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TheParadigm
Dec 10, 2009

PoptartsNinja posted:

The vote was for me to break the campaign over my knee, and I intend to oblige.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit everything I filmed yesterday into one update or two, but by the end of filming we're rolling in it.

We also get our first usable heavy 'Mech and finally upgrade someone out of their starter (:haw:). Feel free to speculate wildly which 'Mech I acquired, whether I bought it (gotta spend money to make money) or captured it, and which of the Five Aces got their ride upgraded.

I'm gonna go ahead and say: Hows that warhamma thunderbolt treating you?

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girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?
I love the FLAKjack. One of the best parts of the game is giving your mechs ridiculous names. A few I remember from my first campaign run just off the top of my head were FIGHT TRUCK, GUNMETAL GAY, TURBO DEATHRAVE, 80 TON TOP GUN and my personal mech, MOTHERFUKR UNLTD.

Edit: How could I forget 9 MILLION KNIVES and LESBIAN INDIGNATION...

girl dick energy fucked around with this message at 06:15 on Mar 20, 2021

Aces High
Mar 26, 2010

Nah! A little chocolate will do




I never got to experience Dekker dying like everyone else seemed to, my first OG pilot death was Behemoth in the 2nd or 3rd story mission

fennesz
Dec 29, 2008

PMush Perfect posted:

I love the FLAKjack. One of the best parts of the game is giving your mechs ridiculous names. A few I remember from my first campaign run just off the top of my head were FIGHT TRUCK, GUNMETAL GAY, TURBO DEATHRAVE, 80 TON TOP GUN and my personal mech, MOTHERFUKR UNLTD.

Edit: How could I forget 9 MILLION KNIVES and LESBIAN INDIGNATION...

You sure you didn't confuse your roller derby league with BattleTech? :banjo:

(In all seriousness, good names. Fight Truck :discourse:)

AtomikKrab
Jul 17, 2010

Keep on GOP rolling rolling rolling rolling.

I uh... lost the tutorial escort without trying to.

I had the pc blackjack standing with its back exposed when the tanks get dropshipped in. Game allowed them two full turns of backshots

girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?

fennesz posted:

You sure you didn't confuse your roller derby league with BattleTech?
My brother actually made the same joke. I took it as a compliment then, and I do again now.

Rorahusky
Nov 12, 2012

Transform and waaauuuugh out!

Gwaihir posted:

I was about to bet on a Quickdraw. I remember seeing so loving many of those things early.


But then I realized you said USABLE.

This is why I like the Engine Initiative mod, because it actually bases your Initiative on your speed instead of your weight class. Makes some of the low-end weight class designs a lot more viable. Does kind of hurt 'Mechs like the Panther or the Urbanmech, but you don't use the Urbanmech for efficiency, you use it for the Memes.

vyelkin
Jan 2, 2011

PMush Perfect posted:

I love the FLAKjack. One of the best parts of the game is giving your mechs ridiculous names. A few I remember from my first campaign run just off the top of my head were FIGHT TRUCK, GUNMETAL GAY, TURBO DEATHRAVE, 80 TON TOP GUN and my personal mech, MOTHERFUKR UNLTD.

Edit: How could I forget 9 MILLION KNIVES and LESBIAN INDIGNATION...

I have a burning compulsion every time I play this game to buy an Annihilator, put as many Gauss rifles on it as I can, and call it DEGAUSSER. Also to build some kind of mech around snub PPCs and call it SHOTGUN WEDDING.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
UrbanMech's incredible in the very early game when everything has half armor and an AC/10 will kill a Javelin instantly.

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


The thing about the Panther isn't that it's good, it's that it gets a good gun on the field for very very cheap. Like the Hollander but older.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
It takes a marginal amount of work, but you can make the Panther absolutely terrifying in Tabletop / Alpha Strike.

Spend 1 extra point per Panther to give them all the Marksman SPA and watch your opponent's gradual descent into madness as every single time they get hit by a Panther they have to roll a critical chance no matter how big and tough their Steiner Scout Lance is.

binge crotching
Apr 2, 2010

PoptartsNinja posted:

UrbanMech's incredible in the very early game when everything has half armor and an AC/10 will kill a Javelin instantly.

With that ComponentUpgrader mod they can get upgraded to UACs and are horrifying.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
The first UrbanMech we'll be encountering (I can't remember if it's happened yet) was an UM-R60L. Definitely not a joke, early-game.


Mini thread poll: Do you want me to process every skirmish, even the 5 minute ones where I'm not in any danger, or would you prefer selectively curated ones where I gently caress up and almost get Dekker killed?

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Mar 20, 2021

Dachshundofdoom
Feb 14, 2013

Pillbug
Whatever's easier for you. I watch them on 2x anyway if there isn't commentary.

Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

If you will not serve in combat, you will serve on the firing line!




I admittedly skip the ones without commentary because I assume they're not that interesting and before long the gameplay loop is very samey to watch.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Sounds good, I'll start summarizing results then. It saves me transcription time and I spend a fair bit of time between the next story mission and the one after it because a certain Flashpoint popped up in the system next door and I detoured to take advantage of it.

Definitely going to show the mission where I accidentally drop against an Arano Restoration lance though! :v:


There're definitely some tense missions coming up that I'm looking forward to sharing.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Mar 20, 2021

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


post em if they're interesting or have interesting dialogue

fennesz
Dec 29, 2008

PoptartsNinja posted:

The first UrbanMech we'll be encountering (I can't remember if it's happened yet) was an UM-R60L. Definitely not a joke, early-game.


Mini thread poll: Do you want me to process every skirmish, even the 5 minute ones where I'm not in any danger, or would you prefer selectively curated ones where I gently caress up and almost get Dekker killed?

As much as you're willing to do. I've breezed through most of the battles on YT thus far, but I have to imagine processing each and every encounter is a lot more work than just saying "no threat, we got X and Y as salvage."

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Nah, they're pretty quick. I film the battles individually so it's just trimming out the starts of anything I don't feel the need to talk over in shotcut and doing a fade in from black. It takes longer for me to remember the mission names when I'm uploading them than it does to edit the no-commentary video.

Commentary's another story, though. That and transcription take the most time, even with OCR saving me from my carpal tunnel.

Siegkrow
Oct 11, 2013

Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting



How is your wrist btw?

Captain Foo
May 11, 2004

we vibin'
we slidin'
we breathin'
we dyin'

Cooked Auto posted:

I admittedly skip the ones without commentary because I assume they're not that interesting and before long the gameplay loop is very samey to watch.

I do this as well

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Siegkrow posted:

How is your wrist btw?

Not getting any worse, but still problematic. Grabbing a free OCR app has helped immensely, transcribing more than four or five screenshots at a time with the old thread could get agonizing.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Mar 22, 2021

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker
'(That mech) committed suicide' counter: 4

Rorahusky
Nov 12, 2012

Transform and waaauuuugh out!
Apparently I found a glitch in your Equipment Equalizer Poptarts. I purchased TSM (The one that's supposed to give 50% Move and +50 Melee), but when I go to equip it, it says I have 0 copies of it, and trying to select and move it to the CT causes it to disappear from my inventory until I exit out of the customization screen and go back in.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
That's weird. I haven't bumped into TSM yet myself, what are you trying to equip it on? Is it one of the Hangar of Stompyness 'Mechs by any chance?

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Mar 23, 2021

Rorahusky
Nov 12, 2012

Transform and waaauuuugh out!

PoptartsNinja posted:

That's weird. I haven't bumped into TSM yet myself, what are you trying to equip it on? Is it one of the Hangar of Stompyness 'Mechs by any chance?

Firestarter. I haven't installed Hanger of Stompiness. I think the issue might have something to do with the fact that the file is named Gear_Gyro_TSM but the id for the equipment is Gear_Structure_TSM? But I'm not sure.

Edit: Yep, looks like that was the issue, as changing the id to Gear_Gyro_TSM in the file and then loading my game makes it recognize that I have 1 copy and allows me to equip the part

Rorahusky fucked around with this message at 20:28 on Mar 23, 2021

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Oh, poo poo, I thought I caught all those. To quote Yang: I'll get right on it (and get an updated version uploaded after work).

Let me know how you like it, I'm eager to try it on someone.

Rorahusky
Nov 12, 2012

Transform and waaauuuugh out!
Jesus, the TSM is stupid good. My Firestarter now moves faster on ground than a locust and punches with the force of an AC20, and it's not even fully optimized yet. Still using basic SLs and +10 melee arm mods. This thing is going to be an unholy terror once I get the top tier arm mods and a full suite of ERSL++

Edit: For shits and giggles, I also gave it the cockpit part that gives +90m to support weapon range. Medium Lasers? We don't need no stinking Medium Lasers!

Ronin Of Dreams
Oct 9, 2012

Even Death laughs when the nukes begin to rain.

PoptartsNinja posted:

Commentary's another story, though. That and transcription take the most time, even with OCR saving me from my carpal tunnel.

Glad to hear you've found a way to spare yourself at least some of the pain-burden. I'd imagine co-commentary might just make things take even longer, too. Or are you planning on roping a few folks in for some of the more notable story missions to help with the longer runtimes?

Also, I love that this is back. No matter how silent I've been in the old thread of this or over in the LP of the tabletop, your writing has always been something that I greatly enjoy PTN.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Rorahusky posted:

Jesus, the TSM is stupid good.

I priced it higher than a large pulse laser, and I figured since you had to give up the incredibly good evasion gyros for it that was pretty fair.

Some of the Sheep
May 25, 2005
POSSIBLY IT WOULD BE SIMPLER IF I ASKED FOR A LIST OF THE HARMLESS CREATURES OF THE AFORESAID CONTINENT?


I know you were going for Johnny Five Aces but all I can see is Eric Andre!

Rorahusky
Nov 12, 2012

Transform and waaauuuugh out!

PoptartsNinja posted:

I priced it higher than a large pulse laser, and I figured since you had to give up the incredibly good evasion gyros for it that was pretty fair.

Yeah, the loss of the evasion gyro hurts a bit, but between the cockpit mod that gives extra range to support weapons and my extra speed, I managed to find a good balance between skirting around the edge of the battlefield drawing fire from a couple of 'Mechs while harassing them, and rushing in to shank a 'Mech before WoopWoopWooping away at top speed.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Fixed the TSM file and updated versions of the mod / master mod have been uploaded.


Edit: There's more to this update than I was expecting. You want one big update, or should I split it up?

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Mar 25, 2021

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
BattleTech: Restoration Campaign – Episode 3: GRIM SYBIL

Always good to see you at Ops, Johnny. Can I do something for you?
I want to know more about our debt situation.
Sorry. “Debt Situation.”
Yeah, sure, that's fair... and I'm glad you're taking an interest. I've got time to get into the nuts and bolts of it if you do.
What did you want to know?
Remind me why we took out so many loans in the first place.

There's more that I could get into—the loan we took out to set up Markham's family, et cetera, et cetera—but that'd be gilding the lily at this point.
The fact is, we're in a lot of trouble with a lot Of lenders. But hey, we're mercenaries... we live for trouble.
Who are we in debt to, exactly? I want names.
How about I give you the top three?
First, you've got Blue Horizon... that's the big commercial bank on Lyreton. They're the ones that own the lease on this ship. Then there's the Indri Consortium... they've got people everywhere, but they're based somewhere in Marik space. We borrowed from one of their "associates" to make the jump away from Coromodir on the day of the coup.
Finally, you've got Lockown Lending. They're a Frontier outfit from Hastur, and they're about as crooked as they come. Now, I wouldnt normally do business with an outfit like the Double-L, but we didn't have a choice... they made a deal with Blue Horizon to buy half of our debt.
So that's the big three: a commercial bank, a shadowy financial consortium, and a bunch of leg-breakers in cheap suits. And each of 'em is dangerous in its own way.
That’s enough money talk for now. Lemme ask you about something else.
Be my guest. What do you need?
Got a few minutes to chat? I'd like to catch up.
Yeah, sure. I've got time to talk.
Before any of this started, you worked with the Arano Royal Guard. Tell me about it.
It was more than just a deployment. It was a full campaign.
High Lord Tamati gave us the job back in '19. We were supposed to be assisting the Royal Guard to round up and eliminate a pirate clan on FJaldr. Commander Markham thought it'd be easy money... turned out to be anything but.
So, like everything else House Arano adjacent, then.
We lost a dozen MechWarriors in the three months of the Fjaldr campaign. Had to hose 'em out of their cockpits.
Would've been more if it wasn't for Sir Raju. He saved our people's asses on more than one occasion... went out of his way to do it. And the thing is, he didn't have to. We weren't under his protection—we were the hired help.
A lot of people in Mastiff’s position would've used us as cannon fodder, but that wasn't his way. He treated us as if we were his own.
He was a good man, Johnny. As good as they come.
Tell me a bit about yourself, Darius. Where are you from?
I grew up on Nassau Heights... it's one of the hab stations orbiting Artru. Thirty decks of economic stratification, with the corporate suits on the upper decks and everyone else crammed into the lower ones.
My old man was a dockhand. We lived on Deck 28—two levels up from the bottom, with the other station maintenance personnel.
Twelve hours a day, six days a week, my dad would load and unload cargo shuttles. Vacuum-sealed quillar and nutrient paste for people like us, and luxury goods for the suits upstairs.
The Old man must've unloaded a thousand cases Of Casslldan eel roe—plump, succulent eggs the size of melon balls. Never got to taste any, though. Any one of those tins would've cost him a half a year's wages.
Anyway, Johnny... I don't wanna saddle you with my life story. Suffice it to say that I got an eyeful of what I didn't want to be on Nassau Heights, and I did what I had to do to change my circumstances. And by the age of sixteen, I struck out on my own.
I left that station with a handful of skills, an enormous web of contacts, and a rucksack full of that expensive caviar. And once I made it off of Nassau Heights, I never, ever looked back.
Gotta run, Darius.
Wait, you’re not… buttering me up to convince me we need some new obscenely expensive piece of wargear of dubious actual value?
Nah. If I really want something, nothing you say or do will stop me from acquiring it.
… Good to know, then.




Lady Centrella. This... is a surprise.
I wouldn't expect a member of the Canopian royal family to even know who we are, let alone approach us in such nontraditional manner.
This isn't a traditional contract, and I don't need ComStar asking questions. Besides, there's no reason to involve the Mercenary Review Board—I already know that I want to hire you.
Have I piqued your interest, Commander Fiveaces?
Certainly, Lady Centrella. We wouldn't be here if you hadn't.
I'm pleased to hear it. The job that I have for you is a relatively simple one. I need you to recover something for me, and I need it done quietly.
In exchange for your services, I will pay down the interest on your rather sizable loans and buy you the breathing room you've been looking for.
How do you know about—
Told you someone was keeping us around for a reason.
You know what? It doesn't matter. Just tell us what we're supposed to be "recovering."
This.

She's a derelict vessel, an Argo. One of only two ever made. For over two hundred years, she's been lying in state on Axylus, a pirate moon in the heart of the Frontier.
I want her, and you are going to bring her to me.
Yeah? And how, exactly, are we supposed to do that? I mean... that's a big ship, and she looks half-cannibalized for parts. Look, you can see her ribs in the photo.
I'm as enthusiastic about money as the next guy, but I'm a MechTech, not an aerospace engineer. I'll be damned if I can get that thing flying again.
Relax, Mr. Virtanen. I have engineering staff on hand to attend to the Argo.
Their leader, Dr. Farah Murad, has built quite a reputation for herself in the Frontier.
You'll find a JumpShip waiting for you at Alloway. It will carry you to the pirate moon, where you'll clear a path to the crash site. Dr. Murad and her team will go to work on the derelict, and you will protect them until the work is done.
This should all be well within your capabilities, Commander Fiveaces... unless I've come to the wrong company, of course.
[Background: Frontier Pirate] I know pirates better than most. You won't find anyone better suited to this job than us.
Are you sure about—

She isn’t wrong, Johnny.
Nooooooo poo poo.
We were looking for a lifeline, and I think this is as close as we’re gonna get.
Aside from me dragging this company kicking and screaming out of debt by force.
We can handle anything you throw at us, Lady Centrella. I aim to prove that to you on Axylus.
Very good. I'll forward your contract to Mr. Oliveira.
One last thing, Commander Fiveaces. The stories of your... unsavory past are well known within the Magistracy. I'm taking a risk by hiring you on, but I'm convinced that I'm making the right call. Don't prove me wrong.
Then let me be the first to reassure you: the Clocktower Incident was all just a… big misunderstanding.
The what?

The contract for Lady Centrella’s derelict recovery job is ready for review in the Command Center. We should follow up when you think we’re ready.
We were ready with stock ‘Mechs, with the customization—
Butchery.
customization I’ve had Yang doing, we’ll crush this.




Oh, goddamn it.
Darius, what’s the usual bank fine for illegal modification?
20k, give or take?
Set that aside. Our enterprising Mechwarriors have gotten bored again.

PTN’s note: 20k is a small price to pay for +1 morale.


We’ve arrived at Alloway, Commander. Ready to proceed with our current contract?
I checked the shop on the way in. A disappointing amount of nothing worthwhile. Take us in, Sumire.
Commander, I’m setting a course for Lady Centrella’s JumpShip. It’s strange, though… this moon it’s taking us to, Axylus, doesn’t appear on any of the maps. Which leads me to wonder: where, exactly, are we going, and how do they intend to get us there?
In the usual way, I suppose: by JumpShip.
But—
It’ll be fine.






That was one hell of a rough ride. My stomach is still doing somersaults.

We’re mercenaries. Our job carries an assumption of risk.
You heard the Commander—stow the complaints. And pay attention... we have a job to discuss.
The time for the staff meeting was before we jumped into a hostile system.

The Argo's crash site is here, smack dab in the middle of a pirate stronghold.
The ship, the stronghold, and everything around it belong to a self-styled bandit queen called Grim Sybil. Her gang is the closest thing that Axylus has to a ruling council.
Oh, I know her! We used to date back in Highschool.
Really?
Nah.

"Grim Sybil"? Is that supposed to be scary? It sounds like the kind of name you'd choose out of a hat.
What do their defenses look like?
They're patchy at best. I don't think that Axylus gets a lot of visitors.
They have strong anti-air cover, but little in the way of ground-based defenses. I'm seeing a lot of vehicles, but BattleMech activity looks light.
Define "light" activity. What are we talking about, exactly?
I can't put an exact number on it—all I have are surface scans to go on. From what data I do have, I'd expect the pirates to be able to field a full lance of light BattleMechs, all of them in poor repair.
There are mixed reports of something bigger—that'll be Grim Sybil's 'Mech. I don't have any information on tonnage or armament. But given the shape that everything else is in on Axylus, I imagine it's being held together with chewing gum and baling wire.
Yang can do a lot with chewing gum and baling wire.
What else do you have on Grim Sybil? Before today, I'd never heard of her.
Yeah, I hadn't, either. Centrella's intel says that Grim Sybil mostly stays put on Axylus. But she's got at least a dozen pirate gangs operating under her banner, so she must have something going for her.
Nah. ‘Pirate Kings’ and ‘Queens’ that don’t raid directly are just louder than everyone else. The ‘gangs’ she controls are just using her as a ready-made cover in case one of the Great Houses get pissed and send a wrecking crew out here to clean house.
Sybil's bio is pretty sparse... there isn't a lot of meat here. Just a note that she came up under Lady Paula Trevaline, the Pirate Queen of the Tortuga Dominions.
I guess that's impressive, having a personal connection to Lady Death and all.
"Lady Death"? Really?
I swear, man, these pirate names are killing me.
[Background: Frontier Pirate] You don't know the half of it, Yang. Spend a few years hanging out with my old friends, and believe me... you'll hear worse.
Like Johnny “Five Aces” Fiveaces?
Exactly.

One of these days, you're gonna have to tell me more about your past, Boss.
...Actually, check that. I'm not sure I wanna know.
Darius, is there anything else worth mentioning in that file? Or can we get back to talking about the mission?
Well, it looks like Trevaline and Sybil had a falling out... that's not terribly surprising, given the Pirate Queen's track record.
Sybil managed to survive somehow—good on her—and she's been living on Axylus ever since.
For comparison’s sake, what’s in my file?
Oh, that you—came up under the Lady Death in the Tortuga Dominions, and…
Standard pirate claptrap. There’s always a bigger fish you can pin your crimes on.

The rest of the report is just a rap sheet. Apparently, our bandit queen has racked up an astonishing number of kills over the years... mostly against merchants and freighter crews, but kills all the same.
She likes to get her hands dirty, and she knows her way around a BattleMech. And that's all I've got.
That’s the only part of her record that’s accurate. I hate her already.
So the pirates have vehicles and turrets, maybe a few BattleMechs. Got it. Keep going.
The entire structure is surrounded by radar-guided antiaircraft guns. Your first task will be to take down the radar towers so that Sumire can approach the derelict.
After you've secured the crash site, she'll dock with the Argo and drop Off the engineering team.
I hope Lady Centrella thought to send some Zero-G Troopies with her. Pirate infantry isn’t good but when the alternative is ‘walking home’ even their technicians can get pretty ‘patriotic.’
...And then they'll miraculously get a two-hundred-year-old wreck flying again.
Lady Centrella has bet a massive stack of C-Bills that they will. For what it's worth, I believe that her chief engineer can pull this off.
I'd never heard Of Dr. Farah Murad before Lady Centrella mentioned her, but I did some digging after our meeting. She was telling the truth—the Doc has quite a reputation. Supposed to be some kind of Frontier engineering wunderkind, and a genius at bringing dead ships back to life.
That’s good enough for me.
I’m glad to hear it, because it’s gonna have to be. Now that we’re here, we’re kind of committed to seeing this job through.
I’ll leave it to you, Johnny. Good hunting on the moon’s surface… I’ll be keeping an eye on you from up here.
This seems straightforward enough... but be careful, Johnny. We don't know for sure what you're going to find on that moon, and we've had enough surprises already.





Mission 9: Capture the Argo (Story, Commentary)

Rewards: 1,152,000 c-bills
Noteworthy Salvage: 1 JR7-D Jenner part, 1 SHD-2H Shadow Hawk part, 1 QKD-4G Quickdraw part






It must come as a shock to you, seeing us here at Alloway. Seeing us at all. I apologize for that, but I had to be sure that you were the MechWarrior I remembered before I reached out to you.
And now, with the Argo on its way to Lyreton for repairs, I know. You are everything I remember and more.

I can't believe you're standing here. The entire Reach is convinced that you're dead.
She was dead! Lord Madeira, too!
I'm sorry, Lady Arano, but the news feeds ran footage of your DropShip getting blown out of the sky... on a loop... for months!
That wasn't her DropShip. The broadcasts of her death were Directorate propaganda—well-crafted lies to keep the masses in line.
And with that, Kamea, I'll leave you to your reunion. Best of luck with the negotiations, and keep me apprised of whatever decision you come to.

Negotiations. You need us for something.
Lady Centrella was right about the propaganda, Five Aces. My uncle's Directorate is run on lies... though in this case, they very nearly became true.
The Directorate's assassins pursued us into the Frontier. In the months following the coup, we had more than our share of close calls. Eventually, they gave up looking for us, and we've been living in exile ever since.
Where have the two of you been hiding for the past three years?
As far from Directorate space as we could get without leaving the Frontier—a miserable little ball of rock called Zathras.
It was a nasty, brutish planet, full Of internecine strife and bloody turmoil. There were power struggles and mad nobles, plagues and zealots and holy wars.
So you’re saying it was a typical Frontier world.
It was dirty and smelly and gross and—
More or less. Living on Coromodir, I heard stories about the problems that many Frontier systems face, but I was detached. I never saw how rough life outside of the Aurigan Coalition could get.
My uncle's coup changed everything, Five Aces... including me.
You had Centrella send us after the Argo. I'd like to know why.
In part, as a test of your abilities. To make sure that your performance on Coromodir wasn't a fluke.
Our experience in the coup has taught us to be careful, Commander Fiveaces. We couldn't just reach out to you on faith.

But the Argo herself is important as well. She isn't just a ship, Five Aces. She's a symbol—of reclamation, and rebirth, and the return of better days.
You'll see for yourself soon enough. She was a majestic vessel once, a true product of the Star League. Under Dr. Murad's care, she will be again.
Okay. You made it off of Coromodir, and you've found me. Let's talk about why.

We have resources. An army drawn from all across the Frontier.
Perhaps most importantly, we have the patronage Of Lady Centrella, and the tacit support of her government. That means money—a great deal of money.
As it happens, I like money. A lot. But I assume that Lady Centrella isn't doing this out of the of the goodness her heart.
No. The Magistracy sees Kamea's claim to the throne as an asset worth paying for.
They want to see the Directorate dealt with, but it isn't in their interest to do it themselves. They'd prefer to keep their own hands clean.
As would you. And so you need me.
The Rimward Periphery is a powder keg, Five Aces. Tensions between the Taurian Concordat and the Federated Suns are high, and my uncle's military posturing could be viewed as a provocation by either side.
If open conflict between superpowers were to erupt, it'd be difficult for anyone to remain neutral. The Magistracy wants to avoid getting dragged into a major war.
And you're House Centrella's best hope for a clean solution. They fill your war chest, you remove the Directorate from the board, and the Magistracy lets tensions between the Federated Suns and the Taurians simmer down on their own.
Am I reading the situation correctly, Lady Arano?
Correctly enough, Mr. Oliveira. But understand that this isn't just about defusing a dangerous situation.
For me, taking on the Directorate is personal.
That’s the first sane thing you’ve said today, I’d have lost all respect for you if it wasn’t. You should have lead with that.
‘Hey, Johnny, help me kill my rear end in a top hat uncle and take revenge for Raju!’

My uncle betrayed me. The Founding Council has been reduced to a handful of powerless figureheads. Our very identity has been cut away and discarded.
House Espinosa is long overdue for a reckoning, and with your help, I will bring them one. Join with me, Five Aces, and we will not fail.
Your cause is honorable, Lady Arano. If the price is right, I think we can do business together.
The price. Of course, Five Aces... let us discuss your compensation.
Pledge yourselves to me and I will buy your company's debts—all Of them. You'll be free to travel and seek clients as you please, so long as you come to me when I call for you. And on the day that I reclaim my throne, your obligation to me will be forgiven, your debt wiped clean.
Not loving around anymore? I’m listening.
Of course, you will also be paid for every battle you fight at our behest. At a rate that will feel quite generous, given the clientele that you're accustomed to.
I doubled our income in a month. I bet we’ll have more than five million c-bills in the bank before I talk to you again.
Thanks to House Centrella, we have money to burn.
Oh, please, continue bragging. My rates just went up.
Alexander, please stop talking.

I don't like the thought of being some noble's pawn, but I don't like being in hock to a bunch of loan sharks, either.
This sounds like a pretty good deal, Boss. I'm just sayin'.
[Origin: Betrayed] I took down the scum that betrayed my family... seems only right that I help you do the same. You've got a deal.
Thank you, Five Aces. I feel that Raju Montgomery is smiling down on us, even now.
I'll take my leave of you now—I have an army to rally and preparations to make. But it won't be long before I contact you again... and when I do, I'll need you ready.
Prepare yourself and your company, Five Aces. Our war is about to begin.
Lady Arano just bought up all of our debt, Commander. That means no more banks restricting our JumpShip access. We can travel to more systems now, but we should still steer clear of the major states... we don't want it to look like we're gonna cut and run.
Good news, Commander. Once Doc Murad and her crew got that wrecked ship safely away, they found most of a Centurion in its cargo hold. It's not equipped for combat yet, but with a little love and attention, I think I could return it to service. Swing by the Mech Bay to check it and order a Refit.
A sturdy and reliable 'Mech, the Centurion is good at both taking and giving a beating. CN9-A models are able to engage at any range, but their damage curve increases as they approach a target.
And now I’m shocked you didn’t instantly yell ‘Sold!’
Why would I? The Centurion is actually good.


Training Results:
PTN’s note: I’m probably going to start skipping these unless we hit an important milestone. Speaking of which…
Five Aces: +1 Tactics (Tactics 6) (Called Shot Bonus)
Glitch: +2 Piloting (Piloting 4) (-1 unsteady threshold)
Dekker: +1 Piloting (Piloting 7) (+20% max sprint)
Behemoth: +1 Guts (Guts 6) (-15 Overhead Threshhold)

Hey again, Boss. What’s up?
You wanna talk about our new employer?
Lady Arano. Yeah.
Look, I know that you two go way back... you had the same teacher, and all that. Hell, you were working for her on the day of the coup. If you hadn't been doing that, you never would've joined this crew. But I'm not sure that I trust Lady Arano, or Lord Madeira.
I dunno. Maybe I'm leaping to judgment. I like having money, so I hope that I am!
There's just something about the idea of working for yet another shadowy aristocratic power player that I don't like. For what it's worth, though, I hope she proves me wrong.
I've gotta get back to it. Talk to you later, Yang.


Oh, hey. We just so happen to have an Autocannon/10 lying around! Fancy that!
… Heh. Pink mohawk.


Dibs.
And by ‘Dibs’ I mean it’s going in the Spider.




Alright, maintenance aside: let the profit chain commence! (+1 salvage, -1 payment)













Mission 10: Nine-Tenths of the Law (Capture Base, No Commentary, Rare Map)

Rewards: 271,425 c-bills
Reputation: FWL +4, Local Pirates -3
Noteworthy Salvage: 1 JR7-D Jenner part, 1 LCT-1M part, 3 WLF-1 parts

Sold, Sold, and Sold!
I didn’t even get a chance to tell you I’d completed all three of them yet!

Lady Arano’s contract to liberate Weldry is ready for review in the Command Center. We should follow up when you think we’re ready.
Commander Fiveaces. What’s up?
You did good work back on Axylus. If you hadn't gotten Dr. Murad and her crew down safely, none of us would've made it off of that
Just doing my job, Commander. You MechWarriors are the ones who take all the real risks ...Actually, I take that back. This job put all of us at risk.
You know what I'm talking about. The Pirate Point.
I don't know how much you know about misjumps, but, well... they're really, really bad.
You could wind up in the heart of a star, or in the middle of nowhere, crashed on some godforsaken rock—with my luck, a rock that's infested with fetid, screeching, mite-infested birds.
Let's just be glad that didn't happen.
Oh, believe me, I’m glad. I like myself in one piece, and I’d prefer it if I could stay that way.






PTN’s note: No new equalizers, boo. But these three arm mods all weigh 0 tons, which means they’re perfect for my needs and we buy all of them.

Holy. It’s the Motherlode!


PTN’s note: I bumped OpForce strength up to hard and bumped salvage up to generous so I could show off ‘Mechs more often, but look at those mission prices! That’s nuts!



Mission 11: Surveillance Outpost (Capture Base, Commentary)

Scales: Neutral
Rewards: 513,480 c-bills
Reputation: Capellan Confederation +6, Magistracy of Canopus -5
Noteworthy Salvage: 3 DRG-1N parts, 1 COM-1B part, 1 TBT-5N part, 1 VL-2T part, 1 WVR-6R part

The Dragon 1N—
Is a piece of poo poo with a big engine. I’m not going to sell it for now, we’ll save it for a rainy day.
I have a plan.
We need to make a few minor repairs, which means it’s payday once again.




There’s so much money here I can afford to pay a little extra for a quick morale boost.
Speaking of which…







Mission 12: Tag Team (Battle, Commentary)

Rewards: 528,600 c-bills
Reputation: Capellan Confederation +4, Pirates -4
Noteworthy Salvage: 3 UM-R60L UrbanMech parts, 2 PNT-9R Panther parts, 1 WLF-1A part

An R60L UrbanMech is—
A trashcan mimic.
It lures you in by looking like an ordinary bin, and then BLAM!
AC/20 to the dome.




Since we’re stuck repairing and waiting for me to get out of medbay, it’s time to beef up the Spider with gear that doesn’t weigh anything. I’m immensely gratified that I just spent a lot of money on medical supplies.

PTN’s note: The Spider is harder to bulk up than the Firestarter, but the +10 damage arm mods weigh 0 tons, as do the +10 and +20 melee stability damage mods. That puts the Firestarter at 50 melee damage, which is enough to one shot most tanks, and 60 melee stability damage. For comparison’s sake, the Autocannon/20+ with +20 stability damage also does 60 stability damage. Not bad. We can now get genuine value out of the Spider as more than just a decoy (and it’s a very good decoy).







Mission 13: Interrupted Exercise (Battle, Commentary)

Scales: +1 salvage, -1 payment
Rewards: 240,800 c-bills
Reputation: Magistracy of Canopus +4, Capellan Confederation -3
Noteworthy Salvage: 1 HBK-4G Hunchback part, 1 PNT-9R Panther part, 1 Autocannon/20

Panther 9Rs are—
Sold for 286,720 c-bills!

Two missions in a row with an AC/20 carrier. Behemoth can sit this next round out, time for Medusa to pick up a little slack!


Training Results:
Dekker: +1 Piloting (Piloting 8) [Ace Pilot]







Mission 14: Payroll Seizure (Recovery, No Commentary)

Scales: +1 salvage, -1 payment (always a risk on a 1.5 skull recovery mission)
Rewards: 93,170 c-bills
Reputation: Magistracy +4, Pirate -3
Noteworthy Salvage: 2 LCT-1S parts

Training Results:
Medusa: +1 Guts (Guts 5) [Bulwark]







Mission 15: Cease and Desist (Destroy Base, No Commentary)

Scales: +1 salvage, -1 payment
Rewards: 209790 c-bills
Reputation: Magistracy +4, Capellan Confederation -3
Noteworthy Salvage: 1 BJ-1DB Blackjack part, 1 JVN-10N Javelin part, 1 PNT-9R Panther part, 1 SDR-5V part

Training Results:
Medusa: +1 Piloting (Piloting 5) [Surefooted]







Mission 16: Biological Sample (Recovery, Commentary)

Scales: Neutral
Rewards: 230,880 c-bills
Reputation: Capellan Confederation +8, Magistracy of Canopus -6
Noteworthy Salvage: 2 RVN-1X parts, 1 GRF-1N part, 1 DV-6M Dervish part

We're gonna need to do some 'Mech repairs before our next contract, Boss. Can't go into combat like this! See me in the MechBay when you're ready.
Woof, you’re telling me. It has been a while since I’ve been slapped around like that!




I hate having a repair period like this when we’re not traveling, but we’re so close to clearing out every mission here.
We’ll follow your lead, boss.
… gently caress it, we’re staying in. What’s the worst that could happen?




Hmm.
I thought Kamea bought all our loans?
It’s almost like there’s a big payment going out of our accounts every month to represent some large thing we do not yet possess.








Mission 17: Factory Recall (Destroy Base, Commentary)

Scales: Neutral
Rewards: 491,760 c-bills
Reputation: Magistracy +8, Capellan -6
Noteworthy Salvage: 3 ON1-V parts, 1 JVN-10F part, 2 JR7-D parts

Ahahaha!
Ahahahahaha!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Aces High
Mar 26, 2010

Nah! A little chocolate will do




I decided to start up a new campaign run as well (no mods, but this will be the first time I've gone through the campaign since all the DLC came out) and yeah, those payouts for going to Linhauiguan before Weldry are just that high.

So far I've gotten some ok equipment, bought an M and L-COIL, outfitted the Blackjack with LB-2Xs at the beginning (they also had a UAC/20 that I was contemplating bankrupting myself for :stonklol:) and those have kept that old boy competitive for quite a while. I also salvaged a Firestarter before Weldry :black101:

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


The Dragon sucks but there is one good thing about it. When you destroy them, you can pull that 300 engine out and put it in something good.

I'm sure there's parts of it you could pull off of them that are valuable.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Defiance Industries posted:

The Dragon sucks but there is one good thing about it. When you destroy them, you can pull that 300 engine out and put it in something good.

It serves a similar purpose in the base game, where engines are unremovable. The dragon sells for 600k because its engine is so huge.

Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

If you will not serve in combat, you will serve on the firing line!




Not often you hear someone go "Oh poo poo" at an Urbie. :cheeky:

E3P20 and E3P23 are thumbnailed by the way.

Also the music in general is pretty solid, For the Reach is a pretty repetitive track but it does have a nice loop.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Autocannon/20s are a big deal. This game doesn't have many potential instant kill weapons.


Cooked Auto posted:

E3P20 and E3P23 are thumbnailed by the way.

That's intentional.


I also really recommend watching the first and the last two missions this update.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 15:06 on Mar 25, 2021

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evilmiera
Dec 14, 2009

Status: Ravenously Rambunctious
Time to cosplay as Kerensky.

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