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Into the eye of the storm!
We had known for a long time that we wanted to create our own game universe, something grand and epic in scope with lots of cool characters and machines. It wasn't until early September 1993, however, that we did something about it. The team was just back from GenCon, and ideas abounded amongst the many people present. The basic Silhouette game concepts were laid down during a nightly discussion at the old office. We didn't know it yet, but this was the start of the Heavy Gear saga. Basic concepts for what would become Dream Pod 9's in-house game system were committed to paper that night, and then further refined as the design team proper sat down to work. During the months that followed, the system evolved through many variations, although the base principles stayed the same: playability and speed, sprinkled with a healthy dose of realism. Drafts were submitted to friends, and later, to playtesting groups in the Montreal area. All came back with positive reviews, so we knew we were doing something right.
From the loose concepts assembled over dinners and lunch emerged a clearer picture of where the game was headed. Everybody had agreed that hard, gritty science-fiction would be the norm. Except for faster-than-light travel, the science used in the game would conform, as much as possible, to the laws of nature. Space travel would still be expensive and dangerous, similar to the concepts seen in movies like 2001 or Alien. The game setting was also placed far in the future. There were several reasons for this. One, this would cover any close-future change in history; who cares about the year 1998 when your character is living in 6132? Second, we all agreed that although many science-fiction stories made colonisation seem like a simple procedure, the opposite would probably be true. We thus needed time to establish our human planets.
By Spring of 1994, the elements had fallen into place. Since then, books and products have been released at a dizzying rate, often one new book every month. Heavy Gear, the first Heavy Gear computer game, came out at Christmas 1997, and its sequel, Heavy Gear II, is now firmly established as the best mecha-style game on the market. -- The Dream Pod 9 team
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You saw the ads, or you heard about it on the Internet. But what is Heavy Gear? It's an incredibly detailed mechanized gaming universe, the backdrop of a great science fiction saga. Heavy Gear also has the distinction of being the first entirely home-designed game by Dream Pod 9, the very same team that brought you the 
In the meantime, the universe behind the game was also evolving. We wanted something that would make us stand apart from the rest of the crowd. We finally came up with a concept: a timeline that would be a story. Not only would the game advance chronologically, but there would be a large-scale story behind it all, with a beginning and an ending. Clues and hints about the story would be scattered through the books to create a gigantic and epic saga that the gamers could enjoy following as well as playing. 
Everybody on the team wanted to keep technology at a manageable level. We did put in some highly advanced devices, but we freely mixed the technological levels to create a believable atmosphere. Why use a tractor that keeps breaking down if you can use a strong beast that will do the same work, better? So the overall technology was very patchy, and we liked that. The Gears themselves are a perfect example of this: a super-advanced computer in an old-tech body with bits and bolts everywhere. 