Be sure to check your individually assigned lance threads here: http://www.uobgaming.com/forumdisplay.php?245-Lance-Threads I have various items I need addressed from each of you before we can start. THE GM's GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE GM: A random list of tips that should apply to all players and will hopefully help you in developing your character. First of all... THIS: http://www.uobgaming.com/showthread.php?4796-PROJECT-EGO I had hoped for a more elaborate introduction, but time is short so I'm going to spill some of the beans. Project Ego is focused around creating a more "personal" experience in our campaigns. I want them to be more than about getting the biggest mech and min-maxing the shit out of it. Done correctly, I'm hoping for a more immersive roleplaying experience while keeping things simple, familiar, and easy to understand. Examples of some of these skills: Anti-Mech Secondary Skill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5MV-xN6fM2A#t=30s Piloting/Ground Vehicle (i.e. "Driving") http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oMX7_z4ixFQ I'm sure you get the idea Also, skills such as Small Arms, Anti-Mech, Piloting/Vehicle, and Gunnery/Vehicle will become extremely helpful if you ever lose your mech and can't afford to buy a new one (infantry squads and conventional vehicles will be available free of charge). These skills cost much less to level up so no reason you can't do moderately well with them. Also consider if you want to specialize as infantry or as a tanker and commit your XP accordingly. Infantry skills by far cost the least amount of XP, but vehicle skills might offer more combat flexibility and mobility. You could also level up Piloting/VTOL if you prefer them over ground vehicles. Also, feel free to cross-train if variety and being a jack-of-all-trades is to your liking. =============================== ENEMY FORCE CALCULATIONS & THE EFFECTS OF BATTLE VALUE: Generally speaking, the difficulty of enemy force you face is tied to YOUR lance's battle value. The more powerful your lance, the more powerful prey you will hunt. This may make you wonder why even bother getting in bigger mechs. The answer: salvage. Bigger targets = bigger pay. However, keep in mind that while the rewards are greater, this comes with greater risks. Big mechs are slower and, while better armed, are much more vulnerable to being overran, surrounded, and outnumbered. Faster smaller mechs will give you more tactical flexibility and allow you to more easily break contact if you get in over your head. =============================== MEDIUM LASERS VS SRMS: Remember that higher BV weapons will increase your mech BV. Medium lasers have higher BV than SRMs, but that does NOT mean they are better in all situations. Consider this before you spring for that medium laser boat. Medium lasers are great for taking out mechs and aerospace, but are less effective than SRMs against tanks and downright suck against infantry (all lasers deal only 1 point of damage to infantry squads). Mechs are common, but infantry and vehicles are VERY common; remember this. SRMs are ideal for engaging a variety of enemies at short range. Inferno SRMs rip tanks apart and are also quite effective against infantry (3 damage/missile). SRMs are more effective than medium lasers at getting head shots and finding weak points in armor (more critical hits) because each missile that hits is rolled separately for its hit location (ex. an SRM6 has six chances to roll a headshot). Even regular SRMs are more effective against tanks because the increased number of impacts increases the chance of a through-armor critical hit. An obvious advantage of medium lasers over SRMs: they require no ammo. Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. There are many different combinations that can offset the weaknesses of either weapon system. Don't limit yourself and experiment with both! =============================== MEDIUM LASERS VS AUTOCANNON 20 Unlike the medium lasers vs SRM comparison, the differences here are almost entirely a matter of raw stat numbers. AC/20s are best used for "armor penetration"; 20 points of damage will pierce any location on all but the most well armored mechs. When it comes to destroying your target quickly, concentrated damage will 90% of the time kill faster than damage that is spread out. In fact, many smaller mechs will be vaporized by a single well placed AC/20 round. For these same reasons, this is why missiles are so effective at disabling mechs instead of destroying them; death by a thousand cuts will often times disable a mech from critical hits before they destroy it. Again, don't be fooled into thinking 4 medium lasers is as dangerous as a single AC/20; they most definitely are NOT! Assuming the AC/20 is not firing in rapid fire mode, 8 medium lasers is a closer match. Honestly, you should always try to avoid closing with an AC/20 armed unit; kill it from range! Compared to an AC/20-centric mech, medium laser boats are very effective in mechs below roughly 60 tons, but become far less effective in larger mechs. This is because, while the max tonnage can be increased, the number of crit slots remains the same. Larger medium laser boats will often run out of crit space long before they run out of tonnage (this also nullifies the effective use of weight-saving equipment like Endo Steel, FerroF. Armor, and Xl Engines). Bigger mechs use Gauss Rifles and large ACs much more effectively. Playing Megamek with advanced rules turned on allows for even standard heatsinks to fire in Rapid Fire Mode; firing two shots per turn instead of one. While it does expend ammo twice as fast, Rapid Fire also doubles the destructive capability of the AC/20. We play with this rule on by default to help give ACs a much needed buff. Without it, medium lasers really would be much better than AC/20s. Avoid firing an AC in Rapid Fire Mode unless you have a very good shot on your target; conserve ammo whenever you can. Also, keep in mind there is a small chance (around 2-3%) that you could jam the gun while in Rapid Fire Mode (this cannot be fixed in the heat of battle). However, if you have an easy shot, give it everything you got! 20x2 damage is absolutely lethal damage to even the largest mechs. ALWAYS prioritize the biggest threat when using an AC/20. Don't waste such a devastating weapon on light mechs and vehicles; this will allow you to deal maximum effective damage. Again, DON'T CLOSE IN ON AN ENEMY ARMED WITH AN AC/20. Keep at range and kill it fast! To sum things up: When to use lots of medium lasers instead of heavier ballistic weapons: piloting medium or light mechs some faster heavy mechs might also use them effectively When to use AC/20s (or other larger ballistic weapons) instead of boating lasers: piloting heavy or assault mechs some lighter mechs can use them effectively, but usually not any better than their larger cousins Or... better yet... just NEVER boat medium lasers. Players have no remorse in focus firing on those things. =============================== More random tips: ALWAYS coordinate with your lancemates on character skills and mech loadouts. Synergy is key to a successful lance. The minor skill resets we've had on occasions will NOT be a trend I wish to continue in the near future. ALWAYS consider that you will likely fight over a variety of terrain when choosing how to outfit your mech. Slow mechs with short range are deathtraps if you get caught in the open. However, specialzing can have its advantages too. It is up for you to decide. Mechs that use all energy weapons have no ammo concerns and operate best in areas where supplies might be scarce. However, they suffer the most from hot environments and cooling system malfunctions. Don't forget that many weapons have secondary firing options that can be triggered in Megamek by using the "mode" button during combat. Many ammo based weapons have multiple types of ammo they can use that offer some additional tactical flexibility. Infantry can be surprisingly lethal in urban environments. Flamers are a Mechwarrior's best friend (no ammo risks). Machine Guns are a tanker's best friend. Have some spare weight and nothing good to spend it on? Slap on a rocket launcher! You only get one shot with it, though, so make it count!
So...since I spent the entirety of the previous campaign in a VTOL, can it be assumed that I have adequate VTOL piloting skills for the sake of out of mech character progression? What's that? Cut off from the main force and Dracs bearing down on our position? Mighty nice of them to leave this Osprey lying around. GET TO DA CHOPPA!
