Stage One: Briefing

A mission briefing takes place at the beginning of every mission. This is when your pilots sit down around their consoles, or in their cockpits, a board room, or a barracks somewhere, and figure out – or get told – what needs to be done.

This scene doesn’t have to be an actual in-character briefing. It can easily be a conversation between the players and the GM, taking place entirely out of character, especially if you need to figure out some details behind the scenes. The briefing needs to determine a couple of things: the situation, the mission goal, and the stakes.

The Situation

The GM should present as much information about the situation on the ground as they deem relevant to the players. This can be as in-depth or as short as needed, but make sure to establish clearly what the players know about the mission at the start of the mission.

The Goal

Regardless of what information the GM presents, the goal is what the players hope to accomplish with their mission. This might be the same as any objectives set out by the GM, or it might be entirely different.

For example, the GM might outline a mission in which the players have received orders from a powerful general to hold a loyalist checkpoint against rebels. If the players’ broad objectives align, then their goal might be to defend the checkpoint; however, maybe the players don’t like the general or secretly work for the rebellion, or maybe they know that letting the rebels through the checkpoint will be the perfect distraction for them to pursue their real mission. In any of those cases, their group’s goal – what the players hope to achieve – might be very different.

Alternatively, the players might define a goal without any orders or any direction from the GM. They might decide that they want to clear out and secure a pirate-infested asteroid as a new base of operations for their mercenary company, in which case that would be their goal.

A mission’s success depends on the completion of the goal(s), but missions can end without it. Indeed, some missions end so poorly that they leave players – or their factions – worse off than before they embarked. Whether or not a mission is successful, characters that survive a mission always increase their LL by one.

It’s also possible for a mission’s goal to change mid-mission. Maybe more information comes to light, or there is a shift in the mission’s circum‐ stances or parameters. This is perfectly normal and helps to create dynamic, interesting stories. The best-laid plans of pilots and commanders often break down under the entropy of combat. Pilots with more than a couple of live drops to their name know this and plan accordingly.

The Stakes

Once you’ve chosen a mission goal, it’s time to set the stakes – the mission’s possible outcomes and significance.

The stakes are usually decided by the GM, but they can be strongly influenced by – or directly related to – the actions, history, drives, and backgrounds of player characters. For example, a character who was once a slave might have a much more personal stake in stopping slave traders due to their history.

A mission’s stakes are easiest to find by phrasing them as a question, or several. Here are some examples:

The precise details of the stakes for any given mission depend on the kind of narrative the GM is facilitating. They can be deeply personal, or broader. They can be immediate and brutal, or slow and gradual. Some‐ times, the outcome of a mission can be as simple as surviving an impending attack, crash, or other desperate situation.

It’s important to start a mission with both a goal and some stakes established. Not only does this give the characters clear motivations for why they’re embarking on a mission, but it also sets up the possible consequences of failure and allows the GM to push harder if that should come to pass – after all, you knew what the stakes were!

Stage Two: Preparation

Once the brief is complete, players enter the preparation stage. In this stage, they choose the mechs and gear their pilots are taking into the field. Their decisions now aren’t necessarily final – they might have opportunities to change gear mid-mission – but it does determine the resources, gear, and weapons that they start with.

Players can each bring one mech on a mission, along with clothing, armor, up to two weapons, and up to three other pieces of gear from the gear list. In some cases, pilots might not be able to print or acquire new mechs and equipment during a mission. This can help create drama and exciting stories. For example, a group of pilots who crash-land in the middle of an alien wasteland while trying to find civilization probably won’t have reliable access to gear. Of course, pilots can always try to trade, barter, build, or acquire extra gear in the course of a mission.

Stage Three: Reserves

The last thing to do before starting a mission is for the players to establish the reserves that their pilots are bringing on this mission, or otherwise have access to in the field.

Reserves is an umbrella term for extra gear, ammunition, support, reinforcements, information, access, and everything else that the pilots have available to them during the mission. Reserves are typically acquired during downtime, but pilots can also be granted them in the field.

There are no specific rules governing what counts as reserves and what can be brought on a mission. As long as the GM agrees that you can bring it with you, then it can be a reserve. Establishing reserves before the mission starts is important because it clearly shows players and the GM what resources are available from the beginning. This prevents unnecessary attempts to acquire items during the mission and arguments over who has access to what.

Stage Four: Boots on the Ground

Once the parameters of a mission have been established – its goal and stakes clearly outlined, the characters briefed and prepared, and reserves identified – play immediately moves to the fourth stage: boots on the ground.

In boots on the ground, the game cuts straight to the moment when the pilots arrive on the scene. The GM describes the situation and puts the pilots in the middle of it, ready to take action and respond. This jump cuts out unnecessary planning and stalling and cuts straight to the mission.

Putting boots on the ground doesn’t necessarily involve throwing the pilots right into combat, and probably shouldn’t most of the time. Let’s say the players have embarked on a mission to escort a refugee caravan through a heavily guarded checkpoint manned by local partisans. The GM could decide to start the mission just as the caravan is ambushed, throwing the players right into combat, but instead they decide to start the mission as the players meet up with the caravan outside of the checkpoint, giving the players a little more time to establish the situation.

Here are some other examples:

Stage Five: Ending a Mission and Debrief

Once a mission ends, successfully or otherwise, and the characters have a moment to breathe, it’s time for the debrief. Much like the briefing, the debrief doesn’t have to be an actual in-character meeting. It can easily be an out-of-character conversation among the people playing at the table.

There are two things players should do during the debrief:

1. Level up: All characters move up to the next LL, representing their improved access to resources, income, and clout.

2. Talk about the mission: This isn’t a necessary step but can be helpful for players (and their characters) to think about what worked and what didn’t during the session. If there were any notable moments that were fun, interesting, or exciting it can be helpful to talk about them here as well. Not only is it good feedback for the GM but also can help validate your fellow players. If you’re going to take this step, remember to be respectful – every session has the potential to be someone’s first session or first experience with a situation, encounter, or choice. Roleplaying is collaborative, not competitive.