The weapon system design rules are very very close to starmada (no Pen roll)  The damage mechanics will all be uniform, merely a differential in ROF capabilities.   Kinetic weapons fire singles, short bursts, and long bursts (1, 3, and 7 respectively).  Energy fires singles or short bursts.  Ballistic would fire singles, small salvo (4), large salvo (10).  Another option is to let Ballistics attack the hex rather than the mecha.   Either way this results in a LOT of possible hits.

I like the Kinetic vs Ballistic.  Thanks...I'll use that. 

IOW's - it's in the Files section - beta rules directory - of the Yahoo Group.

What format is this in? I could unzip it, but it's not a Works 3 or 4 file, though it has a WPS extension. Seems it ought to be a Wordperfect file with that extension but Word 97 doesn't recognize it as such. Of course, Microsoft doesn't recognize Linux as an operating system, but that's another kettle of fish....:-)

I'm at work, and Word 97 can 'recover text', but that's not very useful.
:-)

Can you save this as a RTF file? That's a pretty common file format, and almost every Word Processor in the world (of relatively recent vintage) can read it. I have Word 97 at work, MS Office (97?) and Open Office at home....

Forgot to say anything about ranges and modifiers. d'OH!  ><

Essentially, it works exactly like Starmada does...divide the max range in hexes by 3, with short range being +1 to hit and long range being -1 to hit.

Weapon with range 9 would have range bands of 1-3 (short), 4-6 (med.), and 7-9 (long).

Also not quite happy with Ballistic (missiles) Base weapons.  I'm thinking of tying ROF into the number of tubes the weapon has.  Base is one tube per weapon with additional tubes available as enhancements.  So a 4 tube launcher could fire one 4 missile barrage once (without reloads) or fire 2 twice or 1 four times.   Sound okay?

Added armor should be moved from the armor section to the Frame Equipment List.

Shields ablate with hits per turn and reset if energy is available to them the next turn.  So if you have a mecha with Light Shields ( +2 Armor Bonus), then two hits knock them down for the remainder of that fire phase.  Next turn, as long as the mecha has energy enough, they reset to the +2.   Armor doesn't reset.

Movement points round down for quadruped mecha when figuring run points.

I'll post a couple sample mecha after work today.  With only MS works, no fancy Mecha Sheets from me.  :?

1)  Yes, that would be the base values for a size 4 at present.

2)  Very Light or Light Mecha without shields or energy weapons are meant to be harder targets. Especially since one or two hits by a moderately sized weapon will pulverize them.  If an attacking Mecha has Enhanced Sensors, this should increase the lock on chance.  Also, remember you're rolling on a d10, so a 1 or 2 is a 10%-20% chance respectively. 

What stats did you come up with on the Jinn model, out of curiosity. 

Here's a couple Mecha I threw together as part of my test builds...

Mk II Frankenstein Mecha
Medium Bipedal  (size 6)    Movement Points: 6/9   Stability Mod: +0
                                       Thermal Signature: 9
Power Plant: Nuclear Pebble Reactor- Med. size
Armor: 3   Shields: +2 (Light)  EPC: 2      Total Armor/ Shield Rating: 5

Particle Pulsar- Left Shoulder Mounted
Range: 12   ROF: 3 (short burst)   DMG: 1   EPC: 7  (energy pt. cost)
                                                 Shield Resonant
7mm Railgun- Right Arm Mounted
Range: 9     ROF: 1 (single)   DMG: 2    EPC: 2
                                           Sniper Scope, Extra Ammo
Ammunition: 20 (turns able to fire)  OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO

Mecha Special Gear:
Superior Alloy
Arm x2 (left and right)
Arm Shield
Decoy Flares  OOOOO

Mk IV Gargoyle Mecha
Medium Quadruped  (size 6)    Movement Points: 6/7   Stability Mod: +1
                                             Thermal Signature: 7 (13 w/o Dampers)
Power Plant: Nuclear Pebble Reactor- Med. size
Armor: 5   Shields: +4 (Medium) EPC: 5      Total Armor/ Shield Rating: 9

Hellfire Missile Launcher (3 Tubes)- Right Shoulder Mounted
Range: 18   ROF: 1 shot per tube   DMG: 3   EPC: 5 
                                                       Multiple Warheads, Extra Tube x2
Ammunition: 1 per tube. (mark off each tube as fired) OOO

50mm Vulcan Railgun- Left Shoulder Mounted
Range: 9     ROF: 7 (long burst)   DMG: 2    EPC: 13
Ammunition: 10 (turns able to fire)  OOOOO OOOOO

Mecha Special Gear:
Aerial Modification- Partial Flight
Thermal Dampers EPC: 1
Added Armor x1
Anti-Missile System  EPC: 1
Smoke Dispenser  OOOOO OOOOO

Given the fact both are the same size, the quad has a lot more combat capability than the biped due to space modifiers.  This is going to need some fine tuning to bring them more into a comparable effectiveness.  :oops:  I'll be working on this for v0.35.

It's a wonderful and sunny day here on the Oregon Coast at the 45th parallel. 

So...any ideas on what to officially dub the mecha combat rules :?:

Well Hes my Ginn Mk2 model

ZGMF Ginn
Mass produced Line model
ZAFT (Zodiac Allinace of Freedom Treaty)

Medium Bipedal (size 6)
Movement 6/9
Thermal Signature: 4/12
Power Plant: Medium MHD Fuel Cell
Armour:

Weapons:
Ethier
MA-M3 heavy sword (Melee) (Stored on Hip, handheld in use)
Range: 1 ROF: 1 DMG: 2

Super Heavy
MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machine gun (Kinetic)
Range: 6 ROF: Burst (3) DMG: 1 POW: 2
000000000

OR

M66 "Canus" short range guided missile launcher (Right Arm)
Range: 6 ROF 1 per tube DMG: 3 POW: 2
Exta tube x1
00

M66 "Canus" short range guided missile launcher (Left Arm)
Range: 6 ROF 1 per tube DMG: 3 POW: 2
Exta tube x1
00

2 x M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel missile launcher
Range: 6 ROF 1 per tube DMG: 2 POW: 1
Extra Tube x 2
000

2 x M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel missile launcher
Range: 6 ROF 1 per tube DMG: 2 POW: 1
Extra Tube x 2
000

MA-M3 heavy sword (Melee) (Stored on Hip, handheld in use)
Range: 1 ROF: 1 DMG: 2

Wow...had to think about all that for a bit. *chuckles*  :wink:

Background:  Definitely going to be a generic type context.  My thoughts are to provide only enough to be illustrative of the rules and flavor.  There isn't going to be a LOT of background.  I can't keep my mind on any one thing long enough to begin with *wry smile* and my day job has...errr...quite flexible hours.  (Like for the next few weeks I get to work double shifts rather than normal stuff...barring any emergency call outs) :roll:

Whenever I attempt rules or get a new game...construction rules are always where I start.  The mechanics of the entire game are rolled up into the construction IMO.     And yes, the construction rules will follow the game mechanics in the final rules rendition. 

Spread sheet? what's that?  :wink:   I would try, but I don't have excel or such.  Just your off the shelf refurb computer package.

I'll look at the Stability Roll mods.  I had in mind a d10 base and not wanting things too impossible for rather standard occurences.  It's one of those things that really needs to be playtested through to establish a proportional feel for. :oops: 

Pilot skills....gunnery skills....I had been thinking of something along those lines, but more generically rated as Green, Regular, Vetern, Elite.  Advancement rules would be needed too in this instance.  Another thing I may be adding later once the basic framework is more firmly established.

I've got a LOT of anime here....Gasaraki, Robotech Macross, VanDread, Nadesico, Gundam Wing, Starblazers...errr...yeah.

Lock On rolls...took me a sec to catch on what you meant...and I see your point.  Definitely will fix this for conformity.

The Indirect Fire...I originally started to do a full cover bonus loss on this...but seemed funny letting someone essentially fire straight through a hill or what.  With no direct LOS and only sensor data to target with I felt a small bobble to hit was more realistic. 

Armor degradation-  Two part thought here.  Even Gundams with thier special alloy get shot to snot with enough fire.  Though if it makes things go too fast, this degradation may be decreased from every hit to 1 in 2 or 1 in 3 with the Superior Alloy enhancement adjusted correspondingly.

The other thought was keeping in mind BT combat and some other combat games that take forever to kill something because of the serious armor they have.  This is fine for one on ones or small squad type engagements, but really drags forever at the company level.  (was involved in one BT game over at Game Faire in Spokane early 90's where over 100 mechs were on the board....game took all day! *shudder*)

Considered armor flight mods, but then it's nothing much more than a heavily armored VTOL which I'll save more for the aircraft stuff.  Jump tanks also wouldn't be very attractive since their thermal signature would be a terminal pain and the cost of construction and maintenance...

Oh gads...I forgot to note that hover vehicles were limited to clear and water terrain, and grav unable to negotiate heavy forest.  At least without the help of an engineering vehicle.

Will definitely have Naval and Sub mods when I get to them.  Feel free to fire ideas for additional enhancements, squad types, or what.  My brain was running dry on ideas by the time I finished the v0.40 set. :?

Former Sub-Mariner, eh?  :twisted:  I guess I shouldn't mention I was USMC ROTC then....*chuckles*  Would have gone career but for a terminal bee sting allergy and in '84, that was a non-acceptance tag. :cry:

Faustus....looks pretty mean.  the 4/12 thermal sig is based on which variant you're using I assume?  Didn't note any special Mecha Equip...so figure you packed weapons in lieu of tricks.  :wink:

Glad you guys are liking this so far.     Publish?!? You think it's that good? :shock:  :oops:   

Hey Justin...errr...I just threw this stuff together mainly as a mecha focused game...something fast, furious, and carnage ridden with only enough realism to keep it honest.  There wasn't any intent to push anything aside or any expectations that this would be more than a set of beer and pretzels rules.  :oops:   

I think your Assault Corps is a lot more detailed and at a level or five up from all that this is so by all means...do not drop it.   

Actually, to be technically accurate, AC did not start out as a Starmada mod -- although this road has been tread before. AC started from a combination of two ideas I had: (1) using dice to simulate different sizes of vehicle, and (2) using the "half-die size plus armor" mechanic for to-hit rolls. The latter ended up getting jettisoned from AC since it didn't reflect the high accuracy of modern/sci-fi weapons, but did manage to show up in For the Masses and Iron Stars. The former, to my knowledge, has never been used anywhere...

I do what I can. I seem to reeling in a lot of people lately...

Should I mention how many of MJ12's games were playtested to any significant degree by anyone outside the designer and his immediate circle?

A quick look at the forum stats puts the AC board just behind Starmada, Defiance, and Iron Stars; I'd say that qualifies as "interest" (much more so than a published game like, oh, I dunno, The Grid. )

So -- consider this an official request to keep working on AC.

At the same time, please continue the Starmecha thing as well... no reason to squelch one for the other. Frankly, there's been too much of the "Hey, why don't we use X to do Y?" lately ... half the fun of gaming is whipping up (and reading) new sets of mechanics. How many of us reguarly play more than a fraction of the games we own?

Besides, if I said one of you has to stop 'cause we can't have two somewhat similar games, Iron Stars would have ended up a Starmada clone. And Demian would have seen Defiance/Starslayer reduced to an ARES sci-fi mod.

What I would suggest, however, is that the Starmecha crowd give some serious thought to 'flavor' -- AC is very deliberately a generic game and would not benefit from such (just like Starmada or ARES). But other games (like Iron Stars or Defiance) can benefit a great deal from a solid background.

Just my $.02.

Funny.

I'm lucky.  Most of the people I play with are soldiers.

But that's only lucky if you enjoy losing as often as you win.

  :?

JP