From Xotl:
So I'm rewriting the SO customization rules on p. 188 because there's tons of questions as to what kind of refit X is and so on. As such, if there's anything unclear for you, let me know.
While I'm at it, is there anything that's obviously bad about the refit rules? I know I've seen lots of complaints about how refit X should be easier or harder, and I figure I might as well at least see about maybe addressing those while I'm at it. No promises there, though. Try to have it in as soon as you can, end of the weekend at the latest.
I am probably the source for half of his headaches, lol.
Customization Specific Issues1. The biggest single rule kerfluffle I have is that the center torso structure is the mech, which makes internal structure type changes particularly funny from a rules and tracking perspective.
2. Changing internal structure in the current rules is punitive beyond reason. Both in game in terms of time and out of game in terms of calculation. Just doing all of the work to move the equipment and such from the original chassis to the new one is a sufficiently large issue under the current rules to obviate the multiplier and punish the player. My inclination here is to simply write the rules for internal change to be either a function of the criticals or of unit tonnage. Tonnage may be the better answer from a continuity across unit type perspective, so vehicles, aerospace, and mechs could all share a common rule structure. Doing it by criticals could be better from a systematic consistency perspective.
3. Set the base case as customization and the refit kit as the special case. There is so little information on what refit kits actually exist and as far as I know, no canon source with precalculated values and contents, that an actual refit kit is simply not the way players use the rules. Also, many players miss that customization has a +2 TN and double time modifier.
4. Make any structural or mechanical system that allocates crit slots have similar rules for installation/customization. Something like for each critical installed, it takes X minutes and a facility of level Y to do the work. So armor types, internal structure types, gyro types, targeting computers, MASC, and engine types all follow the same rule pattern. This would let you have a simple table saying ferro-fibrous armor requires 4 hours per critical and can be done in the field. While this would result in the occasional time difference between IS and Clan tech, it fits in many ways because the IS is not as technically proficient, so of course it is harder to refit their mechs with FF and endo-steel.
5. Reduce categories of refit to 4
Category 1 (Field/Mobile): Any weapons/equipment can be changed so long as the weapon/equipment doesn't have mounting restrictions or split criticals between location. So an LRM-10 can be converted to a large laser or vice versa without getting into the weeds. However, you couldn't add a Heavy Gauss Rifle, Artemis, or an AC/20 split between two locations.
Category 2 (Field/Mobile with difficulty modifier): All other weapon/equipment changes. Armor reallocation and type change for simple armor (standard, ferro-fibrous)
Category 3 (Maintenance/Base): Structural/mechanical systems installation. Simple engines (Std., Light, XL), , simple internal (standard, endo-steel), MASC, CASE, coolant pods, etc.
Category 4 (Factory/Depot): Advanced Systems. Things like torso mounted cockpits, XXL engines, partial wing, composite/reinforced structure, specialist armor (ferro-lamellor, laser-reflective, hardened), etc. Anything that has an ongoing effect during play, whether it is a piloting effect, increased/decreased susceptibility to damage, etc.
6. Clarify whether multiple tech teams and tech teams of different experience can contribute to refits, customizations, and repairs. Something like, TN -1 per regular or better team up to 3 total teams would be where I would start. Green and lower experience levels don't do good enough work to actually assist a more experienced tech team.
7. Get rid of the time multiple for the whole job based on refit type and just add the individual refit pieces together. It's beyond silly that changing some lasers in an arm becomes much more difficult and time consuming because the engine type is being changed and it is silly that two different teams couldn't do the two jobs simultaneously. If the multiplicative factor is removed and times are declared on a per change basis, it will make it easier to use multiple tech teams. Simply add up the time for each task that team will do and the highest TN for all of those tasks for each team. Now it's practical to set your regular team on a number of weapon swaps while your elite team changes the engine type and a veteran team rearmors the mech. For the regular team, you add up the time for each weapon change and then pick the highest TN of all of the changes to roll for. The elite team allocates time for each engine critical changed and rolls against the engine change TN. Same for the veterans with an additional time modifier if the armor allocation changes when the armor type changes. Of course the trade off for getting multiple teams on a mech is that they can each screw up, so each refit group has a chance of failure and quality reduction.
8. Refit kits exist for factory configurations (as opposed to canon customs) to change any mech from configuration 1 to configuration 2. A refit kit allows a refit to be conducted at 1 level lower facility (factory work at a maintenance facility) or at a time/TN bonus at the normal level facility.
Repair, maintenance and so on:1. Make hip and shoulder actuators regular actuators in terms of replacement mechanics, give them a longer repair time or higher TN to represent them being major jobs, but scrap the whole the hip/shoulder actuator is part of the limb thing. It just forces you into AccountTech to strip everything off of the limb and put it all back on the new limb. You can fluff the techs cursing as they make the swap without making the player slog through all of the swapping repair calculations.
2. Reduce facility types to three. Mobile (another mech's hand, repair/recovery vehicle, and MFB), Basic (DropShips and bases), and Advanced (factories and major maintenance depots).
3. Take the maintain every component individually idea out behind the barn and shoot it Valentine's Day Massacre style. Maintain the whole mech as one roll.
