"Mekton Empire Zeta?" Topic

So I picked up a copy of Mekton Empire recently, and I only have a copy of Mekton Zeta rules, not Mekton II…..

I've googled around, but not found any sort of conversion guide. There is reference to a conversion article in a magazine, but that magazine does not seem to be available online, even in PDF.

My kids have been properly "primed" with Robotech and Starblazers (and some Patlabor), and actually sound like they're interested in maybe playing some if we take a break from Pathfinder. They're young though, and maybe I would be better served either converting to BESM (which I have) or getting Mekton II (which I don't have), which seems simpler than MTZ. (I've considered grabbing Mekton II just because I like the cover art so much, I mean so I can run the old "Jovian Chronicles" adventures as well, though I guess I could actually use the JC rules and revised adventures, since I have them too. I'm an inveterate collector, but only an occasional player.)

So any advice from folks who've actually *run* Mekton? Or should I go with BESM, and if so, what about conversion notes for that game?

Also, my son (of all people) noticed what he's pretty sure is a misprint in the ship "Star Class Weapons" table – it looks like the Kills and Damage values are swapped. Anyone know if that's an acknowledged misprint?

Thanks for any advice.

I have run a TON of Mekton 2 and Empire. Your son is correct, the Star Weapons for ships does have the switch in the table. There is also some other errata, but it's really hard to find. There was a great site called The Algol Project, but it seems to have gone AWOL.

But here is a link about Algol from 1st Mekton: link

Get a copy of Mekton 2. It is a heck of a lot simpler than Zeta, and is great for kids or if you want to play something heroic/anime yet not having to worry about a ton of modifiers or complex skills/feats/leveling. You can even bolt on some Cyberpunk (like we did) if you want to. There is also a Mekton Construction Manual for M2. There are some cool designs in it, like the Vantage and Rampage, but it can get really complex doing the custom construction stuff. You can get all sorts of multipliers.

I've played some Zeta, several different settings, but I still prefer plain old Mekton 2 and Empire. Lots you can do with it. If you can find Operation Rimfire, it's a good campaign and very Gundam.

I too have the old Janus Games JC books, and they are great because they have that real gritty feel, while the newer DP9 books have a much more "clean" feel to the setting, less desperate. Their system is pretty good, and there is a VERY well developed background and lots of info, books, hooks, and even art. Love the JC setting!

(again, get Mekton 2, you won't regret it)

Wow, that Algol page uses art from the white box edition.

I used to have the first Mekton, it was a lot of fun! I never bought any of the other books though.

Hey Darby! I have Operation: Rimfire already. Looks like I just need to grab Mekton 2. Amazon has used copies for only a few bucks.

I have quite a lot of JC (and HG) books from "back in the day" still. The Silhouette system seems elegant, but I have to admit that I have an unreasonable bias against excessive numbers of computed stats. In the end, JC might be a little too realistic for what I'm trying to do, if that makes any sense when talking about a giant robots game. :)

…and Mekton II is ordered. One of the online stores had a decent copy for around five bucks, which I can live with.

Sweet!

Get the Ianus Games version of JC if you can, just to have them. They are great books Dan, you'll like 'em.

I have the old green-cover JC, but I think I only have the Silhouette "Europa Incident". I can't find the box of my JC stuff, so I might be wrong about that.

The little bit of Mekton2 I've seen on the web makes me think that it's going to be a bit simpler than MTZ, especially considering my target audience.

Mekton 2 is simpler than Mekton Zeta/Plus. You'll be building mecha in your head in no time. I've used it for military mecha and Go Nagai super robots.

Al | ravenfeastsmeadhall.blogspot.com

Mekton is a gem of a game- great choice!

Not that Mekton II is bad, but Mekton Zeta's real complexity lies in the build system, the actual combat play is still pretty simple. If you're designing the mecha for your kids anyway you could probably use Zeta just fine. You'd want to avoid some of the fancier bits of tech, but it is more versatile in terms of being able to build just about anything you might need. Just something to think about.

Owning both editions is not something I have ever regretted. :)

I re-read my MTZ the other night, and you're right – the main strangeness is in MTZ+. I'm looking forward to contrasting MT2 and MTZ.

I also love that characters have a "Cool" stat.

All characters should have a Cool stat. Or at least Chutzpah. :)