Well, I am hardly the best fellow to explain the wonders of the BattleTech universe, but I figure I'll get it started. BattleTech is set (usually) between 3025 and 3067 (I think) in which giant (extremely expensive) robots called BattleMechs engage in battle for various reasons, from petty banditry to great dynastic struggles. I split the universe into two parts: the Inner Sphere (the old empires that once were part of a great Star League) and the Clans (mysterious invaders who were once, confusingly, the Star League armed forces, in the distant past).
The game is hex-based, and relies on management of your BattleMechs, from how fast they ought to move for ideal evasion or accuracy, to how much heat you can safely build up through actions such as firing weapons or using jump jets. Each BattleMech can take loads and loads of damage, but the more damage it takes, the more the rounds will pierce the armour and hit critical systems, from heat sinks and weapons to engines and ammunition.
The last game I played, my 100-ton Annihilator was fighting against a Nightstar and a Berserker (I think those are both 100 tons as well). They did a number on my mech, scoring head hits, engine hits, gyro hits, mangling my left leg, and ruining my mobility and overall efficiency. I retained my ability to fight, however, and kept firing at them for the next three turns, throwing autocannon slug after autocannon slug at them. They eventually ruined my engine ending my stubborn defense. And, to me, that's what BattleTech is about. I was down, but not out, able to drag the combat on and on despite very heavy damage, every system, including my pilot, having taken significant damage. BattleMechs are tough...
