most of you by now know of my lack of love for The Sentinels as it was originally envisioned. I have an especial loathing for the novelization's portrayal of events. Of the myriad version, only the RPG comes closest in terms of how I think The Sentinels should have been handled...and it falls short simply because its based on Macek's wacked out version of events that contradicted numerous instances of Robotech's continuity. Thankfully it didn’t go as far as Macek did with certain aspects (the conflict with the REF being a war between the RDF/Hunter and the Army of the Southern Cross/Edwards). Most of the continuity flubs with The Sentinels would have come at the expense of The Robotech Masters segment of Robotech....something I CANNOT and WILL NOT abide.
There are certain aspects of The Sentinels that can be salvaged (alot of the mecha, vehicles and characters). Some, sadly, need to be relegated to trash pile of history: the Invid Scorpion carrier, the GMU as it is currently presented (redone to be more logical and it would be the PERFECT mobile tactical operations center of Robotech). The Invid Inorganics should be redone from top to bottom as far as design philosophy...and then turned into drones for the defense/policing of the Robotech Masters' worlds!
Now that I’ve finished my short rant, I would like to propose an alternate version of events of the Pioneer Mission, Earth Reclamation Forces and later Robotech Expeditionary Force. My apologies to Basara 549 and Dairugger XV...they've already read this over at the RDF HQ MB quite a while ago......
![Big Grin :D](./images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
First and foremost, disabuse yourself of the notion that the Zentraedi EVER fought the Invid. They were fighting a rival group of Masters called The Disciples of Zor (not a terrorist organization either.....small insurgent groups do not begin offensives against massed military powers). The Invid, for their part, fled to another galaxy (maybe Small or Large Magellanic Cloud) based on what we know from the Tv series dialogue (being 'in the recesses of another galaxy) and what we visually see. They were not a threat to the Masters except towards the end of the 2nd Robotech War.
Second, the idea that the Pioneer Mission (or the later REF) found the homeworld of the Robotech Masters is much in doubt in the Tv series. Even in the opening of The Invid Invasion it only mentions that the expedition went to find the homeworld of the Masters (not that it was found). So, the main focus of the campaign (until the Pioneer Mission returns to Earth during the 2nd Robotech War) is to find Tirol. Open up the ‘Island Hopping’ idea and run with it.
With the exception of the Praxians, put all the alien cultures either in the waste basket (my vote for the Perytonians, and Care-bearans....err..Karbaarrans) or redesign them and their homeworlds (the Garudans and Haydonites) and save them for later. No Sentinel allies. This is a human and Zentraedi only area.
This means that until the end of the 2nd Robotech War, the Earth forces have neither heard of nor encountered the Invid. This prevents a dialogue flub with the fact that Supreme Commander Leonard says 'the Invid, whatever they are' in The Invid Connection. Since we don't have the Invid to whomp on for about 8 yrs (2022-2030) that leaves really only one group: the Zentraedi. The good thing is that this does not require the importation of non-Robotech based material (in other words...no needing to go look at the Macross universe for ideas).
There numerous designs over the years that could easily make 'new' versions of the enemy mecha. First, start with the Z-1 and Z-2. They already appeared to be enemy mecha based on the flight/fight simulation in The Sentinels video. They should be enemy mecha first and foremost and the most common ones at that. Artillery and Recon variants of the 'Tid-bitz' would be a good idea...and maybe a variant of the Z-2 wouldn’t be totally out of the question (merge the Zaria made OBP from Strike Force with the smaller Z-2 design). Keep the pilots and mecha micronized as it also helps with the UEF's initial conclusion during the 2nd Robotech War that the Masters were in fact a strain of micronized Zentraedi.
Next, take the 'Stinger' design from the old Malcontent Uprisings comics. Merge the Zaria missile computer system from Strike Force and upgrade the missile pods on the 'shoulders' to fire either medium range or short range plus a reload. Add missile packs to the arms, legs and back and you have a decent mecha (Greg Lane did the only pic of this mecha that didn't suck). For those that forgot what it looked like: http://img16.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img16&image=Stinger01.gif
The ZSB-20 Striker Battloid from Return of the Masters Revised can be offered as an alternate mecha either for female aces or male aces (depending upon how you use the Stinger). Remove the ammo driven weapons (minus missiles of course) and replace them with particle beam weapons and you’re good to go.
Finally, for mecha that have been designed, you need look no further than Basara 549's awesome Z-4 Assault Pod. I would suggest doing away with the Hovertank mode (no offense, Stan) and going with the Battloid and Officer’s Pod modes. Of course, I could be wrong and you may want a more balanced ground force (which is understandable).
There are some problems in that there isn’t a replacement for the Gnerl Fighter Pod or the Cyclops Theatre Scout. You’ll either need to cheat and not give graphics for it or learn to draw really well. Body armour and small arms will also be a problem. However, there was an old panel in The Sentinels comics that had REF soldiers wearing armour that looked very reminiscent to the Zentraedi Hard Vac Suit/Body Armour. I’ll try and dig up a pic and host it and leave a link here for you to see.
To replace the old Reentry Pod, there was a design for the GMU Dropship from The Sentinels comics that can be used (and was used anyway in tranporting the Zentraedi to Fantoma).
Now for the capital ships....
Thankfully, there are three readily available and thoroughly Robotech designs. The SDF-3, SDF-8 and Colonel Wolfe’s Ship from the comics are all available. It even stays true to the idea that the SDF-3 has been wrapped up in the exoskeleton of a Zentraedi Battlecruiser (given that the SDF-3 should probably look more like the TriStar class of ships underneath). All three of these designs are easily ID’d as Zentraedi. Cook up some stats (or find some that someone has made) and they’re ready to go.
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/pioneer.jpg
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/SDF-8.gif
http://www.macrossworld.com/iB_html/uploads/post-17-46170-Zentraedi_Frigate.jpg
You could add Space Station Liberty (the Robotech Repair Factory) as a Zentraedi starbase (thats essentially what it is).
That about does it for the enemies. Now lets take a close look at the Pioneer Mission.
I figure that the ‘REF’ Destroids we’ve known for years were in fact created for use by the Army of the Southern Cross in the early years of The Malcontent Uprisings and should be nearing the end of the combat lifespan by the start of the 2nd Robotech War. They were stopgaps anyway. The Battloids of the Southern Cross and later REF Destroids (the ones we didn’t get to see in Genesis Climber Mospeada were infinite better than the old UEF lumbering artillery pieces.
The Cyclone (VR-038 and VR-041, no VR-052 yet) should be available starting in the early 2020s (probably as an outgrowth of the older Fenris Powered Armour Program). Probably only for Special Forces at this point. The Fenris Powered Armour (misidentified as the Cosmic Unit Battloid) should be available for an Air Cav Unit similar to the CS’s SAMAS Powered Armour in Rifts.
To supplement the infantry (which should make up a significant portion of the Planetary Assault Forces) there would be the MBR-Salamander Battloid and maybe even the ADR-Cyclops Battloid (misidentified as the GMU Battloid). For construction purposes the CER-Dryad and CER-Satyr Battloid (misidentified as the EBSIS Recon Destroyer) would round out the Battloids.
For ground cavalry the Spartas and Myrmidon Hovertanks (seen first in the Rolling Thunder comics and then again in Love & War) give the Pioneer Mission a significant punch on the ground. Of course, the Spartas model available at this time is not the Officer’s Prototype seen in the Tv series (the one with the 220mm particle cannon) but instead the older model with the 105mm smoothbore. The Myrmidon can be used for ShoRAD (Short Range Air Defense) in supplement to the ADR-Catapult/Raider X II.
http://www.rtsurfer.com/Hovertank/REF%20Hovertank%20'Rolling%20Thunder'%20Color%20Plate%20(01).jpg
http://www.magicbicycle.net/_rts/new_mecha/newVHT_T-Gmodes.GIF
http://www.magicbicycle.net/_rts/_images/VHDX-2.JPG
Add in the Montgomery-class IFV, Alexander-class Missile Battery Vehicle (both types), Eisenhower-class Command Vehicle (already in The Sentinels as the ARRAV and the other ground construction vehicles (they were all from SC anyway). The Flashclapper hovercycle is there anyways...no need to delete it. The Hovertruck from SC might not be bad either.
The main weapon of the infantry is the Wolverine Assault Rifle (seen in SC and in The Sentinels comics...but misidentified in the RPG). http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/SC_AR-25_ma684.gif The main sidearm is, of course, the .40 calibre M-35 Badger Pistol (it appears to fire caseless rounds..as I do not see a slide or cartridge ejection port). For energy weapons, the Owens PR-10 Multi-Weapon System (aka The Mob Gun because it looks like an old Thompson SMG) is the main one (its misidentified in the RPG as the Wolfe 9mm Pistol and the M-35 Wolverine....neither is true...its an energy weapon and its one and the same.). http://img67.exs.cx/img67/7818/OwensPR-10MobGunSketch02.jpg. The Gallant will soon replace it, but not until closer to the 2nd Robotech War most likely (we know the Pioneer Mission units come back to Earth with them based on the old coots from Ghost Town).
The main body armour used until the adoption of CVR-3 is that worn by Colonel Wolfe in the flashback from Eulogy. I’ve seen in classified as CVR-2...but that makes little sense as CVR in Robotech stands for Cyclone Veritech Ride Armor. It most certainly did not attach to a Cyclone so its just regular body armour. For attachments you can add the older Cities Defense Fighter Corps jet pack.
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/cvr-2.jpg
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/CDFC-FlightPack_MAHFp6.gif
For aerial battles, there are 4 Veritechs and 3 fighters. The primary Veritech is the Robotech production version of the VF-4 (looks EXACTLY like the VF-X-4 seen at the end of The Macross Saga and should not be confused with the VF-4 from Flashback 2012. For Strike-type missions there is the VF/B-5 Condor. The VF/A-6 Alpha is basically a jack-of-all-trades and/or air superiority fighter that can be assigned just about anywhere but is best used in Ground Assault. The VF-8 Logan should be used as a Light Dog Fighter and (believe it or not) Zentraedi Ship Infiltration mecha (kudos to AlphaVT over at the RDF HQ for translating the Logan entry and discovering its primary purpose in the original Southern Cross: ship infiltration!). The Beta isnt in production until just before the 21st Mars Division arrives so it’s a moot point anyway.
The SF-4 Wraith (seen in Outsiders) is the primary Fleet Fighter and the main answer to the Zentraedi Gnerl Fighter Pod. The SF/A-5 Bat (Conbat) from The Secret Route flies in tandem on Strike-missions with the VF/B-5 Condor. Finally the SF-6 Rapier seen in the flashback in Eulogy rounds out the mix as a jack-of-all trades and/or air superiority fighter most likely. http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/images/volcano1.jpg
For shuttles, there is the Gossamer-class Transport that everyone is familiar with as well as the Pegasus-class Assault Shuttles. The Horizon-class Drop Ship is the mainstay troop transport. The larger Cheyenne-class Multi-purpose transport (seen as part of Transport Squadron 85 in Mind Games is the main medium transport of the Pioneer Mission.
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/gossamer_line.jpg
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/as2.jpg
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/Predators_landed54.jpg
Now we come to everyone’s favourites....the capital ships. There is the ‘Trojan Horse’ version of the SDF-3. Hopefully we’ll get to see what the ship ACTUALLY looks like one day. Unlikely...but ya never know. Could probably have Breetai’s Flagship there as well as a second command ship. Then we have the 3 SDF-4/Izumo-class ships (SDF-4, SDF-5 and SDF-6). Now is where there is contention...and there shoudnt be. The next smallest class of vessels are the Tokugawa-class Super Carriers that Macek, in his wacked out state, claimed was a single prototype sent back with Major Carpenter. That’s a load of hogwash as we see 3 others serving during the 2nd Robotech War (one of them clearly a Southern Cross vessel and not Pioneer Mission). We could probably add the Ikazuchi in as well to the mix. Its clearly designed for landing, despite what the RPG states, as the front end looks like it opens to disgorge troops. Then there is the ‘proto-Ikazuchi’ from the opening of The Invid Invasion. It can either be a full cruiser (as some suggest) or an armed replenishment ship (as some others have suggested).
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/new.images/Naval/izum-10.gif
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/new.images/Naval/IZUM-10b.gif (Kudos to Matt Willis for this drawing).
The next smallest are the ships we see in the mainline of the Southern Cross. We know these ships are with the Pioneer Mission based not only Transport Squadron 85 but also the sequence from Khyron’s Revenge where we see the remains of a Banshee/Nelson-class Destroyer some 20 light yrs from Earth. In order from largest to smallest they are the TriStar-class Cruiser Leader, Battle/Ardennes-class Battlecuier and Banshee/Nelson-class Destroyer.
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/tristarside.jpg
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/scfleet1.jpg
http://www.artemisgames.com/robotech/Research/SCross/Images/banshee_oblique.jpg
The only ship of the line left is the Garfish-class Light Cruiser..and we know they had them before the end of the 2nd Robotech War thanks to the old coots in Ghost Town.
That’s about all I can think of at the moment. Please...no rotten tomatoes, ok!