The /btg/ is dead, long live the /btg/!
"Physical Attack Phase" Edition
Combat Manual: Mercs BETA
http://www.mediafire.com/download/1b5jq3tyi8viycf/E-CAT3526XA+BattleTech+Combat+Manual+Mercenaries-BETA.pdf
Old thread: >>43565433
=====================
>/btg/ does a TRO.
http://builtforwar.blog(not spam) spot.com/
>The Happening has Happened and it was glorious:
http://bg.battletech.com/news/news-and-announcements/drop-pod-sequence-initiatedthree-two-one/
>How do I do this Against the Bot thing?
http://pastebin.com/pE2f7TR5 (embed)
>Can I get an overview of the major factions?
http://bg.battletech.com/universe/great-houses/
http://bg.battletech.com/universe/the-clans/
http://bg.battletech.com/universe/other-powers/
>How do I find out what mechs a faction has?
http://masterunitlist.info/
>Map of /btg/ players (WIP):
https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1116217&add=1
>Battletech Introductory Info and PDFs
http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=400
>Rookie guides
http://pastebin.com/HZvGKuGx (embed)
>Sarna.net - Battletech Wiki
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
>Megamek - computer version of Battletech. Play with AI or other players
http://megamek.info/
>SSW Mech Designer
http://www.solarisskunkwerks.com/
>Battletech IRC
#battletech on irc.rizon.net
>PDF Folders
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/9q792hobnbpw3/Battletech
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/sdckg6j645z4j/Battletech
Good night, Butte Hold.
BattleMackies
>>43589054
>MackieTech
>>43589458
>not MackieWarrior
You missed your chance, anon
Gentlemen I propose a mixtech upgrade to the Venom, I call it, the Carnage!
>>43589745
eh?
>>43589498
That's the vidya
If there was a new Ost series mech, what should it be called?
>>43589523
It occurs to me, I've seen a Spider painted like Spidey, but has there been a Venom painted as Venom?
>>43589901
Ostval.
>>43589901
Ostnar.
Ostdin
Ostron
Ostcrab
Ostost
Ha ha ha, Osthold.
>>43590263
>Ostron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4eccPBFEjE
>>43590263
Ostwest.
>>43589523
You haven't been a real asshole until you refit your Spider with BA ERmeds.
>lighter than regular ERmeds
>do not require sinks
>80000 shots per ton of ammo
CHEMLAS GO HOME CLANTECH A SHIT
>>43590587
You call that min/maxing? Fit it with maximum weight of Mauser IICs, 12kgs each, you can stack 83 of them per ton.
>>43589901
OstRich.
>>43590263
OstKosh, by gosh.
>>43589901
Revolver Ostelot.
>>43591476
Liquid Ostelot
>>43591459
Winnar
>>43591476
2nd place
>>43591459
hey NEA, about those tables, I've got four out of roughly 24 done now, and the rest shouldn't take THAT long now that I'm just stealing wholesale from other stuff generation systems
also, anyone got any good entries for the "cultural quirks" table? those are always interesting
>>43588718
What's the mech getting its shit wrecked by the hunchie IIC?
>>43592174
Nightsky.
>>43590587
IIRC, the excuse for lighter battle armor weapons is that you don't need to reinforce it as much since the odds are lower that you're going to see it being used to bludgeon another mech to death.
>>43593019
I just had a hilarious thought; what's the closest we can get to a Ripper Gun from 40k in Battletech?
>>43592150
>anyone got any good entries for the "cultural quirks" table?
random table of sci-fi shows, random episode, and an asterisk by every entry saying "google it"
I had a silly mech idea.
>It's a 100 ton mech that has had ALL of its ranged weapons replaced...with airhorns, loudspeakers and fireworks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enMReCEcHiM
>>43593732
I knew what it was b efore I even clicked on it.
God fucking dammit internet
Come on /btg/ lets DANCE!!!
>>43595059
I'm wrapping up a painting project. I'll post it up when I'm done so anons can complain about how shit I am at painting.PurpleBurdStronk
>>43595149
Hmm yeah speaking of which I need to fish out my WoB Level II from my stripping solution that I threw them in last night. brb
>>43595149
And here we go! Literally was just waiting on the cockpit paint to dry so I could seal them. Now, they're done. Gonna run 'em over to the FLGS shortly.
>>43595444
10/10 would put waifu in.
>>43595444
Things I learned from this little painting adventure:
-I really like the Flea and the Vulcan.
-I really hate the Flea's sculpt (bends in strange ways, has lots of stupid nooks and crannies).
-The Marik Militia might be my favorite paint scheme ever (I now have two lances; probably gonna get a medium/heavy battle lance together and have a full company).
-Cockpits are hard and I am bad at them.
Still, they're some of my better work and I'm definitely proud of the lance. It'll be great to finally have some BattleTech in the display case at the FLGS.
>>43595458
Thanks! I appreciate it, anon. Here, just for you, I took a shot of both lances together.
>>43595522
Not terrible purple anon. Not at all. A few thoughts though.
- As silly and over used as the saying is...it looks like your paints could use a bit of thinning. This may just be image quality though.
- Looks like they could use a wash or two of a darker paint in the cracks.
- A spray dull coat will knock off some of that glare while also protecting your work.
Again not bad anon. Certainly usable on a game board but there's room for improvement.
>>43595646
While i'm on this subject I was wondering what other anons processes are in terms of painting. I know a lot of you don't even bother with paints but I want to compare those of you who do.
I have a fairly simple process in my mind.
- Spray coat in base color.
- Brown or Black wash to give dirty look and make the cracks pop.
- Dry brush with slightly lighter base color
- Highlight or minor colors added.
- Cockpit and detail work.
- Dull coat.
Obviously many of my painted minis don't go for the extreme color schemes since I'm not THAT talented and my process does not support multiple colors well but i'm happy with it.
>>43588618
>43588245 (You) >lasers are easier than ballistics
>I am not saying you are wrong, but that this notion is wrong. Anything with optics is going to be inherently less durable than something that doesn't rely on brittle, easily mis-aligned devices. I guess it's just one of the many things you have to politely ignore about the game.
Thing is, ballistics have to constantly handle massive explosions, barrel wear, ammo feeds, and all the rest. There are a huge number of points of failure. Things like the Clint canonically had to have their ballistics downgraded or side-graded because of actuator wear. Which is not to say that lasers are immune (c.f.; Commando), but BT lasers literally just need a lens on the surface (which can be armored) and everything else can be buried deep within.
>The ammo argument is always a compelling one though, and it really kind of makes you wonder why any propellant-reliant ballistic systems are even still in use, quite frankly. You can't have it both ways; either ballistics are the rugged, cheap option, or they are completely overshadowed and should be phased out except for use on vees.
Autoguns still have a few uses - range, flak, flechette, and in later years AP and Precision ammo, plus the lower heat. They're a decent secondary weapon, especially in a low-tech environment. But that's occasioned more by the lack of Freezers than anything else. And if you notice, autoguns are increasingly being phased out of modern designs - with the general exceptions of the LAC-5, RACs, plasmas, and the LB-10 and -20. All of those guns are the most weight-efficient options for what they do, and each provides some capability that the energy guns can't match. While I really wish the LB-5X got more play, since it's a hilariously useful AA gun and much cheaper critseeker compared to the RAC-2, the universe is kinda bearing out your suggestion.
>>43595910
It depends on my faction.
Lyran Guard:
-spray white
-paint left half of mech blue
-paint base
-touch up white/blue as necessary
-wash entire mech with black
-paint white half of mech's panels in white
-paint blue half of mech's panels in blue
-high light blue panels
-cockpit, joints, weapons
-dull coat
I'm looking to one day switch over to a soft body black wash which is much cleaner. Alternatively I'll start pin washing.
Sword of Light:
-spray black
-basecoat red
-wash with brown wash
-paint base
-touch up red with red base coat
-"glaze" the red panels so that the edges are darker than the center
-high light some orange or bright red, still haven't reached this point yet
-cockpit, joints, weapons
-dull coat
Clan Wolf Beta Galaxy:
-prime black
-base coat torso and arms in tan
-base coat legs in grey
-wash legs with black
-drybrush legs with lighter grey
-drybrush legs with grey basecoat to blend it
-touch up torso as needed
-wash torso with yellow-brown wash
-drybrush torso with tan
-touch up mech
-paint base
-cock pit, joints, weapons
-dull coat
>>43595646
Responses:
-I do thin my paints. Might just be my phone being shit.
-I avoid washes right now, since it generally makes the mech significantly too dark for my tastes. I've been considering getting a fine tip pen and lining in the panel cracks to get the same effect.
-I do seal them with a dull coat spray. I didn't do the back lance yet, since they're less important (just for my shelf at home right now). I'll spray them before I use them on a table.
>>43595910
-Prime in black or grey. Rarely in white.
-Dry brush in base color.
-Do a very light dry brushing, if necessary, in relevant other colors (such as a light green on a dark green base mech to highlight areas, etc).
-Highlights/minor colors.
-Cockpit/detailing.
-Seal/dull coat.
I think I'm going to start adding black washes in right after the primer period.
>>43596567
>>43595910
>I was wondering what other anons processes are in terms of painting.
I have a couple.
1) Speedpainting (see pic)
• Base model with cheap (swiped from a construction site) sand and plumber's epoxy. I usually use Chessex bases.
• Spray black
• Multilayer, heavy drybrush up to "dark" shade of basecoat.
• Lighter drybrush of middle color
• Faint drybrush of highlight.
• Light complementary ink
• Pick out panels with fiber pen
• Final detailing. Cockpits get thin-stripe highlights rather than full jeweling. Basically, you run an L-shaped thin line around the bottom corner, add a dot or two to the top corner, and throw on a light wash of the color to the rest.
• Glue on grass/foliage (if present)
• Dullcoat (I use Tamiya anti-UV flat.)
I got the three Stingers in the pic finished in under an hour from the moment the basecoat dried, plus a Dragon that got a little more love.
2) Standard method.
• Mount on wire for handling (leads get glued to a screw)
• Basecoat based on color with which I'm painting (white for reds and yellows, brown for whites, black for most others)
• several layers of heavily-thinned paint applied to leave the basecoat color in the cracks.
• Three-tone metal work, plus heat-blueing on barrels.
• Panel lining cleanup with fiber pen, unless it's white/yellow/pale colors - then I usually let the wash take care of it.
• Wash with chestnut wood stain.
• Paint glass areas black. Carefully drybrush in a "diagonal lines" cockpit shading with white, then glaze with several layers of the cockpit color (see next post)
• Dullcoat model.
• Prep base, pressing in feet or integral basing element.
• Spray base, and paint spearately.
• Coat base
• Glue down model, use foliage to hide joins if any.
This usually takes most of a day, although the frequent breaks for drying mean that I can do a couple of models at a time.
>>43596734
Cockpit style I was talking about.
..I really should have gone back in and highlighted that red and orange a little more, looking at it now.
>>43596412
It's a shame too because autocannons are cool and if they would just rework them they could have more of a reason to exist.
>>43596412
>While I really wish the LB-5X got more play, since it's a hilariously useful AA gun and much cheaper critseeker compared to the RAC-2, the universe is kinda bearing out your suggestion.
Are you the fucker who made the Malice?
>>43597152
Nope. Just someone who thinks that more than 20 out of the 3,200 'Mech variants in existence could afford to mount one. Also the Malice is essentially a Stone Rhino 5, but cERMLs mean the Behemoth sucks a lot less.
The designs I think are using it right are things like the Kit Fox Prime, the Mad Dog A, and the Rifleman C - snipers that can actually use its critseeking potential. Unfortunately all the decent canon ones use Clantech but the hidden Lancelot variant from 3055uu, and that's Blakist.
>>43597679
>Stone Rhino 5
???
Sarna only lists Stone Rhinos 1-3. What are the 4 and 5, and where can I find them? I am a huge fan of the Behemoth.
>>43597679
>and that's Blakist
You got a problem with that? We need to do to you what we did to the Gibson Freedom League?
>>43597975
RS: 3055u. The 4 is silly.
>>43597975
The -4 is a 3/5/3 with twin LRMs-10 and an Ultra-10 in each side torso (2t of ammo also in each torso for but weapons), plus a pair each of ERMLs and MGs with a ton of ammo in each arm. It's like driving a fucking fireworks truck through Chinatown on the lunar New Year.
The -5 is slightly saner; a 4/6/- with triple CERMLs in each arm and a pair of LB-5X in each side torso. Great for making a 20-hex VTOL/Aero/Vee exclusion zone and/or fucking anything that closes to under fifteen hexes into next week. Generally by knocking them over repeatedly and then landing 50+ points of damage the next turn.
>>43598838
Gas the Clans space war now
I legitimately think that Battletech would have been far better off if Clantech never existed.
>>43599009
>I legitimately think that Battletech would have been far better off if Clantech never existed.
Don't forget about the Inner Sphere. Battletech would have been far better of if the Inner Sphere had never existed, either.
>>43598838
And the 6
14 MPLs, 7 to a torso.
>>43599510
And it's 4/6/2 with max armor.
>>43588718
>>43599510
It keeps the Sphere's Biggest Small Laser, too. All in all it's hilarious but really shitty.
>>43599009
That's nice. The fan base would be measurably better if you fucked off to another game, though.
are there any mechs with 4 LRM20's?
>>43600400
not a mech, exactly.
>>43600400
Vulture III Prime, Night Gyr D, Phoenix Hawk IIC 2.
>>43600469
But those are all clan, right?
>>43600543
Yeah, because I'm reasonably certain that no Inner Sphere design is willing to devote 48 tons to LRMs and ammo (2 per launcher) on a 100-ton design (that mass is pretty much required to generate that much free tonnage).
Doing it with 5-ton LRM-20s is considerably easier.
>>43600543
>>43600620
You could pretty easily do it with a Tenshi.
It has an extremely convenient 48 tons of pod space.
>>43600543
An IS 'Mech would have to sacrifice at least 41 tons to do it. You'd barely be able to manage it with an Annihilator.
IS 'Mechs usually top out in the 60-80 tube range. There are some with 3 LRM-20s and some with two LRM-20s and two LRM-15s, but that's as good as it gets.
>>43600620
also artemis
>>43600647
Should be 60 to 70, derp.
>>43566391 repeating his question from last thread, NEA:
Any joy tracking down contact-details for the guy who created [pic attached]? I have some ideas to bounce off him, but damn if I can find any way to contact him to do it.
>>43600557
I like it.
Can fire all its missiles without overheating, has artemis, and even has a little pew pew
>>43600557
>80 tubes
how bout I wreck your shit?
Any decent Gauss+PPC IS designs?
>>43600543
Yep.
It's the weight/space difference, which means you can more viably mount Clan ones on something not a 3/5 assault.
Like a 5/8/5 assault!
>>43593052
I forget what the tech is called now, but it's basically a handheld weapon pod that makes a mech a poor man's omnimech.
Just load it out with an autocannon and a retractable blade, sword or lance.
Disclaimer: I don't know if this is legal construction.
>>43600734
All of them.
>>43600734
>What is the Devastator
>What is the Nightstar
>Why do FedSuns players love TR: 3058 so much
>Why do they bitch about everything after TR: 3058 so much
>>43600762
You forgot the Falconer.
>>43600762
I meant single gauss plus PPCs, not duelgauss
>>43600673
Sorry man, no joy. Thinking about it, I was contacted, but I cannot find the contact in my email history for love or money.
>>43600795
As I said
>Falconer
You really don't need anything else.
>>43600400
If you're willing to go down to 3x LRM-20 and some energy backup, you can pick up the Salamander. There's also a Thunder Hawk that mounts a pair of -20s and an LB-20X if you're drunk and feel like trolling someone.
The Longbow -12C packs a pair each of -15s and -20s, which is almost as good as quad-20s but less satisfying.
>>43600734
Falconers, Devastators, some Atlases and Banshees, Caesers, Cataphracts.
And Kerenky's bitchin' Orion, if we include snubbies.
A good time to remind folks; Megamek's advanced unit search is your friend. Let's you search to answer exactly these kinds of questions.
>>43600795
There's a decent-ish 2ppc/gr Marauder
>>43600814
Rats. Many thanks anyway, NEA.
I was hoping to use those diagrams to build record-sheets for BT WarShips, sort of like Renegade Legion crossed with Full Thrust and StratOps aerospace combat. Hopefully the guy will show up again and I can get his permission to start kitbashing.
>>43600853
>1 ton of ammo for the GR
>shitty armor
>decent
Drop the pulses to ERs for a ton of ammo and armor and we'll talk.
>>43600557
Maybe shave some armor?
Don't know what you'd do with the tonnage since your pretty much out of crits...
>>43599816
power tripping clanner pls go
>>43600543
Yes. Plus IS LRMs leave the unit defenseless under 7 when taken to that extreme, whereas Clan LRMs work just fine at point blank. See how that works?
What would an assault mech designed primarily for the merc/small-state market look like? Like a Lineholder/merlin/Bandersnatch-type of thing, but an assault?
>>43600923
I'd say the Artemis should go before any armor does, probably replaced with medium lasers to cover the minimum range.
It's slow and full of ammo. It needs all the armor it can get.
>>43601069
It wouldn't exist. Nobody but outright Successor States should be able to afford to use them. Merc or mini-state? Have as many lights and medium Mechs, and as many tanks as you can produce. Have a heavy for a company commander's ride. Assaults are right out.
>>43601053
>Plus IS LRMs leave the unit defenseless under 7
Not quite, more like 4 hexes in is where you start getting shafted.
A bigger minimum range means you have a little wiggle room, at 6 hexes it's only +1, which still means you're ahead of classic 3/6/9 brawling weapons, and at 5 hexes puts you at +2, on even with them in their medium range. It's why combined SRMs and LRMs are nifty on vehicles, because you can always utilize them together in those ranges, while some mechs are made to ride a heat curve where you only use one or the other.
Also the LRM's +3 at 4 hexes is hilariously still even with fucking MRMs.
>>43600915
I can't recall the scope of the project, but you might want to Google "Renegade Tech". It was mainly Centurion+BattleTech, but it may have expanded to the black-water navy.
>>43601198
>implying that 3 of the top-10 most common mechs aren't heavies
>implying merc units won't skew heavier than state units because light mechs die faster than heavies and mercs see more combat
You don't know shit about anything, do you?
>>43601205
>Not quite, more like 4 hexes in is where you start getting shafted.
the whole cutting damage in half thing fucks you much harder than min range does.
>>43601069
It's called the Malice
>>43601331
That's thunderbolt missiles. LRM damage is completely unaffected by minimum range, beyond the issue of being less likely to hit, of course.
>>43601086
at first i thought, "thats stupid",
but then i was like, "6 ml's would wreck your shit at close range"
>>43601329
I know that most players are Clan-sucking, powergaming munchkins who continually use the crutch of heavy designs to fill their masturbatory giant robot fantasies. Running merc mech companies that weigh more than about 500 tons (6 bugs, a Pixie and a Shad to lead them, and a command lance with a medium and some heavies) is pure wish fulfillment, and isn't in keeping with the fluff for REAL mercenary units.
Kell Hounds and Dragoons notwithstanding, of course. Those are Mary Sue units, and if you're using them as a unit composition guide, then naturally your units is going to be a Mary Sue unit too.
>>43601554
not bad. a little stale, but still I'd give it a 4/10
>>43601554
A merc unit ought to consist of at least a company, with a light lance, a medium/heavy lance, and a fire support lance, maybe with aerospace support and definitely with its own dropship.
Otherwise its not really a merc unit, your just a solo conscript. (Video game logistics notwithstanding)
>>43601554
Damn pal, didya did that b8 out of a star league cache or something?
>>43601231
I found this for RT2.0: http://www.ourbattletech.com/downloads/
It seems to include aerospace combat, but it's a beta version.
>>43601653
kek
>>43601329
>top-10 most common mechs
Que?
>>43601665
Archer, Tbolt, and probably the Warhammer. Archer's in the top 10 for sure.
>>43601636
That *does* list a company, in fairness.
>>43601658
Good find. Thanks!
>>43601665
here's basically what the fluff implies, roughly:
1:Bug
2:Bug
3:Bug
(I don't remember the exact order, but they are definitively the three most common mechs)
4: Pixie
5: Archer
6: Shad
7: Griffin
8: Wolverine
9: Crusader
10: Rifleman (or Thunderbolt, they're pretty close)
>>43601690
>Crud more common than the Thud
Those poor bastards.
>>43601689
the 3025 fluff puts the crusader up there, too, FWIW
and I'm not so sure about the Warhammer; as of 3025 the only folks producing them in quantity are the Taurians, and they don't really export them a lot till the 50s, though I suppose a lot of old SLDF ones might be lying around
>>43601636
I fall for ancient bait
am dissapoint
>>43601710
I mean, the -D isn't THAT bad
but otherwise yeah.
lucky that my preferred factions are all big thud fans, so that they'd have more
>>43601768
Just another reason the Lyrans are the best.
>>43601881
Don't forget about the whole "fucking your midget brother" part. Alaric certainly won't.
>>43601881
they are pretty neat.
honestly, the Thud-5SS is my favorite 3025 design, full-stop
>>43601927
>honestly, the Thud-5SS is my favorite 3025 design, full-stop
BNC-3S.
It's an Awesome, but with a blistering close-range barrage to exploit all the holes you punch with your big guns.
>>43601960
the -3S is astonishingly brutal, I agree, but it's a bit less flexible than the thud, IMO
what minor modification do you always try to make to your mechs?
>>43601980
I was never a fan of the two flamers; I'd rather have one and a medium.
Also the Grasshopper existing really stops me from going all-out for the -5SS. Because holy shit, there's nothing quite like getting up in some poor fucing Panther's face with a GHP.
>>43602012
I always pull the rear lasers from my archers for two extra sinks, allowing non-stop LRM barrages, which is pretty nice.
>>43602012
Take two points of armor off the front side torsos and put it on the rear.
It doesn't matter, but it matters.
>>43602012
Pull the AMS for anything. ECM is my favorite, although an extra heat sink and an ER small has also served me well.
>>43602017
I've always used the RS:3025 variant, with one flamer and 21 SHS.
but yeah, most of mine in campaigns tend to get an extra ML (or two RL/10s) instead of the flamer
>>43602012
I rearmor bandersnatches with FF the first chance I get, for one. second, I always pull artemis IV for either extra MLs or ECM, depending
>>43602012
I want standard and heavy MGs to leave.
DON'T GIVE ME THAT POUTY LOOK PIRANHA, YOU GO CHANGE INTO A 2 OR 3 OR 4 RIGHT NOW.
>>43601069
Step 1: Buy old BNC-3Ses.
Step 2: Refit them.
Step 3: Profit.
If you want, you can replace the GR and ammo with some extra armour, 2 PPCs, and 2 DHS.
>>43601069
I'd say it'd be 80 tons (to take advantage of spare parts from the various 80 tonners) or 85 tons (for parts compatibility with the stalker and longbow, the two most common assaults), though 100t is not out of the question, as it's reasonably common
it'd probably have hands to increase utility, and likely either use a 240 or 255 (though a 300 on a 100 tonner is also an option).
as weapons go, it'd probably have a wide mix. probably a PPC (or maybe gauss rifle), LBX-10, LRMs, maybe SRMs, and of course a brace of medium lasers (probably at least 3, anywhere up to 6 if it's using DHS). probably wouldn't use ferro or Endo, though ferro is more likely. probably wouldn't use an XL, so as to keep costs down.
actually, to hell with it, I'll design one right now
>>43602375
don't forget CASE; survivability is important for this kind of mech
>>43602424
I houserule it so that all mechs have CASE, and mechs with CASE or CASE II get an upgrade to the next level. CASE II here protects the pilot from feedback damage and cancels out the explosion PSR (another house rule)
>>43602627
so I'm not the only one using that houserule? neat
>>43602704
I got it from /btg/ a while ago and after a while got it to stick with m group. Now we have no idea why TPTB don't use it. Ballistics are fucked enough as it is.
>>43602375
I'd do something like this.
As much utility as I could pack into a design without giving up damage, armor, or cheapness and availability of parts.
Sadly, heat management suffered a bit.
>>43602766
I feel like by the time that MMLs are on the scene, most folks could work with DHS
going DHS could let you replace one LL with a PPC and add two more MLs, while still keeping decent heat dissipation
>>43602841
I based that off the tech available to the people who made the Hawkwolf and Hound.
Besides the CASE, of course.
>>43602856
honestly the tech availability for the periphery states makes so little fucking sense that it's safe to ignore it. but even the fuckin OA has had DHS since the mid '50s, I think it's safe for most designs
>>43602766
>large lasers
>SHS
Speaking of which, is there any place for the bog-standard LL on the post-Clan battlefield? The ERLL has a hard enough time competing as it is.
>>43602938
it isn't a terrible main weapon for a light mech with heat to spare, but that's about it
>>43601069
if a periphery state (the most likely origin for something like that) were to produce an assault, it would most likely be a Marauder-II knockoff of some sort (the taurians have three lines and the Canopians have a fourth, IIRC, so they could probably spare one, and upgrading a marauder line is many times easier than developing one from scratch)
>>43602938
If you have access to ClanTech, then they're entirely obsolete. If you don't, then boating 3 or so of them them on a fast platform (capable of closing the distance) can still work marginally well; a 1-to-1 damage::heat ratio is still good in the Inner Sphere. The big issue is their mass; if they were 4 tons instead of 5, they'd still be quite a good choice.
With that said, there's almost no situation where a Snub-nose PPC isn't a strictly better choice, unless you have exactly 5 tons remaining. The fact that LLs CAN work doesn't mean they're necessarily the *best* option, assuming you have perfect access to all weapon tech at all times.
What's the status of the Periphery Nation Generator? Failing that, anyone have a copy of the AK-47 Republic nation generator?
>>43603173
yeah, that's me.
had to help a buddy clear out his basement after his water heater sprung a leak, so not much progress, sorry
Are we still doing assault troopers?
>>43602938
I like them as main guns for lighter 'Mechs personally since with 10 DHS you can have two of them and jump around with little in the way of heat woes. I think the Large Laser is actually in my top 5 favorite weapons in the game.
>>43603218
Hey, it's alright. Thanks for tackling the project, Anon. We really appreciate it.
>>43602938
The Spector uses one to pretty good effect.
>>43603218
I echo the sentiment of appreciation. As someone who fluffed out a Deep Periphery state a long while ago, I can say with some certainty that the "wild west" of the Battletech universe is far more engrossing to me than the Successor States or Clans at this point.
>>43602012
I subscribe to the "Put PPCs on FUCKING EVERYTHING" school of mech design.
>>43603236
I've got a few tables done so far, and I could probably post a preview of some of it if that interests folks
>>43603266
yeah. it's a balancing act to keep things wild west without descending into "this is space somalia/afghanistan" or, on the other hand "like the inner sphere, but better because no succession wars"; it's tough keeping things things interesting in terms of what they can do, but without falling into either of the twin traps of TAURUS STRONK or on the other end "periphery can't get anything more advanced than a boot up their asses without inner sphere help"
>>43602012
DHS
>>43601710
Cruds got some nice upgrades, like the double-plasma one.
Y'know what might make autocannon more viable? If they could eat a crit and keep shooting (though at a +1 to hit or whatever). Make them real beefy guns to make up for the tonnage isdues
>>43604124
Also helps because they tend to be so bulky. Would also emohasize their role as crude but reliable. Makes sense to me.
>>43604124
I always thought that they should function like VSPLs; they do more damage the closer you are to your target. This would make even AC/2s viable if they did 4 damage at short range, 3 at medium, and 2 at long. AC/5 would do 7/6/5, AC/10 12/11/10, and AC/20 22/21/20. Does not apply to LBX or Ultra autocannons, of course. This also fixes HVACs, which would get double the damage bonus, so HVAC/10s would do 14/12/10 damage, respectively.
It makes sense if you take decceleration and whatnot into account, since the projectile is not traveling at such high speeds as a Gauss slug, so any decceleration is going to be noticeable, and affect ballistic performance. I mean look at how actual tank guns work and how penetration is typically calculated based on distance to target, along with armor, slope, etc.
Obviously special ammo loses this bonus, or has adjusted numbers to compensate.
>>43604230
Oh, also do away with the minimum ranges on them; that shit is stupid. It's not like solid projectiles have to arm themselves.
>>43603875
Yeah, but it's not really anywhere close to something like the -7SE
>>43601053
>power tripping clanner pls go
I'm not a Clanner, I'm a peripherfag. But people like you sit around and whine instead of playing, and you fuck up every game you see with your vaginal silicosis.
>>43601069
>What would an assault mech designed primarily for the merc/small-state market look like?
A Stalker or an R-type Awesome. Cheap, rugged, and high parts commonality with a small number of weapons to keep the logistics simple.
>>43601198
>>43601554
Almost every unit in the Merc handbook has lances, if not entire companies, of heavy/assault units. Not "a couple of heavies and no assaults". Not "You only get Mediums and lighter or you're a faggot". Same thing with the combat manual; if anything, it skews slightly heavier than past sources.
>>43601927
>honestly, the Thud-5SS is my favorite 3025 design
I prefer the -5SE, myself, but I tend to enter close combat more often than most.
>>43604237
i always imagined that minimum ranges was due to the unwieldy nature of a long barrell.
>>43604230
at the risk of sounding like an idiot; is bullet deceleration linear? doesnt it change drastically at the sound barrier?
Honestly id rather go with a simpler fix.
I just ran a megamek server and connected to it through a client...
my fucking head hurts
>>43604494
>famous units with a long history or sue commands like the gdl have a lot of heavy 'Mechs
Wow, what a surprise.
Seriously, though, and I've said this before: if you go by canon figures, the average non-Drac company is probably at least two lances with Bugs and Archers, but that's boring as fuck to play since the Bugs are so shit. Instead, everyone goes for stuff that's more interesting or better, even though fluff-wise they probably shouldn't.
Oh, and if you're a Drac, your Company is probably at least two lances of Dragons (not Grand Dragons) instead. Enjoy.
>>43604623
some of the files they said to edit prior to running the server didn't appear until after i made the server and connected the client
>>43604601
The crit thing is fine as well for that "rugged" feeling but I've always thought the suggestion I made would at the very least be a way to fix the HVAC at least.
How big should a mech be?
here are some mechs.
>>43602012
Replace everything in it with salvaged Clantech equivalents over a few decades. But seriously, what defines "minor"?
>>43604759
here are some people and battle armor and an M1A1.
>>43602200
That's a really heavy factory refit, dude - you have to replace the skeleton completely. Pretty sure you couldn't actually do that and sell them at a profit.
>>43604766
here is my opinion, yes this makes them rather small compared to a lot of the usual depictions.
>>43604780
Looks about right to me, but from what I can tell the Atlas is over two stories tall in most depictions, so yours ends up a touch short. But I would not be upset with that scale at all. I wish combat vees were a bit bigger compared to 'Mechs where minis are concerned.
>>43604759
They're 10 metres tall. The really big ones like the Thor might be 11.
>in b4 but muh MechWarrior 4 height chart says the Atlas is literally a thousand metres tall
No, just no. The computer games are not canon. BT repeatedly references the height of 'Mechs as being approximately 10 metres tall.
>>43604775
Skeleton, heat sinks, and CASE.
And yes, you would make a profit. 'Mechs sell for half their listed value in C-Bills or so, the price on the sheets is for a new machine. The components don't cost as much as you might expect either, especially if you go for the PPC version since there are explicitly major stockpiles of them that get sold off by the Houses just to get rid of them.
Besides, CGL's rule retcon about what refits require what facilities fucks up a lot of the 3050s fluff where that shit is done with a repair crane in the field.
i wish BT radar and weather rules were not so ass backwards.
>>43604819
Remember though, there's labor and time costs, plus infrastructure - if you're doing a refit that massive with a repair crane in the field, it's going to involve a lot of foulups.
>>43604799
in Battletech terms I think the M1A1 would be a 30-ton vee (yes I konw the real ones weigh about 60)
>>43604762
I always saw "minor" refits as ones that just swapped weapons or added/subtracted armor of the same type as the 'Mech already has. Weapon swapping qualifying as "minor" being crit-for-crit swaps, like a Medium Laser for a Medium Pulse Laser or something. Putting a large weapon where there wasn't one prior is much harder, especially if several smaller weapons were housed there prior. If it was empty space, then it's not so bad.
This is all headcanon/houseruling though, so take it with a grain of salt.
>>43604841
Nowadays, yes. CGL's rules screws you seriously.
The products contemporaneous with the Clan Invasion make refit kits cheap, and you can do them very easily.
Besides, we're hypothesising about what could be done. I'd rather something more interesting than "create the AWS-9Q ten years early" or something. And we're in a universe where the god damn Brotherhood of Randis can shit out assault 'Mechs any way.
>>43604863
Yeah I know, it bugs the fuck out of me because Battletech is supposed to be 6mm but it's not true 6mm because 6mm microarmor is all puny by comparison, though looking at some scale drawings, it's actually right on the money.
>>43604672
No, HVACs need a lot more than that to be fixed
>>43604880
this is what I think a 60 ton tank should look like relative to everything else.
>>43605106
Is that tank on the left equipped with a damned AC20 cannon?
>>43605113
assuming it is the Rommel variant, yes.
>>43604984
What, you don't like free smoke screens?
>>43604759
>>43604766
>>43604780
>>43604799
>>43604819
>>43605106
I coulda' sworn that Heavy and Assault 'Mechs would at least be relatively close to a Warhound Scout Titan from 40k in terms of size.
>>43605106
Rommel seems a bit big, honestly. And this coming from the guy that just said he wished vees scaled bigger. It's pretty damn close though. Or maybe it's just that tiny Abrams that's throwing my sense of scale off.
>>43605185
Whoops, didn't mean to spoiler the image.
>>43605157
You realize the smoke goes behind you and doesn't help you right
>>43605192
about like this?
just pull the numbers off the TRO booklets, they list height
>>43605433
This was about personal taste I thought
>>43604626
>if you're a Drac
Don't forget, the Dracs canonically also have entire companies - and I think entire battalions - of Panthers. Even if you are a high speed/low drag unit like the Genyosha. I do remember for a fact that the Kell Hounds sourcebook features many scenarios where the OPFOR is nothing but Panthers as far as the sensors can see.
>>43605536
Entire companies of Panthers, yes.
However, it's entire battalions of 3025-era vintage Dragons they've got all over the place even in the Jihad, because as if the DCMS should actually modernise, what the fuck are you thinking, they're only around to get curbstomped so that whoever's fighting them looks good by comparison.
>>43605571
At least you have an understanding of the Dracs proper place in the universe. Most of their fans are far more delusional.
>>43605678
at least they have the Hatamoto-Chi, which is kind of cool
>>43604875
Ah, I see. Reminds me of my favorite AWS-8Q refit - swap out the PPCs for cLPLs and laugh. More clantech if you can get it, but just the guns suffices.
>>43605571
>entire battalions of 3025-era vintage Dragons they've got all over the place even in the Jihad
What? What sourcebook is that in?
Also, ATB certainly adheres to the canon party line, as seen in this pic. I also remember a two-lance 'Mech OPFOR that had five Panthers out of eight.
>>43605433
No they don't.
The only units that get hard measurements in TROs are large aerospace stuff.
>>43605678
>>43605571
ching chong bing bong nobody cares about the dune baboon weeaboo faction.
>>43605571
>companies of panthers and battalions of dragons
Can you imagine being the poor CO of a Dragon battalion?
Do you actually "like" the idea of shitty mechs?
I mean, it IS more realistic. Its far more representative of the design process and real world logistics. And it is kind of a challenge trying to use inferior equipment.
Its kinda like, "this is what we got, we're stuck with it until something better comes along."
>>43606065
From a roleplay perspective, yes. From a wargaming perspective, no.
It's a conflicting life.
>>43606065
is there a limit to what you can do with field refits? what kind of facilities are required to do a major overhaul of a mechs systems?
Wouldn't it make more sense for mechs to be of a more uniform composition? It seems silly to take the "one of everything" approach instead of specializing.
>>43606065
>Do you actually "like" the idea of shitty mechs?
Yes.
>>43606221
At last! An answer to the Tripod LAM!
>>43606107
An actual field refit is generally limited to swapping weapons, and never anything bigger than what was originally there.
Anything more is unit maintenance or factory level.
>>43605785
>What sourcebook is that in?
TR 3039.
>>43606697
Well fuck me sideways, so it is. But does that refer to the 3039-ish era or the Jihad?
>>43606861
The intro is from 3073, but the entries aren't necessarily from then.
The Dragon's seems to be soon after 3039, given it refers to Rasalhague as the "newly freed Republic".
>>43606861
All the way through.
Playing fluff-friendly Drac is suffering.
Quick, /btg/, pitch your battletech novel ideas
Help me /btg/
I want to make a Steiner lance from early Civil War (of roughly 6500 points)
I know I want to deploy a Banshee and a PPC Zeus
What else would you guys suggest for the remaining 2 mechs?
>>43607655
Nuffin but Uziels.
Or, just deploy a command lance of a Banshee-3S, a Zeus-whatever, and 4 Commandos.
>>43607618
Duncan Fisher doing whatever.
First person novel as audiobook.
Narrator choice obvious.
>>43607671
>command lance
>6 mechs
I see you, St Jamis
>>43607618
PURPLE BURDs transformation into a militarily expansionist dictatorship
>>43607655
A thud-7S and a bushwhacker, maybe?
>>43607673
https://soundcloud.com/cussingeorge/the-last-contender-by-cody
They've already got a short story of that.
>>43607899
So?
Are you objecting to more?
>>43607655
Bring one of the kickass hunchbacks they get. Or a Wolfhound.
>>43608194
Or make a Wolfback
>>43607751
>I see you, St Jamis
You know it, filthy Clanner.
>>43608497
That's just a 6/9 Swayback with an ER large.
>>43605192
The Abrams to mech size is good, the Rommel is off, looks like its volume dwarfs that of the Atlas.
>>43605393
That is just about as perfect you can get and what I thought BT scale should look like.
BA must be absolutely terrifying from the perspective of ordinary people.
>>43609076
>BA must be absolutely terrifying from the perspective of ordinary people.
To say nothing of Protomechs
>>43609438
>To say nothing of Protomechs
To say nothing of ACTUAL FUCKING MECHS.
Are you people retarded? War machines are scary shit.
>>43609076
These mechs are maybe eight meters tall though, which is far off from the 12 they have for gameplay purpose and the 15 the Atlas supposedly reaches according to at least one source.
They're also three quarters rather than half the size of Protomechs (which we canonically know to be four to six meters, which is again said to be half a mech's size) in that image.
>>43609438
>>43609451
Thing about tanks and mechs is you can hide from them and see them before they see you. You see a mech on one side of the building, you can try to run your ass off to the other side and put enough intervening things in the way to hopefully protect yourself.
A BA can hide and go wherever you could go, jump jet its ass up to your window, follow you, shrug off anything you shoot at it, and outrun you.
>>43609518
I said should look like, not what is listed. I personally really dislike how small vehicles are depicted in BT. I also don't really give a shit about most of the canon. The overall flavor, themes and major timeline events are fine. But much of the numbers I see can go right the fuck out with the rest of FASAnomics.
Amaris did nothing wrong.
>>43611421
Amaris did everything wrong.
>>43611552
Your mother did everything wrong.
>>43611675
thus, Amaris is his mother
>>43611811
This explains so much.
>Amaris is /btg/ Anon's mother.
>>43609076
>>43609758
Playing a game of A Time of War raiding an office block come around a corner and a battle armour is tearing a guy in half.
>>43609758
There are alot of weapons that are effective against BA though, Hellbore lasers, SRM's Mines.
Quick question regarding clans in the 3050's.
What sort of weapons and weapon setups do the Ghost Bears, Jade Falcons, Wolves and Smoke Jaguars prefer?
>>43612231
Go open up the Tukkayid source book. Bam, you're done.
>>43612402
Where can I find this source book for download?
>>43612231
Ghost Bears don't have that much of a preference, their stuff is all over the place. Maybe a slightly higher number of pulse lasers than other Clans.
Jade Falcons tend to like having an LB-X with a large energy weapon as their primary loadout (Summoner Prime/M, Kit Fox Prime).
Jags like having either piles of guns and damn the heat (Warhawk and Dire Wolf Prime) or fewer but harder-hitting weapons like GRs and A/C-20s.
Wolves use more energy weapons than anyone else.
>>43612516
Have you tried reading the OP? Have you tried following any links? It's worth it, promise.Note: I'm only like 85% sure the Tukkayid book is in there. If it isn't, it needs to be.
>>43612528
Edit: It is in there. Link 1, under Old Books. Should get you done.
>mfw you can cram a 475 XXL and TSM in a blaketech Albatross
Give it 4 tons of armor and a pair of small lasers (for heat balancing. 2 HS on to maintain heat for stand+2SL/walk+SL/run), spend a few turns running and firing, and you have an Albatross moving 6/9.
>>43613043
that's a nice Light Albatross. I dare you to create a Medium Abatross and an AssaultAlbatross now
>>43613043
>total cost: eleventy billion c-bills
>>43613506
Hey, it's only a quarter of a billion c-bills.
>>43613584
ah, XXL assaults, for when you want your mech to cost as much as a dropship and die like a medium
is there era info for creating DA merc units, for use with FMM(r)? official or fanmade
>>43613895
Clan XXLs aren't particularly worse than IS XLs
>>43604819
The atlas is nearly 15 meters tall, according to official material and Jordan Weismancreator of battletechsaid the hight of battlemechs ranges from 10 to 15 meters. That translates into 32-50 feet or 3-5 stories tall, which seems about right
>>43614060
>The atlas is nearly 15 meters tall, according to official material and Jordan Weisman creator of battletech said the hight of battlemechs ranges from 10 to 15 meters. That translates into 32-50 feet or 3-5 stories tall, which seems about right
But that doesn't agree with my interpretation, where a level is 6 meters and since Mechs are only 2 levels tall, no Mech can be more than 12 meters tall. Therefore, you and your "facts" are wrong and I am right.
>>43614060
>5' infantry
DRACS CONFIRMED MANLETS
>>43613977
Except the extra heat.
>>43613977
That's true, but clantech engines add even more cost and trouble to a already staggeringly expensive and troublesome design
>>43614180
Medron get gone
>>43612231
In the 3050s the Jaguars and Falcons still mostly fought old-school style. This was focused around beating a single opponent 1vs1, which meant maximizing hitting power and not caring so much about combat endurance. The Falcons wised up as time went by and by the end of the decade were fighting pretty smart (by Clan standards), but the Jaguars never learnt shit.
The Wolves have always fought smart. While they would have had a natural preference for hitting power like the Falcons and Jaguars, they were flexible enough to choose the most appropriate weaponry for the situation.
I believe the Ghost Bears ran into supply problems during Tukayyid, and after that began using energy weapons more frequently.
>>43603166
There is no case in which I would rather use stock LLs over equivalent tonnage (or portions thereof) in snubbies
>>43614200
He is crouching quite a bit. About 8-10 inches I would judge, which would mean he's standing a little over 5 feet in that image
>>43614200
The XXLs extra heat is usually easily managed by all the tonnage you free up
After two months of wedding, honeymoon, moving to Aus, and taking forever to get internet, I returnha ha time for shitposting
>>43614763
MARIKA STRONG *angry albatross noises*
>>43614915
ALBATROSS IS A SOLID HEAVY
>>43614763
Has it only been two months?I wish it were six.
>>43614060
>The atlas is nearly 15 meters tall, according to official material
Top kek.
The computer games aren't canon, and the Atlas' height has to be less than 11 metres since the Summoner is the tallest 'Mech according to its TR entry.
Plus all the novels say they're 10 metres tall.
>>43614322
>I believe the Ghost Bears ran into supply problems during Tukayyid, and after that began using energy weapons more frequently.
They did, but the Bears didn't change their style because of that. Their loadouts have been eclectic, their favoured machines are all over the place.
>>43614961
