News Update - August 26^th, 3069.

The roster and kill boards were updated somewhat to reflect several honorary members of the SLDF.  They are however members of BMAS, which automatically confers acceptance into the SLDF.

=SLDF=Psychlone, =SLDF=Arioth-VG, and =SLDF=NghtRaven have been spotted frequenting AV Mecha.  This fact was definitely noticed and has caused many rumors to start circulating.  In the interest of ambiguity, I think it best if everyone is left wondering.  I choose to refrain from responding to queries concerning the matter. ;)

After seeing many of my pics splattered across many other pages, I've decided to lower the quality of the JPGs to make them a tad bit fuzzier as well as watermarking them all.  I still retain the full sized pictures as well as the pics through various stages of work.  As yet, I am still debating on whether I should contact Geocities and have the sites blocked until the infringements have been resolved.  Likewise, other service providers follow similar guidelines and impose similar restrictions upon their users.

If you wish to use some of my pictures, at least seek my permission first.  You might even get lucky and I'd help you modify it to fit a particular theme or something to that effect.  If you don't ask, and then claim the material as your own, then we've got a problem.

News Update - July 4^th, 3069.

More major updates on the page have been done.  If anyone has any problems with the Javascript, please let me know via E-Mail.  So that you all know, I personally use Internet Explorer 4 to view this.  Main reason being that when I got the FrontPage 98 demo, it was the only browser with Dynamic HTML.  I still haven't changed, but no biggy.  Also, the midi files were originally picked because they sounded well on a 16 bit sound card as well as an AWE32 or AWE64.  Some have been changed since I now have an AWE64 so if they sound "twangy" on your end, sorry about that.  Get an SB64.  :)

On a side note, the SLDF and this page are more then a year old as of about May.  I didn't realize that until I noticed the date on my original index file on Geocities (as well as some of the older pics I was sorting through for the updates.)

For us yanks, I hope your Independance Day goes well.  I'm having a BBQ with some friends and we've got a keg of beer for later in the evening. :)

News Update - July 3^rd, 3069.

Mech Commander has finally been released and it has lived fully up to the expectations that I had for it.   I will be taking the MC demo patch off as there is no further need for it.

Several new sections may be going up soon.  A file section since I have 5 megs more of space on here now, as well as possibly sections for Mech Commander, BattleZone, and Baldur's Gate when it is released.

New rendered 3d scenes will also be going up when I have the time to make them and put them on here.   The idea is to eventually replace all of the mech pictures with my own.

I would like to put in a very special thanks to a friend of mine who I spar with on a near daily basis, and that is Wolfshade.  I recently got back into playing mercs and was convinced by several people to switch to the mouse.  Wolfshade's been making sure I stay on my toes by ripping my mech to pieces in a rather nonchalant, no nonsense sort of way, hehe.   Thanks WS, I appreciate all the help you've been giving me. :)

I would also like to thank Neon for putting together the BMAS logo for us, and some thanks to Miyu for introducing us to the Drool Across America campaign.

While it remains to be seen if the SLDF will return to a merc league, or a Mech Commander one for that matter (Kronos and I have been putting together ideas for one for awhile, but we're both too lazy to actually run one), most of us are still around, either as BMAS, or within other ADL or NBT units.

BMAS stands for Burnt Mud Assault Squad (or Appreciation Society.)  For those of you wondering what Burnt Mud is, it's coffee.  You come up with the strangest things at 3-4am on Kali sometimes, hehe.

News Update - May 18^th, 3069.

It has been quite some time since this page was updated and it may yet be longer before anything really new is posted.  The SLDF retired from the NBT3068 league mostly due to the game losing focus and energy first with a restart then longer delays before the league began accepting any movements and such again.  From what I understand, the league's still moving fairly slowly so I don't think we've missed all that much.

In the meantime, the much awaited Mech Commander demo has been released, and the game itself will be out on the shelves within the next few weeks.  I have spent many hours scrutinizing the game in intricate detail and I must say I am very impressed.  The amount of detail and anherence to the BattleTech boardgame is amazing.  By poking my nose into how the data structure within the files works, I was even more amazed to find out that the game takes into account things such as rotation speed of and range of your mech's torso, how fast it's arms move, or which mechs your pilots have a natural apptitude for piloting.   The list goes on and on.  While heat may not be apparent and seems to be replaced by the refiring delay, let me tell you that heat IS in there along with just about everything else from the BattleTech rule books.  Weapons work exactly like they do in the board game, and you will find that fast moving recon mechs are much more easily able to evade fire, especially missile fire then the big and slow assault mechs.

The game does have a Command & Conquer or Starcraft type feel.  The interface is built along those lines but the gameplay itself is completely different.  Much like the OGR review said, it is not your typical RTS game and they're right.

While Mech Commander may not entirely replace MW2: Mercenaries, I think it has much more potential for accurately modeling mech combat then anything else available at present.  Many playing the demo have already found just exactly why the clans had such a fearsome reputation as those Kit Foxes turned their mechs in charred smoking hulks in seconds.   I expect to see the clan combat bidding to be almost a requirement for future BattleTech leagues.  I must say it will be quite interesting to watch how things evolve to take this new BattleTech addition into account.

Also, the demo available to download presently is a much older version then the one being released on the shelves.  If you want proof of this, check out the OGR review and look at the screen shots.  You'll notice that the screens are a lot different in their demo then the one we downloaded.  While I may have "hacked" the startup data file to enable many of us to play with more weapons and mechs, I seriously hope that the release will be difficult to hack and has plenty of checks in there to block any kind of cheating.  I also want to say that the file I modified was simply to gather more support for Mech Commander and allow you all to play with a bit more so you'll want the real game just as much as I do.

I normally wouldn't have gone to the point of putting a game like this through an X-Ray machine, but I'm just sick and tired of rather sloppy BattleTech games that just simply don't cut it.  When it comes to BattleTech, or AD&D programs for that matter, either it's going to have everything I would expect a game relating to an actual game to have, or I'm not going to bother wasting my money on it.  Quite recently, I've added to my list of "boycotts" of not buying any programs from companies that are more intent on making money versus making working programs.  Bug ridden software has become a bit of a problem lately and there's no excuse for that, especially when the big push to upgrade to Windows 95 was mainly to put an end to incompatibility problems and all that jazz.   Many companies have just gotten downright lazy and think most of you are suckers.   The ultimate power when it comes to stopping that is the consumer.  If we want top quality software, then we all have to take a stand against those companies who do not support their products, and stand behind those that do.  There's a simple term that applies called Supply and Demand.  If there is no demand and a large supply, then the price goes drastically down, then you don't feel bad when you buy really buggy software. :)

You can download the Mech Commander update file I made at the link below.  I will not do any kind of modifications that will make mechs or weapons vastly better then they should be so don't ask.  Just enjoy playing with mechs capable of carrying several heavy weapons like Ultra ACs or PPCs and see just how effective they're really supposed to be. ;)

MC Demo Update Removed (See July 3rd news)

News Update - Jan. 10^th, 3069.

The SLDF barracks on their new homeworld has been in an uproar of holiday festivities over the past month.  Many goods were imported after the successful campaign against Clan Smoke Jaguar just a few short months before.

The festivities began originally as a massive victory celebration that changed over to the festive spirit for the holidays.

Unfortunately, New Years brought it's share of disasters.  Somehow, the computer security systems were reprogrammed to prevent the SLDF High Command from locking up the alcohol warehouse.   An investigation is still underway as to who the perpetraters might be, but manpower has been short as of late.  Guards have been posted to keep others out so they can sober up, but the guards themselves hop in to join the fun.

News Update - Jan. 5^th, 3069.

Chapter 2 of the Net BattleTech 3068 league has begun.  Already a fleet of jumpships have been leaving several Clan occupation zones to strike deeper into the Inner Sphere.  Only time will tell if the Inner Sphere is prepared to meet the clans, or if the clans can maintain their furious assault.

- Anastasius Focht, Whitting Conference, 3058.

I would daresay that Michael Stackpole and I do indeed think much alike. The SLDF in NBT was formed for those very same reasons. I just finished Grave Covenant this evening (Sept. 11^th) and had quite a few laughs on just how ironic many of the situations in the novel compare to those in NBT. Suddenly Phelan goes from his usual preference of Wolfhound IICs and Novas to an Executioner. Odd considering Wolf in Exile's new Werewolf. Or the new emphasis on pulse lasers which have become far deadlier then in past novels. One would almost suspect perhaps that Mr. Stackpole is moonlighting as a mechwarrior, eh? One never knows. ;)  Clive Cussler once said, "When researchers had finally located the Titanic, I was happy to know in my heart that I had found her first." referring to his novel, Raise the Titanic (also a movie.)  I feel the same way concerning the SLDF.