Quote:
Originally Posted by Kfireblade
I for sure do not want to use the original system
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Then it really depends. Are you looking for the flavor of
BattleTech, or just using the 'Mech names?
If you're just using 'Mech names, just build them out of
Spaceships and be done with it. If you want the
flavor . . . well, that's going to be a massive investment of time on your part. Most of us who have used
GURPS to run a
BattleTech game have done so by using the original system to keep from having to re-invent the wheel. The
BattleTech system works and that's where most of the flavor comes from.
First, You'll want to pick a scale (I always recommend C-scale for 'Mechs, it makes them, generally, superior to tanks and the numbers don't get too high) and build out all of the weapons.
Then, you'll have to decide on how you want to do 'Mech armor. Is it by location, like in
BattleTech or is it by facing, like
GURPS? Probably the latter, since you don't want to use
BattleTech. Also, you'll have to determine if you want the armor to be ablative, semi-ablative or normal. All have advantages and weaknesses. How much and in what location will all have to be determined and tweaked. Extensive play-testing will be a must.
Additionally, you'll have to invent, whole-cloth a mechanic for heat. That's something
GURPS has never used. I've tried a few times and never had any decent success.
This was the most recent attempt I made (link to local Denver
GURPS Board), but didn't get to far.
Based out of
GURPS 'Mechs will be
incredibly fragile: The old hammer and eggshell problem. So, you'll have to come up with a way to mitigate that. A 100-ton
Atlas would have 234 HP (a T-72 has 176 HP), if you calculated from its total weight. But
GURPS says from
empty weight, which is going to be problematic to generate for
every 'Mech.
So, the AS7-D
Atlas, from 3025, carries 36 tons of weapons. Utilizing that, the "empty weight" would be 64 tons, meaning it would only have 202 HP.
Since 'Mechs are built with a target weight in mind, and aren't built to carry a payload (unless you're dealing with OmniMechs), it seems logical to use their final weight. For Omnis, I'd actually suggest using their empty weight as that seems to be a nice weakness for them to have to deal with.
Strengths generated from the HP value would inflict anemic melee damage compared to the
BattleTech counterparts. The
Atlas would only inflict 24d in a punch
or kick, which at C-Scale would be, 1d-3. That's not a punch, it's a gentle caress. An average kick wouldn't penetrate the side armor of a T-72, nor move it. At best, the kick would be able to inflict 1 point of cDamage through the side armor (and inflict a major wound). While realistic, this isn't a
BattleTech result.
Using
BattleTech numbers, the
Atlas would kick for a massive 20 points of cDamage, blowing through the T-72's impressive
frontal cDR of 12, and reducing its 2 cHP to -6 cHP (-3x HP), likely destroying it.