I played my first game in 6th grade with Bill and Dan. In 7th grade, I stumbled upon the first BattleTech novel ever written in the school library. I have owned and read well over 60 books of fiction in the universe. I have owned multiple boxed sets and rule books. I have played or owned almost every video game released. My first attempts at fiction were done in the BattleTech universe, because I know so much about it (and they had an easy online submission process). They're here if you're interested.
There are other series I love, but I don't think there's any other series that has claimed as much of my time and money. The franchise was big enough to have a lot of stuff I wanted, but niche enough that I couldn't find it easily at a library or at a garage sale. At some point, you acquire enough nerd knowledge that you're so invested in a series it becomes a nerd quest to continue learning about it.
I can't say BattleTech is the best written or designed franchise (far from it*), but it will always hold a special place in my heart because I grew up with it.
Currently, I am knee-deep in MechWarrior Online. The game round times last anywhere between 2-15 minutes averaging 5-7 which is usually the top end of uninterrupted free time I can hope for.
Now it's claiming my free time when I should be blogging.
The danger of anything that can be finished in under 5 minutes is it's easy to fall in the "Okay, just one more" trap.
It's also free to play, but it's the first new BattleTech software I've touched in years and years. I felt compelled to throw a couple of bucks in to support it (Lo and behlod, BattleTech is claiming a little more of my money yet again).
The game is far from perfect, but it's funny how nostalgia and nerd-love can make something so entertaining.
*Don't read BattleTech if you're looking for a realistic depiction of physics or of possible futures. It was clearly designed as a game first and then people started bringing the world to life later. Do read it if you're looking for Byzantine politics, big robots, and no funky aliens.
**Trivia side-note: Robotech was one of my very first nerd loves (we're talking kindergarten/1st grade). I remember trying to show Jama episode 5 when I first lived in VA (tried because she said she was "resting her eyes" and slept through it). I clearly remember that Albertson's had the first three episodes for rent on VHS after we moved back to TX. Battletech used some of the art from Robotech when it was originally made (the copyright lawsuits came later). Seeing an 'Excalibur' redubbed a 'Warhammer' on front of a BattleTech box immediately caught my interest. I babysat Matt's friend, Briggs, and his sisters for $5/hour to buy my first BattleTech box.
***The older I get, the more embarrassed I am that I liked this stuff so much. I guess a glory-starved teenager who likes strategy games is a sucker for battles with big robots. It's fun to reminisce, though.
No comments:
Post a Comment