Hello all,
I have bookmarked the IS 3025 industry thread by Cazaril. Youc an find it here. It is a great thread. i recommend you check it.
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=30882.0I did the crazy thing and taking Cazaril’s list for 3025-3030 production I translated it all into an EXCEL document (attached to this message in case you find it useful).
Things that come forward after a cursory dynamic table analysis:
1. There are 536 production lines listed. I added 3 or so that were not in the list and removed some (like the Centipede tank) that seem to come later. 157 of these lines are mech production lines, 117 tanks, 95 for components, 58 for dropships an 49 for ASF. Jumpships and support vehicles (the difference between tank and support is not clear in the listing, mind you since I decided about it mid table) are the next, at only 18 each. VTOLs get a meagre 10 entries and conventional fighters 9. It is obvious that the production lists are heavily biased towards mechs, since according to the list there are less conventional tanks being produced than mechs sphere-wide. tanks, VTOLs and other products ar elikely to be produced in every single planet. Every planet with 20 century tech base should be able to produce Scorpions or Angel fighters, for example, so it is quite clear that the tanks/VTOLS/fighters should not be exclusively produced in the planets where they are listed.
2. A total of 145 planets have production lines (of all types). The ones that get the most production lines are Tharkad (17) and Hesperus II (16), followed by Luthien and Taurus (13), New Avalon (12) and Sterope (11). Pandora, Ares, Alshain, Irian and Kalidasa get 9 each.
Going for mechs and factions I found some surprises (for me):
1. There are 61 mechs being produced in the IS in 3025-3030. The most common mechs (in number of production lines) are the stinger (10) and the locust and wasp (9 each). After that we get the Marauder with 8 lines!!! More than the griffin (7) and Archer (7). The Warhammer (6) Thunderbolt and Rifleman (5) come next with the Wolverine, Crusader and Phoenix Hawk and Panther getting 4 each. Then come the assault galore with 3 lines each: Atlas, Battlemaster and Victor along with the Trebuchet. Other mechs get 2 or less. The fact that the Valkyrie gets a single production line and that the supposedly common shadow hawk gets only 2 surprised me.
2. The FWL is the one with the most production lines (48) follow by the Lyrans (29), Fedsuns (22), Capellans and Taurians(!!!) (17), Dracs (15) and the Magistracy and Outworlds alliance coming last at only 4 lines each.
3. Th main mech production planets are Hesperus (8), New Avalon and Tikonov (7) Keystone and Kalidasa (6), Talon, Taurus, Coventry, Irian and Luthien at 5 each. If I were a Capellan I would get a fit each time Tikonov tries to leave the Confederacy since ti contains more than a third of the Capellan production lines.
4. The 48 production lines of the FWL are quite spread. They have 16 mech production planets, with 6 lines tops per planet. Their mechs are Warhammers, Crusaders and Trebuchets (3 production lines each), Marauder, Hermes II, Griffin, Flea, Awesome, Wolverine and Orion, and the 3 bugs (2 lines each) and the following with 1 production line each: Battlemaster, Stalker, Archer, Thug, Guillotine, Thunderbolt, Rifleman, Quickdraw, Goliath, Shadow Hawk, Cronus (in 3030+) Hunchback, Cicada, Phoenix Hawk, Spider, Vulcan, Hermes, and Bombardier (refit only)
5. The Lyrans (29 lines) rely more in the 2 production centres of Hesperus (8 lines) and Coventry (5) that sport almost half their total mech production, followed by Furillo (3) and Twyncross (3). Their most common mech lines are Archer (3), Battlemaster, Rifleman and Zeus (2 each) and the rest have 1 line each: Chameleon, Flashman, Vulcan, Thunderbolt, Crusader, Banshee, Stalker, Griffin, Wolfhound (3028), Firestarter, Phoenix Hawk, Commando (only 1 line!!?!), Marauder, Warhammer, Atlas, Hatchetman (3023), Longbow and the 3 bugs. Given the Archer, Battlemaster, Zeus, Rifleman I can see how the hravy approach to problems works out for the lyrans.
6. The fedsuns rely in 3 planets for mass production: Avalon (7), Talon (5) and Quentin (4) sport 16 of their 22 mech production lines between them. Their mechs selection is the most spread of all factions, since they have all their mechs being produced in one or 2 lines at most. it also means that when they lose a production centre tehy lose the mech replacement for that model in most cases. They have 2 lines of the following mechs: Enforcer, Griffin, Jagermech, Marauder. And the following in 1-liners: Wasp, Dervish, Victor, Phoenix Hawk, Kintaro, Marauder II (3012), Hornet (2990), Centurion (only one!?!?), Valkyrie, Atlas, Rifleman, Locust, Wolverine and Longbow.
7. The capellans (17) rely in Tikonov (7) and have the rest of their mech production lines spread among 7 planets in ones and twos. Their mechs are the Cataphract, Vindicator, Victor and Stinger (2 each) followed by single lines of Locust, Stinger, Bombardier, Wasp, Raven (3024 experimental), Thunderbolt, Griffin, Thug, Wolverine and Rifleman. Cataphracts and Vindicators for everybody, but the Cappies certainly have a fairly weak industrial base if these numbers mean anything (that can not be the case since I do not list the production rate of any of the production lines).
8. Then comes the Taurians, overcoming the Combine in production lines!!! They have more small mech lines, granted, but the fact that they have 17 on the combine’s 15 surprised me. Taurius (5) and Ilushin (4) are the biggest ones with Pinard and New Vandenberg (3) going second and the group finishing with Perdition and Macleod’s land at 1. Their most produced mech is the Marauder and the Stinger (3), followed by the 2 other bugs and the warhammer and Thunderbolt (2). Then they aplso produce the Commando, Archer and Griffin. Sounds like a heavy + bug combo for their mechs: Marauders warhammers and thunderbolts supported by the 3 bugs.
9. The Draconis Combine's 15 mech production lines are centered in Luthien (5) and New Oslo (3). The other poductive planets have a single line each. The most common mech is the Panther (4) followed by the Archer (2). Then they have a single line of the following, Quickdraw, Dragon (!!! Only one!?!), Jenner (same: only one!?!?) Phoenix Hawk, Charger, Atlas, Spider, Stingr LAM and Lancelot. The Lancelot surprised me here, but they kept it in limited production apparently. Why anybody would keep a mech line at half production in the universe is a mystery to me when the description implies that it is a willing decision, not a production problem. But the thing that surprised me the most is the Dragon numbers and specially the Jenners having only 1 production line. it must be more efficient than the new Avalon Valkyrie line or my numbers do not seem to add up... I would have expected A LOT more resistance to the creation of the FRR since they lose a significant number of production lines in that process, including all their Panther lines, their most common mech.
10. The Magistracy has 2 centres: Canopus (3) and Dunianshire (1). They are the second producers of the Shadow Hawk, and then produce the 3 bug mechs. Given that the other shadowhawk is in the FWL it seems that the poster boy of the BT universe should be present in the Southwest for the most part. Plain and simple the MoC suck in mech production, big time. They must import anything relevant or rely in heavily modding their SHD to get proper combat units. Or mercs, that is th same as importing mechs with pilots.
11. Finally, The Outworlds alliance concentrate their production in the capital of Apheratz, with 4 production lines: The Merlin and the 3 bugs. The Merkin is quite an achievement when previously you only produced bugs! all kudos to the OA, except that they are not much better than the Magistracy here. mechs need to be imported and are quite proceless. it is not strange that these 2 powers rely in other methods to defend themselves than mech units.
12. Regarding the mechs that are more spread:
- Locust: all the factions have it. All of them
- Wasp everybody except dracs
- Stinger: everybody except the Dracs and Fedsuns
- Marauder: FWL, Fedsuns (2 each), Lyrans and Tarians. Neither cappies nor dracs produce it.
- Griffin: Fedsuns and FWL (2), Lyrans, Capellans and Taurians. Only the Combine does not produce it among the big guys.
- Archer: lyrans (3), dracs (2), FWL, and taurians.
- Warhammer: FWL (3), taurians 82) and Lyrans.
- Rifleman: Lyrans (2), Fedsuns, capellans an FWL. the periphery and Dracs do not produce it.
- Thunderbolt: Cappies FWL, Lrans and taurians. Fedsuns and Dracs do not make it.
- Wolverine: FWL (2), Fedsuns and Capellans. I thought this would be more common.
- Crusader: FWL (3) and Lyrans.
- Phoenix Hawk: Dracs, Fedsuns, FWL and Lyrans. All the major factions except the cappies.
- Panther. Dracs only (4), all production in the Rasalhague area. The Lyrans should be bored to see these around.
- Atlas: Dracs, FedSuns & Lyrans
- Victor: Capellans (2) and Fedsuns. I wouldn't have said it was a Capellan mech.
- Battlemaster: Lyrans (2), FWL
- Trebuchet: FWL (3). A pure FWL mech!
I will go through ASF, vehicles, dropships and jumpships in the future. Meanwhile enjoy the EXCEL.
Cheers,
Xavi