tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238524282024-03-05T11:32:12.095-08:00The Battletech ReaderThis is where you can track the creation of a fan-made BattleTech Technical Readout for the year 3063... and other things.Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-75568791850842979352023-07-01T14:11:00.008-07:002023-07-02T08:56:45.243-07:00<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>Lurking in the weeds...</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><b>W</b>e are quietly working on an update to the '3063'. It will be a report from the year 3065 and feature mostly new machines, with a few significant updates to older units that could have been done better in the original TRO. We're going to put out about 15 entries, so it won't be in the works for five years (!).</p><p>The new units are going to focus, again, on the technology of the Inner Sphere vehicles and 'Mechs. It has been 11 years since the original TRO was published, and I see no change in the need for new Inner Sphere machines. By 'need', I mean machines that are interesting, likely, function well in a reasonable tabletop scenario, and look cool.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wGy43RsVYkzeNDPIaO3dyLR5GcfvnwcSBsTZQSx0zM992bvoGjA29_MxCg5ESSuD4LgdM9GXHERNxGXdTYFTKyrvg4Q0TSLhDrxZ9faEh2o676VRheZ2r0KNFmXghZ7E22eJ3bTEdoLjCKHR2Qrx6-_cIZc_1c2cLz6VvplulVr306SzNhs/s2048/Gorgops%20Final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2048" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wGy43RsVYkzeNDPIaO3dyLR5GcfvnwcSBsTZQSx0zM992bvoGjA29_MxCg5ESSuD4LgdM9GXHERNxGXdTYFTKyrvg4Q0TSLhDrxZ9faEh2o676VRheZ2r0KNFmXghZ7E22eJ3bTEdoLjCKHR2Qrx6-_cIZc_1c2cLz6VvplulVr306SzNhs/s320/Gorgops%20Final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYsDT4Q92KlYZt911u6RRPwF5Y19lbe-s1scPH4lAit6_F8Lq3SM8rdha8inlujJBbG3bj5e_cexKaSuQQw9VVkmM1_PigzWTpsa-r9a8jjL-GbeLKEgaRHI0KNLpx__al0SBcyt-tKTmqWYOqOubEl-JO9MCWQCuZeKHeSpHq8JYbZMrI5w/s2048/Svard%20FINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2048" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYsDT4Q92KlYZt911u6RRPwF5Y19lbe-s1scPH4lAit6_F8Lq3SM8rdha8inlujJBbG3bj5e_cexKaSuQQw9VVkmM1_PigzWTpsa-r9a8jjL-GbeLKEgaRHI0KNLpx__al0SBcyt-tKTmqWYOqOubEl-JO9MCWQCuZeKHeSpHq8JYbZMrI5w/s320/Svard%20FINAL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">In Memoriam...</span></b></p><p>The folks on 4Chan had a nice TRO project going. It was started in 2014 or so. It went along well for about six or seven years, then sputtered and ran out of gas. Real Life can be hard on dreams. I expected great things of it. I was very favorably impressed with the designs and the thinking behind them. I was less enamored of the sometimes harsh criticism of my own work, but 4Chan's gonna 4Chan. </p><p>Nevertheless, I tried in my limited way to help get things going again. Things looked up and it seems as though the project might actually get rolling. Munin even graciously permitted me to do a few edits. But it all came to naught in the end. It seems that some folks behind the project were more concerned that they alone be perceived as 'owning' the project then actually get the thing done. </p><p>I was (falsely) accused of trying to 'take over' the damned thing and claim it for my own! Like I'd have access to art and files that they'd paid for. Like I'd want to sink more years of my dwindling lifespan trying to 'take over' someone else's work instead of, you know, <b>doing my own</b> - <i>*<b>again</b>*</i>. After a discussion between myself and Munin, I was quietly dropped. I believe they decided to carry on themselves. But after that, nothing happened. No more comments on 4Chan. No more updates to their blog.</p><p>So be it. </p><p>I have been a member of many fan clubs at one time or another in the past, and watched with fascination (always from the outside) as the internal politics played out. It was always the same. There were so many promising ideas and projects, and so many wonderful things that could have been done by such talented people. But the ones in charge seemed concerned mostly about their share of the credit and this idea of 'ownership' of the resulting projects. And one thing was crystal-clear: if they weren't getting what they wanted out of it, neither would anyone else.</p><p>I wish the fellows who were on this project nothing but the best. A lot of bad things were said about my character and my motivations, but I forgive them. Talk is cheap, especially there, and I am old enough to separate the wheat from the tares. It's a shame, really. I have a copy of their initial demo and that is all. </p><p>Like the Star Trek fan clubs of the early 1990s, it could have been a great thing. Maybe one day someone will pick the 4Chan TRO up again, and in the words of Captain Picard, "make it so". </p><p>We need our dreams.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks for stopping by.</p><p><br /></p><p>Steve</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-51900708721128260232022-12-18T09:38:00.002-08:002022-12-19T22:03:02.887-08:00<p> <span style="font-size: large;">I have some News on the TRO: 3063 Miniature front....</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ten years have come and gone since we released the TRO: 3063. I made a paper copy of it, considered making an Updates version, and life went on.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Some people used it in their own games, others simply read it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Back in 2011, we collaborated with several artists to create 3D models for miniatures based on the illustrations found in the TRO. There were about fifteen or so. They seemed popular. All of these miniatures had to be purchased from Shapeways, a 3D printer foundry, because ten years ago, only company-level organizations could afford to purchase and install 3D printers.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Shapeways miniatures were (and are) expensive. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Over the years, our principal miniature designer, Dorian Sherratt, died of a heart attack while playing lazertag somewhere in Scotland. God rest his soul. Meanwhile, 3D printers came down in size and price and went up in capability and speed. So much so, that everyone with a few hundred laying around can make his or her own custom miniatures. The CAD programs for designing miniatures (and other things) have also increased in power and gone down in price. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">So now, our former layout man, the irreducible William S. Burt, is in the business of making miniatures based on what's in the TRO: 3063!</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">He has an artist, a very good one, </span><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: #e4e6eb; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kiwi Colour Studios,</span><span style="background-color: #e4e6eb; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">who will be gradually producing a model for each machine in the book.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I know some of you still play Battletech, some of you actually used the machines in our TRO, and some of you have always wanted miniatures to represent your stuff on the table. Good. But - a Shapeways miniature now costs almost $50 for the good high-rez version. Some new options are on the way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Y</span><span style="background-color: #e4e6eb; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ou can get the STL files either by joining Kiwi Colour Studio's patreon </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #e4e6eb; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">https://www.patreon.com/posts/claymore-design-76066245?utm_medium=post_notification_email&utm_source=post_link&utm_campaign=patron_engagement</span><span style="background-color: #e4e6eb; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">) </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #e4e6eb; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">or when they are released on Cult3D. There are several authorized merchants that will be able to print the mini for you if you don't have a printer... </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Give it a try!</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Thanks for stopping by.</span></p><p>Steve</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-64673834005212138862021-03-14T19:58:00.001-07:002021-03-14T19:58:05.760-07:00<p> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Another TRO Update...</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p>As everyone is aware, the 'Rona hit us rather harder than we thought. Well, harder than some people thought, and nowhere near as hard as some people predicted. I am almost 61 and have been controlling diabetes for a couple of years. No illness yet. We're blessed.</p><p>But... the crisis has passed from being a medical problem to a political opportunity. Some folks, having tasted the power granted them under temporary conditions, have done and are continuing to do their best to make sure that our present 'pandemic state of emergency' will never end. We've had an election 'fortified', a euphemism chosen by the victors to describe what folks in the old days would have called 'ballot stuffing'. All under the cover of a 'crisis' of the virus. But I don't care about any of that.</p><p>There have been no local gatherings of BattleTech players for over a year. A lot of the folks playing the game have other things on their mind - such as gainful employment and making their payments on time, or at all. I don't blame them. The annual wargaming convention has been cancelled once, and will likely be cancelled again.</p><p>The current (and forever ongoing) insanity has affected my schedule as well. I originally intended to have TRO: 3063 Updates (circa 3069) ready to go in April 2021. I figured a year was enough time to get the art, writing and so on together in a timely manner. After all, been down this road before.</p><p>But it's been one damn thing after another, even while CGL relentlessly 'updates' their product and pushes it and the available technology into the future of BT - I think 3145 was the last date I heard of, but I cannot be sure. It is hard to remember that the Jihad, Devlin Stone and the Republic of the Sphere, and the Dark Age are all in the rearview mirror, and getting smaller each day. </p><p>These things were current and larger than life when I published the original TRO:3063. However, from hanging around fan sites and reading posts, I gather that even today, many folks are playing in the eras of the past, and not the present. Not sure why. Clanners are the most vocal of the online faces I see, but I always thought of the Clans as the Klingons of the Inner Sphere. They are meant to be level bosses, or the Ultimate Boss, of a video game. You don't play the Klingons, unless you're OPFOR. </p><p>But folks have made fetishes of the Clans, despite any number of unreal 'facts' about them that clash with human behavior or even the little we know of how the human body works. It's why a goodly amount of BT fiction, fan or professional, comes across as Mary Sue. It's wish-fulfillment. </p><p>So I will STILL not deal with the Clans in 3063. There is no shortage of fanboi Clanners - let THEM write their own TRO for that era. It has been almost nine years since our work came out; anyone could have done something like it in that time. One effort originally started in 4Chan looked good in 2014, posting some truly impressive progress over the years, but.... it's been seven years and the book's not finished. It may never be finished.</p><p>People grow old, people change. But I still have an abiding interest, if not love, for the game and a respect for the world-building that lies behind it. I will move my Updates schedule to April of 2022, cross my fingers and clear the decks.</p><p>Wish me luck!</p><p>Thank you for stopping by.</p><p>Steve Satak</p>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-54060420452038528242020-04-27T08:50:00.001-07:002020-04-27T09:02:29.452-07:00Welcome To the site!<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi! If you're new here, and looking to download the fan-made TRO: 3063 and associated books (Record Sheets, Alpha Strike cards, etc), please use the map on the right and go to September 2012. The first entry will be your destination. I have installed new links for your downloading ease.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This site has been through a few changes due to my various dreams.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wanted to get a German language version out. I spent money and time on that and though the second guy was willing to do it, Real Life intervened and I realized I just didn't have the chops to do it. Throwing money at a late project doesn't save the timetable. And there didn't seem to be a demand. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I stop in about once a quarter to my cloud storage and check the traffic specific to the download of the TRO. I don't do this to feed my ego. I do it to gauge the need for maintaining this place and the links. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So far it seems substantial, enough to justify keeping this blog open and the cloud storage paid up. For the past eight years, you folks coming here have been able to download this TRO to your heart's content. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That shouldn't change. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy your stay here.</span>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-76444315835724337212017-08-04T22:15:00.000-07:002017-08-04T22:18:31.035-07:00We're Making Some Headway...Hey, everyone!<br />
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Alex is back from summer vacation and is working on the translation for the back cover, the inside headers, etc.<br />
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I daily await my InDesign Dummies book, as I am eager to brush up on my old skills. It can't be very hard; it's just that I did a brain dump in 2013, never guessing I would need the skills five years later.<br />
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Can't find the original InDesign disk, either, so here's hoping I never get a corrupted program!<br />
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I am working hard at completing my paperwork for the shipyard, looking for temporary work while I wait, and so on. The days are wide open, and I should have time for everything. If the weather would just cool down a bit, I might get more done!<br />
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This is one of the things I do when I am not working on, or playing with, Battletech:<br />
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Life counters and Trackers for Magic, The Gathering.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-28766732897414916772017-07-05T22:51:00.001-07:002017-07-05T22:52:04.895-07:00Another Try at a German Translation... A translator by the name of Alexander Sosedow recently contacted me about continuing the German translation of TRO:3063.<br />
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Of course, I would like to see it completed. <br />
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So I sent him the pertinent files and we will peck away at the project, one entry at a time.<br />
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No telling when it will be completed. End of the year would be great, but these things take time and according to Alex, there are at least 100,000 words to translate.<br />
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But! He has the InDesign files and so it's up to him. I will have to dig up my InDesign 3.0 for Dummies and re-learn how to drop text in and resize the pictures - stuff like that.<br />
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He's busy. I am too, having recently lost my job at Trulife due to a reduction in force at the Poulsbo plant. Lots of things to do - re-purpose my 401k, look for a job, work out in preparation for qualifying for a shipyard position, look for a job... like that.<br />
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Wish us luck.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by.<br />
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SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-37996351510546815822016-09-17T15:49:00.000-07:002016-09-17T16:08:46.277-07:00Well, THAT Ship Has Sailed....Hey, everybody.<br />
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I tried and tried to get a German translation going with Andre Winter, but it was just one thing after another.<br />
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I am going to be honest with you all: when I 'Friended' Andre Winter on FaceBook, I was immediately carpet-bombed by an endless string of hard Left propaganda defending the Islamic onslaught of Europe and celebrating, frankly, perversion. I did not agree with most of this, but felt it should not get in the way of the project. But nevertheless, I had a feeling this was not going to turn out well. <br />
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Leftists as a rule do not believe they have to follow the rules of right conduct if they are dealing with anyone who disagrees with them. In that, they share a lot with Islam. I was nervous that Andre, having discovered from my indignant comments that I was of the 'Other', would simply decide I didn't deserve his valuable time - contract be damned.<br />
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I still don't know if that is what went on, and I will never know. But personal problems of one kind after another - funerals, bipolar diagnosis, vacation, piss-poor communications, trouble with word selection, other more pressing work - kept pushing the actual performance of the translation back and back and back. And that is when Andre Winter even bothered to respond to my emails and FB messages. <br />
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It's been nearly a year. Here's how it went: "The Lyran section will hit you next Monday". Monday comes and goes, nothing. Lather, rinse, repeat about a dozen times.<br />
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I finally got sick of the empty promises and asked for my money back today. He won't give it back. I immediately received a flood of excuses (mind you, he's been dead silent for a month and a half). I Unfriended him and blocked his messages. First time I have ever done that to ANYONE.<br />
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So now I am out $300 and have nothing to show for it but a couple of translated pages and a worthless contract that Andre Winter violated at the beginning of February this year. Oh, and a string of empty promises.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">This guy has some serious problems. One of them is that he's a damned liar. I dunno - guess he figured I was just another fanboy.</span><br />
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If you need English-German translation done, I suggest you look elswhere. Meanwhile, here is the contract:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx7KMKmZw0slGS8YzAF85KIKsBS3pb1ar6x3wffVlLDkxt6lvcLLhMB71K42Oy_XWHDpM87xa1y5OUZK8FUW0SepepuCi6jbjKnBFWa3bTnRctwGHYsRGuc9b1q8OTI0KlZ14/s1600/Complete+Contract+20165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx7KMKmZw0slGS8YzAF85KIKsBS3pb1ar6x3wffVlLDkxt6lvcLLhMB71K42Oy_XWHDpM87xa1y5OUZK8FUW0SepepuCi6jbjKnBFWa3bTnRctwGHYsRGuc9b1q8OTI0KlZ14/s320/Complete+Contract+20165.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<br />
Thanks for stopping by. Sorry to disappoint you all.<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
<br />
SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-81730334909113662602016-06-18T21:40:00.000-07:002017-06-11T10:11:03.124-07:00German Translation... Eight Months Later.<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hello, everyone.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Well, I signed the contract sometime in November and sent some money off in February.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Still haven't seen a thing. I have proofreaders who have been promised time and again by the translator that something was coming. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">For a long time, nada.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Finally something showed up with Thomas and Nadja, the proofers, about the time I decided to pull the plug and ask for my money back.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">So... I relented and we are all keeping in close touch on Facebook.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Draconis Combine is done, I think, and the Lyrans are next. Slow going and there are issues of format (the German language often uses words that wind up not fitting in the same area as the original English text), but we should have something that works for German BattleTech fans soon.</span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-44944163643613992092015-11-04T20:29:00.005-08:002015-11-04T20:30:37.678-08:00German Edition - I Can Get It, But I Need Help!Hello!<br />
<br />
Last entry, I noted the slow (read: nonexistent) progress of the German translation of this fan-made Technical Readout.<br />
<br />
I have since begun to speak in $$$ and things are changing.<br />
<br />
My translator, who does such work for a living, has agreed to a sum I can *almost* manage.<br />
<br />
In return, we have a full translation by the end of January.<br />
<br />
I am going to put up a PayPal button and see what sort of interest is out there for a good translation of this book into Deutsche<br />
<br />
Donate if you want to see it happen. I have about a month to decide if there's going to be demand for it. If there is, I will commit. I need to gather at least US $850 - half the cost - before I can proceed.<br />
<br />
Thank you!<br />
<br />
Steve SatakSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-8978010138510999372015-09-26T00:02:00.002-07:002015-09-26T16:51:31.394-07:00An update on the various TRO:3063-related Projects....Hello, everyone.<br />
<br />
It's been nine months since my last post. My apologies for the silence.<br />
<br />
- <span style="color: blue;">The German translation</span> has bogged down, with the translator having other things to do in the Real World. I am not sure when he will be able to work on it again... we may never see a German translation of the book, but that's life. It was a great idea and started out very promising. But it's 350+ pages and there's only one guy doing the work. I will keep you updated if things change.<br />
<br />
- <span style="color: red;">The 3063 Upgrade </span>had funding at one point, but prices have gone up and keeping my son in college takes priority. The folks who were to assist me in providing new machines had other projects in the works, and I was busy this summer with several non-BT projects of my own. I did get a lot of work done on weeding out bad ideas, 'improvements' that were not really worth the effort, and the like through various reviews of the TRO found online. The denizens of 4Chan seemed more concerned with factionalism, 'realism', flippancy and the like, so I have abandoned that venue as a source of input.<br />
<br />
The Upgrade is NOT abandoned, but merely on the back burner for now; as soon as I clear the decks (November), I will begin working on the list of machines that will appear. I am currently entertaining about 12 Mechs and 20 Vees, all to be Inner Sphere technology and placed in the year 3069. I plan to have the writing and so forth finished by Spring of 2016, in time for the art to be laid down.<br />
<br />
- <span style="color: yellow;">The Infantry Primer</span> remains on hiatus, as I wait for the shuffling over at CGL to die down. It has been nearly three years and with IO Beta, things appear to still be in flux. Jon Morford has, in the last year, greatly impressed me with the potential for Vees and infantry in combat. He has handed me my ass in at least two games - I doff my hat at these opportunities to improve my game! <br />
<br />
There is a lot to be done with the 'squishies' on a BT battlefield, as they are far more effective now than they ever were in my mind. My only complaint has been, and remains, that the rules for bombing, running infantry and so on are scattered across several books. I want infantry and vees to be at least as easy to assess, assemble and play as Mechs. Combined arms deployment should not have such a steep learning curve! So in the next few months, I will confer with Jon and others and see if the scene has stabilized enough to get the ball rolling again.<br />
<br />
- My son is going off to France for school in a few days. Wish him luck! He will be over there for four months and we will miss him terribly. This will be the first Christmas he has not been home in twenty years.<br />
<br />
- Bad Syntax is hard at work on a new BT unit generator, and by that, I mean something that uses the new rules to create just about any unit you care to have. In his own words...<br />
<br />
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.94px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This program will be an all-encompassing battletech support utility. But mostly it'll be a build-everything production, you can build everything in the game with it. This includes things never supported before like buildings, mobile structure, support vehicles, and infantry platoons. However, I'll have lots of other stuff implemented in there too like random tables, star maps, system generators, and whatever else I can think of.</span><br />
<br />
It would be nice to get something stable like HMP that can be easily modified for new units in the coming years.<br />
<br />
Thank you for stopping by.<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
<br />
SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-63124346469406368192015-01-10T15:22:00.001-08:002015-01-10T15:22:03.405-08:00Some Proposed Upgrades for 3069...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Welcome back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have been waiting on the next installment of German translations. And Bad Syntax is busy with other things and cannot work on Alpha Strike cards for the 3063. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But there is my proposed Upgrades: 3063. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We always wanted those HPPCs and so on. And we always knew, despite the cries of 'MUNCHKIN! OVER-OPTIMIZED!', there were machines that were not all they could be. Much of this was due to a priority chain that was supposed to prevent min-maxing... the focus was on price and the minimum technology required to get what we wanted from a given design. So the machines were cheap, but yeah, a lot of them could be better. And let's face it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We originally present a machine of payload 'X' that costs 'Y' C-bills and is worth 'Z' Battle Value. Then, later, we present an upgraded version that can carry '2X', costs nearly '3Y' but whose Battle Value is only '1.2Z'. Do you build your battleforce based on C-Bill cost? Or do you use BV2? Would you rather pay '2Z' to transport your troops, or '1.2Z'?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's what *I* thought. Thus, Upgrades: 3063. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Better costs money. How good do you want to be?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Getting the Ball Rolling...</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So I keep busy by going through reviews of the fan-TRO I found on 4Chan. I could only find a short review of vehicles - apparently a fellow with the screen name of Munnin did a more thorough review, but I cannot seem to find it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Acting on the writer's comments, I have come up with a list of machines that can be improved. Mind you, this is just the start - I have the rest of the Vee review to go through, and it doesn't even touch on 'Mechs or Aerospace. I am already looking at the amount of machines that need 'upgrade' and am taken aback. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It appears that the Upgrade is going to be something huge, at least in the number of machines inside. This does not even take into account the new machines I wished to include - such as a variant on the Grand Dragon. It looks like I am going to have to keep the writeups brief, maybe 350 words at most.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had planned on new art for at least 50% for these Upgrade entries. We'll have to see; after the dust settles, I will check the budget and see what we can afford.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, we have to start walking before we can run!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Proposed Vehicle Upgrades</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have also put out an appeal on 4Chan to submit reviews of the 3063 contents. However, that place is more transitory than I expected. I may have to address individuals rather than what appears to be a very nebulous group to get the results I need.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Regards,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Steve</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-551106048995995012015-01-01T15:34:00.002-08:002015-01-01T15:56:09.712-08:00Übersetzung hat begonnen! [Translation has Begun!]Hey! Welcome back!<br />
<br />
Glad to see you here. The holidays being what they were, we got only about four or five pages done. Andre has his life and a job performing (what else?) translations of entire books, so we're kind of feeling our way along here.<br />
<br />
Our editing team of Thomas Lagemann and Nadja from Germany have been busy too, but they took a look at what I produced and offered only minor changes.<br />
<br />
Most of my trouble comes from having forgotten how to make InDesign 3.0 do the wonderful things it did for me back in late 2012. I have to relearn it, with my Dummies book in one hand. <br />
<br />
Here is a sample of one of the early pages...<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://s100.photobucket.com/user/Centurion013/media/EnglishGermanPageOneComparison_zpsc4bd70f8.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo EnglishGermanPageOneComparison_zpsc4bd70f8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m10/Centurion013/EnglishGermanPageOneComparison_zpsc4bd70f8.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Looks like the Draconis Combine will be ready to install around mid-January, as we all recover from the holidays and welcome the New Year! Happy 2015, everyone!<br />
<br />
Thank you for stopping by.<br />
<br />
SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-90473343731142090812014-10-24T02:11:00.001-07:002014-10-24T02:19:59.488-07:00Sollte es eine TRO 3063 in Deutsch sein?<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Greetings</span>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been two years since we published the fan-made TRO:3063.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have been busy with other hobbies and interests since then, but have continued to maintain my OpenDrive account for downloads.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you want to download the Technical Readout and accompanying files, the links are in the September 2012 blog entry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">--------------------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have recently been discussing a German translation of the fan-made TRO:3063 with Andre Winter, a professional translator. He seems to think such an effort would be worthwhile. I have never detected a demand for a German language version, but I do know BattleTech is quite popular in Germany.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Does anyone out there have an insight into this? I cannot promise it will be done quickly - we're talking probably a couple entries a week, if that, and it would be a year before it would be ready. And of course, I would have to run it out there and check it with German-speaking editors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, my son John is studying German in college (sophomore) and so this seems appropriate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Steve Satak</span>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-14905523430435002832012-09-09T13:11:00.003-07:002020-04-08T19:01:24.146-07:00The Fan-made Technical Readout: 3063 Final Entry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oVj4lKleUH2NvHl9qGvj7swvWajKxAVzzS-UhIbeD3_etX-ywzcBNk1x5DKg1_50CMV1yNDX6fIbZos04WGAqel8l9pinPykmVc_TUR5u1FF-rEQq3OJfgipYneOBE5d8ih0/s1600/cover+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oVj4lKleUH2NvHl9qGvj7swvWajKxAVzzS-UhIbeD3_etX-ywzcBNk1x5DKg1_50CMV1yNDX6fIbZos04WGAqel8l9pinPykmVc_TUR5u1FF-rEQq3OJfgipYneOBE5d8ih0/s320/cover+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Welcome!<br />
<br />
The fan-made BattleTech Technical Readout:3063 is finished.<br />
<br />
There are two versions: one is Web-quality and about 37mb in size. The other is Print-quality and is about 95mb.<br />
<br />
There are several additional books you can download that are directly associated with this TRO.<br />
<br />
- Record Sheets: 3063 - as you might imagine, a PDF file containing all the record sheets for the TRO entries, including all the variants mentioned in each entry.<br />
<br />
- QuickStrike Cards - these are cards corresponding to each record sheet; they are for use with the BattleForce version of the game.<br />
<br />
- Art of the TRO - a fifty-plus page book outlining the evolution of the TRO art. This includes the art we did not use, as well as sketches and alternate views. Also inside is a section on the playtesting of the entries and an illustration of the various miniatures we created for our playtest. Also! a bonus TRO entry.<br />
<br />
Here are the links:<br />
<br />
<br />
Art of the TRO<br />
https://od.lk/d/158106767_QNqAD/Art%20of%20the%20TRO%20PQ4.pdf<br />
<br />
Alpha Strike Rules Cards<br />
https://od.lk/d/158106768_7EXkN/AS3063.pdf<br />
<br />
TRO: 3063 Web Quality<br />
https://od.lk/d/158106772_Vxg6e/TRO3063%20WQ9.pdf<br />
<br />
TRO: 3063 Print Quality<br />
https://od.lk/d/158106771_OeJlZ/TRO3063%20PQ8.pdf<br />
<br />
Record Sheets: 3063<br />
https://od.lk/d/158106770_NCyWM/RS%20TRO3063%20Mk33.pdf<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">*** I have been having trouble maintaining the integrity of the files on my OpenDrive account. If any of the above links fails, please visit the link below to get your copies. ***</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">http://www.mediafire.com/?rvjwz4nxzscacrk,2do30rpvgop1p0g,lgih87s3d5i25h3,4rd4slraun2male,mgvpefslpfzkc2e</span>
<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<div>
Please note that we have been receiving errors in the various books, mostly to do with art quality, typos and record sheet errors. We have corrected all of the issues thus far. If you spot an error, please leave a note! We will fix it and update these links.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">*** If you want a copy of the 'Lessons Learned' from making this TRO, go here:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />https://www.opendrive.com/files?61619906_4n6Qd</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our next project will be a BattleTech Infantry Primer. We feel that infantry are a much-maligned, much-ignored force in the game. This, despite the carefully designed rules for their use! So we are writing a book to guide you through the process of selecting, assembling and deploying infantry in a game of big stompy robots. Think of it as 'BattleTech Infantry for Dummies'.</div>
<br />
<br />
This is the link to the new blog. We hope to see you there!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://infantryprimer.blogspot.com/">http://infantryprimer.blogspot.com/</a>
<br />
<br />
Thank you for your support - and for stopping by!<br />
<br />
Steve Satak<br />
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Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-62707375407920252402012-08-25T17:23:00.002-07:002012-09-01T14:08:34.500-07:003...2...1... Liftoff!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I Screwed Up...</span></div>
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I will keep this brief:</div>
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Despite our attempts to bring the best product to you, we released flawed versions.</div>
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- Bad or missing data in the Record Sheets.</div>
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- Internal structure dots don't show up in the Vehicle Record Sheets.</div>
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- The images in the TRO have degraded over time due to multiple printings to PDF format. We caught it on the covers, but the interior art slipped by us (we rarely zoom in on it). <br />
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- Other stuff.</div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">The Current Status of the Fix...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">(1pm PST, Saturday 1 September 2012)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz_bZV5AfPlGJaWn3Gp-UDg7iLrMcYdgPuNHv3pr9cp1D68SEklN53KPakjqnAYKWfXw5uibAhTQ4bbeF4OaTonRRmMx3-6dxFYnVuYj1h68vMOjd8QyiR9bW2stkzf8nv0GX/s1600/Plate+0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz_bZV5AfPlGJaWn3Gp-UDg7iLrMcYdgPuNHv3pr9cp1D68SEklN53KPakjqnAYKWfXw5uibAhTQ4bbeF4OaTonRRmMx3-6dxFYnVuYj1h68vMOjd8QyiR9bW2stkzf8nv0GX/s320/Plate+0.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The old Record Sheets</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSDI6GNlBFNCGuoS3B6NCUT2-nObln5T0wRM_UVJYlRxWIUoyrNSuV8AalIMVzx7XJVpEjQ262s-0HZXabQpu8biuYV112jAqr-VGcdZ3lARQbUJFPBRqtSNOA5zfDEFF5fpW/s1600/Plate+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSDI6GNlBFNCGuoS3B6NCUT2-nObln5T0wRM_UVJYlRxWIUoyrNSuV8AalIMVzx7XJVpEjQ262s-0HZXabQpu8biuYV112jAqr-VGcdZ3lARQbUJFPBRqtSNOA5zfDEFF5fpW/s320/Plate+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The NEW Record Sheets</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> Please Click on the Images and LOOK!</span>
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<span style="text-align: left;">- As you can see, we have made some changes in the RS book. The internal structure dots are back, we added data to the Quick Selector bar on the left and there is now a time/date stamp at the upper left of each record sheet... so you can keep all this shit straight if we have to 'fix' anything again. </span><span style="text-align: left;">We are working through what appear to be tonnage issues - a good part of it is simply me not keeping my buddy Bad Syntax up to date with changes, and part of it is design software that has not kept up with changes in the actual design formulae.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Time: 1345. Our hard-working Bad Syntax has now been hugged. But he is not my 'entourage', he is a working partner! I take a definite back seat when it comes to what he is doing - in fact, I decide things only after he has educated me to the point where I know what I am deciding *on*. I am lucky if I get to ride on the bumper - the last programming I did was in COBOL back in 1988.</span></div>
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- I am 60% finished with replacing the degraded images in the TRO. The damage was not as bad as I expected. </div>
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- I have made the necessary corrections in the TRO text and data as Bad Syntax makes corrections in the RS files.</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">- I have not yet checked the Art of the TRO for image degradation as well. I will get on that after I drop my wife and son off at work, vacuum the house, clean the bathroom and start the laundry.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">- We now have Lords of the Battlefield, BattleTech Universe and OurBattleTech as download sources, and will update all of them by this evening.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">- PLEASE DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING UNTIL I POST THE ALL-CLEAR HERE ON THIS BLOG. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Issue date for the Revised TRO files:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Evening - 1 September 2012</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Again, please accept my apologies....</span></div>
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SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-65109258011947988132012-08-15T12:19:00.003-07:002012-08-17T12:57:28.265-07:00Back on Track... GenCon Release?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-WcVnSJtSh_nEBGo2LN-_vVkjgpiQDR0v9p6bJ-4RtbN35YbNum5gex7hTevVoQ5A9O9DFzwZ5ERrwYmMF5-9iQAzNxNE8MivXbzeNm-1h3HH6hNeJWGxQ2s1uU61DWUNFMG/s1600/Bengal+003+medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-WcVnSJtSh_nEBGo2LN-_vVkjgpiQDR0v9p6bJ-4RtbN35YbNum5gex7hTevVoQ5A9O9DFzwZ5ERrwYmMF5-9iQAzNxNE8MivXbzeNm-1h3HH6hNeJWGxQ2s1uU61DWUNFMG/s320/Bengal+003+medium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Free Worlds League Bengal (draft)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>Art by Stephen Huda and Karl Olson</b></span></div>
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As many of the folks who would be setting up distribution of this fan-made TRO are *at* GenCon, the answer is: probably not.<br />
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Hi,</div>
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We are debugging the RS, it looks good but there is some polishing left to do.</div>
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We have located the anachronisms, repaired them, rewritten the entries and edited same. Thanks to John Baker and Eric for their hard work!</div>
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One piece of art is unsat, for various reasons. It did not come to light until we had to rewrite the entry. It is currently being redone by Stephen Huda, though we are keeping Karl Olson's background. The rough draft is at the head of this post.</div>
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I am trying very hard to have this ready by Saturday morning, 18 August 2012. My work schedule (and that of Bad Syntax) is not helping things, but that's just the breaks. I will use tomorrow morning (after the dump run) to begin going through the TRO and updating the BVs. Everything else seems to be in order, though Eric did spot some errors (they are fixed) and we may have missed others....</div>
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We still have the time, but as mentioned above, the folks we need to coordinate with for the release are simply away for the weekend. We can't make it available for download even if we get it done by deadline.</div>
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In other news:<br />
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Bad Syntax has an online reference, a sort of Super MUL consisting of every machine ever made for BattleTech. It has a LOT of data. Some of that is the fan-made TRO:3063. I will list it here when I get the address.</div>
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Thanks for your patience and for stopping by.</div>
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Steve</div>
Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-74805369791639605612012-08-05T22:04:00.000-07:002012-08-05T22:22:42.654-07:00Houston, We Have Anachronisms...Eric brought it to my attention that several technologies featured in the fan-made TRO:3063 are anachronisms. I knew that, but thought we could cover our arses with heaps of handwavium - 'experimental' and 'prototype' waved like majestic fronds...<br />
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Well, even with Quirks inserted from Strategic Operations, we can't really justify the appearance of weapons so long before their 'official' intro date. SO - no HPPCs, no LPPCs, no LACs, no SNPPCs, etc.</div>
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But we have Blazers. Yersh we do. And ERPPC capacitors. We already have fixes for most of the, er, issues on a roster. Intro dates are changing. But I am going to be one writing SOB for the next week.</div>
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I still think Rocket Launchers should be available in 3063, and comparing notes with my sources, find that The Powers That Be might have made a mistake on the intro date. Erg. BLEH.</div>
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I don't want to turn this book into an XTRO. IMHO, the XTRO machines were so many McGuffins, never intended for players. Ours are meant to see action. So the Quirks, while popular with some, are thus far a no-go. But what do you, the BattleTech reader, think? Keep the Quirks? Leave a note and tell me. </div>
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But do hurry. After tomorrow, I am gonna be up to my ass in textual alligators and draining the swamp is not going to be easy....</div>
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After all this, we are still on schedule! It's just that we have very little time to effect these changes. Please stand by....</div>
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Thanks for stopping in.</div>
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Steve</div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-79256419931154260862012-07-19T12:33:00.001-07:002012-07-30T00:25:09.776-07:00Meanwhile, on the Launch Pad....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LWTkrCqTGtJtUEZp_GxsY3tN3c6UVXoWTD3Dzlraj9BDxlN2heNQcJyT-1NjxF2qjA-krLbuYdZIVxLqiHJL2dRed1kmV_hR1oYZrVobJxEq5MCbAf5HA3L6avzhd9tW-QK1/s1600/Forge+prefinal+004b+COMPILED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LWTkrCqTGtJtUEZp_GxsY3tN3c6UVXoWTD3Dzlraj9BDxlN2heNQcJyT-1NjxF2qjA-krLbuYdZIVxLqiHJL2dRed1kmV_hR1oYZrVobJxEq5MCbAf5HA3L6avzhd9tW-QK1/s320/Forge+prefinal+004b+COMPILED.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Taurian Concordat <i>Forge</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Art by Stephen Huda and James Lafferty</b></span></div>
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Welcome!<br />
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The project is done and on the launchpad. It is a huge old beast - as mentioned in a past blog post, we have the high-rez Record Sheets clocking in at about 550mb.<br />
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That, dear friends, is unsat. It takes too long to download, for one thing. And I want this to be easy to get, to pass around.<br />
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We are currently working on reducing the file size while maintaining the hi-rez printouts. So far things are going pretty good. The largest file I have seen thus far - with everything basically in place - is about 13mb.<br />
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That's right, about 2% of the original size. Bad Syntax is doing a stellar job. But it isn't done yet.<br />
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I just received a donation that paid off the last bit of art - as you can see above. Stephen Huda worked off a design originally done by James Lafferty.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Some New Features...</span><br />
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While compressing it, we have incorporated new features into the Record Sheets and the Master Unit List.<br />
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- We are including BattleForce values.<br />
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- We are including the cost of the machine in C-Bills.<br />
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- We are including a side bar with hypertext - zip down the side and click on the unit you want and presto! the sheet pops up right in front of you. No more Table of Contents needed!<br />
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We are working hard to get this stuff ready for launch! Nothing is holding it back - we are working in the time I set aside for de-bugging and proofreading. So far, we are on schedule. Hey, there is a first time for everything.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by<br />
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SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-23340597230124577192012-07-04T17:12:00.002-07:002012-07-19T12:32:10.947-07:00Looks Like We're Done....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Capellan Xuan Wu</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Art by Stephen Huda</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lyran Panzer X</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Art by Karl Olson/Stephen Huda</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hello, all.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are done.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is a spot of proofing while I wait to pay the final artist off, but we are done.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks for stopping by.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Steve</span></div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-54862715453824067312012-05-25T00:46:00.000-07:002012-06-23T10:54:17.678-07:00Back to Three Weeks and Counting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlZ2mhgKLAKuwKZ6lDvHdBBVcbrgAeO6are8BXrOVy_f6NOdQuxjM7bk2eV8MnJdZNDE_U8PzyBqxIeYWX1g9lT6Ohy3T81Bz5tIFPrNe8yoFCVP0kEOq9EroCDhRZlT8E1If/s1600/artcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlZ2mhgKLAKuwKZ6lDvHdBBVcbrgAeO6are8BXrOVy_f6NOdQuxjM7bk2eV8MnJdZNDE_U8PzyBqxIeYWX1g9lT6Ohy3T81Bz5tIFPrNe8yoFCVP0kEOq9EroCDhRZlT8E1If/s400/artcover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>TRO Artwork - Bonus Section</b></span></div>
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Cover by William S. Burt</div>
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Welcome back! <strike> </strike><br />
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It has been four years of hard work and many, many false alarms that we were ‘finishing the TRO’.<br />
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You have all been patient. For this I give thanks. <span style="color: blue;"> KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR UPDATES!!!</span><br />
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Here is where we stand:<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>The Fan-Made Record Sheets</b></span><br />
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- The Record Sheets are done, proofed and entered into a book format. This book has covers, front and back, provided by Bill Burt. I took advice from readers and downloaded PDFill, a software suite that allowed me to turn PDFs into image files. We went in and, using the templates from MegaMek Lab (MML), built by hand the sheets that MML could not produce itself. We also trimmed the entire lot of record sheets and added our own stamp, as you can see below.<br />
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It was a lot of work and I made quite a few mistakes, but we got our VTOLs, our aerospace fighters and vehicles using fractional accounting nailed down. We even assembled the Magistracy’s Thunderbolt using this method.<br />
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All of the record sheets use the images provided by Denis Pottkämper of Germany. I had to supply a couple of extra pieces, but he did a hell of a lot of good, solid work and my hat is off to him. Thank you, Denis!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">***<span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>*** Oh... my... Gosh!! If someone had come up to me at the end of May and told me that I accidentally put a jump jet in the right *arm* of the Free Worlds League Vulcan, I would have laughed them off. I repaired that error and several others last night, courtesy of Eric S. Smith. The 'S' stands for 'Sho' Nuff' when it comes to spotting errors, and while he may be persona non grata over at the company boards, he is welcome to come to dinner at my house any time. Thank you, Eric. Now get back to work and find all the rest of the record sheet bugs before we go live!!!</span> <br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">The Fan-Made TRO:3063</span></b><br />
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- The TRO has been assembled and put into book form. With the exception of one last piece, it is done. Chris Daranouvong and Anthony Scroggins finished the cover. It looks amazing… keeping the original layout but adding polish and clarity to the point where you can actually see the pilots in the machines. In my opinion, it is the equal of any TRO cover ever made. I think you will like it!<br />
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Working as we did, we used the TRO itself as the ‘bible’ in the end, consulting the Master Unit List at the end to ensure our Record Sheets were complete. Consulting the original collection of record sheets, it actually happened that the MUL had to be updated in a couple of places! Between Heavy Metal Pro and MML, we got the numbers correct and I am as sure as I can be that the data has been entered correctly.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">***<span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>*** There is no love at the Satak house. I had to re-design the Champion II for the Word of Blake [<span style="color: red;">yes, I know... no one cries for the Robes</span>] because in retrospect, putting TSM and Streak missile launchers together is a blunder of the First Order. So I dutifully changed them out for Artemis-enhanced launchers. More and different rounds in the expanded bins, more armor and still deadly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> Then Eric pointed out that you cannot put a launcher in the Center Torso and its Artemis in the Head anymore. Ugh! Back to the drawing board. Got rid of the TSM, restored the Streaks, etc. Had to redo a good portion of the writeup. *Sigh*</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Once that was done, I had to go through the entire TRO and make sure the Battle Values listed agreed with what was on the Record Sheets. The data for the TRO was pulled from Heavy Metal Pro v5, which is (sadly) showing its age post-Total Warfare rules. The record sheets were created mostly using MegaMek Lab and conform more closely to the current ruleset.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Today (23June2012) I get to update the Master Unit List! Wheeeee!!! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>The Fan-Made Bonus 'Art' Piece</b></span><br />
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- The bonus piece, the ‘<span style="color: blue;">Art of the TRO</span>’ is also complete. We added another page and designed new covers front and back. The cover you can see at the head of this blog post. This bonus is going out to all the people who donated funds or time to this project. I don’t anticipate distributing it with the main body of work.<br />
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- Chris Daranouvong is working on the Capellan Xuan-wu. He is very good with line work and did the Xuan-wu on the cover of the TRO, so he is a natural for polishing this entry. When he is done, we will update the image in the TRO as well as the images in the Record Sheets.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">**<span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>** Chris bailed on us, so I passed the commission on to Stephen Huda.</span> <br />
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- The 256 MB thumb drives I bought were a good idea, but sadly, they are too small to contain anything but the web-quality versions of the TRO and Record Sheets!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">This brings me to print quality.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">The Web Version</span><br />
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- The web-quality versions of the TRO, the Record Sheets and the Art bonus take up only 132 MB. While this is adequate for viewing on a computer or Ipad, it does not print out very well. We tested some print versions of the web-quality Record Sheets and while serviceable, the fine print found in the Combat Tables is not very legible. HMP and MML produce sheets of much higher quality. I have all the HMP and MML files on hand, as well as the images we created for the VTOLs and such, so if you want them, contact me. You might need them to ease putting these units into MegaMek. Or you might like the old-school versions HMP provides.<br />
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On a side note, the folks over at MegaMek online have put nearly all the TRO:3063 units into their system, and from what I have seen on the combat result lists, many of our units are doing reasonably well. Your mileage may vary.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>The High-Quality Version</b></span><br />
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- The high-quality versions take up a bit more room – 402 MB. The record sheets printed from this level of resolution are usable, but the fine print is still a tad hard to read.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">***<span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>*** We dropped the HQ version from our options. It gobbles up space and doesn't yield that much clearer a picture. Eric has been experimenting with a way to produce images that are crisp but that don't weigh in at a meg and a half each. I don't look forward to re-doing everything, though. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">The Print-Quality Version</span></b><br />
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- The print-quality versions take up the most room – 662 MB. Remember, this is all three books. Without the Art booklet, it still takes up a hefty 630 MB. But the record sheets look great and the art is crisp! Keep in mind that the TRO itself is 265 pages. The Record Sheets are another 235. The Art is 53 pages. The whole package may seem like a big chunk (and it is!) but we don't have access to the software used by the company and this TRO is pretty big anyway. 112 TRO entries, with 215 total sheets counting the variants.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Where You Can Get It</span></b><br />
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I am currently arranging a couple of places where the print-quality versions can be downloaded. We will also offer the web versions for those of you who want this for your collection and/or don’t have the time or bandwidth to download the big kahunas. Remember, you can use the record sheets printed from the web version – they just don’t look as good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">*** </span><span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">***</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Due to an emergency replacement of my car's radiator and water pump ($530), I have had to push our publishing date back. Sorry guys, but I have to get to work. We still have to pay our last bits of art off (about $130) and that will take at least another month at the rate I am recovering from the repair bill.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">So you don't think you're the only ones paying the price for my not flushing my radiator once a year, my son's birthday gifts have been put on hold as well. He turned 17 today (the 4th of June).</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">***<span style="color: red;">UPDATE THE SECOND</span>*** The car is running and I am still employed. The coolant temperature sensor is buggered, as is the oil pressure sensor. Gonna get them fixed this Friday (fingers crossed). Paid off everyone but Stephen Huda and that should be done this payday (fingers crossed). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Other Notes....</b></span><br />
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I am also putting together a ‘Lessons Learned’ piece for those of you who are contemplating doing a fan-TRO of your own. Let me know if you want a copy.<br />
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Finally, there are several disclaimers throughout the TRO and associated books that firmly establish that these are NOT official products. I asked Catalyst Game Labs nearly a year ago if they had guidelines for what sort of disclaimers should be on a fan work. There was no response aside from what Herb Beas III posted in the Lead Developers section of the company forums. <br />
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Despite a polite reminder three months later (which reached TPTB for sure), I still have no response. I have done all I can to ensure we are not treading on the toes of Topps, InMediaRes LLC or Catalyst Game Labs. If there are any lawyers reading this, please let me know if there are any steps I might have missed. Good as it looks, in the end the TRO:3063 is, as one fellow on the company forums likes to say, ‘nothing more than fanboyish crap’. <br />
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You are free to draw your own conclusions. <span style="color: blue;"> [Several already have: it's GOOD fanboyish crap!]</span><br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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Steve<br />
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<br /></div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-14998185397389823982012-04-24T20:57:00.000-07:002012-04-24T20:57:49.740-07:00Working on the Record Sheets... One at a Time!<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Outworlds Alliance Sounder</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Record Sheet</span></div>
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Welcome back!</div>
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Here is what we have for progress:</div>
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- Bill is busy turning PDFs into JPGs, images I can massage into record sheets. This is necessary as the software we are currently using (MegaMek Lab) can handle only vehicles and ‘Mechs. Furthermore, there are machines with features I cannot access in MML (sponsons, etc) and for some reason, the ‘Mechs do not print out the Gauss rifle ammo on hand. It has to be put in on a case by case basis. </div>
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- I am going to spring for a nice piece of software (KviSoft’s PDF to Image) so I can do the conversions here at home - $25 is not too bad, considering the quality of the output.</div>
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- Denis Pottkämper from Germany has supplied us with all the insert art for our Record Sheets. Thanks, Denis! They look really good and are in a frame format similar to the layout of the rest of the sheet.</div>
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- Our cover artists – Chris Daranouvong and Anthony Scroggins – are currently working on the cover and it is coming along nicely. It will cost a pretty penny, but then this is the cover, so it HAS to look good!</div>
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- Anthony is also working on ‘refurbishing’ the Capellan Xuan-wu, which I felt was a bit lackluster. It is one of the few remaining original pieces and he has promised to put some polish on it without changing the overall layout.</div>
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- Folks have been generous with the PayPal button – we’ve taken in a good amount over the past month and I want to thank all of you who pitched in. We’ve paid down everything but the cover and the Xuan-wu touch-up. I have offered to send a printout of your favorite faction from the current Prototype (v10.5) as a thank you for a donation, but so far only three of the five who donated have taken me up on it. The offer is still open for those of you who have an extra five or ten dollars you can spare. The last Prototype available to the public was v6, so there have been a lot of changes.</div>
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- I have recently come upon a cache of 256MB thumb drives. They are not very impressive as pure storage anymore (you can get a 2GB or even a 4GB drive now for about twelve bucks), but they are ideal for my application. I am going to load hi-rez versions of the TRO 3063, the ‘Art of TRO:3063’ and ‘Record Sheets: 3063’ on a thumb drive and send them as a ‘thank-you’ to anyone who has donated $50 or more to this fan project. I only have thirty of these, so they will go fast. The rest of you will have to download the Web versions, which are a much lower resolution intended for distribution and quick download. </div>
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Thanks for stopping by.</div>
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Steve</div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-60181501725787566532012-03-25T23:03:00.008-07:002012-03-26T00:08:56.111-07:00Making Headway on the TRO:3063 - despite setbacks...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSZNohqJSLlwIelVHaKFKYqKQQOUwOsqxa_9CkovtmPfLeu6ZPS-EacHW8ysjdf367ZKgcbI2RfF6KDuq9okVX8l8iONJ_mdyCgSbQBlSAYxQxjDP_EEC2KlmlAzDPKwbRblp/s1600/Erlang+Shen+003+final+Large.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSZNohqJSLlwIelVHaKFKYqKQQOUwOsqxa_9CkovtmPfLeu6ZPS-EacHW8ysjdf367ZKgcbI2RfF6KDuq9okVX8l8iONJ_mdyCgSbQBlSAYxQxjDP_EEC2KlmlAzDPKwbRblp/s400/Erlang+Shen+003+final+Large.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724084211388300994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:180%;">Capellan Confederation<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Erlang Shen - Anti-Aircraft for the Trinity Alliance</span><br /></span></span></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Greetings!<br /><br />Work on the TRO advances by the day. Here are the highlights:<br /><br />- Bill’s computer is running great (especially for World of Tanks and the Alpha World of Airplanes). We fixed the text on the back cover so it is nice and clear.<br /><br />- There were some issues with the order in which we presented the warloads. They have been organized by location.<br /><br />- for ‘Mechs: RA, RT, RL, LA, LT, LL, CT, HD.<br /><br />- for Vees and Aerospace craft, it was: Turret, Front, Left Side, Right Side, Rear, Body.<br /><br />Furthermore, we organized the equipment / weapons within a location. For ‘Mechs, it goes from the largest weapon to the smallest, then equipment, then ammo, then jump jets and CASE. For Vehicles, it is the same, although the Body locations include Cargo and Infantry Bays, which come first.<br /><br />- I tweaked the entry for the Free Worlds League’s Striker II – dropped the Artemis and added CASE and more armor.<br /><br />- The OmniMech and OmniTanks have been fixed, and we modified one of the Configurations for the Capellan Confederation’s Culverin to include a Thumper artillery piece.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Setbacks along the way...<br /><br /></span></span></span>We have been working on the cover art and the Record Sheets, but as you saw in the header, there have been some setbacks. Neither of these have gone as smoothly as was hoped.<br /><br />- Our cover artist has gone MIA for a month now. He sent an update at the end of February and we have not heard from him since. I gave him until the end of March to finish the piece and am currently in negotiations with <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Anthony Scroggins</span> to craft a new piece if necessary.<br /><br />- We were working with Denis Pottkämper in Germany to create new-style Record Sheets. I have not been able to get a response from him in at least a month. I am currently trying to figure out which software I will need to get, learn and use to create the sheets for myself. John Baker may be able to lend a hand mid-April, but that is still up in the air.<br /><br />- Several people have dropped by to donate to the project via the PayPal button. Thank you all! However... brand new art from Anthony Scroggins will not be cheap, and my wife is currently looking for a job, so spare money around here is scarce. I will proceed with the cover, but it would sure help if some of you folks could hit the Button for five or ten bucks.<br /><br />In return, I will be happy to send you a snip of your favorite faction from the current Prototype. The last Prototype available to the public was v6.0, and we are currently up to v10.3, so you will get a view of something very close to what will hit the street.<br /><br />Barring unforeseen emergencies, we are looking at the third week in April for publishing.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />Steve<br /></div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-84306935843336768192012-02-27T23:36:00.009-08:002012-03-04T20:53:29.657-08:00Heading Towards the Finish Line...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAKqk4tCp1WA_5lgDfpp67MyIcmpLhOOtDne_REKSziEEpkqz09hmV5_f-BO1o-VMs-cgtFo1a0p0un1A6u44p7NkOThIFZjKwApGI5Mb3imQJwDs2CdIEwU9TXSQNWtlrTTC/s1600/TRO3063-Cover+final2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAKqk4tCp1WA_5lgDfpp67MyIcmpLhOOtDne_REKSziEEpkqz09hmV5_f-BO1o-VMs-cgtFo1a0p0un1A6u44p7NkOThIFZjKwApGI5Mb3imQJwDs2CdIEwU9TXSQNWtlrTTC/s400/TRO3063-Cover+final2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716271622409413234" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Howdy!<br /><br />Welcome back! We have been hard at work on the TRO, doing most of the work in layout mode while the last of the art is completed and paid off.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Progress…</span></span><br /><br />- Bill has revamped his computer after a hard drive crash. He is re-installing Photoshop so we can fix the text errors on the back cover (they look like crap) and re-build the front cover with new art and a header more to our liking.<br /><br />- We corrected the writing errors as noted in the last blog post. However, there were serious errors in the numbers, most due to the way the design program rounded up armor points (instead of rounding them down, as is now the norm). Donald Hawkins not only made a large contribution to the art fund through the PayPal button, he tracked down all the numerical errors, eleven pages in all. There were also issues with the numbers mentioned in the writeup not matching what was in the actual technical data. Don also nailed those. I have finished entering all the errata he spotted.<br /><br />- We converted all the text from Times New Roman to Myriad Pro, to conform more closely to standard TRO formatting. The font remains 9 point for easier reading.<br /><br />- We still have issues with the OmniMech and OmniTanks. It has to do with pod space and allocation. We are working out the details with Don and John Baker, and they should be done pretty soon. As always, real life takes priority.<br /><br />- We are, at long last, finished with individual art pieces. The last piece (by Stephen Huda) was done for a secret Bonus Entry at the end of the Art Section. All I can say is that it is Capellan and intended for the Trinity Alliance.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkw455CX_9Wm7LfKLdtH-uDOMIKB2ebf5tFsmzmdtWb321rD0VZB6FHyWvrXybObCperJNhtq-nffekOv8sFjHpcGNK6FMM-gylWA4cI0Cfxg9Ii8ta5_ILNqqIurrlv_kU8o/s1600/with+scenery+5a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkw455CX_9Wm7LfKLdtH-uDOMIKB2ebf5tFsmzmdtWb321rD0VZB6FHyWvrXybObCperJNhtq-nffekOv8sFjHpcGNK6FMM-gylWA4cI0Cfxg9Ii8ta5_ILNqqIurrlv_kU8o/s400/with+scenery+5a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714760726047530898" /></a><br /><br />- The Art Section is some forty pages of sketches, miniatures and pieces that were finished but never made it into the TRO due to format changes. It represents a lot of money wasted otherwise, so I put it all together for your viewing pleasure. I am told by the handful of people who have seen it that it represents a very unique look at the game and the process of creating a TRO. We think you will enjoy it.<br /><br />- I am not going to update the MUL with the new BVs – the difference in most cases is a matter of one or two points due to the addition or removal of a single point of armor. Not worth the time and effort.<br /><br />- We are working with Denis Pottkämper in Germany to create new-style Record Sheets – the HM series of programs offer only the old style and I want to keep this TRO firmly aligned with the look and feel of more recent company offerings. The Record Sheets are going to be bundled in a separate PDF – the web version of the TRO already takes up more than 45 megabytes. These Record Sheets will feature the artwork found in the TRO and will include every variant mentioned in the writeups (well, excepting the failures).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- MekWars: Legends (an online BattleTech game) has begun adding the machines from this fan TRO to their list of available equipment. Let me know if you need more information, guys!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">[Click on the image for a closer look]</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi415JLs0uB3Ra4q9tqzNgLD-d8KfnHcfYVlV5Q_3Ohyphenhyphen0M2rvf830FqcRz-7eKeYb9Oeg7Tk-7oEyqDK7E8B61lzuxPttrbXWHKxS1pTF5xgrK9g_3P-Tq3TMZ9qsu9FYg6ji3Y/s1600/Champ_0000.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi415JLs0uB3Ra4q9tqzNgLD-d8KfnHcfYVlV5Q_3Ohyphenhyphen0M2rvf830FqcRz-7eKeYb9Oeg7Tk-7oEyqDK7E8B61lzuxPttrbXWHKxS1pTF5xgrK9g_3P-Tq3TMZ9qsu9FYg6ji3Y/s400/Champ_0000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714089710553396450" border="0" /></a>My apologies for the lack of art – we usually have more available, but we really are coming to a close here. I am looking at the end of March with fingers crossed.<br /><br />Finally, my heartfelt thanks goes out to a BattleTech fan who is currently in Afghanistan. He donated $250 through the PayPal button and enabled me to pay off nearly all the remaining art in one shot. Thank you, <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Jeffrey</span>! I hope you enjoyed your look at the latest Prototype (v9.2).<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />Steve<br /></div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-5358579180058213792012-01-09T23:15:00.000-08:002012-01-21T11:37:58.595-08:00Errata Has Been Entered - and a bonus Section begun!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrcY7PIqugWbi08LZFQoOfr6Lrmu8Sn2tuUURr6GZfwIMJn6vX8YWp4ocuqLVUEoOAkUpwQOtomSdP2R3LdEYIZ7hryv0a17l2NV-pn6QMRCo8AvmSBLvJoybMCTdkomELKCI/s1600/TRO3063-Guillotine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrcY7PIqugWbi08LZFQoOfr6Lrmu8Sn2tuUURr6GZfwIMJn6vX8YWp4ocuqLVUEoOAkUpwQOtomSdP2R3LdEYIZ7hryv0a17l2NV-pn6QMRCo8AvmSBLvJoybMCTdkomELKCI/s400/TRO3063-Guillotine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699197171440435666" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" >Free Worlds League Guillotine</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">art by Chris Daranouvong<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Hello, everyone.<br /><br />It has been a long time since the last update. We have been busy with the holidays, and I am sure the rest of you were as well.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">Progress…</span><br /><br />- Bill has passed the baton on to me as regards the layout of the TRO. We spent some time going over the various commands, and I have my Dummies book to help me with anything odd that comes up.<br /><br />- During the past two months, I have been collating errors in the TRO prototypes. I am happy to announce that the first fourteen pages of errors has been corrected.<br /><br />- I have gone through and formatted every entry to standards set by the company’s products. We still have our own look, but the data is arranged in a familiar way and most of you readers should have little trouble navigating.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">(Click on image to enlarge)</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM-TPtP9QzIQiYglzsszkshphrgzluSGutX7TxMBZZpfAr0aBN2PoHPAFFPQjoQcVDnK70DVbcfjZZLKRfCpv5mHEiGvlHIivwU04WNZvBeuh5p7Hwf_ZzKcjl9ZWRs90mVa5/s1600/Diatryma1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM-TPtP9QzIQiYglzsszkshphrgzluSGutX7TxMBZZpfAr0aBN2PoHPAFFPQjoQcVDnK70DVbcfjZZLKRfCpv5mHEiGvlHIivwU04WNZvBeuh5p7Hwf_ZzKcjl9ZWRs90mVa5/s400/Diatryma1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695900996759452418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXn1mWxf2HdQ4Z8VB_0I2VDEgK9tMM8M95h1UPUgaE2jrBg15U7UMR7fAMSg2hkVAnr2kH53e-GxXKB9j0QrD_P46Xr07pB3WvaQLk8xmhWwOp8OrD5aa6M9wwDuFTOpW_gE99/s1600/Diatryma2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXn1mWxf2HdQ4Z8VB_0I2VDEgK9tMM8M95h1UPUgaE2jrBg15U7UMR7fAMSg2hkVAnr2kH53e-GxXKB9j0QrD_P46Xr07pB3WvaQLk8xmhWwOp8OrD5aa6M9wwDuFTOpW_gE99/s400/Diatryma2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695901129605353362" border="0" /></a><br />- We resolved the issue of pixelated art in the InDesign program – with one or two exceptions, it was the way InDesign handles the image. The actual hi-rez printout looks fine, regardless of what we see in the assembly program. I did discover that a lot of the images were huge, but at 79dpi or 200dpi. Converting those images to 300dpi seems to have corrected problems we were having with sizing as well.<br /><br />- I have updated the MUL to include the Star League version of the White Knight, and found a way to import tables directly from a Word document into InDesign. The result is quite crisp (the Prototype version looked like crap).<br /><br />- The Index is in place; the Table of Contents has been undated. We dropped the last Section Introductions into place.<br /><br />- I have begun work on an additional section. Right now, we have the TRO proper, ending with the Index. Then we have the Master Unit List (MUL). Then we have a section titled ‘The Art of TRO:3063’. So far it runs about 25 pages, and should top out at about 30-35. It includes a lot of stuff you folks might find interesting - things we’ve posted on the blog as the years went by, but now all collected in one place and annotated.<br /><br />- Don’t worry about me killing time with this addition – I have been waiting for our editor to proofread the errata’d version and he has provided me with another six pages of things to fix (so far…)<br /><br />- The time we are taking for the errata and art allows me to catch up on payments to the artists. I still have a couple of hundred dollars to go, but we are nearly there.<br /><br />- We are re-doing the cover. Hah! Yes, someone brought it to my attention that the machine on the cover does not actually appear on the inside of the TRO. We are changing that with the help of Chris Daranouvong. The header for this blog post is the proposed replacement for the current Guillotine art.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" >NEW MINIATURES!!!</span><br /><br />This is how the Aurora and the Claymore look, prior to becoming miniatures available on Shapeways! Thanks for the hard work, Dorian!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvQ116jKYTKesdMhb4y_MC1kOtuQbv84E5Ahm2d3-FRSx5bM77Fbe4wY7NtgbC9rFxfry3B_eaOWbv9AC4rp3ibsZiusPYBGnzAX8iT6oWQgIXN_qLL9cvd19ZfKMZOcViA7O/s1600/aurora_montage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvQ116jKYTKesdMhb4y_MC1kOtuQbv84E5Ahm2d3-FRSx5bM77Fbe4wY7NtgbC9rFxfry3B_eaOWbv9AC4rp3ibsZiusPYBGnzAX8iT6oWQgIXN_qLL9cvd19ZfKMZOcViA7O/s400/aurora_montage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698754547481423810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXiYk4GCZriQsFMTLwhKUvtSV_9DUu4uTP2bc1cUZpAoi4FgptVyLxHj2wHpmaS5Dqeosn7v4LP-pgKNUgHb42vmKTqmNZBPab-nHvNldoc8yVHlCJSiwooz28GABpjnHEZUoi/s1600/claymore_montage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXiYk4GCZriQsFMTLwhKUvtSV_9DUu4uTP2bc1cUZpAoi4FgptVyLxHj2wHpmaS5Dqeosn7v4LP-pgKNUgHb42vmKTqmNZBPab-nHvNldoc8yVHlCJSiwooz28GABpjnHEZUoi/s400/claymore_montage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700171510964317602" /></a><br /><br />What follows is the final re-issue of the Free Worlds League Thug:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWUNo1oJ_dOB1F1vFNIMagq3DJNfwjPCR6ed28PKYi8xSJ1yrrdumQk_B-D3x_WDiZ7lf5j1QqFpX62RYzCen1JoJbCKGN9FlW7_PUnwJVZUuKeUoD6kvRkUmdVOnDUTeUj7r/s1600/TRO3063-Thug+Final.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 401px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWUNo1oJ_dOB1F1vFNIMagq3DJNfwjPCR6ed28PKYi8xSJ1yrrdumQk_B-D3x_WDiZ7lf5j1QqFpX62RYzCen1JoJbCKGN9FlW7_PUnwJVZUuKeUoD6kvRkUmdVOnDUTeUj7r/s400/TRO3063-Thug+Final.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699197376952806802" border="0" /></a>That’s all for now, folks. Stay tuned and please, hit the <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">PayPal</span> button to help move things along. I always respond, and the money always goes to the artists.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />Steve</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PS: Does anyone else notice something about the Company Forums? Whenever they ask a question about some bit of fluff or fact mentioned in a TRO, nearly everyone tries to justify it 'in-universe'. That is, they try to give reasons why such a thing might be true or false <i>inside the storyline itself</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When someone like me comes along:</div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> <a href="http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,15042.msg347001.html#new">http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,15042.msg347001.html#new</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">and suggests that the writers might simply have made a mistake, or that the company did not choose to go in that direction, there is (usually) dead silence. I have ended whole threads with this type of comment. In the case above (click on link), my comment was simply ignored.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love to write in the BT universe and make no mistake, I have a lot of fun playing the game. But some of those people hanging out on the forums are in a bit too deep, if you ask me. I mean, c'mon. You have to read some of the comments to believe it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A writer makes a mistake twenty years ago - or writes about something that never amounted to anything outside a single book - and it's clear as day after two decades of hindsight that that's exactly what it was. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And ten fanboys immediately leap to the author's defense with Byzantine explanations as to <i>why all of it makes perfect sense in universe.</i> That ranks right up there with the apologists explaining why there are typos and other glaring errors in the company writing - <i>because that was what the in-universe author intended. </i><br /><br />Just thought I would see if anyone else has noticed this. It seems awful silly to me.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">S<br /><br /></div>Steven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23852428.post-77581758928491369232011-11-16T23:19:00.001-08:002011-12-14T20:53:45.530-08:00The Editing Path Clears... and new Art!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4Xvci-SVoeDqvC8TTrlkYv4fN4iVYQHi0K310-oJcPVtq3LLjLUGQLMYwnIoq0hQfyTluJvdkfN_8bAXpNTSMyrJz0aIhEjAL_carQ3L1qL92PNq8uCM66aJ6Jhxn3_TJGAf/s1600/aurora+005+Final.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4Xvci-SVoeDqvC8TTrlkYv4fN4iVYQHi0K310-oJcPVtq3LLjLUGQLMYwnIoq0hQfyTluJvdkfN_8bAXpNTSMyrJz0aIhEjAL_carQ3L1qL92PNq8uCM66aJ6Jhxn3_TJGAf/s400/aurora+005+Final.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676159112612909058" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Word of Blake Aurora Mobile Flak Battery </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Art by Stephen Huda</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Greetings!<br /><br />We did it again.<br /><br />We added another vehicle.<br /><br />But this one was worth it. I am putting the finishing touches on the rough draft for the writeup.<br /><br />Imagine if you will, an anti-aircraft battery in BattleTech that can actually shoot down VTOLs and even aerospace fighters. I mean, actually do it in the game, with no special rules, for real. There are many such designs in the BT universe, but none of them are really all that effective.<br /><br />Oh, sure. The writeup says they are effective, the design is such that you might think they could do the job, but when it comes to putting metal on the table and rolling the dice, most of them come up short.<br /><br />Don’t misunderstand me. I am not talking about missile launchers. They do a good job – that is, unless the target has an AMS (or in the case of our Outworlds Alliance Sounder, several). Then you’re sort of screwed unless you spam the hell out of them with a bunch of little stuff.<br /><br />This new machine is called the Aurora, and it started out as a joke. Click on the image for a closer look.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXduRPQ1FKMD5D7XlA-kq_dQICd8nZs5EgrT7xMH1NwBht-hzOOzAxBROVexX7K3so3v0U1Cty-vUnvr3J0BrQfogTeS4taUx2GCJPXnZbobzaPGr7OZoKCZ9PtR_-HuAgUlBY/s1600/the+joke.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXduRPQ1FKMD5D7XlA-kq_dQICd8nZs5EgrT7xMH1NwBht-hzOOzAxBROVexX7K3so3v0U1Cty-vUnvr3J0BrQfogTeS4taUx2GCJPXnZbobzaPGr7OZoKCZ9PtR_-HuAgUlBY/s400/the+joke.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675862649822604898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, pretty cool. I thought ‘what if I send this to our new proofreader and pretended to panic, telling him this was the next project?’ So I sent the pic and some stats I threw together. Instead of a flustered proofreader, I got a comment from John Baker telling me he’d tested it on Mega Mek and thought the new machine was pretty effective. When I told him it was meant as a joke, he shrugged and said words to the effect that it was ‘still damn good, even for a joke’.<br /><br />I ran it by Bill and he liked it. So much for the joke! I commissioned Stephen Huda to illustrate the machine, using the Claymore’s chassis (they are the same tonnage).<br /><br />This is a 100-ton machine. It moves 2/3 with nearly ten tons of armor (1/2 for the militia variant and that one carries more armor than an Atlas). There are six LB-5X autocannons supplied with four tons of cluster ammunition. It has a range of 630 meters and a backup battery of five ER small lasers. Oh, and did I mention? It comes equipped with C3i.<br /><br />With a potential of up to thirty rolls on the motive hits table, this baby will force most other vehicles to grind to a halt if they don’t wind up destroyed completely. Against aerospace fighters, the Aurora has a fair chance of forcing a crash, even on a strafing run.<br /><br />Recommended for good gunners, and please, don’t do like the boys in the UK did, and try to move it around. The base model moves 2/3 and all they did was drive their targeting modifier up, making it harder to lock on a target. Stick it and its lancemates in a Level One revetment and leave them there.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuw1rjLIb_3VpG_JdFfVQIUxyDhKork6EVl81QT92zq9z7onbonqxGehwDx3LkqLnebGhM5EIPC64EtZ6ZOeFz1tGNL4IlYzYGpyHkwuPJcgV0fsYVfKo03DXwGSjc_YGYAcs/s1600/Claymore+002+Final+Large+color.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuw1rjLIb_3VpG_JdFfVQIUxyDhKork6EVl81QT92zq9z7onbonqxGehwDx3LkqLnebGhM5EIPC64EtZ6ZOeFz1tGNL4IlYzYGpyHkwuPJcgV0fsYVfKo03DXwGSjc_YGYAcs/s400/Claymore+002+Final+Large+color.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675862087159010114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;">Word of Blake Claymore (color)<br /></span></div><br />As you can see, the color plates for the Vehicle sections are done. Jim Lafferty did excellent work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKx29bQJ_ny7o0SDVJyOsvze0BjMIBpgKMJ-5kQDOuE4-EttIO9_EN-NrB05LQalP8VWg4T4ci73MbNNf1PvfLsTTICRAKS5id-u00MiwEz5DJGOZqck8H9JDZ6c5peb6LBVU/s1600/Hessian_color.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKx29bQJ_ny7o0SDVJyOsvze0BjMIBpgKMJ-5kQDOuE4-EttIO9_EN-NrB05LQalP8VWg4T4ci73MbNNf1PvfLsTTICRAKS5id-u00MiwEz5DJGOZqck8H9JDZ6c5peb6LBVU/s400/Hessian_color.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675861499483474050" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;">Mercenary Hessian Hovercraft (color)</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good News on the Editing Front</span></span><br /><br />We have a new editor, John Baker. As you can see from the list of errata on the previous blog post’s comment page, there is still a lot of stuff that needs fixing. John is a volunteer with very good writing skills and he has already sent me six pages of corrections. Normally, I would despair because it means I have to make multiple trips to Bill’s house to get these punched in.<br /><br />However! I now have a copy of InDesign and will install it on my computer tomorrow. Bill will drop by with the files from his computer, and we will get it up and running on my powerful new laptop. That way, I can do the corrections every night instead of once or twice a month!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">[We installed it and the fonts it required. Bill brought the TRO files over and installed them. It is up and running for editing, folks! Bill is sick now (imagine that) but will be around in a week to drop the new art in place. By then the remaining introductions should be back.]</span><br /><br />- Geoffrey has agreed to look over the new Introductions for the Vehicle sections, as well as the writeup for the Aurora. I will send it to John after that.<br /><br />- Prototype v6 is still up and ready for download. There are about three days left before I get down to business and start working my way through a fourteen-page Errata list. If you see anything, let me know.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"></span><br />Again, if you want to chip in, please hit the PayPal button if you have five or ten dollars to spare…. I want to get these debts cleared before the end of November and need all the help I can get. I have had several people donate what they can and I have sent it on to my artists.<br /><br />Also! A new banner for my forum posts!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEx6H2-Z79Mu8Bu-XPS2wc5ZxKUPLZernl9tZb_ye5caTjc9iyZ3PNOcrWi6NuY7NK2zIuWlN4AbXMZ9pnR4gOL6ju_wr3RO9TdSAMCQ3BXzAdTWeUjwhSEL1GpNwn3x5o40Y/s1600/TRO3063b-1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 71px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEx6H2-Z79Mu8Bu-XPS2wc5ZxKUPLZernl9tZb_ye5caTjc9iyZ3PNOcrWi6NuY7NK2zIuWlN4AbXMZ9pnR4gOL6ju_wr3RO9TdSAMCQ3BXzAdTWeUjwhSEL1GpNwn3x5o40Y/s400/TRO3063b-1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675861740798441154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />SteveSteven Satakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621308678106707775noreply@blogger.com12