re:Agent: Cool. I want to be an 'agent'. I do that already and used to for years back in college just not with a cool official title.
re: Jumping Panther: That' a shame, I would think a regular one would be more popular and converters could make it jumpy if they wished. All my figs are old partha stuff, plastech (ugh, but funny and fill in the gaps, and some are salvagable with a good paint job), and plastics from various box set editions, so I haven't really looked at the IWM catalog much except to spot-recognize the re-seens (what are those silly bumps on the battlemaster's shoulders for anyway?)
re:HEAVIES (I just like capitalizing that word) I can undestand to a point for a very beginner game I would put everyone in something versatile and maneuverable rather than a dedicated fire platform. A Wasp will not hold up to a warhammer except as part of a lance type action, but it won't take the PPC hit from a Panther any better, or AC/20 from a Hunchback either. Another great thing about 3025 (Yeah I'mbiased because when I started playing) is that there are no 'ultimate' mechs. Either it's too big for its speed, causing it to be comparatively about as heavilly armed as a balanced built medium... Or its too slow to close, on a large enough playing area, or short ranged for most of its punch (Ha ha stupid Victor, my Panther Keeeel you!)... Or its a glass cannon that can dish it but not take it, or have severe heat issues. There are a few tough, balanced, builds but even they have their issues - weapon placement or the existance of CT ammo crits, too little ammo for their primary weapon(s), helpless if closed in on ("not so Awesome now are ya buddy?"), whatever there's always something. There are no perfect heavy/assault mechs and it gives new players a feeling of DREAD when they have to team up to kill a big guy, and a feeling of accomplishment when they pull it off. I still think like a Dungeonmaster for an old AD&D game when it comes to running games... especially games for new players. Limited, gradual accomplishment, goals and gains bit by bit instead of a BV total handed to them, gradual access to more.. gets them wanting more. Take advantage of the initial exotic wonder at all these possible mechs we all long time players no longer have since we seen it all and used it all, and give em a tidbit at a time.
Oh yeah I was sayin something about the use of heavies not necessarily crushing the lights out of the game... Point is, the light mechs can get away and not engage the heavies, the heavies will recognize the threat they are to each other and focus fire on the big slow easy target that is pouring all kinds of fire out rather than the chancey shot at -4 or whatever at an irrelevant Stinger that just jumped into a woods hex nearby with its plinky weapon array.
In any war game, whether they know the specific rules or not, smart people prioritize targets based on neutralizing biggest threat with lowest risk as opportunity arrises or positioning to make that opportuity arise. The warhammer wont turn his back on the thunderbolt in order to pop off a shot at the stinger it's too risky and with minimal threat-neutralization reward. Light mechs survive by being fast enough to pick their own fights on thier own terms, and small enough threat to not catch the attention of the big dogs unless there's nothing better to shoot at or they were dumb and stopped moving making themselves easy target-of-opportunity. Little side note I exploit all the time as a big fan of their heavier light mechs in general... Light mechs can also kick perfectly well and heavies can also fall down just as easily and get hurt consideraly more when they do. Watch a Jenner take apart a Jagermech any day.
I don't remember which book I read it in, but it was surmised that in 3025, 50 or 55 ton mechs are the most 'efficient' size... as the engine weight, jump jet weight, and so on, rise considerably in proportion to the mech's tonnage as it gets any bigger, and they are big enough to mount loads of armor if they want, not so restricted by structure as the little ones... and indeed many of the TR3025 assault mechs could do well shedding a few pounds actually giving them more weight available due to the smaller engine requirement.
I think especially in 3025, unlike in higher tech levels where it is easy to get a fast mech with punch, heat management, and armor to boot, the tradeoff in low tech is always between being slow(awesome), being undergunned(banshee, charger), being proportionally weakly armored(cyclops, rifleman, jagermech, warhammer, etc), or being bad with heat management(stalker, marauder, crusader, thunderbolt, well... most of them actually) - and past a certain weight range, all mech designs of that era are making one or usually more of those sacrifices. If the board is big enough for room to move, you say Atlas I say Warhammer and trump you with range+speed+unlimited ammo despite being 30 tons lighter. So if a 35 ton Jenner can realisticly hope to successfully duke it out with a 65 ton Jagermech, or a 70 ton Warhammer with a 100 ton Atlas, weight classes become a grey area for actual quality.
RE:Grinder (and how to keep players interested in learning enough to get full into the game):
I meant over a course of weeks... like first game, they all pick a medium mech, based on the write-up reviews of the mechs in the box set and quickstart rules. play a game with 6 players, 1 mech each, free-for-all, or make teams or 3 1 on 1 mini games whatever. Just to learn movement, shooting, and heat.
Next week, they get to add another mech (the box set has 24 basic mechs, 10 are medium, 'tis why I figured start with medium), trade mechs for draft pics like an NFL sort of thing ("I'll give you my Vindicator for your Cicada if I can pick before you in the next round") - each new game adds a new mech so the players get the hang of the tactics of using initiative priority, of baiting, etc - lets them see what different mechs can do and develop their own play style with which way they like to fight best.. some players will have the brawler insinct and learn the way of the Bear with their big physical attacking Banshee model just stomping up in their enemies faces, or the way of the Giant Sloth with their lazy Awesome sitting on a hilltop just fliging poop at everything in sight, another day they learn to love the way of the Monkey, (maybe become fond of the Jenner or Assassin or Clint), etc like some bad kung fu movie - and they can swap back and forth until they have all had a chance to play with, or maybe just against all kinds of different approaches to the game- but new players are curious. They want a chance to swap around, 'trade', try different stuff.
by stretching the addition of a limited pool of mechs over 4 weeks, 1 scheduled game a week, until everyone has a full lance, that seems like a good way to get people to stick with it... look foreward to it
"yeah Jeff used that Clint last week it was all over the place and never stopped firing I though it was crap until I saw how he was using it, I want to try that one next week"
then introduce the roleplaying element, pick a side or go merc, name your pilots, award skll levels here and there to the ones who did exceptionally etc.. officially "draft" away the figs from the box set to the 6 players best battle record gets first pick, etc?) and have a painting day and everyone's happy they are proud owners of a little mercenary lance of their own, hopefully they'll all want a set of their own so they can expand and learn more. It's those baby steps to get them involved for the "long run" in the first place is the big hump. This is the theory anyway. I have the six players, just still wont be going back to Ohio till september so its just waiting to happen. If you can't tell I have a lot of time to plan right now and no game to play yet.
ANYWAY I'm writing a novel here... just cool to see an intro game as I'm about to start doing that myself again after a few years off...very soon. I wanna know more about this Agent thing.
