Life expectation.

[agen2]

How long could a trueborn live, if not killed in battle?

[Tai Dai Cultist]

How long could a trueborn live, if not killed in battle?

In the Inner Sphere it's a very long time, where people in their 60s are still in the prime of life.  I'm sure it's at least that in the Clans.

Of course poor socio-economic position will put a major dampening on longevity, but a Trueborn is unlikely to be in that boat.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Good question.

Old age is not something to strive for in Clan society as we all know, and I think Natasha was uniquely situated to be able to make the longest run of any Trueborn on record at 84 years before getting flambéed. I think anyone else even approaching that age would have been shipped off to a cannon fodder PBI unit to meet his/her end. 

EDIT: Although I now recall Aletha Kabrinsky also made it about as long, but her faculties had largely left her by that point where as the Widow still seemed as cognizant as ever.

[Foxx Ital]

Not a trueborn but hans jorgensson was a few yeara ahy of 100 qhen he died.

[Jellico]

Plenty of Khans seem to be in their 60s.

If a character is popular they seem to live a long time.

It seems that once you get some rank you get a degree of control over the number of Challenges that you have to accept. Likewise you get more control over the combat you need to face. This is not to say anuone is avoiding combat. More leaders should be leading rather than fighting in the trenches while a Khan shouldn't have to deal with Trials from every Tom Sick and Harry every day.

[Kitsune413]

Clan Life Expectation?

To die gloriously in battle.

[Kitsune413]

Plenty of Khans seem to be in their 60s.

If a character is popular they seem to live a long time.

It seems that once you get some rank you get a degree of control over the number of Challenges that you have to accept. Likewise you get more control over the combat you need to face. This is not to say anuone is avoiding combat. More leaders should be leading rather than fighting in the trenches while a Khan shouldn't have to deal with Trials from every Tom Sick and Harry every day.

I think some of that is that if you got to Khan you're pretty scary.

Also. If you get to Khan and people support you, they'll essentially battle people that are likely to challenge you.

[Foxx Ital]

You can also use champions, thats how ol Bjorn was used.

[agen2]

My specific question was related to whether they are genetically manufactured in such a way as to live longer than a spheroid citizen.

[Jellico]

Yes and no. They are engineered to be healthier. But with a new generation expected every few years there is no requirement for longevity.

[Deadborder]

My specific question was related to whether they are genetically manufactured in such a way as to live longer than a spheroid citizen.

There's no evidence at all to suggest that. While there are a few exceptionally long lived Trueborns (eg Lynn McKenna who was over 100 when she died), there's also plenty of similarly long-lived Spheroids (eg Victor Steiner-Davion was 103 when he died of a heart attack bought on by an assassination attempt)

Conversely, it seems that even if they don't die on of combat or similar matters, it appears that Elementals have shorter natural lifespans due to their size. Chief Merchant Hollona was in her 70s and said to be in poor health due to her age and the strain her size put on her heart.

[Foxx Ital]

There was also star col. Eric who had back problems because of how big he was.

[Alan Grant]

The book Warriors of Kerensky has an average life expectancy chart on page 37.

It gives an Inner Sphere average of 89. Clan warrior average of 45.

It breaks down the lower castes too. The bottom line is that their average life expectancy is better than the Clan warrior average, but not as good as the Inner Sphere average. Like 57-79. Scientists have the highest, followed by merchants, techs then laborers.

To answer the heart of the question, I don't think their genetic engineering does much for lifespan no. As Foxx pointed out, there is a reference in a book to an Elemental who was so big and strong that he had back problems and was rushing into combat trying to die before that sidelined him.

So expanding upon life expectancy was never a genetic engineering goal. Breeding better warriors was. The two concepts do tie in some places, but are working against each other in others. You want Clan warriors who are going to be peak physical specimens at age 20 and age 30. Stronger, faster, tougher, smarter. After that you don't really care. Longevity is not the focus of their work.

[marauder648]

Also don't forget the Medical science of the time is far in advance of what we've got. The book with loads of information about Terra IIRC says that 60 is basically no real age at all and that you could live far longer, have multiple careers etc and still be over 100 when you pop off this mortal coil. 

Considering the whole racehorse/dog/cat pedigree breeding system the Clans have, as well as the Scientists actively eliminating genetic defects etc, then I don't see why a Clan Trueborn couldn't live for a very long time.  Sure nothing approaching what the rumoured life expectancy of Belters (which may in some cases be 200+ if not in essence, ageless, although such a thing would be amazingly tightly controlled), but still longer than what we have now and remaining fit and healthy.  At 84 most of us would probably not really be safe to drive a car if we're honest, and would probably need help going on long walks to the shops etc.  Natasha K was driving Mechs and commanding battlefield forces without it even slowing her down apparently. 

But the big problem is that its a Clan trueborn, and they don't expect to live long, indeed they actively seek out dying gloriously.  The Clans abhor waste, but their warriors are basically disposable and the biggest problem for a Clan Warrior is that they are a Clan Warrior and the society they live in.

[Auberan]

Well if you take Katherine Steiner-Davion as a model of the Clan medical capabilities in this regard, she was 111 years old when she was killed, and had complete control of her facilities and her physical form certainly didn't seem decrepit. In fact, since she was still on warrior councils, one would expect that she was still keeping her warrior status alive, even if she wasn't active on a battlefield, similar to Cyrilla Ward I imagine.

Alaric makes a mention in his thoughts about Clan medical technology when he first saw her, so I always figured she didn't even look 111, and more in a 50s-60s range.

[GhostCat]

Wolf Actual Down!  A perfect example, Jaime Wolf was already commanding Wolfs Dragoons and toured all the Great Houses in the 3025 era.  Assisted training of Mercenaries and Defense Forces to meet the Clan Invasion, followed by accidental death by Overheat and Stress during the Jihad while stomping on the face of his enemy. 

[Crimson Dynamo]

Conversely, it seems that even if they don't die on of combat or similar matters, it appears that Elementals have shorter natural lifespans due to their size. Chief Merchant Hollona was in her 70s and said to be in poor health due to her age and the strain her size put on her heart.

A very reasonable state for humans so massive as they age. On the other hand, that surat Paul Moon made it to 3150 In Surrender Your Dreams, if the epilogue from that book continues to hold up and not get contradicted along the line.