[BT] Tech Readout 3060-images
unicorn
Evening all
Just picked up the latest Tech readout from my local game store.
I dont play in the Clan era, although I do read the novels and have the
sourcebooks, and I have to say thatbI find the images seem to be getting
uglier in each new product.
The TR 3025 mechs looked good, and many of the 2750 mechs were OK, but
they seem to be getting worse. There are occaisional highlights but
generally the look seems to be clunkier and uglier each time.
The Tarantula looked OK, but the Thinder Stallion, Fire Scorpion,
Stalking Spider, Snow Fox, Sirocco and Bishamon are ugly,
and the Barghest looks like a reject from a Transformers set.
Many of the mechs seem to lack any sort of style or even proportion.
Take the Canis for example. It has weapons seemingly tacked on
wherever they would fit. Same goes for the Predator.
The inner sphere mechs are no better, take the Yeoman (please!) or the
Initiate. The prosecution rests.
Sorry folks, The 3060 book has some interesting info, but the art is
something less than stellar.
Contents = 7/10
Art = 3/10
Regards
Unicorn
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Jason Andresen
>The TR 3025 mechs looked good, and many of the 2750 mechs were OK, but
>they seem to be getting worse. There are occaisional highlights but
>generally the look seems to be clunkier and uglier each time.
The problem is that people saw the 3025 TRO and said "So this is what a
mech looks like." Every TRO after that has differed a little, and people
say "That's not what a mechs is supposed to look like!"
>
>The Tarantula looked OK, but the Thinder Stallion, Fire Scorpion,
>Stalking Spider, Snow Fox, Sirocco and Bishamon are ugly,
>and the Barghest looks like a reject from a Transformers set.
I really liked the Tarantula, and once I find a glue strong enough to hold
it together through shipping (and the skill to assemble one) I want the
mini.
I also like the Bishamon. The Bishamon is sleek, insectoid, and almost
realistic (there's actually areas for the myomers). As an added bonus,
the Bishamon has decent stats.
>The inner sphere mechs are no better, take the Yeoman (please!) or the
>Initiate. The prosecution rests.
I have to agree with you there, talk about a walking missile rack.
>
>Sorry folks, The 3060 book has some interesting info, but the art is
>something less than stellar.
I would say "sometimes something less than stellar". Look at the Men
Shen, the Cobra, the Jinggau, the Cougar (Classic Omnimech style), or the
Sentry.
I do have three beefs though:
1) "Big Gun" Syndrome. Where in the world does the Tai-Sho store 20
rounds for that UAC/10? This isn't limited to just a few designs either,
the oversized barrels seem to be reaching epic proporitions.
2) Clan Vehicles (this has already been beaten to death though)--they are
good for a laugh though (just imagine the Ishtar unloading on something
behind it, and flipping like an RC car.
3) Has the Marshall put on a few pounds?
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Matthew Sanford
I agree that the art could use a little work, but have you noticed that
they are losing a lot of the streamlined, aerodynamic look that was so
prevalent in the 3055/3058 Tech Readouts? I agree that the 3025 and 2750
mechs were a great mix of form and function, but if you look at cars, they
screwed with them as time went on also!
unicorn <uni...@bridgenet.com.au> wrote in article
<6qucpa$erk$1-...@the-fly.zip.com.au>...
>
> Evening all
>
> Just picked up the latest Tech readout from my local game store.
>
> I dont play in the Clan era, although I do read the novels and have the
> sourcebooks, and I have to say thatbI find the images seem to be getting
> uglier in each new product.
>
> The TR 3025 mechs looked good, and many of the 2750 mechs were OK, but
> they seem to be getting worse. There are occaisional highlights but
> generally the look seems to be clunkier and uglier each time.
>
> The Tarantula looked OK, but the Thinder Stallion, Fire Scorpion,
> Stalking Spider, Snow Fox, Sirocco and Bishamon are ugly,
> and the Barghest looks like a reject from a Transformers set.
>
> Many of the mechs seem to lack any sort of style or even proportion.
> Take the Canis for example. It has weapons seemingly tacked on
> wherever they would fit. Same goes for the Predator.
>
> The inner sphere mechs are no better, take the Yeoman (please!) or the
> Initiate. The prosecution rests.
>
> Sorry folks, The 3060 book has some interesting info, but the art is
> something less than stellar.
>
Michael Yeoman
> > Initiate. The prosecution rests.
> >
Hey now, I happen to like the Yeoman :-)
Actually, I think the Jinggau is one of my new fav's though.
Mike Yeoman-----Northwind Highlander's
Yaku Asobi
> The TR 3025 mechs looked good, and many of the 2750 mechs were OK, but
> they seem to be getting worse. There are occaisional highlights but
> generally the look seems to be clunkier and uglier each time.
>
> The Tarantula looked OK, but the Thinder Stallion, Fire Scorpion,
> Stalking Spider, Snow Fox, Sirocco and Bishamon are ugly,
> and the Barghest looks like a reject from a Transformers set.
> something less than stellar.
When my local game shop go the 3060 book in I took a look at it and nearly
laughed my ass off at the illustrations. I think there may have been one good
looking mech/vehicle in every twelve shown.
I think the terrible art work may have something to do with now having to
actually come up with their own. Most of the mechs in 3025 were taken from
Robotech, so FASA didn't have to come up with the art.
Richard V. Hoffman
> I think the terrible art work may have something to do with now having
> to actually come up with their own. Most of the mechs in 3025 were
> taken from Robotech, so FASA didn't have to come up with the art.
Not that Robotech or Harmony Gold came up with the art, either.
The whole Robotech enterprise in the USA was founded on reediting and
rescripting several different Japanese anime flicks so as to make them
viable for the U.S. market. The Japanese series "Macross" supplied the
pictures for what BattleTech people call "Rifleman," "Warhammer,"
"Archer," and "Stinger" (or Phoenix Hawk? only the heads are really
different). Harmony Gold, I believe, simply bought the license to market
those designs in the USA. Other than the Stinger/Veritech mecha, the
other Robotech mecha appeared only in a few seconds' worth of animation.
There are, of course, some minor art differences between the
Robotech and BattleTech designs. For instance, note the small weapons
mounts in each side torso. They add up to 1 ML, 1 SL, and 1 MG per side;
the barrel configuration differs in Robotech drawings. Furthermore, the
Robotech version has twin machine guns beside the "cockpit"; the
Warhammer does not.
'Twould be a shame to lose the Warhammer, though, if FASA indeed
will phase out the missing 'Mechs. The Warhammer had a nice loadout,
gave off ridiculous amounts of heat (really made you appreciate it
whenever you pulled through a fight), and, unlike some of the newer
'Mechs, had weapons that actually matched the picture. Look at the 3050
Banshee for a glaring example of a picture that does not match the
stats.
Vladdus Mpale
> 'Twould be a shame to lose the Warhammer, though, if FASA indeed
> will phase out the missing 'Mechs. The Warhammer had a nice loadout,
> gave off ridiculous amounts of heat (really made you appreciate it
> whenever you pulled through a fight), and, unlike some of the newer
> 'Mechs, had weapons that actually matched the picture. Look at the 3050
> Banshee for a glaring example of a picture that does not match the
> stats.
Definitely. That's not a picture of the BNC-5S (which IMO is
the coolest IS mech of all); that's a BNC-3S, the 3/5/0 version
with lotsa weapons and mucho heat problems (the 5S does too,
but 3S is definitely 3025-level toasty). Wonder how that got
messed up...
--
Major Vladdus Mpale
Grey Mouse Legion
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