Rocket Launchers & Battleforce Stuff

Just perusing the quick strike files that were generated and wanted to mention a few thoughts.


#1.  If you see an attack like "2-2  2-2  2-2", it means there is a ballistic attack of 2 at each range, or an energy attack of 2.  If the unit had ENE and had that ability, it'd just be 2  2  2.  If it was just ballistic, it'd be 2 2 2 but would be limited by the LA# (limited ammo) number, which hasn't been implemented yet.


#2.  IF and FLK are unique attacks, so are NOT added to normal attacks.  Just reiterating that to make it clear.  HT #/#/# *are* added to normal attacks but NOT energy only attacks.


#3.  Rocket launcher do like 25% damage according to SO.  I don't like that at all, they are one-shot weapons, so technically should be 33% but only usable once.  If you say the average unit is in combat for 4 battleforce turns, the rocket launchers become 300% more powerful than they are in battletech.  So, my recommendation is give units an RL#/#/# special ability if it has rocket launchers.  They are not included in normal attacks at all, and their heat calculation is calculated while firing everything else.  This attack is a replacement for regular attacks and can only be used in a single game.  The ARC-6W for example has 4 medium lasers, 8 Rocket Launcher 20s (and 2 more RL10s to rear, which are not included).  Currently it would be 1-1 attack, as those rocket launchers produce a lot of heat and reduce damage considerably.  I propose that unit, with 4xMedium Lasers and 20 heat sinks is 2-2 attack (the unit has the ENE ability, as RLs do not explode), and a single special ability of RL 2/2 which is crossed off when used.  Since RL's are only fired once, their damage is divided by 30, so the 8x12 = 96/30 = 3.2, but since they generate 40 heat over 3 turns on top of the 12 for the 4xML and 2 for movement, the attack is about 74% of that, and 90% of that for the +1 to hit, so 2/2.  This makes that unit twice as powerful on the battlefield, with a single turn of being 4x as powerful, all while abiding closer to battletech rules than battleforce currently does.


#4.  I don't think XL/XXL/Light engines should reduce structure damage.  Instead keep the damage the same, however if you have those engines whenever you take a structure hit there is another critical roll 2d6, if that roll is exceeded an engine critical is scored.  I haven't parsed the numbers, compact on 12+, regular on 11+, 2 slots in side torso on 9+, 3 slots on 8+, 4 slots on 7+, 6 slots on 6+.  The engine critical would roll against this number as well, and wouldn't be automatic.  To save a die roll an alternative could be something like if an engine hit is scored, XXL units are destroyed, XL/Light take 2 hits, regular engines 1 hit, and compact ignore the 1st hit, and the 3rd engine hit destroys the unit.  Just reducing the structure damage mathematically doesn't really mirror battletech.


#5.  Some units may not calculate correctly, battle armor with personal weapons and infantry are big culprits, but mechs/vehicles/fighters are usually correct.


#6.  Oh, almost forgot.  Energy attacks should be used underwater, replacing the battleforce +2 damage or some such nonsense.  Eventually I'll have UW #/#/#/# or perhaps just the ability to print out the quick strike sheets modified by the environment you select (gravity, atmosphere, time of day, etc) which could take it into account without overly cluttering the sheet.


And no, haven't done anything battletech since my last posting.  I did have my screwed up order screwed up again, but was happy to see the Liberation of Terra book.  The Tactical packs, of which I only got one (the TO one), was really high quality.  Way overpriced, but good quality cards with the recent errata.  I doubt I'll ever use them, maybe some of ya'll would put them in a folder, but you may as well just print the tables on a decent color laser if your doing that as the card durability gains you nothing then.


Been tinkering with Federation and Empire more, not sure how far I'll get before I get bored.