229 replies to this topic

[Arctic Ice]

I was introduced to the TT back in the early 80's at the PNE (PGI guys from vancouver will know this place). Played the TT game till i moved to an area where people did not know about the TT game. started back up in the mid 90's when i found other players in the town i lived in, and from therer kept playing through all the PC games (no consol games they sucked) and am still playing even though Mechcomander is realy hard to play on an I7.

[Gail Piazzi]

My dad got me into the game. He and his friends used to play every weekend. I don't even remember when I started showing interest in it, but he gave me my first starter scenario when I was six and I've been hooked ever since. Since then I've won a bloodname tournament at the age of 7 and was a major contender at the FLGS Solaris ring, taken part in numerous world wide events through my dad being in the Commandos, developed a burning hatred of all things aerospace from playtesting that freaking Trial of Retribution forever, got a mech design published in the 3rd party Heavy Metal programs (the Death Adder), and became a named character in the universe during Lawyers, Guns, and Money as an Aide for the Redfield Renegades. I've been to a handful of local gaming cons and Gencon, and our daddy-daughter team is decently well known in the Michigan CBT community. XD We're a small, but tight bunch.

I've been playing tabletop RPGS almost as long, but playing CBT has been a HUGE part of my life growing up. The game's downright sentimental to me. I haven't played in a while since I've moved out, started college, got a job, blah blah blah. I've been looking forward to this game, specifically being online, because it gives me, my dad, and the rest of the VooDoo crew a way to get back into the game again.

Edited by Gail Piazzi, 02 August 2012 - 12:45 PM.

[Kadix]

For me it was a multi-step process as a kid:

1. I got started with the old EarthSeige videogame. It wasn't Battletech, but it was "walking tank" genre.

2. Then I saw the Battletech cartoon. I remember being in 3rd grade and telling a classmate "There's this great cartoon that's a lot like EarthSeige".

3. I found MechEdit, a DOS based mech editor for the tabletop game, on an AOL file repository. My friend and I started playing with it, and even playing games with the mechs we built, on a chessboard with made-up rules. At this point I hadn't even seen a real rulebook.

4. On vacation with my family, I ended up getting to play four games at a "Virtual Worlds" out in California. While I was there, I bought a Battletech 3rd Edition (tabletop) boxed set, complete with a rulebook.

5. A friend of mine got me started with pen&paper D&D roleplaying. This got me into a local gaming store, which turned out to carry BattleTech gaming materials. I'd buy a Tech Readout or Sourcebook every couple weeks from the "Enchantments" gaming store in Lexington, MA (which went out of business long ago).

6 or 7. Somewhere along the line, I played MW2 for computer, then the two Cresent Hawks games, then MW1, and then MW3 and MW4.

6 or 7. Somewhere along the line, I started running Mechwarrior (pen&paper) RPG games and Battletech boardgames on and off with friends through elementary school and a little in high school.
8, 9, or 10. In college, I discovered a used bookstore near the school that carried used battletech novels. I'd get out there about every 3-4 months (when a friend was going since I didn't have a car) and I'd buy as many as I could that I didn't already have. At one point I think I spent $70 in one trip on used battletech novels that were under $2 each. If anyone's in the area, I'd highly recommend McKay's used books near Chattanooga, TN.

8, 9, or 10. I discovered MW4 multiplayer and bought the expansion packs. I played a bunch in college.

8, 9, or 10. I decided to write my own character builder for Mechwarrior 3rd Edition RPG (pen&paper). I figured it would save my gaming group time and keep my skills sharp during a semester where I had no programming classes. In retrospect, spending 400+ hours developing a piece of software to save myself about two hours was probably a bad idea, but I still enjoyed it. Google "MW3CharGen", there's still a few sites hosting it.

[TB Azrael]

Started playing the TT version with 2nd I think when it came out. I was around 16, been playing some version ever since. Think I have a couple hundred minis atm.
Been part of Team Banzai since 2003. http://www.banzaiins...nvisionBoard11/
though a new site is in progress atm.

Edited by TB Azrael, 02 August 2012 - 01:14 PM.

[Zero Division]

I was curious about how the numbers break down so I created a strawpoll (for use on multiple sites)... if you don't mind taking a second and voting, I'd appreciate it:

What was your first Battletech experience before MechWarrior:Online?

^{(I apologize in advance to the CCG players. Pod-pilots can choose Other BT game.)}

[Elessar]

Saw the german version of BT TT (at this time in boxed versions) at a roleplaying shop shortly after it came out in germany, somewhen during the 80s (well, have been into Pen & Paper RPGs most of my life).
Bought it, liked it and started to buy the other boxes as well (Citytech, Aerotech and so on) and started buying the english versions, when the grman versions weren´t available (in fact it were the battletech rulebooks and novels which brought me into using english outside of school).

On computer I bought all Mechwarrior and Mechcommander Titles, as well as BT: The Crescent Hawks Incention (and Revenge).
My biggest hope is, that one day they´ll do a computergame that incorporates Battletech as well as Aerotech (and maybe even Warship combat)

Edited by Elessar, 03 August 2012 - 09:31 AM.

[TripnFall]

I ran with the DR's in Battle Tech back in 97 and looking forward to being a part of the team again. Great to strap on the jetpacks once again!

[capt hungry]

For me , I discovered BT through a friend around 1988 I think in college. I found the early novels about that time and read all of them up to Ghost War. I really didn't like the 60yr jump in the canon timeline and only read Ghost War since Mike Stackpole had written it.

As for the PC games, I played the original Mechwarrior on my dad's 286 PC and thought it was the coolest game ever. Since I couldn't install it initially, I had to swap the 5.25 inch floppy disks to play! I have played MW2, the demo for MW3, MW4 Mercs, Mechcommander 2 and a little of MW4 Vengance. Looking forward to seeing how badly my current comp will run MWO (I KNOW I will need to upgrade). This will also be the first time that I've ever played a BT game online.

Actually, re-reading above, I did play MWLL for a short time. The sense of scale was very cool in that game.

The only sourcebooks I ever got are the Star League and Galtor Campaign books. I have a fair number of the TROs, most of which are the original FASA publications. Also have the Shrapnel book with some short stories and cool artwork. Never played the tabletop BT. I've been a fan of this universe for some time and have always loved the history, lore, et al.

I like that I discovered BT more or less during it's infancy and have watched it grow over the years. I can remember calling the FASA offices back in the very early 90's asking when Lost Destiny (book 3 in the Blood Of Kerensky series) would be released since the novels were published sporadically at that point still. Think I might've spoken to Jordan Weisman himself even. I was glad when ROC took over publishing the books. It meant a new BT novel every other month (I think).

[Genghis Black Death Khan]

Back when my parents purchased our first home computer, which was some IBM, it came with a cool little package of software (something I'll never forget since the software was amazing compared to the **** you get now). One of those disc was Mechwarrior 2. Initially I shrugged it off because I enjoyed playing my Sega Gensis or my Turbo Graphics 16, whichever it was during that time. I randomly decided to install it one day and give it a shot, fell in love with it after that. I never did get into the whole Battletech tabletop mess, only "board game" I'll ever play is Chess.

Edited by Genghis Black Death Khan, 03 August 2012 - 11:17 AM.

[iron610]

I found the link to this website on the Word of Tanks forums. I looked around and got hooked quickly. I signed up for beta and played MW4: Mercenaries. When playing MW4 I fell in love with the Warhammer.

[Durahl]

MW2 was the first Game I ever bought.

After a shitload of time I finally managed to get it running on my first Computer.

Once I watched this I was hooked to the series.

[MikeMurdock]

I found out about battletech from the battletech cartoon. then i saw a clan mech at a rental place that rented pc games and rented mechwarrior 2. I also had the summoner/thor, sloth, elemental mauler and axeman toys when I was a kid. then me and freinds taked much about it through highschool (sadly i didn't had a good computer to play mechwarrior 3-4 and the mechcommander games till later on and i still haven't played MW3 or it's expansions nor MW4. mw4 mercs and the mechcommander series i played now that there freeware)

I played mechassault 1 an 2 which got me back into battletech and the mechwarrior dark age game cause my cousins had a buttload of the miniatures.

after playing MW4 mercs i remember how much i liked the classic mechwarrior games ( though please don't hate me ,but I did like mechassault 2 made the battle armor more useful XD)

Found out of MWO from a freind of mine when I was dishearted that mechwarrior wasn't gong to return and i registered my pilot name

[Hidran]

I was at my friends house and I watched him play mw4 vengeance. My little kid mind went crazy with thoughts of the opening movie, the soundtrack, and the big robots! I didn't give a hoot about the crappy windows 98 graphics, I just couldn't get over the fact that he wouldn't let me play! "this game is really hard" he said. But I would show him. I got it myself for 8 bucks on amazon. I've been playing it on and off ever since.

[Perfecto Oviedo]

A family friend, who is unfortunately no longer with us, introduced me to MW2 when I was but a wee tyke (as opposed to the wise-old age of 23 that I am now). About a year later, my family picked up a Toshiba computer, and guess what was in the pack of cd-roms that came with it? A johnny-quest game, a putt-putt golf game, and the ATI-Rage edition of Mechwarrior 2. I still have the disk, and would love to play that, or the 3dfx version again (since it looks pretty similar to the ATI-Rage version). While that computer was still working, I played the buhjesus out of it.

[zathras]

I started by playing the very first TT version of the game, Battledroids, and it blossomed from there. The only computer game I've played in the Battletech universe was Mechforce for the Amiga computer.

[Teek]

I first played Mechwarrior when I was 9, with MW3. It was one of my first PC games ever (besides Busytown and Mathblaster...) and I've loved the franchise ever since. I managed to really get into a bunch of novels, and Mechwarrior 4 brought me to a new level of commitment to the series. I even managed to play the arcade, VR version of Battletech at one of my birthday parties as a kid, which was a LOT of fun. Always wished I could find one of those again. Even got into the Mechwarrior: Dark Age tabletop game a little, though I mainly just collected the figurines (proud to say I got a badass Warhammer and Centurion out of it, two of my favorite classic mechs.)

I also got Mechassault and Mechassault 2 for the Xbox. Never really loved them, but it helped me get over my battletech fix, and they were pretty fun. Mechwarrior 4 Mercenaries has remained my favorite in the series, perhaps because it's the one I've played the most (by a lot.) Anyway, I'm really looking forward to MWO and I hope we see a Battletech revival as a result of it, because it has been too damn long since we last had any real, battlemech awesomeness.

[Dustyuncle]

I've read over 30+ battletech books since I was ten and have played every incarnation of the Battletech universe, my favorites being MW4 and the MechCommander series

[Scorpioneldar]

my dad gave me some cool new books with a mech smashing another mech in the face at 10
i have been hooked ever since
played 3 played 4 vengeance played 4 mercs played mechwarrior 1 and 2 on xbox
looking forward to the new game now

[morejello]

Played TT BT from the very beginning of the game. Played many of the PC games, played the xbox games, played the tabletop clix game made by Wizkids (to the point where I had my own official game piece).
So I guess I'm a total fanboy. Except I never watched the cartoon.

[G is for Gamma]

I grew up with battletech/mechwarrior. My Dad got into the game when it was still Battle Droids, and ended up actually working for FASA for a bit before i was even a twinkle in his eye.

Imagine how shocked i was to learn no one else in kindergarten was being read "Sword and Dagger" for bedtime stories.

I've been rolling dice and moving Ostrocs since i was old enough to reach the table, and I've gone through at least three copies of Mechwarrior for the Super Nintendo. Between me and my father we've got every novel, every house book, and every game. I even have a full set of the CCG, cause you know, We're big nerds like that.