BattleTech. Robotech. Rifts. Mekton. Giant robots beating the crap out of other giant robots. Is that ever not awesome? Jason Marker (Robotech RPG, Warhammer 40K Roleplay, Star Wars: Edge of the Empire) joins us to talk about our favorite giant stompy robot games and how to run them.
Also, you may have noticed we have a contest going on! You have the chance to win three awesome games, all signed by the designer! And even more!
Accursed: A Savage Worlds Campaign Setting, courtesy of Melior Via
Dementalism: The Game of Ingenious Ingeniousness, courtesy of Mutha Oith Creations
Better Angels, courtesy of Arc Dream Publishing
Tephra, courtesy of Cracked Monocle
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What We’ve Been Playing
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4 thoughts on “Episode 18: Giant Robot Games, or Ross and Jason Fight Over Robotech”
Just listened – great episode. I thought I’d commented on issues of Cthulhutech game balance from the point of view of someone who has had the opportunity to run the game in the past.
While it’s hard story-wise to mix some of the factions (NEG pilots, support staff, occult investigators, tagers), the different mechs actually are fairly balanced as a unit due to the scale rules in the game. My group was playing a mixed mercenary company doing the worst jobs for the NEG, and had everything from an engel pilot (with the largest or second largest engel in the core book, if I recall) to an anti-mech infantry specialist with a huge anti-vehicle rocket launcher and a fast motorcycle. While the engel took a severe beating multiple times being such a huge target, the specialist would sneak into position, pop off a couple of well-aimed shots, and take off with his opponents rarely able to hit such a tiny fast-moving target.
The bigger balance issue I had was in the selection of opposition. I found myself using the migou a lot more than I planned to because the other typical options didn’t really work. The bigger entities in the mythos would just wipe out a mech team, and the minor ones (like gugs or star spawn) had the same problem that the zentraedi did in the old Palladium Robotech game for me (sorry, haven’t tried the new one): they’re significantly weaker than the player character mechs and not much of a challenge unless they have vastly superior numbers.
Even so, it’s a great game and I would play it again if the binding on my core book hadn’t rotted away on the shelf since my earlier campaign (I don’t have the budget for a new one and wildfire never got back with me when I asked them about it).
Great episode!
I was tickled to hear the mention of Jovian Chronicles, but was not surprised to hear the general lack of knowledge about it (and the better recall of Heavy Gear, which had its own CG-animated cartoon show after all). I was also drawn into its Hard SF / Gundam feel, and was shocked to actually see some of the technical drawings of the interiors get a thumbs up approval from Nyrath on the Atomic Rockets / Project Rho site (which is all about Hard SF applied to space ships in particular and is a great resource for SF and Hard SF GMs out there).
The mech designs & logo designs of the corporations and nations also helped cement the feel of the game.
Liked to hear about the anime trivia concerning the theory on why giant robots / mecha became so ingrained in the Japanese psyche — not too far off from the Godzilla theory, so I suppose there’s something there.
Still in the middle of listening, but I can see that Mekton Zeta will be tackled. Surprised not to see the Robot Warrior (HERO System mentioned) — or maybe I shouldn’t be. 🙂 But I was hoping, since both Robot Warriors and Battletech were my intro into Giant Robot gaming.
Anyway, gotta get back to work and listening to your podcast. May the episodes continue (and the episode editing work get easier)!
I am so glad you mentioned Mekton Z. As I was listening, and hearing about the others, I kept thinking to myself “Man, I hope they don’t leave out Mekton.” So thank you for mentioning that. I’ve written Rifts mecha into MektonZ, Robotech, and all sorts of other stuff. MektonZ is just an awesome game and system
Speaking about Rifts and Robotech. I loved those games when I was younger, but the Palladium system was just so clunky, and later, when you started dealing with SDC creatures and MDC weapons, you found out real quick that things were broke. And also, every new book had to have at least a 20% power creep increase over the previous book. So, I loved Robotech, just not with Palladium… and as an aside, Macross II was left out of the list. Yes, it didn’t follow the Robotech Saga, and it was more a Sequel to Macross directly, but it was still an awesome Palladium Product with awesome Art.
Still chugging along and loving the podcast. There was no love for D&D and D20! Things like Doom Stiders, Dragonmech, D20 Mecha, Mecha Compendium, Mechamorphasis(Transformers knock off) and finally Spelljammer hand a mech in it Obviously lol.