Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

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Freyland
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Freyland »

AWS260 wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:24 pm
NickAragua wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 2:53 pm Sure! Pick a company:
Alpha: Command company. Mostly medium and heavy battlemechs.
Beta: Assault company. Mostly heavy and assault battlemechs.
Delta: Recon. Fast mediums and lights.
Gamma: General. Mixture of all mech types.
Delta, please. Just wrap me in tin foil and send me into battle!
You *are* going to warn him about the karaoke, aren't you?

The last contact sounds more fun.
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El Guapo
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

Contract #1 seems like the best option.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

We can do contracts 1 & 2 at the same time? And a Mad 4x for the Guap sounds like a good deal doesn't El Guapo?
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Give the guy, a break, he can only drive one at a time. :lol:
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

NickAragua wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:00 pm Give the guy, a break, he can only drive one at a time. :lol:
Thought he'd keep the newly mod'd one for a backup after he gets their new toy trashed. :lol:
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El Guapo
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

NickAragua wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 2:53 pm

The gauss rifle ammo may not explode, but the gauss rifle itself does.
Yeah, I was just reading about that...feature... of the gauss rifle.

Say, do we have a CASE system for the Marauder?
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NickAragua
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

The Dracs have that tech, but it hasn't propagated to the rest of the inner sphere yet. Of course, it doesn't really look like they were using it against us, given how many of their mechs we detonated.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

NickAragua wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:59 pm The Dracs have that tech, but it hasn't propagated to the rest of the inner sphere yet. Of course, it doesn't really look like they were using it against us, given how many of their mechs we detonated.
Oh well. But then, what could possibly go wrong with having a large weapon that detonates if any of its locations get hit?
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xwraith
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by xwraith »

Hmm,

Leaning to just doing Option 1 -- I suspect anyone who has such a large bounty assigned isn't going to be some sort of pushover.
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Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zarathud »

1 - the target is likely to be tougher than disclosed
5 - the mission will be altered

With the salvage rights, I would rather face a tougher opponent. Let’s do 1.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

Option 1 sounds the most interesting.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Thinking about it, we decide against taking two simultaneous contracts from factions that are technically at war with one another, as it may lead to a conflict of interest. In the best case scenario.

Instead of our usual request for a signing bonus, we negotiate additional resupply priority from nearby Marik worlds. While it'll still take some time for supplies to get to us, we'll have authorization to purchase the parts we need. Especially since we've got our jumpship with us.

Let's all give a warm welcome to PFC Sebastian "AWS" Kost, a "rookie" member of Delta-Two lance, coming from an "unidentified mercenary background". This mechwarrior has been assigned to a Phoenix Hawk PXH-1D, the variant that drops the two machineguns and ammo for a pair of heat sinks, making the mech's heat load a little bit more manageable. The right leg keeps acting up, but our techs assure the mechwarrior that it'll be fine.

Zenn7, it's time to upgrade. Some options:
Gunnery or Piloting from 2 to 1 - self-explanatory
Weathered - ignore part of the attack penalty for rain etc
Blind fighter - ignore part of the attack penalty for low-light conditions
Terrain Master/Forest - easier to move into woods, harder to hit when moving in woods
Terrain Master/Swamp - easier to move around in swamps
Terrain Master/Mountain - easier to change elevation
Human TRO (tank/mech/aero) - more likely to get crits when checking for crits

Our destination:
Spoiler:
Image
Blantleff itself is a sleepy agricultural colony, with colonization rights claimed by both the Circinus Federation and the Lothian League. If you've never heard of them, that's because they're tiny little periphery nations controlling less than ten systems each. There's literally only one known star system within jump range, Maximilian in the Circinus Federation.

The basic idea of the contract seems to be that this mercenary company ("Vladimir's Vasps") was under contract to help garrison a Marik-controlled world near the Lyran border. However, instead of doing what they were paid to do, they decided to hijack a Free Worlds League jumpship and make for the periphery. Their motivation is unclear, but jumpships are expensive, so we are being contracted to bring it back. ComStar arbitration was particularly harsh here, awarding the Free Worlds League all the money paid, as well as pretty much every asset those mercs own. Not entirely unjustified, as not only did they abandon their contract but left the allied forces high and try.

Of course, we've jumped a contract or two, so maybe there are extenuating circumstances. Stealing the employer's jumpship is something we haven't tried to do yet, though.

As we travel along, we get the news - the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine have declared a cease-fire. That puts an end to the latest Inner Sphere meatgrinder.

The Ronin Inc techs take some time to get their act together and don't catch up to us until we're almost 2/3 of the way to our destination. And then say it'll take them two to four months to carry out the refit. So much for field testing an amazing new prototype.

On the last HPG check-in before we really hit the back country, LordMortis is elated to find a Victory VTR-9B for sale. It'll be delivered to our warehouses on Outreach by the time we get back. Which may be a while. Our maintenance woes continue - Paingod's Griffin develops a problem with one of its jump jets, while our Stuka's engine keeps cutting out during exercises. Zarathud's gyro keeps acting up as well. At least we brough plenty of spare parts.

On May 24th, we jump into Blantleff. It's a massive K4V star, so the standard jump point is almost twenty days away from the planet. Nobody challenges us, and there's almost no radio traffic. At least not until we get closer. It appears there's a bit of a hullabaloo going on planetside, with transmissions about "rebels", "mercenaries" and "Black Warriors".

We broadcast our intentions, and are rewarded with being intercepted by a pair of Leopards: a standard and a Leopard CV (instead of carrying four mechs and two aerospace fighters, it carries six aerospace fighters). The Sparrow winds up taking some minor engine damage and being separated from the rest of the formation, but we do force the Leopards' aerospace fighter complement to withdraw. Both the Sparrow and the Leopard CV wind up grounding near a small town.

The locals also appear to have plenty of ground forces, which make a bee-line for the Sparrow. We deploy the Moonraker's complement of mechs to help defend the Sparrow, sending Delta-One to harass a heavy tank column approaching from the south, Gamma-One to intercept a convoy of lighter tanks and APCs moving in from the east, and Beta-One to the Sparrow itself to defend it against incoming units and ideally take out the Leopard as well. Delta-two, Delta-three and Gamma-Three, meanwhile, get the job of carrying out recon in the area, trying to figure out where Vladimir's Wasps have gone. The rest of the mechs are busy being unpacked from the Jumbo.

We've got one flight of aircraft ready to go - both Beta-One and Delta-One request air support. Delta-One is facing eight heavy tanks (4x LRM Carrier, 1x SRM Carrier, 2x Manticore and 1x Partisan) while Beta-One is facing a short medium lance of mechs and a heavy tank lance (2x Griffin, 1x Wasp, 1x Maxim, 1x Condor, 1x LRM Carrier, 1x AC/2 Carrier, 1x Manticore) plus a Leopard CV dropship and sensors show a pair of light conventional fighters vectoring in.

Who gets the air support?
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Isgrimnur
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Isgrimnur »

Air support goes to those facing mechs.
NickAragua wrote: Mon Jun 17, 2019 4:53 pm Thinking about it, we decide against taking two simultaneous contracts from factions that are technically at war with one another, as it may lead to a conflict of interest. In the best case scenario.
Maybe we can take a contract to bomb our own air base.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Stefan Stirzaker »

Stealing the employer's jumpship is something we haven't tried to do yet, though.
Yet, not ever do, just yet.
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AWS260
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by AWS260 »

"Vladimir's Vasps"
Stay sharp, everyone. We're up against comedy vampires.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

NickAragua wrote: Mon Jun 17, 2019 4:53 pm Zenn7, it's time to upgrade. Some options:
Gunnery or Piloting from 2 to 1 - self-explanatory
Weathered - ignore part of the attack penalty for rain etc
Blind fighter - ignore part of the attack penalty for low-light conditions
Terrain Master/Forest - easier to move into woods, harder to hit when moving in woods
Terrain Master/Swamp - easier to move around in swamps
Terrain Master/Mountain - easier to change elevation
Human TRO (tank/mech/aero) - more likely to get crits when checking for crits

We've got one flight of aircraft ready to go - both Beta-One and Delta-One request air support. Delta-One is facing eight heavy tanks (4x LRM Carrier, 1x SRM Carrier, 2x Manticore and 1x Partisan) while Beta-One is facing a short medium lance of mechs and a heavy tank lance (2x Griffin, 1x Wasp, 1x Maxim, 1x Condor, 1x LRM Carrier, 1x AC/2 Carrier, 1x Manticore) plus a Leopard CV dropship and sensors show a pair of light conventional fighters vectoring in.

Who gets the air support?
Gunnery 1.

Beta One for the air support, only because I am concerned about how much firepower even a Leopard has. Can't see those 3 mechs being that dangerous to our assault lance, and Delta One is FAR lighter.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Freyland »

Beta one.

More tanks for me! :twisted:
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by xwraith »

AWS260 wrote: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:40 pm
"Vladimir's Vasps"
Stay sharp, everyone. We're up against comedy vampires.
*imagines mechs with crudely applied fang decals on their cockpits*
I forgot to call it "a box of pure malevolent evil, a purveyor of
insidious insanity, an eldritch manifestation that would make Bill
Gates let out a low whistle of admiration," but it's all those, too.
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NickAragua
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

June 15, 3040
River south of Sparrow forced landing zone

Delta-One's quarry is composed of four LRM Carriers, an SRM Carrier, a pair of Manticores and a Partisan. Heavy, slow-moving tanks. Delta-One has plenty of time to set up in a good ambush position before the slowpoke treadheads get there. Trouble is, there's not really any place to hide. Freyland and Madmarcus camp out in a small lake, while Archinerd and Griffin camp out in a pair of smaller lakes to the north.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
A pair of Manticores charge out in front of the pack, opening up on Paingod, who takes a PPC to the right arm, and a few LRMs to the torso. Our LRMs blast chunks off Manticore treads, slowing the tanks down a bit.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
Freyland gets a chance to put the Quickdraw's armor to the test, as an SRM Carrier gets the drop on it. Shoulder actuator damage and a few SRMs through the right torso armor (accompanied by LRMS from the LRM Carriers) really put the hurt on our mech. But, let's be honest, if it wasn't for all that extra armor, the Quickdraw would have been toast. One of the SRMs cracks a jump jet and some of the XL engine shielding in the right torso, giving the heat sinks a good workout as well.

Madmarcus thankfully takes out the offending SRM Carrier, easily chewing through the right side armor with a burst from the Wolverine's AC/10 and medium laser.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
Madmarcus and Freyland break northeast, Freyland keeping the Quickdraw's damaged right side away from enemy fire. Which is good because the mech catches a salvo of LRMs from a nearby LRM Carrier. Most miss, but the left arm comes off entirely and a couple of missiles ding the head, causing the mech to wobble. Despite this, the mechwarrior manages to laser the offending LRM Carrier, taking the tracks off the left side and breaching armor. Madmarcus nails the other one with the AC/10 and a laser blast, taking it out as well.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
Freyland's mech continues being targeted as the Manticores try to move past Paingod and Dervish, with some success.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
Archinerd unloads a third salvo of LRMs into an LRM Carrier as it fires off a final barrage, taking it out. The LRM Carrier's last missiles fly into Freyland's right torso and the mech seizes up and stops moving, flopping onto the ground. The mechwarrior is too startled to even curse much.

Madmarcus works on the Partisan, sawing off one of its four autocannon barrels with a burst from his own.

Round 6:
Spoiler:
Image
Paingod blasts the last LRM Carrier with a PPC, breaching armor. Archinerd focuses fire on a Manticore trying to pass by, zapping it with lasers and hitting with inferno SRMs. The missiles cause the tank's weapons systems to go haywire.

A persistent beeping alerts Madmarcus to the fact that a Leopard-class dropship has just flown overhead and dropped off a lance of units - two heavy tanks and two heavy mechs.

Round 7:
Spoiler:
Image
Paingod's right arm goes flying as a PPC shot from the southern Manticore separates it at the shoulder. The Griffin had already sent a PPC blast flying towards the Manticore however, and, combined with a solid boot from Madmarcus, the tank's armor caves in.

Archinerd breaches the northern Manticore's armor then destroys it with an LRM/SRM salvo, but takes a hit from the Partisan to the left leg jump jet.

"Delta-One, pull out. We've done our part." Madmarcus calls out.

Round 8:
Spoiler:
Image
We make our way out to the east, disabling the Partisan on the way out. With three beat-up medium mechs, there's no way we're taking on a pristine Warhammer, Rifleman and another pair of heavy tanks.

"Delta-One-One to Beta-One. We stopped about two thirds of them, but you still have an extra heavy lance coming your way. Sorry."

"Acknowleged." comes the response.

Luckily, the enemy heavies don't stick around to secure the area, so we're able to circle back and pick up salvage (and drag Freyland's mech back) after they pass. Looks like Beta-One will need that air support after all.
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Freyland
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Freyland »

Well, ouch.
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Paingod
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Paingod »

Arms are just shields, right? We've got a lot of those laying around? I mean, if it comes down to it, we could glue a Jenner's leg there or something?
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

While the techs haul Freyland's beat-up Quickdraw back to the Moonraker, Delta-Two (including newest member AWS) runs across a lance of tanks painted in Vasp colors. The lieutenant in charge order our mechs to engage and "tag" the hostiles but then let them go. We're going to follow them back to where they came from. "Well, don't let them go too easy, disable at least one."

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
We run in and fire our lasers wildly, missing every shot. But that's ok.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
We run in to melee range, panicking the poor tanks. Our Griffin burns a lot of armor off the front of the Vedette. Our Wolverine takes an AC/5 round from the Scimitar, retaliating with the smaller lasers and a six-pack of SRMs. Only two hit, but they burst the skirt, disabling the hovercraft. AWS gets his first kill (post-nickname assignment anyway), melting down about half the nearby Hetzer's wheels with a medium laser - the wheeled assault gun avoids the blast from the Phoenix Hawk's large laser but runs right into the smaller one.

The Skulker gets a flat tire as well - it and the Vedette make tracks to the east. Our mechs make a big show of trailing them and firing weapons, but then "get lost" in a convenient patch of woods. AWS is detached to follow the rattletraps, and soon runs into the the other dropship that engages us on the way down, a Leopard-class.

---------------
Since this was such a short one, we'll visit Gamma-One as they attack a group of vehicles approaching the Sparrow from the east, over a mountain pass. It looks like a pretty straightforward battle until several turrets pop up from a nearby hillside and open up on Gamma-One.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
One of the turrets is a triple-barrel Thumper, so we'll need to move our asses and eliminate it quickly. It's out of range though, so Scrub and Xwraith settle for plowing two others, an SRM and a medium laser turret. The turret weapons are a little out of range, and the hostile tanks are definitely out of range, so the bunker simply goes down.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
The first set of artillery shells whiffs. Scrub and Cylus close in to maximum weapons range of the Thumper and blast the bunker to bits. Technically Hyena hits it too with a PPC shot, but by that point the building is a cloud of dust. Cylus makes note of a few LRMs pinging the Grasshopper from the south. So much for those stupid turrets.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
The offending APC ducks behind some rocks, but another APC exposes itself to Cylus' fire. Only theoretically, though, in practice, we whiff every shot. At least, so do the enemy tanks. Well, except one - Hyena uses the LB-10X to pepper an APC, cracking a couple of wheels with the fragmented cluster shot.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
Scrub blasts an APC trying to get by her Warhammer with the two arm-mounted PPCs, putting a solid hole all the way through the tracked vehicle, while Hyena "gently" disables another one to the south with a slug round from the LBX and a PPC shot. Infantry come scrambling out. A faster hover APC carrying a few LRMs makes it past Cylus and Xwraith, but it's unlikely to help much by itself against the Sparrow. A few LRMs ping off our armor, but nothing serious.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
We engage the main group of enemy vehicles, with little discernible result. Well, that's not true - the Scimitar that Cylus targets looks like a kid painted over its armor with glowing red crayons, and we do a good amount of damage in exchange for only taking a few minor hits. Just nothing spectacular.

Round 6:
Spoiler:
Image
A Maxim hover transport drives up to Hyena, dropping off some infantry in the cover of a few rocks, then Hyena takes it apart with lasers and cluster shot from the LBX autocannon. It holds up ok against the lasers, but the armor is reduced to scraps, then the pellets from the LBX hit the fuel tank, leaving just a bunch of bewildered infantry guys looking for shelter.

Round 7:
Spoiler:
Image
Hyena decides to abandon his position, although it's a nice camping spot, seeing as how its swarming with flamer-equipped infantry. As the Buster Haulermech (the only "mech" in the hostile ranks) moves up and bings Hyena's mech with its AC/5, Cylus takes advantage of its lapse in attention to put a couple of lasers through the back. The LRM ammo explodes, sending bits of industrialmech sky high.

Scrub uses the Warhammer's PPCs to disable a Condor hovertank trying to sneak around a hill to get at the back of Xwraith's mech, while Hyena zaps the Manticore underneath Cylus with a PPC.

Round 8:
Spoiler:
Image
We pull back a little bit, Cylus putting a good amount of firepower into the front of the Manticore, leaving its front armor glowing red, taking a good amount of missiles and a PPC shots in exchange. Not having any targets, Scrub and Hyena take the time to pick off individuals from the flamer platoon harassing Hyena's mech, cutting the platoon down in size to about a third of their number.

Round 9:
Spoiler:
Image
Xwraith moves down the hill and puts a shot from the ER laser into the front of the damaged Manticore, frying the interior. Cylus jumps in nearby as well, destroying the annoying Scimitar that's been buzzing around for a while.

To the north, an SRM Carrier comes out from behind a rock, trying to get a shot at our mechs, but eats two PPCs to the front and basically melts.

Another Maxim tries to charge Hyena, but eats several lasers and a burst from the LBX, jamming its turret and disabling all of its on-board machine guns. The door in the back swings open then swings closed just as quickly and the APC turns tail, as do all of its buddies.


The Vasp dropship located by Delta-Two has a very small defensive force. We can probably send Alpha-One to take it down. Delta-Two has taken almost no damage, and the opposition is just the two damaged tanks plus a couple of light tanks attempting to guard the dropship.

Between their patrols, Delta-Three and Gamma-Three locate a couple of facilities - a naval laser battery and a supply depot. The naval laser battery appears to have been brought online recently in response to our incursion. We'll need to take it out if we want to move the Moonraker or Jumbo anywhere, or launch any of our fighters for air support. Other than Beta-Air, which we've already launched and is beyond the horizon. Neither facility appears to be Vasp-controlled, but everyone around here seems to be trying to shoot at us, so we can't really consider them friendly.

So: which of the following additional targets do we hit?
Dropship located by Delta-Two - light defenses, owned by the mercs we're trying to hunt down.
Supply depot located by Gamma-Three - unknown owners but having some extra ammo or mech parts never hurts.
Orbital laser battery located by Delta-Three - unknown owners but unlikely to let us fly around within line-of-sight.

Also: does Gamma-One pursue the escaping units (we probably won't be able to catch up, but will be able to keep them away from the Sparrow) or move to provide backup to the Sparrow (and the rest of the hostiles from here will probably move in to engage as well). Gamma-One is in pretty good shape, with armor in the green or yellow, while the hostiles are pretty beat up - they basically have an undamaged heavy tank lance and a very beat-up medium lance.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

BORING. The people demand more Alpha One!
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

El Guapo wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:34 pm BORING. The people demand more Alpha One!
I see we have a volunteer for a dropship assault!
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Isgrimnur »

Make it double.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

Dropship first. The other two aren't going anywhere.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:36 pm
El Guapo wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:34 pm BORING. The people demand more Alpha One!
I see we have a volunteer for a dropship assault!
How hard could it be?
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Stefan Stirzaker »

Dropships make good loot
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

Delta 1 and 2 - good work!

Gamma 1, move up to reinforce Beta 1.

Alpha 1 to the dropship. Follow Guap's lead (let him soak up the dropship fire :twisted: )

Alpha 2, Gamma 2 - dropship defense.

Is Beta 2 heavy enough to try and take those naval lasers out? Want to be able to get our air support out.

Don't think we have any viable left to throw at the supply depot?
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Isgrimnur »

Has anyone ever killed a dropship with a hatchet? :think:
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Freyland »

Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:19 pm Has anyone ever killed a dropship with a hatchet? :think:
Vasps: "Did you cut down our dropship?"

Izzy: "I cannot tell a lie..."
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NickAragua
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

June 20, 3040
Grounded Vladimir's Vasps Leopard-class dropship
74 km east of Sparrow landing site

Alpha-One moves in on the location of one of the downed hostile dropships. The two tanks from Delta-Two's previous engagement must have gotten lost, as it's just the dropship and four shitty little tanks. Should be a cakewalk, but that bastard's weapons are powered up. Unfortunately, there's no clear line of sight for any distance, so we're likely to be forced to engage it and take fire.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
We open fire from long range, Stefan's LRMs and El Guapo's Gauss rifle taking substantial chunks out of the Leopard's armor, as the hostile tanks attempt to approach us under cover.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
"Daaamn!" El Guapo exclaims over general comms - a Vedette comes out from behind a rock, firing its piddly little autocannon at El Guapo and missing. It then takes two PPC shots and a slug from the Gauss Rifle, all through the front. The tank comes apart at the seams.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
Stefan slices a Scorpion tank to bits with the Catapult's lasers, while Gbasden continues PPC fire on the Leopard. El Guapo disables a Vedette with a PPC shot while also sending a gauss slug at the Leopard. The dropship fires enough ordnance at Stefan that his Catapult goes down to a knee. Isgrimnur stomps an SRM-carrying APC flat, leaving a squad of infantry scrambling out.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
Our fire begins to tell on the Leopard's armor, with three PPC shots from Gbasden melting a bunch of thrusters off the left side. The Awesome's left torso armor goes red, but the Leopard is just about done for.

Round 5:
Isgrimnur comes up in the dropship's blind spot and opens up with all weapons while leaving several gashes in the armor with the hatchet. Gbasden and El Guapo's PPC shots go through the gaps. There are multiple detonations inside the craft and then a large chunk of it just collapses inwards.

"Well, that was easy." one of our mechwarriors states.

There is no moving the dropship, it's a total wreck, but plenty of ammo and spare parts for our dropships can be salvaged from it - so Alpha-One will remain on station to guard salvage operations and oversee interrogation of captured prisoners, of which there are quite a few. Hopefully we get something useful from one or from the dropship's navigation charts.

-------------------

Beta-Two moves in on the orbital defense facility but encounters some heavy opposition, calling in support - we send in Beta-Three to back them up. It turns out to be mostly unnecessary - we use Beta-Two's heavy firepower to blast the naval lasers to bits. We do get shelled by an artillery battery, so Beta-Two is forced to retreat, but Beta-Three is much more nimble and is able to overrun the rest of the garrison.
Spoiler:
Image
Beta-Two's Stalker takes an engine hit, but damage is armor only otherwise. A lance of hostile units escape, including a Warhammer, allowing salvage operations to proceed there as well. It's still basically just crap that we strip for armor and ammo then stuff into the Jumbo for later sale.

----------------------

"So... can you fix it?" Freyland asks, nursing an injured arm and looking on dubiously as the incredulous mech tech examines the Quickdraw. Both arms are laid out on the ground next to it, while the right half of the torso section looks like melted swiss cheese.

The tech shakes her head in bewilderment. "What the hell did you do, get into a boxing match with an Atlas?"

"Nah, just took a whole bunch of missiles. Maybe thirty SRMs, forty-fifty LRMs. Probably a PPC shot or two as well."

The tech smirks. "Well, I've got good news and bad news for you."

"What's the good news?"

"Engine's repairable. We just, uh, have to take it out, rebuild the right torso, fix the shielding damage then put it back in and you're good to go."

"What's the bad news?"

"No way we can fix the torso without factory equipment and spare parts. Maybe you can get the CO to authorize a supply run to the nearest Marik Mek Stop?"

Do we:
a) send our jumpship back for a shopping run into Marik space? It'll be gone for about a month and thus unavailable if we need it.
b) hold off and have Freyland go into a spare mech for the rest of the contract?

Regardless, pick a spare mech (selections appropriate to Delta-One's role)
Phoenix Hawk - "Overlord" variant - 1x L. Laser, 2x M. Laser, 2x MG (with half-ton ammo for a little extra armor). Fast, well-armored, well-armed, overheats easily.
Ostroc - 5/8/5, 2x L. Laser. Delta-One fast, good armor for weight, ok firepower, overheats easily.
Ostscout - 8/12/8, M. Laser. Lightning fast, paper thin armor, almost no firepower, overheats with sustained jumping and firing.
Jenner - 7/11/5, 4x M. Laser, SRM4. Damn fast, well armed, even less armor than an Ostscout, overheats non-stop.

Alternately, we've got a bunch of 4/6/4 lights, mediums or heavies (e.g. Panther, Hatchetman, Icarus, Crusader 3L, Thunderbolt 5SE).
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gbasden
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

I'm not thrilled with the idea of losing our jumpship for a month, TBH. How badly do you want back in the Quickdraw?
Last edited by gbasden on Thu Jun 20, 2019 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Isgrimnur
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Isgrimnur »

Isgrimnur comes up in the dropship's blind spot and opens up with all weapons while leaving several gashes in the armor with the hatchet. Gbasden and El Guapo's PPC shots go through the gaps. There are multiple detonations inside the craft and then a large chunk of it just collapses inwards.
Bunch kill-stealing...

Great shots, guys!
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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gbasden
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

Isgrimnur wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 4:55 pm
Isgrimnur comes up in the dropship's blind spot and opens up with all weapons while leaving several gashes in the armor with the hatchet. Gbasden and El Guapo's PPC shots go through the gaps. There are multiple detonations inside the craft and then a large chunk of it just collapses inwards.
Bunch kill-stealing...

Great shots, guys!
I'm pretty sure you weren't going to take it down solely with your hatchet. :)
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Isgrimnur
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Isgrimnur »

In a blind spot with no opposition? It depends on how much time I have. :tjg:
It's almost as if people are the problem.
Stefan Stirzaker
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Stefan Stirzaker »

Time to put that video on SpaceTube and monetize for all its worth. Bet noone has gone single hatchet on a dropship before.
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El Guapo
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

Isgrimnur wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 4:55 pm
Isgrimnur comes up in the dropship's blind spot and opens up with all weapons while leaving several gashes in the armor with the hatchet. Gbasden and El Guapo's PPC shots go through the gaps. There are multiple detonations inside the craft and then a large chunk of it just collapses inwards.
Bunch kill-stealing...

Great shots, guys!
Hey, I hit it first. If anything everyone else stole my dropship kill.
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Freyland
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Freyland »

Ostroc.

Try not to cook me, I burn easily.
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NickAragua
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

We wind up having enough time to unpack the rest of our mechs, so Gamma-Two is able to hit the supply depot, giving us a chance to try out our new Guillotine and a customized Thunderbolt. Delta-Two is in the area as well, so they join the fight, although it's probably unnecessary, since the supply depot is defended by three tanks and a single Crusader while crews of infantry work frantically to load equipment onto transport trucks, braving the golf-ball sized hail flying around. Somebody's pulling out, looks like.

Gamma-Two is the aforementioned Thunderbolt and Guillotine, plus a Kintaro and Trebuchet 5N (long range)

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
We approach from the southeast and open fire immediately, making sure to take out the laser and SRM Carrier before coming into their weapons range. The Thunderbolt cuts the laser carrier down to size, while the Guillotine blasts the SRM Carrier to bits using lasers to breach armor then sending listen-kill SRMs into the breach. The Thunderbolt takes a few LRMs from the Crusader but nothing major.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
The Crusader is looking a little lonely already, as is its Bulldog buddy. The Guillotine disables the Bulldog while the rest of our mechs focus fire on the Crusader, which sees the situation as hopeless and immediately flees, firing at our Trebuchet as it goes. Then the Guillotine gets in behind him and zaps the right leg with a bunch of lasers, causing the mech to do a pirouette then hit the ground, where the mechwarrior blacks out.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
Some of the infantry in the base continue firing emplaced weapons at us, so we blast a few to bits as an example to the rest. Who surrender pretty quickly afterwards.

Delta-Two doesn't even get a chance to shoot anything. A couple of tanks approach from the southwest, but retreat when they detect our mechs.

Salvage is pretty crappy, although we do get a Crusader out of the deal. Our salvage crews also loot the supply depot, recovering a pair of gauss rifles and some ammo. To put it in AWS's words, "Where did those periphery yokels get gauss rifles?"

------------------------
June 21, 3040

When the attack on the Sparrow comes, Beta-One is in defensive positions while Gamma-One is out on patrol. The attack comes in two waves, medium mechs and tanks first, then the heavier units. The Marik liaison comes out to fight with Beta-One driving a Hunchback. The locals literally wheel their Leopard up almost to maximum weapons range (although they avoid getting into actual weapons range of the Sparrow, as a Union outguns a Leopard, even side-to-nose.

Our mechs deploy between the incoming hostiles and the Union as a screen.

A minor pain point is that Beta-Air reports being engaged by additional hostile aircraft and will be unable to provide air support after all.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
Zarathud grunts as LRMs from the Leopard impact his mech, but armor holds up. The hostile units take a little bit of damage and concentrate on hitting the Union. For now, from long range, with LRMs, so the damage is minimal. LordMortis also takes a few LRMs to the right arm, but it's an Atlas.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
Zarathud goes for a lake to hide in but continues taking fire from the Leopard, losing a lot of armor from the arms and scoring a pair of PPC hits on a distant LRM Carrier. The vehicle keeps trundling along, much slower than before.

To the south, Zenn7 tracks a Maxim, plowing PPCs into it until the hover transport falls apart. LordMortis takes a few LRMs then blasts a nearby Griffin center of mass with the AC/20. The center torso armor basically disappears, as does a chunk of the engine, and the enemy mech falls over.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
The Griffin gets up and tries to move around LordMortis but then disintegrates as it comes a little too close to the Union - the LRM ammo is detonated and LordMortis shoots more or less at empty air.

Zarathud splashes into a nice, cool lake and blows away the distant LRM Carrier, then scowls as a shot from the Leopard takes out the right-torso PPC.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
When you're under fire by a Leopard-class dropship and your armor is breached, but you're in a lake, there's really only one thing to do. Go down. The right arm armor is also breached, so the PPC there shorts out as well, but it's better than getting blown to bits.

The dumb bastards are actually rolling the Leopard forward, though.

A Condor hover tank zips up to LordMortis, but hides behind a hill. That doesn't conceal it from the Union though, and it eats a PPC and several autocannon rounds, crashing into the hill side. Moley and LordMortis send listen-kill Warheads into a damaged Manticore tank, cracking through the armor and immobilizing it.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
Normally, at this point, the enemy would break and run off, but their dropship is as grounded as ours.

On the plus side, Gamma-One shows up to the east, drastically shifting the force balance.

Zenn7 blows away an AC/2 Carrier that's been plinking away at our Union for a while. Moley charges up to the second Griffin, zapping it with four laser shots to boil away a substantial amount of armor.

Round 6:
Spoiler:
Image
A pair of unwelcome visitors join the fight, hostile aircraft.

Of course, what they don't realize is that the Union is very well equipped for anti-aircraft work when grounded, as most of the weapons are in the nose. So, the incoming Gotha takes a PPC and several LRM salvos, as well as autocannon fire. And that's before Gamma-One joins the anti-aircraft party. After eating some spray from Hyena's LBX autocannon, the Gotha shudders and drops altitude.

The liaison's Hunchback is baited out of formation by an enemy Wasp, taking a PPC to the back where the armor is breached. The offending Griffin pays the price though, its left arm going limp as Moley continues working on it with the Thunderbolt's lasers. The Wasp takes an AC/20 round to the right torso, ripping that section of the bug mech, and most of the engine shielding as well.

Zenn7 cycles the Awesome's PPCs against the Leopard, and Zarathud gets up when the dropship turns its blind spot to the damaged Awesome and fires a PPC shot as well. Zenn7's armor starts flashing yellow and green as LRMs and PPC shots come zipping in from the Leopard.

Round 7:
The enemy Griffin begins withdrawing, lowering its PPC to concentrate on limping off the field. We need to get that dropship so we let it go.

Round 8:
Spoiler:
Image
"Concentrate fire!" comes the order. We took cover last turn but now it's time to let 'er rip. We open up, with the Leopard losing a weapon, and one of Zenn7's PPC shots blowing out a fighter bay door.

Except for the Union, which blasts the hostile Cheetah out of the sky.

Round 9:
"Oooh, shit." Moley notes as a substantial number of enemy tanks and a pair of mechs approach from the west. We better finish this up quick.

Round 10:
Spoiler:
Image
"Phew". Moley releases a breath as the Leopard collapses under the combined weight of our fire.

The liaison, meanwhile, gets caught out by the reinforcements, eating a PPC from a Warhammer which strips the armor off. He still manages to breach armor on a nearby Maxim, which turns around and zips off.

Round 11:
Spoiler:
Image
The Union scatters an infantry platoon to the four winds with LRMs, while LordMortis and Cylus work on a Pike support vehicle - LordMortis breaches armor with the AC/20 and lasers, then Cylus sends a large laser through the gap, destroying the tank as it burps up its last AC/2 salvo towards our Union. Xwraith fires a long range shot with listen-kill LRMs, cracking through the armor and engine block of a distant Brutus assault tank.

LordMortis absorbs a little more firepower, then the liaison whiffs a kick on a Vedette and falls over, nearly crunching his Hunchback's arm off.

That nonsense aside, the rest of the hostiles cease fire and retreat.

As Zenn7 climbs out of the Awesome, chugging a "red thirst" energy drink, he notes the captain of the Sparrow looking at the exterior of the Union with some consternation.

"We. Are. Hosed." states the captain.

"How come?"

"See this crack?"

"Yeah."

"That's the docking collar. We can't attach to the jumpship without it. Unless we can get a replacement, we're stuck here."

Zenn7 smirks. "What about that Leopard over there?"

The captain visibly relaxes. "You know what? Maybe. I'll get back to you."

--------------------

According to the Sparrow's captain, repairs on the Sparrow will take several weeks: we'll need to first pull the docking collar from the Leopard wreck, then replace the one on the Union.

The Marik techs working on the Marauder 4X refit inform us that there's no way they'll get it done any time soon - they expect it to take another two months at least. Well, no skin off our teeth.

Beta-One is going to be sidelined - the techs manage to drain the water from Zarathud's Awesome, but a lot of the internal components will need to be repaired. LordMortis' Atlas and Zenn7's Awesome simply lost a lot of armor. Moley's Thunderbolt is the only mech in that lance that is in good shape.

Isgrimnur's Hatchetman and Stefan's Catapult also took some damage - nothing unrepairable, but it's preferable to avoid deploying them if at all possible.

One annoying thing is that we weren't able to acquire enough listen-kill warheads for a long campaign, so we're going to start running out and have to switch back to standard missiles. Annoying but not fatal.

--------------------

After interrogating a few, it turns out that the locals that have been shooting at us are part of an occupying force from the Circinus Federation, trying to take down the local rebels who have entrenched themselves and were carrying out guerilla warfare. Normally, rebels on a periphery agro world wouldn't have the cash to hire expensive inner sphere mercenaries, but these guys managed to stumble onto a cache of Star League tech. The Vasps are to receive said tech as payment for their work here.

Examination of the Vasp Leopard's flight logs reveals that they have a jumpship sitting at a pirate point in the system. Chances are, if we beat them up too badly, they'll pack it in and run off. We'll need to prevent that from happening. Since the jumpship will simply vanish if we approach it (chances are their K-F drive is already charged up), we'll need to stop the Vasps on the ground or before they get to it.

Based on our conversations, the Circinus Federation is a bunch of assholes. They got driven off this world back in '36, but are now back in force, stomping the locals and burning their stuff. However, we're a) not being paid to fight them and b) have just put a serious dent in their forces. If we suggest it and release their prisoners back to them as a gesture of good will, we can probably get them to stop shooting us so that we can concentrate on the Vasps.

On the plus side, we've got full air support available, having taken down those orbital lasers.

Current force status:
Alpha-One - minor damage (Gbasden, El Guapo, Isgrimnur, Stefan)
Alpha-Two - ok
Alpha-Three - ok
Beta-One - major damage (LordMortis, Zarathud, Zenn7, Moley)
Beta-Two - ok
Beta-Three - ok
Gamma-One - ok (Scrub, Hyena, Cylus, Xwraith)
Gamma-Two - ok
Gamma-Three - ok
Delta-One - ok (Paingod, Freyland, Madmarcus, Archinerd)
Delta-Two - ok (AWS)
Delta-Three - ok
Aerospace assets, four flights - ok

The Vasps appear to be pissed off that we took part of their payment, and launch a full scale assault on our positions. The supply depot comes under attack while we're still looting it, as does the damaged Sparrow. We'll need to commit at least two lances to defend the supply depot and three to defend the dropship.

So, who does what? Also, do we attempt to negotiate with the Circinus guys to get them to stop shooting at us?
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