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Ferrosol posted:In this time of need and in the spirit of the star league two great powers reunite to take the fight back to a genocidal bunch of military fanatics. But the Taurians made one big mistake...they landcollector fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 00:46
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Steel Will: Tactical Update 1 “Watch your ECM, Weber.” Sgt. Major Reliance Mao glowered at her comms. The sharp hiss of static in her ears did not abate, and her secondary monitors continued to flicker as unseen forces wrought havoc on her Enfield’s state-of-the-art sensors. When she’d traded her old Guillotine for the lighter Enfield, she’d wondered if she’d made the right choice. The machine still smelled of new paint, and the oxygen scrubbers didn’t have to wage a losing battle against a hundred years of sweat and fear; but at the time she’d worried the little `Mech wouldn’t have the same spirit her old Guillotine did. As far as she could tell, its DI Computer hadn’t even picked up a single operational quirk. At the time, it had been hard to argue against Duke Hasek’s plan: Any front-line pilot without an entirely modern machine could trade their `Mech for a new machine straight off the production lines. Their old BattleMech would be taken away and refitted with new weaponry and equipment for however long that process would take. Mao would then have the option to return to her improved original ride, or to trade it for the `Mech she’d been piloting at no personal cost. The Guillotine always had been a tad slow for her tastes, and her new Enfield was a dream. Now? She had no doubts: if she’d stuck with her older, slower `Mech she’d have been killed when the Concordat’s aerospace fighters had bombed her lance. “It isn’t me, Rel,” Sgt. Fynn Weber’s voice had a tinny, metallic quality. “That’s not ECM at all. Must be the dropship, her fusion plant must be running unshielded.” “As hard as it came down, I’m surprised anything on that ship still works,” Mao replied casually. “Stay close, Weber, there may be survivors after all and there’s no telling how far our radios will work in this soup. The last thing I want is to blunder into an ambush by the assholes we’re theoretically here to save.” ************************************************************************ The heavy crackling of Lt. Dorian Bellard’s secondary monitor intensified slowly over the past kilometer, its digital readout already well past the redline. A drop of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. The in-cockpit monitor still showed green—his seals were intact, there was no radiation leaking into his machine. They were running on bottled air for this drop, with `Mechs sealed as carefully as they’d need to be to fight at the bottom of the ocean or in space. Still, Dorian wasn’t much worried about his Watchman. It was a new machine, as was Sgt. Sommers’ Blackjack. The real concerns were Sgt. Laguerre’s Raven, and— He slowed, turning to face the rest of his lance. As if sensing his thoughts, his wife’s ancient Firebee flashed him a thumbs-up. Her cockpit was still sealed too, all of her electronic and chemical radiation sensors must’ve all been green too. Dorian’s secondary monitor pinged a warning, passing into the second red-zone while they were still a kilometer out. “Rescue mission’s scrubbed,” he transmitted. “The area’s way too hot to bring any survivors out now.” “gently caress,” Troy Laguerre grunted. “I don’t like leaving them down there.” “They’ve got food, water, and air for six months,” Anne commented. “And enough power for the next thousand years or so. For the time being, they’re safer down there than we are up here.” “Our job’s still recon,” Dorian continued. “Troy, I’d like you to use your Raven to check on the status of the underground bunkers; if you get close enough to the entrance do you think you can tap the computers remotely?” “Does a Capellan eat rice?” Laguerre replied. “It’ll be child’s play.” “Good,” Dorian didn’t bat an eyelash at his soldier’s casual racism. “Because we’re past the second marker. If you’re thinking about sneaking out to establish a physical link, understand that you’ll be dead before the hatch finishes opening.” “The—the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at all,” Laguerre lied. “Honest!” Delta Battle Lance “The Avenging Angels” Primary Objectives: - Survive (incomplete) - Rescue Capellan Survivors (incomplete) Secondary Objectives: - Destroy the Capellan Survivors* (incomplete) - Defeat Taurian Forces (incomplete) 2nd Lance, 1st Company, 3rd Chesterton Voltigeurs Primary Objectives: - Survive (incomplete) - Link up with the New Syrtis Rescue Party (incomplete) Secondary Objectives: - Destroy the New Syrtis Rescue Party* (incomplete) - Defeat Taurian Forces (incomplete) India Recon Lance “The Last Report” Primary Objectives: - Survive (incomplete) - Defeat Taurian Forces (incomplete) Secondary Objectives: - Defend the Fallout Bunker Entrance (incomplete) - - Use the Raven’s equipment to confirm the condition of the six bunkers and the number (if any) of the survivors (0/6)   Point Zero Enemy Movement Mods: - Talos II – Walked +2 - Bobcat – Walked +2 - Cronus – Walked +2 - Rifleman – Walked +1 - Hunter – Stationary +0 - Patton – Cruised +1 Yantai Reservation Enemy Movement Mods: - Cicada – Walked +3 - Phoenix – Walked +2 - Toro – Walked +2 - Quasit II – Walked +2 - Drillson – Cruised +3 - Plainsman – Cruised +3 Player Status:   Enemy Status: 
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Aug 21, 2013 01:26
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Shoeless posted:You [The Huron Warrior] also lack CASE, meaning a Guass Rifle crit will eject you from the mech even if your mech were to somehow survive the 20 point damage hit the explosion causes. I don't have an actual TRO or manual, but isn't CASE a moot point since the gauss rifle is in the right arm? Also, even with crit on the gauss rifle at 1/x structure, there's a good chance that the associated torso will survive since the Gauss rifle ammo is inert? Like I said, I don't have an actual readout of the mech so I could be WAY off. And probably am.
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Aug 21, 2013 01:30
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An ammo explosion in a location destroys all the critical slots in that location (even with CASE). Which doesn't matter, since losing all the critical slots in an arm is pretty meaningless. Once the damage transfers to the torso it just functions as normal damage.
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Aug 21, 2013 01:34
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Oof, that Impact Point Zero OpFor looks to be in a hugely advantageous situation. Heaviest mech in the fight, plus a damned elusive Bobcat, plus the Goonmechs being split up.
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Aug 21, 2013 01:40
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Yay, it's named after me!anakha posted:Oof, that Impact Point Zero OpFor looks to be in a hugely advantageous situation. Yeah, but c'mon, it's a Rifleman. I like the terrain furrow and pileup caused by the DropShip, btw. Nice touch.
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Aug 21, 2013 01:49
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The Merry Marauder posted:Nice touch. Don't forget all the dead Vindicators! 
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Aug 21, 2013 01:51
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The OpFor looks pretty scary, but a lot of that mobility will be wasted with you guys getting init every turn. A lot of vehicles, but you guys can really wreck them with critseekers if they give you a decent shot. And of course, as every Battletech novel will never fail to mention: The Rifleman has absurdly weak rear armor. A single medium laser can pierce it in spots. Get behind it and it will die.
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Aug 21, 2013 01:52
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The maps are just beautiful PTN! The mobility can still be put to some use though, other than the increase to surviveability, I could see them drive/jump past to pull a more strategic than tactical flank. Nice to see some vehicles again since landing on the tarmac of Jeronimo spaceport! Readingaccount fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 02:03
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Rick_Hunter posted:I don't have an actual TRO or manual, but isn't CASE a moot point since the gauss rifle is in the right arm? Also, even with crit on the gauss rifle at 1/x structure, there's a good chance that the associated torso will survive since the Gauss rifle ammo is inert? Yes but, and mind I'm only going by what I've observed in Megamek, if there's any kind of explosion in a mech, it triggers autoeject unless CASE is present. So if you have a guass rifle somewhere safe like an arm and it gets TAC'd even if the mech is still fine, your pilot ejects unless Autoeject has been turned off. Though there's now a system for conditional autoeject and stuff too. So yeah PTN might well play it differently, I was just going by my experience. So many CASE-less mechs gone because the pilot ejected from an otherwise pristine mech that lost its Gauss. Also CASE in a torso does prevent damage from an arm-based explosion from transfering past the torso to the CT. Now a single 20 point hit of damager from gauss boom likely won't have enough force to core the mech even without CASE, but if you had something more damaging there, it could be worth having CASE in the torso to keep it from completely wrecking the mech and rendering it unsalvagable. And ammo in the arm for an arm mounted weapon isn't necessarily as silly as it sounds. This way, you still have a chance of it getting critted, but if the torso is sheared off without the arm being destroyed, there's no chance the ammo in the arm will explode. Shoeless fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 02:05
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Shoeless posted:Yes but, and mind I'm only going by what I've observed in Megamek, if there's any kind of explosion in a mech, it triggers autoeject unless CASE is present. So if you have a guass rifle somewhere safe like an arm and it gets TAC'd even if the mech is still fine, your pilot ejects unless Autoeject has been turned off. Though there's now a system for conditional autoeject and stuff too. So yeah PTN might well play it differently, I was just going by my experience. So many CASE-less mechs gone because the pilot ejected from an otherwise pristine mech that lost its Gauss. You can turn off auto eject before the game starts. and PTN plays with auto eject off unless it is catastrophic. Fear the drillson, it appears to be a custom model, and thus it HATES YOU FOREVER.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:04
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AtomikKrab posted:Fear the drillson, it appears to be a custom model, and thus it HATES YOU FOREVER. It's not, it's just the SRM variant.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:06
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If I understand the blackjack correctly, I either use my dual PPCs at longer range and if they get close I use my quad medium lasers (and maybe a PPC?) I'm assuming I'll have a hard time closing as a 4/6/4. I also figure that since jumping gives me a +3 to hit but will give them a what? +1 I probably should stay on the ground unless I need to leap something? I think my movement strategy is to make sure I always cross three hexes for the defensive bonus, but should I be trying to close to brawling range for the med lasers or hang back and use the PPCs because I'm one of the slow guys?
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Aug 21, 2013 04:11
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PoptartsNinja posted:It's not, it's just the SRM variant. Oh, still very hateful, very very hateful. 1 LL 6 Srm-2s 2 machine guns It can crack armor especially rear armor and pour in fire through the holes.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:14
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You get an extra +1 from jumping at all, and jumping 3 or 4 is a total +2. The real beauty of jump jets is the ability to easily plant in advantageous terrain it would not otherwise be practical to enter.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:14
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The Merry Marauder posted:You get an extra +1 from jumping at all, and jumping 3 or 4 is a total +2. So they're a special occasion thing and my best strategy is still to just slowly plod in the direction of the enemy? e: I guess it seems like I'm good to engage at anything from long to short range, but I'm not sure what range is best to try and get to given the opfor. Soylent Pudding fucked around with this message at 04:18 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 04:16
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It depends. Plan a move ahead. "If I jump into those heavy woods, I actually get a +4 mod, because of the timber. From there, I can jump to partial cover on that ledge and into medium range with the PPCs, etc...." If you're just moving straight ahead on the flat, sure, just plod. There's more that goes into it - "if I jump for an extra +1, am I moving my number to be hit from 4 to 5 or 8 to 9?" (for example) Large difference, even at the cost of your own shots. Good luck.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:19
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Soylent Pudding posted:So they're a special occasion thing and my best strategy is still to just slowly plod in the direction of the enemy? In your case fall back and pincer that cicada, Jumps 7 +4 is one of the most powerful things in battletech
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Aug 21, 2013 04:26
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AtomikKrab posted:In your case fall back and pincer that cicada, Jumps 7 +4 is one of the most powerful things in battletech Look at this scrub.He thinks that a mech that can jump 7 hexes is scary. Let me tell you about the time I fought a Blakist c3i Level II with a pair of OTT-10CS Ostscouts as spotters. Jump 10 every turn! It was the single most awful thing ever.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:29
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Also, be very careful about jumping into boggy terrain. There's a good chance you'll get yourself stuck, and that's very dangerous.
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Aug 21, 2013 04:31
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KnoxZone posted:Look at this scrub.He thinks that a mech that can jump 7 hexes is scary. I was trying to spare him the horror (Also I may have ran a 3 OTT-10CS level II one time)
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Aug 21, 2013 04:31
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KnoxZone posted:x Check again: this isn't the poster boy "I have twice as many guns as I can fire and no armor" Rifleman. Also, a lot of canon mechs will have CASE in situations that only make sense on a scale beyond a single battle. From the perspective of a fight, CASE is useless on a mech with an XL engine because an ammo explosion hitting the side torso will still put the mech out of commission. However, in a universe where mechs are expensive, long-lasting pieces of military hardware, it's the difference between recovering a hull in need of serious repair instead of a smoking, ruined husk of scrap metals. It also helps keep the pilot alive, but unless the book is about them then nobody really cares EDIT: Holy balls, the Yantai OpFor has so many critseekers. Voyager I fucked around with this message at 06:24 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 06:20
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AtomikKrab posted:I was trying to spare him the horror Pretty sure running one of those is why I don't play with you guys any more
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Aug 21, 2013 07:12
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Wait, is that a Bobcat ala the Rim Worlds Republic sitting near the Capellan dropship? What're they doing over with Taurians?
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Aug 21, 2013 07:25
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Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Wait, is that a Bobcat ala the Rim Worlds Republic sitting near the Capellan dropship? What're they doing over with Taurians? Yes. Yes it is.
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Aug 21, 2013 09:14
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T.G. Xarbala posted:Yes. Yes it is. Well at least this Bobcat isn't ACE like the last one. That probably accounted for about half of it's lethality and pain in the rear end survivability, but it'll still be a bitch to take down, even without the ACE thing.
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Aug 21, 2013 10:22
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Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Wait, is that a Bobcat ala the Rim Worlds Republic sitting near the Capellan dropship? What're they doing over with Taurians? Taurians will work with ANYONE if it means beating up davions.
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Aug 21, 2013 10:45
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Soylent Pudding posted:So they're a special occasion thing and my best strategy is still to just slowly plod in the direction of the enemy? Really, you can brawl and long range snipe equally well. So whichever you prefer or sounds more fun.If you get the enemy at 3-6 hexes you can switch to 1 PPC and 3 Mlas while walking and gain no heat (baring infernos, mission special rules etc) while still having pretty good to hits generally. You are a solid all rounder zombie.
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Aug 21, 2013 12:04
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Soylent Pudding posted:So they're a special occasion thing and my best strategy is still to just slowly plod in the direction of the enemy? Shoeless' point above about range 3-6 is very solid, but don't forget that with no ammo, you can afford to overheat more casually than most 'mechs. Don't be afraid of the heat scale. Its penalties can be problematic, but with proper management of it the little extra oomph you get can change games. If you sneak in behind some big guy and your heat gauge is low, throwing in a PPC with the lasers might not be unsound. You'll get the hang of it!
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Aug 21, 2013 13:34
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Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Wait, is that a Bobcat ala the Rim Worlds Republic sitting near the Capellan dropship? What're they doing over with Taurians? Gotta get your money somewhere!
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Aug 21, 2013 17:54
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AtomikKrab posted:Taurians will work with ANYONE if it means beating up davions. Obviously the most sensible faction.
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Aug 21, 2013 17:56
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I'm hoping the Taurians survive long enough to have serious contact with the Clans. The two would probably get along.
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Aug 21, 2013 18:04
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fool_of_sound posted:I'm hoping the Taurians survive long enough to have serious contact with the Clans. The two would probably get along. If by that you mean: will nuke the poo poo out of each other? Then yeah, they'll get along great.
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Aug 21, 2013 18:07
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jng2058 posted:If by that you mean: will nuke the poo poo out of each other? Then yeah, they'll get along great. I measure success in planets rendered uninhabitable.
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Aug 21, 2013 18:09
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Crazy Joe Wilson posted:Wait, is that a Bobcat ala the Rim Worlds Republic sitting near the Capellan dropship? What're they doing over with Taurians? T.G. Xarbala posted:Yes. Yes it is. PoptartsNinja posted:Gotta get your money somewhere! Oh, good, that means that horrible sense of  / I felt as soon as I saw the word "Bobcat" listed among the OpFor units was entirely justified.
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Aug 21, 2013 18:14
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The Clans have a special brand of love reserved for the Periphery nations. The former SLDF does not forget the actions of the Periphery leading up to Amaris's betrayal.
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Aug 21, 2013 18:15
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KnoxZone posted:The Clans have a special brand of love reserved for the Periphery nations. The former SLDF does not forget the actions of the Periphery leading up to Amaris's betrayal. Did they back Amaris or cause it somehow?
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Aug 21, 2013 18:27
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bunnyofdoom posted:Did they back Amaris or cause it somehow? In the years leading up to the Amaris Coup, the Periphery broke out in open revolt. Assassins, saboteurs, and the occasional terrorist with goddamn nukes caused huge casualties on the SLDF forces stationed there. Eventually Generally Kerensky sent the bulk of the SLDF to the Periphery to deal with the uprising, only to find that the enemy had amassed a huge mech force in secret. This led to a really bloody war that took up all of Kerensky's attention while Amaris was making his moves on Terra. Just as the SLDF finally started getting the upper hand Amaris assassinated the First Lord and seized the undefended Terran Hegemony with almost no bloodshed.
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Aug 21, 2013 19:04
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KnoxZone posted:The Clans have a special brand of love reserved for the Periphery nations. The former SLDF does not forget the actions of the Periphery leading up to Amaris's betrayal. To be fair, the Star League treated the Periphery like absolute poo poo for the longest time, forcing them to join the League at gunpoint and then basically exploiting them with outrageous taxes to the benefit of the five major States and the League itself. Not that you'd ever get a Clanner to admit that the old Star League was just as rotten to the core as the Successor States they campaign against. To them, the Star League was a fantastic kingdom of joy and success that all us Inner Sphere pleebs managed to gently caress up.
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Aug 21, 2013 19:56
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Rorahusky posted:To be fair, the Star League treated the Periphery like absolute poo poo for the longest time, forcing them to join the League at gunpoint and then basically exploiting them with outrageous taxes to the benefit of the five major States and the League itself. Not to mention the Star League's colonization program was: "Find planet with abundant air/food/water/natural resources and gently caress it up so one of these things is no longer true, forcing planets in the periphery to be reliant on the Star League for survival." I call this process: Unterraforming
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Aug 21, 2013 20:05
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