Question about CGL books.

[Teejay75]

I'm still relatively new to BT. I dabbled a little as a teenager but it's been years (read decades) since I really got into the BT universe. I bought all of the CGL box sets and forcepacks so that my son and I can play. We've started with Alpha Strike and are easing our way into "regular" Battletech. I bought the Alpha Strike rulebook. I've seen some of the campaign and source books like Battle for Tukayyid, Tamar Rising, Dominions Divided, IlClan, and Empire Alone, as well as Total Warfare. Some are still available in print but others are only available in PDF. Does Catalyst do reprints on the ones that are sold out or will I be consigned to buying the electronic versions? I realize that the PDFs have their advantages but I'm 52 now and I guess it's my age but I prefer to have a physical copy of a book in my hands instead of a tablet.

[ColBosch]

Some older books are available as print-on-demand from DriveThruRPG. CGL is aware of the demand - and the absolutely insane prices some titles are going for on the secondary market - but they're a small outfit. It takes a surprising amount of work to scan a physical book and convert it to a saleable PDF, let alone get the quality you want for print-on-demand.

[Aresneo]

I've seen some of the campaign and source books like Battle for Tukayyid, Tamar Rising, Dominions Divided, IlClan, and Empire Alone, as well as Total Warfare. Some are still available in print but others are only available in PDF. Does Catalyst do reprints on the ones that are sold out or will I be consigned to buying the electronic versions?

All of the listed books, and all other books released as hard cover, are currently in print, it just takes time between print runs, and since fulfillment is about to start for the Mercenaries Kickstarter the most recent print runs have been sent to the fulfillment centers and the copies left after fulfillment is complete will then be sent to the normal warehouse.

[dgorsman]

Recent books that are sold out on the online store are usually up for a restock at some point - it's just a matter of patience and keeping an eye on the online store or shelves at the local brick and mortar.  Older books, as mentioned in the other post, are strictly PDF as the layout materials that are not outright missing (i.e. the scans of a printed book are the only material available) are not digital and require massive rework to send for printing.  So there's zero practical chance of seeing a new print run of, say, the Clan Wolf or Jade Falcon Sourcebooks.

[Greatclub]

Anything shattered fortress or older is not going to be reprinted. Hopefully more of it will see POD, but as mentioned that's a PITA to set up (and maybe keep set up.)

Still hoping for shattered fortress and FM 3085 in POD, but I might be hoping in vain.

[Aresneo]

Still hoping for shattered fortress and FM 3085 in POD, but I might be hoping in vain.

Ay book published by Catalyst is on the short list for POD release as they have all of the files so its easier to update. Shattered Fortress has been explicitly mentioned as one of the books that will be done sooner then later (with only Brush Wars, Wars of the Republic Era, and Operation Klondike being ahead of it).

[Greatclub]

wasn't brush wars FanPro? I guess I can see why it would be a priority though.

[ColBosch]

wasn't brush wars FanPro? I guess I can see why it would be a priority though.

Yeah, but it's still the same production team.  The real cut-off is the year 2000, because that was still FASA and all of those files are lost (well, any that existed - the 1980s and early 90s books were still paste jobs). And, of course, anything before about 1996 likely has images of the Unseen, so that's more work to remove those pictures.