Author Topic: What Kind of Sourcebooks Suit YOUR Fancy? (Read 38385 times)

mechgregor · « **Reply #30 on:** 13 August 2011, 03:06:45 »

Historicals and plot sourcebooks for me

wasp · « **Reply #31 on:** 13 August 2011, 04:36:09 »

I voted Era reports and Other. I figure Era Reports and Historicals are very similar so I only voted for one. I also voted other, because I would like to see the Record Sheets for all the recent TROs/XTROs which have been done recently. The way I figure it, we can have all the TRO/XTRO units that we want, but what is the point if we don't have the official sheets to actually play the units?

By the way it is possible that records sheets fall under the PDF clause in the poll, but I wanted it known that we need those anyway.

Wasp

Lorcan Nagle · « **Reply #32 on:** 13 August 2011, 05:32:13 »

I voted Era Reports and Plot Sourcebooks. Historicals came a close third.

While I understand why it's being done, I think one TRO a year might be too many. I like how prototypes is focusing mainly on variants, but coming a year after one of the biggest TROs ever, and only a couple of years after 3075, it's a bit of an overload.

Paint it Pink · « **Reply #33 on:** 13 August 2011, 06:36:21 »

IMNSHO there are only two things that matter; the plot and the tools to further the advancement of the plot.

DEZOAT · « **Reply #34 on:** 13 August 2011, 06:47:43 »

I voted. Now if I was in the store to buy the books above choice ,with gun to my head. #P I,ll be dead after picking up the thrid choice.

Wotan · « **Reply #35 on:** 13 August 2011, 08:17:33 »

I would love to see the line of House Books completed. But as there is officially no demand, i voted for FMs and Historicals. I always enjoyed to read facts and therefore were not pleased with the Jihad style plot books (haven't read WoR yet, so it is out of judging ;) ). 'War of 3039', 'Brush Wars' and 'Operation Klondike' are some of the best sourcebooks i ever read for BT.
Btw. i have already stoped to purchase new TROs, because there is way enough equipment to play.

Dragon · « **Reply #36 on:** 13 August 2011, 08:41:58 »

I have always been drawn to the history of the game, thus Historicals was an easy choice. Plot source books came in second. While I may not like a lot from 3057 onward, I still like to keep up with what is going on in the universe. Era reports was a very close third. The products coming out are excellent, so I'll be drawn to just about anything Catalyst creates :).

Fletch · « **Reply #37 on:** 13 August 2011, 08:56:36 »

Field Manuals and Plot Sourcebooks. TRO's are bread and butter of BT and will always be around.

Daryk · « **Reply #38 on:** 13 August 2011, 09:03:28 »

I voted Era Reports mostly for the RPG data, and Historicals because I find the pre-Clan invasion timeline so much more interesting.

WeaponX · « **Reply #39 on:** 13 August 2011, 09:32:27 »

I'd like to see Handbook: Clans of the Inner Sphere and Deep Periphery. This can cover the Bears/Rasalhague, Falcons, Wolves/WIE, Horses, Ravens, Sharks and Scorpions/Ice Hellions. If the Major Periphery states get a Handbook, I don't see why at the very least the IS Clans don't get one too, if only to complete the Handbook series.

Wolf Lancer 4 · « **Reply #40 on:** 13 August 2011, 10:03:15 »

I myself prefer Historicals because I like reading about the battles and wars that are fought. Even little small battles interest me.

I also prefer Field Manuals. I like to know what "shape" a faction is in at a certain time. I also like reading about units and possibly new paint schemes to use.

E. Icaza · « **Reply #41 on:** 13 August 2011, 10:15:57 »

Era Reports & Historicals.

Mattlov · « **Reply #42 on:** 13 August 2011, 11:22:14 »

Quote from: HABeas2 on 12 August 2011, 21:40:45

Hello,

o.O Did someone schedule a product and not tell me? I know nothing of a TRO 3095...

Thank you,

- Herbert Beas
BattleTech
Catalyst Game Labs

I thought another TRO was coming out this year. I may have gotten the year wrong.

panzerfaust150 · « **Reply #43 on:** 13 August 2011, 11:45:05 »

Honestly, I'd want more historicals and field manuals. Heck, if there was a way to combine the two? I'd be pretty happy as most of my CBT gaming is set in the past.

Neufeld · « **Reply #44 on:** 13 August 2011, 12:46:42 »

I voted Historicals and Other = Objectives.

Historicals because I am more interested in seeing the past history getting filled out than rushing to the Dark Age. I am especially interested in the 1st and 3rd Succession Wars, Age of War and future Brush Wars products. I also prefer their meaty history-book style over the rules-heavy and fluff light Era Reports, and over the newspaper-clipping style Jihad sourcebooks.

I voted other, and specifies Objectives, since while I like Field Manuals and knowing what units exists and their history, I am even more interested in what is being produced at a specified point in time.

As for TROs, while I like them, I feel that the current pacing is enough, and I would also prefer that the record sheet team was able to catch up.

Niopsian · « **Reply #45 on:** 13 August 2011, 12:58:21 »

Herb, I have a question about Field Manuals vs. Era Reports.

If individualized Field Manuals (like FM:Federated Suns or FM: Crusader Clans) are harder sells than 'batch' books like FM Updates or FM: 3085 then does that mean that future Field Manuals (if any) will be based around a specific theme or time period? If they're period based, what differentiates them from the Era Report series? Are the Era Reports going to stick with the past, or might we find ourselves some day with concurrent products like a Field Manual: 3200 and an Era Report 3202?

Just curious. The more books the merrier. O0

Krimsonholt · « **Reply #46 on:** 13 August 2011, 13:48:55 »

I would like to see more sourcebooks for set periods of history. Contained in the sourcebook would be fluff/plot drivers focused on how the factions represented in the book wage war.
(i.e. war industry capacity; equipment availability; unit/nation/faction capabilities and doctrine; plus possible hints/teasers on further plot drivers.)
The purpose for this sourcebook or PDF is to give a 'light' framework for individual campaigns set in that era.
Possible examples would be: (all examples set into that specific era)
1. Faction Intro
2. Current history focused on:
Political Agenda
Socio/economic Indicators
Allies/Enemies
3. Industry Overview focused on:
Strength
R & D
Imports/Exports
4. State of the Military (Aero/Ground/Transport) focused on:
War Technology gained and lost.
Prominent combat units from that Era.
Prominant battles from that Era.
5. Closing comments on the faction represented focused on:
Strength/Weakness of military deployment.
Future hints/plot drivers used to present the gameplayer with possible suggestions for gameplay scenarios and campaigns.
..
Each faction for that era should have no more than 10-15 pages.
..
I think this would be a great way to 'lightly cover' certain Battletech Universe Eras that are not currently represented by sourcebooks/PDFs. (i.e. 2nd succession war, 3090-3130, etc)

Ruger · « **Reply #47 on:** 13 August 2011, 14:56:20 »

Where's the "All of the Above" option?

Seriously though...I really enjoy all of them, but being able to only choose two, I went with TRO's and Historicals...really loving both of these...

But also love plot books...and Field Manuals...and Era Reports...and...well, you get the idea...

Ruger

SteveRestless · « **Reply #48 on:** 13 August 2011, 15:52:23 »

Voted Era Report and Plot Soucebooks, with the following two caveats in mind:

(1) Print is nice, but I'm just as happy with PDF.

(2) Plot Sourcebooks that contain information that cannot be trusted as canoical are beyond worthless to me. Soucebooks have to be trustworthy, or they're of no more value to me than fanfiction, regardless of their company origin.

Fallen_Raven · « **Reply #49 on:** 13 August 2011, 16:12:19 »

While I voted for Era Reports and Historicals, I would like to mention an "other". The Starter Books were quite nice, with a good mix of unit information, new rides to take to the field, fun tracks to play in a campaign, and flavor from the pilot writeups. If a similar concept were used for a "Chaos Campaign" Sourcebook or Famous Merc product (because the idea works best with independent units) I would buy it as quickly as I could.

worktroll · « **Reply #50 on:** 13 August 2011, 16:16:48 »

TROs. Loves me new art & fluff for more 'Mechs. For those concerned about TRO proliferation, heck I'd buy back-historicals - eg. ones covering existing variants. I'd love to know where the sublime CDA-3F Cicada came from - as long as we got new art matching the specs. Lots of opportunity there for all the RS:U units at a very minimum!

Otherwise, torn between historicals and plot sourcebooks, largely because they're the same thing just in present or past tense ;)

W.

rim_pirate · « **Reply #51 on:** 13 August 2011, 17:01:00 »

Tough choice, but I had to go with plot books, as they are essential to moving the universe foreward, and with Other. I'd love to see more books like the Interstellar Players series or Explorer Corps, filled to the brim with RPG hooks.

Midnightsun · « **Reply #52 on:** 13 August 2011, 19:20:01 »

Plot sourcebooks, easy number 1. It was the plot sourcebooks ( and novels) that made me fall in love with Battletech. WoR is one of the best of the plot sourcebooks in my mind, and I can't wait to play a few games set during it.

Historicals would be number two for me. I have loved all the historicals, especially Reunification war.

Red Pins · « **Reply #53 on:** 13 August 2011, 20:02:20 »

...I voted Field Manuals and Plot Sourcebooks. If there was a third, I'd vote 'novels' - I haven't been impressed with many of them, they seem so - plastic, unreal, with stiff, unrealistic characters - but you'd have to find a really good writer. Frankly, I think novels might be the most important, but that isn't what the poll is for.

The TROs are wearing thin - I've always described the game as 'chess with a couple hundred different types of pieces", but the choices are getting overwhelming. Its getting to the point where I don't use them because I already have a mini/RS for a fire upport/brawler/fast recon/whatever-unit or I don't have the time to look up their new/experimental/non-tournament tech. Its getting to the point I have to choose ERA, then units. Frankly, I think you should wipe some of them out by just decreeing them as extinct or isolated custom units.

FM's may not sell well, but how about FM: U? Why not use it as a guide? For a long time now, the FMs have been my favorite books. And plot sourcebooks - we're in this pit of a plot device called the 'dark ages', ever since Wizkids. Advance the plot, and get us out of it into something new (sounding), besides another Succession War or something.

HABeas2 · « **Reply #54 on:** 13 August 2011, 20:19:08 »

Hello,

Quote from: Niopsian on 13 August 2011, 12:58:21

If individualized Field Manuals (like FM:Federated Suns or FM: Crusader Clans) are harder sells than 'batch' books like FM Updates or FM: 3085 then does that mean that future Field Manuals (if any) will be based around a specific theme or time period? If they're period based, what differentiates them from the Era Report series? Are the Era Reports going to stick with the past, or might we find ourselves some day with concurrent products like a Field Manual: 3200 and an Era Report 3202?

Field Manuals are army-only books covering a given era point at some lull in the fighting (generally set in the timeline's current "present"). Era Reports cover the general background of a historical period, without specific army data, and are built more with an RPG/campaign approach that lets players set their own stories in such a backdrop.

Thank you,

- Herbert Beas
BattleTech
Catalyst Game Labs

HABeas2 · « **Reply #55 on:** 13 August 2011, 20:21:03 »

Hello,

Quote from: Mattlov on 13 August 2011, 11:22:14

I thought another TRO was coming out this year. I may have gotten the year wrong.

Nope.

Thank you,

- Herbert Beas
BattleTech
Catalyst Game Labs

Dragon Cat · « **Reply #56 on:** 13 August 2011, 20:24:54 »

I said era reports because an in depth look at a specific era is great - similarly with the Era Digrest series gives you a real feel for the era.

I avoided TROs because currently there are way to many of them when you factor in the XTROs 3085, Prototypes, and then 3095 it's kinda insane.

So my second went on plot books because there's so much more plot to come. I hated the Jihad Hot Spots books when they first came out but ended up loving them as the series went on as little bits picked up in one featured again and again in others.

Reaving I look forward to the paper proper book before I get it same as the Reunification War because the PDFs agre good but real books are fantastic.

Keep up the great work and I'll keep buying

manticore72 · « **Reply #57 on:** 13 August 2011, 22:02:25 »

Quote from: Cyttorak on 12 August 2011, 20:19:28

1) historicals, because there are great swaths of BT history that have never been covered. This would give players an excuse to dig out those old 3025-era 'mechs.
2) field manuals, because I'm a painter and I want MORE SCHEMES!

+1

Leonard Kerensky · « **Reply #58 on:** 13 August 2011, 22:32:27 »

Era Reports and Historicals.

what good is having a box full of toys if you do not have battles to fight with them?

Demos · « **Reply #59 on:** 14 August 2011, 01:37:32 »

Historicals and Field Manuals
A close third is the plot sourcebook (and in fact would be replacing the FM if not for the snippet style of the JHS. A WoR style plotbook would be preferred over a Field manual).

Of course I'll buy all of them them..

(And I really hope, that we se in a few years a two-or-three volumed historical "The Jihad" :) )

Poll

Of the types of (print) sourcebooks described below, what would you like to see more of? (Pick TWO):

Author Topic: What Kind of Sourcebooks Suit YOUR Fancy? (Read 38385 times)