Shouldn't this thread be in the Sourcebook forum?
Anyway, I just finished reading ER 3145, and I'll chime in with my thoughts after my first reading.
The fiction was nice, but the military command relationships yanked me right out of the story. They didn't make sense to me.
Kurita:
[spoiler] I was surprised to see Yori and Katana surviving concurrently, particularly with the heavy handedness of the overall universe arc these last ten years [/spoiler]
Davion:
[spoiler] Caleb is dead. He has been that realm's only ruler with any serious faults since the major fiction storyline began with the Fourth Succession War (Katherine's common association is with the Lyrans, although she was indeed ruler of the Suns for a time). I think the authors have cheated themselves out of some great fiction, except that novels aren't published anymore, so I guess its a zero sum after all. [/spoiler]
Liao:
[spoiler] Wow they won! :o And nobody died! :o [/spoiler]
Marik:
[spoiler] I still can't tell what'sgoing on there ;D [/spoiler]
Steiner:
[spoiler] Trillian being portrayed as bad? Trillian? And they don't do it in a novel, just a few lines in an era report! That's like having Huckleberry Finn or Treasure Island spoiled for you by cliff notes. Oh well. [/spoiler]
The Old Republic Republic of the Sphere:
[spoiler] Yoda Devlin Stone is alive. The Republic is still hiding down its rabbit hole. And they are still maouthing pious plattitudes. *yawn* [/spoiler]
Clans:
[spoiler] Malvina is nearly assassinated, and spends many weeks in a coma. Again, great novel material fast-tracked here. :( Alaric seems to still be on his long, steady plan to become Archon Khan, which is good story-wise. Clan Nova Cat has gone the way of the Blood Spirits, courtesy Toranaga and the DCMS. This would have been GREAT Gen Con-Origins gaming material. (Unless that's what happened last year when I was unable to attend Gen Con) [/spoiler]
Mercenaries:
[spoiler]The Kell Hounds were wiped out, but then came back from the grave! And there was reference to Avanti's Angels, so at least I know that they managed to survive through the Dark Age. And Wolf's Dragoons are working for the Dragon again! [/spoiler]
Bad Guys:
[spoiler] The Com Guard 1st Division lives![/spoiler]
Art was hit-or-miss. There was some which was really nice, but overall this may be the most lackluster collection of portrait art I've seen. And on nother sad note (or nitpick ;) ) Battletech heraldry still makes 'cowards' out of many of its units. :(
Overall some really, really good info on House and Clan units. There have been a few House regiments whose colors, which haven't seen sunlight for centuries, have been reactivated and are serving line units once again! This certainly is a long awaited update, and effectively executed.
