New GM and new campagn

[ColemanR]

Hello All!


Situation:

Im starting a new campagn set in the 3040-ish era.   Part of my initial idea is that I'd have a sort of evacuation situation.

One thing just struck me though... how does one factor in the different grid sizes and shapes between Battletech and a time of war?   If I recall right, battletech is 30 meter hexes, while a time of war is 1 meter square grids

One thing for sure is, we will be primarily using aToW for roleplaying. However, figuring how where vehicles/mechs etc. will be moving around between turns, seems abit convoluted with the completely different size scalings.

I was considering just using the aToW square grids and then allowing mechs/vehicles etc. to move any distance they like, as long as it was within the max move distance (such as 90 meter max for a 3MP vehicle, with 1 full MP used if changing its facing direction by 60 degrees)

Any recommendations for this? (I dont have the tactical/strategic books to reference if such rules do exist, or if missed them while reading aToW)


Many thanks!




Background:
-This is also my first attempt at being a GM for a RPG  (and be my 2nd RPG experience). I've got decent knowledge of Battletech and a ton of MechWarrior. (MechWarrior2 up to MWO)
-My fellow players are pretty much masters of all that is tabletop/RPG but have little knowledge of Battletech itself. (I've been explaining etc. as I try and set the session up)
-Its already been determined that the RP will be primarily character focused. However, combined arms will be encountered multiple times if I get my way (or figure out the rules to implement as such)

[Acolyte]

My thought is.... Don't use a grid. Use a tape measure. 1" is 1m for AToW scale, 1" is 15m BT scale. Convert movement to inches. In AToW scale combat, multiply the MP of a Mech by 15 to get it's movement (remember that AToW has 5 second turns instead of 10) Anything like a turn that would cost MP costs 15m worth for example: a 1 hexside turn would normally cost 1mp so in this case any turn up to 60 degrees costs 15m of movement that turn. You could convert 4 degrees into each meter of movement used, if you really wanted to..... :o

We use the 15m per MP thing. Works for us.

Good Luck!
   - Shane

[ColemanR]

Ah thanks for that!

Due to geographical differences, we'll be mainly using roll20, so a grid helps when positioning tokens etc.

I like the 15m/MP idea!


As a side note, i dont have the rulebook on hand right now, but in aToW do characters need to declare their facing direction like in BT?  Or is it assumed that no one will be unintentionally staring at a wall in the middle of a firefight?

[guardiandashi]

Ah thanks for that!

Due to geographical differences, we'll be mainly using roll20, so a grid helps when positioning tokens etc.

I like the 15m/MP idea!


As a side note, i dont have the rulebook on hand right now, but in aToW do characters need to declare their facing direction like in BT?  Or is it assumed that no one will be unintentionally staring at a wall in the middle of a firefight?

in my copy of ATOW (hard copy) the best answer is a qualified not really on pg165 under movement and turning a character can make up to a 120degree turn for free during their movement (2 hex sides) as an incidental action ie it doesn't count, any additional turning costs 1 mp per 60 degrees to reflect the "tightness" of the turn.

so the answer I would say is that it does take facing into account but walking (equivalent) movement is an incidental (automatic) action that the character doesn't really have to think about.

this also of course takes into account situations where someone is running into cover and face plants a wall, or spins at the last second, and slams their back into the wall because it also talks about "turn modes" which to me... means look at the turn modes charts for things like vehicles, WIGE vehicles, and aerospace fighters where the speed the unit is traveling can affect its turning capability, (if you want to it actually makes a lot of sense to apply the concept to people as well) so a person can walk at say 6m/turn (5s) and turn 120degrees for free 2 movement in, and then another 1-2 movement later can repeat the "free" up to 120degree turn but if they want to turn "tighter" than that (as defined by their speed) they have to pay "extra" mp to accomplish it (the best of both worlds.

for simplicity sake if you are playing on square grids and not hex grids, we always broke it into effectively 8 facings which gets you 45 degree increments so you could simplify the 120 to 135 degrees (IE 3 "virtual) sides as a free turn

the practical aspect is that when using the "virtual" 8 sided spaces in a square grid, the additional "virtual" sides are the diagonals (ie set a second square on top of the first rotated so that the flats "centers" align with the corners of the base grid.

http://www.greenpowerscience.com/OCTAGONCAL.html
shows the concept except that you would actually compress the actual octagon into the square for simplicity purposes.  of course D&D allows you to move on the diagonals for a 50% movement cost increase, which I don't think you necessarily need to apply.