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Author Topic: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)  (Read 9557 times)

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drakensis

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Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« on: April 06, 2011, 05:58:34 AM »
Okay, here's how it is. Over the weekend, while engaged in one of my other Battletech projects, I vented over some of the more eregious fluff in TRO 3060 (it was the Kabuto, if anyone cares). In discussion with another griping fan, this became a joint project to rewrite the background of Battletech, at least up to the 3025-era equivalency.

Now that's kind of a big job. And given the factionalism of the universe and of the fanbase (I'm above that, obviously,  :P ) it really needs someone to fight the corner of each faction. Otherwise someone (possibly wearing green) may wind up the whipping boy.

At the moment, what we have is a draft of the timeline from 2018 to 3425 so you can see already that more than a few things have changed and a few notes for the five major and four minor factions. What we'd like to aim for is something approaching seven handbooks (each of the Great Houses, one for the Major Periphery states and one for ComStar and the Minor Periphery states) and a technical readout. That's going to be a bit of work.

So, calling for volunteers. We have writers tentatively lined up for the Taurians and for the Free Worlds League. I'm more or less general editor, overseer and he-who-argues-with-people. If you would like, individually or as a team, to get involved in writing a faction or making other contribution then please get in touch.

Here's a rough overview of the timeline:
Terran Alliance Era (2086-2237) Unification of Terra. Invention of the Kearny-Fuchida drive. First Diaspora. Outer Reaches Rebellion.
The Dark Age (2237-2316) Collapse of the Terran Alliance. Second Diaspora. Colonisation spreads to roughly the current borders of the Inner Sphere. Formation of the Terran Hegemony.
Terran Hegemony Era (2316-2571) The Reconquest of the Inner Sphere by the armies and diplomats of the Hegemony. Dominance of the Aerospace Fighter. Third Diaspora.
Star League (2571-3051) Ian Cameron reforms the Terran Hegemony into the Star League. Dominance of the BattleMech. Unification of known space under the Star League. Golden Age of the Star League.
The Fall (3051-3084) Death of Simon Cameron. Ascendancy of Stefan Amaris and Aleksander Kerensky. Amaris Coup. Star League Civil War. The Exodus.
First Succession War (3084-3211) Emergence of five great Successor States from the dozens of states that are spawned by the end of the Star League.
Second Succession War (3216-3293) Star League Ministry of Communications officially becomes ComStar. Kentares Massacre. Davion Civil War. The Great Interdiction and the Ares Conventions.
Third Succession War (3293-3420) With only half the population and a tiny percentage of the industry of the Star League, the Inner Sphere continues to fight over the empty throne of the First Star Lord.
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Blacknova

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2011, 06:07:12 AM »
I was not sure you were going canon or AU until I saw Kerensky leave in 3051.  However, I fully support the whipping of those in green...

I'll stick my hand up for mapping support, but I supose that's a given these days.
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Takiro

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2011, 06:13:10 AM »
That sounds like a huge project my friend, one I can't make in a major way unfortunately. I'd like to see a bit more on the differences and just how your going to accomplish this refluff. 
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2011, 02:30:21 PM »
Do we have to rewrite the fluff for 'Mechs or for States?
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MageOhki

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2011, 05:15:42 PM »
Some, yes, some no. 

BTW: Tarus and her colonies become an much more battered US 1800-1840's equivant, works better than the French Age of Reason they attempted to try to sell.

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drakensis

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2011, 05:16:47 PM »
Quote from: Blacknova on April 06, 2011, 06:07:12 AM
I was not sure you were going canon or AU until I saw Kerensky leave in 3051.  However, I fully support the whipping of those in green...

I'll stick my hand up for mapping support, but I supose that's a given these days.
That would be greatfly appreciated when the time comes. The 'contemporary' map will basically be the one for 3025 as far as borders go (although the view from the ground might be a bit different) but historical maps (the finest single aspect of the Handbook series IMHO) would be very helpful.

Quote from: Takiro on April 06, 2011, 06:13:10 AM
That sounds like a huge project my friend, one I can't make in a major way unfortunately. I'd like to see a bit more on the differences and just how your going to accomplish this refluff.
One of the differences will be trying to have a consistent picture each field and make sure everything works from the same basis. To use one piece of fluff as an example, the DCMS is said to have close ties to Nimakachi Fusion Products. Which would be great if Nimakachi's operations weren't on the periphery border of the Free Worlds League.

So we'll be going through lists of who produces what and where and maybe moving somethings around. And then that's going to be spelled out: where factories are and what they make.

As for how, at the moment the first step - which is where we are, I do not deny - is building up the basic structure of the setting - the overall history, levels of technology and so forth - and brief summaries of the factions. The next stage would be for each faction writer to produce drafts for how their factions should work in terms of their history, government, society, economics and so forth. These would then be raked through and thoroughly argued over firstly to be not contradictory with each other and secondly until it's agreed what makes sense and what doesn't. Then redraft in light of these amendments and expand further. Repeat until there’s an agreed upon level of detail.
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drakensis

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2011, 05:18:04 PM »
Quote from: Ice Hellion on April 06, 2011, 02:30:21 PM
Do we have to rewrite the fluff for 'Mechs or for States?
Both. Some mechs may not need correction, although they'd all be reviewed.

States are going to be rebuilt from the ground up although drawing from the original material to a great degree.
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Blacknova

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2011, 05:18:16 PM »
Quote
That would be greatfly appreciated when the time comes. The 'contemporary' map will basically be the one for 3025 as far as borders go (although the view from the ground might be a bit different) but historical maps (the finest single aspect of the Handbook series IMHO) would be very helpful.]That would be greatfly appreciated when the time comes. The 'contemporary' map will basically be the one for 3025 as far as borders go (although the view from the ground might be a bit different) but historical maps (the finest single aspect of the Handbook series IMHO) would be very helpful.

Happy to help
« Last Edit: April 06, 2011, 05:24:08 PM by Blacknova »
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MageOhki

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2011, 05:22:00 PM »
We're looking for Faction heads, too.
We have FWL, Tarus (well, techically, the person in charge of Tarus isn't sold on keeping them), and the head. 

Factions:
Comstar
Kerensky's (side note, these are the LAST ones we want taken, and blunlty, they're no where NEAR the priority)
FS
FWL (Taken)
CC
DC
LC
Taruian C/surrouding
MoC/Surrounding
OWA/Surrounding
Other Perp/Belters/loose change
« Last Edit: April 06, 2011, 05:26:34 PM by MageOhki »
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drakensis

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2011, 05:34:28 PM »
Strike that mention of Kerensky, Mr. Over Eager.

We're nowhere near dealing with that. The 3425 Era is more than enough to deal with at this stage.
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2011, 01:45:44 PM »
Quote from: MageOhki on April 06, 2011, 05:15:42 PM
Some, yes, some no. 

BTW: Tarus and her colonies become an much more battered US 1800-1840's equivant, works better than the French Age of Reason they attempted to try to sell.

Why?
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

Rainbow 6

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2011, 02:24:25 PM »
Interesting, any chance you can PM me what the head of each faction would need to do?

Alternitively i might have time to do some of the minor periphery states.

Also no mercs?
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drakensis

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2011, 03:31:31 PM »
Quote from: Rainbow 6 on April 07, 2011, 02:24:25 PM
Interesting, any chance you can PM me what the head of each faction would need to do?

Alternitively i might have time to do some of the minor periphery states.

Also no mercs?
Why PM?

The Faction head would write (or compile the writing) of the material specific to that faction and fight their corner when the overall balance between factions is subject of discussion.

Mercs would not be dealt with as a seperate faction but as part of the faction or factions they are employed by. Hopefully there would be no repeat of the Waco Rangers being listed as employed by 3 seperate states simultaneously.
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MageOhki

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Re: Battletech: The Refluff (seeking co-writers)
« Reply #13 on: April 07, 2011, 03:40:25 PM »
Quote from: Ice Hellion on April 07, 2011, 01:45:44 PM
Quote from: MageOhki on April 06, 2011, 05:15:42 PM
Some, yes, some no. 

BTW: Tarus and her colonies become an much more battered US 1800-1840's equivant, works better than the French Age of Reason they attempted to try to sell.

Why?
Lots of reasons... anyone who's any expert in European realizies that they were picking an "Age of Reason" period France. Bluntly? Tarus ain't that.   Never was, never would be.   

Now, an Age of Reason PAMPLET based America of the 1800-1840 period, is _far_ closer to the Taruian model and acutal senses and political 'quirks'

The Paraonia (you should see some of the early stuff, about "Europe"), the drive to colonize, the educational/medical (Read Mr. Paine's pamplet)  etc, all fit an Paine Early America _far_ better than the model they were using.

A.
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