OK Monopoly is boring as hell I will give you that much but that alone doesn't make it awful.
It's a boardgame that does what it was designed t do, entertain a family for the night.
The dice system is the same one that is used in most if not all boardgames of its era for movement.
So outside of it's popularity as a family/party game what does this have to do with Mechwarrior RPG?
As for the question of 3rd vs. 4th.
I personally would pick 2nd every time.
The simple fact is that the Battletech universe is a boardgaming universe first and foremost.
it's not L5R, shadowrun, D&D,etc.
The fact that they have an RPG is pushing for a fanbase that is not normally interested in that type of game.
And the fact that it has a fanbase within battletech players is amazing.
As for Mechwarrior: Destiny
It suffers from the same issues that a lot of RPG including shadowrun 6th ED have these days.
Catchphrasitus: Simplified, streamlined, easy to learn, faster, storytelling.
The problem here is that these terms tend to only appeal to part-time, casual-gamer's
The type that will give you a quick first book sales high, but never provide a sold sales base going forward.
And the idea that it can be used as a intro drug for the core RPG is silly.
That's like saying because they like Monopoly we can use it as a gateway into Twilight Imperium.
Now will it get CGL a quick buck, sure will it be sustainable from this, not likely.