Not long after D&D 4th Edition appeared, Saalon pointed out during a chat that the basic D&D 4E system would be ideal for an RPG simulating giant robot combat, like Gundam or Robotech. It could emulate the feel of those shows, with rapid action and cool powers.
This idea so inspired me that I grabbed my laptop and wrote a few pages of a system just like that. To my surprise, not only did I enjoy writing it, more material came easily. Soon enough, I had a player’s guide several dozen pages long.
Fortunately, I also had a group of role-players who were interested in the system, and they were willing to playtest the game. So we played it, and I collected pages of notes.
And here’s where things got dicey: I started incorporating those notes.
As I incorporated notes, the game diverged from D&D 4E. That helped the system insofar as it removed elements that didn’t fit into a mecha war universe. However, D&D 4E’s design is surprisingly tight. Rules reinforce other rules. Adding new elements—or removing existing ones—can easily unbalance the game.
It’s like making a stew. Anyone can throw a lot of ingredients into a pot, but the results may taste terrible. Testing helps determine what works. But a knowledge of flavor balance ensures a good soup (and game) every time.
I don’t have an easy answer to this. I’d like to think the key is a relentless focus on the kind of game one is trying to play. It’s not that simple, though — some rules are more true to the mecha experience, but ruin other parts of the system.
Games must be very carefully designed. I’m realizing, increasingly, that there are no easy answers.
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2020
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November 2020
- Digging Deeper into: Megazone 23
- Brent's Anime Rec: Moshidora
- Brent's Anime Rec: Princess Tutu
- Digging Deeper Into: Urusei Yatsura 2
- Is Mecha Dead?
- I Just Love: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
- Digging Deeper Into: Arcadia of my Youth
- 6 Influential But Forgotten Mecha Shows
- Brent's Anime Rec: The Cat Returns
- Digging Deeper Into: Vampire Hunter D
- 5 Classic Harem Anime That Are Actually Interesting
- Digging Deeper Into: Project A-Ko
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October 2020
- Digging Deeper Into: Castle of Cagliostro
- Digging Deeper Into: Blood The Last Vampire
- Fall Anime Preview 2020
- Brent’s Anime Rec: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
- Digging Deeper: Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968)
- A Brief History of Anime: The 2010s
- A Brief History of Anime: The 2000s
- Digging Deeper Into Akira
- Digging Deeper: Hakujaden
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September 2020
- Digging Deeper Into: Okko's Inn
- A Brief History of Anime: The 1990s
- Digging Deeper: Momotaro's Sacred Sailors
- Brent's Anime Rec: Kodocha
- A Brief History of Anime: The 1980s
- Digging Deeper into Angel's Egg
- A Brief History of Anime: The 1970s
- Digging Deeper into Metropolis
- A Brief History of Anime: The 1960s
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August 2020
- A Brief History of Anime: 1900-1959
- Digging Deeper into Pom Poko
- Brent's Anime Rec: K-ON!
- The heartwrenching contrasts of war in "In This Corner of the World"
- Digging Deeper into A Silent Voice - SPOILERS
- How Heavy Are Those Dumbbells You Lift?
- Brent's Anime Recs: Robot Carnival
- Abstract Realism in "Night is Short, Walk on Girl"
- The Anime Aesthetic in Land of Lustrous
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