SDN Megamek/(Battletech) Game!

[Nephtys]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/megamek/
Hey everyone! Let's get some sort of Battletech going, using the excellent Megamek Java client. It removes the pain and fuss of tracking heat, ammunition, damage, criticals, hit locations, movement modifier, target modifier, cover, smoke, etc with the cold and calculating efficiency of using a soulless machine.

The current version (v0.34.5) can be downloaded at
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... _id=692887

Who would be interested? And if so, what tech level or time period would be best?

Tech1 IS? (3025)
Tech2 IS? (3050/55)
Clanners?
Clanners vs IS?
Solaris VII?

Would we be interested in an STGOD-style campaign vs each other, or single games mostly? I'd be quite up for getting rules and such set up if it was the former.

[VF5SS]

I'm down for 3025. I don't know much about the inner workings of the setting, but I know the game itself pretty well. Maybe we should start out with some simple skirmishes to get people up to speed.

[White Haven]

I'd be down for a campaign, I always have a lot more fun when it's not in isolation. Either an STGOD setup or an OPFOR'd campaign of some sort if someone/someones feels like being the punching bag(s).

[Karrick]

I'm up for it. I'm more familiar with the time immediately before the arrival of the clans and onwards setting-wise, but I'm equally unfamiliar with the rules no matter what we do. I vote for campaign of some kind and VF5SS's idea about a skirmish or two for familiarization purposes sounds good.

[dragon]

Willing to try done it a couple of times with a couple of soldiers that were in my unit but never over a bb.

[VF5SS]

Nephtys and I exchanged headshots in near the mountains. It was beautiful.

[Nephtys]

Yep, 2x2 mountains plains area.

The villainous Nephtys fielded the following Lance:
Banshee BNC-3S
Warhammer WHM-6D
Enforcer ENF-4R
Jenner JR7-F

The valiant VF5SS fielded the following Lance:
Grasshopper GHR-5H
Catapult CPLT-C1
Vindicator VND-1R
Dervish DV-6M

[Covenant]

I'd have some dim interest in this if it starts, if only because the megamek games can be fun, but I'm generally opposed to the idea of permanent asset loss in a game for fun. If I like my warhammer, and I use it a lot because it's my favorite mech, and someone greases it, then I've got no more warhammer and my fun is much decreased--as is my willingness to play any more.

As I told Neph, organizing these things by Battlevalue makes more sense than tonnage or any other methodology, as BV is a more honest appraisal of unit worth than the other stuff. That will, at least, make the risk/reward nature of the game less troublesome to deal with. And if you give people an STGOD-style point value to buy stuff with, this can translate into BV well, so that you simply buy things with your battlevalue allowance. That way you losing your big mech isn't as painful, as ideally you can replace it and get back in the game without creating a negative feedback loop of "I lost my good stuff, so now I suck, and now I lost my sucky stuff too."

But if we created a campaign of some sort, made a list of stuff you're allowed to buy to put some limits in there... and then just otherwise let people go wild, you can just report the losses, determine what BV you've lost (both in terms of damaged meks and to the cost of repairs) and the campaign would be simple to track. You could do factional point pools if you want. I'd be a lot less interested if this were merely solo factions though. I like cooperative stuff more. But anyway, like I told Neph, no need to cater to me--but I thought I'd at least mention some thoughts.

[Steve]

I may have some interest, it's been years since I played MegaMek with friends on SB.

Oh, those were fun times. Like the occasion where Gil Hamilton and I killed each other after causing a third player in the free-for-all to, heh, fall off the edge of the world. (A failed DFA attack due to battle damage in the turn causing him to fall displaced him off the map and caused the game to consider him dead).

[Chris OFarrell]

Ah Megamech.

Been so long since I've played that game. Had some great memories though.

[PainRack]

lol. the game that gave me a huge headache trying to figure out how to connect it to the internet.

[VF5SS]

Yeah, Nephtys and I had some difficulties starting up. Also if anyone is interested I've got a few non-standard sized maps I made using the map editor. I'm still trying to figure out all the features of Megamek. It's even got full Aerotech rules for air and space battles.

[Nephtys]

Yeah, Nephtys and I had some difficulties starting up. Also if anyone is interested I've got a few non-standard sized maps I made using the map editor. I'm still trying to figure out all the features of Megamek. It's even got full Aerotech rules for air and space battles.

To be fair, it was only my port forwarding arrangement. I added MM to the Router and then we were gold.

[VF5SS]

Anyone interested in a skirmish tonight?

[Darksider]

Is there any way for me to pick up the early era TRO's and get in on this?

[Dark Hellion]

I wouldn't be up to a campaign but I will play skirmish and could do some NPC battles. I am very rusty on the game though, so if anyone would like to play send me a PM and we can try to schedule a skirmish.

[Steve]

Might I suggest an AIM Chatroom for scheduling such games?

[Steve]

I took the initiative and created a chat room on AIM (with Trillian), "sdnmegamek".

[Steve]

And Rogue and I have been unable to get the damned thing to connect. I've set up my router to forward port 2346, I set up Windows Firewall to accept that, I've done everything I can think of save completely removing the router from the loop and directly plugging my cable modem into the computer with all the security risks that entails.

[Steve]

Ha, it was Rogue's end. I'm teaching him the ropes now.

[Steve]

Steve: So, want to try a different map, maybe different units?
RogueIce: Once Michael Weston has finished killing you.
Steve: LOL
MegaMek: Game saved to savegames\autosave.sav
RogueIce: I appear to have fallen into the water.
Steve: You must've failed your piloting roll.
RogueIce: Yes I did.
Steve: The great Michael Weston FAILED HIS PILOTING ROLL to move into WATER.
RogueIce: At least he stood up.
RogueIce: Barely.



And the text from MegaMek:

Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) must make a piloting skill check while moving from hex 1116 to hex 1015 (entering Depth 1 Water).
Needs 4 [5 (Base piloting skill) - 1 (entering Depth 1 Water)], rolls 3 : falls.
Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) falls 0 level(s) into hex 1015
Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) falls on its front, suffering 1 damage.
Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) takes 1 damage to LA. 3 Internal Structure remaining <<<Commando COM-3H-TF LA BREACHED>>>
Critical hit on LA. Roll is 6; no effect.
Pilot of Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) "Michael Weston" must roll 4 to avoid damage; rolls 8 : succeeds.

Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) must make a piloting skill check (getting up).
Needs 5 [5 (Base piloting skill) + 0 (getting up)], rolls 6 : succeeds.


Update:

That bastard, he killed me!



Weapons fire for Commando COM-1D (Steve)
Large Laser at Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce); needs 8, rolls 8 : hits (using Left Side Partial cover table) LA
Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) takes 8 damage to LA. <<<SECTION DESTROYED>>>,
5 damage transfers to LT.
Critical hit on LA. Roll is 6; no effect.
Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce) takes 5 damage to LT. 4 Armor remaining.

Weapons fire for Commando COM-3H-TF (RogueIce)
Large Laser at Commando COM-1D (Steve); needs 6, rolls 12 : hits LT
Commando COM-1D (Steve) takes 8 damage to LT. <<<SECTION DESTROYED>>>,<<<LIMB BLOWN OFF>>> Left Arm blown off.
6 damage transfers to CT.
Critical hit on LT. Roll is 8; 1 location.
<<<CRITICAL HIT>>> on SRM 6 Ammo (13).
*** SRM 6 Ammo EXPLODES! 156 DAMAGE! ***
Commando COM-1D (Steve) suffers catastrophic damage, but the autoeject system was engaged.
Commando COM-1D (Steve) must make a piloting skill check (landing in water).
Needs 10 [5 (ejecting) + 5 (Mech is prone) + 1 (automatic ejection) - 1 (landing in water)], rolls 6 : fails.
Pilot of MechWarrior Unnamed (Steve) "Unnamed" takes 2 damage.
The pilot ejects safely!

[Steve]

BAH.



Winner is: TEAM #2

Steve: 0 BV remaining (from 1045 initially)
RogueIce: 983 BV remaining (from 1434 initially)

Survivors are:
Buccaneer BCN-3R (RogueIce)
Pilot : Fiona Glenanne [4/5]
Kills : 1


Graveyard contains:
Nightsky NGS-5S (Steve)
Pilot : Sam Axe [4/5] ( 1 hit(s) )
Kills : 0
Destroyed by Buccaneer BCN-3R (RogueIce)


I should've known Fi > Sam....

It's beginner's luck I say! BEGINNER'S LUCK! ....plus I'm rusty after not playing for over six years, that too....

Edit:



RogueIce: RIP Sam Axe. Fiona gets Mike all to herself now.
RogueIce: The shippers will be pleased.
RogueIce: Slash fans are SOL though.
Steve: LOL.

[RogueIce]

It's beginner's luck I say! BEGINNER'S LUCK! ....plus I'm rusty after not playing for over six years, that too....

If that's what helps you sleep better at night...
Spoiler

...next match we have I lose hard. I've just sealed my fate...

[VF5SS]

I'm up for a game. Just chillin' in the sdnmegamek chatroom.

[Karrick]

I'll be up for a game (or several) Sunday and all week. I'd have been around sooner, but some of those pesky 'real life' things came up.