Robotech® Questions & Answers Update

[Kevin]

Robotech® Questions & Answers Update

I just approved the printer’s proof of the cover and interior pages for Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® RPG. They looked fantastic.

It was cool holding the mockup of the book in my hands for the very first time. Wow, nice. You are going to love it.

Some quick answers to some common questions
about the new Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® RPG

How much of the writing is new?
I’m tempted to say all of it. Certainly 95% of the Robotech® source material/stats/background is completely new. Likewise, at least 40% of the rules have been rewritten and there are new skills added to the ones you know.

Is there really a way to roll up characters in 15-20 minutes?
Yes, and it is fun, fast and easy. Just wait till you see it. The use of M.O.S. skill sets also increases the speed by which you roll up a character. The two new character sheets help too.

How many Occupational Character Classes?
Five, but the M.O.S. skills make it so there are something like 20 variations on characters.

Who are the bad guys?
Invid and Haydonites for the most part.

Will the book be easy to read?
Absolutely. I suspect some folks imagined we’d be pasting up the RPG as if it were a regular, 8½ x 11 book – or even shooting the old pages with some minor modifications, and shrinking them down to the 5 x 7½ inch manga-size. That is NOT the case. We designed and laid it out as if it were a brand new book, specifically for the manga size. The print size of the text inside is nine point, the same size as the original Robotech® RPG from 1986 and our 2005 Rifts® Ultimate Edition, among others. Our typical book is 10 point.

Do you really think people will like the smaller manga-size?
Yes, I do. I’m convinced that when people see the final product they are going to fall in love with it! It has a nice feel, is easy to read, looks great and is easy to carry. There will be some folks who won’t like the manga format, but I think the majority will like it very much. Heck, even my printer’s rep was excited about the final product. I think most people just can’t picture it. Once they see it, they’ll like it.

This book is really very different than the original 1986 version, isn’t it?
Yes and no. No in that it contains all the characters, O.C.C.s, mecha, and bad guys you expect to see and know. Yes, in that we approached this Robotech® license as if it were completely new. As if we had never published Robotech® before. We re-watched the entire New Generation TV series (and parts of Southern Cross), and some episodes several times, while making pages of notes. We consulted with Tommy Yune and Steve Yun at Harmony Gold, listened to what Robotech® fans had to say, consulted with a few fans, and cross-referenced everything with stats and data in the Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles Art Book, robotech.com and robotechresearch.com. That means all stats, text, time-lines, terms, characters, mecha, M.D.C., descriptions, and fundamental concepts are updated, rewritten and different than the original RPG books. Like I said, except for Palladium’s Megaversal rule system, the book is entirely written from scratch.

The book is 60% bigger – 336 pages – and there was some talk of raising the price. Is it more than the advertised price of $16.95?
Nope. I decided to keep the price the same, even though we ballooned from 192 pages to 336. We may bump the price up 2-3 dollars with the next printing, so think of this as the special, introductory, price.

When will the Robotech® RPG ship?
March 20, 2008. That’s only two weeks away. And it may arrive a couple of days sooner! We’ll ship to distributors and send out fan pre-orders the day we get it back from our printer. It should be in most stores 7-14 days after that date.

For more about the Robotech® RPG and other subjects, download the Monday, March 3, 2008, podcast with Kevin Siembieda on Gateway to the Megaverse®.

In other news

- We’ve just dived back into work on finishing Dyval.

- We’re also working on The Rifter #42.

- The second Erick Wujcik & Palladium Collectibles Auction ends Saturday March 8. There remains a bunch of great books and original artwork at reasonable prices. Our next auction will not be till the Spring or Summer.

- How is Erick Wujcik doing? So, so. He is a fighter and hanging in there as best he can, but the disease is devastating and the treatment is rough on him. Don't forget, you can post your thoughts, tributes and well wishes to him at erickwujcik.com. If anything, the recent passing of RPG legend, Gary Gygax, should be a reminder that we should express our thoughts while the person we care about is still with us. Who knows how much time Erick has left. Let him see your warm regard for him and his work, NOW. Thank you.

- Teresa Mead comes to town to help Palladium prep for the big move and talk about sales and promotional strategies.

- We’re prepping for the big move of the Palladium Offices and Warehouse to Westland, beginning the week of March 24-30. The lease is signed, the forklift purchased, the credit apps are filled out, boxes are on order, a racking system is picked out, a few modifications to the building are being done tomorrow, and other stuff is in the process of getting done. If you plan on helping Palladium move, contact us soon.

There’s probably more, but that's it for now.

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Artist and Multitasker

© Copyright March 6, 2008 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Heroes Unlimited, Beyond the Supernatural, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.