I said last month that I wanted to write a new setting for BCGR. Today I want to talk a little about it, just enough to give you an idea of what kind of experience I'm hoping to accomplish.
The stage is set 2000 years in the future. Humans are rebuilding civilization after a terrible war forced everyone to hide in underground Arks for centuries. The Holy Technocracy, a transhuman cult that worships the AI known as Deus Machina, wants to brainwash and convert all of humanity to their hivemind. Standing between this machine god and world domination are the PCs who, using the advanced humanoid robots of Steel Dragon Industries, must put a stop to their conquest plans. Meanwhile, a plague of cyborg monsters emerges from the bowels of the Earth and attacks the cities of both warring factions. Can the PCs find a way to stop both of these threats, before the world is destroyed once again?
There are three key themes to this setting that I want to emphasize:
Big Heroes vs Big Villains: While the Holy Technocracy are convinced that they're doing everyone else a favor, they are capital-V Villains. They brainwash people, raze the terrain and chew the scenery while doing it. And the monsters? Those are even worse, their armies are a seemingly-infinite force of nature that cannot be stopped or reasoned with. The PCs and their allies are the only ones who can fight against both of these threats on equal footing.
Evolve and Adapt: In order to overcome the challenges of the new era, humans are changing. Fantastic advances in biotechnology allow humans to manifest psychic powers at the cost of burning their cells and risking shortening their lifespan. Genetically engineered babies can be bonded to symbiotes granting anything from regeneration to shapeshifting. The PCs can even ride domesticated breeds of the giant monsters that would otherwise be enemies.
The Responsible use of Technology: Cool as they may be, giant robots are extremely dangerous and must be employed with care. Collateral damage destroys the fields where food is grown, levels the homes of the people that live in them and risks stirring the dormant monsters underground. The PCs must protect civilization and nature both, while preventing the enemy from recreating the frightful weapons that once brought about the end of the world.
That about sums it up, I think. There's a lot going on in the setting and I think it's really cool, to the point that it would be compelling even without the giant robots. I view it a lot like UC Gundam, in that it's a developed setting that just happens to have giant robots on top. There's a lot of work left to do until it's finished though, so I won't be able to show it in full for a while. Luckily, the Remaster gives me a lot to talk about so there'll be plenty of updates until then.
Gimmick Out.
