BattleTech

BattleTech (MechWarrior) is a science-fiction board game (wargame) (designed by FASA in 1984) which simulates warfare in the distant future of the 31st century, where humans battle in gigantic walking machines powered by fusion reactors (known as ), tanks, spaceships and other aircraft, wielding weapons such as lasers, particle projection cannons (PPCs), Gauss rifles and autocannon. As the game and related stories are centered around the BattleMechs and warfare, it can be considered a type of a military space opera. BattleTech was originally released under the name BattleDroids, but was renamed with the release of the second edition due to George Lucas holding a trademark on the term droid. BattleTech has won three Origins Awards and its various spinoffs and expansions several more.

Related Topics:
MechWarrior - Science-fiction - Board game - Wargame - FASA - 1984 - Warfare - Future - Fusion reactor - Spaceship - Laser - Particle projection cannons (PPCs) - Gauss rifle - Autocannon - Military space opera - George Lucas - Droid - Origins Awards

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A role playing game, called MechWarrior was released soon after the BattleTech wargame's second edition. Several computer, Xbox and forum games have been based off the game, as well as a collectible card game, a collectible miniature-based wargame, a animated television series, and more than 70 novels.

Related Topics:
Role playing game - MechWarrior - Computer - Xbox - Forum games - Collectible card game - Collectible - Miniature-based wargame - Animated - Television series - Novels

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After FASA ceased active operations, the rights to BattleTech were sold to WizKids, a game company founded by Jordan K. Weisman (one of BattleTech's creators). A new tabletop strategy game in the BattleTech universe, known as ', was released in 2002 using three-dimensional, painted models that use the same "Clix" system as Mage Knight. The Clix system uses combat and heat dials built into the base of the models that quantify each Battlemechs attack/defense and performance capabilities. A timeline jump accompanied the release of MechWarrior: Dark Age; the original BattleTech, now known as Classic BattleTech, has been licensed by WizKids to FanPro, who continue to release rules updates, sourcebooks, and other new material set in the original era.

Related Topics:
FASA - WizKids - 2002 - Clix - Mage Knight - FanPro

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While the sourcebooks do contain some storyline information, the focus for it is the novel line. More than seventy full-length BattleTech or MechWarrior novels have been published (originally by FASA, currently by ROC) and translated into at least fifteen languages. The last FASA novel was Loren L. Coleman's Endgame in 2002, which wrapped up plotlines and character arcs dating back to the original novels beginning in 1986. The novels then jumped ahead timewise to accompany MechWarrior: Dark Age, with Michael A. Stackpole's Ghost War. It wasn't until mid-2005 that this story gap between Classic BattleTech and MechWarrior: Dark Age began to be filled by FanPro's sourcebook line, beginning with Dawn of the Jihad.

Related Topics:
ROC - Loren L. Coleman - Endgame - Michael A. Stackpole - Ghost War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Classic BattleTech fiction has also continued to be released in both a german language series of novels and in electronic format under the BattleCorps epublishing umbrella. Plans for a print anthology of Classic BattleTech fiction, only previously available electronically through BattleCorps, were announced in August 2005.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The computer and Xbox games for the most part bear the same name as the role playing game: MechWarrior. Those game are mostly 'Mech simulation/first person shooter games, with two real time strategy games under the title MechCommander. There also are fan-created mods that transform non-BattleTech real time strategy computer games into BattleTech games. An unofficial, online, open source version of the BattleTech tabletop game, MegaMek, has been created. It is licensed under GPL. Currently, all level 1 ("basic") and nearly all level 2 ("standard") BattleTech rules and technology are working. Even some level 3 ("optional") rules have been added. MekWars and MegaMekNET, campaign engines built around MegaMek, allow players to quickly find matches. There is a similar, real-time, online/open source BattleTech game called ', which features a massive selection of units and technologies.

Related Topics:
Simulation - First person shooter - Real time strategy game - MechCommander - Mods - Online - Open source - MegaMek - GPL - MekWars

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An estimated twenty-five million people have played a BattleTech or MechWarrior game or read a BattleTech or MechWarrior novel, and at least ten million people have played the BattleTech computer games. More than eleven million copies of MechWarrior PC games and a similar number of MechWarrior: Dark Age Collectable Miniatures Game figures have been sold to date. Over three hundred and fifty different BattleTech/MechWarrior game and toy products have been produced to date; several products, such as the Technical Readout series, the core rulebook and base box set, have been in continuous print (in on form or another) since publication. More than five thousand World Wide Web pages have been created to date by the online BattleTech community.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~