A thought on weapons

[Mike H "Chugosh"]

I was mulling over how to translate certain MWDA models I have and looking over the other rule system about it. I was really considering using the old rule system, but then there is the huge temptation to buy a C note worth of books just to get all the rules, not to mention the other costs. Now I really like the idea of using the MWDA models, and going further, building a lot of N scale terrain to go with it.

Anyway, the way certain weapons work in the one system is not so much the way they work in Mech Attack, right? Particularly, the two classes of missile swarm weapon systems does not translate across direct. But if you looked at them a little askew, you could treat a missile system as a Machine gun, and then you get the special effect of multiple impacts from the swarm of rocketry.

This can be extended pretty easy in concept to the rest of the other guys' list of gadgetry. So your big directed energy gun can be, for instance, called a heavy cannon.

The point is, once you get it paid for in bp, then it matters little what it is called, so long as all is fair play, right?

[sharkbait]

I agree that the "name" of the weapon isn't really important. I plan to use the Mech Attack cannon stats for PPCs.

What missile systems are you referring to from MWDA? I'm not that familiar with many of the weapons from BT/MWm, especially the newer tech (I've only played with 3025-era stuff).

[Mike H "Chugosh"]

There are short range high damage missiles fired in smallish clusters and long range low damage missiles fired in large clusters. These are usually abbreviated to LRM and SRM. SRMs come in 2, 4, and 6 per volley and do two points damage per hit, and LRMs come in volleys of 5, 10, 15, and 20 and do one point each hit.

Frankly the AG:MA missiles make much more sense, but huge swarms of missiles was a big part of anime mecha battles at the time the original to battletech came out. Refer to Robotech.

To be frank, I played MWDA all of one turn some ten years ago and more. The rules never caught on with me being more similar to the other clicky games than the classic battletech. The models, being from the same game have all those giant racks of missiles.

The cannon is a great idea for the PPC. I mean to do the same.

[sharkbait]

Regarding PPCs, last night I thought about possibly using the cannon stats as a base, but increase the damage profile slightly. To compensate for the increased damage, raise the heat value to 2 and increase the Bp by 1.

Regarding the SRMs & LRMs, I'm not sure what to do. Maybe for the LRMs, use the Mech Attack missile range, heat, & Bp, but use the appropriate MG damage profile. This would ramdomize the effects.

For SRM's use the Mech Attack missile stats for heat, Bp, & Damage, but the laser range.

[Mike H "Chugosh"]

The SRM could use the AP machine gun stats straight up, I think, and be fine. The same would go for the PPC-- that is the same one block of penetration for the same extra bp bump as the AP machine gun.
The randomizing the damage locations will do the trick for the LRM.

The question is, do you think you really need to?

[sharkbait]

You know, it probably doesn't matter. There's a good variety of weapons in Mech Attack as it is, so it's probably not needed. However, I do like a wide variety of weapons, so ...

I'm probably going to keep missiles from my BT minis as the standard Mech Attack missiles regardless of type (from BT: SRM/LRM).

Adding a PPC or similar as well as a flame weapon may still be in the cards. Another thought I had was that one of my BT minis (I forget which one) has a multi-barreled gatling type gun. My initial response is just to treat it as a twin-linked MG.

[Mike H "Chugosh"]

That would work. The paper model for the heavy mg is already a rotary gun.

The flamer is going to be something very short range, comparatively, and do much more damage to troops that to mechs and vehicles.

[Dagger]

Missiles - I really enjoyed watching the multi-launch missile systems in the anime... but translating that to a miniatures game just bogged things down too much because of the multiple roles required. For gaming, I much prefer the idea of a single guidance-controlled version. As far as the MWDA figs go, I like to think of the missile pods as firing one missile at a time instead of all at once (see my avatar?).

PPC - A AGMA equivalent of the PPC might be called a Particle Energy Weapon or PEW (^_^). I'm just brainstorming, but it could look like this:

Light PEW, Bp=1, Rv=4/8, Hv=1
Dp=
xxx

Medium PEW, Bp=2, Rv=4/8, Hv=1
Dp=
xxx
xxx

Heavy PEW, Bp=3, Rv=4/8, Hv=1
Dp=
xxx
xxx
xxx

Obviously. it has a very short range, but it packs a very big punch. The light version has the same Dp as a light missile, but you can't fire a missile within 3 inches.

Thoughts?

[sharkbait]

I like the not-PPC. Sort of reminds me of the AC20 from Battletech: stay back and try to kill the mech with missiles. The range surely makes it more limited, but should it generate more heat, like lasers?

[Mike H "Chugosh"]

I like the PEW, and it is scary. The one weapon named for the sound everyone is making as the march their toys--er, models around the table.

The missile pods shooting only one missile at a time makes a lot more sense in my imagination, and looks plenty kewl with the backblast venting out and all that. Cool upgrade on the avatar, Dagger!

[sharkbait]

If you don't say "PEW" when shooting the PEW, then you automatically miss. This rule is not optional.

[Dagger]

PEW - Yeah, couldn't resist...

Heat - I think of the PEW as a weapon that generates most of it's energy as the particles react with the atmosphere... so less heat is generated in the weapon itself. That and if we raised the Hv to 2, we would need to extend the range to make it more balanced and playable.

[sharkbait]

the PEW does sound good. I certainly understand your reasoning behind the 1 Hv and range. So, when's the next edition of Mech Attack coming out?!?! ;D

[WaffleM]

Just a thought, but maybe rocket pods (lots of little rockets that fire all at once) could be treated like Machine Guns with AP rounds. Perhaps to balance the cost they only have limited ammunition even only one shot. Maybe you roll to "lock" instead of rolling to "hit". Failing to lock means that you couldn't get a shot off but you don't waste the ammo. Successful lock means your rockets fire and your ammo count drops by one.

[Dagger]

Rockets - I have a Vehicle only weapon in mind to implement Rockets. Basically it's an area effect weapon that does Machine Gun damage to any unit caught in the area. You'll have to roll for drift so accuracy isn't the best, but the range should be decent.

Which leads me to another question I had. I wanted to add some unit-specific items like Rockets for Vehicles and Mortars for Troops... but what items would be good for Mechs and Aircraft? Maybe make the Flamers mech only? Or maybe Flamers for Mechs, Mortars for Vehicles, Rockets for Aircraft, and Anti-Aircraft Cannon for Troops?

Next Edition - I'm about to deploy again, and once I get into a "groove" I should have more time to hammer out the rules. I like to focus on them while deployed because it's a great distraction and helps the time go by faster. I just need to flesh out the jump jet/flamers and then get on to Troop construction and then Aircraft rules and construction. After that it'll be all about polishing everything and making it pretty.