Shadowrun
Off-topic => General Gaming => Topic started by: Nerroth on <05-02-13/1714:19>
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Over on the BattleTech side of Catalyst Game Labs, work is afoot to turn the Quick-Strike ruleset currently buried in BT: Strategic Operations into its own supplemental rulebook: Alpha Strike.
Alpha Strike: The TableTop Miniatures Rulebook (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=4890)
(http://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Alpha-Strike-Cover-preview2.jpg)
[Cover "in progress" by the brilliant Alex Iglesias.]
When we published Strategic Operations several years ago, a lot of people instantly fell in love with what is really a pretty small part of the book…the Quick-Strike Rules. And we immediately began getting questions of “when will you release a stand-alone rulebook of that?”
For those wondering what Quick-Strike is, the easiest answer is that it is the truest form yet published for being able to play BattleTech in a true “tabletop miniatures” style and speed, while still feeling like your playing BattleTech.
At the start of the year I had been thinking heavily about this, especially after years, at this point, of seeing plenty of people playing BattleTech in this manner at conventions. I then pitched the concept to Herb of a complete, stand-alone rulebook that would be the “table-top miniatures game” play of BattleTech. As it happened, great minds think alike and Herb had already been working an an epub release. I felt we shouldn’t only go half way on that and instead should embrace a full print book, full-color, hardback…the works (I know…shocking I wanted the kitchen sink in there…).
With that we got to work. The original outline, unfortunately, even for us, was way, way too much data as we wanted to cover every Era and even provide samples armies for all such Eras…the book might have been one of the biggest we’ve ever published…not to mention being crazy intimidating for other tabletop miniatures players that might want to give this a try.
So we immediately started trimming back, while still ensuring the book will provide a complete, full BattleTech experience that would have players coming back for more. This also allows for the creation of a series of great epubs to build upon the solid framework of Alpha Strike.
But wait…if they were called Quick-Srike why are we calling this Alpha Strike?! Well, to be honest, in hindsight the former is just too close to “Quick-Start” and we’ve gotten a fair bit of confusion along the way…hence a more unique name this time around.
We’re currently on track to have this at Gen Con with the book available to the public in September…or at least that’s the current plans…will see if it survives drop insertion….
In the meantime, this is the first of several blogs where I’ll discuss this great project…the drive flare of an incoming DropShip, announcing its coming…we’ll start getting into the bowels of what the ship carries in the coming weeks and months.
See ya there…
Randall
There's been talk about AS in recent BattleChats; here's a list of details gleaned from there so far:
- It will be a full-colour supplemental rulebook, in a similar vein as A Time of War Companion (in terms of its relation to the Total Warfare through whatever Interstellar Operations will end up being axis) but as a stand-alone introduction to the Quick-Strike game engine.
- It will have support for both hex-based and hexless play.
- It will most likely be initially presented as a Clan Invasion product.
- The first batch of pdf expansions are in the works.
- Certain unit types, such as LAMs (and whatever "new" toys we may get in 3145), are not covered in the first book, but are options for later expansions.
- There is a somewhat limited WarShip presence in the core book, but they are more likely to show up in force in a later expansion.
- More in-depth support for other eras (such as the Dark Age) might also be fodder for later expansions.
- The core rules are done, and "crash" playtesting is afoot. Work on other written material for the project is in progress.
- It should be released (fingers crossed) before the end of the year.
- In the longer run, the existence of AS as "its own thing" may have an effect on future sourcebooks and TROs, in terms of how the unit cards for new toys might be presented.
Do any of those here who spare some game time for the Inner Sphere (when not immersed in the Sixth World, that is) find this idea to be of interest?
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Yes. I find this Awesome!! I will definitely pick this up.
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Randall has posted a provisional table of contents for AS over in the latest BattleBlog entry (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=5033):
BattleTech: Alpha Strike Table of Contents
On June 6, 2013
Herb and his great crew continue to pound on Alpha Strike to get it ready for heading to the printer in the near future. In the meantime, thought I’d share the current Table of Contents (subject to change, of course).
Welcome to Alpha Strike!
Alpha Strike Basics
Alpha Strike vs. Total Warfare
What’s Needed to Play Alpha Strike
Alpha Strike at a Glance
Additional Material
Introductory Alpha Strike
Components
The Unit Card
Setup
Choosing Army Lists
Placing Terrain
Playing the Game
Sequence of Play
Victory Conditions
Movement Phase
Terrain
Jumping
Combat Phase
Resolving Weapon Attacks
Resolving Physical Attacks
Overheating
End Phase
Damage
Heat
Special Abilities
Special Ability Descriptions
Standard Alpha Strike
Components
Additional Game Terms for Standard Alpha Strike
Setup
Choosing Scenario Types
Choosing Forces
Placing Terrain
Playing the Game
Sequence of Play
Victory Conditions
Forced Withdrawal (Optional)
Movement Phase
Unequal Number of Units
Terrain
Additional Movement Rules
Combat Phase
Resolving Weapon Attacks
Resolving Physical Attacks
Overheating
End Phase
Damage
Heat
Special Abilities
Special Ability Descriptions
C3 Networks
Abstract Aerospace System
Control Rolls
Aerospace Setup
The Radar Map
Placing Aerospace Forces on the Radar Map
Abstract Aerospace Gameplay
Abstract Aerospace Movement
Abstract Aerospace Combat
Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Ground Attacks
Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Air Attacks
Resolving Ground-to-Air Combat
Aerospace End Phase
Ending Air-to-Air Engagements
Aerospace Damage
Advanced Options
Advanced Movement Modes
Climbing
Evading
Leaping
Intentional Falls from Above
Sprinting
Transporting Non-Infantry Units
Advanced Terrain
Buildings
Deep Snow
Gravel Piles
Hazardous Liquid Pools
Heavy Industrial
Ice
Jungle
Magma
Mud
Planted Fields
Rails
Rough, Ultra
Rubble, Ultra
Sand
Swamp
Tundra
Water (Expanded)
Woods (Expanded)
Bogging Down
Aerospace Units on the Ground Map
Aerodyne Units
Spheroid Units and Airships
Landing Rolls
Aerospace Unit Transports
Partial Cover
Artillery
On-Board Artillery vs. Off-Board Artillery
Resolving Artillery Attacks
Alternate Munitions
Alternate Artillery Munitions
Alternate Autocannon Munitions
Alternate Bomb Munitions (Bombs/Aerospace Missiles)
Alternate Narc/iNarc Pods
Alternate LRM Munitions
Alternate SRM Munitions
Battlefield Intelligence
Buildings
Building Types
Movement Effects
Attacking Buildings
Walls
Concealing Unit Composition
Blip Counters
Concealing Record Sheets
Concealing Unit Capabilities
Coordinate System
Creating a Coordinate
Dropping Troops
High-Altitude Drop
Low-Altitude Drop
Zipline Drop
ECM/ECCM
Ejection/Abandoning Units
Environmental Conditions
Atmospheric Density
Darkness
Earthquake
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
Fissures
Gravity
Temperature
Tornado
Wind
All Other Conditions
Fire and Smoke
Fires
Smoke
Spreading Fires
Fire and Units
Hidden Units
Hiding on the Ground
Surprise Attacks from Hidden Units
Large Support Vehicles, Mobile Structures, and DropShips
Boarding and Repelling
Minefields
Targeting and Tracking Systems
Terrain Conversion
Special Abilities
Special Ability Descriptions
Converting Alpha Strike to Hex Maps
Converting Movement and Distances
Line of Sight
Campaign Play
Setting Up the Campaign
Force Creation
Campaign Turns
Determine Outcome Phase
Logistics
The Total Chaos Campaign
Tracks
Situation and Game Setup
Warchest and Objectives
Special Rules
Aftermath and Next Track
Warchest Point System
Warchest Points Between Tracks
Skill Advancement
Warchest Campaign Record Sheet
Meeting Engagement
Situation
Game Setup
Warchest
Objective
Special Rules
Next Track
Breakthrough
Situation
Game Setup
Warchest
Objective
Special Rules
Next Track
Assault
Situation
Game Setup
Warchest
Objective
Special Rules
Next Track
Counterattack
Situation
Game Setup
Warchest
Objective
Special Rules
Next Track
Pursuit
Situation
Game Setup
Warchest
Objective
Special Rules
Next Track
Defense
Situation
Game Setup
Warchest
Objective
Special Rules
Next Track
Era Setting: Clan Invasion (3048-3062)
The Clan Invasion
The Marik-Liao Offensive
The Refusal War
The Second Star League
The St. Ives War
The First Combine-Dominion War
Key Conflicts and Campaigns
The Clan Invasion
The Marik-Liao Offensive
The Refusal War
Operation BULLDOG
The St. Ives War
The First Combine-Dominion War
Factional Overview: Clan Invasion Era
Special Alliances and Enmities
Factional Special Abilities (Optional)
The BattleTech Universe
House Davion (Federated Suns)
House Kurita (Draconis Combine)
House Liao (Capellan Confederation)
House Marik (Free Worlds League)
House Steiner (Lyran Commonwealth)
ComStar
Word of Blake
The Clans
The Periphery
A History of War
Colonizing the Stars
The Age of War
The Star League
The Succession Wars
The Clan Invasion
Civil War Era
The Word of Blake Jihad
The Dark Age
BattleTech Resources
Core Rulebooks
Technical Readouts
Historical Sourcebooks
Maps, Terrain, and Miniatures
Fiction
Choose Your Rules
Gamemaster Adjudication
Fiction vs. Rules
There ya go! Very deep look into this coming book…hopefully next time we’ll have a final cover to show off!
Till next time…
Randall
[/spoiler]
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The pre-final version of the cover art (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=5056) has been posted:
(http://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/CAT356000_AlphaStrike_PrefinalCover.jpg)
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Looks like the same type of samplers offered in the run-up to SR5' publication is to be offered for Alpha Strike; the first such file (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=5117) just went live on DriveThruRPG.
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And here is preview 2 (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=5128), with a revised MSRP. (Reportedly, the first preview's price listing was an error (http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,27880.msg735355.html#msg735355).)
EDIT: A new blog update (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=5132).
One part in particular stood out:
“Are you going to support Alpha Strike further?” I can hear you asking. Sure. Ideas are already being jotted down for what we could put into an “Alpha Strike Companion” for print down the line, Era Faction Army List PDFs (cause we’ve got a pile of factions and Eras), we’re even looking into what full-color Alpha Strike Unit Cards sold as decks of cards might look like…
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Alpha Strike went up today (http://bg.battletech.com/?p=5162) in PDF form, for those so interested.
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This (http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,27880.msg738621.html#msg738621) surfaced over on the BT boards:
(http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/images/Zeus-Herbert-86.jpg)
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On the list of things CGL will have available at GenCon (http://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2013/08/01/catalyst-at-gen-con-2013/), AS will have two items on hand: the print edition of the rulebook, plus a set of 90 colour laminated Unit Cards (based on the design above).