Battletech

I'm an old time BT player. I was on their site but they have horrible rules restricting free speech, the worst is an anti-politic rule. just mentioning a politicians name got me a "warning" - & I mentioned him (GWB) stating no-one was to poke fun at him, & they still gave me a warning just because I mentioned his name! so I'm posting here (hope there is no rule - like copyright or something - if so let me know) to have a free forum to discuss politics in Battletech - (if no objections) I'll direct all my BT contacts to use this forum instead of theirs, so we can post more freely. - thank you DW forum for your freer venue.

Or try Bean's Bar at Barn.com. They tend to be demanding in their discussions and lean towards libertarian or secular conservative. Very interesting discussions.

MAD-4A wrote:I'm an old time BT player. I was on their site but they have horrible rules restricting free speech, the worst is an anti-politic rule. just mentioning a politicians name got me a "warning" - & I mentioned him (GWB) stating no-one was to poke fun at him, & they still gave me a warning just because I mentioned his name! so I'm posting here (hope there is no rule - like copyright or something - if so let me know) to have a free forum to discuss politics in Battletech - (if no objections) I'll direct all my BT contacts to use this forum instead of theirs, so we can post more freely. - thank you DW forum for your freer venue.

Here's a fun fact for you: There is no right to free speech on a privately owned and administrated forum. There are rights the owners and operators grant you, nothing more. If there is a rule banning politics, then you have to either follow that rule, or live with the consequences if you don't. It's very simple.

Many years ago, a few months before Deathly Hallows came out, I posted a comment on mugglenet about the Australian crime reporter Harry Potter did a report from in front of a Sydney store, called Harry Potter, on rumers that Harry Potter was going to die in the last book.
Got me a life ban for spoiling.

Ironically, they still send me birthday emails.

The E wrote:There is no right to free speech on a privately owned and administrated forum...

I'm aware there is no LAW guaranteeing it. But there is a principle, controlled by the public. So if some site wants to have too strict of restriction, then the users can choose to go somewhere else - which is what I'm doing.

The E, Tenchani, and myself would have been banned since day 2! Luckily, we are allowed a little or smidgen of freedom within this website.

MAD-4A wrote:

The E wrote:There is no right to free speech on a privately owned and administrated forum...

I'm aware there is no LAW guaranteeing it. But there is a principle, controlled by the public. So if some site wants to have too strict of restriction, then the users can choose to go somewhere else - which is what I'm doing.

smr wrote:The E, Tenchani, and myself would have been banned since day 2! Luckily, we are allowed a little or smidgen of freedom within this website.

Exactly (btw - if you were wondering about my username - I signed up for their site the same day - MAD-4A Marauder II )

I am currently working on a revised, and detailed, TO&E for BattleTech (Inner Sphere).
Currently the books state only that; 4 Mechs = a Lance (not 3 not 5 exactly 4), 3 Lances + 2 Aerospace Fighters (trans-atmospheric) = a Company (exactly 12 Mechs + 2 Fighters), Exactly 3 Companies = a Battalion (Exactly 36 Mechs + 6 Fighters) and Exactly 3 Battalions = a Regiment (108 Mechs + 18 Fighters). No infantry, no Vehicles, no Artillery, no wiggle room. Infantry are listed as 28 men per standard platoon, 21 men per Jump (jet-pack) Platoon and 4 men per Battle armor (power-armor) platoon. No info (I’m aware of) is given for conventional vehicle units (though it’s generally assumed to parallel Mechs).

With this ‘standard’ TO&E the Regimental Commander is also the commander of 1st battalion (there is no “other” slot for him), likewise the Battalion Commander (and for 1st that’s the Regimental Commander) is also the 1st Company Commander and the commander of the 1st lance of the Company. Now on the Lance/Company levels that works, but on the higher levels, you have one guy running the entire Regiment, and 1st Battalion and 1st Company and 1st Lance all at the same time!

In some of the books they mention “Reinforced” units – which is generally taken to mean they have an extra unit of the next smaller size (4 Companies for a Reinforced Battalion) but that’s not specified anywhere. There are a couple of books that list basic unit stats, such as; 1st (So&So Guard/Dragoon etc…) Regiment, 3 Mech Battalions and 1 Infantry Battalion, or something to that effect. I’m working on a full detailed (and flexible) TO&E up to Regimental level (So 3 Mechs per “Short Lance”, 4 Mechs per “Lance”, 5 Mechs per “Reinforced Lance”) Vehicles are almost the same but use the term “Platoon” instead of “Lance”. Fighters (and conventional Aircraft – which are generally not used) are 2 Per “Flight”, 3 per “Heavy Flight” (specified not normal but the result of odd-man-out due to attrition/lack of reinforcements), Squadron instead of Company (2Flights/4 fighters for a “Light Squadron”, 3Flights/6fighters for a “Squadron”, 4 Flights/8fighters for a “Heavy Squadron”) I also specified that Battalions and Regiments have a “Command Company” in addition to those listed, these include a “Command Lance/Platoon” an “Artillery Platoon” and a “Security Platoon” (usually Infantry).
Any Ideas, I was in the Navy, I have a Strong grasp of ground warfare though, but there may be a few unit designations that I haven’t heard of yet, I did break down the Infantry into Teams and Squads and dropped the Battle armor down a peg (really they thought 4 guys in power armor is = to 4x 20-100 ton Battlemechs in relative strength ) I made 2 suites a “Team” and 3-6 suits a “Squad” (1-3 teams). That’s the # that game sheet generator (Heavy Metal Pro) prints them in so it should be kept as a firm number range. For regular infantry, I made 2-3 man “Teams” and 2-3 teams + a trooper (leader) a Squad and 2-4 Squads (14-28 men) a Platoon (which corresponds to their numbers – more or less – but doesn’t rule out a {say} 17 man – under-strength Platoon for example). I know that – like plans - no TO&E survives contact with the enemy and allowances should be made for odd numbers and flexibility.

Equal too isn't the same as. I used to design Inner Sphere Anti Elemental and Anti Small Mechs.

10 ton Mech.

Different versions.

Very Fast lightly armed with Anti Missile Armour and an ER Medium laser.

Or

A Slower Stinger speed and similar Armoured FF Medium Pulse and Jump Jets. Made for Urban Warfare.

Both have the ability to carry / use infantry weapons or lay mines.

Taking the Idea of the Hatchet or Axe I designed a 1 Ton Shield for extra Armour. Placeable to cover certain areas. Given its small size Legs and torso get the most armour, Arm (right) is typically unarmoured. Medium Laser is usually Central torso mounted. Standard heat sinks with one or two Medium lasers you don't generate much heat. Right arm is human like mechanical. Good for laying mines or holding a SRM 1 pack or LMG.

In the computer games I always use a Hellspawn, modified with a Thunderbolt and either ER medium lasers or pulse lasers, picking off the Daishi from the building tops.

Ah a fellow player!

Lord Skimper wrote:Equal too isn't the same as.

??? That's the definition of Equal.

Lord Skimper wrote:10 ton Mech.

Different versions.

Very Fast lightly armed with Anti Missile Armor and an ER Medium laser...

One of the first Mechs I designed was the Woodcutter, 10tn 10/15/0 with a Flamer in the CT (A mini-Locust) It was intended as an Anti-Infantry/Harassment Mech (set fires ect...)there were several variants though, the primary being ML replacing the Flmr, also an MG & 100rounds for a cheap riot-control/police-security model and twin SL for pursuit/crit-seeking. I tried upgrading to Star League tech but the cost was prohibitive (the upgrades made them cost more than a full lance of standard so why bother? just build more).

Lord Skimper wrote:A Slower Stinger speed and similar Armoured FF Medium Pulse and Jump Jets. Made for Urban Warfare.

Tried making a jumper but I thought that the 1/2 ton JJ made them too inefficient even at 4/6/4 (that's 20% of its weight just to jump!).

Lord Skimper wrote:Both have the ability to carry / use infantry weapons or lay mines.

never played with infantry weapons on Mechs (not really in HMP except as "custom weapons") & mine laying - a Hornet or Thorn can do that at range (and indirect) with Thunder LRMs

Lord Skimper wrote:Taking the Idea of the Hatchet or Axe I designed a 1 Ton Shield for extra Armour.

there are rules in one of the books (I think Solaris 7 or Max-tech) for Shields but I would have to look them back up again.