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AtomikKrab posted:Yes, Locust's are built to hunt down infantry/escaping land vehicles, and to scout. actually, urbanmechs are for shooting people in the loving head. the biome does not matter. 
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Apr 14, 2021 05:15
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The Lone Badger posted:Are they 40 tons and fusion-powered? I bet they are awful to repair and especially to transport and handle while repairing and despite being fusion powered they manage to leak engine oil and hydrocarbon fuel.
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Apr 14, 2021 05:26
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The fusion engine handles power, but it also has an IC engine running just to make it sound right.
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Apr 14, 2021 10:25
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Does anyone know if the fun equipment stuff in poptarts mod would be compatible with BEX?
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Apr 14, 2021 12:18
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pun pundit posted:Does anyone know if the fun equipment stuff in poptarts mod would be compatible with BEX? It's compatible, I just added the mod on my 6 months BEX install and it works fine.
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Apr 14, 2021 13:29
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soulmata posted:you thought we were done? No, thats some good meching there, no complaints. soulmata posted:actually, urbanmechs are for shooting people in the loving head. the biome does not matter. Also good, Incidently folks they gave head locations exaclty 1 more hp than they should because otherwise AC/10s would be headcappers. (normal btech 9 armor 3 structure, battletech game is x5 so 45 armor AND 16 structure for the head location so a fully armored head has 61 points to burn through to kill instead of 60) AtomikKrab fucked around with this message at 13:39 on Apr 14, 2021 |
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Apr 14, 2021 13:35
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In base Btech, the only headcapper available in 3025 is the AC20, unless you're using experimental rules in which case you have access to Blazer Cannons, which are two large lasers stapled together and are my favorite Terrible Idea Weapons.
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Apr 14, 2021 15:44
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Binary Laser Cannons are so immensely lovely they only do 150% of the same damage as two large lasers but produce the same heat. That's just barely enough to make them headcappers (12 damage in tabletop) so some people like to gamble with them or run them as amusing gimmicks.
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Apr 14, 2021 16:26
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PoptartsNinja posted:Binary Laser Cannons are so immensely lovely they only do 150% of the same damage as two large lasers but produce the same heat. That's just barely enough to make them headcappers (12 damage in tabletop) so some people like to gamble with them or run them as amusing gimmicks. And that's why they're my favorite Terrible Idea Weapon. It's Tim Taylor Technology at its most raw. MOAR POWER!
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Apr 14, 2021 16:27
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Battletech is not afraid as a setting to have "Yeah the military engineers were REALLY DUMB on this idea." The best use for a charger is to take out its engine and put it on something good. like a super heavy tank or something.
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Apr 14, 2021 16:35
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The best use for the Charger was to rip the engine out of it and turn it into the Hatamoto-Chi. See also: the Panther/Wight situation. Panthers are only scary on a cheesy gimmick comp where you give all their pilots Marksman and watch them score through-armor crits all game (and the game ends when your opponent punches you). Wights are legitimately good light 'Mechs made when House Kurita realized no one was stupid enough to drive Panthers anymore and they had to do something with all the Panther skeletons they had laying around.
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Apr 14, 2021 16:39
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Panthers exist basically to be a cheap means to get a PPC onto the field that still appeals to SAMURAI HONOR by letting idiot weebs pilot giant robots.
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Apr 14, 2021 16:49
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Rorahusky posted:Panthers exist basically to be a cheap means to get a PPC onto the field that still appeals to SAMURAI HONOR by letting idiot weebs pilot giant robots. Yep, in full battletech, production costs are a thing that exists, and well, most people don't want to be in a tank, a locust would be preferable to a tank.
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Apr 14, 2021 16:52
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Rorahusky posted:Panthers exist basically to be a cheap means to get a PPC onto the field that still appeals to SAMURAI HONOR by letting idiot weebs pilot giant robots. Awful lot of 'HONOR' leaking out of this Panther's cockpit... 
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Apr 14, 2021 18:08
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The pilot is very honoured, there will be a great ceremony held for the bits scraped out of the cockpit later.
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Apr 14, 2021 19:06
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An honorable warrior dies without showing pain or fear. And you can't show pain or fear if your entire body is rendered into paste in one shot
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Apr 14, 2021 20:00
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That's anyone who gets killed by a laser, though. You're dead before the nervous impulse can reach your brain.
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Apr 14, 2021 21:04
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Defiance Industries posted:That's anyone who gets killed by a laser, though. You're dead before the nervous impulse can reach your brain. This is not true, think of all the mech techs who have died because the rig harness broke and dropped a five ton LLaser on top of them.
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Apr 14, 2021 21:08
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AtomikKrab posted:Battletech is not afraid as a setting to have "Yeah the military engineers were REALLY DUMB on this idea." This is something I love in absolutely any setting. Non-overpowered builds or even builds that are just AWFUL, but have some kind of theme about them. And that theme can be "the people who made this had no idea what they were doing."
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Apr 14, 2021 21:08
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Defiance Industries posted:That's anyone who gets killed by a laser, though. You're dead before the nervous impulse can reach your brain. Nah you're freaking out while the laser burns through all the head armor and then kills you
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Apr 14, 2021 21:11
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evilmiera posted:This is something I love in absolutely any setting. Non-overpowered builds or even builds that are just AWFUL, but have some kind of theme about them. And that theme can be "the people who made this had no idea what they were doing." One thing I dearly miss is the presence of a piece of equipment that is just "This mech is badly specced, designed, engineered and built, this piece represents this, blah blah, variable costs in mass and crits to fit it in, crits taken by it will be rerolled until they hit actual equipment or get passed further in the mech." It'd beat the usual mook mech design method of putting an enormous engine in a mech that's too massive for that speed and wasting some mass with a poo poo weapon or two. I haven't played BT in a while but I wonder if you can't actually make a Dragon for cheaper by just making it smaller and packing a smaller engine.
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Apr 14, 2021 21:16
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evilmiera posted:This is something I love in absolutely any setting. Non-overpowered builds or even builds that are just AWFUL, but have some kind of theme about them. And that theme can be "the people who made this had no idea what they were doing." I particularly love the Bandersnatch for this. Every Bandersnatch was lovingly handcrafted (out of Marauder spare parts, Felifious Bander was not made of money) by a team of dedicated technicians, to the point where they could only make like... 4 to 6 of them a year when they hit their maximum output. It's a slow 75 ton heavy 'Mech with a simply un-ignorable amount of firepower, an XL engine, side torsos packed full of explosive ammo, and ever so slightly less than the optimal amount of armor for a 55 ton 'Mech. It wasn't even particularly easy to pilot, but it's got the stable quirk so it must've been an amazingly comfortable ride. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Apr 14, 2021 |
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Apr 14, 2021 21:28
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PoptartsNinja posted:I particularly love the Bandersnatch for this. Then you have stuff like the Hellstar where whoever designed it was REALLY on the ball that morning
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Apr 14, 2021 22:07
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Pattonesque posted:Then you have stuff like the Hellstar where whoever designed it was REALLY on the ball that morning That would be Clan Wolf in Exile (with the aid of Clan Hell's Horses). It premiered a year after Ranna Kerensky's death. As much as I like to believe the Warden Wolves really missed Ranna and designed the Hellstar as a memorial, I feel it's more likely she designed it herself to help keep them safe once she was gone.
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Apr 14, 2021 22:21
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PoptartsNinja posted:That would be Clan Wolf in Exile (with the aid of Clan Hell's Horses). It premiered a year after Ranna Kerensky's death. It’s basically “what if a Warhawk but larger and without that LRM ammo bomb” yeah?
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Apr 14, 2021 22:23
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It's a Masakari with extra heat sinks, thus eliminating the one opportunity a Masakari might present to actually make a decision.Victis posted:Nah you're freaking out while the laser burns through all the head armor and then kills you No head armor to protect that crowd of people you're spraying a small pulse laser at
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Apr 14, 2021 22:38
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Defiance Industries posted:It's a Masakari with extra heat sinks, thus eliminating the one opportunity a Masakari might present to actually make a decision. Now now, we are not in the cap con here, we don't have the small pulse lasers to waste on civvies. Civvies get flamers and like it out in the rimward periphery.
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Apr 14, 2021 22:46
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BattleTech: Restoration Campaign – Episode 6: First Strike   Gah! Where the hell did you come from?! I’ve been here this whole time? … Wow, really? Kinda blend into the wallpaper, doncha? Ahem. The Directorate has a prison complex on the planet's surface. The inmates call it the Icebox. It's a holding facility for political prisoners, including high-value hostages. Members of the Founding Families—spouses, sons, and daughters. If we liberate the prison and set them free, we break Espinosa's leverage over the Founding Houses. The political map will change overnight. Mmhm. Sure. We don't know what the Directorate has been doing to our people in there, but we have to set them free. Not just for political gain, but because they're our people. And we need your help to do it. Aren't the Founding Lords and Ladies supposed to be powerless figureheads? There are different kinds of power, Five Aces. The Founding Houses may be anemic in terms of martial strength, but their words still carry weight in the Aurigan Reach. If they rally behind us, the people who love them will follow. Governments have been toppled with less. The pen may be mightier than the sword, Lord Madeira, but it’s got nothing on a PPC. My uncle has hard-line supporters everywhere—their ranks have swelled in the absence of strong opposition. But the remaining members of the Founding Council will rally their people against the Directorate if given the chance. By freeing Weldry, we will give them that chance. I need to know what I'm about to send my lance into. What makes Weldry so inhospitable? Every'thing, from the subzero climate to the inedible vegetation. The whole planet is infested with bloodsucking insects... the swarms can stretch for miles.  You’re shittin’ me. I'm afraid not. They're called Branson's Mosquitoes. Imagine a colonial biting fly the size of your thumb. They serve as carriers for harmful bacteria. And you're dropping infantry there? On purpose? The army will be safe. Population centers like the Icebox use ultrasonics to keep the swarms at bay. I mean, unless the Directorate thinks to turn them off. But I thank you for your concern, Mr. Virtanen. You've got an army. What do you need us for? Subtle, decisive action. I will lead the army in an all-out assault on the Directorate's primary spaceport. After I've drawn their attention, you will sneak in, attack the Icebox, and liberate it. We'll set my uncle's hostages free and put the Founding Families in our debt, all in one fell swoop. In my experience, operations of this scale rarely go according to plan. I know, Five Aces. And that is one of the major reasons why I need you on this drop. You adapted to the chaos Of the battlefield on Coromodir. I'll be counting on you to do the same here. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve broken into a prison. I'll remain in radio contact with you after we hit the ground. Good hunting, Five Aces. Give my uncle's troops the hell that they have earned. After the Directorate presence on the planet has been crushed and the Icebox has been liberated, we'll regroup to celebrate our victory. Mission 31: First Strike (Story, Commentary) Rewards: 1,766,400 c-bills Reputation: Arano Restoration +4 (doesn’t matter, reputation’s always maxed with the restoration) Noteworthy Salvage: 3 JM6-S JagerMech parts (‘Mech completed), 1 TBT-5N Trebuchet part (‘Mech completed)       He was more than that. The old man was like a second father to me. And my uncle condemned him to... waste away... on this rock. To die, wretched and broken, in agony. A hero's story shouldn't end like this. Nobody's should. He died long before he ever reached the Icebox, Weldry just makes a convenient excuse to hide the freezer damage. What? They wanted you to think he died recently, that you’d just missed him. That if you’d just rushed your preparations and begun six months earlier you would have saved him. You couldn’t have. It’s the oldest trick in the ransom handbook. I knew Sir Raju longer than either of you. I'll avenge him—I promise you that. Our intel was wrong, Alexander. The Icebox isn't a prison. It's a meat grinder. Gods, my own family is behind this. Welcome to the Inner Sphere. And what's left of mine has chosen to look the other way. It isn't an easy thing to wrap your head around, but try to remain focused. We've just liberated the Directorate's hostages. With a single blow, you've shattered your uncle's hold on the Founding Houses... the prisoners you've set free are already calling you "The Sword of Restoration." We need to spread this message all the way to Coromodir, to galvanize your supporters and weaken Espinosa's popularity there. Espinosa stole the throne at gunpoint. How much popularity could he have? Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t want to get depressed— More than you'd expect. Remember that Espinosa's first priority was the centralization of power. That meant a tremendous growth in resources and infrastructure on the throne world. The citizens Of Coromodir enjoy fewer personal freedoms than they once did, but their lives have improved greatly in a material sense. And people will forgive a great deal for security and comfort. With our victory on Weldry, we've all seen what happened to those who would not be bought or indoctrinated. Those who refused to kneel before a tyrant. We know what became of the people who were made to disappear—and soon enough, the entire Reach will know it, too. The momentum is on our side, Kamea. We need to take advantage of it. ...You're right. This isn't the time for hand-wringing. But, Alexander... you didn't see what I saw out there, on the other end of the battlefield. The work crews, all hunched and broken. The graveyards—great fields of unmarked burial plots that stretched as far as the eye could see. Every time I blink, I see it... the misery that was allowed to fester here. [Background: Frontier Pirate] I served some time in an Aurigan prison during your father's reign. It was no picnic... but it wasn't a gulag, either. It wouldn't have been—my father wouldn't have allowed it. Before my uncle's coup, the Aurigan Reach was better than this. Aurigan cops are bastards, though.  This place is going to stay with these people for the rest of their lives. I'd do anything to be able to spare them that hurt... but I can't. Word of advice from an old veteran, Lady Arano? Focus on something you can do. Give us an order. Tell us to blow something up. poo poo, use your imagination—the key is, you do something, and you move on. Thank you, Chief Virtanen. You have a good crew, Five Aces. I have a new assignment for you. And a reward for your service.  The Argo will serve as your new home, and she will fly your mercenary banner. Lord Madeira will join you to act as my liaison. And in return, you will grow stronger. Sharper. More flexible. You will hone your company to a razor's edge—one that I will hold to the Directorate's throat. In that case, congratulations. You've got yourself a navy. If that's settled, then please, Kamea... go back to the triage tent and get your wounds looked at. The conditions here are beyond unsanitary, and you'll be of no use to anyone if you're dying of some exotic infection. Our people can tend to the wounded. We need you strong for the fight ahead. I will, Alexander... but not just yet. Assemble our people in the courtyard. There's something that I need to say.   Yeah, Doc... you too. I'm gonna call you Doc, by the way—you should probably go ahead and get used to it. It was impressive work you did, getting the Argo flying. Between you and me, I had my doubts. Honestly? I did, too. You should've seen what the Argo's interior looked like after a couple hundred years of pirate occupation. ...Actually, I take that back. If you'd seen what I saw, you would never have wanted to set foot inside. Take it from me: the ship has been deloused from bow to stern, and every meter of her has been hosed down with industrial-grade disinfectant. This ship is clean enough to eat off of, I swear it. Clean is good. Spaceworthy is better. You sure the Argo is ready for action? Oh, absolutely. I mean, she's here, isn't she? All the way from Lyreton, with nary a decompression event in sight. Don't worry, Commander. I wouldn't endanger my new crewmates by putting them on an unsafe ship. I've got professional standards to maintain. Hear that, Yang? We're finally getting a shipboard engineer. That's good, because I don't have a clue how anything on this boat works. Frankly, I'm amazed that Doc Murad managed to get her flying at all. I'm still a little amazed myself. Only a little, because I'm very good at what I do, but... it was kind of touch and go there for a while. Oh, and Darius... I'm sorry about all the shouting back on Axylus. As it turns out, getting shot at by pirates puts me on edge. NO hard feelings? None at all. Keep this beast flying and you can yell at me as much as you want. Hell, I'm used to it—welcome to the family. You too, Lord Madeira. I never imagined we'd be working together, but I'm glad to have the opportunity. As am l, Mr. Oliveira. Over the years of our exile, Lady Arano told me a great deal about you and your company—all of it good. Even before the events Of the coup, she knew about Markham's Marauders. Your assistance in her father's FJaldr campaign did not go unnoticed. It was a job, Lord Madeira. We only did what High Lord Tamati paid us to do. Still, it feels good to be appreciated, and to know that someone out there still remembers Commander Markham's name. You'll be a welcome addition aboard the Argo, Lord Madeira. Thank you, Commander Fiveaces— Yarr, that be Captain Fiveaces now, ye scurvy groundlubber! —Speaking of which, you'll have some time to break your new ship in before Lady Arano is ready to move on Panzyr. She needs to consolidate our forces on Weldry and replace our losses with fresh volunteers. You remember her orders: you are to sharpen your company and grow strong. And now that you have a mobile command center worthy of the title, I suggest that you use it. I'll get you a fresh batch of contracts to look over, Johnny. The whole Rimward Periphery is our oyster now... we won't be limited by debts or travel restrictions. Exciting times, I've gotta say. How about it, Yang? You excited? Yeah, Boss. I'm practically giddy. So why the hell are we still hanging around here talking? There's an absolutely enormous Mech Bay right over there, and it's got my name written all over it. drat right it does, Yang. You all heard him—take your stations, everyone! We're free agents until Lady Arano calls for us, and there's money to be made. The Argo is... not in good shape, Commander. But With time, money, and some of Chief Virtanen's technical resources, we can address most of the major problems... maybe even make this place nice again. I'll be in Engineering if you want to know more. Let me guess: we’re on the hook for the upkeep? Yup. And there’s the catch! What do you want repaired first? I don’t care. Fix the power or something, those flickering lights are giving me a headache. Lady Arano said she wanted us to get stronger. With these 'Mech facilities, we finally have the resources to do that. Bring me scrapped 'Mechs from missions and shops, and I'll rebuild them into fighting machines. And remember, Boss: when it comes to 'Mechs, bigger is usually better. That’s not true at all. Oh, it wasn't just me. I had a team working under me—over two hundred of Lyreton's most accomplished engineers, electricians, and shipwrights. It was really pretty amazing, I've gotta say. Shouting through a megaphone at a team of hundreds, watching them hang on my every word. How much did Lady Arano pay for all of that? Oh, it wasn't Lady Arano. The payments came directly from House Centrella. ...That was a figure of speech. They were indirect payments, of course, routed through countless intermediaries to obscure where the money was coming from. But... yeah. The Centrellas paid for it. Now, as to how much the Centrellas paid... I honestly have no idea. I'm sure the figure was astronomical. But still, cheaper than getting dragged into an unwanted war, eh? If this ship turns out to be as important as Lady Arano thinks it will, then it was money well spent. Had you ever managed a team that big before? Never in my wildest dreams. Prior to my time at the Lyreton Shipyard, the biggest team I'd ever managed was the crew I had with me on Axylus, and they all got killed. This job went a lot better than that one did, by the way. Only three deaths across the entire project! And before you ask, none of them was my fault. There was an accident with one of the industrial cranes, and, well... it was horrible. I pray for their souls. ...That went off the rails in a pretty big way, didn't it? Sorry about that. I guess I'm still in a little bit of shock from our time on Axylus. I'm having a hard time getting what I saw there out of my mind. But that's neither here nor there. We were talking about the ship. Is there something else you'd like to know? If you're gonna be a part of this crew, I want a better sense of who you are. Tell me about yourself. Well, I'm an actual doctor, but not the medical kind. I hold two doctorates—one in physics, the other in mechanical engineering. And now I'm hauling around in a Los Tech wonder with a crew of merry pirates, seeking my fortune. It's funny, the places life takes you. Okay, I've got the elevator pitch. Now give me the long version. Yeah, sure, if you like. Let's see. Where to begin? Well... I was born on Regulus, in the Free Worlds League. My parents were academics—I know, big surprise—and I spent most Of my early years bouncing back and forth between their suburban apartment and the Ferdowsi, my Baba Joon's live-in DropShip. Your Baba Joon? Who was that? My grandfather. He'd carved out a nice little business for himself running a taxi service for pilgrims traveling to and from Dar-es-Salaam. As much as my father frowned on Baba Joon's old-fashioned lifestyle and beliefs, he wasn't blind to how much I loved the old man. And so, he occasionally consented to let me board the Ferdowsi and go along for the ride. I will always cherish my memories of those voyages. The warmth behind Baba Joon's smile. The excitement of leaving Regulus behind. Chatting with the pilgrims, and getting lost in the stars, and eating prepackaged fesenjan out of a shiny tin. Those times are all crystal-clear in my memory, as if they happened yesterday. Oh, how I miss that wonderful man. This may seem silly coming from a mercenary engineer, but... I've come to think of the life I've chosen as a way of honoring my Baba Joon. By carving my own path among the stars, I'm doing what I can to keep his memory alive. That sounds trite, I'm sure, but... sue me. It's what I've chosen to believe. What about after you left home? Where did you study? I actually spent a little time in the Lyran Commonwealth before I pursued my studies. Long story, that, but suffice it to say that it was its own kind of learning experience. When I did decide to get a higher education, I wound up back in the Free Worlds League. I did my undergrad studies at the University of Atreus, then went on to Sian University in the Capellan Confederation to earn my doctorates. For a top-three school with a Masklrovka-screened admissions process, Sian U. was surprisingly open to transfer students. That’s a pretty easy way to keep tabs on how your neighbors are doing, technologically. Anyway. I could go on and on for hours about my academic career, and you'd probably smile and nod as I rambled, but... come on. I mean, this can't be interesting for you, can it? You're a mercenary. You stomp around in a giant robot for a living. The closest I got to adventure back then was my dissertation defense. Have you always wanted to be a shipboard engineer? No, not always. When I was fifteen, I wanted to be a statistician. You know... a nice, quiet life, alone in the Ivory Tower—that was what my personal DropShip was going to be called—preparing mathematical models and studying survey results. so, yeah, you know. Every girl's dream. I guess. Didn't you ever want to do anything more, I dunno... exciting? Like being a MechWarrior? No. Much as I love the idea of stomping around in a giant robot, I'm not huge on the whole "murdering people with lasers" thing. It doesn't really square with my personal beliefs. Don't get me wrong—I'm happy to work with MechWarriors. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here. But the actual firing of weapons... no. It isn't for me. I mean, we’re all complicit regardless. At least I get to decide who I’m shooting at. You still seem pretty enthusiastic about it. Why didn't you follow through? Well... interests change. I mean, I still like statistics, but it's really more of a hobby now. Is that weird? People have told me it's weird. I dunno. Plotting graphs and forecasting future events calms me. It's like... my own little way of using math to bring order from chaos. And besides, everybody needs a hobby. I know for a fact that Darius crochets. Okay. So what made you want to get into Engineering? Uncle Heiner's Experiment World. Live-action STEM edutainment program from the Lyran Commonwealth. It started airing just after my nineteenth birthday. You may have seen it... it ran for three seasons before it was canceled. The host was a tattooed, chain-smoking nihilist who taught children the magic of chemistry. You know... making thermite with aluminum cans and a belt sander. That kind of thing. Sounds like a Lyran kids' show, all right. Yes. Well. l, ah... I wound up marrying the host. Look, it's a long story. But the important bit is, in the six months before the annulment, I learned that I had a real talent with machines. When Heiner blew out a power relay or took a tire iron to the band saw, I was the one who would put it back together again. I found a great deal of peace in that. From there, it was just a matter of getting into the right schools and following my bliss. So that's what I did, and, well... here I am. It turned out all right for me, all things considered. Talk to you later, Doc. I’m going to start calling this spot ‘Lord Madeira’s Hole’ now. I'd like to discuss the state of our war against the Directorate. Things are going well enough, Commander. Our initial attack on Weldry was an enormous success, despite the psychological costs of what we discovered there. Still, the Directorate's atrocities have steeled our resolve. I've never seen Lady Arano so determined. Out of curiosity, Commander Fiveaces... what did you think of her speech? I recorded it, you know. The broadcasts are on their way to every corner of Directorate space. It sounded raw. From the heart. Mastiff would've been proud. Good. That's what I was hoping to hear. The presumption of authenticity will carry us far. For what it's worth, Lady Arano meant every word she said, but the people may not see it that way. Espinosa's propaganda machine will do everything in its power to tarnish our accomplishments and drag us through the dirt. I can imagine the headlines now. "Police and civil servants cut down by weapons of war! Dangerous convicts set loose by a traitor, endangering nobles and commoners alike!" A dangerous narrative, and one that we'll have to counter at every turn. Counter-argument: ‘All Cops are Bastards.’ Get that trending on Space Twitter again. Maybe we can spark a riot on Hachiman while we’re at it. With luck, many of our people will believe what they've heard in our broadcast over the Directorate's propaganda. But I fear that Espinosa's hard-line supporters will be far less eager to listen. If we fail to turn them against the Directorate, we run the risk of ongoing violence, even after we liberate their home systems. That's why messages like Kamea's speech are so important. If the Directorate is using propaganda, we need some of our own. Got it. Sadly, yes. If we're going to win this war, we need to rally the Aurigan people—including a percentage of Espinosa's supporters. They have to see that we're better than the Directorate, again and again, until our message is impossible to ignore. For you, that means military victories. For me, it means more broadcasts, spin, and outreach. Public opinion is just another battlefield, and I'll be knee-deep in the trenches until the day I die. You're new on this crew. So tell me about yourself. I'd be happy to, but... Honestly, Commander? I've been so consumed with matters of war of late that I wouldn't even know where to begin. Tell me about who you were before Kamea's exile and the Restoration. A noble scion... much the same as you were, from what I understand. As a fellow noble, I'm sure that you already know more than most about my upbringing. It was a life of great privilege, and even greater expectation. I spent my early years invested in academic pursuits: the study of history, mathematics, and statecraft. I strove to excel at every subject... anything to avoid disappointing my mother and father. The extent to which they would come to disappoint me is a cruel irony, but it's one that I've come to accept. Must be hard to have your own parents betray you. Oh, it is. Nothing could be harder. When Kamea retakes her throne, there will be a reckoning, and Directorate collaborators will be tried for their crimes. My mother and father will be at the front of that list. And as terrible as it feels to say it, they'll deserve whatever punishment they receive. What kind of expectations did you have to meet? Do you know House Madeira's motto? "Behold Our Splendor." I had a familial obligation to live extravagantly, and to do so within the public eye. But I was also expected to develop my intellect. My life was a fifty-fifty split between carousing and academic study. In truth, it felt like I was leading two lives—and putting on a show in both. But I'll never complain about my upbringing. I have enjoyed advantages that most children of the Periphery could only dream of. I'm sorry to hear it, Lord Madeira. Let's talk about something else. Your apologies are unnecessary—by any metric you care to mention, I've lived a charmed life. The hardships of the past three years don't erase the lifetime of privilege I enjoyed before Espinosa's coup. It would be dishonest of me to pretend that they did. But still, I am happy to change the subject if you wish. Tell me about Guldra. What kind of world is it? A truly beautiful one. You should really travel there sometime after all of this is over and see it for yourself. Imagine lush, green lowlands giving way to mile upon mile Of white-sand coastline. Sandy beaches kissed by warm, salty seas, and soft rain perfumed with saffron and cardamom. And that's not to mention the wildlife. … Why do I feel like we’re a fur coat short of hearing the phrase ‘indelible musk’ again? Close your eyes and imagine it, Commander. Shield terns wheeling and soaring, their brilliant plumage glittering in the sunlight. Leviathan sablefish flashing silver beneath the waves. Dolphinfish leaping, breaching the surface of the water in riotous streaks of yellow and green. Places like Guldra are special, Commander Fiveaces. They must be preserved. This is what we're fighting for: something unspoiled, and unique, and ours. Something that reminds us how good the Periphery can be. I should go. We’ll talk later, Lord Madeira. … But only when I have to. Yang! What? I’m selling the Trebuchet and the Vindicator! I also plan on popping over to Lyreton in a bit, but first… there’s quite a bit for us to do. Mission 32: Thorn in the Side (Assassinate, No Commentary) Rewards: 397,702 c-bills Reputation: Arano Restoration +9, Taurian Concordat -7 Noteworthy Salvage: 3 KTO-18 Kintaro parts (‘Mech completed), 1 BJ-1 Blackjack part, 1 TBT-7K Trebuchet part The Kintaro 18 is… Overgunned and under-armored. It’s the ‘best’ standard 55 tonner in theory, but it can’t safely do anything a Griffin can’t also do. Dump it into storage. Mission 33: Bounty Hunting (Battle, Commentary) Rewards: 402,500 c-bills (I was too eager to get to the salvage screen and forgot to screenshot this but I can do math) Reputation: Aurano Restoration + number, Taurians - slightly smaller number (I forgot to screenshot this too) Noteworthy Salvage: 3 ANH-1 Annihilator parts (‘Mech Complete), 2 BLK-6-KNT Black Knight parts, 1 PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk part The Annihilator is an extremely rare ‘Mech that is essentially a mobile siege tower. It can kick out more damage than almost any other unit on the field. It’s unbelievably slow, though, and poorly armored for its size. … Why do I feel like I just helped perpetuate someone else’s inside joke? Put it on ice for now, we’re not ready for a monster like that. You sure, boss? Yeah, I’m sure. Oh, hey. Hope everyone’s ready to do a theoretically slightly harder version of the same mission! Mission 34: Bounty Hunting (Battle, Commentary) Rewards: 397,600 c-bills Reputation: Arano Restoration +9, Local Pirates -7 Noteworthy Salvage: 1 BNC-3M Banshee part, 1 BL-6-KNT Black Knight part (‘Mech completed), 1 VTR-9S Victor part, 1 Hardcase™ Jointstrike™ system, 1 TBT-7K Trebuchet part (‘Mech completed), 1 DV-6M Dervish part Lady Arano's contract to liberate House Decimis is ready for review in the Command Center. We should follow up when you think we're ready. Later. The Black Knight 6-KNT is a dedicated Energy weapon platform. It can shell out hellish damage with its beams and shrug off a lot of damage... just gotta make sure to keep its heat in check. Good ‘Mech. We’ll see if I can find something fun to do with it. For now we only have six Mechbay slots so it’s getting dumped into storage. Yang! What? Pimp my Griffin! And while we’re at it, dump the Centurion into storage and prep the other Griffin. It’s always nice to have a backup SRM bomber. Sumire! What do you need? Take us to Lyreton! I hear they do research there!  PTN’s note: Research planets have a better chance of spawning equipment equalizers and have more bonus shop pulls than any other planet type. Rich research planets can spawn anything, including all of the armored versions of the equalizers. Unfortunately, Lyreton is not rich. I’m looking for something in particular. Finished fixing the power, boss! Good. We’ve been stuck with a single ‘Mechbay for way too long.[/i] 
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Apr 15, 2021 22:16
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I’ve loved the Black Knight ever since I played MechWarrior 4 and the expansions. (Also the Shadow Cat and the Vulture/Mad Dog.) Goddamn, the live action opening cutscene for Vengeance still kind of holds up. It’s campy as hell, but the effects were quite good for the time, and I’d gladly watch a whole movie of this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZWxgLQZano girl dick energy fucked around with this message at 23:44 on Apr 15, 2021 |
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Apr 15, 2021 23:08
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That headcap was a thing of glory. 
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Apr 16, 2021 00:09
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Which one? 
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Apr 16, 2021 00:35
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PoptartsNinja posted:Which one? Fair point. Annihilator one mainly.
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Apr 16, 2021 00:44
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I think my favorite part of this game is how small lasers fire even after the target has exploded. It just feels so spiteful and unnecessary and it make me giggle every time I see it.
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Apr 16, 2021 00:58
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How equipped does the game expect you to be going into that story mission? It didn't seem overly threatening even without the sniper elite games.
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Apr 16, 2021 00:59
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The campaign is split into three stages: the first stage assumes you're still running around in your starter lance, the midgame portion assumes you might have a heavy 'Mech or two, and the Endgame assumes you're in a Steiner Scout Lance. This was still an 'early game' mission. The midgame begins as soon as you get the Argo (and is surprisingly short). The assumption was that the Leopard is too punishing to try to do heavy customization so most players would be stuck doing minor things or using Yang to make a lot of repairs. 
PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Apr 16, 2021 |
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Apr 16, 2021 01:02
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Well with the Annie You have the beginnings of a steiner scout lance.
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Apr 16, 2021 02:44
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I like the Kintaro. Its my favorite mech design and when it gets into position it can really put out the hurt. Nothing like popping around a hill in MWO and crushing a heavys rear armor with chain fire SRMs 
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Apr 16, 2021 05:06
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The Kintaro also allows for a SRM20 build, but I guess that the extra 2 tons of tubes goes missing from the armor. (I don't have Battletech installed on this machine so I can't see if Griffin and Kintaro have the same internal structure weight)
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Apr 16, 2021 06:25
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The Griffin and Kintaro have the same weight and engine. A 'mech's internal structure weighs 10% of the overall weight, so it's always going to be 5.5 tons. Unless you're using Endo-Steel internal structure, which is lost technology, and anything using it is very valuable. They have the same engine, too, which you can't change in this game. Or to get to the point, yes, the Kintaro and Griffin have the same free weight, so stuffing in more SRMs means losing jump jets, ammo, armor, or the heat sink.
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Apr 16, 2021 14:08
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And they all lose to the SLDF Royal Griffin, which does have weight-saving technology and was the best medium 'Mech in the game until they added the Royal Phoenix Hawk.
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Apr 16, 2021 14:12
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