Author Topic: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?  (Read 2062 times)

Iracundus

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Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« on: 17 October 2015, 23:27:59 »
Having crawled out from under a rock and gotten back into Battletech, I am playing catch-up still. 

In Era Report 3145, it says of CC affiliations that characters from the Chesterton and Tikonov Commonalities should use FS affiliations if created before 3135, and that FS Capellan March affiliation should be used for characters for the CC salient unless created after 3145 (and then CC St. Ives Commonality afterwards). 

My question is this:  Does this imply therefore that these worlds are still in CC hands after the "present" time of 3150? 

My understanding is that the affiliation represents the character's cultural background and early childhood stage takes about 10 years.  That means if the Chesterton Commonality affiliation is to be usable at all, the Chesterton Commonality must still exist past 3150, since any character created using it would not be an adult by 3150.  Presumably most people are playing adult characters.  A similar situation seems implied by the CC salient line since any character created using St. Ives Commonality affiliation would have to mean the character grew up under a CC culture, yet even the earliest PC, created in 3145, would be a mere 5 years old by 3150.  To me this seems to imply these worlds are still in CC hands beyond, since I do not see how a CC culture can establish itself if the FS were to turn around and retake those worlds in just a few years. 

Maelwys

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #1 on: 18 October 2015, 05:31:18 »
Probably a better question for Ask the Writers.

I've always been a little confused about when the affiliations would change for a character and the area involved.

It might just be kind of handwaived as whatever works best for the character.

Iracundus

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #2 on: 18 October 2015, 07:53:21 »
Not sure whether I'd get an answer there.  Might give away the plot. 

The reason I ask though is mainly for "future-proofing" a character background/concept.  Such as a person growing up in the FS (possibly of Capellan heritage) having to then deal with the sudden imposition of Capellan society during their formative and young adult years.  Can't have that if within a few years the FS have taken back the world and the period of Capellan occupation is all like a bad dream. 

From what I can see of the differences of the sub-affiliations, it seems the main points of difference between the Chesterton, Tikonov, and Capellan March are the hatred of the CC and Wealth.  Since the transition is supposed to occur after 3135, I am guessing it involves being either a collaborator with the occupying Capellans or new Capellan immigrants.  The favor of the occupying CCAF and new economic opportunities might be why the Wealth.  Maybe it is also the ready supply of cheap labor since the population in the newly occupied territories would be Servitors until they earn CC citizenship.   

Kitsune413

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #3 on: 18 October 2015, 13:42:28 »
The game assumes you are playing in 3145. The time line wasn't advanced to 3150 until the new technical readout.
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Iracundus

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #4 on: 18 October 2015, 15:31:52 »
Which does not change the main implication of my opening post.  The Chesterton Commonality affiliation person would be 10 years old at best in 3145, and the St. Ives Commonality person (representing someone in the Spica to New Syrtis salient) would be newborn in 3145.  Again I find it hard to see how the second example would have any time to be a CC affiliation if the worlds were not in CC hands for a significant amount of time into the future, and I find it hard to believe there would be a player wanting to play a 10 year old Chesterton Commonality PC in 3145. 

Kitsune413

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #5 on: 18 October 2015, 16:18:32 »
You are probably reading into it more than the authors. Pretty simple rule. It changes hands after a certain year. If you make a character after that year they aren't fedsuns characters anymore.

if a product is set in year 3160 you are using the same book to create them.

You don't have to be a seer to recognize that the suns aren't reclaiming any territory any time soon though.
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Iracundus

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #6 on: 18 October 2015, 17:52:27 »
You are probably reading into it more than the authors. Pretty simple rule. It changes hands after a certain year. If you make a character after that year they aren't fedsuns characters anymore.

if a product is set in year 3160 you are using the same book to create them.

You don't have to be a seer to recognize that the suns aren't reclaiming any territory any time soon though.

Well the authors did take the time to distinguish that a character could still be of CC affiliation now but grew up with a different cultural background if they grew up before the changeover.

From the hints dropped in TRO 3150 I don't know what to think.  It seems to show Julian Davion leads a recapture of New Syrtis, though there is another hint that the Capellans counterattack and either retake it again or that it is still an ongoing battle. 

Given the vibes I get of Julian being setup as the heroic white guy riding in to save the day and saving the FS from the evil yellow peril hordes of the CC and DC, I would not be surprised if plot armor and author fiat end up meaning a FS rollback of all CC gains (in conjunction with a Republic counteroffensive into the coreward Capellan flank).  I really hope I am wrong since we are not in the 1980's Cold War and "OMG Japan is taking over" xenophobia mentality anymore, and Daoshen being Mad Max Liao v2.0 strikes me as unimaginative and a ham-handed way of stopping the CC steamroller.
« Last Edit: 18 October 2015, 18:08:04 by Iracundus »

Kitsune413

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #7 on: 18 October 2015, 20:35:04 »
I think that Julian can stop the advance.

I don't see a Capellan Rollback in the cards. I think they will keep what they've taken. The Capellans heir is inbred and nuts though before that she was a good and awesome person. But their only weakness is the way they're interacting with Clan Sea Fox which might lead to them being under equipped.

Julian Davion's relationship with Clan Sea Fox and the Capellan's antagonistic stances towards Clan Sea Fox is the only threat they're facing.

The Draconis Combine is a house of cards. They could break into a civil war.
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Iracundus

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Re: Era Report 3145 AToW affilitations implications?
« Reply #8 on: 19 October 2015, 01:34:17 »
I think that Julian can stop the advance.

I don't see a Capellan Rollback in the cards. I think they will keep what they've taken. The Capellans heir is inbred and nuts though before that she was a good and awesome person. But their only weakness is the way they're interacting with Clan Sea Fox which might lead to them being under equipped.

Julian Davion's relationship with Clan Sea Fox and the Capellan's antagonistic stances towards Clan Sea Fox is the only threat they're facing.

The Draconis Combine is a house of cards. They could break into a civil war.

Being born of incest does not in and of itself mean one has to be insane.  Yes it puts one at greater risk of genetic diseases, and psychologically it can be damaging due to the societal stigma, but it does not in and of itself mean insanity or being a psychopath.

My understanding is that Danai's reaction is due to the trauma of what Caleb did to her.  Her actions then are acts of revenge upon him and his FS.  That is actually pretty understandable actually. 

I think the Capellan advance can be stopped by the Capellans deciding themselves to stop in order to digest their gains after they realize further advances are untenable when their forces get weakened by the Republic's flank attack, and as there is increasing unrest in their new territories.  The CC has in the background been an underdog for its entire existence that I think an interesting change of pace would be them in the novel position of having to deal with the problem of actually absorbing new gains, not merely reclaiming old lost planets.  Instead of being insurgents, now they have to pacify a restive population.  In spite of their victories under STL, the CC has still ultimately been reclaiming some of its former pre Succession War strength and its gains have been more making up losses than true gains.  Just a bit tired of the trope of the "mad Liao", or more broadly that a ruler must be mad in order to make questionable decisions.  Perfectly sane rulers can make decisions that in hindsight were perhaps not the best, but which seemed reasonable at the time.   

Conversely I think the FS being in the position of underdog would be a welcome change of pace.  A true underdog and not merely being taken down from FedCom superpower to still strong power.  I think Julian should pull off an "honorable peace" through his counterattack but not turn into the messiah pulling victory from the jaws of defeat.  Any turnaround in the FS's fortunes should take time just as it took the CC a long time to recover from the 4th Succession War.  A leader gritting his teeth, showing patience, and working with this to rebuild the FS and rein in the insubordinate March lords for me would be more heroic than a stereotypical warrior king charging in and somehow pulling a victory off in spite of his brashness.  Those kinds of "brave kings" are warriors not rulers and such actions should result in their deaths.
« Last Edit: 19 October 2015, 05:21:17 by Iracundus »