ewilen

The site is a real place in downtown Oakland--10th and Oak, in front of the Oakland Museum. Except that the multilevel structure is on a spot which is currently an empty lot.

Going a little outside of the parameters I set in the initial post...oh well. Here we have an architectural model my wife just did for her class. Scale is 1" = 16', which works out to 1/192. The cars and people are model train accessories--respectively Z scale (1/220) and N scale (1/160). Gerwalk is a K&M gashapon; other mecha are from Bandai mission 2 & 3 gashapon. All are roughly to scale with the buildings, i.e., about 1/200.

Since the GBP can be ejected at will, it adds flexibility to a Valkyrie without taking anything away (other than the cost of the GBP). The Japanese PS2 Macross game shows GBP-equipped Valks being used on the ground on Mars. Granted, the game may not be 100% canonical, and it doesn't allow the GBP armor to be ejected. Then again, it also doesn't allow ejecting Super/Strike armor (except in cut scenes), and the game is otherwise very accurate. For what it's worth, BC allows the GBP to be used on the ground in vs. mode (and you can eject it). Also, macross.anime.net refers to the GBP as "ground-combat protector weapon system". I'm sure there's more info in the various TIA books and Macross Perfect Memory, if someone can translate.

Assuming you have a .bin file, you need to create a .cue file. At least, I did. This thread has answers: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=2660

Night of the Living Thread...or something like that... Anyway, I just had an opportunity to play around with one of the Micro-Xtreme tanks, and my overall impression is that it's got a few nice features but it's not worth the $25-$30+ it will set you back. The real deal-breaker is that the tank itself uses button cells, instead of having a rechargeable power pack or potentially rechargeable AAA batteries. Aside from that...plastic on the tank and remote feels kind of cheap, tank throws its tread too easily (although in a way, that's a nice touch of realism--but come on, it ought to be able to run on a carpet without throwing the tread), and some elements of operation are a bit quirky. Positives include lively movement, rotating turret, main gun recoil (unlike the RS Tiger, it recoils "properly" relative to where the gun is pointed), main gun and machine gun sound effects (but they come from the remote, not the tank), and an interesting "program" mode where you can enter a sequence of commands and then have the tank carry them out. I didn't get to test any combat mode except for one where you try to hit the tank with the remote. The manual states that there's both a regular combat mode and an "auto" mode where tanks fight each other--I think that in the latter case, the tanks basically just move around randomly and shoot occasionally. I also really admire the fact that the Sherman has actual moving bogeys in the track/suspension system. Nevertheless, the negatives make me unwilling to spend what it would take to test how much fun it would be to play out a real battle. But now I've found that a company named "Sunrich" has a line called "vs tank" or something like that. Similar size and styling, but less expensive per tank (prices are around $20 each, and there are box sets with 2 or more), plus you can have up to four tanks at a time instead of three. However, no revolving turrets, and some reviews (mostly French and German) suggest that they move a little too fast and can be difficult to to control. I might give them a try--but maybe in a year or so the Chinese mfrs. and their Western distributers will have ironed out a few more of the kinks. Anyway, here's a particularly comprehensive rundown (in German) of micro RC tanks: http://tequilaa.bit-charg.de/html/basis.html

I like it. If you do another, maybe you could have Monkey Valk hanging by his tail.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but BT Meister is 1/24 scale, isn't it? So that's a Photochop...pretty good at first glance, I must say.

http://macross.anime.net/mecha/united_nati.../vf0/index.html Answer at the bottom of the page.

Another. Some more visible at http://www.modelhangar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325 Thanks again, nucleartiger!

Checked out the TF/Go-bots at TRU today...had to look around because they were in the "little kids" section as distinct from the mecha/anime toys section. There were four varieties there, two which had chrome schemes and two which had fists that shoot. All seem to have some sort of noisemaking ability when you press a button but it wasn't very loud over the background noise of the store. All were $15. I almost got one for my nephew but since he's only 6 mos., I decided I could wait and see if TRU has a sale.

Courtesy of nucleartiger, 1/48 Armour Jolly Rogers F-14 with 1/48 Yamato VF-1s.

http://www.opusgames.com/dl_resume.html

BTW, how often do combiner stories NOT follow the pattern of 1. Mess around while the enemy plans a big attack. 2. Enemy attacks and individual vehicles launch to fight. 3. But the enemy's too strong... 4. So let's combine... 5. And use the combiner's special attack. 6. So the enemy's beaten... 7. ...for now. 8. End of episode. I'd rather have there be episodes where the combined form can't handle the threat and the team has to split up to do the job. Most of my combiner experience is from vehicle Voltron (Dairugger) and Lion Voltron (Golion) with a tiny bit of Power Rangers thrown in...

I guess my tastes are pretty far from the mainstream when it comes to combiners...not surprising since I dislike most of them...but I just remembered asking about this one recently because I thought it was pretty nifty: (Apparently some sort of Megazord, which means the series it comes from is probably atrocious.)

Boy, do you have your work cut out for you.

There's info on it in the models section of Macross World.

That may be what went on in the creative process, but all four variants are considered official in the Macross universe. Without going back into this old thread, I'll just recommend reading the various descriptions at http://macross.anime.net/mecha/united_nati.../vf1/index.html The roles of the two are similar but not identical; my personal opinion is that the existence of both variants can be reconciled by assuming the VEFR was the type used during Space War One, but that it was superseded by the VE-1 by the time DYRL was filmed. The idea that the VE-1 was only suitable for exo-atmospheric use also seems okay, but it strikes me as a bit more speculative.

Nice picture! I'd like to link it in another thread that shows Macross stuff with other stuff in-scale, if you don't mind.

I saw one episode of Megas XLR. It was okay, especially if you're desperate for something like The Tick, but it lacked inspiration and felt very write-by-numbers. It will certainly be interesting to see how they go about including characters from The Macross Saga. Will Breetai be Sentinels-ized?

For the most part, yes. Which is why I nominate the combining mecha in Project A-ko 2. Wish I could remember what it was called. Also, while vehicle Voltron himself (Dairugger XV I think is the original name) was pretty lame, the overall story wasn't bad.

Have you asked the maker/seller of the chip? Otherwise, I'd check out afterdawn.com forums, or some other place that discusses modding. I'm sure the question's been asked before somewhere.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/sept2003/0903grinder.asp It was left to fixed-wing aircraft to complete the destruction of the Republican Guard. I wonder how long it took to get them back in operational condition. Compare survivability of the A-10 (or even Hornet or Falcon). The Apache was a joke in Kosovo--sent to the area, but never used in combat, probably due to fears of losses. Nevertheless, several were lost in various ways. (A satirical look: [edit: satirical look removed because it's not as funny as it seemed at first glance] ) The Constitution, sitting in Boston harbor, is the best square-rigged frigate in the world. I wouldn't depend on it to defend the seas in this day and age. It doesn't matter how the AH-64 compares to other helicopters. What matters is how it performs its mission. For the job it's supposed to do, it is eclipsed (largely if not entirely) by other weapons systems.

If you're talking about the same incident I am, they weren't insurgents--it was the Iraqi army sitting in front of Baghdad. I don't have details of the defensive tactics used, but I consider it strange that a group of Apaches sent in to wipe out a large formation would be surprised at being shot at.

Nathan, Yes, M7 and M0 items are available in the US. Why? Because they are imported. HG contends that this is technically illegal, and although they haven't won a court case over it, they also haven't lost a case. Meanwhile, no one has sold M7 or M0 products licensed for US distribution. A new Macross--whether completely new or a remake of the original series--might affect the situation by changing the stakes. If that's what you're talking about, fine. But your original comments seemed to imply that reanimating SDF Macross would have some sort of legal significance. It won't. BW has already created M+/M7/M0, which are far more distinct from SDF Macross than a reanimation would be, so any legal issues which might be addressed by a reanimation are already implicated in the case of those works. As for the rest of your ideas, you are welcome to lobby for having the Macross universe illustrated in minute detail, but I doubt you'll find that anyone, aside from a splinter group of RPGers within the hardcore Macross fans, is interested in such a thing.

Sounds like somebody trying desperately to find some justification for using AH-64s. We had air supremacy in GWII, and the Apaches still got shot up. Yes, if the Army doesn't get to fly their own A-10s and/or isn't satisfied with the Air Force's handling of the close support and interdiction missions, the Army should invest heavily in UCAVs. http://www.army-technology.com/projects/taifun/