MegaMek matchmaking thread, Proper BattleTech... over teh intarwebz! Options

[Tanegar]

Having been talking about MegaMek in the MWO thread, I now really want to play a game or two with you terr crim dirtb scum of the ea fine, fine people.

I work tomorrow night (Tuesday, 26 November) from 6:00pm until at least midnight, but I'm free the rest of the week. Who wants to play (2D sprites of) big, stompy robots?

If you don't have MegaMek, you can download it here.

[Tanegar]

190 views, and nobody wants to play MegaMek? *sadpanda*

[taeksosin]

Trying to figure out my schedule before I post anything definite. That, and I don't wanna get completely omgwtfbbqraped my first game out. I like to save that for the second one after I get a false sense of cockiness from winning the first one.

All joking aside, lemme see what I can do about scheduling. How long, on average, would you say a game would take?

[Tanegar]

A game of MegaMek takes considerably less time than an identical game (same map, same units) of tabletop BattleTech, because it automates the back-and-forth of rolling attacks and recording damage. A lance-on-lance game (one lance being a unit of four 'Mechs) should take about an hour, I think. Maybe a bit longer, to allow for a little Q&A.

[Stahlseele]

That depends entirely on chosen mechs and chosen map size.
people usually play on 2x2 maps to draw out games, and i had lance on lance take as much as 4 hours . .

[Tanegar]

people usually play on 2x2 maps to draw out games

2x2 maps to draw out games

draw out games

Yeah, I don't think we'll be doing anything to deliberately lengthen the game for anyone's first time out. 1x1, maybe 1x2 maps. As for armies, I'm thinking MegaMek's random army generator, to avoid the whole "I know how to assemble an effective force and you don't" issue.

[Starmage21]

I'd love the random army thing. Otherwise I'm gonna be a stickler about sticking to IS tech. The clans just dont sit right to me without Zellbrigen because of that whole "anything you can do, I can do better" aspect of their tech. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[almost normal]

6'5" white, 28 years old. Steady job. Loves playing beach volleyball, watching hockey, and drinking beer. At the same time.

Now that the matchmaking part is over, yeah, I'd be down. I think I could pull off thursday night. Just don't go random. It'd suck to know you lost the fight before initiative was rolled.

[Tanegar]

I'm A-OK with Spheroid units. As for the random army generator, it's configurable. Parameters as follows:

• Tech: IS TW non-box set
• BV: 4800-5000
• Mechs: 4
• Vehicles: 0
• Battle Armor: 0
• Conventional Infantry: 0
• Year: 3025 - 3039
• Pad spare BV with infantry? No
• Canon units only? Yes

Any questions?

[Stahlseele]

Oooh nice O.o
Back when an PPC and an AC20 in a single Mech actually meant you had to worry!

[almost normal]

No questions really, I'm just not interested in playing with a random selection of units. If I can pick my force, I'm in, if not, I'm out.

[Starmage21]

I meant with the whole clan thing. Sticking to IS tech I could care less what you pick as long as we've got a proper BV accounting. Level 1/IS Introductory is where the purists live, and it is lovely (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
No XL engines and Double Heat Sinks or CASE meant that energy boats were serious business and you mount cannons if you want serious firepower.

[taeksosin]

almost normal, I think Tanegar is suggesting random unit selection for games with people like me, who have zero knowledge about BT. I'd be willing to be that he's more than willing to go prebuilt vs prebuilt with you.

As for me, depending on whether or not I can get my chores done around the house before the weekend comes, pencil me in as a probable sometime late Saturday morning, PST.

[Stahlseele]

if you announce the game and post a link here, people can join and watch too, which is boring . . but there is a built in chat too, so there's that . .

[Tanegar]

almost normal, I think Tanegar is suggesting random unit selection for games with people like me, who have zero knowledge about BT. I'd be willing to be that he's more than willing to go prebuilt vs prebuilt with you.

This. If you're already a BattleTech veteran, by all means build your own force. If you're a newbie, we'll both take random forces, using the parameters given above. Can't say fairer than that.

[Stahlseele]

Also:
sarna.net < =
If you are the least bit interested, make that page your friend.
So you can look at what the random army builder puts out without needing to start a game.
Enter Mech-Model and then look at what the variant selected by MegaMek has.
If it sounds interesting, keep the random army.
If it sounds terrybad . . keep going untill you come up with something you like.

[Starmage21]

IS Introductory equipment then?

I'll pretty much be sticking with a couple of old favorites: Warhammer, Rifleman, Hunchback, and Locust! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Stahlseele]

hunchback, the Pocket-Assault of choice for everybody who knows that it will be a short range combat . .

[Starmage21]

We doing this tonight?

[Stahlseele]

tonight is a friday, i will be at work i guess.
so not with me at least.

[almost normal]

For the civilized world, tonight is Thursday. <3

[Stahlseele]

For ze Germans, eet eez 2 o clock in ze Morning on a Friday!

[Tanegar]

Sorry, I meant to kick this thing off earlier this week, but things got unexpectedly busy.

Tomorrow (Friday, 30 November), 12:00pm EST. Who's in? We can go one-on-one or (if we get an even number of players) team up.

[almost normal]

Noon on a workday?

[Tanegar]

...shut up. Sometimes I forget not everyone has my freaky-ass work schedule. Saturday is out, since I run my Shadowrun group all afternoon. Sunday is out, since I'll be out of the house. Crap. Sometime in the evening, next week?