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:(see also: [[w:Vaporware|Vaporware]] article on Wikipedia for a loose general definition) | :(see also: [[w:Vaporware|Vaporware]] article on Wikipedia for a loose general definition) | ||
| + | ==BattleTech Vaporware== | ||
Known cases that have been referred to as "vaporware" by BattleTech fans include: | Known cases that have been referred to as "vaporware" by BattleTech fans include: | ||
| − | ==ComStar Sourcebook== | + | ===ComStar Sourcebook=== |
| − | + | Listed in a 1987 FASA order form and in store adverts in gaming magazines ([[w:White Dwarf|White Dwarf]] issue 102; Games Review #1, October 1988; also mentioned as a possible upcoming product in [[Future Wars]] Issue 22) as FASA product #1628, this sourcebook allegedly was a report on [[ComStar]] in the fashion of the House Book series, detailing the order as per around the year 3025. Although it was confirmed that it was never actually published by FASA ([[Line Developer]] [[Herbert A. Beas II]] explicitly said the offices should have everything ever printed for BattleTech, but did not have that book), some people claim to have held a physical copy in their hands in ca. 1989<ref>According to [http://www.classicbattletech.com/forumarchive/index.php/topic,67717.0.html this thread] on the [[CBT Forum]]</ref> in Fresno, California and Oxford, England. It was described as "''a Housebook style Comstar book a long time ago maybe in '89. It had the dark blue cover of a house book with the embossed emblem of Comstar and on the back it had the shiny monocolor Comstar logo''" and "''house book sized but about half as thick''". | |
| − | ==Black Magic Battalion== | + | A Japanese website<ref>[http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www003.upp.so-net.ne.jp/Irregulars/english.htm&ei=zij4S8LEBcH68AbP8sjKCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDEQ7gEwBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3DFASA%2B1628%2BComStar%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DhUu%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official Japanese website translation link]</ref> lists it with the comments "Not Available. There are rumors that there is a pre-version." |
| − | According to a [[MFUK]] publication<ref>According to [http://www.classicbattletech.com/forumarchive/index.php/topic,13027.msg298727.html#msg298727 this | + | |
| + | The FASA product code 1628 was previously assigned (possibly erroneously) to a miniatures package that was never released either. The number never taken for another product, and remains blank. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A [[ComStar (sourcebook)|ComStar sourcebook]], FASA product #1655, was published in 1992. Author [[Blaine Pardoe]] asserts that he wrote it from the grounds up, and had no reference material such as a previous book, or even a previous script/project. He posted: | ||
| + | {{quote|''It's been a while - but I "may" be able to shed some light as the author of the original ComStar Sourcebook. Herb, I hope I'm not violating a rule about posting. If I am guys, it's been a thrill.<br />I never saw an official other sourcebook - if it was in the works at the time, [[Sam Lewis]] would have been all over me about it given the agonies associated with the first one.<br />A few months back someone contacted me about this subject via eMail. He claims that he has a sourcebook on ComStar but it was not a FASA product. I never saw it...but it's possible that some sly dogs were out there doing their own little underground product. I saw one once on eBay which was lifted from the series of articles I wrote in StarDate magazine - someone had bundled them together and was selling it as a "sourcebook." Sly dog. Wish I had thought of that -- those StarDate guys still owe me money...<br />You have to be VERY careful with attempting to match up the FASA catalog numbers with reality. There were gaps, cancelled products (Like one I wrote for the Crimson Hawk's which appeared for six months worth of catalogs then evaporated with fan interest).<br />Not to mention that in the backs of some of the novels, those little surveys you filled out, had some glaring errors. I guy approached me at a con four years ago with a patch for Clan "Sea Wolf" or something crazy like that. At first I thought he was on drugs but he told me it was the mysterious missing clan. He showed me the back of one novel survey where you could select your favorite faction...and there it was.<br />This guy was very nice but believed he had stumbled onto the lost ark or some sinister secret. He had even written up a history for them and designed a patch logo. I told him it had to be a print mistake, but he swore he had found something we had hidden. I'm sure tonight a bunch of you are going through and checking -- when someone find it, post it.<br />I think this mythical ComStar Sourcebook (snipe) you are chasing is probably just a rouge printed copy of some fan generated material.<br />Blaine "Buck" Pardoe''}} | ||
| + | ===Black Magic Battalion=== | ||
| + | According to a [[MFUK]] publication<ref>According to [http://www.classicbattletech.com/forumarchive/index.php/topic,13027.msg298727.html#msg298727 this posting] on the CBT Forum (archived) by user 'Dark Jaguar': "''I don't know if its of any interest to you (or even if its true) but the MFUK handbook stated that Fasa 1628 was a Comstar book never published and that another unpublished one was going to be called The Black Magic Battalion presumably as 1658.''</ref>, FASA announced a product called "Black Magic Battalion", presumably to be written in the fashion of previous scenario packs detailing a particular military unit. | ||
A price list "Prices effective August 1, 1988"<ref>See [http://www.classicbattletech.com/forumarchive/index.php/topic,67717.msg1621480.html#msg1621480 this] posting on the CBT Forum (archived) by user 'Jal Phoenix': "''1658 doesn't appear anywhere on any of the order forms I have. Here the Black Magic Battalion reference for those who are interested, from an order form dated "Prices effective August 1, 1988". Note that it's number was reused for the House Davion book.''</ref> refers to this product with product code #1623, which was later used for ''[[House Davion (The Federated Suns)]]''. | A price list "Prices effective August 1, 1988"<ref>See [http://www.classicbattletech.com/forumarchive/index.php/topic,67717.msg1621480.html#msg1621480 this] posting on the CBT Forum (archived) by user 'Jal Phoenix': "''1658 doesn't appear anywhere on any of the order forms I have. Here the Black Magic Battalion reference for those who are interested, from an order form dated "Prices effective August 1, 1988". Note that it's number was reused for the House Davion book.''</ref> refers to this product with product code #1623, which was later used for ''[[House Davion (The Federated Suns)]]''. | ||
| − | ==Explorer Corps Boxed Set== | + | ===Explorer Corps Boxed Set=== |
| + | Around 1997, FASA planned to expand the BattleTech line through exploration of the unknown peripheries. This was envisioned as a new product line, complete with its own line of 'Explorer Corps' novels; the core product was going to be the "Explorer Corps" boxed set, FASA # | ||
| + | ===BattleCorps stories=== | ||
| + | [[BattleCorps]] does not usually announce publications beforehand. The exception are serialized stories and multi-part story cycles, and a number of early projects remain unfinished. In particular, these include: | ||
| + | ====''Machine Nations''==== | ||
| + | Originally announced as the sixth story in the [[Proliferation Cycle]], ''Machine Nations'' was supposed to tell the story how the [[Capellan Confederation]] first obtained [[BattleMech]] technology. Announced for publication circa June 2005, it was never published. | ||
| − | + | It was explained that a first draft of the story had been submitted by [[Loren Coleman]], but was rejected for factchecking/continuity issues<ref name="BCN">BattleCorps news item [http://www.battlecorps.com/BC2/news.html?article=629 "At Long Last... the Proliferation Cycle"]</ref>; the story as written could not be salvaged. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | On 7 May 2011 an announcement in BattleCorps' [[BattleCorps#News section|"General" news section]]<ref name="BCN" /> proclaimed that ''Machine Nations'', "a title without a story", had been consigned to history and that [[Jason Schmetzer]] had written a new story (''[[The Spider Dances]]'') it its place to conclude the Cycle. | |
| − | |||
| − | + | ====''Finding Jardine''==== | |
| − | ===''Finding Jardine''=== | ||
| − | ==Blackthorne BattleForce Comics #3== | + | ===Blackthorne BattleForce Comics #3=== |
Announced with the title "Sacrificial Goats" in the second issue of this comic series, the third part was never released, leaving the story arc incomplete. | Announced with the title "Sacrificial Goats" in the second issue of this comic series, the third part was never released, leaving the story arc incomplete. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
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In the context of BattleTech, the term "Vaporware" is generally used to describe a product that, although announced, fails to materialize.
- (see also: Vaporware article on Wikipedia for a loose general definition)
Contents
BattleTech Vaporware
Known cases that have been referred to as "vaporware" by BattleTech fans include:
ComStar Sourcebook
Listed in a 1987 FASA order form and in store adverts in gaming magazines (White Dwarf issue 102; Games Review #1, October 1988; also mentioned as a possible upcoming product in Future Wars Issue 22) as FASA product #1628, this sourcebook allegedly was a report on ComStar in the fashion of the House Book series, detailing the order as per around the year 3025. Although it was confirmed that it was never actually published by FASA (Line Developer Herbert A. Beas II explicitly said the offices should have everything ever printed for BattleTech, but did not have that book), some people claim to have held a physical copy in their hands in ca. 1989[1] in Fresno, California and Oxford, England. It was described as "a Housebook style Comstar book a long time ago maybe in '89. It had the dark blue cover of a house book with the embossed emblem of Comstar and on the back it had the shiny monocolor Comstar logo" and "house book sized but about half as thick".
A Japanese website[2] lists it with the comments "Not Available. There are rumors that there is a pre-version."
The FASA product code 1628 was previously assigned (possibly erroneously) to a miniatures package that was never released either. The number never taken for another product, and remains blank.
A ComStar sourcebook, FASA product #1655, was published in 1992. Author Blaine Pardoe asserts that he wrote it from the grounds up, and had no reference material such as a previous book, or even a previous script/project. He posted:
| “ | It's been a while - but I "may" be able to shed some light as the author of the original ComStar Sourcebook. Herb, I hope I'm not violating a rule about posting. If I am guys, it's been a thrill. I never saw an official other sourcebook - if it was in the works at the time, Sam Lewis would have been all over me about it given the agonies associated with the first one. A few months back someone contacted me about this subject via eMail. He claims that he has a sourcebook on ComStar but it was not a FASA product. I never saw it...but it's possible that some sly dogs were out there doing their own little underground product. I saw one once on eBay which was lifted from the series of articles I wrote in StarDate magazine - someone had bundled them together and was selling it as a "sourcebook." Sly dog. Wish I had thought of that -- those StarDate guys still owe me money... You have to be VERY careful with attempting to match up the FASA catalog numbers with reality. There were gaps, cancelled products (Like one I wrote for the Crimson Hawk's which appeared for six months worth of catalogs then evaporated with fan interest). Not to mention that in the backs of some of the novels, those little surveys you filled out, had some glaring errors. I guy approached me at a con four years ago with a patch for Clan "Sea Wolf" or something crazy like that. At first I thought he was on drugs but he told me it was the mysterious missing clan. He showed me the back of one novel survey where you could select your favorite faction...and there it was. This guy was very nice but believed he had stumbled onto the lost ark or some sinister secret. He had even written up a history for them and designed a patch logo. I told him it had to be a print mistake, but he swore he had found something we had hidden. I'm sure tonight a bunch of you are going through and checking -- when someone find it, post it. I think this mythical ComStar Sourcebook (snipe) you are chasing is probably just a rouge printed copy of some fan generated material. Blaine "Buck" Pardoe |
” |
Black Magic Battalion
According to a MFUK publication[3], FASA announced a product called "Black Magic Battalion", presumably to be written in the fashion of previous scenario packs detailing a particular military unit.
A price list "Prices effective August 1, 1988"[4] refers to this product with product code #1623, which was later used for House Davion (The Federated Suns).
Explorer Corps Boxed Set
Around 1997, FASA planned to expand the BattleTech line through exploration of the unknown peripheries. This was envisioned as a new product line, complete with its own line of 'Explorer Corps' novels; the core product was going to be the "Explorer Corps" boxed set, FASA #
BattleCorps stories
BattleCorps does not usually announce publications beforehand. The exception are serialized stories and multi-part story cycles, and a number of early projects remain unfinished. In particular, these include:
Machine Nations
Originally announced as the sixth story in the Proliferation Cycle, Machine Nations was supposed to tell the story how the Capellan Confederation first obtained BattleMech technology. Announced for publication circa June 2005, it was never published.
It was explained that a first draft of the story had been submitted by Loren Coleman, but was rejected for factchecking/continuity issues[5]; the story as written could not be salvaged.
On 7 May 2011 an announcement in BattleCorps' "General" news section[5] proclaimed that Machine Nations, "a title without a story", had been consigned to history and that Jason Schmetzer had written a new story (The Spider Dances) it its place to conclude the Cycle.
Finding Jardine
Blackthorne BattleForce Comics #3
Announced with the title "Sacrificial Goats" in the second issue of this comic series, the third part was never released, leaving the story arc incomplete.
References
- ↑ According to this thread on the CBT Forum
- ↑ Japanese website translation link
- ↑ According to this posting on the CBT Forum (archived) by user 'Dark Jaguar': "I don't know if its of any interest to you (or even if its true) but the MFUK handbook stated that Fasa 1628 was a Comstar book never published and that another unpublished one was going to be called The Black Magic Battalion presumably as 1658.
- ↑ See this posting on the CBT Forum (archived) by user 'Jal Phoenix': "1658 doesn't appear anywhere on any of the order forms I have. Here the Black Magic Battalion reference for those who are interested, from an order form dated "Prices effective August 1, 1988". Note that it's number was reused for the House Davion book.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 BattleCorps news item "At Long Last... the Proliferation Cycle"