OBT Forum

I would seek out and harass the lunatic fringe of Fanboyism, who make life painful for all, pillorying them and using the boards as my own little star chamber.  I would make digital clones of Kits de Summersville and unleash an rain on unholy harassment on those that displeased or annoyed me and be the first LD to get permabanned within a day.

Oh, and I'd increase the speed of production and number of historicals.

(No surprise here) Seconded.

Honestly, I'd probably keep doing what we're doing—no change. I think the next chapter of BT is going to be friggin awesome.

For the universe, keep the pendulum swinging, even if the major actors change.

For example, imagine the BT map on a spinning top, with one part rising higher at times, before dipping in turn as other parts of the top's rim rise above the others.  That dynamic of a slightly unbalanced top, which has one area higher than the others, but changes what part is in the ascendent over time, is critical to both a dynamic universe but also a contained universe.

To further the analogy, when to much weight (power) is invested in the center over prolonged periods, the whole thing slows down and peace breaks out, as Terran influence causes friction and slows the spinning.

So therefore, even if the factions we might barrack for fall, others will arise and keep the spinning going and in their own time rise and fall.

I would maintain this spinning balance, avoid great Terran powers, expect for eras of peace, and create new and interesting themes in existing factions or, where necessary, raise new factions that have there own strange flaws, interesting twists, cultural bias and characters of interest.

I would also make sure the visual aesthetics of the universe both advanced, but always maintained connection to older eras, gaining the benefit of both.  I would look to support the main game, as that is the foundation upon which all was built, but also expand items like Alpha Strike as a simple doorway into the broader universe, where more detail and good fiction help the gamer expand their investment and involvement.

I would also wipe out one world each year, completely at random, just to set people off.

I modified this post because this thread is what you'd do as Line Developer, not an open letter explaining what you'd like to see others doing. - Knightmare

I guess since I started this I have a certian responsibility to give my own thoughts.  First if I was going to move the universe forward...



In Universe

1) Every major Power gets to undergo what i call the "100 Regiment Plan" meaning that as of 3250, each house and most Clans would be ratcheting their armies back up to Star League Era Levels, enabling a less asinine stretching of resources for offensive operations.  this would be adjusted for each power reflecting their military culture and real estate

2) I would make a major plot point result in the destruction, House Amaris Style, of a Great House.  not this fractured independant Free Worlds Leauge States BS, no.  House Marik, Stiener, Davion, Kurita, or Liao will be GONE, their royal family either annihilated or in exile elsewhere

3) The IlClan would be struggling the entirety of it's existence to prove itself to the remaining Inner Sphere Clans.  "ho hum you captured Terra, Big Whoop.  why does that make you important.

4) a Major Storyline involving a reconnaissance raid to the Clan Homeworlds, showing that they died out from constant warfare and the long term damage of the wars of reaving.  anyone left behind would be agrarian level tech...

5) if Catalyst has truly backed off of the "Unified Tech Level" of the 33rd Century, I would reinstate it.

Products

Historicals 4th Succession War- Self Explanatory

Era Report 3039 (covering Late 3rd, 4th succession wars and War of 3039)

Starterbook: The Crescent Hawks Inception.  A PDF exclusive starter adventure for A Time of War, replicating the FEEL of the old DOS game.

Starter Box Set Sword and Stone: a High Risk product, this would be a Box Set of "the Inner Sphere in Flames." rule set that is geared towards playing either the succession wars, or a special scenario pack included that details the rise of Devlin Stone and the Anti Word of Blake Coalition.

All Main Box Sets would be updated to treat the 3050 era as the "Kick Off Point".l  Reevaluate which Miniatures go where, focusing on the Draconis Combine and Federated Commonwealths Mechs of the period (six Mechs DISTINCT of each power and 6 Generics) and include one Generic Clan Star  (I am thinking Mad Cat, Thor, Fenris, Ryoken, and Koshi).

I would have "A Year of Turning Points"  where every month would see a different turning points, 4 of them being "Operational Turning Points" at quarter end.

Non Gaming Related

I would collect all of the series on Battlecorps and release them as Novella's and full novels on Amazon and Kindle Stores (something it looks like they are doing)

Would make establishing new full sized Novels a Priority (the back cataloge is nice but it seems to be holding back everything).  Print would be nice but would depend on legal issues I am not privy to.

I'd burn it all to the ground and let the Shadows take over.

I'd have to get more familiar with 3145, and compare sales numbers of various product/content types, before knowing what I'd do. Probably replace the Introductory Box with an IlClan Box.

I modified this post because this thread is what you'd do as Line Developer, not an open letter explaining what you'd like to see others doing.

Seems kind of arbitrary. I mean, if you have a wish for the plot and products, you can pose it either way, y'know?

Well this is generally what I'd float out for the support team to review and amend before looking for writers to get involved. The opening products for the 3250 era:

Era Report 3250
A century has passed since the final fall of the Republic of the Sphere. Drastic losses of jumpships by desperate military leaders, the savaging of industry in waves of objective raids and the continued economic fall out of losing the HPGs left the Inner Sphere a shattered shadow of itself with warlords gaining and losing vest-pocket empires over the course of generations.

In the end the wars burned themselves out with hundreds of worlds thrown back on their own resources, mere handfuls of jumpships maintaining some local interstellar communications. Isolationism is rife as planets fear that any new arrivals are likely to be another invasion force.

Now new empires are on the rise, claiming (with varying legitimacy) the titles of the Great Houses as a veneer of legitimacy. Slight surpluses of military production are channelled into tentative expeditions to secure allegiance of surrounding worlds through a mix of diplomacy and limited military action. Less common, the states clash with each other - none willing to overcommit to large-scale bubble that will strain their still limited resources.

House Centralla-Liao
With their powerbase in a swathe of worlds from Canopus through Andurien to Sian, House Liao rule over a libertine court and an energetic economy but lay lack the forces to protect their sprawling domain.

House Davion
With New Avalon a burnt out wreck, the centre of the Federated Suns is Remagen where the High Council gather in factions around the various branches of House Davion, each with their own Prince and a burning desire to be first among equals and revive the title of First Prince.

House Kurita
The Coordinator, hidden inside the Imperial City on Samarkand, exerts tenuous authority over the powerful prefectural warlords and ministers of their government, while the warlords and ministers delicately manuver their favorites within House Kurita with an eye to putting their pawns upon the Dragon Throne.

House Marik
Governing a horseshoe-shaped domain from Atreus to Oriente, the Mariks hold the apex of a precisely hierarchical nobility with the provincial dukes and planetary counts as a check upon their powers.

House Steiner
Fusing remnants of Trillian Steiner's Lyran Commonwealth and Alaric 'Steiner' / Ward / Wolf's empire, the Lyran-Wolf Alliance suffered the break-away of most of their remaining anti-spinward provinces in the name of contenders for the throne.

House Tseng-Jorgensson
Heirs to the Rasalhague Dominion and exerting an unofficial hegemony over most of the former Clan occupation zones, the Tseng-Jorgensson's have shared the Khan and saKhan posts for a century although there are few worlds where they have more than a fortified enclave.


Technical Readout: 3250
Describing the equipment in use by the forces of House Centralla-Liao, Davion and Marik


Historical: The Tikonov Gambit
In a bid to expand his influence, a Davion Prince extends forces and resources into the Tikonov region, upsetting the balance of power in the region. What follows is a scramble for influence in the area as expeditionary forces from three Great Houses clash with each other and with the New Hessen Hegemony.


Technical Readout: 3251
Describing the equipment in use by the forces of House Kurita, Steiner and Tseng-Jorgensson.


Historical: Unholy Alliance
When the Lyran-Wolf Alliance discover a Sea Fox arms cache in the Isle of Skye, they use the equipment to push a major offensive into worlds under the protection of the House Tseng-Jorgensson. To halt them requires a delicate alliance between Rasalhague and a warlord of the Draconis Combine.


Out of the Dark (novel trilogy)
When unknown raiders stir up the border between Rasalhague and the Lyran-Wolf alliance, suspicion falls first on each other and then on a renewed Clan Invasion. Only the Kell Hounds know the truth: that a new Rim Worlds Republic seeks to provoke the two Houses into a war that they can't afford. And the Rim Worlds will do whatever they must to make sure the Hounds cannot report the truth.


Historical: The Quatre Belle Incident
Reports reach both Remagen and New Samarkand that the Quatre Belle shipyards have been restored to limited production of jumpships. Both Houses scramble to secure access to these new ships and to deny them to their rivals.


Era Notes
Military forces are predominantly made up of infantry, support vehicles and conventional aircraft. Combat vehicles, aerospace fighters and BattleMechs are expensive and relatively rare with no one fielding more than a few regiments, almost all of which are scattered in lance and company-sized detachments. For this reason they are manned only by the very best personnel available.

Shipping is very limited as are HPGs. Communications in core regions of an empire might be reliable but this isn't the case in border areas. The arrival of a small combat force of Mechs and the like won't win battles alone but un-contested they tip the balance. A lance or two is therefore a useful projection of force and losing a company-sized force is a strategic loss.

More than half the Inner Sphere are outside the formal control of the Great Houses although this may be because they are independent-minded, protectorates or simply so contested that no one has long-term control. These worlds don't generally build 'Mechs, aerospace assets, etc. They may have small units of older Mechs and tanks though.

Mercenaries tend to use older equipment or buy from the few independent producers if they're particularly flush. Large units and units with their own shipping generally went warlord (sometimes for lack of options). Company and lance sized units can get by but it's hard for them to get around and the lack of communications means no central hiring hall or review board. There are some regional hiring hubs in areas that have a lot of business. The Great Houses generally maintain mercenary units equivalent to 25-50% of their regular forces on contract to them, long-term if possible.