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Macross II: The Role Playing Game
Macross II: The Role Playing Game
Spectacular artwork shows front, side and back views, cut-a-ways, close-ups and detail drawings based from the original animation model sheets. Data includes the new transformable robots, battle armor, vehicles, equipment, Marduk and Zentran invaders, spacecraft and more.
Highlights
14 Occupational Character Classes, including U.N. Spacy troops, Zentran and Marduk.
Five transformable Valkyries.
U.N. Spacy spacecraft, satellites, vehicles, weapons, and war machines.
Seven types of Marduk and Zentran power armor and mecha.
Stats on major characters from the animated series.
Highlights
14 Occupational Character Classes, including U.N. Spacy troops, Zentran and Marduk.
Five transformable Valkyries.
U.N. Spacy spacecraft, satellites, vehicles, weapons, and war machines.
Seven types of Marduk and Zentran power armor and mecha.
Stats on major characters from the animated series.
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1993
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About the author
Kevin Siembieda
206 books52 followersKevin Siembieda (born April 2, 1956) is an American artist, writer, designer, and publisher of role-playing games, as well as being the founder and president of Palladium Books.
Palladium Books, founded in southeast Michigan, claims to be the first to implement a role-playing system intended to work for all genres and to introduce the perfect-bound trade paperback format to the RPG industry.
Some of the role-playing games Siembieda helped produce include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness (1985), Robotech RPG (1986), After The Bomb (1986), and Rifts (1990).
Siembieda is also an artist, best known for occasionally illustrating Palladium Books' products. In 1978, he started the now-defunct Megaton Publications in Detroit, publishing a digest style title called A+ Plus and several other titles. He also contributed art and cartography to several early Judges Guild products (for both their Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons lines).
Palladium Books, founded in southeast Michigan, claims to be the first to implement a role-playing system intended to work for all genres and to introduce the perfect-bound trade paperback format to the RPG industry.
Some of the role-playing games Siembieda helped produce include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness (1985), Robotech RPG (1986), After The Bomb (1986), and Rifts (1990).
Siembieda is also an artist, best known for occasionally illustrating Palladium Books' products. In 1978, he started the now-defunct Megaton Publications in Detroit, publishing a digest style title called A+ Plus and several other titles. He also contributed art and cartography to several early Judges Guild products (for both their Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons lines).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 7, 2020
While the Palladium system is not my first choice for an RPG system one they they were very good at were source books. One of the best sets they did were books based on the Robotech/Macross shows. Very well written with well above average art. Recommended
June 28, 2019
3 stars is probably a generous rating for this book but I’m such a big fan of the Macross II movie I think I just wanted to commend the effort to make a role-playing game (RPG) based on it. I must have seen the movie 2-3 times in the movie theatre, I have it on VHS and DVD and I also own its excellent soundtrack (which I still listen to on occasion).
As for the game itself, it’s based on Palladium’s universal RPG system, which suffers from some game mechanic flaws (I understand opinions may differ). I played a lot of Palladium RPGs in my day (and I enjoyed some of them, TMNT and Rifts being my favorites) and this book came out on the tail end of my Palladium games run. I was already getting burnt out on the system and that taken into account that my gaming group would rather play Rifts or TMNT if I was going to play in the Palladium system contributed to this setting lasting only a few sessions in my group before it was dumped.
From a fan aspect, the book does have good information on the various mecha and there is a brief section on the setting information (definitely limited and seems to assume that people interested in playing this game had to have seen the movie to understand what’s going on). The weapon load-outs (and the rules for damage capabilities, especially when dealing with missile volleys) certainly captures the massive scale of the space combats from the movie and devastation that ensues.
As for the game itself, it’s based on Palladium’s universal RPG system, which suffers from some game mechanic flaws (I understand opinions may differ). I played a lot of Palladium RPGs in my day (and I enjoyed some of them, TMNT and Rifts being my favorites) and this book came out on the tail end of my Palladium games run. I was already getting burnt out on the system and that taken into account that my gaming group would rather play Rifts or TMNT if I was going to play in the Palladium system contributed to this setting lasting only a few sessions in my group before it was dumped.
From a fan aspect, the book does have good information on the various mecha and there is a brief section on the setting information (definitely limited and seems to assume that people interested in playing this game had to have seen the movie to understand what’s going on). The weapon load-outs (and the rules for damage capabilities, especially when dealing with missile volleys) certainly captures the massive scale of the space combats from the movie and devastation that ensues.
January 7, 2025
Let it be known that I adore Macross and I adore Robotech.
Macross II is one of my favorite anime series / movies of all time (I say that because I first saw the 2 hour-ish movie before seeing the 6 episodes it was made from). I've watched both the dubbed and subtitled versions...I prefer the subtitling just because I think the dialogue (as written) is a bit better than the dubbing.
The music is pretty okay - not as good as Macross Plus, but better than the original. And I haven't seen Macross 7 or the rest to compare...
But, as to the Role-Playing game, I think this was a great addition to the ongoing Robotech series from Palladium, as well as something of a prequel to their Rifts line if one was so inclined. However, in and of itself, it's kind of inadequate. I would recommend getting the Sourcebook, as well as all three Deck Plans books to get the full enjoyment out of the game. The Deck Plans have a nice little adventure in them, as well as how to handle starship battles, and provide a lot of fun information about the interior of the SDF-1, as well as fleshing out the Moon Base, etc.
The Metal Siren (Sourcebook Valkyrie / Veritech) is my baby - I'd fly one of those all day, every day - especially with an announcer like the one in the movie when he introduces it.
Macross II is one of my favorite anime series / movies of all time (I say that because I first saw the 2 hour-ish movie before seeing the 6 episodes it was made from). I've watched both the dubbed and subtitled versions...I prefer the subtitling just because I think the dialogue (as written) is a bit better than the dubbing.
The music is pretty okay - not as good as Macross Plus, but better than the original. And I haven't seen Macross 7 or the rest to compare...
But, as to the Role-Playing game, I think this was a great addition to the ongoing Robotech series from Palladium, as well as something of a prequel to their Rifts line if one was so inclined. However, in and of itself, it's kind of inadequate. I would recommend getting the Sourcebook, as well as all three Deck Plans books to get the full enjoyment out of the game. The Deck Plans have a nice little adventure in them, as well as how to handle starship battles, and provide a lot of fun information about the interior of the SDF-1, as well as fleshing out the Moon Base, etc.
The Metal Siren (Sourcebook Valkyrie / Veritech) is my baby - I'd fly one of those all day, every day - especially with an announcer like the one in the movie when he introduces it.
June 19, 2019
Way back in junior high school my brother took this home and we got into it for a bit. Without any real background to the original Macross body of work. It was fun but had a bit of the usual Palladium flaws;
Too much technical detail, clunky play, emphasis on tabletop style battle over roleplaying.
Too much technical detail, clunky play, emphasis on tabletop style battle over roleplaying.
October 24, 2015
I loved this book as a kid - It's not the greatest rule set by modern standards and the art's not as flashy as modern books, but the simple line drawing still has it's charm.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews