Looks like the Battletech (er, that’s “Classic Battletech” these days) line is getting a pretty major reboot later this year. That’s very welcome news–they’ve been publishing some decent books for the game over the last few years, but I’ve gotten the feeling that the game has been in a limbo of sorts while its sister game Shadowrun got a fancy new edition.

I think a repackaged Battletech ruleset is a good idea, and I like the way they’ve chosen to divide up the many different rules–basic rules in one book, construction rules in another, setting information in separate books, and so forth. That should make it easier to pick and choose the aspects of the game you’d like to focus on.

That enthusiasm aside, a few things seem a bit unclear. First, I assume that the relaunched Battletech game will be set in the year 3025 of the Battletech universe timeline–at least, that’s my hope, as the game would benefit greatly from returning to the pseudo-medieval, warring-houses feel that characterizes that time period. (Over the years, many new events and technologies have been added to the universe as the timeline was extended, but while many of them were interesting, I never felt that they matched the fun factor of the game’s simpler original setting.)

Secondly, I see no mention of the Mechwarrior roleplaying game, which is curious–that game is in dire need of a revision, and this would seem to be the perfect opportunity to do so. So many years after the Third Edition’s publication, the Mechwarrior RPG has rules, equipment, and other information spread over many different sourcebooks, and it’s plagued by a few gameplay issues that have kept it from finding much in the way of mainstream acceptance. So I hope they take advantage of the Battletech relaunch to overhaul the RPG as well.

More details are promised as the summer release date approaches. Looking forward to it!

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