Given how popular it is among non-faction clan players, I'd expect the ugly to get a new look, because it needs it.
I actually like the Blood Kite as it is.
To be Honest, I don't think there are many Clan Mechs that don't look at least OK, and I'm struggling to think of anything a bad as, say, the Yeoman.
So I don't think there are many that need a redesign. Would benefit from? Sure - I like the Blood Asp for example - but the legs need a redesign because the tree stump look just doesn't work.
But "need"? Not really. Well...except the UnSeen. You need those done for obvious reasons.
Some of them are useful. Not going to miss others.
I think I'd retire them myself. IMO, PP should never have happened. The Mechs should have just quietly been retired and the in universe factories repurposed for new designs.
Also, Ostscout aren't a terrably popular mech until you reach some of the Jihad variants. Most of those are WOBbie.
Which doesn't alter that there is an acceptable rep-design out here.
the albatross and GT are fine (And we don't want to deface Optimus Prime.) The venom is oversize for what it is and could use a makeover. The salamander is a horrible offender of the big hips / bigger shoulders era, with straight arms and legs.
Not going to say they are perfect. But they are the best of a bad lot. In truth, I think 3055 IS Mechs were some of the worst designs FASA did. I just didn't like the style of most Mechs. But that is a personal opinion and there are probably many others who like the designs.
The point is, a design that already looks good or acceptable isn't in too much need of a revamp. But there are other factors at play - the need to allow for a balanced force to play with, to allow for multiple factions to be fielded, not to mention whether or not the new designs will sell.
I'd expect late '22 or '23 myself. Unless Alpha is way more popular other places than here, I doubt that will be the theme of the box. There are enough sci-fi vehicles cheap enough that taking focus from the mechs might not be the best decision either.
'22 or '23 might be leaving things too long. CGL needs to keep the marketing momentum going. FASA pulling out did a lot to kill of BT, not because the game died, but because it killed the merchandising and promotion machine. Even with FanPro picking up the license, it took time to get product into the stores, and time to restart marketing, tournaments, and so on, and IMO, the impact of that is still being felt today. CGL needs to regrow the player base and a Kickstarter might easily be part of that.
Whether or not such a Kickstarter can wait till 2022 depends on other factors, including CGLs current plans to market and grow the game. And, as someone said, they need to ensure that the backers will be willing to pump money into the game again. Just because someone pumped $5000 in the CI KS doesn't mean he'll be able or willing to do so in 2022....burnout might be a factor.
As for the core around the KS....the time period could be anywhere from Serpent all the way to the ilClan era. The next obvious era would be the Fed Com Civil War, Serpent/Wars of Scavenging and the Jihad/Wars of Reaving. Plenty of units there to add. The idea about vehicles and infantry would be to have a "bonus" in addition to the Mechs, in the same way CI has Elementals.
And Alpha Strike - the point is that you probably want some sort of core box set around which to focus the marketing and promotion. Since BattleTroops isn't readily adapted, as it seems doubtful there'll be an RPG and because the focus of AeroTech and BattleSpace is elsewhere, that really only leaves BattleForce/AS
You get your boxed set, a pair of new maps, some fiction, toss in some Mechs and a couple of vehicles, and you have your CI equivalent.
Of course, CGL might decide to stick with the simple era model but, IMO, that would be lacking something.
