MrGOTIME: My understanding is that they have the approval for models and stuff from PGI (MWO).
Navagon: Yeah, and MWO hasn't been sued (yet). But someone who's not willing to take on MWO might see Battletech as a more suitably sized target for their legal team. The mech waters are incredibly murky and poisonous with lots of vague things incredibly litigious people think they own.
Just, stay within mechs MWO uses (with their permission of course). Let them be the test. If they release a model and don't get sued you are also safe
Navagon: Naturally I doubt that this will include any RPG elements and it should be a lot more tactical. But well within their proven capabilities all the same.
I expect RPG elements in the way of available mechs, mech upgrades, tuning, faction relations, equipment, pilot skills (AC: master / PPC: veteran / maintenance: rookie etc) so you have to manage both pilots and mechs they are using, but i'm just speculating