[quote=@Double] I never said we should cut out the conflict. I said we should play a party that has reasons for hating BOTH sides. The conflict would still be there (where do you think all those shipwrecks and stuff came from) we just wouldn't be actively e taking part in it. The idea is for the hypothetical party to potentially be on the run from both sides. Not every Gundam protagonist has to be some living legend like Amuro, you gotta have your occasional Bernies too. [/quote] The thing is, that kind of setup is anathema to ambiguity, which is the theme that separates Gundam from shows like Macross. The very idea is that you're sometimes going to end up liking the antagonists and thinking the protagonists are bores or douchebags is critical to the show. I think that by creating a third party and using them as a main faction, that treats both canon factions like equal evils, goes against one of the things that's been a theme of Gundam for forty years. You may not like how much time the series spends on the horrors of war, but that's...pretty much the point. And it doesn't always need to be played for brooding, either. Gundam's had plenty of hot-blooded pilots over the course of forty years across a wealth of factions. You yourself said you would be interested in playing a Char Clone. One person I know who hasn't posted in this interest check yet wants to do the same. There's always going to be a wealth of people who play the villains - just like there are people who are going to defend the Federation, whether to bring the whole Earth Sphere to heel or to be your typical straight-laced animu hero. All being on one side limits character potential and stifles conflict by its very nature - sure, it won't be like we're all sitting around the burning wreckage of Big Zam roasting marshmallows and singing kumbaya, but it won't be like we're trying to kill each other, either. Letting players actually join a faction actually solves most of the problem with Gundams, too - then it becomes a question of tech progression and when a GM thinks a certain pilot is suited for a certain Gundam, and the suits become something you want to earn and lead your faction to victory with instead of a limited resource that players end up bickering and fighting over. There are plenty of non-UC series where antagonists have Gundams that are just as cool as anything the protags field (as much as I hate to say something positive about SEED, Providence Gundam and Justice Gundam are bae) so it's not like the GM would be making something up without precedent to be more fair to one side. tl;dr: I disagree with the idea of a third party we're all part of, and think that by having two clear-cut sides and letting players side where they may, you add conflict where it's needed (an actual war in a Gundam series) and remove it where it's not (squabbling over Gundams).