| johnstark |
| (Newbie) |
| 09/28/07 07:44 AM |
| 24.198.92.226 |
Re: Who uses salavage?
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Who here uses salavage in there game?
I do. Salvage is a very intricate part of the Btech universe. The need to pick over the remains of the enemy's force in order to make ends meet is very much part of the atmosphere of btech.
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If you do, do you allow mix and match for repairs done or not?
This is also something of a canonical issue. There's numerous instances of famous personages in the universe riding around in custom hardware. The CO for Avanti's Angels rides around in a Ceasar with a clan PPC, IIRC, and other such nonsense. For my own part I allow like-for-like upgrades for same techbase equipment. (Replacing an IS.MediumLaser with an IS.ERMediumLaser - for example.) The job is more difficult and requires an engineering skill check at the same difficulty as the weapon repair would normally be in order to bring the mount up to date with the newer technology. Clan ERMLs require much more engineering.
Replacing a PPC and a couple heatsinks with an AC/5 and some ammo (to reduce heat problems or take advantage of level 3 ammo, etc.) is a more drastic engineering roll yet, you're changing the entire internal workup of the system at that point. Adding or removing armor and changing weapon loadouts or removing ammo bins for heatsinks, etc, all of this requires engineering time. Keep in mind, engineering is a lengthy process - most Elite technicians can do a little of it, but when my players have gotten real serious about it they either contract a NPC firm to do the engineering for them, or they hire a full time battlemech engineer who does the work while they're en route on jumpships and so forth. (A merc's life includes MONTHS spent in transit doing 'nothing.') Many of my PCs who are serious about customization will pick up Engineering and do the rolls themselves.
An exception to the above is upgrading oldtech mechs, in their entirety, to the 3050 refit version. As long as Endo-Steel is not involved in the process, I allow this to simply be a repair of every single component on the 'mech that is effected by the change. If the new unit uses endo-steel? You're stuck with the old version. The reason for this is that it makes sense that the engineering modifications could be done in the field, and that - to sell parts - Battlemech companies would publish these 'refit kits' so that units could make field modifications of existing products. This is partially supported by 3050 TR fluff text, and also supported by the RL practices involved in selling the Scion Xb.
of course, Omnimechs are BUILT for hot-swapping, so I allow them to be customized all the time, within the rules for omni. That said, omni's are rare. I've only twice had players manage to salvage clan omnis in repairable condition. They then had to go into clan space and ToP for some clan technicians. THAT was a fun scenario. Those six techs cost them two full lances (out of a reinforced company) - but with clan techs comes the ability to salvage and operate clan hardware.