So far, the force packs have variants of the basic options from the starter box in mercenaries. So you can get a upgraded LRM carrier, but only the versions they included in the box, not every variant ever made of the LRM carrier.
generating stats isnt the hard part, its the pricing they used thats not decipherable. In the beta, there was a base stat block for the different vehicle types, and you would add or subtract from there. If you look at the beta stats from the kickstarter, you will see keywords like 'extra range x4' and such, so you would take the base generic vtol (like from tukayyid), and apply the keywords to get the 'Warrior' inspired one with less damage and more range, or apply different keywords like 'Slow' and 'Extra damage' to make a generic BSP 'yellow jacket'. People didnt like seeing those keywords on the cards for a construction process that wasnt finalized and available, so they cut all the construction stuff and just put out the stats you see now.
So with that construction stuff gone, you can still kinda see from the stats that damage pricing is linear based on a total number intrinsic to the specific base unit type, not a conversion from the actual unit. 2 otherwise identical units, like the demolisher and the ontos, cost 33 for 40 damage and 32 for 36 damage + IF1. So the much higher damage on the demolisher (by its quality) is only 1 BSP point. The pegasus does 21 damage and the condor 15, for 23 and 20 cost. So the measly 6 points of damage the pegasus gains, though, are worth 3 points--nuch much more expensive then the demolisher's damage boost. These 2 vehicles do not appear to be using a consistent formula, but each just linearly adding cost to a base unit that has a starting fixed price. Likewise, the bulldog is 16 for DCTN8 and a range 15 gun, and the patton is 20 for a DCTN11, so the vehicles toughness likewise doesnt seem to scale exponentially from a conversion formula, instead the much higher DCTN value seems to only cost a tiny bit more, like +3 for +3 DCTN on that unit type.
Another example, if you look at the drillson versus the condor, they both do 15x9 for damage output in terms of their product of range and damage. But the drillson is faster. Converting from BV, the drillson, with its higher speed factor, should be the more potent and expensive vehicle, but in the BSP chart the drillson is 2 points cheaper. So this points to the 2 units not following a conversion system, but a hidden 'point buy' type system, where the condor has 'short range' and 'extra damage' and the drillson has 'long range' and 'less damage', which, in the linear point buy they cooked up, comes out cheaper despite the drillson being a stronger unit by the raw stats.
What the point then? Well, for starters you cant make your own version of anything like a Chevalier tank, because their process is not a conversion one, but a hidden and very different one that uses sliders on a 'base' vehicle (like a 'light wheeled vehicle' that probably looks like the one from the Tukayyid book) to make something that kinda looks like XY or Z, without directly calling on the Chevalier's stats. You also cant accurately price any vehicle you make, because the prices of the BSP do not correlate to their BV. In another thread on the general forum, I analyzed all the BSP from the box set, using the rule book (tech manual) BV formula to compare everything, and the result was that the BSPs are not consistent with existing published BV construction rules. So, for example, a Patton is simply a much stronger BSP unit then a Bulldog, and the listed BV price for BSP is not a BV formula derived price.
Here is the thread where I posted each units BV, and the ratio to calculated BV and listed cost, showing the Patton with a 1.4xx efficiency to the bulldog at .9xx efficiency.
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=85654.0
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Thank you for the story update!! Glad to see Drake got to meet Hanse and Quintus! Look forward to reading the next update on how Operation H goes while Operation Galahad 26 is happening.
