Now For Your Eyes Too - IKEO Discussion Thread (SPOILERS)

[Mendrugo]

Gotta be honest, was a little bummed at what was starting to feel like Succession Wars era CCAF ineptitude creeping back in as the pages went on and the how of the losses of units occurred. Successful ambushes without a plan to exfiltrate the area, resulting in total loss vs the same unit you ambushed. Obviously Wolf was never going to have an issue retaking those planets, but to allow so many unnecessary L's was tough.

For the loss of the Warrior House at New Earth, it wasn't so much an ambush without an exfiltration plan - their plan was to repair and then ford the crossing again.  The return of the Wolves was to showcase the superior refit turnaround time for OmniMechs vs. regular 'Mechs.  That was something that was focused on in the initial Clan invasion with the first appearance in the Inner Sphere of OmniMechs, but hasn't really played a strategic role since.  Also, it was pointed out that the Wolves hadn't fought the Capellans before, and got taken by surprise by many of their tactics.  Conversely, the Capellans hadn't really fought Clans before en masse, so they'd have similar blind spots as regards the capabilities of an Omni-heavy enemy.

[Agathos]

I was kind of expecting the worst for House Hiritsu because I played on their side during the 2023 World Wide Event, and we got our butts kicked (at least at our table).

[Kojak]

Heh, I played in that too and we handed the Wolves their asses. Guess we were in the minority in that regard.

[MarauderD]

Anyone notice how GOOD the editing was for IKEO?  I mean this genuinely.  The new Force Manuals were absolute editing clusters, and I mean that kindly.  I was really worried about the quality of this book as far as the editing, continuity errors, and general layout went.

Without stomping on anyone's feelings, can the new Force Manuals coming out get the editing team that worked on IKEO?  Because this was really, really good work. 

[tassa_kay]

Anyone notice how GOOD the editing was for IKEO?

Ironically, I had the exact opposite takeaway. There were some pretty egregious editing/formatting errors sprinkled in where I had to sit down a few times and be like, "okay, what is this sentence actually supposed to say?"

To be fair, I haven't really paid much attention to the Force Manuals, so if you say the editing was that bad in them, I shudder to think.

[MarauderD]

Ironically, I had the exact opposite takeaway. There were some pretty egregious editing/formatting errors sprinkled in where I had to sit down a few times and be like, "okay, what is this sentence actually supposed to say?"

To be fair, I haven't really paid much attention to the Force Manuals, so if you say the editing was that bad in them, I shudder to think.

Yep, the improvement is comparative.  If you aren't a Force Manual type, skip the first two. Davion and Kurita were replete with errors.  And they are in my top 4 played forces as well.  Real shame.

[Arkansas Warrior]

So, I’m just now getting to IKEO. Dang y’all are fast.  I’ll have more observations in the coming days, but I have a significant (if minor) question about the maps:  did anyone else notice that Terra is listed as having a gravity of .98?  I went back and checked, and it’s listed as 1.0 in JHS:Terra.  So…did the RotS do some mega-engineering in the intervening decades? Where did all that mass go?  Side effect of the Fortress operation?  I’m guessing this is just a weird error, but if it’s not I’d love an explanation.

[Liam's Ghost]

I believe "standard gravity" is calculated as 10m/s/s for simplicity, so Terra's 9.8m/s/s would end up being .98

[Arkansas Warrior]

I thought it was all relative to Terra. Terra is 1, a world with 1.5x Terra is 1.5, etc.  like I said, it’s 1.0 in JHS:Terra.  Likewise JHS has Luna, Mars, and Venus at .166, .38, and .904, respectively, which matches their percentage of Terran gravity.

[MarauderD]

Just got my physical copy and my covers are a little warped, probably the map.

About that map.  Do I recall correctly that the Star League wants a 2 jump buffer zone with the surrounding (non-friendly) interstellar states?

If you ignore the Rasalhague Dominion and the Wolf Empire as friendly/allied states, the Combine really jumps out at me.  Dieron, Saffel, Styx, Nirasaki, Errai, and Quentin all look like they are in that 60 LY buffer zone.  I wouldn't think the ilClan / Star League would want to bite off that much of the Combine (although Quentin would be an extremely tasty prize for the victor). 

Are we looking at the next phase of conquest 3152-3155 or am I reading that big fold out map wrong?

Cheers,

[Mendrugo]

Dieron's traditionally been a problem for an expanding Terran state.  The Terran Hegemony signed its first non-aggression treaty with the Free Worlds League explicitly to free up troops to conquer the then independent Dieron Federation.  The Blakist Protectorate fought hard battles to seize and then defend Dieron.  There's a reason the Combine called it "Fortress Dieron" during its stewardship. 

[Arkansas Warrior]

IIRC Dieron was specifically excluded from Fortress Republic (the only world from Prefecture X left out) because they feared the Combine would keep coming after it and eventually find the way through.

[Mendrugo]

IIRC Dieron was specifically excluded from Fortress Republic (the only world from Prefecture X left out) because they feared the Combine would keep coming after it and eventually find the way through.

Keep throwing Kuritan heirs and WarShips at it!  We'll get through eventually!

[Orwell84]

All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again indeed. How many times now has Dieron been doomed to be a tug-of-war trophy between Terra and House Kurita? If the Bears succeed in throwing the Combine into disarray by taking Luthien, it may change hands again ere long.

Keep throwing Kuritan heirs and WarShips at it!  We'll get through eventually!

Perhaps it was a hidden blessing that they quickly ran short of heirs right after that fiasco. Though if my reading between the lines in Shadow of the Dragon is correct, Yoda spoke true and there is another - Daisuke lives!

[Gaiiten]

All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again indeed. How many times now has Dieron been doomed to be a tug-of-war trophy between Terra and House Kurita? If the Bears succeed in throwing the Combine into disarray by taking Luthien, it may change hands again ere long.

What if the Combine joins the Star League while the war with the Bears is going on?
Does that mean the Star League and ilClan versus the Bears?

[tassa_kay]

What if the Combine joins the Star League while the war with the Bears is going on?
Does that mean the Star League and ilClan versus the Bears?

I honestly don't see this happening any time soon; Alaric's stated aim is to topple the House Lords, which would be anathema to the Combine. I also don't see Alaric siding with a Successor State against another Clan; it just doesn't feel very in-character for him.

[jimdigris]

Alaric has a grudge with the Combine for annihilating the Nova Cats.  He had no affection for them as Nova Cats, but the notion that an Inner Sphere state can annihilate a clan is abhorrent to him.  Any Combine application for membership will be refused.

[Wrangler]

Given how shaky Alaric's mentalty is, I'm having hard time thinking he going last long or even league at this rate.  Sabotage character 

[GuyIncognito]

The typical outcome of incestuous noble lines.

[Arkansas Warrior]

I noticed some odd discrepancies between IKEO and ToB. I’ll spoiler them for those who don’t want to see yet. Specifically in the last battle against the Stonehearts, the narrative from IKEO doesn’t really match Chapter 33 of ToB. Specifics would be a lot to type out, and I’m on mobile (also I don’t want to quote too much of very new books).  Also, ToB seems to at least imply that Mason Dunne ‘died’, given that it’s “Sam Donnelly” who joins Lakewood’s staff in the next chapter, where IKEO says Dunne was offered a commission in the SLDF.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

What if the Combine joins the Star League while the war with the Bears is going on?
Does that mean the Star League and ilClan versus the Bears?

The Combine isn't going to acknowledge anyone else as First Lord, they started three different Succession Wars to try and prove that. They're one of two houses that genuinely means it when they say "I am the rightful First Lord" instead of it being some kind of symbolic denouncing of their neighbor(s).

[Doc Swift]

They acknowledged non-Combine First Lords during the Second Star League.

[Atlas3060]

What if the Combine joins the Star League while the war with the Bears is going on?
Does that mean the Star League and ilClan versus the Bears?

Not happening any time soon.
Sure they killed the Nova Cats, but they were Abjured so Alaric won't care about a Non Clan Clan being snuffed out.
However Kurita wouldn't bend the knee to the Wolves like that.
The only way I see the Combine being accepted in the League is under a conquered flag of the RasDom flying over Luthien with the Bears telling Alaric "See, now THERE is our vote."

[Dragon Cat]

So just bought this book started reading it really enjoying how it's written. Just about at the bit where the ilClan goes on the offensive

Few things:

1 I love the ilClan or at least the concept of the ilClan. It completely turns the Inner Sphere on its head

2 I hate the ilKhan. For a genius he's an idiot. The Bears, Ravens and Foxes have shown how to get the Inner Sphere to "Bend the knee" (not ripping on a TV show in this book honest)

He's advised by his advisers to give Castle Brians to the Clans that treat the ilClan correctly to show respect back to them "No"

The Ravens prove they know how to deal with the Belt "No"

He has billions of civilians and everyone has to become a Clanner overnight. He's done exactly the opposite from what I expected which was treat Terra like a jewel in the crown and motivate it's people to work with you. Instead he's trying to rule with fear.

The one thing that he "might" be doing right is raising an SLDF to back the Clans and focusing it on the external enemies. Having them as the Regulars and the Clans as the Royals makes sense.

But the sidebar with the Raven Alliance Chairman visiting Terra to show how good they are (great little scene) shows exactly how you treat a massive civilian population. Massacring towns and ruling by fear cannot last.

Final point so far is I'm shocked that Janella Lakewood is still alive and in a position of some (if limited) influence

Really enjoying the book well laid out and written

[Arkansas Warrior]

Is this the first book to use different Capellan ranks, or have I just been missing it? Shang-Xiao instead of Sang-Shao, for instance.  I’m guessing this an updated romanization?  Could we expect something similar for Combine ranks in the future?

[tassa_kay]

First book to refer to Danai as Centrella-Liao instead of Liao-Centrella, too.

[Mendrugo]

Is this the first book to use different Capellan ranks, or have I just been missing it? Shang-Xiao instead of Sang-Shao, for instance.  I’m guessing this an updated romanization?  Could we expect something similar for Combine ranks in the future?

We were fortunate enough to have a writer on staff - Wunji Lau - who was able to ensure that the Chinese was accurately transliterated in the book, based on modern standards.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

They acknowledged non-Combine First Lords during the Second Star League.

Theodore's policies are a bit of an aberration, even if his image as a "reformer" is wildly overstated.

[tassa_kay]

Plus the Second Star League wasn't, y'know, a bunch of Clanners that have the unequivocally stated goal of toppling the Combine's leadership (along with every other Great House). It was an actual joint venture between the member states where everyone was able to have a turn at the wheel, so to speak. Trying to equate the two insofar as much as the Combine's acknowledgment of their respective First Lords is, at best, a ridiculous notion.

[BrianDavion]

We were fortunate enough to have a writer on staff - Wunji Lau - who was able to ensure that the Chinese was accurately transliterated in the book, based on modern standards.

Will we get a rank table giving rank equivilancies in an upcoming sourcebook (or even appendix in Blood will ... whatever?) ? it'd be nice to have a complete list of the tweeks in one place