Mr March

I suppose there could be internal launchers in the VF-25 Messiah engines/legs, but there's little room (yes, even by "Macross internal storage standards"). It has been noted some kind of "port" is seen on the engines/legs; it's found just beside the outer knee (see this rear view of the RVF-25). It could be a micro-missile launcher port or it could be a vernier thruster (or something else entirely). It's somewhat telling that we've never seen micro-missiles coming from the VF-25 engines/legs (though admittedly, that's no guarantee that they don't exist); all we have is some off-screen missile fire in the first episode from Gilliam's Super Pack-less VF-25F. The YF-19/VF-19 Excalibur and VF-11C Thunderbolt were both animated with internal missile bays (much to Kawamori's chagrin in the case of the VF-11C, lol). The exception would be the VF-5000 internal launchers, but the Star Mirage had limited screen time AND was always shown using non-lethal shock ordnance. Still, the VF-11B/C Thunderbolt (not the VF-11MAXL Custom) was built without internal missiles so it's not like a missile-less VF-25 Messiah would be without precedent. Considering internal missiles in the Super-less VF-25 were never seen, I think it would be disappointing to learn launchers are part of the official statistics. All the other VF-25 weapons were shown animated multiple times; even the rarely used hip and head guns were shown in action more than once. Perhaps the VF-25 internal missiles will join the ranks of the head cannon for the VF-11B/C Thunderbolt and the YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II as an example of a weapon that's never been fired

If we're lucky, they are taking their time before releasing the Macross Frontier material so they can include a bunch of line art, full color beauty shots we've not yet seen and maybe even some Macross Frontier schematics

Yes, the M3 is my website. Much of the material is referenced from Egan Loo's excellent Macross Compendium, with extra translations from helpful fans.

Oh, I missed that term. That's a good way to distinguish it. I agree that the Vajra attack upon the Macross Galaxy appears to be a fake and/or staged.

I'd be cautious. I'm not sure if Kawamori and Co. have officially adopted that element into the post-VF-15 Valkyries. This tech lacks any kind of mention beyond the entry on the compendium and for all we know it could be another dead-tech, like BDI/BDS. Personally, I think micro-gravity control would be the next step in g-force counter technologies. Macross already uses gravity control on ships, so if it's miniaturized like fold engines, it seems a fairly likely candidate.

Ah, that explains it.

Yeah, kinda wondering about that one myself. No doubt the whole EX-Gear acts as an advanced g-suit, but aside from perhaps helping protect the pilot from an additional g or two over most flight suits, I hope there is some other reason why the VF-25 Messiah can protect it's pilot from high-g maneuvers.

Yes, those are definitely Dulfim-style vessels. This is why I suspect the Island/City Galaxy is still somewhere. Not only the Battle Galaxy, but the Dulfims of the Macross Galaxy fleet are still around. I think it's unlikely the fleet all survived but the Island/CIty Galaxy did not.

Definitely not excited. What I eagerly anticipate are the reviews; they could very well be more fun than the game. Though in all honesty, I am hoping for a good game, I just don't think it's going to happen

The VF-171 Nightmare Plus definitely has three underwing hardpoints. The first episode clearly shows three mountings under each wing and none of them are shared mountings. grss1982 That is indeed a Uraga Class Escort Battle Carrier. Thee is also a green Guantanamo Class Stealth Carrier to the top left of the picture and a Stealth Frigate (Northampton Class?) underneath the carrier arm of the Macross Quarter (and another Uraga further behind that).

I'll definitely back you up and say Alto is an interesting character. He is the main character in an anime, which means he is targeted straight at 13-18 year-old kids. As such, he's not that interesting as an adult. But his character arc is good and Alto is a fine role model, just like Hikaru was. Most of us on MW have long since grown from child to adult, so that teen-to-young adult journey no longer holds much appeal other than a trip down memory lane. Still, I can appreciate Alto for what he is and quite frankly, he is a lot of fun to cheer on and laugh at (the best comedy in the show was at Alto's expense; "Excuse me miss, can I interest you in a dress?") I also appreciate that Kawamori and Co. best utilized Alto's necessary character design. Yes, Alto is drawn to attract the current anime audience and he reflects the popular character design style of our times. But his looks were also a disadvantage in his chosen line of work (the military). Alto had to suffer through harassment because of his looks and he was often the butt of many a joke. Yet he carried onward in spite of it all. It's a good message for younger viewers, many of whom suffer from exposure to the ideal of what they should look like in modern media. Here's a character that has it all, but his looks are a detriment to his dream of flying but he tries in spite of it; young people can learn to accept that they may not have great looks but can succeed as long as they try. Alto also stumbled more than a few times and is a flawed character, just like many young adolescents. Alto does look the fool from an adult perspective, but to many younger people, he is all too familiar. Again, it important to understand that Alto's journey is for the young audience and not the older viewer. I think he made a good Macross protaganist but as an older viewer he just doesn't hold my attention as much. Still, he was definitely one of the more interesting characters in the show.

While there's no way to get around the expensive cost of importing from Japan, you should consider purchasing from either HMV Japan or Amazon.co.jp. They are selling the Macross Chronicle for $7-8 per issue, much cheaper than turnaround on eBay (and your merchandise is guaranteed, unlike auctions). You can also save considerably on shipping by ordering for 3-4 issues at a time. Both HMV and Amazon will keep your merchandise on hand for about a month until all issues are published, so you won't miss anything. You'll also find that by purchasing every one-to-two months, the cost is much easier on the wallet.

That's one tech complaint I had about the final episode. I suppose there could have been ECM involved, but the hologram of Ranka should have had zero effect upon radar. It's not even a physical object, so radar would have seen right through it and detected the Battle Galaxy. But even if ECM was being used to mask the Battle Galaxy, wouldn't any experienced NUNS captain (like Wilder or Wilen) recognize that all that jamming would be used to hide something?

"Well you actually have excellent bone structure. I'm kinda having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird?"

Awww, I wanted to go all militant geek on you

It appears anime52k8 is right. I went over the Tanaka Kiyomi cross sections and it does appear that the VF-1 Valkyrie's main radar array is on a gimbal inside the nose. What's more, the GERWALK and Battroid cross section drawings show the radar array does indeed pivot. I've attached to this post all the Kiyomi cross section diagrams of the nose as well as the internal VF-1J Battroid sketch from Macross Perfect Memory.

So the VF-1 Valkyrie was designed as a Battroid first and the fighter mode was a secondary priority? Hmmm, I suppose it's possible as a way to get around the old aging design of the VF-1 fighter mode and to somehow reconcile the obvious differences between the VF-1 and the VF-0. But it's somewhat anachronistic reasoning and even if we accepted it, why wouldn't the VF-1 have newer style VF-0-like wings? It doesn't quite work, but it is an interesting idea that somewhat attempts to resolve the continuity issue. I never thought about it like that.

Hear, hear Taksraven!. I adore the grounded, this-could-work mechanical design of Kawamori's Valkyries. The magic comes from how real the mechanical designs feel; everything moves/turns/opens/flips like it would need to were transforming fighter jets a reality. Love Kawamori's work.

Regarding vulnerability and armor... Why would we assume the heat shield is the most vulnerable part of the VF-1 Valkyrie (or any Valkyrie that features one)? It's a "shield"; it's likely the most heavily armored part of a Valkyrie, with the possible exception of the anti-projectile shield. Which makes sense because, as azrael has noted, the cockpit sits right in the center of the Battroid on many Valkyries. That's if armor thickness even matters in a Valkyrie, which I still maintain does not. Maybe I'm way out in left field here, but it seems some are labouring under the idea that thick armor is a primary consideration on a Valkyrie. As I understand it, all that matters when using Energy Converting Armor is "energy". Need stronger armor? Use more power. The Valkyries aren't 60-80 tons tanks; they are VERY light weight vehicles; the majority weigh 8-12 tons, typically less than a modern jet fighter. That's why ECA is such a brilliant solution to the need for a light weight super strong mecha. I suppose if a projectile or energy beam had to penetrate more than just the armor to harm the pilot (as is the case for the YF-19 or VF-25 Battroid) there might be some small incrementally improved amount of protection. But let's be honest, once the armored skin is breached, the unarmored machinery inside is going to yield like butter against any anti-mecha weapon. Maybe the "space metal" frame will offer more resistance, but I don't really see the "benefit". Once the valkyrie is hit (its first and best defense is avoidance) and the armor is penetrated (its final defense), the engineers have really done all they could have possibly done to protect the pilot. It's lights out after that Going back to heat shields for a moment, aren't most of them actually an additional layer? Looking at the VF-1 in particular, half the cockpit is actually covered by the fuselage. It is a similar case for the VF-0 Phoenix, VF-3000 Crusader and VF-5000 Star Mirage. So right there, the heat shield is actually a second layer over the cockpit. And the smaller the heat shield, the more armored hull protect the pilot, as is the case in the YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II. This is of course assuming that the heat "shield" is actually weaker than armored hull, which as I stated above doesn't make any sense anyway Regarding transformation... Yes, those piston plates for moving the VF-1's legs look really nasty. The whole leg system in the VF-1 is pretty damned inefficient. Just look at all the space those transfer mechanisms take up in the fuselage and imagine how much they have to weigh in order to move around the engines/legs, the heaviest parts of the variable fighter. From an in-universe context, I can see why the engineers wanted to come up with something better.

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHA Omg, that would be hilarious! *gasps for air* Look at it this way; miclone Max piloting a Reguld is no more absurd than piloting a Valkyrie with a guitar stick

Alto, Ranka, Sheryl and Ozuma were probably the most interesting characters in Macross Frontier. Sheryl is probably my favorite, with Ozuma a close second. Sheryl was great fun. She was rough and bitchy on the surface, but turned out to be fun, flirty and full of life once you got to know her. She was also an admirable professional and a hard worker. The series really threw a lot of crap at Sheryl and she bore most of it well; I dare say a lot better than most of us would have were we in her position. Part of the reason Grace was so hated as a villain was because of the crap she did to Sheryl. Ozuma actually had quite a lot to do with the show and his realistic character made for a great credible link between many of the character events in the series. I was also invested Ozuma because he was linked to Ranka. His brushes with death weren't so interesting in and of themselves, but they had gravitas because of the effect his possible demise could have upon Ranka and Cathy. Ironically, some of Alto's best moments in the series were opposite Ozuma. I think Ozuma is a little underrated as a character. Many compare him to Roy and though they are of the same mold, Ozuma had more to do with Frontier than Roy ever did with SDF Macross. I think Ozuma stands well on his own as a character. Early in the series, Grace, Brera and Leon had potential but they were reduced to cliched familiarity later in the series. I was actually really enjoying Leon's character for his ambitious audacity throughout most of the series, but he kinda fell off at the end. Mikhail, Canaria, Jeffrey, Bobby, Cathy, Richard and Kuran Kuran were all there, but were just supporting cast. They did add some to the show at times and didn't take away from any scenes (except Mikhail's character-centered episode, a low point in the series IMO). Canaria, Jeffrey, and Bobby could be quite fun at times when they were given chances to affect the plot or do something really cool. Canaria is definitely my favorite flat character of the show. Almost every time she appears she has something worthwhile to say or do, especially when she's kicking butt in the VB-6 Konig Monster. She should definitely win a medal, a promotion and command of her own ship. Luca and Nanase were dead weight, adding nothing to the show. Luca's link to his family business was about the only plot point of note and that could have easily been delegated to another character. Or better yet, write out that character altogether and use that time to better develop some of the plot points that we the audience were supposed to explore through him, like LAI. Both these characters were definitely weak links in the cast IMO. If I were the editor on Macross Frontier, I would have axed them every time until Kawamori and Co. got the picture. I voted Leon just for fun

kanedaestes Hmmm, interesting. I wonder, would the VF-1 transformation be considered more or less efficient? More or less simple? I think I wrote about it a while back for fun, but it was like fan fiction and not really all that conclusive. Not sure if it was here or another website. I would think the legs are the big ineffcient thing in the VF-1. Looking at the other transformation systems, they don't have those big piston plates on the VF-1 that lift the legs off the fuselage and onto the nose. Part swapping! Another thing that just struck me; perhaps newer transformation systems allow transformation at higher speeds in the atmosphere?

I'm not aware of anything. Keep in mind, fan requests are something I do at my leisure and I don't keep a running log. Work on the website takes priority. If the request is easy, it's more likely I'll have the time to do it. What else did you want?

*keeping in mind that the real reason is because different transformation systems are more interesting for Kawamori to design* In-universe, the VF-25 Messiah is an easy one; so the Valkyrie could transform with a Full Armor system. As for the other Valkyries, I doubt the transformation has anything to do with pilot safety. I don't think the pilot in a VF-1 Battroid was any less protected than the pilot of a YF-19 Battroid, especially considering it's all Energy Converting Armor. The reason for different transformation systems could be to simply accomodate an efficient transformation for a given air frame. I would think that variable fighters are designed with a priority on the fighter, meaning the Battroid is built to suit the Fighter, not the Fighter built to suit the Battroid. In order to transform a differently shaped fighter they need to invent a different transformation system. It also possible that variable fighter engineers are constantly looking for ways to reduce the size and weight of the transformation machinery. Better to have a few dozen small and light transformation mechanisms than to have a half dozen large and heavy transformation mechanisms. Saves weight, saves space, saves power = more efficient. If two smaller and lighter mechanisms can achieve the same job as one big mechanism for less combined weight, space and power, why not go with it? Since we're on the subject, I've always wanted to know what exactly makes a transformation system more or less complex in the eyes of a Macross fan? I often see fans talk of the Valkyrie transformations as supposedly "more complex" than the old VF-1. Now granted, most fans (especially old Macross fans) have a strong idealized nostalgia for the VF-1, so it's probably natural that they will always compare what comes after to the original. But I guess another benchmark would be the less detailed design or the shape looks simpler, like the VF-1 line art or the VF-19 line art? Fewer lines means more efficient? Digressing, I would guess that the different transformation systems are created to make transformation possible for different airframes and to make the process faster. If it's more complex, so be it, but speed would be a key consideration. Other factors might include reliability, durability, weight, redundancy, power, simplicity, cost, etc.

Ever watch the Antique Roadshow? Humanity at it's most embarrassing