New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

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insomniac009
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New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

I'm working on a new campaign based on the concepts introduced by Robotech Academy and Odyssey. Going with the ideas introduced in the Academy KS and the McKinney Novels with End of the Circle (loosely).

I'm thinking of having the Academy being built around 2015 and starts accepting students in 2020 (the time the REF leaves Earth). By the time I plan on having the Children of Zor (COZ) show up to invade the Academy they've been in operation for 5 years. I was thinking of using the Marduk from Macross II as the COZ and they easily overwhelm the Academy and whatever ships are stationed there. With experimental space-fold equipment at the Academy they generate a space-fold and are instantly folded to the other side of the galaxy to one of the systems that was seeded by Zor.

The Academy fold was much quicker than the REF fleet and when they call for help they get a response from Admiral Hunter and the fleet. After learning their fold engines are burnt out he orders them to keep moving and make it hard for the COZ to track down what they want. At this point the REF has taken over Tirol and are starting to help the Sentinels recapture their planets. He orders the Academy to do something similar in their quadrant by going to the old colonies of Tirol and any other alien races that might be under Invid oppression and help free them and hopefully make allies that will join the fight.

Hunter is hoping that they can tie up enough of the Invid forces to make it possible for him to gain a hold of the local systems and break the power of the Regent/Regis. He's using them like Commandos in WWII and he wants them to stay away to keep the COZ from joining the fight against the REF until they've had a chance to get rid of the Invid.

For adventure material I'm using the Lucanii Rift from Kitsune Press (on RPG Now). Lots of "Star Trek" like adventure ideas there, enough for an entire campaign. There's a recurring villain called "Drones" that I'm co-opting into Robotech by making them Factory Satellite drones that have been converted into semi-autonomous drones sent out by a rogue factory satellite to gather building materials to continue building equipment for the Robotech Masters or working for the COZ? I figured they have plenty of other enemies from remnants of the Robotech Masters and Zentraedi forces to the COZ whenever they mange to find the Academy.

So as far as help I was wondering if anybody had any ideas of what clues or inventions Zor left on the moon of Phobos to help the PC's out? I'm drawing a blank. I figure on some of the seeded planets Zor might have left behind labs with equipment or information that might help them. The other idea I was tinkering with is Zor seeded a bunch of planets and that seed of life mutated the native animals on those planets. It's been thousands of years and now they've mutated into dysfunctional aliens that need something to "fix" their race/planet/environment/etc. to make them "whole". An example would be Garudans who were given the "Hin" to make them sane. I figured if the PC's could help these aliens out in some way with Zor's inventions they might join the PC's and help them out in their quest.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by tobefrnk »

Looming at what you’re asking for help with, I’d suggest pointing your brainstorming in the direction of what really happened to Zor’s ship after leaving the Robotech Empire before it arrived on Earth. Remember, the Zentraedi question, “What happened to the crew?” When they get to Earth. We don’t know. Maybe the ship we come to know as the SDF-1 didn’t arrive at Earth in a straight shot. Perhaps the ship was doing something around those planets you put your Academy Fold at? Maybe trying to hide/develop/stockpile weapons or research on an alternative to Protoculture? The “map” to these secret labs/cache could have been transferred unknowingly/purposefully to the Academy.

You may get other ideas if you watch shows like Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek Voyager, or Stargate Universe which all have that “stranded crew looking for X” kind of vibe.

I could write on, but then I’d be more dictating my own RPG story additions onto yours and that’s not what you’re looking for. Now go get to world building you crazy nut!
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by tobefrnk »

Maybe to be more helpful, the ideas you’re looking for might be easier to see if you really develop your factions of the story. Creating a rich identity for your take on the Children of Zor will lead you to what they want. For example, are they also low on Protoculture? If yes, they are then wanting either a steady supply, or a new energy source. Now you know what story goals you need. If they have vast amounts of Protoculture, then weapons could be the deal. If they don’t use Protoculture, but some other energy source, then you now have a bigger motivation for your Academy characters to want CoZ tech.

For me, Robotech is functionally a story about gaining fuel resources. So, whenever I work up a new faction, I have to look at, “What are they using as a power source?”. Answering that question has lead to a ton of discoveries about what stories I can create.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

tobefrnk wrote:Maybe to be more helpful, the ideas you’re looking for might be easier to see if you really develop your factions of the story. Creating a rich identity for your take on the Children of Zor will lead you to what they want. For example, are they also low on Protoculture? If yes, they are then wanting either a steady supply, or a new energy source. Now you know what story goals you need. If they have vast amounts of Protoculture, then weapons could be the deal. If they don’t use Protoculture, but some other energy source, then you now have a bigger motivation for your Academy characters to want CoZ tech.

For me, Robotech is functionally a story about gaining fuel resources. So, whenever I work up a new faction, I have to look at, “What are they using as a power source?”. Answering that question has lead to a ton of discoveries about what stories I can create.


Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep them in mind while I plot this all out. It helps me brainstorm if I can put my ideas out there and see what other people have to say about them or what input they might bring in so I appreciate the help.

I'm going to try to make a big sandbox out of this. There will be hints to point the PC's in certain directions but I'm going to be making the COZ/Marduk a pretty powerful enemy so unless they make allies they won't be able to take them head on. The REF won't be able to help them out either since they will be tied up with their own problems. I think I'll create 6 or 7 alien races on flower seeded planets that need various forms of help. I think once I've created the aliens I'll have a better idea of what Zor might have created to help them.

As for the COZ/Marduk I'm thinking they are advanced enough that they've managed to take over a factory satellite and re purpose it to their own ends. I'm thinking they've got a few high level people who were assistants to Zor and were modified in ways to make them more intelligent or some Tirolian scientists who were with Zor are helping them out. They are trying to take the moon of Phobos so they can get a hold of whatever Zor was developing in his secret lab. I can use this as a way to introduce "Spiritai" energy and developing the Idol/Walkure angle but I think my group would kill me if I did that. I might throw that in there anyway as a distraction from whatever the real "Superweapon" is. The COZ don't know what have happened to the Masters but they still think they need something from Zor to take out the Invid.

The way I see it Zor seeded a bunch of planets after the Masters defoliated Optera. Once he was killed his crew tried to take him back to his hidden lab on Phobos in hopes there was something there that could revive him but the ship was so damaged they crashed it on earth instead. I suppose the fact there is a secret lab hidden on Phobos will be revealed during the initial attack on the Academy before it folds out.

As far as resources I think that will be more of a problem for the PC's. They have folded away from earth with a few ships and a small moon. They are going to have to stock up on protoculture, food, water, etc in a part of space they aren't familiar with. The only mecha they have available to them is what they brought with them and what they have in the museum. I plan on giving them a good selection of "Prototype" mecha from the RPG. I'm also thinking it would be cool to have the PC's play 2 characters. One character who is apart of the bridge crew and the other would be apart of an "away team". That way they have more control over what decisions are made.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

what timeframe are you thinking for the campaign? post-reflex point/haydonite war period? during the invid occupation? etc.
this is sorta important since it helps establish what OCC's are available to players, as well as what mecha and what kind of logistical concerns might be present.

also, in HG's revised setting (and the RPG) fold drives have a limited range. it varies depending on the ship, but most can only do about 110 parsecs/358 lightyears at a time, at least until the 2040's (when newer drives get invented that can do three times that). no speed is given but my rule of thumb is to assume about 20 lightyears an hour, which means roughly one day per max distance fold. (with the post-2040's version drives you could probably double this speed)

UEEF marines inaccurately depicted a timeline that is contradicted by HG's canon material (for example, putting the death of the regent in the 2030's, when HG's prelude comic explicitly put it in 2042! or putting various characters like max, miriya, Cabell, and exodor on tirol or 'haydon IV' in 2044 when we are shown specifically in prelude and tSC that they were aboard the SDF-3 or the science ship Deukalion) basically the writer of UEEF marines, despite multiple feedback messages to PB pointing out the errors, used an out dated and inaccurate timeline from before HG's reboot of the robotech continuity.

in HG canon, the SDF-3 went to Tirol with an entire fleet with it, and while the trip took years, it was because they had to leapfrog across the galaxy a hundred parsecs or so at a time, and spent a lot of time scouting ahead along the route and planting colonies along the way.

so while a misfold can certainly catapult your academy to some remote part of the galaxy, you might want to establish via in game dialog and player briefing materials that the fold drive in question is some experimental type or that some weird circumstances occurred during it resulting in an unheard of distance of travel. and that it can't be reproduced again, limiting the academy to shorter jumps afterwards. depending on the timeframe you want to use, i'm more than willing to suggest some technobabble explanations for it.

another thing you might want to decide.. are your Children of Zor related to the "disciples of Zor" the robotech masters were so worried about? and if they are, are they the same group or just a offshoot/splinter faction?
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

glitterboy2098 wrote:what timeframe are you thinking for the campaign? post-reflex point/haydonite war period? during the invid occupation? etc.
this is sorta important since it helps establish what OCC's are available to players, as well as what mecha and what kind of logistical concerns might be present.

also, in HG's revised setting (and the RPG) fold drives have a limited range. it varies depending on the ship, but most can only do about 110 parsecs/358 lightyears at a time, at least until the 2040's (when newer drives get invented that can do three times that). no speed is given but my rule of thumb is to assume about 20 lightyears an hour, which means roughly one day per max distance fold. (with the post-2040's version drives you could probably double this speed)

UEEF marines inaccurately depicted a timeline that is contradicted by HG's canon material (for example, putting the death of the regent in the 2030's, when HG's prelude comic explicitly put it in 2042! or putting various characters like max, miriya, Cabell, and exodor on tirol or 'haydon IV' in 2044 when we are shown specifically in prelude and tSC that they were aboard the SDF-3 or the science ship Deukalion) basically the writer of UEEF marines, despite multiple feedback messages to PB pointing out the errors, used an out dated and inaccurate timeline from before HG's reboot of the robotech continuity.

in HG canon, the SDF-3 went to Tirol with an entire fleet with it, and while the trip took years, it was because they had to leapfrog across the galaxy a hundred parsecs or so at a time, and spent a lot of time scouting ahead along the route and planting colonies along the way.

so while a misfold can certainly catapult your academy to some remote part of the galaxy, you might want to establish via in game dialog and player briefing materials that the fold drive in question is some experimental type or that some weird circumstances occurred during it resulting in an unheard of distance of travel. and that it can't be reproduced again, limiting the academy to shorter jumps afterwards. depending on the timeframe you want to use, i'm more than willing to suggest some technobabble explanations for it.

another thing you might want to decide.. are your Children of Zor related to the "disciples of Zor" the robotech masters were so worried about? and if they are, are they the same group or just a offshoot/splinter faction?



Well, the first thing I did was decided to use the Mckinney novels and Bill Spanglar timeline from http://www.megascifi.com/Timeline_With_References.html as a base. I mixed in information from the Unofficial Robotech Reference so I could keep track of when different mecha were developed and threw in whatever else seemed interesting or made sense. Looking at the HG/PB timelines is like looking at waves in the ocean, they look nice but they keep changing. ;)

I'm going to start the game off around 2025. That's the year the REF de-folded and appear at Tirol. At that time the Malcontent Uprising is over, the Southern Cross is established and the RDF is a shadow of its former self. I figure the kids show up after the REF has retaken Tirol and are planning on helping the Sentinels retake their planets. I need to see what kind of impact having the kids spoiling the surprise about the time difference will have.

According to the novels the REF assumed the fold would be relatively quick but ended up taking 5 years. The UEEF Marines idea of hopping to Tirol and creating colonies as they go is an interesting idea but I think I'll stick with the 5 year fold theory. I figured the fold drive was one found in Zor's secret lab maybe? They hit the button out of desperation and it takes them to where it takes them within a day. After that they're using the smaller fold drives on the fleet ships they have on hand? Considering there are no maps to show where everything is positioned how can you judge how long it would take to get from system to system? I'm just going to say the special fold engine in the SDF-3 led them to believe they could make the jump in a day and it didn't work out that way. I like your rule of thumb, I'll look into incorporating it. The only exceptions would be the SDF-3, the Academy fold, and whatever else might be necessary.

I think based on the timeline they should have REF Destroids, Alphas and Betas, prototype hovertanks and cyclones. I was even thinking of throwing in Harguns from Megazone 23 just to change things up a little. Cyclones weren't perfected until 2032 (?) so I guess that will just come later.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

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Hmmmm...Zorian superscience ideas?


Booster Drugs....Flower of Life derived drugs that temporarily boost intelligence, stamina, psychic abilities, super-healing, strength, and speed....but carry a cost(subsequent crash), addictive side effects, and more horrible long term effects if used too often or used multiple times. Zor could have been developing them as a desperation measure to give his rebels an edge over the Masters' cloned armies, and could have been hitting some of them pretty hard(self-experimentation) before he got killed. He had several stashes hidden around, and the UEDF found them and has been trying to see what benefit can be had, and ideally synthesize side effect-free versions of their own. The original drugs are powerful, but in limited supply; the synthetic ones lack the potency of the originals, have different side effects, but can be more easily made and treated.
THe drugs should pose a dilemma for the PCs, especially if they're cadets. In desperate straits, they're a powerful tool, but may damage the younger PCs' health long term, while they may give vhim and vigor to older characters, but the damage piles up faster.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

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insominiac009 wrote: With experimental space-fold equipment at the Academy they generate a space-fold and are instantly folded to the other side of the galaxy to one of the systems that was seeded by Zor.

Why does it have to be experimental equipment? We know the Robotech Factory Satellite has a Fold System, so its possible that Phobos base could be equipped with a salvaged/regular one.

insominiac009 wrote:So as far as help I was wondering if anybody had any ideas of what clues or inventions Zor left on the moon of Phobos to help the PC's out? I'm drawing a blank.

Why does Zor have to have left anything on Phobos? Why can it not be something salvaged from the SDF-1 ruins that is being researched or in storage (for later research)? The Zentreadi where attracted to the Solar System because parts of the SDF-1 had become active (or Reflex readings), why couldn't a similar reason exist for the CoZ arriving at Phobos?

Another idea is that Phobos is the site of a war memorial (or cemetary) Humans don't realize and the CoZ are there because of the sacrilige.

insomniac009 wrote:Well, the first thing I did was decided to use the Mckinney novels and Bill Spanglar timeline from http://www.megascifi.com/Timeline_With_References.html as a base. I mixed in information from the Unofficial Robotech Reference so I could keep track of when different mecha were developed and threw in whatever else seemed interesting or made sense. Looking at the HG/PB timelines is like looking at waves in the ocean, they look nice but they keep changing.

IF you are using the 1E RPG, then I can see using the uRRG for dates though the Novels and the uRRG use different timelines with the Novels following what would be Early Return and the uRRG using Late Return. So a lot of work would have to be done to make them work together somewhat.

However if you are using the 2E RPG, then the 2E RPG does use dates for introduction (at least for the main mecha) and upuntil UEEF Mariness was pretty compatible w/HG's official timeline (Late Return) which is also how Academy was setup.

insomniac009 wrote:I think based on the timeline they should have REF Destroids, Alphas and Betas, prototype hovertanks and cyclones. I was even thinking of throwing in Harguns from Megazone 23 just to change things up a little. Cyclones weren't perfected until 2032 (?) so I guess that will just come later.

If you are basing it on the Novels timeline Hovertanks are at production level, heck by the 2E RPG the Hovertank is well over a decade old. You might want to restrict Alpha and Beta numbers, the units might be to "new" with the REF proper having gotten the bulk of production. If the facility is in the Solar System initially I'd suspect to see more ASC hardware for such an out of the way (from the REF/UEEF perspective) outpost. Also if they are cut off from resupply, you may want to shift the mecha used to ones more "friendly" to the situation (the facility likely doesn't have unlimited supply of missiles afterall).

I don't think I would suggest going with the Hargun/Garlands from MZ23, I'd probably throw in the Silverback or a variant. Harguns require a support vehicle/facility to transform from Bike Mode, though they do have a Battloid mode transport (which you could use, but replace the Hargun w/other units).
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

ShadowLogan wrote: With experimental space-fold equipment at the Academy they generate a space-fold and are instantly folded to the other side of the galaxy to one of the systems that was seeded by Zor.
Why does it have to be experimental equipment? We know the Robotech Factory Satellite has a Fold System, so its possible that Phobos base could be equipped with a salvaged/regular one.

Another idea is that Phobos is the site of a war memorial (or cemetary) Humans don't realize and the CoZ are there because of the sacrilige.

IF you are using the 1E RPG, then I can see using the uRRG for dates though the Novels and the uRRG use different timelines with the Novels following what would be Early Return and the uRRG using Late Return. So a lot of work would have to be done to make them work together somewhat.

However if you are using the 2E RPG, then the 2E RPG does use dates for introduction (at least for the main mecha) and upuntil UEEF Mariness was pretty compatible w/HG's official timeline (Late Return) which is also how Academy was setup.

If you are basing it on the Novels timeline Hovertanks are at production level, heck by the 2E RPG the Hovertank is well over a decade old. You might want to restrict Alpha and Beta numbers, the units might be to "new" with the REF proper having gotten the bulk of production. If the facility is in the Solar System initially I'd suspect to see more ASC hardware for such an out of the way (from the REF/UEEF perspective) outpost. Also if they are cut off from resupply, you may want to shift the mecha used to ones more "friendly" to the situation (the facility likely doesn't have unlimited supply of missiles afterall).

I don't think I would suggest going with the Hargun/Garlands from MZ23, I'd probably throw in the Silverback or a variant. Harguns require a support vehicle/facility to transform from Bike Mode, though they do have a Battloid mode transport (which you could use, but replace the Hargun w/other units).


For the fold system I want to have several options on how they get to the other side of the Universe. Since the PCs might be playing command staff and kids at the Academy I've got to have multiple options here in case they decide to stay and fight. They can fold out with the drives from the fleet ships in the area, the Phobos (untested) drive, or a drive created by Zor that is hidden in the secret lab he put on Phobos. During the fighting I imagine the kids will be locked in a bunker somewhere until it gets damaged in the fighting and they have to leave it. At that point they might fall into the hidden Zor laboratory and discover some interesting equipment. They can "accidentally" set off the drive there if they want. If the fleet or Phobos decides to make a hasty retreat then when they fold something from the lab could pulse causing the fold to go awry. There are a few levers a GM could use here to get this campaign where it needs to be.

The COZ protecting a war memorial? I guess but I'm hinging this on the premise that Zor set up secret labs all over the place and Phobos was just one of them. The COZ would fight over it because it was Zor's and they want it. They are really hoping they can find something that will give them enough power to defeat the Masters and Invid.

Thanks for the suggestion about supplies. I'll look back over what they have and make resupply a big issue.

I don't want to get into a big discussion here on the timelines. I have the SC Mecha coming into play from 2023 to 2028 and the Logan being 2024 so they might have some but not alot in 2025. The REF destroids are available, Alphas and Betas will be in short supply (thanks for the suggestion). I threw the Harguns in there to inject something different and I'm still going through the 2nd Ed game stuff to pick out more so probably the Silverback will be in there as well. I didn't realize the Hargun needed something to transform it? I'll have to look into that or just change it, that's a detail I can fix. 8p

For the first planet they reach I'm thinking an ice world with worm problems. They find a lab Zor hid there, somewhat like a genesis pit. The lab is part of a deep cavern in a mountain range and the cavern is lit with an artificial sun that fosters a huge jungle like environment. They will have to explore their way through the cavern to find the lab and somewhere along the way they will run into Tirolian Bioroids that will tell them to surrender and come with them. Regardless of how the PC's handle that they eventually make their way to the lab complex and meet with a small colony of Tirolian's.

The jungle is seeded with invid flowers and it's mutated the worms imbuing them with different characteristics. The worms have infected the Tirolians but they've managed to cope with it and gain some positive abilities (using the Annelidist from Tenra Bansho for this). The twist will be that there's a worm that is controlling the minds of the Tirolians and is looking to spread to other planets through taking over different hosts. At some point, someone will find a cure for the mind control worm in one of Zor's experiments. Depending on how things go the Tirolian Annelidists could make a great ally and they might even find other things at the lab that can help them out (information on the local star systems, etc).
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

taalismn wrote:Hmmmm...Zorian superscience ideas?


Booster Drugs....Flower of Life derived drugs that temporarily boost intelligence, stamina, psychic abilities, super-healing, strength, and speed....but carry a cost(subsequent crash), addictive side effects, and more horrible long term effects if used too often or used multiple times. Zor could have been developing them as a desperation measure to give his rebels an edge over the Masters' cloned armies, and could have been hitting some of them pretty hard(self-experimentation) before he got killed. He had several stashes hidden around, and the UEDF found them and has been trying to see what benefit can be had, and ideally synthesize side effect-free versions of their own. The original drugs are powerful, but in limited supply; the synthetic ones lack the potency of the originals, have different side effects, but can be more easily made and treated.
THe drugs should pose a dilemma for the PCs, especially if they're cadets. In desperate straits, they're a powerful tool, but may damage the younger PCs' health long term, while they may give vhim and vigor to older characters, but the damage piles up faster.


Great Brain booster drug. I'm definitely throwing that into the mix.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by taalismn »

Of course, a fun aside might be a secret data cache of Zor's that people are going nuts trying to decrypt.. the only words that keep coming up are 'energy', 'generation', and 'long duration', suggesting some improvement on Protoculture. The PCs can pick up clues that help them unlock the code.

Turns out it's the formula (or formulas) for Zor's homebrewed energy drinks...the equivalent of the perfect cup of coffee, and what fueled his drug-fired metabolism during those week-long genius grinds..or maybe they're modified from popular Tirolian soft drinks that the Robotech Masters suppressed when they came t power because they interfered with the drug regimen fed Triumvirate clones....either way, the PCs may have a major find that could make them rich if they make it back to civilization, something that could knock ProtoCola out of contention as the UEEF's official drink(after various coffee substitutes).
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And the Turning of a Page"

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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

I'm thinking of using this map for the campaign-
https://goo.gl/images/kg6ARv

I'm thinking of having the Academy show up in the lower right hand corner of the map. I'll have to lift the map somehow and put it on a grid so I can arbitrarily assign distances to keep track of how far people fold. If anybody else has any better maps please let me know.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

insomniac009 wrote:For the fold system I want to have several options on how they get to the other side of the Universe.

Which is fine, really. My point is that making an experimental system really isn't necessary. There is precedent for equipping such large facilities (and larger) with Fold Drives.

insomniac009 wrote:The COZ protecting a war memorial? I guess but I'm hinging this on the premise that Zor set up secret labs all over the place and Phobos was just one of them. The COZ would fight over it because it was Zor's and they want it. They are really hoping they can find something that will give them enough power to defeat the Masters and Invid.

I don't think it necessarily has to be a war memorial, it could just be the site of a grave site or some religious site. All I am saying is that other options exist.

insomiac009 wrote:I don't want to get into a big discussion here on the timelines.

Nor do I, but the fact remains when you try to shoe horn in several timelines together you can run into issues. The Novel Timeline falls under the heading of Early Return, and the uRRG website uses a Late Return Model. So dates are not necessarily compatible (and the Logan and VHT are both part of the SDF-3 complement in the novels and it launches in 2020).

insomiac009 wrote: I threw the Harguns in there to inject something different and I'm still going through the 2nd Ed game stuff to pick out more so probably the Silverback will be in there as well. I didn't realize the Hargun needed something to transform it? I'll have to look into that or just change it, that's a detail I can fix. 8p

You didn't realize the Hargun needed something to transform? It's shown in the OVA and written in the uRRG writeup. The Garland/MODAT is self-contained though.

The 2E RPG does offer some alternatives like ASC Power Armor suits (Masters SB), the Silverback, the Condor Battloid (TSC), and the Conbat Fighter (TSC). UEEF Marines is the only book I don't currently have, but it supposed to have various designs from the Imai files (which would be one way to introduce something different).

Personally I'd recommend sticking with one or the other editions and not mixing them. While they are "compatible" mechanically, in terms of mechanic values there are some differences and that can change the feel (2E in someways feels more like Rifts).
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

ShadowLogan wrote:
insomniac009 wrote:For the fold system I want to have several options on how they get to the other side of the Universe.

Which is fine, really. My point is that making an experimental system really isn't necessary. There is precedent for equipping such large facilities (and larger) with Fold Drives.

insomniac009 wrote:The COZ protecting a war memorial? I guess but I'm hinging this on the premise that Zor set up secret labs all over the place and Phobos was just one of them. The COZ would fight over it because it was Zor's and they want it. They are really hoping they can find something that will give them enough power to defeat the Masters and Invid.

I don't think it necessarily has to be a war memorial, it could just be the site of a grave site or some religious site. All I am saying is that other options exist.

insomiac009 wrote:I don't want to get into a big discussion here on the timelines.

Nor do I, but the fact remains when you try to shoe horn in several timelines together you can run into issues. The Novel Timeline falls under the heading of Early Return, and the uRRG website uses a Late Return Model. So dates are not necessarily compatible (and the Logan and VHT are both part of the SDF-3 complement in the novels and it launches in 2020).

insomiac009 wrote: I threw the Harguns in there to inject something different and I'm still going through the 2nd Ed game stuff to pick out more so probably the Silverback will be in there as well. I didn't realize the Hargun needed something to transform it? I'll have to look into that or just change it, that's a detail I can fix. 8p

You didn't realize the Hargun needed something to transform? It's shown in the OVA and written in the uRRG writeup. The Garland/MODAT is self-contained though.

The 2E RPG does offer some alternatives like ASC Power Armor suits (Masters SB), the Silverback, the Condor Battloid (TSC), and the Conbat Fighter (TSC). UEEF Marines is the only book I don't currently have, but it supposed to have various designs from the Imai files (which would be one way to introduce something different).

Personally I'd recommend sticking with one or the other editions and not mixing them. While they are "compatible" mechanically, in terms of mechanic values there are some differences and that can change the feel (2E in someways feels more like Rifts).


As far as the uRRG timeline goes I mainly just took mecha development dates from that and around that time there appears to be about a 3 year discrepency. I can move those dates around to suit what I want to do in the campaign and I think there will be some SC mecha available to the Academy in prototype form but nothing too major. The SDF 3 did have hovertanks on board because of Commander Wolf's experience with them in South America but I don't think there was much else brought along. Logans were supposed to come out around the time SDF-3 took off but who would want those?

Sorry, I don't think I've seen Megazone 23 in a bunch of years so missed that detail about the Hargun plus I haven't looked over the write-up yet since I'm still building the framework of the campaign. Guess I'll be using the Garland/MODAT for them. Since the Cyclones won't be coming out until 2030 or so I just want the PC's to have something smaller they can take with them. I'm imagining there being plenty of prototypes for them to work with since I imagine the Academy being an R&D and teaching place that is now on a war footing. I'm looking at the 2e stuff to see what else would be interesting to put in there as well.

Btw, speaking of supplies and equipment. I imagine at some point the PC's will think about setting up supply lines with Tyrol once the REF secures the planet. That could lead to some interesting problems.

I need to sit down with the map next and plot out where everything is in the universe so I can see where this campaign might go. I've still got 5 or 6 new alien races to create as well.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

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As I said 2E RPG already provides dates for a lot of the hardware, most of which can work with the ER timeline (at least until we start talking NG/TSC dates).

In the Novels though nothing indicates the VHT would not be available in larger numbers though, AND Wolfe pilots a Logan to recover Minmei/Janice. IINM the Logan gets several more references during the Sentinels.

As for the Logan, I think its vastly underrated in both the RPG and canon:
-1E RPG while its light on missiles, its nose gun is one of those guns to be feared in the 1E RPG (range/damage/ROF)
-2E RPG the adaption seems way off form what we see it do in terms of firepower (when it hits Bioroids they go down in the show, you can't really do that in the 2E RPG)
-Canon for the show, for its screen time it actually suffers very few actual losses compared to the mecha that get more love/respect and screen time. I could go into more depth here, but I won't
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by taalismn »

Always loved the Logan...it was like a militarized Volkswagon... :bandit:
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

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I on the other hand just thinking to fleshed out more on Robotech Academy and trying to tie it into Robotech II Sentinels adventure while at the same time retained its original setting.

Regarding the antagonist, the Children of Zor faction is basically an extremist / terrorist fringe group which is fanatical to the late Zor's ideologues and obsessed in recovering Zor's Robotechnology.

My take on them, I'm trying to model the Children of Zor as the successor movement after the defeat of Disciples of Zor faction that loses out to the Robotech Master in the Robotech Civil War, and Children of Zor would become insurrectionist and launched guerilla campaigns / hit & run tactics versus the Robotech Master's forces. By 2020s, desperate for protoculture much like the Robotech Masters / Zentraedi remnants, Children of Zor would launched mission to locate the missing SDF-1 / Zor's battlefortress and somehow their recon forces stumble onto Mars and Robotech Academy on Phobos.

I'm expanding Children of Zor by using Dezalg template from Megazone 23 Part I and II.
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Re: New Robotech Academy Campaign Looking for Ideas

Unread post by insomniac009 »

RobotechMaster wrote:I on the other hand just thinking to fleshed out more on Robotech Academy and trying to tie it into Robotech II Sentinels adventure while at the same time retained its original setting.

Regarding the antagonist, the Children of Zor faction is basically an extremist / terrorist fringe group which is fanatical to the late Zor's ideologues and obsessed in recovering Zor's Robotechnology.

My take on them, I'm trying to model the Children of Zor as the successor movement after the defeat of Disciples of Zor faction that loses out to the Robotech Master in the Robotech Civil War, and Children of Zor would become insurrectionist and launched guerilla campaigns / hit & run tactics versus the Robotech Master's forces. By 2020s, desperate for protoculture much like the Robotech Masters / Zentraedi remnants, Children of Zor would launched mission to locate the missing SDF-1 / Zor's battlefortress and somehow their recon forces stumble onto Mars and Robotech Academy on Phobos.

I'm expanding Children of Zor by using Dezalg template from Megazone 23 Part I and II.


Sounds good. Any ideas for expanding the Sentinel Aliens?
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