Far Country

[BloodKite]

THAT Novel.

So understanding that the novel is considered Canon, but that the authors will never visit sentient life in the Battletech Universe again, it raises interesting discussion points in today's world based on the ever-increasing possibility meeting some form of sentient life.

I personally don't have the hate for Far Country that most people have, and believe it would be entirely plausible for a situation like that to actually happen in the Battletech Universe. And more often than is discussed in the Canon.

**Disclaimer** This is not a desire to see any more novels regarding sentient life in Battletech, but to acknowledge the possibilities of it occurring.

So Far Country was first published in '93. Exoplanets were not a common subject back then (I think the first confirmed exoplanet was around that time), and life on these non-confirmed planets was theoretical and fantasy mostly. So I can understand back then there being a clear "No aliens in Battletech" stance.

But now, in the world of Kepler, there are some 6,000+ planets confirmed in a very small patch of sky. And with Google's AI getting involved and James Webb going up soon (eventually, one day, please....), that number is going to increase rapidly.

In the context of a greater understanding of our galaxy, should we be more open to the idea in the Battletech Universe that there will be misadventures by explorers and that non-space faring , low technology, sentient life can be discovered?

And more so, why such hate for this concept in the Battletech Universe where it's common knowledge that planets are populated with native animal life (as opposed to introducing Earth life to these planets and dealing with the evolved ancestors, which seems to be quite a common occurrence....).

 

[TaurianMerc]

It's late and I'm tired so I can't remember straight, but I think it's the RPG core book that touches on this.
You have three options:
1) the aliens are more advanced than the humans so would either completely destroy them when the humans inevitably attacked(they can't not attack other humans, so come on!) or would steer well clear thus not appearing.
2) the aliens are inferior to humans. Based on comments above, the humans would attack and wipe out or completely enslave the aliens. (Likely the former as it prevents a later uprising)
3) the aliens are at the same level as humans and thus bring nothing to the game other than looking different.

 

[Packrat]

It never had anything to do with the plausibility of sapient alien life, but just about maintaining the feel of the setting: BattleTech is fundamentally about humanity, and all the good and bad it encompasses (told through the lens of fighting with big stompy robots, of course). Adding intelligent aliens changes the tone of the universe a great deal, because now you have this section of the franchise that is distinctly non-human, and many feel trying to roll that in would distract from the stories exploring humanity.

 

[shadojak]

Looks like someone needs a little visit from the Spanish Inquisition!

 

[Exemplar Voss]

It never had anything to do with the plausibility of sapient alien life, but just about maintaining the feel of the setting: BattleTech is fundamentally about humanity, and all the good and bad it encompasses (told through the lens of fighting with big stompy robots, of course). Adding intelligent aliens changes the tone of the universe a great deal, because now you have this section of the franchise that is distinctly non-human, and many feel trying to roll that in would distract from the stories exploring humanity.

Yeah, this. Actual aliens in the BT universe radically alters the feel of the setting, and the fundamental assumptions and themes that form its foundation.

The scientific probabilities of aliens isn't really the issue. Consider the wacky 'are they aliens?' theories that got tossed around when the Clans first appeared, both in-universe and by fans. It got really crazy, and barely got brought back down to sanity with the Star League descendents revelation. Comstar was honestly considering the theory that shapeshifting blobs ate Kerensky's people, took their place and got stuck that way. But battling aliens wouldn't have the same feel as dragging the saved/saviors of the SLDF back down into the mud of the Succession Wars cycle of crazy. That had meaning, despite the tech mismatch. ET & friends would've have been dramatically 'meh.'

 

[Cyttorak001]

Plus, with an enemy external to every faction, peace might break out.

 

[Havamal]

There have always been aliens, but no other significantly advanced intelligent alien society.

There were for example the swamp dwellers in Sword and Dagger that attempt to capture Ardan Sortek when his Victor gets ambushed and him left for dead.
As said above, Far Country withstanding they're never central or even tangential to the story, or relevant to the political order. This is intentional.
This is an IP about humans and the messes that we've gotten ourselves into, and the machines that are central to the action.

 

[Ac0lyte]

As Havamal said - there's alien life all over the BT Universe. Pretty much every inhabited planet, IIRC.

It's just not sentient* or technologically advanced.

- Shane
* There is some in lore dispute on this for some species. Nevertheless, none have technology.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Plus, with an enemy external to every faction, peace might break out.

Excuse me, Sir, this is a family friendly forum so can you please abstain from further vulgarities?

 

[TaurianMerc]

Plus, with an enemy external to every faction, peace might break out.

Peace between the human states maybe, but only so they could attack the aliens.
Once that's done they will go back to killing each other.

 

[Cyttorak001]

Peace between the human states maybe, but only so they could attack the aliens.
Once that's done they will go back to killing each other.

One hopes.

 

[DeadDuck1015]

Yeah, this. Actual aliens in the BT universe radically alters the feel of the setting, and the fundamental assumptions and themes that form its foundation.

The scientific probabilities of aliens isn't really the issue. Consider the wacky 'are they aliens?' theories that got tossed around when the Clans first appeared, both in-universe and by fans. It got really crazy, and barely got brought back down to sanity with the Star League descendents revelation. Comstar was honestly considering the theory that shapeshifting blobs ate Kerensky's people, took their place and got stuck that way. But battling aliens wouldn't have the same feel as dragging the saved/saviors of the SLDF back down into the mud of the Succession Wars cycle of crazy. That had meaning, despite the tech mismatch. ET & friends would've have been dramatically 'meh.'

I agree completely. The clans, for all their strange cultural practices and general sense of "other-ness", are still fundamentally human. They're still driven by human motivations, and subject to human flaws. Which is why for all their sense of superiority, they're not really any better or worse (despite what I might say normally) than the inhabitants of the Inner Sphere. It adds a nice layer of gray over the black and white of your standard 'alien invasion' narrative.

 

[Imperium45]

Although it would be pretty interesting to see a battle between a bunch of mechs and some weird alien vehicles.

 

[Barracooda]

Although it would be pretty interesting to see a battle between a bunch of mechs and some weird alien vehicles.

Wrong game...Warhammer 40K has large Mecha like vehicles and does a reasonable job of it.

 

[TaurianMerc]

Wrong game...Warhammer 40K has large Mecha like vehicles and does a reasonable job of it.

And when he says large, we're talking St Peter's Basilica on legs in some instances!