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sketchley

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  1. sketchley
    Could be a bunch of people training their AI's. It happened to me at the end of December on my small—very small—website (bots were using up the monthly allotment of bandwidth in a matter of days). It stopped when I added a no-bots file that excluded everything but Google. Here's the script that I used in the robots.txt that stopped the hemorrhaging:
  2. sketchley
    Woah! That's a neat find! And the fact that the Gurāji-legged version was semi-officially released is also pretty cool. ※ It's also the first time I've seen a version that matches Kazutaka Miyatake's designs for that particular beast. Reviewing the lineart for it (Kazutaka Miyatake Design Works Macross & Orguss Pgs 92-93) I noticed that the "feet" are slightly different from the Gurāji: 2 toes and a single heel. The zoomed-in image above is consistent with that, as well as the other leg details in the top-most illustration on Pg 93.
  3. sketchley
    That's a very intriguing thought. It certainly makes a lot of sense to recover and recycle damaged and ruined ships (et al), as that arguably requires less expenditure than mining, extracting, smelting and so on to create metallic alloys. At the very least, they'd have a higher level of certainty in their estimates of what materials they are likely to acquire. 🤔
  4. sketchley
    Whatever colour scheme you choose, make sure to darken the colours. Mine ended up looking too much like Christmas...
  5. sketchley
    To add complexity to the エヴナ debate: be mindful that it may not be an English word, and that while ヴ may be "vu" in English, it may not represent "vu" in other languages. Random google search results for エヴナ: (more likely): エヴァン（エヴナ） in Tír na nÓg: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ティル・ナ・ノーグ (the land of eternal youth in Irish mythology): specifically in the section on ブランの航海 (The Voyage of Brân): "同作品では、エヴァン（エヴナ）はマナナーンの国とは別で、「女の国」である。" ⇒ In the work, Evan (Evna) is a "country of women" separate from the country of Mananaan. (less likely): Malick Evouna https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/マリク・エヴナ Interestingly, "Evna" is apparently the capital of the Land of Ev (https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Evna) Personally I think the Irish mythological connection is a better fit than the connection to "The Wizard of Oz". But one never knows. 🤷‍♂️
  6. sketchley
    To the best of my knowledge, the nozzles are exactly the same on the VE-1. Perhaps it was artistic licence on behalf of the modeller that made that specific kit? Compare to the nozzles here: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/VF-1/VE-1.php
  7. sketchley
    Do you have any spudgers in your tool box? While an Exacto blade or other thin metal tool can work in a pinch, plastic spudgers are best as they're less likely to damage plastic model kit parts. Also, top tip: try to tease the parts apart a little bit at a time from each edge (front, back, left, right, etc.) That should limit any stress on the part per se, as well as ease the process of separation. While the pointy end of spudgers (or Exacto blades) are great for getting in between the parts, the more surface area you can use on the spudger, the less likely you'll damage the parts (or worse: yourself!)
  8. sketchley
    My 2 cents are: the Northampton has been listed as 'about 250 m' since "This Is Animaton Series Macross 7 Animation Materials" (1995/07/20, first printing). HOWEVER, the artwork of the bridge et al are obviously penned by a different artist. Therefore, I think that Kazutaka Miyatake—the designer of the ship—decided on the size, but the writers of the Stargazer episode didn't remember (or have access to that number), and played rule of cool, and commissioned another artist to create such things as the bridge layout. I'm getting too old/not having enough time to argue, but may I suggest instead of trying to convert those that refuse to budge, just agree to respectfully disagree? I think a fair case has been made that the sizes are wrong, and plenty of evidence was provided to prove that point, and now it's best to leave it out there for others to mull over. I also really like your resizing of the Northampton. 👍 Not only does it answer (or explain away) some things, it also reframes things in a most satisfactorily way: by stimulating the imagination.
  9. sketchley
    What the...? Why?!? Is there any way to fill those in?
  10. sketchley
    Question about those rivets on the Zentradi ships: where are they located? I ask, because I'm wondering if they are supposed to be representative of the retractable beam turrets and missile launchers on the hulls of the Zentradi ships: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/ZentraadiShips/StandardBattleship.php#OFFENSIVE_SYSTEMS
  11. sketchley
    Much improved! I've stumbled on the "less is more" the hard way as well on my Death Star II: https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/35120-whats-lying-on-your-workbench-mk-iv/page/433/#comment-1725046 I don't think I mentioned it at the time, but in addition to having to wipe off the heavy layer of pencil lead from the surface of the model, I also went over the larger blotches of red with a 2B or 4B pencil to break them into smaller swatches—to mixed results (pencil could only achieve darkish-red on those larger bright red blotches. Not a complete save, but... 🤷‍♂️) With your kit, there is another way to add detail highlights that I've heard about: edge highlighting. If memory serves: mix a lighter version of the overall colour of the part you're painting (E.g. mix in white on a 1:10 or 2:10 ratio), and dry brush a little bit of that on the upper sharp edges (E.g. top of the forearms at the elbows, top of the knee pads). If successful, it not only makes the overall shapes pop more, it also adds a dust-like effect that further contrast the 'muddy' bits below. Edit: Apparently you can do edge highlighting with watercolour pencils. This may be a good way to try it out. Worst comes to worst, you can wash it off!
  12. sketchley
    I believe it is related to situation 1. Specifically, that the company that owns Robotech aggressively blocked imports of Macross goods into certain countries for several decades. It may also be due to the owners constantly trying to sell Robotech goods, and that keeps it fresh in people's minds.
  13. sketchley
    The numbering in the VF series is a bit more complex than you've indicated: VF-1, VF-3000, VF-4, VF-5*, VF-5000, VF-6*, VF-7*, VF-9, and then VF-11. So, as the VF-5000 is both emulating the VF-3000's numbering and a descendant of the VF-3000, it might be better to ask why the VF-3000 was numbered the way it was. * only appear in text.
  14. sketchley
    What 👀's after the 5? 😂 Posting before coffee strikes again... 🥴
  15. sketchley
    😅 It's a bit more than that. In general, the font in the 4k version is more legible (compare the ツ (tsu), and the relative size of the numbers in 4+0). However, the removal of the italicized !! is odd... 🤔
  16. sketchley
    I think you may be—possibly me, too. Another explanation popped into mind: Max is the commander of the Unified Forces but Miria is the mayor of the city. There's a possibility that one or the other authorized the "Dejima" attaching to City 7, but due to their ongoing marital strife, that translated into neither side (UNS or municipal staff) getting around to properly fixing the "Dejima" (a frustratingly not-uncommon situation in Japan). In this scenario, Max merely took advantage of the situation and used it as the Fire Valkyrie's base of operations.
  17. sketchley
    double post
  18. sketchley
    Nope, you're not crazy. It's always been named that. I don't know what prompted Seto to include the F-35 in his list, as that is basically a retcon (I'm not sure if it's even official.) At the time the VF-4 was introduced (in the real world), Kawamori-san merely extrapolated that if "X" fighter is "name" II as it is the second fighter with the same name (E.g. A-7 Corsair II), and as the VF-4 is being introduced 40 or 50 years in the future, it makes sense that the VF-4 would be the Nth iteration of a fighter baring the same name. Kawamori-san has also mentioned in an interview that he has found that people find odd numbered vehicles to be more realistic than even numbers. Thus there are more odd numbered Valkyries (Sv-51, VA-3, VF-3000, VF-5, VF-5000, VF-9, VF-11, VF-17, VF-19, etc.) than even numbered ones (VF-0, VAB-2, VF-4, VB-6, VF-14, etc.) And by that logic, the "Lightning III" is better than the "Lightning II". This is as much a testament to Kawamori san's foresight as it is to his research. The most vivid example is how strikingly similar the Su-47 Berkut (1997) looks to the VF-19 (1994)—which Kawamori-san has indicated is based on the Grumman X-29 (1984)!
  19. sketchley
    I did, too. 😅 No worries. Every site/community/version of English has their own words. For example, when students do a test, is it "write a test", "sit a test", or "take a test"? All are correct, but at the same time, mean wildly different things depending on who you say it to. Nevertheless, I can appreciate how much more fun and easy "floppies" is than "mirrored manga", or the mouthful "manga printed in the Western left to right format".
  20. sketchley
    Perhaps that was the justification all along? Macross 7 depicts Project M basically from its first combat sortie. The show doesn't go into much detail about that project's origins, or the amount of time it took to (secretly) manufacture Basara's Fire Valkyrie, set up the special arrangement with Ray Loverock, etc. And then there are questions about how long the idea behind it was gestating in the back of Captain Jiinasu's mind. If Captain Jiinasu was laying the foundation for such plans years in advance, it definitely puts a new spin on his "genius"!
  21. sketchley
    I think I may have solved that riddle: in the bottom-most text (starting with the ※ symbol), Kazutaka Miyatake-san has written "アクショ (Akusho)". The romanization of the Katakana on a character-by-character basis is "Akushio/Acushio", and as the "u" sound is basically dropped in the Kanto dialect, that is further reduced to "Akshio/Acshio" (what appears in romaji at the top of the picture). When we change アクショ (Akusho) into kanji, we get "悪所": literally "dangerous area" (an alternative is "red-light district", but from the context in the show, this interpretation seems far less likely). Thus, the official name is "出島 (Dejima)" (unclear if it is a literal description or a reference to the historical island in Nagasaki), and the garbled "Acshio" (pronounced "Akusho") is the slang term for it. I don't know why the writers of that Japanese publication mistook Miyatake-san's note as the romaji name of the ship. 🤷‍♂️ Did they mistake Miyatake-san's intended "(this is a) slang (name)" for "(this means) slang"? This is also another instance where it's obvious that the staff working on the book at the publisher are not Macross fans... 🙄
  22. sketchley
    That was my initial impression of the vessel as well. However, after moving to Japan, and seeing a certain volume of domestic travel shows (and etc.), it now looks closer to the larger ferries that they use here (on what amounts to overnight ferry trips) than to a cruise ship. On those ferries you get 3 types of seating: airline-style chairs (what is depicted in M+) futon-sized areas to lie down on, sit cross-legged, etc. (relatively soft floors - akin to carpeted ones with underlay) individual cabins (akin to the private rooms on overnight trains) This is consistent with both the depiction in Macross Plus and the Macross Chronicle description. In that context, it is plausible that on the shorter runs, the lower decks of the vessel are for 'vehicle' storage—up to 1/4 to 1/3 of the internal volume. That's a not insignificant number of 'cargo' trucks, in other words! Would just like to point out that 豪華客船 can be translated 2 ways: luxury cruise ship luxury liner/passenger boat Digging a bit deeper on Japanese websites, it seems to be an equal 50/50 split, with some people referring to (E.g. Princess Cruise's) cruise ships as both クルーズ客船 and 豪華客船, and other types of ships, such as ocean liners (E.g. the Titanic), as 豪華客船. The meaning also includes "state ships" (E.g HMY Britannia)! 😵 In general, the meaning appears to be mostly "a luxury vessel people use for transportation", and has much less of the "a luxury vessel people vacation on" nuance.
  23. sketchley
    That's quite nice. Didn't realize you intended to go that hardcore on rust! 😅 Nevertheless, the rust effects came out quite nice—I especially like the bits that look like there are rust bubbles just below the top coat of paint! Perhaps the next step you can try is the "salt technique" (if memory serves: you paint a base metallic or silver coat, blob salt crystals strategically on top of that. Do the top coat, and then remove the salt. The end result looks like scratch marks and deep gouges, or something like that.)
  24. sketchley
    I understand where you are coming from. There are many creative decisions that Kawamori-san has taken for reasons other than story.* However, as the music labels are more or less directly sponsoring the anime (in return for music sales), it's hard for any new Macross series to move beyond the popular musical genres. I guess one could always look to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" for a taste of what a non-singing musical encounter with aliens would be like... * Such as: VF-171 as the main fighter in Macross F (reason: the VF-19 was judged to look too similar to the hero VF-25) dancing VFs in Macross Delta (reason: to justify the existence of piloted transforming jets in the era of unmanned drones) not using Zentradi ships in allied forces in later series (reason: to not confuse the casual viewer) At the same time, Kawamori-san includes quite esoteric details, such as is making sure that the missile exhaust colours are different so that one knows that it was a heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder (orange exhaust) and then a radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM (blue exhaust) that were launched in that scene in Macross Zero when Shin's F-14 shoots down the MiG-29 with a pair of missiles! 🤷‍♂️
  25. sketchley
    Thanks for the close up picts! This is what I was able to glean from it: Red: raised ink ("hills and valleys"). Looks similar to the results I get when I used oil-based manga ink. Appears to be added last. Purple: dust artifacts. Some (black bits?) were added after the fact (paint transfers?), but there is some mixed in with the white/light grey (note the specular highlights in the lower right part of the triangle). Also appears to be some paper distortion when thin paints (like watercolour) soak into it (it's especially visible in the black area to the right of the yellow circle). Green: what appears to be a bubble artifact most likely in the darker grey layer under the top whitish colour. Yellow: parallel scratch marks. Indicating that the material used in the black layer didn't bond with the paint under it. I've heard that Japanese artists use "sumi" (the black ink used in calligraphy) to fill in large black areas. If the underlying layer is an acrylic or otherwise water repellent layer, it makes sense that the sumi wouldn't bond and be easily scratched off.
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