Mech RP?

[Rayleonarde]

Okay, so I just got done venting an idea to a friend (who's now upset, as to my long-winded-ness), and, as I think about it...it seems more and more like a good idea.  It would, on a skeleton, be an RP based around what is essentially Armored Core (video game series, look into it for more info.) and/or CHROME HOUNDS (another game, roughly the same as Armored Core).  The idea would be for participants (At this point, it'd be open, though outside ideas don't hurt.) to work as mercenary mech pilots (whether they'd be like CHROME HOUNDS or Armored Core is yet to be determined).  Though I realize that game RP's don't really run for long (or, so I've been told) I feel that this could be built upon...


This was kind of a spur-of-the moment idea, and I wanted to get it off my chest...sorry if I break some rule or something...honestly.


Any ideas for adding onto this would be phenominal, as it is late when I posted this, I'm not really the best of writers, or thinkers, when night roles around.


After thought, a World War II RP...though, don't know how well that'd work....unless we went the Operation: Darkness (another game) route....

[Silverwind Blade]

I'm very much into mecha-based anime and fiction in general, and I have run numerous mecha-related games and written various fictions on the subject, especially involving anthro characters too. I'm the GM of a long-running RP around the subject on another RP site as well, so I'd be happy to offer any ideas you might welcome - and to play as well.

[Rayleonarde]

I'm open to suggestions.  I keep having more and more ideas, but I get caught up in something else, and they're gone.  I kind of would like to see some form of role selection, kind of like the CHROMEHOUNDS* style.  But, as I said, I'm very open to comments and suggestions. 





*CHROMEHOUNDS, a game.  In which the PC(Player Character) chooses a role from a list of 5 types.  These types are
Scout
Heavy Gunner
Defender
Commander
Sniper

I suppose that, with the way I feel I'm explaining it, this would involve some sort of DM, and I'm not too sure how the community would take to it.

[Silverwind Blade]

Well, you generally need one person who runs the plot as well as playing a character so that the game actually goes somewhere, which is kind of like having a DM. And you can certainly quite easily give the mecha classes or specializations when people create their characters and machines. That's a pretty standard idea as far as mech-genre things go.
I'd give people a range of classes to pick from, and then let them customise them with various weapons etc. so that they're a bit more personal.

[Rayleonarde]

How many classes, because I'm probably gonna have to write them down, I wouldn't like any less than six, nor anymore than ten.  The multitude of weapons will be broken down into at least six, if not more, classes.  These classes would be (this is a skeleton, mind you.)




Machine Guns
Rocket Launchers
Rifles
Sniper Rifles
Shotguns
Grenade Launchers


I feel these are sufficient, though ideas for other classes are acceptable.  Please list them in a similar fashion as above.

[Silverwind Blade]

I'm not sure about the classes - I suppose it depends on what kind of specializations you think the game needs, and would be relevant to the setting.
I'd come up with the setting first, and then see what fits around that, as really, the story and the setting are more important than the mechanics of the character gen when you're playing free-from on a forum.

[serpington]

sounds interesting. i'll help in any way i can......starting with this:
http://www.thefurryforum.com/forums/index.php?topic=16058.msg733896#msg733896
http://www.thefurryforum.com/forums/index.php?topic=15871.msg728777#msg728777
it's another mech related rp from a while ago. it didn't last long, i think the guy running it had to go away for a while, but you could use it for ideas if you like ^-^

[Silverwind Blade]

I like the sound of the setting. Not so keen on the races, but I love the space-opera type setting is always something I like the idea of. The mecha being taken from anime is a good idea too, as it helps people know what to expect, and keeps it all consistent within itself, rather than everyon having wildly inconsistant mecha designs or weapon specs.

[Rayleonarde]

The ideas from those links are sound, but I kinda hoped we'd stray from Mobile Suit Gundam , but I guess we need to start somewhere, hey?  Anyway, they're still sound ideas, nonetheless.  I suppose the idea of races does add some form of friction.  Anyway, thanks for the springboard, keep the ideas coming.  Once I cobble something together, we'll roll the ball and see where she goes, eh?

[serpington]

I'll post up anything else i think of and I'll be keeping track of this. ^w^

[Silverwind Blade]

Personally, I'm not overly fond of Armoured Core, as I found the lack of depth in the storyline and background to be tedious. Regarding Gundam, it's not a necessity, but it's useful to have some frame of reference, and something to draw from to set a benchmark for one unit vs. another, and to keep a consistent in-universe tech level and tech base, rather than a completely random assortment of ideas all smushed together in a weird blender of mis-matched ideas.
 
I think we need to put something down firm about what it's going to be about, as so far there's a lot of discussion, but nothing decided.

[Rayleonarde]

That does sound like a plan.  I didn't mean to say that we were going to use the Armored Core Universe,  if I came off like that, I apologize.  As for the back story, or whatever,  that was the idea.  Still, any other suggestions, bring 'em on.




Tech trees?  I'm not sure how'd you, personally, would go about that.  I could see, like, Light Sniper Rifles to Heavy Rifles to...Railguns...I guess?

[Silverwind Blade]

I'd split it up into fields of weaponry:

Ballistic Weapons:
-Cannon (i.e. semi-automatic shell-firing weapons)
-Autocannon (incl. gatling, etc, automatic shell-firing weapons)
-Rail/Coil guns (magnetic propulsion guns)
-Launchers (Grenade/Mortar weapons)

Self-propelled (SP weapons, i.e. weapons that have their own propellant)
-Rocket systems (unguided rockets, saturation or single-fire)
-Missile systems (guided weapons, designed for powerful and hard-hitting attacks)

Close-Combat weapons
-Bladed weapons
-Blunt weapons

Energy Weapons
-Particle Beams
-Lasers
-Flame weapons (i.e flamethrowers)
-etc (depends on the setting, obv.)

Within those fields, have various weaponry based on the size of the suits, and restrict the number of weapons (maybe by a 'hardpoint' system) by the size and configuration of the suit - assault class, for example, could carry more hardpoints' worth of weaponry than a light or medium, but conversely a light or medium has better movement ability.

Again, of course, that's all fluff, essentially, as it's a forum-based game with no tabletop or stats to influence anything.

[Rayleonarde]

Great!  I'm cooking up a suit class system already.


Guns will take up hardpoint slots, heavier guns = more points taken up.


Heavy Class - 15-20 hardpoints. 
Medium Class - 10-15 Hardpoints.
Light Class- 5- 10
Scout Class 2 - 5 hardpoints.


Scouts make up for lack of hardpoints for being smaller and faster.  However, due to their lighter body types, they can't take much damage.
Light Classes are great for rushing, not for extended firefights.
Medium Classes are standard soldier style suits.  Great for combat, but kinda slow.
Heavy Classes are made for laying waste to whatever area they're currently in.  Because of their heavier weight, they can take enormous amounts of damage, but are extremely slow.


There are rare custom Super Heavy types, but you'd have to have some form of license to pilot one (I.E. GM would have to okay it, and not everyone gets one.)


If you disagree with this system, make adjustments as you see fit.


As for miscellaneous weapons, I'd be willing to accept things that essentially break physics.  An example would be Lost Planet 2's Black Hole Martyr System.


Just an afterthought, what about wearable suits, kinda like VANQUISH, or TITANFALL?  I mean, they'd be more like infantry, and be able to hit other suits where they'd be vulnerable, such as exhaust ports and joints.


Again, if you disagree with anything stated above, please fix it as you see fit.

[serpington]

it sounds reasonable so far, and i think that having people being able to swap between relying on their mech and fighting as infantry would be useful. that way we can expand it to not just having to rely on the mechs for proper combat.