micro Mechwarrior RPG

My latest distraction - distilling down Mechwarrior to a microlite20-esque size. The actual rules for Mechwarrior 1st Edition are roughly 67 pages (not counting the fluff and setting info). The rules for the Classic Battletech RPG (the redo of 3rd edition) are maybe 150 out of 210 pages. The Time of War RPG (beta) clocks in at 402 pages! I have no idea what portion of ToW is rules vs. fluff - I still need to read through it and after doing what I just did... I'm not sure I want to.

Anyway, my version of Mechwarrior - 4 pages. The fifth page has some sample NPCs and designer notes - my fluff. Mechanics for attributes/stats, skills, combat, hazards, healing, equipment and conversion to the Battletech boardgame - check. All there. This is the set of houserules I'm going to use to run my WinterWar combo-fest, if they approve it. I need to playtest it - the skills and such are different from "stock" Mechwarrior - I use GM assigned Target Numbers (think DCs) versus the old MW 1e mechanic of the TN being an aspect of the stat. Anyway... some differences, but the basic thrust and 2d6 + modifiers mechanic is there.

Aside from scenario/campaign info that a GM would whip up themselves, what else do you need? Salvage rules? If you're doing that type of campaign, you probably have some source materials already to give you some ideas. Unit creation stuff? See aforementioned source materials. Actual Battletech boardgame rules? There are the free Quick Start and Introductory Rules downloads to get you going.

I'm so stoked about this. I need to get to work tomorrow so I can avail myself of the Adobe PDF creator and get this document uploaded and I'll throw it out there on the Intertubes. I just hope Catalyst Games and/or Whizkids don't DFA me - this is a free interpretation/houserules document meant for the same type of GMs that would like microlite20 or OD&D-esque games. If they're out there... after reading the Battletech forums - I'm not so sure? Some of the discussions remind me of 3E and 4E D&D mix/max discussions.

I mean... 402 pages for an RPG? Man, I started to go thru that thing and all I could think was we had Star Fleet Battles as an RPG now. At my calculations, my rules are roughly 1.2% the size of that big boy. Holy freakin' cow! Maybe there is no audience for microMW and I'm just weird.

(Although if anyone from Catalyst wants to hire me to create a really cool rules light version of ToW for umm... pay? Yea, I'd do that. :> )

(picture gakked from an abandoned Geocities website...)