Robotech Kickstarter Funded at $1.44 Million!

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**Spartan-Kun**

I would love to see ALL of roboyech redone.

**IceRaptor**

warboss wrote:
Max and Miriya... Rick, Roy, and two redshirts in VF-1As.... Rick, Max, and Ben... those are all illegal combos that you can't field with what they posted unfortunately.

Think of the extra VFs as ablative armor that were shot down as soon as they took off, and suddenly it all makes sense!

**Alpharius**

I don't know what that it is, but it looks cool!

Incoming Transmission
Update #31 · Apr 29, 2013 · 19 comments

ssssk..sk..450...sk...20..ssssk...3...Aaaagh! [transmission ends]

**warboss**

@IceRaptor: Yeah, but I think I'd prefer simply being able to field a legal squadron without sending some farmboy off to die first.

It looks like male power armor will likely be the next goal.

So my dividends from the weekend are a free two pack of destroids that I previously didn't get any sculpts of that still form a legal single unit with the others with another two free destroids likely to be funded within 2 days. I'm ok with that!

edited: apparently the text gives us a hint to the add on as well as the pic. We seem to be getting the male power armor at $450k for $20 per 3 models.

**Alpharius**

Too slow warboss, too slow!

**warboss**

Indeed. It's not my fault that you get the super fast mod 56k netzero connection courtesy of Lego and I don't!

The preview is of a male zentraedi power armor btw. It's one of few remaining completely original sculpts left of mecha. The other that comes to mind being the zentraedi female power armor as opposed to upgraded versions of existing mechs like the super veritech). It's basically a squad level elite unit that male officers and talented grunts commonly used in groups (as opposed to the officer battle pod that tends to be solo amongst regular pods). I suspect they'll save the female power armor till almost the end though.

Going through the list of probably future stretch goals, I can come up with the following:

4 spartans/gladiators add on upgrade
3 support pods add on upgrade
female power armor add on
3 female power armor add on upgrade
super veritech add on
armored veritech add on

There are others that I'd find likely (like adding 2 support pod upgrade bits to the core set free) as well as the non-mechs that might make a showing but the above would be considered the no brainers by most folks given what's in the series and what trends the KS has been following.

**Spartan-Kun**

Hopefully with this our momentum will be retrieved!

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Why does it HAVE to be the spartan and phalanx??? Why not gnerls..

**warboss**

I suspect the fact that adding those two destroids still results in a legal squad is a strong pro whereas adding two gnerls gives you two illegal models that you can't use in a regular game is a big con.

**Spartan-Kun**

Don't get me wrong, yay for free models, I just hate the look of the Spartan.

Why two gnerls? Wouldn't it be 3? And I'd get a legal size cause I have showdown (x2 to all units).

**CaptainLoken**

I'm not sure if the big red numbers on the left side of each unit card means anything, but if those are the point totals for each Squadron then...

4X Veritechs equal 80 points
2X Destroids equal 80 points
and 6X Battle Pods equal 80 points

So, if you are in at the Battlecry level or higher, and we get all of the current listed stretch goals, you would have 2 legal Veritech Squadrons and 1 Destroid Squadron. That's 240 points. If you used the head from the bunus Veritech to make another VF-1S, then you could have an upgrade for each Veritech Squadron.

I have no idea how different Battle Pod options work, but you could have the following using the current models...

1x Regult Attack Squadron: 1x Glaug and 9x Regults
+1x Reconnaissance Battlepod upgrade
+2x Light or Heavy Artillery Regults upgrade

1x Regult Attrition Squadron: 12x Regults
+1x Glaug Battlepod upgrade
+1x Reconnaissance Battlepod upgrade

That would mean that the game comes with more points in Zentraedi mecha than UED....interesting...

**warboss**

They said the points were for the purposes of the Adepticon demo and not necessarily indicative of the final game.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Spartan-Kun wrote:

Why two gnerls? Wouldn't it be 3? And I'd get a legal size cause I have showdown (x2 to all units).

No idea... I just took a guess and said two since there were two destroids just added. I think their minimum squad size of 6 for zentraedi is just a bad idea overall as I firmly believe that individual add-ons should give you a legal squad to field. If they're worried about MSU spam (to borrow a 40k phrase), they could just make a rule that a second squad can't be bought until the first zentraedi one reaches 6 models.

**whitedragon**

When are we going to see Robotech Masters and Invid?

**Alpharius**

Good question!

I was wondering about how sustainable this game can be, or will it largely be considered 'self-contained' in that we'll basically have 2 sides only?

Or maybe 3, once the Invid show up?

Here my lack of Robotech knowledge betrays me...

**rigeld2**

Well I think they said they were planning on doing all 3 shows... after that I'm not sure on sustainability.

**Cypher-xv**

I hope they jump strait into the invid invasion before southern cross.

**Manchu**

The KS is only for the Macross Saga. So no Invid.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Alpharius wrote:
I was wondering about how sustainable this game can be, or will it largely be considered 'self-contained' in that we'll basically have 2 sides only?

Mr. Siembieda said he wants to do all of Robotech, so the game itself will (all else being equal) have more than "2 sides."

**judgedoug**

Alpharius wrote:
Good question!

I was wondering about how sustainable this game can be, or will it largely be considered 'self-contained' in that we'll basically have 2 sides only?

Or maybe 3, once the Invid show up?

Here my lack of Robotech knowledge betrays me...

this will about cover all the conceivable factions for the show's timeline plus concurrent events:

Anti-Unification League (against the UN world government)
United Nations / United Earth Defense Force / Robotech Defense Force
Hostile Zentraedi (pre-Exedore peace talks, all of Dolza's forces)
Allied Zentraedi (post-Exedore peace talks, Breetai and Azonia's forced allied with the UN/UEDF/RDF)
Malcontents (post-Zentraedi Holocaust, previously Allied Zentraedi as well as Human Rebels)
The Army of the Southern Cross (formed during the uprisings, eventually takes military control of Earth after the Expeditionary Force leaves)
Robotech Masters (defense forces at Tirol and other locations)
Robotech Masters (hostile forces that attack Earth to find protoculture factory)
Regiss Invid (hostile, actively fighting Zentraedi and Masters)
Regent Invid (all went to Earth)
United Earth Expeditionary Force / Robotech Expeditionary Force
Earth Resistance (during the Invid occupation)

**warboss**

Alpharius wrote:
Good question!

I was wondering about how sustainable this game can be, or will it largely be considered 'self-contained' in that we'll basically have 2 sides only?

Or maybe 3, once the Invid show up?

Here my lack of Robotech knowledge betrays me...

The simplest way to explain it would be that the show "Robotech" is an amalgam of 3 different anime sources that details three distinct but related alien invasions so you'll have a minimum of 6 armies (two sides per era). Since it spans over 20 years (and is made from 3 different sources), the "humans" get three distinct looking armies that will likely each be an individual faction. The aliens also constitute different factions so you'll end up with three there. On top of that, you'll probably have 40k style allies either as an army rule or with combined units between some of the factions. The macross units they posted already had the "malcontent" combined human/zentraedi forces (which can be used both for the "good" and "bad" guys) so the idea of allies will likely continue. Left over Macross units fighting with southern cross were in the RPG so I don't see why they wouldn't allow it (as well as with REF units in the third series). The zentraedi that are the aliens in this kickstarter were the slave clone bred soldiers of the Robotech Masters so they'll likely to be able to pair up with each other. And this is just from the traditional robotech series for the most part and ignores what they may or may not take from shadow chronicles and sentinels (later sequels to the traditional "robotech" series).

**IceRaptor**

Alpharius wrote:

I was wondering about how sustainable this game can be, or will it largely be considered 'self-contained' in that we'll basically have 2 sides only?

Depends on what material they go through. Just covering the television series, they'll get essentially 6 'factions'. UEDF versus Zentradi (Macross Saga), ASC versus Robotech Masters (Southern Cross) and REF versus Invid (Next Generation). Those basically align to the good versus bad guys in each series.

If they expand to the Sentinels universe, there's a new raft of models that mixes influences from the ASC and REF with the Zentradi into some new designs. There are also some different Invid designs (Inorganics) and probably you could mine the other worlds explored in the McKinney books for ideas (not sure of the copyright on those).

There's also a fifth possible timeframe, which would be the Malcontent Uprisings, set between the Macross and Southern Cross segments. That featured some different designs but they were mostly UEDF versus 'cobbled together' Zentradi forces. Still, you could probably get a handful of models out of it.

I'll be surprised if they won't try to expand to a Rifts wargame, assuming this goes well.

**Spartan-Kun**

I hope they do southern cross soon, I need my hover tanks and ajacs.

**Cypher-xv**

I'm hoping for more free stuff. Last christmas was great cause I got FW goodies. This one looks to be even better. Now that I think about it it's the Christmas I should of had when I was nine years old.lol

**warboss**

Spartan-Kun wrote:
I hope they do southern cross soon, I need my hover tanks and ajacs.

To be completely honest, I hope you end up disappointed in that one regard. Palladium stopped pretending that their last two crowdfunding offers were a priority as soon as the paypal claim window closed and Soda's big minis offering is 6 months late so far (who knows if it will be delayed again). I'd rather have them actually get the Macross stuff into the hands of the funders before they even think of offering up another era as a Kickstarter to avoid a Red Box Game situation. There is something about a bird in the hand that applies here...

**Kid_Kyoto**

Alpharius wrote:
Good question!

I was wondering about how sustainable this game can be, or will it largely be considered 'self-contained' in that we'll basically have 2 sides only?

Or maybe 3, once the Invid show up?

Here my lack of Robotech knowledge betrays me...

They seem to be doing 3, based on the list of units.

UEDF
Zentradi
'Malconents' (mixed UEDF/Zentradi forces)

Spoiler:

Anyway reading up on Macross vs Robotech the whole rights issue is even more @#$%ed up than I thought.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/Robotech?from=Main.Robotech

Skipping the details...

The end result of the convoluted legal snarl:

Harmony Gold can continue to release the original Robotech stories, and can release their own DVDs of the original Macross in the US, but cannot create derivative works based on Macross (or its Big West stablemate Southern Cross).
However, they can create derivative content based on Mospeada, which was wholly owned by Tatsunoko in the first place.
In addition, they effectively have veto rights for the imports and English translation of Macross merchandise and series that are not covered by the original license. Consequently, all Macross productions with the exception of the original series, Macross Plus and Macross II Lovers Again (the latter two were "snuck in" under Harmony Gold's radar at a time when their TV production and licensing divisions were badly savaged by a "headhunting" raid by Haim Saban. By the time HG could have contested it, it was too late.) * are blocked from being sold or translated in North America, and under Harmony Gold's interpretation, Shoji Kawamori cannot make or distribute his own drawings and designs within North America. (This has not made them popular.)

Consequently Harmony Gold's more recent sequels, most notably the completely original feature-length film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, are all set in or after the part of the Robotech timeline drawn from Mospeada.

The fact that HG can only create 'derived works' from Mospeada PROBABLY means that Palladium cannot include any of their own Macross era creations (alternate destroids, next-gen veritechs and the like) nor can they use their Neo-Soviets as a faction (not that anyone was too impressed with them).

So it looks like if it wasn't on screen they can't include it.

At least not till they do Mospeada/New Generation.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Spartan-Kun wrote:
I hope they do southern cross soon, I need my hover tanks and ajacs.

The nice thing about Southern Cross is it was more of an even fight rather than 1 ship against SEVERAL MILLION others. But I'd like to see Palladium can do this game before they bite off a whole new era.

**Spartan-Kun**

warboss wrote:
Spartan-Kun wrote:
I hope they do southern cross soon, I need my hover tanks and ajacs.

To be completely honest, I hope you end up disappointed in that one regard. Palladium stopped pretending that their last two crowdfunding offers were a priority as soon as the paypal claim window closed and Soda's big minis offering is 6 months late so far (who knows if it will be delayed again). I'd rather have them actually get the Macross stuff into the hands of the funders before they even think of offering up another era as a Kickstarter to avoid a Red Box Game situation. There is something about a bird in the hand that applies here...

Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about this and I want this to go without a hitch. I'm merely being optomistic.

**Lysenis**

Ugh. . . cant wait for the 9th. . . want to help fund this KS. . . hmmmmm what would be a good amount? Any ideas?

Sadly I will have to convert the VF-1's so that they can have wings swept. Since the demo video stated that they were mainly there for movement then wings swept makes the most sense.

Hmmmmmmm still wonder what level I shoud get in on and what addons would be a good idea. . . I am thinking the $140 level but I can allocate up to $300 ish to this no problem. . . Is the Showdown worth it?

**Cyporiean**

Lysenis wrote:
Ugh. . . cant wait for the 9th. . . want to help fund this KS. . . hmmmmm what would be a good amount? Any ideas?

Then pledge, you aren't charged until it ends: May 20, 10:00pm EDT.

**Spartan-Kun**

I think showdown is a good deal, its what I'm going with. Along with another 60 in add ons (gotta have a monster)

**UN Test Pilot**

@Lysenis, It all depends what you want out of it, but if the add ons continue getting better, 2x Showdown is a great choice, and it leaves you enough for a MAC II. If your looking at more variety in units then Battlecry might be the level for you, just depends on the extras you want.

**warboss**

Lysenis wrote:
Ugh. . . cant wait for the 9th. . . want to help fund this KS. . . hmmmmm what would be a good amount? Any ideas?

Sadly I will have to convert the VF-1's so that they can have wings swept. Since the demo video stated that they were mainly there for movement then wings swept makes the most sense.

Hmmmmmmm still wonder what level I shoud get in on and what addons would be a good idea. . . I am thinking the $140 level but I can allocate up to $300 ish to this no problem. . . Is the Showdown worth it?

As stated earlier, they don't charge you a penny until the end of the Kickstarter so you don't necessarily have to wait for the 9th but there isn't much incentive to get in earlier except in raising the pledge total and pledger numbers quicker. If anything, pledge for $1 (put in that amount and select no reward) just to get the pledger number up for that goal and then increase your pledge on the 9th if you don't believe us or the kickstarter faq.

As for what level is right, it's hard to tell right now since we don't know exactly how much you'll end up getting with the $140 freebie sweet spot level. I'd say if the most important thing for you is variety of models/units, go for the $80 core set and then just pick up a legal squad of each add on to make sure you get one squad of each model. The core set will give you one veritech squadron of 4, one large zentraedi pod squadron of 12, and one destroid squadron of 4 with the currently known stretch goals. If your priority isn't necessarily variety but rather lots of models, get the $140 freebie pledge and then add on the legal squadrons of add-ons you like.

**Sean_OBrien**

Posted this up a bit ago - must be assuming the $430K mark will be reached while they sleep:

The Destroid Boxed Game Upgrade is almost here and the Zentraedi are hot on their heels!