Robotech Kickstarter Funded at $1.44 Million!

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**Joyboozer**

I'm guessing the result of the KS questions to Palladium will be this
Wayne : Awww Kevin, those KS people are asking questions again.
Kevin: Oh gosh darn, well, I've asked our fans and they are all 100% happy with everything we've done so it must be something Ninja Division did. Call them with the questions.
Wayne: Right away sir.

2 Days later
Wayne: oh no, my glue stick is empty, how will I add Kevin's changes to the rulebook now? Guess I'll just have to fill time calling Ninja Division until more glue sticks magically order themselves.
Operates phone.
John looks at ringing phone.
John: oh not again
Answers phone
John: Umm err hi, you've reached Ninja Division, we're doing, uh, something else and can't talk to you for a week at least. Bye Wayne.
Wayne: oh bother, I got their machine. Uh, hello, those KS people are asking stuff and Kevin said to let you know. Kevin said its your problem and Kevin said you need to give us the answers so Kevin can present them as his work on his project you ruined. Also, would you be interested in funding our new rulebooks? Bye.

**Forar**

The Palladium forums? Yeah, they've been quiet after one of their moderators went on a locking spree.

Even people talking relatively politely got shut right down.

There's a reason the PB forums are quiet; people have learned that if they don't want someone shutting down topics in a draconian fashion, they need to have discussions on non-PB controlled spaces. Thus here, the KS comments and one fan's unofficial PB page, thought that latter one has seen some discussions get deleted due to being overly hostile, so I don't hold much faith in that one.

If I want to talk openly about the topic, I go to KS or here. Anywhere PB has direct sway is a gamble otherwise.

**Cypher-xv**

I just got a warning from NMI for this.

Considering how PB is late with everything this line alone is priceless.lol

"I’m in a funk about product being late."

Warning: User warned. - NMI

http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=142827&p=2774805#p2774805

**Forar**

You'd think they'd be immune to deadline stress at this point, considering even their most strongly worded targets appear to be polite suggestions at best.

**warboss**

Salacious Greed wrote:

Warboss, I never really compared sizes, so seeing your pictures above really made me sad. I was under the delusional self impression that a destroid was going to be half again as tall as a terminator. So 20+ parts for a pretty much mono-pose POS has actually made me depressed. I wish they could have been honest about their gak attitude and approach to model making during the campaign. Now the PTSD voices think I should ask for a refund in person with both PB and ND and all this gakky little pissants who think they're making a great product...

I agree that they should have been honest/realistic with us from the beginning and I had hoped that Ninja Division's involvement would have provided that. Unfortunately, ND has followed Palladium's footsteps/foibles as they now have a pattern of massively delayed projects just like their senior partner. As for the sizes, I hoped that would be the case. When I was enthusiastically promoting the game locally during the KS, I was telling people the intro pledge got you almost 100 terminator+ sized models for $140 as it seemed like the closest, most accurate (but not entirely accurate) comparison. Seeing people compare destroids to dreads and others just taking that as the truth got me thinking that I should do some sort of pic so that people can decide on their own about the size. While the zentraedi are obviously bigger, the UEDF is close enough.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Forar wrote:

If I want to talk openly about the topic, I go to KS or here. Anywhere PB has direct sway is a gamble otherwise.

I found it humorous that the mod thanked Akashic for his post's "constructive criticism" when it was 100% pure unadulterated pure hero worship.

**Skorne**

http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=142888

I felt I had to post this. Pure vomit worthy.

Sun and Clouds – April 2, 2014

That’s today’s forecast. And I think that’s how I’ve been feeling the last week or two. There have been moments when I’ve felt enthusiastic, positive and sunny, and other times that I’ve felt worn out and cloudy — gloomy and frustrated. I think a lot of that comes from working constantly, for months, putting in long hours, and working weekends, yet somehow we’re still behind schedule on new releases and release dates continue to slip. Waaaah. We’re a small company of six people, so when one book slips, they all get pushed back. It is as frustrating as Hell. Especially when you know you’re giving it your all, but your all isn't good enough. It brings you down.

While I am writing slower than I like, apparently it’s pure gold. Alex came in this morning to say, “The latest batch of Northern Gun material was great. I could really picture it all. I know you’re feeling like the writing isn’t coming easy, but you’d never know it from what you’re handing us. I think you’re at the top of your game. People are going to love this book.”

That’s great to hear, and it’s nice to have a cheerleader like Alex in your corner. You know, a guy who tells it like it is and doesn’t blow sunshine up your behind. So when he says something is good, you know it’s good. Heck, all the guys are like that. Some days I wish they were yes-men, but not really. I like getting honest criticism and feedback even when it is harsh at times. It’s what helps me keep the level of quality strong. Of course, I tend to be my harshest critic, so it’s good to know I’m hitting on all cylinders when I’m so not sure myself.

That’s part of the problem working on a big book (more than 160 pages), it’s like running a marathon. Toward the end, you’re running on instinct and sheer force of will. And that finish line can’t appear soon enough.

I finally feel like I’m getting my writing rhythm back. Yesterday was pretty productive and I’m feeling hot writing today, so I’m going to get back to it.

**Forar**

Yeah. The bit where he goes on about how Alex is such a tough customer, and doesn't want people blowing sunshine, is kind of odd juxtaposed against... someone giving him glowing feedback.

If I ever attend a convention that PB has a presence at, I'm getting a "SHOW, DON'T TELL" t-shirt made up and making sure I get a couple of pictures at their booth. Preferably if I'm having a nice chat with a couple of their employees at the time.

**vitae_drinker**

You know, for someone who never holds anything back and is a straight shooter and isn't a yes man and doesn't blow smoke up his ass, he sure always loves whatever Kevin gacks out.

**warboss**

Skorne wrote:
http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=142888

I felt I had to post this. Pure vomit worthy.

Sun and Clouds – April 2, 2014
That’s great to hear, and it’s nice to have a cheerleader like Alex in your corner. You know, a guy who tells it like it is and doesn’t blow sunshine up your behind. So when he says something is good, you know it’s good. Heck, all the guys are like that. Some days I wish they were yes-men, but not really. I like getting honest criticism and feedback even when it is harsh at times. It’s what helps me keep the level of quality strong. Of course, I tend to be my harshest critic, so it’s good to know I’m hitting on all cylinders when I’m so not sure myself.

So models with clunky poses, incorrect bases, no optional gun cluster bits, unnecessarily fiddly parts, and multiple large seams across the front facing is the result of a process involving critical evaluation and feedback? What the hell did they look like before?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Forar wrote:
Yeah. The bit where he goes on about how Alex is such a tough customer, and doesn't want people blowing sunshine, is kind of odd juxtaposed against... someone giving him glowing feedback.

If I ever attend a convention that PB has a presence at, I'm getting a "SHOW, DON'T TELL" t-shirt made up and making sure I get a couple of pictures at their booth. Preferably if I'm having a nice chat with a couple of their employees at the time.

I will pay you the symbolic (but totally real) sum of $1 USD if you instead get a pic of yourself talking to Kevin with a sticker of a ceiling fan on one butt cheek of your pants and a sun on the other. The name tag with your choice of Palladium White Knight username is optional but recommended.

**stanman**

I wonder if Alex's glowing praise was delivered before or after he gave Kevin his birthday hummer.

**vitae_drinker**

stanman wrote:
I wonder if Alex's glowing praise was delivered before or after he gave Kevin his birthday hummer.

I'm going to have to say 'during.'

**BobtheInquisitor**

warboss wrote:

So models with clunky poses, incorrect bases, no optional gun cluster bits, unnecessarily fiddly parts, and multiple large seams across the front facing is the result of a process involving critical evaluation and feedback? What the hell did they look like before?

Now, I know Palladium and Ninja Division make great targets and deserve heaps of blame, but the one party that makes me wonder is the manufacturer. At some point, shouldn't they have had a little professionalism or given ND the benefit of their experience? Even the people who make Happy Meal toys can plan seams and mold lines better than we've seen on these models. It makes me wonder how they chose this manufacturer.

PD: So, we're agreed then that you'll make these miniatures for ridiculously cheap and let us skim off the KS money?

Manufacturer: I feel it is my ethical duty to remind you once again that we only make toilet parts in this factory. Just valve assemblies, spouts and floaters for non-namebrand toilets. We aren't even Swisher or Sloan quality. If we make your product, you may find yourself vulnerable to legal and probably even extralegal complications. Do you understand? Your models will look like ersatz toilet pieces.

PD: Cool. Here comes the money!

**Forar**

PD: Typo, or Palladium Division?

Either way, way too funny.

**BobtheInquisitor**

Forar wrote:
PD: Typo, or Palladium Division?

Either way, way too funny.

It's a bit of both. I conflated their names in my mind, much as a scientist and a fly may be conflated in a teleporter booth, or a mecha and a tinker toy might be conflated in a 3D printer.

**Azazelx**

warboss wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Forar wrote:
Yeah. The bit where he goes on about how Alex is such a tough customer, and doesn't want people blowing sunshine, is kind of odd juxtaposed against... someone giving him glowing feedback.

If I ever attend a convention that PB has a presence at, I'm getting a "SHOW, DON'T TELL" t-shirt made up and making sure I get a couple of pictures at their booth. Preferably if I'm having a nice chat with a couple of their employees at the time.

I will pay you the symbolic (but totally real) sum of $1 USD if you instead get a pic of yourself talking to Kevin with a sticker of a ceiling fan on one butt cheek of your pants and a sun on the other. The name tag with your choice of Palladium White Knight username is optional but recommended.

You should Kickstart this. I'd totally back you.

**Salacious Greed**

BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Now, I know Palladium and Ninja Division make great targets and deserve heaps of blame, but the one party that makes me wonder is the manufacturer. At some point, shouldn't they have had a little professionalism or given ND the benefit of their experience? Even the people who make Happy Meal toys can plan seams and mold lines better than we've seen on these models. It makes me wonder how they chose this manufacturer.

PD: So, we're agreed then that you'll make these miniatures for ridiculously cheap and let us skim off the KS money?

Manufacturer: I feel it is my ethical duty to remind you once again that we only make toilet parts in this factory. Just valve assemblies, spouts and floaters for non-namebrand toilets. We aren't even Swisher or Sloan quality. If we make your product, you may find yourself vulnerable to legal and probably even extralegal complications. Do you understand? Your models will look like ersatz toilet pieces.

PD: Cool. Here comes the money!

Pure Douche? You could have went with NB, for No Balls.

Either way, I don't think they chose for the option where the factory points out what complete and utter gakkers they are, and it is probably a running joke how bad these models are going to be. In point of fact, they may win an award for turning out the worst US product of the year...

I know next to nothing about HG, but do those guys not really care about their derivitive product either? Surely they could disapprove the model based on how sad it is.

**Cyporiean**

Salacious Greed wrote:

I know next to nothing about HG, but do those guys not really care about their derivitive product either? Surely they could disapprove the model based on how sad it is.

They pretty much only care about milking off their ridiculous exclusivity to Macross.

**warboss**

Azazelx wrote:
warboss wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Forar wrote:
Yeah. The bit where he goes on about how Alex is such a tough customer, and doesn't want people blowing sunshine, is kind of odd juxtaposed against... someone giving him glowing feedback.

If I ever attend a convention that PB has a presence at, I'm getting a "SHOW, DON'T TELL" t-shirt made up and making sure I get a couple of pictures at their booth. Preferably if I'm having a nice chat with a couple of their employees at the time.

I will pay you the symbolic (but totally real) sum of $1 USD if you instead get a pic of yourself talking to Kevin with a sticker of a ceiling fan on one butt cheek of your pants and a sun on the other. The name tag with your choice of Palladium White Knight username is optional but recommended.

You should Kickstart this. I'd totally back you.

Normally, I'd say poppycock but in a world where flying assault butts went from a dakka thread joke to a funded project.. it could happen. I suspect Forar and I could deliver before Palladium as well.

BobtheInquisitor wrote:
warboss wrote:

So models with clunky poses, incorrect bases, no optional gun cluster bits, unnecessarily fiddly parts, and multiple large seams across the front facing is the result of a process involving critical evaluation and feedback? What the hell did they look like before?

Don't be ridiculous. There is no way that is a Palladium WIP model as none of the gaping seams are visible from the front!!

**Forar**

warboss wrote:
Normally, I'd say poppycock but in a world where flying assault butts went from a dakka thread joke to a funded project.. it could happen. I suspect Forar and I could deliver before Palladium as well.

Send Forar to Gencon, with the express purpose of using every ounce of mockery, sarcasm, snark and smarm he can level at Palladium Books. It won't get you your Battle Cry boxes any faster, but relish every moment as he wears a selection of mocking shirts (ranging from subtle to "okay, not even trying to hide it, remotely"; at the right tier, you even get to design a shirt! (shirt must be approved by Forar and Warboss, nothing that would get him ejected from Gencon)).

Silly stickers, buttons of solidarity, community designed shirt, and at the higher tier (due to cost of production and shipping based on weight), your very own commemorative "Feth Palladium Books, Seriously: Challenge Coin", made from an alloy containing actual elemental Palladium. On one side, dolla dolla bills, on the other, a turd.

Receive actual updates as production goes forward, hear of our challenges, mock us in the comments (I know I have it coming!), and share in the community that has risen up and decided "No more KS on KS!"

Coming Soon(R, C, TM)!

**warboss**

Forar wrote:
warboss wrote:
Normally, I'd say poppycock but in a world where flying assault butts went from a dakka thread joke to a funded project.. it could happen. I suspect Forar and I could deliver before Palladium as well.

Send Forar to Gencon, with the express purpose of using every ounce of mockery, sarcasm, snark and smarm he can level at Palladium Books. It won't get you your Battle Cry boxes any faster, but relish every moment as he wears a selection of mocking shirts (ranging from subtle to "okay, not even trying to hide it, remotely"; at the right tier, you even get to design a shirt! (shirt must be approved by Forar and Warboss, nothing that would get him ejected from Gencon)).

Silly stickers, buttons of solidarity, community designed shirt, and at the higher tier (due to cost of production and shipping based on weight), your very own commemorative "Feth Palladium Books, Seriously: Challenge Coin", made from an alloy containing actual elemental Palladium. On one side, dolla dolla bills, on the other, a turd.

Receive actual updates as production goes forward, hear of our challenges, mock us in the comments (I know I have it coming!), and share in the community that has risen up and decided "No more KS on KS!"

Coming Soon(R, C, TM)!

I agree but with the stipulation that the coin be minted in 14 different parts needing assembly with seams running right across both the text and the turd relief (but none along the edge of the coin where they might not be seen). I don't know about you but I feel like we're 98% done with the work already and ready to go into production within 30-40 days of the end of the crowdfunding.

**Nari224**

Azazelx wrote:
warboss wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Forar wrote:
Yeah. The bit where he goes on about how Alex is such a tough customer, and doesn't want people blowing sunshine, is kind of odd juxtaposed against... someone giving him glowing feedback.

If I ever attend a convention that PB has a presence at, I'm getting a "SHOW, DON'T TELL" t-shirt made up and making sure I get a couple of pictures at their booth. Preferably if I'm having a nice chat with a couple of their employees at the time.

I will pay you the symbolic (but totally real) sum of $1 USD if you instead get a pic of yourself talking to Kevin with a sticker of a ceiling fan on one butt cheek of your pants and a sun on the other. The name tag with your choice of Palladium White Knight username is optional but recommended.

You should Kickstart this. I'd totally back you.

That took a while to explain the background to my wife but she burst out laughing with that punchline.

I'm in too!

**warboss**

Thanks! Hey, if Palladium isn't going to provide us with enjoyment via updates then we'll have some deservedly at their expense.

One interesting comment from Red Duke I saw this morning is that there are space combat rules. Did they mention that during the KS? I'm curious if they're different substantially from the normal ones (i.e. vector physics or somesuch) or if everything just suddenly flies 2" at least and there is usually no terrain/cover.

**Forar**

There could be some terrain in space. Floating bits of Macross Island, asteroids, wrecked hulks/debris from ships, sections of hull on one side or the other (though having part of both a Zentraedi ship and the SDF-1 on the board would require them being within spitting distance of one another unless the board was the size of a football field).

I mean, I agree, but at the same time the setting does allow for more on the table than just a few asteroids, X-Wing style.

That said, Mike's rules has an entire table about how various environments affect mech movement. I really hope it's not nearly that complicated. He said to ignore the 'changing elevation section', which is good, because I think many players eyes would start to cross if they had to reference that and then run the math every time they ran up or down a hill (different adjustments for each, of course).

**rigeld2**

Don't forget the massive tuna as terrain.

**warboss**

Forar wrote:
There could be some terrain in space. Floating bits of Macross Island, asteroids, wrecked hulks/debris from ships, sections of hull on one side or the other (though having part of both a Zentraedi ship and the SDF-1 on the board would require them being within spitting distance of one another unless the board was the size of a football field).

I mean, I agree, but at the same time the setting does allow for more on the table than just a few asteroids, X-Wing style.

True but that is what I referred to with "usually no terrain" but in retrospect it might not have been clear. I'd expect on a space table to have maybe a dozen small pieces of terrain equivalent to individual trees and maybe 0-2 bigger ones but not more than that persoanlly. Whereas on a planet setting, I'd expect some cover to be the most common state but in space no cover to be the most common. The lack of real cover would make any electronic warfare that might provide "virtual cover" more important (like ECM spoofing by recon pods or VEFs).. but I'm not sure if rules exist for that in Robotech.. because.. you know...

I think it would be a nice change of pace from terrestrial battles to have little to no cover in some games.

**Cypher-xv**

From the PB weekly update.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™
"Molds are being cut. Waiting for the final prototypes of the Valkyries for our final approval. Making the last fine tuning to text, rules, decals and other stuff. Can hardly wait to get the First Wave into manufacturing! When we have something much more definitive YOU will be the first to know."

**warboss**

Molds are being cut... so the best they can do now is tweak little things like adding extra details but they can't remove any nor change up the parts. I guess we're getting the cheap looking models after all unfortunately... on top of the unknown quantity (to all of us except Mike) of the rules... 8 months late at best. At least palladium is consistent(ly bad).

**Salacious Greed**

Ugh, if they just started cutting the molds, they won't be done with that until the end of April. Production runs until at least end of May. On a boat the entire month of June. So won't hit Palladium until mid-July at best most likely. That is IF everything goes perfectly between now and then.

Nothing about PB or ND leads me to believe or wager anything on perfection from either company or the plumbing manufacturer they have making our plastic dollies. I guess I need to search the internet for a sad panda avatar...

**warboss**

The Dreamforge thread had the creator mention that he needed to correct the tooling at least three times to get it right. Sometimes he had to make concessions and other times he made the production team come up with new ways to cut the models to get acceptable results. From the look of the models and the cuts, it appears with Robotech only the former happened.

**Sining**

Again, I'm amazed PB doesn't update the KS page but their own webpage instead. Really???