How to demo BattleTech (when you’re still new yourself)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Some thoughts on how to demo BattleTech effectively to total newbies - why we demo, what rules to include and what to leave out, possible mech matchups and more.
This is more of a talk and the visual component is some photos from a couple of demo games I did.
I made that incredible thumbnail at like 1 AM while waiting for the video to upload. I am an artisté
If I still sound sick it’s, well, because I still am.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:06 Why demo BattleTech to someone?
1:51 Maximize the fun parts, minimize the boring ones
3:16 Game format - 2v2
4:30 What kinds of mechs?
5:38 Mediums and heaviest lights
5:48 Intro tech, avoid special rules
6:14 Newbie mech choices
6:42 All-rounder mechs
9:07 Gamemaster mech choices
9:43 Less balanced mechs
11:05 What rules to leave out?
11:39 Jumping
12:21 Ammo
12:28 Excessive heat
13:32 Playing optimally?
14:08 Ammo/head shots
14:56 3/4 pilots
15:30 Maps
16:36 Experiences/outro
Many years ago, I demo'd BT to a friend, we wanted to do one 1v1 game to talk through the rules. It was Madcat MK II vs. an Atlas.
First round, the Atlas came into weapon range of the Madcat's Gauss Rifles, one hits, hit location roll: 12.
The game had lasted less than 5 minutes with the Atlas being decapitated with the first volley.
My friend was immediately hooked lol
I use the chameleon TRC-4B for demos. Lots of weapons set up in brackets that does not overload the low amount of heat sinks, decent armor, good speed, jump jets, only one bin of ammo, and 999 BV. Sense the chameleon is an in universe training mech allows for introducing a light scenario, training lance vs instructors, and little bit of lore. Plus, i 3d print the chameleons and each participant gets to keep a chameleon miniature and recordsheet.
The chameleon is a training 'mech so it suits the role
This is a fantastic idea. Totally immersive into the game universe and lore…using a training mech for training. Next step, create a battleground at the Nagelring Academy!
Where do they have Chameleon models?
@@gufbrindleback iron wind metals has one and CGL has a new lance boxe coming out in the mercenary boxes that has a chameleon. I have been 3d printing the ones I have been using for demos. Couple different options for a 3d model.
@@Guru_Swami I have been using the neoprene maps, but I have started on a custom map in the direction you are suggesting. I have found that it is easier to teach the terrian rules with 3d terrian.
Great video to get new people in! The water maps for me is a definitely big no to introduce new players.
These are all great suggestions! One other thing I'd suggest (although you pretty much brought it up) is to avoid having lots of missiles. Cluster hits are tedious.
I feel like the Mercenaries Kickstarter is going to revolutionize how I handle this a bit. Because you know what else is fun? Stomping on tanks. Asymmetry is fun and it'll help get across that Mechs are the "kings of the batlefield". Have them up against a couple Scorpion Light Tanks and a Commando or something, more stuff to blow up. (Sure I could do that now, but minis are cooler than cardboard counters).
Just did a game a few days ago with my two friends; Homedad and Nightshift.
We all have work and schedules, so the only time we had to play was two hours just before midnight before NS had to go to work.
We had fun, but we ran so long that Nightshift had to leave just before the end of the match.
We'd like to run a narrative campaign, but it has to be quicker:
These videos really help - and I appreciate you taking the time to package the hard earned experience of the Deutschlandic BT Vets for us Anglonewbs.
I did a 2v2 demo game and the next week a 3v3 demo game with my brother. The 3v3 was MUCH more enjoyable and strategic. We used 2 mediums with jump jets and one light mech each. This was the perfect combination to show the movement and positioning depth.
I will run a Battletech demo day next month in a store and the intro game for beginners will be an Urbanmech hunt. I will play the Urbanmechs and the new players will have a mix of warhammer/archer so we can use different weapons systeme and, as the Urbanmech start to blowup, I will have a nice opportunuity to explain how the damage work in Battletech! I am a miniature gamer by heart but I will use hex maps for the intro game.
That’s a fabulous idea!
Thank you so much!! I am exactly the person you are addressing: i’ve been into the lore for ages, finally found a potential group of ppl who are massively into eurogames and wholesome i could try bt out together with, but no idea how to ease them in since they never heard of it.
Excellent! I’d probably have other/some more thoughts on this if I’d make it now, but I think it’s still at least an OK rough guideline.
As someone who's jumping into Battletech and will have to bring the game to my local gaming community, this video is invaluable. Thank you very much for sharing your well thoughts ideas about demo games, I'll definitely try to put them to good use.
That's a minor detail though, but all of the mechs you suggest are either in the Beginner box or A Game of Armored Combat which is great... Except for the Jenner, I would need to use a Commando or a Locust instead, I don't know which one would work best.
Sorry, I’ve been really under the weather for a while now and haven’t been particularly great about replying to comments. Intended to reply to this one earlier but forgot.
You’re right, I honestly probably should’ve included options for people who only have the starter sets. Out of the two, I’d take a Commando. Its variants tend to be slightly more scary than Locusts - unless you want to give the new players an even bigger edge. The stock variant is fine or maybe you could go with a 1B or 3A, kinda depending on to what extent you want to demonstrate the effects of heat on your own mechs.
@@almostgoodvariant No worries and no need to apologize, I completely get it! Thank you for the answer, Commando sounds like a good choice, I'll give it a try!
My recommendations are fairly similar.
Lighter side of heavy mechs down to the lower side of mediums, give solid weapons for the action factor but you still have the survivability to make a game last long enough to teach the core rules.
One to two mechs per side with a bit of variety but nothing super special or with quirks and no jumping like you mentioned.
Pilots either 3/3 or 4/4 based on mech weapons and map size for ease of remembering.
Keep it to one map sheet at most (for 1 mech per side reducing it to half or even a quarter map works well). Fairly open terrain but something that still has a variety of movement/targetting modifiers like hills and woods but doesn't create learning overload with ton of stacked modifiers.
Play with some flair, like give some narration when something cool happens for them or misfortune falls on yourself (headshots, falling over, damage taken etc). This also includes playing less for tactical optimization, aka sub-optimally, and more for opportunities to create a story around. This doesn't mean hand it to them easily, even if they know its engineered for them to win people appreciate a game that they feel was a hard fought victory rather than an obvious cakewalk.
When teaching about heat (which you might not even do the first game based in the person you're teaching and other constraints like time) use your own mechs to demo heat scale penalties, but do so at longer ranges where the payoff for the heat investment is less likely to do as much damage to them. Then they can choose how soon they might want to use the currency of heat to try dishing out some extra hurt on you once they've seen how it can have drawbacks.
Don't be afraid to let them see you checking tables or referencing something, if they see that even an experienced player does that from time to time it takes some preasure off of them to try and remember everything and just focus on learning the basics.
Which leads to the last suggestion, keep it simple stupid. The foundations are movement, combat and damage. You can always tell them about various other levels to the game that add to the immersion after they get the first game under their belt.
Thank you for sharing. Those are all good points you discussed. I may have to revise my demo game. Cheers.
Thanks for the comment. I feel like I have to do a new one on the subject somewhere down the line as I’ve of course gotten more experience and ideas since making this video. The basic points are still pretty valid, I think.
Super useful, thanks!
thank you
Greetings from Finland. I want to learn the game a bit better myself before trying to drag my friends in and this video was quite helpful. Luckily there are biweekly BT nights at the LGS.I
Cheers! Perhaps we will meet on the battlefield one day!
I’ve done mine with two marauders but thinking about changing them for Griffins so I can show, and they can test, missiles aswell. These mechs just because they happen to be one I got multiples of.
Another thing I would do is keep the physical attacks to just punching and kicking.
Definitely - it’s what I do! DFAs and pushing are fun but need time to understand. I just tell any new player that it’s possible to punch and kick in the game if you get close up and we’ll figure it out when it happens.
you can always give a better bpv to the noobie
I am personally a fan of actually making sure that new players get to experience as much of the core gameplay as they can. So I wouldn't go out of my way to give them heat efficient mechs because heat is such an integral part of playing stock battletech. It is also a simulation game at it's core, so if someone is going to like it they are going to because of the simulation, not in spite of it. If someone doesn't like the granularity of classic battletech, they may love Alpha Strike. Both games are great and both have their merits.
U could used heavy for new people.
Why would a newcomer to battletech want to try and demo battletech to other newcomers?
Same reason anyone would want to do it: to have more people to play with
This happens a lot with tabletop games; one guy wants to try a new system and needs to convince other people to play with them. Maybe you want to start Battletech, but no one else at the FLGS plays battletech.