Trying to track down the authors of "Battletech 3000"

[BradGB]

thats a great story O0
have a quarter of it read and I like it  :D

[eternal]

I was one of the players in the Battletech 3000 game (my character was LeBeau), and I was the one who maintained the web site way back when. (This campaign ran from somewhere in the mid 1990's to around 2001 or so; it's been a while.) And I still have all the chapters (all 64 of them, plus the "20 years later" epilogue) on my hard drive.

Having sufficient space for the entire archive, I re-posted the archive on my personal web space:

http://members.shaw.ca/xenon62/bt3000/

Thank you for putting this up. I've been reading it over the past week or so (on part 54 now). It is great stuff. Much respect to you, the GM, and all the other players for keeping it going (as a roleplayer who's been in many games that died out, some of them my fault, I know how hard that can be)

I'm pleased to learn you played LeBeau, as his character + arc has been my favorite :) but I've come to enjoy all the characters that stuck around this long into the story.

Well, thank you very much for all your kind words. :)

And yes, I am really the author of Battletech: 3000.

Well, more like the compiler/author. It was originally an RPG I ran over e-mail. Each month my players would send in responses to what had gone before, or mentioned things that they wanted to do, and I would then write them out in narrative format.

I'm glad to see that others than just myself and my friends enjoyed the story, and thank you once again for all your compliments.

How did you resolve the battles? Were some of you able to meet up to game them out?

Again massive props on running such a successful, long-lived game and then writing it up so well. Really, the only thing I didn't like was the way you wrote characters' accents in dialogue, made the sentences a pain to read at first, but I think it got better later on, that or I got used to Torvic, MacLeod and Thomas... okay, let me rephrase, the only thing I didn't like was Leather and Lace. :)

I know I certainly have, I went ahead and spidered the site just so I would have it later to read.  I may even compile it into a properly formatted pdf file, but that's hit and miss as I have long working hours and would finish up compiling Shemeska's Planescape story first.  And that monster is a few thousand pages long.

Yikes. I'm aware of that story and yeah, monster is definitely the word to describe it. I don't envy you the task at all. (But if you do finish please shoot me a PM!)

[snakespinner]

I have been reading it in my spare time for 3 days.
Now i know what an addiction is, i can't stop reading it.
What an amazing campaign you ran. O0

[Xenon62]

I'm pleased to learn you played LeBeau, as his character + arc has been my favorite :) but I've come to enjoy all the characters that stuck around this long into the story.

 :-[  8)

Thank you for the accolade. I had a lot of fun with LeBeau. As an outsider, I'd be curious as to what you thought of the twist in his story arc, the one leading to  the big reveal in Part 54. You can PM me if you like in order to avoid spoilers for the other readers who haven't gotten that far. (Perhaps I have already said too much.)

BTW, I also played LeBeau's "replacement", Ryan Avery... and his story arc (what ultimately got him into a lot of trouble) was entirely my idea. (As opposed to LeBeau's career move, which was a suggestion from the GM, one that I thought was really cool so I went along with it.)

How did you resolve the battles? Were some of you able to meet up to game them out?

I seem to recall every so often a bunch of us getting together to do up the battles as a group. I myself was never much into the combat side of the game; my involvement in this game was more for the role-playing aspect.

I will defer to the GM for any more details on that note; I will be happy to answer any questions as the keeper of the archives, while the GM can answer questions from the viewpoint of being the evil mastermind behind it all. (That's a compliment, btw.) ;)

[ERS1]

Okay, I'll admit that the various accents were maybe not my best idea ... if I were ever to rewrite this, I'd certainly tone them down. :)

As far as the combat, I can only talk about the ones I did myself (I dropped out just around the end of the Kessel arc, and Xenon took over as GM at that point). But, when there was a major battle, myself and some of the players would get together and run the battle on a game map, and I'd make notes of movement, and who shot who, and battle damage, and turn that into a narrative. Lots of work, but fun.

Which is also why, counter to the way things usually work, in the duel between Wells and Brand, Brand lost. Just the way the dice worked. Plus, it was just a one on one fight, and neither I nor Brand's player were pulling any punches.

So it was all down to die rolls, on some occasions. Heck, Torvic surviving two headshots,  and swimming out of an icy river, were simply because his player managed to make some truly amazing die rolls. :D

[Xenon62]

I wasn't going to say anything about it, but since ERS1 brought it up...

After more than three years, he was feeling the stress of keeping the game going, as it is a lot of work. But most of the players wanted to keep going, so I took the reins. One of the other players was very good at coming up with and writing combat scenes, so I devolved those onto him: I gave him the setup, and he had a good feel for how the various characters fought. For the rest of it, I encouraged the players to come up with story arcs for their characters and worked them in. Steel's girlfriend, Kashwahara's breakdown, Tor's sister, Running Bear's crush on LeBeau, Torvic's blackmail, and more, all suggested by the players. Plus, another one of the players acted as an assistant GM of sorts, helping me with the plotting. (Plus he knew way more about the BT universe than I did.)

BTW, the LeBeau arc that started in Part 40 was something the original GM and I had set up long before, though I filled in the details once the time came.

Anyway, after a couple of more years, it became clear that we were running out of steam, so we wrapped up the last couple of story arcs and ended on what I hope came across as a positive note.

[Centurion13]

Okay, I'll admit that the various accents were maybe not my best idea ... if I were ever to rewrite this, I'd certainly tone them down. :)

As far as the combat, I can only talk about the ones I did myself (I dropped out just around the end of the Kessel arc, and Xenon took over as GM at that point). But, when there was a major battle, myself and some of the players would get together and run the battle on a game map, and I'd make notes of movement, and who shot who, and battle damage, and turn that into a narrative. Lots of work, but fun.

Which is also why, counter to the way things usually work, in the duel between Wells and Brand, Brand lost. Just the way the dice worked. Plus, it was just a one on one fight, and neither I nor Brand's player were pulling any punches.

So it was all down to die rolls, on some occasions. Heck, Torvic surviving two headshots,  and swimming out of an icy river, were simply because his player managed to make some truly amazing die rolls. :D

There have been similar complaints about Louis L'Amour's work.  Given the time and place in which he wrote, it is not surprising to see those things.  Nevertheless, nearly every single book he wrote is unedited and still in publication, and still sells well.  If the story is good and the plotting is good and you're telling a tale folks want to hear (and there are only a few variations out there), you will go far.

Cent13

[Kidd]

I know I certainly have, I went ahead and spidered the site just so I would have it later to read.  I may even compile it into a properly formatted pdf file, but that's hit and miss as I have long working hours and would finish up compiling Shemeska's Planescape story first.  And that monster is a few thousand pages long.

Do you still have the fic?

Unfortunately http://members.shaw.ca/xenon62/bt3000/ is no longer operational.

[marauder648]

I'd love to get my hands on this and read it, could someone send it to me or drop me a PM so we can get emails sent :D

[Taron Storm]

I'll have to check my computer when I get home tonight. I think I save it by chapter as pdf's. I'll reply this evening if I do.  I'm not the author but the story was beautifully written.

I do have them in pdf format.  I can only hope that the original authors (ERS1 and Xenon62) don't mind it being shared in the community.

I have saved many stories over the years, but I do come back to this one on occasion.

[Kidd]

I'll have to check my computer when I get home tonight. I think I save it by chapter as pdf's. I'll reply this evening if I do.  I'm not the author but the story was beautifully written.

I do have them in pdf format.  I can only hope that the original authors (ERS1 and Xenon62) don't mind it being shared in the community.

I have saved many stories over the years, but I do come back to this one on occasion.

And the Storm delivers!

Thanks a lot mate.

And thank you to Xenon62 and ERS1, fantastic work!

[worktroll]

I'd love a copy too!

[Taron Storm]

Just PM me an address and I will send it out. It will be later today since I'm away from the computer.

[David CGB]

Just PM me an address and I will send it out. It will be later today since I'm away from the computer.

I would like one to so sent you a PM

[Kidd]

Chaps, I've combined all 65 PDF chapters (of the book, minus campaign notes etc which Taron Storm's zip provides) into one 8mb whopper here. Haven't proofread it though.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/coiclpqit3mwvyi/Battletech%203000.pdf?dl=0

Edited for clarity

[Taron Storm]

There are several additional pdf's that provide background for the story.  I'm away from my computer right now, so I will pm anyone this evening.

[marauder648]

Got it and thank you :)

[cklammer]

Chaps, I've combined all 65 PDF chapters (of the book, minus campaign notes etc which Taron Storm's zip provides) into one 8mb whopper here. Haven't proofread it though.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/coiclpqit3mwvyi/Battletech%203000.pdf?dl=0

Edited for clarity

Moin,

 and I have made an epub out of it: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqgBapWz8PeahI5At85T7S6V68fiiA

Best of Luck,
Christian

[greylok]

wending my way through dusty corridors as my interest in Battletech has re-kindled yet again.

Have been looking for things lost (hdd and backup both deceased) and am trying to find this story.

Old post, linked sites long since defunct, wondering if any of those who acquired this story back in the day
might still have a copy of it that could be shared?

reply, pm, smoke signals (from a downed enemy mech) or some such would be humbly appreciated!!

[Taron Storm]

wending my way through dusty corridors as my interest in Battletech has re-kindled yet again.

Have been looking for things lost (hdd and backup both deceased) and am trying to find this story.

Old post, linked sites long since defunct, wondering if any of those who acquired this story back in the day
might still have a copy of it that could be shared?

reply, pm, smoke signals (from a downed enemy mech) or some such would be humbly appreciated!!

I can send you a zip file on Monday, just PM me an email address.

[Anemone221]

Is there any way I can get a copy also?

[cklammer]

@greylok: both dropbox links mentioned above (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=20695.msg1419350#msg1419350) are still active; just click on them and download and/or save to your own dropbox.

[beachhead1985]

Moin,

 and I have made an epub out of it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/flu5t16xj1r55g1/Battletech__3000.epub?dl=0

Best of Luck,
Christian

This one isn't working :(

[cklammer]

Uuups, sorry - it is fixed now: It was taken down by mistake in the meantime ...

The epub is now at https://www.dropbox.com/s/eych4l3zs8nkv0z/Battletech_%203000%20-%20Taron%20Storm.epub?dl=0

[beachhead1985]

Awesome! Thank you!