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Vanigo posted:Can legged mechs still extract? Yes, but if you take advantage of the river to extract the Blackjack, the Blackjack will be crippled (temporarily) so one of the lance's spares would have to be broken out of storage to replace it for the next mission. Unless you seize the Thunderbolt, anyway. That's always an option. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Sep 16, 2023 |
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Sep 16, 2023 18:39
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How does SLDF command usually feel about integrating battlefield salvage? Because you could (in theory) argue (with enough distance to central command) that the thunderbolt came with it's own salvage(d) crew.
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Sep 16, 2023 18:53
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PoptartsNinja posted:Yes, but if you take advantage of the river to extract the Blackjack, the Blackjack will be crippled (temporarily) so one of the lance's spares would have to be broken out of storage to replace it for the next mission. I wonder if the PC pilots bite it are there replacements just hanging around off-screen to jump in like the spare mechs?
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Sep 16, 2023 19:44
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Z the IVth posted:I wonder if the PC pilots bite it are there replacements just hanging around off-screen to jump in like the spare mechs? Not unless you return to Epsilon Pegasus. It's why I usually reserve Guts rerolls to save the Mechwarrior (unless I think the 'Mech getting critted out will get them killed).
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Sep 16, 2023 21:13
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Eye of Balor 2-12 The Crusaders had already ceased pursuit, perhaps checking the Clint for signs of activity or worried one of the Stingers might leap up to take them by surprise. Not that a Stinger or two could do much against a new-model Crusader, but if they were packing infernos like their support ‘Mechs were, they might have been a bit low on close-range firepower. Another autocannon shell glanced from the Blackjack’s torso, and when missiles struck her ‘Mech a moment later Rampart worried she’d given one of the Crusaders a shot. Fortunately, it was just a salvo from one of the smaller ‘Mech’s five-tube launchers. The Blackjack’s armor was battered and it felt like a misstep would take her left leg clean off; but she’d made it. The canyon walls grew lower and rockier, while the canyon floor flattened out into a large basin. It would be harder and harder for the pursuers to find shots and Obligation lance would have an easier time maneuvering without jump jets. The false SLDF would either have to give up or get so strung out that the lance might be able to successfully turn on them. They weren’t entirely in the clear—but the immediate danger had finally passed. “Once they give up, I’ll double back to the battle site and see if I can’t find any other pirate survivors,” Prodigal broadcast over the secure lance net. “My Mongoose probably isn’t big enough to recover any salvage, but I can probably carry a cockpit module—if any of them are reasonably intact. Keep your sensors on the river, too. Hopefully we can find the guy who was washed downstream.”    Movement Phase Hoplite - Begins in the Extraction Zone: Extracts safely Shooting Phase Blackjack (Player) - Holds fire! Crusader #1 - Holds fire! Crusader #2 - Holds fire! Unknown Medium BattleMech #2 - Holds fire! Unknown Medium BattleMech #3 - Fires Autocannon/10 at Blackjack (3 Gunnery + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 8): Rolled 11, hit Left Torso (5/15 armor remaining)! - Fires LRM-5 at Blackjack (3 Gunnery + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 8): Rolled 4, missed! - Fires LRM-5 at Blackjack (3 Gunnery + 2 range + 2 movement + 1 enemy movement = 8): Rolled 10, with a cluster roll of 7: 3 missiles hit Center Torso (10/18 armor remaining)! Shooting End Phase Blackjack (Player) - Must pass a piloting test or fall (4 piloting + 1 massive damage = 5): rolled 10, succeeds! Thunderbolt - Holds fire! Melee Phase Heat Phase Blackjack (Player) - Gains 2 heat, sinks 18! Crusader #1 - Gains 0 heat, sinks 10! Crusader #2 - Gains 0 heat, sinks 10! Unknown Medium BattleMech #2 - Gains 2 heat, sinks 10! Unknown Medium BattleMech #3 - Gains 9 heat, sinks 10! End Phase Next Turn’s Movement Phase: Blackjack (Player) - Extracts safely!  [N/A] Map Link Objectives Primary Objective - Don’t Get Killed by the Fake SLDF (Completed) - - Retreat in Good Order (4/4 SLDF Units Escaped) Secondary Objective - Defeat or Capture All Pirate Enemies (3/3 BattleMechs Eliminated, 1/1 Mechwarriors Captured) Player Status:     Ally Status: OpForce Status:         Special Rules Going In Blind - Enemy units that are not in Line of Sight appear as blip markers, obscuring their facing. Their facing is still being tracked. Canyon Carver – A ‘Mech that fails a piloting test, falls prone, or otherwise becomes completely submerged in a water hex will also be swept 2 hexes downstream. Chaotic Winds – An ejecting pilot scatters 1d3 hexes. After-Action Report: A nice escape! I waffled a little on when to bring in the Crusaders, because I didn’t want to totally undercut the threat of the Thunderbolt—but at the same time a single Thunderbolt really wouldn’t have lasted long. It was mostly there to try to bait the players away from the extraction zone, which everyone saw through pretty nicely. Nice work, everyone! Some spicy Guts rolls at the end but there’s a reason why “don’t get killed” and “escape in good order” were two different objectives. Expect some interesting votes coming up. Mission 2 MVP Vote
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Sep 17, 2023 23:50
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That was a close thing, but we couldn't have asked for a better outcome considering the circumstances. Very interested to learn what our pirate 'friend' knows about our unexpected guests.
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Sep 18, 2023 00:24
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that was a great engagement. I like that this campaign will seemingly require more focus on surviving engagements rather than glorious death in combat
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Sep 18, 2023 00:58
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Still... alive! drat, I feel like doing a big ol' Nicholas Cage-style "Woo!" over here. That was so close.
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Sep 18, 2023 01:03
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Well done! That Pirate Special is something alright. Maybe you'll get to keep it, and the pilot!
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Sep 18, 2023 01:17
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very nice job, team!
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Sep 18, 2023 01:34
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berryjon posted:Well done! That Pirate Special is something alright. Maybe you'll get to keep it, and the pilot! Not sure what our refit capacity is looking like, but we could potentially rebuild it into something resembling the future TDR-5SE. Bloody Pom fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Sep 18, 2023 |
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Sep 18, 2023 01:47
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That was a close one! Great job on escaping. It's a shame there probably won't be any salvage, but at least our forces have been preserved.
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Sep 18, 2023 05:23
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Scintilla posted:That was a close one! Great job on escaping. It's a shame there probably won't be any salvage, but at least our forces have been preserved. +1 pilot +1 fully mobile heavy, potentially. The best salvage walks under its own power.
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Sep 18, 2023 06:13
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excited for plot, exposition, and mechs!!
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Sep 18, 2023 10:14
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Well done Goonswarm! The best fight is one you can run/jump jet away from!
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Sep 19, 2023 03:32
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Nicely done! The terrain was rough without jumpjets, but we all managed to survive somehow! I'm really interested in learning what the deal is with the pirates and the fake SLDF.
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Sep 19, 2023 05:11
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I hope that we're not uncovering the secret army being amassed to bring down the Star League, because then all our characters are probably going to end up dead. That would be a downer.
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Sep 19, 2023 06:40
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What do you mean? It's not like this area pays any taxes.
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Sep 19, 2023 06:49
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That's exactly what Amaris would say to distract us from all the guns he's hiding here!
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Sep 19, 2023 07:00
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It'll all end with the lance running across a Matar.
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Sep 19, 2023 08:33
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Explodingdice posted:It'll all end with the lance running across a Matar. So a turret that can only fire in a frontal cone? 
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Sep 19, 2023 09:25
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Bloody Pom posted:So a turret that can only fire in a frontal cone? Or that possibly crits itself to death when its legs self destruct, yes.
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Sep 19, 2023 14:43
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Downtime #2 XR7715 – Eye of Balor (Local Name) Fomhóraigh (Local Name), Southern Polar Canyonlands Spinward Periphery March 8th, 2763 Creeping between rock outcroppings, Syntyche kept the Mongoose’s sensors focused on the canyon walls above for any sign that the enemy lance was still waiting in ambush. The canyon was strangely quiet—their pursuers had given up quickly. Probably too quickly, but today Syntyche wasn’t going to complain. With luck, their ammo bins were dry. “We’re clear of the canyons,” Grandpa broadcast in a burst. With luck it wouldn’t get picked up by the enemy. “Multiple columns of smoke towards the pole. Probably three or four settlements burning, maybe more—and there’s a dust cloud on the horizon. Might be a dust storm, might be one of the ‘outer patrols’ our stalker mentioned. You probably have ten minutes.” She didn’t reply verbally, but sent a double click to minimize the chances of her own transmission being detected. The rest of the lance would be able to make it to the Dimetrodon before anything caught up with them. Not that she’d need ten minutes. Both of the Stingers would have been repairable but short of stealing a medium laser or two the Mongoose didn’t have the physical strength to recover either of them. There just wasn’t enough left of either ‘Mech’s cockpit to recover, the Crusader’s LRMs had blown one apart and the Stinger’s ejection mechanisms had burned out the other. The Clint was another story. It’s head was still mostly intact—even if that just made it more obvious the Mechwarrior hadn’t survived. They’d been cleanly bisected mid-chest by a three foot shard of cockpit transplex. It wasn’t much, but Syntyche figured they could afford a few minutes for a proper ‘Mech-assisted burial. With a quick blast of the Mongoose’s medium lasers and a careful two-handed twist, she wrenched the Clint’s head off cleanly and ran. ******************************************************************************** Syntyche didn’t start her Mongoose’s power-down checklist until Ravager finished clambering down the last few rungs of the Thunderbolt’s ascension ladders and into the proverbial waiting arms (and SMGs) of the Dimetrodon’s platoon of marines. “You’re sure about this, Lieutenant?” Commander Ryoji asked from the comparative safety of the bridge. “She could be a periphery suicide bomber.” “We’re about as far as we can possibly be from the Taurian Concordat,” Syntyche replied. “I promised she’d be treated fairly. That means unless we find something really heinous in the Thunderbolt’s Battle ROMs, we shouldn’t keep her locked up. I’d definitely keep an escort with her, and guards in the ‘Mechbay—and on the Thunderbolt—but if you fear the worst it is within your authority to seize it and scramble the security codes. We’ve already killed her whole team and she’s our only real lead. We’d definitely lose any chance of getting any straight answer out of her if she finds out we take her ‘Mech.” “A Thunderbolt would be a big boost to your team’s capabilities, even if Mikal’s already complaining that it’s in terrible shape.” “Oh, poo poo,” Syntyche grimaced. “I bet he’s chomping at the bit to get that Thunderbolt back up to stock specs.” “He did start out in a Thud regiment,” Commander Ryoji agreed. “I’ll talk to him.” Syntyche promised. “Powering down now, Commander.” “Roger. We’ll launch in fifteen and debrief once we’re on our way.” “Understood.” Syntyche finished powering down the Mongoose, and pried the neurohelmet from her head. She missed the lightweight models she’d trained with on Terra. The periphery kit wasn’t much inferior; but it was so heavy it left her shoulders sore after only a few hours in rough terrain. She rolled her shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness before she made the climb down her Mongoose. As her feet touched the ground, one of Mikal’s tech crews locked her Mongoose in place; to keep the launch from sending it pinballing around the Mechbay. She waved a hand in thanks, but beelined towards Mikal himself. “Hey—” “They’re really put that Thunderbolt through the ringer,” the Dimetrodon’s chief technician stared up at the bulky, wedge-shaped heavy ‘Mech. “They get a bonus point for keeping the Delta Dart launcher intact; but those jets are a hackjob—” “Don’t touch it yet,” Syntyche asked, trying to sound more apologetic than she actually felt. “Commander hasn’t made the call to seize it yet, so unless she does it’s still private property.” “Yeah, yeah,” Mikal scowled. “The Clint’s head is fair game though.” Syntyche held her arms out wide. “Can you do anything with that?” The old tech’s eyes lit up, “Oh, yeah, I was looking that over while you were burying that pirate. Most of it’s poo poo, but—that is an impressive targeting array. I’m sure it’s a pain in the rear end to repair, but if you’re willing to bend regulations a little I’m sure we could mate it to one of your lance’s ‘mechs.” He paused, considering, “Well, any of them except your Mongoose. It’d probably interfere with your Beagle Probe. But, if we’re going to start bending regs, we might as well start by overhauling your secondary armaments.” “Could you do anything to make the Blackjack tougher?” Rampart interrupted, taking a swig from a bottle of the SLDF’s preferred brand of powdered sports drink. “Sorry, it’s first gen.” Mikal shrugged. “Unless you’ve got a brand new skeleton in your back pocket, we just have to deal with the—quirks. Still, it’s already a bitch to fix, so it’d be my first choice for the Clint’s optics.” “I’ll consider our options,” Syntyche promised. “Repairs first. Things out here are much worse than I was expecting.” Post Mission Gain: Obligation Lance gains 2 shared XP Mission MVP: Rampart gains 1 personal XP Bonus XP: Prodigal gains 1 personal XP  Captives - Unknown pirate, badly injured (unconscious, critical condition) - Rayan “Ravager” O’Clery Notable Salvage - Clint Sensor Suite and Targeting Optics Evidence Collected 1) The SLDF Impostors were using HR8482 to stockpile SRM and Inferno ammo (Conclusive) 2) The Draconis Combine is conspiring with [Pirates] in the Draconis Reach (Inconclusive) 3) [An unknown party] is pretending to be the SLDF in the Draconis Reach (Inconclusive) 4) [An unknown party] is pretending to be the Draconis Combine in the Draconis Reach (Inconclusive) 5) There is at least a battalion-sized force of SLDF Impostors in the Draconis Reach (Conclusive)  Training Vote 1) Teamwork Training (Obligation Lance gains 2 shared XP) 2) Prodigal: Spend more time with the DropShip Captains (+1/3 progress towards unknown SPA) 3) Grandpa: Practice with the LB-10X (Spend 2 shared XP: gain Cluster Hitter) 4) Rampart: Intense Maneuver Simulations (Spend 2 shared and 1 personal XP: gain Terrain Master: Mountaineer) 5) Training Vote Salvage & Technical 1) Sentinel: Clint Optics Installation (gains Improved Targeting (Medium), Improved Targeting (Long), Non-Standard Parts, Difficult to Maintain) 2) Blackjack: Clint Optics Installation (gains Improved Targeting (Medium), Improved Targeting (Long), Non-Standard Parts, Difficult to Maintain) 3) Hoplite: Clint Optics Installation (gains Improved Targeting (Medium), Improved Targeting (Long), Non-Standard Parts, Difficult to Maintain) 4) Sentinel: Secondary Armament Overhaul (exchange small laser and Stream SRM-2 for SRM-4) 5) Blackjack: Secondary Armament Overhaul (exchange 2 flamers for +2 medium lasers) Salvage & Technical Vote Thunderbolt Vote 1) Seize the Thunderbolt and return it to spec (TDR-Pirate Special becomes TDR-5S) 2) Seize the Thunderbolt and repair it as-is 3) Don’t seize the Thunderbolt, but return it to spec (TDR-Pirate Special becomes TDR-5S) 4) Don’t seize the Thunderbolt, repair it as-is Thunderbolt Vote Primary Downtime Action 1) Return Evidence to Epsilon Pegasus 2) Ready one of the Spare ‘Mechs (2/2 remaining) 3) Reassign Mechwarriors 4) Focus on Recovery 5) Deal With Prisoner(s) Downtime Vote
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Sep 21, 2023 02:39
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I say we fix up Ravager's Thud and leave it at that. Could be useful to have a local guide if she seems to be on the level, and while we did kill her unit we at least had enough respect to bury the ones we could. Definitely give the Blackjack more lasers and better optics, it's already a hangar queen by its very nature so we might as well go all the way.
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Sep 21, 2023 02:57
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A perfect 0. Thank u all <3
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Sep 21, 2023 03:08
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That's entirely the fault of the Sentinel, I guarantee it has nothing to do with how you were playing it.
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Sep 21, 2023 03:13
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The Sentinel is a fine mech that is entirely overshadowed by its Royal variant. A full-size Gauss Rifle on a platform that small is a thing of beauty. At least, it was until the Lyrans tried doing it. Bloody Pom fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Sep 21, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2023 03:21
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Swap out the Sentinel's entire secondary armament with 3 medium lasers and it's solid, too. I just don't want to offer "add medium lasers" as the only overhaul options.
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Sep 21, 2023 03:29
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PoptartsNinja posted:I just don't want to offer "add medium lasers" as the only overhaul options. I seem to recall you once rewrote almost the entirety of the mech construction rules to make this specific thing non-viable
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Sep 21, 2023 03:36
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And because I think the R-E lasers are significantly more balanced, tonnage-wise. It's much harder to boat 2.5 ton medium lasers.
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Sep 21, 2023 03:45
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Get rid of the
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Sep 21, 2023 04:05
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poo poo, I forgot that the original PTN Battletech thread started in 2011! 
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Sep 21, 2023 04:16
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Back in my day we used letters and numbers to denote Mech positions!  I didn't start playing until after PTN switched to sprites I'm pretty sure that I was abnormally young for a Battletech fan until MWO and HBStech brought it back into the wider world. I remember playing MW4 and MechCommander 2 before even reaching my teens. Bloody Pom fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Sep 21, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2023 04:19
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Crikey! Did Rampart even get any kills? Or is this all about surviving? That Blackjack, man. It's lucky. Bloody awful, but lucky. Any way to stick jumpjets on it? Because we need something with jumpjets.
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Sep 21, 2023 04:39
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I feel like there's two options for what to do: Report back about the impostors -immediately- and make it the wider sldf's problem. OR strike while the iron's hot and develop leads while we're still on planet. I'm voting for the second! mostly because delivering the pirate right to the sldf's doorstep would be a bit of a disservice and if we leave, we lose a chance to act on what she/he knows. I think the Clint suite makes the most sense on the Hoplite, actaully or saved to (maybe) put on the tbolt: If you want to increase a pirate's reliance on highly trained technical crew, then, well, making it a pain to maintain does that. a ball and chain, not of gold, but circuits and steel. The hoplite because it leans on Grandpa's already impressive gunnery: An ac10 on slug is still 10 damage a pop. Who wouldn't want a ppc with a bonus? I also think it would be a clutch upgrade for the sentinel, as it addresses the main problem with the ac5: its not an ac10, & it has to hit consistently and regularly to be a good gun. (it does have 10 damage output in ultra mode tho!) PoptartsNinja posted:I just don't want to offer "add medium lasers" as the only overhaul options. is there any reason small pulses aren't more popular as a swap-in? I'm pretty sure they're star league era. You'd figure with the amount of complaining about machine guns, any mech with two mg's and a ton of ammo would have some tech eying an MPL/2spl refit option. Or, are those considered cheesier because of the to hit bonuses? TheParadigm fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Sep 21, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2023 04:47
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I personally wouldn't phone home until we have solid evidence of some kind of plot. If our suspicions aren't airtight then our boneheaded nepobaby of a First Lord is likely to sweep it under the rug. And if we play our hand too early, everybody's favorite Kublai Khan cosplayer might decide to bring his schedule forward. Provided things are proceeding in line with the original timeline, we have about two years before things go to poo poo in the Concordat and divert the SLDF's attention away from Terra. Tick tock. Bloody Pom fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Sep 21, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2023 05:08
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painedforever posted:Crikey! I voted for the narrative drama
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Sep 21, 2023 05:14
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Bloody Pom posted:I personally wouldn't phone home until we have solid evidence of some kind of plot. If our suspicions aren't airtight then our boneheaded nepobaby of a First Lord is likely to sweep it under the rug. And if we play our hand too early, everybody's favorite Kublai Khan cosplayer might decide to bring his schedule forward. This is basically my view as well. As frustrating as it is, we really don't have enough solid evidence to support our suspicions. If we report back now, we'll just be fobbed off and/or slated for assassination.
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Sep 21, 2023 06:37
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Agree with things so far - there's circumstantial evidence, but nothing definitive. We've had a few skirmishes and have some intel, but we need solid stuff. This is leads, but we don't have a smoking SRLM launcher. Stay here and keep on pushing and see what we find. The injured pilot will hopefully wake up and give us something useful. The Raven pilot surrendered and should be treated appropriately. There's no reason to seize her mech unless she's clearly hostile - I dunno what our exact rules of warfare are when it comes to this sort of thing. We're a formal military unit, not mercenaries. We follow what the rules are and what honor dictates. NOt sure why we're required to repair/refit a mech that was hostile to us, but ultimately that comes down to regulations. I have no idea of the effectiveness of the various proposed refits so abstaining on them.
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Sep 21, 2023 23:31
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wedgekree posted:Not sure why we're required to repair/refit You're not, but good luck talking the chief tech out of it.
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Sep 22, 2023 00:32
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