Need Advice for Chaos Campaign: Succession Wars

[Mechman08]

I plan to run a friend through the Planetary Assault Mini-Campaign tracks a couple weeks from now.  My friend is pretty new to Battletech and expressed some interest in playing as the Free Worlds League.  So after a bit of wiki-reading, I’ve decided to frame the games as the second phase of the Deep Raid of 2987.  He’ll take the role of Defender with a Marik aligned mercenary force.  I’ll be playing Attacker as the GM with a 6th Lyran Guard task force.

To prepare, I’ve been rereading the Chaos Campaign pdf, but I keep hitting snags with the rules-as-written that I want to be able to clear up before playing.

Posting here instead of the Rules Questions section because I’d also like to know about people’s experiences running these types of campaigns, and where/why they might depart from the RAW.

Issue 1: Balancing forces for each track.
First off, it seems like the book hammers on keeping the forces evenly matched, but then gives precedence to the track game setup sections which proceed to do otherwise.

P.6: “Note that the percentage indicated in a track is the maximum fraction of the players’ total force that they can deploy in that scenario; they may elect to take a smaller force. And unless the track indicates otherwise, the OpFor is always calculated using the tonnage of forces the players will field, it is never based off of the total force the players possess. In addition, the OpFor cannot consist of a greater number of ’Mechs than the players will field.”

P.10: “Remember that the forces fielded in each track must match in tonnage, though the Defender’s force cannot outnumber that of the Attacker.”

Each track then calculates deployed forces based on percentage of total available forces (which may skew with attrition), and in the case of the Breakthrough track, deliberately tilts the ratio of forces towards the Attacker.

Since this mini-campaign uses a set roster for both sides, rather than the GM generating a new OpFor each track (like in Total Chaos), I’m a bit concerned unstable equilibrium could set in from an early bad game.

My inclination here is to set a fixed BV limit for each track (except the final Assault/Defense) based on the initial force roster (friend is starting with the AGoAC box, so about 9k) and leave that fixed no matter what attrition/salvage/purchases happen.

How have the RAW worked for y’all?  Am I just overthinking it and trying to patch out part of the fun?

Issue 2: Track Option WP Bonus/Cost
Looking for some clarification of rule intent here.

P.6 “Options: Tracks may have a set of Options with a WP value listed before each. Players may elect to subject themselves to the listed Planetary Conditions or operational situations. A player may elect to use all, none or some of the listed Options to try to claim more WP. However, WP bonuses only accrue if the Option is applied to the track and at least one Objective is completed.”

Using the Breakthrough track for this hypothetical.  Attacker and Defender both pay in 300 WP for the Track Cost.  We both decide to field a lance of mechs.  Track Options are:
 –100 Getting a Grip (Attacker only)
+100 Cold Hearts

Objectives:
Push Through [200] Attacker tries to exit at least 50% of force on Defender home edge.  Defender tries to prevent this.
Hold the Field [100]

As Attacker I take the Getting a Grip option, the Defender takes Cold Hearts.  Proceed to battle and I manage to force two of my mechs through, claiming the Push Through objective.  My offer to end the game there is rejected however, because my two remaining mechs are stuck in and now at a disadvantage against the Defenders.  The game continues, until one of my mech’s loses its engine, and the other withdraws off my home edge.

The way I would score this is:
Attacker
+200 Push Through
-100 Getting a Grip
+100 Cold Hearts
Net: +200 WP and track victory

Defender
+100 Hold the Field
+100 Cold Hearts
Net: +200 WP and salvage

Now the alternate case.  The Attackers get soundly thrashed and don’t complete any objectives.

Scoring:
Attacker
0 WP

Defender
+200 Push Through
+100 Hold the Field
+100 Cold Hearts
Net: +400 WP, Track victory, salvage

Here I haven’t applied the -100 WP to the Attacker for Getting a Grip, since no objectives were achieved, and as I read it, no bonuses accrue.

Do these options seem right, or are negative options supposed to be paid for up front?

Issue 3: Adjusting WP to SP rates based on unit size.
So I get that larger units are going to have more support staff, ergo more SP.  But within the context of the mini-campaign, rescaling it with total force growth kinda bugs me.  One reason is the potential for pushing the unstable equilibrium between Attacker and Defender harder than I’d like.  The other is trying to wrap my head around where the extra SP comes from.  Let’s say you salvage two mechs in a Track without losing your own.  Where do the extra tech man hours needed to repair those wrecks come from?  Anyone have some good head canon for this?

So again, I’m tempted to fix the WP to SP rate for the duration of the mini-campaign, kinda like with the deployed force BV.

A few other ideas:
1. Limit Mech purchases to a small randomized set of the miniatures I actually have.  Both sides pull from this same set, representing the mechs that can be quickly acquired from local black market sources.
2. Related to the above, unrecovered battle salvage winds up in the black market pool.
3. I kind of want some (simple) system for determining if ejected MechWarriors make it back to friendly lines, get captured, or lost in the wilderness and MIA.

Anyway, thanks for sticking around to the end of the post.  I feel like someone trying to change a recipe without having tried the original, lol.  Really want this to go smoothly though.  Hoping to use the mini-campaign as a jumping off point for gaming my friend through more of the lore.

[Paul]

Since this mini-campaign uses a set roster for both sides, rather than the GM generating a new OpFor each track (like in Total Chaos), I’m a bit concerned unstable equilibrium could set in from an early bad game.

That is possible, yes, but the risk is only great when you (over)commit tactically and take losses without taking objectives.
Also the mini campaign is meant to cause attrition, playing it infinitely is not an option.
But yeah, each engagement can have a pretty big knock-on effect. The intended shortness of the mini campaign means that you won't necessarily recover from 1 bad turn of events.

Am I just overthinking it and trying to patch out part of the fun?

IMO, yes. =)
This is supposed to be risky, and retreats do happen for a reason.

The way I would score this is:
Attacker
+200 Push Through
-100 Getting a Grip
+100 Cold Hearts
Net: +200 WP and track victory

Defender
+100 Hold the Field
+100 Cold Hearts
Net: +200 WP and salvage

Correct, and the attacker paid a heavy price there. Losing 100 XP to Getting a Grip, and losing a Mech? Ouch. Hopefully damage to the other 3 is minor.

Scoring:
Attacker
0 WP

Defender
+200 Push Through
+100 Hold the Field
+100 Cold Hearts
Net: +400 WP, Track victory, salvage

Here I haven’t applied the -100 WP to the Attacker for Getting a Grip, since no objectives were achieved, and as I read it, no bonuses accrue.

Do these options seem right, or are negative options supposed to be paid for up front?

You did it exactly right.
The odds of the Attacker winning the campaign are now very low unless they avoided serious damage and lost because they were good at retreating.

Issue 3: Adjusting WP to SP rates based on unit size.
So I get that larger units are going to have more support staff, ergo more SP.  But within the context of the mini-campaign, rescaling it with total force growth kinda bugs me.  One reason is the potential for pushing the unstable equilibrium between Attacker and Defender harder than I’d like.  The other is trying to wrap my head around where the extra SP comes from.  Let’s say you salvage two mechs in a Track without losing your own.  Where do the extra tech man hours needed to repair those wrecks come from?  Anyone have some good head canon for this?

Command. Note that the base CC rules do not scale SP up or down that dynamically.

So again, I’m tempted to fix the WP to SP rate for the duration of the mini-campaign, kinda like with the deployed force BV.

You can, though as noted above, the 'pendulum swing' effect you're noticing is part of the intent. But the changes you want aren't going to upset the apple cart too much. It'll likely result in 1 or 2 more battles.

1. Limit Mech purchases to a small randomized set of the miniatures I actually have.  Both sides pull from this same set, representing the mechs that can be quickly acquired from local black market sources.
2. Related to the above, unrecovered battle salvage winds up in the black market pool.

Cool x 2!

3. I kind of want some (simple) system for determining if ejected MechWarriors make it back to friendly lines, get captured, or lost in the wilderness and MIA.

If you have them on the map as units, you'll know their status:
- Captured/Recovered based on who controls the map at the end
- Recovered if they get picked up by a friendly, or move off the home edge
- Captured if they get picked up by a hostile, or move off the enemy edge (why?)

If you want to add a roll to cover edge cases:
Roll Survival skill, assume +1 if not stated. TN is 9. -1 for each damage point the MW has.
MOS1+: Made it home
MOS0 and MOF1: Captured by hostile, POW.
MOF2+: MIA, probably dead.

(The above will not have many happy outcomes)

I feel like someone trying to change a recipe without having tried the original, lol.

Your instincts are good, and modifying it to suit should be part of the fun. Trust yourself.

Really want this to go smoothly though. 

I think you'll be fine. Just realize that part of the appeal of a campaign is consequences, and they're not always going to be good. That's hard to accept as a GM, but if you want the experience of risk to be real, well, the risk has to be real.

[Moragion]

Just as a side note, be advised that in the SP Activity Cost Table on page 9, the costs for Hiring a Mechwarrior, and for Healing Wounds are mixed. Hiring a Mechwarrior should cost 100 sp, and Healing Wounds 30 sp per Wound box. As per errata on the Errata Thread.

[Colt Ward]

I do not know if you are using any sort of vehicles, but some light vehicles can be used to pick up ejected mechwarriors and is something defenders should have easily as a slight advantage over a attacker.

Something like the SW era Ibex or other utility vehicle.  I used a VTOL for a deep raid once, it was supposed to be part training operation for some guerillas my mercs were cadre to . . . so losing a mechwarrior trainee because the 5/5 got shot out of his Wasp when he was along on a mission to get experience would be a set back when you are supposed to help raise a certain number of mechwarriors.  So I sent a Cavalry [Infantry] VTOL (or something, maybe the Ferret w/1t infantry) as part of the mission to pick up any ejected pilots . . . which was good, b/c two greenies in light mechs got hammered but managed to make pick up b/c my mechs were pulling a fighting retreat that kept them from hunting ejected MWs.

[jasonf]

Issue 1: Balancing forces for each track.
First off, it seems like the book hammers on keeping the forces evenly matched, but then gives precedence to the track game setup sections which proceed to do otherwise.

Each track then calculates deployed forces based on percentage of total available forces (which may skew with attrition), and in the case of the Breakthrough track, deliberately tilts the ratio of forces towards the Attacker.

Since this mini-campaign uses a set roster for both sides, rather than the GM generating a new OpFor each track (like in Total Chaos), I’m a bit concerned unstable equilibrium could set in from an early bad game.

My inclination here is to set a fixed BV limit for each track (except the final Assault/Defense) based on the initial force roster (friend is starting with the AGoAC box, so about 9k) and leave that fixed no matter what attrition/salvage/purchases happen.

I'd add a few things to what Paul mentioned...
1. What needs to be balanced is the Campaign BV (i.e., the total forces used across all Tracks). Using the asymmetric percentages of BV for each individual track is usually fine because it takes into account differing objectives for the attacker and defender.
2. Also be sure to use the percent of BV for what to deploy in each track. The refences to tonnage and the like in the early part of the CC:SW rules are mostly for people new to the game that only have access to the AGoAC boxed set and are using IntroTech units.
3. I always keep the percentages for later Tracks fixed at the percent of the *initial* Campaign Force BV. That way, tracks are balanced as they intended to be until one side legitimately has taken too much damage and lost too many WP in earlier tracks to field what they are allowed.

Issue 2: Track Option WP Bonus/Cost
The way I would score this is:
Attacker
+200 Push Through
-100 Getting a Grip
+100 Cold Hearts
-300 Track Cost
Net: -100 WP and track victory

Defender
+100 Hold the Field
+100 Cold Hearts
-300 Track Cost
Net: -200 WP and salvage

Just two things to add:
1. I actually wouldn't give the Defender +100 for Hold the Line because half the enemy successfully made it behind them. I usually reserve winning an objective like that for a force that destroys/forced withdrawals all of its enemy force.
2. I added in the Track WP cost (which you may have already factored in), since both sides must pay regardless of the outcome.
3. I'll also note that the Defender would have gotten +200 WP for destroying/crippling the two 'Mechs if it happened before the first two made it off the defender's map edge.

Issue 3: Adjusting WP to SP rates based on unit size.
So I get that larger units are going to have more support staff, ergo more SP.  But within the context of the mini-campaign, rescaling it with total force growth kinda bugs me.  One reason is the potential for pushing the unstable equilibrium between Attacker and Defender harder than I’d like.  The other is trying to wrap my head around where the extra SP comes from.  Let’s say you salvage two mechs in a Track without losing your own.  Where do the extra tech man hours needed to repair those wrecks come from?  Anyone have some good head canon for this?

So again, I’m tempted to fix the WP to SP rate for the duration of the mini-campaign, kinda like with the deployed force BV.

I also don't use the rescaling rule here and keep the WP-SP conversion rate fixed throughout the campaign (and based on the total force size/value each side starts the campaign with).

A few other ideas:
1. Limit Mech purchases to a small randomized set of the miniatures I actually have.  Both sides pull from this same set, representing the mechs that can be quickly acquired from local black market sources.
2. Related to the above, unrecovered battle salvage winds up in the black market pool.
3. I kind of want some (simple) system for determining if ejected MechWarriors make it back to friendly lines, get captured, or lost in the wilderness and MIA.

These all sound reasonable. In general, there is a decent amount of house-rules you usually need to incorporate if you want to flesh out the more campaign-y aspects of a chaos campaign.

As for salvage, I'll also note that I generally hate the salvage rules in Tracks (like Breakthrough) where the attacker wins by exit the map, and consequently has no chance to recover salvage. I usually play a rule in games like that (or in Tracks that end after a specified Turn, when there are both forces still on the field), that unless one side controls the battlefield, each side recovers its own salvage (and warriors)--under the assumption that the techs and salvage crews can warily keep their distance from each other while doing this on a still-neutral battlefield.

[Sartris]

depending on the length of the campaign, i will rescale the WP to SP ratio between operational phases. whatever you want that to mean... i usually run campaigns in 3-5 mission chunks and then frame future phases on the players' successes and failures. that's usually when they do their unit buys and reorganization so it's a good time to reassess their points. runs of <10 games i just keep a static conversion.

[Geg]

I also don't use the rescaling rule here and keep the WP-SP conversion rate fixed throughout the campaign (and based on the total force size/value each side starts the campaign with).

I thought one of the versions of the Chaos Campaign explicitly stated that the WP-SP conversion shouldn't be redone after each track.

[Sartris]

Maybe? I’ve tinkered with that shit so much that I have zero clue what the actual rules say any more

[pokefan548]

The Custom Chaos guidelines in CO state that the WP-to-SP conversion rate should only be determined at the creation of a force. However, that obviously lends itself very poorly to long and/or naturally volatile campaigns. I agree with Sartris that a good way to go about it is to recalculate the conversion rate after each mini-campaign/theater conquest/deployment cycle/story arc/other regular campaign milestone.

[Mechman08]

Many thanks for all the feedback (and the reminder to always check the latest errata)!  I’m feeling better about the upcoming game already.

Going to go ahead and moderate the campaign-level pendulum swings by fixing the track deployable BV and WP-to-SP rates based on initial forces.  My friend has exactly one CBT and one Alpha Strike game under his belt.  I’m hoping to use the campaign persistence more for building force selection experience and discovering favorite chassis than for rewarding/punishing strategic decisions.

I need more experience managing the tabletop game rather than letting Megamek do it for me, so we will probably stick to Mech only combats for a while.