Wow, just wow...
Guys, thank you so much for the awesome feedback. I'll be totally honest with you right now. I just piled through the wall of text from Atlas3060, Issamuel and victor_shaw and I'm literally giddy with the feedback.
0- I'm going to have to really remind myself that Total Warfare is not our common starting point....
1- Aerospace Movement: Change ASF Movement to 1 MP per hex. Aero Base still required.
2- Aero Rules:
- We'll add modifiers for fighting in atmo, you're right more dangerous.
- We'll look at moving aero to be a supporting action like scouting.
- Definately look at air bases. For now anyone combat formation can set up an aerobase in their hex if they did not move that turn and they take a -2 to their combat roll.
3- Combat Resolution
- We hear you, the modifers affecting the roll and not the TN is confusing. We'll be looking at an Margin of Success type roll like is used in Abstract Aerospace combat and a few other places.
- We will be working on it being a little more interactive. While it is going to be hard to get away from "stack of formations win" (at the end of the day, 10 regiments of Mechs in one spot are hard to beat) we will see what we can do.
4- Damage resolution
- Oh my Ghu we're working on this. Not sure how we'll resolve it yet. We're thinking.
5- Transport Units
I just finished writing completely new rules for Movement in ISW. We now have Jump Transport Units and Carrier Transport Units. They will have full ISW game stats so they can be played in the game and have clear rules on how much they can carry. Soon as Alexander Knight has created the ISW stats we will publish them here.
6- Formation Rules
- We heard you! See the first post. We have attached a document with new ACS formation rules based on Combat Teams (Battalions). We've also set minimum number of CT and lowered the maximum CTs. Let us know what you think.
7- Keeping Track
- We are planning some kind of ACS record sheet to make it easy to track your formations and their modifiers. Thanks.
8- City Fighting, industrial targets.
- We've got that in process. They will leverage the existing Fortification rules. For now, if you want to have these kinds of targets, use Level 1 fortifications for Supply and Level 2 for factories. The defender gets no defense bonus, like a normal Fortification, but you can only damage the Supply Center or Factory if there are no defenders in the hex.
9- Terrain and Map size
- Please feel free to experiment with 8 and 9 hexes as well. We don't want to have a map larger than that.
- General consensus that if folks want terrain, they could use Turning Point Maps or regular maps? We want basic combat to be faster, which is why we are steering away from terrain by default.
10- SPEED!!!!
- We will shift scouting bonuses to the speed of the formations
- We will see about having Speed be a factor in Flanking and Rear attacks
11- Experience Modifiers
In our updated tables we will give a positive modifier to the higher the attacker's experience and a negative modifier for the defender's experience. For now just use the existing table and apply a -TN mod for attacker experience and a +TN Mod for Defender experience. So a Veteran Unit attacking a Green command would get a -3 for being a Vet and a -1 for the defender being Green for a net -4 to roll. Same Vet unit attacking a Legendary unit (Skye Rangers vs. Genyosha) would be -3 for being a Vet and +6 for attacking a Legendary for a net +3 to roll.
13- Faction Flavor: There are faction abilities and flaws in ISW. Some will apply to ACS. Players can also build ISW units using TW and AS conversion rules, instead of just using the Generic Combat Teams.
14- Generic Combat Units?
Has anyone used the Generic units document we posted to make their own units?
KEEP IT COMING!
Thank you all so much for your incredible support. These rules would not be a fraction of what they will be without your input. I appreciate the folks that have already played "multiple" battles. This is so cool!
I am happy to provide feedback and contribute something. :) I also want to thank you, and the Catalyst dev team for the kind and rare opportunity. :) Thanks!
In reply:
0) I am kinda new to the "rules" part of BattleTech. For me, AlphaStrike is where I got my first "official" exposure, and AlphaStrike Companion is where I learned about the expanded rules. :) But I do understand that you have to cater to the veterans in BattleTech such as your kind self. :)
1) Okay 1MP per hex for the Aero on the PCM 8 hex. As a feedback since I got the chance to try it with another partner, the Aero formations is now fast, but still weak and ineffectual in combat - and still ends up being part of a "formation stack" as "padding".
2) Thanks!
Comment: Looking forward to modifiers in atmo and treating as a supportive action (Like Recon);
Comments on setting aerobase: For the small 5 hex map, after trying out, it end up not being that necessary since the aero formation end up playing as part of the "formation stack" in the game I tried. For the 7 hex map, thanks to the 1MP per hex as mentioned, it ends up that the "dropship/transport" is a good enough aero base to operate from, and covers all the hexes for movement, and still goes as part of a "formation stack" slugging match.
However, if using a turning point map, I believe that this rule on setting up an aerobase would be useable. Just not on a 5 hex or 7 hex map.
I believe that it would affect 8 or 9 hex as well and those extra hexes are wasted - but that is just my opinion to share. :)
3) : Cool! Looking forward to future changes, since after the last game with the aero movement changes, players having the most ARM for a "formation stack" wins - "padding" formations included. :)
4) : I do not envy the headaches you and the rest are going to have on this. All the best to you and the rest of the team. O0
5) : COOL!!! Can't wait to try this! I have a scenario of a "desperate retreat" from a planet, and being chased by warships/aero, and survivors linking to the jumpships and being ambushed at the jumppoint before jumping out, and for scoring, counting how many surviving units are left and comparing each player. For fun. :D
6) : Going to reply in a separate post for this.
7) : Please do!!! :)
8 ) : Haven't tried urban combat/fortification. Will be trying on the next few games.... weekend most likely, assuming my partners are willing to play. The DIM/DRM and damage calculations part was the game breaker for them - Too complicated. Again, please bear with me/us - we are AlphaStrike guys - not Total Warfare. But I defer to the developers to decide on the proper approach, as per 4) . :)
9) : Comment - For 8 and 9 hex, as a personal opinion after trying the 7 hex, I still believe that the extra hexes are wasted as there won't be much "maneuver warfare" even with hidden units, and the extra hexes are wasted especially if the only objective is to capture/destroy a location, and will slow down the game at movement for "chasing" a formation that is "running away" if the objective is to destroy all opposition on planet.
I remember one case happening on the 7 hex map - chasing a 2 hex moving formation, with a 1 hex moving chaser, with no aero support was a pain : Had to agree with my gaming partner to end that game since it was kinda pointless.
Comment: Let the players decide if they want to use Turning Point Maps. But leave the default PCM without terrain, and perhaps fix the size at 7 hexes - or use a modified "ring" PAM for the PCM to avoid hexes. Just saying. :)
10) : Would be interesting to see the changes and effects it would have when implemented. Currently, in my games we are not using recon. Mainly because the "attacker" will be heading for a known objective which the "defender" will be defending - and since it will be "formation stack vs formation stack", it was kinda pointless to do recon - hidden units or not.
Seems that in my games, "recon" is when you walk into your opponent and beat each other to death. :)
11) : I take it that this would apply to the current DIM/DRM so that higher experienced formations can "risk" the DIM/DRM that less experience formation would not dare?
I might reconsider using the neglected DIM/DRM in my current games due to the pain and slowness of damage calculations, but I hope for a smoother solution. Sorry - too used to AlphaStrike. O:-)
13) : Looking forward to it. :) Would be interesting to see what type of flavor playing pirates would have.....
14) : Need a separate post, also related to 6)
Thanks for the reply Welshman! Again, I am happy to be able to contribute. :)