Giant robots and gaming. A match made in heaven. Be it Mekton, Battletech, Heavy Gear, or WH40K, giant robots rule!
To kick things off, a list of every English-language mecha game I know of can be found at tinyurl dot com slash allmecha (Veeky Forums thinks the link is spam).
Other urls found in this thread:
mediafire.com
mediafire.com
pastebin.com
dropbox.com
pastebin.com
docs.google.com
twitter.com
Mekton: is it as utterly retardedly fun/crunchy as it seems? I have a fear that it's Shadowrun 4e-esque "It has rules for EVERYTHING! ...oh shit it has RULES for everything" style constantly looking up whatever situational rule applies.
Mekton Zeta, especially with Mekton Zeta Plus, is an awesome game.
It's more a toolbox than a self-contained game (you'll have to create all the mechs of your game, and it's quite long the first time), but it's worth it.
Mekton Z basically lets you do any kind of mecha game that you can think of, but the descriptions for things and the lifepath system tend to be geared toward 'anime style' games.
I've found that it's handy to take a more objective look at the skills section, because there's a lot of things that aren't there that really should be.
I've actually been chatting with a guy who emailed me about a Mekton Zeta automatic calculating Mek sheet I coded for a while today. As a GM of Mekton for 2 years and a player since before then, Mekton is (sometimes broken) fun if you want a crunchy 90s feel.
Here's all my Mekton stuff collected since ever.
mediafire.com
A shitton of Mekton Zeta and other books and rules, and some homebrew by me and my group.
Includes:
Zeta Core
Zeta Plus Advanced Technical Manual
Zeta Tactical Display
Zeta Errata v1.1 for the above three
Zeta build and character sheets
Zeta - Mekton Wars - Invasion Terra
Zeta Mecha Manuals 1 and 2
Mekton Alpha
3 different Fuzion rules and plugin books
Jovian Chronicles
Operation Rimfire
Homebrew Mek and weapon systems for Zeta (some by me and my group, others not)
Links to Googledocs automatic calculating Mek and character sheets (as done by me, you'll need to make a copy to test it)
And finally, a folder of screencapped references of the Zeta rulebook for easy access and reference during play
Anyone interested in chatting about Mekton or looking for info about rules can email me at [email protected], I'd be more than willing to walk you through using the enclosed automatic sheets I coded or making a Mek if you're confused or looking for pointers.
Very nice! Thanks!!
I think my online group and I have been using your sheets for our Heavy Gear game. Just wanted to say thanks, as it's a lot more manageable that way!
>Mekton: is it as utterly retardedly fun/crunchy as it seems?
Retarded, no.
Fun, yes.
Crunchy? Yes, but primarily in the advanced mecha construction system -- otherwise, the game's level of crunch is pretty normal, I'd say.
>I have a fear that it's Shadowrun 4e-esque "It has rules for EVERYTHING! ...oh shit it has RULES for everything" style
Well, the game encourages you to create your own setting, conflict, factions, ships, mecha, everything... But you don't have to. The main book and the supplements offer several setting options and prebuilt mecha.
The main book has a simple-ish build system for mecha, but Mekton Z+ (the advanced construction system) is where you get rules for building ANYthing. And that can be pretty painstaking. But thankfully, it's all pre-game. Play is quite reasonable.
>constantly looking up whatever situational rule applies.
Nah, actually it's not one of those games. It's gameplay is not hard, pretty intuitive, not zillions of special cases, no feats to speak of.
It definitely has parts that could use an overhaul (its Scaling system is kinda wonky and the rules for Stun damage are questionable) but it still remains a great game.
Lots of wonk. Scaling is broke solid, stun is absurd and shock damage weapons are utterly broken, among other things. There's literally a cheese manual for things to avoid floating around the net somewhere. I've got it saved locally too.
I do like how the combat just feels /punchy/ though, like every hit really makes a difference.
Happy to help! Always love spreading Mekton around, it feels very underappreciated.
It warms my bitter, icy heart to know someone is actually using my sheet for a legitimate campaign other than myself.
I literally coded the thing in a fervor out of pure spite for the GM who ran Mekton for me and a few others, but did it so blatantly wrong and ignored every convention and rule the books set out. I coded the sheet, presented it to them and said "Here, now you don't have an excuse to get it wrong." They didn't GM after that. But I did, and after almost two years (we started January 29th, 2015) we're on the final boss fight after I started to lose motivation to GM and edged us to a conclusion.
The sheet could use a massive overhaul from the ground up though. One of these days I'll actually do that. Feel free to contact me at the email I listed if you or your group is ever looking to talk shop.
Which system would you all recommend to give a nice Star Driver feel?
Battle Century G could possibly work
boomp
Seconding Battle Century G. A distinct possiblity. Mekton might work, sorta, but it's less suited to super robot type fare.
Hero System might be able to do it, since it's focused on powers... But I dunno, that's a serious numbers game.
I'm not sure where you get the idea that Mekton is "less suited" to super robot. If anything it's all the more useful for it than, considering some of the systems that Zeta Plus has. With enough CP you can make basically anything. A friend of mine has made a pretty faithful recreation of Gurren Lagann before, and it doesn't get any more super than that.
Playing Gundam wargames with Gunpla
Using Mekton Z, you can play Ultraman style games if you know what creation rules to use.
I asked this over in the /m/ thread, I'll ask it here too.
Any tips for someone who'll be running Adeptus Evangelion v3.5 for the first time? My players are particularly interested in playing it and have begun writing up their character sheets.
What do you think the system does well? What should I avoid?
What's your favorite kind of mecha Veeky Forums?
Western Style? Eastern Style? Do you like big clunky battlemechs, nimble transformable fighters, or super-powered kaiju fighting machines?
Did the guy who made the ACE Mecha System ever stop being a dick?
The system looked like it had a lot of potential, but he didn't seem to take criticism for shit.
No.
Aw, that's a shame.
Still, might use this to run something later. If something breaks, I'm sure I can houserule it.
Forgot my file.
Speaking of Mekton Zeta, since it's by R.Talsorian I figure it still uses Interlock System also seen in Cyberpunk 2020 and in 1d4chan there was a mention of this fan setting called "Metalstorm 2380" which is basically mecha future of CP2020.
The link provided in the page however is dead, so do you (or anyone else for that matter) have anything relating to that?
Also, are there any lists of premade mechas that I could use in a "real robot" game?
It would be nifty and flavorful if players could plan things and react based on what models of mechs are in use by the enemy and allies, or better yet, have the PC and "Boss" mechs be custom versions of pre-existing designs or prototypes tangentially related to models seen earlier.
Basically it would give the option to do some cool shit like Operation Bolo but with mechas instead of jets.
Mekton lacks rules for Final Attacks, and some other staples of super robot fare. That's what I mean.
Oh cool, nice! This should be amusing.
Can't say I've played it, but people don't generally have good things to say about Cthulhutech's rules system. :-/
Honestly, I'm amazed this product ever got made and has lasted long enough to have several supplements. It's just such a damn odd duck.
>What's your favorite kind of mecha Veeky Forums?
>Western Style? Eastern Style? Do you like big clunky battlemechs, nimble transformable fighters, or super-powered kaiju fighting machines?
Since I'm an American, of course I like heavily armed, military-style mecha. I can't help it. We're programmed that way.
But I love real robots, Transformers, and Shogun Warriors just as much. I love 'em all.
I mean, my two favorite mecha anime are Megazone 23 and Zeorymer... Hard to get more different than those two.
>Did the guy who made the ACE Mecha System ever stop being a dick?
Eh, he got a little bit of a bad rap, I think. But he's definitely thin-skinned. A sensitive soul, which I can appreciate. He hasn't done himself many favors, though, for sure.
>The system looked like it had a lot of potential, but he didn't seem to take criticism for shit.
The system isn't bad. Has some good ideas. Hardly what I'd call revolutionary though.
>a mention of this fan setting called "Metalstorm 2380" which is basically mecha future of CP2020
Interesting. Not familiar with that title, but technically speaking "StarBlade Battalion Mekton" is the official mecha future of Cyberpunk 2020.
>Also, are there any lists of premade mechas that I could use in a "real robot" game?
For Mekton, or just in general?
>Cthulhutech
How is that related at all?
Huh, didn't realize that. Thanks dude!
For Mekton (Zeta) please. It's the crunch side that worries me.
Scopedogs.
This guy's post has a few Mekton pdfs with premade mecha and so on.
Ah, now I feel stupid since I linked that specific post. Thanks for pointing that out.
Still, if there are any other designs feel free to post 'em. If not for me to use, then to someone else or just basically showing a cool thing for everyone to admire.
Wow. I.. I... I think I musta had a stroke. Sorry!
There are several "net.mekton.books" collected by the folks of the MZML (Mekton Zeta Mailing List) that are chock full of designs. They don't come with artwork, they're just stat-ups... Is that something you'd be interested in?
I'm interested in something that would fit an Armored Core game but with less energy weapons (beams or blades). Not 100% gone mind you, but less prevalent.
When it comes to the lack of artwork, I actually prefer that. For me many of the mecha shown in Mekton fall into "not quite" category when it comes to visuals.
Easiest method for you and most usable for other Mekton players/GMs would be to just make a zip file with all the desings and leave the skimming/curating to others.
Thanks man. Rock on.
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>It's a mecha show/game/comic/etc that has extensive focus on idols.
what is
bump
best mobile suit coming through
OK, now stat it out in... D20.
Craft: Principality of Zeon MS-06 Zaku II Mobile Suit
Class: Starfighter
Size: Tiny (12.59 m long)
Hyperdrive: None
Passangers: None
Cargo Capacity: 75 kg
Consumables: 4 days
Cost: 120,000 (new) 95,000 (used)
Maximum Speed In Space: Attack (7 squares/action)
Atmospheric Speed: 382 squares/action walking
Atmospheric Speed: 1142 squares/action jumping
Crew: 1 (Normal +2)
Initiative: +4 (+2 size, +2 crew)
Maneuver: +4 (+2 size, +2 crew)
Defense: 22 (+2 size, +10 armor)
Shield Points: 120 (DR 5)
Hull Points: 100 (DR 5)
Weapons:
Mobile Suits can carry a variety of weapons, but can only use one at a time, so they must switch between the two optional weapons they carry. This switch takes about 10 seconds.
Machine Gun
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +4 (+2 size, +2 fire control)
Damage: 1d10x2 per five round burst
Range Modifiers: PB/S +0, M/L n/a
Bazooka
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +5 (+2 size, +3 fire control)
Damage: 5d10x2
Missil Quality: Good (+15)
Magella Top Gun
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +4 (+2 size, +2 fire control)
Damage: 3d10x2
Range Modifiers: PB/S +0, M -2, L n/a
"Firecracker"
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +5 (+2 size, +3 fire control)
Damage: 4d10x2
Missil Quality: Ordinary (+10)
90mm Submachine Gun
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +5 (+2 size, +3 fire control)
Damage: 3d10x2 per five round burst
Range Modifiers: PB/S +0, M -2, L n/a
Shotgun
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +5 (+2 size, +3 fire control)
Damage: 2d10x2
Range Modifiers: PB/S +0, M/L n/a
Heat Hawk
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +6 (+2 size, +4 fire control)
Damage: 10d10x2
Range: 1 square
Leg Missiles
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +5 (+2 size, +3 fire control)
Damage: 4d10x2
Missile Quality: Poor (+5)
(Attached to each leg, the Zaku has a pod of three missiles each. This is a one-shot weapon which can finish the fight if the opponent is down.)
Hey, thank you very much for the download!
I happen to have some translation of mechs and other elements of the Gundam Senki book, not the complete thing but only parts. I'll email you this post as well, in case you want it.
And that's saved too. I was really, as reading it, dying to see what the rules were for the mobile suits...
...and it turns out I get to just go to MAHQ and use their numbers to fill everything out. Nice.
An user here or over on /m/ bought the book and is gonna scan it in for us.
I, too, have translations of a lot of the book, and will contribute them to the effort once the book is scanned.
Please do, that's chief among my wishlist. If you have the raw untranslated version in full too, I'd be more than willing to take that too, given how hard it is to track down at all. I've always been meaning to learn nippon.
Sadly, I don't have the raw untranslated version. But apparently this person, if not the same as you, said someone else has the physical book. Nevertheless, the translations help. I'll email them!
Yo dawg, can you put those xlations up on mediafire or something?
Just a head's up, the email has been sent, from [email protected]
I can send you the email with all of the pdf's right now if you've got one you feel like giving, but the reason I sent it to that guy is so that they can be added to the huge Mekton set, to help consolidate everything in one place.
Much appreciate it friend, I'll throw it in the compilation. I've got Starblade Battalion that I need to put in there too, come to think of it.
Did you receive the email?
>Western Style? Eastern Style?
Can we kill this false dichotomy already?
I did, thank you. Sorry, I'm currently GMing something (not Mekton) right now actually, hence my disappearance. But I got the email and saved all attachments safely.
What do you feel are the must have elements for a mecha system? What makes a system play smoothly, and what slows them down and lessens the fun? What kind of mechanics make it really feel like a mecha game and give you the feeling of piloting a giant robot?
>Best Mobile Suit
HAHAHA, you so funny user.
leBump
>Willingly piloting a piece of hot garbage like the GM.
I don't believe it, you must be a child conscript.
So, Mekton. It's got my attention, but I'm still not fully sold on the system. What is the difference between the editions?
How heavy is the crunch? I know it's heavy on the customization options and vehicle building rules, but is it simple during actual play, or is it extremely simulationist and slow paced?
How fast are combat encounters on average? How lethal can the game get?
Why would you pick this over Jovian Chronicles or Heavy Gear?
Mekton Z is what I'm familiar with, so I'll try to answer your questions under that context.
>How heavy is the crunch?
Mecha combat stuff has a fair amount of crunch, but personal scale interactions usually aren't especially crunchy. That said, most of the crunch comes from mecha construction, and having a firm grasp of the combat rules (not particularly complicated, but the reference charts only go so far).
>I know it's heavy on the customization options and vehicle building rules, but is it simple during actual play, or is it extremely simulationist and slow paced?
I've run a few games of Mekton Z, two in the past, and one currently. Any point in which the player characters are interacting with other people, or doing anything you'd typically expect to find in the average roleplaying session, things are very simple. Most of it can be done through RP, and for that stuff that needs a roll, task resolution is 1d10+[stat]+[skill][+/-][ modifiers] against a target number.
Combat on the other hand, is a lot more simulationist. It'll take two or three hours to get through an intense and meaningful engagement, and I'd strongly encourage to use the fights as set-pieces rather than encounters to fill up time in the session.
>How fast are combat encounters on average? How lethal can the game get?
My current game has three players, and they're participating in a mecha-combat tournament that basically amounts to bloodsport. Most of the RP takes place between myself and a player (or between two players) on our own time, with the actual sessions representing matches or special events in the story. My games last four or five hours, but you could easily fill a six hour session up half and half with RP/Combat if you decide to go that route.
(1/2)
The game is extremely lethal, but it's not heartless. If your cockpit gets hit and penetrated, the chances are high that you'll end up getting splattered. The chances of a cockpit hit happening randomly are pretty low (but not impossible), and aiming at a cockpit incurs a significant penalty.
>Why would you pick this over Jovian Chronicles or Heavy Gear?
The game I'm running in Mekton Z is in the Heavy Gear setting, so I guess you could use either if you wanted to?
(2/2)
...
Plus, upon destruction of the mecha, servo housing the cockpit, or if I remember right even a direct cockpit hit, the pilot can eject from the mecha. Provided you have at least an ejection seat (a mere 1 CP investment), you're not given a penalty for trying, which is a matter of rolling 1d10+Reflex and achieving a desired result. Without the ejection seat, you're at a -6 to roll on this table.
I have a favorable bias for top left. Game just need a fix to make stats less powerful when compared to skills, at least as a TTRPG.
top right, derp.
Heavy Gears
>The game is extremely lethal, but it's not heartless. If your cockpit gets hit and penetrated, the chances are high that you'll end up getting splattered. The chances of a cockpit hit happening randomly are pretty low (but not impossible), and aiming at a cockpit incurs a significant penalty.
Mekton is extremely lethal? It never struck me as such...
See here
The most lethal thing is on-foot combat, and that's only because a kick to the head can /literally/ shatter someone's face like a watermelon from a grenade. Unless you use the optional Bruise Damage rules, which aren't in any of the books.
dropbox.com
Save that .php and open it with a browser to read. I downloaded all the fan stuff they had hosted on the original Mekton Zeta website before it finally went down.
>The most lethal thing is on-foot combat, and that's only because a kick to the head can /literally/ shatter someone's face like a watermelon from a grenade. Unless you use the optional Bruise Damage rules, which aren't in any of the books.
Okay, on that point I agree 100%. Mekton's total lack of stun damage is embarrassing, and its man-to-man combat can indeed be WAY deadly.
I was thinking more of mecha combat, but your point is well-taken. And yeah, I use those bruise damage rules too.
>dropbox.com
>Save that .php and open it with a browser to read.
Erm... my HTML skills are +0. Possible to upload a plain text version or something?
Probably should have done that initially to be honest. Not that you need HTML skills to open that file, you can literally download it like any other and drag it to your browser, and it'll open.
But here you go anyway user
>copy text
>paste into notepad
>save as [filename].php
>drag and drop into browser window
Thank you!
No thank you!
>No thank you!
Mecha combat is varying degrees of lethal. It can depend heavily on GM intervention when it comes to what is and isn't fair. Stun weapons from Zeta Plus can stunlock and even outright kill a pilot with literally no damage to a Mek (stun damage ignores most armor, and specially plated armor only ever reduces it, not eliminates it, unless it's also high enough in strength), missile salvos can be in the hundreds with no penalty, and melee attacks have no negative modifier for called shots. Among a number of other things, such as weapon vs armor configurations. You can have a sword that does 10 damage for 5 CP, a pittance at best, which could cleave through your average Mek's limbs in a single swing, or you can have someone with a variety of neat and interesting weapons be trumped by someone who spent equal CP into a single weapon.
But I do find the combat punchy, solid and fun, and hits feel real and impactful. As long as nobody is trying to one-up anyone else with bullshit or purposefully cheese, and it's decently policed, it's really engaging and fun.
Also scattershot weapons are fucking bullshit. They hit /every/ limb with a single shot. It's like a laser's megabeam, but way cheaper.
Scattershot only does one damage to each body part per point of success, but this can be insanely powerful if the weapon is powerful enough to begin with, and the person using it happens to roll like a champ.
I tend to make such weapons have low base-kills for just this reason.
I find it interesting that this thread has been pretty much dominated by Mekton Z. Is it really considered the prime mecha RPG, even today? It's like 20 years old...
To my knowledge, there are newer versions of Mekton, but I've not had the chance to look at them. As far as other mecha RPGs go, the competition isn't very extensive:
>Battletech RPG
Huge learning curve that will turn away anyone with any kind of aversion to crunch.
>Silhouette
The system used for the Heavy Gear RPG. It's pretty good, but not necessarily 'better' than Mekton; just different.
>[d20 Anything]
Not terrible. Pretty accessible for people familiar with d20 system games.
...
>To my knowledge, there are newer versions of Mekton, but I've not had the chance to look at them.
Mekton Z came out in 1995; there was a kickstarter for a new edition called Mekton Zero which was successfully funded ($40k) but is now three years overdue.
>As far as other mecha RPGs go, the competition isn't very extensive
True! There's Rifts/Robotech (world's worst system, possibly) and BESM (not focused enough on mech). There's also Battle Century G, which is pretty solid I think, but also has its own problems.
BTW, a list to every single English-language mecha RPG I could find is here:
docs.google.com
...
>Open Anime
OA don't any kinda of vehicle or mecha rules, at all...
"You're going to build your own mecha, and you're going to like it!"
You don't HAVE to build your own mecha, ya tool
Ah so. I was told it did. Thanks!
No, wait -- that's why it's in the "Mecha-Adjacent Games" category!
>You don't HAVE to build your own mecha, ya tool
Well, you do if you're playing in a setting outside of the pre-written ones. I guess it'd be expecting too much for you to remember that, let alone fathom the concept that the two posts you're referencing aren't the same person, and could possibly have been a joke.
...
...
But its don't have vehicle stats, period. It's planned to came out in ANOTHER book, but its never happened.
Só its want the stats for a fucking, car, bus, or skate, you are shit of luck. The game don't of it And is broken mess, birn from the unholy fusion of Action!System (a OGL clone of Fuzion) And BESM d20 (the designer forget to ajust the Power costs), i shit you not, its don't work.
I'm not even talking about Open Anime, so why reply to me?
I wish there was a proper Transformers role-playing game.
Is the term "Mech" trademarked (or copyrighted, or patented, or whatever it is) so that only Battletech-related products and projects can use it? It seems to have become a really widespread, common-use term.
No? The original term is Mecha, a japanese expression used for anything mechanical.