BattleTech: Mercenaries – CGL does a shipping booboo? Internet rages!

[jamescutts 6923xp 3]

I was actually rather happy with the latest update, they have clearly taken onboard feedback that we would like more frequent updates, naturally there will be less to report in them as only so much can happen in a weeks time. I think given they are giving some estimates as being in weeks along with a aim of retail before Christmas suggests they a working to get things moved around as quick as they can, presumably via airmail.

I think claiming they are using the hurricane as an excuse is quite distasteful given its sadly already resulted in fatalities.

QML are based in Orlando, right in the middle of the hurricanes path, I can only hope all of those employees remain safe and I would never value some plastic toys over their lives and livelihoods.

[grantinvanman 2175xp 0]

The hurricane has shut Disney for what is only something like the 10th time for storms; it was shut twice for September 11th and the pandemic. Pretty rare. Lots of tornadoes in Orange County where it is located, near Orlando. Hopefully QML and staff are ok.

Other than US and Canada, this should not affect the world though, right?

Got my box yesterday. First impressions are the minis are far better than expected . The plastic is actually hard, not even a little bit flimsy, which means they will paint up nicely. Also some good coupons in the box, to get more stuff, like the Iron Wind metals.

 

 

[lonkelo 3195xp 0]

The aftermath of hurricane Kirk should be hitting Western France I think. But I don’t know how strong the winds are by now.

[limburger 21697xp 0]

The thing that I find odd is the thing that @sundancer highlighted as well.

It’s as if they have been collecting all of the stuff that was supposed to ship to EU (and other hubs) in the USA before sending it to the hubs.

I’m guessing that they’re using far more 3rd party suppliers than I had thought was possible (or even advisable to be honest).

It would explain a heck of a lot like the high cost of shipping (worst case things have to ship from manufacturing in EU to USA and then back to EU via hubs to backers).

Why they chose to do this is a bit of a mystery.
I’d say such a concept is nice for a small company with a few customers, but it would not scale at all. It’s almost as if they’re trying to run a physical production company like it doesn’t matter where everyone is located and that’s absurd (to say the least).

With stories from the USA about (at least?) one company forcing their employees to stay or face being fired I’m not sure how CGL and QML will respond to the incoming hurricane. I hope they chose live over product, but I’m not sure they would.

@grantinvanman you got stuff ? I’m assuming you’re USA based. Pictures would be nice. IF only to remind us that the product actually exists. Did you get the big Mad Cat as well ? That’s kind of the main reason for backing this one 😀

[jamescutts 6923xp 1]

Its not too odd when you read all the previous updates @limburger the updates have stated moving stock around to address shortages along with new production, production from China for the stock shortages is going direct to the hubs but and a may very well be wrong there’s also a few US based suppliers covering some of the swag related items (which seems to be a lot of shortages). Reading a bit between the lines it might be that any US based production is getting distributed to the hubs via QML?

[grantinvanman 2175xp 0]

Sorry @limburger – I bought a starter box off of Amazon. That’s all. It was a page back I said all this battletech talk got me wanting to get some, too.

I can’t see any company forcing people to stay. All officials were literally telling people to go or die. The coast was more likely to have worse outcomes, of course, but the amount of tornadoes stirred up by the storm hit from west to east and through central Florida. Something 2million without power in coastal regions.

[limburger 21697xp 0]

no new updates ?
I thought this would be a weekly thing now …

 

[dawfydd 11924xp 0]

It’s being worked on apparently – waiting to get it signed off by CGL & QML before it can be published

[grantinvanman 2175xp 0]

I find the entire Battletech system very confused and disjointed. After getting the boxed set, I couldn’t figure out what to get next. And when I did, it seems like everything is out of print. CGL’s website has loads of dead pages for “free pdfs”.

Decided to just return my box to Amazon in the end.

[jamescutts 6923xp 1]

That’s a interesting take actually. The lack of, you need to go get this next really appealed to me about the game, knowing the background helps as it’s anything goes against anything pretty much. I found that very liberating, I like this pack of cool stompy robots so I’ll go buy them and play with them.

But I can see how that could also be a challenge.

[grantinvanman 2175xp 0]

Maybe it’s because the edition for the KS is going to be the next entry point? So CGL isn’t having stock of the prior stuff? That’s my take.

I was super excited for stompy robots – the kits looked good.

I’ll be patient and wait for the KS to be retail and try again. I remember Battletech from FASA in the 80s, so I have a certain amount of nostalgia for it.

[limburger 21697xp 0]

I thought this kickstarter was just another starter set for a new era/region for the big stompy robots like the the other sets they’ve done before.

It’s weird that they don’t have any existing things in stock, because they more or less had their entire range of games up for grabs in the kickstarter.

With all their updates regarding stock levels at hubs I’d figured they’d surely would have enough to keep their regular retail going, but apparently they messed that up as well. It’s unbelievably incompetent, because it makes it hard for beginners to get going outside of their kickstarter.

[sundancer 42952xp 2]

The “what to buy when” order of things isn’t really well organized for anybody coming from the outside.

Want to dip your toe into Battletech? The Beginners Box is your friend. Simplified rules, 2 mechs, 8 card board standees, a map and basically everything you need to play.

Really want to play? Get the A Game Of Armoured Combat box. 8 Mechs, card board standees, maps and a basic rulebook.

The boxes Clan Invasion and Mercenaries or more like “campaing” or (in video game terms) DLC. Optional rules with more different mechs and stuff.

You really want to go full hog all in with flyers, space combat and slippery roads? Get the big book Total Warfare. That tome has *everything* in it. All the weapons, rules, tables, backstory.

For free CGL pdfs Wargame Vault is your better option.

https://www.wargamevault.com/browse.php?&manufacturers_id=2216&pto=0&pfrom=0

CGL does a bad job with their homepage currently. It looks nice and all but it just doesn’t work for anybody who’s not working with it on a daily basis.

[dawfydd 11924xp 3]

Certainly the situation isn’t helped by the various rulebooks getting new covers anytime they reprint them.

@grantinvanman that does suck that you’ve been discouraged that way. If @sundancer‘s link to Wargame Vault doesn’t do the trick for you (and I know it can be a bit daunting how they list everything), then please feel free to make use of this resource

 

[grantinvanman 2175xp 1]

@dawfydd – sorry, late thanks! That’s huge.

I decided to get Alpha Strike and Clan Invasion instead. Mostly based on “these toys look teh koolest” rule 🤣

I’m watching a couple of Canadian online stores which are already showing pre-orders for Mercenaries KS stuff, and will grab more when it becomes less fluid.

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