Mecha game in Poly #95

[EricNoah]

(Cross posted just this part from General RPG forum):

Here's a preview:

Mecha Crusade is a big robots/power armor game by David Noonan.

It actively points you to the "newly released" d20 Modern Rules (they should be out in Oct, right, and this is the Nov/Dec issue).

New "advanced classes" presented include the Mecha Shock Trooper, Mecha Ace (pilot), Cyborg (human-machine crossbreed who adds cyberware such as retinal targeters, robotic hands, and blood nanites), Weapon Designer (kind of a scientist type who uses the Craft skill to boost other mecha's weapons, movement, etc.), Sleeper Agent (a spy who doesn't even realize she's a spy and has knowledge "activated" over time), Wing Captain (commander of multiple mechas).

New feats include Indirect Fire (hit targets you don't have line of sight to), Improved Transform (your mecha transforms as a move action instead of a full-round action), and several others.

New skills are Knowledge (Mecha) and Pilot.

There's a chapter on building a mecha (you get a number of Mecha Build Points based on your level to purchase features based on size, materials, and accessories such as weapons).

There's a chapter on some modifications to the d20 Modern rules to accommodate mecha combat and movement.

And there's a chapter on the campaign setting this all takes place in.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

That's awesome!
Too bad it isn't OGC.
That continues to be my big gripe with Polyhedron; cool ideas and concepts that ultimately do nothing for the d20 community.

Thanks for the heads-up, though!

 

[Ranger REG]

Who is/are the author(s) of MECHA CRUSADE?

I guess I have to wait next month when my FLGS got his shipment of Dung/Poly.

BTW, what is the Wizards' stance regarding fan sites (or online resource) based on these Poly mini-games?

 

[EricNoah]

Author, as mentioned, is David Noonan. He's the mack daddy of D&D right now as far as I can tell.

Re: fan sites -- I'd guess they'll take the same tack as with FR, Greyhawk, etc. sites -- as long as you're not reproducing chunks of their text and not claiming to be official, and not claiming to be in compliance with the d20 license, then I'm sure it's no big deal.

 

[jaults]

It actively points you to the "newly released" d20 Modern Rules (they should be out in Oct, right, and this is the Nov/Dec issue).

    Can you play Mecha Crusade without owning d20 Modern or not?

Thanks,
    Jason

 

[PosterBoy]

That's awesome!
Too bad it isn't OGC.
That continues to be my big gripe with Polyhedron; cool ideas and concepts that ultimately do nothing for the d20 community.

Yeah, I agree here. If would be nice if other small publishers could expand on the mini-games. They are after all, only mini-games, and need addtional content to be truly useful to the community.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Yeah, I agree here. If would be nice if other small publishers could expand on the mini-games. They are after all, only mini-games, and need addtional content to be truly useful to the community.

That's just one of the great advantages that are being lost. The other, and the most important one to me, is the stagnation of the d20 evolution.

Everytime WotC publishes a book, every issue of Polyhedron that does not include OGC, is equivalent to putting a dam on an otherwise free-flowing river. It's not that the dam isn't good or nice, but ultimately it stops the flow of water, pools it behind its walls and leaves it there to stagnate.

The sad thing is that WotC/Polyhedron puts out a lot of good ideas, ideas that would really help d20 evolve in new directions. But without contributing OGC to the d20 community, they're living in a vacuum while we're all out here playing.

Personally I have decided (already various months ago) not to purchase any other WotC book or Polyhedron, not because they aren't good, but because it becomes a liability when I am writing and designing if I have read these closed-content works; I prefer not to risk having my material be influenced by this non-OGC material.
(Which is also why, for my money, Campaign magazine is the[/] one for me, but this is just a personal opinion)

And the really sad thing is that I have been itching for a Mecha game... but not from Polyhedron.

Disclaimer (cause I somehow feel I have to): None of my comments extend to the authors, nor do they represent a judgement on their work. They're just trying to make a living like so many of us are.

 

[PosterBoy]

That's just one of the great advantages that are being lost. The other, and the most important one to me, is the stagnation of the d20 evolution.

IMHO, I think this it's their lose as well. They don't/can't use OGC in their mini-games from other publishers.

When I first heard about the Gamma World issue, I suggested they use some OGC from our post-apoc, mutant d20 game, Darwin's World. They didn't and there was few instances in which I think it would of improved their version (on flip side, there are some stuff I would have liked to use in revisions of DW).

Oddly enough, they are producing a mini-game similar to a book we just release (altough not as close as the above example) Metal Gods, our robot and android sourcebook. Again, they could benefit from using some of our OGC and us theirs.

Too bad... Lucky we released our books before theres, so that we didn't have to worry about being influence by non open content. But sometimes I wonder if its best to cancel my subscription so I don't run into that problem. Which would be sad, because I love the mag....

 

[Erik Mona]

Folks,

We very well may begin opening up some of Polyhedron. The previous plan was that the SRD would be the unified source of OGC from WotC, but recent developments (some open monsters in MM2, the possibility of Dragon opening some content) may change that.

I should note, by the way, that the plan was always to insert some of the Poly rules into the SRD, but with changing staffs and the like it's perhaps better just to open it right out of the gate.

I will point out, however, that the majority of Polyhedron's readers are NOT freelance writers or publishers. Whether or not that material will "influence" their future designs is not even an issue to them.

That said, I hear you guys loud and clear.

--Erik

 

[Henry]

Erik, (not the Noah-meister);

Thank you for giving us this heads up. I sincerely hope this DOES come to pass.

Even more to the point, I sincerely hope that the plan to make d20 modern OGC after its release goes forward. Though I know you are not in charge of it, It will mean a huge amount to the community at large if this comes off without a holdup or a hitch.

After all, I've already got enough problems with my mages casting Sword and Transformation.