152 replies to this topic

[El Loco]

Although the idea of re-writing the story is tempting, I think we shouldn't. I won't bore you with my personal opinions on some or many of the events written down in the rich lore of BT, instead I'll list just a couple of practical reasons, that had been in similar threads.

1) Is PGI allowed to deviate from canon? I would guess, no... they aren't. Jordan Weisman loves his franchise and I'm quite positive he wouldn't allow anyone to change the history of BT. Changing the story anyway is likely to trigger a lawsuit that most definitely leave PGI and the franchise in ruins... I don't want either of that to happen.

2) Cost. Think about it. PGI would have to employ a group of people for the sole purpose of re-writing the story (because of the players' actions). These people will have to be paid, which not only cuts into PGI's profit, but also reduces the amount of money to be spend on the other teams. In other terms: It might negatively affect how fast new content (not so much 'Mechs, but tech, maps, and game modes) will be produced, which will reduce PGI's profit further.

3) Progress. The team mentioned in 2) would have to be in contact with the people responsible for BT canon constantly. Everything they come up with storywise has to get the "OK" from these people. But, these people have other things to do as well, which can have a negative effect on the speed of the game's progress. This in turn will cut into PGI's profit.

4) Profit. PGI wants to make money with MWO, deviating from canon seems to reduce the profit. Why would the company want to do that? Especially when taking into consideration that many of the players will have no idea or simply don't care about any lore regarding this game.

That's just my attempt in giving some more rational reasons for not re-writing canon...

[OskaRus]

I hope canonical history will remain intact. MWO is not sandbox but fast paced instant action. Not enough time to write history there just more pew pew.

[Tannhauser Gate]

No.

Theres no doubt the BTU is a mixed bag of good and bad and influenced by other genres but BTU is what it is. Making alternate histories and changing the time line now would make this game invalid in the larger scope of the BT universe. Changing things would invalidate swaths of BT lore, orphan entire novels, and could make alot of the canon BT material and some of the games invalid as "old history."

I can certainly see filling in alot of details and adding to the intrigue and drama of the time line so that events are put in better context.. which is what Randall Bills and his people are doing.

[Seabear]

I cannot understand the apparent need on the part of some peple to change the basic BT canon universe! Too many people seem to think that everything in the BT universe is set in stone. Even if the canon is adhered to religiously, the border areas were in constant flux with raid and counter raid, troop movements and so on.Thus leaving us with huge areas to ply our trades. To me it seems that too many people are wanting to change the strategic dynamic of the BT universe rather than focus on the SMALL GROUP TACTICS at the heart of Battle Tech/MechWarrior. Get real! One person in one mech is not going to change the fate of every planet known to man. Even the forces the Great Houses can bring to bear will not change the role of the Mech jockey - and that is what we will be playing. Yes, I know the importance of one person or one deed in changing history, but MechWarrior is not about anything but driving a mech in combat. There are other games for the strategically inclined.
I do not mean to be difficult, but it seems that some what to shift the focus to a grander scale than is proper for this game. Maybe I'm missing something,c but that is how I see it.

[TheRulesLawyer]

I wouldn't mind having players be able to affect the course of the game. Start with a perfectly cannon 3049 and drift from there. There would need to be a guiding hand to keep it from drifting too far. This is not to be confused with license to do whatever they want. It still should be battletech as much as possible, but Maybe the clans didn't make it as far in this time, or FRR became a major power after join forces with clan wolf to take apart the combine.

[Rixx]

I highly doubt they'll let us mess with things too badly. They've already laid out their plans for limiting the conflicts and how that will change over time.
Insignificant border worlds will be fought over and will likely change hands often, but they won't allow a house to wipe out the entire IS because they are limiting which worlds can be fought for. They are keeping the important stuff safe from us.
They have also indicated that we may get to interact with important parts of the MW/BT history. Getting to play important battles, having the worlds we can fight over change, etc.

All in all, it will be a pretty dynamic environment, but they will be controlling the important stuff and keeping it out of our hands so that we can't mess things up too much.

[Shootanoob]

Technological jumps are not required for making a community wholehearted fans of a gaming concept.

There are other things which work with the opposite of it, as e.g. WWII shooters or RTS, medieval RPG and so on and so on.

Its all about presentation and story, not about faboulus technical gimmicks.

[Lightfoot]

They have said there will be a dynamic element even though it's one that doesn't alter the BT timeline. I imagine these are like border skirmishes.

[FinnMcKool]

I think what he wants is for a high ranking ambassador to try and save a race of peoples who are about to be wiped out by a super nova , then , get sucked into a black hole and be spit out in 3049 (his past) all the time being hunted down by a crazy miner who in fact changes the way history unfolds .

[Roland]

Quote

2) Cost. Think about it. PGI would have to employ a group of people for the sole purpose of re-writing the story (because of the players' actions). These people will have to be paid, which not only cuts into PGI's profit, but also reduces the amount of money to be spend on the other teams. In other terms: It might negatively affect how fast new content (not so much 'Mechs, but tech, maps, and game modes) will be produced, which will reduce PGI's profit further.

Not sure I understand this point.

You wouldn't need to have people "rewrite" the story... because the players would be doing that.

[Amarus Cameron]

CCC Dober, on 11 June 2012 - 05:13 AM, said:

@Amarus

How would you give the original story another run without rewriting it?

Literally as I said it. Do the same story, everything the same, just make new games that focus on other things. Perhaps the insane fighting that went on between Kurita and Steiner for almost 300 years before us Clans ever showed up. I mean there were some epic battles in the area that would become the FRR. Or hell focus on the hate between Liao and Davion, or make an ENTIRE game over the battle of Tukkayid with two modes, Historical (where everything goes as it did) and Heroic (where you the player can make a difference, for ill or gain) And you can play as any of the Seven Clans or their opposing Comstar Armies. I mean does anyone really realize how huge the Tukkayid campaign was? You could have hundreds of legitimate missions from one Clan's point of view alone.

Why do we need ANY new material when soooooo much has yet to be fleshed out?

Edited by Amarus Cameron, 11 June 2012 - 09:15 AM.

[Sychodemus]

Maffa, on 11 June 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

A dead IP.



I wonder why.

If it is dead, then it must be one of them zombie IPs 'cuz it sure seems to be moving around alright.

[Remorce]

Way to razz those hardcore BT guys I'm proud of you!

[Atomfire]

I say give us a little wiggle room. Important characters only die to other important characters and the teching up stays the same.

[Amarus Cameron]

Remorce, on 11 June 2012 - 09:54 AM, said:

Way to razz those hardcore BT guys I'm proud of you!

/sarcasm? Cannot even tell.

Atomfire, on 11 June 2012 - 09:58 AM, said:

I say give us a little wiggle room. Important characters only die to other important characters and the teching up stays the same.

The only main character I want to die differently from the storyline is the Prince-Archon...kill it with fire. Preferably kill him pre-Clan Invasion. Maybe a freak assassination by Romano or something, that would be nice, an ignomous end for the most annoying character in all of Battletech, the only white knight in the land of Grey.

[AdamBaines]

Worst. Idea. Ever.

[GHQCommander]

They can't go re-writing stuff, doubt there will be the capacity to create alternate paths not with the way the game has been developed.

In my eyes, canon can only be 1% of what happens in a fantasy galaxy or universe at any one time. Leaving 99% still to be told.

I don't want the canon defenders to get in the way of blanks being filled in, it will spoil the devs fun and creativity.

[Anixantheas]

Promptus, on 10 June 2012 - 09:50 PM, said:

No Federated Commonwealth.... hmmmmmmmm. The Word of Blake being muffled by the foot in its mouth... hmmmmmmmm. Clanners realizing they bear no resemblance to the Old Star League and keeping to themselves out beyond the periphery.... hmmmmmmmmm.

I think I might like this.

This is exactly what I was thinking
Especially the clans just making a wrong turn at Albequrque.

on an off note, I wouldn't mind seeing a diversion from cannon in a sense, Any of the houses shouldn't just be up and "destroyed" think about it. Comstar basically ensured the CC survival thanks to the interdiction and "information leaks" otherwise the Federated Suns would have all thier nice planets by 3049.

Taking the chance to say the the Devs would "take the role of Comstar" they would take steps to ensure that no one house should fall in the timeline without some very good reasons.

Edited by Anixantheas, 11 June 2012 - 11:47 AM.

[Davers]

Seems weird to have everyone fighting over a map that never changes.

But seriously, what are these big canon things that can't be changed? The timeline is pretty sparse on sarna.net. Other than the clan invasion, which is going to happen, what else NEEDS to happen to remain BattleTech?

[Justin Wolf]

couple of points, One i think the devs said they will only effect canon if they have too and more along the lines of game play rules not so much universe. Also i remember reading somewhere that though we will have very minor effects on the universe the over all story line would be maintained to the best of the Devs abilities. Somewhere they even said that some planets important to canon later will be swithced from the three categories of planets to insure that players are not in the way but otherwise we will be taking them back and forth from each other, it is only the pivotal planets that will be off limits to us. and i have to agree with the over all response, this is battletech its a game universe already we are just exploring a new rendition of an old favorite. No need to change it up. It would be like the extremely immoral rape of Star Trek that happend just a few short years ago. NO THANK YOU.

edit, as opposed to a moral rape. or a less immoral rape.

Edited by Justin Wolf, 11 June 2012 - 03:52 PM.