Last Updated: Friday, 18-Jan-08 02:59:01 PST
Greetings, and welcome to the Macross Mecha Designs! I want to really thank everyone who have sent me comments and compliments on these pages; I definitely appreciate it! However, I've noticed several questions that come up again and again, so I thought I'd take some time to make up a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Macross Mecha Designs. These questions and answers are listed below...
Kind of. Macross Mecha Designs is an RPG (role-playing game) supplement. It is meant to assist GMs (gamemasters) in adding more variety to games they are already running. This particular RPG supplement takes mecha from two recent popular anime series based on the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross TV series (more familiar to American viewers as Robotech: The Macross Saga) and translates them into the Palladium RPG system. The new stats for the mecha can then be used in a variety of different games, including the RIFTS, Macross II, and Robotech RPGs.
If you're ambitious and are familiar with the background of Macross Plus and Macross 7 then you can probably use these stats along with Palladium's rules to run your own Macross campaign that's true to the show. I hope to eventually add more background info to help people who want to do this, such as character stats and organizational info on the UN Spacy and Varuta armies. But in the end it's up to you whether you want to restrict yourself to the official continuities or combine mecha from Macross, Robotech, and RIFTS into a continuity of your own creation.
Macross Plus and Macross 7 are part of the official Macross continuity, which includes the original SDF Macross TV series, Macross Flashback 2012, and the above two shows. Macross II and Robotech are not parts of the official continuity, and so therefore the various shows have nothing to do with each other. For more information on how the many various series relate (or more accurately, do NOT relate) to each other, read through the Note on Macross Continuity on my main Macross Mecha Designs page.
Sorry, but the Macross II RPG is property of Palladium Books and is protected by international copyright law, which makes it a crime to publicly post material from the actual RPG books. You can probably get copies of the books from your local RPG store (look in the phone book under "hobbies") or you can write Palladium books directly for a catalog at:
PALLADIUM BOOKS
2455 Universal Drive
Taylor, Mi 48180
The only real book you need to use these designs is Macross II: The Role Playing Game ($11.95, ISBN 0-916211-62-2). However, Palladium also publishes a number of other game supplements for Macross II that may be helpful. Check out Palladium's web page at http://www.palladiumbooks.com/ for a complete listing of books and products available.
Almost all of my pictures are scanned from the books on Macross Plus, Macross 7, and Macross Digital Mission VF-X. I highly recommend these books if you're a Macross fan. They contain lots of great artwork and sketches of characters, mecha, starships, and scenery from the OAVs and TV episodes. Some of them are a little hard to find these days, but are well worth the extra effort to track down. The information for each of the books is listed below. Some of these books are available from Nikaku Animart, or can be special-ordered through Japanese bookstores such as Asahiya Books.
| Title | ISBN | Yen Price | Contains |
|---|---|---|---|
| This is Animation Special: Macross II | 4-09-101574-3 | 1,200 | Characters, mecha, and starships from the Macross II OAV series. |
| This is Animation Special: Macross 7 | 4-09-101580-8 | 1,300 | Characters, mecha, and some starships from the first 18 or so episodes of Macross 7. |
| This is Animation Special: Macross Plus | 4-09-101581-6 | 1,400 | Characters and mecha from Macross Plus OAVs 1 & 2. Also contains the Variable Fighter's Aero Report, which has pictures and stats of the VF-1, VF-4, VF-5000, VA-3, VF-11, VF-17, YF-19, and YF-21 AVFs. |
| This is Animation Series: Macross 7 Animation Materials | 4-09-101583-2 | 2,200 | Characters, mecha, and starships from Macross 7 episodes 1-35 (or so). This is the best collection of schematics from Macross 7, but it doesn't include some of the designs from the final episodes and OAVs of the series. |
| This is Animation The Select: Macross Plus Movie Edition | 4-09-101584-0 | 1,500 | Characters, mecha, and some starships from the movie version of Macross Plus. Includes some very nice schematics of the YF-19 and YF-21. |
| Mediax Mook 53: Macross Digital Mission VF-X | 4-89613-753-1 | 1,500 | Characters, mecha, and starships from the Macross Digital Mission VF-X video game. Includes officially-approved pictures of the VF-4 Lightning in battroid mode, as well as some other hard-to-find pictures. |
Some of the other images (for example, the VF-22 Sturmvogel) come from B-Club, Bandai's modeling magazine. The specific issue numbers are listed in the References section of each design when used.
Macross Plus is being distributed in the United States, United Kingdom, and other places by Manga Video on VHS tape and laserdisc, both subtitled and dubbed in english. Dubbed tapes are about $15, subbed tapes $25, and laserdiscs are $40. Check Manga's web page at http://www.manga.com/ for details and purchase info.
As of 05/01/97 no one has purchased the rights to distribute Macross 7 outside of Japan, so currently there is no commercial way to get Macross 7 subbed or dubbed in the U.S. Some fan subtitlers have translated Macross 7 episodes for American fans, however. Check with your local anime club to see if they have any copies of subtitled episodes. You can also buy the original episodes on laserdisc from import companies if you have money to burn. Two import companies I commonly deal with and highly recommend are Nikaku Animart and the UCI Anime Store.
The storyline in a nutshell:
"Set in 2045, some five years after Macross Plus, Macross 7 portrays the story of the colony ship Macross 07 and its fight against the mysterious Varuta and their masters, the Protodeviln. Young rock singer Basara Nekki and his friends begin to uncover the long-lost powers of Spiritia and use them to defend the Macross 7 from the Protodeviln while trying to end the war and bring peace and understanding to both the Varuta and the colonists." (special thanks to Robert Farquhar (imagines@nlc.net.au) for his help with this summary)
The above paragraph is only the briefest of summaries, as Macross 7 is a 51-episode-long TV series and takes a LONG time to summarize. Psycho KORps, a fansub group, has done scripts and synopses for many of the Macross 7 episodes and put them on their web page at http://homepages.uc.edu/~weaverd/psykor.html. Check them out for more information.
Yes, there is a Macross Plus movie version, which has recently been released by Manga Video in subtitled form and will soon be available dubbed as well. The movie is basically the entire Macross Plus OAV series compressed into a 2-hour movie format with some scenes rearranged and a few minutes of new footage added. It doesn't offer much that the OAVs don't already have, IMO. I wouldn't really recommend it if you already have all of the Macross Plus OAVs, unless you're a die-hard Macross fan with money to burn.
Yes, Macross Digital Mission VF-X is a game for the Sony PlayStation home video game system. The game is a flight simulator that allows you to fly the VF-1X, VF-4, VF-11, VF-17, VF-19, and VF-22 against new Zentraedi mecha and other opponents. Your mission is to rescue the Milky Dolls, a group of five female idol singers captured by the Zentraedi and being held hostage at different locations. The game is currently only available in Japan but there are rumors that it may be brought over to the U.S. in the future. For more information on the game check out the online version of the Macross Digital Mission VF-X FAQ list.
Other than the fact that I buy their products, no. ^_^ The Macross Mecha Designs is an entirely not-for-profit by-fans-for-fans production.
Kevin Siembieda does not have an email account. Probably the best way to get in touch with him is to use the comment form on the Palladium Book web page at http://www.palladiumbooks.com/Q&A.HTM. There is also a Palladium internet mailing list for discussing Palladium's RPGs, where reportedly some official Palladium representatives hang out from time to time. To subscribe to the mailing list, send email to palladium-request@dante.neonexus.com with the word "subscribe" (no quotes) as your subject.
NO! These web pages violate so many copyright laws that if I even THOUGHT of trying to make a profit off of this work a pack of lawyers would descend on my apartment and sue me out of existance.
Since Palladium already has published supplement containing mecha from Macross II and Robotech, I thought it would be fun if there were also Palladium stats for Macross Plus and Macross 7 mecha so that GMs could mix and match mecha in their own home-made continuities. Besides, other people have already translated the newer Macross mecha into MZ+ stats, which are occasionally posted on the rec.games.mecha newsgroup.
If you're looking for MZ+ stats for Macross mecha try Ken Hagler's Mekton Zeta webpage at http://www.kaiwan.com/~khagler/mekton/. He has several designs already posted for various Macross mecha from the different shows. Jon Souza (nodui@earthlink.net) has also produced some high-quality MZ+ stats for Macross Plus and Macross 7, though you'll have to email him for the designs as I don't think he has a web page up yet.
I'm only doing stats for Macross mecha that have NOT already appeared (either in its original form or under another name) in a Palladium RPG book. If the mecha you're looking for isn't listed on the main Macross Mecha page then you'll need to look for it in the Palladium books in your local RPG store. Below is a table where to find most of the Macross designs that have appeared in Palladium supplements.
| Macross Mecha | Robotech Alias | Appears In | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VF-1 Valkyrie (VF-1A, VF-1J, VT-1D, VF-1S) | VF-1 Veritech | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| VF-1 Valkyrie with FAST pack | Super Veritech | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| VF-1 Full Armor Valkyrie | Armored Veritech | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Tomahawk MBR-04-Mk IV | Excalibur Destroid | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Spartan MBR-07-Mk II | Gladiator Destroid | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Monster HWR-00-Mk II | MAC II Destroid | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Defender ADR-04-Mk X | Raidar X Destroid | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Phalanx SDR-04-Mk XII | Spartan Destroid | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Zentraedi Mecha (Regult, Glaug, Nousjadeul-Ger, Queadlunn-Rau) | Tactical Battle Pod, Officer's Pod, Male Power Armor, Female Power Armor | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Daedalus Submersible Landing Ship | Robotech RPG Book II: RDF Manual | 0-916211-23-1 | $7.95 | |
| Prometheus Submersible Aircraft Carrier | Robotech RPG Book II: RDF Manual | 0-916211-23-1 | $7.95 | |
| Zentraedi Warships | Robotech RPG Book III: The Zentraedi | 0-916211-22-3 | $6.95 | |
| Zentraedi Production Factory | Robotech Factory | Robotech II: REF Field Guide | 0-916211-36-3 | $14.95 |
| A.R.M.D.-series Space Defense Stations | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 | |
| SDF-01 Macross (Original Style) | SDF-1 | Robotech: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-21-5 | $9.95 |
| Macross II Mecha | Appears In | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| VF-2SS Valkyrie II (w/SAP Armor) | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| VF-2JA Icarus | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| Valkyrie Civilian Jet | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| AGA-1JF Jet Fighter | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| VF-1MS Metal Siren Valkyrie | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| VF-XX Zentran Valkyrie | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| Tomahawk Mk II | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| Defender-Ex Mk III | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| Phalanx Mk IV (Upgrade) | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| Monster Mk II | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| Marduk Zentran Battle Pod | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| Marduk Zentran Officer's Pod | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| Marduk Zentran Power Armor | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| Marduk Meltran Power Armor | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| Marduk Gilgamesh Power Armor | Macross II: The Role-Playing Game | 0-916211-62-2 | $11.95 |
| Marduk Annihilator | Macross II Sourcebook One | 0-916211-63-0 | $9.95 |
| UN Spacy Zentran Warships | Macross II Deck Plans Volume One | 0-916211-66-5 | $9.95 |
| Macross II Deck Plans Volume Two | 0-916211-74-6 | $9.95 | |
| UN Spacy Standard Warships | Macross II Deck Plans Volume One | 0-916211-66-5 | $9.95 |
| Macross II Deck Plans Volume Two | 0-916211-74-6 | $9.95 | |
| Marduk Zentran Warships | Macross II Deck Plans Volume One | 0-916211-66-5 | $9.95 |
| Macross II Deck Plans Volume Two | 0-916211-74-6 | $9.95 | |
| Marduk Standard Warships | Macross II Deck Plans Volume One | 0-916211-66-5 | $9.95 |
| Macross II Deck Plans Volume Two | 0-916211-74-6 | $9.95 | |
| Marduk Command Ship | Macross II Deck Plans Volume One | 0-916211-66-5 | $9.95 |
| UN Spacy Macross Cannon Warship | Macross II Deck Plans Volume One | 0-916211-66-5 | $9.95 |
| UN Spacy A.R.M.D. Platforms | Macross II Deck Plans Volume Three | 0-916211-75-4 | $9.95 |
| SDF-01 Macross (post-refit) | Macross II Deck Plans Volume Three | 0-916211-75-4 | $9.95 |
As mentioned above, you can find these books at your local RPG store, or order them directly from Palladium via their web page at http://www.palladiumbooks.com/. If a mecha you're looking for isn't listed above, contact me and I'll try to point you in the right direction.
The best english-language source for Macross info is probably Egan Loo's Macross Compendium. Also consult the Macross Internet Directory, which has a list of many Macross pages on the web as well as ratings for those pages. Finally, try the Anime Web Turnpike for web pages on Macross and many other anime shows.
The Macross Mecha Designs page is a hobby, not a job. I'm not getting paid for this, so therefore other more important matters have to come first. I won't bore you with sob stories about how hard work is. Basically it comes down to the fact that after working 9-10 hours per day I usually don't feel very creative when I get home. I'm really sorry about the delays and lack of progress sometimes, but that's life.
I'm working on it...
Only if they're stats of mecha from the Macross Plus OAVs or Macross 7 TV series. If they are, then I would definitely be interested in seeing them! Please email them to me at deitrich@mcs.net at your convenience.
| Well, those are the most frequently asked questions (and answers) about the Macross Mecha Designs so far. I hope this helps you understand what we are trying to do, but if you have further questions or comments by all means don't hesitate to ask! I'm always happy to talk about the Macross Mecha Designs (or TIW, or any of my other web pages) at any time. Click on the box to the right if you want to reach me by email. Take care! |
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http://www.mcs.net/~deitrich/index.html deitrich@mcs.net |