How Mechwarrior Saved Battletech:
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2023
- We're going to take a bit of a walk down memory lane. Today, in this latest opinion piece, I am going to be going over something very near and dear to me, which is a bit of the history of the Franchise itself.
This is an opinion piece, with me just laying out how I believe #Mechwarrior saved the entire franchise, after the failure of #FASA, and after the debacle of #Mechassault.
We go over #PGI, #CGL, and #HBS. We talk about #Battletech, and even some of the legal issues it faced, which dragged the entire property down for decades.
And despite how much people may not like Piranha sometimes, #PiranhaGames may be the single most important factor behind the restoration of this colossal IP.
So, let's get into it.
#Mechwarrior5 #MWO #Mechwarrior5Clans #Mechwarrior5Mercenaries #Mecenaries #Battletech #HBSBATTLETECH #Battletech2018
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Note: I am not associated with the Battletech / Mechwarrior IP, and create this under fair-use. Ownership of the Battletech IP resides with several companies at this time. I support all official releases. - Ігри
It would be great if there were Gunpla style MechWarrior model kits.
HARD agree.
Oooo, I would love Bandai-style polycap Battlemech models! I'd need some more display space o avoid clashing with my HG & MG Mobile Suit models though.
That would be Absolutely Amazing!!!!!
They did used to have action figures. I still have my Warhammer and Longbow figures.
Id go broke lol
I actually do feel like PGI deserves more credit for what they have done and continue to do for the Mechwarrior and Battletech franchises than many people give them credit for. Sure they can do better than they have in the past, but they themselves have been proving that by actually getting better. So good on them. I wish I could do a bit more to support them (I still haven't been able to scrape together the spare cash to buy the War Emu 😢 though I blame that at least partially on the Dragon's Gambit DLC for MW5 so...) than I have.
I think I was very fair to them today, there is a reason I thanked them in the video :)
I give credit to PGI for two critical things that I acknowledge they do/did very well: They have created amazing artwork, and they defeated Harmony Gold in court. The quality of MWO has declined, in recent years, and there was the whole Epic Exclusive debacle with MW5. Turning over directive control of MWO to a small player group started out well, but very quickly went completely off the rails (I've tried to tell the players this on numerous occasions, but they simply try to direct me away from MWO, entirely, rather than let me spoil their slaughter).
Yup! Credit where credit is due but critique where it is [largely] deserved. Also just found out that the new Stone Rhino for MWO is only available for cash...kinda like Amaris's Folly. MWO has turned into a p2w free-for-all and chocked full of the toxic players that drive others away from PVP games.
@@CapnTytePantzSo in the case of the Stone Rhino, that's following the same profile as all other 'mechs to have been previously added to MWO: it comes out for cash-only for several months (usually 6, I think), is subsequently added for MC-only (still cash, basically), and the following month is released for CB (free in-game currency). That way, the people who paid real money get a period of exclusivity to reward them for their investment, during which time the gravy train is usually stoppered with nerfs, as needed, but the 'mech is eventually released to the F2P crowd to maintain the game as free to play.
In other words: paying real cash is just early-access. The 'mechs never stay that way unless they have some sort of rewards bonus attached.
@@c182SkylaneRG I do love people forgot the founding of MWO. I mean anyone want a 300$ Founder Gold Timberwolf?
MWO has always had the 6-9 month premium mechs before the wider player base were able to grind and get their hands on them.
Honestly, if it weren't for first HBS Battletech and then Mechwarrior 5, I never would have discovered Battletech, and I'm so glad I did and it brings me so much joy to see it growing so much now
Yeah!
Yup, Harebrained brought it back. I used to play Crescent Hawk's Revenge in the 90's. Then nothing else. Then bought Battletech. Though it went woke, so I stopped playing it. Now MW5. I'm hooked again. Got all 6 DLC's.
The decision to go after the Atlas DEFINITELY killed off Harmony Gold's legal effort. It was on shaky ground to begin with due to how heavily the Unseen had been redesigned, but going after the Atlas destroyed even that slim chance. It made it abundantly clear that HG has filed a frivolous effort to either punish Weisman for not letting Battletech die, or a desperate cash grab.
Once the unseen mechanism were changed %25 HG had no claim on them. As to the atlas HG never had a claim on it. Their lawsuit was a cash grab. And a attempt to destroy battle.
@@thunberbolttwo3953 That's literally what I just said - Aside from the 25% thing on the Unseen, which is simply not true. There is no magic threshold that would 100% guarantee the designs would be shielded from HG due to the fact they were originally created from the disputed artwork. But the more they change, the fewer arguments HG can use to back its claim, and the slimmer their hopes of victory.
It would have required a LOT to go their way, and all of them were things that we know NOW would not have gone their way, but had they limited the scope of the lawsuit to just the new Unseen models, they could have had enough of a hope in hell to force a settlement. Going after the Atlas torpedoed any chance they had.
Except the %25v on the unseen is true. You change the unseen by %25 it is s new thing. Not bound by HG contract. That is how you get Star Trek Discovery. Going after the Aytlas proved it was a cash grab atempt to destroy battletech. No the original images were not in dispute. HG has a contract that gives them exclusive distribution rights to them out side of japan. that you do not know this proves you do not know what yopu are talking abpout. this will be my last response to you. I will be ignoring you from now on. since you are not worth my time. GOODBYE.@@FormulaFox
@thunberbolttwo3953 Ah, yes, "you're not worth my time." The go to stance of some who does not know what they're talking about and doesn't want to admit it.
IP law is simply not straightforward in the way you want to believe. There is no magic threshold that shields you automatically. I'll bet you think "fair use" is a shield instead of a defense, as well.
Your comparison to Star Trek Discovery is also completely ridiculous since there is no legal snafu with it - it is made by the current rightsholders of Star Trek.
@@thunberbolttwo3953 Oh, and one other thing: Harmony Gold's lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice because it was discovered they DID NOT have a valid contract to the artwork(that's the thing I was referring to when I said things in the case would have not have gone in their favor even if they hadn't targeted the Atlas). That you do not know this proves you did not do any research into the lawsuit.
Also, a lawsuit being filed BY DEFINITION means the matter is in dispute.
Imagine if the people behind Battletech had known what they were doing back then.
Yea, it'd have been enormous.
On the other hand, what if a more succesful early BattleTech would've lead to more money being thrown at it, resulting to more corporate oversight and the whole thing being run by marketing clowns running after quaterly profits? At least BT is finally a big hit and remains in the hands of weirdo nerds who are passionate about big stompy mechs.
@@parokki That's a question I see Fromsoft fans and fans of the Devil May Cry / Nier games also ponder a lot. And those are properties that did eventually get some serious Money thrown their ways one way or another. It really does seem to depend on who has "creative" control and how resilient they are to the _Temptations of short-term focused Profits_
If Battletech was a successful Star Wars like brand, it would have suffered the same fate of Star Wars. Being an underdog probably was what saved Battletech during the era of the dark ages in the real world.
They would look like Games Workshop does now. Too focused on the short-term, and disregarding what their long-time fans and supporters are interested in.
Honestly every one of those companies owes Alex Iglesias a monstrous thank you. His artwork, redesigns not only reignited interest, he was the one who did the redesigns of the unseen and gave PGI/HBS the initial ammo to slay the Harmony Gold beast once and for all. Most current models of the classic mechs use his redesigned artwork and his importance can not be understated.
Absolutely.
Thanks for mentioning House Arano / Battletech 2018 - it was because of that game that I really paid attention to the Periphery and wanted to tell stories there because the scale of conflicts in the Periphery make you really feel like your players' actions have more meaning.
The only proper way to play Battletech 2018 is modded to the 9s and fighting for the glory and honor of Clan Snow Raven. ;)
But yeah, Battletech 2018 was an absolutely excellent game and did a ton of good in scaling back the scale of things, especially for a merc company ramping up the stakes to THE GALAXY IS AT RISK or some such is just a bit weird and crazy making. Smaller effective stories are both fun on their own and also excellent ways to work on the writing chops to deal with tackling larger setting-changing stories.
That is one of the great things about the Battletech universe. They did SO much world building, even in the fairly early days that you can play whatever kind of game you want in the universe. It allows for a huge diversity of experiences.
Honestly it had a BattleDroids feel to it. It was the early 31st Century and everything is run down and falling apart. You didn't have vast BattleMech legions- just lances and companies fighting over the scraps of civilization. Unit leaders, mechwarriors, and techs trying to get spare parts, credits, and kit to keep the unit running while participating in a war where even a single mech lance in the right place could determine the fate of a whole planet. I loved that about the BattleTech online game.
I just got the complete game on sale to 20$. Wow what a great story it's like space age game of thrones. claim lady arano as a bride .I mean what the point fighting all her wars if you can't make yourself a king.
I first discovered Battle tech from playing MW2 on an old pentium win95. Loved it, played all the franchise, then learned so much after.
Now I have a 3d printed Timber Wolf in a glass display cabinet.
Love or hate the various parts of the Mechwarrior franchise, it is undeniable that the Mechwarrior titles have helped to propel the Battletech name into the spotlight.
As one of the last few batch of Pod Techs at the Virtual World Centers. We held on, and pushed the good word as hard as we could. Contract with Dave and Busters and Virtual World came up at the worse time, so off the pods went.
I'd like to think maybe we held on long enough pushing the game. That if not a massive difference. Enough of a difference to help out long term.
I who roll dice salute you. :)
Battletech has come a long way since I first saw it. I was lucky enough to pilot a Timber Wolf in the early 90's in an arcade center. I completely fell in love with the game, and was later introduced to Citytech a few years later when a neighbor gifted me the first edition of the game. I absolutely loved this game growing up, and have been enjoying it ever since. I took part in the beta testing of MWO, and played it for a few years until , my computer died. Fast forward a few years, I found your youtube channel and learned that Mechwarrior 5 was out and had to wait until it came out for Playstation and it has revived that feeling I had when I first sat in a VR arcade piloting a Timber Wolf. I can't wait until MW 5 Clans comes out!
I appreciate all the work PGI has done for the video games. While I agree with everyone that MechAssault is not inline with the universe lore, and had a bad story. MechAssault 2 did get me into battletech when I was a kid. Love that CGI has finally designed new minis for the TT game. While MWO has all the faults of being a free to play game now, I still appreciate it for being there before MW5 and Battletech PC. With this resurgence I also appreciate the content creators like yourself Red. Keep on being good, and praise Blake!
I've played a couple hero collector gacha games and currently play MWO. MWO is *much* less pay to win.
I have loved BT for decades. So happy to see this game once more getting its due.
Harebrained schemes Battletech is what brought me into the franchise and god do I hope they make more!
Have you tried the Battletech Extended and Battletech advanced mods for HBS Battletech?
@@ironboy3245 I’m actually playing Battletech Extended now lol but I haven’t tried advanced and tho I do wanna try Roguetech it does look….intimidating
don't bother, you need a supercomputer to play that shit@@dhreddedsick2849
HBS has utterly dropped the ball on that one. Mods are where you'll find longevity with the game. I wish these developers/publishers weren't so shortsighted, I really do. They make a lot of their decisions on the immediate turnaround on products, and with this one not being an instant blockbuster hit they just dropped it.
@@keithwinget6521 it was actually touched on shortly in the video, but they got bought and the new parent company decided to focus efforts on their own in house IP's as opposed to ones they had to license. the guys at HBS didn't have a say in the matter
Good video. My introduction was either MW5 or HBS Battletech, I honestly forget which one came first. Tex was the one that really got me into the franchise, but they got me to the front door.
Same here. BPL content for Battletech is so underrated.
Think i started with Mechwarrior SNES
Someone needs to remake the original games
My first foray into Battletech was with Mechwarrior 2 when I was about 9 years old. After that, I ended up moving on to Heavy Gear and later became obsessed with Gundam.
It wasn't until both the Battletech video game and Mechwarrior 5 dropped that I truly came back to the Battletech universe and stuck with it.
There's just something about Battletech that no other mech franchise or even Anime can quite scratch.
I remember getting a Sidewinder Joy Stick package when I was 8 that included some jet fighter simulator I only played once… and MechWarrior 2. I was immediately obsessed. I’ve eagerly played nearly every Battletech related title since then and Battletech 2018, MWO and MW5 are consistent regulars in my current game rotation.
Recently I’ve been diving into the lore more deeply thanks to videos like yours and BPL and it has only further reaffirmed my love and passion for the setting. The stories within this universe are exceptional. I really wish more people could experience it.
Mechwarrior 2 was how young lil Doc got introduced not only to the concept of battlemechs but gave me my first taste of the Battletech universe. Sadly, for a long long time I had no idea what Battletech was or how MechWarrior was a part of it. I just that the MechWarrior games and the Mech Commander games were just sort of their own thing, I never once knew about the table top game for the longest time. It wasn't until Razorfist put out his Battletech introduction video that I finally knew I'd only put a small scratch on a much larger beast. After that I delved into the tabletop, the lore, everything I could get my hands on. Heck, I even bought MWO bootleg minis so I could play the game finally!
Ever since then my tastes and loyalties have changed to where I think they always would've been if I'd known the whole story. Now I play a mercenary with no ties to any of the great houses. I'm a staunch supporter of the Taurian Concordat and am eagerly awaiting their full revival in the IL Clan era. I used to only want Clan mechs but now I use almost all IS mechs since they just have so much more character and are more interesting to create a custom build for. The past several years have been like finding that thing you always knew you were missing and could finally embrace with everything you have.
Very cool. Ive heard bits and pieces of the story over the years, but I never seen something like this.
Mechassault was my first foray into battletech. I didn’t know it was a part of a bigger universe until much later. Then I got HBS Battletech.
I admit. My introduction to this beloved franchise was in the early 2000's with Mech Assult. In my defense I was single digit age, but looking back on it now I realize how much that went against the actual franchise and acknowledge it was the reason I never saw anything about the game until 2018. HBS Battletech was my reintroduction to the franchise where I was introduced to mechs I never knew existed. It taught me so much more about setting and rekindled my love for the setting. Then just 2 years later, GW was getting very hostile towards its own community, I saw a classic box with Wiz kid on it and gave it a go. Then I found a clan invasion box in a wargame store. My love for this setting was a full blaze and I wanted to learn everything I could about it. Which is how I discovered you, Big Red-40Tech. You put so much work and effort into your videos. Going beyond just reading wikis and static images. Adding deeper knowledge of the setting into your videos paired with artistic presentation. It has made learning about the setting very enjoyable and easy, and I especially want to thank you for making this video cataloging the history of the frachise. I am a part of the backers for the Mercenery Box, picked up MW 5: Mercs in the last Steam Summer sale and super pumped for MW 5: Clans. It truly is a great time to be a Battletech fan.
Mechwarrior 5 is what got me into battletech, it was on game pass and I tried it out for a while, I enjoyed the game so much that I bought it and all the dlc to keep it after my game pass subscription ended. It’s kinda why I’m so stuck to the 3015 era
Hey sounds like me
Same with gamepass, but I bought the game and dlc on steam for cheap. Played it, loved it.
Then I discovered Battletech; the video game not the tabletop, bought it and the dlc and loved it (I usually HATE turn based strategy games except BattleTech and another one).
I am looking in getting mini's, not to play the game with; i dont even have anyone who knows Battletech, bar the table top game. I want the mini's to paint
I'm not gonna defend Mech Assault, but it was what got me into Battletech all those years ago. Years after I last played it, I recognized mech designs from that game in MWO and that got me to play it, to learn more about the setting, and in general to actually see what it was all about.
Mechassault is fun! The plot is silly and edgy but the gameplay was a perfect implementation of arcady MechWarrior.
Bonjour! I agree with your statement that "visual imagery is indeed the most powerful element behind if someone is going to get into a property at all." That's how I got into BattleTech back in 1996 when I saw that cool looking Warhammer casually walking over infantry while the cosmos was exploding behind it on the Descartes Éditeurs box of the 3rd edition. I didn't know what this game was, but I knew that I HAD to buy it even if it took me all summer to save enough money for this purchase. I was hooked from then on and never regretted it. Best purchase ever!
Here’s to hoping that MW5: Clans can make the splash that MW2 did in the past. It’s a bold move to make a clanner POV game, but hopefully it’ll hit the right notes with the average gamer and longtime fan alike to great success, and continue to grow the Battletech IP as a whole.
I am perpetually bewildered that MWO still has the Playerbase it has. It basically had to compete directly against Battlefield and Planetside2 when it came out. A lot of us couldn't even Run the game at the time or saw nothing but a Slide show when we did get into a Match. And we kept hearing even more complaining from the people who did play every day that things were horribly unbalanced or Aggressively pay to win. And then fast forward to today, those other 2 games are ghost towns. I can't think of anything to explain it other than *_"Mech fans are just Built Different"_*
Makes me happy to see MechWarrior/BattleTech live again. I'm just gonna nerd out a bit.
MechWarrior 2 was my first PC game and it left a strong impression on me as a kid. Would later play MechWarrior 4 which was fun, but it was such a different vibe from MechWarrior 2 that it caught me off-guard, and I had friends stealing me to go play other games around the time MechWarrior 4 came out.
I remember playing MechWarrior Online when it was new. Back when it costed money to get back your ammo. Luckily, when I bought the catapult (since it was one of my favorites in MW4, and the redesign is one of my favorites mech designs), the ammo cost was soon removed. Though everyone still wasn't min-maxed like crazy since most people were still running standard engines, and it was only 8v8. I basically bought the biggest XL engine asap, and I had very fond memories of using the splatcat because I could actually ambush the whole enemy team when it was 8v8. There's too many eyes in 12v12. Little did I know that this was extremely strong at this point in the game, and it's like a glimpse into the future of what the meta would develop into with how quickly everything dies in MWO now.
Funny thing is, I thought this would be a series no one I knew would ever be interested in. However, I was able to get a nice big group of friends that never played/heard of MechWarrior (except the one that loved MechAssault). It was an absolute blast to play MechWarrior 5 with them all. That said, it was pretty clear that all of them preferred the more casual easy missions (though part of that is they got to the DLC missions a bit early. I didn't know DLC was going to have such a massive spike in difficulty. Might've soured their opinion of the game a bit. They were not ready for it.)
Looking forward to the future of the series. I don't think I'll be able to drag my friends into the single player BattleTech video game, even though it's amazing. Though I will have fun trying to beat it again, last time I tried it, the missions kept getting progressively more difficult until the repairs were always too much for to stay running in my first campaign.
MechWarrior 5 Clans I'm really really hoping to drag some friends back into the series. With so many games out there, I'm not sure if I'll be able to snag them as easily for the Clans. The Dragon's Gambit release date bothers the heck out of me because it's coming out at spooky month time means I gotta delay when I can play that DLC because everyone is gonna be addicted to horror games... Though to be fair, they have all said that they'd love to play the MechWarrior again (except for the 1 person who is addicted to 4 large lasers and won't try anything else. Also uses the annihilator whenever they can, which means they are always left behind. Perhaps I could interest them in the Warhawk, or maybe even the Super Nova if we get to see the SuperNova in MW5 Clans so they are at least able to keep up with the rest of the group)
If only we could convert old pods to play MWO and modern Mechwarrior.
Nowhere near enough processing power. Probably could use the shells for a rebuild, but at that point you'd be better off making new pods from scratch
@@ironboy3245 That's what I'm talking about. A gutting and complete internal overhaul.
@@dubuyajay9964 might as well build a new pod so you don't have to work around old hardware
Ah, who can forget Harmony Gold. They are a North American company responsible for roping together disparate 80s japanese mecha series into a single saga known as Robotech. The chief of those series being Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. I still have the box set for it to this day..
I will admit that MWO got my attention and HBS-Battletech and MW5 got me really interested in the lore. I really just love kitting out 'mechs!
In high school, a friend introduced me to Battletech -- this was shortly before 3rd edition came out. I see people call it IntroTech now, but it's the only BattleTech I knew for a few years. Hell, the Clans hadn't even invaded yet in the product line. I really hope the success of HBS Battletech and Mechwarrior 5 encourages Microsoft to license the property out for other digital titles. I would love to see a new MechCommander, or tactical games set in different eras. The property has so much potential sitting idle, and it hurts to see.
I'm one who was brought into the setting by HBS Battletech, and I eventually transitioned into being a tabletop player. So I'm one of many that proves how the video games helped revitalize the setting.
Great video Red! The sincerity in your voice hearing a summarizing of the video game side of this franchise, made my eyes watery by the end of this video. I hope that some day in the future someone else will make a video like this, and you will be one of the "passionate battletech youtubers" who played an essential role nurturing the growth of the community in the modern era". :)
Thanks for putting together this real world history lesson. I’ve been a Battletech fan since 92, it’s been great watching it rise again into popularity. It’s also been amazing to get to purchase these updated mechs and games. Now if only I had more time to play.
I got in in 94 myself. :)
@@BigRed40TECH it was a good time. That 4e boxed set with what would become the Unseen mechs was so good. Pick up TRO:3050 and make all kinds of mechs by hand.
I've joined the community from HBS Battletech and the mercenary kickstarter was my first ever battletech kickstarter I've ever done. I got the 2014 armored warfare box and it's minis have been painted in my mercenary units colors. I'm happy to say I'm glad that battletech is still here.
Love the video! And if you start making some Shadowrun content, I'm definitely here for it.
It's just a matter of time, sadly.
My introduction to the BTU was through my father when i was a wee kid. like 5 or 6 maybe. I wanna say it was MW3. Maaaaybe MW2. (around 2000 ish, definitely before mw4) Father left the scene and so did any exposure to the BTU for a long time. The trailer for MW came out in 2009 and i was hooked from the onset. I was 14 or 15 at the time. Kept up with it as much as i could. couldnt partake in the founders packs, newly graduated adult with no money, but you bet your ass i was playing MWO the day it came out in open beta. HBK 4G was my first mech i bought, still have it, still my favorite mech. I spent soooo many thousands of hours in MWO and spent soooo many thousands of dollars getting the packs. I dont regret a second or penny spent. MWO had issues, sure, but idgaf about what anyone says, MWO is fantastic game (with issues lol) has a fantastic community, had some of the most immersive periods ever for the BTU during first and second wave faction warfare (think it was called clan warfare in the early days?). Ill say it. If MWO never existed, and MWO alone, the BTU would be the zombie that it was for years, if not outright dead. Battletech by HBS definitely cemented its resurgence. Took the torch and carried it even further. But MWO lit that torch, and crawled and screamed and fought its way out of obscurity. i get the game had issues. None were terrible enough to take away the title as 'Saviour'. MWO will likely die some day, but i genuinely hope PGI keeps some servers up so that it can live forever. MWO saved the entire BTU. Wasnt the greatest, thats for sure, but it was guaranteed the most important piece of media since MW3. Long Live MWO!
I find it funny that with the introduction of the Dark Age era and game, it was the beginning of a dark age for the franchise, and in 2018, with the success of HBS and PGL, and with the upcoming redesign, CGL knew the franchise was coming back and brought the in universe dark age to a close.
I'm with yah big red. I played MechWarrior three as a kid and was convinced the franchise was dead until I saw MechWarrior 5 on game pass. This renewed enjoyment of the series . This in turn led me to your channel and the black pants legion . Y'all and the new games made me feel like a kid again awesome on piranha and awesome on you content creators too!
Have to agree with the bit about the quality of table top models having gone up quite a bit in recent years. I started hard in on table top games in 2009, and while I don't play anymore, I still collect and paint and I'm in need of another display case, currently.
I'll add that I remember getting involved with the local tabletop scene primarily to Catalyst initial refresh of the Battletech materials. As a kid, I played everything starting with Mechwarrior 2, but only really got back into it seriously in 2009.
Really appreciate this video because it’s nice to understand the history of what happened with the franchise. I played MechWarrior 2 and MechAssault (along with the old school Sega Battletech) but was never very immersed in the setting or IP. Now that I’ve learned a lot more and gotten heavily into the tabletop, it’s helpful to know what happened in the past.
ironically, the mercinaries kickstarter got me back into battletech!
I got wizkids blind boxes when I was a kid and even a big ol madcat metal display piece but sadly faded away
That trailer for a potential new MechWarrior game cause *so much* excitement.
And when MechWarrior Online dropped, even though I'm normally averse to PVP games, I played the hell out of it, because it was the only BattleTech really out there, aside from MegaMek. Interest eventually seriously waned and I dropped out of it, because I just wasn't good enough. Then HBS BattleTech came out, and I played the hell out of that. Then MechWarrior 5, which on and off play the hell out of, and I'm very much looking forward to The Clans.
It is great to see video gamers drawn in by big, stompy 'Mech battles start getting interested in the lore and wider universe. It was fun in MWO to join a Clan group that really worked to train newbs like me into Warriors, holding Trials of Position to prove our skills and advance ranks, borderline role-playing. It's always been the true strength of BattleTech, the rich stories and compelling characters in the universe that makes the 'Mech battles feel meaningful, and draws you into a wider world.
So glad to see the game in all its forms and media enjoying a renaissance.
I understand if you don't want to engage with this, but if you do, how much of an impact do you think the decisions made by Games Workship in recent years have had on BattleTech's growing popularity? My knowledge of and investment in 40k is pretty much limited to casual flings with Necromunda and Battlefleet Gothic, but I gather that several 40k players have shifted to BattleTech because of dissatisfaction with 40k. In particular, a post on the BattleTech forums of someone noting they looked up information in a FASA BattleTech book from the 90s, then realized this ancient-in-game-lifespans book is still relevant, while their six-month-old Chaos Space Marine Codex is already obsolete. And the latter was a lot more expensive.
If you'd care to, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you'd rather not, I understand. Thanks as always for the great video.
I'm going to give you a horrifying reality here. And while GW's behaviour is important, because it is a colossus in the industry, it's sales have grown in recent years, since Battletech's rise throughout the Clan Invasion Kickstarter.
There has ALWAYS been churn. People get burned out. People leave for a while. People leave entirely. GW knows this, and that's why their focus is on newer players typically. Did it help, yes. Is it noteworthy? I don't know. People would claim the same things helped Warmachine/Hordes, but they made a shit-ton of mistakes, and are now an obscure property.
Battletech, right now, would still be significant and growing, were GW not fucking around. There is always space for the primary competitor, which is the slot Battletech now kinda takes up.
@@BigRed40TECH Thanks. That makes a lot of sense, and I didn't really think BattleTech owed it's success entirely to 40k players annoyed with GW. I figured it had an impact, just because I see comparisons fairly often, just wanted another opinion on how big it was.
Yeah, if you're a competitor, competition stumbling can be a boon, but if you don't make good decisions in the first place, it won't help much, especially in the long run. By the same token, a rising tide lifts all boats, and better visibility of wargames in general helps everyone in that niche. "40k looks fun, but the rules don't really appeal to me. . . oh, look over there, big stompy robots, that looks fun" and "eh, big stompy robots not my thing. . . oh, look over there, big dudes in powered armor with full auto rocket launchers, that looks like fun."
Man, that MWO trailer looked so good with its slower paced combat.
I love MechWarrior but it's hard to appreciate the scale of Mechs or even the differences between them when you're just blasting away and moving to the next objective
Great IRL lore piece Big Red. It was very positive and encouraging! What a long strange trip it's been Sometimes really disappointing too. But, in the end e players have gotten some great games out of it. I do think that PGI, HBS, and CGL should take a bow for not giving up on the game property and doing their respective bests to keep it going for gamers of various kinds to enjoy. That makes me happier than the Star Wars sequels nowadays. May it continue thus for another ten years!
Mechassault Phantom War for the DS of all things was my first exposure to Battletech even though I wasn't even aware of the tabletop game at the time. I didn't get into Battletech until a friend introduced me to the HBS game. I've became a mecha fan since
For me, it was Mechassault and Mechassault 2: Lone Wolf I played decades earlier. MW5 was my way back into the Battletech universe in its entirety. I hope you'll do videos about the Cougar, Loki, Nova Cat, Odin, and other 'Mechs that appeared in the 2 Mechassault games. Those 'Mechs are also part of Battletech. Amazing content sir 💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥
Mann, this was a GREAT video on the backstage of our favorite game. You answered the biggest question I’ve had in the back of my mind since 97’ when I started playing BT. I tried to pick up the click-base game when it came out, then it disappeared shortly after, it seemed.
I’ve had this huge blank in my mind (that you and all of the other serious BT UA-cam channels have now filled) from what happened from the the start of the clan invasion to now because it’s been +20 years… I hope it doesn’t take another decade to get some serious progression in the story-arc of the BT universe. I wanna see the conclusion of this great space ballad story already!
As a BTU fan, both current and from its 80's, I thank you for this iteration and overview Doc... I could try and say more, but...I can't think of anything else to be said except another thank you.
Thank you :)
Harmony Gold going the way of Smoke Jaguar is poetic.
Also, I still go back and watch the Smith & Tinker MechWarrior trailer at least once a year. It was a thing of beauty.
Ill never forget the first time i was introduced to battletech/mechwarrior and it was mechassault. And not long after picking up a copy drom blockbusters simply because i thought it looked cool i then a friend of mine introduced me to mech commander that he had and in all honesty, i didnt know the two were from the same franchise until i recognised a couple of the mechs then getring a copy of lone wolf which was awesome. Not long after that i ended up finding a copy of mechwarrior3 in its big card box in a charity shop and i still habe my copys of these games to this day and will never part with them. And ill be honest i didnt see or hear a thing about mechwarrior until the release of mechwarrior5 on the xbox store the morning it was releases and have been playing it since and would honestly love to see mechwarriror online come to console.
I hope there will be more games like Battletech (2018).
Sadly no :(
I'd be fine with just an update to fix the goddamn memory leaks. Hell I'd pay 10 bucks for that shit
Great video and one I think a lot of fans need to see. PGI, like any other company, has done some really dumb things. Some really good things too. Taking the gamble on crowd funding MWO was a big risk. Like, just massive risk. But it worked out. Let's try to avoid any more miss steps like the ones listed in this very same video.
People forget that PGI had a publisher. IGP. PGI dumped their publisher over some of those poor monetization decisions.
I first played BTech back in 1990, while in high school. Many Friday nights were spent wargaming. Great times, but then FASA folded and came Hero Clin.
Our group tried Hero Clix BTech but it lacked the magic of Classic BTech. So we quit playing it.
Many years later I rediscovered Battle Tech through the HBS computer game, the Clan Invasion Kickstarter and UA-cam. It’s hard for me to game now but Ido enjoy painting from time to time and following the lore.
Finally we need a sequel to the HBS Battle Tech game. It was fun but very limited, in scope. I would love to see an expanded version for solo play on the computer with air units, maybe some LAMAs etc.
Basically full scale BTwch for people who can’t play with their adult friends anymore but still want to play:)
Great watch! Thank you for your efforts! Since glorious stompie robot goodness is back in vogue, wonder if we'll see a Heavy Gear 3... :D
Been in the Sphere since '92 and watched the franchise soar even getting a cartoon, then fall as described within this extensive history of even things I was unaware of.
We've kept our old group and minis on the table. Been so reluctant to buy into new tabletop battletech, even with the amazing games by HBS and Piranha(in my library w/ hundreds of hours each) out of fear of quality. Recently made a leap and purchased much of the new rules and mechs. Happy to say the new models look really good. Are sturdy and give this old merc a chance to finish filling out his regiment(s).
I'm so-so on MWO - I think it's a great game for what it is, but PvP arena matches have never been my favorite. On the other hand, I *love* what MW5 has become. I was iffy on the Epic Store scandal and it was rough at launch, but it quickly has become one of my favorites in the series - and I have played just about all of them (minus the Kesmai games - I'm so curious, but it'd take nothing short of a time machine). I backed MWO at the "Haunchback level" (whatever that was called) and felt burned for a while, but now I'm proud of having helped kick things off.
I also want to even thank FanPro. Sometimes, holding the line is all you can do. As to that old "bad plastic" intro box, I'm still fond of it! I held onto it for ages until I suddenly had a fit of nostalgia and went to town on painting the minis. Looking at them now they are iffy at best, but they got me back into painting minis after years of not having touched one. The seam line removal and gap filling required was truly epic, but I got it done and I'm proud of my two companies of OldMechs.
Now though... I can't wait to get my Mercs KS goodies!
Also thanks to you, Big Red. Your contribution to Battletech is very significant and helps keep a fledgling community growing. Keep up the good work!
Really enjoyed the retrospective. Covered a lot of ground and history. As someone who never got into the tabletop but started playing since MechWarrior 2 I knew there was a lot that happened that I simply was not aware of.
PGI deserves a lot of good credit and I'll never regret participating in the MWO Founder's campaign. I did so love my Atlas.
I remember when harmony gold lost the lawsuit with prejudice, I reread my whole collection of battletech books starting from the exodus road all the way to the end of fedcom civil war. Then years later played battletech when it released, and started mw5 when rasalhague was released. The nostalgia hit hard when I heard the words "Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. All Systems Nominal." for the first time in around a decade
Tex introduced me to both Battletech lore and the Harebrained Schemes game when he was streaming it.
I was part of the AOL RP community playing a Battletech styled community RPG in the wake of MW:2 and I definitely miss the universe
I have the MechWarrior RPG game book. Always wanted to play it and never have.
I was part of a BT ToW game that lasted a year, we couldnt finish it properly but that was amazing. As much as i want to play again relocating to China proves to be a problem time wise but my itch for Dakka Dakka is still in need to be scratched
I've loved Battletech since i tried it in 86!! I still use my old Standee's, i'm not a big minis fan!
Harebrained Schemes has never failed to make games i love, and their new game is cool from the Demo they released! Their live action RPG Battletech streams were so fun, and their new rules were were interesting! Mitch Geitleman(Lord Commander) was also pretty important in Battletech!
MWO and Battletech both released their beta's about the same time!
FASA had some of the best Fluff for their RPG's!
It cannot be understated how much of an impact MechWarrior 2 had upon the series. For its time it was the computer game to play for almost a year not really being dethroned until Quake arrived on the scene. I would argue that it was this level of success that has driven publishers to continue to push forward games despite some mediocre installments over the years. I'm hoping the one they see a fan remaster of MW2 mercenaries using a modern game engine.
For me I gave up on battletech and mechwarrior after the mech assault games. Now I fell back in love with it and it's all thanks to pgi and others that never gave up on it. Thanks to all that care about this universe. Long live battletech
My own anecdote:
I played Dad's PC MechWarriors 1 & 2 in the 00s and that one orange-bubble arcade sim, as my introduction to the setting.
Then for ~20 years I functionally forgot about MW. But I became fascinated with mini war games in my teens and 20s. (Warhammer and Warmachine)
Then ~6mo ago I learned about MWO and got hyped. Nostalgia came flooding in and I started my research.
MW5 next, then I finally learned what Battletech was. I've been playing with my wife, and scouring the local for people to answer my batchal.
Battletech was such a big part of my teenage years and it feels great that it has a renaissance
I personally want to thank you BigRed for your videos they are a highlight of my week when released
Thanks!
A bulk of us were playing the Crysis Wars mod Mechwarrior : Living Legends at the end of the 2000's.
I played it. Though the most noteworthy thing I remember about it was the crazy map that was a tumbling asteroid in space, where the surface would boil every time the sun hit, and freeze when it flipped away. It was awesome.
I played MW in my early teens and never knew it was even connected to a tabletop game. I also thought the franchise was dead since I never connected the dots on what Mech Assault was and never played it. When MW5 showed up it was the first I'd heard of anything regarding MW in 20 years and I was all to happy to fall down the rabbit hole, including HBS Battletech. Also dove into AS with some friends and will likely try classic in the near future. It's absolutely a good time to be a Battletech fan.
My first introduction to the franchise was MW3, which came bundled with a Sidewinder joystick at the time that my dad bought to play flight simulator. MWO is what really got me hooked though
Mwo nailed It. Never seen a game with such freedom. You can casual, pro, or just go meme build... Even old school builds are still viable. And the comunity Is the best i ever seen, considering it's a f2play, it's epic good.
Really enjoyed this one, as a fan who didn't pay attention since MW3 happened, this was a really nice summary of the state of the hobby since
So my how did you become a battletech fan story is... unique. I actually got into BT because of Mike Stackpole. I had read and loved his x-wing novels, so at the library I looked up books by him and found the Mechwarrior Novels. I had HEARD of BT and MW because of being a RPG nerd, and seen a couple episodes of the cartoon, but it was Mike's books that lead to me buying a copy of Mechwarrior 3: Gold Edition out of a bargain bin at a mall in California on my senior trip. Now I'd call BT my favorite sci-fi setting hands down, and one of my top fandoms over all.
That is Unique! That's for sharing. Neat!
To be honest, this is how I came to Battletech as well. I was an X-Wing series fan. My little brother conned me into reading Warrior En Garde by telling me that it was a "stand alone" story. This has been my favorite sci-fi extended universe for over 20 years now.
That gave me a big dose of info I didn't know so thanks. Part of the big revitalisation as well was the excellent word of mouth that got so many '40k refugees' into diverting to BT as well. Which no doubt contributed to the success of the Merc KS. (I'm one myself, I haven't bought a GW kit in I think at least 6 months and only a touch of hobby stuff like paints.)
Much as I love Battletech, MechCommander really got me into it way back in the 1990's, but the thing that helped the most for the recent revival was GW shooting themselves in the foot.
LOVE Mechcommander.
GW shooting themselves in the foot played a role, but it is a bit overstated, I think. With the collapse of Warmachine and X-wing, an alternative filling that space would've done well regardless imo. But it did help.
I second your thanks to the people who revived Battletech. I never played tabletop, but I loved the books. Then I played one of the Mechwarrior games and now HBS Battletech.
HBS Battletech is a huge enjoyment. :)
Great video about Mechwarrior's importance in the franchise! I hope more people watch it or even better, react to it.
I wanna say "thank you", too.
Thanks to Big Red for making this video.
Thanks to Activision for Mechwarrior 2, my first ever Battletech game, although I didn't know one single word of English back then and struggled to understand what to do in this game at all. At least I was inside a big Robot, shooting other bog robots; a young boys dream^^
Thanks to Microsoft for Mechcommander 2, one of the first games I ever bought with my own money, although in the end the campaign was kind of short and my Catapult often fell on its nose after jumping. Worm usually died after ejecting, still don't know why^^
Thanks to PGI for MWO, the game that brought back the franchise for me personally, although it is the most frustrating online-pvp experience I ever had with the worst community I ever encountered. Well, at least big Robots again...
And finally thanks to Harebrained Schemes for making Battletech, a true gem and a lot of fun to play, although, ofc. the game will get neither new official content nor attention in the future and all that's left are mods. Will still enjoy it for years.
I’m sad we won’t see anything in the Mechassult style since that was my start into the series before I knew there was anything else to other then that game. Then MechWarrior 5 going on sale on Steam reinvigorated my interest in the big stompy robots. Now I’m eagerly awaiting my Kickstarter goodies next year. The games made me a fan.
MW2 was my first introduction to the Battletech universe. I played a lot of MW2, MW2: Mercenaries, MW3, MechCommander, Mech Assualt, and even MWO andd MW5 over the years. HBS Battletech really brought me back to something close to tabletop, and it was not until this year with the BT tabletop revival that I ever truly started playing true tabletop Batletech.
I am here because of MW2. Love hearing the in game music as BGM for these videos.
The early MechWarrior pc games and the clix game are what introduced my brother and I to the battletech setting, then Tex reignited our interests a few years ago. I know we wouldn't have played classic if we had been exposed to it, I was to young and our parents wouldn't have had time or interest in teaching us. I understand the ire towards wizkids but I also appreciate them as battletech has become my favorite scifi setting and I'm anxiously awaiting my Kickstarter order. My brother and I bonded over tabletop, no matter how stripped down, and 20 years later we're bonding again over classic Battletech and the modern MechWarrior titles.
Oh as I said in the video, for new players it definitely existed, but it basically pushed away the original audience.
@@BigRed40TECHwhich is a real shame, because it's been pretty difficult to find fellow players. I'm sure there would be a much larger TT community with more grey beards to learn from if the exodus hadn't happened.
@@joelaugustin6407 Oh yea, and that's not the new players fault. Wizkids made a huge mistake driving them off unfortunately. :(
Friggin excellent summary of the tribulations and recent resurgence of our glorious hobby. May Harmony Gold burn in the fires of perdition.
Amazing content and video. The thank you in the final word portion was beyond fantastic and I’m behind that 110%. I enjoyed mech assault 1&2 very much. Without a pc to play MechWarrior series of games on, MA was my only fix for Battletech-like digital content. However I did not know it was spose to be connected to Battletech at all and always thought the mech designs must have been open sourced or licensed lol thanks for clearing that up. Looking forward to watching your other videos 🤘🏼
Mechassault 2 only moved 300,000 units as far as I could tell. Its crazy XD
I also want to comment that I hope that channels react to this video, specially those within the Battletech community and those who play on PC more.
This videoin particular reminded me of those made by TotalBiscuit (RIP) in his "WTF? Is" series, so I would like it to get more notoriety due how well researched it is.
Yup!
I liked Macross/Robotech as a kid. Didn't get to play battletech until I was an adult so I guess I avoided the Harmony Gold hatred.
MechAssault 2 was the very first bit of Battletech media I ever encountered. Got it free from a friend in trade for my CE copy (which I got back later after he couldn't beat 343 Guilty Spark).
I didn't know the lore but I enjoyed it.
Ironic that here I am, years later, remembering bits and pieces of ir and going "oh hey I remember the Wolf's Dragoons!"
Seems I chose a good time to really get into the Fandom
Beautiful video. Love the credit given where it is due. PGI is still okay in my book and this Founder still enjoys some hot drops from time to time
I'm a new fan in this beloved franchise due to my love of Battletech game played so much of it.
Excellent video and summary. Flying Debris is awesome. I reached out to him in 2019 and he let us use a piece of his mech art on our robotics team shirt. BattleTech was represented on the floor the tournaments that year.
Flying Debris *IS* awesome, 100%. Every time I've talked to that guy he's been a great dude.
In retrospect, I think the best money spent of my life was that of Mechwarrior online Founder Legendary (of which I have not yet spent the time they gave, hoping that it will make the game last a little longer in case with a little luck they have to respect before its closure that all the stored time is spent although if necessary they activate it). As well as the mechs that we all acquired from them, I'm sure they also paid for the initial development of the Mechwarrior 5.
The Kickstarter campaigns for the flourishing of Battletech/Catalyst are a grain more.
But there's one thing I think the franchise needs and another thing I'd like to get to see.
The one I think you need, is an aerospace simulator, where the player puts himself at the controls of aerotech devices and has from protecting and participating in space combats, to ensuring the descent of descent ships as well as participating in combats throwing bombs or helping one's own forces. I think the franchise needs it, because that would introduce its greatness to the whole from the capital ships of jumping the problem of recharging uniting everything by joining all this to the experience of ground combat, to gain richness to the "terrestrial" experience of the Battetech / Mechwarrior.
And the thing I'd like to see is to take a solar system from StarCitizen with some of its worlds and moons recreated on a planetary scale. And put in the an open multiplayer game of planetary capture where hundreds of players on both sides could go taking points on the planet to capture it, but without delimited maps, that you could fight to advance 100 km plant an advanced base and that this was improving while the war throughout the planet continues. Both sides with soldiers, combat armor, vehicles, Battlemech, aerial vehicles even landings from orbit to secure the first base (occasionally the system could have two moons, one controlled by each side and that if one of the sides loses the planet, it must fight for the moon of the loser. Introducing several systems would be impressive, but with one, where you could go from one place to another without loading screens and feeling the orbital dips, it would be great.
Thanks for finally putting this one out Red. Been waiting for this for quite a long time.
I mean, this one's not been in the pipe that long tbh lol
@@BigRed40TECH yes, but I've been WAITING for it for a Very Long time! lol
Long live MechWarrior, it is one of my favorite videogame franchises. Its gameplay is incredibly flavorful, and they have been perfecting the formula to what we have today. We need more mech commander, Battletech and of course MechWarrior
I remember watching my step dad play ME 4 Mercenaries as a kid and I was hooked I would sit on the floor for hours watching him than he got me Mech Assault 1&2 and I would them over and over again. Played a tiny bit of MW 3 but the controls were to difficult for 10 year old me sadly than he started playing LL and eventually MWO which he still plays today and is the top 10 mech pilots in NA. But all that started me down the Battletech road and I don't regret it even if don't own a single figurine
Thank you Red, for this information, but more importantly, Your passion for our shared interest. Please, keep up the great work, & Glory to Marik.
when i was a young kid, i remember my cousin playing MechWarrior on his home computer and i wished i had a way to play it at my own home. fast forward 30 years and when i bought my first mid range gaming pc, the first franchise i thought of was MechWarrior and was so happy to see they had made MW5 mercenaries. im glad this small piece of my childhood was still around alive and kicking.
"No man is an island" - Red.
"SEE!?! YOU GET THE REFERENCE?" - Alaric.
"Shut up Alaric." - Brubaker.
Something that everyone seems to ignore when discussing the fall of FASA is the relationship it had to the Comic Book industry's collapse and the damage that did not just to FASA amd BattleTech but American TTGs as a whole. It's no coincidence the likes of Palladium and the independent era of WotC collapsed in this same time period.
I got into BattleTech with MechWarrior 4, I didn't even know there was a miniature game until 2010. The resurgence of the unseen helped a lot, most of the unseen were THE mechs in the early novels. Also catalyst still owes me like 3 Shadowrun 5th special edition books from their former shitty website.