Cultural Notes -- Hobbies and You!

[Comstar]

It can sometimes feel intimidating to try and come up with activities that people might enjoy in the distant future, but luckily for you, Battletech has a lot in common with 21st century life, so far as culture and entertainment are concerned - there is a fondness for music, games, hobbies, sports, and crafts.

Some common activities may be found in various nations, such as the Draconis Combine focusing on Japanese traditions such as Origami, Bonsai, Baseball, Sushi, Japanese Martial Arts, Poetry, etc... yet in Davion space you might find a fondness for Polo and Rugby, choir, racing of all sorts, painting, sculpture, literature, and much more, and in Marik space another set of old traditional pastimes altogether. Most any interesting regional custom you find on Earth likely made it into space at some point.

Even with regional preferences, many entertainment items have a certain universal appeal - common sports like Soccer are played all over the inner sphere - and many folks from all corners of the galaxy can at least hum along to many of the holo-jingles one might find on the Comstar sponsored news and entertainment channels which distribute a handful of drama and action shows to worlds all over the galaxy, such as "Immortal Warrior!" and "The adventures of Louisiana Tim". One universal pastime it watching the latest recordings from Solaris 7, the game world, where gladiatorial mech battles rage year round, each season ending as another begins, fortunes made and lost both in the arena and the betting booth. Famous names like Justin Allard made their fortunes there - and anywhere you go, you are liable to find someone watching their latest recordings out of the arenas.

Don't be afraid to be creative, take something in the current time and bring it with you into the 31st century - it almost certainly is still around in some form or another.

[Comstar]

Recent Trends:

In the last few months, after the short but violent war between the Draconis Combine, the MRB, and Federated Commonwealth, a wave of anti-war protest has swept the Federated Commonwealth, symbolized by a Rasalhagian singer known for her anti-war songs, Brigitte Svolda. Her soulful ballads, combined with mellow piano melodies, are the top trending musical act in the northern inner sphere, while in the territory of the Free World's League, a rock renaissance is underway, headed by the Jingos and Cash, a countrypunk band with anti-establishment messages.

The latest Solaris season was considered something of a letdown, with the expected results rolling out like clockwork and few upsets or drama. Attention has turned to the offseason and open events to see if any new blood will shake up the mech arenas of the game world. The international football competition sphere finals took place on the FedCom capital of New Avalon, and while the FedCom team took the title, the events were somewhat spoiled by accusations of cheating, along with anti-war protests outside the arena.

In Lyran high society, minor scandals shook the social calendars of many in the nobility as the established and well respected Winters family was rumored to have had a serious row -- one daughter having lost an arm on some expedition to a lousy backwater planet was blamed on the elder sister, who left in a rage and is now supposedly estranged from her mother, the duchess Morgana Winters. These rumors were given weight by the cancellation of her yearly gala, leading some to wonder if either daughter would ever find a suitable match and secure the family future.