29 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

Greetings MechWarriors,

Our friends over at Catalyst Game Labs have put together a BattleTech Primer PDF document, and we want you all to help them get the word out to any new or prospective BattleTech fans!

Beginning with a history of the past 30 years of BattleTech publications and products, including MechWarrior Online and the upcoming BATTLETECH from Harebrained Schemes, the Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech Primer is designed to familiarize players with the broad strokes of the BattleTech Universe.

Featuring an overview of the BattleTech Universe as a whole, history highlights for each of the Great Inner Sphere Houses, a basic timeline of the BattleTech Universe from the Star League Era to the Dark Age, and a rundown of all the ways in which you can currently enjoy the BattleTech Universe, Catalyst has put together an awesome primer on all things BattleTech.

Head over to the 'New To BattleTech' landing page over at the Catalyst Game Labs website and click on the BattleTech Primer cover image to download the PDF!

The PDF weighs in at 65MB, so we recommend you download it straight to your computer rather than viewing it directly through your web browser.

[Sereglach]

As a Table Top game the new Alpha Strike rules put Battletech into a place to be a superior game to pretty much anything else out there. It's solid, fluid, quickly played, and still has the right level of feel and detail to be called Battletech. Having played a fair bit of classic Battletech and Alpha Strike, Alpha Strike is by and far superior of the two (in my opinion, I'm sure others will differ), is completely compatible with the former CBT (it draws its source material and unit data from CBT), and is wonderful for people who don't have boatloads of time on their hands. You can get a Company vs. Company (12v12) game done is an hour, easily, once you have the rules down.

Aside from that, I'm sad that the Primer is only 23 real pages (not including the front cover and end credits). It gets its weight from artwork . . . and some of that artwork is sadly so old it really shouldn't be put into a new documents like this.

Regardless, it's at least a nice little read for someone looking to get into the 3025ish era of the game. However I'm surprised that despite mentioning later eras the Primer really only focuses on the Star League, Great Houses, and the 3025 era for any sort of semi in-depth look.

Still, for people who don't really know any of the lore it's pretty much a must-read document to get any understanding of what's going on, if you're not going to spend money on other documents or read the plethora of information on Sarna.net.

Hopefully the MWO website will have its own form of "Primer" and information sections for people to peruse to get real information on the game, lore, and universe.

[Dirk Le Daring]

This is cool.

But there was a card game ??? Does not count ??

[Odanan]

Dirk Le Daring, on 19 October 2015 - 04:28 PM, said:

This is cool.

But there was a card game ??? Does not count ??

The card game was cool. I still have a lot of good decks here (and a big box of spare cards).

[NocturnalBeast]

Anyone who plays MWO and is not familiar with BATTLETECH lore, should read this, especially those who say they don't care about lore, because you will learn why MWO can not be "A BATTLETECH GAME" without the lore.

[NocturnalBeast]

Dirk Le Daring, on 19 October 2015 - 04:28 PM, said:

This is cool.

But there was a card game ??? Does not count ??

The card game came out when Magic The Gathering was insanely popular (and not online yet) and Pokemon was just coming out (and was insanely popular with little kids). I remember seeing the cards on the shelf, but I did not know anyone who played it and did not have enough money at the time to buy both BATTLETECH and Magic The Gathering Cards. I was still playing BATTLETECH table top though.

[Twilight Fenrir]

I wish there were people in my area who played Battletech TT... I would love to get into that :3

[Sereglach]

Twilight Fenrir, on 19 October 2015 - 05:18 PM, said:

I wish there were people in my area who played Battletech TT... I would love to get into that :3

I know there are little pockets in certain areas where it is really popular. Outside of that, though . . . it sucks. Between stores that actively fought against it to stores that are like "Isn't Battletech dead?" I couldn't find anywhere in my area to get a game going.

Sadly, on top of that, when you DO find people to play with . . . Grognards is one of the kinder words that comes to mind. People have been actively hostile (even on the Catalyst official Battletech Forums) for supporting Alpha Strike.

I'm really hoping Alpha Strike hits the right chord and brings people back to Battletech TT. Hopefully they also turn around and do a desperately needed reboot and/or rules revamp for the purposes of cleaning up the severe bloat that CBT has going on right now.

Edited by Sereglach, 19 October 2015 - 05:25 PM.

[Odanan]

Nice book! And it is awesome to see all fronts of Battletech/Mechwarrior united for the sake of the IP.

[corpse256]

Ed Steele, on 19 October 2015 - 05:09 PM, said:

Anyone who plays MWO and is not familiar with BATTLETECH lore, should read this, especially those who say they don't care about lore, because you will learn why MWO can not be "A BATTLETECH GAME" without the lore.

I guess I'm one of those guys that says who cares? I really don't, the universe is intresting but the Mechwarrior games is what got me into it. Its just the way the games play in real time for me. I never got the chance or honor to play the table top games. But I did have a blast playing the video games. Even at the time I did see the card game at one point and had no clue what it was. I thought it was a rip off of the gaming franchise and not knowing at the time it was originally a pen and paper game.

I'm a gamer that doesn't need a story to understand what the hell is going on, I just need good gameplay mechanics. I feel that mechwarrior online has made itself to let the community make the stories for players. The ultimate control of the game is mechwarrior pilots make their own stories and their own reputation by playing in the random matches but also in community warfare buy taking a contract from one of the factions. Forget battletech lore for the games and inserting a player into that lore already screws it all up. Same thing is happening to the new game Battletech, you make your own story, you forge your own path to glory or death. And thats why the lore isn't inserted into the game in my opinion. Players would want to tend to follow it instead of changing it if battletech lore was strictly followed. Sure the story and universe is amazing but story doesn't drive a game (if it is for you, you need to watch movies instead of playing games) it is the gameplay that keeps the game going.

I don't need a reason to blow up the other mechs I just want to do it(for the right price that is)!! MWO merc for life!!

Edited by corpse256, 19 October 2015 - 08:45 PM.

[NocturnalBeast]

corpse256, on 19 October 2015 - 08:43 PM, said:

I guess I'm one of those guys that says who cares? I really don't, the universe is intresting but the Mechwarrior games is what got me into it. Its just the way the games play in real time for me. I never got the chance or honor to play the table top games. But I did have a blast playing the video games. Even at the time I did see the card game at one point and had no clue what it was. I thought it was a rip off of the gaming franchise and not knowing at the time it was originally a pen and paper game.

I'm a gamer that doesn't need a story to understand what the hell is going on, I just need good gameplay mechanics. I feel that mechwarrior online has made itself to let the community make the stories for players. The ultimate control of the game is mechwarrior pilots make their own stories and their own reputation by playing in the random matches but also in community warfare buy taking a contract from one of the factions. Forget battletech lore for the games and inserting a player into that lore already screws it all up. Same thing is happening to the new game Battletech, you make your own story, you forge your own path to glory or death. And thats why the lore isn't inserted into the game in my opinion. Players would want to tend to follow it instead of changing it if battletech lore was strictly followed. Sure the story and universe is amazing but story doesn't drive a game (if it is for you, you need to watch movies instead of playing games) it is the gameplay that keeps the game going.

I don't need a reason to blow up the other mechs I just want to do it(for the right price that is)!! MWO merc for life!!

Fair enough, but if you don't believe that stories drive games, then you have never played Dragon Age, Mass Effect, or SWTOR, or any games like that.

[corpse256]

Ed Steele, on 19 October 2015 - 08:47 PM, said:

Fair enough, but if you don't believe that stories drive games, then you have never played Dragon Age, Mass Effect, or SWTOR, or any games like that.

Thats why I stay way from games like that cause I want to play games not movies.

[Red Legs Greaves]

corpse256, on 19 October 2015 - 09:56 PM, said:

Thats why I stay way from games like that cause I want to play games not movies.

I don't read books because I don't want to live somebody else's life.

But seriously your gaming selection must be very small if you only play games with no story.

[NocturnalBeast]

Red Legs Greaves, on 19 October 2015 - 10:06 PM, said:

I don't read books because I don't want to live somebody else's life.

But seriously your gaming selection must be very small if you only play games with no story.

Agree, but I do read books though .

[CycKath]

Finally! ComStar era Mercenary Review Board insignia! Sqeeeeee!

[Sparkymarkyp]

Can't take my eyes off that Atlas.
#warmachine

[TWIAFU]

Ed Steele, on 19 October 2015 - 05:09 PM, said:

Anyone who plays MWO and is not familiar with BATTLETECH lore, should read this, especially those who say they don't care about lore, because you will learn why MWO can not be "A BATTLETECH GAME" without the lore.

Agreed!

This primer should be included with the MWO installer.

Twilight Fenrir, on 19 October 2015 - 05:18 PM, said:

I wish there were people in my area who played Battletech TT... I would love to get into that :3

Do you have a local Hobby Shop or game store, comic book outlet??

If you have a hobby shop, ask there or look for some sort of bulletin board. Same with a game store.

[Twilight Fenrir]

TWIAFU, on 20 October 2015 - 02:56 AM, said:

Do you have a local Hobby Shop or game store, comic book outlet??

If you have a hobby shop, ask there or look for some sort of bulletin board. Same with a game store.

No, they all folded a few years back... I'd have to drive 60 miles to find a gaming shop.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Okay, went to the link... What mech is this?? I want one in MWO!

[AdamBaines]

Sereglach, on 19 October 2015 - 03:02 PM, said:

. . . and some of that artwork is sadly so old it really shouldn't be put into a new documents like this.

Agree with everything you say except for the above. I think that all of the artwork, even some of the older ones which may seem dated or poor, actually add to the document. It shows the evolution of Battletech over 30 years and shows the character of what Battletech is.

But overall, agree with your assessment.