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sketchley

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Everything posted by sketchley

  1. sketchley
    Agreed about Lego's odd market targeting choices with this latest set. However, I have noticed a series of sets aimed at what I would describe as adult builders over the past few months. Namely the minifigure scale build-a-city-block sets (10260 Downtown Diner, 10246 Detective Office, 10255 Assembly Square, etc.) Maybe it's a reaction to increased demand for these kinds of sets due to the stay-at-home orders? Perhaps the Colosseum is a combination of the demand for architectural sets AND these larger city block sets? As far as scalpers go... they're getting into the game even before the product is released: Kawamori's Designer's Notes book isn't even released, but a used copy was listed as "available" on Amazon.jp with something like a 30% markup! (Thankfully Amazon has removed it, but still... )
  2. sketchley
    Technically it's not an airplane. It's an Ekranoplan—or ground-effect vehicle—that "flies" at around 5–10 m above a flat surface: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground-effect_vehicle
  3. sketchley
    Your argument still isn't convincing. Plausible, yes, convincing no. For example, the publication I cited earlier also states that the unmanned Rorqual submarines are "Critical Path Corp. Stealth Unmanned Submersibles". Not to mention the artist stating that the A.L. and G.V. are evolved Zentrādi designs (as opposed to the General Galaxy Valkyries, which are generally described as merely incorporating Zentrādi technology or having a Zentrādi "influence"). In addition, Macross Chronicle states that Critical Path Corp. is a Private Military Company, and the president of it took over the black market*, and developed the Jamming Sound System. The first part implies that Critical Path only uses the equipment produced by other companies, but the second part indicates that the corp. is involved with developing and producing armaments. Clear as mud, in other words. Nevertheless, can you remind me where it states that Critical Path Corp. has close ties to General Galaxy? * while Japanese is notorious for not including the subject (one must "read the air"), given the context I'm inclined to believe it meant the black market sales (of weapons) side of the company. On the topic of the Gjagravan Va: it appears in game at the tail end of a battle with Gurāji and Rigādo. The Zentrādi developed Pheyos Valkrie also appears in that game stage. I'm not going to claim that it is cut and dry, but the design notes and context heavily favour that it is a Zentrādi Mobile Weapon.
  4. sketchley
    That's... odd. Ignoring the VF-X2 setting for the mo', Miyatake Kazutaka's lineart for it (all 3 versions) refer to it as "VFX-2 クリティカルパスCorp. 機動兵器　軌道エレベータ征圧用"* Or "VF-X2 Critical Path Corp. Mobile Weapon for controlling the 'orbital' elevator" * Apparently 軌道 was a misunderstanding on the artists part, as the book states in a paragraph right next to it "機動" (for those that don't: kanji with the same reading, but one means "orbital" and the other means "mobile"). Incidentally, the same book** refers to the Gjagravan Va as "ブラックレインボウ陸戦歩兵兵器". Or "Black Rainbow Ground Walking Weapon". ** Macross VF-X2 Official Visual Guide While the book doesn't clearly state if it is a Zentrādi weapon or not, generally Mobile Weapon (機動兵器) is only used to describe Zentrādi mecha. So, the text for the Gjagravan Va muddies things up, as Walking Weapon (or similar) is generally used to refer to the Destroids. On the other hand, in the interview section, Miyatake Kazutaka answers a question about the enemy designs with something along the lines of them having the image of continuing from the TV series designs, and being advanced or evolved Zentrādi designs (進んでいく). The interviewers asks about the DYRL design influence, and Miyatake-san responds that they are based on biological designs. He says that the Annabella Lasiodora has a "spider image", and Lasiodora is the Latin name for tarantula. The rest of that line of questioning is about the design process, how it changed during game development, and how Miyatake-san feels that he drew too much for something that ultimately appears so small in the game! (The interview switches to talking about spaceship design, so the Gjagravan Va isn't talked about.)
  5. sketchley
    In some ways, they never went away. They've just been relegated further and further into the background. They're there, if you know where to look. In the post SDFM era, we've been introduced to: Cheyenne II and Destroid Works (Macross F) ADR-04-Mk XV S-Defender (Macross the Ride) PPB equipped HWR-00-Mk II Monster (Macross M3) some type of MBR-04 derivative that combines the long-range precision fire of the ADR-04 Defender with the short-range missile circus of the SDR-04 Phalanx the civilian construction Destroids in Macross 7 If you include the Zentrādi Mobile Weapons: Battle Suit (Macross Plus) Gjagravan Va (VF-X2) Annabella Lasiodora(VF-X2) Quadoran-Aruma (Macross the Ride) Gurāji Kai (Macross Digital Mission VF-X) Super Gurāji (Macross Delta) Jināru Air-Battle Pod Kai (Macross Digital Mission VF-X) Rigādo Kai (Macross Digital Mission VF-X) ZBP-104 Rigādo: (Macross Delta) ZBP-106 Rigādo(Macross Delta) Kerukaria [Quel-Quallie] (Macross Digital Mission VF-X) * the "Kai" versions have been misnamed as "Stealth" versions by some Western fans
  6. sketchley
    I actually don't mind her (that much). Part of the reason is that there are people in RL just like her—so in one sense, she's there because she's the 'everyman' that represents the audience (or part of it, at least). And the writers do tend to treat her with more dignity than, for example, Noel Shempsky was (Fraiser, for those that don't). The other reason is she's one of the few (and I do mean few) characters on the show whose character is actually developed beyond a cardboard cutout. If the show took more time out from its constant plot, and spent some time developing its other characters, I might have a different opinion. But it is what it is...
  7. sketchley
    Actually, it is; albeit in Hiragana order: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiragana#Table_of_hiragana
  8. sketchley
    Writers/Publishers not having access to the materials aside (E.g. the combiner Zentrādi battlesuit from M3 doesn't appear in MC), how many of those alleged errors were authorized by Kawamori-san himself? If memory serves, Kawamori-san was given some kind of leadership or 'last word' control over the publication. And then there's this from the very first issue*: "This "Macross Chronicle" is produced with the stance that it's a collection of records that bring together the interpretations by various personalities of the history that flows behind the Macross series. I hope that the readers will discover their own true "Macross" by using this book to take in the adventures that are among the 30 years of accumulated Macross history. " Which—among other things—opens up the can of worms that the publications that are in conflict with MC are true onto themselves (in the context of their respective productions), and MC approaches things from the holistic (or big picture) perspective; tying into Kawamori-san's assertion that each production is an in-universe dramatization of real events, whereas the MC is the real events (or akin to an in-universe Janes defence publication/encyclopedia Britannica). Note that I'm not fully disagreeing with your assertion that there are errors, just wishing to point out that we don't have access to the publisher's decision making processes or reasons behind certain choices. Maybe the publishers had the 'correct' information, but they were told to change it to the allegedly 'incorrect' information by the powers that be?** As MC was being released more-or-less concurrently to Macross Frontier, perhaps we should take the stance that MC is an in-universe publication correct only in the context of MF? * http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRseriesguide/SrsGuid.php#0203 ** Access to materials aside, we have circumstantial evidence that Kawamori-san himself has forgotten/changed key details over the decades. Then there are such things like the Earth Trekkers being written out when Macross Zero made it's debut, etc.
  9. sketchley
    It may not actually be bad software per se, it may just be that the have a monitor improperly setup, and they colour corrected the images to what their monitor shows, not what the artwork actually looks like when printed. (The opposite extreme is their scanner "colour corrected" the images, and no one bothered to colour correct the scans.) Another possibility is the printers getting the ink mixture wrong (or the ink balance was slipping in the part of the batch you guys got). So many simple things can muck up graphic design and printing.
  10. sketchley
    I think you missed his point. Responding with a wall of text breaking down and categorically responding to each one of the poster's sentences in a sea of negativity is what he's complaining about. (Is it all negative? I don't know. TLDR. Overkill has a way of killing the conversation.) Maybe it's time for a different tack—what we liked about the show? I'll go first: Getting to see Michelle Yeoh kicking but on a (semi-regular) basis.
  11. sketchley
    I think it is doing that for any long post. Perhaps "true" = view the full post. Thanks for switching the link takes to "last post viewed" thing. New software version can be a major pain. On the other hand, as I only use the white version (old man eyes, light on black leaves "sunspots"), I really appreciate that the new version has added a bunch of colours to highlight things.
  12. sketchley
    It's as complete as I've been able to make it (time, and motivation permitting ) Nevertheless, go read it. Sooner or later myself, or someone else, will fill in the parts that haven't been touched yet (which is pretty much all of the character sheets )
  13. sketchley
    Not a fault per se: (Activity > Unread Content) Is it possible to enlarge the (relatively) small circle to the left of the topic title that takes us to the first unread post? Perhaps changing to a rectangular shape (if possible) will improve things? (using the Default_IPV theme on Firefox on desktop Win10. Circles are same [small] size in the Carbon theme.) Also, the Edit Post function is... hidden under the hamburger icon. Is it possible to restore that to a more visible location? (E.g.: next to "Quote" at the bottom of the post).
  14. sketchley
    Of the 3 you mentioned, Macross Chronicle is the only one we can verify. That's not to say that the source material of the other information is incorrect1, but without knowing where they came from, they are as trustworthy as fan-made information. 1 at the time of their respective publication—when it comes to SDFM, DYRL, et al, Macross Chronicle is usually the most recently published material.
  15. sketchley
    I was referring mostly to the bacteria stuff. The effects of the Galactic Whales on Valkyries is kind of hard to miss—subtitled or not.
  16. sketchley
    Completed: Macross Chronicle Worldguide 13A: Various Planets: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRworldguide/13aVariousPlanets.php I'm a little bit stunned by how much this single sheet covers. Because it covers so much, details are thin, but it does provide a bunch of facts that I've never seen anywhere else—too many to list in a short summary here! Perhaps the biggest revelation is that the Zolans are not marsupials (at least in the sense of using their abdominal pouch to raise their young). The reasons why Zola is unsuitable for human habitation are also... rather surprising (given how well the Zolan setting is arranged and how much is new to me, it makes me wonder just how much was "lost in translation" in the fansub I watched way back when!) The sheet's hat-trick is a shout-out to the various planets that have appeared in things as diverse as Isamu's service history bio in Macross Plus to the 2 VF-X games, what kind of planets they may or may not be, and why they're breeding grounds for terrorists. Again, details are light, but what breadth! ... I wish I had gotten around to this one 5 or 6 years ago! (^_^;)
  17. sketchley
    I decided to (finally) get around to scanning the 8th image of Elysium today: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Locations/OutsideBorders/Elysium.php#Elysium ... it's not much to look at, but I'm sure the MW members who don't have the Mook(s) in question will appreciate being able to view the full set of pre-production image boards for Macross Digital Mission VF-X—not to mention see how different the envisioned game and what was released are!
  18. sketchley
    Thanks for providing the statement, and I'm honoured that you think so. You got the translation right. It is odd that VFMF doesn't expand on what the earlier versions are (unless if they're copying from another source/writing based on Kawamori-san's requests). I wonder if any of the other books mention anything about the 1st and 2nd generation engines...? (nothing comes to my mind. However, I don't believe I've ever attempted to translate one of the thermonuclear turbine engine sections so far... ) On the other hand, we all know that those VFs carry the 3rd generation Active Stealth. So, there's always the possibility of a brain fart in the writer...
  19. sketchley
    Nah, Rise of Skywalker is correct. Last Jedi tried to tell a coherent story (whether it succeeded or not is a debate for other venues). RoS was... well, saying that they succeeded in making a movie that not only walked back the changes made in TLJ (instead of building on them), and then cramming 3 film's worth of content into 1 movie is... putting it politely. Back on topic: while I don't mind Discovery, it's highly forgettable, and not something that I want to rewatch anytime soon. The best part of it was the characters, the worst part is the plot, which—among other things—didn't slow down to focus on anything else, such as the characters! Due to that (and the hyper-kinetic pacing and editing of the action scenes where it is impossible to figure out what's going on), I'm not bothering with Picard or The Lower Decks. On the other hand, I am currently (re)watching Voyager. While that show leaves a lot to be desired, it is more memorable than Disco, while giving the plot (and characters!) time to breathe.
  20. sketchley
    If you're referring to the section I think you are, I initially thought that too. On closer inspection, it's about the side-of-the-chest thrusters (how they're stowed in Fighter, how they form in Battroid, etc.) Nevertheless, the next page on the electromagnetic locks looks interesting, but the real good stuff is the breakdown of where they use energy conversion armour, and what materials (alloys, etc) are used in what parts of the fuselage (and that's not once, but twice! The Streak-revisited and another later in the book).
  21. sketchley
    The model of the ES-11D they used shouldn't have been pictured like that in the atmosphere! It has the Integrated Space Propeller and Propellant Tanks on the wing engines! Nevertheless, I like that the book goes into a bit more depth on the QF-3000. It's just too bad that they don't have any picts of it with its FAST Packs.
  22. sketchley
    What's the original statement in Japanese?
  23. sketchley
    What about the one in the QF-3000E? My impression is that it is an earlier model than the one found in the VF-1. (If I was being generous, I'd say the ones in the VF-1 are the "finessed" versions.) Thus making the VF-1~VF-17 the second generation. The other possibility is the "burst" engines that appeared in Macross the Ride—they're kind of a step between the earlier versions and the Stage II that appeared in the VF-24 and it's descendants.
  24. sketchley
    Thank you for looking into it. Maybe it was a panicky corporate officer after all? That, or one branch of the company went all guns-blazing to complete the project, and it was only after the fact that the senior staff found out about it after it was flagged by the German Peace Society. And as European sensitivities are rather complex, I can see it prompting the corporate response. So, ultimately, from what we can gather, licensing fees were the root cause of the sets cancellation, but not in the way I initially interpreted. It was merely the fact that Lego was paying money to an arms manufacturer (which, when phrased like that, sounds rather distressing... ).
  25. sketchley
    Looking real good. The time and effort you've spent on the interior makes me wondering if I should crack mine open and add a few highlights to the interior too... (I just panel lined/weathered my "Christmas ornament" ) However, when building mine, that long straight joint from to bottom between the pieces that you've labelled 0 and 5 (or 10 and 15) doesn't sit flush on mine. I just snap-fit mine together, and I *may* not have correctly assembled the interior. However, it's something to be aware of (you may need to use glue to get a flush surface). As it's only visible from the rear, I display the Death Star II as it appeared in the movie—so no one's the wiser.
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