Cthulhutech, cloverfiend, cthulhu, japan, lovecraft, mecha, monster, robot, tech, top

Cthulhu + Mechas = CthulhuTech

You take a shambling horror from a Lovecraft story, pop a couple of shoulder cannons on it and a replace a few tentacles with laser beams, and you've got yourself a whole new kind of horror: CthulhuTech.

According to the CthulhuTech Web site:

CthulhuTech is an innovative storytelling game that started out as a combination of two popular genres. The first was that of cosmic horror, made popular by H. P. Lovecraft and culminating in the modern day with elements of Mike Mignola's Hellboy and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness. The second was that of giant mecha Japanese animation, made popular by such series as Robotech, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Rahxephon.

Personally, we can't think of many things scarier than a 500 foot tall monster sporting tech weapons. If it had another fearsome baddie to square off against, you could sell popcorn and front row seats for miles.

In fact, Paramount if you're still listening, just give the Cloverfield monster some sort of a blaster or missile pod in the sequel. Then we promise we won't complain. Check out Wildfire's CthuhuTech game on their site, where you can order everything you need to open dimensional portals and summon demonic forces. We didn't see any Shoggoths with armaments, but when you combine these two genres, you just know it's coming.

Cthulhu Tech

10:00 AM on Tue Feb 12 2008
By Kevin Kelly
3,910 views
31 comments

Comments

dancinbojangles at 10:27 AM on 02/12/08
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This is the most awesome thing that has ever and will ever be made.
Mathmos at 10:29 AM on 02/12/08
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The Great Old Ones are obviously benign. Foreseeing the destruction of humanity's habitat, they are pre-adapting the species for an aquatic existence, in Earth's oceans or those of a planet circling another star.
Plague at 10:37 AM on 02/12/08
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@dancinbojangles:
If by "awesome" you mean "so stupid it makes you want to punch a baby", I totally agree.
shudderstep at 10:43 AM on 02/12/08
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It's actually somewhat in line with Lovecraft's mythos. The Cthulhoids and the Great Old Ones were aliens, not gods, locked in a huge universal war. Their technology was so far beyond ours that it looked like hoary magicks to us primitive apes. Lovecraft was a materialistic atheist through and through, even Dreams of the Witch House is more about physics than psychics.

That said Nylarhotep with a rail gun is really appealing.
SnotFare at 10:49 AM on 02/12/08
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nyeh
Ed Grabianowski at 10:55 AM on 02/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 55

It's like I'm drowning in awesome.
Dr. Spaceman at 11:11 AM on 02/12/08
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Cuthulu and stealth bombers
[www.infinityplus.co.uk]
Miranda Kali at 11:11 AM on 02/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 150

Shoggoth with friken laser beams on their heads. Who Lovecrafts ya, baby!
Whitt at 11:19 AM on 02/12/08
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I saw this at a convention and actually blurted out the phrase 'That's the awesomest thing in the universe' while i handed over £30 for the thing. I'm not proud.

While I'm not 100% sure about the system mechanics, the background is pretty good and the art is great. Probably the only good book Mongoose have ever published.
Rev-E at 11:25 AM on 02/12/08
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A Colder War! Thanks Dr. Spaceman!
Ed Grabianowski at 11:26 AM on 02/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 55

@Miranda Kali: Nice.
braak at 11:30 AM on 02/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 990

@shudderstep: I think that's part of what makes the idea so weird. Why does Nyarlathotep need a railgun when he can rend space and time with his mind?

Putting lasers on the Great Old Ones actually seems like a kind of a step down.
Klebert L. Hall at 11:38 AM on 02/12/08
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@Plague:
You mean everybody else doesn't always want to punch babies?
-Kle.
geekgrrl at 11:46 AM on 02/12/08
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...pop a couple of shoulder cannons on it...

you mean like revenants from doom? cept maybe a little taller?
Plague at 12:01 PM on 02/12/08
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@braak:
More than a few steps down. You can practically HEAR Cthulhu sayin' "lazers? Cannons? I don't NEED NO STINKIN' CANNONS!"

@Klebert:

Oh. I thought that was just a particular urge of mine.
Sleepyhead at 12:14 PM on 02/12/08
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Awesome sauce. Me buy now.
tetracycloide at 12:16 PM on 02/12/08
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@Plague: don't punch babies it bruises all the tasty meat
Jeff-Minor at 12:21 PM on 02/12/08
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For Gods' sake, this thing is an Old One, and Elder Being, a God by any other name. It does not have or need a gun. It can kill you with a thought!
Crunchy at 01:11 PM on 02/12/08
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My best friend is a Cthulhu and as for the tech stuff, he says its fashion trend some are trying out, although the tech stuff makes for great party favors... Ba Bang!!!
DrAllosaurus at 02:18 PM on 02/12/08
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One wonders if the people who come up with this kind of clunky idea have actually read any Lovecraft. The fundamental nature of Cthulhu and his ilk was that they existed within dimensional complexities beyond what would could be comprehennded by beings, such as ourselves, who are limited to 4space. "At the Mountains of Madness" is all about what happens when beings in our universe face and try to harness what exists "beyond". Our tools and technologies don't mean a rat's ass in such situations.
kaosdevice at 02:37 PM on 02/12/08
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I've looked at it and thought the production values were pretty top notch. I've heard there were some binding issues with earlier print runs but I assume this has been fixed. Not being an anime fan the setting doesn't do much for me, add the high price tag and I don't see myself buying this any time soon.
Hekkashesh at 03:26 PM on 02/12/08
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I have to agree with JEFF-MINOR. The notion of Nyarlathotep with a rail gun is about as silly as Yog-Sothoth with a Blackberry...I mean, he's the All-in-One...past, present and future. He doesn't NEED to text-message...just fry your brain with madness...
Hekkashesh at 03:37 PM on 02/12/08
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Although....hmmm...maybe a GPS....?
Eac_o_System at 04:21 PM on 02/12/08
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Mechacthulu... Terror of Mechacthulu... Cthulu Raids Again...
Amstrad at 06:58 PM on 02/12/08
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40k Nurgle anyone?
[allanc.art.free.fr]
radio1 at 07:20 PM on 02/12/08
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This at first sounds awesome. But then it does not ring true. I mean I really really like the idea but this only works when fight against the Deep Ones and their followers.

Because as soon as a multi/hyper-dimensional portal opens, it ain't going to mean shit going against the Ones older than time...

It could work as some very, very weak cast-off from their dimension maybe...
tetracycloide at 08:43 PM on 02/12/08
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why can't the great old ones keep giant weapons around to play with even if they aren't particularly combat effective from a practical standpoint? i could picture cthulhu using one like we'd use an M-80 on plastic army men, except in this case the plastic army men are actual people.
fant0mas at 09:31 PM on 02/12/08
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I don't believe there are actually any Great Old Ones or Outer Gods with high tech in the game. Cultists worshipping said Old Ones & Outer Gods, Yes. The Mi-Go yes.
beelzebuddha at 05:02 AM on 02/13/08
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@Plague: LOL! Kinda of like sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads. I didn't realize Dr. Evil was a shoggoth.
Oasx at 05:31 AM on 02/13/08
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The game is basicly Humans vs Migou vs Cultists/Deep ones. If any of the Old Ones actually joined the battle it would be over pretty soon. I would reccomend checking out the forums since it will give a better idea of what the game is like, it is really one of the best looking rpg's i have ever looked at.
Ghede at 07:53 AM on 02/13/08
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Three words that will instantly deflate any love I have for this.

Ben 10, Vilgax.