HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: probe@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Prabal Nandy)
Subject: BTECH: ICE Mecha!
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Distribution: World
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 19:53:46 GMT

  Here's something funny:

  Has anyone made rules for ICE-powered mecha?
  I know, I know, Mynomer requires electrical power... but since energy
weapons require 1/5th of their weight in power amplifiers for ICE-power
vehicles, could not mechs also run on ICE-power with 20% of their weight in
power amplifiers (Generator... with as much critical locations as tons
taken) The rest of the weapons would also need PAs if energy..

   Sure it would be ridiculous, but it WOULD be cheap, and funny... Think of
it, the 2200 TM suppliment to Battletech:
   STEAMTECH!

   In the same line of Argument... has anyone tried designing (for
historical sake), primitive mech weapons? Really heavy autocannons (AC-5
would probably be the biggest), laser weapons that do more heat than damage,
large sized, small volumed missile weapons... more MG...etc,?


                                                      Lord of the Flies
						      1st MPC Division
 						      Colony World Myops

Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: glr8c@Virginia.EDU (Gregory Lawrence Romano)
Subject: Re: Daishi
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 19:29:59 GMT

	Actually, the creators of the mech were techs.(They've
also experimented with heavy scout 'Mechs.  Anyone interested
in the design they came up with?)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: wyman@rtsg.mot.com (Mark S. Wyman)
Subject: Ultrabots Article in Computer Gaming World
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:42:23 GMT

Just read CGWs sneak preview about Novalogics upcoming
mecha simulator Ultrabots.   Some comments about it:

- Set on Earth.  You command a force of bots that Earth
  developed after an earlier alien invasion.  You use
  this force to defend against a new alien attack.

- There are only three types of bots! Basically there
  is a light, medium and heavy.  This is a BIG letdown
  for me since I was expecting larger variation.

- Supposedly the terrain and the bot graphics are 
  great but the stills I saw in the mag don't look
  state of the art.  

- There is no targetting.  You just aim at the bot and
  fire.  No blowing off limbs! 

- When your bot is out of service (i.e. s*@t kicked out
  of it) then you get repaired in the field by the
  earth forces energy net.  Part of the strategy is to
  expand this net by using the heavy bot to drop net
  relays.

- This is supposed to be a "team effort" type of game.
  You use the different bot types for different purposes.
  How much strategy can you have with three types?

Thats about all there was.  I was pretty disappointed
after reading the sneak preview (could you tell?).  I
guess we will have to wait for MechWarrior II by
Activision.

Mark Wyman
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri)
Subject: BTECH: high-speed hovertanks
X-Posting-Software: GNUS 3.14.1 [ NNTP-based News Reader for GNU Emacs ]
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
X-Signature-Virus-Protection: Version 1.51
X-Get-A-Clue: Have two, they're small.
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 00:06:02 GMT

This assumes you set up scenarios by tonnage, ie, each side gets X tons of
hardware to "buy" what he wants.

If you know of someone who consistantly goes for heavy and assault Mechs
exclusively, try this some time. "Invest" in a small fleet of Galleon or
the like hovertanks. You know, the ones with a flank speed of 20+,
practically no armor, and one medium damage weapon.

100 5-ton hovertanks are devestating to 5 100-ton BattleMechs. Scared the
bejezes out of a friend of mine with this one. :-)

--Rat
||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat          ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
To defend/This is the Pact/But when life's scorned/And damage done
To avenge/This is the Pact           --Blue Oyster Cult, Vengeance (The Pact)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Call me Stupid.
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Second Genyosha)
Date: 15 Dec 1992 03:17:14 GMT
Reply-To: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

>From: <ECN101@psuvm.psu.edu>
>Date: Tue Dec 15 09:06:15 NDT 1992
>
>Call me stupid, but can anyone tell me if they figured out who was
>responsible for the assassination of Missy Steiner?

 [ First as this relates to events found in _Natural Selection_, the
  Novel by Micheal Stackpole. There should be a *SPOILER ALERT* :) ]

^L

 Though WE (the readers) know that little Victor Steiner-Davion didn't do
it. All fingers point to Ryan Steiner as the evil mastermind.

>I want to plan a campaign and having that info leaked (with the other
>piece of news that Vic the Slick is holding his mommy's assassin [ and
>training him ] ).

 Do what you want it's your campaign :)

> Also, is it just me or are the Clanner Scum acting more like Inner Sphere
>warriors?

 Please note Clan are always SCUM or Slime etc. The IS are true warriors :)

>  I am not bashing BTech, but some of the characters are so dull.
>Why can't we have more characters like Star Commander Joanna?
>There's a babe who knows how to party.

 Though the Jade Phoenix trilogy rates IMAO to be the worst of all the
Battletech novels, Joanna did prove to be an interesting character.
But I noticed that she wasn't in the Jade Falcon Guards Cluster that
died in the Gash on Twycross, according to the scenario book. Opps,
FASA didn't research that too well, surprise, surprise :)
 I didn't like anyone else in the entire trilogy and I have only read
the 3 books only once. Compare that to the dozen times I have read
_Heir to the Dragon_ and _Wolves on the Border_, I wonder why I read those
so often? :) Anyone want to buy a trilogy about the Green Parrots? :)


This has been....
 Tony Taia                                    (Sho-sa of the Second Genyosha)
  TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
3055-3067: So little time, so many Clan meks to kill! :)        `|'Disclaimer!
**Noone knows what I know, so you know that what I know is only mine to know**
From: tblackma@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Marauder)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: BTECH MUSE
Date: 13 Dec 92 02:36:45 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network


I can't get to the Battletech MUSE.  Is it down?  I was on this morning,
but this afternoon it has been gone.

Tom
-- 
tblackma@gn.ecn.purdue.edu--------------------------Thomas Blackman
*  Paint 'em all, let the               "Impressive.........,"    *
*  Judges sort 'em out.                 "Most Impressive....."    *
*  Tippmann's forever!                      -Darth Vader          *
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: morrisa@cs.UAlberta.CA (ANDREW Morris)
Subject: Re: Maurader vriant 3025
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 04:19:43 GMT

pwg25888@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Patrick W. Grady) writes:

>dshaffer@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Donald A Shaffer) writes:
><<<mech deleted>>>

>>....So what do you think? comments would be appreciated. :)

>	
>	Not a bad idea, although I prefer to keep more of a ranged punch
>so I had one that put in two LRM 5's and a ton of ammo, two heat sinks,
>and two tons of armor.  Other versions replaced the AC with a Large 
>Laser and heat sinks and armor.  I have even had some with a mix of
>extra SRM, LRM, and medium lasers.

>Patrick

I think one of the first things any variant does is get rid of the damn AC/5..
It's one of the main reasons I DON'T like the Maurader...  Than 8 tons of 
cannon could easily go to more armor and HEAT SINKS...


--
============================================================================
 "Life's a Bitch and then you fly..."     "Let's get dangerous!"  - D. Duck

      Andrew Morris (The Android)     E-Mail : morrisa@cs.ualberta.ca
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Second Genyosha)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Comstar Mechs
Date: 15 Dec 1992 01:46:58 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
Reply-To: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz


 The dreaded "Blaine" syndrome. The guy adds like some posters spell..very
badly! I mean most of my designs that don't add I put it down to poor
mental arithmetic (I like designing meks on the way to work :).

 Rear mounted LRMs are the worst. :) Well they are Comstar meks and they
can keep them! Obviously Comstar has to watch it's back these days.......

BTW I agree that MY spelling isn't too good either. Though fast typing doesn't
help either :)
This has been....
 Tony Taia                                    (Sho-sa of the Second Genyosha)
  TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
3055-3067: So little time, so many Clan meks to kill! :)        `|'Disclaimer!
**Noone knows what I know, so you know that what I know is only mine to know**
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: wh@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Winter Nova)
Subject: Re: BTECH:Computer
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 14:17:22 GMT

In article <15DEC199203373955@zeus.tamu.edu> rrb3919@zeus.tamu.edu (BARRON, RANDY R) writes:
>	This is a question for those out there in the Electronic
>Toy Land.  Whoever has finished the Crescent Hawk's Inception, please
>answer me this.   
>
>		WHERE IS THE $#%@$#@ CAVE TO THE SOUTHEAST?

The cave is on a small island to the southeast of the Inventor's Hut and
northwest of Starport, if I recall correctly (it's been a LONG while since
I last finished that game.)  You will need to have the correct codes from
the manual to finish the game because there's a map of the Inner Sphere
inside the cave (after you beat all those security systems through pure
endurance...oh what joy to recall those days when it took me nearly 3 hours
of game time to bypass all those security gates) and you have to push all
the right buttons to reach the ending of the game.  *sigh*  And what a
SPECTACULAR ending it was....  I'll leave it to yourself to discover what
it is.

>
>Remember, Dr. Edward Tellhim says the Star League cache is in a cave
>to the southeast, wheree there is a MOUNTAIN RANGE!!!  Could you please
>tell me how to find that cave.  I've gotten everybody, modified the
>Commando once and the Stinger (prom the prison) once as well and have
>gotten past Tellhim's defenses.  I just can't find the cave.

Did you get the Chameleon from your training stage?  You could escape those
Jenners just by going north then northwest on the training field as soon as
you sense that something's wrong.  A 50-ton addition to your lance is very 
valuable, you know?

>
>	Another thing I have been unable to find is a way to salvage
>a mech without either an engine or a gyro hit.  Is it just me or does 
>the computer not allow the fight to stop until the mech is reduced past
>good salvage material?

Don't know much about that cuz I never needed to field another mech from
salvage.  I had three pilots and three mechs--more than enough.

>
>	That's enough for now and as this is personal, I'll leave my 
>personal name...
>
>					MASKE

Hope that helped a little...

Wen-Hung Fang
aka Winter Nova, Night Stalkers

--
                                   ___
                                  (o o)
 ------------------------------ooO-(_)-Ooo------------------------------------
  ---   --   -----    --    ---   -       
     \    |   ---  |    \     /    \      WINTER NOVA
      \   |      | |     \   /    - \     wh@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
    |  \  |      | |        /     -  \    The lean, mean studying machine
    |     |    --  |       /     /    \
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: sdeering@athena.mit.edu (Scott E Deering)
Subject: BTECH: GIFS, and other pics
Followup-To: rec.games.mecha
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 19:50:20 GMT


Hey all,

Does anyone out there have images (GIFS, JPG, etc. ) of some 
Battletech mechs or know the address of the appropriate ftp site?
Anyone willing to scan some in?

Thanks

scott deering


sdeering@athena.mit.edu					<><

Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: MechWarrior II
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User
Distribution: all
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 08:11:13 GMT

In article <ByyDrK.1JC@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> mjcoons@cayley.uwaterloo.ca (Michael Coons) writes:
>   I just have a question about games for BattleTech. Is There going to be a 
> follow up to MechWarrior. I heard that there was to be sequel but then I 
> heard that there was only to be a modified MechWarrior with 56 mechs instead of just 8.      
 
 
    \_/
     |es, MechWarrior II is being worked on by Activision, under
 licence from FASA.  No futher details, such as availability,
 price, features, etc. are known or public at this time.
 

-- 
   _______________________________________________________
  /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
/______________________________________________________/
From: sjb5@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (STACY JOHN BEHRENS)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Mech Design Theory
Date: 14 Dec 92 04:00:49 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

Ahh, I just love this group!

Ok for the real post.  I have been playing battletech for a couple of years
and myself and a few buddies cam up with an idea for a series of mechs that
turned out to be lethaly effective.   We called them, Hunter class mechs.  I
won't post any of the specific mechs as I don't have any handy and once you
hear this you can easily create your  own.

When playing a game we decided to take on a pair of Atlas's with a company of
Stinger's.  I think you can probably figure out how the battle went.  Within 2
rounds a third of the Stingers were gone.  Eventually one of the Atlas's got
taken out by massed attacks from within a city, but it got us to thinking
about how to take out a heavy/assault mech with a light mech in a reasonable
manner without changing the rules any.  The only variable in the whole
equation was what weapons we mounted on mechs.  So what we did was to make
several different types of mechs that were primarily city-fighters, but what
was significant about them was the punch to weight ratio.  The mechs were fast
(6-9-6 or better) and caried little armor and a gauss rifle or autocannon 20.
When used in cooperation with other similair mechs, it is really easy to
disect a lance of mechs of any size.
The only serious weaknesses are that obviously one or two good hits will
destroy the mech and that if the heavies stay together, the Hunters (tm)
cannot last in a sustained firefight as they will run out of ammo and then
except for their backup medium laser (the most utilitarian and useful weapon
there is) they are helpless.

Hunter's are most effective in mountainous regions or cities when used in
close cooperation with other hunters or fire support mechs.  If someone really
wishes I will post a few of them, but I think it would be more fun for you all
to create your own.

-- 
Stacy John Behrens
*===)-------------
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The only justification for our concepts and systems of concepts is that they
serve to represent the complex of our experiences; beyond this they have not
legitimacy.                                  [Albert Einstein]
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Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: saruman@cats.ucsc.edu (Nicholas Patrick Popoff)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: What is the telnet for BTECH MUSE?
Date: 14 Dec 1992 22:42:23 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: si.ucsc.edu


In article <1992Dec13.095322.28355@tdb.uu.se> m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland) writes:
>DoDGeR (dodger@rajeesh.WPI.EDU) wrote:

>: okay my friends... if you see anybody head hunting like this please tell
>: a director or god...IT IS ILLEGAL!!!...and grounds for courtmartial...
>: if you wish to help a newbie, just don't tell them your house and unit 
>: until they tell you what they want to be...then try to hook them up with
>: someone of the approiate house...otherwise you might be expelled..
>: SCaT!!!
>
	Scat, I dont know what youve been listening to, because I have
never heard such a proclimation.   What IS illegal is hounding newbies
and standing around in the entrance area in order to get a better location
to do that.  In no way is it wrong to tell somebody your house and
unit.  Id like to know where you heard this.....

(This is also why what he said isnt in the rules)

	The Tick, C.O. 2nd Royal Guards - Steiner
From: kabreuer@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Klaus Breuer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Which weapon is best? (Was: Re: btech lrm)
Date: 20 Dec 92 21:38:22 GMT
Organization: Student Pool, CSD, University of Erlangen, Germany
NNTP-Posting-Host: 131.188.60.9

>> I nominate the disruptor as the Klingon weapon of choce....
> I nominate the Genessis device. It's Ecologically friednlly!
I nominate the Ringworld Laser from Larry Niven.
Stops _every_ clanship about, can vapourize a whole fleet :)

Ciao,
Klaus
---
Klaus Breuer, Rudelsweiher Str. 6b, 8520 Erlangen, Germany
** "Geez, I need a _reason_ for everything?" --Calvin 
** "Should I or shouldn't I? -- Too late, I did!" --Hobbes 
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane)
Subject: Re: Battletech: You want munchkin?
Organization: Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 20:51:21 GMT

From: m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland)

I wrote:
> : 	Sam always want's to ballance the game... and I think he is
> : right to do so. BTW, it wasn't HIS decision about the Clans. He did
> : contribute about their background though.
> 
> Now tell us who we shall bash then? Who is responible for
> the Munchikinification of our beloved 'giand robot':) game?


	Jordan K. "I'm a millionaire" Weisman

	... not disrespect intended. He reminds me of Jobs a lot!
	BTW he has a lovelly family ... 

	Reason Clans arrived :  Jordan wanted a COMPUTER game.
				Programmers wanted it easy.
				Thus Omni.

				Thus... add it to BattleTech.

	That's they way I heard it. Sam is not very diplomatic
	about this topic. Like the time Jordan was demonstarting
	the new simulators to then prospective clients from Shamrock.
	It was right after GenCon92, and I got (Meach*Press Press Team)
	into Virtual Worlds Entreprises.

	Jordan is walking a MadCat along the area, showing how smooth
the polygon fills are, how neat night liting is etc ... he asks Sam to
use the other pod, a Vulture. So Sam obliges, with lighting tricks
etc... then as Jordan turns to answer a question, Sam triggers all
weapons into the back of the MadCat, shaking it's body and making Jordan
loose his bearing.

	Sam did that 4 times. :-) Jordan walked to the programmer
station, and began chatting there, so I got into the MadCat pod, as Sam
began running about.... and blew him away from the back. Having heard
about their "test Pilot" traditions ... when the cockpit flew into the
air ... I yelled "Pull!" and the 4 pods began pepepring the skies ...
shooting at the helpless cockpit. Fun :-)


Enough of anecdotes ... I return to the regular schedualed broadcast.

				> Karl
> -- 
> 
> Karl-Gunnar Hultland              Vox Dei, Vox Populi
> m91kgh@bellatrix.tdb.uu.se


+---------------------------------+   ___     ___       ___
| Stephane I. Matis               |  /   \_BATLLETECH  /\__\ Viva NeXT! 
| E-Mail : kgnome@cs.concordia.ca |  \___/   \___/     \/__/ NeXTSTEP 3.0!
| "It Just Works..." - Steve Jobs |      \___/   
+---------------------------------+       Wolfnet Operative & NeXThead 
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga)
Subject: Re: ECM system (was RE: C3 Network Questions) 
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 23:39:39 GMT

997vanderkol@gw.wmich.edu writes:


>	"The Guardian ECM suite is a broad-spectrum jamming and electronic
>countermeasure device designed to reduce the effectiveness of enemy
>long-range scanning and surveillance equipment."

>	Broad spectrum would include infra-red and UV. All it needs to do to
>mess up Artemis is emmit infra-red signals to jam the system.

The really neat thing about lasers is that you can
tune your missles to home on a specific frequency. When you paint the target,
that frequency of light is emitted in all directions by specular reflection.
That's not very jammable. 

Basically, since most of the people here and those designing the games don't
know ECM technology from a hole in the ground, I'd say any comment on the 
"feasibility" of ECM is senseless and any discussion on it's use in BTech
mainly needs to worry about game balance.


Axly
From: bradleah@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (II Andrew Bradley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: ftp site question
Date: 13 Dec 1992 04:11:16 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Reply-To: bradleah@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (II Andrew Bradley)
NNTP-Posting-Host: o231-12.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu


		Does anyone out there in net land know of a mirror or  
another ftp site for b-tech stuff than at archone.tamu.edu.  My ftp will  
not pick this one up so I suppose that it has either been shut down or  
that it has been down for some time.  Any and all help is appriciated.
Awnsers can either be posted here or can be e-mailed to me at

	bradleah@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

		Thanks in Advance,

			Andy Bradley
		
		A.K.A. Major Drew Bradley of the Merc Unit "Black Hawks"
From: 997vanderkol@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: FASA designs 
Date: 13 Dec 92 15:34:10 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <Bz4u9q.Drn@ais.org>, saab@ais.org (Micheal Marks) writes:
> In article <1992Dec11.053404.29863@u.washington.edu> foregone@stein.u.washington.edu (Carl Chavez) writes:
>>Why do people complain so much about FASA's designs? They're not flawed,
>>they're nearly PERFECT!!! Remember, nearly all designs are commissioned by
>>the military. Militaries through history are known for being impressed by the
>>mediocre...:)
>>
>>Actually, one of the reasons why I have some problems with the 3055 update
>>is that it has quite a few good mechs in it. Of couse, I must always smile
>>when I see the 4/6 100 ton mechs (especially that really stupid on with the
>>axe! - the "Berzerker"?).
>  
> Yeah, there are some decent designs, especially the @$#$! Wraith!  
> A guy in our group has two of them, and we can't kill the damn things!
> @$#@$@!  
>  
> MDM, looking for a good Wraith-killer (besides Eric the Cleric)

Try a couple of Kimodo's or Archers with Thunder LRMS and hope you hit their
hex. That way when they try to jump out of that hex they might set off the
mines and that's a piloting skill roll.


> 
> 
> -- 
> "To be the man, you have to BEAT the man" Ric Flair, EX-REAL World's Champion
> "I'm gonna hit ya, and you're gonna fall" Ren, and Nick to John K.
> "Never underestimate the greed of the American public"  Me
> Micheal Marks: saab@umcc.ais.org mmarks@nyx.cs.du.edu IRC:Drstyle


John VanDerKolk


Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: a2chao@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Allen Chao)
Subject: Re: BTECH: high-speed hovertanks
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:28:10 GMT

In article <RATINOX.92Dec14190504@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu writes:
>100 5-ton hovertanks are devestating to 5 100-ton BattleMechs. Scared the
>bejezes out of a friend of mine with this one. :-)
>

But the paperwork, the paperwork! 8)
 
It might also be interesting to see if your hovertanks cost less than
the mechs...  (I didn't know that you were allowed 5 ton vechs....)

-- 
Allen Chao : a2chao@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca : Netriding at ~3:00a!
 -----You know, this lack of sleep might be why I'm so tired...------