Against-The-Bot Rules - betatest thread

[Makinus]

So as not to confuse too much the thread, i´m starting this betatesting thread to separate the beta campaign from the rules thread, all betatesters please start posting camapign related stuff in this thread...

Current Betatesters:

Sylterix: halted (thanks for the help).
Snimm: ongoing.
Xzarf: ongoing.
Scotty: ongoing.

[Makinus]

Snimm:

Feel free to tinker with the allied bot as you wish (including using the console commands available in-battle), just do not influence the opfor bot as it would be cheating...

Week May 4-10:

- A Green Vehicle Crew piloting a Scorpion vehicle shows up seeking employment.
- Special event: Reinforcements = -1 in next Enemy Morale Roll.
- No Battles this week


Week May 11-17

- A Foot SRM Infantry platton seeks employment.
- Special Mission: Allied Traitors
- No standard battles

Fluff:

Because of the surprising discoveries of star league tech on the planet, the Magistracy decided to increase the local forces to protect future discoveries from marian depredations, however, apparently not everyone on the corporation side thinks this is a good idea... could it be that the corporations have something to hide from the Canopian government?

[Davout73]

Tagging.

One of these days when I slow down on my AU i'll get back to playing the Angels a bit more often....

Davout

[Snimm]

Bah, I'm an idiot, ignore this post.

[Skyth]

Tagged to watch the fun :)

[Snimm]

Ok, here's the skinny on my last two weeks:

Week of May 4, 3040:
- Purchased 1 PPC and 2 medium lasers (of course, remembering the 2x cost multiplier for company store, 280k extra to buy those)

- Started refit on SHD-2H, swapping AC/5 for PPC + 2 medium lasers.

- Declined the Scorpion crew.

Week of May 11, 3040:

- Hired SRM Foot infantry (decided some base security couldn't hurt!), placed them with Opera Fire.

- Defeated both PXHs (beheaded one, double-limbed the other and forced their surrender)

- Kept the headless PXH to try to rebuild it.

-Finished SHD modification.

- Did not update the employer breach count, because I wasn't sure if I should.

[Snimm]

And just for the shiggles of it, here's the fluff from my first mission.  If people like it, I'll post more of them.


Scenario:  What Have We Got Here?
Date:  April 6, 3040
Planet:  Vixen, Magistracy of Canopus
Time:  2:34 p.m. local time

Bill Corbett squeezed his jaw to activate his neurohelmet intercom.  "Any contacts, Solo?"

"Negative, Conductor.  Changing sweep to left flank," came the smooth rumble from Nicolas Silverborn's voice.  Corbett marveled yet again at how calm the guy always was, under fire or on patrol.  He never lost his cool that Corbett could remember.  Then again, he'd only been with Soliloquy for about a year now.

"Roger that.  If we don't find anything with this last sector sweep, we'll bingo and return to base."

"Yes, sir."  Silverborn was in his element.  He enjoyed these recon missions, where Corbett usually let him have his head while making sure the rookies didn't stumble through the trees and into each other.  Not that Silverborn had anything against them; Elphic was a decent pilot who just needed to work on his aim.  The new guy they just picked up, Yegiyan, couldn't pilot his way out of a paper bag - it was Corbett's job to fix that, hence his addition to the recon unit - but he could shoot straight with that laser on his Stinger.  Better than Elphic, anyway.  Now if they could just find an antidote for the Canopus liaison's naive enthusiasm...

Silverborn looked out through his Vulcan's viewport on the surrounding landscape.  Nice, temperate planet.  Lots of variety to the landscape, and much beauty to be observed where it hadn't been completely ruined by the corporate buildings that dotted the planet.

Cresting a hill, Silverborn noticed a glint of sunlight in the distance.  Odd; according to his map, there weren't any buildings around for miles in that direction.  No mountains, either.  His suspicions were confirmed a moment later by his radar; those were definitely military units heading towards him.

"Conductor, contact.  I've got multiple bogies incoming from the east.  ETA five minutes."

"Hegemony troopers!  They can't touch us!"  That from the energetic, well-meaning, but naive Canopus pilot in the Wasp.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, Lieutenant!  You're about to get that action you wanted."  Corbett shook his head.  "I copy, Solo.  Withdraw towards us and let's see what we have here."

"Affirmative, Conductor.  Solo out."

Well, Silverborn thought to himself, at least he got a chance to admire the countryside for a while, as he spun his Mech around and headed for rendezvous with the rest of Minuet Recon.


AFTER-ACTION REPORT

The Marians, ambushed in a bad spot for their vehicular support and now missing their eyes and ears when the Ostscout went down, turned tail and fled back through the hills whence they came.

Standing over the wreckage of the Canopus Wasp, Corbett heaved a sigh.  "Couldn't see that one coming, could we?  The Canopians won't like this," he muttered under his breath.

On the other hand, that Ostscout was a helluva find.  Silverborn didn't treat it very well in the fight, but maybe it still had something of its unique sensor package that could be salvaged.  What the heck was a Hegemony pilot doing out here with an Ostscout, anyway?

"Nice shot on that Wasp, Yegiyan.  There's hope for you yet."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," came the smallish reply, laden with Cyrillic-accented roots.  Yegiyan wasn't an imposing specimen at all - the Stinger cockpit that normally cramped other pilots was just right for him, and he was clumsy to boot - but dadgum if he wasn't a crack shot with that medium laser of his Stinger.  He had clipped the Wasp just as the pilot was struggling to get it to its feet, clipping the cockpit halfway up to the standing position.

The Wasp was actually in better shape than the Ostscout, but if they wanted the OTT, they were going to have to give up the Wasp to their employer.  Corbett knew it's not every day you find an Ostscout, let alone have an opportunity to salvage one.  That was a no-brainer.

[Makinus]

Snimm:

The Allied Traitors special battle does not result in a minor breach to the employer because, while the traitors are from the employer forces, they are acting against the merc without any fault of the employer, so they are not only "traitors" against the mercs, but also against the employer.

Also, the attached file is the same as the one before (from May/4/3040)... please send the updated one....

[Snimm]

Sorry, Makinus, the file archive should have the proper file this time.




Here's the fluff from my first Star League mission for those interested:

Date:  April 15, 3040
Planet:  Vixen, Magistracy of Canopus
Time:  9:00 a.m. local time

Tyler Jackson was bored.  Bored, bored, bored, bored, BOREDboredboredboredbored.  He hated this kind of babysitting duty, watching over a bunch of technicians as they scrambled over an underground building site that none of the local corporations had on their maps.  Tyler didn't care; he was just bored.  He wasn't much interested in technical things beyond what was necessary to maintain and drive his 'Mech.  He figured they would just find a bunch of old, discarded power tools and confirm that this was mostly a complete waste of time.

"Hoooooo-wee!  We got something here, boys!"  Tyler's external microphones picked up the sound as the Zendrin Industries foreman overseeing the recovery project hollered to his coworkers. 

Tyler sighed heavily as the foreman, one Nathaniel Hawthorne, looked up at him pointedly. 

"Hey, Pilot, can you give us a hand down here?  There's a large door down here that got stuck about halfway up, but the area's big enough for your 'Mech to fit down here!"

Suddenly, this mission wasn't looking so boring.  Tyler walked his Griffin down into the darkness, to see what he could see.

Inside the underground tunnel, a door wide and tall enough to fit a Leopard-class Dropship gaped halfway open.  Detaching his PPC and using both his 'Mech's hands, Tyler's Griffin strained for just a moment, and then the door suddenly slid free of its obstacle and fully opened along its tracks.

Inside stood a pristine Sentinel, with old Star League unit markings, as far as anyone in this group could tell.

"Katarina!  You're up!"  A short but leggy redhead stepped towards the Sentinel and looked up.  Katarina Faimon was Zendrin Industries' foremost lostech technician, though she had only ever read about it, never actually handled it, in the many tech manuals she had managed to find over the years.  She had a bright gleam in her eyes as she silently began the climb up the gantry the technician team rolled up next to the Sentinel.

Suddenly, a light went off on Tyler's console, indicating a zipsqueal from one of the local guides that doubled as lookouts for the salvage team.  "Hotshot, this is Lookout (Tyler took to calling himself Hotshot on these solo missions, a moniker he didn't dare try to introduce to the rest of the unit yet).  We've got incoming!  I count three Mechs, medium weight.  One looks like a Centurion.  The other two I don't recognize, but they sure are goofy-looking 'Mechs."

"Lookout, this is Hotshot.  I read you.  Keep your head down and don't give them anything to shoot at.  I'm on my way."

Looking at the tech teams, Tyler commanded, "Do what you can to get that Sentinel running, people!  I don't like odds like these!"

"Already with you, Commander," came the cool, sweet voice from his neurohelmet.  "This thing started up on the first try.  Must have been an uninitiated security system.  It's been a while, but I think I can handle it..."

"That's great, Techwarrior.  Get your butt upstairs with me and show them what that thing's got under the hood!"  Tyler turned his Griffin, picked up his disengaged PPC, and scrambled towards the ramp leading out into the light, and the thrill of combat...

AFTER-ACTION REPORT

"Now get moving, Mechwarrior, before I change my mind!"

The Centurion pilot didn't hesitate to pick up his comrade's Vulcan and help the legged Mech limp home.  Tyler watched them go, keeping his PPC trained on them as they went.  The temptation to shoot anyway was almost overwhelming, but Tyler kept himself in check until the Marian 'Mechs disappeared through a thicket of trees.  He relished a fight but knew better than to risk a prize like this any more than was necessary. 

On top of that, while the Techwarrior (as he already was fond of calling her, since he'd come up with that phrase all by himself on the spur of the moment) had given a good accounting of herself, he could hear through his neurohelmet speakers her after-battle jitters:  The sounds of retching reached his ears.  She had held her nerves together just long enough to get the Marians to surrender, but she wasn't really trained for battle.

"Just let it all out, sister."  It would be the Canopians' job to clean up the cockpit, anyway.

Tyler was feeling pretty good about himself.  He just might tell everyone to start calling him "Hotshot" after all...

[Makinus]

Snimm:

Week May 18-24:

- a 4/7 mechwarrior seeks employment (dispossessed).
- no special events
- a HS (Att) standard battle with the 2nd lance

[Snimm]

Fluff from my second Brian Cache mission (this is the last one, I promise).

With several possible sites for the second star league cache being worked at the same time, the Soliloquy divided their forces among them, trying to keep all of the sites covered against the inevitable incursion of the marians. The mercs tried to divide their forces according to weight and experience of the pilots, unaware that the Marian forces that were watching tried to do the same.

Date:  April 29, 3040
Planet:  Vixen
Log Number:  04293040-002
Voice Log of Kalos Torres

"Well, it looks like the Zendrin Industries analysts were right; we found something down here.  How in the name of Kerensky did the Star League manage to hide TWO Brian Caches on this planet, especially with all the mining and industry that goes on around here?

"Looks like they sent a tech down there to work on something they found.  Should be interesting.

"I'm just glad to be out here instead of back at camp.  The major had waaaayyy too much downtime to compose while he was in the hospital.  I wouldn't have survived that last 'music festival' if it weren't for the beer here.  Whatever the local brew is, it has a kick to it.  I like it.  At least the Major is up and about again.

"Wow, looks like they found a Mech down there.  Tech seems to be having a little trouble getting it started.  Huh.  And I thought we scored big with that Sentinel the first time around.  Still wonder why the heck we traded that for a Scorpion, although Willie has proven to be quite the crack shot with the PPC.  Helps to be standing on four legs, I suppose.

"Son of a gun.  That's a Griffin, or I'm driving a garbage can.  Those don't look like LRM ports, though.  Those wouldn't be SRMs, would they?

"Whoa.  Klaxons are going off.  We've got incoming!  Guess we get to see what that Griffin can do.  Korres out." 

AFTER-ACTION REPORT


Date:  April 29,3040
Planet:  Vixen
Log Number:  04293040-003
Voice Log of Kalos Torres

"Unbelievable.  My hands are still shaking.  Two Warhammers, AND a Crusader?  The Marians are taking these caches seriously.  Good thing they built those Brian structures to last, because there's no way my paper-plate armor would have survived the pounding of one of those Mechs, let alone three of them.

"Have to give that techie credit.  The guy can pilot.  He actually kept his cool and kept the Mech out of trouble long enough for me to punch some holes in that Warhammer, and had the presence of mind to pop SRMs in there to finish it off.  Oh, yeah, those were definitely SRMs in that Griffin's chest. 

"I told the major there's no way we're giving that Mech to the Canopians.  Hell, I'll pilot it if that's what it takes to keep it out of their hands.

"I still can't believe we took down a Warhammer and a Crusader.  In-fricking-credible.  This is the best day of my life.  I'm going to go crack some beer now.  Korres out."

[bdziec]

Can I use the reg rel of .1.16 ? As, I don't  have ralgith's latest SVN. I fear that if its not up up by the wknd. I may one have time for a game or 2 a wk and don't want to  be an inconvenience.

[ralgith]

Can I use the reg rel of .1.16 ? As, I don't  have ralgith's latest SVN. I fear that if its not up up by the wknd. I may one have time for a game or 2 a wk and don't want to  be an inconvenience.

Server will be back up tomorrow. Its done with the repair and I just need to upload the website back to it, which I'll be doing tonight. That's all based on Eastern time zone.

[Makinus]

bdziec: i think there will be no problems for starting the campaign if you use 1.16, but try to update it to the latest svn as soon as possible just so we do not stumble in any incompatibilities.... just to be sure i´ll open your file in 1.16 until you update it..

Also, do not worry about how many times you will be able to play a week, as these "betatest" campaigns do not need to be run fast, so feel free to play at your own speed.

Remember, the starting company should have 12 mechwarriors and 12 support personell, also roll he mechwarrior mechs and assign them to each mechwarrior. Starting company can have up to 4 officers (1/3 of total combat personel), and starting treasury is 10% of the total value of the mechs.

[ralgith]

bdziec: i think there will be no problems for starting the campaign if you use 1.16, but try to update it to the latest svn as soon as possible just so we do not stumble in any incompatibilities.... just to be sure i´ll open your file in 1.16 until you update it..

Also, do not worry about how many times you will be able to play a week, as these "betatest" campaigns do not need to be run fast, so feel free to play at your own speed.

Remember, the starting company should have 12 mechwarriors and 12 support personell, also roll he mechwarrior mechs and assign them to each mechwarrior. Starting company can have up to 4 officers (1/3 of total combat personel), and starting treasury is 10% of the total value of the mechs.

Server should be back up now, so go try downloading the SVN version again ;)

Also... shouldn't it be 4 MW officers and 4 Support Personnel Officers? :D At least IMO you should segregate them.

[Makinus]

I never bothered to assign officer ranks for the support personell, mainly because in the AtB rules the support personell never enter in combat.... i just assume that they have their own ranks structure based on their ratings....

[ralgith]

I never bothered to assign officer ranks for the support personell, mainly because in the AtB rules the support personell never enter in combat.... i just assume that they have their own ranks structure based on their ratings....

I've always done mine. Even on my multi-regiment commands.

[Snimm]

Week of May 18:

-Won the battle with no losses, except for, as usual, the liaison's Phoenix Hawk.  Updated the total mercenary breaches from 2 to 3.

-Improved the Piloting skill of the Warhammer pilot, Sharon Nuvolari, spending 4 of her 5 XP.

-Hired the 4/7 Mechwarrior and placed her in the Commando, which led to another change for the Recon lance, and the creation of a brand-spanking-new training lance, Waltz.

-Placed the COM (4/7), STG (4/7), and 5/5 WVR pilot into Waltz Training, so Minuet Recon is only three Mechs now.

-Repaired all units, buying parts where necessary.

Question:  If I were to sell parts in my warehouse currently, would I only be receiving 1/4 of their base value, due to the company store I'm experiencing atm?  I haven't sold anything so far for fear of this.

[SCC]

Remember, the starting company should have 12 mechwarriors and 12 support personell, also roll he mechwarrior mechs and assign them to each mechwarrior. Starting company can have up to 4 officers (1/3 of total combat personel), and starting treasury is 10% of the total value of the mechs.

Play the starting assignments with a grain of salt is my advice, a 1/4 MW with Pain Resistance and and 2/3 MW with Ballistic Specialization do not belong in WSP-1A's

[ralgith]

Play the starting assignments with a grain of salt is my advice, a 1/4 MW with Pain Resistance and and 2/3 MW with Ballistic Specialization do not belong in WSP-1A's

Says who? Some of my best pilots ride light mechs. It actually makes them worth something. In more ways than one.

[SCC]

Says who? Some of my best pilots ride light mechs. It actually makes them worth something. In more ways than one.

That's my best gunner, not pilot, with gunnery 1 you put them in your biggest ride

[ralgith]

That's my best gunner, not pilot, with gunnery 1 you put them in your biggest ride

By "best pilots" I meant best overall skills, not just best piloting skill ;)

I have a unit that has a 1/2 pilot in a light mech. He gets as many kills as some of my assault pilots do. You'd be amazed what a really good pilot in a well handled light mech can do... especially when it gets in someone's back arc every turn :P

Moving 8/12/8 helps too lol.. as does having the Jumping Jack special ability...

:D

[Xzarf]

I really want to get in on this I am just not sure on the time.  Having a 6 week old at home doesn't exactly allow for a lot of free time.

[Davout73]

Put it in the bouncy seat by the computer...baby gets fussy, bounce the seat. 

Heck, I got almost 3K points of FoW Hungarians painted that way...

;-)

Congrats by the way,

Dav

[Makinus]

Snimm:

- I just checked now and your settings for expreience/skills are not set for teh AtB rules.... i thought you used the blank company attached on the first thread of the rules thread and did not checked it before...., now i set it for the correct values (including the rule for the next update that gives 1xp for every 25 sucessfull task of the techs), the only change for your advancing pilot is that she spent 5 instead of 4 xp points to advance piloting from 6 to 5 (already set it for you).

- Also, since your merc leader does not have any skill in Strategy, he can only deploy 3 lances at the same time... I´ll ignore the training lance for the next week...

- The company store does not apply for selling, only for buying parts, but keep in mind that damaged parts are sold for 1/3 of stock value...


Week May 25 - 31:

- a 4/6 mechwarrior with a LCT-1E Locust (MoC Origins) seeks employment, if you decide to hire him/her, remember that you must pay half the mech stock price.

- No standard battes this week, but Captain Chackrabarti will fight in a Star League Cache 2 special mission (this time the SL mech is in the hands of the Marians and you must destroy/capture it).

[Makinus]

About the fact that sometimes the mechwarrior skills do not reflect their rides: i think it is very realistic to the BT universe, since just because someone is skilled in a given mech does not means that they would have access to a mech of that type/weapon loadout.

Just as an example: a mechwarrior is particularly skilled in ballistic weapons, thanks to the fact that when he enlisted on one of the house armed forces the his main ride was a Centurion, then, after his term of service, he happens to inherit a Wasp from a uncle that is retiring from combat, even if the Wasp has no ballistic weapons it is the dream for every independent mechwarrior to have his own ride...

[Snimm]

Thanks, Makinus.  I wondered if I missed something in the campaign setup, but it seemed right at the time. 

Did you attach the latest campaign file?  I don't see it in your last two posts.  On the other hand, I can be looking for something that's in plain sight and still miss it completely...

[Makinus]

Forgot to attach the file.....

[Xzarf]

@Makinus: When rolling up a new company commander do I do apply the +2 before the rolls or choose a mechwarrior and adjust the skills/mech by adding the +2 afterwards?

[Snimm]

Xzarf:  I did the latter.

Makinus:  I'm sorry, maybe I misunderstood the purpose of reserve lances, or didn't make my intentions clear enough.  I would like to make that Training Waltz lance of mine a reserve unit, the one where they get an XP every week or whatever?  Am I still limited by my commander's lack of strategic ability?