HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ara@wam.umd.edu (Ford Prefect)
Subject: Re: BTECH: ammo explosions
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 16:47:38 GMT

In article <17DEC199209072401@jane.uh.edu> st1pn@jane.uh.edu (Sparkl McWarkl) writes:
>I've seen a few people comment on ammo explosions damaging adjacent mechs...
>How exactly is this figured?  Could put a whole new spin on our campaigns, I 
>would guess....
>
>
>McWarkl:  "Lessee, you get an ammo crit.  You have *how* many rounds left??"
 Well there are propably better ways to handle this but the system we use
is anything in the adjacent hexes takes 10 percent of the total explosive
force of all the ammo on the mech.  The Pilot of the exploding mech
is ofcourse caught in the explosion during ejection and is Killed
that is assuming the ejection system is turned on :->

-Ara 
"Hey! who stuck that AC20 Round in my jump jet nosels"
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: thantos@runic.via.mind.org (Paul Williams [SysOp])
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Mekton II
Keywords: Building Mektons
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 18:16:07 EST
Organization: Runic Writings / Lawrenceville, GA

silk@mcl.ucsb.edu (ken mencher) writes:

> Re: hands....
> i think that they're standard....the other things are xtra...

    I'm afraid hands aren't standard, they're 1cp.


-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: 2.0

mQBNAiq05BMAAAECAMhHbpLYkMQMao3SB9Qt/ddi6Gj3KZ3lHicc3Kx6iX94Hb4D
bDPn6knzrwLzVMCdUX0BWU+CW87+WuD5YSiiw+cABRG0LVBhdWwgQS4gV2lsbGlh
bXMgPHRoYW50b3NAcnVuaWMudmlhLm1pbmQub3JnPg==
=/Otn
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
thantos@runic.via.mind.org (Paul Williams [SysOp])
From: cosc182n@menudo.uh.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Which weapon is best? (Was: Re: btech lrm)
Date: 18 Dec 1992 10:28:03 -0600
Organization: University of Houston
NNTP-Posting-Host: menudo.uh.edu
Summary: grunt...


I nominate the disruptor as the Klingon weapon of choce....

(Bad makeup indead!)
From: emeu09@castle.ed.ac.uk (Mech Eng Student)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: BTECH MUSE
Date: 17 Dec 92 14:59:45 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University Computing Service


  Is there anybody in Edinburgh who is playing on the MUSE.  I have a 
character but the University has banned MUSEs and MUDs and I can't get
to him.  It would be nice to return but I don't know how to get on now 
that my Uni account won't let me.

TTFN
Rod
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: pwg25888@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Patrick W. Grady)
Subject: Re: BTECH: high-speed hovertanks
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 02:18:40 GMT

Faisal Nameer Jawdat <fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

>>Gabriel Hovertank, 5 Tons
>>                        Heat Sinks 10   0.0     Armor
>>IS              0.5     Control Equip.  0.25    Front  5
>>Engine     35   1.5     Lift Equip.     0.5     Left   3
>>  Type     Fusion       Power Amp.      0.0     Right  3
>>  Cruise   15           Turret          0.1     Rear   3
>>  Flank    23           Armor      18   1.0     Turret 4
>>
>>Medium Laser    1.0     Turret

>Lose the armor, put in robotic controls (unless they've removed them
>from the game, but they're in the original "Battletech Manual") and a
>ton of long tom ammo.  Nice suicide tank, regardless of what scaling
>system you use (cost, tonnage, br's).


>-- faisal jawdat                  | "Certainly the game is rigged.
>email: fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu       | Don't let that stop you;
>if mail handler barfs             | if you don't bet, you can't win." 
>fj05@andrew.cmu.edu               |        -Lazarus Long

	If you are in a campaign, then look to use the cheapest ammo
possible for your explosives, like the machine gun ammo.  It costs less
than Long Tom ammo, easier to get ahold of, and the really great part, 
it does 400 pts. of damage per ton.  Long Tom ammo does 100 pts.  Pretty
wimpy in comparison to cost.  One other thing to keep in mind, use VTOL's
or conventional fighters with robotic control, build one and figure up 
the speed they move.  The fighter will positively screw someones day
because it moves in map sheets per turn, which have to be converted 
to the regular 30 meter hexes for damage purposes.  Just think of a 
vehicle able to hit you doing the equivilent of 45 (yes 45, 3 thrust in
Aerotech converts to 3 mapsheets in Btech, that means an optimal attack
run would be 3x17=45 hexes long) hexes in the turn it charged.  Don't 
forget the machine gun ammo, even if you only have a half ton because 
of load requirements.

Happy hunting

Patrick
--
-- 
Patrick Grady               |  I express my opinion,
                            |  I express your opinion
email: p-grady2@uiuc.edu    |  for large sums of money.

Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: BTECH: Cestus stats
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 00:06:17 GMT

In article <BzB1L5.6D2@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> cpbeaure@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Chris Beauregard) writes:
>In article <CRUSADER.92Dec15015209@liero.cc.lut.fi> crusader@lut.fi (Crusader ,the Holy Soldier of Metal) writes:
>>> In article <Bz96rq.3DF@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu>, cpbeaure@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Chris Beauregard) writes:
>>
>>> A little while ago I pikced up a miniature for the Cestus mech.
>>> ///unfortunately, I'm missing the stats for it.  I think it popped up in
>>> a Battletechnology a while back (aren't they all a while back <grin>).
>>> Anyhow, would some kind individual please post/e-mail (might as well
>>> post, share the wealth...) the stats for it?
>>
>>Are miniatures for the 'mechs published in the Battletechnology 
>>available? If so, where ?
>
>Well, depends on the mechs.  A lot of the older ones that popped up
>(i.e. Wolfhound) have figurines.  I think it's just the ones that were
>put in the Tech Readouts that have figures.  Check a Ral Partha
>catalogue.  Also, there were a few really old figures dating back to the
>dawn of BattlTech (before my time, ?I guess) that don't have stats in
>any of the Tech Readouts (with the exception of the Bombardier, I think
>(that's ARC-2R Archer if you're reading the Ral Partha catalogue)).
>Anyhow, we ran across a pile of them buried in a dusty shelf of a hobby
>store and picked up some.  Problem is, no stats for a few of them...
 
     _
    /-\ lot of times what happened back then, before FASA and Ral Partha
 got more organized, was that Ral Partha would just make a figurine and
 put it out without checking to see if it had stats anywhere or anything.
 So what would happen is that BattleTechnology magazine would see these
 figures without stats and make some up for them.  Examples are the
 Falcon (in the first issue of BattleTechnology, even), the Battleaxe,
 and the Longbow (looked like the Destroid Phalanx from Macross).


>Oh, yes.  Something of interest.  There's always this big problem when
>playing Battle Tech of choosing mechs.  You can never make enough
>randomized tables to handle that.  If people choose their favorites all
>the time, games get pretty similar over time.  We came up with this
>vicious technique.  Roll up wandom tonnages and tech level, and then
>have YOUR OPPONENT choose your mechs for you.  <heh heh> You can be
>pretty damn sure that you're not playing with the best mechs
>available...You'd be surprised how those Scorpions and JaggerMechs come
>out of the closet...
 
 
    \_/
     |eah, I played a game at a tournament like that.  The general
 concensus was that the Scorpion and JaggerMech had to be the two
 worst designs FASA has put out so far.

-- 
   _______________________________________________________
  /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
/______________________________________________________/
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: BTECH: high-speed hovertanks
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Second Genyosha)
Date: 18 Dec 1992 04:26:01 GMT
Reply-To: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Distribution: world
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <1992Dec18.162420.1@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz>, quirke_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
> Faisal Nameer Jawdat <fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>>Gabriel Hovertank, 5 Tons
>[Stats deleted]

>> Lose the armor, put in robotic controls (unless they've removed them
>> from the game, but they're in the original "Battletech Manual") and a
>> ton of long tom ammo.  Nice suicide tank, regardless of what scaling
>> system you use (cost, tonnage, br's).

>   "Suicide Tank" ?
>   Consider the fate of the humble infantryman, thrown into a battlefield
>with no protection at all. There are *tens of thousands* of them, and each
>of them would rather be in one of these things than running around armoured
>only in a badly fitting uniform on a battlefield filled with flying metal.
>   And take a look at the price of these things. Any Periphery kingdom could
>afford to outfit plenty of them. Might even give the Clans a scare or two.
> Or you could always mix Medium Laser armed gabriels with the occasional TAG.
>Tony Q.

 If you review the rules about Infantry you will see that MGs do lots of
damage againist them. 1D6 per MG, nasty. Unless in a city, infantry have
a very bad time againist meks and vehicles. All they are really good for
is holding positions so that the civilians don't get ideas.
 TAG is only good IF you have LOTS of Arrow IV and nobody has! Who wants
vehicles that die at the hands of meks firing infernoes and brush fires?
Not to mention LB weapons! Plus Streaks etc. No life in a vehicle is not
a happy life and infantry are worse off.

This has been....
 Tony Taia                                    (Chu-sa of the Second Genyosha)
 TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz  **Join the DCMS see the Inner Sphere and kill it**
3055-3067: So little time, so many Clan meks to kill! :)
**Noone knows what I know, so you know that what I know is only mine to know**
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Stress Kitty)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Mekton II vs B'tech
Date: 20 Dec 92 15:21:34 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: pigface.ecst.csuchico.edu


This definitely depends on you, the player.

If you like anime and the inherent impossibilities that look so graceful, 
the variety of mecha and the sheer style, then Mekton (and the Techbook)
will probably do you better than Battletech.

On the other hand, if you are one of those who want to believe that your
are participating in a 'realistic' simulation of armored combat in a set
and once-stagnant/now-topsy-turvy world, full of munchkins and and combat
fiends and not much else, then Battletech is for you.

Guess which one I like more.

-- 
Things will be bright in P.M.  A cop will shine a light in your face.
From: rrb3919@zeus.tamu.edu (BARRON, RANDY R)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Nicknames for Mecha (BattleMecha)
Date: 14 Dec 1992 00:05 CST
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: zeus.tamu.edu
Keywords: nicknames mecha battlemech
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

>>     "Stinger Killer"  Atlas
>>
>>     "Moving Target"   Stinger or Wasp

> 
       "Sitting Target"  Urbanmech

       "Rock"  City walls

       "Hard Place"   Charger intent on YOU for lunch		

>Jump-Capable (any)  "Pull!"
> 
>Most Mechs that Shandersky designs  "Papercut Death"
>     (he LOVES medium lasers)
> 
>Wraith      "Stand your ass STILL!!"  Heard multiple times in every
>      combat with one.
> 

 Warrior H-7  "Ditto above"

       "Holy SH.. SCREACH, SKRAN, metal buckling"

		People eyeing Victor's feet above them...

				And all that cheerful stuff...

			Cpt Adriaan Thorne...
				ya know the rest by now
From: rrb3919@zeus.tamu.edu (BARRON, RANDY R)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: C# Network Questions......
Date: 13 Dec 1992 16:56 CST
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: zeus.tamu.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

	This is in response to John VanDen?'s reply...

		Sir, I merely leaped before I could look.  I 
believe it says something about using a linked mech's targetting
systems to achieve a lock-oc so I merely assumed only the firing
and the targetting mech were involved in the circuit.

		As to the other point, I KNOW the Guardian states
it nullifies any effects of a c3 computer so it would probably
knock loose the c3 tag (When the c3 comes with in 5? hexes of a 
ecm suite, the c3's delicate electronics can't send a coherent signal?)

I hope this made my pseudo-facts and assumptions clearer, John.

			 Cpt Adriaan Thorne
		  Merc Company       BLACK MAGIC 
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: cs011103@cs.brown.edu (Christopher Randall)
Subject: btech lrm
Organization: Brown Computer Science Dept.
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 12:32:08 GMT

just thought id point out that lrm5s are the most efficient and lrm10s the least
if you dont know what i mean look at the weights and heats sometime

crash
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Second Genyosha)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Probably Useless, but...
Date: 21 Dec 1992 03:09:48 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
Reply-To: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <1992Dec19.192942.23433@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>, probe@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Prabal Nandy) writes:
>>So, any opinions on the survivable scout mech from hell?
>>Just for my Record.
>>                       The Crystal Griffin

 Do a "Blaine" and mount rearward LRMs. Or an SRM-6, yeah, no ammo!

>      [Left Flamer on line]
>      [Right Flamer: Charging]
>      "Fire!"
>      (Listen, you wouldn't happen to be related to that pathetic soul who
>designed the CHARGER, would you?)
>                                                      Lord of the FLies
>                                                      1st MPC Division
>                                                      Colony World Myops

 Nothing wrong with the humble Charger. Charge damage = 8 x 8 hexes = 64!
First time I ever used this mek, everyone said "Why is Tony moving those
pieces of junk last?" Then a Phoenix Hawk received a 56 point hug and it
exploded on contact! That turn another Charger administered 64 points to a
Stinger, it was not a pretty sight :) Both these pilots before they got
their new 3050 Chargers had skills of Piloting 1 and 0, you don't want to
know their Gunnery! Thank goodness for "pulse" weapons :)

This has been....
 Tony Taia                                    (Chu-sa of the Second Genyosha)
 TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz  **Join the DCMS see the Inner Sphere and kill it**
3055-3067: So little time, so many Clan meks to kill! :)
**Noone knows what I know, so you know that what I know is only mine to know**
Organization: Sophomore, Physics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 15:46:16 -0500 
From: Faisal Nameer Jawdat <fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: MECH WARS?
Distribution: rec.games.mecha

kari@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Kari) writes:
> Does anyone have or know where I can get the latest version of MECH WARS?  

more to the point, what is MECH WARS?



-- faisal jawdat                  | "Certainly the game is rigged.
email: fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu       | Don't let that stop you;
if mail handler barfs             | if you don't bet, you can't win." 
fj05@andrew.cmu.edu               |        -Lazarus Long
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: wschip76@ursa.calvin.edu (Tom Schipper)
Subject: Re: Startup question
Organization: Calvin College
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 17:53:27 GMT

morrisa@cs.UAlberta.CA (ANDREW Morris) writes:

>lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex) writes:

>>>P.S. By the way when I finished BattleTech and sent away for the FASA
>>>     miniature they sent me 10 (that's TEN) by mistake.  I have given
>>>     away most of them but still have a few left over.  The person with
>>>     the most helpful info. will have one sent to them $0.00.
>>>     Now that's insentive if I've ever heard one.  Thanks again :)
>>>-Mike
>> 
>> 
>>    ]-[mm, sounds interesting....  (:

>I also solved that problem, but being up here in the "Great White North"
>(Canada) it was going to cost me more to get my "free" figure than it
>would cost for me to order it directly from RAFM(? - It's been so long...)
>in Toronto. (Postage and Handling...)

>Anyways I wouldn't have used it.  I didn't allow LAMS.  Too many problems
>with doing fly-by kicks(more like drag the legs across the other mech...).
>Oh, one little hint with that game if you have the time.  Just start the
>game up and wait and let you "allowance" build up.  You can basically start
>up with as much money as you want. ($10000 is usually enough)

Hmm, I solved the game, but don't remember anything about a miniature...oh
well.  Anyway, if you're going to do something like let the game just sit,
you might as well just take all your money, put it in BakPhar, and save the
game.  Everytime your money doubles you save, everytime is halves you reload.
It's also a good idea to FAIL a couple of missions since you increase your
gunnery and piloting by going on a certain number of missions rather than 
based on success.
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: a2chao@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Allen Chao)
Subject: Re: BTECH: high-speed hovertanks
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 16:43:53 GMT

In article <RATINOX.92Dec15211309@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu writes:
>Allen> But the paperwork, the paperwork! 8)
>I didn't throw them all at once. Just wave after wave after wave of
>hovertanks :-).

I guess that would make things a bit easier - how many did you lose?

>Gabriel Hovertank, 5 Tons
>                        Heat Sinks 10   0.0     Armor
>IS              0.5     Control Equip.  0.25    Front  5
>Engine     35   1.5     Lift Equip.     0.5     Left   3
>  Type     Fusion       Power Amp.      0.0     Right  3
>  Cruise   15           Turret          0.1     Rear   3
>  Flank    23           Armor      18   1.0     Turret 4
>Medium Laser    1.0     Turret
>
>This thing *defines* fast. :-)
>
Mind if I hang onto that, so I can use it in the future? 8)


-- 
Allen Chao : a2chao@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca : Netriding at ~3:00a!
 -----You know, this lack of sleep might be why I'm so tired...------
From: kstclair@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU (Kelly St.Clair)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Mekton MTS Roadstrikers
Summary: 1/5 scaling, 1/20 weight
Date: 21 Dec 92 03:55:31 GMT
Organization: House of the Peach Rose
NNTP-Posting-Host: atlantis.cs.orst.edu

In article <RATINOX.92Dec16133906@kappa.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu writes:
>
>Paul>    Has anyone used the scaling rules in the _MTS_?  Specifically for
>Paul> Roadstriker scale mecha, I'm having a little quandry.
>
>My one complaint about the MTS is Roadstriker scaling. It doesn't work with
>their numbers. I mean, dividing everything by 5 just doesn't cut it.

I found this out, as I imagine most did, when I tried to build a Cyclone.
  Of course, the figures from Palladium are a little suspect in the first
  place (90 kg for an armored mechabike?  About as much as a normal adult  
  male?  Try doubling that... and the 38-lite, at 50 kg, is even worse).
  I used 100-200 kg (.1-.2 tons) myself.

>A better solution would be to convert mass units from tonnes to, say, 10Kg
>blocks, then divide size by 5, and convert damage appropriately.

Something which worked well for me, and came out pretty close to Roadstriker
  and real vehicle weights, was to scale everything except weight by 5 as
  normal.  Weight is scaled by 20.

Result - cycles have an unscaled weight in the 2-5 ton range (you'll probably
  want to use wt. efficiency), cars are 20 to 40 tons, and so on up to vans
  and small trucks at 60+ tons.  

>Weapon damage can be converted to Hits if less than 1K, otherwise round
>down to the nearest K. Unless you wish to institute a new damage level like
>half-Kill units.

Half-Kills?  Ick.  I'd be much more likely to just follow Mekton II to its
  logical conclusion, where it says that less than 1K / 10H in one shot
  can't touch standard mecha armor.  Weapons with kill values less than
  that, when scaled, are only useful on the Roadstriker scale. 

>--Rat
>||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
>Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat          ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu

---------------------------
Kelly St.Clair (Daydreamer) 
kstclair@jacobs.cs.orst.edu
From: st1pn@jane.uh.edu (Sparkl McWarkl)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: BTECH: heat sinks anyone
Date: 17 Dec 1992 21:54 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: jane.uh.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <1992Dec17.183752.7028@gw.wmich.edu>, 964reid@gw.wmich.edu writes...
[heat sinks' on/off switch: yea or nay]

At a guess, you could probably say that any extra heat sinks mounted on your
mech could be flipped on or off during the reaction phase or something, but
that the sinks in the engine itself would be unswitchable (I mean, would you
want to shut off your engine's heat sinks and see what an uncontrolled fusion
reaction looked like?  Do you have your ejection system enabled?:)


McWarkl:  "Hah!  My mech has a 150 engine--that's, what, 6 heat sinks total??"
--
From the slave pens beneath UH's Social(ist) Work(ers) Building
:::::::st1pn@jetson.uh.edu:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Of course I care.  Just not very much."   --James "Kibo" Parry
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: a2chao@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Allen Chao)
Subject: Re: BTECH: high-speed hovertanks
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 17:27:51 GMT

In article <1grjspINNgii@golem.wcc.govt.nz> taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
> If you review the rules about Infantry you will see that MGs do lots of
>damage againist them. 1D6 per MG, nasty. Unless in a city, infantry have
>a very bad time againist meks and vehicles. All they are really good for
>is holding positions so that the civilians don't get ideas.


	When one sees the cost of training an infantry platoon, one wonders
how much it costs to train a mechwarrior...

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