Line #85 Sandbox/BattleTech


1	[[folder:Franchise page description]]
2
3	->''[=BattleMechs=] - the most powerful war machines ever built - dominate the battlefields of the 31st century. These huge, man-shaped vehicles are faster, more maneuverable, better armored, and more heavily armed than any other combat unit. Equipped with particle projection cannons, lasers, rapid-fire autocannons, and missiles, these behemoths pack enough firepower to flatten anything but another 'Mech.''
4	-->-- A description of the iconic [=BattleMechs=], '''[=BattleTech=] Compendium'''
5
6	'''''[=BattleTech=]''''' is a large franchise that rose out of the HumongousMecha [[WarGaming War Game]] created by Creator/{{FASA}}. Said game was based off a RealRobot reinterpretation of many classic mecha anime such as ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' and ''Anime/FangOfTheSunDougram''. It turned out to be a huge hit, leading to spinoffs such as a companion RPG called ''[=MechWarrior=]'', a series of novels set in the shared universe which filled in the overarching story, multiple action and strategy video games, and even an animated series (notable for early usage of CGI).
7
8	Many of the designs of the original 'Mechs were taken straight from the animes noted above, with legal permission. However, due to a legal rights snafu with companies like Harmony Gold (owners of ''Anime/{{Robotech}}''), several designs were forced to be declared the "Unseen" in 1996 and could not be visibly used in any media. This legal stalemate lasted until 2015, despite a change of ownership of the franchise (to Catalyst Game Labs). Catalyst finally redesigned the Unseen visually, so that they could be used without having to request permission.
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10	The general story is that for centuries, humanity was united under the glory of the Star League, kept secure with humanity's greatest weapon, the bipedal armored robots known as [=BattleMechs=]. This golden age came to an end when an corrupt chancellor named Stefan Amaris took power for himself, fracturing the Star League. Amaris was eventually toppled by the great general Aleksandr Kerensky, only for him to leave known space with his forces in disgust when several warring galactic empires, known as the Successor States, formed and began to feud over who should reign over humanity. For centuries, these states waged horrific wars, sending technology and society further and further backwards. All the while, a secretive organization named [=ComStar=] hoarded what technology it could and destroyed what it could not, plotting to unify the newly christened Inner Sphere under its own banner. Most of the early works in the setting took place in the 31st century, as the Successor States continued to vie for territory.
11
12	These wars finally came to a halt when the descendants of the forces Kerensky had led out of the Inner Sphere returned. Rebranded as an alien society called the Clans, they invaded with the intent of capturing Terra, aka Earth, which was held at the time by [=ComStar=]. Once they learned of this, [=ComStar=] managed to stop the clans by way of a proxy battle for Terra on the planet Tukkayyid. Although they won, the political upheaval that followed led to [=ComStar=] splintering in two; one faction kept the original name, while the other became known as the Word of Blake (named after the founder of [=ComStar=]). A few years later, the Inner Sphere united again under the banner of the Star League, and attacked the Clans. The Clans fractured, with some joining the new Star League, others being driven back, and one of the Clans (Smoke Jaguar) being annihilated.
13
14	Shortly after that, war broke out again in what had been one of the major Successor States, the Federated Commonwealth. Eventually, the war led to the dissolution of the second Star League. Furious at this, the Word of Blake then broke out long-forbidden nuclear weapons, and proceeded to annihilate every planet they could, plunging humanity back into a new dark age. While there have been attempts to rebuild a new unified state since this, most of the Inner Sphere remains in chaos, engulfed in perpetual war between the remnants of both the Successor States and the Clans.
15
16	[[/folder]]
17
18	[[folder:List of works in the franchise]]
19
20	* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech''
21	* ''WesternAnimation/BattleTech1994''
22	* ''VideoGame/BattleTech2018''
23	* ''Franchise/BattleTechExpandedUniverse''
24	* ''VideoGame/MechAssault''
25	* ''VideoGame/MechCommander''
26	* ''VideoGame/MechWarrior''
27
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Description for Literature.BattleTech]]
31
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Trope examples for Literature.BattleTech]]
35
36	* AbsentAliens: A few novels (most notably ''Far Country'') actually do have aliens. The rest? None. As for ''Far Country'' itself, the aliens in question live in a system that's only been accessed by humans twice, both in jumpship mishaps that leave the humans stranded there. So they exist, but they can't interact with the rest of the TabletopGame/BattleTech universe.
37	* AnyoneCanDie: The EU encompasses a time span of over a century; if combat, accidents, or assassinations fails to kill someone, old age will.
38	* BullyingADragon: Novel ''Close Quarters'' has the main character, Cassie, use a bolter on a battlemech to provoke it into chasing her. The metallic ping against the cockpit window is a [[BatmanGambit direct insult to the '[=MechWarrior=]'s arrogance]], which causes them to give chase. She runs through a few buildings before surprising the mech with an electrical attack to the knee joint. The electricity spot-welds the joint, and crashes the mech to on the ground. She repeats the same action later in the novel by attracting a mech into swampy terrain where it gets stuck and crashes onto the ground.
39	* CanonImmigrant: Some of [[WesternAnimation/BattleTech1994 the animated series']] characters obtained this status. Adam Steiner is easily the most visible of them. Also of note are Vandervahn Chistu (Nicolai Malthus' superior) and Franklin Sakamoto. Chistu would briefly become one of the Falcon clan Kahns, ultimately dying at Vlad Ward's hands during the Refusal War. Sakamoto, on the other hand, would survive until the early stages of the Jihad in 3070. (Worth noting that Sakamoto was captured by the Black Dragon forces, with his ultimate fate apparently remaining unknown.)
40	* ChangelingFantasy: Subverted - Franklin Sakamoto renounced his claim to the throne.
41	* TheChessmaster: Subhash Indrahar, head of the Kuritas SecretPolice for ''60'' years.
42	* CriticalExistenceFailure: The concept of Combat Loss Grouping; stastistically, mechs of a similar weight class will continue to fight for long periods of time before becoming combat ineffective all at once.
43	* DefeatMeansFriendship: A common method for mercenary units looking to recruit people.
44	* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler: Trent of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Having been a victim of politics several times (his sibmate changes the official report of the battle of Tukayyid, and then manages to steal his spot on the Trial of Bloodright), with the help of his bondsman, he manages to escape his Clan, goes to ComStar and gives them the Exodus Road, the path to the Clan homeworld.]]
45	* DysfunctionJunction: The Seventeenth Recon Regiment, aka "Camacho's Caballeros". Their top scout is a recovering sociopath, one of their best captains is a repeated rape victim, another is clinically insane (and proud of it), and their commander is grieving his deceased daughter while his surviving son suffers from WellDoneSonGuy.
46	* EverythingsLouderWithBagpipes: The Northwind Highlanders have their bagpipe band play the loudest song possible onto Clan Smoke Jaguar radio frequencies to jam up the Clan's communications, forcing the Clanners to use more troublesome line of sight based communications.
47	* FakingTheDead: Galen Cox. [[spoiler:It's part of an elaborate scheme to expose Katherine Steiner-Davion's duplicity.]]
48	* GoodIsNotNice: Again, too many to list. GrayAndGrayMorality is a big part of life in the Inner Sphere.
49	* HappilyMarried: Hanse might have married Melissa for political reasons, they did make it work and love each other.
50	* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Tormano Liao. Basically, he's on whatever side is against the Capellan Confederation at the moment.
51	* HonorBeforeReason:
52	** Common with the Clan warriors and the older-line Draconis Combine warriors and nobility.
53	** Also, this is why Myndo Waterly thinks that Anastasius Focht won't [[VillainBall just shoot her]]. [[spoiler:She's wrong.]]
54	* ImpossiblyGracefulGiant: The first [=BattleTech=] novels had mechs doing rolls, going prone, and doing other silly maneuvers. Later novels makes them much more [[WalkingTank tank-y]] like in the boardgame.
55	* KillItWithFire: One of the most effective anti-Mech weapons an infantryman can carry is the Inferno rocket, which is loaded with a napalm substitute that overheats the Mech and cooks the pilot inside. As a result, fear of death by fire is common among [=MechWarriors=].
56	* KilledOffForReal: Takashi Kurita, Subhash Indrahar, [[spoiler:Omi Kurita]]
57	* ManipulativeBitch: Katherine "Katrina" Steiner-Davion. [[spoiler:For example, she seizes control of an entire interstellar nation just by rigging their popularity polls.]]
58	* MemeticBadass: In-universe, Kai Allard-Liao. To the point where Clan commanders sending fifty [[SuperSoldier Elementals]] to hunt him down (while he's injured, without a 'Mech, and on the run behind enemy lines), is considered a "fair fight".
59	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Ninyu Kerai. Subhash Indrahar apparently used to be one before old age caught up with him.
60	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: In ''Mercenary's Star'', [[spoiler: a Kurita assassination attempt on a Lyran ambassador is exactly what convinces said ambassador to send reinforcements to the Gray Death Legion]].
61	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Johnny Tchang is a straight expy of both Creator/BruceLee ''and'' Creator/JackieChan. One of his films is even called ''[[Film/EnterTheDragon Exit The Dragon]]''.
62	* ThePlan: Just like being a badass seems to be a requirement for surviving warfare, mastering gambits seems to be required for successfully holding any kind of political power.
63	* RoyallyScrewedUp: Both the Liaos [[spoiler:until Sun-Tzu]] and the Kuritas [[spoiler:until Theodore]] are this.
64	* RuleOfCool: The actual rules of the original game frequently get tossed aside in favor of this. Hey, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools whatever works...]]
65	** Some of these incidents, such as an Atlas throwing the much smaller Locust around like a rag doll (often alluded to in fluff) were [[AscendedFanon finally canonized as game rules to get players to stop complaining about not being able to do what was in the fiction.]]
66	** Sometimes averted; the climatic action sequence of '''Grave Covenant''' and most of the 'Mech combat sequences that don't involve Morgan Kell or Yorinaga Kurita in the Warrior Triology appear to have been actually gamed out under the tabletop rules. The '''Grave Covenant''' scene with Victor's ''Daishi'' and Renny Sanderlin's ''Penetrator'' is even in one of the scenario books.
67	** applies within the tabletop game: the reason why these giant, 31st century weapons have ranges in only hundreds of meters is RuleOfCool. Otherwise maneuver would have been pointless within the game.
68	* SirSwearsalot: Clan pilots. Expect Clan character's dialogue to be about 20% cussing (in the Clan's vocabulary, which means loads and loads of "FREEBIRTH" and "STRAVAG" being yelled)
69	* StarCrossedLovers: Justin Allard and Candace Liao (who end up HappilyMarried and produced the aforementioned MemeticBadass Kai), and later Victor Steiner-Davion and Omi Kurita ([[spoiler:which doesn't end nearly as well]]).
70	* UsefulNotes/StockholmSyndrome: [=POWs=] of the Clans start out as bondsmen, but are given the chance to regain their warrior status if they pass a TrialByCombat, upon which they become a fully fledged member of the capturing Clan. The most extreme example would be [[http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Phelan_Kell Phelan Kell]] a captured Inner Sphere mercenary (the Clans viewed these as the lowest form of scum) who not only earned his own bloodname (and by that, I mean he had a bloodname ''named after him''), but would go on to become the leader an entire Clan subfaction.
71	* TheReveal: The history of the Clans, and the nature of Wolf's Dragoons.
72	* UnresolvedSexualTension: Kai Allard-Liao and Deirdre Lear. [[spoiler: That would be until they got married. Or possibly earlier.]]
73	** [[spoiler: Their son, David Lear, was born shortly after they separated on Twycross, long before they got married. Kai was ''unaware he had a son'' for a while. So definitely earlier.]]
74	** Also a very "star-crossed lovers" example in Victor Steiner-Davion and Omi Kurita. They fall in love with each other at just about first sight when meeting on Outreach, but he's the heir to the Federated Commonwealth and she's the daughter of the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine and they're both too conscientious to just shirk their responsibilities in the name of romance... [[spoiler:They do get together in the end, although eventually an assassin sees to it that it doesn't last forever.]]
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76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Complete Monsters and Magnificent Bastards]]
79
80	* Approved Monsters by [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=1 the thread]]: Amos Furlough, Stefan Amaris, Jason Karrige, Katherine Steiner-Davion, upon review Dancing Joker
81	* Approved Bastards by [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15255322860A44444400 the thread]]: Sarah [=McEvedy=], Hanse Davion, Ulric Kerensky, Sun-Tzu Liao
82	* Rejected Monsters:
83	** Jinjiro Kurita: Kentares Massacre put him over the heinous standard, but that he did it for revenge for his dad was deemed too solid a connection for him to be a ''complete'' monster.
84	** Brett Andrews: Again easily passed the heinous standard, but his regard for Perigard Zalman was too big a mitigating factor.
85	** Dancing Joker: Being a professional assassin, his low body count means he failed to pass the heinous standard. UPON REVIEW: Dancing Joker passed, with the rule that lower body count can be made up for by personal horror.
86	** Malvina Hazen: Her connection to Aleks and FreudianExcuse were deemed sufficient mitigating factors.
87	* Rejected Bastards:
88	** Nicholas Kerensky: Initially approved, but recanted when it was decided he went over the heinous threshold to be a bastard.
89	* Magnificent Bastard Effort Posts:
90	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15255322860A44444400&page=535#comment-13372 Hanse Davion]]
91	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15255322860A44444400&page=537#comment-13411 Ulric Kerensky]]
92	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15255322860A44444400&page=541#comment-13508 Sun-Tzu Liao]]
93	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15255322860A44444400&page=546#comment-13649 Nicholas Kerensky and Sarah McEvedy]]
94	* Complete Monster Effort Posts:
95	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=7691#comment-192256 Stefan Amaris]]
96	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=7702#comment-192545 Jason Karrige]]
97	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=7723#comment-193070 Amos Furlough]]
98	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=7775#comment-194374 Katherine Steiner-Davion]]
99	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=7821#comment-195509 Jinjiro Kurita]]
100	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=8657#comment-216406 Brett Andrews]]
101	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=11378#comment-284435 Dancing Joker]]
102	*** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16738556630A78599000&page=1541#comment-38514 Revisited Dancing Joker]]
103	** [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=12612#comment-315287 Malvina Hazen]]

Context Sandbox / BattleTech