Author Topic: Reconfirming the canonicity of the MWO Hero 'Mech fluff  (Read 3377 times)

Frabby

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Reconfirming the canonicity of the MWO Hero 'Mech fluff
« on: 12 December 2017, 12:39:53 »
Randall Bills, with BattleTech Line Developer hat on, declared the fluff for MWO Hero 'Mechs to be fully canonical for BattleTech (even when MWO content otherwise isn't considered canon).

Does that ruling still stand?

Because it would, among other things, canonize the MWO-created Roughneck BattleMech, Loader King IndustrialMech, and Sun Spider OmniMech through their Hero 'Mech variants.
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Adrian Gideon

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Re: Reconfirming the canonicity of the MWO Hero 'Mech fluff
« Reply #1 on: 12 December 2017, 15:12:44 »
More or less.
It’s absolutely canon for MWO.
It’s probably, leaning toward is, canon for CGL.
But let’s be adult here and realize that these are two different properties, two different licensees who work together but are ultimately seperate. So while we can say “the Roughneck is canon,” we can’t use the Roughneck artwork. Which puts it in a greyer area than most other things.

Basically “yes,” but for anything like that, be it the Sun Spider or the Aurigan Coalition, you’d really have to wait to see what CGL does with it to see how it fits in “CGL canon.” Because while we want (and try) to see everything BattleTech under one umbrella of canon (thus, Randall’s ruling), it truly is more like a Venn diagram.
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Frabby

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Re: Reconfirming the canonicity of the MWO Hero 'Mech fluff
« Reply #2 on: 13 December 2017, 03:59:59 »
Thanks for your reply. However...  O:-)
It’s probably, leaning toward is, canon for CGL.

The point is that (then-LD) Randall Bills declared the Hero 'Mech fluff to be fully canonical for CGL.
My question in that other forum was specifically about "BattleTech Canon (on the CGL side of things)," and whether the fluff would be "canonical for the core (CGL) BatteTech lore", and he explicitly affirmed that.

Should we understand your statement as quoted above to mean the absolute canonization of the Hero 'Mech fluff is rescinded, putting MWO content squarely back to apocryphal status like the other computer games?

(Sorry to be a pain in the behind, but Canon status should be a binary yes/no issue. I know that Randall likes to play hard and fast with canon, but in this respect I liked Herb's tightly run ship much better. On the Sarna BattleTechWiki side of things, we like to cover our bases re: canon because any little fact can have a huge impact on the larger picture.)
« Last Edit: 13 December 2017, 04:01:34 by Frabby »
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Adrian Gideon

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Re: Reconfirming the canonicity of the MWO Hero 'Mech fluff
« Reply #3 on: 13 December 2017, 10:47:08 »
Ok.
On sarna you actually define what is canon according to sarna.
By those terms, then no. By those terms, do you see?

Now when you’re discussing the Hero ‘Mech fluff, there is nothing there that contradicts canon for current CGL publication. There is no issue with those being declared canon. I don’t see any reason to call that rescinded. When you’re talking completely new material—like completely new—like a ‘Mech design, or even another faction, I’m sorry but it is not a binary answer and we have no choice but to accept that.

Venn diagram.
« Last Edit: 13 December 2017, 12:11:09 by Adrian Gideon »
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Frabby

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Re: Reconfirming the canonicity of the MWO Hero 'Mech fluff
« Reply #4 on: 13 December 2017, 16:41:07 »
That answers my question.
Many thanks for putting up with me. :)

That said - I think there was a misunderstanding. Let me stress that at Sarna we don't presume to have the right to judge on canon.
There is no "definition of canon according to Sarna". There is only the definition of canon according to CGL that is relevant on Sarna.
(And no Venn diagram - Sarna considers classic BattleTech as licensed by IMR/CGL to be the core BattleTech IP, and PGI and HBS are third parties to that with no innate power to create canon.)

« Last Edit: 13 December 2017, 16:47:52 by Frabby »
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