Idle thinkings on BattleTech

[Samaritan]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

Actually, the whole ordeal over the Btech books didn't shut FASA down... they decided to close their doors due to a slumped market that wasn't making them any money. The problem was due to a confusion over who owned the rights to the images of said mecha, and who had the right to sell that license. Harmony Gold, FASA, and at least one other party were all involved; FASA wasn't sued, per se, but they were given a cease and desist regarding use of those images (as I understand it), though they were pretty much moving towards compliance before that point.

 

As mentioned above, TRO: Project Phoenix pretty much brings all those designs back, and most of them are fairly recognizeable. I prefer my copy of TRO:3025 (orginally) due to the timeline (and my first mecha love- the BLR-1G Battlemaster), but the whole new Jihad era piqued my interest, so TRO:PP is also in my collection.

[bwdemon]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

FASA was in very bad financial condition when they closed their doors, but I agree that it wasn't completely due to the Harmony Gold fiasco. Aside from not paying their writers' royalties (and not being able to), they took a bath on the purchase of Ral Partha and Vor: the Maelstrom. They also sold off FASA Interactive, easily the most lucrative portion of the company, to Microsoft for a handshake and a pat on the back in 1999 (have to pay the bills somehow).

 

The whole "unseen" thing was an overreaction to a lawsuit (yes, HG did sue FASA, but the case was settled before going to trial after FASA lost a summary judgment motion). It would've been child's play to retcon the art at that point and move forward with the game and all mechs intact. Instead, they danced around the issue and removed the mechs from mention in products until they finally created new art for subsequent models using the names of the unseen (TRO:PP). This created two classes of players, those that knew of the unseen and possessed materials related to them and those who did not and never would (absent one of the former giving up his own materials). For no better reason than geek cred, the unseen issue persists today.

[shadowcat1313]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

Yes, Battletech was a ripoff of Robotech, but at least the concept of vehicular fusion reactors made a lot more sense then protoculture, or the one anime where the mecha got power from giant extension cords

 

the Battletech universe was also IMHO much better thought out and treated then Robotech

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

Battletech/Mechwarrior Mecha Art/Miniatures were playgerized from Maccross/Robotech. That is accepted, but honestly I think Battletech left Robotech behind.

 

More Later

 

QM

[薔薇語]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

Battletech/Mechwarrior Mecha Art/Miniatures were playgerized from Maccross/Robotech. That is accepted' date=' but honestly I think Battletech left Robotech behind.[/quote']

 

and as proof just look at the Black Knight(My fav mech) and the Pillager(what is now my second fav). Nothing quite like those existed in Robo. And the way they made the pieces seem so much more "believable" if i can say that without being laughed at. I mean they have more of a "real" feel to how they work and why.

 

La Rose.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

and as proof just look at the Black Knight(My fav mech) and the Pillager(what is now my second fav). Nothing quite like those existed in Robo. And the way they made the pieces seem so much more "believable" if i can say that without being laughed at. I mean they have more of a "real" feel to how they work and why.

 

La Rose.

I like some of the later Mecha and despise others. I thought Heavy Gears Mecha a little overboard, but Structural and Armour wise sound. It was based on Anime after all.

 

 

Cheers

 

QM

[Curufea]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

The Battletech background and the seccession wars always reminded me of the Italian city states, actually.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

The Battletech background and the seccession wars always reminded me of the Italian city states' date=' actually.[/quote']

I did not see that. hmmm guess I gotta go back to school.

 

 

LOL

 

QM

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Idle thinkings on BattleTech

 

If you want to build Giant Robots and use the HERO system to do it, you need to pick up a copy of Robot Warriors - you can get it in PDF, or find it online with some searching. I got mine from Noble Knight Games. Then, Google "Chris Goodwin Robot Warrior" and get his conversion notes, that go from 3rd to 4th. I then made suggestions to him on how to go from 4th to 5th, but I don't know that he ever updated his site. Robot Warriors is NOT Battletech. It's very good, but it's not BT.

 

RW to 5th: http://home.comcast.net/~archer7/rw2hero.html

RW to 4th: http://home.nc.rr.com/archer7/rw2hero.html

 

I played in three or four different Battletech Hero games, all with the same guys and all using slightly different rules (Jebus Rice, that was 18 years ago!). What we did was use Combat Pilot rolls instead of BT or MW pilot rolls, and Hero System OCV vs. DCV instead of BT or MW combat rolls. I advise treating SRMs and LRMs as Autofire, and running everything else straight. Either turn all armor and weapons into Hero System DEF, BODY, and damage values by the holy handwave, or else figure out what happens when a character gets hit with a mech weapon (1d6K per point of damage?). Use standard Hero Range Modifiers. Running movement is considered noncombat.

 

If what you want is Battletech Hero, I wouldn't use either Robot Warriors or Hero System vehicle rules. I'd just use the Hero System for characters.