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Raven!
Clan Snow Raven
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1326
Location: United States
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 Posted: 03-Sep-2005 13:09 Post subject: Infantry and Reworking them (LONG) |
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Ok so basically in the classical battletech world which I still firmly hold stock in, though I'm not sure what has been put out in a while since no game store near me holds it, and I've been elsewhere (read: homework, article writing, job), I've decided once and for all to fix something that has always bugged me:
The overall weakness of infantry in the BTech world.
I'm not talking about battlearmor. For all intensive purposes consider this post to be working from a 3025 period. I'm a follower of Old Dog when it comes to technology, so why not other things?
Ok Now onto the post!
PROBLEM:
Infantry are to weak in BTech. Infantry should be the core of any worlds defenses and in much of the literature, they ARE the core of any worlds defenses. Since infantry are the core, then it only makes sense that someone, somewhere should invest money in toughening them up?
Right?!
RIGHT?!
OBJECTION 1:
Please forgive me for the Thomas Aquinas approach, but it helps me work things out! 
Infantry can never compare to a battlemech or other armored unit, since the name of the game is battletech! GET THE FEATHERS OUT OF YOUR EARS! DUH!
OBJECTION 2:
The maximum damage potential of any hand held or semi-portable weapon will never be able to penetrate or harm a battlemech.
OBJECTION 3:
Any increase in firepower would require more massive weapons which would have a negative impact on Infantry's one advantage: effective numbers and cheapness.
REPLY 1:
Infantry can be an effective force if applied properly. In the successor states this means that the application of infantry should be done in cities, mountains, or other tough to move through and restricted LOS areas. Therefore, having infantry able to take down a battlemech WITHOUT power armor is only OK.
REPLY 2: This might be true if it wasn't for the fact that they show these weapons in use by power armor. Those weapons had to evolve from someplace!
REPLY 3: This objection brings me to the point of this post: a rework of the system. By coming up with a basic system that is easy to modify, use and create, then it is possible for infantry to play a serious role on the battlefield, and allows for true combined armed units that would have been able to damage the Clans as was done when Clan Smoke Jaguar was wiped out. Without such a system in place, then that batttle is completely staged! So to help with realism I present:
Raven's Guide to the Soft Squishies
This is an idea floating in my head. Reaction will determine if I write any rules for this.
1) THE OVERALL APPROACH
Note for all intensive purposes I am also talkign about squads. so you can mix and match squads to make more effective platoons. This might go from squads to individuals to allow maximum modification.
Divide infantry up into eras:
Early (3000)
Basic (3025)
Improved (3026)
Advanced (3055)
Semi-Modern (3065)
Why? I use these basically as late succession war infantry, infantry that has had no chance for improvement due to the fact that there has been no peace to give them a chance. However, the rules of engagement, strategies, and mistakes made during this period lead to the 3025 infantry. Basically they grow over time.
Other dates follow the introduction of technology based upon the introduction of Technical Manuals. 
Each period has a basic Armor Value, Damage Value, and Cost. Movement of all infantry is 1 unless they are modified.
2) MODIFICATIONS
Basic modifications come in terms of TYPE. The BattleTech system already handles this but I'm including it here for reasons of common sense and the fact that I want to cover all bases.
Types are:
FOOT
Basic infantry. This isn't a mod but is here for the same reason above. MP is now 1.
CALVERY
Infantry that uses horses, bikes, trucks, etc to move. Not that these are not armored vehicles. There are two sub types here:
Horse (or other non-engine powered):
MP 2/3
Invisible to Active Probes
Mechanized (Cars, trucks, speed boats):
MP 3/5; AV +1
MOTORIZED
Infantry that uses light armored vehicles, like armored cars, half-tracks, armored personal carriers, and the such to move around.
They would come in four types:
Light
MP 7/11; AV +1
Medium
MP 5/8; AV +2
Heavy
MP 3/5; AV +2; Heavy Weapons
Assault
MP 2/3; AV +3; Heavy Weapons
NOTE: This does not include airborne modifications, or special training such as Marines, Mountain Infantry, or Special Forces.
These mods would cost more money but would probably raise the damage value.
WEAPONS
The weapons the squad use grant a base damage value to the troops, and are considered normal for the time period. What this section seeks to provide is for special weapons that are carried by only a few members of each squad:
1) Basic Weapons
As mentioned above, the DV of each time period is determined by the basic weapons.
The most common weapon is the Rifle. Now in early infantry squads (3000/succession wars), rifles are fairly basic and weak. Therefore, a full squad can only inflict a miniscule amount of damage against a battlemech using rifles. For now, assuming a 7 man squad damage would be:
7 men = 3
4 men = 2
2 man = 1
Basic infantry also use rifles, but they have been given slightly better gear, and more importantly, training. They are able to remain effective longer then early infantry. Therefore they would like like this:
7 men = 3
3 men = 2
1 man = 1
Improved Infantry recieve better equipment and better weapons. Rather then the old bulky rifle, they might use more streamlined fully automatic weapons that look like submachine guns but act like MG 42s. Maybe fully electronic firing mechanisms. Either way they are a lot more effective.
7 men = 5
4 men = 3
2 men = 2
1 man = 1
Advanced Infantry see the results of all kinds of new inventions. We have the invasion of the Clans and ComStar shoving free stuff all over the place. The results are that infantry trained during this period will recieve the best stuff to give them maximum damage potential. In my mind I'm seeing effective pulse laser rifles, and really spiffy futuristic armor.
7 men = 7
6 men = 6
5 men = 5
4 men = 4
3 men = 3
2 men = 2
1 man = 1
NOTE: This is where I see ComStar infantry at. Though they might be Improved depending on your viewpoint.
Semi-Modern infantry is basically a poor man's version of Battle Armor. They use the same stats as advanced infantry use, but they also carry a series of heavier weapons and better armor. Though not powered, they are still very effective, and a platoon of semi-modern infantry against a star of elementals would be a close fight.
**********
Well this is super long so I will leave you with it and see what you guys happen to think. If you want more I can certainly post more.
Raven!
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Delta
Lyran Alliance
Leutnant
Joined: 11-Dec-2004 00:00
Posts: 635
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| Posted: 03-Sep-2005 13:12 Post subject: RE: Infantry and Reworking them (LONG) |
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| Good work Raven. You've done what I've toyed with doing to infantry and put it into a great form. (Its nice to see Humvees can go faster than 34KPH)
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Raven!
Clan Snow Raven
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1326
Location: United States
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| Posted: 03-Sep-2005 13:20 Post subject: RE: Infantry and Reworking them (LONG) |
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oh please don't try to attach real world vehicles I will never survive the flames. I'm just trying to come up with a game system which mimics something i've noticed:
Infantry evolve over time. We don't use WW1 infantry equipment, training, or carnage because... well... it sucked. However, what worked, we keep. However, things changed. And continue to change.
Yet, if you use infantry in BattleTech you are using the same little squishies that were used in the succession wars!!!
That never sat well with me. Thanks for the support!
Raven!
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 03-Sep-2005 14:22 Post subject: RE: Infantry and Reworking them (LONG) |
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Interesting piece of work here!
Do you use Maximum Tech rules in combination with these (and are there some additional rules in new rulebooks like Companion or Combat Operations?)?
_________________
The dragon NEVER sleeps!
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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
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| Posted: 03-Sep-2005 17:09 Post subject: RE: Infantry and Reworking them (LONG) |
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Very nice. My group mixes a lot of different infantry rule sets together and we have something that is more grouned it so to speak. No where as whacky as the BT infantry setup is currently and infantry is a threat to vehicles and mechs more so then they are currently in BT.
I have also seen some folks take the rules for infantry from Renegade Legion and use them in BT with some interesting outcomes. Really has infantry gaining teeth and punch as well.
I really need to finish my "Boom Your're Dead" set of ideas...
_________________
Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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Raven!
Clan Snow Raven
Galaxy Commander
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1326
Location: United States
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| Posted: 03-Sep-2005 22:27 Post subject: RE: Infantry and Reworking them (LONG) |
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I bought Max Tech shortly after it came out, and that was sort of the basis for what i'm doing, but this will be completely reworked. Everything from the ground up. I've already started as some initial responce has been very positive. This was a rough draft. The full version is much easier to understand.
Raven!
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