BattleChat - 20. X. 2012 (first)
Extremely interesting! Read on your own risk!
EDIT: Sorted for easier reading.
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<martian>: 1) Is the map for 3250 going to look anything like the Inner Sphere we know now? Will it be a balkanized mankind made of many periphery-sized states, or a mostly-unified humanity led by a eunuch that begins to show cracks and disintegrate on whole new lines, with the players seeing a whole new setting form?
<Habeas2>: Martian - 1) Yes
<martian>: Yes as balkanized, or yes as unified and slowly falling apart at seams?
<Habeas2>: Martian - Yes, as in people should really think more carefully before offering me a multiple choice question that's actually three questions in one.
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<martian>: 2) 3025 introduced a whole core set of most common designs, which have remained present though original models and variants due to huge production. This is despite many TROs since that add so many more designs; it seems as if the TROs are providing supplemental "secondary market" machines rather than replacing the previous high popularity designs.
<Habeas2>: Martian - 2) Yes.
<martian>: Will 3250 continue this trend, or is it hoped to have a new "core set" of 'Mechs, giving the new era a completely independent face as far as 'Mech designs go?
<martian>: Will 3250 era come with a new set of core 'Mechs, similarly how TRO 3025 did?
<Habeas2>: Martian - Oh, wait; there's the other half of your question. Still yes.
<martian>: Very good.
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<SouthernCoyote>: When can we expect to see a new Solaris VII product?
<Habeas2>: SouthernCoyote - Hmmm. That is a tougher question than you might think for me to answer. There are plans for Solaris-related products, yes.
<SouthernCoyote>: Woot!
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<Nerroth>: Have the "year of the Star League" products, such as Liberation of Terra Volume 1, done better, worse, or about as well as expected beforehand?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - About s well as expected.
<JoeChummer>: Were the Star League product expected to do well?
<Nerroth>: I see, thanks. Is there any further word on progress regarding volume 2 of Liberation of Terra, or of the 2765 Field Reports?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - I have been receiving second drafts of the Liberation of Terra Historical, and the first of the 2765 Field Reports have come in, awaiting my painstaking attention to make them layout-worthy.
<Habeas2>: JoeChummer - They were expected to do okay. But if we learned anything from the Handbook series, it's that the internet buzz about wanting a specific set of books does not always translate to sales of equal strength.
<Nerroth>: Thnks again. To clarfiy, will there be a single Field Report for all four Territorial States, or will the Rim Worlds Republic be offered separately from the other three?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - The Rim Worlds will be included in the 2765 Field Report - Periphery
<Nerroth>: Understood, thanks.
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<detinwolf>: Probably been asked before but, as well as the upcoming era report 3145 will we likely see these for the currently missing time periods in this series?(4th sucession war, fed com civil war, jihad)
<Habeas2>: Detinwolf - It is presently my hope to cover all previous eras either as full-size print Era Report books, or PDF-exclusive Era Digests. Of course, that's based on perceived receptiveness to such events.
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<Nomer>: And, on the subject of HB how goes HB:K? will we see it by the end of the year?
<Habeas2>: Nomer - Handbook: Kurita is running a bit behind schedule, and may not make it out before year's end, but we keep hoping.
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<Jerome>: Any news on the faction dice front? Are the planned retail dice Randall talked about in his Battleblog supposed to be similar to this year's Origins dice or is that still to be decided?
<Habeas2>: Jerome - Still to be decided.
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<Suralin>: Herb -- The only two named Filtvelt characters thus far (that I'm aware of) are Trempeleau and LeBeau. Is it safe to assume the Coalition has, or would assume, a pseudo-French veneer from such a limited sampling? I'd kind of like them to be something other than "Generic Periphery State #6", but there's been almost nothing fleshing them out AFAIK...
<Habeas2>: Suralin - We're making it all up as we go along.
<Lance>: Filtvelt has a health mix of origins, the world Filtvelt is norse in origin, but you got a mix of other cultures in there.
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<SouthernCoyote>: Question about Battletroops/AToW - Are the new Hauberks (the 28mm scale) an attempt to regenerate interest in the Battletroop/AToW products?
<Habeas2>: SouthernCoyote - A thing I keep trying to remind people--in my own subtle way--is that Catalyst Game Labs is NOT a minis company. Our friends at Iron Wind Metals are likely hoping to see some expanded interest in the role-playing game to translate into minis sales, but we are not actively telling them to do so, since we understand IWM's resources are limited.
<SouthernCoyote>: Thanks for the insight.
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<martian>: 3) To Herb: what's your favorite of the "historical" eras (pre-3085) and which one do you want to have more fleshed out?
<Habeas2>: Martian - 3) Honestly, at this stage, just bout every historical era before 3085 that I feel merits more fleshing out has already been covered. The Age of War and Star League now have their own Era Digest and Era Report (respectively), we spent the 1980s covering the 3025-3039 period, and pretty much all of the 1990s covering the Clan Invasion. The FedCom Civil War was well covered by one sourcebook and a bunch of novels, and we
<Habeas2>: Martian (continued) - 3) So, that leaves pretty much just the early Succession Wars to cover, and with the First and Second more about world-killing and fleet-killing than anything else, we've got nowhere to go BUT forward.
<martian>: Great! Thanks.
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<Damage>: After the release of the three pdf products this week, what's next on the docket?
<Habeas2>: Damage - At least three more PDFs.
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<Garydee>: In 3250 will everyone be at the same technology level like in 3025?
<Habeas2>: GaryDee - Depends what you mean by "everyone". The state militaries will be on the same level. Then there will be everyone else below them.
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<JoeChummer>: Herb, is it worth mentioning the project I'm working on, or is it too early for that?
<Habeas2>: JoeChummer - What project are you working on again?
<JoeChummer>: That one we talked about on the phone a few weeks ago
<Trboturtle>: The Massive peanut butter and jelly sandwitch......
<Habeas2>: JoeChummer - I sent you a PM. You may wish to look at it.
<Habeas2>: Where was I?
<Damage>: herb- hartford, i think
<Habeas2>: Damage - Oh, hell no! Hartford's a freaking DUMP!
<Lance>: east hartford
<Habeas2>: Lance - That's only mildly better
<Trboturtle2>: Wasn't Hartford nuked during the Jiha?
<Trboturtle2>: Jihad*
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle2 - Yup. 50-megaton cobalt-salted nuke. My hometown and... pretty much my entire home state... no longer exists in the future.
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<Spaceman1>: What 3145 products are scheduled for next year?
<Habeas2>: Spaceman1 - Era Report: 3145, TRO: 3145, and Field Manual: 3145 are the key books of the 3145 period we are working on. There is also an Era Digest planned to cover the early Dark Age period (when the "pirate factions" showed up), a Historical to cover the wars in between, and the final book of the 3145 priod will be The ilClan.
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<Trboturtle>: I realize that the answer is probably the same as it's been for months, but I ask only so people will know things haven't changed: Anything new on the novel front?
<JoeChummer>: Trboturtle, I was wondering when someone was going to ask that
<Spaceman1>: Trboturtle you beat me to the novel question lol
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - "Up" is a direction. I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you this.
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Novels are a lost cause for now. We simply do not have the resources to produce any new ones.
<JoeChummer>: Well, there's always Blitzkrieg
<Trboturtle>: Is it safe to say that the lack of Novels is due to circumstances beyond CGL's control?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle - Sure
<Trboturtle>: Fair enough
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<Spaceman1>: What about the getting the old novels into e-pub?
<Habeas2>: Spaceman1 - Not on the horizon. Sorry.
<Suralin>: Dun dun dun...
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<Nerroth>: One thing I noticed when re-reading Handbook: Major Periphery States recently was the mention of some of the data recovered from expeditions launched into the spinward Deep Periphery during the time of the Clan Invasion. Will any of these story threads, such as the Riders of the Storm, be picked up again in in ISP3?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - Maybe a little.
<Nerroth>: Sounds promising.
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<martian>: 4) Just request an update on the state of Record Sheets 3067 Unabridged PDF, please.
<Habeas2>: Martian - 4) Record Sheet projects tend to fall toward the low end of priorities, and the lac of capable design software is a hindrance now. We can only promise that it WILL get done, not when.
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<Spaceman1>: Will we see a regular release schedule for Blitzkrieg?
<SeeM2>: Spaceman1: there are some books for kindle. Well, even more then some.
<Spaceman1>: SeeM2 I have some of the ebooks from Amazon, but I missed out on several when the epubs were pulled from Amazon.
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<DeJaVu>: Do you plan to upgrade bc.com? One story per month - very very cool(
<Habeas2>: DeJaVu - Yes.
<DeJaVu>: mr. Beas - in far far future? ))))
<Habeas2>: DeJaVu - The upgrade? Honestly, I don't know. It's something above my pay grade.
<JoeChummer>: DeJaVu: site upgrade, or content upgrade?
<DeJaVu>: content upgrade
<JoeChummer>: DeJaVu: Well, I'm pretty sure a site upgrade is in the cards eventually (no details right now). As for content, we've introduced a new layout. Also, we're going to be introducing fiction/scenario combinations in the near future.
<Habeas2>: JoeChummer - A little of both.
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<Nerroth>: Speaking of the ilClan, can it be said at this point if any (or all) of the four remaining Homeworld Clans are out of the running; or is that the kind of data that cannot be confirmed or denied at this point?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - Yup
<Nerroth>: Fair enough.
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<Nerroth>: One of the interesting things about JHS: Terra was the information about the various Belter settlements in the Sol system. Whatever may happen to Terra in the future, will the fate of the Belters, and other worlds in the Sol system like Mars, also be detailed, in the case that Something Major happens in or around Terra itself?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - Um, unless an author slipped something in without my knowledge, the Belter colonies should NOT be fielding armies
<Nerroth>: But it has been noted that there is a significant AeroSpace presence at the major sites; at least in the wake of the Amaris Coup, where the belters sought to avoid being left as vulnerable as they had been in that conflict.
<Nerroth>: I was just wondering what kind of fighters or other such units the Belter colonies would be fielding in such a case.
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - We probably won't hear as much about them either
<Nerroth>: I see. In that case, are there any recommendations for that kind of assets the four major Belter colonies would have? For example, would they be advised to use the same aerospace RAT as whichever faction happens to hold Terra itself in that given era?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - Use generic fighters, but again, the Belters don't have a standing army. They're too small and scattered for that.
<Lance>: Also - ComStar likely "confiscated" any aerospace forces the Belters had after seizing control of the Terran system.
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<buster>: Sorry late joining. What is the status of the Objective series set during the jihad?
<Habeas2>: Buster - The last three Jihad-era Objectives are in layout now.
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<buster>: Will there be any info or stories on how several worlds were discovered or rediscovered between the end of the jihad and the dark age? examples= kerensky's vision in lyran/wolf space and victralla in fedsuns space.
<buster>: What new fiction in the blitzkrieg style coming up?
<Habeas2>: Buster - Any stories about the new discoveries and such between the Jihad and Dark Age may come up in the source products planned for those periods (Era Digest: Dark Age and Era Report: 3145), but there have been many recovered worlds, and not all of them are really story-worthy. They're just resettled planets.
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<Spaceman1>: What can we expect in the upcoming intro box set?
<Habeas2>: Spaceman1 - For the time being, we just have the one introductory box set. A second one is being planned for the launch of our 3250 setting, but its exact contents are still open to discussion. One goal is to make it friendlier to newer players by using a more streamlined gameplay system.
<Spaceman1>: Does that mean there will be a revision to the core TW rules or will that just for the 3250 intro box set?
<martian>: In the Intro Box were Introductory Rules, in which only armor (without chassis) counts? Those rules were quite simple.
<Habeas2>: Martian - Was that question?
<martian>: Yes. Or you were interested in more simplistic rules than Introductory for the 3250 Box Set?
<Habeas2>: Martian - Yes.
<Habeas2>: Spaceman1 - We'll probably have to think long and hard about any revisions to the core books after the introduction of the 3250 setting, but that's for 2015.
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<Gaiiten>: The Total Chaos campaign book was a good one, giving the Jihad an extra boost for board game sessions. Given the even more complex level of the SL /maris Civil war, could TPTB consider something like that for this conflict?
<Habeas2>: Gaiiten - Not really. After Liberation of Terra Prt. 2, we'll officially be done with the Star League period for the foreseeable future
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<Garydee>: Can we expect the weapon systems that were in the April Fools Turning Point show up in 3250?
<Habeas2>: GaryDee - Maybe
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<buster>: Will there be a family tree released for the darkages of Victor family and the Kells. Or of any other major family?
<Habeas2>: Buster - The next story in the Blitzkrieg novella line is called "Vengeance". If I recall correctly, it's a historical piece, set in the Third Succession War period.
<Glendower>: "When a family tree becomes a family bush, you just can't hide as much..." - The Regent.
<Habeas2>: Buster - No
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<Spaceman1>: How's work on BV3 coming? have you decided to just nuke BV completely?
<Habeas2>: Spaceman1 - I received an updated proposal recently that was 19 pages long, but devoted 17 pages to examples, meaning the system was all of 2 pages long and very simplified. I'm liking it, and it may replace BV2 eventually.
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<mib_sj9m0c>: Around which in-universe year will Clan Objectives be set?
<Habeas2>: Mib_sj9m0c - Same period as the others, between 3078 and 3081.
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<Gaiiten>: A wish for 3250, if you are to introduce a new tech level, please reduce the number of the items avialable (keep the list short and simple). At the moment, there is an overkill, imho, killing much gameplay fun.
<Habeas2>: Gaiiten - The list of weapons for the 3250 setting is under 20, replacing virtually every class of weapon system in current play.
<Damage>: pulse gauss rifles and rapid fire lasers?
<JoeChummer>: Hopefully we still have autocannon in 3250...
<SeeM2>: Damage: I like the idea.
<Damage>: which one? the weapons of the box set?
<SeeM2>: Damage: The clans wining over IS with 20 weapons.
<JoeChummer>: Well, 20 weapons vs. however many we have now would be the epitome of Clan frugality, quiaff?
<JoeChummer>: The Clans bid away all the armaments they didn't need anymore, lol
<Damage>: chummer - the front liners would have 20 weapons. the mop up crew would have all the "old" stuff.
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<DeJaVu>: Clan box set removed from the plans, do I understand correctly? instead of him box set 3250?
<Damage>: dejavu? what if the 3250 IS the clan box set, because the clans won?
<Nerroth>: Or the ilClan box set, rather.
<SeeM2>: Damage: The clans wining over IS with 20 weapons.
<DeJaVu>: Damage - In Russia, like invading clans. The rest - the heresy
<Habeas2>: DeJaVu - Yes, the Clan Box Set is being shelved indefinitely.
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<mib_sj9m0c>: In your opinion what is the biggest flaw or flaws with the current aerospace construction system?
<Habeas2>: Mib_sj9m0c - I feel that the construction systems for ALL units over 100 tons has grown too complicated and too full of convoluted variables to acheive reliable standards. Right now, even with software, it appears that asking for two different people to build the same destroyer will get you two different destroyers in the end.
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<Gaiiten>: An old question, do you still dismiss the idea of enlarging the Batletech universe (e.g. with another huge human -setttled space region beside the IS)?
<Habeas2>: Gaiiten - Yes. The Inner Sphere is a big enough stage as it is. We do not need more.
<Trboturtle2>: After teh Jihad, there isn't enough people left to expand!
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<mib_sj9m0c>: In the 3250 era will there be less variety of Mechs in general circulation (not counting museums and such)?
<Habeas2>: Mib_sj9m0c - Yes
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<Spaceman1>: Do you consider 3250 a reboot of sorts for the universe?
<Habeas2>: Spaceman1 - No. A reboot would be going back to 3025 and starting over.
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<Nerroth>: Will the 3250 box set be designed rules-wise to showcase alternate scales of play, such as BattleForce and Quick Strike; or will the rules material be solely focused on the lance/star-level of BattleTech play?
<Habeas2>: Nerroth - It will be focused on small-force actions
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<Trboturtle2>: Next three products that are due out?
<Habeas2>: Trboturtle2 - Interstellar Expeditions (IP3), Handbook: House Kurita, Historical: Liberation of Terra II
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<Suralin>: Is it possible that the Master's plan was a Zero Approval Rating gambit? I.e. deliberately getting the more radical Word members killed off in the Jihad so a more reasonable strategy of IS peace could be pursued?
<Habeas2>: Suralin - Eventually, kinda yes.
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<Gaiiten>: Do you like designing the new setting? Is there something you especially enjoy (and you can share with us)?
<DeJaVu>: Three books in the order of release?
<Habeas2>: Thank you for participating in this Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech Line Developer-aided public relations activity!
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TXT file with complete log is attached.
