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Ground Combat / Re: Silver Bullet Gauss status?
« Last post by MoneyLovinOgre4Hire on Today at 19:42:08 »
There only a couple dozen mechs with FL armor, and they're all high-bv and high priced Clan machines.  Even if you're regularly picking fights with the Sea Foxes and Snow Ravens (the two largest users of Ferro-Lam Armor), there's still not enough reason to swap out all your SB Gausses.
2
Aerospace Combat / Re: FC Naval Command Decision
« Last post by Cannonshop on Today at 19:40:07 »
The real trick here, is "What do you want the navy to do?"

That is, "what constitutes a 'Flag officer' on a combat vessel?"

The FedCom, most Clans, etc. use 'mechwarriors or fighter pilots as command officers on deep-space vessels.  It isn't hard to rate someone who knows not to open both doors on the airlock while in deep space 'elite' when that's your baseline.

For the most part, (and this is almost, but not quite universal) the viewpoint of Warships is a combination 'Large Transport' that also does orbital bombardments, often placed in the hands of someone who craves 'glory' to the extent they're willing to try to drive that large transport INTO the hull of another ship. (Not just the feddies, the fiction and source materials show this is popular enough to make bad jokes about it.)

So your first 'ask' is 'What is it for? why is this better than another line of dropships?'

Wall-of-battle could certainly benefit from heavier throw weight, but how often are you expecting to fight fleet engagements?  How often are you expecting peer or near-peer forces to fight in formation?  How often are you expecting to be engaging alone? or only with your parasite (dropship) assets?  How good is your fighter doctrine? can you replace the pilots at a rapid rate? can you train pilots fast enough to make up losses?

How fast can you turn out sister ships or escorts? or bigger ships TO escort? this isn't just ships, it's crews as well.

my point is, Navies are strategic assets with tactical elements, but their primary aspect, is that they are instruments of strategy and power projection, and that the Navy you can build and support is worth a thousand Yamatos or Musashi's or Bismarcks, even if it's all corvettes and destroyers.

That is, presuming you're going to devote the resources and time to develop not only your current serving officers, but their replacemenets as well.

that, in turn, goes back to what you are actually intending your navy to do-what role in your national policy you need a Navy for, that you can't get from a transport command and expanded fighter wings.

The basic Fox is a very good combat transport, it fit the desire for an armed chaperone for landing craft that could execute point bombardments and provide covering fire while acting as a planet-scale command post for invasion forces.

IOW it's actually quite 'fit' for that role.  Vessels like the Avalon are much more expensive and not quite as fit for that role. (See: FSS Lucien Davion or the entry on Palmyra in sarna.)

It's only 'undergunned' in comparison with ships many times larger that aren't designed to fill the same role, it's only slow compared to ships of its size that are also, not particularly as good at transport.

Keep in mind, you don't want to drag your transported ground troops around at 1.5 or higher gee for long, or you're going to have a passenger bay full of medical patients before they can discharge excess energy into the target you want them discharging it into.  High sustained gee doesn't make supermen, it makes patients for long-term medical care.

3
Off Topic / Re: What Are We Listening To: This List Goes Up To Eleven!
« Last post by rebs on Today at 19:39:58 »
Veloria ~ The Pixies
4
BattleMechs / Re: Rover Labormech: He doin' his best!
« Last post by Liam's Ghost on Today at 19:39:17 »
Also, how about this? Too dumb?

Considering it as a conversion used in the Escorpion Imperio and maybe the post conquest Hanseatic League


Rover C Militiamech

Mass: 10 tons
Chassis: Industrial Industrial Biped
Power Plant: 60 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 64.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 97.2 kph
Jump Jets: None
     Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Commercial
Armament:
     1 Heavy Medium Laser
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3130
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-E
Cost: 767,827 C-bills

Type: Rover C Militiamech
Technology Base: Mixed (Standard)
Tonnage: 10
Battle Value: 213

Equipment                                          Mass
Internal Structure            Industrial              2
Engine                        60 Fusion             1.5
   Walking MP: 6
   Running MP: 9
   Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sink                     10                      0
Gyro                                                  1
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Commercial)     36                    1.5

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Head                    3         4     
     Center Torso            4         6     
     Center Torso (rear)               2     
     R/L Torso               3         4     
     R/L Torso (rear)                  2     
     R/L Arm                 1         2     
     R/L Leg                 2         4     


Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand
Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand

Weapons
and Ammo              Location  Critical   Heat    Tonnage   
2 Heat Sink              LL        2        -       2.0   
2 Heat Sink              RT        2        -       2.0   
2 Heat Sink              LT        2        -       2.0   
2 Heat Sink              RL        2        -       2.0   
Heavy Medium Laser       RA        2        7       1.0   
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The constant mental struggle between “Logistics is hard, give some slack.” and the inner BattleTech goblin that says “Product me, product now!”

Hope that the run up to con season isn’t crushing people.
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Well, I reckon the changes in the rank structure of the CCAF would probably be well received. Not really feeling like wiping out a book comparing the old and new ranks, but I'm pretty sure there are more after STL then before, which means more pay grades...and I'd be surprised senior colonels would frown on being recognized as "true generals".

The flag...I don't really understand how that would be such a big deal. Now while the katana points back to an interesting character in history (at least I suppose...that's a nod to Franco Liao, right?). Might be a cultural difference, but to me, a flag is just a flag, as long as no one uses it as a door mat or somesuch degrading symbolism. Heck, there's a couple of flags my people have flown that I'd rather be our official one rather then the current one. While I'm at it, the one FASA made up for crimson skies was kinda neater too.

So those are mostly minor cosmetic changes. There's a symbolic, sure, but nothing worth fighting over, and like I said, there's clear advantages (pay grades!) with some of those minor changes.

Get the point on servitors, but then those sort of changes can take time to be fully implemented. I mean, look at all the ruckuss over slavery during the Vienna Congress of 1815, and most of those whom acknowledged the principles laid forward dragged things well into the mid 19th century. What's more, while it's true we don't exactly know upo to what point servitors benefit the capellan economy, it is doubtfull their impact is as big as it was in certain states before the american civil war... So good point, but we don't really have evidence it would be a critical one. Besides, it probably also ties in with "nobility tax collecting" anyway.

Catch my interest with the racism problem...sifted through shattered sphere, found nothing on the subject unfortunately, guess somebody else could perhaps fill us in more thouroughly?

But something did catch my eye in shattered sphere: It seems anti-liaoist agitators were very active on some poorer world before the benefits of Xin Sheng started touching the masses. Can't argue against good infrastructure .

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BattleMechs / Re: Rover Labormech: He doin' his best!
« Last post by Liam's Ghost on Today at 19:29:58 »
Not at the moment. But the plastic Heavy Gear Cheetah or Hunter might be a decent starting point if one leaves off the weapons that come with it and has the right bits for whatever tool it's carrying.
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MechWarrior Hall / Re: Word Association 36: SAY WHAT AGAIN!!!
« Last post by rebs on Today at 19:19:47 »
Overwatch
9
Off Topic / Re: NHL 2023-2024 Vegas Edition: Mojave, Mo' Problems
« Last post by rebs on Today at 19:14:36 »
Brendan Shanahan, popular though he may be, may have to take the hit for this Leafs build foundering like it has.  That's the rumbling.
10
Ground Combat / Re: Silver Bullet Gauss status?
« Last post by Col Toda on Today at 19:02:11 »
With the advent of Ferro Laminar  armor it gets phased out with Hyper Velocity Gauss slowly replacing  then come 3095 + more quickly . Kinda shocked it does not become extinct by the IlKhan ERA.   
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