Battletech is Back

R3V3NAN7

Hi All,

I just wanted to say thank you to Tycho and gang for your plug on May 12th, 2008.

Your site gets ALOT of traffic and is highly respected, so your mention of our little game universe was a big coup over at BattleCorps.com.

As you now know, the Classic Battletech universe that's been around since the early 80's is still alive and thriving. Lots of new products are out and more are coming so I encourage you to check it out again or for the first time.

Anyways, thanks again for the mention and I hope to see you all over at Battlecorps.com soon,


-Skylor

delroland

Anyone know if the crazy stuff is still in the game, like ER pulse lasers and MRM40's?

R3V3NAN7

CBT has ER Lasers and Pulse Lasers but not combined.

Pretty sure MRM 40's are Canon.

Lots of new weapons too.

Heavy Gauss Rifle, Mixed Missile Launchers, Plasma Rifles, Heavy Lasers, Rotary Autocannons just to name a few...

DevoutlyApathetic

While this is a fine idea for a thread if you really want to express your appreciation to Tycho you should probably email him. Gabe and Tycho rarely read the forums.

Wildcat

Very timely, given that I'm finally playing MechCommander 2 at the moment!

LBX Scattershot 4 lyfe, yo.

R3V3NAN7

DevoutlyApathetic wrote: »

While this is a fine idea for a thread if you really want to express your appreciation to Tycho you should probably email him. Gabe and Tycho rarely read the forums.

I could not find their email. Where can I get it or can you tell me?

Wildcat

On the main Penny Arcade page, if you click on the name in their post headings (the 'By: Tycho' or 'By: Gabe' part), that is actually an email link.

KeVin K

E-mail is already sent, DA. Thanks for the heads-up, tho.

delroland, I wouldn't call that stuff crazy. A lot of thought went into balancing weapons so there was no sure-fire every-time winner. Of course with any game, once you start comparing the game universe with the real one you're bound to notice a few inconsistencies. While the miniature game is essentially the same as it was 25 years ago, there's a new iteration called MechWarrior (not to be confused with the computer games of the same name) which simplifies the game mechanics for faster play. The RPG is alive and well, too. But for me it's the fiction that makes the universe compelling. There are a lot of new writers bringing a fresh eye and voice to Classic BattleTech.

R3V3NAN7

Thanks Wildcat

delroland

KeVin K wrote: »

delroland, I wouldn't call that stuff crazy. A lot of thought went into balancing weapons so there was no sure-fire every-time winner. Of course with any game, once you start comparing the game universe with the real one you're bound to notice a few inconsistencies. While the miniature game is essentially the same as it was 25 years ago, there's a new iteration called MechWarrior (not to be confused with the computer games of the same name) which simplifies the game mechanics for faster play. The RPG is alive and well, too. But for me it's the fiction that makes the universe compelling. There are a lot of new writers bringing a fresh eye and voice to Classic BattleTech.

Meh, I just always preferred 3025 or 3050 to 3065+. It just seemed to be a little too much "bigger, better, stronger, faster" for my tastes. But to each their own, right?

Are you guys using the new look Phoenix Hawk, Stinger, Marauder, etc?

KeVin K

Gotta use the new look, the old ones were retired because the folks who had copyrights to the images parted company.

Folks play all stages of CBT history -- and the fiction now goes back to the Terran Hegemony (okay, only one story I can think of, but still....)

kaliyama

All of the the line is under development more or less continuously from FASA, it's just that the licenses keep changing hands...And it ROCKS. Classicbattletech.com is a good message board location.

TL DR

I always felt bad for the Battletech developers. It must be hard to maintain a sci-fi universe set so far in the future when actual technology is progressing at such a rapid pace.

delroland

Hurt and Burn wrote: »

I always felt bad for the Battletech developers. It must be hard to maintain a sci-fi universe set so far in the future when actual technology is progressing at such a rapid pace.

The Battletech universe generally is in a Dark Age, due to the collapse of some group or another. For Blake's sake, they have an entire CHURCH dedicated to maintenance of the communication system! You might as well make the same argument for 40K.

see317

I've never played Battletech, but I love all things involving giant robots shooting lasers, missles and/or guns at other giant robots and so have been highly tempted to pick them up when I walk past the BT Minis at my local nerd-den.

How hard is it to get into the game? What are the average starting costs? Is it possible to give a stripped down "Idiots guide to starting to play" for the game?

uttinidakilrjawa

Starting costs can be really low for this game.

30-50 bucks for the BattleTech rule book and a couple bucks for some cheap cardboard/paper counters you could prolly whip out on a printer.

Otherwise I think they got a starter intro box for like 25 or 30 dollars:)

kf1

uttinidakilrjawa wrote: »

Starting costs can be really low for this game.

30-50 bucks for the BattleTech rule book and a couple bucks for some cheap cardboard/paper counters you could prolly whip out on a printer.

Otherwise I think they got a starter intro box for like 25 or 30 dollars:)

There is a starter box, and it's a pretty god deal beyond the mini's it include (which are by far the most horrifying things I have seen sold as gaming miniatures). Maybe I got a bad batch or something though, so...don't let that scare ya.

delroland

Battletech can pretty much be as expensive as you want it to be. Technically you only need the core book and a hex map, and perhaps a Technical Readout to give you a larger selection of mechs to choose from. The game is VERY easy to learn, as most everything is rolled on 2d6. The custom construction rules are fairly easy as well, and many of the people on these forums could design a mech in their heads. Heck, I'll do it right now.

Aphid
20-ton light mech
2 tons for internal structure
3 tons for gyro
1 ton for cockpit
3 tons for 120-class engine
3 tons for 6 jump jets
2 tons for 2 medium lasers
1 ton for 2 small lasers
5 tons for 80 points of armor

The size of my mech determines how much damage the internal structure can take, pre-allocated to 8 hit locations. I also spread my 80 points of armor across those 8 hit locations.

Head 6
Center Torso 12 (rear 2)
Left Torso 10 (rear 2)
Right Torso 10 (rear 2)
Right Arm 8
Left Arm 8
Right Leg 10
Left Leg 10

Admittedly, I am familiar with the rules, but I haven't played Battletech in about four years. Even so, the above design only took me about 10 minutes to make.

KeVin K

see317 wrote: »

I've never played Battletech, but I love all things involving giant robots shooting lasers, missles and/or guns at other giant robots and so have been highly tempted to pick them up when I walk past the BT Minis at my local nerd-den.

How hard is it to get into the game? What are the average starting costs? Is it possible to give a stripped down "Idiots guide to starting to play" for the game?

A great resource is the BattleCorps Battle Shop. You can get the starter box set for $40. The minis are plastic to keep costs down, but they are paintable. You can go metal when you know what faction and BattleMechs you want to play.

A great feature at the Battle Shop is their collection of free PDFs that provide quick-start rules, histories of the universe, etc. (They have both Classic BattleTech and Shadowrun.)

Legionnaired

There used to be a program called MekWorks that would work out all of the mathy bits for you. I think I used it to churn out at least 100+ designs back in middle school.

I had this one guy that was an absolute monster: 65-ton Big Game Hunter

He had that Triple Strength Myomar, that as you heated up gave you a speed increase basically doubled your damage output on physical attacks.

Bitch ran 5/8/5, and went to something silly like 6/9/5 when you got juiced. He had like a PPC, and then ER Large, Medium, and Small so that no matter what you did you could always balance your heat at the magical point where you got the bonuses but didn't take any negatives at all.

So first round he'd run and alpha strike, next round he'd run and charge with his massive hatchet. 50+ damage easy.

Good times.