Transcription
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to theInner SphereAn Introduction to the Battletech Universe
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Inner SphereCREDITSCONTENTSOriginal WritingThe Battletech 3056 MUSEMichael Flynn's The Company StoreThe Battletech3025 gameINTRODUCTION.4THE STAR LEAGUE.5MAJOR FACTIONS.12MERCENARY FORCES. 23PLAYER’S HANDOUT.26EditorYan PériardIllustrationPatrick’s Battletech ArchiveBattletech CentralMapsInner Sphere Cartography SocietyØystein TvedtenBattleTech and Mechwarrior are Registered Trademarks of FASACorporation. Original BattleTech and Mechwarrior materialCopyright by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used withoutpermission. Any use of FASA Corporation's copyrighted material ortrademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge to thosecopyrights or trademarks. The sole purpose of this sourcebook is toraise the level of popularity, and awareness of Battletech andMechwarrior. I urge everyone to go and buy the Battletech andMechwarrior sourcebooks. They are well worth the money.Chaos Hardware Productions2
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Inner Spherewhole. If identifiable sections of that work are not derivedfrom the OC, and can be reasonably consideredindependent and separate works in themselves, then thisLicense, and its terms, do not apply to those sectionswhen you distribute them as separate works. But whenyou distribute the same sections as part of a whole whichis a work based on the OC, the distribution of the wholemust be on the terms of this License, whose permissionsfor other licensees extend to the entire whole, and thus toeach and every part regardless of who wrote it.Exceptions are made to this requirement to releasemodified works free of charge under this license only incompliance with Fair Use law where applicable.OpenContent License (OPL)Version 1.0, July 14, 1998.This document outlines the principles underlying theOpenContent (OC) movement and may be redistributedprovided it remains unaltered. For legal purposes, thisdocument is the license under which OpenContent ismade available for use.The original version of this document may be found athttp://opencontent.org/opl.shtmlLICENSE3. You are not required to accept this License, since youhave not signed it. However, nothing else grants youpermission to copy, distribute or modify the OC. Theseactions are prohibited by law if you do not accept thisLicense. Therefore, by distributing or translating the OC,or by deriving works herefrom, you indicate youracceptance of this License to do so, and all its terms andconditions for copying, distributing or translating the OC.Terms and Conditions for Copying, Distributing, andModifyingItems other than copying, distributing, and modifying theContent with which this license was distributed (such asusing, etc.) are outside the scope of this license.1. You may copy and distribute exact replicas of theOpenContent (OC) as you receive it, in any medium,provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publishon each copy an appropriate copyright notice anddisclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices thatrefer to this License and to the absence of any warranty;and give any other recipients of the OC a copy of thisLicense along with the OC. You may at your optioncharge a fee for the media and/or handling involved increating a unique copy of the OC for use offline, you mayat your option offer instructional support for the OC inexchange for a fee, or you may at your option offerwarranty in exchange for a fee. You may not charge a feefor the OC itself. You may not charge a fee for the soleservice of providing access to and/or use of the OC via anetwork (e.g. the Internet), whether it be via the worldwide web, FTP, or any other method.NO WARRANTY4. BECAUSE THE OPENCONTENT (OC) IS LICENSEDFREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FORTHE OC, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BYAPPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISESTATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERSAND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE OC "AS IS"WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHEREXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOTLIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OFMERCHANTABILITYANDFITNESSFORAPARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK OF USEOF THE OC IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE OC PROVEFAULTY,INACCURATE,OROTHERWISEUNACCEPTABLE YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALLNECESSARY REPAIR OR CORRECTION.2. You may modify your copy or copies of theOpenContent or any portion of it, thus forming worksbased on the Content, and distribute such modificationsor work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided thatyou also meet all of these conditions:5. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLELAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANYCOPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHOMAY MIRROR AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE OC ASPERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FORDAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL,INCIDENTALORCONSEQUENTIALDAMAGESARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USETHE OC, EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTYHAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCHDAMAGES.a) You must cause the modified content to carryprominent notices stating that you changed it, the exactnature and content of the changes, and the date of anychange.b) You must cause any work that you distribute orpublish, that in whole or in part contains or is derived fromthe OC or any part thereof, to be licensed as a whole atno charge to all third parties under the terms of thisLicense, unless otherwise permitted under applicable FairUse law.These requirements apply to the modified work as aChaos Hardware Productions3
IntroductionBattalion: 3 Companies (36 Vehicles)Regiment: 3 Battalions (108 Vehicles)introductionMost of this information was taking from the newbienewson the BTech:3056 MUSE. I am willing to take anysuggestions for descriptions for any of the factions listedhere.Infantry OrganizationSquad: 7 troopsPlatoon: 4 Squads (28 troops)Company: 3 Platoons (84 troops)Battalion: 3 Companies (252 troops)Regiment: 3 Battalions (756 troops)These files are intended to help give backgroundinformation on the various faction in the Btech Universefor RP value. They are not meant to replace BTechsourcebooks and do not contain any rules to play BTech.Most files contain information up to and around 3052. Forparanoid and legal reasons, I do not plan to updatetheses files to contain the latest and greatest informationfrom FA A.Currency Conversion ChartCurrencyC-BillsKuritaDavionSteinerMarikLiaoBy the 31st century, humanity has spread to thousandsof worlds, while a handful of powerful empires wagecontinual war for the right to rule the stars. Foremostamong the weapons used in that struggle ers, lasers, and charged-particle beam weapons,these fusion-powered war machines of articulated armorstand upward of ten meters high. Piloting them areMechWarriors, the best, most intensively trained men andwomen available. Like the armored knights of an earlierage, MechWarriors are popular heroes, and their exploitsare the stuff of legends.- Michael FlynnEditor’s Note: The files have been edited to containinformation up to and around 3025, just prior to the 4thSuccession War.Standard Military Unit StructureBattleMech OrganizationLance: 4 BattleMechsCompany: 3 Lances (12 BattleMechs)Battalion: 3 Companies (36 BattleMechs)Regiment: 3 Battalions (108 BattleMechs)Aerospace OrganizationLance: 2 Aerospace FightersFlight: 3 Lances (6 Aerospace Fighters)Company: 2 Flights (12 Aerospace Fighters)Wing: 3 Companies (36 Aerospace Fighters)Regiment: 3 Wings (108 Aerospace Fighters)Armor OrganizationLance: 4 VehiclesCompany: 3 Lances (12 Vehicles)Chaos Hardware 91.571.000.71Liao2.001.601.802.201.401.00
The Star Leaguemonths the trip had previously required. Because of thefusion-power plant's efficiency, space vessels could nowmaintain higher-acceleration burns for much longerperiods.The Star LeagueThe development of efficient fusion drives made possiblethe first widespread exploration of Terra's star system. By2050, the Alliance had scientific outposts throughout theSol system, had dispatched unmanned interstellar probesto Tau Ceti, Epsilon Eridani, and Epsilon Indi. By thistime, private multinational corporations also began toparticipate in spacefaring activity, establishing miningcolonies in the asteroid belt, and ven transporting entireasteroids from the belt to the Terra-Moon system. Thesecorporations also engaged in technological research thatresulted in breakthroughs such as the development ofdense-but-lightweight materials for spacecraft and spacestation construction and a variety of small, portablefusion reactors for equipment use.Breakthrough (2001-2100)At the beginning of the 21st century, life on Terra hadnot changed much from what it had been at the close ofthe 20th century. Despite attempts at reconciliation in the1990s, the planet's two giant superpowers still opposedone another, but now their tangled web of weaponrystretched outward into space. Over the next 100 years,however, the situation changed dramatically. By the endof the 21st century, the people of Terra stood poised inapparent unity on the brink of their first expansion intothe stars.Not all the breakthrough research of the 21st centurytook immediate effect, however. Working together atStanford University, America's Thomas Kearny andJapan's Takayoshi Fuchida published a series of papersfrom 2018-2021 that attacked the theoreticalundepinnings of modern physics. The scientificcommunity ridiculed their work, and both men died inobscurity before the century was half over. As had beenthe case with so many innovators, only futuregenerations would respect and honor the value of thesetwo men's daring research. It would be another 80 yearsbefore their theories would come to fruition.Politically, humanity's new age began in 2011 when thebloody Second Soviet Civil War tore that nationpermanantly asunder. As the Soviet strife threatened tobring the rest of the planet to the brink of nuclear war, ajoint force of North American and Western Europeantroops intervened to end hostilities in 2014. This outcomegreatly strengthened political ties between nations of theWestern Alliance, resulting in a formal unification ofWestern military forces. By 2024, the Western Allianceincluded Japan, the newly liberated Eastern Europeannations, and the now-separate seven Russian states.Replacing the defunct United Nations as a world forumwas the Alliance Parliament. As a vigorous sponsor ofscientific research and space-exploration activities, theAlliance handsomely rewarded similar efforts by itsmember states.Meanwhile, medical prosthetics research had led to thedevelopment of polyacetene fibers called "myomers."Under the influence of electricity, bundles of these fiberswould contract strongly, like muscles. Unfortunately, theminimum bundle length required for the process was farlonger than any human limb. This line of research wouldlie fallow for the next three centuries.As the economic benefits of Alliance membership becameobvious, nation after nation petitioned the Alliance formembership status. By 2086, the Western Alliance hadbecome the Terran Alliance, embracing more than 120member-states. A complex formula based on date ofentry, wealth, population, and military power determinedeach member's voting strength in Parliament.Exodus (2102-2313)In 2102, scientists announced the greatest scientificbreakthrough of the last two centuries, the theoreticalprototype for a faster-than-light starship. Ironically, theirwork was based on the once-scorned theories of Kearnyand Fuchida. The Terran Parliament authorized theDeimos Project, a crash program to develop an FTL drive.Although the Deimos project culminated in the maidenvoyage of the first FTL ship to Tau Ceti in 2108, thebillions spent on it created resentment and even rioting insome of the poorer Alliance member-states. This rift inthe apparent unity of Terra was never completelyThe 21st century was an age of unsurpassed scientificinnovation, most notably the development of fusionpower as a major source of power. Alliance scientistsbuilt the first full-scale fusion reactor in 2020, and sentthe first fusion-powered spacecraft from Terra to Mars in2027. The voyage took only 14 days, a fraction of the fiveChaos Hardware Productions5
The Star Leaguerepaired and the struggle between the "haves" and"have-nots" would continue to plague the Alliance.granting the colonies independence, whether theywanted it or not. This isolationist policy soon proved justas unpopular as expansionism because of the resultingpolitical turmoil and economic upheaval. By 2242, theboundary of Alliance holdings was no more than 30 lightyears from Sol, a single jump by an FTL-ship. For thenext 70 years, neither major political party was able toestablish parliamentary control on Terra, and theirrespective regimes alternated, falling as quickly as theyrose.Shortly afterward, Alliance shipyards began producingFTL-drive ships. By 2116, the first permanent spacecolony was established on Tau Ceti IV (New Earth). Asengineering improvements reduced the cost of buildingFTL ships, corporations and even dissident private groupsbegan to acquire their own vessels to exploit theseemingly limitless potential of the stars. The TerranParliament soon acted to place colonization under its soleauthority, passing laws requiring that all ships have aTerran naval escort, and placing all colonies under Terranjurisdiction in the form of an Alliance-appointed governor.In 2172, the first Alliance Grand Survey reported theexistence of more than 100 settled human coloniesspread across a sphere 80 light years in diameter. Thefourth survey, conducted
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Inner Sphere OpenContent License (OPL) Version 1.0, July 14, 1998. This document outlines the principles underlying the
