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Well yeah, you think Grayson just happened to find a pilot who was paralyzed with fear at the sight of an inferno launcher even though she was driving a machine that couldn't be overheated by one? That dude had CHIM'ed thousands of times before that happened.
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# ? Mar 16, 2024 17:23 |
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# ? Jun 6, 2024 15:17 |
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Almost ready to go, just waiting on a few former players to respond to my PMs.
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# ? Mar 17, 2024 21:44 |
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Next mission already??
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# ? Mar 17, 2024 22:22 |
Defiance Industries posted:There's a reason that, other than the GDL, large and successful units only have one of two origin stories: army unit gone rogue (ELH, Hansen's, 21st Centauri) or beneficiary of a powerful noble or corporation (Kell Hounds, MAC, Storm's Metal Thunder, Romanov's Crusaders). Or you can be the Dragoons and be both at once. If you don't want to be one of those two things, you can hope to be the next GDL and effectively win the lottery. There's also the fourth option: be Scottish
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# ? Mar 17, 2024 23:05 |
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ilmucche posted:Next mission already?? I've had the idea for this mission in mind since the beginning of the contract, so the planning stage didn't take as long.
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# ? Mar 18, 2024 06:41 |
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Bloody Pom posted:There's also the fourth option: be Scottish NWH are in category 1, not only did they start out as the army of an independent Northwind government but they were also considered Capellan house troops before they split from them in the 4th Succession War. So they double-merced out.
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# ? Mar 18, 2024 07:24 |
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Scintilla posted:I've had the idea for this mission in mind since the beginning of the contract, so the planning stage didn't take as long. can't wait to see what's coming up
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# ? Mar 18, 2024 14:52 |
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Scintilla posted:Almost ready to go, just waiting on a few former players to respond to my PMs. Obviously you wanted to reach out to me, darling, but the message seems to have gone astray. After all, how could you possibly do without me, hm? Joking aside, y'know what's weird? I've done two missions for PTN, and 1.5 missions for Scintilla, and I've been assigned a female pilot every time. It's not a complaint, because they've all been great pilots, but it's just a bit weird. Like I'm being typecast.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 00:43 |
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MVP Vote Results Player MVP: Roger Sterling (Victor VTR-9B) (Player – Otter Madness). Gains 4XP! OpFor MVP: Etienne Decimis (Griffin GRF-1N) Black Knight Wreck Vote Results: The winner for this vote was the player-proposed Option D: Trade the Black Knight to the NAIS for a heavy mech and special mission(s) in the future. After verifying that the salvage does indeed contain working LosTech, the boffins at the academy agree to exchange it for a shiny new Crusader CRD-3D. Shipping it out will take some time, however, so it won’t be available in time for the upcoming mission. -- Boot Camp – Intermission III December 28th, 3016 – Panzyr II, Northern Wastes “Whoa there, Jimmies and Janes! Better swing right, ‘cause there’s a whopper of a crevasse under that there snowfield up ahead.” Charles shifted in his command couch, pivoting his Gladiator away from the concealed void. Around him the rest of Sable Lance did likewise, tightening their formation until they were almost single file. As they moved, the vibrations from their footfalls shook loose most of the snow covering the crevasse, revealing a ragged black chasm nearly a hundred metres wide. Their guide, Mason Voyce, raced ahead, his Prowler’s treads throwing up waves of snow as the heavy ATV swung wide to avoid falling in. The vehicle shuddered and slid as it ploughed its way around the edge of the pit, but the power of its fusion engine and the grip provided by its specialised treads was more than enough to keep it from falling it. A cold shudder ran down Charles’s spine as his Gladiator’s sensors belatedly registered that there was a giant hole nearby. Panzyr II’s northern wastes possessed a stark, untamed beauty, with their immaculate snowdrifts, desolate valleys and iron-grey cliffs, but they were also treacherous. Over thousands of years minerals from the soil had leeched into the permafrost, giving it a unique crystalline structure that rendered the ground almost impenetrable to both magnetic and thermal sensors. Hidden crevasses and frozen lakes were a not uncommon occurrence, and Sable Lance had to rely on Mason’s local knowledge and his Prowler’s optimised suite of seismic sensors to chart a safe path through the wilderness. “Now that was a close one!” Voyce exclaimed, echoing Charles’s thoughts. “Ain’t seen a yawner that big since mah pappy went down to Treadstone that one time. Y’all’re lucky mah beeper caught it – those darn things can go down for miles. Kind o’ reminds me o’ the hole that opened up in Rhode that one time… although I guess that one was a sinkhole, so it ain’t quite the same. Rhode’s a great place, by-the-by. Mah uncle Jerry used to live there, least till he got divorced…” A small smile crept across Charles’ lips as he listened to Voyce ramble on. The man lived up to his name, having spoken almost non-stop for the entirety of their hours-long journey through the snowy wastes. His provincial accent was occasionally difficult to decipher, but it also leant him an earnestness and sincerity that made him hard to dislike. Sable Lance’s trek through the snowy barrens was an unexpected departure from their normal duties. The contract the company had signed with Lord Decimis contained an emergency clause that would allow the Marquis to order their deployment on the grounds of national security. The previous evening, the Marquis had announced that he was invoking that clause. It transpired that one of the Marquis’s ministers had been a very naughty boy indeed, and was planning on selling illegally scavenged battlemechs at a secret auction. The auction itself was taking place at Research Station Tau, an abandoned meteorological facility located far to the north of Zherdevskiy City. Up ahead, Voyce suddenly slowed down in order to enter the mouth of a narrow valley. Charles scanned the surrounding hills and cliffs, toggling between all of his Gladiator’s various sensors as he waited for the Prowler to pick up speed again. The permafrost might be impenetrable, but above ground his mech’s systems still worked just fine, and he was determined to root out any potential mischief-makers before they could trouble Voyce. Charles personally liked the man, but he was also carrying two squads of military police in his Prowler’s infantry bay, and without them arresting the minister and his fellow miscreants would be much harder. “Now there should be a proper road somewhere here abouts,” Voyce said confidently shortly after entering the valley. “‘Course, ain’t nobody been up to clear it in donkeys’ years, so it might be tough to – aha! Here we go!” The Prowler suddenly stopped shaking, and streaks of matte black tarmac began to appear in its wake. Charles and the others quickly formed up behind, eager to take advantage of the surer footing. “Mister Voyce, how much longer will it take for us to arrive?” Jenna asked. “Ah reckon we’re ‘bout another hour out, assumin’ we don’t get no snow flurries on the way.” Voyce heaved a deep and soulful sigh. “Comin’ down this way sure brings back memories. Mah grandpappy used to call this place the ‘hollerin’ hills’, on account o’ the sound the wind makes when it blows through the valley. Ah swear, last time ah came through the howlin’ darn near blew mah eardrums out! That must’ve been twenty, twenty-five years ago now, ‘fore they closed the station down. Don’t reckon no one’s been down here since, and ah sure don’t blame ‘em. Aside from the station it’s a whole lot o’ nothin’ from here to the north pole.” “An hour. Better get ready then.” Jenna paused, and there was a faint squawk of static as she switched to Lance-only comms. “How are you holding up, your lordship?” Charles glanced up at his cockpit’s panoramic viewstrip. Marching at the back of their formation, its greyish-blue paint scheme blending in almost seamlessly with the rugged cliffs and rocky hills surrounding them, was Etienne’s Griffin. Jenna had suggested to Lord Decimis that his grandson accompany Sable Lance on their mission, to give the young Marquis-in-waiting a taste of real combat. “It’s been fine so far.” Etienne replied. He was quiet for a moment, then added, “Journey’s a bit of a slog, though. Do you people always spend so long in the saddle?” “What’s wrong?” Alexander taunted. “Are the royal arsecheeks getting a little sore?” Charles held his breath, but surprisingly, Etienne did not rise to the bait. After the silence began to stretch Jenna said, “It depends. Sometimes we’re lucky and deploy directly to the battlefield. Other times we have to cross half a continent to get to where we need to be. Ever wondered why your Griffin has a built-in waste disposal system? That’s why.” Etienne made a contemplative sound. Minutes ticked by, and Sable Lance slowly continued to push north. The road led them out of the valley and into the frozen hinterlands that marked the very limits of Panzyr II’s habitable zone. They had left the last bastions of civilisation behind many hours ago, but now they were approaching the truly inhospitable wasteland that covered most of the planet’s northern hemisphere, where only lichens and extremophile bacteria could hope to eke out a living. Normally, the sight of the desolate horizon stretching out in front of him would have left Charles feeling profoundly isolated and alone. Instead, an electric feeling of anticipation began to surge through his nerves. The closer they came to the meteorological station, the stronger the feeling became. Their contract with Lord Decimis had been the safest and cushiest a merc unit could ask for, but months of playing around in the simulators and writing reports had left Charles feeling antsy and unsatisfied. Deep down, part of him craved real combat, and the fact that he was about to get it made him feel alive for the first time in almost a year. -- December 28th, 3016 – Panzyr II, Northern Wastes, Meteorological Station Tau A low murmur rippled through the air as Brendan Ang stepped into the makeshift auditorium. At six-foot one, with a muscular build and a shock of coal-black hair that fell to his shoulders, Brendan could have been described as tall, dark and handsome. Could, because a cockpit fire early in his career had scorched the left-hand side of his face, leaving it a twisted mess of livid scar tissue and bulging sinews. The people nearest the doors shrank back as they saw him, naked fear and disgust flashing across their pale faces. Brendan ignored them and strode inside, his dark eyes flickering back and forth as he searched for a good place to lurk. The auditorium had clearly once been office space for the station’s researchers, but had since been crudely renovated and expanded to make room for the hundred or so people that Paul Montagne had invited to attend his little auction. Work cubicles had been hastily ripped out, and several lengths of drywall had been inexpertly torn down, leaving the walls and floors covered in scars and divots. The shoddy work was a blessing for Brendan, since it left plenty of shadowy nooks big enough to conceal even his towering frame. After a quick search Brendan found a suitable crevice. He settled back into it and watched as a parade of bottom feeders and carpetbaggers slowly shuffled into the room. The crowd milling around the auditorium was like a petri dish filled with the scum of society. There were scavengers, black marketeers, pirates, down-on-their-luck mercenaries and disgraced dispossessed. There was even a scarred, swarthy man who wore the triangular emblem of a Marian Principe. That one in particular was drawing a lot of sidelong looks, including from Brendan himself. What was he doing here? Hoping to pad out his Maniple with new machines, perhaps? As the room slowly filled up a noxious smell began to spread through the air. The stink of sweat and unwashed bodies mingled with the less physical yet unmistakeable stench of desperation and raw, naked avarice. The audience was hungry, and growing hungrier with every passing minute. The shameless, grasping desire on display made Brendan want to laugh. These fools treated Battlemechs like prize livestock, to be traded and bartered away like so much swineflesh on market day. No, no, no. Battlemechs were war machines, and the only proper way to purchase one was with blood and fire and the thunder of guns. Abruptly, the microcommunicator in Brendan’s left ear buzzed. Suppressing a surge of anticipation, Brendan pretended to scratch at his ear while activating the device’s two-way com channel. “B here. What is it?” he asked quietly. “This is J and L. We’re in the OD.” A savage grin rippled across Brendan’s twisted features. “Great. I’ll be up soon. Just gotta wait for a good moment.” The line went dead, and Brendan went back to people-watching. Eventually the flood of new arrivals slowed to a trickle. About a quarter of an hour after the last newcomer arrived the threshold suddenly darkened, and a cadre of hard-faced bodyguards strode inside. In their midst was none other than Paul Montagne, Panzyr II’s Minister for Trade and Industry. A dead silence settled over the auditorium as the Minister made his way to the podium at the back. All eyes riveted to him, and the hunger in the air took on a razor-sharp edge. While everyone else was distracted by the Minister’s appearance, Brendan took the opportunity to make himself scarce. Whoever had removed the old walls had not thought to block off or even lock any of the new side doors, and Brendan used the nearest one to quietly slip out of the auditorium. He found himself at the end of a darkened corridor, with a row of dusty lockers on one side and a pair of narrow tables on the other. He immediately hid behind the lockers, out of sight of any guards who might be nearby. When he was sure he was alone, Brendan left his hiding place and silently made his way deeper into the facility. He had only a rough idea of the base’s layout, but years of skulking about had honed his intuition, and he quickly found his way up to the third floor. A few guards loitered here and there throughout the building, but their behaviour was so amateurish they may as well have not existed. Brendan sneered as he passed a pair who had snuck away from their post to go drinking together. The best guards had clearly been posted to the old vehicle hangar where Montagne’s battlemechs were being kept, leaving only the dregs to keep an eye on the main building. Finally, Brendan made it to his intended destination – the third-floor observation deck. The triangular room jutted out from the building’s exterior, and its tall windows provided an excellent view of the surrounding wilderness. Two other people stood inside. The first was a tall, dark-haired woman who prowled back and forth like an impatient tiger. The second was a thin, lean man whose bald scalp was covered in faux-Celtic tribal tattoos. The man was hunched over a portable communicator and did not notice Brendan enter, but the woman did. She hissed and reached for the needler pistol concealed beneath her jacket, but Brendan simply held up his hands and stepped into the light. “Calm down Lori,” he smirked, raising his hands in mock surrender. “It’s only me.” The woman’s expression morphed from fury to delight. “Brendan!” she skipped forwards, her reddish-brown eyes shining eagerly. “Is it time yet? Is it?” Brendan chuckled and embraced his younger sister. “Soon, Lori. Soon.” He glanced at the bald man. “How are we doing, Jay? Is Creed in position yet?” Jason Thatcher, Brendan’s longtime friend and partner in crime, nodded without looking up from his screen. “Says he’s ready to go whenever. Want me to make the call?” Brendan did not answer immediately. Instead, he strode over to the nearest window and made a study of the base’s surroundings. From his vantage point he could see almost the entire facility. To the east stood the old monitoring substation, bristling with antennae, radioscopes and satellite dishes. The instruments had not been used in years and were now covered in a thick layer of glistening rime. To the west stood the ferrocrete monolith of the old vehicle hangar, where most of the guests had initially disembarked. The parking area had been strategically placed so that all the potential buyers had to file past the makeshift mechbay where the battlemechs were being stored. Arranging them in order of weight had been a stroke of genius on Montagne’s part, progressively whetting everyone’s appetites until they reached the 70-ton monster in the far bay. Turning his attention to the south, Brendan studied the battlemechs patrolling around the front of the base. The way they moved proved that the mechwarriors Montagne had hired were professionals at least. Their rides were mostly proven workhorses, and they had even brought along a heavy tank to pad out their firepower. Their presence would make assaulting the station head on a dicey proposition. Brendan opened his mouth to tell Jason to make the call, then paused as movement flickered in the distance. A silhouette emerged out of the endless grey horizon, then another, and another. The gaggle of shapes slowly made their way north, processing along the isolated access road that led up to the station. At such a long distance it was impossible to identify them directly, but their bouncing, swaying gait told Brendan everything he needed to know. A rush of dark amusement surged through him as he realised what was about to happen. “No need to rush,” he chuckled. “We’re about to see some fireworks. Let’s sit back and enjoy the show for a while.” -- Etienne Decimis re-recalibrates his Griffin’s targeting systems! Swaps the ‘Rangemaster’ SPA for the ‘Sniper’ SPA! -- Next Mission Briefing: Player Mechs: Map: New players, check your PMs! Returning players, please let me know if you need me to re-send you the Primer / Quickstart rules! Information is Ammunition: Attention players! If you would like your mech to carry less than the maximum amount of ammunition into the upcoming mission, please let me know so that I can make adjustments. If anyone would like to carry Inferno SRMs, that can also be arranged.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 06:21 |
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That's a sweet looking map
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 09:24 |
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Thanks for going and running with the player options! I'm glad people liked it. Looking at the crusader thats... actually a good mech? Its like a budget archer or catapult, only with some really neat quirks. Ubiquitous, easy to maintain AND rugged is like, the trifecta of workhorse with 'not a huge burden on a merc company to keep working'..and I think that makes its a perfect fit. its like an archer's little brother. But where to put it? maybe replace the LRM trebuchet 5n? in the first lance? Best part is, no parts or repairs required! TheParadigm fucked around with this message at 11:49 on Mar 19, 2024 |
# ? Mar 19, 2024 11:44 |
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Excited!!!
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 12:29 |
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So, I've got the SRM Treb this time around. Lotsa heat sinks but no JJs and those arms could very easily be lost in this fight with how little armor/structure they've got. Maintaining max movement as much as possible every round is gonna be a priority since I can't jump and need to get in close to maximize damage. Scintilla, what's the heat rule for this map again? I doubt carrying infernos is gonna help much here. With one of my SRMs being on those piddly arms, I'm definitely thinking about carrying only 1 ton of regular SRM ammo for this fight - unless anyone can make a good argument in favor of bringing two tons.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 12:41 |
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great map and fun during writing, looking forward to watching this one play out
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 13:28 |
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anakha posted:With one of my SRMs being on those piddly arms, I'm definitely thinking about carrying only 1 ton of regular SRM ammo for this fight - unless anyone can make a good argument in favor of bringing two tons. Ammo explosions are funny
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 13:45 |
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ilmucche posted:Ammo explosions are funny You should also be firing every turn you can with those SRM 6s. 7 turns of ammo goes by a lot faster than you think.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 13:49 |
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TheParadigm posted:Thanks for going and running with the player options! I'm glad people liked it. That'd be my suggestion at least
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 14:18 |
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Wolverine checking in, looking forward to playing on this map it looks awesome!
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 14:27 |
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anakha posted:So, I've got the SRM Treb this time around. Lotsa heat sinks but no JJs and those arms could very easily be lost in this fight with how little armor/structure they've got. Your ammo isn't actually in the arms, I wouldn't worry about it. If you lose an arm, then you can dump ammo, otherwise just hold the trigger down. Also Shadowhawk here, ready to plink away!
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 15:16 |
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anakha posted:Scintilla, what's the heat rule for this map again? I doubt carrying infernos is gonna help much here. Inferno SRMs inflict 2 points of extra heat per hit, so an SRM-6 can theoretically add 12 points of heat to a target. The conditions for this map are also arctic, so both players and enemies will be sinking 2 extra heat per turn. Edit: Also, a target can only sustain 15 points of heat from an external source per turn. Any inferno heat above that is wasted. Double Edit: Inferno missiles are also devastating against infantry and vehicles. Vehicles take auto-crits for every inferno missile that hits, and infantry units just get roasted alive. Scintilla fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Mar 19, 2024 |
# ? Mar 19, 2024 16:53 |
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Scintilla posted:Inferno SRMs inflict 2 points of extra heat per hit, so an SRM-6 can theoretically add 12 points of heat to a target. The conditions for this map are also arctic, so both players and enemies will be sinking 2 extra heat per turn. What I'm hearing is that if the Treb carried all Inferno SRMs they could theoretically inflict enough heat to negate the cooling of the standard 10 Heat Sinks + the extra 2 from the arctic conditions. At that point any heat the enemy generated would be going straight into the heat gauge, putting them at risk of shutdown/debuffs. Of course, depending on the weapon loadout of the mech in question they might generate a lot of heat, and others might barely generate any. Not to mention any missiles set for Inferno Rounds won't be dealing any direct damage. So uh, up to you guys
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 17:26 |
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glwgameplayer posted:What I'm hearing is that if the Treb carried all Inferno SRMs they could theoretically inflict enough heat to negate the cooling of the standard 10 Heat Sinks + the extra 2 from the arctic conditions. At that point any heat the enemy generated would be going straight into the heat gauge, putting them at risk of shutdown/debuffs. If you have multiple tons of SRM ammo, having half inferno is always very good imo.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 17:34 |
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glwgameplayer posted:What I'm hearing is that if the Treb carried all Inferno SRMs they could theoretically inflict enough heat to negate the cooling of the standard 10 Heat Sinks + the extra 2 from the arctic conditions. At that point any heat the enemy generated would be going straight into the heat gauge, putting them at risk of shutdown/debuffs. There will also be at least one tank as per the fluff. So maybe a small number of inferno srms to ruin its day.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 17:34 |
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Infernos cause automatic critical chances with a -2 to the roll, so they're dangerous to combat vehicles but it still takes quite a few inferno hits to cripple one. Their one advantage is that they roll on the appropriate table, so they're more dangerous if you can score crits to a tank's front or rear than if you shoot it in the sides. Conventional infantry struck by Infernos lose 3 troopers/missile hit, which is pretty good but still usually slightly worse than a pair of machine guns unless the infantry has an armor multiplier.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 17:40 |
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glwgameplayer posted:going straight into the heat gauge *opfor is nothing but TSM melee mechs*
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 17:45 |
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Whoops. Turns out I forgot the fact that vehicles take movement penalties in extreme temperatures, so Mason's Prowler will be slow as molasses. Looks like I'm going to have to mod it up a little bit.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 18:39 |
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Scintilla posted:Whoops. Turns out I forgot the fact that vehicles take movement penalties in extreme temperatures, so Mason's Prowler will be slow as molasses. Looks like I'm going to have to mod it up a little bit. LosTech fixes all.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 19:21 |
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painedforever posted:LosTech fixes all.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 19:29 |
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painedforever posted:LosTech fixes all. All seems reasonable to me.
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 19:37 |
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With all this talking about Infernos, should I be taking them on the Wolverine?
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 23:21 |
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Scintilla posted:
....is that a tank with jump jets??
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# ? Mar 19, 2024 23:50 |
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Holybat posted:With all this talking about Infernos, should I be taking them on the Wolverine? Ultimately it's up to you. I will say, the SRM 6 is the most powerful weapon on your Wolverine in terms of raw power, but of course, it's only usable at point-blank range and is a cluster weapon so getting everything to hit is, unlikely.
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 00:23 |
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ilmucche posted:....is that a tank with jump jets?? Scintilla posted:All seems reasonable to me.
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 00:39 |
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Scintilla, will be bringing one ton of regular SRM ammo and one ton of Infernos.
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 02:07 |
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ilmucche posted:....is that a tank with jump jets?? I'd hope not. The only tank that equipped Jump Jets was the Kanga Hovertank, which was notorious for wrecking itself, being such a maintanance hog that even the SLDF didn't want to deal with it, and knocking its own crews unconscious on landing--and as a hovertank, its landings were about as soft as they could possibly be. Might be usable on something with a different motive type in a low-gravity environment, though.
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 03:10 |
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Is the third number movement in water?
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 03:30 |
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3078, so those could be UMUs. Which would mean that Prowler isn't just fully amphibious, but fully submersible; the secret transforming unit type.
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 04:40 |
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when the crusader arrives can we please move the SRM ammo out of the CT, please and thank you. i don't know where would be better, but it would be nice for our rad new mech to be less of a tinderbox in a more perfect world, half-ton ammo bins would be a normal vanilla thing, and then we could trivially change it to a half-ton bin in each leg. leg ammo is not as unreasonable when the gun is also in the leg
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 05:54 |
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anakha posted:Scintilla, will be bringing one ton of regular SRM ammo and one ton of Infernos. Sure thing. For the curious, here's the real Prowler retool:
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 06:22 |
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# ? Jun 6, 2024 15:17 |
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Out of curiosity if the temp is so extreme it's breaking vehicles, can infantry/pilots survive outside of the vehicles? Or is this eject = death territory
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# ? Mar 20, 2024 07:40 |