twich

I too wish that they would have a release schedule and pricing so that I can plan ahead.  I am also hoping that this will be available for those outside Japan(specifically USA) to order from Arcadia direct, or available at US e-retailers like BBTS or Amazon.  I really enjoy Arcadia designs, but the prospect of having to pay 50000 yen plus 15000 yen shipping if I want to get a USED VF-0D Premium Finish version is just too expensive for me.

Twich

so, I was looking through my pictures on my computer, and I found on the official photos released for this toy, the same problem that I am having with the folding wing roots fitting flush with the hip guns, as I had previously posted is a problem on my release of the toy.  I have the YF-29 Durandal Alto full pack set release and it does not have the same problem.

5 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I was sooo hoping that by now Macross would have become far more ubiquitous here in the US, but so far as I've seen, nope. Nothing on Netflix or Hulu, no toys, no models, no books- zip. What was the purpose of reaching an agreement with HG if they weren't going to capitalize on the market? We're still no further than we were pre-agreement, except, I'll concede, the valks are a little easier to get from domestic e-tailers. Beyond that, though, the great Macross invasion I was hoping for never materialized. 

I, too, was hoping for some better update news about Arcadia's YF-21. My hope is that they're going to address the proportion issue with the legs. While it may make the fighter a little thicker, that's a concession I'll happily take in lieu of a better proportioned Battroid. In every other way, Arcadia's YF-21 is a gorgeous toy. I'd still be interested to see what Bandai's doing with theirs though.

The only examples that I had were the original 1/72 scale YF-21 Fast Pack, then the VF-22S Milia custom, that the legs fell off and never went back on correctly in my experience, and ended up selling it. 
I would love to see the YF-21 from both Bandai and Arcadia.

speaking on your other point, I too have noticed that there has not been this great explosion of Macross to the Western (read USA) audiences. I was expecting to see this available for streaming, or at least, and hopefully including purchasing on Apple TV app on my phone. They already have English sub and dub of Macross Plus OVA and Movie edition. They have official subs of Macross Frontier and Macross Delta.  
I am sure that I am missing a whole slew of licensing, etc. But really, why isn’t this here?

Also, why is it taking so long for e-trailers like Amazon to get these valks? Have they even released the Hi-Metal R VF-0S? I ordered this way back in October from a Japanese online store and have had it since late October? I understand that people like BBTS get it from the literal slow boat from china, so I understand the 2 month delay.  It is now 2023. November 2021 was the announcement, 2022 was the 40th Year Anniversary. Where are the products?

not trying to sound like a whiny bitch, but it has been a little underwhelming so far, to be sure!

Twich

1 hour ago, Seto Kaiba said:

All 5th Generation VFs use fold quartz, albeit quite sparingly.

It's the essential material needed to construct the core of the Inertia Store Converter that protects the pilot from their incredible maneuverability.  It's doesn't need fold quartz of an exceptional size or purity, but it does need fold quartz.

(It is possible to build an inertia capacitor with high purity fold carbon, but it's much less capable as a result.  The Queadluun series battle suits and YF-21/VF-22 have one called the Inertia Vector Control System.)

 

They put fold quartz to a bunch of different uses in the series... fold quartz-based fold communication systems to prevent jamming from disabling Luca's Ghosts, fold wave jamming systems and amplifiers, the prototype super fold booster, and of course the many different flavors of MDE weapons.  

Of course, the Fold Wave System and its accompanying engine mods became the most extreme application of the stuff short of the planet-killing Dimension Eater bombs.

yes, to clarify, the VF-24, VF-25, VF-27 do not need the same level of fold quartz as the YF-29 or even the YF-30.  I knew that the ISC required fold quartz, but my head cannon just assumed that they could acquire this through the dead bodies of regular Varja.  The same as the upgrades to the huge ass beam gun of the VF-27, that was later enhanced by fold quartz harvested from the corpses of all the dead Varja.  

I guess what I was trying to say, that these Variable fighters didn't have huge fold quartz deposits on them like the YF-29, YF-30, VF-31 Siegfried, VF-31AX Kairos Plus, SV-262 Draken III, and SV-303 have to have to function in their shown capacity.  ( I left the VF-31 Kairos off there, as far as I know, it only had the fold quartz in the ISC, and used fold carbon on those two areas next to where the head is)

That leads to the question, how did the development of the VF-24 with ISC progress if the mere knowledge of the Varja was such a guarded secret?  Did the New UN Spacy first encounter fold quartz on the excavation of old protoculture sites?  I might be missing a lot of the back story as to why Ranka's Mom was studying the Varja and how Mao Nome was also studying the Varja when their research fleet was attacked and destroyed and only Ozma, Ranka, Sheryl, Grace and Brera were left alive.

Twich

24 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Assuming the VF-31X, or whatever its actual/official designation ends up being (VF-31X was an informal one used because the VF-31 was the base design they started from) is an actual thing in-setting and not just an unofficial contrivance of Master File?

Veeeeeery unlikely.  The VF-31X proposed by Master File is an attempt to make a YF-29-esque 6th Gen VF economical and even the book about it suggests it failed miserably in that regard and became yet another unviable super prototype with a total galaxy-wide production volume in the low double digits.  I'd assume whatever the next series is will either continue flogging General Galaxy's poor old VF-171 or we'll see a point where 5th Generation VFs are the norm and the only difference between hero and fodder Valks is paintjobs like in the original series.

 

 

Sakuradite!

Sometimes in my excitement, I forget that things like the Variable Fighter Master File books are not officially cannon within the Macross Universe.  You, of course are correct.  I also forget that while the designs for the VF-24, VF-25 and VF-27 did not utilize fold quartz in their initial designs and they proved to be quite capable Variable Fighters, which is why the VF-25 was being tested as a replacement for the aging VF-171.  The fold quartz really only helped these Variable Fighters beat the Varja by upgrading their weapons to Anti-Varja MDE and power boosting beam weapons to use against the Varja.  I know that in delta, fold quartz helped to overtake the uber Protoculture mind control with the bastardized version that the VF-31 Siegfrieds used to increase performance to overcome.

Twich

I wonder if the next series will see the fabled VF-31X as a “standard” or “cannon fodder” unit akin to the VF-171, while the new hotness is being designed to replace it.

Twich

21 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

From Angel Birds lineart. The text on the lower left mentioned no attached Gunpods for the acrobat team.

While it might be correct for the show, anybody who buys this will want a gunpod and strap to go along with it. It still has the “A” type single head laser, so it is armed as a matter of course of being a VF-1A. I get that people want to reflect the animation as much as possible, but I am sure Bandai would get a long line of complaints were they not to include it with the toy.

Twich

41 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Nah, you won't whip the fujoshi into a furor with two tops (seme)... you need at least one bottom (uke) in the equation before they'll get excited.

(Oh the things you learn dating fellow anime hobbyists...  )

 

Same.  Or, at least, make the PMC the villains the way they so often are in reality.  

The whole "hypercompetent heroic PMC" schtick was already a little stale when Macross Frontier did it, though at least they tried to make SMS seem superficially shady at times.  It had crossed the line into being an awful cliche by the time Macross Delta was made, and it didn't help that Macross Delta openly acknowledged that Xaos personnel were unlawful combatants in a declared war the same way real mercenaries would be.

Hopefully real world influence will push PMCs out of the spotlight in Macross.  There's been an awful lot of news about war crimes committed by PMCs in the last year.

 

Probably indefinitely.

Kawamori et. al. seem to have taken the view that the events of Macross VF-X2 led to a major reorganization of the government and military which will likely remain in place going forward.  

IIRC, they've denied that HG had anything to do with the change in the military's insignia.  

 

My suspicion is that we'll see them go somewhere else in the galaxy during the reign of 5th Generation VFs and see some other government's new 5th Gen fighter.

I love the designs of the VF-25, VF-27 and VF-31. I would love to see some other fleet’s interpretation of the redacted VF-24 design that the New UN Spacy transmitted to everyone outside of Earth.

Twich

As far as for the next series, I can see two directions.  One is quite limiting, the other could be quite broad.  The last 2 series seemed to focus on this mythical substance called fold quartz.  The creators also kinda painted themselves into a corner with this, as they immediately say that the substance is very hard to come by in such pure quantity and also the size is limited.  Just think of the YF-29 Durandal.  4, 1000 carat high purity fold quartz chunks that can only be found in the remains of a semi-queen or full queen.  Either the next valkyries will not have much fold quartz in them, ala the VF-25 or VF-27, or the series will be set in a future where humanity has gained the ability to fabricate their own fold quartz in size and purity, that YF-29 levels of the substance are quite common place.

The creators could just throw a cannon ball and focus on a series where the VF-4 or the VF-14/VF-11 are the main focus.  I would not mind seeing a DX VF-4, VF-11, VF-14!

Twich

1 hour ago, NightmarePlus said:

So what do you guys think L.A.I would have done to improve the VF-25 in the post-Vajra War? 

My opinion that what would improve the VF-25 would be to replace its gunpod with a beam based gunpod, like the LU-18 of the VF-31 or LU-22 of the VF-31X/AX. Heck, even the gunpod of the SV-262 would work. Mr Kawamori designed the VF-25 to work with super or Armored Packs for heavier firepower. The VF-25 has 6 underwing and 2 hard points on the wing root. It can very quickly turn into a missile or bomb truck with 3 gun pods mounted for extended firepower.

Twich

2 hours ago, JB0 said:

I thought the PS5 was close to 100% back-compatible?

it is Mostly 100% backwards compatible.  There are some PS4 games that will not run on a PS5.  Like I said earlier, it seems odd that they are aiming for a PS4/Switch release instead of a PS5/PS4/Switch release.  The devil is in the details they say.  I just hope that this will be easily acquired in the USA.

Twich

On 1/13/2023 at 2:55 PM, no3Ljm said:

New updated image teaser from MoShow Toys on their 'Cyclone' figure.

https://www.moshowtoys.com/newsinfo/4906504.html

 

This design looks super beefy.  I hope this translates into a toy that is robust and does not have all of the problems that the Sentinel Ride Armors have with broken parts.  Looks like it will also be around 10 inches tall, so they might have the size to add some chunky die cast into the design.  I like the designs of MoShow and look forward to this.

Twich

57 minutes ago, ValkAddict said:

@Arcadia: Can you please release a Premium Finish VF-0A and reissue the VF-17 please?

TIA.

I would hope that Arcadia jumps on the World Wide Macross bandwagon and releases all of their non SDF/DYRL valkyrie designs for a western audience, and so you dont have to pay a small mint, pledge your first born and give one of your kidneys to acquire it (I'm looking at you 1/60 VF-0D Shin Custom Premium Finish).

Twich

1 hour ago, Seto Kaiba said:

In the parts I have read thus far, they don't say.

It is simply noted that the other two engines were omitted when the VF-31X conversion/upgrade parts the Macross Gigasion was carrying were hastily adapted to repair Delta Flight's badly damaged VF-31 Siegfrieds after the retreat from Windermere IV.

 

Not a clue.  If I were to guess wildly based on nothing but vague intuition, I'd assume it was so that the VF-31X could accommodate the same FF-3001/FC3 engines mounted inside of the legs in the wing mounts.

 

 

I do appreciate the beautiful irony of Master File's development history for the Sv-303.  Windermere IV put a tremendous amount of time, effort, resources, and energy into betraying their former allies in the New UN Government and developing weapons to conquer their territory only for their new ally to betray them and for them to wind up conquered by a new enemy with designs on their territory using the weapon that was meant to be their trump card.  It couldn't have happened to a nicer pack of xenophobic arseholes.

I also find it interesting that Windermere IV came up with such innovative valkyrie designs.  The concept of the Sv-300 being developed by them, in house seems like they learned from making the Sv-262 such a short range interceptor and decided to design themselves a true multirole fighter with some dazzling specs.  The fact that the Windemerens(sp?) have enhanced physical abilities above those of normal humans reminds me of the VF-27 being designed for cyborg pilots only.

Those crazy nacelles on the VF-31X4 could, along with the FF-3001/FC3 probably accommodate more micro missile launchers along with some beam cannons, ala the VF-27.  Seeing the trend, and yes, I know that the Master File is not "official", has me really looking forward to what the next hero and villain Variable Fighters will be for the next series or OVA.

Twich 

4 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

The VF-31AW in the first image is a one-off test aircraft built to evaluate the VF-31X's proposed four engine configuration, which simply replaced the outer wing with the YF-29's.

The VF-31X4 in the second image is an artist's impression/conception of, and informal/unofficial name for, the latest VF-31X development type assumed to correspond to the VF-31X's final and intended design from the development planning phase.  (As in, the writers of the book in-universe are presenting their impression of what the final form of the VF-31X would look like, presumably based on the remarks earlier in the book about the design intent being for a four-engine VF and that the second set of engines were omitted when adapting the Delta Flight Siegfrieds into the AX type.)

I think that the design( VF-31AW) with the YF-29 Wings and Wing-tip engines seems to me to be more aesthetically pleasing to look at, but the second design (VF-31X4) seems like it would be very backpack heavy.  Those nacelles look to be as long as the legs of the VF-31.  Does that design call for all 4 thermonuclear reaction burst turbines to have the same thrust (1715kN)?  I know that you said that it was an artist interpretation of what the proposed design would be, but it seems an odd choice, where we have other 4 engine VF's that do not have the oversized mid-wing engine nacelle's.  I am curious as to what the thought was behind that, there must be some sort of benefit.......

Twich 

So, here are some pictures of VF-31(Variations) from the new Master File for the VF-31AX

now the top one looks like a VF-31 with YF-29 wings and wingtip engines, which Seto says was the idea for the VF-31X 6th gen prototype. But the bottom picture is even more interesting to me, looks like they are adding the mid-wing engine configuration of a VF-4/VF-14 or VF-27. I hope the Seto or someone is able to translate what that is all about!

Twich

4 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

I'll be poking at it a fair bit over the long weekend.  

I'm blown away by how much better this book is than the previous VF-31 book... or, really, anything else Macross Delta.  WHERE WAS THIS LOVE WHEN THE SHOWS WERE BEING MADE?!

 

In an indirect manner, since the upgrades that went into the VF-31AX Kairos Plus from the Macross Delta: Absolute Live!!!!!! movie were (in Master File's version) appropriated from the VF-31X parts that were in storage aboard the Macross Gigasion.  

From what I have read thus far - and this understanding may change as I translate more of the book - apart from the piecemeal application of the improved armor and other materials the key difference is the VF-31X has wingtip engines similar to the YF-29's.  It was noted that, due to the difficulty of adjusting the airframe control AI, the Xaos crew omitted the extra engines in the upgrade process to get the job done faster.

 

Unfortunately, we lack a critical factor to determine that... the stats provided lack the basic physical parameters like dimensions and weight.  So we're missing a key piece of the whole equation... the mass in the thrust-to-weight ratio.

((2346kN*2)+(1970kN*2))/(? * 9.807m/s^2)

If we were to plug in the masses of various 5th Gen Valkyries just for comparison's sake... this is a fighter with a T/W ratio potentially in excess of 100.  With the VF-31J's mass it's 103.  The Sv-262's mass would put it at 89.724.  Even if we correct for the wrong output power on the FF-3003J/FC1, it's still almost 80!  If we assume it weighs as much as the heaviest modern Valkyrie, it's just shy of 50 with the corrected-for engine output.

I recall that while flipping through the book, it showed a VF-31 body with basically YF-29 wings and wingtip engines, of course, I could do no more than say Cool! As I don’t read Japanese.

it is a bit baffling to think that a Variable Fighter could have a 100/1 thrust to weight ratio. I cannot wait for your thoughts when you have had a chance to read through the book.

Twich

19 minutes ago, aurance said:

Why would they do B and C if the federal Vf-24 is so uber presumably without the inclusion of fold crystals?

This thought also crossed my mind, or more specifically what New Variable Fighter are they testing?

I know in the past, it has been proposed that the YF-29 as seen flown by Alto in the second Macross Frontier movie is about equal, performance wise, to the standard VF-24A used by Earth. Now with upgrades and block manufacturing changes, I wonder what the present Earth spec VF-24B or C model would look like? Or are we on the YF-36Monkeyfart Plus!  Guess we will have to wait for the next series. Delta came out in ‘16, which was around 4 years after the last Frontier movie. So, we only have a couple more years to wait then! Please Mr. Kawamori! Show us those designs!
Twich

I think that by the animation during the movie, the Sv-303 is at least as big as the VF-31, but more than likely the same size as the VF-27.  While it would have less mass due to the lack of cockpit, life support, ICS for pilot, I would think that they would use that available space for extra fuel, since the SV-303 has 4 very powerful engines.  

Twich

 I cannot wait for more translations of the text, and what the SV-300 is!

Seto, does the Master File give specs or more information about either the specs of the VF-31X (supposed to be a 6th Gen attempt building on the VF-31)?

Also, what kind of T/W ratio does the SV-303 boast? I can’t imagine that it is all that heavy, despite the 4 engines. No cockpit of ISC needed for an unmanned Variable Fighter.

Twich

So if I am ready the variable fighter master file for the VF-31AX Kairos Plus right. The SV-303 has engines that exceed the YF-29 in raw capability. 2345kN x2 plus 1970kN x2. Was this an attempt to make an unmanned variable fighter that could, in theory, compete with the YF-29? I cannot wait for more translations of the text, and what the SV-300 is!

Twich

I just got this book tonight, right before I had to go to work, so I was unable to do more than look at the cover.  I am looking forward to all the tidbits of knowledge that can be gleaned from this book from those who are able to read/translate the Japanese text.  I am particularly interested in what specs they give for the SV-303 and to learn more about this attempt at the 6th gen VF, the VF-31X that Seto hinted at a few days ago!

Twich

21 hours ago, jvmacross said:

re-installed a couple of emulators on my Android....been playing the Macross Arcade games and Scramble Valkyrie during lunchtime...LOL

I think the last Macross game I bought was for the PSP

I assume this game should work on the PS5

I think the publishers would be silly in the head if they did not make it playable on the PS5, even though it is a PS4 and Switch game.

Twich

Did Tenjin draw that?

Twich

Did anyone else fill out the survey questionnaire that you could scan and go to on the last page of the instruction book? It is funny that the only Macross item listed that I could find was the VF-25F World Wide Release version, and not the YF-29 Durandal full set pack Max use that the link comes from.

Twich