Welcome one and all to a post where we can freely discuss the games that we have released or the games that we are making. Stop on by and maybe you'll find your new favourite RPG!

A bunch of us make cool shit, but the Indie RPG space is crowded and it can often be difficult to get the word out about why people should try out your game. That's why every week we try to focus on a different mechanic or setting to see how new RPGs can solve decades old problems or put new spins on old greivances!

They're big! They're mechanical! They're all around pretty badass... or extremely traumatizing if you're going the Evangelion route. This week we're focusing on the Mecha genre! So tell us how your game (or just any game you really like) is unique in this setting.

Thank you u/AppropriatelyHare-78 for the suggestion!

As per mod approval, comments here do not count against rule 7 - comment as much as you want, answer as many questions as you need and discuss to your hearts content!

All that I would ask is that anyone who comments about their own system takes the time to look at the minimum at one other game in the comments and ask a question or provide feedback. Lively discussions are what get people interested and what keep people engaged!

Last week was "Post-Apocalyptic"

Next week I plan to focus on a mechanic instead of a setting so if you want to suggest a topic for future weeks, be sure to include "-sug-" in your comment so I can easily find it!

**Come here and talk about anything!**

This post will stay stickied for (at least) the week-end. Please enjoy this space where you can talk about anything: your last game, your current project, your patreon, etc. You can even talk about video games, ask for a group, or post a survey or share a new meme you've just found. This is the place for small talk on r/rpg.

The off-topic rules may not apply here, but the other rules still do. This is less the Wild West and more the Mild West. Don't be a jerk.

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I've seen a few posts recently about superhero TTRPGs and they made me realise that, while I'm a big comic book fan, I've never really enjoyed superhero TTRPGs. I can't put my finger on it. I loved making characters in M&M 2e but only got it to the table once. I bounce off sci fi as a GM, but that's because I'm less comfortable running sci fi games - I'm still happy to play them though. With supes, it's one of the few genres in TTRPGs that doesn't excite me.

Do you have any genre or type of game you just bounce off? Just don't enjoy it, or can't get excited for it?

Ages ago when I first got into d&d I picked up Against the Giants: Liberation of Geoff. I never had many groups to play with as a kid so it sat on a shelf.

We formed a group about 8 years ago. I finally got to run against the Giants in 5th edition a couple of years ago. Now we've been doing Descent to the Depths of the Earth, but using Draw Steel as the engine.

It has been some of the most enjoyable high fantasy I've run as a DM in a long time.

So i switched from d&d to freeform universal and my players and i are having a lot of fun. Its a genre neutral rpg and right now im doing a cyberpunk game.

I like it because its rules light and 100% free. I can keep the rules in my head and i dont have to look anything up.

I dont think im going to go back.

The Wild Words SRD talks about this concept like this, even though it's hardly unique to those games:

When using different types of scene, you may want to aim to create a loop - a set structure that the game follows, something to mold the story and action of play around. You might choose...

A Core Loop

This sets scenes as happening in a specific order, so players always know what's coming next. Core loops hold structure first and narrative second - the story is still important, but it will follow a particular set of repeating beats.

Streets By Moonlight follows a core loop - characters have time to prepare and investigate, then to confront whatever they've discovered, then to recover from the confrontation's aftermath. Once sufficiently recovered (or perhaps before), a new investigation begins.

A Fluid Loop

With this method specific types of scene will reoccur, but in an order that is dictated by the narrative. This puts the story and the decisions of the players and GM at the forefront of an experience, but might be more difficult to balance mechanically (as certain characters may be better suited to a particular type of scene, but the story could lead play away from those scenes occurring often).

The WIldsea follows a fluid loop - basic scenes, montages, and journeys happen whenever they feel most appropriate, allowing variable length and frequency of different modes of play. A session may be a series of linked basic scenes, with no special mechanics, or it might be a single long journey, or anything in between.

Streets by Moonlight, for the record, is not a real game that exists (the Wild Words SRD has a few made-up ones to illustrate some design examples), apart from some notes on Felix Isaacs' Patreon, and only after he wrote the SRD, but that's not super important to this post; For some real examples of games with 'core loops', there's things like Forged in the Dark games (like Girl by Moonlight's obligation/downtime/mission/fallout cycle), or Carved from Brindlewood games (like The Between with its dawn/day/dusk/night phases).

On one hand, a fixed gameplay loop may feel inflexible, artificial, or board game-y to some (even as a fan I will ocncede they have downsides); on the other hand, it lends itself well to certain styles of fiction, and I found it an absolute delight to prep for since it's so predictable and sustainable (and in games where one of the phases is a mostly player-directed downtime, it basically means I only need to prep for every other session at most). Several of my Forged in the Dark campaigns would not have gotten to the finish line if I was doing things in something more freeform and thus a little more unpredictable, though I have had decent success in a Wildsea game as well.

Statistically, most games out there are 'fluid' under this dichotomy, but I think there's real value in the focus and structure like this. What do you think, though?

Hello! Over the last month, I've developed a bit of a weird obsession with superhero TTRPGs. The timing couldn't be better because the genre seems to be trending among TTRPG developers and publishers.

This year we're getting the Invincible TTRPG, Mutants & Masterminds 4e, and the new DC RPG based on the Justice League Unlimited comic run.

I read the quickstart for the DC game and found it pretty interesting, but I'd love to hear other people's opinions. I backed every superhero TTRPG crowdfunding campaign this year because I want to give each one a fair chance.

What do you all think about this one? Do you prefer any of the other superhero RPGs releasing this year?

Also there will be new version of Masks, pretty interested how that one will look like too.

It doesn’t matter if it’s super crunchy or minimalist . I just think building a spaceship and making it fit your groups vibe is a great way to set tone

I recently purchased a digital copy of the book and im confused about basic combat rules, i understand its an adaptation of the 'troika system ' but it has nothing in the book about weapons or how much damage they do(or action economy at all really) (unless im just missing something) do i need to buy troika? Is there a basic rundown anywhere on how you run combat in this game,? (Is this the right place to ask this or is there somewhere better) If there is nothing else ill just watch some real time play and take notes i suppose. Any help or tips are appreciated!

As the title states, what is your favourite dice pool systems to play?

I want to expand my list of known systems and branch out from d20 games.

I usually like a lot of options, for instance Shadowrun is right up my alley, but I know my group would never play it.