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Gay Abortions
Dec 12, 2007

dis astranagant posted:

Not to mention a tremendous amount of space. I'm not sure I could fit a game big enough to make artillery ranges matter inside my apartment.

In theory you could use a denser hex map and little chits to represent your various units to keep the physical size down, though the density of information required of a BattleTech hex is somewhat problematic. I suppose you could have colors for terrain type and numbers for elevation / depth, kind of like the tactical map in the BTech MUXes. Actually, colored monospace font would probably make for a pretty good way to print up custom maps with a minimum amount of space, and two-letter unit designations on tiny stands wouldn't block that too horribly.

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Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS

Corbeau posted:

The problem is that when you go macro, into large army-level engagements, you lose everything that's good about the Battletech game mechanics

Agreed - but BT includes stuff like Arrow IV and Long Tom and a bunch of things which don't work on the scale where everything else works. It makes me feel like Morbo.

Andrevian
Mar 2, 2010

Psion posted:

Agreed - but BT includes stuff like Arrow IV and Long Tom and a bunch of things which don't work on the scale where everything else works. It makes me feel like Morbo.

They seem to work pretty fine. That's what direct-firing artillery is for.

Direct-firing artillery is monstrous btw.

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Andrevian posted:

They seem to work pretty fine. That's what direct-firing artillery is for.

Direct-firing artillery is monstrous btw.

Case in point: Rasalhague v. Widowmakers mission.

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady
There's always Quickstrike, but it's a smidge too abstract for my tastes. My group has done a few Battalion+ sized games before, probably nudging into full regiments when you account for support units. It oddly gets easier with fewer players then.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Let’s Read: D.R.T. Part 1: I.S.A. Incredibly Stupid Acronym



Would you believe no good-quality scans exist of this book’s cover? I wonder why. Oh well, let me give you a close-up!



Now just try to tell me your eyes weren’t immediately drawn to Feyd Harkonnen’s crotch and pretend that the cover DOESN’T spoil the book’s ‘climax’



Anyway, D.R.T. is sort of an odd duck. It still stars a smug rear end in a top hat and his smug rear end in a top hat friends (and the few members of his own family who can tolerate his presence), but unlike Main Event it has an actual antagonist! I mean, he’s not introduced until Chapter 21, but still! An antagonist! It’s also from the relatively brief era where BattleTech novels got in-novel artwork (by a ‘Rick Harris,’ who’s body of work I was unable to locate), alongside the 17th Recon books, Wolf Pack, Far Country, and pretty much anything that wasn’t written by Stackpole in this time period. So yeah, for popcorn fiction the Battletech novels weren’t exactly low budget.



It’s a pity D.R.T. still sucks.

And yes, in case you’re wondering, D.R.T. is an acronym. A really stupid one. I wasn’t going to spoil it, but the book does that with the teaser text.

D.R.T. posted:

“COMMAND TWO, SWEEP THE REAR!”

Anything coming from behind?” bellowed Rose.

“Affirmative,” Riannon reported. “I’ve got another star moving on our six. They’ll be within range in the next five minutes.”

Rose focused on the fighting in front of him and watched as Hawg and an ambushing Shadow Hawk crumpled into the boulders. Coolant dripped like blood over the boulder that failed to provide cover for the fallen `Mech. A flight of long-range missiles streaked past Rose, and he involuntarily flinched as they exploded behind him. He scanned for the attacker, but the firer had already ducked behind the protection of the boulders.

An enemy `Mech popped up from cover and fired at Esmeralda. As the Clanner’s shot slammed into the Mad Cat, it in turn was skewered by return fire from five different Black Thorn `Mechs. The Clan `Mech fell backwards behind the boulders, but Rose knew the shots had been fatal.

“One cat,” said Hawg, “D.R.T.” None of the Black Thorns responded to the cryptic announcement. After a moment of silence, Hawg came back on the channel. “Dead right there.”

:ughh:





Anyway, the book opens with a picture. It technically opens with a prologue, but it’s generic “life sucks in the 41st millennia!” Black Library-type garbage so it’s forgettably ignorable. So yeah, here’s an X-Treme 1990s picture!


Pew Pew Pew!

So yeah, interpreting that picture Jeremiah Rose, Esmeralda (from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which came out in 1996 just like this book) in combat fatigues, and Hawg are in a shooting range together. Also, in spite of the fact that Rose is the main character, he’s standing in the back looking like a smug rear end in a top hat while Hawg Han Solos some practice dummies right up front.

So now chapter 1 begins.



Chapter 1
Houston
Borghese, Federated Commonwealth
1 October, 3056


So, this chapter starts off and I already know we’re in for a world of pain because our viewpoint character is Esmeralda, who’s personality could be generously described as “like a worse Ellen Ripley” but which I will describe as “loving awful.” She pauses to eavesdrop on Jeremiah loving Rose and two other people he’s talking to. One of them is Hawg, but the book won’t mention who the third man is for a while.

They’re discussing Sun Tzu Liao of all people, but since Sun Tzu hasn’t really had any motives assigned to him yet, Sun Tzu basically occupies the same “yellow peril” position Max Liao did, except combined with Janos Marik level of “not accomplishing anything.” Unfortunately, aside from tormenting his cousin Kai, Sun Tzu doesn’t get awesome until the 3060s.

Anyway, Esmeralda mentally compliments Hawg’s aim since it’s perfect. Of course it it. Then she spends way too long sperging out about Jeremiah loving Rose’s perfectly silent laser pistol because holy poo poo! It’s awesome! And so, we’re supposed to infer, is Jeremiah loving Rose!

Anyway, they’re talking about who to sign on with and Jeremiah of course shoots down the Capellan Confederation (because they’re the bad guys herp derp) and the Free Worlds League (because they’re the Free Worlds League). That leaves the Federated Suns, Rasalhague, and House Kurita… except here’s the problem: The Black Thorns are still on contract in Lyran space and Rose is being extremely picky for a mercenary. Go where the money is, idiot!

But Rose didn’t become a mercenary to make money, he became a Merc to fight the Clans! :downs:

And now you may start to understand why BattleTech, like House Kurita before them, had to kill all the mercenaries.

Anyway, Rose also eliminates St. Ives, Tikonov (despite the fact that Tikonov hasn’t existed since the mid 3030s), and any periphery government as employers because, and I loving quote, “they couldn’t afford us.”

You’re (currently) six or seven living pilots and fifteen or so `Mechs. gently caress you, Jeremiah Rose, you bet your sociopathic rear end any government bigger than a single planet can loving afford you. Anyway, he also discounts Rasalhague because Rasalhague’s leaders have been “totally demoralized” ever since Prince Ragnar refused to let himself be rescued from the Clans. Given that he’s partly responsible for the awesome Ghost Bear Dominion, I don’t blame him.

So yeah, Hawg points out that leaves them the Federated Commonwealth and House Kurita. Rose then shits on the Federated Commonwealth, because reasons? He’s a sociopath, I have no idea what motivates him Oh wait, yes I do. He’s motivated by his desire to hurt people, mitigated only slightly by his Com Star indoctrination. Esmeralda points out that the Great Houses may not want them, even though the Black Thorns have somehow captured something like ten Clan `Mechs. To put that in perspective, at this point in time? It’s rare to salvage even a single Clan `Mech. But since Jeremiah Rose is God made flesh he has a ton of them and because he’s decided the Draconis Combine is going to hire the Black Thorns?

Well, spoilers, but the Draconis Combine hires the Black Thorns.

Jeremiah then spends two to three paragraphs foreshadowing the FedCom civil war to distract everyone from the fact that the reason he doesn’t want to work for the Federated Commonwealth is because his mother got killed fighting for them, and Rose not-so-secretly blames Hanse Davion. I guess.

And now you know the entirety of Jeremiah Rose’s TRAGIC BACKSTORY. :911:

Anyway, Esmeralda (who is no longer the viewpoint character because Jeremiah is in the room) then tells everyone that the reason she came down to interrupt their shooting drills (why are they even drilling? They never miss. Seriously, the talking gets interrupted with some Robin Hood-esque targetshooting and NOBODY EVER MISSES :argh: ) to tell Rose that Riannon has arrived on Outreach to start looking for a contract.

… Good thing you had the discussion about who you’re willing to accept contracts from (i.e. House Kurita and NOBODY ELSE) with Riannon before she left. It’s a good thing she telepathically knows what Jeremiah Rose’s decisions are going to be the moment he makes them. I’d say that’s Jeremiah Rose’s reverse omniscience: if he knows something, everyone else does too.

Anyway, Rose’s confidence then wavers for a moment as he wonders whether Theodore will take them on.

D.R.T. posted:

“He’ll have us,” said Esmeralda.

“Oh, really?” asked Bell. “And how can you be so sure?”

“If everything we’ve heard about him is true, Theodore Kurita is too smart not to hire a unit as good as the Black Thorns.”

And after that bout of masturbation, Chapter 1 ends. Only 31 to go! :krakentoot:

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Nov 28, 2012

Weissritter
Jun 14, 2012

I wonder if he included the anti-FedCom attitude to try and make more people like Rose.

Not that it appears to work since it is all so :ughh:

landcollector
Feb 28, 2011
Question: Will reading the Let's Read synopses for D.R.T cause me to start drinking?

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

landcollector posted:

Question: Will reading the Let's Read synopses for D.R.T cause me to start drinking?

All of the genuinely fun members of the supporting cast (yes, all one of them) die.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Couldn't you maybe like just subtly re-write the thing as you go? Like how Calvin's dad ended Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooey in that one strip. Go ahead... murder Jeremiah loving Rose in the most painful way possible. It's not like any of us will ever fact-check your re-interpretation, right?

Bobbin Threadbare
Jan 2, 2009

I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.

Here's a 90's artwork drinking game: take a sip for every pouch you spot on each outfit.

Zeroisanumber
Oct 23, 2010

Nap Ghost

landcollector posted:

Question: Will reading the Let's Read synopses for D.R.T cause me to start drinking?

It made me start. Not drunk by any means, but if PTN keeps up with the Let's Read I'm going to be driving an ambulance with a mean hangover tomorrow.

Crigit
Sep 6, 2011

I'll show you my naval if you show me yours.
Let's get naut'y.

Bobbin Threadbare posted:

Here's a 90's artwork drinking game: take a sip for every pouch you spot on each outfit.

Why do drinking game suggestions always come with the certainty of killing anyone who attempts to play them?

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Bobbin Threadbare posted:

Here's a 90's artwork drinking game: take a sip for every pouch you spot on each outfit.

There're only four visible pouches, and two of them are clearly for ammo clips!



... For Hawg's laser pistol. :downs:

Andrevian
Mar 2, 2010
Just gonna pretend this is secretly about the Daughters of the Republic of Texas or something and act like it's all safe.

AtomikKrab
Jul 17, 2010

Keep on GOP rolling rolling rolling rolling.

just imagine if we had a company of 1 gunnery death commandos in artillery units, there are some turreted ones, NO SURVIVORS.

Bobbin Threadbare
Jan 2, 2009

I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.

PoptartsNinja posted:

There're only four visible pouches, and two of them are clearly for ammo clips!



... For Hawg's laser pistol. :downs:

On this page. You have to remember that this guy was the leading artist for action and superheroes back in the day. Pouches were goddamn mandatory.

Congratulations! You Won.
Mar 21, 2007


THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN



Leperflesh posted:

Couldn't you maybe like just subtly re-write the thing as you go? Like how Calvin's dad ended Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooey in that one strip. Go ahead... murder Jeremiah loving Rose in the most painful way possible. It's not like any of us will ever fact-check your re-interpretation, right?

Don't worry, everyone who survives this book falls down a plot hole and are never seen again in any meaningful capacity. And, well, as for your wish...

At the begining of the Jihad they disappeared without a trace from their posting on Galedon, likely due to the Word of Blake either recruiting or murdering them. This occurred right before all life on the planet was extinguished thanks to the Curse of Galedon (an engineered plague) and multiple nuclear strikes. So, they either became brainwashed Wobbies or ended up super, extra dead in a ditch somewhere on a lifeless planet. Either way, no one cared enough about the Black Thorns to investigate where they ended up. The end. Really, it's a happy ending in the long run.

(The real reason for this treatment is that they were a pet unit for one of the authors and once he left, no one cared enough to continue their storyline. Thankfully.)

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Let’s Read: D.R.T. Part 2: Niceness Elemental

Chapter 2
Harlech, Outreach
Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth
15 October, 3056


We join one of the Black Thorns’ less terrible characters, Riannon Rose. She’s still the worst pilot in the Black Thorns (and will be forever, since she’s a p2g6 in game terms). That doesn’t matter though, since Riannon is a “logistical genius.” She quickly recaps her cousin Angus’s death in the last book (which was poorly described there since Jeremiah didn’t see it) and then she muses about how much she’s changed and grown as a person since she was last on Outreach.

It would all be very touching if she’d actually changed or grown as a person, but spoilers? She hasn’t.

Anyway, we then learn that Jeremiah loving Rose had delegated the responsibility of telling Angus’ parents about his death, since Angus and Riannon were the only members of the Rose family who didn’t outright hate him. Which makes perfect sense when you realize Riannon’s character quirk is ‘hilariously naïve’ and Angus’s traits were ‘never says anything’ and ‘has a room temperature IQ.’

Anyway, Riannon is so busy musing about how great she is and how much she’s grown that she blunders into a Wolfs Dragoon elemental. Quickly getting out of the way, she then decides that it’d be a great idea to follow the genetically-engineered killing machine in the stupidest, most obvious way she possibly can. She also uses this as an opportunity to explain to new readers the basics of the Clans, and follows this up by talking to herself. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing, except what she chooses to say is:

“Take this guy.”







:ughh:

So yeah, the Elemental ambushes her. Pushes her down, and is actually kinda nice for an elemental.

D.R.T. posted:

“I am right here. Now why are you following me?”

Ria looked up at her assailant. He was even bigger up close, with ice-blue eyes narrowed to slits as he stared down at her. His features were perfectly formed, beautiful in every detail, but on a larger scale than a normal person’s. In answer, Ria kicked out with her left foot, aiming where his knee should have been.

She was rewarded with a solid strike. For a moment she thought she could feel the knee give way under the blow, but then nothing. The Elemental merely smiled at a kick that should have left him bawling on the floor. Even his teeth were perfect.

“The first one was free because I judge you to be new on Outreach, quiaff?”

He then basically tells her to leave him alone and wanders off. Someone then stops to help her, and we’re introduced to a new character! Since the Black Thorns are down about seven `Mechwarriors, does anyone want to bet money that this will turn out to be a new member? No? I didn’t think so. So hooray for serendipity and plot convenience, I guess.

Also, for sexual innudendo.

D.R.T. posted:

“Thanks for the help. I guess I got careless,” Ria offered.

“I guess,” said the redhead. “Either that or you like your men really big.” Ria flushed as the redhead winked.

We then learn that the redhead’s name is “Kitten” (ugh) and, spoilers, she pilots a goddamned PANTHER. :ughh:

Kitten (ugh) then basically propositions Jeremiah Rose even though she’s just kinda guessing. Riannon’s “saviors” then decide that they should probably gently caress off, but not before Kitten (ugh) asks her if she “has any brothers.”

Riannon admits that she does, but that Jeremiah’s not on outreach. She then offers to buy Kitten (ugh) dinner. I will be honest, even though her character is entirely 1990s promiscuous woman tropes, I kinda like Kitten (ugh) since she’s at least energetic and has a glimmer of personality. There’s a genuinely good character here, it’s just buried in a mountain of “slut.”

So yes, Ria has dinner with another woman and we learn that Kitten (ugh)’s real name is Katherine Kittiallen. And she now admits to piloting a Panther. She’s also unemployed HINT HINT. The other lady, who as-yet is undescribed (she’s got black hair) is Greta Podell from Rasalhague. She’s dispossessed, in her early 50s, AND unemployed. They also have another friend who has blonde hair, also unemployed, but we don’t get to meet her yet. Together, they fight crime they’ve been renting an apartment because Outreach is is one of the most expensive planets in the Inner Sphere. Also Kitten may or may not be sleeping with everyone.

Riannon then admits that she’s looking for pilots, and like sharks attacking a cow with an arterial wound Kitten immediately offers to sign up. If that’s not warning sign number 1, I don’t know what is. Anyway, it turns out Kitten and Greta HAVE heard of the Black Thorns (somehow) because the actions of ten people in a Lyran Commonwealth backwater is big loving news when they capture six or so operational Clan Omnimechs.

Riannon then decides, logistical genius that she is, that hey. An opportunity’s an opportunity, and she might as well keep Kitten, Greta, and Leeza (their other friend) around until Jeremiah can rubber stamp them in as the Black Thorns’ newest cannon fodder Mechwarriors cannon fodder.



Chapter 3
Harlech, Outreach
Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth
30 October, 3056


gently caress me, we’re still with Riannon. The Slut Trio have been rubber-stamped into the Black Thorns (waiting Jeremiah’s final approval), and Riannon found a fourth guy as well named Jamshid Al-Kalibi to pilot another Omnimech. Jamshid is a Word of Blake operative a mysterious man who speaks only at a whisper and is qualified to pilot every `Mech in the Inner Sphere and several Clan designs as well. He used to be a training instructor for the 1st Oriente Fusiliers, one of the best `Mech units in the Free Worlds League.

Oh. Oh poo poo guys, this paragraph.

D.R.T. posted:

The fact was not generally known, but the Black Thorns were one of the few Inner Sphere units possessed of Clan OmniMechs. Following their Pyrrhic victory over the forces of Clan Jade Falcon on Borghese, the Black Thorns had scavenged the `Mechs the defeated Falcons had left behind. Lacking the technical knowledge needed to salvage many of these marvels, the Black Thorns had been able to rescue only four of the `Mechs and a small supply of spare parts.

Ok. First?

That is not a Pyrrhic victory.

Second? :dogout:

So yeah, Jeremiah loving Rose graduated from his lovely Charger to a goddamned Warhawk, Esmeralda is getting a Mad Cat (and Jamshid will be getting the other), and they have a Fire Moth and guess which variant it is? Yeah. The overpowered one. It doesn’t have a pilot yet but my gut says that will be resolved by the end of the chapter because

We’re then introduced to Leftenant Donaldson and Yuri Dogdorvich. Dogdorvich, really? Russian Goons, is that a real name or is the author just a dick?

Anyway, Yuri was a pilot and Donaldson won’t be making the cut. Riannon only has one position left so she decides to drop a hypothetical “suppose I tell you the slot goes to the last pilot standing?” Being an idiot, Leftanant Donaldson thinks about this and Yuri sweep-kicks him off his feet. Quick thinking, pirate guy!

Riannon then asks them to fight to the death. Donaldson tries to draw his pistol but Yuri’s brought throwing knives to a gunfight so Riannon stops things before she becomes an accessory to murder. Nice reaction times, pirate guy! You’re in! gently caress you, Fedcom loser!

Anyway, Yuri’s a Locust pilot and his personality quirk is that he's on he likes speed. So yeah. New pilot for the Fire Moth. Chapter ends.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Nov 28, 2012

Picard Day
Dec 18, 2004

Wow, when you compare it to this book, Stackpole looks like the Charles Dickens of giant robot literature.

Also how the hell could a small merc outfit possibly own/maintain 4 intact Omnimechs, extra parts or not? Considering they are in Lyran space this is pretty much the part of the story where LOKI mysteriously dissapears everyone involved and the Royal Guards show off their shiny salvage from "secret operations"

I also love the excellent balance and reason showed in this recruiting process. I have an essentially priceless extremely rare war machine - hmm, just grab some dude you meet in the corridor to pilot that poo poo, seems legit.

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady
1: Battletech
2: yes, Stackpole really does manage to gloss over most of the stupid at a casual read.

fool of sound
Oct 10, 2012
How can an unemployed mechwarrior possibly able afford to upkeep her 'mech? Even assuming that it isn't seeing any action, it still requires maintenance.

Also, I'm overwhelmed by the genius of a character able to provide logistics for a full seven mechwarriors and a whole fifteen 'mechs.

Edit: Actually, considering that she's somehow getting parts for those clan omnimechs, she might be a genius after all. Hell, she might be magic.

fool of sound fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Nov 28, 2012

Calax
Oct 5, 2011

Ok, this is just me but....

In that photo am I the only one who thinks that Mr Shooty Man is either wearing a metal codpiece, or something far worse is being done to him by that metal... THING.

Carbolic
Apr 19, 2007

This song is about how America chews the working man up and spits him in the dirt to die

PoptartsNinja posted:

We join one of the Black Thorns’ less terrible characters, Riannon Rose. [...]

It would all be very touching if she’d actually changed or grown as a person, but spoilers? She hasn’t.

Well her name changed (from Rianna). That counts, doesn't it?

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Capt. Jeremiah loving Rose (elite, officer) 5760/mo* (he doesn't pay himself, so 0 c-bills/mo)
Lt. Riannon Rose (regular, officer) 1800/mo
Antioch Bell (elite) 4800/mo
Jamshid Al-Kalibi (elite, new idiot) 4800/mo


Lt. Esmeralda (elite, officer) 5760/mo
Badicus O'Shea (veteran) 2400/mo
Hawg (regular) 1500/mo
Greta Podel (veteran, new idiot) 2400/mo


Lt. Ajax (elite, officer) 5760/mo
Yuri Dogdorvich (veteran, new idiot) 2400/mo
Leeza Rippiticue (regular, new idiot) 1500/mo
Kitty (ugh) (regular, new idiot) 1500/mo


Total cost of personnel (the Black Thorns have no technicians):
32,220 c-bills/month



Regular Maintenance:

4 Omnimechs - 1600/mo
8 Battlemechs - 2400/mo


Total cost of equipment
4000 c-bills/month



Total costs/month:
36,220 c-bills/month / 434,640 c-bills/annually



HOWEVER I can guarantee they aren't maintaining their `Mechs properly, since it takes 40 manhours + 5 hours per ton PER `Mech. Jeremiah Rose's Warhawk would require 57 man-hours of maintenance PER WEEK. So yeah, the costs aren't too bad provided nothing breaks (which it will, since it's all going mostly unmaintained).

Artificer
Apr 8, 2010

You're going to try ponies and you're. Going. To. LOVE. ME!!

PoptartsNinja posted:


HOWEVER I can guarantee they aren't maintaining their `Mechs properly, since it takes 40 manhours + 5 hours per ton PER `Mech. Jeremiah Rose's Warhawk would require 57 man-hours of maintenance PER WEEK. So yeah, the costs aren't too bad provided nothing breaks (which it will, since it's all going mostly unmaintained).

Leaving the things that protect you while you are doing your job and are your only source of income unmaintained seems like the dumbest thing you could do.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Hey, technicians cost money! Ideally they'd want one astech per `Mech, one full time tech per lance, and a slightly better master technician for the company. This is something the Black Thorns fail at (the pilots all maintain their own machines, so they're kinda... jury-rigged trash, honestly).

The 17th Recon, though, there's a mercenary regiment that knows how to maintain its giant robots.



HOWEVER! That's the revised edition of the rules. What were they like when the Black Thorns books were published?

It's actually slightly cheaper since officers don't get paid more.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Nov 28, 2012

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


The Thorns recruiting process is the exact one that I used when a new person joined my RPG group when I was like 14. "Your unit has come back to Outreach. You see [NEW GUY CHARACTER]. You think he looks pretty cool. Will you ask him to join you?"

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Defiance Industries posted:

The Thorns recruiting process is the exact one that I used when a new person joined my RPG group when I was like 14

Main Event and D.R.T. exist to sell Field Manual: Mercenaries.

Star Lord was the book designed to sell the Mechwarrior RPG (and dear lord does it show). I was going to do Star Lord after I finish Warrior: Riposte, even though I genuinely like it.

Voyager I
Jun 29, 2012

This is how your posting feels.
🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥
I'm trying to wrap my head around how these idiots accomplish anything but the whole "no technicians for our mechs" thing is just blowing my mind.

How do you subject yourself to this kind of writing?

Felime
Jul 10, 2009
I think pilots functioning as astechs isn't too uncommon for merc units. It works fairly well and saves cash, but tends to fall apart in heavy combat. Cut rate merc units avoid heavy combat like the plague.

Lord Koth
Jan 8, 2012

Because I'm bored, these Jeremiah Rose novels are terrible, and I'm trying to ignore the logistics of a single pilot somehow maintaining a 30' bipedal war machine, let's pick at another point. Specifically, what the hell was up with that Jade Falcon force composition?

They apparently had multiple Warhawks(extremely rare outside Smoke Jaguar), multiple Timber Wolves(rather uncommon outside Wolf) and multiple Fire Moths(again uncommon). There's a mention of one Summoner and that's it in regards to mechs Jade Falcon actually regularly uses. Not even counting the Night Gyr, which canonically is around by now but I'm not sure when the sourcebook came out, they love Summoners, Hellbringers and Kit Foxes.

Not really sure where I'm going with this, but really, this series seems to have failed on something like every level imaginable. Characterization, writing, technical accuracy and common sense all seem to be completely lacking.

Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS
So is his laser pistol silent so you never miss one of his "witty" burns?

Weissritter
Jun 14, 2012

PoptartsNinja posted:

Regular Maintenance:

4 Omnimechs - 1600/mo
8 Battlemechs - 2400/mo


Total cost of equipment
4000 c-bills/month


HOWEVER I can guarantee they aren't maintaining their `Mechs properly, since it takes 40 manhours + 5 hours per ton PER `Mech. Jeremiah Rose's Warhawk would require 57 man-hours of maintenance PER WEEK. So yeah, the costs aren't too bad provided nothing breaks (which it will, since it's all going mostly unmaintained).

Are the costs and manhours listed as when the mechs are operating? 57 man-hours seem kind of much if the Warhawk is just... parked in the hangar powered down all the time.

Felime
Jul 10, 2009
I think the maintenance is to keep the mech ready to go at all times, and garrison contracts generally involve patrols and such. You can leave your mech in a storage bay for ages, but it's going to take your techs a day or two at least to make sure there's nothing wrong that could get you killed if you tried to use it.

If you leave your car in the garage and don't drive it for a couple months... well, you probably don't want to drive it into a war zone.

I'm not sure where 57 man hours actually go, considering most of them are done by a half-trained astech, though. I'm sure at least 40 of them are spent polishing the feet of our lovely mary sue's precious special snowflake clan mech.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Let’s Read: D.R.T. Part 3: Douché

Chapter 4
Harlech, Outreach
Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth
30 October, 3056


More Riannon. Who’s ready for another chapter of plot contrivance to set the Black Thorns up with a job? Me neither. Which means that’s what’s going to happen. Riannon’s still with Yuri Dogdorvich when a guy just kinda… barges into the room. He calls himself Priam and I call myself annoyed. He’s a smug rear end in a top hat who’s “job it is to know everything about people he may employ.” He’s a dick.

D.R.T. posted:

“You were thinking?” he asked.

“You sound surprised,” [Riannon] responded.

“Touché.” Priam smiled back at her. “I’ll have to be careful of your quick wit.”

gently caress you, Priam. I wanted to like you except I’m not entirely certain whether you’re being a douchebag intentionally or not. Since he’s a representative of House Kurita (because remember, Jeremiah Rose’s anti-omniscience means everyone else knows what he knows and House Kurita wants to waste their money hire the Black Thorns). Also, he’s here to offer a job.

Rather than getting to his actual offer, Priam decides to infodump about the Black Thorns so Riannon won’t seem like a tool for explaining the Black Thorns. In video game terms, we’re still in the tutorial stages and honestly not a single word is said here that’s worth the paper it’s printed on. Stop hiding your plot contrivances with verbiage! :argh:

Anyway, Priam offers a double-contract. First is garrison detail for a year, renewable. Second are sundry raid contracts to be negotiated once the Black Thorns reach their destination. He doesn’t tell Riannon what planet they’re going to so I’ll go ahead and spoil things: It’s Wolcott.




Chapter 5
Nadir Jump Point, Fort Loudin
Federated Commonwealth
28 November 3055


NOW we find out they’re going to Wolcott. Not directly of course, since we’re back with Jeremiah and he’s got to waste our time by not talking about what’s going on for two to three pages before he finally tells everyone that yes, they’re going to Wolcott. Now, Wolcott’s a pretty important world to the Draconis Combine, but really I don’t understand the secrecy. It’s not as though anyone else in the Inner Sphere cares about it, and the Clan espionage agency makes Marik’s SAFE look brilliant.

Anyway, before he tells anyone what’s going on, he has to have a moment with Captain Rachel McCloud of the Union-class dropship Bristol. Remember her? Well the book assumes you don’t so hooray for more text dumping! Long story short: Jeremiah is still loving her, and nobody cares less than I do.

Oh, and Jeremiah Rose is still a sociopathic dick who thrives on tormenting others:

D.R.T. posted:

“[…] I assume ‘tactical update’ is the same as a status report?” she asked.

“It is,” Rose replied.

“Well, then, why don’t you just say so?”

“I just did,” he said, smiling at her muffled cry of frustration. “Meeting starts in less than fifteen. See you then.” He tried to sound cheerful just to twist McCloud’s tail.

“I’ll be there,” she said. Rose reached for the intercom, catching something about “drat soldiers” before the connection went dead. He laughed in spite of himself.

Couple of the year, they’ll go down in history alongside Ethan McManus and the ugly lady with no self esteem, or Dominic Deegan and the ugly lady with no self esteem. So yeah, then he tells everyone they’re going to Wolcott because Jeremiah revels in the suffering of others:

D.R.T. posted:

“Jesus wept,” said Badicus, looking as though he’d just been axed. The rest of the Thorns seemed equally surprised.

“No wonder the advance is so big,” Badicus went on. “We’ll never survive to collect the rest.”

Rose laughed, but he could tell the rest of the Thorns were inclined to agree with Badicus.

Why do people agree to work for him again?

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Nov 28, 2012

Paingod556
Nov 8, 2011

Not a problem, sir

Did the author really write 'Leftenant'? Really?

That's the same poo poo Clancy pulls, to say 'see guys, they're British! Because they say Lieutenant in a funny way! BASK IN THEIR BRITISHNESS!'

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
^^^ It's the canon rank for a Lieutenant in the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns/Commonwealth, so yeah.

Just wait until we meet Chu-i Kurita Liason Officer later (I may be misremembering this).

Paingod556
Nov 8, 2011

Not a problem, sir

PoptartsNinja posted:

^^^ It's the canon rank for a Lieutenant in the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns/Commonwealth, so yeah.

Just wait until we meet Chu-i Kurita Liason Officer later (I may be misremembering this).

Wait, really? Huh.

I mean we still say 'Leftenant' down under, but we at least spell it correctly.

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DivineCoffeeBinge
Mar 3, 2011

Spider-Man's Amazing Construction Company
Apropos of precisely squat... why is it that House Marik typically gets the short end of every single stick in Battletech? I mean, all the Houses tend to have something that defines them, and House Marik appears to be defined by "oh yeah, and those guys there."

...why is that? I mean, heck, I always liked them because I thought they had the coolest emblem (gently caress yeah purple birdwarrior) but they seem to be the very literal fifth wheel of the Great Houses; is it just that there was never a novel author that liked them and filled them with Mary Sues, or what?

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