Automated Grinder-esqe Play in MegaMek

[mighty midget]

I attended Gen Con last week and had a blast playing grinder with the people there.  Would it be possible to set up MegaMek similarly using scenarios or another method?  Here's what I'm looking for:
- One human player
- 5 or 6 independent bots, each controlling one 'mech
- Automatic reinforcement from RAT (using a BV range) upon destruction of the unit; basically a respawn
- Possibly increasing the BV range each time upon death (e.g. 0 - 700 initially going up by 500 each death)

If anyone has ideas on how to do this I'd greatly appreciate the help.  I was able to do this manually until my pilot was killed; MM went to complete bot on bot and I couldn't control anymore.

Thanks,
MM

[arlith]

I had a similar experience after attending GenCon several years ago.  Since that time, I added the ability to reinforce units mid-game.  You can click on File>Game>Reinforce or something like that, and then reinforce by MUL or by RAT. The RAT menu may allow you to select bot players, I don't recall.  This isn't exactly automated, but it does allow you to at least fake it.  It was more designed for 4-6 players doing a grinder-style game, and not with bots.

[Rince Wind]

Maybe make a custom map where you hide a unit of yours in an unreachable corner? Then you won't get kicked out when you loose your Mech.

[BLOODWOLF]

We tried this on the Slack client one time.  You just have get enough people involved or with bots set the victory conditions to manual or else the game will end.  And should be able to do as Arlith said when your unit is destroyed and just reinforce from MUL or RAT while the bots are duking it out.

[arlith]

Maybe make a custom map where you hide a unit of yours in an unreachable corner? Then you won't get kicked out when you loose your Mech.

There is now a command you can use to promote an observer player to an actual player, so they can reinforce so losing your last unit does not mean you can't reinforce, and new players can join mid-match.

[Rince Wind]

There is now a command you can use to promote an observer player to an actual player, so they can reinforce so losing your last unit does not mean you can't reinforce, and new players can join mid-match.

Ah, that is a nice option.

[mighty midget]

There is now a command you can use to promote an observer player to an actual player, so they can reinforce so losing your last unit does not mean you can't reinforce, and new players can join mid-match.

That's another great idea, what's the command?  I'm still using 0.43.2 and didn't see any listed when I used the /help command.  Lot's of great ideas guys, thanks for the help.  I've been running manual reinforcements from RAT with BV limits set, it has been a lot of fun... even when we all start with industrial mechs and go physical.

[arlith]

It's not the most intuitive thing, but it's /joinTeam.  Observers get don't get assigned a team (team -1), whereas Team 0 is no team, and then you can be on team 1 or higher.  Once you're on a team, you can reinforce units, and if you have a unit you shouldn't be considered an observer.

edit: Also, other players have to allow the change.  When a player initiatives a /joinTeam, other players will have to vote to allow it with the /allowTeamChange command.  Players should be prompted in chat to do this.