tutorials?

[slaaneshgod]

I have been looking and trying to find some kind if tutorial/beginners play guide on how to run and play games of robotech lately. I bought all the latest run of books as they came out but have trouble figuring out what I'm doing. I have been a wargames and pen and paper RPG gamer most of my life (Im 31). For some reason though I can't seem to grasp the concept of this game. I always want to play and have for many years now but I just get lost and frustrated and it never goes anywhere. I got my tactics stuff a few weeks ago and it clicked for me instantly, but these might as well be written in french for how confused and lost I feel every time I try. If anyone has any beginners guides or tutorials or begginers campaigns or something that could help me understand what I'm looking at I would be greatly appreciative. I mostly bought them and the earlier ones and every other robotech thing I could find because I'm a robotech fan. I do play pathfinder(did play dungeons and dragons before) and the fantasy flight star wars RPG still. I play warhammer 40k and fantasy, war machine/hordes, firestorm armada, robotech tactics( loving this BTW), and various other tabletop games like super dungeon but I seriously can't seem to grasp this game. Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you!

[ShadowLogan]

What is causing the trouble with grasping the game specifically?

Is it rule based? If it's rule base, you might want to checkout 1E RT books, or some other Palladium RPGs as they might help. TSC rule book really helps to be familiar with the system itself, so if you aren't familiar with it from other lines. It also doesn't hurt to ask here.

Is it story/camaign based? There are a variety of books in the first edition line that have campaigns that are setup to varying degrees. See if you can get a hold of "RDF Manual" (random encounter tables), "RDF Accelerated Training", "Sentinels" (has a few adventures in the back), the old Main book (has a few adventures in the back), "Zentreadi Breakout", "Ghost Ship", "Lancer's Rockers", "Strike Force", "New World Order", and "Return of the Masters" these last few are full campaign modules. Now these books are all intended for 1st edition of the RPG, so some changes may be needed to account for the changes implemented between the two editions.

[Phaze]

I agree with Slaaneshgod. I have bought all the books but struggle to still make a character. Combat and skill roles are not that difficult, but just the creation of a character is confusing to me, (i.e. how do I determine all the bonuses for combat? how many attacks do I get? with so many skills that effect the core stats, how do I determine the core stats, what stacks, what doesn't? It would be great to have an idea if I am doing it right (I know that 'right' is a relative thing in these systems, but there still should be a core solid mechanic.)

I came to Palladium for the Robotech Tactics Game and love it. I haved played a pregen character in HU and enjoyed it. I am getting into the Rifts RPG and the Robotech (Macross Era) RPG as well, but character creation is kicking my tail.

I think it would be great if someone could post a step by step guide to character creation and a sample combat round. If it is good enough, we'll get it stickied.

Thanks for any help!

[guardiandashi]

I agree with Slaaneshgod. I have bought all the books but struggle to still make a character. Combat and skill roles are not that difficult, but just the creation of a character is confusing to me, (i.e. how do I determine all the bonuses for combat? how many attacks do I get? with so many skills that effect the core stats, how do I determine the core stats, what stacks, what doesn't? It would be great to have an idea if I am doing it right (I know that 'right' is a relative thing in these systems, but there still should be a core solid mechanic.)

I came to Palladium for the Robotech Tactics Game and love it. I haved played a pregen character in HU and enjoyed it. I am getting into the Rifts RPG and the Robotech (Macross Era) RPG as well, but character creation is kicking my tail.

I think it would be great if someone could post a step by step guide to character creation and a sample combat round. If it is good enough, we'll get it stickied.

Thanks for any help!

first of all for char creation there are 2 ways to start.
stats:
option 1 is the classic roll attributes method. IE get out your d6 and start rolling based on the occ/rcc says.
option 2 stats array basically you are the pp monger ok it says you get ....

second stage skills and abilities:

to make it simple ALL bonuses always apply.
what this means at its simplest is if you take acrobatics or gymnastics the stat bonuses apply AFTER you rolled your stats, however if you rolled a 15 on an attribute a +1 skill bonus does NOT get you the "exceptional stat bonus die" that is only applied at the stat roll phase.

stage 3 equipment. Robotech tends to be generous in some ways in that "military" chars tend to have most of the gear NEEDED to do their job issues to them, but not necessarally everything they want.

say you were playing a alpha fighter pilot. obviously you would be issues an alpha fighter of some kind, typically with a cyclone in its cargo bay, your body armor sidearm etc. but mabie your char is a bit of a "gun freek," so you picked up a couple extra weapons out of your personal funds, this is totally ok.

I hope those basic tips help.

as a note as you are reading through there are various places where the newer books say this step is OPTIONAL that means you don't have to do it but you usually get something for doing it.

[slaaneshgod]

That helps a little. The character creation I can kind of fumble through. I don't really know why but it just feels like an alien language sometimes. I don't know of any other game that gives me this much trouble. I haven't touched any of Palladiums other games. I have played other games but nothing that coinfuses me quite as much. I felt it was some kind of mental block or something and if I played with an experienced gm I'm sure that could easily be solved but nobody plays around here and I just get overwhelmed or confused or something. It frustrates. Especially as bad as I want to play and have wanted for years. I have never seen the robotedch books before I bought this set honestly. I've never seen another palladium book around here. Plenty of tsr, wizards of the coast, white wolf, fantasy flight and some older games workshop stuff. I'm the odd duck and a bit of a robotech nut ( I like macros too but there is no legit releases and I actually like robotech mostly). I'm the one pushing tactics here and we have a healthy wargaming community so it might happen a little. I totally feel lost. I bring the books to work and read them lately and it still seems like I just don't comprehend what I'm reading like it is in another language or something. Its really the only way I can explain it. I read and the mecha stats and fluff are all golden but the rest is nonsense words to me. Maybe I'm just kinda hopeless. Thank you for the reply though. I do appreciate the help even if I'm obtuse. At least I understand tactics completely. Loving it too.

[slaaneshgod]

I can use the series story some although I really can't come up with a campaign. I'm not much of a gm but I've done it for other games OK over the years. I just don't seem to understand the game enough to write something up that will work. I think I might understand parts of combat ( mega damage and sdc and striking mostly make sense at least.) I guess a good premade beginners campaign could help get a better grasp. Maybe I just need context or something. Art its frustrating me. Again thank you.

[guardiandashi]

I can use the series story some although I really can't come up with a campaign. I'm not much of a gm but I've done it for other games OK over the years. I just don't seem to understand the game enough to write something up that will work. I think I might understand parts of combat ( mega damage and sdc and striking mostly make sense at least.) I guess a good premade beginners campaign could help get a better grasp. Maybe I just need context or something. Art its frustrating me. Again thank you.

ok:
I am going to work from shadow chronicles 1st edition.
start on pg 64, or 196
I prefer the classic 8 attributes @ 3d6 because its what I am used to (or the variant my gm used 4d6 reroll 1's and 2's take 3 best) and yes it skews the stats higher)
rolls:
14, 16(bonus d 4) = 20, 12, 14, 17 + bonus 6, plus bonus 6 plus bonus 5 should be 35 but stats are capped at 30, so 29. 13, 14, 17 +5= 22
so my stat array is 14, 20, 12, 14, 29, 13, 14, 22
now as rolled the attributes would be:
IQ 14
me 20
ma 12
str 14
pp 29
pe 13
pb 14
spd 22

personally it can be fun to have better stats in a few places but overall this isn't bad, and that insane PP means this char is going to be great at hand to hand and ranged combat.
so looking at the veritech pilot occ this char meets all the attribute requirements so lets do that.
common skills:
computer operation +10%
language English +2%
literacy English +2%
math basic +2%

OCC skills:
climbing +10%
forced march +2 pe, +1d4 spd, +2d6 sdc
military etiquette +10%
pilot airplane +30%
pilot jet aircraft +30%
pilot jet fighter +20%
pilot spacecraft light and medium +15%
radio basic +15%
sensory equipment +15%
space survival +10%
swimming +5%
wp energy pistol
wp energy rifle
wp handguns

MOS
Veritech Alpha pilot
boarding spaceships +10%
intelligence +12%
land navigation +10%
mecha pilot 1 of choice (will come back to that)
Mecha Pilot Veritechs
Mecha Pilot Speciality Alpha
Mecha Elite Combat training Alpha
Navigation +20%
Navigation space +10
Wilderness survival +10
zero g combat
MOS bonus
+3d6+10 sdc, +1 init +1 dodge, +1 PP, +1 PE

4 occ related skills
MECT cyclone
Boxing +1 attack +2 parry/dodge +1 roll +2 ps +3d6 sdc
Acrobatics +2 roll +1 ps, +1 pp, +1 pe +1d6 sdc
field armorer and munitions expert +5%

secondary skill...
cooking

now we go back through the attributes and skills applying bonuses as needed:
IQ 14
me 20
ma 12
str 14 +1 acrobatics, +2 boxing
pp 29 +1 MOS, +1 acrobatics
pe 13 +1 MOS, +1 acrobatics +2 forced march
pb 14
spd 22 +1d4 forced march (rolled 3)

IQ 14
me 20
ma 12
str 17
pp 31
pe 17
pb 14
spd 25

optional ways to round out char pg 67
alignment...
race:
sex:
Age
physical build
height
birth order
place of birth
family ties
relationship to teammates
special aptitude bonuses
outlook on earth
etc.

[guardiandashi]

obviously the next step would be to go back and finalize skills determine and finalize sdc and hit points etc.
but at least you have a good summary of the attributes, and how the skills can bump up physical attributes.

the optional special bonuses can bump up a attributes a bit also but its just more tweaking the basic char at that point.

[slaaneshgod]

That is a lot of info and thank you. It should help creating characters. I still don't understand the system itself though. I have made a character or two but I don't really know what some of it is for or means. That is how it gets lost. I guess I just don't know how to play and write an effective framework for players to play in relation to the game mechanics. Or how those mechanics work. Thank you for the help.

[guardiandashi]

That is a lot of info and thank you. It should help creating characters. I still don't understand the system itself though. I have made a character or two but I don't really know what some of it is for or means. That is how it gets lost. I guess I just don't know how to play and write an effective framework for players to play in relation to the game mechanics. Or how those mechanics work. Thank you for the help.

a lot of the mechanics are pretty simple in essence.

hits you roll a d20 and apply mods
using the char example above
hand to hand expert, 4attacks/melee +1 for boxing
so unaugmented the char would have 5 attacks per melee round (of 15 seconds)
in an alpha the char would get 6, also 6 when using a cyclone

in hand to hand combat the char would have a minimum of a +8 to strike parry and dodge (from the high pp. )
ranged combat is a little different...

for using skills its a percentile check any roll under the skill percentage, adjusted for conditions succeeds any roll above % fails
opposed rolls follow the same idea but use the skill check and a mos/mof model

[ShadowLogan]

That is a lot of info and thank you. It should help creating characters. I still don't understand the system itself though. I have made a character or two but I don't really know what some of it is for or means. That is how it gets lost. I guess I just don't know how to play and write an effective framework for players to play in relation to the game mechanics. Or how those mechanics work. Thank you for the help.

Can you be more specific on things that you get lost on or mechanics you aren't clear on?

[slaaneshgod]

I may have just realized something. I hear first and second edition talk but when I think first edition I think the one from the 80 and second edition being the one with the shadow chronicles as the main book. I have the first printings of the manga sizes of shadow chronicles (march 2008 I have it at work I've been reading it through), macross, and masters. My genesis pit and new generation are both the full size but I believe first printing. And a a first printing Shadow chronicles deluxe (I intended to gm). Was there a change after that I missed?

[Seto Kaiba]

I may have just realized something. I hear first and second edition talk but when I think first edition I think the one from the 80 and second edition being the one with the shadow chronicles as the main book.

Yep, you're right there.

I have the first printings of the manga sizes of shadow chronicles (march 2008 I have it at work I've been reading it through), macross, and masters. My genesis pit and new generation are both the full size but I believe first printing. And a a first printing Shadow chronicles deluxe (I intended to gm). Was there a change after that I missed?

Yeah... the manga size printings were the subject of a lot of discontented muttering due to problems with them not being able to lay flat for easy reading, etc., so they went to the regular printing size starting at New Generation and opted to re-release the manga sized books in the normal size after the inventory of manga size books sold out.

[slaaneshgod]

Good to know. I may have to repurchase them.

[silvermoon383]

Nah, no real reason too, though don't let us stop you. For the laying flat problem I've always just taken my books to FedEx office and had them rebind them with a spiral bind. Works great as long as the cut the spine right.

[guardiandashi]

an explanation on exactly what you are having issues with would be helpful such as:
char building (granted some attributes and mods can be subject to interpretation as to how they stack/add up)
skill use issues...
combat issues
etc.