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sketchley

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  1. sketchley
    That's the official statement. The problem with it, though, is that the set was already in production and being released (sold) to the public. If it was against their company policy, why did it reach the stage where the set was being produced and members of the public were purchasing it before it was cancelled? So, that leaves us with 2 possibilities: the aforementioned gear problems, or problems with the licensing (or both). It makes sense to provide a smokescreen (the official statement) for both those issues, but if it was a gear problem (a manufacturing/materials problem), wouldn't that warrant a delay while they sorted things out, not an outright cancellation? The gear problem is doubly odd, as it begs the question: why wasn't it sorted during prototyping and test production? Regarding mention of licensing fees: is this something the company would want to publicly admit? At the very least, it makes sense to conceal it to maintain an amicable relationship for possible future business.
  2. sketchley
    That's pretty impressive, especially as the Avro Arrow was completed in 1957!
  3. sketchley
    Keep in mind that Lego cancelled a recent aircraft set (that had already started to see a limited release!) because of licensing fees. Blame the lawyers and companies wanting to protect their corporate image (as licensing fees inevitably includes questions about how such things are going to be used/depicted in-game).
  4. sketchley
    As the great Roger Ebert said in his review of The Mummy (1999): So, my question is: is Bill & Ted 3 like "the Mummy (1999)"? (Or as Ebert said: good trash?)
  5. sketchley
    Yes, somewhere in my translations site (multiple places, in fact): http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/
  6. sketchley
    Presuming that the poll is about when it's in Battroid only... the head lasers are described in the Official Setting as weapons for rear anti-air defence (not just the VF-1, mind you). However, in Fighter form, due to their forward/downward firing arc, they have also made the VF-1 be described as an attacker/ground attack specialized VF in some Official Setting materials...
  7. sketchley
    For a change of pace, I've also been updating/revising the pages in my RPG stats site. I've been focusing on the Locations (that appear in Macross/RPG games) , and this week I tackled Planet Elysium (from Macross Digital Mission VF-X). I've recently acquired the Macross Digital Mission VF-X Official Program, and it is a wealth of additional information not found in Macross Digital Mission VF-X Flight Manual. While I'd like to dive into translating other parts of the book*, I've focused on Planet Elysium. Scroll down to the "Image Gallery" section for the translation of the rather informative description of the Elysium environs: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Locations/OutsideBorders/Elysium.php Frustratingly, there is a discrepancy between the two books: Macross Digital Mission VF-X Flight Manual states that there are no moons around Elysium, but Macross Digital Mission VF-X Official Program states that there are "two satellites in the 1,000 km diameter class". For the stats summary, I've gone with 2 moons, as it's rather hard for a planet to be stable long enough to become Earth-like (let alone have the right conditions for life to start!) without something like a moon. * it has a wealth of info on not just Elysium, but the characters, as well as the mecha introduced in the game—such as the Pheyos Valkyrie, Rigādo Kai, Gurāji Kai, and Jināru Fighter Pod Kai.
  8. sketchley
    I'll take that and raise it with no Hideki Kakinuma designs, no Gall Force.
  9. sketchley
    Thank you for posting this. As someone interested in military aviation in general—not to mention being a fellow "Canuckistanian" who has moved to the land of the rising sun—it's very informative. ... and further highlights just how romanticized things are in Macross. However, I suspect that things in Macross are influenced as much—if not more so—by the procedures in the JASDF than they are by those in the USAF.
  10. sketchley
    I think your way is better. Just remember something that Adam Savage once said: what looks right, doesn't always photograph right (or something along those lines—it was in reference to finding a "gold" foil to cover an Apollo moon lander with). So, the decals that worked in the lighting and angles used in the films may be unsatisfactory in real life. Your way also adds gives additional texture to the surface.
  11. sketchley
    Complete: Macross Chronicle Glossary #24A and #25A: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRglossary/MCRglossary.php The only *newly translated* content is character related—so not much in the way of heretofore unrevealed info. Nevertheless, some nice summaries, and I guess you could say one or two had an interesting perspective on events.
  12. sketchley
    There was also a flying transforming "Police Machine" in Macross 7: It was also able to operate in outer space by switching the propeller engines for rocket motors.
  13. sketchley
    Another Canadian here, eh! From Victoria, lived in Vancouver for a couple of years (near where they filmed Stargate), before moving to Japan. Simply put, they were given their "ride off into the sunset". Of course, it doesn't help that it happened in print form. Here's (a translation of) the circumstances leading up to their disappearance: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/OTother/MinmeiLastMessage.php The other reason people aren't so concerned is that fleets, like the one the Megaroad-01 was part of, sometimes go missing. The reasons why are varied, from attacks by one of the millions of Zentrādi Fleets still out in the galaxy, disappearing in something called a Fold Fault (like a space-time dislocation in a Space Fold), or succumbing to other natural phenomenon. In some cases, it can take years to get to a fleet's last known location (the Macross Frontier Fleet was "10 years Fold travel time from Earth" in the MF TV series). Not to mention that space is really vast. Which is why you have some characters, for example Richard Bilra in MF, still hoping to find Minmei, some 40 or 50 years after her disappearance.
  14. sketchley
    More Destroids that appeared in Macross? I forget which game this beast came from, but it's an official post-First Interstellar War Destroid penned by Kazutaka Miyatake—the Destroid designer—himself: Then there's also the ADR-04-Mk XV S-Defender from Macross the Ride: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/Defender/S-Defender.php (better pictures in the link)
  15. sketchley
    Nice picture! I would err on the side of it being tuned up. Reasons being: the VF-11D Kai has "lightly" tuned up engines (among other things)—why not carry those over to this one? the later produced (and more common?) VF-11C is somewhat detuned compared to the earlier VF-11B. Therefore, if we take the VF-11C as the base model, then even just by reverting to the VF-11B specs, it would be a "tune up", no? what the other guys said about it being to train test pilots at New Edwards. Maybe the pilots are used to the "stock" VF-11(B or C). It would make a heck of a lot of sense to gently push them outside of their familiarity envelope with a tuned VF-11 to show them just what they're getting themselves into (without going overboard with a risk-your-life-every-flight VF-19A!) Heck, it might even be part of the training program for the pilots to be involved in the tuning process. I'm sure there's an equivalent training program going on for ground crew... why not have both working on the same fighter? Pilot feedback to the ground crew and engineers is an important part of the test pilot job, after all.
  16. sketchley
    Which in, some ways, is the sequel to Bubblegum Crisis. I think Artmic made the ultimate time loop, with Earth being formed by a cosmic war between mechanical-biological "robots" and human-like aliens (that ends with the formation of Earth), whereupon Earth's civilization develops to the point where they create mechanical-biological robots that start a war on humans, and humans have no choice but to flee the Earth with the mechanical-biological robots chasing after them, thus starting the cycle again!
  17. sketchley
    Love: YF-21/VF-22 - even 20 or so years after its debut (in universe), it's still cutting edge. Loath: VF-4 - nevermind that it has 3 times as many engines to maintain and the transformation mechanism is rather obnoxiously complex, the kicker is the shoulders: pilots are probably going to be hammering the shoulder joints hard as they're used to other Valkyries that have a full range of movement on the shoulders!! I wonder if the VF-4's airframe eventually develops the Valkyrie equivalent of "back pain" due to the postures need to get the arms "overhead". I also think the VB-6 would be a pain to work on. Every time it fires its guns, I'm sure the maintenance crew has to check each and every bolt and fastener to confirm that they haven't rattled loose!
  18. sketchley
    No worries! It's supposed to look broken and all bent out of shape! However, if you're unsatisfied, you can always do what I suggested above, and put highlights elsewhere so people are less likely to notice what you consider are flaws (which aren't flaws at all). Please keep in mind that the artist (you) is often the most critical, and sees flaws or mistakes that are hardly—if ever—noticed by others! Example: Tenjin Hidetaka. He is an awe-inspiring artistic genius at painting Valkyries, right? Look closely at those "straight" lines in his artwork. Can you see how they're not straight? How the painting layers he's put on top don't line up with those not-straight straight lines? (Admittedly those "mistakes" show up in only a handful of his finished pieces, but I can't unsee them! LOL) If he can get away with those supposed flaws, then so can you. And unlike him, you have a valid reason for not-straight lines, too. In fact, it would be odd if they weren't bent and distorted...
  19. sketchley
    VERY nice! I was going to mention something about how some of those greebles you added aren't straight, then I reminded myself: it's been in an explosion! Of course they're not supposed to be straight! Are you planning to add any colours in the guts? For example, add a couple of spots of different lighter tones to suggest the original colour before they were scorched? I wonder if you can get away with adding a few red (or white or blue) dots to imply that some of the power systems are running? (think of my suggestions more as a way to draw the viewer's eyes to the parts you want them to focus on, rather than adding detail for details sake).
  20. sketchley
    Thanks guys! Completed: Macross Chronicle Glossary 26A: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRglossary/MCRglossary.php There are a couple of intriguing points in the character descriptions: Lynn Minmei: it ends with a brief summary of her fate detailed in the mail-in the SDFM DYRL PS1 Game Mail-in Gift - I guess that means the circumstances of the Megaroad-01's disappearance are official. Rapu Ramizu: includes a mention Miria Farīna's rank: 一級空士長. I can't remember if I've translated it before, and the Macross Compendium doesn't list it, either. I've included my "best guess" and the reasons why in the translator's notes.
  21. sketchley
    I like the guts!!! The inner ruined frame parts under the bridge grab my attention! However, due to that, the vertical parts look rather plain compared to the excellent greebling you've added elsewhere! Would it be possible to cut a few portals and ports into the large, flat inner frame pieces? As it might be a bit too hard to fit a drill bit into some of those spaces (let alone finding a bit that can punch out square shapes!), it might be much easier to glue some square bits of styrene to imply that there are doors and other closed hatches in those vertical spaces. Do you have any long, thin straight bits of something to add in there horizontally to imply conduits? (or the joints where the floors were attached to the walls.) An alternative is small lengths of thin wire (the splayed ends might make an interesting effect). If you do go this route, make sure some of the bits extend beyond the sheer line—that should work wonders in implying that the explosion did as much "ripping" as it did "cutting"! On the other hand, I think you've nailed the outer, saucer parts—you've got the right balance between variety and quantity.
  22. sketchley
    Macross Chronicle Glossary Pages: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRglossary/MCRglossary.php I've spent the past 4 months revising ALL of these. Aside from the changed layout, most pages have: revised/fixed translations additional translated content In addition, I've just finished Pg 27. As it was mostly the character related parts, I can't say that there is any info that we haven't seen elsewhere. However, please enjoy the revised/fixed translations on this, and the preceding 26 pages, as some of those translations have changed rather dramatically! Please stay tuned for further fixed/revised and new content.
  23. sketchley
    Over the past few months I've been slowly updating, revamping, and modernizing my sites (yay CSS!). I've made enough progress to 'officially' announce it (and start a new topic as the original dates back to 2010!!!) Sketchley's Macross Translations The biggest change so far is an overhaul of the Glossary/Disambiguation page: now includes links to definitions in Macross Chronicle's Glossary pages, etc. eternal work in progress, so if you'd like a term added (or definition modified), please message me (alas, including all Macross names and terms are beyond the page's scope). Sketchley's Macross Stats More or less a distillation and collection of my translations by mecha. Remember text in... green is part of the Official Setting blue is part of the Unofficial Setting brown is information from dojinshi (essentially published fan content) The old Sketchley's Macross Translations topic: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/33597-macross-translations-and-more/
  24. sketchley
    I think the colours are spot on, however—and this may just be the lighting and the camera's angle—the plaid pattern you laid down first comes out a little too strongly (on the bottom hull. The top looks great as-is!) I'm wondering if it is possible to break it up a little with a light dusting of grey (for example hand-drawn with pencil) on only a handful of the smallish panels in the white(r) sections to break up the pattern a little?. If you have a white pencil, you could try breaking up the greys with a few whiter blocks. However, I'm not sure how effective a white pencil would be... graphite seems to be much more user friendly and easier to match the darker greys you've already painted on, and white might stand out too much. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just enough to show a little variation, but still keeping that industrial, uniform look that you've already established (this is truly a case of "less is more"). It's kind of like highlighting a couple of panels to distract the viewer from the pattern. Of course, how you intend to display it is also something to keep in mind. If viewers will only see it side-on, then even less breaking-up of the pattern is needed. ... and if it starts feeling a bit overwhelming, just remember the 70/30 rule of art: spend 70% of your time on the 30% that people look at.
  25. sketchley
    I'm really enjoying your build progress updates. Why fill in the lines? We're all perfectionists... (^_^;) Nevertheless, maybe try experimenting with materials and techniques*? Even if it doesn't work, you'll have gained something out of the process. * Some Japanese modellers use Nano-blocks inside their kits (not just for removable panels, but as spacers for wiring). While not quite relevant to this stage of the project, I hope you take it as encouragement to continue thinking outside of the box and using whatever is on hand. (BTW: I really like how you've 'recycled' that clear plastic tray! I look forward to seeing more of the 'gory' innards of the ship!)
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