One gamer’s BATTLETECH pilgrimage to HBS Studio

[Prussian Havoc]

It’s amazing what a little true Bismarck February Weather can do to the hopes of a guy from PA on a pilgrimage to a gaming studio in Kirkland WA!

Foturnately it wa moving so fast and the ground was so warm that it never had a chance to stIck anywhere along its US track. (And the BATTLETECH Gods smiled...) Indeed I had remarkably few issues a despite it being late February. : )

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Upon seeing the Mountains emerge across the horizon west of Billings Montana:

I immediately pulled over and texted my Sister:

But it all worked out well in the as my Jeep Cherokee has Smart Cruise Control, maintained 80mph (the legal Speed Limit for just about the entire Interstate System in Montana : ) ).

 

[unclecid]

You have a good point Sir!

But it is simpler than that. Priceline let me have this room for 1/3 the price of a room at an Inn on Post.

View attachment 548940

That and there is a COSTCO within easy walking distance of my hotel here in Olympia. : )

View attachment 548939

Room cost and a good rotisserie chicken... after 6 days on the road, I find it is the little things that mean a lot. : )

That and I am surprised I am not asleep yet!!!




Anyhow, I have picked up some “B-Roll” during the trip so will look to drop another post for two tonight. :bow:

ah...i figured you were staying at the BOQ when at each base stopover.

 

[unclecid]

Upon seeing the Mountains emerge across the horizon west of Billings Montana:

View attachment 548945

I immediately pulled over and texted my Sister:

View attachment 548948

But it all worked out well in the end.: )

back in '73 my dad was transferred from NAS Alameda(oakland/sanfran) to NAS South Weymouth(boston)
we took the northern route going east....a '72 33ft RV and a '70 plymouth fury 3
fury did fine but the RV well we had to stop every so often coming down cool the brakes..they got REAL hot.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

After nearly 6-straight hours of uninterrupted, non-below freezing sleep, I find I have been a much less than attentive thread host, my apologies, Good People, my most profound apologies. :bow:

I wish I'd had known you were coming through Wisconsin, I'd have had you make a pit stop in Milwaukee and we could grab a cup of coffee or beverage of your choice. Maybe on the way back?

Good @kazadDhum, if I had it to over again, I would have much, MUCH preferred to have met you and others than to have made either of the NFL Twitter runs. I’ve had more fun meeting Gary in Medora, Kiffany and Ted in Livingston Montana, and reconnecting with Steve S., the Best Man at my Wedding and who was also stationed here at Fort Lewis #backintheDAY and who knowing me as he does led me straight into a Lacey WA, Days Inn, COSTCO Rotisserie Chicken Food Coma that lasted all-but-6hours straight. ; )

Hindsight being 20/20, the best part of this pilgrimage / BattleTech Grand Tour 2020 has been more the people I have met and less the places I have pasted through on a map... though some of what Mother Nature has had to share has been nothing less than STUNNING to be sure. :bow:

Well there is a Podbay in Houston Texas, might be worth swinging down there

What was...


What will be...


I have also reached out to MechCorps, hopefully making them an offer they decide not to refuse. ; )

We're living in Texas now, and not in the path of your return. And we DO kinda stick to ourselves most time anyway It'd have been nice but also maybe a little awkward

I would personally really like to meet you. If MecCorps of Houston decides to hold an Open Play Event on Friday, I hope you and your brother can attend. ;bow;

So I looked at that and my first thought was how good my heat sinking would be!

lol
What amazes me is even while winding all the way up to 5400rpm in the largely Cruise Controlled assent into and through the Rockies at 80mph, the Jeeps Temp never rose even a single ‘tic’ of Heat Management.

#Jeep2020DHS4All : )

Oh PH... how do I envy thee... let me count the ways...
From a former interstate trucker, safe travels good sir!

This has truly been the most fun I’ve had in the 7-years since I retired. : )

ah...i figured you were staying at the BOQ when at each base stopover.

Nope, my Jeep’s internal spaces include a thermal sleeping bag and mini-air mattress - we Smoke Jaguars / DCMS / Taurians know how to travel efficiently and unlike Federals and Commonwealthers! : )

back in '73 my dad was transferred from NAS Alameda(oakland/sanfran) to NAS South Weymouth(boston)
we took the northern route going east....a '72 33ft RV and a '70 plymouth fury 3
fury did fine but the RV well we had to stop every so often coming down cool the brakes..they got REAL hot.

That sounds amazing, and must be a set of treasured memories. :bow:

 

[Shameless]

so you'll be there tomorrow then? damn that sucks. I've got to work otherwise I'd make the trip over to Houston.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

so you'll be there tomorrow then? damn that sucks. I've got to work otherwise I'd make the trip over to Houston.

Not tomorrow, next week.

Might you be there then?

 

[Kereminde]

Not tomorrow, next week.

Might you be there then?

Next week, the 6th? I'll mention it to my brother, and I'll have to see about whether I can swing the night into freedom. The trick is going to be whether or not the MechCorps people can manage it - it is a volunteer thing, far as I recall.

Edit: Gonna need a more detailed "target" than "Friday". I know I got my mornings before noon spoken for with work and needing to travel. See what happens, but we're still in the "maybe..." camp. Trying to figure out logistics (without Darius' help).

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I am burning daylight and have to get on the road to Mount Rainier, but let me just say that I found Mitch and Team HBS to across-the-board be gracious, welcoming and incredibly kind to take some time out of their day to meet me.

I’ll have more to say this evening as I rest along the Road to Monterey!

And I hope to have more information on our prospective link up in Houston at MechCorps!

But this will all have to wait till tonight / tomorrow. I might even have some Happy Snaps from Brian to share by then too. : )

 

[HBS_Null]

It was an honor meeting you in person @Prussian Havoc. Enjoy the rest of your travels!

 

[Prussian Havoc]

It was an honor meeting you in person @Prussian Havoc. Enjoy the rest of your travels!

Thank you Good Sir. :bow:

Today, today was a good day...

 

[HBS_CaptKerberos]

Thanks for stopping by! And for all the support of the project's lifetime!

 

[Prussian Havoc]

So now I make the transition to a BATTLETECH Fan Event in Houston, and to Facebook and my fellow graduates of Shenandoah Valley High School and our two-week old Alumni Group of more than 1900 folks ~ proof positive that while we may only graduate 65-75 Seniors (back in my 1985 days anyway) we are of hardy stock in the @Skook. : )


I will continue to cover the Houston Event here and a selection of the more interesting or eventful Tweets. :bow:

 

[Kereminde]

So now I make the transition to a BATTLETECH Fan Event in Houston

Which we're still going to need a tighter target for if we want to get involved

 

[mmurray821]

You swing through Colorado let me know!

 

[Prussian Havoc]

You swing through Colorado let me know!

Thank you, and while Inwas assigned to Fort Carson for a time back in ‘91-93, I am now committed to a more southernly route - Monterey, El Paso, Houston, Knoxville, DC and then Home to PA.

I would have liked to have hit the Denver Mint though and picked up something unique to the Denver Mint for my Dad. Maybe next time. : )

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Which we're still going to need a tighter target for if we want to get involved

Tighter target?

I shall endeavor to do so Good Kereminde. More to follow...

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Thanks for stopping by! And for all the support of the project's lifetime!

With your previous sharing on the forum of Map and Terrain work, I had hoped I might be able to share my Gettysburg Map Board with you, if indeed you were available for yesterday’s Lunch.

I am glad that worked out as it did Good Sir.

Oh! And I believed I shared with you that an ode to your “Talon” character was in the Work of Mech Art that I had commissioned from @SpOoKy777 and had vetted through HBS/Paradox (thanks again @emmasterakia! : ) )


Well for the first time here is Work-in-Progress 1. There are still dozens of passes for particulate-effect, debris, battle damage, Victoria’s Flamers, Smoke, flame and spark-shower... but the heart and soul of SpOoKy’s Vision is clearly evident:

With the fate of the Aurigan Restoration hanging in the balance, our “EveryPerson” of a Player Character looks on from the CT-Destruction of his SLDF Highlander as Victoria has just torn away the Left Torso and Arm of Kamea’s Atlas II.

With our EveryPerson MechWarrior our of the fight, where are Kamea’s other Lancemates?

For that matter where are the other Mech’s supporting Victoria?

Can Kamea’s Half-an-Atlas really take Victoria’s Hyper-Aggressive King Crab?

What tactics, technique or procedure is Kamea counting on to turn the tide?


...or has her Will been broken along with her Atlas II?

...has she finally begun to to rue her selfish decision to risk the Restoration by personally takinh the field against a beaten and all-but-defeated Victoria?

Is Victoria about to assume an Executioner’s Role and Privilege?

Should we all begin to despair for the Aurigan People?


EDIT: And no Connor, I don’t think our EveryPerson is about to sprint up the Carapace of a King Crab, jack Victoria’s Canopy and put PAID to Mastiff’s Murderer... though I’d love to see that role-played someday! : )

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I’ll just leave this here...



...no, the irony has not escaped me.


EDIT: actually found and bought that book in an antiques shop in Kalama, WA.

 

[SpOoKy777]

Thank you @Prussian Havoc for this thread, your support and being a great person! o7

And thanks to everyone at HBS for their hard work and excellent games!