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SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 9:49 am
by NEO Ness
I haven't had a chance to look at the new Marines book myself (it's still in the mail), but does anyone know if it has the SDF-3 in it? I'm really wanting to do a Sentinels series correctly, and I don't want to reverse engineer the SDF-4's stats for the SDF-3.
If not, does anyone know where I can get those stats? Were they in the original Sentinels series? Palladium should really do a book about ships, we could use stats on the Icarus and the SDF-3 (both original and new versions).
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:05 am
by Seto Kaiba
NEO Ness wrote:If not, does anyone know where I can get those stats? Were they in the original Sentinels series? Palladium should really do a book about ships, we could use stats on the Icarus and the SDF-3 (both original and new versions).
The ships book was canned ages ago... IINM, Palladium hasn't announced any plans to revive the project.
Stats for the post-retrofit
Shimakaze-class (the
Icarus) are in the
Genesis Pits sourcebook, and the only difference between the pre- and post-retrofit versions is the synchro cannon that replaced the large magazine for the missile launchers and the addition of the shadow device. Other than that, the ship didn't really change.
Edit: From the list graciously provided by
smkeyes, it does not appear that the SDF-3 is in the new book.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:10 am
by NEO Ness
Seto Kaiba wrote:NEO Ness wrote:If not, does anyone know where I can get those stats? Were they in the original Sentinels series? Palladium should really do a book about ships, we could use stats on the Icarus and the SDF-3 (both original and new versions).
The ships book was canned ages ago... IINM, Palladium hasn't announced any plans to revive the project.
Stats for the post-retrofit
Shimakaze-class (the
Icarus) are in the
Genesis Pits sourcebook, and the only difference between the pre- and post-retrofit versions is the synchro cannon that replaced the large magazine for the missile launchers and the addition of the shadow device. Other than that, the ship didn't really change.
Edit: From the list graciously provided by
smkeyes, it does not appear that the SDF-3 is in the new book.
I see. So you recommend I use the Shimakaze class ship for the SDF-3? I kinda feel like the SDF-3 would be a bit bigger in scale and power.
(Also, are you the owner of Macross2.net?!)
EDIT:
Seto Kaiba wrote:Stats for the post-retrofit Shimakaze-class (the Icarus) are in the Genesis Pits sourcebook, and the only difference between the pre- and post-retrofit versions is the synchro cannon that replaced the large magazine for the missile launchers and the addition of the shadow device. Other than that, the ship didn't really change.
I'm sorry, I meant to say Ark Angel.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:23 am
by Seto Kaiba
NEO Ness wrote:I see. So you recommend I use the Shimakaze class ship for the SDF-3? I kinda feel like the SDF-3 would be a bit bigger in scale and power.
Goodness no... the
Icarus is a
Shimakaze-class ship, so the stats there are pretty much the stats for the
Icarus[/i as it appears in the movie. Take out the synchro cannon and shadow device, beef up the missile launcher ammo, and you've got yourself stats for the pre-retrofit version of the [i]Icarus that appeared in the first issue of the
Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comic (which had a huge magazine for the missile launchers where the synchro cannon is on the movie version).
My recommended starting point for the SDF-3 would be the SDF-4 stats (also found in
Genesis Pits. Just lose those secondary super-laser guns and you're 99% of the way there, IMO.
NEO Ness wrote:(Also, are you the owner of Macross2.net?!)
Yes and no.
I'm the Macross Mecha Manual's web admin, resident translator/researcher, and book importer. The project's creator, author, and artist is my friend
Mr March from MacrossWorld.
NEO Ness wrote:I'm sorry, I meant to say Ark Angel.
Oh, the
Ark Angel? I'd say you could probably get away with using the SDF-4 stats there too... same as with the SDF-3 above. They have similar sizes and almost certainly similar troop complements, so you just need to get rid of the weapons systems which obviously aren't present (the SDF-4's secondary super-laser guns) or weren't installed at the time the
Ark Angel was launched (the synchro cannon).
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:26 am
by NEO Ness
Seto Kaiba wrote:NEO Ness wrote:I see. So you recommend I use the Shimakaze class ship for the SDF-3? I kinda feel like the SDF-3 would be a bit bigger in scale and power.
Goodness no... the
Icarus is a
Shimakaze-class ship, so the stats there are pretty much the stats for the
Icarus[/i as it appears in the movie. Take out the synchro cannon and shadow device, beef up the missile launcher ammo, and you've got yourself stats for the pre-retrofit version of the [i]Icarus that appeared in the first issue of the
Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comic (which had a huge magazine for the missile launchers where the synchro cannon is on the movie version).
My recommended starting point for the SDF-3 would be the SDF-4 stats (also found in
Genesis Pits. Just lose those secondary super-laser guns and you're 99% of the way there, IMO.
NEO Ness wrote:(Also, are you the owner of Macross2.net?!)
Yes and no.
I'm the Macross Mecha Manual's web admin, resident translator/researcher, and book importer. The project's creator, author, and artist is my friend
Mr March from MacrossWorld.
I'm sorry, I meant to say Ark Angel not Icarus (get them mixed up all the time).
And holy crap, I use Macross2.net all the damn time! It's like my go-to for Mecha information and pictures for my RP sessions. Thank you so much for that website!

EDIT: Yeah, I was guessing I'd have to do something with the SDF-4. Thanks for the insight, didn't even think about the secondary lasers.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:13 pm
by ShadowLogan
NEO Ness wrote:I haven't had a chance to look at the new Marines book myself (it's still in the mail), but does anyone know if it has the SDF-3 in it? I'm really wanting to do a Sentinels series correctly, and I don't want to reverse engineer the SDF-4's stats for the SDF-3.
If not, does anyone know where I can get those stats? Were they in the original Sentinels series? Palladium should really do a book about ships, we could use stats on the Icarus and the SDF-3 (both original and new versions).
It really depends on what you will actually need to use the SDF-3 in your game.
Art of the Shadow Chronicles (non game book) does have non-game stats, and some level of description on various attributes (complement, size, etc). So actual game stats would have to be plucked and/or derived as the case may be from existing ships for simplicity.
Alternatively the SDF-3 was originally stated out, complete with deck plans, in the First Edition run (specifically RT2: Sentinels, it has a Battler vs Oden on the cover, which is mostly light blue on the spine). It may not be a perfect fit, but depending what you actually need it might work as is, or require various levels of updating to work (though it should still be useable as-is for the most part).
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:23 pm
by NEO Ness
ShadowLogan wrote:Alternatively the SDF-3 was originally stated out, complete with deck plans, in the First Edition run (specifically RT2: Sentinels, it has a Battler vs Oden on the cover, which is mostly light blue on the spine). It may not be a perfect fit, but depending what you actually need it might work as is, or require various levels of updating to work (though it should still be useable as-is for the most part).
Last time I checked the books I could not find the stats for it. Only the deck plans and pictures. I will try to look again.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:10 pm
by taalismn
Ships got canned? Well damn

....there goes my hopes of seeing the much neglected spacecraft of Southern Cross finally getting their just due... How else are they going to bring them and the rest of the Zentraedi fleet to the fore?
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:39 pm
by Seto Kaiba
taalismn wrote:Ships got canned? Well damn

....there goes my hopes of seeing the much neglected spacecraft of Southern Cross finally getting their just due... How else are they going to bring them and the rest of the Zentraedi fleet to the fore?
They cancelled the spaceships book years ago, man...
You'd think they'd have re-done the SDF-3 for the first Marines book tho, since that ship was kind of the heart of the whole Pioneer mission's operations and was the principal ship lugging ground forces to and fro until the SDF-4 came around in 2043-2044.
It was (initially) understandable that they didn't include the
Ark Angel and Super Shadow Fighter, since at time of writing those were earmarked to appear in a future animated
Robotech film... but eight years on, and with most folks offering no odds of us seeing new animation from
Robotech after the spectacular implosion of
Robotech Academy, it'd be nice to just tick those checkboxes off and have done with it already.
NEO Ness wrote:And holy crap, I use Macross2.net all the damn time! It's like my go-to for Mecha information and pictures for my RP sessions. Thank you so much for that website!

Keep your eyes peeled this fall... there's a BIG update coming.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:58 pm
by ShadowLogan
NEO Ness wrote:ShadowLogan wrote:Alternatively the SDF-3 was originally stated out, complete with deck plans, in the First Edition run (specifically RT2: Sentinels, it has a Battler vs Oden on the cover, which is mostly light blue on the spine). It may not be a perfect fit, but depending what you actually need it might work as is, or require various levels of updating to work (though it should still be useable as-is for the most part).
Last time I checked the books I could not find the stats for it. Only the deck plans and pictures. I will try to look again.
Are we sure? I just pulled out my copy and looked, they are there (7th Printing).
The SDF-3 runs from page 150-160 (11 pages, the last one is mostly add space for Rifts, and the 1st page has a small section to round out Janice).
Pg. 150 SDF-3 fluff text
pg. 151-2 Game stats (MDC, weapon systems in game terms, size, compliment, etc). Pg152 also starts deck plan key (ie #X = Room ABC with description text)
Pg153 is mostly deck plan key material, with a small portion devoted to deck plans (bridge tower and "arms")
Pg154-5 & 157-8 is deck plan key
Pg156 & 159-60 have deck plans (pg159 has a small amount of Key information, and pg160 is mostly add space for Rifts).
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:38 pm
by NEO Ness
ShadowLogan wrote:NEO Ness wrote:ShadowLogan wrote:Alternatively the SDF-3 was originally stated out, complete with deck plans, in the First Edition run (specifically RT2: Sentinels, it has a Battler vs Oden on the cover, which is mostly light blue on the spine). It may not be a perfect fit, but depending what you actually need it might work as is, or require various levels of updating to work (though it should still be useable as-is for the most part).
Last time I checked the books I could not find the stats for it. Only the deck plans and pictures. I will try to look again.
Are we sure? I just pulled out my copy and looked, they are there (7th Printing).
The SDF-3 runs from page 150-160 (11 pages, the last one is mostly add space for Rifts, and the 1st page has a small section to round out Janice).
Pg. 150 SDF-3 fluff text
pg. 151-2 Game stats (MDC, weapon systems in game terms, size, compliment, etc). Pg152 also starts deck plan key (ie #X = Room ABC with description text)
Pg153 is mostly deck plan key material, with a small portion devoted to deck plans (bridge tower and "arms")
Pg154-5 & 157-8 is deck plan key
Pg156 & 159-60 have deck plans (pg159 has a small amount of Key information, and pg160 is mostly add space for Rifts).
You're right! I totally looked RIGHT past it. It was RIGHT there! omg, sorry for the trouble guys lol.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:27 am
by Kagashi
Im not sure why Harmony Gold and Palladium have not produced either version of the SDF-3 from the new continuity for the RPG. Its quite annoying seeing the ship is the central focus of the entire series.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:20 pm
by Arnie100
Yup. Spaceship book was canned ages ago.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:26 pm
by Seto Kaiba
Kagashi wrote:Im not sure why Harmony Gold and Palladium have not produced either version of the SDF-3 from the new continuity for the RPG. Its quite annoying seeing the ship is the central focus of the entire series.
Might have something to do with the SDF-3's fate being up in the air for the entire
Shadow Chronicles movie... and/or it might have some undisclosed capabilities that they thought would play a big role in some future title (not that those are being made).
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:27 pm
by glitterboy2098
Kagashi wrote:Im not sure why Harmony Gold and Palladium have not produced either version of the SDF-3 from the new continuity for the RPG. Its quite annoying seeing the ship is the central focus of the entire series.
funny, i don't remember it ever appearing in Macross Saga, masters Saga, or new Generation Saga.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:32 pm
by Arnie100
SDF-3 made only one brief appearance in The Sentinels and one shot (I think) of the SDF-3 in Shadow Chronicles.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:39 pm
by glitterboy2098
in terms of the expanded setting (revised sentinels and shadow chronicles added) the SDF-3 is certainly an important ship.. but i'd hardly call it central. it doesn't appear at all i nthe main show, and even i nthe sentinels it was mostly not involved in the fighting, and in shadow chronicles it's mostly used as a macguffin to reveal the haydonite duplicity and remove Rick and comapny from the storyline.. basically the SDF-3 in shadow chronicles got hit by the
Worf Effect.
we've never seen the SDF-3 in action, so it being this great ships is pretty much an
informed attribute. a logical one given the power of the SDF-1 and the other ships we do see though.
though i do occasionally wonder if the reason the SDF-3 got two main cannons was because without the hidden Protoculture Matrix the SDF-1 had, mainguns on such a small ship are a bit lacking in punch..
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:53 pm
by Lt Gargoyle
i'd just use the SDF-3 from sentinels and tweak it as you desire.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 4:00 pm
by Seto Kaiba
glitterboy2098 wrote:we've never seen the SDF-3 in action, [...]
Actually we did, in
Prelude... but only in the conclusion of the Edwards thing, where it landed troops on Optera then torched the main hive from orbit with its twin synchro cannons.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:44 pm
by Rabid Southern Cross Fan
glitterboy2098 wrote:funny, i don't remember it ever appearing in Macross Saga, masters Saga, or new Generation Saga.
Only mentioned at the end of
The Macross Saga (characters only), during a few episodes of
The Masters War (both The Narrator and characters) and The New Generation (characters only, I do believe).
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:00 pm
by taalismn
Myself; I don't care for the folding wing 'dropships' that replaced the old laser arms/carrier pods. They seemed to trust too much in localized gravitational generation for the orientation of the decks in those wings.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:40 pm
by Kagashi
Rabid Southern Cross Fan wrote:glitterboy2098 wrote:funny, i don't remember it ever appearing in Macross Saga, masters Saga, or new Generation Saga.
Only mentioned at the end of
The Macross Saga (characters only), during a few episodes of
The Masters War (both The Narrator and characters) and The New Generation (characters only, I do believe).
Right, and since 1985, when the last episode of RT aired, Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 were mysteriously lost. You hear of Hunter and the SDF-3 all throughout New Gen and smatterings in Masters, then never see it by the end when Scott leaves Earth to search for it, leaving the question, "what happened to the SDF-3?"
Sentinels tried to answer that, but is now decanonized.
Finally, in 2005, we get Shadow Chronicles where combined with Prelude, we see what happened to the SDF-3 and why it was not present in the battle of Reflex Point; but ultimately are left with the question again.
Even with tSC, humanity is still left wondering when the next Protoculture fix is going to be available. tSC ends with Earth having only one year of Protocultre remaining. Thats pretty darn central.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 7:08 pm
by Arnie100
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 8:22 pm
by glitterboy2098
Kagashi wrote:Rabid Southern Cross Fan wrote:glitterboy2098 wrote:funny, i don't remember it ever appearing in Macross Saga, masters Saga, or new Generation Saga.
Only mentioned at the end of
The Macross Saga (characters only), during a few episodes of
The Masters War (both The Narrator and characters) and The New Generation (characters only, I do believe).
Right, and since 1985, when the last episode of RT aired, Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 were mysteriously lost. You hear of Hunter and the SDF-3 all throughout New Gen and smatterings in Masters, then never see it by the end when Scott leaves Earth to search for it, leaving the question, "what happened to the SDF-3?"
Sentinels tried to answer that, but is now decanonized.
Finally, in 2005, we get Shadow Chronicles where combined with Prelude, we see what happened to the SDF-3 and why it was not present in the battle of Reflex Point; but ultimately are left with the question again.
Even with tSC, humanity is still left wondering when the next Protoculture fix is going to be available. tSC ends with Earth having only one year of Protocultre remaining. Thats pretty darn central.
so it's always relegated to "sir not appearing in this movie" or macguffin... i'd not call that central at all.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 12:48 pm
by Colonel Wolfe
Kagashi wrote:
Finally, in 2005, we get Shadow Chronicles
not to nitpick to much:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443771/Release Info- 25 August 2006
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 9:22 pm
by Seto Kaiba
glitterboy2098 wrote:so it's always relegated to "sir not appearing in this movie" or macguffin... i'd not call that central at all.
Central to the ongoing plot, perhaps, though not central to the story as a whole... "macguffin" is probably the right word for it.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:55 am
by mech798
Seto Kaiba wrote:glitterboy2098 wrote:so it's always relegated to "sir not appearing in this movie" or macguffin... i'd not call that central at all.
Central to the ongoing plot, perhaps, though not central to the story as a whole... "macguffin" is probably the right word for it.
Especially since if you find it, by and large the adventure is over at least in the current format. Shadow Chronicles is pretty much a reprise of the whole search for the SDF-1 with the REF in the place of the zentraedi, desperately trying to get their magic box back. (Have I mentioned just how wholeheartedly uninspired TSC is?)
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:06 pm
by Lt Gargoyle
mech798 wrote:Seto Kaiba wrote:glitterboy2098 wrote:so it's always relegated to "sir not appearing in this movie" or macguffin... i'd not call that central at all.
Central to the ongoing plot, perhaps, though not central to the story as a whole... "macguffin" is probably the right word for it.
Especially since if you find it, by and large the adventure is over at least in the current format. Shadow Chronicles is pretty much a reprise of the whole search for the SDF-1 with the REF in the place of the zentraedi, desperately trying to get their magic box back. (Have I mentioned just how wholeheartedly uninspired TSC is?)
Sadly its fully inspiring movie.
Until they do something further i have just skipped the whole Haydonite plot arc and run with the PCs in a exploration/colony fleet. And borrow stuff from other sources to act as alien civilizations.
Re: SDF-3
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:01 pm
by Seto Kaiba
mech798 wrote:Especially since if you find it, by and large the adventure is over at least in the current format. Shadow Chronicles is pretty much a reprise of the whole search for the SDF-1 with the REF in the place of the zentraedi, desperately trying to get their magic box back. (Have I mentioned just how wholeheartedly uninspired TSC is?)
Prelude actually kind of hangs a lampshade on that one too, when you think about it. The Haydonites comment on how they fear that humans are setting themselves up to be the Robotech Masters Part Deux, and what did the Robotech Masters spend all the series doing? Trying to recover one of their bleeping ships that had the magic box on it.
Lt Gargoyle wrote:Until they do something further i have just skipped the whole Haydonite plot arc and run with the PCs in a exploration/colony fleet. And borrow stuff from other sources to act as alien civilizations.
Probably for the best... we don't know enough about the Haydonites' real motivations to actually use them in a meaningful plot.
Since Tommy's so fond of sneaking
Macross-isms into
Robotech, esp. in the plans that were leaked for the RTSC OVA's unproduced later episodes, a friend and I actually sat down and worked out our own version of where Tommy might've been going with the Haydonites, shadow technology, and the origins of protoculture. We came up with some pretty interesting stuff.