6 replies to this topic

[MechaBattler]

As in from the perspective of pirates? Kinda curious what the pirate life is like in Battletech.

[Karl Streiger]

There might be some short storys... but can't put my finger on it.

[Bombast]

Just short stories, I believe. Stackpole wanted to do a full story about Katrina Steiner's time as a pirate, but was shot down.

Edited by Bombast, 28 January 2019 - 05:35 AM.

[Karl Streiger]

Bombast, on 28 January 2019 - 05:35 AM, said:

Just short stories, I believe. Stackpole wanted to do a full story about Katrina Steiner's time as a pirate, but was shot down.

Sometimes miracles happen

[MechaBattler]

You'd think that pirate themed battletech novels would be a whole other theme to explore. I've been playing Roguetech lately and I've been using pirate gear and I find it quite fun the idea of these pirates with their improvised weapon variants. When I asked another friend he said they pretty much just extorted people and sometimes raided to steal goods. But it'd be interesting if there was a whole culture to it. I mean if the Clans are an acceptable idea than pirate culture shouldn't be much of a stretch.

[Bombast]

MechaBattler, on 28 January 2019 - 11:58 AM, said:

But it'd be interesting if there was a whole culture to it. I mean if the Clans are an acceptable idea than pirate culture shouldn't be much of a stretch.

Pirate 'culture' is mention in the lore/fluff. Basically, you become a pirate when you've got a mech and refuse to operate under the rules set for mercenaries. These pirate groups have their own drop ships (Stolen from nations or 'inherited' from other pirates), and they roam the periphery, bullying the small states that exist outside the Inner Sphere proper.

When a pirate band reaches a certain critical mass, they go find a planet with a weak government and kick it over, replacing it (Kind of the reverse of an Ork Waaagh). They continue on with their business, but now with administrative goals and obligations. They continue to go about this until they become weak, and some new pirate band comes and kicks them over.

Unfortunately, a lot, if not most, of the major recorded pirate 'civilizations' were focused on the interstellar north of the Inner Sphere. So... you know...


Oops.

Edited by Bombast, 28 January 2019 - 12:19 PM.

[Koniving]

Short stories. I recall one in one of the Solaris 7 source books. I'll look for it this weekend if I get the chance.

For pirates turned into civilization, Marian Hegemony comes to mind. If I'm not mistaken, the system started with a number of Steiner soldiers abandoning their posts sometime around or after the Kerensky's Exodus. Though initially deemed pirates due to some thefts, it gradually grew. At some point it "Romanized", taking ideals from ancient Rome as well as ideas, gradually leading to mechs with head pieces like these (typically Centurions)




Paints common of the Marian Hegemony

...According to Iron Wind Metal Works so I wouldn't take stock in it; the bottom left definitely looks in the alley though. Now specific units within a faction, and yes Marian Hegemony has grown large enough to be considered a minor faction, not just a pirate band, have different colors and some of them are wildly different than the norm.

(Completely unrelated)

Spoiler

QUAD!

Goliath

Furry art, but Marian Hegemony

(Note: While anthros are not officially in Battletech, 'furries', costume and/or prosthetics are, though rarely if ever mentioned. Listed in the Mercenary handbook under Prosthetics is the prosthestic tail, and beyond that, they vary in 5 levels.)

Anyway, long story short.. Marian Hegemony is an interesting tale of deserting soldiers becoming pirates growing into a society that becomes a center for trade (and vacation/tourism spot) as well as one of the few places described to have its own cell network with smart phones that have 2 inch wide "SD cards", written in the late 1980s.. It also creates roughly 75% of the refit kits sold on the market.

A refit kit is a "pre-designed" kit of equipment and parts, with detailed instructions, that significantly reduces the amount of time of making major changes to a mech. I've tried a few for fun, and the most notable refit kit I tried in Megamek HQ reduced the time to make the changes by 2 months (on what would have been a 4 month job). So refit kits are pretty important, and are detailed quite a bit in Mechwarrior RPG first edition, and likely in subsequent RPG editions.

Though the rules aen't "set in stone" and one of the earliest pages says that the rules are a guideline and you're free to include or drop rules as you see fit as "fun" is the most impotant aspect... but not all mechs are compatible with refit kits. What I find fun, is what mechs have refit kits and what they are...is within Marian Hegemony's lore. In fact so many fun things, including my much loved difference between the classic and remake Hunchback 4G... is also embedded in the Marian Hegemony (and some of it in post 3030 Mariks). The way Kali-Yama Weapons Industries and Marian Hegemony keep trading blows on the market is actually comical.

"You've got a beat up Hunchback? Can't find ammo or fix that big gun? Come to us, we've got all kinds of changes to make your clunker sway back into the field."
"We've bought the rights to the Hunchback, we're issuing a cease and desist, and made sure our fresh new Hunchbacks are completely incompatible with your refit kits. But buy our mechs, now slightly larger, you can fit in double heatsinks or an XL engine if you wish! Just come to us, we'll set it up for you. Trade in your old Hunchback and we'll even get you a discount. We've even remade all those black market field redesigns, fresh out of our factory; can't you just smell the paint and the lack of blood of your dead relatives?"
"Its been twenty years, but the Marian Hegemony has finally made a refit kit for your Kali-Yama produced Crucis V Hunchback. For our first model, we've put rocket launchers in. Why? Because screw Kali-Yama. Step right up, we've got a dozen more coming.."

Good fun.