Setting Up Your New Unit

Before we begin with the setup of your new unit, there is something very important that we need to impress upon you.  As a Unit Commander, you should realize that belonging to this type of league is a commitment that you should not take lightly. It takes time and effort. Everything that you do has an effect on others, not only in your unit, but in other units as well. Delayed and postponed battles are no fun for anyone…so be SURE that you will be able to give this league its due before you apply for membership.

Most units in this league fight several nights a week, multiple battles per night. If this seems daunting to you and your unit, may we suggest joining with an existing NBT unit. This will provide the NBT unit with an expanded pilot base, as well as give you and your pilots the combat that you are looking for, without the responsibilities of running a full-fledged unit.

 

Unit Requirements:

When considering setting up a unit in the NBT community, one of the biggest factors considered is the number of ACTIVE pilots that you can bring to a battle.  Each unit type has a minimum membership number associated with it.  The larger units in NBT (Houses and Major Clans) have huge areas of space to defend, and thus always have to be able to support more activity with a larger pilot base. If you are in command of a smaller unit, we will request you to consider a smaller role in the league (Merc, Pirate, Minor Clan or Periphery).  That will enable you to play at your own pace, rather than a pace that is beyond your means.

An additional consideration to be made is that of role-playing the unit that you choose. Most units in BattleTech have 100’s of years of history behind them. Some are based upon honor above all else; others are the sneaky, devious, backstabbers; still others are the money changers.  The options are endless.  When choosing a unit, research that unit first. You will be ‘required’ to role-play that unit to the best of your ability, both in attitudes, alliances and actions. Note – We are not requiring you to play out the BattleTech timeline from 3067 on. NBT makes its own history. But each of these units has tons of history to draw from that will make this game that much more enjoyable, both for yourselves, the units you play, and the admins of the league.

 

Unit Choice:

There are MANY different BattleTech units available within the NBT timeline, more so than ever before. Each type of unit has certain advantages and disadvantages. Larger units have logistics nightmares, smaller units might always be one step ahead of bankruptcy.  Each has a role that can be played in the greater scheme of the BattleTech universe. Your choice will determine both your history and your future.  You will be taking over these units as of the 3067 timeframe. Most of these units have been in existence within the BattleTech universe for hundreds of years.  Thus you will be setting up your units as a fully operational BTech faction, not as a fledgling nation. This is represented by the number of ‘Mechs, Jumpships & Charge Station you are starting with.

Mentor Units: One of the new procedures for incoming units in NBT-HC is the concept of a Mentor Unit. Basically, each incoming unit may be assigned an existing NBT unit as their Mentor within the league. The identity of this unit will depend on the unit class you are signing up for, any familiarity with existing NBT units, as well as your future role in the league. This Mentor will be charged with making sure you are familiar with the NBT automation, league rules, role-play concepts and the like. If you have a specific request as to a Mentor Unit, please include it below.

Units who are currently filling the Major Houses will generally be assigned as Mentors to incoming Merc units. This will require working with the unit in question, making use of their services and handing off battles to them. The larger Periphery units will be assigned to incoming Pirate units as Mentors.

MAJOR HOUSES – Includes Davion, Kurita, Steiner, Liao, and Marik. These units are by far the largest in the league, generally numbering from 350 to 500 planets. They receive the largest allocation of ‘Mechs and cash, but at the same time, they have the most expenses. If you want lots of action and can handle the paperwork, this type of unit is for you. Startup chassis are primarily IS, with some Clan.

MAJOR CLANS – These are the Clans play a major role in the Inner Sphere in 3067, be they original Invasion Clans or more recent additions – Wolf, Ghost Bear, Jade Falcon, Diamond Shark and Snow Raven. The Clans are smaller than the Houses but are a force to be reckoned with. Startup chassis are primarily Clan with some access to IS tech.  These Clans are generally located within the Inner Sphere, while still owning their planets located in the Kerensky Cluster. These are the Clans that will primarily be interacting with the Inner Sphere, either from an alliance or battle standpoint. Clans receive a bonus on their salvage ability.

MINOR CLANS – These are the Clans that are primarily restricted to the Kerensky Cluster, and most of their league activities will revolve around inter-Clan developments. Most were not in the original invasion. Startup chassis are Clan only. These Clans will start from the Clan Homeworlds. Each Clan generally starts with around 10-25 planets and subsectors. While these Clans are not forbidden from interacting with the Inner Sphere, it is not their primary role in the league. Clans receive a bonus on their salvage ability.

PERIPHERY KINGDOMS – These units are much smaller than their larger House cousins. They are all located along the House borders and they form a force that all but surrounds the Inner Sphere. They have the Periphery Link Jump available to them, and they may use the Pirate jump. Startup chassis are primarily IS, with some Clan.  They also receive a small bonus to their Raiding ability. Pirates that grow to 5 planets or beyond are upgraded to Periphery status.

MERCENARIES – Merc units are varied and large in number. They are small units, but they have the most freedom of movement. With the use of the Merc Contract Jump, they have limited access to almost the entire Inner Sphere to fulfill contract obligations. Startup chassis vary from unit to unit. Most Merc units will not start with a home planet, and will not have one during the course of the league. Some CBT Mercs will start with a Capital (Wolf's Dragoons on Outreach for example). Mercs primary role in NBT is in support of the Major Houses, taking over battles (especially defensive), and freeing up the Houses for more offensive actions. Mercs receive a bonus to their Recon ability, as well as access to the Surgical Strike jump.

PIRATES – These units start off with twice the toys as a Merc unit, but have almost no cash to begin with. They are designed to live off of raids and theft. Pirates have several special abilities available to them. The Pirate Jump extends their raiding ability into enemy space.  Pirates may also use the Periphery Link Jump to reach most unassigned planets on the map.. A Pirates Capital is also hidden from public view, and is able to be moved at a moments notice (except if under attack), making them very difficult to track down.  They are a thorn in the side of the larger units. Startup chassis are determined on a case-by-case basis, but will be mostly IS chassis. Pirates receive a bonus to their Raiding ability.

COMSTAR UNITS – The two units in this category are Word of Blake and the Free Rasalhague Republic (by way of ComStar being located on Tukayyid).  Both of these units are responsible for all communications services that take place within the Inner Sphere. As such, while both units are very small, they receive monthly income from the IS Houses and Periphery.  Each House and Periphery unit makes a choice as to which ComStar unit they will make use of, if any.  That ComStar unit then receives a portion of the maintenance cost for EACH planet in that unit’s space. A ComStar unit may also Interdict communications within a units space, causing planetary maintenance to increase exponentially due to the lack of interstellar communications.  These 2 units survive by means of their political savvy, rather than sheer brute force.

SPECIAL CASE UNITS – There are several units that fill unique roles in the league. These include: Clan Nova Cat, Clan Wolf in Exile, Explorer Corps and Start League Defense Force. None of these units actually own planets at league start, and instead rely upon either their host units (CWX -> LA; CNC -> DCM) or through special fees collected in the case of the SLDF. CNC and CWX retain their special Clan abilities, while the SLDF makes use of ComStar type abilities. Explorer Corps is considered a Periphery unit for league purposes.

 

Start Up Information:

Once your unit choice is determined and confirmed with the Admins, you will then get your start-up information. This will include your Planet List, Industry, Jumpships, Factories, Flagships and Free Mech Allocation. You do not have to purchase anything. You simply have to place it where you want it using the Planet Setup form. The best way to envision the layout of your space is to use the NBT Dynamic Starmap.  PLEASE make sure that you read the rest of the League Rules before you setup your unit, as many of the rules will effect how you place your resources. The following are just the basic outline of the rules that directly affect your unit setup.

Planets, Capitals & Factories:

The listing of the planets you own. Some planets have ‘Mech factories on them. These will be listed on the NBT site. Each factory will have a Chassis Class assigned to it by default (Heavy, Medium, etc) along with a Preferred Chassis. You will receive a 10% discount on purchase of that ‘Mech from that factory.  Any True-Tech ‘Mech of that Chassis Class may be ordered from that factory. ‘Mechs purchased during the course of the league are ONLY deliverable to factory planets, thus making these planets some of the most important in the league.

  • Capitals: Each major unit receives one Capital planet by default.  Capital planets are the center of your unit’s economy and civilization.  All Clan, IS and Periphery capitals are separated into sub-sectors, thus representing the difficulty to actually assault a capital of a major unit. If a Capital planet is lost, your entire economy will be thrown into disarray and political instability.  Then you may choose a new Capital within your space.  Guard your Capital well.
Industry:

This will be the amount you can spread over your planets.  For many units this will be assigned for you (Mercs Pirates, and other single planet units). For units that are multi-planet units the following rules will apply: The automation will randomly assign 80% of your allocated gross income, ranging from 50 million to 200 million with a couple 0 industry worlds thrown in.  The remaining 20% of your industry you will have the ability to place yourself as you see fit. Each planet has an industry cap of 500 million.  If you lose a planet to another unit then the industry attached to that planet is lost as well. Each week, you will receive an industry payment based upon the total industry that you have, which will be added to your account as c-bills (minus any maintenance costs).

Charge Stations:

Charge Stations are LosTech that enable a Jumpship to immediately recharge its Kearney-Fuchida (KF) drive immediately, without waiting the normal recharge period. A properly placed CS line can move a JS or group of JS across an entire House’s space within the course of a day, rather than waiting weeks for recharge times. Jump limits within allied space are 60 ly, so for a CS line to be effective, each Charge Station needs to be within 60 ly of its neighbors. Charge Stations in NBT-HC are pre-placed by the league automation, and are actually fairly rare, with less than 200 existing at league start.

Jumpships:

Jumpships must be placed in orbit around some of your various planets. There are three primary types of Jumpships. All can travel 60 light years and each carries different amounts of ‘Mechs. Clan Jumpships are owned by Clan units, all other Jumpships are IS and will use the IS limits. Startup Jumpships will consist of Combat JS, Flagships & Transports. You will notice that Clan JS carry more ‘Mechs than there IS counterparts.  This is due to the improved Clan technology on their Dropships, allowing for more economical transport abilities.

    Combat Jumpships (Light, Medium and Heavy): These Jumpships carry your forces into combat. They are equipped to handle Dropships, and to send forces into battle after jumping to an enemy system.

    Command Flagships: Flagships are Jumpships that have been modified to handle the extreme Command and Control functions that are needed to handle Planetary Assaults.  Only Flagships may launch the Planetary Assault type battle.  In every other respect, they are the same as a Medium Jumpship. Each unit will receive a set number of starting Command Flagships as well as a FlagCap.  The unit may not exceed their units FlagCap at ANY time.

    Non-Combat Transports: These JS are responsible for the moving of ‘Mechs, Industry and Charge Stations within a units own space. They may only offload to friendly planets that are not locked by combat.  These Transports carry many more ‘Mechs than the normal Combat Jumpship, but they may not be used in ANY combat situation.

Free Mech Allocation:

This will be given to you in tonnage. You will be allowed either Clan or Inner Sphere chassis depending on your unit type and specific startup data. You may use this tonnage on ANY ‘Mechs as long as they fall under the correct chassis designation. You must use 100% of this at start-up.

  • FRR and WoB will both receive a set amount of startup tonnage, just like any other unit. After the league has been in operation for 1 month, they will receive a second pack of ‘Mechs to be placed throughout their allies space. This represents the presence of the ComGuards thoughout the Inner Sphere.

Mech Placement: ‘Mechs must be placed on your planets.

Garrison ‘Mechs: Garrison ‘Mechs, for setup purposes, are defined as ‘Mechs being on planets. Each planet has a different limit as to the number of ‘Mechs it may support. This number is listed in the Recommended Garrison column (RG#). This number is based directly on the amount of industry on the planet. Any planet may have 50 ‘Mechs in residence, regardless of industry (even 0 industry worlds). For setup purposes, this limit is suspended and any amount of 'Mechs may be placed on any planet. Once your data is processed, you will need to transfer excessive placements to Jumpships to avoid over-garrison fees.

Attack ‘Mechs: Attack ‘Mechs are defined as ‘Mechs being on Jumpships. The maximum number of ‘Mechs you can place on a Jumpship is determined by the JS Class. During startup, no ‘Mechs may be placed on Jumpships or Transports. During Setup, no 'Mechs may be placed on Jumpships. Once your setup data is processed, you may begin to move 'Mechs from planet to Jumpship, using the Planetary Management tools.

Heavy/Assault %’s: During setup ONLY, placement of ‘Mechs are subject to Assault and Heavy ‘Mech limitations. The automation will track this and let you know if you are outside these limits. These are in place during setup to represent the fact that Light and Medium ‘Mechs are present more often then their heavier cousins. After setup, these restrictions are removed from all planets and Jumpships.  They are as follows:

  • A minimum of 50% of your ‘Mechs must be either Light or Medium ‘Mechs
  • A maximum of 35% of your ‘Mechs may be Heavy ‘Mechs
  • A maximum of 15% of your ‘Mechs may be Assault ‘Mechs.

Mech Classes:

  • Assault ‘Mechs are defined as ‘Mechs being 80 tons up to 100 tons.
  • Heavy ‘Mechs are defined as ‘Mechs being 60 tons up to 75 tons.
  • Medium ‘Mechs are defined as ‘Mechs being 40 tons up to 55 tons.
  • Light ‘Mechs are defined as ‘Mechs 35 tons and under.

 

Shutting Down a Unit

At times it is necessary for a unit to leave our little community. Sad, but true. We have a couple policies that come into play in this situation:

When a unit shuts its doors in the league and leaves our little group, certain actions are NOT to occur:

  • Selling of 'Mechs and Jumpships
  • Transferring of large sums of money to other units
  • Transferring 'Mechs and JS to other units.
  • If a unit owes money back for a contract that is one thing. Clear the return through ComStar when you are shutting down your unit, and we will take care of it. But transferring billions over to another unit after selling off all your resources is another matter.

Now, since nothing can be done to the leaving unit as a penalty, the penalty shall apply to the unit receiving the funds. At the very least, the full amount will be deducted from their account. Possibly double the amount. So if a unit decides to send you 10 billion c-bills right before they close their doors, we would suggest transferring the money back, or to ComStar ASAP if you don't want to get caught in the backlash.

A unit that has been physically wiped out of the league (lost all, or most of their planets) has 2 options:

  • A unit may choose to retain their unit name and become a Pirate or Merc unit. They would retain any remaining resources left to them in their former status. The unit would receive the normal initial industry for that type unit, and be subject to all the rules of that class. They would have the future option of upgrading their unit back to House/Clan/Periphery, if they can make their Merc or Pirate unit grow (# of planets) to the point that it supports the concept.  This enables the unit to continue role-playing their league identities.
     
  • They may choose to close up shop in their original unit, and may setup a new Merc or Pirate unit. New name, resources, etc. Thus they would start with fewer resources than option A. They would also not be able to upgrade to a larger unit as quickly.

The final covered situation where a unit may shutdown is when they wish to merge with a larger unit. This may be due to low pilot attendance within their unit, lack of time to run the unit, or whatever reason it may be. The league of course is always pleased to see pilots remain in the league, so we are willing to offer an incentive for units to consider this option, rather than fully bowing out of the league.

  • Once the merger goes through, and is shown to be a success (generally around 1-2 months after the original unit shuts down), a modest booster pack will be granted to the merged unit, based upon the resources remaining of the former unit.
     
  • The original unit must be an established unit within the league. Thus someone cannot setup a Merc unit, ghost run it for a month, then do a merge expecting the resources to be transferred.
     
  • League Administration will determine what the booster pack will contain. Generally it will be limited to 'Mechs and c-bills, though this is determined on a case by case basis.
     
  • Planets and major resources (factories) are never considered for mergers.

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