Crimson Skies and Aerotech?

[Charistoph]

So, I just listened to Mage Leader go over Crimson Skies on YouTube, and I remember the game, both tabletop and video.  Had, played, and enjoyed the latter, but did not ever get anything for the tabletop.

A lot of people have been saying that the aerospace rules are a mess.  I'm not going to argue that, as I find them a bit hard to deal with.

That being said, if possible, would it be worth resurrecting Crimson Skies to work out how to do the Air part of Aerospace rules for Battletech and make them effective?

[Prospernia]

Which Aerospace rules are a mess?  Like, the original box-set?  Battletech-Compendium?

I don't see a problem with Crimson-Skies; I've converted Star-Wars to Aerotech and it worked just fine. 

[SteelRaven]

Crimson Skies was it's own game focusing on air units, Aerospace has always tried to meld the main BT ground game with air combat and space combat while not taking away anything from the ground combat.

Imagine if Crimson Skies added tanks and infantry but then had to make it so the air unit couldn't just strafe and bomb the ground units making them useless. At the same time, make sure the AA ground units wont destroy the existing air unit game.

Most solutions for Aerotech seem to be make it it's own game, which makes perfect sense but BT fans seem to love using all the toys in one game.     

[Hellraiser]

Most solutions for Aerotech seem to be make it it's own game, which makes perfect sense but BT fans seem to love using all the toys in one game.   

Put me in the camp of split them.
I mean, sure bombs & strafing are nice, but the only times I've ever played AT it was MUCH easier when you didn't essentially have 2 different fights going on.

Freely admit to having minimal experience.

Never played w/ a WS  (sadly)

3 Games

DS Strafing Mechs (Atmosphere)
6v4 ASF  (Atmosphere)
Fighters v/s Fighters/DS  (Space)

What I really like about the BM "Support" Rules is its a way to bring in AT w/o playing AT.
But in turn, I love the idea of actual SPACE FLEET battles.  Warships are Awesome,  Squadrons are Cool.
Trying to have ASF conduct a game at the same time BM are having a game...meh,  too complicated
Too much space required, can't fit in enough ground maps as it is on the table & play on overly small areas.

But hey, that's just IMO, only tried it once, was fun but would NOT want to do that ever again & certainly not with Both Sides having Air Power contesting the skies.
More fun to play an AT game one weekend to determine air support for a Mech game the next weekend, IMO.

[Luciora]

OG Renegade was set up in a way that 1 Leviathan turn was like 10 Interceptor turns and 1 interceptor turn was like 5 Centurion turns.   It was a giant clockwork cog.  I'm sure I'm misremembering it however. 

[thedancingjoker]

I love Battletech, and I love the concept of Aerospace battles in the setting.  But I agree splitting them up would probably be the best option for both systems.  Have a Battlefield-Support-Like rule for bombing/strafing runs, some rules for Air defense by ground targets to negate such and then leave all the rest of Aerospace for its own game.

[CJC070]

I love Battletech, and I love the concept of Aerospace battles in the setting.  But I agree splitting them up would probably be the best option for both systems.  Have a Battlefield-Support-Like rule for bombing/strafing runs, some rules for Air defense by ground targets to negate such and then leave all the rest of Aerospace for its own game.

Since they have Battlefield Support Cards it would work.  I know that Aerospace is in the lower end of their “what needs to work on” totem pole but using established rules can negate a huge chunk of the work load.

[Charistoph]

Since they have Battlefield Support Cards it would work.  I know that Aerospace is in the lower end of their “what needs to work on” totem pole but using established rules can negate a huge chunk of the work load.

The problem is countering them without a lucky or possibly wasteful draw.  Artillery there isn't much you can do, as most are off-screen, however with Aerospace, they are right there.

[Hellraiser]

The problem is countering them without a lucky or possibly wasteful draw.  Artillery there isn't much you can do, as most are off-screen, however with Aerospace, they are right there.

Right there on a strafe sure, but High Altitude Bombing is a thing, so its not always easy to see & counterfire.

[Charistoph]

Right there on a strafe sure, but High Altitude Bombing is a thing, so its not always easy to see & counterfire.

Easy to see?  Quite easy.  After all, if you can see to Attack, you can see to Shoot back.

Range on counter-fire, I will admit, can be a different story.  And the greater Elevation you have, the less accurate the bombs will be.  So if you're Bombing at an Altitude that doesn't allow you to be shot at anything but AC/2s and the like, you're just as likely to hit your fellows as nothing, even with the most expert of gunners.

Still, it's better odds than having a card drawn on you and told to just take it.