The Mechanoid Invasion

The Mechanoid Invasion (and its source books, supplements and sequels) was the first role-playing game from Palladium Books, conceived and written by Kevin Siembieda, with contributions from Erick Wujcik.[1]

The Mechanoid Invasion
Front cover of The Mechanoid Invasion core rulebook, illustrated by Kevin Siembieda
Designer(s)Kevin Siembieda
Illustrator(s)Kevin Siembieda, Michael Gustovich, William Messner-Loebs, James A. Osten
Publisher(s)Palladium Books
Publication dateApril 1981 (1981-04)
Years active1981–1988
Genre(s)Science fiction
Language(s)English
Websitepalladiumbooks.com

Concept

The Mechanoid Invasion centered on a powerful, malevolent, and numerous race of bio-driven machines that had come to invade a planet called Gideon E that was colonized by humans. In its original edition, published in 1981,[2] the game was published as a series of three comic-book sized sourcebooks:[3]

  1. the first, The Mechanoid Invasion, dealt with the eponymous invasion of Gideon E
  2. the second, Journey, dealt with human survivors living within a mechanoid mothership after the destruction of the Gideon E colony and introduced "minor magic and some psionics",[4]
  3. the third, Homeworld, dealt with the Mechanoid homeworld itself.

Legacy

The first book was revised and republished in an expanded form in 1985.[5]

In Spring 1991 Caliber Comics also produced a 3-book series called The Mechanoids which adapted the RPG into comic book stories.[6]

In the early 90s "Sourcebook Two" of Rifts was released, titled The Mechanoids, and it included MDC conversions for the Mechanoids for use in a Rifts Earth setting, along with a storyline on how they got there.[7]

In Winter 1998 a Collected Mechanoids RPG was released.[8] By 2001 all 3 books were compiled as the Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy[9] which is still available.[10]

Mechanoids Space, a complete RPG first announced in 1993 for release the following year, was last promised for publication in December 2002 as late as September 2002.[8] As of 2020, it is still available in the store labelled "coming soon".[11]

Reception

William A. Barton reviewed The Mechanoid Invasion in The Space Gamer No. 42.[12] Barton commented that "If you can overlook its amateurish production (and the price helps in this), I think you'll find The Mechanoid Invasion worth the investment. It should provide some enjoyable role playing in an SF setting as a break from Traveller or your other favorite SF RPG."[12]

Review

References
  1. article: Talking Roleplaying and Computing Careers with Erick Wujcik
  2. REVIEW OF THE MECHANOID INVASION TRILOGY
  3. Monster Robots From Outer Space - Kevin Siembieda - Rifts Sourcebook Two Mechanoids - Epinions.com.
  4. Company Profile, palladiumbooks.com.
  5. The Vortex Rifts Mechanoids.
  6. History of Caliber Archived 2014-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Rifts Sourcebook 2 retrieved 20 June 2015
  8. The Palladium FAQ Version 4.00: September 1, 2002 Section 11: The Mechanoids on Stan Bundy's Website retrieved 20 June 2015: 11.02. When is the Mechanoids RPG going to be reprinted?
  9. 9 April 2001 archive of Invasion Trilogy for sale
  10. Palladium Books description of the Trilogy compilation
  11. Mechanoids Space retrieved 12 February 2016
  12. Barton, William A. (August 1981). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer. Steve Jackson Games (42): 30.
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