Mechwolf

Actually this has been talked about/planned since long before this show came along. The particulars of who was to write & produce it have been what has kept it from going forward for over a decade. When Bryan Singer was in charge of the new BSG, it was supposed to be more in line with the original. But when he left to do X-men, David Eick & Ronald Moore changed the premise. & you are right. It is like comparing apples to oranges, which to me begs the question, why take an orange & name it an apple? This show would have done the same in quality & popularity if it was named something else.

I agree. Lame. Babylon 5 Had the only great ending to a sci-fi show. Farscape would have if Bonnie Hammers of Sci-Fi Channel wasn't a dumb-ass. This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but still lame. Espicailly with the 2 new spinoffs coming. Whoopty-frelling-do. But I never really cared for any of the characters & I only watched the episodes that would probably have some big explosions. And if this show really "respected its roots", then it would have been about Humans fighting against the true Cylons. Not Terminator in space with battle droid regects & Matrix style story writing thrown in for bad measure. And this will never be considered in the same league as Blade Runner. That had characters that were likable despite their faults. Disclaimer: Mechwolf's opinions are the product of his own insanity which is usually in direct contrast to the insanity of other sci-fi fans. Case in point, he likes both Original Trilogy & Prequel Trilogy equally as well as The Clone Wars.

But you don't have a problem with them having different names? Look everyone, If you didn't like Episodes I, II or III why would you go and see this or even care too much about it. I like the Prequel Trilogy as much as I like the Original Trilogy. I liked the Micro series, which by the way did not have the "scroll" at its beginning either. And I like this as well. I'm looking forward to the regular series that follows this. I'm also looking forward to the Live-Action series as well. After the let-down that is the new BSG, SW is the only decent SF franchise to look forward to on the small screen. But then again, I don't look at the OT through rose colored glasses. I reccognize and enjoy all of SW as it really is. A science fantasy excuse to see really cool spaceships pound the crap out of each other & to see lightsabers clash. If you are expecting SW to be the epic to end all epics, you are in for some serious disappointment.

The chronological order is Contact Harvest Fall Of Reach The Flood First Strike Ghosts Of Onyx All are good books. I just finished Contact Harvest a few days ago. The story is about Sgt. Johnson's early career & the 1st encounter between the UNSC & the Covenant. First Strike is about how Master Chief, Sgt. Johnson & a few others escape the Covenant after Installation 04 is destroyed by the Master Chief. The Flood elaborates on why Sgt. Johnson was not absorbed by the Flood, & the Halo Graphic Novel shows how he escaped from them. The Halo Graphic Novel is also cool.

I seem to have the same problem. The shoulder verniers appear to be in the way, are they supposed to come off before putting on the shoulder packs?

I was thinking that the MG kit would be this... However, I noticed that on the box image for it on HLJ that it is LIMITED & it was released in March.

And that is why I'll wait until there is a clear winner (or the HD player for XBox 360 goes super cheap, which it won't), I'll just continue to buy standard DVD. Yes, both new formats are better, but I'm just old enough to remember the fiasco that is Beta Max. I also do not have a HDTV yet anyways.

At least now we know part of why Fox abandoned the HALO movie project.

HLJ does this sometimes with items that are released on Fridays. I am almost certain that everyone who has the YF-19 preordered with them has this message on their account. Basically, it means "We have the items in stock, but it is Friday so we can not start the shipping process until Monday." They probably do this to keep people from click on the "ship all items in stock & wait for the rest button" over the weekend. How many impatient people do you think would click that option on Saturday if they saw it listed as instock, but NOT in order processing? I'm willing bet a lot of people would.

Overall, I'm glad I have this on preorder with HLJ(with early-bird discount no less). I am dissapointed with the crooked gunpod in fighter mode. My VF-0S has the same problem. How soon can we expect a fix for this as it now seems that I'll have 2 VFs to correct? Would snipping whichever peg is off centered be the best solution?

I'll wait until Lucas releases the 1995 THX version on DVD. Or, find some one to transfer my VHS copies on to DVD. Until then, my 2004 DVD boxset is all I really need. And fundementally, I agree with the HSF Church. However, it really is smaller concern when compared to all the good added scenes & enhancements.

You do realize ILM is who did the SFX for ST VI, including the shock ring? In fact they have done the SFX for most of the Trek films.

Mr. Katsulas will be missed. He was a great character actor. Though I'm not a huge trek fan anymore, His Commander Tomalok was a cool advesary that should have had a more recurring role. Of course, no one will ever be able to replace him as G'Kar. Mr. Biggs died from an anuerism. He was only 45. I wished I had gone the A-kon convention that he & Jason Carter (Marcus Cole-B5) had attended. Shortly before he passed away both he & Bruce Boxleitner were in the "News Report" special on the new 'Dawn Of The Dead' DVD.

Wow. It's that the horribly disproportioned X-Wing. Yay. S-foils are too stubby, nose is too short & the engine nacelles are too small. Basically, someone just scaled up the old Kenner X-wing toy.

scanned from the SW Imperial Sourcebook by West End Games...

scanned from SW Insider Issue 81...

As a rather hardcore SW fan, I must say that alot of people put the original trilogy on a pedistal, & pick apart the new trilogy because it is the cool thing to do. I like all of the SW films for what they, sci-fi/space opera/action movies for the family. And no matter how bad you might think TPM is, it is still 10x better than all of the ST:TNG movies put together.

That Vader figure & the Jet Pack Clone are pretty slick. I just recieved the most recent SW Insider issue & the last page has a large number of the RotS figures pictured & listed. And there is some Clone Trooper goodness. The Imperial-class most likely won't be in RotS. In this time period, it should be the Victory-class & any other previously unseen capitol ships that have been designed for this film. Though I'm not sure if the Victory-class will have any screen time. However, it looks as though the Juggernaut Troop Carrier, a vehicle that only existed in the EU until now, will be in RotS as it is the cover picture of the soon to be released "Revenge Of The Sith Incredible Cross Sections" book. I'll try to scan the images when I get the chance. So, maybe we will get to see a Victory-class Star Destroyer in RotS?

I agree with you on that, but I think the fan base needs some time to forget about the last few incarnations so that when a new Trek series starts, it will be fresh in the viewers mind as well. Not adding on to an already near 20yr long run of consistently less interesting stories. I think that the viewers need a 10 to 15 year rest from it as well. If you are sick of eating cheap frozen pizzas for the last week, are you really going to eat a high quality right after? Or are you going to go on to a different dish & then come back when you can appreciate the qaulity pizza more?

I agree with Mr. March. JMS should work on projects that still have alot of potential, like Babylon 5 movies & spinoffs. Star Trek has had it's days in the sun. It is time it took a rest. Maybe in 10 to 15 years it can comeback fresh. But not right now.

It WAS the GE Hardiman my friend was refering to. I simply misunderstood what it was he was trying to say. I geuss my mind was playing tricks on itself...again

I know. But I had not seen it posted here before, nor this... www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/03_exo.shtml UC Berkeley researchers developing robotic exoskeleton that can enhance human strength and endurance By Sarah Yang, Media Relations | 03 March 2004 BERKELEY – The mere thought of hauling a 70-pound pack across miles of rugged terrain or up 50 flights of stairs is enough to evoke a grimace in even the burliest individuals. But breakthrough robotics research at the University of California, Berkeley, could soon bring welcome relief — a self-powered exoskeleton to effectively take the load off people’s backs. "We set out to create an exoskeleton that combines a human control system with robotic muscle," said Homayoon Kazerooni, professor of mechanical engineering and director of UC Berkeley’s Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory. "We’ve designed this system to be ergonomic, highly maneuverable and technically robust so the wearer can walk, squat, bend and swing from side to side without noticeable reductions in agility. The human pilot can also step over and under obstructions while carrying equipment and supplies." The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX), as it’s officially called, consists of mechanical metal leg braces that are connected rigidly to the user at the feet, and, in order to prevent abrasion, more compliantly elsewhere. The device includes a power unit and a backpack-like frame used to carry a large load. Such a machine could become an invaluable tool for anyone who needs to travel long distances by foot with a heavy load. The exoskeleton could eventually be used by army medics to carry injured soldiers off a battlefield, firefighters to haul their gear up dozens of flights of stairs to put out a high-rise blaze, or rescue workers to bring in food and first-aid supplies to areas where vehicles cannot enter. "The fundamental technology developed here can also be developed to help people with limited muscle ability to walk optimally," said Kazerooni. The researchers point out that the human pilot does not need a joystick, button or special keyboard to "drive" the device. Rather, the machine is designed so that the pilot becomes an integral part of the exoskeleton, thus requiring no special training to use it. In the UC Berkeley experiments, the human pilot moved about a room wearing the 100-pound exoskeleton and a 70-pound backpack while feeling as if he were lugging a mere 5 pounds. The project, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, began in earnest in 2000. Next week, from March 9 through 11, Kazerooni and his research team will showcase their project at the DARPA Technical Symposium in Anaheim, Calif. For the current model, the user steps into a pair of modified Army boots that are then attached to the exoskeleton. A pair of metal legs frames the outside of a person’s legs to facilitate ease of movement. The wearer then dons the exoskeleton’s vest that is attached to the backpack frame and engine. If the machine runs out of fuel, the exoskeleton legs can be easily removed so that the device converts to a large backpack. More than 40 sensors and hydraulic actuators form a local area network (LAN) for the exoskeleton and function much like a human nervous system. The sensors, including some that are embedded within the shoe pads, are constantly providing the central computer brain information so that it can adjust the load based upon what the human is doing. When it is turned on, the exoskeleton is constantly calculating what it needs to do to distribute the weight so little to no load is imposed on the wearer. "We are taking great pains to make this as practical and robust as possible for the wearer," said Kazerooni. "Several engineers around the world are working on motorized exoskeletons that can enhance human strength, but we’ve advanced our design to the point where a ‘pilot’ could strap on the external metal frame and walk in figure eights around a room. No one else has done that." One significant challenge for the researchers was to design a fuel-based power source and actuation system that would provide the energy needed for a long mission. The UC Berkeley researchers are using an engine that delivers hydraulic power for locomotion and electrical power for the computer. The engine provides the requisite energy needed to power the exoskeleton while affording the ease of refueling in the field. The current prototype allows a person to travel over flat terrain and slopes, but work on the exoskeleton is ongoing, with the focus turning to miniaturization of its components. The UC Berkeley engineers are also developing a quieter, more powerful engine, and a faster, more intelligent controller, that will enable the exoskeleton to carry loads up to 120 pounds within the next six months. In addition, the researchers are studying what it takes to enable pilots to run and jump with the exoskeleton legs. The engineers point out that while the exoskeleton does the heavy lifting, the human contributes to the balance. "The pilot is not ‘driving’ the exoskeleton," said Kazerooni. "Instead, the control algorithms in the computer are constantly calculating how to move the exoskeleton so that it moves in concert with the human." Appropriately enough, the first step in the project began with researchers analyzing the human step. They gathered information about how people walk and move — including the propulsive force and torque needed from the ankles and the shock absorbing power of the knees — so they could adapt the exoskeleton to a wide range of natural human movements. "Many scientists and engineers have been attempting to build a robotic strength enhancing device since the 1950s, and they’ve failed," said Kazerooni. "It is only through recent engineering breakthroughs that this dream is now becoming a reality." Also, John Deere (of all companies) used to have 2 concept Forestry vehicles that were 6 legged & had 2 "arms". Can't seem to find pix of those. I found info on the GE Hardiman... http://davidszondy.com/future/robot/hardiman.htm An arm wrestler's dream! The General Electric Hardiman was as close as science got to a cyborg during the '60s; and even then, it was a stretch, since it was worn by its operator rather than grafted onto his body. Hardiman was the first serious attempt to build a powered exoskeleton that could multiply the strength of the operator enough to allow him to lift 1500 lbs as if it was a packet of peanuts. General Electric had high hopes for Hardiman; envisioning it being used aboard aircraft carriers for bomb loading, underwater construction, in nuclear power plants, and in outer space, but by 1970 only one arm was actually made to work. It could lift 750 lbs and responded according to specs, but the thing weighed in at three quarters of a ton and any attempt to get its legs to work resulted in a fit of mechanical St. Vitus Dance. One arm does not an exoskelton make, so Hardiman faded off into development limbo. I'm thinking this is what my friend may have been confused about. I wonder if 20TH Century Fox thought about renting it, & Cameron came up with a better looking (& cheaper) prop? And totaly ripped off Harlan Ellison's story. Anyways, I think I figured out what is what on this OT issue.

Found this while trying to find info on the power loader... www.computercrowsnest.com/library/zones/2001/nz5800.php "US Military want Starship Troopers, but for real this time ! 01/02/2001. Source: Nest Contributor. Stephen Hunt Do you remember that scene from Aliens when Sigourney Weaver climbs into the power loader and takes on the Alien Queen, giving the acid-spitting nasty the kicking of her life? Hey, who get forget it? It was a seminal moment of cinematic science fiction. One crowd who have never forgotten it - apparently - are the egg heads over at DARPA, the USA's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Why? Because the is US military are now soliciting 'innovative research proposals' for EHPA - their Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation program. Exoskeletons have a long and noble tradition in science fiction. In the original Heinlein novel, Starship Troopers, the power-armoured soldiers were more than a match for the bio-engineered monstrosities of the book, amplifying human strength hundreds of time, and carrying nuclear-missile launching backpacks. This was of course, dumped for the more recent movie based on Heinlein's work … due to the SFX-time (and bucks) that would have been sucked up by the special effects wizards. Later works which extended this concept include Joe Haldeman's Forever War (and his more recent novel, Forever Peace), where the idea of power armour was given a gritty, violent post-Vietnam makeover. More recently, our screen have been invaded by anime while manga has proliferated across our comic-shops, many featuring power-armour augmented humans fighting each other, aliens, monster and even Godzilla (Appleseed is the best of breed of this genre, by the way, with its artist/creator being influenced by Syd 'Bladerunner' Mead's visuals). Anyway, not content with launching the 'Son of StarWars' missile shield, the US armed forces are now driving the military towards ever more sci-fi themed weapon system. According to the tender document on DARPA's web site: "The technological challenges that must be addressed are energy sources, power by generation, haptic interfaces, control algorithm development, as well as integration of actuation systems and all previously mentioned subsystems into a machine with an anthropomorphic architecture." For the less technical among you, a haptic interface would be you reaching out, and your powered armour following your actions (rather than you pushing a joystick to get the same effect). The goal of their project is to "develop devices and machines that will increase the speed, strength, and endurance of soldiers in combat environments." DARPA continues: "Inclusion of exoskeleton technology into land based operations will extend the mission payload and/or mission range of the soldier. Exoskeletons will also increase the lethality and survivability of ground troops for short range and special operations. The enhanced mobility and load carrying capability provided by the exoskeleton will allow soldiers to carry more ballistic protection and heavy weaponry." The base of what the US wants to achieve with their exo-armour project is: assist pack-loaded locomotion, prolong locomotive endurance increase locomotive speed augment human strength leap extraordinary heights and/or distances. We asked research leader Rebecca Marsh, based at the UK's Fort Halstead (the Brit version of DARPA) what she thought of the US's chances for developing an exo-armour prototype by their target date of 2005. "If it was anyone but the Americans, I'd write this off as science fiction . It's not at the same level of technical challenge as the original failed 'Star Wars' program, though." Marsh commented. "Most of the basic systems to produce something like this already exist.Getting them down to infantry deployment size and making them battlefield robust would be the real challenge. You might end up with something closer to the house-tall fighting mechs of games like Battletech, though, rather than the Aliens' power loader scale. I doubt if they can do it for the $50 million they've got to spend, though." Marsh went on about the current trends in weapons development. "This may be a bit of a PR smokescreen to cover some of the US's forward development plans for robot weapons, which are well advanced and currently far more realistic. Automated surveillance aircraft will be supplanted by attack craft this decade. "You will also see robot sentries along the lines of the ED machines in Robocop - although they will be tracked and wheeled, rather than walkers. In autopilot mode, they'll recognise friends and foes by transponder codes, and have telecontrol for remote human 'piloting' via satellite. "Our ability to sustain heavy battlefield casualties in the world of CNN & global news-hungry media has pushed modern nations into almost pacifist foreign policies. It's going to be much more acceptable to have your soldiers fighting a tele-war from the safety of the US, while machines do the dying in hotspots like Iraq." For more details of the US's sci-fi weapons, surf on over to www.darpa.mil"

I think you guys are misunderating the use for which it "alegedly" was being produced. It was supposed to be a more efficient forklift, not a combat unit. It wasn't neccessarily a "black/ops" or "top secret" project. Just one about finding a safer & easier way to handle disposable payloads. Maybe the Discovery Channel webpage I happened on was lying. My friend may have gotten mixed up about whether or not the 'Aliens' Power Loader was the same as the 'experimental' one. My friend said that they way he understood it, Cameron & company rented it for 2 or 3 days at about $200,000 per day. Used the real 1 for static shots and then 'faked' the Power Loader to get it to do the impressive movements from the film so as not to risk breaking a very expensive & unstable piece of equipment (& body parts). Of course I can't find this webpage anymore, or back any of this up & I know how this sounds. But I'm 90% certain that a Discovery Channel webpage flat out claimed that in the early to mid 1980's, the US Airforce was experimenting with humanoid forklifts atleast similar in design to the later conceived 'Aliens' Power Loader. Also I think it was only being tested at 1 base for it's trial run. Which makes sense. You don't want to outfit all the bases with an unproven product. I hope that this isn't just some sick delusion for which my mind is tricking itself with. And like I said, if it really did exist, the Airforce dropped it because it basically sucked. But, what do I know?