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Okay, I gave the page for the RRT Battlescribe file a poke and reported an issue (update the darn file!).
I started digging into the programming for it.
I LIKE!!!
His modular programming is awesome, all the linking for everything makes the head spin a bit but I think I can get used to it.
Eric Falsken "efalsken" is pretty active lately on the 40k updates so maybe if he wants to relax he can throw some love this way or he can act as Yoda as I hack away.

I am pretty sure in my short time I was able to define the essence of the Super VF-1A and define the MDS-L-46 Hailstorm Missile Pack.
A fair bit of copy paste will be needed for the different flavors: (1J, 1D, 1S, 1R).

I will have to see if there will be more than a rule note for "Jettison".
Could you imagine: you would need 6(!!??) models for EACH of these fielded? (Unless you keep your army uniform so you can "fake it"... but where is the fun in that?)
A core choice would need 24 models... challenge accepted or run away screaming?
You would need only 4 each for the Armored VT but, we have no choice cards for that (official!! easy there Mike! )
Imagine, fire ALL your missiles at range, Jettison and then unload your standard compliment of missiles and let the smoke clear.

How many out there are selling their starter boxes??

BTW, anyone having trouble figuring out how to import the data file feel free to PM me... it was not as intuitive as I would like but made me slap myself once I figured it out.

Maybe with a couple successes I can add some updates to the RRT Proboard as well.
Anything that progresses RRT and needs little or no involvement form PB makes me happy.
Maybe I can do as Mike and host a unofficial "complete" army list program.
There is nothing in the programming preventing me from changing to my heart's content but I would like to play ball with the official guy first.
Getting some visibility with a leading army list builder would be a good way to go.

 Talizvar wrote:

I will have to see if there will be more than a rule note for "Jettison".
Could you imagine: you would need 6(!!??) models for EACH of these fielded? (Unless you keep your army uniform so you can "fake it"... but where is the fun in that?)
A core choice would need 24 models... challenge accepted or run away screaming?

I suspect people will just put a token or marker of some sort to indicate a super that jettisoned the armor... or use an unsed VF mode model from another squadron (you're only using 1/3 at any time).

There is zero reason to eject the armor on a super since you have nothing to gain unlike the armored VT

 Mike1975 wrote:
There is zero reason to eject the armor on a super since you have nothing to gain unlike the armored VT

Talk about genre emulation, eh?

Just found that someone also was doing RRT files for Army Builder... xD
Sadly he left the project just with the minis of wave 1.

Would be cool if someone can make it, with all the options of wave 1 & 2. Go ahead Talizvar!

 Nesbet wrote:
Just found that someone also was doing RRT files for Army Builder... xD
Sadly he left the project just with the minis of wave 1.
Would be cool if someone can make it, with all the options of wave 1 & 2. Go ahead Talizvar!

I seem to have misplaced my license number for Army builder and had undergone an unexpected email change so it may get interesting (Never use the Bell "sympatico" email and then switch providers: they delete it).
I looked at that program a while back and it made a bit less sense to me but that was a few years ago.
I do admit that I am most comfortable with the Army Builder interface, it makes very nice printouts.
I am rather torn, the development group for Battlescribe seems more alive than Armybuilder.
But the more direct and easy to change version by far is Excel.
Really need to be checked for ADHD... <analysis paralysis mode on>.

 Nesbet wrote:
Just found that someone also was doing RRT files for Army Builder... xD
Sadly he left the project just with the minis of wave 1.

Hey, can you blame him? So did Palladium! Ba-dum, dum, tisk! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all year!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Talizvar wrote:
[
I do admit that I am most comfortable with the Army Builder interface, it makes very nice printouts.
I am rather torn, the development group for Battlescribe seems more alive than Armybuilder.
But the more direct and easy to change version by far is Excel.
Really need to be checked for ADHD... <analysis paralysis mode on>.

I used to use AB a ton when I was playing 40k back in 3rd and 5th editions. It's a good program but the yearly license fee (as opposed to just buying it like I did in 3rd edition) turned me off when I came back to it. Luckily, there was a guy/forum dedicated to updating the old edition files with new 40k stuff so I was covered. Unfortunately, the support for other game systems outside of the biggest one for an outdated version of the program was not surprisingly lacking. When I discovered battlescribe (first the free ad one then I bought the full version), it wasn't as pretty (as you said... I'm not sure if you can print out paper copies from the android version) but it supported alot more games. You can probably transfer files from the android mobile to the desktop version to print but the availability of smart phones makes having that paper copy less important (which wasn't the case back when I played 40k for me).

 warboss wrote:

Hey, can you blame him? So did Palladium! Ba-dum, dum, tisk! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all year!

Won't we all? Shame PB doesn't turn up at all - it IS their show after all.

We are now just Kev's captive audience. We sit here and take whatever he throws at us - including his weekly 'update' of "Silence +10". The only way to show him that we don't want to hear it is to unsubscribe, but if we do that then only his "Tru-Fans" (TM) will talk to him and he'll think the rest of us have gone insane and no longer want the product, so he won't deliver it.

if we do, if we don't.

Has any of you think this before?
What about going a bit more aggressive and start a change.org campaign to make more fuzz? Something like the one that hit more than 17K people to make warhammer great again (or GW not such a pain in the ass).
https://www.change.org/p/games-workshop-limited-refocus-your-business-model-on-the-sale-of-a-game-and-support-of-a-gaming-community-vice-the-pure-sale-of-collectible-miniatures


Maybe go for a more realisitic goal: 5342 people...
If we make it happen (regarding not making it only with backers, also with ghosts, random people or even bots xD) we could press PB to move and work a bit on wave 2.
Maybe get all the official cards thru drivethru? Maybe release all the 3D renders for free to backers to print them in shapeways? Who knows!

I we hit even a better score, we could convince Kevin that it's a good idea to finish and go on with RRT as a project, for future expansions.

I he still does nothing or keeps giving us the usual PWU garbage, we could even start a KS: LETS SUE Palladium Books/wave 2 is not coming or something alike.
Maybe for sure, maybe as a joke, it will make quite a fuzz in the internet. Imagine all the views in BOLS, warseer, dakkadakka etc etc etc

Or is all this way too unrealisitic to be done?

 Nesbet wrote:
Or is all this way too unrealisitic to be done?

I had further hope of trying to get Auditor General or the Federal Trade Commission involved by writing them.
That has not been successful so-far.

Now trying to put pressure on PB / Kevin, I think they have the same opinion as Oscar Wilde: "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.".

Unless financial stress can be placed on them through punitive legal means or souring any endeavor they enter to make money, I do not expect much from PB/Kevin.
I am unsure if Kickstarter is completely ruined for them, they seem to have cleaned house on Facebook and Conventions... well, we could not hurt them much there: few notice they exist.

I keep seeing an appetite for Robotech product in general but PB/Kevin really have not taken any intelligent steps to get what fans want out there and support products that can get more cash to their business.
I dislike unhelpful middle-men so I do it myself where possible.

 Nesbet wrote:
Has any of you think this before?
What about going a bit more aggressive and start a change.org campaign to make more fuzz? Something like the one that hit more than 17K people to make warhammer great again (or GW not such a pain in the ass).
https://www.change.org/p/games-workshop-limited-refocus-your-business-model-on-the-sale-of-a-game-and-support-of-a-gaming-community-vice-the-pure-sale-of-collectible-miniatures


Maybe go for a more realisitic goal: 5342 people...

*snip*

Or is all this way too unrealisitic to be done?

It's both unrealistic and pointless. I don't mean that as an insult to you but rather a simple statement of fact.

Palladium is immune to criticism. They've been panned for decades with flagging RPG sales year after year while being the laughing stock of the industry in their current form (although plenty of nostalgia for what they previously represented)... and they think they're fine. In 2012, Kevin Siembieda held a secret you didn't even know you were voting! poll at their open house event and came up with the result that only 1% of fans want any sort of change. No one knew they were "voting" in the poll when they just said "hi!" and shook his hand but he apparently took those as "yes, we're happy!" votes because enough people who ATTENDED the event said that they were never asked anything of the sort and if they had they would have said "no, we want change" to blow that ridiculous 1% number out of the water. Kevin also came to the conclusion that the folks complaining about his multiyear delays, years long lack of support, outdated art and book structure, and horrible rules aren't fans or customers so he should just ignore them. That's what will happen to any "change" petition you'll make.

In the meantime, most backers are to disinterested about the project to even log into Kickstarter to comment let alone vote on something that they'll likely never know about. The silent majority will simply stay silent. Even when palladium held their needlessly sham gencon vote (that they would have won without rigging), only a quarter roughly of backers bothered to sign in and that was after MULTIPLE updates emailed to every backer by kickstarter's system. At best, you'll get a few percentage points of backers to ever sign anything.

What we're left with is telling EVERYONE your personal honest experiences with Palladium as a backer and customer as well as simply not buying more of their products direct from them or new from any retailer that isn't offering a 50%+ off clearance price. That's how you can send a message to Palladium that they might care about. If you absolutely need more robotech models because you have an active gaming group (and it sounds like you do), try waiting for one of the frequent clearance sales (If you buy at normal price they might think there is a demand and that they should restock from Palladium)... better yet, buy used but still on sprue from a fellow backer at the same discount since there isn't much of a shortage of those. If you buy from another backer/customer who is fed up with this bs, you're accomplishing three things. 1) You're getting the models you want. 2) You're helping out a fellow backer/customer who gave up and wants out 3) You aren't giving Palladium any money until they own up to their responsibility and complete their rewards.

^^^^^^Agreed.

Sad but true, good sir.

 Nesbet wrote:
What about going a bit more aggressive and start a change.org campaign to make more fuzz?
https://www.change.org/p/games-workshop-limited-refocus-your-business-model-on-the-sale-of-a-game-and-support-of-a-gaming-community-vice-the-pure-sale-of-collectible-miniatures

Maybe go for a more realisitic goal: 5342 people...

Or is all this way too unrealisitic to be done?

It is far too unrealistic. The only thing that would work would be a class action lawsuit.

 warboss wrote:

 Nesbet wrote:
Just found that someone also was doing RRT files for Army Builder... xD
Sadly he left the project just with the minis of wave 1.

Hey, can you blame him? So did Palladium! Ba-dum, dum, tisk! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all year!

I lol'd.

Then I cried.

***

Still working on painting my first RDF units, but the Zents are mostly done. Maybe I'll get a game in one day, possibly before wave 2 ships.

The relevant part of the weekly update:

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™
I know some of you fear that Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is forgotten or abandoned by Palladium. It is most definitely not. We have been continuing to look into ways to produce figures with much fewer parts and deliver a high quality product you will love. We’re looking into something very exciting right now through a third party. We are also working toward providing much more support in many areas. Much more to come.

Why do I get the feeling they're excited about unicast from Prodos? I'm guessing that they're zomg! 100 hour work week x 58 weeks a year forEvar! didn't even find that but rather a backer told them about it. In any case, Prodos has the same contempt for their kickstarter backers as Palladium so it may be a match made in heaven. Jarek and Kevin can sit around a campfire laughing about how they pulled on over their most dedicated customers that week while packing boxes of KS paid for rewards repurposed for retail.

edit: crap... and I'm back to 100% full negative again. :(

 Talizvar wrote:

 Nesbet wrote:
Just found that someone also was doing RRT files for Army Builder... xD
Sadly he left the project just with the minis of wave 1.
Would be cool if someone can make it, with all the options of wave 1 & 2. Go ahead Talizvar!

I seem to have misplaced my license number for Army builder and had undergone an unexpected email change so it may get interesting (Never use the Bell "sympatico" email and then switch providers: they delete it).
I looked at that program a while back and it made a bit less sense to me but that was a few years ago.
I do admit that I am most comfortable with the Army Builder interface, it makes very nice printouts.
I am rather torn, the development group for Battlescribe seems more alive than Armybuilder.
But the more direct and easy to change version by far is Excel.
Really need to be checked for ADHD... <analysis paralysis mode on>.

I want to take a moment to rant about Army Builder, since this cost me an hour or two yesterday.... Lone Wolf is seriously the most fracked-up company putting out this sort of software and should be ashamed of their practices. Since I finally upgraded my PC to Win 10, the license went kaput on my machine and I have happily switched over to Battlescribe (after much rangling and failing to get my old license moved). Army Builder isn't worth the effort of installing or keeping up, and I would encourage anyone contemplating putting money into it look elsewhere - there are many other programs that do the same exact thing and do it without the pain-in-the-butt problems Army Builder (and Herolab) have.

As for PB, they're still up to their old tricks - I seriously hope they aren't looking at Unicast - Prodos has made a real mess of their AvP kickstarter that rivals the mess this one is in. Combining two feths is not how you clean gak - you only get a bigger, smellier pile.

 Ctaylor wrote:

I lol'd.

Then I cried.

***

Still working on painting my first RDF units, but the Zents are mostly done. Maybe I'll get a game in one day, possibly before wave 2 ships.

Exactly the same for me when reading your answers...

So, f*ck that sh*t! And started painting when arriving home after work!



Still a WIP, a crappy photo, but after a life-long-time-peiod just building, making scenery and playing here and there, I'm back to PAINTING!
Screw you Kevin! Screw you PB! I'm gonna RRT with or without your help!

Focusing on the hobby (except for the RDF assembly) is probably the smartest thing a Robotech fan can do.

Exactly!



Finished with color bases. Call it a night. Gotta work in a couple of hours xD

 warboss wrote:
The relevant part of the weekly update:

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™
I know some of you fear that Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is forgotten or abandoned by Palladium. It is most definitely not. We have been continuing to look into ways to produce figures with much fewer parts and deliver a high quality product you will love. We’re looking into something very exciting right now through a third party. We are also working toward providing much more support in many areas. Much more to come.

Why do I get the feeling they're excited about unicast from Prodos? I'm guessing that they're zomg! 100 hour work week x 58 weeks a year forEvar! didn't even find that but rather a backer told them about it. In any case, Prodos has the same contempt for their kickstarter backers as Palladium so it may be a match made in heaven. Jarek and Kevin can sit around a campfire laughing about how they pulled on over their most dedicated customers that week while packing boxes of KS paid for rewards repurposed for retail.

edit: crap... and I'm back to 100% full negative again. :(

Yeah, if PB are looking to Prodos for answers, that's got potential for huge fethmuppetry. Sure, Prodos SEEM to be finally making good on their promises, but it's been a horribly bumpy ride across their several campaigns, and their communication has arguably been similar, as is the whole retail over backers deal. Having that level of competence and lack of information is one thing. Having it filtered through Palladium, is another. I just hope that if that's the case, that both sides have pretty clear contractual guidelines. Else it'll be a pretty quick rush to throw the other party under the bus.

I'm not sure of the speed required for Unicast. But there are by my count 25 models still owed in the Battlecry (that's assuming that PB don't fulfill their promise re Rick and Roy, and doesn't count the Monster, or the VEF/1D or anything that doesn't come in a BC). 25 * 6000+ Battlecry's = 150,000 models. Of course, that assumes single piece. Any splits (and they'll be necessary for at least some models) = proportionally more casts. While HIPS plastics can do multi-pieces at the same time (as evidenced by the sprues), at a rate of 2-3 per minute, I'd be curious the rate at which Unicast can be accomplished, especially given these appear to be larger than their existing models. And with materials like this, the larger the model, the longer it takes for the material to "set" before it can be removed from the mold.

Couple that with Prodos still working on their own fulfillment, EVEN if this is the case, it's likely looking to be a LONG way off before the last backers get fulfilled.

At least, IF and a big IF, Prodos is under PB radar, that will mean some movement. Better something than nothing? Right?
I just hope that if Prodos and unicast method is chosen, they make pieces and.not single poses miniatures. Would be a shame to wait for years to have same looking models.

Why do you think PB is looking at Prodos? Why not another company? Has PB or Kevin said something in the cons? (LOL, sure thing, Kevin giving info...)

PB was mentioning they were all excited as "an option" that a resin/plastic hybrid can be used with a "soft" mold that has the material injected under pressure to minimize bubbles / short shots and can manage a fair amount of undercuts.

Sounding an awful lot like Unicast.

I made the mistake of visiting a dakka forum discussing Prodos's offering to others and it got a bit heated later in the thread:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/678971.page
<edit> I think this was it and a little more direct about the process: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/689418.page
I must admit I AM impressed by the results.
So are we about to find out if two wrongs make it right?

 Talizvar wrote:
PB was mentioning they were all excited as "an option" that a resin/plastic hybrid can be used with a "soft" mold that has the material injected under pressure to minimize bubbles / short shots and can manage a fair amount of undercuts.

Sounding an awful lot like Unicast.

I made the mistake of visiting a dakka forum discussing Prodos's offering to others and it got a bit heated later in the thread:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/678971.page
<edit> I think this was it and a little more direct about the process: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/689418.page
I must admit I AM impressed by the results.
So are we about to find out if two wrongs make it right?

Link? Where were they discussing that?

Since its anouncement, does somebody or some small games company ordered Prodos to make unicast miniatures? Or are just words and promises so far?

 warboss wrote:
Link? Where were they discussing that?

It cropped up off and on and the MODs kept having to push for staying on topic.
"Warzone" kept popping in with various sculpts so it was nice to see a company rep come to dakka for some feedback:
Here (I think the better page):
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/690/678971.page (Look for the Robotech reference!)
Here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/900/678971.page
and Here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/930/678971.page

Hey Folks,
I was curious about this game since a buddy of mine picked up some of the figs. Forgive me for not reading the whole thread, but can someone satisfy my morbid curiosity and let me know where the game and the kickstarter currently stands.

 Nesbet wrote:
Since its anouncement, does somebody or some small games company ordered Prodos to make unicast miniatures? Or are just words and promises so far?

They quote on their page even making automotive parts:
http://prodosgames.com/blog/prodos-unicast-is-here

 Eilif wrote:
Hey Folks,
I was curious about this game since a buddy of mine picked up some of the figs. Forgive me for not reading the whole thread, but can someone satisfy my morbid curiosity and let me know where the game and the kickstarter currently stands.

Hey, welcome aboard. Doesn't matter if you have not read the 179 pages of random rant and hate xD
The game it's currently were Palladium Books left if after the kickstarter, LOL
Seriously though, the game is a good game. Fast, fun, not with hundreds of minis (I'm looking at you, tyranids, orcs and goblins, skaven, ...) and minis look cool when painted
The negative side of this is that PB left the project on hold for 2 years now? The second wave of minis has not arrived yet and Kevin Simbieda is heck a boss, not comunicating anything valuable to the backers neither the possible customers or new players...

So, you will find a lot of anger and hate regarding RRT.

But there are some of us with active player groups or also doing personal efforts to fulfill the dream of having wave 2 miniatures, through 3D sculpting and shapeways, conversions, moulding, etc

Hope it helps. And I hope you don't run scared after the other negative comments that will follow! LOL

 Eilif wrote:
Hey Folks,
I was curious about this game since a buddy of mine picked up some of the figs. Forgive me for not reading the whole thread, but can someone satisfy my morbid curiosity and let me know where the game and the kickstarter currently stands.

Hrm, how to sum this up...

- Campaign finished May 2013. They were allegedly '98% done'
- Delivery target was Dec 2013, but PB expressed such confidence that they might even deliver in Oct or Nov.
- Jan 2014 they admit it'll have to be done in two waves.
- Spring/Summer 2014 wave one goes from design to production.
- Wave one begins shipping to NA backers/retail Oct/Nov 2014.
- The Rest of the World waits for months, they finally (allegedly) finish delivery of wave 1 in Q1 or Q2'ish (exact isn't really pertinent; they took way too long).
- Feb 2015 we see 5 sprue breakdowns for wave 2 figures.
- March 2015 at the "Palladium Open House" they announce that they're aiming to deliver wave 2 in late 2015. Obviously this gets missed as well. That eventually shifts to "Q1 or Q2 2016" (there are a bunch of variations here, it's not an exhaustive list), until at Anime North recently someone working with PB states that 2016 is not happening.
- June 2015: they post two GIANT 'updates' that don't actually update us on anything, bring the specter of a scale change for future figure lines up as a distraction, and blame/throw under the bus everyone they can while declaring themselves the saviour of anime in north america.
- We don't see any progress on wave 2 until Feb/March'ish 2016, literally a year since (four 3D printed prototypes and a resin/metal prototype of a non-game piece that was available as an add on during the campaign).
- Allegedly PB have been 'in talks' to 'trim the parts count' for like 1.5-2 years, and frankly I have zero faith in them delivering in 2017, so this '7 month project' has ballooned out to over 3.5 years with no end in sight.

It is, in a word, a clusterfeth. That isn't even touching on the lacking communications, lies (active and in retrospect), and dozens of other aspects that make this the worst experience I've had on Kickstarter, especially with the amount of money they took in and what my friends and I contributed.

Again, this is a *very* brief overview. The particulars are long enough I could write a book about them, from the 'vote' to sell at Gencon to the Customs debacle to "Spartangate" and beyond. It's basically the pinnacle of "making it big with a KS campaign and then pissing away almost all good will and nostalgia they had going for them".