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Added my picture to my sheet!
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Feb 5, 2018 16:33
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| # ? May 4, 2024 21:18 |
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Well, looks like I can't edit the signup from my phone. drat. Our company should be Wolf's Drag Goons, a merc unit of crossdressers of all kinds.
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Feb 5, 2018 22:57
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 The Contract with ComStar is accepted and the company prepares to move out. One last check of the hiring market doesn’t yield any real fruit, the only available potential hire is a Mechanic. Unfortunately he doesn’t have the right kind of skill to work on a ‘Mech and isn’t any use to us.  After calculating our JumpRoute, we get an estimate of how long our journey will be:  It will take 12 days to burn up from the planet in our chartered dropship and meet the Jumpship waiting. Jumps between stars are instantaneous, however the jump ship will take roughly a week to recharge its jump engine between jumps. We accepted the contract on February 16th 3025, I started the campaign on February 4th. We have until the October 8th of this year to deal with these pirates. ComStar aren’t expecting us to start work until July. I will spin through the travel and only mention anything interesting that might happen on the way. Because of the way our contract is laid out, we have to pay for our transportation and have it expensed back to us upon completion. Luckily ComStar give us an advance of 2.3Million as we leave the planet. This should cover us most of the way. We also have to start paying for the upkeep of our Mechs. Because ours are fairly common and we have a good supply of parts this is costing us 322 CBills per Mech per month - for now. Here is the state of our finances at the start of April, roughly halfway through our trip:  Sunday May 22nd The Company unexpectedly jumps into Taussen, a ComStar Protectorate in Federated Suns space. The JumpShip captain only informs our company of this location, the rest of the passengers believe that they are in an abandoned system. He admits he was told to jump here instead of taking a different route. A small shuttle is waiting near the transition point. It docks with the JumpShip while it deploys its solar sails to recharge the JumpEngine and a hooded ComStar Acolyte boards our chartered dropship. The Acolyte hand delivers a sealed briefing to John Guziki. It details the reasoning for pulling us over from the other side of the Inner Sphere. ComStar is concerned that Davion forces may be trying to distract ComStar forces in Freisland. Attacking a ComStar facility is grounds for interdiction. Fed Suns units may be the source of the ‘pirates’. Davion scientists seem to have a recent obsession with interstellar communication and ComStar have reason to believe they may be trying to setup a raid on an HPG facility under disguise of a pirate attack. Previous attempts to deal with the raiders, using local mercs and local forces have never been able to pin down the attackers. We have been brought in as we are too small and too unimportant to be involved in whatever is going on here. ComStar are keen to get this problem resolved and are offering a bonus for delivering any proof that Davion may be involved. Or job is still primarily to engage and destroy the pirates should they appear. Monday, June 6th we arrive in System in Freisland. We are 3 days burn from the planet. Our finances are as follows:   We are in the red, and losing money fast. If we can get this contract completed on time we should be able to recover. The journey has taken a serious toll on our liquid assets. Whilst maintaining our BattleMechs on the journey, Strauna has found an issue with our Urbanmechs leg armour, and will be attempting to repair it before we have to rollout in the field. *(I am able to transfer problems like this into HBS!Battletech so if this leg isn’t repaired the UM will roll out with degraded leg armour).*  She estimates it as a quick fix as we have plenty of armour in stock. It is a little frustrating to see we are performing armour repairs before any of our machines has seen combat. Guziki checks the hiring boards upon arriving into the system, but there is only a Doctor available for work and we can barely afford they one we already have on staff. The crew settle in and we burn for Freisland. Wednesday, June 8th ComStar take advantage of an overlooked clause in the contract to move the start date to June 9th, citing that we have arrived ahead of schedule. (I missed screenshotting this but they really did move the contract forward on us as we were approaching the planet). They also move forward the end date of the contract - which means we will get our final payout earlier. We will not make planetfall until midday on the 9th. ComStar want our units out in the highlands looking for the pilots as soon as we make groundfall. Straunna is unable to work on the Urbanmech’s leg due to the high burn (I totally didn’t forget to order the tech to work on the mech!). Thursday, June 9th Goonlance are ordered to commit their forces to extended scouting missions in the untamed wilderness of Freisland. Without any chance to rest after the grueling burn from the JP, the lance is forced to roll out.  Monday, June 13th Guziki checks the hiring posts, all that is available is a 41 year old flamethrower trooper. She seems a little wild. Guziki moves on.  In the afternoon, GoonLance reports they have identified a fortified position in the hills, ComStar orders them to pull away and sends in their own agents to investigate. (A pending probe mission appears in the briefing tab). Friday, June 17th After several days of reconnaissance ComStar confirm these are the pirates. They suspect that the pirate captain may really be of Davion origin. A conventional force of merc tanks (unaffiliated with ourselves) are tasked with assaulting the base. Meanwhile GoonLance will flank through the mountains, annihilating any resistance and engage the Pirate Captain. ComStar units estimate our Lance will need to breakthrough a screening force of Light Mechs before engaging the Captain and his Bodyguard. There will not be any time for repair or resupply between these two combat actions. If possible we are to capture rather than kill this individual. There is a bonus offered for disabling rather than destroying his Mech. Click the image below to watch our first engagement. I didn’t play perfectly but I decided to leave it in as it is probably representative of a bunch of yahoo nobles in their first real fight. Pilot portraits will be updated for the next mission. Before I start the video, just a really quick primer for some concepts that I don't explain, but will expand on in the future. The game is turn based with an initiative system, for now - Light mechs get first go until all the lights have gone or all the lights have reserved till later, then repeat for mediums, heavies and assaults. Any mech can reserve it's turn till a later initiative step, but once a mech is in step 5 it can't reserve anymore. When a mech moves it builds stacks of Evasion, to represent how difficult it is to track and hit as it travels. Evasion is represented by a chevron next to the mechs name. Each chevron is a +2 penalty to make an attack roll. Making any attack against a mech, whether it connects or not, will remove a single stack of Evasion. There are other ways to deal with Evasion that we don't have access to yet because our pilots are apparently a bunch of drunk yahoo nobles out for a laugh. Don't worry too much about mechanics for now, I will go into more detail as we go on. I am using our own AMechWarrior's difficulty mod for the beta, along with his extra mech variants pack to try and add as much diversity as possible.  (Going forward I would quite like to find a co-commentator for these videos. I am in Australia time so it isn’t going to be super easy) We didn’t emerge from that mission unscarred. The ShadowHawk and the UrbanMech are pristine (apart from that leg!). However here is the Firestarter after that combat:  And the Trebuchet…  Amazingly, despite the awful condition of those two mechs, we didn’t suffer any critical hits and no components are damaged. The Treb is still combat ready and as long as the ShadowHawk takes the lead in the next fight we should be ok. The Ammo situation is as follows: ShadowHawk code:code:code:Urbanmech code:Edit: If any of our pilots survive, we can level them up! Phrosphor fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Feb 6, 2018 |
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Feb 6, 2018 00:32
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I don't know a ton about this game, but this LP is  - makes me want to get this game.I too live in Australia and would be happy to do some co-commentary if you're happy to have someone commenting with you who knows nothing about the game. That being said, I have a family and a 3mo daughter, which means timing can be tricky. Generally nights after 9:00pm (Sydney time) do work though.
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Feb 6, 2018 01:18
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Ya this game is awesome. I'm surprised this hasn't popped up on my radar before. I could also do some commentary, if you want an oldschool battletech nerd perspective. I'm in US time but work on my own schedule so it generally shouldn't be a problem.
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Feb 6, 2018 01:22
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Leveling up, we may want to focus on Guts (Can take more head hits and not die, also run hotter without overheating) or Gunnery (Shoot gud) first as I'm willing to bet we will be fighting a lot of fast and light enemies that can close the range gap quickly (not much need for Tactics view distance increases, but Sensor Lock is far off at 5 Tac - maybe the TBT pilot goes Tac) and they won't really be able to unsteady us so Piloting isn't a big deal yet. Also, I'm glad to see my modded AI in action. I think this is the first time I've watched a modded AI match against someone other than myself. I'm glad it put you in an interesting positions and it should keep this Let's Play exciting!
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Feb 6, 2018 01:24
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Actually I think this is a bit of a happy accident if you play this right. The fact that your ShadowHawk is undamaged going into a fight against potentially heavier opponents could be significant. It sucks that the Treb got wrecked up, but it's important bits are still in place and it doesn't need to go up front. The Firestarter is more troublesome, but working around it should be possible. The Urbanmech and Shadowhawk leading the way. Truly our enemies shall tremble. Can we steal that undamaged AC10's ammo as we go?
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Feb 6, 2018 01:39
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I can do co-comms if we can find a working time slot.
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Feb 6, 2018 01:40
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Urbanmechs... dangerous? Granted I'm still working through Poptarts' thread from the beginning after ignoring it for almost a decade, but I thought the Urbie was supposed to be a joke. Evidently not. I am puzzled by the Firestarter being in this game since vehicles (and presumably infantry) apparently aren't in the game yet.
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Feb 6, 2018 01:41
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Cythereal posted:Urbanmechs... dangerous? Granted I'm still working through Poptarts' thread from the beginning after ignoring it for almost a decade, but I thought the Urbie was supposed to be a joke. Evidently not. In HBS Battletech, the slowest mechs got a speed upgrade and the fastest ones downgraded to normalize Lance movement, so the Urbie can keep pace in this game where it would be hopelessly left behind in TT. The AC/10 it mounts also got a damage buff, doing the equivalent to 12 TT damage from 10. It's one of the more powerful guns in the game now that it has 50% greater damage than the Large Laser and 20% more than the PPC.
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Feb 6, 2018 01:50
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Amechwarrior posted:In HBS Battletech, the slowest mechs got a speed upgrade and the fastest ones downgraded to normalize Lance movement, so the Urbie can keep pace in this game where it would be hopelessly left behind in TT. The AC/10 it mounts also got a damage buff, doing the equivalent to 12 TT damage from 10. It's one of the more powerful guns in the game now that it has 50% greater damage than the Large Laser and 20% more than the PPC. To expand a little on this. All the ballistic weapons have been given a buff (and if we want to we can change these values oursevles.) The AC2 is now essentially an incredibly long range Medium Laser for example. The Firestarter is in the game because the Flamer is the most overpowered weapon ever, I just didn't get to abuse it in this match as I was too worried about that open CT. Phrosphor fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Feb 6, 2018 |
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Feb 6, 2018 02:19
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An Urbanmech doing what it was designed to do, jump jet around dense urban cover and poke at you with oversized weapons, can be a nightmare. Open field battles not so much.
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Feb 6, 2018 03:27
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Awesome video, I appreciate seeing how things can go wrong. I don't know a ton about Battletech in terms of mechanics and play, I'm one of the those nerds who likes to read the lore only.
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Feb 6, 2018 04:02
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great video. what's the generated consensus on the voice acting though? its already annoying here.
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Feb 6, 2018 04:08
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Sjs00 posted:great video. what's the generated consensus on the voice acting though? its already annoying here. Nasir's "whassup commander?" reminds me of the old Kansas City Worldskippers flash cartoons on the front page.
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Feb 6, 2018 07:31
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Sjs00 posted:great video. what's the generated consensus on the voice acting though? its already annoying here.
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Feb 6, 2018 08:28
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I was completely unaware of this game. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
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Feb 6, 2018 11:46
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I love what you're doing! And this game will ruin my relationships once it comes out.
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Feb 6, 2018 15:06
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I feel it necessary to clarify that my Mechwarrior's actions were a strategic gambit to draw those two Locusts away from the rest of the lance, and certainly not due to a cognitive impairment caused by generations of noble inbreeding.
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Feb 6, 2018 18:23
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Scintilla posted:I feel it necessary to clarify that my Mechwarrior's actions were a strategic gambit to draw those two Locusts away from the rest of the lance, and certainly not due to a cognitive impairment caused by generations of noble inbreeding. "They got me surrounded, just where I want them!" - TBT pilot.
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Feb 6, 2018 18:33
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Amechwarrior posted:"They got me surrounded, just where I want them!" - TBT pilot. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." - Chesty Puller  ."The Trebuchet got 3 medium lasers, it'll be fine" - that is how many guns an average bug mech got. Just saying. Of course, it does mean you don't need to conserve ammo as much next mission. Speaking of - given that the Urbie has one heatsink too many, may I suggest that you'll swap it for additional ammo sink?
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Feb 6, 2018 18:41
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Amechwarrior posted:"They got me surrounded, just where I want them!" - TBT pilot. "They got us surrounded again, the poor bastards!"
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Feb 6, 2018 19:50
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I played the heck out of the beta while the default setup was still live. While looking forward to the full release, really excited by how you set up this game, and looking forward to seeing how it pans out. Added my character's name to your list of mercs for hire. Have to agree with what was said- while things could have gone Very Badly for you, the fact that you got out of it with the SHD's armor pristine, and no damage to your operational capabilities, is a blessing in disguise.
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Feb 6, 2018 20:08
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This seems like it's going to be an awesome playthrough and now I can't wait to get a copy of the Battletech game. Oh, and sign me up for the Mechwarrior roster! Mechwarrior Name: Caem Slarphase Callsign: Grendel Preference: Fire Support Platforms Archive Picture 
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Feb 6, 2018 22:10
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Yeah, while the damage on the Trebuchet is unfortunate, ideally you might be able to not even let it get shot at in the next combat. With all the missiles you saved up, it should be able to just hang back and poo poo out volley after volley of LRMs. The Firestarter's a bit more tricky, but with its speed maybe it'll be able to stay safe until you've got an enemy on the ropes and it can swoop in to deliver a billion crits.
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Feb 6, 2018 23:59
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Actually I think I've figured out what makes the Firestarter so potentially overpowered, but I'll let Phrosphor talk about it. It seems like he wanted it to be a surprise in the next update. I hope it works out for him.
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Feb 7, 2018 00:06
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professor_curly posted:Actually I think I've figured out what makes the Firestarter so potentially overpowered, but I'll let Phrosphor talk about it. It seems like he wanted it to be a surprise in the next update. I hope it works out for him. About that Firestarter...
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Feb 7, 2018 00:12
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Phrosphor posted:About that Firestarter... Alas, poor Figment. Guess if someone had to die first it would be the woman.
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Feb 7, 2018 00:14
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The mechwarrior might be alive.
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Feb 7, 2018 00:16
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goatface posted:The mechwarrior might be alive. If they lost a mech then they better not be 
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Feb 7, 2018 00:38
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No, the joke is that it was carrying machine gun ammo. They're probably in a bazillion pieces.
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Feb 7, 2018 00:54
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goatface posted:No, the joke is that it was carrying machine gun ammo. They're probably in a bazillion pieces. This is my fear, yep. I'm not intimately familiar with BattleTech, but one thing I have learned is to fear ammo explosions - and that machine guns are the worst of all. My pilot is driving an anti-infantry mech in a game with no infantry, and this is 3025 so CASE isn't a thing. Ah well. 
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Feb 7, 2018 01:01
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Oh yea, that
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Feb 7, 2018 01:07
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Nobody has died... Yet. As for ammo explosions, HBS have recognised that MG ammo being a mini nuke you carry around in your mech is a bit silly so they have added a check to ammo crits. Ammo takes two crits before it explodes, rather than exploding the first time damage tickles it. This adds a lot as once your ammo locations get exposed you know an ammo explosion is coming, rather than it just randomly occuring when you get shot. I lost a lot of Pristine Orion's when the beta started to lucky AC10 ammo explosions. I like the crit change. I have the next update ready to go, I just need to record my commentary for the mission.
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Feb 7, 2018 01:11
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Booo.
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Feb 7, 2018 01:13
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goatface posted:Booo. 
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Feb 7, 2018 01:14
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That loving hero urbie, it should be put on a plinth somewhere.
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Feb 7, 2018 01:17
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goatface posted:That loving hero urbie, it should be put on a plinth somewhere. It is a plinth
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Feb 7, 2018 01:20
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goatface posted:That loving hero urbie, it should be put on a plinth somewhere. I'm gonna guess it's because it ran out of ammo first, and thus is not worth shooting. Still worth a medal.
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Feb 7, 2018 01:21
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| # ? May 4, 2024 21:18 |
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Phrosphor posted:Nobody has died... Yet. That might be Beta 1 actions, but Beta 2 changed it. One hit destroys equipment and sets off ammo bins more than 1/2 full, weapons take two hits with the first causing a +1 penalty to fire it. Beta 2 also increased the base odds for critical hits and "fixed" the blank space problem. The end result was bugged, but overall it works nicely as is, with the backend bug in place. If they fixed that bug, they might have to lower base crit odds to compensate if Beta 2 action is the intended rate. Also, for anyone else not familiar with the Beta or BT, in this game the Machine Guns (our Firestarter has two) are the only weapon with an increased critical hit odds. So it's wonderful when it comes to finding an open location and disabling/exploding equipment.
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Feb 7, 2018 01:32
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