Oooh, two of those last three points are like daggers in the heart. Pains me to see it.
Ya got me, Axen.
Hah!
What makes me +1 Sad is that by 3145 Montefeltro would have been conquered by Jade Falcon Clan.
By 3250 it'll be something completely different.
BTW something about the specific year of 3250 just screams soft reboot to me. Probably because the original date of 3025 is just the same numbers but
yeah
Yeah, I've mentioned this before, but I am of the mind that CGL wants ilClan Era to be something of a soft reboot. Something to bring back old fans and something that is easy enough for new fans to get in to.
Some general predictions;
Clan society wont be imposed on the Inner Sphere. The Inner Sphere nations will still be their old asshole selves and that they are simply members of the new Star League (for one reason or another).
The Great Houses still have their militaries, there are still mercenaries and the ilClan act as an SLDF analogue.
The Great Houses still war among themselves and (I'd assume) as long as things don't get out of hand the ilClan wont get involved to stop it.
As to who is running the Star League and how, well, that may depend. I can easily picture a system in place that is a copy of the Rasalhague Dominion's system. Which would be the Star League, the First Lord and the High Council being entirely comprised of Inner Sphere nobles. With the ilKhan being in charge of the ilClan which act as SLDF/Enforcers of the Law and who are not under the authority of the Star League govt, but also not running it. Two separate institutions working in tandem. Although I could easily picture the ilKhan having the authority (and means) to remove the First Lord and High Council if it seems that they are fucking things up. And I wouldn't be surprised if the ilKhan could suggest policy to the High Council.
Perhaps Ghost Bear and Sea Fox teamed up. Ghost Bear could be the ilKhan and Sea Fox acts as the New ComStar, managing the HPG, financial/banking system and MRB.
I can also envision a scenario in which the ilClan returns to Clan Space to conquer it. Their reasoning would be simple. They are the ilClan, the Clan of Clans and their destiny is not complete until all Clans are unified. Plus, y'know, I'd imagine it'd be a mark against their honor that they do not control the home systems of the Clans. The birthplace of their people. The shame of it all!
edit- That last point may be critical to the future and could be the means by which the new Star League collapses. Because remember, there are way more Clans in Clan Space than there are in the Inner Sphere. Sure, they may have had a bit of a purge, but it has also been like, shit, 200 years?
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
From what the writers have been saying recently, they're not doing a time skip or anything. 3250 might continue to be a framing device in book intros but I don't think they'll do a soft reboot anytime soon. Maybe down the line but I think the success of the Clan Invasion kickstarter and the IlClan Recognition Guides has probably changed some stuff.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
From what the writers have been saying recently, they're not doing a time skip or anything. 3250 might continue to be a framing device in book intros but I don't think they'll do a soft reboot anytime soon. Maybe down the line but I think the success of the Clan Invasion kickstarter and the IlClan Recognition Guides has probably changed some stuff.
See the success of those things is why I think they would time skip.
I think it is fair to say many fans haven't been super in to a lot of the recent stuff.
So what do you do?
Well, time skip. Fresh start. New players can come in without having to know 30+ years of lore and returning players can more or less pretend a lot of the recent lore doesn't exist. All you need to know is that there is a Star League and an ilClan, five Great Houses and constant war. In fact I'd suspect the map would look fairly similar to the 3025 map. Or maybe 3052. Kind of a back to basics sort of thing.
Then you can release novels and such filling in the blanks for those curious about how exactly we got there.
At least to me personally I'd be more interested in just jumping in to an already well established ilClan Era as opposed to seeing how it forms. Plus it gives them an easy out for balancing IS and Clan tech, ie: it's been over a hundred years of ilClan and Star League and there really isn't much difference between the two now.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
That's more or less what they did with Dark Age. Didn't go over well :P
Though fair a lot of that is probably the wacky shit they introduced
Dark Age just kind of fucked everything up. Just so much.
An ilClan Era time skip would be more along the lines of bringing things back to how they were in 3025/3050 (more or less).
Like right now who the fuck is running the HPG and how? How does money work nowadays? Are people still using C-Bills? If so, my God why? How would that work without ComStar or at least single entity running the HPG?
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Dark Age would've been fine but the lore mostly sucked. The new factions didn't really appeal to the old fans.
What is this I don't even.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
(Fat finger that post button....)
The devs have outright stated there will not be a time skip.
You can't "jump into an established era" when literally no groundwork has been laid! Like others have said, Dark Age tried that and the fans were NOT uniformly enthused!
Hell, we haven't even gotten the ilClan book proper yet! There's so much road between here and 3250!
I just don't think they'd put out all these early products right at the beginning of the IlClan era if they were about to skip to the end. Maybe they'll give us some tidbits here and there about where it's all headed, and I wouldn't be shocked if sourcebooks started covering more years in less detail, but I don't think they'll jump to the end. Even if they do want to end up with a unified tech base by the end, I think they'll take their time with the setting, not rush through it, and maybe lay the groundwork for a new Kickstarter in five-ish years.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Right now there is a lot of renewed interest in Battletech. Plenty of new and old fans jumping in thanks to the Kickstarter. Now would be a perfect time for a soft reboot.
3025 didn't have any ground work. It just was. Then later they filled in all the Star League and Succession Wars stuff. You could totally do the same with 3250.
The biggest reason Dark Age failed is because they changed everything old fans liked, but also didn't do anything to bring in new fans. All the same problems were present.
With an ilClan soft reboot they can have it set in 3250. They can have all the Great Houses and nations and mercenary units fans love present and accounted for. They can have the Star League and the ilClan firmly established in the setting. They can have the IS/Clan balance not be fucked in a very easy way. Hell, what tidbits we have from that era already suggests there is no difference and they still have all the old mech designs (but with fancy tech).
I had assumed the ilClan book would be 3250. Then later they can fill in the blanks like they did with the original release oh so long ago.
With an ilClan soft reboot they can say, "Hey, if you've not played in awhile or have never played then this is where to start! You don't need to have any prior knowledge! Everyone is on the same page!"
edit- Like right now, I think it is fair to say, the rules are a mess. Shit is scattered all over the place. Record Sheets are in a similar state of disarray. You soft reboot that shit. Get all the rules in to one nice book. Get all the Record Sheets in to one central location (preferably free to download, but that's a different discussion).
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Banshee?
Banshee. The -9S, as mentioned. Pretty straightforward mods; I used one of the test CPLT-K2 arms to represent the HPPC, which looks real good, gave it a second barrel for the LPPC, then bulked out the armor and added the additional lasers and SRM rack.
I love this little shooty boy!
Nips on
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
Compagnia da Montefeltro, 1st Lance; all systems nominal.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Oh fuuuuuck, those look good in a lance. It really brings the scheme together.
Nips on
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
I was quite pleased with how it all came together. And a little relieved.
Carabinieri preview!
Actually painting the Carabinieri Mechs should go by pretty quick. It is just a camo job and I'll be able to assembly line that shit.
edit- In case anyone was curious, my inspiration for all this (the Compagnia, Montefeltro, the culture) came from this Cool Dude, Federico da Montefeltro.
edit 2- as another aside, the translation for “Compagnia” in this context would be along the lines of “Fellowship”. It’s more of the classical use. So they are the “Fellowship of Montefeltro”.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
Are there any apps or programs out there that help to build a custom mech or vehicle or what-have-you?
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Are there any apps or programs out there that help to build a custom mech or vehicle or what-have-you?
MegaMekLab is popular and up to date, and (apparently) what the CGL devs use for development. For some reason I have problems getting the whole suite to run on my pc, though.
If you prefer something a little lighter weight, Solaris Skunk Werks is my preferred go-to. It might not support 100% of all gear, though, but I've found it to be sufficient.
Nips on
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
Ah thank you! I had been searching for awhile now, but I think I wasn’t sure what I was searching for.
Edit- all I was getting was “Top 10 Mech builds in MWO” or “Easy Mech Builds (in Battletech the video game)” or “Custom Mech Builder”, yes finally! “For MW5” dammit!
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
edited January 2021
I need to check if MML has updated since the version I have. I've been trying to switch over to it, and I get this weird glitch whenever I try to mount anything with 10 or 11 crits in a side torso using the right-click menu. Even if I'm not splitting it or anything strange, it only shows in one crit slot, and suddenly the 'equipment' tab lists as many copies of the weapon as an individual copy has crits, which sends the weight sky-rocketing. Weirdly, the stuff that has to be split (like Arrow IV), seems to work okay.
AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
Good, good. I had a couple ideas in my head and this will help me work em out.
The first idea is perfectly reasonable. I picked up a pack of ERC 90 Sagaie that I will use as a Scorpion Light Tank equivalent and simply wanted to work out the stats.
The second idea is ridiculous. A custom Mech. Designed by Montefeltro’s own billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Antonio Franco in an effort to aid his world and get sweet Govt contractor money. While the prototype was a perfectly solid Mech, Govt officials would note that the program would cost taxpayers as much as a top of the line JumpShip and take ten years to produce a single Mech. The Govt applauded Antonio Franco’s patriotism and thanked him for his efforts, but would have to politely reject the proposal.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
You have my attention, billionaire playboy philanthropist!
I almost thought you were going to name him Antonio DeGauss as a snarky Tony Stark analogue
Actually that is what he is!
"Franco" can mean outspoken or blunt or stark.
I'm using my Montefeltro backdrop to springboard in to various Battletech systems that I normally don't use or have never used. Like creating a mech wholesale.
edit- I mean if Team Banzai is a thing (and a prominent one at that) then I can have my Tony Stark stand in.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
I mean, there's a canon unit named after the penile bone of an aquatic mammal, because a user (whose handle was based off the same animal) on an internet forum broke an NDA to share stories about the beta of a videogame.
A Tony Stark expy is far from the weirdest thing going on in Battletech.
I mean, there's a canon unit named after the penile bone of an aquatic mammal, because a user (whose handle was based off the same animal) on an internet forum broke an NDA to share stories about the beta of a videogame.
A Tony Stark expy is far from the weirdest thing going on in Battletech.
You forgot to add in and immortalizing them all in historical documents.
Internal Structure / Armor Value
Front 3 14
R/L Side 3/3 9/9
Rear 3 7
Turret 3 9
Weapons and Ammo
Location / Tonnage
Trailer Hitch Rear 0.0
Machine Gun Front 0.5
Half Machine Gun Ammo (100) Right 0.5
AC/5 Turret 8.0
AC/5 Ammo (20) Body 1.0
For a Scorpion stand in it is about what I want. Slightly faster, but slightly less armored.
edit- Changed it from "Armored Car" to "Wheeled Assault Vehicle" since that seemed more appropriate.
edit 2- Some random things I've come across during my research.
My idea of Montefeltro is not unusual for the Periphery. I've come across several other independent worlds that are more or less in line with how I envision Montefeltro. Hell, one of them can even produce a couple of BattleMech models (lights of course) on there own.
Stefan Amaris VII was a person (and probable ComStar agent) who lived until 3057. He was a dick.
The idea of a world raising a Merc unit to provide an income to said world is already a thing. Several units in fact operate for this very same reason. Which is cool. Not too surprising I suppose.
The star map is "incomplete" lore wise. Even the part that maps the Inner Sphere isn't completely accurate. New and old worlds (even whole nations) are discovered from time to time. This is just a handy way to let players come up with their own stuff and put it wherever they want.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited February 2021
Montefeltro Carabinieri Heavy/Assault Lance.
Starting left and going clockwise: Charger CGR-1A1, Banshee BNC-3E, Grasshopper GHR-5H, Quickdraw QKD-4G
I just got one Light and Medium left. Also waiting on my two (special) Hetzers to arrive. Otherwise the Carabinieri is near complete.
Three Lances of Mechs, plus two lances of armor and a pair of scout VTOLs. So all in all it is a standard Company formation.
Incidentally, even with all that hardware, IIRC it should be in or around the same BV as my single Star of Clan Iron Oosik.
Friggin Clanners.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Project: Frantic Assembly continues to rumble on.
A WoB Archangel, that I was pleasantly surprised wasn't as hard to assemble as feared, modified to the Luminous variant with paired ERPPCs and a brace of MPLs. And a Quickdraw modified to the -8K variant with an MRM-30 in the right torso, and four ERML.
The missile tubes on my custom MRM-30 are so tiny, I've got to be careful when painting them not to totally obscure them.
A WoB Archangel, that I was pleasantly surprised wasn't as hard to assemble as feared, modified to the Luminous variant with paired ERPPCs and a brace of MPLs. And a Quickdraw modified to the -8K variant with an MRM-30 in the right torso, and four ERML.
The missile tubes on my custom MRM-30 are so tiny, I've got to be careful when painting them not to totally obscure them.
Asking for guidance, how would you paint those tiny missile tubes so they don't get covered by paint?
NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited February 2021
So this QKD is tagged for a Hansen's Roughriders lance, in midnight blue livery. But it's a launcher, so I think I'll be detailing it in gunmetal. So my plan is to:
1. Light airbrush primer black.
2. Light drybrush the launcher in gunmetal, trying to only apply paint to the non-tube faceplate surface.
3. Targeted black wash into just the tubes, if necessary.
And failing that, if it doesn't pop enough, after the varnish I'll go in with my black Micron 005 ink pen and try to punch up the tubes with it.
Honestly, it's going to be a little play-by-ear, because I've not painted anything I've printed with such shallow tubes.
Ohhhh ok. Hmm, I'll have to try to think of another way then since I don't have an airbrush. Hopefully I will be picking up some insanely tiny paint brushes today that might help me out.
Ohhhh ok. Hmm, I'll have to try to think of another way then since I don't have an airbrush. Hopefully I will be picking up some insanely tiny paint brushes today that might help me out.
You can pull it off with a brush. It is all about that technique. Unfortunately I cannot explain it. More often than not I do it when I don't want to and can't for the life of me do it when I want to.
But it CAN be done!
I'm not a good painter.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Ohhhh ok. Hmm, I'll have to try to think of another way then since I don't have an airbrush. Hopefully I will be picking up some insanely tiny paint brushes today that might help me out.
You can pull it off with a brush. It is all about that technique. Unfortunately I cannot explain it. More often than not I do it when I don't want to and can't for the life of me do it when I want to.
But it CAN be done!
I'm not a good painter.
The last time I painted anything was in Elementary School. Unless you count painting things with a spray can to have it be one color then yeah, I did paint things later in life.
I'm sort of scared to touch a brush, but I want to do it.
Edit: I should clarify that I am scared of messing things up compared to what I them to look like in my head, and then getting frustrated then quitting. Not sure how stable my 45+ year old muscles are these days with precision anything. I do know I need to take my glasses off (or wear reading glasses with my contacts) just to see things up close.
AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
Battletech is quite forgiving when it comes to painting minis. For Battletech it can be super-duper easy.
Mechs are, at the end of the day, just military hardware. You can buy yourself a rattle can of OD Green or Tan or whatever color you want really and just spray the Mech and call it a day. That is perfectly acceptable in Battletech. Not so much in other wargames.
You could hit it up with a wash to make the details pop and that requires literally no skill. You could let a small child do it if you were so inclined. Personally I'd probably also paint the canopy glass, but you don't need to.
If you want to just give it a whirl without spending too much you can pick up this Army Painter DnD starter set for fairly cheap. It comes with some paints and a brush and a mini to boot.
I'd also recommend watching plenty of How To videos for miniature painting. Many are gear towards Warhammer 40k, but the concepts and techniques are all the same.
Battletech is quite forgiving when it comes to painting minis. For Battletech it can be super-duper easy.
Mechs are, at the end of the day, just military hardware. You can buy yourself a rattle can of OD Green or Tan or whatever color you want really and just spray the Mech and call it a day. That is perfectly acceptable in Battletech. Not so much in other wargames.
You could hit it up with a wash to make the details pop and that requires literally no skill. You could let a small child do it if you were so inclined. Personally I'd probably also paint the canopy glass, but you don't need to.
If you want to just give it a whirl without spending too much you can pick up this Army Painter DnD starter set for fairly cheap. It comes with some paints and a brush and a mini to boot.
I'd also recommend watching plenty of How To videos for miniature painting. Many are gear towards Warhammer 40k, but the concepts and techniques are all the same.
I've only just started painting myself but the biggest thing I had to get my head around was not to sweat the detailed parts so much. If/when you're playing with the minis you're not going to be picking them up and holding them 10cm from your face to inspect their details every time you move them around.
With my starter box I just did a wash all over the entire mini in the base colour I wanted then did some small details on some of the panels - a camouflage pattern is pretty easy to do as well. They look great at tabletop distance.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited February 2021
Alright here we are, Montefeltro Carabinieri Light and Medium Lances.
Starting left and going clockwise: Hornet HNT-171, Wasp WSP-1, Ostscout OTT-7J, UrbanMech UM-R60
Starting left and going clockwise: Shadow Hawk SHD-2H, Swordsman SWD-1, Dervish DV-6M, Assassin ASN-21
Just waiting on Hetzers now.
Kicking around some ideas for my next project, which will not be at the scale of Montefeltro. Probably just a Lance.
The idea I am leaning towards is a Lance made up of people who absolutely and unequivocally hate Clanners. These are not nice people, they would murder any Clanner they come across regardless if the Clanner is a Trueborn Warrior or lowly labor caste. As such I want the Lance to be made up of Mechs that aren't just pretty good at fighting Clan Mechs (I am uncertain if there even is such a thing), but also Mechs that are designed to really, really piss Clanners off lore wise. So for example; I'll probably take an Axman because Clanners disdain melee with great intensity and will just back the fuck off from any IS Mech that closes to melee range. Also, ugh, LAMs. They hate LAMs so much. So, so very much. However, on this I find Clanners and myself have a consensus. Oh and the Lance will be rocking a Rims World Republic insignia. Maybe I'll do one up that has the Star League insignia in the shark's mouth just to really add salt to the wound. Oh man, and any time a Clanner asks to know who they are fighting they will only ever respond with "Stefan Amaris".
Hm, I think I know which idea I want to do now.
Edit- Oh and protip, one I keep having to relearn myself, paint the cockpit/canopy FIRST. You don't need to be neat or careful, you can just slap the paint on. It is a helluva lot easier to carefully paint around the canopy then it is to paint the canopy after the fact.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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H3KnucklesBut we decide which is rightand which is an illusion.Registered Userregular
Remember to include a Wolverine if you want mechs the Clans have a taboo about.
AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
They don't even call it a Wolverine. It's hilarious.
So I'm thinking Charger CGR-1A5 Catapult CPLT-C4 Axman AXM-1N quite possibly a salavaged Kurita, uh, salvage. So instead of the ax we get a MIGHTY and POWERFUL and HONORABLE katana.
And something with a NARC, probably.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
Turn that crank, build those 'mechs.
This time up is a Guillotine GLT-6WB3, part of a Republic lance of post-Jihad builds. Mods include an LRM-15 in the CT, and a left arm HPPC helpfully donated from that Archangel upthread.
Nice and simple, and the missile tubes on this mod (because of more space to work with and fewer tubes) came out *chef's kiss*.
Posts
Yeah, I've mentioned this before, but I am of the mind that CGL wants ilClan Era to be something of a soft reboot. Something to bring back old fans and something that is easy enough for new fans to get in to.
Some general predictions;
Clan society wont be imposed on the Inner Sphere. The Inner Sphere nations will still be their old asshole selves and that they are simply members of the new Star League (for one reason or another).
The Great Houses still have their militaries, there are still mercenaries and the ilClan act as an SLDF analogue.
The Great Houses still war among themselves and (I'd assume) as long as things don't get out of hand the ilClan wont get involved to stop it.
As to who is running the Star League and how, well, that may depend. I can easily picture a system in place that is a copy of the Rasalhague Dominion's system. Which would be the Star League, the First Lord and the High Council being entirely comprised of Inner Sphere nobles. With the ilKhan being in charge of the ilClan which act as SLDF/Enforcers of the Law and who are not under the authority of the Star League govt, but also not running it. Two separate institutions working in tandem. Although I could easily picture the ilKhan having the authority (and means) to remove the First Lord and High Council if it seems that they are fucking things up. And I wouldn't be surprised if the ilKhan could suggest policy to the High Council.
Perhaps Ghost Bear and Sea Fox teamed up. Ghost Bear could be the ilKhan and Sea Fox acts as the New ComStar, managing the HPG, financial/banking system and MRB.
I can also envision a scenario in which the ilClan returns to Clan Space to conquer it. Their reasoning would be simple. They are the ilClan, the Clan of Clans and their destiny is not complete until all Clans are unified. Plus, y'know, I'd imagine it'd be a mark against their honor that they do not control the home systems of the Clans. The birthplace of their people. The shame of it all!
edit- That last point may be critical to the future and could be the means by which the new Star League collapses. Because remember, there are way more Clans in Clan Space than there are in the Inner Sphere. Sure, they may have had a bit of a purge, but it has also been like, shit, 200 years?
See the success of those things is why I think they would time skip.
I think it is fair to say many fans haven't been super in to a lot of the recent stuff.
So what do you do?
Well, time skip. Fresh start. New players can come in without having to know 30+ years of lore and returning players can more or less pretend a lot of the recent lore doesn't exist. All you need to know is that there is a Star League and an ilClan, five Great Houses and constant war. In fact I'd suspect the map would look fairly similar to the 3025 map. Or maybe 3052. Kind of a back to basics sort of thing.
Then you can release novels and such filling in the blanks for those curious about how exactly we got there.
At least to me personally I'd be more interested in just jumping in to an already well established ilClan Era as opposed to seeing how it forms. Plus it gives them an easy out for balancing IS and Clan tech, ie: it's been over a hundred years of ilClan and Star League and there really isn't much difference between the two now.
Though fair a lot of that is probably the wacky shit they introduced
Dark Age just kind of fucked everything up. Just so much.
An ilClan Era time skip would be more along the lines of bringing things back to how they were in 3025/3050 (more or less).
Like right now who the fuck is running the HPG and how? How does money work nowadays? Are people still using C-Bills? If so, my God why? How would that work without ComStar or at least single entity running the HPG?
All of the great houses have their own currency, but K-Bills are worthless (if not outright dangerous to use) in the Fed Suns or Lyran Alliance.
Comstar was still running the HPG networks in non-Clan areas (at least, the ones still working after Grey Monday).
The devs have outright stated there will not be a time skip.
You can't "jump into an established era" when literally no groundwork has been laid! Like others have said, Dark Age tried that and the fans were NOT uniformly enthused!
Hell, we haven't even gotten the ilClan book proper yet! There's so much road between here and 3250!
3025 didn't have any ground work. It just was. Then later they filled in all the Star League and Succession Wars stuff. You could totally do the same with 3250.
The biggest reason Dark Age failed is because they changed everything old fans liked, but also didn't do anything to bring in new fans. All the same problems were present.
With an ilClan soft reboot they can have it set in 3250. They can have all the Great Houses and nations and mercenary units fans love present and accounted for. They can have the Star League and the ilClan firmly established in the setting. They can have the IS/Clan balance not be fucked in a very easy way. Hell, what tidbits we have from that era already suggests there is no difference and they still have all the old mech designs (but with fancy tech).
I had assumed the ilClan book would be 3250. Then later they can fill in the blanks like they did with the original release oh so long ago.
With an ilClan soft reboot they can say, "Hey, if you've not played in awhile or have never played then this is where to start! You don't need to have any prior knowledge! Everyone is on the same page!"
edit- Like right now, I think it is fair to say, the rules are a mess. Shit is scattered all over the place. Record Sheets are in a similar state of disarray. You soft reboot that shit. Get all the rules in to one nice book. Get all the Record Sheets in to one central location (preferably free to download, but that's a different discussion).
Banshee. The -9S, as mentioned. Pretty straightforward mods; I used one of the test CPLT-K2 arms to represent the HPPC, which looks real good, gave it a second barrel for the LPPC, then bulked out the armor and added the additional lasers and SRM rack.
I love this little shooty boy!
Carabinieri preview!
Actually painting the Carabinieri Mechs should go by pretty quick. It is just a camo job and I'll be able to assembly line that shit.
edit- In case anyone was curious, my inspiration for all this (the Compagnia, Montefeltro, the culture) came from this Cool Dude, Federico da Montefeltro.
edit 2- as another aside, the translation for “Compagnia” in this context would be along the lines of “Fellowship”. It’s more of the classical use. So they are the “Fellowship of Montefeltro”.
MegaMekLab is popular and up to date, and (apparently) what the CGL devs use for development. For some reason I have problems getting the whole suite to run on my pc, though.
If you prefer something a little lighter weight, Solaris Skunk Werks is my preferred go-to. It might not support 100% of all gear, though, but I've found it to be sufficient.
Edit- all I was getting was “Top 10 Mech builds in MWO” or “Easy Mech Builds (in Battletech the video game)” or “Custom Mech Builder”, yes finally! “For MW5” dammit!
The first idea is perfectly reasonable. I picked up a pack of ERC 90 Sagaie that I will use as a Scorpion Light Tank equivalent and simply wanted to work out the stats.
The second idea is ridiculous. A custom Mech. Designed by Montefeltro’s own billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Antonio Franco in an effort to aid his world and get sweet Govt contractor money. While the prototype was a perfectly solid Mech, Govt officials would note that the program would cost taxpayers as much as a top of the line JumpShip and take ten years to produce a single Mech. The Govt applauded Antonio Franco’s patriotism and thanked him for his efforts, but would have to politely reject the proposal.
MWO: Adamski
Actually that is what he is!
"Franco" can mean outspoken or blunt or stark.
I'm using my Montefeltro backdrop to springboard in to various Battletech systems that I normally don't use or have never used. Like creating a mech wholesale.
edit- I mean if Team Banzai is a thing (and a prominent one at that) then I can have my Tony Stark stand in.
A Tony Stark expy is far from the weirdest thing going on in Battletech.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
You forgot to add in and immortalizing them all in historical documents.
Steam: betsuni7
Lupo Wheeled Assault Vehicle
Mass: 25 tons
Movement Type: Wheeled
Power Plant: De Luca Motori ICE 105
Cruising Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Armor: Armatura Lieve
Armament:
1 AC/5
1 Machine Gun
Manufacturer: De Luca Motori
Primary Factory: Montefeltro
Communication System: TharHes Mini-Talk
Targeting & Tracking System: TharHes AGART
Introduction Year: 2957
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-C-D-D
Cost: 285,469 C-bills
Type: Lupo Wheeled Assault Vehicle
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Intro)
Movement Type: Wheeled
Tonnage: 25
Battle Value: 281
Equipment / Mass
Internal Structure 2.5
Engine 105 ICE 7
Cruising MP: 5
Flank MP: 8
Heat Sinks: 0 0
Control Equipment: 1.5
Power Amplifier: 0.0
Turret: 1.0
Armor Factor 48 3
Internal Structure / Armor Value
Front 3 14
R/L Side 3/3 9/9
Rear 3 7
Turret 3 9
Weapons and Ammo
Location / Tonnage
Trailer Hitch Rear 0.0
Machine Gun Front 0.5
Half Machine Gun Ammo (100) Right 0.5
AC/5 Turret 8.0
AC/5 Ammo (20) Body 1.0
For a Scorpion stand in it is about what I want. Slightly faster, but slightly less armored.
edit- Changed it from "Armored Car" to "Wheeled Assault Vehicle" since that seemed more appropriate.
edit 2- Some random things I've come across during my research.
My idea of Montefeltro is not unusual for the Periphery. I've come across several other independent worlds that are more or less in line with how I envision Montefeltro. Hell, one of them can even produce a couple of BattleMech models (lights of course) on there own.
Stefan Amaris VII was a person (and probable ComStar agent) who lived until 3057. He was a dick.
The idea of a world raising a Merc unit to provide an income to said world is already a thing. Several units in fact operate for this very same reason. Which is cool. Not too surprising I suppose.
The star map is "incomplete" lore wise. Even the part that maps the Inner Sphere isn't completely accurate. New and old worlds (even whole nations) are discovered from time to time. This is just a handy way to let players come up with their own stuff and put it wherever they want.
Starting left and going clockwise: Charger CGR-1A1, Banshee BNC-3E, Grasshopper GHR-5H, Quickdraw QKD-4G
I just got one Light and Medium left. Also waiting on my two (special) Hetzers to arrive. Otherwise the Carabinieri is near complete.
Three Lances of Mechs, plus two lances of armor and a pair of scout VTOLs. So all in all it is a standard Company formation.
Incidentally, even with all that hardware, IIRC it should be in or around the same BV as my single Star of Clan Iron Oosik.
Friggin Clanners.
A WoB Archangel, that I was pleasantly surprised wasn't as hard to assemble as feared, modified to the Luminous variant with paired ERPPCs and a brace of MPLs. And a Quickdraw modified to the -8K variant with an MRM-30 in the right torso, and four ERML.
The missile tubes on my custom MRM-30 are so tiny, I've got to be careful when painting them not to totally obscure them.
Asking for guidance, how would you paint those tiny missile tubes so they don't get covered by paint?
Steam: betsuni7
1. Light airbrush primer black.
2. Light drybrush the launcher in gunmetal, trying to only apply paint to the non-tube faceplate surface.
3. Targeted black wash into just the tubes, if necessary.
And failing that, if it doesn't pop enough, after the varnish I'll go in with my black Micron 005 ink pen and try to punch up the tubes with it.
Honestly, it's going to be a little play-by-ear, because I've not painted anything I've printed with such shallow tubes.
Steam: betsuni7
You can pull it off with a brush. It is all about that technique. Unfortunately I cannot explain it. More often than not I do it when I don't want to and can't for the life of me do it when I want to.
But it CAN be done!
I'm not a good painter.
The last time I painted anything was in Elementary School. Unless you count painting things with a spray can to have it be one color then yeah, I did paint things later in life.
I'm sort of scared to touch a brush, but I want to do it.
Edit: I should clarify that I am scared of messing things up compared to what I them to look like in my head, and then getting frustrated then quitting. Not sure how stable my 45+ year old muscles are these days with precision anything. I do know I need to take my glasses off (or wear reading glasses with my contacts) just to see things up close.
Steam: betsuni7
Mechs are, at the end of the day, just military hardware. You can buy yourself a rattle can of OD Green or Tan or whatever color you want really and just spray the Mech and call it a day. That is perfectly acceptable in Battletech. Not so much in other wargames.
You could hit it up with a wash to make the details pop and that requires literally no skill. You could let a small child do it if you were so inclined. Personally I'd probably also paint the canopy glass, but you don't need to.
If you want to just give it a whirl without spending too much you can pick up this Army Painter DnD starter set for fairly cheap. It comes with some paints and a brush and a mini to boot.
I'd also recommend watching plenty of How To videos for miniature painting. Many are gear towards Warhammer 40k, but the concepts and techniques are all the same.
Personally I found this video incredibly helpful.
I'll have to check that video out and maybe pick that paint kit up.
Edit: Forgot to say thank you for the help.
Steam: betsuni7
With my starter box I just did a wash all over the entire mini in the base colour I wanted then did some small details on some of the panels - a camouflage pattern is pretty easy to do as well. They look great at tabletop distance.
Starting left and going clockwise: Hornet HNT-171, Wasp WSP-1, Ostscout OTT-7J, UrbanMech UM-R60
Starting left and going clockwise: Shadow Hawk SHD-2H, Swordsman SWD-1, Dervish DV-6M, Assassin ASN-21
Just waiting on Hetzers now.
Kicking around some ideas for my next project, which will not be at the scale of Montefeltro. Probably just a Lance.
The idea I am leaning towards is a Lance made up of people who absolutely and unequivocally hate Clanners. These are not nice people, they would murder any Clanner they come across regardless if the Clanner is a Trueborn Warrior or lowly labor caste. As such I want the Lance to be made up of Mechs that aren't just pretty good at fighting Clan Mechs (I am uncertain if there even is such a thing), but also Mechs that are designed to really, really piss Clanners off lore wise. So for example; I'll probably take an Axman because Clanners disdain melee with great intensity and will just back the fuck off from any IS Mech that closes to melee range. Also, ugh, LAMs. They hate LAMs so much. So, so very much. However, on this I find Clanners and myself have a consensus. Oh and the Lance will be rocking a Rims World Republic insignia. Maybe I'll do one up that has the Star League insignia in the shark's mouth just to really add salt to the wound. Oh man, and any time a Clanner asks to know who they are fighting they will only ever respond with "Stefan Amaris".
Hm, I think I know which idea I want to do now.
Edit- Oh and protip, one I keep having to relearn myself, paint the cockpit/canopy FIRST. You don't need to be neat or careful, you can just slap the paint on. It is a helluva lot easier to carefully paint around the canopy then it is to paint the canopy after the fact.
So I'm thinking
Charger CGR-1A5
Catapult CPLT-C4
Axman AXM-1N quite possibly a salavaged Kurita, uh, salvage. So instead of the ax we get a MIGHTY and POWERFUL and HONORABLE katana.
And something with a NARC, probably.
This time up is a Guillotine GLT-6WB3, part of a Republic lance of post-Jihad builds. Mods include an LRM-15 in the CT, and a left arm HPPC helpfully donated from that Archangel upthread.
Nice and simple, and the missile tubes on this mod (because of more space to work with and fewer tubes) came out *chef's kiss*.