Battlemech Generations, Pt II

So last time I went on about similar 'mech designs being separated by quirks. Specifically, I kicked around a system wherein 'mechs which have been in production for 500 years will be generally better than a 'mech that was produced 500 years ago and not since.

Fucking Hammerhands.

The system is that new 'mechs can be based on existing designs or completely original, they can simply add to that template or radically revise it. 'mechs based on existing designs have known intractable flaws, but are of generally higher quality. 'mechs which are completely original have more negative quirks, but produce a new intractable flaw.

I'm using the idea of a Quirk Maximum here. In the rules quirks are either positive or negative. Each quirk has a point value associated with it. If you're keeping a 'balanced' 'mech, the value of that 'mech's positive quirks will be equal to the value of its negative quirks.

If you're a fan of My Hero Academia, I can only apologize for the rampant use of the word "quirk" you're about to read.

Instead of that, I'm treating the values of all negative quirks as, y'know, negative numbers. Add all your quirk values together and you'll get a total. To get them to a base balance recommended in Strategic Operations, the sum will be 0. We will use a Quirk Maximum to represent the maximum value of all quirks--usually negative--that a new design can have. The sum of the values of all of that 'mech's quirks must be that number or lower.

I checked the rules, but couldn't find it so for the sake of simplicity, this system will limit quirks to a maximum of 6 total quirks, positive or negative.

Design Types for New 'Mechs

Variant - A variant is a modified version of an existing 'mech. Like a -K2 Catapult or the -R60L Urbanmech. It inherits the quirks (including the intractible quirk) and quirk maximum of its parent designs and usually makes minor changes. 

"Minor changes" covers a lot when you at things like, well, the -K2 Cataputl. But let's not get into that. You're changing your design and don't mind if it's got all the flaws of the current production model.

Overhaul - Originally termed a 'next gen' design, it's a refinement of the original concept after serious revision and testing. This can be the line model BJ-1 Blackjack when compared to the original BJ-1X Blackjack or the omnimech Blackjack which carries 5 tons over it's parent BJ-1.

Overhauls will maintain the Intractable Flaw of their parent unit, but will increase their quirk maximum by +1 (to a maximum of +3).

Conventional - A conventional design is a new design not specifically based on any existing model, but using conventional design practices. It uses standard components; actuators, engines, sensors, etc. that many battlmechs share and which makes the Non-Standard Parts quirk a quirk. Most new designs are this.

Conventional designs will choose an Intractable Flaw quirk, begin with a separate, -1 point New Design negative quirk, and have a quirk maximum of -2.

Radical - A radical design may be mostly build from conventional parts, but posesses at its core a vasty different and untested system. This might be fluff, or it might be a custom or experimental equipment (or perk!). 

The Coyotl and the original Raven could be considered Radical designs. They could also be considered an Overhaul or a Conventional design, respectively. 

Radical designs will choose an Intractable Flaw quirk, begin with a separate, -2 point New Design negative quirk, and have a quirk maximum of -3.

Prototype - Every 'mech goes through a prototype phase. If it didn't it, IS the prototype. Prototyping requires a lot of testing and changes so you don't really need to make a prototype, but we're all doing this for fun so do what you want. Prototypes have the Prototype quirk and a -2 quirk maximum and are required to have the design's intractable flaw.

What is a Variant?

They made Awesomes with missile racks, so I don't really know anymore. You can look at the Strategic Operations section on field refits and decide that Class A - Class C refits are variants and anything that would qualify as a Class D or greater would be an Overhaul. 

You could rule any structural, engine, or gyro changes would be an Overhaul, or any changes to the 'mech's combat role. Any changes that are 33% or more of its tonnage.

There's no answer that's consistent with canon because canon is not consistent on this point. 

This system would be the only consistent point. It's a variant if it has the same quirk max. It's an overhaul if its quirk maximum is higher. 

We can do it. Just us. We can make it all make sense again.

You could try to make the modifications as if you're doing a customization job and if it fails those changes require an overhaul, with, ostensibly some greater resource expenditure.

But we're bordering dangerously on a military industrial complex pentagon wars style procurement and design simulation system here and no one wants to sit down to make a light RAC/5 carrier and end up with an omnimech that can only mount lasers.

Right? Just me then? Okay.

Getting back on track, the Hatamoto-Chi is not a Thug variant despite being a blatant and inferior ripoff, while the Charger -1A5 has more in common with a Zeus than the -1A1 base model Charger. 

Why not create a conventional design, the remove and add small lasers and armor as "major overhauls" until you're macaroni ("macaroni" being in this case +3 quirk maximum)? 

In a less vapid example, why NOT do major overhauls with engine and structural changes right after production and have a suite o versatile, quality mechs?

Then, looking back at my original example of the Hammerhands: what about time? Battletech has conveniently sorted itself into Eras. An initial 'mech is made in an era, can have however many variants it wants, and get an overhaul--even if the end design is identical--in the next era.

The section on New Quirks, including New Design and some ideas for intractable quirks are at the end.

Example

When I read the construction rules back in ninety-five or so, I saw the AC/20 and realized I was going to put it on something. 100 tons was too obvious. 20 was obviously not enough. I don't know why I chose 65, but I did. I created the 65 ton Mars as my first 'mech, followed by the more forgettable 95-ton Jupiter, and 20-ton Mosquito. I believe there was a 50-ton Moselie in there as well.

But the Mars was always my favorite. I've collected a lot of unwritten canon about it over the past few...thirty years. I reviewed my files and I can't find much on it. Even 3087 only has a few references to it.

I'm going to fix that, but lets start with this quirk system.

Succession Wars

Mars MRS-1X: A prototype version from the three thousand aughts. This doesn't count as an introduction date. As above, it's required to have the Prototype quirk.

Conventional (Max Quirks: -2)

New Design: -2

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (Main Gun): -2

Prototype: -2

Poor Life Support: -1

Mars MRS-1A: Introduced in 3021, it was created before the 4th Succession War. Is it not-canonical that forces were creating new 'mechs during this time? I guess. Except for the Hatchetman, Raven, and Cataphract. It has -3 points of quirks which is below its quirk maximum.

Conventional (Max Quirks: -2)

New Design: -1

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (Main Gun): -2

Reinforced Legs: +1

Poor Life Support: -1

Mars MRS-5E: Released after the 4th Succession War. The variant has -2 points of quirks, which is compliant the base model's quirk maximum. It can do this because the New Design quirk can be removed after a major conflict without waiting for an era to pass. If the MRS-1A had been a -2 quirk points, it would have had to replace the New Design quirk with another negative perk of equal or lesser value.

Variant (Max Quirks: -2)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (Main Gun): -2

Reinforced Legs: +1

Poor Life Support: -1

Clan Invasion

Mars MRS-6E: Clan Invasion Released as an upgrade kit in 3052, it included a quickfix for some of the 'mech's persistent heat problems.

Overhaul (Max Quirks: -1)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (Main Gun): -2

Reinforced Legs: +1

Federated Commonwealth Civil War

Mars MRS-4B: FCCW overhaul based on the -6E. It uses an XL engine to allow for the addition of an ER Laser, Streak SRMs, an ECM system, and C&C components. These changes overrode the quickfixes to the Mars' heat systems and introduced numerous electronic vulnerabilities.

Overhaul (Max Quirks: 0)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (Main Gun): -2

Reinforced Legs: +1

Poor Life Support: -1

Vulnerable to CWS/LKM: -1 (Becomes Bad Reputation (-1) in Republic and Dark Age eras)

Command 'Mech: +2

Improved Communications: +1

The Jihad

Mars MRS-7B: Demand peaked at the start of the Jihad, but trailed off as the Word of Blake became better at exploiting its vulnerabilities. Quickfixes resolved those issues, but made the cockpit a mess. As sophisticated systems became rarer, it was outfitted with more basic components and armor to compensate.

Variant (Max Quirks: 0)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (Main Gun): -2

Reinforced Legs: +1

Bad Reputation: -1

Command 'Mech: +2

Improved Communications: +1

Patched Cockpit: -1     

Republic Era

Mars III (MRS-3-1R): Based on the -7B, this lighter retooling was reluctantly selected for a cheap, general-purpose garrison 'mech. All other previous Inner Sphere Mars models are Obsolete (I've omitted Clan versions for simplicity).

Overhaul (Max Quirks: +1)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (RAC/5): -2

Improved Life Support: +1

Easy to Maintain: +1

Reinforced Legs: +1

Disrespected: +0

Dark Age

Mars III (MRS-3-3R): As the grid went down, even garrison forces were eyed for use to gain some marginal advantage or secure borders more tightly. The 3-3R trades commercial armor and improved jump jets for standard models of the same, an enhanced sensor suite, and a hatchet.

Variant (Max Quirks: +1)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (RAC/5): -2

Improved Life Support: +1

Easy to Maintain: +1

Reinforced Legs: +1

ilClan Era

Mars MRS-IC-0X: ilClan era overhaul based on the Mars III garrison unit and the long-serving Clan second line 'mech. Restored to 65 tons, it's designed to be produced in limited numbers for close-in fighting. So far, its use in urban areas has lead to discontent at its focus on pure firepower over accuracy.

Overhaul (Max Quirks: +2)

Intractable Flaw: No Cooling Jacket (UAC/20): -2

Stable: +2

Reinforced Legs: +1

Easy to Maintain: +1

As an example, the Mars is getting more overhauls than a 'mech would. I talk a lot of shit about customs losing the personality of a 'mech and then made a system which stakes the personality of the 'mech on quirks then I shuffle up those quirks to vary pretty consistently between versions of that 'mech. But it's an example.

New Quirks 

I also had to create a lot of new quirks. I bounced between Strategic Operations and my .pdf of the Battlemech Manual. That has a lot of quirks, but I still wanted additional options (Also, Hard to Pilot costs -2 and does the exact same thing as a Cramped Cockpit at -2...unless Small Cockpits do something more nuanced than a flat +1 PSR penalty these days...which I can't tell because the Tech Manual doesn't seem to actually, explicitly state that penalty).

New Design (-1 or -2): The design has been lab and field tested, but it hasn't been combat tested. With the -1 version of this quirk, critical hits against the 'mech have a +1 bonus. With the -2 point version, those critical hits will have a +2 bonus instead. 

When using time to change quirks, the New Design quirk can be removed or replaced without an era passing if a major conflict occurs during that era.

Flawed CASE (-1): This 'mech's basic CASE system is flawed. When it suffers an ammunition explosion, roll 2D6. On a result of 10+, the CASE works normally, but one point of the excess damage is transferred to the structure next location instead of ignored.

Vulnerable to CWS/LKM (-1): The Centurion Weapon System and Listen-Kill Missiles are both weapons systems which exploited easily-patched software and electronic vulnerabilities in Battlemechs. Flaws with this 'mech's systems make it vulnerable to one or both of those systems. The quirk costs the same whether it's vulnerable to one or both.

Disrespected (+0): Cannot be taken as an intractable flaw. The 'mech and its parts cost 10% less to sell or buy. It acts first among units on your turn during each phase.

Patched Cockpit (-1): This cockpit is poorly designed and filled with cables and piping. Piloting skill checks to avoid damage from falls ('mech and pilot damage) receive a +1 penalty.

There are additional Quirks that I'm going to add, especially those intended to be Intractable Flaws, in a third part.