Jump to content

sketchley

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    7404

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by sketchley

  1. sketchley
    Writing's not easy. There's the J.K. Rawlings approach of writing the last chapter first, and then mapping things out to the start of the story. Or there's the Steven King approach of setting events in motion and letting the writing dictate where the story ends up. Speaking of King, have you read any of his advice on writing? The one that's on my mind the most right now is: the second draft is the first draft -10%. As for kicking up the writing mojo, try Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling: https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/07/pixars-22-rules-of-storytelling/ For fun, see how many movies come to mind for each 'rule'.
  2. sketchley
    This is in no way official, but someone once created the following estimates for a captured Factory Satellite (while it can be considered to be in top condition, it *may* be also producing at a slower rate due to all the health & safety requirements that humans tend to add to workplaces). Small Starship (E.g. Bolognese Stealth Frigate) 2 months 3,000 per year Large Starship (E.g. Uraga Escort Carrier) 6 months 1000 per year Transformable Starship (E.g. New Macross Battle Carrier) 12 months 500 per year Emigrant Vessel (E.g. New Macross City Ship) 24 months 100 per year Again, it's not official, but it gives a ballpark idea of the production time for a single ship (not just producing the shell, but also all the outfitting), as well as the mind-boggling quantity a single satellite can pump out.
  3. sketchley
    In Japan, there are quite a few people who use 0.3 mm mechanical pencils for panel lining. Maybe a similar sized art pen might work? If you don't have either, what about trying with a regular (0.5 mm) mechanical pencil? Worse comes to worse, you can erase it.
  4. sketchley
    That's correct, but only for Tokyo (24 hours ago. Tonight it's 11,562). 24 hours ago, Japan saw 65,671 new cases* (tonight it's 72,165**). https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/topics/covid19/ * https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20220225-OYT1T50247/ ** https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20220226-OYT1T50162/
  5. sketchley
    as of 02/22 (c/o 読売新聞): 80.2% 1 dose 79.0% 2 doses 14.4% 3 doses
  6. sketchley
    Going by John Hopkin's coronavirus map: in the last 28 days, Japan has moved up to #9 worst, and Canada has improved to #43. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html Another way to visualize it (c/o BBC news):
  7. sketchley
    Erm... I see a lot of conflation going on in your post. Totalitarian is fundamentally different from communism. Communism is distinctly different from Fascism as well, and it's quite shocking to see them being treated as one and the same. In short, there's a reason why communism survived WWII, and Fascism did not—which may have something to do with the former being a political economy, and the latter being a system of government. As for Capitalism vs Communism... some have said that Capitalism is electoral freedom, but job slavery. Communism is the polar opposite: job freedom, electoral slavery. There are advantages and disadvantages to each system. I could very well make the case that a job-slavery capitalist society forces citizens (= workers) to give up their individual identity in order to keep their jobs. As for greed... that's the main reason why communist, guided-democracies, and capitalist systems get so much bad press. It's not Adam Smith's or Karl Marx's fault that greedy people misuse and abuse their ideas for their own personal gain.
  8. sketchley
    Something like this, right?
  9. sketchley
    Agreed. Either there's magic involved or those "horns" aren't actually horns, but something like giant dry mushrooms. I like that they're attempting to further embellish the Rings' world and that they're attempting to do it with practical effects, but after seeing that one picture... I can't say I like the artistic direction that they're taking.
  10. sketchley
    ? We weren't talking about any other articles. We were only talking about that page.
  11. sketchley
    It's not indicated (or annotated) anywhere on the link provided* for the Macross Mecha Manual that the source(s) are anything but Macross Chronicle, you know. * originally posted by Marvf1 in this topic: https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/45063-super-macross-mecha-fun-time-discussion-thread/?do=findComment&comment=1612051
  12. sketchley
    Thanks for clarifying where those numbers come from. As suspected, it's another example of confusion caused by poor writing, and why it's always good form to note one's source(s).
  13. sketchley
    To stave off confusion, I'm going to refer to Macross Chronicle by publisher: We've (original), and Deagostini (revised). VF-19F We've: 78,500 kg (max instantaneous thrust in space) x2 Deagostini: 78,500 kg (max instantaneous thrust in space) x2 VF-19S We've: 68,950 kg x2 Deagostini: 68,950 kg x2 We've: #27 Pg 02, #41 Pg 06; Deagostini: #D27 Pg 02, #D39 Pg 06 Going back to Mr. March's site here http://www.macross2.net/m3/macrosstechman/tech-vf19engines.html , the numbers don't match for neither the "OLD" VF-19F and VF-19S, nor the "NEW" VF-19F (only the "NEW" VF-19S matches). So, while you can argue that I was misreading the numbers on the Macross Compendium vs. both versions of Macross Chronicle (which I wasn't comparing), I was not misreading the numbers on Macross Compendium vs. Macross Mecha Manual's misleading information on the two versions of Macross Chronicle ("OLD" and "NEW"—the link is in the preceding paragraph).
  14. sketchley
    ? You'll have to explain that. The old Macross Compendium states: "Two 72500 kg [x g] class (maximum output in outer space) Shinnakasu Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2500F thermonuclear turbine engines in VF-19F. Two 78950 [68500] kg [x g] class (maximum output in outer space) Shinsei Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2550J in VF-19S."* As indicated in Mr. March's opinion piece, Macross Chronicle (revised edition?) went with the lower number for the VF-19S when Macross Chronicle (original?) used the higher number. Both versions use information that was available on the Macross Compendium years (a decade?) earlier. I don't see a change. * https://macross.anime.net/mecha/united_nations/variable/vf19/index.html I feel like I've been here done this, as I've had a similar discussion about this on a Macross RPG forum around 15–20 years ago... long before Macross Chronicle was published. The only conclusion we had was that Macross Compendium was badly phrased, and the 2 numbers given for the VF-19S are for space and atmospheric use. Ergo: engines more efficient in one regime, and less efficient in the other. As an aside: Mr. March mentions the top speed. However, that Mach 5 barrier has long been established as a materials-heat resistance barrier (due to friction at high speeds), and not entirely related to an engine's max output.
  15. sketchley
    I can't comment on the Macross Mecha Manual or the opinion in their technical articles. Nevertheless, the nice thing about the Macross Compendium, is that the old (pre-Wiki) version is still available: https://macross.anime.net/mecha/united_nations/variable/vf19/index.html That page has the same engine output numbers, and was apparently last updated "2006 October 17". What the original source is for the Macross 7 VF-19 Valkyries' engine data is, I can't say. The site gives a "partial list" of references here: https://macross.anime.net/endnotes/index.html , however among the books I have that are on that list, it's not in any of them—and that's all the M7/M+ books! Perhaps it was from one of the model kits released around the time M7 was being broadcast? The only thing that's clear is that the publishers of Macross Chronicle didn't change what had been previously published.
  16. sketchley
    Yes it would be fair to say that. Long story short: air intakes (the compressor stages) are less important in space, and the engines would take on more rocket-like aspects (larger fuel/gas inlets as they can't rely on an atmosphere for the gas that gets heated and shot out the rear end). There'd likely be a greater emphasis on cooling, as well. This is reflected in the engine output for the VF-19F and VF-19S. Even though they are "all-regime" fighters, the VF-19F is more optimized for space. And this is despite having essentially the exact same engines! I don't think it would have an impact on the choke (aka 'pinch') point just inside the nozzle. On the other hand, the angle that the nozzle opens would have to change to be optimize for atmospheric or space operations. However, as that's a standard feature in those nozzle (able to open wider or squeeze shut), there shouldn't be any drastic shape changes. That said, this is where the fantasy of Valkyries slams head first into reality. All the nozzles that we have seen are, frankly, extremely inefficient in space. Truly space optimized Valkyries ought to have bell-shaped nozzles like the ones on the back of the Space Shuttle. Long story short, have a look at the SpaceX Raptor engines on their Starship rocket. These are the exact same engines. The difference is one has a nozzle optimized for sea-level flight, the other nozzle is optimized for outer space. Note that the bell curve angle (especially around the top) greatly differs.
  17. sketchley
    I was looking through the Variable Fighter Master File books, and if they are considered a trusted source (they self describe themselves as not being part of the official setting), then there is a different mechanism being used inside the nozzle of the VF-25 and VF-31. Specifically: the thrust redirection plates (what "pinch" the flow to increase speed) are separate from the nozzle (foot) assembly itself. So, going back to Aurance's post with the side-diagrams, the Valkyries should be lumped into 2 categories: non-"pinched" nozzles (VF-1) "pinched" nozzles (VF-4, 11, 19, 25, 31) Of the latter, it appears there are 2 versions: foot assembly doubles as "pinching" mechanism (VF-11, 19 style) foot assembly and "pinching mechanism" are separate (VF-25, 31 style) It probably doesn't help that Kawamori-san designed the VF-25 as an homage to the VF-1. 🤷‍♂️
  18. sketchley
    We get what you're saying (refer to my comments on the F-22 above). Those side on images are also a bit misleading. Inside, the thrust vectoring vanes (foot assembly) open up, and it's really only where the vanes meet the fuselage (what becomes the ankle armour) is where it's at its narrowest. There's an excellent picture of that in the Variable Fighter Master File book in the VF-19, but it's not readily available on the net. Making do... these two should describe what I'm referring to (the VF-19 cutaway does a better job of showing it): http://www.macross2.net/m3/macross7/vf-19custom/vf-19custom-handandfoot.gif
  19. sketchley
    I'm not sure if a higher res version even exists! That animation in the original PS1 game AND the copy on the Macross 20th Anniversary DVD are marginally better, but not by much (I just checked my copy). UNiT (the production studio) was really using some low quality compression when they made it back in 1997 to fit on the PS1's CD-ROMs. Funny thing is the animations in VF-X2 are heads and shoulders higher in quality*, yet it was released only 2 years later in 1999 AND by the same production studio AND on the same CD-ROM format! 🤯 * where Digital Mission VF-X's is full of jaggies and compression artifacts, VF-X2's is pretty much analogue TV quality!
  20. sketchley
    I think there is one more thing that has to be addressed: what is the 'flight profile' of the toys/models/etc.? Are they at rest? (E.g. maximum constriction) Full afterburner? (E.g. least constriction) Obviously we can't get inside the head of the designer or the engineering team that forced compromises on the positioning of those parts of the toys/models/etc. in that configuration due to materials limitations. So my question is probably impossible to answer...
  21. sketchley
    It's for the same reason that real world jet fighters have exhaust vanes: they compress the outflow to get greater speed at lower throttle settings. The Macross era fighters you've mentioned were all designed when the F-22 Raptor was the big hot thing in aerospace news, thus a lot of those Valkyries emulate its thrust vectoring vanes. There is, of course, artistic licence—Macross's fictional Otech allows for more heat resistant materials, thus enabling even more narrowing in the exhaust vanes. However, some of what you're perceiving may just be the distortion caused from the 3/4 views that Kawamor-san tended to draw VFs at. Also keep in mind that the top and bottom of a VF's thrust vectoring (feet) have dissimilar shapes, and that may be skewing our perception of how narrow (or not) the exhaust port may actually be. As for turbulence... narrow, rectangular exhaust nozzles don't appear to negatively affect the F-22 in RL. If there are any downsides to the shape, they appear to be outweighed by all the benefits those types of nozzles provide.
  22. sketchley
    The writeup on the picture doesn't indicate whether it is stealthy or not. https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/33597-macross-translations-and-more/?do=findComment&comment=994397 Nevertheless, it could be, but my guess is that it would be through active stealth, not the passive stealth like is seen on the angular Northampton, etc.
  23. sketchley
    No problem. That reminds me, the Arugenikusu (Algenicus) Space Cruiser appears in the era your referring to: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/ShipsUG-Escort/AlgenicusCruiser.php As usual, stats and hard details for things that appear in the video games are elusive. The game instruction book that I lifted the images from basically says "the special forces cruiser that the Max and Mira team (Dancing Skull) boarded. The crew is small because it is for covert action." The game is set between 2014 and 2030, thus it is plausible that a handful of this class of ship accompanied the Megaroad-01 (having launched in 2012).
  24. sketchley
    Seto's got the (limited) technical info available covered. However, the 'why'... in short, it's the Macross series' "great blank (or white) era".* Stuff happened between SDFM and M+/M7, but Kawamori-san has avoided filling in the details so far. We've got some hints here and there (Isamu's deployment history in M+, the Macross M3 video game), but that's about all that we've got. * Great Mechanics coined that phrase. Even Japanese language mecha-fans are frustrated by the lack of detail for this period of time.
  25. sketchley
    My impression, from Kawamori's comments, is that the number "100" is something that's stuck in his head, but the context of it was less solidified. I can see only 100 of Buritai's 1,000 ship strong fleet surviving (they were fighting against millions of other ships). However, ALL 100 going with the Megaroad-01? That's a bit of a stretch, IMHO.
×
×
  • Create New...