MAKKINA - City of Machines [BxG] Dating sim of Mechas

[zankizuna]

So I've been drawing a lot of mechas/robots in my pad... and I've also been practicing Ren'py.
so I thought... since It's so tiresome to draw people, thinking of more new unique faces...
I thought to make a novel WITHOUT people! just Mechas!
or rather, the Mechas are the people!
I was thinking maybe the protagonist used to be human, but woke up one day as a robot.
suddenly everybody is mecha. and Humans are but a myth.
This could be a mystery!

SO WHY NOT!
DATING SIM OF MECHAS!
THERE'S A DATING VN ABOUT BIRDS!
WHY NOT MECHAS?
SOMEONE TELL ME IT'S UNIQUE!

Some questions that can raise a plot are:

Where are the people?
What will happen then?
When does the story happen? Is it post apocalyptic?
How exactly do robots date?
Wow, everybody is AI. How does love happen?
Will there be battle/battle gameplay? (coz I can handle making screens for that, maybe a strategy game?)
What would be a great title?

Some limitations are:
Not everybody loves mecha
Limited face emotions, depending on the mecha... (lightens the load for the artist, though)
No boobs, just metal. Therefore no ecchi. (unless you guys fetish on sexy robots! eughh)
No sex (but that's ok. we're here for coolness)

I plan to work on this idea once I finally finish my thesis. (about next next month)
If anybody wants to help, feel free!
If I end up not thinking of a story, I can just upload sprites (in Creative Commons) for free , or with credit, just...
I want to see a novel like this. A novel with just mechas...

Update:
Title: MAKKINA
Plot

In the Distant Future, there existed a city of machines, called Makkina City.
In that city, lived no humans, and nobody knew what humans are/were.
The machines that lived in the city were intelligent, and were able to regulate the city to stable condition.
Every year, a new machine descends to the city from the orbital elevator, situated beside Makkina city.
The orbital elevator was unable to take anything back to space, so it only transported machines to the earth. It also supplied the city with great, virtually unlimited amounts of solar energy.
The machines of Makkina city have long expected for that certain time of the year, for the last machine to descend.
So it has descended.
The last machine from the elevator, the "Z" or "Zeta unit".
They expected the Zeta unit to be the most advanced unit, due to its date of release...
But it appeared to be the least advanced, and there seemed to be nothing special about it...
except that...
They didn't know...
The Zeta unit has the mind of a human, complete with memories, the brain of an allegedly extinct and forgotten species!
It is now Zeta's mission to rediscover humanity to the rest of Makkina city, and uncover all the mysteries, while of course, befriending all the cutting-edge machines with special purposes and abilities, and potentially loving them.

Aaaand the player will play as Zeta (probably just male for now.)
so... BxG!

[SundownKid]

No boobs, just metal. Therefore no ecchi. (unless you guys fetish on sexy robots! eughh)

Ahh, the innocence. Thinking that metal boobs will somehow put people off. I dont think you realize just how large that target audience is.

In any case, people would definitely buy a robot dating sim, but you've somehow gone and chosen the most difficult idea to market. Much of the appeal in a dating sim is in the looks of the characters and it looks like everyone is wearing a suit of power armor. Stick in a fembot or a hot dude-bot and people will eat it up like candy.

But if it's just supposed to be a gag, then I don't see why it couldn't work. I mean, Red vs. Blue was a series that ran for ages and literally everyone there was wearing the same suit of armor.

The idea definitely isn't unique though. I mean, one of the first anime series I ever watched was ZOE: Dolores, about a killer mecha who thinks she is a person. The idea of mechs having minds of their own has been done before.

[Anyubel]

Yaasss we need some mecha lovin' out there!!!
On a serious note, I've played a bunch of video games with mechs incorporated and would love to see a dating sim with this. I know there're a few mech dating sims out there, usually (probably always) starring women as humans. I think my first dating sim was Sakura Wars on the Wii, but the cast involves people who operate mechs instead.

What I'd totally love to see are mecha guys, whether its full AI or human. Speaking of which, I haven't come across any otome games with mecha guys, but maybe I haven't searched hard enough.

[zankizuna]

Thanks for the positive feedback, friends!
@SundownKid ZOE: Dolores, i looks really cool! never seen it til today :O
well at least in this novel there are totally no humans
I'm studying how to implement mechanical muscles in my newer drawings of mechas
I don't think I'm gonna be using nanotech designs or organic-looking machine forms, though...
not really a fan of that kind of stuff. I'm thinking about the mechas to range to about 7-8 feet tall only
not as big as gundams, but they would probably look alike

Here are some sketches I made in my free time

[dueceladouce]

I'm getting some PSO vibes from these sketches and I love it. I feel like even if it isn't just a gag, it could still work though the audience would be more limited to hose who just like sick robots. Heck, even if it isn't an original idea, mixing in some ai existentialism would add that much more to the already pretty unique sounding experience. Either way, the world needs more mecha, even if only mecha remained, it still would not be enough.

[SundownKid]

Ok, I admit that with those extra designs the idea behind it looks more solid. Very solid actually, it definitely would work as a non gag, serious game. Although an 7 foot tall mech isn't actually a mech, it's either an android or power armor (if someone can get inside). Not that that's a bad thing. It makes it easier to explore the world when you're not stepping on everything.

Making them rideable mechs power armor would certainly make it.. interesting. Plot twist... you find a human and they decide to control you against your will! Bigger plot twist... your love interest was being piloted by someone! Ok.. maybe a little too drastic.

[zankizuna]

I guess we can call them androids.

your love interest was being piloted by someone! Ok.. maybe a little too drastic.

Actually, I was thinking of a plot twist like...
Humans still exist, and they're the robots, they control the robots from some hidden facility while in deep sleep (Just like in The Matrix)
Then maybe at the end of the novel (best ending) you will see the human that had been controlling the robot you loved...
Then you'll see your (protagonist's) human body, and disconnect from the robot you've been using

I didn't originally plan to make them a suit of armor...
Maybe to confirm that no human is inside, they would detach an arm or something.
That could be quite the plot twist though...
An AI suit of armor hasn't realized they had a person inside,
til the protag told them to detach a part lol

I'm getting some PSO vibes from these sketches and I love it.

I wish I could draw mechas/androids/robots as awesome as the CASTs
And yes, THe World Needs More Mecha!


Also, I'm thinking of a gameplay for battle!
maybe a card game the cards are the skills your robot can use then...idk.. hahahaha

[Dark Sentinel]

This looks promising.
To make things even worse--- I mean, better, you could ask for some community-created designs, add a built-in encyclopedia, make sure the mechs - or androids, or battledrones, whatever you call them - have distinct designations, differing on the manufacturer and developer country, not just personal names.
Personal names can be dropped as well, though. Like, who cares? On the other hand, they can be more than names - awesome, honorable, glorious tactical designations!
And absolutely different roles and personalities of course. Like, so that you have just anything, for any of deviant tastes, from plain insane Jäger to impregnable Assault.

Card game - or any kind of tactical game can be used for making the enemy join your AI harem--- I mean, party, to get more of them for saving the world. Or well, wherever the storyline leads you.

[zankizuna]

Oh right. Could be just simple RPG gameplay. PARTY.
Great Idea.
I'd love the samurai Mech on the team. He's be some kind of general of a mecha army or something.
IDEAAA! I just thought maybe there should be a Kingdom! King, Queen, Prince That stuff! so there will be Royal Machines!

I like the sound of international robots, from different nations gonna be awesome!

[dueceladouce]

On top of the differing manufacturers, they could be differentiated by how recent the model is, too. All the outdated ones could be the "lower-class citizens" living in a robo-ghetto junkyard like in iRobot. Going with the kingdom idea, it would be an interesting dynamic depending on the state of the rest of the world, but might be a bit weird in a medieval setting.

[KittyKatStar]

I'm just jumping in to say YES to this idea x1000 times.

I want to date some MECHAS.

[Zelan]

I have to say I've never considered a mecha dating sim before, but I am now realizing that I need this in my life. Your designs are so cool. owo

How would gender work with robots? Are they built and/or programmed to be certain genders? Do they choose their genders after a while? And I guess the same question could also be applied to sexuality.

[zankizuna]

Yay thanks for all of your support and suggestions! You guys sure are getting what I'm trying to make here. Definitely adding those differentiations among mechas. The gender is decided upon creation of the machine, and... I don't want transgenders to happen. Speaking of which, what should this be? Otome , or otoko? Or both?

[zankizuna]

I also like the idea of Sentinel :
To allow the community to make some designs too. So we can have a diverse style here
Just.. I dunno about fembots hahaha the way they look in other images don't attract me.

[dueceladouce]

Question: is the Mc a mech too or an estranged, somewhat lonely mechanic?
"I'm here for my tune-up."
Oh... oh boy