Author Topic: Aurigan Reach (Read 42818 times)

Icerose20 · « **Reply #210 on:** 16 November 2018, 13:55:05 »

I wonder what some writers of the Battletech Franchise would say the possible fates of the Reach are. Not to fit cannon per say, but thier thought of who the players are, are they up to it, and maybe how they view the 'Galaxy'. I understand is probably never happen, but just listening to their thoughts woudl be intresting. Did we miss something? Did they miss something?

Kind of a tangent, but interesting in my mind at least. I'd think I would be quiet for hours during it.

I should take this to heart, but as the Great Henrietta Lang said "Hater gonna hate"

Elmoth · « **Reply #211 on:** 16 November 2018, 14:30:06 »

The fall of the Reach would be a great starting point for a new Merc unit as well. An ex-house unit that does not want to be part of the taurian concordat since they still remember the atrocities the they committed in the restoration effort.

Azakael · « **Reply #212 on:** 16 November 2018, 15:55:45 »

Quote from: Icerose20 on 16 November 2018, 12:11:34

Or, heaven forbid, something goes right.

*snip*
I think the reason most people seem to be pushing for the Aurigan Reach collapsing/ falling apart/ what-have-you, is that it would be the easiest way for them to be integrated into the timeline with the least amount of retconning.

Liam's Ghost · « **Reply #213 on:** 16 November 2018, 17:56:21 »

Quote from: Azakael on 16 November 2018, 15:55:45

*snip*
I think the reason most people seem to be pushing for the Aurigan Reach collapsing/ falling apart/ what-have-you, is that it would be the easiest way for them to be integrated into the timeline with the least amount of retconning.

There simply isn't a lot of room for them having survived in their current form in the canon. Two Aurigan planets in Taurian hands alone is enough to indicate that they started declining.

Though this doesn't necessarily mean they have to have completely died out. If they existed and weren't annexed by the Taurians and Canopeans into the new colony region, then it suggests that they would have enough autonomy to both want to remain free from the other power and convince the other powers to leave them alone.

Icerose20 · « **Reply #214 on:** 19 November 2018, 01:04:15 »

Looking over the maps from 3025, onward.

Two worlds on the spinward side fo the Reach definitively changed hands. Aea, and Regis Roost to the Taurians. They probably got Qalzi also. Artru and Katinka are possibilities, but lines never work in space. Brinton, which is usually the first system of the TC you visit, has been 'lost' which doesnt mean anything. The Rest of the Reach is lost also, so, nothing. Remember, the Inner Sphere considers all the Perphiery as Pirates and rapid surivialists.

Qalzi ia a recently colonised world, so Coromodir could have just not funded it any more, and the planet governement asked for TC help to protect it. Qazli was a money sink right now for the Reach, so its loss would not be that big a deal.

Aea is just as small population, so again, not much of a material loss.

Regis Roost is again a recently colonised world, with a fungi problem. Again, not much of a material loss.

Katinka is intresting. Not recently colonised, but does have a badly damaged ecosytem from some Mass Drivers targeting the planet, but seems to self-sufficient.

Then Artru, yeah, not much to say.

These worlds could be a swap between the TC and AC, with Lady Arano allowing those worlds to switch if they vote for it. TC gets to claim worlds where alot of hard work of colonising them has been done, and could offer the AC economic aid to even a MFN staus.

While the Coromodir would lose prestige losing those worlds to the TC, other then Katinka and maybe Artru, its not a another bodyblow to the economy of the Aurigan Reach.

Panzyr, Smithon, Tyrlon. Itrom, Guldra, and Coromodir are the core systems of the Coalition, and no one gets to claiming them. Fronc Reaches are close in the 3140s, but nothing definite. With the TC literally abandoning the recently colonized planets form the 3030s and 40s, some worlds could join the AC.

Now, i am just theory crafting the Coalition survival to the Wobbie temper tantrum. That is another brainstorm exercise. (Why did you do the Blake Jihad like that? (Shakes fist) CLICKYTEK!!!)

Liam's Ghost · « **Reply #215 on:** 19 November 2018, 01:30:27 »

Brinton is quarantined due to a Capellan biological attack during the Third Succession War. The planet is still a producing member of the Concordat (they seal their products in a completely sterile environment, then vent the atmosphere of the dropship's cargo bay in space for good measure), but it's definitely not the first place you want to visit. :P

(there was a running discussion for years as to exactly why Brinton disappeared from the map despite getting mention in both periphery books and later. I can't remember when exactly the biological attack was canonized, though a reference to taurian "warships" patrolling the jump points caused no end of grief).

Another thing to keep in mind is that around half of the Aurigan wolds were former Taurian possessions (the other half belonged to the Capellans) colonized sometime after the reunification war. In the case of the Taurians, they weren't formally abandoned until after the second succession war. Canonically, there's very little time for them to have gone from the Taurian Concordat to the Aurigan Confederation.

The narrative kinda writes itself. The Taurians and Capellans were both forced to back out of the region for economic reasons and the locals had to band together to protect themselves. I'm just not sure how well Hairbrained scheme's story writes itself in terms of the canon.

Icerose20 · « **Reply #216 on:** 19 November 2018, 01:52:54 »

Thats why I have Darius, I dont need to go down there.

Let him deal with that dangerous supply runs. (And Yang does not do any supply runs. I am certain he is trying to get back at me with those 'Triple F Burgers' he so happened to find)

Maybe ill write a bad fanfic, with my merc unit kicking the crap out of all comers, and putting Kamea on the Star League throne.

(Shifty look)

Maybe I can get Colbert's writers to help, comedy is always welcomed, especially if it outrageous.

Nav_Alpha · « **Reply #217 on:** 19 November 2018, 06:24:55 »

Quote from: Icerose20 on 19 November 2018, 01:52:54

Thats why I have Darius, I dont need to go down there.

Let him deal with that dangerous supply runs. (And Yang does not do any supply runs. I am certain he is trying to get back at me with those 'Triple F Burgers' he so happened to find)

Maybe ill write a bad fanfic, with my merc unit kicking the crap out of all comers, and putting Kamea on the Star League throne.

(Shifty look)

Maybe I can get Colbert's writers to help, comedy is always welcomed, especially if it outrageous.

All my Mechjocks do is sit around and play Mechwarrior related computer games...

Elmoth · « **Reply #218 on:** 19 November 2018, 06:34:30 »

Yeah. the original crew has an easy life in my run of the game as well. Except behemoth, that runs the highlander, the others just get there eating fresh tomatoes, playing sims and swimming in the low grav pool. And getting paid quite handlily. Only when my 3 main characters get injured are they called forward for one or 2 missions.

A dead Reach is a great story that fits the universe and the toughness of the periphery. 20 system mini-empire? Gone with no trace. Tough life and business as usual.
In the same line, I found it sad that they did not take advantage of the shake up of the FWL and create 3 or 4 smaller powers from the once great dominion. It would have been nice to shake the IS map a little bit. it could have caused some changeds in the lyran border without having to relocate a whole clan occupation zone so easily (something I find rather bad in universe and stretches believability, BTW). But hey, so is life.

Cheers,
Xavi

Icerose20 · « **Reply #219 on:** 19 November 2018, 10:48:28 »

I would find it a dull story. With the next few decades in lore, that this spunky nation went out with a whimper, just seems to me to be the writing of meme RR Martin.

Kovax · « **Reply #220 on:** 19 November 2018, 12:29:03 »

It needs to lose some worlds to fit into canon. That doesn't mean that it's gone, just that it's smaller. The realities of the situation make it look bleak, but that doesn't mean that it's "game over", and Kamea and her family might still retain power on a smaller cluster of worlds, existing "below the radar" for the vast majority of the Inner Sphere. It could also have struck a deal with one of several larger Periphery states, giving up some control in exchange for protection and continued rule of the remaining worlds as a semi-autonomous vassal or protectorate of that larger power. The IS might even view it as an integral part of that state, so the "lost" worlds might still be governed in effect by the Aurigan regional capital.

Tai Dai Cultist · « **Reply #221 on:** 19 November 2018, 14:41:09 »

The HBS vision of the BTU writ large is that ownership of (even control of) a planet is not an absolute thing. How many Davion worlds on the map have active Kurita-affiliated factions in them? Pretty much all of them, despite the worlds all being on the other side of the Inner Sphere from the Combine.

So you could have the "Aurigan Coalition" surviving into eras where it doesn't exist on canonical maps without conflicting with those maps... the state just doesn't own any planets entirely... it could exist as a Hansa-like array of enclaves across several planets even while they own none of those planets entirely.

skiltao · « **Reply #222 on:** 19 November 2018, 17:27:08 »

I never used the starmap when I played the videogame, so everything I know about the Aurigan Coalition comes from the original kickstarter post, namely:

The Aurigans started with Coromodir, Itrom, Tyrlon and Guldra and then expanded towards Capellan space.
The Aurigans have not consolidated their current phase of expansion.
The map marks the core Aurigan worlds differently than contested worlds like Qalzi.

So, as far as I can tell, the Aurigans are a trade coalition of nine worlds which collapse into civil war when they try to extend their reach. Their subsequent status is unknown but (based on a survey of small periphery nations in 3025) the largest surviving fragment could retain as many as seven worlds. The military force I encountered during my playthrough was appropriate for a nation of that size.

I will have to agree and disagree about Kamea's role in the Aurigan's inability to consolidate the Reach. The Coalition was already over-extended, and the choice between Kamea and her uncle strikes me as a choice between consolidating and continuing to gamble; I don't think the design of the game allows us a good view of which would be more successful.

Icerose20 · « **Reply #223 on:** 19 November 2018, 19:44:36 »

The game in finish form doesn’t have that stated to any degree. All you know of the rift between Kamea and her uncle is what happens afterwards. He dethrones her and tries to kill her and you. Then you see Weldry, with what Espinoza is will to do, yeah, he’s dead. Espinosa did the Holodomor to do industrization.

glitterboy2098 · « **Reply #224 on:** 19 November 2018, 21:23:21 »

one way they could retroactively include a "broad strokes" version of the Coalition would be to have the Fronc Reachers having expanded into the that area post-3150 (thus making the game's post-script at least partially true), have it be labelled "aurigan reach" in regards to astrocartography, and include some stuff about how there had been a small and relatively shortlived nation in the area that had only last (insert # of generations here) before breaking up due to a civil war in (insert years here)

that way you can canonize the nation and general story, without having to address any specific details. it isn't like BT's sourcebooks haven't done this sort of thing before regarding the periphery, pretty much all of the periphery's finer details (and more than a few nations) have been inserted retroactively to some degree or another,

Hammerpilot IIC · « **Reply #225 on:** 20 November 2018, 12:05:40 »

Quote from: ANS Kamas P81 on 16 November 2018, 05:12:33

Not until Hanse Davion's CLONE'S marriage proposal gets misrouted to Kamea, and she accepts.

Fixed that for ya. :D

Daemion · « **Reply #226 on:** 22 November 2018, 10:07:01 »

Quote from: glitterboy2098 on 19 November 2018, 21:23:21

one way they could retroactively include a "broad strokes" version of the Coalition would be to have the Fronc Reachers having expanded into the that area post-3150 (thus making the game's post-script at least partially true), have it be labelled "aurigan reach" in regards to astrocartography, and include some stuff about how there had been a small and relatively shortlived nation in the area that had only last (insert # of generations here) before breaking up due to a civil war in (insert years here)

that way you can canonize the nation and general story, without having to address any specific details. it isn't like BT's sourcebooks haven't done this sort of thing before regarding the periphery, pretty much all of the periphery's finer details (and more than a few nations) have been inserted retroactively to some degree or another,

And, then allow for an alternate history in something like a Summerset Strikers source book?

I've seen how the devs have handled semi-canon or non-canon stuff in the past, and what you're proposing isn't a stretch.

And, it's not like people haven't deviated from the main storyline to have fun with an aspect they enjoy about the BT universe. I know I have.

In fact, I would enjoy a string of scenerios for the TableTop that follows a lot of the adventure in the BT PC game. I personally don't know if/when I'll get to play it, so having a write-up of the different events would be a nice thing.

Luciora · « **Reply #227 on:** 22 November 2018, 10:23:46 »

The Strikers adventures were later explained as an in-universe dramatic retelling of events for entertainment purposes. Much like how Pearl Harbor the movie was to the actual event. Or Macross: DYRL. Events happened and we just made them more exciting to see.

Apocal · « **Reply #228 on:** 22 November 2018, 13:13:39 »

Quote from: Icerose20 on 16 November 2018, 13:55:05

I wonder what some writers of the Battletech Franchise would say the possible fates of the Reach are. Not to fit cannon per say, but thier thought of who the players are, are they up to it, and maybe how they view the 'Galaxy'. I understand is probably never happen, but just listening to their thoughts woudl be intresting. Did we miss something? Did they miss something?

Kind of a tangent, but interesting in my mind at least. I'd think I would be quiet for hours during it.

I should take this to heart, but as the Great Henrietta Lang said "Hater gonna hate"

They owe the MoC quite a bit of money, so the Aurigan Reach does what the Magistrix says, probably. The realistic outcome isn't a free and prosperous Reach; it is a puppet-state as one of the better outcomes and outright annexation not being the absolute worst thing that could happen. At least in those cases, the MoC would have a decent reason to care that standards of living in the Reach don't become truly dire, lest everyone discover their house is poor order when refugees go to the Confederacy, the Concordart, the Federation and Canopus itself in massive job lots.

The bottom-tier option would be the MoC only having supported Kamea because part of their diplomatic program is simply opposing anything the Taurians do and since Espinoza was being bankrolled by the Concordat, supporting the usurped High Lady as a matter of course. Once that is done -- and Taurian attention to the area cools -- they pull their resources back to the pre-conflict level and let the Aurigans try to rebuild themselves. Which would be disastrous, given that Kamea is implied to have destroyed almost everything Espinoza built-up. In-game, it even mentions they still have to scramble for allies and patrons, with a political marriage for Kamea being one effective trump card in their deck, but not much else there.

Icerose20 · « **Reply #229 on:** 22 November 2018, 13:30:18 »

MoC got what they paid for Kamea on the throne, and by the end Kamea was having problems with money. And we all know about plausible deniability. It is in the interest of the MoC and the TC to ensure the AC stability. A stable AC would help with piracy in the area, and for their future 'colonizing' efforts in the area.

After 3058, when CC starts courting the TC and the MoC, it would get iffy.

Apocal · « **Reply #230 on:** 22 November 2018, 14:04:23 »

Quote from: Icerose20 on 22 November 2018, 13:30:18

It in the interest of the MoC and the TC to not hinder the AC from falling further.

I'm sure you didn't intend this sentence.

Icerose20 · « **Reply #231 on:** 22 November 2018, 15:26:37 »

Quote from: Apocal on 22 November 2018, 14:04:23

I'm sure you didn't intend this sentence.

yeah, changed it,
Sounded it better in my head.

Cubby · « **Reply #232 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:17:02 »

From over on the ole' Upcoming Releases thread:

Coming Soon - House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition!
Release Date: March 1, 2019

High Lady Kamea Arano dispatched the usurpers who stole her throne, dismantled their dictatorial government, and restored peace to the Aurigan Coalition. Now her true battle begins…

The Arano Restoration has succeeded, and High Lady Kamea rules over the reunited Aurigan Coalition. But all is not well—the Coalition’s hardscrabble planets teeter on the brink of collapse, while its powerful neighbors await another chance to subvert House Arano. More than ever, the Coalition needs warriors willing to do whatever it takes to claim victory.

Step into the Aurigan Coalition in this Print-on-Demand and PDF product which brings the setting of the hit PC strategy game BattleTech into the long-running tabletop experience. Learn the proud history of the Coalition and its hope for the future, then take up the defense of the Arano dynasty with four all-new scenarios picking up where the game left off. "House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition" is authored by Harebrained Schemes' Andrew McIntosh and Kiva Maginn, writers and developers of the BattleTech PC game.

To survive on the fringes of the Inner Sphere, those of noble birth must once again call on champions of mercenary mind.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #233 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:34:20 »

Its not Halloween . . . or April 1st . . .

Nifty, and in time for MechCon I would assume . . . lol, gives that crossover product certain people have been grumbling about.

Cubby · « **Reply #234 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:35:15 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 27 November 2018, 10:34:20

Nifty, and in time for MechCon I would assume . . . lol, gives that crossover product certain people have been grumbling about.

March 1, not Dec.

Luciora · « **Reply #235 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:37:33 »

Gets my money.

Quote from: Cubby on 27 November 2018, 10:17:02

From over on the ole' Upcoming Releases thread:

Coming Soon - House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition!
Release Date: March 1, 2019

High Lady Kamea Arano dispatched the usurpers who stole her throne, dismantled their dictatorial government, and restored peace to the Aurigan Coalition. Now her true battle begins…

The Arano Restoration has succeeded, and High Lady Kamea rules over the reunited Aurigan Coalition. But all is not well—the Coalition’s hardscrabble planets teeter on the brink of collapse, while its powerful neighbors await another chance to subvert House Arano. More than ever, the Coalition needs warriors willing to do whatever it takes to claim victory.

Step into the Aurigan Coalition in this exclusive PDF-only product which brings the setting of the hit PC strategy game BattleTech into the long-running tabletop experience. Learn the proud history of the Coalition and its hope for the future, then take up the defense of the Arano dynasty with four all-new scenarios picking up where the game left off. "House Arano: The Aurigan Coalition" is authored by Harebrained Schemes' Andrew McIntosh and Kiva Maginn, writers and developers of the BattleTech PC game.

To survive on the fringes of the Inner Sphere, those of noble birth must once again call on champions of mercenary mind.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #236 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:38:00 »

Sure, but its something to announce and have as a discussion for it.

"Hey, you loved fighting for Kamea but the game moved on with the expansion? Look, you can sit down and 'fight for the Coalition like you used to on the table top/experience a whole new game as you carry the Coalition's survival in your hands once again!'

LightGuard · « **Reply #237 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:48:27 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 27 November 2018, 10:38:00

Sure, but its something to announce and have as a discussion for it.

"Hey, you loved fighting for Kamea but the game moved on with the expansion? Look, you can sit down and 'fight for the Coalition like you used to on the table top/experience a whole new game as you carry the Coalition's survival in your hands once again!'

'This time, you can use any weapons you want without pesky hardpoint types in the way!'

#salty #alltheguns

Cubby · « **Reply #238 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:49:45 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 27 November 2018, 10:38:00

Sure, but its something to announce and have as a discussion for it.

Definitely. With Flashpoint coming out today and MechCon this weekend, I absolutely could not let the week pass without at least announcing this product.

Tai Dai Cultist · « **Reply #239 on:** 27 November 2018, 10:58:41 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 27 November 2018, 10:38:00

Sure, but its something to announce and have as a discussion for it.

"Hey, you loved fighting for Kamea but the game moved on with the expansion? Look, you can sit down and 'fight for the Coalition like you used to on the table top/experience a whole new game as you carry the Coalition's survival in your hands once again!'

Actually I want to fight for the Espinosas. The Directorate was the Reach's only hope!