BT is pretty great overall. 1) The game system has remained consistent for decades. While there are a few minor changes and details like rounding etc, you can still get a mech from the original boxed set and play it in 2024. 2) No model orthodoxy. The makers don't try to tell you exactly which model you can or can't use. Use bottletops if you want to, they won't send the game police to arrest you. 3) It's a massive universe with dense lore and detail. There are so many hooks out there you can play weekly and your grandkids will still have something new to hook to. 4) It's not an insane investment, many books remain topical or useful to some degree even if superceded by newer versions. 5) Big stompy robots 6) You can customize your own designs and have a megaton of fun. 7) You don't need a few hundred models to play. You can invest in a boxed set and some lance boxes and have fun for ages. Now it does have some issues 1) It's a 1980's board game. It was never meant to be this huge thing with a massive universe so the rules a little bit on the clunky side and some features are not the most modern or may lack some of the finesse of more modern games. But it remains playable and there are versions that streamline it for fast play. 2) Sometimes the logic of the universe is a bit weird or obviously meant as a game background, which means that most factions are indestructible no matter what happens and a few thought dead have been brought back. It cuts both ways. Also some of the SF logic doesn't quite add up like a planet with 500,000,000 people getting a yearly visit from a dropship with 50k tons worth of goods. I live in a city that has that amount every day and more. Like many older games they never saw some of our modern tech coming and some stuff is more redressed mid 20th century stuff than cutting edge tech. Guns tend to be 1950's wood and steel with limited capacity that doesn't compare to even a basic cheap end AR from Wall Mart. 3) If you let people make crazy maxed out custom builds it's only going to be fun for one person and end up in tears. 4) Some models are not available, even if you figure in Iron Wind's humongous metal models range and 3D printing. If you hate proxies, that could be an issue. 5) The design system will break at some point. It's not an issue as long as you stay in the logic of the universe, but if you try to build the 3050 equivalent of a Bradley IFV it's really tough to do without compromising hard. I have been running BT games for a while now, everybody loves it, everybody loves the RPG campaign and find it all great fun. Yes it's not perfect, but D&D, Warhammer, etc also have issues and they tend to be far worse in some cases. BT is the cool game you must have tried at least once.
Great video! Battletech a great setting and in my opinion one of the best wargames available. Another selling point I'd like to add is how relatively inexpensive models are when compared to other games like warhammer or even bolt action. There's also a very large amount of STL models available for 3D printing (however one may feel on that subject).
Yes, and most players and tournaments don't care what minis you use, whether its official CGL, 3D print, old school pewter or even paper standees. Unlike another game I can think of, where it's 'officially produced, latest version or GTFO', basically.
BT is pretty great overall.
1) The game system has remained consistent for decades. While there are a few minor changes and details like rounding etc, you can still get a mech from the original boxed set and play it in 2024.
2) No model orthodoxy. The makers don't try to tell you exactly which model you can or can't use. Use bottletops if you want to, they won't send the game police to arrest you.
3) It's a massive universe with dense lore and detail. There are so many hooks out there you can play weekly and your grandkids will still have something new to hook to.
4) It's not an insane investment, many books remain topical or useful to some degree even if superceded by newer versions.
5) Big stompy robots
6) You can customize your own designs and have a megaton of fun.
7) You don't need a few hundred models to play. You can invest in a boxed set and some lance boxes and have fun for ages.
Now it does have some issues
1) It's a 1980's board game. It was never meant to be this huge thing with a massive universe so the rules a little bit on the clunky side and some features are not the most modern or may lack some of the finesse of more modern games. But it remains playable and there are versions that streamline it for fast play.
2) Sometimes the logic of the universe is a bit weird or obviously meant as a game background, which means that most factions are indestructible no matter what happens and a few thought dead have been brought back. It cuts both ways. Also some of the SF logic doesn't quite add up like a planet with 500,000,000 people getting a yearly visit from a dropship with 50k tons worth of goods. I live in a city that has that amount every day and more. Like many older games they never saw some of our modern tech coming and some stuff is more redressed mid 20th century stuff than cutting edge tech. Guns tend to be 1950's wood and steel with limited capacity that doesn't compare to even a basic cheap end AR from Wall Mart.
3) If you let people make crazy maxed out custom builds it's only going to be fun for one person and end up in tears.
4) Some models are not available, even if you figure in Iron Wind's humongous metal models range and 3D printing. If you hate proxies, that could be an issue.
5) The design system will break at some point. It's not an issue as long as you stay in the logic of the universe, but if you try to build the 3050 equivalent of a Bradley IFV it's really tough to do without compromising hard.
I have been running BT games for a while now, everybody loves it, everybody loves the RPG campaign and find it all great fun. Yes it's not perfect, but D&D, Warhammer, etc also have issues and they tend to be far worse in some cases.
BT is the cool game you must have tried at least once.
Great video! Battletech a great setting and in my opinion one of the best wargames available.
Another selling point I'd like to add is how relatively inexpensive models are when compared to other games like warhammer or even bolt action. There's also a very large amount of STL models available for 3D printing (however one may feel on that subject).
Yes, and most players and tournaments don't care what minis you use, whether its official CGL, 3D print, old school pewter or even paper standees. Unlike another game I can think of, where it's 'officially produced, latest version or GTFO', basically.