30 replies to this topic

[Koniving]

But actually I got side tracked.

what I was going to say is I found a way to do ambushes Against the Bot or in vanilla Megamek.

Right click them, and there's an option to delay their arrival for several turns before they can spawn. Combine this with being able to spawn anywhere or a particular area with "deep" access on the map. It won't be a perfect well staged ambush, but you can have them spawn in the area you're about to enter, powered down and when they power up to move and attack they will 'suddenly appear'... That's kinda ambush-like.

[Serpentine Shel Serpentine]

The old starter sets can be had on ebay for about $20-35. But Catalyst -- who made a set and owns the license -- inexplicably is out of stock and apparently is not making more. Sadly, they seem to be going out of business or just not using the license properly. Someone with money to invest needs to buy it and run with it. I think it could be at least as big as Games Workshop. I mean, everyone loves giant robots.

Edited by DeloresAbernathy, 31 May 2017 - 06:33 PM.

[Metus regem]

DeloresAbernathy, on 31 May 2017 - 06:24 PM, said:

The old starter sets can be had on ebay for about $20-35. But Catalyst -- who made a set and owns the license -- inexplicably is out of stock and apparently is not making more. Sadly, they seem to be going out of business or just not using the license properly. Someone with money to invest needs to buy it and run with it. I think it could be at least as big as Games Workshop. I mean, everyone loves giant robots.

Catalyst is owned by Topps, I don't know whom would be able to offer up better funds than that.... I think it might be more likely that CGL maybe looking at creating a new edition or perhaps looking to strike a deal with Iron Wind Metals (whom own the rights to make the miniatures) or PGI to lease rights to the PGI game assets, as lets be honest the PGI models really do out class a lot of the TT miniatures in use.

[Serpentine Shel Serpentine]

Metus regem, on 01 June 2017 - 07:36 AM, said:

Catalyst is owned by Topps, I don't know whom would be able to offer up better funds than that.... I think it might be more likely that CGL maybe looking at creating a new edition or perhaps looking to strike a deal with Iron Wind Metals (whom own the rights to make the miniatures) or PGI to lease rights to the PGI game assets, as lets be honest the PGI models really do out class a lot of the TT miniatures in use.

Yes you're right the money should be there and the PGI art is superior. The license owner should make their IP consistent across media as Games Workshop does and generally raise the quality. CAD designed plastic models consistent with PGI designs would be the way the go. And the fiction should be revived and to a higher standard than the past. I don't begrudge anyone their nerdy guilty pleasure but as a science fiction reader for 40 years, Games Worskhop fiction (Black Library) is a at a higher level than what I have read from the Battletech universe. Fiction can be a driver of game play and devotion to the brand. So Topps and PGI can benefit a great deal from some unified brand development. I think Warhammer shows that electronic media and tabletop are mutually reinforcing phenomena. If anything people would buy the models just to have them .. if they were high quality. Action figures wouldn't hurt either .. my son would be totally into that. I mean they made some nice action figures just for the movie Pacific Rim -- a one off giant robot movie (quite a good one). Why not Mehwarrior. And eventually it should get its own live action/CGI movie (as should WH40k).

Edited by DeloresAbernathy, 01 June 2017 - 09:10 AM.

[Metus regem]

DeloresAbernathy, on 01 June 2017 - 09:07 AM, said:

Yes you're right the money should be there and the PGI art is superior. The license owner should make their IP consistent across media as Games Workshop does and generally raise the quality. CAD designed plastic models consistent with PGI designs would be the way the go. And the fiction should be revived and to a higher standard than the past. I don't begrudge anyone their nerdy guilty pleasure but as a science fiction reader for 40 years, Games Worskhop fiction (Black Library) is a at a higher level than what I have read from the Battletech universe. Fiction can be a driver of game play and devotion to the brand. So Topps and PGI can benefit a great deal from some unified brand development. I think Warhammer shows that electronic media and tabletop are mutually reinforcing phenomena. If anything people would buy the models just to have them .. if they were high quality. Action figures wouldn't hurt either .. my son would be totally into that. I mean they made some nice action figures just for the movie Pacific Rim -- a one off giant robot movie (quite a good one). Why not Mehwarrior. And eventually it should get its own live action/CGI movie (as should WH40k).

I'd say that Black Library WH40K novels are not the best, now the WH30k (Hours Hearsay) ones are a different matter... with the exception of Angels of Darkness, perhaps my favorite WH40K novel.... I am a firm in my oppion that the Lion waited to see whom was the victor of Terra before committing any forces...

Anyways back to the topic, the BT IP got cut into three pieces when FASA went under, I have a feeling that Catalyst (and their parent Topps) are working to get as much back as they can, with the exception to "Mechwarrior" as that is held by Microsoft.... I wouldn't be surprised to see a new edition of TT shortly after the PC Battletech game drops, with models looking like the ones in the Battletech PC game.

Edited by Metus regem, 01 June 2017 - 09:28 AM.

[Serpentine Shel Serpentine]

Metus regem, on 01 June 2017 - 09:27 AM, said:

I'd say that Black Library WH40K novels are not the best, now the WH30k (Hours Hearsay) ones are a different matter... with the exception of Angels of Darkness, perhaps my favorite WH40K novel.... I am a firm in my oppion that the Lion waited to see whom was the victor of Terra before committing any forces...

Anyways back to the topic, the BT IP got cut into three pieces when FASA went under, I have a feeling that Catalyst (and their parent Topps) are working to get as much back as they can, with the exception to "Mechwarrior" as that is held by Microsoft.... I wouldn't be surprised to see a new edition of TT shortly after the PC Battletech game drops, with models looking like the ones in the Battletech PC game.

Horus Heresy novels are better, but anything by Dan Abnett is excellent. He is up there with the best of the non-tie-in science fiction. Except that Warhammer novels are noticeably missing any adult M/F relationships (not sure how clear I can be on this forum about that subject?).
I hope you are right about the new edition and new models. And I am looking forward to both new MW computer games.

[Fyrwulf]

CGL isn't owned by Topps, it merely licenses the BattleTech IP from them.

[Serpentine Shel Serpentine]

Fyrwulf, on 04 June 2017 - 09:39 PM, said:

CGL isn't owned by Topps, it merely licenses the BattleTech IP from them.

Well that makes more sense because they are letting the property languish. They had a very nice box set -- see the details here. https://store.cataly...ductory-box-set
But they aren't making it anymore, but have not replaced it or announced that it is discontinued. I have emailed them asking for it and if you want it I suggest you do the same. Maybe fans can help bring it back.

[Koniving]

The IP seems to be owned by Microsoft... Harebrained's site even says as much unless I am misreading it.

Side note Catalyst redesigned the miniature for the Locust.

https://s3.amazonaws...4ce61au1007.png

Personally upset that it looks like the Locust might have torso twist...

The redesign for the Shadowhawk miniature.

https://s3-us-west-2...owHawk-Silo.png

Am on phone, sorry about links.

[Fyrwulf]

Koniving, on 05 June 2017 - 10:48 AM, said:

The IP seems to be owned by Microsoft

The Mechwarrior IP is owned by Microsoft. The whole Battletech IP issue is complicated and difficult to follow.

[Koniving]

Fyrwulf, on 05 June 2017 - 06:46 PM, said:

The Mechwarrior IP is owned by Microsoft. The whole Battletech IP issue is complicated and difficult to follow.

Indeed.

"Harebrained Schemes © Copyright 2015-2017. All Rights Reserved. MechWarrior and BattleTech are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation and are used under license."

Edited by Koniving, 06 June 2017 - 06:26 AM.