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Ah, this thread has been a fun read. Its brought back so many fond memories. As I type this, I smile and look at the shelves of Palladium books. Every book published till just a few years ago, even a copy of Rifts: Manhunter. I agree with the common sentiments here: the game system is wonky and archaic; it is absolutely open to abuse; it is quite unrealistic; it holds a special place in my heart. I do have stories. Everything from a 5 year Robotech campaign to running a game for actual gangbangers.
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May 20, 2013 06:12
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ToyotaThong's stories Day 1. I started my journey on December 11th 1986. It was my birthday. My mom had taken me to the local comic shop to buy some Robotech/Macross models. There on the shelf I saw it, Robotech The Roleplaying Game. I had tried Red Box D&D the year earlier, and was thus quite stoked to see the most bad-assed thing on TV was in a game. Without saying the book went home with me that day. A few weeks later a few of my Robotech watching buddies were rolling up characters. There was a Veritech pilot, Destroid pilot, a Zentraedi military specialist, and a field scientist. Off we went, helping to reconstruct a world devastated by the First Robotech War. Bandits were beaten, Zentraedi were zapped, Anti-Unification rebels were unified with the dirt, settlements were saved, and civilization was seeded. All said, it was a glorious time to be in the RDF. As a side note. This entire campaign happened over the phone. Three-way calling and friends being at each other's houses allowed for this somewhat unusual gaming style. Time would roll on, like time does. Soon The REF would leave on it's mission across the cosmos. One of the characters decided to leave on the expedition (the player decided to quit), one would stay in the RDF on Earth, the other two decided to join The Armies of the Southern Cross (Hover Tanks and Tactical Corps). That war played out in almost real time. In the end The Robotech Masters were defeated, but the ASC was depleted, leaving my players with many open options. They went the warlord route, carving their very own feudal kingdom and army in Australia. Rallying survivors, and fighting all who opposed them. They had learned the truth of what was to come, and they prepared. We have now reached about three and a half years or so of real time. I am now down to one player, Jason (the VHT pilot). The game is now more about leadership and resource management in a small community/army. Really not even rolling dice that much, just lots of problem solving, negotiations, and what would later be called "doomsday prepping". After quite a while, the Invid finally arrived. They devastated the surviving feudal kingdoms, the E.B.S.I.S., and any other communities. Quietly Jason bided his time, trying to keep his army and kingdom together. It lasted two months game time before suffering a cataclysmic assault by the Invid. He barely escaped on a shuttle loaded with supplies and a few support personnel. The days of administration were officially over, it was time to get back to the personal struggles of a protracted guerilla war. After landing in South America, he watched the first and second REF counter-invasions fail. Jason would learn the objectives of the Resistance, and would eventually join them. Along the way he would encounter legendary fighters such as Scott Bernard and Rook, although such alliances were only temporary. Jason and his trust hover tank fought all the way north. All the way to a place called Reflex Point. There he was to fight in the final battle of the Third Robotech War. During the battle such stress was placed on the Regis, she changed, finding killing to be quite abhorrent. She would not allow herself to smite down a lowly human in a battered hover tank, but he must be stopped from firing upon her. The answer was clear, stasis bubble. Maybe in a couple hundred years, this micronian, this human may see the errors of his way. In a flash, it was over. I will finish this tale tomorrow.
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May 21, 2013 07:01
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ToyotaThong Stories Day 2 When we last left our story, my sole player was trapped in a stasis bubble. Flash forward 400 or so years. The bubble has worn off. Luckily, an archaeology team from the Sentinels were at the site doing research. After interviews, Jason asked if there was any way he could get back to his own time. A perytonian mage could cast a one way time travel spell, but it would be very risky. He took that chance, and arrived a few months after the second Invid invasion. The campaign would last a few more months after that. Eventually to fade into history. I was running Twilight:2000 for my ROTC buddies. In an epilogue to the Robotech campaign, Jason's character did appear as an NPC in a later Rifts campaign. The Rifts Chronicles I had seen Rifts at my local game stores, but not really paid much attention to it. After all I had Robotech and Twilight:2000. One of my friends bought it, and ran a campaign. I played a Coalition "deserter" with an Enforcer, Lenny played a Line Walker, Ashley was a headhunter, Jack was a full conversion cyborg, and Jeff was an operator. We had many great adventures traveling the North American continent. All the while I was reporting back to Chi-Town my observations. After a few months time, Joe, our GM, had grown tired of running Rifts. He asked me to end the campaign with a bang. Most of the party was from Lazlo and wanted to return home for some R&R. HQ wanted me to "liquidate assets" and return home. To accomplish this task I was to be joined by a squad of SAMAS, and do the deed. I announced the squad was coming in, and my companions arrayed in battle formation. I broke into our frequency with the following message. "I'm so very sorry friends. Either they kill you or we all die here. You've changed me, and for that I will never forget you. Thank you, and I'm so very sorry." With that I unloaded with every weapon at my disposal. They died in a hail of rail gun fire and burning plasma. The look of shock on their faces was quickly replaced with "WHAT THE gently caress............That was Awesome!!!!" Mission accomplished. Miniature games and live action Car Wars would fill that gaming slot. Soon I was buying my own collection of Rifts books, and would eventually run some too. But that is a story for another time.
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May 22, 2013 07:04
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