Future Novels?

[roosterboy]

If there are no new novels, then it must be because someone somewhere, or perhaps several someones, keep(s) saying "no." Unless those people are completely unreasonable and are just being obstructive for the sake of obstruction, there must be some way of convincing them to change their stance, some way of coming to a satisfying agreement for all, and the sooner the better.

That entirely depends on why they keep saying no.

[Alex Keller]

The Battlecorps subscription requirement is the only reason I haven't purchased short fiction.

[Stormcrow]

You don't have to subscribe (AFAIK), you just need to create an account.

[Mendrugo]

The Battlecorps subscription requirement is the only reason I haven't purchased short fiction.

You can definitely buy fiction from BattleCorps without a subscription, the same way you can buy PDFs of sourcebooks without a subscription.  You just need to create an account for the BattleShop, just like you created an account here.  If you do buy a subscription, you the fee covers all the short fiction that comes out during the subscription period, and gives you a 5% discount when buying older stories from the BattleShop. 

[Alex Keller]

That is news to me. I heard I could only buy old fiction with a subscription.

[Mendrugo]

That is news to me. I heard I could only buy old fiction with a subscription.

I just went to the site and logged out, and in 'logged out" mode, it removed the direct link to the BattleShop.  However, that just means you need to set up an account and log in.  After all, the only way (now) to buy a subscription is to go into the BattleShop and add a "subscription" package to your cart, then check out, the same as you'd buy a piece of fiction or a sourcebook. 

[Alex Keller]

I did as suggested, there are no BattleCorps Fiction stories available in the store.

[Mendrugo]

I did as suggested, there are no BattleCorps Fiction stories available in the store.

Interesting.  So you clicked "newest releases" and saw just the sourcebooks?  (With Era Report 3145 at the top)  My list is topped by "Quail Hunting."  Does this link work for you, now that you have an account at BattleShop?  http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3141

[Alex Keller]

I followed the link (while logged in) and there is nothing available there.  I really do think that BattleCorps requires a subscription to purchase BattleCorps fiction. 

[roosterboy]

I followed the link (while logged in) and there is nothing available there.  I really do think that BattleCorps requires a subscription to purchase BattleCorps fiction.

That's the way it's always been.

From the BC Fiction category page:
"This is fiction available for members."
"Non-Members will not see any fiction in this category."

[Mendrugo]

Huh. Go figure.  I've had a subscription there since day one, so the issue never came up.  Good to know.

[Rtifs]

That entirely depends on why they keep saying no.

$$$$

I'd bet it’s a licensing issue, similar to the unseen.  Licensing can always be resolved with money, but if the license costs more than the revenue it'll generate, then no deal. 

[Rtifs]

Forgot to add that I’ve been reading the blitzkrieg series and they are quite enjoyable.  And at least one is not about the clans.  I can’t remember the title, but it takes place between the war of 3039 and the clan invasion.  Good old fashioned successor state raiding.

[pensiveswetness]

Can someone explain exactly why, PM or otherwise, why we can not get anymore paperback fiction, book or ebook? Why exactly is ROC, the problem and is there anything we can do (as consumers) to help out?

and is this also the reason i see less and less game-themed novels from other game systems (D&D principly but others too)?

[trboturtle]

Can someone explain exactly why, PM or otherwise, why we can not get anymore paperback fiction, book or ebook? Why exactly is ROC, the problem and is there anything we can do (as consumers) to help out?

and is this also the reason i see less and less game-themed novels from other game systems (D&D principly but others too)?

The exact reasons are known only to senior CGL people, and they are not going to tell anyone. Almost everyone whose done work for CGL doesn't know any details. We wiill get Battletech novels when we get them. That's all I can say.... :(

Craig

[SCC]

Given that we're getting e-pub 'Re-Prints' of classic BT books and new short stories I doubt the problem is with Roc but rather their contract. The way I see it if the problem was with Roc they would be behaving like jerks and blocking the above, rather I figure there's something in Roc's license that's stopping them from publishing more books and BattleCorps is the result of a legal loophole to keep the idea of BT fiction alive until everything can be sorted out.

My guess as to what's stopping Roc's is that according to their license that requires them to work with somebody, likely somebody in FASA or FanPro who doesn't exist anymore (Like FASA's Head of BattleTech Development). I figure that a lot of hoops were jumped through to put A Bonfire of Worlds out and nobodies prepared to go through all of that again, they'd rather wait out the license.

As for the mysterious silence? There's an NDA in the license preventing Roc or anyone else involved from talking

[Frabby]

What really irks me is that Ulisses (and previously FanPro, their predecessor as German license holder) bring out original new novels, some of them of very good quality. Randall Bills declared the German-only books canonical but Herb rescinded that ruling, resulting in two independent canon lines for BT - effectively, the much-maligned parallel universes.

To quote my own earlier posting in another thread here:

I'm trying stay hopeful for stories from Battlecorp, i wish there was more authors available to write the longer ones.  I know its been hard from what I've been hearing.  Dedicated novelist are rare birds these days i guess.

According to an old thread on the BattleCorps forums, BC only has a license for short stories, defined as having max. 40,000 words. Anything longer than those 40,000 words is considered a novel and it seems ROC still has the exclusive right to publish these.
So it's a legal issue, not a lack of writers. And even if there was a lack of writers there are at least one unpublished US novel (looking at you, Visions of Rebirth!) and over a dozen German novels waiting to be translated out there.

[pensiveswetness]

Given that we're getting e-pub 'Re-Prints' of classic BT books and new short stories I doubt the problem is with Roc but rather their contract. The way I see it if the problem was with Roc they would be behaving like jerks and blocking the above, rather I figure there's something in Roc's license that's stopping them from publishing more books and BattleCorps is the result of a legal loophole to keep the idea of BT fiction alive until everything can be sorted out.

My guess as to what's stopping Roc's is that according to their license that requires them to work with somebody, likely somebody in FASA or FanPro who doesn't exist anymore (Like FASA's Head of BattleTech Development). I figure that a lot of hoops were jumped through to put A Bonfire of Worlds out and nobodies prepared to go through all of that again, they'd rather wait out the license.

As for the mysterious silence? There's an NDA in the license preventing Roc or anyone else involved from talking

TU... that assessment is probably the best we can get (and it sadly makes sence why we cant get a official explanation-Legal Duct Tape) It's still Bolvine Extrement to the extreme... but what can you do, legally?  [blank]

[roosterboy]

Given that we're getting e-pub 'Re-Prints' of classic BT books 

Not anymore we're not. You'll note that those stopped in early 2011.

[DMonLudo]

Sorry for the late revival of a topic but it was one of the first ones that came up in my search.

I'm wondering if anything has been updated regarding this re-release of the old novels. I'd love to let my son get into Battletech and see the rich history that developed the world around it.

Nowadays I'm hoping to find Kindle or other e-book publications but there seems to be a void with the classic.

Has anyone heard of a possible update with releasing them?

[cavingjan]

The last battlechat had some more information. It appears some of the problem is that the author contracts did not include any clauses for electronic versions.

[Siberian-troll]

According to Loren at Origins, CGL could always print new fiction

Why they don't do it in the last EIGHT years -  is another question. As I can assume, sales of anthologies showed CGL that sales of new books to whole 400 fans aren't really pay off for himself.

All law problems knitted with a reprints of old novels which, honestly, not really needed for existing fans, because they have them all or can buy them, because thair still plenty at e-bay.

[pensiveswetness]

According to Loren at Origins, CGL could always print new fiction

Why they don't do it in the last EIGHT years -  is another question. As I can assume, sales of anthologies showed CGL that sales of new books to whole 400 fans aren't really pay off for himself.

All law problems knitted with a reprints of old novels which, honestly, not really needed for existing fans, because they have them all or can buy them, because their still plenty at eBay.

not to mention your local Library... 

[SCC]

Physical sales of books is a declining market, espically for something like BT, 80%+ of the fans are going to be OK with ebooks and a good portion may actually prefer them, also allows them to avoid dealing with international stuff too much

[Border Legion]

To bad, ROC or Whoever needs to cant just come out and say, "I know that the past eight to ten years have been hard on people following the Battletech universe, and with the Republic of the Sphere and other placeholders, WE HAVE FIVE YEARS OF NEW MATERIAL for all of you.  We have to compliment Randall and Herb for the outstanding way they have been able to get the new stuff written and ready for inclusion unto the Battletech Universe.  We have one small announcement from the Authors and they will give you the the idea that Alaric's Parents are not Kathrine and DNA sample from Victor.  He is from the DNA of KAI Allard Liao and Johanna."

More great insider tips will be given each week as we start shipping new novels in time for the kids to go back to school.

Now I need to break out my copies of the Grey Death and the Justin Allard set.

[CoffiNail]

Would this not be the perfect time to start tossing out novels? They get to capture the whole MWO crowed now, that would be a lot more than 400 people.  I know i did most of my early novel reading while knowing nothing about BattleTech Boardgame, but only knew of the MW series.

[Alex Keller]

I agree. Video game introduced me to the universe, but novels sucked me in for life. I think we're missing an opportunity here.

[Berkyjay]

Sadly I feel that Battletech fiction is dead.  I know Battlecorp is still alive and kicking, but it is such a horrible vehicle for delivering fiction.

[Duke]

Alive and kicking is fairly relative when it comes to battlecorps. As a subscriber since day one, I can tell you its been in sharp decline over the past two years, to the point where we will get 1 or 2 complete stories a month if we are lucky. They try to hide it by splitting damn near every story that is more then 10 pages into a ton of tiny chapters that they release piecemeal to make it look like they are releasing several items a month, when in fact the combined total story would have been a single release a few years back. Nellus Academy incident im looking at you.

But yeah.. New novels, regardless of the format would be nice.

[Alex Keller]

A collection of short stories were released today. My guess is its part of a strategy to get MWO players to cross over. Worked for me 18 years ago...