Mecha

[Andrew Martin]

I happened to suddenly design this mecha game over on RPG.net for a Anime Manga Mecha parody setting. The author of the setting doesn't like it so far, preferring instead to use a variant of  either GURPS, WW Storyteller, or BESM systems. So while it was for a comic/parody setting, I think this system could be more useful in a light simulation or narrativist game. At the moment, I'm having trouble with the narrativist "question" and with attribute names and their opposites.

I'm fairly certain that the Mecha attributes should be dropped, because they're not really important! Though in a game that features Mecha, I keep thinking that there should be some rules about Mecha. I'm obviously confused here! :) Hard simulation is completely out, 'cause mecha/big robots are fairly unlikely.

I'm open to suggestions and harsh questions! :) Or even suggestions as to the answers to the questions! :)

Thanks!

Mecha
*****
Copyright (C) 2002, Andrew Martin.

This system is based loosely on Ron Edwards "Troll Babe" http://www.adept-press.com/trollbabe/, Vincent Baker's "Chalk Outlines" http://www.septemberquestion.org/lumpley/chalk.html, and my own "Accord, Swift and Token systems" http://valley.150m.com/Valley.html.

What do the players do?
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Player Characters (PCs) are the Mecha pilots and officers in the setting's military. They fight threats to the earth with the aid of Mecha and get involved with relationships. (I think I'm asking the narrative question: "What's the balance between duty and love?")

General Description
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The Player Character (PC) is described with a set of paired descriptors. The right side of each descriptor is basically the complement of left side, though not written as a separate number. The player chooses any number from 1 - 6 for the left side. For example:
      Age:  3  :Luck

To succeed in a Age (Skill) check, the player must roll that number or less on D6. If the D6 is one or more pips over that number, the player must come up with a corresponding number of complications to compensate, or accept failure for the character and success for the opponent.

To succeed in a Luck check, the player must roll that number or more on D6. If the D6 is one or more pips under that number, the player must come up with a corresponding number of complications to compensate, or accept failure for the character and success for the opponent.

Descriptors
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Age: (in decades 1 - 6)  -- Yes, this does mean that the PC can be little as ten years old, or as old as 60! :) Players need to roll equal to or lower than Age for their PCs to successfully operate their Mecha in combat or stressful situations. Each pip the die is higher than their character's Age, the player must come up with a complication for the character in order to succeed, otherwise the PC fails.

For example, if my PC is age 35, and I must roll 3- on D6 to succeessfully destroy an enemy mecha with my PC's mecha. If I instead rolled 4 (one higher than my character's age in decades), to succeed in destroying the enemy mecha, I must come up with one complication, like "I destroy the enemy mecha, but my mecha comes up with an overheat light on the reactor!" Complications are usually difficulties that can be solved by use of one of the character's skills.

Opposed to Age is Luck. Luck is for relying on strange and unlikely events to occur. If a player wants a strange or unlikely event to occur for the character, the player must roll higher than the character's Age on D6. If lower, the player must come up one or more complications to adjust the roll to a success or accept failure.


Rank: (1 - 6) -- The number of rank bars or rings the PC has on their uniform. Players with high rank can command NPCs with lower rank, with a successful Rank roll as above. Lower ranking PCs can object to the command by rolling their rank (this reflects a "point of order" related to the unspecified standing rules of the military).

Here's the rank Ratings:
0   Second Lieutenant
0   Lieutenant
0   Captain
0   Major
0   Lieutenant Colonel
0   Colonel
0   Brigadier General (NPC only)
0   Major General (NPC only)
0   Lieutenant General (NPC only)
0   General (NPC only)

Note that NPC ranks are rolled on a D10!

Opposed to Rank is Carouse. Carouse is for dealings with civilians and enlisted soldiers as equals.


Reaction Time: (in 1/10ths of second 1 - 6) -- How fast the character is in combat (their initiative in other words). (Caution: this descriptor is reversed!) To determine initiative in situations where all else is equal, roll D6 aiming to get equal to or above the PC's Reaction Time on D6. The lowest successful roll has initiative. Those D6 rolls below the character's Reaction Time cause the PC to loose the initiative, unless the player can come up with enough complications to adjust the roll to a success.

Opposed to Reaction Time is Body. Body is for resisting deprivation, injury, severe cold and heat, and for feats of strength and power.


Decorations: (1 - 6) -- the number of "gongs", medal, and similar decorations for bravery and combat experience the character has. Players need to roll equal to or under this descriptor when faced with challenges to their bravery.

Opposed to Decorations is Empathy. Empathy is for understanding aliens and reading people's emotional state.


Familiarity: (in years, 1 - 6) -- the number of years experience the PC has with the mecha (the character's tech attribute in other words). The player must roll equal to or under this descriptor to repair damage to their mecha. As above, complications can be added to compensate for bad rolls.

Opposed to Familiarity is Psi. Psi is for psionic powers -- powers of the mind -- like: Telepathy, Mind Reading, Teleportation, Cryokinesis, Pyrokinesis, Levitation, Electrokinesis, Telekinesis, and so on.


Reason: (1 - 6) This is a Furry attribute.

Opposed to Reason is Instinct. Used for furry powers for Furs, and instinctive insight by humans. Maybe better is Logic/Emotion?


Players choose any "number" from 1 to 6 for each descriptor for their character. But where's the balance? Wouldn't every player choose to have their character be 60 year old colonels with 6 years familiarity with their mecha, medals & decorations weighing down their chests, and ultra fast reaction time? The balance is provided by noting that there's usefull powers as the complement of each of the above descriptors.

Relationships
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Relationship strength is expressed on the following scale:
*   Love
*   Like
*   Indifferent
*   Dislike
*   Hate

Sexual attraction is measured on the following scale:
*   Lust
*   Indifferent
*   Disgust

Note that relationship strength and sexual attraction only measure in one direction. It's easily possible for one person to love another another who hates them in return. PCs usually start with Indifferent relationships to other characters.

Blood Type
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Players should select a Blood Type for their character. This is an indicator of the character's personality.

|Type|Personality
| O  |Principled, stubborn, emotional, arrogant, emotional, insecure, or workaholic.
| A  |Driven, loyal, hide their emotions, honest, introverted, or nervous.
| B  |Easy going, not serious. Adventurous, outgoing, dynamic or optimistic.
| AB |Emotionless appearance, looking happy or indifferent all the time, but filled with emotion. Discriminating, proud or diplomatic. Delicate, sensitive and considerate of other's feelings.

Mecha
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These attributes use a 1 - 10, D10 scale, instead of a D6 scale. I sense that this is wrong some how. Probably don't bother with mecha description?


Size: (in Tons divided by 10, 1 - 10) -- the weight of the mecha in tons from 10 tonnes to 100 tonnes. The reverse of Size is Speed; the bigger the mecha, the slower it's speed. Power Armour is rated on a 1 - 10 tonnes scale.


Range Defence (in percentiles divided by 10, 1 - 10): -- the proportional ranged defence rating. The reverse of Defence is Offence. Perhaps better to call this Energy Shield?


Melee Defence (in percentiles divided by 10, 1 - 10): -- the proportional melee defence rating. The reverse of Defence is Offence. Perhaps better to call this Armour?

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Thanks again for reading this!

[Andrew Martin]

I think my narrative question posed by my descriptors above is: "What is border between Rationality (on the left) and Irrationality (on the right)?"

What do you think?