69 replies to this topic

[-Spectre]

Most people on this thread have already said the relevant points, but I wanted to get my two cents in.

1¢. From what I remember in my reading (I read most of the Battletech books, skipping just a few scattered throughout, all but one of the MechWarrior books, and one of the Dark Age books), there are only two species which can be called sentient: the Tetatae--birds with spears who learned to speak with human words, and the Neopithecanthropus--a short humanoid with pale skin, pink eyes, and primitive technology and religion, referred to by Ardan Sortek as the Pinks.

2¢. I am not opposed to new lore being added. Battletech has had many major plot changes that turned out for the better (though I couldn't get into the Dark Ages stuff--curse you, Harmony Gold!). However, adding space-faring aliens would simply take away what makes BattleTech unique and interesting. Almost every science fiction is based on aliens vs. humans, and BattleTech is one of the very few that is humans vs. humans. Adding aliens would simply copy everyone else and basically put it into B-movie territory. There are great humans vs. aliens books out there, but that was their primary focus. Adding them to BattleTech would be a major shoehorn, and simply would not work within the universe. The addition of the Clans was a genius way to perform the same function that you are saying aliens would perform (before the clans, you had five major sides squabbling within themselves, and the Clans united them, to an extent), without leaving the established rules of the universe, but it can only work once. I would accept the addition of aliens in fanfic, but not as actual lore.

[MechaBattler]

I can understand wanting to keep it a purely human conflict. It's a big part of Battletech's theme of constant cycle of human conflict.

But they could do an offshoot that doesn't involve the rest of the inner sphere or Clans. Perhaps two factions accidentally jump off course and find a sentient species just entering their industrial revolution. And being the pig headed humans that they are. They fight it out in orbit and end up marooned on the planet. Then you could have the culture of this race at odds with humanity's constant inner struggle with conflict.

There's so many potential avenues to explore. And since at best they're reverse engineering with limited understanding of the tech. You wouldn't have to worry about crazy OP alien tech. Instead some adhoc franken primitive designs. With crazy stuff like WW1 style tanks fighting alongside mechs. And get creative with primitive anti mech strategies.

[Khobai]

battletech's theme of humans constantly bombing themselves back to the stoneage gets kindve old after the fifth time or so it happens

they need to mix it up a little with aliens bombing humans back to the stone age


they should have clan scientists uplift the tetatae into a superior species using genetic modification.

then have the tetatae secretly grow an army of organic tripod battlemechs that are powered by biofuel made from dissolving abducted humans in vats

and then the angry bird people should load all their organic mechs into a giant space tree and wipe out terra.

Edited by Khobai, 29 January 2018 - 02:27 PM.

[FupDup]

Khobai, on 29 January 2018 - 02:09 PM, said:

battletech's theme of humans constantly bombing themselves back to the stoneage gets kindve old after the fifth time or so it happens

they need to mix it up a little with aliens bombing humans back to the stone age

Or how about humans bomb aliens back to the stone age? Nearly every IP always assumes that the aliens are more advanced than the humans (except Avatar I guess).

[Khobai]

the point of having advanced aliens is that you can introduce more advanced tech than clan tech

that way clan tech wont be overpowered anymore. it will be just as obsolete as IS tech.

and then PGI could balance the three factions by making the game 12v10v8

[Spare Parts Bin]

I must be a purist. I like MWO and Battletech. I have played Warhammer 40K,and CAV. Both games seem to be continuously introducing new species as new factions.
Change is not always good.

[Sigmar Sich]

Moochachoo, on 05 January 2018 - 11:44 PM, said:

What are your thoughts on the addition of aliens to the BattleTech universe?

[C E Dwyer]

Moochachoo, on 05 January 2018 - 11:44 PM, said:

Does space faring aliens exist in BattleTech universe? Iv been reading up the wiki, there are references to alien plant and animals, but no contact with intelligent alien spiecies.

What are your thoughts on the addition of aliens to the BattleTech universe? Maybe they are master genetic engineers and they are capable of creating giant bio titans, or they are cyborgs capable of deploying massive robotic armies.

No, just no, this game doesn't need to be turned into a games workshop product.

[jss78]

Khobai, on 29 January 2018 - 12:11 AM, said:

survive 2 out of 3 side torso losses

I now fear a tabletop line developer is reading this thread...

Don't give them ideas.

[jss78]

Cathy, on 30 January 2018 - 08:18 AM, said:

No, just no, this game doesn't need to be turned into a games workshop product.

Why, you have a problem paying half a mortgage for that new Steiner batallion?

[Spare Parts Bin]

Having played tabletop games which include aliens I can empaticly NO to aliens in MWO/Battletech.

[Moochachoo]

I’m glad the discussion on this topic is lively.

When I was referring to aliens I wasn’t thinking 40k, I had the thought while playing on river city, it kind of reminded me of pacific rim where the kaiju burst forth from the sea to attack the city.

The aliens doesn’t have to be a playable faction, we can sort of go a more subtle route with aliens, they can be mysterious like Thargoids from elite dangerous, their motives are unknown to us and they attack without warning, and disappear very quickly, Almost all direct encounter with the alien would end in death, or capture, as the weapons used by the clans and IS are utterly ineffective against the aliens.

Story wise this could shift some priorities with the clan and IS, maybe they should work together to deal with this new threat? Perhaps some factions may attempt to make contact and bargain with the aliens to receive a technological edge? Perhaps some factions were able to destroy some of the aliens and reversed engineered some of their war machines, and thus introducing new types of weapon in to the game? Maybe they would jealously guard their new discovery, even from their allies, placing tension upon their relationship?

Just some thoughts.

[Koniving]

Yes to mech chomping dinosaurs.
No to outright aliens.


Mmm.
Battlemech.

[Koniving]

Far as aliens.. My favorite game involving them was called Final Haven.
In it, you play as either humans or Tauran (which look more like grey dinosaur people).

What made this game stand out so much?
Regardless of which side you played, you were the inferior side and had to build your way up. Okay so that's a given for any game. But this meant that as the Tauran you had to fight your way out of what was effectively going to be humanity's oppression of your species.

As was mentioned by someone else, humanity is almost never the "bad guy" or the superior race in the beginning.

Now with the game already doing alien critters of inferior natures, we have things like giant mech eating worm things in MWO's Viridian Bog or whatever the map is called. We have mech eating dinosaurs.

Basically stupid things that can pose a threat, but aren't the main focus of any conflict.. just a third party that adds a bit of randomness and unpredictability to the action. That should be the way to do it.

[Darrious Quinn]

Plenty of ways to kill a mech without the addition of sentient aliens.
Aggressive Flora and Fauna can be fun, but it’s almost predictable. Creative use of geologic and weather anomalies are far more interesting.

You may not be facing aliens, BUT you are usually on a wildly alien planet. Hell you can do ANYTHING with that. Just look at our own solar system for examples. Imagine what would happen to a mech that crosses a geyser of liquid methane or liquid nitrogen. Or the heat nightmare of a lance getting caught out in a storm of mercury falling from the sky? Alien weather can and is a nightmare. Why would a mech be there? You think a great House would pass up controlling a planet of pure fuel?

I’m currently in the middle of reading ‘Heir to the Dragon’ and there is a moment in the book where an active, moving cicada gets ripped to pieces by a tornado. The old books use geological traps and anomalies very often to defeat opposing forces to great effect.

So a mech eating wurm is great.. but that can be killed. An earthquake that triggers a tsunami in a sea a of sulfuric acid?? I think I’ll take my chances and square off with the giant, mech eating wurm in a locust, thanks.

…. And yes I DM and yes my players hate me at times…

Edited by Darrious Quinn, 09 February 2018 - 01:53 PM.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Mechs vs Dinosaurs sounds like fun. Where do I and my Stalker Misery sign up.

[Jonathan8883]

One of William H Keith's Bolo books grew out of a "What if 'Mechs fought Bolos?" question.

Bolos win, of course.

[Bombast]

Jonathan8883, on 09 February 2018 - 06:53 PM, said:

One of William H Keith's Bolo books grew out of a "What if 'Mechs fought Bolos?" question.

Bolos win, of course.

Bolos basically always win. Especially when you start getting to the later models, were power creep starts getting really silly.

[Metus regem]

Bombast, on 10 February 2018 - 04:16 PM, said:

Bolos basically always win. Especially when you start getting to the later models, were power creep starts getting really silly.

I enjoyed the story about the Bolo RML...

[Spare Parts Bin]

Bombast, on 10 February 2018 - 04:16 PM, said:

Bolos basically always win. Especially when you start getting to the later models, were power creep starts getting really silly.

Metus regem, on 11 February 2018 - 10:01 AM, said:

I enjoyed the story about the Bolo RML...

Never really read those books, but those tanks look like the super heavy tanks in Warhammer 40K.