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[Darrian Wolffe]

[Darrian Wolffe]

Since some folks were asking about what changes get made between the OG AtB scenario generation and a final scenario, and this scenario is a good time to break things down.  Here's a complete list of everything changed in this scenario.

GENERAL
-Re-ordered the entire list into distinct lances
MECHS
-Replaced Leslee Chen's Lancelot with an Ostroc.  Reason: MOC shouldn't generally have access to that, and 2 Osts make a fun pair of Mechs to run for somebody.
-Replaced Tina Alves's Marauder 3R with a Marauder 3M for purposes of easier differention between a CO and a not-CO.
-Replaced Reinforcement Anthony Gruber's Hermes II -5S with a Clint.  MOC shouldn't have top of the line FWL gear yet
VEHICLES
-Replaced Willow Gaffron's Striker light LRM tank with a standard LRM carrier, to make things easier on whoever's running that group.
-Replaced Guy Parkhouse's Behemoth Assault Tank with an SRM carrier, for same reason
-Since there's so many vees, I averaged out all the vee crew skills.  They originally ranged from 2 gunners to 5 gunners, and from 1 pilots to 6 pilots.  Overall skill average was 3.7 Gunnery and 4.15 Piloting, and that translates to a 4/4 overall average.  And again, making all the vees the same skill level (usually in lances, but this time all of them) makes running them easier.
SCENARIO
No changes

The lessons for anyone wanting to take a turn as GM basically boil down to:
1) Make changes to improve game management.  One striker LRM tank in a lance with a bunch of LRM carriers is a PITA to run.  3 LRM carriers can all match movement and run more quickly.  This is also why the vehicle skills get averaged out in big games.  It's more important to keep the game moving than to worry about 1 vee being 2/5 and and identical vee being 4/3, and having the inevitable "whoops I got them mixed up" happen.

2) Make changes to respect fluff.  Even with the 3039 retcons and the serious unit availability bumps that recent publications give to the MOC, having top-end foreign gear is immersion breaking.  Swapping those units for something that's more available to the faction, and a roughly equivalent level of optimization (Lancelot to Ostroc, Hermes II 5S to Clint) is how to fix that.

3) Try to balance out making things better with making things worse.  In this case, a Striker to an LRM carrier is an upgrade, while a Behemoth to an SRM carrier is a downgrade.  Lancelot to Ostroc is a sidegrade, and doesn't need to be compensated for elsewhere.

4) In the vast majority of cases, the scenario is perfectly fine as-is.  Doubly so because rerolls exist.  If the base scenario is so bad that it requires changing, generally speaking, you shouldn't try to run the scenario in the first place.  Chase Missions are particularly bad about this.  The only thing that may need touch-up is usually the map size.  2x2 is the smallest that a monthly game should be (~30x35 or vice versa).
5) Throw something interesting into scenario unit lineups roughly every other game, if the AtB doesn't do it for you.  Something that "shouldn't be there".  It gets boring seeing the same ~30 Mechs over and over.

[ItsTehPope]

Shall I warm up the Gauss rifles?

[deadlyfire2345]

Dragon can get on turn 2, regardless what is put in, will sit this one out unless absolutely needed.

[Ice]

Shall I warm up the Gauss rifles?

man those would be appreciated

Discussion thread for reinforcements and PC will be wanted after all is determined

terrain needs to be rerolled for sure

anyone have our fearless local CO number to let him know he has some planning to start and rerolls to make

[Hat]

I sent a text to Crusher, so he’s now aware.

[deadlyfire2345]

Salvage sheet is up.

[serrate]

Is there any interaction between Terrain and Map when only one is being rerolled?

Suggestions for other rerolls? Dawn/dusk means firing penalties.

Lances being considered for reinforcements, please post your probable lance makeup.


========================================================

2) Make changes to respect fluff.  Even with the 3039 retcons and the serious unit availability bumps that recent publications give to the MOC, having top-end foreign gear is immersion breaking.  Swapping those units for something that's more available to the faction, and a roughly equivalent level of optimization (Lancelot to Ostroc, Hermes II 5S to Clint) is how to fix that.

And that right there is why I won't be requesting a stint as GM. And also, why I GREATLY appreciate those that do it!

5) Throw something interesting into scenario unit lineups roughly every other game, if the AtB doesn't do it for you.  Something that "shouldn't be there".  It gets boring seeing the same ~30 Mechs over and over.

Glad to know you do this, as it also means someone could likely let you know that they've got X-rare mech painted up and would like to see it on the board sometime, and this can likely be accommodated. Something to keep in mind if I ever get to paint again...

[deadlyfire2345]

rolling terrain also affects the map of course. Maybe something with more hiding spots would be probable. My guess is either city or woods/mountain terrain. Maybe light as well.

[deadlyfire2345]

I am also trying to play tactically, which is why I am trying to hold back (but will concede if there is a need).
Almost any configuration I put in will result me getting in turn 2. (assuming Panther/Cicada are used. Turn 3 otherwise)
The Panther (6/9/6) and cicada (7/11/7) would be good for the vees.
I also have my Thunderbolt with a pilot that can IDF with ease.
My Vindicator and Shadow Hawk both have 2 PPCs for long range support.
Archer and Victor for both close quarters and range support.

[Ice]

Is there any interaction between Terrain and Map when only one is being rerolled?

Suggestions for other rerolls? Dawn/dusk means firing penalties.

Lances being considered for reinforcements, please post your probable lance makeup.


========================================================

2) Make changes to respect fluff.  Even with the 3039 retcons and the serious unit availability bumps that recent publications give to the MOC, having top-end foreign gear is immersion breaking.  Swapping those units for something that's more available to the faction, and a roughly equivalent level of optimization (Lancelot to Ostroc, Hermes II 5S to Clint) is how to fix that.

And that right there is why I won't be requesting a stint as GM. And also, why I GREATLY appreciate those that do it!

5) Throw something interesting into scenario unit lineups roughly every other game, if the AtB doesn't do it for you.  Something that "shouldn't be there".  It gets boring seeing the same ~30 Mechs over and over.

Glad to know you do this, as it also means someone could likely let you know that they've got X-rare mech painted up and would like to see it on the board sometime, and this can likely be accommodated. Something to keep in mind if I ever get to paint again...

They have a horrendous amount of long range firepower... lots of lrm 20s some 15s plenty of ppcs

Playing the range game maybe a bad idea this time

We probably should cut down the visibility by leaving the darkness and maybe rolling into heavy mountains/hills or city

Some of us have.mechs with searchlights that are bouncy enough to keep targets illuminated plus it cuts down the vehicles movement which holy hell the carriers

Any of the above still gives some lines from time to time but allows us to move and cover much easier

Trick will be to get a favorable deployment in the map

[Darrian Wolffe]

We probably should cut down the visibility by leaving the darkness and maybe rolling into heavy mountains/hills or city

Dude, there are a LOT of searchlights in that force.  Rifleman, both Osts, Crusader, and all FOUR Shads.  Darkness isn't going to help all that much.  And whatever we choose to have turn on its searchlight is going to get focus-fired to hell and back.  IMO Darkness is a perfectly legitimate force-multiplier in some games, but not this time.

Is there any interaction between Terrain and Map when only one is being rerolled?

I don't actually understand what you mean.  Maybe this will answer it.

If you reroll Terrain, it rerolls the base terrain type, AND the specific map settings.
If you reroll Map, it keeps the base terrain type (so if you're in a Heavy Urban environment you're *going* to see Urban stuff), but rerolls the specific map settings.

So currently, since you're in Flatlands Terrain, you're guaranteed to see *relatively* flat terrain.  You aren't going to see mountains or cliffs or sinkholes.  However, Flatlands can include towns, savannahs, plains, farms, a few types of towns, scattered forests, and so forth.

If you rerolled Terrain and got "Wetlands" Terrain, you're guaranteed to have a fair chunk of water on the map.  But it could be mountain lakes (not necessarily that specific map), swamps, woods with lakes, and even seaport towns.  But it'll have a bunch of water.

Does that help?

[Ice]

We probably should cut down the visibility by leaving the darkness and maybe rolling into heavy mountains/hills or city

Dude, there are a LOT of searchlights in that force.  Rifleman, both Osts, Crusader, and all FOUR Shads.  Darkness isn't going to help all that much.  And whatever we choose to have turn on its searchlight is going to get focus-fired to hell and back.  IMO Darkness is a perfectly legitimate force-multiplier in some games, but not this time.

Is there any interaction between Terrain and Map when only one is being rerolled?

I don't actually understand what you mean.  Maybe this will answer it.

If you reroll Terrain, it rerolls the base terrain type, AND the specific map settings.
If you reroll Map, it keeps the base terrain type (so if you're in a Heavy Urban environment you're *going* to see Urban stuff), but rerolls the specific map settings.

So currently, since you're in Flatlands Terrain, you're guaranteed to see *relatively* flat terrain.  You aren't going to see mountains or cliffs or sinkholes.  However, Flatlands can include towns, savannahs, plains, farms, a few types of towns, scattered forests, and so forth.

If you rerolled Terrain and got "Wetlands" Terrain, you're guaranteed to have a fair chunk of water on the map.  But it could be mountain lakes (not necessarily that specific map), swamps, woods with lakes, and even seaport towns.  But it'll have a bunch of water.

Does that help?

Fair enough on the searchlights and darkness for the mechs but my arguement was more for the vehicles is all

They do have a crap ton of lights so we wouldnt even really have to use ours negating the darkness penalty both ways to an extent  but with that many it will be just one mech pick a mech to light up

Forgot to double check the amount they had ffs

They have to choose to.leave the vehicles behind possibly depending on terrain and they slow in dark unless fail piloting or stick with them

However the vehicles may end up with them anyway

I will amend the statement to say reroll terrain and hope to get mountains/hills then reroll darkness

[serrate]

If you reroll Terrain, it rerolls the base terrain type, AND the specific map settings.
If you reroll Map, it keeps the base terrain type (so if you're in a Heavy Urban environment you're *going* to see Urban stuff), but rerolls the specific map settings.

Ok, that's exactly what I was asking. I assumed one was dependent on the other, but not vice versa.

Reroll terrain please.

I am also trying to play tactically, which is why I am trying to hold back (but will concede if there is a need).
<...I have lots of great mechs...>

I don't know what you're saying. 

[Darrian Wolffe]

Reroll terrain please.

Terrain: Flatlands
Map: Town-Ruin

2 rerolls left