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Author Topic: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs  (Read 939 times)

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Ice Hellion

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Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« on: June 22, 2014, 03:00:39 AM »

I was going through some Primitive 'Mechs and even if I read what the Obsolete rules is, it got me thinking about some Periphery Powers or other small ones that could buy them at a lower price when they are obsolete, make some changes to armour (almost anyone can produce modern armour, right?) and weapons and you have a better 'Mech for a lower price.

And regarding the obsolete thing, this is the Periphery, so they know how to deal with old things that shouldn't work.

Could it work or am I just dreaming awake?
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

JPArbiter

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2014, 10:03:23 AM »

Generally speaking "obsolete" means that there is no major industry known to have the support structure needed to maintain the equipment in question of any kind.  this is why it is so hard to make any battlemechs "Obsolete" because the Star Leauge standarized manufacturing to such a stupid level that individual actuators could be swapped between mechs (also the reason non standard parts exists as a quirk)

to give an example, the primitive Banshee does not have an obslete quirk attached to it.  the logic is that the Banshee as a meta unit is still manufactured, and the primitive model should be easy to upgrade if need be (and was as the infamous 3000 banshees from 3025 turned out to be the initial SLDF order of 1Es that were upgraded to 3Es)

a similar concept with the Battleaxe, which was put back into full production, albeit a different model.  that means that the base industrial support is there to maintain the 1X if needed.

Finally you have to remember that in the Jihad, a LOT of primitive mechs were put back into full production of some kind, meaning that despite the obsolete quirk there was support for the machines from 3070ish, on forward.  Obsolete would reapply around 3080 if you are playing more primitive mechs in the modern period.
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JPArbiter

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2014, 10:25:23 AM »

for example, in the Periphery, as of 3078, the following facilites engage in full time construction of primitve mechs, with no signs of stopping or upgrading into the 32nd Century.  I also get the feeling the Toro has become the AK-47 of mechs...

Taurians
Vanderberg Mechanized Industries still produced Toro and Xanthos Primitive mechs
Taurus Territorial Industries the Griffin and Phoenix
Liberty Arms the Toro, Thunderbolt and Ymir
Protectorate Arms Conglomorate the Toro

Canopians
Bermuda Combat Systems the Shadow Hawk, Wasp, and Toro
Ceres Metals Industries the Firebee, Icarus, and Ostwar

Filtvelt
Coalition Armory the Dervish and Toro

Marians
Alphard Trading Corporation Centurion
Marian Arms Inc Centurion, Gladiator, Emperor and Icarus

Rim Collection
Rim Motors Commando

Randis IV
Hope Industrial Works HawkWolf, Dervish, and Firebee

Castilie
King Dumont Defense Facility- Shadow Hawk and Rifleman

Antwerp
Bordello Military Goods- Wolverine

Granada
Pride of Granada Industries Shadow Hawk and Rifleman
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2014, 01:26:27 PM »

Generally speaking "obsolete" means that there is no major industry known to have the support structure needed to maintain the equipment in question of any kind.  this is why it is so hard to make any battlemechs "Obsolete" because the Star Leauge standarized manufacturing to such a stupid level that individual actuators could be swapped between mechs (also the reason non standard parts exists as a quirk)

to give an example, the primitive Banshee does not have an obslete quirk attached to it.  the logic is that the Banshee as a meta unit is still manufactured, and the primitive model should be easy to upgrade if need be (and was as the infamous 3000 banshees from 3025 turned out to be the initial SLDF order of 1Es that were upgraded to 3Es)

a similar concept with the Battleaxe, which was put back into full production, albeit a different model.  that means that the base industrial support is there to maintain the 1X if needed.

Which makes sense and not.
It doesn't make sense since they are Primitive 'Mechs and it would take forever (from my point of view) to retrofit them in the proper factories and cost perhaps a lot of money, which could be given to buy directly new units.
It does make sense since "standardisation" was part of the game among the same class.

I really thought that all Primitive 'Mechs became obsolete but I was wrong.
And the Hegemony built the Banshee not the SLDF.
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

JPArbiter

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2014, 10:38:41 PM »

the 3E upgrades were for the SLDF though.
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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2014, 02:05:35 PM »

the 3E upgrades were for the SLDF though.

Not sure as it became the standard for the HAF.and the dates don't fit (2475 for the BCN-3E and the Star League was formed in 2570).
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

TigerShark

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2014, 07:09:10 PM »

The Periphery weren't necessarily desperate for any/all 'Mech technology. Every state, with the exception of the Outworlds Alliance, was capable of producing modern BattleMechs by the early 26th century. Most had invented their own (TR-A6 Toro, TLS-1B Talos and PX-3R Phoenix), unique designs and had domestic manufacturers capable of producing Mackie clones (VMI, Taurus WarWorks, Diplass MechWorks).

The Periphery Powers (later Territorial States) relied on a strong vehicle corps purely because replacements were easy to find. A bunch of obsolete chassis would be as much a burden as manufacturing/assembling them. So it's likely these designs (OWR-2M Ostwar, GLD-1R Gladiator, SHD-1R Shadow Hawk and DV-1S Dervish) were purchased for local militias, but not front line forces. They would have to have a parts store near them with replacements and that smacks heavily of a static defense, rather than a front-line division moving with Dropship support.
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JPArbiter

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2014, 10:24:29 PM »

the 3E upgrades were for the SLDF though.

Not sure as it became the standard for the HAF.and the dates don't fit (2475 for the BCN-3E and the Star League was formed in 2570).

if I am mistaken, I am mistaken.
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TigerShark

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2014, 12:43:51 AM »

the 3E upgrades were for the SLDF though.

The BNC-3E wasn't an upgrade, but a separate line of production altogether. The initial order was produced and marketed to the HAF, but the Hegemony moved on very quickly from this design. The plans and 'Mechs themselves were sold off, from what I recall, and Defiance Industries picked up the future runs.

Something of a failed marketing attempt, like Ostmann Industries' attempt to sell a Royal Ostwar to the Hegemony.
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JPArbiter

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2014, 11:43:50 AM »

XTRO Primitives II implies otherwise, that a large batch of 1Es were converted to 3E models in addition to a whole new line devoted to 3Es themselves
« Last Edit: June 24, 2014, 11:44:18 AM by JPArbiter »
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2014, 02:51:52 PM »

The Periphery weren't necessarily desperate for any/all 'Mech technology. Every state, with the exception of the Outworlds Alliance, was capable of producing modern BattleMechs by the early 26th century. Most had invented their own (TR-A6 Toro, TLS-1B Talos and PX-3R Phoenix), unique designs and had domestic manufacturers capable of producing Mackie clones (VMI, Taurus WarWorks, Diplass MechWorks).

The Periphery Powers (later Territorial States) relied on a strong vehicle corps purely because replacements were easy to find. A bunch of obsolete chassis would be as much a burden as manufacturing/assembling them. So it's likely these designs (OWR-2M Ostwar, GLD-1R Gladiator, SHD-1R Shadow Hawk and DV-1S Dervish) were purchased for local militias, but not front line forces. They would have to have a parts store near them with replacements and that smacks heavily of a static defense, rather than a front-line division moving with Dropship support.

It makes sense.
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

TigerShark

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2014, 06:20:13 PM »

XTRO Primitives II implies otherwise, that a large batch of 1Es were converted to 3E models in addition to a whole new line devoted to 3Es themselves

Hmm. Re-reading it, you're correct. Sounds like they had to swap out the armor, cockpit and engine. I guess that's possible then. Considering what they got, it's probably not worth the cost, though. lol
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2014, 03:18:37 PM »

Hmm. Re-reading it, you're correct. Sounds like they had to swap out the armor, cockpit and engine. I guess that's possible then. Considering what they got, it's probably not worth the cost, though. lol

Too rich for their own good?
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

TigerShark

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2014, 10:53:51 PM »

Hmm. Re-reading it, you're correct. Sounds like they had to swap out the armor, cockpit and engine. I guess that's possible then. Considering what they got, it's probably not worth the cost, though. lol

Too rich for their own good?

Well, you pay for the chassis, then pay for the new engine, armor plating and cockpit. Then pay for the labor. You basically bought 1.8 of the same 'Mech. And in the end, it's a Banshee...

If this trade-off were for a WHM-6Rb, OWR-2Mb, PXH-1b and so on, I'd say it's worth their time. But they're not getting any better performance out of the unit. It's like buying a 1972 Dodge Charger for $26,000, then spending $6,000 to swap the engine and brake system from a 3500 (454). Great. You just paid 1.2 times the cost of a brand new Charger and spent a ton of effort doing it...

In the end, you could have a few Lances worth of top-quality vehicles for the cost of the BNC-1E and upgraded parts.
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Obsolete Primitive 'Mechs
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2014, 03:40:12 PM »

Well, you pay for the chassis, then pay for the new engine, armor plating and cockpit. Then pay for the labor. You basically bought 1.8 of the same 'Mech. And in the end, it's a Banshee...

Yes but this is what happens when you have too much money for your own good.
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5
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