Chronic Mechatonic!

Mechatonic has returned!  Malcolm just put up the first post today that the blog has seen in almost three years.  Mechatonic is one of the major reasons I started this blog.  It does my heart good to see it back in the game.  Now if I could just get off my butt and post some of the things I’ve had in the works for months and just can’t seem to finish.

The List!

When I started this blog, one of the things that people said kept them from getting into the game, was their own inability to come up with cool looking Lego mechs.  I then created this list as a service to the community.  I did not intend to offend anyone by creating and maintaining this list.

Last month I found two comments posted to my blog, one to the first post announcing the list, and the second to the list itself.  Both were from the same person who was offended that none of his work had yet made it onto my blog, and more importantly onto the “List.”

I have my blog set so that all comments must be approved by myself or they remain invisible.  I felt I did not need that kind of drama on my blog, so I left the comments “unapproved,” but the fact that they had been posted at all has tickled at the back of my consciousness for over a month now, and I feel the need to say something.

I created this blog as a resource and aid to making cool looking mechs for Mechaton and Mobile Frame Zero, so I can understand that many of my visitors are just here to look at the pretty pictures, and not to read the pathetic drivel that I eek out on my keyboard.  The problem starts when someone gets offended by what I am doing because they did NOT read the pathetic drivel posted at the end of the list.

I came up with a set of rules to guide me in the creation of, and maintenance of the list.  I did not want to fall into the trap of adding every cool frame I found on the net.  Nor did I want to fall into the trap of adding all of my own creations to the list, in a grand “tooting my own horn” party.

The rules basically divide the frames on the list into two categories, and I will call them “Canon,” and “Community.”

The Canon mechs are on the list by having been in some way connected to one of the games creator/publishers, or having been in an official game related document.

The Community mechs are those that have been adopted by a portion of the MFZ community other than the person who created them.

In the past I often posted about cool stuff I found on the net, and then went on to copy it for my own use.  I would then think “wow this is really cool, I should add it to the list.”  I decided to add to the set of rules one that has just been in my head, and that is that “I” am not the community, just a part of it, and in order to add a frame to the list someone other than myself had to copy it and post it online.

So what I am trying to say with all of this is that the list is not for the most amazing or prettiest MFZ mechs in history, but for the “official” mechs and the frames that have been adopted by the community.

The Flickr MFZ group has seen an incredible amount of activity over the last several months, so much that I have decided I can’t post about everything that I think is cool.  I do however post comments on Flikr about some of them.

With all of this having been said, I realize that I have been lax in maintaining the list, and two jump readily to mind, although there may be more.  If you find any frame that fits the rules, that I have not added, please let me know, there is so much activity on the Flikr group I am sure I have missed something.

The first Frame being added is the GAU-29 ‘Battle Toad’ Assault Frame, by Karoline Dianne.

It was copied by Grass4hopper who made an aquatic version.

I then jumped on the band wagon and posted the copy I had made weeks earlier.

The second frame I am adding to the list today is the Hobbes by thomastamblyn.

Von Rublenstein Reserch has created several versions.

myersac14 created a very faithfull version in dark red.

Mini Digger.

This is a small set for $5.99 that looks great on a “seven plate scale” table straight out of the box.  The set is called Mini Digger.  Makes a great station, or just cover, both ways it adds some flavor.

Cheap Dice!

If you are planning to demo Mobile Frame Zero, and would like to have several tables going at once, you might consider this.  I found these at one of the local Dollar Tree stores and quickly bought more than I should have, but I could not resist.  All the colors we need are there, including a black die in case you want to try out the “stealth” home brew rules.  The whole pack of ten dice is just a dollar, so the price is right for dice that might come up missing at some demo or tournament game.  Yes they are cheaply made, but for that price who cares?

Crimson Commandos, Part Ten. The Scarlet Toad.

I built this a while ago but have not had the time to post anything.  Life has been crazy.  The “Battle Toad” is a frame that was created by Karoline Dianne, and is quite versatile.  I have made a few changes (as I always do) but it is a toad at heart.  Now the fluff.  The GAU-29.5-FM is a “high mobility” version of the standard Toad.  It has been dubbed the “Frogger” by many pilots for its ability to move in and out of combat “traffic.”

Go get the rules!

The first draft of the new rule set is available for download here.  Go get it, and then post your battle reports over on the Mobile Frame Hangar Forums.

The Mobile Frame Zero Home Page.

The Mobile Frame Zero home page is fast becoming the central hub of the MFZ community.  If you need a link to another part of the MFZ community that will be the place to find it.

I have added both a text link, and an icon link on the right side of the page.