BATTLETECH - Intro Cinematic

Explore the epic tale of how it all began.
Watch the BATTLETECH Intro Cinematic Trailer now.
Pre-order BATTLETECH TODAY: pdxint.at/2H5vLpM
BATTLETECH, the first turn-based tactical ‘Mech combat PC game in over 20 years, will be available on April 24, 2018.

[@mackenziebeeney3764]

They managed to summarize 500 years of history in two minutes using mostly still shots, some animated views, and amazing music.

[@jakeg3733]

1000 years of history actually, and it is just freaking amazing how they summed it up. I've been a huge fan of BT for 30 years now, I've read many of the books and played both the tabletop and computer games, and somehow they encapsulated the heart of it all into a 2 minute video

[@Dracobyte]

We need a Battletech sequel!

[@blackmage665]

@@Dracobyte Absolutely. With more content, maybe in the later years of the setting, or the CLAN invasion!

[@metaflight9495]

It helps to skip 400 years.

[@VajazzleMcDildertits]

@@blackmage665 Oh god, I would love a Clan invasion sequel

[@storytellerdragon2711]

This is one of the best simple cinematics i have ever seen. Even my fiance, who knows nothing about the Battletech universe loves the cinematic, and even somewhat understands the backstory and setting now. One of the first times she watched it, she said "so.. it's kind of a post fall of the roman empire sort of thing?" My daughter went to sleep watching this for the first six months of her life, while i played. For a while after, she refused to go to sleep if she hadn't watched 'her video'.

[@mcserkonov1666]

Holy moly, that's so sweet to hear such intro have an impact on your family ❤️

[@lucianolopez6534]

Literal patrician taste from her.

[@boxtank5288]

Aaawww that is adorable. And you may have made a future Battletech fan.

[@Tzilandi]

"My daughter went to sleep watching this for the first six months of her life, while i played. For a while after, she refused to go to sleep if she hadn't watched 'her video'." Dad, I can't sleep unless I get to watch Stefan Amaris shoot Richard Cameron!

[@storytellerdragon2711]

@@Tzilandi She also loves Disturbed, and recently added 'battlemech' to her vocabulary. ;) She also likes Kamea's(sp? Been awhile now) speech from, I think the pre-release trailer.

[@noppornwongrassamee8941]

What really strikes me is that towards the end we see the empty War Room with the image of the Inner Sphere all in red while debris is raining down. It's so symbolic of the Succession Wars. The Inner Sphere is engulfed by war and NO ONE IS IN CHARGE ANYMORE.

[@Jason987262]

The great dream of the Star League collapses into anarchy.

[@wonderfulfable]

The Golden Era of the Star League will now remain in stories.

[@evanulven8249]

That, and the falling sun behind the Cameron throne.

[@Talancir]

To paraphrase Marcus Aurelius: "There was once a dream that was The Star League... you could but whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish..."

[@AJBiskit]

Wanna know something worse? That moment around 1:16 where there's Civilians throwing things at 'Mechs? That's not it all falling apart, that's The Star League throwing it's weight around in the Periphery in the Reunification War. The Star League was only ever a Golden Age for the people in charge, for everyone else it was only ever Peace Through Superior Firepower. Therein lies the whole the world of BattleTech even after it all fell apart.

[@TricksterPoi]

I show this to a vet Battletech player and he was crying. "It really depicts the whole backstory" he says

[@Clasteau]

Welcome to Battletech if you're new. If you're not new... Welcome home, Mechwarriors.

[@Voltaireish]

It feels good to come home :)

[@ChesterRico]

All systems nominal, baby!

[@dlpheonix]

Mech prepped for combat. Orders sir?

[@user-jz6js3sj5x]

at last

[@Clasteau]

Ooooo, foreshadowing!

[@water1374]

Honestly human vs human sci-fi stories are the fucking best. Especially when the conflict has more depth than just "Good vs Evil"

[@Chino56751]

And sometimes it is

[@water1374]

@@Chino56751 Well, it's been a year and I'm a little confused, sometimes it is what?

[@TricksterPoi]

@@water1374 Because sometimes there will be bunch of insane people like Stefan Amaris who fk up everything.

[@boxtank5288]

@@TricksterPoi Ah Stefan Amaris, the Usurper. He can be summed up as 'Local Pereiphery Man fucks up EVERYTHING for Star League'

[@accountname9506]

@@boxtank5288 Ah, the Star League. Can be summed up as 'Local Spheroid Men fucks up EVERYTHING fof the Pereiphery'.

[@EB-fc2mp]

This cinematic is frankly a masterpiece. It shows you the scale of humanity's achievements and splendour, with theme swelling with pride, but at the same time slowly increasing pace, so before humanity's fall is even shown you feel things begin to unravel and become more frantic as each scene becomes shorter and shorter, until all you see are flashes of chaos, violence and collapse as you struggle to keep up with the visuals presented to you. It perfectly accompanies the story of the campaign, where this cinematic and the dialogue show you how much has been lost, giving the world an underlying sense of sorrow to form the foundation for the grief and horror portrayed in the game's story by the actions of the Directorate. A story that feels small compared to the world you've been presented with, even to someone new to BattleTech and largely ignorant to most of its lore. And in a way it is small, because it's not a sci-fi story about being a heroic rebel taking on an evil empire to save the galaxy, it's a story about a deposed noble hiring you, a cheap mercenary, to reclaim her small slice of the universe from a backwater thrift-shop fascist, and in doing so moving a single piece or two on the galactic chessboard for someone else's political gain.

[@MrAsaqe]

Also it was a biased take. Imagine if this was seen from the eyes of a Periphery citizen. It would be a brief moment of freedom before flashes of oppression, murder as the face of Ian Cameron is the oppressor and Furlough his iron hand is seen burning down the banners of periphery systems to symbolize their role as client states

[@derkylos]

@@MrAsaqe Well, the whole story is shown through Kamea's rather naive eyes. I mean, as soon as she said her father told her tales of "the glory of the Star League", as a periphery noble on the borders of Taurian space...

[@a.h.1358]

@@derkylosCompared to the dystopian post-collapse times of the succession wars when the simple act of purifying water was now a lost art-yeah it was a Golden Age.

[@drakkenmensch]

I've played this game a lot, and I've *never skipped the opening cinematic even once.*

[@alexkatc59]

@@a.h.1358 Literally, yes. They fucked all with just a greed.

[@Iraski]

I feel like Battletech does something none of the other games have: Actually give the setting a clear sense of style and feel. The way the setting is usually presented in other sources tends to feel very dry and makes it hard to care about, so all you usually get left with is "This is about big robots fighting." In a way the problem is that the Battletech universe is almost too much like real history. There's a lot of it, it's largely political, and it's hard to follow because there's not as strong of a grand narrative as there is in other well established scifi settings, like 40k. This game does a good job of setting up right away that this is a story about a society much like ours but with space feudalism and giant robots. The story is about feuding nobles and the people caught in the crossfire, not unlike Game of Thrones.

[@commodus232]

Mechwarrior can be excused for this due to its much more focused design. It's not called "Battletech" for a reason; BT is merely a setting for a style of gameplay. For those games it is more suitable to compel a sense of the action as compared to the setting. For a game literally called 'Battletech' and even in the limited niche of Mechcommander, the wider portrayal like this is much more appropriate.

[@TheTrueAdept]

Given that it is one of the remnants of the '80s tabletop craze, the only way it survived is via having its own 'thing', it's own style. A style that not only resonates with us but also intrigues us...

[@Atlas3060]

"There's a lot of it, it's largely political, and it's hard to follow because there's not as strong of a grand narrative as there is in other well established scifi settings, like 40k." On the overall there is a grand narrative that feels somewhat strong to me: Houses and Clans will fall, kingdoms will die, and in the ashes people will beat each other up for the "good rubble" and rebuild. That's been Battletech for me all these years :D

[@Iwanwahid1969]

@@Atlas3060 *rebuild* *Face war so destructive it sets the technological advancement back to the 23rd century standard...in the 30nd century.

[@yeungscs]

MW4 Mercs, despite being a more arcade-y Microsoft-era game, gave me some sense of the grand politics taking place due to all the varied contracts. also imo Alex Iglesias almost singlehandedly saved the franchise with a unified, consistent art direction that was also very modern, militarized, and suited to our current video game tech. marketing suddenly becomes a lot more effective if your brand (BattleMechs) are far more recognizable

[@PenclickProds]

Bravo HBS. You summarized the timeline of a 30-year-old franchise spanning hundreds of years in under 2 minutes. Enough there to intrigue new-comers while also making the fanbois giddy. I experienced shivers several times throughout this video. Well done.

[@wolfstorm123]

An extremely small portion of its timeline tbh

[@shuboy05]

It's also half missing. Since the game is set in 3025, the intro is missing the first three Succession Wars. However I'm quite happy they included all that in the intro since previous games did not mention much on the universe background.

[@belisauriusfish9406]

Can confirm. Am newcomer. Am intrigued.

[@weldonwin]

Can HBO make a Battletech live action series? We know from game of thrones they can do epic on TV budgets and all that intrigue, betrayal, revenge, that'd be right up their alley, with the added draw of giant robots

[@pendraco2000]

God, i hope it happens. Seeing ANY battletech mech onscreen would be awesome, even the Mackie.

[@andrewh3684]

Love the symbolism behind the dawn, zenith, and sunset of the Sun juxtaposed with the rise and fall of the Star League.

[@twistedoperator4422]

I mean after Mass Effect...

[@wonderfulfable]

In just under 2 minutes, the major points in the Battletech Lore effectively summarized. From the first manned FTL jump, to the colonization of Tau Ceti IV (renamed New Earth), the subsequent expansion of the Terran Alliance colonies, and the Golden Age of the Star League till it's collapse leading to the Succession Wars. Over & over again war decimates the innocents, the soldiers and the Mechwarriors who fought for these wars. Mankind, is indeed, the architect of it's own demise.

[@drakkenmensch]

Even the moment when Stephen Amaris shoots Richard Cameron in the face is captured perfectly.

[@corbindeutsch]

I am an Apache helicopter pilot, and in my own personal geek habit, as I am conducting my run up, I announce "all systems nominal", prior to pulling pitch and taking off.

[@AviticusDragon]

This is a killer Intro Cinematic. To tell a story without words takes skill! This just gives me all kinds of FEELS! Bought, Ready to GO!

[@someguy4844]

This an the Stellaris: Apocalypse trailer gives the feels

[@MrNoobLord]

I would say "All systems nominal!" xD

[@Vulpine407]

Aviticus Dragon Agree completely. The "storyboard" animation also works excellently. And now that the courts have told HG to go pound sand (about their lawsuit against HBS) -we don't have to worry about any possible further interruptions. I am counting down the days until the 24th!

[@Vulpine407]

Also, there are currently 36 apparent Stefan Amaris apologists. General Kerensky will be along shortly to deal with them...

[@jayjay53313]

Aviticus Dragon where's the kaijus?

[@Slashco]

So basically: Humanity advanced, spread among the stars, created a flourishing empire, and then it all went to shit. :/

[@pendraco2000]

that's the Inner Sphere in a nutshell. it should be noted however, that other than the Clans and Inner Sphere, humans are actually spread even farther out, between lost and forgotten colonies, Black sites, etc. Clans aren't even the only large Deep Periphery State, there's the Hanseatic League, for one.

[@akiraguy]

@@pendraco2000 best part of hanseatic league: they fought off 3 clans invasions alone. 3 CLANS!

[@pendraco2000]

@@akiraguy Gotta admire the Periphery States at times, really. mean, hell, the Taurians and Canopians've always been big players in the IS and they're not successor states.

[@w415800]

I don't think anyone will be surprised it went to shit, human nature and all, the surprise is that it took so long to happen.

[@Ealsante]

Truly everything that happens has happened before and will happen again.

[@pBIggZz]

You need to take the composer for your game and surround him with armed guards at all time because damn this music is great.

[@pexfmezccle]

Don’t worry he lives in Seattle

[@TricksterPoi]

Armed Guards? Might as well send a Lance made of nothing but Atlas just to be sure.

[@JCHeavy]

@@TricksterPoi so a Steiner Scout Lance?

[@boxtank5288]

@@JCHeavy I have scouted the enemy, they were surprised, they are also on fire.

[@Spore9996]

@@JCHeavy The game actually references that by name in a Flashpoint :)

[@l.greenwood8096]

Suitably epic. People just don't know how full of history the Battletech Universe really is. At one point there was more written of Battletech than there was of Star Wars.

[@year111]

Nah they're both equally deep. Well for the EU Star Wars anyway.

[@lawrencegreenwood2646]

@@year111 Please note I said 'At one point'

[@dalebird1482]

@@year111 @ 'at one point'

[@alexfranz817]

there is only, what? 100 battletech/mechwarrior books?

[@alexfranz817]

@@year111 many written by the same authors

[@hang_kentang6709]

im proud to say that this intro was my introduction to the battletech universe.

[@PillowWillow007]

Same here for me right now.

[@jakeg3733]

Lucky. It has taken me 30 years to absorb all the lore and you got a close-to-perfect 2 minute summary lol. I'll add that if you like this, you really should check out a couple of the sourcebooks. The Reunification War and The Liberation of Terra (Amaris Civil War) are available as PDFs online and it really hammers you in the head with the scale of these conflicts, and also how little humanity has changed in this fictional universe (or is likely to IRL)

[@WCX]

"But the worlds you found were never enough to satisfy the age-old instincts. Speed and distance did nothing to separate you from your nature. Old resentments, ancient squabbles reemerged. History began its terrible repetition, and once again man fought man. Like a virus, war was always lurking inside you, no matter how hard you tried to suppress it, it just fought harder to get out. It always got out..."

[@tyvernoverlord5363]

Origins II of Halo Legends when cortana said this will always bring tears to me

[@ShineyFace1337]

Love that halo quote, it actually sums up Battletech really well

[@CapainJ]

No need for a narrator, this story tells itself.

[@Brekkjern]

You know what? It really does. I'd never heard of this before and this trailer was weirdly compelling. It shouldn't surprise me since it's Paradox that's publishing this.

[@TheFifthHorseman_]

It's an adaptation of a tabletop wargame that has been around for over 30 years by now. If you ever heard of Mechwarrior... same universe.

[@weldonwin]

Well, only if the Narrator is Adam Steiner

[@SeekerLancer]

THEY MADE ONE BIG MISTAKE, THEY ATTACKED MY HOME PLANET!

[@pendraco2000]

Information is ammunition!

[@Phelly2]

This blew me away. Great intro to the Battletech universe--highlights the history without the need for narration. Whoever drew this one up should be proud.

[@shuboy05]

There's one BIG moment missing from the intro. I think it would have been great to see the SLDF jumping into the unknown at the end but that would probably confuse a lot of new players. At least HBS includes references to the Exodus in the tooltips.

[@InchonDM]

Well, for the time frame of the game, it's not relevant so it's not mentioned. Perhaps in Battletech 2, though...

[@Raist474]

@@InchonDM "Perhaps in Battletech 2, though... " When suddenly, Clanners. Clanners everywhere!

[@KillerOrca]

We don’t see the Mackie either so…some things gotta get cut for the sake of time

[@shuboy05]

@@KillerOrca That is one scene that should have appeared in the intro. The year 2443 appears on-screen followed by a lance of Mackies laying waste to Kurita tanks on Styx.

[@Iwanwahid1969]

@@Raist474 man for some reason, I had a really unexplained feeling of hatred toward the Clanner. I had always loved the Pre-clan Periphery and Inner Sphere state. But when I read about the Clan Invasion, I had resentment toward them and all their Battlemech designs while most of the Battletech fans loved them... I seriously hope if Battletech 2 ever happened and it was set on the onset of Clan Invasion, I get to shoot off that stupid-looking Timber Wolf in the face with my ultra autocannon 20.

[@stormofIoyalty]

"No natural calamities cost you. There was no great disease, no famines; No interstellar catastrophe to blame. You have no excuse to explain How this, our rightful palace, has been fouled With the dust of countless innocent dead. The truth is that you are the descendants Of traitors who scurry about like rats In the dark, fighting over petty kingdoms At the foot of the empty throne. Never recognizing that you have given up The one true prize." - Clan Remembrance, Passage 285, Verse 15, Lines 21-32

[@gigaslave]

TBH this still has a stronger narrative and emotional impact than the upcoming Mechwarrior 5 intro sequence.

[@StrikeNoir105E]

Agreed. Despite the narration in MW5's cinematic intro, this still gives me goosebumps after all these years, compared to how dry the MW5 intro feels.

[@shabah2644]

I think part of it is MW5 tells you what happened while BT SHOWS you what happened

[@TricksterPoi]

@@shabah2644 Agreed, sometimes actions speak louder than words.

[@kokaomf]

The first seconds when the astronaut is testing the first FTL flight while the world was watching... That. That is what hits my heart with the biggest overdose of hope for my people. My species. My race. My kind.

[@kashre]

One day we'll do it. Then we'll blow ourselves up. Maybe not in that order.

[@MoreEvilThanYahweh]

Sadly, the real world is more like the Terran Alliance right before they collapsed. Massive social programs on Terra to buy votes/distract the electorate at the cost of abandoning even loyal colonies past the 3OLY limit, killing "non-essential" offworld or military/industrial infrastructure, research and selling off their vast jumpship fleet to "rebels" at pennies on the dollar. The US has spent more on the coof than they have for the entirety of WW2, even adjusted for inflation. Yet the extra-planetary aspect of the space program continues to rot

[@jakeg3733]

Same here. Then your heart gets fucking ripped out a minute later when this cinematic _forces_ you to realize that no matter what we achieve technologically, we are still a very violent and destructive species. One of the reasons I love Battletech

[@Capsuleer7]

We may be the architects of our own demise, but, goddamn can we build wonders.

[@jakeg3733]

@@Capsuleer7 Should we ever be able to make some kind of FTL engine work, we'll just end up exporting our BS insanity to the stars. WWII-level conflicts, but in interstellar space causing billions or even trillions of deaths. Battletech perfectly captures this side of humanity

[@boomer19450]

No wonder paradox loved these guys. The chills is on the same level as the trailer of stellaris apocalypse. Might be even better because it gives you a sense of pride in humanity AND our potential to epically screw good things in the end. All of that in 118 second

[@TXs14]

The only intro cinematic of any game to give me goosebumps like this - by far. I love the symbolism of the rising and setting sun over the horizon as seen from space. The birth of the Star League and how it descended into war. I remember quite fondly my first exposure to the BT universe, in Walmart looking up at a game demo screen for Mechwarrior 3 in 1999. Little did I know how much it would captivate me and the joy it would bring.

[@gemofmagic9436]

This made me bawl my eyes out and I've never played a Battletech game before.

[@Deltaworks23]

That is weird.

[@marbzirc376]

It's the amazing music. And it was really well-utilized throughout the whole scene. It accurately conveys all the feelings you're most likely to feel if you're familiar with the history of Battletech. All right on cue. That's why it works well in retelling the history without any narration. Even if you don't know anything about BT, you're most likely to get the gist of what went on.

[@gigaslave]

1:23 Let's talk about who's who at the Council in session beside Richard Cameron (facepalming, center). Only 2 I can confirm to be in that shot are Takiro Kurita (Coordinator from before the Coup, was later succeeded by Minoru Kurita, sitting center-right in his kimono) and Nicoletta Calderon (who is shouting, the oldest woman at the council - Barbara Liao and the current Centrella ruling Canopus would both be younger). Shown but not certain: Ewan Marik (unless this is after Richard's wedding, in which case it would be Kenyon Marik), John Davion (one of the older men), Robert II Steiner, Allyce Avellar, Stefan Amaris (not certain if sitting center-left at Richard's right side), Alexander Kerensky (who would have been Richard's Regent, and Grandfather of the Clans).

[@kederaji]

I am thinking that Kerensky is the one with the scar.

[@stevenclark2188]

The fact there's enough detail to the history that we can speculate who's who in a fictional drawing like historians would over a real photograph, or a curator talking about The Last Supper is kinda amazing.

[@notjackiechan9420]

Seriously this intro is like way too good. And doesnt even get to the clans or anything. Which in a way almost makes it even crazier, knowing the fighting is far from over. You can't make an intro like this without passion for the franchise. No words spoken or written through the whole thing to explain anything, the images and music tell the story perfectly. Absolutely beautiful.

[@NuclearFridge1]

Absolutely love the K-F Hyperdrive effect; it's just how I've always imagined the "jump field" to look as it engages!

[@ScornedOne1080]

It's more of a jump drive than a hyperdrive. Hyperdrive is rapid movement through space. A KF drive folds space, but it takes a week for the drives batteries/capacitors to recharge. And you get about 30 LY distance traveled, max, per jump.

[@kederaji]

@@ScornedOne1080 Yes, but the original literature calls it a hyperdrive, and that's never been officially retconned.

[@SkylarFerrix]

As someone that grew up with Mechwarrior 2-4, Battletech crammed in all the flavor and richness of the universe that Mechwarrior 5 failed to capitalize on. Having played MW5 before this game, I started to get kinda flattened with the BT universe. This game totally reinvigorated my interest and is an awesome example of a Battletech/Mechwarrior game done right.

[@kuronyra1709]

Welp, congratulation. TV.TROPES now has you on the "Awesome" page. " A meta-example is how Hairbrained Schemes managed to condense the rise and fall of the Star League into an intro cinematic less than 2 minutes long. It was such a poignant, narratively strong intro that told the story of the rise and fall of the Star League so effectively, that Battletech fans would later compare the Mechwarrior V intro to this game's own and find it wanting. In particular, one still frame of the arguing high council can be broken down and analyzed to identify several major Great House and Periphary State leaders, from Richard Cameron himself to Nicoletta Calderon."

[@LD-Orbs]

Well-deserved!

[@magrav1018]

I started reading and researching about BT about 4-5 months ago. This intro makes me FEEL stuff. It's simply amazing, and shows the tragedy of the cycle of human civilization.

[@sm901ftw]

Think this single cinematic sold me on the whole universe. Every now and then I just have to go back to it.

[@rpcheesman]

There have only been two strategy games I've played that have provoked a strong emotional response from me - the first was the original Homeworld, and years later - Battletech. This opening sets a great mood, helped by the art style, the score (oh the score) and the massive backdrop that is the Battletech universe. No fantastical creatures, no evil gods, nothing but the exposing of mankind's contempt and hatred for their fellow man. Good stuff.

[@garyprivitt861]

Ya get to a point where you tend to pass by opening cinematics in most games. But I STILL watch this every time. Talk about chills up the spine. I love this Inner Sphere History Lesson.

[@deckire]

oh man this gives me chills. While it is soft and Melodic. There is the undertone of Intensity and fear. It doesn't go into your face with a heavy beats that most cinematics try to hype you with but it sucks you in nonetheless. Can't wait to enter the battlefield.

[@Brigand231]

"gives me chills" good to know I'm not the only one.

[@DcTbigkiller30]

The tone for me was more cut in 3 the music of hope and innovAtion of man kind ,the second with the glory of mankind reaching it peak and and the tragedy of the fall of the star league.

[@VajazzleMcDildertits]

The music they used for this cinematic is one of my favourites of all time

[@_ENOVA]

yes

[@SteveJB]

Sensational music. Really love the oboe section from about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

[@TheRealAfroRick]

It is extremely impressive how they cover the gist of history of Battletech in such a short amount of time.

[@Dumpstermuffin1]

that catapult is like "come at me bro" they should shown Alexander Kerensky's fleet leaving the inner sphere at the end :)

[@TricksterPoi]

Yeah. But I'm gonna guess that "evacuate" sign can be a thing that Alexander Kerensky and co are ditching the inner sphere.

[@MrLandry2010]

After looking at it again I see Stephan Amaris shooting Richard Cameron dead.

[@amaris27]

Yep! good eye.

[@Jacklangefeld]

I know! Almost teared up. After reading it in the novels, it's different with the visual stimuli.

[@wonderfulfable]

Amaris! That wretched Usurper!

[@boxtank5288]

@@wonderfulfable He poisoned a mind and had him unwittingly serve his needs, and when it was done, he murdered the young lord for he was of no use to him!

[@graetestfanever1]

Ah yes. The best Day to remove a head of state us to renove the head of state's head. Even that bib wearing lunatic knew that.

[@rossbuckner3784]

'First amongst equals' - That old chestnut

[@TheRose202]

It was true when Ian Cameron was First Lord, but Richard Cameron got manipulated by corrupt politicians and power grabbers when he ascended the throne at the easily influenced age of 8. Star League General Alexandr Kerensky tried to save him but failed, and Richard Cameron was eventually assassinated by the chief among those manipulators. So it goes.

[@hejdomstol]

@@TheRose202 The Taurians sure felt equal when they got stomped on.

[@Atlas3060]

@@hejdomstol "As I see it, you have two choices: you can join the Star League, or you can join the Star League. " -Duke Gregory Webbson, Star League emissary to the Taurian Concordat, 2575

[@PRKLGaming]

It's a reference to Augustus. "Princeps" was the Latin word for Emperor, and Augustus coined it to mean "First amongst equals".

[@davidbutler1857]

Oddly a not uncommon label.

[@anonynony4410]

Whoo, so packed full of drama. I've noticed how titles like Endless Legend, Endless Space, and now Battletech really put an emphasis on these very simple animations and driving music that really tells a compelling story. Turn based strategy games could be pretty dry, but I think attention to character and faction stories really does a lot to make a title memorable.

[@michaelmclaughlin261]

@1:23 Seeing Kenyon Marik screaming at Jennifer Steiner always warms my heart for some reason.

[@FirstLast-cg2nk]

Welcome to the universe of Battletech. If you like grimdark galaxies locked in eternal warfare, but don't like space elves, space orks, or evil cosmic space gods, you've come to the right place.

[@shabah2644]

Battletech is a sci fi while 40k is science fantasy. both have their merits but I really am digging battletech rn

[@richardhockey8442]

we don't need robot skeletons, pointy eared hedonists or bizarre manifestations of human/alien nature when we have the chaos that lurks in every human mind

[@drakkenmensch]

Humanity never needed eldritch horrors or aliens to create a threat to its existence. *We were always our own monster.*

[@joseaca1010]

Cameron: "we will bring the periphery in line" Narrator: they didnt bring the periphery in line

[@MoreEvilThanYahweh]

Amaris literally supported the Periphery Uprising with Hegemony banks and factories. Beyond ironic.

[@kaerakh4267]

Got a good laugh from me.

[@jakeg3733]

No, they curb stomped it into submission. They skip a bit of history here. The SLDF did win the reunification war but disintegrated a couple hundred years later after a violent coup followed by an apocalyptic war to undo it

[@BZAKether]

This is one of the few game cinematics that seldomly skip while playing. The whole great lore of Battletech dramatically played in under 2 minutes, it's great moments, it's accomplishments and their utmost failures.

[@LukasTesseract]

The most glorious (and painful) thing about Battletech is how believable that it all is. This two minute cinematic is among the most powerful bite-sized tragedies that you'll ever experience. Everything from the choreography to the music (especially the music) is absolutely perfect.

[@shawntipton5078]

I love the Battletech Universe, it is proper science fiction, often called hard science fiction. the setting makes totally sense and is relatable to audiences today, for example just because humans go to space does not mean all the problems and situations created over so many millennia go away. Planets in space are no more the equivalent or creating a new settlement or country on a map. Humans in real life have been in space since 1961 officially, bringing all the excitement, unity and problems with it, why do you think thousands of years ahead, it would not be the same, whether in real life or in a fictional setting. We get the sense that the expansion through space in this setting was long and hard. The Battletech Universe is a type of hard science fiction or realistic science fiction.

[@Iwanwahid1969]

if Battletech is a realistic sciences fiction, those Battlemech would not exist.

[@megamiaouh8992]

@@Iwanwahid1969 It straddles the line between the two, its as close as a setting using Battlemechs can be to Hard Sci-fi, the technology and economy isn't realistic but it is internally consistent and has hard rules it follows and the designs have evolved to look realistic.

[@JerichoJosh1]

Among the best cinematic intros of all time. Easily.

[@calencor]

such a good intro. Brings back Civilization Baba Yetu intro feels again. I dont know who made the story board of this intro but you sir/maam are a god in storytelling.

[@VoloMalVor]

Wow, this is how you show a story without speaking a word.

[@georgeerhard1949]

Sent my cousin this (she's a NASA structural engineer), because of the opening "first manned FTL jump" bit. 2 minutes, hundreds of years of Battletech history/lore, setting up that yes, this franchise IS "hard sci-fi" and is entirely plausible as a future for Mankind.

[@pexfmezccle]

uhh, no it isn't, you can't make a young boy succeed as president, there are age requirements

[@jimmyseaver3647]

@@pexfmezccle Yes it is, if the rules change and democracy is dead in favor of space feudalism.

[@Year_of_the_Dell]

​@@pexfmezccle do recall the leadership role in the star league is not based on US Standard

[@DavidDingoBleecher]

You guys obviously had a very small budget, and you did extremely well with the animatic that you created. Kudos.

[@pendraco2000]

don't need a big budget, just the right idea and right people.

[@kinggoten]

+pendraco2000 well said, and its not just for video games but well everything honestly.

[@ahriman935]

This game was created mostly by BT enthusiasts. So... yeah. You can tell the game did not have the biggest of budgets, but was made with love and attention very rarely seen nowadays.

[@joseaca1010]

@@ahriman935 honestly i didnt find it lacking, the one aspect i wouldve appreciated wouldve been more and varied weaponry, besides that i had a ton of fun, would pre-order a sequel

[@ahriman935]

@@joseaca1010 Fair enough but I have to point out that in 3025 era, when the game is set, there *really* isn't any more weapons available than there already are in the game. More weapons variety only kicks in about 25 years further down the timeline, around the time the Clans invade. And the Clans invasion times and later had already a beaten path in gaming come MechWarrior 4, so I actually liked it even more that they set the game when the Inner Sphere was at its lowest, pretty much.

[@TESkyrimizer]

2 years later still a masterpiece to witness. The video and the music combine to convey hope, glory, doubt, struggle, despair and resignation so well.

[@water1374]

Battletech's basically Game of Thrones in space but instead dragons we have mechs and instead of wildlings we have clanners.

[@pexfmezccle]

or instead of White Walkers we have Clanners

[@MrBlueBurd0451]

And instead of a complete hack motivated by literal self-admitted envy, we have actually good writers.

[@nobodyherepal3292]

And this is BEFORE the Clans show up......

[@Kissamiess]

Before the Succession Wars, even.

[@blackvial]

Kissamies before the 4th war

[@Kissamiess]

blackvial yes the game's story is set to 3025, but this intro seems to end at the end of Star League.

[@kinggoten]

+nicholas ross honestly even if the Clans didn't show up the inner sphere is ripping itself apart, I wonder what would of been if the Clans won... actually probs would of been civil uprising all over either way... it is battletech afterall.

[@pendraco2000]

most of this is before they even left.

[@mostly-harmless]

This is possible the best intro for one of the best games i've ever played. Thank you to all who made took part in making these.

[@DoctorMagdaki]

Paradox, lately your trailers have been absolutely amazing. This one is no exception! Amazing, truly amazing.

[@scandor8599]

This is actually HBS's work. You can see the evolutionary steps leading up to this cutscene starting in the Shadowrun games, like rings on a tree - starting with the stellar portrait art, growing over time to SR: Hong Kong's few-but-stellar cutscenes.

[@pendraco2000]

helps Jordan Weisman, one of the guys who CREATED Battletech worked closely on the game too.

[@pirotess2]

@@scandor8599 HBS learn from Paradox, if you watch trailers of recent games of Paradox: Stellaris, Hearts of Iron 4. You can see the similar style.

[@scandor8599]

@@pirotess2 Except that Shadowrun predates all of those. And no - while both use "hand drawn" styles, HBS tends to use a lot less motion in any given scene; normally only lighting effects move

[@anthonyspecf]

The feels! Simply amazing. It sums up the history of BattleTech in such a beautiful, and yet haunting and foreboding way. What a great intro HBS!

[@TeknoWarMachine]

This game is so extremely underrated it hurts. The mods make it even better.

[@evanulven8249]

For some reason, the part that hits the hardest is the sun setting behind the throne.

[@noobvannoob2286]

this has got to be one of the best intro cinematics for a game

[@mattiatorX]

I do wish the intro covered a bit more of the Star League days, it just kind of skips straight from formation to fall without establishing why the star league's fall was such a big event in the universe, but honestly I'm just happy to see *any* media covering this timeframe. I believe it's the first time it's ever been depicted in any form in one of the games.

[@pendraco2000]

I actually like the fact they went all the way back to the creation of the Kearny-Fuschida drive.

[@TimperialBroadcastingAgency]

I can see why, though: it sums up the perception of the Star League from someone in the late Third Succession War: it was great, and then it collapsed for some reason (you only see Richard Cameron's backpfeifengesicht for a split second) and everything went straight to hell. By 3025 most of what the Star League actually did had, in popular consciousness, retreated into /legend/.

[@pendraco2000]

he did need a punch in the face.

[@mattiatorX]

That is a good point, that the lack of detail probably does convey the public's idea of their own history better.

[@mattiatorX]

Looking back at the idea that “this is how humanity remembers its history”, I almost wonder if that was a stylistic choice to use the Centurion, a mech that didn’t exist during the Star League. It’s so ubiquitous in the succession wars that history just assumes it was there for it.

[@hanspeter2384]

One of the best intros made. No words are needed to show the rise of a dream and the fall of an empire.

[@itsjustaline]

A refugee here , i ran away form Blizzard to Warhammer , but here i am in a new universe to find a hobby to live for .

[@CBRN-115]

Star wars, blizzard now Warhammer Every major franchise is gone to shit. This is a bleak time to live

[@tyvernoverlord5363]

Welcome to the 4 Millennium, shiz about to get…. messy. . .

[@_ENOVA]

THIS IS THE SOUL OF THE BATTLETECH UNIVERSE (literally crying every time I watch)

[@KotCR]

Remember being blown away by how phenomenal the soundtrack for this game was when I got around to playing it during lockdown furlough. I was not expecting it at all. The soundtrack is just so beautifully and subtlety epic, with real emotion, it makes you feel like you're watching something in a movie theatre.

[@Draidis]

Been playing this game since day 1 of launch and I STILL watch this intro EVERY TIME. It's a perfect 2 min summary of the history of this universe up to the start of that game to the incredible music that always pumps me up. The Mechwarrior series has always been known for great intro cinematics but this one is by far the best. Probably the best intro movie to any game to be honest.

[@IvannaNukya]

One of the best game intros ever made. The art is cleverly done and the music is out of this world.

[@draconizza]

The intro feels very exapansey but I love both franchises. Let's hope it sells well enough for a sequel about the 4th succession war and then on to the clan invasion!

[@Kissamiess]

Ronin War? War of 3039?

[@TimperialBroadcastingAgency]

Pfft, the Ronin War was a minor disagreement internal to the Dragon and no one ever remembers the War of '39. ;)

[@Kissamiess]

Ronin War was also the formative war of FRR and who doesn't love the space Vikings? It also has an interesting plot point about the mercenaries. Player could be a mercenary working of FRR, which becomes increasingly distrustful as other mercenary units screw them over. War of '39 is too inconclusive to be remembered, but it does feature some interesting things, like first significant use of Star League tech level equipment for a long time.

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

@@Kissamiess If we get a next game it will be clan invasion era, almost guaruanteed. We havnt seen that since MW2.

[@lelouche25]

Had to come back here after the disappointment that was mechwarrior 5 intro.

[@trancers3]

It was good lore intro

[@RRizckyNArdhy]

2020... and still coming back to see and hear the cinematic. epic... it dont even need someone telling what really happened in those timespan until the event of battletech. Awesome opening cinematic.

[@drakkenmensch]

2024 here and this cinematic still sparkles and shines.

[@Chromedbustop]

I'm glad they set this game in 3025. I'd really like to see a game that focuses on the Star League era. Even more so just from watching this intro (which I never skip when I start the game). It's always Clans, Clans, Clans. The Clans aren't even that interesting or impressive. But the Star League era, or even the Succession Wars... There's a LOT that could be done there that's actually fresh and new. The Reunification War. The Amaris Civil War. Any of the first 3 Succession Wars. Plus there's still so much open about that time period that they could do like what was done with this game and even add something totally new. I know the Clans are all but an inevitable outcome. But man is it boring to see that done over and over again when there is soooo much of the Battletech world that gets ignored.

[@T51B1]

Totally agree. Fortunately for us, Jordan Weisman isnt a big fan of the whole 'clans returning+being OP as fuck' bit of the story, so we should see plenty of the other parts of the storyline besides that.

[@ChefHathaway]

They could go for the stuff after the Clan Invasions, too, like the Fed-Com Civil War, WoB Jihad, etc.

[@Significantpower]

Kinda hard to do a game based on the early Succession Wars....you build up your unit or character, and then nukes fall, you die.

[@CrizzyEyes]

The Clans are really cool when you take a holistic view of the Inner Sphere's history into consideration. A legendary military fighting force that everyone presumed dead returns, with their own completely new BattleMech designs, as some kind of turbo-Fascist tribal warband, and they're even more dangerous than they were in the 28th century. But I agree that during all of the MechWarrior games, they're portrayed as just "those bad dudes wot have big Mechs."

[@gigaslave]

We need something about one of the many civil wars plagueing the Free Worlds League, or a lowkey corporate war between Irian and Defiance.

[@jacobwumbo827]

A real gut wrenching introduction to the universe. All that potential for humanity, realized only long enough to allow greed and pride to consume it. One of the best setups in video games.

[@Sahuagin]

one thing I love about this MechWarrior history is how (relatively) plausible it is. if we ever do colonize the galaxy, it could totally be like that: expansion on a scale never before seen that is doomed to collapse and fracture.

[@Stingra87]

It could, but the key to not sending humanity into a dark age of constant war would be that, instead of attempting a hegemony and a singular government and culture adhering to the same laws regardless of distance and local needs, is to actually let colonies become independent without conflict. You want a peaceful future? it's built upon cooperation of individuals to make up a unified whole. Instead of a singular whole desperately trying to keep itself together through sheer force of will. That's where everything always goes wrong.

[@Sahuagin]

@@Stingra87 yes it would need to be massively decentralized. almost functioning like a network, each system independent, mostly aware only of its first-hop neighbouring systems. I think it would largely depend on just how "fast" the FTL communication and travel methods are. if they're slow enough, then each system is isolated and independent. if it's fast enough, some kind of larger scale governance can start to become possible. but governing everything at once would be nearly impossible, especially considering the true scale of the galaxy.

[@Prometheus19853]

@@Stingra87 Except you'd need three additional things: Guaranteed rights, guaranteed freedom of movement, and the power to enforce both of those things. Every planet would need to allow people to leave if they're unhappy. And not "technical" freedom wrapped up in layers of red-tape, fines, costs, and bureaucracy. Actual freedom to just pack up and leave because they feel like it. A neutral transport network would need to be established, with its neutrality and freedom of operation rigorously enforced. They'd also need to provide a set standard of human rights as well. Standard stuff really, maybe some extra bits about no debt-slavery or anything like that, anything that would make it impossible to leave a planet. Also rigorously enforced alongside the transport network.

[@BloodyArchangelus]

@@Prometheus19853 and than they would all die, coz no population means no enough man to sustain military forces. Earth would claim everything again, coz it needs Food and resources to live. you dont understand why you west needed in colonies and how your.. FREEDOM was created.. By blood and bullets. battletech is honest here. but you can still live in illusion.

[@szymonsmiakowski6333]

This trailer shows exactly what I always want my civilization to be like

[@Ataximander]

Narwhal Productions Balkanized?

[@szymonsmiakowski6333]

Ataximander Yes

[@hujiaming6151]

So you want your civilization looks like city ruins, huh? Like today's Syria???

[@szymonsmiakowski6333]

Hu Jiaming I'm just a weird, mentally unstable person

[@weldonwin]

You should read The Evil Overlord's Handbook, it'll be right up your street

[@Litany_of_Fury]

Hello I am a Games workshop Refugee

[@trblemayker5157]

Welcome to the Inner Sphere.

[@IntoleranceForStupidity]

This shows you don't need to break the bank to make a great trailer.

[@pendraco2000]

why I get a bit annoyed Starship Troopers 2 gets bashed as much as it does. it's actually a better movie ACTING wise than the original (and god knows, it's DEFINITELY better than Marauder) thing is too, ST1 took about 100mil to make. ST2 was made with a budget that was less than a tenth of that.

[@JessFromMead]

Reminds me of the titanfall opening. Mellow and fills one with wonder at the prospect of humans leaving earth to start anew on other planets, only to give way to the powerful and oppressive nature of war and conflict, implying that mankind is it's own worst enemy

[@tomoffinland123]

The music in this video is superb. I've listened it countless of times after the game launched and I never get bored of it.

[@aegisghost]

*REACTOR: ONLINE* *SENSORS: ONLINE* *WEAPONS: ONLINE* *ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL* Mechwarrior, proceed to Waypoint Alpha. The road is clear.

[@Bakamoichigei]

EXCELLENT.

[@SongsoftheEons]

So sad how it begins so hopefully, and everything falls apart. Would be a nice little story regardless of whether a game was made or not, lol.

[@pendraco2000]

joy of the Amaris Coup, and the hell it caused the Inner Sphere.

[@ahriman935]

@@pendraco2000 I've always thought that Stefan "the biggest shitface ever" Amaris never suffered enough for what he had done.

[@evanulven8249]

@@pendraco2000 The Star League was already starting to fracture at that point, Amaris just brought a sledgehammer to the cracks. The war with the Periphery had torn away the polite cover the League had kept over it's actions, the Great Houses were chafing and pulling at the seams, and the people were finally starting to figure out that little, if anything, was good or was at all as it seemed. Part of why Kerensky was able to get so many SLDF personnel to follow him was that they all knew it too.

[@NightfallGemini]

The style here reminds me of some of Homeworld 1's cinematics, and certainly of Deserts of Kharak. One of the greats.

[@PartisanGamer]

The Soundtrack/Score brought me to tears - great work. It perfectly captures the adventurous spirit but also the shortfalls of humanity.

[@AlecFortescue]

I swear, this is the only youtube add which actually had me watch the whole thing. Probably first and only time an ad got me interested in a product. Would buy if it wasn't 40 quid.

[@rorikodinnson1127]

If you use the GMG22 voucher on GMG.com it's more like 31.

[@Raven1701]

This brings back memories when I first read the history of Battletech in the original source books. Six year me is very pleased.

[@brianchilders1432]

so need for this to be a cable television series. game of thrones has nothing on battletech levels of intrigue and heavy metal mechs

[@michaelmclaughlin261]

I was thinking the same thing. However, instead of the 30th century, have the series center on the final years of the Star League -- the Cameron family, the betrayal of Stefan Amaris, Kerensky, Blake, etc...even though we 'know' what will happen, show those folk operating in the background of history. It's very doable -- look at "The Tudors"

[@ScornedOne1080]

There kinda was one, but it was a "Saturday Morning Cartoon" back in the mid 90s, before the crackdown on violent media.

[@Phoenix8492]

Xenomorpheus necropost, specifically that show was about the Clans rolling in and ripping up the Inner Sphere, which afaik happened well after the collapse of the Star League.

[@boxtank5288]

@@Phoenix8492 and after which succession war? 3?

[@Iwanwahid1969]

@@boxtank5288 fourth

[@KariSinkko]

Oh my God, it's full of stars.

[@ronin47-ThorstenFrank]

Gods - even the artwork comes close to the original.... *goosebumpsallover* Fanboy is happy!

[@seanoconnor5890]

I've been playing Mechwarrior since 2:Mercenaries on PC. I'm beyond elated for a new comer in the genre that isnt a first person experience. but at the same time offers such a wonderful flourish of lore and story and feeling to the powerful combat system to not only fuel my LOVE of giant stompy robot death but also the intense grimdark story of Battletech. 10/10. get. this. game.

[@doublestarships646]

Warhammer 40k refugees, welcome to the better alternative and a game that will not burn a hole through your pocket.

[@greex1024]

This track and the cinematic had me goosbumped and hooked from the first second. Way to set a mood. Just perfect.

[@thesinfultictac5704]

Interesting how the Star Symbol transforms from a symbol of human exploration to a symbol of oppression

[@TimperialBroadcastingAgency]

Yeah, the Star League was kind of like that.

[@pendraco2000]

course, Stefan Amaris manipulating Richard Cameron pretty much since he was born didn't help.

[@TimperialBroadcastingAgency]

Note that he only* did that because of stories of the Reuinification Wars passed down the Amaris line... *...that and being totally insane

[@Kissamiess]

The Reunification War itself wasn't the proudest moment of the Cameron star either. Something like this: Ian Cameron: You should really join this new Star League we Inner Sphere states created. Periphery States: Nah, we're good. Ian Cameron: Seriously, join us or else... Periphery States: NEVER! Ian Cameron: I guess we'll be invading you now.

[@Seriona1]

@@Kissamiess Now it's a civil war against an enemy that never was part of us to begin with but don't worry, we'll tear it up and then proceed to still fall apart so our military can run to the Heavens to restart a new society, engage what they call another Star League civil war just so restart a second Star League that falls apart because we're stupid enough to let House Liao be in charge of it.

[@austins8533]

Best sci-fi intro ever

[@Iwanwahid1969]

Me when I first played Battletech without knowing the lore: lol big robot goes boom Me after I read about the Star League, Amaris coup, House Cameron extinction, Succesion Wars, technological regression back to hundreds years, and the same shit happening again in HB Battletech but extra smaller in scale: haha big robot goes boom Edit: Me after I read about the Fourth Succession War somehow..., Clan Invasion, Clan Wolf being stupid by playing nice, Formation of Second Star League, Inner Sphere being stupid by disbanding the Second Star League, the Blackout and Jihad, and many more human stupidity along the way. Dude this just keeps getting depressing can yall stop shooting at each other and your foot for one second?

[@Chromevod]

Welcome to Battletech. Enjoy your complimentary war crimes.

[@bthsr7113]

Huge props to the visual storytelling here.

[@sadrezzan4759]

Played the game twice. Still watching the Videos. I need Battletech 2! Please......

[@AaronLitz]

An amazing intro to BattleTech history.