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What's the point of having Ooh So Special 'mechs available to the SLDF if they don't get to use them 
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Apr 17, 2024 23:18
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PoptartsNinja posted:Every 'Mech with them picked up the 'difficult to maintain' quirk. Now that's what I'm talkin about, that is an absolutely sick machine.
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Apr 18, 2024 02:31
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Just a quick peek at the scout lance. You could've had two of these.   I didn't design it, but the commando version would've had Chameleon LPS, Null Sig, and worse sensors.
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Apr 18, 2024 19:53
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That would be a very annoying 'mech to hit. Not much damage output, though I assume it's intended to hang out near some missile boats.
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Apr 18, 2024 19:59
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What reference books or subs would I need to be able to see what all the quirks and weapons and equipment do within the game rules?
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Apr 18, 2024 20:04
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I haven't checked the vote results so I'm still hoping we get attack subs.
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Apr 18, 2024 20:07
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Fuzzy Mammal posted:What reference books or subs would I need to be able to see what all the quirks and weapons and equipment do within the game rules? This will give you a rough idea But otherwise, all the canon quirks are in the BattleMech Manual TLDR: The Ostscout is the SLDF's premier scout unit, its weapons are deterrants and if it's being shot at at all that means the Mechwarrior screwed up or blundered into an ambush. Improved Sensors normally doesn't stack, but this is a pre-fall SLDF unit so I let the Ostscout double up on it, pushing its active probe range from 4 hexes to 8 hexes--but because it's such a bespoke piece of recon technology, it picked up the nonstandard parts negative quirk (which makes it take longer to repair). If it ever takes a critical hit to sensors or to the active probe, it'll drop to Improved Sensors 1 and lose the Nonstandard Parts negative quirk. Edit: And I added "nimble jumper" because the Ostscout is known for its high mobility, it should have always had nimble jumper. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Apr 18, 2024 |
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Apr 18, 2024 20:47
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Basically all of this stuff would be a nightmare that was impossible to maintain for early-3000s-era techs, but for SLDF logistics it's just the day to day. You have technical manuals, plentiful machine tools, and people with actual engineering degrees working on your mechs.
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Apr 18, 2024 21:15
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In terms of scout lance capabilities: LRRP Lance - Two Ostscouts that can trivially break contact with anything heavier than 40 tons, a Talon that can easily kill anything under 35 tons, and a Spector with stealth capability that can spring an ambush that might deter anything heavier that can't identify the source of the attack. The critical units (the Ostscouts) are nearly impossible to engage. Fast Recon Lance - An Ostscout provides critical scouting capability, while the Mercury is fast enough to keep up and has enough firepower to discourage Locusts. Stinger LAMs can reposition very quickly to cover blindspots and have anti-infantry capability, but have limited endurance in Air Mode due to their low fuel. Commando Lance - Less mobile than the other scout lances, but nearly impossible to detect on their way to a target except on accident. The SLDF-spec Assassin can slaughter anything fast enough to threaten the Ostscout, a Firestarter threatens both infantry and installations, and a Spector rounds out the anti-'Mech firepower. More vulnerable while exfiltrating, the slower 'Mechs (Firestarter and Spector) could be chased down and killed after a successful raid. Everything jumps, and even the heaviest pair is under the King Karnov's weight limit, so the entire lance could have been airdropped by King Karnovs to extend their range significantly.
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Apr 18, 2024 21:19
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Are we gonna be able to revamp the SLDF's rotten cancerous core or are we gonna watch the loving Clanners rise again and humanity nuke itself back into the stone age?
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Apr 18, 2024 23:04
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I think that depends on us. Alternatively, if things do go south, our current AO is conspicuously close to the historical Exodus Road. If Prodigal ends up as the last Cameron that could significantly alter the course the SLDF takes if we're able to hook up with them.
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Apr 19, 2024 01:39
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PoptartsNinja posted:even the heaviest pair is under the King Karnov's weight limit, so the entire lance could have been airdropped by King Karnovs to extend their range significantly. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Apr 19, 2024 06:25
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Artificer posted:Are we gonna be able to revamp the SLDF's rotten cancerous core or are we gonna watch the loving Clanners rise again and humanity nuke itself back into the stone age? Depends on the thread but for the moment we seems a recon in force group that's impressed our bosses enough to be given a bit more leeway and specialized kit in prosecuting objectives rather than major political players. So not necessarily seeing us have a chance to make a major internal impact on things.
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Apr 19, 2024 23:25
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Downtime #4C Vote Results Proposal Vote 4: Command Lance Makeup Results  Proposal Vote 5: Second SLDF Lance Results  Proposal Vote 6: Light Vehicle Company Results  Proposal Vote 7: Aerospace Squadron Results  “Still looking over the personnel files, boss?” Ironhead set a fresh cup of coffee down in front of Syntyche, keeping it well clear of the two noteputers her Captain was presently comparing. Syntyche stared up at her blankly for a moment before downing the entire cup in one long pull. “Oh, thank god,” Syntyche murmured. “You’re a lifesaver. I feel like I’m drowning in these—I’ve gotten transfer requests from everyone on base who wants to see combat; as well as every commander looking to… remove someone they find problematic. Narrowing them down has been more time consuming than I thought, but I think I’m finally down to a solid set of candidates—” “Relax, boss. I know you’ll pick a good set. It’s our job to keep the scout lance’s toes out of the fire. As long as they can identify grid coordinates for “to whom it may concern”s and understand that their job is to run the gently caress away if they start getting shot at, I’m sure they’ll be fine.” “At least Captain Ryoji promised she’d pick out our AeroSpace pilots for us—so we shouldn’t have any issues there,” Syntyche sighed, tipping her newly-emptied coffee cup back and studying its dregs with an expression suggesting the mess hall mug had just personally betrayed her. “It’s not the only thing I’m working on. I also need to decide which target to hit—we have timetables which gives us a window where we can engage the fake SLDF’s front line units directly. That would be a huge blow to their efforts—” “But?” Ironhead asked. “But,” Syntyche agreed. “We also know where their reserves are currently staged—if we hit those, if the fakes get in over their heads, they’ll likely be wiped out if their reserves can’t deploy to bail them out. And then there’s the scouts—the enemy is deploying scouting forces. It’s riskier, but if we hit one of those just right we could lure a high-value combat unit into a deadly ambush.” Syntyche ran her fingers through her newly-buzzed hair. “Or, we could play it safe and efficient: hit a logistics base and either take it over or destroy it, then take out any unit that drops in to rearm when they’re at their weakest—but that leaves a whole bunch of worlds hanging in the breeze and probably means a lot of dead civilians. It’s the smartest thing to do, but it doesn’t sit right.” “Supply bases are hard to move,” Ironhead pointed out. “We could hit a unit, then hit the logistics base.” “If we have enough combat strength,” Syntche agreed. “But they’ll move or abandon those bases if they think they’ve been ‘made,’ so we won’t have that many opportunities to hit something before we’re back to square one and need to capture another high value target.” “Boss,” Ironhead gave Syntyche’s shoulder a pat. “Just pick the target that feels right. I know choice paralysis is a pain in the rear end, but—you said it yourself. The window’s closing. Better to break through it now, while we still fit. I feel I can comfortably speak for the rest of the lance when I say: we’ve got your back, whatever you decide.” SLDF Recon Lance Commander Vote 1) Name: Takondwa Bohler Callsign: Condor Rank: Lieutenant Age: 27 Pronouns: He/Him Homeworld: Caph House: Commoner Strengths: LAM Specialist – Can mix AeroSpace and BattleMech SPAs Weaknesses: Resentful Ground-Pounder – +2 Piloting penalty when piloting non-LAM units. Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 2 / Guts: 3 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium, Aerospace Background: Mechwarriors with Land-Air ‘Mech experience are rare, even in the SLDF. Oft-maligned for their poor performance in the air and on the ground, LAMs offer a high degree of tactical flexibility at a huge cost in effective range. It takes a skilled pilot to make a LAM work, but so far Condor has been up to the challenge. He’s turned down several promotion opportunities that would have taken him out of the LAM program, and eventually earned a periphery posting for being “difficult.” 2) Name: Akira Yamauchi Callsign: Ringo Rank: Lieutenant Age: 23 Pronouns: He/Him Homeworld: Midway House: Commoner Strengths: Experienced Scout – Less likely to blunder into enemy patrols Weaknesses: Kurita National – May have issues battling House Kurita Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 3 / Guts: 3 Weightclass Training: Light Background: Technically a Kurita national, Akira Yamauchi still chose to join the SLDF on Midway, and did a two year term of service with a team of recon commandos before being referred to OCS. He was swiftly pressed into Mechwarrior training to help fill the SLDF’s perpetually depleted scout companies. While Akira normally would have been assigned to a posting far from the Draconis Combine, the need for a troop buildup in the periphery saw him redirected to Epsilon Pegasus. He has yet to be assigned to a combat unit. Vote Here (Pick 1) SLDF Recon Lance Member Vote 1) Name: Anh Narang Callsign: Cannibal Rank: Sergeant Age: 29 Pronouns: He/Him Homeworld: Ronel House: Commoner Strengths: None Weaknesses: None Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium Background: Anh Narang hasn’t had a particularly noteworthy career. Probably the most remarkable thing about him is his professionalism: he’s here to work, get moved into a training position, and hopefully retire at an old age. Cannibal has seen combat, but typically focuses on keeping himself and his lancemates alive. To date, he has scored only a single kill in combat, and his lack of enthusiasm often sees him relegated to scout lances. 2) Name: Xia Traverse Callsign: Nobody Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 18 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: Menkent House: Commoner Strengths: Remarkable Aptitude – Training in all ‘Mech weight classes Weaknesses: Maverick – May disobey orders if not under direct control Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 5 / Guts: 5 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium, Heavy, Assault, Aerospace Background: Fresh out of basic training, Xia’s aptitude seems matched only by her arrogance. She graduated Mechwarrior training with an equal number of commendations and demerits, and also managed to earn enough ire from her training officers to find herself shipped off to the deep periphery in the hopes that a few years fighting pirates and boredom would mellow her out. Xia has a lot of potential, if her arrogance can be brought to heel. 3) Name: Win Nguyen Callsign: Champion Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 32 Pronouns: He/Him Homeworld: Second Try House: Commoner Strengths: Tinkerer – Ignores one downtime-increasing quirk on his ‘Mech Weaknesses: Techno-Purist – Win’s Guts is reduced to 0 if his ‘Mech has any field modifications Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light, Heavy Background: A Capellan national, Win has no interest in returning to the Capellan Confederation. He’d rather retire to a comfortable Hegemony world, even if it takes two or three decades of service to earn it. A capable but unexceptional Mechwarrior, Win rose up from the technician corps. and can be counted on to oversee the maintenance of whichever machine he’s been assigned to. He often reads tech manuals for fun, but his previous commander noted that his morale tanks if his ‘Mech’s performance deviates too far from official specs. 4) Name: Ji-Su Omar Callsign: Vulture Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 27 Pronouns: He/Him Homeworld: Kwangjong-ni House: Commoner Strengths: Experienced - Starts with 2 semi-random SPA Weaknesses: Far From Home – Guts reduced Gunnery: 3 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 2 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium, Heavy, AeroSpace Background: It’s rare for any periphery denizen to join the Star League Defense Force, but the Rim World Republic has been the SLDF’s staunchest ally in the coreward periphery. While the practice has grown rarer, many intending to become career soldiers in the RWA volunteer to serve a term or two in the SLDF. Condor was just such a volunteer, joining comparatively late with four years of military service already under his belt. Ji-Su is a rarity in the SLDF, having entered service with training in Land-Air Mechs. 5) Name: Evangelista Aliev Callsign: Ladybug Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 21 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: Canopus IV House: Commoner Strengths: Pirate Hunter - -1 Gunnery when fighting Pirates Weaknesses: Pirate Hater - -1 Guts when fighting alongside Pirates Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 5 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light, Assault Background: Nobles of the Magistracy of Canopus aren’t regarded as nobility within the SLDF. Distant enough that an untimely death isn’t going to cost the Star League directly, the Magistracy still feels it’s valuable to allow a few of their nationals to join the SLDF in lieu of mandatory service. By studying the SLDF from within, the Magistracy keeps its own readiness comparatively high—of vital necessity, considering the dual risks of piracy and their neighbors, the Taurian Concordat. 6) Name: Zola St John Callsign: Jinx Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 22 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: Helm House: Commoner Strengths: Unusual Determination – 1/3 chance to instantly refund an expended Guts reroll Weaknesses: Accident Prone – May suffer out-of-combat injuries during extended periods of downtime Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Medium, Heavy Background: A young but capable Mechwarrior, Zola was born on an SLDF military base on Helm, in the Free Worlds League. While her parents opted to live on Helm when they retired from the SLDF’s technician corps, Zola chose to join the SLDF to see more of the Inner Sphere. She’s determined to prove her worth in any lance she winds up with, but is so focused on improving her team’s performance that she often neglects her own well-being. 7) Name: Nevada Pietri Callsign: Texas Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 29 Pronouns: They/Them Homeworld: Terra House: Commoner Strengths: Communications Specialist – Communications can’t be jammed by ECM. Weaknesses: Nervous – May cause unexpected trouble Gunnery: 5 / Piloting: 3 / Guts: 3 Weightclass Training: Light, AeroSpace. Background: Nevada Pietri was a minor functionary in the Star League Ministry of Communications, and likely would have spent their entire career as a bureaucrat if their office hadn’t been shut down by Richard Cameron II. Barred from working in any bureaucratic positions, Nevada joined the SLDF in an effort to keep their pension. They have experience piloting shuttles, but nearly failed their gunnery qualification. 8) Name: Yarden MacCrum Callsign: Boxer Rank: Mechwarrior Age: 47 Pronouns: He/Him Homeworld: Dieron House: Commoner Strengths: Fearless – More likely to successfully complete objectives while not under player control Weaknesses: PTSD Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 5 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light Background: Yarden served 15 years in infantry platoons across multiple theaters. His most recent tour with a jump infantry platoon was cut short when his entire unit was slain by a light ‘Mech ambush. The sole survivor, Boxer managed to kill the enemy ‘Mechwarrior with a well-placed sachel charge, and per the SLDF’s prize-taking rules was promoted to Mechwarrior and offered basic training. In combat, Yarden is utterly fearless, and is willing to take great personal risks to complete required objectives. Vote Here (Choose up to 3) SLDF Mercenary Liaison Commander Vote 1) Name: Rayyan D’Aubray Callsign: Echo Rank: Lieutenant Age: 44 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: Quincy House: D’Aubray Strengths: Casually Gregarious – Able to smooth over Lance-level problems smoothly and efficiently, before they spread to the wider unit. Weaknesses: Unskilled – The experience cost to improve Piloting and Gunnery is doubled Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 5 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light, Heavy, Assault BattleMech: Banshee Background: A shockingly poor Mechwarrior, despite her distant relation to the noble D’Aubray family, Rayyan was never able to work her way up the SLDF ranks. She’s proven to be a highly effective commander and is so well-liked by her subordinates that she is currently under investigation due to rumors that one of her subordinates took her last yearly Mechwarrior certification test on her behalf. Rather than pay for a lengthy investigation, the SLDF has opted to separate her from her typical lance to “see how she performs.” 2) Name: Royal Britto Callsign: Majesty Rank: Lieutenant Age: 24 Pronouns: AFAB (He/Him) Homeworld: Florida House: Britto Strengths: Driven to Impress – Refunds 1 XP after successfully training any skill, weightclass, or SPA with a cost of 2 or higher. Weaknesses: Arrogant – Tends to make internal friction worse. Gunnery: 3 / Piloting: 3 / Guts: 3 Weightclass Training: Medium, Heavy BattleMech: Assassin Background: The younger brother of the current heir of House Britto, Royal is an arrogant yet capable Mechwarrior whose career has been hampered by House Britto’s constant insistence that the SLDF only assign him to ‘safe’ postings just in case anything were to happen to his elder brother. Royal was assigned to desk duty after a near mutiny in his last lance; but was willing to take any duty that got him back in his Assassin’s command couch on the regular again. After half a year of good behavior, he was assigned to the SLDF’s mercenary liaison command—whether his behavior will stay good once he has what he wants remains to be seen. Vote Here (Pick 1) Mercenary Team Vote 1) The Wolf Twins Name: Donovan Wolf Callsign: Howler Rank: Mercenary Age: 26 Pronouns: He/Him (AFAB) Homeworld: Outreach House: Commoner Strengths: Twin Teamwork – XP discount when training the same skill/SPA as Daniela Weaknesses: Separation Anxiety – XP Penalty when training a different skill/SPA than Daniela Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Medium BattleMech: Bellerophon Background: The Wolf Twins were raised in an orphanage on Outreach. With no last name known, they were given the ‘Wolf’ surname in compliance with Star League Statute 88467, which restricted the usage of the ‘Doe’ surname for orphans of uncertain origins. When it became clear that the twins were unwilling to be separated and were unlikely to be adopted, they were seconded to an SLDF junior training academy on Outreach in the hopes that they would decide to join the SLDF on graduation. The twins instead chose to become mercenaries, taking on auxiliary tasks on behalf of the SLDF. They have been successful enough to buy their own BattleMechs. Donovan prefers high-speed operations, and often prefers to be the hammer to his sister’s anvil. Name: Daniela Wolf Callsign: Hunter Rank: Mercenary Age: 26 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: Outreach House: Commoner Strengths: Twin Teamwork – XP discount when training the same skill/SPA as Donovan Weaknesses: Separation Anxiety – XP Penalty when training a different skill/SPA than Donovan Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Heavy BattleMech: BattleAxe Background: The Wolf Twins were raised in an orphanage on Outreach. With no last name known, they were given the ‘Wolf’ surname in compliance with Star League Statute 88467, which restricted the usage of the ‘Doe’ surname for orphans of uncertain origins. When it became clear that the twins were unwilling to be separated and were unlikely to be adopted, they were seconded to an SLDF junior training academy on Outreach in the hopes that they would decide to join the SLDF on graduation. The twins instead chose to become mercenaries, taking on auxiliary tasks on behalf of the SLDF. They have been successful enough to buy their own BattleMechs. Daniela is a careful, deliberate Mechwarrior who prefers to let her enemies come to her. She often serves as the anchor to her brother’s pincer movements. 2) The Ryan Cartel Bodyguards Name: Jorda Balik Callsign: Watchman Rank: Mercenary Age: 38 Pronouns: Homeworld: Ford House: Commoner Strengths: Highly trained – Better starting stats Weaknesses: No combat experience – Reduced guts Gunnery: 3 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 1 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium BattleMech: Dervish Background: A former employee of the Ryan Cartel, Jorda was let go amidst yet another wave of Cartel downsizing as SLDF terraforming efforts have once again reduced the need of the Cartel’s ice-hauling fleets. With little else for the capable yet unexceptional Mechwarriors to do, Jorda and his wife Angela opted to become mercenaries despite their lack of combat experience. Name: Angela Balik Callsign: Sentry Rank: Mercenary Age: 35 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: Trinidad House: Commoner Strengths: Highly trained – Better starting stats Weaknesses: No combat experience – Reduced guts Gunnery: 3 / Piloting: 4 / Guts: 1 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium BattleMech: Phoenix Background: A former employee of the Ryan Cartel, Jorda was let go amidst yet another wave of Cartel downsizing as SLDF terraforming efforts have once again reduced the need of the Cartel’s ice-hauling fleets. With little else for the capable yet unexceptional Mechwarriors to do, Angela and her husband Jorda opted to become mercenaries despite their lack of combat experience. 3) The Pirates Name: Demophon Strohkirch Callsign: Executioner Rank: Mercenary Age: 27 Pronouns: They/Them Homeworld: House: Commoner Strengths: Fighting for Family – May receive a permanent XP discount if their home world is visited Weaknesses: Self-Trained – Worse starting stats Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 5 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium, Heavy BattleMech: Guillotine Background: One of a handful of survivors of a pirate band who struck the SLDF on Epsilon Pegasus, Executioner has spent half a year in lockup. Normally, the SLDF wouldn’t even consider working alongside pirates, but they’re local—and Executioner has proven surprisingly even-headed. If they discover their homeworld is in danger, they may be willing to work with the SLDF to put an end to the threat in the deep periphery. Name: Cruz Jelen Callsign: Vulture Rank: Mercenary Age: 46 Pronouns: She/Her Homeworld: House: Commoner Strengths: Fighting for Family – May receive a permanent XP discount if her home world is visited Weaknesses: Self-Trained – Worse starting stats Gunnery: 4 / Piloting: 5 / Guts: 4 Weightclass Training: Light, Medium, Heavy BattleMech: Griffin Background: One of a handful of survivors of a pirate band who struck the SLDF on Epsilon Pegasus, Vulture has spent half a year in lockup. Normally, the SLDF wouldn’t even consider working alongside pirates, but Vulture is willing to do pretty much anything another member of her pirate band asks of her. If Executioner is brought onboard, Vulture would be easy enough to convince to follow. Vote Here! (Pick 1) Target Destination Vote Planet: Bre FK23737 D Planetary Conditions: High Gravity (1.3 G) Planet Class: Earthlike Moons/Rings: 3 Temperature Range: Low: 7°C / High: 32°C Mission: Engage & Destroy Fake SLDF Front Line Forces Planet: Sterth WF 25744 Planet Class: Rocky Moons/Rings: Extensive Rings Planetary Conditions: Temperature Range: Low: 5°C / High 44°C Mission: Eliminate Fake SLDF Reserves Planet: Gerd JD28675 J Planet Class: Rocky Moon Moons/Rings: None Planetary Conditions: Trace Atmosphere Temperature Range: Low: -41°C / High 47°C Mission: Destroy Fake SLDF Resupply Base Planet: Rione CM28405 B Planet Class: Water World Moons/Rings: 1 Planetary Conditions: Stormy Temperature Range: Low: -7°C / High 38°C Mission: Stalk & Eliminate Fake SLDF Recon Force Destination Vote Lance Name Vote A Lance Butterball Lance Commandment Lance Delegation Lance Eagle Lance Fortune Lance Glaive Lance Hyacinth Lance Infernal Lance Jaguar Lance Kumquat Lance Long Lance Mobius Lance Negotiation Lance Obligation Lance Parlaiment Lance Quarrel Lance Requirement Lance Spear Lance Temptation Lance Ural Lance Vacillation Lance Wolf Lance Xian Lance Yangtze Lance Zhuhai Lance Lance Name Vote PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 21, 2024 00:52
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I think hitting the front line is our play. It's their strongest force they are using to cause their havoc that we have to get rid of at some point. We are at our highest strength in our first mission and have the advantage of surprise for the first mission so we can pick our battlefield easier.
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Apr 21, 2024 01:13
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PoptartsNinja posted:Commando Lance - Less mobile than the other scout lances, but nearly impossible to detect on their way to a target except on accident. The SLDF-spec Assassin can slaughter anything fast enough to threaten the Ostscout, a Firestarter threatens both infantry and installations, and a Spector rounds out the anti-'Mech firepower. More vulnerable while exfiltrating, the slower 'Mechs (Firestarter and Spector) could be chased down and killed after a successful raid. Everything jumps, and even the heaviest pair is under the King Karnov's weight limit, so the entire lance could have been airdropped by King Karnovs to extend their range significantly. Man, I feel bad for advocating for for the fast recon lance now. That would have been incredible! BUT at the same time I'm glad because planes. I've been wanting to see some ace combat stuff in battletech for a while, and I'm sorta glad the utility vehicle lance won out. Current votes: Recon Lance Leader: Condor/Lam Specialist - we made our bed, lets make the most of it. Members: Vulture. Gunnery 3, spa's, and lam trained. We need a second lam pilot anyway. Top picks: Boxer, Nobody, Texas. I like boxer's Fearless trait - good on a scout lance, shows initiative. Texas, likewise, means a scout lance's power to report back is never compromised. I also like Nobody. Being able to pilot -anything- is incredible, and a plucky rookie with talent looking for a spot to prove themselves is -also- just what this task force needs. With the ostscout having improved comms already and lams being fast enough to just run out of jamming range - I'm leaning away from texas. edit 2: As a reminder, the recon lance is Two LAMS, a Mercury and an Ostscout . That means we need at least two good lam pilots (someone with aerospace, ie, vulture w/fearless and the leader(condor)), and the best shot should go in the Mercury (2 medium, 2 small). The rest... I need to read through. These are some good choices. Props, ptn. TheParadigm fucked around with this message at 08:24 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 21, 2024 01:17
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quote:3) Name: Win Nguyen Might say that choosing this character would be a real... Win-Win 
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Apr 21, 2024 01:37
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Yeah, as Paradigm says, the Fast Recon has two light LAMs and two light mechs - so as amusing as Jinx is, she isn't actually trained on any of the mechs she'd be assigned to pilot (training for lights isn't much, but it's still xp that needs to be spent), and only a few of the available warriors have the aerospace training for the LAMs. I'm in agreement on taking Condor as the leader and Vulture as the second LAM pilot (plus having the two bird codenames in the LAMs is just the correct move, come on). For the other two my support is for Texas (partly for the communications boon and partly as a back-up LAM pilot) and Nobody (because has talent + will cause problems is always a great combination - don't think they're a good option for the LAM though given Piloting 5). Champion is potentially interesting - likely all of these specialized mechs are going to be difficult to maintain, have non-standard parts, or both - but it's only for his mech and he can't be a LAM pilot (which are probably the ones it'll be a larger problem with), so I think he gets edged out. A lot of the rest of the options are up to personal preference, I think - I'm voting for the Wolf Twins cause I'm a sucker for that archetype and they're coming with some old mechs that I'd be amused to see deployed (Don't think I'd heard of the Bellerophon, but I'm going to have to assume that's a alt-universe rebuild or something and not one of the twins buying one of the four prototypes that were made ~300 years prior?). I am slightly concerned about how Majesty has "makes internal friction worse" as a drawback, and then all three of the options for who he'd be liasoning with are very pointedly unbreakable pairs. Got a feeling I can predict which direction that friction's happening if he gets picked!
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Apr 21, 2024 02:47
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Yup. And remember, the fourth person in the merc lance is Ravager in the pirate thunderbolt. The wolf twins are neat, and could be incredibly strong choice in a drawn out campaign. Getting both of them to gunnery 3 is a nice goal. They have the -worst- mechs tho, and this might be a case of 'break out the spares and/or battlefield upgrade them asafp'. Guts 4 mean they can take hits too... Which the cartel twins can't.(take hits) Gunnery 3 is great, and their mechs seem solidly middle of the road. Its not a bad option at all, but their 'weakness' is getting stuck in mediums without devoting time to training. The pirate group has the best mechs but are the worst people with the upside of maybe being able to drive up local support. (it isn't clear if they're both from the same planet, if it it takes two visits to turn the passives on, but I would guess so) I could see a world where the Wolf Twins, Ravager, and Majesty team up and come out looking like champs at the end of the campaign. I could also see a world where Executioner and Vulture, with either Majesty or Echo team up to make a heavy battle lance: A Guillotine, Griffin, Jumpy Thunderbolt and either an Assassin(majesty) or Banshee(echo) is a pretty hefty beatstick of a lance. With the assassin they all jump too, I also appreciate how the pirates have all the weight training classes because they just use whatever they can steal lol. I think letting the objective vote settle for a bit before deciding on the rest is okay. if it looks like frontline fighting is winning, then you might just want to grab all the gunnery 3 pilots you can and deal with the friction, as its a different story than raiding.
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Apr 21, 2024 03:16
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I like to think of the merc/pirate group as the Ted Lasso option. We want these Mechwarriors to be the best Mechwarriors they can be, both on and off the field.
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Apr 21, 2024 09:29
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There are a lot of options in here, but some of the early results surprise me. Then again, I'm not surprised people are turned off seeing an Assassin in play, even if it is tricked out.
PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 21, 2024 21:49
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Fast Recon Lance: - Mercury - Ostscout - Stinger LAM - Stinger LAM SLDF Commander: 1) Takondwa Boher. Stick him in the LAM and forget about the weakness. Lance Member: 4) Ji-Su Omar. Getting some SPAs under his belt early will help quite nicely, and hopefully this lance won't be getting shot at much, minimizing the impact of low Guts. 7) Nevada Petri. Always want our scout lance to be able to report back, and again, this lance shouldn't be shooting much so G5 isn't as crippling as it might be. 8) Yarden MacCrum. Fearless is very good; at least I'm imagining we won't be directly piloting this lance much. Not sure how PTSD works out mechanically, but we might find out. Irregular Battle Lance - Thunderbolt (& Ravager) - 2x Random Mercenary - 1x SLDF Liaison SLDF Liaison: 1) Rayyan D’Aubray. Casually Gregarious is exactly what we need from a liaison officer. Let the irregulars do the punching. Mercenary Team: 2) Ryan Cartel Bodyguards. With Rayyan's lack of skill on the field, getting the best gunners here is a good option. I think any of these options would be fun, though. Destination Vote: Rione. The Mission is Stalk & Eliminate, which is perfectly in line with our Spec Ops capabilities. Lance Name: Obligation Lance. I've kinda grown attached to it.
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Apr 21, 2024 22:35
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PoptartsNinja posted:There are a lot of options in here, but some of the early results surprise me. Thats actually something I was gonna ask about - is the SLDF liason an sldf mech? Ie, the banshee/assassin? It wasn't clear if it was stock, or a standout in a sea of merc stuff. I'm actaully sorely tempted to vote for the assassin leader and the wolf twins/pirates, and just -see- how much damage (early vs late in campaign) they can do. Slaan posted:I think hitting the front line is our play. It's their strongest force they are using to cause their havoc that we have to get rid of at some point. We are at our highest strength in our first mission and have the advantage of surprise for the first mission so we can pick our battlefield easier. I"m also shocked more people aren't voting for 'kick the teeth in!'... and raiding resources are winning, despite the 'raider vehicles' not winning any votes. I'm guessing everyone's feeling a little shy from a straight-up fight without an assault lance or tough cars backing us up tho. I think we could take it, and the asf assets will count for a lot. The downsides of polls i guess! I'm also surprised 'nobody' is as high up as she is! the downside of being everyones fave/last pick too. This is doozy of a vote tho. What are you the most surprised about tho, ptn? two things: Could you remind us of ravager's mech and pilot card, (iirc this force setup has her in the lineup; but it involves thread-digging to think about the overall lance setup, so its easier for everone to just ask to see lance member #4's stuff up front) and do you think we could get a preview of the sldf liason mechs? Specifically for the leader position, since its part of the decision. TheParadigm fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 21, 2024 23:28
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TheParadigm posted:Thats actually something I was gonna ask about - is the SLDF liason an sldf mech? They are. TheParadigm posted:two things: I'll consider a preview, but I really want the vote to be for who the thread thinks would be the most entertaining to follow, not the actual combat capability. TheParadigm posted:What are you the most surprised about tho, ptn? The mercenary liaison vote was unanimous after the first 10 votes, with Royal getting exactly 0 of them.
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Apr 21, 2024 23:57
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..well, that was fast! Cheers/thanks! That's actually a pretty noteworthy difference! Everything I've heard(offhand) about early banshee's is they're kinda bad (enough to be called badshee's), but like, doubles and xl's redeem any mech... So i guess that goes both for the banshee AND the assassin. I kinda wanna see what a tricked out noble/royal assassin looks like now that its been brought up.. but the same treatment goes for the banshee too so its a wash. PoptartsNinja posted:
I mean, you cut the alpha strike game short before the air strikes happened, so I'm not surprised to see more irregular love! this one's on you! (i have no idea if this is actual voting trends, i'm just talking poo poo) The simple (more likely) truth is the more characterization you put in, the more people are gonna want to see more of what your'e laying down, so i'm not surprised at 'stay the course/do something interesting and 'not idea' votes). The 'mercenary' thing to do would have been to cut losses an go 'full sldf' I guess, but its also a bit like abandoning your first act/tutorial characters just because something shinier came along. I sorta like the 'tactical genius' evolving into 'mercenary/auxiliary genius' strategist tho, now that Syntyche's in a command role. If this plot goes the way of 'influencing the exodus road/fall of the star league'(i think i got that right?) its sorta the wrong choice(in terms of what we bring with us), but also the fun one tho. I don't think voting by speculation is any fun tho. If I had any question, it would be: what happens to the royal battlemaster we got as salvage? TheParadigm fucked around with this message at 00:25 on Apr 22, 2024 |
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Apr 22, 2024 00:17
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It gets brought along in the reserves. Syntyche's personal Mongoose is staying on Epsilon Pegasus, pending possible shipment back to her family.
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Apr 22, 2024 00:37
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gotta vote for Spear, Long, Delegation, and Fortune as the lance names
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Apr 22, 2024 15:39
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TheParadigm posted:do you think we could get a preview of the sldf liason mechs? Specifically for the leader position, since its part of the decision.  
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Apr 22, 2024 20:07
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That's a vicious little backbiter. Load the LRM-5 with smoke rounds and it'll be very, very tough to hit.
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Apr 22, 2024 20:14
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Oh baby I LOVE a fast assault.
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Apr 22, 2024 20:53
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I figured out how he can be friends with everyone. Fast banshee joyrides!
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Apr 22, 2024 23:13
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"When this banshee reaches 8 walking MP you're going to see some serious poo poo."
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Apr 22, 2024 23:33
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aniviron posted:"When this banshee reaches 8 walking MP you're going to see some serious poo poo." "Wait a minute, Doc. Are you telling me, you built a time machine... out of a Banshee?"
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Apr 23, 2024 20:32
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Alright. I've had some thoughts about the current state of affairs as my brain's had time to settle and percolate. Here's what I think's up. First, we need to talk to the state of affairs of Strategic command and communications in the inner sphere. Please correct me if 'm wrong - its based on a loose non-hardcore fan understandin of how things work, but: Realtme FTL communication in the sphere (what we would percieve as the modern internet) isn't a thing. Its only a thing between settled worlds with a high-tech enough infrastruture (and economy) to warrant an communications installation, and even then its not an always-on link so much as burst/chunk delivery of messages. When a jumpship goes between systems, its basically out of touch for 2-3 weeks depending on distances. What this means is that there's a pretty awful lag time and delay between committing forces and knowing if they are successful or not and being able to give follow up instructions. Essentially without an actual factual messenger-relay jumpship in an area of operations means it can be weeks or months if you know the troops you sent are having luck or not. This problem is even worse in the periphery, which is far less settled than regular core worlds. I don't know if there's a list of where HPGs are in the periphery, but its possible there's like, one or two on core/habitable worlds. This problem is even worse for an attacking force that has to cross territories, an won't be in touch until a) they can send a jumpship BACK on a round drip(two way - one to recieve orders, one to get it) OR to push far enough to get a ship to an HPG, then wait for instructions, then come BACK to the task force. In effect, its a 'business day' problem. 3-4 weeks transit time two ways is a month an d a half, 3 weeks out of touch to get to target, a week to et to a closer HPG, 1-2 business days to linger for a response, THEN a week back? Its not much better. None of that applies to us since we have a mobile HPG. I don't think anyone else is nearly as aware of how incredible that strategic advantage is - being able to stay in touch day to day is incredible when it comes to strategic decisions. We have an -incredible edge and we're wasting it not voting for frontline targets. I want to draw attention to this info-post, from downtime 4a. PoptartsNinja posted:Downtime #4A I think a lot of people are timid about going full ham because we didn't get combat vehicle support and the main thrust of what I want to say is: it doesn't matter. We have something better. Re: artillery support PoptartsNinja posted:A vote for utility vehicles is a vote for "Poptarts, we want you to use AeroSpace more" PoptartsNinja posted:The engineering vehicles are explicitly there to build the airfield(s) necessary to deploy the King Karnovs. But that also means you have airfields to land your AeroSpace fighters at, which means they're easier to use in ground operations and don't have to be held back for emergencies. I feel like this went a bit under the radar. Our artillery is being able to use(HEAVY) aerospace offensively. This is not only big, but its mobile and hard to pin down. Just like our recon lance. While we didn't get the commando lance and all the shiny toys we got something almost better: Something fast enough to: 1) engage an enemy at will 2) disengage at will 3) call in air strikes. From a strategic standpoint on the planetary layer, our recon lance is terrifying: It can find anything, it can run away from anything engaging it, and it can call for very big flying friends. Additionally, half of it can just fly, which means detached/split raiders, and pincer/diversioanry tactics is a thing. What I'm saying is, our mission is wasted going after resupply bases. From a strategic intergalactic standpoint, we have the initiative to kick their mainline forces in the teeth and go onto the next target before their command staff has any clue something's wrong. I also think that the weakness of 'capturing dropships' without apcs is a little overblown: There will be opportunties to capture vehicles, mech-commanders, bases, or other people without necessarily going for a drop ship... Even if we were to push the sldf fakes off the world, we still have an interdiction squadron - and a mobile hpg - being able to force a Jumpship to retreat and strand a dropship is a win for us because we can phone home and ask 'hey boss, can you drop a warship on their asses? thanks. We don't necessarily need apcs because we have a phone home. It just means we need to play differently. Basically? The target selection vote as it stands now.   I'd like to see more votes for frontline engagement I think there's a few main points: If we go after mainline forces, a solid mercenary lance is going to be trading up their rides in salvage and the hammer-anvil of a stealth command is actually able to get a lot of work done. I also think there's going to be a secondary target - this is a campaign after all - depending on how things go, which means going for units that spend xp better isn't necessarily the worst move. With that in mind, I think these are my ideal votes: Target Selection - Frontline Liason Officer - "Majesty" Britto (Driven to Impress) I don't think he'll win, and I'd be happy with either. This is one area where 'just funnel your aggression into kicking rear end' might actually be worth it. As fun as the banshee is... the pilot is awful. I actually want to see mister noble star league full metal panic drill sarge go ham on some insurrectionist pirates and I think its a little funnier than the alternative. I also think that friction is being drummed up a bit. Salty coworkers doesn't necesarily mean like, they're going to rebel or anything. It may add drama - but sometimes, results-driven focus is what we want out of our mercenaries. I think he'd pair best with the wolf twins, and come out swinging in a mission or three. Mercenary - Wolf Twins OR Pirates. I think the pirates with Britto/Majesty would give an INCREDIBLE heavy/jumpy battle lance (thunderbolt, guillotine, griffin, assassin) t and the a power to train them to elite rapidly, either in SPA's or gunnery. The pirates can drive basically anything lootable, and the wolf twins have a (mild) weakness in crosstraining, but also the greatest potential to get them to gunnery 3 and assault mechs faster than other options, which would make them a terror. The wolf twins might even be worth spending two Spares right away to get them less shitbox rides. I also think the Pirates represent an good opportunity to double down on why we picked the irregular option; Local Support. In terms if liabilities I think that... the wolf twins will become irreconcilable if one of them dies(they are SUPER close), and similiar but not as bad with the husband-wife combo (more likely because lower guts, but less likely cuz better pilots - and they knew the risks going in), but with the pirates, if one of them dies? Its just business. If Executioner dies, Jelen has to think for herself. If Jelen dies, then Executioner likely isn't bothered. We promote someone into the lance, and life goes in. Basically, I think everyone's timid because we didn't get combat vehicles - and it doesn't even matter (because of the advantages): beat them with mechs and air strikes, take their stuff and move onto the next target before they know what happened. Dont' be afraid. Vote frontline, and trust in PTN to make balanced missions. (that being said, I wouldn't mind trading the submarines for apcs in case we need to take a dropship or base later on - its pragmatic- but I also think it'd be hilarious if they came in clutch later so idk.) TheParadigm fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Apr 25, 2024 |
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Apr 25, 2024 07:57
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Every vehicle set has troop transport capability. The Utility vehicles are very much the "air focused" vehicle company, which means you get jumptroops deployed via King Karnov. On the one hand, that could make assaulting a DropShip easier... provided you can eliminate enemy AA first.
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Apr 25, 2024 17:40
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Can the King Karnovs also deploy our attack subs?
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Apr 25, 2024 17:54
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That's the idea, although the subs/Von Luckners are designed to be deployed via paradrop so they won't be instantly combat capable. Most everything in the Utility Vehicle pick is designed to be carted around by the King Karnovs.
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Apr 25, 2024 18:23
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Now I am imagining the Karnovs dropping the submarine into lakes like huge bombs
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Apr 25, 2024 20:31
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Xarn posted:Now I am imagining the Karnovs dropping the submarine into lakes like huge bombs PETTY OFFICER: LT, are we supposed to be inside of these when we drop? LT FRESH OUT OF SLDF ANNAPOLIS: uhhhhh...let me consult my binder PETTY OFFICER: 
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Apr 25, 2024 22:19
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We should just choose to fight on archipelago worlds and use the subs to guard our airfield
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Apr 26, 2024 02:21
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