Battlechat 22 October 2011

[DarkISI]

As always, I took the liberty to sort the whole thing. If you want to read through all the confusion an unsorted log would be... ah well, I know you don't want to ;)

<Habeas2>: Hello, and once again, welcome to the Catalyst Game Labs official BattleTech Line Developer-assisted BattleChat Protocol....
<Habeas2>: Standard rules are in effect. Keep questions short. Give others a chance. Don't be rude or you will be BAKED and then there will be CAKE.
<Habeas2>: That said, I will extend the chat an extra 15 minutes to allow for lateness and to get over the vidgame prattle.
<Habeas2>: *Now* I'm ready for questions!

<DarkISI>: what type of cake will there be?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Depends on who gets baked.

<Trboturtle>: Anything New on the BT novel front?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - As soon as we can pull it off that doesn't get us in legal or financial trouble.

<J_Schmetzer>: At which point--exactly!--did you decide, "okay, now that the Jihad is over we'll begin the Tetatae Grand Imperium's invasion of the Mica Majority?"
<KeVinK>: Tetatae hit while the IS is still reeling from the JarnFolk invasion
<Habeas2>: J_Schemtzer - At 2:14 AM Eastern Time, August 29th, 1997.
<Sarcasmo>: Judgement day?
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - It is always Judgment Day

<Weirdo>: Of the upcoming products, what can aero fans look forward to the most?

<BronzeUnicorn>: What is the present status on the corrected rerelease of Record Sheets 3039 Unabridged?
<Habeas2>: BronzeUnicorn - Pending.

<Nathan60>: Will TRO 3067 be coming out this year?
<Habeas2>: Nathan60 - My sources say maybe

<Gooseman>: Do you have an ETA for the PDF release of Final Reckoning?
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - Real soon.
<Gooseman>: Fair enough...

<txMaddog>: will there be a ERA digest 3072?
<Habeas2>: txMaddog - No

<DarkISI>: Is CGL cooperating with Piranha Games on the new MechWarrior computer game?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - We are cooperating as much as our capabilities allow
<DarkISI>: Does that mean you help out with the story and will the new MechWarrior game be considered canon (none of the older games is)
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Canonizing computer games is inherently risky so, no, we do not guarantee that the computer game will be treated as canon.
<Trboturtle>: SO, how much involvement does CGL have with the MW game?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - We'll help advertise it, and we helped supply a good time period and settings, but in game play and events terms, I think the game designers take over. Much like how it's always been in our past source-vidgame correspondences.

<Sarcasmo>: Any info on the "coming soon" XTRO: Periphery and Objectives: AFFS
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - Both are looking to release soon

<Weirdo>: Are we likely to see more infantry units in future products or TROs like in 3085?
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - Make up your mind, Zug; do you want ships or infantry?
<Weirdo>: Yes.
<DarkISI>: Can we get Aero capable infantry? ^^
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Maybe not

<Sarcasmo>: Any Filtvelt goodies in XTRO: Perph. or is it stuff already in TROroto
<Sarcasmo>: TRO: Prototypes, I meant
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - I believe all XTR Periphery are for factions of the pre-Jihad Periphery states



<BronzeUnicorn>: It has been indicated elsewhere that a time jump from the end of the Jihad period to some point in the AoD/"Dark Age" timeline is forthcoming. Is Jihad FR the last "storyline" product before that jump occurs?
<Habeas2>: BronzeUnicorn - Yes. After the Jihad sourcebooks wrap up, we'll give a final look at the 3085 universe before advancing the timeline to the Dark Age. Since the time in between the Jihad and Dark Age is so void of Sphere-spanning warfare, it's really a dead zone for story.
<Habeas2>: This is a wargame universe, after all.
<Trboturtle>: ?
<Trboturtle>: Or an undead zone for story......
<txMaddog>: so will there be an update of some sort to cover those years ?
<Habeas2>: txMaddog - Yes. After a fashion. More like a Historical

<Gooseman>: Now that the Jihad is just about wrapped up, how will the current time line be fleshed out?
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - The future timeline will be fleshed out using sourcebooks.
<Gooseman>: Excellent, will they (future sourcebooks) be in the vein of ERA reports?
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - Yes, Era Reports and Era Digests are planned to continue.

<Toad>: When will the Frist Post DA material be out?
<Habeas2>: Toad - Our schedule is in flux. Originally I planned for the post-DA to start in 2012-2013. Now it may be out as far as 2015
<Trboturtle>: who's Frist?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - I'm first
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - But I never heard of Frist
<DarkISI>: Frist is the German word for time limit or deadline. Deadline seems fitting here. Must be a case of broken translation


<Weirdo>: This might be more IWM's schtick than CGL's, but I'll ask anyway: Are there any plans to release more Unique character minis like the Orion Kerensky, Mad Cat Pryde, or the upcoming Bounty Hunter stuff?
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - Maybe. Those are special promotionals, and we tend to try and coordinate with IWM on them.

<Nathan60>: IS there any news on WOR Supplemental, like if it will come out by the end of this year?
<Habeas2>: Nathan60 - We hope to release the WoR PDF-exclusive supplemental before the end of the year, but I cannot give a date on this

<Trboturtle>: What about that three legged Mech thingie -- are we going to see that
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Yes, the tripedal Superheavy 'Mechs will eventually appear in classic canon
<Trboturtle>: And a cable gun will be invesnted to take them down.....
<Toad>: Will there be more superheavy mechs besides the Ares?
<Habeas2>: Toad - yes
<DarkISI>: Do you have any idea, how hit locations will change for the Ares class tripods? (If you do, can you tell? )
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Yup! (And nope!)
<DarkISI>: that's what I feared. But I had to try ^^

<Sarcasmo>: Any focus on the Cappie V. RoTS conflicts? I don't know much about them other then they existed.
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - Yes

<BronzeUnicorn>: Would we then see products a la Brush Wars someehwere in the next few years that go back and give a retroactive look at the minor conflicts taht occur?
<Habeas2>: BronzeUnicorn - Yes

<VhenRa>: Does that mean that the time between will be catching up the rest of us to the current time of Dark Age?
<Habeas2>: VhenRa - I'm slightly confused by your question. Can you rephrase?
<VhenRa>: Will the time in between the end of the Jihad storyline and the start of the post-DA storyline be used to catch the rest of us up with Dark Age?
<Habeas2>: VhenRa - Sourcebooks are planned to cover what happens between the Jihad and the Dark Age without taking us there 1-2 years at a clip, yes. So nobody should be entering the Dark Age setting completely blind.

<Weirdo>: Will FM: 85 include an in-depth look at the RaF in the style of the first Field Manuals, to show us doctrine, paint schemes, and other tidbits, or will it be a very general look like FM:U or the Field Reports?
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - To conserve space and resources, the approach is more Updates-style than standard style. The RAF will get way more attention only because it's a new faction, but I hope not to overdo the details.
<Weirdo>: Fair enough. I'm mostly interested in organization, paint schemes, and fleet strength. Obviously history can be left out, being a brand-new army and all.
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - What fleet strength?
<Weirdo>: Well, there's the Mercy...
<Weirdo>: ...I'll stop now. I feel the Eye of Oystein gazing my way...

<Trboturtle>: *Starts humming "Jake the Peg"*
<DarkISI>: @trboturtle I have no idea where I should put your humming in my log... please give me more context ^^
<Trboturtle>: DarkISI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS-itkO9ia8 [TITLE: Rolf Harris Show 22nd March 1969 - Jake The Peg BBC VIEWS: 322282 FAVES: 1190 RATING: 4 RATERS: 560 UPLOADED: retunerman ]

<Sarcasmo>: Will we still be seeing TROs every year, and if so, what will they cover, as we will be entering a relative era of peace?
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - Actually..... No. We will be slowing down the pace of TROs. There will be no new TROs published in 2012, according to our current schedule.
<Sarcasmo>: Sad, but sensical

<Tizona>: Herb, in a recent tweet you said: "Street-legal again! Yay! Now, back to work...." Has this something to do with a green light to new novels covering the uncharted land where you are heading us after the Dark Age? (sorry if already commented, I've been late)
<Habeas2>: Tizona - Um, that was a reference to getting my new used car licensed and registered so I can legally drive it. I do have a semblance of a life outside of BattleTech after all...
<Tizona>: Lol
<Tizona>: Ok, thx

<Toad>: Can you comment on when the ban of Periphery Sates will be lifted?
<Toad>: For writes and such that is?
<Habeas2>: Toad - What ban?
<Toad>: The gag you put out wheb WoR can out.You told the writes and such to clam up.
<Habeas2>: Toad - A ban on writers for Periphery States? Depends on what they're writing. There are still some serest out there

<BronzeUnicorn>: What is the next set of the beautiful hardboard maps and tiles coming our way, and how frequently can we expect new ones?
<Habeas2>: BronzeUnicorn - Canyons & Mountains is the next Hex Pack we plan to release, and another one may come out before the end of 2012, making that a two-hexpack year


<Suralin>: Dunno if this has been asked yet, since i showed up late, but will there be expanded record sheets and such for the various 3075-and-later Protos? (E.g. Svartalfa/Svartbeta)
<Habeas2>: Suralin - Yes
<Suralin>: Excellent, thanks :)

<Sarcasmo>: How is the record sheets for 3067 coming along?
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - As with all RS products, it will be lucky to see the light of day.... Seriously, they're working on them.

<Gooseman>: So as I understand it the print starterbooks (e.g. Sword and Dragon) were a bust, what will be the print focus now be? TRO's, Era Reports, anything else?
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - TROs, Era Reports, Field Manuals, Historicals, and eventually plot books to move the new settings forward.
<Gooseman>: Plat books? Could you elaborate?
<Gooseman>: *plot* grrrrr
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - The entire Jihad Hot Spots series, the Interstellar Players books, and Wars of Reaving were all plot books; their primary focus is to move the story line, whereas other sourcebooks have different focii.
<Gooseman>: Perfect, now I understand, thanks! :)

<Yuan1>: Are there plans for a new Merc Sup after the Jihad, so we can see how they survived.
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Not at this time

<Weirdo>: Any plans to rerelease paper maps, or release new ones, so players can expand their playng fields faster than HexPacks come out?
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - Working on those. Believe me, I kind of want them out myself.

<BronzeUnicorn>: With Handbook House Kurita being the lone orphan, do we have hope of seeing that in the near future (i.e. the next year?)
<Habeas2>: BronzeUnicorn - There's always hope.

<Yuan1>: It was rumored that you posted a faction must die. Want to give a clue as to what one you want dead?
<drufause>: He already Killed Marik
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - House Davion. But I didn't post that. I posted in Facebook that I was deleting an entire faction. That exapnded to take out an entire planned chapter of the book, so in a way it was ALL factions, for one chapter.
<Acid_Queen>: House Davion's still around? Damn!
<Sarcasmo>: House Davion now and forever!
<Acid_Queen>: Pffff--Liao to the bloody bitter end, baby!
<VhenRa>: Yes, to the end. The end they should have met in 4th SW
<Acid_Queen>: VhenRa: You wish, Fedboy :P
<Habeas2>: (Sarcasmo - You're not a Davion any more, remember?)
<VhenRa>: Er... I technically these days support the Lyrans. Though I suppose I like the FedSuns more then the Cappies.
<Suralin>: Ozawa-Addicks Mercantile Alliance forever!
<txMaddog>: Clan Sea Fox!

<ScottSR>: Now that WOR has been released how do you feel about that project and how it turned out? Also, what is your take on fan reaction to WOR? I imagine that it has sold particularly well
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I'm pleased with how the entire Jihad plot book series turned out, including WOR. I'm just as glad to se this era reach its conclusion as anyone. But I rarely have time to read reviews; instead I just check sales figures.

<Weirdo>: While another Vehicle Annex is probably unlikely, will we continue to see crazy support vehicles in future products?
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - At a slow trickle, maybe. Some folks are pressuring me to give the Vehicle Annex another try, and support it with more supplements, but that's another matter for another day
<Weirdo>: VA Supplementals? Small XTRO or smaller tidbits packed with support goodness? I'm there!
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - Maybe. I'm still not sold.
<Weirdo>: Fair enough. I'll just keep hoping.
<Trboturtle>: maybe an XTRO:Vehicles?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Maybe. But only if it can be justified.

<Yuan1>: I read in the Ben Rome interview that he would love to write some fiction about Devin Stone's history. Does this mean you are going to let him tell some of the secrets behind the man or will you save that for future products?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - We'd consider it.

<Gooseman>: Total Warfare is the current tournament legal ruleset, TRO Prototypes changes the base of some equipment (e.g from advanced to tournament legal). Will there be a corresponding change in the future "basic rulebook"?
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - Not necessarily. The changes in TR: Prototypes are the effect of universe progression more than rules legality. Consider how "legal" a game featuring ER Large Lasers in all sizes would technically be Tourney Legal in a game set in 3007. Technically, that's illegal, because those wearpons aren't in play then. That's what TRrototypes tries to acomplish
<Gooseman>: I certainkly understand what you are saying, let me clarify. When Total Warfare was put out, it was tournament legal in context of the current story timeline. Now that the current story timeline is moving to and past what the in-universe publishing date of TRO Prototypes is, what (if any) will be the impact on the "basic book"?
<Habeas2>: Gooseman - It would be a real pain in the posterior surfaces to continuously reprint the books every time we introduce new technologies at lower tech/game rules levels and change them at later dates. As a result, it is not at all certain that we will be re-issuing Total Warfare just to account for the changes made in Prototypes. As a result, I'm afraid it still lies with the players to make sure they get the relevant books to
<Gooseman>: Thanks!

<ScottSR>: Can you speak at all to timeframes for release of supplementals for WOR and for H:RW? Also, what are the odds that we will see J:FR pdf released today?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - As mentioned, we hope to get the WoR PDF-exclusive supplemental out by the end of the year, but I can't recall where we indicated that H:RW will have one? I am not inclined to offer a street date for PDF releases at this time.

<Yuan1>: How are the primative XTRO's coming and when will we see another one?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - There are still 4 more Primitives XTRs in the works. One more may be released before year's end.

<Toad>: May I ask (if you feel inciled too) what is the page count for J:FR?
<Habeas2>: Toad - A remarkably small 170 pages.
<DarkISI>: so I can't kill small dogs with Final Reckoning? Damned
<Gooseman>: DarkISI, you could do it with 170 pages, just requires a little more technique :)
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - No; but then, Randall didn't WRITE Reckoning

<ScottSR>: Did you enjoy the build up and hints by Ben Rome as we moved towards WOR release date, or were you generally to busy elsewhere to partake of that? Also, can you speak at all about how well it has been selling?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I was handling my own fronts; I tended to let Ben have as much fun as he could manage

<Trboturtle>: Everything on schedule as it relates to products?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Um. No, but fortunately we stopped promising street dates, so you can't tell how much I nerfed the schedule here

<Weirdo>: What upcoming product are YOU looking forward to the most?
<Habeas2>: Weirdo - Right now, that book is on the radar in 2015....
<Weirdo>: Oooohh....

<J_Schmetzer>: Oh, look--what's that in my email?
<ScottSR>: I think you said previously [months ago] that TRO3130 or whatnot would come out in 2012, earlier today you said no TRO's for next calendar year [2012]. Is the latter now correct?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - Yes. TR:3130 is no longer scheduled for 2012 release.

<ScottSR>: Have your cats been busy plotting additional future plotlines for our beloved fictional universe?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - Yes, but Oscar has decided that technorganic Mechs are a bad idea (they taste bad).
<sarcasmo>: bio-roids!
<Suralin>: Technorganic? Someone watched Beast Wars...
<Suralin>: Yeeeesss...
<RodConvoy>: Suralin-Technorganic was so Beast Machines and a bit of Animated. I prefer a pure Cybertron. Yeeeess.
<Habeas2>: Suralin - And TFA. Oscar demonstrated his displeasure by attacking Black Arachnia out of all my other Cons...

<Trboturtle>: Part I: Part One?
<Habeas2>: J_Schemtzer - Probably porn. Please share
<J_Schmetzer>: Hush, you. Both of you.
<Trboturtle>: I think it's the Max Liao centerfold from the '13 playgirl edition...
<Trboturtle>: <Habeas2>: J_Schemtzer - Probably porn. Please share
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - I don't understand?
<Acid_Queen>: Trboturtle: I object! My cat never posed for pr0n!


<Yuan1>: What future product has you going "Wow this rocks", and and what one is turning into a big pain in the rear for you?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Kind of n unfair question. Every book we produce goes from one extreme to the other in the course of its life. I looked forward to just about every aspect of Reckoning, for example, only to hate the book in the final days of editing.
<Acid_Queen>: doh!
<Yuan1>: *Gives Herb a extra bacon pizza to make up for the unfair question*
<Habeas2>: Mmmmm. Bacon
<Acid_Queen>: I like pie.
<sarcasmo>: Bacon is expensive, now. And that bites into my BattleTech budget.
<Habeas2>: Acid_Queen - You either like bacon, or you're wrong
<Acid_Queen>: Bacon is the Road to Awesome. :P
<Suralin>: Bacon is superior to all other meats

<Habeas2>: Yeah, the FB links and other links leave off the excalamation

<ScottSR>: Can you speak to what pdf only releases you hope to get out before years end?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - Well, we plan to release as many Field Reports, Objectives, XTRs, and Turning Points as are feasible in the next few months. There's even another Dossier pack in the wings
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I had also hoped to debut at least one new PDF-exclusive series, but the odds now are that I will have a nervous breakdown trying to do that, so I'm gonna just hold off there

<ScottSR>: Any previosuly-unmentioned new titles in the TP series? Ben said elsewhere that only DATP:Vega was in that line for this year.
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - Hmmm. I'd have to prod Ben. I think there may be one more, but it may simply be unready

<sarcasmo>: Any new formats (in the vein of ER and XTROs) that you're toying with?
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - Yes.

<Yuan1>: So what products can we look forward to buying for, and getting purchased for ourselves, for under our Christmas trees. (or whatever holiday you celebrate.)
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - I believe we will see the Reckoning and the CGL reprint of TRO: 3067 by the end of the year. (But some people say that, as an agnostic, my beliefs are meaningless.)

<Trboturtle>: IS there another BattleCorps anthology going to come out this year?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Not that I am aware of, sorry
<Trboturtle>: :(

<ScottSR>: shadowrun recently released a product giving game stats for multiple "very high level/power" individuals in there game universe. ANy ideas of doing a similar thing for Btech? Some products give some details, but thoughts on doing full details? Everygame group is different and should set there in power curve, for example?
<RodConvoy>: ScottSR- Wouldn't that be Master and Minions's rules section?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - For the time being, the closest you will see in that regard for BattleTech would be the dossiers and special character entries akin to what we had in Masters & Minions, where most of the details are avoided so GMs can do what they will. After all, the moment you stat out a Kai Allard-Liao, every player will demonstrate how easy it is to make someone EVEN BETTER!
<ScottSR>: yes, there is that. Makes me kinda wonder why SR went that route with their product. Anyways, back to the Btech universe...
<drufause>: Kai's stats are not that great he just gets to roll 6d6 and keep the best 2
Suralin rolls all 1s

<sarcasmo>: Hows box set coming along? any word?
<sarcasmo>: (been booted twice so I apologize if has been mentioned)
<DarkISI>: Sarcasmo - Ulisses Spiele was selling the German version at SPIEL in the last few days :)
<Habeas2>: Sarcasmo - The latest reprint of the box set, I'm told is "on the boat"
<sarcasmo>: Sweet!

<Yuan1>: Has any thought been given to having stats and information pages being included for new weapons and equipment that may be in XTRO's and TRO's in the future? Sort if like they did with the original 2750 and 3050 TRO's.

<Habeas2>: Going to give you all another 15 minutes now, because I'm sad and lonely.
<sarcasmo>: Yay Herb!
<sarcasmo>: Well, yay for staying. not being sad and lonley.
<DarkISI>: Free Guinness for Herb
<Yuan1>: Guinness and bacon pizza.. what man wouldn't be happy?

<ScottSR>: What characters in the Jihad and WOR timelines/plots did you most and least enojy seeing get killed off? Are the others who survived that you wish had not?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I liked seeing Alex Carlysle die off camera; I liked seeing the Black Thorns die even though I didn't set out to kill them; I liked seeing Wolf and Waco die in the awesome way they managed to do so--at each other's throats to the bitter end; I loved how we gave all of the WoB leadership their final send-offs on Terra, Gibson, and Circinus.....
<DarkISI>: The man sure likes his killing :D
<sarcasmo>: Wolf and Waco was pretty sweet
<txMaddog>: yes it was :)
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I wish we could have taken out Victor Steiner-Davion (if only because he'd become redundant), and I wish we could have finished off the Wolf's Dragoons and Northwind Highlanders (because coming up for ways to fiat their survival in the name of continuity was painful); and I really think we could have smashed even more worlds, but the WoB was simply running out of nukes and ships to do all that with....

<Acid_Queen>: Is Kali still inflicting her crazy ass on the universe? Or did she get ganked too?
<Habeas2>: Acid_Queen - She lived. Ater maiming her own son and sending the severed hand to his dad.
<Acid_Queen>: Dammit.
<Habeas2>: Are you kidding? She was hysterical crazy
<Acid_Queen>: She needs to die, dude. I'm a Capellan die-hard, and even I think she needs to go. :P
<sarcasmo>: She's crazy-hot.
<Acid_Queen>: >.<
<txMaddog>: have her slip on a bar of soap
<Acid_Queen>: The Red Lancers need to combat-drop on her house and stomp her into the dirt.
<drufause>: but vsd has not knocked her up yet
<Acid_Queen>: ....
<Acid_Queen>: DEAR GODS NO.
<Habeas2>: Acid_Queen - SOrry; continuity needs dictated Kali lives.
<Trboturtle>: What about Kali's son?
<RodConvoy>: Victor Liao wrote a book My Mother's Crazy and I'm not the son of Spock. Later, he had a daughter.
<Acid_Queen>: lol Rod
<drufause>: LOL
<Suralin>: hahaah
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - We call Kali's son "Lefty" these days.

<DarkISI>: How many rolls of toilet paper do MechWarriors take with them in the 'Mech cockpit?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - 1. None if they are Clan.

<Yuan1>: So who did have the most trouble killing off then? Whom did you really like and was sad over killing them?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Hmmm. I didn not really have trouble killing anyone. A key thing a writer must always be aware of--especially in a wargame universe--is that you must be prepared to "murder your babies". I liked the Manei Domini, especially APollyon, as I'd built some real depth to them while making them seem as alien and monstrous as possible. Killing them off wholesale--especially the way I had to do so with Appy--felt a little sad,
<Habeas2>: ok.
<Yuan1>: Hmmm.. New novel "The Return of APollyon: Now I am Mad!".... I would read it.

<ScottSR>: Was the reduction in clan snow raven naval assests set by the need to reduce the warship fleet of all factions in the inner sphere? ie "we cant let them have TOO many moer ships than everybody else?"
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - The universe does need a new equilibrium. As we know, too great an imbalance in the setting between factions means that one will conquer another in short order without tons of tricks employed. A Snow Raven Clan with a full fleet versus Houses that can barely command four WarShips would have ended a House sooner or later
<Toad>: Just hope The Adder dont come knocking with any Levs


<drufause>: Am I the only ones looking forward to more stories of the broken Kurita Family from dark ages
<Habeas2>: Drufause - Nope. I would look forward to it as well

<ScottSR>: are there any periphery factions that you have a particular love, or lack of love, for? was it simply fear and or paranoia that led to them nuking so many millions of people int he 3070's?
<sarcasmo>: Herb loves Filtvelt. Told me so himself!
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I kind of like the Marians and the Magistracy. I'm not terribly fond of the Fronc Reaches or the Niops Association. And I *loathe* pirates!


<Frabby>: (late to the show...)
<DarkISI>: late doesn't begin to cover it ^^
<DarkISI>: but no worries, I'm logging ;)
<Toad>: where in double overtime actually!!!

<Frabby>: Unsure if this was already asked: Who was (ooc) the "Master" in the recent IC chat?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - I'm not telling!

<Yuan1>: Are there any plans for new Solaris products? So much new tech that I am sure there would be plenty of new mechs there.
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Yes there are

<Habeas2>: Gonna be wrapping this up soon guys, so get your last questions in!

<drufause>: So what happens to all the money that Steiner was thowing at comstar to fix the HPG's now that a wolf is in charge
<Habeas2>: drufause - That's a setting we haven't reached yet

<Frabby>: Ok... what I really wanted to know: Somebody asked about what happened to Precentor William Blane. The "Master"'s IC answer was "spaced over Tharkad". What's the real story?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Spaced over Tharkad. Seriously; Cameron had enough of his shit.
<Suralin>: I'm sort of imagining a dropship running into Blane's corpse, like that scene from Galaxy Quest.
<Suralin>: SPLAT.
<Frabby>: Cool, thanks for the clarification. Is there any reference in canon to this yet or is the how and why of Blane's fate a blank slate, storytelling-wise?
<Trboturtle>: :D
<Habeas2>: Frabby - As with the death of Alex Carlysle, it's simply too small an event to make it into the story in any form. Kind of like the Black Thorns' final hourse.
<Frabby>: BattleCorps, here I come.
<Trboturtle>: The BlackThorns had a hourse?
<Habeas2>: Minus the "e", yes
<Frabby>: Yes, the black kind of hourse Death rides on.
Habeas2 smacks Trboturtle
<Trboturtle>: sarcasmo -- should be all right as long as the story is good, the grammer is sound and the format is followed.....

<ScottSR>: last battlehcta you released a product during the second chat, it sounds like we shoudl NOT be expecting JFR today around 830PM then?
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - I dunno. We'll see.
<ScottSR>: no guarantees, no problem

<Habeas2>: That everyone?
<DarkISI>: My log says, everything is answered

<Trboturtle>: So, something in the pipeline for a (Hopefully) Christmas release?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - No guarantees. Fact is, we hate December releases, so much so that when it looks like I'm getting too late and something may end up in December, my bosses hit me

<DeJaVu>: Now bc.сom, always talking about a small number stories. In fact, a dying corpse. Plan you somehow change the situation?
<Habeas2>: DeJaVu - Damn. WIsh you'd been here earlier; I'd have to refer you to Jason Schemtzer for that
<Trboturtle>: DejaVu -- simple -- we need writers!
<sarcasmo>: So trboturtle you're saying I should submit my story...
<DeJaVu>: Authors we have, though written in Russian. A translation into English poorly (
<Trboturtle>: WOn't hurt....the worse that will happen is Jason uses it for target pratice.......
<DarkISI>: I should really get my latest BC submission try finished - hopefully Jason wants it this time ^^
<Frabby>: @DeJaVu: Use the BT authors self-help group at battletechfiction.org, aka the BT Writer's Workshop.
<Trboturtle>: I have two that are lost somewhere in continuity.....
<sarcasmo>: Trboturtle: I've seen the mans twitter rants, it frightens me...

<Trboturtle>: DarkISI: Now do you understand my "Jake the Peg" reference?
<DarkISI>: Trboturtle - sadly, yes

<drufause>: Can you comment on the speculation that the next generation MMO from Blizzard titled 'Titan' is a Battletech MMO yet?
<Habeas2>: Drufause - It's not. Don't even tease.



<Habeas2>: Thank you for participating in this Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech Line Developer-aided Enrichment Activity. Good bye!
<Habeas2>: See you all (or at least some of you) at 8 PM!
<ScottSR>: As always, thank you for your time.
<Trboturtle>: bye!
<Frabby>: I'll try to be punctual for a change...

[Martius]

Interesting...

Thanks, DarkISI.

[DarkISI]

My pleasure

[Goose]

Dangit: I thought that was going to happen tomorrow.  :'(

[DarkISI]

Nope, we are, thankfully, back on the Saturday schedule. But there is another one later today (in 4.5 hours, to be exact).

[Xotl]

Thanks as always.

[StCptMara]

And, now, I look forward to DarkISI's sorting of part 2

[DarkISI]

Korsar was logging the second part. Should be available soon.

[Rainbow 6]

Thanks mate, i'm looking forward to reading the second part now.

[Korsar]

Sorry, went to sleep as it was about 3:30 am in the morning in Germany... But now, without much further ado:
Behold! The Second Battlechat. Sorted for your (in)convinience  ;D

<Habeas2>: Hi there!

<Frabby>: Soooo... with Jihad - Final Reckoning out, there's one more publication to go and we're officially out of the Jihad era for good?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Effectively, yes

<Suralin>: 'Ello!
<Habeas2>: Suralin - Hello. And welcome to the Catalyst Game Lab BattleTech Line Developer-aided Public Relations Activity.

<Frabby>: I don't expect you to tell me how precisely you have planned out the storyline for the Dark Age and beyond... but I wonder: Are you going to push the setting ahead at the same speed fortwith?
<Frabby>: Or will you be looking back at previous eras a bit more?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Hell no. The normal rate of story line advanacement is 1-2 years per real time year. The time period from Jihad to Dark Age is 60 years across, during lot of which nothing terribly interesting happens. Ergo, we will not proceed at the same rate.
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Expect several Historicals; they have become a semi-established component of the sourcebook line.


<Mendrugo>: Herb - I just finished reading Wars of Reaving. (Been a busy couple of months, I know). The book mentions SDS systems a few times, but doesn't go into much detail. Do (did?) most Kerensky cluster worlds have SDS systems, and under what circumstances would they be used?
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - SDS systems were fairly common, at least on all five Pentagon worlds. Their likely intent was for anti-WarShip duty, keeping potential enemies from "cheating" with orbit to surface fire


<DarkISI>: Anything special you want to get off your chest, now that Final Reckoning is available?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Yes. I really wish time would slow down and give me a chance to catch up. I can't even read my own work any more.
<Suralin>: Oh, well.

<Suralin>: So, i know this question's been asked before, but are there any plans to introduce IS-tech Protomech rules at any point in the future? 'Cause I could see them manufactured as cheap patrol units (ICE engine maybe), and they'd probably be more durable and cheap than Ultra-Lights.
<Habeas2>: Suralin – Nope.
Suralin goes to a different window and puts together tentative IS Proto rules to post on the forum

<Frabby>: What I meant is, assuming we hit IC 3130 by OOC 2015, what IC year do you expect the BT universe to be in by, say, 2018?
<Frabby>: Yay for Historicals!
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Oh. Well, presuming we hit 3130 by 2015, by 2018, I expect us to be in about 3150.
<Frabby>: Whoa. So it's not going to be slowing down much.


<Mendrugo>: Are there any prospects for a RS: Vehicle Annex on the horizon, or is nobody really clamoring for official record sheets of traffic copters?
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - Demand for TRO:Vehicle Annex did not acheive the level we had hoped for. A RS: VA is in the works, but not as a high priority.

<Yuan1>: How much thought been given to adding more to the role playing (Mechwarrior) side of battletech? Such as products and adventures?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - A Companion rulebook for AToW is scheduled for next year. Adventures--in a PDF-exclusive format--are being considered, but have been delayed by the need for other products to be completed.

<Korsar>: As I really liked the Rules for different AToW-Eras in the Era Reports: Any chance of more of them or will that be done with IO?


<drufause>: Can you give us the title of the Final Jihad book?
<Habeas2>: Drufause - Field Manual: 3085

<Frabby>: Ah, speaking of the RPG - do you solicit adventures? I have an old set of linked scenarios with tons of background fluff (the Choose-your-own-Adventure concept with lots of combat); would it make sense to submit something like that to BattleCorps?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - I would suggest attempting to sell your scenarios to BattleCorps if they are more based on BT play than RPG.

<drufause>: So Field Manual 3085 sounds like a recap and positioning book does this mean 99% of the story is told?
<Habeas2>: Drufause - Technically, with Reckoning, it's all been told. But FM: 3085 catches the universe up to TRO: 3085 and wraps up the "classic" setting for us

<Yuan1>: Who would win in a fight between Thomas Hogarth and Starscream?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Starscream, but probably not without damage.
<drufause>: Hogarth would win starscream always fails to beat infereiors

<DarkISI>: How long ago has it been decided, what exactly the Machina Domini will turn out to be? Have they always been planed in their current form or were they different, when they were first thought up?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - I had the idea of the Machina Domini form in mind before I even came up with their name.

<Korsar>: Since it's now nearly over (just two books to go and one of them a story book) Thanks Herb and all the writers for the Jihad books. I liked them a lot, starting with ISP and (hopefully) ending with FM:3085!
<Habeas2>: Korsar - You are welcome.

<DarkISI>: So, how much fun was it then, to see so many funs talking about them being IS Protomechs?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - I have not had the time to enjoy watching the fans' discussions. Indeed, I'm not even sure what is being discussed in the forums nowadays...
<Yuan1>: The Machina Domini might of won if all of them had been issued pants..
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 – Hardly.

<Frabby>: How intertwined is BattleCorps with CGL regarding submissions? I.e. if I submit something to BC that Jason finds to be out of scope for BC, would the material be given to CGL for consideration? Or am I "burning" an idea that I submit to BC?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Honestly, the fact is that I no longer accept unsolicited proposals and material for source work. At all. Got burned by someone and I won't tread that ground again. Thus, the only way to get unsolicited material into the universe in any form is BattleCorps
<Frabby>: Yup, got it. Unfortunately, I doubt that my adventure concept falls within BC's scope. The site even says they're not looking for linked scenarios.
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Just because the site isn't looking for linked scenarios doesn't mean you necessarily have nothing to work with. A primary reason for "no linked scenarios" is that Jason doesn't want a half-finished product when/if the author gives up.

<Mendrugo>: When the Jihad storyline first began, I immediately recalled a bit from the old Marik sourcebook about a Holovid called "Kingdom of the Gypsies", which featured a cybernetic madman plotting the demise of the Inner Sphere from a secret base in the Periphery. Was that sidebar bit at all an inspiration for the Master/Jihad, or just an incredible coincidence?
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - Incredible coincidence. Maybe. FASA knew they wanted the Master to be a cybered up "real" Thomas Marik, but the final form and character of this individual wound up on my shoulders way post-FASA.

<DarkISI>: How much of where FASA wanted to go with the Jihad has been done the way they wanted it to go?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Aside from the final hero and the length of time taken, most of it went as FASA planned. The Manei Domini, the Five Worlds, and Stone were all add-ins, but many of those would likely have appeared in some form or another...
<Alex_Knight>: mmmm....Manei Domini.
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Actually, there were some changes we also made from the plan, some were even made by the PLAYERS:
<Habeas2>: Allow me to expand on this.
<DarkISI>: was just going to ask you to
<Habeas2>: The original FASA plan for the Jihad was still a war that begins as a temper tantrum when the allied leaders scrap the Second Star League for no good reason....
<Habeas2>: The plan held that, upon that failure, ALL FIVE CAPITALS would be assaulted by Word of Blake fleets appearing without warning to bombard and seize them....
<Habeas2>: Victor and company would run to Tukayyid to regroup, at which point the false Thomas Marik would "come clean", reveal his identity, and join their side....
<Habeas2>: Meanwhile, all of the CHaos March would be under WoB assault, while Wolf's Dragoons and NWH banded together to forge a mercenary protectorate around all nearby worlds willing to meet their price. (Yup; no noble sentiment at all here. This was pure "pay or die" politics)
Alex_Knight hides away his "Death to the Dragoons and NWH" signs
<Habeas2>: Victor would again rally the various factions to put down the Word, a process that would take two years, and be nearly lost before suddenly the slumbering Ghost Bears, with their powerful WarShip fleet and such, would join the war berserker style, believing that the WoB is in league with the long-lost Wolverines.
<DarkISI>: Mercenary Protectorate sounds interesting.
<Korsar>: Just thought the same thing...
<Habeas2>: The Bears would essentially lead the charge on all fronts as the allies led by Victor brought us to Terra (CapCon once again sat it out, going "turtle" while the rest of the IS fought and bled) and be stopped only in Terran orbit, when Victor points out that their landing of troops would unravel the truce between IS and Clan, something the Warden Bears were not ready to do.
<Habeas2>: That, in the short form, was the FASA plan
<Frabby>: To me, the single most beautiful aspect of the Jihad was that Wolf's Dragoons were burned - and how it was done. They had become such a powerful faction that *something* had to be done about them. The way Jaime Wolf's death (at the hands of Wayne Waco no less!) was used as a funeral pyre for the old BattleTech and usher in a new era was fantastic!
<Warlord>: hey us Cappies know better, let others bleed instead of us
Brian_Davion shows warlord a map of the capcon cira 3130
<Habeas2>: A few problems popped up in the planning committe, not the least of which was "where did WoB get all that force?". Second was "I don't care HOW fanatical they are; nobody fights a war like that unless they think they can win it!"
<DarkISI>: hmm... I like FASA's plan and I like how it turned out in the end. But now I'm hoping for a Mercenary Protectorate at some point in time
<Habeas2>: Answerung those questions, and adjusting for things like FASA's closure, support for the WizKids' line, and dealing with the fact that a canon event DESTROYED the Ghost Bear fleet all had to be dealt with.
<Habeas2>: That's how FASA's Jihad transformed into the one you guys got.
<DarkISI>: thanks for clearing that up
<Habeas2>: And now, to continue onto other questions (DarkISI, have fun sorting THAT out...)
<Korsar>: He isn doing it this time around...
<DarkISI>: Korsar is logging this chat

<insert_name_here>: Great work on Final Reckoning!
<ScottSR>: just wanted to say that I just purhcased 4 pdf only releases and JFR. I am moving apartments today and "felt" that I should not move my computer just yet. Thank you sir!
<Habeas2>: Insert_Name_Here – Thanks
<Habeas2>: ScottSR - You're welcome.

<Warlord>: evening

<Mendrugo>: What are the official colors of the Stone Lion insignia?
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - Meh, I'm thinking gold and gray.

<Warlord>: once your done i have a question, if you may

<DarkISI>: Ah... Wolverines. Are the rumors about their connection to the WoB revealed in Final Reckoning? (haven't had a chance to look into the book, yet)
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - No, nothing about the Wolverweenies is mentioned, I don't think.

<Yuan1>: What kinds of conflicts can we look forward to in the historical that take place after the Jihad but before the Dark Age? Republic of the Sphere verses Capellan Confederation, minor border clashes, IS clans acting up ?
<Klep>: Yuan1: we know the victoria war is a thing that happens
<Klep>: hopefully that will get some coverage
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - One of the first Historicals we're tending to are is the Liberation of Terra (back in the 2760s). An Historical for the Jihad-Dark Age setting will likely be Brush Wars-style, covering at least the three major conflicts of the era.

<Warlord>: when will the next major plot line start? what is the year?
<Habeas2>: Warlord - The plan is that the next "current" plot line will unfold in the 3130s-3150s. There will, however, be a bunch of Historicals posted to help support recent products like the Reunification War
<Warlord>: sounds good to me, ty
<Warlord>: bring a cappie player I am waiting for the hammer to fall on them and be the picked on kid of the IS again
<Habeas2>: Warlord - 3150 is the next plot arc time period.

<No-Face>: Habeas: I have heard an ugly rumor that in the near future that the game is going to be more focused (or entirely focused) on Quickstrike, that the game is going to be dumbed down and that all the old technologies are going to be superseded / not going to work in-game anymore. Please allay my fears & tell us that this isn't true!
<Habeas2>: No-Face - One thing to bear in mind is that Quickstrike is a simplified form of standard BattleTech, meshed with BattleForce. These are established elements of the game setting and rules structure and thus should not be seen as "dumbed down". They are, however, faster-playing, a valid area of gameplay considering BatleTech's sheer age and the amount of play time our ever-older audience has to work with (many of us are married)
<Habeas2>: No-Face - That said, there are plans to improve emphasis of Quickstrike games, but NOT to cut out classic BT rules, since one is derived from the other.

<Trboturtle>: So,m how did Devlin Stone wander into this....
<Trboturtle>: Why this Devlin Stone and not Victor Steiner-Davion?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Not Victor because even back in FASA's day, Victor was seen as over-used. He WAS the Deus Machina of the universe.
<Brian_Davion>: and some guy who comes out of no where to save us all ISN'T by definiton a Deus Machina?
<Habeas2>: Brian_Davion – No.

<Frabby>: Somehow I got the distinct feeling that the small-time merc unit (lance to company sized) is kinda dying out post-Jihad, and that even the big names of the business are reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. Yet at the same time, player groups (the ones I played in, at least) typically fit into that exact niche.
<Frabby>: So Herb, what's your vision for small-time merc units post-3085?
<Habeas2>: Frabby - A lot of post-3085 merc activity will likely be helping the various factions, companies, and minor powers stabilize their territories, especially in the Fallen Worlds League.
<Klep>: ooh Fallen Worlds League... I like that


<Klep>: Habeas2: will there be a product to bring us up-to-date on the 3130 status quo?
<Habeas2>: Klep – Yes.
<Klep>: good. i just realized that without having read the dark age novels, i have almost no idea what's up at that time
<Trboturtle>: Klep -- I Recomend all the novels from "The Scorpion Jar" forward. Most of those before that novel are either fair or poor.....
<Klep>: Trboturtle: i intend to read them all eventually
<DarkISI>: Trboturtle the NWH trilogy is still giving me nightmares
<Korsar>: @Isi: Meh, if that is giving you nightmares, thank god you didn`t read "Früchte voller Bitterkeit"
<Frabby>: I'm currently reading Früchte voll Bitterkeit and two thirds through the novel it isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting from the back cover text. (Sarna plot overview coming up.)
<Trboturtle>: Früchte voll Bitterkeit ? (MY German is noexsistant.....)
<Korsar>: @Trboturtle: Fruits of bitterness. Don`t ask, I won`t tell
<Trboturtle>: Korsar -- is that a translated DA Novel?
<DarkISI>: Trboturtle there are good reasons to stay away from the German novels FanPro came up with in the end (and Ulisses is releasing right now). The newest one basically includes Goa'ulds...
<Korsar>: @Trbturtle: No, German only novel from Fanpro
<Frabby>: Früchte voll Bitterkeit is one of the German novels that FanPro published after they lost the US license. It's original material and wasn't translated.
<Trboturtle>: DarkISI -- Well, it would have been a problem fitting a 'Mech through a Stargate.....
<Frabby>: @DarkISI: Actually, Karma ranks high up among BT novels for me; but the others were admittedly not nearly as good. Then again, there's some english BT fiction out there that didn't quite strike me as high literature either.
<Trboturtle>: Frabby -- Its hard to gage how good the German-only stories are as compared to the English.....
<DarkISI>: @Frabby, my problem is more the fact, that they simply aren't BT novels, but some strange scifi novels where the 'Mechs were added as an afterthought. They just feel wrong
<Brian_Davion>: sounds like some of the DA novels Dark.
<DarkISI>: the early ones, yes
<DarkISI>: that's why the NWH trilogy is giving me nightmares
<DarkISI>: and the fact that that one is really bad writing
<Trboturtle>: Ruins of Power for me.....
<Frabby>: @DarkISI: I couldn't bring myself to spend money on Wiege der Basilisken yet. After reading a review and a plot summary, I'm not sure if I want to read this at all. (Probably will, for the sake of producing another Sarna article and spare others the effort.)

<Trboturtle>: is there any "Offical" CGL presence over at Spiel Essen?
<DarkISI>: Trboturtle Ulisses Spiele is the official presence at SPIEL
<Frabby>: Sigh. Can't make it to SPIEL this year.
<DarkISI>: They are selling the German intro box
<Trboturtle>: ah. I'm not in europe, but I've been hearing about Spiel Essen and how its a major event in the gaming world over there....
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Not that I am currently aware of.
<Frabby>: @Trboturtle: Actually, the SPIEL is the world's biggest games and toy fair. Bigger than GenCon.

<Yuan1>: With the normal TRO production plans pushed back to one every two years will there be more XTRO's added to fill the gaps for players who always want something new to play with?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - We have plenty of XTROs in the schedule. No worries.

<Suralin>: Are there plans to inject the reconstituted FWL into more events post-3139? The Mariks have always seemed very under-used to me...
<Habeas2>: Suralin - As our plans for the Dark Age setting pick up in 3150, when the FWL is reformed, yes.
<Suralin>: Eeexcellent. >:]

<Warlord>: being a longtime battletech player I am happy with the progress of the game and universe, mind you the biggest things I have seen that I like are the addition of actual wet water units and the newer tech, since you are trying to add a bit more things we are used to in RL, with the Btech twist
<Warlord>: longtime = 25 years+

<Mendrugo>: Looking at the Track titles in Final Reckoning, I'm seeing a lot of love for G.I. Joe. Any clues to other easter eggs in Final Reckoning?
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - Ben Rome can be blamed for the GI Joe reference; he changed the original Track names and apparently picked the Joes as his theme. WHen I caught it, I yelled on every public forum and then let it go. No time to tweak.

<DarkISI>: Will we see many changes between Bonfire of Worlds and the picking up of the story line in 3150?


<Talz>: Habeas2 - Are there any plans in the works to increase the amount of Battlecorps content (fiction and/or other) from what we've seen over the last year?
<Habeas2>: Talz - In all honestly, Jason needs more quality writers capable of giving us good story, able to accept criticism and direction, and without tons of continuity headaches. It's simple as that. (And a bigger budget maybe, but that's actually outside my department.)
<Trboturtle>: Talz -- Can't speak for anyone else, but I am writing as fast as I can....

<Frabby>: Have you already decided on the nature of the Republic's "jump shield"? Depending on the technology, and what Clarion Note allegedly did to hyperspace according to Bonfire, this could be a game changer in the strategic level. Heck, it already is.
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Clarion Note and the "Jump Shield" are technologies I have devised explanations for, yes.
<Frabby>: Yeah, I'm told the Line Developer busted my latest BC submission because of factchecking concerns... :
<Trboturtle>: Frabby -- was that the one we were discussing in the workshop?
<Frabby>: @Trboturtle: Ayup. I removed all technical references from the story, completely rewrote it with another piece of technology after thorough research, and as of yet it hasn't been rejected.


<ScottSR>: what is NWH?
<DarkISI>: Northwind Highlanders
<Suralin>: NorthWind Highlanders.
<Warlord>: what they said
<Suralin>: In unison.

<Habeas2>: Huh. I caught up.

<DarkISI>: Had WizKids explanations for them or did you have to come up with your own?
<Habeas2>: A few different explanations were attempted. A few made me .... unwell.

<Warlord>: ty Herb for releasing Final Reckoning today, my budget hates you, but it'll live
<Habeas2>: Warlord - You are welcome.
<Warlord>: I was the one bitching from the day you announced the book, now I finally get my pretty
<Warlord>: bitching cause I wanted it asap, lol
<DarkISI>: want to share the one that made you the most unwell?
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Until we get there, I can't.

<Mendrugo>: Was there anything you wanted to destroy in the Jihad that somehow escaped unscathed?
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - The Wolf's Dragoons, the Kell Hounds, House Davion, the Northwind Highlanders, Victor Steiner-Davion, Texas, All Remaining WarShips, the Niops Asociation, Sun-Tzu Liao, Texas, New Avalon, Strana Mechty, and Texas.
<Warlord>: basically the whole universe and rewrite it
<Yuan1>: I think Herb may of missed Texas on that list...
<Kit_Hartford>: You missed Texas …
<Warlord>: so even you can't destroy everything, you got people to tell you NO!!!!

<Yuan1>: Most of the Jihad books were written in a chaotic news report format for flavor. Making it hard to follow and find fact from rumors. Will your new books be written the same way or will you return to the straight facts way of old?
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - In all probability, yu will not see the concentrated CNN-style coverage style for some time; fact is, it was a deliberate style choice to reflect the chaos of the Jihad (it would get very boring and seem very uncreative to keep saying "and WoB surprised them again" through so many books, after all), and most of the books planned for the future are going to get a more distanced viewpoint.
<Yuan1>: Good I hated the Chaos...
<Klep>: i actually really liked the chaos
<Korsar>: Yeah, me too
<Klep>: it felt more immersive
<Klep>: but it wouldn't work if it was done for every event
<DarkISI>: Chaos can be interesting, but it shouldn't be overused.
<Trboturtle>: To Do the Jihad like the other sourcebooks would have been a ten-volume epic that no one would read.....

<Klep>: Habeas2: are there any rejected explanations for the jump barrier that are particularly amusing you're willing to share?
<Habeas2>: Klep - All I will say is that the original explanations I got for how the HPG grid went down and how that applied to the jump barrier made it sound like the worst, most over-powered concept in the history of BattleTech--all just to explain why no one would be allowed to see Terra for a few years. I felt it was too extremely powerful for my tastes.
<Klep>: ah

<Habeas2>: Hmmm. Looks like I caught up again. For everyone's conveneince, I will continue chatting for another 26 minutes, because I'm sad and lonely.
<Warlord>: srry your sad and lonely
<Yuan1>: You haven't ordered your pizza yet?
<drufause>: I did not think Oscar lets you be lonely
<Yuan1>: Oscar is chewing on a Decepticon
<Brian_Davion>: drufause: yeah but at least he doesn't screw his siblings!
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Pizza! Erm... Not sure if I will this time....

<Suralin>: (Have the Marians invade Niops! Bwahaha!

<Trboturtle>: How much of the LD work is actually creating stuff and how much of it is cracking the whip over others, and trying to keep the product line surging ahead?

<DarkISI>: I watched Transformers 3 between chats

<Warlord>: awesome

<Mendrugo>: Do you have any desire to resolve any of the outstanding mysteries from earlier Btech products, or is the drive for future projects to have a clean break and map new territory? (For example, the MW RPG 2E note about the MoC getting military equipment from a mysterious source circa 3030-ish.
<Habeas2>: Mendrugo - One thing we try to never do: SOlve every mysetry without having something to replace it. We took out quite a few lately and added more...and kept the MoC myserty alive
<Alex_Knight>: Ladies have to have secrets, after all
<Klep>: i really like the magistracy mystery
<Frabby>: @mendrugo: There is a possible explanation for the Magistracy's mysterious source of military equipment that can be extrapolated from the Blackthorne BattleForce comics. (Check out the Sarna article on the comics.)

<Warlord>: I like everything so far you've done (Mostly), but if you could just kick the Davions one more time for me I would appreciate it
<Brian_Davion>: I don't think there's much left to kick warlord.
<drufause>: Warlord for your pleasure they end up with a nub for a leader in the dark ages
<Yuan1>: Please do tell us you have huge plans for bringing the Davions down a few notches.
<drufause>: Are we sure on that the rumor is Sunny and Victor are dna related so its is cousin he decided to rape
<Alex_Knight>: Guys, have you bothered to read the Jihad books and the DA novels?
<Warlord>: if the Davions get their act together they could wreck the CCAF
<Trboturtle>: Yuan -- What they're not low enough for you??
<DarkISI>: Yuan1 you have read the DA novels and the crazy stupid first prince the Davions now call their own, have you?
<Warlord>: I haven't as of yet
<Alex_Knight>: I'm wondering if you guys want the Davions to be weaker than the Taurians
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 – Yes.

[Korsar]

And the second part of the second chat:

<Warlord>: Herb, are you going to mostly keep to the DA stuff that was put out before Jihad?
<Paladin1>: oh HELL no
<Habeas2>: Warlord - Yes. Dark Age is canon. We will preserve as much of it as we can


<Frabby>: Herb, can you tell us if there are any significant new factions going to show up (Tetatae invasion), or if we'll continue with the Five Great Houses, handful of Clans, and the established periphery nations? Personally, I think we need less factions rather than more.
<Habeas2>: Frabby - Don't worry. We got it.
<Trboturtle>: Tatatae were run over by the Blue Wombats...

<DarkISI>: Will we get to see more units totting around the Enhanced ER PPC? It's a shame we have only seen it in the Blake Documents so far
<Warlord>: the Enhanced ER PPC is a gamechanger for the IS, imo
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Hopefully not, actually
<Warlord>: if they get it
<DarkISI>: Why is that? I can live with the no, but the "hopefully" is interesting
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Because honestly, the only reason the weapon would stay gone is pure fluff: They didn't make enough to survive the years of Clan wars before the Invasion and attrition and upgrades replaced the ones that existed. But that's also what we'd say to explain away Primitive Mechs
<DarkISI>: You know, now I'm thinking it would have been a nice idea to put one on the Omega

<Brian_Davion>: Herb: you say "as much as we can" this implies there may be some things you belive will have to be ignored.. any particular examples your willing to bring up?
<Habeas2>: Brian_Davion - The only things we would have to change would be anything that specifically "breaks" the setting and cannot be adjusted credibly. This would basically be "errata". Thinks like having a lunatic run House Davion? Not broken; won't be fixed.
<Alex_Knight>: meh, just as long as he's about 3/4 as competant as Romano was
Brian_Davion wasn;t expected caleb to be retconned. my soul hope is the line developer to go "crazy people are boreing! kill em!"
<No-Face>: @Brian_Davion yeah but then tehre would be no characters left in the Dark Age.
<Brian_Davion>: LOL yeah that might be a problem

<drufause>: oh because im having such a great day the headless horseman's mount dropped for me today
<Brian_Davion>: WoW?
<drufause>: yes
<Brian_Davion>: I'm sorry...
<drufause>: im not
<Habeas2>: Drufause - Cat damn it! I really need to get back into WoW, but NOOOOOO! BattleTech must be appeased!

<Yuan1>: Ok silly question but... Why are there no wire guided missiles in Battletech? *ducks for cover*
<drufause>: I thought in one of the novels the Dragoons had some FBW missiles
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Acording to old fluff, there were. Then there weren't. And they never came back until someone decided to develop harpoons and Taser misiles

<Korsar>: Soo... now, after Convention Season seems to be over, are we having these chats in a regular intervall again?
<Habeas2>: Korsar - We will try to, yes. "Regular" may be loosely defined, however

<Paladin1>: Hope no one has ever asked this, but what's the chances of seeing a true black hat Davion after the lunatic in the DA setting is gone? Lawful Evil I can handle, but crazy? Not so much...
<drufause>: Technically speaking you could say that Hanse Davion was a Lawful Evil
<Habeas2>: Paladin1 - There have ben plenty. On camera, though.... Give us a while. Till maybe 2015, I think
<Paladin1>: that works, I'll wait.
<Trboturtle>: All sucessful Sucessor state Leaders are Lawful Evil....part of the job description.....
<drufause>: Theodore was more Chaotic Good
<Brian_Davion>: except Victor which explains why he's such a colossal screw up
<Paladin1>: it'd be nice to see a real feudal warlord instead of VSD
<Brian_Davion>: drufause: read between the lines theodore was a right bastard, he just was good at presenting a good exterior
<Brian_Davion>: this is a man who hid the existance of kitsune from Victor, and had salvage choppers secertly cleaning up after bulldog
<Trboturtle>: Victor was Grey Meh......
<Trboturtle>: Not really good, not really evil, not really brillant, not really a moron -- still, he's come the closest to reuniting the Inner Sphere......

<Yuan1>: Which one of the Wizkid Battlemechs left you wondering what were they thinking with this design?
<Warlord>: I know the mech that made me confused, one they never statted, the Behemoth mech (FASA) it looked like a thing we can't say from Japan
<Warlord>: they had no way of statting it
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Practically the whole line, especially any one that had an extra number tacked on (Dasher II, Ryoken II, Mad Cat III, Vulture IV, Pheonix Hawk I) or was laden with AC/2s.
<drufause>: At least wizkids never made an Ultra-LB-2X
<Brian_Davion>: I gotta say I'm glad you offically ruled that the variants on the cards may be one off variants herb. I wasn't looking forward to TROs filled with lemons
<Habeas2>: Brian_Davion - That's actually truth; because the WK click-dial figures were set to represent specific machines and their pilots, virtually all were custom.
<drufause>: Im still wating for a Jump Jet Atlas

<DarkISI>: Do you already have an explanation in place for the really, really strange name "Phoenix Hawk I"? The bunch of IIs, IIIs and IVs make some sense, but that one...
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - Yes; I "errata"ed the name. Tada!

<DarkISI>: Since I can't come up with a new toilet paper question for this chat: Has there ever been a recorded case of a MechWarrior trying to drink the fluid in his cooling vest?
<DarkISI>: okay, now that I have asked the question, a positive answer could lead to a lot of scenarios where dozens of rolls of toilet paper would be needed....
<Brian_Davion>: LOL
<Habeas2>: DarkISI - In various cooling vest training manuals, maybe, right after the phrase "Do NOT drink the contents of your cooling vest."
<DarkISI>: Like that solution *thumps up*

<No-Face>: So from the sounds of things we're going to see at least three years or so (RL) of Dark Age era products before any further jump down the timeline?
<Habeas2>: No-Face - Sort of, yeah

<Habeas2>: 4 minutes remaining....

<Yuan1>: Is there anyone who will survive the Jihad in comicbook style to come haunt us later?<Brian_Davion>: SunTzu Liao?
<Brian_Davion>:
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - Victor Steiner-Davion
<drufause>: Technically there is rumor that even at 3135 Devlin Stone is not dead : )
<Habeas2>: Actually, not really. Kai Allard-Liao.
<Yuan1>: I was hoping some of the more famous WoB's would have a escape plan.. drat!
<Alex_Knight>: all according to The Master's Will!
<Trboturtle>: WOB's escape plan didn't stand up to a PO'ed inner Sphere.....
<drufause>: time to go drool over an ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3
<Brian_Davion>: I looked at the Master's Will Alex, it's not legal, guess the republic will confiscate his posessions after death
<Habeas2>: Yuan1 - I didn't say they didn't escape
<Alex_Knight>: bah. guess probating it on Gibson was a bad idea

[lexington476]

Thanks Dudes!  I never remember to attend these in 'person'!

[General308]

Kind of sad that it is going to take so long to get to the new starting point

[Charlie Tango]

I'd reather see them do a decent job of covering the Dark Age timeframe within the framework of CBT than just gloss over it.

[StCptMara]

To DarkISI and Korsar: thanks for putting these up.

To Mendrugo: there was one other easter egg I caught: the section describing the the
Regulan organized genocides using salted nukes from orbit: "The only way to be sure"

And, for Wobbles surviving the Jihad? Look at the Ares....

[Alex Keller]

Thanks, guys!

Will we ever discover how awesome Apollyon'a modified Shootist is?

Thanks!

[TheOldGuy]

Thanks for logging these.

[DarkISI]

To all of you who thanked us for logging the chat:
You are very welcome. :)


Hope to see more of you in the next chat, when it takes place. More questions and more answers make for better logs :)
But, as you can see at the size of the logs, there are still enough people present to make for one hell of a chat. But I want more hells for everybody.