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Author Topic: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005  (Read 2068 times)

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Knightmare

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #15 on: November 10, 2012, 11:18:55 PM »
Lets bring it back.

BT Conspiracy Theories is a thread for a different board (which I'd happily create for you guys since I haven't a bloody clue what you're talking about).
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Centurion13

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #16 on: November 11, 2012, 01:29:56 AM »
Quote from: Knightmare on November 10, 2012, 11:18:55 PM
Lets bring it back.

BT Conspiracy Theories is a thread for a different board (which I'd happily create for you guys since I haven't a bloody clue what you're talking about).

Ah.  Well... it was noted that 2010-2011 the PDF releases exploded in number (and maintained a high standard of quality, for the most part).  A member of the forum referred to certain financial hardships that came to light immediately prior to that burst of creative endeavor, but attributed it to a series of events that were.... quite different in detail than what was generally understood to be the case.

I thought this new spin on past events was of interest - but hardly surprising, given the concerned parties' professional calling.

Refer to the PM I have sent you.

Cent13
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Dread Moores

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #17 on: November 11, 2012, 10:55:44 AM »
Without the old site up any more (at least I'm pretty sure the archive is gone, as I couldn't locate it), it's a bit hard to link directly to Randall's older Battleblog that addressed that whole issue. I thought Loren was directly named in that, but that's totally going from memory, so salt shakers should be kept handy. A search will turn up most of the relevant info fairly quickly, as a number of the freelancers posted up internal communications when things first went public. It was a shame at some of the names lost from the freelancer (and editing) pool as a result of those events. I think it hit SR harder than BT, at least on the freelancer front. There's one particular name from editing/layout/proofing that will be forever missed, on my part.

But it's not hard to surmise that the PDF exclusives certainly helped get over the funding crunch.
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Ken

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #18 on: November 11, 2012, 11:36:08 AM »
Quote from: Centurion13 on November 10, 2012, 07:49:58 PM
Quote from: JPArbiter on November 08, 2012, 09:59:41 PM
2009 and 2010 were the years that one of Randall and Loren's employee's or partners stole craptons of stuff and money and caused that crippling cash crunch.  the PDF exclusives pretty much saved CGL and it shows.

  ::)  Those two make their living creating fiction. What's a little more, right?

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Dread Moores

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #19 on: November 11, 2012, 11:41:10 AM »
On an only vaguely related note, if you do go searching Knightmare, you may find some prolific posts on the subject by one Frank Trollman. Take such posts with a great deal of salt. While there is relevant information buried in those posts, Frank had more than a few personal axes to grind and went well overboard in some of his conclusions. It's not to say there is nothing of substance there, but that there is an awful lot of detritus to sift through.
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Centurion13

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2012, 02:59:25 PM »
Quote from: Dread Moores on November 11, 2012, 11:41:10 AM
It's not to say there is nothing of substance there, but that there is an awful lot of detritus to sift through.

That's very true.  And he doesn't seem to mind where the part fly, either. 

Frank might have been a 'disgruntled ex-employee' but that doesn't mean he's lacking credibility.  Too much of what he said is supported by what I know of fallen human nature and the facts as reported by the other people involved.  Maybe they were all in on a big conspiracy to smear the former boss.  But it's not likely.

I am one of those who would prefer to let the whole thing lie.  If anything is a third rail in BattleTech, this would be it.  But I draw the line at historical revisionism.   Forgive and forget, sure.  But a past where it was suddenly someone else's fault? 

--------------------

That said, the issue of PDF-based product does seem to have tapered off.  Almost as if a stash of 'rainy-day' material had been set up and sent out.  And now we've fallen back to normal production levels.

The issue is that the 2010-2011 levels might be what some folks think of when they note that 'CGL doesn't put stuff out like they did back in the day'.

Then again, I haven't seen that many complaints about the quantity.  There are a few items (Interstellar Ops, which I understand had just peeked out in Beta) but other than that, nothing beyond the usual factional desires for more material.

Cen13

« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 03:19:02 PM by Centurion13 »
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Knightmare

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2012, 03:58:00 PM »
I really dig PDF-only products, but I'm also a big proponent of BC.

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Centurion13

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #22 on: November 11, 2012, 04:22:56 PM »
Quote from: Knightmare on November 11, 2012, 03:58:00 PM
I really dig PDF-only products, but I'm also a big proponent of BC.

BC?  You mean, like print?  What they call 'DTF' (Dead Tree Format)?

Me too.  I like something I can throw in a book bag, get used to the location of things, maybe stick a few post-its in there to help.  I don't always take all my books.  I lost that habit back when I was 23.  I used to break my back carrying four AD&D books (PG, MM, DMG, OE, D+DG) along with my little case of minis to every. single. game.

I also like that I can grab it on the way to the bathroom for some contemplative time. 

Cent13
« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 04:23:27 PM by Centurion13 »
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Blacknova

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #23 on: November 11, 2012, 04:28:19 PM »
Personally I have gone all PDF in the last 2 years, though I still have all the books from before then.

As my job has become more digitalised, it has been of massive benefit, so that flowed into my gaming life.  Besides, living in a rural area, its hard to get to a store and harder again to find gaming groups.
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Ken

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #24 on: November 11, 2012, 04:53:30 PM »
Quote from: Centurion13 on November 11, 2012, 04:22:56 PM
Quote from: Knightmare on November 11, 2012, 03:58:00 PM
I really dig PDF-only products, but I'm also a big proponent of BC.

BC? 

BattleCorps
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Centurion13

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #25 on: November 11, 2012, 05:00:23 PM »
Quote from: Blacknova on November 11, 2012, 04:28:19 PM
Personally I have gone all PDF in the last 2 years, though I still have all the books from before then.

As my job has become more digitalised, it has been of massive benefit, so that flowed into my gaming life.  Besides, living in a rural area, its hard to get to a store and harder again to find gaming groups.

Well... not to wax biographical, but in the past five years, I have to agree it's been a godsend that much, if not all, of BT material has been converted to (or issued in) electronic format.  I have a co-writer in Korea, another in Germany, still another in Australia and editors in the UK, Singapore and on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.  So it was nice to be able to send them the pertinent reference materials over the internet as they needed them.  And if you don't need it anymore, hit the delete key.

And now that I have a good laptop with a working battery, yeah, the business of getting to a rule can be a bit easier.  But it's still a pain hauling the lappy to work for to have a read while smoking, or taking a 'break'.

For gaming groups, I have found the paper version a lot better.  Easier to pass around.  Sure, you could simulate dice on your laptop.  You could even simulate multiple such dice, easing the firing of a couple of RAC-5s.  But who would do it very often when they can carry their own dice?

So for me, rulebooks should be paper.   Reference books in PDF?  Fine.

Cent13
« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 05:02:12 PM by Centurion13 »
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Centurion13

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #26 on: November 11, 2012, 05:03:19 PM »
Quote from: Ken on November 11, 2012, 04:53:30 PM
Quote from: Centurion13 on November 11, 2012, 04:22:56 PM
Quote from: Knightmare on November 11, 2012, 03:58:00 PM
I really dig PDF-only products, but I'm also a big proponent of BC.

BC? 

BattleCorps

Huh.  Doesn't Battlecorps issue strictly in PDF?  Or mostly?

Cent13
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Blacknova

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #27 on: November 11, 2012, 07:39:11 PM »
I'm all digital, dice, sheets rules the lot.

It's all personal preference and mine is to be a slave to the machine.
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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #28 on: November 11, 2012, 08:27:27 PM »
Quote from: Centurion13 on November 11, 2012, 05:03:19 PM
Quote from: Ken on November 11, 2012, 04:53:30 PM
Quote from: Centurion13 on November 11, 2012, 04:22:56 PM
Quote from: Knightmare on November 11, 2012, 03:58:00 PM
I really dig PDF-only products, but I'm also a big proponent of BC.

BC? 

BattleCorps

Huh.  Doesn't Battlecorps issue strictly in PDF?  Or mostly?

Cent13

Yes, he was alluding to the fact that he may be an exception to the average gamer because he enjoys the electronic productions from BattleCorps.
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Centurion13

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Re: Historical BT Releases Back to 2005
« Reply #29 on: November 11, 2012, 09:41:23 PM »
Well, I don't think they're bad - in fact, the few I have read were actually pretty good reading.  But I still lean toward paperbacks for pleasure reading.  No Kindle for me.  Someone will get a heck of a Louis L'Amour collection when I die.

Cent13
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