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Campaign
Nov 10, 2015 13:26:27 GMT
via mobile
Post by madphil101 on Nov 10, 2015 13:26:27 GMT
Let's say changing a leg takes 270 mins (3 1/2 hours) can I take time once to double that to 7 hours and still be on target (ie it takes 7 of 8 hours scaled to 3 months [79 days])?
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Post by stubram on Nov 10, 2015 14:23:52 GMT
. For simplicity I was just going to say that taking double time to do a job would take 6 months, but yeah, If something would take anything less than 4 hours (scaled up to 6 weeks) in Strat Ops, don't see why you can't put in double time and have that benefit.
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Campaign
Nov 10, 2015 19:01:17 GMT
via mobile
Post by madphil101 on Nov 10, 2015 19:01:17 GMT
Cool. Then sir, I have a plan...
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Post by stubram on Nov 10, 2015 20:49:00 GMT
Is it a secret plan?
Tell the plan.
What's the plan?
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Alien Dave
Friends of the Wyvern
I don't like snipers!
The Dave
Posts: 1,843
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Post by Alien Dave on Nov 10, 2015 20:56:46 GMT
No plan survives contact with the enema.
'Tis a shit plan...
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Campaign
Nov 11, 2015 7:46:59 GMT
via mobile
Post by madphil101 on Nov 11, 2015 7:46:59 GMT
It was a plan to fix my knackered mechs by taking time and more techs over them...
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Post by stubram on Nov 11, 2015 11:03:40 GMT
Good call. Your idea of scaling everything up seems to make sense. If 8 hours (the set 'repair time' per phase) equals 3 months (our shortest mission period), then approx 2.6 hours (156 minutes) in Strat Ops is 1 month in our campaign, so all of the timings for repairs can reasonably be worked out from there. For example, if you work on an average of a 28 day month / 156 minutes = 5.5
Meaning? 1 day of our campaign can do 5.5 'minutes' worth of repair. Which actually works out well, as the least time consuming thing you replace is armour, which takes 5 minutes to do, which means that each armour section in need of repair will take 1 day of campaign time.
Make sense?
No?
Welcome to Battletech.
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Alien Dave
Friends of the Wyvern
I don't like snipers!
The Dave
Posts: 1,843
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Post by Alien Dave on Nov 11, 2015 11:34:32 GMT
...Make sense? No? Welcome to Battletech. I'm glad I'm sitting down when I read these posts!
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Post by stubram on Nov 11, 2015 11:56:01 GMT
Fear not young Davey. Some people like going balls-deep with the facts and figures, others like to dabble, or else dismiss entirely. If you wanna play a series of 1 off games, that's fine. If you want to do your own version of payment,repairs,purchasing etc, then feel free.
The game itself is run purely off BV (Battle Value) so all of other stuff won't make much difference.
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Alien Dave
Friends of the Wyvern
I don't like snipers!
The Dave
Posts: 1,843
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Post by Alien Dave on Nov 11, 2015 12:26:27 GMT
Happy days. I'll probably use a combo of the core rules and the last version of the Mercenaries Handbook then!
DW
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Post by stubram on Nov 11, 2015 12:57:03 GMT
sounds good. Up to you - next Monday can be a tester game, or we call spank the weasel in it's den and do a campaign-esq game.
The choice is yours Jethro.
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Alien Dave
Friends of the Wyvern
I don't like snipers!
The Dave
Posts: 1,843
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Post by Alien Dave on Nov 11, 2015 15:06:24 GMT
I like weasel spanking....
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Post by stubram on Nov 11, 2015 16:22:03 GMT
HUZZAH! I've got one mission of my contract left. It's a retainer mission, which tbh can mean whatever we like. I am stuck in the Outworlds Alliance at the mo though. Even if you don't want to do the full-on book keeping of the Interstellar Operations Force Creation (on the first page of this thread), you can still use the 'Force Operations' link, simplified to only roll for your mission. Unless your merc Handbook has it's own mission selection?
As BT is a game that needs a bit o' prep, when you can, please let me know -
a) What your mission is b) Who the devil you are c) What the BV is (or at least what mech's you're using).
The A and B are purely so we can work out a sensible mission, but we can wing it on the day if you like. C is important so I know who I'm bringing. Let me know if you need Mech/Vehicle sheets.
If your mission has a fixed target, it won't matter what the relative size of the forces are in play, but if it's a 'drive off' or 'kill 'em all' mission (i.e. anything which has a win/loss dependent on reducing the opponent's BV), having much more than a lance of mechs will mean that we will struggle to fit it in to one session.
Other than that - over to you. My guys are basically sitting around waiting to be attacked, guarding various places and people. OR
If you want to go nuts and attack somewhere completely different, I'm happy to be be 'the opposition' of some design. Holla back, ya pasty faced crackerjack.
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Post by stubram on Nov 17, 2015 11:22:18 GMT
The final mission of the DSR's 15 month retainer was more of a baptism of fire for the new recruits, who went up against The Alien's Red Shirt mercenaries own Recon Lance. Due to the high speed of all involved, it soon turned into an initiative race of cat and mouse. A wild hit on the DSR's new H-7 Warrior Attack Helicopter sent it crashing to the ground, whilst repeated hits on an RS Stinger finally cored through to the engine, destroying it completely.
With one loss apiece, both forces withdrew.
As far as the DSR contract goes, whilst they failed to protect the installations and assets that they were tasked with defending, they did fight off multiple attackers in the process, so it has been ruled that they technically succeeded based on a loophole of wording (their contract was general retainer, not specifically defending certain points). The DSR have finished their merc contract for the FFWL, and have now been incorporated into the government forces of the Outworlds Alliance.
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Post by stubram on Nov 17, 2015 14:05:11 GMT
TIMELINE CHANGE3003: Michael Hasek marries Marie Davion-St. Claire - Warrior House Ijori catch and maul a House Davion mercenary regiment on Tsamma, capturing a large number of BattleMechs.
- The Circinus Federation unsuccessfully attempts to annex Blantleff completely.
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Post by stubram on Nov 21, 2015 0:07:13 GMT
I've decided to use the random skill table on page 273 of TW to make things more interesting. You still choose if they're regular, veteran or whatever, but then roll within certain boundaries to see exactly what their skills are. Adds a sense of realism.
On that note, I figured that, as my Reinforcements were bought after my contract was agreed, then the battle remuneration wouldn't cover them, so have had to stump up for replacements privately. The addition of the reinforcements has also actually dragged my reputation down as I now don't have enough transport capability for the whole force.
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Post by stubram on Nov 21, 2015 0:20:20 GMT
In other news, as the DSR have successfully completed their given task and have been turned over into a government force, their dependants have now arrived. All 800 of them! They will be spending some of their earnings on purchasing and building a permanent base for themselves (yes, there's actually rules on how to build a town, spaceport, barracks etc). As the DSR now can't transport all of their soldiers, they will be leaving the Black Skye Cataphracts veteran tank company behind to guard them.
The mech force has since been called to perform a Covert Recon Raid in force, to find out more about these mysterious Red Shirt mercenaries.
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Post by stubram on Nov 21, 2015 16:17:53 GMT
For those of you who have Strat Ops - I've just stumbled across a tiny section called 'Linked Scenarios' on pg 47. IT'S THE MISSING LINK!!!
It only blinkin' sets out a format to play campaigns, keep tabs of win/loss etc! How much BV you start with depends on the type of campaign, basically divided into short, moderate, long and very long (e.g. a short campaign recommends around 15,000 BV and estimates about a company force. A Medium Campaign recommends a reinforced company to a battalion, equating to 35,000 BV). You then basically divide your force into Elements of around a company each (or by lance if your forces are smaller), and then give each Element one order in a 'Strategic Turn' from the Combat Orders Table (pg 48).
The orders break down into Combat and Non-Combat Orders. Combat orders will be self explanatory, but Non-combat orders are where it gets interesting. A non-combat order can be to Move, Rest, Repair, Supply. Repair is the action that allows you to take a Strategic Turn to follow the Repair section that we've already been using - scaled to whatever the group has agreed (3 months in our case - though that may have to be reviewed. With this inclusion, we may be able to scale things 'as intended' in Strat Ops to real time (5 mins is actually 5 mins, not 1 day). Supply is a whole separate action, where that unit can order fresh supply.
Meaning? If a unit gets mauled, it needs 1 turn to order parts, and another to fit them. Meanwhile other Elements will also be fighting, scouting etc.
Check it out. As usual, Battletech have stuck an imperative bit amongst a load of dross which I've been skipping past for months.
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Post by stubram on Nov 21, 2015 16:37:03 GMT
RE: the above. It takes out the rather clumsy mechanic we've been using that you do a mission, then spend 3 months repairing etc, then do another mission, then spend another 3 months repairing. The above way means that all of your forces are in play (at least on paper) at all times. It leads to all sorts of awesome possibilities that your 'B' company has been given a 'Move' order last turn to return to your base in order to get a 'Supply' order next turn. The enemy (who won't know that) has ordered his forces to 'Attack' the base, and will find your B Company just arriving, battered and bruised and looking for refit.
The BV is already set, so it'll create unfair situations, hopeless last stands, ambushes etc. Basically all the things we've been trying to instill arbitrarily in the game.
You may have guessed, I am excited by this turn of events. Mainly because it further removes the 'gamesmaster' mentality of one player having to create the scenario for others to participate in - something I've not been happy with from the outset, but thus far have been unable to remove.
HUZZAH!!!
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Post by stubram on Nov 23, 2015 9:39:17 GMT
Right. Me and The Alien will be testing out this Linked Scenario. A company apiece, divided into lances for orders purposes. Air and armour support to be kept back in order to bolster BV if needed for a scenario.
Neither of us know the orders that the other side has issued, and therefore don't know what type of game we'll be playing until the orders are revealed tonight.
To be continued.
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Campaign
Nov 23, 2015 11:59:46 GMT
via mobile
Post by comstar on Nov 23, 2015 11:59:46 GMT
Looking forward to the outcome
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Post by stubram on Nov 24, 2015 6:53:03 GMT
So, with each company similar in configuration (a Command Lance, Striker Lance and a Scout Lance) we gave our orders. Which turned out to be identical!
Both Scout lances are under repair orders from an earlier encounter, so it was left to the Striker lances to continue the recon mission with a 'Scout Order' whilst the two respective Command Lances hunkered down at their dropships with a 'Defend' mission.
Cross referencing on the relevant table, it turned out that the Striker Lances were to conduct a 'probe' of the area. After a hard fought game, the DSR beat the Red Shirts by crippling two of their mechs, forcing them from the field minus a Wasp which had its gyro shot out.
This will have an effect on the next game, as the DSR has 1 'Campaign Score', whilst the RS are at -1. This means that, if both forces are ordered to to another 'Scout', for example, the RS would not only be on the defensive, they would be trying to stall the DSR advance in a 'Hide and Seak' scenario.
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Alien Dave
Friends of the Wyvern
I don't like snipers!
The Dave
Posts: 1,843
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Post by Alien Dave on Nov 24, 2015 8:40:46 GMT
Only one was crippled. The other was 'mostly armless'....
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Post by stubram on Nov 24, 2015 10:02:48 GMT
Boom Boom!
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Post by stubram on Nov 24, 2015 11:37:07 GMT
On a practical note, the idea seems to work really well, and I will certainly be trying to implement it from now on.
One thing it does change, however, is how we do repair/supply. We made up a rule that you in effect have 8 hours of repair time every 3 months (i.e. Something that takes 5 minutes of repair time actually takes 1 day to do). With the introduction of dedicated repair/rest/supply phases, I don't think that there's a need to do that anymore.
For example - you're on a 3 month Extraction raid. You can give 1 order to each unit per week. The first week, 2 out of 3 units fight. They would then do repairs the following week, order supplies the week after, and maybe rest for the third week, before doing another fight, or defend a location or whatever.
Or, if you amassed your forces in one big attack, massacred the enemy and completed the objective, you'd have no need for further battles, sou you'd hang around long enough to get fixed up, and then go.
Thougts?
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