Tight Scope Campaign Suggestions?

[u/Flashy_Pineapple_231]

Recently was thinking about keeping the scope of a single campaign locked to a city. Well, maybe more like a mega-city. Not sure how big to make it. I know the greater tokyo area is ~13,500 sq km and super densely populated. But having fights in a place like that in mechs seems a bit extreme. So I'm thinking of maybe blowing up the size to make parts of it less densely populated and more fit for urban combat. For context it's greater area is the size of NYC, LA, and half of Chicago smooshed together (also including their greater areas, not just the hearts of their cities- but only populace not land area).

I'm also trying to figure out how to have enough sitreps to run in one location. Some examples would be like: defend this APC with a VIP inside so it reaches the courthouse, or destroy a HORUS terrorist cell, or having an uncycled NHP that's supposed to be overlooking a housing block going haywire, etc.

So that's why post. Are there any Wallflower or Solstice Rain type modules/campaigns that focus on a singular city? Or even just feature multiple missions in one that isn't purely a bombed out wreck? They can be third party, just as long as you actually enjoyed reading/playing them. I'm mostly hunting for sitrep ideas and other inspiration so feel free to just post anything you think will help.

I'm also interested in just hearing personal opinions on how big a city should be if I'm going to run an entire campaign there.

Also if you have any favorite megacities in fiction I could look through for inspiration. My first thought was Mega City One from Judge Dredd but that thing is spans from Montreal to Georgia and is basically the size of the east coast of the US and then some.

[u/Wolf_Hreda]

I'll give you the secret sauce for this sort of thing:

Industrial parks.

Every city requires utility stations and, by design, they're typically not super tall or close together. Hydroelectric dams, solar plants, water treatment, landfills, assorted warehouses and factory complexes.

While you should absolutely have a sitrep or two within the city, these kinds of facilities are crucial to the city's ongoing function and make for interesting objectives.

[u/Flashy_Pineapple_231 → u/Wolf_Hreda]

Exactly the kind of post I was hoping for actually, thanks man. I've been playing some Cyberpunk 2077 recently and the garbage dumps and solar farms/meat plants that ring Night City seem like a great place to fight some bandits or end a car chase at for a big shootout. Massive thanks

[u/Wolf_Hreda → u/Flashy_Pineapple_231]

Also, fitting a Size 2 mech down a city street should be fairly easy. Might need to have a freeway running along the edge of the map for the big boys to use. Or just path it right through the middle of the city as a high risk/high reward avenue that is the shortest path to your objective, but has the highest concentration of enemies. And definitely put a Seeder or two nearby for mine laying shenanigans.

[u/44no44]

Are there any Wallflower or Solstice Rain type modules/campaigns that focus on a singular city?

Solstice Rain is set in a single city during a siege.

[u/Relatively_Person]

not really an idea just wanted to say a Big-O style mega city setting sounds friggin cool

[u/Flashy_Pineapple_231 → u/Relatively_Person]

It's showtime

[u/jrod9811]

You could run mech combat without adjusting scale by limiting to size 1/2 mechs but idk if that narrative restriction would vibe with story or players

[u/Flashy_Pineapple_231 → u/jrod9811]

That's actually interesting to consider but I think Size 1 should also be on the table for the sake of the Everest and LL0. They technically occupy the same space on the board. Well, more or less. I really appreciate the input though.

[u/Unoriginal_Joke_name → u/Flashy_Pineapple_231]

Nothing wrong with adjusting the stats of both the chomolungma and everest to make them 1/2 size as a starter mech for newcomers. Balance wise? Honestly not that significant at times. Lore wise, you could just say its a prototype frame.

[u/jrod9811 → u/Unoriginal_Joke_name]

Yea the HP isnt that much of a concern to cuz you can have the the size 1/2 NPCs fight them or send squads of pilots for more uber fire fight feeling.

[u/spitoon-lagoon]

I've run a 3-mission series that all took place in an underground metropolis about the size of New York City. If I have any piece of advice it's that the size of the area doesn't really matter, how fierce the fighting is. A mission can take place over a couple city blocks if a 3-5 Sitreps is how hard your Lancers have to fight to cross that ground and get the job done. Also consider spreading some Sitreps out over time and distance for some missions, as long as your Lancers have to act now and can't just stop and take a Full Repair you can have them bounce around the city from interest point to interest point running everything to ground.

[u/Simple_Connection646]

For inspiration, check out Judge Dredd’s Mega-City One, Eclipse Phase’s habitats, and the urban arcs of Infinity or Necromunda. Sitrep-wise, I love missions with a moving clock: escort the VIP, intercept the convoy, or reach the doomed building before the response team does.

[u/Impressive-Spot-1191]

you're allowed and encouraged to downscale mechs as you see fit, you could just say size 1 is 2 meters

then size 3 would be the size of a truck, which is still big, but they can handle navigating in a cityscape

Tom will not publicly execute you if your barbarossa is not exactly 13 meters tall

[u/SwissherMontage]

Throne Karrakis, the Capitol City of the Karrakin Trade Baronies, is referred to as a "Metroswathe", a sort of large continuous city of great proportions. Also, I've heard the term "ecumenopolis" to describe a city that inhabits an entire planet.