The Salvage Union RPG Is The Mech RPG I've Always Wanted

You can pick up Salvage Union here: leyline.press/products/salvag...
Check out the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition products I have published on DriveThruRPG!
Copper Best-Selling Keeper Reflections: Call of Cthulhu Campaigning: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
Silver Best-Selling Test Subjects, a scenario: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
The Lair of Lo’thysss, a standalone sandbox, or addition to Test Subjects: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
You can get them for even less if you bundle them together: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
Follow RPG Imaginings on BluSky: bsky.app/profile/rpgimagining...
Want to support content like this? Become a Patron! / rpgimaginings
Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free...

[@leylinepress]

Thankyou for this excellent review! Salvage Union is the Mech RPG we always wanted too, and we've been delighted to bring it into the world and share it with the community.

[@markgrehan3726]

Damn that looks to be a pretty awesome product, the art sets the mood well and it looks really well thought out production wise.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

Kaiju, I think is the word you were looking for, in reference to giant monsters.
I've never been a big mech-based Sci-Fi fan, but this one has piqued my interest. I especially like that they're more human scaled, as opposed to Voltron, Battletech, or Neon Genesis. Heavy Gear was a game from the 90s that had a very different vibe to this, but also featured more human-sized mechs, which work better for me. This reminds me a bit of Ian McQue's art, and of Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines novels. I get the sense that it would be about building community and such, which I dig. And rules light, which I dig. So many mech games I've seen like to get bogged down in crunch.
Quest was a game I wanted to pick up, but it was the wrong mix of difficult to acquire and expensive.

[@RPGImaginings]

That's it! Kaiju.

[@gowankommando]

17:20 "Socrates Johnson" 😂 Great Bill and Ted reference!

[@donnaldjohnson659]

We are not here to have fun, we are here to play a game.

[@Satyxes]

I have been looking at Salvage Union (and Lancer) as well these past few weeks as my 2-player group is chomping at the bit for a mech game.
However, I cannot shake the feeling this one suffers from a "your character doesn't matter what so ever" problem by ruling everything by a d20 roll and unless you have character special abilities (with limited uses) that's it. No skills, no real base level differentiation present.
My gut is telling me to splice Traveller (my all time favourite game) into this to resolve that as best as possible.

[@Nicsopana]

The book is only printed in Lithuania. Like many other rpg books. Leyland Press is UK based.

[@voltage2773]

Inspiration from Star Wars. That first art picture in the book was flat out an AT-AT with a boat on its back., 😂

[@Mankcam]

Yep I think the Mecha here may be leaning more towards Star Wars Walkers than it is to Anime Robot Suits

[@gwenmcgarry528]

are there any modifiers for dice rolls or is it entirely random? Like if my character has quick reaction speed can I get a bonus to initiative rolls, or am I beholden to the die itself for all these actions/events

[@Mankcam]

I think that's where your chosen Abilities come in handy

[@TwinSteel]

Kaiju

[@bruced648]

thanks for a glimpse of this game. the art is fantastic. however, the game world is bland and limited. not very impressed with the mecha game mechanics. very vague. character types are A-typical to many sci-fi of similar genre.
I'm sure that as the game developers add content, the setting will improve.
as there are already a dozen plus mecha RPGs that have been published over the past 45 years and were well made. only a few have withstood the test of time.
I'll pass on this version as it is too vague for my taste in RPGs.

[@RPGImaginings]

Thanks for expressing your opinion. How about naming those other dozen Mecha games so we can understand what's better!

[@bruced648]

aside from the battletech titles of Mechwarrior rpg, a time of war rpg and Destiny rpg.
Robotech rpg
rifts rpg
mekton
mekton Ii
heavy gear
cav strike
BESM
metal gear solid
Titan legions (rogue trader)
gamma world
star frontiers
I'm sure there are more that I'm not remembering at this time. but the genre has been well covered over the past 40 years. granted, some of these are not as good as the game you reviewed. but it gives a comparison to make an assessment.
my top 3 of these:
Mechwarrior 2nd ed rpg
BESM
Robotech rpg

[@RPGImaginings]

@@bruced648 Great list. The only one we may agree on is Mechwarrior 2E. But I would also never spend time playing MW 2E. And that is my point. You and I have big differences in what we like in Mech RPGs. You want way more fluff (and I'm guessing probably more crunch) than this game provides. Part of the reason why I dislike (and despise) some of the games you listed is because of the overwhelming backstory and the crunch. I LIKE vague. It is more room for imagination. But hey, it is ok to disagree. MANY ttrpg gamers prefer rules-light variants within genres. And that is ok. Salvage Union provides a nice entry point for people to tell the kinds of stories they want to, with a level of gameplay that they prefer as well.

[@bruced648]

@RPGImaginings like anything, I can agree to disagree. just as you have your preference and I have mine, that doesn't make either of us right or wrong.
this game may evolve into something absolutely fantastic. for your gaming, I hope this gives you the joy you are seeking.
part of my preference is the game mechanics. the genre matters, but if I don't like the resolution process, then I lose interest.
good luck!

[@lucianite0]

I noticed you pronounced scenario wrong, nerd.

[@Mankcam]

😂

[@cerebralparasite9238]

The art is terrible.

[@manofredearth]

The art is fantastic.

[@gowankommando]

Art is subjective