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 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Mattlov wrote:
The Manual is undergoing some changes right now. The open beta revealed some problems that are being addressed, so it might be a few months until that release.

What problems, out of interest, given it was a collation of existing rules.

While it is existing rules, they were re-worded/cleaned up for it. One of the particular errors I know of was the Stacking Rules. They kind of forgot to put them in.

Ha! Ok, fair enough. That's an odd oversight.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Ha! Ok, fair enough. That's an odd oversight.

In a 'Mech-only combat, it doesn't come up much.

i so badly want to be back from excercise so i can play battletech lol.

cheer me up guys, tell me about you games, post some pics of your minis

Well, I learned me some stuff today about why the Battletech product front has been quiet.

Catalyst has been working with WotC to make a D&D deckbuilding game, Dragonfire.

This has tied up an insane amount of Catalyst's limited capital, but projects including a new Intro Box with new plastic minis and a $20 Beginner Box are back on and will hopefully be in stores by the end of the year.

But if Dragonfire is successful, it will increase CGL's available cash flow, allowing for more consistent product release and restocking.

 Mattlov wrote:
Well, I learned me some stuff today about why the Battletech product front has been quiet.

Catalyst has been working with WotC to make a D&D deckbuilding game, Dragonfire.

This has tied up an insane amount of Catalyst's limited capital, but projects including a new Intro Box with new plastic minis and a $20 Beginner Box are back on and will hopefully be in stores by the end of the year.

But if Dragonfire is successful, it will increase CGL's available cash flow, allowing for more consistent product release and restocking.

That is good news!!

it does explain the lack of the starter set i suppose, its like gold dust over here.

Weird that Wizards went out of house for this.

None of this excuses the lack of ilClan.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Weird that Wizards went out of house for this.

None of this excuses the lack of ilClan.

The lack of ilCLan is the same problem Catalyst has with everything: MONEY.

Not a big company. Not a lot of capital, and the diverging of the electronic IPs so that Catalyst gets NO money from them (Thanks, Jordan!). The freelance writers for Battletech have been working on the PROMISE of being paid for MONTHS.

Herb? The old Line Developer? Like, two and a half years ago Line Developer? STILL owed money.

So this will get some stuff moving again. It isn't going fix all of CGLs current issues, but it will help with them.

'Least one of them got a nice deck out of it.




And by diverging of electronic IPs, you mean things like MWO/the Shadowrun games/etc., or do you mean that Catalyst get no money from electronic sales of their products (ie. PDFs)?

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
'Least one of them got a nice deck out of it.



And by diverging of electronic IPs, you mean things like MWO/the Shadowrun games/etc., or do you mean that Catalyst get no money from electronic sales of their products (ie. PDFs)?

The video games.

Why they dont have youtube videos to promote the game as Hawkwargames is doing?

ok guys, i will be doing a Video Battle report next thursday, its gonna be bad, as i dont record this kind of thing normally and all i have is a phone lol, but either way i will share it here with you guys and elsewhere, also, we WILL get things wrong with the rules no doubt, so be patient

Dragonfire?!? Gah, I still have bad memories with the old Spellfire game. It's also strange they didn't a D&D CCG internally to Wizards - guess they didn't want to mix Magic & D&D...

If they were going to do a CCG/Deckbuilding, why didn't they bring the old Battletech CCG game back, or make a new version?

 Stormonu wrote:

If they were going to do a CCG/Deckbuilding, why didn't they bring the old Battletech CCG game back, or make a new version?

I'm glad that wasn't brought back, it was TERRIBLE. Also, it would be far too niche of a market to be profitable. The art costs alone for making a CCG is simply too far out of reach for CGL.

A CCG simply doesn't work without a MASSIVE fanbase at this point, which is why Magic, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh are the only CCGs that still exist.

I can't quite put my finger on it but something seems different from the way Battletech was fought in stores years ago....




I think they're taking tips from the Chicago Wargaming Little Wars guys.

They had a pretty realistic fluid gun going there. I don't remember a drill melee weapon.

Battletech has a drill Melee weapon. Just Google a Violator Mech.

I'm sure with a drill the name is just a coincidence.

 Mattlov wrote:
Battletech has a drill Melee weapon. Just Google a Violator Mech.

I'm sure with a drill the name is just a coincidence.

Well, it IS a Solaris Mech. They are so much better at naming things than House Militaries. Could you imagine what they would have built with "Wolverine" as a name? Even discounting the fact that they probably didn't have Marvel Comics.

 Charistoph wrote:

 Mattlov wrote:
Battletech has a drill Melee weapon. Just Google a Violator Mech.

I'm sure with a drill the name is just a coincidence.

Well, it IS a Solaris Mech. They are so much better at naming things than House Militaries. Could you imagine what they would have built with "Wolverine" as a name? Even discounting the fact that they probably didn't have Marvel Comics.

Probably something like the Piranha. Only at least twice as heavy. And with max armor. And jumpjets. And CC weapons of some kind.

So yeah, basically nothing like the Piranha

 Charistoph wrote:

 Mattlov wrote:
Battletech has a drill Melee weapon. Just Google a Violator Mech.

I'm sure with a drill the name is just a coincidence.

Well, it IS a Solaris Mech. They are so much better at naming things than House Militaries. Could you imagine what they would have built with "Wolverine" as a name? Even discounting the fact that they probably didn't have Marvel Comics.

Battletech is the future of the 80's. Wolverine and Marvel would have existed at some point.

Battletech Beta is out guys and its really really good, as you would expect it has its bugs, and a few head scratchers, but on the whole a solid effort in a year of utter let downs.

On another note, Battletech has a new Head Line Developer, and he is quite eager to get things moving again in terms of product AND story line advancement.

His name is Brent Evans, and he used to be the Lead Art Developer.

We on the inside are cautiously optimistic. They are reaching out to us volunteers and those with "boots on the ground" about the best thing we can do moving forward. If you have suggestions, I'll pass them along. And before you say it:

We know we need a new Intro Box.
We know you want the NewSeen.
We know we need to get publications back in print on a more consistent basis.

 Formosa wrote:
Battletech Beta is out guys and its really really good, as you would expect it has its bugs, and a few head scratchers, but on the whole a solid effort in a year of utter let downs.

Where, my Gggole-Fu Sucks.

 Anpu42 wrote:

 Formosa wrote:
Battletech Beta is out guys and its really really good, as you would expect it has its bugs, and a few head scratchers, but on the whole a solid effort in a year of utter let downs.

Where, my Gggole-Fu Sucks.

Well, the Battlmech Beta Manual can be found here.

 Anpu42 wrote:

 Formosa wrote:
Battletech Beta is out guys and its really really good, as you would expect it has its bugs, and a few head scratchers, but on the whole a solid effort in a year of utter let downs.

Where, my Gggole-Fu Sucks.

If we're talking about the PC game, it’s been released to KS backers of a certain pledge level and above. I didn't go for one of those pledges - figured that I can wait for the finished product and I've given up on spending time playing betas, no matter how much I'm looking forward to the game.

The new leadership is a good thing... maybe...? I mean if it means more products that's great, but are these new heads specific faction lovers that will put one faction ahead of the others 'cause they've got a real hard-on for the Cappies, or will we see some real story movement (like ilClan actually happening).

I just got through watching a play through...and OMG!!!

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
The new leadership is a good thing... maybe...? I mean if it means more products that's great, but are these new heads specific faction lovers that will put one faction ahead of the others 'cause they've got a real hard-on for the Cappies, or will we see some real story movement (like ilClan actually happening).

Brent has been in charge of Art for a long time, I don't think he has specific faction loyalties. He also knows faction loyalty doesn't matter if the game dies. While story advancement is on the list of things to do, needed product release (starter boxes!) and possible print runs of core rule books are needed more. The Combat Manual is one of those things.

That is one of the keys: Move forward. Even I'm mostly still in the dark about it, but he has contacted lowly Agents like me just for feedback and ideas. I think it is mostly to see how the community feels and how that jives with what they plan to do. They know they need to come back, and come back strong.

We also know that Battletech is a SUPER niche game, and know that standard BT doesn't appeal to a lot of the new gamers coming on the scene. They don't want a slow paced game, they want something good, fast, and with great models. I suspect Alpha Strike will be pushed harder under the new regime, with a possible Alpha Strike starter box, or AS rules included in the new Starter.

You're probably right, Mattlov. Even GW is getting in to quicker, more simplified rulesets, something few would have been convinced could happen even 3 years ago.

Privateer Press has also reduced some of the complexity of their lead game, though, not to the degree that Age of Sigmar and Dark Imperium have done.

Alpha Strike should probably be the one they push harder when advertising. Use it as a gateway in the universe and an opportunity to start collecting. That leaves the more complicated rules on the back burner, but available for those who like the detailed gameplay.

 Mattlov wrote:

We also know that Battletech is a SUPER niche game, and know that standard BT doesn't appeal to a lot of the new gamers coming on the scene. They don't want a slow paced game, they want something good, fast, and with great models. I suspect Alpha Strike will be pushed harder under the new regime, with a possible Alpha Strike starter box, or AS rules included in the new Starter.

Yeah I'll be honest, I reread my old rulebook with the idea of introducing it to a couple of the guys at my LGS and balked because I may as well be asking them to play D&D. Even with 3025 tech level.