Difference between revisions of "Technical Readout: 3025"

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| image              = TR3025 Front Cover.jpg
 
| image              = TR3025 Front Cover.jpg
 
| name                =  
 
| name                =  
| type                = Technical readout
+
| type                = Technical Readout
 
| author              =  
 
| author              =  
 
| development        = [[L. Ross Babcock]]
 
| development        = [[L. Ross Babcock]]
| primarywriting      = [[Shaun Duncan]]<br />[[Dale Kemper]]<br />[[Blaine Pardoe]]<br />[[Boy Petersen]]<br />[[Anthony Pryor]]
+
| primarywriting      = [[Shaun Duncan]]<br>[[Dale L. Kemper]]<br>[[Blaine Pardoe]]<br>[[Boy F. Peterson, Jr.]]<br>[[Anthony Pryor (person)|Anthony Pryor]]
 
| pages              = 200
 
| pages              = 200
 
| cover              = [[Dana Knutson]]
 
| cover              = [[Dana Knutson]]
 
| interiorart        =  
 
| interiorart        =  
| illustrations      = [[David R. Deitrick]]<br />[[Dana Knutson]]<br />[[Duane Loose]]
+
| illustrations      = [[David R. Deitrick]]<br>[[Dana Knutson]]<br>[[Duane Loose]]
 
| publisher          = [[FASA]]
 
| publisher          = [[FASA]]
 
| productioncode      = 8603
 
| productioncode      = 8603
Line 15: Line 15:
 
| ISBN10              = 093178784X
 
| ISBN10              = 093178784X
 
| ISBN13              = 978-0931787843
 
| ISBN13              = 978-0931787843
| MSRP                = 15.00 US $
+
| MSRP                = $9.95
 
| content            =  
 
| content            =  
 
| era                = [[Succession Wars era]]
 
| era                = [[Succession Wars era]]
| agency              = [[ComStar Publishing]]
+
| agency              = [[ComStar]]
 
| universedate        = 05 June [[3025]]
 
| universedate        = 05 June [[3025]]
 
| timeline            =  
 
| timeline            =  
 
| series              = [[Technical Readout]]s
 
| series              = [[Technical Readout]]s
 
| precededby          =  
 
| precededby          =  
| followedby          = [[Technical_Readout: 3025 Revised]]
+
| followedby          = [[Technical Readout: 3025 Revised]]
 
}}
 
}}
 
==Description==
 
==Description==
'''''Technical Readout: 3025''''' was the first of the series providing game attributes, fluff, and background details for the [[BattleTech]] universe. It has entries for 55 [['Mech]]s, 15 [[aerospace fighter]]s, 3 [[LAM]]s, 4 [[DropShip]]s and 12 [[combat vehicle]]s.
+
'''''Technical Readout: 3025''''' was one of the first [[BattleTech]] sourcebooks ever, and the first that was not a scenario pack centered on an individual [['Mech]] [[company]] (four of which were published in the same or preceding year). A core game supplement as much as a universe sourcebook, it provided game attributes and fluff for the units included and general background details for the BattleTech universe, and would serve as a template for a whole [[:Category:Technical Readouts|series of similar books]] that was said to be one of the setting's best-selling product lines.
  
The product was reissued and updated in 1996 as ''[[Technical Readout: 3025 Revised]]'', which was replaced in 2009 by ''[[Technical Readout: 3039]]''.<ref>''[http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=2412.msg453964#msg453964 Notation on the Catalyst Game Lab's Errata Forum Rules & Index - Regarding status of TRO: 3025.]''</ref>
+
Framed as a publication by [[ComStar Publishing]] from the year [[3025]], the book provides detailed in-universe write-ups on 55 [[BattleMech]]s, 15 [[aerospace fighter]]s, 3 [[LAM]]s, 4 [[DropShip]]s and 12 [[combat vehicle]]s including all 'Mechs, LAMs, and DropShips (but none of the aerospace fighters or vehicles) featured in the various boxed sets published until then, namely [[Battledroids]]/[[BattleTech, Second Edition]], [[CityTech]], and [[AeroTech]].
 +
 
 +
Several minor, unmarked corrections and changes were made over time, see [[Technical Readout: 3025#Editions|Editions]] below.
 +
 
 +
The MSRP was gradually increased from $9.95 to $12.00 (later editions of "third" printing, i.e. fourth printing) to $15.00 (later editions of July 1994 printing, after earlier editions were still $12.00).
 +
 
 +
The book was reissued and updated in 1996 as ''[[Technical Readout: 3025 Revised]]'', which was in turn eventually superseded in 2009 by ''[[Technical Readout: 3039]]''.<ref>''[http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=2412.msg453964#msg453964 Notation on the Catalyst Game Lab's Errata Forum Rules & Index - Regarding status of TRO: 3025.]''</ref>
  
 
==From the back cover==
 
==From the back cover==
{{quote|''This Technical Readout lists the capabilities and history of the most common pieces of military hardware used by the major Houses of the [[Successor States]] in the year [[3025]]. Focusing on [[BattleMech]]s and [[Aerospace Fighter]]s, this volume also discusses important combat and support vehicles as well as the rare [[LAM|Land-Air-Mech]]s. In all, 55 'Mechs, 15 fighters, 3 LAMs, 4 [[DropShip]]s, and 12 Vehicles are described and illustrated, making this volume a must for all, from historians to [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]s.''}}
+
{{quote|''"The most complete equipment reference book published to date"<br />-July 15, 3025<br />[[New Avalon Herald]]''
 +
 
 +
''This '''Technical Readout''' lists the capabilities and history of the most common pieces of military hardware used by the major houses of the [[Successor States]] in the year [[3025]]. Focusing on BattleMechs and Aerospace Fighters, this volume also discusses important combat and support vehicles as well as the rare Land-Air-Mechs. In all, 55 'Mechs, 15 fighters, 3 LAMs, 4 [[DropShip]]s, and 12 Vehicles are described and illustrated, making this volume a must for all, from historians to [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]s.''}} <!-- Land-Air-Mech is what's in the original blurb -->
  
 
==Contents==
 
==Contents==
Introduction
+
<div class="desktop-3-col">
 
+
;Introduction
'''Light 'Mechs'''
+
;Light 'Mechs
 
: ''[[Locust]]''
 
: ''[[Locust]]''
 
: ''[[Wasp]]''
 
: ''[[Wasp]]''
Line 45: Line 53:
 
: ''[[UrbanMech]]''
 
: ''[[UrbanMech]]''
 
: ''[[Valkyrie]]''
 
: ''[[Valkyrie]]''
: ''[[Firestarter_(BattleMech)|Firestarter]]''
+
: ''[[Firestarter (BattleMech)|Firestarter]]''
 
: ''[[Jenner]]''
 
: ''[[Jenner]]''
 
: ''[[Ostscout]]''
 
: ''[[Ostscout]]''
 
: ''[[Panther]]''
 
: ''[[Panther]]''
  
'''Medium 'Mechs'''
+
;Medium 'Mechs
 
: ''[[Assassin]]''
 
: ''[[Assassin]]''
 
: ''[[Cicada]]''
 
: ''[[Cicada]]''
Line 71: Line 79:
 
: ''[[Wolverine (BattleMech)|Wolverine]]''
 
: ''[[Wolverine (BattleMech)|Wolverine]]''
  
'''Heavy 'Mechs'''
+
 
 +
;Heavy 'Mechs
 
: ''[[Dragon]]''
 
: ''[[Dragon]]''
 
: ''[[Ostroc]]''
 
: ''[[Ostroc]]''
Line 87: Line 96:
 
: ''[[Orion]]''
 
: ''[[Orion]]''
  
'''Assault 'Mechs'''
+
;Assault 'Mechs
 
: ''[[Awesome]]''
 
: ''[[Awesome]]''
 
: ''[[Charger]]''
 
: ''[[Charger]]''
Line 99: Line 108:
 
: ''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]''
 
: ''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]''
  
'''LAMs'''
+
;LAMs
 
: ''[[Stinger LAM]]''
 
: ''[[Stinger LAM]]''
 
: ''[[Wasp LAM]]''
 
: ''[[Wasp LAM]]''
 
: ''[[Phoenix Hawk LAM]]''
 
: ''[[Phoenix Hawk LAM]]''
  
'''Aerospace Fighters'''
+
;Aerospace Fighters
 
+
:[[Federated Suns|Davion]]
[[Federated_Suns|Davion]]
+
:: ''[[Sparrowhawk]]''
: ''[[Sparrowhawk]]''
+
:: ''[[Corsair (Aerospace Fighter class)|Corsair]]''
: ''[[Corsair]]''
+
:: ''[[Stuka]]''
: ''[[Stuka]]''
 
  
[[Draconis_Combine|Kurita]]
+
:[[Draconis Combine|Kurita]]
: ''[[Sholagar]]''
+
:: ''[[Sholagar]]''
: ''[[Shilone]]''
+
:: ''[[Shilone]]''
: ''[[Slayer]]''
+
:: ''[[Slayer]]''
  
[[Capellan_Confederation|Liao]]
+
:[[Capellan Confederation|Liao]]
: ''[[Thrush]]''
+
:: ''[[Thrush]]''
: ''[[Transit]]''
+
:: ''[[Transit]]''
: ''[[Transgressor]]''
+
:: ''[[Transgressor]]''
  
[[Free_Worlds_League|Marik]]
+
:[[Free Worlds League|Marik]]
: ''[[Cheetah]]''
+
:: ''[[Cheetah]]''
: ''[[Stingray]]''
+
:: ''[[Stingray]]''
: ''[[Riever]]''
+
:: ''[[Riever]]''
  
[[Lyran_Commonwealth|Steiner]]
+
:[[Lyran Commonwealth|Steiner]]
: ''[[Seydlitz]]''
+
:: ''[[Seydlitz]]''
: ''[[Lucifer]]''
+
:: ''[[Lucifer]]''
: ''[[Chippewa]]''
+
:: ''[[Chippewa]]''
  
'''DropShips'''
+
;DropShips
: ''[[Leopard]]'' Dropship
+
: ''[[Leopard (DropShip class)|Leopard]]''-class
: ''[[Union]]'' Dropship
+
: ''[[Union (DropShip class)|Union]]''-class
: ''[[Overlord]]'' Dropship
+
: ''[[Overlord (DropShip class)|Overlord]]''-class
  
'''Vehicles'''
+
;Vehicles
: [[Swift Wind]] Scout Car
+
: [[SwiftWind]] Scout Car
: [[Rommel]] / [[Patton]] Tanks
+
: [[Rommel]]/[[Patton]] Tanks
 
: [[Von Luckner]] Heavy Tank
 
: [[Von Luckner]] Heavy Tank
 
: [[Galleon]] Light Tank
 
: [[Galleon]] Light Tank
Line 148: Line 156:
 
: [[J-27 Ordnance Transport|Ordnance Transport]]
 
: [[J-27 Ordnance Transport|Ordnance Transport]]
 
: [[MASH Truck|MASH]]
 
: [[MASH Truck|MASH]]
: Repair Installation
+
: [[BattleMech Repair Facility|Repair Installation]]
 
 
Index
 
  
==Editions==
+
;Index
''Technical Readout: 3025'' had several print runs with various changes incorporated at different times.  The first edition was published in 1986 with a [[w:MSRP|MSRP]] of $9.95.  This edition had a number of minor typographic errors but more noticeably the pictures of the ''[[Ostscout]]'' and ''[[Ostsol]]'' are swapped. This error would continue well into the third printing.
+
</div>
  
The third edition is identified by the notation "Third Printing; May, 1987" in the bottom right corner of the credits page. Early copies of the third printing are nearly identical to the first edition with the ''Ostscout'' and ''Ostsol'' pictures swapped and a MSRP of $9.95. Later copies compound the ''Ostscout''/''Ostsol'' confusion by simply swapping pages 29 and 79.  Now the ''Ostscout'' illustration appears on page 29 with the game statistics of the ''Ostsol'' while the ''Ostsol'' illustration appears on page 79 accompanied by the game attributes of the ''Ostscout''. These later versions of the third printing also feature an updated UPC with a MSRP of $12.00.
+
==Printings and Changes==
 +
''Technical Readout: 3025'' had several print runs with various changes incorporated at different times, though these were not properly marked and the ISBN remained the same. As far as can be established, there were two printings in 1986, with the second printing apparently unmarked as such despite changes to the content, two different 1987 printings both marked as "Third Printing May 1987" in the imprint (one giving a MSRP of $9.95, the other of $12.00 technically marking it as a fourth printing), and two unnumbered "July 1994" printings, with the MSRP given as $12.00 and $15.00, respectively.
  
The ''Ostscout'' and ''Ostsol'' were finally fixed in the July 1994 printing. This edition increased the price to $15.00 and fixed some of the typos of the previous printings.
+
Besides a number of minor typographic errors that were corrected over time, known changes include:
 +
*In the first printing, the Battle History section for the ''Locust'' mentions a battle on [[Royal]] where the [[Federated Suns]] introduced an unsuccessful variant of the 'Mech with a [[PPC]]. The PPC variant reference was dropped from the second 1986 printing onwards and replaced by some more detail on the units involved.
 +
*The images going with the 35-ton ''Ostscout'' and 60-ton ''Ostsol'' 'Mechs were swapped in the first through third editions. Early copies of the third printing are nearly identical to the first edition with the ''Ostscout'' and ''Ostsol'' pictures swapped and a MSRP of $9.95. Later copies compound the ''Ostscout''/''Ostsol'' confusion by simply swapping pages 29 and 79.  Now the ''Ostscout'' illustration appears on page 29 with the game statistics of the ''Ostsol'' while the ''Ostsol'' illustration appears on page 79 accompanied by the game attributes of the ''Ostscout''. The ''Ostscout'' and ''Ostsol'' were finally fixed in the July 1994 printing.
 +
*The write-up for the ''[[Hatchetman]]'' initially mentioned two of the 'Mech's 14 [[heat sink]]s were mounted in the [[hatchet]] and a [[medium laser]] in the shaft; this was dropped in later descriptions where the hatchet was instead described as functionally a club. (At the time of publication, the hatchet rules did not exist yet.)
 +
*In the first printing, the ''Warhammer'' entry mentioned that the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] had placed extensively modified ''Warhammer''s in orbit of [[Tamar]] to serve as aerospace defense against incoming enemy [[DropShips]] in [[3015]]; this passage was omitted in later printings.
 +
Note that any content which was later omitted but not refuted technically remains [[canonical]] even though its veracity is uncertain.
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 163: Line 175:
 
* ''TRO:3025'' set the standard for future TROs and was one of the better selling titles for (and gateway purchases into) [[BattleTech]].
 
* ''TRO:3025'' set the standard for future TROs and was one of the better selling titles for (and gateway purchases into) [[BattleTech]].
 
* Though not revealed until the 'Introduction' page of ''Technical Readout: 3025 Revised'', this original edition was (in-universe) published by ComStar Publishing on 5 June 3025.
 
* Though not revealed until the 'Introduction' page of ''Technical Readout: 3025 Revised'', this original edition was (in-universe) published by ComStar Publishing on 5 June 3025.
 +
 +
==Foreign-Language Editions==
 +
===German===
 +
{{InfoBoxForLangProduct
 +
| image              = Hardware-Handbuch 3025.jpg
 +
| name                = Hardware-Handbuch 3025
 +
| language            = German
 +
| contribution        = [[Reinhold H. Mai]] (Translation), Reinhold H. Mai and [[Hans Alpers]] (Editors)
 +
| pages              = 200
 +
| publisher          = [[Fantasy Productions]] (1st and 2nd Edition), A to Z Printing and Publishing Inc. (3rd edition)
 +
| year                = 1990 (1st Edition), 1994 (2nd Edition), 1994 (3rd Edition)
 +
| ISBN10              = 3890649394
 +
| ISBN13              = 4018522109398
 +
| MSRP                =
 +
}}
 +
The German edition, titled '''Hardware-Handbuch 3025''', was released by [[Fantasy Productions]] in 1990 with two more editions both published in 1994. The translation was apparently based on the very first edition of the original book, retaining parts that later print runs of the original book had omitted but giving the correct images for the ''Ostscout'' and ''Ostsol''. There were some other changes though (see below). The German version was printed in DIN A4 format, a standard European paper size which is a little larger than [[w:Paper size|North American Letter size]].
 +
 +
====From the German back cover====
 +
The German back cover matches the original in text and design.
 +
 +
{{quote|''"...Hardware-Handbuch 3025 - das Standard Nachschlagewerk für jeden MechKrieger." New Avalon Herald vom 15. Juli 3025''<br />
 +
''Dieses Kompendium beschreibt die gebräuchlichen Waffensysteme der Nachfolgerstaaten des Jahres 3025, ihrer Eigenschaften und ihre Entwicklungsgeschichte. Im Mittelpunkt stehen BattleMechs und Luft/Raumjäger, aber auch die seltenen FLUMs sowie Landungsschiffe, Panzer und Unterstützungsfahrzeuge werden nicht vernachlässigt. Insgesamt umfaßt der Band Beschreibungen und Illustrationen von 55 Mechs, 15 Jägern, 3 FLUMs, 4 Landungsschiffen und 12 Fahrzeugen. Ein Muß für den Historiker und MechKrieger!''}}
 +
 +
====Alterations====
 +
The German edition received a number of small alterations, mostly regarding the setting, while the content was largely left unchanged:
 +
* The Table of Content was left out, instead a short list of respective units is given next to the abstract of a chapter. For this, the original's illustrations next to the abstract of a chapter (e.g., a ''Panther'' for Light 'Mechs) were removed.
 +
* FanPro changed many unit names, mostly into direct translations of their English names into German (see below). Due to this, and to maintain an alphabetical order, the units appear in a slightly different order.
 +
* The error with the swapped ''Ostscout''/''Ostsol'' illustrations/stats in earlier editions of original ''Technical Readout: 3025'' is corrected in the German 3rd edition.
 +
* The unit images of ''[[Stuka]]'' and [[Packrat]] differ. Where the Packrat image was reworked (a black block was added in the background) the Stuka image was completely exchanged.
 +
 +
====Spelling and Names====
 +
As with other German products prior to 1997, spelling and names (especially places and units) as well as most abbreviations were regularly adjusted. For instance, the ''[[Archer]]'' BattleMech was renamed to ''Schütze'', the planet [[Götterdämmerung (system)|Gotterdammerung]] was respelled to ''Götterdämmerung'', the [[DCMS]] (Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery) became VSDK (Vereinigte Streitkräfte des Draconis-Kombinats), etc.
 +
 +
===Spanish===
 +
A Spanish edition was published by [[Diseños Orbitales]] in 1990 as [[List of BattleTech Products in Spanish#BattleTech manual de referencia técnica 3025|''BattleTech manual de referencia técnica 3025'']].
 +
 +
==Gallery==
 +
<gallery>
 +
File:Hardware-Handbuch 3025.jpg|German edition.
 +
File:SpanishTRO3025.jpg|Spanish edition.
 +
</gallery>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
Line 168: Line 221:
  
  
[[Category:Books]]
+
[[Category:Technical Readouts and Recognition Guides|3025]]
[[Category:Technical Readouts|3025]]
+
[[Category:German Editions]]
 +
[[Category: Spanish Editions]]

Latest revision as of 21:33, 18 August 2023

TR3025 Front Cover.jpg
Technical Readout: 3025
Product information
Type Technical Readout
Development L. Ross Babcock
Primary writing Shaun Duncan
Dale L. Kemper
Blaine Pardoe
Boy F. Peterson, Jr.
Anthony Pryor
Pages 200
Cover Artwork Dana Knutson
Illustrations David R. Deitrick
Dana Knutson
Duane Loose
Publication information
Publisher FASA
Product code 8603
First published 1986
ISBN-10 093178784X
ISBN-13 978-0931787843
MSRP $9.95
Content
Era Succession Wars era
Agency ComStar
Universe Date 05 June 3025
Series Technical Readouts
Followed by Technical Readout: 3025 Revised

Description[edit]

Technical Readout: 3025 was one of the first BattleTech sourcebooks ever, and the first that was not a scenario pack centered on an individual 'Mech company (four of which were published in the same or preceding year). A core game supplement as much as a universe sourcebook, it provided game attributes and fluff for the units included and general background details for the BattleTech universe, and would serve as a template for a whole series of similar books that was said to be one of the setting's best-selling product lines.

Framed as a publication by ComStar Publishing from the year 3025, the book provides detailed in-universe write-ups on 55 BattleMechs, 15 aerospace fighters, 3 LAMs, 4 DropShips and 12 combat vehicles including all 'Mechs, LAMs, and DropShips (but none of the aerospace fighters or vehicles) featured in the various boxed sets published until then, namely Battledroids/BattleTech, Second Edition, CityTech, and AeroTech.

Several minor, unmarked corrections and changes were made over time, see Editions below.

The MSRP was gradually increased from $9.95 to $12.00 (later editions of "third" printing, i.e. fourth printing) to $15.00 (later editions of July 1994 printing, after earlier editions were still $12.00).

The book was reissued and updated in 1996 as Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, which was in turn eventually superseded in 2009 by Technical Readout: 3039.[1]

From the back cover[edit]

"The most complete equipment reference book published to date"
-July 15, 3025
New Avalon Herald

This Technical Readout lists the capabilities and history of the most common pieces of military hardware used by the major houses of the Successor States in the year 3025. Focusing on BattleMechs and Aerospace Fighters, this volume also discusses important combat and support vehicles as well as the rare Land-Air-Mechs. In all, 55 'Mechs, 15 fighters, 3 LAMs, 4 DropShips, and 12 Vehicles are described and illustrated, making this volume a must for all, from historians to MechWarriors.

Contents[edit]

Printings and Changes[edit]

Technical Readout: 3025 had several print runs with various changes incorporated at different times, though these were not properly marked and the ISBN remained the same. As far as can be established, there were two printings in 1986, with the second printing apparently unmarked as such despite changes to the content, two different 1987 printings both marked as "Third Printing May 1987" in the imprint (one giving a MSRP of $9.95, the other of $12.00 technically marking it as a fourth printing), and two unnumbered "July 1994" printings, with the MSRP given as $12.00 and $15.00, respectively.

Besides a number of minor typographic errors that were corrected over time, known changes include:

  • In the first printing, the Battle History section for the Locust mentions a battle on Royal where the Federated Suns introduced an unsuccessful variant of the 'Mech with a PPC. The PPC variant reference was dropped from the second 1986 printing onwards and replaced by some more detail on the units involved.
  • The images going with the 35-ton Ostscout and 60-ton Ostsol 'Mechs were swapped in the first through third editions. Early copies of the third printing are nearly identical to the first edition with the Ostscout and Ostsol pictures swapped and a MSRP of $9.95. Later copies compound the Ostscout/Ostsol confusion by simply swapping pages 29 and 79. Now the Ostscout illustration appears on page 29 with the game statistics of the Ostsol while the Ostsol illustration appears on page 79 accompanied by the game attributes of the Ostscout. The Ostscout and Ostsol were finally fixed in the July 1994 printing.
  • The write-up for the Hatchetman initially mentioned two of the 'Mech's 14 heat sinks were mounted in the hatchet and a medium laser in the shaft; this was dropped in later descriptions where the hatchet was instead described as functionally a club. (At the time of publication, the hatchet rules did not exist yet.)
  • In the first printing, the Warhammer entry mentioned that the Lyran Commonwealth had placed extensively modified Warhammers in orbit of Tamar to serve as aerospace defense against incoming enemy DropShips in 3015; this passage was omitted in later printings.

Note that any content which was later omitted but not refuted technically remains canonical even though its veracity is uncertain.

Notes[edit]

  • The "Repair Installation" entry states that there is no standard 'Mech repair facility, but gives a description of features and equipment that they all have in common.
  • TRO:3025 set the standard for future TROs and was one of the better selling titles for (and gateway purchases into) BattleTech.
  • Though not revealed until the 'Introduction' page of Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, this original edition was (in-universe) published by ComStar Publishing on 5 June 3025.

Foreign-Language Editions[edit]

German[edit]

Hardware-Handbuch 3025.jpg
Hardware-Handbuch 3025
Product information
Language German
Contribution Reinhold H. Mai (Translation), Reinhold H. Mai and Hans Alpers (Editors)
Pages 200
Publication information
Publisher Fantasy Productions (1st and 2nd Edition), A to Z Printing and Publishing Inc. (3rd edition)
First published 1990 (1st Edition), 1994 (2nd Edition), 1994 (3rd Edition)
ISBN-10 3890649394
ISBN-13 4018522109398

The German edition, titled Hardware-Handbuch 3025, was released by Fantasy Productions in 1990 with two more editions both published in 1994. The translation was apparently based on the very first edition of the original book, retaining parts that later print runs of the original book had omitted but giving the correct images for the Ostscout and Ostsol. There were some other changes though (see below). The German version was printed in DIN A4 format, a standard European paper size which is a little larger than North American Letter size.

From the German back cover[edit]

The German back cover matches the original in text and design.

"...Hardware-Handbuch 3025 - das Standard Nachschlagewerk für jeden MechKrieger." New Avalon Herald vom 15. Juli 3025

Dieses Kompendium beschreibt die gebräuchlichen Waffensysteme der Nachfolgerstaaten des Jahres 3025, ihrer Eigenschaften und ihre Entwicklungsgeschichte. Im Mittelpunkt stehen BattleMechs und Luft/Raumjäger, aber auch die seltenen FLUMs sowie Landungsschiffe, Panzer und Unterstützungsfahrzeuge werden nicht vernachlässigt. Insgesamt umfaßt der Band Beschreibungen und Illustrationen von 55 Mechs, 15 Jägern, 3 FLUMs, 4 Landungsschiffen und 12 Fahrzeugen. Ein Muß für den Historiker und MechKrieger!

Alterations[edit]

The German edition received a number of small alterations, mostly regarding the setting, while the content was largely left unchanged:

  • The Table of Content was left out, instead a short list of respective units is given next to the abstract of a chapter. For this, the original's illustrations next to the abstract of a chapter (e.g., a Panther for Light 'Mechs) were removed.
  • FanPro changed many unit names, mostly into direct translations of their English names into German (see below). Due to this, and to maintain an alphabetical order, the units appear in a slightly different order.
  • The error with the swapped Ostscout/Ostsol illustrations/stats in earlier editions of original Technical Readout: 3025 is corrected in the German 3rd edition.
  • The unit images of Stuka and Packrat differ. Where the Packrat image was reworked (a black block was added in the background) the Stuka image was completely exchanged.

Spelling and Names[edit]

As with other German products prior to 1997, spelling and names (especially places and units) as well as most abbreviations were regularly adjusted. For instance, the Archer BattleMech was renamed to Schütze, the planet Gotterdammerung was respelled to Götterdämmerung, the DCMS (Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery) became VSDK (Vereinigte Streitkräfte des Draconis-Kombinats), etc.

Spanish[edit]

A Spanish edition was published by Diseños Orbitales in 1990 as BattleTech manual de referencia técnica 3025.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]