I think TMNT retailed for 12.95 on the cover, I'd have to get my copy out. I grew up Palladium, and while I couldn't tell you jack about Kevin Siembieda or Erick Wujick-and to be honest I could care less if I ever met the cats-but I can say that I always enjoyed Palladium's games. They're weren't complex, or always pretty-but they were fun for us, and I have found memories of playing Ninjas&Superspies, TMNT, Robotech and Recon.

I guess what I'm getting at is that most of the "industry" has changed the way they do things.  Making money is a great thing, but too many companies have gotten a bit to greedy for the $$ to the point where it effects their products.  Incomplete rule books just so supplements can be made, periodic revisions so everything has to be repurchased, books full of fluff so they can pad them out enough to sell more, and books rushed to the press just to have something new to sell.

I'm sure Palladium is just as concerned with staying in business and making money as anyone...but they haven't particularly let it change the way they operate.  They still put out affordable books at a fairly regular, if sparse, pace.  They keep almost everything in print, and, as a result it never really gets "outdated", and they rarely make revisions or new editions.

Now imagine for a moment that every game company still did this.  Think about how different things would be.  Honestly, I think our hobby would be a lot more fun and fresh.  It would have a totally different overall feel.

Quote from: grubmanI'm sure Palladium is just as concerned with staying in business and making money as anyone...but they haven't particularly let it change the way they operate.

I definately agree with this.  The problem, of course, is that Palladium doesn't change the way they operate to include good changes, either.

But otherwise, yeah.  When Palladium puts out an incomplete book, it's not because they want to make more money.  It's because Kevin's organizational/logic skills are less than spectacular and he either a) doesn't get why people would want/need whatever it is that was left out, or b) firmly believes it should be in a separate supplement that will be released any day now...honest...

I've been digging through my fairly heavy stack of palladium books recently.

Me? I don't think I like Kevin that much.

I see a bunch, even a bunchamunch of crappy writing and repetitive tropes, with more than a few offensive thought processes thrown in for good measure.






That said, the books are still filled with pure awesome. Well, 97% pure anyway...

Kevin could save Palladium, and he wouldn't even need to revamp the game mechanics for Rifts. Here's how:

1.) Improve Palladium production values. Embrace modern-day layout, graphic design, and elegant use of color.
2.) Stop recycling artwork, and use new art for new rpg products.
3.) All rpg products should have a comprehensive index. This is absolutely mandatory for any supplement consulted in the game.
4.) Sell rpg products in pdf form. There's a market for it, and it should be taken advantage of.
5.) Design a CD-ROM that has a Rifts character generator, NPC database, and mapmaker.
6.) Purchase printers to keep costs low. There's a learning curve in doing your own printing (printing, binding, collating, etc.), but if Kev is serious about keeping Palladium alive, he needs to adapt or Palladium will go the way of the dinosaur.

Those are my thoughts. Blast away.

The only real hangup I have with Palladium is that fugly, fugly system. KS sound like one of rare examples of a bloke who can simulteaneously be an incredibly cool, enthusiastic leader and an incorrigible, egotistical prick. Without have met or corresponded with the man I'm content to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I've also heard that Siembieda thinks he'd probably lose more customers than he'd gain with a full system revision, mainly due to the entrenched position fans have taken after years of criticism from without. Does anyone know if there's any substance to this?

Quote from: Sacrificial LambKevin could save Palladium, and he wouldn't even need to revamp the game mechanics for Rifts. Here's how:

1.) Improve Palladium production values. Embrace modern-day layout, graphic design, and elegant use of color.
2.) Stop recycling artwork, and use new art for new rpg products.
3.) All rpg products should have a comprehensive index. This is absolutely mandatory for any supplement consulted in the game.
4.) Sell rpg products in pdf form. There's a market for it, and it should be taken advantage of.
5.) Design a CD-ROM that has a Rifts character generator, NPC database, and mapmaker.
6.) Purchase printers to keep costs low. There's a learning curve in doing your own printing (printing, binding, collating, etc.), but if Kev is serious about keeping Palladium alive, he needs to adapt or Palladium will go the way of the dinosaur.

Those are my thoughts. Blast away.

You so totally missed the whole meaning of the thread.

Quote from: DrewThe only real hangup I have with Palladium is that fugly, fugly system.

but if you just run with the system, revel in its peculiarity, it works fine (to me, anyway).  

this thread makes me want to bring back my heroes unlimited (+robotech, +rifts, +whatever else in the megaverse i could find) campaign. . . .

Quote from: beeberbut if you just run with the system, revel in its peculiarity, it works fine (to me, anyway).

I tried, I really did. My first contact with Palladium was Rifts, shortly after its release. Even back then it felt and played like a rambling, houseruled AD&D clone with tacked-on subsystems. This of course makes my distaste feel doubly weird, because it's exactly the kind of thing I grew up on. I guess it's one of those rulesets I just don't get.

If I were to run Rifts these days I'd probably use M&M 2E. That strikes me as being a good fit.

Quote from: DrewI tried, I really did. My first contact with Palladium was Rifts, shortly after its release. Even back then it felt and played like a rambling, houseruled AD&D clone with tacked-on subsystems. This of course makes my distaste feel doubly weird, because it's exactly the kind of thing I grew up on. I guess it's one of those rulesets I just don't get.

If I were to run Rifts these days I'd probably use M&M 2E. That strikes me as being a good fit.

maybe that's why it works for me--i just consider it exactly as you describe.  

the madness of rifts just throws the whole thing over the top.  thank goodness for kevin and his weirdness

Quote from: grubmanYou so totally missed the whole meaning of the thread.

Sorry, I'll try again. If Palladium wasn't run by Kevin, the games would have been converted to the d20 system five years ago by some random d20 publisher. The books would have been published using the production values of today's d20 publishers. It would have fared well in the market. Maybe. Better?

Quote from: DrewI've also heard that Siembieda thinks he'd probably lose more customers than he'd gain with a full system revision, mainly due to the entrenched position fans have taken after years of criticism from without. Does anyone know if there's any substance to this?

It's hard to say.  I personally think there's a middle ground to be had, but a full revision along the lines of what some have suggested would lose him a lot of old regulars, just IMO from what I've seen as a Palladium fan over the years.

Quote from: kregmosierI've always wished there was a cheapy $10-15 intro/quickstart for Palladium.

Hang in there.  Again, progress comes, if slowly...

Sadly, Palladium had a clean, easy to play system and then added buckets of cludge to it when they did their superhero game after which they loaded the cludge into everything else.

Mechanoid Invasion and Palladium Fantasy RPG are brilliant works.  Yes a little dated.  I'd like to see skills on a d20 with difficulty based target numbers and a mechanism for improving stats that's a little less wonky.  Say, all skills provide a point or two stat bonus, really I've always felt skills should add to attributes more than attributes add to skills, but I think that college education should improve your mental stats, not just the physical ones.  That and I'd borrow Rolemaster's "Creatures aren't Characters" concept and provide a simple one line stat line for most critters and npcs: Move, Attacks, Strike, Parry, Dodge, Hitpoints, AR, SDC, and Damage most likely.

Oh well I have Rolemaster Standard System.  It's a little slower, and no better organized, but it's coherent, functional, and beautiful, even if you could never sum up the rules in ten pages like Mechanoid Invasion did.

I read nearly every Murmur of the Megaverse. Kevin driven crazy by the talking Gleemax at the WOTC booth next door... Kevin waiting two hours for the Palladium truck to clear the GenCon parking lot... Kevin announcing for the 5th time that they rilly rilly do have the Battletech license right about almost any day now...

Did you know Kevin's dad, who btw works in the warehouse, calls the "Xiticix" the "city chicks"? That Julius has a black belt? That the young Kevin did lots of artwork for Judge Guild?

Quote from: grubmanI was just thinking what it would be like if Palladium wasn't run by such a volatile guy and their game system was a bit less clunky and a bit more organized (opinions that seem to be shared by the majority of gamers).

It wouldn't be Palladium anymore. You are erasing all its distinctive features, mate.