12 replies to this topic

[Firestorm43]

Right, so, I've had this really bad itch to run a game over the 'net of the MechWarrior RPG (using IRC, probably. And MegaMek for 'Mech battles) for some friends. Here's the problem: I've never ran a game before. I've played games in a number of different systems (D&D, (a heavily-modded) D20 Modern, Dark Heresy, L5R, Weapons of the Gods), so I figure I'm about as ready as one can be to host a game. But I honestly have no idea where to start.

Anyone else on here who's ran somethin' like this before willing to give a few pointers? Do's, Don'ts, tips, tricks, ideas for a scenario (especially this)? How well can one integrate the RPG into MegaMek, anyway?

Anything at all you can offer would be appreciated! I just might be able to pull a couple new people into BattleTech/MechWarrior fandom if I can pull this off.

[Faenwulf]

Well, I sadly never played the MechWarrior RPG but I GMed some other P&P games. For me, there are two important things: Immersion and Player Freedom.

Immersion should be clear I think. People need to really feel like they are the MechWarriors, because this way they will be more cautious about what they are doing. And why they are doing it.
Obviously for a beginner this can be quite hard when only using IRC. I'd really recommend some kind of VOIP Service, since this will give you much more tools to use (especially your voice but also music, sounds etc.) as well as reducing the time delay between the different reactions of the players and you.


Player Freedom is a bit trickier. In the End, the players are there to play their story. But you as the GM probably either have your own adventure planned or one out of a book or something (choosing this adventure can also be quite important, depending on who the players characters are). In the end, you'll need to give the palyers as much free reign as possible while still staying on the right path to the goal of the adventure. As soon as the players feel you are pushing them somewhere they'll either get bored or just want to get entertained by you instead of playing themselves.

[Hildi]

I remember the "damage model" for the Mechwarrior RPG being a problem: It is very easy that an unlucky blow will cripple your pilot seriously and permanently leaving him unplayable for the Mech-battles!
Plus the NPC rolled by the standard Battletech boxegame are (much) better than the characters created in Mechwarrior. Remember that you might not want to end the very first battle in a huge bloodstain and some disappointed players (and a unused games-setting).

Just my 2 cents

[Firestorm43]

Hm. Good points, both of y'all. It does seem like the MechWarrior RPG is... well, not the best system ever. Especially for tying into the table top game.

I wonder... might it be a better idea to just stick with the table top alone? I imagine running a campaign for the table top alone would be a little easier for a newbie GM like myself, anyway.

[GoldenArbiter]

My suggestion for all new BT/MW players? Start on Solaris. Gives you a nice setting that you don't need to worry to much about so that both you and the players can get into the swing of the rules and what not.

And to people who say BT/MW aren't the best crosses, I've been playing it for some 7 years and have found little to no issue.

Other than that, do what you normally do as a GM. plan the **** out of everything.

[UncleChandy]

I know a lot of people work some minor RPG elements/aspects into their otherwise standard table top games (the regular battletech forums host a bunch of battle reports along this vein). You could just stick to the regular board game itself and add in some off board randomization/customization factors - tweaking pilot skills, randomizing good/bad/weird additions to a game, that sort of thing?

Also, +1 for Solaris to start. you can do anything there

[Firestorm43]

Hmm... Solaris sounds like an excellent place to start. Wouldn't be too difficult for the players to grasp either, and that's something to consider since all of the players I am currently looking at hosting will be newish to the universe, save one. And I was thinking that running the standard table top, plus a few custom tweaks, might do the trick. I'll take a look around the BattleTech forums and see if I can find anything else.

Thanks for the advice thus far, guys. I'll keep watching this thread for a while, so anything else to add is of course welcome.

[Hildi]

There was a mercenary book for BT once ago... I think it was called the Mecenary's Sourcebook (Yes, found it here: http://www.sarna.net...ry%27s_Handbook), though I hat the 3055 edition.

This is THE ressource to build a campaign, no matter what size. Actually, when we had access to this book in 1995 we went to (A)D&D for roleplaying and played BT as a sort of grand strategy game. We developed our own unit, hired and sold, agreed to contracts and fought them out.

If I was about to setup a RPG in the BT univers, I'd try to adopt the D20 ruleset

Oh and about Solaris: Sorry, isn't that sort of worn out? What about Outreach? ;-)

Edited by Hildi, 20 July 2012 - 12:31 PM.

[Firestorm43]

Oh, I'd love to have the players join up in a Merc company and do stuff. That would certainly give me freedom as to what kinds of scenarios I could stick 'em into. Mercs do a lot of jobs. Hm, perhaps... have them do a few bouts in Solaris, and then get them all recruited by some merc company looking for a few good pilots? The Solaris matches could serve as easier, less-dangerous "tutorial" missions, before they get to the real meat of the campaign with their new merc company.

Also, is the Mercenary's Handbook you're referring to succeeded by Field Manual - Mercenaries? I have that one available here.

And as for integrating D20... I'm not quite sure I've got the skills just yet to meld systems together. Seems like it'd get a bit too complicated for me. Perhaps if this campaign works out, I can try that in the future.

[Congzilla]

My only advice would be to use the "A Time of War" rules for the rpg part as that book includes the rules for scaling mechwarriors to current Battletech. It is a nice system with great character depth.

That said, Cortex rules would work very easily with all the other conversions that have already been created for Serenity and Battlestar Galactica.

Edited by Congzilla, 21 July 2012 - 03:20 PM.

[Jebediah Saint]

you accepting players?

[Elbola Ierocis]

One gimic I used that my players remember and loved was the doubleblind things you can do online. If the party breaks up to try seperate routes talk to each one individually in a seperate window/channel/whatever. Give them only the details they see/hear. I had at one time the player group defending a davion world against draconis invasion. The party broke up in a city to cover more ground at night. I had them jumping at each others shadows when one of them would run across the path of another. Then when the firefight broke out there was the confusion one feels in real battle when you're given poor intel and you're on the defensive.

Edited by Elbola Ierocis, 24 July 2012 - 09:31 PM.

[Atlas3060]

A Time of War is fun when done right.
RPGs for Battletech aren't about fighting. You can clearly see that with the hit points established on a character.
Now there will be a companion book to this, sometime soon, with Hero mode rules. Heck if I know what they are going to do, but I'm excited.
However if you have people that like to be smooth operators or sneaky ninjas then your session should be enjoyable.

Converting skills to Total Warfare is simple and I've found it worthwhile to put some AToW situations in between a fight to spice things up.
Did you capture any enemy pilots? Then in between the 'Mech fights have someone interrogate the pilot. If they do really well reward that team with an initiative win for a turn to represent the insider information they recieved.

Maybe repairs will cost less because Suzy negotiated like a Diamond Shark, or hell she could flub the roll and make an enemy with someone with pirate connections. AToW allows a whole new set of sandbox tools for energetic players and GMs.

Solaris is a great place to start off.
For absolutely new players I would go with a Roughnecks Starship Troopers approach at first.
I'd start them off garrisoning a planet, learning the ropes, then throw in some Mech fights, population riots, and then wrap it up with a larger friendly force relieving them. That way you could hop from system to system if they are an Independent command or small merc group paid to put out small fires the big House boys don't want to bother with.

If the players are experienced then Solaris is just a great toychest to play in! Especially for the non warrior types. Remember a toothy grin, cutthroat contract, and a sly manager can be just as deadly as a Medium Laser.

Don't railroad if you can help it, in fact discuss the session before and after. Once you get a feel for what they liked and didn't it will be easier for you to pitch in stuff that will throw them for a loop.

I'll have more to contribute later, but I hope this is a good start.

Edited by Atlas3060, 25 July 2012 - 01:19 PM.