cmryan
05/24/04 03:03 PM
4.12.82.110
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Does anyone have any information as to why the creators of BattleTech have kept it a humans only universe?
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JStallion
05/24/04 04:05 PM
69.244.182.44
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they havent, check out the book far country.
but i believe its dominately humans because its just better that way, makes it a more realistic sci-fi series
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Cray
05/25/04 06:51 AM
68.200.105.227
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Quote:
Does anyone have any information as to why the creators of BattleTech have kept it a humans only universe?
To be different than most other game systems available at its introduction.
Generally, the fans seem to recognize and appreciate this (myself among them). The "bird men" aliens of the BT novel Far Country have earned that novel a poor reputation in the BT community.
If I want aliens, I'll play Star Trek, Star Wars, B5, or Traveller.
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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Tzu
05/26/04 12:58 PM
68.158.70.238
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You also might want to take into account that the overall amount of space explored in the BT universe thus far isn't that much astronomically speaking. IIRC, the Inner Sphere has a radius of about 60 light years (give or take) and the only mapped areas outside of that are a few periphery states, Exodus Road, and the Clan homeworlds. Who knows what could be found just a few light years beyond their borders (but for the sake of all that is holy, please let there be nothing  ).
Ever made a 'Mech with 6 Gauss Rifles? I have.
Brick Commander, where Lego and Battletech unite!
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Cray
05/26/04 01:29 PM
147.160.1.5
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Quote:
You also might want to take into account that the overall amount of space explored in the BT universe thus far isn't that much astronomically speaking. IIRC, the Inner Sphere has a radius of about 60 light years (give or take)
Radius of 500 LY, overall diameter of 1000LY, with the Clan homeworlds 1500LY or so from Terra. 
Quote:
and the only mapped areas outside of that are a few periphery states, Exodus Road, and the Clan homeworlds.
Not any individual human agency except maybe the old Star League. They did appear to have mapped a majority of human space, out to at least a distance of the Clan Home Worlds. The Deep Periphery nations were in contact with the Star League or cover substantial volumes of space (Hanseatic League). The Rim Worlds Republic occupied a huge swath of space outside the Lyran Commonwealth.
However, even a 2000LY diameter volume is a small fraction of the Milky Way's volume.
Quote:
Who knows what could be found just a few light years beyond their borders (but for the sake of all that is holy, please let there be nothing ).
Indeed.
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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Greyslayer
05/27/04 01:13 AM
216.14.192.234
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I'm trying to remember the books, but possibly in the original Star League source book was information pertaining to the discovery of many ruins discovered all over the place that were completely deserted. They were of varying technology levels but the information on this was vague at best. This indicates that they possibly had the option of introducing an alien society into the game but opted for the best enemy of all.... ourselves.
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Karagin
05/27/04 04:47 AM
81.31.198.34
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In the MW Compaion book to MW2 there is talk of cave man like creatures on one or two planets as well as some nasty "alien" animals and plant life...so could you define your idea of alien? Are you asking why no starfaring races with super weapons?
I think things work better when folks can relate to each group better. So using humans as the main thing allows everyone to find a notche.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Cray
05/27/04 07:19 AM
147.160.1.5
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Quote:
I'm trying to remember the books, but possibly in the original Star League source book was information pertaining to the discovery of many ruins discovered all over the place that were completely deserted.
I don't recall that personally, but the good news is, the .pdf version of the SLSB should be out shortly (like it has been for the past year...), so it'll be electronically searchable.
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
05/27/04 07:20 AM
147.160.1.5
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Quote:
In the MW Compaion book to MW2 there is talk of cave man like creatures
Yeah. They were, I believe, the formal write-ups of the critters in "Sword and the Dagger."
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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Tzu
05/28/04 04:41 PM
68.217.14.218
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Quote:
Radius of 500 LY, overall diameter of 1000LY, with the Clan homeworlds 1500LY or so from Terra.
I guess it was give then, and not take 
Quote:
However, even a 2000LY diameter volume is a small fraction of the Milky Way's volume.
Quite correct. There've got to be super weapon-weilding aliens out there somewhere  .
Ever made a 'Mech with 6 Gauss Rifles? I have.
Brick Commander, where Lego and Battletech unite!
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JStallion
05/28/04 10:02 PM
69.244.182.44
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lets just hope not. Battletech is good the way it is, dont need it to turn into another star trek
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cmryan
05/29/04 04:19 PM
4.12.82.110
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Alien civilizations starfaring capability and superweapons strictly optional. I read Far Country so there there was 1 attempt to inject aliens into BattleTech. Judging from the reaction whenever Far Country is mentioned most people are opposed to introducing aliens.
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Thor_Mech
05/31/04 11:57 PM
65.100.166.90
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I pray there will not be any aliens. Quiaff?
"Even after all these years, walking through the ranks of 'Mechs still gives me the chills"
- Intelligence Secretary Justin Xiang Allard
Outreach, 21, Sept 3051
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JStallion
06/01/04 07:10 AM
69.244.182.44
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Aff. but im pretty sure thats not the right way of putting quiaff into a sentence. you say it like youre already sure the answer is yes.
I.E. The Pistons will beat the Pacers, quiaff?
when saying "I pray there will not be any aliens. Quiaff? " youre not sure about it because youre praying that there wont be. same thing with quineg, expecting the answer to be no.
I.E. The Pistons will lose to the Pacers, quineg?
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Kristan_DEATH_Dagley
06/04/04 09:29 PM
24.222.40.119
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I think its safe to say that with the millions of planets out there that it seems reasonable that we haven't encountered aliens in BattleTech. I mean what are the chances of humanity running into another race of equal or superior technology? Furthermore who says that we are looking in the right places? What if alien cultures can exsist on planets we deem inhospitable? But I do agree that this sets BattleTech apart from other fictional universes. With only humans as the core root of the problem BattleTech has more of a human element. All the better to connect to our races past and present cultures/prejudices. It places more of an emphasis on what we do as humans in the history of our race, and makes the stories of this universe more personal and believable as well. I like CBT just the way it is. 
Every ending brings with it a new beginning.
-Cause and Effect, Avalon Press, 3067
-Loren L. Coleman {End Game}
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Wolfgar
06/05/04 09:15 PM
205.188.116.210
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Besides what self respecting intelligent alien life-form would have anything to do with warmongering possibly disease riddled humans in the first place.........of course it could be trap to lull the innersphere into a false sense of security before the super weapon weilding aliens show up and kill the whole lot thus allowing the clans to finally take tera like they should of before some weak wristed novel writer got in the way, and messed things up. Of course that is only one mans humble oppinion
Arrows?....What arrows? I didn't even see the fricken Indians!
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JStallion
06/05/04 10:02 PM
69.244.182.44
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what self respecting alien would let themselves be shown up by us?
i know humans would try as much as possible to copy the technology etc. so they wouldnt be more intelligent than us.
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Revenant
06/19/04 09:16 AM
205.188.116.149
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I read a good quote recently by Joss Whelan (sp-?), the creator of the TV series 'Firefly', which like Battletech is a future sci fi setting notable for it's complete lack of aliens.
Whelan was asked by the tv network bosses when pitching the show; "Where are the aliens?"
When Whelan replied "There aren't any." the tv execs looked baffled and stated;
"Surely you have to have aliens in a space sci fi adventure setting." To which Whelan replied;
"Why...there aren't any now."
Which I think is a great answer. I have always loved the fact Battletech is free of aliens, just their absence seems to add a layer of believability in the setting, let's face it real aliens (if such a thing exists) are likely to be beyond the imagining of humans and attempts to make up alien races are almost always simply 'foreign' human cultures dressed up in bumpy foreheads or silly wigs. Also as far as I recall accepted modern scientific thought is that the chances of intelligent life occuring elsewhere in our vast galaxy is extremely low indeed. Aliens have never been needed or desirable (imo) in the BT setting.
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Spartan
06/19/04 11:54 AM
67.64.145.140
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Quote:
Also as far as I recall accepted modern scientific thought is that the chances of intelligent life occuring elsewhere in our vast galaxy is extremely low indeed.
Well they're actually divided on this. There are those who adhere to the Fermi Paradox, which asks that if there is intelligent life then, where is it? He believed that had there been a set of intelligent life elsewhere, at least one civilization would already be here and have left evidence at the very least.
And then there are those who follow an equation set forth by a man named Drake that actually predicts approximately 50000 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy, according to there latest estimates. I know that seems kinda high but keep in mind that there are 100 billion stars in our galaxy. So according to them, there is one civilization per 2000000 stars, on average.
for info see: www.space.com/searchforlife/shostak_paradox_011024.html
for info on the Fermi Paradox on the same page there's a link to an article on the equation I mentioned: www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_drake_equation.html
and to a video talking about it and what they feel the numbers come out to, it's on the first page, but it's a javascript popup to see it so I don't know quite how to link to that.
Spartan
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty.
(I refer you to what Nightward said)
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Spartan
06/19/04 12:01 PM
67.64.145.140
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I haven't fully made up my mind about aliens, in real life that is. I want solid proof before I actually believe that they're here or else where. And I don't consider the preponderence of lunatics claiming they were abducted and, um, probed to be enough proof. Or the photographic evidence people have put forth because I feel that they can all be explained with some kind of non-alien theory. But I do believe that extraterrestrial and extrasolar life does exist. Maybe not intelligent life but life nonetheless.
As far as Battletech is concerned, however, I'm with everyone else on this. It is GOOD that they have never introduced additional sentient species, like someone else mentioned, it makes it seem more real in some way.
Spartan
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty.
(I refer you to what Nightward said)
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cmryan
06/19/04 01:02 PM
4.12.82.110
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Hello Spartan, If alien life really does exist than belief in alien life is irrelevant.
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Spartan
06/19/04 02:57 PM
67.64.145.140
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Sorry I worded that poorly. By saying that I don't believe in aliens I meant that I don't believe in aliens having visited Earth. I was trying to draw a distinction between that and life existing outside of our planet.
Spartan
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty.
(I refer you to what Nightward said)
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Revenant
06/19/04 04:00 PM
64.12.116.210
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Interesting stuff about the possibility of alien life, thanks Spartan.
I don't deny the possibility there might be intelligent life out there somewhere, but I feel that attempts to plausibly depict it in rpgs and sci fi fiction almost always end up being human cultures under a rubber suit (at best). As we all seem to agree BT is the better for being a humans only setting, for it helps give the feel of a continued history of the real world we all know. Once you put in aliens then immediately you've got a break in 'real' history and setting plausibility.
I'm shocked about these birdmen aliens mentioned above, a real sign of the decline in standards of the later years of FASA's production imo. (Mind you those silly apemen of the Sword and the Dagger have always been there too.)
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Lone_Wolf_Radick
06/21/04 10:11 PM
65.1.53.170
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I've heard nasty rumors that Wizards was going to release a new version of Battletech with an "alien menace" premise, complete with aliens wielding Bio-Tech Warrior drones and the like... I hope this stays rumor, and Wizards does nothing but continue the story as already written if and when they decide to advance the franchise. Aliens are fine and great, for Darth Vader or Captain Picard, but Ilkhan Kerensky shouldn't have to worry about them in addtion to the IS. That's just my 2 cents.
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Greyslayer
06/21/04 10:27 PM
203.61.71.85
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Even though I am a critic of the Wiz Kids gaming system and progression of the storyline. I have always maintained that battletech is not the 'story' but the gaming system. If they want an alternate 'battletech' universe with aliens in it then that is fine, providing they stick to the basic rules of the game. If they create a totally different gaming system and then stick on the 'battletech' badge then of course it is pathetic, rather like clickytech really oh and the clans .
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Lone_Wolf_Radick
06/22/04 11:14 PM
65.1.53.170
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It would seem, at least so far, that wiz kids are content to merely sit on the license and let it hemmhorage slowly, riding on Magic's fame and siphoning some profits from the Mechwarrior series... I remember when I first heard of FASA's selling and wizards buying... Let's hope my initial horrors will be proven wrong, and they are merely waiting to release a new version... Aliens or not, it's time to see SOMETHING NEW for the Board game fans, don't ya think?
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Greyslayer
06/23/04 01:04 AM
216.14.192.234
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They don't control the board game. They may control the overall detail of the source material (direction) for those to use with their board games but essentially FanPro now control the board game.
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Gangrene
06/23/04 01:53 AM
24.6.228.14
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Wizkids owns the rights to all Battletech logos and trademarks, including the board game. From what I have heard, it sounds like FanPro is leasing the rights from Wizkids.
Gangrene
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Gangrene
06/23/04 01:55 AM
24.6.228.14
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I wouldn't agree that they are just sitting on the license, after all they did make a popular clickey game based on the universe and that shares many of the trademarks. As for the board game, I don't think Wizkids sees enough potential in it to make it worth their while.
Gangrene
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Cray
06/23/04 06:20 AM
68.200.105.41
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Quote:
I remember when I first heard of FASA's selling and wizards buying...
You were bothered when the original authors of BT bought it back?
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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