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Seto Kaiba

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  1. Seto Kaiba
    The PSP games aren't canon... so there's part of your problem right there. It's not the first time a Macross game accidentally identified reaction weapons as "nuclear" weapons, it happened in Macross VF-X2 as well. There's a definition of reaction weapons available on the Macross Compendium, and Macross Chronicle describes them as being pure fusion bombs that use charged particles to initiate the fusion reaction, thus eliminating the residual radioactive material left behind by conventional nuclear weapons... though some forms of reaction weaponry in later years (2040s+) also used antimatter warheads.
  2. Seto Kaiba
    Having thrust-vectoring main nozzles doesn't eliminate the need for verniers, since the nozzles can move only so far in any given direction... especially since most VFs only have two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles (they only move in one axis). All VFs have vernier thrusters scattered across the airframe for attitude control in space, and the vernier slit approach to attitude control appears to be something that's advantageous for space-optimized VFs, as it keeps cropping up on VFs that've been optimized for maximum performance in space. Master File's explanation of diverting exhaust would indicate that their advantage is partly maneuverability in space and partly a fuel savings, since they offer full-360 degree coverage and draw on engine exhaust rather than having a dedicated fuel supply or tapping the main engine tanks, leaving that much more fuel to run the reaction engines and extending its range in space. IIRC, that's the thrust reverser mentioned in the stats.
  3. Seto Kaiba
    Just imagine how much fun he must have had fulfilling his fatherly obligation of terrorizing their boyfriends... most dads can't use the threat of a standing army, unlimited access to heavily-armed giant robots, and a huge stockpile of thermonuclear weapons to make sure nobody tries anything funny with their daughters.
  4. Seto Kaiba
    Vernier slits... well, they're basically just a cluster of vernier thrusters arranged around the fighter's exhaust nozzles. It appears that they were a relatively late development in VF design, as they first appear (chronologically) on the VF-14 Vampire (either ver.) and then it appears to have been adopted by several other space-oriented VF designs (VF-17 Nightmare, VF-19F/S Excalibur, VF-5000G Star Mirage, VF-171 Nightmare Plus). Earlier designs wouldn't have them, and later designs meant for all-regime or atmospheric service (VF-11, VF-19A, VF-25) likely wouldn't use them either. The (non-canon) Variable Fighter Master File VF-19 Excalibur book describes them as diverting exhaust from the main exhaust nozzles to operate, eliminating the need for a separate fuel source for those verniers.
  5. Seto Kaiba
    Figured it was... To be honest, I couldn't tell ya. Audio dramas aren't really my thing, so I've never really bothered to go looking for a copy or a translation thereof. What little I know about the show is gleaned from print sources.
  6. Seto Kaiba
    Honestly, you kinda are... you did say that you don't consider being unable to read the book a valid excuse from fans who are asking/looking for scanalations. Only the most die-hard Macross fans would buy a book they can't even read just to to look at the pictures, and like as not Macross the First has changed a bit from the TV series it was based on. What I'm saying, and what you seem to have missed, is this attitude is counterproductive to the growth of the fandom and the franchise. If we didn't have the helpful fans translating Macross stuff for the fans who ordinarily wouldn't be able to read or understand it, we wouldn't have the fandom at all. The only choices you're positing here are buying it only to look at the pictures, which isn't going to sell many copies, or buying it and teaching yourself the language so you know what's going on. Tell me, which is more likely to cause Macross's owners to say "Gee, there's a big market out here we're missing out on, maybe we should try to exploit it instead"? The ten people who don't speak Japanese buying Macross the First just to look at the pretty pictures, or ten thousand people reading an unofficial scanalation of Macross the First in English and discussing it energetically on forums and chatrooms?
  7. Seto Kaiba
    Okay, since Talos is too nice to say it... I'll say it. You're not going to like what I say, but hey, that's your hard boo-hoo. Telling someone who's interested in Macross the First to go buy a copy and then go teach himself the Japanese language is beyond asinine. You know as well as I do that with Harmony Gold actively preventing Macross fans outside Japan from gaining access to Macross shows, there would be no way for the people who don't have the time, the money, or the ability to learn a second language to enjoy Macross at all. Were it not for fansubs, most of the people on this site would've never been able to see DYRL, FB2012, 7, Zero, or Frontier. Hell, even you've done fansubs before... 'cept what you're doing is infinitely worse (and far less legal) than what you're griping about since you're fansubbing one of the few shows that IS available outside Japan. Were it not for scans and fan translators, we wouldn't have resources like the Macross Compendium or the Macross Mecha Manual, which sketchley hotlinks rather a lot of images for his own site from, and most fans would never have seen or read a single page of Macross 7 Trash or Macross Dynamite 7: Mylene Beat... Macross's fandom outside Japan is built on the idea that the fans who can read and speak Japanese making the shows and manga and magazine articles accessible to the fans who can't. Without that, most of us wouldn't be here. Without that, this site almost certainly wouldn't exist. Would these people support the franchise and buy a copy if they had any legitimate way to get it in a language they can understand? You bet they would. Saying that you don't want to distribute scans or translations while a publication is in progress is one thing, and I can say that I support that to a certain extent... but when you start using it as an excuse to justify a condescending attitude, I think you've crossed a line. If someone asks you for scans, then just say "I'm sorry, but I don't do scans" and leave it at that.
  8. Seto Kaiba
    Generic would suffice... their titles are just Macross II: Lovers Again and then a volume number, five volumes in all. I haven't had a chance to go through them all, since I'm not that fast a translator and that's well over a thousand pages, so I can't speak to how far they go past the events of the OVA, but they definitely do go past it, so they kinda straddle the line between Official Setting and Expanded Universe.
  9. Seto Kaiba
    One other title comes to mind that we should consider... Kawamori's "VF-Experiment" stuff printed in Character Model magazine back in '02. I'd be inclined to classify them as "Other" even though they're Macross mechanical designs by Kawamori himself and have in-universe design histories, because Kawamori-sensei has said they're not part of the official Macross continuity for the time being. Let's not forget the Macross II novels, of which there are five... they're somewhere between official setting and expanded universe, since they retell the OVA and go beyond it as well.
  10. Seto Kaiba
    Personally, I would guess that he means Macross Generation, the radio show/audio drama from 1997. It's set on Macross-9, and events from it are mentioned in the timeline posted over on the Macross Compendium... possibly the Macross Frontier drama CDs as well, tho I've heard nothing about the canonicity of those either way. Incidentally, in terms of the "articles in:" part under Official Setting, you might want to include B-Club Magazine, Animage magazine, and possibly also the Monthly Bandai Making Journal, since all three were used to publish official setting materials (production art, concept art, creator interviews, stats, setting descriptions, continuity information, etc.) for Macross II: Lovers Again. You should probably also add the "Entertainment Bible" series under Official Setting publications too for much the same reason. The official manga adaptation of Macross II: Lovers Again could probably go under Official Setting, if that's where you're lumping Macross 7 Trash and Mylene Beat too.
  11. Seto Kaiba
    Dunno about that... at the very least, Macross Chronicle uses the SDF Macross series as the "correct" version of Space War 1 for continuity (timeline sheet) purposes, which is why I'd be inclined to place it in the "Official Setting" category.
  12. Seto Kaiba
    I'd agree with most of what's in here... though really, Tenjin's Valkyries books aren't narrative material, so I'd be disinclined to put them in with official setting materials like the shows, the canon games, the manga side stories, etc. that actually contain narratives or official material relevant to them (art books). Japanese sources appear to be treating Macross the Ride as canon, so I'd tentatively put that under official setting too. Canon titles from officially-recognized alternate universes (Macross II: Lovers Again and its prequels) belong under "Official Setting" as well. I'd put the manga retellings of certain portions of Macross in here... while the ones that don't mess with their parent title's setting and story go under Official Setting. So, I'd place Macross Dynamite 7: Mylene Beat here, and probably Macross the First as well. Stuff that's just blatant contradiction, like Macross VOXP, belongs with non-canon stuff like fan-fiction, kitbashes, etc. Japanese fans consistently list the Master File books and their unique variants as non-canon, and the books themselves explicitly rule themselves out of the Macross setting, and thus I'd lump them in with "other". I'd put novelizations under "Expanded Universe" with the caveat that they're quasi-recognized alternate universes of the shows and relevant only to themselves for the most part. Macross Hobby Handbook and such are clear instances of kitbashing, so I'd lump them with "other", same with Design Works (barring the noted exceptions in Chronicle), Macross 3D, and the Ace/Ultimate/Triangle games. I would also lump unofficial side stories and sequels (esp. those produced outside of Japan) like Macross II: the Micron Conspiracy and Macross II: the Role-Playing Game as "other" and non-canon, for the obvious reasons. Well, Kawamori once said something to the effect of neither DYRL nor the series was an 100% authentic representation of Space War 1, and that the differences depended on the format in which the story was told... Macross Chronicle used the TV series as the basis for its timeline, so I'd be biased towards that, but figure that Macross the First might enjoy the same "Schrodinger's canon" status as DYRL and the TV series.
  13. Seto Kaiba
    Okay, I like these books as much as the next guy... getting deep into the nitty-gritty of the history of all of these planes and how they've been used over the years goes a long way towards making them feel more real. All the same, if the books don't jive with the confirmed-for-canon information and the books themselves say they aren't even part of the official Macross setting, then there's no room for debate... the Master File books are not canon. Even the Japanese fan-sites and wikipedia entries acknowledge that, and keep info from the Master File books and Master File-exclusive variants separate from official Macross setting variants and information. Yes, we may think the books are awesomesauce (I sure as hell do), but we shouldn't confuse matters by trying to force the material in those books into the official setting where its own authors say it doesn't belong. Just because Kawamori-sensei agreed to let them put his name on it in the non-specific capacity of "supervisor" doesn't mean the book's contents are canon either. Almost as a rule, SF series tech manuals aren't. Just look at the Star Trek: the Next Generation tech manual... written by Mike Okuda and Rick Sternbach, and it's absolutely not canon. (Yes, late post was late) I'll jump into the VT-1/VE-1 thing in just a bit... I loaned my copy of Space Wing to a friend, and he hasn't returned it yet, so I'll go have a look at sketchley's translation of that section.
  14. Seto Kaiba
    2059: Memories says he's part-Zentradi, the novels make him out to be part-Zolan... it's still kinda unclear IIRC.
  15. Seto Kaiba
    Nah, I doubt they'd even try... Harmony Gold can't even make Robotech a competitive title in America, where its primary fan constituency is supposedly located, they wouldn't stand a chance in Japan. Especially not since the best they've shown they can do is a short movie with an awful script and animation that would've been sub-par over a decade ago.
  16. Seto Kaiba
    Dude... you'd have to be blind not to pick up on the complete lack of enthusiasm in that audience. 'course, you'd also have to be blind not to notice that, despite the caption, NOBODY in that meager audience is queuing up excitedly for Tommy's autograph either.
  17. Seto Kaiba
    Personally, what I love about that picture is how it's captioned "Fans line up for autographs..." when the photo in question not only doesn't show anyone in that mostly-empty room queuing up for Tommy's autograph, it also shows an audience completely bereft of interest or excitement about what that two-bit hack has to say. Looks to me like another wonderful guest appearance by Tommy where most of the audience is just hoping to hold a good seat for the panel that has that room after him. Probably still in hiding, because that's clearly a picture of Speed Racer... this picture, to be precise.
  18. Seto Kaiba
    ... and nobody in the galaxy cares.
  19. Seto Kaiba
    Ah, yes... and that would make answering this a job for me. 's a question that, unfortunately, doesn't have a precise answer. It's worth noting that the VF-1 Valkyrie has a somewhat different development history in Macross II's continuity than it does in the main timeline. The variant seen in the TV series with the rounder hands and traditional HUD simply never existed, and the DYRL version is the way it always was. There's also some interesting shenanigans regarding the existence of the VF-1D and a reason for why the VF-1J was the only one to equip armored packs that's since been parroted by Master File's VF-1 Vol.2. It's also worth noting that the VF-1 variants you saw art for from Macross 2036 aren't just variants of the VF-1, but rather a major upgrade/modernization of the VF-1 platform kinda like the main continuity's VF-1X. Depending on whether you want to count the VF-1R/VF-1改 in with the original VF-1 or count it as a separate craft, the answer to your question's different. By all accounts, the VF-1R/VF-1改 entered service in the 2030s, and then presumably remained in service (along with a similarly-enhanced version of the VF-4 Siren) until the 2060s and the introduction of the VF-XX Zentradi Valkyrie. Yes and no... there's a "VF History" piece in B-Club magazine (Vol.79) that serves as an overview of the M2 parallel world continuity, and there was an inaccurate timeline sheet printed for Macross II in Chronicle, but I'm not really aware of any one source that completely chronicles the events between DYRL and Macross II in much detail. As you probably guessed, I've translated it myself, but my plans to get my Macross II site finished were derailed slightly by my day job and the influx of the new material in Chronicle and a few other rare sources I've since turned up.
  20. Seto Kaiba
    Excellent question... we don't really have an answer.
  21. Seto Kaiba
    Essentially, what Mari-ja posted is an appeal for signatures/support for a fan petition to have a direct sequel to Macross 7 made. Mari-ja has posted this exactly thing several times before, and gets pretty much the same "Say what?" and "meh" reaction every time.
  22. Seto Kaiba
    Dunno... though if Milia's behavior in Macross 7 is anything to go by, she's probably already married off her other daughters and Mylene and Emilia slipped through the cracks. I'd be surprised if every member of Max and Milia's family's led the kind of exciting life that would throw them onto center stage in a Macross show. Maybe they just lead peaceful, giant robot-free lives on Earth or a colonized planet somewhere in the galaxy. On that note, their eldest daughter Komilia did get a starring role in one of the canon video games that belongs to the Macross II: Lovers Again parallel world continuity. She's the main (player) character in Macross 2036, and she also briefly appears in Macross: Eternal Love Song. Due to events playing out somewhat differently in DYRL, Komilia's date of birth in Macross II's timeline lands in 2019, making her 17 for her debut as a main character in Macross 2036. Here's her character design from the game (design by Haruhiko Mikimoto):
  23. Seto Kaiba
    This'll get merged into the newbie thread... but I'll have a go at it first. Uh... actually, the VF-4 does have a -S variant, it's just not an "elite" model. The main continuity's VF-4S was a Navy model, simplified for use as a dedicated atmospheric fighter and treated to prevent salt damage while it's operating as a carrier-based fighter. Now, on the other hand, Macross II's parallel world continuity has its own version of the VF-4 (the VF-4 Siren), and its own VF-4S. In that case, the VF-4S was a major upgrade from the VF-4, sporting an S-type head turret and optional gear including a massive beam rifle and honest-to-goodness funnels. As to why the main continuity's VF-4 Lightning III and the VF-11 Thunderbolt don't have a -S variant specialized as a command model, I don't think there's ever been an official reason. From a realistic standpoint, having such a "leader custom" is right out... it would create an extra burden on the maintenance teams, and it would make identifying officers easier for the enemy. If I had to guess, I'd say that it was probably for the sake of simplicity, since the VF-4 and VF-11 were both deployed to colony fleets, where having a bunch of different variants like that would likely be an unnecessary strain on the fleet's limited resources. You are, of course, right to assume that the VF-4 and VF-11 were mass-produced main VFs at one point or another, though the VF-4 shared that distinction with the VF-5000 for a time. Well... the Nightmare, Excalibur, and Messiah haven't really seen widespread deployment. The Nightmare was the special forces fighter of choice, and thus was only ever available in limited numbers anyway (718 built, IIRC). The brakes got put on the widespread adoption of the VF-19 for various reasons, and the VF-25's still in OPEVAL, so the -S variant might not make it through to the NUNS model... though at least in the VF-25S's case the -S variant offered some kind of advantage specific to its role as a command unit. All of the big, post-VF-1 mass production models to date in both of the Macross timelines have done without a "leader" variant... the Macross main continuity's VF-4, VF-11, and VF-171... and the M2 parallel world continuity's VF-4 and VF-2 families.
  24. Seto Kaiba
    Eh... to be honest, I doubt they seriously expect anyone outside of the Robotech fanbase to believe them when they talk about how popular and successful Robotech is. The only thing they'll accomplish by telling a thoroughly obvious lie like that is to reassure the die-hard fanatics in the Robotech fanbase who want to believe they aren't wasting their time on a franchise that shat itself and died in the late 80's. They'll cheerfully run off at the mouth about how popular and successful Robotech is if you give them the chance, but ask them to quantify the alleged success of the franchise and they clam right up. It's just part of their usual marketing strategy... being able to claim that their latest DVD re-release or toy was wildly successful sounds great on the convention tour, but only when it's bereft of context. Once you know the reason they can claim success is because the bar was set so low that it's a trip hazard in Satan's wine cellar, it loses a bit of its oomph as "proof" that Robotech still matters. Right now, Macross is wildly successful in Japan... and it enjoys a fairly sizable "underground" following as the result of Harmony Gold's attempts to keep it out of the states. Unfortunately, because the Macross fandom is forced to rely on fansubs, it's hard to get an accurate measure of precisely how big the fandom is. There is at least some indication that Macross probably has the bigger fandom in that Robotech isn't exactly regarded well in most mecha circles, and that Macross Frontier was one of the biggest torrent titles of '08-'09. If you go by online activity, then Macross is a worldwide thing, while the Robotech phenomenon is more-or-less confined to small-ish groups of fans in North and Central America.
  25. Seto Kaiba
    Hm... let's see: My Zune HD A Thousand Sons (by Graham McNeill) Prospero Burns (by Dan Abnett) Last month's issue of White Dwarf (Skaven battle report & Dark Eldar tactics) My girlfriend's copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows a battered old alarm clock
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