Mercenaries 2 Book Yes/NO

DBX · Unread post by **DBX** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:24 am

in this viewtopic.php?f=8&t=128166 thread, i think Sureshot asked if people wanted to see a ML book.

I would like to see more material on them but not a whole new book. However i would like to see the variouos Merc companies mentioned throughout the rifts books updated and brought into the latest PA year, as well as new merc groups emerging.

Therefore a Merc 2 book could be the way to go. i believe this may have been previously suggested on these boards

IMO such a project should be done like the d-bees of north america book, with a different freelancer taking charge of 1 or two merc groups and updating, rewriting them etc for the Mercs 2 book. I think this would result in a varied book, as well as it being published alot sooner than if a single person worked on the manuscript.

I think PB's would be able to release far more new books if they did more projects like the d-bees of north america book, as each writer will be mainly contributing an article or three for the project. Pb's just need themes for the contributions to be written about

TechnoGothic · Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:01 am

No thanks. We have enough "merc" books already.

Sureshot · Unread post by **Sureshot** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:51 am

Count me in as someone wgo like to see a second mercs vook. As long as they include actually updates. Not ones where an important NPC dies and the leave that up to the GM. Do an actual update or don't do one at all.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:52 am

I think a "Mercs 2" would just end up giving us more OCC's and Gear. I'd rather have Black Market, Northern Gun and a book an Manistique Imperium. They have more Merc ties than anything else aside from Merctown.

Akashic Soldier · Sat Jan 28, 2012 11:55 am

Yes, Merc was a good player book with lots of useful gear but be fair and give Lazlo a book first.

gaaahhhh · Unread post by **gaaahhhh** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:28 pm

Between Mercenaries, MercOps, and Merctown, I think I have enough for now.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:29 pm

gaaahhhh wrote:Between Mercenaries, MercOps, and Merctown, I think I have enough for now.

Don't forget Merc Adventures

Sureshot · Unread post by **Sureshot** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:51 pm

Note that when I say I would like to see a ML sourcebook I'm tlaking years from now. At least not until they clear out the backlog of manuscripts they still have to go through.

dragonfett · Unread post by **dragonfett** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:20 pm

I don't want to see a second Merc book per se, however I would like to see a revised and updated version of the Mercenaries book.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 2:05 pm

dragonfett wrote:I don't want to see a second Merc book per se, however I would like to see a revised and updated version of the Mercenaries book.

I'd rather see a free PDF made available for all books made prior to RUE so those of us who have all the books don't have to bu all new reprints that now have the RUE update done to them.

dragonfett · Unread post by **dragonfett** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 2:20 pm

This is true, but they would never do that because they would rather force us to buy more of their stuff to make more money.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 2:21 pm

dragonfett wrote:This is true, but they would never do that because they would rather force us to buy more of their stuff to make more money.

Apparently that tactic isn't working since it seems most of refuse to re-buy a book we already have unless it truly is a revised and expanded book ala SB1R, FomR or VKR&E

Zamion138 · Unread post by **Zamion138** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:47 pm

We have enough merc books id reather have more books on say pecos empire or lazlo or yeah lots of stuff needs to be made before anouther merc book.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:52 pm

Zamion138 wrote:We have enough merc books id reather have more books on say pecos empire or lazlo or yeah lots of stuff needs to be made before anouther merc book.

A 48 page "adventure book" like The Vangaurd and Black Vault could work there too. One book for each Pecos Bandit faction

Major NPC's. Bases/outposts. Geographical area info of where they typically operate.

Do the same above for the more famous Merc Companies.

They could be companion pieces as people may hire the Mercs to deal with the Bandits

DBX · Unread post by **DBX** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:41 am

Sureshot wrote:Count me in as someone wgo like to see a second mercs vook. As long as they include actually updates. Not ones where an important NPC dies and the leave that up to the GM. Do an actual update or don't do one at all.

If PB's moves the timelines forward, then **** happens, cities/empires fall, people die, have families, grow to be heroes, fall flat on their faces and become heroes again.

If you update a book, bring book information to current calendar timeline. Then please update the events that were supposedly meant to happen or at least explain why they didn't occur.

One of the biggest disappointments in this regards was aftermath book. To me at least, nothing happened for nearly 4/5 years (whatever the SOT length was) around the world that wasn't affected by the SOT, everything stayed more or less the same to areas that were distance from SOT.

Even though many books covering many areas of the world implied several storylines that would have happened/advanced as time progressed. very little change seamed to happen around the world according to Aftermath book, when nearly 4 years had passed.

in regards to merc groups, merc groups will disband, merge, lose members, gain new members, fail on contracts, succeed on contracts, etc.

Juicer NPC's/mercs mentioned as being in their 3/4 year as juicers in the original book they first appeared in (e.g. mercs 1 or VK) would by 109/110 p.a have either died, found a way to extend their lifespan (something that would be very useful additional information for gamers), detoxified and/or changed to another occupation (again possible useful information for gamers)

DBX · Unread post by **DBX** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 11:00 am

jaymz wrote:A 48 page "adventure book" like The Vangaurd and Black Vault could work there too. One book for each Pecos Bandit faction

I think these sort of books could be done by freelancers working together, with each one being responsible for an article for the greater whole. IMO Proven/reliable freelancers could do this, rather than having their material appearing in the Rifter.

Maybe it could go through KS, get the "official" or at least "Optional" tag and released. free pdf download, paid pdf download or paper book

This surely would be a quicker turnaround, than a single freelancer or two sending in full blown manuscripts for KS to go through, approve and then work his magic on

gaby · Unread post by **gaby** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 11:41 am

Thers not need for any new books on Mercenaries.

Mercdog · Unread post by **Mercdog** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:42 pm

I'd think that a South America 3 book would be more useful for info on the Megaversal Legion and their ops on Rifts Earth than another Mercenary book. But that's just me.

I love all the merc books, but yeah, we've got 4 of 'em. (I would actually say more like 4.5, as I tend to include Juicer Uprising in the lot.)

Killer Cyborg · Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:03 pm

I think we've seen enough of the Megaversal Legion already.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:05 pm

Killer Cyborg wrote:I think we've seen enough of the Megaversal Legion already.

What, don't like he uber abrams? The uber apache? The uber bradley? :lol:

Killer Cyborg · Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:10 pm

jaymz wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:I think we've seen enough of the Megaversal Legion already.

What, don't like he uber abrams? The uber apache? The uber bradley?

Yeah, not so much.

I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Arkhon, though- they were a lot more interesting.
Of course, that would go better in a SA3 book than a Mercenaries book.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:16 pm

Killer Cyborg wrote:
jaymz wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:I think we've seen enough of the Megaversal Legion already.

What, don't like he uber abrams? The uber apache? The uber bradley?

Yeah, not so much.

I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Arkhon, though- they were a lot more interesting.
Of course, that would go better in a SA3 book than a Mercenaries book.

well you could also look at, like I said above, a 48 page adventure book, for the arkhons

Killer Cyborg · Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:18 pm

jaymz wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:
jaymz wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:I think we've seen enough of the Megaversal Legion already.

What, don't like he uber abrams? The uber apache? The uber bradley?

Yeah, not so much.

I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Arkhon, though- they were a lot more interesting.
Of course, that would go better in a SA3 book than a Mercenaries book.

well you could also look at, like I said above, a 48 page adventure book, for the arkhons

I certainly like the idea of adventure books.

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:22 pm

Killer Cyborg wrote:
jaymz wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:
jaymz wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:I think we've seen enough of the Megaversal Legion already.

What, don't like he uber abrams? The uber apache? The uber bradley?

Yeah, not so much.

I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Arkhon, though- they were a lot more interesting.
Of course, that would go better in a SA3 book than a Mercenaries book.

well you could also look at, like I said above, a 48 page adventure book, for the arkhons

I certainly like the idea of adventure books.

It would certainly be something that could get "more" product out and in a more timely manner.

Vrykolas2k · Unread post by **Vrykolas2k** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:07 pm

Mercs II would be a great idea.
You could even detail a community built around mercs, and perhaps operations for pretty much mercs rather than other types of adventurers.
Sounds vaguely familiar...

jaymz · Unread post by **jaymz** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:15 pm

SamtheDagger wrote:I like--no, that is not the right word--I LOVE adventure books, but when you are a small gaming company with a relatively small audience, it is a real hard sell to market a book designed primarily for GMs. Palladium needs to put out books right now that have stuff for both players and GMs.

If you have noticed, the PB Adventure books are useful for both players and GM's

The Beast · Unread post by **The Beast** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:57 pm

I wouldn't mind another book like Merc Ops, however, I'd much rather see a book on Chi-Town, Lazlo, the rest of the Minion War, and LotD3 before another merc book.

Zamion138 · Unread post by **Zamion138** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:03 pm

SamtheDagger wrote:I like--no, that is not the right word--I LOVE adventure books, but when you are a small gaming company with a relatively small audience, it is a real hard sell to market a book designed primarily for GMs. Palladium needs to put out books right now that have stuff for both players and GMs.

I know in my gaming group only one person is not a gm at least sometimes. We all own a core book but im the only one with the rest of the books and we just lend them out. I don't see a book not selling with how fervent paly fans are with their purchases. I buy crap I don't even want. Heck I bought the indexes ...that something that should have just been free online cuase it h,l,s in it.

Wōdwulf Seaxaning · Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:44 pm

What about a series of RIFTER articles that focus on one or more Merc companies & update them . The have a few introcucing a few newer ones to the mix. I'd also go with a series of RIFTER articles focusing on 'Elite' CS , NG , NGR based combat units & personel.

ZINO · Unread post by **ZINO** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 11:03 pm

Count me just add the revised it as well add mecr men of arms , merc magic , merc psionic , merc TW type gears, update weapon systems, merc in NGR or security firms type and more than 192 pages !!!rifts space merc !! plus gear and ships and last PW merc more details weapon ,ships, mecha .robot and magic type as well!!

Zamion138 · Unread post by **Zamion138** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:45 am

ZINO wrote:Count me just add the revised it as well add mecr men of arms , merc magic , merc psionic , merc TW type gears, update weapon systems, merc in NGR or security firms type and more than 192 pages !!!rifts space merc !! plus gear and ships and last PW merc more details weapon ,ships, mecha .robot and magic type as well!!

yeah thats not gonna happen....a cross platform book for earth and PW.....and how it usaly works they would break magic and tech into two books... Personaly I think we have enough "Gear"...inless you mean more mundane items and no more guns and armor......the markets flooded.

TechnoGothic · Unread post by **TechnoGothic** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:25 pm

Hows about a book for Scholars, Doctors, Cyber-docs, and Vagabonds instead....

Zamion138 · Unread post by **Zamion138** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:34 pm

TechnoGothic wrote:Hows about a book for Scholars, Doctors, Cyber-docs, and Vagabonds instead....

I heart this way more....combat docs and bio weapons and scholars that specialize in all sorts of stuff...non combat gear for science. Reasercher power armor. Mobile labs..im in

Athos · Unread post by **Athos** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:53 pm

TechnoGothic wrote:Hows about a book for Scholars, Doctors, Cyber-docs, and Vagabonds instead....

That would be a useful book indeed.

I wouldn't mind a mercs 2 book though, as long as it wasn't 90% of the original book with some useless new junk thrown in. I HATE the revision books, give me new content if you want my dollars.

DBX · Unread post by **DBX** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:15 am

If PB's write these adventures in their own style, i think they will appeal to many people and not just GM's. Palladium's storylines and adventure settings are one of the few things that even its most fervent critics acknowledge as being second to none.

this is why many are surprised that pb's haven't released more adventure books. They need to ground these adventures in the setting. IMO That was what they managed to do successdfully with the archie-3 scenario and i think even with Tombs of Gersidi.

There was an adventure that a GM could run several different ways and lots of world information and backgrounds. This information wasn't just applicable to that particular adventure but seemed to be part of the rifts mythos.

HLS are all well and good but they seem clinical/sterile. They don't fit in with the rifts style and appear removed from the setting. Therefore if a HLS doesn't grab you, then you will just ignore them and see them as a waste of space that could have been better used for other information.

TechnoGothic · Unread post by **TechnoGothic** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:08 am

Athos wrote:
TechnoGothic wrote:Hows about a book for Scholars, Doctors, Cyber-docs, and Vagabonds instead....

That would be a useful book indeed.

I wouldn't mind a mercs 2 book though, as long as it wasn't 90% of the original book with some useless new junk thrown in. I HATE the revision books, give me new content if you want my dollars.

SEE, that is another reason I extremely dislike RUE and the new revised books.
STOP REPRINTING and WRITE something NEW !!! (sorry had to get it out)

Geeze. Just look at early books we were promised.
Lazlo, Chi-Town itself, Northern Gun. Come one Kev, big guy, you have had 20 years to work on those ideas, lets see them at last.
I Honestly could care less about reprinting and updating the older books to RUE. They are close enough rules wise, its easy to update our characters ourselves i say. And I could care less about updating the dumb timeline to 109 PA. Write ONE BOOK with just the important Timeline Updates. Their your done, call it "109 PA UPDATE" Heck kev, most of the timeline updates could fit into a 47 page sourcebook even, but give them the big 200 page update if you can for all the Worldbooks. At 10 pages each should be around what 280 pages to update it all. Heck, and that is if anything worth while has happened in a region anyways since 101 PA.

I would change focus for awhile with RIFTS and focus on Dimension Books. New Dimensions ready to play. Try to keep them more simple and not too broad though. That way if a Dimension book only gets one book for it, ohh well, no loss i guess. Let see more on your Pet Project "Chaos Earth" already. Even with the CE books we have it feels incomplete.

Sorry for the rant people...
But I want New Books, not reprints/updates to books i already have....

Killer Cyborg · Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:17 am

Zamion138 wrote:
TechnoGothic wrote:Hows about a book for Scholars, Doctors, Cyber-docs, and Vagabonds instead....

I heart this way more....combat docs and bio weapons and scholars that specialize in all sorts of stuff...non combat gear for science. Reasercher power armor. Mobile labs..im in

Definitely.

DBX · Unread post by **DBX** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:00 am

Zamion138 wrote:
TechnoGothic wrote:Hows about a book for Scholars, Doctors, Cyber-docs, and Vagabonds instead....

I heart this way more....combat docs and bio weapons and scholars that specialize in all sorts of stuff...non combat gear for science. Reasercher power armor. Mobile labs..im in

this would be good. in RMB you only had the behemoth explorer, not much since then. behemoth explorer was good as originally many gamers thought it was something that was produced by Lazlo, but later Pb said it was Archie. Behemoth explorer was a vehicle that you expected to have been designed, unearted and manufactured by Lazlo, especially as RMB and later books implied Lazlo to be

Myrrhibis · Unread post by **Myrrhibis** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:49 am

I don't want a new Mercenaries book - but I would love an updated edition, w/ updated OCC info.

In our group, the Merc book is one of our standards, and is often used as a basis for Rifted races from movies/books/comics. b/c of the lack of updates, my current fave-to-date PC is using a hybrid of Master Assassin & Headhunter Assassin due to newer bonuses/skill categories.

ZINO · Unread post by **ZINO** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 3:40 pm

Zamion138 wrote:
ZINO wrote:Count me just add the revised it as well add mecr men of arms , merc magic , merc psionic , merc TW type gears, update weapon systems, merc in NGR or security firms type and more than 192 pages !!!rifts space merc !! plus gear and ships and last PW merc more details weapon ,ships, mecha .robot and magic type as well!!

yeah thats not gonna happen....a cross platform book for earth and PW.....and how it usaly works they would break magic and tech into two books... Personaly I think we have enough "Gear"...inless you mean more mundane items and no more guns and armor......the markets flooded.

hey we can dream can we?? right ???

Zamion138 · Unread post by **Zamion138** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:07 pm

ZINO wrote:
Zamion138 wrote:
ZINO wrote:Count me just add the revised it as well add mecr men of arms , merc magic , merc psionic , merc TW type gears, update weapon systems, merc in NGR or security firms type and more than 192 pages !!!rifts space merc !! plus gear and ships and last PW merc more details weapon ,ships, mecha .robot and magic type as well!!

yeah thats not gonna happen....a cross platform book for earth and PW.....and how it usaly works they would break magic and tech into two books... Personaly I think we have enough "Gear"...inless you mean more mundane items and no more guns and armor......the markets flooded.

hey we can dream can we?? right ???

Hahaha you still have hopes and dreams heheheh

Incriptus · Unread post by **Incriptus** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:22 pm

Yes but after other priorities

Before "Rifts: Ass end of the world your players will never visit 8" but after "Rifts: Place around the corner you should have visited years ago but didn't have the book 5".

Kagashi · Unread post by **Kagashi** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 1:18 am

Merc Ops, Merc Town, Naruni 2, and Merc Adventures combined WAS "Merc2". They just got 4 times the money for it than as if it were one book.

gaby · Unread post by **gaby** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:53 am

I say NO,to Mercenaries2.

Sureshot · Unread post by **Sureshot** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:58 am

I say yes but not before we see the books on the Cs Lazlo and the older backlog first.

kaid · Unread post by **kaid** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:42 pm

jaymz wrote:I think a "Mercs 2" would just end up giving us more OCC's and Gear. I'd rather have Black Market, Northern Gun and a book an Manistique Imperium. They have more Merc ties than anything else aside from Merctown.

Between mercs/merc ops/merctown/merc adventures the coming black market/and NG books I think will have this covered in every way needed.

MethosDarkblade · Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:03 pm

Funny how I ran into this thread after coming up with ideas for one myself.

I am thinking of doing an updated Mercs Rifter article. Doing a Rifter Article (or several) would give the players a feel for how the mercenary groups adapted during the Siege of Tolkeen and what happened to them through the years.