What is the best way to do mech combat in Mechwarrior RPG?

[wolfspider]

So I have this group of about 7 players and we tried to run a Mechwarrior RPG session but the mech combats bogged the game down so much it was like playing regular battletech and it just became unmanageable. Any suggestions what I need to use? 

[Daryk]

Why not just use TW rules?  The conversion is very simple.

[Elmoth]

We use alpha strike with variable damage. Plays  fast, and we narrate the effect of the hits. Pilot skill depends on the skill of the RPG character.

We also modified the range bands, but that is another thing regarding Alpha Strike and not a RPG specifically.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

I don't know that it'd be the right direction for a group of 7 players.. but the old Solaris 7 duelling rules are quite fun.  They'd need some updating for ATOW, but it'd be worth the effort.  If you have scenes with smaller scale mech combats.

With 7 players, (assuming all on the same side) you may as well use Alpha Strike as already suggested.  A force big enough to challenge a party of 7 mechwarriors makes for a battle too big to run under TW/Boardgame rules, much less ATOW rules.

[wolfspider]

Thanks for the reply's but we have tried Alpha Strike (which I love) but it just doesn't do it for some of my more hard core players. I think we will try to come up with a hybrid system and if it works I will share it with the community to get their take on it. Happy Friday everyone!   

[Robroy]

I played with a group that, in order to speed things up, everyone rolled to hit and figured hit locations at the same time. Then the GM would go around and ask each player what they shot at, damage, and location, and give them any damage.

It did go faster then watching each player roll one after the other.

We were playing the CBT TT game.

[nckestrel]

double the damage, (or triple), then it will go faster :).

[wolfspider]

So the GM played tested part 1 of our hybrid system and it played better then expected tomorrow we are going to add the role playing element for part 2. If this works we are hoping to have a D&D style combat session but with a in the cockpit feel for the players!

[BiggRigg42]

I always keep mech combat days separate from non-mech combat days in my BattleTech campaigns. There isn't much unmanageable about doing this once all of the players know the rules for everything.