Battletech Story Brainstorming

[Dreth]

The industrial and population capacity of the Citadel species is simply staggering. Then you have the advantage of Biotics as well.

Eh, BT has some really big populations. ME tends towards smaller ones (<10 billion for the Asari and Turian capitals IIRC). The IS is very heavily settled and populated by Citadel standards.

And ME doesn't have shields that protect from energy weapons.

This becomes somewhat more relevant because the Mauser 960 is a laser weapon. The SLDF's preferred infantry weapon completely ignores shields. It somewhat offsets the Biotics advantage the citadel would have.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Honestly? I'd set this before the Civil War. Actually Douche Cameron some love and force him to grow up for the sake of his people.

Edit: Oh, fun fact. Arcturus is apparently in Lyran space. So...how did they miss several giant tuning forks?

Worse yet it actually was their capital for couple centuries

 

[bobnik]

Another thing about ME non-relay FTL is that it builds up a static charge on the ship that has to be discharged. Cruiser weight and higher ships do this either at specialised discharge stations which are relatively rare, or in orbit of gas giants with strong magnetic fields. Frigates and smaller can ground out on terrestrial worlds. This limitation is supposed to be what forces ME races to use the relays. There's actually a BT/ME crossover where Kerensky and the Exodus fleet meet the Quarians, and teach them the deep magic of the floating ground.

 

[bullethead]

ME tends towards smaller ones (<10 billion for the Asari and Turian capitals IIRC). The IS is very heavily settled and populated by Citadel standards.

Also, since moving in ME is way easier, the population numbers may only reflect permanent residents, while there's a massive amount of temporary residents who live on-planet for a limited amount of time per year.

IIRC, most of their populations aren't on their homeworlds, they're on the tons of colonies they have in the various clusters they control.

There's actually a BT/ME crossover where Kerensky and the Exodus fleet meet the Quarians, and teach them the deep magic of the floating ground.

Then Andromeda has them design a drive system that recycles the static electricity or whatever for more drive longevity.

 

[Morphic Tide]

To be fair, the static buildup is literally everywhere, supposedly including inside the crew's bodies for all there aren't the health issues that would bring, so it isn't a trivial matter of just piping your electrical wiring properly. You'd actually have to have absolutely everything in the ship be part of a deliberate circuit. It's entirely possible that the big constraint is how much electricity they can store because the static buildup is a violation of conservation laws.

It's not like violating those isn't the entire point of Eezo, after all... Biotics do vastly more than at least human biology can account for with calories, the fundamental basis of their projectile weapons is cheating momentum, they literally go faster than light by bypassing inertia. The underlying problem being a lack of efficient electron disposal would not be out of place in the slightest.

Hell, even if it isn't bypassing conservation laws and is where the "decayed" Eezo goes (ignoring the bullshittery of translating "negative energy" to electrical charge), that's still going to be mass-energy numbers being dumped as electrons everywhere. Not going to be easy to manage in the slightest.

 

[bobnik]

Yeah. Eezo's bullshit and inconsistency vs regular physics is the FASAnomics of the setting. Having not played Andromeda, is their drive charge thing needing to be installed on huge ships only, and/or fuckoff expensive?

 

[bullethead]

Yeah. Eezo's bullshit and inconsistency vs regular physics is the FASAnomics of the setting. Having not played Andromeda, is their drive charge thing needing to be installed on huge ships only, and/or fuckoff expensive?

No, but it's apparently experimental (and therefore expensive as shit) and the performance on smaller ships (like the Tempest) isn't as good as the Arks, due to how ME drives scale (bigger is better). The Tempest is still close to the upper end of Citadel space FTL performance (~15LY per day, versus ~30LY per day for Reapers).

 

[Spartan303]

Had an idea that was a bit of a spin off from the story idea proposed.

The Star League has Fallen. Kerensky and his Exodus find a Mass Relay farther beyond the deepest of the Periphery. There they meet the Citadel races through an Asari Science expedition. Kerensky is quick to open talks and establish the Star League in Exile. And they are allowed to come through the Relay and settle within the region of the Attican Traverse. With some aid of the Citadel they establish Eden Prime and a number of other colonies within the Attican Traverse and expand. Due to having rebuild politically, economically and militarily, and with some assistance from the Council, this new society isn't a Star League in Exile but becomes a true Alliance of Systems. Or systems Alliance. A Mix of modern day Democracy and some of the old Neo Feudalism of the past. 300 years go by before the Alliance is ready to move back into the Inner Sphere. Time period is 3050 for the IS and maybe a century or two before the Reapers.

Several story plots.

* Human/Alien politics. Earth brings unique technologies to the equation and the Citadel wants them. Badly. The Star League in exile is willing to trade for numerous concessions.

* The Rise of BattleMechs. Turians take to BattleMechs like a fish does to water. Soon other races are looking to adopt their own designs, but its clear that Human designs trump all.

*The Alliance has been sending missions back to the Inner Sphere periodically to determine what is going on. They've also been funneling people out of the IS who could help rebuild their society while also bolstering population numbers and genetic diversity, though Clan style Birthing tanks are also used as well. Scientists, engineers, anyone who wants to escape the madness of the succession wars who can contribute anything they'll take them and their families.

* ComStar becomes aware that the survivors of Kerensky's exodus are still involved in affairs of the Inner Sphere. Comstar seeks to learn more.

* The Alliance has rapidly advanced technologically while the Inner Sphere is mostly recovering their Star League era technology. For the Alliance we are talking a perfect blend of Clan tech/Mass Effect technology to give the Alliance a terrifying edge militarily. Naval gauss rifle tech combined with Mass Accelerators. Improvements Naval and Ground PPCs and Lasers, artificial gravity and inertial dampening systems (thanks to eezo) and finally, making serious breakthroughs in jump tech that gives them NBSG style jump engines. At least in terms of capabilities.

* Turians have been agitating for the Alliance to fix the situation for decades by the time of the main story. More than a few instances of the Turians about to do it themselves only for the Alliance to step in and stop them. This has nearly resulted in war between the two on at least two occasions.

* The Inner Sphere becomes aware something is going on when Alliance ships appear in the Inner Sphere and begin opening communications.

*FedCom/Alliance political squabbles. Hanse Davion is not going to give up his dream of seeing his grand children and great grand children sitting on the Star League throne. Relations with the Alliance are amicable but the FedCom sees itself as the true inheritor of the Star League legacy. Not the Alliance. Combine, Capellans and even the Free Worlds League are even less receptive than the FedCom.

Batarians find another relay that opens near Combine space and decide to invade. Draconis Combine must now deal with regular slave raids and attacks on its territory by the Batarian Hegemony. Combine begins devoting massive amounts of resources into building warship fleets to hold off Batarian attacks...which forces the other houses to do so as well.

With confirmation of aliens now known to all, and with Batarians actively attacking human space and infact increasing their attacks, Human attitudes shift based on these new facts. Comstar calls for a Summit on Terra and invites all the great houses and even the Periphery states and the Systems Alliance.

New Star League is proposed and accepted with Hanse Davion crowned the new First Lord. Victor takes up the reigns of the FedCom. The Capellans and the Taurians do NOT sign on with the new Star League accords. The Systems Alliance also does not sign the accords. It should be noted that the title of First Lord is not one of heredity but elected by a Council of Lords and then ratified by a Senate. A sign that this new Star League has more democratic leanings than the previous one.

Davion gets straight to work internally and externally and institutes rapid reforms. His goal is to see Human space safe, secure and prosperous. To that end he makes an alliance with the Systems Alliance and then opens negotiations and trade with the Citadel. Internally he promotes peace and trade among the great houses and the Periphy and shocks many with making a true peace with the Draconis Combine and the capitalizing on that with a treaty of Peace with the Taurian Concordat. Free Worlds League proves more of a challenge but are at least receptive and willing to talk. Hanse Davion becomes known as the Peace Maker 1st Lord. And it is largely through his efforts that things within the Inner Sphere finally stabilize.

*Batarians realize that if Humanity unites against them they'll be hopelessly outmatched. Terrified of what this means they resort to do something drastic and stupid in the hopes of killing the Star League in its infancy. They find a way to bypass Kurita space and hit Terra directly in the mother of all decapitation strikes. Hanse and Melisa Davion are killed as are over 50 millions people in a surprise attack. Star League Defense Force and an Alliance Naval squadron in the area engage and defeat the attack in detail.

*Theodore Kurita is named the new First Lord of the Star League and continues many of Hanse Davions reforms (He dares not touch them because they work). But where as Davion was the 1st Lord who brought peace. Kurita is the one who will bring the Star Leagues first war to an Alien race. Under Theodore the Star League expands its alliance with the SA and begins a massive military buildup thanks to new treaties of technology sharing with the Systems Alliance.

*The Human/Batarian War. The Systems Alliance and the Star League declare war on the Batarian Hegemony. Star League and Alliance Warships pour over the Batarian border like a Tsunami over a coastal village as they conquer world after world before Karshan eventually surrenders.

*Citadel Council politics. They are concerned about the juggernaut of Humanity. There is talks of inviting Humans to the council.

*Story ends with Kurita paying the first state visit to the Citadel on behalf of the Star League.



Thoughts?

 

[bobnik]

Thoughts?

Looks interesting. One thing you may need to consider is that your projected timeline has the Exodus making contact before the Morning War, if you count bacwards from the Reaper War.

 

[Spartan303]

Looks interesting. One thing you may need to consider is that your projected timeline has the Exodus making contact before the Morning War, if you count bacwards from the Reaper War.

Yep.

 

[bullethead]

The Star League has Fallen. Kerensky and his Exodus find a Mass Relay farther beyond the deepest of the Periphery. There they meet the Citadel races through an Asari Science expedition. Kerensky is quick to open talks and establish the Star League in Exile. And they are allowed to come through the Relay and settle within the region of the Attican Traverse. With some aid of the Citadel they establish Eden Prime and a number of other colonies within the Attican Traverse and expand. Due to having rebuild politically, economically and militarily, and with some assistance from the Council, this new society isn't a Star League in Exile but becomes a true Alliance of Systems. Or systems Alliance. A Mix of modern day Democracy and some of the old Neo Feudalism of the past. 300 years go by before the Alliance is ready to move back into the Inner Sphere. Time period is 3050 for the IS and maybe a century or two before the Reapers.

So, do they find the mass relay in the Pentagon Worlds, or somewhere before there?

Because that can change things a lot.

 

[Spartan303]

So, do they find the mass relay in the Pentagon Worlds, or somewhere before there?

Because that can change things a lot.

In the same area. I'm thinking the Pentagon worlds are taken as a forward base.

 

[bullethead]

*Batarians realize that if Humanity unites against them they'll be hopelessly outmatched. Terrified of what this means they resort to do something drastic and stupid in the hopes of killing the Star League in its infancy. They find a way to bypass Kurita space and hit Terra directly in the mother of all decapitation strikes. Hanse and Melisa Davion are killed as are over 50 millions people in a surprise attack. Star League Defense Force and an Alliance Naval squadron in the area engage and defeat the attack in detail.

Honestly, looking over the story idea again, this is where everything kind of breaks down, because unless you're having the Batarians bamf from somewhere in their occupation zone, they're going to have to trek through the Combine and Terran corridor to get to Terra. Unless ComStar/Word of Blake/Shadow Broker gave them nav data that pointed out rarely used systems to travel through, it seems really unlikely that the Batarians would be able to get to Terra undetected.

Also, speaking of ComStar/WOB, what ever happened to them in this timeline?

 

[Spartan303]

Honestly, looking over the story idea again, this is where everything kind of breaks down, because unless you're having the Batarians bamf from somewhere in their occupation zone, they're going to have to trek through the Combine and Terran corridor to get to Terra. Unless ComStar/Word of Blake/Shadow Broker gave them nav data that pointed out rarely used systems to travel through, it seems really unlikely that the Batarians would be able to get to Terra undetected.

Also, speaking of ComStar/WOB, what ever happened to them in this timeline?

Doing their usual fuckery to to sabotage a new Star League. Then finally caving to the inevitable. The Word of Blake would still be around during the Reaper invasion a few centuries later. Much as a Cerberus type enemy.

As for tje Batarians. I'm very much up in the air about them. But I heard it's somewhat possible to transition through uninhabited systems to get to a destination. Not completely undetected, but there's be little the Star League could do to stop unit unt they got Warship production up.

 

[bullethead]

As for tje Batarians. I'm very much up in the air about them. But I heard it's somewhat possible to transition through uninhabited systems to get to a destination. Not completely undetected, but there's be little the Star League could do to stop unit unt they got Warship production up.

Honestly, ComStar/WOB fuckery would allow it to happen pretty easily. It's the Batarians doing it with zero outside knowledge feed that doesn't work.

 

[Spartan303]

Honestly, ComStar/WOB fuckery would allow it to happen pretty easily. It's the Batarians doing it with zero outside knowledge feed that doesn't work.

What would you suggest?

 

[bobnik]

The easy way is to have a buried relay exist in an uninhabited system not far from Terra and have it link directly to Batarian space. I thought about suggesting the Charon relay, but I honestly think they'd have found that if it existed.

 

[bullethead]

What would you suggest?

Have the WOB arrange for the Shadow Broker to deliver the info to the Batarians, with optional Shadow Broker backstab, depending on how you want to characterize this specific Broker.

 

[Spartan303]

Have the WOB arrange for the Shadow Broker to deliver the info to the Batarians, with optional Shadow Broker backstab, depending on how you want to characterize this specific Broker.

Yeah...that could work

 

[Aaron Fox]

The thing is, ComStar didn't become the WoB we know and love until several coups later. If, say, the 'Realists'/'Foundationists' -i.e. those that stayed true to Blake's wishes/read the Foundation series and decided to work along similar lines- then half the shit that happened in canon never happens.