From: kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane)
Subject: Re: MacII vs Daishi
Summary: mixing game styles 
Organization: Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 06:22:50 GMT

In article <727614013.AA00561@abcbcafe.fidonet.org> Steve.Lamb@f1369.n203.z1.fidonet.org (Steve Lamb) writes:
>Zachary,
>
>Tuesday January 19 1993 15:45, Zachary S Tseng wrote to All:
>
> ZST> tons.  Put into BTech terms and one can see that a single barrel itself
>                      ^^^^^
>
>    Which is why I stated in my message before on the subject.  The two games
>are completely different and SHOULDN'T be compared.  And personally, after
>getting the v3.0 BattleTech I am quite UNimpressed with it.  Still seems to
>klunky compared to Mekton and Robotech.  Mekton has the good "feel" to it
>which is the mainstay of R.Talsorian games and Robotech, quite frankly, has a
>better RPG system.
>
>Steve C. Lamb, SysOp of Abcb Cafe     | "Wherefore art thou Ushiko-san!?"
>Abcb Cafe 1:203/1369@Fidonet.org      |                    -- Umao-san
>    Data: (916) 363-1424              | "Wherefore art thou Umao-san!?"
>cm644@cleveland.freenet.edu           |                    -- Ushiko-san
>abcbcafe!foxx@csusac.ecs.csus.edu     |   From Kimagure Orange Road
>
>

Gene here.  Steph bitched at me for not helping him out on the Robotech
stuff that's been going through lately (I'm a Robotech player... ack!
Gasp!).  Ok, I've got to agree with Steve here on this one

Don't mix and mech!  It's just plain irritating and it wastes everyone's
time.  I've been looking over the suggestions for converting a Mac II
into BTech terms and chuckling my head off.  I spent a long while a few
years ago (when I first played BTech) trying to convert Robotech mech's
into BTech.  After a lot of headaches I figured out that it's utterly
pointless.  The styles of the games and the tech of the games don't
match and never will.  Honestly, the Mac II's guns are closer to
NAC/10's than Long Toms IMHO but who really cares.  If you want
Robotech, use Robotech.

Ok, some of you have been arguing that Mekton with MTS allows you to
design ANY mecha.  Wrong.  Take a look at Mekton's scale and it's weapon
ranges.  Only missiles have a decent range and even they cap off at 25
km (the 500 hex ranged missiles that get HUGE!).  I was rather
dissapointed that Mekton has the same problem as Btech:  weapons ranges
are a joke.  The only consolation I could find was that the Mekton
damages are closer to real life (well, or to anime-life at least).  Go
ahead and TRY to reproduce the Raider X in Mekton TS rules.  Can't be
done.  The Rifleman was FASAs attempt to clone it and everyone I know
thinks the Rifleman is a useless mech for AA duty.

My advice is pick a game and play it.  Stop trying to convert them all
to each other's systems.  Each game has a different feel and style of
play.  Just enjoy playing the game.  That is the essential reason you're
playing them, right?

If anyone is wondering why I'm rather vehement about the topic of
conversion, it's cause I was told that any mech could be designed using
MTS.  I said, ok, lets just clone a Warhammer from BTech... what a
headache!  I did it but who's going to use it anyways.  It's really
rather pathetic compared to most Mekton mecha. (or should I say meks :)
)


Gene Marcil

Psychology Student, Gamer, and Toxic Insect Shaman.
What more could you ask for in a housepet?

Mecha. n.  Those annoying indigestible thingies that stole our acting
jobs.
	(from a dictionary found in Godzilla's town library)