What would Clan Basic Training be like?

[Valaska]

... Well clan basic training basically (pun intended) is HELL. You're born, and you're trained from the moment your eyes open, they imprint a warrior life style as young as possible and you develop quickly, before a clanner knows how shave he will know how to break a mans neck.

 Clanners are brought up in Sibco's, these are... Err, "batches" of True Births, they run, they fight, they shoot and they take an extremity of tests, they are encouraged to duel each other, kill the weakest, and weed out the strong and leave only the strongest left standing, living. They at a young age learn to dispel love and such, sex is considered nothing but a pass time to drain a soldier of attachment and emotion towards anyone of the opposite, or same, sex.
 They begin to handle mechs after they are judged worthy enough soldiers, most Mech Warriors of the clans would be the most elite ground infantry, trained to have incredible reflex's, combat situational awareness, and a toughness that is literally BEATEN into them by their trainers. Their bodies are hardened from days comprising of drills, exercises, running, shooting. They often don't get fed to build will and character and see who simply can't make it (often these will get bumped down to clan infantry, or become one of the other caste's).

 When few, and I mean a very few of these sibco remain, they are given their first mech, they train constantly in it, marksmanship, proper clan etiquette , tactics and are taught how to command even if they are going to remain nothing but low ranked MechWarriors. In this time, they still hone their bodies, are trained even harder by their new instructors, and then finally when done they enter the Trial By Fire. This trial isn't in all clans but most, where the newly trained warrior is paired against an aging warrior that is simply too old or disgraced, these two will duel, often resulting in death a sort of Pheonix like rising, one warrior dies so a new can begin, this will be the end of the hellish training of physical torture, pain, emotional breaking, and conditioning..

 This is the point where a clan MechWarrior is graduated, there is no comparison to their training in modern history.. The Trial by Fire can also be taken in battle against an enemy if the fledgling proves himself in combat. Those warriors who are rejected often are bumped to infantry, or just killed.

[PukinDog]

A good analogy.  Although, some of the larger houses of the IS have a closely comparable training program, alas, without the threat of being "cast" into a lower "caste".

Honestly, even though I am a Clanner, I believe that its not the initial training which matters most, but how each warrior, IS or Clan, reacts to combat, and the amount each warrior experiences combat.

It is pointless to try and argue which training is "harder" or more difficult.  I would say some of the Rituals have no equal in the 'Sphere.  For example, drinking Scorpion Venom {CGS}, the branding {CHH}, and though I hate to admit it, the clawing {CGB}.

It is not the training which matters most, but combat experience.  A hard point to argue.  Would anyone disagree that the DCM has immense combat experience?...or the Lyran Alliance?...just as much as the Clans, no doubt.  Don't forget a point here...as a rule of thumb, the IS does NOT observe Zellbriggen, the Clan Code of Honorable Combat.  So who's training is actually easier?  hmm...

Each warrior's mettle will be tested...on the fields of MWLL.

Who will have your back?  Its up to you.

[Kodiak Ash]

I know I read this book forever ago.

I found this link for the trilogy information.  Most notably, that during training individual success is favored over group effort while training and the culmination requiring a trial.  I would imagine this is true for all types of Warriors such as Elementals and Aerofighters.

There is a training camp.  There are punishments like whipping or whatever.  Think the "Starship Troopers" boot camp scene, MEDIC!  I remember that the main character (Aiden) had some crush on some sibling Marthe, but she became all cold and all business like.  There was some business with him and Joanna "coupling" if ya know what I mean... 

Here's a link to her madness.  Shares a lot of detail about what they did for Aiden and such.

At the very end of their there is a trial to determine if they become a Mechwarrior or not.  If they fail, they are demoted to another caste (Aiden became a technician).  There was something special about him I think, so they let him back in as a Freebirth and he passed his trial, but was still looked down upon.  Later on it turned out he was a Pryde or whatever and he fought for his bloodname and become a trueborn warrior and so on and so forth.


Could probably have a tutorial part of the game (training) then move onto the final test (against AI?) before they can play with the toys.

[Valaska]

 A lot of the houses have elite cores etc true but the thing is the clans all have elite mechwarrior Training. A failed mechwarrior also doesn't necessarily drop to the other Caste's they can stay in the warrior caste but as something like infantry, oh wait I said that already lol sorry.

 Oh and they didn't.. Let Aiden back in as a freebirth, he actually created a new identity and illegally snuck back in as a Freebirth warrior lol, it was the only way to become a mechwarrior again after failing.. Other than like doing something insanely awesome but still heh.
 He was really looked down upon even after winning the Pryde blood name, but after he took on.. A trinary I think, and held them off by himself for the Falcon's forces to retreat in their dropships which.. Trinary vs normal pilot=1 minute death, he fended them off long enough to let drop ships take off even! lol.
 People even say that he may still be alive... It was hinted in one of the books .
 

[Aurora Paradox]

People even say that he may still be alive... It was hinted in one of the books .

Which book was that?  I only started reading batletech recently.  However I have read The Legend of the Jade Phenoix Trilogy.  I'm pretty sure that at the end of Falcon Guard he is dead.

Aurora Paradox
Clan Smoke Jagaur
Alpha Star
Star Colonel

[Valaska]

People even say that he may still be alive... It was hinted in one of the books .

Which book was that?  I only started reading batletech recently.  However I have read The Legend of the Jade Phenoix Trilogy.  I'm pretty sure that at the end of Falcon Guard he is dead.

Aurora Paradox
Clan Smoke Jagaur
Alpha Star
Star Colonel

 I can't remember the exact title but there was a HUGE thing in the battletech fanbase that the guy who explains his life.. Well, might be you know who heh. I dunno if it is I don't even know how I feel personally.. But if ANYONE could have pulled through that, he'd be it!

[Thoman Coston]

People even say that he may still be alive... It was hinted in one of the books .

Which book was that?  I only started reading batletech recently.  However I have read The Legend of the Jade Phenoix Trilogy.  I'm pretty sure that at the end of Falcon Guard he is dead.

Aurora Paradox
Clan Smoke Jagaur
Alpha Star
Star Colonel

Correct he died on Tukayyid as written in the book 3 of Jade Phoenix Trilogy; Falcon Guard.

[=CJW= Rad Hanzo]

but does the third book not start with an intro about a commander sitting at a lake or something like that?

[Valaska]

People even say that he may still be alive... It was hinted in one of the books .

Which book was that?  I only started reading batletech recently.  However I have read The Legend of the Jade Phenoix Trilogy.  I'm pretty sure that at the end of Falcon Guard he is dead.

Aurora Paradox
Clan Smoke Jagaur
Alpha Star
Star Colonel

Correct he died on Tukayyid as written in the book 3 of Jade Phoenix Trilogy; Falcon Guard.

 Incorrect, they even stated its open ended =P.

[Thoman Coston]

but does the third book not start with an intro about a commander sitting at a lake or something like that?

No, the book's prologue wrote about Joanna on Twycross, when the Falcon Guards met their doom.

Incorrect, they even stated its open ended =P.

Are we reading the same book? (Robert Thurston's Falcon Guard) .Show me which part of the book is open ended. I actually dug out the book and have in front of me to check it to make sure I did not read it wrong few years ago when I finished reading it. Aidan died a worthy clan warrior's death. Good ending.
On top of that, CJF command stated officially that Aidan is dead in the epilogue through the elaborate ceremony given to honor him and his genetic legacy by including his genetic legacy into immediate use in sibko production.

[Valaska]

 They never found his body, and remember the man who was explaining his -entire- life in detail? Its been in argue that it was actually Aidan himself, when they asked FASA simply stated "Maybe." And usually if its no, they slap the big N of O onto it. So its left up to be translated, you don't believe it and thats your right =].

[CHHš Firestorm]

Hm, the thought that Aidan is re-telling his life to us and that he didn't actually die never occurred to me.  Indeed, he would be one to "die" but actually still be alive. Maybe he enjoyed the honor of his "death" so much that he didn't want to tell anyone he was actually alive. Hell, he lived a fake life for a few years to get back into Warrior training, I could see Aidan doing this.

[Redfern]

Just for the Record, Kiriko's MW3 reference ultimately stems from BattleTech 1709 The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky authored by Chris Hartford, and published by FASA in 1999.
An excellent book that I highly recommend for an in-depth look at the life of the Clans. Best if followed by 1706 Field Manual: Crusader Clans and 1711 Field Manual: Warden Clans

(CSA) Redfern

[PukinDog]

Wow, never thought of it that way.

[7.[WD]Poldi]

Something that could add up to the gameplay is the final trial for position a cadet has to go through to achieve at least warrior status.

An excerpt from the BattleTech Wiki:

Each trial involves two cadets and six opponents in the one circle of equals. For each cadet is a set of three opponents, each opponent fighting one at a time in sequence. Defeating an opponent earns an imaginary kill. While an opponent’s cadet is engaged they will stay neutral, fighting only when it is their turn. If a neutral opponent is hit, either directly or accidentally, then all opponents become active and the trial becomes a free-for-all and the assignment of opponents on cadets is waived. Hence the opponents can engage any cadet and a cadet can defeat any opponent for a kill and a cadet can even earn a kill by defeating the other cadet in a free-for-all. There are also some other infractions by the cadets that can cause a free-for-all. Since the last thing a cadet wants is a free-for-all, cadets will try to ensure nothing happens that causes one and hence the free-for-alls are rare.

So if a cadet defeats 1 enemy he becomes a warrior.
For 2 enemies defeated he'll start his active career as a Star Commander, having 4 Mechs under his command.
For 3 kills he starts out as a Star Captain, commanding 5 stars.
...and so on.

This could give a qualification system which will allow commanding of troops/teammates in-game only if the player has the needed rank.
Of course one can gain higher ranks in the clans by actions on the battlefield.