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Starting Things Up

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 3:34 pm
by Rabbit
Hey there... here's what I propose just to show that this forum is still alive. We three that are here (and anyone else that is reading this and wants to join us) create a new unit and each run a lance in the unit. We start a "contract" that is really just a baseline that we are writing from and towards... putting together the contract objectives and the W's of it (where, who, why, what) then just write.

The idea of the new unit is so we can start a new storyline that is not necessarily tied to any past or any history so we don't have to worry about keeping that straight. It also allows us to build this unit and story as a new beginning, like we are trying to do with the game as a whole. We are not worrying about word count or getting paid or any of that, we worry more about the story and moving it forward. This is not about the C-bills, it's just writing and creating something new.

While I am using it as an all encompassing term and will do so for this discussion: "Lance" can be defined as lance of Mechs, lance of ASF, squad or platoon of infantry or battle armor, or some mixed force like the Capellans use with Mechs and armor in the unit... just something to work with and help give structure to the characters. Maybe we even assume responsibilities for additional lances as we go, just to flesh out the unit's tactical needs. I think we stick to lance level writing at the moment so we don't get too bogged down with the number of characters. Just dealing with a lance of Mechs with techs is like 12 or so characters by itself, barebones on the techs end, not including anyone's family or hangers on or whatever so I think it's a good start that would still have some depth to it.

And we write for everyone in our lance... all the techs and MechWarriors or whatever and look to make real characters out of many of them so we have a complete story with a backstory and all that. We could go with a rule that I have seen in professional writers' shared universes (Thieves' World from the 80s is the first one that comes to mind) where we can use and work with other peoples characters up to X point... I think their idea was use them but don't break character or get them killed. We play as nice as we want with the other character so we can stir up the story some as long as we remember that others could stir up the story with our characters too... that would help to temper things a bit, me thinks. ;)

I am also thinking we don't adhere *really* hard to some of the BTM rules for this beginning operation. Lose the restrictions on number of characters and on Mech customization (within reasonable boundaries … for example, house rules for Classic BT in my group was that you could swap out weapons and gear on a ton by ton basis, but you cannot change the internal structure of a Mech because we are reworking the Mech, not building a new one). Maybe even toss in equipment that is not in our hardware brokerage as long as we have canon material (Sarna works) to show what the equipment is and does. If something gets too crazy, then we (politely) point that out and go with majority rules then make changes to the storyline to accommodate that result. No retcon, but a twist to the story that makes the point of contention go away... the tech breaks and cannot be fixed so is replaced, a character is killed in a mugging, or whatever. Then as things expand more, we can make sure to readjust things either back to BTM norm or adjust the norm to fit what we are doing at that point.

As new people join or rejoin, we invite them to come write in that unit... give them the lance they want to write from and weave them in. Maybe they are a part of the unit that just hadn't been seen yet or reinforcements from off-planet or the remains of another unit on the planet that gets adopted into this one. If they don't want to do that, then they can start their own unit in the same fashion and we can support them as much as everyone wants to see happen. For example, if we are doing Mechs and they want to do just infantry then they make their new unit... if they want other writers in there, we volunteer as we can... if they want to run it on their own, then more power to them.

If you guys and anyone else that may be reading this would like to chime in and give suggestions, then please do so. I want to make this move forward and get things going again and I really think that this is a great opportunity for us to do that.

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 3:51 pm
by Mcraven
I, for one, think this is a great idea! I am all for it. Just need to see the interest level, and plug in timeline, as well as location. I am more than comfortable running a Lance, and am willing to play out how ever needed in that role. Great idea, Rabbit!!

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:17 am
by Banshee
Good evening, gentlemen.

/slides bottle across table

I'm in.

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:59 am
by Mcraven
Welcome, and Well Met!!

(pouring 3 fingers, neat, in his glass) I was hoping I would get to see you. I have missed our talks.

So, let's finish up our drinks, and go out to the barn, and see the equipment. We still have a few more stragglers rolling in.

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 3:27 pm
by Rabbit
Stragglers be straggling. :)

I am waiting to hear from Vampire before I unleash anything else that's in my brain about this. Would really like to hear things from everyone involved. I do not want to make it look like or feel like I am dictating this thing.

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:51 pm
by Mcraven
We can go in so many directions, depending on the time period. We could be with IE, harvesting a Brian Cache. We could be a combined arms unit, in front of a Clan assault. We could be a newly minted Star League unit, cleaning up a Clan force in the Pentagon Worlds. Hell, we could even be a security detachment for an advanced tech facility, driving off repeated advances by House units. And the list goes on and on...
Just happy to be putting something together...

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:00 am
by Rabbit
Totally agreed. The skies are wide open for whatever we want to do. :D

Do you have any preference, sir? Since you are here and all that. :)

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 5:59 am
by Rabbit
Actually... what does anyone want to do? I would like to see us do a combined arms things, just to give a broad availability on positions and all that. To even include armor units if someone feels up to being a tanker or whatever.

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 1:01 pm
by Mcraven
Well, combined arms it is then. I do happen to have an old fossil of a tanker in mind, along with a small infantry unit for security and support. Or, any other role that is needed.

I would be most comfortable in the 3039-3065 timeframe, at least to start out. I liked the fluidity of the House lines, as well as the violent upheaval of borders between them. It was a time of great opportunity, and then the Clans showed up. Mercenary units had their pick from the buffet of jobs out there, and almost every choice led you down the rabbit hole,(no pun intended), to more and more turns within. We can be a pick up unit, like the Chaos Irregulars, several units cobbled together after being ground up in the Chaos March, for example, or a unit that was recruited by some power brokers, intent on carving out their own piece of the pie. Hell, we could even be several units from Solaris VII, jaded from the arenas, looking for some thing more fresh.

Like I said, I am ready, juices are flowing....If I was a steak, it would be time to put a fork to me, before I burn!!

Re: Starting Things Up

Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 5:43 pm
by Rabbit
Works for me. Put together your TOE and characters for a lance of armor with a platoon of infantry. Maybe mechanized infantry so it makes sense why they are hanging out with a lance of tanks? I don't see a reason for us to worry about costs of gear at the moment, but I wouldn't go too crazy. :)

I like the idea of being a cobbled together unit from various other units and the Chaos March was always a good time so that could be a meeting point. Plus being from various places will allow us more freedom in making characters. Our equipment should reflect that though. So, if your people are from a Davion unit then use Davion gear, etc. To support the freedom of making characters, I would suggest that the characters have all decided that this whole Chaos March thing and fighting and dying for these Princes and Chancellors and whoever else is just not as cool as it used to be and maybe fighting for better pay would be a good thing, no matter which side you used to fight for.

Let us look at being after the Battle of Tukayyid, so we know the Clans are out there and we have the tech from up to TRO 3055. That would give us some fun techy stuff to play with and not go too crazy at the same time. Let us play it from the regular BT timeline rather than BTM timeline, so we don't HAVE to adhere to that right now and if we opt to go back to normal BTM, then we are not messing with things that have already occurred. If that makes sense... it did when I was thinking it.

Other thoughts, ideas, or suggestions from anyone? Please? :D