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Seto Kaiba

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  1. Seto Kaiba
  2. Seto Kaiba
    Well, yes and no... there are hints in the various technical manuals like Sky Angels and Master File that the space-use propellant for a variable fighter's thermonuclear reaction turbine engines is plasma from the thermonuclear reactors and that it's used in what the Japanese writers would call a MPD arcjet engine. The loss to operation time is the result of them consuming the reactor's fuel at an exponentially greater rate to meet system-level demand for both flight propellant and power generation... hence the need for much more capacious external fuel tanks and more conventional rockets for extended space operations. (There is a mention in Master File of waste heat from the system being put to use warming the fuel to a usable temperature.) That, at least, has a fairly straightforward explanation... the thermonuclear reaction engines aren't controlling the fusion reaction with convention means like radiation beams or magnetic fields, but rather using some rather precise gravity control. The principles aren't dissimilar to a converging beam cannon or a thermonuclear reaction warhead, really. You could think of it as emulating the behavior of a star. Hydrogen is presumably the fuel of choice because it's suitable for fusion AND so common that you can get it virtually anywhere.
  3. Seto Kaiba
    Hydrogen slush is a tricky one, since its "slush" state is at the triple point... so all three phases can coexist at the same temperature and pressure. NASA's been playing with the idea of using hydrogen slush as a rocket fuel for about fifty years now. (I've got some papers on their process for producing the stuff in industrial quantities from the 60's.) Probably wouldn't do any harm to toss some heat into it, though I'd expect there are probably better coolants that could be used... the stuff's going to get awful warm in the fusion process anyway, before that heat is bled off in a substitute for a conventional turbine's burner stage or the plasma is bled off to become ion engine propellant for space flight.
  4. Seto Kaiba
    I'd assumed that what we were seeing was a fold wave that, amplified by the artifact, was strong enough to be visible to the naked eye (and received across an interstellar distance). There's a LOT of planets in the galaxy, and he's aiming with some incredible precision to affect specific people on a specific planet, and the artifact doesn't look like it's movable (or at least like it can move very much), so I'd guess the room probably had another purpose for those holes before it was taken over by Roid's little experiment. Yeah, that's the impression we've been given so far... though as the character is a preteen kid, he's probably voiced by a woman regardless.
  5. Seto Kaiba
    Looking into that, I'm actually seeing a higher bitrate in Ep4 than previous episodes... 2,800-3,300kbps for the first three, and over 3,700kbps for Ep4. Possibly just an artifact from the capture card that got encoded in HD?
  6. Seto Kaiba
    My gratitude goes out to you beautiful people who recommended the [Deadfish] release. It plays back over Samsung SmartView in crystal clarity, so we can watch on the BIG screen. The choreography really does need to be seen on a big screen to be properly appreciated.
  7. Seto Kaiba
    Potentially relevant... there are several specific mentions of heat sinks in connection with more recent Valkyrie designs (mostly the VF-25) in various sources, such as the VF-25 using its wings as heat sinks to rapidly dissipate heat after combat and the four armored heat sinks on the APS-25 Armored Pack. I'd assume that a starship would probably be converting more of that reaction heat into generator output, but on a VF it would appear that they do need some external heat exchange process besides the exhaust stream.
  8. Seto Kaiba
    I don't know if I'd call Isamu ruthless... he's a thrill-seeker, but that's about all. If we were to accept Macross 30's story as evidence, it seems a safe bet that Isamu in a YF-19/VF-19A wouldn't be a match for a capable enemy with a 5th Generation VF. (He upgraded to a YF-29 about 2/3 of the way through after getting spanked by a Guld and Brera co-op and losing an air race to the YF-30.) I've not seen anything that would lead me to suspect that the GU-17A wasn't head and shoulders above the GU-15 in firepower... being that a main part of the reason the YF-24 program was carried forward was that it was felt that existing fighters didn't have a level of combat performance capable of opposing the Vajra. (Great Mechanics DX 9) It's also said in Chronicle that the GU-17 is markedly larger than the previous models of gun pods, so assuming the materials stayed roughly comparable I would have a hard time buying that the greater recoil is down to the gun pod being lighter. In Macross R, when the SMS VF-19EF Caliburns were outfitted, the GU-17 was considered a not-insignificant upgrade from the standard issue GU-15 in Chelsea Scarlett's case. Eh... there's some evidence to suggest it helps close range combat as well. Look back to Plus and how effective the YF-21's active stealth was against the VF-11B's radar. Made the YF-21 invisible to radar at a range of only a few plane lengths. If we're talking a gunfight, that means the key advantages are maneuverability, defensive capability, and raw firepower... and that would tend to give the 5th Generation VFs a huge advantage by leading in all three categories considering they were designed to oppose enemies whose capabilities exceed the VF-19's in all respects. That greater agility, firepower, and armor is gonna pay big dividends up close. We already know the YF-24 Evolution prototype was capable of spanking a mixed unit of a dozen VF-19 and VF-22's with a capable pilot at the stick... that's kind of a ringing endorsement in its own right. Strictly speaking, the VF-19 and VF-25 also have different mission profiles... the VF-19 (and VF-22) were developed for an orbit-to-surface strikes against the leadership of various anti-government forces (as Millard puts it in Plus when he introduces Isamu to the Project Super Nova group), while the VF-25 was created as the next general-purpose all-regime fighter with performance sufficient to oppose the Vajra.
  9. Seto Kaiba
    Context is ever-vital in comparisons like those. Having fantastic maneuverability and acceleration is all to the good, but if you can't actually maintain control of the craft under those conditions then it really avails you nothing. The VF-171 Nightmare Plus is one we have to be extremely careful about comparisons with, because not only are there enhanced variants kicking around (VF-171EX) that rival VF-19 performance but there are also supposed to be loads of local variations in the specs on that aircraft. The VF-171's used by Colony Fleet X may not have the same performance as Planet Y's or Patrol Fleet Z's, and the fighter's long service lifespan and the upgrade potential that entails only muddies the waters further. We could potentially have differences every bit as severe as the VF-17A vs. VF-17D, or VF-19A vs. VF-19 Custom. It's an article of faith in Macross that a superior pilot can make up a LOT of the distance between two Valkyrie in performance terms, but if we're comparing we ought to assume two pilots of equal talent. Mind you, I'd probably bet on Alto on the basis of the 25's better armor, weapons, and active stealth system... he could probably tank quite a few more shots than Isamu could because of those differences. You mean the gun pod? That's not internal, but while we don't know its caliber we do know that the difference in firepower vs. the VF-25's GU-17A was so severe that VF-19's needed their arms reinforced to be able to fire it without damaging themselves (per Macross R). In terms of actual internal guns, the VF-25's got an edge there with a pair of ROV-25 beam machine guns vs. the VF-19's pair of REB-23 laser cannons. If we're only counting internally-mounted weapons that's one thing, but the VF-25's better active stealth system means it doesn't take a hit to its stealthiness carrying hung ordinance the way the VF-19 does (which was the reason for the internal bays). Your criteria for comparison are only realistic operating conditions for one of the two aircraft in question. Mind you, the VF-25 is only one of several 5th Generation VFs... and it's easily the most lightly armed of the lot because a lot of its firepower is tied up in FAST packs. Against the VF-27, YF-29, YF-30, or VF-31 it'd be a MUCH different story on internal weaponry only.
  10. Seto Kaiba
    Originally, the term "Advanced Variable Fighter" referred to the 4th Generation craft which incorporated a number of technological advances including (but not necessarily limited to): The ARIEL airframe control AI Thermonuclear reaction burst turbine engines 3rd Generation active stealth systems Pin-point barrier defense systems Native support for fold boosters Now, with 5th Generation designs on the table, the term should probably refer to any fighter which meets or exceeds those specs... as the new designs based on the YF-24 Evolution have generally surpassed the 4th Generation designs technologically and in raw performance. Yes, the 5th Generation VFs developed from the YF-24 Evolution specs (e.g. VF-25, VF-27) have already exceeded the specs of the YF/VF-19 and YF-21/VF-22 by a fairly significant margin. Thrust-to-weight ratios and overall engine output more than doubled from the 4th to 5th Generation, the new inertia store converter protects the pilots from the excessive g-force loads that could cause them to lose control of the aircraft (or worse), generator output increased to the point where they can operate energy conversion armor in fighter mode in part or in full, some areas of the airframe adopted the new enhanced energy conversion armor, etc. Yes, but that excessive maneuverability and acceleration is also their achilles heel, because it exceeds the tolerances of all but the best pilots... which is why the VF-19 and VF-22 got scrubbed and the more versatile VF-171 got the Next Main Fighter job. All that performance is worthless if you can't control it, and most pilots couldn't. Massively so... the VF-19 or VF-22 would not be able to keep pace with a 5th Gen VF because their pilots aren't insulated against the extreme g-forces, so their maneuverability and acceleration is comparatively handicapped vs. a fighter that already outclasses them in pretty much every way. WRT the VF-19 boasting superior firepower... where's that comin' from? Depending on whether you trust Master File or not, the VF-25 either has the same number of pylons or two additional ones, its gunpod is substantially more powerful (so much so that VF-19s need their arms reinforced to use it), and it has the name number of fixed-forward guns. They're on roughly the same level there... though the VF-25 may have a slight advantage in that it can keep all of its hung weapons while transforming, and its gun pod is a good deal more potent. I'd expect even a CF VF-25A to take a VF-19 to the cleaners in a serious fight, considering the YF-24 the VF-25 was based on was noted for having won handily in a 12-on-1 simulated dogfight vs. a mixed group of VF-19's and 22's. In most respects, the VF-17 is already a partial AVF upgrade in its -D and -S variants. It didn't get the ARIEL system or a pinpoint barrier, but it did end up inheriting the thermonuclear reaction burst turbine engine technology and fold booster compatibility. The VF-171 derived from it took it the rest of the way.
  11. Seto Kaiba
    That's ARMD-L, the "BASTER" L and R are the doodads on its back.
  12. Seto Kaiba
    ... I just had a thought. The Macross Elysion is the first Macross-type ship where we've seen the arms detach and operate independently of the main ship (even though it's alleged to be possible for the Macross Quarter-class). Is this the birth of the long-awaited Macross rocket punch?
  13. Seto Kaiba
    I'm curious about one thing that might be a sign of aging... Master Hermann seems to be far and away the oldest member of the Aerial Knights, and he looks like he's slowly turning to stone or drying up like snakeskin.
  14. Seto Kaiba
    Presumably for the same reason all of the fighter markings except the company logo are still written in English... for easy recognition (I'd assume the name is written somewhere on the outside of the ship as well). "Brainwashed" is used to describe it in Macross Chronicle... and on the Compendium's timeline. Mind you, the Protoculture are also said to have brainwashed the Zentradi to prevent them from creating things or engaging in other cultural behaviors on the very same sheet (Worldguide 10A).
  15. Seto Kaiba
    Safe bet it's not named for a goth metal band... Chaos has a demonstrated tendency toward Greek terms, to such an extent that its name is printed in Greek on its buildings and fighters (χάος), its flight platoons are identified by letters of the Greek alphabet, and its two named ships thus far both have Greek mythological references for names. They're using the proper Greek pronunciation in the name of Macross Elysion rather than the Latin-ized "Elysium". Unlikely, IMO... the Supervision Army were spiritia-drained and then brainwashed, what the Windermerians are doing seems to be more like using anima spiritia abilities in an inimical fashion. The Supervision Army itself was supposedly made up of Protoculture and Zentradi that'd been brainwashed. That'd be rather surprising... supposedly the average emigrant planet in the 2030's had a planetary defense fleet of over 70 ships and around 700 variable fighters of different types. A 3rd Generation or later fleet should have around twice that many warships in orbit and three times as many fighters... and that's not counting anything they would've built in the years (or decades) since initially landing on the planet. Ragna's human settlement seems to be pretty well-established, so I'd expect them to have at least maintained that standard level of defense (if not improved on it).
  16. Seto Kaiba
    Either that or Hayate or someone will convince him to pull the stick out of his arse. Messer: "Hey Mirage, do you have a knife I can borrow?" Probably just aesthetic... it's too far back for the pilot to actually see it, and it looks to be part of the wraparound monitor's display graphics.
  17. Seto Kaiba
    They might not mention it until it becomes relevant... they waited until episode 4 to mention the VF-31 has an inertia store converter. (Though, to Hayate, that was probably news. He wasn't a pilot beforehand, and neither of the Valkyries he flew prior to that point had one.) ... and so does the bottomless pit of speculation "what are they actually wearing?" open...
  18. Seto Kaiba
    Another option for it to generate larger barriers might be if it has a fold dimension resonance system to boost the output of its engines and other fold-based systems.
  19. Seto Kaiba
    Many VFs are actually quite light compared to modern aircraft, so they wouldn't need to be using as much thrust to stay aloft like that... but yeah, that raises the awkward question of just how high he is above the audience if his jet wash isn't knocking the crowd about. If he's at least a couple hundred yards away, then he ought to be fine and just generating a moderately heavy breeze. The thing I'd be more worried about is the heat. That exhaust is intake air heated by a fusion reaction and contains a fair bit of plasma from that heating and some bled off the reactor.
  20. Seto Kaiba
    They're surrounded by displays... maybe some kind of support AI? I've got a theory about that... Messer is easily the least sociable, most standoffish member of Delta Platoon and he seems to really resent Hayate. Maybe Var syndrome is more of a threat to people who are repressing a lot of anger? I wonder if that means the Sv-262 doesn't have an inertia store converter, and the Windermerians are tanking the g-forces on their own...
  21. Seto Kaiba
    I'd assume that Walkure is not the only Tactical Sound Unit that exists to fight Var syndrome... the military wouldn't let one unit be sufficient for a single fleet in the 2040's. Each Chaos branch office may maintain a Tactical Sound Unit, or it's possible the New UN Forces have their own, or other PMCs raised their own units. As Var syndrome is said to be a galaxy-wide problem in 2067, that'd imply that Heinz's range (with amplification) is effectively in the tens of thousands of light years. (Not without precedent, the Vajra were capable of intergalactic transmission.) Dunno... but their lifespans are so short we can at least be assured it wouldn't be a longwinded reign.
  22. Seto Kaiba
    Not just her music, IIRC... the Sharon Apple incident led to not just her music being temporarily legislated off the shelves, but the technology behind a fully responsive virtuoid being banned. IINM there was a virtuoid in Macross the Musiculture but it wasn't "alive". Not necessarily... that's the Old Norse for "Fire", and we seem to be doing a bit of a classical elements theme in Delta. We've already got the Humans (Earth?), Windermerians (Wind), Ragnans (Water), and now this other group who are presumably representing Fire.
  23. Seto Kaiba
  24. Seto Kaiba
    Ah, sitting down to watch this one right now...
  25. Seto Kaiba
    Yeah, that's the one I meant. Nope, I gave up on those ages ago... too many "blind idiot" translations. I just summarized for the sake of brevity. *nods* My view of that is more a note on the difference in pronunciation rules between Classical and Liturgical Latin, the latter being far more prevalent than the former in modern society because of its association with a modern religion (and media depictions thereof). Even though Christianity is a minority religion over in Japan, I'd expect Liturgical Latin to be the one they're more familiar with, thus necessitating the note. Literal, historical significance would've been my reason for picking "Gallia" over "Gaul" as a translation... but then, that's probably my bias speaking. A lot of the Roman settlements in Gallia/Gaul sprang up around the forts constructed to hold the territory, and that seems to be kind of the way Gallia/Gaul 4 was going before Grace blew it up, being that it was way out on the frontier.
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