71 replies to this topic

[Greyhart]

I noticed mention of the idea of a reboot in the hero mech becoming cannon.

Anyway apart from the computer games and the cartoons, and one book, I don't really follow battletech but I thought it was an interesting idea. After all a lot of IPs that were created in 60s, 70s, and 80's really didn't give a lot of thought to continuing story or consistency.

So if there was a reboot what would you change in terms of overall story and from an MWO point of view weapon systems,

For me the following are iconic to battletech/ mechwarrior.

Battlemechs (obviously)
Clan invasion
Star league history
Inner sphere houses.

Clearly there are 2 areas covered in this here topic.

1. overall story and feel
2. How weapons and balance between clans and inner-sphere work (assuming you agree clans should be part of the universe), ballistics, lasers etc.

hell if you want to go nuts battlemechs load out regarding crits, weight etc.

[LegendaryArticuno]

We need a new Mechcommander Gold, the only Mechwarrior game with a decent story.

[Almond Brown]

LegendaryArticuno, on 14 March 2016 - 05:54 AM, said:

We need a new Mechcommander Gold, the only Mechwarrior game with a decent story.

Ummm, can I get another Full Color Game Manual with that as well please... please.

[LegendaryArticuno]

Almond Brown, on 14 March 2016 - 06:07 AM, said:

Ummm, can I get another Full Color Game Manual with that as well please... please.

That manual was a good read! It would be nice if MWO had mech and weapon bios.

[Narcissistic Martyr]

LegendaryArticuno, on 14 March 2016 - 06:31 AM, said:

That manual was a good read! It would be nice if MWO had mech and weapon bios.

PGI could always cut and paste them from sarna

[Damia Savon]

Best reboot...return to the end of 4th succession war and eliminate the nonsensical clans. Reintroduce lostech slowly via the helm memory core and when the tech has taken hold, have the real SLDF return. The ones who believe in actual democracy and would offer the people of the successor states a real governmental alternative. The tech levels could be a lot more even and the lines between the SLDF and successor states much less clear cut. You could reintroduce or show unknown mech that are better but not outrageously so. You eliminate the idiocy of clan society, their unworkable backstory, and their weird technology.

[CDLord HHGD]

IF they were to ever reboot the franchise, I'd like to see them follow the same timeline, just be more wary of power creep. Make the mechanics more conducive to universal application from TT to FPS and still keep the feel and flavor. Battletech is hardly the first franchise to be translated from TT to FPS or MMO. It can be done properly.

[Greyhart]

Damia Savon, on 14 March 2016 - 06:39 AM, said:

Best reboot...return to the end of 4th succession war and eliminate the nonsensical clans. Reintroduce lostech slowly via the helm memory core and when the tech has taken hold, have the real SLDF return. The ones who believe in actual democracy and would offer the people of the successor states a real governmental alternative. The tech levels could be a lot more even and the lines between the SLDF and successor states much less clear cut. You could reintroduce or show unknown mech that are better but not outrageously so. You eliminate the idiocy of clan society, their unworkable backstory, and their weird technology.

I have never really looked that deeply into clan culture and back story but I think they pose a nice alien element for the game. But also like there being a white knight element as well like the SLDF.

[Zolaz]

Most of the PvE crowd would blow a load if they got to play Crescent Hawks Inception in MWO. That was my first Battletech computer game.

[Damia Savon]

Greyhart, on 14 March 2016 - 07:46 AM, said:

I have never really looked that deeply into clan culture and back story but I think they pose a nice alien element for the game. But also like there being a white knight element as well like the SLDF.

High tech barbarians who want to conquer the Inner Sphere to reimpose a constitutional monarchy type government really makes no sense. It is asinine. Aside from Mechwarriors captured by the Clans who decided their idiotic culture of "might makes right" was logical, no one in the Inner Sphere is tempted by Clan society.

Even the idiots who created the absurdity that are the Clans admit they screwed up, which is why battletech has been trying to get rid of them ever since.

[1453 R]

Damia Savon, on 14 March 2016 - 08:56 AM, said:

High tech barbarians who want to conquer the Inner Sphere to reimpose a constitutional monarchy type government really makes no sense. It is asinine. Aside from Mechwarriors captured by the Clans who decided their idiotic culture of "might makes right" was logical, no one in the Inner Sphere is tempted by Clan society.

Even the idiots who created the absurdity that are the Clans admit they screwed up, which is why battletech has been trying to get rid of them ever since.

Doesn't really make any less sense than half of what happened in the Successor States. Let's face it - neither the Free Worlds League nor the Free Rasalhague Republic should be functional (or exist, in terms of the FRR), and every other Successor State is "let's take a couple of the crappy traits of generic stereotypical Country X, dial them up to SEVENTEEN, and call it an entire culture."

I grew up on the original BattleTech novels, through the end of the FedComm Civil War. The way I see it? Any 'reboot' of BattleTech would need to reinvent the game almost completely, in a sense. After all, the Capellan Confederation just doesn't work without a Yellow Menace to compare it to, the Free Worlds League's whole "we're a nonstop civil war nobody has ever taken advantage of" just doesn't fly in a setting of almost indescribably imperialistic territory-hungry nations, and I don't think I've ever met a single TT player (as opposed to novel reader/fluff follower) who didn't despise the Federated Suns almost as much as they despise the Clans.

You can say the Clans are what Ruined BattleTech Forever...but really, the game 'verse is forty years old. Can you blame it for showing its age these days? And can you blame the Clans alone for all the nonsense that's happened? I mean, c'mon - the Clans ain't got ship on the Word of Frogblathering Blake insofar as completely illogical WTFery goes.

[Gyrok]

Damia Savon, on 14 March 2016 - 06:39 AM, said:

Best reboot...return to the end of 4th succession war and eliminate the nonsensical clans. Reintroduce lostech slowly via the helm memory core and when the tech has taken hold, have the real SLDF return. The ones who believe in actual democracy and would offer the people of the successor states a real governmental alternative. The tech levels could be a lot more even and the lines between the SLDF and successor states much less clear cut. You could reintroduce or show unknown mech that are better but not outrageously so. You eliminate the idiocy of clan society, their unworkable backstory, and their weird technology.

Best reboot?

Go back to when the SLDF left for the pentagon worlds, and nuke all the great houses...no nonsensical backstabby BS, no Comstar/WoB terrible jihad era that leads to Dark Age crap either.

Clans are the best thing about BT, the IS houses are just rats fighting over scraps that have fallen from the dining table.

[Roughneck Cobra]

Gyrok, on 14 March 2016 - 09:21 AM, said:

Best reboot?

Go back to when the SLDF left for the pentagon worlds, and nuke all the great houses...no nonsensical backstabby BS, no Comstar/WoB terrible jihad era that leads to Dark Age crap either.

Clans are the best thing about BT, the IS houses are just rats fighting over scraps that have fallen from the dining table.

Your Thunderdoming my 'Clan Wolf' Bounty Hunter tonight for that Boss!

[Lugh]

LegendaryArticuno, on 14 March 2016 - 05:54 AM, said:

We need a new Mechcommander Gold, the only Mechwarrior game with a decent story.

Every single one of the mechwarrior games had more story than all the FPS shooters of their day(e.g. DOOM zombies and demons KILL!), and still have more story than many of today's FPS shooters.

[NextGame]

Greyhart, on 14 March 2016 - 01:58 AM, said:

I noticed mention of the idea of a reboot in the hero mech becoming cannon.

Anyway apart from the computer games and the cartoons, and one book, I don't really follow battletech but I thought it was an interesting idea. After all a lot of IPs that were created in 60s, 70s, and 80's really didn't give a lot of thought to continuing story or consistency.

So if there was a reboot what would you change in terms of overall story and from an MWO point of view weapon systems,

For me the following are iconic to battletech/ mechwarrior.

Battlemechs (obviously)
Clan invasion
Star league history
Inner sphere houses.

Clearly there are 2 areas covered in this here topic.

1. overall story and feel
2. How weapons and balance between clans and inner-sphere work (assuming you agree clans should be part of the universe), ballistics, lasers etc.

hell if you want to go nuts battlemechs load out regarding crits, weight etc.

Battletech universe would benefit greatly from a gritty reboot

[CDLord HHGD]

NextGame, on 14 March 2016 - 09:58 AM, said:

Battletech universe would benefit greatly from a gritty reboot

And I would say keep it gritty and as far away as possible from ANY anime stylings.
The Dredd reboot versus the horribleness that JJ did to Trek and Bay did to Transformers.

[Gyrok]

cdlord, on 14 March 2016 - 10:10 AM, said:

And I would say keep it gritty and as far away as possible from ANY anime stylings.
The Dredd reboot versus the horribleness that JJ did to Trek and Bay did to Transformers.

You know...for all the controversial opinions...I think Bay did it justice. Honestly...he outright nailed it with Optimus Prime.

[CDLord HHGD]

Gyrok, on 14 March 2016 - 10:25 AM, said:

You know...for all the controversial opinions...I think Bay did it justice. Honestly...he outright nailed it with Optimus Prime.

Prime is a cab-over tractor! The only time he paid any respect to that was in the 4th movie when Prime was disguised as a junker and disabled. I also dislike their appearance, thought the Gen1 and Gen2 renditions were better for the genre.

[Gyrok]

cdlord, on 14 March 2016 - 10:29 AM, said:

Prime is a cab-over tractor! The only time he paid any respect to that was in the 4th movie when Prime was disguised as a junker and disabled. I also dislike their appearance, thought the Gen1 and Gen2 renditions were better for the genre.

Sure, there are some technicalities off...

But the voice acting, and the characterization of Optimus Prime is spot on. Plus, cab overs were a lot more common back in the days transformers came out...these days it is much more common for a big sweeping superliner to be seen than a cab over...

[Escef]

Damia Savon, on 14 March 2016 - 06:39 AM, said:

...have the real SLDF return. The ones who believe in actual democracy...

They believed in no such thing. The Star League was composed primarily of 6 nation states, each ruled by their own royal family, with the leader of the Terran Hegemony also serving as First Lord, ruler of the Star League. Furthermore, they were an Army, not a democracy. Armies do not choose leaders, nor policy, by popular vote.

Damia Savon, on 14 March 2016 - 08:56 AM, said:

High tech barbarians who want to conquer the Inner Sphere to reimpose a constitutional monarchy type government really makes no sense. It is asinine.

Except they are only barbarians if you ignore everything about them except their focus on conflict. And even if they were such, it makes more sense than saying the SLDF believed in democracy.