AmaroqStarwind
04/24/18 04:57 AM
174.235.17.140
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I have been a fan of a particular series of racing games almost as long as I have been a fan of BattleTech, and with new games having recently come out (much to my surprise, I had long since believed the series to be dead), I have recently begun thinking about doing something similar for BattleTech.
How would you feel about (and try to pull off) hovercraft racing in Tabletop BattleTech, assuming the following rules:
- All hovercraft must be armed
- The minimum allowable top speed is 97.2 km/h
- Though combat is strongly encouraged (within reason) for eliminating contestants, actually lethal combat is strongly discouraged whenever avoidable. The primary focus is racing.
Let me know your thoughts below. Admittedly, things are a lot different in the BattleTech universe than in WipEout, due to the lack of anti-gravity, rechargeable shields and 700+ km/h vehicles the size of small attack aircraft, so it would be interesting to see how the limitations of BattleTech's rules and technology would change things.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
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ghostrider
04/24/18 02:34 PM
66.74.61.223
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any sort of combat is lethal. Simply using savanha masters is enough to show that. One hit from a medium laser from another in the rear means vehicle crashes. Pretty much killing the driver.
Some of the larger unit of speed cause more problems. Large weapons in turrets. Someone using a large laser in with the masters will kill each with a single hit.
Now an obstical course set up requiring them to dodge object might suffice. Using the weapons to destroy such things would be more likely then combat between contestants. Maybe remove a contestant that is down under half armor, or missing armor from any single side might be in order. Even mobile things that could swerve into or out of they way would work.
Also, why limit the entries? Just have normal light, medium, heavy and the light races? Yeah, having they run a course slower then x speed might be a bit boring after a while, but just add in more things, like hairpin turns or more things to deal with. Automated turrets does wonders for causing units to change course. Even extending/retracting items in the course might throw in a few surprises. It would make having a highly skilled driver necessary.
Also, run other types of vehicles as well. Granted, Behemoths would never be fun to see race.
Now what are the rules for a hover craft that the floor drops out from under them again? 
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AmaroqStarwind
04/24/18 07:52 PM
108.255.82.176
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The minimum top speed isn't so much of a weight restriction as it is "if you can't go at least this fast, then you don't even have a chance against the competition". So, not really a requirement so much as a very tightly enforced recommendation. I might reduce the minimum recommended top speed to 64.2 km/h.
Also keep in mind, I am basing this off of a game where the slowest vehicles in the slowest races have a top speed of 400 km/h... But anything faster than 200 km/h is nigh unattainable in BattleTech.
Regarding the rules for if the floor drops out from under you, I have no clue.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
MechEngine (Alpha) -- On Hiatus
The Scientist Caste has determined that time travel is dishonorable. |
csadn
04/26/18 04:09 AM
50.53.22.4
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Heck, we used to do *BattleMech* races. (Fun part of track design: Having a section where an _UrbanMech_ can pass in one turn, where even a _Locust_ would take 4-5 turns....)
The only "problem", as such, is the same as any combat-racing game: Everyone gets shot to glory three turns after weapons-release. (_Death Race_, oddly, got this correct where it screwed up pretty-much everything else.) Related to this is the practice of Munchkins bringing gunships to a racing event: The Munchkin need only be fast enough to cross the "weapons free" line before the field laps him, and then he can blast to bits anyone who tries; this runs counter to the basic concept of "racing", where the best combo of swiftness and reliability (in this case, including the ability to survive gunfire) wins.
I have quite a bit of experience on this topic -- I was a multiple-time Regional Champion in _Car Wars_ back in the '90s. (If you have a copy of _Car Wars Arenas_: I'm in it. >;) ) I ran into the above problems more than once, and had to spend rather more time solving said problems than is healthy to think about.
CF
Oregon: The "Outworlds Alliance" of the United States of America
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AmaroqStarwind
04/26/18 04:19 AM
174.235.17.140
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Perhaps more restrictions could be placed on the types of weapons and armor used in various races to discourage crazed violent killer munchkins from killing everyone who is not a crazed violent killer munchkin.
For example, one race might require everyone to use energy weapons and reflective armor. Another, "Small Bore" weapons and Ferro Lamellar.
Some races would be completely unrestricted, with not even weight class being subject to double checking. Obviously, those ones would be the most chaotic, dangerous and short lived.
Do you think Clanners would ever be interested in vehicular racing?
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
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The Scientist Caste has determined that time travel is dishonorable. |
csadn
04/30/18 01:06 AM
50.53.22.4
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Quote:
Perhaps more restrictions could be placed on the types of weapons and armor used in various races to discourage crazed violent killer munchkins from killing everyone who is not a crazed violent killer munchkin.
[Rufus]"Ten steps ahead of ya!"[/Rufus]
In _Car Wars_, we had rules limiting both number of weapons (1 space per $15,000 of budget, rounded normally), and damage potential (no weapon could inflict more than 6 points of damage per shot, to include setting fires, or inflicting damage over multiple turns; also no dropped weapons or weapons which acted like dropped weapons, for obvious reasons ). One could do similar for _BT_ "races", esp. as it's not possible to carry enough armor to guarantee someone won't eventually score enough hits to penetrate (when Metal Armor, which was only semi-ablative, came to _CW_, this could be a problem at times; _BT_ has no armor which is not fully-ablative, so this is a non-issue).
Quote:
Some races would be completely unrestricted, with not even weight class being subject to double checking. Obviously, those ones would be the most chaotic, dangerous and short lived.
The very short-lived nature of those events would keep them few-and-far-between -- if nothing else, it would be too darned expensive to run more than one per year.... (Look at every "unlimited" auto-racing series ever; every one has either died from excessive expense, or been forced into a more-restrictive formula to keep costs down. "The Science Is Settled." >:) )
Quote:
Do you think Clanners would ever be interested in vehicular racing?
As an extension of their "[manhood]-measuring" culture: Absolutely -- what better way to show one's skills and abilities than in the arena (except, of course, on the battlefield itself)? The Ice Hellions, in particular, spring to mind as fans of this sort of insanity. Warden Clan events would probably have lower overall body-counts than Crusader Clan events, given the relative mindsets of each. Any event featuring multiple Clan presences would be a bloodbath, as it's almost certain old feuds would be on display. The main reason I could see it not existing is: Motorsport is a "sunk cost" -- there's no profit in it unless one is selling supplies to the people actually doing the racing (where do you think Roger Penske made his fortune?) -- and so would be considered "wasteful".
CF
Oregon: The "Outworlds Alliance" of the United States of America
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AmaroqStarwind
04/30/18 03:26 PM
108.255.82.176
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Well, bigger companies would get money from people attending the races to watch, and people who owned stadiums would get money from hosting races. Also, Inner Sphere pilots would get paid for it. Then of course, there's also the gambling scene...
Admittedly, it could be considered a waste of resources, but if Clan pilots show sufficient interest, it could be also seen as a form of extreme training for hovercraft pilots (or alternatively, just a less destructive way for warriors to vent their pent up aggression), and it might even prompt developments from the scientist and technician castes (more advanced hovercraft). And you just know that the merchant caste would want in on it.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
MechEngine (Alpha) -- On Hiatus
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Edited by AmaroqStarwind (04/30/18 03:27 PM)
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