|
Defiance Industries posted:After three years of them playing coy about who was invading Terra and having it be the obvious answer, I'm going to assume everything will resolve itself in the obvious fashion until they can prove otherwise. That was a loving embarrassment and I only hope the people involved are legitimately ashamed for stalling for so long and failing to come up with any other idea, so they ended up with a story that fails at basic dramatic structure. They delayed not because of some desire to surprise but because they didn't want IlClan to launch into the void with no novel or other sourcebook support. They're trying to drive the line with novels again, rather than historical sourcebooks, but wanted to make sure various elements needed to set up a steady plot progression were in place before release. We've got Tamar Rising due just a few months after IlClan now, with its own novels to match. They hope to keep it going that way, and the long delay was essential to get all this going. I think the plans for what's ahead are interesting and anything but straightforward. I'll agree with you that Alaric is pretty uninteresting as a character, though.
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 07:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 23:41 |
|
|
Xotl posted:They delayed not because of some desire to surprise but because they didn't want IlClan to launch into the void with no novel or other sourcebook support. They're trying to drive the line with novels again, rather than historical sourcebooks, but wanted to make sure various elements needed to set up a steady plot progression were in place before release. We've got Tamar Rising due just a few months after IlClan now, with its own novels to match. They hope to keep it going that way, and the long delay was essential to get all this going. I think the plans for what's ahead are interesting and anything but straightforward. If that was their goal I could have fixed it with a pretty simple edit. On page 97 of Shattered Fortress, insert the word "Wolf" between the words "Clan" and "vessels." Perhaps let them know not to be needlessly vague about things if they don't have a good reason to anymore, because this was absolutely dumb as gently caress. This was like ending Empire Strikes Back before we realize who Han Solo sees on Bespin that makes him shoot his gun, a very simple failure to deliver on basic beats of storytelling. Defiance Industries fucked around with this message at 07:32 on May 6, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 07:29
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:Nah, Hanse doesn't put a dent in the Dracs, they've always had the Federated Suns' number. Nevermind that the Dracs had about 30 fewer regiments at the time than the Stealthy Foxes and Loki believed. I'm going to disagree only because while Theodore was somewhat successful in the Lyran theater the Dragoons were functionally acting as a cornerstone/cadre of a large part of the Fedsuns border and they tore it to shreds on the way out, and largely acted as a lightning rod for strikes against the Fedsuns during the entire 4th war. The Capellan March probably could have held it's own to some degree if Maximillian had attacked in support (Assuming a certain dickhead didn't swap sides) allowing most of the Gallahad forces which were entirely not comprised of March units to have a little stroll behind the lines. It'd be a fun alternate history scenario that would probably end in Theodore having to kill his own father just to unfuck his realm. EDIT: Oh no we're still talking about incest wolf, the least interesting character ever. Rhymenoserous fucked around with this message at 07:42 on May 6, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 07:39
|
|
|
PTN isn't just talking about the 4th Succession War, he's also talking about most of the campaigns between Fall of the Star League and the 4th SW (like Mallory's World, where the Combine isn't the one that lost a head of state in combat), and the War of 3039 which was one where the AFFS was definitely actually trying to fight the Combine and managed to do jack and poo poo to the border. For an offensive war, that's a pretty solid L. Davion led offensives into the Combine have historically gone extremely poorly, and Combine offensives into the Suns have historically gone extremely well (a trend continued into the 3140s).
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 07:46
|
|
|
Rhymenoserous posted:I'm going to disagree only because while Theodore was somewhat successful in the Lyran theater the Dragoons were functionally acting as a cornerstone/cadre of a large part of the Fedsuns border and they tore it to shreds on the way out, and largely acted as a lightning rod for strikes against the Fedsuns during the entire 4th war. The Capellan March probably could have held it's own to some degree if Maximillian had attacked in support (Assuming a certain dickhead didn't swap sides) allowing most of the Gallahad forces which were entirely not comprised of March units to have a little stroll behind the lines. I wonder about that, if Hanse had pressed further it would have refocused Takashi. Jaime Wolf was a personal beef and he took it seriously, no doubt. But Takashi considered Hanse Davion his ultimate rival, and a full-on invasion from the AFFS likely would have left him saying "okay Jaime Wolf is one thing but I get to fight my ULTIMATE RIVAL, so he can loving wait."
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 08:03
|
|
|
The trick is, Jaime Wolf would've waited. The Dragoons weren't on anyone's payroll on Misery, but if Takashi had sent a "so sorry, I need to deal with this distraction and then we can duel" message, that's exactly the sort of challenge that Jaime couldn't have walked away from. He didn't let the Clan Warrrior in him shine through very often, but he always did when Takashi Kurita was involved. Even if he hadn't and the Dragoons continued to pressure the Combine, they were only tying up a few number of the Combine's best units. The Sword of Light regiments were all free, and the Dragoons definitely weren't tying up the real reason House Kurita historically shits all over the Federated Suns: House Kurita's airforce is better.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 08:11
|
|
|
Defiance Industries posted:Alaric is loving lame and the scenes in Hour of the Wolf that just fellate him by telling us how scared everyone is of him are the most embarrassing thing in BT that doesn't involve rape or really bad ethnic stereotypes. Alaric as presented in Sword of Sedition, Masters of War, and Bonfire of Worlds had potential. He was cocky, brash, and paid for it when he ran into someone who refused to play by his rules (Anastasia). But his battles in Bonfire of Worlds actually felt earned, as he was encountering multiple opponents with good strategies and he out-thought them. (My favorite is when House Steiner has been preparing for a Wolf betrayal, so Alaric just uses Jumpships with Lithium-Ion Batteries to double-jump right past the first lines of defense and hit undefended planets). He also was constantly battling whether he wanted to do stuff for himself or whether it was because his mother Katherine was forcing him to. And there's the angle with Verena Wolf, whereas all the other Wolfs are pouty because... he only wants to sleep with Verena, and they think monogamy is super weird? Then he literally kills his way to the top, assassinating Khan Seth Ward and Katherine so that there's no one to stand in the way. But at the pinnacle of his achievement of winning his fake bloodname and become Khan, in creating the Wolf Empire and conquering Tharkard City, unbeknownst to him, the Loremaster of Clan Wolf Liam Ward knows that Alaric is 100% a phony, his gene parents only being Victor and Katherine, no actual wolf genes, and Liam is waiting to reveal that fact to the Clan to topple Alaric. Jump forward to the last 2 years in fiction. Liam Ward is gone without a single word of explanation, Alaric suddenly DOES have Vlad Ward genes in him, so he's a chimera of three different people, and everyone's just scared of him and acts dumb so he can seem smart. It's immensely disappointing that the character did have potential, and they pooped all over it. Oh well, I'm still predicting Alaric extends an offer of alliance to Trillian Steiner, the Wolf Empire worlds for her hand in marriage, uniting the IlClan and Lyran Commonwealth with super-duper incest. Alaric already claims the title of Archon, which apparently a lot of Lyrans are cool with since he's Katherine's son. Lyran Commonwealth can then grow back up to size and help fight the Hell's Horses. Also predicting Yori and Julian get hitched. Because that would actually be an interesting turn and both the Fed Suns and Dracs need all the help they can get now that they have zero allies to rely on. Crazy Joe Wilson fucked around with this message at 13:02 on May 6, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 12:56
|
|
|
So, ilClan next month, and a new book about the Tamar Pact, apparently it's going to become its own nation? (at least that's the way I read the Tea Leaves about the blurb, and the fact that the Jade Falcons nope'd out of the area on their drive to catch up with Alaric, and the Steiners apparently noped out of a full scale effort to reclaim the area) Upcoming books: Recognition Guide: ilClan Third cycle, April – June 2021; Fourth cycle, August – November 2021 The third and fourth cycles of the popular Recognition Guide: ilClan series roll out through the spring, summer, and fall, offering the newest BattleMechs seen on the war-torn battlefields of Terra, along with cutting-edge variants of BattleTech’s most iconic ’Mechs. Proliferation Cycle Omnibus May 2021 All seven parts of the popular Proliferation Cycle series are collected in print for the first time in this print-on-demand omnibus volume. Hunting Season A novel by Philip A. Lee May 2021 Thrust into leadership of House Marik after the death of her father and withdrawal of her mother, Nikol Marik must navigate a web of politics and intrigue while trying to discover the truth behind her father’s death. Blood Will Tell A novel by Jason Schmetzer May 2021 You can’t choose your parents. Outside the building where she’s just brokered peace–again–with Julian Davion, Danai Liao-Centrella wipes her hands of the sickness of her parents. Her life is her own. Her duty is to the state. And with the Republic making rumblings, the Clans digging deeper into former Republic space, her duty is clear: preserve the state. At any cost. Her father, Chancellor Daoshen Liao, is head of the state and its armies. Acclaimed, as all Capellan chancellors are, the ‘Celestial Wisdom’ of the Confederation, he alone decides policy. By giving up New Syrtis, Danai has broken with that policy. He will not be pleased. She doesn’t care. Her duty is to the state. And for the state to survive, the entire campaign against the Davion Federated Suns must be abandoned. There is a richer prize in sight. A greater threat. The Republic of the Sphere is coming out from behind its wall. The Capellan Confederation must be ready. The ilClan June 2021 In 2825, ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky, the founder of the Clans, gave his exiled, warrior-led people a dream: the first Clan to return to the Inner Sphere and claim Terra, the cradle of humanity, in honorable combat would claim the title of ilClan—ruler of all the Clans. The ilClan would reestablish the venerable Star League from the ashes of the old, and its Khan would become ilKhan, supreme ruler of all the Clans. Now, 326 years later, the Children of Kerensky have fought their way to Terra with the intent of fulfilling this dream. But will this dream become destiny or nightmare? Experience the tumultuous Battle of Terra, which will shake the very foundations of the Inner Sphere. Then catch a glimpse of how the Great Houses and other major powers will face the outcome of this far-reaching conflict. Tactical maps, Chaos Campaign tracks, and new ’Mechs that debuted during the Battle of Terra all let you jump right into the cockpit and fight in the culmination of over three centuries of Clan history. Do you have what it takes to conquer the birthplace of humankind, or the courage to defend Terra from its enemies? Rock and a Hard Place A Gray Death Legion novel by William H. Keith, Jr. July 2021 Bill Keith returns with his first BattleTech novel in more than twenty-fiveyears, a tale of the Gray Death Legion set in 3025. In the run-up to Operation Gotterdammerung, Grayson and the GDL take on a high-stakes mission to the space station of Wheel. Tamar Rising September 2021 Silence falls across the Jade Falcon border, and slowly, reports reach Lyran space: the Clan’s warriors, so long a threat to the Steiner realm, are gone. Powerful ambitions rush to fill the vacuum that follows. Former Clan citizens both recently assimilated and long conquered grapple with a future no longer defined by the will of the Falcons. An Arcturan general dissatisfied with Tharkad’s ineffective rule forges her own destiny. A Clan denied the glory of Terra redefines itself through battle and conquest. And a mercenary unleashes her reborn command to claim vengeance for past calamities. Tamar Rising is a BattleTech sourcebook providing full details of the events in the former Clan Jade Falcon Occupation Zone from 3151 to mid-3152. Included are a full historical summary of events in that region of space, personality and unit profiles of key players—many appearing here for the first time, and game information to bring it all to your BattleTech tabletop.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 15:29
|
|
|
Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Also predicting Yori and Julian get hitched. Because that would actually be an interesting turn and both the Fed Suns and Dracs need all the help they can get now that they have zero allies to rely on. I've said for years that the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine are actually natural allies who fight each other a lot because they're really similar. Samurai Cowboys are way more interesting than Samurai or Cowboys, and a hypothetical Draconis Suns helps cut down on some of the setting's racism. Of course, Robinson would secede immediately and launch itself into a hellwar with the Draconis Combine without a second thought. Their combined logo looks fantastic, though. 
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 15:45
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:Of course, Robinson would secede immediately and launch itself into a hellwar with the Draconis Combine without a second thought. You say that as if it were a negative.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 16:50
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:I've said for years that the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine are actually natural allies who fight each other a lot because they're really similar. Samurai Cowboys are way more interesting than Samurai or Cowboys, and a hypothetical Draconis Suns helps cut down on some of the setting's racism. That logo does indeed look sweet. And Julian and Yori actually know each other from the year or so that they fought together against the Senator Secessionists, along with that Ghost Bear guy and a few others.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 17:15
|
|
|
Almost all the major characters know each other from that or Victor's funeral, they were clearly trying to redo Outreach. Anyway, I'm glad they got Keith back if they're going to resurrect the GDL, and that they are letting him write 3025 stuff, since that's what he's best at. Defiance Industries fucked around with this message at 19:11 on May 6, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 19:08
|
|
|
Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Oh well, I'm still predicting Alaric extends an offer of alliance to Trillian Steiner, the Wolf Empire worlds for her hand in marriage, uniting the IlClan and Lyran Commonwealth with super-duper incest. Alaric already claims the title of Archon, which apparently a lot of Lyrans are cool with since he's Katherine's son. Lyran Commonwealth can then grow back up to size and help fight the Hell's Horses. Hmm, I suppose Lyran Commonwealth plus the Wolves would be enough forces to give the new Ilclan some teeth, but I'd think the Lyrans would be a trifle down on the idea of merging with anybody after how the Federated Commonwealth ended up. A general alliance might work though I don't see marriage since I don't believe Alaric really thinks in dynastic terms yet. As for Yori and Julian getting hitched, that almost seems even less likely. Not counting the fact the Dracs have been mauling the Fed Suns (and Yori's been solidifying her power showing off how well she can kick their asses), I'd think both would have too many internal enemies against the idea to pull it off without at least one (and possibly both) nations fracturing at the idea. I'll grant clever writing could change both those things though. On the other end of things from alliances, I doubt the Capellans are going to terribly care about the change in management of the Republic; it might be kind of cool to see Capellans vs. Clans for once (if they thought the people of the Inner Sphere were dishonorable surats before, whooooaaa boy the Wolves ain't seen nothing yet...) Defiance Industries posted:Anyway, I'm glad they got Keith back if they're going to resurrect the GDL, and that they are letting him write 3025 stuff, since that's what he's best at. Yeah, I think that's the news I'm most excited about; I swear things have gotten so chaotic in the "modern" timeline I prefer the 3025 stuff out of sheer ability to follow things. Wasn't there a new Grey Death short story recently too? Seem to recall that being pretty enjoyable.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 21:21
|
|
|
MadDogMike posted:Yeah, I think that's the news I'm most excited about; I swear things have gotten so chaotic in the "modern" timeline I prefer the 3025 stuff out of sheer ability to follow things. Wasn't there a new Grey Death short story recently too? Seem to recall that being pretty enjoyable. The two new intro box sets each had a new GD short story that showed how the unit became the Grey Death. The third story that concluded it was put in the opening of MechWarrior Destiny. Xotl fucked around with this message at 22:53 on May 6, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 22:47
|
|
|
So what's up with the Green Ghosts
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 23:34
|
|
|
Fun as it would be if they were the Wolverines, they're just Goliath Scorpions (lost or otherwise) and hangers-on doing their whole archaeology-through-graverobbing thing.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2021 23:43
|
|
|
MadDogMike posted:Hmm, I suppose Lyran Commonwealth plus the Wolves would be enough forces to give the new Ilclan some teeth, but I'd think the Lyrans would be a trifle down on the idea of merging with anybody after how the Federated Commonwealth ended up. A general alliance might work though I don't see marriage since I don't believe Alaric really thinks in dynastic terms yet. As for Yori and Julian getting hitched, that almost seems even less likely. Not counting the fact the Dracs have been mauling the Fed Suns (and Yori's been solidifying her power showing off how well she can kick their asses), I'd think both would have too many internal enemies against the idea to pull it off without at least one (and possibly both) nations fracturing at the idea. I'll grant clever writing could change both those things though. On the other end of things from alliances, I doubt the Capellans are going to terribly care about the change in management of the Republic; it might be kind of cool to see Capellans vs. Clans for once (if they thought the people of the Inner Sphere were dishonorable surats before, whooooaaa boy the Wolves ain't seen nothing yet...) Alaric was/is pretty unconventional. He declared himself Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth at the same time as Khan of the Wolf Empire to mollify his Lyran subjects, and apparently it worked pretty well. If he can declare himself Archon, an Inner Sphere title (I mean, what regular Clanner would WANT an Inner Sphere title, when you think about it), I think he'd be flexible enough to realize it's better to win an entire Successor State through marriage than through more bloody conquest that he can't afford. The biggest question is, would Trillian go literally getting into bed with the Wolves. With the Jade Falcons dead one of the Lyran's biggest threats is just -gone-, and they should be able to claim all those planets back. They've got 30+ regiments against the Hell's Horses 48 Clusters, I think those are good odds given that the Horses use so many vehicles. But an Alliance with Alaric would/could get her back all the Wolf Empire planets in one fell swoop, as I predict Alaric will be way more interested in re-establishing Hegemony/Republic borders for his nu-Star League. Time will tell. Tamar Uprising should reveal a lot. As for the Capellans vs. Clans, yeah... that's going to be interesting. quote:Yeah, I think that's the news I'm most excited about; I swear things have gotten so chaotic in the "modern" timeline I prefer the 3025 stuff out of sheer ability to follow things. Wasn't there a new Grey Death short story recently too? Seem to recall that being pretty enjoyable. It's true that 3145 is pretty chaotic, but I think that's the cost of making sure every faction has SOMETHING happening to them. In 3025 House Marik and Steiner were basically just there more or less. 3025 still has its charms and the simplicity definitely lends itself towards being an introductory era for the game, hence why all the recent video games and kickstarters have picked it, but I feel 3145 is the most fair to all factions in giving them stuff to do.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 00:58
|
|
|
Crazy Joe Wilson posted:In 3025 House Marik and Steiner were basically just there more or less. Uh what? In 3025 House Steiner was gearing up for Operation: Gotterdammerung and making the loving Banshee into a terrifying engine of death. Also you had Frederick Steiner and his two different bosses if internal strife is more your speed.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 01:47
|
|
|
And barely 10 years earlier the FWL was popping off like fireworks. Nobody not-Steiner really cares about the Steiner half of the FedCom until the 3050s the same way nobody not-Marik gives a poo poo who Anton Marik is.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 02:47
|
|
|
If you're letting Stackpole decide what's relevant for you to pay attention to you're gonna get... well, Stackpole stories.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 02:53
|
|
|
Defiance Industries posted:If you're letting Stackpole decide what's relevant for you to pay attention to you're gonna get... well, Stackpole stories. Chicken and egg on this one I think. I'm a Marik fan first and everything else a distant second, but there's no world where the left half of the Inner Sphere is seriously competing for the spotlight for anything other than the Wolf's Dragoons Universal Tour until the Clan Invasion.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 02:59
|
|
|
The FWL could do literally nothing and they'd still be more interesting than the Warrior trilogy.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 04:02
|
|
|
The FWL did do nothing and unfortunately they weren't. I finished painting some more Robits! First up, I finished a few more 7th Capellan Chargers, which gives me 7 in total until I can finish out their company in Wave 2. That makes them my most complete Inner Sphere battleforce, which is pretty amusing considering the unit's accomplishments can be summarized as follows: "Their unwillingness to retreat or surrender made them vulnerable to nuclear weapons" and then they stop existing until Daoshen Liao reforms them in the 3140s. I just really like their colors.      And my Tiburon Khanate Sea Foxes! I punched up the teal a little and I'm really pleased with it.       
PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 04:34 on May 7, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 04:20
|
|
|
Crazy Joe Wilson posted:It's true that 3145 is pretty chaotic, but I think that's the cost of making sure every faction has SOMETHING happening to them. In 3025 House Marik and Steiner were basically just there more or less. 3025 still has its charms and the simplicity definitely lends itself towards being an introductory era for the game, hence why all the recent video games and kickstarters have picked it, but I feel 3145 is the most fair to all factions in giving them stuff to do. Admittedly part of that for me might be in the new sourcebook write-ups; a lot of them feel like they kinda go back and forth between each faction (like in Shattered Fortress everything's done by year), so you're following this faction for a bit then oops here's another one, then another, then another... I get to the next bit and I forget what I read for the faction previously. Also, odd as it may seem to say about a wargame, the constant apocalyptically hot wars in the recent timeline are also making it harder to follow things because there's SO much chaos. They keep killing off everybody; feels like there's a billion names and just when I finally start following along whoops they're dead at a speed that rivals franchises that eliminate characters to ensure they sell more toys/models. 3025 era was a lot of border skirmishing and such, much easier to keep track of all the players because they weren't flipping hordes of worlds at a time or slaughtering X number of major characters to show off how nasty things are. I certainly don't object to the Dark Ages/Jyhad/Republic eras (I'm pleased Battletech keeps trying new things, and honestly going by the universe history they were due for these terrible wars) but it kind of blurs together and doesn't seem to have many lulls in the storm (though again part of that is on me, in this case not getting involved with the Clickytech stuff which actually WAS the kind of lower stakes skirmishing I like). And of course I have a certain amount of new unit and tech fatigue; I like the improved variety and things feel a LOT more combined arms than just giant robots all the time, but I just cannot remember all the unit names and what the various techs do as they keep stacking up Technical Readouts for the system. I think my tech limits probably were about the Star League/3050 era Clan stuff; one reason why I've started really enjoying how much they've been diving into Age of War/Star League/early Clan/Succession Wars stuff, it's interesting conflicts without having to remember what the heck all these new-fangled gizmos or such-and-so million new Mech models everybody's got now do. Strobe posted:Chicken and egg on this one I think. I'm a Marik fan first and everything else a distant second, but there's no world where the left half of the Inner Sphere is seriously competing for the spotlight for anything other than the Wolf's Dragoons Universal Tour until the Clan Invasion. That is a very valid complaint, along with the Periphery kinda just being there instead of pursuing their own agendas. Only 3025 era thing I can remember for Marik outside the Anton revolt was Snord's Irregulars annoying Janos a bunch. A real waste, all those internal conflicts and political scheming just begged for all the tiny little skirmishes Battletech does best.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 20:21
|
|
|
MadDogMike posted:slaughtering X number of major characters TBH the problem with the Jihad was the other way around, not killing enough major characters. It cleared the bench of the secondary characters but all of Victor's friends make it through fine.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 20:30
|
|
|
MadDogMike posted:That is a very valid complaint, along with the Periphery kinda just being there instead of pursuing their own agendas. Only 3025 era thing I can remember for Marik outside the Anton revolt was Snord's Irregulars annoying Janos a bunch. A real waste, all those internal conflicts and political scheming just begged for all the tiny little skirmishes Battletech does best. Andurien antagonizing House Marik and Regulus needling Oriente. Unfortunately, the only interesting border province is Andurien who would really just love to be Capellans again (for some reason). You can't really even get mad at Regulus for their long-time feud with Oriente, because they're nearly always the moral actor in any situation. Regulus is presented as unreasonable because they won't bend at the knee and let the Word of Blake commit a little genocide once in a while even when House Marik is complicit in it. If Regulus had successfully nuked the Wobbies on Gibson in the 3050s, the Jihad probably wouldn't have happened. Thanks for stopping that jeep, Paul! 
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 20:39
|
|
|
The FWL just has a way of making its former holdings not like it anymore. Look at what they did to Bolan.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 20:42
|
|
|
It's almost like House Marik has historically been kinda lovely to the League's member nations. They took the Palpatine path to power and surprise surprise that means parliament quietly hates them (while still voting to give them an ever increasing number of "emergency powers." C'mon, FWL, you border House Steiner and the Capellan Confederation, it's not like you're fighting off House Kurita. ). Speaking of the League, talk me out of stripping and repainting my 2nd Free Worlds Guards? I picked them because they survive until at least 3145 and white + purple is really classy, but white is such an unbearable chore to paint, but I'm not sure what I'd switch to if I did. I've only got two of them done and it could be I just need to do a few more and I'll like the scheme, but... I don't think that's going to happen (and one of the 'Mechs I painted was the Phoenix Hawk, which I really want to look nice). Regulan Hussars? Marik Militia? Orange-brown or purple would both stand out about as well as white. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 21:53 on May 7, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 21:49
|
|
|
Obviously Regulan Hussars, duh.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 21:57
|
|
|
I mean, that's not going to be a hard sell. The trick is finding a Hussars regiment with a good looking secondary color. As fun as it'd be to field the 2nd (gently caress you, Wobbies), orange and green is not my bag. My Crucis Lancers and Alpha Galaxy Wolves have enough green for everyone. Edit: Yeah, one test scheme and I'm sold. Regulan Hussars it is. 
PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 02:15 on May 8, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 7, 2021 21:59
|
|
|
I'm told Apothecary White is a very good contrast paint. The best Marik paint scheme is the Covenant Guards but they're Dark Age only. You may try Iron or Haematite Guard for that "reliving the 80s" color palette.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2021 02:41
|
|
|
Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Alaric was/is pretty unconventional. He declared himself Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth at the same time as Khan of the Wolf Empire to mollify his Lyran subjects, and apparently it worked pretty well. If he can declare himself Archon, an Inner Sphere title (I mean, what regular Clanner would WANT an Inner Sphere title, when you think about it), I think he'd be flexible enough to realize it's better to win an entire Successor State through marriage than through more bloody conquest that he can't afford. Hells Horse supremacy
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2021 09:13
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:It's almost like House Marik has historically been kinda lovely to the League's member nations. They took the Palpatine path to power and surprise surprise that means parliament quietly hates them (while still voting to give them an ever increasing number of "emergency powers." C'mon, FWL, you border House Steiner and the Capellan Confederation, it's not like you're fighting off House Kurita. I'd suggest Clan Protectorate because I love Spirit Cats (my original Clix faction) but uhhhh... that's just a lot of white, unless you go Purifiers who paint their mechs whatever the hell they want while they're high.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 00:57
|
|
|
Clan Protectorate also includes Omicron Cluster of Delta Aimag of Spina Khanate, so it's not all white but you've already got a Sea Fox unit.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 01:04
|
|
|
According to the devs that Omicron Cluster was gonna be the Spirit Cats Omicron cluster, but someone in planning said "The Spirit Cats get to keep ALL 3 of their Dark Age Clusters, plus 3 new Clusters, change it, change it!" Lol, given that the leader of the Cluster is still a Spirit Cat warrior (I think by bloodname), I just treat 'em as more Cats.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 01:31
|
|
|
I think the Regulans will stand out pretty well!
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 01:41
|
|
|
Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Lol, given that the leader of the Cluster is still a Spirit Cat warrior (I think by bloodname), I just treat 'em as more Cats. This may be wrong or outdated. The Sarna article on the Clan Protectorate Omicron Cluster where it references the CO is from Era Digest: Dark Age and is a reference to a Spirit Cats Omicron Cluster. It being changed is plausible, but if it was changed to a Sea Fox cluster by the developers then that CO is probably incorrect and may need errata. I'll check the non-Era Digest sources later today to see if that name was retained.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 01:48
|
|
|
A couple more Alpha Galaxy Wolves.   The Gargoyle always makes me smile.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 02:51
|
|
|
PoptartsNinja posted:I think the Regulans will stand out pretty well! Go Go Power Rangers!
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 13:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 23:41 |
|
|
That's the idea. Five (Nine, if you count the Clanners) forces with distinct color schemes. I play OpForce a lot for a group of RL players and there's something really satisfying about being able to field a uniform force (or a patchwork one). It says "These 'Mechs are (or aren't if you're playing patchwork) used to working together, work together to beat them." We're between campaigns because of Covid, but with the whole group vaccinated we'll be getting together again soon. Last time I did a mercenary-themed campaign where it was all about picking up objective markers (that were usually random salvage) and piecing 'Mechs together out of it. This time, I'm planning to do a "You are the Clans, bid on your target and plan your invasion" thing where rather than salvage the players earn battlefield honors that they can use to give their pilots SPAs or field heavier 'Mechs. Can that Dire Wolf completely annihilate a Commando? Absolutely, but you don't get any honors for it (it's Alpha Strike so general rule of thumb is: if you can one-shot your opponent you get nothing). I just need to find a creative way to do intel and bidding. Intel's easy enough: I'm thinking a quick dice roll to determine the enemy's rough weight class and then another dice roll to see how accurate the intel is. "We have good intel that the enemy is fielding a medium weight force," vs. "We have had some intelligence reports that the enemy is fielding a medium weight force," vs. "We have no intelligence, you're going in blind." and then weaving a few Clanner-isms into that (like completely discounting vehicles as a threat). It's bidding that's trickier, since my players usually cooperatively decide what they want to field and don't need much encouragement to field sub-optimal units (they enjoy the challenge and love it when BattleTech happens or when they can figure out a way to turn a Charger into a battle's MVP). I'll probably make them all newly-minted Star Captains with set force compositions and let them decide which comp they want to use on a given mission; with the option of that comp's controller being able to offer another player "Hey, I'll give you two honors right now if you let me field your Summoner this mission." I'm sure I'll come up with something. Edit: I also like really vibrant colors. They make me happy. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 19:19 on May 9, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 9, 2021 15:44
|
|