Difference between revisions of "Life Support (magazine)"
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{{ApocryphalProduct}} | {{ApocryphalProduct}} | ||
| + | {{otheruses|the MechForce Germany magazine|other uses|Life Support}} | ||
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{{infoBoxProduct | {{infoBoxProduct | ||
| image = | | image = | ||
| name = Life Support | | name = Life Support | ||
| type = Magazine | | type = Magazine | ||
| − | | development = Chief editor:<br />[[Detlef Howe]] (Issues | + | | development = Chief editor:<br />[[Detlef Howe]] (Issues 1–2, 4)<br />[[Hans Schönberg]] (Issues 3, 5–8)<br />[[Beat Volkert]] (Issue 8, with Hans Schönberg) |
| primarywriting = Various contributors | | primarywriting = Various contributors | ||
| pages = varies | | pages = varies | ||
| Line 11: | Line 12: | ||
| illustrations = Various artists | | illustrations = Various artists | ||
| publisher = [[MechForce Germany]] | | publisher = [[MechForce Germany]] | ||
| − | | year = | + | | year = 1993–1995 |
| − | | | + | | productioncode = |
| ISBN10 = | | ISBN10 = | ||
| − | | MSRP = 7,50 DM (Issues 1-6)<br />8,50 DM (Issues | + | | MSRP = 7,50 DM (Issues 1-6)<br />8,50 DM (Issues 7–8) |
}} | }} | ||
| − | {{TOCleft}}'''Life Support''' was the German-language [[BattleTech]] magazine published by the first incarnation of the [[MechForce Germany]] (MFG). It contained internal MFG news and ranking lists as well as rules, essays, fiction, scenarios, [['Mech]] designs and record sheets, and similar information, some of it original, some translated from American BattleTech publications. | + | {{TOCleft}}'''''Life Support''''' was the German-language [[BattleTech]] magazine published by the first incarnation of the [[MechForce Germany]] (MFG). It contained internal MFG news and ranking lists as well as rules, essays, fiction, scenarios, [['Mech]] designs and record sheets, and similar information, some of it original, some translated from American BattleTech publications. |
| − | The magazine was issued to MFG members, but was also available for sale independent of MFG membership. A total of | + | The magazine was issued to MFG members, but was also available for sale independent of MFG membership. A total of eight issues were published before the first MFG folded. |
==Canonicity== | ==Canonicity== | ||
| − | As a German-only product, the Life Support magazine does not fall under the current definition of [[Canon]] for the BattleTech universe. | + | As a German-only product, the ''Life Support'' magazine does not fall under the current definition of [[Canon]] for the BattleTech universe. |
| − | The MechForce Germany | + | The MechForce Germany organization was officially sanctioned by [[FASA]], therefore ''Life Support'' can be regarded as an official (apocryphal) BattleTech publication. However, its content was not checked for continuity whatsoever by FASA. |
| − | [[FanPro]], on the other hand, holder of the German BattleTech license and publisher of the German-language BattleTech game line, maintained close contact with the MFG fan | + | [[FanPro]], on the other hand, holder of the German BattleTech license and publisher of the German-language BattleTech game line, maintained close contact with the MFG fan organization to the point that several items first published by the MFG found their way into official German-language BattleTech products, particularly the expanded ''[[Arena-Planet Solaris VII]]'' which reproduced the rules for [[Dual Cockpit]]s and [[ECM 3025]]. Likewise, the ''[[Linesman]]'' BattleMech introduced by the MFG was officially mentioned in ''[[BattleTech – Die Welt des 31. Jahrhunderts]]'' which was produced by [[Heyne]], the publisher of the German novel line. |
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
| + | |||
==Issue 1== | ==Issue 1== | ||
[[Image:Life Support 1.jpg|right|210px|Life Support, Issue 1]]The first issue, markedly short at only 24 pages, served mainly to introduce the MFG and its structure and ranking system. Notable content includes: | [[Image:Life Support 1.jpg|right|210px|Life Support, Issue 1]]The first issue, markedly short at only 24 pages, served mainly to introduce the MFG and its structure and ranking system. Notable content includes: | ||
| Line 36: | Line 38: | ||
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
==Issue 2== | ==Issue 2== | ||
| − | [[Image:Life Support 2.jpg|right|210px|Life Support, Issue 2]]Published with some delay, this 40-page issue concerns itself mainly with internal | + | [[Image:Life Support 2.jpg|right|210px|Life Support, Issue 2]]Published with some delay, this 40-page issue concerns itself mainly with internal organizational news, the introduction of MFG "House Officers" to aid internal administration, and rules pertaining to the personal 'Mech that all MFG members had been assigned upon joining. Other topics include the start of a [[Solaris VII]] league, the Chicago [[BattleTech Center]], and several short stories. |
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
==Issue 3== | ==Issue 3== | ||
| Line 49: | Line 51: | ||
*History/timeline of the fall of the [[Star League]], part II | *History/timeline of the fall of the [[Star League]], part II | ||
*Detailed article on the [[ISF]] | *Detailed article on the [[ISF]] | ||
| − | *LMN-1PT5 ''[[Linesman]]'' BattleMech | + | *LMN-1PT5 ''[[Linesman]]'' BattleMech write-up & stats |
*''Keine Chance!'' (part 2) | *''Keine Chance!'' (part 2) | ||
*BattleMech development history/timeline (part 1) | *BattleMech development history/timeline (part 1) | ||
| − | *FLC-4N ''[[Falcon]]'' BattleMech | + | *FLC-4N ''[[Falcon]]'' BattleMech write-up & record sheet (translated from ''[[BattleTechnology]]'' #0101) |
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
==Issue 5== | ==Issue 5== | ||
| Line 59: | Line 61: | ||
*(Brief) history and description of Clan culture | *(Brief) history and description of Clan culture | ||
*''Keine Chance!'' (part 3) | *''Keine Chance!'' (part 3) | ||
| − | *Article about the [[Battle of Tukayyid]] | + | *Article about the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]] |
*Detailed article on the [[LIC]] | *Detailed article on the [[LIC]] | ||
*Article about the [[Ares Conventions]] | *Article about the [[Ares Conventions]] | ||
| Line 71: | Line 73: | ||
*''Keine Chance!'' (part 4) | *''Keine Chance!'' (part 4) | ||
*[[Dual Cockpit]] rules | *[[Dual Cockpit]] rules | ||
| − | * | + | *Write-up for the modified black ''[[Griffin]]''s guarding the throne of the [[Archon]] of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] |
*[[ECM 3025]] rules | *[[ECM 3025]] rules | ||
*BattleMech development history/timeline (part 2) | *BattleMech development history/timeline (part 2) | ||
| − | *History/timeline of the fall of the [[Star League]], part V | + | *History/timeline of the fall of the [[Star League]], part V [''sic''] (there is no part IV) |
*Record sheets for various 'Mechs with Dual Cockpit refits (using the English 'Mech names instead of the established German translations): | *Record sheets for various 'Mechs with Dual Cockpit refits (using the English 'Mech names instead of the established German translations): | ||
**RVN-1XL DC ''[[Raven]]'' | **RVN-1XL DC ''[[Raven]]'' | ||
| Line 85: | Line 87: | ||
**IMP-2E WDC ''[[Imp]]'' | **IMP-2E WDC ''[[Imp]]'' | ||
**HGN-732 CDC ''[[Highlander]]'' | **HGN-732 CDC ''[[Highlander]]'' | ||
| − | *LMN-1PT5 ''Linesman'' record sheet (to go with the | + | *LMN-1PT5 ''Linesman'' record sheet (to go with the write-up in issue #4) |
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
| Line 92: | Line 94: | ||
*Clan terminology overview | *Clan terminology overview | ||
*Rundown of Clan names (totem animals) and their origin and meaning | *Rundown of Clan names (totem animals) and their origin and meaning | ||
| − | * | + | *Dueling rules consisting of a combination of the [[Solaris VII: The Game World|Solaris VII]] [['Mech Duel Rules]] and optional rules from the [[Tactical Handbook]] |
*''[[They call me Toad]]'' (short story, part 1) | *''[[They call me Toad]]'' (short story, part 1) | ||
| − | *KRZ-1G ''Templar'' BattleMech | + | *KRZ-1G ''Templar'' BattleMech write-up & record sheet (''[[Crusader]]'' variant; in the German BattleTech edition, the CRD-3R ''Crusader'' was translated as KRZ-3R ''Kreuzritter'') |
| − | *SL-21 G ''[[Sholagar]]'' [[aerospace fighter]] | + | *SL-21 G ''[[Sholagar]]'' [[aerospace fighter]] write-up & record sheet |
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
==Issue 8== | ==Issue 8== | ||
[[Image:Life Support 8.jpg|right|210px|Life Support, Issue 8]]72 pages. Notable content includes: | [[Image:Life Support 8.jpg|right|210px|Life Support, Issue 8]]72 pages. Notable content includes: | ||
*Detailed description of the interior of a BattleMech cockpit | *Detailed description of the interior of a BattleMech cockpit | ||
| − | *Essay on BattleTech tactics (translation of an article by [[Blaine Pardoe]] in ''[[ | + | *Essay on BattleTech tactics (translation of an article by [[Blaine Pardoe]] in ''[[StarDrive]]'' Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1987) |
*''They call me Toad'' (part 2) | *''They call me Toad'' (part 2) | ||
| − | *HCT-3F ''Hatchetman'' BattleMech | + | *HCT-3F ''Hatchetman'' BattleMech write-up & record sheet (a suggested rework of the published design to account for [[Hatchet]] rules) |
| − | *RFL-3N ''[[Rifleman]]'' BattleMech | + | *RFL-3N ''[[Rifleman]]'' BattleMech write-up & record sheet (reworked; lower arm actuators removed "to end the discussion about flipping arms.") |
| − | *''[[Sidewinder]]'' [[OmniMech]] | + | *''[[Sidewinder (OmniMech)|Sidewinder]]'' [[OmniMech]] write-up & record sheet |
<div style="clear:both"></div> | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
| + | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
| Line 112: | Line 115: | ||
[[Category:Magazines]] | [[Category:Magazines]] | ||
[[Category:BattleTech Magazines]] | [[Category:BattleTech Magazines]] | ||
| − | + | [[Category:German-Language Products]] | |
| − | [[Category:German | ||
Latest revision as of 19:56, 30 January 2024
 | Apocryphal Product Although the subject of this article is an official BattleTech product, it does not meet the current criteria for Canon. Its content may or may not be canonical for the BattleTech universe, and for the purpose of the Sarna.net BattleTechWiki is considered apocryphal. |
- This article is about the MechForce Germany magazine. For other uses, see Life Support.
| Life Support | |
|---|---|
| Product information | |
| Type | Magazine |
| Development | Chief editor: Detlef Howe (Issues 1–2, 4) Hans Schönberg (Issues 3, 5–8) Beat Volkert (Issue 8, with Hans Schönberg) |
| Primary writing | Various contributors |
| Pages | varies |
| Cover Artwork | Various artists |
| Illustrations | Various artists |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | MechForce Germany |
| First published | 1993–1995 |
| MSRP | 7,50 DM (Issues 1-6) 8,50 DM (Issues 7–8) |
| Content | |
Life Support was the German-language BattleTech magazine published by the first incarnation of the MechForce Germany (MFG). It contained internal MFG news and ranking lists as well as rules, essays, fiction, scenarios, 'Mech designs and record sheets, and similar information, some of it original, some translated from American BattleTech publications.
The magazine was issued to MFG members, but was also available for sale independent of MFG membership. A total of eight issues were published before the first MFG folded.
Canonicity[edit]
As a German-only product, the Life Support magazine does not fall under the current definition of Canon for the BattleTech universe.
The MechForce Germany organization was officially sanctioned by FASA, therefore Life Support can be regarded as an official (apocryphal) BattleTech publication. However, its content was not checked for continuity whatsoever by FASA.
FanPro, on the other hand, holder of the German BattleTech license and publisher of the German-language BattleTech game line, maintained close contact with the MFG fan organization to the point that several items first published by the MFG found their way into official German-language BattleTech products, particularly the expanded Arena-Planet Solaris VII which reproduced the rules for Dual Cockpits and ECM 3025. Likewise, the Linesman BattleMech introduced by the MFG was officially mentioned in BattleTech – Die Welt des 31. Jahrhunderts which was produced by Heyne, the publisher of the German novel line.
Issue 1[edit]
The first issue, markedly short at only 24 pages, served mainly to introduce the MFG and its structure and ranking system. Notable content includes:
- Essay/fiction with critical remarks about new (Clan) technology and how it changed the game
- Essay decrying rampant munchkinism in BattleTech roleplaying
- A BV listing
- Scenario "Rettet den Botschafter" ("Save the ambassador")
- A report about the European Gen Con 92 where several MFG founding members including Detlef Howe and Dirk Scharfenstein had met with Bob Nicholls of the MFUK and Tom Dowd from FASA and signed a license agreement on 15 November 1992 that would be a headstone for the MFG.
Issue 2[edit]
Published with some delay, this 40-page issue concerns itself mainly with internal organizational news, the introduction of MFG "House Officers" to aid internal administration, and rules pertaining to the personal 'Mech that all MFG members had been assigned upon joining. Other topics include the start of a Solaris VII league, the Chicago BattleTech Center, and several short stories.
Issue 3[edit]
40 pages. Contained a loose sheet that explained certain chapter rules published within this issue to be outdated, and updated them. Other content includes:
- Scenario "'...schon wieder eine langweilige Streife..." ("...another boring patrol")
- Article about the 'Garde Romano Liao', Romano Liao's personal 'Mech battalion with elite infantry
- History/timeline of the fall of the Star League, part I
- Keine Chance! (short story, part 1)
Issue 4[edit]
48 pages. Notable content includes:
- History/timeline of the fall of the Star League, part II
- Detailed article on the ISF
- LMN-1PT5 Linesman BattleMech write-up & stats
- Keine Chance! (part 2)
- BattleMech development history/timeline (part 1)
- FLC-4N Falcon BattleMech write-up & record sheet (translated from BattleTechnology #0101)
Issue 5[edit]
This 76-page issue was made Clan-centric. Notable content includes:
- Essay about the Clan perspective
- (Brief) history and description of Clan culture
- Keine Chance! (part 3)
- Article about the Battle of Tukayyid
- Detailed article on the LIC
- Article about the Ares Conventions
- BattleMech development history/timeline (part 2)
- Down & Out in Temp Town, translation of Scott Jenkins' short story from the 1993 Update Flyer
- History/timeline of the fall of the Star League, part III
Issue 6[edit]
Following an announcement in the previous issue, this 76-page issue was also issued for the newly formed MechForce Switzerland. Notable content includes:
- Detailed article on the DMI
- Keine Chance! (part 4)
- Dual Cockpit rules
- Write-up for the modified black Griffins guarding the throne of the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth
- ECM 3025 rules
- BattleMech development history/timeline (part 2)
- History/timeline of the fall of the Star League, part V [sic] (there is no part IV)
- Record sheets for various 'Mechs with Dual Cockpit refits (using the English 'Mech names instead of the established German translations):
- RVN-1XL DC Raven
- HCT-3FDC Hatchetman
- GRF-1STDC Griffin
- DRG-1GKDC Grand Dragon
- ON1-VDC Orion
- BLR-1GDC BattleMaster
- ZEU-6SDC Zeus
- IMP-2E WDC Imp
- HGN-732 CDC Highlander
- LMN-1PT5 Linesman record sheet (to go with the write-up in issue #4)
Issue 7[edit]
72 pages. This issue is somewhat Solaris VII-focused, including Solaris Mech Federation (SMF) house-rules and Solaris VII fiction. Notable content includes:
- Clan terminology overview
- Rundown of Clan names (totem animals) and their origin and meaning
- Dueling rules consisting of a combination of the Solaris VII 'Mech Duel Rules and optional rules from the Tactical Handbook
- They call me Toad (short story, part 1)
- KRZ-1G Templar BattleMech write-up & record sheet (Crusader variant; in the German BattleTech edition, the CRD-3R Crusader was translated as KRZ-3R Kreuzritter)
- SL-21 G Sholagar aerospace fighter write-up & record sheet
Issue 8[edit]
72 pages. Notable content includes:
- Detailed description of the interior of a BattleMech cockpit
- Essay on BattleTech tactics (translation of an article by Blaine Pardoe in StarDrive Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1987)
- They call me Toad (part 2)
- HCT-3F Hatchetman BattleMech write-up & record sheet (a suggested rework of the published design to account for Hatchet rules)
- RFL-3N Rifleman BattleMech write-up & record sheet (reworked; lower arm actuators removed "to end the discussion about flipping arms.")
- Sidewinder OmniMech write-up & record sheet