Power Core Combiner RPG outline

[Dominic]

The story fluff (that I hope to have up later today, or at least this week), will be describing a short skirmish. When reading it, think "how would this translate in to the game". What sort of dice checks or traits would the characters in question need? It will feature one (or two!) of my own fan characters, and a few legit characters, including an obscure Japanese figure that i will never own even one of. Hell, there might even be a TFA reference in there. But, remember, think "how does this translate in to the game" when reading it.

"Aligned" is a synoptic setting that Hasbro uses. If you are thinking of tone and style, start with Marvel G1 (US or UK). For story background, I am relying on PCC for the over-all setting, but will borrow for other sources, including US season 3 of the original series.

Early adventures and campaigns are mostly going to be about ironing out the rules....after I finish drafting them. They will mostly be set on Earth.

And are we all expected to create our own characters, or use existing ones? Or both?

New characters are fine. If you are feeling lazy, you can choose a character from PCC. But, I would encourage new characters, as that was a large part of PCC's appeal.


Dom
-knows this is slow going.

[Gomess]

start with Marvel G1 (US or UK)

...And end where? Prime?? That's way too vague.

For story background, I am relying on PCC for the over-all setting, but will borrow for other sources, including US season 3 of the original series.

You're the guy who *hates* fanfic, right? =/ Why Season 3? What the heck does it have to do with PCC? You really have to give us a bit more than this.

[Ursus mellifera]

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!

[Dominic]

I am not setting this game in context with any specific series. Do not expect references to all of that crazy stuff that apparently happened between 2005 and 2010.

I am going for tonal and thematic consitency, and borrowing story elements from several.


The basic setting will be now-ish. TFs have been on Earth for some time. The Autobots work semi-officially with some states. Decepticons alternate between trying to gather energy (aggressively and otherwise) and trying to destabilize Autobot/human relations. The TFs were drawn to Earth specifically because there were looking for lost technology, the PCC systems. (The packages specify that a cache of the tech was located on Earth.) TFs are on other planets besides Earth. But, Earth is a dig site for what is essentially a bastardization of lost archeotech and high tech.

Both factions have at least one dig site under their control and neither is above working with humans (though Autobots are far more likely to do so).


Dom
-none of that makes the game playable of course....

[Gomess]

none of that makes the game playable of course....

Actually, it does. Do most people who play these sorts of things not care about story context?

I'm a bit miffed we have to play in this setting you just made up rather than established one, but it just sounds like Armada with a bit of politics, so I guess I can get on board. Not sure where the consistent tone is between PCC and S3, though. What tone *is* that? Bad animation?

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!

Soz.

[Ursus mellifera]

none of that makes the game playable of course....

Actually, it does. Do most people who play these sorts of things not care about story context?

I'm a bit miffed we have to play in this setting you just made up rather than established one, but it just sounds like Armada with a bit of politics, so I guess I can get on board. Not sure where the consistent tone is between PCC and S3, though. What tone *is* that? Bad animation?

Story context totally matters, but I think he means that without the rules in place we can't really effect the world at all, we can just wander around and speak with each other.

Having a made-up setting for an RPG can be prefereable because the DM is then free to make changes to factions and characters without having to consistently consult official lore to make sure they sync up.

[Gomess]

I'm just hesitant about involving myself in a fictional world created- and more importantly, controlled- by our resident fanfic-hater.

...And does any TF series really have a complex enough universe that you'd need to "fact check" with any frequency? =/

Maybe I just need to wait for *all* the rules to be made clear all at once, rather than witnessing this here formative process.

[Ursus mellifera]

Maybe I just need to wait for *all* the rules to be made clear all at once, rather than witnessing this here formative process.

Maybe. I like watching the process, but I've also played enough RPG's that I can see where it's going, and kind of figure out how it all might end up.

[Ursus mellifera]

I'm just hesitant about involving myself in a fictional world created- and more importantly, controlled- by our resident fanfic-hater.

Dom, you should send Gomess some of your old fanfic. Make him feel better.

[Dominic]

I am basing the setting on the general concept behind "Aligned" which, as I said above, is synoptic. But, rather than try to build the game around what Hasbro is currently working with, I am going simply derive the game from that. PCC itself was not linked to any specific part of Transformers, so I figure that a synoptic settng is best.

The Season 3 element that I am using is the "working with humans". In season 3, both factions had known HQs on Earth and had some working relationship with human.

...And does any TF series really have a complex enough universe that you'd need to "fact check" with any frequency? =/

Just keeping the basics consistent would be enough of a headache, especially with G1. (Both the US and UK have plenty of thing that are best politely ignored.) I do not want to deal with it, especially while trying to come up with playable rules.

Actually, it does. Do most people who play these sorts of things not care about story context?

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa.hooooooeeeeahahaooooheeeeeeheeeeeeee.....

Oh Gomess, you wacky crazy jokester you.

Oh, wait, you are not familier with table top style RPGs.....

Joking aside, setting is far less important than having some kind of playable structure to the game at this point.

Dom, you should send Gomess some of your old fanfic. Make him feel better.

I no longer have digital copies. I am not going to deny that I wrote some (truly bad) fanfic. But, I am also not going to mourn that so little of it survived.


Dom
-solidly designed rules make the game more playable and allow for more focus on story later....