RoboMACs: Info File
Dave Van Domelen
RoboMACs is a "cinematic" Role Playing Game primarily concerned with the
Giant Robot genre. By cinematic I mean that the game mechanics are fairly
simple and encourage dramatic flair over bogging down in numbers and minutae.
What Kind of System Does RoboMACs Use?
RoboMACs was originally designed for publication in the latest incarnation
of the Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer Magazine, and uses a heavily modified variant
of their Free Style system. Character creation is Trait-based instead of Stat-
based and can accomodate anything from normal humans to planet-sized mecha
using a sliding scale. The game uses ten-sided dice, with 2d10 used for task
resolution. Advancement is strongly tied to role-playing as opposed to just
blowing things up.
How Far Outside The Genre Can RoboMACs Be Used?
It largely depends on what direction you take it. While best-suited for
humanoid robot combat, it can easily be extended to paranormal humans and
cyborgs (which is done in the sample campaign world, in fact). There is
currently no magic system, but a later supplement may fix that. Just about any
action-oriented anime can be modelled with RoboMACs to varying degrees of
success, although the advancement system may need to be tweaked to fit some
settings.
When Is RoboMACs Coming Out? And Who's Publishing It?
We hope to get an advance "Convention Copy" of RoboMACs out at BotCon,
the Transformers convention in early August. Plaid Rabbit (the company) hopes
to release it to stores around the end of the year or the beginning of next
year in regular form, although this will depend in part on how well it goes
over at the conventions. In addition to the convention release, orders may be
taken by mail if there is sufficient interest. Actual orders will be taken
closer to press time, and a post made about it then.
How Can I Find Out More?
There's a reflector-style mailing list set up to discuss and playtest
RoboMACs. Email to dbo...@galaxy.galstar.com to be added to the list, which
is Robo...@mars.galstar.com. The rules and sample campaign are posted to the
list periodically, along with various updates as I'm alerted to things which
need fixing.
Dave Van Domelen
com.
Dave Van Domelen, gets told this *after* he posts the first file...