Heavy Gear

[jonathan8604]

Mongoose should work with DP9 to expand the d20/OGL side of Heavy Gear. Although Silhouette is the best HG system, a lot of people like d20 and I know some who won't try it simply because of having to learn a new rule system.

Not to mention DP9 has really slowed down in the RPG department, which from everything I've heard is due to a lack of new ideas. Personally, I think this is a good spot for Mongoose to come in. If they can produce good games from movie, book, n' tv licenses, they should be able to make some bad ass d20 supplements for a highly detailed game world like Heavy Gear.

 

[Mage]

I've never heard of heavy gear, but if they cannot produce new material due to lack of ideas, they are in the wrong business. It sounds like a good game though. However, if their company is struggling, then they have a bad grasp on both the creative and business fronts of the company. I mean, you need to have planned out all the release you make in a year for a line. You can't make profit without releasing new things. There is no cash flow. That just sounds insane.

I don't think mongoose would make that move, even though it probably would benefit both parties. From the looks of it, Mongoose are trying to distance themselves from d20, what with Runequest and Traveller. Also, I heard, but am not sure on the accuracy of this, that when D&D 4th ed. comes out that the licensing to other companies will disappear.

 

[Anpu42]

I have played Heavy Gear & Geir Kreig. It is one of the most Relistic Systems out there. What is the Probelem with that. It is very Heavy on Rules and Modifiers. I have Claic BattleTech & D&D players that Think the Rules are to boged down. I live the Gear Kreig Universe and would love to use the Battlefield: Evelution Rules to play it.

 

[Mage]

Well, I do find D&D and battletech head wrecking. I'd say the reasons I ahve never seen or heard of Heavy Gear before is because of the complexity of the ruels. I know a realistic detailed system is fun, but some games just take the mickey with it. That said though, the miniatures are nice, at least the big robots. It sounds like they need to streamline it a tiny bit. That said though, I'd like to play a game or at least read the rules before I fully make up my mind.

 

[jonathan8604]

Well, if that's the case, WotC can keep that BS lol.

As you were saying though, Mage, I really do doubt that Mongoose would do it. It's just sad to see the RPG sitting there like that. Terra Nova is one of the most beautiful and detailed Sci-Fi settings around. I really suggest you get the rulebook though. HG 2nd Ed. is still 50% off on DP9.com if I remember correctly and they've also got a lot of info on the setting and stuff so you can do a good bit of research before you drop any cash on it.

BTW, Anpu, I'd suggest looking into HG:Blitz! if you're referring to the tactical side of the game. It's far less complicated than the regular HG vehicle combat rules.

If any of the Mongoose guys read this.. Have a heart and help some brothaz out. Especially if ya'll remember HG from back in its good 'ol days.
You know you do.

 

[Mage]

Well I like the minis anyway, and a rpg could't hurt. I love all different games.
I posted a lot of threads on expressing interest in mecha games that are more akin to mass infantry battles than battletech say, being a fan of evangelion and gundam wing.
I will order some stuff and read up on it though.

 

[Silvereye]

Well, I do find D&D and battletech head wrecking. I'd say the reasons I ahve never seen or heard of Heavy Gear before is because of the complexity of the ruels. I know a realistic detailed system is fun, but some games just take the mickey with it. That said though, the miniatures are nice, at least the big robots. It sounds like they need to streamline it a tiny bit. That said though, I'd like to play a game or at least read the rules before I fully make up my mind.

2e Silohette is one of the best systems I have come across. The rules are very simple to use (basically, you roll a number of D6s equal to your skill and add/subtract your stat modifier to get a Margin of Success). Can't remember how CORE changed things though. If you can pick up a copy of Heavy Gear (2nd) cheap do so, the game and setting is superb. The tactical game is a siplification of the RPG and both can simply cross over without any trouble. Oh and it features mecha, hover tanks, and desert skimming battleships which is never a bad thing.

Incidently, the best use I found for the Silohette/D20 conversion was converting D20 suplements to something competent. But then I dislike D20.

 

[SnowDog]

Silhouette too complicated? Wow! It is one of the simpliest systems out there, yet realistic enough. I have played BattleTech and Heavy Gear as hex based tactical games and HG runs smoothier than BT not to mention that results are more believable.

On the other hand Gears are not the kings of battlefield like in BT. Gears are only around 4-5 m tall and when hit by main cannon of a tank is easily destroyed.

What comes to seamless incorporation of PC scale combat and vehicular combat, it's not that easy. In tactical (vehicular) combat combat rounds are longer and ranges are longer (x10) as well as damages. The good thing, though is that if you have a Gear pilot at tactical game his stats and skills can be used without any conversions etc. The only slight problem lies with integrating two different scales of combat.

Silhouette in HG 2 is a bit different from SilCORE but not that much. I think that there is a thread about it in DP9's forums. SilCORE is suppose to be more generic than previous editions so you can just buy the core rulesbook and a setting book (or multiple setting books) not to mention that you can just make up your own setting using the SilCORE rulesbook without buying for the setting.

What I have heard of the situation of DP9 is that it is a very small company who lost some key personnel to other ways of making a living (like the one who created the whole Silhouette system). Terra Nova is almost completely covered in a vast amount of source books and there are lots of other stuff done, too. They had a metaplot going on but for some reason it sort of went black with the new edition (which I don't own as I have two previous editions and some sourcebooks).

Now the company is consentrating on miniatures game (Heavy Gear Bliz) and they hopefully will continue their RPG lines sometime in (near) future.

What comes to d20 version of Heavy Gear, don't bother. Mongoose already has Armageddon:2089 (okay, I'm not sure if I got the number right) so why make another mecha game? Rather, I would see same kind of co-operation as with Crafty Games and creators of CthulhuTech.

Interesting thing about Green Ronin (who also was a great producer of d20 material) is that they are creating a completely new system for A Song of Fire and Ice license instead of using d20 or True20 system. That's what I have heard last time I checked.

 

[MaxSteiner]

Yeah, I think people sometimes confuse constant output with a good system.
I mean look at it realistically, sure you can produce 25 books a year for your system, but eventually you just end up with a freaking joke for your game universe.
Look at what happened to White Wolf.
Heavy gears been around long enough to be a staple system as far as Im concerned, had some very decent computer games as well , the fact that its still in existance after 10 odd years is testiment to that.

Gotta agree with the D20 slating too its wack G, and the thing I hate most about it is good, exciting systems with interesting mechanics being shoehorned into it...

 

[jonathan8604]

Like I said, I love Silhouette. It's freakin' awesome. I was jus saying use d20 to lure people back to the franchise so they'd put out more stuff, and maybe MP could make a few bucks in the process. BUT I guess if people keep buying their RPG stuff they'll eventually return to producing more of it sometime in the near future. So yeah dumb idea I suppose. At least now I know some Mongoose forum folk who like HG .

 

[MaxSteiner]

If it werent for the deep scars D20 Cthulhu left me with I wouldnt be so violantly against it lol
Damn, you've got me thinking about how good the 2nd PC game was now lol

 

[Goldritter]

DP9 is comming back.

After they had published the SilCore Rules they published some Material for Jovanian Chronicles, Tribe 8 and Heavy Gear all 3e.
The difference between Heavy Gear 2e and 3e is marginal. You can use the 2e Stats in 3e without complications. Only some stats have changes (mainly the names), there is no real difference. And the Conversion from 2e to 3e is done realy fast.
You can get even many Heavy Gear stats for free in an Errata.

The biggest change in SilCore is the new calculation System for Vehicles and now Weapons. It´s easier now. And you can do much more things.
And the intrutuion of the Complexity System.
The rest is only some tweakening of some rules, and better spelling.

But now DP9 is busy to work publications for Heavy Gear Blitz!. And with Blitz! they began to rewrite the story, so that it is more consitend.
The last thinks they Published, were HG Blitz! books, for North, South and Paxton(with PAK and Leagless/Badlanders).

And they produce many new Minis for HG. They begun to resculp every Gear, Strider and Tanks now for Heavy Gear Blitz!, so that all Minis were now in the 1/144 Scale.
And the creation of entirely new Vehicles and Minis.

And I liked the Silhouette Rules much. Because it´s easy (or not impossible) to create every Ship for every Universe. I´ve tried it for Babylon 5 (before ACtA).
And they were easy to play . And have good combination of realism and fast gameplay.

 

[Shadow Queen]

I was going to say www.DP9.com but got beaten to it

 

[Goldritter]

I was going to say www.DP9.com but got beaten to it

There's life in the old dog yet.
There were to many rumors that DP9 isn´t anymore. But they are

 

[SnowDog]

Hey, isn't HG Bliz already out (and have been for some time)? Now they are making a Lock & Loaded edition out of those rules. Anyway, they are only tactical rules, not RPG rules and there has been very little if any setting material produced by them for a long while.

 

[Goldritter]

Yep.
Blitz is tactical only.
They don´t want to make any official RPG thing until Blitz is ready, and all Fractions were in.

The reason is, that in Blitz the Storyline will get a rollback and inconsitancies will be cleared. And then the metaplot is continued, but only in Blitz! books. And then they plan to update the RPG books.

But there is an unofficialy RPG "update" in the Aurora Magazine.

It´s more a sort of we want to concentrate us to do one thing realy good first
, And then we work on other things.

And before the HG RPG will be continued, there will be something like Jovanian Chronicles Blitz!.

 

[SnowDog]

OK. Thanks for a heads up!

 

[Goldritter]

OK. Thanks for a heads up!

No idea what "Heads up" mean (my dictonary says it the same as a warning :? ).

But if you need more (and better infos), espacialy from the makers/designers look into the DP9 Forum. I think there you can better answer as I can give you.

And even if DP9 doesn´t publish any new Books for the RPG now. The old League and Colony books were good even for 3e (only some tweaks ), and many People play the RPG too .

 

[SnowDog]

Maybe I got my slang confused but I meant to say thanks for the new information. Anyway, English is not my first language, either

Yes, I am aware of the DP9 site and I drop by there occasionally. On the other hand now that the RPG supplements are no longer being published and old stocks are sold out (at least I can't find the books at my FLGS any more). So it is increasingly hard to introduce new players to those games.

Having that in mind maybe Mongoose could lend a hand and see if there would be a potential in making RPG material for HG. On the other hand I'd like to see HG in Silhouette system and rather see a new version of Armageddon:2089 (?) or some other original mecha game from Mongoose (preferably with Gear sized mecha or even just power armor). Maybe the setting would work as a basis for an RPG as well as a skirmish game?

 

[Goldritter]

No Problem. English isn´t my first either .

And if you need older HG Books, look at DriveThruRPG, there you can find all older Books (even 1e).
Some Silhouette stats for Mongoose RPG Vehicles would be nice.
(I for my part would like to see Silhouette stats Babylon 5 Ships .)