The Mecha RP

It's hard to get a good Mecha RP these days, so I'll give it a try.

Story:

The limits of our planet are no longer a restriction for human expansion. The rapid acceleration of technology over the years and the final end of fossil fuels has lead towards drastic improvement over Solar Energy acquisition. This lead to two, major discoveries - The Photon Engine, an infinite source of power for vehicles, allowing space travel to nearby planets, and the Warp Gate - A device allowing us to bend space in order to minimize distance between two points in the universe.

It is now the year 31XX. Humans live on every planet in the Solar System, our technology allowing us to survive in the most extreme environments ever. Unfathomable to the people of the past, we are now living across the Solar System, from Mercury to Neptune, with a small scientific base on Pluto, preparing to leave for the rest of the Universe.

However our expansion was not peaceful. Wars broke out, resulting in rapid development of weapon technology with specific purpose of space combat. Our most magnificent discovery, the Personal Humanoid Space Combat Unit (PHSCU) was the dream of all science-fiction lovers. The so called "Mecha" became the standard weapon of all armies. Yet, despite our differences, we finally came to trust each other as humans, and the Non-aggression Space Pact was formed, treating all humans on all planets at equal rights. We are now at peace, and together aiming towards the universe!

But who would've thought our Mechs would be used so soon again?...




Overview:

So, here we are, the Solar System is our setting. Each player is a soldier on the front line, piloting their own Mecha. You are all part of one squad, however you can be from different planets. Alright, here is the character sheet:

Spoiler:

Simple right? Well, let me explain the last 4 choices. Your PLANET decides 2 of your special powers + it tells what part of the universe you can "shape". As an example, if let's say... Player 1 chooses Mercury, he can state "Let's go to the secret mercenary hideout! I know where it is!" then that place EXISTS on Mercury. Because Player 1 has a character born on Mercury, he knows secret places, bigger cities, smaller cities and stuff like that.

Choose your planet wisely:

1) Mercury - Solar Flash (All enemies are blinded by light for several turns) Scorching Radiance (Strikes the enemy with the power of the Sun, damage and time of impact vary depending on your distance to a nearby sun)
2) Venus - Gravity Shower (Causes random outbursts of the nearby gravity field to cause varied effects) Carbonic Gravity Well (Sucks in all targets inside a powerful gravity well, additionally encasing them in carbon, damage and disable effects increase depending on amount of carbon nearby)
3) Earth - Bio-Magnetic Field (Causes all nearby allies to regenerate their mechs) Bio-Plasma Corrosion (Blasts the target with a corrosive plasma, devouring their armor. The longer the plasma remains on the target, the more armor it corrodes)
4) Mars - Rust Powder (Spreads cosmic powder on all enemies, making their armor rust and more fragile till repaired) Shredding Wind (Causes a powerful flow to burst through the battlefield. The more loose matter is flying in the vicinity, the more damage this deals.)
5) Jupiter - Violent Storm (Causes high turbulence on the battlefield for the rest of the battle) Moon Crusher (The enemy is pulled towards a nearby moon and crushed on it, if there are more moons nearby, the enemy is pulled again until he collides with everyone of them)
6) Saturn - Spacial Ring (Creates a ring around the target ally that absorbs every projectile for 3 turns. Afterwards it bursts, releasing the damage at nearby targets) Light Breaker (Only usable on Saturn, allows the user to move at impossible speed, colliding with anything will shatter the object into tiny pieces)
7) Uranus - Heat Drain (A chosen target has its temperature drained to absolute zero) Crystal Barrage (Showers the enemy with a barrage of ice, damage varies depending on the temperature of the vicinity)
8) Neptune - Time Freeze (All enemies are denied their next turn) Hydrogen Crush (Delivers damage to all enemies based on the amount of Hydrogen in the vicinity)


In order to use a Planet Power, you will need Special Points (SP). Whenever you do good in battle, you will receive such a point. Each power costs 1 point, however their effects are REALLY powerful, so remember to collect them for bigger battles. They can be tide breakers.



Mecha Type:

Types of mechs will determine the special powers you can use during combat. All mechs can use every weapon and device installed on them, however they have a limited number of "slots". For now, all Mechs have 2 slots. A Mech type will give you extra "abilities" without taking slots, so choose wisely. As you go through the RP, you will gain more slots and unlock better weapons and Mech Type abilities. Remember that once you choose a Mech type, you are stuck with it!

1) Reconnaissance - Specializes in mobility and stealth. Starts with "Speed lvl1" (A passive, You are faster than other units, and can outrun anyone without the Speed ability on your level)
2) Fighter - Specializes in close combat and armor. Starts with "Grapple lvl1" (A passive, You can grab and throw around targets without a Grapple ability on your level)
3) Sniper - Specializes in distance combat and detection. Starts with "Radar lvl1" (A passive, You can target units that are not in visible range)
4) Defender - Specializes in armor and protection. Starts with "Armor lvl1" (A passive, You can ignore lvl0 damage)
5) Support - Specializes in support and mobility. Starts with "Repair lvl1" (A passive, You can reactivate a system that was shut-down)


Remember that your Mecha Type will gain more such abilities during the course of the RP.


Team Role:

Your Team Role is also there to stay. Once you got it, no turning back. After each episode, you will gain a new ability for your role which you can use. No matter what Mech you are piloting (or even a ship), you can always use your Team role abilities. Choose wisely:

1) Initiator - Specializes in creating openings for your team. Starts with "Breakthrough" (A special ability, allows the user to damage one unit of a formation and ruin their setup)
2) DPS - Specializes in dealing huge, consistent damage. Starts with "Damage lvl1" (A passive, all attacks have enhanced damage)
3) Nuker - Specializes in dealing tremendous burst damage, but short-lived. Starts with "Charge lvl1" (A passive, During your first turn in combat, you can use an additional attack)
4) Tank - Specializes in absorbing large amounts of damage. Starts with "Block lvl1" (A special ability, If chosen so, cannot attack this turn but gains +1 to Armor lvl till your next turn)
5) Support - Specializes in amplifying team abilities. Starts with "Amplify lvl1" (A special ability, Your chosen ally will deal damage +1 lvl higher during his next attack)




And... that is it. Any questions? Suggestions? If you have a cool idea, let's add it here!

It looks like Crowd Control effects are relegated to the planetary powers. I'll probably play a Defender(/Tank) with a sprinkling of either Support or Crowd Control abilities. Also, that "Breakthrough" sounds vague, at least until we have an idea how the battles will look like.

Also, despite their promised power, the planetary abilities sound like they'll be unreliable, just about every other power depends on the environment for its damage. Here I was looking through them for a source of consistent damage and I can't make up my mind. Their statuses, on the other hand, sound rather crippling - blind all enemies, for several turns? How's that balanced with one turn of time stop?

But I'm a client frowning at the restaurant menu. I'll make the pilot and mecha later.... oh yeah, question: that appearance part is for the pilot's appearance, our mecha's appearance, or both? Can we choose how our mecha will look like, or will you choose for us?

If you think about armies, they don't have soldiers specialized in "crowd control" effects. Mostly because blinding someone is worthless if you can just shower them with bullets and that way take them out.

The planetary powers are actually VERY RELIABLE, however they are not straight forward. None of these abilities is meant to just damage someone for X damage, thus you cannot just "power through" the enemies. Strategy is vital here, and thus coordination with the team and having a plan is a key to winning in this game.

Also, about blind vs Time freeze, remember you cannot blind a mechanical fighter jet. Also, just because something is blind it will not mean it cannot do anything. Time Freeze literally denies the enemy turn, so you can do like whatever to them. Every ability is situational and requires hgiher thought in order to succeed. Yeah, the game will be hard.

Your Mechs cannot be customized as you are switching mechs throughout the game. Each player will have various mechs with different parts to use. If you die during combat, it means you just evacuated and you lost one of your mechs. That mech will either be completely destroyed OR salvaged and after some time repaired and available for use again.

In other words, dying here costs you a mech, but you will gain mechs over time, some better, some worse, so one person losing is not a problem. Even if the whole team loses, it still means you survived, however you will be crippled and will require smart planning and micro-management to get through the mission.



Also, how battle looks:

Each attack that DAMAGES you will just shut down one of your systems. If you have 5 systems disabled, you have to evacuate. Aiming at specific parts will shut down different systems, so the key here is to strategize where you aim and who you take down first. It's more role-play and strategy then throwing dices and wondering if you will win.

I am interested and even more so now that AC 5 is coming out.

I'll give this a shot...

Greed wrote:

I am interested and even more so now that AC 5 is coming out.

I'll give this a shot...

Youuuuuuuu piece of shit *shot*

The way you mention difficulties and the setup makes me think of Muvluv.

Well, you know we just play fantasy setting with pretty much final fantasy style, hp and mana... I just want to try something fresh and try some kind of strategy, option-crunching game with a very difficult combat system that requires a precise plan and micro-management of resources.

Will it be hard? I can tell yes.
Will it feel damn rewarding? Oh hell yes! It'll be like a Rubic's Cube in Mecha format with RPG elements.

Hahaha... Interesting. Though Muvluv is a visual novel, the situation is so impossibly bad for humans even with their Mecha/TSF's, that in the official Strategy RPG's that come out, there's 'Easy', 'Normal', 'Hard', 'Very Hard', 'Hell', and guess what comes after? REAL. If the game were to be played as if it were the reality of the series, it's near impossible, apparently, because the author went out of his way for as much realism as possible.

I'm hoping for a similar experience.

Be careful what you're asking for, Allen. SX can sure deliver... last RP we all died, after all. <.<


The 'systems shutting down' reminds me of Medabots instead, you know. Funny connection. And I figure I might go with Earth since its Armor-melting power at least has 'useful on everything not-immune that wears armor' for its condition (and its other power Heals, so that's not half bad).

...... I wonder if Midnyte will post here, or stay out?

Someone should notify her of this. No offense to anyone, but women roleplaying is a refreshing experience.

Greed wrote:

Someone should notify her of this. No offense to anyone, but women roleplaying is a refreshing experience.

Notified her. We'll see what happens.

Would love to join, but I'm really really busy with school at the moment. :S Final year and all that... I barely have time to come online, let alone RP. >___<

(as seen by how long it took me to get the message, my bad >.>)

This sounds really amazing though - especially cos you're right 'bout it being something fresh too. Hope this takes off! I'll be watching the thread if it does. C:

How dare you have a life?!

Alright then, no big deal. We all have life chasing us x.X.