Transformers RPG Foreward

[Optimus Prime Rib]

This is all I have so far. I know its only a page or two and doesnt have any game mechanics yet, but as soon as I can figure out how to get them to paper, you will see them.
Please let me know what you think.


More Than Meets The Eye

“Daddy, tell us a story.“
“Ok. Once upon a time, there was a…“
“No Dad. About the Transformers.“ Pointing at my display shelf.
-KaeLynn, speaking for her siblings (as usual).

When I was 6 years old, my family was stationed at Hellenikkon AFB, Greece. There wasn’t much for a kid from the U.S.A. to do in a country where he didn’t understand most of the people around him. The only things we had from the States back then were G.I. Joe’s, Yankee Baseball, and Transformers.

Well, my Dad was a living, breathing G.I. Joe. I am still a fan of Yankee Baseball, and I absolutely adore Transformers.

High school. I’m back in the U.S. for some time now. I have just started playing a game called Dungeons and Dragons. It is my first Tabletop RPG. Then I learn of other games like R.I.F.T.S.,White Wolf Games, and Shadowrun. All games have great play styles and rules that make the game understandable and fun. I loved how each game system was similar to another but had its own subtle differences. D&D and the famous D20 system. R.I.F.T.S. and its Mega Damage system. Shadowrun and its reward dice for creative gameplay. White Wolf and its many (many) games that all tied into one another based on storytelling as opposed to complicated combat rules.

Each system intrigued me in their simplicity and ability to keep a story moving or combat feeling like more action and less math.

I walked away from tabletop RPGs for a long time. Then about 2 years ago, some friends and I started playing again. After some very intense and creative games, we started talking about how cool it would be to use our favorite hobbies in an RPG setting. There was talk of Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers. I got a few friends interested in reading the comics while I consulted some of the biggest Transformers Nerds (said with great respect) I know for source material.

What began as a “wouldn’t this be cool?” idea gradually became a deep and moving game with a skills/combat system that was intuitive and practical. There were no “hard rules”, and each time we got together and played, there were just as many tears of sadness as there were tears of laughter.

We told a gut wrenching tale of the beginning of the war. We made a point that the story was more important than mechanics of the combat. We made sure that every decision, every conversation, every thing that was said or done had gravity.

But most importantly, we had fun.

[bumblemusprime]

Sounds cool. How long have you guys been running the game now?

[Optimus Prime Rib]

We havent been able to get a group together here in Michigan. The group we had was in Texas. Everyone really enjoyed it. I would be thrilled if anyone wanted to contribute to this endeavor.