Looking for group in Central Maryland

[Paul]

Next events at Glen Burnie for me:

Saturday November 21 and
Saturday December 5

I'll start a Solaris Melee Championship run, not sure how many sessions in total I'll do (likely more than 2...!)

I still have to work out some details, but you can find the rules I'll use here:
http://bg.battletech.com/information/
(Scroll down to Solaris Melee Challenge)

Intent is to have a series of events where your pilot and Mech keep moving forward, while benefitting from some of the craziness that exist on Solaris.
We'll use TW rules.

Once I've had time to ponder this further, I'll post here.

Paul

[Engineer]

one more try for alpha strike.  anyone up for sunday 1 Nov?

I have plenty of lances ready to go.  grinder style

[Paul]

Sunday continues to be a very difficult day for me, gaming wise...

[VikingmacBrea]

I could be up for some Alpha Strike Nov. 1st let me make sure nothing else is going on that day.

[VikingmacBrea]

I am also very interested in the Solaris Game. Can't wait for more details, like which Era? Tech Base? Do we get to choose our own Mechs? Is there a limit list we can choose from? Will we get getting all that straight at the first event? Or can we have some prep time? I am not impatient at all.

[Paul]

My intent is to have all those questions answered as much as possible. I intend to wrap my brain around it all this weekend.
Meanwhile, I dig the enthusiasm!

[VikingmacBrea]

I am really looking forward to getting back into Battletech. It's been far too long since I've played regularly. Hanging out in the 3025ers group on Facebook has really brought back my Love for this game.

[Cubby]

I intend to wrap my brain around it all this weekend.

I intend to wrap your brain around the flail from MapPack: Solaris VII.  ;D

Can. Not. Wait for this. Already read through the rules at the above link, it looks like a LOT of fun.

"If a PC is killed, that PC gains a final reward of 8 Fame..."

Lovely parting gifts!

[VikingmacBrea]

We are definitely on for the 3025 game on the 15th, 12 til whenever. 200 tons, up to 4 Mechs, bring a spare 100 tons in case we need to balance things. We have 2 definites & 2 maybes so far.

I would happily working on setting up a regular Alphastrike group too.

[Kitsune413]

I might be able to make it out for that. I'm actually working closer to Glenn Burnie these days. long commute.

[Daemos Wolf]

I am looking for classic battle tech games any weekend day!  8)

[Firesprocket]

Considering attending, but it is a 2 hour drive.  So is this exclusive 3025/3039 only or would any intro level stuff open for use? 

[Paul]

I intend to wrap your brain around the flail from MapPack: Solaris VII.  ;D

Now you speak-ah my language!

Can. Not. Wait for this. Already read through the rules at the above link, it looks like a LOT of fun.

"If a PC is killed, that PC gains a final reward of 8 Fame..."

Lovely parting gifts!

That's the kind of logic that tickles me.
The many people who worked on the rule set have made something cool. Prizes for doing cool stuff. Sponsors. Stables. And special pilot abilities.


Here's what I need people to do who plan to be at the event on the 21st: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read through the rules. Many of the pages in it are just tables, so it's really not as much work as it seems. It will make things go much smoother.

This will be an enormous help:
PLEASE get me your initial Mech as soon as you can. I've been given permission to print at the store, but I want to reduce this as much as possible. It'll save us all time.

Crude note on your starting situation for those who wont read the rules (Again, PLEASE do read em!)

* All PCs begin with 10 initial Character Points (CP’s), 0 Fame points, 3 million C-bills, a Gunnery skill of 3 and a Piloting skill of 4

Those 3 mil can be modified by a loan (look it up), and MUST be used to buy a 'Mech. I will use the MUL for this:
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/3560/wolfhound-wlf-1
That Wolfhound is 2,925,180.
* Note that you can search based on CBill cost on that site. (It's under basic filters)
* Note that I've arbitrarily picked 3067 as the year; your Mech must be made in that year or earlier; anything 3068+ is off limits. (This is 127 possible Mech choices, 158 if you take the 200k loan)
* Note that all Clan units have a +50% cost penalty.
* Unique 'Mechs are not available. IE Mechs with a character name, or 1-off prototypes. Not initially, anyway.

Q: To improve out sanity, should we round 'Mech costs normally to the nearest 10,000? IE, the Wolfhound above cost 2,930,000? Seems a waste of time to track 'pennies'.

We are definitely on for the 3025 game on the 15th, 12 til whenever. 200 tons, up to 4 Mechs, bring a spare 100 tons in case we need to balance things. We have 2 definites & 2 maybes so far.

Cool! Sundays are often difficult for me, but I'll give it a try.
Do I gather correctly you want people to show up with their own sheets? Thought I'd ask.

I might be able to make it out for that. I'm actually working closer to Glenn Burnie these days. long commute.

It'd be great to see you again!

I am looking for classic battle tech games any weekend day!  8)

Looks like you have an option on the 15th and the 21st.

Considering attending, but it is a 2 hour drive.  So is this exclusive 3025/3039 only or would any intro level stuff open for use? 

Looks like VikingmacBrea's event on the 15th is 3025.
My event on the 21st can include most Mechs available in 3025.

Paul

[Cubby]

Q: To improve out sanity, should we round 'Mech costs normally to the nearest 10,000? IE, the Wolfhound above cost 2,930,000? Seems a waste of time to track 'pennies'.

We could do that, but then I would suggest rounding repair costs and any other percentage-based costs similarly. I think repair costs will be the only time we'd have to break a $10,000 C-bill.

Those 3 mil can be modified by a loan (look it up), and MUST be used to buy a 'Mech.

So, per the statement on p. 6 that "Players use a combination of CPs and C-bills to buy PC abilities, sponsorships, and/or stable membership," (emphasis mine) we could not start with any pilot abilities? Just a 'Mech, our stock character, and an inflated belief in our own abilities?

Maybe I'm mis-reading that sentence and it should be "use a combination of CPs and/or C-bills." Meaning we pay one cost or the other?

[Paul]

We could do that, but then I would suggest rounding repair costs and any other percentage-based costs similarly. I think repair costs will be the only time we'd have to break a $10,000 C-bill.

Good point. OK, let's start without any change initially, and we'll see how it works in practice.

So, per the statement on p. 6 that "Players use a combination of CPs and C-bills to buy PC abilities, sponsorships, and/or stable membership," (emphasis mine) we could not start with any pilot abilities? Just a 'Mech, our stock character, and an inflated belief in our own abilities?

Maybe I'm mis-reading that sentence and it should be "use a combination of CPs and/or C-bills." Meaning we pay one cost or the other?

You can begin with pilot abilities, provided they have a Fame requirement of 0; we all start with 0. Some abilities need Cbills, some don't. All (I think) need Character Points. There's tables of pilot abilities in the doc; I plan to print a couple of copies of everything for ease of reference.

I haven't examined the implication of pilot abilities enough to make a recommendation. My gut tells me to get the most competent Mech to start out with, and worry about pilot abilities later; I assume the especially useful ones require fame, which requires doing cool stuff in combat.
I could be totally wrong about those assumptions.

Paul

[Cubby]

Any advice on how to get the basic filters to work in the MUL? I've tried setting them by cost, but they don't seem to "take" correctly.

[Paul]

Any advice on how to get the basic filters to work in the MUL? I've tried setting them by cost, but they don't seem to "take" correctly.

Hard to say what might be causing trouble, but I put a value in both fields; both Min and Max. When I put 1 in Min and 3000000 in Max, I get the lists I mentioned above. Intro I put in 2400 for min and 3067 for max. I also added a IS tech filter under Technology, though you might actually want to check out what Clan machines are available. I just assume the +50% cost makes them uncompetitive, but I haven't actually tried to figure that out. If you do, adjust the tech filter to Clan only, and put 2,000,000 as the cost, since that's your new ceiling.

[VikingmacBrea]

Sorry I haven't check on here lately. I think were going just 3025 Stock Mechs for our first gathering. Bringing your own Mechs, Sheets & Dice would be helpful. Though I think everyone is planing on bring extras.

[Firesprocket]

Hard to say what might be causing trouble, but I put a value in both fields; both Min and Max. When I put 1 in Min and 3000000 in Max, I get the lists I mentioned above. Intro I put in 2400 for min and 3067 for max. I also added a IS tech filter under Technology, though you might actually want to check out what Clan machines are available. I just assume the +50% cost makes them uncompetitive, but I haven't actually tried to figure that out. If you do, adjust the tech filter to Clan only, and put 2,000,000 as the cost, since that's your new ceiling.

There is the Urbanmech IIC and if you take the loan you can squeeze a Locust IIC out of your original funds.  Do we consider anything out of Operation Klondike a Clan machine for purposes of cost?

[Paul]

Sorry I haven't check on here lately. I think were going just 3025 Stock Mechs for our first gathering. Bringing your own Mechs, Sheets & Dice would be helpful. Though I think everyone is planing on bring extras.

If I can make it, I'll bring sheets!

There is the Urbanmech IIC and if you take the loan you can squeeze a Locust IIC out of your original funds.

True! Thanks for looking!

Do we consider anything out of Operation Klondike a Clan machine for purposes of cost?

I do, yes. =)

[wantec]

Without taking a loan there's also the Howler/Baboon (the standard LRM one), the Snow Fox, and Snow Fox 2 to go along with the Urbie IIC.

With a loan you can get the Locust IIC standard, 2, and 4.

[Cubby]

There is the Urbanmech IIC

[Firesprocket]

It has its merits if you are playing on Solaris only maps. I have have found so.e good, but not great jumpers thus far for 3 mil.

[Cubby]

I have have found some good, but not great jumpers thus far for 3 mil.

Without tipping off my strategy too much--because I've wasted a hideous amount of time thinking about this over the past day or so--jumping may be more trouble than it's worth.

[Firesprocket]

I am not taking the urbie.  I have more or less figured out what I am using or at least narrowed it down to 2 choices.  Taking any of those clan mechs isn't a bad choice.  I am more concerned with being unable to take advantage of their strengths on a smaller set of boards.

[VikingmacBrea]

I think I know the Mech I want to take. Do you want it to be PMed to you?

Also, if we have C-bills leftover can we Mod our Mechs or is that something that needs to be done after we start?

[Paul]

I have more or less figured out what I am using or at least narrowed it down to 2 choices. 

I think I know the Mech I want to take. Do you want it to be PMed to you?

Cool, if you both could PM or email me with your choice at some point next week, I'll be able to get the sheet printed up ahead of time.

Also, if we have C-bills leftover can we Mod our Mechs or is that something that needs to be done after we start?

Initially, everyone can only have 'stock' Mechs, we'll go over some of the more complex and fun rules as a group.


FYI, for the first event, I'm planning on 2 maps worth of space, total. We'll start in the Reaches, so no formal colosseum style stadium.
I have the Solaris Mappack somewhere, so expect those maps (and rules) to appear at some point, but the very first outting will make use of standard maps, slightly modified with the occasional bits and pieces from the Hexpacks. Nothing too exotic to start with; I want us to get comfortable with all the special rules first.

Paul

[Engineer]

I hate to cancel, but I've got a stomach bug and do not want to infect anyone else, so tomorrow is out for me. 

[Firesprocket]

Cool, if you both could PM or email me with your choice at some point next week, I'll be able to get the sheet printed up ahead of time.

I don't know that I'll be there next week because of a scheduling conflict as I'd only be able to potentially play for a couple hours before having to head out.  Pretty certain I'll be there on the 5th though.    I should be at the 3025 game tomorrow unless I oversleep.

[Paul]

I don't know that I'll be there next week because of a scheduling conflict as I'd only be able to potentially play for a couple hours before having to head out. 

Being there for a couple of hours is just fine. The rules are actually built to support walk ons and walk offs.

Paul