Seto Kaiba wrote:Didn't you just contradict yourself there? I can't see people going in blind to buy minis for a Robotech game the way they might for a TCG or something like HeroClix. There's just not enough of a consumer base to do that... especially with many fans who have a particular antipathy for one saga or another.
No. While you treat them as one entity, I do recognize that the starter set(s) may need to be more focused in how they are setup to get people in, but does not have to be advertised as catering to a particular saga.
As for the Blind Aspect in getting stuff you don't want... Well that happens. If the Booster packs are defined and hold multiples (in mix type format) aren't you going to run into the same issue? It also means you can have a more diverse force by mix/match from multiple eras which can help the game's longevity I would think. Or you can trade/sell them to get ones you want.
Seto Kaiba wrote:Jefffar wrote:So from a standard booster 2 Macross, 1 Masters, 1 Mospeda, 1 Random.
But doesn't that kind of screw over the Masters Saga and New Generation fans? You'd think the balance ought to go far in favor of the New Generation, since that's the basis for the ongoing (Shadow Chronicles) story. If they add ships to it, the balance skews even more toward the Macross Saga, since that has the most ships as well. (That way, the balance for minis ends up at least 40-18-29.)
Why not do the Boosters as 1 random for each era. That might be a bit small for mini's booster pack, but if the price is proportional...
As for how the Mini's Balance in numbers for each saga I get 41-38-44 (TMS/TRM/NG-TSC) if we go off the mecha/vehicle list one can generate from the 2E RPG before we go with character variations (or even XP levels):
TMS (Total of 41, without non-mecha Infantry)
5-Destroids (if this was 1E could get 2 more)
5-Regular VF-1s (A/J/D/S/R)
5-Armored Battloid VF-1s (A/J/D/S/R)
5-Armored/Super Veritech VF-1s (A/J/S/D/R)
8-Fighter/Helicopters/Space Fighters (might be a bit higher if I did not treat the service branch versions as identical, which they basically are aside from designation IIRC)
3-Electronic Support aircraft (C&C, Recon, etc)
1-Armored Vehicle
4-Regult Batttle Pod variations
2 Officer Pod Variations
2 Zentreadi Power Armor variations
1 Fighter Pod
(I'm omitting the transport aerospace craft, Spiderbug, non-combat vehicles and other capital ships which include the Cyclops Recon Pod)
TRM (Total of 38 without non-mecha infantry, 45 if the Bioroids are setup w/ and w/o hoversleds, get another +1 if AGAC appears in A & B versions like the other mecha they have with model variations)
1-Logan VF
1-AGAC VFH (though A/B would allow for 2)
3-VHT-1s (A1/A2/A3, not counting space mobility option so it could double)
1-VHT-2 (I know not in the show, but its part of the canon comics)
6-nt-Battloids (4 models, 1 w/3 variations)
6-nt-Power Armor (though IIRC there are model variations that might apply)
6-Armored Vehicles (2 models, 1 w/5 variations)
5-Aerospace Fighters (4 models, 1 w/2 variations)
1-Golem Drone
7-Bioroids (5versions, 2 w/upgrade versions to. This doesn't consider if they have Hoversled and non-Hoversled versions)
1-Terminator PA
(I've omitted the Dropship, Shuttles, capital ships, and the Hover-cycle/Truck)
TSC/NG (44 Total, more if non-mecha infantry)
1-MT-21 Dauntless Armored Assault Motorcycle
1-MR-40 Reconnaissance Motorcycle
1-ATT-30 All Terrain Utility Jeep
1-M-70 Kodiak
6-Alpha Models (H/I/Z, Shadow F & Drone, Super)
3-Beta (Shadow & Non-Shadow, Super)
6-Alpha/Beta Combo (1 for each Alpha type)
1-Bioroid Interceptor
1-Condor
1-Conbat Fighter
8-Cyclone Models (3-VR-038, 2 VR-041, 2 VR-052, 1 VR-057, maybe even a 3rd VR-052 w/ and w/o EP-37?)
3-Silverback Models
2-Haydonite Mecha
9-Invid Mecha
(I'm omitting the IMUs, the two non-combat trucks and the warships in the main RPG and NG SB)
With TMS and NG/TSC Infantry are going to be much more limited in number types compared to TRM as they get 15 "armies" plus 2 RM infantry factions (IIRC uniforms from the show), where TMS gets maybe 2 human infantry (Armored and unarmored) and 2 Zentreadi (regular and micronized), and NG/TSC only gets 3 human infantry (2 armored types, 1 unarmored type, the show would add another armor from Wolfe, and then there is the male/female armor variations not looking at either). Toss in Officer and Enlisted versions each get's doubled. MOS types might help beef up TMS/NG if each ASC army is viewed as an MOS.