2018 and AToW: is new stuff coming?

[Kitsune413]

It doesn't hurt to get the basics down before adding the granularity of the extra books.

[BiggRigg42]

I wish i could get the Companion but there are simply too many books. I'll probably start with just ATOW and Total Warfare and keep adding other ones as time passes. As a university student in a third-world country i don't have a lot to spend on the hobby :P

A Time of War and Total Warfare are the only books you really need to run a campaign. The A Time of War Companion is nice, but it is not necessary to read all of it. So, I would recommend getting said companion as a PDF for 15$ and not buying the hard copy if cash is tight.

https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-a-time-of-war-companion-pdf

[Talen5000]

The good news is its a good simulator. Just like to 3rd edition was. If you want to semi-accuragely portray human combat it works really well. Particularly if you use the companions expanded wound rules.

It would help if you could get a Companion.

Books from the past ten years or so seem very hard to get....FM3085, FMSLDF, ATOW Companion, Wars of Reaving, Op Klondike, the Era reports and more...all very difficult to get hold of.

As for "new stuff".....traditionally, RPG stuff doesn't sell that well for BT. Personally, I'm convinced part of the reason is because there is a lack of focus which contributes to a lack of support. Your Clan warrior PC isn't going to be interested in running a campaign based around the presumption you are an Inner Sphere merc, but a merc company probably isn't going to last long moseying around the Clan homeworlds. There isn't really a strong focus as to the faction or type of characters that are being played and while it is possible to create or adjust campaigns to suit, that's a good bit of work many aren't prepared for.

BTs reputation as rule heavy also doesn't help...and while there is a points based system, it isn't given the same focus as the standard character creation system. More, I've played several MWs games across different editions with many groups, and many of them come across more as BT games that offer a sideline RPG element rather than actual RPG games. The focal point often came down to the BattleTech game with the RPG character.

Maybe my experiences are different, but from what others have said, I don't think they are exactly unusual.

So, we are stuck, I think, with the RPG side being "tacked" on to the various sourcebooks we have rather than full fledged support of the type we get with games like Shadowrun. Which is a pity - the RPG focussed sourcebooks have tended to be amongst the best sourcebooks and best reads in the entire franchise. It's just a pity, in a way, the RPG focuses so much on BattleMechs but(to a degree) that is inevitable given the links with the main game.

[Kitsune413]

I've honestly never met a BT player I couldn't get to play MechWarrior 3rd edition/ATOW.

I'd say it's honestly harder to get the BT player in the first place. "Hey man. You want to spend two hours filling in bubbles so you know exactly how your mech exploded?!? Afterwords we could calculate how much of it is left, how much it would cost to fix and how many labor hours it would take!!!"

Obviously you don't spring the second accountant tech part of them immediately. But for the most part if you find someone invested enough to roll individually for each medium laser fired they're in.

[ChaoticTabris]

It would help if you could get a Companion.

Books from the past ten years or so seem very hard to get....FM3085, FMSLDF, ATOW Companion, Wars of Reaving, Op Klondike, the Era reports and more...all very difficult to get hold of.

As for "new stuff".....traditionally, RPG stuff doesn't sell that well for BT. Personally, I'm convinced part of the reason is because there is a lack of focus which contributes to a lack of support. Your Clan warrior PC isn't going to be interested in running a campaign based around the presumption you are an Inner Sphere merc, but a merc company probably isn't going to last long moseying around the Clan homeworlds. There isn't really a strong focus as to the faction or type of characters that are being played and while it is possible to create or adjust campaigns to suit, that's a good bit of work many aren't prepared for.

BTs reputation as rule heavy also doesn't help...and while there is a points based system, it isn't given the same focus as the standard character creation system. More, I've played several MWs games across different editions with many groups, and many of them come across more as BT games that offer a sideline RPG element rather than actual RPG games. The focal point often came down to the BattleTech game with the RPG character.

Maybe my experiences are different, but from what others have said, I don't think they are exactly unusual.

So, we are stuck, I think, with the RPG side being "tacked" on to the various sourcebooks we have rather than full fledged support of the type we get with games like Shadowrun. Which is a pity - the RPG focussed sourcebooks have tended to be amongst the best sourcebooks and best reads in the entire franchise. It's just a pity, in a way, the RPG focuses so much on BattleMechs but(to a degree) that is inevitable given the links with the main game.

I feel it turned into some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. It's extremely hard to get into AToW because of lack of support and there is a lack of support because people don't get into the game. It's sad in a way... DFA, HBS' Battletech and Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries are prime opportunities to bring more people into the hobby most people i've talked to either went for the wargame, decided to use other systems or stopped half way through reading the system.

I've honestly never met a BT player I couldn't get to play MechWarrior 3rd edition/ATOW.

I'd say it's honestly harder to get the BT player in the first place. "Hey man. You want to spend two hours filling in bubbles so you know exactly how your mech exploded?!? Afterwords we could calculate how much of it is left, how much it would cost to fix and how many labor hours it would take!!!"

Obviously you don't spring the second accountant tech part of them immediately. But for the most part if you find someone invested enough to roll individually for each medium laser fired they're in.

Well... For BT itself there is Alpha Strike as an option for those that don't like the complexity of Total Warfare. I do imagine there should be new players coming because of the new HBS game, i'm one of those, btw. I just don't get into the Wargame because i live in Brazil and i really don't know anyone that plays it over here. Can't even find groups or pages about the game at all. Wargames in general are not as popular as RPGs here, so finding a RPG group is much easier than to find a wargaming one.