Ork_dreadnought Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Hi guys, please excuse me if this is wrong area for this, but I think this is more a games issue than a fanworks topics. Like a lot people in our hobby, I've played D&D, and I've been toying with an running a mecha themed game. Running a Macross themed one has a great deal of posibilites, due to whole city in space theme. Has anyone done anything similar, and would be willing to give me some tips? Thanks, and I apologise for the obviously self-serving topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cynispin Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Hi guys, please excuse me if this is wrong area for this, but I think this is more a games issue than a fanworks topics. Like a lot people in our hobby, I've played D&D, and I've been toying with an running a mecha themed game. Running a Macross themed one has a great deal of posibilites, due to whole city in space theme. Has anyone done anything similar, and would be willing to give me some tips? Thanks, and I apologise for the obviously self-serving topic. I'm glad you made a thread about this! I know there is an anime mecha based system that I'd found a good while back, and it seems like it was a bit more aimed toward Patlabor and Gundam. I know there were people who'd adapted it for Macross. Actually, I'm almost positive that there's a Battletech community online that had done some specs for Valks and other mechs from the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Focker Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Mekton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briscojr84 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I used a modified d20 system that dumbs stuff down quite a bit. And works pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cynispin Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 http://www.steelfalcon.com/macrossmecha.html This is an ancient website dedicated to the Palladium based RPG system for Macross, if you're interested. I'd go with the d-20 system briscojr84 mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ork_dreadnought Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Thanks for the tips gentlemen. I had been leaning towards the d20 system as I have the d20 mecha compendium (by dreampod 9), but I don't have much experience with it's rules. Its got a Robotech inspired section in it, but I'd have to design all the mecha from scratch. Focker-san, how does mekton actually play? I'd rather not learn another rules sytem, but if it can handle macross well I would look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Focker Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 It plays pretty well. Mekton does good job of reflecting the genre. The system is quick and easy. Creating Mecha can be long process and is often a game in itself. Once you got your Mecha's stats ready playing is pretty simple. Mekton Alpha is a free quick version of the system http://www.mektonzeta.com/MektonAlpha.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I've run pen and paper Macross games using Palladium (inspired by Dave Deitrich's stuff at the aforementioned "Steel Falcon" site), Silhouette (DP9's in-house system), and d20 Modern. For the latter, I made some updates of my own to the d20 Modern stuff. For d20 mecha design, I've used DP9's d20 Mecha Compendium (and it's basis, the Guardians of Order d20 Mecha Compendium), the official d20 Modern mecha rules featured in "d20 Future", and a home-brewed system that ported the Silhouette mecha system into a d20 framework. Here's my collected wisdom (such as it is ) from these experiences: 1. Avoid Palladium as if it were the most virulent of plagues. 2. Hands-down best mecha system (of those I tried): Silhouette. But, I got complaints from players about lack of character options under the Silhouette system, hence the move to d20. 3. Most playable d20 mecha solution: d20 Future mecha (with the "Mecha as vehicles" options from the "d20 Future Tech" guide). That last one there was a hard fact to face, 'cause I really don't like the templated system that d20 Future provides. I loved taking the time using the d20 Mecha Compendium or my home-brewed rules to try to model mecha in excrutiating detail. Like Focker noted with Mekton, the d20 Mecha Compendium and Silhouette rules can take quite a while to create a good model for the mecha, but I enjoy that sorta stuff. But, my players really didn't care about how accurate the modelling was. What they wanted was fast-paced, interesting action with the bare minimum of stats to keep track of. Throwing in rules for using different sensor types, different guidance systems, different movement systems... it kinda made their eyes glaze over. So, I stripped it down to the bare essentials and sped everything up, and they were happy as proverbial clams. In the end, as my own available time waxed and waned, I came to prefer a simpler system too since I could add new mecha designs quickly and without too much work. I guess the conclusion here is that make sure you pick a system that reflects your players. If your players are into detailed mecha or military technology, then they'll probably dig a system like Mekton, Silhouette, or the d20 Mecha Compendium where you can get that kind of detail. If they're more like mine, where keeping it simple and fast-paced is more valuable, then these systems might not be a good match. Right now, I've been looking at the new Star Wars RPG SAGA Edition, which has even more stripped-down vehicle statistics and a dogfight system that looks promising. If you're interested in any of the stuff I've put together, you're welcome to it. I've still got all the rules stuff, but all my d20 mecha stats fell victim to a hard drive crash a little while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briscojr84 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 (edited) But, my players really didn't care about how accurate the modelling was. What they wanted was fast-paced, interesting action with the bare minimum of stats to keep track of. Throwing in rules for using different sensor types, different guidance systems, different movement systems... it kinda made their eyes glaze over. So, I stripped it down to the bare essentials and sped everything up, and they were happy as proverbial clams. In the end, as my own available time waxed and waned, I came to prefer a simpler system too since I could add new mecha designs quickly and without too much work. I know the feeling, I stripped out most of that stuff myself, and tweaked others. And they practically mutiny anytime there is a ship battle. If you want to know what I did to the D20 system for various things let me know Ork_dreadnought [40k Fan?]. Also I agree avoid Palladium. Edited March 24, 2008 by briscojr84 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ork_dreadnought Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 Yes, I was a 40k fan back in the day, briscojr84, I may take you up on that offer if my gaming group is interested. I'm looking at that pdf now, Focker, much apprecieated. Penquin, you've addressed the majority of my concerns about the rules set, thanks. Getting lots of tips here, thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.McC Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'm curious as to what sort of scenarios you might run in a Macross-themed game. Maybe I'm being too close-minded about it, but a lot of my love for Macross derives from the story of the SDF-1's journey. Sure, RPGs could tell stories either in parallel with the story of Macross itself (i.e. other crew/people aboard SDF-1 during the journey), or alternately tell stories set before/after the events of the series, but I'm curious as to which approach you've all taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sketchley Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 It all depends on what the game master and players want to do. I'm part of an online Macross PBP RPG community (see signature for links to it), and we're all basically playing in the post Macross 7/VF-X2 era. There are also some games taking place earlier (I think the UN Wars era) and possibly a remake of the SDF:M. Though as most people want to play with the latest VFs, the games tend to reflect that. I'm pretty sure that we'll start receiving requests for a Macross F era game sooner or later... (sweats about stats creation...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal9000 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I have been thinking about the new SW rules with dogfighting, sill not bast the day dream phase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ork_dreadnought Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'm curious as to what sort of scenarios you might run in a Macross-themed game. Maybe I'm being too close-minded about it, but a lot of my love for Macross derives from the story of the SDF-1's journey. Sure, RPGs could tell stories either in parallel with the story of Macross itself (i.e. other crew/people aboard SDF-1 during the journey), or alternately tell stories set before/after the events of the series, but I'm curious as to which approach you've all taken. Well, I did have some thoughts about that. The journey of the SDF-1 has plenty of space for a party of PCs. The VF wings were composed of 300ish machines (before we get into destroid territory). Given the amount of action the ship was seeing it would not be surprising if there were more pilots than that on rotation, and thus the chances of the party running into the regular cast should be fairly small. The post war period has more space though, plenty of angry Zentradi, more cities, and new mecha coming into it. A colony fleet seems a good idea seems good idea until you realise what that would likely be involved. Long periods of travelling, and you'd either have to use the zentradi (which likely means a huge fleet followed by the Minmay effect), the Protodevilin (a hard sell) or create a new race (just hard). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 (edited) I'm curious as to what sort of scenarios you might run in a Macross-themed game. Maybe I'm being too close-minded about it, but a lot of my love for Macross derives from the story of the SDF-1's journey. Sure, RPGs could tell stories either in parallel with the story of Macross itself (i.e. other crew/people aboard SDF-1 during the journey), or alternately tell stories set before/after the events of the series, but I'm curious as to which approach you've all taken. Well, Macross is really just a Sci-Fi setting, much like any other, so there's really no limit to where you can take it. With the Protoculture aspects, you can get into some SF/Fantasy territory, or you can keep it more military-style. The first campaign I ran followed the history of a UN squadron "Black Diamonds" from its creation as a squadron flying F-203 Dragons, to VF-1s as a squadron on the SDF-1, and then to the next generation of the squadron using VF-4s and VF-5000s, with cameos from the original (surviving) pilots who had been promoted throughout the fleet. (Of course, the players got a lot of mileage as well from the fact that "Black Diamond" is a brand of cheese here in Canada.) Second campaign followed a trio of rookies from their graduation through some pretty wild SF/Fantasy adventures, including a couple of time-travel trips. The last adventure had them wake up in a Macross II-esque timeline, discovering that an Anti-UN rebel had successfully travelled back in time and sabotaged the production of the VF-1, leading to an inability of a VF-0-equipped UN to stop the Zentraedi attack on Earth and the messed-up timeline. They had to find the protoculture gear the saboteur had also used, travel back themselves and set events right, then find the perp in the corrected timeline and bring him to justice. The most recent campaign, currently on hiatus but not dead yet, was more military action/intrigue in nature, following another group of rookies to their first assignment as VA-3 pilots in a UN Marine squadron "Kingfishers". They became embroiled in a plot gone wrong instigated by an embittered UN general who wanted to regain lost prestige by staging a blockade against the colony world the players were stationed on. The adventure featured some wicked VA-3 vs. VF-5000 dogfights that they barely survived thanks to the submersible capabilities of the VA-3s (and one petty-revenge scenario where they ambushed the VF-5000s and dropped 3/4 of the enemy in the opening salvoes). As the only survivors of their squadron, they are currently on temporary assignment awaiting the results of the inquest into their actions. Edited April 14, 2008 by Penguin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Focker Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Decided to post on this topic that only a couple of months old instead starting a new one. Letting the cool cats know that two dude. One very handsome btw are starting up a Macross game with the Mekton system. It played on a Message board. Take a look at the promo. We've got two openings left and can squeeze extra players if needed. http://www.macrossroleplay.org/forums/index.php?topic=1874.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeudi Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 (edited) Have a monthly Macross 7 era game played in Mekton. <<semi-episodic, with 2 GMs who aren't telling each other what the other's Major Arc is>> The PCs are part of a mercenary group usually hired for exploratory escorts and the like. Pirates, rogue Zents, ancient artifacts, marooned (sabotaged fold boosters) in the area of a pod of space whales, etc. Biggest story arc so far was a bunch of techies led by a psychotic weapons dealer who were killing anyone who got in sensor range of a Factory Satellite that they were trying to make operational again. <<villain had a cool 'destroid' he used to pilot a QRau >> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/macross2050/ has pretty good Mekton stats (ours are house modded, as things always go) Plots and story arcs are as open as the universe... just know your players before you pick the series direction. If they are a bunch of munchkins who prefer to have wargasms...let them. But a good series has story-arc (with subplots) over a season(campaign), leading up to a grand finale. ultiple seasons can delay the grand finale... but after 10 seasons... kill Ross and Rachel. Its better that way. What happens when you reach the finale? Start a spin-off, do mini-series, whatever... but let a game die before it gets too stale. People can always bring a PC or two over to the next one. ===Edit: ok... its late, and I rambled- Sorry! :"> ==== POST EDIT: We use Mekton Z for combat between 'named' characters, and the battle rules from MZ Tactical Combat Screen for combat against CFs of any race. Quick and simple when its for fun, detailed when it is personal. It works Edited September 4, 2008 by daeudi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ork_dreadnought Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Decided to post on this topic that only a couple of months old instead starting a new one. Letting the cool cats know that two dude. One very handsome btw are starting up a Macross game with the Mekton system. It played on a Message board. Take a look at the promo. We've got two openings left and can squeeze extra players if needed. http://www.macrossroleplay.org/forums/index.php?topic=1874.0 Interesting, that's some welcome thread necromancy. I was just browsing that website and there's some good resouces too. daeudi, I've joined that group, thanks for posting the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaibrightwing Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I have been playing with the palladium system since 97' and end 06'. It started with an megaroad colony ship. now i started up again when they showed the first ep of macross frontier which started up my creative think and i started writing more about my macross stories. now my problem is finding website that is cheap and big for all of my stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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