I recently was pondering the Inner Sphere in Flames game from the old Combat Operations sourcebook. I have attempted to GM and play heavily modified versions of these rules on at least five occasions, focusing the game either for 3025 or 3039 eras, and none of the games survived more than two turns. While ISIF has a solid premise, I think the rules are largely unplayable, needing radical revision. Moreover, I do not think this ISIF really had a good battletech feel to the rules system. This got me thinking of what I would do if I was creating a system from whole cloth for a game like ISIF. I thought I would share as a way to start a dialogue on what other people would want and avoid from a set of rules to simulate strategic and operational conflict in the battletech universe.
1. Keep it fairly simple. Just the general scope of the game can be daunting, when one is dealing with thousands of planets and hundreds of regiments. Try to keep the game streamlined and fairly simple in its overall rules, and only add complexity when absolutely needed to impart the feel of the battletech world.
2. This is a game about precious war machines, and every machine needs to be directly represented in force calculation. In the Battleforce 2 handbook, Brian Nystul mentions that Battleforce 2 was revised so that players could comfortably play a battalion or more of forces in one game session. Each Mech was abstracted down to just 6 numbers, allowing the game to flow well but still maintain the feeling of a battletech game. I have found that Battleforce 2 has been then most playable version of the game that I grew up playing and think we can learn a lesson from this system. I thought as a working model, when developing a regiment of mechs, we should fill it with mechs based off of weight class or (ie light, medium, heavy or assault) or by role (fire support, assault, scout… ect.) Each type of mech would have a defensive and offensive value, and you would add each mechs value together when calculating the units overall value. You would compare a units attack verse an enemy’s defensive value and role on a chart, and then calculate how many mechs were destroyed (the mechs would be like hit points for the formation). This does not have to be limited to just mechs, all sort of combat vehicles can be given values, and added together to calculate a unit combat values.
3. Battlemechs should be the Kings of the battlefield, but not exclusive. We play this game because we love big stompy robots, but ASF, infantry, and combat vehicles have their place as well. Mechs should have certain advantages, such as being more resilient, or quicker to return to the field.
4. Each planet should be represented as an objective. I played one game that tried to collect planets into grids, it did not feel like battletech.
5. Armies should be forced to stay relatively small. It should be difficult to rapidly increase the amount of mechs in house armies. I think this should be done by strictly limiting the amount of mechs that can be build each year to barely cover losses in a low intensity conflict. If this option is taken, salvage should be an important part of the game.
6. Salvage should be calculated directly into post battle recovery. Maybe some of the destroyed units can be put back in service if the unit has some rest and supplies at hand.
7. Advanced technology should be involved in the game. The higher the tech level the higher the ratings of the combat vehicles.
8. Unit quality, reliability, and leadership should have an impact on battles. I think these three traits should play a role in the battle, perhaps reliability rating impact how much damage a unit could take before it is forces to retreat to a friendly planet. Quality and Leadership should have a direct impact on the random element that calculates how much damage was dealt or suffered by the unit.
Thoughts?
