Hey there Dragon,



Well dang man - that's a lot of questions. :0) I've actually been so slammed that notification of this post got buried in the flow of emails and this is the first I'm seeing of it. That said though I will do my best to blast through them.



[Question] For the remainder of 2017, what can you tell us is in store for the the Inner Sphere & Inner Sphere Clans. I know some has already been divulged, but perhaps we can sum it all up in to this thread rather than a bit in thread a, and another bit in thread x, and more in thread yyy.

[Answer] The answer to that is to share a paradigm - because I don't have a specific agenda or end point that I'm trying to force things into. I'm no writer... more a Creative Director. I grab the best team members, throw 'em together with some direction, gas and matches, and then shake. Prior to GenCon I recruited the team, locked them in a room at GenCon, and since then I've been beating them with sticks to forge stories worthy of BattleTech. The stories grow from there, and you'll be able to devour them beginning 2018 in a series of products and fiction which bring it all to life. Beyond that you'll just have to trust that under my direction there will still be Mechs, War and Warriors - and this will still absolutely be a game about blowing stuff up!



[Question] What can we expect will happen, both in the Inner Sphere, as well as the Home World Clans...in the coming year (2018) without completely spoiling any plot lines?

[Answer] There will be a battle for Terra, there will be upheavals among the Clans, and sh** will definitely hit fans. Be careful what you wish for - because you may just get it. I'm not revealing more secrets before their time though, it would spoil the surprises.



[Question] Where do YOU PERSONALLY see Battletech going under your reign as Lead Developer for the next year?

[Answer] Two totally different flavors to that question so I'll answer both. In universe BattleTech will go through and beyond the battles promised in ilClan. The storyline blazes forward - with FICTION driving the IP narative (not sourcebooks.) In the real world though BT will absolutely be 'going' into the hands of new players, with box sets and support products that serve as gateway products into the game.



[Question] What about in the next 3 years? And the next 5?

[Answer] My team right now is outlining the metaplot that will endure for the next generation of the game, but where and how the product line is received is fluid at this time. Candidly the industry is evolving, product models are evolving, and distribution channels are... imperfect. The future of all those things are dependent upon how well the product designs are received and what evolutions they need to go through to better meet the desires of the fanbase.



[Question] While I realize you wouldn’t be where you are unless you liked the game, are you PASSIONATE about Battletech?

[Answer] Good God man, you have no idea. I'm a die hard gamer who really only plays 1 game: BattleTech. I was originally hired by Jordan Weisman as a subject matter expert on the game. I've read every piece of fiction - many of them many times. I consider TROs to be 'light bathroom reading material.' I have an active player group who plays only BattleTech and we've played every other week for 15 years. And frankly the main reason I work at Catalyst is for the chance to work on BT. So yeah, I'm passionate about it. There's a reason I'm Randall's partner for Masters&Minions every year.



[Question] When did you get your start in the game, how long have you been playing?

[Answer] I actually got addicted to BT through the fiction in 1997. Six months later I'd read every novel and was memorizing TROs. I bought my first computer solely to play MW3. Then Clix happened and I got used to playing BT as a minis game (won 2008 pairs tourney with Ward - yes his real name.) Transitioned my player group from Clix to BT shortly thereafter and have been pure BT ever since.



[Question] Aside from your Avatar, what are your favorite Houses, Clans, and other groups?

[Answer] Dang that's tough because I value the heroes and villainous tints to all the factions, but that said I do of course have some faves and dislikes. Clan Wolf because they seem to best capture that Sparta balance between strength and cunning. Everyone who knows me will point to my blatant connection with the Wolves. The Rasalhague Dominion as the ONLY successfully integrated union of Clan and Inner Sphere so I love 'em. Davion ever since I read about the Kentares massacre and the national fervor that rose up to avenge them. The Magistracy for their female dominated society. The Gray Death Legion as the gateway drug that so many fans accessed the IP. Clan Nova Cat for following their visions despite the danger and risks involved. And frankly I've always like the St. Ives Compact because of Kai... that guy was just an awesome character.



[Question] Doesn’t matter if it is something that does make it through, or gets trashed as a bad idea….as a fan of the game, what do YOU want to see happen in the Inner Sphere Houses, Clans, and Home World Clans?

[Answer] Ooooh... I can't really answer that one, too many landmines until the metaplot is locked in. There are two things I want to see which I will answer though - I want to see a story that tells the full story of the Black Thorns (which were unintentionally killed off camera) AND I want to see a rebirth of the Gray Death Legion. That's been a big one for me since before I joined Catalyst. There's two of my three wishes right there.





For the next batch of questions I'll be brief, as much info has come to light during my delay in responding. Plus my short answers will likely inspire more intrigue about what's to come. (It really will be awesome - literally - and I can't wait for you to sink your teeth into it.)



[Question] Will we see more printed material on the Home World Clans, in the Dark Age, in the next year or two? (this is currently a big complaint from us Clan loving guys!)

[Answer] Clan home worlds - yes. Dark Age - no.



[Question] Will we get novels about the Home World Clans during the Wars of Reaving?

[Answer] Actually no, not in the short term, and if you had the power you wouldn't change that. Novel content releases at a really slow pace and there are much more important universe-plot-driving stories that need to be told. I'd love to see a series of Novellas telling those tales, but the chaffing you are feeling about that content is a downside of using sourcebooks to drive an IP (which was a reality Herb/Ben faced but which has changed for my tenure in the role.) Like I said, the industry is evolving, and we have to fit the stories we want/need to tell into a solicit-able schedule. Hope that makes sense.



[Question] ...ilClan....

[Answer] Yes this product will come out. And we all feel your pain on this one. But frankly the product as it was originally outlined would have absolutely failed to deliver the story that the IP needed. It had to be rewritten in a way that launches a whole new generation of the game. Sometime you need to look at your battle line, scrap it, are rearrange in the face of a superior enemy... this was one of those times. You will get an ilClan book - and it will be worthy. But the street date will have a 2018 date on it.



[Question] Where did the Kell Hounds go?

[Answer] When you find out the answer you'll need to be wearing waterproof undergarments. I can't wait to tell you.



[Question] Will we EVER know who knocked out the HPG network?

[Answer] Yes. What we may never know is why or what they hope to get out of it.



[Question] Can you give us more details, or possibly hints, about the markings that were on their mechs? If I recall, it was something like a sword, with a snake coiled around it, and I think a sunburst or something like that (think Blood Spirit sunburst icon comes to mind as the description was written for some reason).

[Answer] No comment at this time.



[Question] Is there anything left of the Word of Blake as far as the actual group? i.e. I don’t mean their technology, I mean the actual people that formed the Word.

[Answer] Discussing this now actually. No comment.



[Question] Will Clan Wolverine ever make a comeback, or will they always be the boogeyman for the Clans?

[Answer] Magic 8 ball says "Answer unknown - try again later."



[Question] Will there be another Box Set...and will there be a Clan version of it, or maybe a combo box set?

[Answer] Yes there will be 2 new box sets that replace the existing one. One will be a new Game of Armored Combat, and one will be an actually Beginner Box set. We had mock-ups and details at GenCon. The fate of any box sets after that will determine on how well those are received. The whole of Catalyst wants to see a strong expanding line of Box Set related products but they are a high dollar risk so we can't fight the math on these. Two boxes first, the rest to be determined.



[Question] Now, the hardest question of all...what happened with the Valkyrie & Wasp?

[Answer] Yes your instincts were right. Now that word of the Harmony Gold lawsuit has come out, you see why we had to be silent about it. Literally can't say a word until the suit has some resolution.

I will say though that the redesigns on these were AWESOME and we went to great lengths to change/overhaul these units so they didn't share any details with the Unseen. They looked awesome. Just hope they can land in fans' hands someday.



[Question] On the coming release page...there has been some products on there for a VERY long time. The XTRO and TRO’s come to mind. When will these get released? Perhaps we as a community are wrong, but we alway thought that once they were “announced” on that page...they will be out at some point. Well, that may still be true, but some of those products have been there for probably a year or more. What’s the holdup?

[Answer] Wow - lots of problems there actually. The website overhaul has caused terrible access to almost every corner of the site, and that's yet to be fixed for several reasons I can't discuss. As for all the support products, when it was clear we needed to overhaul ilClan and redesign the whole BT plot and product line, it put a hold on lots of products large & small because they were going to one direction and we were taking the IP in another. What you ask about is just the price paid for abandoning a failing plan and forging a new one. Once ilClan comes out you'll see a steady flow of product once again.



There you go Dragon - that should give you enough to chew on and keep you up at night wondering "what if..." Thank you for your interest and love of BattleTech.



Peace of Blake be with you.



Brent