Games - BattleTech

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	Games - BattleTech

BattleTech is a science-fiction universe akin to Star Trek or Star Wars. It began with a board game/wargame, designed by FASA in 1984. The game simulates warfare in the distant future of the 31st century, where humans battle in gigantic walking machines powered by fusion reactors (known as BattleMechs), tanks, spaceships and aircraft, wielding weapons such as lasers, particle projection cannons, Gauss rifles and autocannons. As the game and related stories are centered around the BattleMechs and warfare, it can be considered a type of a military space opera. BattleTech was originally released under the name BattleDroids, but was renamed with the release of the second edition due to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. holding a trademark on the term droid. BattleTech has won three Origins Awards and its various spinoffs and expansions several more. The original design of the mechs were transplanted from Macross and other anime, but due to legal issues FASA had to develop their own.

A role playing game, called MechWarrior (not to be confused with the computer game of the same name), was released soon after the BattleTech wargame's second edition. Several computer and video games, as well as various forum games, have been based on BattleTech, as well as a collectible card game, a collectible miniature-based wargame, an animated television series, and more than 100 novels.

After FASA ceased active operations, the rights to BattleTech were sold to WizKids, a game company founded by Jordan K. Weisman (one of BattleTech's creators). A new tabletop strategy game in the BattleTech universe, known as MechWarrior: Dark Age
, was released in 2002 using three-dimensional, painted models that use the same "Clix" system as Mage Knight. The Clix system uses combat and heat dials built into the base of the models that quantify each Battlemechs attack/defense and performance capabilities. Three years have passed since the Dark age period began, now it has become the Age of Destruction. A timeline jump accompanied the release of MechWarrior: Dark Age; the original BattleTech, now known as Classic BattleTech, has been licensed by WizKids to FanPro, who continue to release rules updates, sourcebooks, and other new material set in the original era.

While the sourcebooks do contain some storyline information, the focus for it is the novel line. More than 100 full-length BattleTech or MechWarrior novels have been published (originally by FASA, currently by ROC) and translated into at least fifteen languages. The last FASA novel was Loren L. Coleman's Endgame in 2002, which wrapped up plotlines and character arcs dating back to the original novels beginning in 1986. The novels then jumped ahead timewise to accompany MechWarrior: Dark Age, with Michael A. Stackpole's Ghost War. It wasn't until mid-2005 that this story gap between Classic BattleTech and MechWarrior: Dark Age began to be filled by FanPro's sourcebook line, beginning with Dawn of the Jihad.

Classic BattleTech fiction has also continued to be released in both a German language series of novels and in electronic format under the BattleCorps epublishing umbrella. Plans for a print anthology of Classic BattleTech fiction, only previously available electronically through BattleCorps, were announced in August 2005.

The computer and video games for the most part bear the same name as the role playing game: MechWarrior. They are mostly 'Mech simulation games, with two real time strategy games under the title MechCommander. There also are fan-created mods that transform non-BattleTech real time strategy computer games into BattleTech games. An unofficial, online, open source version of the BattleTech tabletop game, MegaMek, has been created. It is licensed under GPL. Currently, all level 1 ("basic") and nearly all level 2 ("standard") BattleTech rules and technology are working. Even some level 3 ("optional") rules have been added. MekWars and MegaMekNET, campaign engines built around MegaMek, allow players to quickly find matches. There is a similar, real-time, online/open source BattleTech game called Battletech: The Frontier Lands, which features a massive selection of units and technologies.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for BattleTech ]

Games - BattleTech

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