Macross II: The Role-Playing Game
Front cover of the Macross II RPG core rulebook, illustrated by Kevin Long
DesignersKevin Siembieda, Jean Carrières, Martin Ouellette, Claude J. Pelletier, Marc-Alexandre Vézina
IllustratorsGhislain Barbe, Wayne Breaux, Jr., Dominique Durocher, Newton Ewell, Kevin Long, Thomas Miller, Bryant Velez, John Zeleznik
PublishersPalladium Books, Dream Pod 9
Years activeJuly 1993 (1993-07) – August 1996 (1996-08)
GenresScience fiction
LanguagesEnglish
SystemsMegaversal
Websitepalladiumbooks.com

Macross II: The Role-Playing Game is a role-playing game published by Palladium Books in 1993. Based on the Macross II mecha OVA and manga series, the game is structured around Palladium's Megaversal damage system.

Development

Palladium Books continued seeking new licenses in the early 1990s and received one for Macross II, producing Macross II: The Role-playing Game (1993) and Macross II: Sourcebook One (1993).[1]: 161  Ianus Publications (later known as Dream Pod 9) began taking on work as a design house, and thus created three sourcebooks for Palladium's Macross II RPG in 1994.[1]: 271  Palladium soon decided that the new line was not going to match the success of their best-seller Rifts, and cancelled the Macross II line.[1]: 161 

Main Game

The main RPG contains all the rules of the Megaverse system, and various options for creating characters, as well as special protocols for playing as the series' characters themselves. The 112-page book also contains technical data for many U.N. Spacy and Marduk combat vehicles. Further material is included with Sourcebook One: The UN Spacy.

Deck Plans

In 1994, Palladium joined forces with Canadian role-playing game company Dream Pod 9 to produce a three-part Deck Plans supplement series. Each of the 64-page sourcebooks have schematics for all U.N. Spacy and Marduk warships. The books also introduced new rules for players who want to engage in ship-to-ship battles, with the warships now capable of using gun or missile volleys to attack targets. A campaign based around a Marduk Emulator is also included.

While some of the mechanical information presented is translated directly from the Japanese source material, the Dream Pod 9 acknowledged that some of it is also "pure conjecture".[2]

Publication history

  • Macross II: The Role-Playing Game, Palladium Books July 1993.[3]
  • Macross II: Sourcebook One—The U.N. Spacy, September 1993
  • Macross II Deck Plans Volume One, Palladium Books/Dream Pod9, March 1994
  • Macross II Deck Plans Volume Two, Palladium Books/Dream Pod9, July 1994
  • Macross II Deck Plans Volume Three, Palladium Books/Dream Pod9, December 1994

Reception

In the March 1994 edition of Dragon (Issue 203), Rick Swan thought this game's description as a role-playing game was overstated, saying, "the role-playing elements take a back seat to the game’s main thrust; namely, giant robots smashing each other to bits... but that's okay. I doubt that many will be playing this game to savor the nuances of interpersonal relationships." He thought the game "excels in its descriptions of high-tech death machines", and found the rules "complicated but manageable."[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  2. ↑ Ouellette, M., Vézina, M., & Carrières, J. (1994), Macross II: Spacecraft and Deck Plans—Volume One, Palladium Books, p. 5.
  3. ↑ Siembieda, K. (1993), Macross II: Sourcebook One—The U.N. Spacy, Palladium Books, p. 5.
  4. ↑ Swan, Rick (March 1994). "Roleplaying Reviews". Dragon. TSR, Inc. (203): 85–86.
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