Mordel's Bar & Grill
random mechwarrior game synopsis (long)
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Mordel's Bar & Grill Forum Index » General Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Marshal


Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2753
Location: United States
PostPosted: 01-Jul-2013 21:07    Post subject: random mechwarrior game synopsis (long) Reply to topic Reply with quote

For a few weeks now I've been tossing around a "what-if" concerning a Mechwarrior game set in the alternate-continuity campaign series I've been running.

If nobody minds, I figured on tossing it out here and seeing what people think. If nothing else, I might be able to use this as a quick-and-dirty "intro to the game" campaign down the road.

Thanks.

**

Background:

You are Sgt. ______ ______, a mech jockey on a planet within the Lyran Alliance (meaning that your family couldn't buy you a commission). You and your Commando are assigned to a force recon company, and as the low man on the totem pole you usually get the worst of the assignments.

This changes the day that the Blakists hit your world as part of the Jihad. Within minutes, the planetary garrison collapses as the senior leadership are all either killed or captured during the initial fighting, many of them victims of assassins and traitors. With your company seemingly the only company on the planet left intact, you find yourself in charge of your own "lance" and tasked with various missions meant to sting the Blakist forces while allowing time for the surviving garrison to rally.

Lucky you.

Map 1: Mountains

#1 - The plan for the day was simple: jog your Commando to a nearby town and escort not only the daily supply convoy but also a convoy of civilians coming up for a local celebration. Instead, you must now defend said convoy against an assortment of hovercraft, tanks, and helicopters. Fortunately for you, someone named "Engel" (the pilot of the Wyvern mod I posted) is out in the field keeping the Blakist mechs at bay. He also has a present for you in the form of a Thorn he downed.

#2 - With the planetary command down, your company is now the largest single organized body of resistance. As the command and fire lances are needed to protect the base, you and your fellow members of the recon lance are each put in charge of your own "lance" and tasked with conducting scouting missions. Fortunately for you, your girlfriend (who the CO recognizes as the civilian you've been sneaking into the training sims) was one of the civilians you just rescued *and* you now have a spare mech thanks to that downed Thorn.

You and your girlfriend are tasked with investigating three forward bases that dropped off the grid during the invasion, but shortly after you set out Engel comes back up over the net: it's a trap. A lance of Blakist mechs is waiting for a trio of armor and SCUD launcher convoys to link up with it so that they can attempt an assault on the base; suffice to say that the two of you are ordered to forget about the forward bases and support Engel. Fortunately for you guys, Engel isn't alone; the rest of his team is approaching your base from the south, which is a good thing as the team Fury is more than a match for the Blakist Sentinel and Blakist armor column that were trying to flank you.

#3 - Engel turns out to be an officer with the Armed Forces of New Nauvoo who arrived on-planet a few days ago in secret in order to try and ferret out a suspected Blakist cell. His team has set up shop inside the base, and they are willing to help guard the facility. What's more, they recovered another Lyran pilot, a buddy of yours from the fire company that was conducting maneuvers a few kilometers out when it all went down *and* got in touch with a platoon of Lyran infantry reservists who managed to mobilize in secret.

The infantry have confirmed that the forward bases have fallen. The first base, a field repair site, is simply guarded by turrets; the infantry can easily sneak in and seize the turret control, but they'll need you three to protect the base until they can re-activate everything. The problem lies with the other two bases (a communications facility and a supply depot), as they're actively guarded by Quad Panzer anti-aircraft tanks.

...And, it turns out, each base also has a trio of light mechs (two Thorns and a Raven) that are hidden by ECM and a flight of VTOLs set to bombard the bases to pieces if they are re-taken.

#4 - The good news is that with the three bases liberated, your company commander has been able to make contact with more survivors and rally them. The bad news is that you're now high enough on the Blakist hit list to where they're willing to fight dirty: if you don't surrender, they'll use an array of SCUD launchers to destroy the town. Engel's sure he can slip behind the lines and neutralize the SCUDs, but has a gut feeling that this is a set-up.

Sure enough, he's right: the minute he calls their bluff, a Raven and a pair of Initiates duck out from under cover and head for the base. The Initiates have orders to blast the town apart in the event that something happens to the SCUDs, and the Raven - an assassin from the Toyama (see the custom I posted) - has orders to back-stab anyone that tries to stop them.

Map #2: Coastal City

With the Toyama operative dead and the last of the SCUD launchers in ruin, there's nothing to stop you or the other survivors from running riot and sweeping the remaining Blakist forces on your little island / sub-continent.

The Blakists have retreated to the main city on the island, a coastal town that has both a major shipyard and a major college. You and your lance - which will come to include more survivors and volunteers alongside the other mechs you capture - must fight your way through and re-capture the town sector by sector.

The "boss" fight for this one will be the custom Initiate I posted. The Blakists had originally planned to use the college to help train up their greener soldiers, but the soldiers wind up being so green that you are able to hew them down... much to the horror of their drill instructor, who emerges from the bowels of the college to take his revenge. (The college will be the last mission of the map, as it's where the Blakists wind up fortifying.)

Map #3: Swamplands

(This map would be a reused version of the map from Mechwarrior 4.)

#? - Although the plan was to slip into this smaller port so as to escape notice, it turns out that the Blakists are well aware of your arrival and so have arranged a welcoming party in the form of two warships, multiple patrol boats, and a horde of VTOLs. Good thing you've got patrol boats and VTOLs of your own to help you with the fight. Unfortunately, however, it turns out that the Blakists have a back-up plan in the form of several more SCUD launchers escorted by a heavy armor column and a Mauler. Engel will appear to one-shot the Mauler, but it's up to you to take out the SCUDs and tanks.

#? - You may have destroyed the naval forces and field artillery arrayed against you, but the Blakists have managed to gather a large assortment of bombers and VTOLs. Take them out, take out any patrols in the area, and capture the airfield.

#? - The Blakist forces in this sector are in total disarray and are trying to retreat. Multiple groups of mechs, VTOLs, and hovercraft are expected to come through this sector; fortunately, your infantry has managed to capture a field base in the area. The "boss" battle consists of a stock Mad Cat Prime operated by an elite pilot; she's backed up by two Initiates and a trio of bombers.

Map #4 - Desert

Although you're now officially a threat to the Blakists' continued grasp on the planet, the truth of the matter is that there aren't enough volunteers and survivors to reclaim much more territory than what you've already reclaimed. As a result, your next few missions must be tactical in nature so as to make the most gains for the least effort. The improvised dropship base the Blakists have set up in the area is, indeed, a valuable enough target, but before you get there you have to take out several bases and sweep through multiple patrols. The "boss" battle will be against the custom Grim Reaper I posted, who joins with a team of Ravens to ambush you in retaliation for the loss of the dropships.

Map #5 - Lunar

(redone version of the Mechwarrior 4 maps.)

You've hurt the Blakists by impacting their ability to bring in supplies and reinforcements, but now it's time to seal the deal. Bring down the comms arrays they've got in place, take out the cadets at their last training center, hit their main dropship base, and clear their main depot so that the salvage crews can get in. The "boss" battle will be up against a team of six Vulture Primes who will snipe you after you knock out the vehicles guarding the depot.

Map #6 - Forest

Good news has arrived from the planet: with Engel's help, the surface forces have managed to liberate a major city (specifically, the opposite partner to the one you cleared). With the city gone, the Blakist forces on the entire eastern third of the continent have collapsed and are now on the run. Track them down and finish them before they can rejoin the others.

The "boss" battle will be against the custom Toyama I posted; he'll be sniping you while two other Toyamas try to pin you in place.

Map #7 - Capitol City

That Toyama pilot? A(n in)famous Manei Dominei operative; taking him out was like taking out an enemy general. His loss, coupled with the other losses being taken of late, have forced the Blakists to withdraw from sector after sector and has also forced the remaining Blakist top commanders on the planet to retreat into the capitol in the belief that they'll be safer there.

...in reality, they've just made it easier for you to track them all down and take them out at once.

Each level will have its own "boss" in the form of an elite pilot in an assault mech. After you've downed them all, you'll be assaulting the city's military base, which is home to the "final boss" - the invasion commander and his custom Grand Crusader (the one I posted).

8 - mop-up

Liberating the capitol will open up a handful of optional missions that use recycled maps from Mechwarrior 4. These missions represent you tracking down and wiping out the remaining Blakist forces on the planet. The ending of the game will be affected depending upon whether or not you do these missions and, if so, how many you do & which ones get done.

(The final scene will be a coronation with the last surviving member of the planet's ruling family taking the throne, at which time your company commander becomes the planetary commander; in the process, your old company will be broken up so that the individual members can take command of various units planet-wide. You'll be given command of your old company, which you'll re-form using your pilots from the game, minus your girlfriend, who is now your wife. However, the Manei Dominei haven't given up, and will stage one last assault on the base; each mission you do decreases the number of operatives in the assault by one. Missions and your pilots are tied together on a one-to-one basis, and so for each mission you don't do one of your pilots will die. OTOH, if you complete all of the missions then the handful of remaining MD will fall to Engel's awesomeness.)
_________________
"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
Back to top View profile Send site message Twitter Username
Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Marshal


Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2753
Location: United States
PostPosted: 02-Jul-2013 14:41    Post subject: random mechwarrior game synopsis (long) Reply to topic Reply with quote

campaign idea: liberation of Terra

note that you can have up to six pilots with you at once rather than just four.

Situation

You are AFNN Lt. _____ _____, AKA "Copper 1" or "C-1". Copper lance, like Gold, Silver, and Platinum lances, is a part of Task Force 15, whose mission is to liberate the British Isles. Platinum's first target is the Hebrides, while Gold is going after Aberdeen and Silver has Glasgow. This leaves you and your group to run interference. Joining you are C-2 (a Davion ELINT specialist who acts like Roger Moore), C-3 (a Lyran pilot who is essentially a prom queen with a sniper rifle; she has veteran accuracy but is terrible at piloting), and C-4 (a refugee from St. Ives who practices kickboxing whenever C-2 isn't harassing her).

Map 1: Marshes

(rehash of the MW4 swamp maps)

#1 - The plan *was* to land in this marsh, regroup, and hammer the nearby airbase. Instead, C-3's drop cradle malfunctioned, causing the legs on her Commando to get smashed up. You were fortunate enough to find a field base to repair her at, but that leaves just three of you and your trio of Mongoose mechs to fend off the hovercraft and VTOLs that are running patrols.

#2 - "Staying pinned" worked out better than expected, as in response to the loss of the first patrols the air base sent out a number of additional VTOLs and hovercraft to target you. This has left the airbase under-manned, with just a few patrols' worth of hovercraft and one last flight of VTOLs. Oh, and a Raven and an Uller.

#3 - C-2's nagging you for the Raven (provided, of course, that you replace the NARC Beacon with more missiles), and C-3 is going batty over the Uller. Your may as well let them have their way, as this next mission is going to potentially be a doozy. Four Blakist Mongoose mechs and at least two columns of armor stand between you and a town that the Blakists have fortified; fortunately for you, your support team has located a trio of Mobile Repair Vehicles to patch you up and reload you once you've cleared first area. You'll be needing their services, as the town proper is guarded by a Wyvern and a Raven. Oh, and once they're dead Platinum will call in to tell you that they didn't quite destroy all of the Blakist naval forces; two cruisers with patrol boat and VTOL escort are on their way. C-3 is sure that she can use her Guass to snipe the cruisers before they get within missile range, but you've got to keep her alive so that she can pull it off.

Map #2: Foothills

#4 - While clearing the town out you find a husband-and-wife pair of partisans occupying the local jail. The pair, C-5 and C-6, eagerly volunteer to join you; since you captured that Wyvern and the second Raven, you actually have mechs to loan them. Command thinks it best if you take 5 and 6 with you on a multi-point patrol to get them adjusted to being mech pilots.

#5 - With the patrols in the area reduced, a team of ComGuard infantry has been able to emerge from hiding and link up with you. It turns out that the Blakists have fortified a major industrial park in the region, but with your help the Guard believes they can take it down. First, however, Copper Lance needs to capture and hold a key road bridge so as to prevent reinforcements from arriving by ground.

#6 - You may now hold the bridge, but the Initiates guarding it were just skilled enough to call for help before you took them down. There are four Blakist support bases in the area, and you need to roll them up quickly before they can organize a group to retake the bridge.

#7 - The Guard infantry has received coded messages from three more Guard units - an anti-aircraft team (four Quad Panzers), an armor team (four Bulldogs), and an artillery team (two SCUD launchers and two loaders). Each unit in turn will send their position to a Guard Swift Wind, which you must follow over to the unit's respective hiding spot; you must link up with each unit, escort them to the bridge, and then go after the next one.

#8 - There are three paths up to the industrial park. All three are guarded by small field outposts. Each field outpost is guarded by a Strongpoint Defense fortified bunker. Once you get in position near each outpost, the artillery team (which - with its armor escort - moves between firing positions) will bombard the Defenses. Once the Defenses are down, neutralize each outpost.

#9 - The SCUD launchers will destroy the Calliope Turrets guarding the southwest entrance to the industrial park. Once you secure the breach, the launchers will fall back and allow the armor to join you. As soon as the armor links up with you, move through the park and destroy all resistance. Be warned, however, as there are three Catapults afoot, and one of them is believed to be using Clan weaponry. Fortunately, each corner of the park has its own field base.

Map 3 - Hamlets

#10 - #15: The good news is that a joint LAM / commando raid has managed to capture Hilton Head Island, killing or capturing several Blakist leaders in the process. The even better news is that everything north of Hadrian's Wall is now Blakist-free. With the Guard units watching your backs, the plan is for Platinum to free Liverpool while Silver moves into Wales and Gold takes up a position outside London. Your mission is to move into a series of small towns and liberate them before the local Blakist commander can make good on his threats of killing civilians.

Map 4 - London

#16 - #20: With the main island all but liberated, the last of the Blakist land and air forces have retreated to London, which they have reinforced. Task Force 15 is to retake the city sector-by-sector, with special attention being paid to ensuring the safety of several prominent landmarks and the Chunnel.

Map 5 - Grasslands

#21 - #23: With you guys moving through London, a number of partisans emerged. This included a Guard unit assembled from the remains of an armor team, a fire-support team, and an infantry team. This unit got ahead of itself, and actually drove through the Chunnel in order to take out retreating Blakists. Well, they got the job done, but now they're on the other side of the Chunnel and surrounded by angry Blakists. You've got to break the Blakist lines before the partisans get wiped out and the Blakists can seal the Chunnel.

Map 6 - Paris

#24 - #28: Just as Task Force 15 has liberated the British Isles, Task Forces 16 and 17 have secured Gibralter and liberated the Iberian Peninsula. However, they've taken casualties, and so all three Task Forces will need to work together to sunder the Blakist forces in the city.

Map 7 - Plains

#29 - #30: Don't give the Blakists another chance to retreat. Guard air forces and armor are sweeping the French border for Blakist activity. Lend them your aid and take out anyone who opposes you.

Map 8 - Mountains

#31 - #35: As much as you were hoping to participate in the liberation of Germany, a more pressing target has appeared: Switzerland. Intelligence reports indicate that with the liberation of both Hilton Head Island and Sandhurst, the Blakist officials in the country are now attempting to take command of the remaining Blakist presence on the planet. Task Force 18 has just finished liberating Malta, Sardinia, and Corsica, and will shortly make their way up through Italy, Once they're through, link up with them and take another head off of the Blakist hydra.




Downloadable Content:

You are Sgt. Percival Chadwick of the AFNN. After an "incident" involving your commander, you and your Blackjack have been unceremoniously dumped into Norway alongside a cherry private in a Commando who thinks she's your girlfriend now because of a cultural misunderstanding, your orders being to sweep the Blakist forces from your sector and link up with whatever remaining resistance units you can find. This "campaign" would represent re-hashes of the arctic and forest map sets from MW4: Vengeance.
_________________
"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
Back to top View profile Send site message Twitter Username
Display posts from previous:
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Mordel's Bar & Grill Forum Index » General Discussion All times are GMT-04:00

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum