Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

second hmm

Getting close to the 3500 Strength in Numbers goal, just 70 more pledges to get there. I wonder if and what any additional Strength in Numbers goals will be.

How is the Lancer going to bring "immense firepower to the table" when all they did in the series was explode in droves?!

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
The MACII is the only one they've said has 'major' savings compared to retail

so my guess is the prices are not far of MRSP for most of the add ons (maybe even more expensive than an internet discounter will sell them at)

That's been the case with a lot of other Kickstarters, although I do wonder if some of the add-ons in which they doubled what they're offering (for example when they double the Zentraedi infantry pack) will be a good deal. In theory if the original price was the same as the msrp, you're getting a 50% discount.

Is there a spreadsheet available for this one yet?

It is getting a bit complicated, and any help in figuring out what to pledge will be greatly appreciated!

Swabby wrote:
How is the Lancer going to bring "immense firepower to the table" when all they did in the series was explode in droves?!

Yes but it did shoot holes in Zentradi starships, so it might be a glass cannon sort of unit.

I wonder if it will suddenly aquire atmospheric capability so it can be used on Earth?

Otherwise I'd have really preferred the Cats Eye.

Here's some links.

I prefer the 3rd link.

They get posted from time to time depending on how fast they update them.


https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3jBKG-w4xhFM0Fkdm8ycVNIZm8/edit

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6667797/Robotech%20Pledge%20Calculator.xlsx

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ao7J_5shPTJGdC11VW02WjhQQXgxcndmWWxVQ3FfbGc#gid=0

 Alpharius wrote:
Is there a spreadsheet available for this one yet?

It is getting a bit complicated, and any help in figuring out what to pledge will be greatly appreciated!

There is a guy who posted an excel sheet pledge manager (unofficial of course) in the general comments every once in a while but I haven't personally ever downloaded it or clicked on the link.

I'll have to keep an eye out for that - thanks!

 Alpharius wrote:
I'll have to keep an eye out for that - thanks!

Eye up about 2 posts.....

/slap Alph

That's what happens when you're Modding away on Dakka, with too many windows open!

Thanks!

Swabby wrote:
How is the Lancer going to bring "immense firepower to the table" when all they did in the series was explode in droves?!

In the original RPG source book they deal the damage of a GU-11 on full auto (high damage, lowered accuracy, as I recall) up to roughly 15 times the range. Perhaps basically filling in the MAC II's role for space based encounters? Glass cannons that can, at least in groups, put a hurt out on anything you need to be damaged or at least more inclined to find cover of some sort?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

Swabby wrote:
How is the Lancer going to bring "immense firepower to the table" when all they did in the series was explode in droves?!

Yes but it did shoot holes in Zentradi starships, so it might be a glass cannon sort of unit.

I wonder if it will suddenly aquire atmospheric capability so it can be used on Earth?

Otherwise I'd have really preferred the Cats Eye.

Go back and watch boobytrap at the 15 minute mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjM8PbTw5tU

They launch some missiles and pew pew, they do nothing, then they die.

There has always been a huge disconnect between the stats in the RPG and the show itself.

Yes, because assuming they can't do anything besides die horribly makes them SO much more interesting than trying to make up a valid reason for their existence /rolleyes

I'm totally cool with taking some liberties with things you only see on screen for 2.2 seconds. That's the whole POINT of RPG setting books, to flesh things out in enough detail that you can play around inside it. And judging simply from the looks of the thing, it's a giant dual-cannon with a cockpit and some engines, I would HOPE it put out some serious damage!

A cool contest being run for any interested.


Robotech® RPG Tactics™: Design an Ace Contest

All pilots, man your Valkyries! Invasion is imminent!
As Palladium Books and Ninja Division's Robotech RPG Tactics Kickstarter comes to a close, we would like to invite all aspiring Veritech Ace Pilots to participate in a fun contest!

Design Your Own Ace Fighter and Squadron!

Prizes:
Winners will not only receive their Squadrons/Ace Pilot included in the rule book, but also receive a hand painted version of their Squadron/Ace Pilot's Veritech fighter painted in all three modes to add to your collection!

Instructions/Rules: (How to Participate)
Use the images here, and email entries to info@ninjadivision.com no later than May 31st for a chance to have your squadron and/or ace pilot immortalized in the Robotech RPG Tactics main rule book!

Scan/photograph/email a fully colored version of the VF1-J battloid of your ace pilot/squadron
Include the name of your Squadron/Pilot
(Optional) Include a squadron special marking/icon
Limit 1 entry per person per day

Judging will take place the first week of June, and winners will be announced via email and Facebook. Our panel of judges will include the creative staff from Palladium Books, Ninja Division, and Harmony Gold!

Picture : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php…

Looking for some help here!

Can someone breakdown all the purchasable extras, and list how many of each we'd need for a 'legal' unit?

Thanks!

 Alpharius wrote:
Looking for some help here!

Can someone breakdown all the purchasable extras, and list how many of each we'd need for a 'legal' unit?

Thanks!

All the UEDF are 4 for a Core Unit or 2 for a Support Unit, except the VEF/1D which are just a single unit. So that translates to a single box will get you the "Support Unit" version and 2 boxes would get you the "Core Unit" version.

The Zentradi pretty much follow the same rule, although different numbers. In most cases, 2 boxes for a Core and 1 for a Support.

Caveats across the board include stretch goals that haven't been met to bring some units up to their actual box count or the ever changing Org Charts.

I think they did this as they weren't sure on where the KS would top out. So, for example, the Armored Valk box doesn't get to a "4 in a pack" upgrade stretch, you can still buy a box and field the 2 as a Support Unit. I think they want everyone to feel that if they buy something, they can field it.

 Kalamadea wrote:
Yes, because assuming they can't do anything besides die horribly makes them SO much more interesting than trying to make up a valid reason for their existence /rolleyes

I'm totally cool with taking some liberties with things you only see on screen for 2.2 seconds. That's the whole POINT of RPG setting books, to flesh things out in enough detail that you can play around inside it. And judging simply from the looks of the thing, it's a giant dual-cannon with a cockpit and some engines, I would HOPE it put out some serious damage!

It really isn't an assumption when we have seen what they can do. The first episode of the series makes a point of illustrating just how ill prepared humanity is of dealing wwith the zentradi. The lancer is one of the vehicles that proves itself ineffective. Why turn it into something that it isn't in the show at all?

Kevin Sembedia has done more than take liberties with both editions of the RPG, I would go as far as to say he has created his own seperate canon with how far out it is from it's macross/robotech roots.

This particular model should have been a cheap disposable popcorn meatshield in my opinion, if we are going to try to capture the feeling of robotech the series and not Kevin Sembedias personal take on it.

If nothing else, they're in the books, and they have said that the product, while primarily a miniatures game, is also intended to let people have figures to use when they play the RPG.

So aside from things they can't produce (the Cat's Eye) and things they have stated they don't want to produce (comparatively boring stuff like regular jeeps and tanks), I'm not surprised to see 'em in there.

On the up side, we're a mere 2.5k from Armoured Battloids. Hopefully the 875k goal is truly awesome, and the 800k goal is something me and my whole group are looking forward to, as that's $80 we can put towards other things.

Forar I am glad to see them in the game but giving them abilities they just didnt have is just weird. You could just as easily say minmay learned kung fu from lynn kyle and thus put her in the game as a special infantry model but it just doesn't jive with the show. Why do it?

 Alpharius wrote:
Looking for some help here!

Can someone breakdown all the purchasable extras, and list how many of each we'd need for a 'legal' unit?

Thanks!

As stated above, the UEDF stuff is legal as a base unit with 4 models (4 valkyries or 4 destroids for example) with optional additions of 2 support units and/or 1 special model or character. Zentraedi have bigger units of 6 -12 and additional increments of 3-6 usually. Each add on will give you either the larger core unit or smaller support one (it varies which one from model to model) so you'll generally be able to use almost any add on in one way or another. They did also say that they plan on having rules for smaller more skirmishy games where the 2 model addition support choices are used for the basis of the whole squadron. The images they posted earlier are spoilered below.

@Swabby: No need to jump to absurd examples. This is a game, not a reenactment of the series. The first priority is making a fun game, including some unit diversity. The second priority is ringing true to the franchise.

 Manchu wrote:
@Swabby: No need to jump to absurd examples. This is a game, not a reenactment of the series. The first priority is making a fun game, including some unit diversity. The second priority is ringing true to the franchise.

There is no reason the game can't be fun and true to the franchise. And I totally agree with having unit diversity but this particular unit is serving a role already taken by some star players. I personally think it would have been just as interesting as a swarm unit that serves as a shield for more useful units while preserving diversity. Why play it up like some kind of badass unit when it just wasn't?

Swabby wrote:
There is no reason the game can't be fun and true to the franchise.

Then the UEDF player should be able to simply fire the main SDF gun right after the zentraedi forces set up and they need to roll a 6 to dodge for every model to survive. That's true to the franchise and an actual sensible battlefield example exactly unlike your minmei one... does that sound particularly fun? The two are frequently complimentary but occasionally contradictory even in a well designed game and show. One needs to take priority when they are and the best choice for a game is "fun".

Warboss there were plenty of situations in the series where both the zentradi and sdf 1 were unable to use their capital level weaponry. And as far as I know those ships are not part of the game and even if they were it would not be a stretch to have battles on the scale of this game in their shadow and out of harms way.

But making something into something it wasn't in the show when you already have other models covering nearly the same role doesn't sound like "fun" to me it sounds like a poor translation from screen to gameplay.

Swabby wrote:
I personally think it would have been just as interesting as a swarm unit that serves as a shield for more useful units while preserving diversity.

Now we're in the world of contradictions within a given goal. If our goal is "be true to the franchise" then we have to look not just at on-screen effectiveness but also on-screen size. This is a big model we're talking about. It's not going to make sense, in terms of the board or in terms of the wallet, to make it a "swarm unit." Assuming we keep the scale correct, that means a unit of lancers will be small, which in turn means that each model will need to do something relatively worthwhile. K_K gave a great example when he guessed they might be glass hammers. That is probably the closest to "true to the franchise" that we can get in the context of this particular scale of wargaming. That's very different from your kung fu Minmei.

Lancer II's were designed as anti-mecha space fighters. So they didn't damage capitol-ships... they weren't designed to.

The UN Spacy / RDF didn't begin to equip mecha with reaction/reflex nuclear warheads until 2010 or so.

 Manchu wrote:

Swabby wrote:
I personally think it would have been just as interesting as a swarm unit that serves as a shield for more useful units while preserving diversity.

Now we're in the world of contradictions within a given goal. If our goal is "be true to the franchise" then we have to look not just at on-screen effectiveness but also on-screen size. This is a big model we're talking about. It's not going to make sense, in terms of the board or in terms of the wallet, to make it a "swarm unit." Assuming we keep the scale correct, that means a unit of lancers will be small, which in turn means that each model will need to do something relatively worthwhile. K_K gave a great example when he guessed they might be glass hammers. That is probably the closest to "true to the franchise" that we can get in the context of this particular scale of wargaming. That's very different from your kung fu Minmei.

Obviously I am not interested in a kung-fu minmay. It was just a hyperbole example of the endless possibilities of making things up when you leave the constraints of the fiction you are representing on the table.

As far as it being a big and expensive model I would argue that other game companies have made similar models in price that serve the screening function in their games and they still sell even though the pricetag for a full unit is insane.

Yeah, I got that you didn't actually want Ninja Minmei. I got that it was hyperbole. What I am saying is that it is totally disproportionate as a metaphor for Lancers having decent firepower. And about the screening deal, there's no reason why they can't be a low model count screening unit (although I am betting they are artillery). What doesn't make a lot of sense is to have 60mm long models in swarm-sized units.

I am also betting that they are artillery as ruled right now given the description. I would be far happier with the unit as a screening unit even if a low model count, but really where there is one there should be many. These are unmanned drones that we only ever saw them in what I would call a swarm in the show.

Honestly I think the role we see these guys taking should have been taken by the ghost.

Has anyone seen an answer about using the lancers in atmo?