Hockey Night In Noisiel

[butchbird]

So I was writing something, doing some inane practice as I'm too short on time or too lazy to do something serious in my own language...then, wanting to close the youtube tab, I closed the whole browser. Evidently, all lost. I'm so pissed off, I had to get it out.

Yeah, sure, it wasn't great, but still, major bummer dude.

I'll give it another go soon...too frustrated for tonight and its getting late anyway.

Argh.

Place holder and vent, sorry for this outburst.

[Daryk]

Your browser doesn't have a "Restore Session" function? ???

[butchbird]

Perhaps it does, but unfortunately I am technologically re-tarded. Anyway it was rather bland. When you're using a character whom has Marc Messier's face in your mind and can't fit an "always fresh chip" reference, you're off to a bad start.

I'll simply take the opportunity to try and make it more entertaining once I get the motivation or mood. Which isn't tonight I suppose.

[Daryk]

Ah, sorry I'm not local enough to help further... :/

[butchbird]

* the thing with writing a battletech hockey short is that once the "hello hockey fans" and starting sequence of "hockey night in Canada's" theme song has faded away from your mind, all that's left as of references is mediocre children's books, kid movies (many of them quite so-so), slapshot 1 and actual hockey. Oh well, an exercise is an exercise.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96OTz6_qTnE

 "Hello hockey fans from across the Inner sphere and welcome back to playful ol' Noisiel for another exciting season as we kick off the exhibition phase with today's match between the Claybrooke Fusionneers and the New Olympia Anglers!" Marco Momesso took a chip out of its yellow bag and munched it happily as his co-host took over.
 " As we recall, the offseason was quite the snore for the Fusionneers who decided to keep their roster untouched. Confident that, after their impressive run last season, this year could be the year to bring the cup home."

His mouth full of chips, Marco urged his partner on. "Tell 'em 'bout the little guy"
A chuckle in his voice, Erin Gardner kept on talking. "I was just getting to it Marco. While there was no roster movement for the Fusionneers in the off-season, there were many rumours around the Battlemechs of Claybrooke's. We've been told from reliable sources that many of the players had undergone customizations on their mechs. This was confirmed today during warm-up as we saw Theoden Blossomed's Bloodhound unleash a barrage of weapons from the rear!"
Marco laughed with a mouthfull and swallowed just enough of it to articulate. " The little bugger's shifted almost all his arsenal backwards! Love the guy."
 "If it is the whole arsenal, then his opponents will be in hot water as more often then not they end un chasing the speedster across the ice during his dashful breakouts."
  " Oh, and then there's also Wendy Macdonald!"
  "Right you are Marco. It was confirmed today, as the Fusionneers released their line-up for the match, that their veteran player Wendy "machine gun array" Macdonald has opted for a new ride!"
  " First clan mech ever for the fusioneers Erin?"
  "That's right. Her Phoenix Hawk IIC is the first clan mech ever fielded by Claybrooke."

[butchbird]

* Crap, computer mishap. Continuing.

 Marco grinned towards the camera, then turned to his co-host. "You know Erin, for all her talent with the stick, what struck me the most about Wendy's playing style back when I played against her was how she loved to bang you up. Tell you what, I'll bet you this bag of ever fresh chips that she's traded the jumpjets on her mech for some more weaponry."
  "A very probable probability Marco.
  " And you know, that's the bottom line with the fusioneers. No non-sense, hard-hitting hockey, carried by good talents that know hot to use their sticks. I mean, that Hall McCanister, what a shot!".

  Erin nodded his head. "But they'll be in for quite the match tonight as Francesca Rhon and the adlers will be hunting for some success of their own!"
  " You've got that right. Now I'm very excited at seeing how their off-season addition will pan out. I mean, much as I love Brenda, we all know how much of a hassle it is to keep her happy for long."
  " The "suitcase" moniker has been called out by a few already I hear."
  "Yeah, but then, who wouldn't want her on his team? Great player, nose for the net and that modified Charger of hers is a thing of beauty."

  Erin suddenly took a finger to his ear, listening to his earphone, then turned to the camera. "Well that's it for the presentation folks, the Battlemechs are getting ready to step on the ice!."
 "The crowd is already chanting that "Please mister lniesman let the players fight" song. This is going to ba a grea season opener, mark my words."

* Now I have to read up on the Noisiel hockey rules.

[DOC_Agren]

loving this

[butchbird]

* I really didn't realize what I was getting into. Battletech hockey is complicated, even more so since my old pdf version of tac:ops seems to be missing pieces on the careful movement on ice rules. Wait a minute...careful movement? Hockey? Gotta keep rolling, health concerns and snow de damned, but this will take far more pondering then expected.

On the screens bordering the rink, hockey fans from accross the known universe were displayed as the Claybrooke Fusioneers stepped on the ice. As organ music filled the area, Erin Gardner's off screen voice sounded.
"And here they are, Claybrooke's own Fusioneers. Now let's take a look at the Fusioneers line-up for this match." A diagram was displayed, putting all else on the background. " We have rising star Theoden Blossomed and his Bloodhound on the right wing, veteran Wendy Mcdonald..." Erin emited a chuckle. " In her new Phoenix Hawk IIC, never tought I'd see the day a clan 'mech would enter the rink." Marco's voice chipped in. " Honestly I'm surprised it took this long. But hey, go on, I'll get back to it."
" Sure thing Marco. And so for a second season Wendy is going to be pivoting her line, proving once again her level of versatility. On the left wing, Miss Giberrish herself, Esthère "Ti-Canin" in her good old Grasshopper"
" Think she'll ever change "mechs?"
" Familly owned if I'm not mistaken, so not if she has too."
" Didn't know that. Suprising how agressive she is with it then."
" Know a lot about that don't you?"
Marco erupted in a short, hearty laugh. "Well I'm just lucky I wasn't on the receiving end for most of our common time in the league. Never knew a 'mechwarrior able to antagonize you to that level."
" On defense, Hall McCanister in his signature TSM modified Banshee."
" Best player on the fusioneers in my book. That slapshot is simply out of this world."
" And of course, the highest scoring defenseman last season, Paulo Té in his Ostsol."
" Now, what I'm asking myself, wiil you present him as a Rover or a Goaltender?"
" With this guy you never know! Can't stay in his crease but wherever he is, his Atlas will be the bane of the opposition is it can stay out of the penalty box, Koru Beukeboom!"

The Claybrooke fans, having a screen dedicated all to themselves, erupted out loud as one voice. "BEUUUUUUUUU!"

*the sheet, for future reference*

C- Mcdonald, Phoenix Hawk IIC
L- Esthère, Grasshopper
R- Blossomed, Blood Hound
D- McCanister, Banshee
D- Té, Ostsol
G/R- Beukeboom, Atlas


*Writing this went at a snail's pace. Think I remained stuck trying to remember the english word "display" for 10 minutes. Lack of knowledge of post-3039 'mech chassis is also a hinderance.
 

[butchbird]

* Aaaaaaaaand it's time for some more musings (amusing musings? I try, probably come off as self-absorbed or something instead, but I try). Sorry to those few who appreciate this one, but time is the greatest luxury of all and "my tailor is rich" in that department.
Looked into the rules a bit more, BMM was quite helpfull once again with its simplified rules. I can't fathom why Noisiel hockey isn't played as deck hockey. Looks like a darn fall fest.
Evident solution is a pilot ability. Some form of Hockey specialization perhaps? I'll need to find the motivation to make sense of the "sample rules" concerning the game itself also. Won't get done in a jiffy that's for sure.
I've actually started working on a personnal project after thinking about it and musing about it for nearly a decade. Realizing one of my other fanfics, which doesn't require to be a BTU story to work, was around 9000 words long prompted me into at least translating it, expanding it goes hand in hand. but gosh I hate translating. So yeah, tought about just forgetting about this BT hockey story, but as some appreciate it, I'll honestly try to do something with it. Once commited, gotta see it through, afterall.
Am I stalling? Yeah.

The organ music slowly faded, then brass instruments erupted, filling the air in an upbeat song.
" Erin, I have to admit, I love this song."
"Who wouldn't? Never in sports history has such a wonderfull piece graced the entry of a professional team. And New Olympia's Anglers jump on the ice accompanied by the brass bonanza."
"Call me an optimist, but I believe this year."
" You found the faith Marco?"
" Oh yeah. I remember how Francesca Rhône looked like she'd duplicated herself on the ice last year. Adding Brenda was a great move during the off-season and their rookies now have more then one tournament under their belts. This is the year they get past the first round."
" Clock is ticking Marco, time to look at the Anglers roster before the start of the game. First off, the newcomer, Brenda Shenanigan in her TSM equiped Charger."
" Some 'mechs have attained a legendary status along with their pilots on the other game worlds, but it must be said for Brenda's Charger, it stands out of the lot with its All-time statistics."
" Quite so, few 'mechs have permitted their pilots to accumulate so many points and so many penalty minutes!"
" Oh man, I still remember my last tournament." Marco erupted in a noisy laughter. "Never seen a 'mech punch above it's weight like that. My last fight on the ice, I was done after that one. Say, didn't you play against Brenda Also."
" Sure did. Her rookie year. (author's note: I'm sure some criticise the lack of polish to my fanfics, well here you are. Insider joke to boot) Next up young Mariusz Czerkawski in his Griffin. Many are hoping for a breakthrough season. He sure has the skill to be in this league, it remains to be seen if he has the grit to be part of a championship club."
Marco momesso snapped his tongue. "I don't see it."
"You don't?"
"Nah."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Can't, just a hunch."
" Well, all bets are still open at this point. On defense we have Huguette "robocop" Salaison in her up-armored Cyclops coming off another rock solid tournament."
" She really needs to clean up her play though. Somebody will exact vengeance at some point."
Erin made a few acquiescing sounds. "Not a fan either. Wouldn't have allowed those kinds of things back in my days. Still, one of the most reliable stay-at-home defense 'mech in the league."
Marco grunted. " She'd be better off staying in the goal crease for a few years. Might actually be in the anglers plans as they are trying out a new formation this year, disregarding the goalie completely in favour of a full-time rover. Might very well be their plan to leave Salaison in her zone."
" A sound theory. And so the other part of the defensive pairing, Voldemars Malarky, who's offensive prowesses with his Thundebolt will once again seek to compensate for his lack of commitment. I'd like to remind our viewers of Malarky's ditching of his team, faking an ankle injury to go skiing with his son."
"Last year of his contract isn't it?"
"Sure is, look to him to give more of an effort as to obtain a contract next year. And now the Angler's rover, Kevheil Dinic, A young player with a bright future."
"Some see him as the successor to capitaincy once Francesca retires. Must say I agree. The anglers have had few players as hard-nosed as Dinic and his Daikyu."
"Last but not least: captain Francesca Rhône and her black knight."
You could sense the respect in Marco's voice. "Ah, captain Rhône. The quintessential franchise player. Need a goal? You have it. Need a pass? You're served. Need a check? Bam, there she is. Need a blocked shot? The goalie might as well be sleeping. Mark my words, someday, she'll lift the cup."
" And so that's tonight's rosters folks. Just in time as the 'mechs are taking their positions for the start of the game."

*Roster sheet for future reference

C- Rhône, Black Knight
LW- Shenanigan, Charger
RW- Czerkawski, Griffin
D- Salaison, Cyclops
D- Malarky, Thunderbolt
R- Dinic, Daikyu

* Wanted to do a mix like the Fusioneers for the Anglers, realised I only knew 2 players on the kraken's (short) all-time roster, went with the islanders instead, gave me a chance to fit Mariusz Czerkawski. Wanted to include more post-3039 'mechs, simply don't know them enough to know who has two hands or not, ended up with a Thunderbolt in the line-up. Next part...as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated.

[butchbird]

**********
HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE CRAZY!? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT THE RULES!?

Try and keep this rolling.

Of course, before going any further, the rules must be clearly established. How the game plays out inevitably depends on it. Settling the rules really should have been the first step in this anyway. I've already commited on some things where I made the wrong assumptions, diving in too fast, skipping the heavenly rules. Let's check on some points, got to work on this if I want to finish it some day.

1) Scale and movement.

My first thoughts analysing battlemech hockey were inevitably shaped by my own experience and watching professional hockey. Speed is life in hockey, hence you want your 'mechs to zoom around the ice. That's a given.

But a battletech turn is 10 seconds, an eternity in hockey. Heck, for professionals, 40 seconds shifts is a pretty good average.

Perhaps, this considered, you DON'T want your mobile 'mechs crossing the ice within the space of just one turn. Or do you?

For the fact is the noisiel 'mech scale rink is only 14 hexes long from goal to goal. Many a light 'mech can cross that distance in a turn then shoot the puck and many assault 'mechs can move enough to be able to shoot the puck to the opposing net whithin a turn. This, of course, is if you don't take into account the slippery ice. With the possible "fall fest" ice slipping introduces, it can break the constant breakaway tactic that would be forced by the said facts.

For what fun is a hockey game whithout passing plays and puck interceptions?

2) The goaltender

Speaking of interceptions, the 10 second turn and the size of the rink means that I totally blew it for the goaltender.

I found the idea of bringing back the rover position interesting, but an assault 'mech with TSM shooting the puck to a range of 11 hexes (again, 14 hexes from goal to goal) means that the goaltender is of paramount importance.

And this brings us back to the scale. A shot on goal is possible every turn for any 'mech. With slipping on ice, the heaviest TSM equipped 'mechs are still safe to deliver long distance slap shots.

3) Wrist shot, snap shot, slap shot, pass, etc.

Speaking of shot on goal, how do you deal with it.

Of course, everytime I've taken the time to look at the sample rules, I always do it late, when I'm tired, for that's what time I have for such things...But if I'm not mistaken, you get two options for dealing with shots,: throwing and kicking for distance (not counting deflections here). Which one to use? Different method for different shot? A unified method inspired from the sample rules provided perhaps? Now there's some more work and play testing to add to the project.

4) Flow of the game and pilot abilities.

So this begs the questions: Do you go along with the "fall fest", or oppose a "hockey specialist" pilot ability to the ice slipping rule?

Do you break down the standard turn, making a turn 5 seconds instead of 10 for a better flow of the game, so as to enable such things as rudimentary passing plays? Do you shorten the seconds contained in a turn even more?

Do you make the rink longer, thus relegating slow 'mechs to a by-stander status? No, that one's not a good one for sure.

5) Checking

And then there's checking. No need to pass if there's no checking. Heck, with the proposed interception rules, it becomes a bad idea to do anything else then rush the goal with a lone puck carrier, or shoot from afar.

How do you account checking? Charging gives a certain taste of body check, but there needs to be something more flexible...and espescially rules to taking the puck away from the carrier. The first aim of the check, whether the poke check or the body check, is always (or at least SHOULD always) to take away the puck.

Rumble, rumble, curses and more trouble. I have to think this through...what's more my players always display enthusiasm towards trying a 'mech hockey game whenever I mention it, that's added motivation, though playing once every 2 months make's it more of a "we really should...next time" kind of thing.

Stay tuned, maybe I'll come up with raggedy half-baked solutions before the end of the year. Hopefully, writing this enables a certain sorting out.

[Daryk]

Good luck! :)

[butchbird]

**************************

MARK IT ZERO!

Have given this some thought... Unfortunately, as far as wargame rules are concerned, I've been too busy reviewing french-indian war rules the past couple of months (and looking into developing a "my first wargame" style set of rules to have a family wargame that can be played in only one session, its astonishing the sheer variety or rule sets for this oft overlooked war, much inspiration to be found) to delve much in the details of CBT hockey.

Still, gotta keep this rolling so as to get on with something else. Got my grubby hands on the "original shrapnel", reading "think like a Liao" gave me a hankering to find some new tantrums for Maximilian Liao.

Enough of that, and on to the rules.

I figure the easiest way to go about this is to simply take a cue from glassic 16 bit hockey video games.

With puck: Dump (actually probably don't even need this one), shoot, pass.

Without puck: pokecheck, bodycheck... speed bursts. Now there's a tough spot. Keep the puck carrying mech from reaching running speed, is that a good idea or not? Will see about that later.

So for shooting, thinking about it, I strongly doubt a big stompy robot could manage to let go a wrist shot. A wrist shot takes more dexterity then you'd think if you've never tried...heck, I use really old  and patched up hockey gloves from the 1970s (really loved them back before smart phones and roller coaster style temperatures when it was still possible to play 20 games in a winter...there was this rink where high sticking was a bit of a concern, but my armadillo gloves kept my hands safe like no other) and back then it was protection over mobility. You can forget the freedom of movement and hence wrist shots suffer alot. A battlemech just couldn't do it.

Quite the disgression. Point is, 'mech can snapshot, can't wrist shot and I doubt it could have the coordination and speed of movement to make a proper slap shot.

Seeing as the rules for throwing as pretty much complete in "touring the stars: Noisiel" and that they aptly can be applied to snapshot whitout much modifications (mind you I haven't TRIED it), we'll just use that. The formula is pretty simple, being number base piloting skill (we'll say 4, need a good piloting skill to play hockey ya know) plus number of hexes minus 1 and -4 for shooting at the net (as it is immobile). This means that a shot from the point at, say, 9 hexes (max range of 50 tons 'mech with TSM) will have...(4+9)-1-4=8 (all that hard work at grade school paid off). High chance for a miss, probably realistic considering we're talking about a 'mech with a hockey stick.
The one modification that really popped into my mind was for fumbles. Have the stick break instead of shoulder actuator screwing up. Need to go to a "bench" (one side of rink or other, make it the whole lenght of that side so as not to keep slow mech's out of the game for too many turns) to "pick up" a new one (with standard "pick up inanimate object" rules),where was I? Anyway. That's pretty much it for that.

So for passing it's "pretty much the same poutine", maybe give the "thrower" a bonus on the throw (additional -2? a dice throw at 8 seems like the most bearable for a long range pass).

Then there's the catching. We'll go with a simplified version of the Noisiel rules as we simply and for simplicity's sake forego completely the use of deflection (this is NHL '94 style after all). So formula is piloting skill plus thrower and catcher movement minus 2 for a pass to a friendly unit and minus 1 for the use of specialized equipment. So for 2 running players, we have 4+2+2-2-1=5. Kind of a low total for big clumsy robots but then you don't want to fumble on every pass or else that rules out passing plays. So let's roll with that. A failed catch of course means the puck goes 1d6/2 more hexes in the same direction.

Okay, that's that for tonight, we'll look into actions without the puck next time, along with interceptions (haven't thought much about that one yet and the Noisiel rules ain't to my taste on the subject).

Sorry if this is quite the mess again, but then if you're reading this you're probably willing to bear with it.

Will try to keep at it sooner then later and 'till then, keep you stick on the ice.

[butchbird]

**************

'Ts a league game smoke.

Again with the rules. Feels like this will never end. If only I was going to use 'em. 'D rather be doing miniatures. Bloody april was 1917 style for me, gotta try to move the puck forward if I ever want to do something else in the fanfic department. Guess I shouldn't complain, at least I'll be playing my bi-monthly CBT game this weekend.

Okay, so without the puck...

For this, we must actually consider the puck itself. There's nothing in the rules about it. We simply can't use the "picking up" rules, it would be compeltely ridiculous to consider that a 'mech must "expend movement" to "pick up" the puck.

So...this means that the puck must be its own "unit" and that by passing on the hex it occupies, a 'mech can attempt to catch it with a piloting roll without expanding movement. This is of course very important for the whole aspect of checks.

The question that bothers me is the stick. Should it be considered that it gives the 'mechs sufficient reach to attempt a pokechek or a catch in the adjacent hex? For the purpose of this wakward fanfic, lets say yes...for an actual game, I dunno, it would probably need playtesting as far as the "picking up" is considered, can't really do any else for the pokechecking. Theoretical questions, theoretical questions...

So, the checks.

Bodychecking. The best way to simulate the bodychecks is inevitably the "push" physical attack...and this immediately gives us a major problem which we will sidestep by assuming that a "pickup roll" for the puck can be executed in any phase. Make that once per phase and you can't stay in the hex if you start your movement in the puck's hex and fail to pick it up, or else this could get pretty static. Unless a failed attempt pushes the puck one hex? Sweet toddler Blake's raised eyebrows, this is getting too complicated.

Okay, let's do that. A failed attempt to pick-up the puck displaces it 1d6/2 hexes in a direction according to the "facing after a fall" table. There.

Of course, we must also consider that a push requires both arms, which are occupied with the stick. Solution? Enable it whithout arms. Might wan't to give a bonus/penalty according to weight of mech, but then that's a slippery slope...besides it would be unfair to the Francis Bouillon's of this world. And I loved Francis Bouillon. So yeah, push whithout arms at a base according to the piloting skill, maybe get the "special hockey pilot ability" to influence on this one? Erh...maybe a separate pilot ability for checking would be better, go with that. Damage? Hmmmm...make it this way: a successfull bodycheck forces a piloting roll to prevent a fall at +2. Since our players are pretty much all at 4 piloting skill, that makes a 6 target for roll. Sound reasonable.

Next, pokecheck. What the heck to do with that one? Right answer would be something complicated by a MOS...Smart answer is...I dunno. Let's see after I get a beer.

Can't have more run of the mill then a tremblay but thank Blake for the price. So, pokecheck. Okay. Make it like the push, only it goes after the puck. Get 2 rolls. One for the pokecheck itself at -1 just as push, another piloting skill roll to attempt to catch it.

Pokechecking is an art. Heck, I should know, that's how I make myself a worthy addition when I play aginst guys who "could've gone pro". But atually TAKING the puck during a pokecheck is even more difficult. So let's say that the pokecheck itself is the base piloting skill role plus attacker movement plus target movement -1 for specialized equipment and -1 for the push to make it more interesting, roll wise, then the bodycheck.

So when you need on average a 9 for the bodycheck, you need a 8 for the pokecheck. TAKING the puck with the pokecheck...I'm tempted to say...double the piloting skill plus attacker movement. Makes an average of 10 for the roll. Sounds good. If you get the pokecheck roll but not the "pickup" roll, the puck moves 1d6/2 hexes in the opposite direction from the attacking 'mech, for simplicitys sake.

Now NHL 94 also has the hooking option without the puck if I remember rightly (mostly played NHLPA 93 and NHL 97 for that generation of game myself). We'll forego it completely. Just use the weapons if you want extra option. Or club the bugger with the stick.

So I tought about whether you could run with the puck or not. If your name's Mario Lemieux, your puck control enables you to do such things as hitting full speed while controling the puck like its an extension of yourself. If your name is Joe Nobody, chances are that hitting full skating stride will mean your just pushing the puck along and make it easier for the opposing players to pokecheck it or downright snatch it with ease if Joe Nobody is a real nobody. A 'mech being a big clumsy robot should mean that puck control is limited. So I'll go with: no running with the puck. Walking speed is the max for the puck carrier.

Ah yes, I was forgetting the charge.

Charging is going to be a thing here. Lets give it a twist. First off, always make it a cross check so as to give a -1 for specialized equipment to the attacker. Then add +2, so as to get a total of +4 for the target 'mech to keep from falling.

Okay. That's enough for now. Will try real hard to do some more this month. Guess the rules overview should be wrapped up in one or two more posts. Too late for working on my minis...Guy who was murdering my record sheets actually kept his word and did print me over 500 record sheets. Guys wanna try out level 2 tech, gonna go look what I can do for a scenario as it's too short a notice for making a BV database for pick-up games. Thank Blake it's this weekend. Was starting to feel the withdrawal badly.

So 'till next time, keep your sticks on the ice.