BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Player Boards => Novel and Sourcebook Reviews => Topic started by: FaithBomb on 30 December 2020, 04:13:20
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My thoughts on the latest issue of Shrapnel, and in particular, Bryan Young's story "The Secret Fox"
https://faithmccarron.blogspot.com/2020/12/meeting-katie-why-battletech-is.html (https://faithmccarron.blogspot.com/2020/12/meeting-katie-why-battletech-is.html)
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As one of those writers in Shrapnel, it's good you found a character you could relate to. Because behind the stompy robots and massed battles, it is the characters that bring people back. Doesn't matter if they're the leaders of a major interstellar state or a girl who is pursuing her dreams, if readers don't find something in characters like Katie, then we have failed as writers.
As you found resonance with Katie, I hope someone found the same with Angar Shurasky or any other character I write about. Each one is the reason why the Battletech universe is so rich -- we see parts of ourselves in these characters. The same hopes, dreams, and flaws as ourselves, only with cooler toys, expanded stakes, and large stories.
So, may you always find characters that you want to see more of. Through them, we can find parts of ourselves we weren't aware of.
Craig
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Characters are VERY important, but they're not what brings me back to the universe. Internal consistency rules for me, and BT does it better than any other system I've seen on the scale they do it (personal up to JumpShips and beyond with ACS and ISAW). So +1 more for the broad church of BT. It really does take all kinds.
Craig: I loved your Sniper Rifle article in the first issue, and hope to see more of that kind of stuff in the future. Probably won't be buying any more Shrapnel issues unless they include it.
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Very nicely stated. I was drawn to that story as well. I've got a 12 year old daughter, and I find myself looking more critically at work with young women protagonists than I did in my younger days. When they're well done, like in this story, it speaks to care on the part of the author. I'm looking forward to sharing this story with her, and her little brother (10, and already a battletech fan).
I also enjoyed your post on discovering the books and the game. I had a similar journey right about the same age, admittedly quite a bit longer ago (1988). I came to the game first, and wound up diving into the fiction later. Also, having just re-read Decision At Thunder Rift, I had the exact same reaction to poor Lori Kalmar! :)
One of my favorite things that's been a thread throughout the story of this mad universe is that it's quietly spoken of a hopeful future that's more egalitarian than our current one. True, there's still poverty and enmity between nation-states, but the kind of sectarian divisions we see in the world today have largely been outgrown by humanity. At times, the continuing violence between disparate factions underscores how much humanity still needs to grow, even after spreading through the stars.
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Yeah, it's very much a dark, dirty, nasty universe, but at the same time, a lot of the hangups and problems in our world today have given way over time and it's a host of new problems or new takes on old problems that haunt humanity in the future.
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Terry Pratchett said it best: humanity is where the falling angel meets the rising ape. The battletech universe is rife with examples of the best parts of our natures; loyalty, honor, duty, sacrifice and service. It also doesn't hesitate to express some of the darkest; violence, prejudice, and warmongering.
Come for the stumpy robots, stay for the meditations on human nature and history.
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I want to read about her dream now of piloting a mech....and killing all the humans.
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I want to read about her dream now of piloting a mech....and killing all the humans.
So tell Catalyst! Make your voice known. I think as fans we have to be vocal about what we like and don't like, so that they take that into consideration in making editorial decisions.
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Hello, I have been a frequent contributor to the fiction postings on this site and both both thrilled and delighted, perhaps even overjoyed to have had a submission of mine appear in Shrapnel #4, the latest issue, now available where all good books are sold. I hope the entertainment product brings happiness.
Thank and bless
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YYL82D8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_JXN2GJBJP6G41QFYTQBM
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Congrats!
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Congrats! and another congrats to Faith, OP of this thread, for ALSO getting into the same issue! :thumbsup:
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Congrats! and another congrats to Faith, OP of this thread, for ALSO getting into the same issue! :thumbsup:
Yeah, lots of new blood this time, lots of good stories. Much impressed, congrats!
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Yeah, lots of new blood this time, lots of good stories. Much impressed, congrats!
Getting new writers has been one of the cornerstones of Sharpnel. We're always looking for people who can tell a good story and Sharpnel is the chance to show TPTB that you can write that great story.
But remember this: it's easier to get that first story; you then have to back it up with a second story, then a third, a fourth... :crazy: :crash: :crash: :yikes:
Craig
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Getting new writers has been one of the cornerstones of Sharpnel. We're always looking for people who can tell a good story and Sharpnel is the chance to show TPTB that you can write that great story.
But remember this: it's easier to get that first story; you then have to back it up with a second story, then a third, a fourth... :crazy: :crash: :crash: :yikes:
Craig
Then anthologies, or books :o
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Congrats all around! :thumbsup:
I'm a better editor than writer, and my tastes tend far too much to the 3rd SW for the current PTB...
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Congrats all around! :thumbsup:
I'm a better editor than writer, and my tastes tend far too much to the 3rd SW for the current PTB...
Don't let that stop you - Shrapnel #4 had a story from the Terran Alliance era. :thumbsup:
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I'm also still on active duty, and rolling back to the Pentagon this summer. Time for fun writing is going to be limited for the next three and a half years or so...
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Don't let that stop you - Shrapnel #4 had a story from the Terran Alliance era. :thumbsup:
Guilty! Though if you guys would like to take credit (or blame, lol) for this the germ of the idea came from these boards when somebody pointed out we don't have much fiction from that era. Think it might have been Mendrugo? Anyway, it's all your fault, is the point.
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My thoughts on the latest issue of Shrapnel, and in particular, Bryan Young's story "The Secret Fox"
https://faithmccarron.blogspot.com/2020/12/meeting-katie-why-battletech-is.html (https://faithmccarron.blogspot.com/2020/12/meeting-katie-why-battletech-is.html)
Hey Faith, are the lads right and "Roadblock" is yours? Because. Daaaamn. That hurts in all the right places.
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My thumbnail thoughts on the new issue:
1) The Bye-Bye Brigade - Jason Schmetzer: Another "small 'merc unit gets launched" story, this one takes the time to give its leading members personality and a good sense of camaraderie. Plus the twist at the end signals a sequel featuring one of the era's heavy hitters, character-wise.
2) Sackcloth and Sand - David Razi: A nice intro to a "fallen" world in the ruins of the Rim Worlds Republic, and a Clan warrior's reactions to being among her ancestors' ancient enemies. Very "Road Warrior" in tone.
3) Tales From the Cracked Canopy: The Red Wraith - Harper Brand: A well executed dive into divided loyalties within the Word of Blake during Case White.
4) All Good Things - James Lee: An interesting expansion on a brief reference in "The Fall of Terra," going into the 21st Centauri Lancers' participation in Operation GUERRERO and their decision to seek employment with ComStar on Terra instead of sticking with the Capellans.
5) Gratitude Repaid - Charles Gideon: Another POV for the final space battle over New Avalon at the climax of the Civil War, focusing on how the rapidly-shifting alliances of the era were sorely tested by generations-old hostilities and suspicion.
6) Advice From A Social General: How to Party - Ken' Horner: Despite the comedic ramifications of the title, this is a remarkably in-depth and nuanced article that many real-life networkers and aspirational social climbers could learn from. The Social Generals come off, not as the traditional Hogarth-esque caricatures, but as individuals who have found a route to success with a completely alternate skill-set that requires thought, strategy, cunning, and skill. Too bad none of it matters in the slightest once the DCMS comes knocking...
7) Roadblock - Faith McClosky: An EMT with the 5th Crucis Lancers deals with post-battle triage. Nice scene-setting and good character work. Powerful ending.
8 ) The Weight of A Name - Marc Follin: An interesting take on bloodname propagation politics with the Wolves-in-Exile, who aren't part of the Great Reavings tradition that the Council of Six developed.
9) Seychelle's Stonehearts - Michael J. Ciaravella: A compact Unit Digest that begins to answer the question of "Hey, why wasn't RotS Unit X featured in the fight for Terra?" Stone's legacy yet persists, despite the hoisting of other flags.
10) The PPC: Lightning in a Can - Matthew Cross: A technical review of various flavors of PPCs, the latest in a series that has already looked into Gauss Rifles. Raises the question - if PPC inhibitors are standard components, why did the one Justin Xiang pulled out of Fuh Teng's Vindicator on Solaris VII neutralize the weapon as part of a ploy to throw the fight? Was that particular inhibitor model intended for training purposes? (Be a fun bit of industrial sabotage to infiltrate a team into Ceres Metals and put mislabeled training inhibitors into their PPC manufacturing line's component supply chain, though quality control would probably spot them sooner than later when the dissidents...er...training dummies started surviving the firing tests.)
11) The SuburbanMech - Craig Reed: Resurrected from his BattleTechnology article and made canon, this provided the basis for some of the more impressive Urbies of later generations. Interestingly, this writeup actually makes the Subby the first new 'Mech created in the Inner Sphere in a century (the Merlin, in 3010, was a Periphery design), beating out the Hatchetman by a decade.
12) Ghost Ships Galore: The Pride of New Samarkand - Stephen Toropov: Nicely parlays a unit that fell off the deployment tables without explanation into a flying dutchman of the Deep Periphery.
13) Touchpoint: Ista Quidem Vis Est - Aaron Cahall: Nice to get some Dark Age era scenarios/tracks that aren't bare-bones MWDA setups. This lets you put Julian into the action in Paris against the Senate forces. (Piloting his Templar III, rather than "Family Jules")
14) Inverted - Giles Gammage: Gotta admit, I squee'd when I saw Outer Reaches Rebellion fiction. This fits the established chronology (what there is of it) well and gives a sense of what was going on in the areas surrounding the capital during the siege. (Reading the original sourcebook, I'd had the mental impression that the planet's population was tiny and mostly lived in Jefferson City, but this expands that picture and the world's development level.)
15) Voices of the Sphere: Cryogenics - Eric Salzman: Fun to imagine that Snord's museum had a frozen "time traveler" from the Star League era on exhibit for a few decades. I wonder if the guy'll survive long enough for his lawsuit to reach the courts? Maybe if he freezes himself again? :D The reference to MechAssault VII as a "campy holovid" suggests that MechAssault II was one as well, which is just about the only explanation for its deranged storyline in the BattleTech universe.
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I skipped over the Seychelle's Stonehearts entry on my first read and now I'm sorry I did. It's good to see Mason Dunne get referenced again. Still holding out hope that someone will take up the idea of an Alaric/Kitsune Kurita meetup.
The bit about them surfacing on Keid in 3151 is interesting. The CapCon had taken Keid prior to the Battle for Terra but the wording of the Stonehearts' article suggests that many of the worlds around Terra are once again up for grabs. A hint as to how well the Liao response to the Wolves went?
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Hey Faith, are the lads right and "Roadblock" is yours? Because. Daaaamn. That hurts in all the right places.
Agreed. I'll admit that I need to pause and step away for a few minutes after reading her initial submission. Hers was the final story I accepted for the issue, but I knew there was no way I could end the issue on that note.
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Agreed. I'll admit that I need to pause and step away for a few minutes after reading her initial submission. Hers was the final story I accepted for the issue, but I knew there was no way I could end the issue on that note.
"there's always someone to catch you" hits hard EVERY SINGLE TIME. Good call tucking it in the middle. ;)
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4) All Good Things - Jason Lee: An interesting expansion on a brief reference in "The Fall of Terra," going into the 21st Centauri Lancers' participation in Operation GUERRERO and their decision to seek employment with ComStar on Terra instead of sticking with the Capellans.
I missed the fact we have a new Jason!
Welcome aboard! WE ARE JASON! :D ;D
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Hey Faith, are the lads right and "Roadblock" is yours? Because. Daaaamn. That hurts in all the right places.
Indeed yes, Roadblock is mine. I wanted to tell a story different from the normal stompy shooty robots that we all love, and the trick was finding a way to tell one of those stories in a way that was still exciting and emotional. So I just went to what I know, medicine, and tried to find a way to tell a story that fit within the framework of Battletech. We always see either the head-shot or the punch out, but seldom to we see the poor guy on the other end of it when it goes sideways, and the people who have to pick up the pieces. Once I had that, the rest of the story wrote itself.
I'm glad that you enjoyed it and found some meaning or truth in it. That's always the hope.
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I missed the fact we have a new Jason!
Welcome aboard! WE ARE JASON! :D ;D
There's too many of them!
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I'll be honest, my favourite story in Shrapnel thus far is from #2. "Daybreak on Shining Mountain".
Just because... well, the specific culture on display.
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Reading through it and so far liking what's in there. Mendrugo's summarized the contents nicely so my own AUS$0.02
"Sackcloth and Sand" - a nod to Robert Thurston's Jade Falcon work with the Clan warrior Naiad, a member of the 'illegal' sibko fashioned from Aidan Pryde in Falcon Rising. From the ending I get the impression this is a set up for a sequel; hopefully we'll see more of the Jade Falcon war against the Society, and more of Aidan's 'daughter'.
"Seychelle's Stonehearts" - just finished Ghost War a week ago so it was nice to see Mason Dunne referenced. Plus getting a glimpse of the new era post-HotW.
"Inverted" - Another one which feels like a prologue to a bigger story. If so, looking forward to it. Always keen for more fiction during the 2100-2570 era.
"Gratitude Repaid" - very touching story about a Victor loyalist (and a Combine-born one at that!) giving his all for the cause. Ties in with the novel Endgame, Chapter 22.
"Roadblock" - the other story that hit in the feels, great work FaithBomb :thumbsup: Suffice to say it had me guessing (and hoping) until the end. Also liked how the obvious solution (giving the boy a morphine overdose - arguably a cliche) was emphatically rejected by the EMT.
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Fantastic collection.
I always hated the Big Mac.
A Kell, a Pryde, and a powerful non-traditional Roadblock.
Thanks everyone!
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Glad to have done my little piece for it.
And come on, don't hate on the MAC. :)
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So this thread lit a fire under me to finally start reading through my Shrapnel collection and I have to say this has been some of my absolute favorite BT fiction ever. I really hope a lot of these get more stories. I'd absolutely devour a detective/crime series launching from "Airs Above the Ground". If Shrapnel is any indication, the future of our little stompy mech universe is in very good hands.
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So this thread lit a fire under me to finally start reading through my Shrapnel collection and I have to say this has been some of my absolute favorite BT fiction ever. I really hope a lot of these get more stories. I'd absolutely devour a detective/crime series launching from "Airs Above the Ground". If Shrapnel is any indication, the future of our little stompy mech universe is in very good hands.
Have you made it all the way through all 4 issues? There are so many little nuggets that can take off it isn't even funny. And I even found the inspiration between those pages to buckle down and get my own story in there. Absolutely never would have if I'd not read through all the amazing stories in the preceding three volumes. I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.
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Glad to hear they're having that effect, even if my interests are far more narrow... Thank you for the morale boost, Faith! :thumbsup:
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I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.
This is a huge part of the magazine’s goal. Glad to see that this has come through so far!
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Glad to hear they're having that effect, even if my interests are far more narrow... Thank you for the morale boost, Faith! :thumbsup:
That's the whole point. If we all give somebody a boost, we all reap the reward of having more awesome content in the Battletech universe.
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Three and a half years until the Navy throws me out... maybe I'll have time to write then... 8)
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Have you made it all the way through all 4 issues? There are so many little nuggets that can take off it isn't even funny. And I even found the inspiration between those pages to buckle down and get my own story in there. Absolutely never would have if I'd not read through all the amazing stories in the preceding three volumes. I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.
Yep. Just finished issue 4 this morning and read every entry in every issue and totally agreed. I'd happily devour continuations of a lot of these stories. I'd forgotten how fun serialized stories could be. Even if you and the other authors don't write follow-ons, I have to thank each and every one of you for expanding the BT universe in such a deep and engaging way. I admit to having been skeptical before I cracked the first issue, but wound up just being floored at the quality of the content. I am now super hyped for the next issue and am so thankful we are getting another year of this.
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Yep. Just finished issue 4 this morning and read every entry in every issue and totally agreed. I'd happily devour continuations of a lot of these stories. I'd forgotten how fun serialized stories could be. Even if you and the other authors don't write follow-ons, I have to thank each and every one of you for expanding the BT universe in such a deep and engaging way. I admit to having been skeptical before I cracked the first issue, but wound up just being floored at the quality of the content. I am now super hyped for the next issue and am so thankful we are getting another year of this.
You are more than welcome. That's the goal, the thing that brings a smile to an author's face when they see a reader connect with a story or a blurb. That's what makes the universe and the community better. I'm glad you enjoyed each issue, and I'm grateful for your kind words, as I'm sure all of the other people who made it happen are.
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Great to see this thread gain a bit of traction, and wonderful to see all the positive comments about the issue. Feeling just ever so slightly squishy and proud to have contributed, in whatever small way. Though I'm totally telling everyone that CGL bumped Stackpole's story to make room for me. :P
And of course the key takeaway: The fans demand a sequel, Philip. Look at them. THEY DEMAND IT.
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I'd absolutely devour a detective/crime series launching from "Airs Above the Ground".
Aww, thank you!! That one is pretty much one and done for now, unless I come up with a great plot that would take me back, but thank you so much for your kind words!
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Three and a half years until the Navy throws me out... maybe I'll have time to write then... 8)
My friend, I wrote Irreplaceable and a few others while in Korea, I wrote "those that stand high" in the ESC TOC at Joint Base Balad, and started "Airs above" at Bagram Air Base.
If I can do it, so can you!!
As my mentor Kevin Killiany (the Btech writer) taught me, as his mentor taught him, "write, submit, repeat." it really does just come down to those three words. :-) :-)
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Aww, thank you!! That one is pretty much one and done for now, unless I come up with a great plot that would take me back, but thank you so much for your kind words!
Any time. Just know that one got me like "The Secret Fox" got Faith. Loved those characters and that take on life after the Clans just rolled through.
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*snip*
If I can do it, so can you!!
*snip*
I think I actually had more time to write in Baghdad... proximity to the five-sided PowerPoint collider has cut it down dramatically, and it will be worse this summer when I actually roll back to it this summer.
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I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.
Since we are on that topic, I thought I'd copy something over that I said on Facebook when Shrapnel came up.
From a writer's perspective, it is awesome, because I can shine a light on things that would be difficult to showcase otherwise. Where would I have put the two Assassination Protocol articles otherwise? Or the Christmas scenario from Shrapnel 3?
From a fan perspective, I get a glorious mix of different things.
I love it from both perspectives.
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I think I actually had more time to write in Baghdad... proximity to the five-sided PowerPoint collider has cut it down dramatically, and it will be worse this summer when I actually roll back to it this summer.
I have BattleCorps story projects on my HDD that are literally 10 years old and still unfinished. When Shrapnel was announced I though I'd be able to submit something for the first or second issue. Alas, nope. Job & family somehow conspire against my writing.
Well, that and the fact that I'm a slow writer, and tend to delete 90% of what I wrote again. I look at something I started earlier, re-read it with fresh eyes, and it stinks. I rewrite it from scratch, after two weeks I throw it away again. Rinse, repeat. By contrast, Proprietary was pretty much a one-take shot during an unexpected break - it took all of three hours while our then-baby was asleep for a change. The changes after fact-checking (swapping the original Commando DI computer module out for Double Heat Sinks as the McGuffin) took longer to implement than the writing, and the dialogue - the most critical and oftentimes hardest-to-write part, imho - remained unchanged.
I just hope I can get at least one submission in while Shrapnel lasts. Blink, and it's ten years later...
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I like to think I'm a creative person. I'm certainly creative in my head. But I suffer from Winston Churchill syndrome when I try to put stuff to real media. That canvas/blank page is perfect in its potential, and the instant I put brush or pen to it I've depreciated it.
Or I'm just lazy. I'll cop to it.
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You can only have one submission in the queue at a time. I’ve got one in now, another one ready to drop in once #1 exits, and an outline of #3 drafted. I’ll keep writing and stacking things up on my personal slush pile as I get inspiration, feeding the best in as the eligibility cycle proceeds.
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Fantastic collection.
I always hated the Big Mac.
A Kell, a Pryde, and a powerful non-traditional Roadblock.
Thanks everyone!
I always disliked the Big Mac as well... grumble grumble Capellans... I had a blast writing that story, and the Lancers will always hold a special place with me as the focus of my first published story.
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I always disliked the Big Mac as well... grumble grumble Capellans... I had a blast writing that story, and the Lancers will always hold a special place with me as the focus of my first published story.
Oh come on, gotta have Faith in the MAC! ;)
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*snip*
I just hope I can get at least one submission in while Shrapnel lasts. Blink, and it's ten years later...
Blink indeed... Baghdad was my 2009, MORE than ten years ago at this point... I suppose it's no surprise it still looms so large in my memory.
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Any time. Just know that one got me like "The Secret Fox" got Faith. Loved those characters and that take on life after the Clans just rolled through.
Thank you, seriously. it's good to hear that people really dug this story, you put your heart into something, you blast it into the sky, and hope that people respond in the same way you felt writing it.
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I think I actually had more time to write in Baghdad... proximity to the five-sided PowerPoint collider has cut it down dramatically, and it will be worse this summer when I actually roll back to it this summer.
oof. Yeah, both the clown-college and the local traffic will suck both your energy and the hours away. Still, I wish you the best at finding time where and when you can! :thumbsup:
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There's a nice summary (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/450703636/battletech-clan-invasion/posts/3118907) of the year in Shrapnel in the latest KS update if you haven't caught it (us late backers don't get emails). Nice to have further confirmation we're getting another year of this great magazine!
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There's a nice summary (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/450703636/battletech-clan-invasion/posts/3118907) of the year in Shrapnel in the latest KS update if you haven't caught it (us late backers don't get emails). Nice to have further confirmation we're getting another year of this great magazine!
Yeah, I just saw that! It's always nice to get good news on the continuation of an awesome product!
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some day i'll finish my draft
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Writers AMA for tomorrow just showed up on my YouTube feed. Looking forward to seeing some of you there (virtually, ofc).
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Writers AMA for tomorrow just showed up on my YouTube feed. Looking forward to seeing some of you there (virtually, ofc).
I totally forgot about that!
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There's a nice summary (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/450703636/battletech-clan-invasion/posts/3118907) of the year in Shrapnel in the latest KS update if you haven't caught it (us late backers don't get emails). Nice to have further confirmation we're getting another year of this great magazine!
Oooh, hadn't seen that. Great news!
Just a couple of ideas in terms of signal boosting on social media, as mentioned in that post.
Twitter:
Like/Retweet the official release announcement: https://twitter.com/catalystgamelab/status/1371554308060221442
Or better yet, my much quippier and more stylish version: https://twitter.com/dubble_g/status/1371422549687508992
(well, guess you COULD make your own post... if you wanted...)
Reddit:
Upvote and reply to this thread by an incredibly handsome and witty yet modest new writer: https://www.reddit.com/r/battletech/comments/m7n7og/hey_my_story_got_published/
Facebook:
Like and reply to posts on BattleTech International: https://m.facebook.com/groups/battletechinternational/permalink/5187009728039358/
Or Everything BattleTech: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EverythingBT/permalink/1117940925300503
Discord:
Obviously mention in any writers' Discord servers you are in.
If anyone wants to join a W40K-themed group: http://discord.gg/csWea3P9
(You can tell it's a good link because it has "gg" in it. Expires in one week so get it while it's hot)
Hey, is there a Discord for BattleTech writers? Because if so: Let me in. LET ME IIIIIN!!!1one
I promise to be very quiet. I'll sit in the corner, CEO of smiling and nodding, that's me.
Blogs:
Another no-brainer, but here's mine and I'd be happy to include links to anyone else's posts on the subject: https://one-way-mirror.blogspot.com/2021/03/i-am-now-published-author.html
Let's get this bread.
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Indeed yes, Roadblock is mine. I wanted to tell a story different from the normal stompy shooty robots that we all love, and the trick was finding a way to tell one of those stories in a way that was still exciting and emotional. So I just went to what I know, medicine, and tried to find a way to tell a story that fit within the framework of Battletech. We always see either the head-shot or the punch out, but seldom to we see the poor guy on the other end of it when it goes sideways, and the people who have to pick up the pieces. Once I had that, the rest of the story wrote itself.
I'm glad that you enjoyed it and found some meaning or truth in it. That's always the hope.
Roadblock is one that doesnt bring happy memories. It was about a decade or more ago the roof collaspe where i work. the beam had pin the receiver against his a bail and his desk. So he didn't immediately die, but his hip was crush. He died later in the hospital
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Roadblock is one that doesnt bring happy memories. It was about a decade or more ago the roof collaspe where i work. the beam had pin the receiver against his a bail and his desk. So he didn't immediately die, but his hip was crush. He died later in the hospital
In that case, sorry for digging up old wounds.
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From a writer's perspective, it is awesome, because I can shine a light on things that would be difficult to showcase otherwise. Where would I have put the two Assassination Protocol articles otherwise? Or the Christmas scenario from Shrapnel 3?
Agreed, there's neat small things we can do to bring more to the Universe but the question was always where?
Thankfully this exists. We're able to get Battlecorps sized stories, strange one offs, some sly references, maybe RPG items here and there, and a Planet write up that might not be big enough for TTS, but just big enough to supplement it.
I'm quite happy in turning a Feddie world into a Mean Girls cesspool of politicking and corporations low level warfare. >:D
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I'm quite happy in turning a Feddie world into a Mean Girls cesspool of politicking and corporations low level warfare. >:D
wait, which one was this? :-)
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In that case, sorry for digging up old wounds.
Not your fault but as soon as i started reading it. I know right away what the main issue was going to be. It was more than a decade ago so not fresh. Just a reminder of the incident.
on a happier note, I did get a certain delight on seeing the super urbies.. Not sure why it got its on name instead of just being a plain upgrade. I guess it the differences between an Atlas and Atlas II. they both look sort of the same but its in the name. TrashCans for the win
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So, I was talking to Phil Lee about a story and he mentioned "Daybreak on Shining Mountain" and I was all "what'chu talkin' bout, willis?" As it turns out, I -bought- Shrapnel #2, and THOUGHT I'd read it, but somehow (I think it came out around the holidays?) i didn't and shelved it unread.
Well I fixed that oversight this weekend!! And CRIMENY, why aren't we talking about this one MORE? :-) and since this thread is the latest issue of shrapnel and this one's new to ME, it counts! ;)
What I like about "Daybreak" is that it brings front and center is two things we don't see enough of in BattleTech: other cultures and "strange new worlds." I am as guilty as anyone else about staying in my comfort zone when writing, which, for me, is "mil sci-fi." There's very little "culture" of any type in many of my stories, it's "soldiers doing soldier stuff in a soldier way."
This story brings forth culture at the very heart of it, and more than that, it's not one we see often in ANY types of media! Top notch stuff!
AND THEN, the author sets it in a WEIRD PLACE. We -and again, I AM INCLUDING MYSELF HERE! :'( :'( - forget that the Batteletech universe is as wild and wacky as star wars and star trek. 90% of the tech they have, we have, but we forget to USE it. The author DIDN'T forget: putting a world under an ICE MOUNTAIN?? -Aquaman voice- Outrageous!!
This was, far and away, not only a great BattleTech Story, but great science fiction, and I hope TPTB submit it far and wide to other anthologies, because I'd stack that up as one of the best of 2020's Sci-fi, PERIOD. I -HAD- a story in Shrapnel 1 and I'd still tell TPTB "send in Daybreak." It's that good. :-)
And what's CRAZY is, the rest of the stories in Shrapnel 2 are SOOO GOOD! They're A's and B's, only diminished because they share the spotlight with an A-double-plus! :-)
"Scavenger's Blood" gives us a look at a little-remembered moment in Jaguar and Raven history, written excellently. "Saber Bare" is a single aerospace fighter pilot, something often overlooked in our mech-heavy universe. "Devil take the Hindmost" is one of the rare "spooky" stories we get occasionally, and "Road Ahead" shows compassion in the strangest way.
Oh, and because I'm just babbaling at this point, I'll just say, all the OTHER stuff is good, too!
Overall, this was an EXCELLENT collection, well worth the scoop-up if you don't have it, and I'm super stoked again for Shrapnel 5!
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Sorry to say I apply the same rule to Shrapnel that I applied to BattleTechnology in its heyday: If there are useful rules in it (RPG first priority), then I'll buy it.
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Sorry to say I apply the same rule to Shrapnel that I applied to BattleTechnology in its heyday: If there are useful rules in it (RPG first priority), then I'll buy it.
Most of them (all?) have some RPG stuff, adventure hooks, and a PDF Mech. Craig Reed wrote a whole article about sniper rifles and their stats in Shrap #1, for example. Well worth it, IMHO. :)
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Most of them (all?) have some RPG stuff, adventure hooks, and a PDF Mech. Craig Reed wrote a whole article about sniper rifles and their stats in Shrap #1, for example. Well worth it, IMHO. :)
I also wrote one on pistols (Shrapnel #3) and there's be another weapons column in Shrapnel #5... ;)
Craig
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Glad to hear it, and I'll have to pick #3 and #5 up when I have free cash again. Thanks! :thumbsup:
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Sorry to say I apply the same rule to Shrapnel that I applied to BattleTechnology in its heyday: If there are useful rules in it (RPG first priority), then I'll buy it.
If you get the second issue, let me know if the planetary write up helped with any RPG desires.
While not hard RPG rules, there was enough description of the history to give any GM a playground for roleplaying. So at the very least you have minor house names to work with and scheme.
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If you get the second issue, let me know if the planetary write up helped with any RPG desires.
While not hard RPG rules, there was enough description of the history to give any GM a playground for roleplaying. So at the very least you have minor house names to work with and scheme.
Third one had Christmas themed scenarios to have fun with ;)
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Third one had Christmas themed scenarios to have fun with ;)
Two scenarios in that issue. Like a little Christmas present for us readers. :)
Though I'll say when I read the Santa one, I looked back at my Star League Day one and thought 'Wow I am just so basic on mine.' Because that one looked way more interesting. ;D
I have the desire to throw in all the Tac Ops "power ups" from that April Fool's day post of old just to see how bizarre it could get.
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Two scenarios in that issue. Like a little Christmas present for us readers. :)
Though I'll say when I read the Santa one, I looked back at my Star League Day one and thought 'Wow I am just so basic on mine.' Because that one looked way more interesting. ;D
Thank you :)
I spent 15 years or so working on that one.
I have the desire to throw in all the Tac Ops "power ups" from that April Fool's day post of old just to see how bizarre it could get.
Please do and tell me how it goes. That sounds like a really fun idea :)
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aaaannnnd we're back!
Does anyone know who the old man and the ghost are in "Ghost"? I think the Ghost becomes the hotel doorman, right? or was the old man the doorman and this is a NEW Ghost Paladin?
And is the "old man" someone we know from the classic era? Like, should I dig into whatever happened to ole Tormano Liao? ;-) hahaha
Haven't gotten too far in tonight - I also have to pull 3 off the shelf and remind myself about the previous "Fox" fiction before reading "Fox Patrol," so I'll read more in the AM. :)
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aaaannnnd we're back!
Does anyone know who the old man and the ghost are in "Ghost"? I think the Ghost becomes the hotel doorman, right? or was the old man the doorman and this is a NEW Ghost Paladin?
And is the "old man" someone we know from the classic era? Like, should I dig into whatever happened to ole Tormano Liao? ;-) hahaha
Haven't gotten too far in tonight - I also have to pull 3 off the shelf and remind myself about the previous "Fox" fiction before reading "Fox Patrol," so I'll read more in the AM. :)
Fox Patrol are awesome!!!!
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Yes, It sounds like at the end the Ghost becomes the Concierge known to the Public as Emil, privately known as the Ghost Paladin...known only to the Exarchs as he meets privately with them like the scene with the newly elected Exarch Jonah Levin in one of the Dark Age novels.
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Yes, It sounds like at the end the Ghost becomes the Concierge known to the Public as Emil, privately known as the Ghost Paladin...known only to the Exarchs as he meets privately with them like the scene with the newly elected Exarch Jonah Levin in one of the Dark Age novels.
That's what I'm thinking, so I'm wondering who the old man was? maybe he's noone we're suppossed to know, dunno.
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Am I the only one who thought the most recent issue was the best one yet?
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That's what I'm thinking, so I'm wondering who the old man was? maybe he's noone we're suppossed to know, dunno.
My guess is he was Marcell Webb, CO of the Star Seeds and spook extraordinaire. I would have gone with Tempest Stryker but he was pretty publicly killed by the Opacus Venatori in 3081. (Or was he?)
But he could easily be any random intel type that threw in with Stone.
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Fox Patrol are awesome!!!!
I worry for them. they are growing but she seeking to leave a place that the most she going to face is beating up mech with half train pilots. She seeking glory but she lack the training on how to manage her units once they leave her home planet. I wonder if a major or semi unit may just take her under their wings and show her the ropes what to avoid and at least guide her tactically on what she needs to survive otherwise i think she just going to end up dead once she find her dream.
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My guess is he was Marcell Webb, CO of the Star Seeds and spook extraordinaire. I would have gone with Tempest Stryker but he was pretty publicly killed by the Opacus Venatori in 3081. (Or was he?)
But he could easily be any random intel type that threw in with Stone.
Marcel Webb was only 49 in 3090, when the story takes place.
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(Or was he?)
Oh yeah, he is gone, gone, gone.
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Would love to see folks honest thoughts on my story in there - Piece by Piece - as it's my first published fiction and would really value feedback, honest, brutal, or otherwise. :)
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Would love to see folks honest thoughts on my story in there - Piece by Piece - as it's my first published fiction and would really value feedback, honest, brutal, or otherwise. :)
WELL DONE. So far, I think it's one of the strongest in the issue, and it's your FIRST? WELL DONE.
very character driven, and it makes you want to know MORE about them, not less. Strong narrative voice, excellent use of strategy (I like stories where the "bad guys" aren't noticeably stupid and the good guys have to think their way out of problems)
I also like the fact you really drove home the "what will you do for money?" mindset of mercenaries. Playing Mechwarrior 5 a lot on XBox and the first few missions, MAN, I really felt bad smashing up farms and cities and crap. Now, it's just part of the job, and you captured that moral sinking perfectly.
Finally, good stories incorporate in as many senses as possible: it's REALLY hard to work "smell" into a battletech story, but you did it in such a gag-inducing yet appropriate way. The whistling of the damaged cockpit (very common in succession wars stuff) and the smell, that SMELL came through so well in your writing!
WELL DONE, as I said, and looking forward to seeing more from you in later issues!
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Thanks mate, really appreciate the comments. After writing the TTS for the world, I really wanted to bring it to life, so folks could see how to adventure on the world. I'm glad you liked it. I had some ideas of where they go, but I am involved in a big non-CGL project and probably won't have time to revisit the crew for a long time.
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So…who wants to deliver honest service to the Capellan State as a servitor?
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That article just ruined the positive press generated by Blood Will Tell.
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That article just ruined the positive press generated by Blood Will Tell.
Blood Will Tell showed that Danai wanted a different path, but once the replacement administrator arrived, it was by the book - servitorhood for all. Of course, Danai is the heir apparent, so she’ll most likely eventually get a crack at rewriting that book a few decades down the road.
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..., but once the replacement administrator arrived, it was by the book - servitorhood for all.
Which was eventually addressed. Not all is lost.
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That article just ruined the positive press generated by Blood Will Tell.
;D :D ;D
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Blood Will Tell showed that Danai wanted a different path, but once the replacement administrator arrived, it was by the book - servitorhood for all. Of course, Danai is the heir apparent, so she’ll most likely eventually get a crack at rewriting that book a few decades down the road.
Do you actually think that Daoshen is going to live a 'few' decades more?
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And is the "old man" someone we know from the classic era? Like, should I dig into whatever happened to ole Tormano Liao? ;-) hahaha
Died during Black May. His son was killed fighting Blakists in 3070
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Do you actually think that Daoshen is going to live a 'few' decades more?
Technically, Sun-Tzu is still alive…in the fridge, so….anything’s possible.
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This is a good thread: any writer really looks forward to people reacting to their stories. First time writers more so.
Could I provoke some people to do a broader review of each story? My motives are selfish, but benefit from incidental altruism once you review other people’s materials as well. ;)
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This is a good thread: any writer really looks forward to people reacting to their stories. First time writers more so.
Could I provoke some people to do a broader review of each story? My motives are selfish, but benefit from incidental altruism once you review other people’s materials as well. ;)
I dunno, I'll rave about ones that speak to my heart and I love talking about stories when prodded, but not every author wants a "full" review, you know? More than that, a lot of authors haven't gotten their thick skin yet- saying "I liked it, but..." can really hurt to hear.
I dunno, just my thoughts. Which one was yours?
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This is a good thread: any writer really looks forward to people reacting to their stories. First time writers more so.
Could I provoke some people to do a broader review of each story? My motives are selfish, but benefit from incidental altruism once you review other people’s materials as well. ;)
Per your request:
Ghosts: Very well written - good rotation through the assorted roles assumed by the Ghost Knight, nice use of legacy LosTech. Lance’s stories are always very well researched. It gives a compelling backstory to an underdeveloped MWDA bit player, and gives a rare look at the post-Jihad transition to the Pax Republica. I felt that the old spymaster had strong similarities to the Agent in Serenity - using unethical methods to create a paradise that had no room for monsters like him. Second appearance in print of the Guard. I tried using it in a game - legs kept getting comically shot off by infantry with field guns.
Voices of the Sphere: an interesting look at views on how the Clan invasion changed what would have been. I was reminded of the “Fifth Succession War” column from MechForce Quarterly, also in the “what might have been” category. I liked that Chris worked in a cultural profile for a previously blank slate dot on the star map for Vikindu.
Black Boxes: Daniel took a good framing approach to finally close the loop on the “whatabout…” problem that undercut the Blackout from the get go. Having a viable alternative FTL communications technology meant that the HPG crash meant less. This answers the question without needing to delve into the murky and oft contradictory ins and outs of hyperspace mechanics, and restores suspension of disbelief for the impacts of the Blackout.
Piece by Piece: Matt did a great job of building on his Touring the Stars for Manassas, bringing the setting to life with a gritty, edge-of-failure merc unit at the mercy of the cutthroat political maneuvers of the jaded nobility. Most of the FedSuns fiction has focused on external military campaigns or the civil war, so a look at internal politics that don’t involve House Davion was refreshing.
Crusader: A good sample of a RecGuide style entry for the Crusader. Nice to see its Lyran ties emphasized, and the link to the record sheet was appreciated.
Fox Patrol: This series has both engaging characterization and good combat scenes. The LosTech “mad max” vibe came through, though it makes me wonder how they’ll have the resources to do anything with their new salvaged ‘Mechs that the Jerangle Raiders couldn’t.
Servitors: Recused due to lack of impartiality
Auld Acquaintance: A good wrap up to the Kell Hound serial. When I read “Not the way the smart money bets,” I wondered what happened to Morgan’s paramour, Veronica Matova, since she was long out of the picture by the Warrior Trilogy. This fills in that story gap.
SMGs: adds some nice variety to what PCs can get their hands on in AToW. Haven’t used it myself, so I’m not sure how they work out in actual gameplay.
Shadows of the Past: Lots of emotion poured into this story, but I would have liked more details on the context for the backstory, just so I could judge how important it was to keep the Blakists from getting ahold of them.
Kandersteg: an unusual founding story, leading to a fun mix of naming conventions. Interesting secondary planets as well. I liked the detail on their attitude towards the Clans and their new role as a merc hub. Makes them a good hiring hall for that region.
SM5: A rare Spheroid Omni-vehicle, and a suitable ride for Callandre now that she’s no longer lone-wolfing it.
An Ice Cold Dish: I really liked seeing the Temptown assault from the anti-Dragoon perspective. Wayne has for a long time been portrayed as a joke, but this shows what his motivation was and that he wasn’t just a Blakist puppet. He went out on his own terms, and I can respect that.
Alekseyevka Academy: this adds a nice element of “how” that had previously been mostly lacking from anti-Mech attack descriptions - such incidents in fiction having fallen by the wayside with the introduction of battle armor.
Breach: A good First Succession War story, though I was surprised that the world had regressed from FWL contact and authority only 20 years into the war, though the world is one that fell off the map. One wonders how many “dead” worlds actually died, and how many were just abandoned and are still chugging along at Tech Level D?
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I dunno, I'll rave about ones that speak to my heart and I love talking about stories when prodded, but not every author wants a "full" review, you know? More than that, a lot of authors haven't gotten their thick skin yet- saying "I liked it, but..." can really hurt to hear.
Character building exercises! ;)
I dunno, just my thoughts. Which one was yours?
The ice cold dish.
Per your request:
Thanks, very thorough, appreciate the effort to find something positive to say about each one!
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Nice review of all the stories there, thanks. Still chugging through with what little spare time I have, but thanks to this, I now have a list of things I really want to get to in the read.
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I wouldn't give a bad review to a short story unless it was gawdaful and none of these were which is why i didn't take the time and review it. Short story are by the nature short so they only give is glimpst of a unit or a group. Cause of there nature they often have to leave out key points that alonger novel length story will need. Take for an example Fox Patrol. Here is a very good short story. We get our young hero with 2 new employee. In a Novel, we may get on who these two employee are and how their relantionship effect her. We may even get there own perspective at being boss around by someone far younger then them and who has no exp landing anything. yet they let her be in charge on top of that we don't know if they are like her. Just a couple of boys who happen upon there mechs or they had time spent in an academy. We don't even know if they are local kid or Stray from a units that was disbanded in world after a bad contract.
All these thing would have to be look at if you were writing a novel length story. In short story. You can skip all that and just focus on the meat. Fox Patrol deliver on that so i have no issue just my own speculation on their future.
so in conclusion. don't expect me to give a review beyond a few words unless someone took a dump on my mag.
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Black Boxes: Daniel took a good framing approach to finally close the loop on the “whatabout…” problem that undercut the Blackout from the get go. Having a viable alternative FTL communications technology meant that the HPG crash meant less. This answers the question without needing to delve into the murky and oft contradictory ins and outs of hyperspace mechanics, and restores suspension of disbelief for the impacts of the Blackout.
Thank you.
I am really glad Ray gave me his blessing to implement this solution. It bugged me for a long time Wizkidz simply decided to ignore this issue all together. With Catalyst on the wheel and Shrapnel being an ideal vessel for all kind of things, we finally had the platform to do something about it.
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It gives a compelling backstory to an underdeveloped MWDA bit player
Was that a character that had shown up previously? I didn't recognize them.
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Was that a character that had shown up previously? I didn't recognize them.
The Ghost Paladin from the early MWDA books. Some of the Ghost Knights report to him in a few scenes.
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Things have been kinda nuts here in RL, so I -finally- was able to pick up Shrapnel 5 again and finish it! Well, except for Stackpole's: once I saw that it was going to be a 4-parter, I skipped his in every book. So, this week I'll be going back and reading the all four in one sitting.
As mentioned, I -really- liked Ghosts. I'm a sucker for a good one-shot with super spies and SF troopers. Not a SERIES, because they can get a little plot-armored. but a well-written one-shot? hits me in my happy spot. :)
Piece by Piece, as I mentioned above, was SOOO good. I dig stories like this, a tiny little lance in the middle of nowhere almost broke, partially because I personally feel like I'm not that great at writing them? I dunno- I just take a different approach in my writing, but that's one of what makes the universe 9and this magazine) so much fun: there's room for small stories as well as bigger ones!
Fox Patrol- I liked it, but not as much as the first. The problem is, possibly, that Piece by Piece was in a similar vein, and I just liked that one better? I think that's more the problem than anything with the story, they were just too alike in my poor brain? but still, a solid story!
An Ice Cold Dish: now, this was intresting. A look at ole Wayne Waco, and his motivations? I dig it. I had a soft spot for the Rangers after the first Merc Handbook, and I kinda hated how they became "bad guys," or worse, a joke. Seeing this kinda redeemed him- I still think he died a jerk, but I get it. A well done piece!
Breach. Wow, what a quiet little wonder to end the issue on. Just a wonderful little piece, i like that it ties in (sorta) with the ongoing ELH series (not that I'm plugging that or anything!)(I -tooootally am! Read it, y'all, they're good! ;-) But, I -LOVE- the "why's the water that color?" and it's because it's GORGEOUS and has WHALES and, wow. I think the fact none of the pirates ejected made the story a little pat and wrap up a bit too nicely? But, honestly, that was a complaint I had after I put the book down and walked away: when I FINISHED the story, I was totally satisfied and slid Shrapnel 5 next to its mates on my shelf with a nice smile on my face.
So, kudos to Phil for organizing the fiction well, and to all the writers who turned in products ranging from "good stuff!" to "HOLY CRAP THIS IS AWESOME." :-)
(oh, the TRO stuff and world breakdown and stuff is ALL GOOD, TOO! Just a damn good magazine from front cover to back!! :-)
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Loving the feedback people are giving. Loving the shrapnel entries and seeing new names.
I will also echo the call to have people willing give reviews by story. Again self-serving if anyone wants to jump back to issue #4 and earlier. ;D
At least for myself I know hearing excitement or opportunities to improve would keep me motivated to write and submit more.
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Loving the feedback people are giving. Loving the shrapnel entries and seeing new names.
I will also echo the call to have people willing give reviews by story. Again self-serving if anyone wants to jump back to issue #4 and earlier. ;D
At least for myself I know hearing excitement or opportunities to improve would keep me motivated to write and submit more.
heh, well, my quick reviews are different from constructive criticism, my friend. Be careful whatchu wish for! ;)
(which one was yours? I can give it a quick glance "soon," but I'll leave a full #4 review for another day.)
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I need to get thick skin eventually if I want to keep writing. I figure it can’t be an unmitigated disaster if it made it in. (I may be mistaken.). And no way to improve or get better without some feedback on what didn’t work.
Mine was “The Weight of a Name”. No rush or expectation but would be happy to hear feedback.
Thanks for bringing some to the thread. I know I keep meaning to be better about leaving reviews and feedback for books. Especially since I was hoping/looking for some myself.
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If it made it in, it's by definition NOT a disaster. Just because some people may not like it doesn't mean it wasn't a success.
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If it made it in, it's by definition NOT a disaster. Just because some people may not like it doesn't mean it wasn't a success.
THIS.
We -all- have our personal tastes, but if it's in Shrapnel, it's 1) technically a good story, which IS A TOUGH BAR TO CLEAR. A lot of journeyman writers are terrible at grammar or punctuation or a million other little things that are technical in nature, and make a story unacceptable. No matter how good the plot, if the story is a technical mess, it's not gonna make it in and 2) a Shrapnel story adds something to the universe. No one wants to read anyone's personal unit's adventures, or their self insertion story, or their Katherine and Omi erotica fan-fic.*
More than that, there has to be character in it. Too many stories in the fanfic forum (which I only skim now and again, because I don't want to be accused of plagiarizing an idea or whatever) are just BATTLE. A Timberwolf does this and a Vulcan does THAT and WHO GIVES A CRAP? BattleTech fiction is about the CHARACTERS and what moves them THROUGH the universe. If your story is in Shrapnel, congratulations!! You are a writer. You have cleared a technical bar 50% or more can't clear, and you understand and wrote within the BattleTech "vibe," which is well-written characters in a universe at war.
For "Weight of a name," I -really- dig stories like this. We have a character that wants to be loremaster, which is cool and crazy and totally nerdy enough that all us nerds dig it, and how she plans to get there is a obscure rule that fleshes out the BattleTech universe in a new way. Good Stuff. :)
* By "no one wants to read" I mean you can totally PM me that Katherine/Omi erotica... ;)
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If you're only skimming the Fan Fiction forum, I can't recommend Drakensis' or Cannonshop's stuff enough. They both go WELL beyond "battle".
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BattleTech fiction is about the CHARACTERS and what moves them THROUGH the universe.
I can't underscore that enough.
Fight scenes are great. But they are just that: fight scenes.
They are background, nice to have. But Battletech works without. A good Battletech story needs more.
A point I am going to make shortly. ;)
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So, to get back to wait I said lat: Battletech needs more than fight scenes. Did Failings in Teaching achieve the goal to point that out?
Also, someone interested in giving Moving Forward from Shrapnel 6 an in depth review? There are great fight scenes in it ;)
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Also, someone interested in giving Moving Forward from Shrapnel 6 an in depth review? There are great fight scenes in it ;)
Yes, I'll admit to being very curious to hear people's reactions to my pieces too.
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So, to get back to wait I said lat: Battletech needs more than fight scenes. Did Failings in Teaching achieve the goal to point that out?
Definitely, and the reason I wouldn't object to another Blood Avatar type novel (as flawed as I've heard it is). For me at least, 24 years of 'Mech on 'Mech scenes have them tending to blur into one another now. Although I'm more interested in the BT universe and characters so I suspect my opinion is in the minority.
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Definitely, and the reason I wouldn't object to another Blood Avatar type novel (as flawed as I've heard it is). For me at least, 24 years of 'Mech on 'Mech scenes have them tending to blur into one another now. Although I'm more interested in the BT universe and characters so I suspect my opinion is in the minority.
One of the things I love about the Shrapnel series is, pound for pound, there's a LOT less fighting in the stories than the novels.
(I get my copy tomorrow, excited!! :-)
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This is daunting for me, but here I go. First, I admit that while I enjoy all content that Shrapnel offers, my main interest is in the fan stories written by new writers. That's the sole reason I'm invested in this magazine. So I will share my unprofessional non-writer opinion on some of the stories I've read. Second, I warn you that I'm not a overly critical reader. As long as the story is coherent and entertaining, I will likely enjoy it. I apologize if my "reviews" come off too positive. I'll try to refrain from just saying the story is good. I will also refrain from spoiling significant plot details. Read without fear. Ok. Let's begin.
PAPER TIGERS by Mark Hill
Straight out the gate as the first story of Issue #6, is Paper Tigers. I can see why it was made the first story. It's a straight forward plot, but the strong dialogue and humor laced within brings it up a notch. We're introduced to the main protagonist, his past, and where he is in the present in just three paragraphs. Not only is that efficient writing, it's conveyed in a interesting way. There are several jokes and references peppered throughout that I was very exited I caught. The 'Mech combat is short and sweet. Nothing too fancy and I liked the focus on lights. It feels appropriate for the scale of the story and the era. If there was someone who knew nothing about BattleTech and wanted to get into the fiction, this is the short story I would show them.
ALMOSTS SOUNDS LIKE THE GUNS THEMSLEVES by E. Clark Avery
Boy oh boy. When I saw the location and time stamp of this story I was giddy with excitement. I'm a fan of Harebrained Scheme's BATTLETECH and when I see any reference that brings the Aurigan Coalition more into canon, it makes me happy. Thank you E. Clark Avery. However, this story is one of the more somber ones in BattleTech fiction. The main protagonist is veteran of the Aurigan Civil War and left the military's behind only to still be haunted mentally by the combat he experienced. The writer nailed the atmosphere of story. The brief glimpses of combat emphasizes the horrors of war and specifically 'Mech combat. The protagonist wrestles with dark thoughts not only from the past, but also of the future. There's a silver lining at the end, but it comes at price.
This story is dense. Dense in character development, worldbuilding, and themes. I don't know if this is the first story E. Clark Avery has ever written or if this is just their (yes, I'm one of those) first BattleTech story. If it's the former, then I applaud you. I can image the number sourcebooks and technical readouts you researched while writing this story. It's on par with Jason Schmetzer if I do say so myself. Keep writing, I want to see more from you.
TALES FROM THE CRACKED CANOPY: THE DEVIL'S LUCK by Alexander J. Roth
Have you heard this joke before, "A old grizzled MechWarrior walks into bar."? Feels timeless and familiar doesn't it. That's basically how this story starts and I admit that I wasn't too impressed with the first sentence. But sometimes you can't judge a story by how it starts. So I kept reading. I become passively intrigue by the conversation between the old grizzled MechWarrior and the bartender. The MechWarrior is explaining what real Devil's Luck is. We start learning about his past. All the way up until his unit gets in trouble with some clanners.
At this point I'm think this is a okay story, but I'm still not impressed. The MechWarrior is in a bad spot, but in my arrogance I'm thinking: Okay, he's going to pull some crazy maneuver and take out a Star of OmniMechs in one shot and manage to escape to fight another day. The bartender will cry foul and MechWarrior with leave his memento with the reader wondering if the outlandish story is true.
Then the story takes a turn. I'm taken aback. My mouth is gaped. If you've read the story, you know the part I'm talking about. As a Quentin Tarantino villain once said, "Gentlemen, you had my curiosity. Now you have attention." The story keeps going and going and realization of what this MechWarrior has been through washes over me in waves. The MechWarrior finishes his tale and we return to the Cracked Canopy. He leaves his memento and leaves to end his journey.
Going back to that first sentence I realize that its perfect. It's vague and invocative at the same time. I would be lying if I said I didn't have a complete mental picture of what this old grizzled MechWarrior likes like. Even though he's never described. It fits with the story. The Devil's Luck feels like the archetypal Tales From the Cracked Canopy story.
DIAMANDIS' DOGS by M. W. Hayden
I'm certain I'm not the only one who thought of Metal Gear Solid when they saw the title of this story. Diamandis' Dogs is another dense story of novel quality. Similar to E. Clark Avery's story in terms of excellence. The story begins with the titular unit retreating which ends in tragedy right before transitioning to a time-jump. A very effective opening. I won't go any further with story, except to say there's possibly one or more vendettas brewing, a up close look at some political strife, and a impossible situation the protagonists face.
Did I say protagonists as in plural? Yes, I did. I would like to praise the number of point-of-view characters in this short story. They're all well written and the plot feels balanced. The story takes place over a number of years, but doesn't feel stretched beyond its limit. It felt like I was reading a sample of a novel. One last note, I enjoyed the callsigns for the 'Mechs and other combat vehicles more than I should have.
ACE DARWIN AND THE SIDEWINDER CANYON by James Bixby
This is my favorite new writer story in Issue #6. Not necessarily because I think it is the best written or has the best plot. It's simply the most I've enjoyed out of all the stories. I was skeptical at first when Philp A. Lee described the story as a "amusing yarn". I was even more skeptical at the pulpy title. Then I got to it and started reading. I don't how, I don't know why, but words flowed easily for me and I could hear the distinct voice of the protagonist in my head. The way the writer expressed the protagonist's personality stood out more than any other story for me. I had a good time and I was sad when it was over.
Unfortunately, there's one more story I will like to talk about. This one is not from a new writer.
MOVING FOWARD by Daniel Isberner
I flipped straight to Moving Forward after it was mentioned in the Commander's Call. I was excited to see what was going on in the Scorpion Empire. I was disappointed. This was the most disappointed short story in Issue #6. This is the most disappointing BattleTech short story I ever read. I won't get into spoilers. The plot of Moving Forward warrants a novella at the least. It does not work as a short story. The stakes are too high. The mussels, too delectably interesting to get so little screen time. If TPTB are reading this and if Daniel Isberner is willing, I implore that this story be greatly expanded upon. Moving Forward in its current state is a disservice to Clan Goliah Scorpian. That is all.
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Unfortunately, there's one more story I will like to talk about. This one is not from a new writer.
MOVING FOWARD by Daniel Isberner
I flipped straight to Moving Forward after it was mentioned in the Commander's Call. I was excited to see what was going on in the Scorpion Empire. I was disappointed. This was the most disappointed short story in Issue #6. This is the most disappointing BattleTech short story I ever read. I won't get into spoilers. The plot of Moving Forward warrants a novella at the least. It does not work as a short story. The stakes are too high. The mussels, too delectably interesting to get so little screen time. If TPTB are reading this and if Daniel Isberner is willing, I implore that this story be greatly expanded upon. Moving Forward in its current state is a disservice to Clan Goliah Scorpian. That is all.
An interesting takeaway from the story.
If you haven't read it yet, I think you should take a look at this:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=https://hpgstation.de/2021/09/11/fuer-die-eridani-light-horses-schreiben-spoilergefahr/
Original link (google free):
https://hpgstation.de/2021/09/11/fuer-die-eridani-light-horses-schreiben-spoilergefahr/
But a few additional words: the Scorpion Empire isn't center stage right now. It is way out in the Deep Periphery. That means, there are two possible ways this story was going to happen: as a short story in Shrapnel, or not at all.
Right now, the focus lies elsewhere and novellas and novels require a lot more work during all stages of the process. That would take away precious time from other products more important to the general state of the story. The Scorpion Empire is already getting a lot of screen time with all the little products Geoff has in the queue right now. He put time and effort in to turn the Scorpions into what they are. But that also means they are already binding resources. There are only so many resources justifiable to throw at them.
A novel or even a novella isn't in the cards right now. We did include a lot of possible story hooks in that one. The reestablishment of Göttingen alone can be full blown novel, in theory. But again, that would bind too many resources. So, instead, it is a really nice plot hook for fans to play a campaign on.
Right now, a short story is really the best that could be done to move the Scorpion Empire into the ilClan era.
I tried to put as much exposition into it as possible without tripping that invisible line of too much exposition and too little time for the story. For you, I think I crossed the line into the wrong direction. I am sorry for that, but it is a fine line to walk on and I did the best I could with the situation in front of me.
Still, the fact that you want more and actually would like me to be the one to do it, means, to me, it wasn't my writing or the story (at least not directly) but an understandable dissatisfaction with the what is doable right now. I scratch that one down on the plus side on my part. As far as your dissatisfaction goes, I scratch that one down on the negative side. Seems like a fair way to deal with it.
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I understand. Time and resources being what they are while BattleTech is booming again. I did not mean to sound too harsh. It is not a bad story. It just seemed like a compilation of the the most critical scenes from larger plot. I'm interested in reading more when there is time to tell it.
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I understand. Time and resources being what they are while BattleTech is booming again. I did not mean to sound too harsh. It is not a bad story. It just seemed like a compilation of the the most critical scenes from larger plot. I'm interested in reading more when there is time to tell it.
You weren't too harsh. I understand where you came from.
Also, who am I to tell people what they are to like and not to like? Even if you hated the story from the bottom of your heart, it would be fair. Because taste is totally subjective.
I just wanted to point out why the story is written the way it is written. :)
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I've only read half the book so far, and I -tend- to not review the "not-fiction," so i apologize up-front to all the world writers and stuff because, overall, that has been GREAT as well, and enjoyable!
Paper Tiger
Okay, like the above review, I think this is a quintessential BattleTech story. It captures everything about the universe while making it easy for a new reader to get in. Seriously, TPTB could do a lot worse than to make THIS story the one that goes in the IS box set, it's simply that good. One thing I love: the BAR. This story SHOWS this is a SCI FI UNIVERSE, with a mech arm decorating the bar. I'm as guilty as MANY writers, I forget to enhance the other-worldliness of space a LOT, so I LOVE it when it's shown and shown well.
Point of view
I'm at odds and ends on this one, probably solely because it followed Paper Tiger, which was SO damn good. I liked this story, but also thought nothing jumped out at me about it?
that SAID: as a WRITER, I'm going to go back and tear it apart. Schmetzer does a FANTASTIC job of maintaining the POVs, you know EXACTLTY where everyone is at every moment, the "camera" stays on the action- THIS is, on a TECHNINICAL level, one of the best written stories in the book. While the plot didn't make me jump up and down, personally (and that's okl) the writing is worth studying if you're a journeyman (like me) and want to keep getting better at the trade.
Victor C
GAWD, a great mech and fun write up. more, plz!
Almost Sounds like the guns themselves
Whoooo. This one was deep, and well done. Again, it emphasized the other-worldliness of the universe: random civil wars, nobles, ship-breaking a SPACESHIP (dropship) and then, PTSD. Something we don't see a lot of in BattleTech these days- and I get it. The original novels were written with Vietnam / cold war in mind, and have that 70s-early 90's pulp Milsci-fic vibe to them, while modern stuff is influenced by the forever war. However, all of that said, the BattleTech universe is one of constant WAR, and the consequences make great fiction occasionally, but aren't the main course. like a soup you don't eat very often - wedding, or minestrone. Great when you encounter it, would be lousy for everyday.
I also, personally, feel it's too easy to do PTSD WRONG, which is why I'm leery of stories that tackle it, but this one knocks it out of the park. I'm not going to lie and say it's my favorite of the book - I do read these Magazines to be entertained, after all! ha ha - but it's a bloody well-written story, and well worth the read.
I AM confused by house arrano (sp?) I don't play the game, so i couldn't put these worlds on the map if you spotted me the Great House! I'm happy for the fans that love it, but I wish TPTB will decide if they're canon or not, and if so, crank out a few more products about them. I'm just really on the fence about it- I want to embrace it, but I've seen too many units /people capture a world/space-station/whatever and then get granted "faction" status only to see them wiped off the map a year later. I dunno. just my take. Darn good read, ignore my rant. :-)
One Door Closes
Hmm, another one I'm on the fence about. As I've put in other reviews, we've seen the cliché "let's put a band together and start a merc unit" story done a million times before, and, personally, unless there's something new about it, I kinda glaze over. that SAID, BLP hits all the familiar beats PERFECTLY? Characters we care about, insight about Terra just after the battle, intel-intrigue (which I LOVED)- it's like watching a really good Netflix heist movie. it's nothing you haven't seen before, but you can appreciate it and the craftsmanship in it for what it is. Again, just my take, a LOT of people love these kinds of stories, so if you do, you're in for an enjoyable ride.
Devil's Due
Whoo, talk about another heavy one. SUCH a good story that I didn't have high hopes for in the beginning, but once the narrator settled in and started his tale, it just FLOWED (I guess it was the difference in writing third person POV and 1st for the author? he could HEAR the narrator better in first person, is my guess) And MAN, I thought I knew where this was going, another clichéd last survivor story and it WAS but it WASN'T and that makes me HAPPY, when an author takes my expectation and then kinda... bends it. VERY GOOD STUFF.
Diamandis' Dogs
Halfway through, I had to doublecheck and make sure this wasn't a "Hammer's Slammers" story, that's the vibe of this story, and I mean that as a compliment in the best way possible! A story that starts out with a tragedy, and THEN, in something we don't see often enough, the woman turns BITTER. A lot of nobles in the BattleTech universe start scheming or using their power to undermine their leader, and HERE, we get something DIFFERENT. A noble woman who just says, "no. the Steiners did me dirty, so they can kiss my noble butt." It's another story that emphasizes the otherworldliness of the universe, talking about palaces and castles and things we just don't live in that often here on Terra these days, and then wrapped all up in a BRUTAL David Drake style "fight our way out" story. GOOD STUFF. THEN: I'm expecting the kid to keep it going, to keep the rage in her heart and she JUST WALKS AWAY. her dad brought her up right and SHE SELLS HER Mech! which we forget, can buy you a whole new life in those days! I LOVE IT. A "it's time to let the hate go" story?? You NEVER see that!! WELL DONE!
Battlecorps burned me too many times, so i don't read stories until the whole series is out, now. So, craig's story will have to wait!
Moving Forward
Like above, I think my biggest complaint about this story is I wish it had been LONGER. This story, the one about the MechWarrior claiming the Kell bloodname a shrapnel or two ago: it's like, these are HUGE stories that have big effects on the universe, and they're "blink and you miss it" gone. that SAID, I have ZERO complaints about the story! love the setting, the characters, EVERYTHING about it except the forced tempo which, as the author said, wasn't fully on him. So, i'll take this as a WIN: when I get a story i love, written by an author I like, and my biggest complaint is I want MORE? yeah: that's not a bad spot to be in. :)
I'll post more as I finish it up, but overall, super happy with this issue. and the COVER?? OHMYGAWD. STUNNING. and the art on page 150? I'm working on something and I'm required to send in art notes and I, like, want to say "PLZ PLZ PLZ have whoever drew that picture draw this!" I dunno WHY I love it so much, it just has a retro vibe while still being a technically amazing piece, i guess!
Anywhoo, until next time!
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Victor C
GAWD, a great mech and fun write up. more, plz!
The Victor C given to the second notable pilot (after he lost his Highlander) is the one from the cover of CityTech 2nd Edition (reused for the new TacOps), which shows it being captured by Clan Wolf.
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I've been watching that artist on the BattleTech Reddit for a while and cannot echo five's excitement enough. They are killing it with the new art in a style you could swear you saw in the 1987 Mercenaries Handbook. Just can't get enough of that.
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my thoughts on this.
Paper Tiger: It was an interested read on a mission that could had easily gone sideway. While the characters were interesting and even the plot holds some value its about avg for a shrapnel story for me. which mean it isn't bad, just not good enough to make me go OH yeah.
Point of view: was a downer type of story where there are no winners unless your a clanner which case you may like this. It pretty much a slice of life story of a group of elemental hunting down an elusive stinger. Not a bad read
Almost sound Like the guns themselves. Wow talking about a downer this one is one of those emotional one that deal with PTSD form a combat vet that took a bad turn during the war. Decent read but be warn it not for those that enjoy happy endings.
One Door closes: Ok this one is one of those that i really enjoy as it brought back character from the Hour of the Wolves and show what they did immediately afterward. Solid read i have no complaints and would recommend it for others to read. One of the hightlights from this crop of stories for me.
Tales from the Crack Canopy: Another solid story that draws you in deeper you go. another that i recommend to read If you were just going to just read one single story from the magazine.
Diamadis Dogs. This one take is to a noble family that didn't do post 3025. Where one hold on to things a bit too hard and too long and lose out on what really important, One lives. Its not for the faint of heart.
Vengeance Games: A Four pattern that set our players in motions I am looking forward the next 3 parts but disappointed that it end without conclusion.
Ace Darwin sidewider canyon: when you let a braggert talk to much Solid story where one must always remember but who knows if it true.
Moving Forward: This is just a view on the current affair of the Scorpion empire and how they plan to move forward in the changing time
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The Victor C given to the second notable pilot (after he lost his Highlander) is the one from the cover of CityTech 2nd Edition (reused for the new TacOps), which shows it being captured by Clan Wolf.
SWEET! Had no clue! What a cool nugget. :)
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Point of view
I'm at odds and ends on this one, probably solely because it followed Paper Tiger, which was SO damn good. I liked this story, but also thought nothing jumped out at me about it?
that SAID: as a WRITER, I'm going to go back and tear it apart. Schmetzer does a FANTASTIC job of maintaining the POVs, you know EXACTLTY where everyone is at every moment, the "camera" stays on the action- THIS is, on a TECHNINICAL level, one of the best written stories in the book. While the plot didn't make me jump up and down, personally (and that's okl) the writing is worth studying if you're a journeyman (like me) and want to keep getting better at the trade.
For context: the direction here was a 4-part story to be published serially in the GAMA Trade Magazine, IIRC 750 words apiece. So yeah, I had to pay extra close attention. ;)
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For context: the direction here was a 4-part story to be published serially in the GAMA Trade Magazine, IIRC 750 words apiece. So yeah, I had to pay extra close attention. ;)
That explains a lot- I was wondering why you were so TIGHT on words, when you generally let your stories breathe. It's so clipped it almost reads as a PLAY! :D ;D
(Narrator voice: but, readers, this AGAIN illustrates why it's a good story to study from the TECHNICAL side of the business: I can't sign my NAME without 250 words, and this story woulda packed in a pair of firefights in the same amount of space! :) Study Study Study, then emulate! :)
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Does anyone know who the old man and the ghost are in "Ghost"? I think the Ghost becomes the hotel doorman, right? or was the old man the doorman and this is a NEW Ghost Paladin?
And is the "old man" someone we know from the classic era? Like, should I dig into whatever happened to ole Tormano Liao? ;-) hahaha
The old man in Ghosts, known to the protagonist as the Dove, is in fact someone mentioned in a single previous product. He is VERY obscure, but he is in fact a previously existing character, if only in name. The clues to his identity are hidden in his exchange with the protagonist when they first meet up. Finding his identity is your quest, and when you do identify him, it will become one of those "of course!" moments, and will have a host of implications to go with it. I'm glad Ray let me do it. One hint: He's not Tormano Liao.
You'll notice that there aren't a lot of names used in this story. That was a deliberate choice. It's told first person, by a man who does not place much value on human beings. Only a few people are worthy of being recognized by name. His daughter, Elim Nova cat, Devlin Stone. Everyone else is an object. The Dove, the Iron Lady, even his wife. This is why his own name is never mentioned: because he does not value his own life anymore. I also never intended him to be Emil, people just assumed that. Emil is there in the 3130s. Ghosts is set in 3090, and the protagonist is already in his late 40s to early 50s. I see hims as the Ghost Paladin who served before Emil.
I put a hell of a lot of effort into this story, and I'm glad people like it.
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So the clue is the Antonin Dashhan name tag, isn't it? Only other mentioned name together with the notion of familarity to the Dove.
No only need to find who Antonin Dashhan was and with whom he dealt..
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Unfortunately, there's one more story I will like to talk about. This one is not from a new writer.
MOVING FOWARD by Daniel Isberner
I flipped straight to Moving Forward after it was mentioned in the Commander's Call. I was excited to see what was going on in the Scorpion Empire. I was disappointed. This was the most disappointed short story in Issue #6. This is the most disappointing BattleTech short story I ever read. I won't get into spoilers. The plot of Moving Forward warrants a novella at the least. It does not work as a short story. The stakes are too high. The mussels, too delectably interesting to get so little screen time. If TPTB are reading this and if Daniel Isberner is willing, I implore that this story be greatly expanded upon. Moving Forward in its current state is a disservice to Clan Goliah Scorpian. That is all.
I respectfully disagree. I thought it was an excellent short story. I cared about the characters, I love the Scorpions, and I'm excited to see what happens to them. I hope in the future they get more time in the sun, but right now this teaser will keep me going.
The only thing I disliked about the story? The title of the Scorpion Empire's leader. zarKhan? Yeesh. Did you know that's an anime bad guy (https://voltron.fandom.com/wiki/Zarkon_(Legendary_Defender))? If you have to use "Khan" in the title why not make the current Khan the WarKhan and make the new zarKhan the Khan?
On a different but related note, do we need to use "Khan" in every title? ecKhan, reKhan, arcKhan, ovKhan. I'm just about Khan'd out at this point. I'm worried we'll see things like:
- ChoreKhan: Title of the Laborer Caste leader
- FloorKhan: Laborer Caste Floor sweeper guild leader
- medKhan: Leader of the Medical Caste
- airKhan: Best aerospace pilot in the touman
- loreKhan: New Loremaster title
Like I say, I really enjoyed the story other than that one tiny personal annoyance. Don't pay attention to me Herr Isberner.
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I was quite chuffed when I came up with zarKhan.
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I was quite chuffed when I came up with zarKhan.
Hey don't let one guy's opinion ruin your day. Especially mine.
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I think I named a character Zarkon some time ago, too. I guess I'm nothing if not consistent.
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All the best authors invent such characters.
https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Zarquon
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It's based on the Russian Zar. With Kerensky being Russian, it is a respectful nod toward the Great Father.
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I respectfully disagree. I thought it was an excellent short story. I cared about the characters, I love the Scorpions, and I'm excited to see what happens to them. I hope in the future they get more time in the sun, but right now this teaser will keep me going.
The only thing I disliked about the story? The title of the Scorpion Empire's leader. zarKhan? Yeesh. Did you know that's an anime bad guy (https://voltron.fandom.com/wiki/Zarkon_(Legendary_Defender))? If you have to use "Khan" in the title why not make the current Khan the WarKhan and make the new zarKhan the Khan?
On a different but related note, do we need to use "Khan" in every title? ecKhan, reKhan, arcKhan, ovKhan. I'm just about Khan'd out at this point. I'm worried we'll see things like:
- ChoreKhan: Title of the Laborer Caste leader
- FloorKhan: Laborer Caste Floor sweeper guild leader
- medKhan: Leader of the Medical Caste
- airKhan: Best aerospace pilot in the touman
- loreKhan: New Loremaster title
Well, now that you fed me the idea... :P
Like I say, I really enjoyed the story other than that one tiny personal annoyance. Don't pay attention to me Herr Isberner.
No worries, criticism is fine. And, as you said, you enjoyed it and cared for the characters. Especially the latter makes me proud :)
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This gives me an idea about the time a Freebirth lead the Cloud Cobras. Khan Khan should have been ilKhan.
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It's based on the Russian Zar. With Kerensky being Russian, it is a respectful nod toward the Great Father.
The old fashioned Czar, or the more modern accepted Tsar? Of course, begs the question, why not gurKhan?
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It's based on the Russian Zar. With Kerensky being Russian, it is a respectful nod toward the Great Father.
Ah. That explains it. (Still overloaded with Khans, but at least it makes sense to me now.)
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I respectfully disagree. I thought it was an excellent short story. I cared about the characters, I love the Scorpions, and I'm excited to see what happens to them. I hope in the future they get more time in the sun, but right now this teaser will keep me going.
I skipped over the nitty gritty details, but I am planning on doing more in-depth reviews of the remaining stories. I had a lot more thoughts on Moving Forward. Especially it's ending. I meant have this done this past weekend but procrastination got the better of me. I still need to finish my 10,000 word review of Blood Will Tell and after that, my 30,000 word review of Hunting Season (just kidding) not really.
I like what's happening with the Scorpions, the amount of growth and change they are experiencing in making them into one of the more interesting of the Clan factions. The second of the major Periphery Clan powers to arise.
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I respectfully disagree. I thought it was an excellent short story. I cared about the characters, I love the Scorpions, and I'm excited to see what happens to them. I hope in the future they get more time in the sun, but right now this teaser will keep me going.
The only thing I disliked about the story? The title of the Scorpion Empire's leader. zarKhan? Yeesh. Did you know that's an anime bad guy (https://voltron.fandom.com/wiki/Zarkon_(Legendary_Defender))? If you have to use "Khan" in the title why not make the current Khan the WarKhan and make the new zarKhan the Khan?
On a different but related note, do we need to use "Khan" in every title? ecKhan, reKhan, arcKhan, ovKhan. I'm just about Khan'd out at this point. I'm worried we'll see things like:
- ChoreKhan: Title of the Laborer Caste leader
- FloorKhan: Laborer Caste Floor sweeper guild leader
- medKhan: Leader of the Medical Caste
- airKhan: Best aerospace pilot in the touman
- loreKhan: New Loremaster title
Like I say, I really enjoyed the story other than that one tiny personal annoyance. Don't pay attention to me Herr Isberner.
Not sure, i prefer Khan over Czar
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Long time (aka old, since 1988) Battletech fan here. The new Shrapnel magazines have been excellent in content and are the equivalent of Battletechnology, which IMO was the best BT related magazine style publication released. Shrapnel 6 continues this tradition, and it does something that I think some fans miss about BT which Faith pointed out in her first post:
relatability.
Sharpnel's stories make the giant stompy robot action human. Many of FASA's supplements and novels often missed this point, since they had to continue the overall metaplot while giving us Mechs shooting each other. The ones that do favor a more character/human driven viewpoint often end up being criticized for lacking sweeping action or expanding the story. Examples include Far Country, Ideal War, some of the later Mechwarrior novels, and even Main Event/D.R.T. I always thought that was a shame. At the end of the day, Battletech is about people in a galaxy where "limited" war is legally setup as the primary way to solve a conflict. How people react to that is as important as any 300 page novel of "Liao beats Wolf with stealth armor" could be.
I want to conclude by something that doesn't happen nearly enough to Catalyst, FanPro, Wizkids and FASA and their support teams, both formal and informal: Thanks. Please continue to produce great content for a universe that people love to experience, and remember we'll always be here to support you no matter how many Mech designs get added to the universe. Now where is that Centurion Maximus?
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Five days till the next Shrapnel issue is released. What are we going to see?
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Five days till the next Shrapnel issue is released. What are we going to see?
Part 2 of Vengence Games! ;)
Craig
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Five days till the next Shrapnel issue is released. What are we going to see?
Content.
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Sun-Tzu Claus, with presents for all conforming citizens.
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I feel like people didn't even get around to play last year's Christmas scenario.
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Some good stories are coming up, that's all I know.
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Five days till the next Shrapnel issue is released. What are we going to see?
Buck Pardoe presents the uncut history of Clan Wolverine since they departed the Home Worlds.
&
we also get the biography of Devlin Stone.
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Buck Pardoe presents the uncut history of Clan Wolverine since they departed the Home Worlds.
&
we also get the biography of Devlin Stone.
Which are identical!
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I feel like people didn't even get around to play last year's Christmas scenario.
No time like the present. I'm going home for the holiday. Maybe I will be able to find some players for it. Just for you.
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:smitten:
No time like the present. I'm going home for the holiday. Maybe I will be able to find some players for it. Just for you.
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Five days till the next Shrapnel issue is released. What are we going to see?
Exciting and fun content to help keep us all busy for a while?
That's my theory at least. :))
But honestly I'm excited as well
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I feel like people didn't even get around to play last year's Christmas scenario.
My group used to do a day-long game a couple of days after Christmas while we were all off work. Haven't had the chance to do that for a few years even before lockdown but I might try and do last year's scenario whenever we get a chance again.
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Shrapnel #7 dropped at midnight eastern on December 16th. Roughly.
Let's discuss after we read it.
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Shrapnel #7 dropped at midnight eastern on December 16th. Roughly.
Let's discuss after we read it.
Where? I can't find it.....
Craig
(Seriously -- tried for different websites looking for it and couldn't find it...)
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https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech-new-arrivals/products/battletech-shrapnel-issue-7-the-official-battletech-magazine
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Where? I can't find it.....
Craig
(Seriously -- tried for different websites looking for it and couldn't find it...)
I believe you.
I just passed along what another user just said about getting their email notification...
https://bg.battletech.com/forums/general-discussion/upcoming-releases-xxi-urbie-s-beer-run/msg1789816/#msg1789816
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Must... resist... the urge... to read because I have to get up early for work tomorrow.
Okay, I read the Commander's Call and when it was mentioned there were a lot of DA stories I felt a hitch in my gut. I've been working on a DA a story for a while now and it would have been nice to see it in this issue. Now my resolve to get the story done is even stronger. By the way, the cover art is amazing.
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Now my resolve to get the story done is even stronger.
That's the spirit! Get those words on paper, the worst they can say is no. :)
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Yes. Get on it, because there are actually lots of stories submitted to Shrapnel, but only a few make it. It takes time, up to a year, but it has got to be worth it to be published by CGL .
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Besides we (speaking as a reader here) could always use stories for the eras that lack a great number.
Jihad, early Dark Age, looking at you two mostly.
I've already submitted one story and am waiting for their decision.
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Now I've been told by wiser people than myself that the longer a publisher takes, the better your story's chances.
I agree with this. You are being thought about and deliberated. That alone is an honor.
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Interestingly, the previous submission guidelines called for works between 3,000 - 7,000 words. This issue shortens that to 3,000 - 5,000 words. The slush pile might be getting too big, and shorter stories means more per issue, for a faster submission burn-through rate.
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My initial thoughts about the Shrapnel #7 offerings:
Shards of a Broken Sword - Julian Michael Carver
A well written tale of a left-for-dead merc trying to find safety following a failed campaign on Loric. It works in era-specific lore well, including that Stephan Marik's military misadventures engendered sufficient resentment that there were coup plots against him. I was surprised to read that Regulan forces were deployed on the Lyran border, given that the 2906 Home Defense Act would have still been a limiting factor in deploying provincial troops. The Eridani Light Horse (already getting a lot of coverage in the novella series) also makes an appearance - apparently fresh off sixty years of non-stop action on Tamar.
It's interesting that Cassia assumes she and her fellow mercs would be ransomed back to their employers. This was one of the defining aspects of the limited warfare of the late Third Succession War, but this is one of the first times we've seen it referenced in fiction. This also gets tangled up with contract issues - suggesting that ComStar's Mercenary Review Board primarily served the needs of the employers, not the service providers, explaining why short-lived mercenaries guilds keep cropping up and then getting sabotaged by ComStar.
All in all, good action and nice era-specific setting details. It also gives a lot of support units a chance to shine - APCs, VTOLs, and infantry, and also makes multiple references to Digger Pass - a key battle site first described in several of the TRO: 3026 entries.
Voices of the Sphere: Twenty Years of Messages in Bottles - Wunji Lau
A look at how people around the Inner Sphere dealt with the 20-year HPG blackout, both on worlds that lost their HPGs and those that had still functioning units. There's a good mix of compensating measures. The one about the Canopian world where locals worship a malfunctioning HPG dish as a cult deity sounds strange at first, but I believe it was also a Canopian setting in the Iron Writer series where locals adopted the fast food mascot of Chippy's Monkey Hut as their god. You can worship just about anything in Canopus, and they're fine with it.
The Fox and the Bear - A Fox Patrol Story - Bryan Young
Movin' on up, Katie and her crew finally get off Jerangle to take an off-world contract. They get a Confederate class ship in a scene that feels right out of Firefly, when Mal decides to buy the Serenity. Since TRO:2750 said the design was a hangar queen that had heavy maintenance requirements, I'm guessing this isn't a Star League relic but a more recently manufactured vessel that came with the Clans on Operation REVIVAL. I was initially surprised that the ragged crew was able to figure out how to operate a DropShip, but then noticed the reference to hired deckhands. The hull plating falling off on re-entry is also right out of Firefly. It tickled me to imagine the "hired deckhands" being named Mal, Jayne, Kaylee, etc.
One question that came to mind, however, is how they got from Jerangle to Kaesong. That would have, in 3148, required a transit through space claimed by both Malvina's Falcons and the Hell's Horses. So, did the contract from the Rasalhague Dominion include safcon codes to broadcast as they transited? (We know from Freebirth that the Clans have IFF codes to broadcast when they're transiting hostile space but not looking for a Trial. That would have been a nice detail to include - whether Malvina's Mongols would have respected such codes is another question.)
Little has been written about the inner workings and culture of the Rasalhague Dominion, so this gives us some new factoids - 1) the planetary government considers the Ghost Bear touman to be separate from the Dominion military; 2) there apparently aren't any garrison clusters, planetary militia, or even paramilitary police forces onworld - at least not ones capable to dealing with the bandits; 3) The Elected Prince is busy enough with something else that he didn't mind leaving one of his worlds to be ravaged by bandits. Operation NOYAN took place the previous year, so perhaps all available forces are busy watching the Horses. But it's this kind of neglect that helps the Freeminder movement gain steam.
The final reveal that the city that hired them is bankrupt and lacks the resources to pay them is bizarre - it's got a modern downtown business district and a large, diversified economy from all appearances. Perhaps the Merchant caste has retained the practice of keeping a tight hold on Bear krona (treating them like Kerenskies - only for Merchant use) and paying the civilians in non-transferrable work credits. If the city council is freelancing, they'd lack access to the hard currency necessary to make payment. Katie clearly lacks the killer instinct to deal with this situation. The town contracted them (directly - since they aren't registered with the MRBC) to remove the bandit problem in exchange for pay. No pay = the town still has a bandit problem, only now its name is Katie.
It's interesting that Katie wants to register with the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission, apparently not having heard that it went bankrupt in 3133 and was revived as an employer-centric shadow of its former self.
HCT-5D Hatchetman - Chris Wheeler
This mini-TRO entry explains the continued prevalence of the Civil War-era HCT-5D in the Dark Age (when it was Tara Campbell's preferred ride). As noted in "Legends," from the Kickstarter, Dòrlach translates to "handful" - indicating both the Hatchetman's defining weapon, and how Tara herself was described by her parents.
Anchors Aweigh - J.D. Neal
A story set on the eve of the outbreak of the Periphery Uprising, this reads like the prologue to a series set during the Uprising and the subsequent Civil War. This is one of the few times we've seen daily life on a Star League-era WarShip for the crew - most existing scenes from this era focus on the commanders shouting orders on the bridge during combat. The writing provides a great deal of granular details, making the setting easy to envision.
The flashback to fighting bandits on a Lyran moon was probably an engagement from the Third Hidden War, and the enemies in question were most likely false-flagged House forces pretending to be bandits so they could strike at other League members without attribution. The description of it being a Lyran noble with delusions of grandeur works, but given the era, the Third Secret War sounds equally plausible.
The creation of the Special Operations Group is unusual. Its focus on combined arms makes it sound like that sort of integration isn't done in the SLDF, but the standard SLDF formations all are combined arms forces, at least at the regimental level and above. And then there are the CAAN regiments - Cavalry, Armored, Aerospace, and Naval (CAAN) regiments have 'Mechs, tanks, fighters, LAMs, space-navy and wet-navy units. Why wouldn't the SOG CO just grab a CAAN formation and attach it to a WarShip? Per FM:SLDF, there were 38 Royal CAAN and 29 regular CAAN regiments in service during this story. Perhaps a sequel story will explain the motivation behind this more clearly.
The Winter Holiday - Joel Steverson
While several of the Davion sourcebooks have mentioned that the Unfinished Book movement exists, there hasn't been a lot of details on exactly what its traditions are, other than "some of every religion put in a blender." This article does a nice job of codifying that concept into a secular winter holiday. I'm suspecting the silver pole adjacent to the evergreen tree is a nod to Festivus.
Promise - Tom Leveen
Szepes is presented as an idyllic paradise. But, since it drops off the maps during the Succession Wars, we spend the entire story waiting for that particular shoe to drop, without payoff. The depopulation of Szepes is not the focus of this story.
The main focus of the story runs along the lines of "every time I try to get out, they pull me back in." Stacks, the main character from Tom Leveen's previous Shrapnel story, is found by an old acquaintance who's run into bounty hunter trouble. He helps her (though not to the end goal she'd originally intended), and then returns to his village life.
This is about as far from the grand sweep of interstellar politics as you can get, and showcases the range of story types possible in the BattleTech setting. The balance of the story is far heavier on character building and emotional reactions than on the hardware or conflict, but that's fine. I was somewhat surprised that ComStar would've built an HPG station out in the boonies - usually they build their station in the largest city and then set up satellite offices around the planet that collect messages and route them to the main HPG for transmission. Perhaps Szepes just didn't have any large cities.
Please Hold for the Clan Sea Fox Customer Care and Service Department - Paul Sjardin and Aaron Cahall
A light-hearted exchange between an increasingly exasperated Davion commander and a Sea Fox Merchant Colonel who appears to be reading from the Comcast script for customers trying to cancel their service. It's an amusing dialogue, and showcases the hard bargaining of the Sea Foxes. However, I wonder how many future customers the Foxes just lost by burning Major Green-Davion, since he'll surely share his negative experience with dozens of other potential Sea Fox customers.
The Art of Salvage - Matthew Cross
Another entry in the ongoing lecture series set in 3125. It's interesting that the focus is on rigging up sleds for 'Mechs to haul wrecks back to field repair centers or rear area depots for salvage. Other stories (and Wizards of the Coast cards) have featured teams of technicians going out into the field and stripping wrecks there. I guess hauling the whole carcass back lets you get internal structure and other items that field stripping teams wouldn't have the carrying capacity for. This lecture seems to presume, however, that 'Mech recovery vehicles won't be available in any quantity, since a flatbed with manipulator arms seems like a better alternative to a combat unit hauling a sled full of parts rather than continuing to engage the enemy.
Vengeance Games - Craig A. Reed, Jr.
Part two of this series, it focuses on the pursuit of a former Word of Blake war criminal, and evokes the feeling of the Nazi Hunter stories from the 60s and 70s - wronged individuals seeking those who'd escaped from justice. The opening interrogation scene handles the bulk of the exposition, mostly about Devlin Stone's early backstory on Kittery. The machinations grow to involve Blackstar Stables, intelligence agents, and the dominant Cathay Triad - the Hundred Swordsmen.
This showcases the grimy Solaris underworld well, as well as some of the rarely seen dueling 'Mechs from the original boxed set, and another - the Rattlesnake - that debuted in BattleTechnology way back when and which, like the Ocelot and SuburbanMech, has now transcended its origins and become canon.
Behind the Curtain: The Exituri's Holiday Traditions - Étienne Charron-Willard
This take a look into the lives of the Exituri. The last time they were featured, during the Jihad, the focus was on them using their children as agents of the Word of Blake. This article softens that, blaming Blakist agents for manipulating the cultists, and fleshes out how their society evolved post-Jihad - including holiday traditions, but also potentially setting up trouble for the Wolf Empire, which controls Shiloh (for now).
The Delicate Art of Gift Giving in the Draconis Combine - Jim Hauser
This appears to be a translation of Japanese gift giving traditions into the Combine, which has patterned its society after various elements of Japanese traditions since the cultural reforms of Urizen II. Jim seems to have done his research well, and this can add local color to any RPG campaign set in the Combine.
The Thirst for Vengeance - Curtis O. Thompson
This depiction of Hellespont as a poorly developed outback Periphery world answers the question - "Why is Hellespont Industrials not headquartered on Hellespont?" There's never been any explicit connection between the company and the world, and if the entire planet is along the lines of the rural farming region featured here, the naming may just be a coincidence. In this case, the story centers around villagers standing up to pirates who have been sacking the region. The inner monologue of the protagonist gives a good sense of motivation, setting, and action.
One Last Favor, Old Friend - Tom Stanley
Whereas "A Time of War" and the MechWarrior RPGs had "Adventure Hooks," the new MechWarrior: Destiny RPG calls its setups "Mission Briefings," providing a flexible setup for game masters rather than the hyper-detailed maps, encounter lists, etc. found in RPG setups like those found in the Kell Hounds scenario pack. This one sends the characters into internal politics of the Furuta Clan and the board of Toranjisuta, Ltd. It provides goals, a setting, and guidelines for key scenes. Looks like fun, especially for anyone who also likes Shadowruns.
Combat Shotguns: For Close Encounters - Craig A. Reed, Jr.
This provides stats for factional variants of the combat shotgun in A Time of War. Like Craig's earlier works, it allows GMs to equip their faction-specific OpFors with appropriate gear, rather than just a "generic combat shotgun"
Protector of the Brood - Charles Gideon
When Clan warriors get too old to fight, they are taken off the front lines, declared solahma, and set to work overseeing sibkos. While Natasha Kerensky famously derided such warriors as "wiping noses of sibko brats," this story shows what one such solahma warrior does to protect his "sibko brats" from Jade Falcon extermination teams when they come for the Wolf Exiles' facilities on Arc-Royal. It's nicely done, and showcases the fact that Clan Warriors of any age are dangerous even without OmniMechs or Battle Armor.
The Christmas Eve Coup - Eric Salzman
The main feature of the original storyline was that there was no fighting. The Colonial Marshals achieved complete surprise. This uses a dream sequence to re-imagine what could have happened if the Green Mountain Boys had used their special unit ability (extra hidden units in any scenario) to ambush the Marshals mid-coup, giving the nobles a chance to escape. The Ebon Magistrate assault commandos bear a certain resemblance to the Dora Milaje, of Black Panther fame.
The Tale of the Abominable Icemonster - Joel Steverson
A direct translation of Rankin Bass' Rudolph stop motion holiday special into the BattleTech universe. It's framed as a claim by a conspiracy theory channel to have been a real occurrence in the 3030s. Too bad it didn't encompass the Island of Misfit Toys - some of the units from XTRO: Caveat Emptor would have fit the bill nicely.
The Honor Road - E. Stephenson Auerbach
This chronicles the transition of a Solaris arena gladiator to being a Wolf bondsman, and having to give up his child (left behind in a creche with potential to enter a sibko) when he's redeployed to Castor to fight the remnants of the Republic of the Sphere. The story covers two years, and the character transitions come across as genuine. Given his origins, it's equally possible that he went to Terra with Alaric in 3151, leaving his son behind on Solaris.
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Interestingly, the previous submission guidelines called for works between 3,000 - 7,000 words. This issue shortens that to 3,000 - 5,000 words. The slush pile might be getting too big, and shorter stories means more per issue, for a faster submission burn-through rate.
They're also giving a lot of new or journeymen writers their time to shine. :-) I know they're sitting on a couple of my long ones, and I'm sure a few by a lot of the other established writers, so I don't think filling the books is a problem, it's finding that right balance of stories and authors that make a good issue for the fans. :-)
Can't WAIT for this to be in dead trees so i can read it! (I don't like it on kindle because I need to be able to access them for references)
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Mendrugo, I recommend that you spoiler-tag your review.
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Note: Dark Mode kills Spoiler Tag.
That HCT-5DT Hatchetman is NASTY.
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I just hope Shrapnel is still taking submissions after I retire...
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I just hope Shrapnel is still taking submissions after I retire...
How long do you have until you're free?
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34 and a half months... 8)
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During the Writer AMA on youtube a while back, I feel their answer shows they'll keep doing this for a bit.
More or less it boiled down to "You all liked the four issues we made, so we're making more. Keep buying, we'll keep printing."
It really does fill that niche we've been needing ever since Battlecorps was made.
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One additional point on The Honor Road
So, during the bondsman training, he's taught that only 800+ warriors accompanied Nicholas on the Second Exodus. That's clearly factually untrue - Nicholas was joined by thousands of soldiers on the Second Exodus, and those were winnowed down to just 800+ warriors in Trials prior to forming the Clans and launching Klondike. So, is the Clan instruction now teaching fake history, or are they making a semantic difference between warrior and soldier? Perhaps, yes, thousands of soldiers accompanied Nicholas to Strana Mechty, but based on subsequent testing, only 800+ of those were warriors.
What do you think?
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My bet is on semantics.
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What Clan sibko cadets learn over the course of their entire lives, is condensed to about one year for Daniel Pereira. It was semantics and thinking about Warriors over Soldiers.
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One additional point on The Honor Road
So, during the bondsman training, he's taught that only 800+ warriors accompanied Nicholas on the Second Exodus. That's clearly factually untrue - Nicholas was joined by thousands of soldiers on the Second Exodus, and those were winnowed down to just 800+ warriors in Trials prior to forming the Clans and launching Klondike. So, is the Clan instruction now teaching fake history, or are they making a semantic difference between warrior and soldier? Perhaps, yes, thousands of soldiers accompanied Nicholas to Strana Mechty, but based on subsequent testing, only 800+ of those were warriors.
What do you think?
I don't think the Clans ever taught an accurate version of history. Remember, Aiden Pryde had to keep a stash of books hidden because they were contraband. The Clan taught him what he needed to know to be the best warrior possible, and not a word more. His confusing thoughts came from reading those books. Clan warriors are raised on propaganda, not history.
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I don't think the Clans ever taught an accurate version of history. Remember, Aiden Pryde had to keep a stash of books hidden because they were contraband. The Clan taught him what he needed to know to be the best warrior possible, and not a word more. His confusing thoughts came from reading those books. Clan warriors are raised on propaganda, not history.
That's very true. 3150s version of them aren't so much raised on it.
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Plus, they’re essentially trying to extrapolate factoids from stanzas of a stylized epic poem that may or may not have been redacted to fit the needs of subsequent political movements.
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I find it similar to those saying 300 Spartans fought at Thermopalyae. Most people know there were other Greeks there. Some may need prompting to remember, some may have forgotten, some may never cared enough to know. But that's still the way it is referred to.
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Yes, even though I read and loved Operation: Klondike, my influence from the early days of the Wolf Clan Sourcebook and Jade Falcon Sourcebook shines through.
And it shows that the Wolves aren't sticklers about the facts. They, through Nicholas Kerensky, re-wrote much of the early history, anyway. Facts about history are amazingly malleable to them.
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Protector of the Blood: I look forward to reading more about Dara and Lowella and their journey with the Kell Hounds. Well written story.
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SHARDS OF A BROKEN SWORD by Julian Michael Carver
This is one way to put your foot in the door to writing BattleTech. The events of story piqued my interest so after my first read through, I searched the Sarna wiki for information on Loric. There wasn't a lot, but a few clicks pointed me to the House Marik: Free Worlds League Sourcebook. Specifically the first paragraph of page. 44 for those who are interested in reading up on it. This is some deep lore and a credit to the writer for choosing it. Some time back, it was mentioned in the Writing for BattleTech AMA that picking a paragraph from a sourcebook was a good way to start and Mister Carver has taken that to heart. I surmise that's why the story is presented first in this issue.
But enough about all of that. Lets actually talk about the story. Our protagonist is Cassia Davino, a MechWarrior and officer in Redmond's Broadswords, a mercenary company employed by the House Marik. We come in on the tail-end of a disastrous campaign where Cassia is blasted off the side of here cliff and her 'Mech tumbles down into a bog-filled gorged. A mental image that I'll admit, I found very funny.
Fortunately, Cassia is tough and immediately disembarks her totaled Wasp. Now comes one of Cassia's defining traits. Her thoughts never strayed from the welfare of her single surviving lancemate, Sergeant Aaron Marlowe. Her first instinct is to locate him and find a escape route. That doesn't take long but a complication arises when Cassia realizes Marlowe has been badly wounded. Enemy forces are closing end, but Cassia refuses to leave Marlowe behind despite his protest to do so. I don't want to give a blow-by-blow account of the entire story so I'll leave at this.
A underlying theme of the Shards of a Broken Sword is the blame several characters lay at Captain-General Stephen Marik's feet and I think its very fitting for the time period. This story sent me on a sourcebook reading binge and I came up with and I started connecting some dots. While I don't think the author intentionally meant this, I find it cool nonetheless. From 2970-2990 there are a series of disastrous military defeats and Pyrrhic victories involving House units that. This leads to several Successor Lords losing political and public support opening the way for their 3025 successors. I like to think that this was the death knell of the Great Houses using House units in open warfare and it all began with Loric.[/spolier]
THE FOX AND THE BEAR by Bryan Young
[spolier]We have the third installment of Fox Patrol. I like this one more than second installment. Not to say the second installment wasn't good, it was, but The Fox and the Bear had a lot more heft to it. The Fox Patrol continues to grow. Three new members and a DropShip. As someone mentioned on forums, it puts you in the mind of a sci-fi show where you have a scruffy band of heroes traveling the galaxy in their rinky-dink spaceship, taking on various jobs to make ends meet.
Lets focus on the three new characters. We have Dexter Nicks, Rhiannon Ramirez, and Frankie Fischer. A lot focus is put on Frankie when compared to Dexter and Rhiannon.Witch makes me suspicious. Lines like: "They were everything Katie wanted in a wrench-monkey: resourceful, easy to get along with, competent."; and "-older than Katie, to be certain, but not by much. What was a decade between fellow mechanics?" I'm calling it now: Frankie is a love interest for Katie.
So our scruffy band of heroes have taken on a job the in Rasalhague Dominion to rid a world of bandits. The job seems simple so I'm expecting some kind twist. I'm reading every line twice to see if I can catch something. The author makes a point of using the characters to voice what the reader is thinking. Is this a setup? Is there more going on? Who exactly is the enemy and how many. The Fox Patrol encounters infantry on the way to their objective and I like that Katie has a reaction to fire on human beings on the ground.
All the way Katie is talking herself up. She talks about her hopes for the future and how Fox Patrol is going to grow into some great mercenary company. Eveytime she brings it up my anxiety increases. I was certain something bad was about to happen. Then that Kodiak comes out and what follows was one of the most intense 'Mech battles I've read in while. It was like watching a group of under-leveled players in a MMO take on a boss raid. It started out bad and become worse very fast. I certain that a character or several weren't going to make it out.
"The Kodiak reached out, aiming its laser-battery claws rights right at Nicks." I swear that I felt what Katie was feeling at that moment. But Arkee comes in with the save. Bravo Mister Young, bravo. I didn't see that coming. I hope you know that fake out means you cannot kill Dexter or any other character off until you pen the Fox Patrol novel. So Fox Patrol is banged up but survives. It turns out the planetary government has no money to pay them. The Kodiak pilot escapes so we'll definitely be seeing them later. Potential ally, rival, frenemy?
I'm left with only one question. Spotlight On: The Fox Patrol when?
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Finally had a chance to sit and read this- another darn finer book!
Shards- A nice, small little story that focuses in tight on a single character. Loric was one of those huge fights that's slipped from a lot of minds, so it's always to see it get some love.
Voices:
I liked this a LOT more than I thought I would. Just a bunch of different takes on the blackout? it seems like a simple idea, and yet, tiny anthologies like this are incredibly tricky to write, because each one has to pull off a different voice and tone, and not a lot of words to do it in. Well done.
Fox and the Bear: like above, I liked this one a lot more than the 2nd one. Also agree that NOW the city has a new problem name "hurricane Katie." ;-) on a serious note, I'm hoping Katie starts to grow into the role a bit more: she's not dumb, so the idea of not hiring a lawyer to look over the contract seems like a rookie mistake. Aw, well, she's not one to get fooled twice by the same trick, and now she has a Kodiak, ho-ho-ho
Hatchetman: I really dig these "mech of the week" kind of articles; MORE than that, I keep running into players that are thinking of getting back into the game and having PDFs of sheets available for free is GOOD STUFF because I mention them, I mention shrapnel, I talk up the game and this helps. It's only a couple sheets, but they're free and that MATTERS. keep them coming!
Anchors Aweigh: this is a very newbie friendly story, explains a lot about the history of the BattleTech universe and the technology behind it. I found the story pretty decent, I liked some of the banter. Good one to point new or returning players to.
Winter holiday and behind the curtain were both interesting, but I see them as great nuggets that I can bounce back to one day while writing other stories. More sourcebook/RPG material than "fiction" but I still dig it. In depth stuff!
Promise. "Be careful what you wish for" and I wanted a sequel to "Breach," and the author provided and then RIPPED MY HEART OUT. This was SO GOOD. It's been a while since we had a story end on THIS much of a downer and this was done perfectly. I hate this story and adore this story and I just want to buy the author all of the cold beverages for his absolute mastery of the written form, and then take all the cold ones back until he writes another story and makes all the hurt go away!! xp xp :D
No, seriously: absolute top-notch story here. Gonna stick with me long after I put this on the shelf.
Customer service: thank goodness this followed it up, I couldn't handle another hard one! A lot of fun and silliness here.
Salvage and shotguns: another good look at what makes the universe tick. I've really been digging these types or articles more than I thought I would. Same with Craig Reed's ongoing weapon read outs: they're great for RPG players, and I actually just wrote a few of these weapons into a story i just turned in, so I like the faction specific flavoring it gives.
Vengeance: I don't read the long stories until they're all out, so skipping for now
I liked the Japanese gift giving article. I really want to write some of that into a story somehow! Oh, and the art across the book has been fun, but THAT picture, I really, really dug!
A thirst for vengeance: I'm a sucker for infantry taking on battlemechs; i thought this one had really good character development. I also liked that this one, like many of these stories, are set in the DA period. It's taken a couple years, but i think writers are finally starting to enjoy playing in this era, and especially now that there's a lot of sourcebooks about it to dig through (and the storyline is "done," so you don't have to worry about messing with something "coming up") I think we're going to see a lot more of these kinds of stories. I'm here for it: the writers have very much been giving the DA a very 3025-ish feel, and I dig it!
One last favor: I haven't had a chance to play destiny yet, but this tiny one-shot is so perfectly written I'm probably going to adapt it for waterdeep! well done by the writer to make a VERY battletech specific adventure yet write it well enough we can steal the ideas for other games. good suff!
Protector of the blood: I liked this one a LOT! other than maybe falling into the trope of kids doing things kids really can't do (something I'm 100% willing to forgive for Clan sibkos, but something all writers should wat6ch out for) this was really, really good.
Christmas scenario: interesting. Not sure I'll play this one, but I really liked the fluff text about ole Emma C
Abominable snowman: more silliness (I do like that the Christmas issues are where these get tucked) with a perfectly dangerous beast to adapt into an MW/Destiney game as needed
Honor Road: I always enjoy stories like this, showing the how and why people decide to become bondsman. It's one of the HUGE differences between real life and BattleTech: very few people would just go, "oh, I was in the US army but captured by Russians so i guess I'm a Russian now." yet, across the innersphere, border worlds do this all the time, and it's a fundamental part of BattleTech Lore ever since Phelan got that bondcord slapped across his wrist. This story (and if I can be ever so un-humble and call out one of mine, "Airs above" in Shrapnel #1) shows WHY someone might leave everything behind: to stay a MechWarrior, yes, a title that comes with significant reputation and prestige in the universe; but also, to make a better life for their family. It's a great world building story, one that should (IMHO) be condensed into a PDF and be freely available for download next to the record sheets. "here's a slice of the universe that explains how Clans adopt people." good stuff!
Looking forward to the next one! Well done to all!
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One last favor: I haven't had a chance to play destiny yet, but this tiny one-shot is so perfectly written I'm probably going to adapt it for waterdeep! well done by the writer to make a VERY battletech specific adventure yet write it well enough we can steal the ideas for other games. good suff!
Glad to hear it, that was kind of the original intent. "Mechless first timer mission to help folks get a starting contract" was the idea I wanted to work with.
Let me know how it translates to Waterdeep, I'm always curious to see how these things play out in different titles. :)
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Atlas3060, you are one of the other first-timers I take it? Great stuff, man!
And fivecorparty, thank you for your most complimentary review on my story as well. When I read in one of the Rec Guides that Clan Wolf was harvesting Solaris gladiators, I knew right away what I wanted to write.
Maybe one day in the future we'll see what happens to Daniel Wolf next.
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Atlas3060, you are one of the other first-timers I take it? Great stuff, man!
And fivecorparty, thank you for your most complimentary review on my story as well. When I read in one of the Rec Guides that Clan Wolf was harvesting Solaris gladiators, I knew right away what I wanted to write.
Maybe one day in the future we'll see what happens to Daniel Wolf next.
Yup I am and Daniel Wolf's story was very entertaining! :thumbsup:
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Yup I am and Daniel Wolf's story was very entertaining! :thumbsup:
Thank you, sir.
My spider sense tells me Daniel has to face REAL adversity next time. (Aside from getting his butt kicked repeatedly by Marva Sender.)
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And fivecorparty, thank you for your most complimentary review on my story as well. When I read in one of the Rec Guides that Clan Wolf was harvesting Solaris gladiators, I knew right away what I wanted to write.
Well, when you write good stories, I give good reviews. ;) ;D
No, but seriously, to all the authors: I really enjoyed #7, I think it was a strong issue overall, so don't think because I didn't gush I didn't like yours- I did, just some connected with me more, and that's ok! the world would be VERY BORING if all y'all liked everything I liked, you know? :-)
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"The Kodiak reached out, aiming its laser-battery claws rights right at Nicks." I swear that I felt what Katie was feeling at that moment. But Arkee comes in with the save. Bravo Mister Young, bravo. I didn't see that coming. I hope you know that fake out means you cannot kill Dexter or any other character off until you pen the Fox Patrol novel. So Fox Patrol is banged up but survives. It turns out the planetary government has no money to pay them. The Kodiak pilot escapes so we'll definitely be seeing them later. Potential ally, rival, frenemy?
I'm left with only one question. Spotlight On: The Fox Patrol when?
Thanks for the kind words. And there is definitely more Fox Patrol in the pipeline!
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I really liked this issue 7. Can't wait to read what comes next in March.
One story I noticed that did not get a review so far (unless I missed it)
Vengeance Games by Craig Reed Jr.
I love stories like this. Something about it is very John Wick-esque. We need more stories like that, with convoluted plotlines, lots of action, and nobles getting in the way of everything. Riordan Mallory isn't bad (I like historians and other studious types), but the Hasek guy? Mmmmmmm... I don't know. Maybe he can turn things around and remove his head from his wazoo before the story wraps up in the next two installments.
Anyway, this made me go back and re-read the first installment in Shrapnel 6. Good stuff.
Protector of the Blood by Charles Gideon.
It's not hard to make me get misty-eyed while reading, but I still like it when a story does that to me. Makes me feel... I don't know, alive? Or human? Maybe I'm just too emo for my own damn good. I felt sorry for every broken bone the protagonist took, every bruise, scrape and the burns, oh god, the burns... Ouch. But when his charge rescued him (yeah, maybe she was doing too much for her age, but I agree with fivecorparty, she's a little sib munchkin, and a Wolf Exile as well, so hey, it worked for me), and all was right. What got me was when our protagonist woke up on the dropship.
Here's to hoping Lowella reappears in the future as Dual-Citizen Wolf/Kell Hound.
Behind the Curtain: The Exituri's Holiday Traditions by Ettiene Charron-Willard
What the hell is a huge universe like BattleTech without a secretive, apocalyptic, Messianic religious sect that lives right under our noses? Bland, that's what. I liked this little write-up/report. Adds a lot of color to the game and to this issue.
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Wow!
I have to give a shout out to Anchors Aweigh, by J. D. Neil.
I like this one a lot. A bright, up-and-coming mechwarrior gets an invite into a brand-new Star League Special Forces combined arms unit. Since he was just dumped by his girl back home, he goes for it without taking time to think it over. And he pulls his tech along for the ride.
I expect to see this one continued down the line. At least, I hope so!
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Shrapnel 8 is available on kindle, whoot!! :-)
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Interesting that this issue includes a previously out-of-print BattleCorps story. This could be the new way those get re-introduced back into the roster of available products, rather than anthologies. I'm all in favor of getting those out of the file drawers and back into circulation, and having it occupy just 20 pages in a 228 page book means it's in no danger of displacing new content.
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So far with Shrapnel #8, i love the short story featured around the LRM Carrier crew & their sister units. Makes you think bout human cost when one those carriers are lost. I do think their vet/elite almost given how well they did in the story.
I'm slowly reading through it.
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Yeah, I really liked John-David Karnitz's focus on the support units. When I put them on the board, those thin-skinned carriers are pretty much always expected to die, with just the hope that they'll kick out enough damage to be worth deploying before they get wiped out and the crew dies. This nicely encapsulates their proper role in the field and the suffering they go through when things go pear shaped and they get in direct exchanges of fire.
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Yeah, I really liked John-David Karnitz's focus on the support units. When I put them on the board, those thin-skinned carriers are pretty much always expected to die, with just the hope that they'll kick out enough damage to be worth deploying before they get wiped out and the crew dies. This nicely encapsulates their proper role in the field and the suffering they go through when things go pear shaped and they get in direct exchanges of fire.
Absolutely a good story. I also thought the setting and fight sequences in Hollow Glory were superb. I'm slowly working though it- Mixed-tech was interesting, I wish the gladiator b was a bit longer, kinda more like "the mech of the week," but it's a great article for newcomers to the franchise. Operation Hollywood is REALLY interesting, i dug that a LOT, and I hope you guys enjoy "Old Rules" as much as I enjoyed writing it!
I've been working on that one for years, honestly, it never really seemed to come together right until when I finished it last fall.
Part of the problem was, it's a story about 2 brilliant colonels at the top of their game trying to outsmart each other, which means I had to be smarter than BOTH of them to write it! xp :D ;D ;D
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The back and forth, with each commander doing their level beat to outfox each other, put me in the old Spy vs. Spy mindset, with excellent use of canon equipment that has never before hit the page. Well done! My only initial point of puzzlement was the title change between fact check and publication.
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You guys are almost making me buy the issues after #1... One author will at least get me to buy two more issues... ^-^
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The back and forth, with each commander doing their level beat to outfox each other, put me in the old Spy vs. Spy mindset, with excellent use of canon equipment that has never before hit the page. Well done! My only initial point of puzzlement was the title change between fact check and publication.
That was John, he asked me to change it and a few other tweaks at the last second- I liked the historical reference, but he wanted to tie it closer to the story. and I get it, it's like a band having to put parenthesis after a song - Escape (The Pina Colada song) for example - for people to be able to find it.
I rolled my eyes because I, like all writers, am incredibly arrogant and thought my story perfect, but I complied anyways. ;-) hahaha
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with excellent use of canon equipment that has never before hit the page. Well done!
Oh, and thanks for the compliments! I need to get better at using the full breadth of BattleMechs available- I should have used something Capellan instead of that Stinger, for example, to keep putting fresh stuff out there - but since this was one of my older stories I just finally finished, I kinda give myself a pass on it. My ELH stories, though, I really worked to get a LOT of stuff that had never seen screentime before onto the page! :-)
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You guys are almost making me buy the issues after #1... One author will at least get me to buy two more issues... ^-^
E.L. James?
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I used to help edit his stuff, but I can't claim any credit for helping with his publshed stories. I'll keep that private unless he decides otherwise.
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That’s cool, then.
However, the response I was trying to set up was “50 Shades of Gray Death Legion.” ;)
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Absolutely a good story. I also thought the setting and fight sequences in Hollow Glory were superb. I'm slowly working though it- Mixed-tech was interesting, I wish the gladiator b was a bit longer, kinda more like "the mech of the week," but it's a great article for newcomers to the franchise. Operation Hollywood is REALLY interesting, i dug that a LOT, and I hope you guys enjoy "Old Rules" as much as I enjoyed writing it!
I've been working on that one for years, honestly, it never really seemed to come together right until when I finished it last fall.
Part of the problem was, it's a story about 2 brilliant colonels at the top of their game trying to outsmart each other, which means I had to be smarter than BOTH of them to write it! xp :D ;D ;D
on old rules, i appreciate that you gave both commander a chance to shine. One issue i always have with some stories is when the good guys win cause the bad guys is an idiot. One of the reason i enjoy Master and commander on the far sea (film, never read the book). I understand that writing two good commanders are always ben an issue but in battle while mistake are made you are not going to win just cause the guy your fighting was an idiot. Sometimes you get someone who smarter and you have to roll the dice.
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on old rules, i appreciate that you gave both commander a chance to shine. One issue i always have with some stories is when the good guys win cause the bad guys is an idiot.
Thanks!
I have a couple of threads around here about writing, and one of the rules I've mentioned I try to obey when writing in Battletech is that (unless the character is otherwise noted as a rookie or whatever) these are professional armies. They have been trained, they are experienced, and while they may make ERRORS, they are not STUPID.
It can make stories challenging to write - it would be SO much easier to give the antagonists stupid pills!! haha- but I think it's more realistic, and therefore, a better story for the readers, when they can see that the heroes had to EARN their victory. That's just one of MY personal rules, not everyone writes that way and nor SHOULD they, Shrapnel is more interesting with the different voices of the different writers. it's just my way, and I'm glad it worked for you. :-)
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Old rules really also made long for playing larger games. The tactics used with such unusual/unique units was fascinating. It was nice also see Capellan commander who wasn't blind by the faction's typical behavior it usually undertakes.
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Did anyone get to peruse the article on Exofauna? If so, would you like to see more for your tabletop experiences?
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Did anyone get to peruse the article on Exofauna? If so, would you like to see more for your tabletop experiences?
Exoflora was great - good rules for alternate hex types, especially on the Alien Worlds maps, but still applicable to regular ones. I’d love to see writeups for some of the previously detailed exoflora, such as the methane plants that can detonate when shot or the walking trees from the old Capellan SB.
I noticed it said that supertall trees could damage Mech armor with falling branches. Any suggestions for simulating that?
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I noticed it said that supertall trees could damage Mech armor with falling branches. Any suggestions for simulating that?
I'd think it is covered by being treated as a building falling on you when they get cleared.
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Did anyone get to peruse the article on Exofauna? If so, would you like to see more for your tabletop experiences?
I liked them... it makes a world alien.
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Exoflora was great - good rules for alternate hex types, especially on the Alien Worlds maps, but still applicable to regular ones. I’d love to see writeups for some of the previously detailed exoflora, such as the methane plants that can detonate when shot or the walking trees from the old Capellan SB.
I noticed it said that supertall trees could damage Mech armor with falling branches. Any suggestions for simulating that?
if I'd seen the article BEFORE my story, I -totally- would have bonked some of the CRC mechs with branches... ;-) hahaha
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Exoflora was great - good rules for alternate hex types, especially on the Alien Worlds maps, but still applicable to regular ones. I’d love to see writeups for some of the previously detailed exoflora, such as the methane plants that can detonate when shot or the walking trees from the old Capellan SB.
I noticed it said that supertall trees could damage Mech armor with falling branches. Any suggestions for simulating that?
There was one world, I think detailed in one of the battle report sections of either Invading Clans or the Wolf and JF sourcebooks, that talked about a world with low gravity and incredibly tall trees. The canopy was said to be a LAM's paradise. I'd like to see more stuff about that kind of environment.
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Well, if we're allowed to fish for commentary:
Malthus Confederation - thoughts? What's your personal Free Guild combo of color and natural feature/flora? "We represent the Chartreuse Meat-Lettuce Guild."
Canopian Pleasure Circuses - how do they stack up against the Disney Starcruiser experience? Are they actually spacefaring dens of evil or is SAFE just being paranoid?
The Great UrbanMech Uprising - yes, the Davion slums scene was an homage to Hitchcock's "The Birds"
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Well, if we're allowed to fish for commentary:
Pfff, even I have managed not to fish so far. So far. ;)
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On the urban uprising. It was a good story and with the cop in his pocket. Of course, one should always give urbies a chance even if i think open ranks maybe a tad dangerous for one of the favorite light mech. Of course urbies isn't a bad design for solaris giving that it those matches tend to be up close and personal.
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Pfff, even I have managed not to fish so far. So far. ;)
I bow before your admirable restraint.
The resta youz, chop chop! Get with the reviews!
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Canopian Pleasure Circuses - how do they stack up against the Disney Starcruiser experience? Are they actually spacefaring dens of evil or is SAFE just being paranoid?
I loved the entry and also described the Pleasure Circuses to a non Battletech friend. Apparently their response was "I'm all in for that, sounds really cool". So I know what to use for a starter location in an RPG if I want to tease them to the dark side of stompy robots.
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On the urban uprising. It was a good story and with the cop in his pocket. Of course, one should always give urbies a chance even if i think open ranks maybe a tad dangerous for one of the favorite light mech. Of course urbies isn't a bad design for solaris giving that it those matches tend to be up close and personal.
It helped that Rufus also used to be a SCPD officer. Dermott is corrupt, but wouldn’t do this much for just anyone.
One Urbie previously appeared in a 3027 Solaris Open event, joining the ambush of Justin Xiang in Ishiyama Arena, but it went out like a chump.
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Did anyone get to peruse the article on Exofauna? If so, would you like to see more for your tabletop experiences?
Even though absent this stuff being implemented in MegaMek I'm unlikely to ever get to use it, I'd absolutely love to see more.
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I really dug the "newbee" campaign for people who've only picked up a box set. I thought it was easy enough to be fun, captured that desperate feel of the 3025 era without going too in-depth into it. Well done!
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It seemed to me that this latest issue of Shrapnel was quite heavily leaning on Solaris VII as a setting. I'm sure that part of it was due to which stories were ready to go at which point in time. But while are plenty of stories to tell on the Game World, I'd hope that it doesn't unduly outweigh the rest of the setting in future issues.
Also, while it's not the kind of detail I'd necessarily expect the character in question to necessarily be aware of, I should note that the martial art which would later be labelled as "Karate" was still restricted to the Pechin warrior class in the Ryukyu Kingdom during the Edo period.
In the wake of the Satsuma invasion of Ryukyu in 1609, the Pechin were barred from carrying weapons in public, and thus were obliged to train in unarmed combat only - except in very limited circumstances when the Satsuma domain (in present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) made firearms available for Ryukyuans acting as bodyguards to envoys making the crossing from Naha to Fuzhou (and on from Fuzhou to Beijing) and back again. Karate as such did not spread elsewhere until after the annexation of Ryukyu as Okinawa Prefecture, when a number of former Pechin brought their teachings to the "home" Japanese islands.
So an Edo-period samurai loyal to the Tokugawa Bakufu would most likely not be aware of this martial art - or, if he was, he would likely have considered it beneath his notice, as it was practiced by warriors which had been defeated in battle. Perhaps doubly so, as the Satsuma samurai who had defeated Ryukyu were themselves of a "tozama" domain set below the Tokugawa shogunate itself.
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It helped that Rufus also used to be a SCPD officer. Dermott is corrupt, but wouldn’t do this much for just anyone.
One Urbie previously appeared in a 3027 Solaris Open event, joining the ambush of Justin Xiang in Ishiyama Arena, but it went out like a chump.
Having read the story, I didn't know if the SCPD was setting up their UrbanMechs to resemble the one MWO did with police lights on it and paint job. 8)
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It seemed to me that this latest issue of Shrapnel was quite heavily leaning on Solaris VII as a setting. I'm sure that part of it was due to which stories were ready to go at which point in time. But while are plenty of stories to tell on the Game World, I'd hope that it doesn't unduly outweigh the rest of the setting in future issues.
Also, while it's not the kind of detail I'd necessarily expect the character in question to necessarily be aware of, I should note that the martial art which would later be labelled as "Karate" was still restricted to the Pechin warrior class in the Ryukyu Kingdom during the Edo period.
In the wake of the Satsuma invasion of Ryukyu in 1609, the Pechin were barred from carrying weapons in public, and thus were obliged to train in unarmed combat only - except in very limited circumstances when the Satsuma domain (in present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) made firearms available for Ryukyuans acting as bodyguards to envoys making the crossing from Naha to Fuzhou (and on from Fuzhou to Beijing) and back again. Karate as such did not spread elsewhere until after the annexation of Ryukyu as Okinawa Prefecture, when a number of former Pechin brought their teachings to the "home" Japanese islands.
So an Edo-period samurai loyal to the Tokugawa Bakufu would most likely not be aware of this martial art - or, if he was, he would likely have considered it beneath his notice, as it was practiced by warriors which had been defeated in battle. Perhaps doubly so, as the Satsuma samurai who had defeated Ryukyu were themselves of a "tozama" domain set below the Tokugawa shogunate itself.
i would like to point out, if this comment is base on a particular story in shrapnel that the person was brainwash and his though reflected not on actually events but on his idea on how those events would seem in his mind. We already establish long ago while combine idealist Samuria culture they are not in fact doing it correctly but only doing what was centuries of misinformation and myth of that pertticular culture and so any warrior thinking about karate when he shouldn't is not an error from the writer but its a reflection on the misinformation of the combine regarding of that culture
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got me a copy in print (available now on Amazon!) and the Artwork adds SOOO much to the stories! I love the artwork in mine (oage 53) and the art in "hollow glory"? (pages 36-37) just TOP TIER. The artists have been killing it in Shrapnel lately, and I wanted to do a special call out to them! :-)
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Also, I tend to not read stories until the series is complete, so last weekend or so i finally went back and read Stackpole's story in 1-3 & 5, and I really dug it. I feel like I -missed- a story somewhere, but I liked this one. The universe felt lived in, and it was pretty cool seeing ian Davion as a suporting player for once, instead of Hanse.
Looking forward to finally going back and reading craig's once Shrapnel 9 comes out! hahaha
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Shrapnel was very good this time around. The Blackhole Mercenary company was very gripping story.
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When I click the bg.battletech.com/shrapnel/ link on page 50 (for the record sheets), I get a popup saying: "C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\Version 17.0\en_US\Caches\InDesign\ClipboardScrap1.pdf"
Is anyone else seeing this? It happens in Adobe Acrobat and Foxit Reader.
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https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Shrapnel-8-record-sheets.pdf
Works for me.
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Worked for me too. I had to exit Adobe first, though...
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Initially, when Shrapnel 8 came out. It wasn't there.
Man Executioner-B has some humdingers of configurations. I dare say they out shine the it's successor's configurations. I like the B & C configurations, i could careless how much slower it is to the newer Executioner. I think it has different role.
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Initially, when Shrapnel 8 came out. It wasn't there.
Man Executioner-B has some humdingers of configurations. I dare say they out shine the it's successor's configurations. I like the B & C configurations, i could careless how much slower it is to the newer Executioner. I think it has different role.
Yep, it came later.
So, what do you think of the BA?
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Little murder pockets with decent armor for the time, average jump, and some sensors as a treat. I like them. I could see them trying to flank vehicles and crit them or handle the PBI of a force.
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Little murder pockets with decent armor for the time, average jump, and some sensors as a treat. I like them. I could see them trying to flank vehicles and crit them or handle the PBI of a force.
Being black ops, getting rid of PBI is pretty much what they are supposed to do.
They can take on heavier things, but it gets ugly.
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I like them, especially with how they are set up I can see quite the "boss fight" just trying to escape them in a RPG.
*rolls dice* "His sensors are working just fine. Run."
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Initially, when Shrapnel 8 came out. It wasn't there.
Man Executioner-B has some humdingers of configurations. I dare say they out shine the it's successor's configurations. I like the B & C configurations, i could careless how much slower it is to the newer Executioner. I think it has different role.
Yeah, i dig it, but MAN is it gonna be tricky to explain at this week's game "I brought an Executioner B A."
them: "say that again, but slower?
me: -sigh- "i brought the slower executioner's A version." ;-P hahaha
other than the super confusing name, i dig it too.
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Yeah, i dig it, but MAN is it gonna be tricky to explain at this week's game "I brought an Executioner B A."
them: "say that again, but slower?
me: -sigh- "i brought the slower executioner's A version." ;-P hahaha
other than the super confusing name, i dig it too.
More likely they'll think it's a new Battle Armor.
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More likely they'll think it's a new Battle Armor.
You thought I brought Battle Armor
but you'd be wrong, son-
I got 99 more tons
than an Elemental's one... :D
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I like them, especially with how they are set up I can see quite the "boss fight" just trying to escape them in a RPG.
*rolls dice* "His sensors are working just fine. Run."
that the one thing about all the gray death ba they all seem to enjoy sensor packages
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Yeah, i dig it, but MAN is it gonna be tricky to explain at this week's game "I brought an Executioner B A."
them: "say that again, but slower?
me: -sigh- "i brought the slower executioner's A version." ;-P hahaha
other than the super confusing name, i dig it too.
Just tell the that Executioner B A is from A Team and the MechWarrior name is Baracus (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._A._Baracus). ;D
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Yep, it came later.
So, what do you think of the BA?
Those are certainly interesting diverse walking daggers.
Versatile and mobile. I'm afraid I don't often use Battle armor to give more opinion on them.
I didn't notice at first, half of the Executioner-B's configs are on the extreme side of over heating like the C and Prime configurations. They could literally explode if using half their weapon compliment. Was intended to be flaw design or bracket fire machine?
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I didn't notice at first, half of the Executioner-B's configs are on the extreme side of over heating like the C and Prime configurations. They could literally explode if using half their weapon compliment. Was intended to be flaw design or bracket fire machine?
Ayup!
Once in service, its overladen physical construction and fixed jump jets limited the versatility of the chassis. Few standard configurations exist, and most tend to overheat heavily.
And that's pretty much it. Besides, B and C were pre-determined, mostly, by other sources, while the Prime tried to be fairly accurate to the 3050U illo. The A is completely new, but cops out by going all Annihilator-lite.
It was fun coming up with 95 tons of "almost there."
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Ahh it makes sense now.
I hope the Huntress artillery mechs gets time to shine. My group using a slightly different version of it, it's interesting machine see in acting.
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"Sackcloth and Sand" - a nod to Robert Thurston's Jade Falcon work with the Clan warrior Naiad, a member of the 'illegal' sibko fashioned from Aidan Pryde in Falcon Rising. From the ending I get the impression this is a set up for a sequel; hopefully we'll see more of the Jade Falcon war against the Society, and more of Aidan's 'daughter'.
Oh, I have many ideas...but I am a victim of the queue.
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Used one of those executioners: facind down a whole lance by itself, I alpha striked, went up about, oh, 20ish on the heat scale, shut down, died.
so, ah, be careful when using them. ;-P ;D ;D
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After reading Colt Ward's report on his Astrokaszy campaign I went ahead and bought th last issue of Shrapnel ahead of the time I had planned to do it. Lovely issue on general perusal, but I have only read the campaign.
A few things about the Astrikaszy thing:
1. Do you think it would be OK to play using Alpha Strike? AS has higher damage to machines than classic most of the time, so I am unsure here.
2. Am I correct in that you can ONLY repair oa mech utterly dismantling a mech you destroyed on the tabletop? So, if you do not kill 4 mechs per encounter your lance cannot be fully repaired?
3. What if you keep some of those destroyed Shervanis mechs around? Can you repair them and add them to your lance?
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After reading Colt Ward's report on his Astrokaszy campaign I went ahead and bought th last issue of Shrapnel ahead of the time I had planned to do it. Lovely issue on general perusal, but I have only read the campaign.
A few things about the Astrokaszy thing:
1. Do you think it would be OK to play using Alpha Strike? AS has higher damage to machines than classic most of the time, so I am unsure here.
Depends on your definition of OK. In addition to balancing differences for different rulesets, the missions assign mapsheets, and the equipment swap options would be more complicated in AS (and possibly have no AS effect). The battles are rather small for AS, and so can also be much more "swingy" than assumed. I wouldn't say you couldn't use AS, but it is definitely not built to take advantage of AS's strengths.
2. Am I correct in that you can ONLY repair oa mech utterly dismantling a mech you destroyed on the tabletop? So, if you do not kill 4 mechs per encounter your lance cannot be fully repaired?
Yep on the first. The second depends on how many 'mechs you get damaged (beyond just armor/structure/ammo) of course, but you've got the general idea. The major points were 1) simple and 2) encouraging being frugal with repairs and making entering combat with minor damage a likely event. I would hope that every player that goes through the campaign has to struggle with the choice at least once, whether a 'mech with a minor critical effect is worth repairing or not.
3. What if you keep some of those destroyed Shervanis mechs around? Can you repair them and add them to your lance?
Not as written. The goal was to emphasize you want to get off planet, you and your 'mechs. And to keep it simple. So salvage is purely to repair your 'Mechs. Perhaps it's part of the contract in return for the armor/structure/ammo repairs. Didn't want to get into that level of detail for this campaign, but to focus on simple and what you start with making it off planet.
You're welcome to do with the campaign as you want though.
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Ok, on Astrokaszy repairs (again) I might have bene reading the repairs part wrongly, and considering them to be overly harsh when they are not. To be sure:
a. All armor and internal (not critical) damage and ammo are repaired/reloaded for free after each mission.
b. You need to destroy an enemy mech to repair all critical hits one of your mechs.
Is that correct?
I was reading that in order to repair ANYTHING (from the first point of armor lost onwards) you needed to destroy an enemy mech and thought it was very punshing for your force, but maybe it is not so bad after all...
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The Art of Salvage - Matthew Cross
Another entry in the ongoing lecture series set in 3125. It's interesting that the focus is on rigging up sleds for 'Mechs to haul wrecks back to field repair centers or rear area depots for salvage. Other stories (and Wizards of the Coast cards) have featured teams of technicians going out into the field and stripping wrecks there. I guess hauling the whole carcass back lets you get internal structure and other items that field stripping teams wouldn't have the carrying capacity for. This lecture seems to presume, however, that 'Mech recovery vehicles won't be available in any quantity, since a flatbed with manipulator arms seems like a better alternative to a combat unit hauling a sled full of parts rather than continuing to engage the enemy.
So, I never really got to respond here, but the main focus of this lecture series is BattleMech Engineering for MechWarriors. I put extra focus on what a MechWarrior would be doing during a salvage op compared to having some salvage vehicles in the field, but I can definitely see how it came off as recovery vehicles aren't as available.
I can't wait to see what you guys think of my article in #9, as I think its the best yet!
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Okay, about half-way through 9 and I am loving everything so far. It's downstairs, so I don't have titles and authors and such, just some thoughts (I'll be more comprehensive on a later post)
some things I love:
- another weapons thing by Craig Reed! I've been digging these because, here and there in fiction, I've been able to put names to things like "she tucked her sniper rifle into her shoulder pocket..."
- Bryan Young's ongoing Fox Patrol: will this series ever end? hope not! I love everything about this series, and this story in particular was a return to form for Young, the apparently charmed commander continuing her Cinderella run on luck and Charisma, and the URBANMECH drink? It was PERFECT!
- A FIRE MANDRILL STORY. I can't tell you how much I almost screamed seeing that. Now, I ain't no monkey-Clan stan, but I -do- love when Clans that have had very little "facetime" over the past 30 years get a moment in the sun. A well crafted story, captures both Clans PERFECTLY, a lot to love here.
- I really enjoyed that little Merc Write-up. Good tone, and fleshes out the 2SW a little more. Good stuff.
anywhoo, that's where I am and what i can remember, more in a couple of days. Overall, looks to be another winning issue from the team, and can't wait for the double-sized number 10!!
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I've got a couple of questions in to Craig via PM about the latest weapon article before posting the TW conversions. I'm hoping for typos. If not, Support Lasers are now Standard weapons... :o
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I've got a couple of questions in to Craig via PM about the latest weapon article before posting the TW conversions. I'm hoping for typos. If not, Support Lasers are now Standard weapons... :o
FWIW, I've been lurking and digging those, too. :-)
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Glad you're enjoying those threads! :thumbsup:
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Really liked "Meat, Metal, Ham" in this one, strong writing and an interesting tone. Very unromantic look at the business. Looks like it was a debut writer? Good stuff.
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SHRAPNEL 11 is live on Amazon (in Kindle)!
And what a cover! I -love- the first story (Plowshares) and will give more thorough reviews once I have a chance to read it all!
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Any new weapons in this one? ???
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Any new weapons in this one? ???
dunno yet, sorry!
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Any new weapons in this one? ???
Do you consider trained pterodactyls launched from a 'Mech's forearm, falconer style, as a new weapon?
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I can't help but wonder whether the mercenary roundup article in Shrapnel #11 ought perhaps to have been held back until after Dominions Divided was published, as part of it gives away one of the key plot points set to unfold in that volume.
Actually, that same article appears to offer a glimpse at Galatea's new political affiliation...
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I can't help but wonder whether the mercenary roundup article in Shrapnel #11 ought perhaps to have been held back until after Dominions Divided was published, as part of it gives away one of the key plot points set to unfold in that volume.
Actually, that same article appears to offer a glimpse at Galatea's new political affiliation...
Oh do tell!
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Another fine issue:
The Plowshare: An interesting look at what the Goliath Scorpions were up to while the Invading Clans were prepping for the big day. Interesting that the Inner Sphere traders are able to transact in C-Bills this far out in the Deep Periphery, so Roskan must be on what passes for a major shipping lane utilized by the Explorer Corps.
Voices of the Sphere: The New Mercenary Market: As noted, the MRBC seems to be on the way out. Will the Sea Foxes have the same sort of monopoly?
Signing Day: A nice fleshing out of a throwaway line from the NAIS Military Atlas of the 4th Succession War, about the Waco Rangers recruiting locals during their fight for Satalice. This being the Waco Rangers, I was sort of hoping to see Jed being asked to take the "Death Oath," pledging vengeance upon Wolf's Dragoons as a condition of enlisting.
Battle Cobra: Another throwaway FASA line turned into a fleshed out article - following up on a statement that ComStar had built their own copies of captured Battle Cobras. I like the idea of making it a progenitor of the Celestial series.
Ghostbird: A nice companion piece to Bryan's recent novel, giving Alexis a far deeper backstory and giving us a window into interactions between the Ghost Bears and civilians in the Rasalhague Dominion.
Cockpit Amenities: This sort of content was long overdue. I think the last time such amenities were visited was in Stardate Vol. 3 #5, as part of Blaine Pardoe's NAIS MechWarrior Training Manual article series. This is far more comprehensive, and an excellent resource for RPG players.
Unit Digest: First Kearny Highlanders: A nice update on what happened to the Highlanders after Terra, and a lead-in to the short fiction in the Alpha Strike box set.
Up Close: Interesting to see the perspective from a FWL backwater, where even a decade in, the reality of the Clan Invasion hasn't set in, and people still aren't sure what's real or myth.
Inner Sphere Ingenuity: Matthew Cross continues the 3125 lecture series on technology, this time covering Inner Sphere technological advances from the Clan perspective. Usually, we get an Inner Sphere commentator going on about the superiority of Clan tech, so it's fun to see the conversation from the other side.
Comin' to Towne: I've always liked Vic Milan's concept of Towne's megafauna, and when the call came for a holiday-themed article, I couldn't resist using the holiday jingle as inspiration to set an adventure there, complete with Krampus, Santana's Slayers going down en route to deliver gifts, and highlighting the BattleTech line's lack of a DNC-3R Dancer, PNC-3R Prancer, or CP-1D Cupid. When I tested it out with my daughter, she found exploits I'd never considered when writing it (such as, instead of sneaking past the Eiglotherium pile, breaking into the 'Mech bay and hacking into the Barghest, then using it to turn the Eiglotherium herd against the Beastlords. Never been so proud.) Unlike last year's Christmas Eve Coup dream sequence, this sucker's canon.
Hell's Highway: The first new Hell's Horses fiction since Philip Lee's "A Living Epitaph" (a BattleCorps piece about a sibko getting slaughtered back in the Kerensky Cluster). I love it - fleshes out character motivations, and puts them in a cross-country race that requires local climate/geography knowledge to evade the Jade Falcons. Puts the Cannonball Run to shame.
Information Software at War: The Automated BattleMech Recognition Framework: Building on all the warbook errors seen in the opening chapters of Lethal Heritage, it expands the concept back to the dawn of the BattleMech. Interestingly, the Kurita ones show that Urizen Kurita II wasn't building from scratch when he imposed Japanese cultural standards in the 2600s - they already had significant cachet for the Combine and DCMS in the 2400s and 2500s, putting these designators in line with the Chi-ha APC of that era.
Three Ways Home: Tom Leveen continues his four-part Taurian Concordat story on the eve of the Reunification War. It shows that the Concordat wasn't a monolithic state with cultural unity in the antebellum period. I wonder if the last segment will address the start of the war, and the need to pull together in the face of the looming Davion/Star League invasion?
The Few and the Many: The Canopian Medical Industry's Cultural Isolation: Many sourcebooks have made note of how much better Canopian medical providers are than the rest of Canopian society. Significantly more educated, higher quality work, etc., while as of 3025, much of the average Canopian populace reads at the fifth grade level. I wonder to what extent the divergence is due to the internal culture (which is shown to be grueling) or due to external influences (as hinted at in Randall Bills' "Darkness" Iron Writer story, which suggested that Canopian medical advancements had been provided by outsiders...possibly Clan Wolverine)?
The Space Cowboys from Quatre Belle: This pairs nicely with other Outworlds Alliance stories of this time period, such as Kevil Killiany's Pitcairn Star and Craig Reed's Groundpounder. Taken together, they begin to trace the evolving relationship between the two aerospace-centric groups.
After Action Report: Longbow Mountain: The genesis of this article was a desire to revisit some of the early FASA materials (like the Mercenary's Handbook) that had unintentionally goofed on the stellar geography because a central resource hadn't been developed at the time they were written. Rather than trying to retcon things as "oh, that was just plain wrong," I wanted to go the other way - yes, that makes no sense...unless you know the full context. Then, you have a story. Plus, after a nice setup in the Periphery sourcebook and scoring the cover of the original Shrapnel anthology, the timeline moved on and failed to really do anything with the character of Helmar Valasek, so this gave me a chance to revisit the ol' rogue.
Our Two Weeks' Notice: A nicely balanced city battle. Even better, if you get the new Alpha Strike box, you can fight it with those rules and use the included building fold-ups.
Seal the Deal: A tale spanning decades, this explains why TRO: 3058 lauded the machine as the first new 'Mech design to go into production in centuries, chronicling the difficulties involved in trying to bring the original 'Mech construction example to market. A fun read.
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Thanks for the excellent summary Mendrugo, I'll have to pick it up for details.
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Another fine issue:
Hell's Highway: The first new Hell's Horses fiction since Philip Lee's "A Living Epitaph" (a BattleCorps piece about a sibko getting slaughtered back in the Kerensky Cluster). I love it - fleshes out character motivations, and puts them in a cross-country race that requires local climate/geography knowledge to evade the Jade Falcons. Puts the Cannonball Run to shame.
A Trial Most Acceptable in Shrapnel 10 was Hell's Horses vs. The Capellan Confederation ;)
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My error - I’d used a keyword search for (CHH) in the master index, missing the one tagged (CC).
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My error - I’d used a keyword search for (CHH) in the master index, missing the one tagged (CC).
No worries! i -figured- it'd been listed oddly, like "Jihad Allies" or something. :-) hahaha
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In what era does Hell's Highway take place?
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In what era does Hell's Highway take place?
3140s
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Hmmm... no weapons, but the cockpit amenities article might be enough of a reason to pick that one up. We'll see where I'm at after Christmas... :)
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Our Two Weeks' Notice: A nicely balanced city battle. Even better, if you get the new Alpha Strike box, you can fight it with those rules and use the included building fold-ups.
Oh god it's that guy again making scenarios, such a Bear simp.
But no really I appreciate how you thought it was balanced. I listened to everyone's notes when I submitted it and even then resisted the urge to tweak it more. :thumbsup:
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From "COCKPIT AMENITIES IN MODERN BATTLEMECHS"
Even the smallest Inner Sphere-built cockpits have enough space for most people to straighten either their arms or legs, if not both. Most seats recline and slide, and top-end models (common on assault and command ’Mechs like the BattleMaster and Atlas) also rotate and convert to full-length sleeping modes.
I am now expecting La-Z-Boy and Serta to provide command chairs for 'Mechs. (This also explains all the "You got caught with the Colonel's daughter" jokes in various stories and MW3 Life Paths. ;))
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Hell's Highway: The first new Hell's Horses fiction since Philip Lee's "A Living Epitaph" (a BattleCorps piece about a sibko getting slaughtered back in the Kerensky Cluster). I love it - fleshes out character motivations, and puts them in a cross-country race that requires local climate/geography knowledge to evade the Jade Falcons. Puts the Cannonball Run to shame.
You literally just sold this issue of Shrapnel to me. Thank you for this.
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Wow!
I have to give a shout out to Anchors Aweigh, by J. D. Neil.
I like this one a lot. A bright, up-and-coming mechwarrior gets an invite into a brand-new Star League Special Forces combined arms unit. Since he was just dumped by his girl back home, he goes for it without taking time to think it over. And he pulls his tech along for the ride.
I expect to see this one continued down the line. At least, I hope so!
Thanks! I am not on the forums much (clearly) - but I appreciate the kind words!
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Thanks! I am not on the forums much (clearly) - but I appreciate the kind words!
Not a problem. I took a lot of time away as well.
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Shrapnel #14 is out!
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech-new-arrivals/products/battletech-shrapnel-issue-14-the-official-battletech-magazine
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Yay!
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Shrapnel proudly present the SHD-TCI!
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Not a problem. I took a lot of time away as well.
If you enjoyed the first story that I wrote from Shrapnel #7, I hope that you enjoy the (very belated) follow up at the end of #14!
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For bounty hunters and people who like RPG characters, issue 14 has some new folks for you to take down.
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Do they have AToW stats? ???
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Not a complete record sheet if that's what you are asking.
They are however built like those Notable Personality write ups in the Era Reports.
That way people can customize a character to their liking but keep to some core skill levels and SPAs.
Both Destiny and AToW are mentioned in that section, so they have equal opportunity to use them.
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Thanks! I appreciate the prompt response, kind sir! :)
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Thanks! I appreciate the prompt response, kind sir! :)
Glad to help, if some of the targets sound familiar be sure to check Shrapnel Issue 2 (I think) and XTRO Most Wanted
They looked like fun units to test the waters with on this article.
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About halfway through the magazine, trying take my time taking everything in and enjoying it.
I especially love the Fox Patrol, they're real hard scrapping team. The characterizations are great.
Everything is great in the book so far! Shadow Hawk is certainly interesting wriggle to sneak into canon. Part me wish Star League had sprung for CASE, but that's me! C.U.P.P. was hilarious!
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About halfway through the magazine, trying take my time taking everything in and enjoying it.
I especially love the Fox Patrol, they're real hard scrapping team. The characterizations are great.
Everything is great in the book so far! Shadow Hawk is certainly interesting wriggle to sneak into canon. Part me wish Star League had sprung for CASE, but that's me! C.U.P.P. was hilarious!
I'm so glad you dig them!