Canon

See also BTW's Policy:Canon on how the issue of canonicity should be dealt with on this wiki.

Canon

For a definition of the term "Canon" in the context of fiction, see Canon.

Canon, with regards to the BattleTech franchise, is the sum of all approved official publications and products that together shape and define the fictional universe that is BattleTech.

It ultimately falls to the owner(s) of an intellectual property (IP) to decide what is part of the same and what is not. Thus, statements, clarifications and rulings made by the BattleTech Line Developer and certain others who are empowered accordingly by the IP owners directly form and affect canon.

Fans summarily refer to persons with the power to decide over canon as "The Powers That Be", TPTB for short.

Regarding the question of what is canon within the BattleTech universe, Herbert A. Beas II, the current Line Developer, provided the following (official) answer on the CBT Forum:

(edited slightly for improved formatting)

“

Whatever we establish for research material for the authors is canon. Currently, that list includes: All sourcebooks and novels produced for BattleTech by FASA and Roc in the United States All sourcebooks and novels produced for Classic BattleTech by FanPro and Roc in the United States All sourcebooks and novels (including electronic publications, such as BattleCorps) produced by InMediaRes (and its subsidiaries, BattleCorps and Catalyst Game Labs) in the United States All material produced by WizKids for the MechWarrior: Dark Age/MechWarrior: Age of Destruction game lines GENERAL INCLUSIVE NOTE: There are a few select instances where a story or article appearing even in these sources may be considered non-canon, but generally this is because the material was in error [...], or it was specifically published as a gag [...]. The list does not include: Magazines, even "official" ones such as BattleTechnology, 'Mech, and others The MechWarrior, MechCommander, and MechAssault video and computer games, as well as the various BattleTech games produced for Nintendo and Sega game systems The BattleTech cartoon series The BattleTech comic book series GENERAL NON-INCLUSIVE NOTE: Despite their non-canonical status, we have not gone into total denial about these sources either, but have simply opted to pick and choose what elements there are "canon" and what are not.

”

He also agreed to the following assertion by another poster, stating that "it looks like [the author] has the long and short of it right":

“

As long as a piece of fluff from an official source (FASA, FanPro, Catalyst, Infocom*, Activision*, Microprose*, Microsoft*) isn't directly contradicted, and makes sense, you can assume it to be part of the shared universe. (*Fluff from these sources is 'canon' in the sense that the story that takes place in the game happened in canon in the same general broad strokes - Gideon recovered the Chalice from the Matabushi-backed Dark Wing; Jason found the Star League cache and rescued his father, then fought with the Hounds on Luthien; mercenaries helped Carver V become Liberty, FedCom forces on Port Arthur disrupted Smoke Jaguar operations as part of Operation Bird Dog, etc. - but the details are likely to be significantly different than the ones you experienced during your gameplay).

”

Apocrypha

For a definition of the term "Apocrypha" in the context of fiction, see Apocrypha.

"Apocryphal" denotes products, or information contained therein, which are neither clearly canonical nor clearly non-canonical. Although not recognized as canonical, apocryphal sources are invariably official BattleTech products, a quality that sets them apart from the vast majority of non-canonical inofficial products, based on the statements above that even though some official sources are explicitly not included in the list of canonical sources, the IP owners are "not in total denial about these sources either" and that "fluff from an official source [...] that isn't directly contradicted, and makes sense" can be assumed "to be part of the shared universe". Fans tend to ignore the fact that not all official sources are fully canonical, and often accept and treat apocrypha like fully canonical products.

Herbert A. Beas II, the Line Developer, used the term "apocryphal" in two related instances on the CBT Forum (regarding the RD-1 Roadrunner in one case, and the entire 1993 Update Flyer it in another) to describe something that was expressly ruled to be not canonical despite meeting all criteria for canon as laid out by him.

In a broader sense, "apocryphal" is generally used to describe products that were intended to add to the BattleTech universe, but which do not meet the criteria for canon for one reason or another. In particular, it applies to the BattleTech products that were explicitly excluded in the above definition of canon despite being official products. Some apocryphal products (such as the BattleTechnology and StarDate magazines and the 1993 Update Flyer) were even canonical originally, but lost that status later on.

Apocryphal products, or at least some information contained therein, have occasionally been canonized through being mentioned or referred to in later canonical products. This is especially true for the storylines of some computer games and for individual pieces of information from the BattleTechnology magazine; for the animated TV cartoon series a (canonical) sourcebook was published where the cartoon was established to be an inaccurate propaganda show based on acutal characters and events within the universe, to reconcile discrepancies between the show and established canon.

Non-Canon

While everything that is not clearly canonical technically falls under non-canon, that term is typically used to describe either of two distinct situations:
Something to do with BattleTech may not be meant to contribute to the BattleTech universe in the first place, like the Critter-TEK parody or a real-world treatise on the BattleTech franchise, or else it is not an official product. The latter category encompasses the vast majority of non-canonical items. Notable examples include the magazines published by fan organizations.

Even the work of people who normally contribute canonical material is considered non-canon if it is done outside of a (canonical) product. Foreign-language publications that were not published in English language in the United States are not considered official products either, even original German material published by FanPro when they owned the license.

Unofficial, fan-made material is often referred to as Fanon, a portmanteau word blending the words "fan" and "canon".

Veracity

Information about the BattleTech universe is provided in different ways. Not all canonical information is equally valid within the universe.

Omniscient perspective

Most BattleTech fiction (novels, scenarios, etc.) is written from an omniscient point of view and thus relates canonically true information to the reader. However, this is only true for information that is given directly in this (omniscient) way. Information is often given indirectly, for example through a message; in this case, only the existence of the message is canonically true, not its veracity (see In-universe perspective below).

In-universe perspective

Sourcebooks and some other publications usually take the form of in-universe documents, i.e. they purport to be reports, messages etc. written by certain people or factions. As such, they canonically exist within the universe but the information provided therein is naturally prone to inaccuracies, ignorance, bias and attempts at propaganda on the side of the alleged author. Any and all such information may be revealed to be misleading or outright false in later publications.

The Interstellar Players sourcebook was the first to specifically present what became known as Canon Rumors. Canon rumors are myths and urban legends of dubious veracity that canonically exist within the BattleTech universe. Their sourcebook descriptions are delibrately left vague and with several possible explanations, explicitly leaving it to the reader/player to decide what of its content should be taken at face value. It could be said that they provide truly optional canon, although certain canon rumors or parts thereof have been canonically proven true or false in later publications. Others remain ambigous.

Conflicting information

Truly conflicting information requires two or more omniscient sources to contradict each other, as only information presented to the reader in this way is invariably true. Omniscient descriptions naturally trump any informations which are merely presented as a (possibly inaccurate) information within the universe. A conflict between in-universe sources would be just that, proving that either or possibly even both are wrong.

More detailed information is generally held to trump more general descriptions. In cases where it is impossible to reconcile the conflicting pieces of information, the latest published information supersedes earlier material.

In summary, in the case of contradicting canonical information,

1. information from an omniscient viewpoint trumps information from an in-universe viewpoint;
2. detailed information trumps general information
3. later sources trump earlier sources (see also Retcon below).

Retcon

For a definition of the term "Retcon", see Retroactive continuity

With regards to BattleTech, the word "Retcon" is typically used to describe a change in established canon where where a canonical fact/truth is invalidated and substituted with another fact/truth. It should not be confused with instances where a specific information is revealed to be incorrect within the universe.
The mere addition of information, even for an earlier timeframe, is not considered a retcon if it does not substantially alter established canon, nor is the correction of mere errors.

However, Line Developer Herbert A. Beas II maintains a different definition:

“

Definition: RETroactive CONtinuity (retcon) - The insertion of material into a work of established canon that explains, supports, or corrects a later development without affecting the greater continuity. This includes adding details to backstory that were not there before (and are explanable as unnoticed or deemed irrelevant at the time), filling in a "blank area" where no information is provided (to back up a present or future development), or erasing/altering a minor detail to accomplish either goal (also referred to as "errata").

”

Because most information pertaining to the BattleTech universe is presented in the form of in-universe reports, few real retcons (in the sense of changes to canonical information) exist for BattleTech. Prominent examples include:

• The original concept for the 3025 timeline postulated that absolutely no BattleMech factories remained and Hesperus II was described as merely a spare parts depot. This concept was abandoned early on, when various operable manufacturing centers were written into the fiction.
• To cope with the alledged import requirements of certain major worlds, the number of operable JumpShips must be significantly higher than the ca. 3,000 registered vessels mentioned in the Mercenary's Handbook 3055; without providing actual numbers, Strategic Operations postulated a much larger number (by at least an order of magnitude)
• The world of Mica VII is consistently described as a barren planet with only a marginal atmosphere where life is only possible within biodomes, yet the BattleCorps story "The Pirate Hunt" describes it as a lush jungle world. (The author later admitted that he was unaware of the earlier descriptions of Mica VII.)