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2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans...
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AlayneLeung
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PostPosted: 14-Feb-2015 15:36    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

...there are about 130,000 to 200,000 homeless veterans every given night in the US.
www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/veterans.html

so how do you each feel about fans designing custom units/structures to be published in TROs for sale to raise money for homeless veterans? i do have some rules regarding these custom designs: 1, they must use Heavy Metal programming, or complete instructions as to how HM programming would be used for design(s), or an accurate typed printout; 2, picture(s) & fictional fluff & techinfo of said design(s) must not already be copyrighted (i don't want Topps getting sued for infringement); 3, each design may use fan homemade weapon(s) or equipment (see below my idea for fan homemade BT rulesbook); 4, fan custom units/structures won't be legal in any tournament unless all players have agreed before tournament begins; 5, no custom unit may be used to encourage the attack of any real life person(s); 6, with respect to the previous 5 rules, absolutely no fan custom unit/structure is to be denied publication.

and how about each and every fan's homemade rule(s) to be published in a BT rulesbook? two rules for each rule of this BT rulesbook: 1, again, they can't already be copyrighted so Topps won't be sued for infringement; 2, any fan rule can't encourage any attack against any real life person/group; 3, fan homemade rules can't be tournament legal unless all players in said tournament agree before playing in said tournament; 4, with respect to the previous 3 rules, absolutely no fan homemade rule may be denied publication.

comments? recommendations?
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[Last edited by AlayneLeung on 14-Feb-2015 17:10; edited 1 time in total]
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Vagabond
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PostPosted: 14-Feb-2015 16:24    Post subject: Re: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

wrote:
so how do you each feel about fans designing custom units/structures to be published in TROs for sale to raise money for homeless veterans? i do have some rules regarding these custom designs: 1, they must use Heavy Metal programming, or complete instructions as to how HM programming would be used for design(s), or an accurate typed printout; 2, picture(s) & fictional fluff & techinfo of said design(s) must not already be copyrighted (i don't want Topps getting sued for infringement); 3, each design may use fan homemade weapon(s) or equipment (see below my idea for fan homemade BT rulesbook); 4, fan custom units/structures won't be legal in any tournament unless all players have agreed before tournament begins; 5, no custom unit may be used to encourage the attack of any real life person(s); 6, with respect to the previous 5 rules, absolutely no fan custom unit/structure is to be denied publication.


Wow, I liked this idea up until rule #3 and #6. Its a good idea, with a good cause, that is possibly feasible.

However, #3 kills the idea of selling this to a mass market as most people dislike custom rules and equipment in their games. They are almost never balanced.

And #6 kills the ability to have something manageable. Their are a lot of battletech players out there and if even a fraction submitted just 1 design... the book would become to large to print and so full of units that repeat or closely match another.

I would also suggest a rule that requires a minimum amount of fluff (that the producer has the right to edit or expand) explaining the unit's existence much the like the fluff in the TROs.

So I would say to you: drop rule #3 and change rule #6 to "with respect to the previous 5 rules, absolutely no fan custom unit is to be denied consideration for publication." I would then contact the lead developer of Battletech at Catalyst with a written proposal for consideration. Submit your concept, its purpose, and ask the following: 1) would Catalyst be willing to officially back and publish such a project, 2) if not, could you as a fan legally produce and sell this product, 3) if they can support, would Catalyst be willing to setup an official contest for the submissions, and 4) if not able to support, may you utilize their forums to run a submissions contest. You will also need to choose and mention an organization that supports homeless vets. Without at least a suggestion, your idea will not be taken seriously.

This is a good cause to support, but as with any idea to support a cause, you'll need to likely put a lot of work into making a final product to sell.
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AlayneLeung
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PostPosted: 14-Feb-2015 17:30    Post subject: Re: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

Vagabond, thank you for your comments and recommendations.

wrote:
However, #3 kills the idea of selling this to a mass market as most people dislike custom rules and equipment in their games. They are almost never balanced.

And #6 kills the ability to have something manageable. Their are a lot of battletech players out there and if even a fraction submitted just 1 design... the book would become to large to print and so full of units that repeat or closely match another.


well, if most people dislike custom rules, weapons, & equipment, then then the fans rulesbook won't be that large. Wink

wrote:
I would also suggest a rule that requires a minimum amount of fluff (that the producer has the right to edit or expand) explaining the unit's existence much the like the fluff in the TROs.


i like this idea.

wrote:
So I would say to you: drop rule #3 and change rule #6 to "with respect to the previous 5 rules, absolutely no fan custom unit is to be denied consideration for publication."


perhaps a better version of rule #3 is "no fan's custom unit or custom weaponry or custom equipment may be used in any game(s) unless all real life players of said game(s) agree before said game(s) begin(s)." as for rule #6, i think merely considering custom units/equipment/weaponry and not getting them published would defeat the idea of being able to raise money for homeless veterans. remember, we want to sell fan TROs to raise money for homeless veterans because the more fan TROs that are sold, the more money is raised for homeless veterans.

wrote:
I would then contact the lead developer of Battletech at Catalyst with a written proposal for consideration. Submit your concept, its purpose, and ask the following: 1) would Catalyst be willing to officially back and publish such a project, 2) if not, could you as a fan legally produce and sell this product, 3) if they can support, would Catalyst be willing to setup an official contest for the submissions, and 4) if not able to support, may you utilize their forums to run a submissions contest.


who is the lead developer at Catalyst? and didn't Topps take over the BT intellectual property rights from Catalyst, or does Topps license BT intellectual property rights to Catalyst? as for 1, i could try that; as for 2, i think you meant to type "could fans legally produce and sell these products"; as for 3 and 4, no contest for submissions, remember we want to sell many TROs as possible to raise huge amounts of money for homeless veterans, (TROs can be on CDs & compatible with Heavy Metal programs) i don't like denying publication of custom units/structures/weaponry/equipment and we don't want to deny homeless veterans places to exist/live/have opportunities & abilities to be successful.

wrote:
You will also need to choose and mention an organization that supports homeless vets. Without at least a suggestion, your idea will not be taken seriously.


the following links seems to indicate foundations that benefit homeless veterans

www.bing.com/search?q=foundations+that+benefit+homeless+veterans&go=Submit&qs=n&form=QBLH&pq=foundations+that+benefit+homeless+veterans&sc=0-20&sp=-1&sk=&ghc=1&cvid=d77bf383b8cf4fb1b318bc127a1d139a

www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=foundations+that+benefit+homeless+veterans
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Mordel
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PostPosted: 14-Feb-2015 19:27    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

I dislike #1. I think everyone should use the submission utility on my site. Even generates the PDFs and doesn't rely on a paid program to generate your designs. But I am a bit biased.
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Vagabond
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PostPosted: 15-Feb-2015 02:08    Post subject: Re: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

Mordel wrote:
I dislike #1. I think everyone should use the submission utility on my site. Even generates the PDFs and doesn't rely on a paid program to generate your designs. But I am a bit biased.


rule 1 kind of confused me and i just read it as any of the various programs that produce a legal unit, including by hand.
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Vagabond
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PostPosted: 15-Feb-2015 02:25    Post subject: Re: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

AlayneLeung wrote:
wrote:
So I would say to you: drop rule #3 and change rule #6 to "with respect to the previous 5 rules, absolutely no fan custom unit is to be denied consideration for publication."


perhaps a better version of rule #3 is "no fan's custom unit or custom weaponry or custom equipment may be used in any game(s) unless all real life players of said game(s) agree before said game(s) begin(s)." as for rule #6, i think merely considering custom units/equipment/weaponry and not getting them published would defeat the idea of being able to raise money for homeless veterans. remember, we want to sell fan TROs to raise money for homeless veterans because the more fan TROs that are sold, the more money is raised for homeless veterans.


no, that is not a better way of saying it as anyway of saying it is bad. Custom Weapons and Equipment (not units) are an individual thing that are rarely ever used outside of personal games. it is a terrible idea to attempt to attach it to a semi-official product (which you want in order to generate sales).

Its your project and if you want to be barraged and overwhelmed by submissions with a rule that says everything goes then enjoy creating that monster of a product. And good luck selling it. I just suggested a method to avoid biting off more then you could chew. You should limit submissions, submissions should only use official rules, and the submission should be enter into a contest in which X number of winning units will be put in to a TRO Customs of which proceeds with go to charity.

wrote:
who is the lead developer at Catalyst? and didn't Topps take over the BT intellectual property rights from Catalyst, or does Topps license BT intellectual property rights to Catalyst?


Catalyst is the company that is presently producing Battletech products and as such is the place to go in order to obtain official support and avoid legal issues.

wrote:
You will also need to choose and mention an organization that supports homeless vets. Without at least a suggestion, your idea will not be taken seriously.


I said you will need to choose an organization to support. A google and bing search of organizations are not enough. Do the research and select three to attach to your proposal.

You will need to actually do work if you want this project to go anywhere. Stop doing half steps and start setting up a proposal that is supported by research.
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PostPosted: 15-Feb-2015 02:43    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

#6 would also backfire because there will always be people who find a way to make something offensive, objectionable, or just plain absurd without actually breaking any listed rules
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AlayneLeung
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PostPosted: 15-Feb-2015 15:58    Post subject: Re: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

wrote:
no, that is not a better way of saying it as anyway of saying it is bad. Custom Weapons and Equipment (not units) are an individual thing that are rarely ever used outside of personal games. it is a terrible idea to attempt to attach it to a semi-official product (which you want in order to generate sales).

Its your project and if you want to be barraged and overwhelmed by submissions with a rule that says everything goes then enjoy creating that monster of a product. And good luck selling it. I just suggested a method to avoid biting off more then you could chew. You should limit submissions, submissions should only use official rules, and the submission should be enter into a contest in which X number of winning units will be put in to a TRO Customs of which proceeds with go to charity.


basically the fans rulesbook, to be produced by Catalyst, is intended for players that want to use fan rules/fan weapons/fan equipment in personal games, and in tournament games as long as all players of said games agree before play begins xor if tournament planner(s) declare fan rules to be used in said tournaments.

i would be willing to do my utmost best to oversee production of this fan rulesbook, but i'm pretty sure Catalyst would prefer that their employees do said overseeing. i don't, however, want to have a contest for the reason i've stated before because more units published = more TRO CDs sold = more $ for homeless veterans. How do i email Catalyst anyways?

as for 3 foundations that provide charity benefits to homeless veterans, i've selected these three:
ahvf.org/
supporthomelessveterans.org/about_shv.php
nchv.org/index.php/help/help/locate_organization/
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[Last edited by AlayneLeung on 15-Feb-2015 16:28; edited 5 times in total]
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AlayneLeung
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PostPosted: 15-Feb-2015 16:02    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

Emmy, thank you for your comment. how do you recommend #6 to be improvedly altered?
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PostPosted: 15-Feb-2015 23:25    Post subject: Re: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

AlayneLeung wrote:
i don't, however, want to have a contest for the reason i've stated before because more units published = more TRO CDs sold = more $ for homeless veterans.


And I am trying to tell you that you are committing an error in logic. More stuff shoved into a TRO does not equal more sales of said TRO. If the TRO is a bloated mess full of crappy designs using custom rules/weapons that only that person thinks is good then you will get very few sales. In order to maximize sales, the project needs to use standardized rules (Total Warfare), needs to look professional (manageable size and layout), and needs to have the best selection of units included. At present, it is a fantasy posing as a product just so some individuals can feel like their rule/weapon/idea actually matters to anyone but them self.

I have said my peace and given my feedback. Proceed as you will.
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AlayneLeung
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2015 19:29    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

wrote:
And I am trying to tell you that you are committing an error in logic. More stuff shoved into a TRO does not equal more sales of said TRO. If the TRO is a bloated mess full of crappy designs using custom rules/weapons that only that person thinks is good then you will get very few sales. In order to maximize sales, the project needs to use standardized rules (Total Warfare), needs to look professional (manageable size and layout), and needs to have the best selection of units included. At present, it is a fantasy posing as a product just so some individuals can feel like their rule/weapon/idea actually matters to anyone but them self.

i am not committing an error in logic. open-mindedness of various fan units, fan weapons & equipment, creates differences and variety. that's why BT sells well. and remember, fan TROs & fan rulesbook have fan artwork (provided it isn't already copyrighted), and i did recommend that fan units/fan weapons/fan equipment can't be used in official BT tournament games unless all real life players, that are playing said games, have agreed before said games begin. so have TW fun, and respect other players desires as to how they have TW/TO/SO/AToW/AToWC/IO/TROs/SBs/novels/fanbooks/etc. fun. As you can realize the more BT products that're sold, the more fun there is for players. Smile
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AlayneLeung
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2015 19:29    Post subject: unintentional repost of most recent reply Reply to topic Reply with quote

this unintentional repost can be deleted. sorry about this. i had a tad bit of difficulty getting my most recent reply submitted after i clicked on Submit rectangle. hope that's not a problem. Embarassed
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Rudel Gurken
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PostPosted: 21-Feb-2015 07:44    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

I for one would not buy a fanwork that is full of Überweapons built by various people like 3-ton AC/25 with a range of 10/20/30 etc.
And such things will come in damn sure if you open the product to custom weapons. You have to filter the input to prevent this and this will cause a shitstorm about why this weapon got through and the other not.
Unbalanced fanware is not something i would give money for.
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PostPosted: 21-Feb-2015 13:49    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

how about each custom weapon uses a formula to determine its mass, damage, and range except for the Inner Sphere Small Laser & Clan Micro Pulse Laser since each of these two weapons emit 1 heat point and each of them has 3 damage points and each of them masses 0.5 tons, they could have these ranges: S 1-33, M 34 to 66, L 67 to 99, E 100 to 132 since repeated doubling of ranges squares the heat they each emit and Heavy Metal program max long range is 99 hexes, and they could use altered energy weapon damage rules so at long range, they each can only do 2 points of damage, and extreme range they each can only do 1 point of damage. remember 1^2=1. Smile for each custom energy weapon, we could require each of them, when firing at these ranges, to use an advanced targeting system that masses = to each of their tonnages, and must be mounted where said energy weapon is mounted. and, i suppose custom equipment could use formulas also. these formulas should be in Heavy Metal programs.

and one more rule i'm adding: each real life player, that wants his/her custom unit/custom weaponry/custom equipment/rule(s) to be published, must pay Catalyst a non-refundable copyright registration fee per item to be searched for copyright registration before it's published (if it's not copyrighted, that is).
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Rudel Gurken
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PostPosted: 22-Feb-2015 04:21    Post subject: 2 BT related ideas to raise $ for homeless veterans... Reply to topic Reply with quote

To press all custom weapons into a prefabricated mold leads the whole concept ad absurdum.
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