Live-blogging new battletech underwater rules 1.
Step 1: identifying the problem.
To unsuck a system, you have to know why it's not fun. underwater combat in battletech currently tries to simulate its underwaterness by slowing everyone down, cutting the range in half, and making hits extremely deadly with the breach mechanic.
This mostly means that games are more swingy, monotonous, and overall not very fun.
The main culprit seems to be that it's less a distinct environment that entices new tactics than it is the exact same as the surface but limited in a very unfun way.
Main issues are as follows:
movement is less deliberate despite its restrictions.
There isn't a buildup to the payoff of instant death.
Brainstorming: keep rar and create equipment for dedicated water fighting
redo flooding to be more gradual
rethink movement mechanics or los mechanics
keep the mechs on the surface and think about surface to depth interaction
remove flooding
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thinking about it, keeping rar and developing/redeveloping the equipment seems good. I'd also like to do some additions to the rules for something like sonar.
something built for water should make it clear that regular mechs should not be in the depths. I also like some minor water to air interactions. might be fun.