Team Banzai - REALLY!?

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

You misunderstand me. The book, camospecs, which came out the same time as the first book of the Warrior series, had this hatchetman in it. In addition, the Davion Sourcebook hit the same year. There's a lot of people to blame for Team Banzai, Alex. Not just Michael Stackpole.

1- Who the damn is Alex?

2- So I crap on all of them too. Stackpole, however, didn't even manage to be funny.

[ColonelCody]

meh. I had my say, I'm not taking part in another Stackpole-bashing. I enjoyed the novels back then, I still do now. Campy references & scenes and all. It's a game about big honking robots beating on other big honking robots. It is by defination campy. That's why i enjoy it so much. Ty for my time on the soapbox.

[StuartYee]

meh. I had my say, I'm not taking part in another Stackpole-bashing. I enjoyed the novels back then, I still do now. Campy references & scenes and all. It's a game about big honking robots beating on other big honking robots. It is by defination campy. That's why i enjoy it so much. Ty for my time on the soapbox.

I personally don't mean to "bash" Stackpole. Although I think his dialogue is horrendous, I think he does well at overall plot construction and should generally be thanked for his contribution in establishing the bedrock for the Battletech fictional universe. Battletech would be a quaint little board game from the 80's that everyone would've forgotten if it weren't for the fiction.

[Fat Guy]

Just remember, in the same Trilogy Stackpole had characters ripping the latest Immortal Warrior movie, and the scenes he described were from Rambo III!

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

Just remember, in the same Trilogy Stackpole had characters ripping the latest Immortal Warrior movie, and the scenes he described were from Rambo III!

See, that I was kind of okay with, because it was a parody of the Rambo movies as viewed through an in-universe lens.  It not only mocks Rambo III in particular, but the repetitive nature of action movies in general by saying "In 1000 years they'll still make the same stupid movie."  That's how you're SUPPOSED to do it, not just drop a bunch of characters from another thing into your thing and yell "SEE HOW FUNNY I AM?"

[Marveryn]

See, that I was kind of okay with, because it was a parody of the Rambo movies as viewed through an in-universe lens.  It not only mocks Rambo III in particular, but the repetitive nature of action movies in general by saying "In 1000 years they'll still make the same stupid movie."  That's how you're SUPPOSED to do it, not just drop a bunch of characters from another thing into your thing and yell "SEE HOW FUNNY I AM?"

My goodness, your saying rambo 3 would become a classic like romeo and juliet, Othella.. that for a 1000 year it will spurn so many paradoies it would be consider a work of art

[greatsarcasmo]

It's not?

My goodness, your saying rambo 3 would become a classic like romeo and juliet, Othella.. that for a 1000 year it will spurn so many paradoies it would be consider a work of art

[Col.Hengist]

I had always thought they were decendents of the guys from the movie. Jeff goldblooms character pilots a gunslinger...hey tex, where's yer spurs?

[Doug Glendower]

"In 1000 years they'll still make the same stupid movie." 

And it fits with Stackpole, who is the greatest author ever. He's sold the same book about a thousand times.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

My goodness, your saying rambo 3 would become a classic like romeo and juliet, Othella.. that for a 1000 year it will spurn so many paradoies it would be consider a work of art

I'm saying that the genre of stupid action movies will endure for 1000 years, and that after that time the places and weapons might change but it will still be the same movie.

[StuartYee]

See, that I was kind of okay with, because it was a parody of the Rambo movies as viewed through an in-universe lens.  It not only mocks Rambo III in particular, but the repetitive nature of action movies in general by saying "In 1000 years they'll still make the same stupid movie."  That's how you're SUPPOSED to do it, not just drop a bunch of characters from another thing into your thing and yell "SEE HOW FUNNY I AM?"

I agree. I suppose in many ways Stackpole was hemmed in to using the Banzai nomenclature since previous media had already used it. At least Stackpole had an opportunity to make his Rambo III spoof subtle.

[StoneGiant]

I read BOK (and WoTb and everything else now that I think about it) faaaar before I was able to read The Warrior Trilogy, and after reading them both and comparing them I think Warrior has a lot of serious insurmountable CHEESE broken up with a few great moments, the way the characters talk to themselves out loud for no reason, and the CORNY ass dialogue really is jarring to me, like when Melissa explains that she is going to see Hanse her beloved, ****** cringe worthy!

In my opinion it's clearly some of Stackpole's earlier work and his first work in the setting except for some Battletechnology stuff, BOK was leaps and bounds better, despite still being cheesy. (the only stuff that is really so cheesy it's not even fun to read are early Kai chapters, the rest gets tolerable to good)

Anyone else cringe while reading The Warrior Trilogy? I liked it for the glimpses of Comstar and the Wedding drama between Wolf and Takashi and the infiltration of Comstar by Akira Brahe and some of the Capellan Inner Circle stuff with Max and Justin, but the rest is really corny to me.

Like corny to the point that when people ask  me what I'm reading I explain Battletech, then say I'm reading the cheesy soap opera version on some of the events, I mean the original covers for Warrior are self explanatory in that regard, they don't really scream sci fi.  :-\ (one of the few times the reprint covers are better in my opinion...)

[StCptMara]

*bought a Hong Kong Cavaliers pin at the CGL booth at GenCon*

[Col.Hengist]

*bought a Hong Kong Cavaliers pin at the CGL booth at GenCon*

 Did you really? I would love to see it lol

[StCptMara]

Did you really? I would love to see it lol

I will say: I snatched it up because I recognized the reference. They had a very limited supply of them. I think they only had like
10 or so.

[Col.Hengist]

 Thats awesome. I love it when people have a sense of humor.

[Neufeld]

Anyone else cringe while reading The Warrior Trilogy? I liked it for the glimpses of Comstar and the Wedding drama between Wolf and Takashi and the infiltration of Comstar by Akira Brahe and some of the Capellan Inner Circle stuff with Max and Justin, but the rest is really corny to me.

I have only read the first two books, but the Kell Hounds parts had some really annoying stuff. Morgan 'Jesus' Kell Our Saviour, the token dwarf, Panthers dieing in droves, Kell Hounds just happening to be in the right place for a rescue, .... I liked the Justin parts better.

[StuartYee]

I have only read the first two books, but the Kell Hounds parts had some really annoying stuff. Morgan 'Jesus' Kell Our Saviour,

Please spare us the drama....

the token dwarf,

Truely, unconditionally, completely, utterly CRINGEWORTHY.

Panthers dieing in droves,

Battletech version of Imperial Stormtroopers? Insert Wilhelm Scream.

I agree, the Justin bits were better, even though it portrayed the Capellans in a ridiculously comic book villianous light.

[StoneGiant]

I really disliked the one dimensional characters in the restaurant Justin used to eat at, they there they are kicking ass and BAM you never hear from them again. Plus most of their names were ridiculous, the one eyed specifically had a name that no one would inflict upon their offspring on purpose. 

Give me some meaningful character interaction, don't just fill the blank spaces with longer and longer names for the ancillary characters.  :-\

[Decoy]

You mean Walter DesMesnil(sp)? He gets a big part in Not the Way Smart Money Bets. Granted, it is a Kell Hound Prequel.... I agree with you though. The rest of the Kittery Training Cadre staff needs more screen time.

[roosterboy]

Plus most of their names were ridiculous, the one eyed specifically had a name that no one would inflict upon their offspring on purpose. 

You mean Walter DesMesnil(sp)?

Who was, of course, named after a real-life individual. He—and many, if not most, of the Kittery Training folks—was named for a historical Knight Templar.

[StoneGiant]

Huh didn't know that!

[StCptMara]

Huh didn't know that!

And now you know!

[Col.Hengist]

 and knowing is half the battle ?

 Information is amunition?

[wackrabbit]

Perhaps this is pretentious, having preferred the verbal arts, but a miniature paint job on a website shouldn't be held to the same standard as scenes from a professionally written novel.

Not the website, but the original camospecs book. And I like Ed Muybridge!

[Deathrider6]

  Pop culture references are not that big of deal. The regiment in question has been renamed.  The New Avalon Cavaliers still carry on the legacy. Blaming Stackpole for something that existed before he wrote the novels in question just seems a bit over the top to me. This is a a game universe and some people like to give a nod to RL cultural icons, cult classics et. al. Have you looked at some of the art work in the old house books? Oprah makes an unintended appearance or at least the resemblance is really unnerving. You get some good and bad when you give the nod so to speak. Just roll woth it and remember it is your game so ignore what doesn't work for you.

[VF1LAM]

@StuartYee:  Actually, when I was a little boy of about 12 years old, before I had enough money to buy the boxed set and all of the Tech Readouts for second edition, I tried to design 'Mechs for my own universe, which featured these guys who were called the "valarians" (sort of like the Eldar in 40K) and the "xorcs" (who were like Orks in 40K).  I even tried drawing my own Tech Readout on graph paper... :-[

Then I grew up [a little] and started buying the official BattleTech stuff.

[StuartYee]

@StuartYee:  Actually, when I was a little boy of about 12 years old, before I had enough money to buy the boxed set and all of the Tech Readouts for second edition, I tried to design 'Mechs for my own universe, which featured these guys who were called the "valarians" (sort of like the Eldar in 40K) and the "xorcs" (who were like Orks in 40K).  I even tried drawing my own Tech Readout on graph paper... :-[

Then I grew up [a little] and started buying the official BattleTech stuff.

That's actually pretty awesome, but hope you didn't grow up too much!  ;)

[ColonelCody]

  Pop culture references are not that big of deal. The regiment in question has been renamed.  The New Avalon Cavaliers still carry on the legacy. Blaming Stackpole for something that existed before he wrote the novels in question just seems a bit over the top to me. This is a a game universe and some people like to give a nod to RL cultural icons, cult classics et. al. Have you looked at some of the art work in the old house books? Oprah makes an unintended appearance or at least the resemblance is really unnerving. You get some good and bad when you give the nod so to speak. Just roll woth it and remember it is your game so ignore what doesn't work for you.

Ahh well, speaking of artwork, how about some of the more recent work, to me and my group we stood there naming actors and celebrities the pics seemed to be related to. One of them even resembled Dennis Rodman.

[ckosacranoid]

if nothing else at anime cetral this year i dropped the money for a team bonzi patch that i had sewed on my jean jacket along with a bunch of battletech and anime patches...that reminds me i need to go get pics of it to post.....sigh i keep forgetting things....