Technical Readout 3028
Not Canon The subject of this article does not contribute canonical content to the BattleTech universe, either because it is not intended to or because it is not an official product. |
Technical Readout 3028: Know Thy Enemy | |
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Product information | |
Type | Technical Readout |
Development | Michael "Sigil" Todd |
Primary writing | Michael "Sigil" Todd |
Pages | 134 |
Cover Artwork | credited to Harebrained Schemes and Justin Kase (back cover editted Map) |
Interior Artwork | Harebrained Schemes, Florian "SpOoky777" Mellies, Justin Kase |
Illustrations | Alex Iglesias, Justin Kase, Fernando "Odanan" Prado |
Publication information | |
Publisher | (Fan work) |
Product code | n/a |
First published | 2016 |
MSRP | n/a |
Content | |
Era | Succession Wars era |
Agency | ComStar |
Universe Date | 3028 |
The Technical Readout 3028, subtitled "Know Thy Enemy", is a fan-made PDF sourcebook for Harebrained Schemes' upcoming BattleTech video game.
Said video game uses the MechWarrior Online (MWO) 'Mech models instead of the canonical classic imagery or the re-imaged unseen, leading to substantial differences in the visual appearance of various 'Mech designs. Technical Readout 3028 was originally intended to showcase these designs as they would appear in the video game. However, the project outgrew that premise and included additional MWO-style 'Mechs, derivative Stinger and Wasp models, the apocryphal Linesman, and the purely fan-fictional Jayhawker, none of which will feature in the game.
A first preliminary work-in-progress version was offered for download in February 2016; the "final" version was released to the public on 23 November 2016.
Canonicity
Being entirely fan-made, the document itself is not canonical. The data provided for individual 'Mechs is broadly derived from canonical sources, but the flavor text occasionally strays into fan fictional details or, in a few cases, purely invented information with little basis in canonical fact. There are also anachronisms for the 3028 timeframe such as a 'Mech in Com Guard colors or a Highlander in Gray Death Legion colors.
Description
Styled as an internal ComStar document dated 13 January 3028 according to its preface, Technical Readout 3028 includes
- Introduction
- Light BattleMechs
- Medium BattleMechs
- Heavy BattleMechs
- Assault BattleMechs
- The Marik Gunfighter (short story by Dustin Baker)
- New Designs and Prototypes
- Raven
- Wolfhound
- JHR-X0 Jayhawker (a supposed Succession Wars era predecessor of the Bushwacker; not canon)
- KPLT-K2 Katapult (this is effectively the CPLT-K2 Catapult, presented here as a different 'Mech under its German designation because of conflicting sources regarding the popular CPLT-K2's availability in 3028)
- Cataphract
- Linesman (apocryphal predecessor to the Daboku/Mauler)
- "The Medium Laser" (A supposed scientific lecture as of 3025)
- Weapons Annex (A discussion of contemporary BattleMech weaponry, with ranges doubled over the normal boardgame scale of 30 meters per hex)
Technical Readout 3028 includes Design Quirks for all the 'Mechs it covers. Where available, Quirks were taken from canonical sources but in many cases they are derived from the written descriptions of the BattleMechs.
External links
- Download link
- Pertinent thread on the HBS BattleTech video game forum