Units that have to exist but never flushed out and published .

[Col Toda]

Alot of holes in equipment packages and designs that were never included in official. Battletech TROs . Things that clearly exist but not stated out . As well as existing units repurposed for other combat roles .

An examples of have to exist but never written out or not to any huge extent . Sattalight with Black Box repeaters . Fast Mini Subs with LRT launchers and Blue- Green lasers . Landing Craft with a bridge laying componant . Manned Sattalight asteroid mining shack ect .

For repurposed Bridge Layers that instead of dropping a 40 CF bridge it would drop a 40 CF metal Donut that gets secured to ground for a urban deployable light vehicle hull down postion . Or a repurposed mech recovery vehicle that gets a fusion engine and environmental sealing installed and the hoist is used to deploy mini submarines instead .

What hardware do you think Has to exist that no one put in any TRO yet ? or what existing hardware that does exists in which the fluff text does not suggest obvious alternate uses for .

[Hptm. Streiger]

I think there are lots of support combat vehicles missing.
Those tanks and vehicles in the TROs are the icing on the cake. Even the small Scorpion had to be a decent combat vehicle driven by the elite on most planets.

When you put all those units in the TROs together you might have less soldiers than you have today.
Ok when you see it optimistic then BattleTech is PeaceTech and with exception of big campaigns (a raid is a big campaign) humanity finally found peace.

Although maybe humanity in BT is as stupid as it is today. So you might have war on most planets every day.
And those wars might see vehicles produced by local factorys.
Well and when such party is able to buy a Wasp or Scorpion or even a Vendette then the other side is screwed.
Of course it's not lore, but it's an option.

[Sartris]

Would be cool to have a series of generic all-eras type units that use advanced options like amphibious (or other hull mods), a bridge layer, and more units that can do basic things like clear mines (eg the xtro scorpion)

[worktroll]

I know where you're coming from - I regularly kitbash engineering vehicles, and intend to get some LTAVs 3D-printed as amphibious APCs.

But in most cases, these units don't have any real effect in a game with 10-second turns.  Like combat engineers, it takes more than 10 seconds - more than 10 minutes - to dig field fortifications, to set up a bridging unit, to lay demolition munitions. So there's a powerful reason not to develop extra crunch rules for absolute fringe game situations. And therefore less desire to stat up many combat or support vehicles for these fringe situations.

Alternatively, go off-brand. "Yes, this is the FWLM. That's not a Davion Prometheus, it's a Leaguer Covenant-class bridgelayer!" Or just take a Scorpion, replace turret with a CF40 bridge, and use it as an objective - "must make it off the map so it can be used elsewhere". Track turret hits against the bridge."

And sorry - while the 'metal donut' idea fits in the game rules, have you ever considered why modern militaries don't do something like that? Laying a bridge takes minutes - I'm sure you can find a video on YouTube. Are you happy to have the donut-deliverer sitting immobile for 12 turns, potentially under enemy fire, just so a light vehicle can become a stationary target?  Better to use combat engineers "pre-game" to dig in berms, lay minefields, etc.

W.

[Daryk]

I'd really like to see lighter fusion powered vehicles.  The pay back time for the increased capital cost is measured in months, so just about any jeep a unit takes with it ought to be fusion powered vice ICE.

[RifleMech]

Need more units with Fission and fusion engines.
Need more WIGEs. Especially in older eras.
Need more older tech Aerospace units.
Need more combat units, of all types, built using support vehicle rules.
Need more support vehicles, of all types.
Need more NavalTech, all kinds of units and more tech. We have a few things but there's a lot missing.
Need more PeaceTech, all kinds of units and more tech. They're the first responders.
Need more Engineeringtech, all kinds of units and more tech. They build the defenses and support attacks.
Need more CivilianTech, all kinds of units and more tech. They provide the resources to fight over.
Need more AncientTech, all kinds of units and more tech. We have weapons and units mentioned but no stats. We also have units and weapons but unfortunately they're not legal.  Gaps between machine guns and 3 ton cannons need to be filled in. Same as the gap between the HRC and artillery. We need ancient lasers and rail guns. We need black powder weapons. We have bows and arrows but no muskets.
Need more IrregularTech. You never know what you'll find on the battlefield.
Need more OddTech. Backpack weapons and such. The original Shadow Hawk was fluffed as having one. Other mechs could have one. We've got backpack jump packs. Why not weapons?
BizarreTech. Why not? Infantry with Myomer Catapults. Mech scale bows and arrows. Mechs are used for hunting. Why not make it more sporting ala Noisel Games? SteamMechs.

I know most of the stuff I listed is, niche, but all of it could be found on today's battlefield somewhere. I also think games that aren't just pick some mechs and fight to the last are more interesting. First Responders are the only ones left to fight off pirates. Engineering units have to fight a delaying action or a river crossing. Farmers need to fight off bandits. Lost colony has to fight against mechs. Jumpship finds a lost sleepership.