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Story Questions
Q. How do I join a Macross 2051 game?
A. All new players interested in joing a Macross 2051 game must
enter the Academy. Old players who are simply adding a character
can apply directly to the GM of their choice. Please see the Join
page for general information on how to do this, and the How
To Make a Basic Character Sheet page for more detailed help.
Q. What information is considered canon
for Macross 2051?
A. Egan Loo's Macross Compendium
is the only off-site source of Macross information that
is approved for use on the AMRN.
Q. What is the Academy?
A. Out of character, the Academy serves as a training area to
help new AMRN players learn how to roleplay in a written forum
using the Macross Fuzion Kit. In character, the U.N. Spacy Academy
at Annapolis acts as the end of training for cadets, who, after
passing, will go on to receive actual assignments (posts in the
Macross 2051 games). The Academy is comprised of four training
schools: the UN Basic Pilot Training School (for pilots), the
UN Marine Academy (for Marines), the Fleet Warfare and Operations
School (for Bridge Operators and Ship Officers), and the UN Intelligence
Academy at Quantico, Virginia (for Intelligence Operatives).
Pilot training takes three years, so the previous three years
training should be accounted for on your character sheet. This
training could have taken place at the central Academy site in
Annapolis, on a colony world, or on board a large spaceship.
In order to participate in one of the above schools, you must
submit a character sheet to the Academy Administrator. Please
see the Join page for general information
on how to do this, and the How To Make a Basic
Character Sheet page for more detailed help.
Q. Why is it so hard to get into the Academy?
A. The AMRN is a written forum. As such, it is imperative that
players be able to communicate effectively in written English.
The character sheet revision process allows players to get in
the habit of writing carefully and well.
Another important thing to consider is the roleplaying aspect.
It's often hard to pretend to be someone else, and to be that
person consistently. With a solid character sheet, the player
has a much better idea of who the character is. The character
sheet provides a good reference for playing the character, which
leads to better roleplay.
Q. Why does it take so long to get into
the Academy?
A. There are several factors to consider in the character sheet
approval process. First and foremost is the fact that Academy
Admin does not accept and approve character sheets as a full-time
job. It may take some time before you receive a response. Don't
start to worry unless it has been over a month.
Even after your sheet has been accepted, there may be a delay.
This is because Academy classes must have a minimum of six cadets
to start. This requirement was put in place to ensure that cadets
have enough people to practice roleplaying with before they go
to a game.
Q. I already have a character. Do I have
to go through the Academy again?
A. No. After you have passed Academy training once, you are welcome
to create up to five extra characters, which can go to any game,
pending GM approval. You can also start these new characters at
a higher rank if you want to, though you will have to get your
GM's permission to do this.
However, many old players decide to put their new characters
through the Academy. This builds friendships with other characters
(training squadmates) and provides more background history for
the character.
Q. Do I have to be a pilot?
A: No, you do not have to be a pilot. We have many other positions
available. You can be a bridge operator, channeling communications
from the bridge, firing capship weapons, or organizing squadrons.
You can be a Marine, and put your money where your mouth is. You
can be a scientist in the Special Science Forces. You can work
in Intel, skulking around finding the information that is later
used by the "grunts". You can be a civilian. Or you
can even apply for the rebels, and fight the scum of the universe:
the UN Spacy oppressors. The choice is yours.
Q. Can I be a Protodeviln?
A. No. The Protodeviln left the galaxy in February of 2046. However,
you can be a human, a Zentradi/Meltran, or a Zolan.
Q. Can I make my own squadron?
A. Not usually. In some cases, experienced players can propose
a new squadron to their GMs for approval. However, all active
squadrons must be made up of player-characters, not NPCs played
by the GM. For a new squadron to be formed, there must be enough
PCs to fill it.
Q. Are there any Black Op groups in
the AMRN?
A. No. Black Ops is an exceedingly rare thing. Mostly because
keeping something a secret in the modern - or in the case of Macross
post-modern - world is a difficult thing.
Black Ops in the world of Macross may exist; General Gomez's
Ghost X9 project appears to have been carried out with great secrecy.
It is possible that it was a Black Ops project, but that is simply
a hunch.
As to date though, Kawamori has not revealed a group of super
secret agents who fly Valkyries and save the UN from the evil
super criminal partnership of SPECTRE.
The VFX "Ravens" were a Special Forces group, not a
Black Ops group. What they are akin to is uncertain. Marine Recon?
Special Forces Team Delta? A bunch of bad asses in Valkyries?
There is little doubt that they were elite pilots with access
to elite mecha. That seems to be where the line stops though.
I don't think they are trained in infiltration, sabotage, intelligence,
counter-terrorism, demolitions, or even guerilla or urban combat
(non-Valkyrie).
I assume that out of their Valkyries a well trained United Nations
Space Marine platoon would probably serve them up as breakfast.
Q. Can I make a Black Ops squadron?
A. No.
If you have it set in your heart to be a super spy though, contact
the GM of Intel, or try Dark Macross. In that tense atmosphere
having those kind of uber skills - even out of your mecha - could
do certain factions a lot of good.
Mecha Questions
Q: Can I customize my mecha?
A: No.
Q: Why are VF-19s/VF-22s so rare in your
games?
A: There is no one answer. The rarity of the new AVFs is attributed
to the following reasons, but remember it is not limited to just
these reasons.
1. In 2051 the UN is not at war. The war against the Varuta is
over. The Protodevlin have left the galaxy and their brainwashed
Human and Zentradi colonists have been freed. The only remaining
threats that currently exist are Anti-UN terrorism, remaining
factions of the Stellar Republic (the Zentradi), and the inherent
greed that exists within us all (Galactic Whale poaching and Super
Corporations for example). Against those kinds of threats the
existing UN Forces and the VF-11 are not only adquate, but in
many cases vastly superior.
2. The majority of AMRN games are based upon the service branch
of the United Nations Spacy. The UNS has not yet reached a conclusion
as to what will be its next generation fighter. A man by the name
of General Gomez has been leading a crusade to have the UNS arm
itself solely with unmanned fighters. What he believes exactly
is not known, so I can't say why he no longer wants humans piloting
Valkyries. Perhaps he wishes to no longer see our bloodshed. Perhaps
he sees human pilots as a weakness. Perhaps the subject is deeply
gray. You will have to reach your own conclusion. As one might
expect though, other officers and members of the general staff
- people who may have once been pilots themselves - are not likely
to so freely discard pilots. During the end of Macross Plus it
seemed as if General Gomez had convinced the right people, but
after the Sharon Apple incident his efforts appears to have met
with great resistance. The AIF-9B, the successor and production
model to the Ghost X9 project materialized several years later.
It is assumed that this fighter is replacing VF-11 units just
as the VF-19 is, but nothing has shown that it has been scheduled
to replace the entire UNS standing army of Valkyries. Nonetheless
its very existence might represents a dark shadow for the pilots
of the UNS. Until the UNS finally decides on which fighter they
want, chances are that units of the various AVFs will remain scarce.
3. The UNAF has officially announced their adoption of the VF-19A.
They are in a active effort to replace all their VF-11 units.
Unfortunately, the AMRN does not have any UNAF games.
4. The VF-22S is a Special Operations Fighter. This is the exact
same designation assigned to the VF-17 Nightmare. The VF-17 is
not very old, but by comparison to the Sturmvogel it certainly
lacks some very competitive features. Among those are proper fold
booster support, a PPB, and an active stealth system. Nonetheless
the VF-17 never made up a large part of the UNS forces and with
the UN under no major threat, don't expect the UNS to be very
eager to spend its budget toward replacing perfectly acceptable
VF-17 units for VF-22S models.
Q. When you transform in a VF, do you
automatically lose all your missiles?
A. No. The assumption that transformation would cause a loss
of missiles is based on the erroneous idea that missiles are contained
in wing hard points and would have to be dumped in order to allow
the mecha to transform. Except for the VF-1 Valkyrie, no VFs have
wing hard points. Missiles are housed in the leg launchers or
in FAST packs. Transforming, therefore, has no effect on the missiles.
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