Battletech RPG

[payn]

Greetings,

We got a thread going about the Classic Battletech playtest rules currently on going here. This thread is specifically about the RPG and folks experiences with it. @RenleyRenfield

Battletech RPG History

The beginning;
Battletech was a wargame originally dropped in 84 as Battle Droids (but uh some folks didnt like that legally speaking). It wouldnt be long after when the wargame would get an RPG treatment named Mechwarrior in '86. This game would focus on the setting along with doing things outside the mech cockpit. Such as forming alliances, political intrigue, and personal combat. Mechwarrior would go through three edition updates by 1999. (Not to be confused with the cockpit simulator PC/Console video game series also called Mechwarrior).
The Skinny;
2E/3E Tends to be a fan favorite amongst longtime players. Mostly it seems to be thanks to its heavy world building and nostalgia for the roots of the game. Seems to split the middle between ATOW heavy mechanics with Destiny streamline.

The second age;
Then, in 2009 came the fourth edition of the RPG, which Fanpro (licensed at the time) decided to break with the Mechwarrior name and call it A Time of War (what is with 4th editions?). Many rules updates and the core mechanic was set to 2D6 to match the tabletop wargame.
The skinny;
If you want an RPG that is as complex as CBT tabletop, ATOW seems to do just that. Doesnt seem to be very popular amongst any but the most dedicated BT fans due to complexity and reliance on 2D6 as a core mechanic.

Today;
Finally, the BT brand landed with Catalyst Games Lab (also have Shadowrun) and they launched their own RPG called Mechwarrior: Destiny in 2020. This edition was designed to work best alongside the wargame and also allow integration with the Alpha Strike BT rule set (streamlined modern miniatures rules not CBT)
The Skinny;
Destiny updates with a more narrative approach outside the cockpit experience. More streamlined than what came before. IF you want a game that has less mechanics and moves a bit faster bewteen wargame and RPG, Destiny is the version you want.

Tomorrow;
Rumor has it another RPG is in the works for BT. I dont know if it will be a Destiny second edition or a whole cloth new run at the game. I dont currently have any more info than that.

My personal experience is very limtied. I've done modified Chaos Campaigns which is basically the table top wargame with a merc company maintenance off board phase. My players manage their merc company(s), name mech warriors, make decisions based on storylines built into the Inner Sphere setting in various aspects of the time line.

That said, Id love to hear what folsk with actual RPG experience have to say. This is soemthing ive thought a bit about clearly, but havent had a chance to dive in and try it yet.

-Cheers.

 

[TheHand]

@RenleyRenfield I’ll try to answer some of your questions about a mixed campaign here.

I’ve run several campaigns that were split between MechWarrior (the RPG) and BattleTech (TT mini’s). I’m happy to share my experiences:

I’ve played 3 of the 4 Mechwarrior editions (1st, 2nd, and Destiny… bounced off of the extreme complexity of 3rd edition). Though they all have very different rulesets and pitfalls, any one of them works well enough. My current favorite is Destiny, though some may not like the narrative mechanics it introduces (I ran it as a more traditional rpg). One thing I like about Destiny is it has a simplified version of the table top game built into it that plays somewhere between classic BattleTech and Alpha Strike. Destiny was not well supported, however.

Here’s a few bullet points for doing a mixed campaign:

- make sure your players like to both play BattleTech and RPGs, otherwise you end up with players who get bored or frustrated with sections of your game

- The MechWarrior heroes should have some skills and abilities to make them useful outside of the cockpit, otherwise they’ll feel incompetent during non-mech parts of the game. Alternatively, you can run the game “troupe style”, where your players alternate between controlling both an “away-team” operative and a Mechwarrior (or tank driver).

- BattleTech battles can go long, so budget for time accordingly in your play session. It can be challenging to have to stop a Mech fight and set everything back up for the next game.

- you’ll be essentially writing 2 scenarios - one for outside the cockpit and 1 for inside the cockpit, and the trick is always to find ways to thread those together. There’s some adventure modules from the 2nd edition era (if you can find them) that aren’t too bad in accomplishing this. I kind of like “Unbound!” for a quirky Solaris VII situation gone horribly wrong (though I recommend modifying the 1v1 Mech matches into Team battles).

Another thing to consider when writing the MechWarrior parts of the game is to create situations that make sense for them not to be in giant Mechs stomping the opposition into the dust. So intrigue, spying, sabotage, and information gathering tend to be the main focuses in my games. You can also just go with the flow, offer an option for doing a mission subtly as MechWarriors or another for going in full force and see what your players decide.

Hope some of these ideas help!