We also got some dead-end upgrades IIRC- like one of the heatsinks had a more volatile or dangerous coolant? It was abandoned for what was the standard type DHS in 3050s.
I think the coolant was fluff added to the early Hoff DHS &/or the Wo39 DHS-"Freezers"
Which is why the true 3x crits + used in an engine, SLDF grade stuff wasn't in production till 3042+
While I have not tracked the kit info as much, the upgrade kits would be easier to roll out and spread than the factory new mechs. The TRO3050 designs got a lot more concrete roll out dates with the TRO update, many of them 3045-3050.
Oh, I know, but rolling them out isn't the same as 100% of Marauders have been replaced.
But take your Marauder-5D . . . it was not the only Marauder upgrade at that time. The -5M, -5S, and . . . -5R? were all coming out at the same time. The -5M specifically being mentioned as a kit IIRC.
But I still come back to this . . . the Nosiel Games gave out a Marauder 5D as a prize to the winner of a contest in '48(?). Which means a private individual, who in materials was wealthy but not especially connected to Hanse or Melissa, was able to legally attain & publicly announce the Marauder as a prize in the competition without any strings attached to the mech . . . and it was not noteworthy enough of a event to gain broader mention.
Not saying I am a super-fan of the tech retcon, but it has happened . . . and I understand its purpose- it makes the early Invasion a more IS-friendly play era.
Again, is it a retcon if the TRO3050 fluff tells you some of the info.......and then they added dates later.
FREX............
ABC mech was one of the earliest mechs to utilized recovered technology in production.
GHI mech has new production of their mech w/ recovered technology underway.
MNO mech has just completed revamping their production line.
XYZ mech is just now being tested & will begin production soon.
These examples can be applied to many of the mechs in the original TRO3050.
The MUL or whoever had to look at the info from the fluff and apply that to it.
So we get some mechs w/ early dates, like the Pixie modes from 3042-3048 for each house.
Then we get mechs w/ dates in 3049-ish because their fluff matched GHI.
Then the 3050/51 mechs match MNO
Finally we get some mechs w/ dates of 3052/53 match XYZ fluff.
So when you say Retcon I expect to see them take a line that was stated as "still being converted" and giving it a date of 3047, do you have examples of that?
I honestly have not looked at every house variant for the fluff & then the MUL date to make sure they all align, but, I have checked quite a few & can't really complain to much with what I've seen.
The Kits would likely start a bit later but in turn have more of them available over time than the production models.
And pretty much every mech in production got a "Kit".
The question is how involved was said Kit.
Something like the Wolfhound-2 needed DHS & ERLL
Something like the Jagermech needed XL, Ultras, MPLs, FFA, etc etc.
To me most of those XL kits wouldn't be worth it based on both price & the time & resources needed to install them. I'd almost prefer as a merc commander to look at just some Armor/Weapon swaps able to be done at the base.
Though the new Grade classifications are a bit nicer for stuff that doesn't have Endo at least.