Update, Odds and Ends, Random rules.

Getting closer to the launch of this campaign and I have had a couple of things to share.  I've ether mentioned these before and they got lost in the shuffle or this is the first time you are hearing them.

1) All of the Stables and Sponsors are now on the blog.  The Sponsors are in a link on the top of the page.  The Stables are also listed on the top so you can compare them, but the detailed links are to the right.  Each Stable has it's own entry.  Not all the details / benefits of each Stable are listed in the link up top, you will have to check the link to the specific Sponsors for all the abilities the sponsor offers.          

2) Mechwarrior Deaths.  It will happen.  If your mechwarrior dies, you may restart just as a new mechwarrior.  You do not have to take the same faction.  The down side is your Fame will be at 0.  Your mech goes to the mechwarrior that fired the killing shot.  This is the only way a mech may be salvaged from an opponent.  Their is a down side though...You get -10 Fame for firing the killing shot.  Which is why you see some of the better stables offering abilities to avoid head shots.  Remember Fame is what will determine the overall winner of this Campaign.


3) Selling mechs to the market or to other players.  Yes you may do it (At a profit to other players even).  There are some restrictions. 

• Clan Mechwarriors (other than Clan Diamond Shark) will not sell Clan tech to anyone...even other clanners.  Clan Diamond Shark are salesman first and foremost...mechwarriors second, so they are fine with spreading their Technology.  See the 75% rule below.
• Some Sponsors offer 50% discount on mechs, these are known as "Sponsor Mechs" and may not be sold to other players.  When you sell a Sponsor Mechs back to the marketplace you get your purchase price in return.
• The lowest price you can charge a player for a fully repaired mech is 75% of the base price of the mech.  You may charge any price you wish to another player for an Arena damaged battlemech, leaving them new owner to pay for the repairs. 
• The Market will buy back a mech at 75% of  base price.  This is unless you were able to purchase the mech at less than a 25% discount.  If your purchase price was under 75%, then the market will offer you your purchase price.  (This is to prevent an infinite money making loop).

4) Bounties and Side Betting.  Yes you may place a bounty on another players mech if you wish.  This can be for a certain match or an ongoing bounty until you remove it.  You may not drop a bounty during a battle, but you may offer one up.  Bounties are for the elimination of a mech not for the killing of the mechwarrior.  You may offer up a killing bounty on the mechwarrior, but your mechwarrior will take a -20 Fame hit.  You may make side bets with another player if you wish.  First to drop an enemy, Who lasts the longest, First to score a hit with a physical attack, etc.

5) Comms.  Each mech has a public broadcast ability, and the frequencies of all the other mechs in the battle.  If you wish to send a private message to one of the other mechs, just write them a note or step off to the side where no one can hear you.

6) I'm up to 5 Arenas that are mostly ready to go.  The Factory (Marik), The Jungle (Liao), Ishiyama - Tunnels (Kurita), Hartford Gardens (Unaffiliated), and Boreal Reach (Davion).  The Davion Arena in the Box set and the map pack was originally a field of Icy wasteland.  The fiction about Boreal Reaches is that it is the most impressive holographic system in the inner sphere capable of creating nearly any environment.for the mechs to do battle in.  Rather than doing up an Icy piece of terrain, I'll be "Adjusting the Holomatrix" and Boreal Reach will be using the Rocky Pillar terrain that I already have made up.  You should remember it from the Nova Cat Battle in the last campaign, Scott and I fought on it.  I'm planning on doing up the Steiner arena as well (with the raising and lowering walls), but I'm not sure it will be ready for the start of the campaign.  Each of these maps will  be on a 6' x 4' table...though I have enough Slate now to make the Kurita one on the 8' x 6' table.  I got the first coat of paint on the Factory and it is mostly set up for you to see at our Final Operation Bulldog game.

That' s all for now...