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[Gatleos]

Just stopping by to suggest a certain minimalist rpg system that's actually fairly similar to RTD (but with a dice pool-based approach). It might be fun to run a game here.

[Parsely]

Just stopping by to suggest a certain minimalist rpg system that's actually fairly similar to RTD (but with a dice pool-based approach). It might be fun to run a game here.

You've convinced me. I'm in.

[freeformschooler]

Just stopping by to suggest a certain minimalist rpg system that's actually fairly similar to RTD (but with a dice pool-based approach). It might be fun to run a game here.

TRAITOR

JUST BECAUSE YOU RAN DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN HIDE FROM BILLBOB EZEKIAL

[Dermonster]

I like how the thread title is inadvertantly celebrating my birthday.

[Fniff]

Happy birthday, Derm.

May you live to derm it a billion times over.

[IronyOwl]

Intentional happy birthday, derm.

[Tsuchigumo550]

I've been mulling around how a mecha fighting concept would work, and yet again I can't seem to come up with a damn solution that... dosen't require me to jam a calculator into my brain and complete hundreds of operations per second- exaggeration maybe, but bloody hell.

So I've been wondering how to overcome that. Think outside the engine-box. This is still very prototype-y and unfinished, but it's an idea nonetheless. Action-type based combat.

Each part modifies rolls for certain types of actions based on how they're done- you, as a player, could choose at any time to fire one missile conservatively at a long-ranged target or completely empty your launcher in one go, each of those actions considered parts of a different "sphere" (Calculated and Bold, respectively).

Mecha can be customized, and each part and weapon has any number of visible and invisible modifiers based on actions taken with them for the spheres. Some weapons help those who act very bold and are useless in the hands of a calm tactician, etc.

Combat is done with a four-point system, where for attack and defense you spend points in each sphere to determine how you fight. Since many parts have hidden stats, making a mecha is as much about designing it to your specs as well as learning how to use it effectively. I don't know how I'll use the points system and what any of the rolls will do, but it's an interesting combat idea.

Let's say the possible spheres are Kamikaze (Absolute all-out attack), Bold (powerful, blitzkreig attacks), Offensive (A normal attack), Calculated (Not using a weapon's full potential to get better results- burst fire, for instance), Evasive (Attacks are more of a diversion to escape), and Conservative (Attacks only if needed, useful for negotiations).

I choose a light, open-cockpit core. Visibly, it has +1 to Conservative and +1 to Evasive, and hidden from the players, it has +1 Kamikaze. The reasoning is that it is fast enough to evade and allows direct visual communications, but if it was to be pushed into a suicidal combat situation, it could manage better than other cores. The marketing, players, or mystical forces don't realize it's Kamikaze potential.

In this way, you could build a mecha for one sphere of combat, or a hemisphere (combat half or defense half oriented), and still be useful in some areas without you even knowing. A unit who is pushed to take an action it isn't used to (a negotiation and long-ranged, conservative mech forced to take hand-to-hand with a bloodthirsty enemy) may or may not be able to perform. Hidden stats are generally smaller than what you can see, though, as well as hidden sometimes being the same as visible: a core with +1 conservative could have another hidden +1 conservative, the part is getting +2 conservative, but it's hidden. Rolls don't show adding, only final result- getting an 8 when you've got no mods and a +1 might be a giveaway, but you couldn't rely on that.

I think it could be interesting if it could be fleshed out.

[flabort]

*thumbs up*
An excellent idea.

[BFEL]

I've been mulling around how a mecha fighting concept would work, and yet again I can't seem to come up with a damn solution that... dosen't require me to jam a calculator into my brain and complete hundreds of operations per second- exaggeration maybe, but bloody hell.

So I've been wondering how to overcome that. Think outside the engine-box. This is still very prototype-y and unfinished, but it's an idea nonetheless. Action-type based combat.

Each part modifies rolls for certain types of actions based on how they're done- you, as a player, could choose at any time to fire one missile conservatively at a long-ranged target or completely empty your launcher in one go, each of those actions considered parts of a different "sphere" (Calculated and Bold, respectively).

Mecha can be customized, and each part and weapon has any number of visible and invisible modifiers based on actions taken with them for the spheres. Some weapons help those who act very bold and are useless in the hands of a calm tactician, etc.

Combat is done with a four-point system, where for attack and defense you spend points in each sphere to determine how you fight. Since many parts have hidden stats, making a mecha is as much about designing it to your specs as well as learning how to use it effectively. I don't know how I'll use the points system and what any of the rolls will do, but it's an interesting combat idea.

Let's say the possible spheres are Kamikaze (Absolute all-out attack), Bold (powerful, blitzkreig attacks), Offensive (A normal attack), Calculated (Not using a weapon's full potential to get better results- burst fire, for instance), Evasive (Attacks are more of a diversion to escape), and Conservative (Attacks only if needed, useful for negotiations).

I choose a light, open-cockpit core. Visibly, it has +1 to Conservative and +1 to Evasive, and hidden from the players, it has +1 Kamikaze. The reasoning is that it is fast enough to evade and allows direct visual communications, but if it was to be pushed into a suicidal combat situation, it could manage better than other cores. The marketing, players, or mystical forces don't realize it's Kamikaze potential.

In this way, you could build a mecha for one sphere of combat, or a hemisphere (combat half or defense half oriented), and still be useful in some areas without you even knowing. A unit who is pushed to take an action it isn't used to (a negotiation and long-ranged, conservative mech forced to take hand-to-hand with a bloodthirsty enemy) may or may not be able to perform. Hidden stats are generally smaller than what you can see, though, as well as hidden sometimes being the same as visible: a core with +1 conservative could have another hidden +1 conservative, the part is getting +2 conservative, but it's hidden. Rolls don't show adding, only final result- getting an 8 when you've got no mods and a +1 might be a giveaway, but you couldn't rely on that.

I think it could be interesting if it could be fleshed out.

Send me a PM when this is ready, I want to be on the player list.
Also, how many parts are we talking? Is this gonna be full on Armored Core with a hundred different parts in the head alone (pretty much 0% chance, but its for demonstration) or is it just gonna be legs, cockpit, weapon? Also how much can parts be modified? I.e. extra armoring, replacing innards with lighter parts, removing safeties. And are the pilots personality stats chosen, or earned based on actions? (with the latter I would suggest a starting "academy" level/mission to create baseline pilot personalities) Lastly, is this theoretical game Co-op, Competitive, or a sandbox combo of both?

[Furtuka]

Mecha? Yaaaaay!

[Tsuchigumo550]

The engine is nowhere near a runnable state, so it'll be a loooooong way off.

No idea on plot or whatever, but I was imagining a "mission time" system.

You've got a set amount of time before you've got to leave, bingo fuel. Matching an enemy, your 6 versus theirs, is an extremely high-speed counter where you lose only a tiny amount of your time, a 1 to 1 is a slow, drawn out fight where once engaged neither of you can break for a while and you both waste time.

I may have a dedicated "crew" or something. Not sure yet.

Parts wise... well, we're talking, let me think, smaller than even Armored Core V is, "exosuit" is almost the correct description, a Gurren-Lagann esque build where the core is the cockpit- the torso holds the player and the entire torso space is used by the player. Front Mission size, maybe?

Core, which is cockpit, for sure.
Legs.
Arms.
Head.
Generator.
AMS.

The ones that need explanation would be Generator and AMS- Generator augments mission time as well as determines how likely you are to go BOOM when you take critical damage, AMS is your movement system which only affects some things as far as enviroment goes. Space is neutral to all.

Generators are important in many ways.
Durability of your generator determines how well it can survive damage- generally, mooks focus on this stat- beat the shit out of their mecha and it dosen't suddenly explode for no reason.
Generators also affect mission time- in the event of a successful save roll where failure would result in death, you often use up a burst of energy, lowering your mission time.

So, a sample mission. This is purely conjecture and the game is unable to run any of this because of all the things that aren't here. Think of it as a CGI trailer or something.

Spoiler: hypothetical loadout (click to show/hide)

CORE: AGRAM SLYPH
+1 Calculated, +1 Offensive (+1 Calculated)
Lightweight and very open, the Slyph feels more like a dangerously stripped down racing frame. It's fast as hell, though.
LEGS: ARMA STRIDER
+1 Bold, +2 Evasive (-1 Conservative)
Built for versatility, the Strider uses a foot system able to traverse any terrain.
ARMS:AG-A01032
+2 Calculated, (+1 Offensive)
Stable, midweight arms developed from a simple base to be as stable as possible.
HEAD: AG-H01032
+2 Calculated, +1 Evasive (-1 Offensive)
Head designed to give stable, distanced locks and an early warning for enemy attacks. Lacks in short-range ability.
GEN:AGRAM SLYPH
+1 Offensive.  Extends Mission Time by 8. (Arbitrary time unit, average turns are worth 2 points of time) Chance of fatal error at 75% and below integrity.
Powerful and long lasting, just don't let anyone breathe near it or it might implode.
AMS:HYPER STRIDER
+2 Kamikaze, +2 Bold , (-2 Conservative) Null Terrain Debuffs: Air, Land
The Hyper Strider was developed in conjunction with the Strider LEGS to produce a movement system good for all engagements, then taking the movement abilities and cranking them up to 11.

Kamikaze: +2       
Bold: +3             
Offensive: +2
Calculated: +6
Evasive: +3
Conservative: -3
Average,Average,Average,Exceptional,Average,Poor.

Weapons work in that equipping them means you must have a slot open (shoulder, hand, or special-mount) as well as any prerequisites. For instance, let's say I were to equip a beam sniper, CIWS anti-missile system, and a missilebox of my own.

The Beam Sniper is a large weapon requiring at least +4 Calculated and a generator that adds at least 6 MT.
+4 Calculated/-2 All, -MT1 means that when attacking, calculated gets +4, and when defending, all types get -2. Firing it reduces MT by 1 point.

The CIWS requires nothing but a free port and blocks missiles automatically- it fires if they come close, dodge or not.

The missilebox requires at least a +1 in three or more stats, and is +1 All / ---. Missilebox gives free +1 attack when used.

This build would be used to take position, fire upon enemies before they can become a threat via the beam sniper then hold it's own when backing off. Calculated shots with +10 means you'll have a very strong edge against any opponent at range, but anyone who can fire back is a serious threat- this mecha won't hold together for more than a few hits.

Yeah, this is still a long way off and I don't like the way weapons work, plus aim distances... work work work.

[BFEL]

I am now fully invested in this and will help in any way I can, please PM me with anything you would like to collaborate.

[flabort]

I'd like to volunteer as co-GM. Book-keeping, (Some/most) parts design, error checking, and keeping the players in check (I wouldn't care if it's possible to get +50 kamikaze, that mech is going to fall apart any second and is far too dangerous to it's pilot to actually allow in the game) is what I volunteer for.
This would mean, yes, I can't play... but remember, players, if Tsuchigumo lets me help, I'll be one of the ones assembling enemies and lots of murder machines. *squee* Character creation always was my favorite part of a game.

[BFEL]

*squee* Character creation always was my favorite part of a game.

I also have C³S- Chronic Character Creation Syndrome.

I pretty much was offering something similar, but more in a "getting shit set up beforehand" role, I.E. helping to develop rules and such.

[mastahcheese]

*squee* Character creation always was my favorite part of a game.

I also have C³S- Chronic Character Creation Syndrome.

This.
This is why I never made it past the second quest in any Elder Scrolls game, but have 20 different save slots with different characters.