Battletech

 
 
 

HAREBRAINED SCHEMES ● BRANCHING NARRATIVE, IP DEVELOPMENT

BATTLETECH WRITING SAMPLES

As a Narrative Designer for BATTLETECH, I wrote, designed, and implemented interactive stories for the Flashpoint, Urban Warfare, and Heavy Metal expansions. BATTLETECH is a tactical strategy game with systemic and branching narrative. Players take command of a force of BattleMechs and their pilots. As the campaign progresses, players manage tenuous relationships with dubious clients, while fighting to scrape by in a bleak universe. BATTLETECH pays tribute to its iconic 30 year history as a franchise, while evolving the classic tabletop formula and crafting new stories for both hardcore fans and new audiences alike.

 
 
 
 

A House Divided

A House Divided is a Flashpoint Mission in BATTLETECH. In this mission, the player must decide whether to support the family’s matriarch or her daughter as they struggle for the soul of their noble house and survival.

 
 
 
 
 

I

LADY SUIKO: Welcome to Mendham, Commander. I'm Lady Suiko of House Nakano.

We're a minor house, but we're highly regarded for our sense of honor—at least, in the Comibne. But now, our good name is threatened by outsiders who are sowing division.

DARIUS: Please, Lady Suiko, tell us more about your troubles. Or about who the trouble is, more specifically.

LADY SUIKO: Now, one of these miscreants wants to roost at our family estate on Yorii in exchange for a vast sum. Mariko refuses to acknowledge that a known criminal will be using my ancestral home as a base for her nefarious operations.

This cannot be allowed—I'd rather see House Nakano fall than be dishonored by this creature. Fortunately for you, even in my relative poverty, I can still afford mercenaries.

SUMIRE: Wait. You're not going to ask us to murder your kid, right?

Because we get that a lot. Like, way too much.

LADY SUIKO: If I wanted her dead, I'd do it myself. No, I love my daughter. But she's so caught up in her pursuit of wealth that she's forgotten the words passed down from her great-grandmother: "Honor is the embodiment of an ideal. Wealth is the means to bypass ideals."

I blame myself for failing to reinforce this lesson. I should have enlisted her in the DCMS, but it's too late now. This animal has sunk her claws into my daughter and thus into my house.

PLAYER: Understood. Who exactly are we dealing with?

LADY SUIKO: Corina Luthendorff. She's more than just a socialite—she's a war profiteer who amassed a fortune selling military-grade weapons to insurgents, who then murdered innocent Kuritans during the Third Succession War.

Now those same insurgents serve as her personal army.

PLAYER: How would you like us to proceed?

LADY SUIKO: Mariko will arrive shortly to throw one of her extravagant soirées and hand over the keys of our ancestral home to Luthendorff. An estate that has been passed from mother to daughter for generations!

You must prevent this. Who is Mariko to rob our descendants of their birthright? I'll send over coordinates. Intercept Luthendorff's convoy and eliminate her. Leave nothing but a smoldering ruin in her "honor."

FARAH: Hold on. That's a big jump. Why do we have to kill Luthendorff?

LADY SUIKO: I told you. I won't kill my daughter, but she won't listen to me.

PLAYER: Your rationale is as sound as any we get in this business. We'll take the contract, Lady Suiko.

LADY SUIKO: Very good, Commander. I'll be in touch.

VIEWSCREEN: [Lady Suiko's image flickers and dies.]

YANG: The way Lady Suiko talks, you'd think honor was worth more than gold. But I know when to keep my mouth shut.

SUMIRE: No, you don't.

DARIUS: Look, I could listen to this clever banter all day, but we've got work to do.

 
 
 
 
 

II

THE PLAYER TAKES TO THE BATTLEFIELD WITH THEIR 'MECHS IN AN ATTEMPT TO KILL THE WAR CRIMINAL LUTHENDORFF AS REQUESTED BY LADY NAKANO, BUT ULTIMATELY SHE SURVIVES.

SUMIRE: Bad news, Commander. Lady Mariko says Luthendorff survived the attack.

And now the heiress wants to hire us for a job.

PLAYER: Lady Suiko did say her house was divided, didn't she? Well, their division means opportunity for us. Let's hear what she has to say.

MARIKO: Hello, Commander {COMMANDER.LastName}. I'm sorry to meet you like this, but my mom has put me in an impossible situation.

When she realizes Luthendorff has survived, her Kuritan ideals will dictate that she settle our dispute directly, the only way she knows how—in a BattleMech. She's gathered her old war buddies to kill Luthendorff herself. That can't happen. My family needs Luthendorff's money if House Nakano is going to survive.

MARIKO: Look, I know you didn't sign up for our family drama—you're just looking for a payday. So, let's talk business. Break your contract with my mom and work for me

I've stashed away some funds for an emergency, and this is it. I'll double whatever she offered you—just stop her from killing Luthendorff.

MARIKO: Just please, please try not to hurt my mother. She's nearly seventy, and her BattleMech is centuries old.

I'm trying to save our house, not kill Mom. I love her with all my heart. I… I just don't know how to reason with her anymore.

DARIUS: With all due respect, your mother's safety isn't really something we can guarantee. If she fires on our people, they're going to defend themselves.

MARIKO: I know! If only she wasn't so damn stubborn!

I guess it runs in the family.

PLAYER: That stubborn streak is why we're here. While it's good for business, maybe we can help. Sumire, patch in Lady Suiko. Time for some negotiation—family style.

SUMIRE: Roger that, Commander. I see where you're going with this.

LADY SUIKO: Ah, Commander. I'm surprised it took this long to hear from you again. I thought you'd be hounding me for your money after our mission—although your job's not done.

Luthendorff still lives.

SUMIRE: Actually, Lady Suiko, the Commander had this wild idea that maybe you and your daughter needed a chance to talk to each other.

PLAYER: You and Lady Mariko have a lot to discuss. It's easier if we cut out the mercenary middleman.

MARIKO: Mom… I don't want to fight you, but you keep interfering with my plans. I'm doing everything I can to keep House Nakano afloat, but that takes a lot more money than we've ever had.

My methods may seem alien to you, but I'm not a MechWarrior like you. I can't just blow up our problems. I'm making allies in key positions, winning them over with gifts and parties. It's expensive, I know, but the [[DM.Factions[faction_Kurita],Combine]] isn't like it was when you were growing up.

LADY NAKANO: You have to find your own path as my heir, Mari, but I am still your mother and the head of this family. Luthendorff cannot be allowed to desecrate the home that our ancestors built with honor and steel. It's all we have left.

Her stay on our estate would leave an indelible mark of shame on House Nakano. Your "ally" made her filthy money peddling arms to insurgents who slaughtered Kuritan civilians. She doesn't belong anywhere near our household.

MARIKO: Luthendorff isn't "desecrating" our home—she's saving it. It's not like I'm selling our estate, Mom. Her stay would be only temporary. Afterward, we could use our newfound fortune to buy back the surroundings lands we've lost.

But you can't see the sense in that. You'd rather watch our house die than live by any standard other than your own.

LADY NAKANO: You've forgotten the wisdom of our forebears, Lady Mariko. A house with no honor is no house at all.

If you cannot see this, then you'll be made to see it—one way or another. I will not pin our future on blood money.

MARIKO: You're impossible. Fine. If you want a fight, then you'll get it, but I never wanted our differences to turn into a full-blown battle. You're forcing my hand.

Commander, my offer stands—double your pay to stop my mother. Just… try not to hurt her.

VIEWSCREEN: [The screen cuts to a fog of static. Lady Mariko has terminated the communication.]

YANG: So, yeah, that could have gone better.

LADY NAKANO: Indeed, but I appreciate your attempt at uniting my daughter and me. She has grown but hasn't matured.

Commander, you would honor me if you would deploy with my former lancemates as we take out Luthendorff, once and for all. Only when this wretch lies dead will I be able to rest, knowing House Nakano's reputation will be preserved.

PLAYER: We'll consider your offer, Lady Suiko.

VIEWSCREEN: [Lady Suiko's expression is grim as the viewscreen blinks out.]

DARIUS: I'm not sure whether that helped or not. But it looks like we're stuck between securing House Nakano's honor or their bank account.

What's the call, Commander?

 
 
 
 

III

(*IF PLAYER SIDED WITH LADY SUIKO*)

SUMIRE: Honor might be nonsense, but it's important nonsense in the Draconis Combine.

DARIUS: Fair point, Meyer. Money can't buy everything—even mercenaries know that.

Get ready to redeploy. Our work isn't done yet.

THE PLAYER TEAMS UP WITH LADY SUIKO AGAINST THE WAR CRIMINAL'S HEAVILY FORTIFIED FORCES.

SUMIRE: I've got both of the Nakanos on the horn, Commander.

YANG: Time for round two! I brought popcorn this time.

LADY SUIKO: Thank you for your diligence, Commander. You've done House Nakano a great service—to the detriment of your own bottom line, no less.

Perhaps my daughter will learn from your efforts. Regardless, with Luthendorff dead, our honor remains unsullied.

PLAYER: We aim to please, Lady Suiko.

MARIKO: Mom, I don't know how we're going to make it without Luthendorff's money. There's no one else offering to bail us out.

But I'm not sure I care anymore… I'm just happy you're alive, even if you disown me. I wouldn't blame you.

LADY SUIKO: You're not going anywhere, Mari. And either am I. At least for now. Nakano women have always been fiercely stubborn, and you're no exception. Though misguided in your approach, you put our family first, and I respect that.

So, no, you won't be disowned. But I will put more effort into preparing you for your future as the head of House Nakano.

MARIKO: Thank you, Mom. I'll look forward to that… and to spending more time together.

I'm not sure we'll ever completely see eye to eye, but I promise to listen and learn from you. Still, I'll have to find my own way eventually.

LADY SUIKO: As did I with my mother.

Our honor holds this house together, even if our coffers are empty. It binds our family through history, more than just our bloodline ever could. It's a promise that each generation renews. Now it's your turn.

MARIKO: Then let's not waste any more time, Mom. I'll see you back at home on Yorii.

VIEWSCREEN: [Lady Mariko's image shimmers and fades.]

LADY SUIKO: I must take my leave, Commander. Thank you. I will not forget your support when you could have doubled your pay and sided with my daughter.

House Nakano is in your debt.

VIEWSCREEN: [Lady Suiko almost smiles as the screen flickers and goes dark.]

YANG: Damn. That was downright wholesome.

FARAH: Maybe we can find more contracts that don't make me feel like taking a shower when we're done. But maybe that's wishful thinking.

Either way, I'm glad we chose House Nakano's honor over our profit.

DARIUS: I hear you, Farah, but we can't afford to be too picky. This outfit still runs on C-Bills.

Let's get back to work, people.

 
 
 
 
 

III

(*IF PLAYER SIDED WITH MARIKO*)

YANG: Good call, Boss. Worse comes to worst, House Nakano will have a fat stack of C-Bills to fall back on.

DARIUS: You said it, Chief. Now let's keep Lady Suiko from killing her house's cash cow.

THE PLAYER'S LANCE GOES UP AGAINST LADY NAKANO AND HER OLD WAR BUDDIES AS THEY ATTEMPT TO KILL THE WAR CRIMINAL THAT HER DAUGHTER, MARIKO, HAS PARTNERED WITH.

SUMIRE: I've got both of the Nakanos on the horn, Commander.

YANG: Time for round two! I brought popcorn this time.

MARIKO: Commander, I can't thank you and your crew enough. Luthendorff lives, along with our arrangement. Our finances are set.

And you kept my mom safe—she's maybe a little bruised, but she's seen worse.

DARIUS: We both benefited from the deal, Lady Mariko.

LADY SUIKO: Congratulations, Mariko. You have fully taken on the burden of leading House Nakano. Its dishonor is now yours to live with.

You have done what you believe you had to do. And now I will do the same.

VIEWSCREEN: [Lady Suiko's image cuts out.]

FARAH: What does she mean?

MARIKO: She means that this will be the last we ever see of her.

FARAH: I'm so sorry, Lady Mariko.

PLAYER: Is there anything else we can do for you?

MARIKO: You have done what I have asked of you, Commander, and you performed admirably. And now I will live with the consequences.

That will be all.

VIEWSCREEN: [Lady Mariko fades from the viewscreen.]

FARAH: I don't know about you all, but I'm feeling the consequences. I'm feeling them a lot.

SUMIRE : They're Lady Mariko's consequences. Not ours.

DARIUS: Meyer's right. We're mercenaries, not family therapists. Regardless of its honor, House Nakano is still standing.

And that was the job, wasn't it? So, I'll call that a win.

 
 

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Ryan Schapals