What if? : Downgraded and primitive/retrotech Mechs were 3rd Succession War?

[The Wobbly Guy]

Though it is still an interesting question why no one bothered to build more primitive engines which according to the lore requirtes a less skilled workstaff, less resources and less sophisticated production facilities.

Maybe because by the time of the SWs they didn't even know there used to be PFEs in the past. It took the discovery of the Dallas core to regain this knowledge, or simply regaining XLFEs and gaining compacts, to realise that the tech could go the other way.

[Wrangler]

The Rommel and Patton tanks were introed in 3027 when the IS was already starting to recover and the FWL still made a ICE version called the Axel in 3036 so fusion engines were becoming more available but not everywhere. So there would still be a need for alternative to standard fusion engines. Primitive fusion engines would be a good replacement but with fusion being so much better than the alternatives I suspect that if anyone tried to produce them they'd have been a target for nukes or ROM. 

There older tanks that predate those two main battletech tanks such as the Tiger Medium Tank was ICE, the Behemoth Tank was still chugging along, could be easily be primitive-ized. The Estevez Main Battle Tank which was primitive tank to begin with could have been brought back as well with perhaps better gun, such as AC/5 or dare I say keep the Heavy Rifle it was sporting.

[RifleMech]

There older tanks that predate those two main battletech tanks such as the Tiger Medium Tank was ICE, the Behemoth Tank was still chugging along, could be easily be primitive-ized. The Estevez Main Battle Tank which was primitive tank to begin with could have been brought back as well with perhaps better gun, such as AC/5 or dare I say keep the Heavy Rifle it was sporting.

Sure but I don't recall there being a shortage of standard ICE. Going to a primitive ICE would be a needless downgrade. Going to a support vehicle with less than BAR10 armor would be also. As an upgrade for a low tech planet they'd work but if the planet can make combat vehicles, they'd be better off making them. If they can't make combat vehicles hopefully they'd make the best support combat vehicle their tech allows.

[CarcosanDawn]

Fusion engines were common enough that the FWL put surplus Fusion engines from the Stewart plant into Vedettes just to see what would happen in 3027. (I.e. a prototype/experiment)