[Mod Development] Pilot Quirks

[don Zappo]

I am working on a Pilot Quirk mod for inclusion into dZ Consolidated Company Commander. It will be unwieldy to have that discussion in that thread since it will be a major undertaking, so I've split it off into a separate thread. The goal of this Mod is to utilize the Pilot Tags and add significant flavor to the Pilots you are collecting.

This top thread is devoted to what we are still theory crafting, what we have decided to implement, what has been decided to and what has already been implemented.

This is in the very early ideas stage and I will start working on code implementation. Please jump in and provide any feedback! If I have to decide on all the quirks myself this will never get done.


Pilot Fatigue:

• Pilots should not be able to drop immediately after completing a mission. I'm thinking that this will be set to 7 days after a mission.
• Pilots will now be able to drop when fatigued, but not when injured. This will use the No Time to Bleed mod.
  • Cannot drop if Fatigued and Low Spirits.
  • Will make the pilot Low Spirits if dropped this way.
• Guts will be able to mitigate this effect to some degree.

Quirks:

• Athletic, x2
  • +1 hp
• Bookish, x13
  • +10 Medtech
• Brave, x5
  • +10 radiation resistance
• Cautious, x4
  • +20% PE resistance or -1 to other pilots hit chance against this target?
• Command, x15
  • +1 morale per turn?
    • Does not stack.
• Comstar, x1
  • +500 to Mechtech
    • Very Rare. Great knowledge of Mechs & lostech.
• Criminal, x13
  • -0.10 Morale? or -10% to contract payout?
• Dependable, x5
  • +10 ejection resistance
• Gladiator, x16
  • +1 melee accuracy
• Lucky, x8
  • +10 survival roll
• Mechwarrior, x47
• Merchant, x20
  • +0.25% Buy/sell at store? Stacks. They are able to negotiate better prices.
• Military, x52
  • +10% xp rate
    • Probably not since this is too common so far.
• Naïve, x1
  • -50% to Pilot upkeep cost
    • Haha, I'm not sure what to put here. It's as rare as Comstar.
• Noble, x14
  • +10% to upkeep costs
    • They expect more money.
• Reckless x1
  • +20% radiation resistance
    • This guy thinks he's immune to radiation poisoning
• Spacer, x13
  • + 0.10 Morale? Or None
    • These people are happy living on board a ship
• Tech, x14
  • +100 MechTechSkill
• Wealthy, x1
  • -100% to upkeep
    • He's an adreneline junkie. Here only for the thrill and fame.

Factions
Davion, x13 I don't know much about the factions can you guys give ideas?
Kurita, x7
Liao, x6
Marik, x5
Periphery, x10
Steiner, x15
Taurian, x2
Tortuga, x1

 

[don Zappo]

Google Doc for Quirks:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Cm6XpcNDih2jCH060gd6Sym0Q5J9plc-WrvrF58IYeA/edit?usp=sharing

 

[don Zappo]

Reserved

 

[Justin Kase]

Watching with interest

 

[don Zappo]

Watching with interest

I'm optimistic this can be the home for your Pilot Mod, too.

 

[Fiona Marshe]

• Military, x52
  • -5% to PIlot upkeep costs
    • used to 'roughing it'

• Naïve, x1
  • +5% to XP
  • Due to lack of previous life experience, they develop faster.

 

[don Zappo]

• Military, x52
  • -5% to PIlot upkeep costs
    • used to 'roughing it'

• Naïve, x1
  • +5% to XP
  • Due to lack of previous life experience, they develop faster.

Ha! I've been wondering what to do with the Naive trait that would be interesting. That is quite amusing. If we went that way I'd probably attach a minor negative to it, too.

 

[Yeach]

anyone have a mechwarrior handbook?
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/MechWarrior:_The_BattleTech_Role_Playing_Game,_Second_Edition
or
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/MechWarrior_Companion

 

[Fiona Marshe]

Not handy (I'm at work) but I have both those and 1st edition at home.

 

[Justin Kase]

Ha! I've been wondering what to do with the Naive trait that would be interesting. That is quite amusing. If we went that way I'd probably attach a minor negative to it, too.

1 slot initiative penalty. They are not quick on the uptake

I'm optimistic this can be the home for your Pilot Mod, too.

Actually, this fits perfectly with the Pilot mod I was working toward. Now that we are officially in July, I have to get those surveys out and combine some of my other ideas across to these - thanks

 

[Max_Killjoy]

So how are you thinking that pilots will end up with these? Just by having the tags already in their "history"?

 

[Justin Kase]

So how are you thinking that pilots will end up with these? Just by having the tags already in their "history"?

For the mod I was working on, yes, pre-assigned history. I had some in mind, but this takes it to a whole new level

Not sure what @don Zappo 's plan is

 

[NickAragua]

For faction traits, a couple of ideas:

Option 1: +1 morale/turn if employer is of the same faction as a deployed mechwarrior, -1 morale/turn if opfor is the same faction as mechwarrior. Fluffwise, maybe those guys are still reluctant to fight their countrymen, but like working with them.

Option 2: +1 to randomly determined mission reward category if employer is of the same faction as a deployed mechwarrior, because they give you an edge in negotiations due to understanding of cultural subtleties. Definitely non-stacking.

Tortuga doesn't feature in the game at all, so maybe make it map to pirates for benefits and penalties?

 

[Karsus]

Great Idea. As it seems that the factions are the least thought through, I'll start with some ideas there:

Davion, x13 : High degree of training and tactics, greatly skilled at combined arms
Game effect: XP cap raised to 62,000 from 60,000 [this likely needs to be balanced, as I didn't do the math on what 2k really means, ideally it should be one low/mid-tier pip]

Kurita, x7 : Loyalty and honor above all else
Game Effect: +20 ejection resistance

Liao, x6 : Historically poor leadership, underfunded, but competent warriors. Known for elite units (warrior houses and death commandos)
Game Effect: -25% upkeep costs (use to getting by with little) and +100 mechtech (centralized planning required improvisation to keep mechs running)

Marik, x5 : (somewhat) democratic, merchants, independent command, reliance on provincial forces, combined arms (I wish I could model this somehow, maybe a bonus on lower drop tonnage?)
Game Effect: 0.125% reduction at store, +5 Med Tech (citizen soldier, use to earning a living and provincial militia taught basic survival)

Periphery, x10 : Rugged individualists that get by with whatever they can scrounge
Game Effect: +5 Med Tech / +25 Mech tech / +5 radiation resistance (frontier skills)

Steiner, x15: Strong economy, powerful nobility, inept commanders
Game Effect: +10% upkeep costs (pampered life), -10 ejection resistance , -10% drop costs (knows how to efficiently drop a 'Steiner Scout Lance')

Taurian, x2 : Freedom, Compulsory service, aggressive, well trained and organized
Game effect: XP cap raised by 1,000 (or 50% or Davion); +5% ejection resistance (motivated warrior)

Tortuga, x1: Bandit Kingdom, Scavengers, Hit and Run tactics
Game effect: +25 Mech tech, -10% upkeep, +5xp gain rate (learn or die)

Please note that these are in no way balanced, this is just a starting point for discussion and balancing later.

 

[don Zappo]

These are some fantastic ideas. I'm working on getting the code to inject traits. I thought I had it, but no traits appeared. 3dahs also pointed out that before you purchase a mechwarrior you can't see what their traits are. They may actually be generated after you acquire them for some of them. If so, that is a major letdown!

 

[Justin Kase]

You need a "Nervous" or "Survival Instinct" that does an auto eject when at 1 wound

 

[don Zappo]

Heh. Assuming we can add new tags the sky is the limit! I do like that idea.

 

[Justin Kase]

So, I noticed something when doing the LanceDef tags.

There is a folder : data/tags

I wonder if we need to edit in our tags into that folder as well as adding them into the MDD and Pilot files.

Here is the list of tags in the PilotsTags file:

Spoiler

"pilot_morale_high",
"pilot_morale_low",
"pilot_starter",

"pilot_innersphere",
"pilot_davion",
"pilot_marik",
"pilot_noble",
"pilot_kurita",
"pilot_periphery",
"pilot_tortuga",
"pilot_taurian",
"pilot_magistracy",
"pilot_aurigan",
"pilot_steiner",
"pilot_merchant",
"pilot_criminal",
"pilot_tech",
"pilot_comstar",
"pilot_spacer",
"pilot_mechwarrior",
"pilot_military",
"pilot_officer",
"pilot_command",
"pilot_disgraced",
"pilot_gladiator",
"pilot_wealthy",
"pilot_assassin",
"pilot_lostech",
"pilot_athletic",
"pilot_bookish",
"pilot_brave",
"pilot_cautious",
"pilot_dependable",
"pilot_dishonest",
"pilot_drunk",
"pilot_honest",
"pilot_jinxed",
"pilot_klutz",
"pilot_lucky",
"pilot_naive",
"pilot_rebellious",
"pilot_unstable",

"event_mw_naiveBalloon",
"event_mw_respectMurad",
"event_mw_birthday",
"event_mw_rebelliousBloodsport",
"event_mw_informant",
"chain_shoreLeave",
"chain_plague_ShoreLeave1",
"chain_crana_Infection",

"sample",
"cvs",
"Davion",
"Kurita",
"Liao",
"Marik",
"Steiner",
"INDEVELOPMENT",
"pilot_release_privatebeta",
"pilot_release_ksbeta",
"pilot_player",
"pilot_bracket_skirmish",
"pilot_bracket_low",
"pilot_bracket_med",
"pilot_bracket_high",
"pilot_sensor",

"pilot_npc_dynamic",
"pilot_npc_recruit",
"pilot_npc_gunner",
"pilot_npc_pilot",
"pilot_npc_tactician",
"pilot_npc_defender",
"pilot_npc_skirmisher",
"pilot_npc_sharpshooter",
"pilot_npc_lancer",
"pilot_npc_flanker",
"pilot_npc_recon",
"pilot_npc_outrider",
"pilot_npc_scout",
"pilot_npc_striker",
"pilot_npc_vanguard",
"pilot_npc_brawler",
"pilot_npc_gladiator",
"pilot_npc_sentinel",
"pilot_npc_d1",
"pilot_npc_d2",
"pilot_npc_d3",
"pilot_npc_d4",
"pilot_npc_d5",
"pilot_npc_d6",
"pilot_npc_d7",
"pilot_npc_d8",
"pilot_npc_d9",
"pilot_npc_d10",
"pilot_turret_d3",
"pilot_turret_d5",
"pilot_turret_d7"

 

[don Zappo]

Yep, that was pointed out to me on the stream last night. @Ganimal tracked it down! I was wondering the same thing myself. I tried to add a Pilot Tag for "Combat_Fatigued" but it never showed up. I was wondering if I had to edit it into there as well.

I also was wondering if we could actually add code into there that gives the tags attributes just like you do with weapons. Now THAT would be a find.

 

[Ganimal]

@donZappo, perhaps try editing an existing tag first to seenif they show up under hire profile 1st?

I didn’t see any jsons that included tag list, so could it be under manifest?

Just thinking outloud