The Perfect Mecha RPG

[Silverlion]

Anybody look at this...

Chris Perrin's Mecha - Heroic Journey Publishing | Mecha | DriveThruRPG.com

Chris Perrin's Mecha - Metal and Flesh In battlefields on Earth, in space, and on realms known only to imagination, brave men and women answer

www.drivethrurpg.com

... Seems to have a fair few cheap add-on supplements too to expand based on needs?

I'm no mecha expert but I do agree with many that when I've tried looking at a game system that scratches my itch they are either way way waaaaaaay too crunchy or too narrative in their pitch.

EDIT: Actually, there's a free quickstart... https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/79879/MECHA--Quickstart?manufacturers_id=2550

It's a rather good game. Pretty loose, but its movement system takes some thought. I'm still absorbing it.

 

[Telok]

Alright. Gonna give Lancer another shot. Four noob mecha built from what I learned last time. Same opposing force, although I'm thinking of replacing the scout with something else. Slightly different map. In fact, I'll let you all choose the map.

It's just a bit up the road from the last try, instead of "find the guy with info" the mission will be "extract guy before others get him". But there's three versions of the map.

#1, big like last time. Still apparently a freaking insane huge map by Lancer standards, even with 20 foot wide hexes. At least it's interesting.


#2, subsection of the big map. Still 20 foot hexes which makes the shooting range 16 hexes long. Feels very... confined.


#3, the big one but with hexes inflated to 50 feet across. While it makes the map "reasonable" for Lancer, the side effect of poofing everything up is that only some of the trees on the map are as tall as a mech amd the terrain is functionally flat. So we have to lie about building and wall sizes to make them matter. Plus we lost lots of details.

 

[EmperorNorton]

Anybody look at this...

Chris Perrin's Mecha - Heroic Journey Publishing | Mecha | DriveThruRPG.com

Chris Perrin's Mecha - Metal and Flesh In battlefields on Earth, in space, and on realms known only to imagination, brave men and women answer

www.drivethrurpg.com

... Seems to have a fair few cheap add-on supplements too to expand based on needs?

I'm no mecha expert but I do agree with many that when I've tried looking at a game system that scratches my itch they are either way way waaaaaaay too crunchy or too narrative in their pitch.

EDIT: Actually, there's a free quickstart... https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/79879/MECHA--Quickstart?manufacturers_id=2550

I have the original printing of it (only difference as far as I know is the cover art). It is... fine. It is a pretty light game. The combat is actually a neat little light tactical mini-game. The in between fights part is really really loose.

It is very much narrative outside of combat.

I don't think it would be to the taste of most people here tbh.

 

[ffilz]

Alright. Gonna give Lancer another shot. Four noob mecha built from what I learned last time. Same opposing force, although I'm thinking of replacing the scout with something else. Slightly different map. In fact, I'll let you all choose the map.

It's just a bit up the road from the last try, instead of "find the guy with info" the mission will be "extract guy before others get him". But there's three versions of the map.

#1, big like last time. Still apparently a freaking insane huge map by Lancer standards, even with 20 foot wide hexes. At least it's interesting.


#2, subsection of the big map. Still 20 foot hexes which makes the shooting range 16 hexes long. Feels very... confined.


#3, the big one but with hexes inflated to 50 feet across. While it makes the map "reasonable" for Lancer, the side effect of poofing everything up is that only some of the trees on the map are as tall as a mech amd the terrain is functionally flat. So we have to lie about building and wall sizes to make them matter. Plus we lost lots of details.

This is a challenge with table sized battle maps. At any reasonable scale for miniatures, a table top just isn't very big.

I'm really starting to appreciate virtual table top and the ability (despite repeated warnings) of having huge maps. The biggest I have done is a roughly 200m x 300m map with 1m hexes. I took one of the pages of the map of The Free City of Haven and dropped it into Roll20 and then adjusted the scale of things to get 1m hexes. Earlier I had done a whole village map the same way but it was smaller. For my Cold Iron campaign, I set up a 400m x 400m battle map with 2m hexes. These maps would never have been possible table top.

But even with that, for modern weaponry, it would be impractical to do things as small as 1m or 2m hexes. At least not without an app based VTT that downloads the whole map to the app and just continuously updates token information and scribbles (so over a short amount of time, only a modest amount of data is being transmitted). It would be cool to go there because it would be cool to have very large battle maps (1km x 1km for low tech, 10km x 10km for high tech) with hexes/squares in the 1m to 3m or 1 yard to 10' range and let the maps be very detailed. Of course grid should be optional.

 

[ffilz]

BTW, the scan of the 8"x10" Haven map scaled up just fine, here's a screen shot of part of the map:


And here's a shot of the village map, where I dropped an appropriate scaled scan of a separate interior map onto the big map:

That was just super cool and something that would have been a pain to do on table top. In the old days, if I needed some of the exterior, I would have put that interior map (which was scaled 5' to the inch) under my clear hex mat, and then hand drawn the area around the shop. With VTT, I could combine maps at two different scales.

 

[Telok]

Heh, I got a 1.7 km spaceship deck into owlbear rodeo with 2m hexes. Mostly to see if the site could hangle it. I wouldn't expect any actual fight on the ship to use more than 200 - 300 meters at a time.

Of course I also did a beach fight with 10m hexes that worked fine, because the opening shot was a rocket launcher to the face at 350m. They actually ended the fight in melee lopping off a head.

What I came up with, weirdly similar to the Chris Perkins Mecha bullseye, was a small "scrimmage" map off to the side. When a multi-person melee happens (not needed for just 2 or 3 people) a token goes on the big map and a bit with 4 edge zones and a center zone goes on. Some simple rules and your having a reasonable scrum in the middle of a big map firefight.

 

[Moracai]

I just dug out my old copy of Battletech. I don't know from what year it is from but it says FASA copyright 1985, and it has MAD-3R Marauder mech in it, which mysteriously vanished from at least some later editions, probably due to copyright issues would be my guess. Man, Marauder rox!!

An early fanmade PC mech game named Titans of Steel: Warring Suns was one of my favorites. It had a bit wonky tonnage system, and IF I remember correctly 1 km hexes . I remember blasting an enemy mechs head off in it with a plasma cannon from about 9-11 hexes. Good times...

 

[TristramEvans]

I just dug out my old copy of Battletech. I don't know from what year it is from but it says FASA copyright 1985, and it has MAD-3R Marauder mech in it, which mysteriously vanished from at least some later editions, probably due to copyright issues would be my guess. Man, Marauder rox!!

Marauder is one of the Reseen

 

[Moracai]

Marauder is one of the Reseen

At a quick glance Battletech wiki said about the MAD-3R specifically that it is one of the Unseen. Other models of Marauder are Reseen.

 

[TristramEvans]

At a quick glance Battletech wiki said about the MAD-3R specifically that it is one of the Unseen, whatever that means...

here's a whole thread explaining what that means...

 

[Telok]

Well tried Lancer mech action again. Tons of niggly little fiddly bits. Still took near 3 hours despite less looking up. Many more attacks but more misses, although that was because of the number of inaccurate weapons, which was because those extra 5-7 hexes of range and no loading prop make a huge difference in getting to act and the -d6 only seems to matter 1/3 of the time (as in: of all the shots with penalties being 75% because a fucjton of cover this map we'd see hits go from ~45% to ~70% if and only if absolutely nobody ever had any cover or penalties at all).

Any ways, spoiler crap.

Spoiler

+++++ ART +++++
size 1, armor 0, sensor range 10, save TN 10, attack +0
hull: hp 16, repair cap 6, mod +2
agl: evade 8, speed 4, mod +0, agility checks & saves +1d6
sys: e-def 8, tech attack +0, SP 6, mod +0
eng: heat 6, bonus limited +0, mod +0

modules: at rest 1 repair = 1 structure
personalization[1sp](+2 hp),
jump jets[2sp](fly when boosting & end on ground),
2 open SP for mission specific

--1/scene quick action as free action
--1/mission core power protocol (start of turn free action toggle) for rest of scene +d6 all attacks check saves
& 1/turn free action boost(move speed)
1/round reaction overwatch quick action attack target for leaving weapon threatened space
1/round reaction brace resist attack's damage and to EONT -1d6 attackers & no free action & no reactions
& no normal move & no overcharge & no full action & only one quick action
1/turn reaction on any miss fly 2 spaces
1/round on attack with auxiliary melee fly 3 spaces towards target before attack & ignore engagement & reactions

heavy= main cannon, range-15, arcing, inaccurate(-1d6), blast-1, 1d6+1 explode,
main= main CQB, range-5, threat-3, 1d6 kinetic, +1d6 at range 3-
flex(aux/aux)=
aux melee, overkill(1 dmg=+1 burn), reach-1, 1d3+1 energy
aux CQB, range-5, threat-3, reliable(1 dmg on miss), 1d3 kinetic, +1d6 at range 3-

+++++ BEN +++++
size 1, armor 0, sensor range 10, save TN 10, attack +0
hull: hp 16, repair cap 6, mod +2
agl: evade 8, speed 4, mod +0, agility checks & saves +1d6
sys: e-def 8, tech attack +0, SP 6, mod +0
eng: heat 6, bonus limited +0, mod +0

modules: at rest 1 repair = 1 structure
personalization[1sp](+2 hp),
jump jets[2sp](fly when boosting & end on ground),
2 open SP for mission specific

--1/scene quick action as free action
--1/mission core power protocol (start of turn free action toggle) for rest of scene +d6 all attacks check saves
& 1/turn free action boost(move speed)
1/round reaction overwatch quick action attack target for leaving weapon threatened space
1/round reaction brace resist attack's damage and to EONT -1d6 attackers & no free action & no reactions
& no normal move & no overcharge & no full action & only one quick action

heavy= heavy cannon, inaccurate(-1d6), range-8, 2d6+4 kinetic,
main= main cannon, range-15, arcing, inaccurate(-1d6), blast-1, 1d6+1 explode,
aux/aux= _TWO_ aux CQB, range-5, threat-3, reliable(1 dmg on miss), 1d3 kinetic, 1st atk your turn +1d6, +1d6 at range 3-

+++++ CIA +++++
size 1, armor 0, sensor range 10, save TN 10, attack +0
hull: hp 16, repair cap 6, mod +2
agl: evade 8, speed 4, mod +0
sys: e-def 8, tech attack +0, SP 6, mod +0
eng: heat 6, bonus limited +0, mod +0

modules: at rest 1 repair = 1 structure
personalization[1sp](+2 hp),
jump jets[2sp](fly when boosting & end on ground),
2 open SP for mission specific

--1/scene quick action as free action
--1/mission core power protocol (start of turn free action toggle) for rest of scene +d6 all attacks check saves
& 1/turn free action boost(move speed)
1/round reaction overwatch quick action attack target for leaving weapon threatened space
1/round reaction brace resist attack's damage and to EONT -1d6 attackers & no free action & no reactions
& no normal move & no overcharge & no full action & only one quick action
3/mission (recharge 1/rest if at zero) 1/round free action order/suggest to ally & they get +1d6 to go with it

heavy=heavy melee, reach-1, 2d6+1 kinetic,
main=main cannon, range-15, arcing, inaccurate(-1d6), blast-1, 1d6+1 explode,
flex(aux/aux)= _TWO_ aux nexus, vs e-def, range-10, 1d3 kinetic, 1st atk your turn +1d6

+++++ DEL +++++

size 1, armor 0, sensor range 10, save TN 10, attack +0
hull: hp 16, repair cap 6, mod +2
agl: evade 8, speed 4, mod +0
sys: e-def 8, tech attack +0, SP 6, mod +0
eng: heat 6, bonus limited +0, mod +0

modules: at rest 1 repair = 1 structure
personalization[1sp](+2 hp),
jump jets[2sp](fly when boosting & end on ground),
2 open SP for mission specific

--1/scene quick action as free action
--1/mission core power protocol (start of turn free action toggle) for rest of scene +d6 all attacks check saves
& 1/turn free action boost(move speed)
1/round reaction overwatch quick action attack target for leaving weapon threatened space
1/round reaction brace resist attack's damage and to EONT -1d6 attackers & no free action & no reactions
& no normal move & no overcharge & no full action & only one quick action
1/round on nexus crit target system save vs slowed+impaired

hv & mn= _TWO_ main cannon, range-15, arcing, inaccurate(-1d6), blast-1, 1d6+1 explode,
flex(aux/aux)= _TWO_ aux nexus, vs e-def, range-10, 1d3 kinetic, ON CRIT, 1st atk your turn +1d6

OPFOR, two tanks on the road, three squads searching, one scout

TANK (assault vehicle) two tanks
size 1, armor 1, sensor 8, save 10, skills +1
hp 15, ev 8, ed 8, heat 8
speed 4 (straight line), no arms, only melee is ram, no self right from prone
** main rifle, d20+1, range 10, 6k, reliable 2
-- 1/turn reaction on hit gain resistance to the hit
ignore difficult terrain
may carry one squad or one size 1/2 unit

HIVE one
size 1, armor 0, sensor 10, save 12, agl+0 sys+2 eng+1, hull-1
hp 20, ev 8, ed 8, heat 8
speed 5
** nexus, d20+2 vsEdef, range 8, BURN 3, (AP & eng save @ end of target turn repeat|clear)
** "drone", quick tech, d20+2, range sensors, IGNORE LOS, target choose immobilized & impaired
_OR_ free move 5 spaces attackers choice
** swarms, "drone" quick action, recharge 4+, unlimited ammo, lasts until HIVE destroyed, range sensors
in empty zone, IGNORE LOS, blast 1, allies soft cover, enemy start/enter on their turn = BURN 2

SQUAD (squad) three squads
size 4(1/2each), armor 0, sensor 10 save 10, skills+2
hp 10, ev 8, ed 8, biological(immune tech except lock&scan & take heat as damage)
speed 4, immune grapple ram kb stun & cannot melee, does not count as taking up squares
always soft cover & never hard cover
resist all damage not from AOE
** guns (2x if hp>5), d20+2, rng 5, 2k
** big gun, d20+1, rng 10, 5k

SITREP FOR OPFOR
agent with data hiding in a building
scan and apprehend
deploy from east map edge
attempt to capture alive
drive off any enemy units if possible
kill agent if necessary to prevent escape

SITREP FOR PCS
agent with data hiding in a building
scan and evacuate
deploy from west map edge
kill agent if necessary to prevent capture.

-----

OK, just going with the big map because the others are... blech-scale... and we're set up, ABCD on the east edge, H T1 T2 Q1 on the west edge, Q2 and Q3 in the tanks. Also, everyone is color coded this time. Also didn't remember before starting to decide what the last 2 sp each mech was so they all get a passenger seat.

turn 1: turn 2: turn 3: moves & boosts & scans, H & T1 & T2 all took 1 heat for overcharge just to get places, then H scanned the building the agent was in and stuff got urgent, the tanks can't climb the wall so they're moving to cut off ABCD

A d0 h0, B d0 h0, C d0 h0, D d0 h0, H d0 h1/8, T1 d0 h1/8, T2 d0 h1/8, Q1 d0, Q2 d0, Q3 d0

turn 4: A= boost, move, 1/scene=boost, overcharge=boost, and can't do anything with the last half action. H= moves to the top of the wall and down into compound, uses swarm to block a zone. B= matches A's move. Q1= moves up, we're still over 20 squares away from the nearest target. C= core protocol activate, free boost, 1/scene=boost, move, overcharge boost, tech buff A because we can't do anything else with that half action, boost. T1= move & boost through the trees and disgorge Q2 adjacent. D= duplicate C's turn but tech buff B. T2= duplicates T1 except overcharges for +2 heat for more distance before discharging Q3. Q2 & Q3 both move & boost, 2 for intercept and support Q1 while Q3 goes for the agent.

A d0 h1/6, B d0 h1/6, C d0 h1/6, D d0 h1/6, H d0 h1/8, T1 d0 h1/8, T2 d0 h3/8, Q1 d0, Q2 d0, Q3 d0

turn 5: A= move, boost, lob a shell at Q3 d20-2d6 9-(3|5) miss. H= swarm recharges on 6, move, boost, swarm. B= move, boost, lob a shell rolled a 4. Q3= move, potshot A 4+1-2 miss, boost into compound. C= move, free move, lock Q3, drop a shell between T1 & T2 10-6 & 8-4 misses, fine then overcharge 2 heat for a second shot 7-1 & 18-4 T2 reacts to resist damage 3+1->2. Q2 moves, boosts, fires small gun twice at C 5+2-3 & 8+2-5 misses. D= move adjacent to C and begin barrage consume lock on Q3 +d6-2d6=-d6 & roll twice -> 6-4 & 5-6 second shot 6-(5|3), overcharge +3 heat, 1-(5|2) miss. Q1 move and shot once at C 10+1-4 miss. T1 & T2 move & boost and still are too far to shoot anything.

A d0 h1/6, B d0 h1/6, C d0 h3/6, D d0 h4/6, H d0 h1/8, T1 d0 h1/8, T2 d2/10 h3/8, Q1 d0, Q2 d0, Q3 d0, attacks=14, 2 hits

turn 6: C= lock on Q2, move, free boost, cannon at H +d6-d6 -> 12 hits 4+1. H= no recharge, move, "drone" tech C 9+2 hit & C chooses immobilized & impaired, boost move into swarm for cover. D= free boost, move next to C, barrage C1&2 using C1 lock +2d6-2d6 (17|20) on Q2 and 6-3 on Q1... I've been switching C & D this whole time, ok, swapping names in the text file so it matches the map & commentary here... damage is (3|6)+1 -> 7, second shot both rolls at +d6-2d6 13-6 & 7-4 misses. Q2= move, shot at d 6+1-6, boosts to back off. A= we're all rolling like utter shit so activate core protocol, move, free boost, barrage & hunter lets us fly 3 before the aux melee attack on Q3 5 miss, aux gun 20 damage is (2|2), main cqb 5 miss. Q3= barrage A 13+2->2, 14+2->2, 4+1 miss. B= move, barrage, hv cannon at Q3 15-(5|1) -> 9/2=5, cannon at Q1&Q2 5-(5|2) & 17-(6|4) -> 4 to kill Q2. Q1= move, boost, shoot at B 9+2-3 hit 2 & 10-4 miss. T1= moves, overcharge +1 heat boosts, locks on B & shoots 7 miss -> 2. T2 moves, locks on B & shoots 9 -> 6.

A d4/14 h1/6, B d10/14 h1/6, C d0 h3/6 immobile impaired, D d0 h4/6, H d5/20 h1/8, T1 d0 h2/8, T2 d2/10 h3/8, Q1 d3/10 Q2=DEAD, Q3 d7/10, attacks=21, 8 hits

turn 7: B= move up one, barrage, move back one, shoots is 2 aux at Q1 13+3 & 8 -> 3/2+2/1->3 then hv cannon at T1 8-(6|6) miss. H= swarm recharges, overcharge +3 heat to swarm, move into it, full tech invade on D 13+2 hit of +2 heat and impaired then "drone" A 18+2 who chooses move and gets shoved 5. C= cannon between Q3 & H 15-6 & 2-4 so Q3 takes ouchy 7 and dies, lock on H. Q1= barrage B 9+2-5 & 9+2-4 & 8+1-3 all misses, then fall back a bit. D= barrage cannon H with lock & Q1 +2d6-26d (14|8) -> H takes 6+1, 15-2 hits Q1 for 1+1, move, free boost next to B, overcharge +4 heat blowing the heat cap taking stress damage, roll on table exposed until we clear the status, lock on T1. T1= shoot at B 14+1-4 -> 6 roll on structure damage table for impaired to end of next turn, lock on B, then move back. A= start in swarm & burn 2, barrage main cqb +2d6-d6 2+4 miss, cannon +lock on +2d6-2d6 6 miss, move, free boost, eng check 14 clears the burn. T2= move, boost, shoot C 13+1 -> 6.

A d8/14 h1/6, B d2/14 h2/6 impaired, C d6/14 h3/6, D d0 h4/6(3/4) exposed, H d10/20 h4/8, T1 d0 h2/8, T2 d2/10 h3/8, Q1 d5/10 Q2=DEAD, Q3=DEAD, attacks=16, 4 hits

turn 8: A= extract & load up the agent, free boost, overcharge +3 heat to cannon at H 8-(4|6) miss. T2= blast C 1+1 miss -> 2, overcharge +1 heat re-blast 4+1 miss -> 2, lock on, move a little bit. C= move & free boost to T2, hammer 4+5 hit 8+1 reaction -> 5, 2 aux nexus +2d6-d6 3+4 miss & 3 miss, overcharge +2 heat, re-hammer 17+5 -> 7+1 -> dead. H= swarm does not recharge, move, full tech to "drone" A 6+2 who chooses immobile and impaired, then nexus C 8+2 -> 3 burn. B= start core protocol, move, free boost, 2x cqb... frak, I've been forgetting C's leadership and the tanks armors all this time, too damn much stuff to track... 2x cqb T1 +2d6-2d6 4 & 7-4 misses, hv cannon T1 using lock -2d6+2d6 16 -> 9+4-1 reaction/2 -> 6, overcharge +3 heat, re-cannon T1 18-6 -> 5+4-1 -> 8 and dead. Q1= moves up and barrages D 13+2-3 -> 2x2=4, 12+2-4 -> 2x2=4, 3+1-3 miss. D= move, free boost, barrage Q1 +d6-2d6 14-1 & 9-2 one hit for 5+1 and dead.

A d8/14 h4/6, B d2/14 h5/6, C d14/14 h3/6, D d8/14 h4/6(3/4) exposed, H d17/20 h4/8, T1=DEAD, T2=DEAD, Q1=DEAD Q2=DEAD, Q3=DEAD, attacks=18, 8 hits

turn 9: C= take burn damage, lock on H, move, free boost, cannon H +d6-d6 14 -> 6+1. H= swarm recharges, swarm & drone since they don't require LOS, 15+2 and A choose to be immobile and impaired. D= free boost, fire both cannon consuming lock on first +2d6-1d6 (18+6|4+2) -> 1+1 & 17 -> 1+1 and dead.

A d8/14 h4/6, B d2/14 h5/6, C d14/14 h3/6, D d8/14 h4/6(3/4) exposed, H=DEAD, T1=DEAD, T2=DEAD, Q1=DEAD Q2=DEAD, Q3=DEAD, attacks=5, 3 hits

Now if the tally I tried to keep is right... 56 attacks with 25 hits (46%), eight with +1d6 where it made a difference all of twice (not stat significant trials), 42 with -1d6 to -3d6 where it made a difference 13 times (31%), and 6 times of all shots the difference between a 8 & 10 defense number would have made a difference (9%). Of course I was pretty well rolling like shit a lot of the time too. Yeah, fewer inaccurate weaons would help but those main cannon were the best range I could reasonable get and that extra range made a real difference. You just have such crap choices at starting level here. On the plus side everyone got to attack this time, nobody went down (though slap D with two tech hits to trigger another overheat and you have a 1/3 chance of taking out that mech). I really have no idea how tech attacks that don't need LOS should work. That would seem to be like arcing shots and ignore cover, or maybe I'm totally misunderstanding the Hive mech's attacks. And again there's just a massive annoying fuckton of stuff to try to keep track of. I'm sure it's easier when you're a player with one mech, but DMing this just feels like combat would be a pain in the ass. The books stat blocks are not friendly to me and I didn't figure any way to make them nice for my use. Of course I didn't work too much at that either. Focus fire will completely hose PCs and they will be vulnerable to shooting OR tech attacks no matter what. Although tech attacks have a pretty serious limit with sensor range and most stuff having such short range sensors. Which actually fucks with trying to do a PC tech attack mech.

 

[SavAce]

Recently, Dream Pod 9 have been releasing Heavy Gear 1e and 2e in "Heavy Gear Revitalized" editions. Basically, someone was able to dig up the old original Mac PageMaker files and get them converted, so that we no longer have to deal with the dirty scans they were selling before. On the other hand, they are selling these clean new versions at a fairly hefty price. In mid-April though... Heavy Gear 4th edition is supposed to hit Kickstarter, so I'll be checking that out.

Heavy Gear 4th Edition Roleplaying Game Update! – Dream Pod 9

Welcome to Dream Pod 9

www.dp9.com

 

[gale_wolf]

I've got BRP Mecha but haven't ever tried it. Does anyone have any experience playing with Mecha using BRP?

 

[gruagach]

As to Lancer, I like the setting. A lot. I'm not a tactical combat skirmish game enjoyer - but the game play seems like it could be fun with the right group. However, I see a lot of potential for neat stories in the setting - but I'm noodling either dropping the mechs entirely and using something like M-Space, or using a lighter Mecha rules set.

Speaking of, has anyone subscribed to this thread played the Mecha Hack, mentioned upthread?

I think, like many potential mech games, you could get a lot of mileage out of re-imagining the visual aesthetics of the mechs to deliver different flavors of mech.

I'm also not that into "reality simulation" - so the short ranges of Lancer don't bug me too much either. I mean, if I'm being honest, the only "realistic" treatment of mechs in a modern warfare context would be that a squad of mechs would be what modern soldiers might refer to as a "target rich environment". Because, seriously, even a little thought into it tells me mechs are about the dumbest formfactor for an armored unit on a modern battlefield.

So then I start thinking of games that could do genre emulation well, like say Cortex Prime or FATE. The challenge there is that one won't find a lot of fiddly mechanical differentiation between say a turret mounted rail gun and shoulder mounted auto-cannons.

The whole thing's a conundrum. It's like trying to find the perfect game to emulate "swords & sorcery". Mecha may be too broad a category for a single game.

 

[yosemitemike]

If such a thing exists, I haven't found it yet. I have a bunch of mecha rpgs that are fine and work fine. Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, Mechasys, Mekton Zeta, That Palladium Robotech one, BESM mecha and several others. There are about a million more that I know nothing about though so such a thing may be out there somewhere.

 

[Torque2100]

I've got BRP Mecha but haven't ever tried it. Does anyone have any experience playing with Mecha using BRP?

View attachment 61687

I looked into this. I want this product but it's no longer on DTRPG.
:,(