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2018/04/20 20:39:03
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
Yeah, those seemingly arbitrary blankets over pallets don't look suspicious at all.
AT. ALL.
I mean, it COULD be anything. But they have no problem leaving other pallets uncovered.
If it turns out it is RRT product... it would not surprise me that they're so stupid. Cause being stupendously dumb AND utterly brazen about thinking they won't get caught, is kind of their standard operating procedure.
2018/04/21 00:20:09
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
Kind of amazing that they actually included geese photos in that album. Ironic self awareness or true dedication? For those wondering how much the flock of true believers had dwindled down there only appear to be a couple dozen unique individuals in the photos, even before subtracting staff and artists/authors who may be more vendors than fans.
Yeah, those seemingly arbitrary blankets over pallets don't look suspicious at all.
AT. ALL.
Initially i could have passed it off as 'use blankets to provide a backdrop so the warehouse doesnt look messy' but when you have blankets hanging from the 1st tier of racking it shows that it is about covering up something and not just making the place look nice.
Did you notice the pallets in the middle of the aisle actually had he blankets wrapped the the pallets with black wrap lol
2018/04/21 06:50:54
Subject: Re:Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
The open house pictures got me curious. I went back and looked through the RRT updates, and found some interesting pictures back in update #160 - "Shipping Shifts into High Gear Tomorrow"
I couldn't find numbers on how much had been produced for the other items
What got me thinking about this is the clearly visible RRT stock (for sale?) in the left-hand side of this picture from OH. I wonder which add-ons those are besides the core boxes - Valks? And I just noticed there is a bonus bag sitting on top of the core box pile...
Automatically Appended Next Post: Wow, compare the 2018 OH to the 2015 OH, and you can tell they have declined quite dramatically, and they still have practically the same amount of RRT stock filling their warehouse.
Even just comparing the RRT games is a huge difference - swarms of painted figures (at least 12 armies), extravagant tables AND ships in 2015 - to barely 3 tables with poorly assembled terrain or just flat cut-out 2D terrain for the games.
Stormonu wrote: The open house pictures got me curious. I went back and looked through the RRT updates, and found some interesting pictures back in update #160 - "Shipping Shifts into High Gear Tomorrow"
I couldn't find numbers on how much had been produced for the other items
What got me thinking about this is the clearly visible RRT stock (for sale?) in the left-hand side of this picture from OH. I wonder which add-ons those are besides the core boxes - Valks? And I just noticed there is a bonus bag sitting on top of the core box pile...
Automatically Appended Next Post: Wow, compare the 2018 OH to the 2015 OH, and you can tell they have declined quite dramatically, and they still have practically the same amount of RRT stock filling their warehouse.
Even just comparing the RRT games is a huge difference - swarms of painted figures (at least 12 armies), extravagant tables AND ships in 2015 - to barely 3 tables with poorly assembled terrain or just flat cut-out 2D terrain for the games.
Thanks for your post. I think Palladium Books Open House 2018 is really small compare to 2015. I just saw the pics on PBFB and still looks like a very small turn out. I wonder why?
2018/04/21 20:02:29
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
In either picture there is less than 50 people pictured. That is not lot of attendees, If a local comic convention only had
50 people attend they would think it was a failure..
Still feel there needs to be some kind of push to Gen Con to boot Palladium from the Convention.
I am sure they will not offer any type of true refund by then; So if they don't have any money..
They don't need to make the expense of travel, lodging, etc...
Plus didn't Peter that owns Gen Con have a bad history with Kevin??
2018/04/22 17:41:27
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
They sued his small game company called Wizards of the Coast for including conversions to the Palladium system in their universal supplement line.
Pretty much tanked the RPG plans and forced them to publish some small card game instead...
2018/04/22 22:35:16
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
They are keeping the product warm in that cold, cold werehouse.
Sir Isaac Newton may be the deadliest son-of-a-bitch in space, but John von Neumann is the logistics officer that eats your problems and turns them into kit.
2018/04/23 01:20:30
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
ThaneCawdor wrote: They sued his small game company called Wizards of the Coast for including conversions to the Palladium system in their universal supplement line.
Pretty much tanked the RPG plans and forced them to publish some small card game instead...
Something else to blame Palladium for!
2018/04/23 08:35:34
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
It will not matter... till it does.
They can still say they are dealing with orders prior to the drop dead date.
I suspect May 1st will be the "true" drop dead date where they can be questioned on "progress".
On a side note, we were having some discussions on Facebook and I wondered aloud what would become of the mold assets.
I got some reply that a "typical" method is to rent out the molds as needed so if no-one pays for them in a while the Chinese company can run some of their own parts.
So, did Palladium actually spend money on "rental" dies?
This is Palladium Books but any dealings I have had in China with molds we made sure the assets had a property label and a signed agreement we owned them.
IF these rental molds are a real thing, that could explain the insane production run of Wave 1, PB being the cheap folk they are.
But one would think a huge expense was mitigated a fair bit, which makes me think they pocketed a fair bit of money anyway (or were royally fleeced... which is not inconceivable).
Just trying to make sense of a situation that will soon be a moot point.
<edit> I agree on the open house blanket covers: there are some that cover on a second level here and there that gives a definite appearance of targeted rather than just to pretty things up.
The case could have been made if it was consistent only at floor level.
That is a mixed feeling looking at the RRT tables for play at the open house.
There are like two that are noticeable: the "world tour" table sporting our CN tower and a pyramid and then the Dropzone Commander City (I have been using that but got other stuff on the go).
Some tables out there are truly epic that the "home" of RRT could not be bothered to reach out to.
If I were them... <shudder> giving away a fair bit of product would be an easy thing to do to get them to come out.
So many missed opportunities, just no clue of how to create a community... they seem more and more a cult than a company that makes product for a common customer base.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/04/23 13:55:27
A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.
Napoleon Bonaparte
2018/04/23 14:55:50
Subject: Re:Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
Well, i guess PB must want me to contiue waiting for the class action suit, as they haven’t sent me a shipping quote.
I’m actually not sure which way I’d rather go - get minis I’m not really interested in and be done with this farce, or get nothing and hope a classaction manifests that puts PB out of our misery.
It never ends well
2018/04/23 17:49:51
Subject: Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
Stormonu wrote: I’m actually not sure which way I’d rather go - get minis I’m not really interested in and be done with this farce, or get nothing and hope a classaction manifests that puts PB out of our misery.
Win-win??
I keep going through this weird thought process:
1) PB seems to regularly misrepresent what they do so they need some negative stimulus to get it to stop (not excluding closing doors as a permanent stop).
2) They are so... horrible in how they do things you can almost feel sorry for how bad they are.
3) Just looking at the open house pictures, the place is depressing, disorganization or lack of care is apparent. Putting them out of their misery seems like a kindness, almost.
4) Some customers just love their product and truly are "fan-friends" and it would be the end if they closed their doors. But so many customers dealing with PB wonder what planet they are dealing with and is a rather jarring example of not playing by what was thought to be mutually agreed rules.
5) The business really is Kevin. In person he is personable enough BUT you can see it is his way or the highway in all things in short order. Toppling a dictatorship is almost always satisfying as many revolutions could attest.
6) They really are small in the scheme of things which Kevin spins the large corporate leader or small mom/pop business as the need suits. For customer protection actions their out-reach pretty much ended with this kickstarter. It is only a matter of time.
7) Palladium now only has Rifts as any recognizable brand. They had TMNT and Robotech and let each of those drop. I suspect next year's open house (if there is one) will be an awfully empty warehouse. Could have a couple games of basketball going.
#1 reason why I did not take the refund-in-kind is I would like their company's demise to be "natural".
I suspect the shipping cost is a bit over inflated and i do not want to contribute to zombie PB.
I still like to lay claim to my modest amount of money owed, there is no real "highground" to take the trade and then complain.
So the arguably foolish reason to be justified to give bad press to Palladium Books as the situation and mood suits me.
I find it terribly odd that I am STILL not ready for closure, I think so-far they have been let off too easy.
A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.
Napoleon Bonaparte
2018/04/23 17:50:39
Subject: Re:Robotech® RPG Tactics™-License lost, the end is near!
There is a suggestion on the Lawsuit Facebook that Harmony Gold has required Paladium to hand over all the remaining stock which they are having shipped to a liquidator.
Ctaylor wrote: That would make sense, especially if PB owes royalties to Harmony Gold.
As much that, as I think Harmony Gold not trusting PB to not do something incredibly shady. Because would YOU trust Kevin Siembeda?
That could be anything from preventing PB claiming to have destroyed stock that they sold to a "friend", to Harmony Gold wanting to double check their royalty accounts, if they were getting an additional royalty per box.
In the latter, we know that 17,502 cores were sold. PB have accounts of what backers needed. PB would have made claims about sales over the past 3.5 years. Harmony Gold having a liquidator receive and inventory the stock, gives the final number. If the number from all three is significantly less than 17,502, then PB have a problem.
I can throw the planet further than I trust Kevin. Maybe Harmony Gold feels the same.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/04/24 02:07:22
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