A very interessting Setting. I maybe buy the PDF of it. But there is one Thing i dont quite get yet: Humanity needs Mechs to get the AI out of the Enemys Vessels. But the Mechs need AI in Order to Work. How did they build the first Mechs? They must have managed getting the AI somhow without Mechs. Dont they?
Sounds great. Perhaps era 3 is murky because, even though the facts are different, it "feels" too much like era 1: aliens attacking, an unknown enemy, unfamiliar technology. I suppose my concern is whether era 3 will be different enough from era 1 that it will facilitate the telling of different kinds of stories. Thanks for tackling this genre, John.
I love the third era. I love the theme of old and overwhelmingly powerful technology who picks its own users a lot.
I'm really excited for this project.
Could you try to put something in the game about the support staff? I mean, the guys who fix and clean your mech, the medic, the comm guys, etc. Maybe something like Houses of the blooded in which each character had servants and vassals that could be interpreted by other players or the GM to give depth to each other's characters.
The communication situation you are describing very a big part of the Honor Harrington universe were in characters can go weeks for weeks at a time with out receiving any news from home.
We can point to history to see examples of this as well in the war of 1812 the Battle of New Orleans was fought after the peace treaty had been signed, because news had failed to reach either army at that point.
I may be wrong, but in your first vid, did you suggested a complete lack of mech customizing? Because introducing mech's then not allowing players to 'play' with em is like making a game with fire mages, but they only have fireball, and the game is a romantic comedy. I'm not voting for an extensive mech customization system but I think that some sort of customization (whether mechanical or from that 'psychological link' you spoke off) should be there, otherwise, why bother with mechs at all?
It's really interesting to see and hear about your process and the reasoning behind particular choices in your design. I'm looking forward to your next update.
So why are the aliens not present in the 2nd age? Do they attack in waves, every few centuries apart? Did they cut their losses and stop attacking until they decided they had to continue in the 3rd age?
I think you could just say that the aliens are controlled by the game master, therefore they are unreachable to the other players. Then you'd solve that problem of the player who wants to play something that the game is not really about.
@LordStrange Yeah why not. Seems a more simple and more direct way of handling it. The whole aliens are "away" idea bugs me as both a player and a GM. There are so many what ifs in RPGs that I think as a GM you need information to be able to handle a campaign. If nothing else humans can learn from the captured AIs what the aliens are, their culture, language, etc.
1. Will there be Transforming Mechs in any of the time periods? I'm a fan of Macross so I gotta ask.
2. In the third Age or Period do you think you will add rules for Prototype Mech made with newer Technology? Sure the old Mechs will make up most of the Forces against the Enemy but some company or Colony is going to try to pick an old one apart and try to make new ones so that they can have more fodder for the meat grinder
As you had mentioned when you create enemy classes in games someone will always want to play as that enemy class. In this game you've managed to eliminate that due to a lack of direct contact leaving any real knowledge of the aliens in the dark. When there is direct conflict / the information on the enemy is available to build a character around do you feel that placing limits on that player is acceptable. If so how far would you take those limits? Such as NPC's refusal to interact with...
A very interessting Setting. I maybe buy the PDF of it. But there is one Thing i dont quite get yet: Humanity needs Mechs to get the AI out of the Enemys Vessels. But the Mechs need AI in Order to Work. How did they build the first Mechs? They must have managed getting the AI somhow without Mechs. Dont they?
shineshadow 5 months ago
So how big is this book going to be? Page count?
thadrine 6 months ago
@thadrine I only ask because I haven been getting really burnt toward buying games online and $25 for a little 50-80pg pamphlet.
thadrine 6 months ago
Sounds great. Perhaps era 3 is murky because, even though the facts are different, it "feels" too much like era 1: aliens attacking, an unknown enemy, unfamiliar technology. I suppose my concern is whether era 3 will be different enough from era 1 that it will facilitate the telling of different kinds of stories. Thanks for tackling this genre, John.
DeepEndOfTheDicePool 6 months ago
do you have any plans for new santa vaca vids
tarboy69 6 months ago
I love the third era. I love the theme of old and overwhelmingly powerful technology who picks its own users a lot.
I'm really excited for this project.
Could you try to put something in the game about the support staff? I mean, the guys who fix and clean your mech, the medic, the comm guys, etc. Maybe something like Houses of the blooded in which each character had servants and vassals that could be interpreted by other players or the GM to give depth to each other's characters.
redockie 6 months ago
This sounds friggin' awesome.
theinfinity8 6 months ago
This sounds amazing. Can't wait to watch it develop.
CathodeRay00 6 months ago
The communication situation you are describing very a big part of the Honor Harrington universe were in characters can go weeks for weeks at a time with out receiving any news from home.
We can point to history to see examples of this as well in the war of 1812 the Battle of New Orleans was fought after the peace treaty had been signed, because news had failed to reach either army at that point.
brendo13 6 months ago
The "absentee aliens" and generational story is totally Robotech - I love it!
I'd keep the name as "The Aegis Forge" tho - it's got the cool!
Tsanuri 6 months ago
I may be wrong, but in your first vid, did you suggested a complete lack of mech customizing? Because introducing mech's then not allowing players to 'play' with em is like making a game with fire mages, but they only have fireball, and the game is a romantic comedy. I'm not voting for an extensive mech customization system but I think that some sort of customization (whether mechanical or from that 'psychological link' you spoke off) should be there, otherwise, why bother with mechs at all?
tewalker13 6 months ago
It's really interesting to see and hear about your process and the reasoning behind particular choices in your design. I'm looking forward to your next update.
PixelisedMind 6 months ago
So why are the aliens not present in the 2nd age? Do they attack in waves, every few centuries apart? Did they cut their losses and stop attacking until they decided they had to continue in the 3rd age?
ryaltube 6 months ago
wow you are my hero. your ideas are very cool
tarboy69 6 months ago
I think you could just say that the aliens are controlled by the game master, therefore they are unreachable to the other players. Then you'd solve that problem of the player who wants to play something that the game is not really about.
allluckyseven 6 months ago
@allluckyseven "I think you could just say that the aliens are controlled by the game master..."
BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!!!! It's so cute when kids believe things. ;)
LordStrange 6 months ago 3
@LordStrange Yeah why not. Seems a more simple and more direct way of handling it. The whole aliens are "away" idea bugs me as both a player and a GM. There are so many what ifs in RPGs that I think as a GM you need information to be able to handle a campaign. If nothing else humans can learn from the captured AIs what the aliens are, their culture, language, etc.
Nejira 6 months ago
@LordStrange
Why? Would they do it anyway?
Did people bug you so much that they wanted to play peasants in HotB?
allluckyseven 6 months ago
Sounds good So Far. A couple of Questions though.
1. Will there be Transforming Mechs in any of the time periods? I'm a fan of Macross so I gotta ask.
2. In the third Age or Period do you think you will add rules for Prototype Mech made with newer Technology? Sure the old Mechs will make up most of the Forces against the Enemy but some company or Colony is going to try to pick an old one apart and try to make new ones so that they can have more fodder for the meat grinder
sickmary 6 months ago
...that player. Although this would be a good deterrent for players to not attempt to play the enemy classes do you see this as pushing it to far?
SuppressedCoding 6 months ago
@SuppressedCoding If I thought it was going too far, I wouldn't do it that way. ;)
LordStrange 6 months ago
As you had mentioned when you create enemy classes in games someone will always want to play as that enemy class. In this game you've managed to eliminate that due to a lack of direct contact leaving any real knowledge of the aliens in the dark. When there is direct conflict / the information on the enemy is available to build a character around do you feel that placing limits on that player is acceptable. If so how far would you take those limits? Such as NPC's refusal to interact with...
SuppressedCoding 6 months ago
I'm looking more and more forward to this John!
itsatrapitsalways 6 months ago
so the aliens are completly unknown? if the mission is to recon the aliens. is it up to the g.m. to make up the aleins?
MrSaber152 6 months ago
@MrSaber152 The Enemy is out of reach. Didn't have time to detail how, but only their machines are present in the game.
LordStrange 6 months ago
@LordStrange fair enough. how about the robotic bad guys? are they detailed enough for the gm to draw from?
MrSaber152 6 months ago
@MrSaber152 Yes.
LordStrange 6 months ago