Quote from: Banjo Destructo on October 11, 2024, 11:15:43 AMShit is getting stirred again. https://scottsgameroom.com/2024/10/09/battletech-texas-and-moderation/

And your point is what exactly?

And the left eat their own.

https://fandompulse.substack.com/p/woke-infighting-leads-to-cancelation

So when are we gonna get a new mech game that isn't Battletech? I have some ideas for original mech games and settings. I think it would make the most sense to start with generic rules that can support multiple settings, then make a plethora of settings rather than limiting yourself to just one. E.g. the war of earthly aggression, the bug war, mech sports, mechs vs the cthulhu mythos...

Quote from: Ratman_tf on October 24, 2024, 01:06:28 PMAnd the left eat their own.

https://fandompulse.substack.com/p/woke-infighting-leads-to-cancelation

Didn't the anthology that your link states is being cancelled come out back in June?

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on October 24, 2024, 01:47:48 PMSo when are we gonna get a new mech game that isn't Battletech? I have some ideas for original mech games and settings. I think it would make the most sense to start with generic rules that can support multiple settings, then make a plethora of settings rather than limiting yourself to just one. E.g. the war of earthly aggression, the bug war, mech sports, mechs vs the cthulhu mythos...

There are a bunch out there, they just don't have the mass appeal of the BTech universe. Off the top of my head at random; Lancer, Battle Century G, Beam Sabre/Partizan, Tiny Epic Mechs, and Weasel-Tech.  Mekton Zeta still has fans and Heavy Gear is alive.

Quote from: zircher on October 24, 2024, 06:11:18 PM

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on October 24, 2024, 01:47:48 PMSo when are we gonna get a new mech game that isn't Battletech? I have some ideas for original mech games and settings. I think it would make the most sense to start with generic rules that can support multiple settings, then make a plethora of settings rather than limiting yourself to just one. E.g. the war of earthly aggression, the bug war, mech sports, mechs vs the cthulhu mythos...

There are a bunch out there, they just don't have the mass appeal of the BTech universe. Off the top of my head at random; Lancer, Battle Century G, Beam Sabre/Partizan, Tiny Epic Mechs, and Weasel-Tech.  Mekton Zeta still has fans and Heavy Gear is alive.

The Twilight Imperium setting (currently supported under the Genesys ruleset) features mechs as primary ground unit. They have two basic types (light and heavy with a few variations of each) in the main book along with one transformable flying mecha design.

Is there a universal and open source mech game that supports a variety of genres?

If you don't like how BattleTech is being run theses days, really all you can do is not buy their stuff.

I did throw out a few alternatives myself.  CORE Mecha Warfare and MachaForce Tactical Combat.

CORE is more about Gundam's, but run in a sort-of BattleTech style game.

MechaForce is a clear copycat game.  It has heat as a gameplay limit, plays on a hex map, and uses 2D6 for the dice rolls.  It is very close.  It's small, fitting into just seven pages, so the tech is limited.  No hit locations is the biggest change.

Or, just buy old stuff marked FASA from used book/toy stores. 

Me, I don't have any animosity towards current day BattleTech.  I'm not going to stop buying things they make.  I'm not boycotting them.

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on October 24, 2024, 01:47:48 PMSo when are we gonna get a new mech game that isn't Battletech? I have some ideas for original mech games and settings. I think it would make the most sense to start with generic rules that can support multiple settings, then make a plethora of settings rather than limiting yourself to just one. E.g. the war of earthly aggression, the bug war, mech sports, mechs vs the cthulhu mythos...

CAV is one. It was around back when I was a kid.  Now it is called CAV Strike Operations.

The original Metalsiege/Earthsiege setting was essentially a Terminator ripoff.  The hook was that the fighting is between giant human piloted mechs vs AI mechs attempting to wipe out humanity.  Also, it morphed into Tribes, which baffles me to this day.  Shazbat!   

Heavy Gear is another mech game, but gears are smaller, agile, and die pretty fast. Also, they're powered by a weird piston gasoline engine.

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on October 25, 2024, 10:26:07 AMIs there a universal and open source mech game that supports a variety of genres?

Not open source, but Mekton Zeta Plus has a design system that can emulate nearly anything.  Back in the day, I used it to model A-10s, YF-23s, and even a couple of BattleTech mechs.

Strangely enough MegaMek,org lists itself as open source even thought it is a BTech system and you can custom build your own units.

Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack is CC non-commercial, so you're free to hack that.

Honestly, if I wanted an open source universal mech system, I'd probably roll my own.  Perhaps something inspired by MZ+ since that is a dead system.  Dead as in not being developed further, it is still being sold in PDF format.  It would be easy enough to clone the Interlock system (CP202/MZ) since it is stat+1d10 vs target number or opposed roll.  The core MZ design system is ala carte; pick a frame and load it with modules.  No spread sheet required (MZ+ is a powerful beast that case build/mod the basic system, but still a beast.)

[edit for typos/clarity]

Quote from: zircher on October 24, 2024, 06:11:18 PM

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on October 24, 2024, 01:47:48 PMSo when are we gonna get a new mech game that isn't Battletech? I have some ideas for original mech games and settings. I think it would make the most sense to start with generic rules that can support multiple settings, then make a plethora of settings rather than limiting yourself to just one. E.g. the war of earthly aggression, the bug war, mech sports, mechs vs the cthulhu mythos...

There are a bunch out there, they just don't have the mass appeal of the BTech universe. Off the top of my head at random; Lancer, Battle Century G, Beam Sabre/Partizan, Tiny Epic Mechs, and Weasel-Tech.  Mekton Zeta still has fans and Heavy Gear is alive.

Steel Rift, Gamma Wolves, Bot War.

Tiny-D6 Mecha and Monsters is a good rules lite game.

It can do all sorts of things.  Power armored heroes.  Pilots of transformable jet fighters.  Mech jockeys in giant machines the size of skyscrapers. Even combiner teams.

It could be used for commercial copycat games, or even unlicensed games of known IPs. 

The most obvious would be Pacific Rim.

However, running the game as RoboTech/Macross is doable. 

That's the beauty of rules lite.  You can do all sorts of stuff because the rules are universal enough that your setting can be used to explain how it works.  Simply put, do what you want.  Th ?9e game has so little built in numbers and stats specifically so your GM a can use the rules anyway they see fit. 

As a bonus, it is also able to be played by children.  It's a simple game.