Skull Leader
-
Posts
2121 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by Skull Leader
-
-
Since Mars has lower gravity and a thinner atmosphere, we imagined that flying in the configuration would work there, whereas it probably wouldn't on earth.
It would fly perfectly fine. It just wouldn't be maneuverable (seriously, like... at all) and would bleed energy like it was going out of style in a turn, but it could get from the ground to orbit.
-
Actually, I believe the HCM was optimized with the fighter mode in mind... as my only real gripes about it have ever been the small head and the fact that the backpack sits way too high. To this day, it's the only valkyrie kit/toy to depict the dual tailhooks used during carrier landings (although I don't know if those were ever "official").
And thank you... I've had my HCM for a long while now, and it's condition is a testament to the craft that went into making it... I haven't been brutal to it, but it HAS been posed and transformed a lot over the years. I still have the box and everything too.
-
I used to have that kit... that detail is crazy!
-
Funny man!You have other hobbies?
-
So I just noticed this thread. This is an awesome project.
I'd wager he's recording the actual analog audio output of a PC-98. It's low-tech, but it's the easiest way if you have the hardware, and about the only way to guarantee it sounds RIGHT.
Especially with that Ryu Umemoto(OMG!!!) credit on the soundtrack, as he tended to push the synthesizer chips they used in those systems pretty hard, and his tracks don't always work right on "compatible" synthesizers(Umemoto was very disappointed they didn't ask him to redo the Yu-No soundtrack for the Saturn port, as they DID simply feed his existing music data through a "compatible" FM synth chip, and it DIDN'T sound right).
Emulation of sound hardware is often less than perfect, even on a simple and well-documented platform. And with the deplorable state of japanese computer emulation, I'd have no faith in the final output sounding like it's supposed to.
And of course, just extracting the MIDI data(assuming it's in MIDI and not raw YM commands) is worthless since no modern computer comes with any appropriate synthesizer, and MIDI files don't sound the same on different hardware.
Perhaps not the most useful of insights, but... that's my bet.
I employed a pretty low-tech method, lol.
I ran the game in through the ANEX86 emulator and recorded a video of each track of music. I extracted the audio from the video and looped it, lol. I've compared a few of my own rips to his, and they sound almost identical (his are a little clearer), so at least the emulator is reproducing the sound faithfully.
Ultimately I'd like to get someone to remix the music tracks... since I'm modernizing everything else about the game, running the original music seems a little anachronistic. Still, I'm using the originals as a placeholder until I find someone who can do some remixes.
Small update: I actually have functionally recreated the game up to the point where the player takes control. It's just dialogue, so it really isn't a big deal yet, but it's a huge step for me. I've been using the Fungus plugin for Unity3D to do the story dialog, and there's been a small learning curve to tackle. It's a little rough around the edges, but it's a start! I've taken a small break from the game to keep from getting burned out and to work on other hobbies, but I'm going to dive back into it this week I think.
-
any updates, man? I'm jonesing to see this one finished!
-
It comes with them, but I figured I'd give the stickers a shot first and see how they do
-
The bulk of the work is done! Just gotta finish decaling it now and she's all set. With most of the process complete, I'll share some of my observations:
Pros:
- man, this thing is DETAILED. Even parts of the model you likely won't see (the interior of the legs) have detail!
- none of the joints seem to be loose
- the vinyl "stickers" burnish down nicely like decals... they can be pushed into panel lines and made to look "painted" on.
- the construction is pure genius... a *lot* of thought went into the layout of this model.
Cons
- omfg the hands... who came up with these? Who came up with this assembly process/parts layout? Easily the weakest point in the model for me and they will be replaced.
- while the joints feel very stiff, the entire upper body in Battroid mode is very "fiddly" due to it being not very secure. I know they took some measures with the Roy version to fix that (I'd be interested to see pictures of the modifications... maybe I can scratchbuild those mods into mine) but it definitely means you won't spend a lot of time working on the poses...find a good one and leave it there.
-the arms are scrawny. I think the FAST pack armor will help this a *little*, but it is what it is
- the price of all that fine detail is that parts of the model are just damn fragile... I could see the leg actuators being victimized after repeated use... and my backpack swivel has already broken twice (still need a replacement), you definitely don't muscle any part of this into place or you *will* snap it.
- the leg and nose "hatches" (to actuate the legs and waist) are damn hard for me to open without using a sharp object
These may seem like major gripes, but overall I'm very pleased with the model! It's highly detailed and looks great. I'm past the age where I fly these things around my room much,so it's gonna sit on a shelf in a pose and maybe get changed once or twice a year.
Bandai has come a long way since their earliest imai reissue entries. I took a pic or two next to my bandai HCM 1/72 for reference
-
Bumpety, pronounced with an umpety....
-
I've been printing my own decals for a while now, however the non-printed white is a HUGE issue. You can basically only apply the decals to a white aircraft only. All the colours (especially if your laser printing them) will be translucent and will take on the hue of whatever underlying paint colour your applying them on. Its fine when we have white Valkyries, but when you start to stray and go to other colours, they will "cast" that colour onto your decal designs. If you have a dark paint scheme then forget about printing your own decals. You need the white underneath to make your colours/design show through. The white sheet is of no use because you have to trim around your designs perfectly to not see any white carrier sheet left behind. It's too bad Alps printers went the way of the do-do. Please let me know if anyone finds a solution to this problem!
There are ways around this... although you have to be a little savvy about how you lay out your decals. If the decal shape isn't a complex one (say, like noseart for example), I'll trace a thin black border around the decal and print it on white decal film... I can trim the black border away to nothing and boom, you have your white decal
Also, there is this transparent decal paper that dries white here: http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/decalpaper.html, although it's really not any different than printing on already-white decal paper
-
It's been a pretty pleasant build so far... lots of detail packed into a very small space.
I've already snapped the backpack hinge in two... I glued it back together but it's structural integrity is questionable. I'm trying to find someone with a junked kit I can salvage their hinge from.
I've glued some assemblies for stability... and all transparent parts are receiving glue to keep them from falling out.
It's a little fragile but I like it so far!
-
Well, I've repaired my part with superglue and it *seems* to be holding for now... I anticipate it snapping on the first or second transformation though so it may be stuck in fighter mode until I can source a replacement
-
Anyone got a junked bandai 1/72 VF-1A/S? I need a replacement backpack hinge part for mine
The offending part... I've glued it back together but I don't have high hopes for success
-
... and maybe the stripes and chevrons that the Jolly Rogers have.
FYI they call those "Vegabond" stripes... they're holdovers from when the VF-84 "Vegabonds" assumed the jolly rogers identity during their F-8 Crusader days!
-
If you can't get Mechtech's stuff, don't discount the Testors decal paper... I've won contests with decals printed off of it, so don't think it's useless, and it's probably cheap and easy to find.
-
SOB *still* won't tell me how he ripped the audio. It's cool, I've found my own method...
-
If you still have some of the decals left, spraying some Testors decal solution on them will rejuvenate the unused decals and prevent them from shattering
-
Illustrator is what you want. Drawing decals is easy, especially if you're sizing up pre-existing art. I got my first knowledge in Illustrator sizing up 1/72 decals to 1/48.
Microscale and cartograf both have a minimum requirement of 500 sheets I believe (they're the two biggest) so you'll have to find a smaller distributor
-
To each their own... for what it was worth, I briefly considered just porting over the original graphics.... they just don't look as good on today's bigger monitors I think. It's an aesthetic choice and I can understand why you feel the way you do!
My translations right now are good up to the first mission I think... you're welcome to send yours over though, as I'm always happy to have something to compare them against. Shoot them to jhousdan (at) Hotmail.com.
I can send you the game files. Give me an addy and I'll put a package together. You need the emu too?
-
I haven't had much time or energy to work today... I've been down with the flu. But I did manage to get some of the soundtrack ripped (enough to get me to the first mission) though the method I had to use to get it was a little unorthodox, I got what I needed.
-
The bridge is pretty different. The DYRL version is tiny and offset to the side, whilst the TV one is bigger and more centered. I also think there's a big difference in the main gun section as well.
I think you have it reversed... on the TV version, the Bridge was offset to the side until the ship transformed into storm attacker mode... in DYRL, the bridge remained centered regardless of the mode.
-
Spending some time working out how I wanna code all of the story and dialogue... I think I'll be using the Fungus plug in for Unity to do this, they seem to be pretty straightforward, and it should interface well with other plugins when I get to working on the combat/strategy sections.
-
The background is almost completely done! I just need to do the lens-flare effect from the spotlights and this one will be all set.
I had to "invent" some detail behind the lens flare just because I don't know how well the new effect will cover it, and I didn't want to just leave a blank space. I at least tried to make surfaces meet each other. Not a perfect pixel-for-pixel translation, but I think it's damn close, and pretty good considering... probably 35-40 hours of work went into creating this. Someone more knowledgable in illustrator probably could've knocked it out much quicker, but I've been learning as I go.
I also included the original beneath it for comparison
-
I'm in the process of remaking the old PC98 game "Skull Leader" that I plan to have available for Mac when it's finished.
macross: Skull Leader, Love Stories, and Remember Me
in Games
Posted
It's *always* an option! (and I agree... I'm the same way when I play Final Fantasy IV on my PSP, I opt to use the original soundtrack usually.)
I've kinda stepped off for a few weeks just so I don't get burned out on it... but I'll be digging my heels back in as soon as I finish this next commission build model!