Macross Δ (Delta) Mecha/Technology Thread - READ 1st POST

[Dash]

Which variants of the VF-31 does each Delta Squadron member pilot?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think it's like this:

VF-31S - Delta 1 - Arad

VF-31F - Delta 2 - Messer

VF-31E - Delta 3 - Chuck

VF-31C - Delta 4 - Mirage

VF-31J - Delta 5 - Hayate

[Zinjo]

All signs point to "official continuity" in both cases.

(Macross 30 in particular seems to have a very high visibility influence on Macross Delta, as the VF-31 Siegfried used by Delta Platoon is apparently a production version of the YF-30 Chronos developed by SMS Uroboros' Major Aisha Blanchett and named for the callsign of the pilot who used the YF-30 to foil the Havamal plot to use the ancient Protoculture bioweapon to alter history.)

Yes, it was. In fact, both had featured articles on the cover of various Macross Chronicle volumes. (VF-9 and VF-14 for Macross M3, YF-30 for Macross 30.)

If the Chronicle is including a time travel game as part of the official continuity, then it has truly "jumped the shark"....

[Beltane70]

Oh, the PCEngine games DID have some form of creative oversight? That surprises the heck out of me.

I played the heck out of 2036 in an emulator. It's a pretty sweet game.

I bought a Japanese PC Engine just so I could play that game!

[Seto Kaiba]

If the Chronicle is including a time travel game as part of the official continuity, then it has truly "jumped the shark"....

All I can tell you is that, with Macross Chronicle covering it and Macross Delta having a main character mecha that's explicitly a derivative of the one from the game, it does appear that Macross 30: Voices Across the Galaxy is part of the official continuity.

Considering the game's time "travel" aspect was the fault of technology the ancient Protoculture left laying around, I don't personally find it that off-putting. Fold space has always been a place where time and space play by different rules than the material universe, and it would honestly be surprising to me if the ancient Protoculture HADN'T messed around with time at some point along the way to becoming "sufficiently advanced" aliens. Particularly in light of the fact that what ended their civilization's golden age was their own technological screw-ups. Compared to some of the other stuff they've done in other Macross features which was less readily identifiable as technological in nature, I have relatively little problem with Macross 30's plot... especially since Macross and realism have always had a slightly strained relationship.

Based on all the overt references to Wagner's Ring Cycle apparently worked into Macross Delta, I would expect that more "sufficiently advanced" Protoculture technology is in the offing... as they apparently occupy the role of the gods in the Norse mythical references in Macross 30 and probably Macross Delta as well.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Seto Kaiba

[Zinjo]

All I can tell you is that, with Macross Chronicle covering it and Macross Delta having a main character mecha that's explicitly a derivative of the one from the game, it does appear that Macross 30: Voices Across the Galaxy is part of the official continuity.

Considering the game's time "travel" aspect was the fault of technology the ancient Protoculture left laying around, I don't personally find it that off-putting. Fold space has always been a place where time and space play by different rules than the material universe, and it would honestly be surprising to me if the ancient Protoculture HADN'T messed around with time at some point along the way to becoming "sufficiently advanced" aliens. Particularly in light of the fact that what ended their civilization's golden age was their own technological screw-ups. Compared to some of the other stuff they've done in other Macross features which was less readily identifiable as technological in nature, I have relatively little problem with Macross 30's plot... especially since Macross and realism have always had a slightly strained relationship.

Based on all the overt references to Wagner's Ring Cycle apparently worked into Macross Delta, I would expect that more "sufficiently advanced" Protoculture technology is in the offing... as they apparently occupy the role of the gods in the Norse mythical references in Macross 30 and probably Macross Delta as well.

I've always felt that mixing time travel into an established SF mythos is never a good idea. Temporal traveller stories have their own unique tropes and I have yet to see this mix done very well. It often leaves far more troublesome questions for the franchise by the end than they were ever worth in the first place. It is also ironic that a producer like Kawamori who is constantly extolling the idea of moving forward with the franchise to blatantly revisit the heroes of the past, whether by overt or covert involvement.

[Seto Kaiba]

I've always felt that mixing time travel into an established SF mythos is never a good idea. Temporal traveller stories have their own unique tropes and I have yet to see this mix done very well. It often leaves far more troublesome questions for the franchise by the end than they were ever worth in the first place. It is also ironic that a producer like Kawamori who is constantly extolling the idea of moving forward with the franchise to blatantly revisit the heroes of the past, whether by overt or covert involvement.

On a lot of fronts, I'd agree with you on that. It's always a problem when an established science fiction setting throws in a plot where it's revealed that you can time travel, often with precision, using technology that's almost ubiquitous. It always raises awkward questions like "What's stopping any nameless schmuck in that universe from time-travelling for fun, profit, or malicious intent?", "Why don't we just go back in time and make crisis Y un-happen like we did with crisis X?", and "We need time police now, don't we?". Star Trek was a repeat offender there, with a dozen different ways to use transporters and warp drives to travel in time prior to the invention of ships and transporters for that exact purpose.

I have less of a problem when the time travel is something that's either a fundamental part of the story (e.g. Doctor Who or Terminator), something which can happen by accident but in an unpredictable fashion and with horrific consequences (e.g. Warhammer 40,000, Five Star Stories), or something which can only work via lost technologies that can't be replicated and are usually lost again for good in the course of the story.

Macross 30 is in that last category, since SMS Uroboros destroys the Protoculture bio-weapon responsible for the timey-wimey ball and, in so doing, unravel it... sending the displaced people home. It doesn't seem to have had any real implications outside of the extremely isolated world of Uroboros.

[Heron]

Based on all the overt references to Wagner's Ring Cycle apparently worked into Macross Delta, I would expect that more "sufficiently advanced" Protoculture technology is in the offing... as they apparently occupy the role of the gods in the Norse mythical references in Macross 30 and probably Macross Delta as well.

Good looking out, Seto. I never even noticed the references. Much appreciated pointing this out.

[bgunit]

I've always felt that mixing time travel into an established SF mythos is never a good idea. Temporal traveller stories have their own unique tropes and I have yet to see this mix done very well. It often leaves far more troublesome questions for the franchise by the end than they were ever worth in the first place. It is also ironic that a producer like Kawamori who is constantly extolling the idea of moving forward with the franchise to blatantly revisit the heroes of the past, whether by overt or covert involvement.

since there's four series and one movie and there's 5 aerial knights,5 walkure girls and 5 delta pilots maybe one from each team can go to a story.

Edited February 24, 2016 by bgunit

[McFly!!]

I still love the Super-parts Klan, and I don't care how absurd it was.

I love Klan's super parts =)

[JB0]

I love Klan's super parts =)

I'm not entirely sure we're talking about the same thing.

[Raptor One]

Macross 30 is in that last category, since SMS Uroboros destroys the Protoculture bio-weapon responsible for the timey-wimey ball and, in so doing, unravel it... sending the displaced people home. It doesn't seem to have had any real implications outside of the extremely isolated world of Uroboros.

Hey Seto, I haven't finished Macross 30 yet, and even though I'm currently learning I don't think I'll know enough Japanese to follow all the details of the ending by the time I do, so I'll just ask here. Do the time-displaced heroes lose their memories of the Uroboros incident when they return to their own times?

[Zinjo]

I'm not entirely sure we're talking about the same thing.

My question as well...

[Seto Kaiba]

My question as well...

Honestly I'm fine with either interpretation.

Hey Seto, I haven't finished Macross 30 yet, and even though I'm currently learning I don't think I'll know enough Japanese to follow all the details of the ending by the time I do, so I'll just ask here. Do the time-displaced heroes lose their memories of the Uroboros incident when they return to their own times?

It's been a while since I played Macross 30, and the ending is a bit abrupt... but I don't believe they actually say one way or the other (in the game) that the time-displaced protagonists of previous Macross shows remember their trip to 2060. I would assume they do not, since that would otherwise cause a LOT of problems.

[ManhattanProject972]

I always felt that the events of Macross 30 actually did happen but not in the crazy way it happened in the game which could definitely exist as a game in universe. Aisha, Leon,and Mina were all probably there but the time traveling others probably weren't with the exception of an old wandering Basara who played an integral role in the final battle with Hamaval in powering up the YF-30 Chronos.

[McFly!!]

Honestly I'm fine with either interpretation.

It's been a while since I played Macross 30, and the ending is a bit abrupt... but I don't believe they actually say one way or the other (in the game) that the time-displaced protagonists of previous Macross shows remember their trip to 2060. I would assume they do not, since that would otherwise cause a LOT of problems.

Interpret away! XD

I always felt that the events of Macross 30 actually did happen but not in the crazy way it happened in the game which could definitely exist as a game in universe. Aisha, Leon,and Mina were all probably there but the time traveling others probably weren't with the exception of an old wandering Basara who played an integral role in the final battle with Hamaval in powering up the YF-30 Chronos.

I wonder if mr.k himself has the real continuum straight in his head

[Zinjo]

I always felt that the events of Macross 30 actually did happen but not in the crazy way it happened in the game which could definitely exist as a game in universe. Aisha, Leon,and Mina were all probably there but the time traveling others probably weren't with the exception of an old wandering Basara who played an integral role in the final battle with Hamaval in powering up the YF-30 Chronos.

Having not played the game, I just now got the play on words by naming the YF-30 the Chronos...

[Seto Kaiba]

I wonder if mr.k himself has the real continuum straight in his head

If his public remarks are anything to go by, Mr. Kawamori's more of a "broad strokes continuity" kind of guy... but it would appear, via Macross Chronicle, that he and Big West at least agree on a rough continuity.

Having not played the game, I just now got the play on words by naming the YF-30 the Chronos...

Yep... god of time and all that, though it was originally built as a testbed for traversing fold faults and to explore the ruins on Uroboros.

[Zinjo]

If his public remarks are anything to go by, Mr. Kawamori's more of a "broad strokes continuity" kind of guy... but it would appear, via Macross Chronicle, that he and Big West at least agree on a rough continuity.

Yep... god of time and all that, though it was originally built as a testbed for traversing fold faults and to explore the ruins on Uroboros.

Initially, I thought it was a mis-spelling of Cronos the titan god, but this makes more sense...

[kajnrig]

I'm not entirely sure we're talking about the same thing.

I dunno, I agree with both of you.

[nel2012]

All Macross Delta mechas (official pics from the official site :-) ) No battroid or gerwalk SV-262 Draken YET

[Sandman]

Wish they made the cf 171 teal instead of white. That way we may have been lucky enough to get a re release of the DX without the crappy plastic quality.

[VF-15 Banshee]

I had this gem passed along by Tochiro, fresh from Newtype:

Looks like the other part of the VF-31's CWS is something else. :3 It seems to me that it's a beam gunpod

[Graham]

As I've postulated all along.

[David Hingtgen]

Am I nuts or does Delta 2 have way thicker/wider forearms than Delta 5? I don't think it's just the angle/lighting.

::edit:: OK, it's Delta 5 that's the weird one---it has skinny forearms, compared to all the other VF-31's.

[anime52k8]

yeah, I don't know what's up with that, but it has tiny little stick arms.

[seti88]

*dreams of an armored delta-01/vf-31A/VF-171 version somewhere in delta.....*

[azrael]

Am I nuts or does Delta 2 have way thicker/wider forearms than Delta 5? I don't think it's just the angle/lighting.

::edit:: OK, it's Delta 5 that's the weird one---it has skinny forearms, compared to all the other VF-31's.

I think the guy rendering the image was drunk or something. It's fixed in the GERWALK mode-rendering. Kawamori probably looked at Delta-05 and looked at the YF-30 toy and said, "I should fix that."

[Graham]

I really like the head on 03 and 02 looks awesome in Battroid.

[Mommar]

The CF SV-262 kinda looks like the Vic Viper from Gradius doesn't it?

[Mr March]

Nice to see these at last. Images are a little small so some of the details are hard to make out, but I love what I see thus far. I actually really like the Battroid mode picture of the VF-171 Nightmare Plus. It's nice to see an good unmodified a-stance of the Battroid. As for the VF-31, I like the head unit on that yellow EW variant.

All the other variants have thicker arms than the blue unit in Battroid mode; not just the forearms, but also the biceps and elbows. This is still early release artwork, so there may have been a lot of adjustments to the design as time went on.

[Scyla]

Compared with Frontier I can't spot a head turret that really blows me away. With Frontier the VF-25S and G had supreme turret sculpts. That said the VF-25F head turret looks much better fully revealed. Much less Gogo Dodo.I'm indifferent on the turret of Mirages Valkyrie. So the VF-31S is still my favorite.

[David Hingtgen]

I like the eyes/visor of Delta 2. Have since the preview episode. It's the neatest head design IMHO, but I know from posts here that some think it's the worst of them.

Delta 4's is kinda VF-1J/S-ish. Nothing really unique, but certainly not bad. Just looks like you'd expect a valk head to look like.

[cyde01]

a little disappointed that aside from delta 3 they all have the same weapon pack. was hoping for a little more variety, like a sniper pack or missle pack, or heavy beam cannon pack.

[azrael]

a little disappointed that aside from delta 3 they all have the same weapon pack. was hoping for a little more variety, like a sniper pack or missle pack, or heavy beam cannon pack.

Wait for it. They likely will not need it during the first few episodes.

[Zinjo]

I had this gem passed along by Tochiro, fresh from Newtype:

12832563_10153345233746296_9114313276259335340_n.jpg

Looks like the other part of the VF-31's CWS is something else. :3 It seems to me that it's a beam gunpod

Sure looks like one...