By Kevin Siembieda

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

The Palladium Open House is next week. Half of the team and helpers are working on POH prep and half continue to work feverishly on the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Reward Exchanges. This Update will focus on the Palladium Open House, but we are moving forward on all fronts.

Palladium Open House — April 20-22 (VIP Thursday April 19)

Our apologies for not posting the gaming schedule yet. Life has been crazy. Wayne will work to get the POH Schedule posted on Saturday – subject to some change – namely some times may be changed and additional games and panel talks are likely to be added. Here is what I can tell you right now.

100+ RPG Gaming Events

• 2 After the Bomb® games
• 9 Beyond the Supernatural™ games
• 16 Heroes Unlimited™ games
• 1 The Mechanoids® game
• 1 Multi-Genre Crossover game (Julius Rosenstein)
• 11 Palladium Fantasy® games (3 run by me)
• 21 Rifts® games
• 2 Rifts® Chaos Earth® games
• 6 Savage Rifts® games
• 9 Robotech® RPG games
• Robotech® RPG Tactics™ pick up games (Peter Pidrak)
• 1 Robotech® RPG Tactics Tournament (Peter Pidrak)
• 1 Splicers® game
• 1 Systems Failure™ game
• And more!

The list above does NOT include every game event, as Scott Gibbons is working on updating the schedule even as I write this. Plus I might run additional games and there are panel talks about G.M.ing, creating games, and more, plus a live auction (Saturday), 30+ Palladium Creators (writers, artists, freelancers, staff), original art, out of print titles, autographs, fun and more.

2018 Palladium Open House

April 19 (VIP night), 20, 21 & 22, 2018 – Westland, Michigan

• 100+ Palladium gaming events.
• Play in games run by Kevin Siembieda & other Palladium creators.
• Enjoy Robotech® RPG Tactics™ tournaments, games, and demos.
• Participate in panel talks and many question and answer chats.
• Bring your favorite game books to get signed.
• Meet Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium staff.
• Meet Carl Gleba and many other Palladium creators.
• Meet 30+ Palladium creators – the largest gathering of Palladium creators in the world! Most available every day, the entire day.
• Meet fellow gamers from around the world.
• Get autographs from all the Palladium creators.
• Get new releases, back stock items and Palladium collectibles.
• Get original artwork and limited edition prints.
• Get rare collector items, first printings, and signed books.
• Four new T-shirts debuting at the Open House.
• Commission select artists to draw your favorite character.
• “Live” Auction with rare collectibles and oddities.
• Get the latest news and other insider info.
• Intimate setting, unlike big conventions.
• Family reunion and party atmosphere.
• Join the fun and make memories to last a lifetime.
• Price of admission pays for all events!
• Nearby Hotels. Detroit Metro Airport 20 minutes away.

It all happens at the Palladium Open House (POH) – April 20-22, 2018 – 39074 Webb Court, Westland, Michigan, 48185 (plus April 19 for those attending VIP Thursday).

Order Tickets online up to Sunday night – April 15 – or pay at the door

The price of admission covers ALL events and gives you access to all the guests, Kevin and crew, as well as the gaming events (first come, first served), panel talks, auction and other activities. Three days of Palladium gaming, laughs and fun.

The Palladium Open House is like a big family reunion or four day party. There have been good times and bad times, and through it all we had Palladium fans at our sides and helping out, so every POH is a celebration of YOU, our fans, as much as anything else. So if you can, please join us for what is going to be a Palladium gaming extravaganza.

Game with the Game-Makers

• Amy L. Ashbaugh (Artist)
• Brandon Aten (Writer, game designer; Triax 2, Madhaven, The Sovietski, The Rifter®)
• Matthew Balent (Author of Weapons & Armor, Weapons & Castles, Monsters and Animals, and other titles; he was present at the start of Palladium Books!)
• Carmen Bellaire* (Writer and Game Designer; Powers Unlimited 1-3, Splicers®, Naruni, RRT and more.) – “tentative” pending his new job.
• Joseph Bergmans (Honorary Staff Member, Helper, Consultant)
• James Brown (Game Master Supreme, Megaversal Ambassador)
• Matthew Clements (Writer, Northern Gun™ 1 & 2)
• Roger Cartier (Contributor to Palladium Fantasy® & G.M.)
• Steven Dawes (Writer, Dark Places™, The Rifter®)
• Greg Diaczyk (Writer, Rifts® Lemuria, The Rifter®)
• Mark Dudley (Artist and Game Master)
• Glen Evans (Writer, Bizantium, The Rifter®, etc.)
• Scott Gibbons (Staff, Manager, Game Master, Game Designer)
• Carl Gleba (Writer, Secrets of the Atlanteans™, Minion War™ series, Hades, Dyval, and many others, and an awesome G.M.)
• Chris Guertin (Honorary Staff Member/Helper)
• Patrick “Jake” Jakubowski (Megaversal Ambassador & Game Master)
• Doug Lamberson (Honorary Staff Member/Helper)
• “Madman” Mike Leonard (Artist and Writer)
• Alex Marciniszyn (Staff Editor and Research)
• Mike Mumah (Artist)
• Mark Oberle (Writer, Nightbane® and The Rifter®)
• Apollo Okamura* (Artist) – “tentative”
• Victor Peterson (Megaversal Ambassador & G.M.)
• Ramon K. Perez* (Artist, Comic Books) – “tentative”
• Ben Rodriguez (Artist)
• Julius Rosenstein (Staff, Writer, Editor & Game Master)
• Jeff “NMI” Ruiz (Palladium’s Online Administrator & MA)
• Kevin Siembieda (Staff, Founder, Writer, Artist & Game Master)
• Kathy Simmons (Staff, Order Processing & Customer Services)
• Josh Sinsapaugh (Writer, Rifter® Contributor) – “tentative”
• Wayne Smith (Staff, Editor, and Editor-in-Chief of The Rifter®)
• Charles Walton II (Artist, Writer, Splicers)
• Taylor White (Writer and Musician)

Note: My apologies to anyone I may have accidentally left off the list.

How often does any of us get to hang out with 30-40 Palladium creators? Where else can you ask the game creators for player tips, G.M. advice, or the back story behind your favorite games and characters? Only at the Palladium Open House held at the Palladium warehouse. And it happens only once every few years.

Guests who had to cancel: Cover artist John Zeleznik and chief writer and mastermind behind Rifts® for Savage Worlds, Sean Patrick Fannon, had both planned on coming, but Johnny Z cannot make it and neither can Sean. But Ramon K. Perez, a Marvel Comics Spider-Man artist and long-time Palladium fan favorite artist, told me he would try to come down for Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. Here’s hoping Ramon can clear his schedule to come on down. Likewise, game designer and writer, Carmen Bellaire, has started training for his new job and may not be able to attend, but he’ll be here if he can.

All in stock Palladium products are available for purchase, from prints and T-shirts to RPG books and coffee mugs. We always have a selection of new T-shirts and speciality items available for the first time ever at the Palladium Open House, too. There is also a wide range of original art, prints, and rare, signed and out of print book titles and unique collectibles available. Some of the rarest and most unique items are offered in the live auction Saturday evening. IN ADDITION, many of the artists and writers bring original art, art prints and specialty items for sale from them individually, and some will do character sketches. It all adds up to an incredible experience.

Palladium Open House – Hotel Information

Red Roof Inn – (economy lodgings) – 734-459-3300, 39700 Ann Arbor Rd, Plymouth, MI 48170.

Hampton Inn & Suites – (upscale lodgings) – 734-844-1111, 1950 N. Haggerty Road, Canton, MI 48187.

Airport Note: The hotels and Palladium’s warehouse are 15-20 minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) in Romulus, Michigan, near I-275. Detroit Metro is the airport you want to use.

Read more: Palladium Books® Weekly Update – April 13, 2018

 

First, we want to express our appreciation to the many who have chosen to participate in the RRT Rewards Exchange Program, where you can get Wave One Rewards for your remaining Wave Two reward value. We are pleased to offer you this refund-in-kind, and welcome others to take advantage of it. (See Kickstarter Updates #217 and 218 for details and #220 for answers to some frequently asked questions.)

If you have not gotten a reply from us, you will.

The biggest flood of emails regarding the RRT Exchange offer was in the first few days, so we are still working through the multitude of Kickstarter messages and getting back to you as quick as we can on a first come, first served basis.

We will get to everyone. Here is the process we’ve been going through:

First, we have to read through the emails. (Please send those to kickstarter{at}palladiumbooks.com, or preferably contact us via Kickstarter Message.)

Second, most of you need us to provide you the amount for your remaining Wave Two pledge. That requires us to look up your account and send you an email with the amount. Please watch for that email and respond as soon as possible.

When we get your Reward Exchange Request, we completely pull, pack, and weigh your reward selections, determine the shipping cost, and then send you the shipping cost via Kickstarter message/email. At that point, it is all in your hands. Your request is already boxed and waiting to be shipped to you as soon as Palladium receives your payment for the shipping!

The most expedient and secure way is to use PayPal: paypal{at}palladiumbooks.com

Or call the Palladium office with your credit card information at 734-721-2903. We will charge your card and ship right away! Depending on the time of day, your Reward Exchange may ship that same day or the next.

Note: As you might expect, we are swamped. If you get the automated voice mail, please leave your name, backer number if you have it, your phone number and a brief message. Someone will get back to you. Maybe not right away, but as soon as we can. If you get someone on the phone, please have your information handy.

Does even a small package cost $18-$35 in the USA?

ANSWER: No, of course not. Many packages are much less. And, of course, some are more. That’s why we are packing and weighing each request, and sending each backer a specific amount for his/her individual exchange. Cost depends entirely on the size, weight and destination of the package. The estimated costs presented in Update #218 were provided to give you a rough idea of cost. Note: We pack, weigh and get the exact cost for each package, and try to keep the cost as low as we can. As soon as Palladium receives your payment to cover shipping, your package is shipped.

What does the March 20, 2018 deadline mean?

It means we need to have your RRT Rewards Exchange requests in to Palladium Books by that date – even if we are continuing to pack and ship after that date – so we can satisfy the conditions of our contractual obligations with the Licensor and get you your Reward Exchange.

Once Palladium is confident it can do so while still being able to satisfy those of you who want to participate in the Exchange offer, we will start putting Robotech®/RRT product on sale to everyone and begin liquidating remaining inventory at an accelerated pace.

That’s why we need Kickstarter backers who want to participate in the Rewards Exchange Program to contact us now through March 20, 2018, so we can try to get you everything you might want, before product is gone. Note: Any Robotech® RPG and RRT product that has not been shipped as part of the Reward Exchange Program, or liquidated, MUST BE DESTROYED. This is usually the case with any license agreement. PLEASE get us your Reward Exchange requests AND send us the shipping so we can accommodate your Exchange Requests before the deadline. Thank you.

Because of this tight deadline and our sincere desire to accommodate EVERYONE who contacts Palladium for the Rewards Exchange – please send Palladium the shipping payment after you hear from us so we can send out your package immediately. Thank you.

Reminder, all RRT rewards are only available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST on a first come, first served basis. If you have been contacted with shipping cost before March 14, 2018, YOU were among the first and may have rewards no longer available, please send payment for shipping to get the rewards you want in the Exchange.

For those of you who may want to purchase more rewards or whose reward selection exceeds your Remaining Reward Value, we are allowing backers to pay the difference.

Due to the large number of backers who have responded, we are now OUT of the following rewards:

• UEDF Token Pack
• Max Sterling’s Valkyrie Convention Exclusive

If you have not received a shipping cost yet for your Reward Exchange request and have either of these rewards on your list, please send an amended list ASAP so that we can pull your most recent reward list and avoid sending you an email later on requesting you to do so, which only delays your Reward Exchange.

Thank you.

 

Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Announcement from Kevin Siembieda, President of Palladium Books^®

(This was originally posted as a Robotech® RPG Tactics (RRT) Kickstarter Update as it most immediately impacts our RRT backers, but it also affects everyone who loves Palladium’s Robotech® games.)

When the Robotech® RPG Tactics (RRT) Kickstarter funded in May 2013, we cheered, hugged and actually danced down the halls at the Palladium office. Not just because of the amount of money raised thanks to your pledges, but because it meant the realization of our dreams for Robotech®. For Palladium Books, it signified bringing Robotech fans – ourselves among them – something new and exciting to the beloved Robotech® universe.

So it is with sadness and tremendous heartbreak that I announce that, despite our best efforts, we are unable to produce the Robotech® RPG Tactics Wave Two rewards. Moreover, after proudly carrying the legacy of Robotech® in the role-playing games medium for 30 years, our license has expired and is not being renewed.

Palladium’s Business Manager, Scott Gibbons, intended to write this post, but I thought it should come from me. I have spent the better part of a week trying to find the words to explain what happened and express to you how sorry we are that it has come to this. In the end, we decided it best to keep it simple and share with you the broad strokes of how things unfolded without getting too deep into the weeds or violating any Non-Disclosure Agreements.

Pre-Kickstarter

When Palladium saw the opportunity to do Robotech® miniatures as game pieces, we knew the fans would love it. Even cooler, we wanted to create a whole new RPG with an emphasis on the miniatures, combat and tactics. Something different and exciting.

So, we decided to contract with another company with a good reputation and experience in all the areas where we lacked direct experience ourselves. We considered a few companies, and decided upon Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures. We liked what they had to say, they were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and confident, had been working with Cool Mini or Not, Games Workshop and other top-flight companies, and had been involved in 8 or 9 successful Kickstarters. Plus, they had a hit game of their own, Super Dungeon Explore, as well as having been involved with the creation of other games. When we inquired about the company, industry people spoke very highly of them and the products they had worked on.

Ninja Division was brought on to do the heavy lifting: Build and run the Kickstarter, select the manufacturer/broker in China, choose the manufacturing process, choose the type of plastic, provide Palladium with the cost estimates, handle logistics and deal with all the ins and outs and many, many nuisances of manufacturing in China. Ninja Division was also to create the game and hire talented sculptors and artists to create the 3D sculpts, cards, design elements, packaging, and essentially create the game and the Kickstarter from the ground up, or as they liked to say in those early days, “handle 90% of everything.”

At Palladium Books, our primary role was using our extensive knowledge of the Robotech® I.P. to ensure the accuracy of the 3D sculpts, artwork, design elements, and overall look and feel of the game. Palladium provided Ninja Division’s sculptors and artists with all kinds of reference materials, artwork, model sheets, screen shots, and copious notes and communications to get it all just right. This was no small task, as there were many game pieces and most required a vast amount of our time and input to capture all the proper details we knew fans expected. We also handled the approval process with Harmony Gold.

Palladium eventually became more directly involved in the creative process in terms of developing the game rules. We brought in a long-time Palladium freelance writer, Robotech® uber-fan and game designer to assist. We approached it as if we were looking at Robotech® with fresh eyes, re-watched all of Robotech®: Macross, and set out to simulate the action, speed and power of the mecha as seen in the TV show. We used some of Ninja Division’s material as a starting point and built on it from there. Then we worked with them to help with the fine-tuning and number crunching. Ninja Division managed and oversaw the widespread play-testing, and the response from our scores of play-testers was overwhelmingly positive.

The Kickstarter was raw excitement. You know, you were part of it.

After the Kickstarter successfully funded, Palladium announced a Fall 2013 release and said that the game was 98% done, because in the minds of all of us here, it was 98% done. The rest was easy ... or so we thought. You take the 3D sculpts, do physical 3D prints, make the molds, run the plastic figures, dice and tokens, print the rule book, cards, and cartons, box it all up, shrinkwrap it, ship it to the USA, and we ship it to you and the stores. Easy, right? Wrong. But, because this is what we thought and because we were so anxious to bring the game to you and the gaming community, we advertised in print and online that the game would be a Fall 2013 release. In retrospect, we probably should have waited until RRT was on the boat heading to America; but we were excited, so we moved ahead.

Read more: Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Announcement

 

So you want to be a Megaversal Ambassador

1) What is an MA?

Answer: The MAs (Megaversal Ambassadors) are a growing group of Palladium Game Masters who volunteer to run Palladium role-playing gaming events and/or demos at conventions, stores and other gatherings to introduce NEW PLAYERS to the Palladium Megaverse®. They are also active talking about Palladium products and the enjoyment and merits of role-playing, online and at events, to get new players interested in Palladium’s games and to keep the enthusiasm alive among established gamers.

Read more: So you want to be a Megaversal Ambassador

 

You can grow Palladium Books®! Link to our website and tell people how much you enjoy our products!

Learn more about how to link to Palladium Books