MilSpecTech, What do you guys think? Options

[Fatum]

2) Content. Well, I am a bit annoyed that ESPRIT now is an Aztech company, showing again a disregard for canon in SR, but allright, it's not that big a mistake and the writers are new and have to do the Line Dev's work for him. The Catalogue theme is sustained and the Aztlan focus in the ESPRIT catalogue a nice contrast to the Ares-American-centric weapons books of old (and the first part of this book).

So, the fact that Ares ships SK-made weapons does not concern you, huh.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

So now, I'm back. Sorry for the Absence, but I managed to fuck up a very important test and had to scramble to pass a last ditch grant and convince my uni to not kick me out, so I had a lot on my plate and little time to actually read MST. Here's the promised review.

....

3) Errata/Nagging/Food for TJ to troll: The Appaloosa seems a bit undervalued compared to earlier editions, putting it on par with a Bison with some armor added. It's also rather slow. And while there's already been some discussion there (I am NOT reading the backlog, but there was even before I had to drop out for a few weeks), the late decision about putting in descriptive labels with the art, while immensely adding to the feel of the book, generates more than a few missingstandard upgrades (hopefully this will be fixed for the PDF eventually).

I could go into a lot more depth now, but this probably has already been said time and again, so why repeat it. Anyway, here's the review I promised waaaay back up.

Hey, No need for me to "Troll" as you put it. I like the review you have provided. No complaints.
Oh, and welcome back...

[CanRay]

So, the fact that Ares ships SK-made weapons does not concern you, huh.

Not really. Ares has a distribution network for weapons systems that S-K doesn't have a market share in. S-K makes it's money, Ares makes it's money, it shows that Megas can work together, keeps John and Jane Q. Wageslave happy that the world is a happy, stable place.

Oh, oh great, the arguing twins are back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Grinder]

/Food for TJ to troll

Not needed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[Fatum]

Not really. Ares has a distribution network for weapons systems that S-K doesn't have a market share in. S-K makes it's money, Ares makes it's money, it shows that Megas can work together, keeps John and Jane Q. Wageslave happy that the world is a happy, stable place.

Cause it makes total sense to ship your most bitter competitor's wares. Rrrright.

[CanRay]

So they ship the stuff they already know about, and not the cutting edge stuff. More market availability, more profit.

Also, maybe Ares is getting the items that are close to "Factory Seconds" and S-K is selling the quality stuff as a quiet way of proving their own superiority of their distribution network.

And maybe the CEO Dragon has a plan within a plan within a plan within an enigma that we don't understand. He does run the WHOLE company after all, unlike a lot of other Megas which have too many divisions making various deals left, right, and center.

And, alternatively, perhaps they wanted something from Ares, and that was the price of the deal, availability to certain items for their catalog.

[Mäx]

Cause it makes total sense to ship your most bitter competitor's wares. Rrrright.

Actually it does, Ares Arms is an organized arms dealer corp and as such sell anythink and everythink they can get their hands on.
I would think that you would be more distreped by the fact that the Ares catalog actually has more vehicles from Aztechnology then the Dassault catalog has.

2) Content. Well, I am a bit annoyed that ESPRIT now is an Aztech company, showing again a disregard for canon in SR, but allright, it's not that big a mistake and the writers are new and have to do the Line Dev's work for him. The Catalogue theme is sustained and the Aztlan focus in the ESPRIT catalogue a nice contrast to the Ares-American-centric weapons books of old (and the first part of this book

That not a mistake, at least not from the part of this products writers, Esprit is listed as an Aztechnology subsidiary in Corporate Guide.
Also it Dassault catalogue, not Esprit.

[hermit]

That not a mistake, at least not from the part of this products writers, Esprit is listed as an Aztechnology subsidiary in Corporate Guide.
Also it Dassault catalogue, not Esprit.

Corp Guide was written by the same people. I am more thinking of Shadows of Europe and the general idea of the France setting. But that seems to be overturned in favor of another instance of boring and rather unealistic donkey economics.

So, the fact that Ares ships SK-made weapons does not concern you, huh.

Cause it makes total sense to ship your most bitter competitor's wares. Rrrright.

Doesn't make much sense really, but they have done this, for whatever reason, since Street Samurai Catalogue (Steyr is an SK subsidiary, Walther too, and H&K was at that point). Ares also sells SCK guns, which are produced by Renraku. So, while this is profoundly weird, it is at least weird with a long history in SR canon. Maybe it's more profitable to sell their stuff that way than not at all?

[CanRay]

Market saturation. Ares Arms has a good grip on a lot of things.

Weapon's World will sell weapons from any arms manufacturer, and they're owned by Ares as well.

[Nath]

Steyr is an SK subsidiary, Walther too, and H&K was at that point

If I was given a penny every time someone wrote on DSF Saeder-Krupp had ownership of Heckler & Koch in the past ten years, I think I would have... hmm, 15 pennies or so, maybe 20. Yet, I still have to see an actual page reference for this, because I never found one myself.

Weapon's World will sell weapons from any arms manufacturer, and they're owned by Ares as well.

Monobe International got Weapons World back. See Corporate Guide, page 213.

[CanRay]

*Blinks* HOW???

I mean, that was a major plum for Ares!

Ah well, it's the Stuffer Shack of Weapons, so...

[Mäx]

Corp Guide was written by the same people.

No it wasn't.

[hermit]

If I was given a penny every time someone wrote on DSF Saeder-Krupp had ownership of Heckler & Koch in the past ten years, I think I would have... hmm, 15 pennies or so, maybe 20. Yet, I still have to see an actual page reference for this, because I never found one myself.

H&K started out with Ruhrmetall (Germany Sourcebook p. 19), where it remained until the more recent books. That H&K is part of SK was dropped either in Target: ADL or in SOX. Don't have those as pdf, so I can't whip up a page just like that. But even if they are with ruhrmetall, SK owns 20% of that company too.

No it wasn't.

It was written by the current generation of authors. Unlike Shadows of Europe and France, which weren't.

[Mäx]

It was written by the current generation of authors. Unlike Shadows of Europe and France, which weren't.

Millspectech, has only one writer listed and that guy had nothing to do with Corporate Guide, so you can't say he made a mistake with Esprit being a Aztechnology subsidiary, as he was going by the latest info on corps.

[hermit]

Fair enough, I was assuming there was any kind of coordination at CGL.

[Grinder]

Dunno if CGL, Jason Hardy and a lack of coordination is to blame - it's possible that none of the Corporate Guide-writers wanted to to work on Milspechtech at all.

[Wesley Street]

Given that the pay rate for PDF-only releases is less per word than print publication, I think that's a safe bet.

[hermit]

Dunno if CGL, Jason Hardy and a lack of coordination is to blame - it's possible that none of the Corporate Guide-writers wanted to to work on Milspechtech at all.

Probably, given the pay rate, but why can't they TALK to each other? It's not like this changes what they are paid.

[Grinder]

Blame the writer then. And partly Jason, ok. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[CanRay]

I'd be happy to get anything for my work, actually... But, then, I'm just a hack of a writer...

[otakusensei]

NERPS News!

This just in; dysfunctional company is still dysfunctional.

Tune in at 11 for our exclusive interview with the Right Hand, where he tells all about Left Hand's issues, what drove them apart and about moving on.

[CanRay]

PIRATE NEWS! VOLUME SO YOU CAN HEAR OVER THE CORPORATE SHILLS!

Private interview with the left buttock at 2300 hours!

[JM Hardy]

I apologize for making Corporate Guide and MilSpecTech agree with each other re: Esprit. I also apologize for letting the hook presented in Shadows of Europe, where Esprit's chairman had possible Aztechnology connections, play out in the intervening 10 in-game years.

Jason H.

[Mäx]

Fair enough, I was assuming there was any kind of coordination at CGL.

Whut, there seems to be pretty good coordination inside CGL as far as millspectech is concerned, after all esprit is in it correctly represented as a Aztechnoloy company, as per the Corporate guide's subsidiary list.

[hermit]

Whut, there seems to be pretty good coordination inside CGL as far as millspectech is concerned, after all esprit is in it correctly represented as a Aztechnoloy company, as per the Corporate guide's subsidiary list.

Yeah, self-referencing starts to work.

I apologize for making Corporate Guide and MilSpecTech agree with each other re: Esprit. I also apologize for letting the hook presented in Shadows of Europe, where Esprit's chairman had possible Aztechnology connections, play out in the intervening 10 in-game years.

Jason H.

Dunkelzahn also had Aztechnology connections, that doesn't make the DF a subsidiary of Aztech, does it?

Good start though. Maybe some words on War?