LAM designing

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  • Last Post 26 July 2018
Nightstalker666 posted this 12 July 2018

okay so I've loved LAM's since watching old robotech, macross, and transformers back in the 90's with my dad playing the old DOS and tabletop varients. 

I have maxtech, total warfare, and a bunch of the other "new" rulebooks on PDF. here's my problem: I need to know if MASC and superchargers affect Fighter-mode, I can see the supercharger helping but what would myomer have to do with jet propulsion? 

also I'm wondering if there is a ruleset (tech 3 obviously) that officially allows LAM's to utilize xl engines or any of the other gear that LAM's aren't allowed to use (crit-space armors and I.S., for prime examples) of course I could over-rule on account of house rules but I want RaW/Tro/canon/legit or whatever u call it these days. 

 

ps. I used to be on the old solaris7 and "Icehellion" is the only name I remember that I still see in the active member list. 

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Nightstalker666 posted this 26 July 2018

Rules for LAMs are in Interstellar Operations. 

 

How do I make it show that your post was the answer I was looking for Ice?

Nightstalker666 posted this 25 July 2018

Okay, now I have the full set of toptech rulebooks (I think) I'm not liking how much back and forth I have to do to get ALL the info on one subject in the way the books organized the chapters. I cannot use a supercharger btw. Now I'm wondering just how much of the optional rules I could apply to a LAM and its pilot. things like Enhanced Imaging, MechWarrior augmentations, "perks"/traits abilities, etc. how much of all that is really available to a LAM and its pilot. seems I'm probly going to have to make a LAM builders handbook scrapbooked out of the dozens of different places in multiple books I have to go to track down all those possibilities.. if anyone wants to help I'd appreciate it.

Nightstalker666 posted this 25 July 2018

ahh finally found a copy of Interstellar Operations:

ftp://york.chatterweb.net.ru/Battletech/Classic%20Battletech/Core%20Rulebooks/CAT35006_Interstellar_Operations_FINAL.pdf 

had a bit of a tough time tracking down a copy then I thought it all for naught until I printed it to pdf

Captain posted this 24 July 2018

Out of curiosity, what are the modern rules for LAMs? (Can't get a copy of Interstellar Ops, at present.)

Nightstalker666 posted this 24 July 2018

yeah sorry was still reading and had to jump offline awhile. but for nukes I found these rules

( http://battletech.rpg.hu/mechfactory_frame.php?call=mechtech_equipments&selected_type=10&selected_eqid=210 ) 

and sarna has some examples but no technical data for creating or using so I'm glad I found those (above, in link) 

I gotta go find me a copy of that Intersteller Op, thx I'd actually shelved looking for those rules for a bit while D&D was going on over the weekend.

icehellion posted this 24 July 2018

Which "StratOps" are you guys looking at, as I don't see rules for nukes or LAMs in the copy of Strategic Operations I have?

 

I think they aren't talking about LAMs any longer.

Rules for LAMs are in Interstellar Operations.

Captain posted this 24 July 2018

Which "StratOps" are you guys looking at, as I don't see rules for nukes or LAMs in the copy of Strategic Operations I have?

Nightstalker666 posted this 18 July 2018

Damn StratOps just became a fast fave, everything I haven't had rules for or at least "The DrawingBoard" to create seems to be in here!

Nightstalker666 posted this 18 July 2018

well as the arguments for gun rights prove; you outlaw nukes when anyone could get or make one and only the outlaws (Pirates, certain merc types, self-made "Lords" over periphery planets, assassins-though doubtfully for them, etc.) and those in power would have them. just a futuristic upscale to the idea.

I wonder if the Ares convention would allow a star wars program under the following circumstances; its for a capital and its only to be used once the civvies in the area have been cleared out and to the bunkers. this could avoid nuclear fallout and if you keep smaller more tactical sizes you can wipe out half a field of mechs and the central dropship target for an example. this maintains one of the only exceptions that I recall reading that only purely military forces may be targeted for bombardment. as the star wars system was a kinetic force weapon with tungsten rods of a ton or more just being dropped from satellite orbit. G.I. Joe had a good example of what that size could do. initial orbital rotation speed added to gravity and drop distance mean you don't need anything but mass with a dense hard tungsten rod though I wonder just how far it could actually penetrate?.. I'm sure theres a formula somewhere for that. 

But then, if your gunna flaunt the ares convention anyway you could do the same setup but with DU and Cobalt casing to salt the land in a "scorched earth policy"-style gameplay. either is still more cost effective when it comes to reloading such an orbital cannon than building an intricate fission or fusion device even if you use some of the same materials in the core device.. ooh I just got a horrible inspiration; take the HEAT concept and apply it to the star wars projectile. a compact antimatter or neutron bomb shielded by the bulk of the DU w/Cobalt casing of perhaps 3-5 tons and once the projectiles slowed from penetrating the planets crust that detonating would be a hell of a "HEAP" round haha except instead of the acronym being for armor piercing this is a Hell Evolved Anti-Planet round. I cant help but get a sick giggle out of how disgustingly terribly awesome that would be. presumably even if you didn't truly "break" the planet with such a weapon you would certainly leave effects similar to Tunguska or is the Yellowstone blew full on.

Nightstalker666 posted this 18 July 2018

@Kronos: simple and straightforward I like it. If I ever make an OMNILAM I will use your formula additions.

 

I'm sure with the tech in BT it wouldn't be hard to make planetbusters with those kind of engines so um hell yeah- I'm NOT complaining about the houses slinging ferrous asteroids at eachother. 

Cmdr_Kronos_Riker posted this 18 July 2018

I remember trying to develop Private House rules for Omni-LAMs, restricting how they were configured even more...

Heavy Metal Pro had a nice feature to add equipment if needed.

Anyway, Got my house rules on the Omni-LAM on Google Drive.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5bLPOivte0vdXllN2Y3MUhhNGM

 

Thunder posted this 17 July 2018

Arrow iv sized nukes are survivable for a little while. Its actually the secondary effects that are dangerous.

Ferrous? Just for that you shall experience hot fudge sunday.

Prince posted this 17 July 2018

I'll def keep fuel and bomb bays in mind but for now I have to make my LAM's via pen and paper because TDB cant build them legit.. yeah that nuke sounds like something not meant for BT lol no wonder they put the Ares convention into effect.

Yeah, I gotta do all my LAMs the same way since Skyhigh is too busy to add more to SSW- and since LostInSpace disappeared. Anyone know what happened to him?

Nukes have always been in BT lol it's just that they are COMPLETELY overpowered. But when you really get to the nitty-gritty of real world stuff, you end up with people bitching that the great houses aren't just slinging massive ferrous asteroids into each other at C-fraction speeds and the arguments fall apart.

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Nightstalker666 posted this 17 July 2018

I'll def keep fuel and bomb bays in mind but for now I have to make my LAM's via pen and paper because TDB cant build them legit.. yeah that nuke sounds like something not meant for BT lol no wonder they put the Ares convention into effect.

Prince posted this 17 July 2018

just for fun I wonder what would the specs/rules be on one of those nuc-arrow's? (homebrew's fine) 

I think nuke rules are in strat ops too- think "This hex is gone" level of destruction. One Arrow IV nuke makes an explosion the size of one whole mapsheet.

yeah I totally forgot about those avionics and whatnots, that's been in the construction for LAM all along. 

indeed I know I can use the supercharger, and as hard as it is to fit ijj's I do love them for when they work, but I still want to know what I can do that add's to speed and how much of which boost affects which mode... grumble that's been a real hard question to get any answers on..

Basically? In airmech mode/aerospace mode MASC and superchagers don't affect anything. IJJs and efficient tonnage use are the only ways to make good LAMs it seems.

EDIT: Mount extra fuel. You have to track the fuel points you have once you change out of 'mech mode- you automatically have some, but it's only assumed to be like, 1 ton's worth.

Nightstalker666 posted this 16 July 2018

I'll dig through StratOps btw thank you.

Nightstalker666 posted this 16 July 2018

just for fun I wonder what would the specs/rules be on one of those nuc-arrow's? (homebrew's fine) 

yeah I totally forgot about those avionics and whatnots, that's been in the construction for LAM all along. 

indeed I know I can use the supercharger, and as hard as it is to fit ijj's I do love them for when they work, but I still want to know what I can do that add's to speed and how much of which boost affects which mode... grumble that's been a real hard question to get any answers on..

Prince posted this 14 July 2018

Current LAM rules can be found in StratOps I think- /BTG/ has all the downloads.

Your LAM is sadly, no longer rules-acceptable. In order to balance them (kinda) against other units, no tech that takes up multipule slots can be fitted inside- while you'd think that would still let you use TSM/Light Ferro/Endo-Composite, it really means that no advanced materials outside of Composite structure and some weird combo of compact engine/XL gyro can be used. All cool stealth stuff- out. You also don't have the space for the avionics, landing gear, ect. I think MASC and superchargers can be used tho.

But this doesn't mean you can't do some awesome crap with them! Improved jump jets are totes legal and really opens up some designs, and if you wanna get REAL cheeky breeki LAMs can use internal bomb bays like aerospace- My favorite is a 5-ton bay, which can hold a single nuclear-tipped Arrow IV missile. Naturally, the only LAM that has a bay is the Wasp with a 4-tonner because Herb was captain of I HAD FUN ONCE AND IT WAS AWFUL

Nightstalker666 posted this 14 July 2018

so technically this would be a design that has the chassis of an 80 tonner but uses all medium mech equipment and stats and never equips the mech past 55 tons. but I didn't have the rules for that then so I've been reworking the designs to fit up to date rules. 

Nightstalker666 posted this 14 July 2018

Vladmir Kerensky Draconavich made his first mech with the help of an ex-COMstar mech technician who specialized in advanced electronics and their repair/design, who as he helped Vlad escape the clans picked up knowledge in their travels of clan technology and integrating as many of all these various comms/targeting/defense/stealth electronics systems into one or several units as possible into design prototypes that Vlad is always the test pilot for. A long-term childhood pet project of his technician's has been LAM's and he's studied in their design at the finest of Blakes facilities before the clans captured him. leading to how Vlad was convinced to go rogue and escape the clans. the first mech I had  modified was a shadow hawk using level one rules I believe,

------ as I only had the Battletech compendium from '90, the 2750 and 3025 Tech readouts, the grey death legion, a bit from a white dwarf magazine-let about a 10 ton mech design. MechWarrior: the BattleTech RPG (from '86) ok so looking over the sarna list of BT books that's what I recognized from the childhood collection I grew up with... now back on track. 

---- so I was using a shadowhawk as the base design switched to an XL engine, made the gauss rifle's 15 tons fit and I think I kept one medium laser and used and 80-ton internal structure and heavier armor than a 55-tonners allowed to typically have. this was due to the wording of the rules and probly since the GM was my dad when I made this first "Nightstalker" and I was like 8-9yo. 

specifically the loop was that it said IS must be at least 10% of the mech. I think I mounted around 15-16 tons of armor only a little thicker in some locations than a 55-tonner would be allowed, but then we referred to where the internal structure says it can mount twice its pts in armor except in case of the head where 3is9af is all it'll ever be w/o ultralight designs which I believe are the exception. 

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