Current Project: Random Mission Generator, Testing, & MORE MAPS

Let's aim for Tuesday then (8:30pm EST i think). I'm still hoping we can get the campaign launched before the end of Feb; don't want to drag things out anymore than I have to.

 

Thank you once again to everyone who showed up to help out Tuesday night.

We tested ambush mechanics on a larger map and took a closer look at retreat mechanics. General consensus was that large maps (48x51) were better and retreat mechanics were good as they are.

Testers:
Fet
Flessar
Gihzmo
Haki
Taake
Trevnor
Xander

Other notes:
-Princess bot works for Aerospace provided that at least one enemy ground unit moves first to provide a target (use a Large map or bigger ONLY). However, bot still moves too slow sometimes (not always). Recommended to avoid using Princess to control Aerospace. Better to substitute for more artillery or VTOL support if no Aerospace player is available.
-Added a -1 penalty for ALL Skillcheck Rolls when Player rolls a 6 or 5 on Individual Event Table; this is to reflect their "compromised performance" when attempting to utilize their Secondary Skills (this should allow for a bit more varied gameplay).
-Altered Leadership rewards for rolling +/- 5 on Skillchecks table; now Aerospace can be substituted for better/more artillery or more direct fire support (ie. any standard tanks).

We will be continuing more testing tomorrow (Weds) sometime in the evening. Time to be announced. Catch me on TS tomorrow or check back here.

Testing tomorrow:
-Bot controlled artillery
-Bot controlled scouting units
-Bot controlled [Redacted] Class VTOL
-Random Mission Generator
-Individual Event Table (with changes implemented)
-Consider swapping flat BV thresholds for % BV thresholds for Leadership Skillcheck scouts/artillery/aerospace rewards

 

I'll be available tonight to assist

 

I may have been mistaken, I'll be available this afternoon/evening specifically.

 

We will officially aim for 8pm EST tonight then. We may start earlier if we get a group. I will be sitting in TS so feel free to meet me there.

 

Tonight was a fairly short test. Didn't want to suck up everyone's time. We tested the following:
-Bot controlled artillery
-Bot controlled scouting units
-Bot controlled [Redacted] Class VTOL

Testers:
-Fet
-Gihzmo
-Haki
-Tuonela
-Tzeentch

Honorable Mention:
-Orc

Unfortunately, Princess failed miserably at all of these (tested Testbot on my own with same result).
-Bots apparently won't fire artillery at all
-Bot is semi suicidal with fast units; does not use speed and range to its best advantage
-Bot controlled VTOLs suffer much the same as their ground counterparts, but with the added problem of not getting enough altitude. Bot VTOLs have a hilarious bad habit of getting punched da'fuck out.
-Recommended that if bots are used, only use ground forces that move 3/5 , 4/6 , or 5/8 and avoid using heavily broken/mountainous terrain.

Unaddressed Items:
-Random Mission Generators: Haven't had time to update them. Will try to get the first one done tonight to show you guys a rough draft.
-Review Event Table version 3.1
-% based BV bonuses for Skillcheck rolls are too OP. Bonuses should add flavor to battles without dumping too much BV into them. Dropping the idea for now.

 

You guys will want to take a close look at this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/axba0qhgsdk3m5n/Tables - Mission Generator 1.1.xls

It is a much improved version of the Random Mission Generator. You guys are in for quite a ride.

A few things you will notice:
-Campaign begins at the "Priority Missions: Stage 1". If you are really good, you might defeat the enemy before they can even establish a beachhead... but prepare to face very stiff resistance.
-At Stage 2 you will face an enemy force THREE TIMES as powerful as your own, but they will come in 3 waves. You will have to be very aggressive if you hope to defeat them all.
-Chances are you will fail Stage 1 or 2 which will then move you into "Standard Missions". Perform well and you might unlock Priority Missions once more.
-Missions available are now dictated by your lance's slowest mech. You must meet the minimum speed requirement of a mission to take it.
-Mechs that go 6/9 are vital to unlocking the more important (and potentially lucrative) missions. These will be your main source of valuable info.
-Mechs that go 5/8 are the best option for raiding, infiltrating enemy territory, disrupting supplies, and intercepting enemy advances. Can assist Recon sometimes.
-Mechs that go 4/6 are good for assaulting enemy held positions, standard patrols, and almost any action located in or near friendly territory.
-Mechs that go only 3/5 will be reserved mostly for defensive and siege missions.
-Lances that unlock new missions but are not fast enough to take part in them may give them to other lances who can.
-Campaign Victory requires a certain number of Victory Points. These can be gained or lost depending on your actions. Winning many missions sequentially will bring victory faster. Losing or retreating many times could cost you the campaign... or more. (see "Important Information" for more details)

Let me know if anything looks wonky.

 

shit man.

Question on the movement speeds... do we HAVE any mechs that go 6/9? I know my Firebee is only 5/8, and I had just assumed that I'd be doing recon work.

 

Hmmm... this is a good point. One of my main goals was to focus on "role warfare" and I wanted to give dedicated recon pilots a key advantage that would make them useful. I'm nervous about dropping the speed to 5/8 only because then you could theoretically have mechs as large as 80 tons doing dedicated recon... which should definitely be reserved for lights or faster mediums. I see two possible solutions to the issue:

Since this is the Reunification War and advance tech is scarce or non-existant, reduce all MP requirements by 1 (mechs were generally slower back then. 86 kph off-road is still pretty damn fast)
-OR-
Mechs equipped with jump jets give the mech a +1 bonus to MP when determining mission MP requirements (all the speed in the world won't keep a small cliff from stopping you)

 

Also, keep in mind, the above is only tailored to a "Defensive Campaign" and leans towards more firepower and less speed. Ultimately, I would like to create separate charts for different campaigns that tailor to different styles of strategy.

Below are the official Battletech campaign "archetypes":
(based on the Mercenary Handbook 3055, p107)

Cadre Duty
Defensive Campaign
Diversionary Raid
Extraction Raid
Garrison
Guerrilla Warfare
Objective Raid
Pirate Hunting
Planetary Assault
Recon Raid
Relief Duty
Retainer
Riot Duty
Security Duty

(obviously, some of these would likely overlap a bit in terms of mission parameters)

 

I agree with your assessment of the issues. Hmmm, the rub is that I want to stick in my Firebee for the long haul, and as a Light mech, figured I'd be running recon for my lance. The problem with dropping the "dedicated recon" to 5/8 is that mechs like your Shadow Hawk will be going that when you upgrade it. Same problem happens if we use the jump jet rule, you could still use the Shadow Hawk as a dedicated recon.

Perhaps the solution is... my Firebee ISN'T really a recon mech. It's a fast strike/raider, that can pull off some "recon-like" activities, but not full blown ones. So... don't change anything?

The problem is this quote from the information about the Firebee:

Maybe a "compromise"... IF you're running a Light mech, and it goes 5/8, you can qualify for the "6/9" slot IF you have a full complement of jumpjets?

And just for good measure, "more "air" quotes"

Addendum: On further thought... no, leave it as is. It gives incentive to those people who take the lighter Lights, the 20-25 tonners. If I want to be a dedicated scout, I can drop down to that weight range, which DOES meet or exceed 6/9 in the Reunification War.

 

[pulls out his pdf]
WSP-1 Wasp
WSP-1A Wasp
STG-3R Stinger
COM-1A Commando
COM-2D Commando
TR-A-6 Toro

That's the list from the Random Unit assignment tables. All but the Toro go 6/9. Toro goes 5/8.

Hmmmmm, maybe I should only get to PICK from this table, to start with?

Note to GMs: I don't mind having to pick from the OA acceptable assignments to start with, I can work up to getting a Firebee or something. We can use the Combat Vehicle chart for when we're blown out of our mechs too

 

Also, I think the Firebee falls more in to the Striker role, than the Scout.

 

Been mulling this over a bit. Food for thought...description of the Shadow Hawk:

"A recon and strike BattleMech developed during the Golden Age, the Shadow Hawk is a powerful fusion of maneuverability and firepower. With long-range missiles and class-5 autocannon for ranged combat, and SRMs and lasers for close in work, the Shadow Hawk outguns many BattleMechs in its weight class. Jump Jets enhance an already speedy BattleMechs ability to bring its guns to bear and keep better-armed enemies at range. A superior BattleMech for commanding a reconnaissance company or serving as a spotter for heavy and assault lances, the Shadow Hawk is a proven and capable design that has served with distinction for more than five centuries."
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Shadow_Hawk

(for those who don't know, keep in mind the Shadow Hawk I'm starting with only goes 4/6 and will take a very loooong time for me to upgrade the engine)

Compare that to the Dragon:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Dragon

Both have the same speed profile. So why was one considered more appropriate for the recon role? Answer: Jump Jets. When it comes to moving cross country, the difference between having jump jets and not can be huge (the one obvious exception being completely flat terrain). I know for sure that the Shadow Hawk has always been considered "heavy recon". Not necessarily your first choice when you need a fast scout, but excellent for when your recon needs some firepower.

Consider also the Valkyrie:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Valkyrie

Although technically slower than its contemporaries, the Wasp and Stinger, it was still commonly paired with them in recon lances as light fire support. The key feature, again, being the fact it also had jump jets:

"While not as fast as either design, the Valkyrie has an almost comparable ground speed, heavier armor, and a jumping distance just 30 meters shorter of either the Wasp or Stinger."

I think the Jump Jet requirement would also still help to limit the pool of appropriate mechs... especially if we REQUIRED a minimum of 5 jump MP. Jump Jets for chassis over 55 tons weigh 1 ton each (chassis over 85 weigh 2 tons!). That means a minimum of 5 tons and 5 crits would have to be devoted to just qualifying for recon. 5 tons and 5 crits is significant even on heavy mechs and lights and mediums would still hold the advantage since their JJs weigh only half a ton. Also my aim is to naturally emphasize speed for recon missions. For example, you could be facing a spread out but vastly superior enemy force; you would have to strike quickly before they could regroup. Another way would be to place you behind enemy lines and you would have "x" amount of time to complete your objective before enemy reinforcements arrived. Recon will most definitely be more at risk of walking into Ambushes too... which DEFINITELY favor faster mechs. It is likely we could construct the missions in such a way so that 6/9 or faster mechs could still be viable options compared to their "heavy recon" counterparts.

Also keep in mind that 20-25 tons mechs are NEVER a better option than 30-40 tons mechs. They just aren't. The main appeal of 20-25 tons mechs is that they are dirt cheap to purchase and maintain (well... most of them anyway)... essentially cannon fodder.

Finally, I would still consider the Firebee capable of working in a recon lance. However, I would likely pair it with probably a pair of Locusts/Cicadas and a Valkyrie or something like those. The Locusts would be on point and the Firebee and Valkyrie would follow a little behind serving as the extra "punch" for the recon lance... somewhat similar to how Hunchbacks in heavier lances are typically held in reserve until they can bring their firepower to bear. It is also very typical of recon lances to only have one or two super fast mechs that do all the "hole checking" while other slightly slower lancemates followed nearby in support. (think Forrest Gump in Vietnam).

 

things are looking pretty good on my end. need to meet with skwi. sent him a pm today. awaiting a response. stay tuned.

anyone still interested in map building be sure to set a time with me to meet if you need help.