65 replies to this topic

[Tadakuma]

Well I own a Time of War, but I have to say that I prefer the Mechwarrior 2nd edition.

I find that character generation and the rule sets in a Time of War is too complex to describe to a group that has never played it, with my group who is a more RP oriented bunch of people a more intuitive rule set is a easy character generation is more important then detail rule sets.

[Kami Shinigami]

I used to like the MW3rd Ed (CBTRPG) myself (never got the chance to really get into MW2nd or earlier), but after playing AToW for a bit now, I like it more. Just a couple things to keep in mind: don't let your players min-max at the beginning unless that's the kind of game you run, and let them use an Edge to eject when they would otherwise be killed in Mech combat (or just let them eject without the Edge, if you're the lenient type).

Burning a permanent edge would also be a way to say "yeah, you got truly f***ed up there, but you're still alive by the skin of your teeth."

This way you aren't asking them to remake a character every time they dive in the deep end, but it doesn't promote foolishness either. Eventually they will run out of Edge.

Just my thoughts on it.

[Sychodemus]

2d6 > 2d10 for any BattleTech RPG.

While I do like much of AToW, something really bugs me about the point-bloat. I guess that is the old-school gamer in me; quadruple digit point buy systems seem unnecessary.

MW3rd/CBTRPG was wonderful in that there was a great amount of depth to character creation (and lifepaths were great; too bad they didn't port the Legionnaire* RPG concept over. That remains my favorite lifepath from any game ever.)

But after all these years, I still find myself gravitating back to MW2nd (with a fair amount of house-rules and modifications thrown in.) Then again, I do like fast character creation and given the lethality of the BT setting, it is always nice to know that making a new character will not slow down the game.

*The roleplaying component of the Renegade Legion game.

[EXSODER]

Old thread.
Existing issues.

I sank enough funds into BT/MW sourcebooks (with the 20th Anniv. boxset) and AToW material alone to keep MWO going for a whole month if PGI had been the vendor.
For half a year, I read and read and headached and read.
I was bound and determined to seamlessly integrate the ideas I had for my AToW concept with MWO.
The kicker: I'm alone in every TT RPG I play. I GM AND play (yes, I am aware this is crazy and sad). And I stick to the rules. To a fault. I do not make it so that I can't die.
AToW's system will hit you where it hurts, over and over again. It's spectacularly detailed and incredibly developed, but so complicated in some areas that the authors might as well have written, 'Also, enjoy this Cataphract which will repeatedly fire its AC 10 next to your ear while you read.'
Somewhere along the swirling line of this vortex of reading and confusion and learning and record keeping, strange...things...happened.

Character creation:
Three weeks. Painstaking memorization of every other sentence. Horribly complicated. Got through it only to realize that I screwed up fundamental parts of the XP system. Had to invent an XP debt concept.
Kept a log the size of a small novel detailing every point purchase and redundant value. Kept a log with future 'musts'.
Horror, horror, horror.

Mechs:
Nasty, nasty clunky system. Still managed after about three days and twelve Advil later. Got my C1F, consistent with the boardgame rules and everything, using the Custom Vehicle Trait. Unique record sheets made from MWO too.

Integration:
Worked and thought and worked and thought. Eventually got it to work with MWO. Statistical gymnastics. I ought to have a medal.

Really weird sh*t:
I read the novels sporadically during breaks from reading enough tie-in references to make me feel like an engineer who could put Isaac Clarke to shame. I also stared like an ***** at a particular series one morning and uh.
...I'll just say this.
I got confused, and somehow it got into my head that Clan Ghost Bear attacked Yoitsu, and that's where that whole legend comes from; Holo the Wise Wolf is actually a long-lost Clan Wolf MechWarrior with a couple of Type 5X Expanded Implant/Prosthetics Traits; and the somewhat primitive setting of that planet is due to its actually being a Periphery World of Type F on the Universal Socio-Industrial Level reference table. I halfway developed for this, and by the time I realized something was terribly wrong, it was too late.

Conclusion:
I'm stuck with this 10 month old ledger of crippling madness and have no idea what to do with it. I still have to actually build my C1 using the TechManual, but I've run out of space on the walls for notes. The orderlies only come once a day. I told them I would figure it out. I would finally crack the AToW code. They just poke me with needles. But I'll show them.

[Vyrago]

I've just picked up ATOW and i'm very curious. I too am a long time Heavy Gear RPG/Tactical player. I've always been slightly at odds with the Battletech style of armor points. From my experience in the military, I can attest that Heavy Gear is a bit more closer to realism in the way armor is handled. Once you penetrate armor, bad things happen.

I'm hoping convince my gaming group to try out ATOW, along with Classic Battletech for the hybrid RPG and Tactical game we used to run with Heavy Gear. I feel that ATOW would best suit a group of mercenaries that get involved in intrigue/adventure as well as good old mech fights. Has anyone had success with this in the past?

Edited by Vyrago, 09 August 2013 - 06:07 AM.

[EXSODER]

Vyrago, on 09 August 2013 - 06:06 AM, said:

I've just picked up ATOW and i'm very curious. I too am a long time Heavy Gear RPG/Tactical player. I've always been slightly at odds with the Battletech style of armor points. From my experience in the military, I can attest that Heavy Gear is a bit more closer to realism in the way armor is handled. Once you penetrate armor, bad things happen.

I'm hoping convince my gaming group to try out ATOW, along with Classic Battletech for the hybrid RPG and Tactical game we used to run with Heavy Gear. I feel that ATOW would best suit a group of mercenaries that get involved in intrigue/adventure as well as good old mech fights. Has anyone had success with this in the past?

Intrigue/adventure might suit what you're looking for...but 'good old 'Mech fights' using AToW's system is - well, any combat with AToW's system is - don't. You're better off using another combat system.
It is compatible with the BT TT, so you might just try doing 'Mech combat there and translating it into the AToW session (the rules even highlight this). I've managed to make MWO work with AToW, and if only there were A.I. in Training Mode, and if only it were more customizable...
Either way, the whole merc bit sounds good for your purposes. Give it a try. It will be scary. WoD has nothing on AToW.
Just prepare.
Prepare your mind.
It'll be okay.
Just let the madness slip in as you scan page after page in search of 'how'...