Battletech: Technical Readout 3025 [Paperback]

FASA Corporation Staff (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Fasa; Revised edition (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555603106
• ISBN-13: 978-1555603106
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #242,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Blaine Pardoe lives in Amissville Virginia. He is the author of numerous science fiction, military history, and business leadership books. He is considered one of America's best writers about the Great War. His books have been published in six languages and he has been a featured speaker at the U.S. National Archives, the United States Navy Museum, and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Tech readout, July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: BattleTech Technical Readout: 3025 (Paperback)

I loved this book the first time I had it. Not only did it cover the Overviews, capabilities, and variants of the mrchs, It also gave short personallity listings of some of the pilots (one of the things I miss in the newer tech readouts). Although it doesnt have some of the older mechs like the Mackie and the King crab, It does have mechs like the Warhammer and Marauder (My favorite)!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Revised, Retooled, Reprinted, March 6, 2001

By 

Brad Smith (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Battletech: Technical Readout 3025 (Paperback)

Way way way back, before the beginning of the end, FASA had Technical Readouts for its two major game lines, Renegade Legions and Battletech. Renegade Legion is, of course, long since gone, but Battletech still thrives, and one of the most consistent sellers are these, the tech readouts. And this was the first.

Well, not really. See, the original 3025 readout had a bevy of 'Mechs you'd seen in other media, particularly Robotech (say, the Marauder, Warhammer, Locust, etc.). Then, a few years ago, FASA was embroiled in a lawsuit over the use of the images, and things went poorly. So, FASA can't put any more images of the contested 'Mechs in any product.

And so was born the 3025 Revised Readout. All affected 'Mechs were excised, and replaced with Level 1 versions of the old Star League 'Mechs (like the Thug, the Black Knight, Flashman, etc.). Background is inserted to make it seem like they've been there all along, and while there are still some mentions of the old 'Mechs (like Barber's Marauder 2s, a mercenary regiment), we'll never see the old ones again.

I give this a four because it is still the introductory readout, and pretty good. If you can get the original, you should...but it's going to be very hard to find now, as they made the changes several years ago. But this is definitely a book you want to have if you play Battletech.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this one if you have the original., January 6, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Grand Rapids, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battletech: Technical Readout 3025 (Paperback)

This is the second edition of Technical Readout: 3025. The original (with the cut-away marauder on the cover) is now out of print. Frankly, I'm not too impressed with the revised edition. Although they have streamlined the text, this one little plus doesn't makeup for what they have taken out. Missing from the revised edition are any mention of 20 or so different types of 'mechs that did appear in the original edition. These include such classic models as the Locust, Wasp, and Stinger, the Shadow Hawk, Griffin, and Wolverine, and the Archer, warhammer, and Marauder. In place of these missing models, they have substituted an equal number of "dumbed-down" Star League-era 'mechs. The 'mechs they have included are the same ones that appeared in Technical Readout: 2750, which is also out of print. As Battletech is a game that can be played in any game-timeperiod (from the invention of the battlemech up to the distruction of the clans), these omitions are not to the benefit of the player. For players new to the game,your best bet is to try and find the out-of-print original edition at a used bookstore. If you don't, you'll never see the missing designs again.