For those unfamiliar, Heavy Gear is about combined warfare in a sci-fi future where humanoid mechs three times the size of the average man are common sight on many battlefields. The main conflict in the setting are the forces of Earth (CEF, Eden, Caprice, Utopia) launching an invasion on Terra-Nova (The North, The South, NuCoal, Peace River, Black Talon, Leagueless). In-universe, factions are referred to as "leagues" and have sub-factions within each "league".
I started looking into the games/lore and saw mechs being used in conjunction with conventional military forces instead of being in the spotlight (Mechwarrior/Gundam) and said mechs also used in combat stadiums for sport; I thought it was really neat. I found the ESE (Eastern Sun Emirates) and PR (Peace River) to be the factions I enjoy making army-lists/RPG-scenarios the most.
I enjoy the constant in-league fighting between multiple independent kingdoms for glory and wealth for the ESE; Being the big player in mech R&D for Terra Nova as well as using their high-end-products/professional-mercs to defend their facilities and sponsored independents from bandits/beasts/opposing independents in a barren desert region is what drew me to PR.
What are the leagues you enjoy? Do you enjoy them for their combat forces, ideals, looks, something else? I'd like to know!
Quote from: GiantToenail on May 02, 2023, 11:18:15 AM
For those unfamiliar, Heavy Gear is about combined warfare in a sci-fi future where humanoid mechs three times the size of the average man are common sight on many battlefields. The main conflict in the setting are the forces of Earth (CEF, Eden, Caprice, Utopia) launching an invasion on Terra-Nova (The North, The South, NuCoal, Peace River, Black Talon, Leagueless). In-universe, factions are referred to as "leagues" and have sub-factions within each "league".
I started looking into the games/lore and saw mechs being used in conjunction with conventional military forces instead of being in the spotlight (Mechwarrior/Gundam) and said mechs also used in combat stadiums for sport; I thought it was really neat. I found the ESE (Eastern Sun Emirates) and PR (Peace River) to be the factions I enjoy making army-lists/RPG-scenarios the most.
I enjoy the constant in-league fighting between multiple independent kingdoms for glory and wealth for the ESE; Being the big player in mech R&D for Terra Nova as well as using their high-end-products/professional-mercs to defend their facilities and sponsored independents from bandits/beasts/opposing independents in a barren desert region is what drew me to PR.
What are the leagues you enjoy? Do you enjoy them for their combat forces, ideals, looks, something else? I'd like to know!
Love Mecha games (as long as they aren't Anime games) and at one time thought about getting Heavy Gear but the rules were too confusing and complicated.
If they revised it and the rules were more clear I would definitely give it a look see.
Quote from: GhostNinja on May 02, 2023, 12:23:45 PM
Quote from: GiantToenail on May 02, 2023, 11:18:15 AM
For those unfamiliar, Heavy Gear is about combined warfare in a sci-fi future where humanoid mechs three times the size of the average man are common sight on many battlefields. The main conflict in the setting are the forces of Earth (CEF, Eden, Caprice, Utopia) launching an invasion on Terra-Nova (The North, The South, NuCoal, Peace River, Black Talon, Leagueless). In-universe, factions are referred to as "leagues" and have sub-factions within each "league".
I started looking into the games/lore and saw mechs being used in conjunction with conventional military forces instead of being in the spotlight (Mechwarrior/Gundam) and said mechs also used in combat stadiums for sport; I thought it was really neat. I found the ESE (Eastern Sun Emirates) and PR (Peace River) to be the factions I enjoy making army-lists/RPG-scenarios the most.
I enjoy the constant in-league fighting between multiple independent kingdoms for glory and wealth for the ESE; Being the big player in mech R&D for Terra Nova as well as using their high-end-products/professional-mercs to defend their facilities and sponsored independents from bandits/beasts/opposing independents in a barren desert region is what drew me to PR.
What are the leagues you enjoy? Do you enjoy them for their combat forces, ideals, looks, something else? I'd like to know!
Love Mecha games (as long as they aren't Anime games) and at one time thought about getting Heavy Gear but the rules were too confusing and complicated.
If they revised it and the rules were more clear I would definitely give it a look see.
The rules weren't especially important to me while looking at the lore, but finding another TTRPG system with an easy conversion for mechs could be a hassle, that is a fair point.
If purchases are the issue, I haven't made any purchases yet for heavy gear; I heard good things about the setting and downloaded the free wargame rules and E-zines from drive-thru to see what it was about. The wargame-rules include a good, detailed summary of the lore of all the factions/main-conflict and provides images and descriptions of all the fighting vehicles along with short stories starring each faction.
Wargame rules aside, It gave me a lot of ideas on how to use the leagues and forces featured in the PDF in my own games using Mythras. But my question was more about the lore soley, less about using them alongside a certain ruleset; especially since I've never read/read-about the Silhouette engine the TTRPG game uses.
Speaking of TTRPG system conversion problems, there is a D20 system implementation of the TTRPG game called "d20 Mecha Compendium Deluxe Edition" on Drivethru, albeit with more settings included along with heavy gear. That could solve the issue if you have no qualms with D20 games.
I loved the first (edit) Heavy Gear video game ca 1996, sadly the second one was meh. From that I love the virtuous, Mormon-like North (Prophet Wept!) and the dastardly Francophone South. ;D
Quote from: GiantToenail on May 02, 2023, 01:45:38 PM
Speaking of TTRPG system conversion problems, there is a D20 system implementation of the TTRPG game called "d20 Mecha Compendium Deluxe Edition" on Drivethru, albeit with more settings included along with heavy gear. That could solve the issue if you have no qualms with D20 games.
I own it - very nice, one of the best 3PP d20 era products IMO.
Quote from: S'mon on May 02, 2023, 01:45:48 PM
I loved the first Heavy League video game ca 1996, sadly the second one was meh. From that I love the virtuous, Mormon-like North (Prophet Wept!) and the dastardly Francophone South. ;D
I've never played the videogames, but the footage I can find on YT looks cool! I found out they were making a third FPS game with Unity around 2013 but the project got canned.
As far as anticipated games getting canned goes, this reminds me of that WH40K MMO from THQ that never came to be; Or Hawken/Eternal crusade who got their feet in the door but flopped soon enough after :'(
Quote from: GiantToenail on May 02, 2023, 01:23:03 PM
The rules weren't especially important to me while looking at the lore, but finding another TTRPG system with an easy conversion for mechs could be a hassle, that is a fair point.
If purchases are the issue, I haven't made any purchases yet for heavy gear; I heard good things about the setting and downloaded the free wargame rules and E-zines from drive-thru to see what it was about. The wargame-rules include a good, detailed summary of the lore of all the factions/main-conflict and provides images and descriptions of all the fighting vehicles along with short stories starring each faction.
Wargame rules aside, It gave me a lot of ideas on how to use the leagues and forces featured in the PDF in my own games using Mythras. But my question was more about the lore soley, less about using them alongside a certain ruleset; especially since I've never read/read-about the Silhouette engine the TTRPG game uses.
For me I could never find a Mecha game that really worked for me (right setting, rules and not anime) so I went ahead and wrote my own. I run it, players find flaws and I note them and fix them.
The game is to the point now where most of the holes have been patched and its a fun game. Even had one of my players run it so I could play.
If you can't find what you want, sometimes you got to make the game you want yourself.
Quote from: GiantToenail on May 02, 2023, 02:02:45 PM
Quote from: S'mon on May 02, 2023, 01:45:48 PM
I loved the first Heavy League video game ca 1996, sadly the second one was meh. From that I love the virtuous, Mormon-like North (Prophet Wept!) and the dastardly Francophone South. ;D
I've never played the videogames, but the footage I can find on YT looks cool! I found out they were making a third FPS game with Unity around 2013 but the project got canned.
It was very cool, but the questline is very (completely) linear. There's a scene at the end of the quest line where the hero's love interest/turncoat/enemy agent tries to turn the heroic Northern protagonist to the South (the bad guys). The game would have been a lot dramatically stronger if they'd given the player the choice, rather than just watch his alter ego turn down the temptress. Apart from that it was great; great combat & Gear building systems, the non-questline play was cool too. I was so sad when none of that was in the second game, they even got rid of hit locations! One thing I liked was that Gears were very much *not* the ultimate war machines, more like light to medium armoured vehicles with a dangerously high profile; an MBT's main gun could punch through them like paper dolls.
Love Heavy Gear. Dream Pod 9 are great at creating settings. Not so much at making tabletop wargame/RPG systems. Silhouette is too complex to be simple, and too simplified to be crunchy. It's actually a feat, of sorts, to thread that needle.
Anyway, I'm a "big picture" kind of guy, and love all the factions. They put in a ton of setting work to give them all character. My personal favorite is Peace River. The plucky corporation trying to maintain it's independence in the midst of all the big world events going on.
I always enjoyed the Western Frontier Protectorate, Eastern Sun Empire, and the Khayr-ad Din Army. But I never got into the later factions and Blitz material very much.
The Black Talons would have been cool if they had a better understanding of how to really present them as a unit.
I've backed the 4th edition RPG rules on kickstarter. I'm liking the new mechanics a lot. There's something to them. But I am not holding my breath for a brilliant product like the first two editions. I might even have some players handy for a short campaign once we see some organized rules...