3 replies to this topic

[TheDragon]

Normally I would stick to the MWT-related areas of the forum, but I had a rather interesting experience over the weekend and I thought others might find my misfortune amusing...

As background, I just acquired a Berzerker in the TT campaign that I play with my local group, but I didn not get a chance to really put it to good use during the last session due to various factors. So I fired up MegaMek yesterday, created a 4-mech lance for myself that included a Berzerker, created a random lance of roughly-equivalent CV for a Bot and fired up a game.

Now, for anyone who is not familiar with the Berzerker, it is a 100-ton IS mech with a base speed of 4/6/0, but its main features are a MASC system that allows it to run up to 8 hexes and a hatchet that can deal 20 damage instead of the standard 10 for a punch, so the whole point of this exercise was to get in there and have some melee-riffic fun with the big brawler 'mech.

Below is a paraphrased version of what actually happened once the game started (I may be mis-remembering some of the actual numbers, but the end results are accurate, I did not think to save the actual log, unfortunately).

Turn1 - I want to close with the enemy as quickly as possible, so I fire up MASC and try to move as far as possible.
MegaMek: MASC activation requires a roll of 3 or higher, proceed? (Yes/No)
Me: Yes
MegaMek: MASC activation needed a roll of 3 or higher, rolled a 2. Critical hit to upper leg actuator. Piloting Skill roll required to remain standing (actuator hit)
MegaMek: Piloting skill roll requires 6 or higher, rolled a 3. Berzerker falls, taking 10 damage.
MegaMek: Berzerker has fallen and Pilot must roll 6 or higher to avoid taking damage, rolled a 5, Pilot takes 1 hit.
MegaMek: Pilot of Berzerker must roll 3 or higher to remain conscious, rolled a 2, Pilot is Unconscious!
Me: /facepalm /ragequit

Me: Reload game from autosave file (immediately after deployment).
Turn1 - Masc works this time, nothing unexpected happens.
Turn2 - Weapons fire phase:
MegaMek: Enemy mech needs 10 to hit Berzerker with LRM10, rolls 12. Berzerker anti-missile system activates! 3 missiles hit. Berzerker takes 3 damage to HD, Berzerker takes 1 damage to RT.
MegaMek: Pilot of Berzerker takes 1 hit, must roll 3 or higher to remain conscious, rolled a 5.
...Other weapons fire resolves...
MegaMek: Berzerker has taken 20+ points of damage and must make a piloting skill roll.
MegaMek: Piloting skill roll requires 6 or higher, rolls 4. Berzerker falls, taking 10 damage, Berzerker takes 5 damage to HD, Berzerker takes 5 damage to CT.
MegaMek: Pilot of Berzerker takes 1 hit, must roll 5 or higher to remain conscious. Rolls a 3, Pilot of Berzerker is unconcsious!
MegaMek: Pilot of Berzerker must roll 6 or higher to avoid damage from fall, Pilot is unconscious - automatic failure.
Me: /doublefacepalm

Feel free to post your own tales of woe at the hands of a merciless random number generator, be it computerized or actual dice.

[Teranika]

One of the best (and worst) things about diced based gaming in general.. sometimes you defeat (or are defeated by) your foe... and sometimes the dice just roflstomp you...

[Geistnull]

even the worst rolls are all in good fun in BT. gotta say tho, that is prolly one of the worst case senerios ive ever read lol

[RonasAlabar]

I am well acquainted with 'suddenly-drunk pilot syndrome'. =D They're usually reassigned if they survive, or field-executed if they lose their 'Mech.

I've had a good pilot in a Jenner jump through the roof of a building and ammoboom on the fall. (I have bad luck with ammobooming.)