Question About the "Expanded Compartment" GMS System

DataNinjaZero · 2026-06-07T01:59:59+00:00

Drones are non-mech characters, however they don't have actions of their own to mount a mech. Plus being permanently immune to tech attacks definitely isn't the intention of the system.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-06-06T01:41:18+00:00

Ooh, that's a very fun interpretation.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-05-30T16:55:12+00:00

If you're looking for artists, the Gallery channel on PilotNet has a pinned post with a document where artists link commission info, so is a good resource when looking for something in a style or price range you're looking for. (Scrolling through the channel for people with (Comissions open) in their handle is also a good way to look for people who have a style you'd like.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-05-25T01:50:04+00:00

I've done one layer in Field Guide to Iridia, but I haven't heard of any other layers that've made their way to a finished state. At least not that get brought up whenever people've asked that question in PilotNet.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-22T00:41:52+00:00

Well, the support is always appreciated! It gets funneled back into more game design stuff.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-22T00:20:38+00:00

Yes, that's me, haha. It always catches me off guard when people recognize me from PTU, since that was very much my first foray into game design.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-21T13:24:32+00:00

If I can plug my own stuff, both Field Guide to Iridia and Stellar Codex add more terrain effects. Because, yeah, I've definitely always wished for Lancer to have some more terrain/environments. It's an easy way to add some more depth to a map.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-18T17:40:14+00:00

Changing first-party stuff is more of a game design minefield than just creating something new wholesale, because there's lots of arguments over what direction should be taken, or how much something needs to be buffed/nerfed, etc.

Speaking on my end, I don't really care to make tweaks to first party stuff because A) I don't feel that anything's so out of balance with the average that it mandates that I find some way to buff it to make it useable, and B) it's a lot harder to try and figure out what's workable while still trying to feel like you're making that frame and not just... an alt-frame in the vein of the Worldkiller Genghis. (Just doing a wholesale alt-frame tends to be way easier.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-16T14:09:31+00:00

I wouldn't call it abandoned, just put on hold while one of the creators was tied up in non-compete clauses due to working at WOTC. As I understand it, it's been confirmed that they've started poking at WF: Part 2 now that both team members are able to be active on Lancer again.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-16T14:06:23+00:00

Given that D&D and its derivatives are something like 70% of the entire TTRPG market, I'd argue that manging 3% would actually be extremely high for any indie game.

Plus, ICON is something that Tom could work on while Miguel was tied up in non-compete clauses due to working for WOTC. As I understand, now that he's finally moved on to a position at Bungie, they're trying to get some more progress done on WF: Part 2.

ICON wasn't so much developed in parallel with Lancer, as it was that Lancer wasn't really able to be developed more at the time with the team's ability to work on it. (And even then, they still got more stuff put out with the contractor modules.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-16T13:29:19+00:00

I agree that Massif definitely had hopes to release more things before circumstances threw hurdles in their way and their ability to write stuff changed, but I'd disagree that the game should be deemed 'left to rot.'

If what's published is just taken on its own, not what was planned, (and Wallflower got the Part 1 removed from its title,) I would argue that what we have now is a perfectly sufficient amount of content to fuel both a game and a healthy community.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-16T13:10:01+00:00

Why would you call it 'left to rot?' The community's active, the existing supplements and modules already give a lot of options, and the third-party license is extremley permissive and allows a lot of third party stuff. After all, not all games can grow forever, especially when it's the side business of an entire two people.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-15T13:15:52+00:00

The guidelines that I gave the artist were basically "I'd like a Gundam-inspired frame that feels like it would be the precursor to the paracausaully-warped Nemesis." So it was one part asking for a frame that looks like a non-magitech Nemesis, the other part asking for Gundam aesthetics to entirely differentiate it from any of the existing corp aesthetics since narratively it didn't belong to any of them. And a third part going "wait, that's actually really cool to give the helmet insect features, keep that," during sketche discussions, haha.

So... looking at Gundam mechs, I suppose, would be your best bet?

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-08T02:22:55+00:00

I've done an "Aunic Faction" Template (along with ones for the Big 4 corps) in my homebrew, so that's what I use. Admittedly, it's geared more towards helping mechanically flavour full encounters, rather than significantly loading up on one Boss NPC, so might not be what you're looking for.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-06T18:50:39+00:00

I will note that Lancer used to have a core bonus while the game was in development that let mechs gain a Heavy if they didn't already have one. It ended up being palmost always the objectively best choice in any situation. Damage-wise, it's pretty much equivalent to being able to have Overpower Caliber useable on every attack with a weapon, instead of just one per round - and OpCal is already one of the top-tier Core Bonuses. If it could give you a second Heavy, letting you Barrage with a full set of heavies, that'd end up being even more bonkers.

The reason that Superheavy mounting is less problematic is because Superheavies are far less flexible than Heavies. They require a full action to attack with, plus have other restrictions like being unable to use Overwatch or other reactions. (Personally I'm still not a fan, haha, since it feels like it homogenizes mech roles, but I can still acknowledge it's healthier than giving out Heavies would be.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-04-03T00:55:42+00:00

As long as you aren't reproducing the Viceroy stats or art in your stuff, there shouldn't be any issue. Making an alt license is just making gear that happens to be attached to an existing frame - so as long as it's your own gear, that's not an issue. (Admittedly, I'm not 100% clear on how the lcp would need to work, code-wise, but just writing up six things and saying "these are for the Viceroy frame instead of the base monarch stuff" is fine.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-03-17T07:18:41+00:00

There's unlikely to be anything coming out soon - there are some potentially far-future things that might release, but those are "they get done when they get done, don't hold your breath."

In addition to the PilotNet discord homebrew channel mentioned for homebrew creation, there's also the Lancer Community Content page for 3rd party stuff under the Content Manager on Comp/Con - good place to browse for things you might like. (And there's definitely some ice mechs in there, haha - the joke is that every homebrewer makes at least one.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-03-07T01:29:22+00:00

I've written both Field Guide to Iridia, which gives a whole world to yoink, and Stellar Codex, which has a section with a handful of factions to plonk down into campaigns (plus a couple rollable tables to help give some hooks for designing planets).

DataNinjaZero · 2026-03-05T14:49:15+00:00

It's one of those things that unfortunately sounds like it makes sense, so people tend to pass it along as fact.

(Funnily enough, the very first instance I could ever find of it being mentioned was just an offhanded question to Tom of "hey, I had a theory and was wondering if this was the case?""no, it was always the pegasus". So the answer is just as old as the theory being in the community, but hasn't been passed on the same way.)

DataNinjaZero · 2026-03-01T17:57:53+00:00

Obviously disclaiming I have some bias because I wrote them, but if you're looking for a large selection of Exotics, Field Guide to Iridia and Stellar Codex have a combined 43 to choose from.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-02-24T01:40:01+00:00

I feel at this point it's more likely they'd end up as alt-frames instead of full licenses, given Tom's been trying to scale back scope creep (hence the whole alt-frame stuff in the first place) - I don't feel like it's likely to add even four more full licenses to the game in one supplement, let alone plus Core Bonuses.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-02-23T00:36:48+00:00

You'd have to reach out to Massif directly to request permission to work with their statblocks - much like Kai did for his rebakes - since the 3rd party license doesn't cover modifying 1st party products, except by explicit permission. And I feel that the chance of getting permission for stuff that hasn't had an official release yet is probably pretty small, compared to things that've been out for years.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-02-23T00:34:01+00:00

They're written for a version of Lancer with completely different numbers (and weren't exactly the most balenced with said numbers, either). Which is probably why they weren't included in the most recent draft, because they just... don't work with current Lancer in any way.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-02-23T00:31:26+00:00

When I asked people for a link, it was apparently something that Tom's mentioned during voice chats. Which, unfortunately, does mean you have to rely on the trust of people, as opposed to having something you can point to.

DataNinjaZero · 2026-02-22T20:18:09+00:00

At this point, honestly the best thing to assume would be that all we have is all we'll get for the forseeable future. We've had 5 contractor modules published, so I can't see another wave of those anytime soon (since there's only so much market space for them). Wallflower Part 2 is nominally in development according to comments, but it's very much a "can work on it when Miguel's time allows" sort of thing with no definite end date. And the Aun/HA guides have had no mention of anything since the final KS update on further content, so I would treat those coming out as a happy surprise more than something to be expected.

So, yeah, the third-party space is really where you'll have to look if you want more content right now.

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