Author Topic: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread  (Read 90343 times)

cavingjan

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #60 on: 07 November 2015, 08:35:32 »
LRM infantry should be removed from pg 113. They don't exist before 3057.

Kitsune413

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #61 on: 07 November 2015, 09:38:40 »
I can't mock anything up, I'm at work right now.

The faction list is a great tool but I would suggest including a truncated list with less options OR place a picture of a miniature next to unit in brackets.

For instance if you have got a list of four awesomes include a picture of an awesome miniature to the right of the stats/listing.

It would help newer players identify with the mechs and make it less of a table of names.

Alternatively make an alternative beginners list that only lists the mechs from the Boxed Set / Mech Packs and includes the pictures in the list.

It should help cross promote miniatures, box sets, mech packs and then also help newer players identify more and learn those mechs and give them fewer choices so they aren't overwhelmed with massive lists.
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Dohon

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #62 on: 07 November 2015, 10:26:01 »
Error: Rank Title (Page 06):

"It was the voice of Kommandant Mandingo Gluck. With Hauptmann General Miguel James and his XO Leftenant General Jean Andrews in the arctic on a training operation with the Dixie TMM, Gluck was the senior officer in the area."

Problem: Assuming that Jean Andrews is the XO of Miguel James and James is a Lyran general, the correct title of Jean Andrews would be Leutnant-General. (Source: Handbook House Steiner, p. 113).

Suggested Fix: Change the title of Jean Andrews to Leutnant-General.

****************************

Error: Missing hyphens (page 06):

With Hauptmann General Miguel James and his XO Leftenant General Jean Andrews in the arctic on a training operation with the Dixie TMM, Gluck was the senior officer in the area."

Problem: Rank titles like Hauptmann General and Leutnant General (see suggested edit above) require a hyphen. (Source: Handbook House Steiner, p. 113).

Suggested fix: Change titles to Hauptmann-General and Leutnant-General.

csentman

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #63 on: 07 November 2015, 10:49:31 »
pg 12, 1st paragraph under Star League

The role of mercs during Star League seems overly downplayed to me.  It stood out to me because I recently read the 2765 Field Reports.  I might suggest saying their roles were limited as Independent Defense Contractors or used in "Hidden Wars" for covert operations to have plausible deniability.  The Northwind Highlanders, featured in this book, would fall under this category.

It is also stated in this paragraph that mercs did not own their own battlemechs because they were rare and expensive.  I could think of a few reasons why mercs leased battlemechs instead of owning them, but saying it is because mechs are rare during the Star League is a reason I don't buy.  I assume the primary reference for this comes from the intro to Field Manual: Mercs.  However, FM:M said that merc battlemech commands were rare during the Star League, not battlemechs.

At any rate, I know this is suppose to only be a simple intro, but I ask you to take a second look at other sources, Field Manual: Mercs and Field Report 2765 (CC, FS, DC), to make sure you have the right, consistant description of mercs during the Star League.

Daryk

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #64 on: 07 November 2015, 11:56:52 »
On page 88, the last sentence of the first paragraph reads:
"For example, a single tree does not constitute not Woods, but several small areas (or one large area) of forested terrain should be counted as Woods for the purposes of the SCA specialization."

There's an extraneous not after "constitute".  It should read:
"For example, a single tree does not constitute Woods, but several small areas (or one large area) of forested terrain should be counted as Woods for the purposes of the SCA specialization."

Von Ether

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #65 on: 07 November 2015, 12:05:18 »
Clarification on Demi-Companies:
Is it 4 FP per 6 units or 4FP to cut split a company into two Demis?
« Last Edit: 07 November 2015, 12:37:54 by Von Ether »
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ColBosch

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #66 on: 07 November 2015, 12:05:25 »
Page 107, "Guns For Hire."

The last two Wolf's Dragoons models have the wrong Greek letters. "Delta" has an epsilon, and "Epsilon" has a zeta.
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Daryk

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #67 on: 07 November 2015, 12:22:58 »
To pile on to the Demi-Company confusion, the way I read it is you pay 4FP and to use Demi-Companies throughout your force, and can't use Lances.

If this is what was intended, on page 90 I recommend replacing:

"If a Force uses a Demi-Company, all Lances must be Demi-Companies. Two Demi-Companies make up a company instead of three Lances per company. It costs 4 FP"

with:

"If a Force uses two Demi-Companies instead of three Lances per company, the change must be made throughout the Force, and costs 4FP total."

Panthros

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #68 on: 07 November 2015, 13:47:33 »
Graphic on page 4.  Warhammer looks amazing but that other mech, horrible.  What is it supposed to be?

Daryk

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #69 on: 07 November 2015, 13:57:47 »
I believe that's a Grasshopper.

theothersarah

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #70 on: 07 November 2015, 15:09:21 »
I just realized that this book is set around 3049 but Wilson's Hussars didn't return to Outreach until 3056 according to Field Manual: Mercenaries. If this is a retcon I'm perfectly okay with it because I love the implication that they may have fought Clanners and won, or at least survived long enough to take some loot.

Tai Dai Cultist

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #71 on: 07 November 2015, 15:49:53 »
Minor rules issue:

Page 62: Captain Victor Simonson's modified Blood Stalker SPA allows him to redesignate a new target each turn on an 8+ on 1d6.

That's almost assuredly supposed to be a 2d6.

mike19k

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #72 on: 07 November 2015, 16:29:35 »
I have only glanced through it as I do not do anything with Alpha Strike. I did not know it was a AS sourcebook when I got it as the cover says Battletech combat manual, not AS combat manual. This may have been know if you follow AS. Other than that Under Zeta Battalion (Wolf Dragoons) it says that every unit must be heavy or assault, how firm is that rule? As the official list from the old Wolf Dragoons book has them having a couple of mediums in it. Specifically a Hunchback and Whitworth in the Fire Lance of Garrett's Company ("Blue Company")

nckestrel

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #73 on: 07 November 2015, 18:09:31 »
Proposal for Security Lance

Requirements: The Formation must have one Scout or Striker and one Sniper or Missile Boat. There can be no more than 1 Assault (Size 4) in the Formation.
Bonus Ability: If acting as the Defender in a scenario, 75 percent of the Units in the Formation are assigned a Terrain Master or Environmental Specialist SPA of their choice (must be the same SPA for all units) at the beginning of play. Otherwise, 75 percent of the Units in the Formation are assigned the Speed Demon SPA at the beginning of play.

Change to requirements are because I really think it should have a Scout, and most are Size 1 (like the Standard Lance), and there's a canon King Crab in a Security Lance that I wanted to make legal.  The bonus ability changes are proposed to differentiate it more from a Command Lance.
« Last Edit: 08 November 2015, 08:42:53 by nckestrel »
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ColBosch

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #74 on: 07 November 2015, 18:34:46 »
Proposal for Security Lance

Requirements: The Formation must have one Scout or Striker and one Sniper or Missile Boat. There can be no more than 1 Assault (Size 4) in the Formation.
Bonus Ability: If acting as the Defender in a scenario, 75 percent of the Units in the Formation are assigned a Terrain Master or Environmental Specialist SPA of their choice (must be the same SPA for both units) at the beginning of play. Otherwise, 75 percent of the Units in the Formation are assigned the Speed Demon SPA at the beginning of play.

Quick fix for above:

Change bolded text to "for all units."
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Maingunnery

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #75 on: 07 November 2015, 19:14:43 »
Quote
    Proposal for Security Lance

    Requirements: The Formation must have one Scout or Striker and one Sniper or Missile Boat. There can be no more than 1 Assault (Size 4) in the Formation.
    Bonus Ability: If acting as the Defender in a scenario, all Units in the Formation are assigned a Terrain Master or Environmental Specialist SPA of their choice (must be the same SPA for all units) at the beginning of play. With the exception of any Size 4 Unit, which must be assigned with the Speed Demon SPA.

Another modification (ontop of ColBosch's correction): I think that if there is an Assault in a 'mobile' force then that Unit must get the Speed Demon SPA.
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JadedFalcon

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #76 on: 07 November 2015, 20:08:33 »
Errata
Pg.26, Com Guards Organization sidebar - Number of soldiers in Com Guards Level I infantry platoon is given as 28, different from what is described in the Tech Manual. According to Tech Manual, the number should be 36 (6 squads of 6 instead of 4 squads of 7).

Opinion
Pg.35, Battle for Ares sidebar - The scenario may benefit from more precise victory conditions to measure success - Victory Points, percentage of attacking forces that achieve their objective (perhaps the same as Breakthrough on pg.23 AS), etc.

Pg.104 or 107, Guns For Hire - If it can be fit into the layout, a line referencing more color schemes online at CamoSpecs.com would be perfect for those pages.

Unnecessary Petty Quibbling
Pg.52, Other Notable Mercenaries sidebar - Missing units:
Bronson's Horde
Laurel's Legion
Hsien Hotheads (they at least get a mech in the lineup on pg.104)
« Last Edit: 08 November 2015, 20:04:45 by JadedFalcon »

Kitsune413

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #77 on: 07 November 2015, 20:19:13 »
Just a suggestion for an in between Pre-formed Lances and the giant smorgasbord that your veteran battletech players usually interact with.

So this incredibly ugly hacked jpeg down here shows what could possibly be done in the middle of the two other options.

Sticking to boxed set mechs (or boxed set and lance pack sets) This gives new players that want some control and customization an option to build their own thing but avoids analysis paralysis by being confronted by too many choices. It also builds familiarity with the mechs that we're trying to build familiarity with anyways.

The challenge is really implementing those boxed set mechs that don't have a lot of different variants. The Stalker/Awesome etc work well because they've got four or five things to choose from and enough space to slap a picture in. But the Assassin...

I feel like battletech always starts with an emotional connection to one of the machines anyways. The people I've known that have really fallen in love with battletech generally attach themselves to some design and really care about it.

Hey can we get a unseen crusader? ;D
« Last Edit: 07 November 2015, 20:22:31 by Kitsune413 »
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Panthros

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #78 on: 07 November 2015, 21:06:28 »
Overall seems like a short book.  I love the idea of the simple battle scenarios but I expected many more battle scenarios of famous battles from the famous mercenaries especially when they faced off against each other or in a famous battle.  I am disappointed by the one page for many of the famous merc units.  There is so much history here.  I should not expect to read all of the old books.  Spend 3-4 pages on the famous mercs.  I have to say though I am excited by what this book could be.  For me, this is the most important book outside of the rule books.  Seems like a lot of wasted space on no name merc units but that is just my opinion. I wish the PDF’s would be easier to read on tablets.  I love reading the print of the BattleCorps books.  It is a shame you couldn’t do this here and get rid of the grey background to make the text easier to read.

Opinions
Page 28 – Why no profile for Cranston Snord?
Page 42 – Why no profile for Grayson Carlisle or his son?  I like having his wife in the back with her mech.  Perhaps call this out on this page referring to her profile.
Page 46 – Why no profile for Morgan Kell?
Page 67 – Why no profile for Wayne Waco?
Page 72 – Why no Jaime Wolf profile?
Page 75 – The post 3040 BWC is cool but I and many others stay in 3025 or 3039.  I love to see an earlier BWC.
Page 75 – Bounty Hunter profiles over time as he/she were different people would be cool.
Page 81 – I love the force building regimental table of organization for new people to BattleTech.
Page 86 – I like the overview of the different contract types but again famous battle scenarios that tie back to the contract types would have been useful here.

jairb

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #79 on: 08 November 2015, 04:01:14 »
While Contract Types are discussed, there's no mention of Contract Payment.  Given the Campaign Rules' (AS p. 114) basis in the Total Chaos Campaign System (AS p. 116) payment presumably happens via Warchest Points.  Should this be covered in the Combat Manual: Mercenaries book or is this material for the coming Campaign Companion?

Feenix74

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #80 on: 08 November 2015, 06:43:35 »
Suggestion

With the current pdf version, facing pages are not shown together in the Adobe Reader.

Please consider inserting another page (either a page C or a Page 1.5) into the pdf version only. This will allow Adobe PDF Reader to show the correct pages together when the reader uses the View>Page Display>Two Page View. This makes the pdf look like how the DTF would look if you opened it to a double page spread.
Incoming fire has the right of way.

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Feenix74

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #81 on: 08 November 2015, 06:53:32 »
Suggestion

Page 37 - The badge of the Seventy-First Light Horse, could you please consider putting a fine black border around the white horse so that the head of the horse shows up a bit more clearly against the background. Unfortunately, on my PC monitor the white horses head does not show up very well against the light grey background and it looks like the horse's head has been borrowed by the mafia.

Incoming fire has the right of way.

The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.

Always remember that your weapon was built by the lowest bidder.


                                   - excepts from Murphy's Laws of Combat

Daryk

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #82 on: 08 November 2015, 08:52:34 »
Suggestion

With the current pdf version, facing pages are not shown together in the Adobe Reader.

Please consider inserting another page (either a page C or a Page 1.5) into the pdf version only. This will allow Adobe PDF Reader to show the correct pages together when the reader uses the View>Page Display>Two Page View. This makes the pdf look like how the DTF would look if you opened it to a double page spread.
In the "Page Display" menu (under "View"), the second item below "Two Page Scrolling" is "Show Cover Page in Two Page View".  That fixes the display problem.

Saint

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #83 on: 08 November 2015, 09:55:21 »
I think I may have found a fluff error. Page 70

"Wilson’s Hussars, often referred to as Wilson’s Wimps, descends from a prestigious Liao House
unit called Lafarge’s Hussars, a battalion of the Seventh Andurien Hussars."

I took a quick look at my Cap Com books and could not find the Seventh Andurien Hussars listed as a Laio house unit, should it be House Marik or a different House Liao unit. Or did I totally miss the Seventh?
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Adrian Gideon

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #84 on: 08 November 2015, 11:03:42 »
I took a quick look at my Cap Com books and could not find the Seventh Andurien Hussars listed as a Laio house unit, should it be House Marik or a different House Liao unit. Or did I totally miss the Seventh?
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Saint

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #85 on: 08 November 2015, 16:20:47 »
Haven't read that much of the 2765 books yet, thanks!
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Dmon

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #86 on: 08 November 2015, 17:44:57 »
Most of the things I noticed have already been covered so the only real things I have to chip in on are opinions.

Firstly I believe the product should be called a 'Alpha Strike Combat Manual'  as it does not use Battletech rules and thus will be confusing to potential customers.

Secondly I agree that the tables of 'Mechs at the back need to broken up. Doing so by role seems to make sense.


jrvk777

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #87 on: 08 November 2015, 18:17:45 »
Page 13 and 15 - Maps of the Inner Sphere:

I noticed that the Maps show some proper Successor states' names (Lyran Commonwealth, Draconis Combine, etc.), but both the FWL and Capellan Confederation were labeled by the Great House names (House Marik, House Liao).

Page 48-49: Some grammatical errors.

Page 68, The Rangers Code: 4th line: A Ranger must be prepared body, mind and, and soul to fight for what is right.
« Last Edit: 09 November 2015, 17:38:15 by jrvk777 »

theothersarah

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #88 on: 08 November 2015, 18:27:50 »
Re: the maps, I also feel like the 3050 one needs to replace the Lyran and FedSuns emblems with a single FedCom one.

Louie N

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Re: Combat Manual: Mercenaries Beta fan input thread
« Reply #89 on: 08 November 2015, 22:19:45 »
on page 39

Lieutenant Benson Pillbox's Hatchetman 3F has two stat lines.  Is the later one meant to be a custom upgrade or another variant of the mech?  I cannot a variant that matches those stat lines.

Thanks