Crazy Battletech Idea.....

I can promise terror, glory, and riches...or a quick and brutal death.
Message
Author
max_vale
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 3964
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:58 pm

Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#1 Post by max_vale »

Hey peoples!

Anybody out there into old-school Battletech? I'm talking the 3025; pre-Clans (and really, pre-4th Succession War) era.....the mid 80s FASA game about Giant Robots piloted by people who lived in a 31st Century Feudal Future spread across a 1,000 worlds (with no aliens) of 5 Ruling Houses battling it out with lost technology they didn't really understand anymore.....


If any of you have ANY idea what I'm talking about; I have spent much of the past 20 or so years trying to collect everything Battletech produced between 1985 or so and 1990. Now that I have almost everything made in that era....I was thinking of trying to actually USE some of it. :) These books/games include a Tactical Boardgame (90% of the products are about this); an RPG (Mechwarrior....never played it, but the system seems pretty meh); and a Strategic Boardgame (Succession Wars).

One of the ideas I've had was to do a game that broke down into several different 'layers'....one of which would be Role-playing the members of a Mercenary Mech Lance (4 Mechs each with 1 pilot) or Company (12 mechs) as they made their way around the Galaxy getting into battles and what-not; while a second layer would be using (at least some) of the Boardgame elements (maneuvering the Mechs around a map in combat); AND a Strategic phase where the players would no longer be representing their individual characters but rather the 5 Great Houses who are duking it out (i.e. playing the Succession Wars game) and based on events in THIS game; stuff may trickled down into the RPG.

Obviously this would be a LONG TERM affair and I'm not the fastest of posters; so if you ARE interested, please understand you're committing to a long-term project. I'd need 3-5 players I think for this project; if it happens.....and if somebody out there also has a lot of the old products I'm talking about (Basically FASA products with the production codes between 1604 and about 1635 or so) and they're good at linking pictures, maps, etc.; that'd be a HUGE HELP. I'm NOT tied to any particular system (I.e. we don't have to use the Mechwarrior RPG system, I could use D6 or something else for that part)

Any other crazy people out there like me who might be interested in something like this?

User avatar
Starbeard
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4615
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:09 pm
Location: California

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#2 Post by Starbeard »

This sounds very cool. I'm fascinated with pre-Clans Battletech, but I have never actually read, played, or owned any BT other than picking up a couple of miniatures in a bargain bin and of course playing the first couple of Mechwarrior computer games.

I'm also too busy right now to commit to more games, but if it's at the same post rate as you Star Wars game then that's actually not a large commitment. I wouldn't be any help with rules though.

For the wargame level stuff, would each player control a company, or a lance within the same company, or simply a single mech in the same lance? And would we be a House unit or independent mercs? Or possibly even competing units from different sides?

max_vale
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 3964
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:58 pm

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#3 Post by max_vale »

Hey amigo!

For the 'main' RPG/Boardgame part (and the Boardgame part COULD be dropped for simply RPG elements, I'm flexible! :) ); I was thinking the PCs would be Mercenaries and each would play 1 pilot for 1 Mech in a Lance....possibly with a 'backup' character or two (perhaps other Mech pilots in other Lances of the Company or Scouts or something).

As for the time commitments...yeah, once or twice a week is about all I can manage. :)

Anybody else out there interested? Any thoughts/opinions welcome......as are questions if you have NO IDEA what we're talking about! :)

wolfpack
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8595
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:04 am

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#4 Post by wolfpack »

I hated the whole clans concept, we played 4th succession wars and did use the inner spere book with found tech like gauss rifles. 3050 maybe?

we played mechwarrior which was the RPG for battletech that's what you want to look into. i would love to play, just not sure how you would do the hex movement online.

User avatar
Starbeard
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4615
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:09 pm
Location: California

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#5 Post by Starbeard »

He could wing the ranges and hex grid like most would for AD&D.

Or, he could set up the scenario on Roll20 or something, where he can keep the board saved and just log in when a piece needs to be moved or measured. He could let us log into the game to view the situation.

I kind of like the idea of the GM keeping the game board hidden, and then describing to each player only what they can see or hear. The players say what they're doing and the GM turns that into a game move. I've done that with with WW2 games, it was a lot of fun and adds to the fog of war.

User avatar
GreyWolfVT
Wants a special title like Scott
Posts: 32927
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:02 pm
Location: Vermont
Contact:

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#6 Post by GreyWolfVT »

I used to play old school battle tech with a now ex-brother-in-law usually with one or two other guys it was always free for all never clans or teams or anything. I still think I have a pewter mech painted up from back then. I'd be interested simply to see how well this game system would play out in a pbp situation
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

max_vale
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 3964
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:58 pm

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#7 Post by max_vale »

Awesome; two more interested parties! Welcome aboard Greywolf and Wolfpack! (Lots of wolves on these boards! :) )

If I can get one more (I'll try to con...err...conVINCE my RL buddy Monsieur Rose to join in :) ); we can get started!

As for EXACTLY how we'll do things, I've got a couple ideas....one is trying to figure out this new site I just found yesterday called Megamek; which if I undestand it correctly, is a free program you can download to your computer and then use for on-line games using the Boadgame rules. If this is simple enough for a computer idiot like me to grasp (and I have NO idea if that's the case yet); then maybe I'll (or all of us) use that for the boardgame parts....or at least for screen shots of the situation, etc.

Another possibility is what Starbeard said and just somehow or the other take pics/screen shots/whatever of the situation and then let each player make choices (including just using the maps and pieces I have here at home...though I have very few miniatures, mostly the old-school 'stand-ups' and taking pics of these)....

Yet a third option is to basically just have occasional maps/pics put up here and just RPG it out....

I'll get it figured out and please, all input is welcome! Once again, welcome aboard peoples!

For the 'Strategic' part.....i.e. the Succession Wars Game game; if I can get Rose or someone else to be a 4th; each of you will represent one of the 5 Great Houses (with me taking the 5th house) and there will be basically be two teams; one of Davion and Steiner and the other with Marik, Kurita and Liao and each turn will probably represent about 3 months or so....and we'll probably do 1 Turn; and then RPG for a couple months and then do another Strategic Turn...something like that.

For the main 'Tactical/RPG' part of the Game, I'm thinking of starting folks out in some kind of dire situation and then building up slowly as a Struggling Mercenary unit.....that sound okay to all of you?

wolfpack
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8595
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:04 am

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#8 Post by wolfpack »

That sounds fine. I still think we shojuld look for a mechwarrior PDF, also I don't have the actual mech books anymore. One thing I loved about battletech was customizing my mechs. switching out weapon systems, things like that.

wolfpack
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8595
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:04 am

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#9 Post by wolfpack »

OK so I went and found a mechearrior PDF if anyone wants it. I also foound a link to download all of the originl battletech source material including the technical readouts.

User avatar
GreyWolfVT
Wants a special title like Scott
Posts: 32927
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:02 pm
Location: Vermont
Contact:

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#10 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Nice wolfpack I'll be needing a copy as I never actually had a copy of either my at the time in-law was providing all the rule-books and so forth.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

max_vale
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 3964
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:58 pm

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#11 Post by max_vale »

Okay, so I talked to my RL buddy who's also on these boards as well; Monsieur Rose; and he's in; so I've got 4 and that's enough to get started...whoo-hoo!

I'll use the next few days/week to get some boards up; some background info (please keep in mind that my take on the BT universe, circa 3025 will be SLIGHTLY AU; so anything you find in 'cannon' books, websites, etc. might not necessarily apply); etc.

A good general site to learn about lots of things Battletech is sarna.net

As for rule sets, etc......I'm kinda leaning towards using my default D6 system of choice (as in the 1st Edition West End Games Star Wars version) for the RPG stuff.....most of the board game stuff will be largely 'as is' with a couple of few changes....probably the most significant of which is randomizing damage for the Tactical Game.

As an example; in the 'as is' rules; Medium Lasers do 5 damage; PPCs do 10 damage; Autocannon 5s do 5 damage, etc., etc. I was thinking something more like; Medium Laser: 1d6+2 damage; Medium Autocannon (i.e. AC 5): 2d6 damage; etc.

My major reason for doing this is to A: Speed up the game a bit as anyone who has ever played it knows, it can sometimes take FOREVER even for relatively Light Mechs to defeat each other; B: Make things 'more interesting' by sometimes landing a more telling blow than you would otherwise expect or a weaker one; and C: giving some weapons some more purpose/reason to have them (Autocannons, I'm looking at you!).

Thoughts?

Also, for the first adventure, I'm thinking of having people roll a d6 to determine what kind of Mech they start with; 1: 20 tons (Locust, Wasp, Stinger); 2: 25 tons (any of the 20 tonners or a Commando); 3: 30 tons, etc; up to 6: 45 tons

METAGAME NEWSFLASH: Don't worry too much about these initial Mechs; the adventure ideas I have in mind won't include them for long. :)

Also, tell me some of your favorite mechs (3025 era; includes unseen....most likely does NOT include Star League era Mechs they introduced later like the Champion, Black Knight, etc. but I MIGHT make an exception); and there's a VERY good chance you will get to pilot such a mech in the future.

Finally;in the way I see things most Mechwarriors come from 3 'classes';

-NOBLEs: Characters who were born into a family that runs at LEAST a Major City or Continent on a planet and some may actually run an entire Planet or Region (though I'm NOT having any PCs connected to the 5 Ruling Houses) and whose status is such that the State they serve pretty much gives them Mechs; though the family may also have several heirloom mechs as well.

-KNIGHTs: Characters who are minor nobility and who come from a family of long military service and whose possession include estates big enough/rich enough to pay for facilities to house 1-3 Mechs which have been in the family for anywhere from a few decades to a few centuries. Such families do risk losing their Status and ability to maintain their lands and facilities (including mech trainers and grounds big enough to take Mechs on practice maneuvers, shooting ranges, etc.) if they lose their Mechs.

-SOLDIERs: A catch-all term for commoners who either through very hard work and training have earned a degree from a Mechwarrior Academy or former Mechwarriors who lost their Mechs (became 'Dispossesd') and stole/re-constructed/defeated a Mech as an Infantry/Conventional soldier somehow, etc.; or a Tech who rebuilt/repaired a Salvaged Mech and learned enough to be able to pilot it. Such Mechwarriors are assigned a Mech by the State (or Merc unit); but they do NOT own it and therefore they are frequently looked own upon by the Knights and Noble mechwarriors.

For the party; I'm thinking I'd like one member to be a NOBLE; 1 or 2 to be a KNIGHT and the other 1 or 2 to be SOLDIER(s).

Thoughts?

User avatar
GreyWolfVT
Wants a special title like Scott
Posts: 32927
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:02 pm
Location: Vermont
Contact:

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#12 Post by GreyWolfVT »

The damage adjustment or changed makes sense to me as you said it would take a long time doing it by the normal damage numbers.

Favorite Mechs: Crusader, Shadow Hawk, Wolverine, Wasp, Dragon

As for character type I'm good with being a Knight or Soldier class I don't want to be a Noble. ;)
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

wolfpack
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8595
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:04 am

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#13 Post by wolfpack »

damage change is fine with me.


light: commando, javelin, spider, jenner

medium: wolverine, griffin, dervish, centurian

heavy: grasshopper, crusader, catapult, archer, victor

I wouldn't mind being a knight but soldier is fine. No noble please.

User avatar
Starbeard
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4615
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:09 pm
Location: California

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#14 Post by Starbeard »

I guess that leaves me with the noble. It feels ominous that that everyone else is running away from that character type, but whatever. I'm always up for a challenge!

I don't really have any experience with BT and it's been ages since I played the MW games, so I don't really have any mechs that I favour over the others. I'll just roll for a few from the Technical Readout: 3025 list, and hope that none of them are barred for whatever reason:

Light: Wasp, Firestarter
Medium: Wolverine, Centurian
Heavy: Marauder, Orion
(do assault mechs count? I'm not sure I know the difference between them and heavies): Awesome, Charger

max_vale
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 3964
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:58 pm

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#15 Post by max_vale »

Alright....I'm awaiting approval for the boards; so I'm happy to see that Starbeard is happy to take on the 'noble' role; and for the 'Wolves'; if you two could make a choice between Knight or Solider; I'd appreciate it....plus it makes Rose's character 'class' choice easier. :)

Cool to see how many different kind of mechs you guys like; I was worried everyone would say "Warhammer" or whatever....:)

Also, if each of you could make a 1d6 roll and post it in this thread, I'd appreciate it. This will allow me to give you options for your 'first' Mech. Thanks and I'm looking forward to getting this experiment/game off the ground!

User avatar
GreyWolfVT
Wants a special title like Scott
Posts: 32927
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:02 pm
Location: Vermont
Contact:

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#16 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Soldier

want to say Knight but I'm happy working as a general "grunt" ;)

[1d6] = 2
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

max_vale
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 3964
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:58 pm

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#17 Post by max_vale »

Thanks amigo;

Okay, so that 2 you rolled means you have a choice of 4 kinds of Mechs for your first Mech;

20 tons: 3 'bug' Mechs; Locust, Wasp, Stinger

25 tons: Commando

Let me know which, if any, strikes your fancy....from your earlier post, I'd guess 'Wasp'; but it's your call.

wolfpack
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8595
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:04 am

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#18 Post by wolfpack »

knight it is

[1d6] = 4

User avatar
GreyWolfVT
Wants a special title like Scott
Posts: 32927
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:02 pm
Location: Vermont
Contact:

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#19 Post by GreyWolfVT »

max_vale wrote:Thanks amigo;

Okay, so that 2 you rolled means you have a choice of 4 kinds of Mechs for your first Mech;

20 tons: 3 'bug' Mechs; Locust, Wasp, Stinger

25 tons: Commando

Let me know which, if any, strikes your fancy....from your earlier post, I'd guess 'Wasp'; but it's your call.
Wasp me up max ;)
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

User avatar
Starbeard
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4615
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:09 pm
Location: California

Re: Crazy Battletech Idea.....

#20 Post by Starbeard »


Post Reply

Return to “Looking for players or games”