Happerry
Bat out of Hell
- Location
- Kanto
I would. I'd be very interested indeed.
Last edited:
Super Robot Quest
- Thread starter Basarin
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
I would. I'd be very interested indeed.
Westphalians would be pretty mirrorish, but they mainly suck because they seem to be a literal toss cash sink.
Kind of like the idea of playing the evil robots though.
Depends on your source.
Theres two 'main' routes for Mecha War Stories:
-Real Robot style:
1) Ridiculously overengineered prototype proof of concepts piloted by the best of the best with insane requirements not to lose the things. For reference, in some of these it gets so bad that having a custom OS rather than just running Linux(which needs superhumans to modify in combat to suit needs) for the Gundam is a revolutionary improvement.
2) Mass production versions of prototype technologies popularized. Less OP due to substitution of less powerful everything, but the army can actually field hundreds of these, not dozens.
3) Prototype is re-engineered, some of the mass production techs used to lower costs and improve compatibility so they can add new untested techs.
4) Go to 2
Down this route the main edge of your protagonist is that they have skills which will push the limits on any unit they use, only a marginal edge is needed.
The mechas improve in small ways each generation, they retain their edge over the overall army, but the entire arms race keeps going.
-Super Robot style
1) Barebones, barely functional machine is deployed with Bullshittium enhancement that is just that good even if the robot has an operational time of maybe 10 minutes per week.
2) Improvements tend to work on reliability and power, but ramp up costs and maintenance demands further.
3) Enemies adapt to technology and deploy more bullshit which hard counters the old version.
4) Deploy brand new horribly dangerous and untested machine to counter their counter.
5) Try to make it stable.
6) Go to 3
Down this route your protagonists are largely integral pieces of the mecha process, and every mech is a prototype, with no time to ever shift to mass production, due to either risks, personnel or resource shortages.
On our part we're taking a heavily Real development route, a lot of our stuff is dual use military-mecha toys, but the Kaijiu flesh vat has very limited throughput and psychics don't grow on trees(yet)
Theres technically nothing keeping us from building Mjolnir railgun artillery batteries instead of using it as a mecha finisher eventually.
- Location
- Nowhere
I dunno how woudl that work. Also:
Will the MC have a tophat and a monocle? This is a dealbreaker.
Which one, the custom OS or the Linux?
Also, Real Robots tend to have superhuman protagonists with literal superpowers, or hax fighting skills.
You forgot to mention that part of the genre is that pilots tend to be very aggressive and younger to usual.
Well, it wouldn't be as cool and the rule of cool is a factor here.
As in, it was a revolutionary idea to actually have a mecha OS instead of using Linux straight.Which one, the custom OS or the Linux?
Also, Real Robots tend to have superhuman protagonists with literal superpowers, or hax fighting skills.
The revolution was that with an OS that didn't take a superhuman to operate competenty, you could actually field mass numbers of mecha.
Young is...not actually unusual. Keep in mind that in a lot of settings true mecha warfare is less than three decades old, the machines impose significant physical and mental stresses, demand harsh reaction times and risk-takers.
In short, its the same situation as fighter pilots back in WW2, young men pilot most mecha because age is a significant detriment to the career and the trade is too new for there to be any experienced veterans.
Especially when the robots change frequently.
Aggressive, not so much a constant. Thats more a Go Nagai thing rather than a broader Super Robot thing, though Mazinger and Getter were trend setters.
The right term for Super Pilot is Quirky. They tend to be people who'd always stick out in a crowd, with weird skills and passions.
In Gundam, scaled up fixed emplacement mecha weapons are entirely effective and valid.
But they're expensive and difficult to use offensively, since they're not very mobile.
Some tropes are kept as a constant. Even if the EU isn't quite as noblebright as here you are still the Bad Guys; you win by picking your fights and accepting that you will lose in the tactical sense a lot. On the flip side, simply deploying creations in combat will give benefits to R&D as you stress test your units and find areas to improve them.
A lot of it will come down to not being found by the EUDF, while advancing Corruption around the world in order to move money and machines around without anyone noticing. As well, raiding targets for tech and resources to deny them to the enemy and claim for yourself.
Unfortunately, your character does have to keep something of a low profile, but that's more of a fluff detail so... If you wanted and you picked the Old Money background.
- Location
- Nowhere
Sounds interesting yeah.
Counterpoint: Warlord brought a wooden pipe in a sneaking mission.
Counterpoint: Warlord brought a wooden pipe in a sneaking mission.
Warlord also died. Further, crab-copters aren't used for sneaking but for lightning raids. He wasn't exactly trying to be the next Big Boss when he said "infiltrate".
- Location
- USA
Technically, a Big Boss-type already existed. He just happened to be fighting for the return of national borders as opposed to sans frontieres. 
Otherwise, @DaLintyGuy did approach me about it, and I'm all for it and pitching in ideas and feedback about worldbuilding. It would effectively be an AU where things went very differently for everyone involved.
Should be fun!
Otherwise, @DaLintyGuy did approach me about it, and I'm all for it and pitching in ideas and feedback about worldbuilding. It would effectively be an AU where things went very differently for everyone involved.
Should be fun!
Mmm, I've seen that work for Goblin Quest, but generally SV really freaking hates losing..
But I think the Westphalians are less evil and more...Me-tionalists? Theoretically nationalist, but mainly out to line their own pockets. If a provably world ending invasion comes in they'd probably be waiting in the wings to either come to the rescue if the good guys are losing, or to declare coup right as the good guys win.
Thors_Alumni
Proud member of Thors Class VII from Liberl
- Location
- Liberl Zemuria.
And yet they are working with the Not Decepticons to fight the good guys and the Not Autobots. And with the Way that Tyrannous is coming across. He is a not Megatron version of Prime Megatron. And we know what Megatron tried to do at the end of the Prime TV series. So I won't be surprised if the Westphalians start claiming to fight the Not Decepticons and then try for a coup when the Not Autobots and the Protagonists win. Its cliché but it works.
Hence me putting in rewards for achieving objectives rather than seizing total military success. Most missions requiring troops will predominantly be about making enough of a ruckus to distract from the main mission to steal the prototype or whatever. The others will be taking turf from the other Westphalian cells and Bad Guy factions (more the one than the other, really). Maybe some Arc Finales where there's an epic showdown between your Super Robot and their Super Robot to find out if your Robot is Super-er and Ace Pilot is Ace-er.
Haven't hammered down what I want the two Super Robots to be though. But I'll start chargen soon.
Interview, Yukimura Jiro - Recruitment
- Location
- USA
Thanks to the holiday season being upon us, I am getting a bit of a reprieve in the ol' work schedule. So have a quick snippet for the interview session. The next few posts are going to be focused primarily on reestablishing a status update of where we are, so both myself and all of you are on the same page as for what projects are ongoing, how much RP income/expenditure is going about, etc.
Honestly, I don't think I've seen a vote quite that lopsided before. But here we are!
And an overwhelming landslide vote in favor of our newest engineer, Yukimura Jiro.
Honestly, I don't think I've seen a vote quite that lopsided before. But here we are!
And an overwhelming landslide vote in favor of our newest engineer, Yukimura Jiro.
Trail Cafe, Gasparton
What follows is a fairly productive discussion between you, Anna and Jiro. The young man clearly has a very sharp mind on his shoulders, and you can tell that he's bristling with ideas that seem to have gone untapped. You try not to question the older Yukimura's decision not to retain the young man, but perhaps the personality conflict and difference of opinion meant that the two just could not work with each other effectively.
"We can make it better, you know?" Jiro insisted. And you are quite frankly flabbergasted at the sketches he's made. You're no Wilde or Henry, but you can tell that he's put some thought into the designs from the DFRI on how they could be better or differently applied. "If you're serious about this," he says, "if you're offering, I'm willing to help."
"Offer's serious, offer's still standing," you confirm.
"Sign me up, chief," came the prompt reply. "Whatever it is you guys are doing, I want in on it."
And with that, you both shake on it. "Welcome aboard," you say. You can't help but smirk. "Now, I have at least one pot of coffee left to drink before I have to go back in there. So since we can take our time...let's chat. Show me what else you've got."
Jiro grins, and the ideas continue to flow.
1139, 30 May A.D. 2072
Command Center
"...so." Jiro seems at a loss for words. He raises a finger, as if to say something, then he drops it. He opts to turn to you. "Let me get this straight," he said.
"Just so long as you know you signed the nondisclosure agreements," Anna says cheerfully behind him.
He tries to ignore her. Kid's a quick learner. "So on top of fighting that bastard Sheol and the separatists," he says slowly, "We're fighting alongside and against aliens from outer space, while also using dead kaiju tissue, transforming robots, and sentient AI?"
"Something wrong with that, mister?" a harsh voice snaps next to him. Lana materializes on the monitor near him, looking quite cross with her arms on her waist. "And Major, who is this clown?"
"Excuse me?" Jiro glares back at the AI. "Who're you calling a clown, short tank?"
"...did you just call me short?"
You swear you saw a terminal spark. It might have been an illusion, but you swear you saw it. Behind them, you see Ignatov gesturing quickly to you, a plea to get them to stop now. You absolutely agree. In the worst possible way. "Lana, this is Yukimura Jiro. Jiro, this is Lana. He'll be working with us in the engineering section."
"...what."
"So you two get along, or so help me God, I'll make you." You pause. "Or I let Wilde and Henry manage your projects." Lana blanches, but Jiro simply looks confused. You decide as a peace offering to Lana to let her have this moment. "Lana, do me a favor and introduce Jiro to the guys who made Configuration possible, will you?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," she grumbles. "C'mon, clown, this way."
"Stop calling me that, shorty."
Ignatov just looks at you as the two continue to bicker. "Well...life is certain to become more interesting here," he says.
"Just make sure they don't kill each other, will you?" you ask.
"That is a task beyond myself and the Creator," he shrugs. "You may wish to get Andriana to-"
"-make it worse?"
"I wasn't going to go that far..."
Gained: Yukimura Jiro
Engineering Expert
Piercing Insights: Choose one action. Critical Success is now 4-6 (applicable depending on Success Threshold).
Applies ONLY to selected Action.
Engineering Expert
Piercing Insights: Choose one action. Critical Success is now 4-6 (applicable depending on Success Threshold).
Applies ONLY to selected Action.
Thors_Alumni
Proud member of Thors Class VII from Liberl
- Location
- Liberl Zemuria.
I wonder how Jiro's uncle will react to his nephew being recruited by the DFRI.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Once again, Devon has serious anger problems....then again what Quest MC doesn't tend to have deep seated anger issues? They do tend to have to deal with everyone's shit...
Theunderbolt
"Prepare for trouble..."
- Location
- USoA
They are going to be the best of friends.
Thors_Alumni
Proud member of Thors Class VII from Liberl
- Location
- Liberl Zemuria.
or destroy the planet. either one is possible.
ConfusedPotato
Unverified Verifier
- Location
- Australia
I have the best possible peace offering for them. Woking on the Seeker...
together.
together.
- Location
- USA
So, weekend's coming up, which means I'll be able to present a new turn sheet along with as comprehensive an updated status of just about everything I can get. The first coming this weekend will be the overall assets and income you have. Expect that this weekend, then I'll go silent for a little bit for Christmas with the folks.
But that's not really an update. So in the spirit of the holidays, I'll give you all a choice of prompt for a sidestory snippet. This time focusing on our heroic counterparts.
Choose one!
[] A Valiant Defense
[] Previously, with Legio Galbinus...
[] Mercury, Go!
[] Write-In
But that's not really an update. So in the spirit of the holidays, I'll give you all a choice of prompt for a sidestory snippet. This time focusing on our heroic counterparts.
Choose one!
[] A Valiant Defense
[] Previously, with Legio Galbinus...
[] Mercury, Go!
[] Write-In
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
[X] Mercury, Go!