Here's what we know:
a) PGI are conspicuous lurkers on this Reddit.
b) the reason we love these kids and will happily throw our money at them every time they come back with yet another DLC is precisely because they're game and let's make no mistake, the turnaround on their DLCs is absolutely nuts. (Especially after those layoffs. Salute to all our PGI comrades who didn't make it: in a just world you'd be with us still).
So... let's throw our pitches. But let's be creative about it because I'm not going to pretend to have the lore background that PGI's writers have and I'm confident they know all the best bits that are worth exploring.
Instead, let's talk about ideas for building a broader tail for this magnificent machine: styles of gameplay that are under-explored but could make for a fun bit of bespoke content.
So here's my pitch.
We're not going to bother getting into the cockpit taking advantage of whatever brand new bit of dark sorcery Ryana is using to resurrect Mason's PPC-scorched corpse.
Instead, let's accept the fact that Mason is, in fact, now one of the Sphere's legendary mercenary commanders and do what they do best: delegate.
Which is how our new protag is born, the snot-nosed up-and-comer in their battered Phoenix Hawk looking to make a name for themselves. There's some podunk garrison duty that pays well but is beneath the legend and so off he throws Skippy and their spunky little crew to do the grunt work that Mason's too busy cracking cases of Timbiqui with the people who actually matter to bother with.
Except this time, in grand BattleTech fashion, things go to shit and off goes our motley collection of lights and inadequate repair facilities to wreak guerrilla war.
In other words, make scarcity the campaign. Make the most exciting piece of salvage getting a functioning actuator from a Trebuchet and ramming it into a Firestarter in the hopes we can make it work. Make seeing a damaged Thunderbolt limp onto the battlefield a moment of abject terror. Make getting a lift to the next town a genuine accomplishment!
Let's see the scrappy core that we love from so many of the novels, but haven't got to properly explore except in passing at the start of a Mercs campaign.
Because if Grayson "it's absolutely pronounced Death" Carlyle can do it, why can't we?
Now the rest of you. Make it good!
