Battlechat 23. Juni (Teil 2)
Zuletzt aktualisiert am 24. Juni 2012 von DarkISI
Und hier das Log des zweiten Battlechats des Monats. Ich habe es wieder für euch sortiert und mit Überschriften versehen, damit ihr euch besser zurechtfindet.
Den ersten Teil konntet ihr bereits vorhin lesen.
Introduction, Fun stuff
[02:05] <@Habeas2> Hello
[02:05] <LordHarlock> Salut!
[02:05] <Maverick> Hi, Herb!
[02:05] <DarkISI> Guten Abend
[02:05] <Gravedigger> Hey there sir
[02:05] <Maverick> Glad you could join us this evening.
[02:06] <@Habeas2> mjjjjjjjjjjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk AB nn
[02:06] <Maverick> Put down the chicken, Herb. It’s not worth it…
[02:06] <DarkISI> Cats walking over the keyboard?
[02:07] <@Habeas2> yeah
[02:07] <Maverick> Hehe
[02:07] <LordHarlock> I don’t know. My mother tells me that it was quite fun to watch chickens with their heads cut off. Wait, it was a cat? Never mind.
[02:07] <@Habeas2> ,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmpoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
[02:07] <Terminax> No harm to pussy cats zone!
[02:08] <Maverick> Cats are decidedly less fun to watch run around with their heads cut off, LordHarlock.
[02:08] <Maverick> And they don’t like it much, either.
[02:08] <@Habeas2> She’s after my food….
[02:08] <Maverick> Smart kitty.
[02:08] <@Habeas2> Ahem
[02:08] <DarkISI> Then you must eat faster 😉
[02:08] <General308> You should have gotten fast food then
[02:09] <@Habeas2> Thank you for participating in this Catalayst Game Labs BattleTech Line Developer-aided public relations activity
[02:09] <@Habeas2> As always, I am your host, the Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech Line Developer
[02:09] <Maverick> Fast food is much harder to catch than slow food, or already-dead food…
[02:10] <@Habeas2> This chat is scheduled to run for a minimum of 1 hour, but is not being logged by myself (so that’s on you).
[02:10] * DarkISI is logging. 🙂
[02:10] <@Habeas2> A reminder that proper courtesy and respect for fellow chatters (and all cats) is required, on pain of being kicked from the channel.
[02:11] <@Habeas2> Ask me your questions, BattleTech fans; I’m not afraid!
[02:11] <DarkISI> We will see about that
[02:11] <Gravedigger> 🙂
[02:42] <Trboturtle> miss much?
[02:43] <DarkISI> Depends… did you want to keep your sanity?
[02:43] <General308> Yeap Herb is moving to Dallas
[02:43] <General308> 🙂
[02:43] <Maverick> Sanity’s totally overrated, DarkISI
[02:43] <LordHarlock> Wait, what?
[02:43] <Trboturtle> You’re assuming I have any sanity left…..
[02:43] <Maverick> I gave up on it long ago, and have lived a much happier life for it. Those around me, however…
[02:44] <Trboturtle> 🙂
Introductory Boxed Set
[02:11] <General308> So what can you tell us about the new minis for the box set?
[02:13] <@Habeas2> General308 – All I can say is that we are working to improve the quality for the new minis in the future reprints of the Box Set
[02:44] <General308> So back to better minis in the starter set. Care to leak if they will be new ones are the same as in the past Herb?
[02:47] <@Habeas2> General308 – They will be the same miniatures, as far as I am aware
[03:17] <CharlieT> Randall tweeted something about new/refreshed molds for a reprint of the Boxed Set. Has it been selling well enough to drive another reprint?
[03:18] <@Habeas2> Randall is largely focused on Interstellar Operations, which is to be his last big contribution to the line for a while. I n his capacity as Managing Developer, he is more of an overall head of all game lines. He’s particularly focused on Leviathans these days.
[03:19] <@Habeas2> (In his capacity, I should say, Randall also oversees the more incidental products we plan, be they the casual games, or reprint products. This allows me to focus on new work. (Also, Randall’s WAY better at blogging and tweeting; I kind of hate that stuff.)
[03:19] <@Habeas2> CharlieT – Oh, definitely. We want the Intro Box Set to stay in print as long as possible, really
[03:17] <CharlieT> Randall tweeted something about new/refreshed molds for a reprint of the Boxed Set. Has it been selling well enough to drive another reprint?
[03:19] <@Habeas2> CharlieT – Oh, definitely. We want the Intro Box Set to stay in print as long as possible, really
Objectives: Clans
[02:12] <LordHarlock> So is there an Objectives: Clans?
[02:13] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Yes, there is. We simply have not published it yet,.
[02:14] <LordHarlock> Excellent, that means that I have three Objectives PDFs to look forward to.
Objectives Series
[…]
[02:52] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Well, enjoy those while they last; Kurita is the final Handbook, and the Objectives series has only 3 volumes left before cancellation
[02:53] <Maverick> Herb, are they being cancelled because they’re complete, or due to lack of sales (like TRO:VA), if you can say?
[02:55] <@Habeas2> Maverick – They’ll be complete enough for us, and we don’t plan to revisit the concept because it has a really bad cost-to-benefit ratio for us. Simply put, sales don’t justify the work.
[02:56] <Maverick> That’s a shame, but thank you guys so much for actually putting forth the effort. The Objectives books have been fantastic for my use, as they contain the kinds of information that I love to use (especially since I’m letting my Clan Hell’s Horses players participate in the drive to liberate the Protectorate from the WoB)
[03:03] <LordHarlock> Oh well, I morn that storyline as well. A glass of the finest to A Guide to Secret Ops and Objective FedSuns‘ throw away line.
Upcoming Products
[02:12] <DarkISI> what recent (or upcoming) release has you the most afraid that people will hate it (see, you will be afraid :P)
[02:13] <@Habeas2> DarkISI – IlClan
[02:13] <Maverick> Or, which upcoming release has you (personally) the most excited? Either because you’re glad to finally get it released, or because you think it’s the one most of the fanbase have been waiting for?
[02:14] <@Habeas2> Maverick – A Time of War Companion
[02:14] <Maverick> Sweet. Care to mention which reason you’re excited? 😉
[02:16] <@Habeas2> Maverick – I am always glad to get something released.
House Davion
[02:16] <LordHarlock> Herb, who is your favorite Davion member?
[02:17] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – George (W.) Hasek-Davion
[02:17] <Maverick> Somehow, I figured you’d say „a dead one“
[02:18] <LordHarlock> I almost put that as a clause. Fair enough.
[02:18] <General308> The only good Davion is a dead Davion.
[02:19] <Terminax> Speaking of dead Davions, will the murder of Morgan ever be resolved?
[02:19] <@Habeas2> Terminax – Probably not at this rate. It’s pretty much irrelevant now.
[02:21] <Terminax> Ah, that’s sad. I’d love to know what was behind that.
[02:22] <@Habeas2> Terminax – Behind what?
[02:23] <Terminax> Behind Morgan’s assassination.
[02:23] <@Habeas2> Terminax – SOmeone wanted the man dead, and made it happen. Someone who apparently didn’t care if Serpent failed in the bargain. That’s a long list, really.
[02:24] <Terminax> Yeah but… but… I just wanna know :
[02:24] <Maverick> My money’s on the Wolverines for Morgan’s assassination…
[02:24] <@Habeas2> Know who really killed him?
[02:24] <LordHarlock> It was Triple F.
[02:24] <Maverick> On the orders of the Master
[02:24] <@Habeas2> Blaine Pardoe
[02:24] <Terminax> lol
[02:25] <LordHarlock> Morgan had an outstanding debt to Triple F; I just know it.
[02:25] <Maverick> Wait, Triple F paid Blaine Pardoe to kill Morgan Hasek-Davion? How does that work?
[02:26] <LordHarlock> Well, you have to remember the Genecaste was in on it.
[02:26] <@Habeas2> Maverick – Maybe we’ll explain that in IP4
[02:28] * Maverick is suddenly looking very forward to IP4.
[02:18] <LordHarlock> Does Yvonne Steiner-Davion have a middle name?
[02:19] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Yvonne „Amidala“ Steiner-Davion
[02:19] <Maverick> Does Yvonne Steiner-Davion-Sandoval really NEED another name?
[02:20] <@Habeas2> Maverick – Yes?
Print Products
[02:16] <mib_lotec5> What print products are you hoping to get out by year end?
[02:18] <@Habeas2> Mib_lotec5 – Field Manual: SLDF, BC Anthology #3: Weapon’s Free, A Time of War Companion, Interstellar Expeditions (IP3), and Handbook: House Kurita
[02:19] <Maverick> That’s a fun-looking list.
House Kurita
[02:19] <Oystein> I don’t wanna do the Kurita founding map,….. dooon’t wannaa…….
[02:20] <Maverick> Poor Oystein…
[02:20] <Maverick> Hehe, thanks, Herb 🙂
Interstellar Operations
[02:20] <mib_lotec5> It was mentioned once about a beta test of IO similar to ATOW is that still being considered? If so any chance of this year for the Beta?
[02:21] <@Habeas2> Mib_lotec5 – That seems increasingly unlikely at this point; sorry
[03:19] <Maverick> Has IO been worse than you guys expected, as far as the effort that you all have put into it? Or have you always expected it to be as difficult to work on as it has proven to be?
[03:23] <@Habeas2> Maverick – I think, after TacOps, we realized there was no such thing as an easy core rulebook
Quintus Allard-Liao
[02:21] <LordHarlock> Will Quintus Allard-Liao son of Justin Allard and Candiace Liao ever actually do anything of note?
[02:21] <Terminax> Ah, that’s sad. I’d love to know what was behind that.
[02:22] <Oystein> and David, musn’t forget David.
[02:22] <@Habeas2> WHo?
[02:22] <Terminax> Didn’t he end up in a ditch somewhere?
[02:22] <Oystein> David Lear, son of Kai Allard-Liao.
[02:22] <Oystein> co-creator of the Republic of the Sphere.
[02:23] <LordHarlock> Well there goes hope of Cassandra Allard-Liao doing anything with the Cossacks.
[02:23] <Maverick> Pfft. We were asking about anything IMPORTANT they’d done, Oystein. 😉
[02:24] <@Habeas2> Oh, THAT guy? Where do you think the last of the family karma went?
Alex_AFK
[02:26] <@Habeas2> What I wanna know is, how does someone who’s AFK meander into this chatroom?
[02:26] <Oystein> Alex is very talented
[02:27] <Maverick> His cat is at his keyboard…
[02:27] <Alex_AFK> with much skill and aplomb
[02:27] <@Habeas2> Sleep chatting!
Kathil/Marauder
[02:27] <LordHarlock> Will General Motors of Kathil ever build another Marauder or Marauder like mech on Kathil?
[02:27] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Not when we’re done with them…
[02:28] <LordHarlock> There goes hope ever of seeing James McKenna yards doing anything ever again. Oh well.
[02:30] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Yeah, about those yards….
[02:30] <Oystein> o/~ nuke nuke nuke the happy shipp yaarrdds o/~
[02:30] <LordHarlock> Yeah, I know, but I always had hope that they got repaired due to a throw away line in Sword of Sedition.
Unit Costs
[02:28] <General308> can future TRO’s list the cbill value of units on them? It is frustrating to pick up a TRO like Anex and have no ideal the cost of the units
[02:30] <@Habeas2> General308 – We can’t compute BV reliably still, and you expect us to get C-bills right?
[02:32] <General308> No I don’t expect you to get them right just close. But honestly as a role player I have always cared more about the cbill cost than the BV anyways.
[02:34] <@Habeas2> General308 – Honestly, it’s a cost-to-benefit thing. C-bills need to be computed by hand at present, on all unit types. That means delays in product. Delays mean money. Loss of money due to fictional money is bad. Ergo, no C-bill costs
[02:35] <DarkISI> And, honestly, being usually the guy who runs all these numbers: I’m not going to be able to run them without causing a major delay you haven’t seen ever before in your life
[02:37] <General308> I get were you are coming from Herb. And you logic is sound unless everyone decides not to buy TRO’s over it. Even I am not willing to do that.
[02:37] <@Habeas2> DarkISI – I suppose we could add it to the MUL somehow…?
[02:38] <General308> I don’t know DarkISI we have seen some pretty major delay in Battletech products over the years
[02:38] <DarkISI> which would mean I would end up running the numbers… ^^
[02:38] <Oystein> thanks for volunteering, DarkISI
[02:38] <DarkISI> I so knew I should have gone to bed ^^
[02:38] <Terminax> I’ve got a calculator if you need a volunteer to do C-Bill counts.
[02:39] <General308> I would be willing to help get C-Bill’s calclated at time allowed
PDF Exclusive
[02:28] <mib_w2bhfk> Will there be any new PDF only product coming out in the next 6 months
[02:31] <@Habeas2> Mib_w2bhfk – All-new series types or just new in any series? In both cases… we hope so.
Support Vehicles
[02:30] <Maverick> Are there plans to introduce more support vehicles on a large scale, say as part of a TRO or AToW supplement? Or will we continue to see them just one or two at a time in various other products, like the Handbook series? (Kudos for adding support vees to the Handbooks, by the way! And the „personal“ smallcraft, those will feature in my upcoming AToW campaign)
[02:32] <@Habeas2> Maverick – Honestly, the Vehicle Annex did not get the eception I’d hoped for, so any future support vehicle additions will likely remain small, piecemeal endeavors.
[02:32] <Maverick> That’s a shame, but I understand why. 🙁
Sherwood
[02:32] <LordHarlock> So, is the planet Sherwood liberated from the vile Filtvelt Coaltion? Or does it merely leaves to rejoin the Suns?
[02:32] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Why WOULD it go back?
[02:33] <LordHarlock> It did according to the MWDA map.
[02:33] <Maverick> Because the Davions made them a better offer?
[02:34] <@Habeas2> Maverick – Likely the Davions stole it back. They couldn’t „make a better offer“ when they were the biggest armed state in the area during a major war!
[02:35] <@Habeas2> The Davions are just plain jerks….
[02:35] <Maverick> Sneaky Davions. Never willing to let secessionists lie…
Filtvelt Coaltion
[02:35] <LordHarlock> So what kind of government does the Filtvelt Coaltion have?
[02:38] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – A three-branch representative democracy in which the executive branch is elected to office once every four years, with a two-party system based on an archaic bible….
[02:39] <Maverick> Ooh, that sounds like a recipe for fun and shenanigans in the Inner Sphere, Herb!
[02:40] <@Habeas2> Maverick – Actually, it’s really not. I keep wanting to obliterate them on principle
[02:40] <LordHarlock> Personally, I like archaic things. It’s a real boon to shenanigans, what what.
[02:41] <Maverick> It WOULD save the rest of the IS the trouble. Of all the things to hate the Word for, perhaps they’re the worst (best?)?
30th Anniversary
[02:38] <General308> So Herb Battletech has another big Birthday in a couple of years. Anything special planed
[02:39] <@Habeas2> General308 – I have big plans for the future of BattleTech, but they have to get by my bosses first
Herb’s Faction Preferences
[02:40] <mib_w2bhfk> So What faction do you like In the Inner Sphere
[02:41] <@Habeas2> Mib_w2bhfk – Word of Blake, Clan Hell’s Horses, House Steiner…
Novels
[02:46] <Trboturtle> In case no one asked…any word on the novel?
[02:47] <@Habeas2> Trboturtle – WHich novel? That seems very specific a question.
[02:48] <Trboturtle> I should have said the novel line….:/
[02:49] <@Habeas2> Trboturtle – That? Frozen. The Blitzkrieg novella series is not, however.
[02:49] <LordHarlock> Will we see any Blitzkrieg novellas dealing with the Federated Suns?
[02:51] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Yes, we will see Blitzkrieg novellas dealing with the death of the Federated Suns…
[02:52] <LordHarlock> I shall morn then. A glass of the finest to the First Prince across the Stars!
[03:02] <Maverick> So, back to the sundering of my beloved Suns… *sniff* Say it ain’t so, Herb! Please, say it ain’t so!
[03:03] <Trboturtle> I hweard whatevery it was, it was codenamed „Blue Wombat“….:D
[03:03] <@Habeas2> Maverick – I could say it…but I might be lying if I do.
Dark Age and Beyond
[02:56] <Terminax> I for one can’t wait to see what the universe looks like post-dark ages.
[02:58] <LordHarlock> Why do I have feeling that post dark age Inner Sphere has less Interconnectedness Unlimited? A glass of the finest to them as well.
[02:59] <Trboturtle> How goes the planning for post DA?
[03:01] <@Habeas2> Trboturtle – We are still discussing the finer details, but a gneral idea of the shape of the post-Dark Age setting has been developed, and everyone seems to like it enough to let me spend brain power on developing it further.
[03:01] <Trboturtle> good!
[03:03] <Maverick> Are you guys excited about getting to move the story forward into (and past) the Dark Age, Herb?
[03:04] <@Habeas2> Maverick – Yes, particularly past the Dark Age, as it will finally put us into „open waters“
[03:04] <Maverick> Excellent news 🙂
Challenger Yards
[03:01] <LordHarlock> So here is my final question, will the secret of whatever Challenger Yards over Panpour in the Suns‘ Periphery March been doing ever be revealed?
[03:02] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Probably not. 🙂
Jihad
[03:04] <Maverick> Are you guys more sad or glad to be done with the Jihad?
[03:06] <@Habeas2> Maverick – I have mixed feelings there. On the one hand, it was fun to smash the Inner Sphere all to hell. On the other… we did it a very long time!
[03:07] <Maverick> That was the longest (real-world) event in BT history, was it not? Especially with all the real world happenings that the whole crew behind BT had to deal with.
[03:07] <Trboturtle> Took a while to Cruch the Inner sphere, even with nukes and bioweapons the…
[03:08] <Maverick> Trboturtle – Nukes and bioweapons don’t reduce the time to crush, they increase the time to rebuild 😉
[03:08] <@Habeas2> Maverick – It seemed that way, yes. The conflicts we saw prior o the Jihad were always resolved in a few years‘ story time and the sourcebooks handled immediately afterward. This made the Jihad different in that it actually happened „on screen“.
Battlecorps
[03:08] <Terminax> How’s Battlecorps doing? I’ve been thinking of joining but some people have told me it’s pretty slow lately.
[03:09] <@Habeas2> (That’s „on screen“ in the sourcebook sense, by the way, not the fiction sense.)
Housebook: Kurita
[03:10] <CharlieT> Hoping this hasn’t already been asked, but with all the terrific work Mr. Rome has been creating lately, I am hoping he is not too tapped out to finish the Kurita housebook. Any news there?
[03:10] <@Habeas2> CharlieT – Ben is working on House Kurita as we speak.
[03:11] <Maverick> Herb’s cats are watching over him, making certain he completes it.
[03:11] <Maverick> 😀
[03:11] <@Habeas2> Indeed, aside from managing the Turning Points for me, it’s all he has on his plate right now.
[03:11] <@Habeas2> My cats talk to his.
[03:11] <Maverick> *shudder*
[03:11] <Demongirl> ha!
[03:12] <Maverick> You DON’T mess with the Kitty Mafia…
House Liao
[03:15] <@Habeas2> Randall’s recently enjoyed hearing my plans for House Liao….
[03:15] * Maverick is suddenly very afraid.
[03:15] <@Habeas2> That’s probably a good reaction
Randall Bills
[03:16] <Maverick> Is he still pretty involved with BT, or is he pretty much on the „bigger picture“ for Catalyst now?
[03:18] <@Habeas2> Randall is largely focused on Interstellar Operations, which is to be his last big contribution to the line for a while. I n his capacity as Managing Developer, he is more of an overall head of all game lines. He’s particularly focused on Leviathans these days.
[03:19] <@Habeas2> (In his capacity, I should say, Randall also oversees the more incidental products we plan, be they the casual games, or reprint products. This allows me to focus on new work. (Also, Randall’s WAY better at blogging and tweeting; I kind of hate that stuff.)
[03:19] <Trboturtle> Hense the short beard and the wild look in his eyes….
[03:20] <Maverick> I thought the wild look came from working with Jordan Weisman on the recent Shadowrun Returns project…‘
[03:21] <Maverick> Because, really, those Catalyst guys NEED another big project. They don’t have nearly enough going on as it is… 😉
Warchest Tracks
[03:23] <Maverick> I do have another Line Developer question, Herb, if you don’t mind. Or really, maybe one of the rest of you could help me out. Have I missed somewhere rules for assigning Warchest costs to scenarios that you come up with? I’ve been considering using the warchest system for my player group, but I can’t figure out how I should determine the WC points for each mission
[03:24] <@Habeas2> Maverick – You mean custom Warchest tracks? That’s coming
[03:24] <Maverick> Yes, custom warchest tracks. Thanks, I’m glad that I haven’t just overlooked it, because I’ve combed my sourcebooks and still couldn’t find it.
Kickstarter
[03:24] <CharlieT> With the successful funding of The Duke Kickstarter, has Catalyst considered applying the concept to a Battletech themed product?
[03:24] <@Habeas2> CharlieT – It gets considered rom time to time, but it really has to be a product we can get cleared by Topps first
Catgirls
[03:24] <LordHarlock> So how’s that Canopian Catgirl unit coming, Herb?
[03:24] <@Habeas2> LordHarlock – Farther along than you’d think, really!
Product Reprints (In PDF Format)
[03:33] <CharlieT> With the continued strictures on PDF sales of older novels, does that mean that Catalyst is also restricted from reprinting (or PDFing) Catalyst-branded versions of older sourcebooks?
[03:35] <@Habeas2> CharlieT – No. One does not impact the other
