Pilot’s Handbook

Welcome to NBT-Classic!  If you are reading this, then you have shown interest in joining our BattleTech based community.  We want everyone to enjoy his or her experience in NBT. Therefore, some rules are necessary to keep things running smoothly. Please READ the rules and if you do not understand something, ask the Administration about it. That’s what we are here for.

To begin with, NBT-Classic is setup as a Faction Based Planetary League.  That means that each player participating within the NBT community is a member of a specific BattleTech faction. Whether playing as one of the Great Houses or Clans, to a team out to make a buck or a name for themselves, such as Mercs or Pirates, each player takes the role of Force Commander; working either solo or along side their fellow team members to accomplish the goals of that faction.

Thus the next question to be asked is: What faction are you a member of? If you have not joined a faction, please take a look at our Units page for a complete listing of the active factions in NBT. Each faction has a rich variety of histories and goals giving the player the choice of numerous faction play styles and resources.  Your choice will determine your place within the NBT community.  Some factions readily accept all applicants, while others require extensive training and testing before allowing a new player to take an Assault Lance into league combat.  Take a look at the various factions, contacting their respective command staffs.  NBT is always looking for new players, and we have a place for you.

There are certain expectations that must be met by ANY Force Commander that plays within the NBT community.  This holds true from the lowliest Cadet to a House Prince or Clan Khan.  They are truthfully simple requirements, and are easily met if your goal is to play and have fun.

NBT Rules of Conduct

The following are rules that are generally expected of most adults in all walks of life. A certain level of maturity is required to be a part of the NBT community.

• Admins: You will follow the instructions of authorized personnel while in NBT servers or on the Official NBT Forums.  Authorized Personnel may include (but not limited to):  League Admins, Server Admins, & Forum Moderators.
   
• The Rules: You will not taunt or otherwise encourage other players to violate any NBT or game rules.  You will not allow another player to taunt you into violating any NBT or game rules.  NBT Rules are to be upheld at all times, by all members.
   
• Cheating: Cheating in ALL forms are strictly forbidden.  In the game, in the automation, in comms, wherever. Any player found intentionally cheating will be banned from NBT-Classic. This includes exploiting any bugs in the game itself to obtain an unfair advantage over your opponents.
• Cheating Accusations: Should you feel that someone is cheating, you MUST have proof. At that point you will contact NBT Administration with said proof. No public announcements on the forums, IRC or emails.  NBT Admins will then make a determination on the nature of the proof, and what action will be taken.
   
• Cursing & Offensive Remarks: You may not use any offensive, sexually explicit, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable remarks. You will not use partial masking in order to use inappropriate words that would otherwise be in violation of the rules. [Note: If we can tell what word you are trying to mask, and the word is in violation of the rules, then the partially masked word is in violation of the rules. Hint: Try using cartoon speak when you really want to say something naughty. "I am &^%^$% lost!" This is an example of complete masking and is acceptable.]
   
• Gloating, Whining & Pouting: People win.  People lose.  This is a game. Winners are supposed to be proud of their accomplishments, but not to the detriment of the members and morale of the other faction.  On the other hand, when a battle is lost there is no excuse for stalking off or sulking as a result.  Learn from your mistakes and move on. Let the other team know it was a "Good Game" and continue playing. Basically this comes down to a certain level of maturity on the part of the members of the league.
   
• Attitudes & Egos: These will not be tolerated in NBT. Each of us is here to have fun.  People with massive egos, chips on their shoulders, or just bad attitudes are a waste of the admins time as well as that of other factions. If you are not here to have fun, and allow others to do the same, you are in the wrong place, and need to move on.
   
• Legal Mumbo-Jumbo: You may not violate any local, state, national or international law or regulation while playing NBT. You may not use the game service to engage in illegal activity. You may not arrange for the exchange or transfer of any pirated software or other contraband while you are on the NBT Servers or Website.  You may not use the NBT Servers or Website for activities other than activities permitted in the game universe or events associated with NBT. You will not attempt to interfere with, hack into or decipher any transmissions to or from the servers run by NBT.

Players that violate the NBT Rules of Conduct may be subject to the temporary suspension of their NBT Play Rights as well as permanent banning if so determined by League Admins.

Unit Types and Equipment

Clarification of Terms

In previous NBT leagues, the only object you could control was a 'Mech. However, with the introduction of additional unit types in NBT-Classic, a clarification of terms is needed. These clarifications are as follows:

• Unit: Your Unit generally refers to the faction or team that you play for in the league. Examples would be Lyran Alliance, Clan Jade Falcon, Word of Blake, Eridani Light Horse, Taurian Concordoct, New Belt Pirates, et al. In some cases, 'unit' or 'units' maybe used to refer to an game object, also known as a unit type.
• Unit Type: A 'unit type' will refer to an individual controllable object within the game, such as a BattleMech, Vehicle, or an Infantry contingent.
• Force: Force applies to a group of game units. In some cases, synonyms, such as 'Units' or 'Troop', will be used instead of Force.
• Force Commander: This is the general term used to represent a player, faction or team member commanding a force in battle.
• Cross-Tech: Cross-Tech refers to team fields a unit type from the opposite technology base available in their force pool. This does not refer to the customization or implementation of one technology base with another to a unit type.

General Rules:

Each team is designated as either a Clan faction or an Inner Sphere faction. This will generally determine what kind of technology base and unit types are available in a team's startup force pool. Purchases or acquisition of Cross-Tech game units are limited by various rules in place within the league automation. During the course of league play, any player may command any unit type, regardless of Tech Class, providing that the unit is present on planet. This provides all factions with the ability to use a wide range of game units.

Customization and Force Composition:

Customization: Customization of unit types is allowed within the following guidelines:

Ammo Types: All Factions may load the following non-standard ammo types without restriction:

• Long Rangle Missle (LRM)
  • Artemis capable
  • Narc capable
  • Fragmentation
  • Flare
• Arrow IV:
  • Homing
  • FASCAM
• Short Range Missle (SRM):
  • Artemis capable
  • Narc capable
  • Fragmentation
  • Inferno
• Advanced Tactical Missle (ATM):
  • High Explosive (HE)
  • Long Range (LR)

• Federated Suns:
  • Armor-Piercing AC ammo
  • Precision AC ammo
  • Incendiary AC ammo
  • Flechette AC ammo
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Lyran Alliance:
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Draconis Combine:
  • Explosive Narc ammo
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Free Worlds League:
  • Semi-Guided LRM ammo
  • I-Swarm LRM ammo
• Capellan Confederation:
  • Armor-Piercing AC ammo
  • Thunder Vibro-bomb LRM ammo
  • Thunder Inferno LRM ammo
  • Thunder Active LRM ammo
  • Thunder-Augmented LRM ammo
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Word of Blake:
  • ECM I-Narc ammo
  • Haywire I-Narc ammo
  • Explosive I-Narc ammo
  • Nemesis I-Narc ammo
  • Semi-Guided LRM ammo
  • I-Swarm LRM ammo
• Free Rasalhague Republic/Comstar
  • ECM I-Narc ammo
  • Haywire I-Narc ammo
  • explosive I-Narc ammo
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Taurian Concordat:
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Magistracy of Canopus:
  • Swarm LRM ammo
• Clans:
  • Swarm LRM ammo

• Deployable minefields: Factions may deploy up to two (2) tons per drop of standard Thunder LRM ammo in addition to the above rules.

Pilots/Crew/Infantry: Pilots may be customized by the following guidelines:

• Skill Levels (G/P/D/A): Gunnery skill level is set to 4. Piloting, Driving, and Anti-Mech skill levels are set to 5.
• Pilot Names: You may name your pilots if you wish. However, rude or obscene names are forbidden and subject to punishment if used.
• Miscellaneous: Autoeject, Spotlight, and Cammoflauge settings may be changed at will prior to battle start.
  

• All artillery must be deployed "on map"
• A force may contain no more then two (2) "tubes" of artillery per drop
• A "tube" of artillery is defined by a single Sniper, Thumper, Longtom, or Arrow IV weapon

• No more then two (2) of a single Omnimech varient may be deployed by a force in a drop

Battle Armor Deployment (Clan factions):

• No more then one battlearmor point may deployed per Omnimech/OmniVehichle in a Force
• No more the one battlearmor point may be deployed per 2 Mechs/Vehichles in a Force

Battle Armor Deployment (Inner Sphere factions):

• No more the one battlearmor point may be deployed per 2 Mechs/Vehichles in a Force

• There are various rules that apply when you are involved in league drops on the NBT servers.

  • Faction Membership - Each Force Commander may only be a member of a single faction at any given time. In order to drop with your faction, you must be listed on their NBT roster within the automation.
  • Faction Insignia - Force Commanders must wear their names as they appear on the roster and proper Faction Insignia at ALL times during battles. This includes if dropping for an allied faction.
  • Weapon Restrictions: The above Weapons Restrictions are in effect at ALL times. No exceptions.
  • Camping – Defined as running off to hide at any point in the battle, with no intention of fighting. Your team should be attempting to engage the enemy at all times. You joined the league to fight - so FIGHT. Being found guilty of camping will result in harsh penalties. Please note the FAQ page for specific examples of what may be constituted as Camping.
    • Retreating: Camping should not be confused with a strategic retreat. A strategic retreat is the act of pulling some or all of your remaining units back to your home edge (the side you deployed on), and using the "flee" option to exit the map. While we are allowing this, again, you joined this league to fight, so do this sparingly. Force Commanders may also agree to retreat with some of their units without having to move off the home edge if both sides agree. Abuse this privilage and we will revoke it.
  • Cheating - We will not put up with cheating in any form. Period! We will eject any person(s) or team that we even SUSPECT is cheating. No excuses. Do not try to exploit the rules. We will not put up with anyone trying to "cheat the system". If there are loopholes in some rules, then please notify us if you see that it could pose problems for the league. Do not exploit "bugs" in the game, especially bugs that give you a clear advantage in battle.

  Your Faction Leaders can provide further information as well. Players that violate the above rules may be subject to the temporary suspension of their NBT Play Rights as well as permanent banning if so determined by League Admins.

   

  Lastly, please understand that all of the Administrators of this league volunteer their time, talents and, sometimes even money to make this work. We are all adults and can take constructive criticism and suggestions, but if you just want to gripe and whine – you’re in the wrong league.

  Once again, we welcome you to the NBT-Classic community. Each of here is to have fun & blow each other up.  May your victories be many, your aim true, and RNG on your side. See you on the battlefield!