Best Era

[butchbird]

My own takes on the eras go like this:

Age of War: Just kind of "there", and much of it was BattleTech without the BattleMechs, meaning the most unique thing about the setting isn't even present. It is interesting from a "how we got here" standpoint to be sure.

Can't resist saying more about that era.

The thing with the age of war is its "introtech potential".

The battlemech (in its primitive form) only sits out the first 60 years or so of this 170 years long war. By 2490 everyone has functional battlemechs ready for combat.

Now, primitives are but a gimmick, kind of stuff that while interesting, I doubt many use them. But late age of war offers the perfect setting for introtech: few mechs, few weapons and the "ares convention" effect which fits snuggly whithin the whole BT mechanics. It would be perfect to ease in new players. This is also true of a rejuvenated space battle aspect of the franchise.

We know the major factions all had fleets, but little beyond that. It could be fleshed out as seen fit and would, again, make great introtech for a "battlespace 2" or whatever.

Then there's all the "niche products" within the franchise. From battleforce on, the "gentle man's war" of post-ares age of war (which is pretty much all of it) is again a perfect setting. And with the early phase, I bet you could make an interesting game out of the "abstract combat system" with all the combined arms plus the use of tactical nukes, chemical weapons and orbital bombardment. But again, most if not all of it are but niche products whithin a niche, some even whithout the main draw of the universe.

Lore wise, I know there's quite the few of us battletech enthusiasts whom love learning about minor factions. I loved the small Hindu Collective rundown in "era digest:age of war", I'd bet many others appreciated it.

So yeah, much potential, if mostly in the introtech and/or niche departments.

Also, the dragoons indeed. The 4th SW breaks what is pretty much a centurys long stalemate and the 'goons are THE pivotal unit. The 4th SW would've been very different whithout the marik civil war, which would've been simply impossible whitout the dragoons, and then they litteraly tie up the only other major contender in that war. Hanse's deck was stacked, and yes, he did play very well to stack it up... but in all fairness he was dealt a fabulously good hand as soon as he sat at the table.

[Hellraiser]

Hanse Davion is considered kinda the prototypical "genius faction leader" but the differance between him and pretty much every other attempt is Hanse Davion didn't go into a fight where he was behind and manage to win via a genius BS tactic, Hanse's genius was stacking the deck so hard in his favor, victory was all but assured.

this is rather differant from say, SunTzu, or Alaric

Agreed.

[Gray_Noton_4lfe]

The late Succession wars and Clan Invasion I think did pretty well. Haven't really tried any eras above that.

[Prospernia]

The Succession-Wars have the best literature about them, from military-books to house-books. The writings about the Jyhad and even the Clan-invasion, don't seem as, "Enthused". 

[ThisACforHire]

I grew up as a Succession Wars grognard, and it took me a long time to warm up to the Clan Invasion era due to getting smacked down so hard for so long in the early 90s.
But I gotta say, I am loving the IlClan era so far! It's streamlined the experimental craziness from the Jihad and Dark Age eras into a more standardized set of weapons you can expect to find on mechs. The leveling of the playfield between factions that came with the clans being so thoroughly integrated into the innersphere now has made list building pretty fun in my opinion. The new loadouts in the Rec Guide Vol.1 Classics allows the oldest miniatures to be used in the newest era of the game, as well as minis from the AGOAC box set.
I have so much love for all of this. In my opinion it's the best era that's been introduced to the game in a long long time. I've been enjoying introducing my other Succession Wars and Clan Invasion grognard friends to the 3150s. 

[Prospernia]

I grew up as a Succession Wars grognard, and it took me a long time to warm up to the Clan Invasion era due to getting smacked down so hard for so long in the early 90s.
But I gotta say, I am loving the IlClan era so far! . . .

I must say the 3145-books are getting good; the Clan smack-down was hard to get around. I got decimated, in the reverse traditional Roman-way, (only 10% survived). It took me a while to figure out how to beat them.  In a Mechwarrior RPG or a Mercenaries' game, when the Clans have to worry about repairing their mechs and support-points, the Clans don't do so well, especially against asymmetric-warfare.

The IlClan era, is much like 3050 was back in the day, unknown territory. 

[Orion]

In my games and writings, the world mostly stops after 3039.  Clans are never mentioned.  I'll do FedCom Civil War stuff if friends really want the advanced tech, but won't suggest it.  I have some stuff that continues up to 3057 for Operation Guerrero, but it's a small until on the edges of the action and is never involved in the main events of the universe.  For all practical purposes, it's still 3030 for them.  So for me, Succession Wars is the best, hands down.  I'll admit the Clan stuff was good for the game, and some of it well done, but it leaves me cold.  Civil War had potential, but didn't get the treatment the earlier stuff received.  Jihad, Dark Age, IlClan - I don't consider these Battletech.  Similar rules, different game, to my way of thinking.

[Rebel Yell]

In my games and writings, the world mostly stops after 3039.  Clans are never mentioned.  I'll do FedCom Civil War stuff if friends really want the advanced tech, but won't suggest it.  I have some stuff that continues up to 3057 for Operation Guerrero, but it's a small until on the edges of the action and is never involved in the main events of the universe.  For all practical purposes, it's still 3030 for them.  So for me, Succession Wars is the best, hands down.  I'll admit the Clan stuff was good for the game, and some of it well done, but it leaves me cold.  Civil War had potential, but didn't get the treatment the earlier stuff received.  Jihad, Dark Age, IlClan - I don't consider these Battletech.  Similar rules, different game, to my way of thinking.

+1

[Prospernia]

+1

+2

Had the House-Books not been the first real Battletech-material I read, while my friends were reading the 3050, I wouldn't agree; but I still like the Clans; they are embedded from my youth.