mpratte

Between having a job at Geek Squad and hunting down a new job I've certainly been busy once more, 2010 has definitely been a difficult year and I'm hoping that 2011 will continue that good vibe into something better and stronger.

Alas my regular Cyberpunk and D&D group fell apart, one member moved, one member transferred to a new job, and another member got shipment orders to Japan.  All in all definitely a sad thing.  My buddy Erik and I though have gathered together a new group that has been nothing but a source of endless fun, between getting into D&D again and dabbling in the other games it's been good times.

Epic is always on the horizon though.  NaNo is about to come and for better or worse I've committed myself to it this year with Jayiin being my sempai and guide as I craft my own tale to submit.  I have not met the NaNo finish-line before usually krumping out at around the 30K mark, hopefully this year I'll make it.

What has given me focus?  Namely a zoids site has come to life again while it's small right now Zoids: Wild Frontiers has inspired me to write again and dip into those old books and tomes of fun.  It is a site where I have taken up the Green Cap of a Super Moderator (frightening aspect...) and have brought my own brand of experience to the table.  Amongst the staff are good friends Sigma, Jayiin, Phelan, all of which I am pleased to work with under the competent admin in Shadow.

This good mood made me dip into my old stuff and I find myself drifting and writing a Rifts campaign.  I already have four players working on characters and a fifth potential player learning about the game.

Rifts is definitely one of my all-time favorite settings because it allows the players to do that movie theater level Epic that we so adore from our action, sci-fi, and fantasy movies.  Yes it is that much fun to me.  The group has a core of veteran gamers who I expect nothing less then them bringing their own brand of epic to the table and inspiring the other two members to dare to be Legendary.

Jayiin has offered me a carrot to make this long-running and who knows, maybe one day this team of unlikely heroes will face Emperor Prosek himself in combat.

Now that's a fight I look forward to running.

MP(Lance) out.

Battletech.  A wonderful thing no?  It is a a franchise that has captivated my attention since childhood and is all about the grittier mech warfare that seems more realistic to me then the animes put out.  There are no true victors only those who survive.

A friend of mine (http://iridanum.livejournal.com/) I had long ago asked to design me a battlemech based on an aspect that Battletech hadn't ever really covered.  Sniping.

He not only designed it but explained the mechanics of how it worked.  I was delighted to see such a wonderful design and he quickly showed me the tasty combos it had at its disposal.  Needless to say I finally feel its time to give it a biography.

Type/Model	Shadow SDW-3R
Tech:	Inner Sphere / 3060
Config:	Biped Battlemech
Mass:	75 tons
Chassis:	Endo-Steel
Powerplant:	300 XL Fusion
Walking Speed:	46.5 kph
Running Speed:	64.3 kph (94.8 kph w/MASC)
Jump Jets:	4
Jump Capacity:	120 meters
Armor Type:	Standard Stealth Armor

Armament:

2 Light Guass Rifles

ER Large Laser

2 ER Medium Lasers

Guardian ECM

   Manufacturer: Ceres Technologies
Communications System: Ceres TACOM 2000

Targeting & Tracking System:  Ceres Alpha VI Targeting Array


Overview:  The SDW-3R Shadow provides a niche ability that no other mech has tried to match; sniping.  Sure there were plenty of long-range weapons running around when the new Star League put in the order for a harasser mech capable of brutalizing key enemy mechs the competition was fierce.  Many relied on traditional LRMs or Ultra ACs that is until Ceres Technologies put their bid for their first combat battlemech.  Their entry the SDW-3R Shadow was a sniping mech using stealth technologies to make the mech all but undetectable until its pilot felt like being seen. The Shadow was a lone wolf mech design to operate without support, penetrate behind enemy lines, and take out key targets in lethal fashion.


Capabilities: The SDW-3R Shadow is a heavy mech that has an emphasis on stealth, mobility, and adequete firepower.  Using newly designed Stealth Armor as well as a Gaurdian ECM the Shadow is an extremely hard to detect mech.  Its jump jets allow the Shadow to move from position to position taking advantage of terrain that would give the Shadow an advantage when shooting.  While having adequete speed for a heavy the Shadow uses a MASC system to out-run enemy heavy and assault mechs meaning only the quickest enemy mechs will be able to catch up to the Shadow before its stealth systems cause the enemy to lose sight of their target. 


We've gone over its mobility and stealth now what did the Shadow have to offer that impressed the Star League?  Two Light Gauss Rifles form the pride of the Shadow's arsenal these weapons when combined with the Alpha VI Targeting Array allow for amazing accuracy at even maximum range.  Initial tests showing the Shadow able to consistently blast off the head or the cockpit of an enemy mech even if the target is moving.  A gruesome thought to its enemies.  The Shadow isn't without backup weapons while 16 pair Light Gauss Shots were deemed more then enough for extended missions the Shadow also has a backup weapons array of an ER Large Laser and 2 ER Medium Lasers.  This provides the Shadow ample firepower for dealing with pesky light and medium mech opponents that are chasing it when the Shadow is pulling out.


One often overlooked note is the Ceres TACOM 2000 communications system has not only a long range but is also capable of keeping transmissions heavily encrypted and hard to detect by the enemy or jam enemy communications so they can't call for backup as the Shadow picks off its respective targets.


Deployment: While only having a limited production run the SDW-3R has seen intense combat action against the Clans.  The Clans have deemed the mech dishonorable and foul and many Star Leaders have been ordered to destroy the mech on sight.  Nevertheless despite being marked the Shadow has a successful track ratio of picking off or disabling key enemy mechs allowing Star League Regulars to mop up the enemy while its in chaos and confusion.  The Shadow has a bright future as a special operations mech and many houses are secretly talking with Ceres Technologies in hopes of getting a few Shadows for their personal arsenals.

---

Type/Model:	Shadow SDW-3R
Mass:	75 tons

Equipment:		Crits	Mass
Internal Structure:	135 pts Endo-Steel	0	4
(Endo Steel Loc: 1 RA, 1 LA, 1 CT, 1 LT, 3 RT)
Engine:	300 XL	10	9.5
Walking MP:	4
Running MP:	6[9]
Jumping MP:	4
Heat Sinks:	11 Double [22]	12	8
Gyro:		4	3
Cockpit, Life Support, Sensors:		5	3
MASC:		3	3
Actuators:	L:Sh+UA R:Sh+UA+LA+H	14	0
Armor Factor:	231 pts Standard	12	14.5
(Stealth Armor Crit Loc: 2 RA, 2 RT, 2 RL, 2 LA, 2 LT, 2 LL)

---

		Internal	Armor
		Structure	Value
	Head:	3	9
	Center Torso:	23	30
	Center Torso (Rear):		16
	L/R Side Torso:	16/16	20/20
	L/R Side Torso (Rear):		12/12
	L/R Arms:	12/12	24/24
	L/R Leg:	16/16	32/32

---

Weapons & Equipment:	Loc	Heat	Ammo	Crits	Mass
1 Light Guass Rifle	RA	1	16	6	13
(Ammo Loc: 1 RT)
ER Large Laser	CT	12		1	4
Light Guass Rifle	LA	1	16	6	13
(Ammo Loc: 1 LT)
ER Medium Laser	RT	5		1	2
ER Medium Laser	LT	5		1	2
Guardian ECM	H	0		1	1
4 Jump Jets				4	4
(Jump Jet Loc: 2 RT, 2 LT)
TOTALS:		24		77	75
Crits & Tons Left:				1	0.00

Here I am staring at my livejournal account and not sure what to write as my first entry...

In the past I had been badgered by good friends to get an account and do something about it but never quite gave it thought till someone tempted me with battletech campaign notes.

Curiosity is a terrible thing isn't it?  We go out of our ways to sate that curiosity doing things we wouldn't be motivated to do initially.

So I decided to address my first post with a brief description...in response to the title.

I am Mark a long-time gamer of both the video game and pen and paper variety I remember ye olden days when Final Fantasy I first came out and how I spent hours upon hours flailing at the lack of a save point inside the final dungeon.  It was truly a torture fest they had invented.

Here I am hunting down a job to start paying off my schooling myself being an IT Graduate in the field of Computer Networking Systems.  The hardware and software involved fascinated me and I want to become a network administrator for a major company.  But alas first things first lets find some work shall we?

23 and hunting down a job I am thankful I have good friends and that my slightly disfunctional family is still in one piece.

Then again as far as families go...since when is any family go?

MP(Lance) out.