tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746061879113877112024-02-20T21:44:03.750-08:00The Battletech StateA Blog devoted to the Battletech game and Universe.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-11510468725553107542023-06-12T16:11:00.000-07:002023-06-12T16:11:04.543-07:00Battletech and Reader Criticism<blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJGgsXnR90xorIJT2ZFumW1-1e0tEmFB92hST9qY8DneRWuPdOZtGPjm_jdH9mEX8fR04A86BE9u2eOmDpXUEANERhWOTQ3eC0atZYClbmsMhN6URkl9tbVhjAfldpDGjvdZZVV6RRWA5aABiEfwBBxwyWLgz8dxxQ5Zjh1VK13CpmLA8Ys_6rWqGJw/s875/331662173_611664617462652_519508458244680052_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJGgsXnR90xorIJT2ZFumW1-1e0tEmFB92hST9qY8DneRWuPdOZtGPjm_jdH9mEX8fR04A86BE9u2eOmDpXUEANERhWOTQ3eC0atZYClbmsMhN6URkl9tbVhjAfldpDGjvdZZVV6RRWA5aABiEfwBBxwyWLgz8dxxQ5Zjh1VK13CpmLA8Ys_6rWqGJw/s320/331662173_611664617462652_519508458244680052_n.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>So, <i>Elements of Treason: Honor</i> has been out for almost two weeks and it's doing well and getting good reviews -- for the most part....</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But someone posted a tweet that said the following about the novel:</p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">"This novel's broken me. Not in terms of my like of the era, but in terms of my ability to write a review. I'm too contemptuous of it. It is a terribad novel, but I hate putting out so much negativity in a video.There will be no review, sorry. Its just too cancerous."</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> <span> </span></span>That caught my attention, so I tweeted at him the following: </span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">I'll bite! What's wrong with it?</span></blockquote><p><span> </span><span> </span>He replied with:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">I think I'd rather have a lobotomy before I read anything about Peter Cobb again, to be frank. The plot in and of itself isn't the issue, with the Horses being divided or anything. Twitter's a terrible format for this due to its character limit too XD-</span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p>I was surprised, but not angry at the original statement or their reply. It's his opinion and he's entitled to it. It's frankly the worst review I've ever had, and it kind of makes me smile. I decided to write this post about writing BattleTech and reader's reviews and criticism. </p><p>A few authors see criticism of their stories as an attack upon themselves. That's why you have to develop a thick skin as an author. And sometimes the criticism is valid, while other times it isn't, and still other times, it's subjective. A rule that authors have to learn early is that you're not going to please everyone all the time. You will have readers who love every word you put down, while others will find what they see are chinks in the armor and try to jam a blade through. And some people will love some stories your write and hate other stories.</p><p>That is true for Battletech stories. I've had four Battletech Novels published and looking at the Amazon ratings, I can see that, for the most part, the reviews are good. So, I did a little cutting and pasting and took images of the customer review chart that ranks the product, in this case, my novels on a scale from one to five. I also included reviews from each novel, two good and one bad. this is what I see when I look at the reviews. Note that each review is exactly how it was written on Amazon. All I did was cut and paste the reviews.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LkNSiwo7ZcIKfq9aAgJ8jNCL2ZtskudX5yWaCtEXJ_5Fk-JvqqHbUE9oA0rKfYsdh3knLQkt6AHU2UlYPeTzN3WzPvRWUQnksaQjTrHGt19L1kUd3SOnFzKZLNahgie61NCX6AwrVx9lFbvbkRvsKm56cTpAr8_3Pl9GpV83vRRx_FFP1tCJWFa0vw/s279/Icons%20ratings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="279" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LkNSiwo7ZcIKfq9aAgJ8jNCL2ZtskudX5yWaCtEXJ_5Fk-JvqqHbUE9oA0rKfYsdh3knLQkt6AHU2UlYPeTzN3WzPvRWUQnksaQjTrHGt19L1kUd3SOnFzKZLNahgie61NCX6AwrVx9lFbvbkRvsKm56cTpAr8_3Pl9GpV83vRRx_FFP1tCJWFa0vw/s1600/Icons%20ratings.png" width="279" /></a></div>First up us <i>Icons of War</i>, my first novel. As you can see, most people gave it 4 or 5 stars, but a few gave it 2 or 3 stars. And here's a couple of excerpts from the Amazon reviews:<div><br /></div><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">This book was a great adventure with knew characters, so you never knew what was going to happen. Once you start reading it, you're not going to want to put it down.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">I really enjoyed this story, it covers a lot of lore previously little explored. I am super excited to read more of this author and this IP.<br /></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"></span></blockquote><p> </p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">The story does a good job of helping move the Battletech timeline forward and does tie up some loose ends. The story is action packed and does keep one wanting to keep reading. The writing was more of a young adult style with unnecessary, out of place and not needed sex scenes. I expected more from the author since he takes every opportunity to let everyone know he is a writer with his posts on how to write. The editing is in line with all Catalyst Game Labs publications. It leaves a lot to be desired. Missing words seemed to dominate the mistakes with some general sentence structure issues. Three stars because of editing and less than average writing. The story being interesting saved it from a two star rating.</span></blockquote><blockquote>The first two were from 5-stars reviews, while the last one was a 3-star review. Same novel, different reactions. That doesn't make the 3-star's opinion any less valid, they just saw it differently than the other two. And no matter how well you write, every reader sees the story differently. </blockquote><p>The ratings chart fro <i>Elements of Treason: Duty.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-G3slv4GT93lV1rgUbyBvJ19hkRchOnAoMhih5S5vzTb8SKZnl5miKLRYjljqde_A9LkPi8OrPqMQCa1sS2qMRz6lqrCdH0LyQXI17Qf3aB_f70Jc5ujypjQnS2iADpV-u0m91GR1OJyj8JzMD4T6W0Opao9iRRY5NaLk0DRivKawrJ1hUoOj2WEmw/s289/EoT%20%231%20ratings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="289" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-G3slv4GT93lV1rgUbyBvJ19hkRchOnAoMhih5S5vzTb8SKZnl5miKLRYjljqde_A9LkPi8OrPqMQCa1sS2qMRz6lqrCdH0LyQXI17Qf3aB_f70Jc5ujypjQnS2iADpV-u0m91GR1OJyj8JzMD4T6W0Opao9iRRY5NaLk0DRivKawrJ1hUoOj2WEmw/s1600/EoT%20%231%20ratings.png" width="289" /></a></div><p>A slightly lower rating. Most are still 4 or 5-Stars ratings, but a small percent gave it only 1 or 2-Stars.</p><p>Now for a look at the reviews:<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">One of the better BattleTech novels. Highly recommended!</span></blockquote><p></p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><blockquote>Great novel that tells the origin story of the Tamar Pact. Fast paced and fun. A must read for the IlClan era.</blockquote></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">Political through an through. Don't even think there was a mech battle in this one.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first two were 5-stars while the third was a 2-star. Now, the third one puzzles me, because there are definitely 'Mech battles in the novel, two of them at least, besides some other military action. To me, it's a head scratcher.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We now move onto the second Elements novel, <i>Elements of Treason: Opportunity</i>. Of the three, this was the most challenging, because I had to write about an established main character, who was a bad guy -- ruthless, ambitious, and wanting to regain power. So, I deepened his background and character. The rating table:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9glELyAd_5LQyNJ5zkIcMQm3LroB5noQ18090-a2EGfWPgipcfYNU2jqnsGBxQ_8Wx09MjfTbFKMjmfUn-kHcVy_aM30OKQl2qIP-qNqM2gg_MtTzNbJF5RqmOAf3XnrdzZS4PbXR2ltCbX5l20eZc0YwAPDYuCKeM2P4XkxSlMirplh6cMmd5Ck6w/s283/EoT%20%232%20ratings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="283" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9glELyAd_5LQyNJ5zkIcMQm3LroB5noQ18090-a2EGfWPgipcfYNU2jqnsGBxQ_8Wx09MjfTbFKMjmfUn-kHcVy_aM30OKQl2qIP-qNqM2gg_MtTzNbJF5RqmOAf3XnrdzZS4PbXR2ltCbX5l20eZc0YwAPDYuCKeM2P4XkxSlMirplh6cMmd5Ck6w/s1600/EoT%20%232%20ratings.png" width="283" /></a></span></div><p style="font-family: inherit;">Most are still giving it a 4 or 5-star rating, but there's a few more 1 through 3 stars. As for the reviews:</p><p style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">The story was good, fun to read, well paced. Not a lengthy tome, but it tells the story and reinvigorates a character I didn’t care for at all</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></blockquote></blockquote><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">really enjoyed the Duke’s turnaround after losing the throne and how things worked out. very excited about the last chapter and the surprise. well worth the read</span></blockquote><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">The worst one I ever read was also buy this author.</span></blockquote><p style="font-family: inherit;">The last one was a 2-star review, while the first two were from 5-star reviews. Again, some book, different opinions.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, the last one, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Elements of Treason: Honor</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, had its own challenges. A clan with little fiction time, a character that was somewhat </span>described in Sourcebooks<span style="font-family: inherit;">, and a few events that had to be in the novel. After two weeks, the </span>rating<span style="font-family: inherit;"> are this:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7lZbnLqscwMWKzE6pJVrloMEoe4up9onWe45_T2Vo4MDuREP1DDm8wUgK9H6A33Lsk-EYmvp083ifSEZwofGEdDhkhA8XU0sqXSXKXZDV_-Vr0VTlT77lJ-hCTMnormScjvvQMX9qgmHZluyDhFWWwr_OkPFezn4Ucfz5o2jhcla3-3czDjNJYLhqA/s299/EoT%20%233%20ratings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="299" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7lZbnLqscwMWKzE6pJVrloMEoe4up9onWe45_T2Vo4MDuREP1DDm8wUgK9H6A33Lsk-EYmvp083ifSEZwofGEdDhkhA8XU0sqXSXKXZDV_-Vr0VTlT77lJ-hCTMnormScjvvQMX9qgmHZluyDhFWWwr_OkPFezn4Ucfz5o2jhcla3-3czDjNJYLhqA/s1600/EoT%20%233%20ratings.png" width="299" /></a></div>A smaller sample, but still most ratings are 4 or 5-star. The number of reviews is much smaller this time, but they will come in time.<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">I would recommend this book to any BattleTech fan. The characters are well defined and well able to identify with. I enjoyed reading the Battle of Sudetan from the Hell's Horses' POV, too. Peter Cobb became my favorite character as swiftly as an Epona moves, and I really hope to see more of him - and more of the Horses - in the future.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">Craig is a great author and does an outstanding job of bringing characters to life. I'm glad to see the Horses finally getting a book of their own. My only critique is that there were some minor typos.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">It's a Battletech book. You get schlock action, schlock politics, likeable heroes and some solid tough guys. Giant robots fight it out in the far future. People talk.<br /><br />The hero's a bit Mary Sue, but the background and setting are well done and enjoyable.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">Again, two 5-star and one 3-star (The only ones up at the moment). It's clear that not everyone enjoys my writing. Most do, a few don't. That's all right. The fact most people like what I write is good enough for me. I do learn from every story I write, and I'm proud of everything that gets published (Well, almost everything. . . There is a Battlecorps Unit Digest I wrote that has enough spelling errors in it that still makes me cringe when I read it...)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">And to be honest, Battletech stories are never going to be considered classic </span>literature in the vein of Sherlock Holmes or Shakespeare. But they are a part of a unique universe that was been growing and changing for the last forty years. I am apart of that living, breathing universe. No other universe -- Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who -- has a consistent background (Doctor Who can be excused, because... time travel and the Doctor!!)</p><p>My best advice for any writer is to treasure the good reviews and brush off the bad reviews. You can't take offense to any bad review, but you can't let the good reviews go to your head -- reviews, both bad and good are a fact of life. The best you can do is write well enough that you have many more good reviews than bad. I've been lucky so far in that more people like my writing than dislike it, but I can't coast on that. There's always more room for improvement, always trying to not only get more reviews, but also more 4 and 5-star reviews. Reviews tell me how well (or how badly) I'm doing. So far, so good.</p><p>Now that all three of the <i>Elements of Treason</i> novels I was asked to write are now published, I can move onto the next project, and I have several at various stages of production. I hope most will be out this year or next.</p><p>Have a good day!</p><p>Craig</p><p style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"></span><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"></span><p style="font-family: inherit;"></p><p></p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-70549576459019815572023-06-01T09:28:00.001-07:002023-06-01T11:40:12.804-07:00Elements of Treason: Honor is out!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcjLRqnyqKD-y7N2BGrXO5l9qiW-Oh4smF3QmZ9xu4e65X59b4ezAHK2mlD8rwz4Vzbq1EeljCLl6JCHoIQKDsOAclrYmmgq2Rn4jK6T8oxbiUVZ5O7J13BWfXih3-P305DFg405RBiYbk6KDkZ5MxVsm8Dq0i7ckAY5gShDmoZkJYrRDBJrksxv5Yg/s2560/EOT%20%233%20cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1937" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcjLRqnyqKD-y7N2BGrXO5l9qiW-Oh4smF3QmZ9xu4e65X59b4ezAHK2mlD8rwz4Vzbq1EeljCLl6JCHoIQKDsOAclrYmmgq2Rn4jK6T8oxbiUVZ5O7J13BWfXih3-P305DFg405RBiYbk6KDkZ5MxVsm8Dq0i7ckAY5gShDmoZkJYrRDBJrksxv5Yg/s320/EOT%20%233%20cover.png" width="242" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>I started writing this post yesterday, and it had been titled "Now, the Waiting Begins..." But overnight, the novel went out... so it has a new title and I have some new material to write about.<p></p><p>The cover is about and the back cover blurb is this:</p><blockquote>A HERD DIVIDED…<div><br />For the entirety of its existence, Clan Hell’s Horses has been underestimated by its fellow Clans. The inclusion of tanks and infantry alongside their BattleMech forces has often unfairly forced the Horses into lopsided alliances with other Clans. As competing Clans race headlong to conquer Terra, the birthplace of humanity, the Horses must focus on survival rather than the glory of conquest. But many Horses want more, and they refuse to be shouldered aside as Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf reap the rewards of their campaign toward Terra.<br /><br />Star Captain Peter Cobb, a controversial rising star and military scholar, sees a new trail for the Hell’s Horses to blaze. This path would put the Clan on a fiery trajectory to earn the victories and respect they rightfully deserve, and push the Clan toward a prosperous future. But few embrace his controversial ideas and, divided by distrust and ambition, the leadership of his Clan lacks the will to ensure that the Hell’s Horses will be strong enough to survive the tumultuous conflicts ahead.<br /><br />Caught between the bloody agendas of two rival Khans—a political maneuverer and a bellicose warmonger—Peter must find a way to restore the soul of the Hell’s Horses without sullying his honor, or risk dooming his entire Clan to extinction in the face of a rising power unlike any the Inner Sphere has ever seen…</div></blockquote><div><p>For me, <i>Honor</i> is a milestone. It's the longest piece of fiction that I've ever written solo that's been published. It comes in at a little over 76,000 words, much longer than either <i>Elements of Treason: Duty </i>or<i> </i><i>Elements of Treason: Opportunity </i>(Both are 40-45,000 words). Of the three novels in this series, it's also the one I have to really dig into because it involved a faction with very little exposure in story fiction, and I had to string together a narrative that wasn't as clear-cut as both <i>Duty</i> and <i>Opportunity.</i></p><p>The story focuses on Star Captain Peter Cobb, a warrior who challenges the status quo of the Hell's Horses. A deep thinker and someone who isn't afraid to push the envelope. I won't give away the plot, but Peter is a developing character with a bright future ahead of him -- assuming he survives. </p><p>Peter Cobb was a blank page, with little to go on. In Tamar Rising, it says this about Peter: </p><p></p><blockquote>"Another critic of the new Khan is Star Captain Peter Cobb of the Fire Horse Galaxy’s First Horde Cluster. Unusually cerebral and introspective for a Trueborn Clan officer, he couples this with exceptional martial skill, in and out of his ’Mech. In Clan Council meetings, Cobb has openly questioned what the Clan’s purpose should be in the wake of Terra’s fall, and whether the Khan possesses a coherent vision for their future. He has gained a prominent ally in the form of Loremaster Sachiko Ravenwater, who has urged him to stand for saKhan, while also taking the unusual step of circulating transcripts of Cobb’s concise and articulate speeches among the Clan’s freeborn and non-Bloodnamed Trueborn warriors, earning the Star Captain a surprisingly large cadre of supporters in the lower echelons of the touman."</blockquote><p></p><p>I made Peter a warrior/scholar, a warrior who isn't afraid of learning from history. He isn't afraid to stake out a position, name names, and is willing to defend his position with words or with actions. That is where we first meet Peter, engaged in a Trial of Grievance. He wants to push the Horses out of the rut they're in because the Clan have done little since they came back to the Inner Sphere. They've taken a few planets, mostly ones from the retreating Wolf Empire, but they had been coasting along for the last seventy years. They developed the Mongol Doctrine, but lose it to the Jade Falcons Malvina Hazen, who then twists it to suit her own needs. It is Peter's research and exploration of the Golden Orbun Alliance that brings him to the forefront.</p><p>In addition to Peter's story, we get a look at the inner workings of a Clan that we haven't seen much of. I tried to make the Hell's Horse their own unique faction, with their own traditions and ways of doing things. We also get a look at a clan that is drifting toward crisis and maybe civil war, as the Horses Khans are divided, each pursuing their own agenda with their own methods. This split is forcing the castes, from warriors down to laborers to choose a side.</p><p>One of my favorite characters in this novel is Sachiko Ravenwater, the Hell's Horses Loremaster and Commander of The First Horde Cluster. An example of the saying, "Beware of an old person in a profession where the young die regularly," Sachiko is nearing ninety and has been Loremaster for over fifty years, outlasted several khans and sakhans, has seen everything a Clan Warrior can see and has a closet of T-shirts to prove it. Despite her age, she is still an active warrior and does not take guff off of anyone. While most people her age are knitting and baking cookies, Sachiko is balancing her duties of Loremaster and Cluster command, both demanding positions. She is still a dangerous warrior who sees what the Khan Gottfried Amirault and saKhan Fulk Lassenerra are doing to the clan. and has decided to take action by guiding a warrior who can lead the clan -- Peter Cobb.</p><p>The novel covers the period between May 3150 -- September 3152, putting it into the beginning to the iIlClan era. As far as I know, this is the last of the <i>Element of Treason</i> novels, though if John wants more, I'm willing to write them. I've enjoyed writing these novels, to give two new factions some exposure and to give the least-known of the Inner Sphere clan some time in the sunshine.</p><p>The novel can be found here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6TCFXSF/?fbclid=IwAR2TiGm1PmfQ4WNYsqgFMGszg17MKirPRF_6ZU1T8r58B7n1Sjx4VmWbdyw" target="_blank">Elements of Treason: Honor</a> Right now, it's only in an Ebook form a tthe moment, but should be available as a POD book within a few days. So enjoy, and let me know what you think of it!</p><p>Later!</p><p>Craig</p><p> </p></div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-28989197942439152412023-05-15T09:11:00.003-07:002023-05-15T09:11:42.762-07:00A Quick Update<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPkPs8ownyJMnJtK6BeT_3hyimpR3cn1ZCpbSzlftr7vbBcILnOGMuLgco_-E6Z6o4ao3J_KmXTO1SZ8oijtD0T8pTyANBcvBecttHRf-GLZCr9DKCc42kCWSO5mcwCoNZ4URNi8YdazYhj7dhhw6udrx4oWhuSQM2nQR8cN6oF-6nO8zlr_fXzig3w/s519/330006739_6108411322554860_3925653370096004392_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPkPs8ownyJMnJtK6BeT_3hyimpR3cn1ZCpbSzlftr7vbBcILnOGMuLgco_-E6Z6o4ao3J_KmXTO1SZ8oijtD0T8pTyANBcvBecttHRf-GLZCr9DKCc42kCWSO5mcwCoNZ4URNi8YdazYhj7dhhw6udrx4oWhuSQM2nQR8cN6oF-6nO8zlr_fXzig3w/s320/330006739_6108411322554860_3925653370096004392_n.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This won't be a long post, just a note to let you know that I'm starting on writing <i><u>Poisoned Honor</u>,</i> the first of the War Of Reaving Trilogy today.</p><p>As an aside, the three of us have been bouncing around a few things that the Sourcebook didn't cover, so be on the lookout for that.</p><p>That's it!</p><p>Craig</p><p><br /></p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-69152807408677602812023-05-08T14:03:00.003-07:002023-05-08T14:03:43.808-07:00What I'm working on now...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7m8kqysfsKESBj02kD-mn6lacS7WfztC8WXoOexiTvFSeDoG6_Nim8JvhC2U1re70LGju3mrMKEDKqPx1i8FAJfaW_hKZspo8v_C_kLM9gcarENsC55IfXdIiol4M4C7XmXJQmwPGgZ7TofPeoIlBZk1mlINWy8XH72Fv6PswlvvXH-SusT4abkizQ/s1200/299520396_1869749886564386_1430857988312016194_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="789" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7m8kqysfsKESBj02kD-mn6lacS7WfztC8WXoOexiTvFSeDoG6_Nim8JvhC2U1re70LGju3mrMKEDKqPx1i8FAJfaW_hKZspo8v_C_kLM9gcarENsC55IfXdIiol4M4C7XmXJQmwPGgZ7TofPeoIlBZk1mlINWy8XH72Fv6PswlvvXH-SusT4abkizQ/s320/299520396_1869749886564386_1430857988312016194_n.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I know it's been a whole, but I had a very good reason why I haven't blogged in the last month: I suffered a very personal loss in late March and I've been throwing myself into my writing to take my mind off my loss. It hasn't been easy, but I'm hanging in there.</p><p>But enough about that. <i><u>Elements of Treason: Honor</u></i> is still being edited, so it's out of my hands until I get it back for some last-minute rewrites. After that, it shouldn't be too long to be published. I was also commissioned and completed a novella in what I think will be another of the merc novellas. I won't say anything more than that for now. But once it's out, I'll talk about it more.</p><p>But the Kickstarter was the big news this past month. Over $7.5 million for the Battletech Mercenaries boxed set. That's three times the Clan box Kickstarter earned, with twice as many backers. (Clan Box: 11,277 backers, pledged $2,586,421 Mercenary Box: 23,654 backers pledged $7,549,241). It's great to see such a reaction -- the Kickstarter made the top twenty list of largest Kickstarter ever AND the top ten Kickstarter Tabletop games list. So, it was very successful for Catalyst.</p><p>At the not realized $8 million stretch goal had a perk not many people talked about: The War of Reaving trilogy. And like the <i>Blood Asp</i> and the Sommerset Strikers, this too will be realized as a future product.</p><p>Three well-know Battletech Authors -- Myself, Jason Hansa, and Phil Lee -- are going to tackle the massive and densely-packed War of Reaving. And make no mistake: these will not be short novels, but fully packed novels telling the story about the worse war in the Clans history. This is a daunting task, but I think we can do this event some justice. The three of us, along with John Helfers, are in constant communication with each other, looking at how we divide this event up into manageable chunks. We each will be writing a book, but there will be characters that will appear in all three books, to carry the main plot through. I won't go into much more detail on it -- we are plotting our own books and banding about which characters to use where, and what events we tell from the War and where. It's going to take a while, as we're still in the plotting stage, but the project is underway.</p><p>I have written a novella that should be out soon. It has to do with Hansen's Roughriders, and one of the least described fronts in the Jihad, but one of the bloodiest. Also, I don't think I mentioned that <i><u>Icons of War</u></i> is out on audio! Read by Trent Sparks, <i><u>Icons</u></i> has been nicely received by the Battletech for it's plot and the look at Clan society, something we haven't seen much of. It's a great book to listen to and I love some of the tones he takes with the characters, especially Kyne. You can find it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-BattleTech-Icons-of-War/dp/B0BDBGCMNR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GWAU3SCHE7TT&keywords=icons+of+war+battletech&qid=1683579629&sprefix=Icons+of+War%2Caps%2C2097&sr=8-1">Icons of War (Audiobook)</a>. There's a sample on the page so you can see of you like it.<br /><br />That's all for now. Need to get back to plotting (the book)!</p><p>Later!</p><p>Craig</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-84540819163926330382023-03-23T22:01:00.000-07:002023-03-23T22:01:05.498-07:00Day One of the Mercenaries Kickstarter -- Wow!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfeDH4ngX1zSHoW62X-zECYEJU08hbx92owQvwTRJ3KSLFORmhB2jz4CTJXPijFOb58Wg3M-sjJXZwOWraIybIUERfR8KV_VlhIN9NN5BaePE12oMRih5czjNevnNBO80_povGUqxENuRXk9uMZ88y_JEagCOH9GGO1xR7mGUBmOAnTLeIfr2oUxpiA/s908/Mazzoni01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfeDH4ngX1zSHoW62X-zECYEJU08hbx92owQvwTRJ3KSLFORmhB2jz4CTJXPijFOb58Wg3M-sjJXZwOWraIybIUERfR8KV_VlhIN9NN5BaePE12oMRih5czjNevnNBO80_povGUqxENuRXk9uMZ88y_JEagCOH9GGO1xR7mGUBmOAnTLeIfr2oUxpiA/s320/Mazzoni01.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br />Day one of the Battletech Mercenary Kickstarter is in the books, and I am blown away.<p></p><p>I monitored the Kickstarter from the start and watch as it was funded within the first thirty seconds. In less than two hours, It hit a million and two Million by the afternoon. After about twelve hours, it now sits at $3.4 Million, with twenty-seven days to go. It has blown past the First Battletech Kickstarter in numbers if backer and money. I am looking forward to see how far this goes.</p><p>I've noticed that the number of levels and stretch goals are not as numerous nor as varied as the first Kickstarter. Catalyst has learned from their mistakes, trying to make sure they can meet the goals this time around.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are a few changes. Fewer Mechs, and a good selection of vehicles. No Dice and no Character canonization this time around. No swag packages (I want to be able to order a faction pin/patch/challenge coin combo instead of choosing one of them.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGRv_mJkIOqjCJ5yo0gwIE_2fyCeegPLjoLTTnS2OvUDwlMDPnXKfx8lZVherbdibEdo6zQOguRnnsBIbkrJu_IgkWbe7HwCyOPPWfMiKQDmCKnvAhBGTmm9OY5bZcPkRuS4WIncPATDlcA12oghFAqS_qvxZ-LbIAp8uIfFl4PAJBFyG7Vhqz6z7Ig/s919/First%20Reward%20KS%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="919" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGRv_mJkIOqjCJ5yo0gwIE_2fyCeegPLjoLTTnS2OvUDwlMDPnXKfx8lZVherbdibEdo6zQOguRnnsBIbkrJu_IgkWbe7HwCyOPPWfMiKQDmCKnvAhBGTmm9OY5bZcPkRuS4WIncPATDlcA12oghFAqS_qvxZ-LbIAp8uIfFl4PAJBFyG7Vhqz6z7Ig/s320/First%20Reward%20KS%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a>I</div>There seems to be less fiction offered this time around, as well as salvage boxes. But its designed to be more streamlined, as the last Kickstarter broke the fulfillment company's system -- twice!<div><br /></div><div>The stretch goals were blown through quickly, and now they are only set at the million/half-million levels. From the reaction on the Adeptacon livestream, they were surprised as the speed in which the stretch goals were broken after only a few hours. Maybe there will be more surprises for future stretch goals. I don't know. We'll see.</div><div><br /></div><div>So after only one day, the Battletech Mercenary Kickstarter is a massive success. How much will be pledged at the end? We'll see....</div><div><br /></div><div>Later! </div><div><br /></div><div>Craig<br /><p><br /></p></div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-28082265347853087982023-03-16T13:30:00.000-07:002023-03-16T13:30:37.203-07:00Shrapnel #12 -- "Three White Roses" Story Background<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-v-I-vwUIlhoIsl8IsYJEuttnBJDdRStJB5qx9AXRIyYHJ-A6VuBJW_9qFHZOFu6SkTWk5BSW-MMECjn_UmhOkrTJrYdbC5m5r19psHU3TlmgrpIvYCUuie1LeFlDpeIBecJB0mFw9J4QvLwgUvHIAm8wBJzHA8IB-KpeBiXdQWO-d1G5Wl558v-fQ/s1269/Shrapnel%20%2312%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-v-I-vwUIlhoIsl8IsYJEuttnBJDdRStJB5qx9AXRIyYHJ-A6VuBJW_9qFHZOFu6SkTWk5BSW-MMECjn_UmhOkrTJrYdbC5m5r19psHU3TlmgrpIvYCUuie1LeFlDpeIBecJB0mFw9J4QvLwgUvHIAm8wBJzHA8IB-KpeBiXdQWO-d1G5Wl558v-fQ/s320/Shrapnel%20%2312%20cover.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br />After a couple of issues off, writing <i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Elements of Treason: Honor</i>, I have a new story in <i>Shrapnel #12</i>. It's a bit of an odd story, because I go back in time, further than I have ever gone before in Battletech History, to the time of the Davion Civil War, the Five Regents, and Alexander Davion.<p></p><p>Alexander Davion is an important Leader in Federated Suns History. He is the one who decides to join the newly forming Star League, reforms the Federated Suns military into the AFFS, and rules the Federated Suns for most of the 26th Century. A pawn in the game between Regents, Alexander escapes the clutches of Regent David Varney, who daughter Alexander marries, in 2525, setting the stage for the Davion Civil War.</p><p>What drew me to this story was there's little detail on how Alexander escaped Varney's clutches. Alexander's seventeen, not old enough to be First Prince, so not experienced enough to escape on his own. And where is the his bodyguard? He's not sneaking out on them, if they're any good.</p><p>So,it has to be his personal protection team, Federation Protection Forces (the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns does not exist yet) soldiers who has to be the lead in getting him out. And this is where Captain Cadmon Mallory comes in. (If you're wondering, Vengeance Games's Baron Riordan Mallory is from the same family, just a different branch.). Cadmon is a professional, loyal to the soon-to-be First Prince, and knows he's in a tough situation. The rest of his command is equally skilled and loyal to Alexander.</p><p>When it becomes clear Alexander is in danger, it becomes Cadmon's job to get his charge out of it and away from the danger and David Varney, who is "escorting" the First Prince around the Capellan March. He needs help and he finds it from an unlikely source.</p><p>I had only a couple of facts to work with: where Alexander was when he made his escape, and when. From there, it's deciding how the escape happened and the background of the escape. And it wasn't that hard -- as soldiers and bodyguards, Cadmon and his soldiers are use to planning on the fly and having plans in place to handle most situations. It doesn't go smoothly -- few plans do -- but Cadmon and his soldiers win through.</p><p>As I said before, this is the earliest story I've written on Battletech History, some 500 years before the the Gray Death Legion story starts. There are a few stories from before the 31st Century, and the only novels I can think of that are set before the first Battletech novels is the Founding of the Clans trilogy. Which is a pity, because there are great tales yet to be told -- the Amaris Civil war is worth a novel series similar to the Twilight of the Clan series in breath and scope, nine novels that detail the most important event in Battletech history. The first and Second Successor Wars also deserve stories to explore the events. And the Jihad is also another event that needs multiple novels to bring away from the sourcebooks and making it personal.</p><p>But I also realize that Battletech is a large universe, and Catalyst has limited resources. The IlClan is the focus of the novels, bringing a new era alive and showing the fans this new universe and this era. I hope one day we can go back and explore those stories of the past. But we have a new era waiting for us writers and others to create, so that is where we will be. But if I have my way, this will not be the last time Cadmon Mallory appears in the pages of Shrapnel. There are still stories to tell about Alexander Davion, and Cadmon will be the start of a Mallory family saying -- "Where there's a Davion making history, there'll be a Mallory guarding their back." And Cadmon has plenty of reason to guard Alexander's back.....</p><p>Later!</p><p>Craig</p><p>(PS: I hope <i><u>Elements of Treason: Honor</u></i> will be out in April, but no guarantees -- the KS prep is sucking all the air our of the room ATM. Hopefully after Adeptacon, things will calm down and things get back to normal.....)</p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-51974597498197471882023-03-09T00:04:00.002-08:002023-03-09T00:04:55.279-08:00No Greater Honor: The Erindani Light Horse Chronicles Audiobook<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXd4et0hYuygELTtjlXrVeNQf-1P8FeHVrGNMPbK1-uWVRvWc_07b3lCh1x1b5xjhPQTE2uP07Hj-I36tL4W8ssDR8x8QA2YvkwcteUsaoGmokEqKYsTUs5oEn2__JlQfsShBqbsR19Ad0LgZQkuhHau9xw6A1ooJhQMM_y3VqgLpIhqMo6HHrnbt_w/s960/No%20Greater%20Honor%20AudioBook%20Cover%202-28a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXd4et0hYuygELTtjlXrVeNQf-1P8FeHVrGNMPbK1-uWVRvWc_07b3lCh1x1b5xjhPQTE2uP07Hj-I36tL4W8ssDR8x8QA2YvkwcteUsaoGmokEqKYsTUs5oEn2__JlQfsShBqbsR19Ad0LgZQkuhHau9xw6A1ooJhQMM_y3VqgLpIhqMo6HHrnbt_w/s320/No%20Greater%20Honor%20AudioBook%20Cover%202-28a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br /><br />I was getting ready for bed, when I got an email from John Helfers, announcing the release of the audio version of<i><u> No Greater Honor: The Complete Eridani Light Horse Chronicles</u></i>.<br /><br />From the back cover copy:<br /><br /><i>Traditions run deep….<br /><br />Most mercenary units fly flags on two flagpoles at their headquarters: one with their unit’s flag, and other bearing the flag of their current employer. However, the Third Regimental Combat Team—a.k.a. the Eridani Light Horse—leaves one flagpole bare, as a reminder of the death of the Star League, and the other pole flies the Light Horse’s unit and regimental flags at half-mast.<br /><br />What triumphs and tragedies shaped the Eridani Light Horse and its traditions? What drove them to become a force to be reckoned with, an elite mercenary unit with one of the longest histories and the deepest traditions in the Inner Sphere? Now, collected for the first time, nine of BattleTech’s finest authors bring the legacy of this storied unit to life like never before.<br /><br />Witness the Eridani Light Horse’s origins in the Star League, and follow their evolution all the way through the Succession Wars and the Clan Invasion to their downfall during the Dark Age and their resurrection in the uncertain future of the ilClan era.<br /><br />Featuring stories from:<br /><br />Joel Steverson<br /><br />Craig A. Reed, Jr.<br /><br />Chris Hussey<br /><br />Randall N. Bills<br /><br />Jason Hansa<br /><br />Daniel Isberner<br /><br />Alan Brundage<br /><br />Jason Schmetzer<br /><br />Michael J. Ciaravella<br /><br />Narrated by Gabriella DeLuca, Jack Douglas, Sierra Taft, Robert Dale Brown Jr., and Stephen-Paul Dieter. <br /></i><br />This ten-story anthology covers one of the oldest and most respected Mercenary units in Battletech -- the Eridani Light Horse. Now, it's available as an audiobook on Audiable, this anthology has multiple narrators, a first for any Battletech Audiobook. My own story in this collection is <i><u>No Tears</u></i>, and tells the story of one of the worse events in Light Horse History -- the massacre of dependents by a desperate Combine planetary government, and the resulting vengeance carried out by the Light Horse.<br /><br />So, a quick post to let you know it has been released for your listening pleasure. It can be found here: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/BattleTech-No-Greater-Honor-Audiobook/B0BXQTW6L4">BattleTech: No Greater Honor The Complete Eridani Light Horse Chronicles</a>. SO, if you have a long trip and you want some new Battletech to listen to, the Light House awaits!<br /><br />Later!<br /><br />CraigCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-88979713153718921142023-03-06T17:52:00.000-08:002023-03-06T17:52:42.575-08:00Kickstarter Characters' Names in the Elements of Treason: Duty<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2oZOlhBSM3-Avk7RhHoRxv9Mo50WIEA8-vb-xTay9UA5Y1ltEVAr_PEAAg1rG0sgdObhq9hCDiBbN-XLkTB4eSsNUumAK1jKODpWX6yG_K5V67DhaXZm4p-RPvFvXO_bUlF6feT_WHfRtmk7-wOk9fjZj2VmconJf-o_8xYHAtoHR9OkpPdFm4xFsA/s500/1638610681.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_SX500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2oZOlhBSM3-Avk7RhHoRxv9Mo50WIEA8-vb-xTay9UA5Y1ltEVAr_PEAAg1rG0sgdObhq9hCDiBbN-XLkTB4eSsNUumAK1jKODpWX6yG_K5V67DhaXZm4p-RPvFvXO_bUlF6feT_WHfRtmk7-wOk9fjZj2VmconJf-o_8xYHAtoHR9OkpPdFm4xFsA/s320/1638610681.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_SX500_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As part of the Kickstarter from a couple of years ago, Backers had the option of having a canon character in the Battletech Universe. I did use a number of the characters for both <i>Elements of Treason</i> novels that have been published. Unfortunately, the list didn't make it into the either book, and I am here to rectify that and I hope to have a full list in the third <i>Elements of Treason</i> novel.<p></p><p>Now, I tried to match the character with as close a role as I could get. I tried to take advantage of the backer's wishes as much as possible, and I hope those of the backers who I chose the name for are satisfied with my efforts. I tried to make each character more than just a name check -- every characters I used from the list has at least one speaking part and a couple have supporting roles.</p><p>Today, it's characters from <i>Elements of Treason: Duty.</i> I went heavy with this one, clearing as many names as I could. I also wanted to spend a few words talking about each one, and what decisions I made.</p><p>First one is Karen "Kampfhund" Zimmerli. The original role the backer wanted was as Lyran Intelligence Corps, Espionage-Loki. I couldn't find a role for her as a Loki agent, but I did have a spot of the commander of an Arcturan Guards Special Forces team leader. She fit almost perfectly and has a decent run as a supporting character. I do have to apologize for spelling "Kampfhund" as "Kampfhound" That one is completely my fault.</p><p>Next up is Blue Ryne. The backer wanted the character to be a sniper, and I found a place for him exactly as that. To whoever submitted the name, I hope your son was surprised.</p><p>Ingrid Jilani was supposed to be a noble in military intelligence. Instead, I made her Chief of Staff for the Twenty-Sixth Arcturan Guards. She also deals with intelligence, and she has a few scenes.</p><p>Killien Dunard has a role as part of the Battle of Pandora. He's only in one chapter, but he has a few lines.</p><p>Torrian Dann and Sven Wichert had a larger role in early drafts of the novel, but word count forced me to cut the chapter. Though I do have enough to construct a story around the chapter for a future <i>Shrapnel</i> issue.</p><p>I hope those of you who have a character in <i>Elements of Treason: Duty</i> enjoy their appearance in the novel. I tried to get them as much screen time as possible, and some were in position to become major supporting characters.</p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>Craig</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-59820117469514479822023-03-01T17:23:00.000-08:002023-03-01T17:23:39.066-08:00Update on my Writing for March<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOE_pi0xsC1uG8R6JmYQmOU07AJOHftIUzM00omDMEtY9ctfKIRQcESenCDOZEIlbEUHjKCsRUJcfHw39cUjZIQhcawActzpLMJWa1BnoZ4e32DLC1XI9wob9y-I23GuLmIRUYAwotdtByp1Z-fIlfs9Z2779Uydyv9geisi1Kfv55qgjtCxGryVdUQQ/s263/Clan_Hell's_Horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="263" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOE_pi0xsC1uG8R6JmYQmOU07AJOHftIUzM00omDMEtY9ctfKIRQcESenCDOZEIlbEUHjKCsRUJcfHw39cUjZIQhcawActzpLMJWa1BnoZ4e32DLC1XI9wob9y-I23GuLmIRUYAwotdtByp1Z-fIlfs9Z2779Uydyv9geisi1Kfv55qgjtCxGryVdUQQ/s1600/Clan_Hell's_Horses.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />As the Mercenary Kickstarter is on the horizon, I thought I'd write about what I'm up to.<p></p><p>We are very busy on the fiction side of things. John Helfers is nothing but ambitious in getting Battletech Fiction out to everyone. I will be talking in general terms, as there are things happening behind the scene that I can't talk about yet.</p><p>The logo at the top of this column is tied to the novel I wrote: <i>Elements of Treason: Honor</i>. And it's about a faction that rarely gets any time on-screen, so to speak: Clan Hell's Horses. Like the other two <i>Elements of Treason</i> novels, this one has ties to the <i>Tamar Rising</i> sourcebook, covering the events that happened in that book. But unlike the other two novels, the Horses refused to be corralled to a 45K word count, so this novel will be the longest of the three. How much longer, I'm keeping to myself for the moment.</p><p>The Hell's Horses have always been a blank space of sorts. We know they are more open to combined-arms warfare than any of the other clans, they and the Ghost Bears don't get along and what was left of them back in the Clan Homeworlds became Clan Stone Lion. Other than that, they are a bit of a mystery, one I had to crack and bring them into line. I had mostly some established characters, recent history, the Mongol Doctrine, and the <i>Tamar Rising </i>sourcebook. So, I went to work. I turned in the second draft of the novel last week, so unless there's a need for a major rewrite, it's out of my hands.</p><p>The result is a good look inside the Clan itself, one I will talk about more when the novel is published. I've seen the cover image and it's a great image.</p><p><i>Shrapnel #12</i> is due out March 15, and Another short story of mine is in it. It's a look at an event from Battletech history, one that hasn't been filled in before. I think its the earliest story set in Battletech's history that I've fully written.</p><p>I have another novel submitted I'm waiting for feedback on. I won't say much more until it's in the chute for publication.</p><p>In addition, I have a couple of pitches in for approval and waiting on them. There are also a couple of other projects that are on the back burner at the moment, but soon will move to the front burner.</p><p>I can't want for the Kickstarter and what comes out of that.....</p><p>That's all for now,</p><p>Craig</p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-46709712244451516972023-01-21T16:31:00.000-08:002023-01-21T16:31:00.585-08:00The Life of a Battletech Writer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0liQfRXIVN1_Qkub1yunt-TOXq80f0EhnEKDE3Eez7YG6YD1mBRhd_h3hbkrpGT1Me5ixBlppFryV1-XAwqUen4kun03fn9a3DqL0GrpZtf52wGRTG3mua5x3hs3TqEEKBmJnIX0rKY138su-u9cwDGE_IO6i_JXlk7zB-RuunQy8Qz1WWhie3v-nw/s1280/CAT35223_ER3145_Wallpaper_1280x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1280" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0liQfRXIVN1_Qkub1yunt-TOXq80f0EhnEKDE3Eez7YG6YD1mBRhd_h3hbkrpGT1Me5ixBlppFryV1-XAwqUen4kun03fn9a3DqL0GrpZtf52wGRTG3mua5x3hs3TqEEKBmJnIX0rKY138su-u9cwDGE_IO6i_JXlk7zB-RuunQy8Qz1WWhie3v-nw/s320/CAT35223_ER3145_Wallpaper_1280x768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I write Battletech, but what does that mean?</p><p>To be a a writer in an IP with such a rich and deep background, it can't be a casual relationship. While other IPs, such as Star Trek and Star Wars have a much more open universe, Battletech has a single unifying history and well-defined factions. While Star Trek's canon is malleable, and Star Wars is only now beginning to unify their canon (after removing a large chunk of the previous 'canon'), Battletech's has been consistent (in general terms, some details were altered by following authors to better fit in with what is now canon.) for almost 40 years. </p><p>I remember when <i>The Sword and the Dagger </i>came out -- that novel, if it was written today, because today's canon would have not allowed a number of places and events to be in it. It isn't a bad novel, but the author was writing that novel with only a few notes and no background to base the story on. So reading it today, it doesn't have the same ring of later novels.</p><p>Any Battletech story or novel today has to past through a battery of fact checks, ranging from correct military ranks in a faction's military, the correct 'Mech variant, history check, and even language. Yes, things will slip through, but most are caught and the writer notified about what needs to be changed.</p><p>So, what does this mean to me, as a writer? What follows is a rough outline about how I go about writing a story. This is about story fiction, not sourcebook fiction.</p><p>Stories come in two ways: me writing a story, and John saying, "Hey, I need you to write this!" (like the Elements of Treason series). </p><p>For my own stories, it sometimes starts with a story idea -- A "What if?" question. For example, "What if a soldier gains an undeserved reputation?" (<i>The Lance Killer</i>) or "What if a priest found his faith being tested?" (<i>State of Grace</i>). Other times, it could be an image that inspires a story. <i>Hikagemono</i> was inspired by the first TechManual cover.</p><p>After the idea is born, I research. When would be a good time and place to set this story? Sometimes, it can be lines from a sourcebook that set the time and place -- <i>The Lance Killer</i> was set in time and place by two lines in the <i>FedCom War</i> sourcebook. <i>Heroes' Bridge</i> was inspired from a description of the fighting on Mandate described in the <i>Fourth Successor War</i> sourcebook.<span style="color: white;"> <span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit;"><i>Kurodenkou </i>has it basis in a scenario from the <i>The Dragon Roars</i> scenario book. Every so often, I will read through a Battletech book, seeing if anything sparks a story idea.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">After I have a story's basic idea, along with a time and place, I research details. 'Mechs need to be the right ones for the time and place the story</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span>occurs, and things like ranks (Important to have the right ranks), anything from a planet's description I can use, such as locations, and where a unit should be.</p><p>While I'm researching, I'm writing. Depending on the level of detail, I may skip a section, or use things like "XXXXX" for words or locations I don't know at the moment and come back later and fill it in. I don't usually outline a story, but let it flow naturally.</p><p>Once the story is done, I send it in and continue onto the next story. Sometimes, I have more than one story I'm working on at any time. When I get feedback on a story, I make the corrections, or make an argument to leave certain details as they are.</p><p>Now, novels are John Helfers IMing me and saying, "I have something for you. You interested?" <i>Icons of War</i> was passed onto me because the original author didn't have the time to write it. The <i>Elements of Treason</i> series have their roots in the <i>Tamar Rising</i> sourcebook. In this case, I take the events from the sourcebook, and construct a plot around them. </p><p>I also am not afraid to go back and revisit characters to use them in other stories. I feel that their usefulness is far from over and they have more to say. I've done that with several characters, and I find they are still as fresh as they were when they first appeared.</p><p>With novels, it allows me to broaden the number of characters and subplots. While I have the events I must include, I can put my own spin on them, staying with the spirit of the sourcebook's words while adding depth to the events.</p><p>In <i>Icons of War</i>, I had to come up with a reason why the <i>McKenna's Prid</i>e was in the Inner Sphere with General Kerensky's body onboard. The largest problem was the Wolves left the Clan Homeworlds in 3071, but the <i>McKenna's Pride</i> is still there in 3076. It is this problem that led to the main plot of Icons, and the characters and events that branch off of this plot. The blank slate of non-warrior Homeworld Clan society and a mention of Free Guilds in the Jade Falcon, combined with the presence of the Dark Caste led to Satinka and her people being created. To show the Clan government wasn't completely clueless led to the creation of Bhu Telinov and Warrior Kyne. Stas and the Wraiths came about because I needed a 'Mech battle and only a couple of my other characters were Mechwarriors. The running space battle at the climax was necessary to maintain tension. As the pieces came together, they answered questions that I had, like "Why did it take Garman's team five years to steal the battleship?" and "Why did Garman take the <i>McKenna's Pride</i> instead of just the General's body?"</p><p>Once I've completed the first draft, I send it in and wait for the editor to read though it, make notes and changes. Once I have the list of changes, I read through them and change what I agree with and argue those changes I don't agree with.. I know that I do not write perfect first drafts; few people do. And most changes are made without complaint, a few with muttered curses, but not worth arguing about, and a few changes I strongly oppose. I will sometimes take a note and incorporate into the story in a way they don't expect. The second draft gets sent back and the process is repeated until everyone is satisfied. </p><p>Sometimes, the Word Count is the limiting factor. I am given a word count and I have to try to stick to that. Sometimes I can hit the WC, other times, I have to ask for another 5K words to complete the story. The word count is why some events are not covered, but are glossed over. I have told John that "It's stuffing a 60K story into a 45K bag." I'm looking at writing short stories to cover some of those events I glossed over in the novels.</p><p>I am never not writing; if it isn't Battletech, it's for my other projects. For Battletech, I have several short stories started, as well as novellas in various states of written. Some may see the light of day, others won't -- for those I don't, I may strip out characters and put them into other stories that need them.</p>I think I've rambled on enough for this post. Enjoy yourselves and be safe.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Craig<br /> </p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-60217295171954786442023-01-18T10:27:00.001-08:002023-01-18T10:27:33.456-08:00The rise of the SuburbanMech<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15K9TH2IRc2UevRayuQ_MyNJD3Mx_musl54S3mnCIbB1zmLSB_1UR8qmQAqgZEoJ_WATJqr4Qiq63M--xys2FGoO0UE1zx1qC5U4NxsrBx30A0aQSUwLkojFbzWd3MuPpsf_wgyty-vp11EoxuVvEQXKJWnhhEksLwmeagQc3l3Tft3kCYQoB-M2oRQ/s418/urbanmech-rg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15K9TH2IRc2UevRayuQ_MyNJD3Mx_musl54S3mnCIbB1zmLSB_1UR8qmQAqgZEoJ_WATJqr4Qiq63M--xys2FGoO0UE1zx1qC5U4NxsrBx30A0aQSUwLkojFbzWd3MuPpsf_wgyty-vp11EoxuVvEQXKJWnhhEksLwmeagQc3l3Tft3kCYQoB-M2oRQ/s320/urbanmech-rg.png" width="237" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Things are moving along as well as can be expected on the writing side of the Battletech Universe. I am waiting on feedback on a couple of projects and working on others. but I thought I would take a blog post on a 'Mech design I am very proud of -- the UM-R90 <i>SurburbanMech</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I described it in the article in <i>Shrapnel #4</i>, The <i>SurburbanMech </i>is an overcaffinated <i>UrbanMech</i>. It's faster than the original, can jump farther, and switches to an all-energy readout. By replacing the autocannon with a PPC, enough weight was freed up to install a larger engine and an extra jump jet. There are not enough heat sinks for an Alpha Strike, but with a some effort, it can do the job.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <i>SurburbanMech</i> is an old design, one that has been around for over two decades. One day, I was looking at the design and something clicked. So, I did the redesign and used it in a couple of battles. At the time, <i>Battletechnology</i> was being published, so my friend Rob Madson and I decided to start submitting things to the magazine. The <i>SurbarbanMech</i> was the first thing we submitted and the first thing we had published in <i>Battlechnology #16</i> -- my first Battletech writing credit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For a couple of decades, the design was nothing more than a side note in the Battletech Universe. When the magazine decanonized, the <i>SurburbanMech</i> was in limbo. It wasn't until other <i>Battletechnology</i> designs started showing up in canon products, I brushed off the design, wrote a new entry for the 'Mech and submitted it. The rest is history.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Both the industries mentioned in both the TRO articles -- Hammerstorm Electronics Corporation (HEC) was my company, while Phoenix Heavy Industries (PHI) was Rob's company. The two appeared in the entry for the Rattlesnake in <i>Battletechology #21</i>. And while Rob is no longer with us, I had to keep his touch on the design as a tribute to his memory. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm proud of the <i>SurburbanMech</i> being canon again. When I heard that the 'Mech was now part of the Battletech computer game, I couldn't help but smile. It's a nice upgrade to the <i>UrbanMech</i>. Death From Above Wargaming recently did an <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Battlytics </span></span>of the <i>SurburbanMech</i> on their YouTube channel (Located here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZO160kZjVc">UrbanMech Shootout PART 3 - UM-R90: Battlytics | Classic BattleTech Mech Review | Clan Invasion</a>), along with the original UM-R60 and the UM-R60L <i>UrbanMech</i>s in other videos. Watch all three and see how the <i>SurburbanMech</i> stacks up with the others.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and if anyone wants to run the UM-R100, go ahead. I have never run it before in battle and I'm curious to see how it stacks up on the battlefield.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's it for today. See you later!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Craig</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><i><br /> </i><p></p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-2952540089243923832023-01-09T18:09:00.000-08:002023-01-09T18:09:59.603-08:00Icons of War Audiobook<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbQ1aEynf873NyVb29Gi0HDhJPvs7VN-s92Fiq3Lh4s-MXL5jiOoSNGvIK83kawTexNPBjAXJxkxLM3AnhlAE9bgmPI6khXUuRfeuvNUcwMj7NkaxQPtuPoYCdyUqn1omR6Am_mkt2fzLXxyeTp_OdI5cKfMKaSRVRK2xo5TdKT9Lhr93IRkcBtxwhA/s500/Icon%20of%20War%20Audiobook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbQ1aEynf873NyVb29Gi0HDhJPvs7VN-s92Fiq3Lh4s-MXL5jiOoSNGvIK83kawTexNPBjAXJxkxLM3AnhlAE9bgmPI6khXUuRfeuvNUcwMj7NkaxQPtuPoYCdyUqn1omR6Am_mkt2fzLXxyeTp_OdI5cKfMKaSRVRK2xo5TdKT9Lhr93IRkcBtxwhA/s320/Icon%20of%20War%20Audiobook.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>In early September, <i>Icons of War</i> as released as an audiobook. Read by the Battletech's novel voice actor, Tren Sparks, this full-length audiobook is unabridged and bring Garman, Satinka, and the other characters to life. It's only five hours, seventeen minutes long, and can be burned to four or five CDs.</p><p>This isn't the first novel I've had involvement in that's an audiobook: the <i>Outcast Ops</i> novels I co-authored are also audiobooks. But Icon is my first solo novel on Audio, and it's strange to listen to the words I wrote. As an author, you can hear he character speak those lines -- you imagine they way they speak, their accents, their micro expressions. Now, I had no interaction with Tren -- I didn't give him any notes about how a character should sound, how to pronounce any of the words, or any other advice.</p><p>Yet, he did a great job. The voices he use, especially for Kyne, are good. Tren brings the characters to life -- maybe not exactly the way I envisioned them, but I have no complaints. In fact, I think Tren's Kyne is better than the voice I imagined for him. I love the audio version of <i>Icons</i>.</p><p>Now, it's only available on Audible, and can be found here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-BattleTech-Icons-of-War/dp/B0BDBGCMNR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=O0C4V8BNR9PK&keywords=icons+of+war&qid=1673312029&sprefix=Icons+of+War%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1" target="_blank">BattleTech: Icons of War Audible Audiobook – Unabridged</a>. If you are a Audible subscriber, you can use your free monthly audiobook to chose <i>Icons</i>. Tren is a great narrator and he brings my words to life.</p><p>That's all for now.</p><p>Craig</p><br /> <p></p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-61906434120239561752023-01-05T23:38:00.000-08:002023-01-05T23:38:23.716-08:00BattleTech is Officially One of the Biggest Names in Tabletop Gaming Now<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_flvzWvt40a03tA6rdduqnFb1KgiiXLpTureQhgUO8NgpJ3ZMds0cOlxSUIEV5R7NjySv_TpeeJpi2LTHNyVHB6l4A_mF64j5k4cjDPTL9vkhYlDp_iy2XHu1l6JBtHkppgMVL52hhldyhER03m2RYjN1KGGCP6ma9Zr73ClV7MCvSI8LAnWibgNTLA/s1280/CAT35223_ER3145_Wallpaper_1280x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1280" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_flvzWvt40a03tA6rdduqnFb1KgiiXLpTureQhgUO8NgpJ3ZMds0cOlxSUIEV5R7NjySv_TpeeJpi2LTHNyVHB6l4A_mF64j5k4cjDPTL9vkhYlDp_iy2XHu1l6JBtHkppgMVL52hhldyhER03m2RYjN1KGGCP6ma9Zr73ClV7MCvSI8LAnWibgNTLA/s320/CAT35223_ER3145_Wallpaper_1280x768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>At least according to both Catalyst and Polygon....</p><p>I hadn't intended on making a blog post this quickly after the last one, but I thought I would say something about the article. The Catalyst article can be found here:<a href="https://bg.battletech.com/news/a-look-back-and-ahead-at-battletechs-success/?fbclid=IwAR0TxK0OmA7ncbgs9tIiQ7T66Bdsil36Fl2oO78pGAt3TiHNKYXZHP9D1E8" target="_blank">A Look Back–And Ahead–at BattleTech’s Success</a>. The Polygon article can be found here: <a href="https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23538869/battletech-sales-numbers-2022" target="_blank">BattleTech is officially one of the biggest names in tabletop gaming now</a>. What I want to do is take a look a the numbers Catalyst has put out.</p>At the end of 2022, the seventh printing of <i>A Game of Armor Combat</i> and the eighth printing of the <i>Beginner's Box</i> had been shipped out. In the last four years, 160,000 copies of both those boxed set have been printed up and sent to the market place.<p></p><p>160,000 copies.</p><p>Not bad for a game that was declared dead and buried the on the late 90's, or on life support in the 00's. A game that has been around close to 40 years, with an initial high learning curve, and whose rules had remained mostly the same in that time. In this day of short attention spans and computer games, Battletech has held its own and has brought in new players and those returning to the game after years of inactivity.</p><p>The key is no doubt the plastic miniatures that come with each box. The minis, well-detailed and relatively cheap (Compared to the metal minis, which have their own place in the play of things), have been overhauled and resized to make clear the differences between each 'Mech class from light 'Mechs up to the assault 'Mechs.</p><p>On that foundation, Catalyst launched a highly successful Kickstarter to bring in Clan 'Mechs into the mix. A Boxed set was backed with multiple Lance, Star, and Level IIs packs, (AKA, Force Packs) along with a wave of swag. The Clan boxed set is currently on it's fourth printing and brings another 55,000 copies to the marketplace, bringing the number of copies of the three boxed sets to 215,000.</p><p>And the New <i>Alpha Strike</i> boxed set, that adds another 25,000 to the initial print run, and a second printing run of 20,000 already in progress, will boost the number of boxed sets to over a quarter of a million for all boxed sets.</p><p>As for force packs? 600,000 force packs printed up, of which most have already been sold. According to the Polygon article, over 9,000,000 plastic minis have been manufactured. NINE MILLION. (It can be argued that's more 'Mechs than the 'Mech combat strength of the combined militaries of every faction in the game) and the four new merc-themed lances coming out in January and four more in March will add another 160,000 force packs, bringing the total number of force packs up to three quarters of a million.</p><p>But I have to include the other part of the Battletech line -- sourcebooks, rulebooks, and supplements. The <i>Total Warfare</i> rulebook is on its tenth printing, and comparing a first printing with a tenth printing will show that the two printings rules set are 97-98% the same. Catalyst has gone heavily into digital products, allowing series that would otherwise never be seen a chance to find an audience that is more tech-savvy than ten years ago. </p><p>And Fiction.... What can I say? Only a few IPs can boast over a hundred novels, covering several hundred years of war, political intrigue, and skulduggery and have a base consistency few other IPs can match. Shrapnel has been a success, and the next issue will be #12 -- three years of consistence work to get the magazine out on time. I have had some success in both fiction and sourcebook writing and hope to do more of it in 2023.</p><p>I can't wait to see the Merc Kickstarter!</p><p><br /></p><p>Craig</p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-43752784973103846972023-01-03T13:49:00.002-08:002023-01-03T13:49:28.804-08:00What's on the Horizon for me in Battletech in 2023?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f9y0HdHk-oXdMRIKXUgRNg9vgHW_D4aLsKfXHov4n9QnCH5lDcbk9z6Rflu1p0P4CASuLEVXJPm8QPVQpOWaZ7j4asxeqO3NIH_uZgFK4_m2DIQMnM_DjdVWHhi9frMWrF7fs1lXdUSMuxXLTmd3uBSTkoMyHJs4bUR97FhfooPcxozOt-xjxrtKhw/s1334/New%20year%20Mech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1031" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f9y0HdHk-oXdMRIKXUgRNg9vgHW_D4aLsKfXHov4n9QnCH5lDcbk9z6Rflu1p0P4CASuLEVXJPm8QPVQpOWaZ7j4asxeqO3NIH_uZgFK4_m2DIQMnM_DjdVWHhi9frMWrF7fs1lXdUSMuxXLTmd3uBSTkoMyHJs4bUR97FhfooPcxozOt-xjxrtKhw/s320/New%20year%20Mech.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>2023 is a new year and I hope will see more growth in both Battletech and my writing for it.</p><p>A note about upcoming projects: I have little insider knowledge of what's in the works unless I am directly involved in it. And even if I did know anything, I have an NDA preventing me from revealing it. So, when things are announced, I am as surprised and delighted as you are.</p><p>Right now, things are looking up. If things go right, I will have three Battletech novels out this year. I won't go into great detail, but want to say something about them.</p><p>The first one up should be <i>Elements of Treason: Honor</i>. This is a Hell's Horses-center novel, the first one about the combined-arms Clan. Like the other two <i>Elements of Treason</i> novels, the background for the novel can be found in the <i>Tarmar</i> Rising sourcebook. But unlike the other two, I couldn't fit the story into the word count of the other two. So, with John Helfer's (Catalyst's fiction director) permission, I expanded the novel to 75,000 words to broaden the story. The second draft was turned in just before the holidays, and hopefully, I will get the needed feedback before the end of the month.</p><p>The second novel has been written, but there are changes that will have to be made to bring it into line with the current timeline. The novel dives deeper into one of Major Houses' culture in an area that hasn't really been explored before. I won't say anything more than that, as I still need feedback from the powers that be on what needs to be changed.</p><p>The third novel is in the planning stages, and is part of a trilogy along with two other well-known BT authors. The three novels will cover events that have been talked about in sourcebooks, but have never been really explored before in fiction. More when the process is father along -- as I said, it's in the planning stages right now.</p><p>As for other projects, I'm still writing short stories and hope to have two more published in <i>Shrapnel</i> this year. I also have a few ideas for gaming content for <i>Shrapnel </i>I need to pitch to Phil. And if other lines ask for something from me, I will do my best to accommodate them.</p><p>That's the plan at any rate......</p><p>That's it for now, I'll try and be more proactive in the blogging part of the occupation. Until next time!</p><p><br /></p><p>Craig</p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-75167977033095501572022-12-26T14:14:00.004-08:002022-12-26T21:12:02.699-08:00Elements of Treason: Duty and Elements of Treason: Opportunity<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8ecjkgTBIXVBrzPARFQvXLLMk47yw2VS3fVup3FzTZ2uf_zJ0S3hJFVncZ7iBzwIINltCJ5g4NrGr6gdj3SJKb1vwr_BNDRSbmr8nwBmL0lvUPVIhEGf34jRC2oHZHH5iJ60emSRnLCCv2FhheGDIBMIysXNyoGfEzi5rDfVfzb80j6CRawudXBFTw/s1269/273824646_3059166607676819_8187747757444128655_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8ecjkgTBIXVBrzPARFQvXLLMk47yw2VS3fVup3FzTZ2uf_zJ0S3hJFVncZ7iBzwIINltCJ5g4NrGr6gdj3SJKb1vwr_BNDRSbmr8nwBmL0lvUPVIhEGf34jRC2oHZHH5iJ60emSRnLCCv2FhheGDIBMIysXNyoGfEzi5rDfVfzb80j6CRawudXBFTw/s320/273824646_3059166607676819_8187747757444128655_n.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br />These two novels of a three-book series that dive into the events of the <i>Tamar Rising</i> sourcebook. <i>Elements of Treason</i> isn't a trilogy in the normal sense of the word, as all three books deal with different characters, but they all occurr in the same area of space, the former Falcon Occupation Zone. <div><br /></div><div>I was brought on board as the<i> Tamar Rising</i> sourcebook was being written. I was told which books dealt with what, and the first book was to be about the formation of the new Tamar Pact. I was given a word count and the developing sourcebook text.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Elements of Treason: Duty</i> is about the formation of the new Tarmar Pact. I had two characters from the sourcebook to start with: Sarah Regis and Krit Sirsopa. A few more names came from <i>FM:3145</i> in the form of Cox, Torres, and Brooks. The Fyhne name is from one of the sourcebooks as the ruling family of Arcturus. There are a number of KS characters in the book (I folded and bent a few to get them into the book, but I did so. However, I lost the list of the character and need to track them down again so these people get the credit they deserve). Everyone else (Including the current Fyhnes) is an original character.</div><div><br /></div><div>The question I had to answer is "Why didn't Arcturus come back to the Commonwealth?" On the face of it, Arcturus should have been glad to be part of the Commonwealth again or made a bigger stink about being annexed by Regis. That led to "Why did Sarah Regis choose to set up her own state?" The wonderful thing about fiction for Battletech is that you can weave events into the story that gives the reader a fuller picture of why events went the way they did. In Tamar Rising, Sarah Regis and her RCT goes rogue and declares the formation of the New Tamar Pact. <i>Elements of Treason: Duty</i> gives the reader the full background of why she went rogue.</div><div><br /><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ6fQ8ypMwfoxGbSeqwPuXB03V-7G6QdCFYTDsmOEUfwTzs-7LGt1_q2k1ivO2epii0xhlcQ2aGxMjOMWANEEVK2Fg4zGwDRCruufh_OScVC5MClg0Wpb5jouHKP2GIh0YPKc64dhzg9IrX6KgNkdHL-FK5SuuD7gdDExUAj0ZZ2V-DvnrdlKy4yQzA/s500/EOT%231.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ6fQ8ypMwfoxGbSeqwPuXB03V-7G6QdCFYTDsmOEUfwTzs-7LGt1_q2k1ivO2epii0xhlcQ2aGxMjOMWANEEVK2Fg4zGwDRCruufh_OScVC5MClg0Wpb5jouHKP2GIh0YPKc64dhzg9IrX6KgNkdHL-FK5SuuD7gdDExUAj0ZZ2V-DvnrdlKy4yQzA/w207-h302/EOT%231.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><i>Elements of Treason: Opportunity</i> is different because I was dealing with an established character, Vedet Brewer. Brewer has been playing a villain for a while, taking the Archonship for a couple of years before being deposed and fleeing Tharkad. The wonderful thing about Battletech is no faction or character is 100% good/evil (Well, except Max Liao -- that dude is crazy and evil! ;)).</div><div><br /></div><div>I found myself wanting to fill out Brewer a bit, to make him a more rounded character. In <i>Elements of Treason: Opportunity</i>, we find out more about Brewer's life and how one incident changed his life forever, and a glimpse at what would have been a different Brewer, even as he's carving out an empire of his own. I hope I made him a little more understandable and humanized him some.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a third novel in the series. <i>Elements of Treason: Honor</i> is very different from the first two and more of a challenge to write. The Hell's Horses take center stage for the first time in a novel, and it was a challenge, so much so, that I couldn't fit it into 45,000 words. So, this one will be longer and I hope will make the Horses fans happy. I have submitted the second draft earlier this month, but as everyone is spending time with friends and family, so it will take some time to get the feedback. I hope we will see it published before the Mercenary Kickstarter in March.</div><div><br /></div><div>And as a teaser, I have begun work on a new novel that will bring light to an era we know little about. I won't say anything else now but down the road...?</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for now. I need to get this blog up and running again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later!</div><div><br /></div><div>Craig</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-39889415566597354642021-09-20T19:59:00.195-07:002021-09-30T22:00:22.001-07:00Vengeance Games -- Some Background<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DxsrWpK24UC0wfqWiw0zTatfe06W6EuBk9bmOPTdLQyNJZRavbxYaciYqRA5VtFOIy9rI0I-n7qBeRVLploolBOxmxcc49E3r_-_ObIMGwXm7QXZEliqu6ayXfi58dEsyfBQ3TQEzRgM/s900/Shrapnel-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="681" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DxsrWpK24UC0wfqWiw0zTatfe06W6EuBk9bmOPTdLQyNJZRavbxYaciYqRA5VtFOIy9rI0I-n7qBeRVLploolBOxmxcc49E3r_-_ObIMGwXm7QXZEliqu6ayXfi58dEsyfBQ3TQEzRgM/s320/Shrapnel-6.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /><i>Shrapnel #6</i> has the first part of a novella of mine called <i>Vengeance Games</i> I thought I should write this post and give you same background on it. There are no spoilers in this post about the story itself, but the background is a lot deeper.<p></p><p>The main character, Gideon Wozniak, is the same one that appeared in my story <i>End of the Road </i>from the <i>Legacy</i> Anthology. But <i>Vengeance Games</i> was written before <i>End of the Road</i>, mostly as a mental exercise, but with a hope to see it published. When my pitch for <i>End of the Road</i> was accepted, by using Gideon, it gave him some needed background.</p><p>Who is Gideon Wozniak? A former AFFS soldier, born and raised on Antietam. His father was a soldier, and he grew up in a military family. He was the man nicknamed "Stone's Hammer," commander of Stone Lament's Third Battalion, and one of Stone's Immortals, those who were with Stone on Kittery from the start. He has spent years fighting in the Jihad, earning the reputation for being the one Stone turn to to hold a position or to take one. Someone, who should have been a Knight, or even a Paladin, so what happened? Why did he walk away from that? <i>Vengeance Games</i> gives those answers.</p><p>Gideon is a complex character. While we saw only Stone's Hammer in <i>End of the Road</i>, in <i>Vengeance Games, </i>we see more of a man who has spent years fighting in some of the most intense fighting. Such fighting has left scars, and we've seen a few of them come up in the first part.</p><p>Another character who had been around (in a couple of new items from the now-extinct <i>Battlecorps</i> website) is Baron Riordon Mallory. (BattletechWiki page: https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Riordan_Mallory ). Riodron has always been on the edge of my story-telling thoughts, but <i>Vengeance Games</i> is his first actual appearance in a canon story. He is a historian, with a penchant for being blunt in his assessment, much to those in power. Only the fact his father is the Duke of Antietam has kept him from the wrath of a few powerful Federated Suns families and is Solaris for "Research."</p><p><i>Vengeance Games</i> combines a few things of mine that have either become part of the official Battletech fabric or have been published as non-canonical. Threads that go all the way back to <i>Battletechnology</i> #21 and the story that my late friend and I wrote, <i>Snakedance. </i>Sharp-eyed readers who have read both will see a <i>Snakedance</i> character in <i>Vengeance Games</i> and a couple of other characters who are name-checked.</p><p>So, why <i>Vengeance Games?</i> I won't go into too much detail, but what unfolds is exactly as the title stated. And it takes place on Solaris, the Gaming world, where there's more than one game being played....</p><p>Later!</p><p>Craig</p>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-87728817169542224532020-09-30T10:13:00.000-07:002020-09-30T10:13:20.403-07:00Icons of War (Mild Spoilers)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfZEaKH1LtHmBC3ZYFSDe0OobanYE7wSya3OL9w3oyLSmkFbH81CwkZ-0EUYON74wyHnkp_-8kkFPaiF7wbQ2xPhnUXVVRgTZvp8fueeHNN7VV_VHZeK3YCbBH_SssG5SMrNxLffBKEsU/s2048/Icons+of+War+Epub+Cover+8-14a.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfZEaKH1LtHmBC3ZYFSDe0OobanYE7wSya3OL9w3oyLSmkFbH81CwkZ-0EUYON74wyHnkp_-8kkFPaiF7wbQ2xPhnUXVVRgTZvp8fueeHNN7VV_VHZeK3YCbBH_SssG5SMrNxLffBKEsU/s320/Icons+of+War+Epub+Cover+8-14a.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Okay, I'm writing this a few days before <i>Icons of War</i> is out, but won't be posting it until after the novel is out. If you haven't read the Back Cover Copy, here it is:<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Symbols of Power</b></span></p><p class="Header2"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After the Word of Blake exacts an incalculable toll on Clan
Wolf, Elemental warrior Garmen Kerensky is tasked by Wolf Khan Vlad Ward to undertake
an audacious, top-secret mission in the Clan Homeworlds. While other covert teams
help the Wolves evacuate Clan Space, Garmen’s command will steal the most
prized relic of Clan history: the body of the Great Father, Commanding General
Aleksandr Kerensky, Garmen’s ancestor. But the father of the Clans’ founder is
entombed aboard the </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">McKenna’s Pride</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, a Star League-era WarShip in
permanent geosynchronous orbit above the Clans’ capital city, a staunchly
guarded vessel that will take ingenuity, a warrior’s spirit, and more than a
little luck to reach.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Stealing his ancestor’s remains is a tall order under normal
circumstances, but the Homeworld Clans are on the verge of open warfare with
each other, and this mission threatens to blow Clan society apart entirely. As
the elite warrior guards of the Ebon Keshik hunt Garmen, he and his hardened team
must navigate the intrigue of the shadowy Dark Caste to have any hope of
reaching the </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Pride</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> alive. But no plan ever survives enemy contact, and
Garmen must overcome the forces arrayed against him or risk forever losing the Great
Father’s body to the chaos and destruction of the Clans’ internal warfare.</span></p>So, when John Helfers, Catalyst's Director of Fiction, IMed me with the an offer of writing <i>Icons</i>, I took it. He asked how many words would I need for it, and I, like an idiot, told him 20,000 words....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Blaine Pardoe (who had the original idea) told me that stories will take all the words they need, and <i>Icons</i> fits that. I had gone in, expecting <i>Icons</i> to be a novella (20,000 words) But <i>Icons</i>, for several reasons,<i> </i>refused to fit into a novella. Instead, it has become a short novel, nearly 50,000 words, and it could have been much longer. While it mostly takes place long before IlKhan, it has a direct tie-in with a major event that occurs in <i>Children of Kerensky.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNafIGg-NS8qRyosS6lGjkVRGG9FXjaYMaNcADMFhKn4z8sv3-jiX4wqYcY32OPqXK6KrLYTjTRtcL8KswXKPHciUDGgfxXcPQKIZqprG0imS7h_35OtQ-opmwrQj-OCUVQR_X6z70bsH/s394/mckenna.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNafIGg-NS8qRyosS6lGjkVRGG9FXjaYMaNcADMFhKn4z8sv3-jiX4wqYcY32OPqXK6KrLYTjTRtcL8KswXKPHciUDGgfxXcPQKIZqprG0imS7h_35OtQ-opmwrQj-OCUVQR_X6z70bsH/s320/mckenna.gif" width="320" /></a></div>After actually digging into the background (Note to would be BT authors: RESEARCH!) , I realized that was optimistic in the word count. First the body is on a battleship, in orbit over the Clan's capital city; accessible, it isn't. Second, I could not see Vlad Ward ordering a team into post-War of Reaving Clan Space. Six years of no knowledge of what was happening. During the Jihad? That don't make sense, as the Wolf Clan is fighting for its life, and in that case, is retreating a dead body high on their list? Also, if Vlad wanted the body, why wait until years later to do it? the Wolves have been Abjured, they had no assets or intelligence left in the Clan Homeworlds. That approach I couldn't see working. If Vlad wanted all the Kerensky Legacies, he's do it all at once. That's why the story starts in 3071.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Of course, there were other problems: the <i>McKenna's Pride</i> itself. It was used by the Grand Council in Clan Steel Viper's Trial of Annihilation in 3075. It was also used as a meeting place for the Grand Council for a while -- which meant heavy security. With the War of Reaving exploding through Clan Space, security was going to be tight in the Stana Metchy system. So I took the long approach when building the plot -- a plot-line that covered several years. I had to gloss over a few years, but I do have a few pieces lying around that might be enough for a short story that takes place doing those years I skipped. Maybe in a future issue of Shrapnel....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepgNHRpXp-yKvQd3Hubhl3lOQCDaTMQpfJp22gqriiT4DbApWy9-tUFqMoY63NM2iIIbO02S2_VAQVdwtg0LIe1ZeAhF-J7A7D9El0wYcQpalXomSFZPhD2H7T_tZ2EJYpZIJ_fvGZqHA/s398/nightlord.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepgNHRpXp-yKvQd3Hubhl3lOQCDaTMQpfJp22gqriiT4DbApWy9-tUFqMoY63NM2iIIbO02S2_VAQVdwtg0LIe1ZeAhF-J7A7D9El0wYcQpalXomSFZPhD2H7T_tZ2EJYpZIJ_fvGZqHA/s320/nightlord.gif" width="320" /></a></div>If I has to describe the story, I would say it was a heist story (maybe the wildest one in Battletech history), a love story, a story of revenge and redemption, and a story about duty and going up against the odds. It sets up events that play out sometime in the future (when I don't know), and answers a couple of questions about the Dark Age/IlKhan era that have been hanging around for a few years. <div><br /></div><div>Writing this was tough, but rewarding. It forced me to bone up on things like Jump drives, WarShips, and space combat. It also allowed me to take a look at Clan Homeworld Society before and during the War of Reaving. It also allowed me to expand on areas of Clan Homeworld Society, like the Dark Caste, the Free Guilds, and the Ebon Keshik -- all had some information out there, but nothing like I created for this novel.<div><br /></div><div>An impossible mission and I hope you will find it a wild ride and a unique story, with characters that are engaging and interesting. I had the honor of writing in an area of time and space that hadn't been explored before in any Battletech fiction. It was both scary and thrilling to create and expand on things that hadn't been really looked at. While I had a couple of anchor points from sourcebooks, most of what I created was taking a reference here, a line there, and expanding on them into fully realized aspects that some people won't expect.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, for some reason, as I write this,<i> Icons </i>isn't available in the Kindle format on Amazon, but the POD version is. It's here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947335332?pf_rd_r=ZEXKV6FGPJP9JMTB1ZT0&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank">Icons of War -- Amazon</a>. The E-book version(and POD version) is available on the Barns and Noble Website (EPUB) here: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battletech-craig-a-reed-jr/1137745542?ean=9781947335332" target="_blank">Icons of War -- Barnes and Noble</a>. Or you could try the Catalyst store and get the E-books (Both MOBI and EPUB -- a value deal!) here: <a href="https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech/products/battletech-icons-of-war" target="_blank">Icons of War -- Catalyst Store</a>.Or, you could try DriveThroughFiction here: <a href="https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/330116/BattleTech-Icons-of-War?src=hottest" target="_blank">Icons of War -- DriveThruFiction</a>. Please pick it up and enjoy it!</div><div><br /></div><div>If you have any questions, post them here or on the Battletech forum; I will do my best to answer them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later!</div><div><br /></div><div>Craig<br /> <br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-71089053036377358212020-06-26T19:37:00.020-07:002020-06-27T15:56:52.637-07:00Writing Battletech: The BattleMechs And Combat (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkE8dj6mI9mqZJ8s5zseN9Cxt2_AA5I0aJOudemiWXm70_VEixOpUzz4AXhhTUehJgd2D3FOtUuvg_51hdacyb8x7PGdUogeTYlcgw03LX83_v9KJFYJM8qj9W-uHZZUpJcSmt7QqbWKA/s1600/18813909_10103204634269032_8456208483870982857_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="720" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkE8dj6mI9mqZJ8s5zseN9Cxt2_AA5I0aJOudemiWXm70_VEixOpUzz4AXhhTUehJgd2D3FOtUuvg_51hdacyb8x7PGdUogeTYlcgw03LX83_v9KJFYJM8qj9W-uHZZUpJcSmt7QqbWKA/s320/18813909_10103204634269032_8456208483870982857_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The heart of Battletech is the BattleMech -- everything else
on the battlefield is a support to them. They are the tip of the spear, the
futuristic Knight, the King of the battlefield. Carrying weapons of mass
destruction, they are the core of combat in the Battletech universe since they
were created by the Terran Hegemony. For nearly four hundred years, the best
defense against these armored behemoths has been another BattleMech.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This post is about what a BattleMech is and is not. It’s too
easy to think they are one thing, when they are actually something else. The
next post will be about writing about BattleMechs and combat, but this one is
start with the basics.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A moment to explain something: The term Mecha is considered
the general term for armored suits. They can be anywhere from Battle armor
(<i>Bubblegum Crisis</i> OVA's Hard suits), to the hulking multi-part monster Mecha of
<i>Voltron</i>, or anywhere in between. The term 'Mech refers to BattleMechs only.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The concept of Giant combat Mecha did not originate here,
but in Japan. Mecha has been a common trope in Japanese anime for decades. From
multiple <i>Gundam</i> series, the Units from <i>Neon Genesis Evangelion</i>, the Arm Slaves
from <i>Full Metal Panic!</i>, <i>Patlabor</i>'s Ingram, and of course... <i>Macross</i> (<i>Robotech</i>)
are examples of combat Mecha in Anime.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1vy4J1Sz9u0jI2qvIuFnybOd5jKgoVh41Z78YV6cadDjfY20FkihU8agqoviPZFWORGdXHzHFjc68MrPysIlUC7hM5EHHZfGpMg0BQFRL1srnx4vEf86SBsXcw4UKlEFg_m4rHi7n2u1/s1600/BT-CombatManualMERCENARIES_%252309_Locust_K.Fairclough_FINAL-PROOF.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1vy4J1Sz9u0jI2qvIuFnybOd5jKgoVh41Z78YV6cadDjfY20FkihU8agqoviPZFWORGdXHzHFjc68MrPysIlUC7hM5EHHZfGpMg0BQFRL1srnx4vEf86SBsXcw4UKlEFg_m4rHi7n2u1/s320/BT-CombatManualMERCENARIES_%252309_Locust_K.Fairclough_FINAL-PROOF.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">For those who grew up watching such shows (Usually bootleg
tapes, subtitled by some fan) these were nothing like we had ever seen before.
Even today, giant Mecha rarely shows up in western movies (The <i>Pacific Rim</i>
Films and the "Classic" <i>Robojox</i> come to mine. The AT-AT and AT-STs
from the <i>Star Wars</i> films are sort of Mecha,).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Japanese anime, Mecha are quick, nimble with weapons that
will destroy ships and other Mecha in the blink of an eye. They are comfortable
both in space and on the ground. They are only limited by the skill of their
pilot, usually a teenager who has the ability to pilot one of these massive
machines. The Mecha is an armored suit,
the modern version of a samurai's armor<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not so in the West. Here, the Mecha are walking tanks. They
are slow and ponderous, piloted by people trained for months and years to
control. In space, they are almost useless in combat. They are less an armored
suit as they are armor to spearhead attacks or to hold a position.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To give you an idea about Mecha is seen in the west, let's
look at the 'Mech above -- the Locust, with a weight of 20 metric tons, with a
top speed of roughly 130 KPH. In Imperial measurements, the Locust weighs 22
tons and has a top speed of @ 80 MPH. in contrast, the average US car weighs
about a ton, and can, in most cases, match or exceed 80 MPH. So, while the
Locust is fast for a 'Mech the average car has a decent chance of outrunning
it. (Getting out of weapons range though, is a little more problematic). Also,
the Locust, like most 'Mechs, can't corner worth a damn on roadways.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">So, what's the point of this post? Why talk about the
difference between eastern and western views on Mecha?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like most people, my first experience to Mecha was though
anime and I saw the nimble, fluid action of Mecha in combat. The Lions of
<i>Voltron</i>, the motorslaves of <i>Bubblegum Crisis</i>, <i>Patlabor</i>'s Ingrams, and others
showed is Mecha in action. It's real easy to carry that impression into writing
a Battletech story.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdCRUjNYc4MfTKii-SvR2-t4Oatt3b75dN5ZOd79AYikxStyAjUGqVAse71AoY_Zo7wGzvtm0oj8Ao1Hz-vVVjqMxzNf502sUUcLoZutS3kLwOlapnXmEx0mT57onTXfQPXy_BpHEDoIy/s1600/BT-CombatManualMERCENARIES_%252311_Shadowhawk_K.Fairclough_FINAL-PROOF.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="921" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdCRUjNYc4MfTKii-SvR2-t4Oatt3b75dN5ZOd79AYikxStyAjUGqVAse71AoY_Zo7wGzvtm0oj8Ao1Hz-vVVjqMxzNf502sUUcLoZutS3kLwOlapnXmEx0mT57onTXfQPXy_BpHEDoIy/s320/BT-CombatManualMERCENARIES_%252311_Shadowhawk_K.Fairclough_FINAL-PROOF.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">But it's the wrong impression for Battletech.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The<i> Shadow Hawk</i> to the left here has a top speed of 86 KPH
(53.5 MPH) and most variants can jump between 90m (98 yards) and 150m (164
yards). It carries a shoulder-mounted autocannon or a PPC, a small missile
launcher and some sort of laser. Despite descriptions in the first couple of
novels, there is no way this 'Mech can do a shoulder roll or any other advanced
actions that a human could do. No handstands, cartwheels, backflips, pulling
itself up by its fingertips up a cliff. Physical combat beyond clubs, hatchets,
swords, punching and kicking is beyond a 'Mech's capability.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">BattleMechs are not subtle weapons. They are in-your-face
vehicles of war, used to attack and defend objectives. They are a wall of steel
and mylomar, with enough weapons to level a city in hours.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">MechWarriors are one-person tank crews. They are responsible
for the 'Mech's movement, firing its weapons, receiving and giving orders with
other MechWarriors and soldiers, depending on where they are in the command
structure. They work as part of a unit, are assigned tasks and follows orders.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<p class="MsoNormal">That means that went writing 'Mech battles (and you will),
you have to remember that BattleMechs are walking tanks, not nimble battle
suits. They walk, run and jump -- they do not do acrobatics, do not do spinning
back heel kicks to the enemy's head. They punch, club and kick in close combat,
as well as push and crash into their opponent. They don't hip throw their
opponents, nor do they leap to their feet after getting knocked down. They do
not do complex combinations with their sword/ax/mace --its hit as hard as you
can, as fast as you can.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The <i>Warhammer</i> to the left is a walking main battle tank. With
its powerful twin PPCs and multiple secondary weapons, it is an iconic BattleMech
and has been for most of Battletech's existence. But like any 'Mech, it is
vulnerable on the battlefield. It is only as good as its pilot -- or as lucky.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When writing a battle scene, you have to remember these
'Mechs are not quick, nimble or able to perform acts humans can. They are
between slow and somewhat quick and the larger they are, the tougher they are
to bring down generally. They have massive firepower, but are not invincible.
They are weapons of war, with their own advantages and drawbacks.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">So, Mecha from the East are generally extensions of the
pilot's abilities. Mecha from the West are generally walking tanks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Part 2 is how to write 'Mechs in combat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This post was revised slightly, with a few grammar mistakes corrected)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Later!<o:p></o:p></p></div><div>Craig</div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-87972954219835804352020-06-18T22:46:00.000-07:002020-06-18T22:46:39.872-07:00Writing Battletech: Characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsZf2fsimDlfDZ2GVEH2R70Axtn4N2wJEXGqs4okpVO10I_aWvQQr-lMg0TVyH3hKvlXlrWu8Qxr-__7WSuMZc9aX3J7BU_B2cDdxb7j9MUA-1SW7MrAtwAOZxo1YCJWVyf2V07C0ivA9/s1600/3f9f80927c9e568cdd84cd598a0343382c025b468f7de9d8075075a89b63ba64u9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsZf2fsimDlfDZ2GVEH2R70Axtn4N2wJEXGqs4okpVO10I_aWvQQr-lMg0TVyH3hKvlXlrWu8Qxr-__7WSuMZc9aX3J7BU_B2cDdxb7j9MUA-1SW7MrAtwAOZxo1YCJWVyf2V07C0ivA9/s320/3f9f80927c9e568cdd84cd598a0343382c025b468f7de9d8075075a89b63ba64u9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
One of the great things about Battletech is the characters. From the heads of interstellar states to the farmer on a backwater planet, there is always room for stories and for memorable characters.<br />
<br />The first thing you must ask about your characters is; Who who are they? What is their background? what motivates them? What is the journey the story takes them on? The best stories are those in which the main character undergoes a trial of some sort, a test of their abilities. At the end, they have changed somehow from the character they were in the beginning.<div><br /></div><div>You need to find the hook for the main character -- everyone else is either supporting or opposing the main character's actions. Start with the conflict the main character will face. It could be physically, mentally, it could be another person or a force -- in any case, the character must face some sort of obstruction to the character's goal.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I think the best way to illustrate that is to take a look at three of my Characters from my stories: Kenway Gaines (<i>Salvage</i>), Amanda Rawson (<i>The Promise</i>) and Nathaniel Trivedi (<i>End of the Road</i>.) I choose three of my own characters, because I understand them the best. </div><div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe6SyvVsIV6_6dEXymSTaZoKizB154doUEg80t6D8BMz2Vjze-pE1_hxr4VyWCsXkjx9o5XVpxiUl2oFUS59sJ0r96yDHmxxg8aRaxRFcbF8jZ3CHa_x-FnZUMTQ5g-iyHPBykVm7KowP/s1600/ayfcsx8pwq1lurxojgzt.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1600" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe6SyvVsIV6_6dEXymSTaZoKizB154doUEg80t6D8BMz2Vjze-pE1_hxr4VyWCsXkjx9o5XVpxiUl2oFUS59sJ0r96yDHmxxg8aRaxRFcbF8jZ3CHa_x-FnZUMTQ5g-iyHPBykVm7KowP/s320/ayfcsx8pwq1lurxojgzt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>At the start of <i>Salvage</i>, Kenway Gaines is a young man starting out his military career. He is from a family of MechWarriors, but he isn't a MechWarrior himself -- instead, he is a technician. <div><br /></div>That right there is a hook. Kenway is from a family of warriors, but can never become one himself. Instead, he is a new tech, a Subaltern fresh out of NAIS, and assigned to a Recovery and Salvage platoon attached to the Fourth Deneb Light Calvary. This is a young man who can feel his family's disappointment, despite the fact he is a hard-working and knowledgeable technician. Because of this, he has no self-confidence in himself and feels that he left his family down -- that is the problem he has to overcome. In addition, Kenway green as grass, an additional problem, one his superiors have taken notice of. It is only his skill as a technician that keeps him from being pulled for the R&S platoon.</div><div><br /><div>On his first mission, his platoon goes out to recover a couple of 'Mechs. While surveying the area, Kenway spots what he believes is a new Capellan design in the water -- a <i>Raven. </i>This becomes the turning point for Kenway's change, as the chance of recovering and inspecting a brand new design has made him forget his troubles and starts gaining confidence in himself. The recovery doesn't go off without problems -- he is still a green soldier and the Capellans don't want to let the <i>Raven</i> go without a fight. In the heat of the action, Kenway finds the strength to take action to keep the <i>Raven</i> from being recaptured or destroyed.<br /><br />But because of that experience, Kenway begins to find himself, as an officer and a technician. He is not the same person at the end of the story as he was at the start of the story. He has grown up and begun to find his confidence. At the end of the story, he is trying to find out everything he can about the <i>Raven </i>-- he is in his own element now. He has realized that he may not be a Mechwarrior, but he will show his family and his superiors that he is a soldier just like them. The story is about Kenway finding himself.</div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrXN-IdRJu5Tb4vyqe1MzhR6JZD7Nn3kTEwU5OzU4BxnAVYPPVWPrXD4yQWzb6Nlds9osQfvw2Cl65LGJHr4yK6IX9tjkG2IaQltIHGx5Wc1tOxJCmxuMvyWpIYEYfjXea9B3H_fHFHHP/s1600/battletech-mercenaries.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrXN-IdRJu5Tb4vyqe1MzhR6JZD7Nn3kTEwU5OzU4BxnAVYPPVWPrXD4yQWzb6Nlds9osQfvw2Cl65LGJHr4yK6IX9tjkG2IaQltIHGx5Wc1tOxJCmxuMvyWpIYEYfjXea9B3H_fHFHHP/s320/battletech-mercenaries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>
<div><span class="fontstyle0">On the other hand, Amanda Rawson is a veteran MechWarrior assigned to be the XO of a rescue mission. She finds herself in the dark because her commanding officer, Leftenant Colonel Colin Kerse, is hiding most of the mission's details. That is Amanda's conflict -- trying to trust her superior officer when he is clearing hiding information she needs as the mission's XO.<br /><br />They are heading for the Kurita-held planet of </span><span class="fontstyle0">Chichibu</span>, where Kerse claims there are Davion POWs being held there. Somehow, he managed to convince the AFFS to give him a force and to lead a rescue unit to . </div><div><span class="fontstyle0"><br /></span></div><div><span class="fontstyle0">Amanda was recruited by MIIO to keep an eye on Kerse. Her orders are to assume command if Kerse acts in an insane manner. From the start, the events and Kerse's actions make her suspicious of him. Her orders are to step in and take command if she thinks Kerse has lost his mind. But what is the tipping point? Is there a tipping point to force Amanda into following her orders?</span></div><div><span class="fontstyle0"><br /></span></div><div><span class="fontstyle0">And that's the hook for her character, the test he must undergo. Can Amanda trust Kerse? Is he leading them into a trap? Even when she discovers Kerse's motivations and the information he had kept from her, can she still trust him? Is this a rescue or vengeance by Kerse? In the middle of the big battle, it falls to Amanda to take command of the rescue as Kerse is locked in a battle with past demons. At the end, Amanda still doesn't fully trust Kerse, but understand his action. Amanda's story is about trying to trust someone who doesn't trust her.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6gTEshLJDErZ6P6RdhVXm8cxDsbIZyB1ABhg1-BXq3WoN6m1XSxHJqWzlgdALKd2CO-M66SlcgLzxInCm4xjieeX8RW_laI8U59DqBqmOZLBLxNUpbyb_F1amk6qiXqzrm62tq4fQb57/s1600/battletech-mercenaries-02.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6gTEshLJDErZ6P6RdhVXm8cxDsbIZyB1ABhg1-BXq3WoN6m1XSxHJqWzlgdALKd2CO-M66SlcgLzxInCm4xjieeX8RW_laI8U59DqBqmOZLBLxNUpbyb_F1amk6qiXqzrm62tq4fQb57/s320/battletech-mercenaries-02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Nathaniel Trivedi's conflict is keeping his sanity in a situation of a grinding campaign. A member of Stone's Lament, he has seen the worse fighting of the Jihad and is currently involved in pursuing Word of Blake forces across the North American continent.</div><div><br /></div><div>A student of history, he finds an outlet for his sanity in the <i>Grasshopper</i> he has been assigned to replace his destroyed <i>Victor. </i>This is the hook -- the "Mech's interesting history lets<i> </i>him forget the horrors and the grinding fighting for a few hours.<i> </i>The<i> Grasshopper</i> has a long and involved history over three centuries. Despite his lance-mates' teasing and his commanding officer's disdain for the <i>Grasshopper </i>history, he continues on his self-imposed activity. At the climax, the Grasshopper is destroyed, but Trivedi's actions helps Stone forces win an important battle. Instead of rebuilding the 'Mech, he thinks it is time to leave the military and return to pursuing a PhD.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, three character, three different time periods, three different challenges. Each one must face a challenge -- Kenway, his crippled self-confidence, Amanda, her distrust of a secretive superior officer, and Nathaniel keeping his sanity in an insane situation. All overcame their challenges and all have changed in some way.<br /><br />I'll talk more about character in another post, as this one is getting too long. I just don't know when, as there are a few matters that are coming up.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition, there may be some good news on the horizon, hopefully this month or next, about a Battletech product I wrote. I won't say anything else about it, but as soon as I can, I will write about it. It might just be the most important thing I've ever written for Battletech.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later!</div><div><br /></div><div>Craig<br /><br /></div></div></div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-51898693312148380592020-06-08T15:59:00.000-07:002020-06-08T15:59:18.472-07:00Writing Battletech: Plots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2s3rXRf1SCvmCACOc5lPFJ3R2cUzxtYj-tKLFig-sMSmD2m7RCKjFsKAPbH5Fhn9kFCcwZDKD1VbCDY8nEN6xRMDo6rzTlDo3kLNE6ca_Mh-N-RBv0o3MgWcsUbRXEEuuzkN7kyNhyphenhyphennp/s1600/p1an0t1iuf2adm1r1li82js10e6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2s3rXRf1SCvmCACOc5lPFJ3R2cUzxtYj-tKLFig-sMSmD2m7RCKjFsKAPbH5Fhn9kFCcwZDKD1VbCDY8nEN6xRMDo6rzTlDo3kLNE6ca_Mh-N-RBv0o3MgWcsUbRXEEuuzkN7kyNhyphenhyphennp/s320/p1an0t1iuf2adm1r1li82js10e6.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<br />
All of a sudden, I'm full of post ideas.....<br />
<br />
If you seen my last post, I talk about the what you should do if you want to have the best shot of getting your story accepted by <i>Shrapnel</i>'s editor. But I'm going to take this a step further, and talk about what makes up a story set in the Battletech Universe. Today, I'm going to talk about Plots.<br />
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The Battletech Universe is one of war and intrigue. No one what to read about Joe Shomoe quiet, boring life. Battletech is Military Sci-Fi/Space Opera and the stories reflect that. This post looks at the basic plot areas where all Battletech stories fall into.<br />
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Battletech stories generally fall into three areas of plot -- Military, Espionage, and Political Intrigue. Now that doesn't mean each is separate from each other -- there is plenty of stories where two or all three areas intersect within a story. A Military story could have elements of Espionage and/or Political Intrigue. But generally, a story will have a focus in one of these areas.<br />
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That is not to say these are the only three area, but these three are the easiest to work a story plot with. Once you have a solid record and grasp, it's easier to see story ideas that while not fitting into one of the areas above, still have a Battletech feel to them.<br />
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What do I mean by Military, Espionage, and Political Intrigue? I define each as such and include examples from my own stories:<br />
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<b><u>Military</u></b> -- The most basic plot. Two side fighting each other. This is anywhere between a small raid or one corner of a massive campaign or battle. Battlemechs, Aerospace fighters, vehicles, battlesuits, or the poor infantry soldier trying to survive. It's a look at the men and women in the battle, their motives, their actions and the consequences of their actions. The center of the story is the battles(s).<br />
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There are subplots that help form the battle's context. Below are a basic list of subplots to help tie in the battle:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A character's first time in battle.</li>
<li>Conflict between two characters on the same side.</li>
<li>A character's chance to redeem themselves for past actions.</li>
<li>A character looking for revenge.</li>
<li>A character who has a mental conflict they must work through.</li>
<li>A character has been given a difficult/impossible task.</li>
</ul>
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Those are a few ideas off the top of my head, but the idea is to give the character a stake in the battle beyond winning it. That is not to say they succeed at the end; but they have to try overcoming the roadblock subplot that battle presents.<br />
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You can elements from the other two in the story; any story can have espionage and/or political overtones, but the focus is on the battle.<br />
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<b>Examples</b>: <i>The Lance Killer, Hikagmono, The Promise.</i><br />
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<b>Espionage:</b> A problem that needs a RCT to handle can sometimes be done with just a knife in the right back. These type of stories can happen anywhere, and involves character's actions away from the battlefield, often light years away. These type of stories don't need violence, but are often violent on a more personal level. These type of plots fall into the broad categories such as:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Character must steal/destroy/retrieve/pass on/kill an objective</li>
<li>Character must prevent an objective from being steal/destroy/retrieve/passed on/killed</li>
<li>Character must hunt down an enemy agent</li>
<li>Character must avoid being hunted down by the other side.</li>
</ul>
<br />
(The objective can be data, an object, or a person)<br />
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Misdirection and double-dealing are also common in these type of stories, as are betrayal and sacrifice. These are generally small-scale stories, usually involving a small group. Again, there could be elements from the other two categories that are part of the story, but the spies are center stage.<br />
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<b>Examples:</b> <i>Evacuation, End of Message, Operation Red Lion. Operation Blue Tiger</i><br />
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<b>Political Intrigue; </b>This is the toughest one to write. Unlike the other two, it needs a dose from one or the other category. These stories are about political maneuvers as two sides vie for an advantage. the plot can involve state vs state, noble vs noble, leader vs leader, or invader vs resistance. The stakes are important to someone, and can extend beyond the story events.<br />
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But this type of story needs a healthy does of one of the two other -- the politics are the frame where the action happens in support of someone else's political goals. It could be an assassination attempt, forcing an opponent to deploy forces elsewhere, or distracting the opponent, either though espionage or military actions while the real work goes on elsewhere, but all the action is related to political ends.<br />
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<b>Examples:</b> <i>Negotiation, The Clawing, A Matter of Honor</i><br />
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There is one other area for Battletech stories, but unlike the other three there isn't a clearly defined area they fit into it. It could be a mystery, or a character reacting to events in a way that doesn't fit into any of the above three categories. These stories can have elements of any of the three above, but doesn't necessarily rely on them the same way that political intrigue does with the other two.<br />
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<b>Example:</b> <i>State of Grace.</i><br />
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So, that is my view on the subject. Do you have any questions? Leave them here, or contact me via the Battletech forum -- my screen name is Trboturtle.<br />
<br />
Later!<br />
<br />
CraigCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-45338118554670473702020-05-31T23:17:00.000-07:002020-05-31T23:17:54.691-07:00Submitting to Shrapnel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNK2XYfHqRNpmfWS7tu33XMYdjh3ILNVkUOgKqJ6aC4FM3YvDTC-bCRvhLGa6SQkN8OptgaQoyYDjK75F21oUES3YL-rSnV83R0DLUnZ-a8_1qGLJa6nOjQPcxsSYPt8waL7pHVMfk9L20/s1600/tumblr_inline_nvi1wqYDqh1s9c9hj_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNK2XYfHqRNpmfWS7tu33XMYdjh3ILNVkUOgKqJ6aC4FM3YvDTC-bCRvhLGa6SQkN8OptgaQoyYDjK75F21oUES3YL-rSnV83R0DLUnZ-a8_1qGLJa6nOjQPcxsSYPt8waL7pHVMfk9L20/s320/tumblr_inline_nvi1wqYDqh1s9c9hj_500.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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I've seen a few positive posts about <i>Shrapnel #1</i>, and a couple of questions about actually submitting to the magazine. Back in March of 2012 (Eight years ago!), I wrote a couple of posts I called the "Dos and Don'ts of Battlecorps Writing." Battlecorps has been discontinued, replaced by <i>Shrapnel</i>.<br />
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As I mentioned in my previous post, I was thinking about revisiting the subject, advice about how to have a fighting chance of having your submission being accepted. I can't promise, in any way, that <i>Shrapnel</i>'s Managing editor, will accept your story or article. What I want to do here is give you some tips that will at least make him think about it. I will include examples from my own stories to illustrate my points.<br />
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1) <b><u>Read the Guidelines and Follow Them</u></b> -- the guidelines are there for a reason. Writing in Battletech is writing inside a highly defined set of parameters, and requires the writer to follow them. If a submission clearly doesn't follow the guidelines, that does not bode well for anything else that is required from all writers. Adhering to the guidelines shows you can follow instructions.<br />
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2) <b><u>Keep the Story Small</u></b> -- When I say, small, I mean there's no room for massive plot and dozens of characters in a story that is at most, 7,000 words. That's roughly 23-28 pages of double-space typing. That's not a lot of room for plot, characters and resolution.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>a) <b>Characters</b> -- Ideally, you have one or two characters that are the main point of view the reader has into a story. Most of story will be seen though their eyes, their thoughts will be the one the reader will have insight to. Several supporting characters are possible, but each must have a purpose to the plot. Too many characters and they become just blobs; it is better to have two or three well-defined characters then half a dozen faceless blobs.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>One of my favorite things to do is take a basic character type and give it a twist; Mouse from my story, <i>Shadow Angels,</i> is an example A large man, he acts as the teams heavy support. Yet, he knits in his down time. In <i>Thirteen</i>, Ansgar Shurasky, an officer recovering from a mental breakdown, finds his new 'Mech haunted and advised by the his sister's ghost -- or is it his his own mind projecting a part of himself? Look for little things to make each character unique.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>b) <b>Plots</b> -- there is no room in 7,000 words for a complex plot. The best thing to do is have a main plot and maybe a subplot, if there is room for one. Plots need to be straightforward for the most part. It's okay to have a twist in the story, but you cannot go too deep into a plot in so few words.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ul>
<li>I like working themes into my stories. In <i>The Lance Killer</i>, the story is about superstition, survivor's guilt and redemption.<i> A Matter of Honor</i> is about honor and acceptance.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>c) <b>Scope</b> -- Scope is important. Scope is the level the story is told at. Most novels have several levels of scope from the rulers and generals issuing the orders, all the way down to the foot soldier who's trying to survive the next five minutes. A short story doesn't allow all those levels. It's best to chose one level and stick with it, the lower, the better. A soldier trying to survive the next five minutes has a more interesting story then a General kilometers away issuing orders. For my story in <i>Shrapnel #1</i>, <i>Blind Arrogance</i>, I told the story of a battle that had already been told in a novel, but instead of the grand sweep of a story, I told the battle from the POV of a Lance commander, who only saw his small corner of the battle.</li>
</ul>
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3) <b><u>Know the Battletech Universe</u></b> -- On the face of it, it sounds like a no-brainier. But writing for Battletech needs a deep level of knowledge than a casual fan had. (I know there's are a few of you out there, just as I know there are some deeply committed fans.) The Battletech Universe has been built up over thirty-five years, and have a background that no other fictional universe can match. A thousand-plus-year timeline, thirty or so factions detailed out, thousands of 'Mechs and vehicles designs, technology laid out, and planets explored. That's a lot of stuff to dig through and it can be overwhelming.<br />
<br />
My solution is to pick a time, a place and an event; then research the heck out of it. For the story <i>Salvage</i>, I chose Aldebaran, 3028, during Operation Rat (the story was part of the Operation Rat series, so the time and event were already determined.) For the story, I had to know which units were involved, something about the planet, and the time frame. It becomes just finding where to put the scenes.<br />
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It also gave me an idea of what 'Mechs I could and could not use in that time period; I could use a <i>Raven</i>, a <i>Crusader,</i> and a <i>Catapult</i>, but not a <i>Bushwhacker</i> or a <i>Thantos. </i>Being aware of when a design becomes available in the timeline is important; it shows your depth of knowledge.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>a) <b>It's a matter of Details -- </b>The great thing about Battletech is all the background is already in place -- you bring the characters and plot. For <i>Salvage</i>, I used the AFFS ranks, and the Confederation using their pre-<i>Xin Sheng</i> rank system, for example.Also, a nugget of advice: The first Clan Mechs seen in the Inner Sphere have two that depends on the point of view of the character -- A Clan Warrior would not call his <i>Timber Wolf</i> a <i>Mad Cat</i> (Which gets a bit fuzzier when talking about the <i>Mad Dog</i>/<i>Vulture</i>, as the Combine uses a third name for it -- the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i>Hagetaka</i>). Any story that gets past the first hurdle (Being rejected right off the bat), will be sent to the fact-checkers, who will look at the details to make sure they all fit. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Details are important; it's </span>what makes the stories comes alive.</li>
</ul>
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4) <b>Don't go Overboard</b> -- What do I mean by that? It means trying to make a major splash with your first story. Taking a major named character and using them as the main character. Using your home-brewed Mercenary RCT in your story. Rewritng events in Battletech history. Mary or Gary-Sue characters. BattleMechs acting more like Gundam Mecha. Show you can write a solid story, with your own characters and follow rules. Once you have a few stories under your belt, then you can start reaching out a little more (the home-brewed RCT and the Gary/Mary Sues characters needs to stay home though)<br /><br />5) <b>Develop a Thick Skin</b> -- being a writer involves ego, and ego can be bruised. It's not easy to have a story rejected -- I have had stories rejected before. It's a hazard of the profession, and you need a thick skin. You may think your story is the best one every written, but it could also be the third or fourth similar story the editor has seen in the last week that has a similar plot/characters or it violates one of the suggestions above.<br />
<ul>
<li>a) <b>So What do you do, if it is Rejected</b>? -- Look at why it was rejected and consider what the reason was. Unless the Editor asks for a rewrite, move onto the next story, and don't make the same mistake</li>
<br />
<li>b) <b>So What if it's Accepted?</b> Than congratulations and move onto the next story.</li>
</ul>
That's enough for now. Battletech is a fiction-driven universe; its what make the Universe come alive. It's a fun universe to write in, a chance to create your own thread in the Battletech Tapestry.<br /><br />I may come back with another post like this, talking about different things relating to the actual craft of writing Battletech.<br /><br />Later,<br /><br />CraigCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-24268658819208765002020-05-29T00:46:00.000-07:002020-05-29T00:46:44.466-07:00Shrapnel Issue #1 is out!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rpCfhMceReD8hmIc-2pgmupeMkYL4gBb1n-QmYMprw89IiDMnX1nZGNB-eJWfULp6d21tpa-MIUZvyZGM89tWYJQF7ON66WiZiTi20iAjiZhQ_EVFtna-ixpY7gmxDXF9pf7b_QqnhBJ/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rpCfhMceReD8hmIc-2pgmupeMkYL4gBb1n-QmYMprw89IiDMnX1nZGNB-eJWfULp6d21tpa-MIUZvyZGM89tWYJQF7ON66WiZiTi20iAjiZhQ_EVFtna-ixpY7gmxDXF9pf7b_QqnhBJ/s400/cover.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, it's finally here....<br />
<br />
Above is the cover from the new Battletech Magazine, <i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Shrapnel.</i> It's being distributed to the Battletech Kickstarter Backers first, then it will go on sale (I don't know when or where, or how much, or any other detail like that at this time.)<br />
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So, what is in it? Well, stories from the authors you see listed on the cover above, plus stories from <span class="fontstyle0">Chris Hussey, </span><span class="fontstyle0">Jason Hansa</span>, and <span class="fontstyle0">Lance Scarinci. They are all brand new stories here, including the first part of a serial story from Micheal Stackpole. Yes, they are all Old Guard writers, but you have to use what you have -- more on that below.</span><br />
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<span class="fontstyle0">There are also a few articles related to the Game itself, for both the tabletop game and the RPG side of things. There are articles that give flavor to events, but can also be used as the start of an adventure for a savvy Games master. I wrote an article about Sniper Rifles for AToW RPG, to expand the selection of weapons, giving each faction their own weapon. There is a Dark Era track that can be used by either Battletech or Alpha Strike games, and a look at a unit with ties to a legendary mercenary unit. </span>It's is designed to appeal to everyone who is a Battletech fan, but it's mostly new stories.<br />
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<span class="fontstyle0">I can only talk about what I wrote. When this venture was getting off the ground, I really wanted to do something that hearkens back to <u style="font-style: italic;">Battletechnology</u> Magazine. One of the regular items in <i><u>Battletechnology</u></i> Magazine that I enjoyed was the "Tales of the Cobalt Coil." These were stories told by patrons of a bar in the Cathy district of Solaris City, and told in the first person for the most part. There was something about those stories that made them more intimate, and I wanted to recreate that. From this idea, <i><u>Tales from the Cracked Canopy</u></i> was born. Set in the rebuilt International Sector of Solaris City after the Jihad, the Cracked Canopy is a bar where anyone can walk in, enjoy some good food and a beer, watch the matches and forget about their worries for a while.</span><br />
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<span class="fontstyle0">But I didn't want a copy of the Cobalt Coil, so I came up with an idea; The Memory Wall. Along the back wall of the Canopy, there are small mementos and items that have been brought in by patrons and left there. Each item has a story behind it, and each patron who leaves an item tells the tale of what that item meant to them.</span><br />
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<span class="fontstyle0">Phil agreed to run with the idea, and I wrote what I think is a good story to start it off with. <i>Blind Arrogance</i> is the story of the death of a well-known unit, as told by one of its former members. I won't say anything more than that, but it is a sad story.</span><br />
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<span class="fontstyle0">I worked out some background on the regular characters, like the employees and a few of the regular patrons, and another writer has already claimed the Canopy story spot in the next issue. I hope it becomes a regular part of the magazine, and would be a good way to break into the magazine (Hint, Hint). Maybe in a future post, if there is a call for it, I will post those series notes here on the blog.</span><br />
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As I mentioned earlier, all the stories were written by the Old Guard, but this Magazine isn't just for us old-line writers this is an opportunity for a writer looking to break into writing for the Universe. I have written about what to do and not to do when submitting to <i>Battlecorps</i>; looks like its time to revisit those pointers, bring them up to date, and repost them as time when submitting to <i>Shrapnel</i>.<br />
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So, how do you submit to Shrapnel? You go here: <a href="https://pulsepublishingsubmissions.moksha.io/publication/3" target="_blank">Shrapnel: The BattleTech Magazine - Fiction</a> There is a copy of the Guidelines are there, and a portal to send your story in. <b><u>MAKE SURE YOU READ THE GUIDELINES!!</u></b><br />
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That's all for now. I hope you enjoy reading <i>Shrapnel</i> when you get it. I also hope this becomes a great success -- it it does, it will be because of people like you.<br />
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Later!<br />
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Craig<br />
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Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-83867136301134731152020-05-03T23:07:00.000-07:002020-05-03T23:07:44.281-07:00The Con Season and Coronavirus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0c9AlDH8wDwNhxX3cmkJB8czZ37t376tg1FGOmzUPJg8Jsylxrc6dmXNY2NqQSxvLNiyrkslpJfzs5vk0NwHsXyvew4e5oanPPdCzqEquGhBn1zL7E1bNFYP6kN78TibSiq6qUo6Vs2t/s1600/awesom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0c9AlDH8wDwNhxX3cmkJB8czZ37t376tg1FGOmzUPJg8Jsylxrc6dmXNY2NqQSxvLNiyrkslpJfzs5vk0NwHsXyvew4e5oanPPdCzqEquGhBn1zL7E1bNFYP6kN78TibSiq6qUo6Vs2t/s320/awesom.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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For the sake of transparency, I have never attended Gencon and the last time I attended Origins, It was still a mobile con and was in Philadelphia. It's simply a matter of money -- cons like that are not cheap to go to. The following is my opinion only, formed mostly from reading several sources and casually talking to people.<br />
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That being said, I know something about both cons, just because of my work with Catalyst Game Labs. Both Origins and Gencon are big cons, but the emphasis each one has is slightly different. Origins is a players' con, where people go to play and browse the vendor's hall. Some new stuff is released, but mostly it's Games and good times.<br />
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Gencon is a little different -- while it's still games and times, its the place for gaming companies to reveal their big products of the year -- new games, major expansions, new stuff. It's the place when companies interact with fans in Q&A sessions, where game developers try to sell their home-designed games to a company looking for the next big thing. It's where new companies have the best chance to be noticed. In short, it's a place where business goes on in the shade of fifty thousand people playing games of all types.<br />
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But this year is different and that difference is the Covid-19. The Coranavirus. The fear of this virus has thrown everything off-kilter with stay at some and social distancing. For some companies, that is a serious problem. Fortunately, Catalyst is already spread out, with people all over the world and an HQ that's in the Big Boss' house. Also, Catalyst's investment into E-books will allow products to still be released, bringing in money that way. But it's more than that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g_AajzqBkJ1tNuUrb_NYenVvirVLVeiJOxZvm-GAW_mBzZzvkP53gmLK76to0-jzSLnu29XfQnJSyoiBfVC4tn05SWO1xbD11WTgEysSZlEhnspnIfsIZF8WaHmKNH4N8DjgMUcd8PGz/s1600/BoothWithSRCoverBanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g_AajzqBkJ1tNuUrb_NYenVvirVLVeiJOxZvm-GAW_mBzZzvkP53gmLK76to0-jzSLnu29XfQnJSyoiBfVC4tn05SWO1xbD11WTgEysSZlEhnspnIfsIZF8WaHmKNH4N8DjgMUcd8PGz/s320/BoothWithSRCoverBanner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
First is the manufacturing and shipping. Since most gaming companies use China, Covid-19 has delayed things, and that doesn't include all the real-life politics which still could bite companies in the ass. Things are getting back on track, but there is still too much unknown. It is getting close to the final date to get new products printed and shipped.<br />
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Second, the economy shutting down for more than a month. Everything beyond food and other essential services are shut down -- sports leagues, schools, restaurants, and other smalls business have been ordered closed. Conventions and events of all types have been canceled -- San Diego Comicom the big one that comes to mind. Here's a list of the ones so far: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_events_affected_by_the_2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic" target="_blank">List of events affected by the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic</a>. Only now are places beginning to open. Many people have been laid off/furloughed/working from home, and money has become tight for millions of people. Food and family care come before fun.<br />
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(In my case, I've been off the property less than a half-dozen times in March and April, and they were for food runs and trips to the pharmacy.)<br />
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Which leads to the cons themselves Origins has already been moved to October. Here is that announcement: <a href="https://www.originsgamefair.com/news/origins-postponed-origins-online-scheduled-june" target="_blank">ORIGINS GAME FAIR POSTPONED TO OCTOBER; ORIGINS ONLINE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE</a>. That's a four-month delay, at a time people don't usually take vacations, and people are beginning to think about holiday season. Even then, it's not a sure thing -- Covid is still too unknown to know if it'll be back in the fall (Or even if it's still going to be around) They plan to have a virtual con in June, but have no idea how that is going to work.<br />
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On the other hand, Gencon is still sticking to its schedule. Their most recent update: <a href="https://www.gencon.com/press/updates-gen-con-covid19" target="_blank">Updates on Gen Con and COVID-19</a>.<br />
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The problem is that the virus is still unknown factor. It could fade away, or it could hang around and continue causing trouble. It has to be making planing difficult -- will the products be on time, will the Con be as scheduled, or, worse-case scenario, will the con happen at all? And if the con goes on, how many people will have the money and time to show up? How much product do you need and how much do you bring to to the con? Can you afford the warehouse feeds for leftover stock? Can you afford a four-month delay or a canceled convention?<br />
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And it's not just the conventions themselves, but the business that depend on conventions -- restaurants, hotels, bars, and other businesses around the convention center. Most are already hurting and a reduced or canceled convention will be hard. I've seen stories that maybe a third of the restaurants in the US could go out of business.<br />
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Here's the thing about restaurants: they work on thin profit margins. When I was a manager in the pizza delivery business, out FLC (Food, Labor, Costs) were to be no more than 94% of our income. Which meant if the store earned $10,000 in a week, the store made a grand total of $600 profit -- less then $100/day. The FLC covered the cost of food, the employee's wages, and the fixed costs (rent, insurance, maintenance, etc). Most restaurants carry no more than two weeks worth of money in their accounts for unforeseen expenses. I have no doubts that other small business have similar cost considerations. Some are being creative with pickup or delivery, but that is only a small fraction of their normal income.<br />
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Here's an article on the effects the Virus is having on the dining industry: <a href="https://www.eater.com/2020/3/24/21184301/restaurant-industry-data-impact-covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank">By the Numbers: COVID-19’s Devastating Effect on the Restaurant Industry</a>.<br />
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The economy has been thrown for a loop, and a lot of companies are not going to make it. Many smaller companies will go under and even the larger companies are going to be hurting. Little or no money is coming in, but fixed expenses like rent and insurance still need to be paid. Assuming the business survives, it will take some time to get out from under the cloud this virus has the entire world under.<br />
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Things are different this year -- and society world-wide has been altered. I think, as I write this, Gencon and Origins 2020 are going to be pale specters of what they normally are. I HOPE I am wrong. Maybe in a couple months, Covid-19 will vanish, never to be a major threat ever again, and both cons set attendance records. But I'm not optimistic.<br />
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BTW -- the photos above.... The first and third ones are from this article on Sarna.net: <a href="https://www.sarna.net/news/whats-up-with-catalyst-at-gencon-2019/" target="_blank">What’s up with Catalyst? at GenCon 2019</a>, while the second on is from this article: <a href="https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2019/06/19/recap-shadowrun-at-origins-2019/" target="_blank">Recap: Shadowrun at Origins 2019</a> The photos are not mine -- they are used to merely illustrate the article.<br />
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That's enough for now! Later!<br />
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CraigCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-22454333707959510112020-04-22T22:00:00.000-07:002020-04-22T22:00:27.020-07:00Overdue Update and Something about the Pardoe Graphic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWw33v1YcxTmCsKq0AOFG6ct4_cohq784N3VL5kK1GAGO4EVk05U4bNbXB51OB14eV53E9WCVNiSwlrHTKePTG4VLf2DvvenPITH6yuYFJFTqC2pZNWGRjg9p5kBFpNj1M5kAO1IdeQIfA/s1600/BT+authors+time+on+a+book.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWw33v1YcxTmCsKq0AOFG6ct4_cohq784N3VL5kK1GAGO4EVk05U4bNbXB51OB14eV53E9WCVNiSwlrHTKePTG4VLf2DvvenPITH6yuYFJFTqC2pZNWGRjg9p5kBFpNj1M5kAO1IdeQIfA/s640/BT+authors+time+on+a+book.png" width="566" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This chart s from Blaine Pardoe. I asked Blanie's permission to use this as a springboard for this blog entry, hense, the Pardoe Graphic.)</td></tr>
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I did not realize how long it has been since I put up a blog post -- 8 Months! Not a single post in that entire time! I am ashamed of myself! Especially since I'm sticking close to home these days, due to COVID-19!<br />
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Now, where to start? The Kickstarter, I guess. At the end of the Kickstarter, There were 11,277 Backers that put in $2,586,421. That's impressive, But, if you add the late backers in, those who backed the project after time expired, the results are even more impressive -- as of the time I write this, it's 14,271 Backers and a total of $3,054,525! Now, I know there are backers who chose to back this twice, but those are impressive numbers!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCnETqx-RuzaxpM28Cd493qs1myw5SRd-kuex24RyisyDp_62mrduc_xNikpQlKtF84LtMXUEM2IREGI5AsXjBCF-RhueJ4D-SvLvNsEcndRYcZ0zUYJd4GBsZZNPFBsv4HQ-TUCH0juI/s1600/BT+KS+roles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCnETqx-RuzaxpM28Cd493qs1myw5SRd-kuex24RyisyDp_62mrduc_xNikpQlKtF84LtMXUEM2IREGI5AsXjBCF-RhueJ4D-SvLvNsEcndRYcZ0zUYJd4GBsZZNPFBsv4HQ-TUCH0juI/s320/BT+KS+roles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now what does the successful Kickstarter mean? It means Catalyst is now trying to pull everything together, and while I'm not directly involved in the Kickstarter, I do know people are working hard on it and it's taking up much of their time. The COVID-19 Pandemic hasn't helped, but as far as I know, thinks are moving along. I can't give you any dates, but what problems that are are things beyond Catalyst's control. I have seen the questions and complaints about characters, and this is something above my paid grade.<br />
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Now, a word about Shrapnel, the new Battletech Magazine. I don't know when Issue #1 come out, but I do know it's a lot closer to being done than not. I have a story in it and I hope it is the first of a regular feature in the magazine. I also write an article for the Magazine. I haven't seen anything more than glimpse of it, but it looks good.<br />
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So, what else have I been doing? Writing. I have a couple of things submitted to Catalyst (beyond what will be in the Magazine) that might see the light of day this year, but when and where is out of my hands. There is new fiction being written, that much I do know, but I have no idea when any of it will come out.<br />
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Which comes to the other part of this post. Blaine Pardoe posted the graphic above on Facebook. While it is amusing, there's a lot of truth there. I have done almost everything on that graphic, from trying to find the right reference (Either in a physical copy in PDF form), to looking up pointless trivia on Sarna.net, to slipping in Easter eggs into stories (Not every story or product I've been involved with, but enough), to The position of figure (I've actually rolled dice in a quick and dirty Hit/miss and location -- In one published story I wrote, I rolled Boxcars for a hit location, and thus a Warhammer quickly died without a fight.)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uFWj97WfIiA-yOQlbzr06CUpbpyzQ0Z2MZnWBZ_-pBZPL84VR8XdA6XR1gkUBP3oWWN5isZ_AvkUmRr8z62VkpKTVchyphenhyphen2I4CcGo0IEBnYvU8JbgHH1fR1vjKSZM37xbSN2vnDLOyn3e-/s1600/Scribe+nomanation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1600" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uFWj97WfIiA-yOQlbzr06CUpbpyzQ0Z2MZnWBZ_-pBZPL84VR8XdA6XR1gkUBP3oWWN5isZ_AvkUmRr8z62VkpKTVchyphenhyphen2I4CcGo0IEBnYvU8JbgHH1fR1vjKSZM37xbSN2vnDLOyn3e-/s320/Scribe+nomanation.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
(Though I do admit that when I tell the editor that I have a great plan in store, they sigh, pat me on my head and walk away, shaking their head. I also have to admit the Fact Checker voodoo dolls are a bit dusty from disuse.)<br />
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I occasionally engage with fans on Social Media, but I don't go out of my way to get involved with them. I am approachable, so if you have a question or comment, don't hesitate to post it!<br />
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Above right is my nomination certificate for IAMTW 2019 Scribe awards. (Still a little bummed that Travis and I lost out to a Warhammer story) Took a while, but it's in my hands and as soon as I am able to, I plan to get a good frame for it. Doesn't it look fantastic?<br />
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That's all for now, back to writing!<br />
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Later<br />
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CraigCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574606187911387711.post-47949980504194419642019-08-16T19:03:00.000-07:002019-08-16T19:03:41.620-07:00The Battletech Kickstarter -- WOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm6jQyyPB889LAvoAIKW1sRgIU-nqUy9eFm2dhIt5zXtvCiizZNcTsGs1ZL_Kw2TL3RpPamOFjsLBCXnl3TFYNQaZ7FoLxxJNkGrHJQATVGU6c5bza_EWN2t0nvxtiieDKeqkjWExiTfL/s1600/BT+KS+2mil+mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm6jQyyPB889LAvoAIKW1sRgIU-nqUy9eFm2dhIt5zXtvCiizZNcTsGs1ZL_Kw2TL3RpPamOFjsLBCXnl3TFYNQaZ7FoLxxJNkGrHJQATVGU6c5bza_EWN2t0nvxtiieDKeqkjWExiTfL/s320/BT+KS+2mil+mark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As I write this, there are 28 hours left, and over 9500 backers had pledge $2.14 MILLION for the Clan box --- enough money to make it one of the top crowdfunded games in recent memory. It has been a smashing success on all levels.</div>
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I can't supply much in the way of behind the scenes, as this is all way about my pay grade, but I do know that the Catalyst people are beyond happy. Because this is more than just a Clan Box supplement -- This is BattleTech standing on top of a mountain peak and screaming, "I'M BACK!!!"</div>
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So, what does this mean for the people at Catalyst and the Freelancers for the coming year? A lot of work for everyone -- artists, 3-D modelers, writers, layout people and the company's brain trust. There is a lot to be done, and it's going to take some time to get everything sorted out.</div>
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As you can see from these sketches below from the Kickstarter page, there is a lot being down now, even before the campaign is over. there's close to a hundred 'Mechs that need to be redesigned, modeled, molds created, and minis produced. And the other stretch goals (Including a Plush Urbie!) -- I have never seen so much being offered for a Kickstarter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1d_dKafC6jSkYWsiprsc66OtBQg9CQN_8Yrt42JlBW8hIAJP4UZx-Q877bsaZeFHdwL-EZNPo4QNl_yIHQabfNRFMyrjWqZGu9WsS7e6rny0uTMm6NtJiKZhNrShYEsbntzAjyDWhIxN/s1600/Cougar-Sketch1+ID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1d_dKafC6jSkYWsiprsc66OtBQg9CQN_8Yrt42JlBW8hIAJP4UZx-Q877bsaZeFHdwL-EZNPo4QNl_yIHQabfNRFMyrjWqZGu9WsS7e6rny0uTMm6NtJiKZhNrShYEsbntzAjyDWhIxN/s320/Cougar-Sketch1+ID.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For me, the most interesting thing among the stretch goals is the Magazine. I do know it's been discussed for a couple of years now, (Between me and someone else with ties to the Catalyst brain trust), But as to what will be in it and any details, it's too early to say. From my own, personal perspective, I want this new Mag to be fiction heavy -- mostly stories with a few game-related items to round it out.<br />
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Why do I feel that way? BattleTech is almost unique among sci-fi universes in that for most of it's existence, it has been a fiction-driven game. After FASA closed and the game jumping ahead 70 years to help set up the MechWarrior click-tech game, when Catalyst took over the game, the lack of Novels crippled the game. The only source for Jihad-era fiction was Battlecorps, and short stories were poor substitute for novels.<br />
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But now that fiction again become the driving force the BattleTech universe, it would be on oversight to forget about short stories. Many stories in BattleTech, small characters moments and stories are not suitable for a novel or novella. I am a firm believer of stories all across the era and at all levels -- short stories, novellas and novels. Short stories are the perfect vehicle to discover and develop new writers for the Universe.<br />
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The details about the magazine are still far from being decided. Loren in the first AMA said it would be a ". . .living project. We can keep adding or subtracting to form it into what you (the fans) want."<br />
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I have my biases -- I want the fiction to lead in the magazine, to make the magazine appeal to the widest group of readers possible. I personally want to see 80/20 split between fiction/game material.<br />
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But it comes down to the Powers That Be, and their decision. All I can do is make my opinion known and hope it has some influence on their decision. In any case, I am happy to see the magazine finally become a reality. It has been around as a concept for a couple of years now. I don't know how long or what form this magazine will take, but we now have four issues to get it right. I really hope we can, because this could be a great addition to the product line, and a way to draw in new people to the game.<br />
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So, as I finish up the blog entry, the totals for the Kickstarter are now, with 24 hours to go, $2.17 Million, and 9600+ backers. Wow!<br />
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Later!<br />
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Craig<br />
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<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16931466556564141251noreply@blogger.com0