Author Topic: Reading the Dark Age novels...  (Read 19602 times)

Alain Yanez

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Reading the Dark Age novels...
« on: 19 December 2011, 20:13:41 »
And, I have to say that, without fail, so far (on number 11 (10 was not available for the nook), I have been awestruck at how bad they are.   Clanners that aren't clanners.    Clanners that seem to have forgotten WHICH clan they belong to.   Inner Sphere people who seem to have been dropped out of a tree.  Oh, and that annoying (I have counted this twice in book 11) use of was for a plural subject.

No offense, but, is there anyone at the helm of the story anymore?

A Jade Falcon using nuclear weapons?   Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaly?   No, I don't really think so.   No.   I also don't think that the Jade Falcon's would be using a couple of 'mechs backed up by tanks (especially the liberal use of Inner Sphere designs, but, then, it does seem that EVERY unit in the Republic has a bunch of Clan designs...Did they grow them?) instead of standard Clan stars/binaries-trinaries/cluster organization.  Hell's Horses, Blood Spirits, sure, makes sense.  Jade Falcons...There is no honor there and they aren't going to go there.  Moderating their use of zellbriggen against Inner Sphere foes, certainly.  Traps, tricks, artillery...Yes, against the Inner Spere.  Against a clan foe, I just don't see that happening.   You're talking about a culture that is VERY rigid, and bound up in a set of mores that wouldn't allow that sort of behavior without the person doing it becoming dishonored or dezgra.

I think what bothers me most is the sheer lack of any compelling reason for any of the stuff in the novels to be happening.   Oh, I know, let's just have some mysteriousgroup turn off the HPG network and go from there.   Not once have I read a single chapter about someone trying to find out who this incredibly powerful organization is.  (Am I really supposed to believe they could do that, but, don't ever seem to produce an army?   Pretty sure if they could manage the thousands of people it would take to take down the HPG network all across the Inner Sphere, they ought to be able to mobilize a significant military force.)  I can live with them being a mystery...But, no one really seems to be looking for them.    Something else that bothers me is Devlin Stone seems to have disarmed everyone.   Really?  You have the clans still out there, and while as a collective they might not come after Terra, with the sundering of the Home Clans from the Invading Clans, there would be nothing to stop the Bears, the Wolves, or the Jade Falcons from singly deciding that Terra is a good idea.    Also, I really can't see the individual houses giving up their militaries without a truly strong Star League-like organ in place, which the Republic clearly is not.  It can't even seem to muster a complete mech battalion, let alone a couple of regiments.

Oh, and that inability to make a plural subject have a plural verb.   Important that.


I am looking forward to reading the rest of them, as bad as they are, to see how painfully bad this becomes, but, I am truly not looking forward to Tara Campbell and her Highlanders being the Wesley Crusher of these novels.  At some point, her command will have to fall apart from exhaustion, casualties, and a lack of resources to rebuild.


E. Icaza

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #1 on: 19 December 2011, 20:21:28 »
They get better from Scorpion Jar on.  At least they get better written, but I found the lack of characters that I give a crap about made reading them seem like a chore rather than a pleasure.

The Clans: the Star League the Inner Sphere deserves, not the one it needs.

Jaim Magnus

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #2 on: 19 December 2011, 20:25:16 »
Plus, you won't see much more of Tara Campbell.

And, thankfully, it wasn't so much dismantling their militaries, as not really rebuilding them after the Jihad.  The infrastructure for the armies needed to rebuilt first.  Now that it has been, well  ::)

They do get better, but the first batch of them were indeed stinkers.
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #3 on: 19 December 2011, 20:35:32 »
To be far; Malvina Hazen and her Falcons are no longer Clanners in my opinion, they broke away from Zell because they though it was holding them back and true Falcons want her dead. And lets be honest, it's not like the Clanners are total strangers to nukes and mass murder (read Turtle Bay and War of the Reavings)

 
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Atlas3060

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #4 on: 19 December 2011, 22:06:05 »
SteelRaven don't forget the Wolverines and the nukes.
It's not about winning or losing, no it's all about how many chapters have you added to the rule books after your crazy antics.

Alain Yanez

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #5 on: 20 December 2011, 08:57:29 »
To be far; Malvina Hazen and her Falcons are no longer Clanners in my opinion, they broke away from Zell because they though it was holding them back and true Falcons want her dead. And lets be honest, it's not like the Clanners are total strangers to nukes and mass murder (read Turtle Bay and War of the Reavings)

 

Oh, I recall those events well, however, it is not so much that the Clans are strangers to them, that the barbaric Smoke Jaguars, who were scarecely human to start with, used it is one thing.  That that action shocked to the core the other Clans is deeply revealing about how they viewed that act.  And Jade Falcons are all about the warrior and his honor.    As I said, I did miss out on the prior book as it wasn't available, but, so far in eleven, I haven't seen where anyone seems to have any inkling to remove her from command.  Not even Star Colonel Helmer has challenged her.   Although, it does seem that "Clan ways" get conveniently dropped when they are trying to advance the stories. 

Thanks for letting me know about the novels getting better.    At least I have something to look forward to. :)

E. Icaza

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #6 on: 20 December 2011, 09:36:40 »
Thanks for letting me know about the novels getting better.    At least I have something to look forward to. :)

Unfortunately, the Clan-centric novels do not get any better, IMO.  We were still stuck with a collection of murderers, psychopaths and bad anime villains. 
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #7 on: 17 January 2012, 18:22:17 »
Despite everything, there alot characters I'd like to see more of.  It would be interesting to see what happened to Tara Campbell in the aftermath of Fortress Republic.  The WizKids website's fiction section had reports the Highlanders stuck outside the the wall was forming a new Highlanders Regiment, I thought she was outside the wall.

Also other characters were interesting too.  I was actually greatly disappointed that Anny K's experiment of the Wolf Hunters went arry now she stuck in Clan Wolf (Crusader version).
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #8 on: 20 January 2012, 16:44:33 »
I have been rereading some of my Dark Age novels. I keep finding little things I would gladly like to get more info on. Some even appear to be tidbits for future novels.

Unfortunately, we will have to wait at least another year before we get any answers or even more fiction for that timeframe.

Biggets one so far. Is why did only One of Victor's living children and One great Daughter and unknown child appear at his funeral. What happen to the rest, And will we see them in the future given Alaric revelation about his Mother. Wonder what we happen when his true parentage comes out and how victor's descendents react.

I can't shake the feeling that victor knew what katherine was up to and planned accordingly. ::) ::)

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #9 on: 29 March 2012, 18:32:49 »
Honestly when it comes to dark age, I would hope btech moves as quickly as possible through them. unfortunately we he fan have to accept them as canon ( and yes im retching as i am saying it) . That was during the wonderful wizkids era. Now that catalysis is in charge we can get some better post-Dark age fluff, once they swim through the sewage that is the dark age.

Captain of C-21

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #10 on: 21 July 2012, 13:49:43 »
I am much more friendly to Dark Age fiction that most, mostly because it was the Wizkids clicky game that got me and my friends into the Battletech universe.  I own a bunch of the earlier novels and while I won't defend them just for the sake of my adolescence, I do think several things need to be kept in mind.

The first ten or so novels are all in a very small timeframe, and focus on the small picture.  The HPG system has been struck down by mysterious assailants, and many of the first few novels deal with characters and planets reeling in the aftermath of such a chaotic situation.  No one in the first many novels really is in a position to investigate exactly who shut them down, especially since communication between planets is now restricted mostly to jumpships and the few HPGs that managed to stay up (Archenar, the planet of the second novel, has a surviving one, same with Ronel and Tigress).  That said;

In the first novel "Ghost War" the main characters are all Republic Knights and soldiers, and they do have several chapters dealing with who shut down the HPG, and how much they know.  At this stage in the game, what they know isn't much, so the majority of the book does not deal with that.  G.W. has some pretty good action scenes and honestly sets up what will define the first few years of the Dark Age era; The Republic is floundering with communication, factions based on loyalty to the Great Houses or Clans are rising up, and even local governors or family scions (the nobility, which were supposed to be neutered by the Republic and Stone) are making power grabs in the chaos.  It's an interesting scenario, if small-scale.

On top of this, you do have one of the big design decisions of the Dark Age era; an attempt to return to the feeling of the 3025 era by making Battlemechs more rare and awe-inspiring.  Most of the early novels keep to this theme, some to their advantages and others not.  "A Call to Arms" has the milita on Archenar have only 1-2 mechs, making the Steel Wolf invasion of that planet that much more threatening since they have about a Star of Clan Mechs.  Meanwhile, the "Proving Grounds" trilogy is laughably unrealistic when the Steel Wolves (This time under Anastasia Kerensky) invade Terra with a lance (The writer of the trilogy understood very little about the Battletech universe, least of all Clan military breakdowns) and are considered nearly unstoppable.  While the design decision to make Battlemechs more rare in the Dark Age may seem inconsistent with Battletech (which is at its core a game about giant robots beating the crap out of each other),for the setting, it makes sense.  The Jihad was supposed to be a very devastating conflict, on the scale of the Succession Wars, with all the nukes and biological weapons the Word of Blake was throwing around.  Combine the destruction of much infrastructure of the Inner Sphere, their decimated militaries, and the fact that Devlin Stone, the only man able to wrangle together a coalition capable of pushing back the Word of Blake, was holding most of the military of the Inner Sphere in his pocket and had a hankering for demobilization, it's not hard to see the Inner Sphere going along with his line, willingly or not.  And most of the Houses (with exception to Liao) did go along willingly, what with that whole weariness thing up above.

The quality of the novels after Proving Grounds does take an appreciable upturn, "By Temptations and By War" and "Fortress of Lies" are the beginning of the massive Liao incursion into the Republic and their fight against the Swordsworn, and have a lot of character conflict and personality.  The Jade Falcon invasion books, which were some of my favorites, have... understandable Clan characters.  Let's be honest here, the Clan way of upbringing children is going to result in very few "well-adjusted" persons (from our perspective).  That the all of them aren't crazy and sociopaths is surprising.  Add in 70-odd years of the Clans being unable to do more than conduct small-scale raids, when the whole point of their society and conditioning was to get them ready to take back Terra and restart the Star League, it's understandable to think some of their members would become even more deranged and violent.  Clans have never been "knights of yore", no matter what kind of "honor" they talk about.  Their whole way of life is about waging war, and now some of their characters are just more honest about it.

It's with these novels as well that the beginning theme of the Dark Age changes; from being focused on the small-scale to growing to include the rest of the Inner Sphere, piece by piece.  House Liao is introduced in 7 and 8; Jade Falcon and House Steiner (sort of) in 10 and 11, in 14-18 you get nearly every Great House and Clan.  Every group gets at least 1 or 2 characters in "Sword of Sedition", and they are all very enjoyable to read and see interact.  The conflict expands as well, as Liao fights the Republic and probes Davion, Kurita invades the Republic, and civil war begins to develop in the Republic (and groundwork is laid for another one in the Federate Suns).  The action expands with the cast of characters; companies of mechs are seen on either side along with vehicles and infantry.  This is, with a few exceptions, where my reading ended with the Dark Age novels (since it became harder and harder to find them in-store).

I should mention that Novel 19, Blood Avatar, does have a good bit of detail about the HPG sitaution, if you can deal with a Battletech novel that does not have a single mech fight in it.  I heard it's a very good detective story though.

I think Wizkids mostly wanted to start off M:DA very slowly so that new fans could jump into the game and not be overwhelmed with source material and multiple factions.  That the beginning factions all had the same basic premise (all splinter sectarian groups) while also tying themselves to older and established factions was an interesting story tool, even if it alienated a lot of the established battletech community.  If Mechwarrior had remained a successful property, it would have been neat to see where the Dark Age was going, but unfortunately now it will have to wait until Catalyst catches everything up with it.
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #11 on: 21 July 2012, 15:09:26 »
As an Old Diehard BattleTech ****** and Grognard of the first order, I like a lot of the MWDA novels. Not all of them, but a lot of them. The worse are no worse than the bad classic stories, and some are better, with the rest about equal IMNSHO.

The complaints I hear are very similar to the people like who use to complain about the introduction of the Clans and how it ruined the game etc., etc.

I've moved on from the old days, and given that this is the future of BattleTech I suggest that one either ignores the new stuff, because one can, or embrace the new stuff, because one can.  O:-)
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #12 on: 23 July 2012, 03:22:29 »
I'm an old school player who started reading the novels in the late 80s and started playing in the early 90s. that said... I love the Dark Age setting.
It's probably my favourite era. Hands down.
It mixes that Mad Mad feeling of Lostech, half understood tech and gritty style of the 3025 with the higher political and star spanning plotlines of the later stuff.

The DA books are hit and miss. No denying that. I'd read Ghost War and Call to Arms when I came across the Proving Grounds... I pretty much gave up on the whole thing.
But I came back (eventually) and stuck with it.

My verdict is: love the setting, enjoyed most of the novels, didn't mind the Clicky game (I re-based most of my Industrialmechs to use for Battletech).


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Ratwedge

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #13 on: 25 July 2012, 18:54:27 »
A Jade Falcon using nuclear weapons?   Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaly?   No, I don't really think so.   No.

You must not have read earlier Battletech Novels then. Jade Falcon/Crusader Clanners were more than willing to use Nuclear weapons to kill people if it could mean they could break their word and lie about it. If that isn't telltale sign of what the Falcons would become then I don't know what is.


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Jade Falcons...There is no honor there and they aren't going to go there.  Moderating their use of zellbriggen against Inner Sphere foes, certainly.  Traps, tricks, artillery...Yes, against the Inner Spere.  Against a clan foe, I just don't see that happening.   You're talking about a culture that is VERY rigid, and bound up in a set of mores that wouldn't allow that sort of behavior without the person doing it becoming dishonored or dezgra.

Once again, have you actually read anything about the Falcons? They would lie, cheat and steal more than any other Clan while using those very lies and ill gotten gains to gain an edge on others. People think the Wolves cheat, but they haven't got ANYTHING on the Falcons. All that talk of honor is a smoke screen for a Clan that would sooner turn a Circle of Equal's into an artillery practice range and a nuclear mine into a excuse to overturn the results of a battle lost fair and square. Half the fun of the Falcon's is that they are lying and thieving bastards who will look down on you for the same thing they are about to do and then get away with it. They game the system harder than the Wolves so don't be surprised that they changed their style to match how the game is currently being played.

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« Last Edit: 25 July 2012, 19:03:05 by Ratwedge »

Ratwedge

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #14 on: 25 July 2012, 19:02:00 »
Unfortunately, the Clan-centric novels do not get any better, IMO.  We were still stuck with a collection of murderers, psychopaths and bad anime villains.

Incorrect.

ovKhan Petr Kalasa and Star Colonel Rikkard don't match your description in any way imaginable.

Both their stories were enjoyable and Rikkard Nova Cats growth as a Clanner was both one of the better plots in the Dark Age and one of the better characters around. Both these Clanners offered a more moderate, if I dare say, Warden view point that the rest of the other Clans did.

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #15 on: 25 July 2012, 20:34:57 »
A Jade Falcon using nuclear weapons?   Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaly?   No, I don't really think so.   No.   I also don't think that the Jade Falcon's would be using a couple of 'mechs backed up by tanks (especially the liberal use of Inner Sphere designs, but, then, it does seem that EVERY unit in the Republic has a bunch of Clan designs...Did they grow them?) i

I think you're missing a couple of key points here. Hazen is pursuing an agenda of total war. Her Mongol beliefs are pretty much: "Side with us or you're nothing more than dirt". And it's ok to nuke dirt or fry its cities from orbit or execute the prisoners you take.
She repeatedly uses terror as an example, knowing that you only have to use it once or twice before opponents just start throwing down their weapons to save their children a similar fate.

Ok, so the Clans are using Inner Sphere 'mechs and even Industrialmech backed by tanks. This is less prevalent in the books as it was in the game - but you've got to understand the reasoning behind it.
The Jihad stripped the Clans almost dry. If you look at the Wolves for example - half of their capital was glassed from orbit and they most a huge amount of manufacturing ability.

You'll see throughout the books Clan warriors lamenting the fact that they're forced to use whatever they can get - making use of tanks and older designs - because that's all they have.


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E. Icaza

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #16 on: 26 July 2012, 06:25:46 »
Incorrect.

ovKhan Petr Kalasa and Star Colonel Rikkard don't match your description in any way imaginable.

Both their stories were enjoyable and Rikkard Nova Cats growth as a Clanner was both one of the better plots in the Dark Age and one of the better characters around. Both these Clanners offered a more moderate, if I dare say, Warden view point that the rest of the other Clans did.

They are Wardens, therefore they are irrelevant.  Apparently, Clan players aren't allowed to have any sympathetic Crusader-esque characters that don't veer into melodrama or wanton mass murder.

I miss Joanna, Horse, Aidan, Diana & Peri.   :(

You must not have read earlier Battletech Novels then. Jade Falcon/Crusader Clanners were more than willing to use Nuclear weapons to kill people if it could mean they could break their word and lie about it. If that isn't telltale sign of what the Falcons would become then I don't know what is.

If you're referring to the Red Corsair/Nekane Hazen plot, then remember that was a Crusader plot, not just a Jade Falcon one.  The final battle took place on Ehlissa, which was a Wolf held world after all.  Even then it was a plot launched by a fairly small sub-section of Crusaders, likely with Elias Crichell at the higher levels.  Vandervahn Chistu (another less than honorable individual), for example, apparently wasn't in on the plot since Crichell seemed surprised that he knew some of the particulars and he was the #2 man in the (arguably) second-most powerful Crusader Clan at that point.

The Clans: the Star League the Inner Sphere deserves, not the one it needs.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #17 on: 26 July 2012, 06:48:31 »
They are Wardens, therefore they are irrelevant.  Apparently, Clan players aren't allowed to have any sympathetic Crusader-esque characters that don't veer into melodrama or wanton mass murder.

I miss Joanna, Horse, Aidan, Diana & Peri.   :(


There does seem to be a perception that Crusader clansmen are all heads down, charge in without thinking idiots. People like Aidan prove this is not so


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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #18 on: 26 July 2012, 07:36:09 »
I'd say the Falcons were portrayed as the boogy men of the DA much like he Jags once were even down to the highlanders travelling to Skye to unite and help there fellow republic citizens.

I just hope with Catalyst now firmly in the driving seat they will turn it around a bit.  Personally I can see Hazens hoard being destroyed between Alaric/Lyrans and Republic the remaining weakened Falcons falling back to there own borders giving the Lyrans much needed breath space (thinking like Coventry during Clan War)  The Wolf Empire securing its place but remaining an issue
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #19 on: 26 July 2012, 15:47:38 »
II just hope with Catalyst now firmly in the driving seat they will turn it around a bit. 

Nothing to turn around as they've always been in the driving seat.
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #20 on: 26 July 2012, 15:52:39 »
Nothing to turn around as they've always been in the driving seat.

Not quite fully the DA line followed the ClickyTech game all from WizKids

Catalyst concentrated on the Classic Game

Someone correct me but I don't think Catalyst were involved in the DA Story until Bonfire?
My three main Alternate Timeline with Thanks fan-fiction threads are in the links below. I'm always open to suggestions or additions to be incorporated so if you feel you wish to add something feel free. There's non-canon units, equipment, people, events, erm... Solar Systems spread throughout so please enjoy

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #21 on: 26 July 2012, 16:48:05 »
Someone correct me but I don't think Catalyst were involved in the DA Story until Bonfire?

Considering that Herb did a fair number (maybe all, I honestly don't recall) of the Touring the Stars articles on the INN site, as well as a large amount of CGL-era authors also writing the majority of the DA novels, I think it's fair to say they were "involved." Did Wizkids still have the final say, until their later collapse? I would guess so.

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #22 on: 26 July 2012, 18:05:04 »
Not quite fully the DA line followed the ClickyTech game all from WizKids

Catalyst concentrated on the Classic Game

Someone correct me but I don't think Catalyst were involved in the DA Story until Bonfire?

Like Dread intimated, the Dark Age setting was concieved and largely developed by the same people who've been working on (Classic) BattleTech at FanPro and now CGL.  The vast majority of Dark Age novelists either wrote BT novels for FASA, or have written on Battlecorps concurrently to their Dark Age work.

So yeah, there's a line of creative continuity from FASA to CGL that goes right through both Fanpro and Wizkids.

That said, the Jihad was expanded from the original idea, and the Dark Age was an idea of Jordan Wiseman (the guy who created BT in the first place) as where to go afterwards to create a setting that was an easy jumping-on point for new fans.
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #23 on: 26 July 2012, 19:09:59 »
Didn't know that  :o :)) ah well still looking forward to getting there and seeing it fixed  O0
My three main Alternate Timeline with Thanks fan-fiction threads are in the links below. I'm always open to suggestions or additions to be incorporated so if you feel you wish to add something feel free. There's non-canon units, equipment, people, events, erm... Solar Systems spread throughout so please enjoy

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,20515.0.html - Part 1

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,52013.0.html - Part 2

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,79196.0.html - Part 3

ArcaneRaven

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #24 on: 27 July 2012, 05:40:04 »
When I first heard about the Dark Age, the Republic of the Sphere and what the so-called Jihad did to my favourite faction, I nearly turned my back on the game for good.

Fortunately, I stayed in contact and learned more and more about all those issues. Finally, when the FWL reformed in the latest novels, I gave it a try. I jumped right at the end of the novel series, which dealt with House Marik (#27 - #31) and I was very positively surprised. I love the plot, I love the chars and the overall writing!

From there, I aimed at getting all novels (at least as epub) and read the whole series. And I have to admit, that the first nine or ten novels had been like torture. But afterwards, quality improves remarkably!

And now, boosted by TRO:3085, TRO: Prototypes, Field Manual: 3085, the Field Report and Objective series, this is my #1 era and setting in BT!  O0

BTW: As I understood, all published novels, including #31 A Bonfire Of Worlds, are based on WizKids plotline. The next ones coming out will be entirely created by CGL. And IIRC their focus will shift to the very intriguing situation in the FedSuns.  ^-^

Captain of C-21

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #25 on: 27 July 2012, 19:35:12 »
They are Wardens, therefore they are irrelevant.  Apparently, Clan players aren't allowed to have any sympathetic Crusader-esque characters that don't veer into melodrama or wanton mass murder.

I miss Joanna, Horse, Aidan, Diana & Peri.   :(

Noritomo Helmer is a sympathetic Crusader Falcon.  His main problem is being in such close proximity with Malvina Hazen means he needs to toe her line or get annihilated.  I would say Galaxy Commander Becket Malthus is, while not sympathetic, is also not an overt villain.  He is a very scheming jerk, who pushes peoples' buttons to get what he wants, but he is not an evil "NUKE AND KILL EVERYONE" guy; he just plays people off each other to get what he wants.

Then there is Anastasia Kerensky who I think gets a lot of unwarranted flak.  Her character has not been the most interesting, and given that most of the books have had Tara Campbell, her main adversary, in a lot of leading roles means she is usually seen as a villain, but she does hold promise as a Crusader Clanswoman who could be interesting.

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Dread Moores

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #26 on: 27 July 2012, 20:08:37 »
Then there is Anastasia Kerensky who I think gets a lot of unwarranted flak.  Her character has not been the most interesting, and given that most of the books have had Tara Campbell, her main adversary, in a lot of leading roles means she is usually seen as a villain, but she does hold promise as a Crusader Clanswoman who could be interesting.

It's a little hard to be a Crusader Clanswoman when you're a mercenary working for IS powers against the Clans. I think she could have been such a character, but not after the closing part of her story arc (to date, anyway). I also thought she didn't have near enough to make her stand out from the character she was based on. Natasha was never a strong character, but Anastasia made her appear positively nuanced.

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #27 on: 27 July 2012, 20:39:40 »
It's a little hard to be a Crusader Clanswoman when you're a mercenary working for IS powers against the Clans. I think she could have been such a character, but not after the closing part of her story arc (to date, anyway). I also thought she didn't have near enough to make her stand out from the character she was based on. Natasha was never a strong character, but Anastasia made her appear positively nuanced.

Anastasia is pretty terrible. She's been written by so many different authors with such different interpretations of the character that she's practically schizophrenic.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #28 on: 28 July 2012, 06:02:14 »
I actually rather liked Anastasia  - but as has been noted. She just had too many authors, resulting in her swinging wildly between the extremes.
Her hair colour also changed between authors - pretty sure Victor Milan mentions her having inky black hair after A Call to Arms and the Proving Grounds series gives her red hair.

Her capture by Alraic in A Bonfire of Worlds didn't sit well with me though - I liked her free-wheeling merc persona and her Wolf Hunters. As a clan warrior... she's a little meh


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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #29 on: 28 July 2012, 06:05:45 »
Also, on that note: is there any chance of a new Wolf Hunters battalion? They were pretty much destroyed in detail by the Wolves.
But there had to be a core of survivors - plus Annie K's doctor/aide/muse that could be merged with remains of the Lyran militia, etc.
Could the Hunters ride again, without their Kerensky?


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roosterboy

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #30 on: 28 July 2012, 11:53:07 »
I actually rather liked Anastasia  - but as has been noted. She just had too many authors, resulting in her swinging wildly between the extremes.
Her hair colour also changed between authors - pretty sure Victor Milan mentions her having inky black hair after A Call to Arms and the Proving Grounds series gives her red hair.

You remember wrong. She always had dark, reddish-black hair.

A Call to Arms: dark red
A Silence in the Heavens: black with red highlights
Truth and Shadows: lustrous black with reddish highlights (which she dyes a drab brown at one point)
Service for the Dead: can't find a mention of the color
Flight of the Falcon: midnight black with red highlights
Blood of the Isle: dark red
Wolf Hunters: dark red
Masters of War: red
A Bonfire of Worlds: dark red

And I really think the whole "Anastasia's personality varied wildly between authors" thing is exaggerated.

Quote
Her capture by Alraic in A Bonfire of Worlds didn't sit well with me though - I liked her free-wheeling merc persona and her Wolf Hunters. As a clan warrior... she's a little meh

Given that we haven't really seen her as a Clan warrior (yet), that's an odd statement.

Also, on that note: is there any chance of a new Wolf Hunters battalion? They were pretty much destroyed in detail by the Wolves.

Two-thirds were captured or killed. That still leaves enough that could rebuild. We'll just have to wait and see.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #31 on: 28 July 2012, 19:53:26 »
I stand corrected on the hair issue- all I could remember was the dark comment in flight of the falcon and then thinking "what?!".

Roosterboy, my only complaint about her being adopted into Clan Wolf is that, so much of her personality was tied into creating the Wolf Hunters. It seems an odd move to suddenly drop that plot line.
Don't get me wrong, I like where we're heading, I just really liked her at the head of her own merc unit.


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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #32 on: 02 August 2012, 08:18:33 »
They are Wardens, therefore they are irrelevant.  Apparently, Clan players aren't allowed to have any sympathetic Crusader-esque characters that don't veer into melodrama or wanton mass murder.

I miss Joanna, Horse, Aidan, Diana & Peri.   :(

I was under the impression that Aleks Hazen was prolly the best thing to ever come out of the Jade Falcon Touman.  The only problem being that the wrong Hazen caught the hatchet.  If it was Malvina who had died and not Aleks would we be saying that the Falcons are too nice to be villains?
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Wrangler

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #33 on: 02 August 2012, 13:09:30 »
I was under the impression that Aleks Hazen was prolly the best thing to ever come out of the Jade Falcon Touman.  The only problem being that the wrong Hazen caught the hatchet.  If it was Malvina who had died and not Aleks would we be saying that the Falcons are too nice to be villains?

He was Adrian Pryde reborn in many ways.  Its too bad, i rather have him as villian, like-able one which you still had to fight.
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Captain of C-21

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #34 on: 06 August 2012, 13:12:26 »
So I just ordered four more Dark Age novels off Amazon the other day.  I've been trying to reread all the ones I already have, but soon I'll be able to delve into "#13 The Scorpion Jar", "#14 Target of Opportunity", "#24 Dragon Rising", and "#26 A Rending of Falcons".  I'm looking forward to the last two since they have some big consequences for the Inner Sphere in them, but #14 is supposed to be the first novel with the Spirit Cats in them, which were my clickytech faction of choice. 

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E. Icaza

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #35 on: 06 August 2012, 14:44:08 »
I was under the impression that Aleks Hazen was prolly the best thing to ever come out of the Jade Falcon Touman.  The only problem being that the wrong Hazen caught the hatchet.  If it was Malvina who had died and not Aleks would we be saying that the Falcons are too nice to be villains?

No, because the Falcons aren't the "villains" of CBT.  One of the best aspects of the universe is that there are no truly White Hat factions just as there are no truly Black Hat factions.  Aleks Hazen was a decent character, but he didn't survive for long enough to develop any real character or have too terribly much impact on the universe. 

Again, I miss characters like Aidan, Joanna, Horse, Diana and Peri more and more as time goes by. 
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #36 on: 06 August 2012, 15:02:49 »
I was poking at the whole idea of the Falcons no longer being clan.  The same system produced Aleksander, Malvina and Bec Malthus.  The idea that the Falcons aren't clan anymore is due to Malvina survivng and Aleks not.  But, even then, there are differing voices in the Falcons.  Helmer comes to mind.
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Lorcan Nagle

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #37 on: 06 August 2012, 15:14:50 »
The Falcons aren't villains any more now than they ever were - Malvina is and they're following her lead because she's brutally killed everyone who's gone against her thus far. 
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drakensis

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #38 on: 29 August 2012, 16:25:01 »
I largely ignored Dark Age when it came out, considering the end of the FedCom Civil War as functionally the end of Battletech. Honestly, the Jihad material did nothing to convince me otherwise.

However, given some of the entries on sarna.net I did eventually decide to give them a try and obtained an e-copy of Daughter of the Dragon, which wasn't brilliant but was intriguing enough that I decided to give them a go. I've still not read the earlier books, but I managed to pick up a dozen or so  (including four from a niche bookstore in Sheffield (the Space Centre, if anyone knows it) that had probably had them on the shelf since they were brand new).

What I've read is fairly patchy - I've just read Masters of War, which was good. I'd certainly agree that the books centred on the resurgent Free Worlds League navigating the potential menace of the Capellan Confederaton on one flank and the quite active forces of the Lyran Commonwealth on the other are what sold the era to me.
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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #39 on: 23 May 2013, 19:42:40 »
So I recently picked up about 5 more of the Dark Age books, specifically the last 5 that all have to deal with the Lyran/Wolf invasion of the Free Worlds League.  Just finished Masters of War, I was looking forward to reading another Stackpole book since Ghost War, but had mixed feelings finishing this one.  I was glad to see the scale of battle in the book again, I don't think another DA novel has managed to really capture that since Fortress Republic or Target of Opportunity, but I was kind of miffed by some of the characters in it.  Kennerly, Verena Wolf's second in command in particular felt like way too strong of an author insert, giving insight into everything and playing Devil's Advocate constantly.  Anastasia Kerensky I felt was a little too omniscient in everything she did; I don't mind competent individuals, but here she seemed to be able to do no wrong.  Her capture and torture of Alaric too seemed so out of place.  I didn't miss her motivation for doing it, but she seemed to be planning veeerrry far ahead with those action's implications.  I much prefer Killiany's Wolf Hunters interpretation of Kerensky; competent and knows what she wants, but still capable of making mistakes and being caught off guard.  Seth Ward was awesome though, can't wait to see more scenes with him.

Starting Pandora's Gambit, and I can already tell House Marik is going to become my favorite faction.  Jessica Marik's brood and the prologue scene alone is just great, very natural feeling.  Nice to see royal dynamism playing out in a story setting that is supposed to be rife with it.


Something else I wanted to mention but don't think it warrant its own thread topic... did anyone else feel like the Dark Age novel series wasted lots of good characters with potential?  Ever since I started reading the novels back in the day I couldn't help but feel Wizkids set up the setting with lots of possibly interesting characters, only to kill them off for other characters.  Kal Radick of the Steel Wolves and Kev Rosse of Clan Spirit Cat come to mind kind of immediately.  Kev Rosse gets to appear in about 4 novels, but always as a side character to other Nova Cat characters, while Kal Radick gets two novel appearances, and dies in the second, so that Anastasia Kerensky can become Galaxy Commander and show by brute force just how 'cool' she is.  I'm sure if I think on more of the novels more characters would appear, being cut really early to make way for others.

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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #40 on: 23 May 2013, 23:34:58 »

Something else I wanted to mention but don't think it warrant its own thread topic... did anyone else feel like the Dark Age novel series wasted lots of good characters with potential?  Ever since I started reading the novels back in the day I couldn't help but feel Wizkids set up the setting with lots of possibly interesting characters, only to kill them off for other characters.  Kal Radick of the Steel Wolves and Kev Rosse of Clan Spirit Cat come to mind kind of immediately.  Kev Rosse gets to appear in about 4 novels, but always as a side character to other Nova Cat characters, while Kal Radick gets two novel appearances, and dies in the second, so that Anastasia Kerensky can become Galaxy Commander and show by brute force just how 'cool' she is.  I'm sure if I think on more of the novels more characters would appear, being cut really early to make way for others.

Yeah, i actually agree with this. I loved Anastasia Kerensky but i would have loved to have seen some more of Kal Radick.
There's a very good early WizKids, clicky scenario that involved Kal sending out individual warriors to contact the various Clan enclaves across the Republic and bring them under his banner by challenging them to trials.
It gets 10 line write up and then a 500 point army BOOM-BOOM-SMASH scenario but would have made a fantastic story: Kal's struggle with his loyalty, why he shook off the Republic, gathering the various enclaves and Wolf militias, etc.

I would have also liked to see Raul Ortega's future progress as Knight of the Sphere.


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Captain of C-21

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #41 on: 24 May 2013, 16:08:21 »
Quote from: Nav_Alpha
I would have also liked to see Raul Ortega's future progress as Knight of the Sphere.

Actually, Raul Ortega  think gets some small appearances in Sword of Sedition and Fortress Republic, but he doesn't get another major book focusing on him of course.
« Last Edit: 30 May 2013, 15:01:45 by Captain of C-21 »

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Face it - MW:DA had, for its run, massively greater commercial success than BattleTech's ever had. Over two million click-base minis - want to guess where the number of BT minis comes in? I'd guess on the order of a few percent of that. While BT has survived for 30 years, we've never had the same number of players at any point. The pity was that unlike BT, MW:DA ended up being run by businessmen, not game fanatics.

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #42 on: 10 July 2013, 13:33:22 »
No, because the Falcons aren't the "villains" of CBT.  One of the best aspects of the universe is that there are no truly White Hat factions just as there are no truly Black Hat factions.  Aleks Hazen was a decent character, but he didn't survive for long enough to develop any real character or have too terribly much impact on the universe. 

Again, I miss characters like Aidan, Joanna, Horse, Diana and Peri more and more as time goes by.

I hate both Aleks and Malvina.  They were written too simplistically.  Basically, equal and opposite, two halves of a whole.  For instance, Aleks never killed anyone and Malvina killed everyone.  I would greatly have preferred them to have more developed and believable personalities. I think the mongol doctrine could have been an interesting development and story for the clans, but just can’t stand Malvina. 

As for Noritomo Helmer, he can’t be the JF savior.  Because he’s a loser.  The JF need someone who can win while following the way of the clans.  I do think Noritomo could do great service to the clan if he were reassigned to the training program.  Give him total control of the program from the moment a sibko drops from the canister, to the trail of position.  He could ensure that warriors are properly indoctrinated so no more “mongols” get turned out.  And he could screen out nuts like Malvina early on. 

I have to agree that I miss the way they were portrayed previously.

False Son

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #43 on: 10 July 2013, 14:21:48 »
As for Noritomo Helmer, he can’t be the JF savior.  Because he’s a loser. 

And this is why the entirely storyline is salvageable.  Usually the scheming loser in the clans is the guy who schemed his way to the top with no warrior traits to back it up, then falls on their face when they over reach.  Helmer is underrated (beat the Steel Wolves on Skye) and knows he doesn't have the chops to take on Malvina.  Instead of some hand wringing he is bidding his time, trying not to piss off Malvina too much.
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Wrangler

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #44 on: 10 July 2013, 14:28:06 »
So I recently picked up about 5 more of the Dark Age books, specifically the last 5 that all have to deal with the Lyran/Wolf invasion of the Free Worlds League.  Just finished Masters of War, I was looking forward to reading another Stackpole book since Ghost War, but had mixed feelings finishing this one.  I was glad to see the scale of battle in the book again, I don't think another DA novel has managed to really capture that since Fortress Republic or Target of Opportunity, but I was kind of miffed by some of the characters in it.  Kennerly, Verena Wolf's second in command in particular felt like way too strong of an author insert, giving insight into everything and playing Devil's Advocate constantly.  Anastasia Kerensky I felt was a little too omniscient in everything she did; I don't mind competent individuals, but here she seemed to be able to do no wrong.  Her capture and torture of Alaric too seemed so out of place.  I didn't miss her motivation for doing it, but she seemed to be planning veeerrry far ahead with those action's implications.  I much prefer Killiany's Wolf Hunters interpretation of Kerensky; competent and knows what she wants, but still capable of making mistakes and being caught off guard.  Seth Ward was awesome though, can't wait to see more scenes with him.

Starting Pandora's Gambit, and I can already tell House Marik is going to become my favorite faction.  Jessica Marik's brood and the prologue scene alone is just great, very natural feeling.  Nice to see royal dynamism playing out in a story setting that is supposed to be rife with it.


Something else I wanted to mention but don't think it warrant its own thread topic... did anyone else feel like the Dark Age novel series wasted lots of good characters with potential?  Ever since I started reading the novels back in the day I couldn't help but feel Wizkids set up the setting with lots of possibly interesting characters, only to kill them off for other characters.  Kal Radick of the Steel Wolves and Kev Rosse of Clan Spirit Cat come to mind kind of immediately.  Kev Rosse gets to appear in about 4 novels, but always as a side character to other Nova Cat characters, while Kal Radick gets two novel appearances, and dies in the second, so that Anastasia Kerensky can become Galaxy Commander and show by brute force just how 'cool' she is.  I'm sure if I think on more of the novels more characters would appear, being cut really early to make way for others.
If you can find it, Fortress of Lies is rather good book too if your looking for a old school battle on warfront with political intrigue balanced in there. It was one more detailed books written in early patch of MWDA Novels.
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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #45 on: 10 July 2013, 18:49:42 »
And this is why the entirely storyline is salvageable.  Usually the scheming loser in the clans is the guy who schemed his way to the top with no warrior traits to back it up, then falls on their face when they over reach.  Helmer is underrated (beat the Steel Wolves on Skye) and knows he doesn't have the chops to take on Malvina.  Instead of some hand wringing he is bidding his time, trying not to piss off Malvina too much.

I think this sums it up.


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Re: Reading the Dark Age novels...
« Reply #46 on: 15 August 2013, 11:33:29 »
I think you guys give Malvina the character less credit than what's due.  She is the worst case scenario of what you can get from the centuries-long tradition of systematic child abuse in order to create better killers.  Some Clans have lost much of their Espirit de Corps along the way, resulting in the occasional emotionally-****** nihilistic psychopath.  Malvina is portrayed as being constantly haunted by such instances of abuse during her childhood in a trueborn sibko, which is compelling her to lash out at everything with a destructive bent.

Seems like a natural progression to me.
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