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Mecha rpg : Apocalypse frame vs beam saber (vs lancer (vs mekton Z) ) ? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 year ago by Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

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Hi Folks, I took itch Games for Gaza bundle. Among the games in the bundle, I've seen 2 mecha games, Apocalypse frame and Beam saber, I believe the first one is a PTBA and the second a FITD, I have no opinon on these "system family", it's vague enough that it can lead to a good or bad game.

I've been considering running a mecha game, for a while. Last time I played a mecha campaign it was a Mekton Z (at the time when code geass was the popular anime). I've even downloaded the free version of lancer, but only had a quick look (and the fact that atribute have weird 2-3 letter name like LL gave me the impression it's a complicated game). Now, I have a few games on my "pdf library" and need to choose one to read in details. These last years I focused mostly on one-shot/mini campaign (10-20 sessions once every 2 weeks)

I am not really sure which direction to take. I am too old to spend a whole session on a fight, and traditionally, I am more a Mystery/investigation GM. Mecha wise, I like how Macross feature the duality between artists and fighter offering two ambiances in one, while I love how Gundam isn't just good versus evil (and then I really enjoyed Geass, but it's not really a mecha anime). RPG wise, on the sci-fi games I GMed a lot of fading suns, and some Eclipse phase (the example of a game with a great setting but a bad system)

i haven't checked in details the setting of the 3 games from my thread, but it seems they're semi setting agnostic. I might re-use some element from Eclipse phase and focus on the solar system rather than a whole galaxy.

Any opinion on these system/settings and which one I should choose (beside reading 3 times a 300 pages manual to decide ?)

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[–] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've only played Lancer, it's very much d&d with mechs: you customise your equipment, roll d20s, and have tactical combat on a grid. Great fun, but not everyone wants combat to be the main focus. Also the stats aren't that complex, simpler than d&d!

I've not played the others, but in my experience FitD has good mechanics but isn't all about combat and you won't be rolling dice all night, and PbtA is a very freeform narrative game where you occasionally roll a die. Probably best choose based on what sort of game you and your table are looking for before you get into settings and rules!

[–] Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’ve only played Lancer, it’s very much d&d with mechs: you customise your equipment, roll d20s, and have tactical combat on a grid

I am not really sure whetherD&D& with mec is supposed to tell the game is good, or bad ? I don't like D&D in general for too much focus on combat, ignoring the rest, and as someone who grew up with Vampire and Shadowrun, I am no fan of single dices system especially on the crunchy side (I like to call shadowrun a diesel engine, it's heavy to start with, but once you're started it runs smoothly)

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 1 year ago

Good and bad are pretty subjective based on what you like. If you don't like d&d because it's too combat-focused then you probably won't like Lancer for the same reason, that doesn't make it bad but it's probably not for you.