Shrapnel 13 - Thoughts? Emotions? Dispassionate analyses? Auguries?

[Starfury]

This was an excellent issue of Shrapnel.  Both the fiction and the articles were well written. It was especially nice for us poor Marik fans to get new Albatross variants.

[Orwell84]

Going through the short stories now, starting with the AML one since that's a faction I'm interested in. Overall I liked "Lone Wolf and Fox", glad to see Marena and the AML in fiction, and the Fox Patrol stories are a series I'm following with interest. The cliffhanger ending has me eager for the next one and finding out if Evan survived or died for real.

I'd give it 4 out of 5, taking one point off for something early on that totally broke the immersion hard:

Marena was used to being underestimated. She was a Black woman and a merchant in a world dominated by barbarous Clan warriors like the lilywhite Malvina Hazen. Yes, she was a Trueborn Jade Falcon, but that did not matter, since she was a member of a caste considered “inferior” to the warriors.

Since when did a Clanner's skin colour matter? In a quarter century of reading BT fiction, I do not recall one instance or even suggestion that the Clans are old-fashioned racists. According to all previous sources I've read on the Clans - fiction and sourcebook - Marena's 'inferior' position and Malvina's place as Khan would have been based upon caste and that eugenics pseudo-science BS, not their skin tone. In fact, it's one of their positive traits IMHO, that for all their numerous flaws the Clanners don't exhibit this kind of racism (or sexism), in stark contrast to certain Inner Sphere societies.

Rant over, hopefully I've respectfully raised a dissenting opinion without causing undue offence.

[tassa_kay]

Going through the short stories now, starting with the AML one since that's a faction I'm interested in. Overall I liked "Lone Wolf and Fox", glad to see Marena and the AML in fiction, and the Fox Patrol stories are a series I'm following with interest. The cliffhanger ending has me eager for the next one and finding out if Evan survived or died for real.

I'd give it 4 out of 5, taking one point off for something early on that totally broke the immersion hard:

Since when did a Clanner's skin colour matter? In a quarter century of reading BT fiction, I do not recall one instance or even suggestion that the Clans are old-fashioned racists. According to all previous sources I've read on the Clans - fiction and sourcebook - Marena's 'inferior' position and Malvina's place as Khan would have been based upon caste and that eugenics pseudo-science BS, not their skin tone. In fact, it's one of their positive traits IMHO, that for all their numerous flaws the Clanners don't exhibit this kind of racism (or sexism), in stark contrast to certain Inner Sphere societies.

Rant over, hopefully I've respectfully raised a dissenting opinion without causing undue offence.

I absolutely agree with this, and this little snippet took me right out of an otherwise entertaining story.

[Swankmotron]

So, naturally this one is on me. It was pointed out to me in edits that this was the case and I thought I'd made it so she was merely looking at her differences, all the things that separated her from Malvina Hazen and the hoity-toity Warriors.

I understand it could have been more clear and that's on me.

But I'm glad you liked the rest of it! I can't wait for the next part to be out!

[Wrangler]

The Wreckoning  was good outing, among many stories in the book.

Though, I have to say I did like idea of the LRM boat variant of the Merlin. I Realize the owner of Mountain Wolves were trying get MechWarriors to work as a team, since he intended the Merlin to work in teams.
I still like having specialist helping too double the long range firepower.     I wish the custom variant had been published with the Albatross Shrapnel #13 record sheets.

[Orwell84]

So, naturally this one is on me. It was pointed out to me in edits that this was the case and I thought I'd made it so she was merely looking at her differences, all the things that separated her from Malvina Hazen and the hoity-toity Warriors.

I understand it could have been more clear and that's on me.

Thanks for answering that. I did consider that possibility, sort of like how Samantha Clees blamed supposed sexism for stalling her early career until another female warrior showed her otherwise.

Quibbling aside, it was good to see the AML & its Merchant Queen in fiction and you did well with that part :thumbsup:

[Wrangler]

Thanks for answering that. I did consider that possibility, sort of like how Samantha Clees blamed supposed sexism for stalling her early career until another female warrior showed her otherwise.

Quibbling aside, it was good to see the AML & its Merchant Queen in fiction and you did well with that part :thumbsup:

I have say I have to agee with that view of Samantha. I remember the book where she had to talk to Dana Pryde's (Forced) sponsor and she reflects on her sexism and how she was rocked on her heels of Joanna support bitterness and how had she not gained her bloodname, she would have ended up like her.

I have to also agree I loved reading about AML bits in Fox Patrol. I hadn't realized they were part of the Lone Wolves mercenary group.

I can't wait to read more of their exploits in the league.

[Critias]

The Wreckoning  was good outing, among many stories in the book.

Though, I have to say I did like idea of the LRM boat variant of the Merlin. I Realize the owner of Mountain Wolves were trying get MechWarriors to work as a team, since he intended the Merlin to work in teams.
I still like having specialist helping too double the long range firepower.   

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words and I'm glad you dug it. :) There are a few more mildly/moderately customized Merlins on the way, in my ongoing...*gestures broadly*...stuff.  Mountain Wolf's trying to keep the spirit of the 'Mech, individual MechWarriors are trying to turn them into a ride they like, and they're gonna be trying to settle somewhere in between. :)

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

This was my first crack at a TRO entry, I'm curious what people thought of the Albatross writeup.

I liked the idea that the Albatross was something that figuratively hung around the AMSC's neck due to its close relationship with Thomas Marik, but they had to play the ball as it lied. It kind of made me wonder if the Caesar and Axman would have gotten the same fate if not for Caesar and Adam having better reputations than Tommy.

Thanks for answering that. I did consider that possibility, sort of like how Samantha Clees blamed supposed sexism for stalling her early career until another female warrior showed her otherwise.

Quibbling aside, it was good to see the AML & its Merchant Queen in fiction and you did well with that part :thumbsup:

To me, it's a line that shows how Marena perceives things. It need not actually be true for her to think that way, like Clees.

[tassa_kay]

To me, it's a line that shows how Marena perceives things. It need not actually be true for her to think that way, like Clees.

Neither of those examples really make much sense to me, to be honest. I mean, both women are members of a relatively closed society that not only have absolutely no history of either racial or gender-based discrimination, but which took great pains to erase and whitewash their own pre-Clan histories, so they should have no reason to perceive those things in the first place.

[VincentDegrassa]

Bainbridge's Guide to Impactful Geography - Ken' Horner: The latest in the Bainbridge's Guide series, I was pleased both to see the inclusion of the infamous acid sand (how do they deploy it out on the perimeter of the ISF facility if it eats through everything, and what happens on windy days?) and a collection of new freaky alien terrain features.

I am curious why the synthetic sand doesn't immediately kill the crew of a vehicle without an operational sealed life support in Alpha Strike?  In Alpha Strike, a "Crew Stunned" cannot move the vehicle, hence vehicle will never leave the sand area.  At least in TW, the vehicle can still move when the crew is stunned

[JAMES_PRYDE]

"A ship out of Time" was well written, gave me "Event Horizion [1996]" vibes

[Stinger]

No Rest for the Accursed - Matthew Cross: A lighthearted, semi-supernatural tale from the early Dark Ages.  The Banshee of Sadachbia came across as a fun character who really enjoyed screwing with the Dragon's Fury.

I had a lot of fun writing this one.  Was inspired completely and totally by a single song with the image of a highlander taking on a larger force.  I don't think we'll ever see the Banshee again, but I hope we do.

[Marveryn]

a non supernatural reason she did what she did can be explain that their was a mole somewhere in the fury command that gave the banshee the head up include what units would be sent so she mind f them before they made landfall.  I suspect she was the only person in the area and was a former northwind.  why i say she a former northwind? cause the bagpipe to use as a jammer is standard highlander stuff. 
Perhaps she had help from one of the republic paladins.  OF course this is all speculation take it with the grain of salt cause she could also be a dead warrior that just like to f people mind.

[Stinger]

a non supernatural reason she did what she did can be explain that their was a mole somewhere in the fury command that gave the banshee the head up include what units would be sent so she mind f them before they made landfall.  I suspect she was the only person in the area and was a former northwind.  why i say she a former northwind? cause the bagpipe to use as a jammer is standard highlander stuff. 
Perhaps she had help from one of the republic paladins.  OF course this is all speculation take it with the grain of salt cause she could also be a dead warrior that just like to f people mind.

So one thing I did when I was writing was to NOT think hard about how she was able to do things.  Her 'Mech was painted in a Highlanders scheme, minus the black head. We could have had some mystical stuff but it could be easily explained by a mole in the Fury.  The names, the mech roster (knowing Yuri was in the Wight, etc.) , alll of that could have been explained easily enough.  The jamming and bagpipes could have been a wider Highlanders op and she could have easily had a lance sitting behind her just in case.  Plenty of explanations, but its more fun to leave it to speculation :)

[Mendrugo]

"A ship out of Time" was well written, gave me "Event Horizion [1996]" vibes

Glad you liked it.  I wanted to leave it ambiguous - was the Cult of the Saints Cameron onto something with their crystals, or was it just a really bad idea to put exotic materials so close to a jump drive?

[Elmoth]

So, you recommend issue 13, I guess. I will get hold of it for vacations.