MECHA! (and Battletech)
Amelia-ann Carlson
Since there have been some questions lately, let me post a brief description
of MECHA! et al and some comparisons to it's biggest competition, Battletech.
MECHA! is a game of giant 'robot' combat, like Battletech. It allows
you to create your own designs, based on a point system, also like Btech.
Other than that, they are not very much alike.
MECHA! simulates the original Japanese animation from which Btech
originated. For those of you who play Btech, but are not familier with anime,
many of the original mech designs were stolen directly and exactly from anime
(the Maurauder is a Zentradi officer's pod from Robotech/Macross -- others that
can be seen in anime are the Warhammer, Locust, Rifleman, etc). If you are
interested in seeing these in action, try to rent, buy, or otherwise view
Robotech &/or Macross, any Gundum movie, Crusher Joe, Patlabor, etc.
Like the original movies, MECHA! has fluid, three-dimensional
movement. A mech can spend an entire game soaring above the battlefield,
or among the asteroids, and can often transform to a different configuration
(and you wondered where Btech came up with the now-seldom-used LAMs).
In MECHA!, you can design not only your mech, but also your weapons --
and it is easy, too! You can design mecha with forcescreens and forceshields,
missles, multiple crewmembers, hand-to-hand weapons, energy swords, the works!
Another difference between MECHA! and Btech is that MECHA! has
explosions -- big, vicious, devestating and all too common. During missile
fire, the defender can launch defensive missiles, and the place where they
meet the attacker's missiles is a bad place to be!
MECHA! also tends to play faster than Btech. As a long-time Btech
player myself, I have noticed that MECHA! tends to play in 50-80% of the time
for an equivalent Btech game.
On another note, MECHA! is a tabletop miniatures game, and is intended
to be used with terrain and models just like Warhammer 40k. This is not
required, however. I have played MECHA! using my old Btech lead figures, a
flat map, and altitude counters instead of the segmented Battlepoles that
we normally use to suspend our mecha.
More recently we have published Spirit Warrior Empire, our Aztec
sourcebook for MECHA! (MECHA! itself is generic). If you think the idea
of Aztecs in space (AKA Robotech meets 'Chariot of the Gods') sounds like
fun, check this out! It features an expanded campaign section, and distinctive
strike teams from each major city-state, complete with art of our soon-to-
be released miniatures line.
If you have any other questions about any of this, just ask!
Also, I would love to see independent reviews or war-stories
from your games.
Thanks!
Brad
Seventh Street Games
Howard Ship
getting into strategy games of late (thus my reading on this board).
If there are any groups in the greater Boston area, looking for
very inexperienced players, please send mail to my account.
--
"Is that real blood?"
Howar...@vos.stratus.com