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Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan






State of Jefferson

Battletech and its associated permutations (CityTech, AeroTech, BattleSomething) were my first true table top wargames. I bought the new (lol) FFG boxed set. Tonight I stumbled on to a book made by FASA? I had no idea they didnt go OOB. Finding their website, they have print books but no more boxed sets. Plus, on their forums, there's no BattleTech thread. What gives? Are they in charge of it or FFG?

Oh how I miss the tonnage equations and building and pkacing enough heat sinks so I dont melt into slag. And my buddy with his alpha striking medium jumpmech that would close in and unleash an ungodly amount of coruscating small lasers only to melt doen and eject.... youth....

So whats the story there?
   
Made in gb
Moustache-twirling Princeps




United Kingdom

The licence is split between a handful of companies (but I didn't know FFG had finger in that pie...)

Most of it is done by Catalyst Game Labs - http://www.catalystgamelabs.com/battletech/


Automatically Appended Next Post:
RPE (http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/battletech-c-1/) and IWM (http://www.ironwindmetals.com/store/index.php) do the metal miniatures.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/12/24 09:17:24


 
   
Made in us
Brigadier General






Chicago

AFAIK, there is no Fantasy Flight connection to Battletech.

FASA is mostly gone, but AFAIK, it still exists as an IP holding company.

Doktor_G has it right as far as Ironwind metals bing the USA maker of BT metal models and Catalyst game labs being the carrier of most other BT game products. The Battetech website and forums are here: http://bg.battletech.com

BT is alive and well and there are several boxed set options. There's the "Introductory Box set" which is an updated version (better mech models, prettier rules) of the boxed set you would probably remember. There's also Lance Packs which each contain 4 plastic mechs for 15-20 bucks. Then there's some similar metal packs which I don't know the name of. The current edition of the rules have only been slightly changed over the years and 99% of all the supplements, TRO's, sourcebooks, etc that were ever published are all still game legal. If you want to get back into the Battletech you remember, the "Total Warfare" rulebook is what you want.

The universe is still going relatively strong. The release of the fast-play, larger-battle "Alpha Strike" (a variant of the Battleforce rules) ruleset has proved quite popular and it's already got a rulebook, supplement and an upcoming boxed set.

Lastly, the timeline has likely advanced a bit since you last played. Succession wars (3030) and Clan invasion (3050) are still entirely supported, but theres now several more eras to play in and the timeline has advance to about 3145 or so.
http://bg.battletech.com/new-to-the-board-game/battletech-eras/

That means that BT now has a continuous timeline that stretches from the star league all the way forward to encompass the "Dark Age" era 3131+ that was the subject of the now-defunct clix game and a series of novels.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/12/24 15:41:05


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Yeah, Battletech still is moving along.

Main books list:
http://www.catalystgamelabs.com/battletech/ Main page.
http://bg.battletech.com/getting-started-as-a-tabletop-miniatures-game/ Alpha Strike. Lance based tabletop gaming.
http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3296 Introductory box set. Good start and a bit of a deal on miniatures.
http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_178&products_id=1734 Core rule book for the "board game".
http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=27_178 Core books list here.

General Battletech Info:
http://www.masterunitlist.info/ Master Units List!!! This is important, list of everything you need to know for every unit and make lance lists.
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page Wiki for all things Battletech.

Miniatures and Add-ons:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/index.php?cPath=16&osCsid=af1cc2kmv0uocn502of9s3m6o4 Ironwind Battletech Miniatures.
http://www.fightingpirannhagraphics.com/ Best place for Battletech decals.

Other fun going on:
http://mwomercs.com/ Mech Warrior Online. Great game, if you like the big stomping robot real-time fighting as an MMO.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/battletech A kickstarter for a turn based PC game for Battletech.

There, a lot to dive into there.

A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.
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Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan






State of Jefferson

Wow thanks guys! I'd like to check out Alpha Strike. I always saw pics in the magazine that fasa put out of miniatures style wargaming. Yes I was mistaken not FFG - Catalyst. My bad. I will refer back to this page for reference.

Thanks Everyone!
   
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I'm just getting back into BattleTech as well (got the new starter box, all the Alpha Strike 'Mech packs, and a bunch more metal vehicles and 'Mechs to add to my collection).

Going to convince/brainwash my group into giving it a try.

EDIT: And depending on where you are in the world, Ral Partha Europe, whilst not having an up to date catalogue of the latest releases, tends to be cheaper than buying from IWM.


This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/12/26 08:02:16


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"GW really needs to understand 'Less is more' when it comes to AoS." - Wha-Mu-077

 
   
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 doktor_g wrote:
Wow thanks guys! I'd like to check out Alpha Strike. I always saw pics in the magazine that fasa put out of miniatures style wargaming. Yes I was mistaken not FFG - Catalyst. My bad. I will refer back to this page for reference.

Thanks Everyone!


You're very welcome. Alpha Strike is a great game. At low levels of units (lance v lance) it feels a bit beer n pretezels, but once you get a company or so of mechs on each side, it's a pretty cool experience. It's no bad thing either that the Alpha strike stat card for virtually every version of every BT unit EVER released are free at the "Master Unit list".

http://www.masterunitlist.info

They're playing card size, so just print up, slide into a sleeve and get playing!

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 Eilif wrote:
AFAIK, there is no Fantasy Flight connection to Battletech.


BTW, I happened to be looking at one of my TRO's - at one time they were being produced by Fast Forward Entertainment (FFE). I think that is where the OP might have confused things with FFG.

Is alpha strike a different miniature scale than Classic BT? I've been wanting to try out Alpha Strike for some time, but haven't been able to get any of my friends interested enough.

It never ends well 
   
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Same miniature scale, but different range scale (if that makes sense!) If standard BT was played with miniatures the correct size, they'd be about 10mm tall.

Alpha Strike just scales up all the ranges and distances to match the existing minis.

It also massively, massively simplifies the stat sheets and weapons, too simplified? Possibly in my opinion... but it let's you play company level battles without breaking your brain and/or your will to live.
   
Made in us
Abel





Washington State

Stumbled across the Battlescale Miniatures and the "regular" 1/265th scale Battletech miniatures last night at the IWM website. The size difference is very noticeable, but for me who plays Alphastrike, I'd rather use the smaller models- I can get more on the table, and they are cheaper then the regular size.

Catalyst Games is currently producing plastic Inner Sphere Lances for a great price. They have the same level of detail as the second generation Battletech plastic models they did with the reprint of the box set. Rumor has it that the Clans will be coming out in plastic sometime in 2016.

The Battletech license is spread out among so many different companies that I doubt we'll ever see a comprehensive, directed line under one "captain" again. Topps owns some of it- I think for modeling purposes because they bought out Wizkids and Mechwarrior clicks from Hasbro, and they got the card game rights from Wizards of the Coast (such an excellent card game too!). Catalyst Games has the boardgame rights, PGI and Microsoft both have digital rights (PGI makes Mechwarrior Online under a license from Microsoft I think...), Iron Wind Metals and Ral Partha both have a license for making miniatures... in other words, the Battletech IP is a HUGE mess. The Harmony Gold Lawsuit was finalized in 2014 or 2015 I think, so now we can see the older, 3025 "first generation" Battlemechs in the game again (Maruader, Warhamer, Archer, Phoenixhawk, couple others). That has been a huge cluster since the 1990's. And of course, there is the television/film rights floating out there somewhere too. Oh, and then the Battletech novels... don't ever ask Micheal Stackpole how he feels about Battletech/FASA and all the novels he wrote for them and didn't get paid for it because FASA went bankrupt.

What does all that mean? Every time one of these companies wants to do something with Battletech, they have to consult/ask permission/announce/review/collaborate with all these other companies. Can you imagine having to ask Topps, a trading card company, permission to sculpt a new plastic Battlemech? Or have PGI, a video game company, have a say in the box set contents for the table top game? So far, for the last year or so, everyone has been playing nice, but I seriously wonder how long that will last before one of those companies that holds IP rights suddenly wants a bigger piece of the pie.

How did it get to be like this? Because FASA licensed out Battletech to several companies in the 80's and 90's in an attempt to make more money and grow the IP, but it failed. FASA went bankrupt. The companies with the license argued that they needed to retain the license for whatever to continue producing their portion of the Battletech IP to recoup the money they lost when the bought the license from FASA. The US Federal Bankruptcy court agreed, and Battletech was shattered into a hundred pieces scattered across the entire gaming industry. It's amazing that it's even still around and in IMHO only a matter of time before one of the above companies, probably Topps, screws the whole thing over for more money.

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 Tamwulf wrote:
Catalyst Games is currently producing plastic Inner Sphere Lances for a great price. They have the same level of detail as the second generation Battletech plastic models they did with the reprint of the box set.


They are fantastic. I bought all the Alpha Strike Lance boxes during the Black Friday sales last year. They are a very simple way to bulk up your 'Mech forces very quickly, and just under half of them are new non-intro box designs, which is nice. I have a plastic Raven. Never thought I'd have a plastic Raven!

 Tamwulf wrote:
Rumor has it that the Clans will be coming out in plastic sometime in 2016.


I believe that's been a rumour since 2013. Catalyst is sllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwww...... when it comes to releasing anything.

But yeah, rumour has it that the Alpha Strike box will have 12 re-seen unseens (the redesigns they're doing right now - plastic Warhammer & Marauder! YAY!), and 10 Invasion-era Clan 'Mechs. Hopefully we'll also get some new Alpha Strike Lance/Star boxes that contain the other Unseen/Invasion Omni's.

 Tamwulf wrote:
The Battletech license is spread out among so many different companies that I doubt we'll ever see a comprehensive, directed line under one "captain" again.


It's less complicated than it once was. Topps owns everything. Catalyst are licensed to produce the miniature/board and RPG games. Iron Wind does the minis. Camospecs paint the minis. Fighting Piranha are licensed to do decals/transfers for the minis. Various companies are licenses to do the video games. Catalyst don't have to ask the guys making MWO for permission when making new minis.

And FASA didn't go bankrupt. The powers that be saw no future in miniature wargaming and shut down the shop.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/01/03 02:48:12


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"GW really needs to understand 'Less is more' when it comes to AoS." - Wha-Mu-077

 
   
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Crawfordsville Indiana

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

And FASA didn't go bankrupt. The powers that be saw no future in miniature wargaming and shut down the shop.


Well, they were right. There are fewer table top gamers joining, across every line. More are doing PC/mobile/console gaming than ever before. I have been to multiple shops, across multiple states, the average tabletop gamer age is increasing, and there are fewer young people coming to the table. They were just 20+ years to early.

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Abel





Washington State

 H.B.M.C. wrote:


It's less complicated than it once was. Topps owns everything. Catalyst are licensed to produce the miniature/board and RPG games. Iron Wind does the minis. Camospecs paint the minis. Fighting Piranha are licensed to do decals/transfers for the minis. Various companies are licenses to do the video games. Catalyst don't have to ask the guys making MWO for permission when making new minis.


Actually, they do. The last couple of development blogs for Mechwarrior Online (PGI) talks about how the designers had to work with Topps and Catalyst games when they were designing the Maruader, Warhammer, Archer, and upcoming Phoenix Hawk. Based on player feedback, PGI wanted to shift the Warhammer arms a bit and change some proportions- all for the sake of game play.

I've also talked to some of the Catalyst Games staff at various conventions and they always talk about the headaches of dealing with so many different IP Holders every time they want to do something with Battletech. Catalyst Games has a TON of stuff planned out and things they want to do with Battletech, but are trapped in the bureaucratic nightmare Topps has created with Battletech.

A company that is about sports trading cards (Topps) managing the Battletech IP scares me a bit. Has it been bad for the game yet? No, and it seems that Topps realizes they can't manage it the way they should and so license it out to "specialist" companies like Catalyst Games Labs for table top mini's, PGI for the videogame, and Iron Wind for minis.

What I want to see happen is Iron Wind miniatures be forced out of the Battletech license. Spin casting models in white metal is dead. The current industry standard is injection molded plastic. The future... I predict will be 3d printed models you print at home for yourself. Iron Wind just keeps producing the same metal models from molds made in the 1990's, with all the huge scale differences. Yes, in the 1990's, it was basically impossible to properly produce white metal models with any sort of detail in scale. Technology has overcome that issue with CAD and injection molding production. Iron Wind tries to make new models and/or resculpt older models, but it fails miserably. Catalyst Games has already shown that they can produce plastic injected molded models in better detail and scale than anything Iron Wind has produced, and sell it for far cheaper then Iron Wind. If I was one of the head honchos at Catalyst Games, I'd be in the Topps executive offices everyday showing the differences and economics as well as profitability for Topps in going plastic over allowing Iron Wind to hamper and cripple the growth and development of Battletech. Oh, and Camospecs paint jobs are not even close to what I would think a professional, in house painting studio can do. See Privateer Press' P3 Painters or GW's 'Eavy Metal paint team. Heck, I'll even point to Dream Pod Nine's Heavy Gear painters.

Here is an interesting link on Iron Wind, Ral Partha, FASA, and Topps. http://www.purplepawn.com/2010/03/the-convoluted-story-of-iron-wind-metals-ral-partha-and-battletech-miniatures/ It's a bit old (2010), but relevant to this discussion.

FASA went down in flames thanks to non-solvency and inability to pay it's bills. You are right, they didn't declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy forces a company to still be financially responsible and repay it's debts. FASA didn't even do that- they just folded up operations and didn't pay off any of it's debts. No one can sue a company that doesn't exist. How some of the guys that owned FASA avoided jail time or being responsible for FASA debts is beyond me. I'm sure it's all corporate law, but what FASA did was NOT cool, and was basically a giant middle finger to the entire gaming industry, and we gamers that were passionate about the games FASA made. What I think happened? FASA was more popular then ever, but the guys running it recognized the financial insolvency they were facing, came to the conclusion that it would be too hard/expensive to fix it, and... quit.


Kara Sloan shoots through Time and Design Space for a Negative Play Experience  
   
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Owns Whole Set of Skullz Techpriests






Versteckt in den Schatten deines Geistes.

 Tamwulf wrote:
Actually, they do. The last couple of development blogs for Mechwarrior Online (PGI) talks about how the designers had to work with Topps and Catalyst games when they were designing the Maruader, Warhammer, Archer, and upcoming Phoenix Hawk. Based on player feedback, PGI wanted to shift the Warhammer arms a bit and change some proportions- all for the sake of game play.


Not to ignore the rest of your post, but this makes perfect sense. The unseen are a legal minefield, and the last time they went "Now we can do the newer versions of the old designs!" (around the time of the 25th Anniversary and the Masters & Minions book) they got smacked back into their corner by Disharmony Gold. So for PGI to need to work with CGL and Topps when figuring this stuff out is actually smart, lest they finalise all their designs and find themselves slapped with yet another lawsuit.

 Tamwulf wrote:
I've also talked to some of the Catalyst Games staff at various conventions and they always talk about the headaches of dealing with so many different IP Holders every time they want to do something with Battletech. Catalyst Games has a TON of stuff planned out and things they want to do with Battletech, but are trapped in the bureaucratic nightmare Topps has created with Battletech.


Granted my experience here is limited (checking with GW to make sure stuff is ok for the purposes of FFG books), but I doubt that CGL have to check with IWM, PGI and a few others when they want to do something. I've even see them say that their designs are separate to PGI's (eg. the new Unseens will look different - the "square laser" thing was specifically mentioned - ie. if you see a square laser barrel, that's a PGI thing, we won't be doing that on our new Unseens).

 Tamwulf wrote:
A company that is about sports trading cards (Topps) managing the Battletech IP scares me a bit. Has it been bad for the game yet? No, and it seems that Topps realizes they can't manage it the way they should and so license it out to "specialist" companies like Catalyst Games Labs for table top mini's, PGI for the videogame, and Iron Wind for minis.


Topps has had this license for a very long time - coming up on 13 years - so I don't know if your fears are well founded.

 Tamwulf wrote:
What I want to see happen is Iron Wind miniatures be forced out of the Battletech license. Spin casting models in white metal is dead. The current industry standard is injection molded plastic. The future... I predict will be 3d printed models you print at home for yourself. Iron Wind just keeps producing the same metal models from molds made in the 1990's, with all the huge scale differences. Yes, in the 1990's, it was basically impossible to properly produce white metal models with any sort of detail in scale. Technology has overcome that issue with CAD and injection molding production. Iron Wind tries to make new models and/or resculpt older models, but it fails miserably. Catalyst Games has already shown that they can produce plastic injected molded models in better detail and scale than anything Iron Wind has produced, and sell it for far cheaper then Iron Wind. If I was one of the head honchos at Catalyst Games, I'd be in the Topps executive offices everyday showing the differences and economics as well as profitability for Topps in going plastic over allowing Iron Wind to hamper and cripple the growth and development of Battletech. Oh, and Camospecs paint jobs are not even close to what I would think a professional, in house painting studio can do. See Privateer Press' P3 Painters or GW's 'Eavy Metal paint team. Heck, I'll even point to Dream Pod Nine's Heavy Gear painters.


I don't disagree with you about the plastic models. They should be doing more of them. The fact that the Thor/Loki plastics from the last intro box aren't available is very silly.

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When/where did Hasbro have its grubby little hands on Battletech? I don't remember that at all.

The whole IP state with Battletech sounds like the 4th Succession Wars all in itself.

Is anyone doing anything gamewise with the Mechwarrior Dark Age game? I believe it had died off, but I've got a ton of the plastic figures and was curious if there's a ruleset that works well with the scale - as the Mechwarrior clix game is, at best, meh.

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ClickTech is dead. You can rebase your minis to make (really out of scale) BTech or Alpha Strike minis if you want, but the game itself is gone.

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 H.B.M.C. wrote:
ClickTech is dead. You can rebase your minis to make (really out of scale) BTech or Alpha Strike minis if you want, but the game itself is gone.


It's only out-of-scale, it you're not gaming in 10mm.


But yes, the clix game is dead. It's really just a source for cheap used 10mm minis now.
Full bore BT gamers won't find the range to be comprehensive enough for every era and faction but for those wishing to game affordably in the BT universe (especially the later part of the timeline) it can be an amazingly affordable source of minis comprising hundreds of different units.

 Tamwulf wrote:
[
What I want to see happen is Iron Wind miniatures be forced out of the Battletech license. Spin casting models in white metal is dead. The current industry standard is injection molded plastic. The future... I predict will be 3d printed models you print at home for yourself. Iron Wind just keeps producing the same metal models from molds made in the 1990's, with all the huge scale differences. Yes, in the 1990's, it was basically impossible to properly produce white metal models with any sort of detail in scale. Technology has overcome that issue with CAD and injection molding production. Iron Wind tries to make new models and/or resculpt older models, but it fails miserably. Catalyst Games has already shown that they can produce plastic injected molded models in better detail and scale than anything Iron Wind has produced, and sell it for far cheaper then Iron Wind.


The merits of IWM and aging sculpts are valid concerns. However, I don't see any other option at this time and it's certainly not logical to think that the entire range can go plastic. One of the things that differentiates BT from other games is the HUGE range of minis that are available. Clearly Catalyst is moving more of the popular mechs to plastic and that's as it should be. However, there simply isn't the funds to move the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of currently produced models into plastic. Metal is the only logical choice for these relatively short-runs of miniatures if they are to be kept in production.

It's unlikely that at this point any other company could step in and take over.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/01/04 18:17:40


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Economically speaking, would a 3d printer be a reasonable solution to the problem of battletech's awesome back catalog, and the obsolescence of its current material? It seems like even adding an extra dollar per unit charge would be acceptable to do away with the 8 dollar per mech archive fee that IWM currently imposes on all but the most popular models.

Although I must admit, I do not know what it costs to make a metal model per unit. Or, for that matter, what the cost for a 3d printed item per unit from an industrial facility.


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 Tamwulf wrote:
Oh, and Camospecs paint jobs are not even close to what I would think a professional, in house painting studio can do. See Privateer Press' P3 Painters or GW's 'Eavy Metal paint team. Heck, I'll even point to Dream Pod Nine's Heavy Gear painters.


Part of the problem is that CSO painters are all volunteers. CGL/IWM never had "in-house" painters, just fans who would occasionally get merchandise in exchange for painting.

Perhaps the volunteer thing has changed more recently, but up through 2010 when I was more active with Battletech, that wasn't the case. I have a buddy who was a CSO painter at that time (still is) and based on our conversations being part of CSO is a task of love and not at all financially lucrative.

I'd love to see Battletech embraced as a miniatures game by fans, and marketed as a miniatures game by the companies involved with the license. The current state of "Battletech is sorta a board game, and sorta a miniatures game" has gone on for a few decades too many in my opinion, and has only helped the miniature line languish in mediocrity.





   
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 Capt. Camping wrote:
This game never dies. The fans maintain the game alive.


Despite Catalysts best efforts

Seriously, if Catalyst put any fething effort into Battletech it could still be up there with the heavy hitters like it used to be.

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West Michigan, deep in Whitebread, USA

Yeah, well, look what CGL did to Leviathans. We played it a couple Gencons ago, seriously loved it but then couldn't even freaking buy it after being completely sold on it, then they FINALLY released it nearly two years later and then never did anything more with it after a couple quick sorta-expansions and let it die completely. And that was right in the middle of the Steampunk movement!

I honestly don't know how they are managing to do anything productive with Battletech.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/01/26 22:45:37




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 Nostromodamus wrote:
 Capt. Camping wrote:
This game never dies. The fans maintain the game alive.


Despite Catalysts best efforts

Seriously, if Catalyst put any fething effort into Battletech it could still be up there with the heavy hitters like it used to be.


Truth!

I thought with Alpha Strike's release things would turn around, but nope, just the same old silence. I mean, with the $20 plastic `Mech lance packs, the game should really be taking off.

Maybe with the re-design of the old unseen `Mechs and the video game that was Kickstarted last year there will finally be some momentum in Battletech's favor. I won't hold my breath, though.
   
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SoCal

There is such a thing as too much nostalgia killing or hamstringing a game, effectively killing it.

The other trouble is the Battletech/Mechwarrior license is just all over the place, and each part of it seems to be at odds with the others, unable to capitalize on a unified front.

The game, the setting, and mechs all need a going over. The mechs have already been redone, but due to the crazy licensing no one can touch the designs of one project for another, even through sub-licensing.

   
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Deep Frier of Mount Doom

 AegisGrimm wrote:
Yeah, well, look what CGL did to Leviathans. We played it a couple Gencons ago, seriously loved it but then couldn't even freaking buy it after being completely sold on it, then they FINALLY released it nearly two years later and then never did anything more with it after a couple quick sorta-expansions and let it die completely. And that was right in the middle of the Steampunk movement!

I honestly don't know how they are managing to do anything productive with Battletech.


Supposedly they got royally screwed by their manufacturer in China so Leviathans may not be the best example since what happened was apparently beyond the norm.
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut






Los Angeles

 warboss wrote:
 AegisGrimm wrote:
Yeah, well, look what CGL did to Leviathans. We played it a couple Gencons ago, seriously loved it but then couldn't even freaking buy it after being completely sold on it, then they FINALLY released it nearly two years later and then never did anything more with it after a couple quick sorta-expansions and let it die completely. And that was right in the middle of the Steampunk movement!

I honestly don't know how they are managing to do anything productive with Battletech.


Supposedly they got royally screwed by their manufacturer in China so Leviathans may not be the best example since what happened was apparently beyond the norm.


Though, a cynic could point to the Leviathan fiasco and some of the other issues Catalyst has brought to the table since taking over the license (remember the Shadowrun/Coleman embezzlement fun from a few years back?) and walk away with the conclusion that Battletech's problem is with "the powers that be" and a change in leadership could do wonders for reinvigorating the game.
   
Made in ca
Ancient Venerable Black Templar Dreadnought





Canada

I would also comment that the long term fans tend to keep Battletech around, never mind the occasional stomping robots console/PC games keep up interest.
Just doing mech design is a mini game in itself.
I have a couple hundred models and it is no small commitment to play more than a lance (4) models unless going into Alpha-Strike.
I think they are going in the right direction: making the old designs more "pretty" will do much for the game.
Those single model injection dies like GW started doing would be ideal for ease of assembly and possibly some kit bashing for custom mechs or the variants.
Heck, create a kickstarter and get votes on what models people want redone and committed to plastic.
Then get a vote on what variant options to put on the sprue.
The large variety of scenarios you can play out in B-tech has always fired the imagination and 1:258 scale always looks impressive.

A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.
Napoleon Bonaparte 
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka




Too bad the Battletech minis suck. Atlas for example should be pretty hefty. He almost has chicken legs.

Such a shame, I loved Battletech, it's what got me into gaming. Too bad the artwork sucked back then and I lost interest in it, and tried to get back but man IWD or what ever they are called, the website sucks, and their minis are even worse. No wonder people can't be interested in Battletech.

Pretty bad I bought the Robotech boxset just so I can have some real Battletech minis.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/01/28 02:38:13


Agies Grimm:The "Learn to play, bro" mentality is mostly just a way for someone to try to shame you by implying that their metaphorical nerd-wiener is bigger than yours. Which, ironically, I think nerds do even more vehemently than jocks.

Everything is made up and the points don't matter. 40K or Who's Line is it Anyway?

Auticus wrote: Or in summation: its ok to exploit shoddy points because those are rules and gamers exist to find rules loopholes (they are still "legal"), but if the same force can be composed without structure, it emotionally feels "wrong".  
   
Made in us
Sinewy Scourge




Crawfordsville Indiana

Style is a subjective medium. I rather like the Atlas. I think the lack of current print maps is a bigger problem, but Alpha Strike removes that need, but then the lack of consistent scale breaks the LoS a bit.

Someone did say they use some kind of template for size to remove this a bit.

All the worlds a joke and the people merely punchlines
 
   
Made in us
Brigadier General






Chicago

 megatrons2nd wrote:
Style is a subjective medium. I rather like the Atlas. I think the lack of current print maps is a bigger problem, but Alpha Strike removes that need, but then the lack of consistent scale breaks the LoS a bit.

Someone did say they use some kind of template for size to remove this a bit.


I think the key to scale (mostly height) issues and Alpha Strike is to simply make sure that all your terrain is taller than your mechs or simply declare that all buildings or trees are tall enough to hide a mech. This isn't to difficult since the biggest BT unit is what, about 2 inches tall?

We've played a few games of Alpha Strike recently with rebased Mechwarrior units. They are mostly consistent, but there are definitely some units that are incorrect heights. However, gaming on Dropzone Commander buildings and streets makes it all a moot point since all the buildings are taller than the mechs. Even when gaming on some of the buildings I've built custom where some of the mechs can just peek over them, we simply declare that they are assumed to be at least as tall as the tallest mech.

I can't say enough about how much I've been enjoying Alpha Strike recently.

Chicago Skirmish Wargames club. Join us for some friendly, casual gaming in the Windy City.
http://chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/


My Project Log, mostly revolving around custom "Toybashed" terrain.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/651712.page

Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad!
https://chicagovalleyrailroad.blogspot.com 
   
 
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