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Why there will never be a Battletech-movie (or series)

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Love to see: A live action BattleTech TV series similar to a Game of Thrones type format. Maybe set during the 3rd Succession War, or starting in the 4th Succession War and leading into the Clan Invasion. Of course mech combat, but realistically due to CG budgeting, most of the big stuff would probably be saved for season finale style episodes.

Like to See: A new BattleTech animated series, maybe similar to the treatment Netflix has given Voltron or possibly darker like Castlevania. Similar setting (3rd/4th Succession war or Clan Invasion). More likely to get much more mech combat due to being animated.

Would Settle For: Just getting the 90's animated show released on DVD (or re-released if it was EVER on video). It may be very 90's Saturday Morning made to sell toys-ish, and therefor feeling a rather dated, however I have nostalgia for this show (as I watched it on TV back in the day) so I would purchase a DVD set.
 
Oh, and since we are talking about the BattleTech Animated Series, I feel we need this :D...

 
One of the biggest problems with presenting Battletech is how vast the setting and lore is. I think a better way of presenting it would be to use short vignettes they sell the style and aesthetics of the universe. If animated is the way people would prefer to go, and that does sound more feasible, then I'd recommend an approach simmilar to Netflix's "Love Death and Robots". 15 - 20 minute short stories that whet the appetite rather than asking people to invest in a Game of Thrones type mega show. Below are stills from two of the episodes "Suits" which is sort of a Dark Ages tale and "Lucky 13" .
Suits.jpg

Lucky 13.jpg


As long as you stick to the micro format, you can manage some pretty cost effective vfx. Check out some of the online studios like DUST to see what you can do if your not trying to outdo Avatar. Keep it simple, keep it stylish, and avoid trying to layer people into active virtual environments and you can do some decent things.
 
WhiteChapel said:
One of the biggest problems with presenting Battletech is how vast the setting and lore is.
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An anthology series could work, but the vastness of the lore and setting is not the issue at hand. It's more how it's presented than what is presented. BT lore seems to adhere more towards puply grand warstories/plots within plots with mature themes (but still teen sanitary for the most part), and that's well and good, but that pulpyness doesn't always make a good show.

I may not be describing what I'm trying to get right, and if that's the case, I apologize. It's something I've thought on, but haven't necessarily had the time to work out how to describe it.
 
See I think that grand narrative arc actually works against Battletech because of the introductory barrier. Like I said, use the "Love Death Robots" format. 10 to 20 minute short stories that tease glimpses into the most interesting corners of the Battletech universe.

A Solaris VII gladiator gets pressure to throw his big shot at the title.
The last elements of the Royal Black Watch try to rescue the last Lord of the Star League.
A young Trueborn has to win his trial of position or forever lose his chance (blah blah something clanner, throwing them a bone)
The sole survivor of a betrayed mercenary company must lead the local militia against attacking mech pirates armed with nothing but infantry, hovercrafts, and an inferno launcher.
Follow one pilot from jump to planetfall to death during some famous invasion (Tikonov idk) using POV and guncam footage.
A day in the life story for a Comstar acolyte showing civilian and tech
A travel journal from a tramp trader POV showing different cultures (Circinus, Magistracy, Liao, FWL, Steiner)
The Standoff between a Ronin and a Gunslinger during the Hidden War
Ghost Story: In character presentation of one of Battletech's ghost stories (Callandra Witch, the 25th HAR, Gaffa's Ghost)
Any of the short story with the Bounty Hunter, or just rip of any Man with No Name story and put the Bounty Hunter in.

Like I said 10 - 20 minutes, drop straight into the setting, minimal prologue, negligible epilogue. Maximize the setting and the fluff like unit markings, name dropping, mechs and tech, etc. Don't explain the tech or the politics or the culture, just present it as established fact. Push the audience in the deep end.
 
It's too bad that the one amateur MechWarrior Animated series was shut down (by Topps I believe). Also given the art style, PGI might have eventually taken issue too, who knows.

I think the main reason it was shut down was that the group making it wanted to monetize it. That is generally a no-no when dealing with material that some one else owns the rights to.

At least we still have a little teaser on what might have been...

 
We are probably thinking too hard about it if we consider the lore of BattleTech too deep / detailed for a TV show, saying people would get too overwhelmed. If we stop and look at Game of Thrones, you'll see 7 major houses, many secondary factions (Night's Watch, Wildlings, Brotherhood without Banners, Dothraki, etc, etc) and a whole slew of characters coming and going. (Not to mention the 7 major houses are suppose to be united like how things were with the Star League, which leaves characters intermingling to a dizzying degree.) They made it work by slowly introducing factions and characters. So yes, if you tried to explain the entire BattleTech lore and 3025 setting in the first episode, it would get confusing and turn people off. But that's why it's a better idea to do like Game of Thrones and only elude to the other factions and characters, focusing only on a few factions at a time. So start with something like the Kurita & Davion border with those being the main factions introduced, including some secondary factions (mercenaries, ComStar, etc), and a limited number of initial characters.

We can't think about it like a table top game where all the information / lore / setting / characters has to be detailed out to the audience / consumer in the beginning. TV Shows present things slowly and systematically (at least the successful ones). Plus, with the right storytelling, a lot of the audience doesn't care that they can't keep track of all the factions each character is with. (My wife couldn't tell you the name of most factions or characters, but loves Game of Thrones. Heck, even I who can keep track of who everyone is, would need to google to tell you all their names and the names of their factions.)
 
I don't think you would need that huge a budget for a Battletech show. Robots are easier to do than living things. And I don't think an hour of battles every episodes would be very interesting even if you could afford it. Most of the show would be people talking in pretty normal costumes with maybe a CGI background. A couple times a season you would have a big setpiece action scene.
 
As plot why not just use the First Grey Death book for a 6 episode mini series or so. It has a slow introduction into this Mech thing. It starts of with some huge robots and stuff shooting a base. Then you see some sort of guerilla warfare until Grayson can bring down the Locust of Lori. Some more action with Mechs.

I think that would be perfect. A lot of guys i know were hooked up by this novel back in the days, so it has a certain likeability. You get a relative slow introduction to the setting (maybe connected to that it was the first released BT novel), and you have a not to Mech heavy storyline for the beginning.

All the other points of the first post i just disagree. Basically you could say the same about The Expanse, which worked out okish for a series.
 
Well, maybe the "Scouting" exploits of the Steiner Assault Squad would make for a good Battletech program?


 
So I just finished reading the Warrior Trilogy for the first time. I can totally see it being made into a short series - I was pretty much picturing it as such in my head the whole time. Especially since while the overall scope of the story is pretty vast, most of the action is centered on only a handful of people and locations, and the action scenes are spread out enough that it could be well within the means of a modestly-budgeted episodic show.

(Don't know about the rest of you who read the BT novels, but for added fun, imagine all the scenes between Lyrans, Draconians, and Capellans being spoken in subtitled German, Japanese, and Mandarin. It really adds to the atmosphere of grand-scale political conflict.)

Too bad Francois Chau is a bit too old for the lead role now... he could have been an amazing Justin Xiang.

New Bitmap Image (3).jpg
 
Brother Diogenes said:
So I just finished reading the Warrior Trilogy for the first time. I can totally see it being made into a short series - I was pretty much picturing it as such in my head the whole time. Especially since while the overall scope of the story is pretty vast, most of the action is centered on only a handful of people and locations, and the action scenes are spread out enough that it could be well within the means of a modestly-budgeted episodic show.

(Don't know about the rest of you who read the BT novels, but for added fun, imagine all the scenes between Lyrans, Draconians, and Capellans being spoken in subtitled German, Japanese, and Mandarin. It really adds to the atmosphere of grand-scale political conflict.)

Too bad Francois Chau is a bit too old for the lead role now... he could have been an amazing Justin Xiang.

View attachment 510240
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Is he Vagabond?

latest


Just checked...Yes, yes he is :D. Well, we can say that he is no stranger to gaming SciFi.
 
Brother Diogenes said:
Too bad Francois Chau is a bit too old for the lead role now... he could have been an amazing Justin Xiang.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, he'd make a great Maximillian Liao :D
 
For real though, Tex from the blackpantslegion's Amaris civil war could easily be transformed into a game of thrones type drama, with a pretty wicked arc. Go through the death of big daddy cameron, to little cameron screwin the pooch, to the betrayal of Amaris, the return of Kerensky (the awesome last stand of the black watch) and then Kerensky peacing out, setting up a time jump for the late succession wars/clan invasion series culminating in tukayyid. I'd watch the crap out of that.
 
TubmasterGeneral said:
For real though, Tex from the blackpantslegion's Amaris civil war could easily be transformed into a game of thrones type drama, with a pretty wicked arc. Go through the death of big daddy cameron, to little cameron screwin the pooch, to the betrayal of Amaris, the return of Kerensky (the awesome last stand of the black watch) and then Kerensky peacing out, setting up a time jump for the late succession wars/clan invasion series culminating in tukayyid. I'd watch the crap out of that.
Click to expand...
There is so much streaming and cable activity that I hope it is only a matter of time until the BattleTech IP gets some attention.

I too would watch the heck out of the show you describe. : )
 
Literally joined ParadoxPlaza to reply here! So thanks AngeliDAvanti. See our invitation below too.

To reply and fully comply with your 1 sentence challenge AngeliDAvanti.
We'd offer the sentence below.

"While on the run he paused to dance for the love of someone."

A Story of 'The Dancing Joker'
Proposed as a standalone movie akin to 'ROGUE ONE' not 'SOLO'
Based on
- 'Bred For War' the Battletech novel by
Michael A Stakepole

1st Trilogy of films best to be produced in our estimation would be 'The Warrior Trilogy'
'Warrior: En Garde'
'Warrior: Reposte'
'Warrior: Coupe'
This trilogy set at the dawn of the 4th Succession War. Would allow for subsequent visits to earlier times while the series progresses towards the Clan Invasion.
Another standalone would be
'FAR COUNTRY'
Allowing for a mix of story assets akin the Marvel's wider universe beyond the MCU.
Stream/TV shows to focus on narrative filling background and backstories.
'Way Of The Clans' and its Bloodname trilogy
While
Movies - standalones and series for big budget action depiction.
The Battle of Tukayyid, with the Clans having to abide by the Truce of Tukayyid

OPEN Collaboration Invition on a indie 10min short is open for 2020. We are based near Elstree Studios etc in London.
Been a passionate and avid Battletech novel enthusiast since 1991 a continue to re read to this day!
Kindly reply and we'll get linked up.
We are professional specialists in Headhunting/Recruitment for projects and start-ups. So fortunately talent search is second nature.
This would allow us to use our professional skillset to progress a lifetime passion...
([Edit added as to openly challenge the veiled dislike of Estate Agents/Realtors.] We also hold an even more extensive 23 year background in Property Real Estate. With a vast trove of historic clientele.)

Remember
"You can live your life
with your dreams coming true
as long as you
turn your dreams
into actionable plans
put those plans into action
find other persons
to share those actions with
(the most challenging part actually)
and deliver them
through a status quo.
Fore then your plans
are your dreams
in truthfulness..."
- Natan A Sakar 2011

Come live a dream with us...
 
Last edited:
Loving It... and thanks for the :bow Prussian (Prince of..) Havoc.... we get it ala
'Prince Of Havoc'​
Another superb novel by Michael A Stakepole.

PruHav
We're 100% seriously focused on this/these projects.
StarWars - StarTrek - Mavel & DC must be toppled so as to save the content market...
Look to 'Code 8' as a great example.

Thanks again for the kind welcome and let's get it
DRT (Not Dead-Right-There akin to the Black Thorns of the James D Long Battletech novel 'DRT' ... but)
DRT Done Right There!
​
Warm Seasonal Greetings
TDanJ0
 
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