Strategic Battleforce conversion rules question

[Ufnal]

Interstellar Operations: Battleforce states on page 257: "Total the Alpha Strike armor and structure values of all Elements within the Unit. Add 0.5 points for each Element with any of the following, a structure of 3+, AMS, or CASE. Add 1 point for each Element with any of the following, ENE, CASE II, CR or RAMS."

Do the bonuses mentioned here stack? The phrasing makes me thing that the factors that add 0.5 points don't stack with each other, and neither do the 1 point factors. However, the way it's written, it reads as if an element with AMS and CASE II provided both the 0.5 points bonus and the 1 point bonus. I assume that's not what was meant by the author - otherwise an Element with CASE II and ENE would have only +1 armor, while one with CASE and ENE would have +1.5.

Is there an official ruling on that anywhere?

[Zematus737]

There was another conversions question closely related to this that I think might lead to the same resolution in regarding them separately (only one) and going with the highest that would apply. 

It's here: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=80765.0

[Ufnal]

That makes sense, thanks! That part of the book really could have been clearer. :(

[Zematus737]

Most people use the pre-generated SBF and ACS formation data tables found in Campaign Operations and the 1st and 2nd Succession Wars source books rather than form the higher scale units directly from conversions from the bottom up.  Top down is a lot less work unless you have a long campaign-in-progress that requires you to step up the scale which would invoke the jump into the conversions.  If you're simply interested in playing at the higher scales and are doing the leg work of the conversions just for this, I would check out the tables in Campaign Operations or those particular source books that focus on, and are intended for, Battleforce.

What you'd be looking for is the Combat Command Conversions tables on page 92-97 of the most recent CO.  Or the Inner Sphere at War conversion sections in the 1st and 2nd SW books.  You are limited to 3025 era with these conversions.  I could say get used to the low tech era if you want to play Battleforce, but the higher tech really also gets diluted at this scale.  C3 systems being the only holdout of valuable tech that maintained its usefulness IF -and that's a strong if- you can maintain Unit cohesion within that Lance/lvlII/Star.  You can split individual Elements that share a C3 system between various Units (capital U unit), but this really becomes an irritation more than a boon, as the simple Command specials will do more at this scale than a few better hit modifiers scattered across several Elements.  Overall strategy and well timed undisrupted Commands on the chain of command take the place of individual Element specials and tech advantages.  Things just die too quickly to nitpick the value of one weapon system over another.  You'll sooner split a wounded Clan mech from an intro tech Lance because it's slogging down a recon team due to MP crits.  Core players would gasp at this, but it's nothing personal in Battleforce.  Maniacal laughter aside..  it just plays so differently.  But I forget you lose Commands tokens in SBF..  So this last part may be irrelevant to you.  Or maybe I'm just saying don't be in a rush to experience "Strategic" Battletech and skip over the Battleforce advanced rules scale because the word alone may make it seem a more mature or advanced product.

As I often do.  I recommend using the higher scales purely for movement and force placement, like a general in the war room.  Then take advantage of the best of Interstellar Ops that is, in my opinion, Battleforce.  Because it is the scale that most resembles Core and its fluidity allows the theater of war to expand beyond what Core could ever be in a reasonable time frame.

[Alexander Knight]

Do the bonuses mentioned here stack? The phrasing makes me thing that the factors that add 0.5 points don't stack with each other, and neither do the 1 point factors. However, the way it's written, it reads as if an element with AMS and CASE II provided both the 0.5 points bonus and the 1 point bonus. I assume that's not what was meant by the author - otherwise an Element with CASE II and ENE would have only +1 armor, while one with CASE and ENE would have +1.5.

Only the highest bonus counts.  so the best any unit can get is a +1.

[Ufnal]

@Alexander Knight - thanks!

@Zematus737 - thanks for the advice, but honestly I enjoy building up whole regiments from single Mechs, and I find the SBF rules interesting, not because "the word alone may make it seem a more mature or advanced product", but because they seem to try and abstract the unpredictability and dynamic character of whole BattleTech matches into a single set of tactics/maneuver/hit rolls and simple tactical decisions. That seems fun to me and I want to play with it. I'll probably never have anybody to play against anyway, so for now it's mostly academic and rolling up historical units.

[Daryk]

Don't forget that play by post exists! :)

[Ufnal]

Yeah, that's a hope, but I also have some specific tweaks/reinterpretations/changes in mind that depart from BT canon quite a bit, so I'm not really hoping too much. ;)

Anyway, that probably counts as too much offtopic. ;)

[Daryk]

For this subforum, yes... The Fan Rules forum is where that conversation fits... :)

[Zematus737]

I never really viewed conversions as a possible enjoyable past time. 

[Zematus737]

But I am very interested in your revisions.  I hope you post them in the future.