So yeah, bit of a late response, but hey, my Internet conncection died literally minutes before the trailer was supposed to come out, and it's taken me awhile to get back around. So sue me.
Anyhow, the trailer was great.
I watched it five times alone on the first day. I am excited that they're going to set it during 3015 on the DC-FS border, as the Davion-Kurita feud of the Third Succession War is one of the setting's best conflicts, what with all the mutual hatred but respect between the two sides (and who doesn't like the idea of Space Victorians and Space Tokugawans facing off?)
Also, anybody notice the hula girl in the cockpit? And did anybody else get a flashback to MW2's "SA-TE-LITE UPLINK ES-TA-BLISHED" when the
Warhammer launched the drone?
A released picture from the game has Devlin Stone's distinct Atlas fighting what appears to be a Reseen Warhammer. So yep, the setting is the Jihad. Though the War of 3039 was something I also guessed at, NGTM-1R.
I wonder if the Unseen will make an appearance...
Alright, I need to insert my foot in my mouth for this post. Seriously though, that Drac
Atlas looked a lot like the one Stone is using to fight the Blakists in the current storyline. Still, I like the "Mad Max" era, and 3015 is a good "reboot date" for the franchise (though 3025 might have been better).
Also, I kind of like how the
Warhammer was a mish-mash of the Unseen and Reseen versions.
It's strange to see people getting crazy excited over ten-second clips that are utterly meaningless to me. 
I hope that it is a new MW title for you guys' sake, though.
Hey man, if somebody released a ten secon clip with Queen-esque music playing, a pair of large robotic eyes flashing on, and the words "SHOWTIME", wouldn't you assume a third season of
The Big O was coming? Because I would. The fans' intial reactions in this thread are pretty close to that response, I think.
So BT is the poorman's 40k without the dark gods and sadistic elves bringing the pain, only misguided and utterly selfish politicians and tyrants who will do and say anything to increase they're powerbase. YAY! Social commentary from a tabletop game.
Nah. As General Battuta and others mentioned, Battletech is a bit more than something so... grimdark. While it is mostly a game of neo-feudal knights riding giant robotic steeds and waging sometimes dirty, sometimes chivalric across many alien worlds for varying causes, it does have a greater theme to it. That is basically "Technology will evolve, but man will not"; the best and worst of Mankind is very prevalent in Battletech. However, it is also very morally ambigious much of the time; sometimes, one character will do good deeds for selfish reasons, while another with noble intentions for all mankind will pave the road to Hell. There also plenty of Machiavellian characters who sacrifice their own humanity and souls for the good of their people and nations. There are arch-rivals who might be friends and allies if not for the mistakes of their ancestors, and those who, despite the hatred between their nations, see each other as kindred spirits. However, there are recognizable heroes and villians, and most of the nations can be said to be better or worse than others.
BT is what 40k would look like if it were actually plausible.
...no wait, that's Rifts.
There are different scales of evil. Word of Blake is off there sitting at the far religious-fanaticism possibly-wipe-out-the-human-race end, the Clans are, for the most part, somewhere towards the far end for their social structures, the Capellan Confederation ain't terribly evil but likes to push the limits of acceptable behavior disturbingly often, the Draconis Combine is more backwards in their society but more acceptable in their intentions, the Lyran Alliance is sitting in at the near end for widespread corruption, and the Federated Suns is tucked in with the evils of modern society. The Free Worlds League would be too, except for being in bed with Word of Blake.
The only totally pristine organization is probably the Com Guards, but even for them politics gets in the way a lot.
I agree with your list for the most part (and I find it amusing that you entirely forgot to rank the Periphery and minor IS states).
However, I think the Lyrans should be cut some slack. While their military is a bit ineffective in the upper ranks, and their society is a bit materialistic, I doubt there's a realm I'd rather live in than the Lyran Commonwealth; at least in terms of government (they have the most extensive constitution of any Successor State, and the Steiner family has tradtionally been one of the nicest Houses in how they treat their subjects) and lifestyle (free market capitalism with plenty of oppurtunity for anybody to make a better life from themselves and their children). The Free Worlds League would be just as good (heck, they're the only Successor State that's TECHNICALLY a democracy), except for all the internal division and increasing tyranny at the hands of House Marik. The FedSuns are the de facto good guys of the setting, and are quite applaudable in their efforts to spread the
American Davion way of life, but they have horrible social issues, such as disparity of education and the fact that the central government rarely seem to care about the common people.
Also, what's your take on Post-Schism ComStar? I rather liked their goals of spreading knowledge, and Focht's a pretty cool guy. Admittedly, I also sort of liked the early Word of Blake, back when they were just trying to gain recognition and legitimacy among the interstellar community.
Heavy Gear 2 was hardly sim-ish, they removed weight, individual components, individual armor, parts compatability, and segment destruction. 
To be fair, HG2 was much more in line with what Heavy Gear is really like in terms of gameplay and atmosphere (glorified battle armor), while HG1 was pretty much a Mechwarrior game with Gears. It had a much better storyline, though.
I just find it rather amusing to see how many people debate points of realism on craft that, in any realistic setting, would be among the most impractical war implements ever designed.
Heh.
People do this all the time with Battletech, since it's one of the most... plausible settings including Mechs/Mecha (though it has its own problems, lemme tell you).
quote author=General Battuta link=topic=64227.msg1270201#msg1270201 date=1247693397]
Actually, a few good points have been made regarding conditions in which the Battlemech would be a realistic and practical tool for warfighting. Given the uber-armor present in the Battletech setting, it's not a bad design - the legs are the biggest strength and the big weak point.
[/quote]Yep. The magic armor, myomer fibers, and neurohelmet stuff does make them highly believable within their own setting. They are the highly versatile, all-around best combat units in Battletech (which is their greatest strength). Plus, they are very important warmachinces from a CULTURAL standpoint.
The ranges are a device to keep the table top battles from occupying about the same space as a basketball court.
Yeah, and the ranges have been retconned to actually be horizon-to-horizon for the longest ranged direct fire weapons (Gauss rifles, lasers, PPCs, etc.). Missiles and artillery are now "allowed" to go over the horizon, like in real life. Still, they left the wonky targetting systems.
Mechwarrior and Freespace are very similar.
True story: I found about FreeSpace and HLP from a Mechwarrior gaming league.
This has nothing to do with suspension of disbelief.
You're so stuck on that continuity you're unable to see anything else. I'm looking at the bigger picture here. In universe, anything that is said to be canon stands. So much is true for any game universe everywhere. That however, doesn't mean that it makes logical sense.
Pointing that out doesn't mean I can't enjoy games like that. (or that I don't like em) Get out of the fanboy-defense mode.
Actually, I do think you have to suspend your disbelief. However, once you start thinking that "Mechs have bodies optimisted to carry Battletech's uber-technology better than tanks" it makes everything far more believable. It's just how it works in that universe.
Trying to apply logic too mcuh ruins many, many science fiction settings.
Plus, conventional vehicles are still very common in Battletech (with tanks actually being better than Mechs at several things).
Still, all and all I can't wait for the MW game to come out. Until then, I can entertain myself with the soon to be free MW4 (which I actually enjoyed, so 'bah!' to all you haters).
PS. Is it so wrong that, despite being an Inner Sphere player, I actually prefer the Clan names for their 'Mechs?
