The new one for Palladium's Robotech game.  How similar is it to the original Robotech RPG from the 80s? If I have that, will I have any reason to want this?

RPGPundit

If you already have the old one dont bother. Having looked at the shadow chronicles book. Its all the same old stuff. Same system, same pictures, same, same, same. I very much doubt the new macross is any different. Some of the stats for the destroids, and veritecs have been changed slightly. Basically more MDC so it is more compatable with Rifts. Then maybe a few little odd and ends. But over all its the same stuff organized differently. With extra power creep. So if you have the old books theres no real nead for the new ones. I know you, Pundit like the idea of the SDF1 making its way to Rifts earth as a campaign. So maybe you'll get some mileage out of the new stats. Or you could save a few bucks and just figure it for yourself.

That's the SDF-3 actually, and I found the Shadow Chronicles book worthwhile for that reason. I'm not sure I'd have any use for the Macross book, since at the moment I have no plans to run a macross campaign, but if it had something radically cool and different from the old book, it might be worthwhile.

RPGPundit

I almost picked this up as an impulse purchase at a FLGS in Florida, but they didn't have any stuff I was actually looking for so I passed on it.

Resurrection!

I just got this book and I'll let you know that it is 90% mechporn (and vehicles, and spaceships).

All the mechs are statted, a TON of vehicles (including service vehicles like refuelers, portable launch platforms and baggage carts) and Spaceships (it has a 5 page write-up on the SDF-1). It's page after page of stats and info.

There's 4 Zentraedi PC classes and 2 Zentraedi NPC classes. There's also the new Civillian OCC. Micronization rules for Zentraedi are also included.

Every entry has a new write-up, new stats, and overall, it's as well put together as the info sections of the Shadow Chronicles.

So its not just recycled?

RPGPundit

No, same as Shadow Chronicles. A lot is similar, but it's brought up to the current Mega-Damage standard. There's many mentions and comparisons to things that are modern (MP3 players, laptops, video games etc.).

There's a lot of promotion for future books as well. There is a future spaceship book referenced in EVERY spaceship write-up "for further details". It bugged me a bit, but as a digest, I'm happier it made room for more statblocks.

It has the new, clean line art (like Shadow Chronicles) for 95% of the vehicles. I have seen none of the old art used.

Overall, I'd say it's of the same caliber as the Shadow Chronicles main book. You also need the main book for the rules (there's only a few pages on converting the classes to be more in line with the Macross era of the timeline).

I know the Civillian OCC is very different from the Non-Military Personel OCC in the Invid Invasion book from the OG Robotech. Instead of picking and choosing a bunch of skills it has selectable "professions" with occupation skills and average pay's listed. There's a huge variety of differing jobs listed.

Micronization has been made much simpler.

Beyond the fact it's the same unit types (the Valkrie, the Monster, etc.) all the stats are new, all the writeups are new.

No, same as Shadow Chronicles. A lot is similar, but it's brought up to the current Mega-Damage standard and all new write-ups. There's many mentions and comparisons to things that are modern (MP3 players, laptops, video games etc.).

There's a lot of promotion for future books as well. There is a future spaceship book referenced in EVERY spaceship write-up "for further details". It bugged me a bit, but as a digest, I'm happier it made room for more stat-blocks.

It has the new, clean line art (like Shadow Chronicles) for 95% of the vehicles. I have seen none of the old KS art used.

Overall, I'd say it's of the same caliber as the Shadow Chronicles main book. You also need the main book for the rules (there's only a few pages on converting the classes to be more in line with the Macross era of the timeline).

I know the Civillian OCC is very different from the Non-Military Personel OCC in the Invid Invasion book from the OG Robotech. Instead of picking and choosing a bunch of skills it has selectable "professions" with occupation skills and average pay's listed. There's a huge variety of differing jobs listed.

Micronization has been made much simpler.

Beyond the fact it's has the same unit types (the Valkrie, the Monster, etc.), all the stats are new, all the write-ups are new.

You might also like to know that the Mecha themselves are brought into line with the source material in a major way.  The Destroids are given their original names (not the Matchbox names from the original RPG) and the Battle Pods are referred to as "Regult" and "Glaug".  Weapons fits are MUCH more credible in this version - the underwing armament on the Valkyries are medium range missiles by default rather than short range, the GU-11 does comparitively much more damage even with the MDC escalation, and the Super Valkyrie is NOT a completely separate mecha, but a set of FASTPack external augmentation pods.

  On the surface it may be same 'ol, but I've devoured the book and I have to say Palladium actually paid attention to the source material this time around.  It's a much, much better attempt at a Macross sourcebook than the earlier book.  And it's hard for me to say that, since the old Macross book was my first RPG purchased with my own money.  Before that, it was legacy D&D and Star Frontiers stuff given to me by friends of my mom's.