Suggested Systems for a Mecha Campaign?

[Kite474]

Hello friends, I hope your day is going well.

So I have recently been given an opportunity to GM for my group, and I am hoping to do something different from the normal fantasy song and dance, and with having just binged IBO, I figured maybe a mech game can satisfy that desire for variety.

So with that in mind does anyone have any good suggestions for Mech systems or systems where I can run mech games? Willing to go as crunchy or as light as needed.

[Koo Rehtorb]

Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands

[Kite474]

Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands

Any particular advantages or things of note about it? Want to know what advantages it may have over its contemporaries.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I admit that I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the genre, but I think a key question is "what sort of mecha campaign?" Are you looking for (relatively) crunchy detailed tech-focused military sci-fi type mechas, are you looking for goofy action-mechas that are basically just giant magic robots, or somewhere in between? What sort of feel are you looking for? How important are the pilots going to be verses their machines? Will they be running around doing stuff when not in their mechs?

[Koo Rehtorb]

Any particular advantages or things of note about it? Want to know what advantages it may have over its contemporaries.

It's a one-shot game about mech pilots and their relationships in the middle of a messy three-way civil war. "Fight with your friends. Ally with your rivals. Fall in love with your enemies."

You won't get a campaign out of it, but you can play a session of it with no effort whatsoever and it'll be a fun segue into something more long term, if that's what you want. A good icebreaker.

[Kite474]

I admit that I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the genre, but I think a key question is "what sort of mecha campaign?" Are you looking for (relatively) crunchy detailed tech-focused military sci-fi type mechas, are you looking for goofy action-mechas that are just giant magic robots, or somewhere in between? What sort of feel are you looking for? How important are the pilots going to verse their machines? Will they be running around doing stuff when not in their mechs?

Those are some good questions.

Military Scifi in the line of Gundam is good where the robots are strong and powerful but not to the point of Super Robot magic. Also, the Mechs are important enough to where the players aren't replacing them every other session like in shows like VOTOM

Regarding Pilot Importance, I think their personal skills should matter in the cockpit but outside of maybe a dramatic Mexican standoff they shouldn't be doing much outside of their machines

[CharonsHelper]

In addition to how crunchy you want - how big do you want the mecha?

Gundam sized mecha are cool, but they don't really make much sense. (at least besides space combat) They'd just be too easy to hit with missiles and/or bomb.

Some shows have much smaller ones. Ghost in the Shell had some mecha which were only one step up from exo-suits. The knightmares in Code Geass were only about the size of a tank. (I remember that in the first episode, a knightmare was hidden in a semi-truck's trailer, and it didn't even take up the whole thing.)

Frankly - I really liked how mecha were used in Code Geass up until towards the end of the first season. (I've read that when the show gained popularity the producers forced the show to get all sorts of weird/unique mecha so that they could sell more models/toys. Which is too bad - because it kinda wrecked the show. I couldn't even finish the second season. I mean - early in the show it was amazing that The Lancelot could hold its own against 3-5 other mecha, but in the 2nd season it was fighting dozens with ease. >.<) But besides that - a setting similar to that could make for a cool campaign.

[Amaril]

Would it be really gross of me to plug my Mecha World system? It's just, it was made with just the kind of game you're describing in mind. You're welcome to take a look, of course.

Otherwise, I might go with some adaptation of the Camelot Trigger mech rules for Fate Core. They're elegant and versatile, and easy to fluff for the style you want.

[Blue Duke]

i want to suggest Mekton Zeta just so you can tell me how it plays since i've had the book since middle school and never used it for more then makeing Mechs.....but i am also makeing this comment so i can follow this thread so i can get an answer too !

[Grod_The_Giant]

i want to suggest Mekton Zeta just so you can tell me how it plays since i've had the book since middle school and never used it for more then makeing Mechs.....but i am also makeing this comment so i can follow this thread so i can get an answer too !

Isn't that the generic form of the official Gundam RPG? Might be worth a look for that alone.

[Kite474]

In addition to how crunchy you want - how big do you want the mecha?

Gundam sized mecha are cool, but they don't really make much sense. (at least besides space combat) They'd just be too easy to hit with missiles and/or bomb.

Gundam size is about right. Though the thing is going about "it doesn't make sense" when talking about giant robots is kind of missing the point don't you think? Plus not to mention the shows even get around it by these things being as agile as a gymnast. But this is going into a whole different thing.

I'll take a look at some of the stuff shown so far. Thank you all for the suggestions so far! I really appreciate it!

Also is anyone familiar with a game called Battle Century G? I've seen while exploring various sites but nothing ever concrete on how good it is.

[Random Sanity]

i want to suggest Mekton Zeta just so you can tell me how it plays since i've had the book since middle school and never used it for more then makeing Mechs.....but i am also makeing this comment so i can follow this thread so i can get an answer too !

Mekton Zeta is the D&D 3.5 of mecha RPGs - incredibly crunch-heavy and smothered in options, especially where the mechs are concerned. Between the core book and the expansion, you can duplicate pretty much anything that's ever been shown in a mecha-centric work of fiction. The downside is there's no "monster manual" to speak of - every machine that shows up in your campaign will have to be built from scratch (or cribbed from an online resource if you can find one), which means a LOT of prep time.

And to Grod, yeah, the Gundam RPG was built with MZ's engine as its skeleton.


On the more rules-light side of things, Chris Perrin's Mecha RPG is pretty much designed to be your own personal mecha anime - hang out, tinker, engage in hijinks, then hop in your machines and go kick some ass. The mechanics are simplified and highly abstract, putting the onus on the GM and the players to fluff out what exactly is going on around them. Good descriptive skills and improv narration are a must to get full enjoyment out of the system, but the crunch side can easily be learned in one session.

[Knaight]

I'd suggest Remnants. The underlying system is fast and resolves well, it comes with a fun default setting that isn't generic, and it certainly fits your requirement of the mecha being important things that are hard to replace. It's also fairly well written and well organized, both of which are rarities.

[Soulfyre85]

The Fate Core system has two good options, depending on what you're looking for.

Apotheosis Drive X (And it's spin off game, Princess Drive) is a third party release that goes for really flashy anime action. The Mechas are set up almost as extensions of the characters, represented by a set of Aspects denoting the mech's primary weapon, armor, and defensive system, and a defining stunt. Everything else is more on the Pilot's set of skills.

It's simple and elegant, and the Drive Die/Transcendence mechanic (Sort of like a limit break action) can lead to fun times.


Camelot Trigger comes from of the Fate Worlds Vol 2 book, and is the way to go for a group looking for more in-depth, fine-tuned control of their mechs. CT lets you build actual load-outs for the mechs, popping different systems into different body slots on the mech. CT calls them "internal" and "external" systems. The former is skill ranks the mech has that the pilot can use in lieu of their own. (A mech with "Advanced Targeting Systems 4" may roll shooting attacks at +4, rather than using the pilot's skill, for example), the latter are actual special powers, weapons, or abilities the mech has.

Designing a load-out is a lot of fun. Whats also neat is that in combat, mechs take damage by shutting down systems, which lends an extra element of strategy to battles.

In my experiences with both, ADX felt more...simple, and lent well to flashy, anime-esque action. CT is no slouch there, either but it felt much more strategic and tactical, and honestly, far more brutal.

Hope that helps!

Edit to point to the right fate worlds book

[Yllin]

BESM had some rules for mechas, i believe. Have no idea if it's any good

[CharonsHelper]

Gundam size is about right. Though the thing is going about "it doesn't make sense" when talking about giant robots is kind of missing the point don't you think? Plus not to mention the shows even get around it by these things being as agile as a gymnast. But this is going into a whole different thing.

Gundam sized ones don't bother me in space battles, but other than that I mostly roll my eyes.

However, there are worlds where smaller ones do make sense. My favorite fluff for mecha (and what I use in my TTRPG which has smaller mecha, about 3-4 meters) is that the humanoid shape allows it to hook directly into a person's nervous system, giving them better reflexes than they could ever get piloting a vehicle.

Even being as agile as a gymnast wouldn't help much. Last I read, gymnasts can't dodge bullets very well.

[Blue Duke]

Gymnasts dont have advanced targeting computers, sensor systems or maneuver verniers nor are they powered by the heart of star ENHANCED BY THE BURNING PASSION OF THE WARRIOR MERGEING WITH THE MACHINE ON A SPIRITUAL LEVEL HEEEEEEEYAAAAAA!......sorry....where'd i go just then ?