Master Dex

1 hour ago, Focslain said:

Well funimation for the blu-rays, but Netflix is a contender for streaming as they have Macross here in the states and Frontier and Delta in Japan.

They have what here in the states? Cause I ain't seen that. Cursory glance doesn't show anything. I assume you mean SDF but last I checked the was on Amazon Prime.

Netflix Japan does indeed have the latter two though. No English subs of course.

1 hour ago, Zethus said:

What if...some Macross titles were to be announced at Discotek Day March 14 (aka Tomorrow Night)?

Then that'd be cool.

Mainly cause "rogue fleets" are a cosmic existential threat to galactic civilization, not a sometimes bothersome bully who lives nearby.

Also it turned out Battroid was useful for fighting other things. If it worked why not keep using it.

It likely wouldn't be wrong to say that the Zentradi rank and file are more like specialty Marines than an Army. At least in the traditional notion of those branches (vs how they've kinda morphed in the modern day) they are for very specific use case scenarios such as boarding actions and the like. Otherwise they operate things on the ship. When they have to take to land... they use mechs obviously.

2 hours ago, TMBounty_Hunter said:

Ok now I'm legitimately tempted to build the chamber behind the nozzle and paint it with one of those paints that Anish Kapoor is not allowed to have

On a less silly note it would probably have some kind of structure to the fuel grain, right? I don't know too much about hybrid rockets but aren't they usually on the longer side as far as aspect ratio of diameter vs length does? With how the Super packs's dimensions are the room for the combustion chamber is kinda wide and stubby, plus a pretty large throat and I assume that's not idea because it seems like it would let just oxidizer spill without fully interacting with the fuel grain? Maybe there is a need for a more elaborate injection structure after all.

There are a lot of ways to structure solid fuel grains to change the burn profile and alter the burn rate and time of burn actually. This is of course a common trick in solid rockets and hybrids have the additional benefit of throttling the liquid oxidizer to affect this as well so the fuel grain doesn't have to be shaped, and a cylinder is an efficient form... But no reason you can't have both lol.

As for what they might make it.. I'd assume an endurance profile is better, cylindrical structures actually increase the burn rate as it goes along, but again you can throttle the oxidizer so.. when thinking about it, we can remember UN Spacy seems to love pragmatism and they mass produce these on big scales. It's probably just a cylinder grain.

As for the oxidizer just running through the center, that's why they make sure the igniter fires as they meet. There are always some losses likely but it's a pretty optimizable system given enough testing. Hybrids are very mechanically simple.

1 hour ago, Seto Kaiba said:

It makes perfect sense when you think about it.

Hybrid rocket motors are mechanically simple and easy to manufacture, and they combine most of the advantages of both solid fuel rocket and liquid fuel rocket designs with few of the disadvantages, being able to burn a variety of different fuels with a variety of different liquid or gaseous oxidizers.  They can be throttled like a liquid fuel rocket, but with a much lower degree of mechanical complexity.  Simple enough to be easy to manufacture and cheap enough to throw away if the situation calls for it without breaking the bank.

(Master File gives them a bit of extra credit by indicating the OTM-derived solid fuel is a plastic explosive-like fuel putty that is inert and can be handled and installed without needing special protective equipment.)

The MythBusters made a bunch of different hybrid rockets.  Their first, for "Confederate Rocket", was a couple lengths of schedule 40 plumbing pipe, four endcaps, a stopcock with a one-way valve, and a milled-graphite nozzle - a couple hundred bucks in plumbing parts all told - with a paraffin wax fuel and nitrous oxide oxidizer stage.  Subsequent designs they tested used recycled paintball gun gas canisters full of nitrous and used fuels like dried salami, various kinds of processed gummy bears, and sun-dried dog feces.  It's an impressive series of demonstrations of how absurdly simple and versatile the design is.

Oh yeah, I'm no longer surprised. I knew a lot of this already, after all.. it's kinda my thing. What I didn't expect was a quasi-futuristic story with fancy alien-derived technology to have something so simple alongside it. It was more that I was surprised than I was disbelieving at the time. In analysis, it really is ideal.

The only reason hybrid motors are not very commercially used today is the advantages of either side have become ingrained in the production system. Solids are easy boosters to do, and liquids offer the precision needed for more things, and especially since we're in an era of reusable rocketry now.. it's less wasteful. That said for the intent and use of the FAST packs.. hybrids absolutely fit the bill.

8 minutes ago, JB0 said:

Wait, the FAST pack rockets use solid fuel?!

I have somehow never registered that until now.

Yeah he told me a year or so ago they were just hybrid rockets, which are the kind of easy to use but hard to optimize modern tech that is so surprisingly simple I was floored that was all it was in there lol.

What gets me is this is likely true of all Super Part Engines up to even the VF-31... cause they are not all Thermonuclear Reaction Engines if they are so easily discarded.

44 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

In other words: they trade off efficiency for utility to some extent, right?

In a strictly true sense, though that isn't the intent I figure. More just what they end up with than what they are striving to get.

There are likely ways and methods they could use to improve both but without a doubt they'd increase complexity and cost and you'd end up with the YF-29 problem; everything is great but we can't make more than a few.

Man you guys talk about the stuff I actually got my degree in and researched when I was asleep or at work lol.

Luckily Sketchley and Seto are on point so far in terms of real engine stuff (how it relates to VF being their domain almost fully anyway) so I don't have too much to add but I'll jump in a bit.

Sketchley is right that the VF nozzles are sacrificing a lot of efficiency in space, though the ability to morph the nozzle geometry at all is kind of a holy grail that's just too complex and expensive to do with most rockets (and part of the reason aerospikes will probably always be best on paper only), so we can thank overtechnology for that. The fact that VFs in space use a wildly inefficient propulsion method already by spamming the fusion reactor exhaust as propellant (which is why they have short operation windows in space) kinda highlights that even if the nozzles could be ideal it would only be a minor improvement.

Thus the UN Spacy proves to be very pragmatic in their design. As a test engineer, I respect that. Eventually there is a point where good enough is the best you can hope for, even if on paper you can do better. If only I could make some professional colleagues I know understand that now... I digress though.

Tl;dr, VF engines can be optimized for air or space but the need for both creates operational inefficiencies that while regrettable, are still more than capable.

1 hour ago, crackpot said:

Those guns are drooping. Hayate needs to make sure he retracts the arm completely and Xaos needs make sure the wing to leg connection fits. 🤣

That's a rough filing job for Makina to do.

I was thinking earlier about this and I figure might as well ask it.

We know in the Block 5 and earlier VF-1s transformation was controlled largely between the sliders on a panel. A move no doubt distracting to a pilot mid-combat. Later VFs, including the DYRL Block 6 style seem to have changed this to a HOTAS style control where the orientation of the throttle lever seems to guide transformation... but I never fully understood the mechanics of this. Does flipping it up move to Gerwalk or Battroid? What are the differences between them in this respect? I could dig deeper and question the mechanisms for controlling said modes but... a lot of that is anime magic or really, the airframe control AI I suppose. I'll stick with the controls for transformation for now.

34 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Thanks for taking the time to look for me.  

Shame, I was really hoping to get some actual specs for this damnable thing... because it is one of the prettiest of the VF-31s.

I could take a photo of mine for you if it will help, but what they say seems accurate. I doubt it will have what you want.

1 hour ago, Macrossfan92 said:

Man sucks to hear about the issues with the AX.  It looks really good to me but I guess you guys aren’t liking it?
 

this is going to be my first dx chogokin ever and i thought it would be good since the 31s were all good. I ordered the Mirage ver. And I am hoping these things will be resolved but kinda doubt it since that ine already has promo pics etc.

Well, I still like it. The issues are real and they are annoying and shouldn't be there at all. It still looks amazing though. I also have Mirage on order and hope it's better but even so, it'll look good. I display these most of the time, so while I will have to deal with some modification or frustration during reposing or transformation... it's not gonna bother me when they are on the shelf most of the year. This is my story of course, others have valid reasons why this is a bigger deal.

Got mine in hand finally.

And yeah, the arms are gapped bad out of box and the wings barely peg. Also so many sharp points.. one of the canards stabbed my hand, lol. Haven't transformed yet but soon.

I'll play with it a bit in every sense of that, probably try to file the wing pegs a bit, see if I can get the arms more agreeable. Admittedly I was more interested in Battroid for this so these issues may not affect me too much. Ultimately, it'll go on stand and look pretty. It does look great though, issues aside.

Yes my 31F and 31A are much better on construction. Yes Bandai should and have done better. Ultimately, I'll live. Hopefully Mirage AX is better, but likely same story.

26 minutes ago, Knight26 said:

 I agree, he would have been less conspicuous, but at the same time, even more infuriating to Gamlin.  "Why is a civilian here flying into battle?"  And  "How the heck is he keeping up with us in that antiquated hunk of junk?"  Do that would also have established him as an even more amazing pilot because he was making such an old craft perform so well, as opposed to be in the top of the line fighter.  Even SK's design works kind of backs that up with early Fire Valk concept being based more on the VF-11.

I did get vibes of this in Dynamite 7 though when he flies a VT-1C into space to go sing to whales and manages to fly perfectly fine by nudging the throttle and control yoke with an acoustic guitar. He definitely has some skill.

8 minutes ago, sqidd said:

I don't think they're THAT bad. I have a lot of toys that are way worse.

Yeah honestly, As much as Bandai should do better and hopefully does in the future... all this I'm hearing... it's trivial to me. I know not everyone feels that way but I will transform once in a blue moon likely. Same for my 262.. it's a pain to work with yes but most of the time I just admire it where it is. I haven't got my AX yet but next week I will and see how it measures up.. but even if I have to put some work in, I'll learn to live eventually.

But yeah they should do better.

22 minutes ago, last_raven said:

Guarantee there's a 1.5ver incoming after the review cycle is done tho

I kinda hope they have time to incorporate the fixes for Mirage if at all.

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Yeesh, about to poke them. Mine still reads as "shipment information received", as in it has a tracking number, but hasn't actually shipped yet.

Mine had too, I just emailed them again about it and they finally updated it and now it's moving. I think they just hadn't done anything yet... which is not great... but.. they at least respond to complaints in a timely manner I guess.

1 hour ago, RedWolf said:

  Hide contents

Ok I didn't know that Unshou Ishizuka who played Ernest Johnson (also Guld) passed away. So that is why Shō Hayami was brought in to play Max. It is safe to say Macross Elysion won't appear in this film so Macross Gigasion takes its place.

That explains also why Berger Stone was retired as his original seiyuu Keiji Fujiwara also passed away. Even if he had a replacement in Macross Delta.

Shoji Kawamori as a sign of respect don't do recast thus retires a character.

 

 

 

It's actually normal in Japanese works to not recast characters who's VAs pass away. Don't think Kawamori is doing anything unique.

Whether that is why certain characters mentioned in the spoiler are in the new movie at all is debatable in my mind though. I think they wanted them there regardless.

15 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

But no, I'm too tall, too white, and too from Detroit to be him... and too many people have met me at Super Dimension Con to think otherwise. 🤣  

As one of those who have met him, can confirm. He's just a really good translator and professional nerd like the best of us, lol.

27 minutes ago, JB0 said:

How different that might've gone if Sound Force had been active...

Actually, ignoring that the entire thing is non-canon, could that have also been an impetus for the military's funding of Sound Force? The desire for a weapon more effective against the zentradi than reaction warheads, and that can't readily be turned against other humans.

A weapon to surpass Metal Gear Variable Fighters!

44 minutes ago, kiriiin said:

I've got a few questions regarding SDFM and DYRL. This is my first venture down the Macross rabbit hole and in MW. The amount of discussion (20+years) horrifies me lol but i'd appreciate it if y'all can link some relevant threads and/or material so that i don't take too much of your time. Now for the questions: 

• I'm aware SDFM and DYRL lack continuity with each other, however, which established lore/history do the succeeding Macross installments follow? or do they follow both? since i've read that all of them are pretty self contained   
• In DYRL, i've noticed there isn't any mention of the Supervision Army. Are they out of the picture in DYRL's lore? If that's the case then where did SDF-1 come from? The only info about it was the text at the start of the movie implying(?) humans made it.
• In DYRL, Max chased Milia inside of the Meltradi ship but then they fold, the next appearance was at the final battle already with both fighting alongside each other. The hell happened there? Did Max's genius succesfully woo a whole fleet of giantesses into fighting with him? 
• How come the city inside SDF-1 always gets rebulit? I've lost count how many times it was destroyed and rebulit in SDFM lol. I assume supplies aren't infinite since it was shown they resupplied at the Mars base and at Earth
• I'm going to possibly ruffle a few feathers here with this but why is there so much, ehem, cockblocking in SDFM? Especially by Kaifun. How come they didn't kill him off instead of Kakizaki or Fokker?
• Lastly, what should i go for next? Delta got me into the franchise so that's done. Macross 7 continues Max & Milia's story so that's got me interested but rock ain't my thing. F has slick valkyries and is more around my generation (SEED & 00). But i'd like to hear y'all thoughts

EDIT: Seto beat me by a hair again! lol.. I thought I was gonna win this time too, heh.

In order:

• The answer is both, the canon is broad and Kawamori doesn't tend to worry about it. Big West does and in general the TV version of events is canon but a lot of the visuals and some events in DYRL (like the actual song DYRL) did happen. Often this is explained by DYRL being an in universe movie made c. 2030 and also that every entry in the franchise is more or less a dramatization of some unseen real history, thus explaining discrepancies.
• In DYRL the Supervision Army is replaced with the Meltrandi, aka female Zentradi. They are basically in a forever man vs woman war as that was easier to explain in a movie than an unseen 2nd power that is never seen in either version. The SDF-1 (or ASS-1 really) was a Meltrandi gunship in the movie.
• Maybe? He won over Milia at least. There is certainly a lot left to the viewer imagination there about how Max survived let alone became a giant that flew with them.
• The city was built before the transformation system was developed to fix the main gun power issue after the fold engine vanished, so it was later rebuilt to work with that. Other times it was more due to damage and attack and yeah realistically they likely wouldn't be able to fix it perfectly every time but it is a show I guess.
• Kakizaki and Roy's deaths were meant to be dramatic punches to the hearts of the viewers, and largely succeed in that. No one likes Kaifun.. his death wouldn't affect us the same way. Sure many may cheer but the show isn't about that. They want to use him for drama by making him a total ass people have to deal with.
• If you've seen Delta (and actually liked it, which congrats I suppose, heh), Frontier is the most similar... but way better. Frontier is also a bit more tonally similar to SDFM, which is why a lot of other people like it, lol. You wouldn't go wrong with that. Macross 7 has a lot of rich lore but it also has a lot of poor pacing, stock footage, the main character is really hard to like, and if you don't like the music as you imply... that's one of 7's biggest draws. It might be tough for you. I'd still recommend trying it one day, but as far as next go, I'd vote Frontier.

1 hour ago, last_raven said:

I ordered from LP and emailed them yesterday asking when they expected DHL to have the packages. I explained I understood Holiday closures etc as my sister lives in Yokohama and frequently has major delays in getting holiday packages out and they told me DHL should have the package within a week and that they had started getting orders mailed that day. If I remember correctly they Japan Post it to DHL so that's why we are seeing shipment info received and no updates as DHL only has the freight and customs details and not the parcel. I ordered from them many years ago when they were only an ebay seller and never had issues between like 2017 and 2020 on metal builds and DX. They get the benefit of the doubt from me right now but I am gonna stay on them because I've already PO'd the super parts from them and don't plan on getting burned. I am always too slow to make HLJ pre-order waves T_T

Thanks for the info, that explains a lot. Just gotta continue to be patient I guess. I have to go through this with Mirage as well lol. Ah well, I don't need to be the first to get these figures really.

My Luna Park order still seems to be through DHL as they told me a week ago when I asked but I haven't seen updates. Maybe they changed it and that's why the tracking is showing nothing new. That said I'm not particularly worried. Worst case is it arrives without me knowing exactly when.

1 hour ago, treatment said:

 

Not a fan of over-over-ricing any valk, but here you go...

from  https://bbs.toysdaily.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=467575&pid=8167150

 

 

 

I kinda want that Ghost just to display on its own, I think it looks cool, but yeah popping two on the 31 seems too much and I've already said I don't like the armor pack on the 31 at all. It's like the wrong lesson was learned from the Armored 25, IMO anyway.

4 minutes ago, Mac said:

Anyone receive a shipping notice from Luna Park yet?

I have but only because I asked them. They basically told me the holidays are delaying their processing to DHL and everything would be moving on January 4th, which is presumably when notices will nominally go out. DHL apparently is working and moving packages now (despite LP claiming both they and DHL are off for the holidays) but Luna Park clearly isn't as active now so it's safe to say you'll hear about movement in January.