BattleTech - Lore Interview with Jordan Weisman

PC Gamer interviewed Jordan Weisman about the lore of BattleTech.

…

So the Star League represents a sort of peaceful golden age?

Well, BattleTech is a world of grays. What looks like a great and shining empire from the inside of it looks like a conquering colonial government from the outside. Those who didn’t sign up to become part of the Star League soon find themselves being subjected to or forced to become members of Star League. This starts a series of battles along the edges of known space. That center space has become known as the Inner Sphere, which is roughly centered on Earth, the capital of the Star League. But out on the Periphery, these smaller governments, who had moved out and tried to not be part of the warring states and their politics to begin with, now find themselves faced with this colonial empire. It becomes a long series of battles along the Periphery, the front.

Eventually those Periphery battles start to seed the elements that will eventually tear the Star League apart. After several hundred years. The Star League lasts for several hundred years, and then it falls apart with a combination of insurrection and battles and betrayal. So the Star League—House Cameron is basically wiped out. As part of the insurrection, these operators from the Periphery start to inspire the Houses to become more suspicious of each other, to start to build up their own arms again, as opposed to only trusting the Star League army itself.

This reminds me a lot of Game of Thrones and The Expanse—politics, division between insiders and outsiders. Do these factions have their own militaries?

The Star League army is, to a large extent, based in a feudal system where you would have a knight who would then provide forces to a liege lord, who then owes them to the king. The Star League army is built on that principle. There’s a standing army that’s the Star League’s only, but the majority are House units that are then tributed to the Star League.

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More information.

Are there no aliens?

Originally Posted by wolfing
Are there no aliens?

Aliens are extremely rare in Battletech universe. Its focused on humans. I even think that some fan purists are against aliens.

Originally Posted by Farflame
Aliens are extremely rare in Battletech universe. Its focused on humans. I even think that some fan purists are against aliens.

There are no intelligent aliens in Battletech, just some exo-fauna and -flora. I sure hope it stays that way!

Originally Posted by Darkheart
There are no intelligent aliens in Battletech, just some exo-fauna and -flora. I sure hope it stays that way!

Actually there are. There was one intelligent species in some novel, I think. But its focused on humans.

Kind of depressing that after colonizing thousands of systems we still won't find some other aliens to drink beer with.

Originally Posted by wolfing
Kind of depressing that after colonizing thousands of systems we still won't find some other aliens to drink beer with.

True I find it hard to believe that no other intelligent life lives in the Universe. Anyway it's Battletech and I guess it's Lore, or some other reason why the creators omitted aliens.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
True I find it hard to believe that no other intelligent life lives in the Universe. Anyway it's Battletech and I guess it's Lore, or some other reason why the creators omitted aliens.

Well, if I'm not mistaken Battletech is still only one galaxy? The universe consists of countless galaxies.

Originally Posted by TomRon
Well, if I'm not mistaken Battletech is still only one galaxy? The universe consists of countless galaxies.

You're probably right but if the setting has over 100 planets it's an Universe, or an unholy large Galaxy. Anyway I'm not being to serious so no offense meant.

Update: Brushed up on my BattleTech Lore and yeah it's just one Galaxy.

Originally Posted by wolfing
Kind of depressing that after colonizing thousands of systems we still won't find some other aliens to drink beer with.

Yes. But even if you would put dozens of aliens there I dont think that Battletech creators would like to drink beer with them. Maybe to drink beer above alien corpses at best…

Originally Posted by Farflame
Actually there are. There was one intelligent species in some novel, I think. But its focused on humans.

That would be news to me. Could it be you mean the Clans?

The Inner Sphere and the Periphery is only a smallish part of the Milky Way around Terra. In colonized space humanity did not find another intelligent lifeform. Does not mean we are alone in the universe, although I hope it stays that way for Battletech.

I'm pretty sure the introduction of aliens would destroy the franchise and most fans see it the same way.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
You're probably right but if the setting has over 100 planets it's an Universe, or an unholy large Galaxy. Anyway I'm not being to serious so no offense meant.

Update: Brushed up on my BattleTech Lore and yeah it's just one Galaxy.

No offense taken, I just agree with you that it seems highly improbable there aren't other evolved lifeforms SOMEWHERE it the universe considering how unfathomably large it is. I can accept it not being present in this tiny galaxy though. That there are as many as 100 habitable planets seems a bit much, but maybe terraforming is someting present in the Battletech universe? In that case I can see it as probable (to find 100 planets within the "life zone" distance from a star should be viable, there are quite a lot of stars in one galaxy as well?).

If there's anything less interesting about a strategy game than the "lore", I can't imagine what it is.

Originally Posted by screeg
If there's anything less interesting about a strategy game than the "lore", I can't imagine what it is.

If you just look at a game that has no prior "history" you are probably right. Although Battletech has a lot of lore from almost 40 years of existance. In fact the history and political strife is equally important to this than the combat. The description "Game of Thrones in Space" is not wrong.

In case you are interested to learn more this is a great place to start:
http://www.sarna.net

I'm aware that the game has been around for decades and that there's buttloads of "lore", but yeah, still 100% not interested in sci-fi literature based on a boardgame. I mean, please.

Originally Posted by TomRon
No offense taken, I just agree with you that it seems highly improbable there aren't other evolved lifeforms SOMEWHERE it the universe considering how unfathomably large it is.

One of the solutions to the famous Drake equation, which predicts we should find a lot of intelligent life in the universe, is that advanced civilizations tend to destroy themselves. So, the probability of two civilizations finding each other, during their short windows of being advanced but not blown-up, becomes much lower.

Sadly, I have some sympathy with this theory.

Originally Posted by Ripper
One of the solutions to the famous Drake equation, which predicts we should find a lot of intelligent life in the universe, is that advanced civilizations tend to destroy themselves. So, the probability of two civilizations finding each other, during their short windows of being advanced but not blown-up, becomes much lower.

Sadly, I have some sympathy with this theory.

I sort of disagree with that theory/equation. The thing is, once a civilization reaches interestellar travel, it'd be almost impossible for the civilization to die. Also, if you remove the part of the equation that limits it because both civilizations have to be 'up' at the same time, it'd be much more likely to find remnants of an old civilization. I mean, let's say our civilization dies today after only 15000 years or so, even if aliens find this planet in a million years they'll know we were here, and we haven't even started colonizing other planets.

Originally Posted by wolfing
I sort of disagree with that theory/equation. The thing is, once a civilization reaches interestellar travel, it'd be almost impossible for the civilization to die. Also, if you remove the part of the equation that limits it because both civilizations have to be 'up' at the same time, it'd be much more likely to find remnants of an old civilization. I mean, let's say our civilization dies today after only 15000 years or so, even if aliens find this planet in a million years they'll know we were here, and we haven't even started colonizing other planets.

Agreed. I lean more toward the fact the distances are so great, and the universe so big. Even if interstellar travel is a possibility it doesn't mean finding a needle in a haystack is easy. Now try finding that needle in an ocean of hay. Ok, bad analogy, but you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by Ripper
One of the solutions to the famous Drake equation, which predicts we should find a lot of intelligent life in the universe, is that advanced civilizations tend to destroy themselves. So, the probability of two civilizations finding each other, during their short windows of being advanced but not blown-up, becomes much lower.

Sadly, I have some sympathy with this theory.

Blowing ourselves up is only one of about a dozen Great Filters our civilization has to survive before we can literally become the Masters of the Universe.

As for our survival on Earth alone imo the next 100 years are crucial. If we can survive those we might be technologically advanced enough to solve most or our existential problems.

For those interested here you can find some sound projections on our future:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/

Originally Posted by wolfing
I sort of disagree with that theory/equation. The thing is, once a civilization reaches interestellar travel, it'd be almost impossible for the civilization to die. Also, if you remove the part of the equation that limits it because both civilizations have to be 'up' at the same time, it'd be much more likely to find remnants of an old civilization. I mean, let's say our civilization dies today after only 15000 years or so, even if aliens find this planet in a million years they'll know we were here, and we haven't even started colonizing other planets.

I think the idea is that most technological societies self destruct before becoming interstellar.

Looking at our own example, we went from Marconi's first radio transmitter in 1894, to the brink of disaster in the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. 68 years from first being potentially detectable to other civilisations, to potential annihilation.

So, the idea is that interstellar civilizations would be so rare, they would be unlikely to cross paths.

You're right about the theory meaning that archeological evidence of past societies would be more common than that, but also hard to find without active transmissions, and potentially hidden over geological time.