Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Good morning. I've been chewing over this idea quite a bit, as always happens with me I have too many imaginations for one to hold them all, so I'm going to post some initial thoughts I have here on building my NWO for Giant Robots. Influences: I grew up playing Battletech as my first real "board game" that I didn't hate - this is because it involves guns and (wait for it...) Giant Robots. Who doesn't love Giant Robots? There's a very gritty feel to that world which I've rarely found replicated elsewhere. The other game that I loved to play on my PC was Heavy Gear II, possibly one of the greatest examples of how Giant Robots can be stealthy ever. I've also seen all of Neon Genesis Evangelion, bits & pieces of Gundam, Voltron and I just finished Macross Plus. There's a look & feel there among all of these that I'm going for, all wrapped in an overarc that I'm still figuring out. I'm currently playing the original Xenogears on my PS1 (with LCD screen! So I can play Giant Robot RPG and watch SportsCenter at the same time). Design: One of my core design philosophies is popcorn. Start small - a single sentence, or concept - and explode it into something much greater. This campaign first took life about eight months ago as an attempted Sci Fi campaign which was short lived; its an extension of the Fantasy Epic world I'm currently running. One of the central concepts is that the various planes of existance are like planetary bodies - they move, spin, form conjuctions, come into and out of alignment. These metaphysical forces exert real influence on the physical world. When Hell is Waxing things get more chaotic; you could consider, in this model, the Prime Material Plane is the 'sun' - all things revolve around it. I never bothered asking "why" this is - souls of man, what have you - it just is. That aside. At this point in the history (Giant Robots) Hell has managed to disrupt the orbit completely, and has left the world in a state of post-apocalypse, so you could consider this war-torn, Demon Invading Giant Robot HERO. Within the confines of that there are giant monsters (from "really large" up through "Oh dear G-d") soldiers, warring nations, etc. To maintain my sense of scale I'm considering placing the Giant Robots around 15 - 20" in height (roughly 2 to 3 hexes tall). Larger ones are an option, but are less economical to build and power, and power armors present their own problems, although I envision them existing. Giant Robots: Because I've played so much Battletech I'm likely going to keep some basic constructions from that system, including graded lasers (Light, Medium, Heavy) Pulse Lasers, Flamers, SRMs (Short Range Missiles) LRMs (Long Range Missiles) and so on. There are things I'm going to have to really delve into TUV to learn how to do properly, including: - Hard Points. I want a lot of differentiation among robot designs, and to an extent I'd like the PCs free to design & build their own within reason. "This is my Scout Mech. There are many others like it, but this one's mine." I don't want Scout Mecha wandering around with 8 Hard Points packing dozens of SRMs and Gauss Rifles. - Armor, will for the most part, be Hardened and I'm considering giving Mech Class weapons "Armor Piercing" at one level for free, to demonstrate that Mech Class weapons are build to bust through Mech Class armor; I'd like to do this in such a fashion that doesn't involve a ton of Handwavium 984, an element I try to avoid as much as possible. - SPD. Small mechs are more responsive (per TUVs explanation) than Large Ones. A small mech should also be able to cover more distance than a large one, however. However. An Assault Mech may very well be able to unload all sorts of pieces of its arsenal even if it can't move very far. - Facing. Mechs classically have swiveling torsos, capable of changing facing while moving in a different direction entirely. This is true in Battletech and in Heavy Gear; the "torso" would likely count as a "turret" capable of independent movement, I'll be checking the rules on that. The world is caught in an ongoing struggle; mecha units are scattered, empires have fallen, pirate camps have arisen and as the book says, human life is cheap - mechs are priceless. I envision mecha rolling out and engaging demons (15' ers like Balrogs and their ilk) on a blasted wasteland, holding onto the last vestiges of their own territory. Governmental conflicts would involve underground resistance movements, ancient empires still clinging desperately to life, raiders, evil men forwarding their agendas by making pacts with the Dark Lords. Setting would include: Melee weapons as well as hand held firearms; no one ever developed the tech to fuel a hand-held energy weapon, although Vibrablades and magnetic disruptors aren't unheard of. Synthitex is the explosive of choice and used to blow off mecha limbs in a fashion similar to sticky bombs undoing tank treads in WW2. The PCs would be mecha pilots, possibly trained, possibly not. Ritual Magic exists and can be used, but would begin locked from PC use (as generally only the Demons & their servants can use it, but this is a separate thread). I've chosen Dark Champions because it contains the requisite super skills and feel closest to what I'm thinking of to synch up and match the vision of the world I have. Those are some initial thoughts. Feel free to add, beg, borrow, steal, clarify, point out errors and flaws, direct me to additional material. Post Apocalyptic may be a misnomer - my vision of the world is much more intact than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edsel Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Have you thought about picking up the Robot Warriors PDF? It is based on early Hero system rules (2nd Edition or so) but should be quite easy to adapt to 5th Edition. I still have a copy around here somewhere. Its a pretty neat little book. It could provide some useful ideas and rule mechanics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions That may be a good place to start. I'm going to be spending a lot of time this weekend figuring out how to build "different" Giant Robots, which is a big concern of mine. I don't think it's "right" that Active Points should be the deciding factor; a light mech will have less AP than an Assault Mech, but it'll also be faster and have more sensors/gear/doo-dads than any Assault Class should or would (because in part it's hard to hide an assault mech). Edit: I'll get a copy from Noble Knight Games, they have it used. Thanks for the tip! I'll let you know if it's of any use! Thanks for the link, but PDFs do me zippy in the good dept. I have to have a book, I'm hermetic like that. ~DEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Have you thought about picking up the Robot Warriors PDF? It is based on early Hero system rules (2nd Edition or so) but should be quite easy to adapt to 5th Edition. I still have a copy around here somewhere. Its a pretty neat little book. It could provide some useful ideas and rule mechanics. It's actually a pretty nice mecha game, with rules tailored to the conventions of the genre, and the PDF is cheap for what you get. It does have some significant differences from Fifth Edition HERO, though. OTOH one of our board colleagues, Chris Goodwin, has posted pretty detailed notes on how to blend Robot Warriors with 5ER to create a pretty kick@$$ giant-robo game. You can view Chris's notes on his website, here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions BTW if you'd like to see examples of various mecha built according to standard Fifth Edition rules, as well as suggestions for how to build them, may I suggest following the link in my signature, below, and checking the listings for Battletech and Robotech? Tons of interesting and useful stuff there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edsel Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Darn it all as if I haven't got enought stuff diverting my attention now this thread has got me thinking about giant robot games again. BTW thenks for the Link to Mr. Goodwin's sight LL I'll have to read all about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Interesting, I'll have to review it more in depth once I have Robot Warriors and I've read through it at length. I know in part that my mecha are going to have an "anime" feel to them - I want the PCs to have really slick rides, and it's part of the blend of genre that I'm going for. As I've often been told: Don't play (game) and call it HERO - build what you want in HERO and play HERO. Thanks for aiming me in his direction though, I'll get in touch with Chris to see if he can offer clarification. The parts I'm going to have the most trouble with really are building the giant robots, and scaling the fights appropriately against the demonic hordes. The plot and such are the easy bits, but I want to transcend the usual anime tropes and in a sense also go beyond what Battletech does - the story should be about human struggle with Giant Robots, not Giant Robots who solve human struggles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions You must understand this, Edsel: I love Giant Robots. I cannot stress this enough. It's a long lasting, deep abiding passion that I've never been able to adequately explain, shake or divulge myself of. I just bought a twelve dollar book with 5 bucks in shipping to fuel this addiction. Hopefully I'll be able to piece together some rules over the weekend; I wholly expect to use Powers as a means of representing giant robot abilities, including cameras, chaff, flares, cloaking devices, heavy weapons, non combat speed on skates/wheels (thank you, Heavy Gear) and other bits and pieces. I think at this point in the history that the mecha are held together as much by spit and prayer as they are by truly talented mechanics. I may also reintroduce the idea of Psionics in this campaign, which would give me an excuse to include mechakinesis and mechatelepathy the skills that allow pilots to go above & beyond their machine specs. I'd also like to have a deep enough political struggle, and human struggle, to make playing in this world worthwhile; the Giant Robots are as much a weapon as they are a vehicle as they are a stamp of the setting. More than anything, I want them to reflect my vision of giant robots, more than I'm looking to replicate Robotech/Battletech/Macross/Southern Cross/Invid Invasion/etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Dude! Dude! Ask and ye shall receive. Answers, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Genre-wise, I think this sounds more like Star Hero with elements of Dark Champions and Fantasy Hero. It's a good general feel, though, and I think the overall idea looks really cool. Have you seen The Ultimate Vehicle? There's some material in there regarding mecha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Actually, Bob, I just bought TUV for this express purpose - I intend to build some of my nastier Demons (keeping in part with the anime feel) as "mecha" and what have you. I think in parts it may even have a kaiju feel to it as it'll take a Lance of fifteen to twenty foot mechs to take down a pair of balrogs who have super-human movement and powers. I'm also going to incorporate parts of CyberHERO for purposes of jacking it, etc. I had an idea similar to NGE wherein the pilot wears a suit loaded with various needles; those needles carry the cocktail of drugs, adrenal enhancers, and electrolytes necessary to withstand the rigors of piloting. The suit is their armor, and the cocktail is tied to a pack in the suit, which plugs into the Mecha. The mecha as part of its onboard functions monitors the health of the pilot and can then, vis a vis its life support sub routine, administer additional drugs from the pilot's supply. The suits are durable, and provide a modicum of protection outside of the mech as well. But that's a separate design. Bob - Believe it, I struggled long and hard before settling on Dark Champions. Star HERO was my first thought, but I discarded it in favor of the 'feel' I want from DC. Fantasy HERO is my impetus because it's what I know best. My sci-fi setting is really closer to "mechapunk" than anything else. Hey, there you go. Mechapunk HERO. That's what I'm building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions A very cool bit about Robot Warriors is that you can build monsters or self aware robots using the same mechanics, and it gives an example of how. Note: The robot building rules are compatible with Hero, but none of those rules have actually survived to Fifth Edition. They're not the same rules as the vehicle or power building rules in modern Hero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Chris - so the rules are wholly compatible? I don't have to reinvent the wheel to accomplish this? Have you read TUV? Does it cover similar mechanics, or did I do right by buying Robot Warriors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Well... by compatible I meant that they were usable with the Hero System in their day, which is to say with a subset of Hero. You'll need to tweak them some to make them wholly compatible with Fifth Edition. The mechanics themselves are still good -- you could play a whole campaign using just the RW book, but there are things that were done one way that are done a different way now. I'm assuming you've bought the RW PDF? Take a look at my page to see what's changed. RW doesn't use the Hero power building system to achieve effects, though the mecha hardware building system is similar. I have read TUV, and TUV uses the Hero vehicle building system. The RW mecha building system is incompatible with the Hero vehicle building system. I hope I didn't cause any confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Giant Robot RPG via Dark Champions Thread copied, pasted, transferred to Star HERO where it (should be?) a better fit. GIANT ROBOTS! PLEASE POST TO REBUILD IN STAR HERO. Gracias! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.