|
Defiance Industries posted:There's always Bondsref, or even better, the MW2:Mercs response What is bondsref? I'm sorry I have no idea how the clan bondsman system works.
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 02:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 08:13 |
|
|
LeschNyhan posted:Rossi is turning out to be a total badass. So long as he doesn't die here, I hope PTN gives him something interesting to do. Even if he gets captured he ought to get his due.  I would have written my push as a last-minute charge, if only for fluff purposes, though.  Angry_Ed posted:Also I'm banking on a The strategist in me is saying that I should head for the woods and try to get eyeballs on the assault lance, but the LPer says I should go gently caress that Lucerne up.  Longinus00 posted:To give you an example of what this Hellbringer might be like, here's (purportedly) the original Hellbringer as published before the official clan tech specs. I'm pretty sure a-pods didn't exist when the 3050 TRO/omnis were first introduced. Gothsheep posted:drat. Forget about lasting 20 rounds. We'll be lucky if this fight lasts 10. A through-armor crit from falling that snaps a leg off and a PPC shot to the head in the same round? I honestly don't remember any rules that account for legs snapping off with one crit. I suppose I coould be forgetting them, though. raverrn posted:I don't qualify. Yeah you do, you'll just be used as techs or (if really lucky) they'll give you a clan tank and shuttle you back to the homeworlds.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 02:57
|
|
|
Artificer posted:What is bondsref? I'm sorry I have no idea how the clan bondsman system works. Here is your answer: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Bondsman WarLocke posted:I'm pretty sure a-pods didn't exist when the 3050 TRO/omnis were first introduced. You're right. On the Anti-Personnel Pod's wiki entry, the references indicate the 1st time it is mentioned is in the TRO:360 text. landcollector fucked around with this message at 03:04 on Apr 6, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 02:58
|
|
|
What are neural implants? I thought that was what the helmets are for.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 03:02
|
|
|
Artificer posted:What is bondsref? I'm sorry I have no idea how the clan bondsman system works. It is the biggest gently caress you that can be given. Says that, though they are impressed enough go want you in their Clan, you would rather die.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 03:03
|
|
|
wiegieman posted:What are neural implants? I thought that was what the helmets are for. I'm not up on the technical aspect of them, but when they were first introduced (in the fairly crappy cartoon) Clan neural implants were a sort of combination visual overlay (to help sight/targeting through things like battlefield smoke and low-light conditions) and an (implied) semi-targeting computer feature. In game mechanics terms I think it's -1 to both Piloting and Gunnery rolls while it's on, but internal damage to the mech has a chance to deal (irresistable?) damage directly to the pilot via neural backlash or something.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 03:07
|
|
|
WarLocke posted:I'm pretty sure a-pods didn't exist when the 3050 TRO/omnis were first introduced. They did. In fact, the original TRO:3050 had a rules supplement in back that included them. WarLocke posted:I honestly don't remember any rules that account for legs snapping off with one crit. I suppose I coould be forgetting them, though. Rolling a 12 on the "did I get a critical?" roll blows off the arm/leg/head. landcollector posted:You're right. On the Anti-Personnel Pod's wiki entry, the references indicate the 1st time it is mentioned is in the TRO:360 text. That's just the first reference of the cited manufacturer. It was B-Pods that came later (after 3060, though).
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 03:11
|
|
|
The Merry Marauder posted:They did. In fact, the original TRO:3050 had a rules supplement in back that included them. Hrmm, I no longer have my 3050 TRO but I honestly don't remember them being in there (rules supplement or as pods on the omnis). Welp.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 03:15
|
|
|
wiegieman posted:What are neural implants? I thought that was what the helmets are for. It is what Neurohelmets are for. The neural implants just do things faster, because they're not reliant on good skin contact. Basically, it eliminates the chance of a neurohelmet loving you over. WarLocke posted:I'm not up on the technical aspect of them, but when they were first introduced (in the fairly crappy cartoon) Clan neural implants were a sort of combination visual overlay (to help sight/targeting through things like battlefield smoke and low-light conditions) and an (implied) semi-targeting computer feature. In game mechanics terms I think it's -1 to both Piloting and Gunnery rolls while it's on, but internal damage to the mech has a chance to deal (irresistable?) damage directly to the pilot via neural backlash or something. For the EI implants, yes. These are a precursor, have all the drawbacks PLUS some, and do far less. Since this is Somerset, I felt it appropriate for a jackass with neural implants to turn up.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 03:16
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:Cool as they are, I've been forced to conclude that the Mk I omnis are bullshit. Why? Because they use machine guns far more intelligently than any other fielded design (other than the Piranha). For giggles, would you pretty please put us in a school of Piranhas for some urban warfare? I really want to see them in action after someone mentioned ERSLas-equipped PRAs as tiny buzzsaws of doom.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 04:37
|
|
|
Rivensteel posted:For giggles, would you pretty please put us in a school of Piranhas for some urban warfare? I really want to see them in action after someone mentioned ERSLas-equipped PRAs as tiny buzzsaws of doom. Jeeze, you 'Mechwarriors are suicidal. The Piranha is an absolute monster.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 04:43
|
|
|
“Chapters 39-42” We are now told that Taoism explains why the mercs will totally lose even though they just beat the crap out of Takuda’s forces. Whatever. It now occurs to Takuda that he just sent two lights and a steampunk tank up against a superior force and he is feeling fittingly stupid. In fact, he’s considering seppuku again, he hosed up so hard. At this point, Davud comes in and says some recruits from the towns have shown up. Supposedly they’ve heard word of what Takuda is working towards, but I like to think they just don’t understand anything that doesn’t suck. As for the mercs, their demonstration was so successful that everyone is clamoring for their attention, making the Gang of Five just part of the background noise. The leaders of the three towns realize the danger they’re in and strike a truce. Their first goal is to eliminate Takuda’s rogue element, then murder the mercs so that everything can finally settle down again. They thus send most of their forces to wipe out the Spec Ops (and friends) (and the tank). In spite of all that talk earlier about using servants as a spy network, the combined forces catch Takuda with his pants down. The Spec Ops themselves are doing well enough, of course, but their new recruits and the muppets are getting slaughtered by the enemy’s much superior numbers. The battle extends into a fighting retreat, the rear covered by Takuda’s soldiers. The combined forces start celebrating early at forcing an apparent rout, but both sides start reorganizing as the afternoon draws on. Three of the Spec Ops are casualties, including the sniper, but none are dead. Takuda recognizes the situation is dire, but a full retreat will mean the whole force will break up and never reassemble. The ‘mechs weren’t used before, since Takuda figured the mercs were part of the attack somehow, but he decides to deploy them now. He draws the op force further into the woods, then springs the Locusts on the enemy armor, easily wiping them out. This does the trick, and the remaining infantry routs. Both forces, exhausted, return to their homes in low spirits. In addition, a tech defects from the mercs, sick of all the fragmentation, and explains their situation to Takuda. More refugees come piling in during the night. Tired of the chaos, Takuda wanders off to talk with the ostrich muppets. It’s at this point that one of them bothers mentioning that another DropShip happened to land on the other side of the mountains, so Takuda decides, “Eh, why not,” and now they all have somewhere to go suddenly. Someone (Vost) sends an anonymous letter to all the power mongers telling them to meet with Vost in a specific location. They all show up and start bickering with each other. Just before the meeting descends into chaos, Vost makes an appearance and basically turns the meeting into an auction for the mercs’ services. While he waits for them to build their final offers, he returns to his quarters and finds all the women he’s been sleeping around with waiting for him. Oh, they also happen to be what’s left of his support crew. They all demand an equal share of the profit or they walk. Vost is all WOMAN HOT NOT TALK BACK BETTERS, but decides to stuff it for once and figure a way out later.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 04:53
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:Jeeze, you 'Mechwarriors are suicidal. The Piranha is an absolute monster. I was actually hoping we could drive them, but getting sandpapered/TACed to death while the Piranha's circle strafe could be fun... Speaking of which, could I be placed on the Mech driver list? I greatly look forward to getting flogged to death by an Axeman or something. No PMs, I can be reached at REDACTED. Thanks! Rivensteel fucked around with this message at 13:00 on Apr 22, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 04:54
|
|
|
WarLocke posted:I'm pretty sure a-pods didn't exist when the 3050 TRO/omnis were first introduced. The regular Hellbringer has a-pods. In fact the only weapon difference is swapping 3 ermlasers for a second streak srm6.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 06:05
|
|
|
WarLocke posted:I'm not up on the technical aspect of them, but when they were first introduced (in the fairly crappy cartoon) Clan neural implants were a sort of combination visual overlay (to help sight/targeting through things like battlefield smoke and low-light conditions) and an (implied) semi-targeting computer feature. In game mechanics terms I think it's -1 to both Piloting and Gunnery rolls while it's on, but internal damage to the mech has a chance to deal (irresistable?) damage directly to the pilot via neural backlash or something. That's the Manei Domini VDNI, not Enhanced Imaging. Enhanced Imaging is -1 to Piloting, -1 to cover/LoS obscuring modifiers (so it reduces the to-hit modifier of smoke/etc) and the ability to either target individual parts of a mech at +5 without a targeting computer or +1 with a targeting computer. The disadvantages are roughly the same, though. On Battlemechs any internal damage or critical hits cause pilot feedback (avoid damage on 7+ IIRC). The Manei Domini have ways to mitigate this problem, the Clans do not. Oh, right, and in ten years, the neural implants turn you into a vegetable.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 07:22
|
|
|
MJ12 posted:Oh, right, and in ten years, the neural implants turn you into a vegetable. Not that they know that yet. Or that the Clans care, since they're hoping to earn a Bloodname in 5 and be dead by 7-9.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 07:28
|
|
|
Since this battle will be over soon unless the dice start being nice again. Pre-emptive vote for reppin house Liao. Also I remember the wolfhound from merc4 as the only mech that could rotate all the way around. The Wolfhound is my fav light mech, and someone had to go and snap its leg off falling over.  edit: there could be other mechs that could rotate all the way around, but I only remember the wolfhound. Popy fucked around with this message at 07:57 on Apr 6, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 07:48
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:Not that they know that yet. Or that the Clans care, since they're hoping to earn a Bloodname in 5 and be dead by 7-9. If they're lame enough to need the crutch then sure they'll die that soon.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 08:04
|
|
|
Popy posted:Since this battle will be over soon unless the dice start being nice again. Pre-emptive vote for reppin house Liao. All mechs have the same level of torso twist, before you start bringing in advanced rules. Just saying. None of that "Oh the Nova and Stalker can't at all but the Thanatos gets a full circle." crap. Also gently caress Liao. We get taken out by the Clans so we go to hide on the rear end end of the Sphere? No! We should be playing the Genyosha next, and then if they lose, we play as some frightening gestalt of them and the 2nd Donegal commanded by a Caesar Steiner and Yorinaga Kurita team-up.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 08:16
|
|
|
“Chapters 43-46” A muppet shows up with an urgent message for Takuda. The leaders of all three towns have pooled their resources together to hire the mercs to finish Takuda’s camp once and for all. However, Takuda’s camp has been growing at an alarming rate ever since its victory, plus almost a dozen steampunk tanks had been salvaged from the battle. For his part, Vost has to worry about balancing victory (and a steady paycheck) with keeping his ‘mechs together when there’s no way to replace lost parts and ammo. And you remember all those traps that worked so well the first time, the ones the muppets built practically overnight? Forgotten completely. When the battle begins, the green troops in the tanks all decide to rush the approaching ‘mechs without orders and start getting themselves killed. Goodall (chick) blows up covering their retreat. Well, covering their massacre, really. And now everyone’s scattering again. Why did we have to do this twice, exactly? Three of the Spec Ops have died in the last battle. Oh, and when I said they had somewhere to go suddenly? After considering seppuku a third time, Takuda suddenly remembers the really important thing he heard a few days ago and only now do they decide to actually go there. You know, after the crushing defeat they had ELEVEN DAYS to flee from. Because it’s not like the city leaders would have cared if Takuda’s camp up and vanished. Why did we have to do this twice, exactly? So they tell what’s left of the refugees and some go while some stay. And Goodall’s not dead, hooray, she was vague enough that I don’t really hate her. Seems her ejection system was in good working order, but she got captured by Vost, who offered her some cash to stay even though she lost her ‘mech. She was released in order to bring word to the refugees that they would be paid to defect back to the city coalition, and in spite of being quiet about it, the word spreads through camp. Some more want to go home now, so they do. This is made up to be a big question of morality and Big Decisions, but these guys only showed up like six chapters ago and barely had any characterization so I really don’t care what they do at all. Now they’re going to march and the muppets are worried about eggs and oh god who the hell cares this poo poo is almost over so you guys are only getting the short version from here on out. Chapter 46: Takuda’s refugees get hounded by Vost and some infantry.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 11:31
|
|
|
“Chapters 47-50” Home stretch! Chapter 47: Takuda’s refugees get hounded by Vost and some infantry. Seagroves (gently caress you) dares Vost to fly the LAM and Vost gets himself killed when the fuel runs out. Chapter 48: Seagroves (gently caress you) and Pesht (shitpile) shrug and give up. Takuda’s refugees cross the mountains. They find a DropShip. They find a loving functional loving DropShip. gently caress. gently caress! Chapter 49: IT’S A FUNCTIONING loving DROPSHIP! Chapter 50: The humans blast off for the other habitable planet in-system even though it was EXPLICITLY called a SATELLITE of a GAS GIANT in the prologue yet is MOON-SIZED from the planet SURFACE. Seagroves and Pesht finally kill each other. The DropShip suffers a critical hull breach along with a simultaneous fusion plant failure which kills everyone on board. Well, okay, I added the last part, but that’s just because I believe in happy endings. THE loving END. Stay tuned for my after action report, after which I am finally done with this book.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 12:34
|
|
|
Hell no, next we need to roll heavy with the Comguards and Star League tech at the pitched battle of their counteroffensive. Deliver the Peace of Blake, 200mm at a time. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 12:51
|
|
|
AAR In a word? Bad. Not horrible, but not fair or average, either. I consider myself a fair man, so let me begin with what Peter Rice did right: the fight scenes were well choreographed, even though the decisions leading up to the battles were entirely nonsensical. Some aspects—such as the muppets’ society and the method the humans used to derive tritium when they were repairing the DropShip at the end—showed signs of research. Sadly, that’s about it. Early on, Poptarts mentioned that the diction was at least serviceable. I have to disagree. I must beg to differ. He and I have diverging opinions on this matter. All those repetitive descriptions I highlighted early on didn’t go away as the book progressed, they just didn’t get any worse or better, so I felt no need to quote more examples. Rice also felt the need to inform us of most setting details at least twice each, which got pretty annoying. Characters: none of the characters were dynamic, nor were they round. Peter Rice basically decided to give each DropShip survivor one overriding character trait and called it a day. And considering the confusion with Brank and Pesht, he couldn’t even manage that much. Oh, and “the complainer” in the Spec Ops forces died twice. If he had stripped the characterization from half the survivors and settled them into the other half, maybe we would have gotten some interesting dynamics going, but as it was, everyone was a one-note character and together they could barely manage “Chopsticks.” This blandness affected the three towns, too: the military, religious, and merchant towns were obvious allegories to the trinity of Force, Influence, and Wealth, but they could have been the trinity of Farts, Piss, and poo poo for all that it mattered to the plot. Plot: everyone was a complete moron. I’m tempted to leave it there, but there are other factors, too. The plot meandered in endless circles throughout the middle of the book, with absolutely nothing of consequence happening between the mercs’ breakout in chapter 20 and the second action against Takuda in chapter 43. Just glancing over the summary, there are plenty of events that could have been truncated, combined, or removed entirely. The chapter spent watching the muppets decide to move away in spite of never doing so, for example, or possibly combining the last two battles between the enclaves and Takuda. I really got the feeling reading Far Country that Peter Rice was quite simply under-qualified to write something of a novel’s length. He just filled it with padding instead of anything useful. I have to admit that the book kept me guessing at some points, but only because so many plot elements were introduced, fretted over, and swiftly forgotten. Examples: Takuda using the muppets as a spy network, Seagroves stuffing his LAM with gold and nothing bad coming of it (instead it crashed from lack of fuel), Vost’s techs demanding a fair wage, magic purple healing fruit, and the eggs which the muppets worried over for all of two paragraphs. Believe me, I could go on. And then there’s the muppets, oh, the muppets. To say they were an underwhelming addition to the BattleTech universe is an understatement. To say that there’s unhealthy amounts of unintentional Mighty Whitey going on would be equally valid. Honestly, while this book doesn’t belong anywhere near the grand wars and politics of BattleTech, I could honestly see this as being an extension of Gulliver’s Travels. Except, you know, Thomas Swift was a good author. The Gang of Five. Pesht scheming behind Vost’s back. The natives’ crippling fear of flight. Damnit, I’ll try to stop! The worst offenders, though, were the enclaves themselves, made even worse when Takuda raised a perfectly valid argument against the situation which was promptly ignored. There’s maybe one or two thousand humans on this planet, this planet, and instead of expanding or moving away, they decide to fight each other to the point where there are only three settlements left. There were more before now, people. They just wound up destroying and consuming each other down to three settlements that are an afternoon’s walk away from each other. I mean, yeah, the muppets are in the way of immediate expansion, but that sure as hell didn’t stop the bastard humans before. Avoidance is a lot easier than confrontation, which is why you see much more of the former than the latter in your everyday life. But then of course Peter Rice couldn’t have used his Power Trinity allegory that went abso-loving-lutely nowhere, so what do I know? If I were reading Far Country on my own, I would probably have given up at around chapter 20 and accurately guessed the ending anyways. At least it’s over now. I’m going recycle the PDF now and quit this unsaved document without saving, thus eliminating all traces of this trash on my hard drive. Now I feel like reading something actually worth my time, like maybe a Drizzt Do’Urden novel. In conclusion, YODA OSTRICH MUPPETS. I rest my case.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 13:42
|
|
|
So do they get home? I MUST KNOW!
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 14:14
|
|
|
Arquinsiel posted:So do they get home? I MUST KNOW! Rocks fall, Bobbin cries.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 14:58
|
|
|
Defiance Industries posted:Also gently caress Liao. We get taken out by the Clans so we go to hide on the rear end end of the Sphere? No! We should be playing the Genyosha next, and then if they lose, we play as some frightening gestalt of them and the 2nd Donegal commanded by a Caesar Steiner and Yorinaga Kurita team-up. I'd go for this. Would be very interesting to read, to say the least...
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 15:16
|
|
|
Mukaikubo posted:Hell no, next we need to roll heavy with the Comguards and Star League tech at the pitched battle of their counteroffensive. Deliver the Peace of Blake, 200mm at a time. This. We are definitely playing the ComGuard in the next fight. The one faction that actually has a chance of scoring a win against the clans.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 15:50
|
|
|
KnoxZone posted:This. We are definitely playing the ComGuard in the next fight. The one faction that actually has a chance of scoring a win against the clans. Which is why PTN will be pitting our lance against two stars, including you-know-whats.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 15:53
|
|
|
Volmarias posted:Which is why PTN will be pitting our lance against two stars, including you-know-whats. I'd rather see a star of those things against a lance of IS mediums. Put the fear of god into people.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 16:08
|
|
|
Volmarias posted:Which is why PTN will be pitting our lance against two stars, including you-know-whats. Thankfully, ComGuard doesn't use the IS's inferior unit organizations. Instead of a crappy lance we would have a Level II would be quite sufficient for the task e: Or comedy option: Small Cluster vs a Level III. Clear up the backlog of MechWarriors in our own little mini-Tukayyid. KnoxZone fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Apr 6, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 16:10
|
|
|
KnoxZone posted:e: Or comedy option: Small Cluster vs a Level III. Clear up the backlog of MechWarriors in our own little mini-Tukayyid. The sheer amount of bookkeeping PTN would have to do for that fight would make him  .
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 16:42
|
|
|
anakha posted:The sheer amount of bookkeeping PTN would have to do for that fight would make him A small sacrifice to make for the glory of the supreme battle.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 16:45
|
|
|
KnoxZone posted:A small sacrifice to make for the glory of the supreme battle. I think that's a battle he would have to fight with megamek.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 16:53
|
|
|
anakha posted:The sheer amount of bookkeeping PTN would have to do for that fight would make him 36... 36 PC units... Excuse me, I think I need to go vomit at the idea of the logistics of running that, megamek or no.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 17:36
|
|
|
Volmarias posted:I think that's a battle he would have to fight with megamek. That would be an eight hour megamek game.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 17:36
|
|
|
Aesirstorm posted:That would be an eight hour megamek game. Now, mind you, if we eventually get to the point where each PC is leading multiple units... 
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 17:41
|
|
|
Mukaikubo posted:Now, mind you, if we eventually get to the point where each PC is leading multiple units... The logistics of running an entire regiment would still break the forums. I've considered the idea.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 17:45
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:The logistics of running an entire regiment would still break the forums. I've considered the idea. 200x200 hex maps! The glory, the glory of it all...  A man can dream.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 17:51
|
|
|
Mukaikubo posted:200x200 hex maps! The glory, the glory of it all... That's a mission area of 36 million m2! Also known as a 3.72822x 3.72822 mile area (or 13.899 miles2). That's an insanely huge mission zone.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 18:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 08:13 |
|
|
landcollector posted:That's a mission area of 36 million m2! Also known as a 3.72822x 3.72822 mile area (or 13.899 miles2). That's an insanely huge mission zone. Okay fine then, just 10x10 map boards. 100 map boards. Is that so much to ask? 
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2011 18:03
|
|