From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: RFD: rec.games.frp.board
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 08:38:18 GMT

.
     _
    (_)k, it's been pointed out that rec.games.armored-combat is not
 as unambiguous as I originally suspected.  I stipulate, then, that
 rec.games.armored-combat would generate close to the same amount of
 confusion as rec.games.miniatures.
    ___
     |he remaining option then, IMNSHO, is to name the proposed group: 
 
 rec.games.mecha
 
     _
    (_)n first consideration, this might appear to be too specific a
 group name.  Allow me to justify this proposed name.
 
 1) There are already a number of games other than BattleTech that
    are suitable for discussion in a group named rec.games.mecha.
    These games include: Mekton (and its variants/companions, Mekton
    II, RoadStriker, etc.), Spirit Warrior (Aztec mecha), SF3D,
    Adeptus Titanicus, another pocket book type game I don't recall
    the name of (it had a centaur mecha on the cover), a Japanese
    game based on Dougram, another Japanese game based on L-Gaim,
    and possibly more.  Is GURPS Mecha likely to be far behind?  (:

 2) The low volume of posts about mecha games other than BattleTech
    may simply be due to the lack of a proper place for them.
    Creation of a group named rec.games.mecha would surely generate
    new or renewed interest in mecha games other than BattleTech.

 3) The volume of posts about WarHammer and its related companion
    games in rec.games.board and rec.games.frp.misc does not appear
    to be at a level which could withstand the domination of the
    BattleTech/mecha type games in a group devoted to combined
    mecha/WarHammer games.  Discussions of Adeptus Titanicus, the
    "giant robot battles" part of WarHammer 40K would fit in and
    be welcomed in a group named rec.games.mecha, however.  It's
    my belief that attempting to fully integrate the entire
    WarHammer gaming universe and all of the mecha/BattleTech
    games into a single group would only result in conflict.
 
 4) There are now, and surely will continue to be created, games
    other than board games and RPGs which follow a mecha type
    theme.  The most obvious of these games are computer and
    arcade simulations and shoot-em-ups, many based on BattleTech.
    Some of the more prominent include the Activision series of
    home computer games based on BattleTech, MechForce for the
    Amiga, the recently developed MechWar for MS-DOS systems,
    MultiPlayer BattleTech currently in development on GEnie for
    MS-DOS systems, and of course the BattleTech Centers in
    Chicago and Japan.  Currently in negotiations or under
    construction are additional BattleTech Centers in Detroit,
    the San Francisco Bay Area, and the United Kingdom.

     _
    (_
    __)o those are my reasons.  If need be, due to the selection of
 an inappropriate name for this new proposed group and failure of its
 creation, I will submit my own RFD for a group named rec.games.mecha,
 and you will all see most of the above arguments repeated there.  I'll
 be leaving out most of the WarHammer comments, other than those about
 Adeptus Titanicus, as they won't be relevant.

-- 
   _______________________________________________________
  /         -= Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex     (:      /
 /  lunatic@netcom.com  GEnie: LUNATIC  CI$: 76170,672  /
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