Battletech Welcome to the Jungle

The Unicorn

Well-known member
To piggyback on this, from what I read IRL North Korea's domestically produced TVs and radios* require a soldering iron and some practical knowledge of electronic design/electrical engineering to pick up anything BUT the official state media channels (like say South Korean radio and TV one border over**) because the only broadcast channels you can receive are literally hardwired onto the motherboard (and funnily enough are all run by the NK government in those allowed broadcast ranges).
I wouldn't be surprised if this was true, however please note this sort of thing pretty much requires advanced digital encryption/modulation or all your neighbors agreeing to let you do this because otherwise you get stuff like the cold war radio free america or the various propoganda radios from WWII which transmit over the channels your official channels transmit.

Given the premise here was that Comstar would not agree to avoid transmitting I don't think this would be feasible in BT.
 

Blasterbot

Well-known member
I wouldn't be surprised if this was true, however please note this sort of thing pretty much requires advanced digital encryption/modulation or all your neighbors agreeing to let you do this because otherwise you get stuff like the cold war radio free america or the various propoganda radios from WWII which transmit over the channels your official channels transmit.

Given the premise here was that Comstar would not agree to avoid transmitting I don't think this would be feasible in BT.
in battle tech FTL comms are a limited resource. there is a maximum bandwidth for transmission and receiving. Comstar controls the price and there is no under bidding it. they have likely set the price such that it is not economically feasible to send constant agitprop into your neighbors territory.
 

Knowledgeispower

Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
On another note one does wonder how the presence of no less of at least 180 more mechs a year at the present from CAC and Olvetti plus whatever else the various other lyran companies will make as a result of the core will affect the strategic picture
 
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The Unicorn

Well-known member
in battle tech FTL comms are a limited resource. there is a maximum bandwidth for transmission and receiving. Comstar controls the price and there is no under bidding it. they have likely set the price such that it is not economically feasible to send constant agitprop into your neighbors territory.
No one is talking about FTL transmision of agitprop which wouldn't work regardless of the price because the local population doesn't have anything to recieve that. We're talking about Comstar using their position to transmit radio or TV to the local population.
 

Brian-88

Well-known member
On another note one does wonder how the presence of no less of at least 180 more mechs a year at the present from CAC and Olvetti plus whatever else the various other lyran companies will make as a result of the core will affect the strategic picture
This is huge. The Lyrans already have by far the largest industry in the IS and the Dracs have probably been "harvesting" that production for centuries at this point. Now they're going through doctrinal changes and equipment upgrades in addition to increasing their industry even further.

I wouldn't be surprised if they lost Deiron this time around in the 4SW.
 

PsihoKekec

Swashbuckling Accountant
My guess is that Katrina will seek to test the units, receptive to her reforms, in limited offensive actions, aimed at liberating occupied worlds of Tamar pact, to push the DCMS away from the critical worlds like Sudeten, Tamar and Catachan. This should bring much needed experience in conduct of planetary invasions and all of the consequences of planetary liberation, experience that would come very handy in possible Operation Götterdämerung. Material attrition wise, successful offensive operations would mean that DCMS would be much less likely to compensate the combat losses with acquired salvage, while LCAF could replace their losses both from increased production and gathered salvage.

I doubt LCAF would go for Dieron in 4th SW, OTL broad offensive into Rasalhague District is more likely, with Dieron and other worlds of the former Terran Hegemony being left for the next war.
 

Skitzyfrenic

Well-known member
Two mediums on site right?

Phoenix and Sarissa.

As an aside, I'd like to see the Goonies react to the Phoenix.

A locally produced Light might be pretty baller, since the Commonwealth pretty desperately needs lights, even if they don't know it. There are those Commando and Wasp refits available.

It's what I'd look for. It's basically a screaming fast 9/14 baby Wolfhound. But I also wouldn't be surprised if that refit becomes a major line variant and who knows how that licensing would work, honestly. An early Wolfhound with an XL (It's early so I didn't check engine size, sorry) can bump to a 7/11/7 movement with 10 DHS, 1LL, 3ML, 1SL(R) and 7 tons of Standard Armor for something a little tougher.

Though given that ER PPCs are right there, 7/11 with no jump jets is enough for an ER PPC to replace the LL, though the heat curve pretty much says no alphas. And then you have like 2 or three tons to play with. Maybe DHSs for alpha capacity? Dunno.

It seems that it'd fit the Harbequesrersr doctrine as a shooty trooper ish light.
 

Yellowhammer

Well-known member
No one is talking about FTL transmision of agitprop which wouldn't work regardless of the price because the local population doesn't have anything to recieve that. We're talking about Comstar using their position to transmit radio or TV to the local population.

You assume that would be allowed both by the memorandum of understanding that allow ComStar to operate in the DC and CC (and the other states), that one or more rulers wouldn't use this as an excuse to move against ComStar for interfering in their domestic affairs (which in arguably IS from that POV), and that ComStar wouldn't like the deniable consequences when the moves are made. Also all five states have had rulers who were unstable and looking to pick a fight with folks (Jinjiro Kurita, Claudius Steiner....)

("Oh dear, Precentor Sian's jumpship was boarded by pirates who tortured everyone on board to death horribly as he returned from Terra? Tsk, tsk, tsk, we wish we could help but the CCAF is so overstretched these days with the two front war that we're in heating up. Why, CNN was doing all that reporting on our military reverses in fact, as you know. So we'll do what we can, but those pirates are halfway to Tortuga or Antallos by now I suspect, Primus. Pity he can't support your budget proposal to expand CNN's coverage next month, isn't it?")

A large part of ComStar's power rests on that neutrality, but it has limits. Overtly meddling with the internal stability of the DC and CC is a big red line to cross (and also remember that ComStar didn't spring into existence with ROM fully formed and until 3050 they have jack shit for military deterrence should a House Lord send a Mech Regiment to carry that Cease & Desist letter to Hilton Head).

If push comes to shove, there's ways to preempt an Interdict by storming the HPGs first to screw guns into the ears of the staff (Amaris did it with an 'everyone move on date X' Christmas message to his troops with a codeword that told them to go on sealed orders). If I were a sneaky House Lord, I'd even have the ISF or MASK 'distract' Comstar by a WMD attack on a major HPG station... in a neighboring state or states... before I made my move. Have DEST or the Death Commandos drive a nuclear weapon in the back of a delivery van into the say Kathil HPG station for a little deniable suicide bombing to get the Davions Interdicted to take them out of play for your own Interdict....

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Also, you're missing the point of the hardware being sold int he DC and CC.

In order to not hash each other's signals, TVs and radios are broadcasting on specific frequencies. NK consumer electronics are physically incapable of picking up unapproved TV and radio broadcasts until rewired. So Comstar News Network can broadcast on 30 Mhz as their assigned station, but the Dragon's Ear Home Entertainment Centers skip from 20 Mhz to 40 Mhz when you change the channel. And if you try to cut in...well too bad so sad, this new pirate radio station two blocks away from your transmission tower is broadcasting on a frequency that interferes with yours and is turning your signals to hash.... (which is how E-WAR fundamentally works).
 
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The Unicorn

Well-known member
You assume that would be allowed both by the memorandum of understanding that allow ComStar to operate in the DC and CC (and the other states), that one or more rulers wouldn't use this as an excuse to move against ComStar for interfering in their domestic affairs (which in arguably IS from that POV), and that ComStar wouldn't like the deniable consequences when the moves are made. Also all five states have had rulers who were unstable and looking to pick a fight with folks (Jinjiro Kurita, Claudius Steiner....)
You're right, because if it wasn't allowed then they wouldn't use those sort of hardware locks because there wouldn't be anyone who would be transmitting to the masses stuff the rulers don't want transmitted and hardware locks make the equipment more expensive.

In order to not hash each other's signals, TVs and radios are broadcasting on specific frequencies. NK consumer electronics are physically incapable of picking up unapproved TV and radio broadcasts until rewired.
I'm aware of how TV and radio work, given your description here I suspect better than you do.
The thing is that if you don't use modern digital encryption/modulation (digital modulation is all basically just a very poor encryption system) then first two stations transmitting on the same frequency will not make a hash of each other, not unless they are deliberately trying to do so, or you are very unlucky in how you receive them. With analog transmissions, the most likely outcome is that you'll hear mostly one station with bits of static and occasional words from the other but you can adjust which you hear by moving around your antenna to get better reception of whichever station you are trying to listen to, and with more directional antennas can eliminate the unwanted station completely.

With digital transmittion it's a bit more complicated in that you have stations that are not seperated by frequency, but by modulation/encryption so that you can have dozens of on the same frequency and they won't interfere with one another. If you have two stations transmitting the same frequency on the same modulation will mess up the data sent, but if the receiver is receiving one at significantly greater signal strength than the other there will most likely be enough valid data that the error checking will be able to recover and the user won't notice a problem.

If you have a nation-state trying to transmit propaganda to your subjects a hardware lock may reduce, but will not eliminate the number of subjects who receive such transmissions, not unless you use strong encryption for your own transmissions.
 

Brian-88

Well-known member
So that Vulcan refit, pull the SRM-6, swap the AC-10s for LBX-10s, stuff in an XLFE, cram more armor on, more sinks, ERLL, maybe add a second ERLL?
 

Knowledgeispower

Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
So that Vulcan refit, pull the SRM-6, swap the AC-10s for LBX-10s, stuff in an XLFE, cram more armor on, more sinks, ERLL, maybe add a second ERLL?
there's a vulcan design I have lying around. its basically 2 ERLL on the nose, 1 gauss in each wing, and 2 medium lasers aft with 16 tons of armor and 13 DHS. This assumes they can figure out gauss production/move the line to another world like suduten and just them ship back for integration on the otherwise filled with supplies dropships
 

PsihoKekec

Swashbuckling Accountant
With gausses it becomes dropper chopper supreme, not particularly crammed niche and extremely useful in the defense of the world.
 

Brian-88

Well-known member
there's a vulcan design I have lying around. its basically 2 ERLL on the nose, 1 gauss in each wing, and 2 medium lasers aft with 16 tons of armor and 13 DHS. This assumes they can figure out gauss production/move the line to another world like suduten and just them ship back for integration on the otherwise filled with supplies dropships
How much armor though?

Seems like current Catachan doctrine is 1/3 weight in armor.
 

Orangeduke38

Well-known member
How much armor though?

Seems like current Catachan doctrine is 1/3 weight in armor.
It says 16 tons, I hope the MC suggests Brewer reconfigures the Sentinel line to produce the Swordsman instead. Obviously upgraded with standard tech and a better engine and weapons loadout. Maybe a 150 engine, ppc, 4 ML, 12 single heat sinks and about 10 tons of armor.
 
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Brian-88

Well-known member
It says 16 tons, I hope the MC suggests Brewer reconfigures the Sentinel line to produce the Swordsman instead. Obviously upgraded with standard tech and a better engine and weapons loadout. Maybe a 150 engine, ppc, 4 ML, 12 single heat sinks and about 10 tons of armor.
Yea I'm dumb and just woke up, missed that part.

The swordsman looks cool as hell but it is a slow ass medium. Hell, all of the FedSuns in house mechs tend to look cool as hell, especially their primitive ones like the Swordsman, Battleaxe and Hammerhands.

The thing with reconfiguring the Sentinel line though means that instead of just having to send out upgrade packages to existing metal you need to completely replace what is already in service.
 

Orangeduke38

Well-known member
Yea I'm dumb and just woke up, missed that part.

The swordsman looks cool as hell but it is a slow ass medium. Hell, all of the FedSuns in house mechs tend to look cool as hell, especially their primitive ones like the Swordsman, Battleaxe and Hammerhands.

The thing with reconfiguring the Sentinel line though means that instead of just having to send out upgrade packages to existing metal you need to completely replace what is already in service.
A slow well armored medium with an all-energy armament is better than a medium no one likes and that was so disliked that it was discontinued even when there is an enormous need for more mechs. Update it to use as many common parts as possible and you would see a lot of business from militias and other forces that appreciate not needing to buy ammo. It would have enough armor to take plenty of damage and still keep fighting. It can still bully lights all day long and would do fine defending somewhere the fast lights had to attack.

I hope the MC has his people design variants that don't require the up-teched equipment. It would be simpler to set up new lines and they can always upgrade to the more advanced model later. Especially since it will take 6-7 years to build factories for the new tech on the capitol of the LC. If the MC can get some investors together he might be able to establish a combined factory for Centurions and Vulcans on planets like Timbuktu.
 
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Atarlost

Well-known member
I hope the MC has his people design variants that don't require the up-teched equipment. It would be simpler to set up new lines and they can always upgrade to the more advanced model later. Especially since it will take 6-7 years to build factories for the new tech on the capitol of the LC. If the MC can get some investors together he might be able to establish a combined factory for Centurions and Vulcans on planets like Timbuktu.

That would dilute the brand. Catachan's unique mechs tend to rely on XL engines and would turn into mediocre if not garbage mechs without them. The only ones that might work are the Mackie, Helepolis and Ostwar. The Mackie isn't doing anything that couldn't be done on the better reputed Atlas chassis and the Ostwar is just an off-brand Thunderbolt. So maybe he could market a low tech Helepolis, but that's it.
 

Orangeduke38

Well-known member
That would dilute the brand. Catachan's unique mechs tend to rely on XL engines and would turn into mediocre if not garbage mechs without them. The only ones that might work are the Mackie, Helepolis and Ostwar. The Mackie isn't doing anything that couldn't be done on the better reputed Atlas chassis and the Ostwar is just an off-brand Thunderbolt. So maybe he could market a low tech Helepolis, but that's it.
Thats why it wouldn't be the Catachan Arms company it would be a subsidiary with a different name and I was suggesting ASFs and not mechs.
 

Atarlost

Well-known member
Thats why it wouldn't be the Catachan Arms company it would be a subsidiary with a different name and I was suggesting ASFs and not mechs.
The name of the mech is part of the brand. Maybe more than the name of the company is. People don't distinguish between Defiance built or LAW built Atlases. They have the same reputation. The Phoenix and Kyudo and other CAC mechs have a good reputation because they're all lostech. Allowing low tech versions to proliferate will give people more experience with the shitty version.

CAC can't release downteched versions of its ASFs because they don't have any, at least not that are in the informational threadmarks. They do refits of ASFs other companies produce.

People are talking about the Vulcan, but I don't recall that CAC is producing them yet, and they're not really useful as a low tech design. You can infer doctrine from design and every other modern ASF of their thrust profile except the energy weapon only Lucifer refit has LRM range weapons with most of them having lots of them. Through the lens of the current ruleset we class AC-20 carriers like the Lightning and Riever as another form of dropper chopper, but except the Riever they're either faster or the AC-20 is a secondary weapon to their long range armament.

The VLC-6N fits in with the Thunderbird style long range attack birds, but uses advanced tech to do so. The VLC-5N is an improper uptech of the 3N meant to show off that the periphery don't really understand what the great houses that fought through the higher tech tail end of the Age of War do about ASF doctrine.

Fixing the Vulcan without either using advanced technology or making it no longer a Vulcan is not trivial.
 

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