Sundown

Has there ever been an episode of Trek which showed zero-G inside a ship?

Not sure about an episode, but a movie. Star Trek VI showed a zero-G battle inside a Klingon cruiser, when the artificial gravity generator was disabled. Very cool.

-Al

My vote:

Harpy fighter from Crusher Joe. Also Kawamori-designed...

Felix

No wonder I liked the Samurai aerospace fighter from Battletech. It was one of them displaced anime designs shoved into the Battletech world. I've even still got the unassembled and unpainted miniature.

-Al

It'd be even COOLER still if they made a Kakazaki version of this shirt, then I could go out, get into fights, and get my ass kicked!!!

Wearing that in public will pretty much ensure an ass kicking. Not that I would need it to get one.

-Al

Pretty much every freaking starcraft in the holy Original Star Wars Trilogy.

The Excelsior class cruiser from Star Trek.

Big nod for the dropship from Aliens.

And a small nod towards the Raptor from Wing Commander, which is really the Gunstar tweaked, and not so CG-riffic.

-Al

I give him points for guts as well.

He's got that in spades. =D

I have no problem with overweight people, many of my friends are in fact.  The problem I have with this guy is that he does not look like at all like the character he is dressing up as, that and the unitard *shudders*

Actually, he does. He clearly states that he is *not* TRON. He's specifically portraying an everyday accounting program that's gotten fat and inactive from changes in the tax laws. Says so right on the page.

-Al

I have to agree with Hurin. It looks too nice and crisp. Not that I am complaining...

Actually, they do look like the straight TV cels to me, possibly retouched and sharpened a bit. They have too many proportion and inconsistency problems *not* to be frames from an animation. A cel meant only to be shown statically would have been much more polished and refined, looking more like box or ad art.

The reason they might appear so crisp could be that they were photographed or scanned directly, rather than being frames from video capture. That's probably what the *actual* cels look like. Give or take a few photoshop filters.

-All

I foresee bad things for this thread.

-Al

Now that's a valk that does boobies Justice.

-Al

Is it wrong that I almost actually like these? And is it wrong that I find them uncannily resembling the M7 valks-- except cooler, being campy for a reason?

-Al

I'm hoping that the surprise is that we get to play as "The Real, Real Snake" in modern times and in Act 2 of the game. Because that'd sure as hell suprise me, seeing how we last got to play as him on the Tanker, and that it looks like we might be gipped again here.

The idea of playing as Big Boss is neat enough, but I'm starting to miss our beloved main character, and getting a little bit tired of all the runarounds being forced to play some twisted version/clone/pansy arse-blonde-kid-shadow of his greatness.

Wanna surprise us, Kojima? Let us play as good ol' ooging-at-Meryl's-bum Snake again. And throw Meryl in for good measure.

-Al

Yep, I can see how something smaller might be more handy. From what I've heard from a SEAL, the Mk23's not quite as ungainly as some make it out to be, but it's not a small gun by far.

I've always wondered what 1911's Delta *actually* uses, since rumors have abound that they carry highly customized Wilsons, Kimbers, and what not. Also curious what the marines have replaced their older MEUSOC 1911's with... think those were built on mil-spec Springfield frames, and the LAPD SWAT based their own sidearm on that particular configuration-- but they've now since switched to customized Kimbers as well.

Don't happen to know if the FBI Hostage Rescue Team is still using their Springfield custom (commerically designated as the TRP Pro), do ya? I've heard rumors that they've switched *yet again* to something else, even after performing extensive tests on a new 1911 to replace their previous Les Baers built on Para Ordinance frames.

-Al

Since it's introduction though some specops teams (supposedly) don't like to use it due to it's size and prefer to run the smaller, handier SIG 226/8... but for super deep underwater pop out of a sub missions the Mk23 is purpose built to stand the pressures and environmental damage.

Find that curious that teams using the 226 snub the 23... seing as how the SEALs are the main users of the 226s, and at the same time, are the main folks warming up to the Mk23 again.

The 1911's run by Delta are hardly of the "good old" variety. =) Most of the 1911's used by the high-speed teams have been so retooled and customized as to be an entirely different animal altogether. Of those, I think only the MEUSOC 1911's are still using some Colt and Springfield parts... and I'm under the impression that they're being phased out now as well.

-Al

*nods enthuiastically*

If only. And if Snake could build himself a Ghillie.

-Al

I myself can forgive the quickie koala costume changes but the blind and brain dead enemies are too much. If snake had been totally decked out in a custom stalking suit or realtree camo from head to toe and lying totally motionless then I could buy it that a trained soldier walked right past him... but nooooooooooo.

All I am asking is that on the harder difficulty settings the enemies at least respond like a real person would and notice that man sitting in the shrubs next to them rather than walk on by oblivious to him.

Well, the enemies missing the moving grass was a bit much... but it was kind of neat to see him pass snake up when he was decked in bark camo and face paint, and flattenened against a trunk, but to eventually spot him when he wasn't wearing face grease.

Now if they had it so that you were required to use *some* form of partial concealment in order to be missed by enemies up close-- where camo would only improve its effectiveness, and that any movement could still give you away-- that'd be a pretty nice deal.

I also just noticed something... some of those camo patterns (like the hideous one they are calling "fire") were not exactly around in the '60s... wonder what their super spy science fiction story will be to explain them? Perhaps snake will have a ton of what we see as modern gear which back then would have been new and strange.

Bingo. =) They'll likely set Snake up as field testing various camo patterns for future battlefield use, the results determining what modern day soldiers would be wearing. Imagine if they'd showed a little clip at the end of the game, of modern day soldiers wearing the scheme you most often used. And imagine if you wore fire all game long just to spite them.

-Al

Hasn't there been a Free Willy II already? =)

And is it more or does the Orca sound vaguely like the Wampa in Empire Strikes Back? And a little like the Tusken Raiders to boot.

-Al

See, thing is, the cardboard box is *supposed* to be silly. It's homage to the original MG, and you're supposed to get a laugh at how rediculous it really is. It's also not always effective, especially if a guard catches you moving in the least.

Camo's just a little too "real" and gritty to screw up and do cornily.

But the alligator suit-- that's comic gold. And MGS3's version of the cardboard box. And thus, A-OK. =)

-Al

Not likely, since the game takes place during the 1960's. But you never know...

But ya gotta remember... MGS 1 and 2's got stealth suits that render the wearer nearly invisible in our modern-day time frame... so it's not a far cry to suggest that less sophisticated forms of personal stealth systems were available in the '60s. They'll likely just explain it away as being the crude precursor to the ninja suit. Ta dah! =D

Lame. Yes. But less lamer than believing Snake can super-fast change and that he's got 10 full sets of fatigues folded neatly and tucked away in his pocket. And besides, it's Kojima style to make up things to explain away gameplay mechanics that make absolutely no sense in a real world context.

And it'd be just the thing for them to milk, taking it a step farther by having you actually collect camo scheme "memory sticks" or what not, as you progress in the game.

-Al

Fighter mode looks just a little bit A-10-ish. Like if the Huey Super Cobra and the A-10 had a very illegitimate love child. Vaguely reminds me of that blue helicopter/robot from the old Converters line.

-Al

They only bother to ever mention the first law in the trailers... which indicates that the plot doesn't weave itself very tightly into his three laws. I'm wondering how they're going to manage to write themselves out of the fact that robots *are* killing and running about amuck in spite of the laws-- or if they'll even try. They could pull a fast one and whip out the sooper seekrat Zeroth law at the movie's end. But that'd be altogether too clever.

-Al

Anyone seen anything on what type of gear (other than camo) is going to be in this game? I'm a bit tired of all the spec ops "oops" choices they made for the new games... Mk23 Socom? D'oh! FaMAS? D'oh! M92 that shoots magic sleepy time bullets? D'oh!

The Mk23 Socom is hardly a Spec-ops "doh" choice, although that seems to the popular misconception on the internet-- that it's an anchor and real Spec-Ops types snub their collective noses at it. It's actually now well received in Navy Specwar teams, and suppliments the P226 for when a corrosion resistant secondary or a .45's needed-- contrary to the perpetuated myth.

I dunno, the camo thing actually seems kind of neat, even if Snake's not actually that well hidden to the player. You can always just pretend that he's actually harder to see than he really is on screen =D, especially if the enemy's not looking for him specifically.

The lame thing is the constant quick uniform changing, just because you've moved into a clump of grass, or into a shadow. And changing once the enemy's already spotted you is... well... silly. Unless of course... what Snake's wearing is composed of some space age nano-tech material that can change from several stored camo patterns in the memory threads weaved right into the fabric's fibers. In fact, I'm willing to be that'll be their reasoning for the gimmick.

What type of weapons snake's going to be hauling this time around'll be interesting enough... since he's in the 60's. Meaning, no M4's. No M92's. No Mk23's. Hrm.

-Al

*Hurls.*

The first half of the trailer looked plausible enough. That scene where the one robot jumps forth from the thousands lined up was even reminiscent of one of the short stories, where they attempted to trap a deviant robot into exposing himself from the others through the use of logic puzzles.

Then corny robot carnage ensued. Nothing at all like the brainy and philosophical surmise of the original novels. Yaargh.

-Al

I'm glad they didn't go with this design. WHEW.

Body ain't so bad. Not digging the red web shooters. Buggy eyes: ew, ew, ew, ew, ew.

Random tangent. I've always thought John Cusack would have made for an awesome Spider Man/ Peter Parker. He's got the broody sarcasm down, and he's got a dark, brainy edge, with a hint of goofy. 'Cept he's too old. And he might not have the voice for it-- at least not what I imagine masked Spidey sounding like.

-Al

That does explain nippled Batman.

Got a link to the Alex Ross design? Never seen it yet.

-Al

You misunderstand because he's saying the opposite of what you think he's saying.

"Magic" has no place in SDF Macross and Macross 7 does not retcon Minmei or what she did in SDF Macross, at all.

It doesn't retcon Minmei *only* if you consciously disgregard what Macross 7 says of Minmei, and only if you totally ignore the concept of spiritia and its relation to music-- despite the fact that spirita and its direct relation to music is now engrained into the continuity. This is the approach I take, in order to be able to still enjoy SDF as it was originally meant to be. But if one's to take Mac 7 with any seriousness, and to relate the way it defines music and its effects, then reinterpreting Macross SDF naturally ensues. But then again, I doubt Kawamori really thought that far.

Really though, is the concept of souls any easier to believe? Yet most people believe that. I can't explain either one, but I really feel that music can touch the soul, and that's what I was going on about above. I never thought to consider spiritua to be "a made up magical force that supposedly governs life, love, the universe and everything," just each sentient being's life-force, will or soul (whatever you want to call it). I guess that's the difference.

So, our individual experiences caused us to view a vague concept in two different ways. I wouldn't say that that vagueness is necessarily bad storytelling either (after all, look at all the people who got on Lucas after he tried to explain the Force in detail).

I'd venture that Kawamori was also *too specific*-- precisely in the way Lucas cornied up the force, when it came to the idea of music and anima spiritia.

The moment "spiritia" turned hard to accept was the moment where it became concretely tied with music and its effects, and the moment it became quantifiable, measurable, collectable, and able to be blasted through giant space speakers. That's not some nebulous, philosophical "soul" or "life force" we're aware of, that remains highly intangible, tenuous, and up for individual interpretation. That's magic, collectable in a bottle.

If we rename spiritia to "soul" or "life-force", it doesn't change the fact that having souls sucked and harvested by a beam, having soul energy quantifiable on a meter, and having souls blasted through booby speaker pods is any less, well, silly. =)

-Al

I got chills. Seems they're going with a slightly darker and more angsty. Which is good... and paves way for even darker with black Spidey. Six movies? Here's hoping they don't fark it up by #3.

-Al