Talk:BattleMech Serial Numbers

Scope and purpose?

Each and every MWDA dossier came with a serial number for its 'Mech. Many (most) of these 'Mechs aren't individually noteworthy. Noteworthy individual 'Mechs have their own articles and if known the serial number will be mentioned in the article. Given the sheer scope of the project, I'm thus unsure of the value of collating all the serial numbers in one article. I'm not really opposed either; just wanted to raise the issue. Frabby (talk) 07:27, 24 May 2021 (EDT)

When I created the article (and then never did anything with it) I planned on using it more as a research hub than anything else. I want to collect the data and see if any patterns emerge. Normally something like that would go on a user page but since the topic is pretty obscure to the point we have no info at all on the wiki, I thought a simple list is better than no information at all.--Dmon (talk) 07:48, 24 May 2021 (EDT)

If you're looking to expand it further, there's several more Mech Identification Numbers in both the starter books. MahiMahi (talk) 07:25, 26 May 2021 (EDT)

The whole thing has a history of sorts. It started with the MWDA pilot cards, because somebody thought it would be cool to lay them out as, well, pilot dossiers with a field for their (individual) 'Mech serial number. There's also a recognizable(-ish) format there, like the letter code indicating the country of origin, i.e. FS = Federated Suns. Previously, serial numbers weren't a thing in canon and that might explain why some don't seem to follow the established pattern - there simply was no pattern up until the MWDA dossiers. Would need to look up the serial numbers in the starterbooks to see if they follow that pattern. Frabby (talk) 11:03, 26 May 2021 (EDT)

I'd expect there should be a multiple of formats for 'Mech IDs. Much as cars made in the US have VINs (Vehicle Identification Numbers) stamped several different places, I image the EU, Japan, and every other nation (et al) utilize their own formats. In the CC, maybe that format is serialized by the bureaucracy, while in the FWL, each manufacturer stamps a 'Mech in their own format.--Revanche ^{(talk|contribs)} 11:18, 26 May 2021 (EDT)

That's the way to explain differences as they crop up, yes. But MWDA definitely had one unified system across all Successor States. Just go check out the dossier cards. Possible explanation is that ComStar did it (remember they run the MRBC, repatriation service, and a lot of tech service), only with a straight face and not in any backhanded conspiracy fashion for a change. Frabby (talk) 03:15, 27 May 2021 (EDT)