I ran a MSH campaign where I snuck the Transformers in. Puh-lenty of content out there.

https://transformers-msh-faserip.fandom.com/wiki/Transformers_(MSH_-_FASERIP)_Wiki

And since it's MSH - you know the system can easily handle anything you'd ever find in the Transformers universe. And of course the system *rocks*...

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on November 15, 2022, 02:59:02 PM
Well, the fanfics certainly ran with the idea of transformers having naughty bits.

The Michael Bay movies don't count and you know it. 

Quote from: Chris24601 on November 18, 2022, 01:48:56 PM

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on November 15, 2022, 02:59:02 PM
Well, the fanfics certainly ran with the idea of transformers having naughty bits.

The Michael Bay movies don't count and you know it. 

A song about Michael Bay that is very true
https://tinnitis.bandcamp.com/track/michael-bay-sucks-album-mix

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 11, 2022, 04:20:15 PM
I got the Transformers RPG last night. Is anyone interested in a first reactions, and maybe a review post?

I haven't picked up the TF RPG but when I read through the PR RPG I was so disgusted I am now actively making my own Sentai/Toku inspired RPG essentially out of spite. In general it's an under served niche despite being perfect for RPGs. The closest "good" sentai RPG is the anime and mecha splatbook for Mutants and Masterminds. And it's still not great.

As a more general rant, why do so many licenced games just want to be a regular RPG with a skin on as opposed to something that represents concepts and the feeling of a game through it's mechanics. It's a fun design challenge to figure out how morphing, megazords and so on would work in the context of an RPG but most don't go beyond crunch heavy tables and that's it.

Quote from: King Tyranno on November 19, 2022, 09:02:43 AM
As a more general rant, why do so many licenced games just want to be a regular RPG with a skin on as opposed to something that represents concepts and the feeling of a game through it's mechanics. It's a fun design challenge to figure out how morphing, megazords and so on would work in the context of an RPG but most don't go beyond crunch heavy tables and that's it.

I'm not sure, but I suspect there is a development time problem. Most of the licensed RPGs that I've seen have seemed very rushed, with a few exceptions like TSR's Marvel Superheroes.

I think the company can't be sure of getting a given license, and once they have the license, they are rushed to get the licensed RPG out the door quickly. Maybe the standard is that they pay for the license as soon as they have exclusive rights, not from when they start publishing? One of the worst cases I can recall was Decipher's Lord of the Rings RPG, which clearly had no playtest of many parts.

Also, I getting licensing is a skill and specialty in itself. The companies that successfully do it aren't so much into custom design, plus they probably don't want to take risks with an expensive license. Certain companies would get a string of licenses once they got the expertise to do so, like West End Games and Decipher.

Quote from: King Tyranno on November 19, 2022, 09:02:43 AM

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 11, 2022, 04:20:15 PM
I got the Transformers RPG last night. Is anyone interested in a first reactions, and maybe a review post?

I haven't picked up the TF RPG but when I read through the PR RPG I was so disgusted I am now actively making my own Sentai/Toku inspired RPG essentially out of spite. In general it's an under served niche despite being perfect for RPGs. The closest "good" sentai RPG is the anime and mecha splatbook for Mutants and Masterminds. And it's still not great.

As a more general rant, why do so many licenced games just want to be a regular RPG with a skin on as opposed to something that represents concepts and the feeling of a game through it's mechanics. It's a fun design challenge to figure out how morphing, megazords and so on would work in the context of an RPG but most don't go beyond crunch heavy tables and that's it.

The same reason why we get a glut of formulaic movies. Licenses aren't cheap, and coming up with something new and innovative is hard. The broader an audience you can reach, the more you make back that money to buy the rights to the IP. Thus, they go with adapting an existing system, with just a little innovation around the edges.

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 19, 2022, 02:18:19 PM

Quote from: King Tyranno on November 19, 2022, 09:02:43 AM

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 11, 2022, 04:20:15 PM
I got the Transformers RPG last night. Is anyone interested in a first reactions, and maybe a review post?

I haven't picked up the TF RPG but when I read through the PR RPG I was so disgusted I am now actively making my own Sentai/Toku inspired RPG essentially out of spite. In general it's an under served niche despite being perfect for RPGs. The closest "good" sentai RPG is the anime and mecha splatbook for Mutants and Masterminds. And it's still not great.

As a more general rant, why do so many licenced games just want to be a regular RPG with a skin on as opposed to something that represents concepts and the feeling of a game through it's mechanics. It's a fun design challenge to figure out how morphing, megazords and so on would work in the context of an RPG but most don't go beyond crunch heavy tables and that's it.

The same reason why we get a glut of formulaic movies. Licenses aren't cheap, and coming up with something new and innovative is hard. The broader an audience you can reach, the more you make back that money to buy the rights to the IP. Thus, they go with adapting an existing system, with just a little innovation around the edges.

Also related to this, most people outside of the odd hardcore TTRPG gamer aren't willing to try out new and "innovative" systems, or even established systems that aren't the one that they already know. People outside the hobby are also difficult to draw in with odd systems that aren't D&D. They want established recognizable brands, which in TTRPGs means D&D or derived games.

Add that to the issues related to acquiring and retaining a license and you're gonna end up with a lot of derived games, specially given the popularity of 5e.

Quote from: VisionStorm on November 19, 2022, 05:54:28 PM
Also related to this, most people outside of the odd hardcore TTRPG gamer aren't willing to try out new and "innovative" systems, or even established systems that aren't the one that they already know. People outside the hobby are also difficult to draw in with odd systems that aren't D&D. They want established recognizable brands, which in TTRPGs means D&D or derived games.

But a lot of licensed games haven't used systems that were previously popular. Victory Games' James Bond 007 system, D6 for West End's Ghostbusters and Star Wars, Cinematic Unisystem for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Army of Darkness, Decipher's CODA system for Star Trek and Lord of the Rings, Modiphius' 2d20, etc.

Licensed games can be a good gateway for newcomers to enjoy a new system outside of D&D. Non-gamers get drawn in by the license tie-in, not by having a system they recognize.