BattleTech 206330 225818070 2008-07-15T15:26:29Z MattieTK 434929 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Time for action|Time for action]] to last version by Lightbot (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{Refimprove|date=December 2007}} [[Image:Classic BattleTech logo 2006.png|right|335px|Classic BattleTech logo]] '''BattleTech''' is a [[wargaming]] and [[science fiction]] franchise, launched by [[FASA Corporation]] and currently owned by [[WizKids]]. The series began in 1984 with FASA's debut of the board game ''[[Classic BattleTech|BattleTech]]'' (originally named ''BattleDroids'') by [[Jordan Weisman]] and [[L. Ross Babcock III]], and has since grown to include numerous expansions to the original game, several [[MechWarrior (video games)|computer and video games]], a [[collectible card game]], a series of more than 100 [[novels]], an animated [[television program|television series]] and more.<ref name="HG">{{citation | contribution=BattleTech | first=Philip | last=Reed | editor-first=James | editor-last=Lowder | editor-link=James Lowder | title=Hobby Games: The 100 Best | publisher=[[Green Ronin Publishing]] | pages=24-27 | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-932442-96-0}}</ref> ==Overview== [[Image:JBtech.jpg|thumb|180px|right|A Shadow Hawk [[BattleMech]] from the cover of the Japanese edition of ''BattleTech'']] {{see|List of BattleTech games}} ===Original game=== [[Chicago]]-based FASA Corporation's original, 1984 ''[[Classic BattleTech|BattleTech]]'' game focuses on enormous robotic, semi-humanoid battle machines called ''BattleDroids''.<ref name="battledroids">{{cite book | last = Weisman | first = Jordan | coauthors = L. Ross Babcock III | title = Basic BattleDroids | year = 1984 | publisher = FASA Corporation | location = Chicago | isbn = }}</ref> Their name was changed to [[BattleMech]]s in the second edition because [[George Lucas]] and [[Lucasfilm]] held the rights to the term "[[droid]]." The visual design of the earliest line of BattleMechs were taken from ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross|Macross]]'' and other [[anime]], including many signature images. In later years FASA abandoned these images as a result of a lawsuit that was brought against them by [[Playmates Toys|Playmates]] and [[Harmony Gold USA|Harmony Gold [USA]]] over their use.<ref name="courtcase">{{cite court |litigants=Harmony Gold U.S.A. and Playmates Toys v. FASA Corporation and Virtual World Entertainment |vol=95 |reporter= |opinion=2972 |court=U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division |date=1996-06-12 |url=http://www.kaempen.org/alex/harmony_gold_v._fasa.html }}</ref> The BattleMechs taken from Macross were then considered "Unseen". When [[Fantasy Productions]] licensed the property, these "Unseen" images were expanded to include all art produced "out-of-house" – that is, whose copyrights resided with the creators, not the company. Catalyst Game Labs has continued this practice.<ref name="rspu">{{cite book | title = Record Sheets: Phoenix Upgrades | year = 2006 | publisher = BattleCorps | location = }}</ref> ===Expansions=== The game's popularity spawned several variants and expansions to the core system, including ''[[CityTech]]'' which fleshed out infantry and vehicle combat, ''[[AeroTech]]'' which focused on air- and space-based operations, and ''[[BattleSpace]]'' which detailed large spacecraft combat. FASA also published numerous [[sourcebooks]] that featured specifications for new combat units that players could select from. However, despite the large number of such pre-designed BattleMechs, vehicles, aerospace units and other military hardware, the creators also established a complex system of custom design rules, enabling players to generate their own units and field them in combat. This engineering aspect of the game, itself expanded by several design and technology sourcebooks, has proven to be enduringly popular and may explain ''BattleTech'''s longevity. FASA launched two additional systems to complement the core game: ''[[BattleTroops]]'', an infantry combat system, and ''[[BattleForce]]'', a large-scale combat simulator governing the actions of grouped ''BattleTech'' units. ''[[The Succession Wars]]'', a board game released in 1987, is one of only two purely strategic titles of the series (the other being "The Stars At War" from the Combat Operations book). ''The Succession Wars'' is played on a political [[star map]], with players vying to capture regions of space. Recent years have seen a trend of consolidating the expansions into the core products, beginning under FASA's aegis and continued by both FanPro and Catalyst Game Labs. Of the current set of core rules, ''Total Warfare'' includes elements originating in ''CityTech'' and ''AeroTech 2'' (itself a consolidation of ''[[AeroTech]]'' and ''[[BattleSpace]]''), while ''Tactical Operations'' and ''Strategic Operations'' are slated to include remaining ''[[AeroTech|AeroTech 2]]'' elements and a version of ''[[BattleForce]]''. ===Spin-off games=== The ''BattleTech'' franchise first extended beyond the tabletop wargame format with the release of ''[[MechWarrior (RPG)|MechWarrior]]'', a [[role-playing game]] in which players portray BattleMech pilots or other characters in the 31st century. The RPG system has been republished in several editions and expanded by various sourcebooks and supplements. In 1996, FASA also introduced the ''[[BattleTech CCG|BattleTech Collectible Card Game]]'', a CCG developed by [[Wizards of the Coast]], creators of the popular ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''. [[WizKids]], the owners of the ''BattleTech'' franchise since 2001<ref>[http://www.wizkidsgames.com/wk_article.asp?cid=4501&frame=company WizKids Games<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, introduced a collectable miniatures-based variant of the classic tabletop game called ''[[MechWarrior: Dark Age]]'' in 2002<ref>[http://www.wizkidsgames.com/wk_article.asp?cid=36939&frame=company WizKids Games<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (later renamed ''[[MechWarrior: Age of Destruction]]''). The game incorporates WizKids' "[[Clix System]]", a means of tracking the combat statistics and abilities of each figure by turning a dial in its base. [[BattleMech]]s, the hulking flagship units of the franchise, made a natural subject for computer emulation, and so in 1988 InfoComm Studios released a PC based RPG called ''[[BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception]]'', which took place in the canonized BattleTech story universe. It was later followed up with a sequel, ''[[BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge]]'' in 1990. Both games were reasonably well received, although aside from storyline continuity the second game held few similarities to its predecessor. [[Image:MW4 cover.jpg|thumb|right|The cover of the ''[[MechWarrior 4]]'' PC game.]] The first pure simulation of BattleMech combat, however, was released for computers in 1989. Entitled ''[[MechWarrior (video game)|MechWarrior]]'' and published by [[Activision]], the single-player game gave users the opportunity to pilot a range of 'Mechs and engage in combat against computer-controlled opponents. Sequels ''[[MechWarrior 2]]'' (1995), ''[[MechWarrior 3]]'' (1999) and ''[[MechWarrior 4]]'' (2000) created progressively finer and more engaging simulations. The franchise saw its first online-dedicated game with ''[[Multiplayer BattleTech: EGA]]'' in 1992, which was followed by ''[[Multiplayer Battletech: Solaris]]'' in 1996. 1994 saw the series' first console original title, the simply titled ''[[MechWarrior 3050|BattleTech]]'' for the [[Sega Genesis]]. Other notable titles include the ''MechCommander'' series for the PC (''[[MechCommander]]'' in 1998 and ''[[MechCommander 2]]'' in 2001) and the ''MechAssault'' series (''[[MechAssault]]'' and ''[[MechAssault 2]]'' in 2002 and 2004, respectively, for the [[XBox]], and ''[[MechAssault: Phantom War]]'' in 2006 for the [[Nintendo DS]]). ===Virtual World Entertainment=== The ''BattleTech'' creators' goal of creating an immersive BattleMech simulation came to fruition in 1990 with the opening of the first [[BattleTech Centers|BattleTech Center]] at the North Pier Mall in Chicago. The BattleTech Center featured 16 networked, full-sized cockpits or "pods" that resembled a fully functional BattleMech cockpit with over 80 separate controls. Each player selected a 'Mech to pilot into combat against up to seven other human players in the other cockpits. Virtual World Entertainment, the company that managed the centers, later opened many other Virtual World centers around the world. It eventually merged with FASA Interactive Technologies (FIT) to form Virtual World Entertainment Group (VWEG) to better capitalize on various FASA properties. In 1999, [[Microsoft Corporation]] purchased VWEG to integrate FIT into Microsoft Game Studios and sold VWE. VWE continues to develop and support the current ''BattleTech'' VR platform called the Tesla II system, featuring ''BattleTech: Firestorm''. ===Beyond gaming=== The popularity of the ''BattleTech'' games and the fictional universe it inhabits has led to a number of related projects in other areas. By the far the most active of these is the line of popular science fiction novels, with [[List of BattleTech novels|more than 100 titles]] published to date. The novels are set in both the ''Classic Battletech'' era (mid-3000s) and the ''Dark Age'' era (3130s). [[BattleCorps]][http://www.battlecorps.com/], an online writing community, is another fertile source of ''BattleTech'' fiction. ''[[BattleTech: The Animated Series]]'', a 13-episode television show produced by [[Saban Entertainment]], aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in late 1994. Plots centered around the character of Major Adam Steiner and his First Somerset Strikers, and their conflict with [[Clan Jade Falcon]]. [[Electric Entertainment]], a company under contract to [[Paramount Studios]], has leased the rights to produce a motion picture based on the ''BattleTech'' universe, but development has been slow and little is known about the project's status. ==The BattleTech universe== [[Image:Battletech cover stormsoffate.jpg|thumb|right|BattleMechs in combat on the cover of ''Storms of Fate'' by [[Loren L. Coleman]]. Art by [[Fred Gambino]].]] The breadth and volume of material written for ''BattleTech'' has yielded a [[fictional universe]] with a richness and complexity that rivals ''[[Star Wars]]'' and ''[[Star Trek]]''. A detailed [[timeline]] stretching from the late 20th century to the mid-32nd describes humanity's technological, social and political development and spread through space both in broad historical terms and through accounts of the lives of individuals who experienced and shaped that history.<ref name="isaga">{{cite book | last = Bills | first = Randall N. | coauthors = et al | title = Inner Sphere at a Glance | series = Classic BattleTech | year = 2007 | publisher = Catalyst Game Labs (inMediaRes Productions) | location = Lake Stevens, WA | chapter = A Brief History of the Inner Sphere | isbn = 978-0-9792047-3-9 }}</ref> Individual people remain largely unchanged from those of modern times, due in part to stretches of protracted interplanetary warfare during which technological progress slowed or even reversed. Cultural, political and social conventions vary considerably between worlds, but [[feudalism]] is wide spread, with many states ruled by hereditary [[lords]] and other nobility, below which are numerous [[social class]]es. A key feature of the ''BattleTech'' universe is the absence of [[Extraterrestrial life|non-human intelligent life]]. Despite one or two isolated encounters in novels, mankind is the only sentient species, making the incessant warfare among humanity's feudal empires seem a more realistic and direct extension of the past and present. Though not the norm, fictional futures in which humanity is alone have been explored in a number of other popular series, including [[Frank Herbert]]'s ''[[Dune universe|Dune]]'', [[Isaac Asimov]]'s ''[[The Foundation Series|Foundation]]'', Grant Naylor's ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', and Joss Whedon's ''[[Firefly (TV Series)|Firefly]]''. Above all, the central theme of ''BattleTech'' is conflict, something to be expected given the franchise's [[wargaming]] core. Interstellar and civil wars, planetary battles, [[political faction|factionalization]] and infighting, as well as institutionalized combat in the shape of arena contests and [[duel]]ling, form the grist of both novelized fiction and game backstories. ===History=== {{main|History of the BattleTech universe}} ''BattleTech'''s fictional history covers the approximately 1150 years from the end of the 20th century to the middle of the 32nd. Most works in the series are set during the early to middle decades of the 31st century, though a few publications concern earlier ages, including a technical readout describing 2750s-era technology.<ref name="tr2750">{{cite book | last = Hess | first = Clare W. | coauthors = et al. | editor = Donna Ippolito | title = Technical Readout: 2750 | edition = Corrected Second Printing | year = 1989 | publisher = FASA Corporation | location = Chicago | isbn = 1-55560-089-1 }}</ref> ''MechWarrior: Dark Ages'' and its related novels take place in the mid 3100s.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/ | title = WizKids: MechWarrior | accessdate = 2007-12-09 }}</ref> ===Technology=== {{main|BattleTech technology}} The level of technology evident in ''BattleTech'' is an unusual blend of the highly futuristic and the nearly modern. Radically advanced tech like [[faster-than-light]] [[interstellar travel]] and [[superluminal communication]] mix with seemingly anachronistic technologies as [[internal combustion engines]], [[projectile weapons]] and [[artillery]]. [[Artificial intelligence]], [[nanotechnology]], [[androids]], and many other staples of future fiction are generally absent or downplayed. Incessant warfare is generally blamed for the uneven advancement; the destruction of industry and institutes of learning over the centuries of warfare having resulting in the loss of much technology and knowledge. As rivalries and conflicts have dragged on, the most common advanced technologies - used to gain military advantage - are redeveloped for the battlefield.<ref>''"Combat Equipment"''</ref><ref>''"Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex"''</ref> Because the BattleTech universe reached a pinnacle of scientific achievement before it collapsed in strife, there is an element of ''LosTech'' that is sometimes used as a tool in fiction and/or gameplay to add new dimensions to the storyline. ''LosTech'' represents designs and occasionally implementations of technological advances that were at some point achieved, but believed to have been lost over the ages. ''LosTech'' is frequently found in [[Star League]]-era caches, the locations of which have been forgotten or have been made inaccessible for various reasons. When designs and schematics are found, the most common source are old [[ComStar]] locations, as their organization held the majority of the most powerful and best-maintained computer systems. ===Political entities=== ''BattleTech'''s universe is governed by numerous [[interstellar space|interstellar]] [[human]] [[government]]s that vie for supremacy. Described below are the major areas into which these factions fall. ====Terra==== {{main|Terra (BattleTech)}} [[Terra (BattleTech)|Terra]] is the homeworld of mankind (no longer commonly called Earth, although this name is very occasionally used) and former capital of the [[Star League]]. Many planets around [[Terra (BattleTech)|Terra]] were rendered uninhabitable during the first two Succession Wars, and surviving planets suffer from the damage even centuries later. Several dozen of these worlds, in what came to be known as the [[Chaos March]], briefly gained their independence between 3057 and 3081. Historically, whichever faction controlled [[Terra (BattleTech)|Terra]] has held more political power than any single Great House. Several groups have held [[Terra (BattleTech)|Terra]], including the [[Terran Alliance (BattleTech)|Terran Alliance]], [[Terran Hegemony]], [[ComStar]], [[Word of Blake]], and [[Republic of the Sphere]]; most of these nations fought bitter struggles upon [[Terra (BattleTech)|Terra]], scarring the world. ====The Inner Sphere==== {{main|Inner Sphere}} The [[Inner Sphere]], heart of the BattleTech Universe, contains all worlds within 500 light-years of Terra. It is dominated by five "Great Houses": [[Successor States#House Davion|House Davion]], [[Successor States#House Liao|House Liao]], [[Successor States#House Marik|House Marik]], [[Successor States#House Steiner|House Steiner]] and [[Successor States#House Kurita|House Kurita]]. (The term "Inner Sphere" sometimes refers to these houses collectively). The leader of each Great House claims to be the rightful successor to the rule of the Star League, and so their nations are known as the Successor States. [[Image:Battletech cover patriotsandtyrants.jpg|thumb|right|BattleMechs on the cover of ''Patriots and Tyrants'' by [[Loren L. Coleman]]. Art by [[Fred Gambino]].]] There are few other significant nations in the Inner Sphere. The [[St. Ives Compact]] was a short-lived state that broke away from the [[Capellan Confederation]] after the [[Fourth Succession War]], and was reabsorbed following a brief war in 3062. The [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] was created in 3034 by a deal between the [[Draconis Combine]] and the [[Lyran Commonwealth]]. It rivaled the Capellan Confederation for size, but by 3052 it had been almost entirely conquered by the Clans; in the 3070s, much of it was incorporated into the [[Ghost Bear Dominion]] (which is known as the [[Rasalhague Dominion]] by 3130). ====The Periphery==== {{main|Periphery (BattleTech)}} The space surrounding the Inner Sphere contains a number of independent nations, known collectively as the Periphery. The largest of these nations (the [[Outworlds Alliance]], [[Taurian Concordat]], [[Magistracy of Canopus]], and [[Rim Worlds Republic]]) predate the Star League and rival the Successor States themselves in size, but are inferior economically and militarily. More moderately sized nations, such as the [[Marian Hegemony]] or [[Bandit Kingdoms (BattleTech)|Bandit Kingdoms]], also lie near the [[Inner Sphere]]. The Periphery contains countless other independent nations, many consisting of a single star system each and rarely playing a significant role in [[Inner Sphere]] politics. The mostly uncharted space beyond the nearby Periphery states is known as the [[Deep Periphery]] and contains numerous pirate havens and lost [[Star League]] colonies. ====The Clans==== {{main|Clans (BattleTech)}} [[Image:Battletech cover legendofthejadephoenix.jpg|thumb|right|[[BattleMech]]s on the cover of ''The Legend of the Jade Phoenix'' by [[Robert Thurston]]. Art by [[Fred Gambino]].]] During the Fall of the above-mentioned [[Star League]], the [[Star League Defense Force]] exiled itself and eventually settled in the Deep Periphery. They reformed into [[Clans (BattleTech)|the Clans]], a warrior-centric [[caste|caste society]] relying on [[genetic engineering|genetic manipulation]] and artificial birth. The four strongest of these Clans returned to the Inner Sphere as would-be conquerors in 3049, were reinforced by three more Clans a year later, and were joined in the late 3060s by another two. Of the original twenty Clans, by 3067 three were [[Clans (BattleTech)#Absorption Right|absorbed]], two were [[Clans (BattleTech)#Trial of Annihilation|annihilated]], two fragmented, two defected, and one was [[Clans (BattleTech)#Trial of Abjuration|abjured]]. The Clan Occupation Zones together occupy a region roughly equivalent to one of the Successor States. <ref>''"The Legend of the Jade Phoenix Trilogy"''</ref> ====Mercenaries==== {{main|Mercenaries (BattleTech)}} Inner Sphere has many [[Private military contractor|private military companies]]. Some of them are quite powerful, and their actions have influenced the history of the known universe. Among the most famous mercenary groups are the [[Wolf's Dragoons]], [[Eridani Light Horse]], Kell Hounds, Northwind Highlanders, [[Gray Death Legion]], and [[McCarron's Armored Cavalry]].<ref>''"Mercenaries Supplemental"''</ref><ref>''"Mercenaries Supplemental II"''</ref> ==Miscellaneous== * ''BattleTech'' has won three [[Origins Awards]] and its various expansions and spin-offs have won several more. * Many of the novels and sourcebooks incorporate pop-culture references, in names and places. [[Anime]] and [[manga]] seem to be a popular source of names for minor characters, as does true history. * [[FASA]], the company that produced ''BattleTech'', sued [[Playmates (Toy Company)|Playmates]] for [[trademark]] infringement for using several mecha designs that FASA developed for their battletech game for their ExoSquad toyline. The resulting counter suit from Playmates targeted mecha images taken from ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross|Macross]]'' and other anime series used in Battletech. The related lawsuits were settled and later products of BattleTech do not use the designs under contention. In the Japanese edition of BattleTech, all of these designs were redesigned by Studio Nue, creator of Macross. * An estimated twenty-five million people have played a ''BattleTech'' or ''[[MechWarrior]] RPG'' or read a ''BattleTech'' or ''MechWarrior'' novel, and at least ten million people have played the ''BattleTech''-based 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 one form or another) since publication. More than five thousand World Wide Web pages have been created to date by the online ''BattleTech'' community.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} ==See also== * [[History of the BattleTech universe]] * [[BattleTech technology]] * [[List of BattleTech characters]] * [[List of BattleTech novels]] * [[List of BattleTech games]] * [[BattleMech]] * [[List of BattleMechs]] * [[MechWarrior]] * [[Military Organization (BattleTech)]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== ===Official sites=== * [http://www.classicbattletech.com/ Classic BattleTech] * [http://catalystgamelabs.com/ Catalyst Game Labs], Official Publisher of Classic BattleTech and [[Shadowrun]] * [http://www.ironwindmetals.com Iron Wind Metals], official manufacturer of ''Classic BattleTech'' miniatures * [http://www.heavymetalpro.com HeavyMetal Software], official software for ''Classic BattleTech'' * [http://www.battlecorps.com/ BattleCorps], official fiction and game material for ''Classic BattleTech'' * [http://www.virtualworld.com/ Virtual World Entertainment] The maker of the full size BattleTech VR Simulator, BattleTech: Firestorm ===Designated BattleTech wiki=== * [http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page www.sarna.net] ===Online multi-player sites=== * [[BattleTech: The Frontier Lands]] [http://frontiermux.com], a text-based, real-time version of the BattleTech board game. * [[BattleTech 3065]] [http://btech.mushpark.com], a real-time, multi-player combat simulation site. * [[Inner Sphere Wars]] [http://www.iswars.com], a real-time multi-player combat site featuring live drops 24/7. * [[Neveron]] [http://www.neveron.com], a free, massively-multiplayer strategy/combat game using technology and large amounts of rule sets from the BattleTech universe. * [[Invasion3042]] [http://www.invasion3042.com], a free, real-time MMO strategy game based on the BattleTech board game. * [[MegaMekNET]] [http://www.mekwars.org/], a free MMO implementation of the BattleTech board game. ===Animated series=== * {{imdb title|id=0138224|title=BattleTech}} * {{Tv.com show|id=13359|title=BattleTech}} * ''[http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/S/Saban_Entertainment/BattleTech__The_Animated_Series/ BattleTech: The Animated Series]'' ===References=== * [http://www.battletechwiki.com/ BattleTech Wiki] * [http://www.mechforce.us/ MechForce.US] BattleTech RPG resource site * [http://www.gearsonline.net/btech/ Japanese Battletech at Gears Online] * [http://www.solaris7.com/ Solaris7] Battletech RPG/Fan-Fiction resource site * [http://www.kerensky.ultraforce.org/index.html Patrick's Battletech Archive] * [http://www.chaosmarch.com/ Chaos March BattleTech Archive] {{BattleTech Universe}} {{MechWarrior series}} [[Category:BattleTech]] [[Category:Origins Award winners]] [[Category:Mecha]] [[Category:Space operas]] [[de:BattleTech]] [[es:BattleTech]] [[ko:배틀테크]] [[ja:バトルテック]] [[pl:BattleTech]] [[pt:BattleTech]] [[ru:BattleTech]] [[zh:戰鬥科技]]