One thing I was thinking about the new skills and experience system is that it could apply very well to mecha. Drew and I had come up with 'mecha stats' that you could buy with 'mecha points' that let a character design his mecha. Basically 1 character point gives you X mecha points, then go build your mecha. Applying the 'skills and experiences' model to this you could have 'reliable' and 'cutting-edge' systems on your mecha. For instance taking Communications +5 might represent an experimental bleeding-edge new communications rig, where as taking communications +3d10 +2 would represent a reliable, standard com rig. The bleeding-edge system might be able to cut through interference that the standard wouldn't, but the standard would be more reliable on routine communications. This also applies well to sensors: A bleeding-edge sensor may be able to detected something cloaked, but it might also be more likely to give false returns and be quirky. A standard sensor might have little chance of detecting that cloaked thingy, but is more reliable for detecting standard targets. Players could select different amounts of 'reliable' and 'cutting-edge' to tailor the 'feel' of their mecha.
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I've got some similar ideas for computer's and net running. I'm still trying to flesh them out, and would like to see how you guys are handling mecha. Maybe you could put up a sample mech.
Brian,
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Ahh... truly it would be a dream to see these so called rules ;) I know drew and craig did something up but neither of them have actually posted them, they showed them to mark a long while back but as far as I know thats about as far as it went (we got an email a few weeks back with a bunch of pictures and little/no explination as to what any of it ment)
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One thing about your module tree, Mecha and Vehicles are essentially the same thing. At least to me, it doesn't make much sense to say this airplane is a vehicle and this a mech, because the second one happens to transform.
Brian,
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Actually, the difference to my mind is that the mecha requires 'humanoid' statistics. The system that Craig and Dru developed for Mecha, I said we would employ for vehicles in general, actually. Maybe I'll just go ahead and post them soon.
Anyway, the thing is that mecha (robotic stuff as opposed to more traditional vehicles) require special treatment, in order to keep the 'basic' vehicles fairly simple. We want someone who's making a horse-and-buggy not to have to go diving through the entirety of GURPS: Vehicles so he can figure out how fast it moves.
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One thing I was thinking about the new skills and experience system is that it could apply very well to mecha. Drew and I had come up with 'mecha stats' that you could buy with 'mecha points' that let a character design his mecha. Basically 1 character point gives you X mecha points, then go build your mecha. Applying the 'skills and experiences' model to this you could have 'reliable' and 'cutting-edge' systems on your mecha. For instance taking Communications +5 might represent an experimental bleeding-edge new communications rig, where as taking communications +3d10 +2 would represent a reliable, standard com rig. The bleeding-edge system might be able to cut through interference that the standard wouldn't, but the standard would be more reliable on routine communications. This also applies well to sensors: A bleeding-edge sensor may be able to detected something cloaked, but it might also be more likely to give false returns and be quirky. A standard sensor might have little chance of detecting that cloaked thingy, but is more reliable for detecting standard targets. Players could select different amounts of 'reliable' and 'cutting-edge' to tailor the 'feel' of their mecha.
Can you post the actual mecha rules you and drew developed? I'd be interested in seeing them.
I've got some similar ideas for computer's and net running. I'm still trying to flesh them out, and would like to see how you guys are handling mecha. Maybe you could put up a sample mech.
Brian,
Ahh... truly it would be a dream to see these so called rules ;) I know drew and craig did something up but neither of them have actually posted them, they showed them to mark a long while back but as far as I know thats about as far as it went (we got an email a few weeks back with a bunch of pictures and little/no explination as to what any of it ment)
I agree. I would very much like to see more info about this, since it has enormous potential on both sides of the strategy-gaming/RP-gaming line.
I'm thinking a module tree something like this on the RP side of things:
Equipment
Weapons
Vehicles
Mecha
Magic Items
One thing about your module tree, Mecha and Vehicles are essentially the same thing. At least to me, it doesn't make much sense to say this airplane is a vehicle and this a mech, because the second one happens to transform.
Brian,
Actually, the difference to my mind is that the mecha requires 'humanoid' statistics. The system that Craig and Dru developed for Mecha, I said we would employ for vehicles in general, actually. Maybe I'll just go ahead and post them soon.
Anyway, the thing is that mecha (robotic stuff as opposed to more traditional vehicles) require special treatment, in order to keep the 'basic' vehicles fairly simple. We want someone who's making a horse-and-buggy not to have to go diving through the entirety of GURPS: Vehicles so he can figure out how fast it moves.