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What is the TLDR of the current state of the game?
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Raven!
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 11:49    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Hey Everyone,

So it looks like click tech didn't last. And we've moved on from the Dark Age/Republic of the Sphere stage and are back to "normal" as far as the Inner Sphere goes. Is that about right? I like that there has been a huge focus on primitive mechs and technology, as that fits right in with the Periphery in my not so humble opinion.

But was curious as to what the current state is, thoughts and opinions, and what rule books contain the best construction rules.
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Jade_Dragon
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 14:16    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

We are done with Wizkids term of overseeing yes, though the Dark Age will still be a dark time for us true fans.

Catalyst now has the license and is doing good things. They are just about to ship the goodies from the BattleTech Clan Invasion Kickstarter which blew things out of the water. They had issues putting out new goals fast enough.

If you want complete construction rules for all unit types, Mechs, vees, ships, protos, etc you will need the TechManual which is the 2nd book in the 7 rulebook/operations manual series. If you want just Mechs you can pick up the BattleTech Manual which contains everything Mecha but no other rules. TechManual recently got an special edition printing with the old Tactical Handbook art, both it and the Manual can be found on Ebay for $33, less for PDFs on DriveThruRPG.

I recently picked up Total Warfare and Techmanual and my best friend has the whole series plus the BattleTech Manual. I might pick up the latter though I don't think it varies that much from BMRr or even the old Compendium. I am definitely staying away from the whole Operations part of the series at this point.

Other recent purchases for me are both of the new box sets "Game of Armored Combat" and Beginner Box. Plus Embers of War, The Corps, Era Digest & TRO Golden Century. The last 2 I was able to get hold of the print on demand copies and love them. Also inbound are Betrayal of Ideals and TRO Jihad. It has definitely made an impact on my wallet of late Wink
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Raven!
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 14:19    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Thank you!

Frankly, I found the Jihad storyline to be really nuts and am generally ignoring it. Same with Dark Age. ZOMG! This minor power suddenly has a zillion mechs and it is war on everyone time! Woot woot!

I was like "So we've gone from mechs being these ultra rare super war machines where a few are enough to wage war with a major power to trillions of regiments of mechs marching throughout known space as if they were disposable cannon fodder?"

It just didn't make sense to me.
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Kraken
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 14:36    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

The overall master campaign I've been nursing holds that due to the efforts of various groups - including an entire OC faction I created - the WOB's efforts to try and amass their private army hit enough roadblocks that when the WoB *does* try for its Jihad, it doesn't quite go as planned.

They're able to stage a coup and take over the Free Worlds League, and they get *most* of the central Inner Sphere, but enough planets remain free to where the New Terran Hegemony and other groups are able to organize counter-attacks. This leads to the NTH successfully retaking Terra itself, forcing the WoB to set up headquarters on Sirius and Procyon.

By 2090, the WoB will have been pushed out of the Draconis Combine, Federated Suns, and Lyran Alliance, while several individual FWL worlds have been reclaimed and St. Ives is independent again. The New Terran Hegemony now encompasses most of the former Chaos March, with planet after planet voluntarily joining.

Each campaign I run is aimed towards making at least one element of this happen. For example, one campaign involved helping to defend Caph from mercenaries and bandits the Blakists had hired to create a false "bandit" crisis so that they could justify sending in a "peacekeeping" force. The campaign ended with the bandits being crushed, and the first wave of the force being shattered because the NTH forces were ready for them... including the loss of a warship to the NTH's premier "stealth" fighter, the Nemesis.
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Raven!
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 15:19    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

I like it! Smile
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Jade_Dragon
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 19:42    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Yeah the only Jihad book I purchased was the TRO and that was to cover the gap I missed with TROs 3075 and 3085 and possibly 3145.

So far the new novels are good. Read a copy of Divided We Fall, short, really a novella, but I like the looks of the ilClan era so far.
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Raven!
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PostPosted: 10-Sep-2020 20:07    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

What is the ilClan era?
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Ruger
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PostPosted: 11-Sep-2020 19:57    Post subject: Re: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Raven! wrote:
What is the ilClan era?


Only vague hints, other than it involves about an 100 year time jump, are currently circulating.

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Kraken
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PostPosted: 11-Sep-2020 22:31    Post subject: Re: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Raven! wrote:
I like it! Smile


How 2090 would work is that there's essentially a truncated triangle with Sirius and Procyon at the tip and the bulk of the Free Worlds League within its area, as well as a chunk of the Periphery. This is all that the WoB still owns, as well as much as the Capellan Confederation.

The trade-off, however, is that the other houses are unstable, and some of the Crusader clans are pushing for the ability to violate the Tukkayid Treaty given how weak the Inner Sphere is; at the least, Luthien and Coventry are in danger once more, although this time around Wolf's Dragoons and Clan Wolf-In-Exile are still around as needed.

Either way though, there's no need for the Republic of the Inner Sphere as proposed.
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Raven!
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PostPosted: 12-Sep-2020 08:14    Post subject: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

I like it. I could also see an expanded role for the Magistracy of Canopus in that role too - with their alliance with House Liao (assuming that's still in play).
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Kraken
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PostPosted: 12-Sep-2020 13:45    Post subject: Re: What is the TLDR of the current state of the game? Reply to topic Reply with quote

Raven! wrote:
I like it. I could also see an expanded role for the Magistracy of Canopus in that role too - with their alliance with House Liao (assuming that's still in play).


The campaign I plan to run once I finally get the Kickstarter boxed set in place will involve the characters being part of a mercenary unit assigned to the Lyran frontier shortly before the Clan invasion. When their (fictional) world falls, they'll be forced to withdraw along with the bulk of the civilian populace and a few surviving members of the planetary defense force, and will arrive on another (fictional) world that is also within the invasion corridor.

The planet has hired a bizarre and mysterious mercenary unit to help bolster its defenses, and the commander of this unit means to succeed.

Long story short, the commander is an intelligence officer working for the OC faction I created that will be responsible for the New Terran Hegemony. If the planetary defense succeeds, he will ensure that the OC faction gets their hands on Clan tech, and possibly even a few Clan technicians.

This faction is a master at reverse-engineering, and so by 3090 (have I been saying 2090?) there's a chance of them being able to successfully reverse-engineer at least some of the captured equipment or even create visibly similar machines. As you can imagine, an Inner Sphere power capable of producing Clan-grade equipment is going to seriously upend the balance of power.
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