[FAQ]
What is the game about?
Electrocosmic is a character-focused game about mecha, their pilots, and other characters. It is meant to allow a variety of subgenre options and different types of campaigns per the game master’s concept.
What is the art style of the game?
Electrocosmic attempts to utilize a combination of art styles to bulwark themes, tone, and other objectives. Rather than attempting to utilize a discrete style different styles exist to convey a point or sentiment. Owing to the setting is alt-modern, there is a juxtaposition between strange post World War 2 equipment and newer equipment combined with futuristic-looking equipment.
What is the tone of the game?
The tone of the game attempts to convey humor, terror, and dread. The world of Electrocosmic is a place where the world is changing, rapidly, and beset by horrifying threats. Despite this, average life carries on and there is a measured collective resolve – though not all issues and all problems have been dealt with. Indeed, the last enemy may be humans themselves.
What is the level of mechanical complexity of the game?
Electrocosmic attempts to thread the needle between ‘crunchy’ (more complex) and ‘fluffy’ (less complex) game mechanics.
Can I play as other things aside from a pilot?
Yes, the game supports a variety of types of game – one might portray basic cleanup teams, a group of investigators, or a tank crew. With that in mind, the game typically focuses on mecha.
What type of dice system is used?
The system used is a d100 ‘roll under’ system.
How agnostic are the rules? Can they be applied to my version of the setting?
The rules are meant to be both flexible and modular so as to allow a variety of different games with different tones. Although the focus aims to focus on a particular feeling and quality the game is robust in its capacity and allows for many species of mech game play. Indeed, the variety of weapons, equipment, and varieties of equipment allow for a range of power: from tiny power suits to immense 100 meter-tall mecha.
What are the mechs like? Are they robots or do they have other things going on?
Yes! However, rather than simply adhering to a ‘one size fits all’ rationale mecha are instead represented in archetypes that embody the mech itself. For example, a prototype has advantages to using untested equipment and the production fork unit allows for unique abilities. The amount of archetypes also admixes with the mecha quirk system: owing to the idiosyncratic nature of their manufacture, different mechs can have all variety of odd, interesting, or other effects of their artisanal manufacture.
What are some of the interesting features of the game compared to similar games?
As a TTRPG all mechanics are organized to encourage prosocial intragroup interactions that are both interesting and memorable. Combined with a unique psychology system and a combination of game endings, each campaign is unique and suitably dramatic. Specifically:
Psychology: A unique psychology system. Tired of your character just sort of being periodically zapped by a shock button by the GM when a creature appears? No problem. Tired of your character just losing their mind and behaving in psychologically outdated non-characterful ways? No problem. Electrocosmic caters to players more interested in the long-term development of their character rather periodic mandatory zaps from the GM.
Peculiar Narratives: Actions in campaign affect the whole world. In addition to providing a way to handle narratively dramatic conclusions, the campaign system in Electrocosmic attempts to produce interesting long-term results where players shape the structure of the world with their inaction, action, or initiative. Will the world end? Will the world be reborn? It’s up to the players.
Unique Themes: Electrocosmic attempts to utilize a combination of themes in a structured way appropriate to the source material of the game. Although not often handled or handled in awkward ways by other media, unusual themes are part of Electrocosmic and core to the source material: extreme violence, taboo, and religious themes among others. Indeed, while other games might attempt to engage typically more mundane concerns, Electrocosmic attempts to focus on matters of ultimate concern not typically handled through idiosyncratic implementation of specialist literature.
Flexible Systems: All elements of the game are meant to be flexible and modular. All of them. This means complete and expansive lists of source-agnostic weapons, armor, and other equipment useful for the subgenre or similar genres. This allows for a variety of campaigns based on the type of world envisioned by the GM: police, first responders, investigators, agents, all are possible – not just pilots.
Tone to Taste: The mood of the game is not set, and all effort is made to help the GM determine the tone. To this end, different systems engage with the tone of the game that allow bespoke experiences that the GM desires. This allows for tonal variations to meet the GM’s concept with a variety of mechanics, statistical variations, and so on.
Mechanical Clarity: The game has a unique implementation of ordinarily onerous combat mechanics that are sensible and flexible. Everything in Electrocosmic makes sense and is structured intentionally to be as intuitive as possible.
What is the gameplay loop? How does the game function?
Electrocosmic is a tabletop roleplaying system that exists to support the themes of the game rather than vice versa. Although a setting is provided, Electrocosmic exists and has been designed with respect to the achieving gameplay goals rather than torturing mechanics into legacy notions of gameplay inherited or left over from similar systems. With that said, most of these systems are modular and might be utilized, revised, or changed to fit the needs of the GM.
Campaigns form the core of the game and function as they do as other TTRPGs, though with some quirks. Specifically, campaigns are more prolonged affairs and have their own metagame, mechanics, and other considerations. Typically campaigns function in a fashion similar to the source material: A series of issues emerge with the pilots must destroy or mitigate the issues that have emerged with a conclusion of a ritual, world-shattering conflict, or other dramatic point. Much of this involves combat, but other issues might emerge. The stakes are ultimate, very high, or suitably dramatic.
There are also scenarios. These discrete scenarios are more controlled and the stakes are less severe. These are best compared to modules found in other games and might be operated in a constrained fashion with fewer sessions involved. Often the focus is a single objective or goal with a more narrow scale: an item of power, a particular hazard or threat, or a certain objective such as the defense of a certain location. The stakes are limited, and these might be chained together to form a campaign.
Do the traditional roles of dungeon master and player still exist?
Yes.
Is there a “DM-less” version of the game?
No.
What is the plot?
The plot largely follows subgenre themes of cosmic horror, though there are variations and attempts to demark from typical cosmic horror plots are constant. The provided campaign within the rulebook is explicitly themed around the defense of a hardened facility ala Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as a campaign thematically similar to X-com: Enemy Unknown.
How modular is the system?
The system is built, organized, and structured to allow varying complexity levels and granularity. Find the board is having trouble understanding? Have a player who REALLY dislikes lots of numbers, don’t worry, Electrocosmic has options.
What type of dice mechanics exist?
All mechanics are formulated in d100 ‘roll under’ systems and simple graphical representations. The system attempts to minimize counting and numbers where possible.
What are some fun things about the game?
The game has interesting mechanics for customization of mechs, mecha archetypes, characters origins, and others! If you have a dream about playing a type of character the system has you covered.
What does the developer prioritize for the system?
Electrocosmic puts particular emphasis on the development of characters, their death, and on all variety of modular systems. In particular the goal of the game is to try to embrace certain complex themes and allow players to deal with complex themes and complex psychology.
Will there be expansions?
Right now all focus is on the core game, although additions might be considered.
What are your licensing resources or other similar policies?
As of current I have considered putting the game up as a licensing resource with broadly liberal policies although I have not made a decision yet. Overall I support the open source movement in software and find this general policy should be implemented generally where possible.
What type of mechs are present/possible?
Many! These are represented in mecha archetypes with account for numerous known tropes and stylistic choices. Want to pilot an agile mech? We have that! Want a big shield-carrying behemoth? We have that! The choices are numerous.
What types of characters are present/possible?
As of current characters are represented in three origin types: human, exposed, or chimera. Each background has peculiar restrictions, qualities, advantages, and some disadvantages. All three origins can be further altered with professional backgrounds or peculiar life histories, though new origins might be added in the future.
Are there customization systems for mechs?
Yes! Mecha may have production quirks and might change their onboard systems. There are both granular and simpler versions their generation for less granular players.
What is the influence of various media on the game?
It is complex. Electrocosmic takes several pieces of media as core and influential, though the exact relationships are sometimes muddled or mixed. It is, preeminently, a cosmic-horror mecha subgenre game but the system as a whole. Some differences:
Designs: Unique and interesting mecha designs that are inspired by Evangelion and several other mecha anime and other, similar, subgenre fiction. In particular: Supreme Commander, Total Annihilation, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Battletech, Pacific Rim, and others.
Cosmic Horror Influences: The influences of H.P. Lovecraft; Peterson’s Call of Cthulhu, Junji Ito, among others.
Film: Too numerous to count: Color Out of Space, Akira, and others.
Videogames: Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, X-Com, and others.
Religious Influences: Too many to count – many religious traditions, ideas, concepts are present.
Alt-history: Odd cold war-designs are common owing to the differences in technology and the timeline. There is influence from Alien, Starship Troopers, and For All Mankind.
Philosophical influences: Too many to count – in particular Nietzsche, Socrates, Parmenides, Heidegger, Bataille, and others
What are ‘variants of the war’? What does that mean?
Variants of the war are different modes of play of the camaIn order to encompass the variable source material it was desired to implement gameplay variations in the setting: mid war, late war, and post-war. These allow different styles of game and reflect the current situation in the game – these also serve to allow gameplay variations, tone, etc.
When will the game be done?
I don’t know, really. If you’re interested you can email me with moral support or something.
