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Ah, I guess I didn't realize that AC2s could mess up Aerospace vehicles easily. We primarily play mech vs mech and have never used Aerospace assets (aside from my kid wanting to field his LAM).
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Jan 23, 2024 04:23
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There's probably a role for relatively accurate (due to the range brackets and cluster modifier) sandblasting and crit-seeking, since getting any hits is a lot more useful than getting no hits—each pellet means more chances at that golden BB hit on the cockpit or an ammo TAC or whatever. But since I haven't actually played tabletop in a while I don't remember if it's a role worth the weapon's tonnage and ammo risk.
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Jan 23, 2024 04:29
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Don't worry, eventually you will learn, just as the rest do, to fear the Eisensturm.
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Jan 23, 2024 04:29
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PoptartsNinja posted:I wouldn't bat an eyelash at a box of pre-painted "Heroes of the Star League" with Kerensky's Orion, Prometheus, Alarac Ward's Savage Wolf (Ok, not really, gently caress Alaric Ward), and one or two other things. A whole box of pre-painted hero 'Mechs would be cool for new players. X-wing minis have been factory painted in high quality for a full decade, how did you miss those this whole time?
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Jan 23, 2024 05:02
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I don't have an FLGS and I stopped caring about Star Wars after the prequels.  If they're good, great. My complaints aren't valid--that's the best case scenario.
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Jan 23, 2024 05:45
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PoptartsNinja posted:I don't have an FLGS and I stopped caring about Star Wars after the prequels. On this point, Star Wars ships and the plastic CGL mechs have a lot more in common than Clix mechs and current WizKids garbage. It seems pretty easy to do colored armor panels with insignia and the odd stripe compared to accurate human faces and shaded fabrics. I'm also not interested in prepainted because even though I don't often use consistent color schemes across my mechs, I have a pretty distinct style and a prepainted mech would stand out in a negative way.
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Jan 23, 2024 06:04
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You'd think if they were going to do pre-paints for specific mechwarriors they'd pick people less disliked by the fanbase than VSD and Alaric. And maybe stick them in the 'legendary mechwarriors' packs instead of normal force packs. They supposedly confirmed that the pre-paints were only going to be of mechs that were available unpainted elsewhere, but the Lament and Savage Wolf are both new. Maybe there's something else they're not ready to announce? There have been rumors of Aces getting a full release.
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Jan 23, 2024 06:26
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Arquinsiel posted:I think a box of prepaints would be somewhat viable as a nice starter pack/display thing, but at this point I'm pretty sure the product is way too close to release to turn back now. For the two Starterbooks, Sword and Dragon, and Wolf and Blake, IWM released minis for the custom units. They released 3 total lances of customized units, and a Level II of Celestials matching the Infernus config weapons layout for each unit (which the Opacus Venatori configs matched). If they released a new starter product they could provide two boxes each with a prepainted lance matching the opposing side's command lance. They wouldn't even have to be custom units, it would just be a cool thing for people who don't have the skill for a decent paintjob who want a force that matches the one in the book. I was thinking about what products Catalyst could make that represent the next step after A Game of Armored Combat, because right now if you want a little more than what the box has the option seems to be "get the Clan Invasion box" or "get this stack of books." It would be cool if there was a single product that was less elaborate than a whole box that added a sampling of new stuff. There was a FASA era product, BattlePack: Fourth Succession War, that did that pretty well. BattlePack: Fourth Succession War was a book designed to work with just the contents of the 4th Edition Box Set, and came with 20 cardboard standees and a new map (Woodland, which got reprinted later and is a very nice map.) It came with a mini TRO and record sheets for 8 new 'mechs (Firestarter, Wolfhound, BJ-3 Blackjack, Hatchetman, CTF-2X Cataphract, CGR-1A5 Charger, and Stalker), represented by 15 standees (all got pairs except the Hoplite just got one), and 5 more standees (2 Panthers and 3 Jenners), allowing all units in all the provided missions to be represented by standees when combined with the 4th Edition standees. It didn't provide a campaign, and the only new equipment it provided were DHS for the BJ-3 and TSM (which was actually a scenario specific rule where all the Capellan 'mechs got it regardless of their record sheets), but it was an infusion of variety and a good number of pick up and play missions that represent some important battles. BattlePack: Fourth Succession War said it was the first BattlePack product but no more were made. Maybe 30 years later the promise of more BattlePacks should be made good on? (Hey, how about BattlePack: 1st Somerset Strikers? Maybe it's about time we had a scenario pack that describes the battles as they "actually" happened. Plus they're getting a minis pack!)
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Jan 23, 2024 07:07
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what's the point of jettison-capable weapons? the cases i can think of are "gauss rifle is one crit from exploding, might as well drop it" and "hot-loaded missile launcher, ditto". i don't get why, for example, the battlemaster has a jettison-capable ppc
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Jan 23, 2024 08:09
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It's easier to pop off when you need to work on it. Or if you have a spare, pop the broken one off and attach the working one, it'll be faster than if you had to do it internally.
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Jan 23, 2024 08:12
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In the case of integrated non-explosive handheld weapons, it's just for flavor as far as a regular one-off game is concerned. It would probably make sense if there was a zero-cost quirk specifically intended for the built-in handheld weapons like on the BattleMaster that functions like Jettison-Capable Weapon but also prevents use of the hand (like extended Retractable Blades) until the weapon is dumped. That way Jettison-Capable Weapon itself could be used for non-handheld weapons that could be detached in an emergency, most likely for explosive weapons or weapons designed for easy replacement. Defiance Industries posted:It's easier to pop off when you need to work on it. Or if you have a spare, pop the broken one off and attach the working one, it'll be faster than if you had to do it internally. Specifically in campaign play, a jettison-capable weapon can be popped back on as if it was an ammunition reload, which is far faster and easier than a proper replacement. Such weapons can also be shared between variants of the same 'mech as long as it's the same weapon in the same place. So if you down a BattleMaster and it's unrecoverable or you don't have time to get it back up, you can pop off its PPC and use it as a replacement for your own BattleMaster. It can't be used for customization though - you can't equip your BLR-1G with an ER PPC dumped from a BLR-3M or anything like that because it's a different weapon altogether. BattleMaster fucked around with this message at 08:39 on Jan 23, 2024 |
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Jan 23, 2024 08:20
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BattleMaster posted:
I think that's pretty much the idea of the mercs box? As an entry-way to add vehicles and stuff or if you want more mech variety but not Clan ones? (also maybe a soft nudge towards testing campaign games)
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Jan 23, 2024 12:47
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Canned Bovines posted:You'd think if they were going to do pre-paints for specific mechwarriors they'd pick people less disliked by the fanbase than VSD and Alaric. And maybe stick them in the 'legendary mechwarriors' packs instead of normal force packs. They supposedly confirmed that the pre-paints were only going to be of mechs that were available unpainted elsewhere, but the Lament and Savage Wolf are both new. Maybe there's something else they're not ready to announce? There have been rumors of Aces getting a full release. VSD is not disliked by the majority of the fanbase. It's just that those who dislike him talk about it A LOT. On the main forums/reddit, VSD is seen as favorable/neutral at worst. Alaric though is pretty universally disliked, but honestly that's because of the piss-poor writing of Children of Kerensky/Hour of the Wolf. If those books had been better written and plotted, and Alaric had been written as the villainous protagonist he is (Ambitious, overconfident, great warrior, but thoughtful, with goals that we would find detestable but understandable, and a deep dark secret that might overturn everything he's worked for), I think people wouldn't mind him. Instead, we got Alaric as a straight protagonist that we're supposed to root for and Malvina was made as straight of a villain as possible to make Alaric look better in comparison. And Stone and the Republic got made into chumps/roadblocks for hero Alaric because how can you have two heroic factions fighting each other? Easily could have had the Republic be the embattled tragically-doomed good guys, Clan Wolf villainous protagonists, your typical Crusaders still looking to conquer that Terra is terrified of, and Clan Jade Falcon being the logical devolution of Clan Crusader thought. Crazy Joe Wilson fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Jan 23, 2024 |
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Jan 23, 2024 16:23
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Victor is definitely not viewed as neutral on the official forums except by Brian, who has the IQ of mayonnaise. I've had an account there longer than I've had this one, and if anything people are more sick of him because they were in the game while he was actively being forced down everyone's throat.
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Jan 23, 2024 17:31
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It's anecdotal but some of the local mech weirdos here love VSD and will get actually upset when talking about Katherine Steiner-Davion, misogynistic slurs and all. I pretty quickly stopped playing with them, but it was an eye-opening experience with people who engage with the fiction in a very, very different way than I do.
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Jan 23, 2024 17:46
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I finished caballeros and think I'll make a detour to heir to the dragon to find out how that went down. Then maybe natural selection? I heard that one was alright Black dragon finished really abruptly. The epilogue felt like main story What are good books that don't involve the drat combine?
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Jan 23, 2024 23:04
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Is it possible to run online Merc campaigns in multiplayer with buddies against bots, using Megamek? We've kind of run out of coop games to run without a proper DM.
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Jan 23, 2024 23:28
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ilmucche posted:I finished caballeros and think I'll make a detour to heir to the dragon to find out how that went down. Then maybe natural selection? I heard that one was alright Damocles Sanction is the first time I've found the FS interesting since before Stackpole got involved with the universe.
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Jan 23, 2024 23:47
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evilmiera posted:Is it possible to run online Merc campaigns in multiplayer with buddies against bots, using Megamek? We've kind of run out of coop games to run without a proper DM. Yes. If you download MekHQ there's a 'MekHQ Co-Op Campaign Guide v1.pdf' guide under /docs/. One person runs MekHQ and the rest connect to battles through MegaMek, I think.
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Jan 24, 2024 00:48
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FishFood posted:It's anecdotal but some of the local mech weirdos here love VSD and will get actually upset when talking about Katherine Steiner-Davion, misogynistic slurs and all. I pretty quickly stopped playing with them, but it was an eye-opening experience with people who engage with the fiction in a very, very different way than I do. 
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Jan 24, 2024 01:13
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Arquinsiel posted:I'm not a fan of Katherine, but when people start throwing out slurs it says an awful lot about them and literally nothing about a fictional character I have a 70 year old ex-military retired buddy who is constantly saying the most reprehensible poo poo about Eowyn anytime I field her in MESBG to the point that I've just stopped using the model, but he's the only guy who plays MESBG in Bangkok and he's also 70 and there's no fixing him and he's otherwise very pleasant. It sucks so much.
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Jan 24, 2024 01:30
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No gaming is better than bad gaming, my goon.
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Jan 24, 2024 01:31
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I'm fortunate that all the BT players in my area are pretty chill guys who even if they like he lore don't go crazy about it.
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Jan 24, 2024 02:01
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im not an rear end in a top hat, i swear
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Jan 24, 2024 02:10
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Arquinsiel posted:No gaming is better than bad gaming, my goon. Sidesaddle Cavalry posted:im not an rear end in a top hat, i swear Totally get it, and I've found myself doing more and more gaming at home with my son so I don't have to grin and bear it.
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Jan 24, 2024 02:30
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I find often people are chastened off of behaving like they're posting anonymously by a simple "knock that poo poo off, it's not cool;" but I get not wanting to confront and scold people with your leisure time. Not for nothing CGL just posted new community guidelines that amount to "don't be a bigoted moron" and "please don't steal the IP" and the first one caused immediate cross-climbing and bad faith "but isn't this really just reverse racism against the Straight Whites" poo poo.
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Jan 24, 2024 02:39
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I have to assume the "don't steal our IP" is aimed at the 3D printing crowd (though maybe people have been sticking Urbanmechs in other games?), and I totally get it. I do buy plastic kits and metals when I can, but their availability and cost of shipping can be pretty prohibitive, but I also wouldn't go to CGL and say, "HEY LOOK AT THIS 3D PRINT I MADE" on their forums or social media pages they run.
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Jan 24, 2024 02:41
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RIP to the original MechWarrior.
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Jan 24, 2024 03:37
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Owlbear Camus posted:caused immediate cross-climbing and bad faith "but isn't this really just reverse racism against the Straight Whites" poo poo. I really loving hate that a bunch of the spaces that I poke my head into for Battletech STLs and 3d printing stuff have a sizeable contingent of these pieces of poo poo
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Jan 24, 2024 03:39
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GD_American posted:RIP to the original MechWarrior. That was an S-tier B-movie for me in the 90's as a kid who spent his first McDonald's paycheck on Mechwarrior 2 and a 14.4 modem to play it with my friend.
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Jan 24, 2024 03:46
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GD_American posted:RIP to the original MechWarrior. Man, that sucks RIP to him. Fun thinking about this movie getting me interested in things that went to define parts of my life: loving Stuart Gordon's movies and Battletech.
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Jan 24, 2024 03:52
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 Truly peak engineering.
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Jan 24, 2024 14:34
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Maybe the LRM launcher shaves a bit off each missile and shoots it. Like sliced salami
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Jan 24, 2024 14:36
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Someone got that image of the Thunder 'Mech with the AC/20 ammo layout? I can't seem to find it.
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Jan 24, 2024 14:50
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I've refreshed my BT campaign setting using BT: Campaign Ops and I've rolled up an offer: "Pirate Hunting". My company is intra-system with no JumpShip. I seem to have a couple of problems: 1 - There is no further information at all on how this translates to the tabletop BattleTech game. No scenario, objective, force layout, etc. - is there anywhere I can find this at least for the missions in the Missions Table in BT:CO? how can I determine if the contract is successful, let alone the mission? 2 - The base time for this mission is 6 months and on the assumption it results in one battle (rather than a sub-campaign of sorts) it would net me something like 17,000,000 c-bills (against a monthly peacetime operating cost of 240,000c-bills). Is there an assumption this is one battle, or multiple? 3 - Is there also an assumption that the pirate hunting happens in a different systen because given the timescales I figure it might? There's 50 days transit for the F8V star in my home system, and an adjacent G3V star has a jump point transit of 22 days - so that's 144 days (of 169) in travel and seems reasonable? It seems there's just a big gap in the mechanics which generate the base components of the campaign, and then actual meaningful impact on the tabletop (or indeed the narrative direction!) Southern Heel fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Jan 24, 2024 |
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Jan 24, 2024 15:44
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I think it wants you to pick from the Linked Scenarios/Narrative Campaigns/etc. sections of the book to run the thing? But yeah, I'm not seeing anything in the book that references the mission types in the Missions Table. "Pirate Hunting" appears exactly 6 times in my PDF - once in the 'Master Contract Terms' table, twice in the 'Missions Table', and then again when those tables are repeated in the appendix. There's references to scenario creation in Total War in the aforementioned sections, but I don't have that book and can't check them. Campaign Operations seems to have a lot of problems like this - plenty of instructions on how to make something, but nothing on how to use it or why. I do think the assumptions are for a sub-campaign rather than a single scenario and that you travel to another system with the contract not starting until you get there, though.
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Jan 24, 2024 17:44
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Crazy Joe Wilson posted:
"He shoots missiles like he has a wooden leg", as the common space idiom goes.
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Jan 24, 2024 21:58
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Atlas Hugged posted:I have to assume the "don't steal our IP" is aimed at the 3D printing crowd (though maybe people have been sticking Urbanmechs in other games?), and I totally get it. I do buy plastic kits and metals when I can, but their availability and cost of shipping can be pretty prohibitive, but I also wouldn't go to CGL and say, "HEY LOOK AT THIS 3D PRINT I MADE" on their forums or social media pages they run.
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Jan 24, 2024 22:21
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Crazy Joe Wilson posted:
The last barrages are load-bearing LRMs, don't fire those.
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Jan 24, 2024 22:40
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Southern Heel posted:It seems there's just a big gap in the mechanics which generate the base components of the campaign, and then actual meaningful impact on the tabletop (or indeed the narrative direction!) I had noticed this and mentioned it earlier, but you've shown it better than I did because you had an actual example. Even if you have a GM who is going the "Narrative Campaign" (as in "just make poo poo up", which is not necessarily bad) route, there aren't very many guidelines for how many combat missions there should be and how often. Catalyst's developers will say "do whatever works at your table" which is their way of saying "we didn't actually playtest this" which is all over their products but especially is all over Campaign Operations with omissions and sloppy editing. For instance, the Chaos Campaign rules don't address salvaging and selling. There's a table for sale prices but the text doesn't explain how it works. Also, you can't repair things from "destroyed" condition (as in rendered inoperative in TW rules) in this version of the rules, which is necessary for salvaging to even work. The Starterbook versions of Chaos Campaign have rules that make this work. They explain that units can only be sold in undamaged condition, so you have to repair them first, making units worth less the more damaged they are. They also let you repair units from "destroyed" condition which a lot of salvaged things are going to be in. None of that is in Campaign Operations. Xotl and the other errata guys put in a Herculean effort to clean up after this, but even then sometimes stuff that exhibits a careless lack of playtesting and understanding the rules slips in, like a weird recent change to Total Warfare that breaks how pilot damage to ProtoMech pilots works, removing the functionality of the shaded boxes that represent pilot damage on the crit table, while not even removing references to the shaded boxes elsewhere in the book, including pointing you to that page for an explanation of the shaded boxes that no longer exists. (Chances are this didn't come from the usual errata people because they do better work than that!)
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Jan 24, 2024 23:35
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