HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: morrisa@cs.UAlberta.CA (ANDREW Morris)
Subject: Re: Battletech: Re: 'City Archer'
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 01:51:21 GMT

taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Second Genyosha) writes:

...

> In fact the old tek (3025) Battlemaster is a prime case in point. There are
>some very serious problems with this mek, check this out. The whole mek is
>10 tons overweight and needs to go on a diet :)

>Battlemaster 85 Tons  -   Battlemaster 75 Tons =  Difference
>IS          8.5                       7.5          1.0
>340        27.0                      19.0          8.0
>Gyro        4.0                       3.0          1.0
>                                                  -----
>                                                  10.0

> Now we can see that the 75 Ton version is as good as the 85 Ton original.
>Yet we don't have 75 Ton Battlemasters do we. Slowing the speed to 3/5
>would mean an additional 15 tons for the 85 Ton Battlemaster and 10 for the 75.
>But with all the extra weapons and heatsinks we end up with a very different
>mek and hence not a Battlemaster and we haven't even talked about the
>rear-mounted mediums :)

But...  If you played the OLD system strictly you would know that you
CAN'T change the specs of a mech.  You need Star League technology to
do that.  That's why repair facilities and mech factories are such
"great" targets for campaigns...  Hell the way we played if you got
an arm shot off of something like a Victor, the chances are you're not
going to get one back on...

> When I make a mek I try to stay within the confines of the original design,
>my Rifleman II upgraded the AC/5s to LB-10Xs and tried to look as much as
>possible as a Rifleman. The Marauder II looks like a Marauder etc. So what
>if FASA messes things up, we live with it.

I thought that the origional designs that FASA had dreamed up were quite
realistic.  All of the mechs had some sort of heat management involved 
and the mechs were good at a specific role.  For instance, Archers and
Crusaders are almost useless in the city, while a Hunchback or a Victor...
<EVIL GRIN>

If you can just run in, fire everything every turn then there is no 
planning/resource management involved.  Try a game with heat problems.
I've had players have more than one Crusade blow up underneath them because
they got too hot and all that ammo a Crusader carries doesn't like that...

Oh, and by the way - just my personal opinion:  Rifleman(men?) bite!  2/4/2
for torso armor on the back!!??  Arrgh!  The question I have what type
of idiot would want one?  But then again, it's better than running around
with the infrantry... :-)

--
============================================================================
 "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: st1pn@jane.uh.edu (Sparkl McWarkl)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: original mecha games
Date: 14 Dec 1992 22:46 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: jane.uh.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <bleep>, radman@venice.mps.ohio-state.edu (Rich 'The Rad Man' Anderson) writes... 
>>	Has anyone here tried making their own mecha RPGs?
>>Someone here has to have tried it or at least THOUGHT about it...
>>well? :)

Well, once, a looong time ago, I happened to read Planetfall, the novelization
of the game of the same name.  In one part of it, entire cities transformed 
into mecha and blew the hell out of each other.  Soooo--

I attempted to make a set of rules for a game based on the "city combat"(!)
idea.  With a few d6 and some hastily scribbled rules, my fellow 5th-6th-7th
grade comrades and I tested the idea.  Each city had a certain number of people
inside; each weapon produced a certain amount of heat; too much heat killed
your population; each hit killed a certain number of people; less people
meant lower performance; you could "draft" a certain number of people between
fights; by sacrificing some things you could get special  weapons, such as 
claws, horns, force field protection, nukes, etc.

Well, it sucked, basically.(:  We later "refined" these "rules" for smaller
scale mecha combat (Robotech had started airing a few months previous), but
eventually that died too, due to only slightly less suckier rules, apathy,
first ed AD&D, and losing one of our best players because his parents though
that RPGs were somehow indirectly related to Satan (seriously!).

One of these days, I'll hunt down those loose-leaf pages and see what we came
up with--I know I have them laying around in a cabinet somewhere....  (I don't
even remember if we used weapon ranges, or modifiers, or anything.:)

>  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>  = Rich Anderson is: radman@   =          The <Send Rich to          =
>  = venice.mps.ohio-state.edu + =        Anime Expo '93> fund:        =
>  = bz079@cleveland.Freenet.Edu = 3421 S. Tibbs ave. / Indy, IN 46241 =
>  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>  "I met her in a mech down in Tokyo, where she battles labor crime; 
>    she's the little redhead labor shojo..." - half-sung (to tune of
>    	Lola ) by Ryan Gavigan in a BK parking lot

McWarkl:  "400+ points of ammo explosion damage?  How's the engine holding?"
--
Live and direct from UH's Social(ist) Work(ers) Building
:::::::st1pn@jetson.uh.edu::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"So little time, so little to do."        --Oscar Levant
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: BTECH: Question, please help
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 23:05:20 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.204240.225@random.ccs.northeastern.edu> mmidura@ccs.northeastern.edu (Marc Midura) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.195104.12100@nevada.edu> wildcard@nevada.edu ( WildCard !!) writes:
>>Background:  Several friends and I play Battletech (anytime from "original"
>>to 3050) as a board game with no lasting mechpilots or mechs or anything.
>>We seem to have a problem with "balancing" a game to make it a "good" (ie
>>long and 'give-n-take') battle. One team usually whips the other soundly and
>>it is generally no contest.
>>
>>My Question:
>>
>>How does one "balance" a game? By tonnage? By cost?  How about Clan v. Inner
>>Sphere?  
>
>We always balanced these one-shot games by tonnage.  
>(There was no cost values available at the time.)
>However our games usually involved 4 players in a free-for-all with 
>enough tonnage to have 4-6 mechs depending on what mechs you chose.  
>It made the games rather . . . chaotic . . . but it was fun for all.
>
>Have the BTech people come out with the SFB equivalent of BPV for
>various mechs?  It would make it easier in choosing "fair fights".
>That is if "fair fights" is what you want.
 
 
    |\/|echForce North America, the NA chapter of the kind of
 BattleTech "fan club," has developed a "Combat Value" system.  FASA
 has semi-adopted it for their mechs, as all the record sheets they
 have put out have "Combat Value" numbers printed at the bottom of
 them.  The actual rules for calculation of these values are only
 available from MechForce NA, though, they're not in any book that
 FASA has yet published.  From what I've heard, a lot of the "Combat
 Values" printed in the record sheets don't add up, anyway.


-- 
   _______________________________________________________
  /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
/______________________________________________________/
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: kari@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Kari)
Subject: PLEASE POST (or tell me where I can get) MECHWARS 1.12!!!!!!!!!!
Summary: mechwar112
Keywords: mechwar112
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Distribution: rec.games.mecha, comp.binaries.imb.pc.games
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 05:49:14 GMT

Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: We BTECHers are fantastic!
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 05:54:19 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.140252.13956@tdb.uu.se> m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland) writes:
>
>I have been checking out rec.games.board, and only found one btech
>posting there since the creation of rec.games.mecha... This must be
>one of the smoothest transfers that has taken place under the time I
>have been on this net...
 
 
    ][ndeed, I was over there last night and saw almost NOTHING new of
 interest in the past three days.  I think this new group is going to
 be quite a success.  Actually, I think it already _IS_ a success.  (: 
 
 
    ][ think I'll take this moment to <bow>, <blush> at all the kind
 words I've gotten, and say "Thank you, I could have never made
 rec.games.mecha a reality without all of you!"  (An' that's the
 literal truth.)  I'd also like to thank my producer, my director,
 my cat, the moon, the sun, the stars....  <grin>

-- 
   _______________________________________________________
  /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
/______________________________________________________/
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland)
Subject: Re: What is the telnet for BTECH MUSE?
Organization: Dept. of Scientific Computing, Uppsala Univ.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 10:31:26 GMT

DoDGeR (dodger@rajeesh.WPI.EDU) wrote:
: >
: >Now the vultures are here too :) You newcomers shouldn't be too
: >surprised if jumped do 5-10 'headhunters' the moment you enter the
: >MUSE, even thoutgh I guess those hearing about it here would be better
: >prepared than most other are :) Well just to compleat the recruitment
: >policies of the MUSE here on the net :)
: >:grovels
: >:begs
: >:whines
: >"Please please please please join up with us 'poor' Davions :("
: >"I'can guarantee you a Assaultmech and becoming a Co commander."
: >"Well you want two Atlases.... No problem..."
: >To be serious now :) Don't trust recruiter promises...
:
: 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!!!

It would be good if this was mentioned in the MUSE-Rules too,
I don't know who you are and if you can put it in there, but
if you can... please do.

I usually refer total 'battletech' newcomers to the news about
the different houses and the history, before telling them what
I am, and then I don't make them promises that I can't keep,
I only says like when wou finish NAIS you will get promoted
to Corporal and get a mech that is available...

Unfortunately this usually isn't enough when people gets
promises about automatically being promoted to lance
commanders, regardless how they do, and the first time they're on.

By the unit I lead that is a positon that they have
to earn by having good leadeship abilities, RPG good,
and being a good pilot/gunner.

 
 				Dixie
				CO 4th Davion guards
-- 

Karl-Gunnar Hultland              Vox Dei, Vox Populi
m91kgh@bellatrix.tdb.uu.se
From: 997vanderkol@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: Who did it
Date: 16 Dec 92 13:44:24 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <BzD4sG.8Cq@newsflash.concordia.ca>, kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane) writes:
> From: cosc182n@menudo.uh.edu
> 
>> BINGO! Now if only we can figure what Victor will do? Also does
>> anyone know when the next book comes out?
> 
> He nothin ... She ... well .. Skye is the example :)
	Don't you just want to slap Stephane when he does these things? :)
Let me guess, she will incite a rebellion type thing on Skye to frame Ryan
Steiner. He will be removed either killed or exiled like Alessandro (sp) was.
That will remove the strongest threat to the Throne of Tharkad. She will then
proceed to break up the F-C back into Davion/Steiner. Marik will take this
opportunity to strike at Steiner, while Liao will attack the Capellan March. 
> 
> 
> Next novel 90 days for Stackpole ... 30 (?) for Keith.
> The Grey Death Leagion returns! Prelude to what you ask ? :)
	Let me guess, they end up running into Clan Wolverine while they are
off looking for battleships. That or they become the preimire raiding force
for the FC.
> 
> 
> 
> +---------------------------------+   ___     ___       ___
> | Stephane I. Matis               |  /   \_BATLLETECH  /\__\ Viva NeXT! 
> | E-Mail : kgnome@cs.concordia.ca |  \___/   \___/     \/__/ NeXTSTEP 3.0!
> | "It Just Works..." - Steve Jobs |      \___/   
> +---------------------------------+       Wolfnet Operative & NeXThead 

John VanDerKolk
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Marius)
Subject: I want more light mecha damnit!
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 06:46:28 GMT

The title says it all...

Everybody (not really everybody but most everybody) posts these
disgustingly heavy mecha to the list... it seems like 80+ is the
fashion...

Try some lighter designs... take a CHALLENGE designing mecha for
a change... Who wants to live forever?

(I realize this isn't very good campaign thinking, but if you look
at it the right way, it's a lot of fun... :)

"LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!!!"
			    - Paul Muad'Dib
			      the Kwisatz Haderach
			      Frank Herbert's _Dune_

_______________________________

Marius   ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
_______________________________


Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: BTECH: Arcade Simulator in San. Fran.
From: jsbrown@acs.harding.edu
Date: 12 Dec 92 12:11:11 -0500
Reply-To: jsbrown@acs.harding.edu
Organization: Harding University

In article <1992Dec8.141242.1825@athena.mit.edu>, sdeering@athena.mit.edu (Scott E Deering) writes:
>Hey gents,
>
>Is there anyone out there who has information on the arcade set-up
>in San. Franciso and (supposedly) in Japan where there is a BTECH
>arcade game system set up in a small warehouse. I saw an article on it on
>the TV show Discovery 2000 and the breakdown was like this:
>
>-individual modules on an arcade floor provide a ridulous amount or colors
>and data to an operator to control one mech, as an individual or on a team
>
>-randomly generated terrain and day/night/sun/fog conditions can be preset
>
>-each module connected to each other (seemed to be about 40 total on the floor)
>by a LAN.
>
>-slammin' graphics!
>
>-Price: $6 for 1 hours play
>
>-bookstore peddling books, and other paraphenalia outside
>
>
>Has anyone heard of this or gone there to play yet?
>
>-scott deering
I read about one in Chicago.   It had 16 cockpits and each cockpit had 2
joysticks, 2 footpedals, 3 computer screens, a 9-digit keypad and over 60
buttons and switches.   It was possible to play in teams (lance size) and have
objectives for each team or you could brawl it out with everyone vs. everyone.
The mission objectives were down loaded from a big computer in the building to
each cockpit.  They were pretty detailed for example convoy attack and defense, 
defense of a mech plant and so on.  The brother of a friend of mine played it
and he said "Awesome".  It was about $15 for 20-30 minutes, if I remember
right.  Just thought people would like to know.

Jason Brown   jsbrown@acs.harding.edu

>
>sdeering@athena.mit.edu					<><
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: BTECH: ICE Mecha!
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User
Distribution: World
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 00:22:14 GMT

In article <1992Dec19.195346.28995@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> probe@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Prabal Nandy) writes:
>  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!

 
    \/\/hen Internal Combustion Engines were first introduced, in
 CityTech, it was legal to make mechs using them.  CityTech, p. 31:
 "Vehicles (and 'Mechs, for that matter) have a choice of whether
 they will use a fusion or internal combustion engine."  It hasn't
 been mentioned since.  I've never actually constructed any ICE
 mechs, but I did once make up a construction table for them.  It's
 very silly.  The fastest possible ICE mech is a 20 tonner, at 8/12,
 with a whole 1 ton left over for armour, weapons, and heat sinks.
 

>   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,?
 
 
    |\|o.  Can't say that I'm THAT interested in history.  (:
 
-- 
   _______________________________________________________
  /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
/______________________________________________________/
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: davis@cwis.unomaha.edu (James J Davis)
Subject: Re: Battletech: Get it right
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 22:16:14 GMT

hamilton_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:

> When I started 'Battletech: the Great Debate', I was just trying to see what
>people prefer, old tech, Lostech or Clan tech. Fortunatly that descution has
>not strayed from its original intent.

I was not around for this discussion, but would like to state that the playing
of Lostech and Clan tech drove me away from the system.  If found that it was
just making gamers feel good by giving them more and more powerful mechs, and
I found the backgrounds for these technologies ill-concieved.  Further, the
rules with these technologies are not slick any-more.  For example, old tech,
there is not a single weapon that doesn't have it's merits (except the LRM-10,
which seemed to be a mistake and can be fixed readily).  This is no longer the
case when new technologies are added.  Further, the movement system for BT
does not really work well with fast mechs.  And the old tech mechs are the
slowest of them all, making them play best within the system given.  All in
all, I liked old-tech, and quit playing Battletech all-together when local
gamers decided 'Clan or bust!'  [Their loss.  The old tech mecha were a lot
prettier to look at too...  :)]

-james
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
From: deitrich@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Dave Deitrich)
Subject: Re: Hmmm...Why don't I see any Robotech on this newsgroup??? Where is
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 00:26:54 GMT

<JJR111@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>Ok then how about some stats on Macross II mecha.  Any Ideas or comments.

Which system?  I'll probably have the Palladium versions done by January.
However someone else'll have to do the Mekton II ones.

The VF-XS Valkyrie IIs aren't that much different from the "classic" Valkyries
in the original Macross.  I haven't seen anything real impressive from the 
atmosphere version yet.  The space version with it's combat drones is much more
powerful, but still seems underpowered for it's time.  Considering Macross II
is supposed to take place 80-200 years after the original, it doesn't seem like
there's been a lot of development in weapons technology.  Still, the new
designs definitely do LOOK cool...

--
Dave Deitrich                             Manager, CCSO Oregon Computing Site
deitrich@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu                and One o' the Guys in charge of JACK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  CCSO and I have this deal; I don't represent them and they don't fire me.
From: dodger@omar.WPI.EDU (DoDGeR)
Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha
Subject: Re: What is the telnet for BTECH MUSE?
Date: 15 Dec 1992 05:11:46 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: omar.wpi.edu


>>: 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
>

I didn't me that it is bad to tell them your unit...it is just easier to
seem impartial and not try to influence them if they do not know which unit 
you are...i like to teach newbies what they need to know to get started and
i find that i should keep my house a secret (ask kell) it is just easier
that way...friendlier too.
SCaT!!!

Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha