- Joined
- Mar 23, 2016
So, usually not for long then?
Battletech - Also known as Trannytech
- Thread starter Frosted Snowflakes
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Yeah, but it would be nice to actually do something useful for once, but what can you do when the staff is Fed Suns, Cappie, and Clan Wolf fans? I also assume Ghost Bear and Drac too, but they're less pronounced. At least we get off better than the Jade Turkeys.
Johan Schmidt
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2020
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2018
@RomanesEuntDomus Damned reply is broken. Le sigh.
Anyways, probability with 1d12 isn't the same as 2d6.
The chance of rolling a total of 2 is 2.78 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 3 is 5.56 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 4 is 8.33 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 5 is 11.11 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 6 is 13.89 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 7 is 16.67 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 8 is 13.89 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 9 is 11.11 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 10 is 8.33 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 11 is 5.56 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 12 is 2.78 percent
Whereas, your chance to roll 1, 12, or whatever on d12 is always the same: 8.33 percent. The tables would have to be remastered, just for starters.
Anyways, probability with 1d12 isn't the same as 2d6.
The chance of rolling a total of 2 is 2.78 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 3 is 5.56 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 4 is 8.33 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 5 is 11.11 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 6 is 13.89 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 7 is 16.67 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 8 is 13.89 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 9 is 11.11 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 10 is 8.33 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 11 is 5.56 percent
The chance of rolling a total of 12 is 2.78 percent
Whereas, your chance to roll 1, 12, or whatever on d12 is always the same: 8.33 percent. The tables would have to be remastered, just for starters.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2016
That's why I bring this up.
Also as I said, the idea is to only use it for attacks, not for anything requiring a table (like hit location or number of clusters hit), I'm fine with a bell-curve distribution on those things, but it seems to me the bell curve really fucks you over on attacks and having less than 3% of a chance to hit on a 12 is just frustrating, when you could use an alternative that gives you a linear distribution of probabilities (which I consider to be more fair).
The curves that I posted originally represent the probability of at least rolling a certain number (ie, it's the accumulated probability for ever number to roll that number or higher), which gives you the probability of, for instance, successfully attacking on a 9 or 10 and allows you to compare those numbers. The curves (well, curve and straight line) tell you that not only is it less likely to roll a high number with 2D6 but it's also vastly more likely to roll in the midfield, which is just below what your average to-hit would be. A small change on the to-hit thus has effects that differ based on where on the curve you are and especially on higher numbers make success virtually impossible.
This isn't some majorly important topic, just something I was musing over. It seems BT went with 2D6 originally as a means of convenience and it works for the most part, but on the to-hit, it feels rather cumbersome, since it doesn't give your a linear distribution of probability. It's up to taste whether that's desirable or not I guess.
One could point out that it makes lower numbers less likely to be rolled, too, but unless you're rocking an UAC or rotary AC, it doesn't matter whether you rolled a 2 or 10 when your to-hit was 11.
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- Joined
- Jun 3, 2021
A long time buddy recommended I install a mod called BTA 3062 for battletech. Is there enough content in it to make the game worth reinstalling?
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2020
@RomanesEuntDomus
The problem with that idea is that by flattening the probability curve you make both Hail-Mary shots and "fumbles" a lot more likely. On the case of the former, the lower granularity at the top and bottom ends means you lose that feeling of satisfaction when you manage to claw that to-hit number from 9 to 8 and you're still more likely to miss even on a 4+. On the case of the latter, equipment that fails on a roll of 2 (let's assume they get changed to a 1) becomes a hell of a lot worse. Ultra Autocannons (or normal ACs with Caseless Ammo) become three times more likely to jam, same with MASC and other mechanics. These risk/reward special rules become suicidal to use.
The problem with that idea is that by flattening the probability curve you make both Hail-Mary shots and "fumbles" a lot more likely. On the case of the former, the lower granularity at the top and bottom ends means you lose that feeling of satisfaction when you manage to claw that to-hit number from 9 to 8 and you're still more likely to miss even on a 4+. On the case of the latter, equipment that fails on a roll of 2 (let's assume they get changed to a 1) becomes a hell of a lot worse. Ultra Autocannons (or normal ACs with Caseless Ammo) become three times more likely to jam, same with MASC and other mechanics. These risk/reward special rules become suicidal to use.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2016
Yeah, but that could be mitigated (by an additional roll in case you roll a 1 to confirm the fumble) and on the other hand, having to-hits that are somehwere around 10+ due to forests and stuff means there's a lot of missed shots going on, which drags out the game unneccessarily. Rolls for MASC aren't attacks, so that has nothing to do with what I am talking about.
Also, when talking about lowest possible roll and highest possible roll and their effects:
On one hand, you might have something like an UAC fail critically if you roll really low on a piece of equippement that uses such rules. On the other end of the spectrum, 12 doesn't indicate a particularly good or critical hit, it's just a regular hit. So that thing is skewered from the get-go.
My key problem with BT is that it feels awefully hard to make a hit when there's movement and intervening terrain. It's very easy to whiff an entire barrage due to how the probability curve is spread out and to say that making an unlikely hit on a <3% to roll a 12 feels satisfying means to me that all those missed shots due to the probability curve are that more frustrating.
It's not a huge problem, otherwise I wouldn't be playing BT, but when 80% of attacks miss, that drags out the game significantly in a not-so-fun kind of way.
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2020
You're missing the point, though. You know what you're supposed to do when 80% of your attacks are missing?
You come closer.
You use your Small Lasers, your AC/20s, your SRMs, and your fists.
BattleTech is a game of close-range brawls. Realistically, a pilot in The Year of Our Lord 3025 would be firing at specks in the horizon. But that ain't it, chief. If you want better odds to hit, remember that you're riding a giant fusion reactor with legs and walk closer. There's a reason range is the largest single target modifier you're likely to see: the game wants you to get up close and personal.
If you really wanted to tweak things to make shots easier to hit "to speed up the game", instead of messing with a core game mechanic a lot of other mechanics rely on, just change the range modifiers instead. Instead of +0/+2/+4 for Short/Medium/Long range, do -2/0/+2. That way everybody is hitting more often, and even though close-range brawlers get hit more often coming in when they do get into range they also hit more often.
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2018
Yup.
Among BT players, the 'magic number' is 7 -- because it's the easiest number to roll on 2d6. So you're angling to get to that number or below.
It's funny you mention close range brawls. I watched a recent BT game where a Banshee-3S got into a close in brawl with a Victor. Victor flubs his AC/20 shot, but the Banshee's return fire isn't great either.
Except the Banshee has fists (well, one fist) and after shooting opts to punch the Victor twice. Two hits. Both in the head.
I believe the phrase 'Rock'em Sock'em Robots' got passed around a bit.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2019
So according to the BPL latest youtube update, Tex will be reading for Stackpole's newest audio books.
StevieLasVegas
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Seems like more people are turning towards that mod over RogueTech nowadays. I think it has a smaller datapool, so while it doesn't have as many mechs and whatnot, it doesn't shit itself as fast as RogueTech.
I just got rid of RogueTech (RIP Madman Muldoon's Madders. I shall miss all the mines your company laid out on the ground to fuck with approaching enemies) and started a new campaign to utilize new mods. Aside for the Better Salvage mod (chances to get multiple weapons/equipment in a stack, random occurrences to dispute, accept or renegotiate salvage pulls), I also installed All Salvage (when starting a new campaign, you can activate this and get to take all the mission's salvage for yourself) and Increased Tonnage (doubles the mechs tonnage) mods. With those new mods, your company gets stupid strong, stupid rich fast and you can make some OP/cursed mechs to where Clanners would cry from the rape train. I've only done three priority missions, but I already multiple assault mechs, almost have the Argo fully upgraded, and enough cash to steadily pay for +1 morale. One of cursed mechs I made early on was a Locust with a large laser and two LRM5s and enough heat sinks to just laugh from afar. If I remember to, I'll take some screencaps later and show off all 18 mechs I have lined up.
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2019
The BT3062 has some decent shit, tanks, BattleArmor and Blake mechs as well. I wish it could run well on my computer but everytime I give it a go its like "Nope, i'm refusing."
Also went and dropped 30 dollars to get 3 tokens for audible and picked up Mercenary Star. I also just finished Ideal War. I give Daniel credit, he did well. Little bit hammy at times but I enjoyed it.
StevieLasVegas
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
Yeah RT was shit for that too. In the time I get two missions in with RT, I'll have five or six done in regular BT and will only just start to slow down on memory leakage.
Had to think who you were talking about with the Daniel comment. Keep forgetting that's his name.
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2019
I did like to have like a few SRM carriers in the game, jesus christ I litteraly wiped a city off the map because 50% of the shots kept missing and I fielded 4 of em with 2 lances of mechs, shit was nuts.
StevieLasVegas
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
God, SRM carriers are fucking frightening in the game. Never got to the point where I was able to obtain one in RT, but once I see one coming towards me, everything gets focused on it until it becomes a fucking crater before I become one.
StevieLasVegas
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2019
Your lack of a Sleepy Awesome is...disturbing.. unless they finally balanced Heat.
StevieLasVegas
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2019
With how many heat sinks I can load up now, I can fire all three PPCs for two to three rounds in a row before I have to worry about heat management on hot/lunar environments. I might try a four PPC run like it is a AWS-9Q because fuck it, why not?
Also want to change up the SLDF Marauder's AC5 with an LBX5 to treat it as a MAD-2T but oddly enough, I haven't come across any LBX5s yet. I can buy the ammo no problem, but the gun itself is rarer than a bloody pulse laser.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2017
I tried it, and what little I played was fun. But the memory issues, slowdowns, and crashing made it darn near unplayable for me.