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Role-Playing Games
Armored Trooper Votoms
No data available.Battletech
Probably the first pen-and-paper system ever to feature giant, piloted robots, Battletech is also the best known mecha RPG in the United States. As it was first conceived, the game put players in a universe where humankind has beaten itself back into the relative Dark Ages. Five opposing stellar states (more like kingdoms, really) pit armies of aging Battlemechs, 10- to 12-meter tall anthropomorphic tanks, in desperate battles for territory, technology, and water. An interesting aspect of the universe was that Battlemech pilots were like knights, in that they owned their mecha by inheritance (working factories were rare), and their employers rewarded them with land and parts. Even later in the game's development, as technology is reclaimed, this feudal system is retained.The Battletech game itself is a hex-based tactical combat game. An additional rulebook, Mechwarrior, provides rules for running an RPG within the Battletech universe. Other rule sets, like Battleforce (a squad-level version of Battletech), Citytech (rules on city-fighting and armor units like tanks), Aerotech (rules for Aerofighters), and Battletroops (rules for the Poor Bloody Infantry), let you use other units along with 'Mechs. Rules are also provided to let players design their own Battlemechs.
As a 'game of armored combat', Battletech is reasonably complex, yet relatively easy to get into. But using the basic set alone, it is not very easy to play with more than ten Mechs on the battlefield. At this scale, it takes forever for each player to keep track of movement, get ranges and assess damage. It gets worse when players tend to use Assault Mechs, which move extremely slowly and have tons of armor to chew through. The ability to design your own Mechs keeps thing interesting, but if you don't have a lot of free time, this probably won't matter.
As one of FASA's first RPGs, the Battletech universe has produced a number of Technical Readouts, revisions, novels, and even a short-lived animated series (which, unfortunately, looked nothing like anime). You can visit the FASA Corporation site for info on the latest Battletech sourcebooks and novels.
Bubblegum Crisis
The Knight Sabers meet pen-and-paper in the BGC Role-playing game. BGC uses the FUZION system and can be played with other FUZION games.The RPG is published by R. Talsorian Games. You can also visit the Bubblegum Crisis RPG Web Archive for more information.
GURPS Mecha
Actually a supplement to the Steve Jackson Games GURPS system, GURPS Mecha has detailed rules to let you play in the game universe of your choice, allowing you to simulate just about any anime series ever made, from Giant Robo to Ghost in the Shell. You need at least the Basic set to play, and it often makes references to other sets in the system as well.While I have read the rulebook, I have never played a GURPS game, so I am deferring review to anyone who has.
The SJG website has a section on GURPS Mecha, with data on mecha and Mechs that have been made GURPS-compatible.
Heavy Gear
A fairly recent entry in the RPG fray, Heavy Gear is set in an original game universe with obvious anime influences. Set in the colonized planet Terra Nova, players can choose to fight for either the democratic North, or the imperialist South, in what are basically heavy, enhanced battlesuits. Heavy Gear uses the Silhouette Engine, which integrates a board game layout with a more loose RPG system. Like Battletech, the Heavy Gear system also has its own set of technical references and expansions.I cannot give any more information than this about the game, since I haven't played the RPG myself, which is where you, dear browser, come in.
You can learn more about what's coming out for the Heavy Gear RPG system from Dream Pod 9's website.
Macross II
No data available.Mekton Zeta
Published by R. Talsorian Games. You can also visit the Mekton Bastion, an online resource for Mekton info, helper programs, player directories, and links to other Mekton resources on the Web.Robotech
Based, of course, on the Robotech series, the main Rulebook lets you play during the first generation (The Macross Saga) of the series and has info on the most common units around (it doesn't have data on Zentraedi capital ships). Character generation rules are fairly complex, but restricted. Players have to choose an Occupational Character Class (Veritech or Destroid pilot, military specialist, scientist, etc), and skills are chosen on that basis. As it doesn't use a game map, the system for movement and ranging is abstract. There is no way to create your own units in the game, as the emphasis seems to be on role-playing. As a result, combat is fast, but sometimes arbitrary.The Robotech RPG is published by Palladium Books.