Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Here's the latest version of the Wardogs Unit Creator.  It now handles all the different types of Infantry, as well as handling the design differences for Buildings, Ships, and Hand Carried weapons.  Various notes have been added about all of this, and the Playsheet printout improved a bit.

EDIT: new version below!

Comments welcome!

Cheers,

Christopher

PS - this started out a CBT topic, but should it go to its own thread?

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

catenwolde wrote:

Here's the latest version of the Wardogs Unit Creator.  It now handles all the different types of Infantry, as well as handling the design differences for Buildings, Ships, and Hand Carried weapons.  Various notes have been added about all of this, and the Playsheet printout improved a bit.

http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v2_1.zip
20kb

While playing about with the designer, I noticed that the "%EM" total (G24) wasn't being calculated correctly.  I think the issue is the calculation in N24 is incorrect - it should be"=SUM(N4:N23)" .

Pretty cool little excel sheet there...
-Bren

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Well, here's the latest conversion system, along with all the mech's from the first edition Marcenaries Handbook.  These were made using the latest version of the WUC (Wardogs Unit Creator).

I took a different route with the conversions this time.  I used a combination of Shield levels and Armor Points to portray the "soak" of the overall armor level (Shields) and the amount of armor that had to be penetrated to cause criticals (AP's).  The conversion went like this:

Shield level = (total of all frontal armor except Head) / 70, rounded normally.  The "70" is from an average of the 7 locations, the total also divided by 10.  This gives a level of 1-3.  It  represents the overall amount of "battering" that a mech would take before the armor was broken through.  The Shield levels can be hit by criticals, so it is possible to wear down this level just like AP's.

Armor Points = (CT armor / 10) rounded up to the next integer, even if even (+1).  So, a frontal CT of 18 would be AP 3, a frontal CT of 30 would be AP 5.

Weapons were scaled to the armor scale, which would generally be in the 2-5 range.  Thus, even a d4 weapon can be effective at close ranges against max armor.  This became the level for Medium Lasers, and other weapons were scaled from there.  "Junk" weapons like the MG, AC2, SRM2 and LRM5 were converted to a generic "heavy machine gun" that equated to the general amount of space and damage they took up, etc.

Enough of all that!  Here are the files:

Light Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_L.zip
Medium Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_M.zip
Heavy Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_H.zip
Assault Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_A.zip

And, a summary of all the mechs:
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary.zip

I think the summary might provide an interesting view on how the comparative point costs in the current system works.

Hope you like 'em!

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

What's that you say?  You can't imagine more BattleTech goodness?  Well, here are *all* the Level 1 (3025) mechs ever made for the game ... okay, I didn't include the official variants.  wink

Light Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_L2.zip
Medium Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_M2.zip
Heavy Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_H2.zip
Assault Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_A2.zip

And, a summary of all the mechs in the first and second batches:
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary_2.zip

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Hehehee...someone is as enthusiastic about all this as Mike and I.  lol

some nice lookin work there Chris. smile

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

go0gleplex wrote:

Hehehee...someone is as enthusiastic about all this as Mike and I.  lol

Who?  Me?  Don't know what you're talking about ...

wink

But ... for those who want to get in and play with these conversions (and let me know how they work), here are pdf playsheets of all the mechs in the spreadsheets above:

Light Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Light.zip
Medium Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Medium.zip
Heavy Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Heavy.zip
Assault Mechs
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Assault.zip

These are large files, about 1MB each, but that's a *lot* of mechs!

Within the conversion parameters above, everything is pretty straightforward.  The only thing that might throw some people is that some of the "LRM Boats" (like the Crusader and Archer) had to get bumped up in Size, and sometimes in weight class (i.e. the Archer is now an Assault class mech).

Trebuchet: increased size from 5 to 6, class from medium to heavy.
Bombardier: increased size from 6 to 7.
Catapult: increased size from 6 to 7.
Crusader: increased size from 6 to 7.
Archer: increased size from 7 to 9, class from heavy to assault.
Longbow: increased size from 8 to 9, class from heavy to assault.
Atlas: size 11!
King Crab: size 12!

Also, the Flamer is probably way too much of a Thermal Sig penalty for it's effect, even though I bumped up the range to 2.  At +3 (and no other mod's allowed) it is a real TS hog, but it will take playtesting to see whether the +2 to the Target's TS is worth it.

This brings up a rules question: does the effect of multiple flamers stack?  The Firestarter has a forward battery of three flamers, although other mechs only have one.

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Actually, that's an even 100 mech's!

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

I'd say that multiple flamers won't stack...but they still have the capacity to damage the target.  After all...there's only so much "gasoline you can throw on one fire". wink

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

One other thing.

If you look over the spreadsheets you will notice that many of the heavier mechs, and most of the assaults, have negative overall EM ratings (i.e. they spent too many EM's for their size).  I let this go if they had enough leftover HM's to "convert" back and cover the EM shortfall, even though that conversion isn't technically allowed.  Since the point system should cover the extra value of the equipment, and the mechs generally short themselves on weapons by not using all their HP's, I think this system will work.  However, opinion is welcome!

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Since it's an adaptation/ conversion set...and the intent of the how the rules are set up was to allow for just such conversions...I don't see a problem with it for the CBT universe adaptation. smile  Now...if these were to be used in the 'official' (also loosely used) Wardogs universe they could be a bit of a bender to some. wink

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Vehicles

Okay, here's the last of the batch, which completes the 3025 conversion set (pending rules changes of course).

Tracked vehicles
Unit Creator spreadsheet
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_Tracked.zip
Summary pdf
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary_Tracked.zip
Playsheet pdf's
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Tracked.zip

Hover vehicles
Unit Creator spreadsheet
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_Hover.zip
Summary pdf
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary_Hover.zip
Playsheet pdf's
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Hover.zip

Wheeled vehicles
Unit Creator spreadsheet
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_Wheeled.zip
Summary pdf
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary_Wheeled.zip
Playsheet pdf's
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Wheeled.zip

VTOL aircraft
Unit Creator spreadsheet
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/WUC_v3_1_CBT_VTOL.zip
Summary pdf
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary_VTOL.zip
Playsheet pdf's
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/VTOL.zip

Also, here is a master summary pdf with all units, also including an "Unused Capacity" measurement to judge the relative amount of design space left over for that unit (not sure how it's useful, but there it is).

Master Summary pdf
http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/CBT_Summary_Master.zip

And, last but not least, since the base model Banshee is probably one of the worst mech designs ever (and because my 2iC rides a variant), here is the Steiner variant of the venerable Banshee, bringing the mech total up to the proverbial "101 Mechs".

http://koti.welho.com/ctenwold/Banshee_S.zip

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Hey Christopher. None of the Mech links seem to work for me. Also do you have a link to your homepage.

Thanks,

John

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Hmm ... I have some checking to do!  I'll post back here when I fix the links.

I don't have an actual Wardogs home page (yet), but the CBT material will obviously be a fixture there.  I'm also looking at some Star Wars conversions - more infantry based, so it will be interesting to see how the system works on that level.

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Does anyone have the links to this Classic B-Tech downloads?

Thanks,

John

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Catenwolde did all the conversions on his own. smile  Some good stuff too though I think they may need a bit of updating.

I saw over on TMP that CAT has seen this and IS going to be looking his conversions over and, I believe, making them available again. smile

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Yeah, that was me who asked at TMP. I tend to spend a lot more time there than anywhere else. I'd like to see these conversions even in their older format.

Thanks,

John

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

Hi guys,

Yep, I'll be double-checking my unit creator, etc. with the final rules and then uploading the WUC (Wardogs Unit Creator) and the BTech files ... as soon as I get a free moment or two.  wink

Cheers,

Christopher

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

I have an updated Unit Creator spreadsheet ready to test, and also all of the original 14 mechs from the first Battletech rules converted, along with pdf playsheets.

If anyone would like to take a look and test my math, please drop me a line.

Cheers,

Christopher
christopher@tenwolde.us

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

The CBT Conversion Notes and Original 14 Mecha can be found at;

http://www.angelfire.com/or/FireHorse/index.html


Please note that these conversions are based a customization/adaptation of the Wardogs construction system and not a straight over conversion. wink

Enjoy...and thank Chris! big_smile

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

go0gleplex wrote:

The CBT Conversion Notes and Original 14 Mecha can be found at;

http://www.angelfire.com/or/FireHorse/index.html


Please note that these conversions are based a customization/adaptation of the Wardogs construction system and not a straight over conversion. wink

Enjoy...and thank Chris! big_smile

The Phoenix Hawk seems to be missing...

Re: Classic Battletech Mech Conversion

It was there...just my shift key doesn't always work and it hyphenated instead of underscored the file name.  It is now fixed!