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Keep going, PTN! I'm really enjoying the snark.
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May 4, 2011 04:31
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PoptartsNinja posted:The next few paragraphs explicitly state that Rose and McCloud were “inseparable” during the three months it took her dropship to successfully make the two-week trip to Northwind. I think the first part answers the second part of that thought. Loving the interludes of drivel that you bequeath upon us Poptarts; even if I suspect your imparting it to make your own writing look ten times better than the lofty heights it already occupies.
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May 4, 2011 04:45
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Let’s Read: Main Event (part 4) Chapter 4 Tara, Northwind 25 April 3054 Hey guys, guess what? Two whole days have passed. McCloud is in the hospital because she got knifed, and the knife apparently wasn’t sharp since her wound can’t be stitched. Now, Battletech does have such things as artificial skin-grafts and etc; so I’m just chalking this one up as ‘medicine in Battletech is all over the place’ and/or that the medicine is fine, but actual doctors are Lostech. After one day, Rachel McCloud has seen enough of Rose and tells him to go bother someone else for a while. Now, I also feel the need to point out that Jeremiah Rose has been gone from Northwind for 20 years, and would’ve been at least 18 when he left home. Conservatively, this makes him 38 (he’s probably closer to 42-45); yet he still acts like he’s 18. This is another reason I hate him. In any case, we learn that Rose has been a colossal douchebag around the hospital too, constantly criticizing the overworked nursing staff because HIS GIRLFRIEND got into a bar fight. Everyone is happy to see him go away. Rose then decides it’d be a good idea to go visit the home he grew up in, because there’s no way that will end poorly what with his father hating him and everything. Rose then remembers his long-dead mother, but can’t remember her face or voice—just her ‘Mech, a Thunderbolt. Goddamn. He then comments on how great a warrior she was. Main Event posted:Like many others, Marie Rose had died fighting in the ill-fated War of 3039. Yes, she’d been a warrior, but Rose had never reconciled himself to the waste that was her death. Any child mourned the loss of a parent, of course, but his loss went even deeper than that. This is Jeremiah Rose in a loving nutshell, folks. “Oh, I’m sure other people suffer, but nobody suffers as much as I!” gently caress you, Jeremiah Rose. You are not a special snowflake. You are a loving nobody. In any other book, you’d be an ancillary character at best who exists to be tough for a chapter or two and then Worf into an enemy and die to prove how tough they are. Anyway, we learn that Jeremiah is strongly anti-Davion and his father is strongly pro-Davion. Given that the entire Highlanders regiment is going to abandon the Federated Commonwealth and declare Northwind independent in about 4-5 years, I’d say Jeremiah is ahead of the game. It’s just a pity he’s such a useless character. Jeremiah then wonders what happened to his mother’s Thunderbolt, which spoils the impression of a pained and grieving son. He doesn’t give a poo poo about the mother he barely remembers, he just wants her battlemech. A girl then tells him to stop staring at her house and go gently caress himself. It takes him over a paragraph to puzzle out that it’s his sister, Rianna. Main Event posted:“Rianna?” Rose began walking forward, increasing his pace as he neared the front porch. The girl’s annoyance changed to alarm as Rose picked up speed. Instead of running, however, she dropped into a defensive crouch. Realizing the effect he was having, Rose drew up just short of the porch steps. THEN he introduces himself as her brother Jeremiah, narrowly avoiding getting his rear end kicked by his 18 year old sister. She then animu glom-tackle-hug-pounces him. It’s creepy, and someone felt it was a scene deserving of artwork.  “Nice tits, sis!” And no, I don’t know how the city Jeremiah and Rianna are in suddenly turned into a beach; or where Jeremiah’s fabulous cape came from. We then learn that Jeremiah hasn’t seen Rianna in 15 years, so either he’s getting younger and going back in time or the author couldn’t remember that it’s been 20. Rianna then invites Jeremiah insi—really, book? Main Event posted:[Rianna] hugged him again. “Let’s go inside where we can talk. The neighbors have already seen enough to last them.”  Their father is out (and we won’t see him again, so the closest thing to an interesting character this book has had, not counting ten seconds of Cat Stirling, won’t be joining us again). They then laugh about Rianna being terrified that Jeremiah was a rapist and/or real estate broker not five minutes ago. I mean, seven foot tall guy running at you shouting your name? That’s hilarious. Rianna then tells Rose that the Highlanders wouldn’t have sold him ‘Mechs regardless, because they’re stockpiling machines to use against the Clans. She then explains that several members of the family would’ve gone with Rose to We then learn that Jeremiah left home SIX MONTHS after his mother died, and I am flabbergasted. While that would confirm that he’s been gone for 15 years, he described himself as having only been a child when his mother left. A child of what, 25? Rose, master of Diplomacy, then asks if any family members WOULD be willing to join him. Rianna points out one of his cousins, and Main Event posted:“The second pilot is Rianna Rose.” Jeremiah’s eyes widened as he looked at his sister with open shock. NO GURLS ALLOWED! Rianna then outright calls Jeremiah a chauvinist; which is accurate. Main Event posted:“Not at all. Some of the best ‘Mech jockeys I’ve ever known were women.” “They can ride my joystick any time!” … Rianna then gets pissed, because she’s certified on thirteen different Battlemechs and her IQ is, quote, seventeen points higher than Rose’s. We’re supposed to be impressed, but honestly that puts her at what… an 87? Rianna then proclaims herself a ‘logistical genius’. In other words, she’s the Deus Ex Machina that this author will use to explain how the Black Thorns are able to hire Captain McCloud’s dropship on a semi-permanent basis so Jeremiah can keep loving her without worrying about running out of money and/or his battlemechs breaking down because he’s not buying any spare parts. She’s also a goddamned terrible pilot. I’d honestly rate Rianna Rose at 4 piloting and about 6 gunnery, and over the course of the two books I’d end her at about 3 piloting and 8 gunnery. She’s just bad. We then learn that she’s turned down several contracts already, despite Jeremiah stating LAST CHAPTER that she wouldn’t be eligible for any contracts for another year. Main Event posted:“I wanted to be closer to the front.” Ok… 1) Creeeeeeeepy. 2) Terra is NOWHERE NEAR THE FRONT LINES 3) Terra is 4) No, seriously. LOOK.   Anyway, Rianna wants to go with Rose for relatively sane and understandable reasons. She’s actually a character I like, even though she exists solely to make her Big Brother look awesome. Main Event posted:“I don’t know you and maybe I won’t even like you anymore after I do, but I want the chance to find out for myself.” Rianna looked at Jeremiah for the first time since he entered the kitchen. “Do you understand that?” Rose then recruits her on the spot, thinking she now pilots her mother’s old Thunderbolt. She doesn’t, and his mother’s Thunderbolt was lost when the Clans killed Jeremiah’s little brother (did we mention he died?) Jeremiah still doesn’t care about his dead brother, but he’s surprised and pissed that his mother’s ‘Mech is gone forever. Rianna then explains that she DOES own a Phoenix Hawk, which is a pretty solid design even if Rianna will never accomplish anything with it. She then contradicts herself by saying it was a ‘Mech that is simultaneously 'rebuilt’ and 'factory new from New Avalon' in the very same paragraph. She then takes Jeremiah to see her ‘Mech and the chapter ends with Brother Rose promising Sister Rose that they need to have a talk before he
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May 4, 2011 05:14
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PoptartsNinja posted:Rianna then explains that she DOES own a Phoenix Hawk, which is a pretty solid design even if Rianna will never accomplish anything with it. She then contradicts herself by saying it was a ‘Mech that is simultaneously 'rebuilt’ and 'factory new from New Avalon' in the very same paragraph. Must be one of those certified pre-owned Phoenix Hawks that go through a rigorous 500-point inspection after being refurbished. 
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May 4, 2011 05:23
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Angry_Ed posted:Must be one of those certified pre-owned Phoenix Hawks that go through a rigorous 500-point inspection after being refurbished. They should've inspected the targeting computer more closely. Rianna will never get a kill with it.
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May 4, 2011 05:25
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When was this stuff published, because it honestly reads like a shittier version of Stackpoles X-Wing books right down to a Mary Sue protagonist loving an idependent starship captain and nonstop bagging on "bureaucrats" who seem to be only be guilty of doing their job, and I'm wondering whether this is a first effort he improved on or if he just went downhill from his Star Wars work. Are his action scenes any good in these, because I tend to find them to be the high point of his writing style. He also carried over the "Trust as far as I can throw" lines which he sprinkled into everyone of his books I've read at least twice.
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May 4, 2011 05:31
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cafel posted:When was this stuff published, because it honestly reads like a shittier version of Stackpoles X-Wing books This isn't Stackpole, the author is Jim Long; a man so unimportant he doesn't even get an "about the author" page dedicated to him; which means I'm pretty sure that Jim Long is a pseudonym. ... Stackpole's stuff is honestly better in terms of enjoyability, even if his early work (the Warrior trilogy) contains some of the most cringeworthy 'Mech destruction descriptions in all of Battletech.
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May 4, 2011 05:35
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Huh, don't know why I thought it was Stackpole, but that would explain the drop in quality relative to his other work.
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May 4, 2011 05:44
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Rose is anti-Davion. There's no way Stackpole would have a main character with a hate on for the Inner Sphere's One True House of Awesome.
Its Rinaldo fucked around with this message at 07:19 on May 4, 2011 |
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May 4, 2011 07:13
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This guy's sister sounds like a perfect example of characters surrounding a Mary Sue. Her brother has been gone for 15 years, and his sister's primary character trait is that she's happy that he's back. She hasn't moved out of their childhood home, doesn't have a romantic interest of her own and doesn't have anything going on in her life that would get in the way of her signing onto her brother's crazy plan. Oh and of course she's 100% on board with the idea of being ordered around on a half-assed military campaign by her estranged brother, who by all objective measures is a failure and in fact her social inferior. She's basically a prop for the designated hero. The fact that she has nothing else going on in her life beyond being available for the hero's plans is devastating evidence for the prosecution.
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May 4, 2011 08:38
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Jeremiah Rose reminds me of that guy from that Dark Ages novel that was mentioned many months ago; you know, the one who beats up hippie chicks, then lectures them for having the audacity to protest against logging or some crazy bullshit along those lines. I can't wait to see how this guy finally ends up getting his hands on a Mech. I expect it'll make me want to drive my skull through my desk. 
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May 4, 2011 08:41
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Oh, this guy. We have now witnessed the greatest failure he will ever meet in all the books about Jeremiah Rose. He failed to convince a board about his cause. The rest ranges from epic to completely unplausible victories. At least GDL had the Dying Time going for them: that book was cathartic and one of the reasons I still look back at BT novels fondly. The bird-alien book is comparatively nice read compared to this drek.
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May 4, 2011 08:50
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Hob_Gadling posted:The bird-alien book is comparatively nice read compared to this drek. I don't know; I'm holding out hope that this one at least ends with a better resolution than, "The author ran out of space, so the people who were the designated good guys just left and went to live on a different planet."
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May 4, 2011 08:55
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Revenant Threshold posted:There's actually what I presume is a reason for this. The Black Watch are a pretty famous Scottish regiment with a considerable history goin back to the 18th Century. I'd guess it was chosen to match the whole highlander theme. PoptartsNinja posted:Now, Battletech does have such things as artificial skin-grafts and etc; so I’m just chalking this one up as ‘medicine in Battletech is all over the place’ and/or that the medicine is fine, but actual doctors are Lostech. Arquinsiel fucked around with this message at 13:06 on May 4, 2011 |
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May 4, 2011 13:01
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For all the flak Stackpole gets, I genuinely enjoyed most of his Battletech books as a kid.  He wasn't a bad writer (though I wouldn't count on seeing him win a Pulitzer anytime soon), he just didn't really make sure everything made sense in context of the rest of the universe.
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May 4, 2011 14:37
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Did this book like, go completely unedited? Good grief. The guy who edits the PDFs of my misfile fanfic would have been bombarding me with clarifications just from what PTN has posted. "Is this 'mech new, or used? How old is the protagonist? How long has he been away from home?" These are not trivial details like the color of someone's hat or what perfume they're wearing that might understandably get confused several pages after they were first mentioned.
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May 4, 2011 15:08
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Zaodai posted:For all the flak Stackpole gets, I genuinely enjoyed most of his Battletech books as a kid. Stackpole is at least functional, a lot of the other Battletech writers are like many of the Black Library writers for Warhammer 40k, namely the reason why book snobs look down upon Sci-Fi.
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May 4, 2011 16:28
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Taerkar posted:Stackpole is at least functional, a lot of the other Battletech writers are like many of the Black Library writers for Warhammer 40k, namely the reason why book snobs look down upon Sci-Fi. That sounds like a fair assessment. I've been reading some of the 40k books recently, and they really do seem hit or miss. I read the Ultramarines omnibus which I think was done by Graham McNeil, and that wasn't bad, and the part of the Gaunt's Ghosts books I've read by Dan Abnett are quite good. And then you've got the Grey Knights books that I don't think I'll even be able to finish (I forced myself to read to the end of the first one just to have it done), because Ben Counter is such an awful, awful writer. Half the plot makes no sense (and this is bearing in mind there's a great deal of leeway because of they're fighting the loving God of Change), and the writing is really repetitious and boring. It just drones on and on, and he doesn't so much telegraph the plot twist as he does write you a letter explaining it and then calls you to make sure you got it. It's not even comically bad like Far Country. It's just boring, boring crap.
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May 4, 2011 16:42
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Yeah, Abnett's perhaps the best 40k writer and, since he knows what he's doing, is a poet with the written word compared to most of them (Gav Thorpe, I'm looking at you). Almost anything involving Space Marines range from cringe-worthy to 'I can't unsee the horror'. Imagine if almost every Battletech book was Jeremiah Rose or Far Country. I think it's part of what makes Stackpole look good, a lot of the rest of the field is just plain terrible.
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May 4, 2011 16:50
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THIS HAS BEEN CLEARED WITH POPTARTS NINJA. This is the last post about my 40k lp in this thread. I am looking for 2-3 volunteers to help me play test the LP. I already have most, if not all the basics ready. Interested? Then reply to me via PM or email. Bunnyofdoom @ Gmail. Do not post in the thread. Do not derail the thread. Please. I'll edit this post when I've gotten the people I need. LIMIT REACEHD NOW!. THank you to all who signed up. I'm gonna toss out pms/emails tommorow and such. bunnyofdoom fucked around with this message at 20:04 on May 4, 2011 |
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May 4, 2011 17:00
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Let’s Read: Main Event (part 5) Chapter 5 Tara, Northwind 27 April 3054 Days elapsed since book start: 4 Things accomplished since book start: 0 Protagonists introduced since book start: 3 Antagonists introduced since book start: 0 Anyway, this chapter gets off with an eeeeugh when Jeremiah introduces his sister’s Phoenix Hawk as the love of her life; then promptly jumps to Jeremiah being somewhat irritated that his sister and his girlfriend have connected INSTANTLY in what I can only surmise is the author’s inability to understand how people and/or relationships actually work. Main Event posted:Rose had taken his sister to the hospital to meet Rachel McCloud. Though he and Rianna arrived too near the end of visiting hours for a prolongued visit, the women began almost instantly to chatter together like long-lost friends. BULLSHIT! Ok, we’re not even past the first paragraph and I already want to hang myself. 1) Chauvanism 2) he took his sister to meet the woman he’s been loving for three months but doesn’t know well enough to know whether she drinks alcohol or not 3) AAAAAAAARGH! Anyway, Jeremiah then interrupts GIRL TALK TIME so he can talk to Rachel McCloud about his BRILLIANT MASTER PLAN. Main Event posted:The two women regarded him in silence. So, Jeremiah plans to go to Outreach, the planet Mercenaries gravitate to because Wolf’s Dragoons has set it up as a neutral place where anyone can hire Mercenaries, and recruit some mercenaries there? WHAT AN AMAZING PLAN! … Except no, he’s not going to be doing that. Jeremiah Rose is a rebel, he’s going to Solaris VII—the ‘Game World’—so he can kill some people in arenas and grind out a few more levels in being a colossal dickhead. Jeremiah intends to buy a ‘Mech on Solaris, which is an interesting choice. Any bets what he ultimately winds up piloting? (Here’s a hint: it’s a Charger). Jeremiah then reveals that his plan revolves around recruiting his cousin Argus (even though they haven’t spoken yet and )He then tells McCloud that he’d like to hire her to carry Rianna and Angus to Outreach, and that he’s going to pay “standard rates” and thinks it’s a fair deal. Now, McCloud captains a Union-class ship, the Bristol, which can carry up to 12 battlemechs. Rose thinks it’s “fair” to pay her for the transport of 2, as expects her to stick around for three to six months not making any money so she can transport Rose and Pals to their first assignment. Main Event posted:“Obviously it will mean more to us than to you, but I think it’s a good business proposition.” C’mon, McCloud, let’s be fair. What does Jeremiah Rose know about anything? Rachel makes a decision not to make a decision until she’s checked around for less insane cargo to haul, but does agree to carry Rianna and Angus (what’re the chances he won’t sign on now that Rose has decided to talk about him like he’s already a member?) to Outreach. Anyway, McCloud then wastes about six paragraphs bitching about how “the bank” owns almost half her ship. Rachel admonishes Jeremiah that he has to be a good accountant to be a good Mercenary. Not understanding what that means, Jeremiah just kinda wanders off at this point. McCloud then tells We then cut back to Rose and Rianna, and Rianna proves to everyone that her IQ is indeed seventeen points higher than Jeremiah’s. Main Event posted:“Are you two… involved?” None of that was an answer, you jackass! Anyway, talking about his unit immediately distracts Rianna who wants to come up with a name. Jeremiah hadn’t put any thought into it, and just wanted to be the Black Watch (which would’ve got him tagged with a lawsuit and/or cease-and-desist order the moment he touched down on Outreach). Rianna suggests such gems as “Rose’s Roughnecks” (gently caress YOU, JIM LONG) and then points out that the name should be the Black Thorns; because it’s catchy and Jeremiah ROSE. It’s also an unintentional reference to Jeremiah’s penis, and I am amused by the implication that it is tiny.Main Event posted:Rianna: “It’s a great name.” The two then decide to talk to Angus (off-screen, mercifully (he joins the unit)). We then learn that Jeremiah Rose has been using a hotel as an extremely expensive safe deposit box since he hasn’t Main Event posted:“This is really happening, isn’t it?” Pot. Kettle. Anyway, Jeremiah has already decided to call his unit the Black Thorns and heads back to the hotel to Then the chapter ends.
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May 4, 2011 19:37
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Do you get to the end of each chapter and find yourself gasping for breath, or perhaps desperately trying to steady your hand as you reach for your tumbler of whiskey? And which is your favorite of the novels? I've only gone through half a dozen, mostly Stackpole ones.
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May 4, 2011 20:00
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Iridium posted:Do you get to the end of each chapter and find yourself gasping for breath, or perhaps desperately trying to steady your hand as you reach for your tumbler of whiskey? I don't drink, and most of my irritation is faked. Honestly, I find this book (unintentionally) funny as hell. Iridium posted:And which is your favorite of the novels? I've only gone through half a dozen, mostly Stackpole ones. I like most of them, honestly; but my favorites are: Highlander Gambit (Blane Lee Pardoe) Impetus of War (Blane Lee Pardoe) Exodus Road (Twilight of the Clans I) (Blane Lee Pardoe) Binding Force (Loren Coleman) The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy (Stackpole) Star Lord (Donald Phillips) (Note: THIS IS NOT A GOOD BOOK) Close Quarters (Victor Milan) Hearts of Chaos (Victor Milan) Black Dragon (Victor Milan) Wolves on the Border (Robert N. Charette) Wolf Pack (Robert N. Charette) My favorite book is probably Wolf Pack; it was the first Battletech book I ever picked up (which I did on a whim) and it's what got me into the books and game. The writing is pretty solid, the main character is actually reasonably fleshed out, and the Mary Sue (Maeve Wolf) is a background character whom the main character is in love with. The Legend of the Jade Phoenix trilogy is also 'ok', even if it does make me hate the Jade Falcons with a passion. My least favorites are: A) Everything with the Gray Death "Let's stick our heads in the noose, Grayson Carlysle will save us" Legion B) the Black Thorns books C) the post Clan-invasion politics books that essentially amounted of a whole lot of nothing from 3052-3058 and ruined several key characters (Victor Davion, Phelan Kell, the Gray Death Legion, Dr. Lear, Candace Liao, Romano Liao, Sun-Tzu Liao). D) the Avanti's Angels books, since they're basically the Gray Death Legion Mk II only most of them wind up dead. E) Anything about Thomas Marik's Knights of the Inner Sphere that isn't 'Star Lord' F) Falcon Rising (Twilight of the Clans VII)
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May 4, 2011 20:31
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I would put Exodus Road, the Blood of Kerensky trilogy, and (!) I Am Jade Falcon up pretty high. The last is because I have an irrational soft spot for Joanna; this is also why I can not hate Falcon Rising as much as I know the writing deserves. I just love the books that focus on Aidan Pryde and his legacy (in every sense of the word). Dunno why. But yes, after those books, you too will hate the Jade Falcons. As is only proper.
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May 4, 2011 20:35
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What was the jist of Star Lord? It's another one of those books I know I read that I can't remember anything about. The fact that you have an all caps warning about it is intriguing.
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May 4, 2011 20:37
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Zaodai posted:What was the jist of Star Lord? It's another one of those books I know I read that I can't remember anything about. The fact that you have an all caps warning about it is intriguing. It was a book designed to sell the Mechwarrior tabletop RPG; so it featured: A big tough guy, a dashing rogue, It's also set in the Free Worlds League, and is pretty much the ONLY book they had devoted to them from 3050 - 3058. It is bad, but the funny kind of bad that keeps me from being too angry with it. Duncan Kalma is hardly a Mary Sue, and I genuinely find him likeable as far as main characters go. My only irritation with it is that it ends with a Deus Ex Machina (Knights of the Inner Sphere come, bad guys all die)
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May 4, 2011 20:41
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Ahhhh, that one. The only memorable part of that book was the back cover summary, which read like the intro to a 70s sitcom. I seem to recall it actually stating that their greatest challenge was "getting along with each other".
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May 4, 2011 20:48
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PoptartsNinja posted:the Mary Sue (Maeve Wolf) is a background character whom the main character is in love with. I find it surprising that you find that less annoying; personally I find it much more irritating when the main character's internal monologue goes on for paragraphs about how perfect this other character is (see: the Resident Evil novelizations' author and her unhealthy loving obsession with Rebecca Chambers)
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May 4, 2011 20:54
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I read the Aidan Pryde trilogy a while back and remember none of it, other than it seemed to be a constant stream of "oh how horrible."
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May 4, 2011 20:59
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PoptartsNinja posted:It's also set in the Free Worlds League, and is pretty much the ONLY book they had devoted to them from 3050 - 3058. Don't forget Mukaikubo posted:I just love the books that focus on Aidan Pryde and his legacy (in every sense of the word). The legacy secured by the remarkable feat of holding off most of the ComGuard with an ERSLAS.
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May 4, 2011 21:17
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The Merry Marauder posted:Don't forget I'm not, I just found that story stupid as gently caress. Remember, that was the same book that established that Marik's SAFE was a band of inept fuckups who thought the Clans used nukes on Turtle Bay because they refused to believe the evidence that the Clans had orbital bombardment capabilities. Son Ryo posted:I find it surprising that you find that less annoying; personally I find it much more irritating when the main character's internal monologue goes on for paragraphs about how perfect this other character is (see: the Resident Evil novelizations' author and her unhealthy loving obsession with Rebecca Chambers) I find it less annoying because Brian Cameron doesn't dwell on it. He's actually a really good soldier. He doesn't pine for her constantly, and aside from a few jokes made at his expense, he usually doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about her when he's working and she's not around. Basically, he thinks about her when he's off duty; but spends most of the book on duty so we don't have to see it. Also, even though she's something of a Mary Sue, the book does an excellent job establishing Maeve Wolf as a genuine badass. We get shown, not told, that she's really good. Zaodai posted:Ahhhh, that one. The only memorable part of that book was the back cover summary, which read like the intro to a 70s sitcom. I seem to recall it actually stating that their greatest challenge was "getting along with each other".  It's not a good book, but it's not a BAD book either. It's genuinely enjoyable and fun, none of the characters are too egrigiously stupid (except Mechwarrior Dawn, but when the boss says "You need a Clan renegade" the author has to say "how high"). I can also forgive Mechwarrior Dawn because she is UNAPOLOGETICALLY Clan and adamantly refuses to change in the face of outside pressures. She's also a Steel Viper and does a good job illustrating how hosed up their philosophies are. Now I'm tempted to scan the back cover of Main Event for you. Basic summary is: Jeremiah Rose is a fuckup but will win anyway. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 21:51 on May 4, 2011 |
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May 4, 2011 21:34
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PoptartsNinja posted:My only irritation with it is that it ends with a Deus Ex Machina (Knights of the Inner Sphere come, bad guys all die) In all fairness to the ending, calling for aid was the plan all along. They never expected to kill all of the bad guys themselves, they just needed to find out where the bad guys were based and get a message off so The Knights of the Inner Sphere could ride in and save the day. It's not a Deus ex Machina if, in fact, "and then our allies storm in and kill all the bad guys" was the plan all along and this fact is made known to the viewer. It's more of a Helm's Deep situation, where you just have to hold out long enough for your allies to be rescuing you instead of recovering your remains for a state burial. PoptartsNinja posted:Ah, I see your copy is as well-worn as mine.  quote:It's not a good book, but it's not a BAD book either. It's genuinely enjoyable and fun, none of the characters are too egregiously stupid (except Mechwarrior Dawn, but when the boss says "You need a Clan renegade" the author has to say "how high"). I can also forgive Mechwarrior Dawn because she is UNAPOLOGETICALLY Clan and adamantly refuses to change in the face of outside pressures. She's also a Steel Viper and does a good job illustrating how hosed up their philosophies are. Dawn's presence in this story is part of what it gives it that "This is an RPG" flavor. If you want an out-and-out hard-boiled, gritty, counting-your-autocannon-rounds, no-nonsense interstellar war story told well, just bribe John Ringo and/or David Weber into the franchise with biscuits and gravy. (And by that I mean gobs and gobs of cash.) (And no, I don't want to see either John Ringer or David Weber writing for BattleTech.) Whereas this story is off-the-wall. Most BTech stories are stories of big wars; this is the story about what a small group of certified fearless lunatics can do when everybody within has a Ph.D in Applied Badassery and enough freedom to put their skills to use. And no, I'm not just saying that because Star Lord (and specifically Dawn) helped to inspire my current A Time of War character, (even though it's totally true,) but because it really is a good book. Not the greatest, mind you, but you'll probably not regret an evening spent curled up with this one. ShadowDragon8685 fucked around with this message at 22:01 on May 4, 2011 |
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May 4, 2011 21:52
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ShadowDragon8685 posted:it really is a good book. Not the greatest, mind you, but you'll probably not regret an evening spent curled up with this one. Pretty much this, exactly. It's not the greatest piece of literature, but I do not regret having read it and neither will anyone else. It also requires basically no knowledge of the game or the universe because they do a fairly good job of explaining everything EXCEPT the Knights of the Inner Sphere. The same can also be said of Wolf Pack, which again, is probably my favorite Battletech book (and not just for sentimentality reasons). Brian Cameron is a good character without actually being a badass. In game terms, I'd put him at a p4g3 at best. I just wish my copy was in better shape... I've read it over a dozen times since the early 90's, and it's falling apart so badly I'm afraid to try to read it again. :C
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May 4, 2011 22:12
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ShadowDragon8685 posted:(And no, I don't want to see either John Ringer or David Weber writing for BattleTech.) The possibility of this happening both disgusts me while at the same time giving me a semi. (I've read pretty much all of Weber and Ringo's catalogues, along with Eric Flint and Steve White. What can I say, I like me some horrible books.) Ringo would write a pretty bad-rear end <Redacted>-central book, I bet.
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May 4, 2011 22:14
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John Ringo can go gently caress himself with a tampon, but I'd actually be interested in a Weber novel set pre-Tukayyid. It's not like he doesn't have a lot of experience with the premise "technologically-decadent society is mostly unaware that they are about to be steamrolled by more-advanced outsiders; meanwhile, theocrats are sitting on the technology that could turn the tide".
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May 4, 2011 22:42
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Notgothic posted:John Ringo can go gently caress himself with a tampon, but I'd actually be interested in a Weber novel set pre-Tukayyid. It's not like he doesn't have a lot of experience with the premise "technologically-decadent society is mostly unaware that they are about to be steamrolled by more-advanced outsiders; meanwhile, theocrats are sitting on the technology that could turn the tide". Imagine the WarShip battles Weber could write.  Actually on second thought, that's a bad idea. I want him concentrating on his Safehold and Hell's Gate stuff. 
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May 4, 2011 23:03
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ShadowDragon8685 posted:If you want an out-and-out hard-boiled, gritty, counting-your-autocannon-rounds, no-nonsense interstellar war story told well, just bribe John Ringo and/or David Weber into the franchise with biscuits and gravy. (And by that I mean gobs and gobs of cash.) (And no, I don't want to see either John Ringer or David Weber writing for BattleTech.) Oh no. No. GOD, NO! You can take all your Allards, Allard-Liaos, Davions, Steiner-Davions, Wolfs, and Roses all together, but there is no bigger Mary Sue in literature today than Honor loving Harrington! That's the last thing we need! Now I need some hot chocolate and a hug or something, that thought is so scary! (Fortunately, its unlikely that even FASA at the height of their power coulda swung Weber's fees. And the current owners? No way. Whew!)
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May 4, 2011 23:28
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It's always satisfying to see a well worn book cover. Anyway, I'd love to see what Glen Cook could do with this 'verse. Black Company + The Dragon Never Sleeps + Big Stompy Robots =  It'd either be really good or really bad, but it's always fun to imagine what a wrter like him would do to an IP with a few to many Sues.
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May 4, 2011 23:43
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WarLocke posted:Imagine the WarShip battles Weber could write. I really want him to finish those. But he seems to get into the habit of writing 3/4 of a story, and then doing nothing with it. 
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May 4, 2011 23:45
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jng2058 posted:Oh no. No. GOD, NO! You can take all your Allards, Allard-Liaos, Davions, Steiner-Davions, Wolfs, and Roses all together, but there is no bigger Mary Sue in literature today than Honor loving Harrington! There's some recursive irony here, what with Honor Harrington being Hornblower in Space. Hornblower's
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May 4, 2011 23:46
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