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[Hat]

Infernos
Ok, looking for in-universe view on the use of infernos. I'm fine with the strict mechanics.
<snip>

As a PURELY IN-UNIVERSE ANSWER: both of those question marks depend on WAY too many unrelated variables to provide a strict answer. Nobody really cared when the Verthandi Rebels were throwing infernos at Drac infantry.  A whole lot of people cared when the Amaris Dragoons were throwing infernos at SLDF infantry (and techs, and administrators, and civilians, and really anyone else who wasn't them and who was in range).

Understood.  I consider myself reasonably informed on the lore, but the use of infernos isn't something I've seen come up in the books I've read be they novels or sourcebooks.  Wasn't sure if I'd missed something like the Ares Conventions or Honors of War.  Different people will see it differently.  Fair enough.

Clan (Omni)Mechs and Std Structure
With a Clan mech that isn't Endosteel, how does it work for getting components, say a new RL given Clan case?
<snip>

You guys are overthinking this really, really, really, really, really, hard.

I've done very little with Clantech over the decades I've played Battletech and in the instances it's come up I don't think I've ever really had to worry about buying or managing it.  Until Paul reminded me about integral case my assumption would have been it's standard structure and I can get replacement parts on a TN 9+ because it's a standard component for a X Ton mech.  I am still assuming I can get standard armor for a Clan mech on an 8+ base because basic armor is basic armor.  Again I'm fine with the higher TN.  Doesn't bother me one bit.  At it's most fundamental, I wouldn't consider it the obvious assumption especially when standard structure and standard armor aren't treated the same based just on the name.

<snip>

Prisoners
Can prisoners be released prior to contract end and would there be any restrictions?

No, they cannot. Unless there's an event like a "prisoner escape", once a prisoner slot is filled, it's filled until the end of the contract.  If you want more slots, spend XP to buy better Lance Leader Skills/Attributes.

Cool.  As expected, wanted to confirm.

[Darrian Wolffe]

I've done very little with Clantech over the decades I've played Battletech and in the instances it's come up I don't think I've ever really had to worry about buying or managing it.  Until Paul reminded me about integral case my assumption would have been it's standard structure and I can get replacement parts on a TN 9+ because it's a standard component for a X Ton mech.  I am still assuming I can get standard armor for a Clan mech on an 8+ base because basic armor is basic armor.  Again I'm fine with the higher TN.  Doesn't bother me one bit.  At it's most fundamental, I wouldn't consider it the obvious assumption especially when standard structure and standard armor aren't treated the same based just on the name.

Was worth a poke at the logic machine on thestandard part extrapolation possibility. I figured that would be the outcome but I tried lol

FFS, what SPECIFIC MECH are you guys trying to ask about?  Because it's possible to have a mixed-tech unit that DOES Scrounge Test for structural locations on a TN 9. 

Something like the Rifleman C, above, which is an Inner Sphere Tech Base unit that has a mixed-tech designator due to the Clan weapon refits, WOULD test for structural locations on a 9 (or whatever the number actually happens to be, since I'm at work and can't check my PDF).  It's still an Inner Sphere Rifleman with a standard internal structure, just like a bog-normal Rifleman 3N.  The fact that it has Clan weapons is totally immaterial to its structural type, and that's what determines location replacement requirements.

[Hat]

<snip>
FFS, what SPECIFIC MECH are you guys trying to ask about?  Because it's possible to have a mixed-tech unit that DOES Scrounge Test for structural locations on a TN 9. 

I originally asked my question because of the Nova that's in Mission 2 on the off-chance it could be salvaged.  It is one of the only Clan mechs at least in the 50 - 80T range (Hellbringer and Nova Cat being the other 2 I saw) that had neither FF nor Endo.  Mechanically it's not quite as good of the KU outside of quirks (15T pod space vs. 16 and less armor) and that mostly brings it to a wash depending on circumstances.  It would still have the +2 ClanTech penalty vs. the KU's Easy to Maintain and all omni's pod either technology base weapon equally well as I understand it.  Still, it was an omni so regardless of the technology base, flexible.  To salvage it would pretty much require destroying one or more locations.  A TN: 14 for a part vs. TN: 9 means it's not really worth it.

[deadlyfire2345]

Got word that Seth would like to make a lance and join the unit. Given my Admin is at 3 (which caps the lances at 12) Would I need to up my admin to allow him or will the unit be penalized for not having the capacity to have that many lances? Or will it just not be allowed until I am able to get admin to 4.

Also, will command XP be able to be transferred over?

[Darrian Wolffe]

Got word that Seth would like to make a lance and join the unit. Given my Admin is at 3 (which caps the lances at 12) Would I need to up my admin to allow him or will the unit be penalized for not having the capacity to have that many lances? Or will it just not be allowed until I am able to get admin to 4.

So, I just noticed upon looking up the details re: max unit size that under the Force Tracking (Unit CO) section, I made a boo-boo.  Specifically, the admin skill was intended to be a hard cap on the number of administrators, and having too many units for your admin skill was an initiative penalty.  Hat and I discussed this way back, and I was curious as to why Paul was asking that "he didn't have enough admin to allow Seth to join".  Turns out there was a copy-paste error when I reorganized the rules packet and separated the Unit CO section out into a distinct chapter. 

So (and this will be posted as errata in the Rules thread as well), page 22 of the rules packet is amended to the following:

ADMINISTRATORS
There are 4 types of Administrators dealt with by the Unit CO. Any number of Administrators may be hired, limited only by the Unit CO's Administration Skill (see Skill Summary Chart on pg5). Each of the Administrator types has a distinct and following game effect:

Command. After being assigned to a Battlefield Role at the beginning of a contract, a Veteran or Elite-rated Command
Admin will give +1 Battlefield Initiative Bonus to missions with assigned units in that Role (Scout, Fight, etc). This can
partially offset the initiative penalty suffered for having hired too many Administrators.

Human Resources. After being assigned to a Lance for at least 1 month, a Veteran or Elite-rated Logistics Admin will give
that lance will get to add 30 minutes to the number of Technical man-hours available for repair/refit duties per Tech, per
Day.

Logistics. After being assigned to a Lance for at least 1 month, a Veteran or Elite-rated Logistics Admin will give that
lance a -1 bonus to all IntroTech equipment availability TNs.
After the year 3055, this modifier is changed to: Veteran & Elite give -1 bonus to all IntroTech equipment
availability, Elite gives a -1 bonus to TW-tech equipment availability.
After the year 3060, this modifier is changed to: Veteran & Elite give -1 bonus to all IntroTech and TW-tech
equipment availability, Elite gives a -1 bonus to Clan-tech equipment availability.

Transport. A Veteran or Elite-rated Transport Admin has a chance to increase the Transportation Percentage covered
under an offered contract. This is handled internally by MekHQ.

Additionally, page 23 is amended as per the following:

UNIT-LEVEL ASSETS
The Unit may maintain a certain number of non-BattleMech assets to aid its job in warfighting and other duties.  While the number of BattleMech Lances is soft-capped by the higher of either of the Unit CO's Administration or Bureaucracy scores* (see Skill Summary Chart on pg5), the number of non-BattleMech forces is hard-capped to ensure that the focus of the game remains on BattleMech forces.  The specific composition of these assets is to the Unit CO and Unit members, but assets will remain permanently capped in number so as to make manageable the burden of running the Unit for the CO player.

*if the Unit CO doesn’t have a sufficient Administration Skill Rating to allow the number of lances actually present (see Skill Summary Use Chart on pg5), the CO’s deficiency will impart a -3 initiative penalty on the battlefield during all non-Solo games.

Also, will command XP be able to be transferred over?

No.

[Ice]

System administrators if you can pin the questions thread to the top again? - done

Also Rob with the justification for the bsp changes such as the intent to make more in line with campaign play I have a few questions. I believe we all missed some of the changes until now due to bmm being easier to have on hand. Targeting TN are much different but bonus or penalty has a bigger affect as far as pilots go. What were the Base TN from bsp chart based on regular pilots or veteran?

I assume that we are overriding current bmm bsp rules to per scenario limitations on use per vehicle? (Ex no more than 2 shells per arty) It would make sense that an aero only has 2 sorties based on fuel with affects of in and out of atmosphere etc. The terms used for the bsp are also odd for sortie typing. I get cant defend and attack. Their is reference to mixing sortie types. I assume an aero can only use strikes or strafes or bombing runs. Not a mixture of them with each other. I believe we answered it prior at some point that we could mix them but the attack and defend is set in stone with unused being lost. It would make sense to mix as ground attack craft may expend bombs then come back for rockets or guns.

The arty limitation wouldn't in m4 as far as the 2 shots per tube. I get the bsp limitation per scenario to restrict use to an extent and makes sense given the current state of modern combat. (Just because you have arty doesn't mean you always have access to it 100% of the time). This m4 scenario however would be an instance where it would have dedicated use without recourse. Frontal assault with air and arty support would be almost a given.. No opfor air and arty being on board. Would it be in line to change the 2 shots per tube limitation to scenario specific and bsp locked or otherwise dictated by scenario write up?

Talk about trying to get reacquainted with a rulebook.

Also when do expiremental items become considered advanced IE angel ecm which was starting use 3057?


POST REVISED 2/8

[Ice]

Would swarm and I swarm LRM be considered prohibited munitions?

- Answered with extreme prejudice as YES F that noise. Take notes folks. Discord will have a prohibited munitions weapons text channel as well as a resource thread for determining certain aspects of the non prohibited weapons  for references. I will add additional as needed with clarifications

[Ice]

I can't recall for life of me what was decided in the c3 penalty. It was something obnoxious in rulebook so I thought there was a flat penalty of like 10%. Can't seem to find the reference or change we made for it either.

[Darrian Wolffe]

I can't recall for life of me what was decided in the c3 penalty. It was something obnoxious in rulebook so I thought there was a flat penalty of like 10%. Can't seem to find the reference or change we made for it either.

If you're going to use any sort of C3 in the game, increase the effective BV of the Mech mounting C3 by 5%.  It's mostly done to make the math easier.


Also, since someone asked last game what sort of scenarios I reject, here's a good example of a scenario that isn't going up.

[Hat]

Yeah, would’ve sucked to be Ryan on that one.

[Ice]

Holy Alacorn batman that looks terrifying

I mean our artillery could do some work but still thats not a fun scenario

[Hat]

Holy Alacorn batman that looks terrifying

I mean our artillery could do some work but still thats not a fun scenario

Then you missed the fact it was a solo. Just Spectre, no artillery. Good luck.

[Ice]

Holy Alacorn batman that looks terrifying

I mean our artillery could do some work but still thats not a fun scenario

Then you missed the fact it was a solo. Just Spectre, no artillery. Good luck.

Indeed and thats even worse...

[serrate]

Wow that is ugly

[Hat]

Hi Rob.  So, the Ehreschuld XO took a point of BOD loss due to a botched healing roll.  I'm trying to understand the effects.  In the rules for pilot hits you note the following:

The number of Pilot hits available to your character is [BOD+STR/2]+1. Round mathematically. (Normal MechWarriors have 6 hits on their record sheet; with 5’s in each Attribute).

The equation doesn't work.  [5+5/2]+1 round naturally is 9.  I've already noted -1 BOD and am fine noting -1 Pilot Hit, but would like to clarify how this is actually calculated.  Anders for example has BOD 6, STR 5 which I'm guessing means he's got +1 pilot hit?

2nd unrelated question: Can you voluntarily start a scenario with less than a full load of ammo?  For example, if I've got an SRM-6 with 1T ammo, could I prior to the scenario start, unload 10 shots and only have 5 in the bin?  To clarify, I'm not talking about trying to take up less space on the mech like 0.5T rather than 1T.  If I've got 50 shots for my SRM-2 and I don't think I'll need more than 10, I'd rather not load them and risk an explosion.  Of course once the bin runs dry, it's empty and I can't fire what I don't have loaded.