Author Topic: CO Merc Payment Questions  (Read 5614 times)

Maelwys

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CO Merc Payment Questions
« on: 20 September 2019, 00:14:14 »
So my unit is lucky enough to have enough transport to carry all its personnel, and all its DropShips (Overlord, Excalibur and an Invader).

I managed to roll for full Transport Rights.

Now as I understand it, if I had to hire the transport, the employer would pay for the full amount, basically zeroing out the cost. If the employer was only paying a fraction of it, then I'd eat the loss of course.

But what about since I own the DropShips and JumpShips?

Does it zero out? Or do I just get the full amount as basically a bonus? (in FM:Mercs revised, it specifically says "These funds are added to the unit's funds", CO doesn't lay it out.

Daryk

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #1 on: 21 September 2019, 07:05:39 »
Sounds to me like you'd be paid the full amount, though most of it would probably be eaten up paying for the fuel and consumables of moving your unit.  The profit wouldn't be zero, but it wouldn't be the "full amount" either.

Maelwys

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #2 on: 22 September 2019, 19:26:42 »
Well, any little bonus would help. I'll have to calculate it at some point.

pheonixstorm

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #3 on: 22 September 2019, 21:44:40 »
If you own your own transport you don't get any reimbursement. However, usage of your own transport is covered under Peacetime Operating Costs.

Quote from: CamOps p43
When a Force does not have its own DropShips and JumpShips,
employers customarily offer to reimburse the Force for a certain
percentage of the cost (which may represent the employer
loaning its vessels, or vessels the Force leases on its own.)

Daryk

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #4 on: 23 September 2019, 03:27:54 »
Using your own transport should be a negotiating point when working out the overall pay for the contract, then.

Maelwys

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #5 on: 23 September 2019, 07:31:27 »
If you own your own transport you don't get any reimbursement. However, usage of your own transport is covered under Peacetime Operating Costs.

This is what I'm curious about though. Under FM:Mercs, you got a reduced Transport payment for owning the vehicles, but you got something to offset your costs. I mean, I'm using fuel atleast.

And huh. I just noticed another problem with CO.

Back to the errata board!

pheonixstorm

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #6 on: 23 September 2019, 07:45:04 »
This is what I'm curious about though. Under FM:Mercs, you got a reduced Transport payment for owning the vehicles, but you got something to offset your costs. I mean, I'm using fuel atleast.

Using your own transport should be a negotiating point when working out the overall pay for the contract, then.

All the large craft expenses are covered in Operating costs which gets added in.

Quote from: Base p41
The Base Payment for a mission is 75 percent of 1 month of
the Force’s peacetime operating cost, plus 5 percent of the total
cost of combat units in the Force that are not Large Spacecraft.

Next column
Quote
If players regularly play out aerospace engagements that would
endanger their Large Spacecraft, add 1 percent of the cost of
the regularly-threatened Large Spacecraft to the base payment.

Additionaly for Straight Support you also get additional operating cost reimbursement.
Quote from: Support Payment p44
Under a straight support arrangement, the employer agrees
to pay a percentage of the command’s monthly peacetime
operating expenses as a bonus for the period of the mission
(not counting transport time).


And huh. I just noticed another problem with CO.

What issue?
« Last Edit: 23 September 2019, 07:46:43 by pheonixstorm »

Maelwys

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #7 on: 23 September 2019, 09:40:12 »
I hadn't considered the large craft expenses being factored into the base pay. That definitely changes things.

The other error I noticed in CO is that in one example, the peacetime fuel use for a JumpShip is 19.75*3*0.1 (to account for .1 g of thrust), while the other example is just 19.75*3.

Looking at the errata section, the error was caught on the sheet, but not in the example.

Colt Ward

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #8 on: 28 September 2019, 11:27:45 »
Circle back around a bit . . .

This I like and agree with (its been overdue by decades), the cost of your equipment should factor into the pay . . . but it says just combat units.  Unless you are going up against the Clans any other asset can be lost/damage . . . my engineering vehicles & equipment, HQ Vehicles, anything that deploys can be lost.  Do folks feel the combat loss payments would cover the destruction of such assets?
Colt Ward
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"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Daryk

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #9 on: 28 September 2019, 11:51:36 »
I think if they're lost in (or due to) combat, they count for "combat loss" payments.

Colt Ward

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #10 on: 28 September 2019, 12:17:43 »
Which works unless its something like a big expensive mobile HQ vehicle/trailer, Shun VTOL, or salvage/specialist mech . . . because you are not going to get full replacement value for combat loss usually.
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Daryk

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #11 on: 28 September 2019, 13:47:27 »
I suppose it depends on what you mean by "works"... I agree that "combat loss payment" may or may not actually pay off in full.

pheonixstorm

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #12 on: 28 September 2019, 18:43:17 »
Circle back around a bit . . .

. . . but it says just combat units . . .

If its going to be used in a combat mission I would consider it a combat unit. Then again, as a GM I also would not. At least if it were a contract from certain factions.

It is up to you and the GM to decide what units in your unit are combat units.

Maelwys

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #13 on: 28 September 2019, 20:47:38 »
Yeah, if they're part of combat, then I'd treat them as combat units. There's also a suggestion in the rulebook that details when DropShips and JumpShips should be considered part of the Base Payment rate.

pheonixstorm

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #14 on: 29 September 2019, 00:17:08 »
That section of text pretty much screams "If it gets shot at, you get paid for it!"

Colt Ward

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #15 on: 29 September 2019, 01:36:58 »
Problem is, that is factored in before you accept the contract IIRC . . . so ideally my Mobile HQ, salvage IndiMech or if you got the pull/cash Tonbo are not getting shot at by the opposition.  But ideally does not always work out.  With the Tonbo having a 2.7 mil price tag- and due to rarity/black market connections to buy, probably is more like at least 9 mil if not more- it would be hard to be reimbursed for it.
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

pheonixstorm

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Re: CO Merc Payment Questions
« Reply #16 on: 29 September 2019, 02:58:06 »
What it lacks in base pay it sorta makes up for it if you get battle loss comp at a high percentage.

All in all though CamOps overpays mercs anyway provided the pilots (players) don't go stupid and get themselves cored.

Best hope your GM isn't evil is best advice I can give xp

 

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