Hythos
Sergeant
Reged: 05/09/10
Posts: 148
Loc: USA
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Looking for a Random Lance generator
#165618 - 05/30/12 06:58 PM (50.113.100.14)
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I've tried the Lance Generator and Random Unit Generator, but I'm look'n for a utility that might allow selecting a number of units, then BV (possibly composite with Gunnery skills) or tonnage;
The Lance Generator was OK, but provided too great of variation in BV or tonnage.
Does anyone know of anything, newer than ~99 or 2000?
Also - is there any version of any "mech lab" application that's newer than the past few years? Drawingboard seems to be the better of what I've tried, and while it has Maximum Tech gear (and newer), the mech selection seems to ONLY be through "loading" the unit file, versus an "interactive" quick-list...
Let me know what I'm missing! Thanks...
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Cray
General
Reged: 07/27/01
Posts: 4131
Loc: North America
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Hythos]
#165623 - 05/31/12 08:49 AM (147.160.136.10)
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Quote:
I've tried the Lance Generator and Random Unit Generator, but I'm look'n for a utility that might allow selecting a number of units, then BV (possibly composite with Gunnery skills) or tonnage;
I think you want MUL, the Master Unit List project.
http://www.masterunitlist.info/
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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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Karagin
General
Reged: 04/21/01
Posts: 6323
Loc: Ft. Hood TX (Killeen)
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Cray]
#165625 - 05/31/12 09:04 AM (64.134.124.227)
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Does Heavy Metal Pro series of programs offer this?
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Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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KitK
Lieutenant
Reged: 08/17/01
Posts: 414
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Hythos]
#165666 - 06/01/12 07:38 AM (70.64.129.30)
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Solaris Skunkwerks will let you build mechs and vehicles. The download also includes Battle Force Balancer, which does some form of random selection. Though I don't think BFB it is quite what you are looking for.
MegaMek has a random unit generator in it. I've never really used it, but I think you can set it to work with a Battle Value.
I've got a homegrown generator I constructed in Excel as a macro and based on info in TW (although it isn't constrained by BV or anything like that). So if you have some patience and minimal programming skills you can probably whip something up with that too.
KK
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Hythos
Sergeant
Reged: 05/09/10
Posts: 148
Loc: USA
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: KitK]
#165676 - 06/01/12 09:47 AM (137.78.94.42)
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Awesome, thank you guys! Seems like there are quite a few more options to look through.
KitK - I think I had glanced over your Excel file, but passed on it 'cause I didn't have Office at home (and didn't want OpenOffice hehe)
I'll take a look!
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KitK
Lieutenant
Reged: 08/17/01
Posts: 414
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Hythos]
#165677 - 06/01/12 10:19 AM (70.64.129.30)
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Hmmm....I've posted a spreadsheet or two, but I didn't think I posted that one.
KK
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Cray
General
Reged: 07/27/01
Posts: 4131
Loc: North America
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Karagin]
#165678 - 06/01/12 11:18 AM (147.160.136.10)
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Quote:
Does Heavy Metal Pro series of programs offer this?
I never looked in depth at HM's unit generation capabilities. I saw you could build units and assign pilots, but not if random unit selection was available.
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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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Karagin
General
Reged: 04/21/01
Posts: 6323
Loc: Ft. Hood TX (Killeen)
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Cray]
#165681 - 06/01/12 09:11 PM (72.178.85.122)
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Rick has a random generator and the program can pick mechs at random, lot of versatility but hey why worry about it since TPTB seem happy to let folks use SSW and even allow some to believe and post that SSW is official software for BT...guess Rick didn't get the memo on that one...but seriously look into the programs more and check the HM Pro site, there is a random generator on there.
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Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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KitK
Lieutenant
Reged: 08/17/01
Posts: 414
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Karagin]
#165682 - 06/01/12 11:15 PM (71.17.192.22)
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Quote:
Rick has a random generator and the program can pick mechs at random, lot of versatility
Yeah, that sounds like what Hythos is looking for. http://www.heavymetalpro.com/RUS_Features.htm
Quote:
...guess Rick didn't get the memo on that one...
He apparently also missed the memo about being an entire set of rule books out of date (just because I can manually enter custom equipment myself does not count), and two operating systems behind (no all the hoops I have to jump through to make it work do not count). It's not like folks haven't encouraged and bugged him to pull the suite up to par.
KK
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Cray
General
Reged: 07/27/01
Posts: 4131
Loc: North America
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Karagin]
#165683 - 06/02/12 07:05 AM (97.101.96.171)
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Quote:
Rick has a random generator and the program can pick mechs at random, lot of versatility
Well, hey, sing its praises, then. HM software sounds like the one for the job.
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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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Karagin
General
Reged: 04/21/01
Posts: 6323
Loc: Ft. Hood TX (Killeen)
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: KitK]
#165684 - 06/02/12 08:18 AM (72.178.85.122)
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You are right but a lot of the new stuff that is currently used is there and yes some has to be entered. It would have also made sense if TPTB would have worked with him to have stuff come out together, also their copying DnD style of 5 rule books didn't help matters either...
And since Rick does have a life out side of BT which I know must shock a lot of you, he has to balance things...
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Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Karagin
General
Reged: 04/21/01
Posts: 6323
Loc: Ft. Hood TX (Killeen)
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Cray]
#165685 - 06/02/12 08:20 AM (72.178.85.122)
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Just did...the whole series of programs is worth the money.
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Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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KitK
Lieutenant
Reged: 08/17/01
Posts: 414
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: Hythos]
#165687 - 06/03/12 10:10 PM (71.17.192.22)
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Quote:
I've tried the Lance Generator and Random Unit Generator, but I'm look'n for a utility that might allow selecting a number of units, then BV (possibly composite with Gunnery skills) or tonnage;
The Lance Generator was OK, but provided too great of variation in BV or tonnage.
Can you elaborate a bit more on what you are trying to do?
Does "selecting a number of units" mean selecting mechs or lances or something else?
What range of variation are you looking for?
I had re-read your post and was curious because it looks like and interesting problem.
KK
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Hythos
Sergeant
Reged: 05/09/10
Posts: 148
Loc: USA
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Re: Looking for a Random Lance generator
[Re: KitK]
#165699 - 06/06/12 12:38 PM (137.78.94.42)
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Thanks for all the info, guys; Goes to show what can happen when I turn my back for a few days 
A couple friends and I tried to get a match; but one of them said he couldn't remember anything, and the other said he couldn't remember much. SO, our simple plan to 'decide on a total tonnage and gunnery-skill' (with the idea governed by BV) didn't go very far.
After an hour of me, thumbing through ideas to put a 10kBV-300t lance/star together for each of us, made me realize a generator would have worked perfectly. (Well, more like 1 minute into that 1hr, actually).
At least we had some movies running, so it wasn't a total waste of time, though I didn't even get to set up the Geohex 'cause I spent all of my time (yes, I should have pre-planned, but it was a spur-of-the-moment idea) working on lances/stars. (Speaking of which, what's the fair comparison in BV these days - I think we always went 3:4, Clan vs IS)
Also - because the last TRO I had purchased was 3058, I don't have / know of mechs much beyond that, even if they existed in The Drawing Board.
SO! The goal - would have been...
1) Select Tech-level, type, time-period, and affiliation
2) enter a # of units, lance or star
3) Select BV and/or total tonnage (including desired gunnery/piloting)
->Run
*Random selection reads from comparable equipment between units (IE: C3-equipped, NARC w/missle-
equipped lance-units, etc), then spits out results*
4) Select Variants or modify existing selection
When using the Lance Generator, it would produce a variation that would have been ridiculously unfair; Choosing a category WOULD generate something that resembled that type of group (IE, fire-support), though would range in total-BV all over the place to where any two "rolls" were no where near equal - and I ultimately was better off choosing lances/stars on my own, which would kinda feel like playing with myself in the end. I'd rather be able to choose what I want, and have my friends choose their worst (even if they random through until they can decide on something they want) - so as long as I don't know about it. Else, even if I were to set up one of my friends with an awesome missle-loadout, and I throw some AMS or ECM equipment in there, it makes me feel dirty knowing that I knew ahead of time... sort of like rolling 3D6 over and over, and finally starting at a streak of 2 18's - when no one else is watching LOL maybe not exactly, but that too just doesn't feel right.
Aagin, thanks for reading all this - and also, for responding!
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