{"id":151,"date":"2025-04-02T19:48:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T01:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluoriteguillotine.com\/blog\/?p=151"},"modified":"2025-04-02T19:48:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T01:48:25","slug":"eisenhower-type-mecha-promises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluoriteguillotine.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/02\/eisenhower-type-mecha-promises\/","title":{"rendered":"eisenhower-type & mecha promises"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before we get into today’s topic: my zungeon is finally out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go check it out over on itch<\/a>! It’s compatible with any system (bring your own statblocks) but it’s also made with The Serket Hack in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I didn’t always like BattleTech<\/a>. There are specific things I have in mind when I want to play a mecha game, and most of the mechs in BattleTech look like slow-moving trashcans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of them don’t even have arms and most of them move about with a slow lumbering gait. These are walking battle platforms, guns with legs. The thing that finally sold me on these BattleTech mechs was the concept of an Eisenhower<\/em>. Content Warning<\/strong>: sex and mechsploitation<\/mark>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bluesky user Nikki Ophan<\/a> created the concept to present the dichotomy of pilots within mechsploitation based on the types of machines they pilot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The word “Eisenhower” is pretty niche, but many authors are choosing to use it to refer to this style of mech. For me, the eureka moment was thinking about how Eisenhower mechs exist in relative perspective to other mechs and potentially alongside them. It’s the difference between thinking “this is a heavy and fuel inefficient car with few quality of life features” and “that’s a classic muscle car”. Comparing it to a modern daily driver or a Formula 1 car is a little silly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What do we mean when we make a mecha game? What experience are we promising players when we use that word? Understanding the differences between mech “vibes” will help us. Not everything<\/em> is going to be in conversation with the history of mecha — sometimes, we make new games purely based on what we want<\/a>. That said, if you are<\/em> trying to connect with other mecha lovers, it’s good to examine how different aspects will shape the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Big Is It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Pacific Rim is great because one of the mechs picked up a container cargo ship and used it as a club to beat a giant monster. If the mechs are really big, it signals to the players that this sort of action is available to them: titanic struggles the size of mountains, stomping their way through concrete jungles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller mechs like those found in Titanfall are much more vulnerable and human. They’re excellent for telling more personal stories and usually allow players to build and maintain their own machines. In comparison, the bigger mechs of Pacific Rim necessitate large organizations like the military to produce and maintain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Fast Is It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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