Roboculture

I pretty much doubt it that anybody reads the blog. But I will post this up for... no apparent reason.

The Armored Soldier Valkyrion Blog is finally up, and you should find some interesting updates there pretty soon. The place is being managed by Adam, and you can learn more about his universe there. I think. It's pretty cool and I can't wait to work on it.

In some Robotech related news, there is none. Oh, you've probably seen this already...

Wheee! If only the film looked that exciting. I think the film captures 30% of the excitement
seen in this cool art piece. Good job Tommy!

And on the Robotech.com front, Treiz, proves that people who who liked TSC do not accept
the reasons that "it's shallow" or its "lacking" simply because its:

#1 - A Pilot episode.
(The most common defence for TSC)

#2 - It's Robotech, it can't be compared to anything like Mac Zero or Yukikaze or any other OVA

#3 - Outdated CG is irrelevant
(The most common point of contention for TSC)

#4 - People who accuse TSC of being not up to par with current generation anime are considered idiots,
and fail to provide any constructive criticism and MAGNIFY what little flaws TSC actually has.
Example - convoluted plot for newbs, outdated CG.
(The most common defense for TSC)

Whether you liked TSC, or absolutely hated it, go and back up either Triez or Zeke79. Until Steve
locks the thread. See how this debate goes. It's pretty interesting.

Considering so little actually remember this blogs exists, I am contemplating opening a new blog. One that doesn't necessarily deal with Robotech (Editor Notes: This turned out to be bullshit), but with Graphics Design and Idea Gathering. It will still be Robotech-centric for a few months (that is sort of true in retrospect -ed), but It'll eventually move to producing original content.

I admire Captain JLS and what other fans are doing, by branching off and producing their own original fiction, and this is the first step. Slow and steady. But why do it? Why make stuff based on Robotech until now?

Because first of all, I sunk too much work into my current Robotech project to actually back out (True, but that didn't work out so well, did it? -ed). Creative or not, that's how it is - and I given how much effort I have already placed, I want this to be the best damn Robotech site (that plan, no doubt has failed looking back it's never too late to put out one, is it? -ed)out on the net. How people would respond is a mystery which I'd rather not think about now.

You see, I have this crazy vision I want to see in Robotech. I feel like Carl Macek really. Insane ideas popping left and right. In other words, I love this Robotech thing so much, and this site shall be a tribute to its 1980's glory (the flaw of most fan-project making fans of Robotech -ed). I'll do this thing, and if you like it, you can support me (no one really did -ed).

I can't help it - I love blogging (You got that right -ed). And yet, I'm really, really retiring this blog (You are such a f**king liar -ed) and opening a new one in a while. This old blog won't be deleted of course, and will make some funny and disturbing reading for some. Yay!

Have a nice day! Viva La Robotech!
SEE YOU IN TWO YEARS! (Have two years past? -ed)

Robotech fan Sanman posted a fairly long comment, and I'm inclined to answer. Don't forget to read my other latest post on this allegedly dead blog!

To borrow the words of the infalliable Kevin McKeever, "What a great time it is to be a _______ fan!" Replace that blank with Starcraft, and you're half-way there. Read on what cool tidbits I saw on one particular Gamespot video.

(Ha! Me actually going to Blizzcon? Lend me the cash -ed)

Okay, its weird. I still get a fairly decent viewcount on this blog even though I don't really advertise it... Anyway!

It is 2007.

I am currently banished from Robotech.com. The boards are strictly being monitored by Steve Yun, the Harmony Gold Web Person for any sarcastic hanky panky. The man still harbors ill feelings of Tom Bateman's dismissal. To contact him would not be a good idea at this time.

No new products are in sight for the next few years except for overpriced toys. Everything is so focused on the Shadows franchise that the original show is literally being forgotten.

With that, people are wondering around the boards, with nothing in terms of a definitive source material for Robotech, how do you reconcile any of the new stuff being put out by the incorrigible Tommy Yune? Love the new Robotech or hate it (though Kevin McKeever wants us to believe its the best sci-fi franchise in the market now)

We look at the Robotech Megaverse RPG boards, with folks trying to do just that. How do you reconcile the continuity mess that is Shadow Chronicles to the original Robotech lore?

Here's Taalsim's take on how the Haydonites fit into the Bigger Picture:
I made the following posts bullet-type for easy reading

• The Haydonites are experts of energy and phased space technology (perhaps their 'Awareness' operates through warped space) Technology whose effects were threatened by some of the properties of the Flower of Life.

• The Tirolians appeared while the Haydonites were deciding on how to act to head off the emergance of a race whose adaptive biology might well threaten the Haydonite supremacy of space-warping technology, and the subsequent exploitation of Optera by the Tirolians gave the Hadonites their chance. (I couldn't really understand this -ed)
  

• Figuring the Robotech Masters would exploit only a portion of the potential of the FoL they stole, the Haydonites ingratiated themselves to the Tirolians, then snuck around behind their backs and bombed the snot out of the Invid, making it look like the Masters had done it. (A plot twist! That is some heavy ret-conning there -ed)

• Sure enough, the Invid, against Haydonite hopes but not against their expectations, survive, and the Regent declares war on the Masters for destroying his people. The Regis, initially in on the whole 'Tirolians wholly betrayed us' thing, later has her doubts, and that's part of what divides the two Invid Royals. (Another angle to the Sentinels Invid feud)

• The Haydonites help fan the war between the Masters and the Invid, hoping to exhaust the two powers, then pick off the loser. (Sounds more like the work of the Disciples of Zor -ed)
  

• When the Humans show up (Late-Sentinels period, sometime through the New Generation Saga), the Haydonites again play divide and conquer.

• This time fuelling Edwards' delusions of power. If Edwards won his coup, the Hyadonites would have an easily led dupe with no compunctions with destroying whole worlds, and Humanity would be wiped out.

• If Edwards lost, again they could suck up to the winners and help then understand the 'captured' technology and besides, they learn, the Invid are still around, courtesy of the split between Regent and Regis, so the Humans have a role yet to play...deliveryboys for Invid(and their own) extinction...

• Only now the Invid have ascended to a higher state, and those Invid left behind are showing some rather incredible powers...The Haydonites think they can now step in openly and sweep up the remainers, but the Invid are now breaking into the Haydonites' space-warping domain(?)*...Worse yet, the Humans are wise to them....

• And if the Invid decide to disrupt the Haydonites from their energy state...or Human and Invid gene plasm prove compatible....the introduction of Invid/Human hybrids into the human genepool and a spreading of those talents could truly threaten the supremacy of Shadow technology

Hmm... So as I predicted, Taalsim figures out that a Human-Invid hybrid would bring about the end of the Haydonites. Of course, it won't be that easy, because Harmony Gold executives think this particular story arc should last FOREVER!

Another long-time Robotech fan, Protoculture, an avid Shadow Chronicles fan, provides his insights on how the original series fits in to the Tommy Yuneverse of Shadow Chronicles.

• Haydonite practically blasted the 1st Invid homeworld to hell. Regess mentioned the Invid ancestors fled from Shadows (Haydonite) & by far, relocated to Optera (which proved fertile enough for FoL to thrived there) for several generations until Zor & Tirolian techno-voyagers make their stop there, where at the time Invid were ruled by both current Regess & Regent. Zor duped both Invid monarchs, steal the FoL secrets, returned to Tirol & discover protoculture. On Tirol, undergone a complete technological & social revolution following transformation from Stellar Republic to Robotech Imperium in what was known as the Great Transition, carved their Empire to greatest heights, with the crown achievement, The Zentreadi. The entire Local Group were pacified by stomping goliath Zent armies & armada ... with Peryton, Garuda, Karbarra, Praxis, Spheris fell under RT Masters dominion, alongside thousands of Tyrolian off-world colonies.

• But Masters never made a move against Haydon IV. Chances are, Haydonite may have struck a deal with Masters (realizing Haydonite firepower are not a match against Masters vast Robotech forces), allowing Haydon IV to still retain their independence while still becoming the buoyant & vibrant trading center in 4th Quadrant. Haydonite may have led the the Masters decision to defoliate the Invid & launched military campaign to wipe out the Invid on Optera, the fact that by monopolising protoculture production would be a great boon to Robotech Imperium. So the Invid were then again kicked out royally by stampeding Zents with Optera visibly poisoned to never supported the FoL. Hell, Haydonites may have supplied the Masters with the weapons to irradiate Optera, rendered it inhabitable.

• Once Invid were outta the picture, Haydonites waited patiently while Masters Empire expanded. Perhaps the Haydonites may have engineered the divisive & devastated war between Masters's faction & Disciples of Zor.

• Such great wars may have exhausted the Masters protoculture supplies, which prompted Zor's expedition to reseed alien worlds with FoL.

• Zor died in one such mission, & SDF-1 with the last viable protoculture matrices on board folded to parts unknown. Invid began its space guerilla wars, but was contained by Zents.

• Later on, with the conflict of 1st RT War with the destruction of the great Zent Armada, & Masters fleet shortly leaving RT Imperium vast territories, Invid forces launched a relentless offensive against the undefended Imperium, practically razing the entire Masters colonies. This would have drained the Invid's own forces, in which resulted in schism between Regess & Regent. Regent had to supplement his depleted forces with Inorganics by the time the inavsion of Tyrolian homeworld began in 2022AD, & without Regess approval, he launched a campaign to subdue the 4th Quadrant's Sentinel worlds to expand his little empire.

• Such endeavors would once again depleted the remaining protoculture supplies in the Regent storage, by the time REF came by & liberated Tyrol, Regent's forces was stretch thinly garrisoning Sentinel's homeworlds. But one important fact remains, while other worlds were definitely conquered by force, only Haydon IV surrendered peacefully, allowing Regent to usurp Haydon IV's High Command structure. Again, Haydon IV was better off compared to other Sentinel world. Haydonites secretly supported the massive Sentinel campaigns against overextended, protoculture diminished Regent's forces.

• Meanwhile, Regess with half of Invid race disappeared from 4th Quadrant & invaded FoL-infested Earth. This significantly weakened Invid Regent's forces in 4th Quadrant. As Sentinel campaign drew to a close, Haydonite's offered Shadow Technology & Neutron S weaponry to REF for Earth liberation missions which have TWICE failed spectacularly (2038 & 2042).

• This time around, as Regent's & later Edward's Invid forces were wiped out on Optera as a conslusion to exhaustive Sentinel campaign, Haydonite held an ace to watch REF make a greatest mistake in the last Earth Reclaimation Mission. REF in 2044, armed to the teeth with Shadow equipped fighters & vessels, with the planet buster Neutron S, launched the final offensive. Haydonites, with Awareness, would've expected the REF to finally deployed Neutron S missiles on Earth, which would resulted both Invid & humanity in Solar system to be obliterated completely by the resulting black hole which is the aftermath of Neutron S deployment (not that REF was informed of such matters). Haydonite will kill two birds with one stone if REF was dumb enough to deploy the doomsday weapons, which REF ultimatle did, but foiled by Regess' massive departure that destroyed the Neutron S missiles & a significant part of REF fleet.

• However, this time around, with REF greatly weakened after 3rd RT War, Haydonite decided to finished the last major 'protoculture-addicts' superpower, humanity, in which exploiting the Shadow-Tech to their advantage. Thus, began the Shadow Crisis.

Reads like a good, highly convoluted fanfic. It does manage to plug certain holes, but it also manages to shrink the universe into allowing this... "Haydonite" thing to be some sort of super master race. Not bad, but it feels a little too close to Starwars Episode 3. In that movie, it makes the mythical Clone Wars a sham war just so the Emperor can remain in power. I don't know. The great thing now is that people can still speculate on the Robotech Lore, as it has been since the beginning of the show. 

But what path will the Yune choose?

Hi, first of all, lets clear this up - the supposed demise of my blog - is true - once I start a new blog in the future, which would be connected with my web project. For now, I want to post my Robotech ideas since I realize I might actually still have an active audience lurking around this place.

I've posted a comprehensive article regarding "The Blandness Quotient", it was inspired by the controversial animator John Kricfalusi of Ren & Stimpy fame.

I think it is one of my most favorite articles I've ever written because I feel it is justified - and not merely an incoherent rant. I would certainly appreciate if you would kindly drop by to the place in which I posted it - in the RDF-HQ message board.

http://p081.ezboard.com/frdfhqcommunicationscenterrobotech.showMessage?topicID=1018.topic

I think it makes you think about the show, and its current direction - which I believe will be more of the same, with better animation. And I tell you, dear readers - that isn't a good thing - whether you hated the first film, or felt indifferent about it.

NEW LOOK OF THE MESSAGE BOARDS

Also, I've helped a fellow Robotech fan, Cavscout, in updating the look of the RDF-HQ boards. It's got a new background as well as a new set of banners for each forum. It took me three days to complete it, and I'm very proud to have contributed something to the fandom.

Here are some samples of the new banners on the site:

I may be banned from Robotech.com, but damn, I still love the show! Hope to get some original (not Robotech) production work done too in the process.

UPDATE:

Anonymous gave his thoughts:

If American anime is bland in it's story telling... is it because the US industry believes that the US market is not ready for more risque stories or is it that licensing already made Japanese products and editing racey content is just cheaper and more efficent? shows like family guy and american dad (although not anime) have adult content. Tripping the rift is not suitable for your average 10 yr old. So Again.. I ask... what is the target demographic for HG? are they focusing on a toyline? is it so hard to come up with passionate characters and unpredictable storylines? I'm not asking for a sixth sense plot twist at the end... just good stories that really have something to say.

I really think that with so many high quality stories that have been produced in the last 20 yrs... the bar has been set very high and that it takes more to entice and excite the audience with something original.

I reply and come up with a challenge:

John Kricfalusi has been arguing non-stop regarding this. Political correct-ness is certainly squeezing out a lot of creativity in the industry! I think, being non-American, that erm... American storytelling can be just as edgy and racy in terms of content if it wanted to - just look at graphic novels like The Watchmen, Heavy Metal or 300.

The problem is when American companies like Harmony Gold think that their audience is so unsophisticated that they have to resort to childish one-liners thinking they would attract an entirely new audience. The solution is for the Creative Director to bow down and give scriptwriters more free reign to flesh out more interesting and human characters - something I believe is the failure of Harmony Gold's recent comic books. Tommy cannot write compelling enough characters, I'm sorry.