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I've got a sweet spot for giant robots. Gundams, Voltron, if its a series of single person unique mechs with special weaponry, and targetting systems, I'm liking it. Naturally, Robotech was my jam for years.

So I was thinking about writing something up about a different way to set up giant robots. A budget is nice, but it doesn't cover too much, there's all sorts of other gizmos out there. Cloaking fields, forcefields, regenerating missiles, energy blades, phantom effects, planet busters, etc.

So I'd like to poll you all

Magic or Psi stuff should be Limited to what some PC built 'In Game'.

Rules for building huge robots would be nice. The rules as written do a very poor job.

I'd be most interested in seeing a frame-forward construction method which allows the opportunity for damage reduction, more comprehensive sensor options, and the ability to incorporate magic and psionics in both construction and/or use. (edit: typo)

"I want it all, and I want it now!" - Freddie Mercury

I would rather any giant robot construction tables be more like the HU tables for space- and Starship construction texts. Leaving the Rifts style tables to rifts.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:I would rather any giant robot construction tables be more like the HU tables for space- and Starship construction texts. Leaving the Rifts style tables to rifts.

I'll have to look at that.

Jefffar wrote:"I want it all, and I want it now!" - Freddie Mercury

This, in a nutshell.

sounds like there's a market for it. I'll think about it some more.

I did once do a giant HU style robot for a game, these are the rules limits as I encountered them

1) Money - you cap out very, very quickly when you start making big ones
2) No penalties for growing large other than the cost - ie there should be an exponential increase in weight, harder to prowl, dodge penalties, etc
3) SDC maximum does not increase
4) No damage bonus for being a big freaking robot other than a straight + from PS - we wound up using the Supernatural PS Damage chart
5) Carrying/Lifting weights should really be higher - say double with each size increment - note game currently sets the size increment at 6 feet/2m, should probably be 10 ft/3m
6) Weapons do not scale very well - we eventually added AU style starship weapons to the robot so it had it's anime style big freaking beam of doom

**Edit to Add**
In general for the robot category, the current AI Programming rules are very, very limited. Something more flexible and with more options for a player character AI. In this sense the Revised Edition and the Rifts Sourcebook rules are superior.

matt.reed wrote:sounds like there's a market for it. I'll think about it some more.

Please do. I have been very vocal about the current shortcomings of the Robotics category.

Stone Gargoyle wrote:Please do. I have been very vocal about the current shortcomings of the Robotics category.

I'm accepting wishlists from ya, Stone. Just note this is specifically about the 'giant robot fights armies' gundam/robotech trope, when you give me your thoughts. I look forward to it.

matt.reed wrote:I'm accepting wishlists from ya, Stone. Just note this is specifically about the 'giant robot fights armies' gundam/robotech trope, when you give me your thoughts. I look forward to it.

Some of what I would like to see is Steampunk style robotics, such as alternative power sources and engines, punch card "computer" AI's, steam and other styles of weapons, stuff like that. Bigger frames with greater structural integrity would be nice, both for lifting and carrying capacity as well as the ability to dish out and take greater amounts of damage than is currently possible with The rules as written. Organic AI (think brain in a jar/containment tank) options so robots can use limited amounts of magic and psionics would be nice also. Tiny robots are also not covered well with the rules in the HU2 main book.