International Military Veterans and BATTLETECH

[Prussian Havoc]

Greetings One and ALL!

While trading PM's with @Martello just now, the topic of our Veteran's Shout Out thread from HBS' Legacy Thread came up. I well and fondly recall all the great International Participation we had as we discussed pre-Launch BATTLETECH and our military experiences, on our old and now shuttered thread.

But here we are at our new, bright and shiny Paradox Home! And just as @HBS_HighCommand and @DropShadow have been known to say, Team HBS follows our forum discussions and gains great value from our discussions, debates and dialogues. So let's revisit this, shall we?

While this thread is for all BATTLETECH gamers, those of us with military service (regardless of Nationality) can sometimes offer unique insight on #MercLIFE, #LoyalistLIFE, BATTLETECH game theory, BATTLETECH game tactics and BATTLETECH game mechanism.

Every gamer's frame of reference offers something unique.

BATTLETECH gamers, who themselves are Game Developers offer some exceptional insight into BATTLETECH topics based on their real world experience set.

In similar fashion, those of us who approach BATTLETECH with Military experience can offer unique insight on wargaming in general and BATTLETECH specifically, based on our experience set.

Here though it is important that I take the time and opportunity to reinforce and second Good @Havamal's words of caution to refrain from any graphic discussion of Real Life (RL) Combat. And might I add that we stay away from RL Politics, Religion and any other forum-inappropriate topic.



So without further ado, let's see how many of our former BATTLETECH regular contributors (some military and some civilian) may be in attendance here at Paradox... @Wolverine41, @Spartakus, @CritterTek, @Grayson Marik, @Domoneky, @Ian Wagner, @Gronk311, @Lord of Riva, @thearticulategrunt, @Frabby, @HexSystem6, @SilentWolff, @Sleet01, @Hatchy, @carmenara, @BobaFettGE, @Samskara, @Cdat88, @Havamal, @Dog Solitude, @tibbar, @Locolobo, @Draamal, @BANZAI!, @CmdrDunsail, @Drakolus, @Barantor, @Darius359au and @Frost_Knight.


Again, all contributions from all gamers are welcome. :bow:


To start us off, my 23-years in Army Military Intelligence (yes, yes, know, "it all makes sense now..." oxymoron and all : ) lol) and I find that I am a bigger and bigger fan of just how Team HBS portray's Military and Contract Intelligence in BATTLETECH.

Yes their are Dropships in orbit and Local National Employers with Satellites in orbit, but being able to snap pictures of the ground and being able to be 100% SPOT ON with an estimation of Enemy Composition & Disposition, Enemy Commander Intention & Scheme of Maneuver, etc ~ are akin to the differences between cracking to rocks together and a symphony orchestra.

So when our BATTLETECH ARGO XO Darius gets his estimate of the Enemies we'll find on ant particular Mission wrong... don't be upset. Instead rejoice in the Intelligence-authenticity that HBS was worked into BATTLETECH. : )

ALL questions, comments and constructive critiscims are welcome.

And as ever, good luck and good gaming! :bow:

 

[Domoneky]

Standard Issue Cockpit Survival Gear among the 151st Heavy Assault Group Merc Company.

 

[Havamal]

Greetings Mecharriors,


+1

Some of our Brothers may have experienced such and worse and may not want to experience similar issues in written form, ect. Not a request to cease discussion, just a request for a little real world avoidance via sensitivity to our real life warriors.
Sorry but Real Life graphic recounting is mostly proscribed on the sub forum for that reason and others.

Many have done their duty. Let us ask no further of them.

Thank you

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Standard Issue Cockpit Survival Gear among the 151st Heavy Assault Group Merc Company.

Looks like this guy and MechWarrior Skippy might know one another. : )

 

[Martello]

8 years as an active duty Infantry officer in the US Army, about half Stryker (2nd Cavalry Regiment) and half light (10th Mountain Division and now 2nd Brigade of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard). I am currently halfway through my 11th year of combined active and Guard, and serving as a Battalion S3 (Operations Officer) at the rank of Major. I did a year in Afghanistan with 2nd Cavalry, and I'm looking to jump into a deployment with the PA Guard sometime in the next couple years.

I came to BattleTech through MechWarrior 2, played on one of my best friend's computers as a kid. That and MW3 are still two of my favorite games ever. I tried MWO, found it lacking, and I'm looking forward to MW5 next year. BATTLETECH scratches a different but related itch.

I tend to use military jargon without thinking, so anyone should always feel free to call me out on it or ask me what tf I'm talking about.

edit: I see the forums have demoted me all the way down to a butterbar...

 

[Zakhodit]

16 Years active Duty US Navy. The last 6 have been in NSW.

Battletech does very well in military accuracy. I am especially pleased when one of the Mechwarriors is involved with a problem and one of the options is "You have leadership training, deal with it!" The results are striking and are more or less accurate to the real world.

There are things that are way off, but if compared to some of the TV shows and the junk they put on the screen, Battletech is far and away better.

 

[Rørik Þrumsålr]

Former USAF reserves pilot. (8 years duty, then went civvy. It was just too hard getting hours back then.)

I still maintain that 'mechs are more like walking fighters than walking tanks.

 

[Mongo101]

Howdy brothers and sisters, if there are any, no matter the nationality

12 years US Army ABN and AASSLT. I was a SHORAD/MANPAD gunner when we actually had to hump with the grunts.

To the great unwashed masses (anybody not ADA) SHORAD/MANPAD was the designation given to Redeye gunners and then Stinger gunners when the Stinger replaced the Redeye

3 active 9 reserve ,which of the nine I spent 6 activated for the 1st Gulf War and and "peacekeeping" in that not to be named Balkan country that is now numerous Balkan countries

Got sent to numerous places on active duty and activated reserves that people were rude enough to express their displeasure at our presence by shooting at us....like I said ….they were very rude

I got RiF'd in the great draw down in the late '90's and the way it was handled I said good riddance .

Started playing the original BattleTech TT on the old DRF status when we used to get "locked in" to the barracks

I spent 25 years as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT(P) had a career and retired as a Corrections Officer, which payed the bills, now I work as a DOD contractor , which actually sucks....but pays the bills.

I love this game and even tho I thought no game could get better than MechCommander 1&2...this is.

The only thing I think is really lacking in Battletech is the absence of combined arms missions. Just as combined arms is a must on the modern battlefield I think , personally, that would continue in the future. I am unsure how that could be represented and or implemented , but I think the lack of combined arms takes some of the shine away from the brilliance of this game

 

[crazytimes]

I play games like Battletech because they are somewhat distant from actual modern combat. Since my first trip to the middle east, I definitely turned off modern military shooters and moved to more abstract games. Sure, they are still violent and explosions and the like, but it is a huge leap away from human on human fighting. I like to leave my work at work.

I certainly don't feel military experience brings anything to this game. Nor do I want it to.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Former USAF reserves pilot. (8 years duty, then went civvy. It was just too hard getting hours back then.)

I still maintain that 'mechs are more like walking fighters than walking tanks.

Greetings Good Sir. :bow

Weapon Hardpoints, Cockpits, (Pointy Nose Jet Jockie... err...) Fighter Pilot Mentality, yeah Imsee what you mean. : )

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I play games like Battletech because they are somewhat distant from actual modern combat. Since my first trip to the middle east, I definitely turned off modern military shooters and moved to more abstract games. Sure, they are still violent and explosions and the like, but it is a huge leap away from human on human fighting. I like to leave my work at work.

I certainly don't feel military experience brings anything to this game. Nor do I want it to.

Excellent point good Sir. :bow:

And for me, being old as I am with a yard I am increasingly certain young whippersnappers walk across for no good reason, BATTLETECH takes me back to my youth and friends and times I well remember and cherish.

Good to have you aboard, @crazytimes. :bow: : )

 

[Ghostwalker]

I am Active Duty Air Force currently with 21 years and still going. I am a Lt Col and my specialty is as a Civil Engineer so I have the fun of building all those bases we launch jets from and that the Army would rather be at than their own. I have multiple deployments to the Middle East and have spent some time in Central America as well.

I got into BATTLETECH TT and the computer games back in the 80's and have pretty much been playing ever since. Still much prefer the 3025 era to all the silliness that came with the clans and after. It does seem that BATTLETECH makes more of an effort to be closer to actual military jargon and thought process than others and it is not hard to see how military functions and organizations could evolve from today into a MECH based force fighting interplanetary battles.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I am Active Duty Air Force currently with 21 years and still going. I am a Lt Col and my specialty is as a Civil Engineer so I have the fun of building all those bases we launch jets from and that the Army would rather be at than their own. I have multiple deployments to the Middle East and have spent some time in Central America as well.

I got into BATTLETECH TT and the computer games back in the 80's and have pretty much been playing ever since. Still much prefer the 3025 era to all the silliness that came with the clans and after. It does seem that BATTLETECH makes more of an effort to be closer to actual military jargon and thought process than others and it is not hard to see how military functions and organizations could evolve from today into a MECH based force fighting interplanetary battles.

Indeed, Good Sir. :bow:

I retired from the Army in 2013 after 23-year career, that spanned a fair portion of both the enlisted and officer ranks and I can attest...

...I much rather spend my time deployed (42-months all told) on those jet-launching bases you mention than the safe-houses we spent our time in back in late 2001.

You Good Sir, do excellent work! : )


And yes, connecting the dots from the Warfighting forms and functions of today, to the BattleTech franchise I have been playing and enjoying for more than thirty years now is an essential part of what I value most in BattleTech and now, BATTLETECH. With every patch and every mentioned detail of a future expansion,Team HBS is proving they are most definitely on the right path to an even more FUN, immersive and interesting BATTLETECH series of games, in my opinion.

 

[Domoneky]

8 years as an active duty Infantry officer in the US Army, about half Stryker (2nd Cavalry Regiment) and half light (10th Mountain Division and now 2nd Brigade of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard). I am currently halfway through my 11th year of combined active and Guard, and serving as a Battalion S3 (Operations Officer) at the rank of Major. I did a year in Afghanistan with 2nd Cavalry, and I'm looking to jump into a deployment with the PA Guard sometime in the next couple years.

I came to BattleTech through MechWarrior 2, played on one of my best friend's computers as a kid. That and MW3 are still two of my favorite games ever. I tried MWO, found it lacking, and I'm looking forward to MW5 next year. BATTLETECH scratches a different but related itch.

I tend to use military jargon without thinking, so anyone should always feel free to call me out on it or ask me what tf I'm talking about.

edit: I see the forums have demoted me all the way down to a butterbar...

Please dont get lost on LandNav.

 

[D-Day]

I like to leave my work at work.

ha, this. Friends ask me if I want to do this and that and I'm like "I used to get PAID to do that, I'm not about to pay to do it now".

 

[JD Black]

US Navy, Electricians Mate.
Served 6 years, 4 of which was on the USS Missouri, BB 63.
Used to play the TT game back on the mess decks with my buddies, back in the day...

I do not post much, but I am really enjoying the experience this version brings to the Virtual table!

 

[Ozymandious]

USCG served at loran port Clarence, uscgc Storis, and the firehouse at the yards in MD

 

[Ciabhan]

A month shy of 10 years US Army seperated as an E7. Spent em all as an 11B, last few with an LRS team. Got medical'd out with a fucked up leg that wasn't ever gonna work quite right again, did a couple years as a cop(always thought it was funny I could meet the physical standards, even with an obvious limp, for the PD makes you think eh) then moved into the private sector. Retired 3 years ago.

 

[Captain_Phatt]

Former member of the RAAC (Royal Australian Armoured Corps).
I served with the 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers for 9 years as a crewman of an M113A1.
I joined the Army just so I could drive an M113A1 and ended up as a Troop Sergent of an M113A1 Recon Troop.
My two favourite weapons were the M2 Browning and the M2CG (Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle).

I agree that we shouldn't talk about the "Stuff" that happened to us in real life, because seriously who wants to be reminded about the things that happened in the past? My Motto is "Focus on the future and bury the past in a shallow grave".

I first played the Battletech Board Game way back in the mid 80's. I later played Mechwarrior 2, 3, 4, Mercs and Mechwarrior Online. I have also played MechCommander which is very similar to Battletech.

Despite having played Mechwarrior4 in the old NBT4 (Net Battletech 4) League for several years I'm not a big fan of online multiplayer vs player Mechwarrior games. I was one of the best Mechwarrior 4 pilots in the world and could easily dominate the Random Pub 15v15 Multiplayer matches, but there are just too many salty people with toxic attitudes in the world that ruin the game for others, so now just I prefer to play single player story line campaigns like the one in Battletech. However I do occasionally log into Fortnite with my son for a few Squad matches.

I love to go for long walks in the mountains wearing nothing but a smile and an M2 Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle

 

[mmurray821]

11BC2 (infantry, dragon gunner) served with the 101st back before the continual war cycle in the sandboxes. Only discovered BT once I got out and was doing college and reserve duty. Been a fan ever since '94.