tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post5134294522761505747..comments2023-09-22T09:41:04.405-07:00Comments on The Battletech State: How Much Battletech Universe Background is too Much?Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-28114328017072937382014-03-07T09:28:06.225-08:002014-03-07T09:28:06.225-08:00Hey, I like having/finding those numbers, but I...Hey, I like having/finding those numbers, but I'm arguing for campaign tools. Like, it's helpful to know the frequency of crapsack 21st century worlds vs. places industrialized enough to manufacture autocannon parts. How many major dropports are on a planet, how many major cities, resources likely available within a major city, are useful things to know. <br /><br />Production numbers are the same sort of thing. Is an invasion aimed at factory planet X, or is factory Y larger/smaller enough that it might be a feint? How easily will certain replacement weapons be available on this world? Does enemy regimental composition change if we transit two jumps further? <br /><br />The data has use. <br /><br />PS: I completely and totally missed the Great Davion BurnOut of 2011 (or whenever it was). <br /><br />PPS: I wonder if there's a way to transition players off of "Factional Fandom" and onto "Regimental Fandom." SkilTaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15496366094516039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-31559836228955720012014-03-07T08:56:00.092-08:002014-03-07T08:56:00.092-08:00Catalyst does not presently treat RATs as sufficie...Catalyst does not presently treat RATs as sufficiently representative. I meant something more like the availability tables we have for spaceships ("roll 7+ to get DropShip X") and general comments about the military's overall composition ("there is a Valkyrie in every light lance"). <br /><br />If you pose such comments as the expected future composition a few years from the in-universe date, and leave a year or two between the in-universe publication of each interacting batch of comments, then you don't *really* need to track them at all. You just make sure they don't clash with the rough overall composition and style of each House (which I assume Catalyst plans already).<br /><br />PS: completely ignoring production numbers can open the writers to other potential errors. For instance, is overall production circa 3145 supposed to exceed, equal, or be significantly lower than in 3025? (Even if you don't tell the readers outright, it has an effect on the ambiance.)SkilTaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15496366094516039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-67869582626322735472014-03-06T22:57:03.017-08:002014-03-06T22:57:03.017-08:00I maybe neglected to add some much-needed [massive...I maybe neglected to add some much-needed [massive sarcasm] tags to that comment.VanVeldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441999455333315750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-22078557968679222322014-03-06T21:49:03.361-08:002014-03-06T21:49:03.361-08:00Yes, well, it wasn't that the Cappies were pro...Yes, well, it wasn't that the Cappies were producing too much, it was the Feddies were producing too little....And the Haseks didn't help with that stupid invasion...I think the Davions should have flipped the Sandavols and the Haseks to the other March every fifty years or so...<br /><br />But we already had one Great house go splat...I expect the Cappies to take it in the shorts sooner or later...and maybe had a Hanse Davion-like leader to strighten the mess and kick the Cappies back to Sian!<br /><br />Craig<br />(Not allowed to play favorites) Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-10233900027520717452014-03-06T21:41:42.584-08:002014-03-06T21:41:42.584-08:00There's something like that in the RATs....Bes...There's something like that in the RATs....Besides, how much extra work will it take to keep track of all those units?<br /><br />Thanks for commenting,<br /><br />CraigCraighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-79162927076084696222014-03-06T20:24:47.247-08:002014-03-06T20:24:47.247-08:00Whoa. But if we don't have factory output numb...Whoa. But if we don't have factory output numbers, how can we determine if conquests are <i>legitimately</i> made-up or <i>super made-up</i> made-up? I mean, if a factory on Sian can produce 1,000 <i>Ravens</i> a year, maybe Sun Tzu Liao can retake Chesterton, but otherwise I call fiat.<br /><br />Sincerely, a completely unbiased FedSuns player.VanVeldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441999455333315750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-66981646924869962242014-03-05T09:48:16.914-08:002014-03-05T09:48:16.914-08:00Point of order: the original creators *did* create...Point of order: the original creators *did* create working numbers. (E.g. 2700 BattleMechs constructed annually circa 3025.) "FASAnomics" happens when later authors can't figure those numbers out and thence do things which clash. <br /><br />I agree that players don't need information that's not relevant to their actual play. <i>Succession Wars / Inner Sphere in Flames / Interstellar Operations</i> players don't need to know how many people are on a world or how many of which machine are in a regiment, for instance; it only matters that logistic sector X can contribute Y resources to a force-chit of arbitrary winningness Z. <br /><br />Note, however, that the <i>distribution</i> of resources and machines is essential to campaigning at the company / battalion level. Production numbers are very useful in this regard.<br /><br />If absolute "top-down" numbers are too overwhelming, perhaps a "bottom-up" approach using ratios and frequency would be more forgiving?SkilTaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15496366094516039415noreply@blogger.com