6 replies to this topic

[Uller Phrost]

I have a large library Fasa and Fan Pro resource books and when I heard about MWO last year I started to get back into the Cockpit. I picked up the newer books and the box set. lots of back order at my local shop from DIAMOND. I finally have the 3 main books and started to design...

IS it just me or is the learning curve on these books a bit much. I know all the pre JIHAD max tech and specials. These just drop everything on you with little progression. I found each book sends to to another book rather then complete a topic. Building a item had formulas and weights and ratios before. I find design making big jumps that I can do since I played the old but I see nothing that would lead a new player to build anything.

Weight of a grav deck ... skipped just refered in fluff text. Which is nice for Fan Boying but no help to basic mechanics. While I enjoyed the battle armor design aerospace sucked and vehicle was cloudy.

Is it just me?

[Atlas3060]

I assume you're talking more about the items in the game than the storyline when you said "drop everything on you".
That's sort of the strength and weakness with the revised core rulebooks. You don't have to go find four different sourcebooks to create something special other than a Mech, but the downside is those three book are just jam packed. (Tech Manual, Tactical Operations, Strategic Operations)

I think the biggest problem is the lack of a properly advertised software suite. Long ago we had Heavy Metal Pro, but even it is limited if you want to even try to bring in the new tech. Solaris Skunkwerks tends to help out, but last I checked that was Mechs only.

The core rulebooks will only complete as much as they can for their scope.
Personally I couldn't stand the idea that the old Battletech Master Rules (BMR) had rules for all this combat then tried to cram in all that construction at the end, but rules were still littered around.

At least with Tech Manual I know this book is used for the basic construction of everything I can play with Total Warfare scale.
If I want advanced tech, Tac Ops.
If I want Warships and big support vehicles, Strat Ops.
Eventually when we get Interstellar Operations the scale grows and they'll bring in Alternate Era special stuff like LAMs.

They tend to have the fluff pieces in one spot and then the nuts and bolts crunch elsewhere. That can get a bit confusing, but since there's some tech that spans different units I guess that's why it was in the back.
One thing I'm really glad about in the books is infantry construction is so much better compared to the error riddled mess of Combat Operations.

Yeah it can get a bit muddled, but the core rulebooks are at least trying to be the 'one stop shop' for a lot of concepts that were kicked around in various sourcebooks in the past.

Edited by Atlas3060, 07 January 2013 - 06:36 PM.

[Surtr]

I personally don't mind having it all, you just have to realize that they aren't books that you will ever memorize everything in. I make ample use of the indexes and table of contents in all the books and I like the way everything fits together. In regards to tac ops, I think the intent is for you to pick and choose the special rules you use, and not to use all of them at once, unless you like rolling on tables constantly.

[Uller Phrost]

Totally understand on tac ops.
15 years ago I started a group of gamers though BT in steps. I never did get them to night rules and Elevation LOS was more work then they wanted.

on the new stuff it hard to find timeline info. Support and Battlespace stuff they walk you though building has incomplete equipment tables on basic items.
mech stuff missing Max tech mech guantlet to grab on another mech. Grav decks I have to drag and drop off old tech manuals. I am just trying to update my old groups files that I still have and see what i can do about the timeline change...my campaign ended with a Operation White 2 years later ...Ex comguard/solaris mercs

[Atlas3060]

Yeah claws got reworked when the Solaris rules were integrated more in the normal gameplay, but in TacOps there are Grappling rules which keep a Mech close to you.

Edited by Atlas3060, 08 January 2013 - 09:23 PM.

[Kobold]

Step 1: Don't even open TacOps or StratOps if you got them (at least for now).

Step 2: Only use what you want to use.

But yeah, I hate the organization of the BT books.

[Chas]

Honestly, the core books are about as neatly delineated as they could possibly be.

Were CGL to simply dump everything into a single book, it'd be 2000+ pages and cost $150+ (not to mention giving you an GREAT upper-body workout...and a hernia).

The reason why it STILL feels like "everything's dropped on you" is because BattleTech is a nearly 30 year old rules system.

In the interests of completeness, there are lots and lots and LOTS of optional rules.
Now, these rules are delineated because they NEED to be delineated, rather than being a gaggle of conflicting "house rules". But many of them are still "optional".

In short, start with the basic rules. And only tack on the stuff that interests you.

At cons, we still joke "yeah, there's a rule for that" and we still see comparisons to Starfleet Battles (if you want COMPREHENSIVE, take a look at SFB and then don't feel so bad about BattleTech).

In short, the most important "rule" informing your game play? There's two.

• Is it fun?
  
• Are you comfortable with play at this level?