BattleTech - Interview @ Rock, Paper, Shotgun

RPS talked to Jordan Weisman about Battletech.

“The tabletop design, it amazes me, it’s the same 31 years later. And 31 years ago, that game was considered a modern design,” Weisman said. “It was less finicky than the games that preceded it. But by modern standards it’s not at all a modern tabletop game.”

This is sad, but true. I own the reissued edition from Catalyst Game Labs and discovered, to my horror, that the game involved a lot more math, resolution tables, and record-keeping than the BattleTech I remembered. I once tried to bust it out at a Christmas party and, an hour of setup and rule-explanations later, just gave up and joined everyone else in playing Mario Party. Even among a boardgaming crowd, its day was done.

“So why does it feature so prominently in people’s memories?” Weisman asked. “The same reason we look back favorably on a film we saw that meant a lot to us when we were a kid. …So I think it’s a matter of kind of what the emotional residue of the experience was. About the role the game and the universe played in our gaming and socializing while we were growing up. That’s is what we’re remembering. Our hope with the computer game is to take those memories, and that universe that we have that emotional connection to, and bring it into the modern world.”

As they’ve considered how to do that, Harebrained have naturally looked hard at games like XCOM for inspiration, even if most of its tactical level wouldn’t really work for mech combat.

“What we’re taking away from it isn’t the mechanics, but the gameplay loop,” said Mike McCain, creative director. “Most missions take 30 minutes, give or take, and you’re always having that nice loop between being on the battlefield and going back and managing.”

Thanks Eye.