43 replies to this topic

[Burned_Follower]

I posted this here because TT fans tend to be the ones who have been the BT/MW fans for the longest time.

I didn't know that the Madcat was also called the Timberwolf until a couple years ago when i was reading a BT book where Aiden Pryde was in a new mech and the book called it a Timberwolf but the picture in the book was a picture of a Madcat. I hollered at my clan mates at the time(when i was competing in MWL) and that's when it was explained to me for the first time that Madcat/Timberwolf are two different names for the same Mech.

Now that i understand that Timberwolf is the original name, where did the name Madcat come from and why did the MW4 gaming series didn't call the mech by it's real name?

[Adridos]

Mad Cat is the name given to it from IS warriors.

Clans never told us, so we said to ouselves: "It is a Catapult with Marauder arms. Mad Cat sounds reasonable."

[Punk KMSD]

I think in the fiction the first time they tried to target a Mad Cat the targeting computer coulden't figure out if it was a Marader or a Catapult and it kept swtiching between the two, so, Mad Cat.

[LordDeathStrike]

comes from people not being consistent when writing books.

theres some where its madcat and mad dog

and others where its timber wolf and vulture

also the thor has been named the summoner and vice versa

[EDMW CSN]

LordDeathStrike, on 14 March 2012 - 02:53 AM, said:

comes from people not being consistent when writing books.

theres some where its madcat and mad dog

and others where its timber wolf and vulture

also the thor has been named the summoner and vice versa

It isn't the author's fault it is just the way it is.
It is like NATO giving Russia fighters their NATO nicknames.


The Mad Cat was labelled I believe the Kell Hounds, because IIRC Phelan first encountered it and commented the Mech has "Marauder's arm and Catapult missile racks". Hence the moniker remain so. Timber Wolf is the true name and is considered a pride among the Clan Wolf.

Similarly Mad Dog is the Clan name, the Mech was intentionally named to be a thinly veiled insult at Clan Wolf. Innersphere called it the Vulture due to the "Vulture-like" tactics the Clan mechwarriors used with the Mad Dog. Mainly they stay waay the hell back, unloaded LRMs then swoop in for a fast kill with their lasers.

The mech looks like a Vulture too (accordingly to the authors which i disagree) hence it reinforced the name sake.

Lastly the Dire Wolf again another proud totem mech. It was called Daishi or simply "Great Death" by the dracs because that thing destroyed everything they threw at it.

Ditto

Edited by [EDMW]CSN, 14 March 2012 - 03:05 AM.

[Talamon Cavalarian]

Phelan Kell's onboard computer switched between MAD and CAT when trying to identify the Mech, it was one of the first Clan Mechs ever seen and was officially deignated MAD CAT by Precentor Focht in the book series. One of the best all around Mechs out there.

[Karel Spaten]

For the OP's benefit:

Daishi = Dire Wolf
Gladiator = Executioner
Masakari = Warhawk
Man o War = Gargoyle
Mad Cat = Timber Wolf
Thor = Summoner
Loki = Hellbringer
Vulture = Mad Dog
Black Hawk = Nova
Puma = Adder
Uller = Kit Fox
Koshi = Mist Lynx
Dasher = Fire Moth

I've missed a handful (I can't remember which way round the designations of the Ice Ferret and the Dragonfly work) but that's most of the original 3050 clan mechs covered. It's mainly the initial clan invasion omnimechs that have the confusion.

[LordDeathStrike]

Karel Spaten, on 14 March 2012 - 03:15 AM, said:

For the OP's benefit:

Daishi = Dire Wolf
Gladiator = Executioner
Masakari = Warhawk
Man o War = Gargoyle
Mad Cat = Timber Wolf
Thor = Summoner
Loki = Hellbringer
Vulture = Mad Dog
Black Hawk = Nova
Puma = Adder
Uller = Kit Fox
Koshi = Mist Lynx
Dasher = Fire Moth

I've missed a handful (I can't remember which way round the designations of the Ice Ferret and the Dragonfly work) but that's most of the original 3050 clan mechs covered. It's mainly the initial clan invasion omnimechs that have the confusion.

yarrr the full list of multinames from the video game designs!

[S3dition]

Okay, this was partially answered. When the IS first encountered clans, their targeting computers were confused. It kept bouncing back and forth between Marauder and Catapult, hence the name MadCat.

It was NOT confused with the Vulture, also known as the Mad Dog. That name was given because of the way the mech looked, not because of the targeting computer. The Mad Dog is a smaller cousin of the Timber Wolf, so the IS names are not related.

Hope that helps.

[Oppi]

LordDeathStrike, on 14 March 2012 - 02:53 AM, said:

comes from people not being consistent when writing books.

Not true. Whenever the story is told from the perspective of a clanner, they use the clan names (Timberwolf / Mad Dog), and when it's told from the perspective of an Inner Sphere Character, it's Mad Cat / Vulture. Sometimes, when people of the two different cultures have a talk, they even argue about the right name (once an Inner Sphere warrior was claimed as a bondsman and had to work as a tech, and when he used the Inner Sphere names for clan Chassis he got beaten for it). Everything perfectly consistent.
Actually it's logical. They had to name the chassis they were fighting against when they first encountered the Clans, and they didn't have any Clan friends to tell them the original names, so they had to make something up.
Any other view comes from people beeing unfamiliar with the universe and not understanding who and what the Clans are. (And from former Mech Warrior games sometimes doing it wrong. I remember in MW2 the "Vulture" was called "Vulture" - at least in the german version that I played - but you were playing as a Clan warrior.)

Edited by Oppi, 14 March 2012 - 03:29 AM.

[S3dition]

I guess I should just throw this up: MadCat

Because knowing is half the battle.

[Krubarax]

As already mentioned, the name comes from the Battlecomputer of Phelan Kell's wolfhound, which could not confirm the model of the mech, when first encountered.
Also, there is no mistakes involved, but, on the contrary, the IS names for clan mechs are very cleverly thought out.
Just look at this.

Mechs common to the Jaguars and Ghost Bears, usually have Japanese names. Since they fought a lot in the Draconis Combine in the invasion.
Examples:
Dire Wolf - Daishi
Mist Lynx - Koshi
Mad Dog - Hagetaka (It was called Vulture by FedCom troops)
Storm Crow - Ryoken
Warhawk - Masakari

Mechs first ecountered by fedcom troops got more "western names" and are mostly mechs used by Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf.
Adder - Puma
Executioner - Gladiator
Gargoyle - Man o War
Firemoth - Dasher
Nova - Black Hawk
Viper - Dragonfly

And finally, Mechs encountered by FRR units got Norse names
Hellbringer - Loki
Summoner - Thor (this was actually named thor By Victor Davion and Galen C0x because like the norse god, its primary weapons were "thunder and lightning" LBX and PPC)
Ice Ferret - Fenris
Kit Fox - Uller

So, you see, the IS names are very well thought out and makes sence in the BT-universe.

Edit: Funny that Galens surname got censored. It is not my fault he is named Galen C0x

Edited by GB_Krubarax, 14 March 2012 - 04:14 AM.

[Evgeny Bear]

Its because the Targeting Computer of Phellan Kell and Victor combined the Marauder (MAD) arms with the Catapult (CAT) rocketslots to MAD-CAT.

[Polymorphyne]

There is actual real-world precedent for this-
In world war 2 for example, Japanese aircraft were given western names by allied forces, mainly because alot of the aircraft only had numerical designations
Japanese Name------------Allied Name
A6M Type 0 "Rei-Sen" "Zero" or "Zeke"
Shiden "George"
Ki-10/Type 95 "Perry"
Hien "Tony"
Aichi DWA "Val"
Type 97 Bomber "Kate"
G4M "Betty"


Similar things have been done for naming enemy tanks, aircraft, submarines (Especially submarines) and so forth throughout all modern wars (especially the cold war when naming enemy russian subs)


So the battletech writers more or less seized on some great real world material

[Karel Spaten]

GB_Krubarax, on 14 March 2012 - 04:12 AM, said:

Edit: Funny that Galens surname got censored. It is not my fault he is named Galen C0x

Just call him Jerrard Cranston, everybody else does...

[Sidney]

GB_Krubarax, on 14 March 2012 - 04:12 AM, said:

As already mentioned, the name comes from the Battlecomputer of Phelan Kell's wolfhound, which could not confirm the model of the mech, when first encountered.

Close.

I believe it was actually Focht who christened the Timber Wolf 'Mad Cat' when he was examining the data and remarked how it incorporated features of both the Marauder and the Catapult.

otherwise, nice list. I had been thinking it was the Loki that Victor had named, but I think you're correct- it's actually Thor. (Actually, I just watched the Thor movie last night. Wasn't the Hellbringer named 'Loki' for being 'Thor's' smaller brother?

A couple to add:

Cauldron-Born - Ebon jaguar

Named by the Kell Hounds based on "Irish Myth" if I recall correctly. The Clan name hadn't originally been published when it first came out, and because it was published once the Clan 'mech names were known to the Inner Sphere, it was an odd little contradiction in the fiction. When Catalyst updated the TRO, they rectified it- the 'real' Clan name is 'Ebon Jaguar'

Behemoth - Stone Rhino

Second line assault 'mech that dates back to the Star League civil war. Amaris attempted to build a 'mech that weighed over 100 tons- which failed. The SLDF took it with them, and surprisingly, the Clans got it working at 100 tons once their technology working- renaming it to the 'Stone Rhino'.

The Inner Sphere still uses the original name that Amaris intended for it: "Behemoth"

Curiously enough, the Word of Blake finally built the 'original' at an impressive 150 tons (The first 'Super Heavy' 'mech). They called it the 'Omega'

There's a background of it here (~1.3MB in size)

[Stormwolf]

Sidney is right, it was Focht who named the mech Mad Cat, Phelan Kell was transmitting his targeting data when he was fighting the Timber Wolf.

[CoffiNail]

Wrong. It is Phelan Kell's DI computer that IDs it as a Mad Cat. Because it is not sure which chassis it is. Focht just reviewed the data and went with the name the DI had. Focht was not standing in some base on The Rock to recieve the information then and there. It was transmitted to him.

Quote

Phelan frowned heavily as the computer sharpened and tried to label the image of the new 'Mech. Confused, the computer identified the 'Mech first as a Catapult, then almost immediately reclassified it as a Marauder. It's got that hunched-over torso with the bird legs common to both designs, all right. And it's got the Catapult's wing-mounted LRM launchers, but it also has the Marauder's weapon pods. And I've never seen that flat gray color scheme before, either. Who and what the hell is it?

Edited by CoffiNail, 14 March 2012 - 09:28 AM.

[MaddKatter]

is the madcat going to be in mwo?

[Sidney]

CoffiNail, on 14 March 2012 - 09:26 AM, said:

Wrong. It is Phelan Kell's DI computer that IDs it as a Mad Cat. Because it is not sure which chassis it is. Focht just reviewed the data and went with the name the DI had. Focht was not standing in some base on The Rock to recieve the information then and there. It was transmitted to him.

I'm not saying Phelan's computer didn't get it confused with the two 'mechs but I'm pretty sure it's Focht when he reviews the battle footage with Waterly later in the novel.

I don't have my copy on hand, but if you flip further through the book there should be a chapter where Focht examines Phelan's footage with Waterly back on Terra. It's an infamous scene, as Focht suggests that some sort of inteliigent alien parasite took over the SLDF in Exile and is now out to conquer the Inner Sphere, as the idea the SLDF would have advanced technology over Comstar is something Waterly and Focht can't grasp.

I'm pretty sure that's where he designates it as 'Mad Cat'.

I did a quick Google search, and Sarna seems to recollect the same:

Quote

It was [Focht] who named the Timber Wolf "Mad Cat" after he studied the battle footage of Phelan's encounter with Clan Wolf. He also pointed out that it would be impossible for ComStar to replicate the 'Mech when Myndo Waterly suggested that their armorers modify their Catapults to that configuration.

Unfortunately it doesn't give a page reference. The link to Sarna's article is here

MaddKatter, on 14 March 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

is the madcat going to be in mwo?

I would assume so. They're going to follow the Battletech timeline- every day that passes in 'real life' will pass in game, in real time. That's why all the articles and sneak peaks are dated Day/Month/3048 for example. The game is set to be released next year (which will be 3049) so the Clans are likely to be the first major content patch.