all systems nominal

Let's talk about BattleTech.

BattleTech started out as a board game in 1984.  The franchise has since expanded to video games, a TV show, dozens of books, and, most recently, the multiplayer competitive arena simulation MechWarrior Online.

I was first exposed to BattleTech through the PC game MechWarrior 2, but don't worry; this isn't a post about computer games.  Heck, it's not even about the board games.  It's about how incredibly awesome giant robots are.  I mean, if you're interested in the games, they're worth checking out; MechWarrior Online is free, after all, and MechWarrior 2 had one of the greatest soundtracks for a game ever composed.


Now, there are tons of franchises with giant robots in them.  What's so special about BattleTech?  A few things:  it takes itself very seriously, both in terms of tone and the realism of its technology.  It takes place in our universe, and all of its factions are in some ways extensions of Earth cultures and nations.  Finally, there's a huge emphasis on customization; you can really make one of these Mechs yours.

The MechWarrior 2 manual, in particular, was amazing.  It was written like a technical manual on how to pilot a Mech, with the twist that a veteran MechWarrior had scrawled in little notes all over it, like so:

You seriously do not want to exceed full red.

It added a level of intimacy and character to the instructions that carried over into the game, and I never stopped appreciating the care that went into that manual.  I continued reading and re-reading it until it fell apart, long after I had stopped playing the game itself.

You see, BattleMechs are powerful.  And something in me has always been drawn to great power.  BattleTech grants its giant robots of sense of lumbering weight and strength that's often lacking in more stylized giant robot franchises.  These Mechs don't turn on a dime; they turn very slowly.  In turn, this lack of quick reaction lends the game a more strategic feel.  Mechs moving around shooting at each other is more like a game of chess than a game of paintball, and I really appreciate that.

That's not really surprising, though, given its roots as a hex-based board game:

You gotta roll dice and all.  It's a jam.

So when my imagination places me in the cockpit of a Mech, singularly situated to dish out incredible amounts of destruction on the unsuspecting armies of my foes, that's pretty amazing.  Maybe they'll shoot back at me.  Maybe they'll hit!  Maybe they'll rip off one of my arms.  But that's fine; as long as there is an ounce of fighting spirit left in my soul, I will never give up the fight.  I will continue to battle them until they pry my cold hands from the controls and rip me, bodily, from my Mech.

Unfortunately, I expect that Mechs will never really become a viable military vehicle, primarily because, until terrain all over the world gets a lot rockier, wheeled/tracked vehicles will always be a better choice.  But on the day that we may receive these walking tanks into our ranks, I will be the first to prepare, promote, and pilot them.  Why fight as a man when you can fight as a titan?

Then again, some people have crazier ideas of what a titan should be:

But I'm not quite there yet.

(note:  BattleTech the board game is pretty hard to find, although a new version of the introductory box set will be released this fall.  It retails for about $60.  In the meantime, I own a copy, so if you want to play, let me know!)