Several months ago, Big Kev at Palladium mentioned exploring the option of coming out with Robotech minis. This was met with both cheers and jeers.

Now, in the latest Palladium weekly update, he mentions a "Robotech Tactical Role-Playing game."

"UPDATE: Robotech® Tactical Role-Playing Game
I spent two complete days and had several conversations with my attorney to hammer out a work agreement with the amazing team who will be working with Palladium to make the best darn Robotech® game pieces we can. We want to produce a product that will make Robotech® fans swoon (or at least grin with delight)."

Is Palladium seriously going to make a tactical game? A brand new game system???

I'm just excited about the minis, personally. But a Robotech tactical game could be awesome.

A Western mecha game that properly portrays real robots? One can dream.

so basically Robotech version of 4e?

Quote from: Sacrosanct;594561so basically Robotech version of 4e?

Honestly, that sounds pretty awesome.

Yeah, I'm still not sure what Palladium's dog is, in the new tactical game.
They've quite clearly said that another company is doing the mini's and the rules, but Kevin is also saying he's in constant talks with HG over the new game.



(oh, and while I doubt they'll be ringing GW bell any, as a RT fan, I'm looking forward to the game all the same. Just as long as it isn't "collectible" (random mini's in each box))

A land based game would be pretty simple to design. It's when you throw in aircraft and spacecraft that things will get complicated. Especially when the goal of "fun" is lost to the goal of "realism."

So I'm kinda hoping it's more Savage Worlds and less Jovian Chronicles.

I'll be happy if they just put out minis and don't make a game to back them. Mostly because i would use them for my own Macross game.

Although the Rifts minis were a failure in the 90s, minis weren't as popular back then as they are now. So I hope Palladium gets something out of this. And if they DO put out a tactical game and it's a hit, then maybe Kevin may shift his focus towards outsourcing more (and start writing PFRPG books again).

I'd be all over this for the minis alone.

I've been hacking on Macross/Robotech conversions for a few years now with a bunch of different systems:

http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/search/label/mecha%20dev
http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/search/label/mecha

The price of getting a collection of minis/toys together from Japan has prevented me from even trying.

Heroequest isn't a boardgame from the early 90's, I take it.

Cause I loved that game. Maybe that was Heroe's Quest. I dunno. enough with the tangent.

I've tried building my own system off of Palladium's for robotech, I've tried building a game setting for Macross off of Jovian Chronicles/Heavy Gear, Silcore, Twilight 2000 2nd edition...

I'm done with trying to build my own system since it is unlikely I'll ever even get to play it.

I can write setting material like a unicorn jizzes rainbows. I just need a simple game system that my players will enjoy and not take forever to learn. and one where I don't have to spend 2 years writing conversions.

I wonder if Palladium will outsource to DP9? They already did once with the Macross II deckplans series of books, so a relationship is there. And DP9 already has established tactical game rules.

Quote from: Eisenmann;594755I'd be all over this for the minis alone.

I've been hacking on Macross/Robotech conversions for a few years now with a bunch of different systems:

http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/search/label/mecha%20dev
http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/search/label/mecha

The price of getting a collection of minis/toys together from Japan has prevented me from even trying.

by the way, I am now following your blog on Blogger. I like watching other people work out things because it helps me work on my own ideas. I'm not familiar with the game systems you're using, but it's still cool.

Quote from: everloss;594771by the way, I am now following your blog on Blogger. I like watching other people work out things because it helps me work on my own ideas. I'm not familiar with the game systems you're using, but it's still cool.

Thanks! We've been down similar roads - playing Palladium's Robotech and hacking other systems.

HeroQuest 2.0 that I mention on my blog will do any setting or genre. The game comes at it from the angle of stories and characters. Specific character abilities get tested according to the needs of the story at the time. On top of the basics, there are other bits of the game to help the GM build tension to a finale where everything is on the line. It has stood out for us as the best system so far for creating the Robotech/Macross experience at the table. Not only does it do clouds of missiles and transforming your Valkyrie on the fly to take advantage of the situation but we've seen character arcs develop that fit the source material to an amazing degree. We've even had our Roy Fokker moment.

As far as working with the system goes, it's cake. You don't have to stat out a Battle Pod if you don't want to. Treat them as resistance in the scene. I only ever stat up important NPCs which typically only takes a few minutes. If the NPC is from the series I'll pull a few quotes and make those game abilities.

As a player, learning the mechanics of the game is pretty easy. I've used the system itself to introduce gaming to non-gamers.

I keep thinking that I should just settle on HQ2 and refine what I have but the quest of the hack keeps me looking.

As far as Palladium outsourcing to DP9 goes, that could be a good thing. Blitz is making a strong showing at my FLGS so hopefully that's an indication that there's enough vigor in the podders to make some great Robotech minis.

Quote from: vytzka;594559A Western mecha game that properly portrays real robots? One can dream.

You didn't just imply that Anime "properly portrays real robots" did you? :eek:

Quote from: CRKrueger;595016You didn't just imply that Anime "properly portrays real robots" did you? :eek:

I was thinking the same thing, since the only game I know of that tries to be "realistic" about robots IS a western game. Nevermind that realistic robots doesn't make sense at all.

I don't know.  It looks like someone is trying to make them real

Quote from: CRKrueger;595016You didn't just imply that Anime "properly portrays real robots" did you? :eek:

Apologies! Careless use of jargon there on my part.



"Real robot" is the moniker used to describe, roughly, properties including mecha that are roughly science based and use a lot of other military tropes as well as being relatively gritty (best examples are Gundam and Macross here).

The term was required to make a distinction from "Super robots" such as Mazinger Z or Voltron that rarely even pretend to acknowledge laws of physics, are frequently courage or religion powered and use outlandish weaponry like eye beams, rocket punches and their chest logos that turn into swords.

When Super Robot Wars, a Japanese crossover turn based strategy series that pits licensed mecha anime series against one another, developed, they created the distinction and made it easiest to see in the ways they defend themselves in combat - super robots absorb damage using their heavy armor, and real robots prefer to dodge or shoot down enemy projectiles because they can't really take a hit. So "real robot" is also sometimes loosely used (like by me carelessly above) to mean "robots that are built to avoid enemy attacks due to their inherent sci-fi squishiness as their primary mode of defense".

Since original distinction was made between series made way back in the 70s (Mazinger Z, Getter Robo and Mobile Suit Gundam), others came to gradually blur the line. Military super robot shows like Dancougar have a lot of setting elements of real robot genre, while some Gundam series really played up the invulnerability of ace custom suits almost elevating them to Super Robot levels. And there's weird shit like Evangelion or Escaflowne.

Most stand-and-pound Western robots like Warhammer 40,000 Titans or Battletech don't really fit into either paradigm, which isn't a criticism of them by any means, merely outlining the differences in portrayal (even though I'm not gonna lie, I think Battletech is ugly and Gundams are beautiful. By design.).

This is a topic I am very interested in and can talk for hours, but I think this will be enough ^_^

Quote from: everloss;595068I was thinking the same thing, since the only game I know of that tries to be "realistic" about robots IS a western game. Nevermind that realistic robots doesn't make sense at all.

I dunno, Armored Core seems pretty realistic (unless you're only talking about board/RPGs and how many Japanese games has anyone of us actually played in that case?). Original Mobile Suit Gundam series were also some of the hardest sci-fi in mecha properties, before they cranked up the space magic.

I was referring to RPGs - specifically Heavy Gear/Jovian Chronicles.

But I also misread your meaning about Real Robots (as opposed to "Super" Robots)

I get it now.