Gundams and a new take on mecha in PbP

[Malkavian Grin]

Okay, I just hopped onto YouTube and got suggested a channel that recorded Cartoon Network's Toonami during 1999 and 2000 (including the cheesy commercials). I got hit right in the nostalgia so I gave it a watch for a few minutes. The first show was Gundam Wing and I got struck with some weird inspiration.

Some setup: I'm currently playing in a couple games of Vampire the Masquerade. They are both using a combination of public scenes and solo scenes, so that players aren't forced to be a party all the time (which just doesn't work well in Vampire).

The inspiration: What if those same public and solo scenes were brought to a mecha game? The plot of Gundam Wing has scenes/plots where much of the time the pilots are away from each other, all carrying out their specific missions. But there are scenes where they work together (as well as against each other!). It struck me that a game setup like that would be very possible if using a combination of public and solo scenes! In my experience, all the mecha games I've played in suffered from the pilots being to different from one another and having too different of goals.

Imagine, one player goes off on a demolition mission which ends up crippling part of the enemy forces. Depending on their rolls and the outcome of the mission, it may very well impact another player's mission in either positive or negative ways (the enemy reinforces the area or they move all their forces away from a certain location and leave it vulnerable, etc.)

Heck, in this style of game, you could even have rivals playing against each other, making moves on either side of the war.

Alternatively, if all the players agree, they could be part of a single mecha company of soldiers, akin to something like Mobile Suit Gundam: the 08th MS Team.

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So, #1, is there much interest in a mecha game? There would be a main plot happening which would draw the PCs in, but each PC would also be required to have a personal plot(s) they are looking to pursue in-between all the main plot. Thus, this would be a semi-sandbox game.

#2 Is there interest if this were to be set in a Mobile Suit Gundam universe (either a reimagining of one of them, or simply one inspired by one of the series)?

#3 What game systems do you see working best / do you have access to for mecha? I have Mekton II and Mekton Zeta, though I haven't played them in over ten years and would have to reacquaint myself with them. I've got Lancer but, like many of my books, have yet to even crack it open. There's anime systems like Tri-Stat dX and BESM, but those were never specifically for mecha, IMO.

[KaeCozy]

#3

As a huge mecha fan myself, as well as someone who is presently playing in a Lancer game elsewhere, I will say that it is...a lot. Not 3.5e/PF1e levels of a lot, but there are lot of, let's say, moving parts (queue audience laugh). Fortunately there are a number of resources to help, like Comp/Con, that can guide you in how it works, as well as Owlbear Rodeo to plot the map, but even at LL0, there is a lot that can go on in the span of just one round, and it takes a measure of dedication to keep up.

However, the trade off is that the system is incredibly in depth, and the aspect of customizing mechs is very elaborate. The basics are that as you gain Licenses, you gain the ability to swap out different weapons, systems, and other parameters from different mech lines. You can essentially make an entirely unique beast with enough licenses, and simulating basically any known mobile suit is just a matter of finding the right combination.

Unfortunately as I said, I'm already in a Lancer game and that gives me my fill of mecha content, so I will pass on playing, but I hope this information helps you with your decision. It is a really good system, its just really crunchy.

[Neopopulas]

I love mecha games and i think your concept is great, but i've always seen them struggle. Not because of story (mostly) but because of the system, and you really have to pick a system before you pick a style and type of game.

I really want to try Lancer or something weird like Cthulhutech, but those are wildly different types of games. Mekton is the Classic mecha game, and it seems like a great one. The others i haven't played though. I would be 100% on board for pretty much anything but i do really want to try Lancer. I've heard it really needs a map though because often times (some of) the mecha engage at such long ranges while others are all up in the faces of the enemy.

 

(i just want to play a missile swarm mecha pilot is that too much to ask?)

[Bobcloclimar]

I'm a huge Gundam fan (primarily UC/OYW era, although I do like a number of the other settings as well and started with Toonami-Wing), so I'd give any proposed game a look. That being said, my mecha RP experience is nil, so take my observations with a grain of salt.

• I've heard that the mecha rules in Stars Without Number Revised (not in the free edition, but it's easy enough to describe) work pretty well for emulating series where the power level differential between the main mecha and mook mecha is lower (so e.g. OYW vs 00). Main caveat there is that it's a B/X-heritage system with class levels, which may not be your cup of tea. Works great for combat and exploration-focused games (hexcrawling in the White Base?), no mechanical support for teenage angst.
• There's Beam Saber, the FITD module that's specifically aimed at Gundam fans. I hear good things about it, haven't played.
• Idea out of left field: Something hacked from the DOGS (fan-remake of Dogs in the Vineyard) heritage? Works where most conflicts start with lots of talking (lots of aimless dakka counts here), escalate gradually, and can end well before the utter destruction of the enemy (so more along the lines of Turn-A than Wing), and supports 1-1 conflict. It's very RP-centric and takes the right kind of group (and GM) to work.

[Inash]

I cut my TTRPG teeth on the old Palladium Robotech rpg back in the late '80s (and Battletech for the board game). I'd love to try a mecha game.

[Morphling]

#1 Definitely interested.

#2 Why yes. I love Witch from Mercury in particular but I'm good with learning about another setting.

#3 There's tons of options here. You could try GURPS but it's crunchy beyond belief and might not be what you're looking for. My favorite choice would be Armor Astir, a PbTA game that I think would fit what you're trying to do very well. The only catch is that Armor Astir is explicitly about magical mechas, so if you want that gundam feel you'd probably have to reflavor it a bunch.

[Malkavian Grin]

I appreciate all the input! Thank you!

Systems
I will say, I do love some good crunch when it comes to a mecha game. I want Armored Core levels of tweaking. I would think players would enjoy the same, but crunch can get tiresome after awhile. It's a tossup, I guess.

I'll look into Lancer. I don't mind some crunch and the stuff I read about it were positive.

I've got Stars Without Number, but the free version. I don't mind the OSR style of stuff, but dunno if that'll jive well with a mecha game.

I did see Armor Astir on a list of "best systems for mecha games" but the magical part is definitely not what I was aiming for (that's more Escaflowne than Gundam). I do like the PbtA style, though! But I'm open to the idea of "Human Plus / Newtypes" but with a very sci-fi kind of slant; it's not magic, just scientific manipulation.

I saw Beam Saber on that same list. Never heard of it and don't have access.

I have next to no experience with GURPS and the one time I did use it... oof.

I've got an old Robotech book I picked up at a second-hand shop, but it's a supplement and not the main rules.

[cailano]

Love it, and I love the idea of doing innovative things with the PbP format.

The old Palladium Robotech books come to mind, and it would be fun to see a game like this within the Battletech Universe, too.

I was a huge Robotech fan back in the day.

[Malkavian Grin]

3 minutes ago, cailano said:

I was a huge Robotech fan back in the day.

That's a biiig tuna fish!

I was too, though I got into it way too late. Then found out it was three different animes all smooshed together and the plots were murderfaced. I got the big sad after that. Oh well, it was still a fun, goofy ride.

3 minutes ago, cailano said:

Love it, and I love the idea of doing innovative things with the PbP format.

The old Palladium Robotech books come to mind, and it would be fun to see a game like this within the Battletech Universe, too.

Battletech came up in the conversations of good systems to use, but I don't have it, never played it, and don't know the first thing about it. I played one Palladium game (TMNT) a few years ago. Played about a smooth as GURPS, which is to say, like sandpaper LMAO (to be fair, the game died after the first combat, so *shrug*).

[Inash]

I've only played the boardgame version of Battletech, not the mechwarrior TTRPG (as opposed to the mechwarrior video games), so I can't speak to that. Looks like the most recent version is a 'rules lite based on the Cue system' thing that came out in 2020.

 

Protoculture!!!! It's science, totally not magic. Honest. Which leads me to think that you could totally technobabble something to fluff magic to advanced science (like the magnetic coating that made the first gundam so much more maneuverable) and use whatever you wanted.

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Inash (see edit history)

[Malkavian Grin]

There was some talk on reddit about how the TTRPG system (This War of Mine?) that goes along with the Battletech minis is pretty wonky and not advisable to use.

6 minutes ago, Inash said:

Protoculture!!!! It's science, totally not magic. Honest. Which leads me to think that you could totally technobabble something to fluff magic to advanced science (like the magnetic coating that made the first gundam so much more maneuverable) and use whatever you wanted.

I do like this idea. Super science is so advanced it basically functions as magic. Maybe I'll try to track down that Armor Astir and have a look at it.

[Inash]

18 minutes ago, Malkavian Grin said:

There was some talk on reddit about how the TTRPG system (This War of Mine?) that goes along with the Battletech minis is pretty wonky and not advisable to use.

You take that back! Blasphemer! Battletech was a wonderful game. It really wouldn't work well for pbp; though I'm told you can set up a megamek server and play online that way. Haven't tried. I also haven't played for about 30 years.

[cailano]

Now I want to see if I could run a wargame in PbP.

[Malkavian Grin]

15 minutes ago, cailano said:

Now I want to see if I could run a wargame in PbP.

I once played the board game of Zombicide on MW and we replayed our characters. It worked really well! I'm aware that's not what you mean though.

[Bobcloclimar]

3 hours ago, cailano said:

Now I want to see if I could run a wargame in PbP.

I've played BT on a different PBP site before. We actually finished a whole lance on lance combat! Never mind that the OpFor took an unlucky ammo crit in the first round of shooting and the GM called it two rounds later...

 

Actually, @Malkavian Grin, another idea might be to use one of the lighter mecha skirmish systems (e.g. Mobile Frame Zero) and use some other light system/freeform the RP. Depends on what you want the campaign to look like and the power level of the PC's mobile suits.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Bobcloclimar (see edit history)