Seto Kaiba
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It was... at least, according to the mooks currently running the show. The goal, as it were, was to make the Robotech series accessible and attractive to the younger "anime hobbyist" demographic. Harmony Gold's staff talked it up like they were serious about trying to make Shadow Chronicles more than just a film "by the fans, for the fans", but in the final analysis it looks like their only real effort to appeal to that younger audience was redesigning all of the female cast to have the same stripperific body. (It's an especially weird choice, because Tommy's early anime-esque concept designs would almost certainly have gone over better with that target audience.) Saying that the Shadow Chronicles instigated the decline of the fanbase is probably giving it too much credit. The Robotech fanbase was already in the early stages of its terminal decline before they even announced the project as "Robotech 2004". What Shadow Chronicles - and the reaction of Robotech's "veteran" fanbase to it - accomplished was dramatically accelerating what was already the inevitable outcome. The craziest of the crazy among the Robotech fans had already made their presence known before it came out, but they used it as a platform to promote their own particular brands of stupid... mostly by latching onto the anti-Shadow Chronicles uproar and becoming vocal supporters of the moderators doing the banning with the aim of ingratiating themselves and becoming "insiders". (Heck, I don't think anyone who was on Robotech.com at the time will EVER forget the thread that started it all, the year before they announced the Shadow Chronicles project, "WHO CAN BE THE ROBOTECH MASTERS!")
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That's about the letter of it, yes... "Plagiarism" is the word you're looking for there, but really... moving things around wasn't Macek's idea. It was foisted on the project by necessity. To be precise, the necessity of appeasing Revell, who's beaten Harmony Gold to market with Macross toys and thus spoiled their plans to release a dub edition of Macross and support it with merchandise of their own. Well, obviously... they're holding out so they'll have the material handy to release another incrementally-more-complete product at the next milestone, and market it as something new and revolutionary. Betcha that the next soundtrack release, they conveniently rediscover the master tapes for all the tracks they had to have fans send them as mp3s this time around, and then throw in mp3s of another couple "missing" tracks that they haven't used yet. Harmony Gold and Robotech fans do... but, as I see it, that's the whole problem. Really, for a while now I've suspected that he never really thought that himself... it was just something Harmony Gold decided he should say because it'd serve their dual purposes of artificially inflating Robotech's perceived importance and diminish the fanbase's interest in the original shows.
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Hrm... in that case, we'd better hide the VF-4ST, VF-11C w/ Armored Pack, YF-27-5, and VF-27... Wasn't the creator rationale for the VF-171 something along the lines of the VF-19 looking too much like a main character mecha? Anyway... I'm not entirely thrilled with some of the retro aspects of the VF-25 either, but the logic behind the in-universe adoption of the VF-171 is at least halfway sensible, so it doesn't bother me overmuch. (It helps that I kind of like the VF-171 design, but then I have a history of being fond of the underdog designs, so make of that what you will. ) It might just be me overthinking it or something, but I don't really see the point in the multiple rear-facing head lasers. When some can't rotate theirs forward (the VF-19F) and others just don't use 'em anymore, why bother having more than the one fixed cannon you'd need for defense? I liked the "one variant fits all" approach the VF-11 and VF-2SS had, rather than having special and distinctive variants for junior and senior officers. (There's nothing terribly safe or practical about making it obvious you're the officer in charge when you're on the battlefield, it just makes you a bigger target.) So, as I mentioned before, I could see a couple different variants... but because the laser/beam gun on the head is a fixed mount, I can't really see a plethora of alternate head gun configurations. Well, it didn't get shortchanged that badly... I mean, it was in Macross 7's series, the Encore episodes, the Macross 7 "movie", Dynamite 7, the D7 manga, the VF-X games, and even Macross the Ride. It might not grab the spotlight a lot, but it's got a pretty robust list of appearances.
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An interesting thought... tho I can't imagine there would've been all that many variants of it, since the VF-22's primary focus was being as stealthy as humanly (robot-ly?) possible. IIRC, the VF-19 ended up with as many variants as it did because the initial mass production type (the VF-19A and -C) were all-regime versions that had some stability and control issues, while the second mass production type (the VF-19E?, -F, and -S) addressed that stability and control problem by simplifying the airframe design and changing the engine, while also optimizing it for use in space. There is a mention (in YF-24 material) of control issues under high g-force loads for the VF-22, so it's possible that there might've been a similar second production unit that addressed those problems. I admit, I can't really see the VF-22 with multiple head laser configurations like the VF-19's. Can't really see it with a radome either (the radome-equipped VF-19s in Master File looked goofy, IMO), and the RVF- designation seems to be something relatively recent in Macross Frontier's era (apart from a dubious variant in the VF-19 Master File). I could maybe see an -A/-B early type and -F/-S late type... not sure about a designated marksman version or a recon model. Considering what it's modeled on, maybe also a bomber type (e.g. the VB-171) along the lines of that "Jagdvogel" type in Model Graphix?
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I said almost exactly the same thing when my copy of Macross the Ride: Visual Book Vol.2 rolled in a few days ago. ('s anyone else vaguely reminded of an Ingram Patrol Labor when they look at the VF-19ACTIVE's head?)
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Well, it's been a while since I last re-watched Macross 7, but I vaguely recall the subject coming up in the Macross 7 Encore ep. "Which one do you love?". The one where Milia gets sick, and is convinced that she's dying, and goes a little crazy... and they conclude the episode by revealing that she's just got the space equivalent of the common cold. IIRC, at some point during that episode, Dr. Chiba says something about them not knowing how long a Zentradi's natural lifespan is. (Really, considering their usual occupation, I can't imagine "natural causes" is something that Zentradi die of very often. I know that the plot for "Blind Game" had Quamzin/Kamjin set things up by assigning a guy who due to be decommissioned to gunnery so he could justify hitting the Macross directly.) Supposedly, there are factory satellites devoted to cloning Zentradi soldiers out there... at least, according to Chronicle. She looks damn fine for a woman in her fifties, but that's not really a Zentradi thing... that's the aforementioned punny bit about "growing old is a state of mind for normal people, and he/she is a genius". I dunno if we can treat the movie/DYRLverse version of Boddole Zer as an example, since he was part of a huge freaking warship and was 120,000 cycles/years old.
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Why does the Valkyrie II have intakes? Put simply, because it was originally conceived, both in-universe and from a production standpoint, as an all-regime fighter along the same lines as the original VF-1 Valkyrie. The original concept art for the VF-2, called the "VF-XS Valkyrie II" on the couple of occasions when it was trotted out for magazine promo pieces, was a more traditional design that had some distinctly atmospheric touches like air brake panels in the dorsal hull/chest plate. It was also designed with a set of Super Parts laid out like the VF-1's, with two large dorsal booster pack/missile launcher combo packs, forearm missile packs, and leg tanks. Later on, the designers introduced the concept for the VF-2JA (which inherited the "VF-XS" designation) and finished the design for the VF-2SS as what we're familiar with today... making it a space optimized Valkyrie with a less traditional set of space equipment. Four intakes are reaction engines. Can't tell ya what the intake lookin' things are in the bottom of the chest tho. According to the "VF History" piece and creator interview in B-Club 79, the VF-2 was originally designed and produced to be an all-regime Valkyrie (J and S variants are mentioned). The base VF-2S was modified for use as a dedicated space fighter, which was introduced in 2081 as the VF-2SS. The J-type was used as the starting point for development of a dedicated atmospheric VF, which became the VF-2JA and was rolled out in 2086.
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Actually, a good translator's aim is to preserve the meaning and format of the original work while also rendering it in such a way that it flows as naturally as possible in the target language. Simply picking the first entry in the dictionary doesn't always do the original work justice. <_< *cough* I'm reminded of a statement about pots and kettles here... Yes, it'd be a logical enough assumption that the Vajra reclaim fold quartz from their dead, though since it's tipped as being the means by which the Vajra communicate in the series, it feels like a bit of an understatement to say that the Vajra need it to "fully participate" in their society. As far as what we were shown in the series, it was one of the large, red, adult Vajra types digging in an asteroid for a fist-size chunk of glowing pink stone. (The reference to social insects wasn't general, it was specific to their resource-gathering behavior... we both know full well the Vajra society isn't organized along those lines.) I've seen it defined as such, that's why I brought it up. 'cept in the series... y'know, that thing that all the written material is subordinate to. (Bilrer tells Alto the Vajra collect raw fold quartz from stars and other stellar material in Ep23 of the Macross Frontier series.)
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VF-0 or VF-1 (includes variants) which do you like better?
Seto Kaiba replied to leading edge's topic in Movies and TV Series
Hrm... you've got a point there. I suppose the aesthetic beef with I have with it is mostly the cockpit interior... the block 6 type cockpit, with a nearly seamless wrap-around monitor of the sort we don't really see until decades later. Outside, it's pretty primitive by comparison. I still think I prefer the VF-1 tho. Very probably, yes... and a large part of that would be the affection Robotech fans have for Roy, and the way Robotech tends to exaggerate him to a Chuck Norris-y extent. I'll admit, I was slightly disappointed that the F-203 didn't make it into Macross Zero, but it wasn't a deal-breaker for me. -
Yeah, yeah... and I did too. Right now, I don't have the luxury of being able to consult my binders, and have to make do with the cropped and partially cleaned-up scans that I made last year to use as art stock for future M3 updates. (It's a long story... circumstances beyond my control.) Anyhoo, the sheet in question is the Vajra world guide sheet. The one with the diagram of the Vajra life cycle on it. (Erm... telling you the publication, issue, and page number is pretty much the polar opposite of obfuscation. That's a proper citation format. There's really no need to get snippy, I'm just trying to reconcile my findings from Chronicle and the series with what you've found in a publication that isn't part of my collection. You usually bring good info to the table, and with M3 updates in the works, I just want to make sure we have the most accurate data we can get for the "Macrosspedia".)
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"Derivation" would fit with the description and definition I've found (in Chronicle #49, pg23, etc.) that describes fold quartz as a rare but naturally occurring substance, which is gathered by the combat types (in a manner similar to social insects like bees) and reconstituted/refined/purified by Queen-type Vajra. That the Vajra are processing a naturally occurring substance to make this stuff is indisputable, because the gathering of the material is shown directly in the series. The way it's described, the Vajra are taking the crude ore they mine (which is described as having "many impurities"), and deriving the high-purity fold quartz material from it by having the Vajra Queen biologically process the ore. Calling the process "refinement" fits the description perfectly, even if it isn't used in the definition directly. I suppose "purification" could fit too, but "refinement" seems more appropriate, since they're referring to the raw material as ore. (As a side note, every definition I've yet found for the term "fold carbon" lists it as being a low-purity form of fold quartz.)
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Which, in short, is exactly the opposite of the definition for the term that I'm looking at... what source are you using for the definition?
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C'mon, be realistic... has GAGraphic ever released a Master File book on schedule? Give it a bit, if it's coming out it'll be late.
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That's... pretty much what's been said, yes. The one exception being that it's "dead" stars, not "dying" stars. See the above, but really... we're saying the same thing, and have been for a while now. The Vajra obtain the raw material (the low-purity form of fold quartz called fold carbon) and [refine/form] it into the high-purity stuff we see in neat, orderly crystalline form.
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's kinda hard to mistake it for anything else, as it's a rough fist-sized (for a Vajra) lump of the same glowy pinkish color as the refined fold quartz that we see in crystalline form at sizes both microscopic and suitable for jewelry. Kind of a no-brainer, esp. when the dialogue over the scene is about how the Vajra obtain fold quartz. (All told, I'm not sure when exactly the term "fold carbon" first occurred, but I get the feeling it was after the series. I think we can chalk this up as "the difference between ice and frozen water", because the definitions I've found for "fold carbon" make it the term for low-purity fold quartz. So, really, we don't appear to be dealing with a mistranslation, just the description of a thing vs. the official term for it.
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Ah, yeah... that's not a "missing link" between the VF-19 and VF-25. It's just a SMS-issue VF-19 equipped with the same wing Super Packs used on the VF-25. The novelization called it the "VF-19ADVANCE". Beyond that, there's precious little on it, the official complete book kinda glosses over it, and Great Mechanics DX doesn't really go into much detail.
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Erm... well, I dunno about that. I mean, we've seen one form of life that does live in super dimension space, but it was an energy life form (that would come to be known as the Protodeviln). Other lifeforms from this universe, such as the galactic whales, are supposedly "super dimensional life forms", though they live in the normal universe rather than the higher dimension(s) of fold space and merely possess the natural ability to tap into the super dimension for travel (and presumably self-defense). frothymug rather beat me to the punch here, but it's mentioned (and at one point, shown) in the Macross Frontier television series. It's in one of the last couple episodes. I'll get you an episode number and time index in a future post, at present I have no access to my DVDs due to a slight (recurring) minor family emergency.
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VF-0 or VF-1 (includes variants) which do you like better?
Seto Kaiba replied to leading edge's topic in Movies and TV Series
Call me old-fashioned if you like (and I'll cheerfully cop to it if you do), but I prefer the VF-1. It's a classic. I'm especially fond of the DYRL versions of the A/J/S, and the enhanced versions of same ("Refined Valkyrie") from the Macross II prequel games. While it's a nice design, and it looks damn pretty in Macross Zero, the VF-0 never really did much for me aesthetically. I know that it's meant to test new tech for VFs, and that by 2008 it's testing tech for the VF-4, but in trying to be visually impressive it came out looking too advanced for its period. -
More A's... or at least, best guesses. Can't be too picky when the questions are this specific. Well, as we know from the Macross Frontier series, travelling by zero-time fold is FAST! Regular fold travel is no slouch in the speed department, but the fold quartz-dependent zero-time fold method is supposedly an order of magnatude faster. I would guess that there was a Vajra hive somewhere within a couple dozen or a couple hundred LY of Earth... possibly one where it could go unnoticed by virtue of a dead star (that the Vajra could mine unrefined fold quartz from) or no inhabitable planets so humans would have little-to-no reason to go there. I don't believe there's any official answer, but consider that a "best guess". Assuming that diagram in the first episode is anything like accurate, I'd estimate somewhere upwards of 25,000ly, possibly as much as 40,000ly. That animated chart of the emmigration fleets showed both Frontier and Galaxy near the galactic core, so they're tens of thousands of light years away easily (the Milky Way's diameter being estimated at ~100,000-120,000ly). (On reflection, Macross Frontier's love of arc number-dropping would make 25,000ly seem particularly appropriate, no?) Your guess is as good as mine... supposedly there's more than one planet building them now, so they've probably passed the thirty mark already. If they ever do ascribe some final limit to that class of ships, it'll probably involve some kind of arc number shenanigans. *shrugs* Dunno why anyone'd get snippy over these... they're perfectly reasonable questions, IMO. the sticky point is there's really no definitive answer to any of them (at the present time).
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No biggie. I think I may have sourced your thing about the Dragunov and the ISC tho. Could it have been in the Variable Fighter Master File: VF-25 Messiah book? IIRC, there's a section in there (however brief) on weaponizing the inertia store converter. (I feel your pain tho, I'm getting ready to go back to school for my PhD.)
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You said "dude" twice. Also, remember... I quite readily admitted that my "one isolated incident" evidence was not 100% reliable either. There isn't any double standard at work here, I treated both cases as "isolated incident, needs confirmation/corroboration". I'm trying to be fair to both sides of the issue as much as possible. According to Macross Chronicle, they're workin' on it... whether they've had any success or not, that's for the next Macross title to tell us.
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At some point in the very near future, I expect we'll see McKeever and co. trying to pass the annual PowerPoint presentation itself off as a new Robotech release... or is that already a thing? I've been out of touch with the crazy for so long... Well, if you really wanted to get technical about it... the Robotech fans DO have options. Kind of. In a sick, twisted, entirely unsound sort of way. It's something I've run into quite often during my time on Palladium's Robotech sub-forum. Y'see... what Tommy ultimately wants to do is refashion the Robotech story into what he thinks it should've been all along. This, he does because he believes his version of Robotech will be a huge success rather that meeting an unremarkable end the way Carl Macek's did, thus transferring the (wholly undeserved) "visionary creator" plaudits from Carl to him. The problem with this, other than that it could only happen in the Twilight Zone, is that he's trying to recreate the Robotech universe over the frequent objections of the few long-time fans keeping the franchise limping along. So he's stuck in this weird Schrodinger's Cat situation where he's simultaneously trying to pin down a narrowly-defined official continuity AND claim that everything that went before is still good to avoid hacking off the old-timers who don't like his sh*t. As a result, the more active Robotech old-timers tend to treat the universe as less of a coherent story and more of a big bucket of set pieces and disjointed plot fragments from which they can each weave their own Robotech story. Remember, we're talking about a fandom that's been lied to so often, and is so desperate to validate its faith in a dead property, that its constituent fans can no longer tell the difference between reality and the veil of fictions and elaborate moon logic they've woven around Robotech so they don't feel like they're wasting their time. If they stick with the pattern, once they fire Tommy for being an inept tit who can't make good on his promises... they'll hire an entirely new creative staff and start all over again with another reboot. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
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Glad someone got something outta this mess...
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Only in that one isolated case, really... and even then, the change in engine size isn't something that was really a function of the internalized micro-missile weapons. IINM, the VF-5000's engine isn't all that much smaller than a VF-1's, nor is it any better than the higher-tuned version of the FF-2001 in the VF-1S. As to the miniaturization of the engine tech, that's hard to say whether it's been done or not in the Macross II universe. If they'd given the thrust rating and/or energy output for the Valkyrie II's sub-engine systems (the two smaller, dorsally-mounted engines) then we could say something. It's been implied that their output is roughly comparable to that of a VF-1, but I have yet to find a source that either corroborates that lone implication or says it flat-out, so I'm unwilling to treat it as entirely reliable. Who was making that argument? Has that actually been established somewhere, about the Dragunov? If so, I'd dearly love to know where. Throw a writer a bone? Also, the ISC system doesn't, IIRC, actually dissipate the g-forces into super dimension space... it just temporarily displaces the g-forces beyond a certain safe level and returns them to the airframe in a controlled manner that won't turn the pilot into a tight bag full of chunky human soup like what happened to Guld.
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Well, yeah... that's true. I don't think anyone here has suggested otherwise. The chief advantage(s) of a railgun are that accelerating a kinetic round using electromagnetic force frees the weapon from the limitations imposed by conventional technologies like chemical or pneumatic propellant. With a railgun, you can accelerate a kinetic round to much greater velocities, the practical upshot of which is that (all other things being equal) you get longer effective ranges, greater stopping power, and tighter accuracy. As a side benefit, the materials requirement to produce ammunition are decreased, as you only need the actual projectile... not the projectile, a chemical propellant, a primer, and a cartridge case to hold it together, which is accompanied by a reduction in the weapon's mechanical complexity since it wouldn't need to extract and eject spent cartridge cases. The downsides to railgun tech (in the real world) are the sizable energy requirements needed to one-up chemical propellants (not an issue in this case) and the need for a suitably high strength material for the accelerator rails so they can stand up to repeated high-energy firings (also probably not an issue in this case). EDIT: There's also the question of greater recoil forces generated by those higher velocities, but the defense industry in Macross II seems to have that under control too. Sources for Macross II: Lovers Again don't describe the ammunition used in the ubiquitous railguns of the series, though the SSL-9B Dragunov rifle from Macross Frontier is described a using an ultra-hard metal-jacketed alloy bullet.