carrying Talons, Claws, a Super-Charger, and Triple-Strength Myomer, along with enough Small Pulse Lasers to get in to that sweet spot and stay there.

But I played with what would be considered Standard Tech before, and the only things that the tech does is change the values of what I can do (for the most part).

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in es
Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer






Personally I agree that 3025 has fundamentally the same feel that it did back then. The few rules that have changed feel more like errata fixing than anything else.

The only things that are really out of whack in 3025, I'd say, are medium lasers (which have always been way too good) and ACs (/2s and /5s are really bad, and every time you take those out of a 'mech it gets better. /10s are not great, but at least you're not handicapping yourself by using them, and /20s are fine as they are for 3025 play), but the moment advanced tech gets in the table... THAT does fundamentally change the way it feels. Everything tends to be faster and killier, and heat management is most of the time not a thing anymore... and that's just using regular 3050 tech. So you get a game that plays faster because everything deals much more damage and tends to blow up faster because of that coupled with most mechs not really having to deal with heat anymore and Xl engines and the like makind mechs more fragile... that fundamentally changes the way the game feels and works, not a couple of errataed rules. At least in my experience.

But to each their own.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2023/04/02 14:37:37


 
   
Made in us
Master Engineer with a Brace of Pistols





washington state USA

Charistoph wrote:
 Vulcan wrote:
3025 games still feel the same now, 2023, as they did in 1985. It really is that simple.

Again, I disagree that it feels the same. Just because the tactics are pretty much the same from 2nd Edition to A Game of Armored Combat, doesn't mean that the feeling hasn't changed.

I play every level here locally. I agree that tech causes things to get weird. There is a large difference between having a Fireball XF and a Locust as your fastest 'Mechs. There's a huge difference between having an AS7-D Atlas bearing down on you and a 100 ton MunchkinMech that is 4/6 with maximized Ferro-Lamellor Armor, carrying Talons, Claws, a Super-Charger, and Triple-Strength Myomer, along with enough Small Pulse Lasers to get in to that sweet spot and stay there.

But I played with what would be considered Standard Tech before, and the only things that the tech does is change the values of what I can do (for the most part).


That right there is one of the reasons we almost never allow custom mechs except under certain special occasions, and never in general pickup games.

The biggest changes (not always for the best-max tech level 3 vehicle charts are way better for vehicles than current TW rules if you want them to be anything more than window dressing) were some of the charts and some of the big winners were fixing things like AMS to make them have a purpose.

Albertorius wrote:Personally I agree that 3025 has fundamentally the same feel that it did back then. The few rules that have changed feel more like errata fixing than anything else.

The only things that are really out of whack in 3025, I'd say, are medium lasers (which have always been way too good) and ACs (/2s and /5s are really bad, and every time you take those out of a 'mech it gets better. /10s are not great, but at least you're not handicapping yourself by using them, and /20s are fine as they are for 3025 play), but the moment advanced tech gets in the table... THAT does fundamentally change the way it feels. Everything tends to be faster and killier, and heat management is most of the time not a thing anymore... and that's just using regular 3050 tech. So you get a game that plays faster because everything deals much more damage and tends to blow up faster because of that coupled with most mechs not really having to deal with heat anymore and Xl engines and the like makind mechs more fragile... that fundamentally changes the way the game feels and works, not a couple of errataed rules. At least in my experience.

But to each their own.


I regularly play 3050-3067, while some of the mechs are heat efficient, most are not and you still have to manage your heat quite a bit. additionally forced withdrawl rules also make mechs a bit more fragile in the sense that you do not fight to the death because mechs are way to important to waste. it also speeds up game play.

Time for the weeks battle tech update-

.stone rhino
.marauder IIC
.turkina
.super nova
.thunder stallion

VS

.atlas
.nightstar
.highlander
.gunslinger

.king crab
.atlas
.devestator
.thunderhawk


It was assault day again-2 merc units take on the clanners. i think they really need to do a better job vetting some of these contractors.

In one turn both the nightstar and highlander fell asleep and then fell, the game gets a bit easier i suppose when your enemy kills itself.

The first to fall on the clan side was the supernova. for the mercs it was the king crab, the early game was favoring the clanners but it turned a bit when the range closed.

The only head decapitation was the stone rhino taking a gauss to the face, but the star commander managed to make an emergency eject. at the end of the game there was only the nightstar standing on the merc side VS the marauder IIC and thunder stallion.

Spoiler:


Spoiler:


The second game was a lance of death commandos VS 2nd swords pf light. so it was C3 lance VS stealth armor lance.



This game went really fast. with my kurita fast heavies getting in close. it meant both sides were quickly reduced to a single mech. with a matchup like a victor VS a dragon it wasn't going to be pretty.

Victory for the death commandos....but only barely.


Spoiler:


Spoiler:









This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2023/04/03 01:00:40






GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear 
   
Made in gb
Fixture of Dakka







One of your images is a bit messed up there, aphyon.

2021-4 Plog - Here we go again... - my fifth attempt at a Dakka PLOG

My Pile of Potential - updates ongoing...

Gamgee on Tau Players wrote:we all kill cats and sell our own families to the devil and eat live puppies.


 Kanluwen wrote:
This is, emphatically, why I will continue suggesting nuking Guard and starting over again. It's a legacy army that needs to be rebooted with a new focal point.

Confirmation of why no-one should listen to Kanluwen when it comes to the IG - he doesn't want the IG, he want's Kan's New Model Army...

tneva82 wrote:
You aren't even trying ty pretend for honest arqument. Open bad faith trolling.
- No reason to keep this here, unless people want to use it for something... 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

 aphyon wrote:
That right there is one of the reasons we almost never allow custom mechs except under certain special occasions, and never in general pickup games.

When its known, its known, and anything I can do, I can get back just as bad or worse.

Would it make it any different if it was a Turkina Z coming down on you instead of a MunchkinMech? A Viking IIC? One of the Gausszillas? The tech level is what makes things crazy, not necessarily custom jobs.

Oddly enough, I have less to fear with Custom Introtech than any other Custom Jobs. As it is, I never know what I'm going to face, and making custom units IS part of the ruleset.

 aphyon wrote:
The biggest changes (not always for the best-max tech level 3 vehicle charts are way better for vehicles than current TW rules if you want them to be anything more than window dressing) were some of the charts and some of the big winners were fixing things like AMS to make them have a purpose.

That's a bit arguable that the old Level 3 Charts were better, but I agree that Combat Vehicles have probably seen the most changes over all. That's why I didn't even bother addressing them.

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in us
Master Engineer with a Brace of Pistols





washington state USA

Dysartes wrote:One of your images is a bit messed up there, aphyon.


Fixed...my mouse is dying so it clipped part of the code, didn't catch it....happens when you have been awake fro 24 hours.

Charistoph wrote:
 aphyon wrote:
That right there is one of the reasons we almost never allow custom mechs except under certain special occasions, and never in general pickup games.

When its known, its known, and anything I can do, I can get back just as bad or worse.

Would it make it any different if it was a Turkina Z coming down on you instead of a MunchkinMech? A Viking IIC? One of the Gausszillas? The tech level is what makes things crazy, not necessarily custom jobs.

Oddly enough, I have less to fear with Custom Introtech than any other Custom Jobs. As it is, I never know what I'm going to face, and making custom units IS part of the ruleset.

 aphyon wrote:
The biggest changes (not always for the best-max tech level 3 vehicle charts are way better for vehicles than current TW rules if you want them to be anything more than window dressing) were some of the charts and some of the big winners were fixing things like AMS to make them have a purpose.

That's a bit arguable that the old Level 3 Charts were better, but I agree that Combat Vehicles have probably seen the most changes over all. That's why I didn't even bother addressing them.


My point with munchkin mechs is the same-if you want something find it in what already exists, if you are doing it to be abusive that is not something to encourage. in our groups games there are several ways we set up games. we always pick an era but some of the guys like to do BV2 or C-bill cost. i prefer theme for my pick up or planned games so you can enjoy using stuff you like. like the ones above, one was stealth lance VS C3 fast heavies that best represent how Liao and kurita like to fight with standard pilots.

It is not arguable at all. catalyst came out and said in the very beginning that they specifically changed the charts to make vehicles less effective because they wanted to make mechs the core focus of the game. it is a true combined arms game and it should be encouraged not discouraged. the fact that the core rules are effectively unchanged in the last 30 years along with the myriad of optional rules is what makes the game so great. if you and your players choose ahead of time which version of the optional rules you like to use there should be no problems. one of those that is a hard no for me is using the current vehicle damage charts for anything in the game. i have heavy metal pro and it already has the option to use the level 3 charts for all vehicle types on the record sheets.

Addendum to my last post-

Good news/bad news In case you missed it Steel warrior studios, one of the best sources for 3d printed battle tech terrain and STL files, is going out of business. made me very sad....however it appears gale force 9 has aquired the rights to their battle tech terrain via thunderhead studios and will be selling it in pre-painted sets starting in july.

https://www.gf9.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=7680

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/03 08:19:16






GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear 
   
Made in gb
Moustache-twirling Princeps




United Kingdom

CGL wrote:We contracted Rem Alternis Productions Inc. to produce a video featuring our beloved Kell Hounds, and put a fun and educational spin on it for new and old fans alike. Check it out, subscribe to our #youtube channel and tell us what you think!



   
Made in us
Lieutenant General





Florence, KY

For those who missed the livestream interview of Randall Bills it's now on YouTube:


This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/04 14:54:07


'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents
cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable
defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'

- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty
Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
 
   
Made in au
Owns Whole Set of Skullz Techpriests






Versteckt in den Schatten deines Geistes.

Highlights?

Industrial Insanity - My Terrain Blog
"GW really needs to understand 'Less is more' when it comes to AoS." - Wha-Mu-077

 
   
Made in us
Lieutenant General





Florence, KY

Proliferation Cycle ForcePack Unboxing




UrbanMech Lance ForcePack Unboxing


This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/06 23:20:55


'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents
cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable
defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'

- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty
Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
 
   
Made in us
Lieutenant General





Florence, KY

I was watching the unboxing video for the Snord's Irregulars Assault Lance and Sneede's FrankenMech comes with an optional Phoenix Hawk head, a Rifleman's tracking system 'wing' and what looks like it might have been bits that fit in the Guillotine's jump jets to have them just starting to fire up (the poster couldn't find where they went). Some cool extras for this ForcePack


This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/12 18:44:39


'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents
cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable
defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'

- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty
Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
 
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

The forcepack with the Gun Nerd...

I have a feeling that I will be getting this Highlander before getting the ComStar one.

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in gb
Moustache-twirling Princeps




United Kingdom

These were just posted on FB:

Michael Siu wrote:New metal vs plastic comparisons




   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

If you want to see some funny ones:

Clan Invasion Executioner & Ral Partha/old Ironwind Metals Timber Wolf


Clan Invasion Timber Wolf & Ral Partha/old Ironwind Metals Timber Wolf


And for gits and shiggles, printed Avatar & Ral Partha/old Ironwind Metals Avatar:


Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
 
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