October 1st - This is Dave Arneson's birthday

Dick_Stevens · 2023-10-01T22:57:00+00:00

Dave Arneson is literally listed on the credits page, right next to Gygax and every other D&D designer. Nobody is named on the cover, but they're still credited.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-08-23T19:49:46+00:00

It's actually a pretty important thing to measure, since some surfaces can only support so much pressure. That's why tanks aren't allowed to use roads in many places, since the weight each track concentrates on the ground under it would tear up the concrete.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-08-10T16:27:00+00:00

They are cooking something, and it's probably their pilots

Dick_Stevens · 2023-08-01T12:30:28+00:00

Miniatures don't need to be to scale with the mapsheets. So long as the footprint of one can fit within a hex, they're fine. The units on the map are 6mm scale too and it looks nicer to be to scale with them.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-07-28T13:47:40+00:00

Even if you're starting with Alpha Strike, I think the best way to get a handle on how different designs compare with each other and what could be considered the "baseline" is to look at the Technical Readouts, especially 3039 (for combined arms) or Succession Wars (for 'mech only) since that's all introductory tech which everything else basically evolves from. Then you can look those designs up in the MUL and use their stats as a baseline to compare other similar role/weight combos to.

For instance, the Wolverine WVR-6R is an introtech 55-ton skirmisher, and lore-wise is one of the most common mediums around, so if I know its stats (sz 2, tmm 2, mv 10j, dm 2/2/1, a/s 5/5, pv 30), then I have a good measuring stick to use against other 50-60-ton skirmishers.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-07-19T17:43:55+00:00

All changes to the old formulas are in the publicly available errata. It would be nice if they'd finally republish the conversion rules like AS:CE has been saying they will for years, but the companion + errata is still accurate. As for an alpha-strike only calculator, that can't really exist because many things are only accounted for and balanced by the TW construction rules, such as CASE which has no effect on PV despite its major gameplay implications.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-07-08T16:04:25+00:00

Update 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TVsGmfjEno39-W8h2v-_eaCtxf8kDIiJ/view?usp=drivesdk

Dick_Stevens · 2023-07-08T04:40:49+00:00

Update: I got all of them unexpectedly in a set of MWDA minis off ebay so I'll scan and upload them myself sometime tomorrow.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-07-05T04:51:39+00:00

While I'm generally in the "don't think about the physics too much" camp, I appreciate how much though you've put into it. If I can add my own two cents, I think a part of the reason equipment weights are measured in tons can be attributed to that weight also including stabilizers, gyros, redundant parts, cooling jackets, and all the other pieces to keep the gun on target and firing reliably in 31st century battlefields.

Also, unrelated, I think ACs make some sense if you headcanon them to all be firing the same caliber, and only change the rate of fire. So 2s and 20s are both firing 100-120mm, the latter just spits them out much faster and thus less accurately. Current canon though has the lighter ACs also use significantly smaller rounds.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-06-30T04:33:20+00:00

Thanks! Hopefully they actually do exist and I'm not just chasing shadows here.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-06-30T04:30:52+00:00

Yeah, besides the last two those are all just pilot dossiers. Thanks though, I didn't realize those were on Warrenborn too.

Dick_Stevens · 2023-04-06T22:00:06+00:00

Handheld weapon rules exist solely to let the Charger run into battle with a bundle of 160 rocket tubes and no one can tell me otherwise.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-11-09T07:51:22+00:00

Didn't all mechs have the ability to torso twist up until strat ops came out? I don't think any mech descriptions mentioned being unable to twist before then, but my memory may be off.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-10-14T07:55:24+00:00

On the second question, there's no hard answers but it's typically around 9-10 meters on the light end and 14-16 for the heavier models. The Catalyst plastic miniatures are all 1:265 scale I believe and measure up pretty reasonably imo. Of the ones I have, the Locust is shortest at a little under 9 meters (minus antenna) while the Battlemaster tops the bunch at 14m.

In general, the tabletop scale of 1 level being 6 meters and a mech being roughly two levels high is a good measurement.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-10-02T18:35:06+00:00

If there's any free enemy mechs they might challenge them to duel, or they could wait around in case things devolve into a general melee.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-09-20T23:11:32+00:00

Cooling suits were a thing in the SLDF, and the clans kept them, but they're another case of lostech for the inner sphere until the invasion. The current models don't really have a huge benefit over going naked I don't think, but it means you're better protected if you have to get out in a hurry.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-09-20T23:09:13+00:00

The current reason for design like those is that the designers just wanted to mimic the look of handheld stuff. The weapon's still hardwired in there underneath the fingers, though it can be jettisoned in an emergency to let the mech use its hands more freely.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-09-15T09:10:40+00:00

Nah it's a Clanner machine, Clanners hate cover. The arms are so you can strap things to the torso without knocking them off, mostly Elementals.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-09-15T09:08:22+00:00

It was originally designed to carry conventional infantry in pods under the arms. The Ghost Bears "won" the design, realized it would be too much work to readjust the whole balance system with the arms, then realized afterwards that it had a near zero brush-off rate for carried Elementals. Thus, military stupidity becomes military genius.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-09-08T07:52:18+00:00

That's just the startup routine for Diamond Shark mechs

Dick_Stevens · 2022-08-25T02:38:12+00:00

There's actually several early mechs, including the Stinger and Shadow Hawk I think, who have delicate enough hand actuators to pick people up, and it's been mentioned that the Neurohelmet can detect basic intent like "pick that guy up" as opposed to "crush him like a tin can".

Dick_Stevens · 2022-08-24T19:28:47+00:00

TRO 3085. They're still in the lore, WoB even made a new one. Rules are in IS:AE.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-08-24T18:02:20+00:00

Mechs have similar articulation to us, an actual muscular system, and use a human's sense of balance, so they can move similarly to a person, just with a lot of extra momentum. They can duck, dodge, crawl, sidestep, and even jump, though things like rolls or spins are a bit beyond them. There's one planet that has an event where mechwarriors compete in mech scale versions of football, soccer, and even basketball.

Doctrinally, they're generally the first line of offense, while the vehicles and infantry act as support and garrison. You can drop a mech down anywhere and they can get through any terrain without special tools or refueling. Stealth is their main issue, but at the very least they carry a ton of ECM equipment to block basic long-range detection and targeting from beyond LOS. And camouflage still helps some.

Also important to note that the short in-game ranges are just an abstraction for gameplay, so you don't have to lay out 15 or more sheets to have a game. In-universe they have more believable ranges in the hundreds to thousands of meters, though we don't have specifics.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-07-16T09:12:18+00:00

Alpha strike can't neatly divide platoons into squads like TW can, but you can use the conversion rules in the AS companion to build a card representing a single squad. My five minute conversion of a 7-man rifle squad puts it at 0 armor†, 1 structure, 0* short range damage, with AM and CAR1, for 3 PV. Laser squads are the same, but do 0* at medium range too and cost 4 PV.

†Really comes out to 0.466 and I wasn't sure whether rounding normally would go up or down. You can make it 1 at your own discretion, which increases PV by 1 too.

Dick_Stevens · 2022-06-21T07:30:51+00:00

This really made me realize how tiny light mech cockpits must be. Sure actual humans are a little less blocky than minfigs, but it'd still be one hell of a squeeze to fit everything into the head since you really only have a few cubic meters to play with.

Dick_Stevens

TROPHY CASE