[Errant Gear] The Background and Philosophy

[Zach]

Hello again.

While rethinking the function of The Legend of Saucy Jack, I became distracted by giant robots. My wandering led me to a place that I enjoy, so the next step is to see if it inspires anyone else.

My goal is to take unrealistic, anime-inspired giant robots and focus on the pilots and the dystopia that shaped them. This has been done by others with varying degrees of success in the past. Errant Gear's focus will be on how the elected heroes are just as selfish and prone to failure as anyone else. A satirical bent seperates the setting from the typical, too-cool-for-school darkness . While I do have a standard pitch for this ("It's like X meets Y!"), I hope to develop it into its own beast.

Outside of their robots, the player characters will be scheming against each other and working with shady organizations at cross-purposes. When the eventual enemy attack comes, their base drives will be put to the test. Teamwork will decide the battle, but not who "wins" afterword.

Background

Twelve years ago, Earth was a legend in its own time. The secrets of the human genome were codified and available to any firm with an interest in the matter, hunger was eliminated, and war was regulated to a pastime for the idle. It would have continued that way for many years, were not the firmament punctured by sub-sonic screeches of repentance before being cracked by a righteous fist. Afterward, it rained for five days. Blackness coated the planet, for this missive from the heavens was not one of peace or succor. It was a fatty, off-black substance that landed in globs as large as artillery shells. Where it struck, buildings crumbled and fields withered. Unable to stop the deadly barrage, the world government voted to form a subcommittee dedicated to gauging the relevance of increased standards in umbrella production.

Had humanity's troubles been limited to this Unexplained Phenomenon #406a, it would have continued in much the same way that it had for the previous decades -- minus a few upstart nation-states in the Southern Hemisphere. Then the first of the Breakers arrived.

The other-worldly monstrosity was as large as any of the military's Potemkin-class mobile Peacekeeper nuclear bases, with several times the firepower. It wasn't built for friendly co-existence, as its destruction of the British Isles handily proved. The counter-offensive formed the greatest combined force that the planet had yet seen, but it was not enough. Soon after, the tentacled destroyer earned its name of Breaker. Then another one landed, and another. The months to follow were unparalleled in agony.

During the Breaker Wars, 90% of Earth's population was killed. 75% of its surface was deemed uninhabitable due to nuclear fallout as well as other, nastier effects. As is wont to happen in such situations, a hero eventually arose. Armed with experimental Freiburg Beam technology, Sgt. Koji "Hammer" Miyahama beat back the Breaker menace with the help of the 3rd Experimental Armored Gear Expeditionary Regiment.

Since then, the world government has made several changes in domestic and foreign policy. The survivors of the Breaker Wars were gathered into three vast, underground complexes, self-sufficient in all matters. The purpose of these bases was to form an effective axis of control against future extra-terrestrial attacks. Regulation and preparation became daily necessities, enforced by armed public awareness groups. The surface world has regressed to a fond memory for those who are able to remember it at all. Most are too caught up with organizing togetherness rallies and covering their ears to the death echoes from the past.

Among this reorganization of Earth's base needs stand several men and women who have not forgotten the past. They do not stand proud, but line the shadowed corridors of their complexes where their particular brand of loyalty cannot be silenced by an over-zealous rifle. Others find themselves in the same system of dusty back rooms and dead-ends for their own purposes: power, avarice, and belief. They number higher than the people of the first type.

These organizations do well for themselves in the atmosphere of distrust that pervades the Complex Axis, and influential members have infiltrated the world government at all levels. Although their goals are myriad, one fact is certain: they will spell their race's doom if the Breakers return.

To the Reader

The world of Errant Gear is unpleasant. The people are arguably worse. I wouldn't discuss it too loudly however, as it would be disloyal. Disloyalty to one's complex is to be avoided at all costs. It's not that the world government discourages free speech, but you must understand that there's a war for survival going on...

You (the character, not the reader) have a vaunted place in this world. You have been personally chosen by a member of the 3rd Experimental Armored Gear Expeditionary Regiment (EAGER-3) as their successor in all matters, military and socially. This automatically boosts you from being a Nul or Unu (you lucky dog) to a Class-Kvin citizen, bequeathing upon you great honor and responsibility along with the burning desire to find the terrorist cell who destroyed your mentor. Also, a giant robot.

Despite this monumental boost over your peers, you still bear the burden of genetics along with them. At times you will be motivated by pettiness, anger, or sheer ignorance. Your greater honor and responsibility make these acts of weakness more noticible, unfortunately. Also, there's that giant robot.

But, hey. At least the trains are running on time.

[Josh Roby]

Curious: are you planning on peppering the entire game with esperanto?

[joepub]

Although their goals are myriad, one fact is certain: they will spell their race's doom if the Breakers return.

Pardon my ignorace - or maybe my lack of imagination - specifically how will they spell doom?
Or is it just petty human foolishness in general?

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I like the concept.

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Personally I think that your involvement of the 'heavens' when first describing the breakers sets the whole background off course. It gives it a tone that I don't think you were going for (unless I'm wrong), even after you show them that it was actually The Breakers.

Also, there's that giant robot.

This made me laugh. but on second read, I realized it sounded like the giant robot was the problem. I think that it magnifies the problem, but isn't one in and of itself.

Maybe it would read better: Also, you control this really cool giant robot.

[Zach]

Curious: are you planning on peppering the entire game with esperanto?

Probably not. I snagged the numbers from an online article because I didn't want to use Greek letters (like Brave New World) or colors (Paranoia). The world government does need an official language, but I'm inclined to go with English since I have a better idea of what I'm doing.

Although their goals are myriad, one fact is certain: they will spell their race's doom if the Breakers return.

Pardon my ignorace - or maybe my lack of imagination - specifically how will they spell doom?
Or is it just petty human foolishness in general?

The goals of the secret organizations will invariably hurt the survival odds of the complexes as a whole. When a faction with strong control in the army funnels money away from Freiburg Beam safety measures to fund a private brute squad, the complex suffers. Members of the governing boards will spend more time using the heroes to support their power plays than governing, additionally taking away from important training time. Most big-name figures have had scuffles with Koji Miyahama, setting up their supporters as potential candidates for his untimely disappearance. No one wants to be cast as the one who bumped off Earth's savior, so they will pry into the affairs of others while subtlely jockeying for public trust.

Personally I think that your involvement of the 'heavens' when first describing the breakers sets the whole background off course. It gives it a tone that I don't think you were going for (unless I'm wrong), even after you show them that it was actually The Breakers.

I'm playing around with apocalyptic imagery while throwing the true nature of the Breakers into doubt. If it comes off as strained, I'll continue working with it.

Also, there's that giant robot.

This made me laugh. but on second read, I realized it sounded like the giant robot was the problem. I think that it magnifies the problem, but isn't one in and of itself.

Maybe it would read better: Also, you control this really cool giant robot.

Yeah, all right. I see that. Thanks.