I am now a bit curious to know how you even begin to create encounters as somebody new to the game with any sort of idea of what they are doing (making it hard if that is desired, making it easy for others whatever) when using a new GM, with no BV, and I am hoping without using trial and error.
That's a really good question, especially if, as you say, you are new to the game. I could say find the experienced players in your local group/FLGS and learn how they do it, but that may not be a realistic option. It's hard to organize and fill a campaign, even with veteran players, especially if you want to run it for an extended period or follow a fixed schedule.
I think a lot of campaign and scenario play comes down to what you want to achieve out of it. Are you simply looking for the next step beyond pickup battles, or do you want to create a specific experience for the players like a known battle from one of the books, or maybe a sandbox environment where they can scheme and compete to gain the most territory, resources, special macguffins etc. over an extended period. Knowing what you want is half the battle. For newer players, a few linked games, maybe ideas lifted from the scenario books (Sword and Dragon was mentioned in the thread) are a good way to start. A lot of the rulebooks and sourcebooks have specific missions and formations listed in them which makes it easier, depending on your collection of mechs and record sheets. You could write a short narrative about unit X being left out of position after Y faction invades their little ball of dirt in the ass-end of nowheresville, and follow the mechs and warriors of unit X as it struggles against fresh invading forces, over a period of days and several battles without resupply, to reach the safety of their own lines, or the evac transport or whatever. You are literally limited only by your own imagination.
There are plenty of resources out there to help you, without having to write a campaign setting and scenarios yourself. The Battletech Chaos campaign system is pretty good, though maybe what I would call a little detail-heavy. There is a fair amount of record-keeping and tracking of resources, experience, etc. over the campaign. However, I don't think newer players should have any major issues. Alternatively, there are fan-made campaigns and rules out there which might fit what you need. You could even try to write your own. I have certainly done that for a number of games systems over the years, though from experience its not always the best way, especially if your hard work doesn't pay off and get players motivated to follow through over the longer term.
So to summarize the various crap bouncing round my head. Heres what I would do if designing something.
1. Have a plan - Know what you want to achieve in the campaign/scenarios etc. Write it down, discuss it with the players. Figure out a tempo of games, how often, how long etc. What is manageable?
2. Design your experience - Match it to player ability and expectations. You should know what the players want by now (see 1.), you are more likely to enjoy it and so will they.
3. Build it and they will come - Create a pre-prepared pack of missions, briefings, maps, forces, organisations etc. which the players can access to know what they are doing, give them time to prepare and amp up the hype in their own heads.
4. Build the atmosphere - You arent Joe Smith, telecomms engineer by day and harassed father of a 5 year-old by night, you are Heinrich 'Mustang' Brenner, a 7 confirmed kill Lyran Mechwarrior ace, in the cockpit of your 100-ton scout 'Klaus'. You are leading your mostly green, 400-ton recon lance of dedicated Steiner patriots against the predations of the evil Black-Hand pirates, as they ravage the poor peasant farmers of the agri-world Klydor 7, or whatever.
5. Make the games an experience to remember - Don't give players an excuse to play as normal, turning up late to the session with their shiny unpainted metal minis. You want everyone to look forward to playing and make an effort. Get the players invested. The more experienced players can lend minis to those who don't have them, or maybe give players time to buy and build a lance specifically for the campaign. Make it a requirement to have painted minis and a written fluff background for each player's unit. Maybe collect a few bucks from everyone to offer a small prize at the end, and vote for the best designed and most characterful unit of the campaign. Maybe one of your group volunteers to GM the games and play the opfor. It's not always the most fun role, the GM is often not as invested as the players, but they get the work/fun of playing a lot of games and ensuring a smooth enjoyable experience for everyone. Rotate the GM duties for the next campaign so some poor schlub doesn't always end up being 'it'.
6. Learn what worked - Perhaps most importantly, get feedback from the players, what did they like/not like, what worked or didn't. Learn from those mistakes and improve on the next try.
7. Share the love - Talk about what you are doing with other players and groups. Show them there is more to gaming than just an endless series of soulless, 3000 BV skirmishes on the same map sheet. One of the biggest obstacles to entry I have seen is more experienced groups not welcoming newer players to join established campaigns. It's especially difficult when a campaign has been running a long time and there are several really experienced players and lances with lots of upgrades. It also puts newer/potential players off playing if they can't get a foot in the door, which isn't good for the game, or the group, long term. There should be a way of compensating for the entry of a new player, maybe giving them more experienced pilots and some advanced tech, so the newer player doesn't feel left behind or victimized when another player conducts a dawn raid on their newly encamped merc force of Whitworths with a dozen Atlases (Atli? :P). If you are tracking experience levels, tech and BV for the different players, you can approximate the combined 'values' for a new starting force.
Apologies if any of that comes across as patronizing or simplistic. I am trying to keep this broad brush, as a lot of this is relative. One group won't do the same thing as another. It depends on players, available time, preferences etc. Most groups that I have seen run campaigns etc. have their own 'way' of doing things and there is nothing wrong with that.
For balance, I would say BV is helpful. It doesnt have to be equal for all games though. Think about movies and books that you know. The plucky heroes are outnumbered by their evil enemies, but by taking advantage of the terrain or surprise, they win the day. You can balance lack of BV with other advantages. Maybe the players’ mobile fast moving lance, facing off against a heavier, more powerful opfor sets up in dense terrain behind areas of difficult ground. This gives them more cover and slows down the enemy force, giving them time to whittle down the opfor. Maybe they have a predetermined number of orbital or artillery strikes. I wouldn't over worry about balance at first. So long as its close, it should be enjoyable and the atmosphere and fun of doing something different will cover a lot of sins.
