In my post two nights ago, I said that I'd be posting some additional
information about the nomination process, rules of the tournament, and
series I hoped to include mecha from.
If you missed the post in question, let me recap briefly: I recently had
the idea of writing a crossover tournament 'fic, but instead of a martial
arts fighting tournament, this was going to involve mecha from different
mecha anime series and games. The hitch is that I don't know nearly enough
mecha anime/games to make this kind of tournament worthwhile, so I need
people to "nominate" mecha to be entered in the tournament.
That's where you come in. This post will count as the official start of
nominations, and contains what will be used as the official rules of the
MechaCross 1998 Tournament.
NOMINATION PROCESS:
Mecha may be nominated from any existing anime or manga series, or from
mecha-oriented games. However, custom configurations must be limited in
scope - no completely original mecha will be permitted; internal and
weapons configurations should be specified.
All nominations should be sent via private e-mail to:
trmiller@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us
and must include the following information:
- Series of origin
- Name of mecha
- Pilot's name
- Technical information:
Power source
Movement capabilities (walking, flight, jumpjets, etc.)
Defensive capabilities (shields, armor, etc.)
Other capabilities (transformations?, etc.)
Limitations and weaknesses
(Include a brief profile of the pilot: applicable history, fighting style,
psychological strengths/weaknesses, etc.)
The above information should be as detailed as possible, since in many
cases this will be all I have to go on when I'm writing the matches. The
only exception is when I'm somewhat familiar with the mecha already (as in
Neon Genesis Evangelion). Insufficient data will be grounds for
disqualification. (See the end of this post for three example
nominations.)
Note about pilots: in most cases (nearly all from anime), a mecha will
have a particular pilot who is regularly assigned to it. I *know* there
are some exceptions to this; if you wish to nominate a mecha whose pilot
is a background character (or is completely unseen outside the cockpit),
there are two options:
1 - The pilot may be any appropriate character from that series.
2 - (probably applicable only for games) The pilot may be an
original character - or in rare cases, an author insertion character.
If you are creating an original charater pilot, that character *MUST* have
a profile included with the nomination!
Additional characters may also be used in the tournament
narrative, as teammates, support crew, allies, or even rivals who didn't
get into the tournament.
TOURNAMENT RULES:
1 - All mecha nominated for entry in the MechaCross 1998 Tournament must
meet the following qualifications in order to compete:
a - The pilot must be within the mecha's cockpit or personnel
compartment at all times during the match; remote control or autopilot
systems are not allowed, and use of such systems or devices will result in
immediate disqualification. Ejection from your mecha counts as an
immediate forfeit of the current match.
b - All competing mecha must be in humanoid or animal form;
penalties may be applied against hybrid transformations. Pure vehicle-form
mecha (nontransforming aerospace fighters or ground vehicles) are not
permitted.
c - No combination mecha are permitted in the tournament, although
their component mecha may be entered individually to compete separately.
2 - Each competitor should be capable of hosting at least one match, on
territory which is not intrinsically hostile to the opposing mecha. (Only
if the "host" mecha is at a simliar disadvantage will hostile arena
conditions be permitted.) "Visitor" mecha for each match will be allowed
to set up any necessary support systems (external power supplies, etc.)
for the match.
3 - Matches proceed until one mecha is destroyed, incapacitated, or
otherwise immobilized by the opponent. Ejection of the pilot from his or
her mecha results in a forfeit of the current match; outside interference
or departure of either mecha from the match area may result in penalties
or forfeiture of the match by the offending party/parties, up to possible
disqualification.
4 - The number of starting brackets (divisions) will be based on the
number of mecha entered for the tournament:
1- 8 competitors = 1 division
9-16 competitors = 2 divisions
17-24 competitors = 3 divisions
25-32 competitors = 4 divisions
Each division will begin with a maximum of eight competitors (fewer if
necessary for an even split), and progress in each division will proceed
independently of the other divisions until the semi-final round.
5 - Each division will proceed as a double-elimination tournament; if a
competitor loses one match, his or her next match will be in the
corresponding level of the division's "loser's" bracket. Loss of a match
in the loser's bracket will result in disqualification from the
tournament.
6 - When only two competitors remain in each division (quarter-final round
if there are four divisions, semi-final round if 1-3 divisions), the
tournament switches to single elimination. The winner from each division
will proceed to the final (or semi-final) round.
EXAMPLE NOMINATIONS:
(The following are intended as examples of how to nominate a mecha, and
should give you an idea of what I'm looking for; they may or may not
appear in the tournament (but feel free to nominate Eva-01 or Escaflowne,
especially if you want to see them. ;) The third example is my old Hammer
HERC, from Battledrome, and is intended as an example of how to nominate
mecha from a game where their weaponry can vary. In cases like this, the
pilot becomes considerably more important as his/her personality will
determine how the mecha is armed or equipped.)
Series of origin: Shin Seiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Mecha: Evangelion Unit 01 (Test Type)
Pilot: Ikari Shinji
Technical information:
Power source:
External power via umbilical cable
Internal emergecny battery (five minutes)
Movement capabilities:
Walking/running on land
Jumpjets in shoulder pods
Standard weapons/offensive capabilities:
Progressive Knife (carried in shoulder pod)
Pulse rifle (external)
Sonic Glaive (carried in collapsed form in forearm mount)
(Other weapons may be used)
Unit is capable of bare-handed combat
No integrated weapon mounts
Defensive capabilities:
Unit is capable of generating an AT Field
External armor plating
Unit is capable of supplemental armor or hand-held
defenses
Other capabilities: unknown
Weaknesses/vulnerabilities:
Umbilical cable may be severed
Pilot profile: Ikari Shinji, male, 14 years old
Ikari Shinji is the only known child of NERV Commander Ikari
Gendou. Since his arrival in Tokyo-3, Shinji has become a skilled pilot,
and is the assigned pilot of Eva-01. He displays a tendency to simply do
what is asked of him, although he has been told on several occasions that
this attitude could get him killed. Shinji's psyche is somewhat fragile,
as he was never properly prepared for the horrors he has witnessed and the
strain he has been subjected to while piloting an Evangelion; his
personality is perhaps best described as somewhat passive, as the few
times he's displayed any independence of spirit have frequently resulted
in disaster.
Series of origin: Tenkuu no Escaflowne (The Vision of Escaflowne)
Mecha: Escaflowne
Pilot: Van Fanel
Technical information:
Power source:
Dragu-Energist
Movement capabilities:
Walking on ground (either form?)
Flight-capable (dragon)
Standard weapons and offensive capabilities:
Collapsible sword carried in back (humanoid)
Capable of hand-to-hand combat (humanoid)
Defensive capabilities:
External armor
Other capabilities:
can transform between humanoid knight and dragon forms
Plot profile: Van Fanel
Van is the young new king of Fanelia, and has been studying
swordsmanship for several years now. As the king of Fanelia and a
descendant of the royal bloodline, it is believed that only he may open
and use the Escaflowne, as the Energist it uses was attuned to his blood
when he sealed the pact with Escaflowne and awoke this legendary Guymelef
from its slumber.
Series of origin: MetalTech: Battledrome (game)
Mecha: Hammer-type heavy HERCULAN
Pilot: Shachihoko (original)
Technical information:
Power source:
Internal fusion reactor powerplant
Movement capabilities:
Walking
Standard weapons/offensive capabilities:
Four external gun bays
(may use autocannon, laser, blaster, or plasma cannon)
Two internal missile launcher bays
Defensive capabilities:
Energy shield
External armor plating
Other capabilities:
Remote sensor probes
(*) - Note: All HERCULANs (or HERCs) may be reconfigured outside of combat
to the pilot's preference. Shachihoko generally uses the heaviest blasters
that will fit in his HERC's gun pods, and eschews sensor probes as an
unnecessary distraction.
Pilot profile:
"Shachihoko," as he is code-named, rose through the tiers of the
Battledrome HERCULAN Arena to claim the championship position for a period
before his retirement. It is believed that he is now training a protege by
the code-name of "Itamu." Shachihoko has displayed proficiency with
several types of HERC; he relies heavily on his blasters when in battle,
and will usually fight somewhat defensively unless angered or enraged. If
he has a distinct advantage (which he usually could gain when negotiating
terms before an Arena match), he may choose to toy with his opponent,
depleting their armor and crippling their mecha before moving in for the
coup de grace.
(Note: Shachihoko was my initial handle when playing Battledrome,
and is a Japanese word meaning killer whale or a mythical dolphin-like
fish. Itamu, my current Battledrome handle/persona, means to hurt or to
feel pain.)