Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

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Cylus Maxii
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Cylus Maxii »

Agreed. All-in on scanning.
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NickAragua
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Vote Results:
Spoiler:
All mechs, 3 days - 5
2x Ostscout, 5 days - 2
AWS' Phoenix hawk, 5 days - 1
Phoenix Hawk, Ostscout, 4 days - 1
Scrub sighs. "I'll get you the sensor systems, just get it done quick before more people take an interest in this place." We take the various Ostscouts and Ostsols down, as well as AWS' Phoenix Hawk, handing the sensor packages over to our excavation crew, who get cracking.

--------

"Aww, so I have to give my Pixie up for a whole week?" AWS whines, semi-mockingly.

Cujo rolls her eyes. "Yes. You'll need to drive a different mech. We've got a couple of spares in the warehouse - a Spider, a Firestarter... " the two mechwarriors look down the manifest.

"Ooh, a Valkyrie, I've always wanted to try driving one of those." AWS perks up. "Did you know Justin Allard drove one before he became a Solaris big shot and started driving Yen-Lo-Wang?"

Cujo rolls her eyes. "Yes. Well, try not to run afoul of any customized Riflemen."

--------

September 18, 3045
120km west of Site Blue

Gamma-Probe winds up having to take a recon job against a reinforced light mech lance (with a pair of tanks for backup) coming towards Site Red towards Site Blue. They're actually acting more like spotters for a pair of Larry's bombers - it'll be good practice against moving targets with relatively low air defence capability, once we've identified them anyway.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
"Nice light mech, Nara!" Akalon calls out to AWS. "We'll try to make sure the bad guys don't step on you."

"Yeah, what's your max weapons range, two-seventy meters?" AWS responds. "I've got an LRM launcher that can tag you from six-thirty!"

"Great, cut the chatter and get designating." Cujo calls out, tagging a Cicada and Scimitar with the Wolverine's targeting sensors, uploading the data to the incoming fighters.

Akalon designates a Firestarter, both with the Vulcan's targeting computer and a laser blast to the left leg.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
"Damn it, this thing is too slow." AWS quietly mutters as a Stinger gets in behind the Valkyrie. With only a 150 meter jump range, compared to the Phoenix Hawk's 180, it doesn't have as much "wiggle room". Some judicious jiggling causes the hostile mech to miss with its weapons fire, though, while AWS' single medium laser causes a large number of air molecules to heat up.

To the south, Akalon engages a Hunchback and a Wasp LAM. The 105 is actually more of a bomber than a fighter or a mech, having several built-in bomb bays. The Hunchback absorbs some fire to the back, but no armor breaches register.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
At this point, we've designated every enemy unit for the airstrike, so no it's time to pull back and hang out out of sensor range.

Cujo and AWS jump east, with a Stinger following them, pinging MG rounds off AWS' mech. Cujo melts the enemy mech's right arm down to slag, then AWS adds a laser to the center of mass, letting out a billowing cloud of smoke and a visible heat wave as the engine shielding is breached. The bug mech barely stays on its feet, and our mechwarriors leave it standing.

To the south, Akalon runs circles around the Hunchback, Wasp LAM and Firestarters, showing off the Vulcan's superior maneuverability and nearly removing the Firestarter's right arm, disabling one of the flamers and knocking out several actuators.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
"Well, that's one way to cool off." Cujo remarks as the damaged Stinger fires up its jump jets, lands in a nearby lake, then falls. With an armor breach in the center torso, the water rushes in and the engine shuts down. The Cicada and other Stinger move in on our Wolverine, the Stinger paying for it with several damaged leg actuators and getting knocked to the ground, while the Cicada has to take a knee after getting tripped up.

AWS lands next to a Scimitar hovertank, missing with the Valkyrie's laser but stomping on the hover skirt, cracking it open and letting the air out - the hovercraft is immobilized.

Akalon's work continues to the south, where our Vulcan blows a pair of heat sinks out in the Hunchback's leg.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
"Incoming fighters, stand clear!" Cujo calls out. The remaining Stinger loses its left arm trying to get up as the opposing force scatters to try to avoid the incoming aerospace fighters.

The Hetzer in the back is vaporized by an Eagle letting loose a lot of rocket pods, while a Slayer "disarms" the Firestarter, knocking out a leg as well.

The remaining four mechs limp off the field in various states of damage. We salvage the wrecks, and send compliments to Larry's aerospace jocks on an excellently performed air strike. Under live-fire conditions, no less, and they actually hit their targets. It's really all you can ask for.

The excavation experts are with their scanning and open up one of the hangars within a week.

--------

Our mechwarriors look on with a mixture of awe, reverence and disappointment at the mechs being walked out of the Site Blue bunker. On the one hand, we've got some historical relics walking out, but on the other hand...

"That one's a Mackie MSK-5S." AWS points out. "Literally the first type of Battlemech ever built. I never thought I'd see one."

Drazzil curls his lip up in a sneer, pointing at the second. "The hell is that stupid-looking thing?"

"That's... " AWS thinks for a second. "That's a Battleaxe."

"Where the hell is the axe?"

"Uh, it doesn't have one. It's got two large lasers, ten LRM tubes, six SRM tubes and a pair of MGs." AWS rattles off.

"Why the hell would you call it a Battleaxe if it doesn't have a goddamn axe?" Drazzil continues grumbling.

"Same reason they call a Thunderbolt a Thunderbolt or a Dragon a Dragon." Akalon interjects. "Not every mech name has to make sense." he looks around nervously. "Nobody tell Angel I said that, he'll go off on a rant about the honor of the dragon or whatever."

There's a pause. "What's that stupid third thing? Looks like an Icarus."

AWS nods. "It is an Icarus. Just an older model, look, no heavy autocannon."

Cujo shakes her head. "All this for a bunch of old-ass mech that'll we have to do factory refits on." She looks at AWS. "You want your Phoenix Hawk back?"

AWS can barely contain the enthusiasm. "Yeah, the Valkyrie's... well, let's just say I'm not surprised Mr. Allard got clobbered by a Rifleman, that thing sucks compared to my Pixie."

--------

So yeah - we've got three old-ass mechs.

The Mackie is a 100-tonner which, by itself, is pretty rare. The grandfather of all mechs, it had fallen out of use outside the Terran Hegemony over time, and General Kerensky took most of them with him when the SLDF left the Inner Sphere. But not all of them, apparently. At the very least, we can upgrade the armor to modern standards, but there are probably upgrade schematics and refit kits floating around to bring it up to spec with moderate effort and cost. Most of the refit proposals run between 2-3M C-Bills.

The Battleaxe is also another "historical" mech, traditionally in use in the Federated Suns. However, it fell out of use when the Hammerhands was introduced. Which also fell out of use at some point, to be replaced by the Warhammer. The last "good" designs of the Battleaxe had jump jets and a pair of PPCs, but this thing is such an old piece of crap, it's got no jump jets, large lasers and is as slow as an Atlas. The prospect of acquiring another jumping 70-ton mech is highly endorsed by Cylus, although the refit to make it do so will run ~2M C-Bills and be a major time investment.

The Icarus is just an Icarus, without the jump jets and with a crappy engine. The design has actually stuck around, and we even had one in our roster for a while (until it got blown up). Unlike the other two mechs, where we can replace the cockpits and upgrade the engines, our techs inform us that they're not going to be able to do anything with those two systems on this mech. It's always going to be "historical". We can still upgrade the armor and make a few other adjustments (reduce the amount of MG ammo, or even remove all the anti-personnel weapons), but it's always going to underperform and spare parts will be a pain to come by.

Mackie:
[] Keep for later refit (~3M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~5M C-Bill profit)

Battleaxe:
[] Keep for later refit (~2M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~3M C-Bill profit)

Icarus:
[] Keep for later refit (~1M C-Bill cost, still going to suck)
[] Sell off (~1M C-Bill profit)
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Isgrimnur
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Isgrimnur »

NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:24 pm Drazzil curls his lip up in a sneer, pointing at the second. "The hell is that stupid-looking thing?"

"That's... " AWS thinks for a second. "That's a Battleaxe."

"Where the hell is the axe?"

"Uh, it doesn't have one. It's got two large lasers, ten LRM tubes, six SRM tubes and a pair of MGs." AWS rattles off.

"Why the hell would you call it a Battleaxe if it doesn't have a goddamn axe?" Drazzil continues grumbling.
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Leraje
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Leraje »

NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:24 pm Mackie:
[x] Keep for later refit (~3M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~5M C-Bill profit)

Battleaxe:
[] Keep for later refit (~2M C-Bill cost)
[x] Sell off (~3M C-Bill profit)

Icarus:
[] Keep for later refit (~1M C-Bill cost, still going to suck)
[x] Sell off (~1M C-Bill profit)
Keep the Mackie for the sheer shock value. Refit it preferably to a 9H model or do a custom refit on it.

Silly thing to do with Mackie when you have too much time and money:
Spoiler:
Image
Last edited by Leraje on Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:55 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Zenn7
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:24 pm Mackie:
[x] Keep for later refit (~3M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~5M C-Bill profit)

Battleaxe:
[x] Keep for later refit (~2M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~3M C-Bill profit)

Icarus:
[] Keep for later refit (~1M C-Bill cost, still going to suck)
[x] Sell off (~1M C-Bill profit)
Once upgraded, the Battleaxe is an adequately decent mech right? If so, fix it up, if not, dump it. We're not desperate enough for mechs that we need to use subpar crap.
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AWS260
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by AWS260 »

Let's set aside some space in our new home for a mech museum!
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Zenn7 wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:01 pm Once upgraded, the Battleaxe is an adequately decent mech right? If so, fix it up, if not, dump it. We're not desperate enough for mechs that we need to use subpar crap.
Yeah, when we finish working on it, it'll be a pretty solid mech. We'll go over our refit options when it's time to do the refit.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

Zenn7 wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:01 pm
NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:24 pm Mackie:
[x] Keep for later refit (~3M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~5M C-Bill profit)

Battleaxe:
[x] Keep for later refit (~2M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~3M C-Bill profit)

Icarus:
[] Keep for later refit (~1M C-Bill cost, still going to suck)
[x] Sell off (~1M C-Bill profit)
Once upgraded, the Battleaxe is an adequately decent mech right? If so, fix it up, if not, dump it. We're not desperate enough for mechs that we need to use subpar crap.
This.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by $iljanus »

Zenn7 wrote:
NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:24 pm Mackie:
[x] Keep for later refit (~3M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~5M C-Bill profit)

Battleaxe:
[x] Keep for later refit (~2M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~3M C-Bill profit)

Icarus:
[] Keep for later refit (~1M C-Bill cost, still going to suck)
[x] Sell off (~1M C-Bill profit)
Once upgraded, the Battleaxe is an adequately decent mech right? If so, fix it up, if not, dump it. We're not desperate enough for mechs that we need to use subpar crap.
This sounds good. Hopefully we'll get better loot at the other sites.
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El Guapo
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

gbasden wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:27 am
Zenn7 wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:01 pm
NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:24 pm Mackie:
[x] Keep for later refit (~3M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~5M C-Bill profit)

Battleaxe:
[x] Keep for later refit (~2M C-Bill cost)
[] Sell off (~3M C-Bill profit)

Icarus:
[] Keep for later refit (~1M C-Bill cost, still going to suck)
[x] Sell off (~1M C-Bill profit)
Once upgraded, the Battleaxe is an adequately decent mech right? If so, fix it up, if not, dump it. We're not desperate enough for mechs that we need to use subpar crap.
This.
Agree.
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NickAragua
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Vote Results:
Spoiler:
Keep the Mackie - unanimous
Keep the Battleaxe - unanimous
Sell the Icarus - almost unanimous
We'll put the Icarus out on the market, giving first crack it to Larry - he's been a pretty solid "used mech" customer for us here. The rest get packed up and wheeled into our Jumbo.

Our interrogations of captured prisoners from the last few encounters around the Star League bunkers reveal the usual - they're mercs from a company called "Santiago's Salient". They don't care to divulge their employer, and we don't press the issue for now. They don't own the Overlord, though, that's their employer's ship. They didn't bring the tanks either, just mechs - the tankers are locals, either freelancers or from local corporations. A little research on the merc company reveals that it's batallion-sized, like ours. At least, as of last months' data download from out-system, before our jumpship broke down. Again.

September 19, 3045
Site Blue Evacuation Zone

Ad-Hoc lance is on shift defending Site Blue as we continue excavations when the mercs from Red show up in a dawn raid. Gamma-Probe's recon activities (despite missing AWS' beagle probe) have given us some advanced warning, so we have essential personnel and equipment packed up. While we can *probably* hold the bad guys off this time, we're going to ship our first load of stuff now. The shipment is moving through an abandoned industrial area, where we've set up some landmines and crappy automated turrets. The opposition is a medium-heavy mech lance with a company of mostly light and medium tanks for support.

Ad-Hoc lance is running an Archer, a Hunchback, a Rifleman RFL-3C and a Grand Dragon (Fury).

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
The minefield does pretty well - a lance of tanks drives over a field. A Scorpion just plain old blows up, while a few other tanks throw their treads. A Pegasus gets some debris caught in its fans and drops to the ground. Light autocannon fire peppers the structures housing our turrets, but nothing gets blown up on our side for now. Reviewing the battle ROMs later, a Griffin apparently stepped on a few mines as well, losing some leg actuators in the process.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
Another Vedette hits one of our minefields, causing tread damage and a forward armor breach. Fury and our Hunchback engage a Vedette and an AC/2 Bulldog respectively - the AC/2 Bulldog isn't going to be much good at point blank range, while that's the Hunchback's optimal spot. Fury makes short work of the Vedette, putting a laser through its right side and cutting off the engine power, while the Hunchback has a little more trouble with the thicker-armored Bulldog, although the hostile tank is unable to land any hits on our mech, either.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
In an effort to get to the main body of the hostile force faster while not stepping on land mines, Fury climbs over a building and heads northwest, leaving our Hunchback to deal with the Bulldog - the two units continue dancing around each other without doing much damage, with the Hunchback taking cover inside a building to avoid incoming SRMs.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
Our Hunchback finally lands an AC/20 hit on the Bulldog, finishing it off.

One of our evacuating units, an agromech carrying something or other, gets one of its legs blown off. It's a quad mech, so it should be fine, but we better help it out before it gets blown up completely. Fury runs past towards a firefight between the Archer-Rifleman pair on our end and a Catapult-Manticore pair on the hostile end, trying to help the Harvester Ant out, but the Grand Dragon's PPC and LRM fire goes wide.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
... and the guy in the Agromech bails out. That's annoying, we'll have to recover the cargo.

Our Rifleman pulls a real boner as well, skidding into the Catapult, both mechs falling over, while our Archer inflicts heavy tread damage on the Manticore.

Fury punches through the nearby Scorpion tank's right-side armor with lasers followed by a boot.

With our evacuating units either disengaged or uh, on the ground with the driver in an ejection seat floating down gracefully over the battlefield, the hostiles pull back, not having the stomach for an actual fight. This spares Fury a brawl with a Marauder, for now.

But the hostiles will be back, probably with overwhelming force. And they'll probably steer clear of our mine-and-turret field this time.

[] We've seen enough of Site Blue, got two to-be-decent mechs out of it. Time to leave and move on to site Green.
[] See if we can hold it and loot some more.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by AWS260 »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:11 pm [] We've seen enough of Site Blue, got two to-be-decent mechs out of it. Time to leave and move on to site Green.
[x] See if we can hold it and loot some more.
We're going to run into that merc company again eventually. Might as well do it on ground we hold.

And maybe lay some fresh mines on a different avenue of approach.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Leraje »

AWS260 wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:22 pm
NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:11 pm [] We've seen enough of Site Blue, got two to-be-decent mechs out of it. Time to leave and move on to site Green.
[x] See if we can hold it and loot some more.
We're going to run into that merc company again eventually. Might as well do it on ground we hold.

And maybe lay some fresh mines on a different avenue of approach.
Agreed.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

Leraje wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:36 pm
AWS260 wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:22 pm
NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:11 pm [] We've seen enough of Site Blue, got two to-be-decent mechs out of it. Time to leave and move on to site Green.
[x] See if we can hold it and loot some more.
We're going to run into that merc company again eventually. Might as well do it on ground we hold.

And maybe lay some fresh mines on a different avenue of approach.
Agreed.
Agreed. Maybe we will stumble on some truly worthwhile relics eventually.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

AWS260 wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:22 pm
NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:11 pm [] We've seen enough of Site Blue, got two to-be-decent mechs out of it. Time to leave and move on to site Green.
[x] See if we can hold it and loot some more.
We're going to run into that merc company again eventually. Might as well do it on ground we hold.

And maybe lay some fresh mines on a different avenue of approach.
If I recall correctly, this mercenary company is roughly the same size we are, and we have a lot of lances tied up guarding Larry's facilities. I'm not sure a stand up fight is in our interest.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Vote Results:
Spoiler:
Stick around, keep looting - unanimous, almost
September 25, 3045
80km north-west-west of Site Blue

We do get a bit of a break before the guys from Red try again. This gives us a chance to rotate most of Gamma company out, replacing them with elements from Beta and Delta. A heavy mech lance, accompanied by two medium mech lances and a company of tanks tries to break through. Delta-Ranger supervises the setting of land-mines on their projected approach route, then picks at the heavies to divert them, pretty successfully.

Madmarcus winds up engaging a Grasshopper GHR-5N - that's the variant with a PPC instead of a large laser and an LRM launcher. It's a recent variant of the standard Grasshopper, introduced back during the War of '39, improving firepower but without adding any extra heat sinks, so mechwarriors have to be a lot more careful about heat.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
A Wolverine's only advantage over a Grasshopper is maneuverability and speed, to the tune of 20%. That and the extended torso twist range. Madmarcus is going to need to stay out of optimal laser range and wait for an opportunity to get in behind the heavy. Our mechwarrior's evasive maneuvers pay off and the Grasshopper only lands a brief grazing hit on the right arm, while absorbing a large and a medium laser.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
The canny mechwarrior doesn't take the bait, backing up a little bit. But that forces him to fire at a sub-optimal angle, letting our mech score all the hits.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
Madmarcus fires up the jump jets, taking the Wolverine backwards and throwing the enemy mechwarrior's aim off, again. The Wolverine's lasers just don't have the power to punch through the Grasshopper's armor in any meaningful kind of time.

Round 4:
Our Wolverine continues evasive maneuvers - the enemy mechwarrior is playing it cautiously, but it's costing him armor, along with a ding to the head from an SRM.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
Our mechwarrior fires the Wolverine's jump jets, backing up and hoping to lure the Grasshopper closer.

Round 6:
Spoiler:
Image
No luck. Our Wolverine moves forward, taking a couple of laser blasts but inflicting major damage on the Grasshopper's right arm. That's only a medium laser out of action, but it's symbolic.

Round 7:
Spoiler:
Image
Madmarcus finally gets the drop on the Grasshopper as the enemy mechwarrior loses his nerve. Another ding to the head from an SRM knocks the poor guy out and drops him to the ground, crunching a laser in the left arm. Madmarcus delivers a curb stomp, crushing the PPC and a heat sink as well.

Round 8:
Spoiler:
Image
A solid pair of laser blasts removes the immobile mech's head, leaving our mechwarrior free to provide backup to Beta-Hunter lance. The rest of Delta-Ranger won't be able to make it in time to help, but pulling a heavy mech lance off is pretty good.

The mech is actually relatively undamaged (other than having to replace the head, an arm and half the weapons systems...), so we should be able to add another jump-capable 70-tonner to our roster. Once we can source a replacement 70-tonner cockpit. Whoever gets it will have to really be good at managing heat, though.

---------

Meanwhile, back at our base of operations:

"One hundred and ten million C-Bills?!" Gbasden asks, incredulous.

"Sorry, major. There was just too much deterioration in the conductive structure, we put a current through that, and the only place we're jumping is the great graveyard in the void." Comes the response, delayed several minutes due to light lag. "And as far as the controller, well, no controller, no zhoop zhoop between the stars." the man floats around a bit. "Good news is I was able to source the parts from Schnepfau. You know, the other colony in the system. But, uh, with all the pirates, maybe we want to deliver them ourselves, or pay for some mercs to guard the shipment."

The major sighs. Like we don't have enough trouble. And the jumpship captain's usual condescending tone really grates on the nerves, even just once a week with a light-lag delay. "And how long is it gonna take to do the replacement?"

"Eight months, and that's just for the drive coil. Haven't even thought about the controller yet. Just our luck too, if we'd jumped in at the nadir point, we'd be able to use the recharge station's drydock to help speed us along."

[] Send one of our dropships and a fighter squadron to deliver the parts to the jumpship.
[] Pay an extra 11M (+/- negotiation variation) to hire some mercs to guard the parts delivery.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

NickAragua wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:59 pm
[X] Send one of our dropships and a fighter squadron to deliver the parts to the jumpship.
[] Pay an extra 11M (+/- negotiation variation) to hire some mercs to guard the parts delivery.
Seems like if we can do it in house, seems better both from a cost and from a "sudden yet inevitable betrayal" perspective on using other mercs.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Leraje »

NickAragua wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:59 pm [x] Send one of our dropships and a fighter squadron to deliver the parts to the jumpship.
[] Pay an extra 11M (+/- negotiation variation) to hire some mercs to guard the parts delivery.
If we have ASF to spare - keep it in-house. If not, outsource it.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by $iljanus »

El Guapo wrote:
NickAragua wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:59 pm
[X] Send one of our dropships and a fighter squadron to deliver the parts to the jumpship.
[] Pay an extra 11M (+/- negotiation variation) to hire some mercs to guard the parts delivery.
Seems like if we can do it in house, seems better both from a cost and from a "sudden yet inevitable betrayal" perspective on using other mercs.
If we can spare the units why not? I like the idea of keeping things in house.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Vote Results:
Spoiler:
Use our own dropship and aerospace fighters - unanimous.
We detach the Sparrow, and it burns upwards. First towards Schnepfau, a few days away, then towards the zenith jump point, a few more days away. It'll be gone for a couple of weeks, along with Alpha-Strike.

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

September 25, 3045
Site Blue approach route

Beta-Hunter waits for the approaching mech and armor column. Unfortunately, this approach route doesn't have quite as many chokepoints, so our minefields won't be as effective. The incoming hostiles also fake us out, with the result that our mechs will have to cross a river to intercept the bulk of the incoming hostiles.

The good news is that the freezing cold temperatures and high winds are slowing the incoming tanks down.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
Leraje sighs and rolls his eyes, having forgotten that half the Guillotine's jump jets are in the legs and obscured by the water, slowing our mech down a little bit as it crosses the river. Him, Siljanus and the Zephyr hovertank will attempt to engage the units to the north of the river, while Wolf and Hyena take on the units to the south.

Madmarcus will help out where appropriate after the Wolverine gets here.

The two mechs to the south exchange long-range fire with the hostiles, to no effect for either side.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
Here's a pro-tip for fighting Saladin hovertanks slowed down by ultra-cold temperatures: keep them just outside effective medium laser range, as the medium laser happens to share range characteristics with the AC/20. Normally, they'd just swarm all over the slower mechs, but with the cold, they've been reduced to the same speed as the Orion and Archer. Hilarious.

You, uh, still have to hit them though.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
"Ranger-One on station." Madmarcus reports.

"Where's the rest of your lance?"

"Still tangling with merc heavies. They're doing ok, but won't make it in time."

"Well, better one Wolverine than no Wolverines." Wolf comments.

"Oooh, shit...." Hyena comments while backing up - not quite fast enough to avoid getting shot at by the Saladins. Luckily, both the AC/20 shots go well wide of the Archer, and then our mechwarriors return fire. Madmarcus breaches armor on one of the Saladins with a couple of well-placed laser blasts, while Hyena's LRMs destroy the other one. Wolf smirks as the Orion's autocannon blast goes through where the hovertank's center of mass would have been if it wasn't in three separate pieces.

Madmarcus' target bee-lines away from the battlefield, or tries to, except its drive fans seize up and it just plops down onto the frozen ground.

To the north, Siljanus takes a couple of LRMs from an approaching Shadow Hawk as our mechs try their best to intercept a particularly fast-moving hostile.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
With the AC/20s out of action, our mechs push forward, Wolf's Orion taking its place in front of Hyena's Archer. Our mechwarrior opens up on what looks like a firefighting mech as it tries to run past, blowing through its armor with autocannon and laser fire, and removing every limb except the right leg. Hyena squeezes the trigger as the Archer's targeting computer announces an LRM lock on the approaching LTV-4. The venerable hovercraft design's PPC shot at Wolf misses, and then the LRMs burst open its skirt, settling it down alongside its Saladin buddies. The reduction in incoming firepower is welcome, as Hyena take some damage from the incoming medium mech lance, although no armor breaches. The Archer rocks as armor melts and the nearby Phoenix Hawk delivers a kick, but stays upright.

Madmarcus works on the back of the approaching Shadow Hawk and even breaches armor, but is unable to capitalize on the fellow 55-tonner's weakness.

To the north, Siljanus and Leraje engage the fast-moving escaping light mech but are unable to "seal the deal", inflicting only armor damage.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
The Phoenix Hawk and Cicada continue circling around Hyena's Archer, trying to take it out of action. Hyena returns fire, trading armor with the Phoenix Hawk at a roughly even exchange rate, while Madmarcus pings it in the head with a medium laser. Hyena's left leg loses a bunch of armor and a pair of actuators burst, forcing our mechwarrior to take a knee.

Our northern units are unable to stop the fast-moving light mech and have to let it go, turning to engage the rest of the hostiles that have started picking away at Siljanus' rear armor.

Round 6:
Spoiler:
Image
Hyena cringes as the Archer struggles back up and the computer informs our mechwarrior that the right arm shoulder and hand actuators have blown, along with the laser, under concentrated fire from the Phoenix Hawk. But that's the last we'll be hearing from that mech as Madmarcus puts a large laser through the cockpit.

The Cicada is still "on the job" though, cracking the Archer's left hip with another kick, snapping another leg actuator in the process. There's a limit to how many actuators can blow before the mech falls over and that was it.

To the north, Siljanus manages to turn the Stalker around so its front armor absorbs the incoming fire instead of the weak rear armor, while Leraje burns the autocannon off a Warrior helicopter with a laser blast. It's still got the SRMs though.

Round 7:
Spoiler:
Image
The Cicada eats lasers SRMs from Madmarcus' Wolverine, sending it flopping to the ground, but not before it's able to circle around and blast Hyena's downed Archer in the back, detonating the LRM ammo. Hyena is treated to an aerial view of the scene from the ejection seat.

Wolf and the Shadow Hawk exchange some fire, our mechwarrior scoring a head shot with an SRM, but otherwise just inflicting armor damage.

To the north, our Zephyr works on another light mech that's making a break for it while Siljanus and Leraje continue jockeying for position with a Shadow Hawk, a Griffin and some tanks. Siljanus "positions" some lasers and LRMs into a Scimitar, blowing off enough fans that the rest aren't able to keep the vehicle moving.

Round 8:
Spoiler:
Image
Hyena takes shelter from the driving, freezing winds in the Cicada's wreckage, alongside the Cicada's mechwarrior, who's powered down the mech after concluding that he won't be able to get the mech up without a leg and a Wolverine standing over it.

Madmarcus is on fire with the headshots this fight, blasting the Shadow Hawk in the dome with a laser as it tries to get around the back of Wolf's Orion. It's a particularly good shot, too, as the mechwarrior passes out. As the mech is staggering, Wolf lets rip with the AC/10, scoring a hit on the right torso and detonating the LRM ammo.

That leaves a Wasp and a light hovertank on the southern side of the river.

Leraje circles around an approaching Whitworth as it continues pumping LRMs into Siljanus' Stalker (somewhat fruitelessly). One of the Guillotine's lasers "lightly grazes" the gyro, which causes the 40-tonner to wobble and take a knee to keep from collapsing entirely. It's going to have a tough time getting up after a stomp from our 70-tonner snaps a pair of actuators in the right leg.

A Shadow Hawk moves up to Siljanus' mech after exchanging fire with Leraje, engaging from close range. Even normally it's not the best idea, but when a Stalker is in freezing cold water with driving winds helping dissipate heat, it's downright suicidal. The 55-tonner's armor *mostly* holds, with only a single breach on the right leg, but the cool environment lets Siljanus fire everything except the LRMs. The cockpit still gets pretty toasty, regardless, but the Shadow Hawk's armor looks like swiss cheese at this point, with an ammo bin visible through one of the holes in the torso.

Our Zephyr hovertank takes out the escaping light mech, but is disabled in the process by SRMs from a helicopter.

Round 9:
Spoiler:
Image
The Whitworth isn't going anywhere for a while, so Leraje moves on.

To the south, Wolf begins mopping up, disabling the J. Edgar hovertank with laser fire and SRMs. The cold temperatures really enable the Orion to crank up the firepower - normally, you'd have to hold a laser or the SRMs.

The Shadow Hawk targeting Siljanus has learned its lesson, backing up and blasting the assault mech from tall grass as the Griffin joins in with some LRMs. Leraje targets the 55 tonner with laser fire melting armor, while Siljanus nearly blows the rotor off the annoying little helicopter buzzing around.

Round 10:
Spoiler:
Image
Siljanus smirks as the Griffin's PPC evaporates water instead of mech water. Leraje takes the Whitworth out with a well-placed laser through the rear armor - it's just moving around too much.

To the south, Madmarcus cores out the Wasp, removing the last threat to Wolf's rear armor.

Round 11:
Spoiler:
Image
Madmarcus blows away the last unit on the south bank of the river, a Vedette, torching the fuel tank with a laser.

To the north, Siljanus finally shoots down the helicopter, although the Stalker loses the left arm in the process. Leraje continues blasting the Griffin, knocking it to the ground. That chopper lasted quite a while, weaving and bobbing to avoid most of the incoming fire, but once a couple of lasers brushed the rotor, it slowed down enough that it couldn't dodge fast enough any more.

The remainder of the enemy column beats a retreat, the tanks on the north bank on the river pulling back as the remaining mechs fire up their jump jets and break contact.

--------

Hyena sighs, flicking aside a stray wire while riding in the back of Wolf's. "Well, isn't that ironic."

"What?"

"We went looking for Star League tech, and I got my Star League mech blown up."

Wolf performs a flawless eyeroll. "Like rain on your wedding day?"

"If you weren't driving this mech... " Hyena says, fists balled in mock anger.

Wolf refrains from making any 'mech driving' comments, or, at least, making them externally.

It's that time again, we need a replacement mech. None of the good salvaged mechs are ready for use (nor will they be until we can source the appropriate parts). In addition to losing the Archer, Siljanus' Stalker is missing its left arm, taking it out of action until we can get replacement parts. So, we'll need to pick two replacement mechs. Both mechwarriors are generalists, with no particular weapon specialization. Siljanus' preference is for ground-bound mechs, due to being an expert at negotiating steep inclines on foot.

Here's what we have for spares:

Warhammer WHM-6D: a classic Warhammer variant, with all the ammo-based weapons removed in favor of heat sinks and armor.
Thunderbolt TDR-5SS: a Steiner variation on the classic, with a PPC. Good all around mech, but our mechwarriors never do well with ground-bound Thunderbolts for some reason, leading to a superstitious reluctance to get into one.
Ostsol OST-4F: A fast-moving sixty tonner with a pair of PPCs, mediocre armor and not-so-great heat management requiring volley firing.
Marauder MAD-3R: standard Marauder, except our techs moved the almost exposed ammo bin closer to the autocannon.
Crusader CRD-3L (2x): Liao-variant Crusader with jump jets and reduced size SRM racks. We've customized these to reduce the MG ammo count and add a little extra armor instead.
Catapult CPLT-C1 (2x): Bog-standard Catapults. Very solid mechs, nobody has anything bad to say about them.
Catapult CPLT-K2: Kurita version of the Catapult, the Katapult basically doesn't share any characteristics with its parent design. Two PPCs, machine guns and no jump jets.
Archer ARC-2K: Kurita variant of the Archer, trading 4x medium lasers for 2x large. Heat management, not so good. Average armor.

Siljanus, Hyena - pick your rides (subject to player override)
[] Warhammer
[] Thunderbolt
[] Ostsol
[] Marauder
[] Crusader
[] Catapult
[] Katapult
[] Archer

Also, the local "used mech market" currently has a "slightly used" BattleMaster for sale for 4.25M C-Bills. The source isn't clear about where it came from, but the phrase "liquidation of confiscated assets" is used in the listing. It's a pretty good deal, as a BattleMaster normally runs a little under 9M. The downside is that it's a stock Beamer, meaning a full ton of MG ammo and rear-facing lasers. But at least we could pull actuators and joints from it to fix Siljanus' Stalker.

[] Grab the BattleMaster for 4.25M C-Bills
[] Pass, sounds too sketchy
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Leraje »

NickAragua wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2020 3:53 pm [x] Grab the BattleMaster for 4.25M C-Bills
[] Pass, sounds too sketchy
It can always be refitted to a proper variety. And if we can wire jump jets into it I'll gleefully take it :D
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Hyena »

NickAragua wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2020 3:53 pm
Siljanus, Hyena - pick your rides (subject to player override)
[] Warhammer
[] Thunderbolt
[] Ostsol
[] Marauder
[] Crusader
[X] Catapult
[] Katapult
[X] Archer

[X] Grab the BattleMaster for 4.25M C-Bills
[] Pass, sounds too sketchy
I'll take the Catapult, as its fairly similar to the old Archer in terms of LRMs. If not, I'll hop into the next Archer, but honestly I'm a bit superstitious...
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by $iljanus »

Siljanus, Hyena - pick your rides (subject to player override)
[] Warhammer
[X] Thunderbolt
[] Ostsol
[] Marauder
[] Crusader
[] Catapult
[] Katapult
[] Archer

I’ll take a shot at breaking the bad juju.

[X] Grab the BattleMaster for 4.25M C-Bills
[] Pass, sounds too sketchy
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Vote Results:
Spoiler:
Buy the discount BattleMaster
We hand over the C-Bills. Expected delivery time is seven days.

Excavations continue at Site Blue - our tech teams are optimistic they'll be able to pull at least one more mech out of the cache. However, when they open up the next hangar, there's a muffled explosion from the inside and our mechwarriors standing guard watch a jet of flame shoot out. Nobody's killed, but the interior of that hangar is slagged - must have been a booby trap.

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

October 4, 3045
UELL-hired mercenary staging area

Larry's people may not be nearly as good at driving mechs and aerospace fighters, but he's got a pretty good information gathering network. Which is how Beta-Assault winds up stomping towards a staging area for the Unzmarkt Environmental Liberation League - they've been buzzing our facilities and obviously gearing up for another attack on Larry's facilities, so we take some pre-emptive action to take them down.

A lance of Larry's tanks will move in to support Beta-Assault, but for the most part it'll be our show. Currently, we're seeing a medium-heavy mech lance and a mixed tank company, so it should be pretty easy to handle.

Round 1:
Spoiler:
Image
Everyone hides from the approaching Awesomes, so our assault mechs wind up taking it easy and firing at buildings housing fixed defenses. LordMortis and Moley move forward, engaging a Maxim hover transport. Lasers, LRMs and SRMs pound the hovercraft before it gets started moving - the lift fans "burp" and then it plops down onto the ground.

Round 2:
Spoiler:
Image
As we move forward, the UELL mercs pop out of cover, engaging our assault lance. LordMortis blasts a Vedette with the gauss rifle, the slug puncturing the fuel tank and sending the turret on an arc through the sky. The Victor takes a couple of lasers, but avoids an AC/20 round from the nearby Saladin, to our mechwarrior's relief.

Zenn7 sights a Grasshopper, sending a PPC volley at the jumping mech, stripping off almost two tons of armor, mostly off the right side.

Round 3:
Spoiler:
Image
A Saladin and a Pegasus zip towards Zarathud, but Moley steps out from behind a building and cuts through the Saladin with lasers, causing its AC/20 shot to miss due to the hovercraft falling apart. The Pegasus rapidly turns its turret towards our Thunderbolt, pinging a few SRMs off the armor, but is then blasted to bits by Zarathud's PPCs.

Zenn7 continues engaging the Grasshopper, taking the right arm off while absorbing a few LRMs. The coolant truck hides behind a building and helps keep our Awesome nice and cool.

LordMortis pegs the nearby Shadow Hawk with a gauss shot, but the medium mech's armor holds up for now.

Round 4:
Spoiler:
Image
The Wolverine and Shadow Hawk, backed up by a Firestarter, move to engage Moley's Thunderbolt, taking major damage from Zarathud and Zenn7 in the process. LordMortis wipes out a Scorpion tank by putting a gauss slug all the way through it. Moley's aim is thrown off by repeated SRM pings, but all mechs involved remain upright. Even the Wolverine, which takes major leg actuator damage when LordMortis steps on the back of its leg, shearing armor and actuators off.

Round 5:
Spoiler:
Image
A Manticore tank that's been lobbing LRMs at Zenn7 eats an alpha strike from LordMortis, armor melting away and a well-placed SRM dropping the engine block out the bottom of the tank. The Victor rocks briefly and LordMortis' eyes widen as the damage indicator shows an ammo bin has been hit, but luckily it was only a mostly empty gauss rifle ammo bin - gauss slugs are inert, so the only damage is our mechwarrior's pride and a few gauss rounds.

Zarathud bowls the damaged Wolverine over with a full three PPC treatment, absorbing some SRM punishment in the process.

Zenn7 has nothing better to do, so he starts blasting down buildings that are obscuring lines of fire at tanks and other units.

Round 6:
Spoiler:
Image
The Shadow Hawk (maybe intentionally, maybe not) runs into Zarathud, dislodging the Awesome as our mechwarrior is trying to turn around, and knocking it into a nearby building. The structure collapses, stripping some armor from our mech, while the Shadow Hawk just kind of bounces off and falls onto the pavement.

Zenn7 covers Zarathud, putting three PPC shots into the Firestarter, one of which hits the MG ammo bin and scatters the light mech to the four winds.

Moley jumps around the back of the Wolverine inflicting heavy damage and severing the right arm, while LordMortis blasts the Grasshopper with a gauss slug and assorted lighter weapons, stripping armor from the left torso. The Wolverine's retaliation really works Moley's mech over - an SRM hits a weak spot in the center torso armor and the Thunderbolt seizes up and keels over to the right, the computer helpfully informing our mechwarrior that the gyro has been destroyed. Both the Grasshopper and Wolverine wind up on the ground, though a little less disabled than our Thunderbolt.

Zarathud reaches out and stomps on the adjacent fallen Shadow Hawk's left torso, almost crushing it - but we'll need to leave that building, it wasn't really built to hold an Awesome inside, and the combination of external ordnance with the Awesome's weight isn't, structurally speaking, that great.

Round 7:
Spoiler:
Image
With no way to move, Moley powers the Thunderbolt down and hopes the rest of the lance can take care of these bad guys, wondering idly where Larry's tanks are.

Zenn7 blasts apart a Scorpion tank with the Awesome's PPCs, having cleared some firing lanes on the "street", while Zarathud does the same for another Scorpion that pokes out of some nearby woods to fire its AC/5 at our Awesome as it emerges from the building that's basically hanging off a single tilting girder.

Round 8:
Spoiler:
Image
Reinforcements arrive from the east, but they're not Larry's guys - it's another tank lance. Including a Demon tank - that's basically a wheeled assault gun, except, unlike a Hetzer, it carries gauss rifle.

At least the Wolverine begins withdrawing, leaving behind lots of chunks and components.

Zarathud and LordMortis continue jockeying with the Shadow Hawk and Grasshopper, Zarathud scoring a headshot on the Grasshopper, while LordMortis blows out one of its jump jets. Zenn7 temporarily lacks targets so proceeds to fry some infantry with PPCs as the coolant truck sprays him down.

The Grasshopper scores a few good laser hits on Zarathud, but that distracts the hostile mechwarrior long enough for LordMortis to sever the right leg, the 70-tonner falling face forward. That'll about do it for him.

Round 9:
Spoiler:
Image
Zenn7 continues pinning a pair of tanks behind a building, which allows LordMortis to run over and stomp one. Zenn7's attention is diverted by a Vedette coming around a corner. The 50-ton tank doesn't last long - PPCs melt most of the armor, and then the precise small laser shot blasts the fuel tank.

Zarathud legs the Shadow Hawk as it hops back, taking it out of the fight as well, its AC/5 snapping off as it hits the ground.

Round 10:
Spoiler:
Image
Larry's tankers finally get there. Not that useful, the fight is basically over.

LordMortis conserves gauss ammo, only firing the Victor's lasers and SRMs, but that's still enough to blow away the last Scorpion tank.

Round 11:
Spoiler:
Image
Zarathud punches through the armor on an approaching Bulldog tank, melting one of the AC/2 barrels. The PPC firepower is joined by autocannon fire from one of Larry's Vedettes - the merc tank crew doesn't think much of their chances and puts it in reverse, backing away rapidly.

The Shadow Hawk (very) briefly gets up, and manages to disable the AC/20 on one of Larry's tanks - a Rommel - before taking a full salvo of SRMs from an SRM Carrier. Not much left of that Shadow Hawk afterwards, you can't even really tell which explosions are the 60 SRMs and which explosions are the internal ammo going off.

LordMortis winds up not having anything better to do other than swat some infantry trying to climb up his mech.

Round 12:
Spoiler:
Image
A gauss slug from the Demon spangs off LordMortis' armor as the Victor jumps over and returns the favor, then kicks the turret off.

A Trebuchet (5S model, all SRMs all day) comes out to engage Zenn7's Awesome and eats three PPCs to the front. Our Awesome does absorb a good number of SRMs, but the Trebuchet simply explodes the second the PPC blasts make contact.

The rest is cleanup - Zenn7 winds up having to blast a bunch of infantry trying to hit him with small arms fire, then blow up a little laser turret. After that, the two remaining tanks on the east side of the base retreat as LordMortis and Zarathud close in on them.

We really cleaned up on that one, only two tanks and a mech missing an arm managed to escape. Granted, Moley's Thunderbolt is going to need a good amount of work. Even better, salvage is excellent - we're able to pull the Grasshopper off the field, meaning we'll be able to fix up the 5N with the spare parts.

Once we get that Grasshopper variant working, Hyena (or Siljanus), any thoughts about driving it instead of the Archer/Catapult? It's got jump jets and lasers, plus a PPC.

Additionally, we recover the Demon. The Gauss rifle is wrecked, but the ammo bins are almost full, so that's pretty good.

Finally, it looks like we caught these guys with their pants down. Inside the armor staging area, there's a ... sigh. A Daboku. We've seen this 90-ton Draconis Combine mech design in action before, and it wasn't really that great. Just because I can't get enough of how awful it is:

Two large lasers
Two LRM/10s
Four AC/2s
only 12 heat sinks for all that
3/5 movement
~66% of maximum armor

So it's basically a slow, unarmored turkey with relatively limited firepower. At least all the ammo has CASE so when it blows it won't take the rest of the mech with it. Getting it to something that even remotely resembles a functional mech will require a lot of work, both design and actual engineering time. Looks like they were getting it ready, but didn't quite power it up before we stomped them flat.

So we could put in the effort to redesign and refit this 90-ton lemon properly (a tough task - unlike those old Terran Hegemony-era designs we found, there's no "better version" of a Daboku). We could simply store it for spare parts - we don't have any 90-tonners currently, but if and when we get one, spare parts aren't exactly easy to come by. Alternately, we could sell it off, although one would hope we don't attract any Draconis Combine attention selling "prototype" equipment on the open market.

How do we handle this "windfall"?

[] Mothball for now, redesign and refit later
[] Keep it around for spare parts, maybe lift the CASE ammo bins so we can refit something else with them
[] Sell it for a few million C-Bills


[AN: The scenario was technically a "facility recon" rather than a "facility destroy", so we did some Steiner-style scouting here.]
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by gbasden »

NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:28 pm
How do we handle this "windfall"?

[] Mothball for now, redesign and refit later
[X] Keep it around for spare parts, maybe lift the CASE ammo bins so we can refit something else with them
[] Sell it for a few million C-Bills

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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Leraje »

NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:28 pm [] Mothball for now, redesign and refit later
[x] Keep it around for spare parts, maybe lift the CASE ammo bins so we can refit something else with them
[] Sell it for a few million C-Bills
Have the tech crew disassemble it and put what remains on the cement blocks.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

gbasden wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:44 pm
NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:28 pm
How do we handle this "windfall"?

[] Mothball for now, redesign and refit later
[X] Keep it around for spare parts, maybe lift the CASE ammo bins so we can refit something else with them
[] Sell it for a few million C-Bills

Agreed.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by $iljanus »

Mine it for spare parts as needed and I'll volunteer to hop around in the Grasshopper if Hyena doesn't want to.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

I can't believe both of you fools passed on both a Warhammer and a Marauder.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by $iljanus »

Well...umm...I know you are but what am I? Pffffst!
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

NickAragua wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:28 pm The rest is cleanup - Zenn7 winds up having to blast a bunch of infantry trying to hit him with small arms fire, then blow up a little laser turret.
"I almost felt sorry for the poor bastards... at least with a machine gun or flamer or auto-cannon, you smear them all quick. PPC's are picking off 1-2 a shot. Just sitting there waiting for the next shot figuring you'll die then... but they wouldn't surrender or run so, death to the terminally stupid..."

Keep that thing for parts.
El Guapo wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:21 pm I can't believe both of you fools passed on both a Warhammer and a Marauder.
Guessing Scrubb can't believe it either. I know I can't!
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Vote Results:
Spoiler:
Keep it around for spare parts
We get the mech loaded up onto a flatbed and drive it back to our base of operations.

A few hours later, Scrub is staring at a bunch of scorch marks in the middle of a road, and the wreckage of our flatbed and its escort vehicles. Tracks lead off into the woods, but not very far. No sign of the Daboku.

Scrub shakes her head. "Where's Sherlock Holmes when you need him?"

Madmarcus pipes up. "Well, Lestrade, it appears that the recovery crew was ambushed. The tracks into the woods correspond to incoming hostile vehicles, as the marks do not match any of the escort vehicles. I think we must surmise that whoever took our battlemech must have used low-altitude flying units, which we can probably confirm if we check the satellite data for this area. If there is any."

Scrub makes a pouty face. "Really? I'm Lestrade? Not even Watson? Ouch."

Madmarcus guffaws. "Well, at least you've read the books."

Scrub's eyes shift left and right. "Right... the... uh... books. So, uh, where does this leave us?"

"Well, we can see if there was a satellite overhead, and see if we can get a hold of its camera footage, track whoever took the mech. From there, I don't know. We don't really have an intel network here like Larry or any of the other corporations. I suppose we could ask ComStar, but, well, you know." Madmarcus shrugs.

How do we handle the disappearance of the Daboku?
[] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high

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

Siljanus' transition to another mech becomes a moot point, as we get the Stalker fixed up with a few weeks work and spare parts from the BattleMaster. It takes us almost three weeks, but our techs get the 5N Grasshopper up and running. We'll give it to someone for sure.

The Streak SRM launcher on Freyland's Quickdraw keeps getting down-checked. Our techs are on top of it, so it's not a big deal, but we'll add it to the list of equipment to replace. Along with the Gauss Rifle on El Guapo's Marauder.

We manage to acquire a couple of replacement aerospace fighters as well, and our dropship comes back from the parts delivery with no incident.

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

A couple of other jumpships come and go, bringing updates from Dowles, as of November. The survey crews have been continuing their work and have identified a factory complex which can be put into service with a relatively moderate (for rebuilding a factory) cost. The production facilities so far identified manufacture standard armor plating and handle final assembly of standard Condor hovertanks (the individual components are presumably shipped from elsewhere to the final assembly line). They're still investigating to see whether the other parts of the manufacturing complex can be re-activated.

Condor hovertanks are not very exciting, featuring an AC/5, a pair of medium lasers and a machinegun. But the availability of standard armor plating without having to salvage and ship it in from offworld would be nice. What to do with the final assembly line is an open question, but we won't have to think about it for a little while.

The survey crews have also evaluated several other structures, and there are a pair of advanced hydroponics facilities, each of which could easily produce enough food to feed all of our personnel and their families once we get them restored to working order.

The last of the survey reports reads like a comedy trid script from 2940, with a bungling survey worker tripping over a vine while evaluating the structural integrity of a plant-encrusted thirty-story skyscraper. Long story short, the structural integrity wasn't very good, and the whole thing collapsed, our survey guys barely making it out with only a few bruises and some minor lung damage from all the dust that got kicked up.

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

Combat-wise, the next two months are silent. Our excavation crew announce that they've opened up as much of Site Blue as they can. With nothing else in there, we move on to Site Green. It's a little further away from Site Red, so we don't see as much "probing activity". With lessons learned from Site Blue, the work proceeds more slowly but more carefully.

We keep the occasional eye on Site Red, and the Overlord continues sitting there, mechs cycling in and out of it, digging equipment moving around.

The local planetary militia, in conjunction with Unzmarkt Resources Ltd, Marvello Ltd and others, announce the formation of a "common planetary defence" unit, to supplement the planetary militia in times of trouble. To resolve the friction regarding who's going to be in charge, it's decided that each corporation will be responsible for security in their own holdings. There apparently is no obligation to take care of trouble outside their own sector. So, in other words, business as usual. Nobody in our company is sure what the point is. Negotiations are on-going.

We have little over three months until our contract term is up. Larry's security force is shaping up to be pretty decent. The aero jocks are doing ok, the mech and tank guys are on the ball as well.
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El Guapo
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:31 pm

How do we handle the disappearance of the Daboku?
[X] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high
It was a shitty mech anyway. Maybe ask around / kick the tires a bit on the local rumor mill to see if we can find out who was responsible (so that we can hold them accountable at some point), but I don't think we have much reason to care about the mech itself.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Zenn7 »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:31 pm
How do we handle the disappearance of the Daboku?
[] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high
Notify ComStar about this mech we were bringing back for them and let them go hunt someone down and extract payback on our behalf.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Leraje »

NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:31 pm [] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[x] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high
It's not a matter of a crappy mech, it's more of making a point that jacking our property has consequences.
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AWS260
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by AWS260 »

Leraje wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:53 pm
NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:31 pm [] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[x] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high
It's not a matter of a crappy mech, it's more of making a point that jacking our property has consequences.
This.

Also, that "common planetary defense" initiative is hilarious.
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by El Guapo »

AWS260 wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:42 pm
Leraje wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:53 pm
NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:31 pm [] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[x] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high
It's not a matter of a crappy mech, it's more of making a point that jacking our property has consequences.
This.

Also, that "common planetary defense" initiative is hilarious.
I don't disagree exactly, it's just that I'm not willing to pay much of a price in terms of the 'favor'.

Actually, the 'notify ComStar that the mech we found for them has been hijacked' isn't a bad idea. One, ComStar's wrath is significant, and two, maybe helps us a bit if ComStar was the one who jacked our shipment ('hey, we were totally bringing it to you').
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by Hyena »

El Guapo wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:21 pm I can't believe both of you fools passed on both a Warhammer and a Marauder.
The only reason I passed on those is because I thought I needed to replace the role of an LRM boat in our group. If I don't, I would LOVE to climb into a Warhammer.

Nick, any preferences/recommendations?
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by $iljanus »


El Guapo wrote:
AWS260 wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:42 pm
Leraje wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:53 pm
NickAragua wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:31 pm [] Forget it - easy come, easy go
[] Investigate on our own - takes longer, we're not really "investigators" so not great odds of success
[] Ask Larry for help - reasonable time and chance of success, Larry will probably need a favor beyond our contract in return
[X] Ask ComStar for help - they've got their hooks in everything, but the price will be high
It's not a matter of a crappy mech, it's more of making a point that jacking our property has consequences.
This.

Also, that "common planetary defense" initiative is hilarious.
I don't disagree exactly, it's just that I'm not willing to pay much of a price in terms of the 'favor'.

Actually, the 'notify ComStar that the mech we found for them has been hijacked' isn't a bad idea. One, ComStar's wrath is significant, and two, maybe helps us a bit if ComStar was the one who jacked our shipment ('hey, we were totally bringing it to you').
They play their games, we play ours. "In the spirit of cooperation here's our hard won find."
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Re: Let's play: Battletech via MegaMek

Post by NickAragua »

Hyena wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:18 pm
El Guapo wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:21 pm I can't believe both of you fools passed on both a Warhammer and a Marauder.
The only reason I passed on those is because I thought I needed to replace the role of an LRM boat in our group. If I don't, I would LOVE to climb into a Warhammer.

Nick, any preferences/recommendations?
Originally, I was using LRMs in that lance because it's got a TAG-equipped hovertank attached to it, but it's been of somewhat limited use frankly. The tank has done fine (except sinking that one time), but we wind up not engaging in too much indirect fire.

I personally would really like to see the 5N Grasshopper in action, and maybe your mechwarrior will have better luck with a more heavily armored jump-capable mech. But it's up to you, I'll work with whatever you pick.
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