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Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Justin's son is easily a hundred times more whiny, too.

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PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Let’s Read Warrior: En Garde (part 2)

Book 1
Chapter 2
Kittery
Capellan March, Federated Suns
27 November 3026

We then learn offhand that Justin has been playing the Rice Card in order to spur his trainees to work harder since he’s more awesome then they are at everything, and then contemplates what excellent troops they’ll become some day. Everything is going swimmingly and then one of them detects something odd.

So Justin activates MagScan and spots an anomaly, which he goes to investigate himself. Then everyone gets attacked by Cicadas except Justin, who blunders into a Rifleman. Justin then shows off his command skills by putting the incredibly green Andrew Redburn in charge of the entire battalion so Justin can duel a `Mech he and the Stingers could evade with ease since they’re all fast light jumpers and the Rifleman isn’t. Meanwhile, Cicadas are springing up out of the ground. Somehow.

En Garde posted:

Redburn watched the ground crack open. Capellan `Mechs—Cicadas—sprouted up like nightmare plants in some hideous time-lapse holodocumentary.

And then the pilot who detected the ambush in the first place takes two medium laser hits to the head and dies. Welp.

Stackpole’s pretty good at writing combat, so there’s not a lot to talk about here. Redburn then decides that Justin must be full of poo poo and ignores his orders not to blunder into the Rifleman and decides to hold the hill Justin is fighting behind. Meanwhile, Justin dances around the Rifleman and TACs one of the autocannons.

Two more of the trainees get killed by Stingers, with Stackpole naming and then killing off characters in pretty much the same sentence. Still, I can’t blame him, since giving us the names, descriptions, and sexual orientation of all thirty six trainees in the battalion would be something I’d expect to see straight out of the Felsic Current (along with all the pilots being secretly gay for each other, and a 15 year old female colonel who ‘giggle-squees’ and tackles Justin with her Wolverine or something).

We then learn that Craon is actually a pretty damned good pilot, who cripples a Cicada for the rest of his lance to kill and I’m actually tempted to conduct a battle involving 36 Stingers vs a smaller, heavier force. God help the thread. More faceless trainees die to simulate danger, but we all know nothing bad could ever happen directly to someone important in Battletech fiction. Unless their last name is Kurita. Or Pryde.

Elsewhere, in a blank white void (Justin was just over the hill that Redburn and the battalion are fighting on, but is magically out of visual and sensor range of everyone), Justin gets behind the Rifleman but it’s got swivel arms and takes him out with a single salvo because Justin Allard forgot they could do that.

The Cicadas then run away, and Redburn takes stock. Four or five dead, and a few wounded—not bad for taking on a pack of fast mediums that have you outgunned, even if you’ve got them outnumbered 3:1. After checking the number of the dead and feeling bad about it for about four seconds, Redburn and his ‘staff’ have a laugh at Robert Craon’s expense since the poor, shaken pilot who was running shepherd on everyone and who was just made personally responsible for the safety of everyone in his company at risk of his own career is shaking in his cockpit and wondering what he could’ve done to stop five-some people from being killed.

En Garde posted:

[…] de Payens said that Craon wanted to know why such things never happened to anyone else running shepherd.

“Tell him it builds character,” Redburn laughed, and his staff joined him.

Fuckin’ cold, man. That’s the Inner Sphere for you, though. They then try to check up with Justin, but he doesn’t respond and OH NO there’s smoke coming from the other side of the hill. They find Justin’s Valkyrie, and he’s alive. Craon finds Justin first, unconscious, and then this happens.

En Garde posted:

[Redburn said,] “He’s alive, Craon, and he’ll stay that way if we get some evac help in here fast.” (PTN’s notes: OUCH, that sentence hurts!)

All color had drained from Craon’s face, and he refused to meet Redburn’s gaze. “Do you think we ought to, sir?”

Redburn’s head snapped around as though he’d been punched. “Are you suggesting that ‘a good Capellan is a dead one?’”

Justin’s not here to rear end in a top hat at his subordinates, so Redburn’s got to do it for him.

En Garde posted:

Craon’s jaw dropped open and horror showed in his blue eyes, “Oh God, no, sir.”

Robert Craon. Not a bad guy. No, he’s just concerned because Justin Allard has just had his arm shot off; and will never pilot a `Mech again. In Battletech, in the 3020s? That’s a fate worse than death. Redburn acknowledges that yes, it would probably be better if Justin Allard had been killed.



Book 1
Chapter 3
Pacifica (Chara III)
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
15 January 3027

The Kell Hounds are out Kell Hounding it up. Dan Allard, Justin Allard’s brother, smugs the hell out of his company. Where his brother is leading a Battalion for House Davion, Dan’s leading only twelve. In a fit of poetic irony it just being a really good light `Mech, Dan is also in a Valkyrie. We then learn that Pacifica is a shithole with a fourteen hour day/night cycle, is prone to massive planet-wide thunderstorms, and that the clocks are retarded here. This will be a major plot point for Book 1. We then learn that one of Dan’s pilots has upgraded from a Locust to a Wasp, and that ‘that monster’ makes her think she’s invincible.

Think about that for a moment.

`Mechs over 50 tons are supposed to be rare as hell.

Not a lot happens, since this is just an intro for the Kell Hounds. Dan has a pep talk with his Wasp pilot, and misconstrues her feelings towards another pilot (who cost got her old `Mech killed, then talked a Marauder pilot into capturing an enemy `Mech to replace the lost Locust). Turns out Dan is just not good at reading people, and instead of being upset, the Wasp pilot (who is a woman) is conflicted because she wants to gently caress him (80’s!). This is perfectly ok, since the Kell Hounds aren’t military and

Dan then text-dumps about his father’s marriage to his first (Capellan) wife and this makes everything better somehow. Meg (the Wasp pilot) then brings up Dan’s half-brother, Justin, who just so happens to be in the Capellan March. They then laugh about how much Pacifica sucks. That’s the whole chapter.



Book 1
Chapter 4
Pacifica (Chara III)
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
15 January 3027

The Kell Hounds’ commanding officers are having a poker game staff meeting poker game. We’re introduced to Patrick Kell, who is the nicest guy in the entire Battletech universe. No, seriously, I’d play poker with him. Patrick takes a personal interest in the ex-Locust current Wasp pilot, by which I mean he’s concerned and wants to make sure she’s adapting and willing to offer extra support if Dan thinks it’s necessary. It’s not because Dan Allard is lazy doesn’t really have a firm grasp of how his troops are doing is an excellent trainer / counselor.

Also, cards in the Inner Sphere the Lyran Commonwealth the Isle of Skye Pacifica apparently use the great houses as suites (except Liao, because Liao). They then get a message and Dan learns that Justin had his arm shot off two chapters ago. Patrick Kell offers to have Dan sent to New Avalon directly, at the Kell Hounds’ expense because he’s just that awesome a guy. Dan says ‘no, it’ll be ok’ then swears eternal vengeance upon whoever it was that hurt his older brother, then promptly forgets about it since he never looks into it further. I’m not joking, this ‘vengeance’ really is forgotten completely the next time we see Dan Allard.

Then the chapter ends.

Its Rinaldo
Aug 13, 2010

CODS BINCH

PoptartsNinja posted:

Justin then shows off his command skills by putting the incredibly green Andrew Redburn in charge of the entire battalion so Justin can duel a `Mech he and the Stingers could evade with ease since they’re all fast light jumpers and the Rifleman isn’t.

Is Justin a Capellan or from the Combine? That's some pants on head retardation.

PoptartsNinja posted:

Robert Craon. Not a bad guy. No, he’s just concerned because Justin Allard has just had his arm shot off; and will never pilot a `Mech again. In Battletech, in the 3020s? That’s a fate worse than death. Redburn acknowledges that yes, it would probably be better if Justin Allard had been killed.

Oh for the days when being Dispossessed was some scary rear end poo poo, before people changed mechs like you change razor blades. Got shot out my centuries old assault ride? gently caress yeah, just stick me in a captured Clan Omni and I'm good to go, bro!

PoptartsNinja posted:

Dan says ‘no, it’ll be ok’ then swears eternal vengeance upon whoever it was that hurt his older brother, then promptly forgets about it since he never looks into it further. I’m not joking, this ‘vengeance’ really is forgotten completely the next time we see Dan Allard.

Then the chapter ends.

Well, it could be he's just a young guy and felt kinda dumb later on after realizing he swore vengeance on some random House Liao mechwarrior when he's off in the Isle of Sky and hundreds of light years away. I bet the techs had a good laugh about it. "Get your revenge yet, Allard? How 'bout today?"

Maybe not, Kell Hounds tend to not be pricks.

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


For all that Stackpole talked up being Dispossessed, he never actually did it to anybody.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Bad Moon posted:

Is Justin a Capellan or from the Combine? That's some pants on head retardation.

He also doesn't tell anyone what he's doing. He doesn't say "There's a Rifleman over here, I'm going to tie it up so it can't flank you. Good luck, Andy!"

Instead he says "NO DON'T GO WEST STAY AWAY." :supaburn:

That is a plot point.


VVV I contend that Stackpole isn't a bad author. He writes good, understandable combat and his analogies are out there without being overly bizarre--his dialogue just sucks.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 08:29 on May 3, 2012

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Just goes to show you: a master tactician in a story can only be as good as the author, and everyone else will be dumber than that.

Carbolic
Apr 19, 2007

This song is about how America chews the working man up and spits him in the dirt to die

PoptartsNinja posted:

Elsewhere, in a blank white void (Justin was just over the hill that Redburn and the battalion are fighting on, but is magically out of visual and sensor range of everyone), Justin gets behind the Rifleman but it’s got swivel arms and takes him out with a single salvo because Justin Allard forgot they could do that.

It should be noted that Stackpole loves this tactic. As I recall, it gets used at least once in the next book as well. And every time it is used, someone is completely surprised by it.

The Merry Marauder
Apr 4, 2009

"But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own."

PoptartsNinja posted:

He also doesn't tell anyone what he's doing. He doesn't say "There's a Rifleman over here, I'm going to tie it up so it can't flank you. Good luck, Andy!"

Instead he says "NO DON'T GO WEST STAY AWAY." :supaburn:

That is a plot point.

Well, we know from future events that Andy "Blown the gently caress Up" Redburn has a bit of a hero complex sense of immortality death wish, so you gotta figure he would have Spider-hopped to the Major's side if he knew the situation.

Despite what that would mean for the battalion, I expect.

PhotoKirk
Jul 2, 2007

insert witty text here

PoptartsNinja posted:

Robert Craon. Not a bad guy. No, he’s just concerned because Justin Allard has just had his arm shot off; and will never pilot a `Mech again.

Except for Kelly Yukinov, Minobu Tetsahura, Rhonda Snord, and about a half-dozen notable pilot from the 3025 TR. Artifical arms, legs, one guy had a partial face replacement.

It has always bugged me that a major plot point in the Warrior Trilogy is completely inconsistent with the rest of BT canon.

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady
Rhonda Snord (who I didn't know had bionics) and Kelly Yukinov have Clantech bionics. That's why Jaime Wolf is so pissed that Monobu won't accept Dragoons medical help. At this point in time bionics are just not all that great in the inner sphere unless you've got access to the Dragoon's tech or Comstar's.

The Rice Card is much appreciated.

Felime
Jul 10, 2009

Carbolic posted:

It should be noted that Stackpole loves this tactic. As I recall, it gets used at least once in the next book as well. And every time it is used, someone is completely surprised by it.

To be fair, this happens to pretty much everyone who has ever fought a Sagittaire in the history of ever. At least against clanners you can just assume that all their mechs have flippy arms until proven otherwise.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Carbolic posted:

It should be noted that Stackpole loves this tactic. As I recall, it gets used at least once in the next book as well. And every time it is used, someone is completely surprised by it.

To be fair the way it's used in the second book is a little more complex than "I get behind him! Oh no he can shoot me!"

jng2058
Jul 17, 2010

We have the tools, we have the talent!





PhotoKirk posted:

Except for Kelly Yukinov, Minobu Tetsahura, Rhonda Snord, and about a half-dozen notable pilot from the 3025 TR. Artifical arms, legs, one guy had a partial face replacement.

It has always bugged me that a major plot point in the Warrior Trilogy is completely inconsistent with the rest of BT canon.

To be fair, Yukinov and Snord got their cybernetics from the Wolf's Dragoons, who had better tech than anyone else. And Tetsuhara got his by direct command of the Coordinator so he could keep running the Ryuken, and presumably it was ruinously expensive.

In short, the kind of cybernetics that would allow you to pilot a 'mech effectively are probably so expensive as to be reserved for the likes Michael Hasek-Davion, members of the Dragoons, and those gifted them directly by the House leaders, the way Tetsuhara was, and Justin will be.

It would therefore be entirely reasonable for Redburn and Croan to assume that a piddly Training Battalion commander wouldn't be the beneficiary of such royal largess, and therefore, that Justin's career as a Mechwarrior was over.

Also, the fact that Justin himself believes that he's done, as we'll see shortly, I think reflects the technological disparity present in the Federated Suns in the 3020s. The NAIS has developed functional cyberware to allow mechwarriors who lose limbs to return to the cockpit, but it's so rare that even AFFS officers have never heard of it. It's almost a metaphor for the way that New Avalon is a planet of wonders that has one of the highest standards of living in the Sphere...but it rules an empire mired in the dark ages where the gifts of New Avalon's technology not only don't make it to the outer worlds, but those worlds aren't even aware some of those things exist.

EDIT: VVV There ya go. The Dragoons had cybertech, the NAIS was just getting it, and no one else had it. Problem solved. VVV

jng2058 fucked around with this message at 18:00 on May 3, 2012

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Tetsuhara had a non-bionic prosthetic. He piloted his `Mech by willpower alone.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Let’s Read Warrior: En Garde (part 3)

Book 1
Chapter 5
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
15 January 3027

We’re introduced to Gray Noton (who’s getting fat, and lamenting it) and Tsen Shang (who’s not really that bad a guy). They’re in Thor’s Shieldhall, which is a pretty awesome bit of world-building: a bar for Solaris champions and the extraordinarily rich who want to pay money to be seen in the same room as a Solaris champion. Noton is creeped out by Tsen Shang’s hands, which have ten centimeter fingernails (lacquered, painted, and reinforced with carbon fiber so they’re razor sharp) on the last three digits. Shang is also described as ‘foppish,’ but I’m really not sure Stackpole knows how to convey that with a Chinese noble so it gets glossed over pretty much immediately.

Shang is also shown as an addict of Opium the Kincha fruit, native to a planet the Capellans lost to the Free Worlds League, but this is ancillary beyond passing the knowledge that Max Liao has banned consumption of the fruit since losing the world that grows it was a stain on Capellan honor. There’s actually a fair bit of subtlety here, since it implies either Tsen Shang is an idiot (which Noton says flat out he isn’t), an expatriate, or powerful enough that he doesn’t really fear Capellan spies. Shang congratulates Noton on his failure, and gloats about the defeat of Justin Allard’s maiming.

Noton was unaware that he’d injured Justin so badly that he’d never been able to pilot again, and quietly regrets not putting a large laser through Justin’s cockpit because he hated having maimed a warrior so badly that warrior would never be able to fight again. This is a running theme in this era, and it’s one I wish they’d kept even if it is a bit shortsighted.

We then learn that Tsen Shang is fixing fights with Capellan `Mechwarriors. Oooh sinister. He then tells Gray to keep his ears to the floor regarding Andrew “Clueless” Redburn, since an officer that green really shouldn’t have been able to organize thirty six `Mechs that well. Chapter over.



Book 1
Chapter 6
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
15 January 3027

Noton then has a meeting with Enrico Lestrade, Baron von Summer, and his girlfriend, Contessa Kim Sorenson. Noton immediately insults Enrico for being a moron, and comments offhand that he’s surprised Enrico’s uncle hadn’t had Enrico assigned as the Lyran ambassador to Luthien.

Enrico then outright tells Noton he wants to hire Noton to help him steal a JumpShip. Noton bluntly asks for 300,000 plus a personal fee of 50,000 c-bills for himself (PTN’s note: waaaaaaaaay too little money), and Enrico balks because that’s way over budget.

… Really?

Anyway, Enrico leaves and Phillip Capet (the `Mechwarrior that Justin had kicked out of the AFFS) walks up and establishes himself as a jackass by taunting Noton. Noton politely tells him to go gently caress himself, and that if he doesn’t “Legend Killer” (Noton’s Rifleman) will be his death. Forshadowing!

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Hiring random dudes to help steal a JumpShip in 3025? That's like hiring goons to steal Faberge Eggs.

Zeroisanumber
Oct 23, 2010

Nap Ghost

Defiance Industries posted:

Hiring random dudes to help steal a JumpShip in 3025? That's like hiring goons to steal Faberge Eggs.

That's a good idea if your objective is painful comedy, not so good if your objective is Faberge Eggs.

Angry_Ed
Mar 30, 2010




Grimey Drawer

PoptartsNinja posted:

Enrico then outright tells Noton he wants to hire Noton to help him steal a JumpShip. Noton bluntly asks for 300,000 plus a personal fee of 50,000 c-bills for himself (PTN’s note: waaaaaaaaay too little money), and Enrico balks because that’s way over budget.

Since I keep forgetting how much stuff costs in C-Bills, did you mean that it's way too little money for something so high-value as stealing a jumpship, or that it's just way too little money in general?

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Angry_Ed posted:

Since I keep forgetting how much stuff costs in C-Bills, did you mean that it's way too little money for something so high-value as stealing a jumpship, or that it's just way too little money in general?

JumpShips in 3025 are literally priceless.

Angry_Ed
Mar 30, 2010




Grimey Drawer

Defiance Industries posted:

JumpShips in 3025 are literally priceless.

I knew that and figured it was the former but I wasn't absolutely sure.

GenericServices
Apr 28, 2010

Defiance Industries posted:

JumpShips in 3025 are literally priceless.

More to the point, even in other eras when JumpShip manufacturing wasn't badly crippled, an Invader-class, the bog-standard iconic interstellar transport, cost like half a billion C-bills. Effectively, that guy just charged five bucks and a sandwich to steal the Mona Lisa.

Rhobot Mk. II
Jan 15, 2008
Mk. II: Bigger, longer, uncut robo-cock.

Angry_Ed posted:

Since I keep forgetting how much stuff costs in C-Bills, did you mean that it's way too little money for something so high-value as stealing a jumpship, or that it's just way too little money in general?

Yeah, here's the price of a Merchant Class Jumpship on Sarna: 384,711,675 C-Bills

That's a piece of poo poo, btw.

A star lord, an actually nice jumpship runs for 750,000,000 C-Bills.

He asked for the equivalent cost of stocking the jumpship with toilet paper for a year in exchange for stealing one.

jng2058
Jul 17, 2010

We have the tools, we have the talent!





Rhobot Mk. II posted:

He asked for the equivalent cost of stocking the jumpship with toilet paper for a year in exchange for stealing one.

I'd like to take a moment and point out that this is actually addressed in the book.

Grey Noton posted:

"If you're talking about stealing a Jump Ship, stop right there. No one I know would dare steal a Jump Ship. Especially since the Federated Suns began its anti-hijacking measures last year."

Lestrade goes on to clarify that he doesn't want to steal a Jump Ship so much as divert a Drop Ship that's going to be en route, to which Noton replies that hijacking a Drop Ship might be possible.

Granted, 300,000 C-Bills is still way low for even that, given that you couldn't even get a Locust for that kind of cash, much less a Monarch Class Drop Ship.

Still, it just means that Noton's goons are being grossly underpaid as opposed to insanely underpaid.

Affi
Dec 18, 2005

Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA
When things don't add up I always add a few zeroes in my head.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

I don't know if C-Bill costs for anything were really all that established when this was written.

And I'm pretty sure the Battlespace rules for construction were "Haha, no"

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady
As you will soon see, whatever the people in question were offered it wasn't enough.

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Taerkar posted:

I don't know if C-Bill costs for anything were really all that established when this was written.

And I'm pretty sure the Battlespace rules for construction were "Haha, no"

Well, this trilogy came out after TRO:3025, which has costs for DropShips, if nothing else.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Actually I think it's sort of like the modern equivalent of asking for $300,000 plus a $50k bonus for stealing a military submarine.

In that $300k is a pretty decent amount of cash that an ordinary joe wouldn't possibly be able to come up with it - but it's orders of magnitude too little given the value of what's being stolen.

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady
A C-bill is "about five bux" apparently. Wether that's 80's bux or today's is never made clear.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.
This was also written at a time when FASA thought that a mere 3,000 jumpships could handle all the trade of the Inner Sphere. So if this guy was being asked to steal a Jumpship, it would be like trying to hijack something that can be identified in about 30 seconds anywhere you go.

They later quietly retconned that number to 30,000 in time for the Clan Invasion.

Cthulhu Dreams
Dec 11, 2010

If I pretend to be Cthulhu no one will know I'm a baseball robot.

berryjon posted:

This was also written at a time when FASA thought that a mere 3,000 jumpships could handle all the trade of the Inner Sphere. So if this guy was being asked to steal a Jumpship, it would be like trying to hijack something that can be identified in about 30 seconds anywhere you go.

They later quietly retconned that number to 30,000 in time for the Clan Invasion.

30,000 isn't close to enough either. How many container ships does earth alone have? Today? 10,000? Plus tankers?

But thinking about it to hard leads to :psyboom:

Do any merc units own their own JumpShips or do they all thumb rides off passing JumpShips?

dis astranagant
Dec 14, 2006

I bet Comstar bought them all out so they could go full on Spacing Guild instead of just being Space AT&T.

Congratulations! You Won.
Mar 21, 2007


THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN



Even 30,000 is way, way too small. It's just another case of FASAnomics, aka "oh god we don't know anything about economics just make something up and hope no one notices." Just think that there is enough that interstellar trade was possible but expensive, and that blowing up a JumpShip is pretty much a war crime.

Cthulhu Dreams posted:

Do any merc units own their own JumpShips or do they all thumb rides off passing JumpShips?
It matters how rich a merc is, pretty much. Most units try to use their own transports, but often they will ride on private ships or be moved around by their employer. After all, if they are on the payroll, there's less of a chance of them ditching a unit if things go bad.

Maintaining a JumpShip is a huge sum of money, and that still doesn't include the cost of acquiring one via hiring a private ship full-time/buying one/theft.

Bass Concert Hall
May 9, 2005

by Nyc_Tattoo
Huh, I had no idea jumpships were so valuable. So basically Spectre from MW4 Mercs commits near crimes against humanity, what with blowing up a dozen dropships in the course of his campaign.

Arquinsiel
Jun 1, 2006

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first."

God Bless Margaret Thatcher
God Bless England
RIP My Iron Lady
HUGE units like the Wolf's Dragoons, Kell Hounds and Eridani Light Horse have them out the wazoo. Big units will maybe have one or two and dropships for all. Mid-sized units might have one, but will normally have dropships for most of their troops. Small units might have a dropship, but will often need to hire more to get everyone off the ground at once.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Keep in mind that not all jumpships are equal. They can carry between zero and nine dropships so they are not exactly a direct comparison to freighters.

Some jumpships take regular routes while others can wander.

WhiteHowler
Apr 3, 2001

I'M HUGE!

Bass Concert Hall posted:

Huh, I had no idea jumpships were so valuable. So basically Spectre from MW4 Mercs commits near crimes against humanity, what with blowing up a dozen dropships in the course of his campaign.
Jumpships and dropships aren't the same thing. Jumpships have no atmospheric entry capability and generally sit out in space and charge their batteries while all the fun stompy robot stuff is going on.

Dropships are definitely valuable, but they don't have jump capabilities and are still in production during the later succession wars.

Most mercenary units, even smaller ones, generally maintain their own dropship transportation. Only the really rich/successful units own a jumpship (Wolf's Dragoons for obvious reasons, and other big names like the Kell Hounds, Eridani Light Horse, Northwind Highlanders, etc.)

Congratulations! You Won.
Mar 21, 2007


THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN



Jumpships (and Dropships) go way down in value, so to speak, following the Clan Invasion/Helm Memory Core stuff. The main issue was that they could only make "a handful" of jumpships a year, but once they have a steady new supply of them they become less and less protected. Dropships, on the other hand, were mostly left alone because it was worth more trying to steal them instead of just blowing them up.

It's kind of the same as the pre-3050 "'Mechs are family heirlooms" vs mass-produced 'Mechs post-Clan Invasion.

Rorac
Aug 19, 2011

Bass Concert Hall posted:

Huh, I had no idea jumpships were so valuable. So basically Spectre from MW4 Mercs commits near crimes against humanity, what with blowing up a dozen dropships in the course of his campaign.


He was shooting down dropships, not jumpships. These are two different things. Dropships are more like the space shuttle scaled up; able to get into space from a planet but not able to go too far beyond that. They'd dock to a jumpship capable of moving them to a new planet, where they'd drop and unload their cargo upon landing. The jumpship never actually lands on the planet itsself.

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WhiteHowler
Apr 3, 2001

I'M HUGE!

Ba Donk a Bonk posted:

It's kind of the same as the pre-3050 "'Mechs are family heirlooms" vs mass-produced 'Mechs post-Clan Invasion.
Well, that was never very realistic. Given how much combat went on during this period, the idea that most of the mechs in the field were 200+ years old was kind of silly.

Even during the third and fourth succession wars, when manufacturing was supposedly at its low point, the sourcebooks reference tons of factories churning out mechs -- mostly old designs because ComStar actively stifled innovation during this period.

By the time the Clans showed up in 3050, all the new Inner Sphere mech designs and lostech weapons were just starting to see widespread use among House armies and the more well-connected mercenary units.

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