New to the RPG; questions on how to get started

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MechTheDane
02/15/11 04:24 AM
70.103.197.39

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I'd like to play the RPG online.
And even do some stuff in it that probably would be best done in CBT, but due to it being online..is not currently a possibility.


What would I need if I wanted to RP the Refusal War with my friends?

I assume I'll need:

Mech Warrior RPG, Third Edition.

The Falcon and the Wolf

----

I have Battletech era report 3052, but will that not cut it? Will need to get Technical readout 3057?

With all of that, is there anything else i need or am missing?
Do I need the master rules book?
Is what I am trying to do..even possible?
CrayModerator
02/15/11 08:45 AM
147.160.136.10

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Quote:

Is what I am trying to do..even possible?




Sure, though you'll have to improvise a lot. The Refusal War is mostly detailed in novels.

Quote:

Mech Warrior RPG, Third Edition.




No, you'd want 4th Edition, known as "A Time of War." A Time of War fixes a lot of the problems in character generation and combat faced by 3rd edition. If you have 3rd edition characters and rules, conversion is possible, but A Time of War is significantly different than 3rd edition.
http://www.classicbattletech.com/index.php?action=products&mode=full&id=277

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The Falcon and the Wolf




Sure.

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I have Battletech era report 3052, but will that not cut it? Will need to get Technical readout 3057?




No, you don't need TR:3057. 3057 is an aerospace rule book that won't give you much information for the Refusal War. If you're doing a lot of roleplaying, you won't really need any Technical Readouts; any standard 3050-era 'Mechs will do for the boardgame combat scenes.

Quote:

With all of that, is there anything else i need or am missing?
Do I need the master rules book?




Total Warfare? If you're going to have a lot of 'Mech combat, yes. There are also free quick start rules if you don't want to spend so much on another major rulebook, or you can eBay the old "BattleTech Master Rules," which are a bit dated but functional enough.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer

Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
MechTheDane
02/15/11 02:25 PM
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Okay. I thought I read somewhere that you needed the Technical Readouts in order to use any vehicles, as all that information was on them.

Wouldn't having The Falcon and the Wolf Scenario pack have me covered well enough to do the Refusal War?

Are the old rules in the 'BattleTech Master Rules' worth getting over the free quick start rules?
CrayModerator
02/15/11 07:23 PM
173.168.112.109

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Quote:

Okay. I thought I read somewhere that you needed the Technical Readouts in order to use any vehicles, as all that information was on them.




Well, honestly, you can get pretty much all of the information contained in TROs from such sites as Sarna.net's wiki section, or the Solaris VII website, or just trying a google search for the 'Mech in question. You need to watch out for custom designs that creep up on websites, but otherwise they're a good start.

For example, I just managed to corner myself without the Heavy Metal Pro software (a 'Mech maker that comes with most 'Mech designs), without my TROs, without figurines, without record sheets, and without a computer that could be loaded with MegaMek (my work laptop, I don't have administrator rights). So, I got a new player to bring some plastic hex grids (Heroscape?), I found free blank record sheets on www.classicbattletech.com, found all the planned 'Mech stats online with google searches, and improvised some scraps of paper for the 'Mechs. The game ran fine.

TROs are handy for their stats and extensive background discussion of designs, but they're not critical to quick games.

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Wouldn't having The Falcon and the Wolf Scenario pack have me covered well enough to do the Refusal War?




Yes, yes it would. I stand corrected.

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Are the old rules in the 'BattleTech Master Rules' worth getting over the free quick start rules?




It depends on your future budget and plans. A cheap, beat-up BMR will have both the basic game play rules and construction rules for games up to the 3060s. It will be more thorough and complete than the quick start rules, though a bit out of date. It may also detract from your future budget for the latest rule books (Total Warfare for basic board game play and Tech Manual for construction.)

If you want to regularly play the game for months of playing through the Refusal War, I'd recommend Total Warfare and Tech Manual as they are the latest and greatest. The quick start rules are more suited for a simple trial combats to get a feel for the basics of the game. The BMR is, as noted, as a bit dated in small ways.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer

Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
MechTheDane
02/15/11 07:36 PM
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Beat up old BMR it is!

So, with that in mind I now have:
A Time of War
The Falcon and the Wolf
The BattleTech Master Rules

and perhaps unrelated:
BattleTech Era Report 3052
Clans: Warriors of Kerensky

I should be all set for a MW Refusal War RPG then, right?
CrayModerator
02/15/11 10:12 PM
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Quote:

Beat up old BMR it is!

So, with that in mind I now have:
A Time of War
The Falcon and the Wolf
The BattleTech Master Rules




Those'll work.

Quote:

and perhaps unrelated:
BattleTech Era Report 3052




Won't help much.

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Clans: Warriors of Kerensky




Very useful reference for Clan campaigns.

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I should be all set for a MW Refusal War RPG then, right?




Yep.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer

Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
MechTheDane
02/27/11 01:55 AM
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How compatible is MechWarrior's Guide to The Clans with A Time For War?
CrayModerator
02/27/11 11:13 AM
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Quote:

How compatible is MechWarrior's Guide to The Clans with A Time For War?




The background information about the Clans is fine. Any weapon, gear, skill, attribute, or lifepath rules are no longer valid.

If you want Clan background information, I'd recommend "Warriors of Kerensky" rather than the Guide.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer

Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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