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Recent Posts
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MechWarrior Hall / Re: Word Association 36: SAY WHAT AGAIN!!!
« Last post by Akamia on Today at 01:11:03 »Meter
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Non-Canon Units / Re: Renegades
« Last post by Deadborder on Today at 01:10:30 »Guest chapter by KayEmm
The Last Dance
The day had started with a formal memorial service for those who had fallen during the battles on Esteros. As the leader of the Iron Knights, Kaitlyn Farris had led the service, reading out the names of those who had died while doing her best to talk up all they had accomplished. She knew that if they had kept fighting there would have been more losses, and that the Assembly's negotiated peace had spared her and her unit that pain. However, deep down, there was that feeling that she could have done more, the desire to not leave a job unfinished.
As she looked over the assembled ranks of the Iron Knights, she couldn't help but notice how few of the original unit remained. A decade ago she had rescued them from their own exile and lead them out of darkness, but time and the realities of the mercenary life had also taken its toll. Not only did those that they had hired in the years since outnumber the originals, but there had also been a degree of generational change as well, with the children of some older members taking their parents' places.
This was something she'd done before at other times on other worlds. It never got easier, but this time it felt different. She couldn't help but consider all that Lana Kotovski had told her and the opportunities that it represented. We are not alone, she reminded herself. We have allies. When she had bought the Iron Knights back into the Inner Sphere after generations in exile, she had still felt like an outsider, an alien in a strange land. But now that had changed.
And yet, she couldn't help but think of something else that had come up. My family's curse. Still, there was an opportunity there, one that she had not known of before. The King family, allies of her predecessors, had also survived. And in learning this, Kaitlyn saw an opportunity to find the truth of her past and why those that had come before her had made their choices.
In the aftermath she'd taken a little time to herself to collect her thoughts, retreating into the Red Son's bunkroom while everyone else was engaged with other matters. Sitting on one of the bunks, she was interrupted by the slightest of coughs. Looking up, she saw Iulia entering the room. “Have a seat,” Kait offered, shuffling over a little to offer her a place.
Iulia nodded and sat next to her. “How are you?”
“Tired?” Kait managed. “I've done this before, and you've been there. Different worlds and places, but it never seems to get any easier”
“That is good,” Iulia replied. “When it stops affecting you, that is when it is a problem.”
“I suppose so,” she shrugged. “But it just feels a little strange in many ways. This was my dream after all. You know, working in the Inner Sphere, not just going after scraps in the Periphery. And yet...”
“You're not happy with how it ended.”
“I am not,” she agreed. “But I also know that its a part of the job. We're ultimately at the mercy of our employers.”
“That is true,” Iulia nodded. “And what they want may not be the same as what is best for you.” She was looking off into the distance as she spoke, despite the small room.
“hm, now I can tell there's something on your mind.”
“Thinking,” Iulia admitted.
“About anything in particular?” Kaitlyn asked.
"How we got to this.” She shrugged. “The man I was betrothed to.”
“Ah,” Kait managed as she considered the full implications. “Do you, you know, regret how that all worked out?”
“No,” her friend shook her head. “Had things gone differently, I would have done my duty to my family, and so would have he. But I know that the pair of us would have been deeply miserable with the whole arrangement and over time would have grown to hate each other.”
“I suppose so.”
“In fact, the only person who might have been happy with it all would have been my mother,” Iulia added. “As I would have served my primary role of giving her the heir she so desired, my misery be damned.”
“And your mother is, of course, deeply insane.”
“Well yes,” Iulia agreed without the slightest hesitation.
“Still, it could have been worse,” Kait continued. “You could have been betrothed to my cousin.”
Iulia made a disgusted looking face. “No, absolutely not. I would have sooner married a pig”
That caused Kait to laugh a little. “I mean, things didn't really work out like any of us had expected. But at the same time, I'm kind of glad they did.” She took a deep breath. “I miss my parents deeply. But at the same time, if they were still alive and everything else, then we'd still be rotting away on that rock.”
“The universe moves in mysterious ways,” Iulia stated. “What happened to your parents was a tragedy, but it let you take control of your life.”
“I would not have any of this,” Kait agreed. “Or my best friend.” She put her arm around Iula's shoulder, giving the other woman a gentle hug.
“This is true,” Iulia nodded. “And I could not have forseen any of this.”
“And I know you mean that sincerely,” Kait added.
“Well...”
“I should get myself ready,” Kait finished with a sigh. “I have one last duty to attend to.” She stood and headed for the door, only to stop and turn back to her friend. “One other thing. Was Major Kotovski's Battlemaster really cursed?”
“Yes,” Iulia nodded. “Absolutely.”
-----
Much like when the Iron Knights had first arrived on Esteros, their departure was accompanied by a formal reception at Graf Kayserling's estate. She had been there as the commander of the unit, with Leon there as her aide and partner for the evening. Once again they'd donned their dress uniforms, doing their best to appear presentable. None the less, Kait still felt under-dressed and underwhelming compared to the ostentatious apparel of the nobility.
There were a number of notable differences to that first reception, however. The most notable of them was the presence of Baroness Giana Sigonella among the honored guests, having apparently been completely forgiven for her role in the planet's civil war. In a further sign of her apparent redemption, Sigonella's granddaughter had been seated next to Graf Kayserling's son at the formal dinner. Given that the Margrave had been trying to impress that son onto her earlier, Kait could only imagine that plan had changed.
There was one other thing she noticed; a new face in the crowd who stood out due to his apparel. A sharp-looking man, he wore a comparatively simple dark blue suit with a green trim and a pin on his lapel that she did not recognize. She could only assume that he was there from the mysterious Alynia Mercantile League that had employed the Star of Sumer, suggesting that the Esteros Assembly had come to some sort of accommodation with them already. Or, at the very least, Baroness Sigonella had.
Of course there had been speeches from several of those involved. Kaitlyn had been among them, with hers being comparatively short and perfunctory; a reminder that Esteros' current peace had been bought with lives lost and that those involved should not rest on their laurels. She was pretty sure that Baroness Sigonella was side-eyeing her throughout it.
Finally, there had been the ball, a chance for those present to mingle with each other and engage in discrete conversations. Kaitlyn had no doubt that the future of Esteros was being decided on the dance floor, and that dozens of different agendas would be in play by the end of the night. Her response was to play it safe and stick with Leon, knowing that she was now on the outside of whatever future might be forged out of the night's machinations.
“So is this going to happen often?” Kait asked.
“What, noble balls?” Leon replied with a chuckle.
“I meant more of the employer having their own agenda,” Kait explained. “One that doesn't agree with your own operational goals.”
“Well, maybe a bit,” Leon considered. “Or a lot. Or, you know, all the time.”
“You're really an optimist, you know that,” she replied, a smile on her lips.
“Practical experience,” he simply replied. “But no, it won't always be like this. What happened here was a rapidly changing situation and leadership that were struggling to keep up with it. The situation now is completely different to where it was a year ago, and even more so than where it was a year before that. And who knows where it will be a year from now.”
She glanced over again at the man in the suit. “I suppose so.”
“I think the best way to put it is to hope for the best and expect the worst,” Leon admitted. “For every selfish, greedy or cowardly employer there will be one that honest and forward with you. The secret is to try and figure out which way your employer is going to go before they swerve you.”
“True. But still, I couldn't have done this without you,” she admitted. “And not just because of all you did on the battlefield. Your advice on handling the nobles and all that they had going on was invaluable.”
“You took me in, gave me a chance and a BattleMech,” he explained. “Not many people would do that. My looking out for you is the least I can do in return”
“Clearly I did well for that investment,” she nodded. “Which is why I am going to make you another offer.”
“Go on,” he nodded.
“We're going to be dealing with many other employers in future, as well as Lana's... allies,” the last part she kept quiet, even if it seemed pointless to do such. “I'd like you to be at the forefront of my team, helping me to understand our employers and allies, and aiding in our dealings with them"
“Why would you punish me like this?” Leon chuckled. “But you know, I would be glad to.”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“And if nothing else, I can tell Iulia which ones to curse,” he added.
It was all she could do not to burst out laughing. “Stop it,” Kait finally managed.
“mm, maybe.”
She smiled. “I'll take that.”
The Last Dance
The day had started with a formal memorial service for those who had fallen during the battles on Esteros. As the leader of the Iron Knights, Kaitlyn Farris had led the service, reading out the names of those who had died while doing her best to talk up all they had accomplished. She knew that if they had kept fighting there would have been more losses, and that the Assembly's negotiated peace had spared her and her unit that pain. However, deep down, there was that feeling that she could have done more, the desire to not leave a job unfinished.
As she looked over the assembled ranks of the Iron Knights, she couldn't help but notice how few of the original unit remained. A decade ago she had rescued them from their own exile and lead them out of darkness, but time and the realities of the mercenary life had also taken its toll. Not only did those that they had hired in the years since outnumber the originals, but there had also been a degree of generational change as well, with the children of some older members taking their parents' places.
This was something she'd done before at other times on other worlds. It never got easier, but this time it felt different. She couldn't help but consider all that Lana Kotovski had told her and the opportunities that it represented. We are not alone, she reminded herself. We have allies. When she had bought the Iron Knights back into the Inner Sphere after generations in exile, she had still felt like an outsider, an alien in a strange land. But now that had changed.
And yet, she couldn't help but think of something else that had come up. My family's curse. Still, there was an opportunity there, one that she had not known of before. The King family, allies of her predecessors, had also survived. And in learning this, Kaitlyn saw an opportunity to find the truth of her past and why those that had come before her had made their choices.
In the aftermath she'd taken a little time to herself to collect her thoughts, retreating into the Red Son's bunkroom while everyone else was engaged with other matters. Sitting on one of the bunks, she was interrupted by the slightest of coughs. Looking up, she saw Iulia entering the room. “Have a seat,” Kait offered, shuffling over a little to offer her a place.
Iulia nodded and sat next to her. “How are you?”
“Tired?” Kait managed. “I've done this before, and you've been there. Different worlds and places, but it never seems to get any easier”
“That is good,” Iulia replied. “When it stops affecting you, that is when it is a problem.”
“I suppose so,” she shrugged. “But it just feels a little strange in many ways. This was my dream after all. You know, working in the Inner Sphere, not just going after scraps in the Periphery. And yet...”
“You're not happy with how it ended.”
“I am not,” she agreed. “But I also know that its a part of the job. We're ultimately at the mercy of our employers.”
“That is true,” Iulia nodded. “And what they want may not be the same as what is best for you.” She was looking off into the distance as she spoke, despite the small room.
“hm, now I can tell there's something on your mind.”
“Thinking,” Iulia admitted.
“About anything in particular?” Kaitlyn asked.
"How we got to this.” She shrugged. “The man I was betrothed to.”
“Ah,” Kait managed as she considered the full implications. “Do you, you know, regret how that all worked out?”
“No,” her friend shook her head. “Had things gone differently, I would have done my duty to my family, and so would have he. But I know that the pair of us would have been deeply miserable with the whole arrangement and over time would have grown to hate each other.”
“I suppose so.”
“In fact, the only person who might have been happy with it all would have been my mother,” Iulia added. “As I would have served my primary role of giving her the heir she so desired, my misery be damned.”
“And your mother is, of course, deeply insane.”
“Well yes,” Iulia agreed without the slightest hesitation.
“Still, it could have been worse,” Kait continued. “You could have been betrothed to my cousin.”
Iulia made a disgusted looking face. “No, absolutely not. I would have sooner married a pig”
That caused Kait to laugh a little. “I mean, things didn't really work out like any of us had expected. But at the same time, I'm kind of glad they did.” She took a deep breath. “I miss my parents deeply. But at the same time, if they were still alive and everything else, then we'd still be rotting away on that rock.”
“The universe moves in mysterious ways,” Iulia stated. “What happened to your parents was a tragedy, but it let you take control of your life.”
“I would not have any of this,” Kait agreed. “Or my best friend.” She put her arm around Iula's shoulder, giving the other woman a gentle hug.
“This is true,” Iulia nodded. “And I could not have forseen any of this.”
“And I know you mean that sincerely,” Kait added.
“Well...”
“I should get myself ready,” Kait finished with a sigh. “I have one last duty to attend to.” She stood and headed for the door, only to stop and turn back to her friend. “One other thing. Was Major Kotovski's Battlemaster really cursed?”
“Yes,” Iulia nodded. “Absolutely.”
-----
Much like when the Iron Knights had first arrived on Esteros, their departure was accompanied by a formal reception at Graf Kayserling's estate. She had been there as the commander of the unit, with Leon there as her aide and partner for the evening. Once again they'd donned their dress uniforms, doing their best to appear presentable. None the less, Kait still felt under-dressed and underwhelming compared to the ostentatious apparel of the nobility.
There were a number of notable differences to that first reception, however. The most notable of them was the presence of Baroness Giana Sigonella among the honored guests, having apparently been completely forgiven for her role in the planet's civil war. In a further sign of her apparent redemption, Sigonella's granddaughter had been seated next to Graf Kayserling's son at the formal dinner. Given that the Margrave had been trying to impress that son onto her earlier, Kait could only imagine that plan had changed.
There was one other thing she noticed; a new face in the crowd who stood out due to his apparel. A sharp-looking man, he wore a comparatively simple dark blue suit with a green trim and a pin on his lapel that she did not recognize. She could only assume that he was there from the mysterious Alynia Mercantile League that had employed the Star of Sumer, suggesting that the Esteros Assembly had come to some sort of accommodation with them already. Or, at the very least, Baroness Sigonella had.
Of course there had been speeches from several of those involved. Kaitlyn had been among them, with hers being comparatively short and perfunctory; a reminder that Esteros' current peace had been bought with lives lost and that those involved should not rest on their laurels. She was pretty sure that Baroness Sigonella was side-eyeing her throughout it.
Finally, there had been the ball, a chance for those present to mingle with each other and engage in discrete conversations. Kaitlyn had no doubt that the future of Esteros was being decided on the dance floor, and that dozens of different agendas would be in play by the end of the night. Her response was to play it safe and stick with Leon, knowing that she was now on the outside of whatever future might be forged out of the night's machinations.
“So is this going to happen often?” Kait asked.
“What, noble balls?” Leon replied with a chuckle.
“I meant more of the employer having their own agenda,” Kait explained. “One that doesn't agree with your own operational goals.”
“Well, maybe a bit,” Leon considered. “Or a lot. Or, you know, all the time.”
“You're really an optimist, you know that,” she replied, a smile on her lips.
“Practical experience,” he simply replied. “But no, it won't always be like this. What happened here was a rapidly changing situation and leadership that were struggling to keep up with it. The situation now is completely different to where it was a year ago, and even more so than where it was a year before that. And who knows where it will be a year from now.”
She glanced over again at the man in the suit. “I suppose so.”
“I think the best way to put it is to hope for the best and expect the worst,” Leon admitted. “For every selfish, greedy or cowardly employer there will be one that honest and forward with you. The secret is to try and figure out which way your employer is going to go before they swerve you.”
“True. But still, I couldn't have done this without you,” she admitted. “And not just because of all you did on the battlefield. Your advice on handling the nobles and all that they had going on was invaluable.”
“You took me in, gave me a chance and a BattleMech,” he explained. “Not many people would do that. My looking out for you is the least I can do in return”
“Clearly I did well for that investment,” she nodded. “Which is why I am going to make you another offer.”
“Go on,” he nodded.
“We're going to be dealing with many other employers in future, as well as Lana's... allies,” the last part she kept quiet, even if it seemed pointless to do such. “I'd like you to be at the forefront of my team, helping me to understand our employers and allies, and aiding in our dealings with them"
“Why would you punish me like this?” Leon chuckled. “But you know, I would be glad to.”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“And if nothing else, I can tell Iulia which ones to curse,” he added.
It was all she could do not to burst out laughing. “Stop it,” Kait finally managed.
“mm, maybe.”
She smiled. “I'll take that.”
4
Supplementary Rules / Clarification of what types of C3 computers can issue SRCS drone commands
« Last post by Lincolnator on Today at 00:53:03 »Hey there! I made sure to read through the posting rules this time, so this should be a much better post than my last one. I made sure to check the relevant errata thread and search the site and everything.
This should be a very simple question to answer too, just a yes/no answer.
So, on pp. 134 of IO:AA, in the section describing what units can be a valid control unit for SRCS drones to recieve orders from, it says this:
It would be really cool to have every 1t C3 slave be able to issue drone commands, but that seems a little too OP.
I suppose it could mean that integrated drone control is exclusive to C3i computers, and a C3 command computer is actually talking about an SDS system or naval C3 or something, but there isn't any page reference there and I read through the SDS rules (which are adjacent to this section) and couldn't find anything called a "C3 Command Computer" beyond naval C3.
For now I will work on the assumption that it meant a C3 master exclusively.
This should be a very simple question to answer too, just a yes/no answer.
So, on pp. 134 of IO:AA, in the section describing what units can be a valid control unit for SRCS drones to recieve orders from, it says this:
Quote
Control Unit Requirements: Any unit weighing 200 tons or less in total mass must have functioning sensors and at least 3 tons of communications equipment, a C3 command computer, an improved C3 computer, or a cockpit command console, in order to act as a robotic Control Unit. Units so equipped can send 1 command to robotic units per turn for each such piece of equipment possessed (to a minimum of 1 command sent per turn). For example, a BattleMech that features both a cockpit command console and an improved C3 computer would be able to send 2 commands to friendly robotic units per turn.It is unclear to me whether or not the "C3 Command Computer" is a C3 Master or if it could also be a C3 slave. I assume it is a master, as drone commands require a cockpit command console or 3 tons of comms equipment otherwise, but I thought I should clarify what exactly it meant.
It would be really cool to have every 1t C3 slave be able to issue drone commands, but that seems a little too OP.
I suppose it could mean that integrated drone control is exclusive to C3i computers, and a C3 command computer is actually talking about an SDS system or naval C3 or something, but there isn't any page reference there and I read through the SDS rules (which are adjacent to this section) and couldn't find anything called a "C3 Command Computer" beyond naval C3.
For now I will work on the assumption that it meant a C3 master exclusively.
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The Inner Sphere / Re: What tech actually becomes obselete
« Last post by MoneyLovinOgre4Hire on Today at 00:36:43 »That was in TRO: Prototypes.
And yes, obsolete doesn't mean loss of the ability to produce an item. Technically, it's still possible to produce matchlocks in the real world, but the demand for them is rather low, especially in the military.
And yes, obsolete doesn't mean loss of the ability to produce an item. Technically, it's still possible to produce matchlocks in the real world, but the demand for them is rather low, especially in the military.
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The Inner Sphere / Re: What tech actually becomes obselete
« Last post by ThePW on Today at 00:26:12 »I disagree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYSDC3cHoZs
I recall reading in the back of either TRO 3085 or TRO Prototypes about the technology changes (between what was considered advanced and experimental from 3050 to the end of the Jihad) including a list of items that was effected (or not, in some cases). That included the letter codes use to denote availability. In that regard, sure there might be some tech that could be considered obsolete but certainly not from the ABILITY to manufacture. Cost also remains a consideration (always a consideration, regardless of the era)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYSDC3cHoZs
I recall reading in the back of either TRO 3085 or TRO Prototypes about the technology changes (between what was considered advanced and experimental from 3050 to the end of the Jihad) including a list of items that was effected (or not, in some cases). That included the letter codes use to denote availability. In that regard, sure there might be some tech that could be considered obsolete but certainly not from the ABILITY to manufacture. Cost also remains a consideration (always a consideration, regardless of the era)
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General BattleTech Discussion / Re: If you could get pre-painted BattleTech figures, would you?
« Last post by Rebel Yell on Today at 00:21:37 »I might consider buying pre-painted mechs if it was an entire group.
For instance a specific lance or company painted exactly the same with the same materials.
IMHO-the coming sets with a SINGLE painted mech aren't a great idea.
If they end user ever wants a matching group they are NEVER going to match that paint job.
The only way I will buy any of those sets is if there is a specific mech I want in the box.
The painted mech will either be stripped to plastic or sold/traded off.
I don't like having to pay extra for something I don't want.
Paint a usable group or NONE at all.
This is the way.
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Off Topic / Re: Deep Space and Interplanetary Exploration - Houston, we are go for launch!
« Last post by rebs on Today at 00:14:05 »Honestly, I had little trouble finding the original announcement. It could have been buried.
2013 I was still taking care of my grandma before she died, so I missed a lot of things going on. My only outlet at that time was getting caught back up on BT after a break between 1997 and 2012 when I googled it and found out that it was still alive and doing well.
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Off Topic / Re: What movies/tv are we watching part XXX, Back into the fray!
« Last post by Jal Phoenix on Today at 00:13:51 »Also from the wiki, linked in my post above:
Quote
Early stories depicted this ability as something that the Transformer race as a whole was not created with; it was either a wartime innovation designed to disguise themselves from their opponents, or an unexpected side effect as a result of their rebuilding at the hands of the Ark on Earth. However, it would not take long for this ability to be cemented as a natural extension of Cybertronian biology; later stories would, for the most part, establish that Transformers are born with a functioning alternate mode, or at least the ability to assume one.
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The Periphery / Re: Independent Periphery Worlds- HBS paradigm shift
« Last post by Frabby on Today at 00:09:57 »According to the Arano housebook, the Aurigan Reach region was actually House-controlled for a time… until they decided it wasn’t wort it and pulled the border back, leaving many underdeveloped worlds - because they didn’t need them and couldn’t even be bothered to protect or patrol them.
Mechdur may feel like a local industrial powerhouse but in reality its output and cost/benefit relation was so bad the CapCon considered it a lost cause (though in this particular case they were conned about the not-so-bad development prospects).
Remember that this is the boondocks where there's one JumpShip visiting every other month if you’re lucky and HPG messaging is intermittent. It’s pretty hard to keep an outpost staffed and supplied under these circumstances - not when JumpShips in particular are in short supply.
I recon there are embassies and local intelligence rings, but any substantial presence would be a money sink.
Mechdur may feel like a local industrial powerhouse but in reality its output and cost/benefit relation was so bad the CapCon considered it a lost cause (though in this particular case they were conned about the not-so-bad development prospects).
Remember that this is the boondocks where there's one JumpShip visiting every other month if you’re lucky and HPG messaging is intermittent. It’s pretty hard to keep an outpost staffed and supplied under these circumstances - not when JumpShips in particular are in short supply.
I recon there are embassies and local intelligence rings, but any substantial presence would be a money sink.
