36 replies to this topic

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 05 January 2016 - 07:48 PM, said:

these novels IIRC have been avaliable as serials on battlecorps for awhile now so they're just putting em out in DTF finally

From what I have heard, those novels (some of them) are going to be different from those BattleCorps stories, even though they are going to have those same titles.

[Eglar]

martian, on 03 January 2016 - 06:49 AM, said:

I would be happier with novels relating to current timeline than with novels rehashing old content.

By current timeline you mean post-Jihad Republic Era?

[martian]

Eglar, on 08 January 2016 - 04:52 AM, said:

By current timeline you mean post-Jihad Republic Era?

Yes.

I find it extremely boring to rehash some 30 years old storyline about some of the greatest Mary Sues of the BattleTech universe such as the Kell Hounds (and similar ones).

Or rehashed early-Jihad-era stories about the Wolf's Dragoons again? Yawn. And Prince Victor Davion again?

And the Stealthy Tigers are going to be wiped out around 3080 - we already know that.

3025 era was in 1986 or 87, some 30 years ago.

"Today" we are in 3150.

[Brian Davion]

Honestly, given how slow the move forward has been I've got a personal pet theory that Battletech's basicly written itself into a corner

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 08 January 2016 - 10:07 PM, said:

Honestly, given how slow the move forward has been I've got a personal pet theory that Battletech's basicly written itself into a corner

Partially, maybe. But there is one bigger problem.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 08 January 2016 - 11:55 PM, said:

Partially, maybe. But there is one bigger problem.

I'm curious what you think that is? cause looking at 3150 right now I'm seeing a case where they eaither pull out a massive deus ex machina (something B tech has become overly reliant on... case in point Devlin Stone) or are forced to destroy houses Davion and Steiner

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 09 January 2016 - 02:12 PM, said:

I'm curious what you think that is?

They don't have BattleTech Line Developer. That's the problem. Herb Beas left that post in 2013. Randall Bills took his place "temporarily", until they find somebody to replace Herb permanently. Now we are in 2016 and they still haven't found nobody willing to do Herb's job.

We can see the results.

You can notice that there are no products moving the timeline actually forward. CGL is rehashing some Star League content with their boring FRs:2765 (nothing else than phone books full of randomly generated names), rehashing WizKids Dark Age content, rehashing Clan Invasion events (OTP that is essentially nothing else than random tournament and Combat Manual rehashing the content of the old Field Manual: Mercenaries). The "new" House Kurita Handbook rehashes content from the old House Kurita sourcebook. Some random XTROs filled with oddball 'Mechs that you check and probably never return to the majority of them.

CGL even rehashes its own content because TRO:3150 not much more than renamed TRO:3145. OTP: Capellan Crusades gives us unique opportunity to return to Kai's death ... unfortunately, we read all that in CGL's own Historical published a year earlier.

So we can buy a lot of material rehashing old content and old storylines, but practically nothing moving the storyline forward.

Brian Davion, on 09 January 2016 - 02:12 PM, said:

cause looking at 3150 right now I'm seeing a case where they eaither pull out a massive deus ex machina (something B tech has become overly reliant on... case in point Devlin Stone) or are forced to destroy houses Davion and Steiner

That's not a big problem. The Wolves and the Jade Falcons are interested in Terra and I bet that they can't wait until the Wall goes down. As for the FedSuns, there are signs that the White Knight Julian Davion is riding to the rescue.

[Brian Davion]

Even before Herb left you where seeing the lack of much forward movement honestly. they finished the Jihad, put out some 3145 stuff (BTW TRO 3150 isn't just a rehash of 3145, it's a collection of the previously PDF exclusive stuff.) the Kurita handbook is something that was a long time (as in 10 years) coming. as they had begin rewrites of the old house handbooks (it was a popular demand thing honestly) back in the early 2000s (the first House Steiner was released in 2004. Randell was charged with Kurita and there where delays for reasons I can't begin to understand)

and yeah the OTP series is something I don't get, you'd think campaign packs are the worst selling btech product out there. they where back in FASA's day. the XTROs make a degree of sense in that TROs are the best selling product in battletech .

but yeah it sounds a mess, as I said my gut feeling is they aren;t sure where to go yet.

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 12 January 2016 - 04:13 PM, said:

Even before Herb left you where seeing the lack of much forward movement honestly. they finished the Jihad, put out some 3145 stuff (BTW TRO 3150 isn't just a rehash of 3145, it's a collection of the previously PDF exclusive stuff.)

Not exactly.

1) That means that when I bought those seven mini-TROs (3145), I thought that I have everything CGL was going to offer (in that moment).
2) Then CGL came with the idea that who wants to have Republic units such as the Night Stalker, the Malice and of course Colossal-class Tripods, must buy TRO 3145 Print edition. I specifically asked about it and this was the official CGL answer.
So you had to buy said TRO3145 Print edition, if you wanted those Republic units, although the majority of that book were rehashed units from those just-published (and bought, I should add) mini-TROs.
And then - probably after the sufficient number of people bought the printed book - CGL announced that they they are going to offer the eight mini-TRO with Republic units.
3) And now CGL offers TRO3150. For people, who want to know, what is going on the Inner Sphere after 3145, this is the only choice. There is simply nothing else to buy. Unfortunately, it also means that some people are paying for the content from those first mini-TROs again (with only about 4-5 units from just published sourcebooks added).

This is the textbook example of "milking the cow." (or in this context, perhaps I should say "milking the whale")

Edited by martian, 12 January 2016 - 10:17 PM.

[Brian Davion]

Ohh I agree Martin, the "TRO 3145 faction" was cow milking, TROs have come from being useful suppelementals to rediculas cow milking, how many XTROs have they put out now? rather my point was that TRO 3150 was forgiveable in that it's a collection of all the designs from the PDF series that didn't make the DTF book. that sortt of thing I don't mind, although I definatly agree the people who bought all the PDFs outta be a bit annoyed (I saw it as the money grab it was and refused to buy em) incidently, putting the new tech in FM 3145 instead of TRO 3145 (and yes rules for new tech in a TRO has lots of precident, a TRO is where the original star league tech, clantech and protomech design rules all first appered)

[martian]

It's irony. The original idea that all rules should be in those then-new rulebooks (TW, TacOps, etc.).

Today, the reality is completely different. Quirks and some rules are in TRO:Prototypes. Rules for Superheavy 'Mechs were first published in one Jihad sourcebook. Rules for Tripods are in Field Manual. Rules for Primitives are elsewhere. Not-yet-published Interstellar Operations have some rules too. Rules for LAMs were published in some volume of record sheets, if I remember correctly. Etc.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 13 January 2016 - 05:36 AM, said:

It's irony. The original idea that all rules should be in those then-new rulebooks (TW, TacOps, etc.).

Today, the reality is completely different. Quirks and some rules are in TRO:Prototypes. Rules for Superheavy 'Mechs were first published in one Jihad sourcebook. Rules for Tripods are in Field Manual. Rules for Primitives are elsewhere. Not-yet-published Interstellar Operations have some rules too. Rules for LAMs were published in some volume of record sheets, if I remember correctly. Etc.

Yeah, I know whatcha mean, on the other hand it makes sense from a busniess POV, a pure background sourcebook is only going to sell to people who want the background, rules are a proven way to get investment from the "I just wanna play the game" community.

[martian]

Sure, I understand that it makes business sense, but for me it's a pain to remember in what random sourcebook, rulebook, TRO or scenario book are rules for some random piece of equipment or game situation when I need to check it in one concrete moment.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 15 January 2016 - 10:59 PM, said:

Sure, I understand that it makes business sense, but for me it's a pain to remember in what random sourcebook, rulebook, TRO or scenario book are rules for some random piece of equipment or game situation when I need to check it in one concrete moment.

yeah it is a pain, I imagine someone's made a spread sheet out there for it. the real annoyance is it also is a pain to lug around a ton of books for an after noon of gaming (CGL has always kinda of pushed PDFs though)

[martian]

Personally I prefer buying PDFs, since I am moving frequently.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 16 January 2016 - 04:40 AM, said:

Personally I prefer buying PDFs, since I am moving frequently.

yeah PDFs are handy and most of my btech books have been PDFs over the years (it also doesn't hurt that you get the book much earlier in PDF) and most gamers have gone that way. I suspect they'd have gone completely digital if not for the fact that it'd have proably killed new blood entering the game.

[martian]

CGL's BattleCorps record, when it comes to printed books, is tragical. People regularly show up and ask, how is it possible that the book is on the shelves for weeks (or months), and they still haven got theirs from BattleCorps.