State of the Inkwell: Project Update

I'm working on another post, just my general thoughts on an issue I've come across while doing game prep. I started writing a short description of the progress I've made on my pet projects, but as I wrote more and more about my projects, I decided it would be better off as its own small post.

Project AK

I've decided to stop holding it back, as soon as I update the rules with the results of my playtest, I'll be doing a release post.

Eclipse Phase Adventures

I'm writing a collection of Eclipse Phase scenarios I will be running as a campaign eventually. They were initially just a set of scenarios I was writing but I've recently decided to combine them into a short campaign set up as a series of unconnected vignettes. If my players are reading, and you know who you are, don't read them. You'll only be spoiling it for yourself.

Steel Titans

This is the working title for a game in the mecha genre. It's definitely not rules heavy or rules light, it's really more of a rules moderate game, if that makes sense. There are two main concepts that I'm trying to get across with the rules.

The first is customization, I could put together a massive list of mecha and allow a player to choose the one they like best, but I don't think that's very fun or authentic to the genre. Look at Pacific Rim or the Gundam series, in these examples each of the protagonists mechas have a specific design reflecting the personality and combat niche of its pilot(s). The Jaeger Cherno Alpha is a heavy brawler focused on head to head combat whereas Crimson Typhoon focuses on acrobatic combat and its unique three pilot system. So allowing the player to design their mecha allows them to fit them to a niche.

I think I've mentioned wanted to do a game where combat is treated like social skills are in D&D and other games of its ilk. That's my second point, combat with pilots is just another way of solving an argument. Not to focus too much on Pacific Rim but there is a fist fight between pilots. It doesn't endanger any lives, nothing is at stake except the argument between the characters. Also, I didn't want to limit myself to a system that could capture the feel of mecha combat and a fist fight between pilots with equal accuracy (Something I think would detract from the authenticity of both). Also, if the game is about giant walking tanks fighting, that's the focus of the game. A fight between pilots is to the genre as doing research in a library is to a dungeon crawl, it might reveal interesting things, sometimes things that are vital to the plot, but the action itself isn't important.

-Ink