43 replies to this topic

[SilentScreamer]

The Succession Wars is my favorite period for Battletech even after learning about Clans, Jihad, Dark-Age, and other time periods. Why?

1) Battlefield units are just as likely salvaged mechs as "new" production. It adds flavor to a match if you randomly generate a lance rather then having the ability to hand pick a unit.

2) The power and prestige granted to mechwarriors. Pilots which are adrenaline driven ego-cases can be more fun to play then a bunch of straight-arrow academy cadets or Clan-Warriors.

3) Ammunition Explosions!

I started playing Battletech when the 3rd Edition box came out. The updated IS-tech and Clan, or lost Star-League like double heat sinks, C3 computers, CASE, , etc., just doesn't feel as right as a rebuilt Warhammer ready to blow if your opponent gets a lucky shot on its ammo bay.

[Vanguard319]

As much as I'm a die-hard clanner, I'm going to say the civil war era, due to all the possible scenarios, (namely, the opportunity to wage campaigns on worlds that haven't seen combat since the first succession war or earlier, like Tharkhad and New Avalon.) and the fact it had some iconic mechs in it's own right (Fafnir and Templar come to mind.) Also, Katherine was an evil ***** you just loved to hate.

Edited by Vanguard319, 28 March 2014 - 07:01 AM.

[Grey Black]

Star League era, specifically Amaris vs. Kerensky. That era always felt the most epic and storied, with the main combatants being not even members of one of our regular five houses, but a general out for justice and a small minded warlord looking to advance his position.

[Tyrnea Smurf]

Depends on the scope of what your doing in Battletech.

If you want to play a set match isolated BattleValue TT game, the 3025 tech era is my era of choice. No custom construction rule frankenmechs, just stock mechs and loadouts. I think the original tech system gives the best rolling brawling knockdown dragout battles.

If you want to run a long running campaign (a multisession multi-planetary war) I like the Star League Civil War era. (2750 2784) You can run it with everything Battletech has to offer - land, sea, air and space battles. The Star League Civil War era is in my opinion the best if you want to run a "Risk/Axis & Allies" WWII scope total war campaign set in the BattleTech universe. It's the only era where both side run both the same exact tech base, and have access to the same type and all types of assets are in play (yes I'm looking at you capital warships) in fairly even terms.

For a more RPG player character role playing style game I like the options in the Clan invasion to Federated Commonwealth civil war era (3049 - 3068), as the dynamic nature allows for the widest choices in terms of RPG role playing possibilities.

[Will9761]

Succession Wars - Clan Invasion

Edited by Will9761, 28 March 2014 - 11:36 AM.

[CyclonerM]

I would say Clan invasion, but i have no idea about how the eras translate in the TT. Add to it that atm i have read only bits here and there about the events of the Civil War and later..

P.S. The Succession Wars era is cool to, mostly for the same reasons as the OP.

Edited by CyclonerM, 27 November 2014 - 07:20 AM.

[Mark of Caine]

I truly enjoy the Clan Invasion between 3050 and 3052, but not because I'm a clanner (I'm not), but rather taken from the IS point of view. Here comes an unknown enemy with little to no preparation against their continuous onslaught. Loss after loss after loss, the IS tries to no avail to keep the clans at bay. I think there may have been 1 or 2 minor short-lived victories during this 2 year span before Com Guards put a halt to their invasion plans. But for the most part, Steiner, FRR and Kurita are reeling from the Clan juggernaut. That feeling of despair is quite palpable, but it also brings in a feeling of hope that when most of the houses banded together to do something about it, once their minds were set against a common foe, they knew they could eventually fight back.

I often cheer for the underdog in unfair fights, and I dunno why, but it just seems to be that much sweeter when you can beat an enemy that has the clear advantage.

Then the next 3+ years sees the heaviest of counter-attacks by the IS. That's when it really gets to be dirty fighting and the risks vs rewards is that much higher.

Edited by Caine2112, 28 March 2014 - 01:02 PM.

[Iacov]

i like the time period of MW4+...that's when i was introduced to battletech...what is that time period called?
the redesigned vulture was, what caught my eye...
but I guess...wouldn't it had been MW4, it would definately be MWO...i simply love the Catapult K2...smokin' hot!

to be honest, some of MWO's mechs were entirely unknown to me...like the quickdraw, kintaro, trebuchet...even the cicada...and i have to admit that MWO does a very good job to introduce such classic designs, reimagined, to "rather" new fans like me

[Stormwolf]

For me it's the Clan Invasion, everything from Op Revival up to the Great Refusal at Strana Mechty.

Iacov, on 29 March 2014 - 01:12 PM, said:

i like the time period of MW4+...that's when i was introduced to battletech...what is that time period called?

It's the Fedcom Civil War

[The Shepherd]

For me, It's 4th Succession Wars Era combat. Sweeping military campaigns, scintillating political tension, insane dictators and yes, ammo explosions!
Seriously though, the mechs and their pilots feel much more fallible and the true heroes so much more respectable. Fed-Com civil war era tech makes me drool, but this is where the fun is

[darqsyde]

I'd say 3rd & 4th Succession Wars up to Clan Invasion would be my favourite.

But I think if I were to play a TT game now, I'd go with post-Jihad. Everything from the latest Experimental Tech to super Primitive.

[DocBach]

3025-3067. Can't stand any of the Jihad era or Dark Age stuff.

[Daetrin Voltari]

For me it's all about the 3rd Succession War.

I'm an old Grognard who has been playing since the mid '80s so I guess it's not surprising. I just miss the days of taking to the field in a Marauder that was patched together from four different mechs, had a tricky actuator in the left ankle, and had been in the family for 130 years. I miss having to conserve ammo because you didn't always know when your next reload would be available, or striding the battlefield and being more afraid of dispossession than death. And for those too young to remember, dispossession is when you survive having your irreplaceable mech destroyed and go from the lofty heights of the Mechwarrior to mere mortal status as either a civilian or infantry.

I also prefer the technology level (as ridiculous as it was) because it made more sense than the nine million or so experimental technologies that show up in later eras. Don't get me wrong, back when it was called Battledroids (George Lucas forgive us) they only had 1 autocannon (AC5) and only the Shadowhawk, Rifleman, and Marauder carried them, and I was quite happy to see the introduction of the AC2, AC10 and AC20 for variety. Unfortunately now you've got the AC, UAC, RAC, LAC, LBX, and HVAC, all in different sizes and all with specialty ammo. And that's just autocannons. You've got the same problem with lasers, missiles, ppcs, gauss rifles, artillery pieces. Don't get me started on esoterics like the mech mortar, mech taser, and fluid gun. Christ, even machine guns come in multiple flavors now.

The golden era of the Star League has some potential but except for the Amaris Incident it is politically generic enough to be just “OK”. Between being the origin of the advanced tech inundation, 900,000 different battle mechs, and the introduction of purpose bred bogeymen (let’s be honest, the clan eugenics program reads like a highschool paper on the Übermensch.) the Clan era falls short for me. My only problem with the Civil War era is that little miss spoiled brat Katherine Steiner is so bat-shit crazy and obviously power hungry that I find her boring. At least Sun-Tzu Liao is an interesting antagonist. Then they had to go and top themselves with the trouser load that is the Jihad era. Look out, Ma Bell has found bad religion and nuclear warheads. Your phone service will never be the same again. “Freedom from poorly written manifestos!”

*pant, pant, pant* Ok. Rant over.

TLDR, there was a focus and a grit to the Succession Wars era that I think was lost with later add-ons.

[LoPanShui]

I really dig the Succession Wars era stuff a lot. Easy rules, nothing too fancy, just a great pick up and go style game, which is my favorite. The setting was fun, things were interesting without being over the top and it was about political intruige and desperation more than any other time period. It was really great.

That said, I'm actually really liking this new 3145 stuff. It's like Catalyst decided to make the Dark Ages not suck and to bring back some of that Succession Wars feel. New Mechs are still being made, and there are new armies, but it feels like you're on your own a lot more than any of the later eras. Sure, all the crazy rules and experimental tech is in play, but the feel of the setting kind of brings it back to the oldschool, for me. The art's great and there's this kind of Civilization on The Edge that the Succession Wars era had with it. Totally a fan.

[Karl Streiger]

For me its simple:
3rd Succession Wars or the Reunification Wars (Star League Tech but without the stigmata of those novels with there shiny Davions and Steiners)

Also like the fight against the odds during the first days of the Clan Invasion (no Star League Tech)

Otherwise - the full Tech Madness of the Holly War - for the Enlightenment of Mankind

[Nomex 99]

Jihad!

Why?

- max tech
- most chaos
- WMDs

[Risko Vinsheen]

While I wouldn't say it's the best time period as far as plot or characters, and wouldn't say it's my favorite overall, I feel like the Dark Age era doesn't get enough appreciation. It had some interesting stuff about it.

- As far as plot, the destruction of the HPG network throwing the Inner Sphere into disarray was interesting. It was like rioting just before the apocalypse, people were snatching up anything and everything they could use.

- The unit designs were cool. Before MWO the Dark Age design for the Centurion was my favorite. Some of the other new mech designs (and even some redesigns) were pretty cool, too. Yes, I even rather like the... *gasp* Ares.

- The emphasis on combined arms combat due to mechs becoming rare again was neat, as well.

- It was also a great entry point for new people with the game. I had a few friends I got interested in Mechwarrior/Battletech thanks to the minis game. One of them even read some of the books. The pre-assembled/pre-painted minis and the fairly simplistic rules were perfect for new players.

[Fiona Marshe]

3025-Tukkyid

Anything later than Tukkyid wasn't very well thought through from a story POV and balance was even worse.

[ShadowWolf Kell]

I was always fond of the 3010-3025 era.

Lot of fun with the tug of war back and forth across the Draconis March. In some ways the Clans kind of took all that away as the IS united against a common enemy. Prior to all that, the civil war that was going on was awesome.... unless you were a merc and employed by Kurita or Liao. I think what really did it for me though was the Star League Memory Core and Clan tech. It just completely thew the dynamic balance out of whack and I don't think BattleTech ever really recovered.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy fighting against the Clans (and then fighting for them in the MW games online), but it just didn't have that same strategic and tactical feel that BattleDroids and BattleTech originally had.

Had the most fun with the 3rd Crucis Lancers in my trusty old Phoenix Hawk and Marauder.

Edited by ShadowWolf Kell, 07 May 2014 - 11:48 PM.

[The Lost Boy]

The 3rd and 4th suc wars. The helm core tech wasnt bad for tt. But the clan tech just made tt crap.