I have read the Atomic Robo RPG book, and it makes some mentions of "issues." What are these exactly a reference to, and why do they matter to the game? to be clear, I am not and would not complain about having more fate points, but I would like clarification as to why I, or any PC, would get them for this action.
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"Issue" is exactly what it sounds like--the RPG equivalent of a single issue of a comic book. It's a unit of story/plot which usually lasts one or two sessions and runs from the resolution of one significant cliffhanger to the introduction of the next. In ARRPG, issues replace the "session" unit of time for several mechanics.
There's roughly a half-dozen issues in a typical story, and each issue has a particular problem —usually precipitated by the previous issue's cliffhanger, or the resolution of that cliffhanger— which is the focus of play. Also, every issue should contain a point where it's logical to have a minor milestone (instead of at the end of every session as in Fate Core, though functionally it may look similar at the table).
ARRPG 184 talks about issues --albeit more about using them than defining them-- and 185 provides a rough guideline for progression which breaks down a possible plot progression into four discrete units which map to one or two issues each. It should help give an idea of how the concept plays out in a game, especially if you haven’t read the Atomic Robo comics.
