From: kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH - Rules flexibility???
Date: 26 Sep 92 11:51:20 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec

> >I just burn to hot ... not enough :-) either. So, listen, if you want an
> >updated game, don't look thoward FASA, 'cause they have a "cow" to milk.
> >But, let me tell you, the Virtual Reality pods don;t follow Btech rulkes
> >at all... see what I mean.
 
    ___
     > |hink for a minute.  That "biggest problem" of BattleTech is
 > actually the only thing that keeps the game playable.  If the armour
 > rules in BattleTech were truly realistic, every game would be over
 > in the length of time it takes to get a line of sight to your
 > opponent.  This would probably average about two turns.  How many
 > people are interested in playing a game that doesn't let them
 > actually get INTO combat?> How often have you seen people pissed off,
 > or been pissed off yourself, when an AC/20, Gauss Rifle, or Clan PPC
 > takes off a mech's head, and the rest of the armour on the mech hasn't
 > even been touched, yet?  With realistic armour rules, that would be
 > EVERY SHOT.  At the least, with ablative armour, it'd be every OTHER
 > shot.
 
	Ok, I'll bite ... :-)   Did you ever play Mekton ?

	No ?... Yes ? ... it doesn't matter, because the new Technical 
	rules are coming, with some of the best stuff I've seen.

	Now, what I can't understand is why Mekton can pull off the 
	"Swashbuckler" Mecha style (dodge-parry-kick-shoot), while
	BTech forces us to "Sand Blast" ?

	Yes, BIG weapons are a pain. Yes, extra rules are a pain for 
	record keeping. Yes, the game is Truly unrealistic...

	But, how about making it go a little faster, while at the same
	time, making "character" fatalities less prelevent ...


	(I can dream can't I ? :-)

    > |)
    > |)attleTech carries two assumptions with it, and you can't get
 > away from them and keep it the same game:
>  
 > 1)  A mech is a walking arsenal, equivalent to a company of lesser
     > vechicles.  As such, much fewer of them are necessary to fight
     > a battle.
>  
 > 2)  A game of BattleTech must last long enough for the players to
     > actually consider it a full game.  I'd say a minimum of six
     > turns is required.
 
	O.K.

 > With these two conditions, you see that each mech has to be able
 > to both mount either a large number of weapons or a few very large
 > weapons, as well as be able to either survive several hits by
 > similar weapons, or avoid getting hit at all.  This, of course, is
 > the basis behind the concepts of designing mechs with as much armour
 > as possible, and making them as fast as possible.  That's simply the
 > way the game is designed, and how the weapons, armour, and movement
 > values are balanced.

	Sorry, I have been seing Light 'Mechs fall heavilly on their
	collective faces since the NeoTech has arrived. I don't think
	that speed compensates enough anymore.

    > ][f you want BattleTech to be a more realistic game, you're going
 > to have to make it into something that isn't BattleTech.  I myself
 > simply conceede the fact that it's an unrealistic game, and get on
 > with playing it and enjoying it.

	True, I do to ... but it doesn't mean that I'm not trying to
	"improove" it. |-) 


	Let me say this.... I'm working on a set of rules to "improove"
	the game, without changing the design system, adding many more
	rolls or such. When I have finished (it's now in playtesting)
	I'll probably post it. 

	Of course, to play BattleTech, you should stick to 3025 for the
	most "ballanced" enjoyment.

> -- 
   > _______________________________________________________
  > /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 > /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
> /______________________________________________________/
> 

Roll!       ___      +---------------------------------------------------+
Over!   __ ( . )      From        : Stephane I. Matis
      _/__\(___)      Internet    : kgnome@cs.concordia.ca
    / /\\[==]//\ \    Working for : Monenco Systems Group 
   /_/  |THOR|  \_\   Working  at : Newfoundland Offshore Contractors 
  [00] _//==\\_ [00]  Writing for : Mecha*Press and FASA's BattleTech
      / _/--\_ \      		    Dream Pod 9
     |__|    |__|     "It Just Works... " - Steve Paul Jobs, CEO NeXT
     (__]    [__)     "Clam Warships are landing on Toycod !" - Anonymous
    [_=_]    [_=_]   +---------------------------------------------------+
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