Re: Battletech XLBS

[templar5836 3327xp 1]

@dawfydd I would love to be able to play the pc game, I have heard it is great but alas I have a really old computer and the newer games won’t run on it…I need to upgrade, but it is a question of better computer or more minis and games usually?

[dawfyddParticipant 11926xp 1]

How old are we talking? My system is 7 years old and can run it fairly decently….

[templar5836 3327xp 1]

@dawfydd It’s a 10 year old iMac, according to the requirements it won’t run on it, so I haven’t tried

[phaidknott 7023xp 3]

I think the major obstacle for the game at them moment is CGL just can’t keep the game (certainly the new plastic miniatures) on retail shelves. Granted the game has always suffered from some rather “dated” metal minis for the Mechs that’s always held it back from new players (used to seeing all the nice GW plastic minis). It’s only with these past two kickstarters that we began to see the minis updated and with proper proportions (to the original drawings), and detail that has started to turn non BT gamers heads with the thought “Oooooh SHINEY”.

 

Alas even as we saw in the video with John, actually grabbing the physical product (certainly outside of the USA), is extremely difficult with the UK retailers usually selling out (GW style) within 30 minutes of the products going live in the webstores. And I’m one who prefers having the rules in hard print vs an electronic version or PDF. For those with a 3D printer (or access to a mate with a good one, who doesn’t mind printing off a few) it’s a bit easier to obtain the Mech minis needed.

 

I’ve heard others say it could be called “piracy”, but as Gabe Newell (owner of Steam) stated “The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates.” (or in other words if CGL could keep the things on the store shelves, then probably a lot of people (even those with a 3D printer) would simply buy the things as it would be a lot quicker and simpler (if you think about it most 3D printing is usually for “something” we can’t get by other means).

 

But even with the numbers we saw CGL state they have produced, it still fell short of demand (and I expect the next runs will also fall short of demand as well). And it’s good that the demand is there for the game, as long as customers don’t get frustrated at CGL for failing to meet that demand (one of the things that’s annoyed GW customers of late that’s caused this exodus away from GW to other games (including BT)).

 

However I must admit, although I played a LOT of BT in the past (and my interest is up with all this new stuff arriving for the game and the “Oooooh SHINEY” new minis), I’m still a convert to FASA’s other game (which I suppose in a way was an evolution of the BT rules although even more complicated) in the Renegade Legion universe (especially the grav tank game “Centurion”). But alas the game world never got the time to propagate in the same way BT did (in fact Renegade Legion managed a whole FOUR fiction books written for the setting vs the BattleTech universe (currently at 100+ books and still increasing))

 

I suppose it’s actually these fictional books that “hook” gamers into a game system. BT did it first I suppose, followed by GW (and Black library). It’s the setting for the games that endear the games to the players in the long run (and makes us all grow neckbeards). I’d LOVE to be able to sit down and read all one hundred books for BT (I think I gave all five or six that I owned away to charity shops back in the 90s…probably worth a bomb now), granted these were never “works of literary art” but they were more like a pulp serial that allowed some “light” reading before you dropped off to sleep. So for BT to prosper in the future I’d be keeping an eye out for not only the minis and rulebooks CGL put out, but also how many fiction books are appearing alongside them 🙂

[sundancer 42985xp 1]

I’m impressed too that this thread gained such traction. Especially if you look how the Clan Invasion KS was received as per country.

Total Backers: 11,276

United States 7,261 backers
Canada 761 backers
Germany 639 backers
United Kingdom 618 backers
Australia 504 backers
Spain 248 backers
Singapore 76 backers
Ireland 73 backers
Finland 70 backers
Russia 67 backers

Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cgl/battletech-clan-invasion/community

 

[dawfyddParticipant 11926xp 2]

Ok, so my Star Colonel rewards arrived today and I’m fairly impressed. I’ll certainly not be short of Battlemechs to paint up for the forseeable future! My Salvage boxes gave up a pair of Aiden Pryde Timber Wolf’s, 2 Shadow Cat’s, a Mad Cat, a Thor, a Loki, a Grendel, a Ryoken, a Gladiator, Koshi, and a Fenris. So all in all with everything I’ve received today and brought prior, I have 5 Mad Cat/Timber Wolf’s, which isn’t bad. Most importantly though, I have a full Lance of the true heroes of the Inner Sphere:

 

Oh, and some interesting updates on forthcoming products from CGL – I like the idea of POD for OOP sourcebooks and for collating linked PDF’s together, just the cost always seems a tad eyewatering (especially with shipping added on). But the move into the IlKhan era seems to be one the team are committed to, and given I opted for Kell Hound-emblazoned dice, coin, patch & t-shirt, Tamar Rising and the mention that “a mercenary unleashes her reborn command to claim vengeance for past calamities” makes me hope this means Callandre is going hunting Falcons….

Coming Releases

Now, to play around with some Lance/Star setups. so far I’m toying with the following:
*Recon/Harrasers – Phoenix Hawk, Wolfhound, Pack Hunter and …..? Not sure how to fill it out….
*Brawlers – Black Knight, Thunderbolt, Crusader, Warhammer
*Heavy Brawlers – Kodiak, Highlander, Warhammer iiC, Marauder II
*Now That’s Just Mean – Atlas, Banshee, King Crab, Daishi

[sundancer 42985xp 1]

I only have one humble urban mech…. but he’s going to get painted like R2-D2 😉

[templar5836 3327xp 1]

@sundancer It is surprising to me that the top 2 cities that backed it are in Australia ..,,I don’t even want to think what shipping costs were like? and then 3rd is my home town of Chicago that makes sense as it is Fasa’s former location and they had a big following here in the US Midwest.
Are you saying you are surprised the thread is doing well because the numbers for the Kickstarter were low? I would assume that the Kickstarter numbers don’t reflect all those who are BT players or who are interested in it. For instance I did not back the Kickstarter, mostly because I really don’t like waiting a year for products. I think it will be different when the models get to retail, as with the last batch of models they will sell out almost instantly which tells me people want them, but were unwilling to go the Kickstarter route.

[sundancer 42985xp 2]

Are you saying you are surprised the thread is doing well because the numbers for the Kickstarter were low?

basically yes. Especially since you could pledge one dollar and then upgrade to the beginner box and the AGOAC add ons for a discount.

[noyjatatParticipant 16155xp 3]

For those in the UK there is a Battletech event coming up run by the 4Ground guys at their gaming hall. Here is the link for it.

https://www.facebook.com/4GFactoruM/

Bound to be a great event with those guys involved!

 

[dawfyddParticipant 11926xp 2]

Now theres interesting. And it’s only an hour down the road in Warminster. Hmmmm

[phaidknott 7023xp 1]

How is the “scaling” with the new plastics (one of the bad aspects with the old metals was they never followed a real scale, leaving some 20-30 ton Light Mechs being the same size as an 80 ton Assault Mech)?

[sundancer 42985xp 1]

I think the scaling is good. But my range of models is rather limited. Here is a picture with a selection from my three boxes.

[dawfyddParticipant 11926xp 1]

I’ll try and get some pics of what I’ve received, but so far they all seem very consistant across the board.

[phaidknott 7023xp 2]

I do wish they sold them seperately (rather than in boxes of four or five Mechs), granted it’s probably easier to handle for retail (rather than selling little boxes) but I’ve always preferred to have the content of my Lances how I want them to be (ie Recon Mech lances having all light Mechs rather than a mix of Lights and Mediums). And what’s the deal with the salvage boxes (are they going to retail as well), seems a bit CCG marketing as you never know what you are going to get in the box. But those new plastics are worlds beyond what the old metal ones were offering (I wonder if they will ever get around to doing infantry (beyond the Elemental offerings) and tanks again in the plastics).

 

On the new/old stuff coming to POD, which ones were usually a narrative campaign (rather than a dedicated source/fluff book)? I never quite worked it out (other then opening the pages at a LGS), makes it a lot harder when buying them online (as the descriptions on the website are rather vague as to the contents).

 

Back to the thread response, it does seem a bit crazy how much BT has resurged in the gaming news and via social networks (like FB) considering the number of backers (it was much smaller than your usual Zombiecide KS for total number of backers). It’s definitely caused many who used to play (or only gave the game a precursory glance) to take another hard look at things.

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