3 replies to this topic

[SilentScreamer]

I'm an old-school Battletech player and although I tried BattleForce games a few times, I never really like the gameplay compared to the original Battletech rules. However, I got the Anniversary Box two years ago and having more than doubled the number of miniatures I own I want to give the "fast" play rules another try.

I've got both the Battleforce Quickplay and the AlphaStrike Quickplay rules pdfs. Reading them over, it seems that like the original rules, not much as changed over a few decades. The biggest differences I can tell:

Spoiler

Setup:
- AlphaStrike is written for tabletop play with measurements in inches instead of using the hexmaps common to Battletech and BattleForce.

Gameplay:
- Movement: seems AlphaStrike doubled BattleForce moment stat and changed from Hexes to Inches.
- To-Hit Modifiers for AlphaStrike are based on the move statistic or "available" by the mech; whereas BattleForce works off ACTUAL hex movement.that turn like Battletech.
- Shooting range in AlphaStrike seems enormous, over 40 inches.Comparitively Battleforce was just a few hexes (practically point-blank). Designers probably cut down both movement and weapon range in Battleforce to make sure you had room for extra units, but it always felt cloustraphobic to me. AlphaStrike feels too wide/spread out as my gaming table isn't much large than 48 inches.
- Damage and Unit longevity; don't really see much difference here between BattleForce and AlphaStrike.

So my main issue with under BattleForce was the units felt too-close together. Now under AlphaStrike the battlefield, ranges and movement seem too large. Also, I enjoyedthe ease of hex-map play over tabletop. I'm thinking my "houserules" should be AlphaStrike rules, with two exceptions:
1) use of hexmaps instead of table
2) all movement and weapon ranges will be converted from inches to half that number of hexes; ex: 6 inches becomes 3 hexes.

Anybody else feel like neither Battleforce or AlphaStrike fit right? What did you do to make it work?

[Koniving]

One thing I've noticed, though I lack the released book (I'm holding a beta version) is that in the transition to using inches, the relatiive comparison of the measurement to "their scale" is about 50 feet per inch...(edit, this would be half the distance of a hex, which is 30 meters or approximately 100 feet per hex).. if I remember correctly, or something close. If this is the case, then 40 inches would be 600 meters... Double movement distance would also make sense, given that you're registering movement at half the "hex" space.

I'm somewhat curious now.

To make it more agreeable with your table, you cut could "range" and "movement" in half...? If the distance conversion is accurate then that would make 1 inch into 30 meters rather than 15-approximate.

Edited by Koniving, 04 May 2019 - 06:20 PM.

[Karl Streiger]

SilentScreamer, on 04 May 2019 - 01:47 PM, said:

Anybody else feel like neither Battleforce or AlphaStrike fit right? What did you do to make it work?

I have this issue, although it's nice to play large battles in the matter of minutes I miss range brackets and the stacking damage, as wel as riding the heat wave.
So Alpha Strike did remove what was fun and kept was bogged the game time down (movement, to much to-hit mod calculations)

However with an alternate omni rule, I think I've got an idea to speed up the critical hit damage resolution, somewhen I had armor already redesigned just need to out it together.

[SilentScreamer]

Karl Streiger, on 06 May 2019 - 10:03 PM, said:

I have this issue, although it's nice to play large battles in the matter of minutes I miss range brackets and the stacking damage, as wel as riding the heat wave.
So Alpha Strike did remove what was fun and kept was bogged the game time down (movement, to much to-hit mod calculations)

However with an alternate omni rule, I think I've got an idea to speed up the critical hit damage resolution, somewhen I had armor already redesigned just need to out it together.

Yeah, I think Armor falls short in the rules transtition...the +1 damage can be shrugged off by most assault class mechs taking fire in their rear arc. I actually don't mind the existing crit table.