Hey everyone, so after a lifelong appreciation from afar of all that is Battletech I recently decided to invest in some rule books, source books, and someone's old cardboard mechs. We've played the table top a few times now, and are ready to start introducing the more complex rule systems. This of course includes the roleplaying elements of ATOW. My group is similar to me in that we all have a fondness for Battletech, but don't have much (if any) gameplay experience.
My question to you is what Era is best to start with such a group? I have some cool books on 2750, and some 31st century too, but is it feasible to play through a familial line or a lance of mechwarriors starting in the 2500s all the way up to the "present day"? We'd like to make our own characters that fit organically inside the lore puzzle, eventually working our way into the elite circles of the Inner Sphere. Are there any tips, tricks, or ideas about the best way for me (the GM) to begin our first real dive into Battletech? Should I just start with 3025 like old school Battletech?
I'm also wondering if there are any key guides on how to best integrate ATOW RPG with the Classic Battletech tabletop? I figured out how to determine the gunnery and piloting skills, but what if the character has let's say Natural Aptitude: Mech Piloting? What does that add to the skill level subtracted from the base score of 8?
The last question is, if everyone is primarily roleplaying on the same side, then how do the mech battles work out on the tabletop? As GM, I might just have to bite the bullet and play as all of the opposition, maybe occasionally convincing a player character to field his mechs on my side of the table for balance. Does anyone do any workarounds for this when connecting the RPG to the tabletop, whereby the players are stilling facing each other on the field?
Thanks!