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Hypothetically and unofficially, what would you like to see in a Mecha Hero book?


Chris Goodwin

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Re: Hypothetically and unofficially, what would you like to see in a Mecha Hero book?

 

What I initially disliked about Battletech is that it was all substance and no style. The 'Mechs had no personality -- they were just walking tanks. Even though the typical mecha is an inanimate object, there is usually a sense of style in its creation. That is one of the stylistic advantages of man-shaped mecha, despite the numerous practical disadvantages of such a shape. I wonder if this has been somewhat addressed in later editions or whether their core audience just doesn't care.

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Re: Hypothetically and unofficially, what would you like to see in a Mecha Hero book?

 

What I initially disliked about Battletech is that it was all substance and no style. The 'Mechs had no personality -- they were just walking tanks. Even though the typical mecha is an inanimate object' date=' there is usually a sense of style in its creation. That is one of the stylistic advantages of man-shaped mecha, despite the numerous practical disadvantages of such a shape. I wonder if this has been somewhat addressed in later editions or whether their core audience just doesn't care.[/quote']

 

Their core audience doesn't care for the most part. The one's who did care quickly moved on to Mekton as soon as that became an option. Back in the day, if you wanted to roleplay mecha pretty much the only game in town was Battletech. Palladium had the Robotech RPG too. However after Mekton came out (Mekton II, I missed the original which is pretty hard to find and always has been) pretty much all the anime fans I introduced the game to dropped Battletech like a bad habit. However Battletech has fans of Battletech, but I wouldn't ever call them mecha fans. They like walking tank combat, not dynamic anime-style mecha combat. Two totally different things.

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Re: Hypothetically and unofficially, what would you like to see in a Mecha Hero book?

 

It is?

 

Aside from occasional updates to the PC games, I haven't heard/seen anyone talking about the game in years. Since the 90's I think.

 

It's popular enough to spawn both a Clix game and new editions of the original Battletech Miniature game (and new pewter minis).

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  • 7 months later...

I know I am late to the party. Hope it is okay to chime in.

Mecha. Hmmm

I am easy going.

I like them all. Some more then others, some backs stories more then the actual mecha. Some the mecha better then the game mechanics.

I fall closer to ShadowCats feeling on mecha but not totally. I have many fond memories of protoculture powered mecha and even slow plodding Beasts of war

.

I would like to see a rule set I can use for Heavy Gear most of all. I have fiddled with some rules and they work roughly. VERY roughly and with alot of latitude in my GMing

I have always like this level of mecha.

 

Not just an enhanced exosuit. But not a walking tank system.

 

Vtech gas powered engines. powerful weapon systems, chunky armour and mecha that do breaking down like the Falcon with Han and Chewie.

Speed over lumber Tanks. I like Tanks to be ... TANKS.

 

I never liked how vehicles are handled in Hero system. Again I will echo a few and say they just felt like cumbersome characters.

 

But Love what NSG has touched on in the first page of this threat. It looks very interesting I need to comb more threw this thread to see if any more was spitballed.

 

So I guess I would like a system that felt like mecha and not heros with OIF.

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  • 3 months later...

Re: Hypothetically and unofficially, what would you like to see in a Mecha Hero book? Every year at DunDraCon, there's a few groups of grognards over in the corner playing BattleTech.

And there are people who still play 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D, along with the Basic D&D.  Still, I get your point.  There are people who will play a game just because they like it.  Look at Palladium...

 

~ M

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One series that might be an interesting inspiration for a Mecha Hero campaign from the Gundam franchise is Turn-A Gundam. A vaguely steampunkish world, in which they've just reached biplanes, wireless radio, and telephones, is invaded by lost Moon colonists using advanced mecha. (Keep in mind this was made just before steampunk became a scene.) A leftover Gundam from a previous war is discovered and used in defense of the Earth, which also builds primitive mecha of their own. A long, tense and tragic war ensues, complicated by the fact that the ruler of the Moon people and a young Earth noblewoman connected to the protagonist look so much alike that they can (and do!) trade places and people don't notice.

 

Apparently Earth had high technology in the past, but for some reason had deliberately regressed both technologically and culturally. Seeing a world in that position forced by circumsances to change and adapt was very interesting (if not traumatic for all concerned).

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  • 1 month later...

I have always been interested in writing up the mecha from Full Metal Panic called the Arm Slave
 

arx8_06.jpg

 

These mecha are a bit smaller than your typical Gundam at around 10 meters (5") in height.  The mecha action in the Full Metal Panic series is more on the realistic side of things (they use mostly conventional projectile weaponry with only a few of the mecha  using rubber science equipment like beam weapons and force fields)

 

I just might take a stab at writing these mecha up using The Ultimate Vehicle (5th ed) to see how they turn out.  Need to google all the specs on these mecha and then maybe work up a prototype...

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