ScrapYard Armory

Give Combined Arms a Chance

A well respected poster on the Classic BattleTech forums recently chimed in when discussing the Inner Sphere in Flames rules.

The main problem with ISiF is that there’s no real reason to build much of anything but 3025 Light ‘Mech Companies.

He is absolutely right. When you look at the combat strength of all the units available in the game, those light companies are the most efficient cost wise. Add in the fact that factories produce units in batches (each line produces 3 resource points worth of units per month) and it is obvious we have a problem.

On page 15 under a section labeled “Battle Field Tactics“, combined arms is described as a vital component of a leaders military arsenal. The rules should fit that fiction.

Solution: Give a bonus to all forces that use combined arms.

It’s simple and the bonus can be modified to reflect the wants and desires of the particular group playing the game.

Combat and the Game Turn

Each turn in the Grand Strategic Game lasts one month. Each force can be given up to four orders in a turn. This makes perfect sense. The average recharge time for a KF-Drive is around a week. Sounds innocent enough, but when you start moving multiple units around to conquer planets, the cracks in the foundation show.

The critical flaw is in how combat is resolved. Whenever two forces end movement on the same planet, you get a battle. Each move takes one week to resolve. Combat is resolved all at once however. If two opposing forces are already on a planet at the start of the turn and are not ordered to retreat, they fight for the entire turn. Now what if the invading force is two jumps away? First order is to move, the second order is to assault the plant in question. Combat occurs just the same, even though the invading force is only on planet for 3/4 of a turn, the damage potential remains the same as if they had been fighting the entire month.

What if the invading force is three jumps away?  What if there are three forces invading, each different distances from the target?

You can go on and on making up examples that just don’t make sense.

Solution: Break up combat into four parts to reflect what is already happens with movement.

The record keeping becomes a bit more convoluted, but the damage dealt in combat is properly synchronized with the game turn.  We deal with the record keeping next.

Cutting Out the GM

As previously mentioned on this blog, my own venture into a forum based Grand Strategic Game failed. By the time we got to turn 8 or so, the game master was simply overwhelmed by the workload required to process our orders. And all we did was a regional conflict. Imagine the chaos a full Succession War sized conflict would have wrought.

To make matters worse, we weren’t even using most of the espionage rules or the advanced economy rules. It just was beyond what one or even a group of people are able to accomplish between forum posts and emailed spread sheets.  Its a shame really.  The prospect of tangled webs of espionage and special ops forces behind enemy lines is something that made the game so appealing to me.

Military actions are just as screwed.  The more forces in play the bigger and badder the record keeping becomes.  Spreadsheets balloon and sooner rather than later mistakes creep in.  Most gamers don’t cheat.  But I unashamedly admit to making a mistake now and again.  Simple innocent mistakes can possibly undermine the credibility of the game.  No game master can possibly keep proper tabs on a cache of information required for even a regional conflict.

Solution: Design and program a stand-alone computer program that automates the whole game.

I’m talking about a program that will allow any group of gamers to host their very own Grand Strategic Games in any era that will handle regional conflicts as well as full blown succession wars.

I have no delusions about my programming ability.  It is going to be tough and I’m likely to have to learn a thing or two along the way to make it happen.  I’m nothing if not persistent.

I have some gamers from the Classic BattleTech community in the wings kicking my ass along the way.  Want to join them?  Leave a comment or contact me.

Combat Operations was printed in 2003 and privided fans with an incomplete rule set for a grand strategic game set in the Battletech universe.  It was bad.  Really bad.  I have to beleive that a better job could have been done on this product on a number of fronts.  This is the first of a series of posts on building a better grand strategic game.

Please keep in mind that the intent of this article is not to bash Fan Pro or those who worked on the product.  I love Classic Battletech and want it to succeed but recognize that this sourcebook was not their best effort.  My hopes are high that when Strategic Operations is released (2009?) the new overhauled rule set will be everything we could want and maybe a bit more.

Without further adieu, on to the analysis.

Where were the proofreaders?

Doing something besides proofreading that is for sure.  This section just stinks of a understaffed product that was rushed to the printers well before it was ready.  I’m sorry but it’s true.  Lets look at some evidence.

Page 83:

Terminology: This section uses the same terminology as described in the BattleTech Operations Rules, p.XX

The ‘XX’ is actually in the book.  It happens there and two more times within the next two sentences.  This is basic stuff here.  I understand as you write a book you need to use some TBDs but you need to fill them in before going to the printers!

On page 89:

Warships are prime targets for enemy sabotage and so factions may spend RP to protect them against such endeavors.  Each RP spent reduces the chance of sabotage against one Warship by 25 percent.  See Espionage, p. 94.

See page 94?  Don’t mind if I do:

Agents may attempt to cripple or destroy enemy Warships, with each attempt costing 10 RP.  The chance of success is 10 percent, +5 percent for each extra RP spent and -3 for each RP spent on security by the controlling player.

So we have two sections of the rules saying completely different things.  Players attempting to piece these rules together have a hard enough time without these inconsistencies.  This brings me to my next bone to pick though.

Where is the Flow?

There are those in the CBT community that have this issue with Total Warfare.  If you want to look up rules for aerospace fighters, you might find yourself parsing three separate sections in order to find what you are looking for.  The Grand Strategic Game shares this issue.  You will find espionage rules within the spending resources section, security rules mixed between special operations and spending resources and other inconsistent placements.

This just adds to the confusion and makes it difficult for players to get a firm grasp on whats happening.  And if you need to look up a rule?  You might find yourself combing the pages one by one until you wander across what you are looking for by accident because whatever it is you needs is never where you assume it should be.

That’s enough for part I.  As I’ve mentioned in a prior post I am in the process of reworking the Grand Strategic Game rules to be playable and automated.  The next post on this topic will examine game mechanics and balance concerns.  Please post a comment if you’d like to share.

This Free Worlds League Militia mixed company features some great designs along with some less than stellar examples of Marik engineering capability. Yes I know it’s not a standard company. These miniatures represent a multi-month project of getting representative Marik troops painted up. With Mechs, Vees, Groundpounders, and Aero all represented, I’m fairly pleased. It’s nice to have options when you have to proxy.

• Awesome 9Q
• Dervish
• Eagle
• Hammer
• Hermes II
• Whitworth
• Heavy Tracked APC x2
• SRM Carrier
• Striker Light Tank
• Achilieus Battle Armor (1 each Laser, Flamer, Machine Gun)
• Standard Foot Infantry x2
• Thrush
• Transit

All miniatures were bought from my local friendly gaming store and are Iron Wind Metal originals. Decals are Fighting Pirannha Graphics. Paints are Vallejo Game Colors.

Individual images are below. Each is a thumbnail that links to the full image. Enjoy.

Comments are always welcome. I know that I’m a far cry from CamoSpecs, but they pass muster on the tabletop.

Highlights from the Battle Chat held today. There certainly were a few choice bits of information revealed. We have a lot to look forward to!

I missed the first 20 minutes or so. As such, I’ll update this post after the transcript gets out if anything else earth shattering was revealed while I was absent.

GenCon 2008 and other conventions:

GhostBear: a two-day canon game, a major AT2 space battle, several tournaments and the standard boot camps and grinders

Tara_Bills: You should really try hard to make it to your local Cons. We are sending prize support to a lot as well as trying to show up to more than just GenCon and Origins.

[There will be a shiny new hardback at GenCon this year.]

Technical Readout 3039 and the Unseen:

Precenter Martial Emeritus: But after the fan ‘outcry’ we had some very quick and thorough meetings discussing the pros and cons and decided that it actually was better to include them. Worked with the printer to make sure we could include it without pumping the price off the introductory 29.99 price and then raced forward to make it happen.

Strategic Operations:

[The Inner Sphere in Flames rule set] will be overhauled and meshed with the planetary assault rules from Battle Force 2, so it can plug into the Battle Force advanced rules going in Strategic Operations and the Battle Force standard rules in Tactical Operations.

Technical Readout 3075:

Precenter Martial Emeritus: So many products… really… a pile of products are being worked on, many of them that you guys won’t expect at all but I think you’ll go crazy over… fingers crossed… ;-) course, Probably one of the biggest… you guys keep demanding a ‘all new’ TRO… so we thought we’d give you one… look for it a lot quicker than you might think…

We are getting a brand new Technical Readout! I’m excited. Many thanks to the powers that be for putting on this chat. Perhaps, a bit more notice can be given next time though. One hour does not seem like enough if you want to give more fans the opportunity to participate.

Dreamation 2008 was held at the Hilton Woodbridge last month. This event featured an abbreviated Clan Ghost Bear star against a mixed Periphery vehicle force defending a supply depot. The battle had some great action.

My thanks go out to Jim “Ratboy” Williamson for hosting the event and supplying the fantastic miniatures and terrain. Visit his site here.

Ghost Bear Raiding Party

• Cougar Prime
• Dragonfly Prime
• Dasher Prime
• Shadowcat Prime

Total Battle Value: 5750

Periphery Planetary Defense Forces

• Rommel Tank x 2
• Warrior H7 Attack Copter x 2
• Myrmidon Medium Tank x 2
• Scimitar Medium Hover Tank x 2
• Bulldog Medium Tank x 3
• Manticore Heavy Tank x 2

Total Battle Value: 5854

Turn 1

Both forces rush toward the center of the battle field. Forces remain outside of effective range for now.

Turn 2

The Scimitars and Warrior Attack Copters spread hits across the Shadowcats torso. A few scattered missiles manage hits against the Dragonfly as well but nothing penetrates.

The Clan forces return fire and destroy a Scimitar stabilizer and jamming one Warrior Attack VTOLs SRM4. The Shadowcat took aim but could not hit with the gauss rifle. The Inner Sphere vehicle crews breath a sigh of relief.

Turn 3

Through a blistering hail of missiles and lasers the only significant

damage dealt is a lone Manticore’s motive system. Substantial damage reduces the vehicle to half its original movement.

The lone Dasher activates MASC and rushes behind the Inner Sphere forces for a better shot.

Turn 4

The gauss rifle finally finds armor, coring through the lead Scimitars front armor, destroying the vehicle. The Warrior VTOL crew counts it’s lucky stars as a flurry of Clan weapons fire, including several pulse lasers all somehow miss their target.

The Dasher meanwhile, presses its luck and fails to navigate the ferrocrete. The pilots failure to control his ‘Mech sends him skidding across the ground very nearly causing critical damage. The Inner Sphere forces were not able to capitalize due to their lack of maneuverability. No clean shots were available against the downed clan ‘Mech.

Turn 5

The Dragonfly disengages to the east while Inner Sphere forces attempt to corner their Clan foes on the North and South ends of the battle. A Mymidon receives a potent gauss rifle slug for his trouble while return fire is limited to a lone SRM6 rack that peppers the Shadowcat’s already damaged torso.

The Dasher brought his ‘Mech upright and attempted to rejoin the fray. However, a Rommel tank had other ideas and managed to rip the OmniMech in two with a well placed AC20 round from long range.

The Cougar begins to find its stride and dispatches a Scimitar with a volley of pulse lasers and LRMs.

Turn 6

The Cougar, confident of its superior range, begins to pelt the vehicle crews from afar.

The Dragonfly remains cautious as it slinks behind woods awaiting a clearer shot.

The Shadowcat pilot goes toe to toe with a Bulldog tank and plowed a gauss slug into the front armor. The Bulldog returned the favor, melting away tons of armor, mostly from the already damaged torso section. The vehicle crew is astonished that the Clan ‘Omni took no critical damage. The Shadowcat pilot abandoned whatever was left of Zell and threw its weight behind a kick. The kick was aimed perfectly collapsing the front armor. The crew compartment was crushed in the process, instantly killing the entire crew.

Turn 7

The Clan forces maneuver to take advantage of their long range weapons against the slowing Inner Sphere opposition. All attacks are from long range. The Cougar destroys a Rommel tank with lasers and missiles.

Turn 8

The Inner Sphere VTOLs give chase to Cougar but fail to inflict meaningful damage. A sole pulse laser is more than the lead copter can defend against and crashes.

The remaining Inner Sphere forces consolidate and edge themselves backward toward the supply depot.

Turn 9

Another VTOL is brought down with a well placed pulse laser shot. The Inner Sphere tanks feel desperation creeping up and launch themselves towards the Clan OmniMechs unable to muster an effective offense at range.

The Ghost Bears are content to to dance behind cover and pick off the tanks as them rush towards them.

Turn 10 – INNER SPHERE FORCES SURRENDER

Out gunned and now out maneuvered, the Inner Sphere forces surrender the battle instead of risking everything in a bloody battle of attrition.

The first quarter of 2008 will bring 3 new products to Classic Battletech, and only one of them is designed for established players.

New players to the game and perhaps some returning to the game after a long hiatus will find plenty to be thankful for. The Starter Set is an amazing entry into Classic Battletech. It is astonishing how much Catalyst Game Labs fit into a $39.99 MSRP.

Starter Book Sword and Dragon continues the introduction with vibrant full color pages. The Federated Suns and the Draconis Combine rivalry is an excellent backdrop for new players to dive into the game. The presentation of this book is top notch.

For the first quarter new and returning players are now being treated to Technical Readout: 3039 as well as Blake Ascending: Jihad Conspiracies.

Older established players may balk at a TRO based on old designs they already have stats for. And everyone who already has Dawn of the Jihad and Jihad HotSpots has absolutely no need for Blake Ascending.

The fall of FanPro and the transfer to Catalyst surely cost some dollars. The chain of new products is a financial gamble to get enough new players through the door. If they stick around long enough to buy up other Catalyst products then we all win.

Classic Battletech needs to grow or it will die. I for one hope this gamble pays off.