BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Game Systems => General BattleTech Discussion => Topic started by: Moonsword on 18 July 2018, 08:16:45
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Here you go, have at it.
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FIRST!
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Moonsword was first, you're second.
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Moonsword was first, you're second.
No....no...i'm first of the repliers...My Mommy says I'm a Winner!, I'm a good Boy!
But on a serious thread counting note...any word on more Touring the Stars? those things are GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-ATE!
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I had an idea for one but haven't heard anything about them. :-\
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Moonsword was first, you're second.
Anyone with a beemer doesn't count due to insider connections. Therefore I'm first.
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No....no...i'm first of the repliers...My Mommy says I'm a Whiner!, I'm a good Boy!
I'm sure the above is actually what she meant :thumbsup:
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What about the first mini preview of the upcoming?
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Anyone with a beemer doesn't count due to insider connections. Therefore I'm first.
You are number six.
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I think I'm going to take this New Releases thread off. See y'all for Volume XIV.
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You are number six.
I am not a number, I am a free man!
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C:-)
Dear friends, while we are willing to accept typical forum silliness, like snagging the first post in a new thread, you are rapidly approaching a point that will test the limits of Rule 8's "the odd frivolous post".
C:-)
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But on a serious thread counting note...any word on more Touring the Stars? those things are GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-ATE!
There was a little momentum on the mini-PDFs in the late spring, but I think it was consumed by getting physical products ready for con season. It's on my list to inquire about once the GenCon hangover is past.
What about the first mini preview of the upcoming?
Not sure what you mean? The upcoming...box sets? We posted some close-up photos on Monday, you can check them out here (https://bg.battletech.com/news/first-look-miniatures-from-upcoming-boxed-sets/).
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Not sure what you mean? The upcoming...box sets? We posted some close-up photos on Monday, you can check them out here (https://bg.battletech.com/news/first-look-miniatures-from-upcoming-boxed-sets/).
Is there any way to get a shot of the 'Finished' Minis?
i.e. It looks like some of these are multi part minis assembled and glued to base. What I am curious about, is are these minis single cast molds? or were they multi-part casts that are then assembled before putting into the box?
Think previous Box Sets BATTLEMASTER versus ATLAS.
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Not sure what you mean? The upcoming...box sets? We posted some close-up photos on Monday, you can check them out here (https://bg.battletech.com/news/first-look-miniatures-from-upcoming-boxed-sets/).
Grand Master C, I mean the most awaited product, billions of people have been longing for so deep in their heart ...
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Grand Master C, I mean the most awaited product, billions of people have been longing for so deep in their heart ...
I think he means Shattered Fortress
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Is there any way to get a shot of the 'Finished' Minis?
i.e. It looks like some of these are multi part minis assembled and glued to base. What I am curious about, is are these minis single cast molds? or were they multi-part casts that are then assembled before putting into the box?
Think previous Box Sets BATTLEMASTER versus ATLAS.
Single-cast molds, as far as I know. These are the production minis.
I think he means Shattered Fortress
Ah, okay. I understand, he was asking about a "mini-preview" i.e. some teasers, not "a preview of minis."
Still working on that. I need to give Monday's news some time to breathe, and there may be something else coming first. Not trying to be cryptic, but con season is busy and I need to plan out news and info so each gets its full impact.
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Grand Master C, I mean the most awaited product, billions of people have been longing for so deep in their heart ...
XTRO: Boondoggles II hasn't been started yet.
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I think he means Shattered Fortress
:thumbsup:
Still working on that. I need to give Monday's news some time to breathe, and there may be something else coming first. Not trying to be cryptic, but con season is busy and I need to plan out news and info so each gets its full impact.
:drool:
XTRO: Boondoggles II hasn't been started yet.
Ok, now we know what you have been long for ;)
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XTRO: Boondoggles II hasn't been started yet.
That's going to be the name of my tell-all expose about CGL's freelance writers.
...moving on. So core rulebook reprints and the new boxed sets are confirmed and being printed and happening. What's next?
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Hopefully, Shattered Fortress.
*disclaimer: I'm just a demo agent and have nothing to do with Shattered Fortress.
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That's going to be the name of my tell-all expose about CGL's freelance writers.
...moving on. So core rulebook reprints and the new boxed sets are confirmed and being printed and happening. What's next?
Coming releases page seems to indicate the Alpha Strike CE and the pdf exclusives like brush wars. Shattered Fortress (“final final stage”) and maps are still on the table for this year.
It will be very impressive if they can pull it all off but I am currently pleased that they were able to get the box sets to gencon
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Not sure why people keep thinking the new minis are assembled from parts, it would be more expensive that way . . . and you can also see them online painted for promo materials, I think a Catapult, two meds? and a heavy? for a lance of blue w/gray or silver highlights.
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If the new BattleTech boxes are out in the next couple of months, I might be forced to buy some for people as Christmas presents. Life is a vale of tears.
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That's going to be the name of my tell-all expose about CGL's freelance writers.
******, Bosch. Going for the jugular.
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Not sure why people keep thinking the new minis are assembled from parts, it would be more expensive that way . . . and you can also see them online painted for promo materials, I think a Catapult, two meds? and a heavy? for a lance of blue w/gray or silver highlights.
Because if you compare this commando (new)
https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BeginnerBox-Miniatures3_w-Basecoat.jpg?x64300
to the attached commando image the attached is obviously a single cast mini, while the new one, definitely has deep recessed shadows at the Shoulders, hips, and under the feet.
Of course there is also this line from the box set description:
8 high-quality, fully assembled (unpainted) miniatures:
Which is a departure from the previous Box Set's decription of:
24 unpainted, ready-to-play plastic BattleMech minis
The inclusion of the phrase "fully assembled' does lend itself to the interpretation the minis are a multipart casting as opposed to a single-cast mini.
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We have had pictures of them single piece and I would swear they answered the question several times in the last thread- to the point of a couple pages of discussion of the virtues of single piece vs multi-piece molds.
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Maybe, but they have yet to show a picture of the actual in box mini, all mini pictures have been the production models not final release.
Does that mean I'm not gonna buy? No, still gonna get them, but if the are 'fully assembled' minis that means they may be easier to deconstruct to mod as opposed to a single piece.
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Some of the previous box minis were multipiece as well like the spider and awesome
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Some of the previous box minis were multipiece as well like the spider and awesome
Well the 25th Anniversary ones, yes, but not the 2nd printing High Quality/Lance Pack ones.
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Hopefully we get more high quality sculpts... and updates.
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I thought Cubby's most recent box tease showed production proofs of the minis (meaning actual production samples, and not prototypes) Was I wrong?
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Well the 25th Anniversary ones, yes, but not the 2nd printing High Quality/Lance Pack ones.
Sure. Both have been done. I’m curious why so many words have been used to discuss whether or not they’re one piece
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The last photos were of production miniatures, all one-piece.
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The last photos were of production miniatures, all one-piece.
Good news, I just discovered my previous box set miniatures have begun to unglue themselves.
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Good news, I just discovered my previous box set miniatures have begun to unglue themselves.
Wait wait, are we talking about the 25th anniversary introductory set? The one with same quality minis as the lance packs?
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Wait wait, are we talking about the 25th anniversary introductory set? The one with same quality minis as the lance packs?
There were 3 production runs of the introductory box set.
1st run had poor plastic, very soft, and came with 2 loki's.
2nd run had improved plastic (same sculpts) and came with Loki and battlemaster I think.
3rd run was the same as 2nd but different premium mechs.
I think the 2nd got labelled as they 25th anniversary box, but I'm not 100% on that.
The as packs were using the plastic of the 2nd/3rd releases.
I have a 1st release and many places the glue has been poor (eg spider backpack) and many mold issues (my catapult is missing the holes for the launchers)
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Three runs
The ‘07 catapult box. Soft plastic, no bonus mechs
The ‘11 25th anni hammerhands box. Better plastic. Loki and Thor
The ‘13 Atlas box. Same plastic, battlemaster and mad cat
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Three runs
The ‘07 catapult box. Soft plastic, no bonus mechs
The ‘11 25th anni hammerhands box. Better plastic. Loki and Thor
The ‘13 Atlas box. Same plastic, battlemaster and mad cat
Actually the 25' Anniversary (Hammerhands) had crappy soft plastic, many pieces multi Part. The Atlas Box has the same quality minis as the Lance packs (some of which were same minis in lance Pack as Box set, i/e Awesome, Atlas, etc.)
I can't speak to the 07 Box as I am unsure if I have some in my recent Mech acquirement.
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Duh, mixed 25th anni box with the Atlas box (i have that).
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Hope to see something soon. Thanks to the CGL gang keeping BattleTech going.
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Actually the 25' Anniversary (Hammerhands) had crappy soft plastic, many pieces multi Part. The Atlas Box has the same quality minis as the Lance packs (some of which were same minis in lance Pack as Box set, i/e Awesome, Atlas, etc.)
I can't speak to the 07 Box as I am unsure if I have some in my recent Mech acquirement.
My plastic demo mechs are from the 07 set. Lower definition than the '11 set.
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I’m not that excited for them to do lance packs; if they sell the new mechs unassembled in blisters, 1 per, oh boy... the flexibility!
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Unassembled minis aren't really casual friendly. Seems very unlikely those would happen.
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I’m not that excited for them to do lance packs; if they sell the new mechs unassembled in blisters, 1 per, oh boy... the flexibility!
They are plastic . . . easy to cut & mod, worktroll has all sorts of posts about it and pictures of the finished product. By their nature, already very flexible (especially if you use hot water) . . . you want multi-piece? IWM is your vendor.
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Actually the 25' Anniversary (Hammerhands) had crappy soft plastic, many pieces multi Part. The Atlas Box has the same quality minis as the Lance packs (some of which were same minis in lance Pack as Box set, i/e Awesome, Atlas, etc.)
I can't speak to the 07 Box as I am unsure if I have some in my recent Mech acquirement.
Thanks for that. My stuff is in storage and I was working from falty memory. The 07 box is the soft flimsy plastic. Iirc a lot of the spider jump packs were glued on upside down
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I have 2 sets of those crappy soft plastic miniatures. They are very poor quality, but I still did a quick paint job on them, and they are very useful as pieces you don't care about getting dirty.
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Unassembled minis aren't really casual friendly.
The new edition of Blood Bowl seems to have managed to do multipart minis that are casual friendly/easily snapped together.
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I’m not that excited for them to do lance packs; if they sell the new mechs unassembled in blisters, 1 per, oh boy... the flexibility!
I really, really doubt that will ever happen. Don't hold your breath or save your pennies for it.
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Remember too that, as I understand it, CGL's license only includes the production of plastic miniatures in certain circumstances such as boxed sets and the Lance Packs you've seen. The overall minis license is held by Iron Wind Metals, a distinct company from CGL, and any plans they do or don't have regarding plastic minis are their own.
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Remember too that, as I understand it, CGL's license only includes the production of plastic miniatures in certain circumstances such as boxed sets and the Lance Packs you've seen. The overall minis license is held by Iron Wind Metals, a distinct company from CGL, and any plans they do or don't have regarding plastic minis are their own.
Ah, interesting; thanks for the info!
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Ah, interesting; thanks for the info!
One other question to knock on to this is -- even if one or the other started doing wide-scale plastics, would they be the same sculpts? Does CGL have access to IWM sculpts to make molds and vice-versa, for instance? That would be a big issue especially for CGL, because if they flat-out can't make plastic molds easily with IWM's assistance (the ones IWM has, IIRC, would be unsuitable for plastic mini manufacture), that's a metric crapton of money they'd have to sink in for each and every 'mech in the game they'd want to make (or the fans would be demanding).
Now, practically, they probably do (given that Speck is a high poobah at IWM and has a major presence on these here boards lends credence to the "they could" argument), but who knows what the license says and how tightly anyone's hands are tied?
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Who is going to GenCon and can help me out with a thing? Any help would be super appreciated.
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*Disclaimer: I know the new minis to be included in the new boxed sets are one piece, as I have seen the statements from TPTB*
Not sure why people keep thinking the new minis are assembled from parts, it would be more expensive that way . . . and you can also see them online painted for promo materials, I think a Catapult, two meds? and a heavy? for a lance of blue w/gray or silver highlights.
It's a very reasonable thought, actually. There's a significant difference between molded in one piece and sold in once piece. From what some of us know of the production process, there appear to be significant recesses and overhangs in the new minis. These are issues that have resulted in the release of multi-part minis in the past, including the fairly recent plastic Loki and Thor. Those minis were molded in multiple parts and assembled at the factory so they were a single piece for the consumer. But those same minis also were available unassembled.
Now, looking at the new Locust and Commando, I see what appears to be a minimum of 5 parts each plus the base. While they definitely will be single-piece minis when included in the boxed set, they appear to be cast in multiple pieces and then assembled at the factory. I don't need official clarification on this, as I will find out as soon as I get my hands on them. I also don't want folks to hear TPTB say the words "multi-part minis" and then run away screaming, as happens so often here, before they finish the sentence with "fully assembled at the factory". If I am wrong, I will be taken aback at the leap that manufacturing technology has taken in the last several years, and the world will go on. If I am right, the world will go on.
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Who is going to GenCon and can help me out with a thing? Any help would be super appreciated.
What thing?
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One other question to knock on to this is -- even if one or the other started doing wide-scale plastics, would they be the same sculpts? Does CGL have access to IWM sculpts to make molds and vice-versa, for instance?
The last batch of plastic minis were based on the IWM pieces. I do not know how that worked, business-wise.
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Hmm . . . I took the 'better quality mini that the previous box & lance pack' type statements to be the cause of those sorts of detail work. Especially since other statements made it sound like the box/lance pack minis were below the industry standard- they were fine for me. But I am not a big modder nor do I have a lot to compare them to except for say the DropZone Commander stuff I picked up, which is made from a different material. The other comparison I would have is the MWDA stuff from . . . 15 years? ago . . . and the last box/lance packs had better plastic & QC IMO.
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Going to the return of fiction . . . can we get anthologies of the intro/chapter stories in TW/TO/etc or anywhere else it appears in any of the recent SBs?
I really like the intro in CM Mercs, and I think we could get some pretty decent PDF anthologies out of it if nothing else.
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What thing?
The kind of thing that should only be handled via PM, I suspect...
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I liked the Lance packs. 4 Mechs for I think it was $25. It's a pretty good price.
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I liked the Lance packs. 4 Mechs for I think it was $25. It's a pretty good price.
I've bought them all, and multiples of several. They're fantastic.
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I liked the Lance packs. 4 Mechs for I think it was $25. It's a pretty good price.
I don't think the issue with lance packs was that they weren't good. I think the issue was a production (rate/cost/something) vs. sales velocity mismatch.
The new minis look great, and I want to get my grubby mitts on extras, but CGL has been pretty clear that there are no new lance packs in the public road map, and that they won't be commenting on anything outside that one way or the other.
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My issue with the lance packs was just that. That they were Lance Packs. Had there been Star Packs, or even packs of four clan mechs, I don't actually care if there's 5 or not, I'd have been all over a way of affordably inflating my clan miniatures collection. Still would be.
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I’m going to posit that, had the Lance Packs included the exceplent new sculpts that we are getting in the new boxes, especially the new Unseen sculpts, CGL wouldnt have been able to restock them fast enough.
Same with Star Packs of the REVIVAL omnimechs.
I loved the sets that we did get, they were an excellent value, but there is no denying the orginal core Inner Sphere and Clan machines have a certain amount of gravity to them that a Grasshopper or a Charger do not.
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I agree with both of you. I want to see more of the Classics and the original Clan OmniMechs in plastic sets. I'm actually selling most of my metal pieces - keeping only those I've already finished and a couple of rarities - but I would very happily replace them with plastic.
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Honestly, if ever there was a case for multi-part plastic mechs, it’d be the revival omnis.
I know Battletech isn’t a WYSIWYG game, but having one or two variations plus the prime would be soo cool.
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I’m going to posit that, had the Lance Packs included the exceplent new sculpts that we are getting in the new boxes, especially the new Unseen sculpts, CGL wouldnt have been able to restock them fast enough.
Same with Star Packs of the REVIVAL omnimechs.
I loved the sets that we did get, they were an excellent value, but there is no denying the orginal core Inner Sphere and Clan machines have a certain amount of gravity to them that a Grasshopper or a Charger do not.
I agree with both of you. I want to see more of the Classics and the original Clan OmniMechs in plastic sets. I'm actually selling most of my metal pieces - keeping only those I've already finished and a couple of rarities - but I would very happily replace them with plastic.
Oh man... plastic sets of the Original/Classic 3050 Omnis, the 24 4th edition 'mechs, and 14 3rd edition 'mechs, THAT's what I would go for. I would also thrown in the other missed classics next to the 3rd editon minis (OST's, Scorpion and Goliath, Valkyrie).
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The price on lance packs started at $19.99 then dropped to 9.99 and finally settled on 14.99 on the Catalyst store.
If done right, with perhaps only one repeat, they could be a viable product if you use the remaining classics. Also a good way to capitalize on any other new redesigns done to the 3039 mechs before IWM starts their own run on the designs.
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They need to gank MWO's art or redesign most of the mechs from the lance packs though. Harebrained Schemes BattleTech and MWO players might be willing to try it out if we weren't still running designs and poses from the 80's.
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MWO 'Mechs won't happen due to licensing issues, as technically those 'Mechs are ultimately Microsoft's as they own digital BattleTech IP. Or, well, unlikely to happen anyway. Besides, why would they use MWO 'Mechs since the classics got new art?
Further lance packs will depend on how well the new box set sells, undoubtedly. And if it does sell well, then the likely contents for the lance packs are "more of box set 'Mechs" and "missing classics" (now that the lawsuit's over), of which there are several, at first anyway. EDIT There are 7-10 missing classics, depending if you count Osts or not (do remember Ostscout got new art and mini), more if the Goliath and Scorpion are added to mix. Mix the missing classics and box set minis with about two and two ratio and you can create quite a variety of lance packs.
Plus since the Commando, Awesome and Catapult got new minis, very distinct from MWO's models, other TRO3039 'Mechs getting new sculpts in the future isn't impossible. Provided the box set sells well and lance packs would contain more than the missing classics.
Of course, lance packs might not be on table even if the box sets sell well. Would 'Mech-only "expansions" sell well? Perhaps some other kind of thing might be more interesting products, such as small scenario packs that come with a 'Mech or two, similar to the new intro box? A map, a 'Mech or two, some fiction, some scenarios and appropriate rules.
Of course such things would likely make only one sale per customer, i know i'm not terribly keen on idea of having multiple copies of same non-miniature material, whereas multiple lance packs are just fine. On the other hand, a new 'Mech miniature would be nice incentive for getting a scenario pack.
But then again, this all depends on how well the box set does.
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Besides, why would they use MWO 'Mechs since the classics got new art?
Playerbase size? Even getting 1/2 a percent of MWO's playerbase interested in tabletop would be a pretty sizeable victory for the board game. I think the classics getting new minis is a good start, but an image overhaul to be closer in line with MWO's designs would be well received (and I'm spitballing) by 90% of the current community with a bonus of attracting new players as well.
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I'm not a miniatures guy to begin with, but I have to say no single MWO 'Mech redesign looks as good to me as the FASA/Ral Partha/IWM/CGL minis. A few are okay, most are passable, some are meh or outright atrocious. My main complaint is that I find it surprisingly difficult to tell them apart sometimes. The CGL redesigns look much better in this respect.
Why not introduce the MWO players to the "real" look?
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I have to say no single MWO 'Mech redesign looks as good to me as the FASA/Ral Partha/IWM/CGL minis.
Why not introduce the MWO players to the "real" look?
My opinion differs from yours regarding the MWO designs vs the old IWM sculpts. And as for 'real' look, MWO has already proven its popularity. With the HBS BT game, the designs are getting more exposure, and a lot of acclaim as well. The number one complaint I hear from people I convince to play battletech on tabletop with me (ok, no2 after 'why is there no app to make the calculations easier') is that the old sculpts just are not exciting or good looking.
But that's all opinions.
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I'll believe it when the Classic Marauder and Warhammer are released.
Then again, I'd be happy with Touring the Stars or something. We need get this dry period over, i'm not counting the box sets being part end of it. Universe solidly stuck right now.
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I'm just going to put this out there and say it:
We need to stop talking about redesigning 50+ 'mechs just because they are "showing their age". The financial investment for such a small company like CGL puts it close to the realm of at least implausible. Then you add in the cost of sculpting so many new miniatures. THEN if you want plastic the setup costs for even creating injection moldings would be insane -- not mention what that would do to your relationship with IWM.
We can't get the MWO art due to licensing and I wouldn't even want them. I grew up with 'mecha and am only 33: the MWO art is beginning to look all the same to me. Yes, I can identify them quickly, but after playing the BattleTech PC game my brain was as tired of looking at those 'mech as it was of the gameplay.
The clean lines and individuality of the original versions is stronger than a lot of us give them credit for: and not just for retro charm. Even when 'mechs are based off of another, we can tell that there might be inspiration, but also tell them apart (eg. the Marauder family). The MWO versions get into the realm -- thought not nearly as bad as -- the Bay Transformers. If it wasn't for the fact that some of the Autobots had different colors, reliable identification would be impossible.
No one is out there saying redesign X-Wings and Star Destroyers. And while that may be due to the religious-like zeal of Star Wars fans, there is something to be said about designs that have lasted so long. BattleTech has been around for almost 34 years and that certainly says something. The lack of a box set and product support is more of a survivability concern than old drawings. And well-painted miniatures go further for promoting a game than anything else.
A similar comparison is how he old Ral Partha D&D minis are a joy to paint compared to the overly busy newer fantasy miniatures. Details don't mean anything if the whole mini is just details.
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The price on lance packs started at $19.99 then dropped to 9.99 and finally settled on 14.99 on the Catalyst store.
If done right, with perhaps only one repeat, they could be a viable product if you use the remaining classics. Also a good way to capitalize on any other new redesigns done to the 3039 mechs before IWM starts their own run on the designs.
I'm not sure what you're saying on price. Is it that $19.99 was good, or a little too high?
I have to assume that $19.99 was the "regular BT profit margin" price, while $9.99 was the "Why are these still in the warehouse!?" price.
Any new pack would presumably have to be sold at something like the former price to make sense. (Meaning MSRP $20-25, but you could probably find them for ~$16-20 from an internet discount retailer)
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I'm just going to put this out there and say it:
*snip*
The best example in recent memory, as far as re-imagining designs, are the new "nuseen" (shimmering sword) AND the TRO:3050 revisions (brent evans).
BUT for the love of god, please fix the scale! (Picture for reference. Top is now, best being the bottom part of the picture). MWO looks so damn silly when you see a tiny Locust running around an Atlas twice its size. Even the new PC game. It looks so terrible.
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The best example in recent memory, as far as re-imagining designs, are the new "nuseen" (shimmering sword) AND the TRO:3050 revisions (brent evans).
BUT for the love of god, please fix the scale! (Picture for reference. Top is now, best being the bottom part of the picture). MWO looks so damn silly when you see a tiny Locust running around an Atlas twice its size. Even the new PC game. It looks so terrible.
This is funny because most lights used to be even smaller. I actually prefer small lights. If you make them too big it's a drastic decrease in their survivability. Because you know.... real time FPS and all that.
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This is funny because most lights used to be even smaller. I actually prefer small lights. If you make them too big it's a drastic decrease in their survivability. Because you know.... real time FPS and all that.
Any more smaller and the light mech mechwarrior is going to be tinier than a protomech pilot.
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This is funny because most lights used to be even smaller. I actually prefer small lights. If you make them too big it's a drastic decrease in their survivability. Because you know.... real time FPS and all that.
This is funny, it's the same argument as "what works for the board game won't work for the computer game." Flip the arguement, and keep the MWO asthetic out of my board game. Really small lights look terrible.
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Side note: ANY chance TRO Sucession Wars will get a reprint with the rest of the classics added in?
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The Catalyst redesigns of the old mechs look great. Obviously they should use those for minis.
I was referring to things like... Jagermechs and Jenners.
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This is funny, it's the same argument as "what works for the board game won't work for the computer game." Flip the arguement, and keep the MWO asthetic out of my board game. Really small lights look terrible.
For TT it's purely subjective and doesn't really matter. I'm pointing out there's gameplay reasons lights are small in a real time shooter. It's not an arbitrary decision to make them comparatively small vs TT.
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lights are one of the more consistent scale-wise, 20 tonners especially. like everything else there are some oddballs like the Hermes and Stiletto.
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=56960.msg1309460#msg1309460
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I'm not sure what you're saying on price. Is it that $19.99 was good, or a little too high?
I have to assume that $19.99 was the "regular BT profit margin" price, while $9.99 was the "Why are these still in the warehouse!?" price.
Any new pack would presumably have to be sold at something like the former price to make sense. (Meaning MSRP $20-25, but you could probably find them for ~$16-20 from an internet discount retailer)
I think it's that $20 was good.
And I'd love to see TRO:IrregularTech before a new printing of TRO:Succession Wars. I've already got all those 'Mechs. ;)
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Also I'd argue that having five times more mass than something else would make you bigger than that thing.
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We need to stop talking about redesigning 50+ 'mechs just because they are "showing their age".
That's called stagnation. Again, you are of course welcome to your opinion, but in my experience, players do not like the old late 80s early 90s aesthetic of some of these designs. If they perceive something to not be 'cool' then they are less inclined to purchase or spend money on the product. There's some value in nostalgia of course, but that doesn't open the hobby/game up to new people, it just plays off the emotional connection current players have to earlier times and memories of the game.
There's also been shouts of "No licenses, Microsoft, contracts" every time MWO designs are brought up, by what is really known? A solid business case for revisiting the deals to allow for MWO production minis might not be the worst idea in the world. Why not investigate that avenue? If there is a demand for it, (which would make for a neat poll) why not see if the roadblocks are as concrete as some here believe them to be? The old sculpts from RP IWM will still exist, so what's the harm? The tabletop game allows you to play with coins if you want, so it's not going to intrude on anyone's fun, or tell a sect of players "Your fun is wrong, nufun is the only way to go!"
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I have a question about a possible new publication format.
What about publishing sourcebooks as to the Historicals, Era Reports or Hot Spots just as text (without stylish design and no illustrations)?
I would like to have many sourcebooks for my Kindle e-book reader (or for Smartphone readers) and such a simple format would be very suitable for this.
You could offer these variants for a lower price than the *full* publications and so increase the audience.
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I have a question about a possible new publication format.
What about publishing sourcebooks as to the Historicals, Era Reports or Hot Spots just as text (without stylish design and no illustrations)?
I would like to have many sourcebooks for my Kindle e-book reader (or for Smartphone readers) and such a simple format would be very suitable for this.
You could offer these variants for a lower price than the *full* publications and so increase the audience.
Which Kindle do you have? B/c mine has those SBs as PDF docs.
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I have a question about a possible new publication format.
What about publishing sourcebooks as to the Historicals, Era Reports or Hot Spots just as text (without stylish design and no illustrations)?
I would like to have many sourcebooks for my Kindle e-book reader (or for Smartphone readers) and such a simple format would be very suitable for this.
You could offer these variants for a lower price than the *full* publications and so increase the audience.
I, for one, could not read those without the fancy art styles or illustrations. If you can, good job. I am a very visual person who likes art.
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That's called stagnation. Again, you are of course welcome to your opinion, but in my experience, players do not like the old late 80s early 90s aesthetic of some of these designs. If they perceive something to not be 'cool' then they are less inclined to purchase or spend money on the product. There's some value in nostalgia of course, but that doesn't open the hobby/game up to new people, it just plays off the emotional connection current players have to earlier times and memories of the game.
If presentation is the problem, then show well-painted miniatures such as what is up on CamoSpecs. What "looks cool" is very subjective. I enjoyed the MWO when they first came out, but the longer I have been with them the less I like them. Throwing out that we are attached just because of nostalgia is not an accurate critique.
There's also been shouts of "No licenses, Microsoft, contracts" every time MWO designs are brought up, by what is really known?
This board has banned the posting of MWO-derived miniatures. The property has clearly delineated PC and tabletop assets. I would say that tells us a lot.
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That's called stagnation. Again, you are of course welcome to your opinion, but in my experience, players do not like the old late 80s early 90s aesthetic of some of these designs. If they perceive something to not be 'cool' then they are less inclined to purchase or spend money on the product. There's some value in nostalgia of course, but that doesn't open the hobby/game up to new people, it just plays off the emotional connection current players have to earlier times and memories of the game.
There's also been shouts of "No licenses, Microsoft, contracts" every time MWO designs are brought up, by what is really known? A solid business case for revisiting the deals to allow for MWO production minis might not be the worst idea in the world. Why not investigate that avenue? If there is a demand for it, (which would make for a neat poll) why not see if the roadblocks are as concrete as some here believe them to be? The old sculpts from RP IWM will still exist, so what's the harm? The tabletop game allows you to play with coins if you want, so it's not going to intrude on anyone's fun, or tell a sect of players "Your fun is wrong, nufun is the only way to go!"
Yeah. When you're selling little miniature models they need to have value. Ideally they should look good enough that someone who doesn't play BattleTech would consider buying them because they look cool and maybe they want to paint them.
If, for instance, I want to run a game at a local comic book shop or someone I haven't already sold on battletech it helps if I don't have to apologize for goofy looking Jenners. If the mechs looked better I'd have bought more lance packs. I like plastic mechs. That's me as a person who's played battletech for three decades and loving it to death admitting that I didn't buy most lance packs because the mechs don't look good enough. So why not just substitute another bad looking mech.
Some mechs like the Zeus don't have this problem. But they tend to be few and far between.
That being said the new mechs in the new box sets look fabulous. So.. that's what I want. thats what I want to spend money on.
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Which Kindle do you have? B/c mine has those SBs as PDF docs.
A Black`n White Kindle.
Reading the pdfs is difficult, text could better be scaled for optimal reading.
I, for one, could not read those without the fancy art styles or illustrations. If you can, good job. I am a very visual person who likes art.
I would buy both variants, the simple as mobile variants the dead tree for home. Especially in my holidays or when I am travelling I would like to have my Battletech ready in my pocket to read ...
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There's also been shouts of "No licenses, Microsoft, contracts" every time MWO designs are brought up, by what is really known?
Try this: CGL is not using third party art for BattleTech anymore. Everything is done in-house (or however the licensing works, either way CGL owns all rights to the art they use). Like, the unseen IICs were never part of lawsuits, but they're unseen because they're done by third party, even it was for FASA. As i understand it, CGL could use that art, but they choose not to to be on the safe side.
Since PGI shared Mechwarrior license (IIRC they had exclusive rights, not 100% about this though) and models to HBS, the idea of them being shared with IMR/CGL is not impossible in itself. But that would seemingly contradict how things are done by IMR/CGL, as the source for the art would be a third party, no matter how friendly.
This board has banned the posting of MWO-derived miniatures. The property has clearly delineated PC and tabletop assets. I would say that tells us a lot.
As i understand it, these are a special case. They're banned because while PGI might have granted rights to 3D printing MWO 'Mechs for your own use, you cannot share them.
Majority of MWO minis are most likely sold or printed by other people, not their current owners, ie they have no rights to them. A form of piracy or copyright violation.
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That's called stagnation. Again, you are of course welcome to your opinion, but in my experience, players do not like the old late 80s early 90s aesthetic of some of these designs. If they perceive something to not be 'cool' then they are less inclined to purchase or spend money on the product. There's some value in nostalgia of course, but that doesn't open the hobby/game up to new people, it just plays off the emotional connection current players have to earlier times and memories of the game.
There's also been shouts of "No licenses, Microsoft, contracts" every time MWO designs are brought up, by what is really known? A solid business case for revisiting the deals to allow for MWO production minis might not be the worst idea in the world. Why not investigate that avenue? If there is a demand for it, (which would make for a neat poll) why not see if the roadblocks are as concrete as some here believe them to be? The old sculpts from RP IWM will still exist, so what's the harm? The tabletop game allows you to play with coins if you want, so it's not going to intrude on anyone's fun, or tell a sect of players "Your fun is wrong, nufun is the only way to go!"
What is really known? MWO has not tried to sell merch of their mech designs in different scales, why might that be? A business case for the MWO designs being made minis? How about a case against- ROI . . . they have been pirated for years, just look online and you can find the images all over- either able to get the file to print your own or use a service to print them as you want. They are so prevalent that CGL had to put up a notification about not posting images of the stolen property in the mini forum. Add in the bit about the long term planning of keeping away from any questionable property.
I say this as someone who likes a few of the MWO designs- see the Cataphract under my name!- but the critique that they do look the same is extremely valid as coming from both the same designer and being in the same medium. MWO uses some of the same skinning for 'detail' on the mechs, its in their business interest to re-use as much of the detail work as possible to keep each mech's individual production cost down.
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Also I'd argue that having five times more mass than something else would make you bigger than that thing.
It depends on what it's made of. Are all 'mechs solid metal blocks? Density is a thing, each 'mech is different.
I'm not asking for a Locust to be the same size of an Atlas or taller. But an Atlas shouldn't be able to use a light 'mech as an arm rest. It looks silly and it actually throws scale off. The picture I showed looks the best.
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It depends on what it's made of. Are all 'mechs solid metal blocks? Density is a thing, each 'mech is different.
I'm not asking for a Locust to be the same size of an Atlas or taller. But an Atlas shouldn't be able to use a light 'mech as an arm rest. It looks silly and it actually throws scale off. The picture I showed looks the best.
Depends on what it's made out of is a good answer unless you're talking about something that's all made out of the same stuff. Like mechs.
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Depends on what it's made out of is a good answer unless you're talking about something that's all made out of the same stuff. Like mechs.
Honestly I think you guys shouldn't put too much stock in density vs. size arguments. It leads naturally to one of the major points of Battletech unreality: the volume vs. mass of Mech descriptions yields an incredibly not-dense Mech. So light compared the required strength needed to sustain impacts and loads that I recall Cray had to come up with a lot of material handwaving to justify how light (vs. steel, titanium, standard composites, etc). He did a good job, but this is one of the points of the BT universe that's a lot more "fi" than it is "sci".
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Depends on what it's made out of is a good answer unless you're talking about something that's all made out of the same stuff. Like mechs.
If every single part in a mech was exactly the same, sure. You can't swap a lot of equipment easily.
Honestly I think you guys shouldn't put too much stock in density vs. size arguments. It leads naturally to one of the major points of Battletech unreality: the volume vs. mass of Mech descriptions yields an incredibly not-dense Mech. So light compared the required strength needed to sustain impacts and loads that I recall Cray had to come up with a lot of material handwaving to justify how light (vs. steel, titanium, standard composites, etc). He did a good job, but this is one of the points of the BT universe that's a lot more "fi" than it is "sci".
Fair enough.
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As i understand it, these are a special case. They're banned because while PGI might have granted rights to 3D printing MWO 'Mechs for your own use, you cannot share them.
Majority of MWO minis are most likely sold or printed by other people, not their current owners, ie they have no rights to them. A form of piracy or copyright violation.
There are also, a few....very few...corner cases where an MWO derived 3-D printed Mini can be shown. I have one of them.
It Stands about 1 foot tall, and is of the Champion Highlander Mech - HEAVY METAL
I won said 3-D Printed Mech at the MWO STEAM RELEASE PARTY back in 2015. And it was Randal Bills who drew my ticket from the Big Bowl of tickets. They had 5 or six 3D Printed models to give away.
I choose when it was my turn, the Heavy Metal.
As stated tho, this is a unique corner case as it is certainly in no way sufficient to play a Table Top Game with, and it was produced and given away by PGI themselves, so all the correct protocols are covered.
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This board has banned the posting of MWO-derived miniatures.
Small correction - the board bans the posting of unlicenced reproductions, because they're illegal. There are no licenced MWO minis for sale, full stop, so we don't accept images - not because they're MWO, but because we don't support licence infringement. Same thing would happen if someone started selling MW4-model minis without a licence.
(Also note, PGI & HBS do not have the licence to produce minis. Their licence is for computer games only.)
If you kitbash your own MWO (or MW4) lookalike from parts, or sculpt one for personal use only (start to finish), we'd love to see them.
So it's all about supporting our fellow licence holders, and not really about MWO.
Worktroll, Ombudsman.
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There are also, a few....very few...corner cases where an MWO derived 3-D printed Mini can be shown. I have one of them.
It Stands about 1 foot tall, and is of the Champion Highlander Mech - HEAVY METAL
I won said 3-D Printed Mech at the MWO STEAM RELEASE PARTY back in 2015. And it was Randal Bills who drew my ticket from the Big Bowl of tickets. They had 5 or six 3D Printed models to give away.
I choose when it was my turn, the Heavy Metal.
As stated tho, this is a unique corner case as it is certainly in no way sufficient to play a Table Top Game with, and it was produced and given away by PGI themselves, so all the correct protocols are covered.
Which are totally legit as promotional items. However, NeonKnight, I think you should ship it to me so I can ... check it for authenticity. Yup, check it. Might take some time. ;)
W.
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Which are totally legit as promotional items. However, NeonKnight, I think you should ship it to me so I can ... check it for authenticity. Yup, check it. Might take some time. ;)
W.
Sorry, I believe you've asked that before ;)
Here's a Pic of the 'mini', the Macro? I don;t know what we'd call it.
(https://i.imgur.com/bkvLWro.png)
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I'm not sure what you're saying on price. Is it that $19.99 was good, or a little too high?
I have to assume that $19.99 was the "regular BT profit margin" price, while $9.99 was the "Why are these still in the warehouse!?" price.
I think that was pretty much it. The $20 price was a good start and I bought a few at that price because it was a good deal. I think the $10 was as you stated, an effort to push most of them onto the market. I picked up a lot more at that lower price as well. I have not idea why they raised the price up to $15 though. It is still a good bargain and worth the money. If they do any more lance packs I hope they keep the $20 price.
...We need to stop talking about redesigning 50+ 'mechs just because they are "showing their age". The financial investment for such a small company like CGL puts it close to the realm of at least implausible. Then you add in the cost of sculpting so many new miniatures. THEN if you want plastic the setup costs for even creating injection moldings would be insane -- not mention what that would do to your relationship with IWM...
As someone who has played BT for a very long time I have to disagree. CGL and IWM SHOULD update the images and minis for many of the older designs. As time and money permit. There are many designs that are dated and they just don't look good anymore. Some people might like the retro designs but this game will not survive on retro designs.
As for Star Wars designs... Unlike BT retro designs those in SW have aged well. Its like comparing a 69 Mustang to a 70s Gremlin. Both are old but the Gremlin... such an ugly car.
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*looks at the new Awesome, Catapult, and Commando sculpts in the boxed set*
They look redesigned to me, and they were never Unseen. Whether or not CGL continues this trend is up to them, but it wouldn't surprise me. It's a shame they can't look exactly like the video game versions, but I doubt anyone will complain if they're very very similar. Well, aside from those who prefer the old models.
As someone who has played BT for a very long time I have to disagree. CGL and IWM SHOULD update the images and minis for many of the older designs. As time and money permit. There are many designs that are dated and they just don't look good anymore. Some people might like the retro designs but this game will not survive on retro designs.
I suspect that the overwhelming majority of people who prefer the old miniatures already own hundreds of them. Besides, it's not like the old miniatures are gone - they're still very much available from IWM.
As for Star Wars designs... Unlike BT retro designs those in SW have aged well. Its like comparing a 69 Mustang to a 70s Gremlin. Both are old but the Gremlin... such an ugly car.
BattleTech and Star Wars are completely different brands. But I wouldn't hold up Star "Han Shot Second" Wars as some paragon of resisting retcons. :D I'd even say that the X-Wing has varied as much as the Atlas in its various incarnations, but like our favorite not-really-that-good Assault 'Mech, it's still recognizable.
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*looks at the new Awesome, Catapult, and Centurion sculpts in the boxed set*
Ummm....Centurion?
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Ummm....Centurion?
Centurion, Commando, they're all just FedCom trash under my targeting reticle. :D
Edit: Fixed.
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As someone who has played BT for a very long time I have to disagree. CGL and IWM SHOULD update the images and minis for many of the older designs. As time and money permit. There are many designs that are dated and they just don't look good anymore. Some people might like the retro designs but this game will not survive on retro designs.
As for Star Wars designs... Unlike BT retro designs those in SW have aged well. Its like comparing a 69 Mustang to a 70s Gremlin. Both are old but the Gremlin... such an ugly car.
Agree almost 100%. You don't even have to get rid of the retros, just bring in some modern visuals.
And Star Wars has modified the Star Destroyer and X Wing, they change in each film. You can tell what they are still, but they do update the model of the ships with the times. As to Cars, same thing. We have old cars that people love, and updated cars you can still tell are a Mustang, or a Challenger, but with newer modern designs.
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I'm a new player, heard of this forum and registered on this forum specifically to reply to it. I'm extremely appalled by the fact that some people would preffer the old designs over the ones on MWO. To me they are a huge turn off and i'm pretty sure they will be to most new players coming to the game nowdays. I actually dislike them so much that i'm planning to sculpt my own minis based on MWO. I also know a bunch of people that 3d print MWO stuff for the same reason. Imho updating the designs from the 80s for today, taking into account the advancements on sculpting and casting that came to be on those nearly 40 years is essential. Catalyst has been doing it when they commission new art and i really hope anybody wanting to put new miniatures does the same. I know for sure that they will be getting my money.
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Really? You're appalled that I prefer the older sculpts? That is a pretty hyperbolic response.
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Really? You're appalled that I prefer the older sculpts? That is a pretty hyperbolic response.
Hyperbole drives this community, and has for at least the past twenty years. (Oh God, I've been part of the BattleTech online community for two decades.) It's no worse than those of us - and that definitely includes you and I - saying that Catalyst should do this, or must do that.
And given the quality of some of those old designs and sculpts, I'd tempted to use the word "appalling" as well.
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Really? You're appalled that I prefer the older sculpts? That is a pretty hyperbolic response.
Apall: to fill with horror; shock or dismay
I'm a bit dismayed that even the suggestion of a visual overhaul is met by steadfast resistance. I only go by what I have seen as a part of the CDT, at cons and game clubs, when I try and get people enthused about the game.
It's why I usually would only bring good looking 'mechs to the table (Clan or some of the newer sculpts for the IS). Yes it's my opinion that they and MWO look better, but the anecdotal evidence I gained running games for new players, is that they are attracted to good looking stompy robots more then not so good looking ones.
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English is not my native language so i might be going over the top without noticing but i'm very surprised by that.
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Nothing wrong with new sculpts and art. There are indeed a lot of kinda meh looking 'Mechs and sculpts, but in those case a lot can be corrected with new, better quality art and resculpting the 'Mechs, without redesigning the entire things.
As long as they're not MWO models or even too much much MWO-like. While animation gives them some life, as in HBS BattleTech, they still don't feel right to me, being too stiff, too much like walking tanks, not BattleTech at all.
BattleTech's roots are in Robotech and other such anime, as such humanoid robots are very much part of BT's identity, and that humanoid-part does include certain degree of freedom of movement walking tank depictions don't have.
BT does have place for more walking tank designs too, for example the Thanatos (along with variety of others). But it so from the beginning, turning existing designs to similar aesthetic is wrong.
The new art the classics got is great, and it would be nice to see more and more 'Mechs reworked for that, though not all need that treatment, naturally. The original Clan OmniMechs for example, they have extremely strong visual identity and pretty good art in TRO3050U (though i always prefer the original ortho art for some reason) (no comment on their minis, i don't own any).
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If we get stuff that looks to the same quality as the Highlander resculpt, sure, but bear this in mind:
In the fan-financing board the typical master costs $800 to have made. In some instances less; in some more. I don't know how much art and subsequent orthogonal views cost to make, but I imagine a couple of hundred dollars depending on time. If injection molding for less expensive plastic miniatures is wanted you can add several thousand dollars more on top of that.
How do you proceed with this? One at a time or in batches? All at once? Which designs?
For a company that has a history of even having difficulty paying authors, you bet such a project is at the least a stretch in my mind.
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I think cgl and iwm are heading into the direction of new better art or better resculpts for the older core mechs. Rescuplted uziel the new hellspawn . And the gauntlet that really looks like a way better bushwalker or the stalker 2 that I'm replacing the old stalkers with . And have we not seen reimaged warhammers , marauders, and the like . We are seeing a rework of the old line it just takes some time .
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If we get stuff that looks to the same quality as the Highlander resculpt, sure, but bear this in mind:
In the fan-financing board the typical master costs $800 to have made. In some instances less; in some more. I don't know how much art and subsequent orthogonal views cost to make, but I imagine a couple of hundred dollars depending on time. If injection molding for less expensive plastic miniatures is wanted you can add several thousand dollars more on top of that.
How do you proceed with this? One at a time or in batches? All at once? Which designs?
For a company that has a history of even having difficulty paying authors, you bet such a project is at the least a stretch in my mind.
This discussion sure sounds a lot like "we have no idea" and "we're not privy to business decisions" topped off with a big heaping helping of "no seriously it's not our problem" that is unfortunately very popular as a seasoning in these parts.
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This discussion sure sounds a lot like "we have no idea" and "we're not privy to business decisions" topped off with a big heaping helping of "no seriously it's not our problem" that is unfortunately very popular as a seasoning in these parts.
Well... we don't have much else to talk about...
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Nothing wrong with new sculpts and art. There are indeed a lot of kinda meh looking 'Mechs and sculpts, but in those case a lot can be corrected with new, better quality art and resculpting the 'Mechs, without redesigning the entire things.
As long as they're not MWO models or even too much much MWO-like. While animation gives them some life, as in HBS BattleTech, they still don't feel right to me, being too stiff, too much like walking tanks, not BattleTech at all.
BattleTech's roots are in Robotech and other such anime, as such humanoid robots are very much part of BT's identity, and that humanoid-part does include certain degree of freedom of movement walking tank depictions don't have.
BT does have place for more walking tank designs too, for example the Thanatos (along with variety of others). But it so from the beginning, turning existing designs to similar aesthetic is wrong.
The new art the classics got is great, and it would be nice to see more and more 'Mechs reworked for that, though not all need that treatment, naturally. The original Clan OmniMechs for example, they have extremely strong visual identity and pretty good art in TRO3050U (though i always prefer the original ortho art for some reason) (no comment on their minis, i don't own any).
Personally i like some of the newer art. Technical Readout: Succession Wars has a mix of new and old stuff and the difference is huge. Mechs like that Flea, Locust and Griffin have newer art and look awesome while other mechs use really outdated illustrations. I mean... The mechs obviously don't need to be exactly like MWO to look good but i do feel the designs have to be updated and it's something that has been happening for a while but that needs to be accelerated a bit so Catalyst can still cash on the releases of HBS' Battletech and Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries.
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Personally i like some of the newer art. Technical Readout: Succession Wars has a mix of new and old stuff and the difference is huge. Mechs like that Flea, Locust and Griffin have newer art and look awesome while other mechs use really outdated illustrations. I mean... The mechs obviously don't need to be exactly like MWO to look good but i do feel the designs have to be updated and it's something that has been happening for a while but that needs to be accelerated a bit so Catalyst can still cash on the releases of HBS' Battletech and Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries.
Yeah, same TRO containing both new and old art really highlights some issues. Not good.
It is weird really, IMO. To me, TRO3025/3039 looks good, i like how Loose's style is very consistent. Technically, messy at times, some weird perspective, but i figure he got the early aesthetic really nailed down. Like, you got the (original unseen) Marauder and Warhammer and Thunderbolt etc. that are derived from elsewhere, and then you got Awesome and Centurion etc. and they fit right in.
But if you mix that art with anything else and it is out of place, dated. Design may be OK, but old art is problematic.
In some cases, old design clashes with more modern design. Like, Plog's art for TRO3055 is pretty good, but the designs themselves are somewhat weird at times, like the boxy Naginata, hard to fit that in anywhere. Then there are things that have good art and modern design and fit in with old good designs, like TRO3145's Gunsmith. YMMV, of course.
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I've got a confession: I never liked Loose's Technical Readout art. I fully understand why it was done that way, and the constraints he was under, but I just don't dig the style. This carries over into the miniatures. The Atlas is supposed to be terrifying, but its sculpts have ranged from "diet ad before picture" to "diet ad after picture."
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I've got a confession: I never liked Loose's Technical Readout art. I fully understand why it was done that way, and the constraints he was under, but I just don't dig the style. This carries over into the miniatures. The Atlas is supposed to be terrifying, but its sculpts have ranged from "diet ad before picture" to "diet ad after picture."
It's one of the reasons why I like the reimagined art in the TRO:3050 update. It's fresh.
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Meh... I like most of the older designs better than the MWO walking box stuff. If CGL thinks the old look is outdated, they should update the timeline and design new mechs instead of wasting money redesigning the old stuff. Otherwise it's like Ford saying "No, really, the Model T has always looked like this new design."
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It's one of the reasons why I like the reimagined art in the TRO:3050 update. It's fresh.
I always found TRO3050U art to be on weird side for most part. It is that damn shading, i think. Those weird checkerboard patterns and all that.
Brent Evans' art is much better in TRO3075.
Unfortunately TRO3050U IS art clashes with modernized classics (or the few others with modern art/miniature) just as much as TRO3039 does.
Meh... I like most of the older designs better than the MWO walking box stuff. If CGL thinks the old look is outdated, they should update the timeline and design new mechs instead of wasting money redesigning the old stuff. Otherwise it's like Ford saying "No, really, the Model T has always looked like this new design."
Unfortunately, it is really, really hard to get people to move on in the timeline. The Dark Age is kinda contentious, plus tech can't be quite thrown away either, supposedly being problematic for introductory games.
There's also that the old 'Mechs, especially classics and original Clan Omnis, are for BT fans are incredibly iconic, far more so than T-Fords are in real world.
(Also TRO:SW kinda implies a lot of old 'Mechs are in use even in 3250. So much for getting rid of them.)
You wouldn't believe the amount of people who asked if the Timber Wolf or Marauder would be in HBS BattleTech, despite them not being that familiar with BattleTech.
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I've got a confession: I never liked Loose's Technical Readout art. I fully understand why it was done that way, and the constraints he was under, but I just don't dig the style. This carries over into the miniatures. The Atlas is supposed to be terrifying, but its sculpts have ranged from "diet ad before picture" to "diet ad after picture."
The plastech atlas was positively cuddly.
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The plastech atlas was positively cuddly.
It's one of my favorites. ;D
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I always found TRO3050U art to be on weird side for most part. It is that damn shading, i think. Those weird checkerboard patterns and all that.
Brent Evans' art is much better in TRO3075.
The Cyclops looks good in a turtleneck.
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The Cyclops looks good in a turtleneck.
Can't unsee, damn you ;D
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All I'm saying is, with full bias, I would like a sculpt of an Assassin based on art by Shimmering Sword. My desktop has been his Assassin art for a while. (https://www.deviantart.com/shimmering-sword/art/Battletech-Scouting-Raid-271585148) I love it. The MechWarrior Online one looks cool, but I can't get over how stupid the legs look.
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Catalyst made pretty good decision picking Shimmy as BT art director. Most of Shimmering Sword's versions of 'Mechs balance original design and style with modern looks well.
...
That Vulcan is weird though, kinda like a dwarf Vulcan. Then again, the Vulcan has been always perhaps a bit over-skinny and tall.
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That Vulcan is weird though, kinda like a dwarf Vulcan. Then again, the Vulcan has been always perhaps a bit over-skinny and tall.
They don't call it the "scarecrow" mech for nothing. ;)
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I guess I'm in the camp that prefers a somewhat more modern look over a bunch of the older stuff(not all of it). Even if that's what I fell in love with back in the day.
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You know, I was stumbling through some old FASA books I got a hold of today... Inner Sphere 1724 has some art by Plog with something that made me squee... Fear Factory fan? He had to have Self Bias Resistor blasting when he was drawing this up.
My point being, I miss this kind of stuff.
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I like new art and the old. The new Awesome and Catapult are both gorgeous. Great modernization of their designs. Yet I still love the originals. And I will be very happy to have both in my collection. :thumbsup:
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To me some new stuff looks good and other new stuff not so much. I really like the MWO stalker (which looks a lot like a stalker 2 to me though that is not a bad thing) and I like the newer versions of the locust. That being said there are a bunch I do not like such as the MWO battlemaster and wolverine to me they are blocky and are harder to differentiate than they should be. I also do not like the newer Atlas in MWO give me the clasic Atlas any day.
As for updating some mechs some mechs like the jagermech have always been ugly to me and they still are even when I see new art of it with updates and in MWO. I am not sure you can make it cool to me and there are a few other mechs like that.
I do like many of the new classics though to be honest most of the ones I really like are often really similar to the original (especially the Macross related ones) which may be why I do not like many of I think they get reffered to as reseen. Many of those versions I find ugly and unappealing.
For some art I think they need a redesign less than just making a new bit of art that is staged better. Some of the poses they use on these drawings are just not great uses of the model.
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As long as they're not MWO models or even too much much MWO-like. While animation gives them some life, as in HBS BattleTech, they still don't feel right to me, being too stiff, too much like walking tanks, not BattleTech at all.
BattleTech's roots are in Robotech and other such anime, as such humanoid robots are very much part of BT's identity, and that humanoid-part does include certain degree of freedom of movement walking tank depictions don't have.
I would disagree, Battletech started the whole 'walking tank' idea. It's a North American take on Japanese mecha. To me Battletech was always more about walking tanks then acrobatic cartwheel robotech/japanesetech.
Just an opinion, we all have our own headcanon of course. But what has always made battletech stand out to me is that it isn't japanese mecha by virtue of its machines being slower, and more attrition based warfare style then flashy sword swinging.
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Art style really comes down to taste, it's a endless discussion because there is no right answer. Just happy that we have enough mechs to please nearly everyone.
I really am a fan of the Classics like the new Battlemster and Griffin (hopping for a new Wammy though I got a nice proxy to hold me over) but I'm also looking forward to what comes next. The Lament looks amazing and the Jade Hawk with infernos is great nightmare fuel for friends and enemies alike.
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Art can be subjective but I think what people are missing is that societal expectations have changed. Take Boris Vallejo. His art is fantastic but does it feel current when compared to fantasy art that is being produced for games now? It would feel out of place as a D&D or Battletech novel cover. This is how I feel about the mech designs and TRO art work. And I mean almost all of it up to and including TRO 3150. It feels dated to me. I think the whole visual aesthetics of the game needs to change.
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Art can be subjective but I think what people are missing is that societal expectations have changed. Take Boris Vallejo. His art is fantastic but does it feel current when compared to fantasy art that is being produced for games now? It would feel out of place as a D&D or Battletech novel cover. This is how I feel about the mech designs and TRO art work. And I mean almost all of it up to and including TRO 3150. It feels dated to me. I think the whole visual aesthetics of the game needs to change.
Boris's work was used for cover artwork for one of the novels. It was a very nice painting, but you wouldn't know that it was a BattleTech cover just by looking at the art.
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Boris's work was used for cover artwork for one of the novels. It was a very nice painting, but you wouldn't know that it was a BattleTech cover just by looking at the art.
I know. And this brings up another point. Battletech doesn’t seem to have a consistent visual brand. You can take a picture of a pathfinder book stick it on its own and still recognize it as coming from the pathfinder game. This is true of smaller companies too. Megacon games such as Mercs 2.0 have a unique style that is easily recognizeable. Battletech has become a hodgepodge of different artist styles and I find it jarring.
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I would disagree, Battletech started the whole 'walking tank' idea. It's a North American take on Japanese mecha. To me Battletech was always more about walking tanks then acrobatic cartwheel robotech/japanesetech.
If you look at TRO3025 'Mechs, they're most certainly drawn with similar aesthetics as the Wasp, Shadow Hawk, BattleMaster. That is, mostly humanoid, moving head, articulate arms, etc. Not exactly walking tanks. There are some older 'Mechs that are more tank-like (the Rifleman, JagerMech, Jenner, Locust), but they aren't common early on. And while 'Mechs don't cartwheel in combat, Tech Manual fiction parts make it pretty clear that 'Mechs can do crazy stuff like handstand.... in controlled circumstances.
I don't define walking tank by its use, but by its looks, in case that wasn't clear. BT does firmly use 'Mech as walking tanks, but that is irrelevant to me.
I'll note that Star Wars featured quite literal walking tanks a couple of years before BattleTech, in form of the AT-ST (and even before with the AT-ATs). Not sure how much it influenced mecha genre anywhere though.
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Flea . . . Shadow Cat . . .
On the flipside . . . we have how many manufacturers spread across the sphere, look at the variety of cars we had in the 20s, 30s and 50s when the brands proliferated with each set of designers creating their own look.
As I said earlier, I dislike the way the Cataphract art is currently . . . I really like the MWO art, I think it holds true to the form without having the cartoonish look of the BT art. But I also understand that its . . . a uncommon mech & its not iconic thus unlikely for new art for quite a while- in my mind, the 3050 production models look like MWO. I also think the MWO art looks a lot the same simply b/c of the medium- like I said earlier the skins that go on the object are going to share a lot of the 'detail' work since it will cut costs. The models are also going to be blockier and I think the legs are too long on a lot of the Clan birdwalkers.
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The old art itself is blocky with a hint of anime sleek. Which is fine because it honors the anime art roots of the game. I just don't like the bulky aesthetic that MWO/Dark Age has. I get it, walking tanks, but even modern tanks don't look excessively blocky and there are pretty good differences between their design. May it be panels, volume, thickness, etc.
I enjoy how Shimmering Sword reinvented the Classics. MWO did fine with some, but most of the 'mechs look like they struggle to move or are fattened up just to do it. The movement in the game does not feel right, opposed to how it worked in earlier sims like MechWarrior 2 and 3 (which looks way better, IMO). Side note, why does PGI hate necks?
This is a good example of bad (https://pre00.deviantart.net/4371/th/pre/i/2014/228/6/3/zeus_and_battlemaster_by_brotherostavia-d7vg3pr.jpg). Not saying the art is bad, just can't stand the bulk. And this style stands with what Abou is talking about, you look at it long enough and they look more and more the same. It's way too bland even with all of the detail.
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I’m in the same boat. Let Mr. Scroggins do his job as the art director. If his classic redesigns and the new box set minis are the new direction of mech aesthetics, that’s fine with me.
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Been away. It's been a few years, can't be exact, dunno how long.
What's new? Apologies if it's been discussed recently, have not read far back into this topic.
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Been away. It's been a few years, can't be exact, dunno how long.
What's new? Apologies if it's been discussed recently, have not read far back into this topic.
Few years? No shit.
What's new? Nothing, quite literally, in that there has been no new releases for about a year. Total Warfare and the like are getting reprints with new covers.
New box set coming this year, as is first part of IlClan titled Shattered Fortress.
There was a lawsuit about the new Classics but it went away.
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Few years? No shit.
What's new? Nothing, quite literally, in that there has been no new releases for about a year. Total Warfare and the like are getting reprints with new covers.
New box set coming this year, as is first part of IlClan titled Shattered Fortress.
There was a lawsuit about the new Classics but it went away.
Depending on how ‘a couple years’ falls, the and First and Second Succession War books might be included as well
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What about publishing sourcebooks as to the Historicals, Era Reports or Hot Spots just as text (without stylish design and no illustrations)?
<snip>
You could offer these variants for a lower price than the *full* publications and so increase the audience.
I get where you're going, but spitting out a bunch of plain-text documents would not increase the audience. We're competing for market share with larger, more-capitalized companies that can do books in full color. Producing books that don't even have layout--something like a Rifts book, but without even the re-canned art of those--would not appeal to a modern customer.
How do you proceed with this?
For starters, by remembering that CGL's license does not include miniature production. Only in certain circumstances, such as intro boxes or apparently lance packs. How far do the limits of what the company is allowed to produce extend? I don't know, only upper management or someone with access to the license agreement and probably a law degree does. But while I'm willing to let this discussion play out (for now), I'm going to keep reminding everyone here that CGL producing a few resculpted minis does not make them IWM.
One at a time
No, see above.
in batches?
Probably, in the form of supplemental boxes/packs.
All at once?
Is bank robbery still illegal, or just frowned upon?
Which designs?
Whichever sell the fastest. No points for completionism or fan service. The goal is to turn plastic into cash as fast as possible.
Battletech doesn’t seem to have a consistent visual brand.
Because it's been around for 35 years. Whereas
the pathfinder game.
has been around for nine, and
Mercs 2.0
has been around for two.
Side note: ANY chance TRO Sucession Wars will get a reprint with the rest of the classics added in?
Any response I could give here would be total speculation. I don't think the idea is lost on management. I do think it's not even going to be a passing thought in anyone's mind until after con season. The conclusion of the lawsuit came less than a month ago, and after a very uncertain process, and in the middle of con season, and in the middle of production of two or three priority projects.
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Well then, here's a stupid thought: how about IWM gets into the plastic business? No, I'm not expecting them to invest in million-dollar injection machines. But they could have them manufactured in China and brand them as IWM, or come up with another brand name. Then the customers get the pieces they want and nobody has to go rejiggering contracts.
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Been away. It's been a few years, can't be exact, dunno how long.
What's new? Apologies if it's been discussed recently, have not read far back into this topic.
A prodigal Sea Fox returns to us. ;D
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Well then, here's a stupid thought: how about IWM gets into the plastic business? No, I'm not expecting them to invest in million-dollar injection machines. But they could have them manufactured in China and brand them as IWM, or come up with another brand name. Then the customers get the pieces they want and nobody has to go rejiggering contracts.
Joke answer: It's in the name, Iron Wind Metals, duh. ::)
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Ral Partha did experiment with that blue resin. They were very brittle, but could be used in current molds if I understood correctly. Maybe that is worth pursuing?
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Ral Partha did experiment with that blue resin. They were very brittle, but could be used in current molds if I understood correctly. Maybe that is worth pursuing?
No. Resin cannot compete with plastic or pewter in any but the most specialist roles. It is hard to work with, more expensive than you might think, and has a high rejection rate. If you get a bad cast with plastic or pewter you can recycle it - in fact, IWM throws its sprues and bad casts right back into the same pots they draw liquid metal from - but once resin sets it cannot be reused.
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It also tears up the silicone moulds much faster than metal.
From memory, Reaper went to metal block injection moulds for their Bones minis, hence the need for volumes of cash to kickstart the process.
That said, the success of their Bones KS almost broke Reaper on a regular basis. It's the distribution, & space for the sheer volume of production involved - it tends to be outside the capacity of many organisations to cope with easily. A metaphor - ordering groceries for 1000 people is hard. Having it all delivered to your house, at once, and then getting it to the right person quickly? That's harder.
W.
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That's a good point. CGL has had a history of trouble with distribution.
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Because it's been around for 35 years
And this to me is the exact reason why we need a second edition or at least a soft reboot with consistent artwork. Because the game has been around for a long time doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a change. Sometimes I think simple inertia is holding the game back from expanding its customer base.
I think FASA did it right in this regard. Almost all TROs up to 3060 had one artist doing all the mechs, one doing the color pictures, another doing the aerospace fighters or just the Omnimechs etc. It led to a visual consistency within the book even if the actual units looked much different from each other. I’d like to see CGL go back to a set up like this. Each Mech/unit having a different artist just makes a TRO look like it is a book put together piecemeal.
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Joke answer: It's in the name, Iron Wind Metals, duh. ::)
Plastic is kinda unlikely because even if they get outsource the injection process the molds are still pretty expensive. They could of course use resin, most companies do nowdays, it would allow for more detail but i'm not sure if it would make the end product any cheaper.
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From the persepctive that, for whatever reason, nobody in the Inner Sphere ever seemed to show any inclination towards developing an anti-battlemech weapon (other than bigger battlemechs) I think I would like to see them tuned up to be largely unkillable monsters. I mean, we’ve already bought into the idea that battlemechs are an effective combat platform, we might as well go all in.
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That said, the success of their Bones KS almost broke Reaper on a regular basis. It's the distribution, & space for the sheer volume of production involved - it tends to be outside the capacity of many organisations to cope with easily. A metaphor - ordering groceries for 1000 people is hard. Having it all delivered to your house, at once, and then getting it to the right person quickly? That's harder.
See also: the Simbieda Lesson.
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From the persepctive that, for whatever reason, nobody in the Inner Sphere ever seemed to show any inclination towards developing an anti-battlemech weapon (other than bigger battlemechs) I think I would like to see them tuned up to be largely unkillable monsters. I mean, we’ve already bought into the idea that battlemechs are an effective combat platform, we might as well go all in.
Warships seemed to work pretty well...
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Warships seemed to work pretty well...
And look where that got us.
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And look where that got us.
The Turtle Bay 3052 Fire and Lights Celebration hosted by Clan Smoke Jaguar?
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And this to me is the exact reason why we need a second edition or at least a soft reboot with consistent artwork. Because the game has been around for a long time doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a change. Sometimes I think simple inertia is holding the game back from expanding its customer base.
I think FASA did it right in this regard. Almost all TROs up to 3060 had one artist doing all the mechs, one doing the color pictures, another doing the aerospace fighters or just the Omnimechs etc. It led to a visual consistency within the book even if the actual units looked much different from each other. I’d like to see CGL go back to a set up like this. Each Mech/unit having a different artist just makes a TRO look like it is a book put together piecemeal.
There was a soft reboot 16 years ago. It was called Mechwarrior: Dark Age. The tabletop board game and RPG never left its FASA roots behind, and the new, upcoming products are anchored in the same setting as the products from the 1980s. There's potential with the new fiction to create another soft reboot, but only time will tell if that's the intent or if it even works.
The Turtle Bay 3052 Fire and Lights Celebration hosted by Clan Smoke Jaguar?
I thought the Galedon Laser and Lightning Rain Exhibition performed by Clan Snow Raven had much more passion and dedication to the medium.
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Plastic is kinda unlikely because even if they get outsource the injection process the molds are still pretty expensive. They could of course use resin, most companies do nowdays, it would allow for more detail but i'm not sure if it would make the end product any cheaper.
The molds aren't as expensive as they used to be. There's no way to get all 3000+ units and variants into plastic, but I think there is enough demand to justify maybe twenty more 'Mechs.
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A small plastic injection machine can be found as cheap as $10,000. Now what kind of conditions its in... that much I don't know. I do know those machines can take a beating though.
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A small plastic injection machine can be found as cheap as $10,000. Now what kind of conditions its in... that much I don't know. I do know those machines can take a beating though.
Better to spend the money on paying specialists to do it. From what I've gathered, $10k is a very good start to paying for molds and a production run.
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From the persepctive that, for whatever reason, nobody in the Inner Sphere ever seemed to show any inclination towards developing an anti-battlemech weapon (other than bigger battlemechs) I think I would like to see them tuned up to be largely unkillable monsters. I mean, we’ve already bought into the idea that battlemechs are an effective combat platform, we might as well go all in.
It's purely my perspective, but I cannot imagine anything worse to happen to Battletech without it coming from an outside source. The ability to surprise folks(and be surprised by others) using stuff that others don't think of using very often is one of the things that has kept this game fresh for me, even after playing it for twenty years. If you render non-mech units irrelevant, or so weak that they have to be fielded in impractically large numbers to make any impact, a lot of that draw goes away.
Granted, that is purely my taste in Battletech.
Now if you want true mech-killing weapons, you could always make the Elias tourney legal, or at least give it a BV. >:D
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It's purely my perspective, but I cannot imagine anything worse to happen to Battletech without it coming from an outside source. The ability to surprise folks(and be surprised by others) using stuff that others don't think of using very often is one of the things that has kept this game fresh for me, even after playing it for twenty years. If you render non-mech units irrelevant, or so weak that they have to be fielded in impractically large numbers to make any impact, a lot of that draw goes away.
Granted, that is purely my taste in Battletech.
Now if you want true mech-killing weapons, you could always make the Elias tourney legal, or at least give it a BV. >:D
Granted, on all counts, which is why I would also make mechs much rarer and less effective against infantry in the same way that, if you’ll forgive the borrowed comparison, the Death Star could only deal with X-Wings that were already up in its grill.
Handwave it however you want. People are too small for them to target. Mech weapons are mostly designed to kill other mechs. Whatever. Let mechs kill mechs and tanks, tanks kill tanks and infantry, and infantry kill infantry and tanks.
Also, I wouldn’t make non-mechs irrelevant. Infantry and battle armor should still be anle to crawl all over a mech and put explosive charges in all sorts of exciting and delicate places.
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It's purely my perspective, but I cannot imagine anything worse to happen to Battletech without it coming from an outside source. The ability to surprise folks(and be surprised by others) using stuff that others don't think of using very often is one of the things that has kept this game fresh for me, even after playing it for twenty years. If you render non-mech units irrelevant, or so weak that they have to be fielded in impractically large numbers to make any impact, a lot of that draw goes away.
Granted, that is purely my taste in Battletech.
Now if you want true mech-killing weapons, you could always make the Elias tourney legal, or at least give it a BV. >:D
I'll bite: Weirdo, what is the Elias?
Also, as a long time player, I found no problems with the change in artwork over time (RIP Doug Chaffee) and felt that the different artists from TRO3067 onwards gave us a better idea of how diverse the models were. While, yes, I'm fairly certain there was no continuity between designs from the same company, it was still more visually appealing.
Now, if they want to replace Duane Loose's artwork, that's fine. I'll still buy that re-re-release.
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I still think Matt Plog did a brilliant job rehabilitating some weird designs post 3050 rereleases.
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I still think Matt Plog did a brilliant job rehabilitating some weird designs post 3050 rereleases.
I agree. His early work was a bit hit-or-miss to me, but his latest work - and especially the fanstuff he's done - has been fantastic. I'd love to see him and Shim put their heads together on redesigning the 3025-3055 machines.
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Well then, here's a stupid thought: how about IWM gets into the plastic business? No, I'm not expecting them to invest in million-dollar injection machines. But they could have them manufactured in China and brand them as IWM, or come up with another brand name. Then the customers get the pieces they want and nobody has to go rejiggering contracts.
Presumably they could. Other US and EU based miniatures manufacturers have done so.
On the other hand, they have shown no real interest in doing so up until now. What's more, I doubt Battletech is the main bread winner over at IWM. They don't share sales data, but the few numbers they do let slip (such as the ridiculously low sales rate it took to get a mold kicked into the archives 5-6 years ago), it paints a picture of a huge number of very slow selling products, which is not the kind of thing that works best in plastic.
<conjecture>
Based on that, and what I know about the hobby minis manufacturing industry, I would speculate that IWM probably keeps the lights on primarily as a contract casting shop, and maintains the metal BT line as a mildly profitable side business. If we assume that I'm even close on that, the economics of plastic will simply never make sense for the product line as a whole.
</conjecture>
Now, having said that, could IWM pick out the 20 most popular items and issue them as plastics which still make money? Maybe. I definitely don't know enough to determine that. I would say that Battletech is probably a small enough market, that they would have to pick carefully, and go to great pains not to accidentally split the plastic market with CGL in a way that leaves them both deep in the red.
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I still think Matt Plog did a brilliant job rehabilitating some weird designs post 3050 rereleases.
As long as we're (still) talking art, I would say that while I absolutely adore a lot of the latest artwork and updates we've seen from CGL, I dislike close to 80% of Plog's work. His sense of mechanical aesthetic and mine just don't gel at all, and I'm OK with that. If people enjoy his take on imaginary robots - and many do - then I am pleased CGL's art decisions are working to please a part of its fan base.
This is kind of why I sigh in resignation each time the topic comes up. Lots of bits and virtriol are spilled over what is "obviously", or "objectively" best, and it devolves into the same argument every time.
To me some of the late generation FanPro work looks much worse than anything in TRO3025. (Verfolger, I'm looking at you.), and I am comfortable saying that even as I gush with praise over Anthony Scroggin's re-imaginined NuSeen Classics for ever and ever.
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I'll bite: Weirdo, what is the Elias?
Infantry-deployed nuke, just barely powerful enough that if you swarm a mech and successfully plant it, when you trigger it you'll auto-kill that mech(assuming normal armor), but even the secondary effects only cover a couple hexes' radius. It's in CampOps, I think.
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I gotta try and find that. It's too hilarious and absurd of a *rats in my britches* scenario not to use in a semi-drunk one-off game.
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Just another reason for me to carry Infernos, thank you for that.
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Infantry-deployed nuke, just barely powerful enough that if you swarm a mech and successfully plant it, when you trigger it you'll auto-kill that mech(assuming normal armor), but even the secondary effects only cover a couple hexes' radius. It's in CampOps, I think.
Interstellar operations. And the secondary radius is actually 18 hexes. Its a great way to louse up an entire lance, even if you only kill one of them in the process.
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As long as we're (still) talking art, I would say that while I absolutely adore a lot of the latest artwork and updates we've seen from CGL, I dislike close to 80% of Plog's work. His sense of mechanical aesthetic and mine just don't gel at all, and I'm OK with that. If people enjoy his take on imaginary robots - and many do - then I am pleased CGL's art decisions are working to please a part of its fan base.
This is kind of why I sigh in resignation each time the topic comes up. Lots of bits and virtriol are spilled over what is "obviously", or "objectively" best, and it devolves into the same argument every time.
To me some of the late generation FanPro work looks much worse than anything in TRO3025. (Verfolger, I'm looking at you.), and I am comfortable saying that even as I gush with praise over Anthony Scroggin's re-imaginined NuSeen Classics for ever and ever.
Yeah the Nuseens are gorgeous. That's the art I'd like to see more of.
I think whenever you get into the argument of the objectivity of art that at the end of the day there is going to be a style that the majority respond too and that's basically what you're aiming for.
I'm with you on Plog's work. His stuff is just a bit too busy for me... and I think he hates drawing legs. "Look at this sick torso I drew.. Oh man. now I have to connect it to the ground somehow..." He's obviously a big battletech fan though. So I really appreciate him.
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Infantry-deployed nuke, just barely powerful enough that if you swarm a mech and successfully plant it, when you trigger it you'll auto-kill that mech(assuming normal armor), but even the secondary effects only cover a couple hexes' radius. It's in CampOps, I think.
Interstellar operations. And the secondary radius is actually 18 hexes. Its a great way to louse up an entire lance, even if you only kill one of them in the process.
Just another reason for me to carry Infernos, thank you for that.
And this is why we can't keep nice 'mechs in our lance. Thanks Weirdo. *Waits really impatiently for an IWM Scarecrow*
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See? Non-mech fun, that justifies another mech! When infantry get brought out, everybody wins! :thumbsup:
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Well then, here's a stupid thought: how about IWM gets into the plastic business? No, I'm not expecting them to invest in million-dollar injection machines. But they could have them manufactured in China and brand them as IWM, or come up with another brand name. Then the customers get the pieces they want and nobody has to go rejiggering contracts.
I think that might be a bridge to far for IWM, dealing with manufacturers in China takes a specific skill set to make sure that you get exactly what you want at the price you want. I love dealing with Melissa and Mike but I do not believe they have the skill set to try to organise plastic miniature manufacturing in China. My uncle owns a plastic toy manufacturing business in Hong Kong with a factory in southern China, and I do not feel confident that I have the contact and the skills to be able to successfully negotiate a deal like that.
The issues that CGL ran into with Leviathans is just the tip of the iceberg when you deal with manufacturing in China unless you have the capital to build and co-own (you would need to have a local partner to help you navigate the formal and "informal" regulatory regime) the factory there yourself. Plus current Rule 4 issues would probably see the process of setting up manufacturing in China to import product into the US as being a significant risk to your business model.
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I agree, and I'm the one who suggested it. There are intermediary companies whose entire job is to take the specifications of non-Chinese companies and finding a factory to handle their needs. But, as has been mentioned, distribution is another matter, and something IWM and CGL have both had issues with.
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I agree, and I'm the one who suggested it. There are intermediary companies whose entire job is to take the specifications of non-Chinese companies and finding a factory to handle their needs. But, as has been mentioned, distribution is another matter, and something IWM and CGL have both had issues with.
Then there's the whole, "copyright doesn't mean the same thing in China", issue.
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Then there's the whole, "copyright doesn't mean the same thing in China", issue.
It's a Case of:
"Copy, right?"
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Spoilsport here. I think it best to leave that line of inquiry at risks Catalyst faces in product speculation. Anything further toward trade disputes is political.
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I really hope that the publication of Shattered Sphere there will be a rising number of new publications released.
So far the meagre output does not help the Battletech trademark.
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I really hope that the publication of Shattered Sphere there will be a rising number of new publications released.
So far the meagre output does not help the Battletech trademark.
Well it did decades ago. 😉 Shattered Fortress will be fun if books get out in time before problems happens.
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Re: More products.
While I am among the batch of people looking forward to the timeline moving, well, forward, I do think some kind of summary of what the new 'forward' will be for new players is a must. If the new boxed set(s) with Intro tech turn into the 3250 retro tech, I'm not sure how the new players will like that. "Hey, you enjoyed those mechs and rules? Well, now you can see that in the game world, they're like kid bikes of Mechs, here, try our new ER Ultra Rotary Streak Gauss Rifle!"
The faction specific cards I think will help people get into the game world without the biases of the 80's looming over us (Davions good, Kurita bad, Marik incompetent, etc.) Maybe a 'guide to factions' for each era would help?
Re: Art. Yeah it's in the eye of the beholder. The 3050 art is where I fell in love with the Firefly, still take it against the bot in MegaMek, even with the quirks making it a death trap. Someone mentioned Pathfinder elsewhere. MAybe take their approach with the iconics? Have one artist draw the 'iconic' mech, and then in other products the artists have a basis to *ahem* draw from? So when Plog, or someone else, has to fill the art order of "Shadowhawk kicking Valkyrie and Valk firing Med Laser in the cockpit" He has the same line models to use as another artist does. So it's still one where you go "Yeah that's a Plog piece." but it has a Shimmering Sword basis.
I mentioned the Firefly above. I loved the Wolverine II in Operation Klondike, but was 'meh' about the firefly there. To each their own.
Re miniatures. Again, like the majority of the posters it seems, I can't wait for the Wasp, Valk, Wolverine, etc etc from IWM. I'm patient. I mean I turn 47 this year, I should see them by the time I can join AARP. :-) I do agree with scale issues, but sculpt happens. My sinister Wolverine looks bigger and bulkier next to the lance pack Zeus, but looks just in scale with the Wolverine II.
Just my two D-bills
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Are there going to be any more Inner Sphere at War maps?
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I generally enjoy Plog's art, and look for the little sayings he likes to throw in. "Left turn Clyde" on the Simian battle armor suit made me, quite literally, laugh out loud. I don't love everything he has done, but he is a solid artist and I think his aesthetic ususally produces recognizable mechs that aren't too terrible to turn into miniatures...but his Warships: Somebody fetch me a fan, 'cause I think I'm going to faint! The new art he did for that fan-made TRO made me weak in the knees. I still start to drool when I look at his Cameron re-design. Those warships were in desperate need of an update and oh lordy did Plog deliver.
Anyway, I'm firmly in the 'new art for old mechs, and I'll take plastic if you can make it work' camp. Don't get me wrong, I love IWM, and their process is the only viable way to keep as many units as we have available, and with good quality. However, I much prefer working with Plastic minis. Thus, I'm quite looking forward to the new boxed sets at GenCon.
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Anyway, I'm firmly in the 'new art for old mechs, and I'll take plastic if you can make it work' camp.
Same here. Now, whither the discussion of upcoming products? I'm all for another preview... ::)
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Just in time for Gen Con! Two all-new BattleTech novellas are now available for pre-order in e-book format (https://bg.battletech.com/news/new-battletech-novellas-available-for-pre-order/): "The Anvil" by Blaine Lee Pardoe and "A Splinter of Hope" by Philip A. Lee.
These two novellas are the first BattleTech fiction in more than a decade to push beyond the Dark Age era, and tie into the upcoming sourcebook Shattered Fortress. They will be released in e-publication formats on Wednesday, Aug. 1.
An omnibus print edition of the two novellas will be available at Gen Con 2018, with a print-on-demand edition on sale to the public on or around Monday, Oct. 1.
Click here to pre-order "A Splinter of Hope" by Philip A. Lee (http://books2read.com/BattleTechASplinterofHope), and click here to pre-order "The Anvil" by Blaine Lee Pardoe (http://books2read.com/BattleTechTheAnvil)!
Here are descriptions of each novella and the collected edition:
(https://preview.ibb.co/cVwP8o/36912491_10156174662313580_2224329709666172928_n.jpg) (https://ibb.co/iu1roo)
A Splinter of Hope by Philip A. Lee
The Federated Suns stand at the edge of a precipice...
Violent expansion of the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine has cost recently crowned First Prince Julian Davion more than just countless strategic worlds. The war’s toll claimed a mentor and close friend, and righteous vengeance burns bright.
To rally his people and preserve the future of the Federated Suns, Julian funnels the fires of justice into an ambitious yet risky campaign to retake a vital system: New Syrtis, the lost capital of the Capellan March. Success would dislodge an ancient enemy from their strategic foothold in Suns space, but failure may cost Julian the nation he inherited.
However, the Capellan people have fought dearly for their prize and will do anything in their power to hold onto it. Will Julian’s gamble save the very soul of the Federated Suns, or is the invasion of New Syrtis doomed before it even begins?
(https://preview.ibb.co/jSOhuT/36946094_10156174662413580_6242011035113357312_n.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nuz0g8)
The Anvil by Blaine Lee Pardoe
I am a true Jade Falcon...
The leader of Clan Jade Falcon, Khan Malvina Hazen, is known throughout human-occupied space as a merciless tyrant hell bent on shattering and reforging the entire Inner Sphere in her own bloodthirsty image. The next target for her scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners Mongol Doctrine is the Lyran Commonwealth world of Coventry: a persistent stain on the Jade Falcons’ history, and a system defended by legendary Lyran heroes.
But not all Falcons subscribe to Malvina’s twisted cult of personality. Ordered to take Coventry at any cost, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu has no choice but to follow her orders and conquer the planet in Malvina’s name. Stephanie wishes to see her Clan victorious, but no victory is worth the Jade Falcons losing their very soul. To stand up to Malvina’s tyranny and find an honorable path for her Clan’s future, Stephanie must balance the razor’s edge between duty and honor—or she will die trying.
Omnibus Print Edition
VICTORY AT ANY COST...
Jump into your BattleMech cockpit, fire up your fusion engine, and charge into the fray with two all-new BattleTech novellas from Philip A. Lee and BattleTech veteran Blaine Lee Pardoe.
A Splinter of Hope: Violent expansion of the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine has cost recently crowned First Prince Julian Davion both his mentor and countless Federated Suns worlds. To rally his people, he funnels the fires of justice into an ambitious yet risky campaign to retake a vital system: New Syrtis, the occupied capital of the Capellan March. However, the Capellan people have fought dearly for their prize and will do anything in their power to hold onto it. Will Julian’s gamble preserve the future of the Federated Suns, or is the invasion doomed before it even begins?
The Anvil: Khan Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon is known throughout the Inner Sphere as a merciless, bloodthirsty tyrant. The next target for her scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners tactics is the Lyran Commonwealth world of Coventry: a persistent stain on the Jade Falcons’ history. But not all Falcons follow Malvina’s lead. Ordered to take Coventry at any cost, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu wishes to see her Clan victorious, but no victory is worth the Jade Falcons losing their very soul. To stand up to tyranny and find an honorable path forward for her Clan, she must balance the razor’s edge between duty and honor—or die trying.
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Excellent :thumbsup:
I assume these novella will be released on the CGL store on or after 01 Aug as well?
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Yay! New fiction! I'm surprised how much I've been looking forward to this.
Is A Splinter of Hope based on the fiction that was cut from Campaign Operations?
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Is A Splinter of Hope based on the fiction that was cut from Campaign Operations?
Yes, expanded and revised. Same author.
I assume these novella will be released on the CGL store on or after 01 Aug as well?
Most likely. Bear in mind that that's right in the heart of Gen Con, so there may be a slight delay.
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Do we have a price on the Omnibus for those of us that are unable to attend, but have a friend going?
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Oops - it's $7.99. Updating now!
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Excellent . . . and I really appreciate it being released in e-pub the same time it becomes (or close enough) available at GenCon. With PoD in line now does this mean the book from last year will be coming to e-pub soon?
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Where do poor souls who can't attend need to order print on demand releases?
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Might be me being useless with technology... Or is Splinter available on Google Play and the Anvil is not? (already ordered one and can't see the link for the other... And it is damn inconvenient if I am forced to sign upto something new)
EDIT: Sod it, cancelled my pre-order and gotten both on Amazon.
Great news on the new releases CGL but REALLY well done on streamlining the sales process as usual.
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Excellent . . . and I really appreciate it being released in e-pub the same time it becomes (or close enough) available at GenCon. With PoD in line now does this mean the book from last year will be coming to e-pub soon?
I hope so--I have a story in it!--but I'll need to ask again. I check every so often, but haven't heard anything lately. I know it was on the radar.
Where do poor souls who can't attend need to order print on demand releases?
I'll post a link when it's live, but it's not available yet. Print-on-demand availability is expected on or around Oct. 1.
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YAY! Stuff is happening!
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Its been a year since some new product, and here we go. Exciting times!!
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Its been a year since some new product, and here we go. Exciting times!!
Well... novels. But yes. I'm excited.
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Great news on the fiction. Glad to see movement.
As an aside, when will the Catalyst store be updated with the new PDFs for Total Warfare and the others?
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Oh this is cool new fiction loving it haven't read a word but that will soon change
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Any idea if these will be available through DriveTruRPG? I'll end up getting these books regardless, but I like working with DTRPG if it is an option for BT e-books.
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Not official word here, but I seem to remember they carried the legends titles when they came out. I am not sure in what formats since I just bought them for my Kindle.
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Great news on the fiction. Glad to see movement.
As an aside, when will the Catalyst store be updated with the new PDFs for Total Warfare and the others?
I emailed about getting the updated versions with my order numbers last week but heard no word. Guessing not much of will be moving until after gencon
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I have no idea how I'll convince CGL that I bought them back in the day. I'm pretty sure I ordered the PDF of Total Warfare while I was in the Army, and I think the order number originally had just two digits. :D Well, no big deal if I have to buy it again. I'll wait and see what happens after GenCon.
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Preordered them. Not sure why we have to preorder and wait on an electronic download instead of just.... getting them now? Still seems funny to preorder a nonphysical product. But, cautiously hopeful at this development.
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Only A Splinter of Hope seems to be available at www.barnesandnoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com) at the moment. :(
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I'm stoked for the new Total Warfare as well, I've had the Fanpro edition for ages.
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I emailed about getting the updated versions with my order numbers last week but heard no word. Guessing not much of will be moving until after gencon
Same here, also about merging two accounts. I'll be patient.
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The account merger process took some effort. Having order numbers helps considerably
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Preordered them. Not sure why we have to preorder and wait on an electronic download instead of just.... getting them now? Still seems funny to preorder a nonphysical product. But, cautiously hopeful at this development.
Because it’s not yet ready for sale? I mean, Amazon does presales on Kindle books so that you can buy them before the release date. Not sure why that’s so weird.
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Just strikes me as odd to line up and pre-purchase something for which there is no scarcity.
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Preorder culture is weeeeird. I can understand Kickstarter campaigns, and have preordered limited edition items, but preordering software and computer files just strikes me as bizarre.
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Preorder culture is weeeeird. I can understand Kickstarter campaigns, and have preordered limited edition items, but preordering software and computer files just strikes me as bizarre.
There may still be order fulfillment and editing expenses to cover, and the pre-orders can help gauge market interest, allowing similar products to be greenlit early, shortening gaps in release time (in theory).
I pre-order MP3 albums often enough, so I get an email with a download link as soon as the album is released. It's actually quite convenient.
What baffles me is that the novella about Falcons and Lyrans has Davion art on the cover. What the hell?
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What baffles me is that the novella about Falcons and Lyrans has Davion art on the cover. What the hell?
That's a Storm Hammer Templar (unit logo on the mech's right leg) with a Lyran fist on the upper torso. Only thing that remotly suggest Davion is that it's a Templar and the TRO's more than hint that the LC and FS are trading arms regularly during the DA.
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That's a Storm Hammer Templar (unit logo on the mech's right leg) with a Lyran fist on the upper torso. Only thing that remotly suggest Davion is that it's a Templar and the TRO's more than hint that the LC and FS are trading arms regularly during the DA.
It's got a projectile weapon, missiles, and an energy weapon. Why not use a Zeus? I suppose it is cheaper to change some Photoshop layers and repurpose artwork from a Davion-centric product than to commission something new.
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This is a bizarre thing to be upset about. Templar's are sick. It's a good cover.
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It's got a projectile weapon, missiles, and an energy weapon. Why not use a Zeus? I suppose it is cheaper to change some Photoshop layers and repurpose artwork from a Davion-centric product than to commission something new.
Excellent name/post combo.
Personally I think a Templar of any stripe looks better than a Zeus of any make or model, so I'm in favor of the cover we got.
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I like the Zeus-X, but this Templar looks cool as hell.
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Only A Splinter of Hope seems to be available at www.barnesandnoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com) at the moment. :(
I've seen this mentioned a couple times today--I'll pass it along to those who may be able to do something about it.
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It's got a projectile weapon, missiles, and an energy weapon. Why not use a Zeus? I suppose it is cheaper to change some Photoshop layers and repurpose artwork from a Davion-centric product than to commission something new.
Aside from the fact that the ZEU-9S and -9T don't have projectile weapons, you mean?
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Aside from the fact that the ZEU-9S and -9T don't have projectile weapons, you mean?
Take a look at the Dark Age Zeus. Though I guess they're all Zeus Xs now.
Some of the recent cover art selections have been following an fascinating decision making process.
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Jasek Kelwsa Steiner piloted a Templar
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Jasek Kelwsa Steiner piloted a Templar
Ah! It relates to all those Dark Age novels I didn't read.
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Ah! It relates to all those Dark Age novels I didn't read.
Excellent name/post combo revoked for not knowing your Khan in 3145.
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Sustained. I am totally blanking on the name of the guy who ran the Falcon show while Malvina was not dead just sleepin it off. Was that in one of the novels, or just another detail line in ER3145?
Guess I'm gonna have to try and find a copy of Pardoe's Fire At Will.
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Nice to see them available via Playstore too.
The blurb describes these as novellas. Those range from anywhere between 10k to 40k words. Do we have a rough estimate how long these are?
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Outside of Shattered Fortress, this is the first thing I've been interested in getting for a long time. Definitely getting these on kindle next week!
Nice to see them available via Playstore too.
The blurb describes these as novellas. Those range from anywhere between 10k to 40k words. Do we have a rough estimate how long these are?
Blaines blog about his novella states it comes in at over 40k words
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Preorder culture is weeeeird. I can understand Kickstarter campaigns, and have preordered limited edition items, but preordering software and computer files just strikes me as bizarre.
And yet...to some, like me in the past, preordering something, even software meant, I have the money now, if I spend it now I will have the product then. If I don;t spend my money now, I may spend my money elsewhere and not have it then.
And that is how I have been my entire life.
Yes, I even Pre-order PS4 and X-BOX 1 games to this day, not for the 'extra's but so I don't need to look come a certain date and say...where do I get the cash for this?
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I'm putting the finishing touches on the major "CGL at Gen Con" post, so keep an eye out for that a bit later today. There's some things in there you all might be interested in.
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Actually...let's do this part now.
Bring the dawn! "Shattered Fortress" will be available in PDF in the first week of August, in print in strictly limited quantities at Gen Con, and in wide release later this fall.
Republic in Flames!
In 3146, the Republic of the Sphere hangs by a tenuous thread. The last fragments of Devlin Stone’s dream to shepherd humankind toward a more prosperous future hide behind the impenetrable defenses of Fortress Republic. As the interstellar communications blackout rages, the ambitious Great Houses vie for military dominance, and the bloodthirsty Clans strive to find a weakness in the Fortress’s armor on their path to conquering Terra and claiming the coveted title of ilClan. When the Wall comes down, will the Inner Sphere plunge even further into the abyss of interstellar war, or will this herald the dawning of a new age?
Shattered Fortress chronicles the twilight of BattleTech’s Dark Age, as nations are thrown into turmoil and predators circle the broken remnants of the Republic of the Sphere. This volume provides a year-by-year look at pivotal turning points in the history of the Inner Sphere, offers a peek behind the curtain of Fortress Republic, and reveals the fateful decisions that will ultimately decide the future of humanity.
(https://preview.ibb.co/n0x99T/BT_Shattered.jpg) (https://ibb.co/g51rOo)
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Actually...let's do this part now.
Bring the dawn! "Shattered Fortress" will be available in PDF in the first week of August, in print in strictly limited quantities at Gen Con, and in wide release later this fall.
(https://preview.ibb.co/n0x99T/BT_Shattered.jpg) (https://ibb.co/g51rOo)
F I N A L L Y ! :D
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HAPPY DANCE!
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Wow, well done fellas. Looking forward to giving this a read.
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Sustained. I am totally blanking on the name of the guy who ran the Falcon show while Malvina was not dead just sleepin it off. Was that in one of the novels, or just another detail line in ER3145?
Guess I'm gonna have to try and find a copy of Pardoe's Fire At Will.
Malvina being incapacitated at Hesperus was a SB detail, it was never in the fiction . . . Becket Malthus was the Falcon Khan under Malvina as Chengis Khan (or whatever), when she was just the Khan I am not sure they even had a saKhan named.
Fire At Will? does not deal with the Falcons, its FWL/Lyran/Wolf.
Tyler, while Jasek is the leader of the Stormhammers, is one of two successful Lyran commanders we know of, and pilots a Templar . . . its a Templar III, not a I as depicted and the colors are not Stormhammer dark blue & gray. Now I am all for Jasek getting a upgrade to the Templar I, but . . .
Also . . . it looks like the mech behind and to the left is a Battlemaster, trying to figure out what is on the back right . . . 4 LRM15s, 2 on each side.
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CONTENT!!! OM NOM NOM NOM!!!!
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I'm putting the finishing touches on the major "CGL at Gen Con" post, so keep an eye out for that a bit later today. There's some things in there you all might be interested in.
Actually...let's do this part now.
Bring the dawn! "Shattered Fortress" will be available in PDF in the first week of August, in print in strictly limited quantities at Gen Con, and in wide release later this fall.
Thats... not a Piranha IIC...
But okay... good job, guys.
I guess...
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Thats... not a Piranha IIC...
But okay... good job, guys.
I guess...
But... a Piranha is already a clan mech... why would it be a IIC? Silly clanners. Now a Piranha II C config as an Omnimech that is 40 tons, and mounts nothing but a Box'o'death worth of machine guns... that I could go for.
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Who pilots a Republic Malice? It's been on the cover of 2 sourcebook now.
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Yeah, I was thinking a Piranha IIS . . . it can be the unit they demo putting BA's Recoilless Rifles or even better King David GR's with their BA killing buff.
With that said, I am sitting here waiting for the e-pubs to hit . . . and will grab Shattered Fortress when it drops.
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Actually...let's do this part now.
Bring the dawn! "Shattered Fortress" will be available in PDF in the first week of August, in print in strictly limited quantities at Gen Con, and in wide release later this fall.
(https://preview.ibb.co/n0x99T/BT_Shattered.jpg) (https://ibb.co/g51rOo)
I woke up and was coming to ironically ask, "Hey, When will Shattered fortress be out?!?"
I'm so happy!
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So what west coast fella wants to pick me up a hard copy at GenCon?
Pretty please?
(Did I read that right that you will have a few DTF copies for sale at GenCon?)
Cheers!
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Also . . . it looks like the mech behind and to the left is a Battlemaster, trying to figure out what is on the back right . . . 4 LRM15s, 2 on each side.
Looks like the JES II Strategic Missile Carrier.
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Wait, I want to know what else is happening at GenCon :D
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(Did I read that right that you will have a few DTF copies for sale at GenCon?)
Cheers!
You did, but they're going to be very limited.
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You did, but they're going to be very limited.
CIRCLE OF EQUALS FOR A TRIAL OF POSSESSION! POST IT ON YOUTUBE!
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But... a Piranha is already a clan mech... why would it be a IIC? Silly clanners. Now a Piranha II C config as an Omnimech that is 40 tons, and mounts nothing but a Box'o'death worth of machine guns... that I could go for.
derp... good catch :thumbsup:
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Who pilots a Republic Malice? It's been on the cover of 2 sourcebook now.
Maybe they should make a novella about it. Maybe one not relying on legacy characters from out of print novels.
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Legacy? You know most of the MWDA characters put in appearances in Bonfire of Worlds? Biggest ones missing IIRC would be Danai Centrella-Liao-Centrella-Liao, Yori Kurita and anyone from the Republic.
As for that being a JES missile carrier . . . yup! I was looking at it with Mech-Glasses, but once you suggested a vehicle the length made sense and the treads no longer looked like a weird shoulder set up.
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CIRCLE OF EQUALS FOR A TRIAL OF POSSESSION! POST IT ON YOUTUBE!
Our line developer would probably take you up on that.
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Bring the dawn! "Shattered Fortress" will be available in PDF in the first week of August, in print in strictly limited quantities at Gen Con, and in wide release later this fall.
END OF DAYS!!! (http://i.imgur.com/R7jMY7H.gif)
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I would love to hear about a Trial of Possession for a copy of the new Shattered Fortress! I think it would be a very interesting way to promote BTU.
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Who pilots a Republic Malice? It's been on the cover of 2 sourcebook now.
Knight-Errant Marcus Randall
(http://www.warrenborn.com/UnitSection/FI/FI-L-017.jpg)
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I would love to hear about a Trial of Possession for a copy of the new Shattered Fortress! I think it would be a very interesting way to promote BTU.
It's the kind of cheap marketing ploy that I love, love, love.
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hahaha . . . do a shouted challenge while the unsuspecting customer is buying their copy, film the challenge and their reaction.
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hahaha . . . do a shouted challenge while the unsuspecting customer is buying their copy, film the challenge and their reaction.
Oooh...random selection.
"You there! Would you like to finish your purchase OOOOOORRRRRR would you like to try to win that book for free?"
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Niiiice. Better re-skim the 3145 source books. :)
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So very awesome for another book to come out.
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About time.
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Actually...let's do this part now.
Bring the dawn! "Shattered Fortress" will be available in PDF in the first week of August, in print in strictly limited quantities at Gen Con, and in wide release later this fall.
(https://preview.ibb.co/n0x99T/BT_Shattered.jpg) (https://ibb.co/g51rOo)
That's the first week of August 2019 right? ::) ;D
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That's the first week of August 2019 right? ::) ;D
Is it gallows humor or simple cynicism to point out Cubby didn't say August of this year...
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Is it gallows humor or simple cynicism to point out Cubby didn't say August of this year...
Just my horrible sense of humor...
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I'll buy it as soon as the PDF hits, of course, but I need to limit my hardcopy purchases to just the boxed games.
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Is it gallows humor or simple cynicism to point out Cubby didn't say August of this year...
You guys are the wind beneath my wings.
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We just posted our major "Catalyst at Gen Con 2018" post...I think you're going to want to take a look:
https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2018/07/27/catalyst-game-labs-at-gen-con-2018/
And because you're going to want to see them all, here's the Facebook post with images of all nine mega-sized BattleTech minis, and the 10' by 10' map (not a typo!).
https://www.facebook.com/battletechgame/posts/10155664206663148
.....and, I'm spent.
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Wow.
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Wasp and Valkyrie minis!
Limited supply, but that means good things for the future!
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Someday I want to see those 8" minis gussied up and painted. It's like Armorcast woke from the dead.
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I'd love to see those big 8" mechs cast up & offered for sale someday!
Damon.
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My kingdom for a giant awesome...
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Those aluminum Diamond Shark dice are so slick!
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Thank you for the updates. Definitely some exciting stuff going on.
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Those aluminum Diamond Shark dice are so slick!
Pretty sure those are the acrylic dice . . . and yeah, nice looking. I have the a pair of swirled Clan dice someone kindly brought back. My metal FedSuns dice . . . love those just for their weight, lol.
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Wait...are you serious about the energy drinks? I don't blame CGL for trying new things, but BT and Shadowrun branded drinks? Maybe other folks will be more interested in that than I am.
Other than that...HOLY MOLY! Giant 3D-printed mechs! Wasp and Valykrie minis for sale! I mean, I did get a Wasp originally before they got pulled, but still. That's exciting news. Books, boxes, part of ilClan, and an actual announcement across multiple media sources! Wowza, good job.
Of course, now I'm sad that I scheduled an event at the same time the vendor hall opens on Thursday! I have a feeling that is going to mean no Shattered Fortress for me till the PDF release.
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Yeah, this new art direction looks awesome.
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Oh, and if you jerks ever make a big ASN-21 Assassin, I'm calling dibs on it. Right now. No excuses. It's mine. >:D
I can dream...
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I want to get one of those Wasps and paint it in the colours of McGreggor's Armoured Scouts for reasons
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Any word on when BattleTech: Legacy, Anthology is going to get a pdf release?
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Any word on when BattleTech: Legacy, Anthology is going to get a off release?
https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2018/07/27/catalyst-game-labs-at-gen-con-2018/ (https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2018/07/27/catalyst-game-labs-at-gen-con-2018/)
Scroll down to near the bottom.
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https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2018/07/27/catalyst-game-labs-at-gen-con-2018/ (https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2018/07/27/catalyst-game-labs-at-gen-con-2018/)
Scroll down to near the bottom.
sorry damn auto correct changed pdf to off. If I am not mistake the book came out last year but no electronic release.
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Who pilots a Republic Malice? It's been on the cover of 2 sourcebook now.
Ooo, pick me, pick me. I think I know who's in that Malice.
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Wasp and Valkyrie minis!
Limited supply, but that means good things for the future!
Yesyesyes! This made my day.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the reports of the Wasp and Valkyries' deaths seem greatly exaggerated :)
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Man, I need some Valkyries.
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Oh. Shiny :)
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Bother and damnation. I need a couple valks and wasps myself.
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I'm so excited that Shattered Fortress is coming out! I just hope the novellas printed version goes off good in October.
The only thing bothers me with The Anvil is Rodney Steiner was a Rifleman IIC pilot. I hadn't heard of him driving a old school Templar (never mind a modern Templar III). Unless he got that as a partying gift from the RoTS more recently.
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I'm so excited that Shattered Fortress is coming out! I just hope the novellas printed version goes off good in October.
The only thing bothers me with The Anvil is Rodney Steiner was a Rifleman IIC pilot. I hadn't heard of him driving a old school Templar (never mind a modern Templar III). Unless he got that as a partying gift from the RoTS more recently.
Roderick's ride was a Rifleman IIC, but he ended up working under Jasek Kelswa-Steiner, who used a Templar... so maybe a switch occurred there.
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The boxed sets looks really neat.
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My kingdom for a giant awesome...
Check back when there are photos from the con itself.
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https://www.facebook.com/battletechgame/posts/10155664206663148
I was Wolverine that the BT franchise was Griffin rudderless, but it Locust like I was wrong. That is an Awesome way to reboot the franchise with a Thunderbolt and lightning display that will get the people's attention and interest. I Commando the work of the CGL team, you have Battlemaster-ed the art of Catapult-ing the game out of the Shadowhawk cast by that other giant stompy robot franchise. Well done! :thumbsup:
This is why 3D printers, were invented. Forget about 3D printed custom surgical replacement parts for our body or spare parts for machinery in remote locations. It is to be able to print giant stompy robots in any size we want 8)
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I'll be down for 3D printing when the technology is mature. For now, I have no desire to wade into that morass. I am very happy to just pay the professionals to manufacture things for me.
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I got distracted by all that new merch, including those shiny BT Dice (Ghost Bear Dice *drools*)... and then I saw Dracon Piss.... and did a spit take and laughed ....
I'm glad my paycheck came yesterday so I can throw money at people that are going.
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Aww.. man, this just sucks. All this stuff is Con exclusive, right? I would love some Shark dice and a new Shark enamel pin if there was one. But chances of getting back to the states for a Con EVER let alone this year is impossible. I would buy these in a heart beat if they were generally available. Hell, I had to Diamond Shark pins, color and black and white I bought at my FLGS one year.
Damn it.
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Ye gods man, that's one heck of an announcement! :D
Can we crowd fund the giant sculpts of the minis? I would gladly throw money at those. :D
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My kingdom for a giant awesome...
I'll take that kingdom now.
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Hm, those PPCs don't look easy to remove to make the variants. Oh well. :)
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Aww.. man, this just sucks. All this stuff is Con exclusive, right? I would love some Shark dice and a new Shark enamel pin if there was one. But chances of getting back to the states for a Con EVER let alone this year is impossible. I would buy these in a heart beat if they were generally available. Hell, I had to Diamond Shark pins, color and black and white I bought at my FLGS one year.
Damn it.
You'd be amazed how many people have this issue, and solve the problem by subcontracting.
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You'd be amazed how many people have this issue, and solve the problem by subcontracting.
Which is always an option, but I know first hand shipping to Germany is STEEP. I mean if anyone wants to help out and pick up some items I am all for it. I am just worried about how much it is going to cost me to get that stuff sent here.
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Roderick's ride was a Rifleman IIC, but he ended up working under Jasek Kelswa-Steiner, who used a Templar... so maybe a switch occurred there.
Perhaps, but that's expensive swap. Also Jasek was using Templar III since old girl is out production due to nuclear explosion of the factory during the Jihad. I blame lack of communication to the artist which Templar it was suppose to be. It's unimportant now.
I just want get my hands on that book and see what is up. Part 2 is likely going to be more interesting part, the aftermath of 3150, i think this is from 3146 to 3150ish. Given last TRO was 3150.
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I blame lack of communication to the artist which Templar it was suppose to be.
Blame implies there is error. Nobody has shown this to be the case. And, since nobody discussing it has even seen the contents of the book or knows who is portrayed on the cover, nobody can show this to be the case. And that's not even taking into account that people can use different 'Mechs at different points in their careers, in different actions, under different tactical considerations, subject to differing availability, etc.
It's unimportant now.
It was always unimportant. It's not like people choose a 'Mech model once and then are required to always and forever after use only that model.
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Pretty sure those are the acrylic dice . . . and yeah, nice looking. I have the a pair of swirled Clan dice someone kindly brought back. My metal FedSuns dice . . . love those just for their weight, lol.
Not for those Shark dice. Dice collector has a nice shot of the full set, though the D.S. dice are oddly both showing the six facing. :))
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Actually RB, already pointed out Jasek may have upgraded from a III to a I . . . but with the Stormhammer emblem on the leg, its also the wrong colors for them.
Now the blurb did mention Roderick Steiner- who during Vedet Brewer's time was a subordinate of Kelswa-Steiner but during Bonfire they separated their commands again as the two most successful (or portrayed anyway) commanders to face off against the Clans. With Trillian in charge, hard to see him still falling under Jasek. Oh well, just a few more days to find out.
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Nonetheless it would IMO have been more thematic to feature a classic CJF or at least Lyran Mech given the novel contents. For Splinter, while a Tianzong suits at least part of the novel, I was surprised it was chosen instead of Julian's Templar III... and even more surprised when I saw the other novel cover art.
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Wow, how everyone is chastising the novel covers reminds me why I no longer post fan art here xp
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Wow, how everyone is chastising the novel covers reminds me why I no longer post fan art here xp
I'm sorry buddy. You should post fan art here. I'll appreciate it.
Also, you are correct. It's an absurd thing to be nitpicky about. But as Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can can please some of the battletech playerbase all of the time. You can please all of the battletech playerbase some of the time. But you can never please all of the battletech playerbase all of the time."
Battletech players back then didn't want to move past the pentagon worlds civil war period. Only period they'd play in. They were super upset about Kerensky's forces "Returning." with twenty five dudes each organized into furry brigades.
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Wow, how everyone is chastising the novel covers reminds me why I no longer post fan art here xp
Steel, if you think this is bad, you should see what the general consensus is on the new retro covers of the coming reprinted source books. Lots of hate on those, which really comes down to personal preference to be honest, but others just take it further than it ever needed to go.
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I'm sorry buddy. You should post fan art here. I'll appreciate it.
Also, you are correct. It's an absurd thing to be nitpicky about. But as Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can can please some of the battletech playerbase all of the time. You can please all of the battletech playerbase some of the time. But you can never please all of the battletech playerbase all of the time."
Battletech players back then didn't want to move past the pentagon worlds civil war period. Only period they'd play in. They were super upset about Kerensky's forces "Returning." with twenty five dudes each organized into furry brigades.
File Footage.
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Well, that made my day! Nice job, Kitsune. ;D
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Steel, if you think this is bad, you should see what the general consensus is on the new retro covers of the coming reprinted source books.
I heard it all already, BT International is just as bad and that was kinda my point. "It should be a Zeus on the cover!" We don't even know if there is a Zeus in the story. "It's the wrong colors!" It's camo, not a parade scheme. "Why is a Tian-Zong on the cover!?" I'm going to take a wild guess that a Capellan character pilots a Tian-Zong during the battle for New Syrtis.
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Not only is The Anvil listed now on www.barnesandnoble.com, it's not a preorder! I just downloaded it!
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battletech-blaine-lee-pardoe/1129158317?ean=2940161932520
(https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battletech-blaine-lee-pardoe/1129158317?ean=2940161932520)
Yet another reason why a Nook beats a Kindle every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. :thumbsup:
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If Facebook opinion were the true measure of product satisfaction no one would be in business
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Steel, if you think this is bad, you should see what the general consensus is on the new retro covers of the coming reprinted source books.
It's not a general consensus. It's a group of people complaining loudly.
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I regret joining at times.
If Facebook opinion were the true measure of product satisfaction no one would be in business
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I haven't complained except for my inability to go to GenCon every year and the general unavailability of Clan Lance/Star Packs.... but if I really like something I can't really say so either because I'll end up ranting for like five full pages... then I'll look like a nerd :)
That being said: I can't wait for the new things and now I have to throw more money at friends because of Shattered Fortress and hope they get to the booth first.
And yes EPub formats are handy but I love my dead tree format collection.
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I haven't complained except for my inability to go to GenCon every year and the general unavailability of Clan Lance/Star Packs.... but if I really like something I can't really say so either because I'll end up ranting for like five full pages... then I'll look like a nerd :)
That being said: I can't wait for the new things and now I have to throw more money at friends because of Shattered Fortress and hope they get to the booth first.
And yes EPub formats are handy but I love my dead tree format collection.
Please rest assured, it will be in wide distribution in DTF soon enough. Tomorrow? No. But soon. The importance of this book is not lost on anyone.
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I'm fine with that: it's honestly no problem : i mean I waited a decade for Starcraft II and Diablo III. What's a couple weeks for a physical copy of a book?
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I heard it all already, BT International is just as bad and that was kinda my point. "It should be a Zeus on the cover!" We don't even know if there is a Zeus in the story. "It's the wrong colors!" It's camo, not a parade scheme. "Why is a Tian-Zong on the cover!?" I'm going to take a wild guess that a Capellan character pilots a Tian-Zong during the battle for New Syrtis.
LOL yep
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I like the epubs and the DTF of the book. I cant carry all of my books with me but I can sure carry my Ipadd around.
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I love how I've really been talking about updating the miniatures while the Beginners box set and the new box set have 9 new high quality, amazing looking mini's. I'm like... Preaching to the choir out here.
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I heard it all already, BT International is just as bad and that was kinda my point. "It should be a Zeus on the cover!" We don't even know if there is a Zeus in the story. "It's the wrong colors!" It's camo, not a parade scheme. "Why is a Tian-Zong on the cover!?" I'm going to take a wild guess that a Capellan character pilots a Tian-Zong during the battle for New Syrtis.
. . . its not straight camo? You have a bit of arctic, with yellow detail/highlight in what looks like woodlands.
Besides, the discussion of the cover- as has happened in the past, I remember the Battle of Skye WoB vs Wolves cover- is about what might be gleaned to determine what is in the book.
With BT's fighting commanders, it would IMO make sense if the Lyrans have a Templar I to get it transfered to Jasek since it would boost his combat power without giving him a different set of mechanics. Would I have liked to see a more Lyran mech- maybe, a Hauptman would be interesting with the blazing cigar. Zeus? They have been on the covers- just like the Templar.
Its not going to stop me from buying it. Its not going to stop me from reading it. B/c of the cover's nature in the past, I will just be wondering how it ties in.
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Are the wasps and Valks con exclusives, or are they going to be in IWM store eventually?
I suspect the latter, but it's worth asking.
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Are the wasps and Valks con exclusives, or are they going to be in IWM store eventually?
I suspect the latter, but it's worth asking.
Con exclusives for now - I can’t speak to any plans or timeline IWM may have beyond that.
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For those downloading the novellas and Shattered Fortress on the 1st, I'd advise reading the novellas first.
There's a couple plot points in The Anvil that I'm betting will be spoiled if you read the sourcebook first.
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Are the wasps and Valks con exclusives, or are they going to be in IWM store eventually?
I suspect the latter, but it's worth asking.
What did I miss about this??
Nevermind, I found it.
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There's a couple plot points in The Anvil that I'm betting will be spoiled if you read the sourcebook first.
Probably a safe bet for both of them, honestly.
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Probably a safe bet for both of them, honestly.
You're probably right, but can only attest to the one I've actually already read.
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Anyone want to take a look at the "Shattered Fortress" table of contents (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62383.msg1432586#msg1432586)?
Also, I've created a new thread for discussion specifically of "The Anvil" and "A Splinter of Hope." (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62384.0)
My plan going forward is to maintain this thread for discussion of all things upcoming, as-yet unpublished, speculative, etc. (You may have noticed the name of the thread changed slightly this week to just "Upcoming Releases.") Myself or someone around here will set up a separate thread, stickied at the top of General Discussion, for each new product just before its release.
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Just saw Facebook; I take it this is the gencon rush order for the new box sets, or does this represent all the boxes about to be shipped to distributors?
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Just saw Facebook; I take it this is the gencon rush order for the new box sets, or does this represent all the boxes about to be shipped to distributors?
I don't do social media. What does it say?!!!
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Randall posted pics of the uncrating of Shadowrun Crossfire and Battletech Box Set games.
Edit, here's the Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl5_KgdByVC/?taken-by=catalystgamelabs
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Ahh, thank you sir.
Very exciting stuff!
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Just saw Facebook; I take it this is the gencon rush order for the new box sets, or does this represent all the boxes about to be shipped to distributors?
This is the Gen Con rush order.
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This is the Gen Con rush order.
Boo! Any eta on when us commoners will get our greasy meat hooks on it?
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Boo! Any eta on when us commoners will get our greasy meat hooks on it?
NEVAH!
Us Gen-Con scum gonna grab em all! :P
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Boo! Any eta on when us commoners will get our greasy meat hooks on it?
Not yet. I don't expect to get a clear answer until after the con is over.
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NEVAH!
Us Gen-Con scum gonna grab em all! :P
Just like the faction dice, eh?
- Herb
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Just like the faction dice, eh?
- Herb
Nah, I've been leaving them well enough alone...I may grab some smoke Jaguars this year, both otherwise.. I have a complete set ;)
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Is Tumblr account being replaced by Instagram? Those pictures of the box sets were super neat to see.
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Not sure, probably at this point. Instagram is owned by Facebook.
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Not yet. I don't expect to get a clear answer until after the con is over.
As a great lyricist once wrote: I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now ;)
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NEVAH!
Us Gen-Con scum gonna grab em all! :P
Good.
Make them print more.
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Good.
Make them print more.
That's the way. Do eeet.
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Remember too that, as I understand it, CGL's license only includes the production of plastic miniatures in certain circumstances such as boxed sets and the Lance Packs you've seen. The overall minis license is held by Iron Wind Metals, a distinct company from CGL, and any plans they do or don't have regarding plastic minis are their own.
Sorry for coming in late, but I believe I've seen statements saying that IWM's license only extends to metal mini's.
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My Exterminator EXT-4C Null Signature [CE-008] produced in clear resin by IWM would take exception to those statements >:D
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AmKdq_i1RCB114pSAIEmBZZeRB2u986MMhLbtiSP7SEm8tnh4uzfN20y9MyhJ5sWZTmmWdlAy0E9oAhRKh5i1dcUqSSNLVz2vJ0AdJrdC2nkQes5T1NSfBf5MwLJh_IUB8gN3ObG5ZnJLZFCch65syWkmYnZZ38taqPkmI63-2YzdxCAUmiVREPTa1W0Nl3IcPOXwbKrSw1Z_2UTX4iGI2xzh_tEbZIt0MCidYvAymm2bZRshitKkdyNJxJZJDiURA2uL3iF_kBBnlB6VP4qY_criaG5N60huCUu1sLuYVpigxJcu5feoEsr-z5NqnmMZlT31wtxHKeljEi3_5WZVaNvs3zDXKAmoHxaeT0wq_lSAz4omFbzL8RSioG-Faz7vccMiqY4iYk_-FnJlkJdalgRWkEA-da2nMnvS3lQSFrH9pxYyO8fYYR2jInIdBdbhEHNO7KVit-OQqYEQeSKT39e6p6HTMj6481QH83NjG0oknpot3WyX5fo1JNu1BJuszLhVG8y6XN0TbERXusW7bIw54Lm0bQsfOhanDlFsOsvtOemZ4PmbHuKOagBC7Qi_sXxhC6eBqu5oVjTcj1WXbIatXhflJdqsUhAflA=w507-h675-no-tmp.jpg)
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My Exterminator EXT-4C Null Signature [CE-008] produced in clear resin by IWM would take exception to those statements >:D
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AmKdq_i1RCB114pSAIEmBZZeRB2u986MMhLbtiSP7SEm8tnh4uzfN20y9MyhJ5sWZTmmWdlAy0E9oAhRKh5i1dcUqSSNLVz2vJ0AdJrdC2nkQes5T1NSfBf5MwLJh_IUB8gN3ObG5ZnJLZFCch65syWkmYnZZ38taqPkmI63-2YzdxCAUmiVREPTa1W0Nl3IcPOXwbKrSw1Z_2UTX4iGI2xzh_tEbZIt0MCidYvAymm2bZRshitKkdyNJxJZJDiURA2uL3iF_kBBnlB6VP4qY_criaG5N60huCUu1sLuYVpigxJcu5feoEsr-z5NqnmMZlT31wtxHKeljEi3_5WZVaNvs3zDXKAmoHxaeT0wq_lSAz4omFbzL8RSioG-Faz7vccMiqY4iYk_-FnJlkJdalgRWkEA-da2nMnvS3lQSFrH9pxYyO8fYYR2jInIdBdbhEHNO7KVit-OQqYEQeSKT39e6p6HTMj6481QH83NjG0oknpot3WyX5fo1JNu1BJuszLhVG8y6XN0TbERXusW7bIw54Lm0bQsfOhanDlFsOsvtOemZ4PmbHuKOagBC7Qi_sXxhC6eBqu5oVjTcj1WXbIatXhflJdqsUhAflA=w507-h675-no-tmp.jpg)
Wasnt there some type of super stealth cloaking device prototype on a Exterminator at some point? Looks good if you ask me.
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Is Tumblr account being replaced by Instagram? Those pictures of the box sets were super neat to see.
Those had to come from Randall’s own IG. I have no idea whether he’s still active on Tumblr.
For “official” BT comms, our priorities for platforms are: website, FB, forums, and Twitter in a fairly distant fourth.
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A quick note to mention that I've created a dedicated thread to discuss the new boxed sets. You can find it in General Discussion here (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62399.msg1433191#new).
I realize that's a lot of stickied posts and New Release threads, but that's the way it's played out. Hopefully it's not too confusing or overwhelming to keep track of.
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Myself or someone around here will set up a separate thread, stickied at the top of General Discussion, for each new product just before its release.
That might get unwieldy pretty quickly.
A quick note to mention that I've created a dedicated thread to discuss the new boxed sets. You can find it in General Discussion here (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62399.msg1433191#new).
I realize that's a lot of stickied posts and New Release threads, but that's the way it's played out. Hopefully it's not too confusing or overwhelming to keep track of.
Would a "new battletech product for sale" thread stickied in General Discussion be easier to maintain? (Plus then I can subscribe to one thread instead of a few dozen sticky product announcements.) Just a thought.
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That might get unwieldy pretty quickly.
Would a "new battletech product for sale" thread stickied in General Discussion be easier to maintain? (Plus then I can subscribe to one thread instead of a few dozen sticky product announcements.) Just a thought.
The real answer, frankly, is to release products evenly throughout the year, and not have four clumped up all at once.
Because if things were being released one at a time, then yes, I would have just split this thread into "New Releases" (stuff that's actually out) and "Upcoming Releases" (speculative or announced-but-not-released-yet stuff.)
But with four major releases coming out all at once (six if you count each novella and each box as one thing), the cross-talk on a solo "New Releases" thread would be unbearable. It would just inspire people to spin off separate threads for each release anyway--we already saw one for Shattered Fortress, for example.
This way may not be great, either, but it might be slightly less maddening for someone who's interested in talk about, say, the box sets, but not about the novellas.
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The real answer, frankly, is to release products evenly throughout the year, and not have four clumped up all at once.
Because if things were being released one at a time, then yes, I would have just split this thread into "New Releases" (stuff that's actually out) and "Upcoming Releases" (speculative or announced-but-not-released-yet stuff.)
But with four major releases coming out all at once (six if you count each novella and each box as one thing), the cross-talk on a solo "New Releases" thread would be unbearable. It would just inspire people to spin off separate threads for each release anyway--we already saw one for Shattered Fortress, for example.
This way may not be great, either, but it might be slightly less maddening for someone who's interested in talk about, say, the box sets, but not about the novellas.
Makes sense. I hadn't considered the crosstalk factor.
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So after the GenCon drops . . . what releases are there to talk about??
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So after the GenCon drops . . . what releases are there to talk about??
Maybe Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition? I am still waiting for information about it.
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Maybe Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition? I am still waiting for information about it.
That and the anticipation of the general release of all this stuff that's all in production. In fact I'll lay money on that; I can feel it in my water.
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Hopefully a return of some of the pdf-only products as well
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Hopefully a return of some of the pdf-only products as well
Personally, I want to focus on that. New release crazy-time is almost over, we need to focus on building a sustainable cycle of releases for these. (IMHO)
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NEVAH!
Us Gen-Con scum gonna grab em all! :P
From what I’ve heard, you have! A buddy of mine who made it to GenCon tells me he couldn’t buy the full boxed set or either of the con-exclusive Wasp or Valkyrie, because they were already sold out.
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I guess that was bound to happen. I wish they'd make more of them, but i am not keeping my hopes up with that.
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I guess that was bound to happen. I wish they'd make more of them, but i am not keeping my hopes up with that.
It's almost like they'd just rather not make money.
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It's almost as if they're doing everything humanly possible, but just couldn't hire the multiple C-5s it would have taken to get the whole shipment over. Puny mortals must not like money as much as infallible gods do.
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From what I’ve heard, you have! A buddy of mine who made it to GenCon tells me he couldn’t buy the full boxed set or either of the con-exclusive Wasp or Valkyrie, because they were already sold out.
Reportedly there were people in line that bought as many as they could, talking out loud about how much money they'll make reselling with huge markups on ebay.
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It happens. Not like this stuff won't be available by the end of the year anyway.
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I have a kind friend who managed to get me something from the booth. But he was worried. He said the people ahead of him were buying four boxes at a time.
Obviously we had discussions on these same forums where we instructed people to do that. So it's fine.
I really want those new plastic miniatures. They're so gorgeous. Haha. It'll be nice to introduce friends to the game and imagine them being impressed with the mini's rather than having to explain that the game is from 1980.
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Reportedly there were people in line that bought as many as they could, talking out loud about how much money they'll make reselling with huge markups on ebay.
I really really hate that not that the boxes are selling but the aftermarket selling is ridiculous fair enough sell them on if you wish probably do a better job then some shops I know but be reasonable with pricing
my missus was trying to get tickets in London for a band £160 market value 16 minutes after they went on sale tickets for resale at between £3200 and £5200 absolutely ridiculous pricing
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It's almost as if they're doing everything humanly possible, but just couldn't hire the multiple C-5s it would have taken to get the whole shipment over. Puny mortals must not like money as much as infallible gods do.
While I get where you're coming from, it's not an applicable comeback to a criticism about (permanent) con exclusivity.
I've been fortunate enough to attend Gen Con a few times in my lifetime, and I totally get the importance of having some exclusive goodies that allow you to show off and say "I was there!".
It's just that certain things, like that perennial topic of faction dice, really ought to NOT be con-exclusives. And while we may very well get production (as opposed to Con exclusive) Nu-Seen Wasp and Valkyrie minis, that remains to be seen.
I understand that until recently legal issues made anything but a short "limited edition" run of these minis possible in time for Gen Con, I'd expect you'll understand expressions of pessimism that TPTB cultivated over the past few years.
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Obviously we had discussions on these same forums where we instructed people to do that. So it's fine.
When the supply is highly limited as a gencon special, no, that's not what we meant. We meant when the game box is out and available in general, large supply, THEN buy stuff up. We also instructed folks to give away all the spare stuff but the minis, because they'd still come out on top. 8 minis for 60 bucks is $7.50 per, look at IWM's prices these days and compare it. That's how you spread knowledge of the game around, let people have the spare maps and standees and dice and rules and whatnot, while you keep your armada of minis.
Going to a special event where there's all of 40 boxes available and buying them all and screw everyone else in line that's just being a jerk.
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While I get where you're coming from, it's not an applicable comeback to a criticism about (permanent) con exclusivity.
I've been fortunate enough to attend Gen Con a few times in my lifetime, and I totally get the importance of having some exclusive goodies that allow you to show off and say "I was there!".
It's just that certain things, like that perennial topic of faction dice, really ought to NOT be con-exclusives. And while we may very well get production (as opposed to Con exclusive) Nu-Seen Wasp and Valkyrie minis, that remains to be seen.
I understand that until recently legal issues made anything but a short "limited edition" run of these minis possible in time for Gen Con, I'd expect you'll understand expressions of pessimism that TPTB cultivated over the past few years.
Dice aren't what people are talking about right now, boxes are. And if anyone tells you that either box is a convention exclusive, they are lying.
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Technically con exclusive since it's literally unavailable (today) anywhere else. When IS the thing supposed to hit shores anyway, this quarter or next?
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This is the first year in a decade that I wasn't able to make it to GenCon. Fortunately, my brother-in-law is there and managed to snag a Starter Box and Shattered Fortress.
Ya'll apparently sold out of The Anvil/Splinter print edition too - congrats! Also, curses. ;D
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When the supply is highly limited as a gencon special, no, that's not what we meant. We meant when the game box is out and available in general, large supply, THEN buy stuff up. We also instructed folks to give away all the spare stuff but the minis, because they'd still come out on top. 8 minis for 60 bucks is $7.50 per, look at IWM's prices these days and compare it. That's how you spread knowledge of the game around, let people have the spare maps and standees and dice and rules and whatnot, while you keep your armada of minis.
Going to a special event where there's all of 40 boxes available and buying them all and screw everyone else in line that's just being a jerk.
It all comes down to perception. So long as you trust CGL that yes they all will indeed be available "soon", accepting one copy for your personal use might fly. But then if you trust you can get it when/soon after you get home from the con anyway, why even buy one?
OTOH there's value in being first. Maybe you're buying for a circle of friends. Maybe you're stocking a brick-n-mortar store for resale after the Con.
There's just no "win" for CGL in limiting customers to only 1 copy.
Dice aren't what people are talking about right now, boxes are. And if anyone tells you that either box is a convention exclusive, they are lying.
Well...
1) what the comment I was responding to was discussing was Con exclusive minis, not boxes
2) It takes some trust to accept that the boxes will indeed become available to the general public. This being the first major release in quite a long time.. well that trust might need some shoring-up. And I'm sure CGL will deliver on that, but for right now... in THIS moment... it's sheer faith to believe that the box sets will be showing up "soon" in our FLGS. Not everyone has equal amounts of faith.
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Technically con exclusive since it's literally unavailable (today) anywhere else. When IS the thing supposed to hit shores anyway, this quarter or next?
Not what con exclusive means at all, please stop misinforming people who actually come here for news.
Con exclusive means something where no plans exist to sell it outside of conventions. In the case of the boxed sets, this is not true.
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Randall is only at GenCon but that doesn't make him a con exclusive.
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But what this should do, is make TPTB see that there is money in selling the classics and give us upgrade packs with the rest of the them!
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Randall is only at GenCon but that doesn't make him a con exclusive.
Correct. I keep my Randall in the original shrink wrap to maximize his resale value.
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But what this should do, is make TPTB see that there is money in selling the classics and give us upgrade packs with the rest of the them!
Seems pretty insulting to say they don't know this already.
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But what this should do, is make TPTB see that there is money in selling the classics and give us upgrade packs with the rest of the them!
That's the hope, yeah. I was thinking about this walking to lunch. The scalping itself shows there's a lot of pent up demand. It doesn't mean that level of demand will be ongoing, but it's enough to support higher prices in the interim between the GC rush and full-scale production (it's coming, Cubby swears!). The behavior looks to me a lot like the SNES Classic release by Nintendo. There was so much interest that it took a good few months before real demand was fulfilled and second-market sellers (scalpers) finally started pricing the systems much closer to MSRP. I think the same thing will happen here. As the production run makes it onto the market the scalper prices will come down markedly.
Perspective alert: I had a friend willing to try and pick up a copy at GC for me, but the rush was apparently so strong what with the scalping and general interest that I'm not sure he'll be able to get even one. I'm copacetic about it because I know it'll be on the general market soon enough. I will be patient.
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Selling out is great, I just hope CGL is better at managing their finances so they can continue to produce content.
I won't buy from some scalper. We've waited years, YEARS! for this box set. A few more months is nothing.
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Just out of curiosity, what has CGL "sold out" of BattleTech stock at GenCon thus far?
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Seems pretty insulting to say they don't know this already.
No not at all, I would rather they get the classics out before they spend limited resources on another time jump. Once my classics are out they can time jump all they want! You have got to shore up the foundation before you build a new floor on the house!
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Just out of curiosity, what has CGL "sold out" of BattleTech stock at GenCon thus far?
At the very least the little metal minis.
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And the box sets all gone. I literally watched the last beginners box get snatched up at around 1:30 pm.
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Also according to my man at the Con by the time he got to the booth they had only 2 of the $20 2 mech pack. They were out of the $60.00 starter sets and the Valkyrie & Wasp.
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From what I’ve heard, you have! A buddy of mine who made it to GenCon tells me he couldn’t buy the full boxed set or either of the con-exclusive Wasp or Valkyrie, because they were already sold out.
I got one set for me and one set that will be mailed of Saturday.
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I got one set for me and one set that will be mailed of Saturday.
And for that, I'm sure someone will be eternally grateful!
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Just saw on Ebay Battletech Boxed Set Gencon 2018 Beginner Box buy it now for $149.99.
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Speaking for myself, don't buy it. Please. This thing will be generally available. It's not worth that surplus. Srsly to any lurker even thinking about it for a second.
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Just wait guys. I've worked at GameStop for a decade and a half. Everytime video game systems come out scalpers come and buy them up and try to sell them for double the value.
Just wait. When the initial high values don't work out they'll have to lower the price to move the product. They'll be 70 bucks if you wait it out.
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Better yet, wait until it hits shelves and buy it for regular price.
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Quick update from GenCon. Box sets are gone, but shattered fortress hard copy was still there at 2:00pm. Here is a link to the pics I’ve grabbed so far:
https://1drv.ms/a/s!ApDHaN8p702HglJb1T9RGx5tJV4E
I’ll try to link some individuals later!
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Technical Readout: Clan Invasion?
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Quick update from GenCon. Box sets are gone, but shattered fortress hard copy was still there at 2:00pm. Here is a link to the pics I’ve grabbed so far:
https://1drv.ms/a/s!ApDHaN8p702HglJb1T9RGx5tJV4E
I’ll try to link some individuals later!
What is TRO Clan Invasion? I have not seen that posted anywhere yet!
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(it's coming, Cubby swears!)
And at this point, that's the best I can do. Please believe, I'm pestering Randall, Brent and Ray basically weekly for production updates and on any street dates. Do you know why?
(Because you're a company shill?)
Nope--because I wrote half the pilot cards and edited the rulebooks. I didn't do all that hard work on late nights and weekends so a couple of scalpers could flip a buck on eBay. I have a vested interest in seeing these boxes get into the hands of absolutely everyone who wants them, so as many players as possible can crack them open and play the game that many people, including myself in a small way, helped create.
Just out of curiosity, what has CGL "sold out" of BattleTech stock at GenCon thus far?
Relaying from Randall directly: Both boxes sets have sold through. The Wasp and Valkyrie sold out in about 40 minutes. The Anvil/Splinter of Hope print omnibus is sold out. There were some copies of Shattered Fortress left around 3:30 p.m.
"Great, but I'm not there and was never going to be," you say. Here's the outlook as far as I know at this time:
--The boxed sets are in production; a street date has not been determined. People are being told various releases dates by people at the booth; I can't speak to those as I am not there.
--Any plans to widely distribute the Wasp and Valk lie with Iron Wind Metals, you'd have to ask them what those plans may be. This was a unique thing to sell those minis at the CGL booth, but they remain a separate company.
--The novellas omnibus remains on track for a print release on or around Monday, Oct. 1.
--The Shattered Fortress PDF is being processed for release; please understand that Ray and I are basically the only ones not at Gen Con, and that'll change when he gets there on Friday. Personally, I really really want this PDF out, because it's going to make my job hell if 200-ish people have them and start posting details about it, and the other 99.7 percent of the fanbase can't read it for themselves. That's where I'm going to spend any time and influence I can muster in the next few days.
--The print release of Shattered Fortress is still expected later this fall.
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And at this point, that's the best I can do. Please believe, I'm pestering Randall, Brent and Ray basically weekly for production updates and on any street dates. Do you know why?
(Because you're a company shill?)
Nope--because I wrote half the pilot cards and edited the rulebooks. I didn't do all that hard work on late nights and weekends so a couple of scalpers could flip a buck on eBay. I have a vested interest in seeing these boxes get into the hands of absolutely everyone who wants them, so as many players as possible can crack them open and play the game that many people, including myself in a small way, helped create.
Relaying from Randall directly: Both boxes sets have sold through. The Wasp and Valkyrie sold out in about 40 minutes. The Anvil/Splinter of Hope print omnibus is sold out. There were some copies of Shattered Fortress left around 3:30 p.m.
"Great, but I'm not there and was never going to be," you say. Here's the outlook as far as I know at this time:
--The boxed sets are in production; a street date has not been determined. People are being told various releases dates by people at the booth; I can't speak to those as I am not there.
--Any plans to widely distribute the Wasp and Valk lie with Iron Wind Metals, you'd have to ask them what those plans may be. This was a unique thing to sell those minis at the CGL booth, but they remain a separate company.
--The novellas omnibus remains on track for a print release on or around Monday, Oct. 1.
--The Shattered Fortress PDF is being processed for release; please understand that Ray and I are basically the only ones not at Gen Con, and that'll change when he gets there on Friday. Personally, I really really want this PDF out, because it's going to make my job hell if 200-ish people have them and start posting details about it, and the other 99.7 percent of the fanbase can't read it for themselves. That's where I'm going to spend any time and influence I can muster in the next few days.
--The print release of Shattered Fortress is still expected later this fall.
Thank you for informing us, the people that can't get to GenCon for various reasons. Hoping that I will see novellas on DriveThru soon after GenCon (need to read them before Shattered Fortress).
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I wish I had some way to indicate my appreciation for that update Cubby, but there's no liking posts on this forum.
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Thank you for informing us, the people that can't get to GenCon for various reasons. Hoping that I will see novellas on DriveThru soon after GenCon (need to read them before Shattered Fortress).
I need to check on DriveThru availability, but I almost certainly won't get a clear answer until after Gen Con. If you're hot to read it, I'd strongly suggest the iBooks app for iPhones, or the Kindle app. I'm using iBooks to read "The Anvil," and it's tolerable.
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What is TRO Clan Invasion? I have not seen that posted anywhere yet!
Forthcoming product, not yet for sale, trying to get additional detail so I can update Coming Releases.
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Wild speculation with no evidence to back it up:
I'll bet this will be the follow up to TRO: Succession Wars for the Invasion era, in much the same way the various incarnations of TRO 3050 were a follow up to TRO 3025/3039. And if they're not planning to reprint TRO Succession Wars so soon, it seems like a convenient place to put some Classics art... ^-^
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I'll bet this will be the follow up to TRO: Succession Wars for the Invasion era
That's the sense I'm getting. Really trying to wring some more info out and get the Coming Releases page updated and have intelligent answers for you all. Not ideal.
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Thank you for informing us, the people that can't get to GenCon for various reasons. Hoping that I will see novellas on DriveThru soon after GenCon (need to read them before Shattered Fortress).
Uh, pretty sure both novellas are already there . . . just from my searching to see if I missed Shattered Fortress.
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Wild speculation with no evidence to back it up:
I'll bet this will be the follow up to TRO: Succession Wars for the Invasion era, in much the same way the various incarnations of TRO 3050 were a follow up to TRO 3025/3039. And if they're not planning to reprint TRO Succession Wars so soon, it seems like a convenient place to put some Classics art... ^-^
That would be ABSURDLY epic.
Question: Is the new TRO on display, or for sale?
Question 2: How about a nice PDF of the table of contents?
Cheers,
Mad.
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That's the sense I'm getting. Really trying to wring some more info out and get the Coming Releases page updated and have intelligent answers for you all. Not ideal.
Don't worry, it happens. We know con time is madness time, and you're doing your best from what is likely a depressing distance away.
Go Cubby!
(http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc7o71oiSz1qasthro1_400.gif)
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That would be ABSURDLY epic.
Question: Is the new TRO on display, or for sale?
Question 2: How about a nice PDF of the table of contents?
Cheers,
Mad.
There's a little note under the picture saying "Coming Soon". It's not for sale (same as AS: Commander's Edition).
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That would be ABSURDLY epic.
Question: Is the new TRO on display, or for sale?
Question 2: How about a nice PDF of the table of contents?
Cheers,
Mad.
(sigh) It's not for sale. It may not even exist beyond that cover image. Take my scrambling here as evidence that it's not a real thing that exists yet.
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Wild speculation with no evidence to back it up:
I'll bet this will be the follow up to TRO: Succession Wars for the Invasion era, in much the same way the various incarnations of TRO 3050 were a follow up to TRO 3025/3039. And if they're not planning to reprint TRO Succession Wars so soon, it seems like a convenient place to put some Classics art... ^-^
Classic IIC perhaps? (Speculation).
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(sigh) It's not for sale. It may not even exist beyond that cover image. Take my scrambling here as evidence that it's not a real thing that exists yet.
Is the original ComStar Sourcebook over there, too? :D
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That's the sense I'm getting. Really trying to wring some more info out and get the Coming Releases page updated and have intelligent answers for you all. Not ideal.
I hope these new TROs will match the specified eras in the core rulebooks. Meaning after clan invasion tro, then we get a civil war tro, then Jihad etc. this would really help to define the eras and what a new player should purchase
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Is the original ComStar Sourcebook over there, too? :D
I had several jokes in response.
Then I remembered the rule my journalism professor once told me: never, ever type anything into the newspaper's computer copy system as a joke, because something WILL get screwed up, and it will make the paper the next day.
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Is the original ComStar Sourcebook over there, too? :D
Sold out 30 years ago already. But it was epic, I'm told.
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It will be interesting to see the scope of TRO Clan Invasion. ‘50U, ‘55U, ‘58U, and ‘60 are probably too many units for one volume unless that thing is T H I C C
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Sold out 30 years ago already. But it was epic, I'm told.
I have it somewhere I think it really is a decent book
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It will be interesting to see the scope of TRO Clan Invasion. ‘50U, ‘55U, ‘58U, and ‘60 are probably too many units for one volume unless that thing is T H I C C
But doable if they go the route of TRO Succession Wars, and focus solely on the 'Mechs.
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I have it somewhere I think it really is a decent book
They don't mean the post-3050 book with the wizards on the cover. There is a persistent urban myth that there was a Comstar sourcebook printed back in the days of the black-cover House sourcebooks. Evidently it was at least outlined and announced, and there is a missing product number that would've been around the right time period, but it was never actually finished until several years later. Still, people love their conspiracy theories, no matter how ridiculous, and at least one person swears to have seen it...thirty-plus years ago.
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But doable if they go the route of TRO Succession Wars, and focus solely on the 'Mechs.
I would love to see some of the XXX-XXb models for the clans as well as the classics!
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But doable if they go the route of TRO Succession Wars, and focus solely on the 'Mechs.
you're probably right. it's feasible with a few cuts. It would be bigger than 3050U at well over 250 pages as-is
TRO: Succession Wars - 92 Mechs
TRO: 3050U - difficult to count because I'm not sure how many upgrades they'd do from the previous volume. Definitely 16 Clan omnis
TRO: 3055U - 38 IS, 4 Clan Omnis. Questionable whether the 3 IS (Nexus, Raijin, Grand Crusader), 10 Clan phoenix, or 25 Solaris VII mechs would be included
TRO: 3058U - 19 IS, 18 Clan (not counting the SL mechs. Most are in TRO: SW save the Cestus)
TRO: 3060 - 30 IS, 26 Clan
Obviously it wouldn't include everything. Would you weep if such paragons of warrior virtue such as the Wyvern IIC or Corvis were left out?
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They don't mean the post-3050 book with the wizards on the cover. There is a persistent urban myth that there was a Comstar sourcebook printed back in the days of the black-cover House sourcebooks. Evidently it was at least outlined and announced, and there is a missing product number that would've been around the right time period, but it was never actually finished until several years later. Still, people love their conspiracy theories, no matter how ridiculous, and at least one person swears to have seen it...thirty-plus years ago.
Just because it doesn't seem to have been published in *this* universe is no reason to think it can't have been Mandela Effected into this universe.
Probably from the universe adjacent to the one Freeborth came from. ;D
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Is the original ComStar Sourcebook over there, too? :D
OMG Kit. You know they're all in a landfill in the southwest next that silly Atari game.
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They don't mean the post-3050 book with the wizards on the cover. There is a persistent urban myth that there was a Comstar sourcebook printed back in the days of the black-cover House sourcebooks. Evidently it was at least outlined and announced, and there is a missing product number that would've been around the right time period, but it was never actually finished until several years later. Still, people love their conspiracy theories, no matter how ridiculous, and at least one person swears to have seen it...thirty-plus years ago.
Which is funny because I have the wizards book and distinctly recall a *lot* of the conspiracies and plot hooks that eventually found their way into the Word going ape-doody in the Jihad.
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you're probably right. it's feasible with a few cuts. It would be bigger than 3050U at well over 250 pages as-is
TRO: Succession Wars - 92 Mechs
TRO: 3050U - difficult to count because I'm not sure how many upgrades they'd do from the previous volume. Definitely 16 Clan omnis
Figure the Unseen that didn't make the cut into TRO: SW, plus any new machines. Call it...20 IS?
TRO: 3055U - 38 IS, 4 Clan Omnis. Questionable whether the 3 IS (Nexus, Raijin, Grand Crusader), 10 Clan phoenix, or 25 Solaris VII mechs would be included
I'd say hard "no" on the Solaris machines, since they require Tactical Operations. Yes to the nuSeen ComStar and Clan Second-Line
TRO: 3058U - 19 IS, 18 Clan (not counting the SL mechs. Most are in TRO: SW save the Cestus)
Include the Cestus. 20 IS, 18 Clan total.
TRO: 3060 - 30 IS, 26 Clan
I'd say save this for TRO: Civil War. Yes, many of these designs debuted around the time of the Great Refusal, but you're seriously pushing page count and risk making new players' eyes gloss over.
So, my total is 129 machines. That's a LOT. If we cut out the 3058U 'Mechs, we're at 91, which is right about TRO: SW. Perhaps don't sweat the exact delineations between eras and put all the 'Mechs from 3058U, 3060, and 3067 in TRO: Civil War. This would make a further theoretical TRO: Jihad* be 3075, 3085, and some of Prototypes, and TRO: Republic be the rest of Prototypes, 3145, and 3150.
Move the vehicles, fighters, and space craft to online supplementary volumes. This keeps the in-store focus on the giant stompy robots, but for those who want more, they can still get everything.
* And maaaaaaybe consider another name for this volume.
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TRO: Toasters' Revenge?
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Still, people love their conspiracy theories, no matter how ridiculous, and at least one person swears to have seen it...thirty-plus years ago.
Ah yes, the FASA 1628 conspiracy. Not to be confused with the VASA 1628 incident, when the Swedes found out they can't battleship.
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Ah yes, the FASA 1628 conspiracy. Not to be confused with the VASA 1628 incident, when the Swedes found out they can't battleship.
...I could hug you for this. :)
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Annoying news: I forgot my mic at home, so any video I take at the what’s up event tonight will be with the mic in my phone...which is not so great. I’ll still try in case there is no official video, but it may be worse than usual this year. I’ll take notes though!
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Annoying news: I forgot my mic at home, so any video I take at the what’s up event tonight will be with the mic in my phone...which is not so great. I’ll still try in case there is no official video, but it may be worse than usual this year. I’ll take notes though!
Just get very close.... very.... close.... ;)
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Just get very close.... very.... close.... ;)
"Sir, I promise I'll talk loudly if you just get out of my lap. Thank you."
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Ah yes, the FASA 1628 conspiracy. Not to be confused with the VASA 1628 incident, when the Swedes found out they can't battleship.
I hereby award thee...one...million...internets. :clap:
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The question, then, is whose lap do I sit in! Ray seems snuggly, but I don’t think he is here yet. Brent maybe?
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Ah yes, the FASA 1628 conspiracy. Not to be confused with the VASA 1628 incident, when the Swedes found out they can't battleship.
where is the upvote button? :thumbsup:
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We'll be going live in 15 minutes at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 pm Central with the "What's Up with BattleTech, Shadowrun, and Dragonfire?" panel from #GenCon 2018 over on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/CatalystGameLabs/ (https://www.facebook.com/CatalystGameLabs/)
Please forgive any problems with the feed, this came together fast, and its all experimental.
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Reportedly there were people in line that bought as many as they could, talking out loud about how much money they'll make reselling with huge markups on ebay.
I loathe these types of people. There's a special corner in hell for them.
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We'll be going live in 15 minutes at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 pm Central with the "What's Up with BattleTech, Shadowrun, and Dragonfire?" panel from #GenCon 2018 over on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/CatalystGameLabs/ (https://www.facebook.com/CatalystGameLabs/)
Please forgive any problems with the feed, this came together fast, and its all experimental.
Too late for this year, but an urgent request for future cons:
NOT. FACEBOOK.
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LIVE NOW: https://www.facebook.com/CatalystGameLabs/videos/1910193045714704/ (https://www.facebook.com/CatalystGameLabs/videos/1910193045714704/)
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Too late for this year, but an urgent request for future cons:
NOT. FACEBOOK.
This came together 30 min before it happened. Best I could do from 900 miles away. Would have preferred YT Live but didnt have the platform set up.
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Too late for this year, but an urgent request for future cons:
NOT. FACEBOOK.
Seconded. I don't have any serious hate for social media, but...ugh, Facebook video.
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Looks like they have a lot of the lance packs at the con . are they producing them again?
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Seconded. I don't have any serious hate for social media, but...ugh, Facebook video.
Guys. I hear you. This came together entirely by volunteer effort 30 minutes before we started, with Bosefius working his butt off in the room, and me piloting from 900 miles away and juggling a six-week-old.
Learning experience. Gotta start somewhere.
I'm told others are recording it with the intent of uploading to YT. If so, I will be sure to share that link as well. My HOPE is that we will have better platforms in place for next year.
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Bosefius you're awesome! :D
Cubby you are also awesome.
thanks guys.
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I missed the first 20 minutes but it seems like the biggest takeaway for the BattleTech side of the house is they're aiming for ilClan for next Gen Con.
Did they say anything about maintaining or increasing support for Alpha Strike in the first third that I missed?
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Cubby's been good at talking about stuff and is talking about some PDF stuff coming out. So we'll see.
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I missed the first 20 minutes but it seems like the biggest takeaway for the BattleTech side of the house is they're aiming for ilClan for next Gen Con.
Did they say anything about maintaining or increasing support for Alpha Strike in the first third that I missed?
I don't recall anything being mentioned about Alpha Strike.
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Glad to here the starters sold out; that makes me happy :)
So when are we getting the succession wars expansion with Marauder/archer etc ;)
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Is irregulartech dead?
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They asked the audience if it was felt the PDF-only products were wanted. The reaction seemed to be a yes as that allows for more risky or out there ideas.
Brent also confirmed what was my impression: that the line needed to be broken down and rebuilt. My guess is that a lot of projects may not have been cancelled, but put on indefinite hold in order to reorganize the IP.
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He wasn’t talking about the PDFs.
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Guys. I hear you. This came together entirely by volunteer effort 30 minutes before we started, with Bosefius working his butt off in the room, and me piloting from 900 miles away and juggling a six-week-old.
Learning experience. Gotta start somewhere.
I'm told others are recording it with the intent of uploading to YT. If so, I will be sure to share that link as well. My HOPE is that we will have better platforms in place for next year.
Thank you for listening, and sorry for being grumpy.
He wasn’t talking about the PDFs.
*nods* I don't know if I agree, but I am not privy to what's going on behind the scenes, and it does seem like the new boxed products are being received well.
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Thank you for listening, and sorry for being grumpy.
Nah, you're fine. It was a hectic few minutes, but I think the concept turned out okay. Technique can always be refined and we can ensure better platforms are in place next year, but I'm chalking this up as a success.
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Also, before I forget, a huge, HUGE thank you to Bosefius for making this happen on the ground.
I don’t want to represent this as if I did much more than arrange access and do a quick walkthrough of the interface—he was the one who got it done despite a LONG day of work with the Demo Team, and I truly appreciate his hard work.
Get some rest out there, buddy—you earned it.
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He wasn’t talking about the PDFs.
I must have misheard them. It was toward the end. What was he referencing then?
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Physical product line.
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Ah, I see.
By the way, my question in the chat didn't get an answer. I figured you missed it. Any plans for AToW support? Honestly, if it isn't viable I understand. I remember seeing it discussed though so I hope something is at least being considered.
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Ah, I see.
By the way, my question in the chat didn't get an answer. I figured you missed it. Any plans for AToW support? Honestly, if it isn't viable I understand. I remember seeing it discussed though so I hope something is at least being considered.
I would hope they keep up the current system of having a rules section for it in each book. It tends to be missing in books that have an ATOW section near it, like, Wars of the Republic Era for instance.
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For me, I really want to see an adventure module. Something to guide me in how an AToW campaign flows and moves. D&D has it relatively easy in that regard, but AToW eludes me.
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Ah, I see.
By the way, my question in the chat didn't get an answer. I figured you missed it. Any plans for AToW support? Honestly, if it isn't viable I understand. I remember seeing it discussed though so I hope something is at least being considered.
I answered a few questions and at one point the chat got crazy and I couldn’t scroll up to find more questions, so I just stopped.
There are no plans for dedicated ATOW products, but you’ll still see it supported by just about everything we put out.
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Shattered Fortress is suppose to come out today on PDF right? 8/3/2018
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It's coming out as soon as they can get it up on the site. They've been managing some last minute release things. I hope it comes out today. Been a long five years. :)
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So what was the general summary of the Battletech talk? I’m confused by the earlier statements. Is the print line on hold to reorganize the IP?
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So what was the general summary of the Battletech talk? I’m confused by the earlier statements. Is the print line on hold to reorganize the IP?
I don't think that was what they meant. My guess is that they want steady releases not bulk release as now (2 novellas + sourcebook).
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So what was the general summary of the Battletech talk? I’m confused by the earlier statements. Is the print line on hold to reorganize the IP?
the primary focus seems to be to get the entry-level staples (box set, maps, compilation mech-only TROs etc). Other products will continue to be released (eg shattered fortress) but the main task is creating a sustainable base that allows new players a firm entry point.
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Any idea how many more story line products are in the works as opposed to redoing TRO’s. I’m kind of hoping the story arc will start chugging along now.
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I'm not fan of era named TROs. I know the serial years are numerous, but still like my TROs with year it referring to. I hope it not going to be the norm.
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I'm not fan of era named TROs. I know the serial years are numerous, but still like my TROs with year it referring to. I hope it not going to be the norm.
Hard to say. It depends on whether they're trying to create new 'mechs only' paradigm products across the timeline or cutting off their periodization at ca 3060.
With the civil war 'era' only encompassing five years, I could see them either a) grouping '60 and '67 (as bosch suggested they might upthread or b) grouping '67 / '75 / project phoenix / possibly '85 in a post-great refusal to republic volume. I could also see grouping '85 / Prototypes / 3145/50 into two volumes since a lot of the 45/50 units have intro dates pre-3100.
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I think I would find it easier, if I were a newer customer, to find by era rather than by year.
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I think I would find it easier, if I were a newer customer, to find by era rather than by year.
Absolutely agree.
TRO: Clan Invasion sounds way more interesting and important than TRO: NumberNumberNumberNumber
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It also remains to be seen that an ongoing storyline is going to continue being a part of the BattleTech franchise.
Since it's been 5 years since we had the storyline advance, maybe it's not so hard to imagine afterall.
Heck maybe I don't need to worry about how an ilClan doesn't end BattleTech's story because playing "retro" games in pre-ilClan eras is all that's ever going to be. Era names for supporting SBs makes a ton of sense for that.
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Any idea how many more story line products are in the works as opposed to redoing TRO’s. I’m kind of hoping the story arc will start chugging along now.
They stated ilClan for next year.
Fiction releases between now and then.
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That is brilliant news.
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Absolutely agree.
TRO: Clan Invasion sounds way more interesting and important than TRO: NumberNumberNumberNumber
Sigh, it feels more like dumbing down the TROs to me. I'm minority in this view. Keep it Simple for the new players.
Sense time is another factor makes Battletech stand out more vs it's another war scifi thing. Which most are stuck in some sort of fixed period storyline forever.
I look forward to see Fortress, hopefully it will be out soon.
I haven't seen anything yet, but i get feeling from the index actually IllClan stuff hasn't happened in the book. TRO:3150 doesn't mention anything about that either.
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Sigh, it feels more like dumbing down the TROs to me. I'm minority in this view. Keep it Simple for the new players.
When people complain about the old players having a "gatekeeper" attitude, this is exactly what they're talking about. Keeping things confusing is not "smarter." Streamlining the products - not counting TR: Succession Wars, there are eleven active Technical Readouts - is not "dumbing down" anything.
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Sigh, it feels more like dumbing down the TROs to me. I'm minority in this view. Keep it Simple for the new players.
Sense time is another factor makes Battletech stand out more vs it's another war scifi thing. Which most are stuck in some sort of fixed period storyline forever.
I think there is a not-so-subtle line between over-simplifying the game and revising book titles to attract new players.
Don't get me wrong, from an in-universe perspective, TRO:3050 makes PERFECT sense. From a this-is-a-boardgame-and-it-needs-to-attract-new-players perspective, though, what sounds more exciting, TRO: Scary Sounding Event, or TRO: Meaningless Without Context Number?
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When people complain about the old players having a "gatekeeper" attitude, this is exactly what they're talking about. Keeping things confusing is not "smarter." Streamlining the products - not counting TR: Succession Wars, there are eleven active Technical Readouts - is not "dumbing down" anything.
This, so much this. With the BT timeline alredy divided into multiple Eras. It makes the new gamer find the task easier. Want to play Clan invasion? TR Clan invastion Want to play Civil War, TR civil war.
Want to get into the minutia of what might be available when? MUL and year TROs.
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I also thinking making TRO's with battle names is good.
Especially since there is a population of players (MWO players) that have experienced those same Era's as expansions. Clan Invasion. Civil War.
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I have all the TROs in dead-tree format up through 3085; having the contents of those condensed into books specific to a major in universe event is nice.
I actually got the PDF of TRO succession wars based on that, and the fact that it included a lot of content that was spread across other books was nice.
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I'll up vote another compilation TRO. While it doesn't have much appeal to vets who already have a BTU library, it's a great convenience to those who don't have the cash to buy a half dozen TRO's for the designs in their favorite book. I remember a buddy of mine traded in two mini's he got for Christmas because he had no idea what they were then immediately started kicking himself once he final got the stats.
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I'd love a true Omnibus TRO.
No, not one about people movers that can easily swap equipment.
A Digital-Only product, one that comes with every mech and recordsheet released to date.
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I’ve been messing around with making an omnibus record sheet pdf. Opening it makes my computer sad. I can’t imagine adding the thousands of TRO pages as well
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I'd love a true Omnibus TRO.
No, not one about people movers that can easily swap equipment.
A Digital-Only product, one that comes with every mech and recordsheet released to date.
It'd have to be multiple files in a compressed folder - you do NOT want to deal with 2GB PDFs, trust me - but yeah, I could see that.
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Technical Readout: Civil War
Technical Readout: Jihad
Technical Readout: Dark Age
Versus
Technical Readout: 3060
Technical Readout: 3067
Technical Readout: 3075
Technical Readout: Prototypes
Technical Readout: 3085
Technical Readout: 3145
Technical Readout: 3150
Even as an active and involved player who knows most of the stuff in all of those volumes by rote, the era names sound significantly cooler.
My TRO pipe dream is to also get XTROs by era to complete the line. Maybe "pipe dream" is still being too hopeful on that one. ;D
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Won't there be alot designs cut out of the books? Are they going be all Mech only TROs? Clan Invasion would include 3050 thru 3058 won't it for example? Vehicles go to some Vehicle only TRO online only?
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Won't there be alot designs cut out of the books? Are they going be all Mech only TROs? Clan Invasion would include 3050 thru 3058 won't it for example? Vehicles go to some Vehicle only TRO online only?
I wouldn't call this a major problem, see the recent thread on the Talos(?), where someone asked where the RS was only for the answer to be that there is none. As long as the selection is broad and inclusive the absence of any given design, or even a lot of them, isn't a major issue.
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Brent did mention that there have been some ideas kicked around regarding the hole the XTRO series left. Well, not really a hole, but the idea of doing a smaller PDF product that focused on equipment more than story events. It wouldn’t be XTRO reincarnated, just something that was meant to focus on playable units like mechs or vehicles or whatever. It appears to still be in the ‘kicking around the idea’ stage though, so it may or may not ever happen. Still, it’s a possibility.
I also asked the obligatory question about record sheets. The answer was still, and I’m paraphrasing here: not right now. they take time and effort that it doesn’t make sense to spend right now.
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Hopefully Record Sheet issue as a whole will be addressed in coming year. They will likely redesign the Record Sheets as well. If "cleaning up" TRO line to be Era only specific, they will need to match record sheet up.
I hope Shattered Fortress will drop Monday. I figured the CGL need recover from the con by then.
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Brent did mention that there have been some ideas kicked around regarding the hole the XTRO series left. Well, not really a hole, but the idea of doing a smaller PDF product that focused on equipment more than story events. It wouldn’t be XTRO reincarnated, just something that was meant to focus on playable units like mechs or vehicles or whatever. It appears to still be in the ‘kicking around the idea’ stage though, so it may or may not ever happen. Still, it’s a possibility.
I also asked the obligatory question about record sheets. The answer was still, and I’m paraphrasing here: not right now. they take time and effort that it doesn’t make sense to spend right now.
Frankly the way to sounds like the Mini-TRO 3145 PDF Series makes more sense even now. Smaller TROs, Record Sheets ready to go with variants. Print and run the game. Do printed Era TROs if that's way they want focus their budget on it. Not everyone be happy but they get to their target audience.
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Won't there be alot designs cut out of the books? Are they going be all Mech only TROs? Clan Invasion would include 3050 thru 3058 won't it for example? Vehicles go to some Vehicle only TRO online only?
That would be my suggestion. As I said earlier, keep the in-store focus on the 'Mechs, and anyone who is into the game enough to want vehicles, infantry, etc. would be more willing to go online to find them.
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It'd have to be multiple files in a compressed folder - you do NOT want to deal with 2GB PDFs, trust me - but yeah, I could see that.
Well, a big part of why I would want it, would be searchability. I'm willing to throw computing horsepower at it, but there probably is a sweet spot in there somewhere.
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Well, a big part of why I would want it, would be searchability. I'm willing to throw computing horsepower at it, but there probably is a sweet spot in there somewhere.
Having a single huge file would drastically limit its usability by other people. My own computer is a monster gaming rig, but most folks don't have such powerful machines. My work computer is probably about average for what folks have, and it seriously hates big PDFs. But, the good news is that there are programs out there that can "stitch" together PDFs, so you could just take the extra step of combining the smaller files into one big one for your own use. In my mind's eye, I'm picturing separate files for each size class of 'Mech, plus one for conventional vehicles, one for aerospace fighters, etc.
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By Weight Class would probably be an acceptable way to divide such a theoretical product. I'd say by factions, but that'd require a lot of superfluous duplicate pages across the various volumes.
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Having a single huge file would drastically limit its usability by other people. My own computer is a monster gaming rig, but most folks don't have such powerful machines. My work computer is probably about average for what folks have, and it seriously hates big PDFs. But, the good news is that there are programs out there that can "stitch" together PDFs, so you could just take the extra step of combining the smaller files into one big one for your own use. In my mind's eye, I'm picturing separate files for each size class of 'Mech, plus one for conventional vehicles, one for aerospace fighters, etc.
Indeed. I have a perfectly good computer, but my preferred PDF reading platform is a tablet.
A single-file omnibus would be pretty useless to me. As it is, I use the MUL as an index.
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Books organized by faction availability goes against BattleTech's soul. Everyone uses everything. The Clan Invasion is an outlier, not the norm.
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Well, a big part of why I would want it, would be searchability.
Pretty much all modern computer systems allow one to search an entire folder full of files, either as part of the OS or as a feature of a PDF reader application, so having everything in one file isn't really necessary for search purposes.
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Not sure why some players are obsessed with the idea of some sort of huge BT bible when the trend is quite the opposite. A huge PDF is simply not very optimize for the same reason one huge book is 90%-99% of the time dead weight.
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Books organized by faction availability goes against BattleTech's soul. Everyone uses everything. The Clan Invasion is an outlier, not the norm.
Fully agreed. Faction availability is, after all, considered an "advanced" and optional rule. I have no problem pointing people who wish to limit themselves to the Master Unit List.
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Not sure why some players are obsessed with the idea of some sort of huge BT bible when the trend is quite the opposite. A huge PDF is simply not very optimize for the same reason one huge book is 90%-99% of the time dead weight.
BIGGER IS BETTER. Just ask the Lyrans.
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Books organized by faction availability goes against BattleTech's soul. Everyone uses everything. The Clan Invasion is an outlier, not the norm.
I'm with you there.
I find it very hard to find anything in the books that are faction-organized. Unit type / tonnage seems to be simplest / most universal to me, although I appreciate that players also want some indication of "recommended" faction for each unit.
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Pretty much all modern computer systems allow one to search an entire folder full of files, either as part of the OS or as a feature of a PDF reader application, so having everything in one file isn't really necessary for search purposes.
my experiences with directory based searching have been less than optimal. I get far better results working directly within the file. That said, I'm well aware that I'll never get what I'm wishing for.
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Books organized by faction availability goes against BattleTech's soul. Everyone uses everything. The Clan Invasion is an outlier, not the norm.
The 3145 techmanuals are by faction. The only reason that everyone used everything before was because everybody forgot how to make mechs and had been using the same star league tech for centuries.
But you see that stop in the 3000's. Wolfhound, Raven. They show up in Mercenary forces but they are an extreme outlier in another House's army. They're also hard to get parts for I'm sure making them pretty undesirable for a House quartermaster.
The Clan Invasion is the rule... a century and a half after they stopped being able to make new battlemech factories House's and Clans are all running their own unit list if you ignore Sea Fox Trading.
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It remains to be seen that the factional mini-TROs were a financial success or that the approach will be repeated. After all, you can get TROs 3145 and 3150 instead.
Furthermore, the "factional" TROs aren't actually factional. MaD Cat Mk IVs aren't just used by the Clans. Ziblers aren't just used by Davion. SM2s aren't just used by Kurita. Etc.
Sure, each TRO (after 3025) has units that are usually faction-restricted upon immediate invention, but most of the time the MUL says those units become more widely available over time.
And more to my point, by the Jihad the major divide in availability (Clan-tech vs no Clan-tech) is functionally gone in many (most?) cases.
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Yeah but even if they aren't, the old TRO's are the same way. TRO 3055. This mech is produced here by this faction.
Even in the succession wars when everybody was using the same tech and been salvaging any mech they could get their hands on you still saw mechs that were faction specific. If you saw a Zeus you knew who was driving it. If you saw a Panther you knew where it was from. Dragons, Cicada's, Assassin's.
I think you'd see lots of salvaged Clan tech in any faction, especially the factions that directly fought the clans because it's worth the expense. But if you're House Davion and you get a Dragon in 3070 save yourself the headache and sell it to some Mercs.
From a gameplay perspective it makes sense too. Base game 3000+ "Everyone uses all these mechs."
advanced game - This Bushwacker is Lyran AF.
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Yeah but even if they aren't, the old TRO's are the same way. TRO 3055. This mech is produced here by this faction.
Even in the succession wars when everybody was using the same tech and been salvaging any mech they could get their hands on you still saw mechs that were faction specific. If you saw a Zeus you knew who was driving it. If you saw a Panther you knew where it was from. Dragons, Cicada's, Assassin's.
I think you'd see lots of salvaged Clan tech in any faction, especially the factions that directly fought the clans because it's worth the expense. But if you're House Davion and you get a Dragon in 3070 save yourself the headache and sell it to some Mercs.
From a gameplay perspective it makes sense too. Base game 3000+ "Everyone uses all these mechs."
advanced game - This Bushwacker is Lyran AF.
You're dramatically underestimating the importance of cross-pollination from battlefield salvage. Especially the 3025/3rd SW era that is the soul of BattleTech. Yes Zeuses are stereotypically Lyran and Dragons are stereotypically Kuritan, but in no way would a Kuritan Zeus or a Davion Dragon be rare or even noteworthy.
Something that makes BattleTech nearly unique among wargames is that it lacks factional availability in a formal way. In 40K if you're playing Orks, you May Not field models from the Space Marines. If you're playing Cryx in Warmachine, you May Not field Khador warjacks. These kinds of games are are fundamentally different from Battletech having non-binding "flavor" for factions.
So, no, a Bushwacker isn't particularly "Lyran AF" even upon introduction in 3053. According to the MUL, it's "available" to 7 factions immediately. And again if someone wants to play a Draconis or Capellan force with a Bushwacker, it's legal even though those availabilities aren't on the MUL. (of interest, in looking this up the Bushwacker becomes "hardly Lyran at all, really" as time goes on. Eventually Lyrans don't even have it available and it's only on the Merc general availability list)
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(of interest, in looking this up the Bushwacker becomes "hardly Lyran at all, really" as time goes on. Eventually Lyrans don't even have it available and it's only on the Merc general availability list)
When did this happen? After 3130 it was probably because the Lyrans had largely switched to the Gauntlet, because most Bushwackers either were destroyed during the Jihad or were scrapped after it.
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MUL for Bushwacker 1x gives it these factions:
Federated Commonwealth
Federated Suns
Lyran Commonwealth
Lyran Alliance
Kell Hounds
Wolves Dragoon
Mercenary
The first four are essentially the same thing. The Kell Hounds live in the Lyran Commonwealth. The Dragoons live in the Federated Suns at the time.
The L1 variant is only in the commonwealth. The L2 gets traded to the Republic.
So in the MUL the only time it isn't Lyran is when the Lyrans are in the Federated Commonwealth.
Yeah battletech is great because you can play the Capellans and run a battalion of Timber Wolves. But if I'm gming a game that sticks to canon, we are playing a Canon scenario, or one of us were writing a story that sticks to canon I'm going to expect a really good explanation.
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When did this happen? After 3130 it was probably because the Lyrans had largely switched to the Gauntlet, and because most Bushwackers either were destroyed during the Jihad or were scrapped after it.
The Lyrans stop using the base model. The more advanced variants are only Lyran. Though one of them is traded with the Republican and the Suns.
You are correct. The Gauntlet is only Lyran.
The good thing about this is that it let's them expand on faction flavor. It differentiates the factions and makes their playstyle unique.
It's battletech and it's not far fetched for anybody to have a salvaged anything...
But to have something in any kind of real volume is a different story.
Also keep in mind the defunct combat manuala for Alpha Strike had unit lists.
People like playing with specific units, having units only available to their faction and guidance for what kind of units and formations exist.
There are players that like things more open ended. That's fine. I don't particularly.
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Just delving back into the universe after some time away and have bought TRO:SW and i have to agree that its probably the way to go, it certainly makes it easier to understand where it fits in the universe.
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I only meant the faction themed mini TRO:3145 PDF is that's format (not because its faction themed itself) would likely be future TROs could be made. I rather keep ALL my era specific stuff in one package (i rather like year, again this is changing).
At this point, we know something coming aside Shattered Fortress (novels of various shade) but nothing else by name or type. So there less talk about.
I'm glad their going to do a map pack, but i'm not sure the large maps Mr. Coleman mentioned would be cost effective. Has anyone see this sample one at the con? It sounds its either large paper map of quality or cloth type but i don't it is.
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Were Brent to come to me and say, "Bosch, I want you to redo the Technical Readout line," here's what it would look like. All would be 194 pages total, with 92 different 'Mech entries each; no other units would be included in the print volumes.
One major change I'd make right off the bat is to change the stat blocks. Right now the game stats are basically a design spreadsheet, but players don't really need to see the mass of components, and some critical information is missing. I'd replace it with what players need to fill out record sheets: where each item is, and how many spaces it takes up. With that change alone, the need for record sheet volumes is dramatically reduced, freeing up company resources to focus on actually-profitable areas. The in-universe state block would slightly change to list how many tons of ammo is included with each weapon, and OmniMechs would have their Prime loadout listed here along with their available pod tonnage.
Print Books (also in PDF)
Technical Readout: Succession Wars: Revise the entries to the new stat standard, above.
Technical Readout: Clan Invasion: Would contain the rest of the Classic redesigns in their 3050 configs, the 16 original Clan OmniMechs, the new 'Mech designs from Technical Readout 3050 Upgrade, then fill out the remaining pages with a selection of 'Mechs from 3055U and 3058U.
Technical Readout: Civil War: Would contain 92 'Mechs from 3055U, 3058U, 3060, and 3067.
Technical Readout: Jihad: Would contain 92 'Mechs from 3067, 3075, and 3085.
Technical Readout: Dark Age: Would contain 92 'Mechs from Prototypes, 3145, and 3150.
So the in-print and in-stores line would be just five books, 194 pages each, and far easier to keep in print. The new names and 'Mech-only contents would make it far simpler for non-fanatic customers (i.e., not us) to figure out what books they want and keep the focus of the game on the giant robots.
PDF-Only Books (hopefully print on demand, too)
Technical Readout: <era> Supplemental(s): A series of books that include any 'Mechs cut from the old Technical Readouts. Varied lengths, one for each era.
Technical Readout: <other unit type>: A series of books, each collecting a different non-'Mech unit: fighters, WarShips, infantry and battle armor, etc. If any end up excessively long, they'll be split into two volumes in whatever fashion seems convenient.
Technical Readout: Experimental <unit type>: Omnibus editions of the XTRO series, one each for 'Mechs, fighters, and vehicles. Perhaps expanded with new material.
One key feature of the line would be that units that were previously only published in sourcebooks would be given full Technical Readout entries. Most art would be recycled, but some units would have new art produced, such as the remaining Classics, the original Clan and Inner Sphere OmniMechs, and anything that just doesn't seem cool anymore.
Moving forward, I'd push for strict limits on new designs. Let's say the Powers That Be decide to go ahead and do a time jump to 3250. I'd want to limit Technical Readout: Darker Age's totally-new designs to 20-30 maximum, with the rest of the book showing older machines - especially those only found in the Supplementals - with modern upgrades. This allows players to immediately use their miniature collections with the new stats and doesn't overwhelm IWM; with a little lead time (heh), they might even have most or all of the new miniatures ready to release alongside the Technical Readout.
The main challenge would be where to put unit variants. Personally, I'd be okay leaving them in legacy materials, but perhaps the Supplementals could include the new stat blocks for the gazillions of different Marauders. One idea that strikes me is to change the Tech Readouts to portrait format, allowing home printers to more-easily assemble loose leaf binder collections.
Okay, that ran MUCH longer than I anticipated. Sorry.
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I'm glad their going to do a map pack, but i'm not sure the large maps Mr. Coleman mentioned would be cost effective. Has anyone see this sample one at the con? It sounds its either large paper map of quality or cloth type but i don't it is.
He said it was thin neoprene, which has been used for table mats of that size for some years. I have a 4x4 one I use for Dropzone Commander and Alpha Strike, and my LGS had a lot of ones around 6x4 for club tables.
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Were Brent to come to me and say, "Bosch, I want you to redo the Technical Readout line," here's what it would look like. All would be 194 pages total, with 92 different 'Mech entries each; no other units would be included in the print volumes.
That would be my suggestion. As I said earlier, keep the in-store focus on the 'Mechs, and anyone who is into the game enough to want vehicles, infantry, etc. would be more willing to go online to find them.
A 'Mech only TRO would be the perfect companion to the BattleMech Manual. I'd be all for that, and leaving vehicles and infantry to supplemental products. Some quick numbers...
The "intro" version becomes TRO 3039 BattleMechs, and only 162 pages (120 pages for the regular 'Mechs, and I'm going from 21 pages for the Unseen to 42 pages for the Classics) compared to the 304 page beast it is. You'd have a little smaller sized document for "Support Forces" at 142 pages, but that covers vehicles and aerospace and could be padded a little with infantry a la 3085.
3050U is mostly 'mechs, but it's also not as big overall. Pull the fighters and such, add about 40 pages for the Star League stuff and you're back to 178 pages, only a little larger than 3039 (and would include the Clan omnis) in the end. Though, you'd need to add in the Classics, so you're peaking 220 pages; considering all the new production designs in play (Imp, Annihilator, Caesar, Cataphract et al) it makes some sense. And is still smaller than 3050U by 26 pages.
Typed this out while you were doing your big post, reading the rest now.
Succession Wars: I count 83 'mechs in 3039, counting the Unseen designs. Trivia: there's only 34 'Mechs that weren't Unseen that were standard for the era. Would you pad out extra to reach 92 with common variants? (Dragon, introtech Grand Dragon for example)
Also re: record sheets, should there be an explanation of how RS crits should be arranged (engines at the top, then weapons, then ammo, then heat sinks, then noncrit locations) or freeform? In the end it's not like the dice care where an object is, the twelve slots are evenly reached anyway. As long as all the components are in the right slot, I don't mind myself, but you'd want some sort of 'tournament standard' I think for major events.
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The Shattered Fortress PDF is LIVE! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/e-publications/products/battletech-shattered-fortress)
Please note: Because a relatively few customers were able to obtain the print book at Gen Con, we wanted to push the PDF version out as quickly as possible so everyone has a chance to read the latest exciting chapter of the BattleTech saga. As a result, at this time, ONLY the PDF version is available. The usual PDF + Print bundle will not be available on the store until the print book has a street date, later this fall. Likewise, an upgrade to the combo is not available at this time.
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Oh good, I can stop checking DriveThruRPG every hour and wondering if I missed it.
Thanks for the notification Cubby.
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Would you believe that I was doing the same thing here most of the morning, but on the Catalyst store, waiting to see if it had posted there? And now it has, but I've read it so many times already, so I'm gonna go play with my kids.
But please, everyone, for real: I hope you enjoy this book. A lot went into it, and Phil did a great job both on the initial draft and keeping the faith until it got its first wide release today.
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The Shattered Fortress PDF is LIVE! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/e-publications/products/battletech-shattered-fortress)
Please note: Because a relatively few customers were able to obtain the print book at Gen Con, we wanted to push the PDF version out as quickly as possible so everyone has a chance to read the latest exciting chapter of the BattleTech saga. As a result, at this time, ONLY the PDF version is available. The usual PDF + Print bundle will not be available on the store until the print book has a street date, later this fall. Likewise, an upgrade to the combo is not available at this time.
YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Throws money at Catalyst!
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Downloaded and about to start devouring. DEVOURING!
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may as well save a few bucks and pull the plug on the server for the next few hours as folks will be busy reading or at GenCon lol
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Huzzah!
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Pffft. Spend an hour writing a post, it gets one response before OMG NEW BATTLETECH *buys and starts reading* what was I saying? Never mind. :D
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Pffft. Spend an hour writing a post, it gets one response before OMG NEW BATTLETECH *buys and starts reading* what was I saying? Never mind. :D
It makes a lot of sense. I'd be happy if they went that way, but time will tell.
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Bought and skimmed! :)
Need to go back through and digest in more detail though :D
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It makes a lot of sense. I'd be happy if they went that way, but time will tell.
I think the biggest thing out of all that would be changing the stat block. It's basically been the same since Battledroids, and it could be so much more useful.
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I think the biggest thing out of all that would be changing the stat block. It's basically been the same since Battledroids, and it could be so much more useful.
Indeed, and the new paradigm is accessibility and usefulness to new players. I doubt old grizzled players would complain either.
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Indeed, and the new paradigm is accessibility and usefulness to new players. I doubt old grizzled players would complain either.
Oh, someone will complain. You know it. ;D
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Oh, someone will complain. You know it. ;D
Heh, true enough, there's always someone.
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I doubt old grizzled players would complain either.
I can’t stop crylaughing at that comment.
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I can’t stop crylaughing at that comment.
Yeah, I had my rose coloured glasses on for a few minutes there. Don't worry, it has passed.
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I can’t stop crylaughing at that comment.
You could open the page and see a 3D colorized animated walking hologram that rose out of the page by being constructed piece by piece and there would be a thread bitching that loose’s art had been left out
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You could open the page and see a 3D colorized animated walking hologram that rose out of the page by being constructed piece by piece and there would be a thread bitching that loose’s art had been left out
if they didn't use loose's art to animate and walk out of the book, yeah I'd probably be That Guy. ;)
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if they didn't use loose's art to animate and walk out of the book, yeah I'd probably be That Guy. ;)
(https://i.giphy.com/media/l4pTsh45Dg7jnDM6Q/giphy.gif)
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if they didn't use loose's art to animate and walk out of the book, yeah I'd probably be That Guy. ;)
(https://zippy.gfycat.com/HelplessFarawayAsianlion.gif)
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Like you guys would rather look at an animated holographic Yeoman?
Worst. Idea. Ever.
(playing along with the Comic Book Guy Meme there... not actually starting an argument)
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Pffft. Spend an hour writing a post, it gets one response before OMG NEW BATTLETECH *buys and starts reading* what was I saying? Never mind. :D
Well, that was time I could've spent sleeping or drinking or painting models for another game or, really, anything else. Damn shame.
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Well, that was time I could've spent sleeping or drinking or painting models for another game or, really, anything else. Damn shame.
I read it. I agreed with your statements. I thought it was a great format.
I think forums have an unfortunate tendency to err towards people correcting or debating eachother. If you make a perfect post maybe you get one or two people that will say, "This, so much this."
I think that if the forums had thumbs up icons you'd have seen that your post was well received and well respected.
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I was talking about staying up all night reading Shattered Fortress, not my musings on Technical Readouts. :D
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I was talking about staying up all night reading Shattered Fortress, not my musings on Technical Readouts. :D
Easy solution - Convert to Clan Sea Fox - Ctrl F Clan Sea Fox - Roll around in Isorla!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/YZGJc1WmUZPi0/giphy.gif)
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I actually like the landscape TRO look :P
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I actually like the landscape TRO look :P
TOO BAD. :P
...Brent is really unlikely to ask me to take over the Tech Readout line anyway. :D
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This was posted on the BattleTech Facebook page. Proposed marketing material. It makes me happy.
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(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/971/582/2aa.jpg)
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But is it fan made or something leaked?
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But is it fan made or something leaked?
It was posted on official FB page. I don't expect to be it a simple leak.
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But is it fan made or something leaked?
CGL. Brent showed off at GenCon
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It looks like Shimmering Swords artwork to me.
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It looks like Shimmering Swords artwork to me.
Looks more like Marco Mazzoni with the use of colors and pastels.
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Looks more like Marco Mazzoni with the use of colors and pastels.
He has confirmed on FB that he had made it.
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I really hope I can buy this poster. I really, really, really need it. It looks amazing.
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I actually like the landscape TRO look :P
The whole reason there’s no POD option for the XTRO line is that landscape POD is not offered through those channels. Mark my words, we’re going to have to kill the landscape format, it holds us back.
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The poster is by Marco Mazzoni. It’s the original cover to the beginner box set. Chew on that.
I was annoyed we didn’t have any posters for the con, so did that up at the last minute. It was so late in the game though that they only hand a handful printed up. We really need to offer posters again.
-Ray
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The whole reason there’s no POD option for the XTRO line is that landscape POD is not offered through those channels. Mark my words, we’re going to have to kill the landscape format, it holds us back.
Change is necessary sometimes, and if it makes the game more accessible, then it's a good change.
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If that's what's needed, that's what's needed. Landscape was nice, but worst comes to worst I'll just put the new TROs on the shelf sideways if I feel all nostalgic ;)
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I'll admit a change in TRO format would be jarring, but if it makes POD an option I'm all for it. The bigger bugbear for me in terms of formatting is when books from the same line are published in different heights, like some A4 and some bigger or smaller (paging Privateer Press...) A product line should look consistent!
Changes to stat blocks make sense as well. It would be much easier to enter x design into your software/hardcopy record sheet with a better stat block.
Love that artwork too. Any chance we could get some era maps in posters as well? I'd love a post clan invasion map in A1 size :D
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I prefer the landscape myself. If i need to i will print damn thing myself if there isn't pod. I won't cry crocodile tears over it. I've done it for Primitives and Republic stuff since their together and their more than on offs in the book.
Too too bad POD hasn't evolved beyond simple format (one way or no way.)
Anyways, i hope we see some supporting pdfs in the Fall! ;D
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The whole reason there’s no POD option for the XTRO line is that landscape POD is not offered through those channels. Mark my words, we’re going to have to kill the landscape format, it holds us back.
Is that due to where the binding of leafs are in the book?
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The whole reason there’s no POD option for the XTRO line is that landscape POD is not offered through those channels. Mark my words, we’re going to have to kill the landscape format, it holds us back.
While the landscape format is somewhat distinct and charming, I don't think I'd miss it for long.
Long live portrait!
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This was posted on the BattleTech Facebook page. Proposed marketing material. It makes me happy.
I just have one thing to say "WELCOME BACK BATTLETECH! O how I missed you! " :D :D :D
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The poster is by Marco Mazzoni. It’s the original cover to the beginner box set. Chew on that.
I was annoyed we didn’t have any posters for the con, so did that up at the last minute. It was so late in the game though that they only hand a handful printed up. We really need to offer posters again.
-Ray
Well done Ray, Well done!
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Were Brent to come to me and say, "Bosch, I want you to redo the Technical Readout line," here's what it would look like. All would be 194 pages total, with 92 different 'Mech entries each; no other units would be included in the print volumes.
I think that printers use 16 page signatures because reasons. Your 194 pages work out to 12.125 signatures of 16 pages and that might not be good for printers. If you bump up to 13 signatures of 16 pages, you get 208 pages. That could give you 102 'Mechs per volume. Don't know if that is good or bad. (If they use 12 page signatures, your 194 pages work out to 16.16666666 signatures. 12*16 though gives you 192 pages which works out to be 91 'Mechs.)
One major change I'd make right off the bat is to change the stat blocks. Right now the game stats are basically a design spreadsheet, but players don't really need to see the mass of components, and some critical information is missing. I'd replace it with what players need to fill out record sheets: where each item is, and how many spaces it takes up.
I'm confused. Don't we already have this info in the current TROs? What is the critical information that's missing?
With that change alone, the need for record sheet volumes is dramatically reduced, freeing up company resources to focus on actually-profitable areas. The in-universe state block would slightly change to list how many tons of ammo is included with each weapon, and OmniMechs would have their Prime loadout listed here along with their available pod tonnage.
(Snip)
So the in-print and in-stores line would be just five books, 194 pages each, and far easier to keep in print. The new names and 'Mech-only contents would make it far simpler for non-fanatic customers (i.e., not us) to figure out what books they want and keep the focus of the game on the giant robots.
So these products are sort of an Starter TRO for an era. That makes sense to me.
PDF-Only Books (hopefully print on demand, too)
Technical Readout: <era> Supplemental(s): A series of books that include any 'Mechs cut from the old Technical Readouts. Varied lengths, one for each era.
Technical Readout: <other unit type>: A series of books, each collecting a different non-'Mech unit: fighters, WarShips, infantry and battle armor, etc. If any end up excessively long, they'll be split into two volumes in whatever fashion seems convenient.
Technical Readout: Experimental <unit type>: Omnibus editions of the XTRO series, one each for 'Mechs, fighters, and vehicles. Perhaps expanded with new material.
My only comment here is that for the Technical Readout: <other unit type>: you consider changing it to Technical Readout: <era> <other unit type>: to keep it consistent with your Core TROs.
Two questions:
1. Are you thinking of 194/208 page limits like you described earlier?
2. Would certain problematic units (WarShips, DropShips, some power armors) get re-statted to match current construction rules?
The main challenge would be where to put unit variants. Personally, I'd be okay leaving them in legacy materials, but perhaps the Supplementals could include the new stat blocks for the gazillions of different Marauders.
That could be interesting, but I don't know if I'd put down money for a TRO:Warhammers or TRO:Marauders. I'd have to think about it some more. Maybe this could be expanded to include player submissions? Sort of a design contest thing that might bring in new players? *shrug* I don't know.
One idea that strikes me is to change the Tech Readouts to portrait format, allowing home printers to more-easily assemble loose leaf binder collections.
This is an idea I really like. Plus they'd fit on a bookshelf with other materials.
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Oh, someone will complain. You know it. ;D
How people react to change:
(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kancolle/images/c/c1/Torches-and-pitchforks.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170213122958)
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We really need to offer posters again.
I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. I'd love to see them for sale individually, too. Not just included in boxed sets like the old posters.
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I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. I'd love to see them for sale individually, too. Not just included in boxed sets like the old posters.
I would love a poster also. It was always one of my favorites during gencon. Got them hanging on the wall in my game room.
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This is just me wishcasting, but I need to do up the living room and home office some. What I'd love? Triptych art but with Battletech:
(https://img.etsystatic.com/il/b95dd2/988486631/il_570xN.988486631_5pj5.jpg?version=0)
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. . . I have been printing some of the recent covers with a bit of judicious cutting to be posters. I have a really nice CM Mercs poster . . .
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This is just me wishcasting, but I need to do up the living room and home office some. What I'd love? Triptych art but with Battletech
…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
Can't wait to see them! ;)
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I'm confused. Don't we already have this info in the current TROs? What is the critical information that's missing?
Actuators, heat sink locations.
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
I am intrigued and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
I like the nicknames. I don't know if anyone ever called Grayson himself "The Gray Death", but it fits the theme so I'm good with it. I actually went looking for the last BT posters I picked up last night and couldn't find them anywhere, so I'm definitely on board with offering new ones!
As for portrait format TRO's: I don't really care as long as they are released as PDF's as well. Even the ones I own in physical form, I wouldn't care a bit if they were portrait size instead of landscape. It makes zero difference to me.
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Actuators, heat sink locations.
Aren't particular internal locations missing too or does that not matter (one part of the torso is equal to any other part of the torso kind of thing)?
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
Maybe just can him "The Wolf"?
+1 for nicknames. They bring a sense of mythos and an appeal to know more when compared to a 'real' name.
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Maybe just can him "The Wolf"?
+1 for nicknames. They bring a sense of mythos and an appeal to know more when compared to a 'real' name.
Good one.
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Aren't particular internal locations missing too or does that not matter (one part of the torso is equal to any other part of the torso kind of thing)?
Doesn't matter. All slots within a location are equally likely to be hit. You need to specify exactly where they are when filling out the sheet, but it doesn't matter which. You can fill them from the bottom up if you want. As long as they are set and you don't move them around once the game starts.... And many players would prefer to have a "standard" so they can be assured the other player isn't moving them around during play ("oh no, I moved the LRM ammo from that slot on my record sheet. What do you mean it wasn't there last turn?")
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
So . . . Marauder, Warhammer, Victor, Archer and Battlemaster? Sounds good . . . even if I already have Natasha's Warhammer I would take another.
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
Sounds like a Lance Pack to me.
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A Dark Age-style heroes pack would be phenomenal.
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The poster is by Marco Mazzoni. It’s the original cover to the beginner box set. Chew on that.
I was annoyed we didn’t have any posters for the con, so did that up at the last minute. It was so late in the game though that they only hand a handful printed up. We really need to offer posters again.
-Ray
It looks astounding. Where do you expect to sell these posters at? Online as well?
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
I think a Grey Norton Rifleman titled Legend Killer would work too!
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A Dark Age-style heroes pack would be phenomenal.
You could even do this by faction.
House Davion
Hanse Davion's Battlemaster
Ardan Sortek's Victor
Justin Allard's Centurion
Andrew Redburn's Firestarter
Victor Steiner-Davion's Daishi
House Kurita
Takashi Kurita's Dragon
Theodore Kurita's Orion
Yorinaga Kurita's Warhammer
Hassid Ricol's Marauder
Subhash Indrahar's Battle Armor
Victor Steiner-Davion's Daishi
House Steiner
Whats-her-Steiner's Warhammer
Thomas Hogarth's Bunker
Adam Steiner's Axeman
Katherine Steiner-Davion's Flower Pot
Victor Steiner-Davion's Daishi
House Liao
Sun-Tzu Liao's Emperor
Candace Liao's Vindicator
Aris Sung's Wraith
Ion Rush's Fist
Victor Steiner-Davion's Daishi
House Marik
Thomas Marik's Archer
Kirc Cameron-Jones's Herb's Cats
Paul Master's Phoenix Hawk
Someone's Something
Victor Steiner-Davion's Daishi
Mercenary
Morgan Kell's Archer
Jaime Wolf's Archer
Grayson Carlyle's Shadow Hawk
Daniel Allard's Wolfhound
Victor Steiner-Davion's Bank Account
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Victor
Or Locust, Shadow Hawk, Marauder, or Archer depending on era. Shadow Hawk would probably fit the idiom and the timeframe for the other classic characters.
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…or I can simply create a theme based on artwork we have on hand. It’s not like I thought of a theme and then commissioned art for posters that won’t see print? ;D
And why would I put Grayson in a Victor? I wouldn’t put him in a Shadow Hawk either.
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And why would I put Grayson in a Victor? I wouldn’t put him in a Shadow Hawk either.
So, the Marauder then?
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......We really need to offer posters again.
-Ray
Yeah, those ones done last year were amazing I had them plaque mounted for my office. I'd love to have more, but if CGL does them can they be rolled, not folded please :)
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
I think so. Keep the pseudonyms going. Especially since the BattleTech PC game runs callsigns.
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…or I can simply create a theme based on artwork we have on hand. It’s not like I thought of a theme and then commissioned art for posters that won’t see print? ;D
And why would I put Grayson in a Victor? I wouldn’t put him in a Shadow Hawk either.
Since you have the Duke in a Marauder, he ran a Victor at the end, though he does change out mechs quite often . . . if Marauder, I am pretty sure I know where the art is coming from, lol.
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…or I can simply create a theme based on artwork we have on hand. It’s not like I thought of a theme and then commissioned art for posters that won’t see print? ;D
And why would I put Grayson in a Victor? I wouldn’t put him in a Shadow Hawk either.
He did become the leader/founder of the Grey Death in a Shadow Hawk many of us likely read their first fiction as the Decision at Thunder Rift and the Shadow Hawk was prominent there
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I was reading Weirdo's post and it seems like half way down he made a typo mistake and then I continued reading and was like 'no now he's trolling us'. Nicely done sir.... nicely done.
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What, you didn't know that Ion Rush routinely piloted his own fist into battle, with dozens of 'mech kills to his name? O:-)
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…I actually set up 5 posters as a series: The Red Duke, The Black Widow, Grayson Carlyle, Jaime Wolf, and Hanse Davion. Maybe the last three should instead be titled “The Gray Death,” “Wolf Actual,” and “The Fox?” I dunno.
I have the Carlyle one from a few years ago. (2016?) How many other have been released already?
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What, you didn't know that Ion Rush routinely piloted his own fist into battle, with dozens of 'mech kills to his name? O:-)
<starts playing the music to Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean>
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Yeah, those ones done last year were amazing I had them plaque mounted for my office. I'd love to have more, but if CGL does them can they be rolled, not folded please :)
Those are the ones I lost! They did look great, and I’m pretty pissed that they seem to have disappeared from my office. 20yr. Old Star Wars poster? I know right where it is and can find it in two minutes. Posters I got last stinkin’ year? Disappeared into hyperspace. Grrrrrrr!
Anyway, there is definitely some very nice full-color art that has been produced in the past couple years that would make great posters or prints. Is there such a thing as print-on-demand posters?
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Sounds like a Lance Pack to me.
Lance Pack: Legends 8) Chuck in some pilot cards and you're golden!
Chris
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Actuators, heat sink locations.
Heat sinks, OK. Good point. But aren't actuators all in the same place and order? Wait, I think I see your point: Some weapons require them to be removed.
Doesn't matter. All slots within a location are equally likely to be hit. You need to specify exactly where they are when filling out the sheet, but it doesn't matter which. You can fill them from the bottom up if you want.
I thought the official rules were you started at the top of each section and filled down. That's how I've always seen it done.
As long as they are set and you don't move them around once the game starts.... And many players would prefer to have a "standard" so they can be assured the other player isn't moving them around during play ("oh no, I moved the LRM ammo from that slot on my record sheet. What do you mean it wasn't there last turn?")
That would be called a violation of Wheaton's Law at any table where I play, and would result in a forfeit on the part of the cheating player.
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I thought the official rules were you started at the top of each section and filled down. That's how I've always seen it done.
In practice, this is so. Technically not a requirement if i recall correctly, only that items are in continuous blocks.
But this does affect probabilities a bit actually, for torsos and arms. Since the uppermost part is filled first usually, like in official record sheets, it is more likely to hit something in that part. For example, if 7 slots are filled out of 12, hitting lower part has 5/6ths chance of causing a reroll, but since both dice are rolled again rather than just the "slot-die", it is more likely to land hit in slots 1-6, at least over time.
EDIT This isn't usually an issue though. If one has d12 dice, they be used to equalize the odds for torso and arm locations.
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All slots are equally likely. The chance of hitting the 7 slot is 1/however many slots are filled, same as 1.
Heat sinks, OK. Good point. But aren't actuators all in the same place and order? Wait, I think I see your point: Some weapons require them to be removed.
And trying to guess if there are lower arm actuators or not can be tricky. Or even hand actuators on Ostscouts...
I thought the official rules were you started at the top of each section and filled down. That's how I've always seen it done.
The record sheet team has guidelines of where to place equipment. But those are not the same as rules. Unless you're submitting an official record sheet for the PDFs and then the record sheet team is going to fix your placement :). (Though I know of at least one exception that Paul snuck through..
There's no rule if you are filling out your own record sheet that you have to place them top to bottom. There was even a discussion internally whether or not you had to use the actuator and engine placements from the "blank" record sheet. (See Paul's exception that snuck through...And now I'm going to find out it wasn't Paul...)
That would be called a violation of Wheaton's Law at any table where I play, and would result in a forfeit on the part of the cheating player.
It doesn't have to be deliberate. Many players have slots memorized for some 'mechs or even just know how many slots are filled in that location (only 1 and 2). They might just assume, I rolled a 5 for crit location, that 'mech doesn't have anything there becuase it only has two slots to fill, so I roll again. Then they roll the ammo location (or where it would normally be) and the other player says "nope, that's not where I put the ammo, I put it in 5".
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In practice, this is so. Technically not a requirement if i recall correctly, only that items are in continuous blocks.
But this does affect probabilities a bit actually, for torsos and arms. Since the uppermost part is filled first usually, like in official record sheets, it is more likely to hit something in that part. For example, if 7 slots are filled out of 12, hitting lower part has 5/6ths chance of causing a reroll, but since both dice are rolled again rather than just the "slot-die", it is more likely to land hit in slots 1-6, at least over time.
EDIT This isn't usually an issue though. If one has d12 dice, they be used to equalize the odds for torso and arm locations.
Of course it is more likely to land in slot 1-6 then 7. But the question seems to be if slot one is more likely than seven.
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Of course it is more likely to land in slot 1-6 then 7. But the question seems to be if slot one is more likely than seven.
The answer is no :).
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Of course it is more likely to land in slot 1-6 then 7. But the question seems to be if slot one is more likely than seven.
Math time!
If you get roll again, this means you reroll both dice, not just the second one.
So the probability of hitting a slot is:
1/2 (the upper / lower die) * 1/6. No matter what, that is the chance of hitting a given slot. Ammo is just as safe in the lower as upper. It just doesn't feel that way, and lots of players have ignored the "roll both dice again" wording
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Anyway, there is definitely some very nice full-color art that has been produced in the past couple years that would make great posters or prints. Is there such a thing as print-on-demand posters?
I'd love to get an answer to this as well. I really, really, really want to get some of that gorgeous Battletech art by Anthony Scroggins or Marco Mazzoni on a poster.
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The answer is no. It’ll continue to be a no until it’s a yes, and it will be a public yes, not a secret yes. We don’t do print on demand posters at this time.
PS: I want posters too. That’s why I push for them.
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The answer is no. It’ll continue to be a no until it’s a yes, and it will be a public yes, not a secret yes. We don’t do print on demand posters at this time.
PS: I want posters too. That’s why I push for them.
Thanks for the quick answer Ray! What would be the best way to get a hold of, for example, the Red Duke poster that was posted recently?
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Quick question: will the quick start and game of armored combat rules be available for download on the home page, replacing the existing ones?
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Yes.
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Any plans to re-release the map sets? If they're re-released, I'd snap up #7 right away; even if it was just the PDF I'd grab it.
I have dead tree of the rest.
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Katherine Steiner-Davion's Flower Pot
Damn, bro...
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Aside from the Commander's Edition for Alpha Strike, anything else in the works that will be focused on AS? (PDF or otherwise)
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Aside from the Commander's Edition for Alpha Strike, anything else in the works that will be focused on AS? (PDF or otherwise)
There may be a small glimmer of hope for the future COMBAT MANUALS...maybe PoD or PDF, but certainly not in the same format as what came before. And this is based on my asking Randal and Brent at GenCon.
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Yes.
My man!
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There may be a small glimmer of hope for the future COMBAT MANUALS...maybe PoD or PDF, but certainly not in the same format as what came before. And this is based on my asking Randal and Brent at GenCon.
I would happily pay for PoD for future Combat Manuals. :thumbsup: (or PDF if that's the only option ;) )
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With shattered fortress out, any word on record sheets? Me and my friend wanna start doing dark age fights again but it's hard to have much variety with the new units when variants are scarce.
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More record sheets are always a good thing.
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I hope if and when the next TRO does come out, that if it's PDF one that will include record sheets like the TRO:3145 series did. It seem work out better, even if there less content.
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I would happily pay for PoD for future Combat Manuals. :thumbsup: (or PDF if that's the only option ;) )
Unfortunately Combat Manuals are dead. Heard it straight from Randall at Origins 2018. They're an ex-product.
Edit: OK so I just saw NeonKnight's comment above. I'm still not hopeful for Combat Manuals.
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There may be a small glimmer of hope for the future COMBAT MANUALS...maybe PoD or PDF, but certainly not in the same format as what came before. And this is based on my asking Randal and Brent at GenCon.
Combat manuals, yasss! Even if they’re not the (very high) quality of the existing ones, I think I would welcome them.
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Unfortunately Combat Manuals are dead. Heard it straight from Randall at Origins 2018. They're an ex-product.
Edit: OK so I just saw NeonKnight's comment above. I'm still not hopeful for Combat Manuals.
And you're right not to be. While management may have some vague ideas of doing something else with the concept, there's nothing moving forward that I'm aware of at this time.
Combat manuals, yasss! Even if they’re not the (very high) quality of the existing ones, I think I would welcome them.
Producing something of inferior quality just to get it out is not a way forward.
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Unfortunately Combat Manuals are dead. Heard it straight from Randall at Origins 2018. They're an ex-product.
Edit: OK so I just saw NeonKnight's comment above. I'm still not hopeful for Combat Manuals.
There may be a small glimmer of hope for the future COMBAT MANUALS...maybe PoD or PDF, but certainly not in the same format as what came before. And this is based on my asking Randal and Brent at GenCon.
I would like to see more done on the combat manuals myself, they are a great resource for creating units based on the combat commands of the inner sphere.
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With shattered fortress out, any word on record sheets? Me and my friend wanna start doing dark age fights again but it's hard to have much variety with the new units when variants are scarce.
This is unofficial hearsay, but no, no record sheet products are on the horizon. I actually brought this up with Brent, and he asked what was missing from the TROs that was preventing us fans from working them up if we really wanted to use those units. Mostly, it is the actuators and how the crits are laid out. However, for the New Tech, New Units stuff, there is no full TRO stat block, so we can’t necessarily figure those out at all.
The holdup was for a variety of reasons: There has been no luck finding a more automated tool to produce the layouts, it takes a whole lot of time to do them by hand, and none of the outstanding record sheets are a high enough priority really warrant the attention.
Basically, record sheets are important, but not as important as other products at the moment. That was how it sounded to me, and I can’t really argue with that.
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Producing something of inferior quality just to get it out is not a way forward.
I think ‘quality’ was the wrong word; maybe shorter/more brief?
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Combat Manuals aren't dead... they're pining for the fjords.
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This is unofficial hearsay, but no, no record sheet products are on the horizon. I actually brought this up with Brent, and he asked what was missing from the TROs that was preventing us fans from working them up if we really wanted to use those units. However, for the New Tech, New Units stuff, there is no full TRO stat block, so we can’t necessarily figure those out at all.
Canon sheets for the fully Clan spec armed Juliano, the Orion C of the Wolf Empire and the Guillotine the Protectorate is using . . .
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Are record sheets on hold pending a new Mech Design Program??
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Way I have understood it before . . . they are not on hold per se, but they limit the number they are releasing due to how manhour intensive each single one would be vs having a program.
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I wish they try in using MegaLab. At least we know being updated. I feel it's tragic lost we can't get someone to do something with Skunkworks. At minimum to use spread sheet calculator.
Record Sheets is arguable essential thing for our game.
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We do use MekLab. We work directly with those guys in order to produce the sheets we do.
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We do use MekLab. We work directly with those guys in order to produce the sheets we do.
I can tell by the location for the damage bubbles on the vehicles :P
I jest!
And was great to finally meet you Face-Face at GenCon!
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And you're right not to be. While management may have some vague ideas of doing something else with the concept, there's nothing moving forward that I'm aware of at this time.
Which is an unfortunate thing, as elements of Combat Manual: Mercenary could really use the other CM's.
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Producing something of inferior quality just to get it out is not a way forward.
Although as a rhetorical question, what would you consider "inferior quality"? Personally, if the fluff and crunch info was there and it looked reasonably pretty (like the Touring the Stars or Spotlight On... series have consistently been) I could live without the lavish full-color art, the high-quality glossy paper or the four-page spread of minis painstakingly digitally painted in every unit scheme in the book, as wonderful and well done as those things were. While the CMs that we did get were definitely premium quality, there was a lot in there that could be cut, and still have a very solid product without being "inferior".
That could be, IMNAAHO, the way forward for a PDF or POD CM series. Make them "Joe Friday" editions -- "All we want are the facts, Ma'am." We get that faction books don't sell or don't sell fast enough to realize profit. Make 'em bare bones for those of us who want the faction info to play with, would like a little fluff, but can go to CamoSpecs or elsewhere or use a little imagination (horrible dictu! ;) ) to fill in the gaps on paint schemes and such.
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I'd like to +1 the requests for more posters, more out of kicking myself for anything. I got one of the really early BattleCorps posters with the Hatchetman getting wrecked by a Rifleman, but then I never got it framed and lost it in a house fire. But I want some BattleTech on my walls.
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Although as a rhetorical question, what would you consider "inferior quality"?
Palladium books? (I kid.) (Kinda.)
No need to ask it as a rhetorical question, I'll answer.
While the CMs that we did get were definitely premium quality, there was a lot in there that could be cut, and still have a very solid product without being "inferior".
Any time this conversation comes up, people tend to conflate the two very different elements of what it takes to get a book done: production costs, and printing costs.
The former consists of the many, varied creative efforts and costs that go into a book: writing, art, editing, layout, fact-checking, proofing, and development work. These costs are a major piece of the overall cost to produce a book, not a minor consideration. The reason I underlined layout is that it's consistently the most-overlooked element of that process. It's often a significant cost of production, but it's one that customers almost always totally ignore. And layout may be the most important factor in whether a book "feels" modern and high-quality, much moreso than the paper it's printed on.
The latter, printing costs, is self-explanatory--it's all the elements of a physical product: paper stock, B&W or full-color, cover stock, hard or softcover, and how many of that book you're printing. Remember, smaller orders are generally more expensive to print, not less.
You can certainly tinker with printing costs to adjust what you need to pay up front to print a book. Go all the way up, and the next Combat Manual could be leather-bound and smell of rich mahogany, if you can afford the printing costs and think your customers will buy that. Cut too far, however, and you're releasing a product that doesn't meet current marketplace standards. Gotta find the happy medium, at a palatable cover price to customers.
But to answer your question, to me, cutting corners in production costs is when you start getting into "inferior quality." Now you're not paying a competitive enough rate to get good writers, skimping on art, rushing the edit job, and not giving layout the time they desperately need to do some cool stuff. All just to shove a book out the airlock for the sake of being able to say, "it's out."
Sure, the grogs and the die-hards may not care because they just want new content, but that's no way to entice the new players that BattleTech absolutely needs. You may be okay with cutting the full-color pages and four-page mini spread. But those things may also be exactly what hooks a new player. What you consider a "solid product" may be far behind what a gamer in the modern marketplace expects. Hopefully, a company has done some market research to have a good understanding of what current customer expectations are.
Important: remember that releasing something as PDF-only or POD does not and should not save you much on production costs. Yes, you're saving the printing, shipping, and warehousing costs, which does bring certain products back into the realm of feasibility. But every product should be held to the same creative standard, regardless of distribution method. That's the ideal, anyway.
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To make one small riff on what Cubby said, PDFs and electronic forms do have one very clear logistical advantage; they allow the book to stay “in print” indefinitely. Once linked on the store, always linked on the store.
Cubby, let me see if I can guess at some of the implications of what you said. I could save on some production costs to get some kind of quick and dirty product out there for the grogs. Not a huge amount, but not insubstantial either. What I would be betting is that I made my die hard player base happy to get more crunch and haven’t turned off the new players because they’re mostly still seeing print books first.
The cost of my bet is that I’m still devoting some of my limited resources to developing products that are necessarily more niche that I could devote to making fancier print products. What getting my bet wrong would mean is that new players are, in fact, engaging with new products entirely online. They would see the lower quality (not “bad” quality but lower) product and be turned off by it because competitors are putting out higher quality products online to entice the newbs. I don’t think that dynamic has happened yet. It might at some point, but not yet. People still engage with new product lines in a very physical way (for example, board game Kickstarters) even when online. So the major risk I run is overestimating demand for the online product at the business cost of not devoting dev resources to more fancy print books.
Did I get that about right?
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So, take the production costs for CM: Kurita, sans printing, add 25%, or 50%, or whatever margin you need on the product and put up a Kickstarter for whatever that amount is. You could do Stretch Goals for full-color, or more art, or a lock of Randall's beard hair. You get the idea. If we put our money where our e-mouths are then it is funded and you know you will be making money because E-delivery is stupid-cheap. Plus, it's Kickstarter: everyone will assume you will be at least a year late on your original delivery estimates anyway! If it doesn't fund, you shouldn't be out much more than the initial marketing cost for setting up the campaign.
It all sounds so easy over here in my head!
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Kickstarter may have considerable logistics issues. Quite a lot of money will go for backer rewards, and the said rewards need to be produced and stored, if it is physical stuff, and then shipped. International orders may be tricky, seen some projects where shipping costs for international backers was charged on top of backing tier (needles to say, people weren't really happy).
And a book has limited appeal as a Kickstarter project. Might be OK for some niche enthusiast product, but not for a... well, more or less normal BattleTech product, i think. Doesn't mean it is a reliable seller afterwards. For example, if there were to be a real-world history book of BattleTech, that might work as a KS project, but that's about it for books.
While i was interested in Combat Manuals, i most certainly wouldn't back one as KS project, not nearly interesting enough.
Personally, i don't see late deliveries to be expected, and i very much doubt others do either. Would very much annoy me certainly. Delayed product implies there's probably something wrong with the project, not a good look at all.
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Did I get that about right?
I think the piece you're overlooking is that production costs are much more fixed than printing costs. You can dial back on printing costs by making a B&W book instead of a color one, or using a different paper stock.
But the production costs are directly related to creative humans who need to do them. Speaking only for myself: I can't do a proportionately poorer editing job because you're paying me 15 percent less to edit this product than another one. There is a minimum amount I'm willing to accept, either per-word or flat-rate, for the quality edit I feel I bring to a product. It's my choice whether or not to accept an ICA, but I would caution that the bench is deeper in some areas than others. Can it be developed? Maybe, but lots more people want to be, and are capable of being, BattleTech writers than editors or layout specialists.
Tl;dr - Production costs are not necessarily a dial that can be easily cranked up or down.
The cost of my bet is that I’m still devoting some of my limited resources to developing products that are necessarily more niche that I could devote to making fancier print products. products geared toward attracting new players.
Anything released--anything--must justify its existence by making a profit. That means growing the player base.
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Kickstarter may have considerable logistics issues.
As the meme goes, one does not simply "do a Kickstarter."
"But HBS got it done!" Yes, with the help of a KS consultant and, eventually, the full force of Paradox's 43-person marketing team behind it.
Plus, I'd be interested to know (genuinely interested, I'm not being snarky here) whether there is a successful of example of an established tabletop wargame attracting new players via a KS product.
Because, again: growing the player base is priority no. 1.
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I think that sparks a discussion of what you consider growing the purchaser base. I use purchaser b/c we have some people on here who admit they buy products even if they do not have anyone in the area to play TT- they do MW4, MWO, HBS or MM; or are just in with the story & lurk. For instance I know half a dozen folks easy who were playing MWO who used to be MM players, and last I heard had bought some of the more recent products like the Lib of Terra or SW books. Heck, two were the creators of the Clan server, and I am not sure they played TT at all.
We can quantify some first hand effects- how many people bought Shattered Fortress PDF? was it more than FM3145? How many people bought Embers of War paperback vs the last FASA novel ending the FCCW? How many folks bought Bonfire of Worlds vs the new novella as PDF?
Secondary will be harder . . . how many people went to a store or local con, saw a group playing and having fun that sparked their interest enough to buy a product? Were those people playing b/c of something released that got their attention or re-sparked their love/interest? I think the Classics are going to do that- remind people of the game they played way back and give it another spin, which puts it on display.
To be honest, my opinion is going to be a bit skewed . . . first, my wife encourages me to go play mid-week and even with a toddler-turned-2 I can still swing it without much problems (we have pictures of him playing with the group at 6 months). Additionally, my group has been growing for the last . . . 5 years? This last year at our big state-wide convention we ran two tables of packed grinder which brought in more players to the local group. Last Thursday night we started late on a campaign game, had 11 players (3 or 4 missing) and got in 7 turns in under 4 hours. I know about half the folks around that table either has the boxes from GenCon or have already placed pre-orders with the FLGS. I know this is a outlier for the spectrum, and honestly I am not sure how other groups could duplicate the success. I do know the main Agent puts in some time at home on FB posting notifications about games, issuing invites and posting news that will interest the group. But how does everyone else have that success?
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Plus, I'd be interested to know (genuinely interested, I'm not being snarky here) whether there is a successful of example of an established tabletop wargame attracting new players via a KS product.
Very interesting question actually.
There are variety of boardgames and RPGs, some with minis (quite a lot of them even in some), some without, that were successful but many of those seem to be based on existing IPs or by possibly well known developers. "Most backers" list doesn't seem to have true wargames, though i'm thinking that is increasingly blurred term.
Searching for "wargame" and sorting by backers, Dropfleet Commander (think it is part of Dropzone Commander?) is the number 1 result but unfortunately there is no way of determining if it (or any other popular project) attracted new people, especially since comments are not visible to non-backers.
I don't think it is impossible for KS to attract new players, i know a friend who backed some RPG KS (Darkeye, some such) as he was interested in the game material mostly but i reckon it is possible we'll end up playing it some day. But i suspect most backers are existing fans, or somewhat well versed in the game in some way. And regardless, there must be marketing to reach people, old and new, there seem to be some interesting projects that have very few backers, basically dooming them to obscurity or failure.
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I do know the main Agent puts in some time at home on FB posting notifications about games, issuing invites and posting news that will interest the group. But how does everyone else have that success?
Everyone else meaning...other Agents? Or other gaming companies and product lines?
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No, I was more talking about other area gaming groups . . . we regularly see posts in topic where someone says they would love to have regular TT game sessions, but there is no one in their area, etc. So how does it go from one or two people wanting to play and get more people to play? My experiences started off with the scenario book I can never get the order right! (Guns Money & Lawyers?) but a few folks had already been playing . . . and we started off with three or four. We have steadily picked up players for Thursday, occasional Sunday, and rare Saturday games along with our Agent hitting up the state's conventions. Reason I said 'main' agent is I think someone else is in the process of becoming one out of the group.
So how do you get from 1 BTU fan wanting to play regular table top TW or AS games to six or more players regularly?
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(I wish I could temporarily take off my beemer, because I'm speaking for myself here.)
I think we're talking about different things. Your question is specifically about how to "get more people playing," my interest is "sell more things." I may have conflated the two with my earlier post calling it "growing the player base," but what I really mean is "increase sales." The only real way to do that is to have new players to sell things to.
I said this in another thread, but: what you're describing is all organic sales growth, people seeing the game being played, either at the hands of an official Catalyst Demo Team member or by a local group, and buying in. And that's great, and local gaming groups are certainly an important part of the picture. But as a driver of sales...it's not 1993 any more, where sending Marauders out to local game stores and getting a few posters on store walls was enough. (If it even was enough then.)
It's eight months old now, but I keep referring back to this two part interview (https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/39080/icv2-interview-asmodee-execs-state-market-part-1) that the Asmodee CEO, Christian Petersen, did with icv2. Two important takeaways:
But I have read and heard some retailers say that there were close to, at times, up to 80 new [board game] releases a week....The concern is, with reportedly some 3,500 plus new titles coming out last year, how anybody can absorb that. It's more than people can process. Games that were successful a few years ago just aren't successful anymore, because they're just getting lost in the noise. Nobody can differentiate.
I once talked to some guys over at Wizards of the Coast. Whether that number is true now I don't know, but they were saying that they lose about 20 to 25 percent of their [Magic] player base every year. They have to generate that many players just to stay even and not even grow the game.
With that type of insane glut of new releases in the gaming marketplace, that kind of growth cannot be done organically. It simply can't. It requires a thoughtful and aggressive digital marketing strategy, and a clear and uncluttered ramp of products to take someone from an intro-level player into an established repeat customer. These are things that have to be done at the company level.
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Cubby: “”
Me, trolling: “But Kickstarter!!!”
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I only meant Kickstarter as an abstract example.
I'll um, go stand over here now.
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I only meant Kickstarter as an abstract example.
You can even use it to get organ transplants (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmXWkMlKFkI)!
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It's eight months old now, but I keep referring back to this two part interview (https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/39080/icv2-interview-asmodee-execs-state-market-part-1) that the Asmodee CEO, Christian Petersen, did with icv2. Two important takeaways:
With that type of insane glut of new releases in the gaming marketplace, that kind of growth cannot be done organically. It simply can't. It requires a thoughtful and aggressive digital marketing strategy, and a clear and uncluttered ramp of products to take someone from an intro-level player into an established repeat customer. These are things that have to be done at the company level.
I would agree with some of that- for instance I have seen what I assume would be the same sort of market analysis graphs (work sales & marketing too) that break down 1y/2y/3y/5y customers which is basically a geometric curve down that shows how tough it is to keep clients brand loyal over a length of time. But this is probably a discussion for a different thread getting into some theoretical and those who could answer gagged by NDA (or just to avoid causing a stampede).
As far as Kickstarter or similar programs . . . it might be viable but the Fix-All it gets trotted out to be, as evidenced by everyone & their uncle starting one and failing.
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Yeah, my thoughts on kickstarter were entirely focused on guaranteed profit on what would almost certainly be niche product, not at all on product which has wider general appeal and moves units. Totally different way of going about making some money. I would agree that the type of project that would make the best use of Kickstarter is not the sort that is going to grow the player base. I would never suggest Kickstarting stuff like the box sets or IlClan. Kickstarter is at its best, in my opinion, with products that explicitly do NOT have wide appeal. Now, you wouldn't want to start 20 kickstarters and see what sticks, as there is an expense to setting one up and having it fail to fund. However, if the business case is otherwise questionable, it is a way to potentially give up some margin to reduce risk to the point where it makes sense.
Anyway, I just really liked the CM series and keep championing them. I don't claim to represent any portion of the market, and for all I know there might not be enough interest to make them work, even as a pre-funded deal like a kickstarter. I just hold out hope that some of the 'niche product' bandwidth could make sense to spend on CM's given the right business case. And don't tell me there is not enough bandwidth for niche products right now: I KNOW someone had to do layout on those energy drink labels!!!
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Kickstarter is at its best, in my opinion, with products that explicitly do NOT have wide appeal.
Sure, I don't disagree with that. What I'm saying is that at this point, a moment of time spent on a BT product that does not have wide appeal, is a moment of time misspent.
And don't tell me there is not enough bandwidth for niche products right now: I KNOW someone had to do layout on those energy drink labels!!!
(sigh)
Touche.
But that’s also what I meant by misspent time.
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Perhaps more important, a lot of retailers and even more distributors hate kickstarter, to the point where they actively punish companies who run them.
Case in point, Reaper Miniatures. 5-7 years ago they had minis in pretty much every store I went into. Three and a half kickstarters later, and there hasn't been restock of that in years; I'm told that now there's one US distro and no Canadian distros*. I actually question the wisdom of the sprawl ops kickstarter for just that reason.
*I am aware of RAFM ca; I just am not aware of anyone west of Ontario who's managed to do business with them.
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Bringing back some of the old map packs would do a lot. I love the newer maps on cardboard. But if you're moving away from them anyway, bring back the good old stuff; the city maps, the canyon maps and spaceport/military base maps, along with the coastlines. More maps means more play possibilities, and more ability to run older scenarios.
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(sigh)
Touche.
Sometimes maybe the silly works because the silly is memorable and gets the brand stuck in peoples' heads. (The oversized map demo is amazing btw.)
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Not to distract from the Kickstarter conversation, which is fascinating, but I’ve been wondering...
Those cardboard punchouts from the new boxes look really fantastic. With CGL being a publishing company and not a mini company, what are the odds that we can get those as standalone products?
I’m thinking quick and easy army builders for FLGS pickup games, like a Reinforcements: DCMS pack that has a bunch of Classics, Dragons, Jenners, and Panthers all in the same Sword of Light red so that you could have a unified-looking force ready to play as soon as you got back to the table.
Sure, they aren’t minis, but they would be something that a new player could throw down a few dollars for to get a feel for the game.
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Perhaps more important, a lot of retailers and even more distributors hate kickstarter, to the point where they actively punish companies who run them.
Case in point, Reaper Miniatures. 5-7 years ago they had minis in pretty much every store I went into. Three and a half kickstarters later, and there hasn't been restock of that in years; I'm told that now there's one US distro and no Canadian distros*. I actually question the wisdom of the sprawl ops kickstarter for just that reason.
*I am aware of RAFM ca; I just am not aware of anyone west of Ontario who's managed to do business with them.
I don't have numbers, but based on their past statements, Reaper's Bones lines has overtaken their metal for retail sales numbers (which suggests much higher volume, in terms of units shipped), and they have restocked many of those SKUs with fresh production in China independent of KS production. A lot depends on how well the product is designed to support long-term, sustained sales.
Kickstarter is a tough needle to thread, and I'm not sure what would make sense for a Battletech KS. Generally, it seems like the most successful ones include a product that is usable on its own (like a whole game, a set of miniatures, etc.), and a lot of low-moderate cost add-ins to drive excitement and investment. Doing that for print Battletech products would require a huge investment in the production steps Cubby was talking about, but there might be a package that would work.
Done well, Kickstarter nets both money and publicity. Done badly, Kickstarter will sink you. :-\
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Not to distract from the Kickstarter conversation, which is fascinating, but I’ve been wondering...
Those cardboard punchouts from the new boxes look really fantastic. With CGL being a publishing company and not a mini company, what are the odds that we can get those as standalone products?
I’m thinking quick and easy army builders for FLGS pickup games, like a Reinforcements: DCMS pack that has a bunch of Classics, Dragons, Jenners, and Panthers all in the same Sword of Light red so that you could have a unified-looking force ready to play as soon as you got back to the table.
Sure, they aren’t minis, but they would be something that a new player could throw down a few dollars for to get a feel for the game.
Those exist solely because of the miniatures.
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Sure, they aren’t minis
They're a huge step backwards in a market where you're competing with things like Star Wars and WH40k when it comes to how people spend money.
Why should someone who's interested in spending on, say, SW minis because of how they look, divert his $ to our game when we're offering cardboard?
but they would be something that a new player could throw down a few dollars for to get a feel for the game.
That's the beginner box. Cut any more and just quit altogether instead.
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Bringing back some of the old map packs would do a lot.
They're not the old map packs per se, but something akin to them is in the works, as seen on the Coming Releases page.
Done well, Kickstarter nets both money and publicity.
To be done well, Kickstarters need both money and publicity, too.
Sometimes maybe the silly works because the silly is memorable and gets the brand stuck in peoples' heads. (The oversized map demo is amazing btw.)
Both the oversized demo and the Awesome statue were worthy efforts, but they're still basically organic marketing efforts--they're a physical thing that someone sees in person which does or does not inspire them to find out more about BattleTech. There's a slight signal boost via social media, but it's slight.
When I talk about a "thoughtful and aggressive digital marketing strategy," what I'm talking about is a multi-platform, integrated campaign that uses current tools like Google Display Network and top-flight social media targeting.
Let me put it this way: my day job is at a community health center with five centers across central Maryland, serving about 30,000 patients. We have a media buyer--a contracted firm that purchases all our advertising, both physical billboards, bus signage, etc. and much more importantly, our digital ad footprint including search and social. Our annual buy, including agency fees, is well into the six-figures, and we're not super large. The overview spreadsheet for our FY19 buy was brain-melting. The stuff that our buyers can do is awesome and terrifying.
So, try to imagine what Fantasy Flight (Asmodee), makers of all Star Wars tabletop games spends annually. THAT'S why you're seeing Facebook ads for Star Wars Destiny, or why Age of Rebellion ads keep popping up for you on websites you visit.
There's no comparison between FFG and CGL, but it's important to understand how the industry leaders do it, to understand why "send out more Demo Agents" or other organic strategies are not effective in growing sales.
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They're a huge step backwards in a market where you're competing with things like Star Wars and WH40k when it comes to how people spend money.
Why should someone who's interested in spending on, say, SW minis because of how they look, divert his $ to our game when we're offering cardboard?
That's the beginner box. Cut any more and just quit altogether instead.
A huge step back from what? Imagining how cool it would be to play with mechs that don’t have minis? How many people are rolling up to Battletech games with full lances of Shimmyseen Classics? How many of those people weren’t at Gencon? Heck, how many people who were at Gencon are playing with any of the new scultps?
Great minis are great, which is why I never suggested that Battletech abandon them, but great minis aren’t the defining reason for the success of X-Wing and 40K. X-Wing is a surprisingly solid, fast, satisfying game that capitalizes on one of the most beloved properties of all time. 40K is an equally solid game with a compelling setting and classic fantasy tropes turned up to 11 and given guns. Do they have cool minis? Of course they do. But don’t pretend like that is the sole advantage they have over Battletech’s 30 years of slow burn, unchanged-but-constantly-growing rules.
Speaking as someone who prefers Alpha Strike to CBT, the Lance Packs were a great option but only to a point. Do I want plastic Victors? Sure. When can I buy JUST a bunch of plastic Victors, though, and not need to also build an accidental army of Blackjacks? If CGL can get me a plastic Shimmyhammer in a single blister for $5-$10, that’s brilliant. Sign me the hell up. If they can get me one the size and quality of an X-Wing mini for $15 more that includes the necessary unit rules, even better.
Until that happens, I’d rather be able to field SOMETHING that represents all of these cool new toys than waiting on plastic minis that already aren’t in the same league as the closest competitors and are currently only available, one each, in a $60 box.
And what’s wrong with cardboard anyway? The Pathfinder Pawns are extremely well-liked and there are plenty of mini-alternatives to those.
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Case in point, Reaper Miniatures. 5-7 years ago they had minis in pretty much every store I went into. Three and a half kickstarters later, and there hasn't been restock of that in years; I'm told that now there's one US distro and no Canadian distros*.
???
I'm not sure I'm following...are you saying that you don't see many Reaper miniatures at stores, or just a specific subset of Reaper's miniatures? Because I've been to multiple gaming stores (including some G2K or Game Stop stores) in at least three different states (in multiple cities in those states) over the last year, and seen their miniatures (in some cases just Bones versions, in others both Bones and metal miniatures) in just about every one (and quite a selection of them in actual hobby gaming stores for the most part)...the only one that I don't recall seeing them in was one that appeared to basically only sell Warhammer and Warhammer 40K stuff...
And, as much as it pains me to say it, my FLGS has no issues getting Reaper miniatures for me, but can't seem to order any BattleTech minis from Iron Wind for me...
Ruger
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A huge step back from what?
From selling something most people want to buy. The step back is that now you're selling something only some people want to buy. That's a bad step.
Imagining how cool it would be to play with mechs that don’t have minis?
I proxy.
How many people are rolling up to Battletech games with full lances of Shimmyseen Classics? How many of those people weren’t at Gencon? Heck, how many people who were at Gencon are playing with any of the new scultps?
I'm not sure I'm following your point here.
but great minis aren’t the defining reason for the success of X-Wing and 40K.
That's just objectively, factually wrong. Massively, completely, utterly wrong.
But don’t pretend like that is the sole advantage they have over Battletech’s 30 years of slow burn, unchanged-but-constantly-growing rules.
Yes, beyond the enormous advantage in minis they have, they also have other advantages.
Until that happens, I’d rather be able to field SOMETHING that represents all of these cool new toys than waiting on plastic minis that already aren’t in the same league as the closest competitors and are currently only available, one each, in a $60 box.
See, that's the step that confuses me.
And what’s wrong with cardboard anyway? The Pathfinder Pawns are extremely well-liked and there are plenty of mini-alternatives to those.
Minis >>>> cardboard. I'm not sure I have to explain why that is. Or if there is still a need to explain that, I'm not sure how to go about that.
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Yeah, I don't know if a KickStarter project would work all that well for BattleTech. I think about what BattleTech needs and the first thing that comes to mind would be a game supplement. I know it is being worked on, but an expansive map pack with various accessories as stretch goals seems the easiest and the most logical. You could work your way up to punch out counters to 3D, 'mech-scale terrain items. To me, that sounds awesome. Only problem is, that would only attract current BattleTech players. And as someone has said above, self-contained game systems is what is the most attractive to new players and potential backers.
So... CityTech 3rd ed, Alpha Strike box set, or -- now hear me out -- BattleTroops?
:P
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Minis >>>> cardboard. I'm not sure I have to explain why that is. Or if there is still a need to explain that, I'm not sure how to go about that.
Something>>>>nothing.
You cannot buy plastic minis of the classics right now. Now, you may have fun wth proxies, but A) that doesn’t help new players who, unlike us, don’t have armies of minis and B) isn’t a new product that can be put on the shelves.
And who says most people wouldn’t buy them? Where is that market research? Am I imagining all of those Pathfinder Pawn reviews? Or the reviews of the print and play minis on DriveThruRPG?
You want minis. I want minis, too. Neither or those things means that a cheap alternative - again, an alternative to products that currently don’t exist - is a deadend product.
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Something>>>>nothing.
In the world of sales and branding, that's not true.
You cannot buy plastic minis of the classics right now.
But soon(tm) you will. So, at best, those cardboard cutouts are irrelevant (so a waste to produce) or, if you're right and they get appeal, they reduce potential sales of the minis.
Now sure, the Venn diagram will include a pie piece of people who won't buy plastic minis regardless, and only would spend a little $ on cardboard. In my view, catering to that niche isn't just unhelpful, it's actively detrimental.
But I'm beginning to see we are not going to achieve consensus.
And who says most people wouldn’t buy them? Where is that market research? Am I imagining all of those Pathfinder Pawn reviews? Or the reviews of the print and play minis on DriveThruRPG?
Show me sales data on the pathfinder pawns, and perhaps I'll reconsider the validity of your position.
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If the discussions about Kickstarter or cardboard standups (on which I may have more input) continue further, please take them to another thread. Thanks.
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If the discussions about Kickstarter or cardboard standups (on which I may have more input) continue further, please take them to another thread. Thanks.
Just to be clear, consider that an official request. If asked I'll gladly create a thread for it.
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I like the, "I may have more input" part of that.
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A quick note about PDF products: they only sell to established, fairly hardcore fans. I've seen the numbers from several different companies, and they're MINISCULE. We're talking on the order of a couple hundred purchases, often far less then that. Since people tend to demand that PDFs sell for much less than the hardcopy, the margin of profit on them is razor-thin, yet they still have to be made to the same quality as the print books.
Bluntly, a lot of folks may say they're fine with basic text and minimal graphics, but in reality books like that sell on the order of maybe - MAYBE - a couple dozen copies in PDF. Perhaps all of those people really are buying copies, but few beyond them are, and you still have to pay a writer, editor, and layout guy at the bare minimum. PDFs are not the solution.
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And don't tell me there is not enough bandwidth for niche products right now: I KNOW someone had to do layout on those energy drink labels!!!
Doing layout on energy drinks is the only way Cubby got Shattered Fortress done in time!
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Doing layout on energy drinks is the only way Cubby got Shattered Fortress done in time!
In this case, not a joke. The hospital staff wondered several times what I was doing in my daughter's delivery room after her birth, slamming Red Bulls and pounding away on a laptop.
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A quick note about PDF products:
Much appreciated--this is what I was trying to convey upthread, but more succinct. They're not a vehicle for increasing the customer base.
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So how do you get from 1 BTU fan wanting to play regular table top TW or AS games to six or more players regularly?
From my experience, you will need perseverance, communication and a positive attitude to build a group.
Five years ago, there were no active BattleTech players in my area. The game was basically dead here. "Here" is a major city on the border between two states.
So I decided to try to build a group when I got back into the game. I looked on local gaming websites and started spreading the message as well as going to local board game events and conventions. I spoke with other gaming group members (40K players, D&D players, etc) just to get the word out. There were many times where it was just me sitting there, but I kept at it. I stayed positive and easy going as people don't want to speak with an angry person. Also, I didn't disparage anyone who played in any particular era. It is all BattleTech to me.
Soon enough, I started to encounter a player or former player here and there. I built some 3D terrain which attracted some eyes. I set up regular events at local gaming stores and owners started to know me by name. I created a Facebook page that I updated almost daily. I spoke with other active BattleTech groups across several states and made an effort to meet their members. Slowly, we started to grow as a group.
Now five years later, I have a group that is almost 20 strong and we have 6 to 8 individuals playing weekly. Every other gaming club in the city knows that I am "the BattleTech guy" and how to get in touch with me. One of our members is building a website for our group to record our games. Another is working on logos. We are also working with our fellow Catalyst Demo agents about putting some effort into a big Catalyst event at a local con next year. An event where I plan to invite other BattleTech groups to join us in the hopes of making this a permanent thing.
It is going to take the hard work and dedication of individuals doing what they can to help build BattleTech up. Anyone can pick up a game they think is cool, but they won't stay with it unless there is an active and positive group to participate with. Gotta role up those sleeves and get into the dirt.
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I'd like to +1 the requests for more posters, more out of kicking myself for anything. I got one of the really early BattleCorps posters with the Hatchetman getting wrecked by a Rifleman, but then I never got it framed and lost it in a house fire. But I want some BattleTech on my walls.
Me too.
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yes please, more posters
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My kingdom for a giant awesome...
...... Wait, I just saw this....
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Hello,
I just completed reading Shattered Fortress. I thank the crew at C. games for getting that out.
Of course I am now left with the question of when is the next book coming out.
I am assuming the ilclan book will bring this Dark Age era to a close.
Thanks
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Next year
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Emphasis: PLANNED next year.
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Emphasis: PLANNED next year.
Whatever the case, it would be unwise (for your own sanity) to start asking “are we there yet” before next summer
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The official answer to this question was that they want to release the second book at GenCon 2019.
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https://youtu.be/KhHa4vTemNA
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https://youtu.be/KhHa4vTemNA
if Ray is homer, who is he strangling?
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All of us. All of us are Bart.
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if Ray is homer, who is he strangling?
Each and everyone of us. Bart is representation of the fanbase as a single collective entity.
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In the previous administration it would have been a Ken/Paul mash-up.
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As long as you’re the face of the operation. The fans have been through enough.
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Any update when Legend will be released?
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Question about TRO:SW: Is there an accompanying book of RS? Is it out yet or is it coming soon™?
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Question about TRO:SW: Is there an accompanying book of RS? Is it out yet or is it coming soon™?
From what all it's been said, i don't think so. You have to get the record sheets, mainly from where mechs originally appeared in previous books. Such as RS:3039u, RS3058u, etc.
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Any update when Legend will be released?
You mean "Legacy," the Grasshopper anthology?
I may have something on that soon. Put out some inquiries after Gen Con.
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I would like to know a few things about new Map Set: Any previews of maps that will be included in new Map Set? And how many of them will be included (6 double-sided?)?
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You mean "Legacy," the Grasshopper anthology?
I may have something on that soon. Put out some inquiries after Gen Con.
That's the one! I want to learn about Grasshopper!
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That's the one! I want to learn about Grasshopper!
Try to take the pebble from his hand.
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Try to take the pebble from his hand.
I thought we taught Tai Kwan Leep around here...
Also, will we possibly see other 'mech specific anthologies?
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From what all it's been said, i don't think so. You have to get the record sheets, mainly from where mechs originally appeared in previous books. Such as RS:3039u, RS3058u, etc.
Given what the book is trying to accomplish, that doesn't sound like a good idea.
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He's likely talking about the situation right now, not saying that Catalyst doesn't plan to ever release such a product. To my knowledge, they've never said anything to that effect.
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Right now to get all the sheets for TRO SW you need
3039u
3050u Clan / Star League
3058u Clan / Star League
3058u IS (for at least the Chameleon)
3075u Age of War
...or MML
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...or MML
Yep. MML (or SSW, or whatever your preference is).
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Just not the latest version of SSW (0.6.83), as I noticed yesterday that for some reason it gives RL's 0 IS
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How did the devs respond after you reported the bug?
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How did the devs respond after you reported the bug?
SSW isn't actively developed anymore. Latest version is from 11. September 2014.
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I've just posted the following update to the Coming Releases page.
Please don't ask for further specifics--I don't have any, and the book is still coming together. I had to scrape this much together just to make the Coming Releases page a little more accurate:
Technical Readout: Clan Invasion
Release Date: 4th Quarter 2018
A small skirmish on a little-known planetoid called The Rock in 3049 was the first warning that the invasion had arrived. The Clans, genetically engineered warriors piloting cutting-edge OmniMechs, spent the next three years tearing through the Inner Sphere's elite, claiming world after world in a seemingly endless campaign of conquest. Only a desperate, final stand against the combined might of the Clans could deny the invaders their glittering prize: Terra itself.
Technical Readout: Clan Invasion is a companion to the BattleTech Manual and the follow-up to Technical Readout: Succession Wars. Combining 'Mechs previously detailed in Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, Technical Readout: 3060, and Technical Readout: 3067, this volume includes the unequaled Clan OmniMechs and upgraded Inner Sphere 'Mechs fielding technology unlocked by the Helm Memory Core. Each machine is illustrated in detail, and accompanied by a description of its history, capabilities, and game stats, along with their most famous pilots.
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...3067?
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A small skirmish on a little-known planetoid called The Rock in 3049 was the first warning that the invasion had arrived.... and they knew it was going to be rough.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/V53jWRdPWwO0U/giphy.gif)
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Lobo, Hellion (iffy- not Invader), Hellfire (iffy- not Invader), Arcas (depends on CW line), Bowman, Blood Kite (iffy- not Invader), and Savage Coyote (iffy- not Invader)
IS Side . . . Akuma and Perseus.
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...3067?
Personally, I'm betting on the Cronus.
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3067 can be counted as part of the Clan invasion on the account of that being the original end date for the, eh, cease fire. Plus don't some of that TRO's 'Mech's date from just before the Operation Bulldog?
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Lobo & Arcas are two Clan questionables from my list . . .
And I overlooked the obvious Cronus as I had already mentally checked it off seeing it on the table of contents for '67.
Empyrus, see my list.
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...3067?
Wording of the description seems to indicate Clan omnis only? That would tie in the hellion and savage coyote
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How so? Says including?
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Cubby, if it isn't opening up a can of worms, it was stated at Gencon that there were hopes for fiction releases leading up to ilClan. Does it seem like a lot of that stuff is coming together okay?
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How so? Says including?
"includes the unequaled Clan OmniMechs and upgraded Inner Sphere 'Mechs fielding technology unlocked by the Helm Memory Core."
in this case I read including as discretely limiting by explicitly stating what's included.
If you pull all the clan omnis from the listed TROs, you get a pretty healthy roster
Dasher
Fire Falcon
Koshi
Hankyu
Hellion
Uller
Cougar
Puma
Battle Cobra
Dragonfly
Phantom
Pouncer
Fenris
Grendel
Shadow Cat
Black Hawk
Crimson Langur
Nobori-nin
Black Lanner
Ryoken
Stooping Hawk
Vulture
Cauldron Born
Crossbow
Linebacker
Loki
Nova Cat
Thor
Mad Cat
Night Gyr
Man O' War
Naga
Masakari
Savage Coyote
Blood Asp
Kingfisher
Gladiator
Turkina
Daishi
there are a few like the Crimson Langur that are homeworld-exclusive but even the Savage Coyote was fielded by the wolves and the hellion by the sharks
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Sure . . . but no reason to limit them to that- how many IS mechs were in TRO SW total?
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Sure . . . but no reason to limit them to that- how many IS mechs were in TRO SW total?
93. And you’re looking at choosing from easily over 100 is mechs as well
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Really? How many in 50, 55 and 58 were L1 upgrades or Star League left overs? I do not have TRO SW so I cannot speak to it specifically is why I ask.
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there are about 120 new chassis in the pool. obviously some of these are destined for the cutting room floor - will the Kabuto or JagerMech III be missed? Or most of 3060 in general? Some probably won't make it because they're variants on SL/SW mechs like the Grand Dragon and Katana. The Chameleon was already in TRO SW (with the 3058U entry for the post-helm upgrade) and I could also see dropping the Longbow 7V. The WoB mechs would generally feel out of place. Still lots of strong candidates. It could be something like a 63/30 IS/Clan split without dipping into the "ew" pile.
3050U - 9
Firefly
Wolf Trap
Grand Dragon
Axman
Caesar
Katana
Mauler
Imp
Annihilator
3055U - 38
Fireball
Dart
Tarantula
Battle Hawk
Hammer
Hitman
Jackal
Scarabus
Hollander
Venom
Daimyo
Watchman
Komodo
Snake
Stealth
Huron Warrior
Nightsky
Apollo
Grim Reaper
Wraith
Anvil
Tempest
Daikyu
Gallowglas
Hercules
Thunder
Bandersnatch
Falconer
Penetrator
Rakshasa
War Dog
Salamander
Gunslinger
Albatross
Cerberus
Naginata
Berserker
Grand Titan
3058U - 19
Raptor
Falcon Hawk
Owens
Strider
Firestarter
Blackjack
Chameleon
Enfield
Bushwacker
Lineholder
Black Hawk-KU
Merlin
Avatar
Dragon Fire
Maelstrom
O-Bakemono
Longbow
Sunder
Devastator
3060 - 29
Cossack
Kabuto
Duan Gung
Eagle
Arctic Fox
Garm
Initiate
Sentry
Beowulf
Bishamon
Cobra
Blitzkrieg
Enforcer III
Buccaneer
Marshal
Men Shen
Helios
Ti Ts’ang
Yeoman
JagerMech III
Jinggau
Barghest
Shugenja
Toyama
Black Watch
Tai-sho
Viking
Yu Huang
Hauptmann
Sirocco
3067 - 26
Red Shift
Brigand
Anubis
Osiris
Razorback
Gurkha
Stiletto
Chimera
Sha Yu
Bloodhound
Blue Flame
Hellspawn
Tessen
Uziel
Cronus
Lightray
Argus
Ninja-To
Verfolger
No-Dachi
White Flame
Lao Hu
Perseus
Thanatos
Legacy
Templar
For completion - Non- X-Seen Second-Line Clan - 40
Arcas
Arctic Wolf
Blood Kite
Bowman
Burrock
Canis
Clint IIC
Commando IIC
Corvis
Fire Scorpion
Great Wyrm
Grizzly
Guillotine IIC
Ha Otoko
Hellfire
Highlander IIC
Hunchback IIC
Icestorm
Kodiak
Lobo
Mad Cat Mk II
Mandrill
Matador
Orion IIC
Pack Hunter
Pinion
Piranha
Predator
Rabid Coyote
Scylla
Snow Fox
Solitaire
Spirit
Stalking Spider
Supernova
Thresher
Thunder Stallion
UrbanMech IIC
Ursus
Wyvern IIC
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I see it going the other way, the majority (60%) being Clan with it being as many of the 'Invader' designs as possible- Omnis & Stds. Remember, the chaotic Wars of Possession would be the place to introduce the post-60 Home Clan Omnis and their Std garrison fillers.
I also think some designs would be good for a prospective TRO Golden Century . . .
Dragoon mechs
Firefly
Gallowglas
Imp
Annihilator
SL prototypes
Devastator
maybe the Marauder descendants like the Maelstrom & Dragon Fire
Additionally most of those '67 mechs are after '60/'61 intro date, the Cronus/Perseus/Akuma being notable exceptions.
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I see it going the other way
a reasonable tact as i tend act as sort of an anti-compass away from the most likely outcome.
Though I still feel like it's going to be more in the spirit of the original 3050 with a focus on the elite leading edge of REVIVAL's push on Terra vs the panic-induced response.
I also think some designs would be good for a prospective TRO Golden Century . .
this i'm much more pessimistic about as it would be a ground-up effort from the writing side (and likely art). A couple years away at best.
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How? Early Omnis like the Woodsman, Lupus, and Coyotl are spelled out already (maybe get a few more variants?) and we have some from Historical Operation Klondike- a few of those after comparing ToC are in TRO SW like the Shogun and Hoplite.
So the 5 mechs from Hist OpKlon, 3 Omni & 1 BM from ER Golden Century, 20 from your list of secondline that are seen & Homie, any WD mechs not mentioned so far like the Gallowglas, the 3 Wolverine designs for Jihad Secrets and might also finally put out the information for things mentioned in Golden Century that were never given entries/RS like the 2 warships. Maybe Home Clan designs Omnis that go back to the beginning like the Stooping Hawk, one of the later 1st Gen Omnis. I think the unseen IICs could fit here too but you would have to use TRO PP art.
As far as the later TRO Civil War-
Other designs from '67 you listed, or homies built in the 50s, could fall under the Civil War era since the Clans' Wars of Possession is in that time span. Things like the Blood Asp, Savage Coyote, Predator, and Burrock. It would also include most of the pre-Jihad Blakist mechs like the Lightray or Vanquisher but since Grand Crusaders and '58 Blakist mechs were used to take Terra those would be in Clan Invasion.
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IF the Golden Century ever comes out, be nice those early OmniMechs had more configurations.
I'm not entirely sure if we'll ever see the book at rate were going. Shattered Fortress was beginning of the re-worked stuff and it's part 2 year away allegedly. I hope heck we see more new materials for it.
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Which is why I said Golden Century- or call it Early Clans, whatever- would be a bit more difficult IF they released stats/RS for the stuff mentioned in the ER but not spelled out like the couple in the back of the ER like the Woodsman.
If its a C&P job like most of SW and expected with CI? Well there are enough remaining SL entries (Enfield? forgot that one), Wolverine prototypes & mixed tech, standard Clan mechs like Warhammer IIC, and the early Omnis to fill out another book before or after they do TRO Civil War & TRO Jihad.
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A TRO Golden Century isn't even on the development schedule. that's 6-12 months minimum. We don't have AS commander's edition or maps or the core book updates. ilClan is already slated for a year away and that's a book everyone wants.
If we're lucky, we'll see TRO: CI before Christmas. Even the devs had a eureka moment right before gencon and slapped together the mockup at the last second, that's 3-4 months for the theoretical release of a product that's largely a C/P affair (with a healthy dose of reformatting). Likely it's been an idea for a while. So even if a TRO:GC is another compilation affair, it would be a miracle to see it in less than six to eight months just based on lag time and the rest of the queue.
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Sure, but if it is a prospective product (and I think its been hinted at since the ER) then for it to be thick enough the Clan mechs introduced in it would be ones that we do not see in Clan Invasion for some reason- which I say is b/c they are mechs that are used mostly by the Homies. Its also a place they can stick the outstanding SL & Dragoon mechs.
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Cubby, if it isn't opening up a can of worms, it was stated at Gencon that there were hopes for fiction releases leading up to ilClan. Does it seem like a lot of that stuff is coming together okay?
In the three weeks since Gen Con? ...Sure, I guess?
No, I know what you're asking--that fiction has been in the works for a little while, it's not like that mention at Gen Con was the very first step. To be totally honest, I don't have a great fix on what the plan is over on the production side of the house. I have a better handle on what's in the works for the gaming side, because I generally edit and/or write for a lot of it. But I've reached out to John Helfers, the BT fiction director, to try and get a better sense of what the plan is going forward. Otherwise, I only know what Blaine puts on Facebook.
Tl;dr - No reason to think it isn't coming together. Blaine has posted that he's writing stuff, I believe others are as well, and John seems to be able to get things out the door.
in this case I read including as discretely limiting by explicitly stating what's included.
There's really nothing I can write that won't get parsed, is there? I wrote that copy, and it was not intended to exclude anything. I have no idea at this point what will or will not be in the book. But I needed to get something onto the Coming Releases page.
Likely it's been an idea for a while.
Referring to TRO: Clan Invasion; it's been in the water supply since around the time of TRO: SW, I'm told. So it's not like someone snapped awake in the middle of the night two days before Gen Con and said, "Wait...I see it now...I know what the next glaringly obvious step is!"
That said, the display of the cover at Gen Con caught me by surprise along with the rest of you. So maybe it was at least a little like that.
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There's really nothing I can write that won't get parsed, is there? I wrote that copy, and it was not intended to exclude anything. I have no idea at this point what will or will not be in the book. But I needed to get something onto the Coming Releases page.
if it's any solace, i didn't think that hard about it. i see words, my brain does dumb things with them.
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Nah, I understand. But at some point I just have to write "including" and not "including but not strictly limited to."
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Just wondering how many versions of the TRO 3050 book were there. Not a complaint just wondering how many?
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3050 (1990)
3050 Revised (1996 after the HG settlement)
3050U (2007 Catalyst Printing)
I think 3050 was the only FASA TRO to not get a FanPro reprint
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Just wondering how many versions of the TRO 3050 book were there. Not a complaint just wondering how many?
Three.
The original.
The reformatted one where the unseen were replaced with SLDF 'Mechs.
Our current one, TRO 3050 Upgrade.
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Note: Upgrade has the new art.
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Thanks for the answers. TRO 3050 was one of my first Battletech books.
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TRO:3050 Upgraded and it's RS are very worth while getting. I thought the original was lacking in-comparison to the original 3025, it didn't have much in way of fluff. More focus on art and stats. I really like upgraded, it's superior product despite the unseens removal unfortunately.
Makes me wonder what a major TRO will look like when it does come out in the future. We were spoiled heavily by the TRO:3145 PDF (Faction) series, it was truly great product line, with record sheets and it's variants in each.
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TRO Clan Invasion and Golden Century . . . is 2019 a year for the Clans?
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Whoa, lets not count the ilChickens quite yet.
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The only one who has to worry about birds coming home to roost is Malvina. Everyone else liked Fried Falcon.
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TRO Clan Invasion and Golden Century . . . is 2019 a year for the Clans?
Down here, it's our time, it's our time down here!
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Cubby, I have a request for TRO: Clan Invasion (and any other TROs that follow the Era format instead of year format): Could CGL pretty please put a sheet in the book that shows what Record Sheet product has the design? Using the TRO:Succession Wars book as an example, the back says
Combining the ’Mechs previously found in Technical Readout: 3039, Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade, Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, and Technical Readout: 3075,...
If you really want to get new players into the game, having a cheat sheet that shows them where they can find the official record sheets makes sense to me because:
1. It gets them the stuff they need to play the game
2. It gets CGL more money from purchases
3. CGL doesn't have to make a "Record Sheets: Succession Wars" product which also saves money
Thanks for listening.
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You do know the the Master Unit List has all this info, right?
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Given that these new TROs are geared towards newer players who may not know about the MUL, it makes sense to include record sheet info in the book itself. Either that, or put a note in the book talking them about the MUL and what all it has. A really big note. There may not be the page count space for that.
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Could CGL pretty please put a sheet in the book that shows what Record Sheet product has the design?
It's a valid suggestion, and I'll pass it along.
BUT, that also means that management needs to make sure that all record sheet products are available for sale in the CGL store. I haven't looked in awhile to see whether that's true.
(But also, let's not go down another "how to fix the record sheets situation" rabbit hole, please.)
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It's a valid suggestion, and I'll pass it along.
BUT, that also means that management needs to make sure that all record sheet products are available for sale in the CGL store. I haven't looked in awhile to see whether that's true.
(But also, let's not go down another "how to fix the record sheets situation" rabbit hole, please.)
3058 clan/star league and 3060 are still missing
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3058 clan/star league and 3060 are still missing
Good to know.
As always, oversight of the store remains out of my control, but directly affects basically everything the company can or should do.
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It's a valid suggestion, and I'll pass it along.
BUT, that also means that management needs to make sure that all record sheet products are available for sale in the CGL store. I haven't looked in awhile to see whether that's true.
(But also, let's not go down another "how to fix the record sheets situation" rabbit hole, please.)
Personally I would prefer to have an unabridged RS book for the Clan Invasion.
For an old player it means that I pay again, with overlap, but a new player only needs to pay one RS book.
Also it sticks with the current thread of keeping stuff by era.
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BattleTech: Legacy eBook and Print-on-Demand Now Available for Pre-Order
The long-awaited wide release of BattleTech: Legacy is almost here! The groundbreaking anthology is now available for pre-order in both eBook and print-on-demand formats (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegacy).
"Legacy" weaves stories by Kevin Killiany, Craig Reed, Philip A. Lee and 12 other authors around the 350-year history of one Grasshopper 'Mech and its many owners.
The eBook retails for $4.99, and the print on demand anthology will retail for $11.99. Both have a street date of Monday, September 17.
More at: https://tinyurl.com/BTlegacy (https://tinyurl.com/BTlegacy)
And, before you ask - I don't know what the plans are for BattleCorps Anthology Vol. 6; and I don't know whether Legacy will print at its previously-published size, or the new, smaller size of the novella omnibus from Gen Con. I've asked about both, and am waiting to hear back.
(https://preview.ibb.co/chqjHp/Battle_Tech_Legacy_front_cover_large.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jH4YA9)
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TRO Clan Invasion and Golden Century . . . is 2019 a year for the Clans?
Whoah whoah whoah whoah whoah. Golden Century is confirmed for 2019 too?
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Whoah whoah whoah whoah whoah. Golden Century is confirmed for 2019 too?
No
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BattleTech: Legacy eBook and Print-on-Demand Now Available for Pre-Order
The long-awaited wide release of BattleTech: Legacy is almost here! The groundbreaking anthology is now available for pre-order in both eBook and print-on-demand formats (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegacy).
How can we tell which one does the actual Print-on-demand? There like 4 choices none of the suggested publishers says anything useful about them.
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BattleTech: Legacy eBook and Print-on-Demand Now Available for Pre-Order
The long-awaited wide release of BattleTech: Legacy is almost here! The groundbreaking anthology is now available for pre-order in both eBook and print-on-demand formats (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegacy).
Yeah! Already pre-ordered on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Legacy-Anthology-Book-ebook/dp/B07GW1XZ5Z (https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Legacy-Anthology-Book-ebook/dp/B07GW1XZ5Z)
What about the BattleCorps Anthology 6?
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And, before you ask - I don't know what the plans are for BattleCorps Anthology Vol. 6; and I don't know whether Legacy will print at its previously-published size, or the new, smaller size of the novella omnibus from Gen Con. I've asked about both, and am waiting to hear back.
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No
Yes.
I mean, if the book's in fact-check and we can't get it out in the next 16 months, I'll eat my possibly-not-metaphorical-hat. I'd hope for it to be a lot sooner than December 2019, but I feel pretty confident it won't be later...
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Whoah whoah whoah whoah whoah. Golden Century is confirmed for 2019 too?
Yes
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lol . . .
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BattleTech: Legacy eBook and Print-on-Demand Now Available for Pre-Order
The long-awaited wide release of BattleTech: Legacy is almost here! The groundbreaking anthology is now available for pre-order in both eBook and print-on-demand formats (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegacy).
"Legacy" weaves stories by Kevin Killiany, Craig Reed, Philip A. Lee and 12 other authors around the 350-year history of one Grasshopper 'Mech and its many owners.
The eBook retails for $4.99, and the print on demand anthology will retail for $11.99. Both have a street date of Monday, September 17.
So on OneBookShelf sites we can expect it right after September 17?
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Where do we go for the print on demand? None of the four sites that come up in the link are POD sites. they are all e-book sites.
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i don't normally care about the fiction that much but i'll probably pick up this one as PoD with the alterior motive of getting more PoD options later (*cough* wars of reaving and reunification war *cough*)
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So on OneBookShelf sites we can expect it right after September 17?
I'm told the POD option isn't quite ready yet, but we should be able to put out the link for that very soon. Stay tuned on this thread and you won't miss it.
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I'm told the POD option isn't quite ready yet, but we should be able to put out the link for that very soon. Stay tuned on this thread and you won't miss it.
I didn't mean POD but ebook version. If I remember correctly OBS doesn't support pre-orders so I just wanted to be sure that ebook version will be available soon after release day. I don't want same situation as with recent novellas when I had to mention it several times (GenCon was partialy cause of that delay) to be it added to at least DriveThruFiction.
That brings me to another question that I had but forgot about it. Why aren't new novellas on DriveThruRPG but only on DriveThruFiction? Is it perhaps to differentiate between sourcebook, rules etc. and fiction? It is minor thing that doesn't have to be answered.
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Sorry, I quoted the wrong person, that was directed at Sharpnel's question.
The link provided should be for pre-orders.
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i don't normally care about the fiction that much but i'll probably pick up this one as PoD with the alterior motive of getting more PoD options later (*cough* wars of reaving and reunification war *cough*)
I feel I'm missing something what on earth is PoD?
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I feel I'm missing something what on earth is PoD?
Print on demand
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Print on demand
Like made to order burgers but with books
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And less likely to get ketchup on your order.
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Print on demand
Thanks
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The website that linked to print stuff doesn't really have alot information how the PoD works.
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The website that linked to print stuff doesn't really have alot information how the PoD works.
Cubby said a few posts ago the POD option isn’t ready yet, a link will go up when it is.
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Pre-orders Now Open for Print-on-Demand Version of BattleTech: Legacy Anthology
Pre-orders are now open for the print-on-demand version of the "BattleTech: Legacy" anthology! Place your order by clicking here. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941582311?ref_=pe_870760_150889320) It's a holiday weekend in the U.S., so please help us spread the word.
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Aaaaaannnd....Pre-ordered! I have been eagerly awaiting this anthology for a while now. :drool:
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already got a copy on order. can not wait for me to get my hands on a physical copy of a BattleTech book
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already got a copy on order. can not wait for me to get my heads on a physical copy of a BattleTech book
I know it's just a typo, but all I can picture is someone battering at a book with a pair of shrunken heads.
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I know it's just a typo, but all I can picture is someone battering at a book with a pair of shrunken heads.
Shrunken heads would be amazing bookends.
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Shrunken heads would be amazing bookends.
I feel like one of my friends has these, or rather fake ones...
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Pre-orders Now Open for Print-on-Demand Version of BattleTech: Legacy Anthology
Pre-orders are now open for the print-on-demand version of the "BattleTech: Legacy" anthology! Place your order by clicking here. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941582311?ref_=pe_870760_150889320) It's a holiday weekend in the U.S., so please help us spread the word.
Thank you and ordered up
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Dido. I hope it won't be too long till it's sent to the presses.
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Dido. I hope it won't be too long till it's sent to the presses.
Amazon link says In Stock. Delivery by Thursday for me. Pretty sure that means it's been sent to the presses.
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Amazon link says In Stock. Delivery by Thursday for me. Pretty sure that means it's been sent to the presses.
Hunh. Well... (shrug) I just post the links, not set up the product in the various systems. But that also means I can't say for certain whether it'll appear in your hands on Thursday. Check back in and let us know!
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Amazon has lots of things, they just might have a book that isn't in print yet.
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Apparently my copy has shipped and should be arriving Wednesday! Here's hoping!
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Hunh. Well... (shrug) I just post the links, not set up the product in the various systems.
It was pre-order when you posted it. The status changed by Sunday afternoon.
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My Amazon order said I'd be getting it by the 10th. I hope heck it's talking about the printed one!
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I feel I'm missing something what on earth is PoD?
Missed my opportunity to make an Iron Womb joke. Dammit.
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Missed my opportunity to make an Iron Womb joke. Dammit.
I spent an undue amount of time trying to tie it in to PoD, the little-known PC racing game from 1997, but...well, whatever.
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Obviously the contemporary joke would have been referencing PoD as something millenials eat.
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I feel I'm missing something what on earth is PoD?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhJfdWxpI2Q
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I...actually have the book in hand... Looks like it got delivered a day early! :D Time to shuffle around my to-read list.
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just got my copy in the mail. looks like I have some reading to do for the weekend.
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I should have mine this weekend.
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Glad these are getting out in the world!
(Especially because it's my first printed fiction work!)
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Glad these are getting out in the world!
(Especially because it's my first printed fiction work!)
Me too! And me too!
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Well, Amazon is still sitting on the epub downloads . . .
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Dear Battletech Development team.... I am currently being forced to learn a four month neuro anatomy course in two weeks....
As such I am unable to be an armchair game developer and tell you what you professionals are doing wrong....
So I would like to instead ask you what I think is the real reason people are complaning now that we have sick miniatures...
Please give me stuff to shoot. I play Clan Sea Fox (other people probably want their own factions to shoot stuff.) Also please don't kill all of my dudes.
Thank you. I will be able to use my fully functioning brain again in 8 months rather than whatever it is I'm controlling my meat on stardust body with currently.
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Stretch request: Clan Sea Fox still needs some omni fighters that look as sick as the Word of Blake Omnifighters. Now that we own the free worlds league there has to be a way for that to happen. Will pay cash money for this. I assume other players want their own things too.
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If the Sharks give the Mariks an Omni-Aquila, that would great.
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When you say Mariks I think you meant the SpIna Khanate Commonwealth...
The Free Sea Fox League? Fox League? The Sea Fox Dominion? We'll work out the name....
Just kidding maybe.
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The Free Fox League
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I assume other players want their own things too.
But they aren't Sea Fox players, so... you know... whatevs.
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We should probably avoid any name that implies that we give a Fox.
After all, everything has a price. :)
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You mean like that AWESOME merc Company?
Fawkes Faux Fox
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You mean like that AWESOME merc Company?
Fawkes Faux Fox
...go sit in the corner and think about what you have done young man.
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Ah, yes, Foxy ...
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/onepiece-cat/images/9/90/Foxy.png/revision/latest?cb=20121228182200&path-prefix=ca
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Ah, yes, Foxy ...
Please don’t hide a link behind a spoiler tag like that. Clicking on it to reveal the spoiler launches the link without giving the user a chance to decide if they want to launch it or not. That could have dire consequences depending on the link.
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My PoD copy of Legacy arrived. I guess my next two days off are planned for
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My PoD copy of Legacy arrived. I guess my next two days off are planned for
How’s the quality? Compatible to conventional printing runs?
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How’s the quality? Compatible to conventional printing runs?
Someone with accurate knowledge can confirm, but I *think* my GenCon copy used the PoD process. My experience is that it's of excellent quality that you would find in any manga format (stiff paperback cover, longer format, clean white pages rather than the older coarser paperback print runs).
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Just a little necro-threading: there's a slightly older discussion thread (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=58646.0)under "Novel and Sourcebook Reviews" for the Legacy anthology, for those who might be interested.
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How’s the quality? Compatible to conventional printing runs?
Aside from the size, I don't really notice any difference between this in the old novels. Betrayal of Ideals is the same.
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As Cubby pointed out, I want (as mod) to direct your attention to the linked thread regarding the Legacy PoD service. I'll probably be moving some of the posts there in a bit to encourage discussion.
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How’s the quality? Compatible to conventional printing runs?
Excellent, for now. I've read the first story and thumbed through the rest of the book. It seems to be no different in terms of quality than any of the other anthologies or most recent print releases.
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Two new products, ready to drop in the next few days!
(https://preview.ibb.co/fG1as9/Stotzing_Planet_Flag.jpg) (https://ibb.co/js3Yep)
Touring the Stars: Stotzing
The Star League’s terraforming technology brought life to worlds struggling to survive, and wrought miracles on landscapes thought uninhabitable. But Stotzing is proof that even miracles can be undone by human hands, and not all those who seek to repair them are angels…
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
(https://preview.ibb.co/dTSOC9/1st_Marik_Protectors_Insignia_FB.jpg) (https://ibb.co/d5JVs9)
Spotlight On: 1st Marik Protectors
In the fires of the Jihad, a handful of brave souls placed honor before duty, service before survival, and the people of their shattered nation before all others.
Considered traitors by some but heroes by those they watch over, the 1st Marik Protectors rose from the ashes of the Free Worlds League to protect worlds at the far-flung edge of their fallen nation. An elite cadre of warriors, the Protectors’ dedication to safeguarding the lives of their countrymen is nearly unmatched in the Inner Sphere.
The Marik Protectors exist to offer a single hope to the citizens of these outcast worlds: that when darkness closes in, there will be a light shining for them, a hammer and anvil to smite any who would disrupt their peace, a shield against all the ills the Periphery holds. Protectors, behind whom they may rest.
Spotlight On: 1st Marik Protectors includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play.
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The Protectors should have some good info on Kendall and the Hegemony too!
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Nice! Lookin for these!
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"If you have a problem... if no one else can help... and if you can find them... maybe you can hire... The M-Team."
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Glad to see the Spotlight series is back in the rotation.
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For some reason, I saw that Stotzing logo and immediately though of the old George Carlin bit about worshiping the sun and Joe Pesci.
I enjoyed the Spotlight On that we got. Looking forward to picking this one up as well. I always thought the ‘purple pirate punchers’ was a better name, but I guess Marik Protectors isn’t bad. Just kind of funny that they didn’t manage to protect...well...Marik, from being claimed by the nomadic leftovers of clan peyote kitten.
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Like many after-school kids comedies, the Nova Cat's entry into the Free Worlds League was marked by distrust, miscommunication, and excessive violence, but now they're a full member of the family, trusted by all except crotchety old Great-Uncle Lester.
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I enjoyed the Spotlight On that we got.
...both of them, you mean?
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I can't wait for one of the other ones.
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...both of them, you mean?
I only remember one, the stones trackers I think it was. What was the other? Don’t have my PDFs at hand.
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Crescent Hawks.
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I may have overreacted on Facebook to the Marik Protectors announcement. I'll be more restrained here...but those are my boys. I'm so psyched for this!
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Great news.
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Yippie another TtS and SpotLight!!
And just after I bought a print copy of 2nd SW and some foam trays for my minis... My CC won't like me this month at this rate :'(
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I am seriously happy to hear that the TtS series is still alive.
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Love the PDF stuff.
Its more product and that keeps the game going!!!
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Like many after-school kids comedies, the Nova Cat's entry into the Free Worlds League was marked by distrust, miscommunication, and excessive violence, but now they're a full member of the family, trusted by all except crotchety old Great-Uncle Lester.
Hopefully still holding onto some of their routes
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Update on New BattleTech Box Sets
With convention season behind us, the Catalyst team wanted to provide an update on two hotly-anticipated BattleTech products, the “BattleTech Beginner Box” and “BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat” boxed sets.
Just before PAX West, we were surprised to learn we would not be receiving additional rush-delivered copies of the two boxed sets. What’s more, despite being in near-constant contact with the overseas manufacturer throughout August, it is clear they have not shipped the production runs as expected.
As such, we wanted to let customers and retailers alike know that the two products will not be available by the end of the third quarter of 2018 as we’d planned. While this news is as disappointing to our team as it is to you, we wanted to ensure you had the most up-to-date information possible.
We continue to work with the manufacturer to get both box sets in stores as soon as possible. Once the production run ships and clears customs, we will have a reasonable estimate for a release date of the two products.
Until then, we appreciate your patience and understanding, and your continued support of BattleTech.
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I want to re-re-redirect your guys' attention to the dedicated box set thread. Please discuss there: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62399.msg1444277#new
Thanks.
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Thanks for the update.
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Is it out yet?!?!?!?!?! (insert whatever IT is with most wanted product)
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Is it out yet?!?!?!?!?! (insert whatever IT is with most wanted product)
Spotlight On 1st Marik Protectors.
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Worldwide Event 2018 Products Now Available!
(Discuss these products HERE (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62865.0)!)
"Dig, Defend, or Die," the BattleTech worldwide event for 2018, is now complete, and as a thank you to all of the Catalyst Demo Team agents and players around the world who took part, we're releasing the scenario book and all-new mapsheets as FREE downloads. In addition, we have two new PDF-only products now for sale, "Touring the Stars: Stotzing" and "Spotlight On: First Marik Protectors," which tie into the worldwide event.
Enjoy, and thank you for playing!
"Dig, Defend, or Die" Bundle of all four products below - $5.99 (Catalyst Web Store (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-dig-defend-or-die-bundle) // DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/252032/BattleTech-Dig-Defend-or-Die-BUNDLE))
"Dig, Defend, or Die" Scenario Book - FREE (Catalyst Web Store (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-dig-defend-or-die) // DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/252031/BattleTech-Dig-Defend-or-Die))
Stotzing, Former Free Worlds League, 3087 - The Green Ghosts have come to raid the planet Stotzing. Will you join them in seeking ancient treasure or try to stop them with the fractured League's defenders? Re-live the 2018 worldwide event in these Total Warfare and Alpha Strike scenarios.
Worldwide Event 2018 Terrain Set - FREE (Catalyst Web Store (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/mappack-wwe2018-terrain-set) // DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/252030/BattleTech-MapPack-WWE2018-Terrain-Set))
All-new, never before seen BattleTech maps perfect for use with the "Dig, Defend, or Die" scenario book or any BattleTech game.
Touring the Stars: Stotzing - $2.99 (Catalyst Web Store (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-touring-the-stars-stotzing) // DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/252028/BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Stotzing))
The Star League’s terraforming technology brought life to worlds struggling to survive, and wrought miracles on landscapes thought uninhabitable. But Stotzing is proof that even miracles can be undone by human hands, and not all those who seek to repair them are angels…
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
Spotlight On: First Marik Protectors - $3.99 (Catalyst Web Store (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-first-marik-protectors) // DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/252029/BattleTech-Spotlight-On-First-Marik-Protectors))
In the fires of the Jihad, a handful of brave souls placed honor before duty, service before survival, and the people of their shattered nation before all others.
Considered traitors by some but heroes by those they watch over, the First Marik Protectors rose from the ashes of the Free Worlds League to protect worlds at the far-flung edge of their fallen nation. An elite cadre of warriors, the Protectors’ dedication to safeguarding the lives of their countrymen is nearly unmatched in the Inner Sphere.
The Marik Protectors exist to offer a single hope to the citizens of these outcast worlds: that when darkness closes in, there will be a light shining for them, a hammer and anvil to smite any who would disrupt their peace, a shield against all the ills the Periphery holds. Protectors, behind whom they may rest.
Spotlight On: First Marik Protectors includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play.
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MAAAAPS!!! :rockon:
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Release day, with new stuff.
Great things!
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Cubby's already started a new thread, so please direct your discussion of the new products here and enjoy: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62865.0.
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I have to say that I am very, very happy to not only finally see new products for BattleTech, but also the quality of the products is not only good but they are designed to compliment each other rather than random snippets of the universe.
My loyalty to BattleTech by far exceeds my loyalty to any other IP on the planet. I once considered CGL safe hands, that is no longer the case, after spending some time gnashing my teeth in frustration over what in my opinion was a catalog of MAJOR screw-ups by CGL then the complete cessation of products for almost an entire year. What I have seen from them in the last two months greatly increases my hope that they may deserve another chance.
CGL, Please do not drop the ball on this again, I want the IP to succeed.
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Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this, but does anyone have news of the reprints for the core rulebooks?
I was lucky enough to get a Beginner's Box at Gencon and find myself really wanting the full ruleset. I have the PDFs, of course, but hardcovers are a bit of a thing with me and I'd love to be able to get TW through SO on my shelf since I managed to find copies of IO and the campaign book.
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Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this, but does anyone have news of the reprints for the core rulebooks?
I was lucky enough to get a Beginner's Box at Gencon and find myself really wanting the full ruleset. I have the PDFs, of course, but hardcovers are a bit of a thing with me and I'd love to be able to get TW through SO on my shelf since I managed to find copies of IO and the campaign book.
Welcome!
Until the full "A Game of Armored Combat" box ($59.99) comes out, your next stop is probably the BattleMech Manual, available in hardcover here (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech/products/battletech-battlemech-manual-book).
This book contains all the rules you'll need to run 'Mech-on-'Mech engagements, laid out in the same easy-to-understand fashion as the Beginner Box rules. There's lots of additional wrinkles to the game, such as heat, different modes of movement, and going up and down Levels of terrain.
Once you've run through those, you'll be ready for Total Warfare, which adds rules for vehicles, infantry, and much much more.
Beyond TW, print availability for the other updated versions of the core books has not been announced.
Good luck, and if you have any questions, everyone here is very helpful, or feel free to PM me directly!
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Welcome!
Until the full "A Game of Armored Combat" box ($59.99) comes out, your next stop is probably the BattleMech Manual, available in hardcover here (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech/products/battletech-battlemech-manual-book).
This book contains all the rules you'll need to run 'Mech-on-'Mech engagements, laid out in the same easy-to-understand fashion as the Beginner Box rules. There's lots of additional wrinkles to the game, such as heat, different modes of movement, and going up and down Levels of terrain.
Once you've run through those, you'll be ready for Total Warfare, which adds rules for vehicles, infantry, and much much more.
Beyond TW, print availability for the other updated versions of the core books has not been announced.
Good luck, and if you have any questions, everyone here is very helpful, or feel free to PM me directly!
Thanks!
I missed the BattleMech manual, thanks for pointing that out, though it looks like they're sold out of the hardcopies on the Catalyst store. Looking at the table of contents on Sarna, it looks like I'd still need the TechManual to get the actual mech building rules, correct? I know people have mentioned that the new release of TW will have all the up to date errata, will that presumably carry through to the other books? I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth waiting a while to get the more up to date versions instead of trying to find copies of the old ones in the secondary market.
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Thanks!
I missed the BattleMech manual, thanks for pointing that out, though it looks like they're sold out of the hardcopies on the Catalyst store. Looking at the table of contents on Sarna, it looks like I'd still need the TechManual to get the actual mech building rules, correct? I know people have mentioned that the new release of TW will have all the up to date errata, will that presumably carry through to the other books? I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth waiting a while to get the more up to date versions instead of trying to find copies of the old ones in the secondary market.
Yes, but for mech building there are a number of free softwares that will do it for you. Almost nobody does it by hand. Sarna.net lists a number of them (Not mentioning or linking them here).
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The only time I’ve ever used TM is to make support vehicles
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I missed the BattleMech manual, thanks for pointing that out, though it looks like they're sold out of the hardcopies on the Catalyst store.
Then to Amazon you could go. (https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Battlemech-Manual-Catalyst-Game/dp/194158232X?crid=20WX5V2YX8U2F&keywords=battlemech+manual&qid=1536871185&sprefix=battlemech+man%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1-spell&ref=sr_1_1)
Looking at the table of contents on Sarna, it looks like I'd still need the TechManual to get the actual mech building rules, correct?
Yes.
I know people have mentioned that the new release of TW will have all the up to date errata, will that presumably carry through to the other books?
Yes, the updated PDFs of TechManual and Tactical Operations currently in the Catalyst store incorporate all current errata. Strategic Operations is still in the works, but it will, too.
I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth waiting a while to get the more up to date versions instead of trying to find copies of the old ones in the secondary market.
I have no information indication on the availability in print of those other core books, so I can't help you there.
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Who we would we contact about the core rule book pdf upgrades for customers. I have emailed customer service twice and have not heard back, its been over six weeks.
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This looks interesting...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7TvmXhksz/?hl=en&taken-by=catalystgamelabs
Maybe some type of Strategy Board game...
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Strategic Battleforce?
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That does look really interesting
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So just finished Legacy: I really want Part II's to some of those stories.... they are pretty damn good and now I want to know more about the pilots!
Also Grasshoppers!!
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I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Legacy. Writing for it was a lot of fun, even if I did overextend myslef badly!
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Very happy to hear you enjoyed Legacy. I think everyone involved worked very hard, and put together an excellent experience.
I know writing for it gave me a new appreciation for the Grasshopper.
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This looks interesting...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7TvmXhksz/?hl=en&taken-by=catalystgamelabs
Maybe some type of Strategy Board game...
I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I love it and want to know more.
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It’s an early playtest of “something,” it doesn’t replace or upgrade any existing system, it’s somthing completely different, and it’s so, so, so, soooo early in playtesting that posting the picture is akin to trolling because there isn’t anything to discuss or be exited about yet. Any excitement you may feel, focus on the fact that there are always things in development for BattleTech, and don’t focus on this one photo/post.
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You heard it here first! Succession Wars boardgame coming back confirmed!!!!11!one.
Just kidding. By the way, I liked the Marik Protectors spotlight. I thought it was going to be 3150-aligned rather than 3085, but it was still an enjoyable read. The fact that Kawamura is a Hercules driver made my day.
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It’s an early playtest of “something,” it doesn’t replace or upgrade any existing system, it’s somthing completely different, and it’s so, so, so, soooo early in playtesting that posting the picture is akin to trolling because there isn’t anything to discuss or be exited about yet. Any excitement you may feel, focus on the fact that there are always things in development for BattleTech, and don’t focus on this one photo/post.
If it has miniatures I am all for it, what ever it is!
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If it has miniatures I am all for it, what ever it is!
Or cardboard chits. Lovely, lovely chits.
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Whatever it was it used something like the hexpack map extras and the battleforce counters. A new map to boot. Probably the one from Dig Defend Die or the new boxes.
Either way looks interesting and would love to get into testing that one :thumbsup:
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When will the Legacy Anthology be available for purchase on the Catalyst Store and DriveThruRPG? A Facebook post said the street date for the E-book was September 17, but both stores don't seem to have the anthology available yet.
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I went POD through Amazon for Legacy
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When will the Legacy Anthology be available for purchase on the Catalyst Store and DriveThruRPG? A Facebook post said the street date for the E-book was September 17, but both stores don't seem to have the anthology available yet.
Like Sharpnel said, if you order it through amazon, it will be option to have the printed version via Print on Demand, to you. I just finish reading the book, it's very good overall. I am hoping we'll see the novellas coming out as combo book on Amazon next month for PoD.
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While I think the POD option is great (and I will be making use of it in the future), I also like to have an E-book version. And for that format, I prefer to go through DriveThruRPG.
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It is already there, but DriveThru split off the e-books into a separate site sometime earlier this year. All the e-books are now on DriveThruFiction.com! This caught me out as well, as I had no idea they made a switch. Here is the link to Legacy:
https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/251052/BattleTech-Legacy
You don't have to make a new account or anything. Just log in with the same account info you would use for DriveThruRPG.
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Thanks, sadlerbw! Going to purchase it asap.
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So when are we getting a RS for the Grasshopper as mentioned in End of the Road?
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It would be nice. Still not happy how Grasshopper retired.
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We're proud to announce we've got a full slate of PDF-only products which will be released every one to two weeks through the end of January 2019! You can see the full details, including descriptions, release dates and prices on our Coming Releases page (http://bg.battletech.com/books/upcoming-releases/).
Coming This Winter
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN220-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Regis-Roost-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN220-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Regis-Roost-1.jpg)
Touring the Stars: Regis Roost
Release Date: 26 October 2018
$2.99
Ringers and Roosters. Two separate cultures living very different lives, one in the rings of the verdant planet of Regis Roost, the other at the bottom of that world's gravity well. Two separate governing philosophies, one as an extended family with corporate laws, and the other a pseudo-democracy subverted for decades by external interests. Two very different civilizations living on one world in the Taurian Concordat—what could possibly go wrong?
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN107-Spotlight-On-Unending-Faith-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN107-Spotlight-On-Unending-Faith-1.jpg)
Spotlight On: Unending Faith
Release Date: 26 October 2018
$3.99
Nearly every faith in human history has had its faith miltant, stalwart protectors of the light ready to cast down those who would question the true path. The vision of Blessed Blake is no different. The creation of the Republic and its disbanding of the Com Guard cast a deep shadow, but true faith endures. Now, amid a Dark Age, the light of Blake is needed more than ever and the Blessed Order stands ready to share it with the Inner Sphere. For the warriors of Unending Faith, the end of the Com Guard was only the beginning.
Spotlight On: Unending Faith includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN221-BattleTechTouring-the-Stars-Hall-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN221-BattleTechTouring-the-Stars-Hall-1.jpg)
Touring the Stars: Hall
Release Date: 9 November 2018
$2.99
War has ravaged nearly all of the Inner Sphere's core planets, and Hall is no exception. Caught between the conquests of empires and the ambitions of warlords, the world's history is as harsh as its unforgiving deserts, howling canyons and shifting sands. Hall has been at the crossroads of some of mankind's most brutal wars, conflicts which have left centuries of secrets ready to snare the unready and tempt the unwise.
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TurningPointsOrbisonia-150x150.png) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TurningPointsOrbisonia.png)
Turning Points: Orbisonia
Release Date: 16 November 2018
$5.99
The Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation ached to reclaim the long-lost worlds of the Chesterton Confederation for her nation, and the outbreak of the Second Succession War gave her the opportunity for invasion. Chancellor Ilsa Liao targeted worlds along a wide front, and personally led one of the most feared formations in Capellan history against Orbisonia. Five bloody days in June 2828 turned the tide of the invasion and changed the Confederation forever.
Turning Points: Orbisonia uses Chaos Campaign rules to give players the option of fighting individual battles, following a campaign arc, or inserting Chancellor Ilsa Liao's campaign for Orbisonia into their own campaigns. Included are a detailed map of the world of Orbisonia, full details of the forces involved in the invasion, and scenario tracks that players can use to recreate the battles on Orbisonia. The only limits are the players' imagination!
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN104-Spotlight-On-Holts-Hilltoppers-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN104-Spotlight-On-Holts-Hilltoppers-1.jpg)
Spotlight On: Holt's Hilltoppers
Release Date: 23 November 2018
$3.99
Born in the fires of Operation: GUERRERO, Holt's Hilltoppers took on missions from the Periphery to the Chaos March, displaying grit and tenacity to rival any famed mercenary command. Action against Periphery pirates earned the Hilltoppers a reputation as savage defenders, but disaster during the St. Ives War nearly ended the command's existence. Steadfast courage and resilience kept them together, aided by an alliance with Periphery renegades. Glory and infamy awaited in the FedCom Civil War, along with respect and eternal enmity in equal measure. Tiring of the vagabond life, the Hilltoppers found a new home outside the boundaries of the Inner Sphere. The Fronc Reaches offer constancy, but safety is always in short supply.
Spotlight On: Holt's Hilltoppers includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN222-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Tortuga-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN222-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Tortuga-1.jpg)
Touring the Stars: Tortuga Prime
Release Date: 7 December 2018
$2.99
On the pirate haven of Tortuga Prime, alliances can shift and power can exchange hands at a moment's notice. An interstellar kleptocracy, Tortuga Prime's only rule is simple: take what you need, and try to keep it. Will you further the centuries-old cycle of needless death and destruction—or put a stop to it once and for all?
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN105-Spotlight-On-Nakayamas-Blood-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN105-Spotlight-On-Nakayamas-Blood-1.jpg)
Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood
Release Date: 21 December 2018
$3.99
When Federated Suns forces stormed into the Draconis Combine during the FedCom Civil War, proud samurai Chu-sa Harold Nakayama and the Forty-Sixth Dieron Regulars deployed to Ashio to repel the invaders. Disaster struck when an all-but-unknown mercenary command slaughtered Nakayama's troops, humiliating him. Nakayama swore an oath to exterminate mercenaries wherever they tainted Combine soil, and gathered around him an independent company whose BattleMechs were anointed by the blood of their MechWarriors in an oath to seek out and destroy mercenary scum. The Jihad provided Nakayama's Blood with rich hunting grounds and the opportunity to strike fear into the hearts of mercenaries operating anywhere near Combine territory.
Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN223-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Sherwood-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN223-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Sherwood-1.jpg)
Touring the Stars: Sherwood
Release Date: 4 Jaunary 2019
$2.99
Founded with ecological sustainability in mind, the colonization of Sherwood seemed like a failure as soon as it began. But thanks to the strict control of a strong central government and a well-educated population, Sherwood pushed through the privations of the Star League era and became the “Green Gem” of the Outback.
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN106-Spotlight-On-Crimson-Seeker-Star-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN106-Spotlight-On-Crimson-Seeker-Star-1.jpg)
Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star
Release Date: 18 Jaunary 2019
$3.99
In the right place, a few small rocks can change the course of a river. The Seekers of Clan Goliath Scorpion and the Escorpion Imperio have long sought out relics of the past which they believe will steer their course. But relics are not the only rocks: one small unit and its warriors changed the path of the Clan and the Imperio.
The saKhan of fifty years who formed them. The Star Colonel who returned to guide them in their darkest hour. The survivors who escaped the Reavings to claim a new home. Those who continue to use the relics of the past to guide the future. Come discover the small rocks of the Crimson Seeker Star, who changed the course of the Seekers, the Goliath Scorpions, the Escorpion Imperio and many more.
Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play.
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN224-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Herotitus-1-150x150.jpg) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/E-CAT35SN224-BattleTech-Touring-the-Stars-Herotitus-1.jpg)
Touring the Stars: Herotitus
Release Date: 1 February 2019
$2.99
From oppressive occupation by pirates to religious domination by various sects, Herotitus knows what it means to suffer. New hope for the future is growing, thanks to the stability and protection from the resource-rich world’s deadly, unique native wildlife offered by the narrowed eye of the Fronc Reaches and their Colonial Marshals. But criminal elements remain in hiding, desperate to return to power, threatening the precarious peace.
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
Release Dates TBD
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OperationalTurningPointsFroncReaches-150x150.png) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OperationalTurningPointsFroncReaches.png)
Operational Turning Points: Fronc Reaches
Release Date: TBD
$7.99
After the Jihad, Inner Sphere border worlds were no longer easy pickings for Periphery pirate bands. Instead, they returned their attention to the Periphery’s weaker nations. The nascent military and non-existent intelligence assets of the Fronc Reaches made the young nation a particularly tempting target. Opposing them were the Colonial Marshals, who risked everything to permanently drive the pirates from their worlds, but faced vastly superior numbers. Would the campaign be the dawn of a new nation, or the twilight of the Marshals?
Operational Turning Points: Fronc Reaches gives players the chance to recreate this desperate struggle for the very survival of a young nation. This campaign uses the Chaos Campaign and Alpha Strike rules in concert to allow players to fight individual Missions and Touchpoints, follow a campaign arc, or inserting the Marshals’ bold plan into their own campaigns. Included are detailed information on the worlds involved, full details of the units which took part in the campaign, an overview of the historical campaign, and several tools players can use to run historical characters and battles from this time period. The only limits are the players’ imagination!
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TurningPoints3039Vega-150x150.png) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TurningPoints3039Vega.png)
Turning Points: Vega (3039)
Release Date: TBD
$5.99
The wait is over as the Federated Commonwealth hammer falls upon the Draconis Combine. The War of 3039’s Commonwealth Thrust focuses on Vega, a world of burning sands, blazing sun, and the ruins of ancient Star League technology. A combined force of Steiner, Davion, and mercenary units showcases the massive alliance and technology of the Federated Commonwealth. The Combine defense, led by the Legions of Vega, is determined to justify the reforms and faith of the Coordinator. They will not surrender their homeworld easily.
Turning Points: Vega (3039) uses Chaos Campaign rules to give players the option of fighting individual battles, following a campaign arc, or inserting the heated battle for Vega into their own campaigns. Included are a detailed map of the world of Vega, full details of the forces involved in the conflict, and scenario tracks recreating the battles on Vega. The only limits are the players’ imaginations!
(https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TurningPointsTokasha-150x150.png) (https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TurningPointsTokasha.png)
Turning Points: Tokasha
Release Date: TBD
$5.99
As the Golden Century drew to a close, Clan Hell’s Horses christened a massive new OmniMech factory on Tokasha as the foundation of a new age of prosperity. Instead, it lured Clan Ghost Bear, which sought to claim the factory for themselves. In the steaming jungles of Tokasha, two massive, unyielding forces took part in a brutal Trial of Possession, as two visionary Khans sought to establish their Clan’s path for the century to come.
Turning Points: Tokasha uses Chaos Campaign rules to give players the option of fighting individual battles, following a campaign arc, or inserting the Trial for Tokasha into their own campaigns. Included are a detailed map of the world of Tokasha, full details of the forces involved in the Trial, and scenario tracks recreating the battles on Tokasha. The only limits are the players’ imaginations!
Touring the Stars: Gulf Breeze
Release Date: TBD
$2.99
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
Touring the Stars: Rigil Kentares
Release Date: TBD
$2.99
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
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:o
4 Spotlight On (now 7 total in series)
7 Touring the Stars (now 25 total in series)
4 Turning Points (now 30 total in series 31 if you include the Free Taiwan AFD release)
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Tokasha, interesting.
Also that Crimson Seeker Star... is that something that was teased long ago in one 'Mech of the Week?
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:o
4 Spotlight On (now 7 total in series)
7 Touring the Stars (now 25 total in series)
4 Turning Points (now 30 total in series 31 if you include the Free Taiwan AFD release)
Honestly, I'm more surprised about release dates actually being posted 4+ months out than what's actually on the docket.
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Some neat stuff coming out
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Updated; I forgot to include the product description for SO: Unending Faith.
Honestly, I'm more surprised about release dates actually being posted 4+ months out than what's actually on the docket.
And, as far as I know, every one of the products with a date attached is in hand. The dates should all hold.
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I am unreasonably excited about Tortuga and Tokasha.
Great line-up, guys.
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All I can say is... :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:
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Do any of these come with new record sheets?
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Hay! Th black star of the fronc reaches plus a campaign!!!
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That is much PDF product. I has much interest.
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Holy cow! I'm in for all the Touring the Stars, and even at least one of the Turning Points. I can't believe you're only charging $2.99 for Tortuga Prime... :o
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Tokasha, interesting.
Also that Crimson Seeker Star... is that something that was teased long ago in one 'Mech of the Week?
Yes
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Regis Roost was part of the Aurigan Reaches. I guess we'll find out shortly if the Aurigan Reaches is just a Computer Game thing.
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You might want to correct the spelling.
Its Rigil Kentarus...
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Some very cool stuff! :thumbsup:
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Oh that's a lot of goodies to add to the collection. Very happy to see things rolling again! 8) :thumbsup:
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Oooooohhhh...Lots of awesome stuff coming up it looks like! The Crimson Seeker Star has me completely giddy. :D
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Yeh! more items I will want to purchase that I won't know about when they're released. And when I go to the new and improved web store won't be able to find by searching for new releases. JOY...
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That's a nice spread of books, particularly the Touring the Stars additions, and I'm going to have to buy almost all of them :P
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Really looking forward to this slew of new releases, especially Tokasha and the Crimson Seeker Star :thumbsup:
Hoping the latter will have a bit of new info on the Imperio.
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Just glad to see new stuff. It was really quiet on the new stuff front.
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Great stuff coming thank you writers
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Yeh! more items I will want to purchase that I won't know about when they're released.
I’ve been promoting all recent releases on the website, here in the forums, and in social media. You’d have to work pretty hard to miss them.
Your point about the store is fair, though. It’s bothered me, too—I’ll have to see if there’s a way to change that before these start rolling out.
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I'm very thankful for the update, Cubby. Your working very hard on behave of the fan base! :clap: :clap:
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I’ve been promoting all recent releases on the website, here in the forums, and in social media. You’d have to work pretty hard to miss them.
Your point about the store is fair, though. It’s bothered me, too—I’ll have to see if there’s a way to change that before these start rolling out.
Thank you Cubby, BattleTech is my favorite game, and I am a collector by nature, so I buy every product released (except the figs - just can't afford all of them). I sadly can no longer access this site from work, and seldom have time to browse the boards at home, so when the New Battletech for sale thread hasn't been updated for over a year and the web store doesn't work correctly I miss out on releases for months at a time. This drives the completist in me insane. Please keep up your efforts they are greatly appreciated.
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And when I go to the new and improved web store won't be able to find by searching for new releases. JOY...
Your point about the store is fair, though. It’s bothered me, too—I’ll have to see if there’s a way to change that before these start rolling out.
At the store "front", if you click on Shop BattleTech, it appears that it displays all releases in descending order. YMMV. That's not the same as a big "New Releases" button/sign, but it isn't far short. Now having a searchable purchase library, that'd be something. There's not even a page index. I have to click Next to flip through each of seven pages.
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Was hoping for a pre-Clan Invasion or Battle of Tukayyid era division spotlight, but more gaps/info on anything ComStar during the Republic era is welcome.
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Thank you Cubby, BattleTech is my favorite game, and I am a collector by nature, so I buy every product released (except the figs - just can't afford all of them). I sadly can no longer access this site from work, and seldom have time to browse the boards at home, so when the New Battletech for sale thread hasn't been updated for over a year and the web store doesn't work correctly I miss out on releases for months at a time. This drives the completist in me insane. Please keep up your efforts they are greatly appreciated.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2216/Catalyst-Game-Labs/subcategory/4328_4541/Battletech (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2216/Catalyst-Game-Labs/subcategory/4328_4541/Battletech)
drivethrurpg.com is a good source for purchasing Battletech and I believe they have new releases almost immediately.
Cheers,
- Bear
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so when the New Battletech for sale thread hasn't been updated for over a year
Ah, okay, that's the problem. That thread is not active and I'd been meaning to ask the mods to remove it for awhile now. The reason is, I've been trying to standardize a system where each New Release gets its own discussion thread, which is stickied for some reasonable amount of time, or while discussion on the product is still happening. The problem with the "For Sale" thread is that it doesn't allow customer feedback.
For this upcoming cycle of mini-PDFs, I'll probably just create one New Release thread for all of them, and announce new releases there, here, and on social media. That way I'm not generating a new New Release thread every week.
drivethrurpg.com is a good source for purchasing Battletech and I believe they have new releases almost immediately.
Yes, but a very bad source for the big-picture profitability of these products. If that's where you feel best about buying your product, by all means, use that source. It's on CGL to create a web store that will win back your support. It's not something I can directly affect, unfortunately.
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drivethrurpg.com is a good source for purchasing Battletech and I believe they have new releases almost immediately.
Yes, but a very bad source for the big-picture profitability of these products. If that's where you feel best about buying your product, by all means, use that source. It's on CGL to create a web store that will win back your support. It's not something I can directly affect, unfortunately.
You know, as a bit of unsolicited opinion, I'd completely give a CGL online store a chance if purchases there could also be placed in my DTRPG library.
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Yes, but a very bad source for the big-picture profitability of these products. If that's where you feel best about buying your product, by all means, use that source. It's on CGL to create a web store that will win back your support. It's not something I can directly affect, unfortunately.
You know, as a bit of unsolicited opinion, I'd completely give a CGL online store a chance if purchases there could also be placed in my DTRPG library.
It's a fine idea in the abstract, but I'm sure DTRPG's natural position would be "Ok, sounds great. The fee for doing this will be CGL paying the margin we normally charge when selling your products directly on DTRPG". It's not in their interest to support a permanent discount to their services.
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You're not wrong, but if my purchasing product X ends up making the same profit if I buy it through the CGL store as it would have if I made it through DTRPG instead, it's still a net gain as I'm using the CGL store and presumably building a new, better opinion of how they do business online. I have to have a reason to start using CGL rather than DTRPG I've been using, and I suspect I'm not alone. It's easier to get me to put my toe in that water if I still have the ability to have one place for re-downloading my stuff.
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Right, but that’s not how it would work. It’s not possible for us.
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Was hoping for a pre-Clan Invasion or Battle of Tukayyid era division spotlight, but more gaps/info on anything ComStar during the Republic era is welcome.
The Crimson Seeker Star covers pre-invasion through the last time the Scorpions were heard from
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The Crimson Seeker Star covers pre-invasion through the last time the Scorpions were heard from
is that "reavings" or is that "the theoretical example blurb in the back of IntOps*" ?
(*: I think it was IntOps. The last core sourcebook to be released. Where there's a campaign example of Clan Coyote dropping in on the imperio to conquer some worlds and get some breathing room from the Adders)
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The Crimson Seeker Star covers pre-invasion through the last time the Scorpions were heard from
Apologies, it appears I was unclear - I was referring to the Unending Faith Spotlight - Blessed Order/Com Guard Division
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Ah, okay, that's the problem. That thread is not active and I'd been meaning to ask the mods to remove it for awhile now. The reason is, I've been trying to standardize a system where each New Release gets its own discussion thread, which is stickied for some reasonable amount of time, or while discussion on the product is still happening. The problem with the "For Sale" thread is that it doesn't allow customer feedback.
What about doing the best worst of both: Announce the availability in the "For Sale" thread by linking to the individual product threads?
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Yes, but a very bad source for the big-picture profitability of these products. If that's where you feel best about buying your product, by all means, use that source. It's on CGL to create a web store that will win back your support. It's not something I can directly affect, unfortunately.
I’m really very sympathetic to this, but, in the interests of providing honest feedback, the experiences for me have been so night-and-day for me that I have even re-purchased some titles that I originally bought through the old Battlecorps store through DTRPG, just to have easy access to my library at all times.
I want to support CGL, but it would take a lot to switch back, especially now that I own PDFs from half a dozen other game systems in the same digital library.
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Ah, okay, that's the problem. That thread is not active and I'd been meaning to ask the mods to remove it for awhile now.
<hunchback lopes over and salutes> Yeth thir. You called thir?
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I want to support CGL, but it would take a lot to switch back, especially now that I own PDFs from half a dozen other game systems in the same digital library.
That's completely fair. As I said upthread, building customer loyalty doesn't mean that the company demands you spend your money with them. It means that the company offers quality products and platforms that inspire you to think of them first. In this case, I wish it were a situation I could take action on.
<hunchback lopes over and salutes> Yeth thir. You called thir?
Sorry Igor, Bosefius beat you to it.
What about doing the best worst of both: Announce the availability in the "For Sale" thread by linking to the individual product threads?
One audience-engagement vehicle to rule them all, one audience-engagement vehicle to bind them.
Also, reasons of personality sanity--there are enough places I need to remember to post new product as it is.
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is that "reavings" or is that "the theoretical example blurb in the back of IntOps*" ?
(*: I think it was IntOps. The last core sourcebook to be released. Where there's a campaign example of Clan Coyote dropping in on the imperio to conquer some worlds and get some breathing room from the Adders)
I was referring to Interstellar Expeditions
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Sorry Igor, Bosefius beat you to it.
Very well thur. Let me know if require anything. I thall be over by the lightning apparatuth.
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Some interesting content coming up, for sure. Can't say I will end up buying EVERYTHING on that list, but there is a good amount that interests me. I hope the smaller PDF products end up being a workable idea. I do like how they help fill in the time between larger products.
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I always need more Scorps in my life (to shoot at, mostly) and Unending Faith sounds really interesting. Glad to see such a huge slew of new .pdf products coming out.
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New releases now available at the Catalyst Game Labs Store!
Be sure to discuss these products over on the dedicated "NEW RELEASE" discussion thread (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.0) for all Winter 2018/2019 mini-PDF products.
Does ComStar have a right to its own military force?
Are you a Rooster or a Ringer? Why?
(https://preview.ibb.co/j4U9Aq/44336841-10155849259773148-1643422459325579264-n.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ifbZbV)
Spotlight On: Unending Faith
"When the Republic was born, not all accepted the dissolution of the Com Guard. When the Dark Age fell, some believed the light of Blake would illuminate the road ahead. Learn the secrets of the Blessed Order and the force with which they hope to gain power at the heart of the Republic."
PLEASE NOTE: At the time of its initial release, this product does not contain the accompanying Alpha Strike cards due to production issues. We will have an updated PDF out as possible; anyone who has previously purchased this product will receive the updated file.
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/spotlight-on-unending-faith (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/spotlight-on-unending-faith)
(https://preview.ibb.co/jSskiA/44783482-10155862043408148-285438071883694080-n.jpg) (https://ibb.co/msjLGV)
Touring the Stars: Regis Roost
"His widely popular speech decried the Concordat government for not only abusing the right of eminent domain, but also prosecuting a war of aggression against non-planetary dwellers. He ended his speech shouting “Remember Neville!” as Ringer cargo ships approaching Morrison released gravel-sized pellets of titanium."
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-touring-the-stars-regis-roost (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-touring-the-stars-regis-roost)
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And bought! Thank you very much! I'm especially interested in more on the Super Secret ComGuard
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Some nice 'Mechs get C3i. :thumbsup:
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Hey... I see some pdf products that actually get me excited. First time I can say that in a couple years. Glad to finally see these coming out. Good job CGL
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Love Unending Faith, love that Dragoon survive was included! No Record sheet for C3i though. :/
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I can only assume that the Battle Cobra in the roster was the ComStar/WoB version
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Love Unending Faith, love that Dragoon survive was included! No Record sheet for C3i though. :/
It is included in TP Epsilon Eridani though
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Yea new stuff
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Good to see the Com Guards live on. Thinking about running something with some fanatics.
Though its surprising they are willing to go back to the teachings of Blake.
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Good to see the Com Guards live on.
For a while at least. ;)
Then the Republic comes calling...
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TtS: Regis Roost is a neat product. I've never seen that governmental style before.
And the Spotlight On Unending Faith shows a lot about how the ComGuards were reconstituted. Really good work on both.
Edit: Though the angel's face on Unending Faith's cover reminds me of a grey alien. Weird eyeballs.
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For a while at least. ;)
Then the Republic comes calling...
Thing is, the Republic stomped out the Blake infused chunks of ComStar inside the Fortress . . . but nothing gets mentioned about outside the Fortress, and Buhl specifically mentions how getting cut off has affected their resources. Melissa was negotiating with someone to fund ComStar after all.
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TtS: Regis Roost is a neat product. I've never seen that governmental style before.
And the Spotlight On Unending Faith shows a lot about how the ComGuards were reconstituted. Really good work on both.
Give me my internet connection back lol
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Thing is, the Republic stomped out the Blake infused chunks of ComStar inside the Fortress . . . but nothing gets mentioned about outside the Fortress, and Buhl specifically mentions how getting cut off has affected their resources. Melissa was negotiating with someone to fund ComStar after all.
And false reports haven't had tragic consequences for the otherwise innocent in the Battletech universe?
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Thing is, the Republic stomped out the Blake infused chunks of ComStar inside the Fortress . . . but nothing gets mentioned about outside the Fortress, and Buhl specifically mentions how getting cut off has affected their resources. Melissa was negotiating with someone to fund ComStar after all.
There's been lots of mentions about ComStar outside the Fortress. They are pretty much defunct there too. Defections, sell-offs, takeovers, suicides, massacres, etc. And there were no additional troops outside the Fortress either.
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huh?
If ComStar was infected- which Buhl, Patricia Harwell, whoever Buhl was playing internal politics against, and the new 1st Div imply- then it would be logical that SOME part of the organization was outside the Fortress since ComStar was a human-space wide organization leaving out Clan OZs. From what I recall Buhl implied there were others outside the Fortress and knew about the debt to Melissa though I do not think either one ever discussed when the loans started but that repayment was due soon or the Lyrans would gain some control.
Now, was most of the ComStar organization like Tucker Harwell- innocent and thinking Blake's followers went away after their defeat in the Jihad? I am sure that the majority of the organization was not Blakist- but what does it matter if you are not part of the conspiracy if your boss is and gives you directions that can be explained as in the business interest but really further the conspiracy's goals.
roosterboy, we have had mentions of ComStar outside the Fortress- never said we did not. But we have not had any concrete mentions of the Blakist conspiracy inside ComStar for those portions cut off by the Fortress. No one outside the Fortress, before the Wall came down anyway, knew about the Blakist resurgence in any manner. I also never suggested they had military forces of any size outside the Fortress- I think that is unlikely though it would be easier to have BA units, especially any Spec Ops group outside the Fortress.
Blake's followers (really Toyama's) are never going to be wiped out IMO, just like similar underground organizations IRL. Some deep cover Blakist ROM agents in the ComStar organization that survived the Jihad and dis-armed to become a corporate entity is probably where the infection sprang from . . . and will again.
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BattleTech Boxed Sets Update #2 - Oct. 30, 2018
No tricks this Halloween, but a small treat for BattleTech players - we've got some new information about the much-anticipated "BattleTech Beginner Box" and "BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat" boxed sets.
We have confirmed that the full run of both sets has been printed, and shipped from China on Tuesday, Oct. 30. They're making their way across the high seas, and are expected in port on the East Coast of the United States on Nov. 26. After about a week to clear customs, they're scheduled for arrival at our distributor on Dec. 3. At that point, we should be able to offer a more specific street date for these products.
Remember that these dates are estimates only--things like weather and other physical delays can and do occur in maritime shipping. We'll keep you updated as we continue to track the shipment's progress.
In the meantime, we recently announced a full slate of mini-PDF products to tide you over. The next one, Touring the Stars: Hall will be out Nov. 9--check out the full slate here (https://bg.battletech.com/books/upcoming-releases/)!
(https://image.ibb.co/f3MFSf/Update-No-2-Twt-IG.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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oh oh oh . . .
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BattleTech Boxed Sets Update #2 - Oct. 30, 2018
We have confirmed that the full run of both sets has been printed, and shipped from China on Tuesday, Oct. 30. They're making their way across the high seas, and are expected in port on the East Coast of the United States on Nov. 26. After about a week to clear customs, they're scheduled for arrival at our distributor on Dec. 3. At that point, we should be able to offer a more specific street date for these products.
Remember that these dates are estimates only--things like weather and other physical delays can and do occur in maritime shipping. We'll keep you updated as we continue to track the shipment's progress.
Any chance you will have copies at MechCon?
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Any chance you will have copies at MechCon?
Good question. I'm betting not, but checking with management now.
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Good question. I'm betting not, but checking with management now.
Thanks, eagerly awaiting reply :)
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Per management: "Highly doubtful, unfortunately."
BUT, the full production run is on the move, so the wide release shouldn't be too terribly far off.
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Per management: "Highly doubtful, unfortunately."
BUT, the full production run is on the move, so the wide release shouldn't be too terribly far off.
Okay, thanks. That's sadly what I expected, but I appreciate you checking.
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BattleTech Boxed Sets Update #2 - Oct. 30, 2018
No tricks this Halloween, but a small treat for BattleTech players - we've got some new information about the much-anticipated "BattleTech Beginner Box" and "BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat" boxed sets.
We have confirmed that the full run of both sets has been printed, and shipped from China on Tuesday, Oct. 30. They're making their way across the high seas, and are expected in port on the East Coast of the United States on Nov. 26. After about a week to clear customs, they're scheduled for arrival at our distributor on Dec. 3. At that point, we should be able to offer a more specific street date for these products.
Remember that these dates are estimates only--things like weather and other physical delays can and do occur in maritime shipping. We'll keep you updated as we continue to track the shipment's progress
Any hints on availability in EU?
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Just bring both Box Sets to MechCon in Vancouver BC and I will buy both off you Catalyst Games....Thanks. ;D
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Question: Is the full run of these boxes the same as that of the previous box (7,500), which sold out in two days?
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Question: Is the full run of these boxes the same as that of the previous box (7,500), which sold out in two days?
What? When?
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What? When?
Last printing of the box set (Alex Iglesias Atlas art). Print run of 7,500. Battleshop sold out in two days.
Loren quoted that number at Gen Con that year, saying it was 50% bigger than a standard BattleTech print run.
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7,500 would be 50% more or the standard run for the box.
I also believe he said it.
I recall “it” selling out over a weekend—I also recall that it was part of some deal or bogo or incentive.
I do not believe that “it” was 7,500, but only the portion allotted to the store.
My recollection is that particular time was a partial run.
Again, I can readily believe that was said.
But…I can tell you there’s no way we sold out of 7,500 boxes in two days. Something’s conflated.
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Rather hoping that it's more than a 5K run. I wouldn't expect that to run out in two days, but (based on my arse-pull estimate) if it survives two months I'd be surprised.
Given that this order is 6 odd months later than expected, that's a lengthy restock.
And if they're at mech-con I would probably grab.
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7,500 would be 50% more or the standard run for the box.
I also believe he said it.
I recall “it” selling out over a weekend—I also recall that it was part of some deal or bogo or incentive.
I do not believe that “it” was 7,500, but only the portion allotted to the store.
My recollection is that particular time was a partial run.
Again, I can readily believe that was said.
But…I can tell you there’s no way we sold out of 7,500 boxes in two days. Something’s conflated.
I'm sure the lion's share of the run went to the distributors and some were set aside for convention sales. What was allocated to Battleshop to sell lasted two days.
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Any hints on availability in EU?
It depends if the Kaiser is still sending out the U-boats....
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That sucks that the China freighter has to go to New York not LA.
Very glad they are on the boat and on the way. Now to figure out what ship they are on and stalk the ship on Shiptracker!!!
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That sucks that the China freighter has to go to New York not LA.
Just to be clear: not going to New York. I'm being cagey only because the last thing I need to parse is a thousand "where is the ship now???" questions every day for the next month. I don't even have access to that info.
The distributor is not on the West Coast. Driving the boat directly into the first landmass due east from China seems like it'd be faster, but very much isn't.
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That sucks that the China freighter has to go to New York not LA.
Very glad they are on the boat and on the way. Now to figure out what ship they are on and stalk the ship on Shiptracker!!!
It is a ship from China, there can't be too many of them... right? :)
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It is a ship from China, there can't be too many of them... right? :)
Sure.
I bet there can't be more than 3-4 other crates on the ship either.
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Sure.
I bet there can't be more than 3-4 other crates on the ship either.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4a/2a/f1/4a2af17f72f8c850e092ae545074ff56.jpg)
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Want to track a ship ……
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:143.4/centery:34.1/zoom:7
Just need the name of this ship and you junkies can watch it until it docks! LOL
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That's a lot of boats!
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Got the ComGuard WoB and Regis Roost pdfs this morning a couple of nice pieces of work thanks to those involved
I'd sort of echo a comment I read before about it being weird that they were so concentrated in the Republic I know that's where they had caches and finance but pre Blackout a unit with their equipment could gave done very well on open market. I guess with most of them pretending to hold down regular jobs with Comstar restricted their movement a bit
Regis Roost I scanned over I'll look again in the next day or two but it sounds like a serious gem for the Taurians from what I read
EDIT nice to see a return of the Choir just a shame they didn't concentrate their Omni units in that formation
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That's a lot of boats!
Kung Pow ruined me for life. All I can think of now is THAT'S A LOT OF NUTS! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2vBZuLI3oI).
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Want to track a ship ……
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:143.4/centery:34.1/zoom:7
Just need the name of this ship and you junkies can watch it until it docks! LOL
i like how a lot of them are like
we have no idea what this is
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The Port of Shanghi is one of the largest container ports in the world. It was just a bad joke saying I need to track the ship, like a FedEx order.
I'm just very glad and exicited that there is some forward movement on a new box set. It will gover nicely with the other boxed sets I have
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At the crossroads of the Inner Sphere, some secrets are better left buried.
Coming this Friday - Touring the Stars: Hall!
(https://image.ibb.co/f1HnQA/Hal.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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At the crossroads of the Inner Sphere, some secrets are better left buried.
Coming this Friday - Touring the Stars: Hall!
(https://image.ibb.co/f1HnQA/Hal.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Please note he said "Hall" not "Hell" which is how I first mis-read that title.
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I was hoping for a typo, making seem like Necromo nightmare. ::)
Please note he said "Hall" not "Hell" which is how I first mis-read that title.
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I can easily see someone naming a planet Hell.
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Please note he said "Hall" not "Hell" which is how I first mis-read that title.
Given how much of a meat grinder this planet has been since the Chaos March first formed in 3057, hell would be good nickname for it.
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You would be wrong if you thought troops had not already named places 'Hell' . . . as in a 'green Hell' . . . or a 'frozen Hell' . . . or 'desert sand-blasted Hell.' Considering troops generally are given the most unwanted slice of land, it generally gets called some sort of Hell.
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If you're looking forward to the release of "Touring the Stars: Hall" tomorrow, have you checked out Jason Schmetzer's excellent novel "Embers of War"? All the action in that novel takes place on Hall during 3067, on the eve of the Jihad. It's available in all formats, including audiobook!
E-book (all vendors): tinyurl.com/EmbersOfWarEbook (http://tinyurl.com/EmbersOfWarEbook)
Print: tinyurl.com/EmbersOfWarPrint (http://tinyurl.com/EmbersOfWarPrint)
Audiobook: tinyurl.com/EmbersOfWarAudible (http://tinyurl.com/EmbersOfWarAudible) (Also available on Apple, Nook, Audiobooks.com and many others!)
(https://image.ibb.co/j8j2dV/unnamed.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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*All* formats? Catalyst Game Labs continues to disregard those of us who prefer to consume content via hand-chiseled stone tablet!
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*All* formats? Catalyst Game Labs continues to disregard those of us who prefer to consume content via hand-chiseled stone tablet!
Hardly! Catalyst is eager to meet all customer needs, and has been assured that Bill Keith should be finished chiseling "Decision at Thunder Rift" any year now.
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Hardly! Catalyst is eager to meet all customer needs, and has been assured that Bill Keith should be finished chiseling "Decision at Thunder Rift" any year now.
That's fine for him, but I still want my player-piano-roll version of the NAIS Fourth Succession War, Volumes 1 and 2! ;D
More seriously, I'm happy to see more of the TTS coming out -- I love those supplements :thumbsup:
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If you're looking forward to the release of "Touring the Stars: Hall" tomorrow, have you checked out Jason Schmetzer's excellent novel "Embers of War"? All the action in that novel takes place on Hall during 3067, on the eve of the Jihad. It's available in all formats, including audiobook!
;D That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the product. Loved that book, he did a great job!
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;D That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the product. Loved that book, he did a great job!
Seconded it's great
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*All* formats? Catalyst Game Labs continues to disregard those of us who prefer to consume content via hand-chiseled stone tablet!
Surely there must be some software available that allows you to have the ebook mobi file to be printed on a 3d printer to give you an acceptable facsimile.
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*All* formats? Catalyst Game Labs continues to disregard those of us who prefer to consume content via hand-chiseled stone tablet!
Pfft...Hand Chiseled Stone Tablet...I'll see your Table and raise you: QUIPU!
The truly UNIQUE Form of 'Written' language!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quipu
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Pfft...Hand Chiseled Stone Tablet...I'll see your Table and raise you: QUIPU!
The truly UNIQUE Form of 'Written' language!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quipu
Please, that's totally knot a language.
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I won't be satisfied until we get a version semefore'd by the author
(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/montypython/images/1/1c/Spanish_inquisition_6.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180629171427)
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Please, that's totally knot a language.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/qHBQgnVdZIu88/giphy.gif)
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Surely there must be some software available that allows you to have the ebook mobi file to be printed on a 3d printer to give you an acceptable facsimile.
When we have to start worrying about pirated files being distributed to 3d print stone tablet novels, that's when I'm going to walk into the sea.
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When we have to start worrying about pirated files being distributed to 3d print stone tablet novels, that's when I'm going to walk into the sea.
that's the Beauty of the Quipu system...can't be replicatecd by printers ;)
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And now...Touring the Stars: HALL in Interpretive Dance Format:
(https://media.giphy.com/media/3Qwv9m0USbsY0/giphy.gif)
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that's the Beauty of the Quipu system...can't be replicatecd by printers ;)
Sure it can be.... 3D printers.
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When we have to start worrying about pirated files being distributed to 3d print stone tablet novels, that's when I'm going to walk into the sea.
Maybe someone want something interesting to read on their walls/floor.... never say never
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Maybe someone want something interesting to read on their walls/floor.... never say never
I'd be behind this product line, because I have it in my will that I want the director's board of my local train company to be the pallbearers at my funeral, and that I want to be buried with my book collection...
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I'd be behind this product line, because I have it in my will that I want the director's board of my local train company to be the pallbearers at my funeral, and that I want to be buried with my book collection...
If I have to do the same with my book/fiction collection (buried with stone tablets), then the end result will be a pyramid.
Does your director's board have enough time?
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If I have to do the same with my book/fiction collection (buried with stone tablets), then the end result will be a pyramid.
Does your director's board have enough time?
I've asked the other regular commuters I travel with to make sure they keep the directors focussed on their duties as pallbearers. Equipping my fellow commuters with quality BattleTech novels in an appropriate media format would surely help them in their efforts to ensure greater enthusiasm on the part of the pallbearers...
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Now Available - Touring the Stars: Hall! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/)
"War has ravaged nearly all of the Inner Sphere’s core planets, and Hall is no exception. Caught between the conquests of empires and the ambitions of warlords, the world’s history is as harsh as its unforgiving deserts, howling canyons and shifting sands. Hall has been at the crossroads of some of mankind’s most brutal wars, conflicts which have left centuries of secrets ready to snare the unready and tempt the unwise."
Purchase at the Catalyst Game Labs Store! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/)
Discuss this new product here! (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.0)
(https://preview.ibb.co/fmdbOV/TtS-Hall.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dD233V)
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I'd be behind this product line, because I have it in my will that I want the director's board of my local train company to be the pallbearers at my funeral, and that I want to be buried with my book collection...
I'm currently at forty medium sized boxes of book so that might not work... I'm too poor to afford a pyramid.
On a more serious note: can't wait to get out of work to download!
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Now Available - Touring the Stars: Hall! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/)
"War has ravaged nearly all of the Inner Sphere’s core planets, and Hall is no exception. Caught between the conquests of empires and the ambitions of warlords, the world’s history is as harsh as its unforgiving deserts, howling canyons and shifting sands. Hall has been at the crossroads of some of mankind’s most brutal wars, conflicts which have left centuries of secrets ready to snare the unready and tempt the unwise."
Purchase at the Catalyst Game Labs Store! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/)
Discuss this new product here! (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.0)
20 planets down, 2880+ to go!
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Always good to see more product.
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It's good product. Good fuel scenarios and even rpg tips on running games on world.
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Now Available - Turning Points: Orbisonia! (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/turning-points-orbisonia)
The Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation ached to reclaim the long-lost worlds of the Chesterton Confederation for her nation, and the outbreak of the Second Succession War gave her the opportunity for invasion.
Chancellor Ilsa Liao targeted worlds along a wide front, and personally led one of the most feared formations in Capellan history against Orbisonia. Five bloody days in June 2828 turned the tide of the invasion and changed the Confederation forever.
Discuss this new release here! (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.0)
(https://image.ibb.co/iHsSEf/TP-Orbisonia-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bx3Zuf)
[edit] Fixed link -- Adrian Gideon
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Always happy with more new stuff.
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Shattered Fortress is confirmed for a street date of Friday, Nov. 28. But you can order the book and book+PDF combo now through our store!
Book only: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only)
PDF only: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress)
Combo: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-pdf (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress)
Discuss this book here! (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62383.msg1460135#msg1460135)
(https://preview.ibb.co/ktFTN0/BT-Shattered.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ceRraL)
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Bear with us for a little bit, folks...
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(https://image.ibb.co/et6NvV/0-B2-A5261-EAF2-4-B42-BA28-AC5-E9-EF9-B0-F0.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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(https://image.ibb.co/et6NvV/0-B2-A5261-EAF2-4-B42-BA28-AC5-E9-EF9-B0-F0.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Someone not pay the ComStar bill and/or attack the Oriente HPG again? ;D
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Nice to see the products hitting the shelf soon.
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I have to wonder if some tech oligarch sabotaged this release because it was not planned to be released on Cyber Monday. :o ;)
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or getting ready for MechCon is requiring more time/effort from all hands on deck.
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It’s a minor production hiccup, likely exacerbated by most folks involved (including myself) being away on travel this holiday weekend. Sit tight, it’s coming.
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I was a bigger fan of the idea that debauchery was causing the issue, personally
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Bear with us for a little bit, folks...
Shouldn't that be Ghost Bear with us for a little bit? ;)
And with my name, I really don't have a choice, do I? :thumbsup:
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Shouldn't that be Ghost Bear with us for a little bit? ;)
And with my name, I really don't have a choice, do I? :thumbsup:
It is a trick by those cowardly teddy bears. Do not be believe their lies. The Watch knows. Clan Jade Falcon will be victorious in this investigation, Quiaff?
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Shouldn't that be Ghost Bear with us for a little bit? ;)
And with my name, I really don't have a choice, do I? :thumbsup:
Dammit I was going to make that same joke....
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Coming Soon - House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition!
Release Date: March 1, 2019
High Lady Kamea Arano dispatched the usurpers who stole her throne, dismantled their dictatorial government, and restored peace to the Aurigan Coalition. Now her true battle begins…
The Arano Restoration has succeeded, and High Lady Kamea rules over the reunited Aurigan Coalition. But all is not well—the Coalition’s hardscrabble planets teeter on the brink of collapse, while its powerful neighbors await another chance to subvert House Arano. More than ever, the Coalition needs warriors willing to do whatever it takes to claim victory.
Step into the Aurigan Coalition in this Print-on-Demand and PDF product which brings the setting of the hit PC strategy game BattleTech into the long-running tabletop experience. Learn the proud history of the Coalition and its hope for the future, then take up the defense of the Arano dynasty with four all-new scenarios picking up where the game left off. "House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition" is authored by Harebrained Schemes' Andrew McIntosh and Kiva Maginn, writers and developers of the BattleTech PC game.
To survive on the fringes of the Inner Sphere, those of noble birth must once again call on champions of mercenary mind.
(https://i.ibb.co/0jpwzZS/House-Arano-Cover.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kgVdP0f)
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oh cool we can stop hyperventilating about the canonization of the Aurigan Reach now
love the homage to the 80s house books' covers
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Coming Soon - House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition!
Release Date: March 1, 2019
(https://i.ibb.co/0jpwzZS/House-Arano-Cover.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kgVdP0f)
OOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo.....I Likey!
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This goes on my short list of things to get...!
Damon.
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Color me interested
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Love the old school house book look. :)
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I had to double-check the given release date.
I still am not completely convinced it's not an April Fool's joke somehow.
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I still am not completely convinced it's not an April Fool's joke somehow.
No joke!
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I had to double-check the given release date.
I still am not completely convinced it's not an April Fool's joke somehow.
Lol, my first reaction too . . . and the release is well timed with the new HBS expansion coming out and something to talk about at MechCon. For all those who complained about CGL's product placement timing regarding HBS release, here's a PDF in your eye!
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Lol, my first reaction too . . . and the release is well timed with the new HBS expansion coming out and something to talk about at MechCon. For all those who complained about CGL's product placement timing regarding HBS release, here's a PDF in your eye!
It won't be out for MechCon. March 1. I wanted to time the announcement to the release of Flashpoint today.
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Like many have said. I am throwing my money at my screen, why is it not in my hands already? ;)
Seriously though, super excited about this one!
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Lol, to use your answer from the other thread-
Definitely. With Flashpoint coming out today and MechCon this weekend, I absolutely could not let the week pass without at least announcing this product.
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Very excited about this one - and happy to see the BattleTech family is staying together.
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Question:
Is this a PDF only, Hardcopy? just curious to know.
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Question:
Is this a PDF only, Hardcopy? just curious to know.
The text says Print on Demand
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Right, just updated that bit with some additional info. PDF and print-on-demand.
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No joke!
I have to admit, it took me a few minutes to realize you were serious about the product too, with all the hubub about how (or if) this material might be incorporated into the board game canon.
Very interesting.
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Very excited about this one - and happy to see the BattleTech family is staying together.
More like neighbors sharing a lawn than family.
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More like neighbors sharing a lawn than family.
Even so, with all the fractured franchises out there, where the entities that own different fragments seem completely incapable of talking to each other, it's nice to see people who want to come together for the betterment of a franchise.
One question about this Aurigan Reach sourcebook -- I love the retro cover, is the interior going to have the matching retro layout like the original House books?
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That’s not finalized yet, but that is a possibility.
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So, does that canonize the Aurigans or is it just a sourcebook for the videogame-verse version of BattleTech?
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So, does that canonize the Aurigans or is it just a sourcebook for the videogame-verse version of BattleTech?
I'm not sure I see the distinction.
It's a sourcebook "snapshot" for the period just after the game takes place.
The intent is that it is a canon BattleTech sourcebook.
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I'm not sure I see the distinction.
If Auriga is canon, then it is retcon for normal BattleTech, because it hasn't been there before. If it is not canon, then the video game is just alternate version where Auriga does exist but not in tabletop BattleTech.
For example, contrast to Marvel comics and Marvel cinematic universe. Pretty sure they are separate. And i've so far thought that BattleTech video games and tabletop setting are separate as well.
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It’s a retcon.
It was always intended to be a retcon.
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If Auriga is canon, then it is retcon for normal BattleTech, because it hasn't been there before.
There's a lot that's in the Periphery that isn't mentioned until...it is.
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It’s a retcon.
It was always intended to be a retcon.
There we go.
For the record, i disagree with this and wish it hadn't happened as i think this kinds of retcons are pretty ugly, but whatever, seen far worse retcons, so i can live with this.
Hope there's something that's gonna explain why Auriga never has caused anything around it though...
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I can imagine pretty ugly retcons, but how does this one qualify as such? ???
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1) It’s a retcon
2) They are seperate universes
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.i disagree with this
I’m sorry you feel that way.
Hope there's something that's gonna explain why Auriga never has caused anything around it though...
Nope. See also what Kit said. No silly fasa 2step this time.
It’s a retcon. There is no being cute about ridiculous reasons why they were never mentioned before.
They were never mentioned because they didn’t exist until HBS made them. And we like em enough to also want them in print. Nothing more to it.
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I can imagine pretty ugly retcons, but how does this one qualify as such? ???
Because a nation state affects geo-, err, stellar politics around itself. It has concentrated forces and economy, unlike scattered independent planets, thus a threat but also potential ally or subject. Its culture may affect nearby planets part of other nations (we've seen that before).
Quite a bit of effects that need to be explained, i think. Like during the Fourth Succession War, the Auriga would be a potential ally for the Federated Suns.
A lot of potential there, hence ugly. Now, move it 50 ly (or more) from the borders and it becomes less influential and important, perhaps, this would not be so ugly.
For something worse: try timeline compression or outright ignoring or forgetting things, or rewriting history but still referencing original events...
Reckon i'll read the sourcebook once it is out and then make judgement about just how ugly retcon this is, who knows, maybe it is done well actually. But for now, it looks ugly at least to my mind.
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I appreciate you’re being open minded about it.
I know I’ve never gotten over the massive retcon of 3025 revised.
Is what it is.
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Because a nation state affects geo-, err, stellar politics around itself. It has concentrated forces and economy, unlike scattered independent planets, thus a threat but also potential ally or subject. Its culture may affect nearby planets part of other nations (we've seen that before).
Quite a bit of effects that need to be explained, i think. Like during the Fourth Succession War, the Auriga would be a potential ally for the Federated Suns.
A lot of potential there, hence ugly. Now, move it 50 ly (or more) from the borders and it becomes less influential and important, perhaps, this would not be so ugly.
For something worse: try timeline compression or outright ignoring or forgetting things, or rewriting history but still referencing original events...
Reckon i'll read the sourcebook once it is out and then make judgement about just how ugly retcon this is, who knows, maybe it is done well actually. But for now, it looks ugly at least to my mind.
Sorry you feel that way, I thought it was a interesting micro-faction that I wish we had more of in the game- I wish the micro-factions of the Republic's break up had survived since IMO they offer more options for play.
I look forward to buying this PDF since I am already invested in my HBS merc's headcanon (already started them off in a 3030s MM campaign). Any way to pre-order this PDF yet so I can put it on my Christmas list?
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No silly fasa 2step this time.
It’s a retcon. There is no being cute about ridiculous reasons why they were never mentioned before.
I have no real opinion of the addition (until I read it), but going about it honestly like this makes me happy.
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It’s a retcon. There is no being cute about ridiculous reasons why they were never mentioned before.
Is the intent to refer to the place in the future (if applicable), and possibly retcon events it might have affected?
One reason i disagree with retcons of this size is because i fear they end up not getting integrated well into main universe. I mean, if you go and rewrite or adjust all events that might be affected by Aurigans, that would be good IMO (no comment on where and how that might be done, would be quite a bit of work). It is that Auriga getting ignored later on would be a mistake, assuming it is still around.
Sorry you feel that way, I thought it was a interesting micro-faction that I wish we had more of in the game- I wish the micro-factions of the Republic's break up had survived since IMO they offer more options for play.
I don't disagree with the concept. Indeed, since it has been mentioned that there are various Periphery minor kingdoms, i feel they should've been made up long ago. I'm not the sort to keep headcanon universe around so i don't care about leaving space for players to make their own, they'll do that anyway i think.
It is just that if you add additional factions that may affect things, then they need to appear too, not just be "one and done". Old books getting outdated is OK as far as i'm concerned.
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It’s worth noting we haven’t touched on the Fourth Succession War yet.
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It’s worth noting we haven’t touched on the Fourth Succession War yet.
Ah, yes, the natural place to kill a small nation ;D
Hope you actually have something planned for that conflict. The current sourcebooks for it tend to be rather old, not counting mentions in the housebooks etc.
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Honestly I find the decision to publish an "official parallel BattleTech universe" sourcebook to be encouraging.
I've long thought BattleTech coulda/shoulda/woulda done better as a series of ostensibly linked settings rather than one continuous storyline that switches from post-apocalyptic to "alien" invasion to total war settings. The history of the 31st century is such a mess because it tries to jump not just one but at least two sharks.
I'd love to see the eras broken apart into completely distinct settings that don't have to affect one another.
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As far as retcons go, this is a pretty minor one in my book. Yes the Periphery is supposed to have all sorts of minor kingdoms, states, etc. We only get a handful (3 major Periphery states & a handful of minor states/pirate kingdoms/etc). I personally welcome anything that expands on the near periphery into something that looks like functional states, rather than big blank spots that say "Here be Dragons..."
Damon.
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Coming Soon - House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition!
Release Date: March 1, 2019
High Lady Kamea Arano dispatched the usurpers who stole her throne, dismantled their dictatorial government, and restored peace to the Aurigan Coalition. Now her true battle begins…
The Arano Restoration has succeeded, and High Lady Kamea rules over the reunited Aurigan Coalition. But all is not well—the Coalition’s hardscrabble planets teeter on the brink of collapse, while its powerful neighbors await another chance to subvert House Arano. More than ever, the Coalition needs warriors willing to do whatever it takes to claim victory.
Step into the Aurigan Coalition in this Print-on-Demand and PDF product which brings the setting of the hit PC strategy game BattleTech into the long-running tabletop experience. Learn the proud history of the Coalition and its hope for the future, then take up the defense of the Arano dynasty with four all-new scenarios picking up where the game left off. "House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition" is authored by Harebrained Schemes' Andrew McIntosh and Kiva Maginn, writers and developers of the BattleTech PC game.
To survive on the fringes of the Inner Sphere, those of noble birth must once again call on champions of mercenary mind.
(https://i.ibb.co/0jpwzZS/House-Arano-Cover.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kgVdP0f)
Wow! I've been looking forward to this since we first learned about the setting of the Battletech game. Being the sucker for fluff text that I am, this is the perfect product. Thank you so much!
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So . . . pre-order PDF?
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As far as retcons go, this is a pretty minor one in my book. Yes the Periphery is supposed to have all sorts of minor kingdoms, states, etc. We only get a handful (3 major Periphery states & a handful of minor states/pirate kingdoms/etc). I personally welcome anything that expands on the near periphery into something that looks like functional states, rather than big blank spots that say "Here be Dragons..."
Damon.
That's kind of how I feel. There has always been a lot of potential for home games to dive into the minor powers and one-off kingdoms that supposedly populate the Periphery, but not that many are fleshed out in a meaningful way. Adding the Aurigan Reach/Coalition/Whatever as a minor power in the shadow of the Taurian Concordat seems like a fine way to expand on that.
Especially after the events of the game, they seem too fractured and weak to have much effect on their stronger neighbors.
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Just gonna pop this here:
https://www.rd.com/culture/countries-that-dont-exist-anymore/
Biggest shock to me, is as a Canadian I was aware that Newfoundland was not part of the country until Joey Smallwood brought it into Canada in 1949, but never thought of Newfoundland as being a Country
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I'm curious to see how it turns out.
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While I am a fully paid up player of the HBS videogame, I am not really a fan of a canon Arano Sourcebook, and would prefer if it was left as an alt-universe.
But putting that aside, and accepting there will be no ComStar hid them plot, what will actually need to be considered reconned? I mean the Interstellar Players and Periphery type books don't mention this new faction obviously, but they were always pretty explicit that various unmentioned Periphery factions didn't get covered.
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While I am a fully paid up player of the HBS videogame, I am not really a fan of a canon Arano Sourcebook, and would prefer if it was left as an alt-universe.
But putting that aside, and accepting there will be no ComStar hid them plot, what will actually need to be considered reconned? I mean the Interstellar Players and Periphery type books don't mention this new faction obviously, but they were always pretty explicit that various unmentioned Periphery factions didn't get covered.
Strictly speaking in terms of 3025, not much. At best, I think the Regis Roost Touring the Stars book is the only immediate contradiction with the game, and I doubt that'll be revoked after just coming out.
When you move beyond that it gets trickier. Two Aurigan worlds end up in Taurian hands. But even then, current canon establishes that region was home to several Taurian and Capellan colonies abandoned during the Succession Wars, and notably the Concordat mostly didn't go back there, even when the Taurians and Canopeans were actively colonizing the region (the fronc reaches don't touch any of the Aurigan worlds) and these worlds would have already proven viable. There's room to say it was because a political structure already existed there and wasn't interested in joining the fold.
It would still be a retcon, but not a 3025 revised level retcon. Maybe not even a "Fotch pulled another bit of nonsense out of his ass" level retcon (I'm looking at you, Free Guilds!).
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Roost is easy . . . your HBS star book's data was out of date but its such a out of the way place you did not know the entry dated back to the Reunification War (or whatever the Touring says, I do not have it yet)- or the Argo crashed, whatever reasoning you want to use.
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That will have to be applied repeatedly, then. I remembered several worlds described in the old House books that HBS completely ignored when they wrote their thumbnails. That you can actually go to those worlds in the HBS game (and they match the thumbnails) kind of makes it hard to ignore. I'll be curious to see how the HBS writers adapt to our fact-checking culture.
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I’m fine with the IP not having to care about anything published before the fasa field manual series (or if you must, 20 year update) except as broad guidelines. Change the planet histories to suite and call it misinformed analysis. 3025 in-universe perspective is like history written in the 1890s at this point. I wouldn’t rely on it too heavily
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Impossible to tell how it will alter the known BT universe without seeing the book, but I’m glad that this is happening.
The HBS game did some things well, and some things... less well... but I do like the idea of including the Aurigan Reach in the tabletop canon. It gives any converts from the PC game a good place to start and it makes the Periphery that much more interesting for the rest of us.
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Wow! I love this. I'm looking forward to getting this baby. It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing old school FASA house book art.
So this canon, minor retro-con. Which i'm fine. That area was largely not covered. So i'm fine with fading small alliance/coalition was below interested major empires.
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I'll be curious to see how the HBS writers adapt to our fact-checking culture.
Who said they’re going to even be subjected to it? AFAICT, nobody has said anything about the two merging in any way that would lead to the use of a single factchecking team.
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CGL will publish something without fact checking? Interesting.
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Speaking as someone who bought the deluxe version of the PC game without being able to run it, I look forward to the book.
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CGL will publish something without fact checking? Interesting.
Just because it’s not subjected to insane fan analysis doesn’t mean it wasn’t fact checked once any way
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Who said they’re going to even be subjected to it? AFAICT, nobody has said anything about the two merging in any way that would lead to the use of a single factchecking team.
It has confirmed that the book is intended to be CGL canon, so allowing for the acknowledged recon, it would presumably be necessary for CGL to fact check it (just as they do for work submitted by other writers).
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CGL will publish something without fact checking? Interesting.
My understanding is that Roosterboy is saying harebrained schemes isn't subject to CGL fact checking, not the book itself.
I assume the book will be made to fit CGL canon (with retcons where necessary), but harebrained schemes will continue to do their own thing.
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Right, but I took the writing credit to mean the HBS writers will be doing the "fitting"... Hence my curiosity to see how they adapt to writing for CGL vice HBS.
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Wow. Slow down folks. This is a CGL book. It will go through the same process as all our books.
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While I am not happy about this getting canonized, I am willing to give the book a chance. Although I am worried that if HBS keeps adding new factions and other retcons into their games, that Catalyst will keep shoehorning them into the canon.
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It's been done before. Somerset Strikers Sourcebook. Remember the Banshee hybrid fighter? Enhanced Imaging? Camelot Command being found before the published date? Why it seemed like there was only 8 mechs in the entire Battletech universe?
Game canon has always been separate from Tabletop canon.
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Shoehorning? Look at all the mechs that migrated over from MW4 . . .
Besides, look at the DLC expansions . . . the first which is out now just seems to be introducing individuals, granted I have not played it yet but I have read the release info. Second is supposed to integrate urban warfare, again with no word of factions or anything more than that improvement.
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My understanding is that Roosterboy is saying harebrained schemes isn't subject to CGL fact checking, not the book itself.
Exactly.
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if the extent of this invasive intrusion into sacred 80s canon by HBS stuff is a handful of pdf-exclusive products and a few one-off mentions here and there, the complaining is certainly overwrought.
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All can be forgiven by the inclusion of images of the Road Warrior and A Glock of Seagulls.
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A Glock of Seagulls.
...can't decide if that's a Bird Gun or a gun with a bad haircut ;)
(I get what you mean, auto-correct is no friend mine)
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Shoehorning? Look at all the mechs that migrated over from MW4 . . .
Besides, look at the DLC expansions . . . the first which is out now just seems to be introducing individuals, granted I have not played it yet but I have read the release info. Second is supposed to integrate urban warfare, again with no word of factions or anything more than that improvement.
Yes shoehorning, as in blatantly retconing in an entire space nation where there was none in a time line that is done and finished. For the mechwarrior 4 mechs they were added in while the civil war was happening in the books not 30 years later.
Honestly I don't really care about the fact its a retcon, I just don't want them to continue to retcon things everytime there is a new game or other media.
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i don't think it's going to happen enough to make that much of a difference. the number of new BT things funneled into CGL's production schedule means... one product a year? Two?
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I don't see the shoehorning aspect.
There is nothing in canon now that positively rules out the existence of an ailing minor periphery power in the Aurigan Reach. There's supposed to be 17 (iirc) minor near periphery powers that we haven't seen yet, because ComStar and the Inner Sphere didn't consider them noteworthy.
The HBS game exceeded the canon in how powerful the Coalition was - it's way more powerful than, say, the Illyrian Palatinate or Marian Hegemony, to say nothing of one-system periphery nations.
It remains to be seen how the power level is adapted. Or how diverging system descriptions are reconciled. If the game canon is downplayed a little, it can still fit CGL canon without retroactively changes to established canon (as opposed to backfilling what was previously a blank slate).
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Do recall that people (employees, freelancers, volunteers) who have worked on fine details like faction borders, maps, and fine logistics details in keeping the game's canon together worked hard to maintain consistency. Most of them I can recall are excited about this. So yes, there is some shoehorning. But connecting widely experienced video game fiction with the canon is so worth it. Even if it means a few planets get moved from column A to column B. That's a perfectly acceptable sacrifice (and honestly still far and away a higher standard of accuracy than FASA ever met).
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I wonder the stats for the Argo would be included. That would be neat. One can hope.
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I have to admit that I'm surprised to see pushback to this. We've been told for years that the Periphery is full of minor powers that haven't been discussed in detail so including the Aurigans is a minimal change at best. We don't even know if they will survive into the future, which seems doubtful given Ray's comment about the 4th Succession War.
This is certainly a much smaller change to the game than the introduction of new technology.
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Exactly, and it's why I suggest people look up things like:
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/10-countries-you-ve-probably-never-heard-of.html
and
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/05/18/23-countries-that-no-longer-exist-and-the-history-behind-them/
Seriously, do a Google Search for these, read some articles, and THEN come back here and start going off about this 'Minor' Periphery power could not have existed and there was no mention of it before.
As an example I've stated before, Ask any Canadian under the age of 60 if they knew about the Country of Newfoundland? I'm Canadian (age 51), and as I've stated before knew Newfoundland was the last province to join Canada (in 1949) after World War 2, but it never occurred to me that it was ACTUALLY a country.
Or a more modern Example. The Island Nation of Niue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niue
While the citizens are granted New Zealand Citizenship, and it receives governing assistance from New Zealand, it is in fact, and independent Nation.
Or even North Sentinel Island (which has been in the News recently), most people have probably never even heard of this isolated Neolithic island that time forgot (I only learned about it earlier this spring).
The point I'm making is the Periphery is vast, and to the learned folks of the Inner Sphere not a very important place. What goes on there is of no importance to them, and people getting all in a Tizzy about it now becoming part of the game, should really look to our Real World history and realize that things that happened half a world away they probably never heard of, and things that even happen in their own backyard went largely unknown to them.
So, take a deep breath and rejoice in new intrigues to learn about.
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i don't think it needs to be rationalized that hard. canon is not sacrosanct and should be adjusted as the need arises. after all it's the fake history of an impossible future. it's not that deep.
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i don't think it needs to be rationalized that hard. canon is not sacrosanct and should be adjusted as the need arises. after all it's the fake history of an impossible future. it's not that deep.
I want to love that answer . . . and hate it at the same time! lol
So one more try (at least) . . . any chance to pre-order the PDF so I can add it to my Christmas list?
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Guys just stop a minute and take a look at that Classic Battletech cover right there.... just saying.... beautiful
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Now I am getting really confused.
It is a total fake, right?
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Nope, its happening . . .
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the only way it could be considered fake is if you deny the existence of digital items as real.
I want to love that answer . . . and hate it at the same time! lol
i'm only here to dispense hard, bitter truths. how you react to it is completely your business
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So one more try (at least) . . . any chance to pre-order the PDF so I can add it to my Christmas list?
HBS asked the same thing. My understanding is that we don't currently have the ability to do pre-orders on PDF items that are not yet available.
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Auriga is far too powerful for its size to be classified as a minor Periphery faction, and it is right next to a Successor State and a major Periphery nation.
That is a major issue. Were it weaker and/or farther away, it would be less of an issue.
It is not quite comparable to, say, that aforementioned Newfoundland.
Now, if the tabletop canon version is actually weaker, truly more of a minor nation? Sure, why not. But until we see that version in March, it will be appear to be a problem.
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I doubt that their real size (planets that matter, and so get into the BIG interstellar maps) is larger than that of the Fronc Reaches.
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I will be looking forward to it. Thanks for the news Cubby! :thumbsup:
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Auriga is far too powerful for its size to be classified as a minor Periphery faction, and it is right next to a Successor State and a major Periphery nation.
That is a major issue. Were it weaker and/or farther away, it would be less of an issue.
It is not quite comparable to, say, that aforementioned Newfoundland.
Now, if the tabletop canon version is actually weaker, truly more of a minor nation? Sure, why not. But until we see that version in March, it will be appear to be a problem.
Far too powerful? A single battalion of Taurian 'mechs is enough to be a real game-changer in their civil war. They have no production sites for ANYTHING.
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Uwell, you do not need to produce anything when you can salvage SL tech by the dozen. That is true xD
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Uwell, you do not need to produce anything when you can salvage SL tech by the dozen. That is true xD
And have bankrolling from the Magistracy and super-mercs on your side...
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I guess I'm just not sure why the geopolitical setting of Battletech has to be any more believable than its weapons of war. Does including the Aurigans require some minor adjustments to the balance of power in one small corner of the Inner Sphere? If CGL wants it to make sense, of course it does.
But so what? Why should this game, alone, be immune from retcons? Especially if the retcon allows for the inclusion of something very popular that probably doesn't survive long enough to see the Invasion? The HBS game is one of the most successful products in recent years to bear the Battletech name. It would be silly for CGL not to at least attempt to integrate SOMETHING from the game into the tabletop. Heck, even GW rewrote the entire 13th crusade event to generate a new, more interesting narrative.
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I see it like this, it is not the total number of Mechs that matters, but the available number of Mechs.
In a normal situation many 'Mechs would be assigned to specific sites/duties or are in private hands, and thus not be available for interstellar deployment.
But in a civil war, things get a lot more nasty and desperate, and thus more usage of the total number of 'Mechs, which is followed by more permenant losses.
The end result will be that the available number of Mechs will be severely impacted and the nation will lose influence/worlds.
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I'm not opposed to retcons if they truly add something, plus are integrated well, even large ones. Seen a lot of bad retcons in fiction well after a franchise's formative stages (in those stages, retcons may either be needed -like BT's start- or things just aren't set in stone yet) so i'm leery of retcons.
So, Auriga gets added. Now, if it does survive the Fourth Succession War, will it be referred in the future? Will events where it logically probably should've played role get re-written in some form? Or does it subsequently get ignored?
"One and done" is no good.
As for geopolitics, that's human nature. 'Mechs are sine qua non of BT, along with ridiculously small armies and whatever else, and so get pass. But geopolitics and that shit is human nature, which decidedly isn't particularly different from real world, so at least i do hold them to higher standard (well, somewhat, anyway).
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So I am not allowed to have any sort of criticism about this. I admit I was a bit overboard in my reaction. I apologize if I started anything or offended anyone.
Yes I do know that there are minor periphery realms that are flash in the pans so to speak and I have nothing against any fans of this realm. I just would rather see the timeline move forward than to keep adding content in the past. I do respect that the people in charge have said it's a retcon, instead of 'no body has talked about it before".
Then again they could just say that the Argurian Reach is the Free Worlds League of the periphery. It exists but no one talks about it has done nothing. ;)
Neonknight, I am a Canadian under 60, yes I know about Newfoundland, and yes I know there are countries that no longer exist. I am not an idiot.
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And has a secret double of their ruler on the throne, while the true ruler has become a true believer of a doomsday cult? And the double is actually cares more about the realm then the real one?
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Can we focus on new stuff? New PDF for February sounds interesting. I do wonder if some ATOW stuff will be thrown in there too. I know RPG isn't as popular among the Tabletop crowd, but i think it's good for the game too.
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So I am not allowed to have any sort of criticism about this.
This is absolutely untrue. Disagreement and criticism are always okay, within the bounds of the forum rules.
I just would rather see the timeline move forward than to keep adding content in the past.
As is your right. Everybody has their own preferences. Some people get excited by the Aurigan Reach, others get excited by Shattered Fortress and ilClan. No one product is going to please everybody.
Neonknight, I am a Canadian under 60, yes I know about Newfoundland, and yes I know there are countries that no longer exist. I am not an idiot.
I highly doubt his intention was to insult anyone's intelligence.
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So I am not allowed to have any sort of criticism about this.
Nobody is saying this.
I criticize the game all the time.
Alllllllllll the time.
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And has a secret double of their ruler on the throne, while the true ruler has become a true believer of a doomsday cult? And the double is actually cares more about the realm then the real one?
I love that bit.
The problem with fictional geopolitics is that we hold the participants to ideal forms and expect them to behave logically - when real history is full of unpredictable and accidental events, and leaders who make horrible decisions. The plot twists of history would be panned and ridiculous contrivances if presented as fiction.
So I am not allowed to have any sort of criticism about this.
No one said that. Putting your opinion in a discussion form invites discussion, which carries no guarantees of agreement. You have a ways to go around here before your comments are widely ignored like mine (that’s not entirely accurate. I’m often pilloried)
If you want to see worked up, find the locked threads on changing loose’s early TRO art or the Legend Killer’s stats
Yes I do know that there are minor periphery realms that are flash in the pans so to speak and I have nothing against any fans of this realm. I just would rather see the timeline move forward than to keep adding content in the past.
Now here’s something we agree on. The one caveat here is that the writing was done by people not in the regular stable of devs or freelance writers so this particular item didn’t necessarily replace something new in the release schedule.
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Neonknight, I am a Canadian under 60, yes I know about Newfoundland, and yes I know there are countries that no longer exist. I am not an idiot.
I never said you were. I merely stated, in the case of Newfoundland, that I was never aware it actually had autonomy outside of British Colonial rule. And is not something i ever really put a lot of thought into.
My point on countries that no longer exist, is outside of countries like Prussia and Austria, and Macedonia, and other similar type places is how many places that used to exist had little geopolitical influence and as a result no-one batted an eye over their demise, or when told of their existance went...Huh...never Knew.
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The lost ‘Mechs of the Star League, first introduced in TRO 2750, one day, were no longer lost. They weren’t found, they just suddenly *were always there*.
This too shall pass.
My opinion: retcons that *add* and *create* are much better and far easier to swallow than those that *destroy*, like Star Wars “Legends.”
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Wait, is THAT the 3025r thing people were mentioning as getting folks in a tizzy?! Really? People were complaining about getting more mechs to play with? ???
Huh. Well, like I said before, no product is going to please everyone. If it's not your bowl of cheese, just wait around and something you like will come along in due time.
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I love that bit.
The problem with fictional geopolitics is that we hold the participants to ideal forms and expect them to behave logically - when real history is full of unpredictable and accidental events, and leaders who make horrible decisions. The plot twists of history would be panned and ridiculous contrivances if presented as fiction.
One of my favorite quotations is from Mark Twain- 'Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.'
I love trotting out the IRL turns of fate that have altered the course of history.
Adrian . . . ugh Legends. The wife just rolls her eyes with SW . . . kept getting told to shut up when I would whisper 'it does not work that way.'
Personally I am a fan of having more 3025 mechs running around since it lets forces be a bit more unique- its why I love the Age of War introductions. I hate dealing with the Po being 3030s when we would have had a plain AC/10 tank earlier IMO and since its supposed to be representative . . . granted we did get the Marsden I or was it II with the AC/10? I know the IIa has the LBX.
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I, too, was wondering what the 3025 revision was referring to.
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This is exactly my point. Most people are happy with that retcon, because ultimately it adds to the universe and the game. I don’t like it, but I didn’t drop dead. This will be a fine.
Besides, that was over two decades ago—this too shall pass.
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Besides, that was over two decades ago—this two shall pass.
You're saying that retcons are the Taco Bell of Battletech? :)
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You're saying that retcons are the Taco Bell of Battletech? :)
*Pinches his nose* ****** Weirdo.
I didn't realize it'd been that long since 3025r. I just turned turned 36 and that was 22 years ago now. What have I been doing with my life??
Also, love the Aurigan Reach idea. Can't wait to get my mitts on it. (Just don't tell my wife... :-X)
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You're saying that retcons are the Taco Bell of Battletech? :)
Yup.
Most people love it. It gives others the runs.
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Yup.
Most people love it. It gives others the runs.
Or both!
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Nobody is saying this.
I criticize the game all the time.
Alllllllllll the time.
I'm still bitter over royal mechs.
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I'm still bitter about the idea that nations with access to the resources of hundreds of solar systems can't scrape up enough metal to cobble together a couple gross of spacecraft that are each only a kilometer or two long.
Eh, I'm dealing with it.
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Now to open another can of worms . . .
Since the Aurigan PDF will not be available for Christmas . . . any idea where the ship is with those wonderful boxes?
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I'm still bitter about the idea that nations with access to the resources of hundreds of solar systems can't scrape up enough metal to cobble together a couple gross of spacecraft that are each only a kilometer or two long.
Eh, I'm dealing with it.
Oh man, "big universe, tiny military" is another one for me. I've built entire AUs around working out my grudges against that.
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Now to open another can of worms . . .
Since the Aurigan PDF will not be available for Christmas . . . any idea where the ship is with those wonderful boxes?
Extended shore leave in Hawaii
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Bottom of Pearl harbor? Would explain the delay
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Well only thing scheduled that was announced was
Touring the Stars: Tortuga Prime
Release Date: 7 December 2018
Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood
Release Date: 21 December 2018
They seem to be interesting. Pirates and Clan something-something
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Exactly, and it's why I suggest people look up things like:
canon is not sacrosanct and should be adjusted as the need arises. after all it's the fake history of an impossible future. it's not that deep.
We've been told for years that the Periphery is full of minor powers that haven't been discussed in detail so including the Aurigans is a minimal change at best <snip> certainly a much smaller change to the game than the introduction of new technology. <snip> It would be silly for CGL not to at least attempt to integrate SOMETHING from the game into the tabletop.
Yes and no.
We've been told for years that the Periphery has another forty or so nations smaller than the Marians, Circinians and Oberons, because growing larger takes time and the shattered remnants of Inner Sphere regiments are constantly fleeing into the periphery to found new kingdoms. There's an ecology linking strength and territory, the pace of warfare, and how much unclaimed/undefended space is available for players to conquer. The Periphery, the Inner Sphere, and even the Clans are governed by this ecology.
Getting the scope right is important in any story, and getting it wrong damages the long-term enjoyability and usefulness of a setting. It's natural and to be expected that consumers would have concerns over the manner in which something like this gets implemented, and how that might change their relationship with the product line.
this too shall pass.
Nihilism doesn't strike me as the optimal outlook for a commercial enterprise. ;D
I didn't realize it'd been that long since 3025r. I just turned turned 36 and that was 22 years ago now.
Heh. Even Dark Age is a decade or two old now, too.
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Let me put it another way. Invaliding paragraphs or pages in thirty year old books is not an issue. I don’t want to be held hostage by sources thirty years out of print. It’s a pox on the setting
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Oh man, "big universe, tiny military" is another one for me. I've built entire AUs around working out my grudges against that.
My head canon multiplies all TOEs by 10 or more. It's not a bad shortcut.
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Let me put it another way. Invaliding paragraphs or pages in thirty year old books is not an issue. I don’t want to be held hostage by sources thirty years out of print. It’s a pox on the setting
Then put your mind at ease. What I've described are merely the basic principles by which the whole thirty years of BattleTech hold together, through to the present day; and you are not being "held hostage" because it is not necessary to make the Aurigans big enough to violate those principles.
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The Cult of ‘87 certainly does hold the IP hostage. The obsession with the bloody unseen issue alone has almost capsized us multiple times. I’m all for any retcons that loosen the grip of the early fasa days on the franchise.
I’ve begun to take the opinion that longevity without serious adaptation isn’t necessarily a virtue.
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The Cult of ‘87 certainly does hold the IP hostage.
I think that is another score . . .
You know, for the folks that are against it nothing is forcing them to use the Aurigan book. Its not going to be universe shifting, its a PDF product after all.
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I think it's a bit simplistic and divisive to try to use terms like the "cult of '87" and suggest that it's a monolithic group somehow holding the IP hostage.
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You know, for the folks that are against it nothing is forcing them to use the Aurigan book. Its not going to be universe shifting, its a PDF product after all.
Perhaps. But at the same time, nothing is lost by keeping them down to a certain size, and nothing is gained by making them larger.
The Cult of ‘87 certainly does hold the IP hostage. The obsession with the bloody unseen issue alone has almost capsized us multiple times. I’m all for any retcons that loosen the grip of the early fasa days on the franchise.
I’ve begun to take the opinion that longevity without serious adaptation isn’t necessarily a virtue.
If the obsession with "fixing" a dead era is a mistake which almost capsized us multiple times, then: - instead of trying to "fix" a dead era, we should just make sure the "live" era works how we want; and
- instead of letting obsession make us impulsive, we should make sure we plan those workings carefully.
Right? ???
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I think it's a bit simplistic and divisive to try to use terms like the "cult of '87" and suggest that it's a monolithic group somehow holding the IP hostage.
Must have totally imagined it. My bad
If the obsession with "fixing" a dead era is a mistake which almost capsized us multiple times, then: - instead of trying to "fix" a dead era, we should just make sure the "live" era works how we want; and
- instead of letting obsession make us impulsive, we should make sure we plan those workings carefully.
Right? ???
Really my deepest wish - burning the whole thing down and building from the ground up - isn’t a viable option. That’s really the only way to do it “right”
Ultimately it’s a lot of constipation over a product virtually none of us have even seen
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Why this topic wears me out as a fan;
Fans: "I'm disappointed that CGL hasn't done anything to integrate the HBS game into the Table Top, it's really popular."
CGL: "We are creating a book to help integrate elements from the HBS game into the BTU."
Fans: "I'm disappointing that CGL is trying to integrate the HBS game into the table top, no body asked for this."
Me: .... wut
Honestly; if your going to get angry about the PTB adding stuff to to established lore, hop in a time machine and yell at FASA for creating the Somerset Strikers source book. Talking about the stuff in older books as if it's some sort of sacred text is why a washed my hands of the comic book community years ago.
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To echo this: sometimes burning everything doesn't actually work... just look at what happened with Star Wars ... but that's my two cents...
Anyways we should be talking about all the new PDF's (that I can afford!) and like widespread distribution of Shattered Fortress and box sets (?) so that way I can bug my local gaming establishments to buy half a dozen copies !
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Fans: "I'm disappointed that CGL hasn't done anything to integrate the HBS game into the Table Top, it's really popular."
CGL: "We are creating a book to help integrate elements from the HBS game into the BTU."
Fans: "I'm disappointing that CGL is trying to integrate the HBS game into the table top, no body asked for this."
Me: .... wut
Nihilism may not be an optimal outlook, but you certainly can't call it a surprising one...
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The Cult of ‘87 certainly does hold the IP hostage. The obsession with the bloody unseen issue alone has almost capsized us multiple times. I’m all for any retcons that loosen the grip of the early fasa days on the franchise.
You're forgetting the cult of '00, who remember just how rough the transition from FASA to Wizkids was, and the bodyblow the player base took from it.
And the cult of '94, who remember having to deal with the severely under-costed tarcomp/cLPL mechs of the time and point system.
I think poeple are afraid of things being done poorly. As for me, I'm fairly unlikely to get the PDF, but I'm all for letting the players of each group find out which timeline is true, and which is ridiculous comstar/government propaganda.
"Don't you believe the cow patties from the movie, it wasn't a Highlander from a star league cache, it was a second succession war Vindicator from a crashed Liao dropship. What do you mean you don't believe me, I was there and they shot my mech was shot out from under me."
00000
As for moving the timeline forward, I wouldn't mind the focus of the setting moving away from the inner sphere and the charlie-foxtrot that is the dork ages.
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... just look at what happened with Star Wars ... but that's my two cents...
I rather stay away from using another franchise as a example, especially considering it's the constant fan outrage since Jar Jar Binks that has made me walk away from that particular example. *Though I have ironically been using Hermit Skywalker as a example of bitter fans in general ;) *
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My head canon multiplies all TOEs by 10 or more. It's not a bad shortcut.
Likewise. my pet example: Kerensky's 800 seem to me a ridiculously small number of soldiers with which to subdue five entire Earth-sized planets. So sometimes in my head canon the 800 bloodnamed are the mechwarriors and pilots, plus token exceptions to round out the skills base, and another 7200 soldiers serve as armor and infantry for various dirty jobs and garrison duty. The former became the trueborn elite of the Clans, the latter became the ancestors of the freeborn police, garrison clusters, WarShip crews, etc.
The Cult of ‘87 certainly does hold the IP hostage. The obsession with the bloody unseen issue alone has almost capsized us multiple times. I’m all for any retcons that loosen the grip of the early fasa days on the franchise.
I’ve begun to take the opinion that longevity without serious adaptation isn’t necessarily a virtue.
Agreed. I'd support a reboot of the game setting if it meant keeping the best of FASA and ditching the worst or wildly implausible. Like any fan I wouldn't like all the changes, but as long as the major players and characters remained in some form it would still be recognizably Battletech.
Arguments over canon and Auriga aside, I'm just pleased that we're getting new products :)
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Well, I am still reeling from the clans breaking a cool setting unnecessarily. :P Double heat sinks should not exist.
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(PSSS, Hate to break it to you. It was Star League who made DHS. )
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(PSSS, Hate to break it to you. It was Star League who made DHS. )
Revisionism, I tell you. DHS should not exist in their current format
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Yes yes, let us dance to the disco lights known as laser heat sinks! :thumbsup:
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Well, I am still reeling from the clans breaking a cool setting unnecessarily. :P Double heat sinks should not exist.
Man, Elmoth still reeling from 1990. That 28 year grudge. There are the Hatfield's and the Mccoys and the Elmoth's and the Kerensky's.
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Revisionism, I tell you. DHS should not exist in their current format
It's true that DHS turned the BTU upside-down. Marauders and Warhammer became viable options if one just upgraded the heat sink.
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xD
The funny thing is that I started looking into BT in 2017. :P
I just think that the DHS and the massive proliferation over introtech simply breaks the setting and makes it less interesting when ther eis no real differenciation between mech designs AND there is no real problems of heat management if you do not want them to be there.
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You're forgetting the cult of '00, who remember just how rough the transition from FASA to Wizkids was, and the bodyblow the player base took from it.
I'm going to stick up for CGL here, because they've done a much better job of keeping things in line than Wizkids did. When the ClickTech stuff was released, no mention was made of how this would affect the existing setting. This pissed me off because I thought hundreds of dollars worth of stuff I'd bought was suddenly useless. CGL hasn't done that, and isn't doing it with this product. They're giving you more toppings for your burrito, that's all. If you don't like it, don't use those toppings.
I think poeple are afraid of things being done poorly. As for me, I'm fairly unlikely to get the PDF, but I'm all for letting the players of each group find out which timeline is true, and which is ridiculous comstar/government propaganda.
100% agree!
As for moving the timeline forward, I wouldn't mind the focus of the setting moving away from the inner sphere and the charlie-foxtrot that is the dork ages.
The dork ages? Really? Come on man, you're better than that. :)
Let's all remember this is just a game. Canon exists to provide a common setting, not act as Holy Writ. Some of us (including me) are prone to getting our panties in a bunch and saying "not canon" when really what we're doing is setting the documents up as YOU MUST OBEY instead of USE TO HAVE FUN. That YOU MUST OBEY makes a fun game into some sort of dogma, and you know what happens when you make the game into dogma? You get Blakists. I like computers, but I'm not interested in ****** one the way the Manei Domini were. And you can't wear pants! It gets cold in Ohio during winter and I like to wear pants! Don't be a Blakist. If you like to wear pants, just say no to inflexibility. Eschew dogma. Remember that you don't have to buy or use the new product.
And you're overlooking the two main benefits to this product:
1. It could be a great tool for us to attract new targets players to the tabletop game, and
2. We get new writers for tabletop products
Honestly the only way this could be better for us is if someone locked Ray in a parallel dimension where he had more time and a staff of clones to produce the quality product we've been getting.
Speaking of quality product, did I miss the release of Holt's Hilltoppers? That looked kind of neat.
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Mbear, 2020!
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Mbear speaks wise.
I'll add a third benefit:
3. It might be a good product.
I mean, one guy from my RPG group and another old pal I recently met again after many years both play and love the HBS game. Neither of them particularly cares about the lore in the way I do, but they both independently of each other raved about how HBS got the feeling across. So apparently, their writing isn't too bad. It stands to reason that they can put together a decent product for CGL; and Ray explicitly said it will be going through the usual CGL factchecking process, which as far as I can tell seems to be one of the best in the industry. (Seriously.)
(Myself, I've backed the kickstarter but found my old rig isn't powerful enough to run the game so I couldn't play the game myself yet. Embarrassing but true - I have no first hand experience with the HBS game.)
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If it helps, we do have a built-in reason for ComStar to edit the interstellar maps. Not just anyone finds an intact Star League base stocked with royal 'mechs. That alone is reason enough to let the Aurigan Coalition disappear. Throw in that it might cease to exist as a functioning state by the 4th War and it puts a neat little bow on everything.
But also... it is just a cool project. There have been dozens of little retcons here and there. I've seen less. It's not like they are bringing Hanse Davion back from the dead to right the ship of the Federated Suns. I mean... that would be cool...
*wink wink nudge nudge*
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If it helps, we do have a built-in reason for ComStar to edit the interstellar maps. Not just anyone finds an intact Star League base stocked with royal 'mechs. That alone is reason enough to let the Aurigan Coalition disappear. Throw in that it might cease to exist as a functioning state by the 4th War and it puts a neat little bow on everything.
Honestly, i never liked ComStar edits as justifications for retcons. That they do edit stuff is OK, but poor justification for retcons. (Just own up to them, like Paul said about Auriga, "it is better this way".)
And they would not remove an entire nations for one SL base, rather they either remove that world (or perhaps rename it or something else to make people ignore old maps if they have any), or they manipulate events so that the world goes mostly unexplored or something else.
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Honestly the only way this could be better for us is if someone locked Ray in a parallel dimension where he had more time and a staff of clones to produce the quality product we've been getting.
Gosh, I could catch up on sleep.
Speaking of quality product, did I miss the release of Holt's Hilltoppers? That looked kind of neat.
There was an issue with the final product that delayed it (my fault), and then we decided to nudge it until Friday (tomorrow) to give Tuesday’s announcement some room.
It's not like they are bringing Hanse Davion back from the dead to right the ship of the Federated Suns. I mean... that would be cool...
*wink wink nudge nudge*
Think on this. Hanse Davion is Alaric’s grandfather on both sides. He likely has more of Hanse in him than any of Hanse’ children.
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You mean the wolves will make the FS great again? Maybe he could marry Julian. 8)
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Agreed. I'd support a reboot of the game setting if it meant keeping the best of FASA and ditching the worst or wildly implausible. Like any fan I wouldn't like all the changes, but as long as the major players and characters remained in some form it would still be recognizably Battletech.
In some ways it seems like a good idea. Not sure how it could be implemented without losing half the fanbase, though. The name could remain close enough to be recognizable, or use another common term within the game setting (note that BattleTech and MechWarrior are both known throughout the gaming industry), so it doesn't need to be a complete loss of the name recognition aspect.
Streamlining the weapon selection, or making logically scaled versions of a somewhat reduced set of weapons, should make it easier for new players to pick up on it, rather than trying to learn each of the quirky and nonsensical weapons types in the present game (IS ML is 1 ton and 5 damage, Clan ERML is 1 ton and 7 damage, but an IS LL jumps all the way up to 5 tons yet only 8 damage?). Range and damage of ACs should BOTH scale up with size, not up in one and down in the other, although there might be a separate "demolition gun" that fires heavy explosive rounds at a lower velocity. Heatsinks could still include single and double versions, but the doubles would need to have other restrictions (like not mountable in the engine itself, so they chew up a lot of critical slots). Reducing targeting range (as was done by HBS), on the other hand, or using gimmicky special abilities with a "cooldown" time, strikes me as moving in the wrong direction: advanced targeting systems and ECM to defeat those systems should play a bigger role, but if it's in clear line of sight, it should be targetable at ANY range, at least by energy weapons (whether you can hit it, or actually DAMAGE it at that range, would be the limiting factors).
A 2D6 system is too restrictive at the extremes; going to 3D6 or 2D10 would make a single modifier "pip" a little less powerful, and extend the usable range between "impossible to hit" and "can't miss". When a match between light recon 'Mechs requires 12+ to hit, if you can hit at all, it's not fun. When you've got brawling units firing a 3+ to hit (skilled gunners, pulse weapons, targeting computers, etc.), there's no tactical element to it, and it's not much fun after the first game or so. The middle dice ranges are where it's interesting, but it's too easy to get out of that middle band on either end.
The game universe could be something entirely new, or else an "alternate timeline" branching off from the current BT universe at some point during the Succession Wars, leaving a lot of freedom for "retcons" without being labeled as retcons in the new game.
Not sure I'd buy it without knowing more about the details, but I'd certainly have to give it serious consideration.
The current game has gotten too bloated (are Heavy Snub-nosed ER Pulse weapons next?), and restricted by its own past (no, you can't field those warships, because the setting doesn't allow that many of them to be in existence, much less in one fleet) to be competitive in today's market, yet the finer level of detail is what brings me back to it, rather than to fast-play rules such as Alpha Strike. Catalyst is not in the business of selling miniatures, so why are there somewhere around 1000 different figures, rather than 1000 variants of about 50 basic chassis types at the most? Ideally, the RPG, tactical level game, aerospace rules, and strategic level game should all integrate, so you can run battles or campaigns at any scale, or bring in elements from one to the other without drastically changing the feel and flavor of those units.
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You mean the wolves will make the FS great again? Maybe he could marry Julian. 8)
With Fertility Clinic IICs, they can even have children together to start an all-Davion dynasty.
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To echo this: sometimes burning everything doesn't actually work...
deepest wishes are best left unfulfilled. but it remains my deepest wish all the same
You're forgetting the cult of '00
And the cult of '94
my intent was to be provocative and not water it down, but the 80s nostalgia is the most annoying to me
I think poeple are afraid of things being done poorly.
and they would rather have... nothing at all? anything crafted in the image of what they liked in the good ole days will never meet their expectations - being completely weighed down with the idyllic or false memory of a 12 year old that wasn't good at critical reading. catering to either of those audiences seems like a poor business decision
Revisionism, I tell you. DHS should not exist in their current format
...nope, didn't imagine it. and they're taking new members.
fwiw, i would have quit BT a long-ass time ago if the game ensconced itself in 3025 dulltech.
Honestly, i never liked ComStar edits as justifications for retcons. That they do edit stuff is OK, but poor justification for retcons. (Just own up to them, like Paul said about Auriga, "it is better this way".)
And they would not remove an entire nations for one SL base, rather they either remove that world (or perhaps rename it or something else to make people ignore old maps if they have any), or they manipulate events so that the world goes mostly unexplored or something else.
with the constant fanbase yelling olympics about justifying things in-universe on everything from AC calibers to the color of laser beams, the comstar edits are the retcon implementation curse we deserve. trying to logic too hard is like running full sprint through a maze of carnival mirrors: you're eventually just going to hurt yourself in confusion. "It was always this way" is the best way
The current game has gotten too bloated (are Heavy Snub-nosed ER Pulse weapons next?), and restricted by its own past (no, you can't field those warships, because the setting doesn't allow that many of them to be in existence, much less in one fleet) to be competitive in today's market, yet the finer level of detail is what brings me back to it, rather than to fast-play rules such as Alpha Strike.
there was an equipment streamlining coming but y'all freaked out so hard that they canceled it.
Catalyst is not in the business of selling miniatures, so why are there somewhere around 1000 different figures, rather than 1000 variants of about 50 basic chassis types at the most? Ideally, the RPG, tactical level game, aerospace rules, and strategic level game should all integrate, so you can run battles or campaigns at any scale, or bring in elements from one to the other without drastically changing the feel and flavor of those units.
the worst of the chassis bloat comes out of the clan invasion. the primary difference between those and 67-75-85-3145/50 (prototypes is largely a reskin job so I only factor it for minis lists) is that the former had a significant novel line to acclimate players to the machines.
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Weapons bloat, and the fact that any chassis can be morphed into any kind of mech is what drives me out of later eras. There is a lot of this bullshit in the official products. SWith mechs having options and weapon swaps that totally change them to another different mech.
I would have loved that weapon streamlining you are talking about. I am really only against DHS, since it destroys the heat management problem alltogether really at hardly any cost. :) Other changes are OK for me. But then, I would make all AC5 weapons act like AC10s, but hey.
Cheers,
Xavi
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Just for the record I am not some grognard neckbeard that is foaming at the mouth that they changed my "precious 3025". I just gave my opinion and critique about this book/retcon. To be honest its more of an annoyance really. I am not part of a cult of 87, and just because I have not said anything about other retcons does not invalidate my opinion. I was not around for most of those.
I can assure you there are other retcons I am more annoyed about, one in particular I will not mention here. xp
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On that note, all good little cultists- whether '25, '50, '67, or otherwise- should probably get back on track here and stop bickering about this kind of stuff in here. Opinions about the new book are understandably split, but let's not mire ourselves in 'us vs. them' kind of stuff.
Thank you.
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While I personally have never played the HBS game, and don't really care about the Periphery except when they serve as auxiliaries to invade my preferred state, I am extremely happy that their is a connection between the tabletop game and the video game. Anything that gets fans to look into the tabletop is a good thing. I hope this is cross-promoted properly by the video game though.
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Yep. I'll put on my mod-hat here and underline Hellbie's directive. Fangs have not been bared enough to warrant pruning the thread, but I think the retcon discussion has been sufficiently run to ground that the discussion should shift at this point. VensersRevenge: Your post came up while I was writing. That discussion point is all good.
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I'm going to stare at Speck's icon until I hear about more mini releases. I did pledge a bit to the Emperor (may he live forever) primitive as well. Also I want Blazing Aces canonized. 😁
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I'm going to stare at Speck's icon until I hear about more mini releases. I did pledge a bit to the Emperor (may he live forever) primitive as well. Also I want Blazing Aces canonized. 😁
Here, take these sunglasses. You might need them
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I hope this is cross-promoted properly by the video game though.
So far, so good. A mention in their Kickstarter update took a little doing, but was a nice boost and good bridge-builder.
I've said this elsewhere, but Cubby's Standard Answer No. 3 - "Coordination between separate license-holders is a highly time-consuming effort with no guarantee of success."
That said, it's an iterative thing--the more we try to do it, and the further we get, the easier future attempts become. I now have a direct line to the person with HBS who does some/most of their marketing, social media and promotion efforts. I did not have that before reaching out three weeks ago to inquire about what became Tuesday's arrangement. So, progress.
But I need to continuously underline that they owe us nothing. To you, the average customer/fan, it makes total sense that every license holder across the splintered BattleTech IP should want to play nice and work together hand-in-glove to ensure everything stays as matchy-matchy and cross-promoted as possible. But each company possesses different goals, and faces different challenges and pressures in accomplishing those goals, which make collaboration an extra, not a given.
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Aside from the Spotlight and Touring PDFs announced, are there any products due for the remainder of the year?
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So far, so good. A mention in their Kickstarter update took a little doing, but was a nice boost and good bridge-builder.
I've said this elsewhere, but Cubby's Standard Answer No. 3 - "Coordination between separate license-holders is a highly time-consuming effort with no guarantee of success."
That said, it's an iterative thing--the more we try to do it, and the further we get, the easier future attempts become. I now have a direct line to the person with HBS who does some/most of their marketing, social media and promotion efforts. I did not have that before reaching out three weeks ago to inquire about what became Tuesday's arrangement. So, progress.
But I need to continuously underline that they owe us nothing. To you, the average customer/fan, it makes total sense that every license holder across the splintered BattleTech IP should want to play nice and work together hand-in-glove to ensure everything stays as matchy-matchy and cross-promoted as possible. But each company possesses different goals, and faces different challenges and pressures in accomplishing those goals, which make collaboration an extra, not a given.
Well, I'm happy that there is something happening. And I totally understand that it is not a guarantee that companies will cross-promote for the same license. But the HBS game has reached a far greater number of people than the tabletop game, and anything that gets them to notice the tabletop game is something I want to happen. So thank you for putting in the effort to get cross-promotion happening. Your work on expanding the notice of what is happening in Battletech is great, and i for one greatly appreciate seeing Facebook updates on products and easier access to information than going to forums.
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Seems to me that any new product that fleshes out the Periphery, if done right, can only be a good thing for the game overall.
Also any news on when the box sets and shattered fortress will hit the streets in the UK?
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Also any news on when the box sets and shattered fortress will hit the streets in the UK?
Hi, I've been working with Cubby and others on various announcements and distribution. My understanding is that we don't control international distribution, once it hits distribution through PSI it's available to anyone that orders the product. Unless I'm mistaken there aren't separate release dates for international markets, it's all dependent on when their orders are received.
That all being said, if I'm mistaken (definitely not out of the question, this is all inferring at this point) I'll gladly edit and make updates.
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Nihilism may not be an optimal outlook, but you certainly can't call it a surprising one...
"Nihilists! ****** me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."
- edited slightly by mod for clarity
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This was a reply to an awkward post that was removed. Nothing to see here move along
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As posted earlier:
There was an issue with the final product that delayed it (my fault), and then we decided to nudge it until Friday (tomorrow) to give Tuesday’s announcement some room.
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Now Available - Spotlight On: Holt's Hilltoppers
Born in the fires of Operation: GUERRERO, Holt’s Hilltoppers took on missions from the Periphery to the Chaos March, displaying grit and tenacity to rival any famed mercenary command.
Tiring of the vagabond life, the Hilltoppers found a new home outside the boundaries of the Inner Sphere. But in the Fronc Reaches, safety is always in short supply.
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-holts-hilltoppers (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-holts-hilltoppers)
Discuss this new product here! (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.0)
(https://i.ibb.co/nRcd3fY/46507977-10155920507608148-8733702673703895040-n.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GF2Ysk8)
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Hi, I've been working with Cubby and others on various announcements and distribution. My understanding is that we don't control international distribution, once it hits distribution through PSI it's available to anyone that orders the product. Unless I'm mistaken there aren't separate release dates for international markets, it's all dependent on when their orders are received.
That all being said, if I'm mistaken (definitely not out of the question, this is all inferring at this point) I'll gladly edit and make updates.
Cheers for the reply, hopefully see them soon(ish) then. :thumbsup:
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There's an open map pack at MechCon. Have pictures, will try to upload later. Double sided.
Foohills 1&2
Forward base
Streams. This one has crossing points that are Level 0 water, so it isn't a deathtrap for lights.
Open Terrain 2&3. Note these aren't the same as the old 'open terrain' maps, and despite the name have notable amounts of hills and woods
River Com Center
Lakes
Rolling hills 1,2,3
Woodland
MSRP is 30 usd, so only arms, no legs needed.
Bad news - available Feb - March, according to overheard rumours. Reason given was distributor politics/optimization
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Thanks for sharing! I’ve been looking forward to this
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yeah more maps always need more maps
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Extends hands, makes grabby motions
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New maps are easily my Most Wanted product after the new box sets
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Are we ever going to get Shattered Fortress released in Dead Tree? Or is that product still living only in the land of myth, as it has for the last five years?
Are TPTB still claiming 2018, as the website says? I mean, come on! It was availible in Dead Tree @ GENCON..... four months ago! What the ....world.... is the holdup excuse THIS time?
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Are we ever going to get Shattered Fortress released in Dead Tree? Or is that product still living only in the land of myth, as it has for the last five years?
It's already out, dude. Street date was November 28.
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It's already out, dude. Street date was November 28.
Not on Amazon.
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Not on Amazon.
CGL doesn't sell on Amazon. You want to buy it on Amazon, bug Amazon.
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Not on Amazon.
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only)
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From the floor of MechCon: here's a closer look at Map Pack: Grasslands. The product is at the printer now, and is due out in March.
(https://i.ibb.co/8XyFXDH/image3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/d7Nn70R)
(https://i.ibb.co/dQB1hmd/image1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CnBNrPk)
(https://i.ibb.co/QMWFGHQ/image2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/L1TzfgR)
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Wow look at that amazing city and all of that amazing amazing! That's amazing guys! … Insert different adjective here! I'm really impressed!
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Not a city, more like a FOB
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Exactly.
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Whatever you call it, it looks great. I've got the WWE maps printed out and their quality was outstanding. Can't wait to get my hands on these! :drool:
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So glad I can finally talk about these maps.
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https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only)
So my only choice is to trust the people that I have heard and read person after person say "don't buy direct from CGL - I ordered "X" three years ago and never got it?"
Sigh.
Expand the brand! But boycott Amazon!
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So my only choice is to trust the people that I have heard and read person after person say "don't buy direct from CGL - I ordered "X" three years ago and never got it?"
Sigh.
Expand the brand! But boycott Amazon!
Buy it from your local game store.
Or ask Amazon.
Or buy it from CGL.
You know what doesn’t work? Screaming at people on the forum. We’re not a store.
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I noticed this on the CGL store site "RECORD SHEET: TOTAL WARFARE STYLE: 3060 UNABRIDGED"
IS this new or just a reissue??
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It’s not new.
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CGL doesn't sell on Amazon. You want to buy it on Amazon, bug Amazon.
???
Why?
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???
Why?
CGL has a distributor. It’s up to the retail store to order from the distributor. Amazon likes to throw its weight around and demand special treatment. It can order any product it wants (AFAIK), and eventually it does. But CGL can’t make Amazon list something, and last I heard (many years ago now), GL refuses to make a special deal for Amazon undercutting local game stores. So Amazon will get it whenever it decides to order it.
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Fwiw I’ve ordered physical product from the cgl store half a dozen times since the migration and have always gotten my stuff
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CGL has a distributor. It’s up to the retail store to order from the distributor. Amazon likes to throw its weight around and demand special treatment. It can order any product it wants (AFAIK), and eventually it does. But CGL can’t make Amazon list something, and last I heard (many years ago now), GL refuses to make a special deal for Amazon undercutting local game stores. So Amazon will get it whenever it decides to order it.
Many, many long moons ago, Adam Jury noted that Amazon sold about the volume of two large gaming stores and their discount pricing did not make the other sellers very happy.
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While Amazon is super convenient, I have grown tiered of their business practices and rather throw my money at friendly local game shop.
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It’s not new.
I was just wondering because when you put the product in order on the CGL Store site RS 3060 is right at the front.
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Fwiw I’ve ordered physical product from the cgl store half a dozen times since the migration and have always gotten my stuff
I'm ordering things from them again but I still haven't got the Rigger 5 shadowrun book I bought years ago.
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Honestly, I go DriveThru for the PDFs . . . and buy books from the FLGS. I suppose if my local store could not get it, I would order DTF from DriveThru too.
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I was just wondering because when you put the product in order on the CGL Store site RS 3060 is right at the front.
The store seems to order by newest, unless someone edits an internal sorting number on the product.
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Honestly, I go DriveThru for the PDFs . . . and buy books from the FLGS. I suppose if my local store could not get it, I would order DTF from DriveThru too.
you can get dtf from drivethru?
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While Amazon is super convenient, I have grown tiered of their business practices and rather throw my money at friendly local game shop.
What is this FLGS you speak of? You mean those things that no longer exist in my area? No one around here sells Battletech anymore.
And I have heard too many RECENT horror stories to by dead tree direct from CGL any place other than in person at a con.
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here's some more pics
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here's some more pics
It's a little blank.
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It's a little blank.
yeah. Attachments glitched as too big. Had to scale them, which involved getting some real software instead of M$ crippleware. (They used to be better.) That post has pics now, and here's two more
Seriously, all I did was go into GIMP, open them, then go straight to export. No visible loss of quality, yet they're a tenth the size
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What is this FLGS you speak of? You mean those things that no longer exist in my area? No one around here sells Battletech anymore.
And I have heard too many RECENT horror stories to by dead tree direct from CGL any place other than in person at a con.
Checking with my FLGS, they have an online store, and will special order in retail store. But I need to make sure they will special order for their website. I’ll let you know.
Certainly Amazon would be easier, and I expect they will have it eventually. But I have no idea when. So I’m just posting possible alternatives.
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Certainly Amazon would be easier, and I expect they will have it eventually. But I have no idea when. So I’m just posting possible alternatives.
Could one contact third party sellers on amazon directly to order it from? I know a lot of the third party sellers I've bought from in the past on Amazon were just hobby stores operating out of there.
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If I can find a FLGS that sells Battletech, I go to that one. That number has gone down and down over the years.
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If I can find a FLGS that sells Battletech, I go to that one. That number has gone down and down over the years.
If they don't have it in stock ask them to special order something you're looking the upcoming box sets, a new rulebook, some miniatures, etc). I've met very few stores unwilling to order something, though they often require a deposit.
And keep doing it. Obviously, don't hurt yourself economically but order a couple of mechs every couple of weeks, show the shop there's ongoing interest.
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I went to my local game shop (pretty large, sells tons of toys, board games, tabletop, trains, models, whatever) and they can't even find it in their distributor's system. I honestly don't know where to go to buy the new set.
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That map pack looks great! I still have my fingers crossed that I will actually get the boxed sets I ordered from the FLGS.
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I went to my local game shop and they can't even find it in their distributor's system.
Don't know which or how many distributors CGL goes through but you can ask the shop who they use. Then find out who CGL uses and see if they are willing to sign up with them as well. Shop I go to uses several distributors https://www.gtsdistribution.com/ being one of them, though I checked and they didn't have Shattered Fortress in their list.
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Alliance Games Distribution doesn't show Shattered Fortress or the GoAC Box Set for preorder, only the Intro Box Set. Golden Distribution shows all three for preorder. (And it also looks like Alliance has dropped Iron Wind Metals. Which is irksome, but Golden still carries them.)
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yeah. Attachments glitched as too big. Had to scale them, which involved getting some real software instead of M$ crippleware. (They used to be better.) That post has pics now, and here's two more
Seriously, all I did was go into GIMP, open them, then go straight to export. No visible loss of quality, yet they're a tenth the size
That's because GIMP is awesome. Even though I also have Photoshop CS 6, I prefer GIMP for a lot of stuff. Sadly, I need Photoshop for CYMK colors and printing.
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Alliance Games Distribution doesn't show Shattered Fortress or the GoAC Box Set for preorder, only the Intro Box Set. Golden Distribution shows all three for preorder. (And it also looks like Alliance has dropped Iron Wind Metals. Which is irksome, but Golden still carries them.)
I usually buy CGL products through online hobby retailers (or in person at a con, if I can get there.) After reading the announcement, and this discussion, I took a look around, and I admit that I am having trouble finding Shattered Fortress for sale any place other than the CGL store.
I will check in with another local store later this month, but I'm surprised at the result; I've never had this kind of trouble tracking down new products before.
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I took a look around, and I admit that I am having trouble finding Shattered Fortress for sale any place other than the CGL store.
I will check in with another local store later this month, but I'm surprised at the result; I've never had this kind of trouble tracking down new products before.
Let me save you some effort - there was a glitch with the SF street dates. I'm hoping to have more information about that as well as an update on the boxed sets soon.
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That's because GIMP is awesome. Even though I also have Photoshop CS 6, I prefer GIMP for a lot of stuff. Sadly, I need Photoshop for CYMK colors and printing.
It is good. However, I'll never get over their change to save vs. export file management. It felt more like a move to promote xcf than any real UI design philosophy. I'd use the mod that changes everything to the save-as key shortcuts but I sometimes encounter vanilla Gimp on other computers and don't want inappropriate muscle memory.
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Seriously, I don't get all the hate.
Ordered numerous stuff through the CGL Store, never had amy issued and I am located in Europe.
My Shattered Fortress from CGL hast just been Shopper and I am tracking the travel overseas waiting to get it into my greedy hands ;)
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The old store had *serious* issues with delivery. Sometimes it took actual years.
I haven’t had an problem with physical product since the site migration a few years ago (I avoided the old store too because of the constant negative feedback). Things are a lot better now but I understand why people are gun-shy
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The old store had *serious* issues with delivery. Sometimes it took actual years.
I haven’t had an problem with physical product since the site migration a few years ago (I avoided the old store too because of the constant negative feedback). Things are a lot better now but I understand why people are gun-shy
My own $0.02 - I recently ordered a copy of the revised Total Warfare about a month ago, and it shipped promptly.
But yes, I absolutely understand customers' hesitancy given the past issues. My position has been that it's not up to the company to convince anyone that it's safe and easy to buy from the official store--it's to prove that it is, by building a good track record of results and positive buzz.
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I've been happy with the CGL store so far. I ordered the updated Total Warfare as well and received it in a timely manner. Now, I ordered Shattered Fortress on 11/29 and it hasn't shipped yet. But sounds like that is an error in the street date now. (Did I read that right Cubby?)
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My own $0.02 - I recently ordered a copy of the revised Total Warfare about a month ago, and it shipped promptly.
But yes, I absolutely understand customers' hesitancy given the past issues. My position has been that it's not up to the company to convince anyone that it's safe and easy to buy from the official store--it's to prove that it is, by building a good track record of results and positive buzz.
For what it's worth, I registered with the new store as part of all the Shattered Fortress hubub, and was pleasantly surprised with my experience, especially seeing that it correctly linked me to all my orders from the old store, pre-2016.
I can't comment on shipping yet, but signs look generally positive to me.
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May have missed the "Official" release note but the "2 Mech Intro box," is it slated for before Xmas? I have players asking me but totally understand if "We don't know" is an answer. Also from the Mech Con thread, the "8 Mech" set was said it will come out a month later, right? [Side note the 8 mech one I want for minis]
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May have missed the "Official" release note but the "2 Mech Intro box," is it slated for before Xmas? I have players asking me but totally understand if "We don't know" is an answer. Also from the Mech Con thread, the "8 Mech" set was said it will come out a month later, right? [Side note the 8 mech one I want for minis]
I don't think either one has a concrete street date yet.
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I don't think either one has a concrete street date yet.
They don't, but I'm hoping to rectify that very soon.
I've been happy with the CGL store so far. I ordered the updated Total Warfare as well and received it in a timely manner. Now, I ordered Shattered Fortress on 11/29 and it hasn't shipped yet. But sounds like that is an error in the street date now. (Did I read that right Cubby?)
So, I really am going to have an update on all of this soon, and you won't miss it--forum post, website post, social media post. But:
If you ordered SF through the CGL store, my understanding is that those order *should* be getting filled.
As I recall, it took a few working days, maybe four or so, for my TW order to ship. So if you haven't seen any progress by Friday p.m. EST, PM me with your info and I'll try to track down what's going on.
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As I recall, it took a few working days, maybe four or so, for my TW order to ship.
I had a similar experience. My copy of TW was ordered on the 8th of November and shipped on the 14th (five business days).
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If you ordered SF through the CGL store, my understanding is that those order *should* be getting filled.
As I recall, it took a few working days, maybe four or so, for my TW order to ship. So if you haven't seen any progress by Friday p.m. EST, PM me with your info and I'll try to track down what's going on.
No worries Cubby. Just got the email that it shipped today. Thanks again for keeping us informed! :thumbsup:
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https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only)
went to FLAGs and they are told that it is not listed for pre-order as of 5 Dec
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My DTF copy of Shattered Fortress, which I pre-ordered with the CGL Store as soon as it was possible, was processed for shipment on Nov 29th. So basically on point with the announced street date. And it took not even a week for international shipping.
Thumbs Up!!
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went to FLAGs and they are told that it is not listed for pre-order as of 5 Dec
This is the glitch I'm trying to run down. They're in the warehouse (meaning, shippable via CGL store) but the street date has moved, and thus the point at which it'll appear on a store's order form.
More soon, really. Trying to get all the ducks in a relative row for one big update, so that I'm not putting out communications in dribs and drabs that some people might miss.
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More soon, really. Trying to get all the ducks in a relative row for one big update, so that I'm not putting out communications in dribs and drabs that some people might miss.
have you considered a Cubby' Corner thread in the battletech news section?
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Well, I am waiting for your word . . . made sure my FLGS's number is in my phone and ready. I am not sure when they place the order, but I know it arrives Tuesdays. So before the weekend would be super neat . . .
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have you considered a Cubby' Corner thread in the battletech news section?
You're pretty much sitting in it.
But also, I like to try to 1) engage customers where they are by 2) broadcasting a consistent message across all the platforms I have access to.
The brand just isn't in a place, visibility-wise, where I can plunk down in my own little corner and expect people to come to me.
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My copy of Shattered Fortress just arrived in the mail from the CGL store! Package was shipped promptly and the packaging was honestly way more than I expected - no complaints here!
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Now Available - Touring the Stars: Tortuga Prime!
On the pirate haven of Tortuga Prime, alliances can shift and power can exchange hands at a moment’s notice. An interstellar kleptocracy, Tortuga Prime’s only rule is simple: take what you need, and try to keep it. Will you further the centuries-old cycle of needless death and destruction—or put a stop to it once and for all?
Touring the Stars is a whistle-stop tour of the universe! Every system and planet where mankind treads in the BattleTech universe has a story, for those with the drive to explore it. Take a tour of the stars humanity now calls home, experience awesome new worlds, immerse yourself in the local civilization, and prepare to do battle in exotic locales.
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-touring-the-stars-tortuga-prime (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-touring-the-stars-tortuga-prime)
Discuss this new product here: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.msg1465002#msg1465002 (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.msg1465002#msg1465002)
(https://i.ibb.co/0VttrsY/E-CAT35-SN222-Battle-Tech-Touring-the-Stars-Tortuga-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PzQQgD1)
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(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V9CSkryB_ps/UQnJ09UZLuI/AAAAAAAARqI/8ZGgX64gJwg/s1600/Simbacca01.gif)
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(http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/2e/66/272e66be16674f99ecdd13fb763e97a1.jpg)
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Yarrr!
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Definitely added to the list of things I need to buy... :thumbsup:
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(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V9CSkryB_ps/UQnJ09UZLuI/AAAAAAAARqI/8ZGgX64gJwg/s1600/Simbacca01.gif)
I don't recognize them, but from the stupid way they're storing their pistols* I assume they're bad guys?
* is it wrong I'm hoping one died from that?
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I don't recognize them, but from the stupid way they're storing their pistols* I assume they're bad guys?
* is it wrong I'm hoping one died from that?
The pirates from Exo-Squad...
Ruger
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If photobucket still worked I'd totally repost that pic with a Ghost Bear roundel photoshopped over the skull.
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If photobucket still worked I'd totally repost that pic with a Ghost Bear roundel photoshopped over the skull.
Google images is, indeed, a roundabout way of doing things. I can attest as my sig suggests.
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I don't recognize them, but from the stupid way they're storing their pistols* I assume they're bad guys?
* is it wrong I'm hoping one died from that?
That depends, do you like spoilers?
The pirates of the Exo-Squad series start off as the "bad guys". They were criminals who were shipped out to mine the outer planets. As the genetically engineered Neosapians came to be created and colonized the other inner planets, they were abandoned. The criminals were hardy and thrived developing in to different clans. The Neosapians managed a revolt and secured Mars for themselves and peace in the inner planets was had for several decades. They began raiding the inner system till a massive naval response was gathered and left for the outer planets.
As the naval fleet began engaging the Pirate Clans, the Neosapians moved to conquer Earth and Venus and were successful. The naval fleet beat the Pirate Clans back and raced back to Earth. Much of the fleet was damageed and so they pulled back to repair and recollect. Then a fool-hardy officer took the flagship in desperation and raced ahead to recover Earth. The conflict destroyed the flagship and took a great toll on the survivors.
Having little choice, the naval commander turned to the Pirate Clans and gave them their tech in exchange for resources and manpower along with promises for future sovereignty. They also added the pirate's cloaking tech to their equipment list, making it easier to send in materiel and trainers to resistance cells on Earth and Venus. The series ends with the Neosapians defeated, but hints to another conflict to hit them all in an undeveloped season.
No word on if those pirates gave themselves a Darwin Award for such actions, but a lot of pirates died in the early part of the show.
It's a really good series offering a lot of mature themes for the time it originally aired, with characters actually dying. If the writers for it worked on Battletech, they may not have been cancelled so soon. It is currently on Amazon Prime Video, if you have access, and was on Hulu some years ago. There are other options, of course, but those are up to the individual if they are worth the price.
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After buying and reading Touring the Stars: Tortuga Prime, I find myself revisiting an old puzzle. I’m mostly thinking out loud here, trying to hash out the sequence of events that led to the birth of arguably the Inner Sphere’s most notorious corsair haven. Going all the way back to the original Periphery 1e sourcebook, we find their origin story treated to a sparse paragraph:
The Tortuga Dominions are a result of the Reunification War ... During the latter stages, the Federated Suns 237th Light Cavalry Regiment was all but destroyed in a wasteful penetration raid against the Taurian outpost of Sterope. Unable to hold their positions and unwilling to be thrown into the vicious fray elsewhere, the 237th opted to jump outward into the unknown.
And in broad strokes, this matches what we get in the TtS pdf:
The planet was discovered and settled in 2588 by deserters from the AFFS’s 237th Light Cavalry Regiment and their dependents after they fled the Reunification War.
And yet: in a wrap-up of the events of 2587 (including the Battle of Montour), the account of Operation BULL RUN in Historical: Reunification War goes out of its way to declare that Sterope was ‘newly colonised’. With the SLDF et. al. camped on their doorstep, the TCA wouldn’t — couldn’t! — have had much to spare for garrisoning a remote start-up colony. (Sterope didn’t reach its status as a major resource and manufacturing hub until well after the War, it would seem.) The TCN had been all but annihilated at Montour. The 237th should have had all but a walkover when they hit Sterope — and yet, somehow, an entire regiment got their asses handed to them, to the point where the TtS notes that upon colonising Tortuga Prime, their remaining ’Mech forces were a ‘demi-battalion’. How did they get such a hiding, and who did the job?
(There’s also the question of ‘who in Sagan’s name were the 237th Light Cavalry in the first place?’ As far as I can tell, the AFFS didn’t have a Light Cavalry formation before, during, or after the RW, and indeed joining the Star League meant that between donating troops to the SLDF and just plain Cameron-mandated RIFs, they’d just gone through a radical downsizing. And why did they take their dependents along on what was supposed to be an objective strike?)
There’s also the issue of how the heck did these guys remain a viable menace for so long? The loss of a mere three of their remaining ’Mechs in 2604 was enough to prompt the overthrow and murder of their then-leader. I won’t go into the details of the absolute Charlie-Foxtrot that was their civilian ‘economy’ over the ensuing centuries — sorry, folks, you’ll have to buy your own copy to get all the dirt on that part ;) — but there’s no way they should’ve been able to maintain anything resembling modern war-machines, let alone ’Mechs, and yet by the 31st century they’re nearly a regimental-sized force! Did they somehow steal whole job-lots of replacement ’Mechs from the FS/TC and somehow not get butchered in the process? How did they not simply wither away, curl up and die within a century of settling Tortuga? Hoooowwww?
Curse you, FASAnomics!
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I had similar issues when trying to figure out the 1st Kestrel Grenadiers got wiped out on a “reconnaissance raid” against the Capelland Confederation before the 4th Succession War. Who sends an entire regiment on a recon raid? How does the CC, with most garrisons being a battalion, destroy an entire regiment (that presumably wasn’t there to stick around).
The answer For the 2nd part I used was that somebody was there, not as a garrison, but to prepare their own attack. Therefore the defender force was much larger than would be expected, mich more than could normally be supported there.
No idea if that could work for Sterope in 2500s.
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Sterope being a staging area would explain their defeat, but not them bringing their dependents...
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Sterope being a staging area would explain their defeat, but not them bringing their dependents...
Do we know the timing? If they effectively deserted, getting their dependents out would be a priority. Ie. They didn’t have them with them against Sterope, but as soon as they made the decision to desert they grabbed them then?
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That's an interesting idea... I wonder how close to the front lines dependents were housed...
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I could buy that planet the 237th went could been staging world, they got wiped to low levels.
Maybe the 237th was a local FedSuns formation that was raised, had a fancy name? Then there Mechs...if they had primitive or low-end mechs. i could again see why they could have got mowed down.
If the unit after taking such bad loss against battle harden ToC formation (or really good commander vs noobie) Moral for unit could been questionable, it took fatal blow break their faith in bigger FedSuns. Remembering right, this is a pre-HPG era, so tying people into national schem of things maybe bit more of a challenge to up keep i would think.
They could have jumped back to forwarding base, and took off from there. Not like their alot ways to report movement if the JumpShip runs silent with IFF off and pirate points.
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They could have been a Merc that was made a house unit but kept their name and remained independent of the brigades
To explain the desertion with descendents they went back to baseworld them decided enough of this
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Exo-Squad was a great cartoon show, I really wish it was easier to find the show to watch again. I remember the toys when they combined with Robotech.
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When I hear of massive FedSuns casualties against Taurian opposition, my first thought is always nukes...
Meanwhile, the Kestrel Grenadiers recon raid and why it failed so spectacularly was written up not that long ago...can’t recall which product, though.
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Meanwhile, the Kestrel Grenadiers recon raid and why it failed so spectacularly was written up not that long ago...can’t recall which product, though.
XTRO Succession Wars - Cataphract entry.
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When I hear of massive FedSuns casualties against Taurian opposition, my first thought is always nukes...
Meanwhile, the Kestrel Grenadiers recon raid and why it failed so spectacularly was written up not that long ago...can’t recall which product, though.
Yeah, I had to sort that out to write that entry. My notes were longer than the TR entry.
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Weren't they raiding Sian?
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Weren't they raiding Sian?
It doesn't say. There is a note about Cataphracts being shipped to Sian, but that's not where they went in to combat.
The Cataphracts were shipped to Sian for the Red Lancers. They got some time training with them before moving to St. Ives as a staging ground. The Kestrel Grenadiers then stumbled across them when the KG attacked St. Ives.
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Trace, did the 237th Light Cav fight anywhere before Sterope?
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I can understand the deserters/pirates on Turtuga not withering away and dying, ONLY because word of their desertion got around, and other units followed. The Fed-Suns was too distracted with the Succession Wars to detour troops against them, and then it was history and not all that important. The interactions between the initial 237th and the later arrivals must have gone badly, with one or the other group eventually defeating and enslaving at least some of the other arrivals. It would still serve as a magnet for pirates and deserters with the authorities on their tail and no place to hide, bringing in some fresh (or at least less badly worn) equipment.
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Trace, did the 237th Light Cav fight anywhere before Sterope?
As far as I can tell, the only place in canon where the 237th Light Cavalry is mentioned is in connection with the Sterope raid and their subsequent role in founding Tortuga. No prior combat actions, to my knowledge... but then again, the AFFS’ pre-Star League order-of-battle hasn’t been nailed down in canon. Hell, even at the end of the 26th century, their prior existence as the Federated Peacekeeping Force was still (just) within living memory!
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It would still serve as a magnet for pirates and deserters with the authorities on their tail and no place to hide, bringing in some fresh (or at least less badly worn) equipment.
And let's be honest, there is always the chance that less than honorable business interests in nearby realms would trade military goods for cheap labor, stolen material, or for targeted raids against rival corporations. Also, with the reputation that Tortuga has for brutality there is a high probability that some worlds near to the realm would want to play nice to them since they don't want their already taxed infrastructure broken or destroyed when a far away capital may not even know about the attack for months or years...
Aaron "Gravedigger" Pollyea
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Were the other planets of the Dominion lacking food producing worlds without need terraforming? I know the Dominion had breakdown of it's tech levels, but they could have gotten food from their near by worlds couldn't they?
It's great book, Aaron.
I hope you can do one on weirdest pirate related area of worlds, the "nearby" Pirate Haven Cluster. That's "50" always makes it big wonky on how many things are in there to keep pirates safe from Periphery powers crushing them like FedCom did to Dominion.
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Oh, sure. I'm sure some of their extortion racket was getting food stuffs from more 'civilized' worlds. But in the end hunger and control of food can demand some control over the horde
And the way the Tortuga pirates worked, if the other worlds were more habitable and productive, its doubtful they would have actually produced much with the way they wasted labor, and treated everyone as disposable. Regardless, one has to think that the other worlds were marginally habitable at best and ruling such would be seen as a 'great reward' to strong pirates that may threaten whoever rules as Duke on Tortuga Prime. Get them off Prime to where they're forced to mine uranium laced asbestos (or something else as detrimental to life and limb) on Morgan's Holdfast so they're forced to spend more time not dying from the environment or being torn apart and eaten by the mob they are nominally in charge of instead of planning to off the Duke and take control.
If the other Tortuga worlds were even slightly better to live on, you'd think that the head honcho would pull up stakes and live there.
And thanks! I'm glad you liked it. It was fun to write something dysfunctional enough to bring out the worst in humanity. A little different from my usual fare. I mean, Debbie was a treat to write about.
Aaron "Gravedigger" Pollyea
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BattleTech Boxed Set Update #3 and Shattered Fortress Availability
We're pleased to announce that the full print runs of the "BattleTech Beginner Box" and "BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat" reached our fulfillment center as scheduled on Dec. 3
After a week of discussions with that partner company, we can confirm that the Beginner Box has moved into the distribution pipeline and could appear on store shelves as soon as this Friday, Dec. 14, with full availability likely during the week of Dec. 17. This distribution is taking place by special agreement outside the company's normal ordering and street date schedule, an effort to get the Beginner Box to the public as soon as possible and before the holidays. However, local availability in your area may vary as this unique distribution process unfolds.
Following the fulfillment center's planned shutdown for the winter holidays, the "BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat" boxed set will have a street date of Wednesday, January 23. Both box sets should be available via your local game store's order form, and both will become available via the Catalyst Game Labs webstore on January 23.
In addition, due to a miscommunication regarding scheduling, "Shattered Fortress" will have a street date of Wednesday, January 23 rather than the previously-announced date of November 28. The full print run of that sourcebook has been received by the fulfillment center and is available now through the Catalyst Game Labs store (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only). However, all orders for that product placed through the Catalyst store will be fulfilled and shipped immediately--many customers have already ordered and reported receiving their copies.
We hope you enjoy these long-awaited products and have a very happy holiday season.
Discuss this news here! (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=62399.0)
(https://i.ibb.co/xD0hyD1/BT-Beginner.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vHG1bH3)
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Thanks for the updates.
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Thanks for the news
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Wonder about Euro availability. Worried about how LGS doesn't have the beginner box listed on their site at all, usually they're good about getting upcoming BT products listed, like they have with the full box set... Of course, it is possible they haven't updated the list until they're sure about things, the box set listing appeared during later Spring, i think.
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WTF!! They have the product and won't be releasing two of three products for another six weeks. Thats ridiciulous even with a week off for Xmas.
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Nice to finally have solid dates. I don't have to hold off on giving people christmas gift ideas now.
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Wonder about Euro availability.
I've been trying to get an answer on this. Now that this update is out, I may be able to focus on getting a clear answer. It comes up all the time, and I haven't liked the answers we've been able to offer so far.
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WTF!! They have the product and won't be releasing two of three products for another six weeks. Thats ridiciulous even with a week off for Xmas.
I don't know what you read, but what I read was that the distributor has the three products but wouldn't normally expect to get them out until January at this stage. However, they are distributing one of them earlier anyway after Catalyst put some effort into talking to them.
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Just to note as a example: My work can't order any additional shipping supplies until after the holidays. There is so much shipping traffic this time of year, you only have a certain window to get stuff done without it costing you extra, then you have to ride it out until things return to normal.
So yeah, I can totally get how someone at a distributor can have a "wait, it was suppose to go out this week?" and missed the opportunity. I'm sure CGL will be holding the comments of angry fans over their head for some time unless they are already have a sweet deal with BT being a Topps property.
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I'm sure CGL will be holding the comments of angry fans over their head for some time
this only applies to days ending in "Y"
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As far as I can tell, the AFFS didn’t have a Light Cavalry formation before, during, or after the RW, and indeed joining the Star League meant that between donating troops to the SLDF and just plain Cameron-mandated RIFs, they’d just gone through a radical downsizing.
Downsizing at that particular time seems super unlikely. What's your source for Davion formations immediately prior to joining the Star League, and could the 237th Light Cavalry have been a designation for troops donated to the SLDF campaign?
And why did they take their dependents along on what was supposed to be an objective strike?
Does one of those books actually say they took dependents along?
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Sucks that some of the stuff is after the new year, but glad its coming.
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Downsizing at that particular time seems super unlikely.
I would refer you to the Star League Sourcebook (FAS1630), specifically p.42, the last three paragraphs on the page under ‘Prelude to War’. According to that passage, that part of the reason for the Reunification War was to give millions of soldiers across the five Great Houses who’d abruptly been put out of work by the formation of the Star League an application for their main skillsets that didn’t involve turning bandit.
What's your source for Davion formations immediately prior to joining the Star League,
Sadly, I can’t find an OOB for the AFFS pre-RW. (I’m certain someone out there (apart from me) would be interested in seeing a product on the Davion Civil War, including full OOBs for the AFFS before, during, and after, but I doubt it would sell well enough to pay for itself.) I would note, however, that of the formations mentioned in H:RW and Field Report 2765: AFFS, none mentions that having a lineage going back to a pre-Star League ‘Light Cavalry’ formation, and knowing how fanatical military units get about their regimental traditions....
That said, Historical: Reunification War has the AFFS shedding 37 regiments (and 23 WarShips) to SLDF colours, including the entire Terran Brigade and half the Syrtis Fusiliers (as a consequence of their backing the wrong horse in the Davion Civil War). It also specifically calls out the AFFS units assigned to the Auxiliary Corps: multiple Avalon Hussar and (remaining) Syrtis Fusilier regiments, as well as the Brigade of Guards, but not anything by the designation ‘Light Cavalry’.
and could the 237th Light Cavalry have been a designation for troops donated to the SLDF campaign?
As noted above, the AFFS units serving in Operation BULL RUN seem to have retained their official permanent designations throughout, including the Avalon Hussars and Syrtis Fusiliers. The 237th are specifically referred to as an AFFS unit in every source I can find on them, which admittedly is not many — only Periphery 1e, FM:P, and TtS:TP itself, so far. However, Historical: Reunification War includes year-by-year Tabular Records of Movement of the regiments involved on every front of the War, and the listings for Operation BULL RUN on pages 142-145 don’t list a 237th Light Cavalry for the SLDF or the AFFS. Indeed, for that matter H:RW doesn’t seem to make any mention of the Sterope raid at all. (Which is regrettable, but entirely understandable — like many sourcebooks, it had far more pressing uses for word- and page-count than detailing the origins of a single pirate band.)
Does one of those books actually say they took dependents along?
According to the very source that prompted my initial post:
The planet was discovered and settled in 2588 by deserters from the AFFS’s 237th Light Cavalry Regiment and their dependents after they fled the Reunification War.
Units that desert generally can’t go home to pick up their cat (much less their families) without getting arrested for said desertion, so they must’ve already been on the ships when the Sterope operation went pear-shaped. Ergo, either the 237th ‘simply’ brought their dependents along on their ships to spectate as they shot up a Taurian world (which is... bizarre, but not entirely without historical precedent), or their going ‘over the hill’ was premeditated and prepared long before they actually hit Sterope. (You’d think that bringing their spouses and kids should’ve sent up red flags with anyone who saw them embarking, but then again....)
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Maybe some day we can get a author who interested enough in the Davion Civil War, they could fill in the blanks for missing regiments. The War would properly rather good read and excellent Total Warfare/Chaos Campaign/Warchest Campaign setting for players to dabble in. Light Cavalry could have easily been on of the Terran March forces since most of them were never named aside from what existing units we knew of that were gifted to SLDF.
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Not a bad theory Wrangler . . . knowing they were on the wrong side of the Civil War and 'given' to the SL to get them out of the FedSuns. I do not think it would take someone long, if they wanted to, to whip the rumor mill into saying they were being sent on suicide missions to continue the punishment. Imagine you are a line trooper who followed orders in the Civil War, get effectively exiled for losing, start hearing rumors of other FS units that were on the same side being sent on forlorn hopes and abandoned by the First Prince loving SL command structure, and be told you just got assigned to drop on to a horde of Taurians. You ask your CO if the rumors are true, they are being sent out to die . . . and get Standard Answer #43.
Honestly, easy to see how one of the Terran March units could have been manipulated into doing exactly what happened.
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According to the very source that prompted my initial post: Units that desert generally can’t go home to pick up their cat (much less their families) without getting arrested for said desertion, so they must’ve already been on the ships when the Sterope operation went pear-shaped. Ergo, either the 237th ‘simply’ brought their dependents along on their ships to spectate as they shot up a Taurian world (which is... bizarre, but not entirely without historical precedent), or their going ‘over the hill’ was premeditated and prepared long before they actually hit Sterope. (You’d think that bringing their spouses and kids should’ve sent up red flags with anyone who saw them embarking, but then again....)
Unless, of course, no one was there to stop them picking up their dependents since they were the only heavily armed group on the planet.
237th: "Ok ladies and gentleman, load up on the dropships."
Pion Administrator: "You have orders to leave?"
237th: "...Sure"
Pion Administrator can either believe them or not. But let's say he doesn't.
Pion Administrator: "You're deserting! You're under arrest!"
237th: "Tell you what Jimmy, you arrest me and I'll be out of jail in a couple hours after my BattleMech forces blow through whatever hick security you can provide and then I'll make sure my support units strip everything of value out of this city as...'restitution'...for my time you wasted. And then, I make sure Toothless Bill over there comes to where you live, brings you to the spaceport, and I strap you onto the top of our ride to use as a hood ornament. Savvy?"
Pion Administrator: "Everything seems to be in order here sir, you have a fantastic day!"
And that's just one of dozens of ways they could easily have dependents along for the ride out to Tortuga.
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Thanks, Trace. The FedSuns only signed on to the Star League a few years before the war with the Periphery and I thought that might have been late enough they were already preparing for that war. Evidently not.
Since those soldiers were put back to work, perhaps the Cavalry designation is for these "erstaz regiments" of re-enlisted troops (Star League Sourcebook p. 43)? That would explain how they're still Davion instead of SLDF, why they weren't attached to BULL RUN, and why they were in a system they might not have known was colonized.
Units that desert generally can’t go home to pick up their cat (much less their families) without getting arrested for said desertion, so they must’ve already been on the ships when the Sterope operation went pear-shaped.
But if the raid fails - as it did - a unit which hasn't deserted would return to base. So: they return to base, collect whatever dependents they'd acquired during their decade there, and then desert. Yes? ???
Edit: plus what Gravedigger said.
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I'd certainly buy a sourcebook for the Davion Civil War...
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I'd certainly buy a sourcebook for the Davion Civil War...
Don't we have a couple?
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Which ones? ???
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Historical: Civil Wars of House Davion
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I clearly missed that one... Consider it added to my list of things to buy when I have disposable cash again...
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I clearly missed that one... Consider it added to my list of things to buy when I have disposable cash again...
It's not a book that came out, it was my (slightly less than serious) hypothetical title for a catch-all title. If you have one book with all the Davion civil wars in it, then you don't need to ask which one does the book cover.
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Oh, sorry... the Red Battlemaster lowers my sarcasm detection rate... xp
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Which ones? ???
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Shattered_Sphere
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/FedCom_Civil_War_(sourcebook)
Edit; copy and past the link for it to work, don't know why but it leaves off the ) when you click on it.
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Not the Civil Wars I was looking for... I'm all about the pre-clan era...
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Not the Civil Wars I was looking for... I'm all about the pre-clan era...
My mistake
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Era Report 2750 has the most information on the War of Davion Succession, at the very least.
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That one I have, thanks!
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Not a bad theory Wrangler . . . knowing they were on the wrong side of the Civil War and 'given' to the SL to get them out of the FedSuns. I do not think it would take someone long, if they wanted to, to whip the rumor mill into saying they were being sent on suicide missions to continue the punishment. Imagine you are a line trooper who followed orders in the Civil War, get effectively exiled for losing, start hearing rumors of other FS units that were on the same side being sent on forlorn hopes and abandoned by the First Prince loving SL command structure, and be told you just got assigned to drop on to a horde of Taurians. You ask your CO if the rumors are true, they are being sent out to die . . . and get Standard Answer #43.
Honestly, easy to see how one of the Terran March units could have been manipulated into doing exactly what happened.
Plausible on its face, but the timescale involves gives me pause. The Davion Civil War ran from 2519 to 2540. Roger Varnay’s ‘triumphant return from exile to reclaim his rightful throne’ was virtually exterminated when he made it in 2565 — the naval component (and its CapCon ‘support’) was annihilated at Kigamboni, the ground-troops wiped out on Wappingers “nearly to a man” (according to HB:HD).
Assuming enlistment at age 20 and mandatory retirement at age 65, a line trooper who signed up with the Federated Peacekeeping Forces at the start of the DCW in 2519 and ‘just followed (Varnay/Rostov) orders’ thereafter would be ageing out by the time of Varnay’s failed return and would’ve endured a quarter-century of suspicion and dead-end assignments in the post-DCW AFFS... which is a long time to retain the services of a man whose loyalties are held in question.
If this hypothetical trooper signed up at the very end of the DCW in 2539 or so, to still be in FedSuns uniform by the time of the Sterope raid in 2588, he’s somehow escaped being jettisoned to the SLDF in 2571 (which Alexander Davion explicitly used to take a ‘new broom’ to his military, sweeping out units and personnel with a history of disloyalty to him and his branch of the Davion family) and been retained years past his pension date.
I mean, I know BT leaders often practice collective responsibility when it comes to disloyal units, but to keep punishing the children and grandchildren of ‘rebel’ troops two generations after the rebellion ended seems... a tad extreme, for the FedSuns. I’d half-expect it from the DC or CC (if not a blanket 9mm retirement package for all those involved directly after the Civil War), but as a general rule the Davions have had a relatively lighter hand when it comes to such things.
Eh. At this rate, I think I’ll just have to settle on a personal interpretation and call it good.
For my purposes, I’m going to assume that somewhere between the end of the DCW and the crushing of Roger’s Return in 2565, the Duke of New Syrtis — either founder or heir to one of the short-lived dynasties that replaced the attainted Varnays — assembled a nine-battalion ‘household bodyguard’ unit of ’Mechs and vehicles, the Syrtis Light Cavalry. (There’s canonical precedent for this — check out Hot Spots or Chaos March for the kind of shenanigans planetary nobles can get up to below the national radar.) The central AFFS either didn’t notice this formation, or for domestic political reasons chose not to act against it at the time of joining the Star League, but it became... inconvenient to tolerate thereafter*, and the Duke was ‘encouraged’ to ‘downsize’ his bodyguard by, oh, three battalions or so. The Duke nominated the three unlucky battalions (the 2nd, 3rd and 7th), appointed a regimental commander and staff for the now-237th, and with semi-official sanction dispatched them to shoot up a Taurian planet as proof of New Syrtis’ loyalty to Alexander Davion (the timing being a matter of convoluted domestic politics), never intending to accept them back into the FedSuns. Unfortunately for the Duke, the troops he used in this ‘demonstration’ realised they were being expended on a one-way operation, simply so the Duke could cover his ass, and they had other ideas....
Your mileage may vary, of course.
* Hmmm... come to think of it, I’ve got just the historical justification for that, but it’s a spoiler!
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I don't think mandatory retirement at age 65 is a thing in the AFFS at any point and that feels like a pretty major assumption to make when we have MechWarriors taking the field as effective combatants well into their 90s and 100s.
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I don't think mandatory retirement at age 65 is a thing in the AFFS at any point and that feels like a pretty major assumption to make when we have MechWarriors taking the field as effective combatants well into their 90s and 100s.
The examplars who spring to mind for such aged combatants are usually people like Morgan Kell and Natasha Kerensky, who are, uh, rather outliers — people who have a one-in-billions combination of experience, skill, luck, physical conditioning, genetic predisposition and just plain Divine Favour. And while Star League medtech might extend lifespans into the 150s by the time of the Amaris Coup (per JHS:Terra), the DCW was more than two centuries before that, and I’d guesstimate that the average lifespan in the 26th century is closer to 100-110 than the number immediately pre-Amaris.
People who are actually subject to the bell-curve, instead of blowing the roof off of it? I’d imagine that they’d start falling out of their prime by their 60s and 70s. Mandatory retirement? Possibly not a thing in-universe... but even if there’s no formal policy, I can imagine there’d be a lot of ‘encouragement’ to take non-combat postings (or a pension) past a certain age, especially for people who have demonstrated ‘dubious judgement’ in their careers.
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Not the Civil Wars I was looking for... I'm all about the pre-clan era...
For the 26th century one, closest to a historical you're going to get is Handbook House Davion and its 1980s predecessor. If you're after anything on individual units, Field Manual FedSuns mentions it in unit write-ups.
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The examplars who spring to mind for such aged combatants are usually people like Morgan Kell and Natasha Kerensky, who are, uh, rather outliers — people who have a one-in-billions combination of experience, skill, luck, physical conditioning, genetic predisposition and just plain Divine Favour. And while Star League medtech might extend lifespans into the 150s by the time of the Amaris Coup (per JHS:Terra), the DCW was more than two centuries before that, and I’d guesstimate that the average lifespan in the 26th century is closer to 100-110 than the number immediately pre-Amaris.
People who are actually subject to the bell-curve, instead of blowing the roof off of it? I’d imagine that they’d start falling out of their prime by their 60s and 70s. Mandatory retirement? Possibly not a thing in-universe... but even if there’s no formal policy, I can imagine there’d be a lot of ‘encouragement’ to take non-combat postings (or a pension) past a certain age, especially for people who have demonstrated ‘dubious judgement’ in their careers.
We don't actually know one way or another whether those people are actually outliers in a meaningful sense; the age demographics of any faction's military aren't known to us (except that the Clans are predominantly young). My point was that mandatory retirement based on age isn't an assumption we can rely on being true. Similarly I don't think there's ever been a concrete declaration of what the age of majority in the Federated Suns is; 20 seems incredibly conservative to enlistment, considering it's entirely possible for someone nowadays to sign their contract the day they turn 17.
I don't actually have anything against your conclusion, just the methodology. ;)
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Plausible on its face, but the timescale involves gives me pause. The Davion Civil War ran from 2519 to 2540. Roger Varnay’s ‘triumphant return from exile to reclaim his rightful throne’ was virtually exterminated when he made it in 2565 — the naval component (and its CapCon ‘support’) was annihilated at Kigamboni, the ground-troops wiped out on Wappingers “nearly to a man” (according to HB:HD).
Assuming enlistment at age 20 and mandatory retirement at age 65, a line trooper who signed up with the Federated Peacekeeping Forces at the start of the DCW in 2519 and ‘just followed (Varnay/Rostov) orders’ thereafter would be ageing out by the time of Varnay’s failed return and would’ve endured a quarter-century of suspicion and dead-end assignments in the post-DCW AFFS... which is a long time to retain the services of a man whose loyalties are held in question.
If this hypothetical trooper signed up at the very end of the DCW in 2539 or so, to still be in FedSuns uniform by the time of the Sterope raid in 2588, he’s somehow escaped being jettisoned to the SLDF in 2571 (which Alexander Davion explicitly used to take a ‘new broom’ to his military, sweeping out units and personnel with a history of disloyalty to him and his branch of the Davion family) and been retained years past his pension date.
I mean, I know BT leaders often practice collective responsibility when it comes to disloyal units, but to keep punishing the children and grandchildren of ‘rebel’ troops two generations after the rebellion ended seems... a tad extreme, for the FedSuns. I’d half-expect it from the DC or CC (if not a blanket 9mm retirement package for all those involved directly after the Civil War), but as a general rule the Davions have had a relatively lighter hand when it comes to such things.
Eh. At this rate, I think I’ll just have to settle on a personal interpretation and call it good.
For my purposes, I’m going to assume that somewhere between the end of the DCW and the crushing of Roger’s Return in 2565, the Duke of New Syrtis — either founder or heir to one of the short-lived dynasties that replaced the attainted Varnays — assembled a nine-battalion ‘household bodyguard’ unit of ’Mechs and vehicles, the Syrtis Light Cavalry. (There’s canonical precedent for this — check out Hot Spots or Chaos March for the kind of shenanigans planetary nobles can get up to below the national radar.) The central AFFS either didn’t notice this formation, or for domestic political reasons chose not to act against it at the time of joining the Star League, but it became... inconvenient to tolerate thereafter*, and the Duke was ‘encouraged’ to ‘downsize’ his bodyguard by, oh, three battalions or so. The Duke nominated the three unlucky battalions (the 2nd, 3rd and 7th), appointed a regimental commander and staff for the now-237th, and with semi-official sanction dispatched them to shoot up a Taurian planet as proof of New Syrtis’ loyalty to Alexander Davion (the timing being a matter of convoluted domestic politics), never intending to accept them back into the FedSuns. Unfortunately for the Duke, the troops he used in this ‘demonstration’ realised they were being expended on a one-way operation, simply so the Duke could cover his ass, and they had other ideas....
Your mileage may vary, of course.
* Hmmm... come to think of it, I’ve got just the historical justification for that, but it’s a spoiler!
My personal headcannon is that the lighthorse were a regiment left over from the Terran Alliance, possibly one that sided with the rebels during the Grain Revolt or had ties to the First Families, leading to the Feds keeping them intact. Over time, their reputation failed and they were only kept on the roles as a dumping ground for personnel nobody else wanted, leading to their poor performance on Sterope and their desertion.
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Would it be possible to square this circle by saying the 237th was not actually a battlemech formation, and rather a conventional unit - of which we know there are a huge number and they don’t show up in OOBs or movement tables. Then we need to explain the presence of Mechs in their formation after going awol. Maybe there was a detached mech formation from another unit that went with them or they stole the mechs (but then, where did the pilots come from?).
That doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch.
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Or it was an ADHOC formation
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Pure battlemech regiments were still relatively new leading up to the Reunification War. Battlemechs had only been around for so long, to the point where primitive mechs still made up a substantial part of the house armies. A composite unit seems likely.
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As interesting as this is, this isn't the thread for it. I hope you'll go create a new thread to continue this discussion while this thread gets back to discussing new releases.
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Warrior Trilogy Coming to Print-on-Demand and eBook
To mark the 30th Anniversary of their release, we are proud to announce that the Michael Stackpole penned "Warrior Trilogy" will be available as both ebooks and Print On Demand (POD) starting December 22 (12/22).
Here are the links to hub pages so you can purchase from your preferred provider:
(https://i.ibb.co/QPKVT24/Battle-Tech-Legends-En-Garde-Generic.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wSzqP9f)
books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorEnGarde (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorEnGarde)
Warrior En Garde Back Cover:
’MECHS AT THE READY…
Betrayed by his own House and stripped of his rank, exiled Mechwarrior Justin Allard is given one last chance to save his honor—by risking his life in the gladiatorial arenas of Solaris VII. But his newest Game World opponent—more skilled at 'Mech-to-'Mech combat than any other rival—raises the stakes even higher. It's Philip Capet, former mechwarrior in the Davion military—until he was kicked out by none other than Justin Allard before his own unfortunate fall from grace.
Both Justin and Philip face fierce battles, but in the Inner Sphere, where nobles have schemed for centuries to win the ultimate power, those who interfere with the Successor Lords are sometimes called heroes.
And sometimes called victims…
(https://i.ibb.co/tbmxFqp/Battle-Tech-Legends-Riposte-Generic.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cNgCV6h)
books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorRiposte (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorRiposte)
Warrior Riposte Back Cover:
THE GAUNTLET IS THROWN…
Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner have united two Great Houses of the Inner Sphere in a marriage that upsets the balance of power among the stars. Though some hope this may bring an end to centuries of war, Maximilian Liao of the Capellan Confederation has enlisted the aid of two highly placed Davion traitors to destroy Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns from both within and without.
But in the distant star chambers of the Capellan March and Draconis Combine, the warlords of Maximilian Liao are honoring a different and more deadly vow: to wage an unholy war that threatens to rip apart the vulnerable worlds of the Federated Suns. As Davion ’Mech commander Andrew Redburn and his mercenaries streak into battle, an explosive clash of metal and men signals the return of a formidable foe. Interstellar legend Yorinaga Kurita has returned to stake his claim as the most bloodthirsty warrior of all. For both men, it is do-or-die combat that could ensure the triumph of a glorious new alliance—or result in total annihilation…
(https://i.ibb.co/P5CD9kh/Battle-Tech-Legends-Coupe-Generic.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BgsnrkZ)
books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorCoupe (http://books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorCoupe)
Warrior Coupe Back Cover:
THE FINAL ENGAGEMENT…
The minions of Maximilian Liao are about to deliver a crippling blow to the forces of Prince Hanse Davion—discovering a way to use Hanse’s own technology against him.
Half a galaxy away, assassins stalk Hanse's wife, Melissa Steiner, and her mother, Archon Katrina Steiner, in the passageways of their own palace.
Invasion is imminent. The only ’Mech force capable of stopping that invasion—the Kell Hounds mercenary unit—is trapped in a game of search and destroy with the most fearsome Kurita unit ever created. Even if they come back in time...how many would make it?
In a world where ten-meter-tall war machines are the soul of battle, assassins are state policy, and a spy’s loyalty is always for sale, the only thing certain is death. Who can you trust? And in the bitter end, how will you be betrayed?
Please Note! POD may not be available at the same time as the ebook goes on sale. It can take longer for POD titles to propagate through the various systems. This is beyond our control.
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Oh that is nice, I have been waiting for that one and a few others to finally make epub. I know where my Amazon gift card is going!
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Lovely art to go with such nice trilogy.
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For Engarde . . . is that the first art we have gotten with a Classic Phoenix Hawk?
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For Engarde . . . is that the first art we have gotten with a Classic Phoenix Hawk?
Combat Manual: Kurita
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Keep forgetting that it was in the background on that cover- the Wolverine was distracting.
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oh my god that looks amazing. And the updated covers are excellent.
I'll definitely get the whole trilogy printed. Stunning work in resurrecting these books after never being available since their (now) very old print run.
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Do any of these providers sell DRM-free eBooks?
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Never been much for the novels but I recently picked up Embers of War and Betrayal of Ideals to test the waters. I’ll get this if for no other reason than to further encourage more PoD offerings
Speaking of which, any news on the jihad turning points compilation Capital Punishment?
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Might be worth mentioning these are completely re-edited versions too, not the previous scanned-to-text ones!
Dak
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Is that a Shimmy redraw of the Orion?
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Looks a lot like the one on the cover of 2sw
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Do any of these providers sell DRM-free eBooks?
At least kobo does. That’s the one I’ve been using.
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Looks like the Orion has a new look too .
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Its had a new look for awhile now.
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Looks like the Orion has a new look too .
New looks from TRO: 3050 Upgraded.
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Are we sure thats a Phoenix Hawk? The gun looks wrong [and is on wrong side...]?
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Looks like the Orion has a new look too .
Technically speaking, almost every artist has drawn the Orion their own way.
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The cockpit area is different with a more sinister-looking viewport. Welcome to the age of Evilrion
Technically speaking, almost every artist has drawn the Orion their own way.
Ain’t that the truth
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What is the scene that's on the cover of En Garde? I'm pretty sure that Ripost is Justin Allard's match in The Jungle, and Coup is Morgan Kell and Yorinaga Kurita.
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I don't recall when a Phoenix Hawk was involved in a scuffle. i remember Valkyries were more prominent
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Great news on the Warrior Trillogy.
And count me down for a "Davion Civil Wars" book.
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I'm sure such a niche of a niche book makes economic sense to make.
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I'm sure such a niche of a niche book makes economic sense to make.
Most likely it would be closest to viable in a turning Points style release, yeah. But we can dream...
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What is the scene that's on the cover of En Garde?
I'm going to guess the Battle of Northwind. Looks like a Team Banzai P-hawk vs the Genyosha.
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I'm sure such a niche of a niche book makes economic sense to make.
How about a Historical:Brush Wars II?
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I'm going to guess the Battle of Northwind. Looks like a Team Banzai P-hawk vs the Genyosha.
This.
Which leads to the conclusion, that covers for En Garde and Riposte should be swapped. The depicted fight between Xiang and Wolfson happens in EnGarde while Battle of Northwind is in Riposte.
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How about a Historical:Brush Wars II?
It was solicited and pitched for back in 2013, but became vaporware shortly thereafter. I still have hopes of resurrecting it in a PDF-only format of some kind, but those hopes have been back-burnered for now.
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Well, if there's anything we can do get it moved back to the front burner, let us know. :)
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It was solicited and pitched for back in 2013, but became vaporware shortly thereafter. I still have hopes of resurrecting it in a PDF-only format of some kind, but those hopes have been back-burnered for now.
Which conflicts did it include?
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The St. Ives War, First Ghost Bear-Combine War, Operation Guerrero.
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Isn’t Wars of the republic era brush wars 3
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Well, if there's anything we can do get it moved back to the front burner, let us know. :)
Buying 700 copies of the Brush Wars I PDF couldn't hurt. ;)
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The St. Ives War, First Ghost Bear-Combine War, Operation Guerrero.
Ooohh shiny. Want! :drool:
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My kingdom for a Guerrero-focused product
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Isn’t Wars of the republic era brush wars 3
Yes. Not in name, but that was the intent.
Buying 700 copies of the Brush Wars I PDF couldn't hurt. ;)
"Back-burnered" was the wrong word to use. It's not sidelined due to being on the wrong side of some cost-benefit analysis. It's mostly that:
1) I've been volunteering for and pulled into other, more pressing BT-related projects, efforts, and problems. So I've had limited time to push on this--for instance, for the past two months, the time I could dedicate to BT stuff was much better spent tracking and communicating box set progress than tinkering with a vanity project.
2) I don't personally control the PDF-only lines, so I need to work with others who do, who themselves are also sucked into their own projects, efforts and problems.
3) This project would need to find a place within the PDF-only lines, possibly unifying them all in some way, and that requires myself and the same people from (2) to really think through how it all fits together before launching it.
So, probably a worthy effort, but one that requires some focus. We'll get it sorted out, and I'll definitely share more once we do. Believe me, I'm eager to get my completed St. Ives War draft off my computer before it has its sixth birthday.
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This was posted on the facebook page!
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I'll be picking up the Warrior books too, so I can retire my original copies bought when it first came out...
Damon.
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Such nice artwork on that Maruader!
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It's the other artwork that's shown that's "new" too.
The other is the Classic Rifleman that was supposed to be the original release's cover! Nice!
I had to double check my physical copy to confirm...
EDIT: So when is the PDF version gonna get updated? Xotl's preview in the Errata thread was nice and all, but having the updated PDF would be better.
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Yes. Not in name, but that was the intent.
"Back-burnered" was the wrong word to use. It's not sidelined due to being on the wrong side of some cost-benefit analysis. It's mostly that:
1) I've been volunteering for and pulled into other, more pressing BT-related projects, efforts, and problems. So I've had limited time to push on this--for instance, for the past two months, the time I could dedicate to BT stuff was much better spent tracking and communicating box set progress than tinkering with a vanity project.
2) I don't personally control the PDF-only lines, so I need to work with others who do, who themselves are also sucked into their own projects, efforts and problems.
3) This project would need to find a place within the PDF-only lines, possibly unifying them all in some way, and that requires myself and the same people from (2) to really think through how it all fits together before launching it.
So, probably a worthy effort, but one that requires some focus. We'll get it sorted out, and I'll definitely share more once we do. Believe me, I'm eager to get my completed St. Ives War draft off my computer before it has its sixth birthday.
Plus there's that new-ish kid Cubby has to feed. ;)
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Plus there's that new-ish kid Cubby has to feed. ;)
It occurs to me that the St. Ives draft is actually older than both my kids.
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Will Warrior Rispote also be avaliable on amazon the other two are? Also did I miss the new spotlight release. I have been in the hospital the last week
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You didn't miss it. Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood is slightly delayed and will be out in the next day or three.
I'm not sure what's going on with the Warrior books. Trying to find out.
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When the warrior books eventually become PoD’able, where does one go to order such things usually?
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When the warrior books eventually become PoD’able, where does one go to order such things usually?
This is among the things I'm trying to find out. I was really not a party to any part of the process with these.
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You didn't miss it. Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood is slightly delayed and will be out in the next day or three.
I'm not sure what's going on with the Warrior books. Trying to find out.
Thanks, can I say how truly great a job you are doing at keeping us in the know I personally appreciate it.
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Will Warrior Rispote also be avaliable on amazon the other two are? Also did I miss the new spotlight release. I have been in the hospital the last week
Yes, the announcement for Book 2 on Amazon will be added when it's available. Same with the PoD option.
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Great things coming out. Always good news.
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So, will the Warrior Trilogy books have the updated artwork for the mechs on pages in the back, like in the originals?
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it looks like the warrior trilogy has made it to amazon in paperback
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Doing some holiday reading and I could not find A Splinter of Hope, The Anvil, Legacy, or Front Lines (BattleCorps Anthology Vol. 6) on the CGL Store. I did found all of them except Front Lines on DriveThruRPG but I would prefer to give CGL more of my money and keep most of my BT e-collection in the one online shop.
Am I doing something wrong or am I missing something?
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Legacy is the only one actually in print I think. I got my copy on amazon. Bc anthology 6 was con only and hasn’t been widely released yet (either digitally or in print). The only place I’ve seen splinter of hope and the anvil was on CGL’s Instagram
Edit: missed you were talking about digital.
As far as ereader I can’t say they’ve added any fiction since the legends novel rereleases
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Quick reset based on what we know
Warrior Trilogy PoD - Out now (amazon)
Box Sets - Jan 23
Map Pack - March
House Arano PDF - March 1
TRO: Clan Invasion - Being worked on?
TRO: Golden Century - Being worked on
Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition - Unknown
Capital Punishment (JTP PoD) - Unknown
TechManual / TacOps / StratOps reprints - Unknown
BC Anthology 6: Front Lines DTF - unknown
Mr. Pardoe's Forever Faithful and Ms. Brozek's Rogue Academy trilogy - I assume being worked on? I honestly am ignorant of the author to publisher workflow on fiction.
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BC Anthology 6: Front Lines DTF - unknown
This one's not available as an ebook yet either.
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Nice little list of stuff coming out
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Box Sets - Jan 23
TRO: Clan Invasion - Being worked on?
BC Anthology 6: Front Lines DTF - unknown
Oh man; I am nervous to see if my new FLGS gets the boxed sets I ordered in.
What is TRO: Clan Invasion? I missed that one. A similar compilation product to TRO: Succession Wars, I take it? I know it's not a popular opinion; but I sincerely hope it's not a vehicle for MWO-style versions of the Clan Omnimechs. I like my non-torso-twisting Nova and Linebacker!
Is that the anthology that was offered briefly at some Con, a while back? A Celestial on the cover?
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Oh man; I am nervous to see if my new FLGS gets the boxed sets I ordered in.
an entire community is with you in breathless prayer
What is TRO: Clan Invasion? I missed that one. A similar compilation product to TRO: Succession Wars, I take it? I know it's not a popular opinion; but I sincerely hope it's not a vehicle for MWO-style versions of the Clan Omnimechs. I like my non-torso-twisting Nova and Linebacker!
It's the follow-up to TRO: Succession Wars that takes IS and Clan units up through TRO: 3067. It is the same size as SW (95 units), so a lot is getting left out. will be interesting to see what they pick. I assume it's going to be in the same mold as the first and not employ much (if any) new art, so you probably don't have to worry about the MWO-ification of your TRO art.
Is that the anthology that was offered briefly at some Con, a while back? A Celestial on the cover?
Yup, a pretty great rendering of a Malak. It was at Gencon 2016 and has not seen either print or electronic release yet (but is included in the fiction on the Coming Soon™ page)
(http://cfw.sarna.net/wiki/images/thumb/4/40/Front_Lines.jpg/280px-qir0k36zn5clizzacnxejv61ayxbl7m.jpg?timestamp=20160905082437)
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Spotlight On: Nakayama’s Blood still pending or have I missed it over the holiday period?
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still pending
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Yup, a pretty great rendering of a Malak.
(http://cfw.sarna.net/wiki/images/thumb/4/40/Front_Lines.jpg/280px-qir0k36zn5clizzacnxejv61ayxbl7m.jpg?timestamp=20160905082437)
It's a detail from the Total Chaos cover, IIRC
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It's a detail from the Total Chaos cover, IIRC
yup!
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Now Available - Touring the Stars: Sherwood!
"Founded with ecological sustainability in mind, the colonization of Sherwood seemed like a failure as soon as it began. But thanks to the strict control of a strong central government and a well-educated population, Sherwood pushed through the privations of the Star League era and became the 'Green Gem' of the Outback."
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/touring-the-stars-sherwood (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/touring-the-stars-sherwood)
Discuss this new release here (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.60)!
(NOTE: Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood will be published on Friday, January 25. We apologize for the delay.)
(https://i.ibb.co/wCJp186/Sherwood.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nf3QS4k)
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Went to check at my FLGS on my order for the Box Set, the ETA is still TBA on their computer (as expected, most online retailers are saying late January) but the funny thing was I was also somehow listed for the Alpha Strike Box and Steiner Combat Manual ??? ;D I now that those particular items are shelved for the immediate future and probably only ended up listed after searching Battletech, Combat, Box but it was somewhat surprising, funny and a little hart breaking for the game store who thought they had me down for a little extra $$$.
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Steiner CM?? Davion was next lol
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A store’s website I frequented a few years ago had the AS box, cm davion AND cm Steiner
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I'd get the rest of the CMs in standard B&W, non-gloss interior.
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nckestrel is posting "Combat Manual Lite (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63772.0)" pdfs down in the Fan Designs and Rules forum. Steiner is on the list, but not Davion (for reasons he explains).
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nckestrel is posting "Combat Manual Lite (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63772.0)" pdfs down in the Fan Designs and Rules forum. Steiner is on the list, but not Davion (for reasons he explains).
Basically, from what he posted, the reasons boil down to the fact that he didn't write that one and so didn't want to steal the author's thunder combined with the fact that CM: Davion was so close to sale before the brakes were applied that doing it as a Lite Beta may inadvertently scuttle any still remaining chances of it seeing print.
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Hey Cubby . . .
Those pilot cards and the stand ups you showed off going into GenCon are not in the download section. I was wondering if they could be added there or stickied somewhere in the forums to avoid having to dig through posts looking for them.
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Hey Cubby . . .
Those pilot cards and the stand ups you showed off going into GenCon are not in the download section. I was wondering if they could be added there or stickied somewhere in the forums to avoid having to dig through posts looking for them.
For sure, good catch. We're looking at doing some refreshing across a couple pages, including Downloads. I'll add that one to the list.
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PREVIEW: Celebrate BattleTech's 35th Anniversary!
It’s time to celebrate as BattleTech marks 35 years of heavy metal mayhem in 2019!
We’re kicking off a year of celebration next Wednesday, January 23 to thank our longtime fans and set the stage for the future. Here’s a preview of what we’ve got in store—check back next Wednesday for full links to all of the exciting products on sale that day.
Want to help us spread the word? Download hi-res versions of the BattleTech 35th Anniversary logo (JPG (https://www.dropbox.com/s/zccve15isd4xecu/BT%2035th%20Logo_jpg.jpg?dl=0) / PNG (https://www.dropbox.com/s/tbp3im5k2wca4a0/BT-35th-Logo_png.png?dl=0)).
• The BattleTech Beginner Box will be available in the Catalyst Game Labs store and through your local retailer.
• The BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat boxed set will be available in the Catalyst Game Labs store and through your local retailer.
• The BattleTech sourcebook Shattered Fortress will be available through your local game store. (It’s available on the Catalyst Game Labs store now! print (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-only) // PDF (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-shattered-fortress) // both (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech/products/battletech-shattered-fortress-book-pdf))
• The PDF version of the new printing of the BattleMech Manual will be available in the Catalyst Game Labs store. The print version is at the printers now and will be out a bit later this year. This new printing includes an all-new cover bearing the 35th anniversary logo, and includes all errata from the previous printing.
• Apparel bearing the BattleTech 35th Anniversary logo will be available for order, including a t-shirt, hoodie, and pin.
• The re-released anniversary editions of the Warrior Trilogy novels are now available on PDF and Print on Demand. Buy your copies of Warrior: En Garde (electronic (https://books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorEnGarde?fbclid=IwAR3pKor4B5h61qhd77r7GY1qFkGLmgFi9tLNmlL2GzPl9xM7Vy5B5APURNc) / PoD (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941582699/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bbbjCbZ6ZD0H0?fbclid=IwAR3ZE1lRfxa0ImSCxzlcGXy9vQHFUy2a-VBi2rIRZLFl95Pg5se7u-CIgGI)), Warrior: Riposte (electronic (https://books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorRiposte?fbclid=IwAR2L5bd_NEMiMLrwYmsYmos_a6ls3UzDmjlkIFAq5uyl3EDlG43DP5ZAmKo) / PoD (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941582729/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_u-ajCbXRQJ5JN?fbclid=IwAR1Y76vxOsS_c4jMCQfmAvRlnSB13Eb4NAtNDmi_qh2hY40XbwMHaVhJEX8)), and Warrior: Coupe (electronic (https://books2read.com/BattleTechLegendsWarriorCoupe?fbclid=IwAR0xPXk3wVGWS9E2d3zkNx-TlMO-xqr4qvF6boPOB_UolMTowMyNjWJwSYA) / PoD (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941582710/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MbbjCbQXS5C19?fbclid=IwAR1vWPLBY0nXCwqSvbxOh_MdZNU96tkBSxpxjlC_8fCODssj32QWMe6f9pE)) now![/li][/list]
(https://i.ibb.co/WgcjvkZ/BT-35th-Logo-FB.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Qr6tvPL)
(https://i.ibb.co/2KcVdn4/BT-35th-Anniversary-Hoodie.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/fN2ChJQ/BT-35th-Anniversary-Tshirt.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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Oh t-shirt . . . I know what my wife is getting me for Valentines!
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OOOOOOoooooooooooo Hoodie!
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Looking forward to it! I just may have to snap up one of those hoodies and a pin :thumbsup:
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hey, the updated BMM is a nice surprise
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hey, the updated BMM is a nice surprise
Low-key, to some I guess, but really really important as part of the bridge for new players on the heels of the box sets.
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Awesome news, I want a nice t-shirt....maybe the hoodie also.
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So... does DriveThru count as a "local retailer"? ???
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Does drivethru usually sell DTF BT stuff?
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I'm pretty sure they do... been a while since I've had the cash to browse over there...
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So... does DriveThru count as a "local retailer"? ???
No.
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Roger, thanks.
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Now Available Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star!!
"In the right place, a few small rocks can change the course of a river. The Seekers of Clan Goliath Scorpion and the Escorpion Imperio have long sought out relics of the past which they believe will steer their course. But relics are not the only rocks: one small unit and its warriors changed the path of the Clan and the Imperio. The saKhan of fifty years who formed them. The Star Colonel who returned to guide them in their darkest hour. The survivors who escaped the Reavings to claim a new home. Those who continue to use the relics of the past to guide the future. Come discover the small rocks of the Crimson Seeker Star, who changed the course of the Seekers, the Goliath Scorpions, the Escorpion Imperio and many more. Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star includes a Unit History, Personalities, Personnel Rosters, Mission Tracks, and data for use with all scales of BattleTech play."
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-crimson-seeker-star (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-crimson-seeker-star)
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I know we’re all SUPPOSED to be most excited for the new box sets, but I am unreasonably psyched about the Crimson Seeker book.
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I know we’re all SUPPOSED to be most excited for the new box sets, but I am unreasonably psyched about the Crimson Seeker book.
I'm pretty psyched about it too
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I know we’re all SUPPOSED to be most excited for the new box sets, but I am unreasonably psyched about the Crimson Seeker book.
There's good tie-ins from a BattleCorps story plus BattleCorps' RS:Unique Mechs, making that info available to everyone, which is nice.
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Even for a non Goliath Scorpion fan it was an enjoyable product
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Hah, I made custom minis for each of those! Although I wish had the guts to change the paint scheme on them.
There's good tie-ins from a BattleCorps story plus BattleCorps' RS:Unique Mechs, making that info available to everyone, which is nice.
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As the guy who forced the RSUM concept on TPTB of that era ... pics! Please, pics!
(I have a Great Wyrm Aemelia, but that's as far as I went ;) )
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Polygon reviewed the box sets: https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/22/18193088/battletech-beginner-box-armored-combat-release-date-price
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It looks like they liked them. Some positive press is always nice.
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It's a pretty big venue too. That's honestly a lot of publicity just from Polygon.
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My local store got three (or more) of the Starter kits within the last week: someone said next week they would get the Big Box as well... but I'm glad to see they are arriving on shelves!
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Just spotted this at Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/battletech-forever-faithful (https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/battletech-forever-faithful)
Due for release on February 23rd. Any new fiction is good but this I'm really looking forward to ;D
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Wow! A origin story set during the Twilight of Clans.
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It appears that this will be bout the birth of the Fidelis.
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I wonder if there will be more than one book. The Fidelis's future was changed, but it's past wasn't clarified, so at least we get that. I don't think after the recent sourcebook its going end well for the Fidelis.
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Cool, Drivethru updated BMM. Now if only the UI would let me download it... Reckon i'll get the physical re-release too once it gets here. Like the book a lot. Also new cover art is great.
On the other hand, LGS had ended up reporting the official street date for the box set, naturally it isn't in the store yet. No matter, probably would've gotten it later anyway, got some other stuff to get first (like Ace Combat 7 on PC).
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IIRC Blaine mentioned that it does span multiple eras.
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Available here for nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battletech-blaine-lee-pardoe/1130339242?ean=2940161170182
(https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battletech-blaine-lee-pardoe/1130339242?ean=2940161170182)
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Did I miss the launch of Experimental Technical Readout: Phantoms? I can't find it anywhere yet there's references to it on Sarna etc.
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Did I miss the launch of Experimental Technical Readout: Phantoms? I can't find it anywhere yet there's references to it on Sarna etc.
It came out a long time ago (2012).
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-experimental-technical-readout-phantoms-pdf
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Odd! I must have missed it, never ever seen it until today and I thought 'wait..is this new?' *goes and buys*
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Did I miss the launch of Experimental Technical Readout: Phantoms? I can't find it anywhere yet there's references to it on Sarna etc.
Its here. (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Experimental_Technical_Readout:_Phantoms)There something going wrong with when you use the shorten name for XTRO: Phantoms. Weird.
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The celebration of BattleTech’s 35th Anniversary begins today! We’ve got all-new products now available to thank our longtime fans and set the stage for the future.
http://bg.battletech.com/news/now-available-new-battletech-products-and-35th-anniversary-apparel/ (http://bg.battletech.com/news/now-available-new-battletech-products-and-35th-anniversary-apparel/)
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Picked up the PDF of the BattleMech Manual. In the back is the announcement of Forever Faithful by Pardoe.
"In Forever Faithful, a brand-new novel written by BattleTech master
and bestselling author Blaine Lee Pardoe, two men struggle to seize
control and guide the future of the shattered Smoke Jaguar Clan. But
in the end, only one can rise to rule over the scattered remains of the
Jaguars and reshape it into something even more true to the original
vision of the founder of the Clans, Nicholas Kerensky…"
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Already got my Shirt Ordered.
Cant wait for the FLGS to have the Boxed Sets
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Picked up the PDF of the BattleMech Manual. In the back is the announcement of Forever Faithful by Pardoe.
"In Forever Faithful, a brand-new novel written by BattleTech master
and bestselling author Blaine Lee Pardoe, two men struggle to seize
control and guide the future of the shattered Smoke Jaguar Clan. But
in the end, only one can rise to rule over the scattered remains of the
Jaguars and reshape it into something even more true to the original
vision of the founder of the Clans, Nicholas Kerensky…"
So Trent versus Paul Moon, Round 2 ?
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So Trent versus Paul Moon, Round 2 ?
Essentially, if you read novel Shadow of War or Prince of Havoc. You will read scene where Trent confronts Paul Moon in field hospital.
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Except the last we see of Trent is his being knocked off his feet by a Nova Cat Khan or saKhan to be a bondsman who can thus fight for the Cats against another Clan in the Home Worlds as part of the Great Refusal.
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Except the last we see of Trent is his being knocked off his feet by a Nova Cat Khan or saKhan to be a bondsman who can thus fight for the Cats against another Clan in the Home Worlds as part of the Great Refusal.
He did seem to be more brooding in that novel, more so than previous appearances.
Maybe it just turned out that he was out smarted from him losing his fight to control what remains of his Clan?
Technically we didn't see him die during the battle. I don't remember it being mentioned.
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I need to go back and look, but I thought the strong implication--or maybe outright statement--in Prince of Havoc was that Trent had been killed fighting for the Nova Cats in the Great Refusal.
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He got better?
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Its never said in the novel, but I want to say it was implicated in a later SB or confirmed by something said on the boards by TPTB.
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He got better?
He burned EDG to survive "certain death".
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He got better?
He was only mostly dead. ::)
As far as I remember, Trent was missing at the end of the Great Refusal.
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He certainly wanted a release, but that didn't mean he didn't slip away. xp
We could end up finding out in Pardoe's novel. Lordy i hope it has option to Print-On-Demand. I like paper. No batteries needed. :thumbsup:
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Hunh... I figured the novel had more to do with the Fidelis, but I didn't consider it dealing with the 3060s-era timeline.
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Hunh... I figured the novel had more to do with the Fidelis, but I didn't consider it dealing with the 3060s-era timeline.
I know, maybe it does later on in the book. (shrugs)
It seems to be from description of the novel, as the origin of the Fidelis.
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It could be a series of episodes in Trent and Paul Moon's lives that leads to the formation of the Fidelis, with timeskips in between.
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Basically how Blaine described it awhile back - "era-spanning" was the word he used, IIRC.
We'll have more to say on it soon. Plenty enough for everyone to digest today.
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Basically how Blaine described it awhile back - "era-spanning" was the word he used, IIRC.
We'll have more to say on it soon. Plenty enough for everyone to digest today.
What are you trying to tamp down baseless speculation?
This is . . .
(http://blovver.com/wp-content/uploads/gerard-butler-leonidas.jpg)
THE INTERNET!
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This is . . .
THE INTERNET!
... your right, I should move on and do something more constructive.
*logs off for the day*
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What are you trying to tamp down baseless speculation?
This is . . .
(http://blovver.com/wp-content/uploads/gerard-butler-leonidas.jpg)
THE INTERNET!
Hah, I’d never dream of it. Just trying to break up the new info, so nothing gets missed and no one chokes.
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Well, first let me say I’m thankful for seeing BT shirts being available to purchase on the Catalyst web store. Went to buy one and my sizes are already sold out? A run of 200? Please....
Mike
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Just ordered both box sets and Shattered Fortress from Leisure Games in the UK.
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Me Too, both boxed sets now ordered.
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Pre-ordered both box sets a while back from a 3rd party vendor. Also ordered one of the hoodies.
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Will the physical 35th anniversary cover battlemech manual be back in stock relatively soon?
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It’s “at the printers” according to the front page post so hopefully soon
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He got better?
Yep - it's Traitor Trent and his Paranoid delusions vs Paul Moon.
Let us hope Paul doesn't take too long in shooting him down and dumping him in a vat of bleach.
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Battletech's 35th Anniversary continues with the release of the novel "Forever Faithful" by Blaine Lee Pardoe.
SEMPER FIDELIS
In the year 3060, the reborn Star League has destroyed Clan Smoke Jaguar, conquered their home world Huntress, and scattered the few remaining Jaguar warriors to the winds. Now the League seeks to end the Clan invasion for good by using former Smoke Jaguars against their own people.
Meanwhile, two bitter enemies seek to salvage a future for the last Jaguars in existence: Trent, who betrayed his wayward Clan to help them regain their honor, and Paul Moon, a disgraced warrior torn between his pledged loyalty to the Star League and a duty to the Smoke Jaguar civilization he was born to protect.
But power-hungry predators lurk in Clan space, waiting for the right time to strike the vulnerable Star League forces. And to the victor will go the spoils: the priceless artifacts of a destroyed Clan and the sacred genetics of the final generation of Smoke Jaguar warriors.
Trent and Paul Moon must fight tooth and nail against would-be conquerors to save the soul of the surviving Jaguar people before they are consigned to the annals of history. But will their divergent plans tear the survivors apart, or lead them toward freedom?
"Forever Faithful" will be available on February 23rd (2/23) both as an ebook and Print on Demand (PoD).
http://books2read.com/BattleTechForeverFaithful (http://books2read.com/BattleTechForeverFaithful)
(https://i.ibb.co/xS1Yr2W/Forever-Faithful-Front-Cover-Display-35-1-7a-copy.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4Z820Fz)
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Well, if you never see the body . . .
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Battletech's 35th Anniversary continues with the release of the novel "Forever Faithful" by Blaine Lee Pardoe.
SEMPER FIDELIS
In the year 3060, the reborn Star League has destroyed Clan Smoke Jaguar, conquered their home world Huntress, and scattered the few remaining Jaguar warriors to the winds. Now the League seeks to end the Clan invasion for good by using former Smoke Jaguars against their own people.
Meanwhile, two bitter enemies seek to salvage a future for the last Jaguars in existence: Trent, who betrayed his wayward Clan to help them regain their honor, and Paul Moon, a disgraced warrior torn between his pledged loyalty to the Star League and a duty to the Smoke Jaguar civilization he was born to protect.
But power-hungry predators lurk in Clan space, waiting for the right time to strike the vulnerable Star League forces. And to the victor will go the spoils: the priceless artifacts of a destroyed Clan and the sacred genetics of the final generation of Smoke Jaguar warriors.
Trent and Paul Moon must fight tooth and nail against would-be conquerors to save the soul of the surviving Jaguar people before they are consigned to the annals of history. But will their divergent plans tear the survivors apart, or lead them toward freedom?
"Forever Faithful" will be available on February 23rd (2/23) both as an ebook and Print on Demand (PoD).
http://books2read.com/BattleTechForeverFaithful (http://books2read.com/BattleTechForeverFaithful)
(https://i.ibb.co/xS1Yr2W/Forever-Faithful-Front-Cover-Display-35-1-7a-copy.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4Z820Fz)
is this a reprint or a new book?
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All new.
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Its new, its one they teased when they announced the restart of the fiction.
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New book. Very new.
Blaine "Buck" Pardoe
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New book. Very new.
Blaine "Buck" Pardoe
Very clear, will buy.
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The best way to get more BattleTech fiction is the buy BattleTech fiction.
35 years. Damn - I feel old.
Blaine "Buck" Pardoe
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So glad for PoD options. It's just good to have paperbacks on a shelf with the clean new logo. Give me more books, I buy. I put on shelf. Good boy Bedwyr.
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i've never really adjusted to e-readers for fiction - sourcebooks, yes because of the invaluable search feature. but for novels i'm glad we're moving toward PoD now
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So glad for PoD options. It's just good to have paperbacks on a shelf with the clean new logo. Give me more books, I buy. I put on shelf. Good boy Bedwyr.
This!
I enjoy the portability of having thousands of books at my fingertips for long trips away from my library.
But nothing beats that new book smell, the look on my shelf, or the complete collection just sitting there from across generations of authors, settings, and characters.
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I'm getting that book as soon it's PoD-able. I hope its keeps going. I just hope it's softback, i prefer the fast-media, but i've not seen anything that small in print for Battletech in a while. Forever Faithful sounds like after reading Mr. Pardoe posted, to be awesome book. I think they should have tweeked everyone's nose by putting "Twilight of the Clans" Book 9 on the thing. ;D Series last entry was March 1999, 20 years ago!
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Wasn't Falcon Rising released in 1999?
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Wasn't Falcon Rising released in 1999?
It was, had serious typo. xp
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Passing along this message, which I just posted on the CGL and BT social media platforms:
To Our Customers,
Catalyst Game Labs management is aware that copies of the BattleTech Beginner Box are running critically low both among our retail partners and on the company’s web store. Expecting this unprecedented demand, we have already taken aggressive action to restock this product.
A full reprint of the Beginner Box, of the same size as the initial order, has been completed overseas and is awaiting shipment during the first week of February.
In addition, the popularity of the BattleTech and Shadowrun anniversary apparel has caused many sizes of both the t-shirt and hoodie for both lines to sell out. A robust re-order has been placed, and all sizes of these items should be back in stock in the next few weeks.
We will follow-up with more details as they become available. Thank you for your patience.
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But the people who already placed orders will get their product eventually, yes?
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But the people who already placed orders will get their product eventually, yes?
I'd assume orders will be filled in the order they came in.
If it is selling fast and well, that means i'll be making a trip to the LGS on Saturday and probably buy the boxes, never know if there's demand here as well (assuming their presumed date holds true)
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But the people who already placed orders will get their product eventually, yes?
Orders through the web store, yes. Neither box is out of stock *yet*.
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Orders through the web store, yes. Neither box is out of stock *yet*.
That’s where I ordered from. I assume the traffic is a *bit* higher than normal so the delay is not unexpected, but neither is my anxiety
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Passing along this message, which I just posted on the CGL and BT social media platforms:
Good problems
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Passing along this message, which I just posted on the CGL and BT social media platforms:
Cubby,
I took CGL at their word that robust sales would result in continued production, but even so, I am genuinely impressed with the speed of this response. :thumbsup:
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I got a notification of new updates on Total War and the Tech Manual. I'm guessing these are errata related? File sizes don't match the originals at any rate. I also noticed that Tactical Operations (in the same order) appeared to be updated as well (new file size) but no notification yet.
Additionally, on Total War, there were two downloads, which appear to be the same book, but one is 263MB and the other is 44MB (with no PDF table of contents). Is the intended difference just image quality or something else. Large one is named "E-CAT35001V_Total_Warfare_2019.pdf" and small one is "E-CAT35001V_Total_Warfare.pdf"
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looks like the store had an update and we no longer have access to our digital files?
edit: you can back-door it if you use the content link from the original email but that's not really cool.
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Passing along this message, which I just posted on the CGL and BT social media platforms:
Hopefully this means we can get our preordered boxes here (Czech Republic, Central Europe) soon. Our distributor (ADC Blackfire) still list them as preorders. :(
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looks like the store had an update and we no longer have access to our digital files?
edit: you can back-door it if you use the content link from the original email but that's not really cool.
I'd suggest starting by emailing here:
store@catalystgamelabs.com
They should have some sort of contact point to the people who do the IT side of the store, so they can escalate after they take a look at the situation.
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i filled out the form at https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/pages/contact
i assume that goes to the store@ account
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So... when we getting City Tech with plastic marauder, warhammer, et al?
:)
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Now Available - Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood and Touring the Stars: Herotitus!
Spotlight On: Nakayama's Blood
"When Federated Suns forces stormed into the Draconis Combine during the FedCom Civil War, proud samurai Chu-sa Harold Nakayama and the Forty-Sixth Dieron Regulars deployed to Ashio to repel the invaders. Disaster struck when an all-but-unknown mercenary command slaughtered Nakayama’s troops, humiliating him. Nakayama swore an oath to exterminate mercenaries wherever they tainted Combine soil, and gathered around him an independent company whose BattleMechs were anointed by the blood of their MechWarriors in an oath to seek out and destroy mercenary scum. The Jihad provided Nakayama’s Blood with rich hunting grounds and the opportunity to strike fear into the hearts of mercenaries operating anywhere near Combine territory."
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-nakayamas-blood (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-spotlight-on-nakayamas-blood)
(https://i.ibb.co/2yZXgBD/E-CAT35-SN105-Spotlight-On-Nakayama-s-Blood-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HVhmnQW)
Touring the Stars: Herotitus
"From oppressive occupation by pirates to religious domination by various sects, Herotitus knows what it means to suffer. New hope for the future is growing, thanks to the stability and protection from the resource-rich world’s deadly, unique native wildlife offered by the narrowed eye of the Fronc Reaches and their Colonial Marshals. But criminal elements remain in hiding, desperate to return to power, threatening the precarious peace."
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-touring-the-stars-herotitus
(https://i.ibb.co/G5W1kC8/E-CAT35-SN224-Battle-Tech-Touring-the-Stars-Herotitus-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1mrpKRP)
Discuss these new releases here (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63309.msg1478504#msg1478504)!
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Herotitus! Nice, a new hiring hall world TTS!
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Crimson Seeker Star!!
Good work. I don't have the BattleCorps story they are supposed to be in, but I could see the Crimson Seeker Star making a feature appearance in a fan fic.
The unit composition of the later group is particularly interesting. I can see where the particular nature of their calling would make that optimal. Would be interesting to test it against a group of 'defenders'. :D
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so reading the AToW fauna section of Herotitus, i gather it's the australia of the inner sphere?
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I'm getting sooo far behind on my TTS collection...
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Is there a "map set" coming with product code 35150CAT ? Fantasywelt.de lists such thing.
Probably ordering the new box sets from there because my local store's system claims they have the boxes but i didn't see them anywhere in the actual store (and staff was occupied so i didn't ask), plus it is actually cheaper (about 12-13 euros) for me to order from Germany than buy directly here...
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the code checks out. the hexpacks were 35140-35142
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Is there a "map set" coming with product code 35150CAT ? Fantasywelt.de lists such thing.
Probably ordering the new box sets from there because my local store's system claims they have the boxes but i didn't see them anywhere in the actual store (and staff was occupied so i didn't ask), plus it is actually cheaper (about 12-13 euros) for me to order from Germany than buy directly here...
Yes, Map set Grasslands. Due out in March (North America)
https://www.acdd.com/battletech-map-set.html (https://www.acdd.com/battletech-map-set.html)
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OK thanks.
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My question is what will the Upcoming Releases Volume XIV be called? Almost a prime number?
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So I know it's been almost four years now, and I'm probably foolish to continue carrying this torch at this point...but are we ever going to get those missing record sheets for the 3150 NTNU units? Or, barring that, at least raw stats for same so we can use those units?
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Tempest C . . . Orion C . . . Juliano with cERLL . . .
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So I know it's been almost four years now, and I'm probably foolish to continue carrying this torch at this point...but are we ever going to get those missing record sheets for the 3150 NTNU units? Or, barring that, at least raw stats for same so we can use those units?
we never got one for Prototypes either...
i'm guessing the only way we see record sheets these days is if they're included with something else.
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Not much I can say from where I sit other than that it's a known problem, and kind of a fundamental one.
How management plans to handle it, and how soon, I just don't know.
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Can I at least ask: are there actual stats for these units, that simply have no non-painstaking way of being transcribed into record sheets due to the lack of an official RS program? Or is it just that only those little blurbs of fluff in the book exist, and they need to be statted in addition to that?
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From conversation and what i remember seeing looking at it in my FLGS once . . . it says what the mech/vehicle/BA has, but your left without locations. So we know there is a Juliano that has Clan ERLL and still has the same layout though I think it has a few other changes.
I really really want to be able to use a canon Juliano with cERLL for my League forces . . . but no sheet and no blurb. For those units, I would love to see a blurb set put out- "Swap X for Y and it takes crit 3 through 9 in the RT, everything below that is still ES crits. Two more DHS are in the engine. Remove 1 point of armor from each front torso and arm location and 2 on each leg." Something like that which while not a RS, actually lets us play these variants.
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Can I at least ask: are there actual stats for these units, that simply have no non-painstaking way of being transcribed into record sheets due to the lack of an official RS program? Or is it just that only those little blurbs of fluff in the book exist, and they need to be statted in addition to that?
If they're described in a TRO, they have stats somewhere. Recordsheet production is the known problem spot.
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If they're described in a TRO, they have stats somewhere. Recordsheet production is the known problem spot.
What seems strange to me is that this didn't seem to be a problem back in 2013, when the various factional 3145 TRO-lets came out; those came with a complete set of record sheets included. So what happened between 2013 and 2015 that made record sheet production effectively impossible/impractical?
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I think the problem is a time / profit issue. The sheets take more time to make than they’re worth as a stand-alone product. We do get sheets - the 3145 factions were the last big effort, but new record sheets appear in products like one of the recent Spotlight On. But without automation it doesn’t seem to be worth the investment
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Well, if it's merely a matter of the time commitment: devs, please PM me. I will happily do whatever work is required and sign whatever for no compensation or recognition; the sheets themselves will be their own reward.
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if it's merely a matter of the time commitment
It is not.
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It is not.
Then what is it? Because from what all of us can see from the outside:
1. We got a series of factional mini-TROs in 2013, with record sheets included.
2. We got a full TRO in September of that year in the form of TRO 3145, that includes mostly stuff from those mini-TROs, but with the NTNU units added in to entice those of us who had already bought all the factional TROs. The records sheets for those NTNU units came out less than a month after its release.
3. TRO 3150 is released to compile the mini-TRO units that were left out of TRO 3145, once again with a set of NTNU units to entice people who already had the rehashed ninety-odd percent of the material, presumably with the very reasonable assumption that the records sheets would once again promptly be released shortly thereafter. This is in July 2015.
4. It is now February 2019. And those of us who paid full price for a TRO that was overwhelmingly rehashed material have basically been told that if they want the part they bought it for, they can go ****** themselves, because the ability to make record sheets magically went poof sometime in 2014.
Please, by all means, tell me why I'm wrong. Seriously, I want to be way wrong about this. But this is what it looks like for those of us that don't have the inside track.
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I hope their addressing the issue with TRO and Record Sheet production. MegaMek Lab maybe the only means getting update record sheets out, aside from now slightly out of date Solaris Skunk Works.
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Then what is it? Because from what all of us can see from the outside:
CGL is pretty good about sharing information about the challenges it faces. But that should not create the incorrect expectation that it should do so 100% of the time.
If they’d like help from the community, I think you’ll agree there’s a good track record of them reaching out. Since that’s not happening right now, a fair conclusion to draw is that there isn’t utility in doing that here.
As frustrating as that is for all of us, that’s where we are.
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Then what is it? Because from what all of us can see from the outside:
Please, by all means, tell me why I'm wrong. Seriously, I want to be way wrong about this. But this is what it looks like for those of us that don't have the inside track.
First, there's no one answer. That is the major problem with giving any answer. That answer, by itself, is not the answer. And I'd say that most of us, even internally, don't understand what the overall issue is. We do know what we individually could do about it, and there's nothing any one of us could do that would fix it. So we "know" that one person volunteering won't make Record Sheets come out, because we have lots of "one person volunteers".
So what is the issue? I have no idea. It's confusing/disheartening to most of us as well. I could list a lot of reasons, but none of them are THE reason. Perhaps it's just all of them lumped together. Perhaps there's an issue I don't know about.
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I believe if we could remove Ray's need to sleep, he might be able to get this done. But alas, he prefers to remain frail.
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Kojak . . . I do remember a request for folks to help make sheets, and then I think it was withdrawn. IIRC, part of the problem is there was no official software- which means that everything would have to be done by hand and then repeatedly checked. I just wish we could get the blurbs as I described- it may not be sheets but it will let me put everything in the official place.
So Kit, you are confirming the Adrian is a Frail?
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Kojak . . . I do remember a request for folks to help make sheets, and then I think it was withdrawn. IIRC, part of the problem is there was no official software- which means that everything would have to be done by hand and then repeatedly checked. I just wish we could get the blurbs as I described- it may not be sheets but it will let me put everything in the official place.
So Kit, you are confirming the Adrian is a Frail?
MegaMekLab not being official has nothing to do with its use as a tool by CGL. Microsoft Word (or insert preferred word processor/writing tool) is not the "official" word processor of BattleTech, but that doesn't stop anybody writing BattleTech with it.
CGL did (under Herb) put out a request for somebody to possibly make a unit creation software tool. Not to create specific unit sheets. Starting from scratch over using MegaMekLab, even if it were to happen, wouldn't really get them done any quicker... Waiting for it to be useful, much less complete, would just be another reason why they weren't done yet.
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I submit idle speculation is prone to give people the wrong idea.
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So Kit, you are confirming the Adrian is a Frail?
Well, he still wears pants....
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He does have a beard, though. No-one's game to check whether it covers another fist ...
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I know he can grow a beard on command. He only seems to use this power on his back.
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I know he can grow a beard on command. He only seems to use this power on his back.
TMI!
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CGL did (under Herb) put out a request for somebody to possibly make a unit creation software tool. Not to create specific unit sheets. Starting from scratch over using MegaMekLab, even if it were to happen, wouldn't really get them done any quicker... Waiting for it to be useful, much less complete, would just be another reason why they weren't done yet.
There's a more recent request still sitting down in "Computer Software". The closest we've received is a very pre-Alpha, when I mentioned showing it to the higher ups to start discussing business the creator ghosted.
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Cool, hadn’t realized that was separate. It’s still separate from the actual task of making individual record sheets.
If it’s not separate, then we are all doomed anyway....
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If someone doesn't make a creator before I retire in about six years, I'll take a crack at it.
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Should the next topic be 'Return of the Box'?
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How about 35 years and counting
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Should the next topic be 'Return of the Box'?
the box is back in town
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"Hail to the Box, baby"
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How about "Reinforcements incoming"?
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The Box is Back in Town is a wonderful pun and it has my full and ringing endorsement.
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Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the Box.
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Continue release discussion shenanigans here: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=64318.0