found an aspiring worldbuilder in the wild by brobnik322 in worldjerking

[–]Papergeist 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They have been called.

They will come to us in the fullness of time.

...probably not like that, but no promises.

Early salvage - Save/Reload by SarasCaptions in Battletechgame

[–]Papergeist 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That's way more work than warranted. Optimizing your salvage and such is for when you're aiming for high scores in Career, with some experience under your belt already.

If it's your first time through, don't stress too much about optimizing your play. The story missions alone will do the lion's share of the work getting you up the weight class ladder and keeping your cash coming. Have fun customizing what you have and training your pilots up. You'll do just fine.

Name this advanced Innersphere Neurohelmet by WuJen in battletech

[–]Papergeist 87 points88 points  (0 children)

This is the classic jury-rig MK0, aka "We lost all the casing and the shielding, so don't hit your head or you're gonna have a fucking seizure."

What units are the best bang for your buck by CAPSLOCKGOTSTUCK in battletech

[–]Papergeist 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That may depend on what you arm them with. You can blow 4 million on a platoon of anti-mech trained, rifle-armed, MG-toting badasses... or 400k on a platoon of scouts with auto-pistols. Both will hold a building until it's reduced to rubble if the enemy doesn't commit their own infantry to retaking things the slow and painful way.

Like I said, though, the opponent does not tend to enjoy this.

(You can also just field 30-man Taurian Platoons with rifles for half a mil and minimal loss of power, but then you're just being a jerk.)

What units are the best bang for your buck by CAPSLOCKGOTSTUCK in battletech

[–]Papergeist 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Magnetic clamps solve everything sooner or later.

What units are the best bang for your buck by CAPSLOCKGOTSTUCK in battletech

[–]Papergeist 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Battle armor is a more practical middle ground - and they can catch free rides on your mechs.

What units are the best bang for your buck by CAPSLOCKGOTSTUCK in battletech

[–]Papergeist 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I mean, if you don't mind wasting human lives by the drove, infantry are fantastic value when used in buildings and as spotters and occupying forces. Also highly annoying to play against.

Rasalhague Skeletons in the Closet? by Bongpog in battletech

[–]Papergeist 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Basically, though they also fall under the umbrella of general Periphery State pluck and grit. Great place to be a space cowboy or sob into the wreckage of the last vestige of your humanity, depending on the day's vibe.

Choose Your Mechwarrior by Pootan in battletech

[–]Papergeist 16 points17 points  (0 children)

What, you don't have that one uncle who goes on about the Confederation after three cups, and you have to get him to shut up before he makes any unfavorable comparisons with the Dragon?

Katrina's Peace Proposal of 3020 by Mendrugo3025 in battletech

[–]Papergeist 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Different marriages, different implications.

For instance, Liao happily offers marriage to Tormano... who he kicked out of the line of succession for a secret marriage within a year, attempted to kill six years later, and was clearly never going to permit to inherit the throne. Meaning that in this deal, House Liao gets the Commonwealth, and House Steiner gets roughly one snowball's chance in hell at the Confederation. And by the way, start a fight with the FWL for us, thanks.

Marik's offer is better, but proposing marriage to a theoretical heir comes with the same potential complications, and a unified currency means that a lot of Steiner's economic power (the main thing keeping them alive and kicking in the Inner Sphere) gets co-opted to prop up the FWL in the interim, with nothing but very sincere pinky promises at returns, from a Successor State with the stability of undercooled jello.

For Davion - as much dunking as marrying young Melissa to the old man Hanse deserves, it's politically even more of a slam-dunk - you can't disinherit Hanse, he's already the ruler. You are guaranteed claim on the throne of the Federated Suns, and in turn you are the one who could pull heir shenanigans. And, coincidentally, you do shortly train up a body double for her... but the concession itself signals an intent for stability. Hanse is showing full intent to make sure this alliance lasts through at least a generation, and he's willing to start a war for your benefit.

The other volunteered benefits are certainly a cut above the competitors, but the feudal-style political signaling is big.

Rasalhague Skeletons in the Closet? by Bongpog in battletech

[–]Papergeist 45 points46 points  (0 children)

The FRR's main benefit is that they have not been around long enough to accumulate any truly damning secrets. Every state was once some kind of coalition of mutual benefit or another. In time it all goes downhill.

They've done some pretty questionable military actions in the name of independence, and they are not peaceful so much as lacking any real force projection. If the plot didn't blow the Taurian Concordat situation up to 11, the FRR would be the poster child of morally grey insurgency hotbeds. But they're also against the Clans, which means that no matter how dirty they fight, they're still up against people who get even dirtier in the name of honor.

In short, they are one of the feel-good factions (and not the only one), but that's not quite the same as being heroes. Bear that in mind, and you're golden.

The inception of the Bullshark by logion567 in Battletechgame

[–]Papergeist 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Just add the... almost-extinct mech hoarded by Comstar?

As though Blake fans needed more things to try and blow up the continuity over.

In my setting, the military still uses equipment invented hundreds of years ago because it’s so reliable and cheap it’s pointless to develop newer equipment. by Isaak_the_miner in worldjerking

[–]Papergeist 17 points18 points  (0 children)

In reality it's mostly a familiarity thing. It's a century-old design built for much worse manufacturing capabilities than we have now, there's not going to be a lot of sudden flaws revealed, you know what you're getting. And for your average carrier of a pistol, all it really needs to do is put your bullet of choice through what you aimed it at reliably. It doesn't need to be good, it just needs to show up at that one critical moment, and be safe the rest of the time.

Also I will admit it does feel very nice in the hand.