KamikazeJohnson
11/16/11 08:54 PM
74.198.150.191
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Well, back again...haven't really done anything BTech-related since about 2006. Anyone wanna catch me up in 25 words or less?
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.
--Thomas Jefferson
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Karagin
11/17/11 01:00 PM
210.5.193.45
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Sure:
The Fed Com Civil War ended, so did the novels. Jihad breaks out. More mechs and tech show up, older tech becomes new again. We see the Jihad spin out of control, though we never really get hard facts, lots of news reports and some intel reports, but no hard facts. New books on Age of War and Reunification Wars. Then big shake of the Clans, when their scientists go rouge and have the Dark Caste launch an all out war on their own Clans. This splits the clans in two groups. Jihad ends, ROTS shows up, FWL falls apart and then more mechs new tech and the current year is 3085 or so...Houses still hate each other and the Clans are still around more or less as is ComStar...war is still there...
Sorry more then 25 words.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
11/17/11 04:57 PM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
We see the Jihad spin out of control, though we never really get hard facts, lots of news reports and some intel reports, but no hard facts.
If you want hard facts about the Jihad, I'd recommend picking up the Jihad Hot Spots sourcebooks. Each one contains sections devoted to hard facts about the Jihad, defining "hard facts" as "information on canon suitable for a players to build a campaign around."
To begin with, a following book provides a hard-fact summary of the events of a preceding book. For example, JHS:3072 opens with a hard fact summary of the events in JHS:3070. Those condensed timelines explain the progress of the Jihad in a straightforward format.
Further, Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents provides a 3-page (pg11-14), hard fact overview of the entire Jihad: why it started, how it started, how the Blakists mustered their forces, what the Blakists originally planned for their not-so-secret secret army, etc. That section was meant as the definitive, hard fact explanation of the Jihad. If players want to understand the Jihad and build a campaign based on its origins, that's the reference to go to.
So, yes, you've been given hard facts about the Jihad. If you'd like, I can provide the page numbers of each book where they're located.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
Edited by Cray (11/17/11 07:19 PM)
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Karagin
11/18/11 07:32 AM
210.5.193.45
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Cray how about a single or may two that covers things about the Jihad without the news reporter input? Those things got old fast. Hard facts that tell us who, what, when and why and how from a factual bases, well game universe facts, not from the bias of a reporter slant on it. That is what I was hoping we would see eventually but hey really not a big deal since IMVHO the worst chapter in the whole BT universe has ended and we can see how the flesh out of things leads to the next chapter. Glad to see that you still defend the Jihad Plot line even at the end of it.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
11/18/11 08:40 AM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
Cray how about a single or may two that covers things about the Jihad without the news reporter input? Those things got old fast. Hard facts that tell us who, what, when and why and how from a factual bases, well game universe facts, not from the bias of a reporter slant on it.
You can find that information in the Jihad Hotspots books at the following locations.
Jihad Hotspots 3070: pg13-22
Jihad Hotspots 3072: pg10-26
Jihad Secrets: pg11-14, and then in great depth pg17 to 31.
Jihad Hotspots 3076: pg12-17
Jihad Hotspots Terra: pg14-23
Really, if you want a one-stop, reporter-free overview of the Jihad, Jihad Secrets pg11 to 31 is a great start. It has maps and the reviews the Jihad (through 3073) without the confusion of prior reports.
Quote:
Glad to see that you still defend the Jihad Plot line even at the end of it
??? I'm not talking about the plotline, I'm pointing out where you can get the hard facts on the Jihad you wanted.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
11/18/11 09:43 AM
210.5.193.45
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Cray what I would like to see one book that leaves out all the silly reporter new stories, covers thing similar to how the House books (the original ones) did and gives us the facts as facts. Not 40 pages spread out over 3 books. Laced with other side bar comments and add ins. That would be my ideal. As it stands the pages you mentioned I have read, several times and they still do not give things in a straight forward manner at least not as well as the books about the Clans have or the Houses did.
You tell me where to go find the wheat of info from all of the chaff, and if it takes culling through three books to get the info. Great for marketing and such but not for those use to getting things in a nice easy to use package. But you know my stance on the whole Jihad plot line so this is only news really. Thank you for telling me that that a bit of the info is there though.
And the idea of a single book, not one that combines several books, but one that covers everything from start to finish with facts, no news reports, similar to how the original House books were presented back in the day, I think you do recall them, you know the ones that had all the errors and such that made them unusable according to Bryan Nystul...that would be the ideal for this but I guess we will never see that since the TPTB seem to love this in universe reporter style story telling vs the history book style.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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KamikazeJohnson
11/18/11 06:07 PM
50.72.195.60
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Thanks...how about a Tech update as well, aince my primary interest in BTech is 'Mech design (I spend more time designing than actually playing!)? What's new for weapons/equipment, and what does it do?
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.
--Thomas Jefferson
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Cray
11/18/11 06:44 PM
97.101.96.171
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Quote:
Thanks...how about a Tech update as well, aince my primary interest in BTech is 'Mech design (I spend more time designing than actually playing!)? What's new for weapons/equipment, and what does it do?
I'm not sure where you left off. Do you have Tech Manual and Tactical Operations?
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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KamikazeJohnson
11/19/11 03:14 AM
50.72.195.60
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Actually, I don't own any books atm...had a few back in high scholl, but those are long gone.
I'm somewhat familiar with the tech up to (I believe) TRO:3067, although even that I'm a little sketchy on some of the L3 tech. A brief overview of the significant newer weapons and gadgets would be appreciated.
What's the latest BTech "Bible"? Is there a single book that goes into the details of all the equipment, as well giving a breakdown of the different gameplay "levels"? Might be worth picking up, even for a casual player and design hound like me
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.
--Thomas Jefferson
Edited by KamikazeJohnson (11/19/11 03:17 AM)
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Karagin
11/19/11 04:18 AM
210.5.193.45
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No more single books that cover everything, they have 5 core rule books that cover everything...the two that Cray mentioned are the ones you would need to get all the new tech.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
11/19/11 09:44 AM
97.101.96.171
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Quote:
What's the latest BTech "Bible"?
A set of 5 hardcover core books starting with Total Warfare (basic gameplay), Tech Manual (construction of everything from bicycles and infantry units to DropShips), Tactical Operations (advanced game rules from artillery to large naval vessels; sort of the "Maximum Technology" of the current rules), Strategic Operations (advanced game play, WarShips, and more fun.) The fifth book, Interstellar Operations, hasn't been released yet.
You'd be good with just Total Warfare and Tech Manual. There are also abbreviated quick start rules available for download, but the redecorated CBT.com main site is a bit hard to navigate.
Current advanced technology...if you had Maximum Technology and TR:3067, you'd be familiar with most of it. X-Pulse Lasers (IS pulse lasers with standard laser range), heavy lasers, extended LRMs (IS weapons with very long range), improved Gauss Rifles (even bigger, but 22pts of damage at all ranges), snub nosed PPC (a bit lighter, rapidly decreasing range and damage, but a short range of 9), light PPCs (3 tons, 2 crits, 5 damage, classic PPC range), stealth armor (harder to hit at medium and long), lamellor ferro-carbide 'Mech armor (negates 1 point of damage per 5), some goofy things like partial wings for 'Mechs (slightly extended jump ranges)...quite a bit of stuff, very little of it game changing.
Quote:
Is there a single book that goes into the details of all the equipment
Tech Manual covers all the tournament-legal stuff, Tactical Operations cover most of the advanced gear.
Quote:
, as well giving a breakdown of the different gameplay "levels"?
Most of the core books do that. The levels are currently "tournament," "advanced," and "experimental."
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Cray
11/19/11 10:36 AM
97.101.96.171
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Here are the free quick start downloads.
I forgot one of the corebooks: "A Time of War" is the 4th edition RPG, and a huge improvement over 3rd edition.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
11/21/11 02:32 AM
72.56.78.113
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Quote:
Here are the free quick start downloads.
I forgot one of the corebooks: "A Time of War" is the 4th edition RPG, and a huge improvement over 3rd edition.
There is a 4th edition!?! Almost everything I know on the base rules are 2nd edition.
This makes me think of a quote from Yogurt from Space Balls. "The quest for more money." or something to that extent.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Cray
11/21/11 09:57 AM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
Quote:
Here are the free quick start downloads.
I forgot one of the corebooks: "A Time of War" is the 4th edition RPG, and a huge improvement over 3rd edition.
There is a 4th edition!?! Almost everything I know on the base rules are 2nd edition.
This makes me think of a quote from Yogurt from Space Balls. "The quest for more money." or something to that extent.
1st edition was published in 1986.
2nd edition was published in 1991. I'm not sure what motivated the change from 1st, though I personally liked these rules quite a bit. They were simple, fast, and quite similar to Shadowrun 2nd edition.
3rd edition was published in 1999. This version was produced because too many players complained that 2nd edition allowed easy production of munchkin death machines, so it combined a laborious character generation system with a clunky combat system that made it hard to produce 0/0 gunnery/piloting munchkin PCs at character generation. I used Shadowrun-based rules rather than deal with MW3e.
4th edition was published in 2010. It streamlined character generation and combat compared to third edition, making the game much more playable and avoiding the munchkin problems of MW2. I've switched back to MW rules with this edition.
Anyway, point being: the 2nd and 3rd edition MechWarrior RPG had about a 10-year life, which is a good run for an RPG. The RPGs aren't being popped out every year just to churn up revenue.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
11/21/11 03:51 PM
173.131.181.105
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I don't see a problem with munchkin players, like for example chip/newtype. When they find a game they will be soon kicked out for another player. During official tournament games everyone else will turn on them to get them out of the game ASAP. Since no one will want to play with them the only person they will be hurting is them self's. So, let them do what ever they want.
Of course I have been accused of being one so maybe that's why I am so lenient towards them.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Karagin
11/22/11 12:44 PM
210.5.193.45
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Quote:
2nd edition was published in 1991. I'm not sure what motivated the change from 1st, though I personally liked these rules quite a bit. They were simple, fast, and quite similar to Shadowrun 2nd edition.
I think you hit it on the head they were just like Shadowrun...a lot better then what followed...
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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