My gaming group tried out the MW Destiny combat system!

[SamTheMan321]

Here's an issue that's been bugging me with all every edition of Battletech's RPGs...how do you handle campaigns where not every character has mechwarrior skills? Forcing everyone into taking the mandatory Piloting and Gunnery skills seems very heavy-handed, and essentially ruins the flavour of any "techwiz" or smuggler/rogue characters.

[Pat Payne]

What were the skill levels of your pilots?

The player party was all regular skills -- I don't have the total stats at hand for them. The NPCs were all at Veteran skill, with fairly high skill bonuses.

Here's an issue that's been bugging me with all every edition of Battletech's RPGs...how do you handle campaigns where not every character has mechwarrior skills? Forcing everyone into taking the mandatory Piloting and Gunnery skills seems very heavy-handed, and essentially ruins the flavour of any "techwiz" or smuggler/rogue characters.

Given the rules (and they could be clearer on this point) it seems to be assumed that just like in a TV show or movie that the party will not necessarily all be together at any given moment and it is OK to run two different scenarios at once if part of the group is somewhere else. For instance, that techwiz might be trying desperately to fix or disable a certain critical piece of equipment while the MechWarriors outside blast each other to pieces.

[Robroy]

Here's an issue that's been bugging me with all every edition of Battletech's RPGs...how do you handle campaigns where not every character has mechwarrior skills? Forcing everyone into taking the mandatory Piloting and Gunnery skills seems very heavy-handed, and essentially ruins the flavour of any "techwiz" or smuggler/rogue characters.

I always tried to set it up so that the player would run a friendly NPC in certain times. That way the players were always engaged in the battles/ story even if their characters were not.

The tech wiz would run a NPC mech at times, and the mechworriors would be making rolls for non combat actions where an NPC was involved.

[guardiandashi]

I always tried to set it up so that the player would run a friendly NPC in certain times. That way the players were always engaged in the battles/ story even if their characters were not.

The tech wiz would run a NPC mech at times, and the mechworriors would be making rolls for non combat actions where an NPC was involved.

One solution would be to have the players have a primary and secondary  character.
So the player who wants to have the tech as their primary character,  has that, but for combat focused scenarios either plays a secondary combat character,  or helps the gm play the opposition forces.
And vice versa

[Karasu]

One solution would be to have the players have a primary and secondary  character.
So the player who wants to have the tech as their primary character,  has that, but for combat focused scenarios either plays a secondary combat character,  or helps the gm play the opposition forces.
And vice versa

That was actually what they suggested in the very first edition of Mechwarrior.  I'd actually go further and do something like Ars Magica's covenants.  Everybody does a primary and secondary character - get them to be in different spheres - and then create a supply of quick and generic extras: Astechs, Infantry privates, reserve pilots etc.  Then, if the Chief Tech and the techwiz are working to fix the Dropship engine in time to take off before the Fedrat scum arrive to blow your mercs away, the other two players get to play the extras for a bit (probably an Astech or dropper crew).  Likewise, if your 'Mech lance is in a running battle, have the tehcwiz player run the vehicle commander.
Now, I have no idea how complex the character creation rules are for Destiny (I didn't Kickstart the Clan box), but maybe this needs there to be a simplified version for doing the extras?  Might be useful as an optional rule.

Actually, isn't this what Star Trek Adventures does as well?  And 2e Werewolf: Forsaken.