Thursday, October 08, 2009

also, the car is a passing fancy

“…a pleasant little game. It provides enough optional or advanced material to keep it interesting from game to game… although I don’t think it will ever become a fan favorite or gain a cult following the way games such as Ogre have."


-Aaron Allston, BattleTech review. Space Gamer, issue #75, July/August 1985

16 comments:

  1. Oh that's excellent. Lol!

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  2. From a game PoV, the comment is correct. Battletech wasn't exactly the bee's knees.

    In fact, I always thought it was a rather poor game.

    But one should never underestimate the draw of the subject.

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  3. What's "Ogre"?

    Kidding! ;-)

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  4. You know, I still play OGRE/GEV on occasion, but I sold off all my Battletech stuff years ago.

    Just sayin'...

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  5. I still love OGRE/GEV, but that's just me...


    Strange question for you though sir - I recall years ago during a friend's early Battletech exploration there was a magazine for the genre out with the first article on their "setting" ninjas in the background - came with a short story etc, would have been the 1987/1988 timeframe - any chance anyone knows where I could get a copy? Think they were called nekakami or some such...

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  6. BattleTechnology issue #2:

    http://www.justplain.com/BattleTechnology/btwords/bt02.html

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  7. I'm reminded of the movie critics who weren't so hot on Star Wars before it came out.

    As I've stated before, I was never a big Battletech fan having been exposed to Japanese anime and manga around the time Battletech became really popular. Also, I was always more of a RPG guy and not much of a minis/wargame guy. That said the universe of Battletech is pretty cool and I've always toyed with porting it over to a Mekton game.

    Was there ever a RPG for Ogre? I can't seem to recall one. A GURPS supplement perhaps?

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  8. The GURPs supplement's the only RPG OGRE I know of. Traveller can work though...

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  9. I can recall some rules for advancing OGREs (!!!) as characters in an old issue of Space Gamer. From what I can recall it was a bit sparse on the human elements, but it's been a while.

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  10. Cool. I'm contemplating having 'Ogre' like sentient battle tanks exist in my current all robot sf campaign.

    Heheheh

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  11. Anonymous6:56 PM

    I too find Battletech a pleasant enough game, but enjoy the setting more than the game itself. Until the Clans showed up, of course. Then everything got too silly for my tolerance.

    Barking Alien: I've actually gone and done some work porting BT to Mekton. Starting with the heat scale. Heat is Battletech's signature, what sets it apart from the other giant robot games.

    And issue 9 of Different Worlds magazine also had "role-playing" rules for advancing the skills of Ogres AND the boss in the Command Post. Pages 9 to 11, sitting right in front of me.

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  12. OK, say what you will about how wrong he was, but Aaron Allston is one of my rpg writing heroes.

    Dungeon Master's Design Kit, GURPS Autoduel, Lands of Mystery, Mythic Greece, Ninja Hero and Treasure Hunt are like my top favorite gaming supplements of all time (even if I am not always particularly fond of the systems they were written for). The man knows how to capture a genre and put it into a game system.

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  13. Thanks for the info sir, I appreciate it!

    I love the knowledge power of fellow gamers on the 'net...

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  14. LMAO!!! I cant remember the last time Ive seen something for OGRE outside of the discount or used games section of my stores. In fact the primary store I go to doesnt even have that...

    Course I also play Battletech every month and once my classes open up time again hopefully more often.

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  15. I played Ogre again just last night :)

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  16. idk I always loved Battle tech. With the rules compendium, and a modeling kit I had a LOT of fun with that game.

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