I am working on my Mecha RPG (discussed in an earlier thread) and I want to make it so that Mecha Pilots are not always in the cockpit.  

  I am trying to come up with some sample game scenarios for the game master section to use as game seeds.

  The game is set in the future where an alien race attacks the earth and the earth forms as one defense force to fight off the alien invaders.

   Any suggestions would be appreciated.

To be true to the genre, I'd come up with rules for falling into love triangles with idol singers and one's superior officers.

Seriously.

Well... for reasons not to use a mech...

1) Cramped Quarters

2) Limited Power

3) Innocent Bystanders

Eva has the mechs hooked up to "umbillical cables" They can only operate on reserves for... I think three minutes.

In Big O, the mech is moved around the city through abandoned subway tunnels, which sometimes need maintenance or rerouting for movement outside the city.

For a less city-centric approach, mech-maintenance periods could do just the trick. Reloading, refeuling, and repairing a mech can be strenuous and time-consuming.

Just some thoughts.

Seeds:

Maintenence issues requiring downtime (from recharge, to damage)
Espionage action (requiring stealth on foot)
Interacting with corporate sponsers (for sports mecha games)
Interacting with your team in home/life situation (from raising your kids if of age, dealing with spouse, persuing other hobbies, etc.)
Appearing in court (for police mecha or military tribunal events in mil-mecha games.)


Depending on the background you can have any common plot found in superhero "day to day lives" or traditional cop shows, sports shows, etc. From accusations of inappropriate conduct towards a fan, to having enemies take hostages aboard vehicles mecha can't interact on/in. (A passenger blimp--terrorist takes hostage, too small for mecha to maneuver on and shooting it takes out your own people..)

Quote from: Elliot WilenTo be true to the genre, I'd come up with rules for falling into love triangles with idol singers and one's superior officers.

Seriously.

Ok, just to be clear this is a Mecha rpg but not an Anime style Mecha rpg

Quote from: beejazzWell... for reasons not to use a mech...

1) Cramped Quarters

2) Limited Power

3) Innocent Bystanders

Eva has the mechs hooked up to "umbillical cables" They can only operate on reserves for... I think three minutes.

In Big O, the mech is moved around the city through abandoned subway tunnels, which sometimes need maintenance or rerouting for movement outside the city.

For a less city-centric approach, mech-maintenance periods could do just the trick. Reloading, refeuling, and repairing a mech can be strenuous and time-consuming.

Just some thoughts.

Good points.   There are going to be Innocent Bystanders and the large weapons of the Mechs will be a bad option because they could end up killing the target and innocents.

Plus I am also looking at a mandate that limits the building damage, as I am sure the cities dont/can't afford to keep rebuilding because sloppy pilots keep blowing up buildings.

Quote from: SilverlionSeeds:

Maintenence issues requiring downtime (from recharge, to damage)
Espionage action (requiring stealth on foot)
Appearing in court (for police mecha or military tribunals.)


Depending on the background you can have any common plot found in superhero "day to day lives" or traditional cop shows, sports shows, etc. From accusations of inappropriate conduct towards a fan, to having enemies take hostages aboard vehicles mecha can't interact on/in. (A passenger blimp--terrorist takes hostage, too small for mecha to maneuver on and shooting it takes out your own people..)

These are some really good sees and I will use the above ones.   Thank you for the input.

Mechassault 2: Lone Wolf had a good mix of in and out of the cockpit missions.  Sneak into the base and steal a mech.  Sabotage a repair/ production facility.  Fly a VTOL to deliver supplies to an under siege unit.  Jump into a tank to take out light armored targets where speed is a primary concern.  Jump into some power armor to have a run-n-gun battle through the tight streets of a mega city.  Use the power armor again to hack/slice your way into an enemy mech, eject the pilot, take it over, get inside the enemy base using the stolen mech, trade up to the biggest mech they had, and unleash hell.

Quote from: MechnomancerMechassault 2: Lone Wolf had a good mix of in and out of the cockpit missions.  Sneak into the base and steal a mech.  Sabotage a repair/ production facility.  Fly a VTOL to deliver supplies to an under siege unit.  Jump into a tank to take out light armored targets where speed is a primary concern.  Jump into some power armor to have a run-n-gun battle through the tight streets of a mega city.  Use the power armor again to hack/slice your way into an enemy mech, eject the pilot, take it over, get inside the enemy base using the stolen mech, trade up to the biggest mech they had, and unleash hell.

Wow, thanks for the input.  These are some really solid ideas.   I am going to include them into the game.

Quote from: Geek MessiahGood points.   There are going to be Innocent Bystanders and the large weapons of the Mechs will be a bad option because they could end up killing the target and innocents.

Plus I am also looking at a mandate that limits the building damage, as I am sure the cities dont/can't afford to keep rebuilding because sloppy pilots keep blowing up buildings.

I know, I know, I'm a ridiculous Eva fanboy, but the city in that series (because it is frequently attacked by Angels) actually retracts into the ground... This might be non-anime mecha, but a retractible city is a freaking 1337 defense mechanism!

After years of mecha gaming, I've come to the following conclusion.

If you're so dead set on having the characters do something outside of their mechs, then perhaps you shouldn't be running a mecha game.  The mecha are obviously distracting you from running a different kind of non-mecha game.

But, if that's somehow not the case...

The best way to make players get their characters out of the mechs is to make the game about the characters, and not about the machines bashing on each other.  That's really all there is to it.  Most of this is neatly outside the scope of mechanics.  You just need to make sure that the PCs aren't automated combat machines.  Just have side elements of the game that don't happen in the mecha.

Another big thing that helps is something that Rifts does completely and utterly wrong.  Don't make the game environment so hostile that PCs will WANT to be in their mecha full time.  Why do PCs in Rifts never remove their armor or step outside an MDC structure?  Because the only reaon for them to do so is so the GM can have something invisible sneak attack them and immediately kill them.  If you're only running out-of-mecha encounters so that the PCs will be weak or defenseless (or can be captured), then you're doing the completely wrong thing.

Remember also that players will want to use the right weapon for the job.  Generally speaking, they don't care about your convoluted reasons why they can't just fire 30 missiles into the enemy command post and be done with it.  If it makes any kind of sense for them to use their mecha as weapons, then they will.  That's what they're there for.

Another thing to consider is that if you want the PCs to do other things, they have to feel they're competent at those things.  Many times the player will reach for the mech, because that's what their character is good at.  If they're inept at out of mech activities, it's completely logical that they don't want to go do them.

Oh, the more comfortable you make being in the mech, the less the PC will want to leave.  The more icky or uncomfortable you make it, the more the PC will want to leave.

For instance, a couple of years ago I was playing an online Mekton game.  The GM described our newest mechs as having a needle that stuck in the back of our character's necks.  I HATED that.  I really didn't even want my character in a mech after that.

Evangelion has another way of making the mecha "icky" that's really pretty tame.  My players, at least, would really hate being in a tube with that oxygenated liquid stuff.

As an example of mechs that no one wants to leave, try the Rifts machines.  Take the Glitter Boy.  You're in a nice padded and air conditioned sealed environment.  You've even got straws so you can drink something or suck up some yummy nutrient paste.

Also, the more convenient you make the mecha, they more places characters will take them.  You know the Hardsuits in Bubblegum Crisis?  Most PCs would NEVER take one of those off.  They'd go everywhere wearing one of those.

Meh...

it's really just a matter of what to use when.

negotiations don't go so well when one or more of the parties are heavily armed.

likewise, big things have a hard time in small places.

Quote from: GabrielAfter years of mecha gaming, I've come to the following conclusion.

If you're so dead set on having the characters do something outside of their mechs, then perhaps you shouldn't be running a mecha game.  The mecha are obviously distracting you from running a different kind of non-mecha game.

This isnt the case.   For me I think that while much of the action is done in the mech, the characters still should be forced to do things out of the mech so they are completly Mech-Dependent.

Quote from: GabrielBut, if that's somehow not the case...

The best way to make players get their characters out of the mechs is to make the game about the characters, and not about the machines bashing on each other.  That's really all there is to it.  Most of this is neatly outside the scope of mechanics.  You just need to make sure that the PCs aren't automated combat machines.  Just have side elements of the game that don't happen in the mecha.

Yeah that's what I am trying to get across in the game.

Quote from: GabrielAnother big thing that helps is something that Rifts does completely and utterly wrong.  Don't make the game environment so hostile that PCs will WANT to be in their mecha full time.  Why do PCs in Rifts never remove their armor or step outside an MDC structure?  Because the only reaon for them to do so is so the GM can have something invisible sneak attack them and immediately kill them.  If you're only running out-of-mecha encounters so that the PCs will be weak or defenseless (or can be captured), then you're doing the completely wrong thing.

Right.   It's hostile but not hostile enough where the pilots cannot get out of the Mech.   Another thing I am adding is the known policy to Mecha Pilots (and pilots of other vehicles) that in the cities the building damage is to be kept at a minimum, so that will create situations where the pilots will have to chase people and not completly depend on the Mech

Quote from: GabrielRemember also that players will want to use the right weapon for the job.  Generally speaking, they don't care about your convoluted reasons why they can't just fire 30 missiles into the enemy command post and be done with it.  If it makes any kind of sense for them to use their mecha as weapons, then they will.  That's what they're there for.

I am creating reasons that the mech, so they will have to depend on their own wits as well as the mechs

Quote from: GabrielAnother thing to consider is that if you want the PCs to do other things, they have to feel they're competent at those things.  Many times the player will reach for the mech, because that's what their character is good at.  If they're inept at out of mech activities, it's completely logical that they don't want to go do them.

There are mandatory skills and a few of the skills are hand weapons and the like so they can survive out of their mechs.

Quote from: GabrielOh, the more comfortable you make being in the mech, the less the PC will want to leave.  The more icky or uncomfortable you make it, the more the PC will want to leave.

For instance, a couple of years ago I was playing an online Mekton game.  The GM described our newest mechs as having a needle that stuck in the back of our character's necks.  I HATED that.  I really didn't even want my character in a mech after that.

Evangelion has another way of making the mecha "icky" that's really pretty tame.  My players, at least, would really hate being in a tube with that oxygenated liquid stuff.

As an example of mechs that no one wants to leave, try the Rifts machines.  Take the Glitter Boy.  You're in a nice padded and air conditioned sealed environment.  You've even got straws so you can drink something or suck up some yummy nutrient paste.

Also, the more convenient you make the mecha, they more places characters will take them.  You know the Hardsuits in Bubblegum Crisis?  Most PCs would NEVER take one of those off.  They'd go everywhere wearing one of those.

These are good points.  Make it so the pilots have to get out of the Mech in certain situations but dont make the reasons too annoying.