Canonical List of Errors in the BattleTech Animated Series

Quelle: BattleTech Bay #216 ( http://www.schwag.org/~rocky/btech/ )

Version 1.0 2002-07-07
Started by: Rocqueforte "Rocky" O'Leary

Introduction
Having finally acquired all 13 episodes of the Battletech Animated Series, I thought it might be amusing to attempt to catalog all the errors that were in the series. The rules for deciding if something was an error were:

• The element under inspection contradicts previously published BattleTech source material
• The element under inspection is JustPlainWrong [tm] (a good example of something that is JustPlainWrong is the incredible 'MechButt escalator used by Star Colonel Kristen Redmond in episode 4)

Note that this means "It sucked" is not an error (merely a valid critism), and "the plot had logic holes you could drive a Fortress class DropShip through" likewise doesn't count. After each error the episode the error occured in is listed in brackets (for cases where the same error occured in multiple episodes, the keyword "Multi" is used). For those errors that the 1st Somerset Strikers sourcebook attempted to rationalise or explain, an asterix has been placed after the episode number.

The Errors

• Apparent age of Star Colonel Kristen Redmond is incorrect. The Jade Falcon sourcebook puts her age at just past 60 in 3053, but in the cartoon she looks no older that her mid-thirties (Multi).
• The timing of the invasion of Somerset, Dustball, Apollo, Romulus and Trellwan does not match dates given in Jade Falcon sourcebook. (Multi)
• Uniforms worn by Clan warriors do not match those given in Jade Falcon sourcebook (Multi).
• Use of Maulers by AFFC contradicts Technical Readout 3050 (it's a Draconis Combine only 'Mech) (Multi *).
• Shape of the Thor OmniMech doesn't match illustration in Technical Readout 3050 (amongst many others) (Multi).
• Elemental battlesuits are not controlled by voice commands and take considerable time and modification to be used by non-elementals (see Kai Allard-Liao's training in "Lost Destiny") (Ep.6 and 7).
• 'Mechs don't use escape pods - in most 'mechs, the command couch forms the ejection seat (the Wolfhound is a notable exception) (Multi).
• Wolfhound ejection system comprises of the entire head, not just an escape pod (see TR: 3050 and "Lethal Heritage") (Multi).
• Diversity of 'Mechs illustrated (or rather, not illustrated!) does not match published source material (Multi *).
• Space inside 'Mech cockpit far more generious than described in other source materials.
• AFFC officers use incorrect titles for their ranks - the AFFC uses German rather than English rank titles. All "Captains" (Miles Hawkins, Galen Cox) should be "Hauptmanns", all "Majors" (Adam Steiner, Victor Steiner-Davion) should be "Kommandants", all "Colonels" (Colonel Hartman) should be "Hauptmann Generals" etc. (Multi)
• All planets in the series seem unable to detect incoming Jumpships - I lost count of the number of times the first thing planetary defenders knew about an approaching enemy was the combat drop over the defender's space port (Multi).
• All combat seems to be a variant of 18th century "stand and shoot/stand and be shot at" warfare, which contradicts all other BattleTech fiction (Multi).
• LRMs tend to be depicted as firing a single missile per launch, rather than multiple missiles per launch (for example, a Vulture's LRM rack should launch 20 missiles per firing) (Multi).
• The series repeatedly over-emphasises the effects of heat on 'Mechs (Multi).
• Exterior shot of Kwaidan as Major Adam Steiner addresses it's crew for the first time is of a Warship, not an Invader class Jumpship (Ep.1).
• Valten Ryder appears in brawl on Kwaidan, well before Somerset Strikers recruit him on Dustball (Ep.1) [This is hard to see - in my AVI copy of the episode, he appears behind the table in the center of the screen 12 minutes 13 seconds into the episode and more clearly to the left of Franklin Sakamoto 12 minutes 16 seconds into the episode].
• Uniforms of Somerset Strikers don't match published FedCom uniforms (Multi).
• Uniforms of Prince Victor Steiner-Davion and sub-ordinates don't match published FedCom uniforms (Multi).
• Franklin Sakamoto's communication that resulted in the mercenary ambush in the Hamilton system could not have reached the Hamilton system in time frame indictated (a message from the jump point would have taken a few hours to reach Tharkad, and then it would have had to wait until ComStar sent the next batch of messages to Hamilton) (Ep.1).
• Mercenary fighters that attack the Jumpship Katana in Hamilton system have Draconis Combine markings (Ep.1).
• Victor Steiner-Davion didn't join the 10th Lyran Guard until after Trellwan i.e. after Ep 6. Note that Ep 6 correctly lists his unit as the 12th Donegal Guard (Ep.1 and 6).
• The autocannon in the right arm of Valten Ryder's Centurion appears to also be a pulse laser of some description! (Ep.2).
• Range of Clan LRMs incorrectly stated as "2.3 kilometres" (Ep.2).
• Mechs can rotate more than 120 degrees - in fact, Star Colonel Kristen Redmond's Vulture can do 360 degree torso twists! (Ep.2).
• Valten Ryder's Centurion changes colour (Ep.2).
• Juan Martinez's battalion is a lot bigger than a battalion (I counted ~20 Union class dropships in ther fly by sequence!) (Ep.2).
• Speaking of the Dustball rescue battalion, how did they manage to arrive on the scene so fast ? Only a few minutes passed between the jail break and their arrival! This is a particularlly glaring error when one considers that Juan had to go to ComStar to communicate with his battalion, suggesting that the battalion was in another system (Ep.2)
• I never knew one got into the cockpit of a Thor via it's crotch (Ep.4). [1 minute 14 seconds into the episode in my AVI copy].
• In a similar vein, I never knew that Vultures had escalators in their butts (Ep.4).
• Just how did Rachel, Adam and Valten get into the roof to evade the Clanners during their jail break on Twycross ? The distance between the floor in the corridor and it's ceiling is at least 2 1/2 times the height of Adam or Valten (Ep.5).
• I would have thought that activating Elemental jump jets inside a elevator would be a BadIdea(tm) - especially since the roof (and presumably all the elevator motor equipment at the top of the lift) was still intact (Ep.5).
• Victor Steiner-Davion's first encounter with the Clans on Trellwan doesn't match description of battle in "Lethal Heritage" (Ep.6).
• Victor Steiner-Davion's conversation with General Hawksworth doesn't match conversation in "Lethal Heritage" (Ep.6).
• Victor Steiner-Davion appears taller than 1.6 metres (height given in "Lethal Heritage") (Ep.6).
• Galen Cox's hair colour is wrong ("Lethal Heritage" describes it as "sandy"), as are his eyes ("Lethal Heritage" describes them as "blue") (Ep.6).
• Fire extingishers in space would not use water (think about how bad using water in a zero or neglible gravity environment would be) - they would most likely use halon (Ep.6).
• The quartermaster NCO's refusal to hand over supplies should have resulted in the military police being called in (it's called "Refusing the Orders of a Superior Officer") (Ep.7).
• Is the same quartermaster NCO illiterate ? How come he didn't recognise Adam Steiner's name on the equipment requisition forms (since he falls all over the Striker's once they receive the message from the Archon)? (Ep.7)
• This quartermaster is just asking to get shot! Whilst introducting the Strikers to their new equipment, he *twice* announces his intentions to abandon his post (Ep.7).
• Hawk dismounts from his 'Mech to attempt to commincate with Franklin and Kylie - hasn't he heard of radio ? (Ep.7)
• Star Captain Kristen Redmond wins the bid to defeat the 1st Somerset Strikers by bidding "...[attacking] with my Vulture's lasers deactivated...", however she uses her lasers as soon as the battle with the Strikers starts (Ep.7).
• Star Captain Kristen Redmond refers to her 'Mech as a "Vulture". The correct Clan name for her 'Mech is "Mad Dog" (Ep.7).
• Star Colonel Nicholai Malthus refers to his 'Mech as "Thor". The correct Clan name for his mech is "Summoner" (Ep.7).
• Why do LRM equipped 'Mechs have a large "LRM Remote Detonation" in their cockpits ? I would have thought the only way your LRM's remotely detonate is when they hit your intended target (or nearby trees, ground, innocent bystanders etc etc) (Ep.7).
• Adam Steiner mentions that LRM missiles "target infrared signatures". Oh no they don't - not unless they're iLRMs, introduced by House Marik well after the events in the cartoon (Ep.7).
• How much time did Malthus and his Star spend waiting for the crashed dropship to respond to Malthus's demand for surrender ? From the countdown, it looks like a very short period of time, but the Somerset Strikers had enough time to conduct a sub-orbital hop and a march to the rear of Malthus's forces (i.e. quite a bit of time). (Ep. 8)
• In the enhanced imaging battle near the crashed dropship, the dropship doesn't appear! (Ep.8)
• Since when do Awesomes have 4 PPCs (4 smoking PPC ports visible at approx 7min 6secs) ? (ep.8)
• According to other Battletech source material, Clan Jade Falcon is one of the most conservative Clans. So why did they adopt Ciro into the clan when his only link to them comes via a medal one of his ancestors was presented by General Kerensky ? (Ep.8).
• When the Strikers are searching for the escaped Kirsten Redmond, you can see that the fighter bay doors are open, even though the dropship is currently travelling through space (!) (Ep. 8)
• Once adopted into Clan Jade Falcon, Ciro should be refered to as just "Ciro" (or "MechWarrior Ciro"), yet Nicolai Malthus still refers to him as "Ciro Ramirez" (Ep.8).
• How did Kristen Redmond get out of her handcuffs whilst in the escape pod ? (Ep. 8)
• The discovery of Camelot Command by the 1st Somerset Strikers contradicts the information in "Rhonda's Irregulars" (Ep.9).
• Creation of the Clans as described by the Camelot Command computer contradicts all Clan sourcebooks (Ep.9).
• The departure point of Kerensky's Exodus as described by the Camelot Command computer contradicts all Clan sourcebooks and Star League sourcebook (Ep.9).
• A Clan Wolf Elemental refers to another by the rank of "Lieutant". No such rank exists in the Clans. (Ep.9).
• Val's impersonation of General Kerensky and the Clan troops reaction is just so *wrong*..... (Ep.9).
• Aerospace fighters defending the FedCom jumpship Excelsior have Draconis Combine markings (Ep.10).
• No signs of explosive decompression when Elementals cut into (and board) the Excelsior (Ep.10)
• Galaxy Commander Chitsu's warship is easily within Nicolai Malthus' jumpship's K-F field when Malthus' ship attempts to jump - this should cause BadThings (tm) to happen to both ships (Ep.10).
• The Excelsior's captain speaks to Adam Steiner in real-time, even tho' it appears that his jumpship is not in the same system as Adam Steiner's (Ep.10).
• Speaking of this real-time conversation, since when did Inner Sphere jumpships come equipped with hyperpulse generators ? (Ep.10).
• Two fighters do not make a "squadron" - you'd think Major Adam Steiner would at least know his military terminology! (Ep.10).
• When piloted by Franklin, the Awesome's PPCs appear to be located in the right torso, right arm and left arm (the left arm PPC should actually be in the left torso) (Ep.10).
• Hohiro Kurita's first encounter with the Clans on Turtle Bay doesn't match description of battle in "Lethal Heritage" (Ep.11).
• Shin Yodama piloted a Phoenix Hawk in his first encounter with the Clans, not a Centurion. (Ep.11).
• Hohiro Kurita piloted a Grand Dragon in his first encounter with the Clans, not a Hatamoto-Chi (Ep.11).
• Some dodgy symbols on a sword are hardly reason to believe that you are the bastard son of the Heir-Designate to the Draconis Combine (Ep.11).
• How exactly does Kylie hack into the Somerset military academy with a noteputer that has only numeric keys ? (Ep.12)
• According to episode 7 (and the Somerset Strikers sourcebook), Infiltrator suits are armed with grenade launchers - so how come the Inflitrator has a pulse laser of some description when piloted by Franklin Sakamoto ? (Ep.12)
• Did the Clan guards at the Somerset Military Academy learn how to shoot from Star Wars stormtroopers ? The escaping Strikers are running across open ground, yet the guards are unable to even wound one of them. Sheesh! (Ep.12)
• How did Kristen Redmond and the other prisoners get out of their cells prior to Ciro freeing them ? In episode 11 we see Kristen and co. in the cells, in epsode 12 they're being held out in the open. (Ep.12)
• Adam Steiner places the charges on the side of the trees facing the clearing, yet when the charges go off, the tress fall into the clearing - surely most of them would fall away from the clearing ? (Ep.13)
• When Adam Steiner gets out of the river, he is not wet (Ep.13)

Note: Surprisingly, episode 3 seems to be free of any non-"Multi" errors, and episodes 12 and 13 are relatively error free too. I guess 3 out of 13 is still kinda pathetic....

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