MechWarrior Edition Wars

[PotatoElemental]

Since the recent announcement from Harebrained Schemes that they will be starting a Kickstarter Campaign for a Battletech turn based strategy/RPG video game, I've been looking into the system as a whole and its history.

I have had a Battletech box set on my shelf since I was like 8 years old but I barely ever got anyone to play it with, since it was fairly unknown in my region (or maybe I just didn't meet the right people) and the rules were too complex for most. But there was still something really fascinating about the mech designs and the attention to detail in the rules. I had no idea until lately that there was a companion RPG system to the tabletop battle game, called MechWarrior.

Now, from what I gather, there have already been four editions of MechWarrior. As with every PnP system, there will be edition purists and neophytes, arguments for and against every and each aspect of the system as it is presented in different editions and general mayhem and public disorder.

What I want to know is what is YOUR favorite edition of MechWarrior, what YOU think is the best edition to have a first campaign with, and which one do YOU recommend as the definitive, be-all end-all version of MechWarrior.

 

[Telengard]

Can't say I liked the pnp game, period, since it didn't really integrate well with Battletech. When playing, it actually kind of turned the game into much more of a Robotech game, with epic heroes piloting giant machines instead of the core of faceless tank crews piloting walking tanks and dying randomly.

But to actually answer your question, the question is actually moot, as I don't think they will really be able to use the rules. Not even an adapted version, like Shadowrun. The point pool purchase method the game used just doesn't translate well to crpg. Too much of a general mess. Not even Crescent Hawk used the actual rules, and that was back in the day and age when using the rules would have meant something.

 

[Gozma]

Mechwarrior is fun when no one has a mech yet, until you eventually go on the mission where you steal a mech because that's the kind of thing that people that like Battletech enough to play Mechwarrior wanna do.

Agree that the wargame rules don't work as RPG companion combat rules at all. It would be like trying to make an RPG out of Blood Bowl where the players walk around and talk to people and have relationships.

They should really figure out a way to make a good squad tactics game and then append a strategic overgame and a gloss of Jagged Alliance/X-Com type RPG stuff to it instead of trying to formulate it as an attempt at a P&P adventuring party style CRPG.

 

[SerratedBiz]

I used to have fun with the PnP Heavy Gear adaptation, though depending on who you ask that's like heresy or something.