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Playing battletech not on a tabletop?


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#1 TheRulesLawyer

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Posted 17 November 2011 - 03:49 PM

Where are the oddest places you've played battletech? I had a friend back in middle school who had taken the entire attic above his garage and plastered the floor with map sheets. We had a huge running game up there that could have regiments moving independently and sending fast movers to support other parts of the line several map sheets away.

#2 DocBach

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Posted 17 November 2011 - 04:28 PM

We ran a roleplaying session over our radio headsets in an M1117 ASV on a mission from Tikrit to Mosul. My gunner complained about it the entire time, it seemed was a torturous eight hours for him to have to hear everyone else in the truck describe what their characters were doing, even more so when the TC told him he had to play - he ended up disconnecting his headset, after shouting "What the hell is going on??" The TC, SSG Frog responded, "It's MechWarrior, and you're on a quest!" :)

Posted Image
The driver and Gamemaster on the left, gunner (unwilling player) in the middle, me on the right, and our TC SSG Frog taking the picture.

#3 Droz

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Posted 17 November 2011 - 04:45 PM

View PostDocBach, on 17 November 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

We ran a roleplaying session over our radio headsets in an M1117 ASV on a mission from Tikrit to Mosul. My gunner complained about it the entire time, it seemed was a torturous eight hours for him to have to hear everyone else in the truck describe what their characters were doing, even more so when the TC told him he had to play - he ended up disconnecting his headset, after shouting "What the hell is going on??" The TC, SSG Frog responded, "It's MechWarrior, and you're on a quest!" :)

Posted Image
The driver and Gamemaster on the left, gunner (unwilling player) in the middle, me on the right, and our TC SSG Frog taking the picture.


Epic game playing is epic.

#4 Spectr

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Posted 17 November 2011 - 04:51 PM

View PostDocBach, on 17 November 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

We ran a roleplaying session over our radio headsets in an M1117 ASV on a mission from Tikrit to Mosul. My gunner complained about it the entire time, it seemed was a torturous eight hours for him to have to hear everyone else in the truck describe what their characters were doing, even more so when the TC told him he had to play - he ended up disconnecting his headset, after shouting "What the hell is going on??" The TC, SSG Frog responded, "It's MechWarrior, and you're on a quest!" :)

Posted Image
The driver and Gamemaster on the left, gunner (unwilling player) in the middle, me on the right, and our TC SSG Frog taking the picture.

You are a legend among men. Thank you for gracing our presence.

I wish I had some cool stories, but never played much. A lot less effort to find a match online than to convince people your not a crazy person for saying "Reactor online. Sensors online. Weapons systems online. All functioning systems nominal."

#5 Garth Erlam

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Posted 17 November 2011 - 05:02 PM

View PostDocBach, on 17 November 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

We ran a roleplaying session over our radio headsets in an M1117 ASV on a mission from Tikrit to Mosul. My gunner complained about it the entire time, it seemed was a torturous eight hours for him to have to hear everyone else in the truck describe what their characters were doing, even more so when the TC told him he had to play - he ended up disconnecting his headset, after shouting "What the hell is going on??" The TC, SSG Frog responded, "It's MechWarrior, and you're on a quest!" :) Posted Image The driver and Gamemaster on the left, gunner (unwilling player) in the middle, me on the right, and our TC SSG Frog taking the picture.


I think you've killed the thread with too much awesome.

#6 Atlas3060

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Posted 17 November 2011 - 07:25 PM

There isn't enough times I can slam the like button down for that story!

#7 StoneRhino

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 08:12 AM

View PostDocBach, on 17 November 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

We ran a roleplaying session over our radio headsets in an M1117 ASV on a mission from Tikrit to Mosul. My gunner complained about it the entire time, it seemed was a torturous eight hours for him to have to hear everyone else in the truck describe what their characters were doing, even more so when the TC told him he had to play - he ended up disconnecting his headset, after shouting "What the hell is going on??" The TC, SSG Frog responded, "It's MechWarrior, and you're on a quest!" <_<

Posted Image
The driver and Gamemaster on the left, gunner (unwilling player) in the middle, me on the right, and our TC SSG Frog taking the picture.



Talk about shutting down a thread. Someone give him an award. Not joking, but how big is gaming(table tops) in the military?

#8 johnyocum

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 08:35 AM

Tabletop wargaming in the military is HUGE. I was in the Army for 7 years, and now am a contractor on the BFT program. Tabletop wargaming is huge around Killeen/Ft Hood, and we're starting to get BattleTech revived using the miniatures rules.

#9 StoneRhino

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 08:43 AM

Grr.... is it wrong that the idea joining is influenced by a want to have a chance to actually find people to play against? I'm not saying 50% of the reason why, but maybe a small percent?<_< There have not been many games since my friends joined 10 years ago, some 11 or 12 years ago. Do something useful + get to game would have been a lot better then how things ended up the past 10 years :/

#10 DocBach

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 09:14 AM

A buddy of mine in my platoon use to work at Games Workshop and is super huge into Warhammer 40k and was trying to convince the rest of us we needed to play it. I told him "yeah it sounds kind of cool, maybe I'll check it out sometime" and he showed up the next day with a Tau Battleforce boxed set. He's been calling every couple of days for the last month to get me to come over and learn to play. So far though, all I've got painted are the Fire Warriors.

#11 CoffiNail

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 09:30 AM

I have buddies who are huge into 40k, conventions, weekly games of 1500-3000 points depending on their time... I just never could get in to it. I have a 2500 point Space Marine army and a 800 point Dark Eldar one... but, it just is not battletech and I just could never get in to 40k like them. Should be reconnecting with them soon and maybe, just maybe I can bring some more in to the fold.

#12 Belrick

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 09:50 AM

View PostDocBach, on 17 November 2011 - 04:28 PM, said:

We ran a roleplaying session over our radio headsets in an M1117 ASV on a mission from Tikrit to Mosul. My gunner complained about it the entire time, it seemed was a torturous eight hours for him to have to hear everyone else in the truck describe what their characters were doing, even more so when the TC told him he had to play - he ended up disconnecting his headset, after shouting "What the hell is going on??" The TC, SSG Frog responded, "It's MechWarrior, and you're on a quest!" <_<


The driver and Gamemaster on the left, gunner (unwilling player) in the middle, me on the right, and our TC SSG Frog taking the picture.


I'm sorry was this just the greatest post on anything ever? I think it might have been.

#13 johnyocum

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 09:53 AM

CoffiNail, it's too bad you're not near Ft Hood. We'd love more players in the BattleTech campaign we've got going on. Right now, it's myself, the other GM, and one other regular player. We need more people with minis on the table!

#14 Karyudo ds

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 10:14 AM

View PostCoffiNail, on 23 November 2011 - 09:30 AM, said:

I have buddies who are huge into 40k, conventions, weekly games of 1500-3000 points depending on their time... I just never could get in to it.


Honestly I always liked 40k over Battletech from a rules standpoint. Having to take my skill +weapon range +my movement +your movement +any cover +any of my hindering damages and then rolling each weapon one at a time and rolling hit locations always seemed to take longer than dropping 20 dice on the table to see if the marines hit, taking out 1's and 2's and re-rolling everything else to hit whatever the wound number was and letting the defending player roll for which of those die and if you had questions the rulebook is pocket sized and quick to flip through.

One the other hand I though MWDA was a lot of fun because I actually got to play lots more people but I did think that was overly simple in areas. War Machine seemed to have the right idea in a way though I've only played that a few times.

#15 CaveHermit

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 11:15 AM

I can see why tabletop gaming would be big and encouraged on military bases. They teach strategic thinking with in a set of rules with randomness of fate. Historic tabletop recreations. (Civil war), HeroClick, WarHammer (and 40K). BattleTech etc.. It's all strategy.

#16 Adridos

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 11:39 AM

View PostCaveHermit, on 23 November 2011 - 11:15 AM, said:

I can see why tabletop gaming would be big and encouraged on military bases. They teach strategic thinking with in a set of rules with randomness of fate. Historic tabletop recreations. (Civil war), HeroClick, WarHammer (and 40K). BattleTech etc.. It's all strategy.


Why don't they just give them all small notebooks with strategy game on them (not SC2, it's just point and click, click, click,...). <_<

#17 Jervinator

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 11:42 AM

In the electrical switchboard room of an aircraft carrier. Plenty of floor space for a 4-sheet map for some six-player action (often three Stars versus six lances).

#18 Jervinator

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Posted 23 November 2011 - 11:49 AM

View PostKaryudo-ds, on 23 November 2011 - 10:14 AM, said:


Honestly I always liked 40k over Battletech from a rules standpoint. Having to take my skill +weapon range +my movement +your movement +any cover +any of my hindering damages and then rolling each weapon one at a time and rolling hit locations always seemed to take longer than dropping 20 dice on the table to see if the marines hit, taking out 1's and 2's and re-rolling everything else to hit whatever the wound number was and letting the defending player roll for which of those die and if you had questions the rulebook is pocket sized and quick to flip through.


I cheated a little. I programmed my HP48G calculator to roll 2d6, look it up, and output plain-text hit locations. Just hit the button corresponding to the firing arc and it would use the appropriate chart. I even had one set up to roll missile hits.

#19 StoneRhino

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 04:30 AM

Hey, I just looked up Ft.Hood and it mentioned something about how it is close to schools. This is kind of an odd question, but I am early 30s, working on my bachelors, which will be finished next Christmas. I would like to work on my masters, then my doctorates. I would also like to put in a few years into the Army at the least, but I thought for a while that I could work on my masters online, but the type of classes need to be done in person(psychology), which throws a monkey wrench into the plans.

any information as to how going to school works out while in the military would be greatly appreciated. Things didn't go as planned in the past, so I would like to make up for lost time and meet two of my goals, instead of having to shelve one for the sake of pursuing one.

#20 Hunter McGee

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Posted 25 November 2011 - 11:02 AM

<<SALUTE>>
Thank you soldier for your sacrifice, and for your gaming. (I know you work for a living) but take the salute as honor given to a fellow comrade in arms.

SFC CO B 2d BN 7th SFG(A) (Retired in 2002 with 20 years in)

Edited by Hunter McGee, 25 November 2011 - 11:07 AM.






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