tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264844957820351422024-03-19T03:47:06.540-05:00Future War StoriesA Blog Devoted to Exploring and Explaining the World of Military Science Fiction.Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.comBlogger595125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-13289442357498280702024-02-24T22:17:00.000-06:002024-02-24T22:17:33.587-06:00Broken Promises: Star Trek: Enterprise Seasons 5, 6, & 7. <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3aPktD6-K9tpgdCvCt-Z-uY717BH01_nukitU0UAQa2pLxZQBLIks5UVJnz-sIpO3LGNjzTJP8vCY7NP8fH5rzS0fMzzWOVJFuNJGFwAQJV8NkTvV7v7YsgpyVwDudlK5o7oJTeCln0wffxXI3RNwWNkVrjlXWGYhfReuDAIMHtcZgMvWzo17-l7i2Q=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3aPktD6-K9tpgdCvCt-Z-uY717BH01_nukitU0UAQa2pLxZQBLIks5UVJnz-sIpO3LGNjzTJP8vCY7NP8fH5rzS0fMzzWOVJFuNJGFwAQJV8NkTvV7v7YsgpyVwDudlK5o7oJTeCln0wffxXI3RNwWNkVrjlXWGYhfReuDAIMHtcZgMvWzo17-l7i2Q=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div>Sometimes we do not know what promises are made to us by a TV show or film...we just watch and wait for the story to unfold. Then there are the works that are planned to be a multi-stage story arc were Luke becomes a Jedi Knight and takes on Darth Vader, or the Master Chief defends the Earth from the Covenant, or Frodo and Sam are on the quest to destroy the One Ring. Often, TV shows embark on a single storyline that webs through the show's run and ties it together. We saw this with the Dominion War in <i>DS9</i>, the quest for Earth in both <i>BSG</i> shows, and the last great war with the Shadows in <i>B5</i>...and then there is <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i> (<i>ST: ENT</i>) and the promises made by the show and the lack of delivery. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>What <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i> Means to Me...</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqmE8tVtP3hfy4f6KKB8GFitiCEAViWHCgafmedcpyPTCUztYZ-ONrR13lM-9XLtWcBHkDhTsXM_57YU6UOP_nv86xys54qBi95lp_l5Yp-9ofPUPt8twGL3K-NCz9TqdBtJgnrPYW0xyWcxOwx3awTPxrAlSK3Zk9gZzUXcWOjRA9L48e2tGd6jM_g/s2500/Enterprise.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqmE8tVtP3hfy4f6KKB8GFitiCEAViWHCgafmedcpyPTCUztYZ-ONrR13lM-9XLtWcBHkDhTsXM_57YU6UOP_nv86xys54qBi95lp_l5Yp-9ofPUPt8twGL3K-NCz9TqdBtJgnrPYW0xyWcxOwx3awTPxrAlSK3Zk9gZzUXcWOjRA9L48e2tGd6jM_g/w400-h266/Enterprise.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>When I was three, my parents took me to see <i>Star Trek: The Motionless Picture</i>, and I was bored by the film (as I am still), but it was the repeated watching of <i>Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</i> that sold me on the entire franchise. From then on, I was a Trekkie and I bought the original DC Comic series (which is pretty good) and watched the films and reruns of The Original Series...then came <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> in 1987 and was hooked. From 1987 to around 1996, I watched all <i>Trek</i> series and taped my favorites on VHS, and even bought some of the Playmates electronic starships to decorate my room and my first apartment (still have them!). A great deal changed for me during the end of <i>DS9</i> and the later seasons of <i>Voyager</i> and I barely watched any of those shows until many years after...however, when <i>ST:ENT</i> was launched, it was to be their flagship show of the network. For me, when <i>ST:ENT</i> came out, I was in a better place and I was an adult with a job, at university, married, with a child. To me, <i>Voyager </i>was horribly hit-or-miss, with more misses than hits and when I first watched <i>Enterprise</i>, I was fully hooked. To me, <i>ST: ENT</i> restored my hope for <i>Trek</i> and my passion for the franchise.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfZD1_lGHTWo_dM7oFvf5wo1dW3l8ZfQgdjfubZeKG_u8C4PIoCRIXX1C-U2dIbUBxbpEi5cwkZORR97MafaC0dRLD-B8D2Zb5JZGWRKJ6SF8tPIGU6fpvFlCGkEGKInK_jWtF4D9xuAM_1VgvemVfxjZpAANNAkkzYRGoQqmlD7mdrK0YOwe4SJ0gg/s432/f4cc0865d7bdba0d7b67e0640b3cc059.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="432" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfZD1_lGHTWo_dM7oFvf5wo1dW3l8ZfQgdjfubZeKG_u8C4PIoCRIXX1C-U2dIbUBxbpEi5cwkZORR97MafaC0dRLD-B8D2Zb5JZGWRKJ6SF8tPIGU6fpvFlCGkEGKInK_jWtF4D9xuAM_1VgvemVfxjZpAANNAkkzYRGoQqmlD7mdrK0YOwe4SJ0gg/w400-h391/f4cc0865d7bdba0d7b67e0640b3cc059.gif" width="400" /></a></div>What <i>Star Trek Enterprise </i>means to me from then was that it is my favorite <i>Trek </i>TV<i> </i>show and the last bastion of real <i>Trek </i>and an end to what <i>Trek </i>had been. To put a point on it: I still watch it and I still love it and I still want an NX-01 baseball cap, and I wear a NX-01 patch pin on my scrubs at the hospital every day. There was a magic in the show and more human feel to the show, the characters. the stories, the technology, and the ship itself. The show took risks, developed interesting ideas, embodied the times that the show was made in (post-9/11 America), and had some of the best SFX in all of <i>Trek</i>. There was tons of hope and promise in the DNA of <i>ST:ENT, </i>especially when season four got rolling<i> </i>and then....it was cancelled without us fans getting the Romulan War and the final answered to the Temporal Cold War. They took it from me and I hated them for it. For seven goddamn years, UPN had funded the painful and expensive journey of the USS <i>Voyager</i> in the Delta Quadrant and it was mostly a bad show with a beautiful ship and talented actors. Oddly, <i>Voyager</i> had the best series finale of all time in <i>Trek</i>...no show in <i>Trek </i>has been able to replicate that two-parter even close to <i>Voyager</i>. I deeply vexed me why the network and the fandom would support such a half-baked half-ass show as <i>Voyager</i> that suffers from the majority of its episodes being 100% terrible and not support <i>Enterprise</i>, where the vast majority of the episodes are great. <i>Enterprise</i> restored my love for <i>Trek</i>, but is cancellation made me separate myself from the fandom to this very day. </div><div><br /></div><b><u>The Promise Made by <i>ST:ENT</i></u></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcBKVGauZmXygfIIwCiJElTeTUazjl5kuOymV8elwp-_fhkJWLs0V6Ja1ad-SJEs4nla6unwDvrcZBeV-LO54wcAeUl3pLvxpp7fXdw8ri9tSzRl8qs3Ds0sd3g_u5OlJvhxhDgsVWu5ocZPCfq8s6m2xUCjOAnyD8AiHNumR5c5Gh0eKB2ItYsU4dA/s643/These_are_the_Voyages.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="643" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcBKVGauZmXygfIIwCiJElTeTUazjl5kuOymV8elwp-_fhkJWLs0V6Ja1ad-SJEs4nla6unwDvrcZBeV-LO54wcAeUl3pLvxpp7fXdw8ri9tSzRl8qs3Ds0sd3g_u5OlJvhxhDgsVWu5ocZPCfq8s6m2xUCjOAnyD8AiHNumR5c5Gh0eKB2ItYsU4dA/w400-h286/These_are_the_Voyages.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When <i>ST:ENT</i> launched in 2001, it made very clear that the fictional year of the launch of the NX-01 <i>Enterprise</i>, United Earth's first Warp 5 vessel, was 2151. This is just ten years prior to the founding of the United Federation of Planets (UFP or the Federation) and just a few years before the start of the much discussed-and-never-seen Earth-Romulan War. According the limited information, the Romulan War would begin around 2156 and last to 2160. When <i>Enterprise</i> concluded its four season run, the fictional year was 2155. If there had been a 5th, 6th, and 7th seasons, which was the plan, we would have seen the unfolding of the Romulan War, the Founding of the Federation, and more character development of our heroes on the old NX-01. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWnempI0_z9tgep9oABtyKoy9czWWuV6ysqmJylRlRs_nWy0UzojuSY8Em2o-or7KZd2RQV6ltAMDCUGngz0ldQINJcnMNycTjl-ezy38ZYy3Vwi74DFm_DUREX0D40hOYLDv4Fwok8lqFKvcZ4vOXquId2Lp3AawTMxvF4iUKMs7WadVl7jZjBstUw/s1400/0_1RoLqueHH19xJPTz.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1400" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWnempI0_z9tgep9oABtyKoy9czWWuV6ysqmJylRlRs_nWy0UzojuSY8Em2o-or7KZd2RQV6ltAMDCUGngz0ldQINJcnMNycTjl-ezy38ZYy3Vwi74DFm_DUREX0D40hOYLDv4Fwok8lqFKvcZ4vOXquId2Lp3AawTMxvF4iUKMs7WadVl7jZjBstUw/w400-h260/0_1RoLqueHH19xJPTz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In addition, we would have seen an upgraded NX-01 to be fitted with the familiar bottom engineering section, as seen in the 3rd Season of <i>Picard</i>. These were the promises of <i>Enterprise</i>, and they were ones we never got to see due to the cancellation. Another promise of <i>Enterprise </i>is something I am going to mention a lot in this article: something different than what had come before. For much of <i>Trek</i> history up to the premier of <i>Enterprise</i>, the franchise was dominated by two elements: <i>the Original Series </i>and <i>the Next Generation</i>. Both had shaped what came after them and setup the universe they occupied. However, <i>Enterprise</i> was not as connected to TOS nor TNG given that the show was nearly100 years before the launch of the <i>Constitution </i>class. <i>Enterprise </i>promised to show us a galaxy before the Federation and to pick up some of the story elements from <i>Star Trek: First Contact</i>. This was a show that was to fill the gap between the first warp flight of Terra to <i>The Cage</i>. Hell, it abandoned the typical theme songs for something...different. But, it seems that fortune did not favor the bold this time. </div><div><div><br /></div><b><u>What <i>Star Trek Enterprise</i> Means to the Entire Franchise</u></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WXiz2iUwO5C5lAaBQ3h_e5JbOrcCZ4LsdX_puEiHFcSo7_onsvuGrhkozHC1xL8vKb7zpvufrUIZH1NGWTwR2j4IBCwZm4p81Mc8_LorkiWSG5nqqlfzp5evk_vHKdCqEoCC5uMmAzdx0dBZhbiuSYIvIpx4VbHgxY5owEbDS6Q7xuxLS_o1fAce7A/s1200/s738AEjVP0SPPMsDzZl8nZH-fvyAQoqDQeSJODZxEWs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WXiz2iUwO5C5lAaBQ3h_e5JbOrcCZ4LsdX_puEiHFcSo7_onsvuGrhkozHC1xL8vKb7zpvufrUIZH1NGWTwR2j4IBCwZm4p81Mc8_LorkiWSG5nqqlfzp5evk_vHKdCqEoCC5uMmAzdx0dBZhbiuSYIvIpx4VbHgxY5owEbDS6Q7xuxLS_o1fAce7A/w400-h225/s738AEjVP0SPPMsDzZl8nZH-fvyAQoqDQeSJODZxEWs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For better or worse, <i>ST:ENT</i> represents the end of the classic (canon) <i>Star Trek</i> that has been around since the first pilot in 1966 aired and the beginning of the J.J. Abrams films (vomit) and the Modern <i>Star Trek</i> TV shows. Fans and the wider sci-fi community have debated which is better Classic<i> Trek</i> or Modern <i>Trek</i>. I firmly believe that for better or worse, <i>ST:ENT </i>would have been the end of the <i>Trek</i> we knew, due to franchise exhaustion either way. What <i>ST:ENT</i> means to the rest of the franchise, is it fills the beginning of the story of Starfleet, the foundation of the Federation, and the service of ships named "Enterprise" under the banner of Starfleet. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79xQVtH0eQuf-tApDcYsav3xm4ZftMaMsuTN75xKU9Y9p5T8ilXA6LvuPe9QaJ6FrmG1p6NECMU0kSazTK2ALKCNU-6i4dzY09NVvePxOLCygF5bYot5WROUacJ9Swuxl4QEbzoKLtSBCeh6Rgfi-MeQOme3XrBR5in1kGpigiT6J7eCZNb3azddssQlQ/s1920/st-fc-remaster-bluray-1924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79xQVtH0eQuf-tApDcYsav3xm4ZftMaMsuTN75xKU9Y9p5T8ilXA6LvuPe9QaJ6FrmG1p6NECMU0kSazTK2ALKCNU-6i4dzY09NVvePxOLCygF5bYot5WROUacJ9Swuxl4QEbzoKLtSBCeh6Rgfi-MeQOme3XrBR5in1kGpigiT6J7eCZNb3azddssQlQ/w400-h170/st-fc-remaster-bluray-1924.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This show also continued the storyline established in <i>Star Trek: First Contact. </i>It <u>would have</u> also explained and shown the history of two of the most important events in <i>Trek</i> history: The Romulan War and the founding of the Federation. That is the promise of <i>Enterprise</i> and the pain we fans of the show and <i>Trek</i> got when the show was cancelled. In addition, <i>Enterprise </i>was the <i>Trek</i> show that, along with <i>DS9,</i> had the balls to do something different and there is not better example than the Xindi full-season storyline. <i>Enterprise</i> is like that member of the family that takes risks and does not fully fit into the family, but we love them anyways. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Why was <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i> Cancelled after Season 4 and the Cost of that Cancellation to <i>Trek</i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw528LF0_u-Y6K2yagL85q9soGy9LVjxvJloVLI9mTiz1HU6GbZqyuAHwoCzU_ygOo2DNlKDZo_S0yXqHXy3f4uETque-rEoFPyot4kMGJu4iwCk5kCviNncgycy9CV6an81gLnmuno8K9w7j2uquM3msbB527X_jQeYUA497cbfKc6DLwEuCpfMewQ/s2000/Star-Trek-Enterprise-Cancelled.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw528LF0_u-Y6K2yagL85q9soGy9LVjxvJloVLI9mTiz1HU6GbZqyuAHwoCzU_ygOo2DNlKDZo_S0yXqHXy3f4uETque-rEoFPyot4kMGJu4iwCk5kCviNncgycy9CV6an81gLnmuno8K9w7j2uquM3msbB527X_jQeYUA497cbfKc6DLwEuCpfMewQ/w400-h200/Star-Trek-Enterprise-Cancelled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>To understand what happened to <i>Star Trek Enterprise</i>, we must understand the context of <i>Trek</i> during the time that <i>Enterprise</i> aired. <i>Enterprise</i> would take up the mantle of responsibility of the <i>Trek </i>franchise during a time of great change in the realm of <i>Trek</i> and TV as well in America. Today, <i>Star Trek</i> is more popular than ever with three shows and "Trek Twitter" being populated with comments, cosplays, and memes. However, that is not what it was like in 2001-2005. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-LGFLApv7Szq-4uZiCLgWjMrTZ6OX1IKn7WOjpK678Fwc6Cc1EJwA2UIorgzWvPkk2g7llByQQl5WXl3ARHzc4GPTvhB9NDEpeSjiAZ79ClEQrBCbxee-o1W2Fb3EHLIct-DC-QhGmsWeBAquenVW1cZv9MXN267bKHmoqkbc803glGCn4mE6WuRQD1N/s1800/cast3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-LGFLApv7Szq-4uZiCLgWjMrTZ6OX1IKn7WOjpK678Fwc6Cc1EJwA2UIorgzWvPkk2g7llByQQl5WXl3ARHzc4GPTvhB9NDEpeSjiAZ79ClEQrBCbxee-o1W2Fb3EHLIct-DC-QhGmsWeBAquenVW1cZv9MXN267bKHmoqkbc803glGCn4mE6WuRQD1N/w400-h266/cast3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We have to remember that t<i>he Original Series</i> aired for only three seasons and was gone and it was only through fan involvement and the syndication of <i>Star Trek: TOS</i> reruns that Paramount decided to give the green-light to a new <i>Trek </i>TV show for their planned 4th network or a full-length movie back in the late 1970's. For fans like me that were inducted into the <i>Trek </i>life and fandom at this time, it was the classic crew films, reruns of <i>TOS</i>, and the DC Comics that forged us...then came <i>The Next Generation </i>in 1987 and it changed the face of <i>Trek </i>forever. By the time that "Broken Bow" aired in September of 2001, kicking off the <i>ST:ENT</i> TV show run, <i>Trek</i> was in a unique position in its history. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0o4sbqr3gQ5Oeicy_uoqBCXwos_hPCnZAfzYICry4nYbStYp2dsDTyZavAPhay7GKOtyqW3ov4XSwSIpQgd5UIvWNG8wSLfpUdHBZd1WWrpWQnUSShHAf4pdDSHETTfklZMb4Eg8F_U-8-kaIdHJbN7GLyaxPPOB029Qnl9KBbdgb0CNy4cBiX8AG325/s2126/voyager1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1701" data-original-width="2126" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0o4sbqr3gQ5Oeicy_uoqBCXwos_hPCnZAfzYICry4nYbStYp2dsDTyZavAPhay7GKOtyqW3ov4XSwSIpQgd5UIvWNG8wSLfpUdHBZd1WWrpWQnUSShHAf4pdDSHETTfklZMb4Eg8F_U-8-kaIdHJbN7GLyaxPPOB029Qnl9KBbdgb0CNy4cBiX8AG325/w400-h320/voyager1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Between 1987 and 2001, there were three live-action TV shows aired, with some overlapping, films with the classic and TNG crew, video games, action figure, and all level of merchandising that finally allowed <i>Trek</i> to coming into its full <i>Star Wars </i>moment with the level of merch...more on <i>Trek</i> toys in a future article...and that lead to some franchise fatigue. <i>Star Trek</i> at that time had liberally mined the 24th century via three shows and tie-in products and when <i>Voyager</i> wrapped up in May of 2001, the fans were ready for maybe something different. <i>Trek </i>had fallen into a pattern and that pattern was getting worn out. While fans today pile on the praise for <i>Voyager</i>, it was not a good <i>Trek </i>show overall, especially when you watched during its first run. Wonderful cast, beautiful ship, and great production design...but there only about a dozen good episode in the entire series with the best series ending ever in all of <i>Trek</i>. However, with <i>ST: VOY</i> ending there was a decision to be made by the studio...where does <i>Trek</i> go for here? The tenth <i>Trek</i> film, <i>Nemesis,</i> is finishing production and the studio needing a new TV show and a vehicle for another film <i>Trek</i> franchise. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4s1zdrkV-ZXKbiwsjoOnr7qLNKRFO3WaTm62Q7xMEzgzI1jehL4LovoMFRbm2Ro5TcpUU3N2zS_nrGZV-GlnTzzmFARoKxHVl1b_ox3yY6FgwjLLAn1c0trYY1Ilfzg12XGdtZtWqG5c-bUxR_q6YC2rYLBAAK2Wwv7YNVU715uUjZ46zy2KbjW4YQ/s963/captain-sulu-excelsior.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="963" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4s1zdrkV-ZXKbiwsjoOnr7qLNKRFO3WaTm62Q7xMEzgzI1jehL4LovoMFRbm2Ro5TcpUU3N2zS_nrGZV-GlnTzzmFARoKxHVl1b_ox3yY6FgwjLLAn1c0trYY1Ilfzg12XGdtZtWqG5c-bUxR_q6YC2rYLBAAK2Wwv7YNVU715uUjZ46zy2KbjW4YQ/w400-h200/captain-sulu-excelsior.jpg" width="400" /></a>At this time, I was on <i>Trek</i> message boards, and I saw the fan reaction and suggestions where <i>Trek </i>should go from there. Some wanted to see a Captain Riker TV show, much like <i>ST: Lower Decks</i> is exploring. Some desired to see a return to the time period of Kirk & Spock in the Original Series, and others really wanted to see a TV show set in the 23rd century with the adventures of Captain Sulu and the <i>Excelsior. </i>What is interesting, is that the fans I interacted with at that time did not discuss a show set shorty after the events of <i>Star Trek: First Contact</i>. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYSh3-5k5E_FeDPWGBZYPcR0QtXdyV33a8Vjb89pbHJZuZsYr0crJnTDOpmVUintDc4bxNBP6JiRMulFMAhBM3AgLfV0qwBHyogeX-DBiaLWhBYPVkCUQ2z4ri-ZlZtz5kdVz08bRvaAwhWH-5z8o4IS0pqcQLD3FcXzb6b9zFUoHQybhQeb2urUZRt2u/s1914/broken-bow-hd-0209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1914" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYSh3-5k5E_FeDPWGBZYPcR0QtXdyV33a8Vjb89pbHJZuZsYr0crJnTDOpmVUintDc4bxNBP6JiRMulFMAhBM3AgLfV0qwBHyogeX-DBiaLWhBYPVkCUQ2z4ri-ZlZtz5kdVz08bRvaAwhWH-5z8o4IS0pqcQLD3FcXzb6b9zFUoHQybhQeb2urUZRt2u/w400-h226/broken-bow-hd-0209.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>At the time, prequels were still being made, but the terribly uneven and disappointing <i>Star Wars</i> Prequels had colored the view of this storytelling device in science fiction, and all of these factors led to the Trekkies not being onboard as much as they could have been for <i>Enterprise </i>when it came out in 2001. That is another element we have to remember, the pilot episode of <i>Enterprise</i> came out 15 days after the terrorist attacks in New York and the Pentagon. The full impact of the collective psychological trauma of those events and the War in Afghanistan had would manifest themselves during the 3rd Season of <i>Enterprise </i>with the Xindi story arch. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6qkk8JYzE2pQx9foosaLBlimoFCF-3FHlN5LBKFtBLepZIRpR31vK8w-JLOgGCnRTfoh8KOuGyxcdc7YZ-bw0W_A9PE4Yox_8SYSvbnD0X-OpQJbs_NrEBWMzItYvYN9r6QxohnZANqH2gglfcush1uiKKjKRWcwtvTtKM0bdIG5dXBu01WysRtGRvs-/s1914/these-are-the-voyages-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1914" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6qkk8JYzE2pQx9foosaLBlimoFCF-3FHlN5LBKFtBLepZIRpR31vK8w-JLOgGCnRTfoh8KOuGyxcdc7YZ-bw0W_A9PE4Yox_8SYSvbnD0X-OpQJbs_NrEBWMzItYvYN9r6QxohnZANqH2gglfcush1uiKKjKRWcwtvTtKM0bdIG5dXBu01WysRtGRvs-/w400-h226/these-are-the-voyages-014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Of course, all of these is just context to the real reason that <i>Enterprise</i> was unable to complete its 7-year plan: money. Like or not, TV is a business, and UPN had used its <i>Trek</i> TV shows to launch and maintain its network. <i>Enterprise</i> was expensive and if the ratings had been there along with the advertisement revenue, than <i>Enterprise </i>would have continued. Just look at <i>Star Trek Discovery </i> has an example. That is terrible, like accidently shitting your pants after Taco Bell terrible and yet, it continues to be renewed by Paramount+, including a 5th season. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivolpLWcyML37B5ac_9v4x2z1MrXJhLjwZq0VFwY6YqTS4F2NVaLQW4BCvPdwLePi-9hG_EfSr3dZKqqLWpZEaZcOZfj6-4QoTY_3YXaEI20Yfuq5dvCaEgRN_Rj55xP97MuO3AUQ5dJJUr5NFHpaEnNPLFyArtyjT1-wpbHlfHrOWnyPpR1s_pLPN9zQZ/s558/Upn1995.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="558" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivolpLWcyML37B5ac_9v4x2z1MrXJhLjwZq0VFwY6YqTS4F2NVaLQW4BCvPdwLePi-9hG_EfSr3dZKqqLWpZEaZcOZfj6-4QoTY_3YXaEI20Yfuq5dvCaEgRN_Rj55xP97MuO3AUQ5dJJUr5NFHpaEnNPLFyArtyjT1-wpbHlfHrOWnyPpR1s_pLPN9zQZ/w400-h153/Upn1995.png" width="400" /></a></div>However, its ratings are not good and the support among the fanbase is very mixed. As for <i>Enterprise, </i>the ratings had dipped year to year and fans believed that <i>Enterprise </i>would not return for season 3 let along 4. UPN itself was in deep trouble as well and just a year after the cancellation of <i>Enterprise</i>, UPN and the WB were combined to from the CW network. Another issues where discussed by Conner "Trip Tucker" Trineer: "<b><span style="color: red;"><i>The problem was that for the nights that we were on, usually your Major League Baseball team was also on UPN locally. So, we would get preempted by whatever local sports were happening. There were also entire regions – it didn’t even play in St. Louis, Scott [Bakula’s] home town. So, you had these pockets of where it wasn’t even on. And then [Paramount Television Chairman] Kerry McCluggage got fired, our real fan, really quick [December, 2001]. And then the new regime came in and it was probably as early as the second season when we were like “Huh?” I don’t think we got any lesser ratings than anyone else, but </i>Next Generation<i>. I think we all kind of sat in that same area</i></span></b>."</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinv88knoBHWc5cirKxIqkVJy8L5pBpIwVov-O7XWJvNz05EmyBk2T7kwiR5NI5jY-YMsD8G_DLjWSEzF2kj8ubBhJS_jvJpXgxbkP9WCbLZ7vbaOo4Eo4CIKy2KOEPmdUkP8f1if-Kph4tglOf46TPcjdc90YpfAT_w_IvwV6unZural8Y4donpxVemDDJ/s2048/coto-mirror-cast.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinv88knoBHWc5cirKxIqkVJy8L5pBpIwVov-O7XWJvNz05EmyBk2T7kwiR5NI5jY-YMsD8G_DLjWSEzF2kj8ubBhJS_jvJpXgxbkP9WCbLZ7vbaOo4Eo4CIKy2KOEPmdUkP8f1if-Kph4tglOf46TPcjdc90YpfAT_w_IvwV6unZural8Y4donpxVemDDJ/w400-h266/coto-mirror-cast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is another nail in the coffin of <i>Enterprise, </i>then there is the last one: fan support. The ratings were not there due to the MLB and franchise fatigue as mentioned above, but some fans just did not like the show. From the theme song, the setting, the ship itself; fans were mixed or down-right hateful to the show. In part of this was due to the Temporal Cold War and the Xindi storylines...of which, I liked actually, but most fans did not at the time and nor did the studio. When <i>Enterprise</i> got back on the road with season 4, the new concept of the episodes was solid and some of the best <i>Enterprise</i> episodes were forged. And those Mirror Universe episodes were solid gold. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziW-3cu2AFRLbrCG-DJ9utnToD3AoEDAeHzKTrt5Ow_SAKMR8jVcsCikCnXEzJePbVC7RxvGp6GZYEzW_keMV5e6TZZMuQxXnOdmJk4QPt32edORmcCy7bYvmbNY6M05saNPcCv0YDPUqBRQ9_9OtQ_8um9RKSrgrYMi3XNXmpJ1gcjoMCcD0dFpL8ZKa/s1914/kirshara-504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1914" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziW-3cu2AFRLbrCG-DJ9utnToD3AoEDAeHzKTrt5Ow_SAKMR8jVcsCikCnXEzJePbVC7RxvGp6GZYEzW_keMV5e6TZZMuQxXnOdmJk4QPt32edORmcCy7bYvmbNY6M05saNPcCv0YDPUqBRQ9_9OtQ_8um9RKSrgrYMi3XNXmpJ1gcjoMCcD0dFpL8ZKa/w400-h226/kirshara-504.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the last few years, the fans have softened their stance on <i>Enterprise</i> and with the rise of Modern <i>Star Trek</i>, some have looked at <i>Enterprise</i> as a missed opportunity to continue the correct canon. The death of <i>Enterprise</i> allowed for the rise of the stool sample that is <i>Discovery</i>. If <i>Enterprise</i> had been a ratings darling than the other part of the <i>Enterprise</i> destiny was to be fulfilled: movies. Yes, <i>Enterprise</i> was tagged to become a film franchise as well, much like <i>TNG</i> had done mostly unsuccessfully. With the merciful death of the <i>TNG</i> film franchise and the lack of a clear successor to take over the empire of <i>Star Trek</i>, the studio took a knee and then a few years later, we got the oddball J.J. Abrams <i>Trek</i> films beginning in 2009. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>What Would have Season 5, 6, and 7 have been like?</u></b></div><div>With <i>Enterprise</i> being cancelled far into Season 4, we know that the showrunners were planning out some ideas if UPN would allow <i>Enterprise</i> to come back for a 5th season. The ideas for what would have come after the fifth year of journeys of Archer and his crew is much more muddy. So, there is what we know and can assume about the unfinished run of <i>Enterprise.</i></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xes3TOFNcJ40Hba8MOB494U7ml10fesLcRiurKH0EHuLm5PeGTbRhoHJOdrtTJ0jAeh03N0n2_VCPvyh0dzP9MzfPVB2A6ww4CZbuOskVrFtNNBNT95HSEO9obk2egb_xJkc1x82hIAfcKZ1hW74l2XxpfiBMrpcshe4vTh9XJElWaUCe2ZlGji6g621/s775/Drexler_Enterprise_NX-01_Refit.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="775" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xes3TOFNcJ40Hba8MOB494U7ml10fesLcRiurKH0EHuLm5PeGTbRhoHJOdrtTJ0jAeh03N0n2_VCPvyh0dzP9MzfPVB2A6ww4CZbuOskVrFtNNBNT95HSEO9obk2egb_xJkc1x82hIAfcKZ1hW74l2XxpfiBMrpcshe4vTh9XJElWaUCe2ZlGji6g621/w400-h145/Drexler_Enterprise_NX-01_Refit.webp" width="400" /></a></div>During an interview with the former showrunner of <i>Enterprise, </i>Manny Coto, stated that we would<br /> have seen the "origins of the Federation" and "whispers of the Romulan war" in the fifth season, which would have run from 2005 to 2006. </li><li>The NX-01 would have been upgraded with the lower engineering section with other NX class starships being upgraded as well. </li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhYb8DEiX5HU9XZ97cuGn-TAELft5iyZagM_5aInoR6KhmlyfiEyL51ThJMm5DCVSPd5fNB3CxjZNVsN82s938kiHRllpmsCJQoX_rGJ7B4FyMHH-c6IL0Lg_x1qvBKuiuNrJF6uEPLYHWm8r7it1RgGQfg0B9jvLqVwUnaiqlp8qCxpve5ev7Glf0r4c/s550/b5d94818e66afb5be51d36485d53626f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="550" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhYb8DEiX5HU9XZ97cuGn-TAELft5iyZagM_5aInoR6KhmlyfiEyL51ThJMm5DCVSPd5fNB3CxjZNVsN82s938kiHRllpmsCJQoX_rGJ7B4FyMHH-c6IL0Lg_x1qvBKuiuNrJF6uEPLYHWm8r7it1RgGQfg0B9jvLqVwUnaiqlp8qCxpve5ev7Glf0r4c/w400-h204/b5d94818e66afb5be51d36485d53626f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We <u>could have see</u> the disappear of the NX-02 <i>Columbia</i> in 2156 during an Romulan attack on a transport convey as was laid out in 2008 novel <i>Star Trek Destiny: the Gods of Night. </i>Of course, the book was created three years after the end of <i>Enterprise</i>, and it is highly unlikely that if the series had continued that these books would have been written in the same way. </li><li>It is likely though, that the end of the series would have been similar to some of the events seen in "These are the Voyages..." were Cpt. Archer is giving the speech during the founding of the Federation. It is unlikely that the same Holodeck trick would have been used. There has been some talk by those involved with <i>Enterprise</i> that the story presented in "These are the Voyages..." was always planned...but I call bullshit on that. </li><li>There was discussions of having Alice Krige back to play the Borg Queen and reveal her origin story as a human medical tech that was abducted by the Borg and made into their Queen</li><li>The NX-01 would be visiting some interesting places if the series had continued: Denobula, the cloud city of Stratos, Tellar Prime, and the site of the first Starbase.</li><li>We would have seen more Starfleet ships and more of the NX class, including the NX-03 <i>Challenger </i>and the four other of the NX class that were named for NASA Space Shuttles and maybe the Soviet Space Shuttle <i>Buran</i> or the <i>Orion </i>space craft. The <i>Orion </i>is more official than my idea of the <i>Buran </i>being used. </li><li>Manny Coto was interested in setting about four episodes of one of the <i>Enterprise</i> seasons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohyphenhyphenNziYugi49KqUZTZK8omHZ7NhLU8Tvy9G28pY0Bo9HoC3JrOl2Dzm7A6_eFIImiluOt-WTUB6wFtLAJNsd8uFCKwUnEfoOvSfxHoTf-mXmNKIpft63fSuEAATlNW8dgbWyJqcNDdSogVb2haQIKnOm5wbUTCu9pgUBQR5YZ9OztAja_cjWBL6s7U2-6/s1914/in-a-mirror-darkly-pt2-680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1914" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohyphenhyphenNziYugi49KqUZTZK8omHZ7NhLU8Tvy9G28pY0Bo9HoC3JrOl2Dzm7A6_eFIImiluOt-WTUB6wFtLAJNsd8uFCKwUnEfoOvSfxHoTf-mXmNKIpft63fSuEAATlNW8dgbWyJqcNDdSogVb2haQIKnOm5wbUTCu9pgUBQR5YZ9OztAja_cjWBL6s7U2-6/w400-h226/in-a-mirror-darkly-pt2-680.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>completely in the Mirror Universe to explore the rein of Empress Soto. This was backed up Brandon Braga stated that they thought about setting all of the 5th season in the Mirror Universe. Ugh. This would have been hard for the actors and taking too much of a good thing. The Mirror Universe should be in small doses...after all, look what <i>Discovery</i> did to it. </li><li>Our favorite Andorian, Shran, was to be a full member of the cast and been an advisor to the NX-01 in season five. </li><li>There was attempts to bring William Shatner as a special guest star, but he proved too expensive and the backup concept was to have Leonard Nimoy play Spock looking back with young Vulcans about T'Pol and the NX-01. </li><li>Speaking of T'Pol, they were thinking of recycling the concept of her being Half-Romulan from the original concept of Lt. Saavik being half-Vulcan (originally, <i>ST: III TSFS</i> would have been about Romulans and not Klingons). I am glad they would have never done this for many reasons. </li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8O0zAHsW3WumelwvyYQOvTNdjkijrkY3tPr_UtNkg0sLNvV6cvpF_Lpf_gqMAfwgOTU0JZqi_7qflI4aEiz_kjCQwPRDMX-68F4YatkPbd1C9W-yqx4jdrL2WDwhBqWAzQozkuh3J3XnN1Uoi7JwWrvgcpqqcRj8S2su69s4UYYXv-edbNkSgtXxEBAN/s650/Kzinti_Dark_Stalker_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="650" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8O0zAHsW3WumelwvyYQOvTNdjkijrkY3tPr_UtNkg0sLNvV6cvpF_Lpf_gqMAfwgOTU0JZqi_7qflI4aEiz_kjCQwPRDMX-68F4YatkPbd1C9W-yqx4jdrL2WDwhBqWAzQozkuh3J3XnN1Uoi7JwWrvgcpqqcRj8S2su69s4UYYXv-edbNkSgtXxEBAN/w400-h278/Kzinti_Dark_Stalker_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the best ideas, and one I wished had been developed was introducing the feline hostile alien race of Kzinit. These alien killer kitties from outer space where seeing in the <i>Star Trek Animated Series</i> and even in <i>Lower Decks,</i> and they were burrowed from author Larry Niven. There was even a concept of Kzinit warship developed as well, but Manny Coto has stated that the episode, called "Kilkenny Cats" was not under development. Pity. The Kzinit are not the only feline race in <i>Trek</i>, the Caitian are Federation members and have been in <i>ST: IV Voyage Home</i> and in the animated series. For the record, Caitian and the Kzinit are related in a way similar to Vulcans and Romulans. </li></ul></div><div><b><u>So...There would have been <i>Enterprise</i> Movies?! The Mystery of <i>ST: The Beginning</i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIBRbqB9H9KizY8LVRwaOIUsbH7gWgitoNZ2aNUdfm3ZDWcAzOpUGd0EFNqfVdSpXh3jidFt2O7bfaPked5AdcW2-kBQr4kCyVuzp-vnAQoFIsh9nw3s-dbvWn-QAySxg6EP1NBV1LJCp0ErOLwZcgofPvHMds2JFO5ShPtyvCI3PqxMDVRlKz4wN6Cph/s1200/archer-nem.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1200" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIBRbqB9H9KizY8LVRwaOIUsbH7gWgitoNZ2aNUdfm3ZDWcAzOpUGd0EFNqfVdSpXh3jidFt2O7bfaPked5AdcW2-kBQr4kCyVuzp-vnAQoFIsh9nw3s-dbvWn-QAySxg6EP1NBV1LJCp0ErOLwZcgofPvHMds2JFO5ShPtyvCI3PqxMDVRlKz4wN6Cph/w400-h264/archer-nem.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When <i>Enterprise</i> actors Dominic Keating & Conner Trinner founded their podcast, they mentioned that the plan by the studio was to transition <i>ST: ENT</i> to the big screen and for NX-01 crew to pick up the mantle from the TNG crew and I was shocked to hear and made to wonder on what the <i>Enterprise </i>films would have been like. According to some information I found the following information the <i>Enterprise </i>Reddit page along with entry on Memory Alpha. It seems that the film was to be titled: <i>Star Trek: The Beginning </i>and there was a write-up of the proposed 11th <i>Star Trek </i>film by <i>Band of Brothers </i>writer & producer Erik Jendresen. This film would have been set during the Romulan War and not centered around Cpt. Archer and the crew of NX-01, but a member of Cpt. Kirk's family named Tiberius Chase. He is sent on a mission to go behind Romulan lines and sabotage their war effort after the Romulans launched a deadly attack on Earth and disabling the NX-02 <i>Columbia </i>while she was in space dock. There was mention that Chase was not a member of Starfleet, but the United Earth Stellar Navy, and his family are members of Terra Prime. Honestly, the story seems not in line with canon nor what we fans would want from a <i>Enterprise</i> film project. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaz31Ysx6vMYHVCb5FxnsoVqH499QkObfKjCkt3a_YVEqNrPfX-ixC-J-bwlAbSJtgtbBeUJWdUqeXn3A4aGDEwuV0bv_5o3RjrC7x0hyphenhyphenbXNdxpY2Tqp_iA_B0LfpcW1rK7XOYgb-EwmWHxqInQ-Zc1ub6FuscwuyBbyhluFyc2VnLfEy6yTDxW0bUJEJ/s800/united-059.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="800" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaz31Ysx6vMYHVCb5FxnsoVqH499QkObfKjCkt3a_YVEqNrPfX-ixC-J-bwlAbSJtgtbBeUJWdUqeXn3A4aGDEwuV0bv_5o3RjrC7x0hyphenhyphenbXNdxpY2Tqp_iA_B0LfpcW1rK7XOYgb-EwmWHxqInQ-Zc1ub6FuscwuyBbyhluFyc2VnLfEy6yTDxW0bUJEJ/w400-h223/united-059.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Oddly, the cast of <i>Enterprise</i> would not really be in the picture at all and only Commander Shran would be the only familiar face. I am not sure about this and it seems to be a rumor given the statements made by actors involved with the series. During the Mission Chicago Con in 2016, Connor Trinneer on a panel discussion made this statement: "<b><i><span style="color: red;">We weren’t walking into a pilot, we were walking into a series. We had that luxury. So that was a little intimidating. We knew we were in it together. And we knew we were going to be together for well…</span></i></b>" Then Anthony Montgomery added: <b><span style="color: red;"><i>"It was supposed to be seven years. We signed for seven years. They told us we were doing movies, because they didn’t do movies with </i>DS9<i>. They didn’t do movies with </i>Voyager<i>. So they told me that the fans love </i>Star Trek<i> and you guys are going be here for at least seven years, and you’re going to be doing movies and everything. And you guys know how that all turns out</i></span></b>". </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrJdjJ__L8j2uSPDCyhj86G6g0uHjW9r6TUkQtie98Uu3IqS3jWqg06TWihdYe9wUnBI1XHIVifL3vg5GC7FURal-hdH2Nu7uNy_MuND5zMMMD2ikYhilRGYFcQp8MuaG5h_y3on0-Zp6R4vNisjfsGev6yPbWfxTtnL7Q318823QPgQkqlLSVTpwDTcz/s1914/united-005.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1914" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrJdjJ__L8j2uSPDCyhj86G6g0uHjW9r6TUkQtie98Uu3IqS3jWqg06TWihdYe9wUnBI1XHIVifL3vg5GC7FURal-hdH2Nu7uNy_MuND5zMMMD2ikYhilRGYFcQp8MuaG5h_y3on0-Zp6R4vNisjfsGev6yPbWfxTtnL7Q318823QPgQkqlLSVTpwDTcz/w400-h226/united-005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So what could have been done with the <i>Enterprise </i>film franchise? Possibly show the major battles of the Romulan War, the end of the Romulan War, or even Trip getting pregnant again, it is very hard to say. But, what needs to be said is that <i>Trek</i> is more at home on the smaller screen rather than the big screen, <i>Trek</i> had a harder time building a film franchise worth much of a damn than <i>Star Wars</i> did. Some concepts work better on the television rather than in the theater. This is the same for <i>Stargate</i> as well. Honestly, only a few of the movies of <i>Star Trek</i> are worth a damn and <i>Trek</i> should likely stay on television...but, I would like to see a <i>ST: SNW</i> movie! </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Legacy of <i>Enterprise</i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFY3CFkJP3_6Dzpsu4z42dT01wlBH78gsAlIC64F4qj1ciSxFYMF-Lr33YJZANsLgeq0Bcr8htTzptGwj7-qVBxDY-etv65Y6CixatT6i52-n1B5MxzBpVfTMLa_8tFnjeuB0oTRIMWsRjHAMRiKXeX8u3qW1VapA_16MI-NxDZOtQp_dc-DJqC2qWgA/s1400/episode-011-the-fan-IjsYcXxwnJ2-Uvrz0RbIP9s.1400x1400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFY3CFkJP3_6Dzpsu4z42dT01wlBH78gsAlIC64F4qj1ciSxFYMF-Lr33YJZANsLgeq0Bcr8htTzptGwj7-qVBxDY-etv65Y6CixatT6i52-n1B5MxzBpVfTMLa_8tFnjeuB0oTRIMWsRjHAMRiKXeX8u3qW1VapA_16MI-NxDZOtQp_dc-DJqC2qWgA/w400-h400/episode-011-the-fan-IjsYcXxwnJ2-Uvrz0RbIP9s.1400x1400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>Star Trek Enterprise</i> has a complex and divisive history in the overall story of <i>Trek </i>and given this, its legacy among the fandom is normally of two narratives. Some fans blame <i>Enterprise</i> as the show that ended of one of the most successful eras of <i>Trek</i>. In addition, they also blame <i>Enterprise</i> for beginning the era of "New Trek" as well. Then there are others that see <i>Enterprise</i> as I do, a bold take on <i>Trek</i> and a show that broke the mold of the 24th century shows that are grown stale after the run of <i>Voyager</i>. The quality of the writing, acting, and special effects. Today, the legacy of <i>Enterprise</i> is better than has been in many years and it seems that <i>ST:ENT</i> is finally getting some respect and it is about damn time. For much of the time that <i>Enterprise</i> existed on-air, it fought for its place in the wider <i>Trek</i> universe and to win over the fans. It got even worse after its cancellation, with legions of Trekkies saying that the legacy of <i>Enterprise </i>was as a doomed show that killed that era of <i>Trek </i>off...and then that changed. It seemed that Trekkies came to finally watch <i>Enterprise</i> during the pandemic lockdown and they liked it, especially given how bad <i>Picard </i>and <i>Discovery </i>have been. <i>Enterprise</i> finally has been seen as the series that filled in the gap of our understanding of how Starfleet was formed and where the history of Starfleet and ships named "Enterprise" got their start. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSzysQA6AjiUsY3CrDR7QKaMbOPSADT9nmyzeZAFsNlXHMaRnsHKBHn-lIkYRKm2zTU7_44Sb7B70wUE2pMaVx0FfkN_BrDtfo4d1cKZTydEOOwxKId0mEKm2QTOFr1VtmX4z6nhL77g4AsTkRM4ilR8ZsT-cNrD5neHhU8yqu8P5SWuaTXlY3Rfgbw/s1170/FLrerMTVkAEjBsZ.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1170" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSzysQA6AjiUsY3CrDR7QKaMbOPSADT9nmyzeZAFsNlXHMaRnsHKBHn-lIkYRKm2zTU7_44Sb7B70wUE2pMaVx0FfkN_BrDtfo4d1cKZTydEOOwxKId0mEKm2QTOFr1VtmX4z6nhL77g4AsTkRM4ilR8ZsT-cNrD5neHhU8yqu8P5SWuaTXlY3Rfgbw/w400-h254/FLrerMTVkAEjBsZ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It is also the series that allowed use to see something different than the 23rd or 24th centuries and it is the show that allowed to see the founding of the Federation in 2161. Also, fans experienced the quality of the writing, the production, and just how good and bold the series was. Part of this legacy has been experience by when <i>Enterprise</i> actors Dominic Keating & Conner Trinner when they appeared at the Cons and how many more people engaged with them over just a few years ago. Part of the legacy of <i>Enterprise</i> is being carried on with Dominic and Conner via their podcast: <i>The Shuttlepod Show</i>. Through their podcast, they have discussions about <i>Enterprise</i> with people involved in the show and the wider world of <i>Trek</i>. As a long time fan of <i>Enterprise</i>, it is wonderful to see people care about this show that was so maligned during its run and for the wider <i>Trek</i> community to give this show a legacy that is just more than "the show that killed proper <i>Star Trek</i> TV". </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Could <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i> come back or even should it?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWmAlPUNPYXKxjz4fYkTQbzpklMxA3fL-PtG0YxpDEFeSEXTDjB1KeklUHA94Y129TvRGstxLfkp6KbU7otKCsoHQYlzYrUEdg2VndAwMJfzoC-xLlhKssCMY4uAePgn026BJ-m9yxa8KJdv0BHaX_vtW1QvmreSHsAmbzFi8FC5zKcg3xfdrME70GhK1/s900/very-short-treks-trip-900x502.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="900" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWmAlPUNPYXKxjz4fYkTQbzpklMxA3fL-PtG0YxpDEFeSEXTDjB1KeklUHA94Y129TvRGstxLfkp6KbU7otKCsoHQYlzYrUEdg2VndAwMJfzoC-xLlhKssCMY4uAePgn026BJ-m9yxa8KJdv0BHaX_vtW1QvmreSHsAmbzFi8FC5zKcg3xfdrME70GhK1/w400-h223/very-short-treks-trip-900x502.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There has been some chatter about the possibility of <i>Enterprise</i> being taken out of cold storage and thawed out for some sort of continuation...but should it be honestly considered? I firmly believe that the time for <i>Enterprise</i> is gone and given that the show aired some 19 years ago...bring it back would be impossible for a live-action show. Simply put, the window for the actors as closed...they could not play their characters as they were in 2005 and recasting the NX-01 crew is pure heresy. However, that does not rule out the possibility of an animated <i>Enterprise</i> series finishing off their story. But, should this resurrection of a television series that went off the air nearly 20 years ago even be seriously considered? No. The time for <i>Enterprise </i>has passed and the endeavor to bring back the NX-01 is just too difficult of a task. We should let it stay in the past. Besides the animated path, there could be a way include some <i>Enterprise </i>into a guest appearance in <i>ST: SNW</i> or even <i>ST: LOW. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj740_wWbLRl3qpC-rqrtN7Sn575r2rd0MsArzt4xcR-E8umTLBliGcWJ4vK9gUoas6Js5NzRf3di8VkjGFlner_syDVOkBeOqeKdWoRTylMiwYBpBzGKjrU-v4Okw-t6LmwWlgQ606t8gLCVE1l5HqleJfBd-Pwv9mLDTTbd1GfHaX1HpscGyY4yJhwVN-/s600/fa_psl_mk23_m02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="600" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj740_wWbLRl3qpC-rqrtN7Sn575r2rd0MsArzt4xcR-E8umTLBliGcWJ4vK9gUoas6Js5NzRf3di8VkjGFlner_syDVOkBeOqeKdWoRTylMiwYBpBzGKjrU-v4Okw-t6LmwWlgQ606t8gLCVE1l5HqleJfBd-Pwv9mLDTTbd1GfHaX1HpscGyY4yJhwVN-/w400-h234/fa_psl_mk23_m02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the next installment of <u>Guns from the Future</u>, FWS will be diving into the SOCOM program that give birth to one of the most celebrated and lushed after military handguns: the H&K Mk. 23 .45ACP SOCOM. Not only will be exploring and explaining the handgun itself, but the other entry into the Offensive Handgun Weapons System Program, the Colt OHWS along with the OHWS Program. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u> </div><div><p><br /></p></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-33679893456504167952024-01-05T23:22:00.003-06:002024-01-05T23:22:57.003-06:00FWS Top 10: Forgotten Military SF Video Games (Vol. 10)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE-ZN8e2XBnJFB_SSzxtumV9Hb3EnNr8K5k9ETNT3JTkJB9Z_Y62rPF2bWmf_axkMGYrZf-o8W07AhsOte6PuGNl_K7dwMFGVvYZCJvjlxD-zyMDn177ENyyts0SZkPWBP6DnyNGotOAp/s800/pQhFuD4TZpuvBsrjhKCfD.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="800" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE-ZN8e2XBnJFB_SSzxtumV9Hb3EnNr8K5k9ETNT3JTkJB9Z_Y62rPF2bWmf_axkMGYrZf-o8W07AhsOte6PuGNl_K7dwMFGVvYZCJvjlxD-zyMDn177ENyyts0SZkPWBP6DnyNGotOAp/w640-h384/pQhFuD4TZpuvBsrjhKCfD.gif" width="640" /></a></div><p>Here we are my brothers and sisters of FWS: <b><u>the end of the Forgotten MSF Video Games Top 10 lists.</u></b> It has been years on this journey. For the last of this series of Top 10s, we have some interesting picks that span all of the gaming generations and some that I played and some I did not...but wanted to. As we close out this series, I am left with a feeling of what will appear on lists like this in the future. What current military science fiction games will be lost to the sands of time and someone like me will look back on to explore and explain in the future? Only time will tell, but the sands of time should bury deeply the horror that was <i>HALO 5: Guardians!</i></p>1. <u><i>Dreadnought/HMS Carnage </i>(Ocean Software/Infograms UK 1995-1998)</u><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-ITfBNgYwF7IMbTmBLgp2raX7LVJbdYXD_QYuShyphenhyphenzwt8W_pb1ijjk9CwaAqRJmSpfl-LObTk0wPDlFdd-s9iCTg9_-bFu5_QqAs_1FD1lXfpoULGXAI_2qRr0Bdwjv31N1f1kMm-NN3s-nChNjDUgGmqWINB2COHXAwzOae9KfBD7ligVXJWLsnOyph6/s353/download%20(4).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="353" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-ITfBNgYwF7IMbTmBLgp2raX7LVJbdYXD_QYuShyphenhyphenzwt8W_pb1ijjk9CwaAqRJmSpfl-LObTk0wPDlFdd-s9iCTg9_-bFu5_QqAs_1FD1lXfpoULGXAI_2qRr0Bdwjv31N1f1kMm-NN3s-nChNjDUgGmqWINB2COHXAwzOae9KfBD7ligVXJWLsnOyph6/w400-h163/download%20(4).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Quite recently, I was watching a video on the YouTube about the cancelled games for the nearly mythical Sega Saturn system and this one entry popped up via the trailer for this aborted 1998 game. Immediately, this games that goes by two names, reminded me of the 1988 Victoria steampunk Games Designers' Workshop RPG called <i>Space: 1889. </i>While this aborted game is NOT related to the GDW <i>Space: 1889 </i>property, the game and concept is likely influence by that RPG's setting of an Victoria-era European powers on the red planet. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDVb6Rx36JHWsRbKvbJZD_2wMDre4McvJ9VRKUu24TpGlhq9FCSiyIKXnksTUORZ4huwRaZZ_-G0gCYpPaLOMKJeO8j21io20IfYw5Xc3nHLRQysvSC0QHXdkLOw_pwy8sVpOGl1Urb8cRCKeR4Mpd6slHDtnevlM5D6mjGOhxLyeJCW4MzkZEFUL9Pns/s328/download%20(5).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="328" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDVb6Rx36JHWsRbKvbJZD_2wMDre4McvJ9VRKUu24TpGlhq9FCSiyIKXnksTUORZ4huwRaZZ_-G0gCYpPaLOMKJeO8j21io20IfYw5Xc3nHLRQysvSC0QHXdkLOw_pwy8sVpOGl1Urb8cRCKeR4Mpd6slHDtnevlM5D6mjGOhxLyeJCW4MzkZEFUL9Pns/s320/download%20(5).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Developed by Ocean Software interior team worked on this project the course of 4 years to be a hybrid shooter and light strategy game where your soldier could take to the skies or the ground with all manner of vehicles and even on foot to wage on the red planet. The early demo of the game made the rounds and even won some awards. This caused press coverage and excitement for the title. During the development, the game was titled "HMS Carnage", however, that would change due to merge between Ocean Software and Infograms, now the game was under the "Dreadnought" title by the new owners and that company itself had renamed Ocean to Infograms UK. While the game had four years of work on it, Infograms cancelled <i>Dreadnought</i> due to their belief that the game would sell below targeted sale numbers. If the game had could out in the late 1990's, it would have been released on the PlayStation, N64, Sega Saturn, and PC market via the CD-ROM format. I was unable to find how complete the game was at the time of cancellation. <div><i><br /></i><div>2. <u>Varuna's Forces (Accent Media 1995)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhue6EdnvH23r4GF0eWFJeqda29ub5njIB9WpvIM6m93lO6QTrM2f9t2EF_w9pcDjUnvXpqA6d2rA3U9AlsGaHFf6fraFkmJLnso8CAQoE2c-B029pMcULaKiDljbI4ApB1TgFgPCTcX6E8BS30dUkixBcrzD1FVqucdlIiFwvOGXlDyPj905fePUkZuUCk/s1280/maxresdefault%20(12).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhue6EdnvH23r4GF0eWFJeqda29ub5njIB9WpvIM6m93lO6QTrM2f9t2EF_w9pcDjUnvXpqA6d2rA3U9AlsGaHFf6fraFkmJLnso8CAQoE2c-B029pMcULaKiDljbI4ApB1TgFgPCTcX6E8BS30dUkixBcrzD1FVqucdlIiFwvOGXlDyPj905fePUkZuUCk/s320/maxresdefault%20(12).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In another 1990's cancelled game, we have Accent Media's <i>Varuna's Force</i> for the ATARI Jaguar CD add-on (that made it look like a toilet), the Dreamcast, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and the 3DO. The concept was of a military science fiction game that was a hybrid of both on-rails shooter, FOS, and limited strategy elements wrapped in mid-1990s FMV sequences that starred actor Michael Clarke Duncan. You played as the commander of an 8-member Marine Attack unit of the United Coalition of Planets and the team, "Varuna's Force" was tasked with various missions for the UCP. After the mission briefing, you would take control of the weapons systems of the Marine tactical transport vehicle during orbital insertion phase to defend the craft from incoming missiles and intercepting attack craft. After safety getting down to the surface, the first-person shooter/strategy element would take over and from one of the articles I read, it would have played similar to the <i>Space Hulk</i> games that came out at around the same time. This game sounds very promising and I likely would have bought this from my original PS1 back in the day. However, the game was cancelled when several of the consoles slated to have the port of the game died or were dying, like the very expensive 3DO and the cursed ATARI Jaguar CD. Still, it should have come out for the other systems so that we could have enjoyed that special 90's video game favor and vibe with solid military Sci-Fi elements that a cool mission types with some fleshed out world building elements. If I am being honest, the few surviving FMV sequences are a little over the top for current tastes. <br /><br /></div><div>3. <u>Inferno (Ocean Software 1994-1995)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcpADX1xroIOQyPjg3GE-YUUDd_UqXTxFL86PdGsBklmfZVeP_aQQBZ0B7nkkHyu9dH2T0StJm4RXK0ZOYFDP-iBn0rMh1ctIUUCWmaV4RuqMRI2BuHB25OoahAt0TTJzuP_TTm-cFJfVnQgPydaZsaO-2fTEigezi6PBhG3Ek0GC80gpf-FXRMoBN21N/s480/1898484-inferno_018.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcpADX1xroIOQyPjg3GE-YUUDd_UqXTxFL86PdGsBklmfZVeP_aQQBZ0B7nkkHyu9dH2T0StJm4RXK0ZOYFDP-iBn0rMh1ctIUUCWmaV4RuqMRI2BuHB25OoahAt0TTJzuP_TTm-cFJfVnQgPydaZsaO-2fTEigezi6PBhG3Ek0GC80gpf-FXRMoBN21N/s320/1898484-inferno_018.png" width="320" /></a></div>For clarity, this is a sequel to a 1992 title called <i>Epic, </i>a<i> </i>space combat game for the PC market and this 1994 sequel is a continuation of the story. You are a Terran space fighter pilot character and at the beginning of the game, you are abdicated by the enemy alien race: the Raxxons. After escaping the Raxxons, you vow venagence upon the aliens and embark on a holy quest to regain your humanity that the aliens took from you via space dogfights. Released in 1994 for MS-DOS PC computer, this was time of good solid space combat simulation games, like <i>X-Wing</i> and the titanic <i>Wing Commander</i>. I'd never heard of either <i>Epic </i>or <i>Inferno</i> until this article, I wonder why? Both games in the franchise seem highly rated, but they are barely mentioned. I guess from the amount of solid space shooters on the market, these titles got pushed out. </div><div><br /></div><div>4. <u>STARFIGHTER (AKA: Starfighter 3000 (Krisalis Software 1994 & 1996)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEIRdbrdkUeYBgRvhkarHSmLFUowTEbQZ2ruYUoxW7nm8R5e-VysuQSGuljnCyTMiBNxjPis2vf8Vy_K1DJDTB5W_eHw4ULcBmZNpKvehdhDqWhZLsKOCFtz4PYRi2MrLQGZL7v5VbK2I8zCW8n4aTQceq-1jwFEJ2SlN4lAQoy1kYNTgLwvvBh2NkufD/s737/7546_front.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="377" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEIRdbrdkUeYBgRvhkarHSmLFUowTEbQZ2ruYUoxW7nm8R5e-VysuQSGuljnCyTMiBNxjPis2vf8Vy_K1DJDTB5W_eHw4ULcBmZNpKvehdhDqWhZLsKOCFtz4PYRi2MrLQGZL7v5VbK2I8zCW8n4aTQceq-1jwFEJ2SlN4lAQoy1kYNTgLwvvBh2NkufD/w205-h400/7546_front.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>Originally, this slot would have been held by an entry on the PS1 <i>Final DOOM </i>title, however, when looking for images for the <i>Varuna's Forces</i> entry, I saw this Saturn box-art, and I never heard of <i>Starfighter</i> and so, here we are. This game resembles another space combat title from around the same time: <i>Cybermorph. </i>That title was also on another failed home console: the ATARI Jaguar. Developed by Krisalis Software for 3DO, PS1, Sega Saturn, and PC (later in 1996). Titled <i>Starfighter 3000</i> in Japan, the game has you as a space fighter pilot working for FEDNET in the year of 3037 and the ship you are assigned to is on a mission to weed out colonial warlords that have taken the weakness of the previous administrations over the Federation to take power. Your mission is to break the warlords hold on these Federation worlds and bring them back into the fold. Now, the game has an interesting history. The original game, called <i>Starfighter 3000</i> was released by a UK studio in 1994 for the Acorn Archimedes, a UK home computer that was up against the Amiga. In 1995, the game was upgraded for a port to the 3DO system, which some reviewers believe to be the best version of the game. It was again ported to the Saturn, DOS machines, Macs, and PS1 in 1996. Oddly, the originally British team that programmed the game, who took their name from FEDNET in the game, did not work on the home console ports of <i>Starfighter</i>. One of the elements that confuses the story of this game is the name change. On the Japanese Saturn game boxes, it is called <i>Starfighter 3000</i> and on the American Saturn released, the game drops the "3000" part of the name. </div><div><br /></div><div>5. <u><i>Pariah </i>(Brainbox Games, HIP Games and Digital Extremes 2005)</u><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirimXEnhvX3TjtIWEqHBvYigY57bF7KELpK90L6-wVS9s17WzMVn-zz1qxJRC20UzXwcvF-unFBX26UJbJs01tQ9OWgT4qHw7yy63bice0KKhtN25nTVUFxSKUgMW3pwo-MKMz2dgqJBcl5r2d3SU2NWwIo8Kt8iOYtOD6NRALNnx-rpTgU11UK-5SNpLZ/s440/a466b250-abd4-11ed-9d80-02420a00019a.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirimXEnhvX3TjtIWEqHBvYigY57bF7KELpK90L6-wVS9s17WzMVn-zz1qxJRC20UzXwcvF-unFBX26UJbJs01tQ9OWgT4qHw7yy63bice0KKhtN25nTVUFxSKUgMW3pwo-MKMz2dgqJBcl5r2d3SU2NWwIo8Kt8iOYtOD6NRALNnx-rpTgU11UK-5SNpLZ/s320/a466b250-abd4-11ed-9d80-02420a00019a.webp" width="223" /></a></div>If you had an original Xbox console and/or visited a Gamestop store between 2005-2008, than you have seen this Xbox shooter title starting back at you with those lifeless eyes and that huge gun that looks like a overgrown FN P90. "Pariah" is another word for "outcast" and this 2005 game was an outcasted to the cheap game section for OG Xbox titles. Set 30 years after a war against an alien race called "the Shroud", Earth is largely abandoned and humanity, under "the Alliance" lives on off-world colonies. The game centers around a marooned Alliance medic named Mason and his special female patient named Karina that is encased in cryo due to her being a host for a deadly virus. The two are the only survivors of a crash on the cursed Earth and they are make their way to an Alliance base while battling Shroud enemies along the way that are still on Earth. This was an attempted at a HALO clone, but it failed horribly due to a lack of doing that HALO does well. Lack of story, lack of good characters, lack of good guns, and nothing is compelling. <i>Pariah </i>is basically a lost OG Xbox title because of how poorly received it was on release and time has not been able to save the title either. This could have been a good title if it had a better story and better gameplay mechanics. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>6. <u>Total & Solar Eclipse (Crystal Dynamics 1994/1997)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKB2KKYupcGEU133uQjIJ9_AvkqWOzDF7v7lJho-xoXWK3v_v3k49ZDwnpKRH24Lv6LjxSSvzquAosye7tBT3SW3rCImFn8pNFpIHHFSQtgzKJfoiV_LApybCOEiXvou8ZKK2ywCoY37zQo5caVGNDQuQDpBeR_outI5KB9P-bbP6JGgToVi0N-0TNlg_/s408/Solar_Eclipse_1995_cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="244" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKB2KKYupcGEU133uQjIJ9_AvkqWOzDF7v7lJho-xoXWK3v_v3k49ZDwnpKRH24Lv6LjxSSvzquAosye7tBT3SW3rCImFn8pNFpIHHFSQtgzKJfoiV_LApybCOEiXvou8ZKK2ywCoY37zQo5caVGNDQuQDpBeR_outI5KB9P-bbP6JGgToVi0N-0TNlg_/w239-h400/Solar_Eclipse_1995_cover.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Coming int the packed space flight/combat market in 1994 was this entry from Crystal Dynamics: <i>Total Eclipse</i>. This game was a launch title for the Sony PlayStation under the name <i>Total Eclipse Turbo, </i>but was just <i>Solar Eclipse </i>for the 3DO release. Unlike other similar titles of the time, <i>Total Eclipse </i>has your starfighter engage the alien enemy on the surface of worlds rather than in space. Your goal is to destory the alien superweapon that threats to push the Terran sun into a nova. Upon release, the critics were not kind to the game and even one reviewer called the game the worst of the launch titles for the PlayStation. Despite this, there was a sequel called <i>Solar Eclipse</i> released in 1997. Then there is the interesting element behind the story of these forgotten spacefighter games. The sequel to the 1994 game was not to be a sequel at all, but a different game that was to be titled "Titan". However, it as believed by studio that <i>Titan</i> would be more successful as a sequel to <i>Total Eclipse</i> and thus, <i>Titan</i> was retitled and tied to the first game. However, in the Japanese and European markets, the 1997 game was called "Titan Wars" and not tied to <i>Total Eclipse</i>. Both of the <i>Eclipse</i> games disappeared from the common gamer consciousness due to their appearance on two dead consoles and not getting good reviews against similar and more well known titles. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>7. <u>Fracture (LusasArts/Day1 Studios 2008)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDJgerTEZlKJLJ19a926RYyMfeLPOFRosZ1CvsWsbGO2Sk5dWA8eQM2pTHIKxkg80t7nckUOx3JQhmysq6vwJyI1QBvSazozJ8r1PAXqxjkHCu0ahI2Ud6lMV4fJlTjtv_-CXKQ4ums7zT7-ctbDJir8o2OUfZFCM7WB5quwfSx-fgOjndNv27zJZ2wSc/s1280/lucasarts-day-1-action-project-untitled-20070502095451258-1979135.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDJgerTEZlKJLJ19a926RYyMfeLPOFRosZ1CvsWsbGO2Sk5dWA8eQM2pTHIKxkg80t7nckUOx3JQhmysq6vwJyI1QBvSazozJ8r1PAXqxjkHCu0ahI2Ud6lMV4fJlTjtv_-CXKQ4ums7zT7-ctbDJir8o2OUfZFCM7WB5quwfSx-fgOjndNv27zJZ2wSc/s320/lucasarts-day-1-action-project-untitled-20070502095451258-1979135.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>This entry was suggested by a FWS reader! Thank you! This was not a title I was familiar with until I started the researching this article, which is odd, considering that <i>Fracture</i> was a LucasArts title released 4 years before the fall of LucasArts in 2008 to the mouse. Developed by Day 1 Studios for the PS3, Xbox 360 platforms, <i>Facture </i>is a future shooter game, the player can alter the terrain via cool sounding weapons like the "tectonic" and "subsonic" grenades. While this sounds cool, it should be noted that as one reviewer pointed out when the game was released that the majority of the game does not take place on land that can be effected by the terrain altering weapon systems. Great. While having some inventive elements, <i>Facture</i> got average scores from reviewers and this new property that LucasArts was attempting to develop died due to poor sales just one game into this attempted franchise. </div><div><br /></div><div>8. <u>Starflight (Binary Systems 1986)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtFeKz9bkGugO1bRbw6lH-PzmZi8vLDXANvcre3chdtx1c8iu_rCHUYmHfLCJ0DxvWKsbFAYOnowaWLPfuPA_vuPbkzTszyXzwoM-qwA-x7PbewIgdv_Fk-5H7yYXUTix8gf-GYwBGZwx1cm9T0SayvIOFDJp4WoMq82zCCkXGLM8puuwnSReU3qJaULa/s800/co47v2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtFeKz9bkGugO1bRbw6lH-PzmZi8vLDXANvcre3chdtx1c8iu_rCHUYmHfLCJ0DxvWKsbFAYOnowaWLPfuPA_vuPbkzTszyXzwoM-qwA-x7PbewIgdv_Fk-5H7yYXUTix8gf-GYwBGZwx1cm9T0SayvIOFDJp4WoMq82zCCkXGLM8puuwnSReU3qJaULa/s320/co47v2.png" width="240" /></a></div>In the records of video games that give us <i>Mass Effect, </i>we have this space exploration/RPG title for 1980's home computers: <i>Starflight</i> by Binary Systems. In the year of 4620, you are at the helm of a starship on a mission to explore the galaxy with trading missions, mining, combat, and diplomacy all in cards for the player. Sounds like the template from the writers room for <i>Star Trek. </i>When researching this game, it is amazing how large and complex this title was for 1980's computer hardware. It is claimed in the Wikipedia entry that there were 270 star systems, over 800 worlds, with trading possibilities to upgrade your ship along with crew for your explorer class vessel. One element of the gameplay that it not really seen in other space exploration titles is that gravity is a factor in the game and planet's with gravity over 8g can crush your starship. This causes the player to task the science officer to scan the world for the gravity rating prior atmospheric entry. Released on various computer hardware at the time, including the Apple and ATARI ST computers, and there was a 1991 release for the Mega-Drive/Genesis Sega home consoles. While the game is highly praised to this day, especially by the folks at BioWare that developed <i>Mass Effect</i>, I didn't know about this game's existance until the gather of games for this article. This is likely due to the age of the title and the computers that <i>Starflight </i>was designed to run on. </div><div><br /></div><div>9. <u>MechAssault II: Lone Wolf (DAY 1 Studios 2004)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcCX7PRiJMSrTTGyimzMvkEr0cyYFyZRovT3nJM54-2Wjw00ypasZjvYXCxvRe7b9O5cbySIU36eLic68ZFQg9cJIcljpAc0JHWC3-uffpXthDevTfXVAcTLAHGZdtaXt8mvnBGdKH8v5oI31KaXMS0T4Rvv8MYX714w8OHCIK2H9kCvzmggBAA4jKsEc/s375/Mechassaultlonewolfcover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcCX7PRiJMSrTTGyimzMvkEr0cyYFyZRovT3nJM54-2Wjw00ypasZjvYXCxvRe7b9O5cbySIU36eLic68ZFQg9cJIcljpAc0JHWC3-uffpXthDevTfXVAcTLAHGZdtaXt8mvnBGdKH8v5oI31KaXMS0T4Rvv8MYX714w8OHCIK2H9kCvzmggBAA4jKsEc/s320/Mechassaultlonewolfcover.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>Being a massive fan of the FASA <i>Battletech </i>games, I was excited when a console-based mecha-based combat game was released on the original Xbox. For the most part, the 2002 <i>MechAssault </i>by Day 1 Studios was a big success and a game that I still own for my beloved OG Xbox. Given the success of the first game, a sequel was in order and in 2004 Day 1 Studios would release <i>MechaAssault II: Lone Wolf. </i>Unlike the original title, here your mech pilot operates other vehicle on the 31st century battlefield along with the ability to hack into crewed mecha in order to pirate them and turn them against their former masters. Despite the good magazine coverage for the game by publications like <i>Game Informer</i>, the game was not as successful as the original title nor as well loved by the fandom. This could have been one of the reasons behind the lack of a 3rd game in the series. According to what little we know, the 3rd game would have centered around the invading clans that left the Inner Sphere hundreds of years ago. I personally think that the sequel title loomed in the shadow of the original 2002 game and given that own both titles, I never thought the sequel measured up, especially given the lack of focus on mech-based combat. </div><div><br /></div><div>10. <u><i>Metroid II: The Return of Samus</i> (Nintendo 1991)</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbY8U7cbwBL0RS9w2caKEq3xN0Jc1Uz6g8McCxxBIn9ODjiJTdh3Nj7pYN0OvOG_5oR1fvolQ8ccsgva0OkOQNqnLoXT9_tNfqA0KfsoM2dMnEIEZHk-1rQGxcaRr1K7D5XtUsSU-JUJs/s800/4555770-0.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbY8U7cbwBL0RS9w2caKEq3xN0Jc1Uz6g8McCxxBIn9ODjiJTdh3Nj7pYN0OvOG_5oR1fvolQ8ccsgva0OkOQNqnLoXT9_tNfqA0KfsoM2dMnEIEZHk-1rQGxcaRr1K7D5XtUsSU-JUJs/s320/4555770-0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Confession time: I did not chose a NES in 1987 for my big Christmas present...I picked the ATARI 7800. Oh dear god. I wished I had picked the NES now, but it allowed to see another side of gaming during the NES era. However, instead of picking the ATARI Lynx, I did chose wisely and asked for a Gameboy for Christmas of 1991. For my Gameboy, I got several games including this treasure: <i>Metroid II: the Return of Samus</i>. I had always wanted to play the original NES <i>Metroid</i>, but lacked the NES to do so. So, I was not going to miss out on the sequel title on the handheld and I was grateful I played it. <i>Metroid II</i> is a classic and a damn good game on the Gameboy. <i>Metroid II</i> was released in November of 1991, about two years after the original Gameboy hardware was released and 5 years after the original game came out on the NES. Some in the retro community have called this game superior to the original, but for some <i>Metroid</i> fans, this game would be lost fora time if they did not have access to the GameBoy hardware and the game. It was playable on the GameBoy color, 3DS, and now is accessible via the Switch Online database. To me, the box-art for the original GameBoy is one of the best in the <i>Metroid </i>series along with that era of gaming. I due feel like this game was forgotten by newer generations of gamers due to its release on the original GameBoy, however, <i>Metroid </i>sites and entry kept the game from totally forgotten until the later releases. </div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-6931261091752213112023-12-24T21:15:00.002-06:002023-12-24T21:15:35.828-06:00Happy Holidays for FWS!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E04FFQqDndC_knRNBMfCzMl3FUFKcHU1XPql0KSstIe_Y_PtKB6tQUjsUDIf_n6xWBRRdALu5Q2XiWen9jVoOCxsQ9qhkoQZWDcfWDJ_leJ7Knsdgexiuke2QYu_2ua-PAy1Xyxi3gu1yWif4BCddLypJmXBI_90-uD3qLBkvWpbSJ7q6BXAv2nBKMQv/s434/5p5c2c9ptd281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="434" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E04FFQqDndC_knRNBMfCzMl3FUFKcHU1XPql0KSstIe_Y_PtKB6tQUjsUDIf_n6xWBRRdALu5Q2XiWen9jVoOCxsQ9qhkoQZWDcfWDJ_leJ7Knsdgexiuke2QYu_2ua-PAy1Xyxi3gu1yWif4BCddLypJmXBI_90-uD3qLBkvWpbSJ7q6BXAv2nBKMQv/w640-h366/5p5c2c9ptd281.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As 2023 ends and we look to the soon-to-be-eventful year of 2024, I want to wish everyone a peaceful season of holiday celebration. I hope that 2024 will be one of peace...but I am not holding my breath on that one. As we close the year, I thinking back to what 2023 had been and want it wasn't. It has been the year I got new job that seems to a real gift and one that returned me to the medical field. It was the year I lost my gallbladder, but gained more medical bills. Fun. It is the year that I had to give up DESTINY and turn to Skyrim, to save me the endless grind of the game. It was the year that I had to have major pool work done (don't ever get a fucking pool!) It was the year that I started work on the FWS podcast project. On that subject, I will be throwing up a tester of the podcast and see what if you think it is worth moving forward. After much work on the podcast project, here is what I think the future of FWS is: hybrid. Some of our articles cannot work as an audio-only media and some articles can work as both. My plan is to continue some articles as text and some as audio. I might try to have an audio resources page where I have a podcast and you check out images on the site as reference materials. I am hope to post the first teaser of the FWS Podcast before the end of January '24. I hope for all you out there that 2024 is a good year for you and yours. I hope for peace and I hope for sane minds to overcome ones filled with fear and evil. We deserve a better world than what we have. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Stay Frosty and drink some Eggnog! See you space marines in 2024!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqSKlMDlOY6K6Yff8fnWymRVQMWTOLNiGyRwYty5Fv1oSfAxWw2uUqH0d-yi6JheS4phlOcUdZov8zpkysIcK_4QnUS5guVv0Rn_JRcjAXT04EpnsprjNUNURm2w_et7pz9AgtJ1eZifDplGcl4mc82z_EWVMC0nLT2HMwq7lnV9n5wLhxWDL9zVb3T3C/s1080/tumblr_986361bb98a59c7817629ed9728e8982_36e7b151_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqSKlMDlOY6K6Yff8fnWymRVQMWTOLNiGyRwYty5Fv1oSfAxWw2uUqH0d-yi6JheS4phlOcUdZov8zpkysIcK_4QnUS5guVv0Rn_JRcjAXT04EpnsprjNUNURm2w_et7pz9AgtJ1eZifDplGcl4mc82z_EWVMC0nLT2HMwq7lnV9n5wLhxWDL9zVb3T3C/s320/tumblr_986361bb98a59c7817629ed9728e8982_36e7b151_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-67909521425526811502023-12-10T10:20:00.002-06:002023-12-10T10:20:43.458-06:00FWS News Feed: I was a guest on the JURS Podcast for the TERMINATOR Franchise show!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpR_JLzc97OrSTEjpcQ8-5EwyIc2suFVZImN7DwhW6nEJ1eRzY7tWtJibVuftXVW-tgSFDCQeJL4md893t418LxUEe5DKkYsLb1uoqIfdOtNCpDT0y28elgYa5hDJV618fPlcJ3N1GeG8YZ2giHESRzyETMgHnuRpOUupgTv0Wv-3vIoZlXsYr-RQ6FR8/s1024/405667039_18088764631381430_4845477398802371666_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpR_JLzc97OrSTEjpcQ8-5EwyIc2suFVZImN7DwhW6nEJ1eRzY7tWtJibVuftXVW-tgSFDCQeJL4md893t418LxUEe5DKkYsLb1uoqIfdOtNCpDT0y28elgYa5hDJV618fPlcJ3N1GeG8YZ2giHESRzyETMgHnuRpOUupgTv0Wv-3vIoZlXsYr-RQ6FR8/w640-h480/405667039_18088764631381430_4845477398802371666_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Recently, I have been a guest a few times on the JURS podcast and the most recent was the show about the TERMINATOR franchise with a number of other talented guests. Check out to hear my bad Arnold impression and how much I hate the majority of TERMINATOR films! I was also recently a guest on for a show about B5! Stay tuned for that one! <div><br /></div><div><b><u>LINKS:</u></b><br /><p></p><p><b>@youtube </b></p><p><b>https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCIyMawFPgvOpOUhKcQo4eQQ</b></p><p><b>@iHeartRadio</b></p><p><b>https://www.iheart.com/.../269-the-jacked-up-review-show.../</b></p><p><b>@Podbean</b></p><p><b>https://jackedupreviewshow.podbean.com</b></p><p><b>@Spotify</b></p><p><b>https://open.spotify.com/show/7Eg8w0DNympD6SQXSj1X3M</b></p><p><b>@getvurbl</b></p><p><b>https://vurbl.com/station/AlDDoblc4Oa/</b></p><p><b>@ApplePodcasts</b></p><p><b>https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the-jacked-up.../id1494236218</b></p><p><b>RadioPublic:</b></p><p><b>https://radiopublic.com/the-jacked-up-review-show-We4VjE</b></p><p><b>Overcast:</b></p><p><b>https://overcast.fm/itu.../the-jacked-up-review-show-podcast</b></p></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-46485138047875109752023-12-03T11:25:00.000-06:002023-12-03T11:25:06.973-06:00Military Sci-Fi Oddities: The DESTINY Franchise <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oPbxORjQPIudzUq9Khtu_0-1NEhHP1Bap6CdzaozHkBbJ8qPlF0E_BdnuYnMeSQ4CKNTamakj3x6BTHaHcPUvcTNYfzuKEgZTLm7iNMRPCRLyus4KRmU1p0kDPRmxM5RjlfIfBo13DOh2pWD9nKynbSXpecz0s7ldVekJjXedNl4XIXCIbNZXRyXHg/s1200/Destiny-2_-The-Witch-Queen---Season-19-Ending-Cinematic-%5BUK%5D-3-27-screenshot.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oPbxORjQPIudzUq9Khtu_0-1NEhHP1Bap6CdzaozHkBbJ8qPlF0E_BdnuYnMeSQ4CKNTamakj3x6BTHaHcPUvcTNYfzuKEgZTLm7iNMRPCRLyus4KRmU1p0kDPRmxM5RjlfIfBo13DOh2pWD9nKynbSXpecz0s7ldVekJjXedNl4XIXCIbNZXRyXHg/w640-h360/Destiny-2_-The-Witch-Queen---Season-19-Ending-Cinematic-%5BUK%5D-3-27-screenshot.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>A Long Time Ago in the 90s, in a gaming landscape far, far away was this little software company that established itself with a clone of <i>Pong</i>, Just eleven years later, this little Washington-based software company would released one of the most successful, celebrated, and beloved video games of all time: <i>HALO: Combat Evolved. </i>After selling over 6 million copies, the <i>HALO</i> franchise was born and it would be a juggernaut that rose to generating sales of 5 Billion dollars. In 2010, the last Bungie made <i>HALO</i> game would be released: <i>Reach</i> and after that, Bungie became all about the new IP: <i>Destiny, </i>while <i>HALO</i> was spun off to a new gaming studio: 343 Industries. From the September 2014 of <i>Destiny </i>(D1) to the current release of the Season 20 expansion called <i>Lightfall </i>for <i>Destiny 2 </i>(D2), many of fans and critics have regarded <i>Destiny</i> as an oddity, and as a former massive fan and weekly player of <i>Destiny 2</i>, I thought FWS should look into the oddity that is the <i>Destiny</i> franchise. </p><b><u>My History with Destiny</u></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEdf27-y6ZICBhhRm9cPG_7b9CcJhA40zFBoi5sGtaBS_dT1xPBzUaGYEOB1ZiO12mMKhBvNoV0cONitteEVLKNAs8AQuHNO1D2bgcz1xWYZ-Cm2JVnuxiUJxZqTj5_6YrfI-D7Jf6ED56sqLDr7XRhcd1WW02MH6c1ed7OeMypoCtb3IsjqoIaHjRm7p/s1440/rdg8jytnou851.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1440" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEdf27-y6ZICBhhRm9cPG_7b9CcJhA40zFBoi5sGtaBS_dT1xPBzUaGYEOB1ZiO12mMKhBvNoV0cONitteEVLKNAs8AQuHNO1D2bgcz1xWYZ-Cm2JVnuxiUJxZqTj5_6YrfI-D7Jf6ED56sqLDr7XRhcd1WW02MH6c1ed7OeMypoCtb3IsjqoIaHjRm7p/w400-h266/rdg8jytnou851.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I barely knew that Bungie existed until the November 2001 release of HALO: Combat Evolved on the OG Xbox, but once the gaming community got their hands on the game and the console, the magic happened. I came to HALO about 2 years after release after a home robbery left me without my PS2. I bought an Xbox and a copy of HALO: CE and became part of the faithful. Now, given that the HALO series were some of my favorite games, I was very excited by news of Bungie working on their next property and for years, some little bits of information flowed out until the first trailers and that banging live-action trailer with the Gods of Rock (Led-Zeppelin) pumping my excitement in total fangirl mode. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrXgnZDPVYYIX_vm8y4bBMtb_Jn_CWa7o7JbcbeyU47znMkj8hNdBracNj_37to0GvgxvSp8Jq4p9k3IvNR7IdHkBj3WsjTLin89665hJpfUuAQ2OYUQGpmQMNIqfi4djc27IfinTSvNEv38AR4mgZhG-xtIk5WVFLz6FoS2KaKvbwUOeH6BmNJ9WKk7H/s1280/maxresdefault%20(13).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrXgnZDPVYYIX_vm8y4bBMtb_Jn_CWa7o7JbcbeyU47znMkj8hNdBracNj_37to0GvgxvSp8Jq4p9k3IvNR7IdHkBj3WsjTLin89665hJpfUuAQ2OYUQGpmQMNIqfi4djc27IfinTSvNEv38AR4mgZhG-xtIk5WVFLz6FoS2KaKvbwUOeH6BmNJ9WKk7H/w400-h225/maxresdefault%20(13).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I would buy the original <i>Destiny </i>in 2016 and then bought the <i>Taken King</i> expansion a little later. And damn! I did love me some original <i>Destiny</i>, but I wished the story and the single-player campaign had been much better. HALO it was not. I played <i>D1</i> for nine months until I bought other Xbox One games and I came to the original game here and there. When <i>D2</i> came out, I was disappointed by the destruction of the tower and the direction taken. So, I decided not to get onto <i>D2</i>. Then, it became free-to-play (sort of) and I downloaded the game around 2021...and it took over my life and sank production on FWS to a crawl. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyD21tDmR7GxbZLp78g0RlIi7IGUK7fgiRSKTaHaVWn1cXjmGydSCv1sn6fKESsveu7svezNk_A3wQ3YHVnRN2hADv9TtIpnYLU7ectjcwlE0Zauu2uImFee18LOBJKXzn5eVA6KmdhuHLcyu6MDs_RF6X7POd3WGZC89Qp07_3qMygzOUUDPzY0nkhuF/s600/omg-make-it-633f77d452.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyD21tDmR7GxbZLp78g0RlIi7IGUK7fgiRSKTaHaVWn1cXjmGydSCv1sn6fKESsveu7svezNk_A3wQ3YHVnRN2hADv9TtIpnYLU7ectjcwlE0Zauu2uImFee18LOBJKXzn5eVA6KmdhuHLcyu6MDs_RF6X7POd3WGZC89Qp07_3qMygzOUUDPzY0nkhuF/w400-h225/omg-make-it-633f77d452.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>But, it was a short road from enjoyment to pain with no safe word to protect you from that line between spicy and trauma. Soon, the endless lifeless grind was too much and the paywalls were too much. When the <i>Lightfall </i>expansion hit, I was done with the abuse, fueling me to finally buy <i>Skyrim. </i>Thus, finally allowing to get clean and sober from <i>D2</i> and move onward. Presently, my relationship with <i>D2</i> is mostly over. I get one once and a great while on Tuesday to check out if there is anything worth my Bright Dust, and most of the time I jump off and rejoin Aela the Huntress on a quest. To me, <i>Destiny </i>is nearly a dead game and a franchise with little future. <br /><p><b><u>The Oddities of the Destiny Franchise</u></b></p><u>1. There is a story...if you want it</u><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFwxjHlpuTa6J44SIErnlUyylFCbAYzc_mXU3TkaSTNr1U6w2Rur5bZzKd1pKBArAapzFqUMdMxzqbEzzJ-W5v4gCiFNJsItxx1SInRpV5zEgSyMhUZa3vdJOmi6YTB-jCibsGYAnZUqkVnHlz2mkl22kGfm3NhYwpoo04Qkym0wJoEEVTUArw7h0yg/s662/Speaker.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFwxjHlpuTa6J44SIErnlUyylFCbAYzc_mXU3TkaSTNr1U6w2Rur5bZzKd1pKBArAapzFqUMdMxzqbEzzJ-W5v4gCiFNJsItxx1SInRpV5zEgSyMhUZa3vdJOmi6YTB-jCibsGYAnZUqkVnHlz2mkl22kGfm3NhYwpoo04Qkym0wJoEEVTUArw7h0yg/w400-h223/Speaker.png" width="400" /></a>While the story of Bungie's other two big franchise: HALO and Marathon, were layered into the game itself giving us gamers a world to fight for and within...and that sort of exists within <i>Destiny</i>. While D1 introduces us new lights to the world after the Collapse and the Last City, there is some much more that is given to us via these lame "Grimoire Cards". If you want to fully understand the universe of <i>Destiny</i><u> t</u>han you have to read those entries into the lore or watch several YouTube channels devoted to exploring the history of <i>Destiny. </i>However, if you don't want it that shit and just want to get down to PvE and PvP action than the story is just a few cutscenes. This is a sad element of <i>Destiny</i> and it undercuts the vast amount of work that creators did to forge the world that your Guardian fights for the light within. This lack of involvement and accessibility to the story of <i>Destiny</i> was a major disappointment to the fans of HALO and it creates a lack of identity for the game. <br /><br /><u>2. The Amount of Loot/Gear/Weapons/Fashion in this Game</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw5_FErnphMo_ge9nxdzHtCmO07CTvWqVUnD_gXN-h2KECHKICaPGyP47P_b_f5aEoz4AwOeMXp25kEqJMCw7GLVNnKTRJ54MFIWUX3Tfmhyphenhyphenet8rTZsrOZ90fN6rMbC5O9Sc5ZLCVY3TYNrEDKE2Kcsp0kiO8BqW8aP87MHlGFwxA209bmV8fOthFzP-m/s940/6cde44194cfd-banshee-44.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw5_FErnphMo_ge9nxdzHtCmO07CTvWqVUnD_gXN-h2KECHKICaPGyP47P_b_f5aEoz4AwOeMXp25kEqJMCw7GLVNnKTRJ54MFIWUX3Tfmhyphenhyphenet8rTZsrOZ90fN6rMbC5O9Sc5ZLCVY3TYNrEDKE2Kcsp0kiO8BqW8aP87MHlGFwxA209bmV8fOthFzP-m/w400-h225/6cde44194cfd-banshee-44.jpg" width="400" /></a>There are no games that I've ever played that has the amount of items for your character's personal armory, transport, and drip. <i>D2</i> has a rumored nearly a thousand guns in the game with millions of combinations of perks for those weapons. Not to mention the number of shaders, ghost shells, sparrow vehicles, jump ships, and transmat beam-in effects. You could spend hours upon hours grinding for those wanted items or spending real money for an awesome bunny ghost shell ( I totally did this). Why is this odd? While games similar to <i>Destiny</i> have loot, guns, gear, and fashion...I've seen anything like this and it seems to consume the community with <i>D2</i> being mostly a fashion game for that important drip for your Guardian. It also leads to the dreaded God Roll Fever...more on that down below.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>3. The Dancing Guardians</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaLPnq0y_PeQaDoqJyQbOOAkJKrMOg2pWAx39euD0dcCOMmZPQULx0bO83LeaiZ6ybZdyCtLvd_Xw3NMrexi6EdFTHJoUDGqihvSDgXm1W1YH1cbB9CfnicWgNytJA9rsuCxPU_UDB1brOJwP-Dc8AGHVtER6Om-59iYmnDbilbeIBRK1rWB01ywwTQ/s320/shaxx-kiryu.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaLPnq0y_PeQaDoqJyQbOOAkJKrMOg2pWAx39euD0dcCOMmZPQULx0bO83LeaiZ6ybZdyCtLvd_Xw3NMrexi6EdFTHJoUDGqihvSDgXm1W1YH1cbB9CfnicWgNytJA9rsuCxPU_UDB1brOJwP-Dc8AGHVtER6Om-59iYmnDbilbeIBRK1rWB01ywwTQ/s1600/shaxx-kiryu.gif" /></a>In the marketing for the game as well as a major interactivity feature of the game is the ability for our Guardian warriors to dance and dance like there is no tomorrow. From NPC speech elements and other little pieces, we know that the dancing Guardians is an actually a canon element of their personality. It is so odd on much dancing and just down right odd behavior is present in the Guardians themselves. I wish there was more explored about the Guardians identity and culture in the game...but that would mean there would actually be a game there and not a cash grab by Bungie. After all, story is so HALO. <br /><br /><br /><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><br /></div><div><u>4. Are We Space Zombies?!</u><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyynlQPkBLIsaPWCDWtmYQu8rU50U9efzm0orPej1tNevzsuj6K2-x-pIJ8ceHxudBzSA7ERrsmsS4rrqfget3NLWcYc9AR4gF5Py4_Jw4Ys8oO-2NY-SUS11dGx80uMqbGxp8VbaYVjD4drjfTAzH4RuZEzA0FtcCyu0KbDjgFHTotLmrpmpEHXtmig/s480/giphy.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="480" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyynlQPkBLIsaPWCDWtmYQu8rU50U9efzm0orPej1tNevzsuj6K2-x-pIJ8ceHxudBzSA7ERrsmsS4rrqfget3NLWcYc9AR4gF5Py4_Jw4Ys8oO-2NY-SUS11dGx80uMqbGxp8VbaYVjD4drjfTAzH4RuZEzA0FtcCyu0KbDjgFHTotLmrpmpEHXtmig/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>We were dead. Our body was laying among the rusting car and the bones scattered outside of the Cosmodrome in Old Russia. While never said, it is assumed we were part of those attempting to gain access to the ships trying to escape off-world during the Collapse. Or we were protecting those attempting to escape by holding the line against the Darkness forces. When our Ghost found our dusty bones and began the process of our first resurrection, we may have been in the dirt for centuries. From that moment when we lived again, we were a space warrior that used the light of the Traveler to fight the darkness, eat Ramen, and dance like there is no tomorrow. But...who were we before we were a space zombie warrior of the light? Shockingly, Bungie never developed official lore for these questions of who we were before we met our end at that road in old Russia. This could have allowed for system similar to how we pick the background of our Shepard in <i>Mass Effect.</i> It is odd to think that this idea was not expanded on by Bungie and it is also odd to think that our Guardians maybe a form of space zombie...? <br /><div><br /></div><div><u>5. The Ships that go nowhere...</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHypx7W2QON75_235hIbOz0M1JzvytEHdYOfbL4NQe1QCdXsjUp_UWki6GyqljyK7J7RrfP4BOZU2eue97TXUeOKEvPbxBsEqKHvcr2b5eIsKBWRHZi56cmzRUK1BH2hrF9zTjLVNK2Hc_M9jqy4Ob_xuy_sioRT83occX6CWE0tTv8OJq6WLEg92kgg/s600/Destiny-Jump-Ships.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHypx7W2QON75_235hIbOz0M1JzvytEHdYOfbL4NQe1QCdXsjUp_UWki6GyqljyK7J7RrfP4BOZU2eue97TXUeOKEvPbxBsEqKHvcr2b5eIsKBWRHZi56cmzRUK1BH2hrF9zTjLVNK2Hc_M9jqy4Ob_xuy_sioRT83occX6CWE0tTv8OJq6WLEg92kgg/w400-h225/Destiny-Jump-Ships.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In some games, your ship is an important part of your identity, travel, strategy, and ability to fight as we seen in <i>Mass Effect, Starfield, </i>and even in <i>Outer Worlds</i>...but not in <i>Destiny. </i>The jumpships in both <i>Destiny</i> games are just a fashion piece that is only seen in orbit of a world or during transit to a world. Sure, you can pay or win many ships and apply shapers to the jumpships in <i>D2</i>, but you never see the inside, you cannot customize it, you cannot access your vault while in the ship (yet). It is a ship that goes no where and does little for the game. If you wanted to, you could just use the first jumpship given to you and that would be fine, which is so odd considering how important most spaceships are to most space-based games, but oddly in <i>Destiny</i> franchise, they are nothing more an computer wallpapers. <i> </i><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><u>6. The Failure of the <i>Destiny</i> Merchandise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg7xNzLKkKGpnw6i0VVOBTarEfvVTvdEEsySGwoRWPznMUUAcVHOCMgQoIExdaq160HI_LVF6sUlEUeRekdApbl8uCTxfR59Evud9uyeg_eZpdR6DoQJr5uE550KkleFRwInaLoomE4Wx3QRdbA02E7aDnyHEYsCQDEDeAVXpnFMODwLP08hmtpIg7g/s1500/81KWs442NrL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1500" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg7xNzLKkKGpnw6i0VVOBTarEfvVTvdEEsySGwoRWPznMUUAcVHOCMgQoIExdaq160HI_LVF6sUlEUeRekdApbl8uCTxfR59Evud9uyeg_eZpdR6DoQJr5uE550KkleFRwInaLoomE4Wx3QRdbA02E7aDnyHEYsCQDEDeAVXpnFMODwLP08hmtpIg7g/w400-h361/81KWs442NrL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When <i>Destiny </i>launched, companies saw the ability to jump onto a Bungie franchise on the ground floor and maybe reap the success and sweet sweet cold hard cash of HALO. Companies like McFarlane and Mega Bloks jumped with their own lines of merchandise and even Bungie had <i>Destiny </i> themed items...but it all failed. While HALO enjoyed much success in the work of merchandising, <i>Destiny </i>oddly did not due to the story being hidden and the look of our Guardians are highly customizable. The toys of our Guardians are not what we see when we log into the game. I celebrate that those toy makers attempted to bring the world of <i>Destiny</i> to a playable scale or that we had plastic display pieces of some characters in the game. Also, I give Mega Bloks praise for bring an actual plastic Xur figure to the line. Bloody legends. The entire <i>Destiny</i> toyline just seems off somehow like other current video game toylines and yes, Lego Mario, I'm looking at you. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>7. People are Always There...</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJKSlw9rYD-SSryrNNzdBZw36743ren_gbADFwG3NMtOBNt11rCfYywBNAtNIOQuOeJewkSXpqEkIDn2aUzjjAQAe6LHMNK_g5WJGDc9fB9kh42vYBb9JILFdFXhCdkqJPa0ezSdMeRknOT_vzN1vML9x02gOKf87GUjtks9MnCHY0zXY3Hb7sR3CPqXY/s498/huh-confused.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="498" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJKSlw9rYD-SSryrNNzdBZw36743ren_gbADFwG3NMtOBNt11rCfYywBNAtNIOQuOeJewkSXpqEkIDn2aUzjjAQAe6LHMNK_g5WJGDc9fB9kh42vYBb9JILFdFXhCdkqJPa0ezSdMeRknOT_vzN1vML9x02gOKf87GUjtks9MnCHY0zXY3Hb7sR3CPqXY/s320/huh-confused.gif" width="320" /></a></div>One of the odd things for me was the fact that there were real live human beings in the gaming environment at all times despite the fact I did not have Xbox Live. In the middle of my campaign mission, there were other Guardians dancing, being weird, and flashing emotes at one another. This is something I got used to, but it was an oddity for me that I was in a living world of other Guardians that did interact with me, even if I did not have Xbox Live, unlike when I am playing <i>Skyrim. </i></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>8. It All Takes Place in Our Solar System</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVojI43BqM3k6oa3giiG-rWzWs0XnKW6itWT56nLB4H3FVqJO2z-OAcwh9u_EURr_qH4GWoBkrx-FYU2HnLWyOi3Q_59gENfT4j5qq6n6I2jdqpl3rxPNhS5xCOZ00D2O03_lJCLcZcnzEYRJRuvMIO0qqRzavkY0uPIKhleG4m4gBW8fATouVASmTpVvH/s1200/D5qPhpqW4AEgmGl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVojI43BqM3k6oa3giiG-rWzWs0XnKW6itWT56nLB4H3FVqJO2z-OAcwh9u_EURr_qH4GWoBkrx-FYU2HnLWyOi3Q_59gENfT4j5qq6n6I2jdqpl3rxPNhS5xCOZ00D2O03_lJCLcZcnzEYRJRuvMIO0qqRzavkY0uPIKhleG4m4gBW8fATouVASmTpVvH/w400-h225/D5qPhpqW4AEgmGl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Nearly all science fiction, ranging from literature to video games depict active spacefaring civilization that travel among the stars. Much more rare is those works that show a spacefaring civilization that are just contained to their homeworld solar system. One can consider the government of the 12 Colonies for <i>BSG</i> and the 'verse from <i>Firefly, </i>and the entire <i>Destiny </i>franchise. As I said, this very rare and odd. It is shocking that all of the action in the game and the entire Golden Age of humanity is isolated to the Terran system. Now, there were attempts just before the collapse to send humanity to exo-solar destinations like Kepler-186 and even the Andromeda galaxy via the Exodus Program...but we do not play within those environments. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>9. Farming for the God Roll!</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7DiRX99ziaDrOYAmp8FVAuggIRejcYoqp2RADrdA-kZ4pBLraIbsez18VT2_yt-WZa-wfO-z09wTaYpo0KSYyYcrXLVdDXUnhQl3-2m7LoW9PZEffwoywhrFYxLLY4EGvAdVfodfOeu6WZtMdl6UA-NwJEJkj5XsCvfPpDc2o0w3z6BzLzkKSGi5G3ex/s500/giphy%20(1).gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7DiRX99ziaDrOYAmp8FVAuggIRejcYoqp2RADrdA-kZ4pBLraIbsez18VT2_yt-WZa-wfO-z09wTaYpo0KSYyYcrXLVdDXUnhQl3-2m7LoW9PZEffwoywhrFYxLLY4EGvAdVfodfOeu6WZtMdl6UA-NwJEJkj5XsCvfPpDc2o0w3z6BzLzkKSGi5G3ex/w400-h225/giphy%20(1).gif" width="400" /></a></div>If you are part of the Destiny 2 addiction...I mean...player base than you know about the addiction to the farming and grinding for the God Roll of a weapon or armor. I mean, damn Guardians be grinding harder than strippers on a Tuesday lunch for those fives and the Guardians, man, they love the Grind! Or do they? That is the horror of the weapons and armor in the game: the unholy amount of perks that alter a base weapon into trash or treasure. Adding to the misery, is that the "god roll" for a certain weapon or armor piece is subjective based on player style, build, what has been nerfed & buffed by the devs, and the game mode that the piece will be used in. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC_NWgkK0GiXpoSW3zYRSv-s1cvI7GLuGxvjMRKI8Ahi4QUtE3s3bgOdmUejtltKMKJUSIQ02ayqWR5q-bV2kyeIGDbl_siQbmlPCAT7xjZf4NunjkU3t3QXaZ8LC5EbTXrbfiy2AfkcNXfzrTqlIcyUd9nbqCge2k1K-58coa4VpbbauBBImIOCTES3B/s586/51apag.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="586" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC_NWgkK0GiXpoSW3zYRSv-s1cvI7GLuGxvjMRKI8Ahi4QUtE3s3bgOdmUejtltKMKJUSIQ02ayqWR5q-bV2kyeIGDbl_siQbmlPCAT7xjZf4NunjkU3t3QXaZ8LC5EbTXrbfiy2AfkcNXfzrTqlIcyUd9nbqCge2k1K-58coa4VpbbauBBImIOCTES3B/w400-h341/51apag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There is no end to the addiction either. Players get on YouTube and LightGG every Xur Friday and Reset Tuesday to see if a God Roll piece of armor or gun is being sold or if one of the activities has a god roll weapon to farm or grind for. Hours of blood, sweat, tears, and Mountain Dew are committed to these holy quests. But, the grind...she breaks you and then you leave the life behind because it just too much. It is odd how something that is might to engage Guardians in playing the game is also the thing that breaks them from playing it. So, let us talk plainly about the abusive God Roll Meta of D2 and why you should be very careful of falling for the cycle of farming for the "god roll" gun. Within the <i>D2</i> community there is a question that cuts through the entire player base like the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon: <i>what is the God Roll for X Weapon? </i> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RYTTONIqSWsr05ShYByOuRIFbHbyygnnNoXrk-fFjsc5pZPmPAXfLCOZyysmHYHgIPZF0453qAvD6CEwia7ecch-GbEL5XECsXm-gTLSQG2-P_5Kc7VgCWTzTracPYzILgXc0WHgP_KxqnicJGiGg_VhWnREKbsqZiulDpjFCYrfw6PIy9ksgs6ym-5h/s900/FrtGadXacAACQ8D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="799" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RYTTONIqSWsr05ShYByOuRIFbHbyygnnNoXrk-fFjsc5pZPmPAXfLCOZyysmHYHgIPZF0453qAvD6CEwia7ecch-GbEL5XECsXm-gTLSQG2-P_5Kc7VgCWTzTracPYzILgXc0WHgP_KxqnicJGiGg_VhWnREKbsqZiulDpjFCYrfw6PIy9ksgs6ym-5h/w355-h400/FrtGadXacAACQ8D.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>While there are many other shooter-based video games that have weapons and YouTube channels devoted to exploring and explaining them like RAINBOW 6, COD, <i>HALO</i>, and <i>Counter-Strike</i>...but there is nothing like the amount of guns and their vast variety in the two <i>Destiny </i>games. It has been estimated that there 600 base guns that occupy over a dozen categories with each gun (mostly) having five perk slots that further randomizes the rolls for each guns. It is estimated that each gun that has random roll perks can have over 5,000 variations. This means that there are millions of weapons in the<i> Destiny</i> games. Some of the perks work beautifully together to the degree that they are labeled an "God Roll" for both PvE and PvP environments. These God Rolls for a weapon in D2 are subjective and the weapon and subject to nerfs and buffs to the perks themselves based on what the lords of Bungie decide. One season, that Funnelweb is a murder machine and then the next season is a water pistol of cold piss. Some exotic weapons do not have much in the way of perk choice, like my beloved murder machine, the Gravition Lance. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjF6nhxDJyyZ-Ibn5FlbYyE9pzTOEvba8fzfmO1hshGC_XkX7J-gVwD6E8EKlJSCRGwolRAHIBx3uVyz176oiU7KI6moqy8HEzUni_r665M_a-0spAdn9hIjThOKsjqNtJPZD9sNtpBW7lHrMmO3ZdqEP7RaXKZQoRq9Nw1oUpf_d_Jzp7KXzX_Mw4MZ3/s498/dawsons-creek-james-van-der-beek.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="498" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjF6nhxDJyyZ-Ibn5FlbYyE9pzTOEvba8fzfmO1hshGC_XkX7J-gVwD6E8EKlJSCRGwolRAHIBx3uVyz176oiU7KI6moqy8HEzUni_r665M_a-0spAdn9hIjThOKsjqNtJPZD9sNtpBW7lHrMmO3ZdqEP7RaXKZQoRq9Nw1oUpf_d_Jzp7KXzX_Mw4MZ3/w400-h185/dawsons-creek-james-van-der-beek.gif" width="400" /></a></div>This abuse and addictive God Roll Meta is one of the reasons for the high grind associated with D2. If you want that God Roll Firefright that Aztescross is rolling in the video and it is not being sold by the vendors in the Tower, then Guardian, you are grinding to focus those engrams and play those missions to hope to Cthulhu that the broken D2 servers gift you with that mystical God Roll...and then it sucks. Pushing this God Roll narrative (and addiction) is the D2 content creators. If they love a gun, for one reason or another, it will be seen through the gaming environments, as players bought or farm for that specific gun so that they can dominate. This pushes players to grind even harder for that one gun that could alter their gaming experience and transform them into the hunters and not the hunted to make Daddy Shaxx proud.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYdaD0NNf_PFGLxVy7bAIMFT4G7hgTosCWBFr_drdc6VNkqFspK_durPV4eFNrz0RLJQjuT-3Bfn5sNUSuD5JzlyJgt3_P4XaxAx2I0B9ir872uPcLOTcXsG6Ywt4DuP8TQyfJqZmGz93j1ydiA4AQfkU3trYGiAmGA2IBjbgZdsnJ8vQG1QzoN8c4aJa/s2026/e7arhBHQobsuzEUvCH2kfa.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="2026" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYdaD0NNf_PFGLxVy7bAIMFT4G7hgTosCWBFr_drdc6VNkqFspK_durPV4eFNrz0RLJQjuT-3Bfn5sNUSuD5JzlyJgt3_P4XaxAx2I0B9ir872uPcLOTcXsG6Ywt4DuP8TQyfJqZmGz93j1ydiA4AQfkU3trYGiAmGA2IBjbgZdsnJ8vQG1QzoN8c4aJa/w400-h225/e7arhBHQobsuzEUvCH2kfa.png" width="400" /></a></div>However, my dear Guardians, the mythical God Roll of a certain weapon should be take with caution. Your play style, build, and skill level can make a trash gun into a destroyer of souls or an amazing god roll weapons could be like wet pasta and everyone is take turns on you in the Crucible. Been there my fellow Guardians with the goddamn Suros Regime. For example, some months ago, there was a Cantana-57 hand cannon being sold by Banshee-44 that was called the God Roll for the gun by the entire D2 community. So, I got it and took into the Crucible. Not one fucking kill with the goddamn thing. Not one. So, I switched to my old trusty Survivor's Epitaph and made the other team rethink coming near my Huntress. Test your weapons and see what you like and what are good to you because one Guardian's God Roll is another's breakdown for Legendary Shards. Rant over. Oh, Sunsetting weapons is goddamn bullshit. Rant over...again. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>10. It is the <i>Destiny</i> that Bungie wants you to see...</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpa41rcfMPt3J_Arh1coRc7DmXQ_n9LxsqTiyj_if5fnMGBACcyWWOdV4wptYEjzTzZgBJwQMZxA5RzA3Nna5cyQooqgwAo-T8j1a2q2cQRDGPBaQrQLwuSeN8svk9xxNtK3xoDxI-yensBFCc52ZQnsbHIg8TAKUYqnEr5zyBagAKz18FLrwwN2Iii3yo/s1200/destiny-2-launch-trailer_feature.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="1200" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpa41rcfMPt3J_Arh1coRc7DmXQ_n9LxsqTiyj_if5fnMGBACcyWWOdV4wptYEjzTzZgBJwQMZxA5RzA3Nna5cyQooqgwAo-T8j1a2q2cQRDGPBaQrQLwuSeN8svk9xxNtK3xoDxI-yensBFCc52ZQnsbHIg8TAKUYqnEr5zyBagAKz18FLrwwN2Iii3yo/w400-h208/destiny-2-launch-trailer_feature.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I came to <i>D2 </i>very late due not wanting to play a game that wiped out the Tower and altered the world I loved so much in D1...then the game became free to play (Ha!) and I jumped in expecting to play the Red War campaign. I was wrong. Dead wrong. There is a limit to what all players of <i>D2</i> can engage with and past content is not one of them. It is so odd that <i>D2</i> is only the game that Bungie wants you to see and experience. You cannot play the Red War anymore, and for new lights joining the game, the only way to experience this is via old YouTube playthrough videos. That is odd and lame. Locked down from <i>D2</i> players is the Red War campaign, Warmind, Curse of Osiris, and Forsaken. With the Final Shape (or Sale) coming out, Bungie put into place a system where you can play some pieces of older campaigns...but it is still not the full package and not as open to Free-to-Play Guardians (like me!). <i>Destiny </i>as a whole as issues with player engagement with their world and this lockdown of older content does not help. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>11. It is Running the HALO engine in 2023!</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zB7nlm-Crrwe_N2Ke0GXFcHemWcNJWlT2l5mMaeR4LYyzQ-jY3Ek5NaplmpVuNHNd5qyOJhPcmvZH64DB5Hm66R3UUtWb0F1ttoJ5jQ0WiOA3hl6h3WZH9gwoXSlsbHKVPG-N6gvPzrekm74OdfLMgdj6hDkc6AQOzbQfhMimAq2LpQr4QJ3bYA1Se_8/s1620/bungie-headquarters.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zB7nlm-Crrwe_N2Ke0GXFcHemWcNJWlT2l5mMaeR4LYyzQ-jY3Ek5NaplmpVuNHNd5qyOJhPcmvZH64DB5Hm66R3UUtWb0F1ttoJ5jQ0WiOA3hl6h3WZH9gwoXSlsbHKVPG-N6gvPzrekm74OdfLMgdj6hDkc6AQOzbQfhMimAq2LpQr4QJ3bYA1Se_8/w400-h266/bungie-headquarters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the major complains about Destiny in general is that game is still using the engine developed by Bungie for the original HALO game way back in 2001. This is often cited by fans and critics of the game for issues with stability and connection. The odd thing about this theory is that is it both correct and wrong at the same time. Destiny today runs on a modified engine developed by Bungie for HALO: Combat Evolved: The Blam! Engine. When work began on Destiny in 2008, portions of the game were tested in the Blam! Engine modified for HALO: Reach (my 2nd favorite HALO game). When it came time to actually program vanilla Destiny, the Blam! Engine was again modified into the Tiger Engine. This was named after some early concept art of the game that featured space tigers, who were going to be part of the original game in a early build. There was also going to be another playable race in <i>Destiny</i> that were a species of space tigers, but this was cut early on. We will see what the future holds for the Tiger Engine with <i>Destiny.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><u>12. The Much Rumored Death and Resurrection of <i>Destiny</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzMNa8QJrTWT4EoRmLFY5aNbzRhwFpcRsdc6ejRODhU2B-d5Uz3-ptuKb-UVU_MwWgbiKO6icjlEqBCzPHB7-7MVwdRCZaVbmY-aW5wn8LM6Zl7Pe1Nc3p79CYFa4q2JpxEP8oj_0MvZNMtAldiokLrVWg7iMVbBrcji0bUxn_8V8Po_MVez3kPAhS04S/s498/destiny-ghost.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="498" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzMNa8QJrTWT4EoRmLFY5aNbzRhwFpcRsdc6ejRODhU2B-d5Uz3-ptuKb-UVU_MwWgbiKO6icjlEqBCzPHB7-7MVwdRCZaVbmY-aW5wn8LM6Zl7Pe1Nc3p79CYFa4q2JpxEP8oj_0MvZNMtAldiokLrVWg7iMVbBrcji0bUxn_8V8Po_MVez3kPAhS04S/w400-h224/destiny-ghost.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Since the first release of vanilla <i>Destiny </i>1, there have been those that said that <i>Destiny </i>is a dead game<i> </i>and even I will say it here on this article. Over the course of the <i>Destiny </i>franchise decade-long existence, there have been lows and there have been highs. Some of these lows nearly killed the game, but like our Guardians, Bungie is able to resurrect the game. It is odd to be on the sidelines, mostly, and reading the amount of the chatter on the death of a game. There is an underline toxic hate for the game and the studio that few other developers have within their own community. If we look at the other Bungie franchise, HALO, for comparisons; it is blinding the difference. The core HALO games made by Bunge were all celebrated and not sad by the community to be the death of the franchise. It wasn't until 343 Studios took on the HALO mantle of responsibility that hole was dug by fans for the beloved franchise. While HALO 4 was okay and even good in some parts, HALO 5 was the kill shot and the entire franchise never recovered from that war crime and I don't think it will. <i>HALO Infinite </i>was a dead game on release and has never captured the magic of the original core HALO games. For <i>Destiny, </i>it was such a bad start that the foundations were never in place, unlike HALO. Where HALO could weather some bad storms until Hurricane HALO 5 knocked down the house and washed it out to sea, <i>Destiny</i> was always shaky and unstable. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>13. Will there be a <i>Destiny 3</i>?</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6hfP9G8m7LU7941Nk1hRjzq4mHQ10c_BcvKaUE2wxcmwpKCur6rBPDv97y8MNHc8Ixt8CE5honQ0DxMQsYGNzK6vVwp8o2J-AT7U5IBPxUe2_s4R_qhX6VWb7G7YFeaEBgc-IM1212K4xonRAkYejkZS-t_08TShCAi-fy0CP-LS7Qun3KucZNuJxk_L/s1242/leo-meme-face-mask-1834.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1242" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6hfP9G8m7LU7941Nk1hRjzq4mHQ10c_BcvKaUE2wxcmwpKCur6rBPDv97y8MNHc8Ixt8CE5honQ0DxMQsYGNzK6vVwp8o2J-AT7U5IBPxUe2_s4R_qhX6VWb7G7YFeaEBgc-IM1212K4xonRAkYejkZS-t_08TShCAi-fy0CP-LS7Qun3KucZNuJxk_L/s320/leo-meme-face-mask-1834.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With the dark and depressing news leaking out of Bungie HQ since October, the community has been wondering if the only way to save the game at large is to finally develop <i>Destiny 3</i> after "The Final Shape ". Part of this reason for the need of <i>D3 </i>rests with the Light and Darkness storyline coming to its final end with The Final Shape. After all, there is alot of concern with what will Bungie do with <i>Destiny</i> after we kick The Witness in the balls? While this seems to be the most logically course of action for the game developer, it will likely not be the course that they will sail and that is odd...very odd. <i>Destiny 2</i> is played out and the limping model of seasonal content is lame that does not increase player involvement and nor does the amount of paywalls within the game. To me, if <i>D2</i> is the only answer for the future of this gaming franchise, that a Ghost could not resurrect it again. Without a fresh start with a 3rd game, <i>Destiny </i>is a dead game that some Guardians will interact with and many other will move on as many already have. According to everyone with some measure of inside knowledge of Bungie, they are not working on a 3rd game. How is that player count Bungie? Yeah...</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>My Own Future with the <i>Destiny</i> Universe</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFWi43wKyMY4Ay7dNfw54ijtXgcMIWvfTtlE4I1_iVuV3FVZCzctGGd3FZl5xmWEe9QvVop0GuiYr7sMs9DMuvwlq8WOAb6aPjX9e9_k62VW572KoyzDw_WpespexAMx15z0Rl4Vs7HYS7ckvCbv3pFk_OWBi5F4GyEcYsFUndr3U-2ZJLcKUgHXBn_ee/s474/No-Memes-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="474" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFWi43wKyMY4Ay7dNfw54ijtXgcMIWvfTtlE4I1_iVuV3FVZCzctGGd3FZl5xmWEe9QvVop0GuiYr7sMs9DMuvwlq8WOAb6aPjX9e9_k62VW572KoyzDw_WpespexAMx15z0Rl4Vs7HYS7ckvCbv3pFk_OWBi5F4GyEcYsFUndr3U-2ZJLcKUgHXBn_ee/w400-h259/No-Memes-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The night before publishing this article, I jumped onto <i>Destiny 2 </i>for "The Season of the Wish" (I think Bungie titled that because they are wishing for answer to how to save <i>Destiny</i>) and I was rewarded with an experience that left me wanting something better. I do love <i>Skyrim</i> (first playthrough currently underway), but I miss the combat of <i>Destiny. </i>But I do not find <i>D2</i> is just not worth it anymore and that makes me sad to another game that I loved go the way of HALO. I will not be playing The Final Shape and I will see how it ends via YouTube. I will see all of you on the streets of Whiterun. <br /><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-34268973669468252402023-11-03T20:54:00.000-05:002023-11-03T20:54:38.350-05:00FWS Topics: Force-on-Force Training<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aq2VXEYmZIMqjRk8Uhcn087lYHWhvYuHRJ9A0BnfoVIz-GO761Da0FsN1BZa6LfzHVGx373-wKtWEzKgKX7hK9J6iVzO9XqTPPxmxKtmhy8gqN0v-_x-LShpVzpUTy7VmO_Ceh5z9NY/s1600/1000px-Vlcsnap-147635.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aq2VXEYmZIMqjRk8Uhcn087lYHWhvYuHRJ9A0BnfoVIz-GO761Da0FsN1BZa6LfzHVGx373-wKtWEzKgKX7hK9J6iVzO9XqTPPxmxKtmhy8gqN0v-_x-LShpVzpUTy7VmO_Ceh5z9NY/w640-h360/1000px-Vlcsnap-147635.png" width="640" /></a><div>All video game warriors can feel like gods of war that hunt down and kill their virtual computer-generated enemies. There, you are the predator, the one who knocks, and the one who wins the day. Once you pride yourself on taking the game to task on every difficult level, you decide to take on human-controlled avatars in the online gaming arena and the story changes...alot. You are no longer the predator, but the prey...you are the worst player on your team and tell all about how much you sucks, your parents suck for making you and that your god should be ashamed of you. That is the horrible reality of force-on-force training where you pressure test your combat skills against the living and not the computer. </div><div><br /></div><b><u>What is "Force-on-Force" (FOF) Why is it Important to Training?</u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFxOjX6LRrRodERD4gVjkZzb0zFC9o4KuXxLOl-MJTUygKt3pJjl4jIMNzWzcub0JX_vKIS7Eb6jKFftjmHbxIRGWOI-Tl6ePDUTwe-VdhUa9t1ZQUctERcMNvTZFwfUr6Gt4Nnr5MQnFWrI3Q4nYdoCI20l9DSxjuUWzJdAvtM6sw8JBsF70vJVIOg/s1024/SOLVX5Z5SRFWBDP3ZOXHFPUUZA.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFxOjX6LRrRodERD4gVjkZzb0zFC9o4KuXxLOl-MJTUygKt3pJjl4jIMNzWzcub0JX_vKIS7Eb6jKFftjmHbxIRGWOI-Tl6ePDUTwe-VdhUa9t1ZQUctERcMNvTZFwfUr6Gt4Nnr5MQnFWrI3Q4nYdoCI20l9DSxjuUWzJdAvtM6sw8JBsF70vJVIOg/w400-h266/SOLVX5Z5SRFWBDP3ZOXHFPUUZA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the key concepts that filtered down from the Special Operations community is that you should train like you fight and in a static box of what should happen. No plans survives contact with the enemy and when the shits goes down, it is time to roll with it. To develop that ability, you must train for it with one of the most effective tools we have: Force-on-Force (FOF). The concept is the most effective method of training warfighters to response in combat conditions to flesh-and-blood tangos in real world situations and environments (direct fire). This allows soldiers, operators, and law enforcement to see how their gears works in pressure testing situations. how their weapons and weapon handling skills work against the living, and how the team works together to accomplish the objective. One important element to FoF is Direct Fire Force-on-Force training, in which both sides in engage each other in the real-world and not in a controlled simulator. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Can Simulators be considered FOF?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox6LDzt_aVdbTq1azq8-dUrxkM4WLOetGeP7adBdC-QFxJNq1akA2q4WJMsqN2VEADoeNoMKTpwz3ht1lahAhTqKsR504R8j4hqFZ-eO6l4fE0O4efpuWbr2YCPdrrGiF0rqY_47SdeLCGF8ol2SUDP5d4OQj6CUOyKP3SXy3FUlxpHi3dycy_PQ4kA/s1431/lvc_trainer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1431" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox6LDzt_aVdbTq1azq8-dUrxkM4WLOetGeP7adBdC-QFxJNq1akA2q4WJMsqN2VEADoeNoMKTpwz3ht1lahAhTqKsR504R8j4hqFZ-eO6l4fE0O4efpuWbr2YCPdrrGiF0rqY_47SdeLCGF8ol2SUDP5d4OQj6CUOyKP3SXy3FUlxpHi3dycy_PQ4kA/w400-h266/lvc_trainer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The very nature of Force-on-Force to use thinking humans against other thinking humans in a controlled environment that allows for the enemy (or "OPFOR") to get a vote to interrupt the assault plan of the operation. An enemy that reacts, thinks, and counters. This is the way that both side of the training learn and improve. But, could simulators be used for Force-on-Force trainings? Simulators are classically used for training pilots, teenagers attempting to learn to drive, and to teach CPR via those RQI sleds. When it comes to military and law-enforcement training, the case for simulators as grown with the improves with technologies in software and hardware. Since the 1980s, simulators have been used to train tank teams, pilots, and more recently, the infantry and police officers. Using virtual reality systems, or what the US Army calls "Synthetic Training Environments (STEs)". </div><div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4322" data-original-width="6483" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-b5PCfN8JwGroj7VXMWILc9CGSSPSD92p-VN4CXh6SSqVNKA-wE69iYSq62Ly3ySak1l5Ai60aCL7bVPQ3ONMk1ZAX8TdsmaouhcSu0S2-lU4JaJAKa7BSMbE91q3lhczf0HUKIf-gAQKVyOMFDK4VbxgktfECnXTtxNEHaARQs0sPir_4i3CnByZg/w400-h266/180614-A-NN123-0051.jpg" width="400" /></div></div><div>These STEs are fully interactive 3D PC-based environments that attempt to create something as close to the real-thing by blending real and virtual trainings. These are still in development and testing and there is the expensive VBS3 simulators at Ft. Carson, Colorado. With all of this technology, funding, and thought, it seems that the military and LE clients of these companies working on these next-generation simulators are convicted that simulators are a valid method of training warfighters. But...are simulators a good candidate for Force-on-Force? Certainly, simulators do indeed work for training pilots in ACM with computer generated enemy aircraft, and there has been some success with using vehicle simulators for convey combat operators, but infantry combat is a different matter with more variables in position, skill level of the enemy, movement, cover, and angle of attack. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz-QUjhnXoGw-shz4UMXXDNsuAS6l8SvDN-m_YAUBixVnamicpmdkpPGmlxrcd3dXOU-QCGbPSca0pDgteeAjKBcRHVsqUjPoclg9vtn4_7ZqTl-jHh8k8ECVp-dGf-N1YlPu0G6pgGzSKMuPyKQL-wKkeEJlprEeCrcoroSp_hEM5jIhzOetJh-V5A/s800/c0230535-800px-wm.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz-QUjhnXoGw-shz4UMXXDNsuAS6l8SvDN-m_YAUBixVnamicpmdkpPGmlxrcd3dXOU-QCGbPSca0pDgteeAjKBcRHVsqUjPoclg9vtn4_7ZqTl-jHh8k8ECVp-dGf-N1YlPu0G6pgGzSKMuPyKQL-wKkeEJlprEeCrcoroSp_hEM5jIhzOetJh-V5A/w400-h266/c0230535-800px-wm.jpg" width="400" /></a>If the software is generating the enemy for the human to engage with and against, it is not Force-on-Force because it does provide a true test of the soldier's abilities. In video game terms, infantry combat simulators are more like PvE and more conventional FoF exercises are more akin to PvP. Even the best bots are just bots. I think if simulators are going to be used, than humans ought to be on both side of the screen. There are elements that can infantrymen can learn from simulators, but not what most traditional FoF exercise can. However, the day will come when that will change with A.I. To be continued. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><u>Video Games for FoF Training?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6V6O0u5LZmUNzJTilBjf9_vGEHT3YPj5YT1TYKIlhWFgFC5Qf8Cj5OBtX35j7YCaEPn5g48lkb4ryaUfyTinNpMTTtGvxUknxaKPmRWw3ZREnK8uQ1chHVoyGAhRpGuvMXENzzHXuARuwYNNImJqZsZuaIHs-hW6XkJBeaAA7TLnlfnIgE9EuHuEW_hh/s640/brad0008.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6V6O0u5LZmUNzJTilBjf9_vGEHT3YPj5YT1TYKIlhWFgFC5Qf8Cj5OBtX35j7YCaEPn5g48lkb4ryaUfyTinNpMTTtGvxUknxaKPmRWw3ZREnK8uQ1chHVoyGAhRpGuvMXENzzHXuARuwYNNImJqZsZuaIHs-hW6XkJBeaAA7TLnlfnIgE9EuHuEW_hh/s320/brad0008.png" width="320" /></a></div>Since the 1970's, with the advent of video games, there has been though in the real world and in science fiction of using video games to train soldiers. Of course, video games that focus on firearms and war have been blamed for for mass shootings, satanic worship, and the end of western civilization as we know it. In reality, video games are not the end-all-be-all of training tools. But, that does not mean that military organizations have not use video games for training and recruitment. One of the earliest military training video games was a alternation of ATARI's <i>Battlezone</i> from 1980 for the US Army M2 <i>Bradly</i> IFV. The <i>Bradly Trainer</i> was an unpopular project with the team that developed <i>Battlezone</i> due to its association with the military. Despite the months of work, only two prototypes of <i>The Bradly Trainer</i> were developed with only one existing today. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5RilIJoBTwqcNAs-udZokVmgCfWK2sDBK9TNsqaGiBPayYgHkIesOjl478LoYh4dn-nTAkNDyrs0RKkmp3ZLCszsyjAgVoAhf0a_gKiFP1cMdpOfB4_jnSUGa5gYaIJMjxazURQMwQeacc7EEYCsIxcUID47wptdR2mT9hFhuAxnjStkHE-MrcyDSUAj/s4032/original.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5RilIJoBTwqcNAs-udZokVmgCfWK2sDBK9TNsqaGiBPayYgHkIesOjl478LoYh4dn-nTAkNDyrs0RKkmp3ZLCszsyjAgVoAhf0a_gKiFP1cMdpOfB4_jnSUGa5gYaIJMjxazURQMwQeacc7EEYCsIxcUID47wptdR2mT9hFhuAxnjStkHE-MrcyDSUAj/w400-h300/original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>With the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Army actually used video games to maintain readiness and even use custom deigned video games for training that used networking similar to Xbox Live. These games were used mostly for tank crews to practice team work and coordination of operating the M1 <i>Abrams </i>MBT. These simulators used the Virtual Battlespace 3 software developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations. According to BIS company, their VBS3 can be used for training shooting, vehicle crews, naval crews, and flight operations. In the BIS shooting simulators, laser modules are attached to the actual weapon and the operator cane be taken through shooting galleries and kill-houses via interactive screens. This is not just limited to infantry combat, but there were machine guns simulators for those mounted on naval and aerial vehicles. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPskP0THS1qnZ6dU7TSzWObiKOup8OV5I6xT0_qeZRpr1GiAFq4AoDtCNDpq-N3nK7HLKWvyr9nJ9mBy9xtRNyZNq4tzke7Esb6XYUuGiifjU24RStJXxFxATZIEjhyt5aBQ7i9QcfnlctLX_UwYt09Lnl0DmGIVZkhQgJDmbJK7IEJ3fhOjtTkn5DZrYx/s1200/The-Last-Starfighter-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="1200" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPskP0THS1qnZ6dU7TSzWObiKOup8OV5I6xT0_qeZRpr1GiAFq4AoDtCNDpq-N3nK7HLKWvyr9nJ9mBy9xtRNyZNq4tzke7Esb6XYUuGiifjU24RStJXxFxATZIEjhyt5aBQ7i9QcfnlctLX_UwYt09Lnl0DmGIVZkhQgJDmbJK7IEJ3fhOjtTkn5DZrYx/w400-h216/The-Last-Starfighter-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then that brings us to the central question: can military-themed video games be consider FoF? Well, there are some considerations. When we gamers engage with games like <i>COD, HALO, Battlefield</i>, and <i>RAINBOW SIX</i>; the enemy AI is very subjection unless we are engaging with actually human controls. Few AI-controlled bots can mimic the flesh-&-bone experience and I don't think any AI can think as tactical as an experience human player. Then there is the consideration of the use of the environment in personal combat along with body position that video games cannot mimic. At this stage, there is a limit to the benefit of using video games for FoF instead of the classic methods. <br /><br /></div><div><b><u>The Importance of the Pressure Testing in Training</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZE7qLRetR5sIOMNb2r-k0qN5aYmj3vF8qZyOwTBN1b56isvZfvo3Ooazys-8G7Eb4_pGxzJZDEYdfKi9n88vvGb0CEXqrHJroTJahqxYjPxWg8dPqlwJVok-J0awAWByarfjTEZANOtyf9P208c7kVtQyuSnyXCmn0Jj-ZAV-XPzsjDp44TlUzN_fw/s892/Bruce-Lee-Boards-Dont-Hit-Back-Meme.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="892" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZE7qLRetR5sIOMNb2r-k0qN5aYmj3vF8qZyOwTBN1b56isvZfvo3Ooazys-8G7Eb4_pGxzJZDEYdfKi9n88vvGb0CEXqrHJroTJahqxYjPxWg8dPqlwJVok-J0awAWByarfjTEZANOtyf9P208c7kVtQyuSnyXCmn0Jj-ZAV-XPzsjDp44TlUzN_fw/s320/Bruce-Lee-Boards-Dont-Hit-Back-Meme.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Sifu Bruce Lee once said in his 1973 film <i>Enter the Dragon </i>that<i> "<b><span style="color: red;">Boards...Don't Hit Back</span></b>." </i>That is the philosophy of of Force-on-Force training in a nutshell. Shooting at paper or metal targets is fine for one tactical element or practice marksmanship. Training new soldiers in close quarters warfare in killhouses with paper targets is also an important building block of their tactical education on room takedowns...but, it lacks the reaction of a thinking prey that can react and resist. Adding in a human, a thinking machine or even advanced computer generated foe allows for the other side to react, counter, and hit back...even to the degree of "killing" the soldier that is training. After all, as Lord Shaxx says: "<span style="color: red;"><b><i>All battles are just a lesson Guardian</i></b></span>." This concept of pressure testing is a current topic within military, LE, and Martial Arts training. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2G1XfdtvUuX2FS6SEZF-Pm-8mTWyx-5LBGy7EXOZTsdsbXD7nHlKAO-B_TY8Q4nqOr1hZvBbCrjO-BDB9yL36IcZc5faX8UE01FONrLpkMZ7n2tgc4nXXF9hvSAH8cLzq_Uj8QAv5OExvnZHbA3tB_lH2I9xmObKUaBYNDI0_eABAUHtSlr0RgvfaeFGJ/s1200/page-hero_what-is-jeet-kune-do.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1200" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2G1XfdtvUuX2FS6SEZF-Pm-8mTWyx-5LBGy7EXOZTsdsbXD7nHlKAO-B_TY8Q4nqOr1hZvBbCrjO-BDB9yL36IcZc5faX8UE01FONrLpkMZ7n2tgc4nXXF9hvSAH8cLzq_Uj8QAv5OExvnZHbA3tB_lH2I9xmObKUaBYNDI0_eABAUHtSlr0RgvfaeFGJ/w400-h216/page-hero_what-is-jeet-kune-do.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the world of modern Martial Arts, the concept of pressure testing is quite the topic, especially those more traditional Martial Arts. There are a few Martial Arts where for much of their long existence, the students bent to the will and skill of their masters, despite a clear opening for a kidney punch or a kick right to the balls. Very traditional styles can suffer greatly from this and it can result in a lack of real world application. This is the current state and battle with styles like Aikido, which finds itself at a crossroads. Simply put, if you pressure test a concept and train like you fight, then you are more likely to win the day. Pressure testing allows for all sides to benefit from the interaction that is more real than easy mode training. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Different Types of FoF based on Service Branch</u></b></div><div>Quite often the concept of Force-on-Force are seen through the lens of infantry combat, but not everyone in the military either in the present or in the future, is a ground-pounder. So, FoF training will look different for those servicemembers that onboard ship, in the cockpit, or in the belly of a tank. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><u>Infantry Combat</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEsX74KfwYXHow4Di2as7LBu5XgY7eThe5VPLwk9MD9Auty5oES9d1pS6alFjLR3jyeFsmDYthxODI78LIHq8cWcTDhC0iQGcepsFGsTCuh1FuK2lklhiu6zDp5NT3Ro8D5RMA-EshHACIy13qKM7jhMPv0m9qwYJ0EBVeaa4hjRx1knxAAhoud4krviy/s5472/hj92f64l83l61.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEsX74KfwYXHow4Di2as7LBu5XgY7eThe5VPLwk9MD9Auty5oES9d1pS6alFjLR3jyeFsmDYthxODI78LIHq8cWcTDhC0iQGcepsFGsTCuh1FuK2lklhiu6zDp5NT3Ro8D5RMA-EshHACIy13qKM7jhMPv0m9qwYJ0EBVeaa4hjRx1knxAAhoud4krviy/w400-h266/hj92f64l83l61.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I am not going to devote much to this type of FoF due to the amount of information already present in the article, but one of the natural FoF training environments is in the realm of footsoldier vs. footsoldier. Classically, FoF for infantry involves something that looks like expensive taxpayer funded paintball or laser tag matches in MOUT facilities or kill houses. This is direct fire FoF. At times, combined arms mock battles are staged or mounted convey soldiers train to engage OPFOR targets from the vehicle and during dismounted operations. Due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, vehicle based mounted infantry FoF training as focused and we can see simulators constructed around convey combat. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Air Combat</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibcaj8Kp28URWOtUjJUm_JLGGsqZltwRr0rl0yE-N0syJarwUx8Fa8u-n6VEi4lr3O_gYfya9sT2XPs-CptJ309iMMM8PYmapPjJpoyH2gJO6xNOFLFLle6UexqCr3CYzIn-uS6zghxsDsLceOExz9gdU41jXJqZXDeXQlXNx2F5vVeE86gE8FbQpJjvx/s6194/A2ELBFX6M5BYDB5TIHKES526IE.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4271" data-original-width="6194" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibcaj8Kp28URWOtUjJUm_JLGGsqZltwRr0rl0yE-N0syJarwUx8Fa8u-n6VEi4lr3O_gYfya9sT2XPs-CptJ309iMMM8PYmapPjJpoyH2gJO6xNOFLFLle6UexqCr3CYzIn-uS6zghxsDsLceOExz9gdU41jXJqZXDeXQlXNx2F5vVeE86gE8FbQpJjvx/w400-h276/A2ELBFX6M5BYDB5TIHKES526IE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Combat aircraft, from transport planes, attack helicopters, attack jets, and tilt-rotors are all expensive machines to run, repair, and fuel. They are also complex to fly and fight with. If you make a mistake in the actual aircraft during training, it could be your last. Combat FoF training for pilots is critical givens the complexity of ACM and ground attack. In the aircraft world, the term "captive" or "captive carried" is used for training w/ mock missiles that are of the same size, weight, and performance of a real missile. This allows for the pilot to experience firing a nearly 100% missile from the real aircraft. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnHWp78-LBessmF_d7KtOtZRaMjIprF0sHJEaxo_zw6KMPb1Z1yaEgbgipvz3TeyDNIa6wqVaBZZezsAcOH9YD_2T3h_O0njn3ZqvYmcLMwyt7CZrJwqeD7jmGQspIbwYbcJF2OijbZPj2xhQsaehPndC_Yjoep6lHg0mvEn80G-XIKJP7bKVR56TePM2/s3872/Flickr_-_Official_U.S._Navy_Imagery_-_Sailors_downloads_a_SLAM-ER_captive_air_training_missile..jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3872" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnHWp78-LBessmF_d7KtOtZRaMjIprF0sHJEaxo_zw6KMPb1Z1yaEgbgipvz3TeyDNIa6wqVaBZZezsAcOH9YD_2T3h_O0njn3ZqvYmcLMwyt7CZrJwqeD7jmGQspIbwYbcJF2OijbZPj2xhQsaehPndC_Yjoep6lHg0mvEn80G-XIKJP7bKVR56TePM2/s320/Flickr_-_Official_U.S._Navy_Imagery_-_Sailors_downloads_a_SLAM-ER_captive_air_training_missile..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One example of this is the CATM-20 captive air-training missile for the AIM-20 missile. When it comes to aircraft gun training for FoF, one F-4 pilot informed us that dog fighting using autocannon had the hits recorded by the gun camera and blank ammo was not used. In the current aerospace combat sphere, combat pilots are currently trained to attack targets both in air-to-air engagements and air-to-ground mission for close air support of ground units. This means that simulators are being designed for the realities of both combat roles that use the multi-mission aircraft, like the new F-35. In training past, current, and future pilots, simulators have been used since the first flight simulator in 1929 with the Link Trainer by Edwin Link. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYCeRQcwxXxazawVbcvz5ZbQkp9IcBadpDaF7yxYVsgTkHmmvgdihrf_W5IkHsx8UUhKJTNPKFeM_fczPhc7OfNPbBtQS_sUkY4I_BF0puxXSIbr-1aRZSbkDlETYZs5BwZr0obE4erZ0mzC11aYafd5D90Pkm26VzZdxP_-_U6sL_hIV8TEDfXVz73_z/s540/Ed-Link-Blue-Box-3-e1524662171578.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYCeRQcwxXxazawVbcvz5ZbQkp9IcBadpDaF7yxYVsgTkHmmvgdihrf_W5IkHsx8UUhKJTNPKFeM_fczPhc7OfNPbBtQS_sUkY4I_BF0puxXSIbr-1aRZSbkDlETYZs5BwZr0obE4erZ0mzC11aYafd5D90Pkm26VzZdxP_-_U6sL_hIV8TEDfXVz73_z/w400-h320/Ed-Link-Blue-Box-3-e1524662171578.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Currently, the largest simulator is at the NASA AMES center with their vertical motion simulator. Training for combat is different than a flight simulator, and more difficult before the age of computers. Since the advent of computers, greater sense of realism as been achieved with video games becoming part of that training of new pilots and those that fancy themselves as pilots. While the simulators are useful for training, there is something about engaging the living and thinking in the actual machines...and that is were the FoF of air force combat pilots comes in. One interesting way that pilots training to take on the fighter planes of their enemies is via concepts like the "Aggressor Squadrons". Beginning in 1969, the US Navy used the A-4 <i>Skyhawk </i>to mimic an MiG-17 for pilots training against, but they were not real MiGs. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_j6M5EHMcZeTtKaRAMQHA82qyN8CGArA5v5P6WmDr7bVK3QCYek7IwvjTo0tajdh7JIliMcw7mh8x22Q09AzN73wtC8GKP37PAbSRuUjqsOKUw3hDKWNw4YsE7vt6lv5X-OB_XUaRj2nhNeW_2bPopwzxYYlTXW53TsPynjp4tRXZ_fZh-dYyeVTBDW2W/s1000/64th-Aggressor-Squadron-3.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_j6M5EHMcZeTtKaRAMQHA82qyN8CGArA5v5P6WmDr7bVK3QCYek7IwvjTo0tajdh7JIliMcw7mh8x22Q09AzN73wtC8GKP37PAbSRuUjqsOKUw3hDKWNw4YsE7vt6lv5X-OB_XUaRj2nhNeW_2bPopwzxYYlTXW53TsPynjp4tRXZ_fZh-dYyeVTBDW2W/w400-h266/64th-Aggressor-Squadron-3.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Over the course of the Cold War, the US and her allies were able to get their hands on some Soviet aircraft and those prized machines were kept at the infamous Nellis Air Force base. From everything I read, the training of pilots, both civilian and military, in aircraft operations is the most expensive and dangerous of all military training. In regards to FoF for aircraft, it is even more expensive and dangerous, thus leading to more simulators being used for the instruction of ACM FoF tactics. Companies keep pushing technology to develop these types of simulators better to the goal of being no separation between the virtual and real world environments. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Tank Combat</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hJxi3JlWdSt9zYjTjoOUxArQ41T5tt5m_Upks0A-x7CoSDbkhlJC4LcPymxlfrHkMkTCbTbxJ1FjUGFRa4hKaI1wnMcHMbkZ_IZCzxw9c5KQWLPX7PZyEiQS6CwHpog2TTFnwB51R5dlkPT6ffnUhPmiDQUux1gv6HKXJsR4kimiVHSkU8oTi0JK7eHW/s1024/0f4ccae0-253e-34fc-32ed-70408bb4c4ce.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hJxi3JlWdSt9zYjTjoOUxArQ41T5tt5m_Upks0A-x7CoSDbkhlJC4LcPymxlfrHkMkTCbTbxJ1FjUGFRa4hKaI1wnMcHMbkZ_IZCzxw9c5KQWLPX7PZyEiQS6CwHpog2TTFnwB51R5dlkPT6ffnUhPmiDQUux1gv6HKXJsR4kimiVHSkU8oTi0JK7eHW/w400-h300/0f4ccae0-253e-34fc-32ed-70408bb4c4ce.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>In the 1970's, a tank-driving simulator was constructed that was unlike another built before. A model European town and surrounding area was constructed in lavish detail by the Swiss military to save on money due to the expensive of training in actual tanks. The tank driver sat at the controls of a tank simulator and piloting the tank around the model European town to learn how to handle the tank in urban and other terrain in a miniature world. When the driver looked out, he saw the miniature world feed to him via cameras. Only one still survives today, and it is amazing tool that you can try if you are in Switzerland, you can try out yourself. One of the major tank simulators used to train tankers from 1987-1990 was SIMNET. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSt73oArdHndkQFhZWXXysPfTw7by8bfe61s6Owj_kdX2eIo56MHOVpd93fiQL_wYquGUNVmHULdEIZChmDR-mePbL89stnEnH3JYWbsSr6Y0YdgsJI1OGAs8Qw7eem7vhil8p2c_2rgy2Xmg6pMxxCsCgfun2GqmkdQ8bqptwUnyHKwpF7-ULlNRaExl/s2205/LVC-IA-Ft-Stewart-CCTT.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="2205" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSt73oArdHndkQFhZWXXysPfTw7by8bfe61s6Owj_kdX2eIo56MHOVpd93fiQL_wYquGUNVmHULdEIZChmDR-mePbL89stnEnH3JYWbsSr6Y0YdgsJI1OGAs8Qw7eem7vhil8p2c_2rgy2Xmg6pMxxCsCgfun2GqmkdQ8bqptwUnyHKwpF7-ULlNRaExl/w400-h266/LVC-IA-Ft-Stewart-CCTT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>This was a wide-area network for modern combined arms combat by having tanks, helicopters, and even aircraft in a simulated battlespace. Some of the SIMNET enemies were human controlled or computer controlled. SIMNET was the world's first fully operational VR system according to Wikipedia and it was developed with help from the shadowy DARPA organization. I learned about SIMNET from military TV programs and issue #10 of <i>Punisher War Journal </i>from 1988. The effectiveness of this training was seen during the First Gulf War with how deadly effective the US armored units were against the Iraq Soviet-era tanks. SIMNET's success led to other simulators and even helped Zipper Interactive develop the SOCOM series of video games! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVvUpR1cpjiDxA2i5FYL-LxVoEliIcf9t8VMB9Fl2qXm-ckqwkti4MhKadXwgTf6dECtnuG9MAu3Rw5IY6WP9lAdRz2j6HegB-U6HbQogPm7YjRQfFvfJSCeOYZRR9kczkZPkh69GWQvd5_IfW7CpC1bAxUpvNrwAGbhhTr91jR-K2Q3K9AEjmv-Q73Id/s1280/maxresdefault%20(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVvUpR1cpjiDxA2i5FYL-LxVoEliIcf9t8VMB9Fl2qXm-ckqwkti4MhKadXwgTf6dECtnuG9MAu3Rw5IY6WP9lAdRz2j6HegB-U6HbQogPm7YjRQfFvfJSCeOYZRR9kczkZPkh69GWQvd5_IfW7CpC1bAxUpvNrwAGbhhTr91jR-K2Q3K9AEjmv-Q73Id/w400-h225/maxresdefault%20(12).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Currently, there is also the newer RVTT training simulator to instruct US Army personnel on combat convey operation in both mounted and dismounted combat operations using a real HUMVEE and a video wall system that reacts to incoming fire. In addition, close-air support, medical situations, IEDs, can be added into the simulation scenario. Beyond the simulator, tanks and armored vehicles can be used in Force-on-Force via the use of IR lasers, like the old MILES Gear and vehicle kill-switches. Of course, we could just use Oddball's paint shells: "<i><b><span style="color: red;">We got our own ammunition. It's filled with paint. When we fire it, it makes pretty pictures. It scares the hell out of people</span></b></i>"</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Naval Combat and Crisis Management </u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqblL0kcoBMHV9QHUPIurAsY4McXLC_O9U4IXphKpcMMUrb6EKZIec9253Cqcwb5K0p-gn1kb7H1zODQNpxPE7sr0rNRZSHuAolGygr-BB8zd-9Z0ZaBdMvPOLYXfMoIWjVwwcROnjT1jyIn0-4Tx-mfeRORE-OhcOemwjpfw9Jd6G_f6mk8vYQ25B7lJ/s3600/161118-N-N0443-0040.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2280" data-original-width="3600" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqblL0kcoBMHV9QHUPIurAsY4McXLC_O9U4IXphKpcMMUrb6EKZIec9253Cqcwb5K0p-gn1kb7H1zODQNpxPE7sr0rNRZSHuAolGygr-BB8zd-9Z0ZaBdMvPOLYXfMoIWjVwwcROnjT1jyIn0-4Tx-mfeRORE-OhcOemwjpfw9Jd6G_f6mk8vYQ25B7lJ/w400-h254/161118-N-N0443-0040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When it comes to naval combat training and even crisis training is vastly different than ground combat or even aerial combat FoF training due to the size and complexity of naval operations. One of the modern tools for the US Navy is C-Sim of the NIS that has simulate crisis via computer desktops and the NSWC Dahlgren Division Combat System Simulation (CS3). Much the FoF training that soldiers and marines get via wall 360degree simulators, the US Navy uses systems like this to training sailors in operating these massive ships and working together. These wall simulators are used to training sailors in deck-mounted machine guns like the Mk. 38, M2, Mk. 19, and the M249 against small boat asymmetric threats like pirates and boarding parties. To training the CIAW Phalanx system, drones are used to finetune the software and to test out the new DEW based Phalanx like systems, the AN/SEQ-3 and the LAWS HELIOS systems. The Crisis management part of the navy FoF is to train sailors in controlling fire and flooding in extensive trainings in simulators that have controlled fire and flooding events. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b>Other Modern Force-on-Force Training Technology</b></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>AirSoft</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp-0Qu_i8g6HHNiSvw76N7ZQtadyNkLpLpaqb4xM2pVXzqAf0GJBattKUBJr0A1_tn_GVFmYgLvkP4iEg2hn2-CDKPZd2dPVEBt_Dfxss2qVpUEX5JCkWZi_rYHuv1EE6-4BIDZZVrrekahil_CJcziydspSAl5mcRHhtQrmal0bVd2L7wgwN2VFn2Q/s1800/army.mil-47828-2009-08-13-090803.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="1800" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp-0Qu_i8g6HHNiSvw76N7ZQtadyNkLpLpaqb4xM2pVXzqAf0GJBattKUBJr0A1_tn_GVFmYgLvkP4iEg2hn2-CDKPZd2dPVEBt_Dfxss2qVpUEX5JCkWZi_rYHuv1EE6-4BIDZZVrrekahil_CJcziydspSAl5mcRHhtQrmal0bVd2L7wgwN2VFn2Q/w400-h268/army.mil-47828-2009-08-13-090803.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unlike its older, bigger brother Paintball, AirSoft guns are more 1:1 to their real-steel counterparts and the entire hobby/sport of AirSoft is grounded around military simulation (AKA MILSIM) play. In addition, the same tactical gear, weapon handling, reloading, and muscle memory are able to be used...and the separation between AirSoft and paintball pistol is vast with the AirSoft pistols being more like real-steel pistols and not hand cannons. While it would seem that AirSoft would be superior to paintball in being a direct fire FOF training tool, there are limitations to AirSoft. Like paintball markers, AirSoft guns cannot replicate the weight nor recoil, despite some attempts to replicate via real-action. Another elements, is that the 6mm plastic BBs often tend to spray out in a way that bullets cannot. AirSoft is very populate for FOF training centers, LE training companies, and even Hollywood film/TV training (we saw Keaun Reeves using a AirSoft pistol from some vehicle shooting training). </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Paintball (.43, .50, .68)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIn64bNf8BNhfVQuEMQvQQYTjODK2bzlDIkFt5J4lMKK7u6NHLcbxeADAnnMJJXOZsfvrpalWrQt4dxl35lMJ2_9k3gQRQTfLEX6WTciRYKtcPy_5riukRuAZnkNudvY9YwB0a5Q_WN4rxQ2SXOT0xxbyWfEfatlc3LQLBVbgJRAn4vlHCPdHeHDBMBqf/s1200/i-RGGs4jJ-X3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="883" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIn64bNf8BNhfVQuEMQvQQYTjODK2bzlDIkFt5J4lMKK7u6NHLcbxeADAnnMJJXOZsfvrpalWrQt4dxl35lMJ2_9k3gQRQTfLEX6WTciRYKtcPy_5riukRuAZnkNudvY9YwB0a5Q_WN4rxQ2SXOT0xxbyWfEfatlc3LQLBVbgJRAn4vlHCPdHeHDBMBqf/w294-h400/i-RGGs4jJ-X3.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>Paintball is a sport that I have been involved with since the late 1980's and it has evolved a great deal since the early days of tree and cattle 12 gram Co2 cylinder powered markers by the Nelson Paint Company were used in a game of survival in the summer of 1981 in New Hampshire on June 7th. It was pretty clear early on that the new sport of paintball could be used for FOF training by the military, Law Enforcement, and even civilians. Oddly, paintball has been "weaponized" as a form of less-than-lethal option for military and LE riot and crowd control. Most paintball markers use the industry-standard .68 ball size in a range of colors (not red) and shell density that are propelled out of a barrel at around 300 feet-per-second via CO2, compressed air, propane, and even a propellant primer (in the case of the Para-Ordnance MOD-85). The reason for paintball is not used as much as Simuntion or the military "laser tag" systems, like the US Army MILES, for direct fire FoF training is bullshit factor associated with paintball markers and their ammunition. The guns of paintball are beasts, odd beasts, that are not able to mimic the look, feel, or operations of a real-steel military firearm, especially in loading and range. Unlike bullets or even other FOF tools, paintballs do not always break when hitting a target, they curve in the wind, the paintballs are greatly effected by the weather, and they make a damn mess. </div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTDYJD-zHActbSpThQAAyJjmcfoNNbbF0n8cqpZXAL9VlcHLE31-904KeyWxjREPtvQ8BZdrbUADKXw98_Nv31curPJN6FNU9ixLKhiGrIN_C-nIdEATuudJhQinhs9cY1zGilYbcGNloROXZ3iq64JY15K7F3bLnyk4KlFOqb8GuKGMfrfLmKF_YpZ6u/s1280/maxresdefault%20(11).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTDYJD-zHActbSpThQAAyJjmcfoNNbbF0n8cqpZXAL9VlcHLE31-904KeyWxjREPtvQ8BZdrbUADKXw98_Nv31curPJN6FNU9ixLKhiGrIN_C-nIdEATuudJhQinhs9cY1zGilYbcGNloROXZ3iq64JY15K7F3bLnyk4KlFOqb8GuKGMfrfLmKF_YpZ6u/w400-h225/maxresdefault%20(11).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then there is the gas that powers them and issues with cleaning and maintaining the markers. This would make for a logistical nightmare for an organization as large as the US Army. While there have been advances in magazine-fed markers in the last decade (I own a mag-fed .68 Tiberius Arms T8 pistol), there are still limitations and expense. During the 2000's with the rise in popularity of paintball, especially MILSIM paintball, a California company called Real Action Paintball (RAP) developed .43 caliber paintballs for more of a 1:1 real-steel match for guns like the M4 and the SIG Sauer P226. Some fields would not accept .43 paint and there were a number of quality issues with the markers themselves. </div></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oJrYH2LiKN-UyZeMdA12-hQYgHFrHiA6-XAY-Rcuou8KXNLcsbycK0-BRG4TSnYVRGtlMLc7u4KQtJLdsMCAFFu8bglHat5qRFY-zpW-Edy1DMBFGj7E6v5dLj19OYP559UCOIqY8Lc/s1600/Paintball_Israel1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oJrYH2LiKN-UyZeMdA12-hQYgHFrHiA6-XAY-Rcuou8KXNLcsbycK0-BRG4TSnYVRGtlMLc7u4KQtJLdsMCAFFu8bglHat5qRFY-zpW-Edy1DMBFGj7E6v5dLj19OYP559UCOIqY8Lc/w400-h300/Paintball_Israel1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While some there was some law enforcement FOF training conducted with RAP .43 markers, it was limited and the company joined with some other paintball companies to form a new company in 2015.While these are the elements that do not work for paintball being used as a FOF tool, here are the positives. You can see when you hit someone and you can feel when you are hit...which is an issue with AirSoft. There is something about the way paintballs sound when they sail pass your head or impact on cover that you are behind. There is such a rush with playing paintball and while the guns cannot replicate the handling of a real-steel weapon, there is something very kinetic about paintball. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Simunition</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm0jIMQFqlzXJ8xqxrsECMqRjt5hmeggkAswUMsCsfTYsD6ePAQlkeSv7bYzf1j7_KRiK0224iW3soKcRY-V_hHCsDC76BMRWH1QnX87xKTfetIg8EutpKftf7GHdWA4TYdxIE97Ukv5XQS6VdVloWJYrV-PQkYOdu8aAtLf9DESXSQnuDmRRfUN0YA/s1600/file.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm0jIMQFqlzXJ8xqxrsECMqRjt5hmeggkAswUMsCsfTYsD6ePAQlkeSv7bYzf1j7_KRiK0224iW3soKcRY-V_hHCsDC76BMRWH1QnX87xKTfetIg8EutpKftf7GHdWA4TYdxIE97Ukv5XQS6VdVloWJYrV-PQkYOdu8aAtLf9DESXSQnuDmRRfUN0YA/w400-h300/file.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>One of the big limitations of AirSoft and Paintball is that their guns are not a replication of real-steel weapons and players that use these two systems often develop some bad habits due to the limitations of the weapons and their ammunition. Still, both have their place in direct fire FoF training, however, Simunition ammunition is more of the standard now. The earliest form of modern Simunition ammunition was the wax bullet and it has been in use for over a century, but every round had to be cycled. Modern simunition ammunition allows for modified firearms to fire the simunition ammo and often marked by being blue in color somewhere on the weapon along with some of the magazines being clear and marked. Special weapons designed specially simunition cane be bought or there are conversion kits as well. While there is still a mixture of FoF training tools, one article I read quoted an Army officer at Ft. Bliss saying that pain was a good teacher over the beeping of the old MILES gear and they preferred the use of simunition ammo for direct fire FoF training. During these FoF trainings with simunition ammunition, soldiers must wear face/eye protection. The downside to simunition FoF training is the expense of the ammunition. </div><div><br /></div><u>The Military "Laser Tag" MILES Gear</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsWJZ7XcFxtBYUaPH76Yto7Fm5OAV1YbSUYYGoOD-tAhwZVHZRbua4PrnZg8D40Bpuztl7BAF0SrCkbdoKOP88f9ddGdPKznbh7_w1KOslXsFHiuFl0_mAF9P6bwgJKdoY8P10FyFqro/s1600/fibua.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsWJZ7XcFxtBYUaPH76Yto7Fm5OAV1YbSUYYGoOD-tAhwZVHZRbua4PrnZg8D40Bpuztl7BAF0SrCkbdoKOP88f9ddGdPKznbh7_w1KOslXsFHiuFl0_mAF9P6bwgJKdoY8P10FyFqro/w346-h400/fibua.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><div>The most famous or infamous "<u>m</u>ultiple <u>i</u>ntegrated <u>l</u>aser <u>e</u>ngagement <u>s</u>ystem" or MILES FoF training tool that works in a similar manner to the civilian laser tag systems...just much more expensive and odd. MILES gear was often seen by civilians during news stories and its inclusion in the 1986 Clint Eastwood film <i>Heartbreak Ridge</i>. Which I believe is one of the only films to ever show the system. For a kid of the 1980s that fought in the Great Laser War of 1986-1988, I wanted to try this system so badly, but I think my fantasies of the MILES gear was better than the reality. The system is actually older than I thought with the first MILES gear being developed for the US Army in 1978-1979 by Xerox Electro-Optical Systems. This means that MILES gear is older than paintball and the civilian copies of IR based laser tag rec systems. What MILES did for training soldiers and Marines is allow for direct fire force-on-force training that really not existed before MILES. While there were limitations to the MILES gear, it did allow for soldiers and Marines to use their weapons, not some copy, in direct fire engagements with more realistic action than ever before. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1GtFLek0fmqH0QqZGFKOOGXpluo_M181EvWMs4B582GsDTtOIV2l_RKmCWyyPMuOXxCqbjsNza4Btwnyxgco1x8JcwlljbPFvhDVhyphenhyphenNuM-H8t0OgW2EhOOXtw1QHWfWoLx2Z_xBheJrRHBfjyd2lqI2QA_H3n9NdOL54899PDaNC2AOK4qyy0VNqmsfQ/s3000/A_security_police_team_from_Norton_Air_Force_Base,_equipped_with_MILES_(Multiple_Integrated_Laser_Engagement_System)_attachments_on_their_M-16A1_rifles,_prepare_to_move_out_during_E_-_DPLA_-_7e2a138b4c576b977b8839.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2004" data-original-width="3000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1GtFLek0fmqH0QqZGFKOOGXpluo_M181EvWMs4B582GsDTtOIV2l_RKmCWyyPMuOXxCqbjsNza4Btwnyxgco1x8JcwlljbPFvhDVhyphenhyphenNuM-H8t0OgW2EhOOXtw1QHWfWoLx2Z_xBheJrRHBfjyd2lqI2QA_H3n9NdOL54899PDaNC2AOK4qyy0VNqmsfQ/w400-h268/A_security_police_team_from_Norton_Air_Force_Base,_equipped_with_MILES_(Multiple_Integrated_Laser_Engagement_System)_attachments_on_their_M-16A1_rifles,_prepare_to_move_out_during_E_-_DPLA_-_7e2a138b4c576b977b8839.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>MILES gear has sensors mounted to the soldier's helmet and torso. There weapons are affixed with an IR emitter that fires an IR signal when the weapon is fired with blank ammo. MILES gear allows for near misses, kill shots, and wounds with the I-MILES improved system that will be phases out in 2026. Of course, the MILES gear was not prefect and suffered from technical limitations, human cheating, and negative mindsets to the system. From articles and social media posts, MILES had a troubled history and some small unit commanders liked the MILES gear and thought it added to training in a way that Synthetic Training Environment (STE) cannot. I read many accounts by soldiers, Airmen, and Marines that basically stated that they hated the fucking MILES gear and wished for "real training". The real question is after 2026, will MILES be replaced with another direct fire FoF system?</div><div><br /></div><div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur6Jr2wmnT76WkqMWpBzZ-sjwrq8cJuhAnxKWtoG6WuOFTBdbTAhqgLVpV2C6sYXXBSkZtwqdfhbUFOz0BEBntk0aWMxrpK90Zjvv7aXu1HlpmXkp9fknJagmIOLoSUlmKLC4Yil8_Ik/s1600/Holodeck.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur6Jr2wmnT76WkqMWpBzZ-sjwrq8cJuhAnxKWtoG6WuOFTBdbTAhqgLVpV2C6sYXXBSkZtwqdfhbUFOz0BEBntk0aWMxrpK90Zjvv7aXu1HlpmXkp9fknJagmIOLoSUlmKLC4Yil8_Ik/s320/Holodeck.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><u>The Far Future of Force-on-Force Training: Robots, VR Worlds, and Holodecks?</u></b><br />
<div>With the level of technological advancement, especially in the realm of AI, robotics, and VR; the next 100 years will see the training of future military personnel to be very different than today. While there is no substitute for real-world experience and how the real-world opens the senses to train the body and mind, we could see VR taking the place of some of the old ways by generating training environments without the expense of land and materials. Future warfighters could train on marksmanship without the risk of firing real bullets or throwing real grenades. When future soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen arrive for their basic training, there will be extensive use of VR, robots, and simulators. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SzsrAIubH5t9D0LC5YgVBNwViqAXDocd8gbfKgO9swhidFYg8FUwNKgdiTeG6th60CE6c26s3sL2GT1AkZ4juEpYKOLan0QoV77B8TT-E9Dn-kKOGeqJCq21uJh2iPzjv_AT2-FsGLJ7_jF2zBgXgDK-B8dtMSrS6wBEEj1hLuwkJThxQjb-CV9swE-g/s870/Hypersleep.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="870" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SzsrAIubH5t9D0LC5YgVBNwViqAXDocd8gbfKgO9swhidFYg8FUwNKgdiTeG6th60CE6c26s3sL2GT1AkZ4juEpYKOLan0QoV77B8TT-E9Dn-kKOGeqJCq21uJh2iPzjv_AT2-FsGLJ7_jF2zBgXgDK-B8dtMSrS6wBEEj1hLuwkJThxQjb-CV9swE-g/w400-h225/Hypersleep.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Application of robots for FoF could be as OPFOR in war games, hand-to-hand sparring opponents, and even as the instructors themselves. Robots could take the place of human trainers onboard military starships due time dilation and virtual reality based simulators could be used in concert with the robotic trainers. VR would be used to test out new skills in a risk-free environment. Students could pilot new craft or use new weapons would screwing up expensive military machinery. Onboard deep space troop ships, we could see the use of VR simulators for training on their new gear that was developed while they were in hypersleep...as seen in <i>The Forever War. </i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYD905jOj8Y7nB-U2z1i_Qvf6SlKrT3nrOhm6rmDIYYUXuf2erADwddBjeBGclq2Ty454lV3C7FKhvR6LzGR-HK1a_ovwKPftHcoP1h4aGMIiBmvv7DOiWBcQVBgifJmuOwo0Lb-6GKvFvvYCKAk8cpTM8Kz70YlnHTevLq0ek9qbrUjcCmtKG_x84VRdC/s960/cryosleep.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYD905jOj8Y7nB-U2z1i_Qvf6SlKrT3nrOhm6rmDIYYUXuf2erADwddBjeBGclq2Ty454lV3C7FKhvR6LzGR-HK1a_ovwKPftHcoP1h4aGMIiBmvv7DOiWBcQVBgifJmuOwo0Lb-6GKvFvvYCKAk8cpTM8Kz70YlnHTevLq0ek9qbrUjcCmtKG_x84VRdC/s320/cryosleep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Onboard our deep space troopship, pilots could keep their skills fresh by use of simulators while crossing gulf between star systems and along side the fighter jocks, we could the space marines training in a simulation of the exo-solar planet environment they will be deployed to. This would improve survivability and allow for officers to know the terrain they will be planning operations in. Of course, any spacefaring military organization will have their space marines assigned to off-world exo-environmental training sites, like Luna, Mars, or Titan, but given the realities of space travel, there would be need to use the transit time effectively. Another tool for providing training while in transit between Sol and Gliese 667 is using neuro-networks while the soldiers are in cyro-sleep to insert new informational packets and trainings. Cybernetic soldiers could be trained and upgraded via this concept. That brings us to another element of training soldiers in the distant future: location. Some future space marines would be trained on Terra or at least, in the Terran system...but other colonial citizens born on off-world colonies maybe trained at a central military world or space station, like Reach from <i>HALO</i>. Colonies could have their own training sites for their own colonial militia as well. </div><div><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Science Fiction and Force-on-Force Training</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3tl7Z1zDNyOjJviVkYcCvduGQucD4qBt8cLx1xtYI0yecfuoDADNtONOiGWBbY7M4iZ-wfJrpNUVJo2GGMQm6PjOU-MslZsflAF6qM-WXB40VVtYTt-BlXNekEGILwMwQd75ynSzyU8Z/s1600/spaceaboveandbeyond-eyes24.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3tl7Z1zDNyOjJviVkYcCvduGQucD4qBt8cLx1xtYI0yecfuoDADNtONOiGWBbY7M4iZ-wfJrpNUVJo2GGMQm6PjOU-MslZsflAF6qM-WXB40VVtYTt-BlXNekEGILwMwQd75ynSzyU8Z/w400-h219/spaceaboveandbeyond-eyes24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>While training of new soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors is a key foundational experience of any military career that solidifies bonding among the recruits; there has to be a reason to include training in a science fiction work. Sci-fi creators will show or write an FoF/training sequence to show the characters growing in their roles, learning the skills of combat, demonstrating the technologies of war present in the society, along with core character development. At times, FoF/training sequences can inform the audience of how characters feel about killing, explanation of the current state of the fictional universe, and the enemy that our characters could be facing on exo-planets. In the realm of training/FoF sequences in video games, these levels are used to train the players in the mechanics of the game, using weapons, movement, and combat flow. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLqUyZdRVqo3ToqsOEhmcqWsv_uqWSyUrSIApyxYYnFax8KSc1V5vczv-vvffuXnAMtACYCiLhSMIYOrm4DAzd8xzRZrNsoy1TAGh-kno-4dILF8n_I3i5MYPVy6f5q7lCZjRkUBaY5jP6JTLeEi-upKP2hSqV7eE0hmFTx8lxMTNF02X3zYLl-TD8EqO/s640/AthenaLostPlanet1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLqUyZdRVqo3ToqsOEhmcqWsv_uqWSyUrSIApyxYYnFax8KSc1V5vczv-vvffuXnAMtACYCiLhSMIYOrm4DAzd8xzRZrNsoy1TAGh-kno-4dILF8n_I3i5MYPVy6f5q7lCZjRkUBaY5jP6JTLeEi-upKP2hSqV7eE0hmFTx8lxMTNF02X3zYLl-TD8EqO/w400-h300/AthenaLostPlanet1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In addition, Force-on-Force experiences of our fictional space marines are an important part of their military life and so they are included if the story involves the journey of the space marines or as a flashback to those early days. This is seen in <i>The Forever War</i>, <i>Old Man's War </i>and<i> SST</i>. These scenes can show what their experiences or emotions might be to actually combat, or how much of badass they might be...or how much of a cherry they are. This is seen in ALIENS, during the tactical transport flight to Hadly's Hope when Lt. Gorman tells the civilians and the Colonial Marinas under his command that he has been only 2 combat drops with dozens being simulated. In the case of both <i>Battlestar Galactica </i>shows, the training scenes there were to illustrate the desperate need for Viper pilots and who is recruited for that important job...like shuttle pilots. Another way that sci-fi creators use the training scene in visual media is to pull the old bait-n-switch. You think that you are watching a real comabt scene only to be told that this sequence was just a training and no space marines or original <i>Trek</i> bridge officers were harmed. </div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><u>Examples:</u></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The "Kobayashi Maru" Starfleet Academy Simulation from the <i>Star Trek </i>Universe</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYcxASpr9hv1r_85uBKk-0qQ7DQpjqsJ-JfVXshpg9b6a8xaavv1rYfNO2SD6iFxnJa7kmPZNrhJyQttwnSLvZifrcDlqZwo9x9jMLsaGxDyD7HzsRp-9P_yUOThNDX_p9-pQaGJEzABRJuPrNC0RcRwjfgPNvrz_nT_0p5nWKSPhQrAkevGbNeMw3A/s800/Image-Kobayashi-Maru-from-Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYcxASpr9hv1r_85uBKk-0qQ7DQpjqsJ-JfVXshpg9b6a8xaavv1rYfNO2SD6iFxnJa7kmPZNrhJyQttwnSLvZifrcDlqZwo9x9jMLsaGxDyD7HzsRp-9P_yUOThNDX_p9-pQaGJEzABRJuPrNC0RcRwjfgPNvrz_nT_0p5nWKSPhQrAkevGbNeMw3A/w400-h200/Image-Kobayashi-Maru-from-Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the more famous introduction scenes to a film and it was a Force-on-Force simulation with 23rd century technology was the infamous "Kobayashi Maru" test in the Starfleet Academy San Francisco campus. In bridge simulation test, senior cadets are put into the simulator to pressure test their thinking in the "no-win scenario" of the <i>Kobayashi Maru.</i> In the <i>Star Trek II: TWOK </i>original version of the test, Lt. Saavik, other non-command cadets, and experience officers are tasked with rescuing the Class III Neutronic fuel tanker after they hit a gravitic mine and suffered major damage. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCm0_iWMdXOI8Q78BMcbVS5A91q1tIXEt1LgtyCIRjqC_sVaDCODUy9VEg2mMBzb4eGLBVrw8pstv158C_yfQFpohoCnOy70uh3_U0yd-4jocpyBEXlzH9JZifIDhSeqzf4tgAi7g4a15A2DGqsminEEsBprmCPbXvugCwVIsk32lFjxELEpmD_OfIWiC/s1920/st2-twok-dc-0060.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCm0_iWMdXOI8Q78BMcbVS5A91q1tIXEt1LgtyCIRjqC_sVaDCODUy9VEg2mMBzb4eGLBVrw8pstv158C_yfQFpohoCnOy70uh3_U0yd-4jocpyBEXlzH9JZifIDhSeqzf4tgAi7g4a15A2DGqsminEEsBprmCPbXvugCwVIsk32lFjxELEpmD_OfIWiC/w400-h168/st2-twok-dc-0060.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There is debate if the commercial vessel was officially a Starfleet vessel or just a Federation civilian vessel. When the USS <i>Enterprise</i> entered into the Klingon Neutral Zone, three <i>K't'inga </i>class Klingon battlecruisers intercepted, likely due to a trap being setup for the crew of the Federation vessel. Some have assumed that the Klingons faked the accident to lure in the Federation heavy cruiser. Things go badly for the inexperienced command of the simulated <i>Enterprise</i> and the ship is dead in the water, waiting for the Klingons to finish them off. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl9QE0Ot4G6uN_VxIZ9dc-5dSb35tvHAum92SKI6zVToTusQW9f7faBqR_K_FHinakla_mWUTCc_J7lvLnpgg_2kIuSznKDwjdHYppQOWoRolNfq1D3QxnFMocGda20YCXvSO366V9z8ZaVOqiDoaPoK1yQ5H1gO2ga3UMWNe6PzRMCU_LPD81B1TmQFi/s1920/st2-twok-dc-0138.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl9QE0Ot4G6uN_VxIZ9dc-5dSb35tvHAum92SKI6zVToTusQW9f7faBqR_K_FHinakla_mWUTCc_J7lvLnpgg_2kIuSznKDwjdHYppQOWoRolNfq1D3QxnFMocGda20YCXvSO366V9z8ZaVOqiDoaPoK1yQ5H1gO2ga3UMWNe6PzRMCU_LPD81B1TmQFi/w400-h168/st2-twok-dc-0138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There are fake explosive and some actor deaths involved as the bridge simulator explodes around them. This is when the whole cadet exercise was cancelled and Admiral Kirk steps onto the bridge in glorious fashion. In the lore of <i>Trek, </i>Kirk was the only one to win at the "no-win scenario" simulation via reprograming the code to allow the ship to be rescued. The simulation was a psychological test of bridge crews during combat situations when one heavy cruiser is outgunned and lives are on the line. The ship was named for the former neighbors of <i>Star Trek II</i> screenwriter Jack B. Sowards and the name means in Japanese: "Little Wooden Boat" and the term has become fashion beyond the realm of Trekkie culture. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Paintball Training from Ep 4 "Revenge Road: from<i> Bubblegum Crisis</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_y2b8Cp7IvQmC23lR3d1N_ewOrEkmThOyxCF2UFiOhGY2jGQS-5UzfC_Hzv8HaXtwsQZvNX5na3W1StxLwz2B0ozqfzK37eb9nm14b9Q_PfFsk6a75W6C-6uNTq_kTfNNM_d9dnq6TZvq_CVc8M7XiQM8cewqDz8QicYX3AgNnR9ry8QlhJWWOCif-w/s640/BGC_PrissUzi.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_y2b8Cp7IvQmC23lR3d1N_ewOrEkmThOyxCF2UFiOhGY2jGQS-5UzfC_Hzv8HaXtwsQZvNX5na3W1StxLwz2B0ozqfzK37eb9nm14b9Q_PfFsk6a75W6C-6uNTq_kTfNNM_d9dnq6TZvq_CVc8M7XiQM8cewqDz8QicYX3AgNnR9ry8QlhJWWOCif-w/w400-h300/BGC_PrissUzi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the classic anime cyberpunk limited series (and one of my personal favorites!) <i>Bubblegum Crisis </i>from 1987, we see the mercenary Knight Sabers engage in a FOF training with two being assaulters (Priss & Linna) )of a building and two being defenders (Syliva & Nene). All four are armed with the classic UZI SMG (clearly seen in both design and name), and during firing, the UZI fires redish paintballs with ejecting shells. After setting on a simulated mine, the assaulting team loses, buying dinner for the defenders. On this list, there will be many examples of characters not wearing protective gear and here is no different. I am not sure why the Knight Sabers, who wear armored power suits are engaged in CQC drills with SMG type weapons, when they do not use anything like this. Some sites have mocked the very realistic paintball weapons with good reason, but at the time of 1987, there was a realistic shell ejecting SMG: the Para-Ordnance MOD-85 that used propellant to fire .375 paintballs that ejected the plastic shell casings. This could be the reason that the UZI paintball markers behave like they do in the 4th episode or the animators were just lazy. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The "Fighter" Target Training Dummy Robot and the Shield Training from DUNE (1984)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-_JKOFwQmAr31yOXMg46deBlnQlRTBU4-DEmCWgkz75WouwoOwZTBtvBap-1ja0cV__dKyT7tyYE5mGauvtVRISbCAC5TtN2EImf5seN_pDEUMceABBFZHF_c-mL_9mDgvP5wi_QUlH7OvLEuEtPM2_cr0YeC0OKTdRC-6rxKWopKUlP5gwvN_U0DQ/s448/paulvsprobe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="448" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-_JKOFwQmAr31yOXMg46deBlnQlRTBU4-DEmCWgkz75WouwoOwZTBtvBap-1ja0cV__dKyT7tyYE5mGauvtVRISbCAC5TtN2EImf5seN_pDEUMceABBFZHF_c-mL_9mDgvP5wi_QUlH7OvLEuEtPM2_cr0YeC0OKTdRC-6rxKWopKUlP5gwvN_U0DQ/w400-h324/paulvsprobe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In one of the key beginning scenes from the 1984 DUNE film by David Lynch is the Force-on-Force training with a "fighter". This fighter is one of the few robots allowed after the Butlerian Jihad and is this robot is used to train warriors and nobles in close combat that is common in the inner-house limited warfare allowed by the Guild and the landsraad. In the scene in the 1984 film and the book, Paul engages in close combat with a fighting practice dummy. In the book, Paul uses a rapier and in the movie, the infamous sonic Weirding Module is used. These practice dummies one of the robots allowed under the ban on Thinking Machines imposed after the holy war against the machines. Unlike the servant robots of the Great Houses or the machines on Ix, the practice dummies are limited use to provide training and they do get damaged or destroyed during the training...it seems from the book and film that the safety settings were turned off. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjianbZQ-XGl4sDsPK6WolSDtMGogrG9pJMISWjzBpJmjRPhCpV2PJgZ9SOtURuj77-b6jBl51rCazQpgGWU23A7HEG_n_lGim4wyGFGZjZF05vIBHA3xCAYYZVPQt7HqLAP3rt9qCTlgcs4Hg1z8qNGjooGgsZ-oE_UINpDTJlAwYNGxvM_X9Vf6nxnYUh/s600/441aeeff431fd5fe-600x338.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjianbZQ-XGl4sDsPK6WolSDtMGogrG9pJMISWjzBpJmjRPhCpV2PJgZ9SOtURuj77-b6jBl51rCazQpgGWU23A7HEG_n_lGim4wyGFGZjZF05vIBHA3xCAYYZVPQt7HqLAP3rt9qCTlgcs4Hg1z8qNGjooGgsZ-oE_UINpDTJlAwYNGxvM_X9Vf6nxnYUh/w400-h225/441aeeff431fd5fe-600x338.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For some reason, the fighter in the 1984 film always reminded me of those Wing-Chun wooden dummies we used in JKD. Prior to that, Paul and his teacher Gurney Hallack engage in a knife-and-personal shield combat that could be a form of force-on-force. Of course, Gurney tells Paul to guard himself for true and if had not, he would have bore a scar for the lack of effort to remind him of that lesson. Given the personal dangers of the DUNE universe, nobles had to be ready to defend themselves against assassins. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Force-on-Force Training Beam equipped Morita Rifles from <i>Starship Trooper</i> (1997)</u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTg6hZdlE1HUWx-0qDTEgX6dQkK2M0XsOKgPOC9nRjtMl_7rGWkJRRylvXJRxvVX49olrPJVmU60PEaWW2gOf0XwWScWoUNA4NkmtW3WPRDEgXFNStTJRDw2UHqD60QYl7V3DX4gnzUyE/s1600/1000px-Vlcsnap-147350.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTg6hZdlE1HUWx-0qDTEgX6dQkK2M0XsOKgPOC9nRjtMl_7rGWkJRRylvXJRxvVX49olrPJVmU60PEaWW2gOf0XwWScWoUNA4NkmtW3WPRDEgXFNStTJRDw2UHqD60QYl7V3DX4gnzUyE/w400-h225/1000px-Vlcsnap-147350.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>During the boot camp scenes at Camp Arthur Currie in the 1997 <i>SST </i>movie, we do get an interesting laser tag-like FoF scene where a blue and red team play capture the flag/king of the hill game mode. The weapon used are the familiar Morita Mk. I of the film , but instead of bullets, they fire beams of red or blue. There was an attachment on the front of the Morita rifles that allows for the beam...like a form of MILES? I found a 3D printer artist name "SLUSHO" that created a Morita Mk. I laser tag barrier attachment. The MI troopers are wearing blue or red helmets along with a vest with sensors, similar to a laser tag worn at centers today. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivejI9YjJ0VcgTp9P3OF3YBSiSAIoJOnT4HYAOQ8Se9nLl41ucDAAnI6mVfjcMMv2noWOSYlNtprj4AX_tSilklxeYI3h8ivKVSZxJKLNT1wCt2synpZhZEaya6-Y_nrFGg6LAJme8DUZyIN8EvU0Y0j4I5lzZOpCO1u8bZezMTExv_93yiZ4qeo58a23J/s1000/534675_xl.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="1000" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivejI9YjJ0VcgTp9P3OF3YBSiSAIoJOnT4HYAOQ8Se9nLl41ucDAAnI6mVfjcMMv2noWOSYlNtprj4AX_tSilklxeYI3h8ivKVSZxJKLNT1wCt2synpZhZEaya6-Y_nrFGg6LAJme8DUZyIN8EvU0Y0j4I5lzZOpCO1u8bZezMTExv_93yiZ4qeo58a23J/w400-h216/534675_xl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the vests was featured in a video from the Propstore and had eight small LED blinking lights that were positioned front and back with a larger pack on the back. On the front, there central bigger LED light that take the place of sensors. All of this was operated with a remote control. When a trooper is tagged, the vest seems to generate a shock that causes enough pain to stop the player from being a zombie. Oddly, Rico is able to use a Red Team's Morita FoF laser rifle and his blue rifle to tag out members of the red team. A cool scene that is one of the better futuristic FoF in a sci-fi film and it makes one wish that real-world laser tag was as cool. Pity. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>The VR Firing Range from <i>COD: Infinite Warfare</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsOxyKuIl-2B74C1gv4Kw_glgL0X8yEKFjZSKhmAcTfYK5co1sQMEb5ZkSI4sEGGClE1Qhv9T4e2fX3eu4WuvIuU-E2os8ULaCshaUBRN7cUn4LxwxhsIGf3cAqFJm3bE9bOHTKXSMVg2Q2Y0CcVaoWNJBqLn6386kGT6XmwmKnuYE9zqPFEXBvJNjw/s600/600px-Cod_iw_ebr_campaign_fp_ar.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsOxyKuIl-2B74C1gv4Kw_glgL0X8yEKFjZSKhmAcTfYK5co1sQMEb5ZkSI4sEGGClE1Qhv9T4e2fX3eu4WuvIuU-E2os8ULaCshaUBRN7cUn4LxwxhsIGf3cAqFJm3bE9bOHTKXSMVg2Q2Y0CcVaoWNJBqLn6386kGT6XmwmKnuYE9zqPFEXBvJNjw/w400-h225/600px-Cod_iw_ebr_campaign_fp_ar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For many of COD players (or former player in my case), the 2016 "COD in Outer Space" title divided the player base into several camps. Given the hate and venom leveled at <i>COD: Infinite Warfare</i> (COD:IW), we never got a sequel or expansion which makes me sad. I actually really liked COD:IW and I still play the multiplayer offline to this day. In the game, when the player is loading up for a mission, he does down to the armory and selects the weapons for the mission. Then the player can test out the selected weapons in the VR Firing Range. There was another virtual firing range as well in COD: Advanced Warfare that lead to the inclusion of Firing Range in COD: IW. This was a unique take on the classic firing range in the real world and how we test weapons more organically than just firing at a paper target. I wished so much this was in Destiny 2 given the amount of weapon rolls in the game. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The "Famous Missions" from <i>Space Hulk: The Vengeance of the Blood Angels</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSr_hsUtZn9RvevcoEvGAgu83cD9VliXbvmmCRmyhcwOJjYjkr5cg2OgAcuUmgq62YVuf43ilqwnnSiZ9TvDRnJw9HfC2BikTGMFoiVXgw2k6NLdva3P48M1LnR45sn_luL_Uvs-_eWPKvw_-a_0I7waoSRUWqpyhK3K4Dx6Wyxe4IO68l5NvR5A4UZg/s1200/673525-virtual_pc_2008_09_20_20_06_48_48.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSr_hsUtZn9RvevcoEvGAgu83cD9VliXbvmmCRmyhcwOJjYjkr5cg2OgAcuUmgq62YVuf43ilqwnnSiZ9TvDRnJw9HfC2BikTGMFoiVXgw2k6NLdva3P48M1LnR45sn_luL_Uvs-_eWPKvw_-a_0I7waoSRUWqpyhK3K4Dx6Wyxe4IO68l5NvR5A4UZg/w400-h225/673525-virtual_pc_2008_09_20_20_06_48_48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 1995, EA, Key Games, and Krisalis Software would gift us with one of the best early WH40K video games that was based on one of the best gateway drug products of 40K: <i>Space Hulk</i>! The success of the original 1989 boardgame caused there to be a computer game of the concept in 1993 on MS-DOS and Amiga machines of the day. Then in 1995, <i>Space Hulk: The Vengeance of the Blood Angels </i>would be released for home consoles as well like the original PlayStation, the oddball 3DO, and the failed Sega Saturn. This sequel was superior to the original, but did include missions from the original computer game. I owned this game in 1996 and kept it until my PS2 and all of my games were stolen in a home robbery. In the extra features for the game, the player can engage in FOF training via the Chapter's Librarian to relive the missions and glories of previous culling in the space hulks that are spit out by the Warp. This is interesting take on FOF in video games. <br /></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Crucible from the </u><u><i>Destiny</i> Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3zN-E5J1FtudJHgDfVfEeYHdJqAYr4iW-ASfeZoJElXGUsSySFkfjSchudVz2_h98uFxLXCXD1KTnRc6AeGo7LDmPpEbY0nKPmRWbww2i0e7CNihQRe3CLBnkJ-46Pf4KFXUhtAq89uqoMnm1kGAsXUt5QNlkVbFX0n4G63xptglRK0ut7mdEqLE8A/s760/destiny-crucible-tips.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="760" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3zN-E5J1FtudJHgDfVfEeYHdJqAYr4iW-ASfeZoJElXGUsSySFkfjSchudVz2_h98uFxLXCXD1KTnRc6AeGo7LDmPpEbY0nKPmRWbww2i0e7CNihQRe3CLBnkJ-46Pf4KFXUhtAq89uqoMnm1kGAsXUt5QNlkVbFX0n4G63xptglRK0ut7mdEqLE8A/w400-h225/destiny-crucible-tips.webp" width="400" /></a></div>There are many a night that take my female human Hunter into the meatgrinder that is the <i>Destiny 2 </i>(D2) Crucible Player-vs-Player (PvP) lobbies and kill or be killed in 6-v-6 action. The Crucible is a critical part of the overall D2 experience for new light and seasoned players, and allows for player guardians to test their new builds and new weapon rolls. For me, the Crucible is one of the factors that keeps me coming back to D2 again and again when I should be doing other things with my free time (like working on FWS!). </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKO6VUgYvKrMd9BmsfgpG3amV9G-2K6ikOQzPvt_nw4EN7iEvOYad06xLEU1HkkZlxZPWSmD8USJyo42BeWSb0DU2HiWeVFROqhly7uMBgt-hwFMGIpU_jKGLlI5GOLA_ozWRAmn_TSBbT78pFc1SYpmLaX9_TWvvkTb2F_ySkIUeUopAFGDQ7Ama8A/s828/tumblr_p3icusK0I61tjezqoo1_1280.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="828" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKO6VUgYvKrMd9BmsfgpG3amV9G-2K6ikOQzPvt_nw4EN7iEvOYad06xLEU1HkkZlxZPWSmD8USJyo42BeWSb0DU2HiWeVFROqhly7uMBgt-hwFMGIpU_jKGLlI5GOLA_ozWRAmn_TSBbT78pFc1SYpmLaX9_TWvvkTb2F_ySkIUeUopAFGDQ7Ama8A/s320/tumblr_p3icusK0I61tjezqoo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In-game, it is mentioned by NPCs like Saint-14 and Lord "I Banged Mara Sov" Shaxx, along with chatter from NPCs in the Tower that the Crucible is a real thing and people watch it. From the chatter by workers in the Tower, the matches in the Crucible are broadcasted and they bet, have watch parties, and even record matches like some Football game or <i>the American Gladiators</i>! According to the lore, the Crucible was founded by Saint-14 to solve interpersonal issues within the Guardian community and these matches were not a holo-sim, but done with real bullets and the Ghosts revived their Guardian each time. After the bloody Battle of the Twilight Gap, Lord Shaxx made the Crucible a training ground for Guardians to improve their skills on the inter-solar systems battlefields. This is a very real FOF training environment that could not be replicated today despite what Robert Heinlein suggested in <i>SST. </i>If you do play D2 and you enter into the Crucible or the Iron Banana, you are playing with real bullets, real Guardians, you really fucking died in a real map on a real planet. Damn Lord Shaxx! Cut down on the espresso Guardian! <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Pilot Gauntlet VR Training Sim from <i>Titanfall 2</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp3h406JS2xoe-0F7loBu4KHkoxpSrClc40sc1Zc2PwJKL-I_yTMGL4FR9_MKoRImYZQ4ByVBBAderVVlgkk91m57KHPm7nX9E0wrScrZdlwryFfRoXou_aA17QVCAeYy3GsBOYuXn-_XFuE946yVBWJ0QwlX79SChGYvPfje1g5MjzLP80j1jz7IrA/s1600/-1620487701078.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp3h406JS2xoe-0F7loBu4KHkoxpSrClc40sc1Zc2PwJKL-I_yTMGL4FR9_MKoRImYZQ4ByVBBAderVVlgkk91m57KHPm7nX9E0wrScrZdlwryFfRoXou_aA17QVCAeYy3GsBOYuXn-_XFuE946yVBWJ0QwlX79SChGYvPfje1g5MjzLP80j1jz7IrA/w400-h225/-1620487701078.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the follow-up (and likely the end of the franchise) to the Xbox One launch title of <i>Titanfall, </i>we see our character, Jack Cooper (really?!), engage in VR training to achieve his pilot certification to become a mecha pilot for the Frontier Militia. The primary goal of the gauntlet VR training is to reach the movement of the pilots that allow to survive them on the battlefield until the Titan mecha is orbit dropped onto the battlefield and mount their Titan. In this training VR environment, there are enemies that will return fire. Then Cooper moved to Titan combat practice with his instructor in a VR Titan FoF. In the game itself, the VR training was used to instruct the player in the movement of the pilot and their weapons. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>Hunt-the-Changeling Training from <i>ST:DS9 </i>"Way of the Warrior Pt. 1" </u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HXwvsILT2gWJLL6K_P3OuzABnvk_1E3mCv_aNhwT8XWx0V5lMunwQXljIZmz0EOsSy8zmd-4VJpq-zW3581I5T1OUfXwA5L6sVGSSvsFTENPnDFkCloAxHjMlAcewYI5vvya85N3S-Lsjof-7BCQl2AbWTv_2CiX3rkIjNpT9UylTkSlySzs3uOm5g/s692/wayofwarrior1_027.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="692" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HXwvsILT2gWJLL6K_P3OuzABnvk_1E3mCv_aNhwT8XWx0V5lMunwQXljIZmz0EOsSy8zmd-4VJpq-zW3581I5T1OUfXwA5L6sVGSSvsFTENPnDFkCloAxHjMlAcewYI5vvya85N3S-Lsjof-7BCQl2AbWTv_2CiX3rkIjNpT9UylTkSlySzs3uOm5g/w400-h306/wayofwarrior1_027.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the dynamic opener to the 4th Season of DS9, we see the crew of the station sweeping room of the habitat ring for a changeling by using wide-beam phasers to locate and flush the shapeshifter in his liquid state. The episode shows the key characters going room-by-room in close quarters conditions flushing out their prey...who was hiding as a blanket on a chair. After escaping, the changeling hid as a wall display on the main promenade and tagged Dr. Bashir. This is when it was revealed that hunt was a FoF training for Odo. This was an operation to counter the threat of changeling agents that would be engaged in political engineering and sabotage after the events of season 3. This training and tools developed would be taken across the Federation as seen when Earth was "attacked" by "changelings" and later on, the Dominion War. <br /><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The </u><u>Kerberos Panzer Kill-House </u><u>Force-on-Force Training from </u><u><i>Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade</i></u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc5Egp9lXCo5nQR69lkWV_zaKWscCVgBkHHidlgiH6FkIYENmXqJThTd7kuW_R2NrNXAV9rsfMxkSVGj-tXEag9hhx4V7XPCuHWjweIYiwxQ6qbeCUPWHCURuK1Coekm4eAaPoAEPXWA/s1600/Jinroh54596-stg44t_bullet.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc5Egp9lXCo5nQR69lkWV_zaKWscCVgBkHHidlgiH6FkIYENmXqJThTd7kuW_R2NrNXAV9rsfMxkSVGj-tXEag9hhx4V7XPCuHWjweIYiwxQ6qbeCUPWHCURuK1Coekm4eAaPoAEPXWA/w400-h210/Jinroh54596-stg44t_bullet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>One of the most brilliant and just odd military science fiction anime titles that came to America is 1999's <i> Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. </i>FWS will discuss this title in much more detail than here, but when the main character of Fuse who is an elite member of the Japan police special Kerberos Squad. They don the impressive and fearsome protective gear. After he was found unable to kill a girl terrorist carrying a bomb, Fuse was sent back to training. During on training, he and his mates are clearing a kill house with Haenel MKb 42(H) assault rifles loaded with training rubble rounds that seem to be larger than the standard 7.92x33mm rounds of the STG family. The FOF training in the kill house goes wrong when a senior (and badass) Keberos member takes them to school with lots of rubber rounds. These rubber rounds hit this some power as we clearly see pieces of the armor being shredded off. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Jedi FOF from <i>Star Wars</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE046TwSIZv-Q4_57GOuaCq5UoOs1Ee5NqcqNpbVLvbZnz9s00063X4peQ-Z-CKYv1KR733_DY3E6kGj1KteF2BROQoJvhujNBGzavbI0exLNXhHIJtM0d67BEKhbfMm_oFHuI8-ApSmVHWvqaKD4o7spO6QV3A1dEeOJR5dfugdeQgYGlwJemnnyAlyy/s1200/star-wars-luke-skywalker-lightsaber-training-remote.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE046TwSIZv-Q4_57GOuaCq5UoOs1Ee5NqcqNpbVLvbZnz9s00063X4peQ-Z-CKYv1KR733_DY3E6kGj1KteF2BROQoJvhujNBGzavbI0exLNXhHIJtM0d67BEKhbfMm_oFHuI8-ApSmVHWvqaKD4o7spO6QV3A1dEeOJR5dfugdeQgYGlwJemnnyAlyy/s320/star-wars-luke-skywalker-lightsaber-training-remote.webp" width="320" /></a></div>In the very first <i>Star Wars </i>film, we see Luke Skywalker being trained with a real lightsaber with a repulsor equipped drone that fired non-lethal, but painful, blast bolts to teach the art of blaster deflection. The use of drones, like the Marksman-H combat remote droid and others allowed for Padawan Jedi to train in lightsaber combat with a reactive target. This training was seen onboard the Millennium Falcon was an echo of the extensive FoF training conducted for the youngling Jedi at the Temple and Jedi training schools during the Old Republic Jedi Order. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2skHbw9cOmuTWQ_xD6hmhnooF77UxRduiIIDjox8H6qkd6W_JX1DX5rdnKAMsyR3fgn-JN-swBjz4_8-7p099HsSdYlU46eUuOTlU_jQZsPN5CLz7YfjT2F1ifXFAmSLmd4qYAYZaUrB1GWBJYZKF4AOa9ioW9TQklJgvag59wvcJpVHhp4a59H55TR-b/s1280/younglings-2+(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2skHbw9cOmuTWQ_xD6hmhnooF77UxRduiIIDjox8H6qkd6W_JX1DX5rdnKAMsyR3fgn-JN-swBjz4_8-7p099HsSdYlU46eUuOTlU_jQZsPN5CLz7YfjT2F1ifXFAmSLmd4qYAYZaUrB1GWBJYZKF4AOa9ioW9TQklJgvag59wvcJpVHhp4a59H55TR-b/s320/younglings-2+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Younglings would have their eyes blocked to forced them to use the Force to counter the drone incoming fire with a number of practice lightsabers. Some of these practice sabers were wood or even low-power lightsabers as seen in the <i>SW III: Revenge of the Sith. </i>Later onward in the journey of a Jedi, the Padawan would be assigned to a Master Jedi and the level of FoF lightsaber training would increase to working with a lightsaber wielding droid and even their master to prefect their skills and response. Throughout their long journey from youngling to Jedi Knight, there is a pattern of Force-on-Force (insert joke here) training to promote smart fighting Jedi monk-warriors, however, the Clone Wars painfully demonstrated how lacking Jedi combat training was due to the relative peace of the Old Republic. </div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></u></div><div><u>The Security and Combat Holodeck Programs from <i>Star Trek</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD333IBO9q1yvcJtPH02oCMW5f4lRXYvPatSpcFa4P4Qhcydu_iSLyS3cimYWDaHmHDj8EqHWB9YDzaPO5zOnbkOGw-g3Qdayk0Do1UACSq5GjjnmSqUkdMZci-l2nR-kOS0HXu0BEr11GNnq8EiZ3coZGlY22YHY4yCsuCxuZL0bYQl2IBPGvDDWe1g/s602/main-qimg-bf108d84d6b0b8a19707fc226c01fcc7-lq.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="602" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD333IBO9q1yvcJtPH02oCMW5f4lRXYvPatSpcFa4P4Qhcydu_iSLyS3cimYWDaHmHDj8EqHWB9YDzaPO5zOnbkOGw-g3Qdayk0Do1UACSq5GjjnmSqUkdMZci-l2nR-kOS0HXu0BEr11GNnq8EiZ3coZGlY22YHY4yCsuCxuZL0bYQl2IBPGvDDWe1g/s320/main-qimg-bf108d84d6b0b8a19707fc226c01fcc7-lq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Since the introduction of the HoloDecks in the first episode of TNG, it has been a game charger, for both the sci-fi community at large and the world of <i>Trek</i>. This opened a whole world of possibilities of stories that creators of the concept could not imagine. One element that the HoloDeck was used for besides forbidden fantasies and Klingon exercise programs is training. Through the run of <i>Star Trek </i>that featured Starfleet in the 24th century and beyond, the HoloDeck provided an accessible training technology that would be unlike any tool for training in combat/security situations seen in history. We see throughout <i>Trek </i>TV shows that Starfleet (and some non-Federation aliens) used the Holodeck for Force-on-Force training that could be as close as possible to the real thing...and with the Holodeck safety protocols turned off, could be lethal. All manner of trainings could for Starfleet personnel could be generated via the HoloDeck. From combat scenarios, to emergency response, to medical training, and even ground school for pilots. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyAZOOOmB-keJhnKkO6IyYrSTnb_WyUsBughIRoc9gy99FqewNk0qnUiNvOZWl_T6rUy4zyKx9Kw_F-Dbmq9MB6UHxHYVxoXgS45xzgRqDpgZJpBhgMMLRxHnHfowjdaqwK2wh8j2pOOZvnSfrgxeWwiirvdRUytkS2GM8w8bUkhzWcL1fk3TRX3LkA/s400/voy-thekillinggamepart2s.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="400" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyAZOOOmB-keJhnKkO6IyYrSTnb_WyUsBughIRoc9gy99FqewNk0qnUiNvOZWl_T6rUy4zyKx9Kw_F-Dbmq9MB6UHxHYVxoXgS45xzgRqDpgZJpBhgMMLRxHnHfowjdaqwK2wh8j2pOOZvnSfrgxeWwiirvdRUytkS2GM8w8bUkhzWcL1fk3TRX3LkA/w400-h221/voy-thekillinggamepart2s.webp" width="400" /></a>The HoloDeck allows for more dynamic training well beyond traditional simulators and video games for actual tests of their skills, thinking, and talent. For example, rescue operations can be planned and practiced in a kinetic FoF environment that is as close to the real thing as possible that would not be possible today. It is hard to underestimate how effective a training tool that the Federation HoloDeck would be for FoF. We can see how the Hirogens took their hunts into the captured Holodecks of the USS <i>Voyager </i>when they captured it in the excellent "The Killing Game" for the show's 4th season. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Training Programs from <i>The Matrix</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ-kCSvHhKQXwBk0v21f0yYeui-fWdoQentV4-mlWIkSqjWASVZtjYPs7nT2hMtbE2HpJD0oCvGRlw-MTsB1gXTextjVm5MGqWUjcLRLMGiSrdh5eLkIFG0ahetw0JXnv_rjsNSct7kP8kIwcUe6VKXhQQrGRlWOlHp_lbGphPijazETg1AGS-V85AA/s648/8b8e69be3be78be096311eb1f6c2453852-stunts-matrix-lede.rsquare.w700.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ-kCSvHhKQXwBk0v21f0yYeui-fWdoQentV4-mlWIkSqjWASVZtjYPs7nT2hMtbE2HpJD0oCvGRlw-MTsB1gXTextjVm5MGqWUjcLRLMGiSrdh5eLkIFG0ahetw0JXnv_rjsNSct7kP8kIwcUe6VKXhQQrGRlWOlHp_lbGphPijazETg1AGS-V85AA/s320/8b8e69be3be78be096311eb1f6c2453852-stunts-matrix-lede.rsquare.w700.webp" width="320" /></a></div>In the three <i>Matrix </i>films (there is no 4th film!), we clearly see how those humans that were liberated from the Machine Battery Farm use their cerebral plug to upload information and new skills. This allows the human freedom fighters to quickly adapt to the situation in the world of the Matrix. During one of the key scenes, Neo and Morpheus square off in a FoF training of Neo's hand-to-hand skills along with the mental training of operation in the fake world of the Matrix. It is uncertain how the other training work since they were not seen on screen, or even if there is more FoF training within the firearms and combat training areas beyond Kung-Fu fightin'. I seem to remember that there were training programs for the APU suits that defended the docks at Zion and there were gunnery training programs for the ships as well. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The FoF Training on Mars from <i>Uchuu no Senshi</i> No. 4 "Greg"</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8NCVVnnq4sgQsWXJ8XfUIJByhG7KPw969JbHSVljp0Ra5Kdth-IuwGN6NAM2WWpr2Kl3cgiVqBkK9VKDvIjPw6YdnzploZYAET6GmfssQtreLnFooa-AKLtJf5raGqkpcdbPCcfvonQR76FRbA_nerjDkvmDKbA_UKTzU5_jZv_24n_bPl69O33n079N/s254/images%20(13).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="254" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8NCVVnnq4sgQsWXJ8XfUIJByhG7KPw969JbHSVljp0Ra5Kdth-IuwGN6NAM2WWpr2Kl3cgiVqBkK9VKDvIjPw6YdnzploZYAET6GmfssQtreLnFooa-AKLtJf5raGqkpcdbPCcfvonQR76FRbA_nerjDkvmDKbA_UKTzU5_jZv_24n_bPl69O33n079N/w400-h312/images%20(13).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the 1988 six-part OVA retelling of the 1958 book <i>Starship Troopers </i>by Bandai Visual, we do get an paintball Force-on-Force training on Mars. Just after the alien attack on New Buenos Aires, the recruits of the Mobile Infantry are needing to be rushed trained for the upcoming war against the alien threat. One of the final training simulations for the new MI troopers is a massive force-on-force war game engagement on Mars against other MI troopers playing the OPFOR. The standard compact rifle of the MI troopers is now loaded with red hued paintball rounds. This becomes a serious issue when alien spores attach themselves to a Martian sentry vehicle and attack the Martian Occupation base. At the same time that the base personnel are being slaughtered, the wargame unfolds with the armored troopers slinging paintballs at one another. When Johnnie’s squad hits to the Mars Occupation base to reload, they discover bodies everywhere and are ordered to investigate. Once it is confirmed that the aliens are here, they request for Sgt. Zim to send armored MI troopers to deal with the aliens. Before they can follow orders and pull out, the ETs jump Rico and Greg. Rico orders Greg to get out and obey the recall order. He disobeys and attempts to rescue his comrade, but is cut in half and Rico was next until armed MI suits show up and deal with the pink angry aliens with a hail of lead and not paintballs. After the rescue, Zim lectures the squad about following orders and that Greg will not be buried with military honors due to disobeying direct orders. He orders them to collect Greg’s gear and it is there that they learn that Greg had a girlfriend. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>"The Danger Room" from <i>The Uncanny X-Men </i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sQiOWLziUAg64p5bH-l_cS_rS6BxlkDBzvjloTYoFvg5Ts6HMG41xllr2E8Xl6sfov4LQQbGobKFAacl0S_obfhVemRgHSKSkIyECDypv7oQRG4CNDW8BPzw9DHsEdELMY0ZGmDc9Q68_9Af13xmjOdWPAAeRWEJPibBSRw75GMBnN_FtlRB6sFwhLJs/s500/Danger_Room.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="500" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sQiOWLziUAg64p5bH-l_cS_rS6BxlkDBzvjloTYoFvg5Ts6HMG41xllr2E8Xl6sfov4LQQbGobKFAacl0S_obfhVemRgHSKSkIyECDypv7oQRG4CNDW8BPzw9DHsEdELMY0ZGmDc9Q68_9Af13xmjOdWPAAeRWEJPibBSRw75GMBnN_FtlRB6sFwhLJs/w400-h288/Danger_Room.webp" width="400" /></a></div>One of the most famous FoF training in science fiction is the "Danger Room"in the Marvel Comics <i>The Uncanny X-Men. </i>Designed by Charles Xavier to test his students for the coming combat that was coming their way. In addition, the Danger Room forced focus of their mutant mental and physical abilities along with possibly bring more to the surface. The original Danger Room was akin to the advanced native Terran technology, but the training room was upgraded with alien Sha'ri holographic technology, similar to the HoloDeck. The incorporation of the Danger Room into <i>X-Men </i>lore was found in issue #1 way back in 1963. The Danger Room has been featured in major storylines of the various <i>X-Men</i> comics, animation series, and even the live action films. In the amazing and shocking Marvel Comics<i> Strikeforce Moritori, </i>of the 1980s, the people in charge of the Moritori project used the concept of the Danger Room, that was mentioned they had read from the actual comic books! In 1994, during the broadcast of the <i>X-Men </i>cartoon series, Pressmen released a Danger Room themed video game. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The FOF Training onboard the <i>Defiant </i>from DS9 "To The Death"</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDXsyKsh2CiBxZMkuMaJQbIhXTF5ZncVjkfp3khfBd8V2Q2942hhYDGNjiUA9JuoA9FAZ7EXKEIPFjdSmMFXqOTkoDzF3i9m_VGu0POPBHhcc-LvX1mChr_xNj0k0Iv4rk4xhJd2r2Nhs7Kqxs92DrCei4imllZ70vir1yvrvYwTMeqnLXp16LLCbAQ/s705/MV5BOWUxNTMyYzMtZjZmNS00MDUyLWJjNmUtN2E0MGVmNzNhNDZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAwMDk1MjM@._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="705" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDXsyKsh2CiBxZMkuMaJQbIhXTF5ZncVjkfp3khfBd8V2Q2942hhYDGNjiUA9JuoA9FAZ7EXKEIPFjdSmMFXqOTkoDzF3i9m_VGu0POPBHhcc-LvX1mChr_xNj0k0Iv4rk4xhJd2r2Nhs7Kqxs92DrCei4imllZ70vir1yvrvYwTMeqnLXp16LLCbAQ/s320/MV5BOWUxNTMyYzMtZjZmNS00MDUyLWJjNmUtN2E0MGVmNzNhNDZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAwMDk1MjM@._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One of the best DS9 episode was the 1996 "To the Death" (4x23), where a rogue Jem'Hadar unit was attempting to reactive one of the Iconian gateways and live free as warriors away from the Founders, but not the White (more on that drug in the next article). During the <i>Defiant </i>search for the attackers of the station, they came across a nearly destroyed Jem'Hadar attackcraft and they took on the passengers. It was decided for the two groups to pool their resources to attack and end the threat. During the journey to the Iconian gateway, it is decided that the Jem'Hadar and Starfleet crews train in FoF in mixed teams. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Battleroom from the Battleschool from <i>Ender's Game</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-Q3ToFtZ1ievFkERZXD_OkoXkB2RFxqWa7kRpVEotQyx2GEbMBmDIcONbXIgwXbL9Wg3ZDX50SRDNO_6H9z-N-0ZANEVF0POCb9cJ07kkHbU2YINS0Q7TonOBTt_KkAHeWfQPlmExY8_LND2u8HFjIRqRVlP77syR1yXx09dGbSagPWWvSWI1HMJbg/s665/endersgame_featured.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="665" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-Q3ToFtZ1ievFkERZXD_OkoXkB2RFxqWa7kRpVEotQyx2GEbMBmDIcONbXIgwXbL9Wg3ZDX50SRDNO_6H9z-N-0ZANEVF0POCb9cJ07kkHbU2YINS0Q7TonOBTt_KkAHeWfQPlmExY8_LND2u8HFjIRqRVlP77syR1yXx09dGbSagPWWvSWI1HMJbg/w400-h171/endersgame_featured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the history of science fiction, there are few more famous or inventive Force-on-Force training methods than the Battlerooms from 1985's <i>Ender's Game</i> by Orson Scott Card. For the human war against the "buggers", the Terran military trains children in a orbital military space station called the Battlestation, and one of the tools to train the next great military leader is the Battleroom. There were nine of these large micro-gravity combat simulators that allow the teams of cadets to square in a sport that trains them and their team leaders into saviors of the human race. Each team pits themselves against another by either capturing gates or immobilizing the other team via their stun pistols. This was the environment were Ender's gifts were discovered and was watched by the military. The key Battleroom scenes of the book were lovingly recreated for the big screen in 2013. The battleroom scenes become the star of the film and one of the most memorable scenes of the entire movie. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The B5 Zeta Squad Force-on-Force Training From </u><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Babylon 5 </i><u>"The Fall of Night"</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyZylNNcWy1KHFoQ6odKNOrXtnzb0vL3W-FDEl6AqZ2o3t81cunq4vdurguitXUC3LTpnyLtn7PaWCDCFYLdH70UBsqQIsNyorcFss2H-JbLKULWAz7W5vyN4Xv7AlFYEiiyd_b_YwkoLfbkojtoiMl0i32Lsud00CPy4eftFGFJQC6viVKOwgaPryg/s1024/Babylon_5_2-22_03.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyZylNNcWy1KHFoQ6odKNOrXtnzb0vL3W-FDEl6AqZ2o3t81cunq4vdurguitXUC3LTpnyLtn7PaWCDCFYLdH70UBsqQIsNyorcFss2H-JbLKULWAz7W5vyN4Xv7AlFYEiiyd_b_YwkoLfbkojtoiMl0i32Lsud00CPy4eftFGFJQC6viVKOwgaPryg/w400-h225/Babylon_5_2-22_03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the few FoF scenes that does not involve infantry or starship combat is from <i>Babylon 5</i>'s "The Fall of Night", the 22nd episode of the show's critical 2nd season, when the show switched captains of the station. When Cpt. Sheridan joined the station, there was increased tensions due to the Centauri/Narn War. In preparation for the likely scenario that B5 would be dragged into the conflict, the in-house EarthForce <i>Starfury</i> squadron, "Zeta Squad" trained in Force-on-Force engagements with each other to defend the massive station. It was a cool sequence that I remembered from watching the show originally in high school and it showed how future space fighter pilots might use "laser tag" like FoF systems to train. This training was put to the test when </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The VR program by the U.S. Army Force XXI Program from the <i>Metal Gear </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfB62uOSjWC-5QXgp_5pCS7R6gHeXXXs2ZvVHAYsgJML0InHcmO2oE_RAn6EZFx709mFwTLYvFZBalpbqV4o901aQNZz4Npuh7QNBKsLQ-CjiHH8AMrhx5UeG-GD7DfFqL_BP0JsebF9T_5yf1drRWknQDeyReB3C5KhCRyhc7E-6EQJryaCOw4qxhw/s800/Mgs_565.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="800" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfB62uOSjWC-5QXgp_5pCS7R6gHeXXXs2ZvVHAYsgJML0InHcmO2oE_RAn6EZFx709mFwTLYvFZBalpbqV4o901aQNZz4Npuh7QNBKsLQ-CjiHH8AMrhx5UeG-GD7DfFqL_BP0JsebF9T_5yf1drRWknQDeyReB3C5KhCRyhc7E-6EQJryaCOw4qxhw/s320/Mgs_565.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One of the biggest video games of all time was <i>Metal Gear Solid</i> on the original PlayStation way back in 1988. For many of us that grew up with the original <i>Metal Gear</i> title on the NES, this new title was a welcome change that was actually fun to play. After the titanic success of the 1998 title, there was a 1999 release that focused on the VR mission that helped train the player and the future supersoldiers seen in the game. While there were a few VR mission on <i>Metal Gear Solid</i>, there was another game packaged with just VR missions for sale outside of Japan. The Japanese release of <i>MGS</i> came packaged with the VR mission contained on the <i>MGS: The VR Missions. </i>This title was designed to extend the life of the game until a proper sequel could be developed. In-game, the VR system was designed to be used as an FoF training simulators for operators in the FOXHOUND unit and the GENOME soldiers. <br /></div><div><br /></div><span><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The FoF Paintball Scene SAS vs. OO Agents from <i>The Living Daylights</i></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrlojO1D8SBKsyjyNO3nAmIECbRd275UkiFul20u3-Iil6pO8C9NYYkaDrgU1uD3tdO8U5cSG7kJ1BY4pX5wEv8oyX-90T-mvSgpychJahkfhaB13rM2iIu6gfeGGUJjs3frxLPL_wy_vwf0ofxDphmL5TdcBOn16gaTmw1WoyY4GinIQunACwv7_OFc2/s864/livingdaylights3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="864" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrlojO1D8SBKsyjyNO3nAmIECbRd275UkiFul20u3-Iil6pO8C9NYYkaDrgU1uD3tdO8U5cSG7kJ1BY4pX5wEv8oyX-90T-mvSgpychJahkfhaB13rM2iIu6gfeGGUJjs3frxLPL_wy_vwf0ofxDphmL5TdcBOn16gaTmw1WoyY4GinIQunACwv7_OFc2/w400-h169/livingdaylights3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, it is not a sci-fi example, but it needs to be discussed. One of the more widely seen examples of early "paintball" for Force-on-Force training was seen in the first film of Timothy Dalton's run as James Bond in 1987's <i>The Living Daylights. </i>During a training exercise between the SAS and the 00 agents of MI6 at Gibraltar, one of the 3 00 agents is an traitor and assassin that is there to kill the rest of the 00s assigned to the training mission. In the opening pre-title scene, the SAS and presumably the 00s are armed with H&K MP5A3s that fire paintball rounds with a gas source. </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldTK-QB_HWZcK7kE9s86IYE3EzoCTM0rnDA1OOs7Xsm7FnlN5N-_qj6oAjU7EMJCZOu3u52Lroh1PPlwJRDFSOextWo1DtDz_9JQCA_nzcxwJ7LlcROajbFUyojn6ajLaYOObq02LvW7a66ibWNdmle-QzWUXwIAoCzoJ1SgQZs45FfDAomQolpOOOZgV/s1280/Livday-p9s1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="1280" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldTK-QB_HWZcK7kE9s86IYE3EzoCTM0rnDA1OOs7Xsm7FnlN5N-_qj6oAjU7EMJCZOu3u52Lroh1PPlwJRDFSOextWo1DtDz_9JQCA_nzcxwJ7LlcROajbFUyojn6ajLaYOObq02LvW7a66ibWNdmle-QzWUXwIAoCzoJ1SgQZs45FfDAomQolpOOOZgV/w400-h170/Livday-p9s1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is, of course, completely false, especially for the time. At the time, paintball was newer, especially to the general public and the idea of using the technology for FoF training in the military and LE was a hot topic. One of the elements of paintball, as discussed above, is that PB markers are NOT 1:1 with real steal guns, even more so when it comes to SMGs and pistols. My magazine fed PB pistol marker is the size of the Desert Eagle! This scene was designed to fool the audience for a second and most would not know that the paintballs on-scene were not real paintballs due to the clumping and powder seen when these things hit targets. According to the Doc's Machine site, he believes that the paintball impacts in the film were made by the SFX department. Also...if these were paintballs...where was the face/eye production? <br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Force-on-Force Paintball Training from <i>SAAB </i>"Ray Butts"</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-C580BN85iJwGsSZ3N_cvPNpr4mbuNI-GFn2t07BASbe60cbOLAXcz3YKchM5aDGVmG8ZWYXTEM6TyVsmE3PnAeEmfSKu0aAxCMZvsQ0OS4OFH8xV7I-L01FTpxbo6e_x6ZtwSTRZm71qhs0lLpxF0ObYgeLFArQeCs-kh9KzqSW3Y6PbWUBX5-K-Q/s400/spaceaboveandbeyond-raybutts14.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="400" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-C580BN85iJwGsSZ3N_cvPNpr4mbuNI-GFn2t07BASbe60cbOLAXcz3YKchM5aDGVmG8ZWYXTEM6TyVsmE3PnAeEmfSKu0aAxCMZvsQ0OS4OFH8xV7I-L01FTpxbo6e_x6ZtwSTRZm71qhs0lLpxF0ObYgeLFArQeCs-kh9KzqSW3Y6PbWUBX5-K-Q/w400-h253/spaceaboveandbeyond-raybutts14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One my favorite episode of Space: Above & Beyond, the FOX one season military sci-fi 1995-1996 show, was the 5th episode "Ray Butts". In the episode, we see a Marine Recon officer arrive under strange circumstances to the USS Saratoga and he requested the use of the 58th squadron, the Wildcards, royally pissing off Colonel MacQueen. At one point, Butts puts the members of the 58th through a game of paintball through some closed off sections of the space carrier. Like many paintball examples here on this list, there was no safety gear worn by actors which would be a massive violation of safety rules for any paintball field or game around the world. Here, Butts stalks and "kills" the Wildcards one by one with some interesting tactics. To their credit the paintball pistol sounds realistic and similar to my own experience with paintball pistols and the paintball explosions on the Marine uniforms seem close.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJnG4kb9bmqU4S7_ZrbIqUqnmeL1T5Vlyf5cwkjId5SjbuBX-FRKm_eQIsOxEzeQ74o3_vtD5t4cVmo6xij5r2VtpTksPusS6Wu5O0KSNjCAtND2y6FPSK6hmmeCfA7znlhe7BJz69infk-dbih3EkzOaAYgoahKuZkm7AEWNdpfDPolHKyrNkJxjMg/s825/r_142_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="825" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJnG4kb9bmqU4S7_ZrbIqUqnmeL1T5Vlyf5cwkjId5SjbuBX-FRKm_eQIsOxEzeQ74o3_vtD5t4cVmo6xij5r2VtpTksPusS6Wu5O0KSNjCAtND2y6FPSK6hmmeCfA7znlhe7BJz69infk-dbih3EkzOaAYgoahKuZkm7AEWNdpfDPolHKyrNkJxjMg/w400-h219/r_142_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> They could have used real paintballs in these scenes. However, Nathan West was hit on the forehead by a paintball and he was not wearing any protection...in fact, none of them are. All of the hits scored by Butts were way too close for field regulations...well within the surrender rule. The paintball pistol used in the 1995 episode was the GZ1000. This simple .68 paintball pistol market was based on one of the most famous paintball markers of all time: the Splatmaster from the old <i>Survival Game. </i>This was the first mass produced paintball marker specifically developed for the new sport of paintball and was sold for $80 in 1984. When early rental players came to National Survival Game (NSG) franchise fields, they rented a Splatmaster for a game of "splatball". A spin-off company called GZ Paintball Sports of New Hampshire used the Splatmaster design and developed the GZ1000. I actually owned a Splatmaster and carried it as a sidearm and much like the NSG Splatmaster, the GZ1000 was a single-action marker that feed from a plastic cigar tube...which was missing in the episode. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The USS <i>Hathaway </i>vs. <i>Enterprise D</i> combat training simulation from "Peak Performance"</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GLwVt1f6_i8eSzNWlqpiLmLvAQAWWobA878uvcbMw11aQHdo9BsrroSMvsO17iiyzKqxrK_XOfDSMPn2s8F0XO6ApgccwjIdFB4nSm5M6cl_3NHBYl9JKxLSzBdnEJDDrwmdnZ9PbjrKwqD3C19k33l3eO0Y1LgZDXJhnOL-QtGhVoAfPMhEko_HVg/s1458/peakperformance_hd_322.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1458" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GLwVt1f6_i8eSzNWlqpiLmLvAQAWWobA878uvcbMw11aQHdo9BsrroSMvsO17iiyzKqxrK_XOfDSMPn2s8F0XO6ApgccwjIdFB4nSm5M6cl_3NHBYl9JKxLSzBdnEJDDrwmdnZ9PbjrKwqD3C19k33l3eO0Y1LgZDXJhnOL-QtGhVoAfPMhEko_HVg/w400-h296/peakperformance_hd_322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the 2nd season of TNG, the threat of the Borg and the reemergence of the Romulans caused Starfleet to offered more combat training to starships and the <i>D</i> was one of the first to accept. One of the foremost Federation strategists, the great Zakdorn Sirna Kolrmai, came onboard the <i>D </i>and was to run the wargame. For the prey of the <i>Galaxy </i>class explorer was the 80 year old USS <i>Hathaway, </i>and <i>Constellation </i>class explorer that also counted Picard's first command, the USS <i>Stargazer</i>. The decommissioned <i>Hathaway </i>and other older Federation vessels of the fleet were towed to the Barsiota star system for Operation: LOVELY ANGEL. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspmQGE75EwNNKPL1x6QZfkmSRp3V3N_9Li5LK3XeeWjS-Z-iqOVDpBelGZv3HkUBXMRidmw5kpGHTdDHEojT4W1DP-b0b25RH5Eu2FtUe-8hMIk9h-JCyufTLZzIhDctu-b_3WMLwIrGYP0WwC-UsDHpfgKLENy_Zj4MUd32i1h_w8G7Mh95rM5H9Ng/s1458/peakperformance_hd_307.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1458" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspmQGE75EwNNKPL1x6QZfkmSRp3V3N_9Li5LK3XeeWjS-Z-iqOVDpBelGZv3HkUBXMRidmw5kpGHTdDHEojT4W1DP-b0b25RH5Eu2FtUe-8hMIk9h-JCyufTLZzIhDctu-b_3WMLwIrGYP0WwC-UsDHpfgKLENy_Zj4MUd32i1h_w8G7Mh95rM5H9Ng/w400-h296/peakperformance_hd_307.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This was the official Starfleet name for the FoF ship-to-ship combat training of in-service starships by crews using the older ships as OPFOR. Both ships in the first exercise of Operation: LOVELY ANGEL would take simulated damage with systems going off-line that were damaged by the laser pulse simulated beams used by ships. This new combat training operation did not get off to a good start. The first wargame was halted due to a incoming Ferengi <i>Marauder </i>class that attempted to profit from the exchange. Given that failure of the first exercise, it is unknown if Operation: LOVELY ANGEL was continued after the events of the episode. This was an interesting example of a live-action of using starships for FoF rather than simulators, as seen in <i>Star Trek: II TWOK. </i>The rather oddball name for the operation that Starfleet rolled out to train starships for the coming threats came from the anime <i>Dirty Pair</i>, which was a popular title among the TNG production crew. The planets in the Brasiota system were name from the three main characters of <i>Dirty Pair</i>. Honestly, this episode is far weaker in some ways than I remembered and while interesting in concept, it fails in delivery. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The "In'tar" from <i>Stargate: SG-1</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoArhvYZt2ms1VnXjk0lqUvyFQpjPhQ-63tJ8MH7k75JCdkA7HhbKpCyG0cwnJnjphU_7RA9nNn3s5rEYxv7xHki34mUbtin1EPEJ9MRTACGzmvkHlH-8huEmd8v7NUga0qu2DYi-3fBlmCBdn8FsAZxAC-6lgkdrOBZxrPnrRl0m09Kg9SZoldEmKXSdM/s689/Intar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="689" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoArhvYZt2ms1VnXjk0lqUvyFQpjPhQ-63tJ8MH7k75JCdkA7HhbKpCyG0cwnJnjphU_7RA9nNn3s5rEYxv7xHki34mUbtin1EPEJ9MRTACGzmvkHlH-8huEmd8v7NUga0qu2DYi-3fBlmCBdn8FsAZxAC-6lgkdrOBZxrPnrRl0m09Kg9SZoldEmKXSdM/w400-h225/Intar2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is a Goa'uld technology that is used to train the young warriors of the their serpent gods in Force-on-Force simulation. The crystal-based In'tar grows into the desired weapon, either friend or foe, and the new In'tar weapon fires a directed energy bolt to stun combatants in simulation combat with an adjusting power level that can lightly stun or knock you out. After this alien technology was acquired by Stargate Command, the In'tar crystals were used to be grown into various Terran weapons for Force-on-Force training and these training weapons were turned up to their max setting during an assumed attack on Cheyenne mountain complex. These were seen or mentioned several times in the series and are an interesting concept. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The FPS Center from <i>The X-Files </i>episode "First Person Shooter (7x13)"</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifv2VucMyY23ohEikoJkmje_YaS7SPRrF-XsbdGxfrIGKie1t8MeMvBRb2xMUSST8v07NGtSj4ZXsgL0m8j6g4povnMz-rww_tO4ZeqMykpNPx_zc6xLVLmi5gV4AuTBMGPnGIwvIS5RDtv0RyFs8_thTXLxCO2JnQuwhDZSqrs3Qxx3DYd2omOPIdq9ad/s500/tumblr_nywni9Q7ZF1tsmbj9o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifv2VucMyY23ohEikoJkmje_YaS7SPRrF-XsbdGxfrIGKie1t8MeMvBRb2xMUSST8v07NGtSj4ZXsgL0m8j6g4povnMz-rww_tO4ZeqMykpNPx_zc6xLVLmi5gV4AuTBMGPnGIwvIS5RDtv0RyFs8_thTXLxCO2JnQuwhDZSqrs3Qxx3DYd2omOPIdq9ad/w400-h225/tumblr_nywni9Q7ZF1tsmbj9o1_500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Mid-way into the 7th season of the <i>X-Files, </i>we got an odd one, were Mulder & Scully met the world of <i>TRON </i>mixed with <i>DOOM</i>. Before we shit on the episode, we must first say that <i>First Person Shooter</i> has a few standout elements: it was written by William Gibson, the <i>SAAB</i> M-590 is used by Mulder and Scully, there are some funny lines, the stripper (played by Krista Allen) is hot, and Scully looks damn good firing the M-590. Other than that, the episode is one of the worst in the entire run of the show due to its dumbass concept that could have been good...save for Mulder and Scully being "lost" in the game...how the fuck did that happen?! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cKmqyL6JDqah0hpz_pSp8v_owvD3ytL4QKX1XbpRVYW8VAmDlDurwkO0iA5nth8RT1G10_IObdrlGD-9RfMorXVwEPBqU4j28yX9FqKyV2HaFvK3lI3uP_9EkL7e_wHfLmr8hI-iUDjKlAnhO2RHg7Jb7AiLCsCIB3IRTO1MYCy5qIgNHaM0DPoQg4Mi/s1000/first-person-shooter-is-pure-schlock-and-ive-loved-it-what-v0-ydjrl8rqs6bb1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cKmqyL6JDqah0hpz_pSp8v_owvD3ytL4QKX1XbpRVYW8VAmDlDurwkO0iA5nth8RT1G10_IObdrlGD-9RfMorXVwEPBqU4j28yX9FqKyV2HaFvK3lI3uP_9EkL7e_wHfLmr8hI-iUDjKlAnhO2RHg7Jb7AiLCsCIB3IRTO1MYCy5qIgNHaM0DPoQg4Mi/w400-h300/first-person-shooter-is-pure-schlock-and-ive-loved-it-what-v0-ydjrl8rqs6bb1.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Anyways, there is this startup gaming company called F.P.S (ugh!) and they have something like a Holodeck where players get their hands on guns and enter into a virtually generated environment into a real-world space. This allows for the players to be their own Doomguy without the use of controllers. In some of the dialog of the episode, it seems that the company and their backers think there maybe military and law enforcement applications. If this technology existed, it would kick any current simulator right in the microchips. I rewatched this episode for this article and I want my hour back. </div><div><br /></div><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Next Time on FWS...</b></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnO57l-Vfb8xRediciB9CnQZco_cbLDqmg3pxakcSnWolzNUj88H_fP3qMaKesSv6EIYmw0egz7mt4b_qBypHIey38eL0BayZYDzzkaLIlMG-5Plq4ZAcZ2TwR4AiwxCjRFlnLooV8Rzag7vzioOUqK271tdti0xu73PNcbivfFpYMf8-JntVkP6ijBw/s640/u1z9bpe7ld331.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnO57l-Vfb8xRediciB9CnQZco_cbLDqmg3pxakcSnWolzNUj88H_fP3qMaKesSv6EIYmw0egz7mt4b_qBypHIey38eL0BayZYDzzkaLIlMG-5Plq4ZAcZ2TwR4AiwxCjRFlnLooV8Rzag7vzioOUqK271tdti0xu73PNcbivfFpYMf8-JntVkP6ijBw/w400-h301/u1z9bpe7ld331.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Throughout human conflict, there has been a need to take drugs all of types to numb the suffering of combat, to block the pain of being on the battlefield, to stay awake during that cold guard shift, or to give courage against fearful odds. In the realm of science fiction, creators have turned to real and imagined drugs to fuel, control, and enslave warriors of all time on the future battlefields. In the next written installment of FWS, we will be exploring and explaining the world of military drugs...both real and imagined. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u><b><u><br /></u></b></div></div><br /></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-72843245578570078552023-07-11T00:23:00.000-05:002023-07-11T00:23:30.277-05:00The FWS 13th Anniversary and a Big Announcement <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueMkFR09DVFoZxByiVG2bXtBnzJirnhtWefteSWMfY7TmktWb8CozkBbh5xa0ZzDJVOfCbTpxeCUOLPFsnX8XfTB3ylTmpPMTuFfGrqeSsT8QFI6WLjAwNSYT40hKw2XR1MKRb3YDpfnjJ9vyVgz1cmd_hpgkNf84u8MWguU4iBJgTSbYUkRrzfRlkt6o/s780/intro-1660487340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueMkFR09DVFoZxByiVG2bXtBnzJirnhtWefteSWMfY7TmktWb8CozkBbh5xa0ZzDJVOfCbTpxeCUOLPFsnX8XfTB3ylTmpPMTuFfGrqeSsT8QFI6WLjAwNSYT40hKw2XR1MKRb3YDpfnjJ9vyVgz1cmd_hpgkNf84u8MWguU4iBJgTSbYUkRrzfRlkt6o/w640-h360/intro-1660487340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>On a hot day in 2010, I published my first blogpost on this site, giving birth to <b>Future War Stories.</b> For half of the operational life of FWS, big topics were researched, articles published, and I even got a book deal (and it died)…and then my life changed when I started teaching. For the second half of FWS, the articles got better, but the pace slowed and my mental health crumbled as my jobs came and went. Some of the darkest years of my life were there and I nearly did not survive them as I battled with thoughts of a grim nature. In the last 18 months, the pace of FWS publishing has been sloth slow. This is in part to my last job and my current job needing much attention that caused me to look to playing more video games (<i>Destiny 2)</i> for relaxation rather than reading or writing. I am coming to the cold hard realization that FWS, in its current form, cannot continue. The traffic and views are terrible. That is my fault and I should have converted FWS over to a YouTube channel years ago...but lack of space, time, money, and talent prevented me from that critical juncture. Times have changed in 13 years. With the ease of other media forms on the internet have caused the downfall of more traditional websites and especially blogs. While FWS was never a "blog" in the true sense of the word, it is hosted on Blogger. That is one of the issues. Blogger is dying and Google seems not to want to support it anymore. There have been a number of issues that are not being fixed or addressed. <p></p><p><b>It is time for a change. </b></p><p>Currently, there are two article topics on this cycle that are various levels of production and I want to finish them in the current form of FWS. And then...I will be launching the <b>FWS Podcast</b>. Yep, a podcast. How original. Now, this is an experiment. I have written 10 scripts based on some of the best articles on military sci-fi topics within the FWS inventory along with an introductory podcast on military science fiction in general. I will NOT be shutting down the blogger site and will use it to link to the FWS Podcast along. The struggle currently is how to translate the research and presentation of FWS articles to an audio format. I have been on a few podcasts over the years along with some work in narration for my previous job. I have recorded a few test podcasts and it seems to works. </p><p>Then the big question: what if this podcast fails? Then we do to Pan B and I launch a website and continue the articles on my own site until the sun burns out. I just cannot see with my current situation and life that shooting videos would be possible. Maybe one day. I will keep everyone posted on the progress of the FWS Podcast and I hope that you lend me your ears when it launches. </p><p>In closing...I wish to thank everyone that has read, commented, and shared the work done here. FWS has directly impacted my life and the wider world of Military Sci-Fi. I wish to give big and warm thank you to Yoel and Duke for their impressive help. I could not have done with without you and you are kings among men. </p><p>Have a Better One and Stay Frosty...FWS Will Continue. </p>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-44611931612804572892023-05-27T12:36:00.000-05:002023-05-27T12:36:19.189-05:00FWS News Feed: BUNGIE Goes Back...Way Back to MARATHON<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuX9W1bIX9XrYIRvjRh9uTv1Tie_wyXcXz6jq1mE1NYnf14U088S506u0ouns600cZ7hReOEjfwyadUENQ3JRm9_12ZfVcoKAI2bNKntq0iPR6lzUo0lVEee6c2tnmZkSmKOKzuTO8zBqWi6SGNpT_tIdLxg3nqKUMJH__4AP-F_UfbIgEnO2WXE9Iw/s1920/marathon-blogroll-02-1684962151922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuX9W1bIX9XrYIRvjRh9uTv1Tie_wyXcXz6jq1mE1NYnf14U088S506u0ouns600cZ7hReOEjfwyadUENQ3JRm9_12ZfVcoKAI2bNKntq0iPR6lzUo0lVEee6c2tnmZkSmKOKzuTO8zBqWi6SGNpT_tIdLxg3nqKUMJH__4AP-F_UfbIgEnO2WXE9Iw/w640-h360/marathon-blogroll-02-1684962151922.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Two days ago, the gaming public was gifted with the latest offering from the magic makers at Bungie: MARATHON. The trailer dropped while I was recovering from oral surgery (fun times) and it was shocking and damned interesting. My mind, such has it was, lit up with pleasure. Then I watched the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjj_PLUWzXI"> <b><span style="color: #04ff00;">Bungie Vid-Doc</span></b></a> on MARATHON and my heart was sad. This resurrection of the title that founded Bungie allowed for the world to be given the gift of HALO is now a fucking online only, no first-person experience, extraction shooter. *Sigh*. Let us spill the Hot Tea on this old Military SF title that is coming back. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55AI7LZch-w-VwZtEOSDupv30pef8tMeY-Xxw4DAmxvcXHmjC8fKWT-aLvlReRHH6hQ5CcuumylGT1FEdPckSX2Ap9-jUgAzPHwwwOorYu17IGyogf6Gj_pDYyjj3ZoB6pFaFdNW-igpGqu2aQw3dNX8Iinx4Z57bZXEPd6KXqVH9vEK19Lc3XwzaZw/s3840/marathon-announce-press-kit-large-07-1684967832287.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55AI7LZch-w-VwZtEOSDupv30pef8tMeY-Xxw4DAmxvcXHmjC8fKWT-aLvlReRHH6hQ5CcuumylGT1FEdPckSX2Ap9-jUgAzPHwwwOorYu17IGyogf6Gj_pDYyjj3ZoB6pFaFdNW-igpGqu2aQw3dNX8Iinx4Z57bZXEPd6KXqVH9vEK19Lc3XwzaZw/w400-h225/marathon-announce-press-kit-large-07-1684967832287.png" width="400" /></a></div>The trailer is amazing in every way with a banging sound that slaps so hard it is in your brain for days. The sound is a remixed by SebastiAn of the sound "Heavy Metal x DVNO" by Justice...that I never heard of until now. For many of us alive during the time of the original December 1994 release of MARATHON, it was a game we saw, but many of us could not play...it was Apple Computers and in 1994, Mac was seemingly done for. My brother had an Apple Macintosh Classic that we found in a box in a business we bought and it was a free computer for my brother to go to university with. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8QtfmW9yAPzwiXxusmprRfEOJsjOkRUvNLhM0EDuGvbTCwj4KXwpSO-7HFYUSO-nyicnnrPQiPPuVPXJjNVox7zH2u5eEdUNC1EspKw9YgoFAUWvoB18UaTS8omooMdRGgVsJhIbLRfIR5anUtDphKNoCO_NbFbEHF5Sg35c5pchshRSBhwJaUI7iw/s450/mtwo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="450" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8QtfmW9yAPzwiXxusmprRfEOJsjOkRUvNLhM0EDuGvbTCwj4KXwpSO-7HFYUSO-nyicnnrPQiPPuVPXJjNVox7zH2u5eEdUNC1EspKw9YgoFAUWvoB18UaTS8omooMdRGgVsJhIbLRfIR5anUtDphKNoCO_NbFbEHF5Sg35c5pchshRSBhwJaUI7iw/w400-h300/mtwo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Written off by some as a creative DOOM clone, MARATHON was a complex shooter taken place in the 28th with aliens, a colony ship made from one of the Martian moons, cybernetic super-soldiers, an AI that has more personality than the character-player, and lots of gunfire mixed with complex lore. Sounds familiar doesn't it? That's because it is the basic DNA sequence that Bungie used for HALO and DESTINY. Original MARATHON is still celebrated despite never been ported to modern consoles and the its only console release was on the Apple Pippin. Oh. Dear. God. Anyways, MARATHON has been modernized by fans for the fans and it lives on well passed the last official release of 1996. It is believed that the new MARATHON will drop in the next two years or maybe in 2024 for the anniversary of the first game.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbOJ33zHBTOY05YZRg27DulonvdXU7gYyHv5Gzv_s15qKCs_bu3gIDknfSGmWP0uridx-YwcFMyuapv_Qm0cVk1H6Vjl9za42sG-fDcB_GYX9scx4oMNNYZAUuTxZ41yi5iunDpLlezsaJMrW_X3OeJJm7SXR5Lgch-AaTYUmiW6uVVRBzUTL_Lh9jQ/s1400/marathon_bungie_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbOJ33zHBTOY05YZRg27DulonvdXU7gYyHv5Gzv_s15qKCs_bu3gIDknfSGmWP0uridx-YwcFMyuapv_Qm0cVk1H6Vjl9za42sG-fDcB_GYX9scx4oMNNYZAUuTxZ41yi5iunDpLlezsaJMrW_X3OeJJm7SXR5Lgch-AaTYUmiW6uVVRBzUTL_Lh9jQ/w400-h225/marathon_bungie_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The modern game is a PvP focused online extraction shooter game that pits various factions of "Runners" against one another on the colony world of Tau Ceti IV. In Nerd Lore, Tau Ceti IV is the planet were the <i>Kobayashi Maru</i> commercial starship from <i>Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan </i>home port was.<i> </i>The location is real, and the star of Tau Ceti is 11.912 LYs from the Sol System. In 2012, five exoplanets are believed to be in the Tau Ceti system. The new upcoming game has the Runners searching for loot to improve their own cybernetic character and help their team against the other players and AI enemies as well. Runners can discover new items and locations in the game and those Runners get credit in the game. There will be a story that is set years after the 2nd game, likely in the 29th century. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiephSXM6S-LuGnGzc5z4Ftj9eameMypsISzl4nwmhbK3sRzxA5eWCKcVkXiEoD9Y1C4JAxA0dj_KnqyxTB1ge7lKwxM6yMYvaNpCpjjUYHawcblxE0PctIvbwgO8UavPme-EebCjQWxraXByl67gUdI3U9AlEE5maLfpCMLoXTnpngOw1fDW3FOrT_Pg/s1200/marathon-game-1200x707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1200" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiephSXM6S-LuGnGzc5z4Ftj9eameMypsISzl4nwmhbK3sRzxA5eWCKcVkXiEoD9Y1C4JAxA0dj_KnqyxTB1ge7lKwxM6yMYvaNpCpjjUYHawcblxE0PctIvbwgO8UavPme-EebCjQWxraXByl67gUdI3U9AlEE5maLfpCMLoXTnpngOw1fDW3FOrT_Pg/w400-h236/marathon-game-1200x707.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I am holding out hope that the Shoot-n-Loot formula from DESTINY 2 is improved and there is less hard work for gear and God Rolls of that gear. I currently play D2 (and addicted to D2, which is what is wrong with FWS at the moment) and I will give MARATHON an opportunity but I will have to up my gear to an Xbox X or S console due to Bungie confirming that MARATHON will be not be available on the Xbox One. Ugh. I wished that there was more here than just Bungie jumping onto the current meta in shooter games and I am worried that the opportunity to have an experience will be lost and MARATHON will be more like DESTINY, where the lore and story is hidden to the point that I have to watch the Destiny Lore Daddy, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MynameisByf"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">ByF</span></b></a> to understand what the hell is going on. </div><div>Let us be Frosty and wait for MARATHON my fellow Guardians. </div><div><p></p><div><br /></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-14395495150911872472023-04-28T15:39:00.000-05:002023-04-28T15:39:00.874-05:00FWS Top 10: The Strangest Starship Designs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl0yyFlfXnHG_wJFzTJ8LDIeehjdxNEktAOEcLdRvMNe5n-hbGszELv25oNKtVfpjLOFEba_qnvxJ6FL2FAYFYHiXpacJGJWdzTPFgoXTJIga1b98_42Ji0J2ZWpfBz1YnilerrsNCvM6/s1600/Derelict_Ship.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizl0yyFlfXnHG_wJFzTJ8LDIeehjdxNEktAOEcLdRvMNe5n-hbGszELv25oNKtVfpjLOFEba_qnvxJ6FL2FAYFYHiXpacJGJWdzTPFgoXTJIga1b98_42Ji0J2ZWpfBz1YnilerrsNCvM6/w640-h272/Derelict_Ship.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
I have been wanting to do this list for some time now because the vast array of starship design is so very interesting and compelling to me given the rocket and UFO roots of science fiction spacecraft. For this snack-sized article, I am listing ten space vehicle that made me think how odd their designs are. These are not joke entries, these were designed starships and so, you will not see an entry from <i>Spaceballs </i>or some sort of space-themed Hentai or entries from <i>Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i>. <br /><b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>1. Slave-1 from <i>Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back</i></u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsp64Jg17HOalXulJFpEMZTkrcSHf3kUQGS4Y74WNqVDINBEOQhwKjb_2IYG1R08ZG0sEfRCsuMJt4uS8ddcBcrCjJu3xxX--vK0FRE1tl6kozHjzbeRonJaf_23xvStw7Xc2KG3msx31n5fIwd8fmHKrf1xPavIzGK2eaPoAnw66pLdrFiHXBQvdWw/s500/slave_i-02724.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="500" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsp64Jg17HOalXulJFpEMZTkrcSHf3kUQGS4Y74WNqVDINBEOQhwKjb_2IYG1R08ZG0sEfRCsuMJt4uS8ddcBcrCjJu3xxX--vK0FRE1tl6kozHjzbeRonJaf_23xvStw7Xc2KG3msx31n5fIwd8fmHKrf1xPavIzGK2eaPoAnw66pLdrFiHXBQvdWw/w400-h335/slave_i-02724.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When <i>SW:TESB</i> was released in 1980, I can clearly remember seeing the film seven times in the theater and how my brother got as many of the toys as possible...one of them was <i>Slave-1...</i>the oddball ship of Boba Fett. The ship itself, in universe, was the <i>Firespray-31 </i>class patrol and attack craft...but it was really my interaction with the toy. I just could not figure out the ship, but I loved the design. It deeply vexed me as a kid and even as a adult, especially given the oddball chair and cockpit design of the toy. The ship was designed by Nilo Rodis-Jamero and was based on a radar dish with Lone Peterson was one of the two modelmakers that worked on the filming model. This ship always reminds me of the Francis Bacon quote:<i> <b><span style="color: red;">"</span><span style="color: red;">There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion"</span></b>.</i><br /><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></u><div><b><u><i><br /></i></u></b></div><div><b><u>2. V'Ger from <i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture</i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJqsr8ekkvd9rW5LWLbsqDM8DkMgHBKGuvFGPgLsVUE8yal5wNeYoOPb02K1S1KceY8b3Dxre87ttrWNDQbXofH5aoHlOhXKtA9SyW-Mn_ygIhd3VQYZH5AtuK3r0XcorUJGIQRhs1YpJZQG469aKWGohpNMCPDTV0DPsPIllkdgbLxkAWEqyLv9eCQ/s1484/Vger-concept-art-12.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1484" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJqsr8ekkvd9rW5LWLbsqDM8DkMgHBKGuvFGPgLsVUE8yal5wNeYoOPb02K1S1KceY8b3Dxre87ttrWNDQbXofH5aoHlOhXKtA9SyW-Mn_ygIhd3VQYZH5AtuK3r0XcorUJGIQRhs1YpJZQG469aKWGohpNMCPDTV0DPsPIllkdgbLxkAWEqyLv9eCQ/w400-h196/Vger-concept-art-12.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The first <i>Star Trek</i> film, <i>The Motionless Picture, </i>was a dull film and its plot was recycled from the pilot "In Thy Image" to second <i>Star Trek </i>TV series, <i>Phase II </i>that would have been the flagship show to the planned 4th TV network: The Paramount Television Service. When those plans were abandoned, the pilot was transformed into the first <i>Trek</i> film. The primary enemy of the film was the massive cloud entity (2 AUs not 82!) that arrived in Federation space on an interception course to Terra...the only starship able to intercept was the refit <i>USS Enterprise</i>. Typical. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZycbi4C-fgFJrakzt-tja1V1-muAu0s0S6zaOdGW8lOYOApCBl2qUhqLIw952POOa1_U--oFXEbwLk83RH1Bb1tJcdabB_hFfsl8tmIbYuZ_XMOCkTW4QlGkUhQXmr8nvkCchfNxvcE6Li48ClbVdDKLdcoB8jDRFIrfZGPgKVwKt-1ekuSeHut7knQ/s942/tw-vger.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="942" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZycbi4C-fgFJrakzt-tja1V1-muAu0s0S6zaOdGW8lOYOApCBl2qUhqLIw952POOa1_U--oFXEbwLk83RH1Bb1tJcdabB_hFfsl8tmIbYuZ_XMOCkTW4QlGkUhQXmr8nvkCchfNxvcE6Li48ClbVdDKLdcoB8jDRFIrfZGPgKVwKt-1ekuSeHut7knQ/w400-h217/tw-vger.jpg" width="400" /></a>During the over two hour film, the <i>Enterprise </i>make their way through the entity called "V'Ger" and it was a long strange trip through the bowls of this oddball design. Nothing about this design made any sense and the original concept of a physical "Living Machine" ship (seen above in the art for <i>Phase II</i>) was abandoned for being too similar to other alien superweapons from <i>TOS</i>. According to the sources, the physical ship was hidden in the layers of clouds and this ship was seen later in one of the many reedits of this bad film. Later on, Eaglemoss would release the exposed miles long vessel and it was odd to see it exposed. V'Ger was strange for its inclusion into <i>Trek </i>lore, the debate and changes to the size and look of the vessel, and just how the journey to the heart of the ship took hours of screen time. </div><div><b><u><i><br /></i></u></b></div><div><b><u>3. The Derelict Cargo Ship from <i>ALIEN</i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcruxhdhxDL5ZA4_TnIqv2IkLkg9OAql-NXqfYjTxrWIlpzeD93HHUYqfQKFQj3c4GlIGONJipcQg_Iu1wt4EMi02aAVCd3iBXaLMAM4DNn9VNAusmiPX27EgzOPT7ab4eWV4ZsG4ne7sJsRw5rT4tdGpLYIVjrWMocslXNNFXYYfuFhfWuG6UFCGhQ/s754/alienderelictship.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="754" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcruxhdhxDL5ZA4_TnIqv2IkLkg9OAql-NXqfYjTxrWIlpzeD93HHUYqfQKFQj3c4GlIGONJipcQg_Iu1wt4EMi02aAVCd3iBXaLMAM4DNn9VNAusmiPX27EgzOPT7ab4eWV4ZsG4ne7sJsRw5rT4tdGpLYIVjrWMocslXNNFXYYfuFhfWuG6UFCGhQ/w400-h263/alienderelictship.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When first seen in the 1979 ALIEN film, the Derelict cargo ship was a shocking slight and looked completely alien to the ships we were used to in wider science fiction. The original design of the alien spacecraft was done by sci-fi master Ron Cobb, but rejected for being "<b><i><span style="color: red;">too rational</span></i></b>" and the design needed to be inhuman. After several more designs that were just too grounded for Ridley Scott's tastes, he asked H.R. Giger to take a stable at it and within a few hours, we got the Derelict cargo ship that we are familiar with. I can still remember seeing the Derelict ship the first time and thinking how alien it was, but compelling. Despite the mystery of the ship and its pilot being lifted in 2014's <i>Prometheus</i>, the design still stands as well tne mastery of how it was presented on film.. <i> </i><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b><u>4. The <i>Constitution </i>class Starship from the <i>Star Trek </i>Universe</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_LPsj-zvOtkZBw7snmpIukdWw-Lycp8k0Zw4Vd73gflaFWM-cvamnBgLfEEzlTQJXFErOvrQ0sCswKKNlWH2X3EwtQbY4iBQF2cfq2x3vX4f3wxjAsDxX4whb49Xxpsz7PIMxiHhK-Kw8TNDAAR8-VTipH5eMpFiY8UmfgJhGsvYFRiugXc0yFlYgA/s1000/originalE.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="1000" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_LPsj-zvOtkZBw7snmpIukdWw-Lycp8k0Zw4Vd73gflaFWM-cvamnBgLfEEzlTQJXFErOvrQ0sCswKKNlWH2X3EwtQbY4iBQF2cfq2x3vX4f3wxjAsDxX4whb49Xxpsz7PIMxiHhK-Kw8TNDAAR8-VTipH5eMpFiY8UmfgJhGsvYFRiugXc0yFlYgA/w400-h234/originalE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknown to the designers and construction team that made the original <i>Enterprise</i> in 1964, which was to be the <i>Yorktown</i>, this would be one of the most iconic starships of all time and that very model would be featured in one of the finest museums in the world. Unlike the vast array of fictional and real spacecraft in the 1960's, Gene Roddenberry laid down that his spaceship would not be a rocket. Matt Jefferies would be the one who designed the <i>Enterprise</i> with input from Gene through a process of submitting drawings by Jefferies, Gene would review and send back notes, and Jefferies would alter the design. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUtWn6ikb8ExS6kr9VN6aE8U8bftTKjxQWBNsrUjwr8PQelKx6aZKC4yHzV6ZytBnmBqCJ4BEzmhbONVebs2u8kNOaXOmgQFkqU0wpg6VpKOVIuwN7Cdy4a6EYo1ZzjcGzNL6g9cEFVdxOepWc3q7_aQehULyfycTURx2TQx_TN5ufPm729cDPh8QUg/s400/P51_3_Enterprise3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="400" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUtWn6ikb8ExS6kr9VN6aE8U8bftTKjxQWBNsrUjwr8PQelKx6aZKC4yHzV6ZytBnmBqCJ4BEzmhbONVebs2u8kNOaXOmgQFkqU0wpg6VpKOVIuwN7Cdy4a6EYo1ZzjcGzNL6g9cEFVdxOepWc3q7_aQehULyfycTURx2TQx_TN5ufPm729cDPh8QUg/w400-h309/P51_3_Enterprise3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In this wonderful article on <i>Forgotten Trek</i>, we can see that Jefferies also designed the <i>Daedalus </i>class starship as well without knowing it. So...why is the fucking <i>Enterprise</i> on this list? If you study the design of the ship, especially given the context when the show originally came out in 1966, there is nothing like the <i>Enterprise</i> and it was a revolution in starship design. I grew up with the <i>Enterprise</i> and it is as familiar as the faces of my family and my work computer screens are filled with Master Systems Display of various Starfleet vessels. But when you stare at the original <i>Enterprise</i>, you can see how odd the design is and even to this day, it is a very original design. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><b><u>5. Nell from <i>Battle Beyond the Stars</i></u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mg0Sm-W_L6tScf56cZv2o5s-MlZ-tKbpWgM-r2f_Js6NmQMErkjqpIH6Wnmh4xy5MhLf_EpAOLY9aBFjeUxfKKwuVdsf_lgfv9C8fRhDPm3OKVj_W4JaAndPx3mmLRg-FkjYplwqqoaZQCtV1FHTrbEtMDU7YO-F2z2BfGNVpum8N4cNEUZ6KV2nyg/s736/wcNSqU2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="736" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mg0Sm-W_L6tScf56cZv2o5s-MlZ-tKbpWgM-r2f_Js6NmQMErkjqpIH6Wnmh4xy5MhLf_EpAOLY9aBFjeUxfKKwuVdsf_lgfv9C8fRhDPm3OKVj_W4JaAndPx3mmLRg-FkjYplwqqoaZQCtV1FHTrbEtMDU7YO-F2z2BfGNVpum8N4cNEUZ6KV2nyg/w400-h271/wcNSqU2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 1980, during the wave that <i>Star Wars</i> had made, studios and creators were rushing to put out more <i>Star Wars </i>themed science fiction works and we got <i>Battle Beyond the Stars. </i>This was released in the theaters to the horror of movie audiences and all got to witness the orange spaceship called "Nell" that had her design based on the female reproductive anatomy. Oh, Lords of Kobol protect us from the orange space boobs! This "movie" was based on the much superior 1954 <i>The Seven Samurai </i>by Akira Kurosawa and this semi-organic interplanetary fighter was the key hero ship of the film that just happened to have James Cameron working on models, the music by James Horner, and even Bill Paxton worked on set as a carpenter. Oh, and Sybil Danning was in it and she was stunning as a space warrior woman. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>6. The Reimagined Cylon Basestar/Baseship from <i>Battlestar Galactica</i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1f_433q7bx2oC0IbDVJL-i_qtbagzHoyVS9EyN1QrB1JZLhIoS4rVzfsHZQFWpZpc2k6eGcBJasP_aGJR6miMOtJWS4p0i2QvYPThgD2Pue9dlZTdQvGdIPBeTZeGX4ISHbKq-zihX7B5o91aQ80z_6o8hBDkePBn34QDBaY_8cpTu0AIBm3qhHVDCA/s1024/10590590863_bb91a19b16_b.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1024" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1f_433q7bx2oC0IbDVJL-i_qtbagzHoyVS9EyN1QrB1JZLhIoS4rVzfsHZQFWpZpc2k6eGcBJasP_aGJR6miMOtJWS4p0i2QvYPThgD2Pue9dlZTdQvGdIPBeTZeGX4ISHbKq-zihX7B5o91aQ80z_6o8hBDkePBn34QDBaY_8cpTu0AIBm3qhHVDCA/w400-h250/10590590863_bb91a19b16_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 2003, the world of science fiction changed with the one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time, the Reimagined <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> helmed by Ronald D. Moore. Most of the iconic spacecraft in the new series were upgraded designs from the original NBC 1978 series. The Cylon Basestar was massively altered for the new series and was more based on organic technology. Unlike the Human Battlestar carriers, the Cylon Basestar was a pure space fighter carrier that had limited offensive and defensive abilities, instead relaying on their cyberwarfare systems, over 200 missile batteries, and the nearly 800 Cylon Raider fighters. What makes the RDM BSG Baseships appear on this list is how very different these Basestars were from the 1978 original Basestars along with how odd their command-and-control systems are, their weapons, their lack of sublight propulsion, and how the humanoid Cylon model interact with the Baseship and their pilots. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>7. The Romulan <i>Narada</i> Mining Vessel from <i>Star Trek (</i>2009)</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJq8Z3aNCYf6l1qYDQZouFY3M8gfn7EJqNnrV4IrOqFdzvFtSYacXMEK8Kxp5EnWd4QqNEbeQR8laseYHJe5QvB9Jd5HDLbXj8_I9WLFeqHrG-7LM5KT8ZSMvzKinC50_kN5aWtIrL_X9/s1600/Narada_over_Vulcan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJq8Z3aNCYf6l1qYDQZouFY3M8gfn7EJqNnrV4IrOqFdzvFtSYacXMEK8Kxp5EnWd4QqNEbeQR8laseYHJe5QvB9Jd5HDLbXj8_I9WLFeqHrG-7LM5KT8ZSMvzKinC50_kN5aWtIrL_X9/s400/Narada_over_Vulcan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Okay, I hate the J.J. Abrams <i>Star Trek</i> films...they are a waste of money, talent, and time that could have been used to forward the <i>Trek </i>franchise. In the first "film" we see this "Romulan" vessel that looks nothing like pervious Romulan design and it appears more like an seed of some terrible alien plant that wants lay its seeds inside of your colon. Is that just me? This was a mining vessel used by the Romulan government in the late 24th century. While it seems that the design was the plan, I still never liked the exterior or interior design of this ship. It does not help that the movie is terribly jumpy like a toddler on a IV of Red Bull. <br />
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<b><u>8. The Living Starships of <i>D&D Spelljammer </i></u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaykLnjPIuWyA_7PeKhcsVIZ-qv6Fm0DPS39Ro6Pw7NeZ1CurShPzVlyq3iDAalOy3JhWflwCltoPrqtwmLA-7bWBdjAft_ZPsET2lbGr66uCEcs5AnMS3g8ZHie3OPyIwzjf2RlBgnpmQhAbh_ME93ANOHeux1wKmhtseM-JnOa5i--wL9EF6Jpl9A/s482/bf4ebc2100c0fcb34b873f8ec853c449e7ec734a978025036ec892fd49d3662b.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="342" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaykLnjPIuWyA_7PeKhcsVIZ-qv6Fm0DPS39Ro6Pw7NeZ1CurShPzVlyq3iDAalOy3JhWflwCltoPrqtwmLA-7bWBdjAft_ZPsET2lbGr66uCEcs5AnMS3g8ZHie3OPyIwzjf2RlBgnpmQhAbh_ME93ANOHeux1wKmhtseM-JnOa5i--wL9EF6Jpl9A/w284-h400/bf4ebc2100c0fcb34b873f8ec853c449e7ec734a978025036ec892fd49d3662b.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>When I was a kid, we would visit Tulsa nearly ever weekend and I would run into my favorite comic book store Starbase 21. I would explore spaces where the RPGs were kept and the wall of unpainted miniatures along with a display case of painted miniatures. In the case were these organic spaceships and the owner of the store told me that these were living ships from a new D&D module called <i>Spelljammer</i>. In this setting, both the classic <i>Spelljammer</i> and the new, the ships (called Spelljammers) are fashioned on organic beings or are living themselves. It was a crazy module and was regarded as one of the more unique D&D settings of all time. I never played <i>Spelljammer</i> during my time with D&D, but it made an impression on me on just how odd these designs and concepts were. For 5th Edition of D&D, <i>Spelljammer </i>has returned and we shall see how the rollers of the table response to this legendary setting. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>9. The Acanti and the Star Sharks from the Marvel Universe</u></b></div><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZuCMuPvn1Aqfa9AVHc7eF_lNe4WWtzqnKoTFedfNXKpuJQiVXoTictFUlJzMqpqJmbTtSb9nvcqQLCToPE8wneULxRaFRPvOQeK2ebfJ17i8aRKWQxYUSiQeWeFRLRdoDBGAHDBL0Nja/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZuCMuPvn1Aqfa9AVHc7eF_lNe4WWtzqnKoTFedfNXKpuJQiVXoTictFUlJzMqpqJmbTtSb9nvcqQLCToPE8wneULxRaFRPvOQeK2ebfJ17i8aRKWQxYUSiQeWeFRLRdoDBGAHDBL0Nja/s400/download+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In the 1980's, my brother was buying <i>X-Men</i> comics, which I read, and there were these aliens called the Brood that rode space sharks through the stars to kill entire worlds. Even as a kid, I thought how bizzare this was and yet how compelling. Along with the terrifying Starsharks, there were the peaceful Acanti. I wonder if these creatures will make onto the silverscreen in one of the MCU films before the whole franchise implodes. <br /><b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>10. The TARDIS from the <i>Doctor Who </i>Universe</u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBs06IwWa5Jt5Y9gd83b3o0JYnwmNEsaLbx9fySYW4Vda53jg9POernvHnglkNOKZCCgGyESHZ1RZr6KVk6eQ46IAgLGAa7bGMQUf4QIkRpsh5J3PrsXT7CL9ezDNyYCrjAk1_oSH09s2k-pHMKsJ6hKSB_V6hdUqu7vBPqqRTDkiA8kjNgnYi4ulAA/s900/logopolis8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="900" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBs06IwWa5Jt5Y9gd83b3o0JYnwmNEsaLbx9fySYW4Vda53jg9POernvHnglkNOKZCCgGyESHZ1RZr6KVk6eQ46IAgLGAa7bGMQUf4QIkRpsh5J3PrsXT7CL9ezDNyYCrjAk1_oSH09s2k-pHMKsJ6hKSB_V6hdUqu7vBPqqRTDkiA8kjNgnYi4ulAA/w400-h313/logopolis8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>There are generations of humans that will grow up and know the words "Police Box" as it relates to an alien space and time vehicle on that iconic British TV show and I count myself among those people. We here in the colonies do not have a history with the police box and most people of the colonies were only introduced to that piece of British law enforcement history via the iconic <i>Doctor Who</i>. So, one of the longest running and most beloved science fiction TV shows has the main hero of the series travel to adventures in time and space in a blue box that looks like a phone booth? That is an odd. Damn odd, but endearing and wonderful. The Doctor's Police Box was based on the Mackenzie Trench-style police box that were named after their designed and were first seen in 1929. These relics of a time before handheld radios were used for the police on the beat and the general public to contact the police. The interior of the Police Box was used for housing criminals until transport could be arranged, as a mini-police station were officers could take breaks, eat a meal, and file out reports. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><u style="font-weight: bold;">Honored Mention: the <i>Lexx </i>from <i>Lexx</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WdH_79oM-6EoIPOAQTHt16PeOPFOsp0AA6R-ePUOKS9IWo_n8W8Or5D39s5gP9IgQLtVVJ4wX1A0-FAVRYqEnf-FnBoFVjtb_JIl5xitbGvhFsgiTijzl-Z9s__ZLxRzLgUZUrSjNolQ1m206iFFRMZ18iFRmnSqpSJQI-LmbZqXl3tqltXpD8553w/s1024/6308a9a0e5a754452e0b7b91490a1717.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1024" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WdH_79oM-6EoIPOAQTHt16PeOPFOsp0AA6R-ePUOKS9IWo_n8W8Or5D39s5gP9IgQLtVVJ4wX1A0-FAVRYqEnf-FnBoFVjtb_JIl5xitbGvhFsgiTijzl-Z9s__ZLxRzLgUZUrSjNolQ1m206iFFRMZ18iFRmnSqpSJQI-LmbZqXl3tqltXpD8553w/s320/6308a9a0e5a754452e0b7b91490a1717.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It is a space insect penis ship and the show had double xx in the title giving the whole show a space porn vibe. I never watched this show and I will not, but the <i>Lexx</i> ship, the most powerful in two universe, is one of the oddest designs and it looks like an space alien insect penis. Lovely. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>My Personal Choice: The SDF-3 "Pioneer" from the ROBOTECH II: The Sentinels</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP155km23FhwPcrm0qn5ygBrwlWogtHizKnn8QUB8qvz8r-P5BpLIxE7iXW7pakI_fkdMBaHVZeyXK6CNw57wlF0k86nMOAbD0dmcqouI1-xfV51eRXrU7wxvMFhvOHKoO3RPPGtEUctyeJVcfiBDJq3utWicVnlNM8Z-tyFLAmJGl-_VhJXt930Ca3Q/s1251/Pioneer-class-Super-Dimensional-Fortress-in-action-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1194" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP155km23FhwPcrm0qn5ygBrwlWogtHizKnn8QUB8qvz8r-P5BpLIxE7iXW7pakI_fkdMBaHVZeyXK6CNw57wlF0k86nMOAbD0dmcqouI1-xfV51eRXrU7wxvMFhvOHKoO3RPPGtEUctyeJVcfiBDJq3utWicVnlNM8Z-tyFLAmJGl-_VhJXt930Ca3Q/w381-h400/Pioneer-class-Super-Dimensional-Fortress-in-action-1.jpg" width="381" /></a></div>There few things that have disappointment me more as a nerd and geek than how I was robbed as a kid of the experience of the sequel to ROBOTECH. I wanted this and I didn't get to have it and I still want it. Not the fucking comic books, the shitty attempts by Harmony Fucking Gold, nor the excellent books by Jack McKinney...I wanted the series and I will never get it. The few proper pieces of <i>The Sentinels </i>we got allowed to see the SDF-3 <i>Pioneer</i>, the massive red-hued organic looking Terran take on a classic Zentraedi design to allow for a Trojan Horse type of scenario. When I first saw the look of the SDF-3 on the cover of the 3rd <i>ROBOTECH: The Sentinels</i> Del-Rey book, I was shocked. It was nothing like I had pictures, but there it was in all of red hued organic glory and seen then...I have become a fan of the pre-refit design of the SDF-3 <i>Pioneer</i>, but it strange concerning the look of the original and how we fans saw the SDF classification of Terran and Tirolian warships. <br /></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-55743651190338418132023-03-23T22:51:00.000-05:002023-03-23T22:51:32.411-05:00Ships of the Line: Troop Transports, Medical Ships, and Assault Ships<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdO0J_FHpgC9L77hAX78YFp_qtpTSOF6DMSVakpMHsiULz7q1gLXHFVLqVi4Hv1nFO0bnnGv3_6HM0si6mfUu2ea0aL07qwphRFLcBNmSCON9hRdqEHzhiEagK6HsfRdj7bImN19d0l1s7WIgu8PM7ChX6GN-iwdI_JHRenwpOutCESyTk75uPY_LRA/s4427/170915-N-PC620-0009_(37096354382).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdO0J_FHpgC9L77hAX78YFp_qtpTSOF6DMSVakpMHsiULz7q1gLXHFVLqVi4Hv1nFO0bnnGv3_6HM0si6mfUu2ea0aL07qwphRFLcBNmSCON9hRdqEHzhiEagK6HsfRdj7bImN19d0l1s7WIgu8PM7ChX6GN-iwdI_JHRenwpOutCESyTk75uPY_LRA/w640-h421/170915-N-PC620-0009_(37096354382).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator">In the pantheon of combat starships, naval ships, and ancient sailing vessels, the bulk of attention has been paid more on the combat vessels in both the real world and the fictional one. However, one of the most important vessels in any navy, either in on the ocean or in space, is the ones that bring the troops, the coffee, the bullets, the mail, and the fuel. In one of the final installments of <u>The Ships of the Line</u> articles, we will be focusing on the troop transports, medical ships, and the assault ships of the logistical end of most navies and fleets. </div><div class="separator"><br /></div></div><div><b><u>The Troopship Then and the Troopship Now</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx44VOHapayPP0Fnge_NM0UMOyfs2_tfLVctYtmLcKNvTo76YUcioL9Bm4JxDPpBMUl56v6ouo7ei6a4ao4Vm7jujjL34mAEAQwS_GHdsjFOmTjYK0R7P8PxXlyNK151Dqp8pWFAPMC8-WcJMHKVu4iBOh7iwKDEhezzO7Vgj16fc-bo_efrHYPO7bqA/s500/Greek-trireme-Olympias-Credit-EDSITEment-Public-Domain.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="500" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx44VOHapayPP0Fnge_NM0UMOyfs2_tfLVctYtmLcKNvTo76YUcioL9Bm4JxDPpBMUl56v6ouo7ei6a4ao4Vm7jujjL34mAEAQwS_GHdsjFOmTjYK0R7P8PxXlyNK151Dqp8pWFAPMC8-WcJMHKVu4iBOh7iwKDEhezzO7Vgj16fc-bo_efrHYPO7bqA/w400-h309/Greek-trireme-Olympias-Credit-EDSITEment-Public-Domain.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The history of waterways being used as a means to deliver violence to the enemy is likely as old as boatmaking. It is believed that boatmaking goes back to about 800,000 years before the common era, with Homo Erectus likely being the first to use some form of boat. While the boat was used for food and exploration, it was mostly certainly used to carry out raids on other human settlements or even hunts. These river or lake raids by early humans was the very beginnings of amphibious warfare as we understand it and the watercraft they used were multi-role as well. With the beginnings of human civilizations being founded along rivers, like Uruk on the Euphrates River, the use of boats for waterborne operations, including the transporting and landing of infantry is in no doubt. </div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDStjbpair5dXZBf3HKZvoR6X6VkxVzjE2yTMLqRIWYTJnO9Mg2kjfmcDTIz-xp2v_tFjdpMXtkcKHKpUej3ODl4m7rzh3ibx_9uTy8UDW1Gf4hEvQFgk0DSXsVIavtVF53gwzDAg4ZfrcXPYvl5ToCo7d8eQHXryHBigzZwxpQ9xuq_9dDNZ_GGvlA/s1250/sea1-scaled.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1250" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDStjbpair5dXZBf3HKZvoR6X6VkxVzjE2yTMLqRIWYTJnO9Mg2kjfmcDTIz-xp2v_tFjdpMXtkcKHKpUej3ODl4m7rzh3ibx_9uTy8UDW1Gf4hEvQFgk0DSXsVIavtVF53gwzDAg4ZfrcXPYvl5ToCo7d8eQHXryHBigzZwxpQ9xuq_9dDNZ_GGvlA/w400-h239/sea1-scaled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The foundation of troop ships as we understand them along with the concepts of amphibious warfare begin within the Mediterranean Sea with such cultures as Greeks and the Romans with some arguing for the inclusion of the Phoenicians, the Egyptians, and even the Minoans. There are references to an ancient violent "seapeople" that raid in the Mediterranean from the Bronze Age using boats and amphibious warfare tactics with one of the more famous accords being from Rameses II and Rameses III. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRpibF1RoigZhyD2ibCXJI_Jlk2HN7fBpass1TfohIsMgc9pZBQuDg7pufn2EX4QU88Alp5d6YH_xMNZBhwe2V7kq7m0Ah8ZHEVz26KWJgsSc6_g2Weknni_C0E38hvqdFxHImA6hrcEKl3jdjdv4jPU5i-0moV2dC3svSDWUe_jz02BgJjG_8zyVuQ/s600/b90e727a5925031610ad7edfddd6c0e8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRpibF1RoigZhyD2ibCXJI_Jlk2HN7fBpass1TfohIsMgc9pZBQuDg7pufn2EX4QU88Alp5d6YH_xMNZBhwe2V7kq7m0Ah8ZHEVz26KWJgsSc6_g2Weknni_C0E38hvqdFxHImA6hrcEKl3jdjdv4jPU5i-0moV2dC3svSDWUe_jz02BgJjG_8zyVuQ/w400-h210/b90e727a5925031610ad7edfddd6c0e8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>If the events of Homer's Trojan War are to believe, the 12th century Troy (Troy VII) in modern Turkey was the site of a massive seaborne invasion by Greek city states that used early versions of the classic Greek <i>Trieme </i>sailing ship with Homer citing that Protesilaus of the Phylaceans was the first off of the boat onto the beach and was then killed by Hector. During the Peloponnesian War between the key citystates of Athens and Sparta, there was troop-carrying variant of the <i>Trieme</i> that cut down on the amount of oarsmen for more Hoplite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZR_FDqcdJCR47ccRih8tnCWgZZprXASUMf__PUl6tGuMWv4Z7kGLrc1bXOpfm3lZe0l76dCPPCCREqJyBSVuuBDnhiRvBitGLk9tbjhmWv2fwsvqVprZfOK5E-Pas7UpMxSjvJ97sNYD81mcCSln3K6T9uy5NsxqGdQuStCzuKnJDS-KJdOumKAJmQ/s602/main-qimg-70424a279cd65f44ad12a7eb70d123b3-lq.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="602" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZR_FDqcdJCR47ccRih8tnCWgZZprXASUMf__PUl6tGuMWv4Z7kGLrc1bXOpfm3lZe0l76dCPPCCREqJyBSVuuBDnhiRvBitGLk9tbjhmWv2fwsvqVprZfOK5E-Pas7UpMxSjvJ97sNYD81mcCSln3K6T9uy5NsxqGdQuStCzuKnJDS-KJdOumKAJmQ/w400-h266/main-qimg-70424a279cd65f44ad12a7eb70d123b3-lq.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the late Roman Empire, around the 3th century, there was the use of an sail-and-oar powered ship designed to project power and carry Roman soldiers along major river in their Imperium, like the Rhine. These ships were called <i>Navis Lusoria </i>(or "Navy Jest"). Here they could project power in the lands were Roman rule was not solid and land troops for campaigns or even raids. The wreckage of several <i>Navis Lusoria </i>ships were discovered in West Germany in 1981 and allowed historians to see one of these ancient troopships in all of their glory. As you can see, there is a connection between amphibious warfare and the troopships and that continues until this very day.<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOMHGbB4O72c_aPv4-dZt7teazzwnFhOs9GFS6tgNNOF6G9diHH0L19YKBev873eihmhR3HuZoOh551mmczuDJPHVewWa7yJB-f5AJlHfMlp_Dj6rjkxCFSelJLVMKhngje86ATJDytaJJhvit_SJgnXCOwGBnZGSWybwV7PKZ3YO4skxNSmWlAHzcg/s750/crusades_boat.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="750" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOMHGbB4O72c_aPv4-dZt7teazzwnFhOs9GFS6tgNNOF6G9diHH0L19YKBev873eihmhR3HuZoOh551mmczuDJPHVewWa7yJB-f5AJlHfMlp_Dj6rjkxCFSelJLVMKhngje86ATJDytaJJhvit_SJgnXCOwGBnZGSWybwV7PKZ3YO4skxNSmWlAHzcg/w400-h265/crusades_boat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The movement of soldiers became much more challenging when it came to transporting horses, cannons, and armored infantry. There was some custom built wooden sail ships developed for the purpose of transport cavalry and knights, but mostly, sailing ships were retrofitted to transport on those rare events of having to move forces overwater...which was seen during the Crusades. During the 7 Years War and the American Revolutionary War, the British Navy used shallow flatboats to off-load infantry from the ships to the landing points with some of these flatboats being fitted with light artillery to protect themselves from enemy fire and soften up the beaches. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sVAhsCIdLNxJDZwsB85cjNf3i0YFMdhteOMmjLe9HMLBXDumnY0Jnas_yJw3ScBrcGOctiDzma7oAfqjtmJfRACeRyt50RV-_SMryIt3Gt2AYCuQsW-XWVSkehKVB2IIERDJ7_mnO7arQM7Ttw3k9EoXGgGhVstboiQm-xmw26WiBocVR_YELoXiVA/s615/British_flat-bottomed_boat_American_Revolution.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="615" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sVAhsCIdLNxJDZwsB85cjNf3i0YFMdhteOMmjLe9HMLBXDumnY0Jnas_yJw3ScBrcGOctiDzma7oAfqjtmJfRACeRyt50RV-_SMryIt3Gt2AYCuQsW-XWVSkehKVB2IIERDJ7_mnO7arQM7Ttw3k9EoXGgGhVstboiQm-xmw26WiBocVR_YELoXiVA/w400-h261/British_flat-bottomed_boat_American_Revolution.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the best displays of British flatboat amphibious landings was on August 22nd, 1776 at Gravesend Bay on Long Island with the first landing at 4am local time being around 4,000 infantry with 15,000 in total landing during the operation. By the time of the age of steam, soldiers were piled onto warships or contracted civilian ships to serve the wartime role of transportation to the foreign soil. Given the scale of the 2nd World War, the logistics challenges, and the vastness of the battlefields, there was a massive amount of troopships hastily constructed by mostly the Allies to ferry the millions of Marines and Infantry to the Pacific and the Atlantic fronts. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqH0MfJz0JGjCVz437OArrKoCzZr35yi4PB6Ww05YHJM8k0Tz2F2m9R-dxEODniZFZloFMXuATxs-khK8chRxpwV6NxfrYDbSC-9adJcUgS9DfRMCfDnQ32Botx8VVWLS5-6tMLFPY71GaQqPmTp7BjRqRX2e9LFFE4akPUeK8qiarzi5YFxs7GrHx8Q/s1200/XTPAKHT3KBAAHGCDFPOWDI7DM4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqH0MfJz0JGjCVz437OArrKoCzZr35yi4PB6Ww05YHJM8k0Tz2F2m9R-dxEODniZFZloFMXuATxs-khK8chRxpwV6NxfrYDbSC-9adJcUgS9DfRMCfDnQ32Botx8VVWLS5-6tMLFPY71GaQqPmTp7BjRqRX2e9LFFE4akPUeK8qiarzi5YFxs7GrHx8Q/w400-h225/XTPAKHT3KBAAHGCDFPOWDI7DM4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The apex for this was the massive mobilization for the Normandy Invasion and the planned Invasion of mainland Japan with Operation: Downfall that, thankfully, was never carried out due to the dropping of two Atomic Bombs...which was a good think in the end result. During the research phase of this article, I found scans of an official US Army book on the troopships of World War II and it contained some very interesting facts. For example, it seems that during the 2nd World War, the US Military used 358 troopships. The text also told that the source of many troopships was either military-owned and constructed, some were "bareboat charters", where the ship herself was rented out to the US military, but there was no crew or stores onboard. It seems that some were a hybrid, where the ship and civilian crew were rented by the government for the serve of ferrying troops and supplies. In the book, the author covers the key 65 vessels as troopships and of those 65, eight were veterans of World War One and World War Two, with most having two different names.</div><div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><u><b>What Happened to the Naval Troop Ship?</b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw14qIO6mN1kL1vvDCXKegXWpYYLrRGScxt6uHzydlsq35hpZXevsU3yConqXvli5tAEqSty75hCdssrQ41Pwck9-zbDLnRAHYod4qElMrCqiU_57EavMuqVbpXcrGtKaTri6Rh9E3-YE57hom3lXBDe3qYU7qXeQ0UFMfK0gJlso-cLkwn7TPGo4hyg/s2047/sxsfu3rnisi71.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="2047" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw14qIO6mN1kL1vvDCXKegXWpYYLrRGScxt6uHzydlsq35hpZXevsU3yConqXvli5tAEqSty75hCdssrQ41Pwck9-zbDLnRAHYod4qElMrCqiU_57EavMuqVbpXcrGtKaTri6Rh9E3-YE57hom3lXBDe3qYU7qXeQ0UFMfK0gJlso-cLkwn7TPGo4hyg/w400-h339/sxsfu3rnisi71.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The troop transport seagoing vessels that have been around since the days of the Greeks are basically gone and the amphibious warfare assault ship are the modern inheritor of that mantle. But, what happened to the old troop ship? Basically, the jet age happened. The last use of a classic troopship in my mind is the use of the <i>QEII </i>and the <i>Canberra</i> cruise ships as troop ships by the British Navy to retake the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Argentine junta invasion of the islands via amphibious landings. For the most part, the bulk of infantry and marines have been moved to foreign battlefields via large military cargo/transport planes like the C-17 <i>Globemaster</i>, the Airbus A400M <i>Atlas</i> and the Russian llyushin II-76. These massive cargo aircraft can move a large numbers of soldiers and gear from a secure airfield to another airfield in hours rather than days, speeding up the deployment and security of infantry coming to a battlefield. At times, civilian aircraft companies have been used to move soldiers into the warzone, like during the Vietnam War when soldier came into South Vietnam and left sometimes onboard the civilian operated passenger planes. The maritime portion of moving troops to the beaches was taken over by the naval amphibious assault ship that houses landing craft, VTOL craft, and the helicopters. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div><u><b>The Assault Ship/Amphibious Assault Ship/LHA/LHD/LPH</b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxv4032zZIL3Yz6JjAc1925exF8UcwmgaOhFqzO5R4n0csQRpxQ_TSe_weACFO7EiFXsm4eil1Ix0pcl7Wfa6fBBaQGjBW5Z7b1wqLBibfEtMIdeIRR1EhsUJQC3vv4S9gHwCwzFZ56doyAVjDXtvA60yKVkizrVlcrWwEL_49gXzYoA10GL3RkqGeQ/s1280/1280px-USS_Bonhomme_Richard_(LHD-6)_welldeck.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1280" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxv4032zZIL3Yz6JjAc1925exF8UcwmgaOhFqzO5R4n0csQRpxQ_TSe_weACFO7EiFXsm4eil1Ix0pcl7Wfa6fBBaQGjBW5Z7b1wqLBibfEtMIdeIRR1EhsUJQC3vv4S9gHwCwzFZ56doyAVjDXtvA60yKVkizrVlcrWwEL_49gXzYoA10GL3RkqGeQ/w400-h286/1280px-USS_Bonhomme_Richard_(LHD-6)_welldeck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>In the modern Naval structure, the battleship as been replaced by the aircraft carrier and the old troop ship has been replaced the amphibious assault ship. In modern navies, the Amphibious Assault Ship is an odd vessel and not all navies possess these craft and then there is the confusion between the assault ship and a helicopter landing craft (AKA Landing Helicopter Assault "LHA") and even the "escort carrier" of the 2nd World War. Basically the assault ship is designed to transport and support VTOL, helicopter, amphibious landing craft, tilt-rotor aircraft during land-based operations. Expeditionary Marine forces stationed onboard these modern assault ships, like the America class of LHR(A) can launch operations via the MV-22, landing crafts in the well-deck, and traditional helicopters with CAS coming from VTOL fighter aircraft. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg_fENfDg4jkQj0JR8GMlKLZZOYiv9mTjbSgtmvPXu86nM8a7-ww355D8lH9cVK7l5XCW7nDsKogYY_MAvp5WlOA7sr1rfFno9P9wg5bwbB4aXfqXFwpEGkWkoEEv1oEeN7JGYoyZljcTwY_670s0I7ytj7sYlazL9HbqLkEux-Oge-R146sGXGHNmQ/s600/7bpuk4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg_fENfDg4jkQj0JR8GMlKLZZOYiv9mTjbSgtmvPXu86nM8a7-ww355D8lH9cVK7l5XCW7nDsKogYY_MAvp5WlOA7sr1rfFno9P9wg5bwbB4aXfqXFwpEGkWkoEEv1oEeN7JGYoyZljcTwY_670s0I7ytj7sYlazL9HbqLkEux-Oge-R146sGXGHNmQ/w400-h300/7bpuk4.jpg" width="400" /></a>About 1900 Marines are onboard the LHA(R) class ships with a crew of about 1200 with Phalanx CIWS, and missile launchers rounding the offensive and defensive weapon systems. Much like their larger cousins, the aircraft carrier, the assault ship is the foundation of the Expeditionary Strike Group that is more designed for maritime land operations rather than sea control than the traditionally carrier group. Some of the new America class that are of the Flight variant will not feature well-decks and even smaller medical bays to promote larger space for aircraft support. The origin of the assault ship came out of the escort carrier (nicknamed "Jeep carrier by GIs) of the 2nd World War that was designed to support landing operations while troopships had infantry and marines to scale down rope ladders on the sides of ships to man landing craft, like the American Hughes boats. Given the dynamic nature of modern warfare, the amphibious assault ship is a key element of any force-in-readiness and power projection strategy. To that end, the beginnings of a conflict could come from forces launched from an traditionally aircraft carrier and the assault ship. While the utility of such ships is well known, they are expensive...very expensive, billions of dollars. At presently, the US Navy has the most assault ships in operation with the British Royal Navy being second and an handful of other navies fielding assault-style ships with the Chinese looking to expand their assault ship fleet in next few decades. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Assault Spaceship of the Sci-fi: the PASP</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJBsZcq8EdtceJmz0VHTFKHRQ_8SYgT32aiYo9UOjf8lHWExDXKQQcz-Zc4mKII-_rZZtO6N9YNVLrisXC5Ti2y-dhjrmpey60RAHve3ZY8UiroflcSQMCjwnOsptOMYMR_NqPQDYr-bUUHztYcI2E-korw_cICTUbTwkqASLayxMX31iQm2qGIf52g/s720/720_308954763.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJBsZcq8EdtceJmz0VHTFKHRQ_8SYgT32aiYo9UOjf8lHWExDXKQQcz-Zc4mKII-_rZZtO6N9YNVLrisXC5Ti2y-dhjrmpey60RAHve3ZY8UiroflcSQMCjwnOsptOMYMR_NqPQDYr-bUUHztYcI2E-korw_cICTUbTwkqASLayxMX31iQm2qGIf52g/w400-h225/720_308954763.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Given that the seagoing assault ship transports, launches, and supports Marine units during ground operations...that means that the vast majority of science fiction troopships are actually a form of what we could call <u>p</u>lanetary <u>a</u>ssault <u>s</u>pace <u>p</u>latforms (PASP) vessels. Most deep space military ships that are sent out to land space marines on-planet for dirtside operations are going to use a shuttle, drop pod, drop ship, or tactical transport to land the space marines and mechs on-planet which makes that spacecraft a PASP...unless the entire spaceship lands on-planet and off-loads the marines and mech suits. While the USS <i>Sulaco </i>of ALIENS was correctly classified as an assault ship, the vast majority (like 90%) of sci-fi troopships are actually assault ships. Much like with the whole drop ship/tactical transport debate on terminology, most sci-fi creators will refer to spaceborne haulers of space marines as "troopships" when in actuality, they are a form of spacegoing assault ship or PASP.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Medical/Hospital Ships</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOiO7WCLEkzzYbR6gMbqXUKeBSDjMdBAjUC36GK6DIW7p_C4bDEkKUMZgnRbBLJ7PZLgg1RKrSTR6TVw9YLChBrVqBwIAvclPiVZxXs-l2ihEjrl2ODrwmAlRwteLymQCOn3PFA988rjY2S4UfWPv0q4fNcNj8jfZPUuyzW3T0vPWbdQd2AiNn_lKiA/s870/np_file_5890-870x489.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="870" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOiO7WCLEkzzYbR6gMbqXUKeBSDjMdBAjUC36GK6DIW7p_C4bDEkKUMZgnRbBLJ7PZLgg1RKrSTR6TVw9YLChBrVqBwIAvclPiVZxXs-l2ihEjrl2ODrwmAlRwteLymQCOn3PFA988rjY2S4UfWPv0q4fNcNj8jfZPUuyzW3T0vPWbdQd2AiNn_lKiA/w400-h225/np_file_5890-870x489.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The first hospital ships used by a navy date back to the times of the Greeks and Romans with the named vessels of the <i>Therapia</i>, and the <i>Aesculapius</i>. During the grand age of sail, the 17th century British Navy had the HMS <i>Goodwill</i> in service. The 17 hospital ships in service at the time were repurposed former ships of the line decommissioned in medical service with various results. The concept of the medical/hospital ship being a decommissioned naval or merchant vessel that mostly used to transport the sick and wounded from the battlefield to a land-based medical facility changed around the 19th century. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtPqvbY4a58e8yOeX3k6HhK2YFEfoKLPA9Vzw7KNpyF4x5aMPR7jrMrRBen-1WMO-n-GsabAj4FXDGHUAnQHzZfBI4ecEmejUsHr8W62gXCTIpoZGrkmxRTMfNy2JjJAjn4grMWYpr-Y0PmtTEYfrGJTZHq4ZksycIqq8ZcrwLfgQMGJjbdVUOBWb2Q/s800/US-Navy_Hospital-Ships.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="800" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtPqvbY4a58e8yOeX3k6HhK2YFEfoKLPA9Vzw7KNpyF4x5aMPR7jrMrRBen-1WMO-n-GsabAj4FXDGHUAnQHzZfBI4ecEmejUsHr8W62gXCTIpoZGrkmxRTMfNy2JjJAjn4grMWYpr-Y0PmtTEYfrGJTZHq4ZksycIqq8ZcrwLfgQMGJjbdVUOBWb2Q/w400-h325/US-Navy_Hospital-Ships.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the First World War and the Crimean War, battlefield medicine and the treatment of soldiers in times of war changed vastly. In the 1907 Hague Convention X, the role and look of hospital ships was covered which caused the naval medical vessel to be painted white with the red cross symbol, not used to transport soldiers or war supplies to the battlefield, and not targeted by the enemy. That convention of medical ships not be a target by enemy forces was ignored by U-Boats of the 1st and 2nd World Wars and Japanese fighter pilots. Targeting hospital ships was considered a war crime. Today, there are dedicated hospital ships in several navies like the US and Chinese navies. These are deployed to international crisis points and are considered to be part of the goodwill face of a nation. I actually worked with a few nurses that served on the <i>Mercy</i> and they had very interesting stories of their humanitarian missions across the globe. One interesting modern use of Hospital Ships during a time of war, and a bitter one at that, was the Red Cross Box during the Falklands War were British and Argentina hospital ships setup for operations in a neutral zone and they both played by the rules. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Will there be Space Going Hospital Vessels?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3kPuRLgtcSXmrifaIfhznQHNw4qlKxd8I79Fn9j2F1kxPz8RvtwRg11z4ASuCu7y8J2vroiHeviR4lDSFr78SHbdTflrIVQeMeJ_LL92Zt-TH8BzkXKcu3TBjUUcFrUn9mplxYfgh7S8QGT-mA1AlYamPmxGCo7dhNJatKOd0teBSd7KNq5LAp3UQw/s540/7886254._SX540_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="540" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3kPuRLgtcSXmrifaIfhznQHNw4qlKxd8I79Fn9j2F1kxPz8RvtwRg11z4ASuCu7y8J2vroiHeviR4lDSFr78SHbdTflrIVQeMeJ_LL92Zt-TH8BzkXKcu3TBjUUcFrUn9mplxYfgh7S8QGT-mA1AlYamPmxGCo7dhNJatKOd0teBSd7KNq5LAp3UQw/s320/7886254._SX540_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>There are levels to the off-world mobile medical centers that we could see in the real-world. Given the harsh realities of interstellar space travel, I seriously doubt there will be dedicated medical vessels in space fleet organizations that deploy starships to exo-solar locations. Any outside the Sol System space travel that involves a exo-solar deep space space transport system carrier, like the ISV <i>Venture Star </i>from AVATAR, will have extensive medical facilities onboard the vessel that will make use of robotic or android-based medical staff. An example of this is what we saw at the end of <i>SW: TESB</i> with Luke being under the tender care of a Rebel Alliance 2-1B-series medical droid and the FX-7 medical assistant droid at the Rebel base on Hoth. The establishment of off-world frontier medical centers will be one of the foundational buildings of any colony, outpost, or waystation and this could also impact the development and deployment of medical ships. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWMZoaypuh35IXbKQEeL16DLFUGC3Gkkht2Pu28HEh_pC5vi21slk_qedPX_7GrNjzXi1QWT2AmQ3GgLmk1SNFfo8haMawdCDvN6dWOCfukHBXZXvhT7XyL_udGRepvdAS6t4MZ8ydOQBu6hK-oxrAw6nk5dnFvXsoFWP473CkIwfIeQkmoO0Q_ktFQ/s800/EyhqKrtXEAAUD8W.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="800" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWMZoaypuh35IXbKQEeL16DLFUGC3Gkkht2Pu28HEh_pC5vi21slk_qedPX_7GrNjzXi1QWT2AmQ3GgLmk1SNFfo8haMawdCDvN6dWOCfukHBXZXvhT7XyL_udGRepvdAS6t4MZ8ydOQBu6hK-oxrAw6nk5dnFvXsoFWP473CkIwfIeQkmoO0Q_ktFQ/w400-h169/EyhqKrtXEAAUD8W.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If the battlespace is in an unestablished region of space, there could be something similar to the <i>Ticonderoga</i> fleet battlestation seen in <i>SST</i> or even a starship as a medical platform for the warzone causalities. I could see a frontier medical station being deployed within reach of several star systems that are far away from the Sol System, like a region rural county hospital that services an unserved region similar to Amarillo in the western part of Texas. These medical stations could be like Starfleet Starbases,<i> Babylon 5,</i> <i>Mercy Point,</i> or even the BTA military space stations in <i>Enemy Mind</i>. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><u>Should Spacegoing Medical/Hospital ships be armed?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoDGwwFGd652tFBayJEs9injagICP_obHRmEyINYpCAaN34syz63p3j1OucQL8_K_Who74yOOPvgDtr322lQ02e-Ci_GLN2GccwNbg9GWyrmGppAMtJJPeF9azgSEEvzHysIZLB6SBGaAWGr3-ShmMdgzhRmon4rIrv78ElIL30WC-lWEBbwowtFolg/s2000/USNS-Comfort-arrives-off-haiti.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="2000" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoDGwwFGd652tFBayJEs9injagICP_obHRmEyINYpCAaN34syz63p3j1OucQL8_K_Who74yOOPvgDtr322lQ02e-Ci_GLN2GccwNbg9GWyrmGppAMtJJPeF9azgSEEvzHysIZLB6SBGaAWGr3-ShmMdgzhRmon4rIrv78ElIL30WC-lWEBbwowtFolg/w400-h249/USNS-Comfort-arrives-off-haiti.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, the 1907 Hague Convention laid down the tradition of medical vessels being clearly marked, not to be armed, and not be targeted. That didn't prevent U-Boats and Zeros from targeting and sinking marked Hospital Ships in the 1st and 2nd World Wars! The orbital battlespace will be hot and heavy, filled with beams, attack drones, and KE projectiles. All of that can lead to incoming impacting into the wrong target. In space, kinetic projectiles and energy beams can keep going on until something causes it to stop. There could be an excellent reason and case for "arming" the medical ships of space navies. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAc9jk2II2c5kDa-YaqF5rbSXERE7sXkrA-LdSDW1KXSUaRjPkT_J0aRYiUPQ9AyCviAJXFVJX_yZQpLTX7L8m_ba4Etkkk_NwPm3q3mgdqURn1Q09u0lrpRQRWJa2nle1ZIOa7tbxK4PZaaHeEIR4wsbD_ReMaCAVUOH-nNE8Eizz-F0rzSNtOeNog/s1280/maxresdefault%20(3).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAc9jk2II2c5kDa-YaqF5rbSXERE7sXkrA-LdSDW1KXSUaRjPkT_J0aRYiUPQ9AyCviAJXFVJX_yZQpLTX7L8m_ba4Etkkk_NwPm3q3mgdqURn1Q09u0lrpRQRWJa2nle1ZIOa7tbxK4PZaaHeEIR4wsbD_ReMaCAVUOH-nNE8Eizz-F0rzSNtOeNog/w400-h225/maxresdefault%20(3).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The term "arming" is key here. Warships, even today, are armed with offensive and defensive systems. It is Tomahawk missiles verse CIWS Phalanx. Not only will spacegoing medical ships have to protect their patients and staff, but also the incoming ambulance shuttles bearing incoming new patients. The hospital starships could be armed with point-defense lasers and interceptors to deal with the various incoming. This could be tricky, legally speaking, due to the ability to use defense weaponry for offensive purposes. Of course, hospital ships could be armed in a fashion, to deal with the nature of deep space natural threats.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Will there be Spacegoing Troop Transport Vessels? The Case for the DSATCV</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hRQipV11K88P5v4BqIFpPlOn5lbWiQLi9eYXTm-WNgYHB4w5ZzojUjfrEtuRjB9lYt-qLOdkIUZOlVDIKjWIoQuRDciujWf1YCQO-44_brwopMTLG-dDuXz0edUmd-9tlhygeMYozKIqvmibeXo_GPxFytPNTCVLHU5RL5tRruxXUG89VE9c7-K26A/s400/e2e6fc03-bc8a-426f-8691-d20b9d5df71a_text.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hRQipV11K88P5v4BqIFpPlOn5lbWiQLi9eYXTm-WNgYHB4w5ZzojUjfrEtuRjB9lYt-qLOdkIUZOlVDIKjWIoQuRDciujWf1YCQO-44_brwopMTLG-dDuXz0edUmd-9tlhygeMYozKIqvmibeXo_GPxFytPNTCVLHU5RL5tRruxXUG89VE9c7-K26A/w400-h225/e2e6fc03-bc8a-426f-8691-d20b9d5df71a_text.gif" width="400" /></a></div>In the cruel hard science universe, the nature of exporting space marines to exo-planet battlefields will be an very expensive endeavor that may not be tactically or financially sound decision much beyond our own solar system. Having ground troops, their equipment, and their supplies cross the gulf of deep space to arrive at a battlefield lightyears away at lightspeed would create a mountain of issues that can be summed by two words: time dilation. The pitfalls of this were expertly laid down in T<i>he Forever War </i>and <i>Interstellar. </i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY-6RREWinYylMWk4m99ZBI-x468pVWVhhM4In92vjotVeBaOonLFb8486DsGeVevugOm-Y1f2UaI3fAlHBUMb9XYci53-aHEsHsqYN-fJjvwNHMxgzXaXTXANvwL7_HDlrb_7DAyoYPCdFjBrS43P7oSaZVi9fe2l2Pl9D3lVOchtnBUj0-KFK6w9g/s1534/xi6p4fdeqak41%20(1).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1534" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY-6RREWinYylMWk4m99ZBI-x468pVWVhhM4In92vjotVeBaOonLFb8486DsGeVevugOm-Y1f2UaI3fAlHBUMb9XYci53-aHEsHsqYN-fJjvwNHMxgzXaXTXANvwL7_HDlrb_7DAyoYPCdFjBrS43P7oSaZVi9fe2l2Pl9D3lVOchtnBUj0-KFK6w9g/w400-h225/xi6p4fdeqak41%20(1).png" width="400" /></a></div>How could space marines set from Terra that arrive on a colony world in the Groombridge 34 system (11.62LYs away) be combat effective in a war that might have ended while they were in-transit and asleep? If they got to the Groombridge 34 colony to fight the Chigs, who would they return to and who would throw them a parade? Then there is another issue: interception of the transport vessel. During the transit from the Sol to Groombridge 34, it is highly likely that the ship will be safe due to the lack of intercept in the deep cold depths of space. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ3sP_zSI6ovpcN5KUJQM_PqSxC4DafIaMSQVSggT5xWPVnB4xrOoOfsqVQ1gN7zCe5NufnGdphx9NsU4E8oYhnKAEGwohQ-w6pqN6SwSTFgDwQ-0-pCnwzg0-mmmfMOIjUVVvl1tnLXJPZP16lMnPaIghaf5Wfa50oW_tgXVUgPfHWPQIRFFh473Lw/s2718/eso0303c.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2040" data-original-width="2718" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ3sP_zSI6ovpcN5KUJQM_PqSxC4DafIaMSQVSggT5xWPVnB4xrOoOfsqVQ1gN7zCe5NufnGdphx9NsU4E8oYhnKAEGwohQ-w6pqN6SwSTFgDwQ-0-pCnwzg0-mmmfMOIjUVVvl1tnLXJPZP16lMnPaIghaf5Wfa50oW_tgXVUgPfHWPQIRFFh473Lw/w400-h300/eso0303c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, once the transport arrives in Groombridge 34, there is a good chance that the enemy will be waiting for ships to arrive in-system and for those ships to be intercepted there rather than allow the space marines and their hover-tanks to disembark dirt-side. Just a few kinetic interceptors at high speed could turn billions of dollars and years of travel into expensive space debris and frozen meat popsicles. Things will be worse once they get to orbital space. There are number of ways the transport vessel to be destroyed in orbit and due to this hard reality, we could have a very different looking transport vessel. Added to this, there maybe not be warships in the traditional sense for most space fleets. Exo-system transport ships could be converted or house combat-focused ships when they reach their designation. The smaller attack craft could be used to defend the transport. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhXhnNyDB5YLSSGROs6brjSZ0Yrfnz40K5pTFG8HvnMh1Lgx3q3Afrv9xNmlw_osBIVaSd7lRl_uheELLrEswH1VqEZhYeWIG9YT-1TkrgBsXWdLcUrYQRqWUL-Puv18raghYB9j_ff3b5HeGVJQWCWgjRsi1mmkQSkK4KXqgaGNLsozyiCIegFGZ4Q/s1610/UNSC+Infinity.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1610" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhXhnNyDB5YLSSGROs6brjSZ0Yrfnz40K5pTFG8HvnMh1Lgx3q3Afrv9xNmlw_osBIVaSd7lRl_uheELLrEswH1VqEZhYeWIG9YT-1TkrgBsXWdLcUrYQRqWUL-Puv18raghYB9j_ff3b5HeGVJQWCWgjRsi1mmkQSkK4KXqgaGNLsozyiCIegFGZ4Q/w400-h174/UNSC+Infinity.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That brings us to what I call the Deep Space Attack Transport Carrier Vehicle (DSATCV) classification. This naval classification would be used to haul space marines, their equipment, and supplies to exo-planet battlefields in safety. This reminds me of the UNSC <i>Infinity</i>...before 343 ruined it. During much of the journey to Groombridge 34, the DSATCV is run by computers, crewed by robots, and the humans are meat popsicles. At some point out from the objective, the crew is warmed up like frozen burritos from COSTCO and the ship is readied for combat. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ig9ufVt-eczaMyzPsgOeVC6H2Tja1rcpqhEjeaLeuPL4VgEjLWRW0oJpX_6Jk-e4SzeGUFec4Ybnf97LtlhI2iL45iX245YZ3FwkmsZqxnIbJDbI0sGSjfsTz-CjGdRI2EHNo3ChGQPP2a_lO-sn2OTMc4Xhpp73JjQmH8ApytCqpx2-RmmmPsw00g/s640/y4Ppmfgl.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ig9ufVt-eczaMyzPsgOeVC6H2Tja1rcpqhEjeaLeuPL4VgEjLWRW0oJpX_6Jk-e4SzeGUFec4Ybnf97LtlhI2iL45iX245YZ3FwkmsZqxnIbJDbI0sGSjfsTz-CjGdRI2EHNo3ChGQPP2a_lO-sn2OTMc4Xhpp73JjQmH8ApytCqpx2-RmmmPsw00g/w400-h225/y4Ppmfgl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Once the DSATCV enters into the threat envelope, a massive array of offensive and defense system come online like point-defense lasers, interceptor AI craft, armored plates that jet out from the spine of the miles-long craft to catch any incoming fire from the hull of the vessel. Offensive, the DSATCV mounts kinetic kill vehicles, rail cannons, and kitty-litter missiles. The DSATCV maybe a mama, but she fights like a mother fucker. Everything the enemy has they will throw at the DSATCV, and it will hit back. Once on orbit, the DSATCV rapidly drops her marines, their gear, and supplies down the gravity well and the ship defends herself from incoming fire. To me, the Deep Space Attack Transport Carrier Vehicle is one part the ISV <i>Venture Star</i>, another part <i>Sulaco</i>, and another part <i>Battlestar.</i>..and it maybe the primary vehicle of off-world colonial defense and exo-solar military expeditions. </div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div><b><u>Sci-Fi and the Troop Transport</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1_XEzCia0497ZvtZaGZKhO345xL9C-xCqGj2_M-dbRpMLFFMVPLMP5Zry5r1W_afxo70UnfJYz1IRBeb0zKf7UduId8Uyamh315HdwA4_LQUwWNg30ILCIxzMQfv8qFJTlQjqTwLEVjjXjjABRit9nJXy6a3ReDZjEpIMZngrBtr7J87mvPN_vJWug/s780/CiRnQcgUYAE8CiN.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1_XEzCia0497ZvtZaGZKhO345xL9C-xCqGj2_M-dbRpMLFFMVPLMP5Zry5r1W_afxo70UnfJYz1IRBeb0zKf7UduId8Uyamh315HdwA4_LQUwWNg30ILCIxzMQfv8qFJTlQjqTwLEVjjXjjABRit9nJXy6a3ReDZjEpIMZngrBtr7J87mvPN_vJWug/w400-h266/CiRnQcgUYAE8CiN.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the real-world of military troop and/or equipment transport vessels, they are relatively unknown unless there is some sort of personal connection to the troop transport in question. Today, massive military cargo planes, like the US C-17 <i>Globemaster</i>, transports most troops to the battlefield. Each one of the $200 million planes can transport a maximum of 134 soldiers. During the Falkland War, the British forces used the ocean liners, the<i> Queen Elizabeth II </i>and the SS <i>Canberra </i>to move infantry and equipment to the battlefield. The era of the troopship is gone in some ways...but not in the realm of military science fiction. In fact, some of the most famous military sci-fi ships are troop transports, like the <i>Sulaco</i> from ALIENS. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFsRubuYtN0JpHJUkgl4oSXq5wgALHidyylrUyxovkcuuMJhawhcUnWzRah21hrlZ0Ki95hUH1s6A29zkJKSE8KcuMaD0PhdOrNCFbirKhecaJvHj7FhMOUVp9IEA5073M4vMaF1wLHgXmp_inMFvbB7mMDJQR2lfiMbKrJ2yollDF0TPYDubJRP8Rg/s1280/tumblr_ohsth5picP1qat224o7_1280.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1280" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFsRubuYtN0JpHJUkgl4oSXq5wgALHidyylrUyxovkcuuMJhawhcUnWzRah21hrlZ0Ki95hUH1s6A29zkJKSE8KcuMaD0PhdOrNCFbirKhecaJvHj7FhMOUVp9IEA5073M4vMaF1wLHgXmp_inMFvbB7mMDJQR2lfiMbKrJ2yollDF0TPYDubJRP8Rg/w400-h216/tumblr_ohsth5picP1qat224o7_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That is the queer thing about Troop Transports in science fiction, they are often hero ships and some of them are a hybrid vessel, like a Q-Ship or an amphibious assault ship. These heavily armed war-transport ships are seen throughout military sci-fi. Even in my own military science fiction, the heavily armed troopship is the centerpiece to the soldiers spaceboard deployment life. The real question is why? Partly, it has to do with worldbuilding. The journey for our starship troops and their deployment to the planetary battlefield is mostly onboard the troop interstellar transport and they could be onboard for some time as <i>The Forever War</i> demonstrated. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnru-A62z4qAofsK3LOIJJPUmXa9jHp4A-4pmHQZkwkG_ZL9UXo1QmKKebTBMnfiflqpW1StaYFTscG-bLtoCzxC5vGGDvvvituxI9g_Ng8PmtUc6KUBfoABnJ-nzIkKEk_Et_8u5cnHFCUC7-cxA1TUfnKYc5XRUc4D4H0yNtf889a17XJOpP6yA2AA/s400/the-crew-has-breakfast-soon-after-waking-up.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="400" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnru-A62z4qAofsK3LOIJJPUmXa9jHp4A-4pmHQZkwkG_ZL9UXo1QmKKebTBMnfiflqpW1StaYFTscG-bLtoCzxC5vGGDvvvituxI9g_Ng8PmtUc6KUBfoABnJ-nzIkKEk_Et_8u5cnHFCUC7-cxA1TUfnKYc5XRUc4D4H0yNtf889a17XJOpP6yA2AA/w400-h228/the-crew-has-breakfast-soon-after-waking-up.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This makes a natural setting for the creator to introduce your characters, their world, their relationship, and their cool high-tech shit. Another element is due to the nature of space travel, even in a soft-serve science universe, the distance between star systems are vast. No spacefaring military organization would fund the construction of just a troopship without the ability to get the space infantry off of the boat and down to the exosolar battlefield. Tactical transports, plasma rifles in a 40 watt range, and MREs with more Soylent Green would be needed to be on the same vessel. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMOa23WZac6cMvM1bWXkiF6n4paLZkiTrFAaLVJfMENyg4gg_WFuXcL1VDUHlf4ySFHx7JfehLTuxR5RR6Hm4Xuc7i8DFLIlICVfWgRdgWfzTyzU34Ftz5p_19aO8d6FQLCOxjqQ14MxgqFH1K3p9bQ0KutHIR8Z_jCWJTZq6xwBAoUxcnSobpJCn8A/s1875/spirit+of+fire.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1875" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMOa23WZac6cMvM1bWXkiF6n4paLZkiTrFAaLVJfMENyg4gg_WFuXcL1VDUHlf4ySFHx7JfehLTuxR5RR6Hm4Xuc7i8DFLIlICVfWgRdgWfzTyzU34Ftz5p_19aO8d6FQLCOxjqQ14MxgqFH1K3p9bQ0KutHIR8Z_jCWJTZq6xwBAoUxcnSobpJCn8A/w400-h174/spirit+of+fire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That troopships would be more of an spacegoing amphibious assault ship, like the <i>Sulaco,the Spirit of Fire</i> or even the <i>Pillar of Autumn,</i> that carries space marines, equipment, supplies, and combat shuttles to haul the space marines from starside to dirtside and back again. The sci-fi carrier vessels would also be a hub for resupply, medical care, and coordination. These Planetary Combat Carriers (PCC) would be a juicy target for any enemy force and therefore, these massive metal beasts have to defend themselves on the scale of a ship-of-the-line. At times, sci-fi has developed massive versions of this concept, like the UNSC<i> Infinity</i> Supercarrier class, that could wage war independent of the main force and even hold the strategic objectives both in space and on-planet as well.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Sci-Fi and the Medical/Hospital Vessel</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3nJzkzKHnuhJJ1TYoBKzzp20JarajX2KYptEPpT1ZY_vMK3E1W0s4751hxuAam2fgulx03lWKdNayfDJ_5NsqhswXqEZFncO3QdDwAN2578Fq6pACb_aELd5urCaQq5g4XDEk37pc3ZN-ytcw3cFn3Ce1LTyaze6EnJXb38NVrDQ8_6GYyE053GqKQ/s750/tumblr_5f2b710a97967540cd0f728ee548cd17_a4ccb517_500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="445" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3nJzkzKHnuhJJ1TYoBKzzp20JarajX2KYptEPpT1ZY_vMK3E1W0s4751hxuAam2fgulx03lWKdNayfDJ_5NsqhswXqEZFncO3QdDwAN2578Fq6pACb_aELd5urCaQq5g4XDEk37pc3ZN-ytcw3cFn3Ce1LTyaze6EnJXb38NVrDQ8_6GYyE053GqKQ/w238-h400/tumblr_5f2b710a97967540cd0f728ee548cd17_a4ccb517_500.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div>In the bulk of science fiction spacegoing hospital ships seen in the genre are confined to the pages of book, RPG manual, fan-work, or technical manual rather than a visual works. This is due to the settings of most sci-fi starships operate within. While medical themed episode are common in shows like <i>Star Trek</i>, it is sick bay that solves that issue, not a dedicated medical starship. There was an attempt to have a <i>ER</i>-like deep space medical station themed TV show on UPN back in the 1990s called "Mercy Point"...FWS will dive more into that later with its own article. I think some of the lack of dedicated medical starship or even a sci-fi space medical show is due to a lack of interest by studios and networks to fund a show set around a hospital ship, as we saw with idea of <i>the Hopeship</i>, the<i> Star Trek</i> hospital ship themed show. It is not sexy enough, forwarding medical technology into the future is hard, and most attempts are written off as being too much <i>M*A*S*H</i> or <i>ER</i>. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><u><b><br /></b></u></div><div><u><b><br /></b></u></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b>The Progenitor: The USS <i>SULACO</i> from ALIENS</b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRT-pqBcaBEqIgA5ZS3vRs01Rc9g2O62pw610g-WStiWQVQIdgAIaV6yq_VASBfzgRHPsYAvR3E5pOYTM9WZ_vddZJmto6mw9xwmbGNW0s1n0C5dOwTAddtVZ2ziolLAJ5pKktKrUPdNDyeQ5ATgkEFMzzmSsXS4zAJKHc0dsWJ5vjd7KyNHvSLwMIQ/s1200/EhG0qLBU8AA8mip.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="1200" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRT-pqBcaBEqIgA5ZS3vRs01Rc9g2O62pw610g-WStiWQVQIdgAIaV6yq_VASBfzgRHPsYAvR3E5pOYTM9WZ_vddZJmto6mw9xwmbGNW0s1n0C5dOwTAddtVZ2ziolLAJ5pKktKrUPdNDyeQ5ATgkEFMzzmSsXS4zAJKHc0dsWJ5vjd7KyNHvSLwMIQ/w400-h216/EhG0qLBU8AA8mip.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It is an amazing thing to see the wonderous variety of fictional spacecraft that populate science fiction, mythology, and UFO culture. When it comes to the icons of fictional starships, there are some icons of the genre that transcend out of the geek realm and become displays in the Smithsonian Museum. While the <i>Sulaco</i> ranks in the top ten of fictional starships among fans of science fiction, the <i>Sulaco </i>is more of a vessel that is popular among it's own group...however, the <i>Sulaco </i>is as much as the starship <i>Enterprise</i>, changed the face of science fiction starship design. The <i>Sulaco</i> follows in the footsteps of the commercial Weyland-Yutani ship from 1979's<i>ALIEN</i>, the <i>Nostromo. </i>Both ships look like they are from the same universe and they are even named after references from Joseph Conrad. And the <i>Sulaco </i>looks like it comes from the universe of ALIEN and the <i>Sulaco</i> certainly does not look it belongs among Starfleet.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakJBC__G8-385i0_b576t9uJbivrcQX05Yb5VCrHry0IGcJanQi5qdqAZeqLsONxeW3ort027OFNh9Crd_XDSQdNTAtlk9s3q4CjQHcCILDVV6PO0AwjZwwoqcBlDmWj35n2iXLIS8XbMGxMoAiv0cAw7Exry41GT9mhY5KsX2K6DpeT2Cg0nRtelzg/s1280/D1xp5OsX4AIcVFe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1280" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakJBC__G8-385i0_b576t9uJbivrcQX05Yb5VCrHry0IGcJanQi5qdqAZeqLsONxeW3ort027OFNh9Crd_XDSQdNTAtlk9s3q4CjQHcCILDVV6PO0AwjZwwoqcBlDmWj35n2iXLIS8XbMGxMoAiv0cAw7Exry41GT9mhY5KsX2K6DpeT2Cg0nRtelzg/w400-h263/D1xp5OsX4AIcVFe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, the <i>Sulaco</i> that we know and lust over was not the first design submitted for the film. During the pre-production phase of the sequel to the 1979 ALIEN masterpiece. Originally, the godly Syd Mead designed the <i>Sulaco</i> as a spherical-shaped craft and the original concept for the ship looked like the ship would be more home at in <i>2010: The Year We Make Contact</i>. According to an interview, Syd Mead got the initial script for ALIENS shipped to him while he was judging a a USA Miss Universe contest run-off in Florida. In the script, the ship was described as a "<b><i><span style="color: red;">forest of antennae coming into frame from the left</span></i></b>". </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4pEkkuoJ0h6w6jIQP5l7N6PbQZQ-X0BJyQlfaCnXcbtdln_iVfwRjea3CQf4G0onbtFBpASCdPvrcFkAruAk4zzf_2-vcbsBH17piw6dyUKFNet9n0BFxA8y9IBxrL2RHpbBAGSDAn5U7i1NYebdITaA79yMoChchdxcx4JRLbxaHXOr_oUEzoj_aw/s258/D1xrUP5X4AAY5OD.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="258" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4pEkkuoJ0h6w6jIQP5l7N6PbQZQ-X0BJyQlfaCnXcbtdln_iVfwRjea3CQf4G0onbtFBpASCdPvrcFkAruAk4zzf_2-vcbsBH17piw6dyUKFNet9n0BFxA8y9IBxrL2RHpbBAGSDAn5U7i1NYebdITaA79yMoChchdxcx4JRLbxaHXOr_oUEzoj_aw/w400-h302/D1xrUP5X4AAY5OD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When James Cameron looked the first design of the <i>Sulaco, </i>he said it would be too hard to film the large scale ship in the way he had the scene planned. Cameron would drawn a rough submarine-shaped craft and Mead went to work redesigning the ship It was that 2nd concept art drawing that he submitted that became the chosen design to develop the shooting model prop. One popular and often repeated rumor is that the <i>Sulaco</i> was developed to look like a gun in outer space. In the interview I read, Syd Mead disagreed with the rumor that the <i>Sulaco</i> design came from the design of the M41a1 pulse rifle and has stated that the <i>Sulaco</i> was a designed as a "<i><b><span style="color: red;">heavily armed commercial freighter</span></b></i>." <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr1mUd4sq24qlbtQ80uUFIyKP8iOSKuQTUv7pePyNPrpgeI4mG2J-UuaEpFQ8bfvWrEYLqTEO2AAIVxLgWGIXJVcdDPWASUhvQPpEvIwzh2bdn49u-Xr27rtnsRfaF0l8muVn1Ali6CGqGuh-bMIqU6ogfgWo4-Gw6f24t3QftdSGcg6jiTYMnAe17A/s1170/D1xp5O6WsAAK93q.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="1170" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr1mUd4sq24qlbtQ80uUFIyKP8iOSKuQTUv7pePyNPrpgeI4mG2J-UuaEpFQ8bfvWrEYLqTEO2AAIVxLgWGIXJVcdDPWASUhvQPpEvIwzh2bdn49u-Xr27rtnsRfaF0l8muVn1Ali6CGqGuh-bMIqU6ogfgWo4-Gw6f24t3QftdSGcg6jiTYMnAe17A/w400-h209/D1xp5O6WsAAK93q.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The 6 foot long model was constructed by Peter Astin and detailed (only done to one side given the way the ship was to be shot in the film) by Pat McClung, John Lees and Robert Skotak. Ron Cobb, another titan of sci-fi design, helped with the interior design and Cobb had also worked on the ALIEN <i>Nostromo</i> vehicle. The original <i>Sulaco</i> model was recycled for ALIEN 3 and painted a brownish hue. Currently, the original model is owned by Bob Burns and Syd Mead repainted the model back to its original ALIENS color for free. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Examples:</u></b></div><div>
<b><u><br /></u></b><u>The UCF Corvette/Transport from the <i>Starship Trooper</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA_KiXHbjMOjzLbXlhRrm7EzOHMZC2aDbYwKcjUZ4bp4J1h38I_PCq-28XeKFMjEFEMaOiGvqNqfWkpVIsxOlU0zIfRpAbytymCb929vnFghZKu1G94ciOycGXS0Du9NDJVo7Gr7jMQo5XfffGS_ubimzOa9Xe_i90dbeC0dm3Yis2kHCuup2fboXLg/s1024/Starship-Troopers-Ship-1024x576.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA_KiXHbjMOjzLbXlhRrm7EzOHMZC2aDbYwKcjUZ4bp4J1h38I_PCq-28XeKFMjEFEMaOiGvqNqfWkpVIsxOlU0zIfRpAbytymCb929vnFghZKu1G94ciOycGXS0Du9NDJVo7Gr7jMQo5XfffGS_ubimzOa9Xe_i90dbeC0dm3Yis2kHCuup2fboXLg/w400-h225/Starship-Troopers-Ship-1024x576.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In Federal Fleet of the United Citizen Federation, the most commonly deployed, produced, and seen is the Corvette/Transport. This vessel is a hybrid between the need of the Federal Fleet and the Mobile Infantry. For the Corvette role, this class is used for patrol duties and emergency colonial response. However, given the limited armament of this class, it was not really designed for ship-to-ship engagements, like <i>John A. Warden </i>class or the even the replacement to this class, the <i>Athena</i> class heavy/transport. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxT4ygndsBW5avRKiNKzCssq1WfGpv8FO3UILSV0EiRr0vu0jodD29hcyVfMc4jwKbZfo97XoKWt19WzWPjgtyAEZqvnwujRtX_oSCn8NZgeaX_TSVot3HcVzZu_IqnsFNLweK02t2zQ4B4dk626gmOmtECMFTPYoO6qFPoj3HSIKIrLIBZEZTLZ9gg/s1280/MV5BYTIzZmQyNDctNDk2My00OTE3LWJkODEtMTkxNDM1OTcwYmUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjI4OTE1MTA@._V1_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1280" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxT4ygndsBW5avRKiNKzCssq1WfGpv8FO3UILSV0EiRr0vu0jodD29hcyVfMc4jwKbZfo97XoKWt19WzWPjgtyAEZqvnwujRtX_oSCn8NZgeaX_TSVot3HcVzZu_IqnsFNLweK02t2zQ4B4dk626gmOmtECMFTPYoO6qFPoj3HSIKIrLIBZEZTLZ9gg/w400-h223/MV5BYTIzZmQyNDctNDk2My00OTE3LWJkODEtMTkxNDM1OTcwYmUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjI4OTE1MTA@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the Transport role, the ships carried about 1,500 MI Troopers that were shuttled from ship-to-shore via the DR-4 "Viking" class landing shuttle transport. However, this class only carried 18 of the DR-4 landing shuttles, which carry one single MI Platoon down planetside. That is 36 MI troopers per Viking shuttle which means that only 648 MI troopers can be dropped until the DR-4s comes back up the gravity well, redock, and load back up for the rest of the 800+ troopers waiting for their turn to kill some bugs. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiRaFe-4FgtEYZI7Q3ZrVAA3OPXF00AkE12zIUJCmtR8R0uk7522FIvfevH4Ho-jT3I6xEh2DWUwos6B9L3bA2AvYcyl6cPunoDhMw5NZtYkIWzWefB67mZyVWCiTewx6a3j4ZUKGZki7AN7WwCTpcTXmB0DKIXnXQNVlEtAmVTmwsy5adJ6mAlbftw/s1280/80a0e5c7ee3d5148.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1280" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiRaFe-4FgtEYZI7Q3ZrVAA3OPXF00AkE12zIUJCmtR8R0uk7522FIvfevH4Ho-jT3I6xEh2DWUwos6B9L3bA2AvYcyl6cPunoDhMw5NZtYkIWzWefB67mZyVWCiTewx6a3j4ZUKGZki7AN7WwCTpcTXmB0DKIXnXQNVlEtAmVTmwsy5adJ6mAlbftw/w400-h209/80a0e5c7ee3d5148.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That is less than half could be sent down. This ship was born of the Arachnid Wars, when the need for ship-to-ship combat did not exist in the same way as engagements with rebel Terrans or the Skinnies. When fighting the Bugs, the transport had to get in quick, get the MI Troopers down dirtside, then get out while avoiding incoming Bug surface-to-orbit plasma artillery. Adding to this concept was that all Corvette-Transports carried F-76 "Thunderbolt" class fighter-bombers (FWS missed these on our Fighter-Bomber article recently). There were some variants to the standard Corvette-Transports of the Fleet that carried more fighters via a increased flight deck and an increased interior space to allow for more MI troopers. The <i>Roger Young</i> seen in the 1997 film was designed by George Willis, who also constructed the shooting models of the ships. In a bit of trivia, George Willis was the one who designed the "Ranger Slingship #377 for the very short-lived CBS sci-fi show <i>Space Rangers</i>. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The United States Aerospace Force <i>Conestoga</i> class Light Assault Ships from <i>ALIENS</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CIqB2XO2_gGcPK4xNnxFXKm9b9-dim17n-b6-pacioQ5-jrbcToLVXxRtEgje6lOFQGNLuceP268MFwd-A4FFNg7GwcUcwLO5CPR76NaZW5EWceNEJlVEuFQ75h6Jqi9thGXy8uHfiZySeL9R6oBkM5DQ23A8HqA3imPS4P3T3eKlH6L0fwmHJ8zsg/s1095/DxmXeDbW0Agx4HU.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CIqB2XO2_gGcPK4xNnxFXKm9b9-dim17n-b6-pacioQ5-jrbcToLVXxRtEgje6lOFQGNLuceP268MFwd-A4FFNg7GwcUcwLO5CPR76NaZW5EWceNEJlVEuFQ75h6Jqi9thGXy8uHfiZySeL9R6oBkM5DQ23A8HqA3imPS4P3T3eKlH6L0fwmHJ8zsg/w400-h266/DxmXeDbW0Agx4HU.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For the 22nd century Colonial Marine Corps and the United Americas military, the <i>Conestoga</i> class intended to be the primary FTL logistic vessel for moving soldiers, vehicles, and equipment throughout the colonial network. However, over the service life of the <i>Conestoga</i> class, it become more of a light warship as seen with conflicts like colonial revolt on the Japanese-American colony of Linna 349 in the Gliese 300 star system (26.47 LYs away). Built by Lunnar-Welsun Industries as originally a light assault ship for use by the USCM Starlift Command and the USASF, the 36 members of the <i>Contestoga</i> class were designed to operation without the aid of human beings and these spacecraft could leave their homeport, travel under FTL (up to .87 Lightyears per Sidereal day) drive, arrive at their destination, and wake up the crew and even serve them breakfast with plenty of cornbread. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TygkjeoLi-L8lQndcjBNM8c9Pf83_QQK4JKgSuo2Dbu2_nhgrrL9oc9AtHOtHR8pzylo7cfA0Pd33SnnB2GSMs6EOsoh5xjS61Kti-DGNVf2l0VE3zN5HbhF8D0xDTiirzimMAE-s4OD5R3_IlhHs757ellYzFeBqTtcRm2NvCwt1BE_oomFTF6jyg/s1920/aliens-movie-review-1986-bill-paxton-michael-biehn-jenette-goldstein.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TygkjeoLi-L8lQndcjBNM8c9Pf83_QQK4JKgSuo2Dbu2_nhgrrL9oc9AtHOtHR8pzylo7cfA0Pd33SnnB2GSMs6EOsoh5xjS61Kti-DGNVf2l0VE3zN5HbhF8D0xDTiirzimMAE-s4OD5R3_IlhHs757ellYzFeBqTtcRm2NvCwt1BE_oomFTF6jyg/w400-h216/aliens-movie-review-1986-bill-paxton-michael-biehn-jenette-goldstein.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Most <i>Conestoga</i> class carry less than 100 crew and passengers for normal duties, but during times of mobilization and transport to a warzone, there expandable cargo space to allow for 2,000 cryo-pods, but they would have to wait on a ride due to the limited number of tactical transports able to be transported onboard. Out of the 36 of the class constructed and put into service, 27 were still in service as of 2179. When the new <i>Bougainville </i>class attack transport is able to take over of the <i>Conestoga</i> class as the workhorse of the USCM/USASF, the class will be disarmed and sold to the commerce shipping companies. For many that served during the service life of the <i>Conestoga</i> class, there will be fond members of waking onboard this bulky wonder of human technology. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The <i>Redemption</i> Medical Frigate of the Rebel Alliance from <i>Star Wars</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcmgV_YrT1b3XQChPw5W-cW-srWr6yM9p6iGTXPILQ0KWp2EaQEviytfFipZ8cugcRwKZVhSs9QnoRBohLLm8TsZbRYtzq6Fh7g8XR2UtBQIB4dcIwDxHs_HbULaAf63UheqjV5f7OnIzuZ_JUIF7-D6dSaPalxCCaprrEnwsTG4kqCzvIDdYKGjsRQ/s1560/nebulon-b-frigate_dce53bc2.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1560" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcmgV_YrT1b3XQChPw5W-cW-srWr6yM9p6iGTXPILQ0KWp2EaQEviytfFipZ8cugcRwKZVhSs9QnoRBohLLm8TsZbRYtzq6Fh7g8XR2UtBQIB4dcIwDxHs_HbULaAf63UheqjV5f7OnIzuZ_JUIF7-D6dSaPalxCCaprrEnwsTG4kqCzvIDdYKGjsRQ/w400-h170/nebulon-b-frigate_dce53bc2.webp" width="400" /></a></div>One of the most common Rebel Alliance warships during and after the Galactic Civil War was the EF76 <i>Nebulon-B</i> class<i> </i>escort frigate and given the flexible platform of the class, several of the EF76's in the fleet were converted for specialized duties, at least two E76s were altered for use as medical frigates. Given the nomadic nature of the Rebel Alliance, it made sense to have a mobile hospital platform for wounded Rebellion personnel that was also armed. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27EvVmKe0jLQYQwh1nIDAK2owdxd4As6JQdKGR5A5byBwvmQzxIFHYDoviWFRFEKu1bHG6kWmNv4ezNJc-gP-kSeQs60hnYcxuBcjybeM8dcYhOK-eEJpoCirKEksb80Fstt20aZJx_1Hfih9NO11t45QlIWfn_C8Zm7ExWxdU2dY9O6iYxSQLWfsXg/s1271/luke%20original%20filmingcrop.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1271" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27EvVmKe0jLQYQwh1nIDAK2owdxd4As6JQdKGR5A5byBwvmQzxIFHYDoviWFRFEKu1bHG6kWmNv4ezNJc-gP-kSeQs60hnYcxuBcjybeM8dcYhOK-eEJpoCirKEksb80Fstt20aZJx_1Hfih9NO11t45QlIWfn_C8Zm7ExWxdU2dY9O6iYxSQLWfsXg/w400-h271/luke%20original%20filmingcrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The most famous Rebel medical frigate that cared for wounded from the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor was <i>The Redemption</i> and it most famous patient was Luke Skywalker after losing his hand in a lightsaber duel with Lord Vader. About to care for over 700 patients and the extensive flight deck allowed for quick drop-off of incoming patients, but experienced and trained staff was always an issue for the Rebel Alliance. Any medical professional that enlisted into the service of the Rebellion could see their entire families made to suffer and this caused the Rebellion to make extensive use of para-professions and medical droids like the 2B-1B series and the FX-7 series. The <i>Redemption </i>would survive the war and would be used in humanitarian missions of the New Republic along side other liberated Imperial ships converted over to hospital ships, like the <i>Mercy. </i> </div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The USS <i>Hope</i> from the </span><u><i>Star Trek Hopeship</i> Concept</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSiskIKrqicNrohBWyEF1Q0mmga2Q1W-PlQjTRcxGnW3e3eZLCWbT_SI6rH0fE-pshL6RQx8XsxFdW0e_0INvN_CfJiYFwL5NyNYS0TiORmM25FmJuk5iqu30f2evLFz6om9VsGxbSqnuIuWE-U2_qzELEO0JVFU67NJpmVbBmUx_2_klCRZTBzEaEQ/s1197/hospitalship_hope_upg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1197" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSiskIKrqicNrohBWyEF1Q0mmga2Q1W-PlQjTRcxGnW3e3eZLCWbT_SI6rH0fE-pshL6RQx8XsxFdW0e_0INvN_CfJiYFwL5NyNYS0TiORmM25FmJuk5iqu30f2evLFz6om9VsGxbSqnuIuWE-U2_qzELEO0JVFU67NJpmVbBmUx_2_klCRZTBzEaEQ/w400-h308/hospitalship_hope_upg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the run of TOS, Gene Roddenberry and writer Darlene Hartman started planning a live-action TV series called "Hopeship" centered around the USS Hope, an Federation hospital ship that would star Dr. M'Benga, as both captain and Chief Medical Officer. This is one of the great "what ifs" of Trek history and fans have called for the idea to be brought into reality. From all accounts, the idea was just that...an idea. Nothing moved forward and a year later, TOS was cancelled. Fans have wondered what the USS Hope would have looked like. Some believe that the design for the USS Hope could have based on the Tug/Transport designed from the 1975 Star Trek Technical Manual by Franz Joseph. Knowing how cheap studios are, it could have been the USS Enterprise model recycled with new name and Red Cross slapped across the hull. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The<i> Mercy</i> class Earth Alliance Hospital Ship from B5</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdgazVoT1UYdQHmEnBOtczWByazQH3JwDUuiMpm3hzPOcTQ3Dbm9auYQnkcgMGqg7-HubePNz8S5JDk8m3h-n5N_IUQiPUk4Fz-0zW6ehF8vfbrTnoY7Fdst5hwxenFWX1Rq1FMLyMTzXPX9cqgeDFitidHj8ST0OyOwbBkdlF1J5KC91GzngAXXC3w/s1000/Hospital_Omega.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1000" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdgazVoT1UYdQHmEnBOtczWByazQH3JwDUuiMpm3hzPOcTQ3Dbm9auYQnkcgMGqg7-HubePNz8S5JDk8m3h-n5N_IUQiPUk4Fz-0zW6ehF8vfbrTnoY7Fdst5hwxenFWX1Rq1FMLyMTzXPX9cqgeDFitidHj8ST0OyOwbBkdlF1J5KC91GzngAXXC3w/w400-h233/Hospital_Omega.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Within the realm online B5 fandom, there is the mostly likely design for an Earth Alliance hospital ship, the Mercy-class Hospital Ship based on the hull of the Omega class Destroyer. Many of the Earth Alliance ships that came after the bloody Earth-Minbari War were based on the hull design of the Nova and Omega classes. The Omega class hull was altered by removing the Starfury fighters, the weapons, expanding the rotating section with vast medical bays, and there was a fleet of medical shuttles. The only armament on the Mercy class is a light interceptor grid along with a reinforced hull. Another difference is that the Mercy class is painted a white instead of the grey and there are Red Cross symbols on the primary and secondary hulls.</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The USASF<i> Bougainville</i>-class attack transport from the ALIENS Universe</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qluauj2q4BUPnPD8Vs06pmPYbJ6fJN6J9fzUce6tUkoidsf72zJODxqM1oBQW0cRv_2vPUEemCAOYdrI9UBMmX5DKy5mUnXzAvzlLK-pih2P4MnCadNqzb-WvliMl05f1pl_sWe_CM4U__rwSWG668lL2dVzGrosPyfMR10ValRuXS0mVjPxM8J1Fw/s1000/AVP3_USS_Marlow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1000" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qluauj2q4BUPnPD8Vs06pmPYbJ6fJN6J9fzUce6tUkoidsf72zJODxqM1oBQW0cRv_2vPUEemCAOYdrI9UBMmX5DKy5mUnXzAvzlLK-pih2P4MnCadNqzb-WvliMl05f1pl_sWe_CM4U__rwSWG668lL2dVzGrosPyfMR10ValRuXS0mVjPxM8J1Fw/w400-h284/AVP3_USS_Marlow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>By the time of the events of ALIENS in 2179, the USASF replacement for the workhorse <i>Conestoga </i>class that was already being fielded, the <i>Bougainville</i> class attack transport. Given the harsh realities of the 22nd century, the role of the deep space FTL troop transports, like the old <i>Conestoga</i> class, was also to be a light warship. The USASF had been playing with the concept and role of the next-generation deep space FTL transports and that thought process lead to the <i>Bougainville</i> class. Smaller, lighter, and but more heavily armed, the <i>Bougainville </i>class was designed to be flexible in combat conditions across the network. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-nyl8X-v6EikxzVBXVqGoVDCQpV-E2HcjenAJUXBQa9xZHRkgKKt6EyZi_KulUrqQGy2ebxDTyVWGwdRA-czWgXeo64fHfNsABrYT4QypWLPuXGJRbRYrsguC29tVengQxyXp_NPsUb503gobba4FeKXW_NpGT84yhphE0tegdAflZa0bWxTkgfzaQ/s396/Marlow.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="396" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-nyl8X-v6EikxzVBXVqGoVDCQpV-E2HcjenAJUXBQa9xZHRkgKKt6EyZi_KulUrqQGy2ebxDTyVWGwdRA-czWgXeo64fHfNsABrYT4QypWLPuXGJRbRYrsguC29tVengQxyXp_NPsUb503gobba4FeKXW_NpGT84yhphE0tegdAflZa0bWxTkgfzaQ/w400-h269/Marlow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The role of these military vessels was to carry troops, supplies, and military vehicles to the exo-solar battlefield completely automated. While this similar to all FTL transport vessels by the colonial powers, what separates them is their role once they reach their designation. All current 22nd transports fit within the traditional role of the old naval assault ship, but the <i>Bougainville</i> class will also act as an light warship, which caused the USASF to classify this new class as an "attack transport". In the pages of the 1996<i> Colonial Marines Technical Manual</i>, the<i> Bougainville</i> class is mention, but the class was seen in the form of the USASF <i>Marlow</i> in the 2010 ALIENS VS. PREDATOR video game. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The <i style="font-style: italic;">Olympic</i><i style="font-style: italic;"> </i><span>class Medical Ship from </span><i style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvvnnBA_Uy8Pema4FaS0AsAzas0gp3aVtyoAaPrbCR7gSovsDhPZ73IyD9akL9IMPsWXm8SAzDIvdpdpOAQdK7R_vRbEhSCWVeYPT2EzTUMYITMbIpKDJlm9KCWaM3Kqj4y1_omzqLP155LcIJ1bf4i4rzV16QVeC09GuUD56BD-YoujyJbt3K949-Q/s1920/1e2d7a6e40d2f41cf75e18b2906e12e4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvvnnBA_Uy8Pema4FaS0AsAzas0gp3aVtyoAaPrbCR7gSovsDhPZ73IyD9akL9IMPsWXm8SAzDIvdpdpOAQdK7R_vRbEhSCWVeYPT2EzTUMYITMbIpKDJlm9KCWaM3Kqj4y1_omzqLP155LcIJ1bf4i4rzV16QVeC09GuUD56BD-YoujyJbt3K949-Q/w400-h225/1e2d7a6e40d2f41cf75e18b2906e12e4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>First seen in an alternate future during the end episodes of <i>TNG </i>as the USS <i>Pasteur </i>under the command of Dr. Beverly Crusher-Picard, the <i>Olympic </i>class when on to become a canon design and class that operated until the 26th century in the ranks of Starfleet. Designed to look completely different that classic Federation starship design to differ the <i>Olympic</i> class from typical starships, so that perhaps the members of this class of medical ships were not targeted, the sphere design was also used for one of the first Starfleet long-range classes post-NX class, the <i>Daedalus </i>class. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4pYv_nL8H692ASzzQcfRDvL0L4Ziti_6nnwLzQhlc_QFox_5RPbrnzxkijgJJivoYNrvl00PX0t3OthUdvgDolfZfol7aB9KGWG6z_BVsR9UpGBjcoMmK3HLCjwunBlTnMbl2PFudb0KqXRRs-80Uu_mi2FOvhgNHj2ogWubN8I7vOxoMgIqXmYaOQ/s1400/Olympic-class-schematics-lcars.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4pYv_nL8H692ASzzQcfRDvL0L4Ziti_6nnwLzQhlc_QFox_5RPbrnzxkijgJJivoYNrvl00PX0t3OthUdvgDolfZfol7aB9KGWG6z_BVsR9UpGBjcoMmK3HLCjwunBlTnMbl2PFudb0KqXRRs-80Uu_mi2FOvhgNHj2ogWubN8I7vOxoMgIqXmYaOQ/w400-h300/Olympic-class-schematics-lcars.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While not well-armed and slower, the <i>Olympic </i>had good shielding and a state-of-the-art medical facilities that rivaled some of the planetside and Starbase medical facilities. Designed with ejectable isolation wards, massive transporters, and a large shuttle of medical shuttles, the <i>Olympic </i>class was unique among the dozens of active Starfleet starship classes. Unlike many other Starfleet ships, the members of the <i>Olympic</i> class had mixed crews of Starfleet, holographic EMHs, and civilian medical personnel. This was even more so when the Klingon and Dominion Wars came causing the bulk of Starfleet personnel to be shifted to the frontlines in the service of combat starships. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KyEHVuJKjh9FNCikfYOUcKIDx0GLBtseMgwhXBSksX9IW_1i_jFe0C4neSrKE6iI0_uqDcgZRKyB8IvGnKtrk9qz3nUuZmBuElHvLxcyKYru7J68ofOUgeRTV6IvsG4bCb1YVnEHPlElf7YqEvdDj5gZ5qAu3UnWJ0z_mv8fCTyiPyCYEcZMm1AaSg/s1436/all-good-things-hd-436.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1436" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KyEHVuJKjh9FNCikfYOUcKIDx0GLBtseMgwhXBSksX9IW_1i_jFe0C4neSrKE6iI0_uqDcgZRKyB8IvGnKtrk9qz3nUuZmBuElHvLxcyKYru7J68ofOUgeRTV6IvsG4bCb1YVnEHPlElf7YqEvdDj5gZ5qAu3UnWJ0z_mv8fCTyiPyCYEcZMm1AaSg/w400-h301/all-good-things-hd-436.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During these wars, the <i>Olympic</i> class ships served as dumping grounds for wounded Starfleet personnel. Starships would transfer their wounded crewmembers off at an <i>Olympic </i>class ship and move back to the front. With the Dominion and her allies having no issues of targeting and destroying medical ships, improved shields and weapons were added along with escort vessels. Members of this class were named after noted medical and humanitarians from member Federation worlds and they were often captained by medical doctors, but some were commanded by seasoned officers at the end of their careers. Many doctors, nurses, and bio-scientists had the highlight of their careers onboard the <i>Olympic</i> class. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6B9m_M-AHdK678Zdll_PMLVsEGGwKnEmy2Qs2KUa_QyzwdMI7T3W9_b1GaDZvJIsp8K4wLxdzVJpLZBpvjHxogkSOIoT4DjkIfcRlx36Eg9u3Yu_MBmC1XYJGcxWIktSj8_ES43PG9m_zBmgI46YT4Z1AggDiQPjmDD3kCss5DHu3Yoz1Lj8_b9RBA/s1436/all-good-things-hd-255.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1436" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6B9m_M-AHdK678Zdll_PMLVsEGGwKnEmy2Qs2KUa_QyzwdMI7T3W9_b1GaDZvJIsp8K4wLxdzVJpLZBpvjHxogkSOIoT4DjkIfcRlx36Eg9u3Yu_MBmC1XYJGcxWIktSj8_ES43PG9m_zBmgI46YT4Z1AggDiQPjmDD3kCss5DHu3Yoz1Lj8_b9RBA/w400-h301/all-good-things-hd-255.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While some <i>Olympic </i>class medical vessels were lost during the Dominion War, the event that saw the most loss of the class was during the humanitarian mission to Romulus when Nero destroyed three of the class. An interesting note about the different between the class name and the name convention with the class has to do with the roots of the model prop itself. Until I researched this class for this article, I did not know that <i>Trek </i>visual effects supervisor Bill George constructed the USS <i>Olympic </i>model on his own as a hobby project at home. He loaned to the production for "All Good Things..." and the ship was renamed from his original <i>Olympic</i> to <i>Pasteur</i>. <br /></div><div><br /></div><u>The Legion Troop Ships from </u><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Alien Legion</i><u> Comic Series</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDG8Aa32UCo6oQqbBPH6ZGbxOlBuRkU6Wgr0LmwgoksyFfS7-EBhR_HdjN2OKpzf0MOwB24u4FhFF1GugGdGZS_j3GtJ5XI7CXw_XU4JBmyjRWJSCF-vi9pWEby2tmpZKt2Tw-UCRWx9heEkdzyM9euMBEFegcw0uBB1p1Ai_ATV59k97r1QhTt8uFQ/s1518/RCO020_1481976139.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1518" data-original-width="993" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDG8Aa32UCo6oQqbBPH6ZGbxOlBuRkU6Wgr0LmwgoksyFfS7-EBhR_HdjN2OKpzf0MOwB24u4FhFF1GugGdGZS_j3GtJ5XI7CXw_XU4JBmyjRWJSCF-vi9pWEby2tmpZKt2Tw-UCRWx9heEkdzyM9euMBEFegcw0uBB1p1Ai_ATV59k97r1QhTt8uFQ/w261-h400/RCO020_1481976139.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>There are few military science fiction comic books or manga that can compare to the brilliance of 1983's <i>Alien Legion. </i>It was the runner-up for the title of the Best Military Science Fiction comic book. Developed by the legendary Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, and Frank Cirocco as a "French Foreign Legion in outer space". Starting in 1983 and published by Marvel's EPIC imprint, <i>Alien Legion</i> would have several runs with changes in story, character, and even a which to a series of graphic novels. For the two main series of the comic, there was several common elements and one being the fish-shaped troop transports used by the Legion to move their Legionaries of various shapes and size across the three galaxies that made up the TOPHAN Union. Really until the 2nd series, this was really the only Union military ship we saw. There is nearly none about it, save for several interesting details. On the first page of the first issue of <i>Alien Legion</i> in 1983, we see two of these troop ships bounded together via some structural supports, the transport troop shuttles were mounted to the "wings" of the transport, and they were not always armed. The first series of <i>Alien Legion</i> give conflicting information on if these transports are armed. Given the steer size of the Union, it is likely that these Legion transports were able to quarter the Legionaries in some measure of comfort. While used for the 2nd series initially, the design was dropped. <br />
<u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Shimada Enterprises LCA-12 <i>Horizon </i>Assault Transport from <i>ROBOTECH/MOSPEADA</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs-D2x-FID3fZQ03kr4WG3JEgofWJN3pp77jO5pusdsNF-1-4xT5lZ1k9AYCtqSv6OJK-EusVrMviTzRcjNrJlV4eFS3TEJt-J3P1XSPPt-YEipWnB10IMD9unHzI0Z9MHC-6QHxTXitaYpb8lPMhwDOKqoFBA4zDt8tvUIKsOkHoB0MXZ7waJ8E0OA/s1190/LCA-12-Horizont-Cargo-Dropship-Aerospacecraft-in-action.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1190" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs-D2x-FID3fZQ03kr4WG3JEgofWJN3pp77jO5pusdsNF-1-4xT5lZ1k9AYCtqSv6OJK-EusVrMviTzRcjNrJlV4eFS3TEJt-J3P1XSPPt-YEipWnB10IMD9unHzI0Z9MHC-6QHxTXitaYpb8lPMhwDOKqoFBA4zDt8tvUIKsOkHoB0MXZ7waJ8E0OA/s320/LCA-12-Horizont-Cargo-Dropship-Aerospacecraft-in-action.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After the battle and retaking of the ROBOTECH Masters homeworld of Tirol, the REF needed to construct a proper warfleet to help their new allies and protect the fragile REF position in this part of the galaxy, due to the inability to return to the Sol system after damage to the Fold system. One of the first ships created for the Sentinel Wars was the <i>Horizon</i> class of assault transport to get soldiers and mecha from space onto the planetary environment. To cheaply accomplish this mission for planetary invasion, the REF developed a non-Fold drive, endo-exo transport ship that was largely automated and could be module for different missions and loads. During the Sentinel Wars and the 3rd ROBOTECH War, the REF turned out nearly 700 <i>Horizon </i>class ships, with many being destroyed. In combat, the heavier combat vessels of the REF secured the orbital and planetary corridors and the <i>Horizon</i> ships used their limited weaponry and high speed to get the Cyclone riders, alien shocktroopers, and mecha down the gravity well to the battlefield. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUGIfY1CejqW32ANoW9EZJ85rEhnicfqZyK44G-ARIALHxikwUvoUD0SgSvYCfhUmwMS3fmlKQ0p3skASJLTksPtrZDcwyW57E9TtiO5tC6WO4b-sdomJbRamm1MS7kRlYz_QXO3BCrdIkYWI35hjdlxub60QCHN_Jh-7Xfenk1cg5R5e-J2-ZVXCSw/s1774/LCA-12-Horizont-Cargo-Dropship-Aerospacecraft-cargo-pod-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1774" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUGIfY1CejqW32ANoW9EZJ85rEhnicfqZyK44G-ARIALHxikwUvoUD0SgSvYCfhUmwMS3fmlKQ0p3skASJLTksPtrZDcwyW57E9TtiO5tC6WO4b-sdomJbRamm1MS7kRlYz_QXO3BCrdIkYWI35hjdlxub60QCHN_Jh-7Xfenk1cg5R5e-J2-ZVXCSw/w400-h263/LCA-12-Horizont-Cargo-Dropship-Aerospacecraft-cargo-pod-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The twin drop cargo pods had the abilities to be dropped while the <i>Horizon </i> was still in-flight. The cargo pods could be used to ferry troops, mecha, and even supplies to all manner of battlefields. These pods could be recycled by the fleet for other operations or used as buildings for military outposts. Many of the on-planet battles fought by the REF and their Sentinel allies during the wars had the <i>Horizon</i> drop pods used as mile command centers, housing, warehouses, and even field hospitals. Helping with the defense and utility of the <i>Horizon</i> assault transport class was its ability to carry several Alpha/Beta fighters underslung and accessible by the interior of the ship.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sof9SnNIWyQrtnX9vB3RqTYR7sGiQWv7gtmFQpX_wzM9wdRaoG_BDC_a6MzZsHfW_xeWklTf7yhi-xMrvD_Ofw5XNWioe-Cp0P0hp-ma94beH0dKnfXs_2rc3Hiwu23HpYJaOKUs5lSGGiiRUT6qRQoZZemjpgLP1E5aEDJnzWwoYoJ1ybHGorWCLw/s531/horizont-01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="531" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sof9SnNIWyQrtnX9vB3RqTYR7sGiQWv7gtmFQpX_wzM9wdRaoG_BDC_a6MzZsHfW_xeWklTf7yhi-xMrvD_Ofw5XNWioe-Cp0P0hp-ma94beH0dKnfXs_2rc3Hiwu23HpYJaOKUs5lSGGiiRUT6qRQoZZemjpgLP1E5aEDJnzWwoYoJ1ybHGorWCLw/w400-h260/horizont-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Due to the number of <i>Horizon</i> class in service, they were numbered and not named like other main warships of the REF...however, ones that survived battle after battle were nicknamed by their crews. When the final liberation of Earth was planned, many of the <i>Horizon</i> ships were automated due to the lack of meatbags to operate them. The design of the <i>Horizon </i>class makes more sense when you realize that it was original designed to be an inner-solar system combat transport from the Mars Base to the Inbit occupied Earth of the <i>Genesis Climber MOSPEADA</i>. It was the primary method of getting infantry from Mars to Earth and they did not need FTL ability. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The<i> </i>UNSC <i>Pillar of Autumn </i>and the <i>Spirt of Fire </i>from the HALO Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTnwCxEcLnU4ujGb3zw_UHOMGXzQG1un-o-3OTzmDcb9WqtYSlt3-Ql57r5fvKKpgP4zqPf309awXww94334cHJ4nSHpOFPFccH0VpM62vrgP7ZO-NU96t-yIo4d0hdu78w_KOAN1H7zfEx-rVe8MhJidIQPVcs0DsEmBebuAampGUzHvmzoZCZIKsQ/s1600/PoA.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTnwCxEcLnU4ujGb3zw_UHOMGXzQG1un-o-3OTzmDcb9WqtYSlt3-Ql57r5fvKKpgP4zqPf309awXww94334cHJ4nSHpOFPFccH0VpM62vrgP7ZO-NU96t-yIo4d0hdu78w_KOAN1H7zfEx-rVe8MhJidIQPVcs0DsEmBebuAampGUzHvmzoZCZIKsQ/w400-h300/PoA.webp" width="400" /></a></div>In the ranks of the 26th century UNSC fleet are these giant warbeasts of ships that are miles long and house vast armies of infantry, vehicles, and aerocraft. In the way that both the <i>Autumn </i>and the former colony ship <i>the Spirit of Fire</i> are used and loaded in a way that makes them more "assault ships" than what the internet says. These are great examples of my DSATCV concept. Both of these Terran warships were able to land hundreds of soldiers on-planet via the <i>Pelican</i> class tactical transports along with <i>Warthogs</i> and <i>Scorpions. </i>While the <i>Pillar of Autumn</i> belonged to the <i>Halcyon </i>class of light cruisers, the <i>Spirit of Fire</i> was a repurposed colony ship to serve as basically an assault ship that could delivery thousands of soldiers. Onboard the <i>Spirit of Fire,</i> there was over 11,000 with 6,000 being UNSC Marines and Army along with dozens of land craft specifically designed to haul the troops and vehicles dirtside and the <i>Spirt of Fire</i> could construct temporary bases as well. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Rebel Alliance GR-75 Medium Transport from <i>Star Wars</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKxdfDiKqZ7cyZkkK9nl50TXUcAmIQM7h8DOtyDqr9CD2aBtM3wdykj7WpZBIvfE-pFgoTiwzQU5_ChfiS3UEkdOxyqNFn6qTr0T8qNPrXeto7aLLrpbUknD4stlQf3C01f2d-HV-fzQk5Y_C3Rgh5husd8b2xv_zq90EWeswVFyAFERXUfwfMcfbtA/s740/trans.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="740" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKxdfDiKqZ7cyZkkK9nl50TXUcAmIQM7h8DOtyDqr9CD2aBtM3wdykj7WpZBIvfE-pFgoTiwzQU5_ChfiS3UEkdOxyqNFn6qTr0T8qNPrXeto7aLLrpbUknD4stlQf3C01f2d-HV-fzQk5Y_C3Rgh5husd8b2xv_zq90EWeswVFyAFERXUfwfMcfbtA/w400-h236/trans.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For much of the Rebel Alliance starships, they are culled from sources that one would not often regard as military grade starships. One of the workhorses of the galaxy made its way into the Rebel Alliance, the Gallofree Yards GR-75 and the older GR-45 Medium Transports. Designed to haul and hold massive amounts of cargo magnetically slung under the belly of the beast with a small crew of just under 10. While popular among some of the galaxy's shipping companies, the juicy government contracts went to KDY during the Clone Wars and the during the Imperial era as well...this spelled the end of Gallofree Yards in 5 BBY. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oXov5rZ39UTElDqmzwi3Fev0nW1ju3CNorLtSG2pquo3msbX1iioErIz9QpWm7N6gfJjzlGYTT0CSNyMFRZ0FECW30wfPBosQUNl2U-TY3Ulxz-pyTe9RR8VW7YvVhTG0clyce8v925qOc3wZgnwdo_iQUqVjd6-wVjuYaMnE6IFjN45cretwVUlog/s1835/GR75transport_schem.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="1835" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oXov5rZ39UTElDqmzwi3Fev0nW1ju3CNorLtSG2pquo3msbX1iioErIz9QpWm7N6gfJjzlGYTT0CSNyMFRZ0FECW30wfPBosQUNl2U-TY3Ulxz-pyTe9RR8VW7YvVhTG0clyce8v925qOc3wZgnwdo_iQUqVjd6-wVjuYaMnE6IFjN45cretwVUlog/w400-h328/GR75transport_schem.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Most of the GR-75s in the service of the Rebellion were bought, stolen, or found abandoned due to expensive upkeep. With the Rebel Alliance on the move all of the time, their fleet of GR-75s was used as the bulk of the logistical train to setup and breakdown hidden rebel bases. Given their modular abilities, some GR-75s were hospital ships, troopships, mobile command posts, fireships, and even when down and unable to get starside, the GR-75 could house rebel personnel. The GR-75 Medium Transport was not named officially until 2015 despite being in the 1980 <i>TESB</i> and the crew named these bulky ships, "the tuna ship" and even painted some pink onto the hull. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6VV3J_sxk8st2SnaIrkFyyUGdQa-jOaXt6RWwohEZ2T5rv8Z0grDZah4H4t3KixHuVLSXKSolWaDYPWGkNDjJk2Qr51boTqRi1sbw5s5RVslcVX-wqtwaaJdfxJU0wRyyI8su6VebwjxFUaWskhVoPDCxHMf6JR7x0hThLUxnMdhc-971OjWOn6RnA/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6VV3J_sxk8st2SnaIrkFyyUGdQa-jOaXt6RWwohEZ2T5rv8Z0grDZah4H4t3KixHuVLSXKSolWaDYPWGkNDjJk2Qr51boTqRi1sbw5s5RVslcVX-wqtwaaJdfxJU0wRyyI8su6VebwjxFUaWskhVoPDCxHMf6JR7x0hThLUxnMdhc-971OjWOn6RnA/w400-h300/s-l1600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Of course, for people of my generation, the Tuna Ship was part of the holy Kenner <i>Star Wars </i>toyline. Released in 1982 as part of the <i>SW:TESB </i>line as the massive "Rebel Transport" . This oddly shaped play vehicle was a cool way to house and carry 24 figures and all for the low, low price of $29.98 ($92.94 in 2023 money). My brother had one of these back in the day and it was an odd thing. It was opened by the black handle and revealed a grey grid that could be removed to reveal a floor. At the forward end, there was a pilot cockpit and at the rear was a twin laser cannon manned turret. There was a belly door, storage bins that contained gas masks. Both end of the Rebel Transport could be opened or sealed and often these thin plastic end cracked. This is likely one of the few science fiction troopships in toy form for three inch action figures. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Invid Carrier from ROBOTECH/MOSPEADA</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xtNWdEsR9OJ4NZFPoR8NLL3c5J1s6OPfF4V-B0mDGHpTzXVQIn7xqIDgyxSFwHE7xzioaHbbdphMU9r3Qyb4_ZT8QXovNuFcd7H0CaUsX2erWISkYESi02wfBY2qd9bj4WyqTjlt61L4M3xRdHlhFY1NPQvw5brmex55yUoqI0FI_9urne_DgkivHg/s529/Invid_carrier.JPG.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="529" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xtNWdEsR9OJ4NZFPoR8NLL3c5J1s6OPfF4V-B0mDGHpTzXVQIn7xqIDgyxSFwHE7xzioaHbbdphMU9r3Qyb4_ZT8QXovNuFcd7H0CaUsX2erWISkYESi02wfBY2qd9bj4WyqTjlt61L4M3xRdHlhFY1NPQvw5brmex55yUoqI0FI_9urne_DgkivHg/s320/Invid_carrier.JPG.webp" width="320" /></a></div>One of the more terrifying sites in the 3rd ROBOTECH War and the Sentient Wars was the clam-shelled Invid carriers that could rapidly transport 200 Invid warrior forms into the battlefield of air, land, water, and outer space. Unlike many of the troopships we have covered here in this article, the Invid Carrier is a short ranged craft designed for short ranged deployments. Invid warrior forms were loaded into these calm ships when incoming enemy targets were picked up. Terran starships coming to liberate Earth were met with several of these clam ships and within in minutes, hundreds of spacegoing Invid warrior forms were swarming about, spitting those directed energy disc-shaped bolts. If the attacking force was lucky, they could destroy the calm shell as it opened and robbed the Invid from deploying their forces. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The<i> Kolm-An </i>Class Assault ship from the FASA <i>Star Trek: STOC </i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9ZzS0GEVZ9Jg93DlP38l1nA0cgt3TNZkM7RIIefJkQ6WucX2It3LtlLGd8wdW0UbAPZWnIOfnm35p_xWkE68bM8t7wriGBjBsrxwN-KPq6RiknYpQF2M3HLi1D4EBhZ5gAH1GL3g0Q5QsvSFvTJgTZQQ5YoJoDVuQ26yiiSA-W26XuXkd_J3pIiyHw/s554/Kolm-an_class.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9ZzS0GEVZ9Jg93DlP38l1nA0cgt3TNZkM7RIIefJkQ6WucX2It3LtlLGd8wdW0UbAPZWnIOfnm35p_xWkE68bM8t7wriGBjBsrxwN-KPq6RiknYpQF2M3HLi1D4EBhZ5gAH1GL3g0Q5QsvSFvTJgTZQQ5YoJoDVuQ26yiiSA-W26XuXkd_J3pIiyHw/w361-h400/Kolm-an_class.webp" width="361" /></a></div>One of the more uncomfortable accepts of Starfleet was its lack of being a complete military organization and the franchise itself as distance itself from more military trappings as Gene Roddenberry command it. Throughout official <i>Trek</i>, there have references to Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan troops and these soldiers being transported to the battlefields. In the episode "Unification pt. 2", we see that the Romulan had refitted three Vulcan ships to house an invasion force of over 2,000 Romulan troops onboard. During the Dominion War, Federation and Klingon ships were used to transport troops to fight the Dominion in official episodes. In the excellent, "Yesterday's Enterprise", we see the alternate reality, <i>Enterprise D</i> warship was also used to transport 6,000 troops. This may let us know that in official <i>Trek</i>, the starships we see mentioned on-screen were used to ferry Starfleet Marines, Klingon Warriors, and Romulan centurions to the battlefield via massive transporters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR1Drx33yly3M2cx6oNog1DeRitLfn0LORpDd03JTUPPIIM5yCiBFcnGKahELM2fqz7xNHFEmLaZR4nXg6mruY-Yy_MADVfO62fQtf8u9GffZLahGudOzd8mW2-TiXDb-1_OSJlED5LU5TRqxFCiRp8GgHX2d3Jy2MH6rW4jKDXV06Tm-zjBznd-52g/s3050/34-230.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3050" data-original-width="2110" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR1Drx33yly3M2cx6oNog1DeRitLfn0LORpDd03JTUPPIIM5yCiBFcnGKahELM2fqz7xNHFEmLaZR4nXg6mruY-Yy_MADVfO62fQtf8u9GffZLahGudOzd8mW2-TiXDb-1_OSJlED5LU5TRqxFCiRp8GgHX2d3Jy2MH6rW4jKDXV06Tm-zjBznd-52g/w276-h400/34-230.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>In the realm of the FASA <i>Star Trek</i> RPG era, we see that some sources developed troopships for the Klingon, Federation, and Romulans...and one of these was the Starfleet <i>Kolm-An </i>class. Developed for the old FASA-centered <i>Stardate </i>magazine that ran from 1984-1987 and was published by three different publishers while FASA had the RPG license from Paramount...which ended around 1988. This magazine was not just for <i>Star Trek</i>, but for other RPGs under FASA, like <i>Doctor Who </i>and <i>Battletech. </i>This is similar in concept to the <i>White Dwarf</i> and <i>Challenger. </i>In the 3rd Volume and issue number 7 and found on pages 230-236. The ship itself was named after a planet bitterly fought over during the 2252-2256 Federation-Klingon War, called the 4 Year War. <i>Kolm-An </i>class was developed during around the time of <i>Star Trek II: TWOK</i> and developed in the refit style of the movie-era <i>Enterprise. </i>Developed as a through-decks assault ship style that made use of four 20-person assault shuttlecrafts and combat transports to transport the 350 Starfleet Marines to the planetside battlefield along with their supplies for 30 days of combat, vehicles, and modular buildings. Once the <i>Kolm-An</i> class arrived on scene, it takes 30 minutes to off-load her marines along providing orbital bombardment to soften up the targets. During times of tension, <i>Kolm-An</i> class ships were deployed on a combat patrol to be a QRF to any planetary invasion of worlds, outposts, and Starbases along the borders of the Klingons and the Romulans. About 34 <i>Kolm-An</i> class assault ships were constructed from three shipyards in the Sol system, Salazaar, and Starbase 12. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Various Troop Ships and the Guild Heighliner from the DUNE Universe</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-w9QJYAm9xOmD1nHCVZXZtWZlq_nZnWkETgsUtREVCFe1OrFqnX-s7A_F-wgsXZ0pyv-t3b_zlVsfNTmim18rZfCwCZ2TNOuKnIXUQY6VC2dSv3eVBBieBkXJUIowK7ElyYHOtWmc8-M3akF5cTm31afldKb84UegUXlLyC1rHDirupBzV9qE8L4SA/s640/i97064mfrhk71.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="640" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-w9QJYAm9xOmD1nHCVZXZtWZlq_nZnWkETgsUtREVCFe1OrFqnX-s7A_F-wgsXZ0pyv-t3b_zlVsfNTmim18rZfCwCZ2TNOuKnIXUQY6VC2dSv3eVBBieBkXJUIowK7ElyYHOtWmc8-M3akF5cTm31afldKb84UegUXlLyC1rHDirupBzV9qE8L4SA/w400-h170/i97064mfrhk71.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Within one of the craziest sci-fi fictional universes, DUNE, is one of the craziest system of FTL travel and within that is one of the craziest transport vessels of all time: the Spacing Guild Heighliners. While not really described by Frank Herbert in his original 1965 DUNE novel, the various visual takes on the DUNE novel and universe is a circular shaped craft of vast dimensions that allow for a single Guild Heighliner to move thousands of short-range ships, import-export goods, and possibly millions of people from point in the known universe to another using the power of math and drugs.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYXiYWsc5sTg6q_usjZuQKn-7b-4AwttWFgfbP5BEDlXcRfhzCqU1BCXeWysYBqwEw50gaQZ0uIXRpgezveoFF52HvBr6DDnxFancKhSnWPPXqevapL8P_FAq-UogHNFjbZflsRXXHrcjCv4XccLcigx3wdk36vYLtdtOmw025-IFqa8Fm1uw1jxlKQ/s736/b4493f7ffaa84a36901490c49d4fa3ba--frank-herbert-dune.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="736" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYXiYWsc5sTg6q_usjZuQKn-7b-4AwttWFgfbP5BEDlXcRfhzCqU1BCXeWysYBqwEw50gaQZ0uIXRpgezveoFF52HvBr6DDnxFancKhSnWPPXqevapL8P_FAq-UogHNFjbZflsRXXHrcjCv4XccLcigx3wdk36vYLtdtOmw025-IFqa8Fm1uw1jxlKQ/w400-h225/b4493f7ffaa84a36901490c49d4fa3ba--frank-herbert-dune.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If anything in the Empire needs to be moved outside of a solar system, the Guild are the only game in town until the invention of the No-Ship. This means if you want to invade your enemy's homeworld, the Guild have to be the ones to move the entire war effort to the target. All of the troopships of the war effort have to be stored onboard the Guild carrier vessel and folded across time and space in the blink of eye. Once there, the troopships disembark and move down the gravity well to invade the planet with their shocktroopers. This makes the Guild Heighliners one of the largest spacegoing assault ships in all of science fiction. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Earth Force <i>Condor</i> class Long-Range Troop Space Transports from <i>Babylon 5</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxw3uq8Zx2YSoJtQ8yldI1L0UXcysdj2Nl4g7bTsDYYPLpJtER1wPzkqu4iHWaK7zqH2z4_0-7wsaBvQ_PO5Gz78gTinaA0snJX0QnpYF8pB87mL5Z4_AvYs8yFYq5u4roR5vHj-NzC0Le/s500/tumblr_ond06hUI9I1qj6sk2o8_500.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="500" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxw3uq8Zx2YSoJtQ8yldI1L0UXcysdj2Nl4g7bTsDYYPLpJtER1wPzkqu4iHWaK7zqH2z4_0-7wsaBvQ_PO5Gz78gTinaA0snJX0QnpYF8pB87mL5Z4_AvYs8yFYq5u4roR5vHj-NzC0Le/w400-h226/tumblr_ond06hUI9I1qj6sk2o8_500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>In the one of the better episodes of <i>Babylon 5 </i>was "GROPOS" (2x10), we see a taskforce of 25,000 Infantry from the 356th of the pre-Shadow War EarthForce arrive at B5 to help with Akdor government with some local trouble and extend the influence of Earth. General Franklin's taskforce is packing some serious heat. One <i>Nova </i>class dreadnought and five <i>Condor </i>class troop transports that are packed with over a dozen <i>Valkyrie </i>class gunships. While FWS has covered the <i>Nova </i>class before, we are going to discuss the oddball troopships of these off-world groundpounders (GROPOS). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXl6MKRdjyit9Y7aeINLuQmsj333WNumuI44BkMff7k54PGNDrukWd4EE76PuB3lzWYnNjej8RTTa2tadvDkNfbHmnMBLaHyD4IZ0TKM65oyuQ9ASkhBD7A67NBEvHQag4tHL9F-L6nQVmndGikJdys-4NQdU4nGE_9fPHsboS4jEjR2ukxNT0kTTkA/s1024/Babylon_5_2-10_03%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXl6MKRdjyit9Y7aeINLuQmsj333WNumuI44BkMff7k54PGNDrukWd4EE76PuB3lzWYnNjej8RTTa2tadvDkNfbHmnMBLaHyD4IZ0TKM65oyuQ9ASkhBD7A67NBEvHQag4tHL9F-L6nQVmndGikJdys-4NQdU4nGE_9fPHsboS4jEjR2ukxNT0kTTkA/w400-h225/Babylon_5_2-10_03%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Designed by the legendary Steve Burg, the <i>Condor </i>was patterned after the American C-130 <i>Hercules </i>cargo plane and had roll-on and roll-off ability constructed into the spacecraft. Coming in at 450 meters, the endo-exo capable <i>Condor</i> could take a crew of up to 30 and transport 5,000 space marines along with their gear and vehicles to off-world combat zones. We only saw the <i>Condor</i> in the 2nd season of <i>B5</i>, but the ship would live on in <i>B5</i> RPGs and the fan community would name the troop ship due to the episode not giving us much to go on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSJ02KiiG-3EWVC9g8s6CfJk6SC9Ll64vpp31DHcSN9PtulwPrRdpOCSMH3aRLnLpYiEQguHOzFeFLbEz4Jp2a8CrLFrajHcdKtKobIUpZ-SJHnkvhtRbu9pTEMsTj3rWwdJog9SK3ArNAAmPFI_SGuG1Zc-9ADBKRPLuIv5OVNhtEMbR41Q-ojvmFg/s1024/Babylon_5_2-10_05%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSJ02KiiG-3EWVC9g8s6CfJk6SC9Ll64vpp31DHcSN9PtulwPrRdpOCSMH3aRLnLpYiEQguHOzFeFLbEz4Jp2a8CrLFrajHcdKtKobIUpZ-SJHnkvhtRbu9pTEMsTj3rWwdJog9SK3ArNAAmPFI_SGuG1Zc-9ADBKRPLuIv5OVNhtEMbR41Q-ojvmFg/w400-h225/Babylon_5_2-10_05%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Given the means of FTL space travel in the <i>B5</i> universe and technology required to form jump-points, the <i>Condor </i>class transport required a jump-gate or a jump-point being formed for them, normally by their escort vessel. EarthForce commanders became hesitant about allowing <i>Condor</i> class ships to transverse too long in hyperspace, and limited their operational range. This caused <i>Condor </i>class ships and their escorts to hop to their designation. Another element limiting the range of the <i>Condor</i> class was the lack of artificial gravity and the cramped conditions inside. This is one of the oddest spacegoing troop transports on this list and I wished we could have seen more of the <i>Condor. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The <i>M'benga</i> class Starfleet Hospital Ship </u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh1XvxepsMFnB9xJqCzggrOe1l8bwybCCGjjdoxCgRwiaquvIl2iITctG26GxJ4DLKxXn6wErUfLbMC-R0Ykj9HFmuM7AB9OUIDFgVNAR9ZPJ3JlBcar_c7K856oJi6dpL6682HllPTIGtM2Mv1nyKaWPhlanEhWdXH4wiuWrkvYBZnT1wjYlrsifSw/s676/federation_mbenga.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="630" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh1XvxepsMFnB9xJqCzggrOe1l8bwybCCGjjdoxCgRwiaquvIl2iITctG26GxJ4DLKxXn6wErUfLbMC-R0Ykj9HFmuM7AB9OUIDFgVNAR9ZPJ3JlBcar_c7K856oJi6dpL6682HllPTIGtM2Mv1nyKaWPhlanEhWdXH4wiuWrkvYBZnT1wjYlrsifSw/w373-h400/federation_mbenga.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>In the pages of the non-canon FASA <i>Star Trek: TNG Officers Manual </i>designed for the FASA <i>ST:TNG</i> RPG game was produced during the first season and this very nicely designed hospital ship was featured. Named after famed 23rd century Starfleet doctor that served on the USS <i>Enterprise</i> during the command of Cpt. Pike, the <i>M'benga</i> was designed to aid in planetary rescues, humanitarian missions, during wartime as a mobile hospital. Due to long standing tradition, the Federation medical vessels are not armed with offensive armaments, but with shields only. The crew was 130 with retreatment space for 170 patients. At the time of the first season of <i>TNG</i>, there were 13 <i>M'benga </i>class in service. Unlike much of Federation history, where medical vessels were mostly repurposed and altered hulls of science and freighter ships of Starfleet, the <i>M'benga</i> class was constructed with the single purpose of being a medical starship. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5kuhF28E8UNLu0bEkY22LbG9GUuVt6KkX4LtB21A6gQGyc8E1Zr0Po1ds8vzjMASK4TrDh5L1zIkU-AArsPCy-2-yGo3e-r4f_az5ckS2QnUiVaE8oXhZi8IA4fRURUf-XTnzs6smRo1oOQ95ZFKHb8IChUPdLFtQl-MugLUSk3YvjaXQJNgK0Agxg/s640/vrmissions-spot1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5kuhF28E8UNLu0bEkY22LbG9GUuVt6KkX4LtB21A6gQGyc8E1Zr0Po1ds8vzjMASK4TrDh5L1zIkU-AArsPCy-2-yGo3e-r4f_az5ckS2QnUiVaE8oXhZi8IA4fRURUf-XTnzs6smRo1oOQ95ZFKHb8IChUPdLFtQl-MugLUSk3YvjaXQJNgK0Agxg/w400-h300/vrmissions-spot1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sifu Bruce Lee once said "<b><i><span style="color: red;">boards don't hit back</span></i></b>" and he was right...but for some of the military training, that's what happens...training soldiers on non-active targets and paper targets. The better, more effectve way is to train like you fight, but using Force-on-Force (FOF) training princples to train and develop warfighting skills on the living. In the next installment, FWS will be diving into the present and future of Force-on-Force training!</div></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-22337825621112710692023-01-31T12:13:00.000-06:002023-02-01T01:37:56.227-06:0020 Years ago today: Her Name was Columbia, the falling star that came to Texas<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1BlKrPQPM197XQYy5Hq3XXpmRscQ5HQjdRovtVw0P6_crtVotjW4FRRJ0KCTNIQYrAAlVCYAtYHUoFj3d3z3DbW853HVS0N1SeZyv4K_S6c-ldv1x1iKps_Kp6liJSQp3galTOx9fDm1uSknerwlV9tzP-rC0hLKEIHB9d6jkagGBL-mEKIrfXCZDg/s4096/STS107-S-002h.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3277" data-original-width="4096" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1BlKrPQPM197XQYy5Hq3XXpmRscQ5HQjdRovtVw0P6_crtVotjW4FRRJ0KCTNIQYrAAlVCYAtYHUoFj3d3z3DbW853HVS0N1SeZyv4K_S6c-ldv1x1iKps_Kp6liJSQp3galTOx9fDm1uSknerwlV9tzP-rC0hLKEIHB9d6jkagGBL-mEKIrfXCZDg/w640-h512/STS107-S-002h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>In 1981, I watched the first NASA Space Shuttle launched and it lit my imagination. Then in 2003, I watched the <i>Columbia</i> rain down in fiery pieces across Texas like falling star. Oddly, the footage of the orbiter breaking up was captured by my local ABC station, WFAA. The loyal and beloved first Space Shuttle and her final crew of seven all were killed and taking with it the entire Shuttle Program at NASA. 20 years ago today, we lost those seven brave souls and our lady<i> Columbia</i> across the state I live due to a impact on the thermal shielding by a piece of foam during take-off. For those that were invested in the US manned Space Program, the loss of OV-102 <i>Columbia</i> and valiant crew was a traumatic experience. It would take two years for the next shuttle launch in 2005 and while the shuttle program continued for years after, there was always a difference. In 2011, STS-135 was the final shuttle mission using my favorite Shuttle, OV-104 <i>Atlantis. </i>After this, the US manned space program have to rely on the Russian Soyuz capsules for the manned missions to the ISS...that is changing with the SpaceX system. Given the status of the <i>Columbia</i> as the first space-worthy American Space Shuttle (OV-102), she gained much popularity in media. While the name <i>Columbia</i> was certainly not new, this shuttle orbiter of the first launched STS mission in 1981 "Columbia" pushed the name into another level, especially in science fiction. The name "Columbia" is unfortunately taken from explorer Christopher Columbus name. Given the grim realities of Columbus expeditions into the New World, the origin of the name is tarnished. OV-102 was actually named after the privately owned American Sloop <i>Columbia Rediviva</i> of the 1780's that was the first American vessel to circumnavigated the globe and where the name for Columbia River comes from. The <i>Columbia</i> shuttle launched 28 mission in its service life that started April 12th, 1981 with it being the first shuttle to have a female commander of the 1999 STS-93 mission. Today, FWS remembers her and her brave crew. Wherever they are, I hope they know that we still think of them. Due to the popularity of the OV-102, FWS has decided to explore some examples of the <i>Columbia</i> in the realm of science fiction.</p><p><u>The NX-02 <i>Columbia </i>from ST:ENT</u><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln67ih5qvZj5II-0hW9a3wwJvh4cidK0pi5z4CCH4oWUzCrOZtXcvbCc5XJSGBYhHi9kamvSWtQlALi8tusp8QrvtofLoGK6A10ZsGzc9g3eySP4TboQ_p8V_ZpZFKfpTvU4krhVmJg-zSy2RrS7rxOBonOC_H7y7MK7eTvFUp-QMkFlKNAc9Qqx8zg/s1024/Columbia_NX-02_Mission_patch.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln67ih5qvZj5II-0hW9a3wwJvh4cidK0pi5z4CCH4oWUzCrOZtXcvbCc5XJSGBYhHi9kamvSWtQlALi8tusp8QrvtofLoGK6A10ZsGzc9g3eySP4TboQ_p8V_ZpZFKfpTvU4krhVmJg-zSy2RrS7rxOBonOC_H7y7MK7eTvFUp-QMkFlKNAc9Qqx8zg/s320/Columbia_NX-02_Mission_patch.svg.png" width="320" /></a></div>The NX-01 <i>Enterprise </i>was humanity's first Warp 5 ship and it was to allow mankind to enter into deep space beyond the limited exploration conducted by UESPA and the Earth Cargo Authority. During the run of the show, references were made to other NX class ships hulls being laid but no specific name. It wasn't until the loss of the OV-102 that the name and naming convention of the NX class was established. The naming of the NX-02 came from Trekkie Anthony Davis of Brentwood, Tennessee. He reached out to producer Rick Berman and suggested that 2nd NX ship should be named after the OV-102. While the NX-02 was hinted at during the first 2 seasons, it was not named until the 3rd Season E2. The NX-02 was seen in orbital drydock in the 2nd ender "The Expanse", but not named. It wasn't until the 3rd Season 21st episode "E2" that aired on May 5th, 2004 that the NX-02 was given the name "Columbia".<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2WYPKQ9w2vr1xU01beXXAi9-7vP5NAY4S9rmddS-bXBoXjySqMJMDAjisIdPy3nsD1n0PbD3qik5SZdZ7FQzWDcnvDWgV3e2Tha5gv2OKvxquvOPC65lfqDfE9uh9IsBaUogfGeCMKTwa1pHQbbguBjNqtPavWVdIkEt_dtBaquSp6U3gxM7puaSCQ/s550/b5d94818e66afb5be51d36485d53626f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="550" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2WYPKQ9w2vr1xU01beXXAi9-7vP5NAY4S9rmddS-bXBoXjySqMJMDAjisIdPy3nsD1n0PbD3qik5SZdZ7FQzWDcnvDWgV3e2Tha5gv2OKvxquvOPC65lfqDfE9uh9IsBaUogfGeCMKTwa1pHQbbguBjNqtPavWVdIkEt_dtBaquSp6U3gxM7puaSCQ/w400-h204/b5d94818e66afb5be51d36485d53626f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This laid down the name convention of the NX class being named after the NASA Orbiters. If the series have been allowed to continue the next three seasons, we would have likely seen the NX-03 "Discovery", NX-04 "Atlantis", NX-05 "Endeavor", and NX-06 "Challenger". In my head canon, the NX-07 would have been "Buran". The fate of the NX-02 was muddled by <i>ST:ENT</i> novels and the maybe non-canon (Beta-Canon) disappearance of the NX-02 and its later discovery in the Gamma Quadrant some 200 years later. One of the fitting tribulates for the crew of the OV-102 to the NX-02 was the <i>Columbia</i> patch was the seven stars representing the seven astronauts that died that February day.<div><br /><u>The<i> Columbia</i> Orbiter from Cowboy Bebop epsiode "Wild Horses"</u><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW88roPaMOMqDIYcC4xK--wJPlE48ibYPWiCq7Xxs0GoVnOAY-cUWIP7nsRpolB-0A4hDdOB-TFi7VMJTDCbO9yVTPegkK9Jgo9zI14zWnq2TiVbL2nPjpaWsgraYp0KpGMjR0iBZwC-94wV-p8SUSfjpI6CSqHCJNI968OsQUnISKHYN7ziyrzf55Ig/s640/cowboy_bebop_remastered_19h264-ac3niizk-mkv_snapshot_18-59_2012-01-01_17-50-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW88roPaMOMqDIYcC4xK--wJPlE48ibYPWiCq7Xxs0GoVnOAY-cUWIP7nsRpolB-0A4hDdOB-TFi7VMJTDCbO9yVTPegkK9Jgo9zI14zWnq2TiVbL2nPjpaWsgraYp0KpGMjR0iBZwC-94wV-p8SUSfjpI6CSqHCJNI968OsQUnISKHYN7ziyrzf55Ig/w400-h268/cowboy_bebop_remastered_19h264-ac3niizk-mkv_snapshot_18-59_2012-01-01_17-50-21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Much like the World Trade Towers being seen in productions just before the September 11th attacks, the <i>Columbia </i>space shuttle was seen in the 19th Cowboy Bebop episode "Wild Horses". The ancient spacecraft is by Miles and Doohan (insert <i>Trek </i>references here) used to rescue Spike's <i>Swordfish II</i> in orbit and then the ancient shuttle crash-lands. I missed this session when watched <i>Cowboy Bebop</i> back in the day and launching the orbiter that way would never work...but it is cool. This would air in America two years prior to the loss of the <i>Columbia</i> and it normally does not air today due to this. I've read that <i>Columbia </i>was edited out and the<i> Atlantis </i>was placed in for some edits and some still have the <i>Columbia</i> name still there. <br /><br /><br /><u>The Columbia Orbiter in <i>LifeForce</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CcfM6E5SMD7SSay-AZem4mPezu8DJqNHUwpLc9Jh1rsuT_gnfMwJcFrov-uR16XMMJY9HjU8JN9pOjeBzkOXarFKj2KYHmyOUdIygRBv_ip6yTJ961VCS9DV9Tkv9oquzN4LYlcwXe08A--iNXrdxNhlwxrjJB4BbKKqiq9GNrl5Jscq152MwxE7QA/s728/Dz8GZt-WsAI7VlI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="728" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CcfM6E5SMD7SSay-AZem4mPezu8DJqNHUwpLc9Jh1rsuT_gnfMwJcFrov-uR16XMMJY9HjU8JN9pOjeBzkOXarFKj2KYHmyOUdIygRBv_ip6yTJ961VCS9DV9Tkv9oquzN4LYlcwXe08A--iNXrdxNhlwxrjJB4BbKKqiq9GNrl5Jscq152MwxE7QA/w400-h225/Dz8GZt-WsAI7VlI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>Lifeforce</i> is a crazy space vampire movie that came out in 1985 at the apex of Space Shuttle love and fandom. In the movie at stars Sir Patrick Stewart and the beautiful Mathilda May, the British space shuttle HMS <i>Churchill,</i> that was bought from the Americans and modified, found an alien spaceship in the coma of Hailey's Comet. During the mission to the alien ship, the <i>Churchill</i> crew in MMUs recover three naked human bodies. However, contact is lost with the <i>Churchill</i> and the <i>Columbia</i> is sent up to investigate the <i>Churchill</i>. The<i> Columbia</i> is the craft that brings back the alien space vampires. This movie is a cult classic and worth checking out.<p><br /><u>The Columbia Orbiter in<i> For All Mankind</i></u><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry52xID1XGm8YUBt_mF99NW7fzo0i3q0Nw49c85uutIy8AGp7I4IjTXYJryGQ-GK4jC09fp1FCCsS_3HVzKImFfrtdVXcH-E-ylXI88pLxva39YcOdLYwOR1vjiaLCYKG8AVH7EkNMECinIzbxGLUrUIfcWquQk7xDG3RAtGLi6ePOakDdiK9FpAJvg/s512/Columbia.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="512" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry52xID1XGm8YUBt_mF99NW7fzo0i3q0Nw49c85uutIy8AGp7I4IjTXYJryGQ-GK4jC09fp1FCCsS_3HVzKImFfrtdVXcH-E-ylXI88pLxva39YcOdLYwOR1vjiaLCYKG8AVH7EkNMECinIzbxGLUrUIfcWquQk7xDG3RAtGLi6ePOakDdiK9FpAJvg/w400-h225/Columbia.webp" width="400" /></a></div>In the alternate history of the Space Race, we see the OV-102 <i>Columbia</i> being used in the 1980's to ferry personnel and supplies to the Lunar outpost of <i>Jamestown</i>. The shuttle fleet seen in the series has more shuttles with some with different names that are mostly stupid save for the <i>Constitution</i> instead of the <i>Enterprise</i>. The real question that was asked by the audience was if the Space Shuttle Orbiters could have made it to the Moon. The answer is no. They do not generate enough Delta-V nor carry the fuel for such a trip...orbital space only. This was known to the producers of the series, but chose to ignore for the iconology of the Shuttle and to save due to not having to design a new spacecraft. <br /><br /><u>The <i>Endeavor</i> Orbiter in the movie <i>The Core</i></u><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsnv05XprMM610wWGygcWFaxGDs54AHOxGixzA6itKz_JT0hsjsGX9_qOT-qpJ6e_HZhgylRWdnEyj9jJdyk78OS9F5pnIayBR7B3G1MIGodRomOdQ6YgSlQ964uv7TIWdYUMvYOjg7aFjyBycF4pbZPgA4OPG4AJzB1quCNeATpEZnfXXXgUELq4sw/s1200/co_047_comp.0057-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="1200" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsnv05XprMM610wWGygcWFaxGDs54AHOxGixzA6itKz_JT0hsjsGX9_qOT-qpJ6e_HZhgylRWdnEyj9jJdyk78OS9F5pnIayBR7B3G1MIGodRomOdQ6YgSlQ964uv7TIWdYUMvYOjg7aFjyBycF4pbZPgA4OPG4AJzB1quCNeATpEZnfXXXgUELq4sw/w400-h170/co_047_comp.0057-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This 2003 world-ending disaster film had its trailers released just after the <i>Columbia</i> loss and the trailers for The Core showed the <i>Endeavor </i>making an emergency landing (Miracle on the Hudson style) on the LA river canal system due to issues with the Earth's core. While the scene is cool, there was an issue. Due to distasteful nature of this scene shortly after the loss of the <i>Columbia</i> and her crew, the trailers were recalled for the process of removing the scene. However, the shuttle crash in the film was left and as become a favorite despite on completely inaccurate it is. Originally, the <i>Endeavor</i> was to land at LAX, but tighter security at airports following 9-11 caused that to be scrapped. That is two real world disasters that caused the disaster film to be altered. <br /><p></p><p><u>The <i>Columbia</i> Orbiter from the TV Series <i>The Cape</i></u><br /><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbleEZoYwfH5P0yTUyzHJywN9X_6s5wZ5jjkBYorAvpbQcyrcLnOO0fAzUJYNzlWVRMP7n0g-w_UtoBooXY03zUunHEbOgOWImYcsfqrpseWK3rP7AlKkSWfMaWDJpMiFeD1HS-qGyeCfM9SzBxIe-z-pd2YdUgcT5weCAp4UOBtA3abZSkXaZ_B7n-A/s480/hqdefault%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbleEZoYwfH5P0yTUyzHJywN9X_6s5wZ5jjkBYorAvpbQcyrcLnOO0fAzUJYNzlWVRMP7n0g-w_UtoBooXY03zUunHEbOgOWImYcsfqrpseWK3rP7AlKkSWfMaWDJpMiFeD1HS-qGyeCfM9SzBxIe-z-pd2YdUgcT5weCAp4UOBtA3abZSkXaZ_B7n-A/w400-h300/hqdefault%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div><i>The Cape</i> was a 1996 live-action TV show that was in syndication and only lasted one season that was centered around astronauts training and mission control. It is not be confused with the 2011 TV of the same name that stars Summer Glau. During the end 2-parter, the <i>Atlantis </i>crashing into the Mir Russian space station and damages some of the heat tiles. The <i>Columbia</i> is launched on a rescue mission. During the investigation of the <i>Columbia</i> Disaster, the possibility of launching the <i>Atlantis</i> to rescues of the <i>Columbia</i> was detailed in the CAIB Report and this was even a possibility explored by the Rogers Commission during the Challenger Disaster way back in 1986. <p></p><p></p></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-2595152114181396292023-01-22T15:36:00.001-06:002023-02-19T10:41:38.859-06:00The Weapons of Sci-Fi: Jaffa Ma'Tok Staff Weapon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaO4dyhNEmhvofRFjn-jYCCILapG1bXwPdmX3NB8bzgWoi8MJkJgjmDsx3rc0rJUyQOV2Ab-gsnFkz3yjH2VG_xNSVu6C2sbGo-cVB2PHwJa5zKgmKc6E7uX-POjPQxdOaHxfmZK12g_k/s1023/SG-1-S6-T-Allegiance.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1023" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaO4dyhNEmhvofRFjn-jYCCILapG1bXwPdmX3NB8bzgWoi8MJkJgjmDsx3rc0rJUyQOV2Ab-gsnFkz3yjH2VG_xNSVu6C2sbGo-cVB2PHwJa5zKgmKc6E7uX-POjPQxdOaHxfmZK12g_k/w640-h336/SG-1-S6-T-Allegiance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>In one of the longest running and most iconic military science fiction TV shows of all time, one of the primary weapons of the key alien race is a direct energy weapon based on a staff melee weapon. This is the weapon of the slave-warriors of the Jaffa in service to their serpent masters, the Goa’uld. First seen in the original 1994 feature film, <i>Stargate</i>, the DE staff weapon has been featured in all of the entries into the massive <i>Stargate</i> Franchise. These Jaffa staff weapons have become one of the most iconic sci-fi weapons and it is high time we discussed the Ma’Tok Staff of the Jaffa warriors. </div><p></p><div><div><b><u>What is the Ma’Tok Staff Weapon?</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSBzhl5HEXyjGFj8j4wH24LoYIrGYKl9qfurtZ2v-A-PCC146a3FLvekK2Czyv6bXPvZIMJmG624XqdXU0vfZ8-mcyjKiL2tOkJY6dm1mpG5kwADbYeIYFQJrRlUaJADS-LGoDbLTDKa1w4HaUnBesDHwJM0Xsj7UClyHKUSjP1KpCbw7_twLPDHkDg/s260/stargate-17-rcm260x260u.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSBzhl5HEXyjGFj8j4wH24LoYIrGYKl9qfurtZ2v-A-PCC146a3FLvekK2Czyv6bXPvZIMJmG624XqdXU0vfZ8-mcyjKiL2tOkJY6dm1mpG5kwADbYeIYFQJrRlUaJADS-LGoDbLTDKa1w4HaUnBesDHwJM0Xsj7UClyHKUSjP1KpCbw7_twLPDHkDg/w320-h320/stargate-17-rcm260x260u.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In the vast Goa'uld Empire that was run by the System Lords, the muscle of the empire was the enslave Jaffa warriors that had been genetical modified from ancient Terran stock. In the hands of the Jaffa was the Ma'Tok plasma directed energy staff weapon and the pistol-like Zat'nik'tel. The Ma'Tok fired a powerful slow-rate-of-fire plasma bolt. Given the Goa'ulds need for style and ceremony, the Ma'Tok was lavishly appointed and designed for a weapon. However, the Ma'Tok was a weapon designed more to be a weapon of imposed order via fear and terror and a symbol of the snake gods. In addition to the portable plasma cannon on the emitter tip of the seven-foot long staff weapon, the staff could be used as a melee weapon and even as a flashlight. The power for the weapon came from a small liquid naquadah power pack that according to some, could power the weapon for its entire service life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JA-wemhOFDE6Ma8iw63kgzxmCi793CiCazzZA3a1kTaLWILfHCuESNQ0uU7pOHXs3HK52s87ITKGq6qZWIowoZSM0fLuVDUG-qcCAzkmh81pSqCrwYw0uk24oBdZXRS6uDDw_i89huFS9yjxbE3Y447qxfJLwCmF0fvnW7oHH_bF19n3mm8JYLqaEw/s1134/stqrgate_film_1994.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="1134" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JA-wemhOFDE6Ma8iw63kgzxmCi793CiCazzZA3a1kTaLWILfHCuESNQ0uU7pOHXs3HK52s87ITKGq6qZWIowoZSM0fLuVDUG-qcCAzkmh81pSqCrwYw0uk24oBdZXRS6uDDw_i89huFS9yjxbE3Y447qxfJLwCmF0fvnW7oHH_bF19n3mm8JYLqaEw/w400-h190/stqrgate_film_1994.png" width="400" /></a></div>It is unknown how long the Goa'uld enslaved military forces used the Ma'Tok, but it was used after the fall of the System Lords and even by the Jaffa after their revolt against their snake overlords. Some of them where even taken by the SG team on their expeditions throughout the gate network. During the run of the show, there were variants to the Ma'Tok, both by Jaffa Warriors and rebellious elements. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8kH2Jk9HsuZS8ETDJuRJqLnpXp6ZSkFmuJpJv8mXJbzrhf9Ic_onnvahpTyxupgpTzFJC8ly1kyfit81h_QMCX54c7xyPe2d5sPnM2V-VIfRTTAz_bwsJBBCO0auzUYzoT_VVtESRGj8/s640/131315676_1522905094765453_6493972544363824148_n.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8kH2Jk9HsuZS8ETDJuRJqLnpXp6ZSkFmuJpJv8mXJbzrhf9Ic_onnvahpTyxupgpTzFJC8ly1kyfit81h_QMCX54c7xyPe2d5sPnM2V-VIfRTTAz_bwsJBBCO0auzUYzoT_VVtESRGj8/w400-h266/131315676_1522905094765453_6493972544363824148_n.gif" width="400" /></a>This brings up the name of the Jaffa Staff Weapon. Through the many episodes of<i> Stargate SG-1</i>, the primary weapon of the Jaffa, both loyal to the System Lords and those are rebelling against the rule of the Goa’uld are never named properly. In the original concept art for the 1994 film, it is believed that the name “Hekat” was assigned to the directed-energy staff weapon of the royal Jackal and Horus guards to Ra. This was likely named after the ancient Egyptian god of magic and medicine, Heka. Officially, Hekat was never used in the extensive Stargate franchise. In the 2010 <i>Stargate: Resistance </i>online 3rd Person video game, the Jaffa weapon was labelled an “Ma’Tok” and has been used ever since then to describe the staff weapon. Like many of the names in the Stargate franchise, the name Ma’Tok is Hebrew and means “sweet”.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>What Do Those Ma’Tok Staffs Fire?</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM05I2f-JtwfaJ4yezuDA2zgAf2GyywfdMa8BkNhtRTJS-aAPqkGujLpA8rIYSlxpjoCjrgr6jl8YE0JZPV8podGWBrNR3fL6AQC2ySxeWLh4aO6lcsJQcl9iYMI9RqL-sQSdp5dUSX3sZqw1S-HWqAM8_iZS_0w4_adznGjAvaLU7SW97ZlCqsQLWBw/s500/b1da4424447224f3b2e3cbff4d3b8f74.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="500" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM05I2f-JtwfaJ4yezuDA2zgAf2GyywfdMa8BkNhtRTJS-aAPqkGujLpA8rIYSlxpjoCjrgr6jl8YE0JZPV8podGWBrNR3fL6AQC2ySxeWLh4aO6lcsJQcl9iYMI9RqL-sQSdp5dUSX3sZqw1S-HWqAM8_iZS_0w4_adznGjAvaLU7SW97ZlCqsQLWBw/w400-h220/b1da4424447224f3b2e3cbff4d3b8f74.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the larger benefits and its greatest issues of the Jaffa directed energy two-meter long weapon is its power output The standard issue Ma'Tok seen by Terran personnel is basically a handheld plasma cannon that has all of the power, ability, and disability of that weapon philosophy. Being that the Jaffa were the enforcers of their Goa’uld overlords, their primary weapon was used to quell rebellion and put populations into their proper place. As Colonel Jack O'Neil observed, the Ma'Tok was a weapon of terror. Given all of the facts above, we can imagine the power of the staff weapon. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU_6EaZX6Vc13t_yKI5h59dR6WodOKO26hMBSnY0VYoP1BIBdWOWP5vICHuW0ib4mplLywYU6qThXYso5lpNQH8zMoICfLwufHn86zHkXHcqUkxMPwJVzi0aOLuu7TLEiuPlefMjudtzKKL7J75DFVhI7nYu57q7h4HonxVPtI0yBgXJHogkq64msog/s538/tumblr_1bc2e4ddf51368cf488796843fb9ca7a_3ab34556_540.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="538" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU_6EaZX6Vc13t_yKI5h59dR6WodOKO26hMBSnY0VYoP1BIBdWOWP5vICHuW0ib4mplLywYU6qThXYso5lpNQH8zMoICfLwufHn86zHkXHcqUkxMPwJVzi0aOLuu7TLEiuPlefMjudtzKKL7J75DFVhI7nYu57q7h4HonxVPtI0yBgXJHogkq64msog/w400-h225/tumblr_1bc2e4ddf51368cf488796843fb9ca7a_3ab34556_540.gif" width="400" /></a></div>In combat, the Ma'Tok can blow a hole through an average Terran soldier or even other Jaffa...this with or without body armor at the highest setting. The highest setting has been seen to damage trees, blowing holes in reinforced doors, and even cause secondary effects via burns. This means that groups attempting go against the will of the Goa'uld would be met with directed energy weapons that could kill and wound several people in one volley at close range. This would make most scared to counter the will of the Jaffa and their gods. However, this power comes at a price. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PWVIaHnYEVe2UQ3vVWdhVGhvaqN1hz9u90xIxVn5olJqV3hlXca3yjHjBPXVaTPVLm4PTpC-9v3Kc-AMUAposcz7H0SjaxVfF0IEP1qKn_Lq1zmCdVVnvl0FvF6fVpK1W3e0xZNSK5qBxCQbFalwjnSKP8s_mGKUoh12l6AO04y8MctmZtvTJiuvZQ/s640/images%20(12).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PWVIaHnYEVe2UQ3vVWdhVGhvaqN1hz9u90xIxVn5olJqV3hlXca3yjHjBPXVaTPVLm4PTpC-9v3Kc-AMUAposcz7H0SjaxVfF0IEP1qKn_Lq1zmCdVVnvl0FvF6fVpK1W3e0xZNSK5qBxCQbFalwjnSKP8s_mGKUoh12l6AO04y8MctmZtvTJiuvZQ/w400-h266/images%20(12).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Ma'Tok is large, heavy, unwieldly, has a slow rate of fire, especially when compared to the Terran kinetic weaponry, it eats power, and it is inaccurate. Then, there is the effective range of the Ma'Tok: abut 60 meters. This places the primary weapon of the Jaffa warriors in the effective range of a Terran pistol! Power comes at a price and Ma'Tok is a symbol of that. Speaking to that, to power this weapon, the power source is a liquid naquadah power source. Like many weapons of science fiction, the Ma'Tok is a plasma-firing directing energy weaponry that exists in a soft-serve science fiction universe. While this form of lethal energy is shared among hundreds of sci-fi weapons, the Ma'Tok is unique in design and power output compare to the normal plasma DE weaponry</div></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>The Use of the Ma’Tok Staff by Tau'ri</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf71Qvn54ABWhzgiG8jK5nljDNBD_zRa-guqEeWoy5t4jmtA6oMl8yit0MH429bvAQ5Y6IGNPOoMEJf2Wq5ZM2muUnLmNRCTuIV85R4Qyneqsv3dK1-xXrjXcXlx5STkdU_yksiaP4mySXLgddlh71D83M7RvlHtc9iOnamYJ6DgkpSJzJmkTa2CaqTw/s505/Staff_Weapon_Fire%20(1).webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="505" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf71Qvn54ABWhzgiG8jK5nljDNBD_zRa-guqEeWoy5t4jmtA6oMl8yit0MH429bvAQ5Y6IGNPOoMEJf2Wq5ZM2muUnLmNRCTuIV85R4Qyneqsv3dK1-xXrjXcXlx5STkdU_yksiaP4mySXLgddlh71D83M7RvlHtc9iOnamYJ6DgkpSJzJmkTa2CaqTw/s320/Staff_Weapon_Fire%20(1).webp" width="320" /></a></div>When the first SG-1 team was sent out through the Stargate to the world of Abydos in the 1996, this small US Air Force off-world team made contact with the royal guard using the Ma'Tok...it was a tough introduction for the Tau'ri. Given the abilities of the Tau'ri weaponry and the advanced nature of the alien weaponry technology, the US government was interested in acquiring the directed energy weaponry that is well beyond the current Terran technological understanding. When Apophis made his presence known to the Tau'ri in 1997, the US government was able to get some examples of Ma'Tok and present them to retried Jack O'Neil. Once the SG-1 team was formed, the Tau'ri would use Jaffa weaponry from time-to-time. The Jaffa snake pistol was used more, due to it stun abilities, than the Ma'Tok, due to its size. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><u>What Does the Ma'Tok say about the Jaffa & the Goa'uld?</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IYN31xqSWoWzGo0No30X27nEirz4aZOu4tz2Da5Z6GFTUOzmYCElMOaBoIiZOI6lLphCuP75fXlQnce96TdTCyMeX8euGBxJjNd1GaDveB4tt8zLuIEFssaK0Uj6I4cwXc-88jJJ_Y2zsXzYF9P4yDQ8GOQgSa_zziWDr-le0GRTjtDn6dpYUY1lVg/s1023/0eba5653f88574ea435050030e26550b--stargate-universe-stargate-sg-%20(1).webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IYN31xqSWoWzGo0No30X27nEirz4aZOu4tz2Da5Z6GFTUOzmYCElMOaBoIiZOI6lLphCuP75fXlQnce96TdTCyMeX8euGBxJjNd1GaDveB4tt8zLuIEFssaK0Uj6I4cwXc-88jJJ_Y2zsXzYF9P4yDQ8GOQgSa_zziWDr-le0GRTjtDn6dpYUY1lVg/w268-h400/0eba5653f88574ea435050030e26550b--stargate-universe-stargate-sg-%20(1).webp" width="268" /></a></div>Every weapon tells a story about the society that produced it and along with when it was produced...and the Jaffa directed energy Ma'Tok staff weapon is no different. At times, style overtakes tactical considerations in weapons designs and a weapon purposefully designed to be more ritualistic in nature than effective on the battlefields that the Jaffa are deployed to across the Milky Way galaxy. Due to the Goa'uld sense of design and theater, their staff weapon was fashioned like a snake with technology culled from the Ancients, and the weapon design itself was a representation of their imperial religious nature. Members of the Tau'ri would associated the design of the staff to the ancient Egyptian culture. With all of this symbolism attached to the weapon, it would make sense that the Ma'Tok is symbolistic in its performance as a weapon. jack O'Neil stated famously the best summation of the Ma'Tok: "<i><b><span style="color: red;">This is a weapon of terror. It's made to intimidate the enemy</span></b></i>." The intimidation factor was applied to the fearsome abilities of the Jaffa staff weapon, the warriors themselves, and even the power of the Ma'Tok. However, when faced with the soldiers of the SG Teams armed with modern Terran weaponry, the limitations of the Jaffa staff directed-energy weapon were painfully shown. Despite this, the rebel and loyal Jaffa continued to use the Ma'Tok. When examining the Ma'Tok as a whole, the overall design and function demonstrates what the goal of the snake gods was and how they wanted to maintain their empire: through fear. That could be also extended to the incorporating of a melee function to the Ma'Tok. Smacking around the unwashed masses that offended the state imperial religion of the Goa'uld is another way of importing terror and submission...along with the cool armor worn by some of the Jaffa warriors</div><div> <br /><div><b><u>The Ma'Tok Variants</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCuR4y4UJ000G1CXfPz6q-NAP8W8v5FdprvctdqSLzItwlYJHMImk3IYpHVxmajxv9UzhakYcH0phmF2cSXj423isc3UjY2fZrrtXOwwJPZpdvwv9pBwY6LWE-M65fBOQ-cO3tyOjltRy1KWiVh-29Pw0ooXi8QuzuTug4ZXdQKNtwnpeuBCCRhogNw/s511/Sodanstaffweapon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="511" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCuR4y4UJ000G1CXfPz6q-NAP8W8v5FdprvctdqSLzItwlYJHMImk3IYpHVxmajxv9UzhakYcH0phmF2cSXj423isc3UjY2fZrrtXOwwJPZpdvwv9pBwY6LWE-M65fBOQ-cO3tyOjltRy1KWiVh-29Pw0ooXi8QuzuTug4ZXdQKNtwnpeuBCCRhogNw/w400-h225/Sodanstaffweapon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>-<u>The Sodan</u></div><div>This is shorter variant of the Jaffa Ma'Tok comes from the religious heretics of the Jaffa Sodan and comes in at 52.5 inches long verse the standard seven feet length of the Jaffa Ma'Tok.</div><div><br /></div><div>-<u>The Serqet</u></div>This Jaffa warrior woman is found in the web-series <i>Stargate Origins </i>and she customized her Ma'Tok that added a blade on it for use when she was acting as the right hand of Aset. Cool series. </div><div><br /></div><div>-<u>The Bashaak</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuO94JXRY1KW-bhy2dnVa9xMihqGyQpr-_ymYE1_GQIG5Q6jRM3NHUWooq77VS5Rp2bQulX6V_ngyufZiIAUAAnzJM2UdtnPea3TIShsEerSt6qcXPo4jY_13y5f4-aC437UZKX3oT8IjovoDFhWd5km2GqCk0HgGCzIgnkb8Nijt8FjlN96QDyoBaA/s773/Staffcannon1.PNG.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="773" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuO94JXRY1KW-bhy2dnVa9xMihqGyQpr-_ymYE1_GQIG5Q6jRM3NHUWooq77VS5Rp2bQulX6V_ngyufZiIAUAAnzJM2UdtnPea3TIShsEerSt6qcXPo4jY_13y5f4-aC437UZKX3oT8IjovoDFhWd5km2GqCk0HgGCzIgnkb8Nijt8FjlN96QDyoBaA/w400-h291/Staffcannon1.PNG.webp" width="400" /></a></div>This wooden Ma'Tok was used to train Jaffa warriors in the melee combat skills and carrying an Ma'Tok into battle. This would make the Bashaak a fancy quarterstaff. </div><div><br /></div><div>-<u>The Staff Cannon BFG</u></div><div>This crew-served directed energy weapon system that is a bridge between light artillery cannon and heavy machine gun. When used as field artilerry pieces, the staff cannon is mounted to a wheeled platform or a stand. These are also mounted on Goa'uld warships and even their Glider fighters. It "can" be a handheld weapon if you are Teal'c. These were first seen in the 1994 <i>Stargate</i> film on the Glider fighters. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><u>The Ma'Tok Prop from the Film and the Series and the Ma'Tok in Toy Form</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rgFH8B8dRCd7wPODbinFzGopeC2DfWwCTpq6ksI101xEBFlCJ3zcmez5D_GIMQMElbwcF_o8qtB9VibHZZ1goK6Uh9VQaJphh2S0Z46d5csT6iRlSSTKb3Imt_GUzl3c5JKV33CsOdy-xZYRjlfgApYYkmcAUyZXVPU1TfX5-zRh9RhqdrxQ8T9WuQ/s591/600full-my-profile2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rgFH8B8dRCd7wPODbinFzGopeC2DfWwCTpq6ksI101xEBFlCJ3zcmez5D_GIMQMElbwcF_o8qtB9VibHZZ1goK6Uh9VQaJphh2S0Z46d5csT6iRlSSTKb3Imt_GUzl3c5JKV33CsOdy-xZYRjlfgApYYkmcAUyZXVPU1TfX5-zRh9RhqdrxQ8T9WuQ/w269-h400/600full-my-profile2.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><i>Stargate</i> is longest running sci-fi television series in North America and the staff weapon has been there since the 1994 film. There are some differences between the film Ma'Tok and the TV Ma'Tok...however, there seems to be some confusion and misinformation out there. According to a few collectors, there were four "working" staff prop weapons on the set of the 1994 film and were run using compressed air to open the clamshell emitter head on the weapon. There more stunt and background staff weapons in the film. When the props arrived at the shoot location, one was broken, one did not function, leaving two that worked. Only one of the working prop staff weapons is known to exist and is in the hands of a collector. This idea that there was only one staff prop that opened, by either design or accident, is mentioned on many sites I found. So, the question begs itself...is there a difference between the Ma'Tok staffs from the TV series and the 1994 film? One being the size is an issue (that's what she said) due to it being not standard across the various props. One of the props from the TV show is listed at the dimensions of 84.25" × 7.09" × 3.54. Another prop from the show was listed as 76 inches in length. One of the few hero props from the 1994 film is 7ft and 7 inches. These are all close in size, but not the same. Very interesting. During a search of Ma'Tok props, I came across a unfinished staff prop from the 1994 film and it appears close to some items seen in the excellent Patrick Tatopoulus concept art for the Horus guard. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr00G4QgHfoMavlUj_ZA1Ike8pyqrsWx6fFFc8kBl8YtuixLx5QBOt_sld_z2k3TKoNIT5oYEcPLPHFkeSFsgiNZvFoBOr4K7Yyg8JtMGq2z-B0kfCEbMqEukN1AARn9mLUNiptqLiC9KPe7sjx7jbOpuDomGQ-AKzrTUsTysI_kK-S-A7Tou-kTRvtg/s1500/126959_0.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1500" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr00G4QgHfoMavlUj_ZA1Ike8pyqrsWx6fFFc8kBl8YtuixLx5QBOt_sld_z2k3TKoNIT5oYEcPLPHFkeSFsgiNZvFoBOr4K7Yyg8JtMGq2z-B0kfCEbMqEukN1AARn9mLUNiptqLiC9KPe7sjx7jbOpuDomGQ-AKzrTUsTysI_kK-S-A7Tou-kTRvtg/w400-h219/126959_0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It appears that this 1994 prop was a pre-production study staff before the final design. The description for the sale says that it is likely that the prop was never finished being "weaponized" by the production staff or the staff was going to be more magical than blaster like. For the 1994 film and the TV series, there was toys made by Hasbro and FWS will cover those in more depth in their own article because the 1994 toyline needs because it is very odd and very 90's. Both the "Horus" and "Anubis" guard figures came with a form of the Ma'Tok. Later on, there were much better figures with the staff made for the <i>Stargate: SG-1</i> TV series. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Staff Weapons in Science Fiction</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62Fn0oYNSrggWwLsxIUhoNUjeGB8Og1vi2-kHzWr5blwsDkEzw0soBN-lbUka_Am3cTS5FSb15w8LMNNINS8oXT8HN0g4Kye9X2KcQmhywIIw2P2hzfELpX4s0BSP-wZABo9fS2dl7Bm4S5qaPkdyvF2dHo7okhHUqQwb91q1X63S6ZeqY6ySVXBviw/s1243/staff_paurnfeyndt_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1243" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62Fn0oYNSrggWwLsxIUhoNUjeGB8Og1vi2-kHzWr5blwsDkEzw0soBN-lbUka_Am3cTS5FSb15w8LMNNINS8oXT8HN0g4Kye9X2KcQmhywIIw2P2hzfELpX4s0BSP-wZABo9fS2dl7Bm4S5qaPkdyvF2dHo7okhHUqQwb91q1X63S6ZeqY6ySVXBviw/w400-h246/staff_paurnfeyndt_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Human fashioned weaponry from natural sources likely has an origin point well before the <i>Homo </i>line. One of the earliest non-rock weapons every used by people throughout the <i>Homo</i> line and before was likely long branch or piece of wood. This would evolve into the spear and this weapon could be used as a stabbing weapon or a melee weapon depending on the target. Given the easy of crafting of a staff-like weapon and it's many uses in day-to-day activities, the staff became a common weapon of the people. Even today, old brooms, PVC pipe, and metal rods are used like staffs for playtime and urban street brawls. It makes sense that staff weapons of all times and designs would be added even if a blaster or laser sword is more sexy. To me, the addition of staff weapons in a science fiction setting is about the capitalization of the martial arts staff to a warrior character for the coolness factor. For <i>Stargate</i>, it was due to the Egyptian roots of the Goa'uld and others, like <i>B5</i>, did to up the coolness factor of a badass warrior-monk character. </div><div><br /></div><b><u>Other Staff-Based Weapons in Sci-Fi</u></b><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><u>The Imperial Royal Guard SoroSuub Controller Force Pike from <i>Star Wars</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkT-bSbIg9tVgO6Mifvj9PhaKgp-EWGt0w5t6ujSXmr8o4wVXVKNWUw6VLmFMpqwQg5CgO-z9nu8PUtYFJjy3sBQXnUxRgsb3DzDQLpqkAQecCyZFQIwyu3zzqZhhkh_wDqD7gIwTCJ7cxo2jdhfDY8d_FHFQvLUmagvyhonF1Z6POVzeJRVjGtEwDQ/s350/royal-guard_star-wars_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkT-bSbIg9tVgO6Mifvj9PhaKgp-EWGt0w5t6ujSXmr8o4wVXVKNWUw6VLmFMpqwQg5CgO-z9nu8PUtYFJjy3sBQXnUxRgsb3DzDQLpqkAQecCyZFQIwyu3zzqZhhkh_wDqD7gIwTCJ7cxo2jdhfDY8d_FHFQvLUmagvyhonF1Z6POVzeJRVjGtEwDQ/s320/royal-guard_star-wars_square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>In 1983, the infamous royal guard of the Emperor was seen walking along side him and guarding his throne room. Unlike the blacks, greys, and whites of most imperial uniforms and armor, the red of the royal guard popped and I took notice. I owned several of the original action figures and I've always loved the look and mystical nature of the royal guard. Over the years, we've gotten more information on them and their secret society to the point of ruining the mystery behind them. One of the elements that has been mocked by fans over the years as been the royal guard staff weapon, often called a pike. The melee weapons of the original royal guard were enhanced for the elite Pretorian guard for the war-crime-level <i>The Last Jedi. </i>The reason for the pike in <i>ROTJ</i> was to have the royal guard look ceremonial and separate them from the Stormtrooper corps along with connecting them to the Jedi/Sith weapon choices...they were of two worlds and they walked in the shadows of the Dark Side of the Force. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3tGHe4IzKh-y1Q4gnuu30_XAEpeiUB_qRTCue-jfGTOUXMMPDnURi1p_yRMx_JhunDCifyircrADpdMKaIBe_Hte5nAjO7gQ5QnRghBcqR7f-NmhPQLfc-65cIFf0hjz57bLvXC56Vp0zhWVENxApl2OTVgXaiQx8__dv65l2VUEKemDGkc-YlXlVQ/s3840/open-uri20150608-27674-1p7mnuy_f250858a.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2582" data-original-width="3840" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3tGHe4IzKh-y1Q4gnuu30_XAEpeiUB_qRTCue-jfGTOUXMMPDnURi1p_yRMx_JhunDCifyircrADpdMKaIBe_Hte5nAjO7gQ5QnRghBcqR7f-NmhPQLfc-65cIFf0hjz57bLvXC56Vp0zhWVENxApl2OTVgXaiQx8__dv65l2VUEKemDGkc-YlXlVQ/w400-h269/open-uri20150608-27674-1p7mnuy_f250858a.webp" width="400" /></a></div>While they do nearly nothing during the film besides stand and walk around, they did do something. In a deleted scene from the 3rd film, Moff Jerjerrod confronts Lord Vader and the Sith Lord Vader does take too kindly to be threated by a normal human and Force chokes the bitch. When this happens the Royal Guardmen rise their pikes to reveal that these pikes have an emitter on the tip of them. I decided to consult my copy of West End Games <i>Star Wars Imperial Sourcebook</i> from 1989. These were the SoroSuub Controller Force Pike 2 meters long and the Force Pike was used by stormtroopers, planetary patrols, bodyguards. These ranged in quality and ability due to the construction and wielder of the Force Pike, and naturally, the Royal Guardsmen were the expert users of the Force Pike. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorz38fWCcY1jiVO7-JP-vdAKKHJzfXcIkg7-W04uRQctoPrYVPxz8ThOM3GBqCTHioPkgvL6FnMyOHM2_v9eQP6dC_abWAG72QMUVUyvko_30zbNXBCBJ9BT1PaPBL0Tg6_JSziQSHVqX8D2w4gT2fdF81-Ylk29OxbunzJ6wt5M1yG-Umb8xcwwehg/s556/vintERGloose.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorz38fWCcY1jiVO7-JP-vdAKKHJzfXcIkg7-W04uRQctoPrYVPxz8ThOM3GBqCTHioPkgvL6FnMyOHM2_v9eQP6dC_abWAG72QMUVUyvko_30zbNXBCBJ9BT1PaPBL0Tg6_JSziQSHVqX8D2w4gT2fdF81-Ylk29OxbunzJ6wt5M1yG-Umb8xcwwehg/s320/vintERGloose.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>The vibro-edged head of the Force Pike could be used to stun or even kill in conjunction with being used as a melee weapon. In the hands of the Royal Guard, the Force Pike was a deadly weapon and few that the training of the Mandalorian, the Jedi, or the Sith could stand toe-to-toe with them. Given that the Royal Guard appear in a <i>Star Wars </i>production, we know that there were toys of them...lots of them. I owned the original figure in 1983 and had it for years. The majority of Force Pikes in the package with the original <i>ROTJ</i> figure were bent and the pike had a handgrip for the figure. It wasn't until better molding technology that we got better representations of the Force Pike seen in the film into plastic, like the 2016 Black Series 6inch figure (which is fucking awesome!). </div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Anla'Shok Fighting Pike <i>Denn'bok</i> from <i>Babylon 5</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTTG_9uElgTGTnvjwejwUqSc2bcp8_W_k7AqKfv1LULG53aTjtwoqxmBlAHoNQHQy-qSKZk1x1Yx6muyACtkQA0G8EnqhbrhC_Q8ZkagDfj_n2A_NhoYPz7ywhkPE7flhk-LYzNGZHjaZ73wryVKhxUcGsmSDnumWQ0kpDMrxoc2G0i842_LaQM2TyA/s578/MarcusCole.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="578" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTTG_9uElgTGTnvjwejwUqSc2bcp8_W_k7AqKfv1LULG53aTjtwoqxmBlAHoNQHQy-qSKZk1x1Yx6muyACtkQA0G8EnqhbrhC_Q8ZkagDfj_n2A_NhoYPz7ywhkPE7flhk-LYzNGZHjaZ73wryVKhxUcGsmSDnumWQ0kpDMrxoc2G0i842_LaQM2TyA/s320/MarcusCole.webp" width="320" /></a></div>During the peak years for <i>Babylon 5</i>, we get the "cool character" in Ranger Marcus Cole in the episode "Matter of Honor". He was British, was a warrior-monk that laid down some knowledge and beat-downs via his alien stick and had a death that made the teenager me cry. At times, B5 would overplay a theme, character, or event and the Anla'Shok were one of those elements. To capitalize on the cool element of the Rangers, they were heavily blended with the Jedi and a martial artist and that meant that these space rangers were given them a staff weapon. The weapon is a traditional Minbari weapon that goes back to the days of Valen and is called the "Denn'bok". This weapon came from the non-Minbari weapon called "Barrken" from the insect Tak'cha race. When Valen had training with members of the Tak'cha race, the staff combat was folded into Minbari culture. With modern Minbari technology, the Denn'bok could be retraced into the palm of a hand and expended for combat up to 5 five long in a flash. Some of these pikes were very old and passed down in the Ranger community after a Ranger retired or died. Fans have reproduced the collapsed and extended staff weapon. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Vulcan Lipra from <i>Star Trek</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGucUmpv5VuFwHtflKpOsMke8Gek5zlyPKeDS3PviRAwN-m9iagZGS7fmno8SxHSg6Oy77yZev3xSExpxic5o8EqJoXWrRY_jLtb2FCLOw6iIj-83kpkZhpcVaoFtRqaIk91Umni8Mo3duN9kTKGF1haCJQdoU4JQCWYCbNOtwoDJ5wMmPr0m3mXIxA/s1175/lirpa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1175" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGucUmpv5VuFwHtflKpOsMke8Gek5zlyPKeDS3PviRAwN-m9iagZGS7fmno8SxHSg6Oy77yZev3xSExpxic5o8EqJoXWrRY_jLtb2FCLOw6iIj-83kpkZhpcVaoFtRqaIk91Umni8Mo3duN9kTKGF1haCJQdoU4JQCWYCbNOtwoDJ5wMmPr0m3mXIxA/w400-h231/lirpa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the first melee weapons seen in the OG ST was the Vulcan Lipra from the critical 2nd season episode "Amok Time". According the background of the franchise, the Lipra is a traditional Vulcan weapon that holds a special place in the Vulcan ancient history. Featuring a moon-shaped blade, a club, and a staff, the weapon became a part of ritual and tradition. It was actually used for combat as we witness in the last season of<i> ST: ENT</i> due to the conditions of The Forge. Due to the iconic scenes of Kirk and Spock fighting in "Amok Time", the Lipra has gained a nearly legendary status in <i>Trek </i>franchise history despite it looking like a gardening tool. With it being a legendary weapon, it does pop up in other<i> Star Trek</i> works like <i>Lower Decks</i>. <br /></div><div><br /></div><u>The High Guard Force-Lance from </u><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBes-1W0el68n7GgRlqBwzZ8CrDGxYW_2e_N2cVbXu0Omm7jE6uUa-CSIIs37Jw8NDTlOC2LgKPUjYwciQ04BJTL4zr6mu67XoS_8Z-IEviBFCGWTxC2ycLZFj49VRHgo5VDekN_-nuLd_j7J8uKqkSPRqtyD_m9AEQkrlReex1hWquz-enfoLfD_VA/s852/as2ie7q4t5t31.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="852" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBes-1W0el68n7GgRlqBwzZ8CrDGxYW_2e_N2cVbXu0Omm7jE6uUa-CSIIs37Jw8NDTlOC2LgKPUjYwciQ04BJTL4zr6mu67XoS_8Z-IEviBFCGWTxC2ycLZFj49VRHgo5VDekN_-nuLd_j7J8uKqkSPRqtyD_m9AEQkrlReex1hWquz-enfoLfD_VA/w400-h225/as2ie7q4t5t31.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div>During the time of the first Systems Commonwealth, the High Guard military force used an unusual weapon as their primary sidearm for all High Guard forces: the Force Lance (AKA F-Lance). Built a s an omni-weapon for many different tactical situations and environments, the Force Lance was marvel of the Systems Commonwealth. Designed to fire plasma-based directed energy charges or smart bullets known as "effectors", the Force-Lance could engage targets in both lethal and non-lethal means. The Force Lance was a little over 11 inches in its most compact form (Mark 5 and Mark 6 units) and could extend up to 2 meters to act as a melee weapon with the directed-energy feature being still usable in the extended melee mode. Behind the scenes, the Force-Lance props were mocked by the actors and a number of penis/dildo jokes were exchanged about the Force-Lance design with star Kevin Sorbo saying repeatedly, "have seen my Force-Lance?". I firmly believe that the Force Lance drew influence from the Ranger staff weapon from <i>Babylon 5</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The DE Staff Weapon of the </u><u>Linnarean Guard from <i>ST:SNW</i> "</u><u>Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach</u><u>"</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJyCnvJekQTtqtIxFwZAudEIKg_CQJ1z7rusiLEMrJVFIpqe99B3btjLfKikyiPiTa1P2iaAxRWy3WWpDGytEgZkTBtMql00n54maLSFsL8EyGs6DcGhUrwpvb_ak5j4k76j6RFEpcK5b_Srryesfe4trTr3Lvndt5JvClcFmJdx2FnlIcugL_aGlZA/s1500/snw-106-post-16.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJyCnvJekQTtqtIxFwZAudEIKg_CQJ1z7rusiLEMrJVFIpqe99B3btjLfKikyiPiTa1P2iaAxRWy3WWpDGytEgZkTBtMql00n54maLSFsL8EyGs6DcGhUrwpvb_ak5j4k76j6RFEpcK5b_Srryesfe4trTr3Lvndt5JvClcFmJdx2FnlIcugL_aGlZA/w400-h266/snw-106-post-16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the SNW episode "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach", we are introduced to the Majalan system and the unique society that lives there and the role of one young boy in holding together the society: the First Servant. Protecting the First Servant is the Linnarean Guard. During an inspection of the Guard to uncover if there is a traitor among them, there is a fight by the traitor and we see their weapon in action. A beautiful staff weapon with a devastating directed energy blast that seems about to be wielded easily by the guard more so than other staff weapons on this list. Like most of <i>ST:SNW</i>, it was a very good episode. <br /></div><div><br /></div><u>The Staff of the MCP Guards from </u><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">TRON </i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNmOopVxQ6O-3j362FErdZU5163wfhDYblYo-71L1d_QkHBBs7Adthh-QW4KsiTQJJuPHrb8MY7HM2R4zsuMJ9CblBPWfj79JM9Npta4Qx6dTppljG7Np4Bv_OHKyYEDWavF45xzYnNzGl4lDz7AcAh73dfRMRIxO59SqfM7afePdIvQv-BeDwmYM_w/s480/tron1982-kiontrailer_snap.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNmOopVxQ6O-3j362FErdZU5163wfhDYblYo-71L1d_QkHBBs7Adthh-QW4KsiTQJJuPHrb8MY7HM2R4zsuMJ9CblBPWfj79JM9Npta4Qx6dTppljG7Np4Bv_OHKyYEDWavF45xzYnNzGl4lDz7AcAh73dfRMRIxO59SqfM7afePdIvQv-BeDwmYM_w/w400-h300/tron1982-kiontrailer_snap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the standout films of the 1980s was 1982's TRON from Disney due to its arresting use of computer technology and a story set with the digital realm. While a flop, it has become one of the symbols of a cult classic. In the film, the Master Control Program developed by Ed Dillinger is running one of the largest technology companies in the world: ENCOM. In the digital realm, the MCP is the overlord of the digital world and the programs serve him and his empire as it expands into other systems. One of the henchmen of the MCP is Sark and he commands an army of red-glowing security programs in cyberspace. These guards of the MCP digital empire are these heavily hooded and clothed in some sort of armor that glows red and their faces are rarely seen. In their heavily gloved hands is a pike or staff that glows and produces a shock to move programs from one area of the gaming grid to the other. These guards, the lowest in the MCP army, rely on terror and intimation rather than martial abelites as seen in their fights with Tron. These guard figures (called 'warrior" for the toyline) from TRON were produced for the 1982 TOMY toyline, which I had all of them, and these "warriors" came with a staff. This was a glow-in-the-dark thin piece of yellowish plastic and it was mostly bent in the package. Odd toys. <br /><div><br /></div></div><div><u>Diana's Staff Weapon from the <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> Cartoon</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfAsVLRan4j_DAw76IqatJanIsTtGctyaoVQAomMx_ZhCkhEQhTVWjCcSoAJjhhBcfI4BO72t8gbtrhdnWt2FDKF9GWCDmaKyiizgpFujMVWbQfnZuSGOFc93G1Fqtvz4cXfyZCa7iQufu9vRhjLAJ5D7894-9jfKAw--8WrdQN6cVclUTceNcNrPvA/s707/Diana_the_Acrobat_-_Staff.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="707" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfAsVLRan4j_DAw76IqatJanIsTtGctyaoVQAomMx_ZhCkhEQhTVWjCcSoAJjhhBcfI4BO72t8gbtrhdnWt2FDKF9GWCDmaKyiizgpFujMVWbQfnZuSGOFc93G1Fqtvz4cXfyZCa7iQufu9vRhjLAJ5D7894-9jfKAw--8WrdQN6cVclUTceNcNrPvA/w400-h305/Diana_the_Acrobat_-_Staff.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div>From 1983-1985 CBS, Marvel, and Toei Animation made a bold experiment that is fondly remembered by us that watched back in the day: the <i>D&D Animated TV series</i>. One of the party members was a 14 year old African-American girl that was instructed in acrobatics and with the DM assigned her a weapon and skill set, she was given the glowing staff weapon that used magic to be expanded from a few inches when carried and could expand up to six feet. Throughout the show, Diana would use the staff in a variety of ways including as a melee weapon, throwing weapon, pole vaulting. It was one of the best weapons in the hands of the adventurers. While this example is outside of the military science fiction genre, I fondly remember this show and I wanted to include it. </div><div><br /></div><u>Chirrut Imwe Staff Weapon from <i>Star Wars: Rogue One</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimchgHQ2tAtVZjQJTM5nbUjMUC33xJnmk1LF8gk2RH_lS9zEFQzrT-ufjRe80qTGIL3zxOQBU95TfrpEy3HtnV44auLyt4c6N60V8BstJi4j6IQh7HZoCTFz6pSGr6O4G9-fjsyg6OsXmmBR1kEWTrXKX8IMnDvp19wL2CwqHLKXJa4md25bFPSp4ryA/s640/636176089085335224-ENTER-MOVIE-ROGUEONE-CHARACTERS-1-FR.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimchgHQ2tAtVZjQJTM5nbUjMUC33xJnmk1LF8gk2RH_lS9zEFQzrT-ufjRe80qTGIL3zxOQBU95TfrpEy3HtnV44auLyt4c6N60V8BstJi4j6IQh7HZoCTFz6pSGr6O4G9-fjsyg6OsXmmBR1kEWTrXKX8IMnDvp19wL2CwqHLKXJa4md25bFPSp4ryA/w400-h301/636176089085335224-ENTER-MOVIE-ROGUEONE-CHARACTERS-1-FR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Among the cast of interesting characters in <i>Rogue One</i> was the Guardian of the Whills, Chirrut Imwe. One of the highly trained Guardians of the Whills on the moon of Jedha in the martial art of Zama-Shiwo. Unlike the similar Jedi, this warrior-monk possessed a flame-hardened uneti-wood staff that was just as deadly and allowed him to disarm a number of hapless stormtroopers. One of the cool elements of the staff was that there was a Kyber Crystal in the handle of the staff to allow for a light source and some harmonic abilities...this also tied him to his order and the Jedi. Given the film's desire to have a warrior-monk that wasn't a Jedi, the inclusion of a traditional weapon of Asian monks seemed the likely path and the character of Chirrut Imwe was gifted the staff. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Staff Weapon of Jaylah from <i>Star Trek Beyond</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXnMU_QEyaH9Ij4iNQMVCrvLtIYOH6vwlN75znTRt4R1c1ZxfC_IH7u8WQvfNy9HmVZBcDrYzriQhpZcxh2swa2hipKDe3LHxttgyw5bMg-eeDFBxX0mCewE8QReBHoPk-cqLDJAnIpwytEkNd00ijlR9zwDQ3dkq-9mG0VxA3PUMnPozGfzcMm3gaw/s1280/Sofia_Boutella_and_Justin_Lin.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXnMU_QEyaH9Ij4iNQMVCrvLtIYOH6vwlN75znTRt4R1c1ZxfC_IH7u8WQvfNy9HmVZBcDrYzriQhpZcxh2swa2hipKDe3LHxttgyw5bMg-eeDFBxX0mCewE8QReBHoPk-cqLDJAnIpwytEkNd00ijlR9zwDQ3dkq-9mG0VxA3PUMnPozGfzcMm3gaw/w400-h266/Sofia_Boutella_and_Justin_Lin.webp" width="400" /></a></div>As many of you know, I am not a fan of the J.J. Abrams <i>Nu-Trek</i> series of films and their place in the wide world of <i>Trek</i>. I think that they are a waste of time and money for which we could have gotten canon-<i>Trek </i>works. In the mercifully last of the <i>Nu-Trek</i> films, <i>Beyond</i>, we get the alien female character of Jaylah and she carried a staff-energy rifle weapon throughout most of the film. The staff weapon was constructed while her family was marooned on Altamid. She was trained to use the weapon by her older sister Keelah and by a holodisk her sister made. This training came in handy when was alone and faced off the many salvagers and enemies on Altamid. <br /><br /></div><div><u>Rey's Quarterstaff from the <i>Star Wars </i>Sequel trilogy </u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzin41FdsJ1_E0n44tsiL-FVzZJzkDyE_6-LyuI0bmPjNJTVHYMLm4zASJp2JnDWtRUtBV6caK4YgmP7qQThrtZnDpx58hhmLiufignwGjhMa1oKUXBiUfJ5emMNnroQDIHWftteiHg70yybgOOrTUYKQNP63ZiUggqRGTakYZ1QJ1OTIltHG8q4XXBw/s819/tumblr_inline_o0i074O0Xu1sgm97w_1280.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzin41FdsJ1_E0n44tsiL-FVzZJzkDyE_6-LyuI0bmPjNJTVHYMLm4zASJp2JnDWtRUtBV6caK4YgmP7qQThrtZnDpx58hhmLiufignwGjhMa1oKUXBiUfJ5emMNnroQDIHWftteiHg70yybgOOrTUYKQNP63ZiUggqRGTakYZ1QJ1OTIltHG8q4XXBw/w313-h400/tumblr_inline_o0i074O0Xu1sgm97w_1280.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>As I said above, I am not a fan of some of the new trilogies based on franchises from my 80's childhood. The Sequel Trilogy was much like the <i>Nu-Trek </i>series of films was a waste of time, money, and effort by people who did not know what they were doing and what they were playing with. At the beginning of the new <i>Star Wars</i> films, we all had hope with <i>The Force Awakens</i> and then the idea fell badly apart. For much of Ray's time onscreen, she has this odd looking staff and it is used to defend herself in the harsh environment of Jakku. It is likely that this staff is constructed from parts of the starship wreckage on Jakku and later the staff pieces and parts were used to construct the shell of Rey's Lightsaber at the merciful conclusion of the shitty sequel trilogy. I was always impressed with the look and construction of the prop. It has been remade many times for the cosplay community from items found at a local hardware store. I always wondered if Daisy Ridley has one of the hero props in her possession. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2LM9jjfnANTk8tu4JfVaIxW5jHA-_v3DVG1536J1snPNs6l9eyCvpTZE1y4_c3Ee9V9QOKkk4WnsyInePrQUFWAiZVLUioJ84Zd1B_6sEpH-PtE-pzOSa3mOa8dsnX2FO4OQAwlJ4EBqFqN3jYnm2JY3xCGYatzilwiv6USZ2UY-lNk0AWmd3qWV1w/s1600/PoA.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2LM9jjfnANTk8tu4JfVaIxW5jHA-_v3DVG1536J1snPNs6l9eyCvpTZE1y4_c3Ee9V9QOKkk4WnsyInePrQUFWAiZVLUioJ84Zd1B_6sEpH-PtE-pzOSa3mOa8dsnX2FO4OQAwlJ4EBqFqN3jYnm2JY3xCGYatzilwiv6USZ2UY-lNk0AWmd3qWV1w/w400-h300/PoA.webp" width="400" /></a></div>In the inventories of all navies are the workhorses that deliver the mail, the ammunition, the fuel, the food, and the parts to the combat ships and the battlefields...they are the transport vessels. These are the lesser to the sexy battleships, dreadnoughts, cruisers, and frigates of the combat naval classifications, but they are just (if not more so) important to the war effort as those warships. In the realm of sci-fi, the transport vessel is one of the most used and famous. In the one of the last of the <u>Ships of the Line</u> series, we shall be exploring and explaining the assault ships, troop transports, and transports of science fiction . And yes, I will attempt to justify the inclusion of the <i>Pillar of Autumn</i> from HALO. <br /></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-36745380243081561772023-01-07T15:33:00.000-06:002023-01-07T15:33:19.619-06:00FWS Status Update for 2023: What the Hell is Going on with FWS?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfNKH3QseY2Tiqy7T9VcWSRF3CmfS795WZEjlsASNXccFvdDrPhFTM-r16Mo0CtQONcf9e5kddMOpa_7urszgRdEf0wA9sqSGgkhFSdU8Do2Mp2j8lc9Y521518mqP2Ya1pOA3qnacotRVw9Tp-C5QwBpYGRIFx4Teovt5mTdL3OUo81Urbk-t1oF-Q/s1200/picard-meme-facepalm.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfNKH3QseY2Tiqy7T9VcWSRF3CmfS795WZEjlsASNXccFvdDrPhFTM-r16Mo0CtQONcf9e5kddMOpa_7urszgRdEf0wA9sqSGgkhFSdU8Do2Mp2j8lc9Y521518mqP2Ya1pOA3qnacotRVw9Tp-C5QwBpYGRIFx4Teovt5mTdL3OUo81Urbk-t1oF-Q/w640-h480/picard-meme-facepalm.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As of late, FWS has been...dim. Normally, we create around 14-16 articles a year and in 2022, that number dropped to around 11. That is not good and my present on the social media outlets as also not good. That needs to chance or I need to close down FWS and move on to something else. Recently, I have been playing way too much <i>Destiny 2</i>. It is not fair to you dear readers. I want FWS to continue and at times, I am the one that is in the way of the site due to my life. I will endeavor to be better about that. I am exploring the possibility of moving FWS off of blogger to the lack of fixes and updates associated with the site into its own website. Stay tuned for more information. There will be not be any major changes in 2023 and the work of FWS will continue because I need this site for me and my own desires, I hope you do as well. </p><p>So, what topics will be covered in 2023? Here is a teaser...</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Jaffa Staff Weapon is being worked on and it has been difficult to write and research. Nearly finished</li><li>The STARCOM toyline</li><li>The Jackhammer shotgun</li><li>The size of outer space and how creators deal with that</li><li>The profile of the Colonial Military seen in the rebooted <i>Battlestar Galactica</i></li><li>The broken promise of season five of <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i></li><li>The Jin-Roh anime</li><li>The Andromeda TV show is odd</li><li>Destiny is odd as well</li><li>The Top 10 Military SF book cover art</li><li>The<i> Final Countdown</i> 1980 film</li><li>Military Dogs</li><li>The Guns of the Future from the film <i>Elysium </i></li><li>The M16</li><li>Killer Alien Robots from Outer Space</li><li>Ships of the Line: Explorers</li><li>HALO: Reach</li><li>Interceptor/Superior Starfighters </li></ul><p></p><p></p>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-58086707118316347212022-11-26T21:10:00.002-06:002022-11-26T21:10:16.812-06:00FWS Top 10: Forgotten Military SF Video Games (Vol. 9)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BioyMGoDFgcx4byt3b894npnIBVNaZue2nj8_LcBt6TVI_OuY8QvVyOpwMs6SHYLO0E-jpqOdKIWZSO2X7f6ffZJREIeiaA_nlqi3Vp9wiBRz257WQic7Jv4xTnMBo3fkzvbkExPQvNP/s1600/206322-hyperspeed-dos-screenshot-briefing-on-your-ships.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BioyMGoDFgcx4byt3b894npnIBVNaZue2nj8_LcBt6TVI_OuY8QvVyOpwMs6SHYLO0E-jpqOdKIWZSO2X7f6ffZJREIeiaA_nlqi3Vp9wiBRz257WQic7Jv4xTnMBo3fkzvbkExPQvNP/w640-h400/206322-hyperspeed-dos-screenshot-briefing-on-your-ships.png" width="640" /></a></div>
While I attempt to gain new insight into the world of <i>Stargate SG-1 </i>staff weaponry, I thought we would have another installment of the Forgotten Military SF video games...number nine to be correct. On this list are a few I am very familiar with and a few I never heard of....<br />
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1. <b><u>The Wing Commander Ports to the Super Nintendo (1992-1993)</u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMTI50jOlIpuLfSyQtlMDzUfb4kbzY6-0EOKmcrFa65CPSBvPeatmC1uQKilmP4ip3UciTaumC0il6E-FnlOd0o3lB89RUXqkL8Vy0Xauqm7fFVGKJBq1vUXhXcbYU8W0RWQt8fuccQ0mb1Td7idrnWcbxHGRzHpE3fU1ORHVDVKqlLMUuXkA0W8R3A/s1600/secretmissionsposter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMTI50jOlIpuLfSyQtlMDzUfb4kbzY6-0EOKmcrFa65CPSBvPeatmC1uQKilmP4ip3UciTaumC0il6E-FnlOd0o3lB89RUXqkL8Vy0Xauqm7fFVGKJBq1vUXhXcbYU8W0RWQt8fuccQ0mb1Td7idrnWcbxHGRzHpE3fU1ORHVDVKqlLMUuXkA0W8R3A/w400-h300/secretmissionsposter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the 1990's, being a PC gamer allowed one to play games not one the 4th generation of home video game consoles...or so we thought. I was a PC gamer during the days of the ATARI Jaguar, Sega Genesis, and the SNES, and I fucking loved <i>Wing Commander</i> and <i>X-Wing. </i>However, it was recently bought to my attention that one of the most beloved military sci-fi games of all time, <i>Wing Commander, </i>was ported to the Super Nintendo along with the expansion pack of <i>Wing Commander Secret Missions. </i>Between 1992 and 1993, SNES had ports of <i>WC1 </i>and <i>WC:SM</i> on the carts and this way, the home console gamer could have the <i>Wing Commander</i> experience. These were not the only ports of the PC space fighter combat game, the Sega Genesis CD got a port as well. These ports of the legendary PC game fade from the gamers' collective memory due to the overshadowing of the original PC games. <br /><div><br /></div><div>2. <b><u>Starflight (EA 1986)</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_1j9uGAIaRCR3B6Iek_wuMRosp_kh18zDTkbj0ktPBEWqYbSfJmeRn4n9beGiYZiPjSK629--5bS7TDzkNm2zcOpFCaJ26tjPjjlZC8IlD8eSVQHtxcBA5RWZaQUxEe1BDC2Y1UMU5drLYK8P3lwN_aBNfK-N8lPIAg0ClQUftFiTwdMkiElOTszag/s2100/2374539-genesis_starflight_eu.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_1j9uGAIaRCR3B6Iek_wuMRosp_kh18zDTkbj0ktPBEWqYbSfJmeRn4n9beGiYZiPjSK629--5bS7TDzkNm2zcOpFCaJ26tjPjjlZC8IlD8eSVQHtxcBA5RWZaQUxEe1BDC2Y1UMU5drLYK8P3lwN_aBNfK-N8lPIAg0ClQUftFiTwdMkiElOTszag/s320/2374539-genesis_starflight_eu.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
In 1986, a five-man team at a small software company called Binary Systems, developed one of the best space exploration simulations of all time...and I'd never heard of it. That game is the EA/Binary Systems <i>Starflight</i>. For some that completely missed or forgot about <i>Starflight</i>, in 2011, the director of <i>Mass Effect</i> said in a tweet that <i>Starflight</i> was key element for one of the best video games of all time. In the game, you are a captain of a 47th century exploration vessel and depart from the world of Arth. This world was once part of the Old Empire and the only place in the galaxy that humans still live on. During the exploration mission, a bigger, more important mission comes to light. Gameplay bounces between exploring, ship-to-ship combat, shopping, and meeting aliens. From 1986 to 1991, the game ported to most computer platforms and even the Sega Mega-Drive/Genesis. Even today, <i>Starflight </i>makes the list for one of the best computer games of all time and it has spawned many children, including <i>Mass Effect. </i>For some, <i>Starflight</i>, is a well-loved title and for others (me), we have no knowledge of this game.<br /><br /></div><div>3. <b><u>Lightspeed and Hyperspeed (MPS Labs 1990 and 1991)</u></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKcCzn6-Nkn4ayvYrzzSO3W_Iid8KEiyUPQyj8ncJUDjWZfiRZzHCT7Rqp0zqYrKF4NojW486rBlJtgPxFLaBg9ywBYVcJ9bamBwjX9oo56UynH8FFlw1lj17mHG1h1ERu6ykM-ctpJXRoSB1zAKlIWS_gX7gqMiLAJO1xY82me6771YyQuXGKOo1lQ/s940/217642-hyperspeed-dos-front-cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKcCzn6-Nkn4ayvYrzzSO3W_Iid8KEiyUPQyj8ncJUDjWZfiRZzHCT7Rqp0zqYrKF4NojW486rBlJtgPxFLaBg9ywBYVcJ9bamBwjX9oo56UynH8FFlw1lj17mHG1h1ERu6ykM-ctpJXRoSB1zAKlIWS_gX7gqMiLAJO1xY82me6771YyQuXGKOo1lQ/w340-h400/217642-hyperspeed-dos-front-cover.jpg" width="340" /></a></div></div><div>During the heyday of computer gaming in the DOS era, there was the game studio MicroProse Software Labs that developed some classics for the old PC boxes, and two were space exploration games called <i>Lightspeed </i>& <i>Hyperspeed</i>. I never heard of these games, but watching playthroughs of the 1990 and 1991 games, I was impresssed. There was exploration, trade, and combat all wrapped into the experiences with unique alien races. Your ship, <i>The Trailblazer</i> spindrives through the cosmos looking for colonial real estate, resources, and upgrades. If the concept was upgrade for today's audience and technological standards...this could be amazing and similar to the <i>Mass Effect</i> games. Why was it lost to time? These were hard media games that came out just computers were entering the daily lives of people and computer gaming was about to reach the more accepted level. While popular at the time of release and compared to the <i>Wing Commander</i> games, they were overshadowed and the experience of these types of space exploration games was only improved by technology. The game is still available online if you are interested. </div><div><br /></div><div>
4. <b><u>APPLESEED (VISIT 1994)</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgVN6dP7ejyc19D2wnkoCqnKhf4u02yUjZI29L0fIPaMlNr2FTrIpDOYdCMb1O3msMXKZGdSt8Y39t3j4UQTJJpZZZkXUcM67YW639CqsW6roe_QxJcWm5v8EXsjxDUYqCYnVKK-k6lF29DvaIW3jwvJ9f8Jog-vMh_SsuiIp7G9Wi5G9X1bTCHVLDA/s1024/large.1800777813_AppleseedPrometheusnoShintaku(Japan).jpg.68c557058331f44db0c4eefb3c4b157a.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgVN6dP7ejyc19D2wnkoCqnKhf4u02yUjZI29L0fIPaMlNr2FTrIpDOYdCMb1O3msMXKZGdSt8Y39t3j4UQTJJpZZZkXUcM67YW639CqsW6roe_QxJcWm5v8EXsjxDUYqCYnVKK-k6lF29DvaIW3jwvJ9f8Jog-vMh_SsuiIp7G9Wi5G9X1bTCHVLDA/w300-h400/large.1800777813_AppleseedPrometheusnoShintaku(Japan).jpg.68c557058331f44db0c4eefb3c4b157a.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>To many of us fans of military science fiction anime and manga, one of the big names is <i>APPLESEED</i>. This Masamune Shirow penned post-WWWIII world of utopias, robots, and ESWAT is one that been mostly unsuccessfully brought into other media outside of the graphic novel. While its cousin, <i>Ghost in the Shell</i>, has one of the best anime films of all time, <i>APPLESEED</i> does not and the license video game from 1994 on the Super Famicom as "<i>APPLESEED: Prometheus no Shintaku</i>", was also a blackeye on the manga title. This game is a basic run-and-gun side-scroller, which was the style at the time, inhabiting the characters of Deunan Knute & Briareos Hecatonchires, you slide-scroll through four not-well-designed levels and battle enemies. The reviews are not kind on this one and it was only released in Japan on the Super Famicom system, given why none of us westerns have heard about it before the modern internet. Personally, it should stay in Japan along with the terrible PS2 game as well. <br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>5. <b><u>Final DOOM! (GT Interactive 1996)</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwfWLHk5GbdRKHpjsaYEdeZfI3AfI2juKs8JrLu5mQYq9_V-CDisaxGNuXWCGGmTMglVFbk0bVJQcoTVSnEoCN3yJOlQ3wBYRmGVZ7dGSuTdCoKbWYFJ63mythmo7AHGr4PSMNWg7jP5-aQ-_jjkHriI3nULIU06_xObZ_NnbKK1GxxUcCZRg_xQtnQ/s1200/1630119495_cover%20art.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="807" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwfWLHk5GbdRKHpjsaYEdeZfI3AfI2juKs8JrLu5mQYq9_V-CDisaxGNuXWCGGmTMglVFbk0bVJQcoTVSnEoCN3yJOlQ3wBYRmGVZ7dGSuTdCoKbWYFJ63mythmo7AHGr4PSMNWg7jP5-aQ-_jjkHriI3nULIU06_xObZ_NnbKK1GxxUcCZRg_xQtnQ/w269-h400/1630119495_cover%20art.jpg" width="269" /></a>In the history of video games, there are few that could match the impact of Id Software's DOOM that stormed onto the world in the winter of 1993. I was there and remember the storm and and digital blood. It was glorious. During the core popular years of the classic DOOM, there was tons of map packs sold, both licensed and unlicensed to the hungry hordes of unwashed gamers. DOOM at the time was like an ATM for Id and other publishers. Some of these extra DOOM levels were seemingly official Id Software titles like the D!Zone disks. When I finally got an original PlayStation in 1996, one of the games I bought was Final DOOM released by GT Interactive and Williams Interactive in summer of 1996. This became the DOOM game that played most of the classic DOOM games. What Final DOOM was two 32-level designed by Team TNT called: TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment. According to the "story" of DOOM, these events took place after the events of DOOM: II. The reviews and legacy are all over the place with this one. Some heated it, calling it a cash grab and meaningless...but I disagree. I enjoyed this on the old PlayStation and I think it deserves to be remembered for what it was at the time. <br /></div><div>
6. <b><u>Xenophobe ( Bally Midway 1987)</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNyLp7bQBW5dr8Ma7yg4YvVxKfe57T9veFGFEAqSJSIXn4GUT4Of5HDDZVV1VXZEJhrQHA1NTIvR-NuHMXx7fTFZRswTC9C-3mtCswmVsEHae51h57-jlKYkt1wO7QyUA7JuAi05eflYZlk5Miw4lAAt6jEu1beKE1O07e4fVWS9QX2TmuiVXzNYirA/s1040/xenophob%20(1).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="805" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNyLp7bQBW5dr8Ma7yg4YvVxKfe57T9veFGFEAqSJSIXn4GUT4Of5HDDZVV1VXZEJhrQHA1NTIvR-NuHMXx7fTFZRswTC9C-3mtCswmVsEHae51h57-jlKYkt1wO7QyUA7JuAi05eflYZlk5Miw4lAAt6jEu1beKE1O07e4fVWS9QX2TmuiVXzNYirA/w310-h400/xenophob%20(1).png" width="310" /></a></div>FWS has covered this icon of 1980s arcade machines and <i>Xenophobe</i> is my favor arcade title of all time! This game was designed from the DNA of 1986's <i>ALIENS</i> and if Bally had their way, it would have been a licensed <i>ALIENS</i> video game, but the production team fought against it and persevered the uniqueness of the title. <i>Xenophobe</i> was a common arcade game and was ported to most major systems with the ATARI Lynx being the best at the time. I love this game and it is the only arcade game I would own. This game was forgotten by some due to coming at apex of the golden era of the classic arcades. One of the most unique features of the original game was the three player split screen and the music...oh man, the music!!! Another cool element was how the portable ATARI Lynx game created an ending not in the original arcade ROM. After many levels, the human hunter starship arrives at the Xeno homeworld to battle the Xeno Queen. Cool unqiue element in the ATARI Lynx system. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><br /></div><div>
7.<b><u> Predator (Activison, 1987)</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9FtBguDil-N7G5xDw_hbqWOlaj-jqoZBVZFceddJyotawM4IbRYhF4WlGrLPEqmB-_jPaER4T-HO6nqjJcioRrt-MoLeT5YKuqXW-aFr7da3h62L41_GBdZwdD8KwHbpS_9LfJPoM8gn-lrZfhS-ZUy5R2Gcm0R5RgnL04jguQ6BtxVOOuxlRrWwpQ/s640/61248-predator-amiga-screenshot-a-helicopter-drops-you-somewhere.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9FtBguDil-N7G5xDw_hbqWOlaj-jqoZBVZFceddJyotawM4IbRYhF4WlGrLPEqmB-_jPaER4T-HO6nqjJcioRrt-MoLeT5YKuqXW-aFr7da3h62L41_GBdZwdD8KwHbpS_9LfJPoM8gn-lrZfhS-ZUy5R2Gcm0R5RgnL04jguQ6BtxVOOuxlRrWwpQ/w400-h250/61248-predator-amiga-screenshot-a-helicopter-drops-you-somewhere.gif" width="400" /></a></div>One of the best movies of the 1980s is 1987's <i>Predator</i> and it seems like a great fit for a video game, but given the technology at the time...it didn't always turn out. Between 1987 to 1988, officially licensed <i>Predator</i> video games were released to a number of micro-computers and PC and even the NES! I wanted to discuss this basic licensed title that was a side-scroller due to original title and the year it came out. While not a great game, I came remember seeing this box in a computer store in Albuquerque and thinking how awesome it would be to play a game based on such an awesome movie. Another interesting point of this game is that your experience greatly depends on which system you played on. The NES game was crazy...<br /> <br /></div><div>
8. <b><u>Enforce (Taito 1988)</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIi1SyPEAAdXlcdgovEV7x0tffy0eiy0uhR47Hcz9QKg-79dMqBP423A9KdpSBH_LMbFVbQoF4W0PBfQzcoj6Ur8PQbo6E-8BRmYzr2Yz4_l40bc8sH2ZbrMWaY3j8SI-a240ADiuRsV48NUQhconcQTqUd9sNBvdr8mi0e7enUsFHgbvWK9wo_tdvA/s1190/MV5BNjExYzA0NTctMjc1MS00MWQ3LTliYzAtZjVkY2M3Mjk1MTVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzg5OTk2OA@@._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIi1SyPEAAdXlcdgovEV7x0tffy0eiy0uhR47Hcz9QKg-79dMqBP423A9KdpSBH_LMbFVbQoF4W0PBfQzcoj6Ur8PQbo6E-8BRmYzr2Yz4_l40bc8sH2ZbrMWaY3j8SI-a240ADiuRsV48NUQhconcQTqUd9sNBvdr8mi0e7enUsFHgbvWK9wo_tdvA/s320/MV5BNjExYzA0NTctMjc1MS00MWQ3LTliYzAtZjVkY2M3Mjk1MTVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzg5OTk2OA@@._V1_.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div>This 3-D future tank action game was released by Taito Corporation in 1988 in the arcades. The tank was more of mecha-tank hybrid that looked like a Skynet Hunter-Killer tank. In the game, you drive your tank through a rich 3D landscape populated with enemies to shoot and items to pickup. Your future tank is outfited with a 30mm minigun and a laser DE cannon. To me, the game has a <i>Space Harrier</i> feel and the playthrough videos that exist last less than 30minutes, so that tells you about the game itself. This game was a limit release in the States and the title screen says this odd statement: "Licensed from U.S. Navy under U.S. Patent 4,021,846. This was odd and I googled the patent number and it is for "liquid crystal stereoscopic viewer" which was used in the arcade machines. Interesting... </div><div><b> </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>9. <b><u>Starglider 1&2 (Rainbird 1986 & 1988)</u></b></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIacX95N7n9Tkjg48ODo1RCB2QCeGp_xJBDymXrNfMhDApT5ox16vWsNg12y8yUCiRS4vCUH9CW_rJ-R87HIT6XwxfiPjH3_3AcFS72liMhulonDNWViAHIk4d0Y1te3WKC2FeFWmAQYt6lVxYMXbbBR40km1P7Sr9iYTtCRynO0Z6-thSVk_swCmMA/s1024/smqMgthh.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIacX95N7n9Tkjg48ODo1RCB2QCeGp_xJBDymXrNfMhDApT5ox16vWsNg12y8yUCiRS4vCUH9CW_rJ-R87HIT6XwxfiPjH3_3AcFS72liMhulonDNWViAHIk4d0Y1te3WKC2FeFWmAQYt6lVxYMXbbBR40km1P7Sr9iYTtCRynO0Z6-thSVk_swCmMA/w279-h400/smqMgthh.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div>In 1986, Argonaut Software developed a first-person starfighter combat game that was in the spirit of the ATARI arcade <i>Star Wars</i> vector graphics aracde game. This game was ported to every major PC and micro-computer in the business at the time in 1986. The original game included a novella that added to the backstory of the war between two alien worlds. The first <i>Starglider</i> was a success and allowed the sequel in 1988. The sequel was more complex and came with another novella along with an extra cassette of the music due to the hardware limitations. Also included in the game was a 3D painting game that was inspired by the founder of the studio's love of the oddball aracde game I, Robot. While these games were forgotten due to them being on older computers and outdated media...Argonaut Software is founding remembered for two things today: <i>Starfox </i>and the Super FX clip. </div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. </span><b><u>Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1982 Parker Brothers)</u></b></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfOKPuKwxU0qBdyfGFjUAx3_5ZTwk0zmMgsmAt-NVKA9erF1WfeIlEPOibC1lFdX_xZnPcrv05Ik-AaLilDhSOQtSHRTgnTtvdVZkM23EwJ22bSduRLA5IqVLP73fHDqTCUG0Fe3k6ag_pG5mYnon81YHxvzzo6DJ50qXhBYHWGA_0mRm7daMk2QVUg/s1280/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfOKPuKwxU0qBdyfGFjUAx3_5ZTwk0zmMgsmAt-NVKA9erF1WfeIlEPOibC1lFdX_xZnPcrv05Ik-AaLilDhSOQtSHRTgnTtvdVZkM23EwJ22bSduRLA5IqVLP73fHDqTCUG0Fe3k6ag_pG5mYnon81YHxvzzo6DJ50qXhBYHWGA_0mRm7daMk2QVUg/w400-h225/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>At times, I feel like the narrator at the opening of the<i> Road Warrior</i> due to my age and how much I've seen change in the world of video games. Don't get me wrong...I am not much of a retro-gamer. The oldest system I own is my original Xbox from 2003 and I've been gaming since 1982. In that year of TRON, I got my first home video game system, the ATARI VCS (later known as the 2600). One of the games me and my brother were super pumped about getting is <i>Star Wars: TESB</i> game for the system that allowed to pilot a snow speeder against the massive AT-ATs attacking Hoth. For many of my generation, this was their first official licensed video game for their home systems and maybe the first <i>Star Wars</i> game they played outside of the arcade. There are many that remember Parker Brothers video game title that came out on the ATARI and Intellivision systems. So, what is forgotten about this Star Wars title is its place in science fiction and star wars history. The 2600 ATARI Hoth game allowed you to play as Luke Skywalker on Hoth in all its 8-bit glory. Oh, and that game was developed by two people at Parker Brothers. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-53735367659811792512022-09-10T14:00:00.002-05:002022-09-10T14:00:32.649-05:00What Will We Fight Over: The Last Bastion<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB-SUxl8jvE4fqiq6vll-bnRfITmkOp4nMMQ8evRbSfv1PtTCf76VO2PHsF8CUslJX4Z8L3KldzNeSFLRIOoSQjCL6PUjP97nJFQtKnoAt8xPonqYv0Uj3HOu9vLllqcmbn13j-raLS8NPYuJPnWZpj1kWqL4MMLpeglC1d3MYNgK8KAfVNK5xGzIIA/s1024/Gondolin_by_spartank42.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB-SUxl8jvE4fqiq6vll-bnRfITmkOp4nMMQ8evRbSfv1PtTCf76VO2PHsF8CUslJX4Z8L3KldzNeSFLRIOoSQjCL6PUjP97nJFQtKnoAt8xPonqYv0Uj3HOu9vLllqcmbn13j-raLS8NPYuJPnWZpj1kWqL4MMLpeglC1d3MYNgK8KAfVNK5xGzIIA/w640-h360/Gondolin_by_spartank42.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Within the realm of sci-fi/fantasy, there is a well-used concept that has been used to inspire, terrify, and provoke strong emotions in both the audience and the characters within the story. That concept has the enemy at the gates of the final fortress and that all hope lays within the walls of that fortress to prevent the end of civilization as we know it. This concept is know as "the last bastion" and it has been seen in the <i>Lord of the Rings</i> as Minas Tirith, Helm's Deep, the hidden city of Gondolin, city of Atlantis in <i>Stargate Atlantis, </i>and in the Last City in <i>Destiny</i>. In this installment of <u>What We Will Fight Over</u>, FWS will be exploring the sci-fi/fantasy examples of the last bastion as well as real-world examples. We will also be exploring if we will fight over this and why it is such a compelling narratives for audiences and creators. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>What is the Concept of the "Last Bastion"?</u></b></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKwbhZ3IfDQmpgmDPkP3tSIFGOk8rdsd2a1JZC1WjRYoV4eNn3dWiZADthN5zji86c4Y2le3Pmfd1VYib7fOr3r8_nXKFPRkbtv0-H93Yobn_FFo0UYrz5dk88UegKoUt7hoJJm3bOZr-UZZJDqGLQ7J3WEVg-n7hzdriHtohnn-xud1hgkOZ_JpxJg/s1024/Homeworld-2-Remastered-Screen-1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKwbhZ3IfDQmpgmDPkP3tSIFGOk8rdsd2a1JZC1WjRYoV4eNn3dWiZADthN5zji86c4Y2le3Pmfd1VYib7fOr3r8_nXKFPRkbtv0-H93Yobn_FFo0UYrz5dk88UegKoUt7hoJJm3bOZr-UZZJDqGLQ7J3WEVg-n7hzdriHtohnn-xud1hgkOZ_JpxJg/w400-h225/Homeworld-2-Remastered-Screen-1.png" width="400" /></a></div>The Last Bastion concept and/or the Trope is when the characters have their collective backs (and ass) to the wall and what stands between them and the apocalypse, is the walls of their last bastion. This last bastion could be an underground city, a fallout shelter, walled city, warship, space station, or a hidden city or place that is obscured via magic or a portal. Given this, the Last Bastion concept can take on different forms depending on the setting. In the realm of fantasy, the Last Bastion is often a castle and/or fortress that is the fallback position when the enemy comes riding up as seen in the real-world after the founding of the first cities and especially after the fall of Rome. It is a place that is defensible and can be used as a shelter for the civilian population. In the science fiction setting, it is much more varied. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE9ZN3gHYjhWa-EVFvRvy79le0AiixkPDFiiLW1U94QKeAjd0E7QgwMBGB5z_sxdl5A85eylhuBUwvjcIuBveC4l22h5Tvs46HQhlY5mKwU5qttxXZj2MduNXpY1rpcO5rrY55dFjxnf0OsRB1cXx0sGhExKjKEIFHDDdh_ZJcaM6uWY-VQGFeALTWw/s1200/traveler_s_rest-1920px.0.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE9ZN3gHYjhWa-EVFvRvy79le0AiixkPDFiiLW1U94QKeAjd0E7QgwMBGB5z_sxdl5A85eylhuBUwvjcIuBveC4l22h5Tvs46HQhlY5mKwU5qttxXZj2MduNXpY1rpcO5rrY55dFjxnf0OsRB1cXx0sGhExKjKEIFHDDdh_ZJcaM6uWY-VQGFeALTWw/w400-h266/traveler_s_rest-1920px.0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It can be the last warship defending a civilian fleet, or that last warship is defending the homeworld from invasion as seen (and very much overused as a plot device) in the <i>Space Cruiser Yamato</i> franchise. This was used to excellent results and dramatic tension in the rebooted<i> Battlestar Galactica </i>series. In the realm of sci-fi, this Last Bastion could be the last colonial world were the last of a species is holding up as seen in the classic<i> Doctor Who</i>. Or it could be the last city as seen in<i> Destiny</i> and t<i>he Matrix</i> films. Also popular is the last colony ship or a space station. Another common abuser of the Last Bastion trope is the post-apocalyptic genre. It does not matter if it is a nuclear war, pandemic(!), rise of the zombie , or the dreaded red hat virus…the seems to be a last bastion of human survivors holding on the canned goods and the precious juice. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OGIkMq9hhBnKbQNsrBzzi1O5JqwfBjpVyOv3rp-UXuNmVkVNCcBO_4TATznz-CuUq714lin6-mriwP3zZqMW_0St_olS9IHUWgeVqfEntXaXfkyyCAZcdzJOgDu1Zna7p4opE2oEDhiAZ-kHJjomaRg_HiDNWn5ebkXkJ1lm4mopt1PXweW5bWAhrA/s736/e321c754481c11f89b37ff748410f0e3--mad-max--the-road-warriors.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="736" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OGIkMq9hhBnKbQNsrBzzi1O5JqwfBjpVyOv3rp-UXuNmVkVNCcBO_4TATznz-CuUq714lin6-mriwP3zZqMW_0St_olS9IHUWgeVqfEntXaXfkyyCAZcdzJOgDu1Zna7p4opE2oEDhiAZ-kHJjomaRg_HiDNWn5ebkXkJ1lm4mopt1PXweW5bWAhrA/w400-h285/e321c754481c11f89b37ff748410f0e3--mad-max--the-road-warriors.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During these post-judgement day scenarios, the last bastion is often the last survivors holding to the few remains of the world that was and shall never be again. This is seen in the <i>Mad Max</i> films with Barter Town and the outback refinery. At times, these sanctuaries of humanity can be the true horror as seen the Fallout vaults or a cannibal colony attracting fresh meat by cloaking their true nature. It is seen in <i>Fury Road</i>, where the last bastions are used to bring death and pain to the unlike survivors that drift into the realm of the Immortal Joe. There have been many RPG scenarios were the heroes wandering into a stronghold only to be more trouble that if they had avoided theses sanctuaries. This was also seen in <i>Logan’s Run</i> as well. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Why is the Last Bastion Concept so Popular in Sci-Fi/Fantasy?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd33vhWa7If8D5n2leMXiLvawihpt1GLKrOBVXtLzSFvzx6au8wqAhIcJVQBZ8P98DwnsZfGoIvhSmyjuTp2sAJv9PQQpQgGPwB6CjYwUTrDNFqj552OgXc5gX8FAMeNmxz7z318X35BwC3ZJ1lmWa66LUhlTqlp3Mkqjkeo_4iKMhLvqG9jDELexpg/s1200/1200px-Edward_Hicks,_American_-_Noah's_Ark_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1200" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd33vhWa7If8D5n2leMXiLvawihpt1GLKrOBVXtLzSFvzx6au8wqAhIcJVQBZ8P98DwnsZfGoIvhSmyjuTp2sAJv9PQQpQgGPwB6CjYwUTrDNFqj552OgXc5gX8FAMeNmxz7z318X35BwC3ZJ1lmWa66LUhlTqlp3Mkqjkeo_4iKMhLvqG9jDELexpg/w400-h349/1200px-Edward_Hicks,_American_-_Noah's_Ark_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Given the number of famous examples seen in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy, the question asks itself: why is this concept so popular? The reason is because of how damn compelling it is for both the audience and the characters. The pressure and dramatic tension that is placed on the audience and the characters allow for a creator to fuel their fiction to a higher degree. The compelling nature of the Last Bastion allows for emotions to impact harder, for the battle to be that much legendary, and for the tales of the battle to be more worthy of song. How many tales of warriors and battles are devoted to the last stand of the few against the many? It seems that the most celebrated battles in Victoria Britain period are last stands like 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift. Then there are the examples from mythology that provide some of the reason for the popularity of the Last Bastion concept, such as the Noah's ark myth and King Arthur's Camelot. Layered into the collective experiences of our species is the mythological stories of valiant warriors and brave survivors of apocalypses level events and the last bastions where the remains of humanity rose to retake their lands. We seen this with the collective Great Flood stories that populate many mythological traditions. Again, this concept was so compelling to those early lore masters that they included into the mythological foundations of their lore and identity. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Will We Fight for the Last Bastion of Human?</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68OaoUmsni69IFfgdrISMrEsFfbmeI15xkMfE5cS96Fxf4-boBQOmy5wuYDr6FQwInGvSGPecxsIOYe1tivzSg7qz4ghmbuwMMVGKfYm4iVWclOhyX2Q12fhx3JmqJQhnfVxHa7n4T4QcW1Iz8ROfVQsXbCaqfEAut3MUOUPzh3yva1RFM-2kldHAuw/s662/1_0BqqcG9qcGReFKxtcy5i9Q.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="662" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68OaoUmsni69IFfgdrISMrEsFfbmeI15xkMfE5cS96Fxf4-boBQOmy5wuYDr6FQwInGvSGPecxsIOYe1tivzSg7qz4ghmbuwMMVGKfYm4iVWclOhyX2Q12fhx3JmqJQhnfVxHa7n4T4QcW1Iz8ROfVQsXbCaqfEAut3MUOUPzh3yva1RFM-2kldHAuw/w400-h300/1_0BqqcG9qcGReFKxtcy5i9Q.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>We already have and we will likely again. At some point in the prehistoric period as modern humans were spreading out in Europe, around 40,000 years before the common era, the last Neanderthals were pushed back to Gibraltar and this as their last bastion of a sort. Throughout geologic time, there have been countless species that have been pushed to their last bastion of their habitat and while some come back, some die as we are seeing with the climate change die off. We could be in the same boat as the Neanderthals at some point in our species history. When we look at more military examples in human history, there are some prime examples. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 after a 53 siege, this important city of Christendom was looted and sacked with all manner of violent and crimes, with many men, women, and children raped and then sold into slavery. For many, the last bastion of Christendom and the old Roman Empire was gone and surely western civilization will fall. One of the better examples comes to us from the ...no more text here</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div><b><u>The Last Bastion and Science Fiction</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEEG7ZZMDl-eFuTrtT2RiLW2Ius8iV6bgq68VdA4ug9aPUYPEwmGJ_a6WJjPefvPTJgCG-v-OxOxRTk8vUp8JO2REaJxGhLm6XzxcnscviB2r3ZDYVprWKIGLSCTOaPLVl62cD9yyB0aYHUWxWaGV15qyFV2TWyepK-4bkjElkKlVPWSGDsT00PKMpw/s1209/mad-max-jenseits-der-donnerkuppel-1985-film.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1209" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEEG7ZZMDl-eFuTrtT2RiLW2Ius8iV6bgq68VdA4ug9aPUYPEwmGJ_a6WJjPefvPTJgCG-v-OxOxRTk8vUp8JO2REaJxGhLm6XzxcnscviB2r3ZDYVprWKIGLSCTOaPLVl62cD9yyB0aYHUWxWaGV15qyFV2TWyepK-4bkjElkKlVPWSGDsT00PKMpw/w400-h264/mad-max-jenseits-der-donnerkuppel-1985-film.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the surface of this trope, we can easily see that the Last Bastion theme is as a common plot device as there are Toyota Corollas. It does have to be the entire theme of the work in question, like <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>, it can just be an episode or a mission or setup for the show that changes later, like Andromeda. Given the commonality, the Last Bastion concept or setting can difficult to nail down, due to vast amount of times it has been used in science fiction. I’ve attempted in the Examples section to provide some variations on the concept. </div><div>One variation that I did not use due to the amount of those in media is the Last Man On Earth trope. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj-ZywFQzRWdeKNkn4LqRFXDD4qEkuoSudvHKFPwPCeAdxSFW9fe4YZXPgguVorlvRzptCquNAT1_QmvRevf7MV65vtkvKQw0JiaAm7ZV8_6vhW96a5Fbr3ky35PK0yS09_vrBhlWHeTbdC19UHcIcH0AWFS9C2M2JmJhHsps2N-Ce9MmwwwsMfNhsw/s1000/i%20am%20legend%20pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj-ZywFQzRWdeKNkn4LqRFXDD4qEkuoSudvHKFPwPCeAdxSFW9fe4YZXPgguVorlvRzptCquNAT1_QmvRevf7MV65vtkvKQw0JiaAm7ZV8_6vhW96a5Fbr3ky35PK0yS09_vrBhlWHeTbdC19UHcIcH0AWFS9C2M2JmJhHsps2N-Ce9MmwwwsMfNhsw/w400-h225/i%20am%20legend%20pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is like the last human on Earth as seen in<i> I am Legend</i> works, the last child on Earth as seen in <i>Children of Men</i>, and the unused concept for 4th <i>Mad Max</i> movie. Before the long-awaited release of Fury Road, there was of rumors floating around the internet of the early 2000’s, especially on AICN. According to the rumored concept, Max’s son would be paid to escort a group of “pure blood” women from one safe location to another while being pursued by several different groups of wasteland warriors. It was envisioned as a film that would devote the majority of its runtime to the chase of the Pure Bloods. In the veins of these females was the final hope for humanity unaltered by the Nuclear War. In some ways, the last hope of the Jedi Order was in the twin children of Darth Vader and they were the last bastion of hope to restore the Jedi Order after the end of the Clone Wars. Given the popularity of this concept since the beginning of storytelling, it is highly likely that it will continue when humans are around campfires on off-world colonies. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Examples:</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><u>The Last City from <i>Destiny</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI5hT7siVW8bpPF7pVXO2jko-WIe2GOwZ0WnyBvR0Phm2GfNu2X_umif_iMZAUzKn5D2rs_2VUUmLLWXbST3QN08c5RF22_y7gQufjd35K8xkFbSYBt8uYy5rPH3gM6ChjHrJNHDZaFX93pLlBl9JIkp3stJ0xhiNZaRzfJHXvjtTwCHAxG6HLiZJpA/s800/destiny-video-game-review.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI5hT7siVW8bpPF7pVXO2jko-WIe2GOwZ0WnyBvR0Phm2GfNu2X_umif_iMZAUzKn5D2rs_2VUUmLLWXbST3QN08c5RF22_y7gQufjd35K8xkFbSYBt8uYy5rPH3gM6ChjHrJNHDZaFX93pLlBl9JIkp3stJ0xhiNZaRzfJHXvjtTwCHAxG6HLiZJpA/w400-h250/destiny-video-game-review.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>For me, one of the best examples of the Last Bastion concept is the Last City from the <i>Destiny</i> universe and it is also one of the examples I am the most familiar with given my extensive <i>Destiny</i> addiction. Originally, The City was established as a refugee camp after The Collapse of the Golden Age directly under The Traveler. These refugees gathered under the Traveler for protection with the destruction of the off-world endo-Sol colonies and the major Terran cities. It was here, likely Pokhara, Nepal, that the last city of humanity rose like a phoenix. The protection of the Last City came from the newly formed Guardians, armed citizens, the massive walls, and the Traveler. This Camelot-like setting serves as a hub for Guardian operations, production of materials for the war, a last home for humanity, and a place for economic activity. There are those that still live outside the wall of the Last City in small communities, but there is nothing like the Last City in all of the Sol System. It is, the last remnant of the civilization that was before the Collapse and it is but an echo of the Golden Age cities and society. Like all good last bastion fortresses, the wolves are always at the door and there have been several major battles and invasion of the Last City, including the Red Legion. It is uncertain the future of the Last City with the coming invasion after the Witch Queen.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><u>The XMC-10-284 <i>Andromeda Ascendant</i> from G<i>ene Roddenberry’s Andromeda</i></u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYupyj-diiW26T2Y8jvXs2ITORfFV61xdo9eE_g2E-UX7pfL2b4aApWIF1yzDAcWxZ-3k3U-rQQIPt1Fgi9fhl-GgAoD6Fx1vd7QxFqxdWcsNopRxvxD43piLkCi1ZsCGDMUoSeSu5DTiZhhPIbNUwiNTmSS96RogRkTglm8XwAJBXr5b6FBd-d-wujA/s1920/Andromeda_Ascendant.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYupyj-diiW26T2Y8jvXs2ITORfFV61xdo9eE_g2E-UX7pfL2b4aApWIF1yzDAcWxZ-3k3U-rQQIPt1Fgi9fhl-GgAoD6Fx1vd7QxFqxdWcsNopRxvxD43piLkCi1ZsCGDMUoSeSu5DTiZhhPIbNUwiNTmSS96RogRkTglm8XwAJBXr5b6FBd-d-wujA/w400-h250/Andromeda_Ascendant.webp" width="400" /></a>After the end of the original <i>Star Trek</i> series in 1969 and until the movie-era of <i>Trek</i>, Gene Roddenberry was a man in need of work. He penned a number of scripts and some where made into pilots. Two of the pilots made in the 1970s were <i>Planet Earth</i> and <i>Genesis II</i> with both borrowing from the same concept and primary character’s name: Dylan Hunt. While neither were picked up for on-going TV shows, the concept was resurrected for a 3rd time for the Tribune Entertainment sci-fi TV show <i>Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda</i> that ran from 2000-2005. In that show, Cpt. Hunt commands the High Guard XMC-10-284 <i>Andromeda Ascendant</i> warship of the Systems Commonwealth and one of the most advanced warships in the three galaxies. When the Nietzscheans launch a coup against the Systems Commonwealth for giving away some their territory to the Magog, the <i>Andromeda</i> was thrown into the event horizon of a black hole. 303 years later, the Andromeda Ascendant is located by treasure hunters. In this era, the Systems Commonwealth has fallen and three galaxies are controlled by various factions Pre-Fall High Guard ships are rare and very valuable. After these pirates decide to join Dylan and the<i> Andromeda</i>, he launches a mission to form a new System Commonwealth. This makes the nearly 400 year old Dylan and the <i>Andromeda </i>the Last Bastion of the old Systems Commonwealth and High Guard. </div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><u>The Ark from <i>Brink</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTiNm2ijdcmWIOTKhnybLGNP-sobKEmQaHC3apnf9AijfXTcI4p11rqgoJRQbW-O0BpWO8R7okYWV84YltYSQWCs4WIXiGDEY-xGJLLjQYSuJOVG95GwkmVDuzIyJmKP_cMhVnA2uF5aj/s640/019613be41839a9e8a8b43fc87540dbe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTiNm2ijdcmWIOTKhnybLGNP-sobKEmQaHC3apnf9AijfXTcI4p11rqgoJRQbW-O0BpWO8R7okYWV84YltYSQWCs4WIXiGDEY-xGJLLjQYSuJOVG95GwkmVDuzIyJmKP_cMhVnA2uF5aj/s320/019613be41839a9e8a8b43fc87540dbe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In 2011, Splash Damage and Bethesda Software released <i>Brink</i> to the game public, and it was hoped to a first-person squad shooter hit that could get some of the <i>Call of Duty</i> market. The game was a disappointment to most critics due to the game not seemingly being complete, but many praised the design and the SMART System mechanics. This added up to a game that was short-lived and the franchise that was being constructed by the studio and the publisher burned to the ground. In the plot of the game, the world is in the grips of massive climate change with global flooding in the mid-21st century. To prevent a last bastion of pre-flood civilization, the artificial island, “Ark”. Here the rich of the world will live in a green utopia that is independent of the old world. When the oceans rose, the Ark became one of the last safe places on Earth and it was flooded with refugees. With the influx of too many people for the Ark’s resources, there became the poor and the rich…and then Ark civil wars began. It is sad that such a cool concept was ruined. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Minas Tirith of Gondor and Helm's Deep from <i>The Lord of the Rings</i></u></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBLAtoMn-oXP2H9xGvuDBYs0DgXDsjAOegaH95sbIcWsPK_h3LABsfMWXmFl5qSI1uT9gtxs0V9BfEqXk9gQPoNYbujtWoz_D-2NhtFhnODerO9NBmK5GhDYUFaewnTeWrm867CaGB25YiC2-j9DemHG6iqWESBRdSNi1Kywml_4Lfq5hRGliA7F-7A/s2560/MCDLOOF_EC163_H.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBLAtoMn-oXP2H9xGvuDBYs0DgXDsjAOegaH95sbIcWsPK_h3LABsfMWXmFl5qSI1uT9gtxs0V9BfEqXk9gQPoNYbujtWoz_D-2NhtFhnODerO9NBmK5GhDYUFaewnTeWrm867CaGB25YiC2-j9DemHG6iqWESBRdSNi1Kywml_4Lfq5hRGliA7F-7A/w400-h225/MCDLOOF_EC163_H.webp" width="400" /></a></div>I</u>n the legendary <i>Lord of the Rings</i> saga, there were two primary examples of Last Bastions for the forces allied against the power of Sauron: Hornburg and Minas Tirith. In Gondor, Minas Tirith had been a noted guard tower and citadel for the forces of Gordon and then became the capital of the kingdom in 1640 of the 3rd Age of the Sun. Just before the War of the Ring in 3019 of the 3rd Age, citadel had fallen on hard times with less than half of its normal population. When the war came, it became one of the final fronts of the war with iconic battles, events, deeds, and sacrifices. Minas Tirith was regarded by the Free Peoples of Middle Earth as the last bastion of defiance against Sauron and his dark allies. If the White Tower fell, than so would much of Middle Earth. Another siege site for the Free Peoples of Middle Earth was the Hornburg located in the Helm’s Deep gorge in the Kingdom of Rohan. Built in the 2nd Age of the Sun, the Hornburg was a place security and sanctuary for the peoples of Rohan during times of war. During the War of the Ring, the fortress was damaged due to explosives, but held to resist the armies of darkness. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Last City of Humanity Zion from <i>The Matrix</i> Franchise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyufEhB7CoFGHdWQF6IMiAxhdFfkj_waJFx9ITCn6O2V7HTAiC0LemUuZOtPdUmVCUbhb_PqTa0Rsiha8u9mROB7gQgc7o0yvAprW-oWkw4DtnTawM3lgHnE2yhDY5ef3GqN8YQF18aWsyGSTOekbxYYM_771p7fyjngfK-n5xdsif3KUObwXwkYO_AQ/s770/Zion-770x385.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="770" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyufEhB7CoFGHdWQF6IMiAxhdFfkj_waJFx9ITCn6O2V7HTAiC0LemUuZOtPdUmVCUbhb_PqTa0Rsiha8u9mROB7gQgc7o0yvAprW-oWkw4DtnTawM3lgHnE2yhDY5ef3GqN8YQF18aWsyGSTOekbxYYM_771p7fyjngfK-n5xdsif3KUObwXwkYO_AQ/w400-h200/Zion-770x385.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Deep down in the Earth, where it is still warm there is the last human city populated with those born free and those freed from the bondage of the machine. This Zion…the last bastion of humanity, again and again. In the <i>Matrix</i> films, Zion was mentioned in the first film and then seen in the sequel. Home to over 250,000 souls, Zion is the last place that the humans of the post-machine war lived and attempt to build a new society deep underground. When Neo finally meets the Architect of the Machine consciousness, he learns that Zion has been founded and then destroyed six times before and that Neo will restart Zion for the 7th if chose one path. While most of the freed peoples of Zion believe that the year is around 2200, it is the 28th century in reality and that the Last City of Zion continues to be the assumed Last Bastion. In actuality, the Last Bastion of humanity lives in some ways in the<i> Matrix</i> itself, because the bulk of humanity lives in slavery in an artificial replication of the 20th century. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Fort Tarsis from <i>Anthem</i></u></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_oIxKwVoGMtSHI6MtYvJvExVrLNwZhx4hsHY3B02-x0ulo8-yfAhlzM_xpfzCVYWvmcEuuwa_kLKV7QJ8CBP2K5cgdlaYoeg_8-tjMTke-tXhHVskXTzVWPPi9xdXI3rRWn9gs2so15lyMzjnqBFKrzw2CFh6J5M-5aUYYpnazlHi2a9V3mg9Xd7Rg/s640/i8a1ix1ph4j21.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_oIxKwVoGMtSHI6MtYvJvExVrLNwZhx4hsHY3B02-x0ulo8-yfAhlzM_xpfzCVYWvmcEuuwa_kLKV7QJ8CBP2K5cgdlaYoeg_8-tjMTke-tXhHVskXTzVWPPi9xdXI3rRWn9gs2so15lyMzjnqBFKrzw2CFh6J5M-5aUYYpnazlHi2a9V3mg9Xd7Rg/w400-h225/i8a1ix1ph4j21.webp" width="400" /></a></div>When the big book of video games is written and there is several chapters on the insidious business practices of EA are laid out in all of the bloody details, there will be a section on<i> Anthem</i>. Released in 2019, the BioWare and EA and then died in less than one year, <i>Anthem</i> was attempted at an EA <i>Destiny</i> Loot-&-Shoot clone that had some cool elements and Iron Man suits. In the lore of the now-dead game, the humans living on the planet of Coda were enslaved and a woman named Helena Tarsis liberated the human race via the use of exo-suits now called Javelins. In the present day of the game setting, Fort Tarsis was one of the few settlements left after the fall of Freemark city due to the unleashing of the Hearts of Rage (songs like a 1980’s Hair-Metal band). After the fall of the main city to the Dominion, Fort Tarsis becomes one of the last walled cities in that region of Coda.</div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Kushan Mothership from <i>Homeworld</i></u></div></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkYxHJ6PMw2KF2K8RJGlywjBfo9SZD_BUI2bEJCgPe7xJsE-Bb-7BrQwJ3BfmRAwwXL3HGxxj6AfE7ij0EQHrQs4hE1NT-1Y7Svnybsr7hM0RNMhR1H1kdDRf-GSpcuvhAbFYSf8b8UUkK064Qirjl2SIs1JosDlNv7OdhGDqkmRRBlxMGjgIoWRrSw/s1600/xk2O690G5uQug99r6DEQExEV8wYyOV1J8cb1wiCeSdU.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkYxHJ6PMw2KF2K8RJGlywjBfo9SZD_BUI2bEJCgPe7xJsE-Bb-7BrQwJ3BfmRAwwXL3HGxxj6AfE7ij0EQHrQs4hE1NT-1Y7Svnybsr7hM0RNMhR1H1kdDRf-GSpcuvhAbFYSf8b8UUkK064Qirjl2SIs1JosDlNv7OdhGDqkmRRBlxMGjgIoWRrSw/w400-h300/xk2O690G5uQug99r6DEQExEV8wYyOV1J8cb1wiCeSdU.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I</u>n one of the most iconic military sci-fi RTS titles of all time is 1999’s Homeworld. Borrowing some elements from the original Battlestar Galactica, the plot of <i>Homeworld</i> is the grand space migration of a humanoid race to locate their original homeworld. In the story, the Kushan people locate an ancient starship and information on their origin point. The clans of the Kushan come together to construct a mothership to transport 600,000 cryogenically frozen Kushan citizens to their original homeworld, Hiigara. During the shakedown cruise of the Mothership, the Taiidan Empire attacks and kills most of the Kushan people. The reason for this attack is their had been a treaty 4,000 years ago that prevented the Kushan from developing hyper drive technology. With their home in flames, the Kushan set out among the stars to locate their homeworld with the last bastion of their race in cryo-tubes tucked inside the massive Mothership.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Jacinto in<i> </i>from the<i> Gears of War </i>Franchise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNbM787bE_tU5plJMMF7YaZaIBI0_mi2LShonFWNl_JdQSO0_oP-wAFJ4Y_B6JK8SLSdqIZC1lX3X9yaXQeApbScQO4OeUlDEanRdev2t-aTDcaB2PF5cKYe--xo4HD10TBwv9Txey9PDzY3lLI7WaNDok1M6t0OkFvnDMuuYZQnThtaKQ9G01E_WMQ/s960/610518-gow2p01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="931" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNbM787bE_tU5plJMMF7YaZaIBI0_mi2LShonFWNl_JdQSO0_oP-wAFJ4Y_B6JK8SLSdqIZC1lX3X9yaXQeApbScQO4OeUlDEanRdev2t-aTDcaB2PF5cKYe--xo4HD10TBwv9Txey9PDzY3lLI7WaNDok1M6t0OkFvnDMuuYZQnThtaKQ9G01E_WMQ/w388-h400/610518-gow2p01.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>Before the Locust Horde invaded from the Hallows, the city of Jacinto was known as a city of the arts and the jewel of the Tryus nation-state. Then came Emergence Day and the whole of Sera was consumed in war and death. With the Locust tactic of coming from out under the ground, the advantage of the city of Jacinto was quickly seen: the granite bedrock of the Jacinto As the war raged on and the key cities on Sera destroyed, the COG government moved their operations and staff to Jacinto. Soon, Jacinto became the last bastion of Sera against the Locust Horde. For the first two games of the oddball Gears of War franchise, the city of Jacinto was the focus and the homebase for the COG military campaign to prevent end of human life on Sera. Then the city was sunk to flood the Hallows to end the threat from the Lambent.<br /></div><div><u>The Civilian Fleet and the <i>BSG-75 </i>from <i>Battlestar Galactica</i></u></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75PC6VsXYXv1Ts-MMPtZJflJCL8T1IrDoeK29R23y2CIDlRl4pwIpx2bZ4I8Z8tgxL7N_kEjnsolduRFXgI3dhmENcA1FMDofGvv-hkd5XSuHcYK5U0olbfWGEaPSOoIvfhbkZ9b2ZgyjtGbnvGiN2Cx-OwAt77jDMRjLYmb58mpELMTVnI4FsuTqkA/s2000/Battlestar-galactica-fleet.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="2000" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75PC6VsXYXv1Ts-MMPtZJflJCL8T1IrDoeK29R23y2CIDlRl4pwIpx2bZ4I8Z8tgxL7N_kEjnsolduRFXgI3dhmENcA1FMDofGvv-hkd5XSuHcYK5U0olbfWGEaPSOoIvfhbkZ9b2ZgyjtGbnvGiN2Cx-OwAt77jDMRjLYmb58mpELMTVnI4FsuTqkA/w400-h238/Battlestar-galactica-fleet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I</u>n the much-improved <i>BSG</i> reboot from 2004, we still see the concept of the last bastion of the 12 Colonies contained within the civilian fleet and its protector the <i>Galactica</i>. Unlike the previous 1978 series, the intensity and desperate nature of the situation that the survivors of the Cylon Holocaust found themselves in was clearly broadcasted throughout the series. Added to this was the nature of the floating fortress that was the <i>Galactica</i> and her limitations. All of this made this one of the best examples of The Last Bastion in all of science fiction<br /></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The "Arks" from the Classic <i>Doctor Who </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5baXHVMNFgvnX4j2vZLC7xGoHyWd-MlbYT7HCDYbbti4pNVzsP3qLtbp9cIlxOFQwhWzdlInyOboBOozhjociw-RS-28Oh2mciuLtCeXm4Mf6H-L3_7ZUSRnmdHcUC-QUbkE5ViNeQuQYNY9v4YXG84JKaNb7HI3RYQ2T78nKAQd8WtjInjumnBVKw/s616/st--4c20_1787.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="616" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5baXHVMNFgvnX4j2vZLC7xGoHyWd-MlbYT7HCDYbbti4pNVzsP3qLtbp9cIlxOFQwhWzdlInyOboBOozhjociw-RS-28Oh2mciuLtCeXm4Mf6H-L3_7ZUSRnmdHcUC-QUbkE5ViNeQuQYNY9v4YXG84JKaNb7HI3RYQ2T78nKAQd8WtjInjumnBVKw/w400-h309/st--4c20_1787.webp" width="400" /></a></div>In the year of 6087, the long-serving Nerva Beacon station was transformed into a lifeboat for a select few members of the human race to survive deadly solar flares that would make the Earth uninhabitable for thousands of years. This space ark and last bastion of humanity was then inflected by Wirrn insect race and the humans overslept by ten thousand years. “The Ark in Space” was the first full independent story of the 4th Doctor and has been credited as one of the better stories for the 4th Doctor. There was a similar story called “The Ark” for the 3rd Season of the First Doctor that involved a generational ship from 10 million years in the future that is transporting humans to their new home, Refusis II. While iconic in one way, given its age, “The Ark” is silly in many parts. <br /></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Ring Installations from <i>HALO</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJbzWqrNGK6u4LZz4GMLL7e2IxEEwnFBgyXaA1zrx6lfTIvnrZijXqEMqwiyxc4ocEOqxxOXBt08T4o-QQazA5xywOodDxISD72fHlS_Fve30BEFIx-kHPNWqS7Q5ZOtrT7nDePrQpz9Asmv0Pki9YWlhE2Ra9Paz7F2I669ezrIb6GRsyIw_jEtXoQ/s498/halo-halo-ring.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJbzWqrNGK6u4LZz4GMLL7e2IxEEwnFBgyXaA1zrx6lfTIvnrZijXqEMqwiyxc4ocEOqxxOXBt08T4o-QQazA5xywOodDxISD72fHlS_Fve30BEFIx-kHPNWqS7Q5ZOtrT7nDePrQpz9Asmv0Pki9YWlhE2Ra9Paz7F2I669ezrIb6GRsyIw_jEtXoQ/w400-h225/halo-halo-ring.gif" width="400" /></a></div>At the heart of the original HALO trilogy that launched a mega-gaming franchise is the Forerunner ringed space stations. There use was to be a weapon capably of wiped out high-level lifeforms to rob the Flood of their food source and starve the parasite invasion back into submission. To do this, the Forerunners constructed these ringed installations to fire a blast out into the cosmos and kill of sentient life. One array can affect 25,000 standard Lightyears. 12 are currently known and they are managed by an AI construct like Guilty Spark 343. Encased in the Installations were the seeds of the advanced lifeforms, like modern humans, of the galaxy protected from the Flood and the Halo Ring blasts. After the Flood were gone, the seeds were released onto their original homeworlds and they were managed by specialized Forerunner staff tucked away in the Shield Worlds. While the Ringed Installations were some elements of the last bastion of Forerunner civilization, there was also the Shield Worlds that were bomb shelters for some of the Forerunners and their technology. These were prized by the Covenant and the UNSC for being a treasure chest of Forerunner technology.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The City of Atlantis from the <i>Stargate </i>Universe</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYI9Dv_VQhSrsfh74uGUm5Lg27FGMtxu5xZLYLQ-tKa6ASQnx9CRSUBKPe7myg9GOYeXTj7ZcnDSMmeQF3XZofWdWbScHARXmmOy9_LUbUgJ7rwEgiBQBBprD5K5nZbzDWFjsd67wYbxnd6DHhj1TLkCARpOWIlNJZ0zzBmbVGOlz4t7UrmH4rZra02A/s1280/maxresdefault%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYI9Dv_VQhSrsfh74uGUm5Lg27FGMtxu5xZLYLQ-tKa6ASQnx9CRSUBKPe7myg9GOYeXTj7ZcnDSMmeQF3XZofWdWbScHARXmmOy9_LUbUgJ7rwEgiBQBBprD5K5nZbzDWFjsd67wYbxnd6DHhj1TLkCARpOWIlNJZ0zzBmbVGOlz4t7UrmH4rZra02A/w400-h225/maxresdefault%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>The Ancients of the <i>Stargate</i> Franchise lore were humans that they developed the stargate network that is the main device of the franchise. In their very long history, the Ancients developed space flight capable city that was originally on Earth between 5-10 million years ago. When a plague swept through the Milky Way, the Ancients took Atlantis to a world called Lantea in the Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy that lays some 3 million lightyears away from the Milky Way. There, the Ancients seeded life among the stars and found a deadly hostile species…the Wraith. The Lantean-Wraith War lasted for a century and when the Wraith gained the upper hand, all but Lantea world was left of their empire. For some time, the shield of the city kept the Wraith out until the Ancients knew that the war was over. They sank the city in the deepest of oceans, their last bastion taken from them. History repeated itself, as the Atlantis Expedition had to hold out against a Wraith bombardment until the Daedalus can arrive.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>The SDF-1 After the Holocaust</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye5kPEBVDKLe3FWPV0MNtGudcyyPnBifYNo8EcxB8RFBvSRDk61zc-S1y3H-Vcdxz3k3I3Q948xja2uo9QU9-l_c053Kag53624CVOG35ncCpRhAnMG9DF07uj3hJB6XVlbsj3afh3JM4VxX7KVensGP5PmoZj0RsBxKx-AxWq6VLkwzStQTBojBCjg/s720/eaafda85b6b0aea1f5bae99dca2abd3f.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye5kPEBVDKLe3FWPV0MNtGudcyyPnBifYNo8EcxB8RFBvSRDk61zc-S1y3H-Vcdxz3k3I3Q948xja2uo9QU9-l_c053Kag53624CVOG35ncCpRhAnMG9DF07uj3hJB6XVlbsj3afh3JM4VxX7KVensGP5PmoZj0RsBxKx-AxWq6VLkwzStQTBojBCjg/w400-h300/eaafda85b6b0aea1f5bae99dca2abd3f.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>In 1999, the alien battle fortress known as the SDF-1 was sent by its master, Zor, to an unimportant primitive world known as Earth, it altered the history of the human race for all time. When the Zentraedi fleet under Commander Breetai finally located the SDF-1 in 2009, he attempted to retake the battle fortress by invading the Macross Island city. To lead the alien force away from the Earth, the SDF-1 attempted a hyperspace jump to lunar orbit…and they ended up near Plato with the entire Macross Island, the surrounding ocean, the city, and the 70,000 civilians. For months, the crew and civilians onboard the massive SDF-1 reconstructed the city within the “legs” of the battle fortress. When the Zentraedi recovery fleet was polluted by the human culture, Supreme Commander Dolza ordered the entire Zentraedi fleet to attack Earth and wipe out humanity. The SDF-1, the Grand Cannon, and the Breetai fleet were the defenders of Terra. When the battle was over and the 1st Robotech War ended, the Earth was scarred, and billions of humans were dead…this was the Zentraedi Holocaust. After this, the SDF-1 crashed in a crater and thus, this was the founding place of last bastion of humanity on the Earth…New Macross City. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><u>The Gas Giant Fergusson Fortress Moons from <i>Dynamo Joe </i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiC6wlEaOp_1ztszL5q5sRr8ORhgBi2qyRvIAALp4ywIDC0au-TQI0xQk3W8qehXzYcbNoln0TPqmw0mAVcFIzNA5r7wthoQYNykkgicysGm7gM-xBzG_BmoiR6zyoz1Qo8ehf5xdf6N7fHIBxuLLe8grLULF6vFAJP5PKYCeFs4Uyu0OHjZk_SvI9Q/s1600/RCO006_1583462394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1015" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiC6wlEaOp_1ztszL5q5sRr8ORhgBi2qyRvIAALp4ywIDC0au-TQI0xQk3W8qehXzYcbNoln0TPqmw0mAVcFIzNA5r7wthoQYNykkgicysGm7gM-xBzG_BmoiR6zyoz1Qo8ehf5xdf6N7fHIBxuLLe8grLULF6vFAJP5PKYCeFs4Uyu0OHjZk_SvI9Q/w254-h400/RCO006_1583462394.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br />First Comics was a Chicago-based comic publisher that would only last a few years. Yet, despite this, First Comics would, in 1984 would published Doug Rice's love letter to Japanese Mecha culture with <i>Dynamo Joe. </i>This military sci-fi comic would have a unsteady publishing history with limited series, specials, appearances in other comics, and then a full series centered on the Alliance <i>Dynamo </i>CLASS-III mecha suite named "Joe" during the Orion War. I grew up with this comic and to me, it is the best Military Science Fiction comic of all time. It is a pity that the full series was unable to unfold as Doug Rice designed and First Comics cut years out of the series to publish a "completed" story and wrap up the Orion War in less than 20 issues. In 1991, First Comics was no more. In the <i>Dynamo Joe</i> story, the Alliance of the 35th century banded three galactic civilizations: The Terrans, the Imperials, and the Tavitans to defeat a organic-technology using enemy from beyond the Milky Way. The mission of this enemy was unclear, but they were on a beeline to the homeworlds of the humans and the Tavitans: Terra and Londree. To slowdown the enemy and allow for rebuilding of the Alliance fleets after the Rim Battle Massacre, General Sergel Ippolitov fortified the eight moons of the gas giant Fergusson. For three years, these moon forts prevented the enemy from advancing deeper in Alliance space...then as the <i>Dynamo Joe</i> opened, the last bastion of the Fergusson forts, Fergusson 8, was being invaded. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Embryo Colonization Plan "B" from <i>Interstellar</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY8AQ6b8UIbYXSf61EZC0Pn2dfebyIlDefbDqklwA04QrZa7zmGJAXqPy_QmIn5XsFaL4BqgEByweVeHjsp3eSCOr7mRNc16mbW0vdHNKxBQJ7goKxnwjO9mHx3mXOZ7YJqvXAfXo_8xH9epNd11qjuVXw99PAdgN6IWB2lsnZTNbMLu6LqbRbcHz5g/s1280/aaaa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY8AQ6b8UIbYXSf61EZC0Pn2dfebyIlDefbDqklwA04QrZa7zmGJAXqPy_QmIn5XsFaL4BqgEByweVeHjsp3eSCOr7mRNc16mbW0vdHNKxBQJ7goKxnwjO9mHx3mXOZ7YJqvXAfXo_8xH9epNd11qjuVXw99PAdgN6IWB2lsnZTNbMLu6LqbRbcHz5g/w400-h225/aaaa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>In the mind-bending 2014 film, we see the human race one the verge of starvation with the last foodstuffs crop, corn, being newly infected by the Blight. Using the newly discovered artificial wormhole near Saturn, the NASA interstellar explorer vessel Endurance goes to scout out for a Earth-like atmospheric standard world for colonization. One of the backup plans, “B”, is to seed the atmospheric standard world with 5,000 frozen specially selected embryos for a population bomb. The new exo-solar colony would be populated with the very best of humanity and they would be completely separate from the dying Earth. The people of Earth would be left to die as the future of human, its last bastion, would be on this new world. In the film, Dr. Brand took the Endurance and setup her Plan B colony on Wolf Edmunds’ Planet with the robot CASE and soon to be, Cooper as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Power Base & Eden II from <i>Captain Power and the Soldiers of Tomorrow</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEnk1gesinfgYz2FO-tylOXa8aI96_Oz0W4lJDNiVowr1XbefIr9bnwKUJPTs1oIRHcJNnfJ6xol7MO7qZNp8RUOhyHoqcmsFcMJ0kG5ecFtW0aBCRZOkizHSOkLL1BjqcQ2fNXlwsWsTN9k9pTyc7n4FrHdVWycdgUrgEyIHAdtlpzQAvhLLbqWGgA/s500/49e02be565fa042587fe03d817fea352.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEnk1gesinfgYz2FO-tylOXa8aI96_Oz0W4lJDNiVowr1XbefIr9bnwKUJPTs1oIRHcJNnfJ6xol7MO7qZNp8RUOhyHoqcmsFcMJ0kG5ecFtW0aBCRZOkizHSOkLL1BjqcQ2fNXlwsWsTN9k9pTyc7n4FrHdVWycdgUrgEyIHAdtlpzQAvhLLbqWGgA/w264-h400/49e02be565fa042587fe03d817fea352.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>In 1987, a very different, but unique sci-fi property was released in the toy stores and on syndicated TV: <i>Captain Power and the Soldiers of Tomorrow</i>. In the series, the 22nd century saw the rise of a single machine consciousness (Overmind) to manage a robotic global army to prevent the ugly meat bags from making war…and then there was SkyNet type situation and mankind was on its heels. These were the Metal Wars and mankind was badly losing. One of the smartest men in the world at that time was Dr. Steward Power and he developed the Power Suits to make one man as strong as a robot soldier with more abilities and weaponry. All of his plans were altered when mankind on the edge of losing, and he moved the project to a secret under-the-mountain base called “Power Base”. To keep the location hidden, there were portals to allow the military forces to deploy without the forces of Lord Dredd to locate and destroy the Power Base. From the end of the Metal Wars and until the end of the first (and only) season of the show, Power Base is where the member of Captain Power’s team are headquartered along with the reminds of the old Earth Military and the AI computer system. It is the last bastion for these military resources beside the limited human resistance. However, that changes with the discovery by the Power team of the mythical Eden II. The long-rumored human sanctuary made contact with the Power Team with the gift of a real orange. If the series had been allowed to go for a 2nd season, Eden II would have been more revealed, and it was likely that it would taken a few more seasons for us to actually see Eden II and its advanced technology. While the Power Base was the military last bastion for humanity post-Metal Wars, Eden II was the last bastion for human civilization, <br /><br /></div><div><u>The Oil Refinery Compound from <i>Road Warrior</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYWVlf1ww1u3UXR8fAoOGJ5m-oYOUl5m--Glx_oLSDCnH98_j57gccLQ9liKmeTPWx_4CZwIXJgticBnXkZvzgsNEbRyFPOP1oYdSUwfRmY630RLX7yDVyd-3eHjs6crIHZIXu04mj2WQTSJUh5QWgScDSEipzeYuOoxh0t6Ah3vtM2hrAINEAFlc0w/s1600/Mad%20Max%202%20The%20Road%20Warrior%20(1981)%208.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYWVlf1ww1u3UXR8fAoOGJ5m-oYOUl5m--Glx_oLSDCnH98_j57gccLQ9liKmeTPWx_4CZwIXJgticBnXkZvzgsNEbRyFPOP1oYdSUwfRmY630RLX7yDVyd-3eHjs6crIHZIXu04mj2WQTSJUh5QWgScDSEipzeYuOoxh0t6Ah3vtM2hrAINEAFlc0w/w400-h225/Mad%20Max%202%20The%20Road%20Warrior%20(1981)%208.png" width="400" /></a></div>In the <i>Mad Max</i> history, wars and revolutions in the Middle East caused the global oil supply to be unstable to the point of economic collapse on a global scale. Before the nuclear war, the cities were abandoned, there wars over basic resources, and murder was everywhere. During this, a former oil employee took a group of people out into the Outback to a small oil refinery and pumping station constructed as a test to harvest oil from the Outback to create domestic production. After the collapse of the oil companies, the refinery was used as a means to get to the coast and away from the gangs. This may have been on of the last working oil refineries in all of Australia <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Mars Base from <i>Genesis Climber MOSPEDA</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8NMwBZoOwtnJqQD5Q5ekKbo2kt0Q6wnYkpRR86sFcqg7epJPZFr7okpba55WKlCvj0YV-kpptujj1sg1IUXjAOwi6d90EVV5tTuXPCUMZlflYfXkgQZcnA9UyhTm9goBHdaTL_lgN4hb36XgQV6IwRmqebmVnBRHpvCt5SUxHETMXZzM-MUQGPJ4Nw/s247/images%20(10).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="247" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8NMwBZoOwtnJqQD5Q5ekKbo2kt0Q6wnYkpRR86sFcqg7epJPZFr7okpba55WKlCvj0YV-kpptujj1sg1IUXjAOwi6d90EVV5tTuXPCUMZlflYfXkgQZcnA9UyhTm9goBHdaTL_lgN4hb36XgQV6IwRmqebmVnBRHpvCt5SUxHETMXZzM-MUQGPJ4Nw/w400-h330/images%20(10).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>From October of 1983 to March 1984, <i>Genesis Climber MOSPEDA</i> aired via the Fuji TV Network and ran for only 25 episodes due to low ratings. It was imported to the west by Harmony Gold to serve as the 3rd part of the ROBOTECH saga and there the original anime lived on with more success than the original Japanese title. In the original story, Humanity has developed a new fuel, HBT, and colonized Luna, Mars, and Jupiter...then the aliens called Inbit arrive. By the late 21st century, the Earth was conquered and humanity was limited to a few pockets of settlements and slave farms. However, the Inbit did not attack the colonies on Luna and Mars, where were quite large. For decades, the Mars government devoted themselves and their resources to fielding Earth Reclaiming Fleets to knock the Inbit out of their primary base, Reflex Point. Mars became the last bastion of humanity and its culture devoted to saving Earth from the crab-like aliens. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Little Houston Lunar Base from<i> The Terminator </i> NOW Comics series </u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOffRLVImBtbIv8RUc71sKbjeQwuxe0cRSaj_b_v-bnNjfn8BDZaUB0wtc_Mca-mSbp2fGR-NNar7be0RKZEqU5uEgHIDEQx8vOeUdsivf4DjdPqL-od6cWrbZoqEz0sdxWhHr4Tr2snd9KfHTNgzhl_HsXEkncvTFbTrRMo5lvhtxYgMCjf7qh_AAQ/s3169/RCO013_1465009795.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3169" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOffRLVImBtbIv8RUc71sKbjeQwuxe0cRSaj_b_v-bnNjfn8BDZaUB0wtc_Mca-mSbp2fGR-NNar7be0RKZEqU5uEgHIDEQx8vOeUdsivf4DjdPqL-od6cWrbZoqEz0sdxWhHr4Tr2snd9KfHTNgzhl_HsXEkncvTFbTrRMo5lvhtxYgMCjf7qh_AAQ/w414-h640/RCO013_1465009795.jpg" width="414" /></a></div>In the first <i>Terminator </i>comic book series, published by the defuncted NOW Comics in 1988, we learn of a long lost and hidden the last bastion of pre-judgement day Earth on Luna. At the time of publication, the second <i>Terminator</i> film had not yet come out and the NOW writers filling in some details that were altered by the events of the second film' s timeline. In the comic's first issue, we learn that back in 1998(!) the UN setup a lunar outpost of some size and complexity, it was nicknamed "Little Houston". After SkyNet nuked the world, there was debate among the limited population on the lunar base to go down to Earth and fight SkyNet or remind hidden on the moon and wait for victory against the machines. They waited, but the Lunar colony needed some living building blocks for their greenhouse and that forced shuttle missions to the blackened Earth. During one of these mission near the Flordia coast in December of 2031, one of the lunar supply missions was exposed during a fight between SkyNet forces and the local Human Resistance unit, the Sarah Slammers. The lunar team of humans and one android pulled with the Sarah Slammers and they never returned to the moon and the moon base never sent a rescue mission. When SkyNet learned of the lunar base, it attempted to send a heavily modified NASA Space Shuttle as a Terminator troop transport to attack and destroy Little Houston. The Slammers stopped the launch. The future of the human resistance and the lunar colony was never shown due to the cancellation of the comic and the shutting of NOW Comices doors in the early 1990s. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>The Babylon 5 Station</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4axC68WN5ewzSFcwiHEe9w9FLSQMbzUcoHFGSEPXs72-79Pnx_NcdnLl8nQJC_Ay5-t280IpfpyUd4YWJhExhWup--cPFjQGVQxCxdp_niNThTL9YA6kH_PPh97tKoc_2_VdQ5dPwDdUfa_MPLblsQGJNdFuD3tA4-2FXuGSB4K2FwDw_LWTL3FkAvg/s1500/CFjbzhVTR7w7rjec4K8JL8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1500" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4axC68WN5ewzSFcwiHEe9w9FLSQMbzUcoHFGSEPXs72-79Pnx_NcdnLl8nQJC_Ay5-t280IpfpyUd4YWJhExhWup--cPFjQGVQxCxdp_niNThTL9YA6kH_PPh97tKoc_2_VdQ5dPwDdUfa_MPLblsQGJNdFuD3tA4-2FXuGSB4K2FwDw_LWTL3FkAvg/w400-h224/CFjbzhVTR7w7rjec4K8JL8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After the bloody Earth-Minbari War, millions were dead, the Earth Alliance colonial holdings were basically gone, and the military power of EarthForce was nearly nonexistent. It was during this fragile time that the Babylon Project was put forward in 2248 by the Earth Alliance for a diplomatic space station in neutral space that could host peace talks and solve problems before interstellar issues could rise to the level of the Earth-Minbari War. It was to be the best and last hope for peace and on the 5th station; it was finally achieved. For the first few years of <i>B5</i>’s operation, it was just that…a last bastion of hope and peace. Then the Centuari Republic invaded Narn, altering the mission of B5 and soon the Shadows returned. During this time of war and division, the Earth Alliance attempted to seize and control the station. This was the opening battles in the 1st Earth Alliance Civil War and soon, B5 became the HQ for the War against the Shadows. B5 switched from the best and last hope for peace, to the best and last hope for victory. <br /></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The EDF Space Battleship <i>Yamato </i>from the <i>Space Cruiser Yamato </i>Franchise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDF5C8ezclcJvJ6M9ePAOD5iTZxgs5AfEhW8hUk068-WPthbcI-EZtpb1f9jVDhmVCPSbWCHGySz7jFVeNo8hO-DIjV08_kp9R-rijN7Qg70yDQClukHUm_rhdsGkFBkOEza0aUo48yjpKUKSdynIFRFb2bU5KzmsqT7DxWt1-EHKqDzjKpiFQ9P3tQ/s838/Yamato1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="838" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDF5C8ezclcJvJ6M9ePAOD5iTZxgs5AfEhW8hUk068-WPthbcI-EZtpb1f9jVDhmVCPSbWCHGySz7jFVeNo8hO-DIjV08_kp9R-rijN7Qg70yDQClukHUm_rhdsGkFBkOEza0aUo48yjpKUKSdynIFRFb2bU5KzmsqT7DxWt1-EHKqDzjKpiFQ9P3tQ/w400-h268/Yamato1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the original <i>Space Cruiser Yamato </i>TV series and film, humanity was living in massive underground cities and their space naval forces were defended by the powerful Gamilon Empire invasion force. To force the surrender of the Terrans, the Gamilons were bombarding the Earth with radiation bombs and slowly the radiation was leaking into the underground cities. There was only one year left until surrender or death. To secure some of humanity, the wreck of the Imperial Japanese super battleship, the <i>Yamato</i> was being secretly reconstructed into a heavily armed evacuation vessels until the gift of the Wave Motion Engine by Iscandarians to help humanity cross vast interstellar distances to come to Iscandar and recover the Cosmic DNA to save and regrow the Earth's biome. The <i>Yamato</i> was then transformed into a power warship to make the crossing within one year. This final Terran warship with alien technology was Terra's last and best hope for survival against their blue skinned enemy. In someways, the <i>Yamato </i>was the last bastion of Earth's hopes and military strength via the Starforce. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeKmVs4pV_kLPgi0RWqXqH3vRa0gr7QXYphRgT3W1A3v3T0UlSfnHzY66gNrDEhnGlXw_XbDpG3JVCKSYzlLHx0wxloUx6ADw2Kg3GgpgUEVBWifT7WTvRWSJOlDqjyAf65AfMpnJ4b45UaTm9XhLpxA0t9-kyqled4oiTdhSUfUYvKUe4onzy4lELg/s689/FinalYamatoposter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeKmVs4pV_kLPgi0RWqXqH3vRa0gr7QXYphRgT3W1A3v3T0UlSfnHzY66gNrDEhnGlXw_XbDpG3JVCKSYzlLHx0wxloUx6ADw2Kg3GgpgUEVBWifT7WTvRWSJOlDqjyAf65AfMpnJ4b45UaTm9XhLpxA0t9-kyqled4oiTdhSUfUYvKUe4onzy4lELg/w290-h400/FinalYamatoposter.webp" width="290" /></a></div>Given how wildly successful the 1974 TV series and the 1977 film were in Japan and then later exported to the West as "Starblazers", there was sequel. When the White Comet Empire came to attack the Earth, the EDF had rebuilt, but to mine the same emotions, the writers destroyed the new Terran navy and the new flagship, the <i>Andromeda</i>, so that the <i>Yamato</i> was again the last bastion of hope for victory. Then they did again and again for the further sequels on TV and on the big screen until the end of the <i>Yamato</i> in <i>Final Yamato </i>in 1983. All of this was design to go back the emotional well of the <i>Yamato</i> being the last protector of humanity and it comes up so hollow and predicable. After the White Comet Empire storyline, the idea should have been changed, but it wasn't and it ruins the reminder of the <i>Yamato</i> TV series and films. My hope is that the rebooted <i>Yamato</i> TV series do not follow in the boring footsteps of the original and break away from <i>Yamato </i>being the only warship to protect Earth from her blue-skinned alien foes. <br /><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The UNSC World of Reach</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNYSXwc-HNplWJMnzWU7-uf9CvI88oKIV2-tI2BKo7u42xkUSu1iCgwkw5F4tTF2nwoKIlVfMI73DkVbNAjdNg2rViBA9oVssEHKY17GDHsJ5QgGicOoDHmAiN897XS8YBYW67ilKgrrynr0yYXAi3x45LRjQGgbPx_UO8r0VwexztgYemgglAg2GLA/s835/Planet_Reach.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="835" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNYSXwc-HNplWJMnzWU7-uf9CvI88oKIV2-tI2BKo7u42xkUSu1iCgwkw5F4tTF2nwoKIlVfMI73DkVbNAjdNg2rViBA9oVssEHKY17GDHsJ5QgGicOoDHmAiN897XS8YBYW67ilKgrrynr0yYXAi3x45LRjQGgbPx_UO8r0VwexztgYemgglAg2GLA/w400-h371/Planet_Reach.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div>One of the most important colonies in the whole of the UNSC is the military colony of Reach in the Epsilon Eridani system, some 10.5 Lightyears from Sol. By the time of the Human-Covenant War, Reach was center for UNSC fleet operations, the SPARTAN-II Program, key ONI operational centers and black sites, along with having the largest off-world colony in terms of population. While Earth was the mother to the human race, Reach was becoming the symbol of humans as a spacefaring race…that was until the Covenant attacked Reach in 2552. When the battle for Reach was made public, it shook the UNSC to its core. Here was the key military location outside of the Sol System and it was under attack from a massive alien force. If Reach fell then nothing was left to stand between the alien invaders and Earth. Reach was the last bastion, the fortress among the stars for human. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><u>The Nexus from <i>Mass Effect Andromeda</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq47KzdJcriDhq0AFsb2z8ChbYgZNHNHWKq6QvKa3vqvcaIysagSwI-dIzU6T8IIp28pm5GbldD_gN-i9NXKtYeo0ImLClMOEScSoetprK5e5fCVPl1Uk-_l_AWBOpkSuWO1KDU9oikk_VqWeKxtCN1RQu_0Z-5_dLGv00vov_n4WlbF-XbcI58LIdCA/s1920/190461-1519837828.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq47KzdJcriDhq0AFsb2z8ChbYgZNHNHWKq6QvKa3vqvcaIysagSwI-dIzU6T8IIp28pm5GbldD_gN-i9NXKtYeo0ImLClMOEScSoetprK5e5fCVPl1Uk-_l_AWBOpkSuWO1KDU9oikk_VqWeKxtCN1RQu_0Z-5_dLGv00vov_n4WlbF-XbcI58LIdCA/w400-h225/190461-1519837828.gif" width="400" /></a></div>As the Reaper threat slowly came to Milky Way Galaxy, the secretive Andromeda Initiative embarked on a long-term risky colonization mission to the Andromeda Galaxy some 2 million Lys away in 2185. This mission was originally privately funded as a exploration and colonization mission, but given the Reaper threat was only believe by a few, the Citadel secretly funded the Andromeda Initiative to save the Milky Way civilizations from the Reaper extinction by seeding the Andromeda Galaxy with this one-way colonization mission using six Ark intergalactic sleeper ships and a central space station hub patterned after the Citadel, called the Nexus. This Nexus space station is the last bastion of the Milky Way civilizations that fell under the Reaper’s blade some 500 years ago. We know that something of the Milky Way societies survived due to the ending scene in <i>Mass Effect 3</i> and until Mass Effect 5 drops, we will have to assume that the Nexus is the last bastion of the old Milky Way civilization,. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Terra Nova Settlement from <i>Terra Nova</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D25CzllLXyKQ02FdxX_pq8IOKuSy-bcK2p4DO3FDj2akwOfu1odqTlu6UK-eZyWoJI9LrsMIJ0T6jSnTRLUn3wqqQjDdPNmJ8TNp1cMHuL5AvJdeP9c1fBPjDb-HpTxkDKeW-r5utNbqhTV6RjcYpOHgiIDHBzLVC4paGf5L68y-8LP3k_GaDZFUDg/s1747/1e1dbb2345e8bf205f5a03deb4911ba5.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1747" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D25CzllLXyKQ02FdxX_pq8IOKuSy-bcK2p4DO3FDj2akwOfu1odqTlu6UK-eZyWoJI9LrsMIJ0T6jSnTRLUn3wqqQjDdPNmJ8TNp1cMHuL5AvJdeP9c1fBPjDb-HpTxkDKeW-r5utNbqhTV6RjcYpOHgiIDHBzLVC4paGf5L68y-8LP3k_GaDZFUDg/w400-h258/1e1dbb2345e8bf205f5a03deb4911ba5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>In this bold, but under-cooked very expensive FOX TV show, <i>Terra Nova</i>, we see Earth’s distance past as a solution to the issues of the 22nd century. In 2149, the ability to time travel had been discovered by accident via a portal back millions of years. This appeared to be a solution to the environmental collapse and the overpopulation of the 22nd century. Throughout the only season of the show, there was a series of migration waves from the 22nd century Hope Plaza complex to the Terra Nova settlement, some 85 million years in the past. The last bastion for humanity was the Terra Nova settlement designed to be in harmony with the local environment and serve as a focal point for colonization of those selected to be colonists. With the cancellation of the series, I guess will never find out what happened.</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><b><u><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div></u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGJ14cYYDjdHo8IeqOHBJq43lc7Sd-5Vbc3AoyoAvGWaFa9mBMGxvY94NUm6r5u0PzL4Mk6YMG-yUtFS5dn1mCjIo86s_hO4lBlVZjmRdNqw1nXuvroIGS1iIsC6GWkmO04B9FhX1Jam6sfOfTQHlTtr5gJwY98WVxLwhnMZ3gVDwu_EhsHfJYpGDjg/s1023/0eba5653f88574ea435050030e26550b--stargate-universe-stargate-sg-.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGJ14cYYDjdHo8IeqOHBJq43lc7Sd-5Vbc3AoyoAvGWaFa9mBMGxvY94NUm6r5u0PzL4Mk6YMG-yUtFS5dn1mCjIo86s_hO4lBlVZjmRdNqw1nXuvroIGS1iIsC6GWkmO04B9FhX1Jam6sfOfTQHlTtr5gJwY98WVxLwhnMZ3gVDwu_EhsHfJYpGDjg/w268-h400/0eba5653f88574ea435050030e26550b--stargate-universe-stargate-sg-.webp" width="268" /></a></div>The use of staffs for combat is certainly older than our species and every kids knows that a good piece of wood can serve as a staff for fancy spins to impress and amaze. This is not lost on science fiction creators and throughout the realm of sci-fi, there have been a number of staff-based weapons that, at times, were a blend of melee weapon and directed-energy weapon system. In the next installment of <u>The Weapons of Science Fiction</u>, we will looking at one of the finest examples of a sci-fi staff weapon, the Ma'Tok of the Jaffa warrior society that served their masters, the Goa'uld. In addition, we will also be examining other sci-fi staff weapons, like the High Guard Force Lance. Stay Frosty until next time. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u><div><br /><br /><u><br /></u></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-32315843199390906512022-08-05T21:41:00.000-05:002022-08-05T21:41:54.655-05:00Military Sci-Fi Oddities: There was ALIENS and TERMINATOR RPGs?!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fmNna47uxgm8qY7l-1XFsDA3XcJ4TNXiYkQLq6ocCnwrMU5pyl6QwMwUI-q-jlAoo1fNx4d3XMGB9hwO_tYjqYmxDmdbBN5DpVzF_0erOrtHOWkyeubDdOgSLu_s81OTAqjjlrfbmpU/s1600/say-what.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="630" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fmNna47uxgm8qY7l-1XFsDA3XcJ4TNXiYkQLq6ocCnwrMU5pyl6QwMwUI-q-jlAoo1fNx4d3XMGB9hwO_tYjqYmxDmdbBN5DpVzF_0erOrtHOWkyeubDdOgSLu_s81OTAqjjlrfbmpU/s640/say-what.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>During the RPG and boardgame craze that started in the late 1970’s, there was a massive amount of all types of RPGs and boardgames made and for all different types of setting. You could be the captain of a Federation starship, a Bard singing in Waterdeep bar, a tank commander in a post-WWIII European battlefield, a zelot genetic engineered killing machine in a space hulk cutting down monsters with a chainsword, or even a pilot of 11 meter tall walking tank on a far-flung human colony stalking other walking tanks.You are never quite sure what you will find when you wander around the dusty back sections of your favorite local comic book store back in the 1980's and 1990’s...and during my hunting days in those back corners of Starbase 21 in Tulsa. During this time, I came across what I would later learn was the Leading Edge Games ALIENS role playing game. I can still recall the boxed RPG sitting on the back RPG shelves at Starbase 21 comic book store in Tulsa. Never bought, never knew anyone that did...but I wanted to see what the hell was this game about my favorite movie was all about. Recently, while watching Spoony's<i> Counter Monkey </i>series, he displayed the Leading Edge Game ALIENS game and that got me to Googling...then I made a profound discovery: not only was there an ALIENS RPG, but there was an <i>Terminator</i> one as well! WTF?! In this blogpost, we will explaining and exploring the ALIENS and <i>Terminator</i> RPGs developed by Leading Edge Games in the twilight hours of their existence. </div>
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<b><u>Who the Hell was "Leading Edge Games"?</u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRA3fwCgKGjfIVRlwqbEdN_Q1BABMItYV7OYJty28-kQfaiqMzC0ykin04TJGDkNl-fitYqkGEjNE1rHnehdAO0qLKc6JXRfBQaFvzd-BOibtCcE5kJZ60fvwQhB3j6CG0tPCA3oQG2E/s1600/LeadingEdgeGames-Logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="325" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRA3fwCgKGjfIVRlwqbEdN_Q1BABMItYV7OYJty28-kQfaiqMzC0ykin04TJGDkNl-fitYqkGEjNE1rHnehdAO0qLKc6JXRfBQaFvzd-BOibtCcE5kJZ60fvwQhB3j6CG0tPCA3oQG2E/s400/LeadingEdgeGames-Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The graveyard of game companies that were founded in the apex of the popularity of RPGs in the post-D&D world are many and the publisher of ALIENS and <i>Terminator 2</i> RPGs is among the headstones: Leading Edge Games. Founded in by Barry Nakazono and David McKenzie in 1982 in Pasadena, California and closed around 1994. One of the most interesting facts about the founders of LEG was that Barry Nakazono is currently a propulsion engineer at CalTech and David McKenzie is a writer and designer. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwoeT0h2_yNAS7dJls9dsKQoJNmhRH78Toy4Db14VftMstZjvwOKj4yp0JhrX1uOXvvsIc_kNExkcj6567u2rhZvvs6JS_QzjmLjE4BvqaPHVtK9Wp0679-fJMuE17zeMksc42eKdFdcxHGicVWy1lwP4s6cHhjiJ6-czHx0lNz_ywP1uc8Z9_gDlDg/s2444/91xhcYC+EtL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2444" data-original-width="1900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwoeT0h2_yNAS7dJls9dsKQoJNmhRH78Toy4Db14VftMstZjvwOKj4yp0JhrX1uOXvvsIc_kNExkcj6567u2rhZvvs6JS_QzjmLjE4BvqaPHVtK9Wp0679-fJMuE17zeMksc42eKdFdcxHGicVWy1lwP4s6cHhjiJ6-czHx0lNz_ywP1uc8Z9_gDlDg/w311-h400/91xhcYC+EtL.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>This level of talent was involved in developing several noted in-house titles besides the licensed titles that LEG managed: <i>Living Steel</i> and <i>Phoenix Command. Phoenix Command</i> is infamous today (and even then) in the old-school RPG realm due to it’s vast and hard-nosed detail to realism when it comes to wound ballistics in combat situations from specific weapons. Using this system for gaming would allow for a certain caliber of round fired from a specific weapon that impacted in a certain area of the human body to calculated and the damage laid out at the anatomical level. The fun will now commence. <i>Living Steel</i>, published in 1987, was a pen-and-paper-with-miniatures military sci-fi game that was used by LEG as a vehicle for their P<i>hoenix Command Combat System</i> (PCCS). The game takes place on the colonial world of Rhand during an alien invasion and the human resistance in powered armor suits waging a war of survival against the invaders. These two games put LEG company on the map and into the gaming consciousness. Later on, LEG would get the license for ALIENS, <i>Terminator 2</i>, T<i>he Lawnmower Man</i>, and <i>Bram Stoker’s Dracula</i> that allowed the company to fuse those properties with the PCCS. The complexity of the PCCS and bad word of mouth among the gaming community may have ended the company before they could change and save the good work they did with their licensed properties. <br /><br />
<b><u><i>ALIENS Adventure Game</i> (1991)</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YA9Bgy3fuNBMj8JNtrRLpfyDI2qgjEDZoZu1q0Peuq-kYB_8KQGlrGds4CGuD9GU66aabDSiX_ablEyvd1XkVCsspMz_WQbcenk5edYSIXTbE7RWN-aP78HXEy2ymv6RkiIBISkdsj4/s1600/aliensadventuregame.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="232" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YA9Bgy3fuNBMj8JNtrRLpfyDI2qgjEDZoZu1q0Peuq-kYB_8KQGlrGds4CGuD9GU66aabDSiX_ablEyvd1XkVCsspMz_WQbcenk5edYSIXTbE7RWN-aP78HXEy2ymv6RkiIBISkdsj4/s400/aliensadventuregame.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
<div>This RPG game was centered around the US Colonial Marines in the 22nd century and the base game of around 200-page manual was sold for $21 in 1991 ($47.75 in 2022 money). One of the interesting and odd elements of the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game</i> is that there was previous LEG ALIENS boardgame released in 1989 that was much loved and sells for big money today. Unlike that 1989 boardgame, the 1991 <i>ALIENS Adventure Game</i> used the nuclear-launch code complex PCCS developed by LEG for several of their games. Given the use of miniatures and the focus on the military science fiction element of the ALIENS universe, it was slow game that dealt with the reality of combat on off-world colonies with all manner of alien lifeforms. Leading Edge Games did some nice work on fleshing out some of the background information on the ALIENS universe that included stellar cartography, the xenomorph themselves, USCM equipment and vehicles, and even other ships besides the <i>Sulaco</i>. While the game manual seems impressive, when have to remember that this is context to the time when published. The 1996 <i>ALIENS Colonial Marine Technical Manual</i> is far more detailed than the 1991 game manual and there was no original art inside the game manual to speak of, save for the star maps. Some of the photos used in the 1991 game manual were rare and some were only available in the official 1986 movie magazine (which is awesome!). Some have said that the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game </i>is too centered on the USCM and there is a lack of the RPG character roles and personalities seen in titles like <i>Twilight 2000</i>, <i>Traveler</i>, <i>Star Frontiers</i>, and <i>D&D</i>. Despite coming out three years prior to the end of LEG, there was no additional modules developed. There was a adventure module developed for the ALIENS boardgame, but for the RPG. </div><div><br /></div>
<b><u>The <i>ALIENS Adventure Game </i>Miniatures </u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGYdS3DZznQjkUc2dBrrX1WNmLNSO2Sh56EX-2LQXQZ56DRgonZriD6ky0w-TzYkdKm3qkfBuwOZm37Z9R8dtzL5PIilaU2RctxPEI2XD18XNPGtJzWR13j_LA4IIN7d2QYgRXhn1dpk/s1600/20300.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="516" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGYdS3DZznQjkUc2dBrrX1WNmLNSO2Sh56EX-2LQXQZ56DRgonZriD6ky0w-TzYkdKm3qkfBuwOZm37Z9R8dtzL5PIilaU2RctxPEI2XD18XNPGtJzWR13j_LA4IIN7d2QYgRXhn1dpk/s400/20300.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>The 25mm pewter miniatures were the work of Bob Ridolfi, who is a noted figurine sculptor. These miniatures, while a little rough, are still held in high regards and command high prices on the 2nd market. The entire team seen in the 1986 movie were recreated in a complete line of figures that was all 13 Colonial Marines with the support crew of Ripley, Burke, and Newt (and even the bloody cat!). </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Aqu4VTTzGTatN08i3JJORgwMtz9hFqefXEwvHOPigIIRieB3BSJKlpFc6XivCRhexQ513IP8a33erFaKFYSmb_hyphenhyphenkZ3kOzHj8sScb-rkB_JoKA3lx91QekeXY8xTIYXEchL1eYvp8NU/s1600/20301.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="526" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Aqu4VTTzGTatN08i3JJORgwMtz9hFqefXEwvHOPigIIRieB3BSJKlpFc6XivCRhexQ513IP8a33erFaKFYSmb_hyphenhyphenkZ3kOzHj8sScb-rkB_JoKA3lx91QekeXY8xTIYXEchL1eYvp8NU/w400-h170/20301.jpg" width="400" /></a>These were blister sold in sets or in theme boxed sets including one having the Haley’s Hope colonists being attacked. Crazy. One of the standouts of the ALIENS 25mm figures was the vehicles. The <i>Cheyenne</i> Dropship, Powerloader, and the M557 APC are considered holy grails by collectors. One of the mysteries of the line was the mention on some sites of set number 20309, the USS <i>Sulaco</i>. There is nothing in the way of concept drawings or a prototype that hints that vehicle was more than planned by LEG before the company shut down.</div><div>Here is the complete list (list is from <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/leading-edge/aliens.htmlv"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/leading-edge/aliens.html</span></b></a>) :</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Boxed Sets</u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DNbNUQW_ympsyna0v1HNPtyErIg5Q0-tW3kqDS0ruXVdn-Capm_Li_p9Zo26JiqV19cFO3jYHXTS2bu7V_Ob9nP21DzZvQkesMZpG45LQpXqJ0Bz1CmClp_X3GH5FdGxALf5Iqzm9ZA/s1600/leading-edge-alien-2-figurine-20307-apc-box-set-02-cqor-17.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="835" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DNbNUQW_ympsyna0v1HNPtyErIg5Q0-tW3kqDS0ruXVdn-Capm_Li_p9Zo26JiqV19cFO3jYHXTS2bu7V_Ob9nP21DzZvQkesMZpG45LQpXqJ0Bz1CmClp_X3GH5FdGxALf5Iqzm9ZA/s320/leading-edge-alien-2-figurine-20307-apc-box-set-02-cqor-17.jpg" width="288" /></a></div></div><div>• 20300 Alien Warriors #1</div><div>• 20301 Colonial Marines #1</div><div>• 20302 Colonial Marines #2</div><div>• 20303 Queen's Lair</div><div>• 20304 Colonist's Last Stand</div><div>• 20305 Alien Warriors #2</div><div>• 20306 Power Loader</div><div>• 20307 APC</div><div>• 20308 Dropship</div><div>• 20309 Sulaco (never released)</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Blister Packs</u></div><div>• 24101 Alien Warriors #1</div><div>• 24102 Alien Warriors #2</div><div>• 24103 Alien Warriors #3</div><div>• 24104 Alien Warriors #4</div><div>• 24105 Alien Warriors #5</div><div>• 24106 Alien Warriors #6</div><div>• 24107 Alien Warriors #7</div><div>• 24108 Alien Warriors #8</div><div>• 24109 Alien Warriors #9</div><div>• 24201 Ripley, Hicks, Newt and Burke</div><div>• 24202 Dropship Crew (Ferro, Spunkmeyer, Frost)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuQ15xb1GQf0em15_aHi1sbmmB_Msir30WNa_IzRHCV-Kd9kq-DkON8P8R79m2mO1Tv-9z597AJYBOmRPvEDUfFzY_JDWnnMWOtEluLL90S3snVLAPWQEfSKWo4lvbmXNkEIrx8rQBG8/s1600/DSCF2010.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>• 24203 Machinegunners (Vasquez, Drake, Wierzbowski)</div><div>• 24204 "Game Over" (Hudson, Bishop, Crowe)</div><div>• 24205 Apone (Apone, Gorman, Dietrich)</div><div>• 24301 Sentry Guns</div><div>• 24302 Facehuggers</div><div>• 24303 Alien Eggs</div><div>• 24305 Colonists Attacked by Facehugger</div><div>• 24401 Powerloader and Cat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<b><u><i>TERMINATOR 2: Year of Darkness</i> Miniature Combat System (1993)</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N43YfCUh7NpmNSnjtCGo7pA_kLdglQxQBYi9EkgwQarulyDd2loATG8YmMtQIpvTp7rvf6QmE3Zd7go1kFpie7OULW2GnIEEEaem_r9ROg75WganAG31dt_zUzLOvtULLMakq48AdTs/s1600/pic191913.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="487" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N43YfCUh7NpmNSnjtCGo7pA_kLdglQxQBYi9EkgwQarulyDd2loATG8YmMtQIpvTp7rvf6QmE3Zd7go1kFpie7OULW2GnIEEEaem_r9ROg75WganAG31dt_zUzLOvtULLMakq48AdTs/s400/pic191913.jpg" width="307" /></a><div><div>One year prior to the closing of Leading Edge Games, one of the last products rolled out: <i>T2: Year of Darkness Miniature Combat System</i>. Based on the Human Resistance verse the robotic armies of SkyNet as seen in the future war scenes in the only two Terminator films, the game was designed to be a 25mm miniature combat game, which have a popular type of RPG games since time began. There is little on this game due to its rarity and even less information on what it was like to play the game. Even scans of the manual are nearly non-existent. To me, this might tell us that the game was not in wide circulation due to the game being released one year before the closure of LEG. The following section is taken from <i>Terminator</i> Wiki site had to say and it is one of the only pieces of information on the game: <i><b><span style="color: red;">Taking place in 2027(?), Year of Darkness is an long out of print 25mm tabletop miniatures skirmish combat miniatures war game for 2 players, it was a squad level combat system, which one player assumed command of Human Resistance forces and the other player commanded SkyNet forces. Each player collected, assembled, and painted his army of 25mm pewter miniatures composed of either the human Resistance soldiers or the extensive SkyNet robotic army of endoskeletons, infiltrators, HK tanks and HK aerial units. </span></b></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdfw5ulPiEVPjuvi_7ryqqkCVWEDIofvMSQL3TqReQH6XjL6cHMwiye24gLAplP3t1kbuTPl8KZrnKkRFz95mdNdbY7d0WDN-rIoukqM1kvuiBInwXruKMjrrr-wZ6Fi5CfKHnemPAQvdvy1hVk6GPmQ133F67UMK9mSnyaNr2h-6IAHTpNo0Zly3Kw/s600/71101.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdfw5ulPiEVPjuvi_7ryqqkCVWEDIofvMSQL3TqReQH6XjL6cHMwiye24gLAplP3t1kbuTPl8KZrnKkRFz95mdNdbY7d0WDN-rIoukqM1kvuiBInwXruKMjrrr-wZ6Fi5CfKHnemPAQvdvy1hVk6GPmQ133F67UMK9mSnyaNr2h-6IAHTpNo0Zly3Kw/s320/71101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>These 25mm warriors would engage on the a homemade post-apocalyptic battlefield usually on a large 6×4 table and fight in strategic skirmish battles using multiple 6-sided dice for weapons attack outcome. The movement of the forces was determined with tape measure (inches or mm) and unit movement value was designated for each unit in the core rule book. The rule book contained 94 pages in black white print for basic rules and all advanced rules also included were extremely detailed diorama explaining in depth knowledge on weaponry, unit formation, Skynet HKs and Terminators and optional building and ruins layout for combat scenarios.” There is only one photo set of what this could look like along with seeing the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/boyntonartstudio/13660362374/in/photostream/"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">LEG HK Tank</span></b></a></div></div><div><br /></div><b><u>The<i> T2: Year of Darkness </i>Miniatures </u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaABqpmGFl1giOdZRr4B3fh-iVwTSXZBXQW79LDr63IvAUuNeHClSCRdrrR4GPWWq7Pu9_cimfsI0PwiAvGKXqMZy2xgHfpZkhGJltidtZWyMNSktNy1B6_791wcwPocUwDpPQUein6bg/s1600/s-l225.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaABqpmGFl1giOdZRr4B3fh-iVwTSXZBXQW79LDr63IvAUuNeHClSCRdrrR4GPWWq7Pu9_cimfsI0PwiAvGKXqMZy2xgHfpZkhGJltidtZWyMNSktNy1B6_791wcwPocUwDpPQUein6bg/w320-h240/s-l225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>As with the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game </i>25mm pewter miniatures, the ones for Terminator game were the work of Bob Ridolfi, who is a noted figurine sculptor. These miniatures are much rarer than the ones for the ALIENS game and are highly regards by fans of <i>Terminator</i> and command a very high prices on the 2nd market. Until the recent 2015 <i>Terminator Genysis War against the Machines</i> 28mm miniature game, the 1993 LEG miniatures were the only game in town and it some ways, the LEG miniatures still are. The <i>Terminator Genysis</i> game is based on a film that is likely not canon and does not match the style of the first two films. The 1993 LEG miniatures fit within the accepted style of the Human Resistance fighters seen in the 1984 and 1991 films, not the 2015 abortion of a film that <i>Genysis</i> is. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkrKKAVmtOzefE0X0kXHsnhPZZLBVngfRfCPzivXWyZswgNqm1CygC3wi6mRsFaVAnwJre7Ve50T_5MLww-woXFZ9Lm4xubmjEtHjd9YFaxP9sYBSzx3v2bJwzCJr_OfgNYM4H2uR0F9J-bSaWEZuCAmKUvQgLg8LqfXlw-adF2nJzh9s0M5XYwzQOg/s521/71102.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="521" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkrKKAVmtOzefE0X0kXHsnhPZZLBVngfRfCPzivXWyZswgNqm1CygC3wi6mRsFaVAnwJre7Ve50T_5MLww-woXFZ9Lm4xubmjEtHjd9YFaxP9sYBSzx3v2bJwzCJr_OfgNYM4H2uR0F9J-bSaWEZuCAmKUvQgLg8LqfXlw-adF2nJzh9s0M5XYwzQOg/w400-h184/71102.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Typing that word “Genysis” makes me throw up in my mouth alittle each time. Like the ALIENS miniatures, there was some boxed set and some little blister sets sold and given that these were released one year prior to the closure of LEG, some of these set were made in a very limited numbers. The mystery of the<i> T2: Year of Darkness </i>miniature line is the SkyNet HKs. It seems that the HK “tank” ground attack unit was released (very rare), but the proposed HK aerial unit may not have been. I’ve never seen a scan of it in my research and it is likely it was never made. Here is the complete list (list is from (<a href="https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/leading-edge/terminator.html"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/leading-edge/terminator.html</span></b></a>):</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Boxed Sets:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0O1bk32omJwmKGCEpQrR890BBZey9Nm0oH9zmQaieOLqdHNUpd_kl_cp8jbIWg-Hg0X3C3cR-C698Xs8Z0X9Tw73iuM6tMItIc8zTfN4-fadcbwkAnpM0KN7mUrchrgbgFEzbrZb5SWqR8C5msCZw4noay3GzzBnzxZWyCi5yFK8sRX_Wex7gaymqug/s562/71103.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="562" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0O1bk32omJwmKGCEpQrR890BBZey9Nm0oH9zmQaieOLqdHNUpd_kl_cp8jbIWg-Hg0X3C3cR-C698Xs8Z0X9Tw73iuM6tMItIc8zTfN4-fadcbwkAnpM0KN7mUrchrgbgFEzbrZb5SWqR8C5msCZw4noay3GzzBnzxZWyCi5yFK8sRX_Wex7gaymqug/w400-h170/71103.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></u></div><div>• 71100 "Hasta La Vista, Baby"</div><div>• 71101 Endoskeleton Boxed Set</div><div>• 71102 Future Soldiers Boxed Set</div><div>• 71103 Infiltrators</div><div>• 71104 Hunter Killer</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Blister Packs</u></div><div>• 74102 Human - 40W Plasma Rifle</div><div>• 74103 Human - 40W Plasma Machinegun</div><div>• 74104 Human - 100W Plasma Rifle</div><div>• 74105 Human - 100W Plasma Machinegun</div><div>• 74106 Human - Demo Charges</div><div>• 74107 Human - Nitro Bombs</div><div>• 74108 Human - Bolo Grenades</div><div>• 74109 Human - Heavy Weapons</div><div>• 74201 Endoskeleton - 40W Plasma Rifle</div><div>• 74202 Endoskeleton - Dual Weapons - 40W</div><div>• 74203 Endoskeleton - 100W Plasma Rifle</div><div>• 74204 Endoskeleton - Dual Weapons - 100W</div><div>• 74301 Infiltrators - 40W Plasma Rifle</div><div>• 74302 Infiltrators - 100W Plasma Rifle</div><div>• 74303 Infiltrators - Plasma Shotgun</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Why are these games an “Oddity”?</div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRA3fwCgKGjfIVRlwqbEdN_Q1BABMItYV7OYJty28-kQfaiqMzC0ykin04TJGDkNl-fitYqkGEjNE1rHnehdAO0qLKc6JXRfBQaFvzd-BOibtCcE5kJZ60fvwQhB3j6CG0tPCA3oQG2E/s1600/LeadingEdgeGames-Logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="325" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRA3fwCgKGjfIVRlwqbEdN_Q1BABMItYV7OYJty28-kQfaiqMzC0ykin04TJGDkNl-fitYqkGEjNE1rHnehdAO0qLKc6JXRfBQaFvzd-BOibtCcE5kJZ60fvwQhB3j6CG0tPCA3oQG2E/s400/LeadingEdgeGames-Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a>While RPGs based on a known media property is certainly not usually, it is odd how unknown these games are now and how complex they were. I can remember seeing the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game</i> around in back section of Starbase 21 in Tulsa and I believe there were some ads for the game maybe in Dark Horse Comics and<u> Starlog Magazine</u>. However, I do not remember anything about the <i>T2: Year of Darkness</i> game, despite being a massive fan of the War against the Machine seen in the only 2 <i>Terminator </i>films. Even today, the game is rare and expensive, (along with the excellent miniatures) and there is a lack of information on the <i>T2: The Year of Darkness</i> game to this very day. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9_QdXELSXuJQBM0-03F9Z9qi_oA8Jy4_Ntz1lDnsW8D62QQ2z1tgpz3qPdRf-Z_xCwpWvkAxZvqAwrmXZDsVQyIlvzvRdb5ASahjycO4ldhvdGr7-vG-oUzj-pBzvDMSlLoNPGth_il2j_sofQZYAbXC59ou4UShwDSORcPHSolguRsnqYazYwSFug/s590/Leading_Edge_Games-Aliens-APC-c56-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="590" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9_QdXELSXuJQBM0-03F9Z9qi_oA8Jy4_Ntz1lDnsW8D62QQ2z1tgpz3qPdRf-Z_xCwpWvkAxZvqAwrmXZDsVQyIlvzvRdb5ASahjycO4ldhvdGr7-vG-oUzj-pBzvDMSlLoNPGth_il2j_sofQZYAbXC59ou4UShwDSORcPHSolguRsnqYazYwSFug/w400-h179/Leading_Edge_Games-Aliens-APC-c56-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the standouts was the miniatures produced for the games, including the vehicles of both franchises. The thing about the miniatures is that they were pretty damn epic and bold in their concept to bring this to market. Included in the miniature lines were: ALIENS Powerloader (w/ Sentry guns), the <i>Cheyenne</i> dropship, the M577 APC, the HK tank, and even infiltrator Terminators. Included in the <i>T2: The Year of Darkness</i> miniature line was some T-800 Endoskeleton earrings and they are super rare today. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZzJWPF0NV3RPYmUo1t0PcFrmtomJF_ycDNq6koZGXmD3Hg57mmONrXeT8ffdM-TCq061cDz6RJnxcfb0dxm5dGPwxeevkfczPKtPLn-2yTgkzdy-YbG8-PrMTX1JNBP5L0tsYKOmipP8oyH8Cpakz04-iXT6nZqCgPnsXyBFejXjZFzXV8xG9QQhLQ/s400/Leading-Edge-Aliens-Mini-Loose-Power-Loader-Collection.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="400" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZzJWPF0NV3RPYmUo1t0PcFrmtomJF_ycDNq6koZGXmD3Hg57mmONrXeT8ffdM-TCq061cDz6RJnxcfb0dxm5dGPwxeevkfczPKtPLn-2yTgkzdy-YbG8-PrMTX1JNBP5L0tsYKOmipP8oyH8Cpakz04-iXT6nZqCgPnsXyBFejXjZFzXV8xG9QQhLQ/w400-h215/Leading-Edge-Aliens-Mini-Loose-Power-Loader-Collection.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Despite the lavish detail on the game manual, the extended background information, and the miniatures; the game mechanics were based on the chunky and unwieldy PCCS. From reviews today and at the time of release, the RPG community was not impressed with how long it took to fire at a target and determine damage and place of those10mm explosive tipped caseless rounds. The review I read in issue number 57 of <u>Challenge Magazine </u>from February of 1992 praised some of the elements of the game, but said in opening paragraph of the review that LEG took the ALIENS universe and gave it an “<b><i><span style="color: red;">RPG butcher job</span></i></b>”. The reviewer basically suggests to use the source material in the game manual for other military sci-fi game settings. Ouch.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Why Did these Games and LEG Fail?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWSPU3q8ew4KBdzCj6JliqARiQj-tNxBHYjvCvrkwYX-EkBX3ZwYkX2qCg4C6kxNsWlHlN4HuCpLMtm4MvqdrxV4PVai5_m0fqRgZdvJQBiaVS4PECBtqpfZ5Ns4T8konJhMVFG9rfE-w2R0C1sZNo3X9TGqaUPRlXUhxTCXkcKIdt2Kx627sJ57GtQ/s936/lr5-rg-cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="656" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWSPU3q8ew4KBdzCj6JliqARiQj-tNxBHYjvCvrkwYX-EkBX3ZwYkX2qCg4C6kxNsWlHlN4HuCpLMtm4MvqdrxV4PVai5_m0fqRgZdvJQBiaVS4PECBtqpfZ5Ns4T8konJhMVFG9rfE-w2R0C1sZNo3X9TGqaUPRlXUhxTCXkcKIdt2Kx627sJ57GtQ/w280-h400/lr5-rg-cover.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>Within the vast world of pen-&-paper RPGs, there are some infamous examples of way-too-complex systems that require tons of dice rolls and tables. Some examples are <i>Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier</i>, <i>Legend of the Five Rings</i>, and <i>FATAL</i>. In a<u> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2zTrMf4eH4&list=PLtffrRBS4J2HE5I3cl75ncRlVlg-79nFP&index=46"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">Counter Monkey video</span></b></a></u> about the <i>Legend of the Five Rings</i>, the Spoony One discussed the pain in the ass that realistic RPGs can be and how they suck the fun out of the game when every single action, like drawing and firing a gun in a duel, is divided up into dozens of steps with dice rolls and table consultations accompanying to each move. This is coupled with the fan that you can die easily. Often mentioned in the realm of the games above is all of the LEG catalog of games save for the 1989 ALIENS boardgame. While some do love the LEG games, there is much criticism for their take on realism within an entertainment setting. These criticisms were leveled at the LEG titles at the time and these poor reviews and bad word of mouth impacted sales. By 1994, the party was over, and Leading Edge Games was no more. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Impact & Legacy of these Games</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehCtdwMVe1IZ6N9xex6yCAcXtVNbEnZ6eN_KuWho4iq5TwJH4iJaCRjncgAXmpheE8J3by2z92ZruCiNUn5_G2ZNbBrsLV9AyFb4tUJFY6ezFwkzYq_m2gpP7Woqso3LPJ2rEsx8c6Ww/s1600/spon2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="713" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehCtdwMVe1IZ6N9xex6yCAcXtVNbEnZ6eN_KuWho4iq5TwJH4iJaCRjncgAXmpheE8J3by2z92ZruCiNUn5_G2ZNbBrsLV9AyFb4tUJFY6ezFwkzYq_m2gpP7Woqso3LPJ2rEsx8c6Ww/w400-h187/spon2.png" width="400" /></a></div>When the ALIENS and <i>Terminator 2</i> games were released in the 1990’s, we do not know their direct impact on the RPG market or the fandom of the community. From the online community that has discussed these games at the time of release, we know that many were excited by the prospect of RPGs set in these franchise coupled with the line of metal miniatures and vehicles. Within a few years after the release of these games, the company shut their doors and that can give us the true measure of the impact of these games. Until the advent of the internet, online classic RPG sites and shops along with video hosting services, most had either forgotten that LEG existed or never heard of them. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGmY7KPrOWse6hQ6mPD2BFhJpB3dlc6J7r70xxSN_ptcmAAjVl0QTX3_hMB8goP_2RZiQHDyzhhnssBAyuylHIzVOb2l6BoEkhPJO2OKqurHL2D24aNCxtwdFNIu6jvqaHuuYr8eCgYxjSbFfKwcltfEhPohVyvURw18bmfDdOfFNiABhBxHGIAmy7w/s2560/915KTqu0SQL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1977" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGmY7KPrOWse6hQ6mPD2BFhJpB3dlc6J7r70xxSN_ptcmAAjVl0QTX3_hMB8goP_2RZiQHDyzhhnssBAyuylHIzVOb2l6BoEkhPJO2OKqurHL2D24aNCxtwdFNIu6jvqaHuuYr8eCgYxjSbFfKwcltfEhPohVyvURw18bmfDdOfFNiABhBxHGIAmy7w/w309-h400/915KTqu0SQL.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>I was reminded that the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game </i>existed due to me spying on the book shelve of the Spoony One videos ( I was hoping for a Spoony Experiment video on the LEG ALIENS game…but that will<u> never</u> happen). One of the elements that helps us measure the legacy of these games is their price on auction sites and the these games and especially the miniatures sell for big money today, especially when they are unpainted and in their original awesome plastic and foam cases. The legacy of these games is similar to the Greek myth of Prometheus. Leading Edge Games reached for the sun with some of the best military science fiction licenses ever and they did not listen to those that wished for the jettison of the complex and unenjoyable PCCS resulting in the company getting burned and drowning. One of the best legacies of the material developed for the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game</i> was that some of it was used in the excellent <i>ALIENS: The Colonial Marines Technical Manual</i> from 1996.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS… </u></b></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4eOjw99B1hzYAw7V3XBmU0JIo4BiPFt5KPXU7acsLpRHxuYeMr9a6flkOzdB12RSfRRes7J23lSvk08Rt5Xi8Hs8T0PQdBBno5vQKzPdlBI54qGCuSTX-oeKlFocaTwvmzj3yJ2tubNEy6wY_0BL3FMubyvseOy7JadPCDanAfliHNSuUTU6zoH3fg/s1131/btM4DV.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1131" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4eOjw99B1hzYAw7V3XBmU0JIo4BiPFt5KPXU7acsLpRHxuYeMr9a6flkOzdB12RSfRRes7J23lSvk08Rt5Xi8Hs8T0PQdBBno5vQKzPdlBI54qGCuSTX-oeKlFocaTwvmzj3yJ2tubNEy6wY_0BL3FMubyvseOy7JadPCDanAfliHNSuUTU6zoH3fg/w400-h250/btM4DV.png" width="400" /></a></div>Within the realm of sci-fi/fantasy, there is the last stronghold that is designed to be the last bastion of that society. It could also be the last human city, or colony, or even the last warship. This concept has been used for centuries in human storytelling and mythology with stories like Noah’s Ark all the way to the Last City in <i>Destiny</i>. In the next installment of What We Will Fight Over, we will be discussing the concept of “The Last Bastion” in sci-fi/fantasy and in the real world.</div></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-6695260228803158272022-07-17T23:19:00.001-05:002022-07-17T23:19:23.637-05:00Our Enemies: The Eaters of Man <div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJeyvGAXKsfT46Iph-PMmCWn1e9YNoOb3Nev-6QAiAYKNbYhyw6ewoDyJCIYMwvsMDIKJkAM-5eiXqZFoK0SqF3208obN6uy9IJCW2F3OtIUpinRiuobPEOKITMmtf2vefLiaslAG8rL_CdAloRVzP082--U6_gzpyVlIO8tCn98OWiw5G77uYa8k2Q/s1200/CHkdAqaWcAA9Rt7.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJeyvGAXKsfT46Iph-PMmCWn1e9YNoOb3Nev-6QAiAYKNbYhyw6ewoDyJCIYMwvsMDIKJkAM-5eiXqZFoK0SqF3208obN6uy9IJCW2F3OtIUpinRiuobPEOKITMmtf2vefLiaslAG8rL_CdAloRVzP082--U6_gzpyVlIO8tCn98OWiw5G77uYa8k2Q/w640-h429/CHkdAqaWcAA9Rt7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>In the United States, about 23.3 animals are killed each day for consumption and for some animals, this is a terrifying experience, and for human beings the prospect of being on the menu is a common, species-wide fear...and for good reason. There is a ton of historical and archeological evidence of humans eating humans for all manner of reason and that other predatory species on the planet eat us as well. Given this reality, throughout all human fiction, from mythology, religion, folktales, fantasy, and sci-fi, there is a common fear of being consumed as food by gods, other humans, and aliens. In this installment of <u>Our Enemies</u>, we will explore and explain the Eaters of Man, both here on Terra and out there among the stars. Or better said in the <i>Twilight Zone</i>: "<b><i><span style="color: red;">The cycle of going from dust to dessert. The metamorphosis from being the ruler of a planet to an ingredient in someone's soup</span></i></b>"<div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Some Perspective on When Man is on the Menu</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRj0EUvvx-Bi48kFoSgMVPKWdhbKHBiU_lNDZzxNbnAiXi4PqkGIbecinQ2Mu61dAMVJJLGUuZh7jD66AUzCJv0RXfL315zKz4cQrQgEm2tybrYLgHg73fxgA8iRDrn-J-g2AKNzt3n0/s1600/cannibals1.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRj0EUvvx-Bi48kFoSgMVPKWdhbKHBiU_lNDZzxNbnAiXi4PqkGIbecinQ2Mu61dAMVJJLGUuZh7jD66AUzCJv0RXfL315zKz4cQrQgEm2tybrYLgHg73fxgA8iRDrn-J-g2AKNzt3n0/w400-h377/cannibals1.gif" width="400" /></a>Through the progress of our species that spans millions of years of development, struggle, and genetic dead-ends; we have been both predator and prey. Some of those eaters of man (and those that came before Homo Sapiens) were also us. From the fossil record, all members of the human species have dined on one another due to several reasons. Human cannibalism happens due to religious ritual, environmental stress/pressure, culture norm among a specific group, as well as some martial rituals. Then there are special types of cannibalism that we will get to. Cannibalism can also be defined as endocannibalism and exocannibalism or consuming members of the group and consuming those outside of the group…which is more common due to obvious reasons. Humans eating humans is not isolated to our species, over 1,500 other species also dine on one another due to the same reasons as well as promoting the strongest of their species to survivor natural selection. For this article, we will be examining the eaters of man here on Earth, cannibalism, and aliens that wish to serve man for their next dinner party. Here on Earth, as we said above, the human tree has been a source of protein for predatory animals for millions of years. This trend even continues today, in a very limited fashion, but it is a useful tool to sell movie tickets. </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis192WXti86dhF8GtVxrQvbeATHGeVGNuBeot6G_nyyBgh2kmsmEveY2XSEv5g-6xbjSk68-o8xrmwwRGR4FN1JD7th0NaKS4ji5henDN0fc-xXGj5_ceZIfb9T6ioN3V671vLiMGSlUALXhVlMjKYSjQMtVnWayum9WIdijHzWc8JQbRK027p2-JyDg/s500/MV5BMjgxOWRiMGQtMDdhZi00YjdmLWJkMmEtOGI4MTYzMGEwYjNhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDc2NTEzMw@@._V1_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="500" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis192WXti86dhF8GtVxrQvbeATHGeVGNuBeot6G_nyyBgh2kmsmEveY2XSEv5g-6xbjSk68-o8xrmwwRGR4FN1JD7th0NaKS4ji5henDN0fc-xXGj5_ceZIfb9T6ioN3V671vLiMGSlUALXhVlMjKYSjQMtVnWayum9WIdijHzWc8JQbRK027p2-JyDg/w400-h259/MV5BMjgxOWRiMGQtMDdhZi00YjdmLWJkMmEtOGI4MTYzMGEwYjNhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDc2NTEzMw@@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a>While most would assume that most humans are consumed as food by sharks, it is more common for the big cats to eat us than a Great White shark. When it comes to humans eating humans, it is a little more complex. Some cannibalism is simply an extreme measure taken in the direst of circumstances, such in 1609 in the Jamestown Colony, the Donner Party, and 1972 Andres crash of the Football team. There have been fossil records of likely such examples of cannibalism, as seen in the British Gough's Cave and an example of Neanderthal cannibalism from 100,000 years ago in a cave in France. Four Neanderthals of all young age were butchered and consumed by those within their community (endocannibalism) and the reason behind this was likely climate change that robbed the community of animals and thus, they turned on those within their own community for a food source. According to the dental record, this was done after much desperation. One of the primary examples of exocannibalism is for religious and martial rituals. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLJvQyRr9V2iMbnJIOjx_4MMld34-brklwlvlKi5Y_BhJOW4ufUeIvCaSYtedFMVr2DiHChzwORndj7PbdqtXAh0cxYhPyIP2nwf1suywAtTF1A4e-ISh3Z83Yl05mvlmwhowWXGsA17mfQ16c9bYPCVJi9gSLC_47Vd01YPiUtsTkYsAlEb_Ii2Org/s750/Magliabchanopage_73r.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="750" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLJvQyRr9V2iMbnJIOjx_4MMld34-brklwlvlKi5Y_BhJOW4ufUeIvCaSYtedFMVr2DiHChzwORndj7PbdqtXAh0cxYhPyIP2nwf1suywAtTF1A4e-ISh3Z83Yl05mvlmwhowWXGsA17mfQ16c9bYPCVJi9gSLC_47Vd01YPiUtsTkYsAlEb_Ii2Org/w400-h289/Magliabchanopage_73r.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Communities that use the rituals of consuming victims to communicate or appease their gods as seen in the blood rituals of the Aztecs and Maya. Along with this is the tradition of consuming the flesh and organs of a rival warrior. The likely reason is to gain power and abilities from the fallen warriors (I guess like the Quickening from <i>Highlander</i>?) or it could be intimidated rivals from committing further aggression or violent by demonstrating their superiority…like a ultimate tea-bagging I guess. Of course, it could be just a common occurrence among a certain group, making in common or normal via ritual or just a protein source. Normally, this is exocannibalism. Then that brings us to the special reasons for endo and exo cannibalism. It could be part of a person’s psychological disorder that manifest itself into a serial killer type situation. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedsRzXlcOYQ_VuzQiCKSf4CEuRsnfumnRACFqNjb0_XpcxrkCl9t9AGkqbCiMSUmMFyaYloMaz3uIVrLNl5GxL4lDmR8HrkjTiaRNxNajbbddVoweTKpHyxul8V9vWyNmwdA-9nEnsujUhwmeuhlmHuZtrZisPOZXPjj4lSJjiQDWJ3086Bznve9bhQ/s990/Ancient-Egypt-mummia-medicine-mummy-brown-ps.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="990" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedsRzXlcOYQ_VuzQiCKSf4CEuRsnfumnRACFqNjb0_XpcxrkCl9t9AGkqbCiMSUmMFyaYloMaz3uIVrLNl5GxL4lDmR8HrkjTiaRNxNajbbddVoweTKpHyxul8V9vWyNmwdA-9nEnsujUhwmeuhlmHuZtrZisPOZXPjj4lSJjiQDWJ3086Bznve9bhQ/w400-h297/Ancient-Egypt-mummia-medicine-mummy-brown-ps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It could be part of a assumed medical treatment as seen with eating the human placenta or the consumption of mummy remains (Mummia) as a cure for all manner of aliments. Oddly, mummia was also used to create a color of paint, known as mummy brown. Humans are fucking weird. Then there is the use of the label “cannibal” for legal suppression of a people to gain access to lands or resources. This is the case with Europeans during the Conquest of the Americas. Noted historical asshole, Christopher Columbus used the words of Queen Isabel against her to force native peoples into slavery. She had forbidden the enslavement of natives unless they consumed human flesh. Christopher Columbus being the bastard that he is, accused the native people of the Caribs of the Lesser Antilles Caribbean Islands of eating of people, allowing him to enslave these peoples. This practice of accusing native peoples by the colonial powers of “cannibalism” did not stop, forging a path to racists ideology and stereotyping of native peoples. Then that brings us to aliens coming from the stars and eating us.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Why are Eaters of Man Popular in Science Fiction as Enemies<br /></u></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwGOx3cG-fQhIuJt8A-54yfAL3erp9J3Ua7iF-FxfqG5-_afQSaUb9aRByX7MGLvqr9c39NEnnDVis1owlC6wT2LvQOZosDsgD4p8Yx8GhYe7t0zLwQzhBIx_0jL-BHypB1xXI6jcshqO93gn2REhvuKx3vZZPyPXR3i-YgqFA7GEVI2TgXA6FzSpog/s400/v_70s_series.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwGOx3cG-fQhIuJt8A-54yfAL3erp9J3Ua7iF-FxfqG5-_afQSaUb9aRByX7MGLvqr9c39NEnnDVis1owlC6wT2LvQOZosDsgD4p8Yx8GhYe7t0zLwQzhBIx_0jL-BHypB1xXI6jcshqO93gn2REhvuKx3vZZPyPXR3i-YgqFA7GEVI2TgXA6FzSpog/w300-h400/v_70s_series.webp" width="300" /></a></div>As with most of the articles in this serial of exploring and explaining the enemies of sci-fi, we see that a common fear is ripe for use as an alien boogieman or a monster stalking humans in the dark places of the world by writers and creators. The fear of being food for an alien or another human or a monster is a valid fear because we were once on the menu to a large degree and in the wrong situation, you could be again today in the modern world. There is also something dehumanizing about be regarded as food by another human or alien…it just seems unjust and wrong on a basic level. Think about a serial killer, which are bad enough, then add another layer of these killers of men being also an eater of man. It just adds that much horror to the tale. Whenever I read a story of fossil evidence of a prehistorical butchering of a human or human ancestor, it is unsettling on a basic human level. That horror and revulsion of a eater of man then applied to aliens coming to dine on us just makes it worse…just look at the Rraey alien race from the <i>Old Man’s War </i>series of books by John Scalzi and their love of human meat to the point of human meat farms. This is even more nightmare fuel of a certain horror when you have the term “human meat farm run by aliens”.<br /><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Could or Will Aliens Really Eat Humans?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-PdxndJ5LpAV0VUiON_xFZYy8LyIeZsjbSrI0-fHo5UZJOg9rV7S03O3TFSQg1-22Zo32h6CHmY0kjOJxSZaNmHt7MMejAmmA3rS5k1RIEolyMPntQJovzoP40IWodSTXWOKFYKIh_4wlwEApEI5D8fUjUUn16cBK3L8NIQKbgRCLgpfw7Xh3v9IUw/s640/nq81goy9ga671.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-PdxndJ5LpAV0VUiON_xFZYy8LyIeZsjbSrI0-fHo5UZJOg9rV7S03O3TFSQg1-22Zo32h6CHmY0kjOJxSZaNmHt7MMejAmmA3rS5k1RIEolyMPntQJovzoP40IWodSTXWOKFYKIh_4wlwEApEI5D8fUjUUn16cBK3L8NIQKbgRCLgpfw7Xh3v9IUw/w400-h225/nq81goy9ga671.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>One of the most popular reasons for aliens mounting armed conflict with us here on Earth is subjugate the human population and turn them into a protein source. Earth as a beef ranch for Glagnar's Human Rinds is very popular and has been used since the foundation of science fiction as it was as a foundation of mythology. But, could or would aliens come to Earth to eat us after crossing the interstellar gulf of deep space? Likely no for a lot of reasons. First, and most basic, is that it highly unlikely that aliens could not eat us because their alien biochemistry is not capable of processing our native proteins, fats, sugars.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrjFj_U3GxL61mv7C826NiOQQ_guGu_nXIes8CK6oPxh7qiNhH0kqYbvNHDobcrvh7Tyt6jNP4Vv0kU4sY0QO8ItNXyg1QMxaPlTV-emv-2O40mGWXIbI5kLAK1o05NILl794BNOGp43L2OcY2tKbNCsXwrowMe5gdvWx_8g2-3SetMdCtugETLITMg/s733/13446_0cf9e05e144599e342541462a833f535.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="733" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrjFj_U3GxL61mv7C826NiOQQ_guGu_nXIes8CK6oPxh7qiNhH0kqYbvNHDobcrvh7Tyt6jNP4Vv0kU4sY0QO8ItNXyg1QMxaPlTV-emv-2O40mGWXIbI5kLAK1o05NILl794BNOGp43L2OcY2tKbNCsXwrowMe5gdvWx_8g2-3SetMdCtugETLITMg/s320/13446_0cf9e05e144599e342541462a833f535.png" width="320" /></a></div>This not only applies to us, but also our animals and our plants. This also works in reverse as well. We cannot chow down on some Yautja steaks even if we wanted to. Then there is logic. If an alien species has mastered interstellar space travel are they really crossing deep space to come here to Earth with a nuclear-armed species to harvest them for their alien McDonald's franchise? Likely not, especially when you consider that these aliens would be passing up the food species we already harvest for food. After all, as one source pointed out, humans are not a good species to raise for food due to our intelligence, being armed to the teeth, and that we are expensive to feed to the point of harvest. Then there is not much meat on us verse some other large species on this planet. While humans are plentiful, so are pigs, chickens, cattle, and fish. This match with the logistic challenge of conquering a planet or part of it to transform Earth into a human meat farm is a massive undertaking even if you are the Combine and would there not be easier ways to get a meal than engaging the native Terran population in armed conflict? Bottomline, this means that aliens would not really want to come here for a dinner reservation, but maybe for the strawberry ice cream. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Humans as Food for Aliens in the UFO Community</u></b></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0NCZ7g3bMx06gWAlCkBlCFixL8__MfZBonGaxHCfLEEmojYLPznrchBQVgE72yQ7vsPhLto342tJkCc27j519cuzzQL7i8dpAweuFoSYctT_yphnEKSDcpWq-JAQlfYNPshkcrIsSTnEEs9q6yKVkXS_ftE3rbxf5m_xsVZzmicYt05EPO5ThhGk4A/s1920/Jose_Chung's_'From_Outer_Space'.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0NCZ7g3bMx06gWAlCkBlCFixL8__MfZBonGaxHCfLEEmojYLPznrchBQVgE72yQ7vsPhLto342tJkCc27j519cuzzQL7i8dpAweuFoSYctT_yphnEKSDcpWq-JAQlfYNPshkcrIsSTnEEs9q6yKVkXS_ftE3rbxf5m_xsVZzmicYt05EPO5ThhGk4A/w400-h225/Jose_Chung's_'From_Outer_Space'.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For the articles in this series, I like to research what the stories of alien species in the UFO conspiracy community have to say. Most of the alien races that Terra has contact with, according to the UFO Community, do not harvest humans as a food source. Out of the rumored six alien species that Earth has been in contact with over the thousands of years, only one is mentioned to be an eater of man: the Reptilians. These lizard aliens are not as common in UFO abduction contactees stories as the Grey, but they are one of the most common ET races mentioned. So, according to some of the stories, these lizard aliens have been coming to Earth and they live underground and eating people. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmwfKlyvrV_kaxG4bpAqj3R3STIYNar24Vv4mou8RBUUB0VIwXLH26E-t8BzHPGNED3pJB0mIANipvQEhNrGrl8QBWyOYdkABoyK0G8cmXr9G7bPoDVLUQIUSY4Y18hi_TYg1sDgQtZofvqb-G7Z8Su46VpNtyA18hEgOSBf5qccI0uVzpHPvK9BNGg/s560/Quetzalcoatl_telleriano.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="560" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmwfKlyvrV_kaxG4bpAqj3R3STIYNar24Vv4mou8RBUUB0VIwXLH26E-t8BzHPGNED3pJB0mIANipvQEhNrGrl8QBWyOYdkABoyK0G8cmXr9G7bPoDVLUQIUSY4Y18hi_TYg1sDgQtZofvqb-G7Z8Su46VpNtyA18hEgOSBf5qccI0uVzpHPvK9BNGg/w400-h341/Quetzalcoatl_telleriano.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Some have suggested that this act of being a consumer of mankind may point to the fact that the Reptilians are native to Earth via an underground world unknown to human society at present (Hallow Earth Theory). Some have included the pre-Columbian god Quetzalcoatl in the discussion of alien Reptilians that consume people. So, why does this mean? It means that if these stories of the aliens are true, the vast majority of these alien races are not interesting in the human race and/or Earth as a food source. The only involvement that maybe aliens have with the Earth livestock is the cattle and horse mutilation, and no one is sure why these terrible acts are committed. There are some examples as well of possible ET human mutilation as well as with bodies being found and in a state that is extremely unsettling. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>And Something for your Enjoyment:</u></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbuP3ZeKnoOFJLiNusQSwLsYjO2Ub9IqrdiWMKoMw8sxsC2Y0MKSXbIPQFoSMGlsFFmRxwkIqbXjJW-bh-_GznAobT5dGE_tkZ3T1MpzIhhhfIIqYRkxFI6PdpqUamnTQ1X5SfcRlCQjwI95d36QGnVe_jZ75c7iDI68Afvzs3JvM83fSXoFscoWTHg/s960/RDS_L13jma71iauUMmmC-uuZIQNCnNbcde5YZCpknsA.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="732" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbuP3ZeKnoOFJLiNusQSwLsYjO2Ub9IqrdiWMKoMw8sxsC2Y0MKSXbIPQFoSMGlsFFmRxwkIqbXjJW-bh-_GznAobT5dGE_tkZ3T1MpzIhhhfIIqYRkxFI6PdpqUamnTQ1X5SfcRlCQjwI95d36QGnVe_jZ75c7iDI68Afvzs3JvM83fSXoFscoWTHg/w305-h400/RDS_L13jma71iauUMmmC-uuZIQNCnNbcde5YZCpknsA.webp" width="305" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Then there are the Creatures in the Dark That Hunt Man</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8u9NAwWFHpflGEGrPY65f5Ag0pjkWjCkUwXnlcoaWqqkjyrHGER8US5bwBASNR8Hlk_KKUX7wyEXc1BBqFiTruZxegg7MWHRPUrbfZrSrnKJ5zUo2cn01sRWueEd5EnrNPa3kOOztResr7x0GkVHBwlPw3DnkDEIUDW8cbJsEBmab_eTavWMLPcsBg/s800/what-is-a-skinwalker.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8u9NAwWFHpflGEGrPY65f5Ag0pjkWjCkUwXnlcoaWqqkjyrHGER8US5bwBASNR8Hlk_KKUX7wyEXc1BBqFiTruZxegg7MWHRPUrbfZrSrnKJ5zUo2cn01sRWueEd5EnrNPa3kOOztResr7x0GkVHBwlPw3DnkDEIUDW8cbJsEBmab_eTavWMLPcsBg/w400-h250/what-is-a-skinwalker.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Through the work of channels like <span style="color: #04ff00;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXKpzpdJ9pw" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #04ff00;"><b>Bedtime Stories</b></span></a> </span>and author David Paulides, we know that people are disappearing in the National Parks of North America. Thousands have gone into the woods and ever to return to civilizations. While some of these missing are the result of misadventure, animal attack and sickness...but are all? From some reports and few pictures, it seems that there is something in deep woods that stalks and murders humans with some undoubtable being the creatures next meal. While there are no stories of the creature known as Bigfoot taking and consuming humans, there are rumors of wild humans living in the woods that do kill and eat people that are unlucky. Could it be the creature that Native Americans call "the Skinwalker" in these woods or even the Wendigo? We known from Tribal legend that the Wendigo were consumed with the eating of human flesh. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Eaters of Man in Science Fiction</u></b></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZxpzwuUsbt9D1KBeH1bjYkO1JtbP22IznL3J39hS3WC1vibt7TgKEIoOXhzvaJSvvUGtFD60Rz5tiheVU-JIO441Egmj2T7EOogopl--oDT1f8jfo0QkyQb-WFuI4Go9vQIQMUfYF1zMucSSl-K7n-0EFyljcTn1yNfd51jKWr4BNmcZiWlCwCCl3Q/s1200/DS3kdreVwAAjaaX.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1200" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZxpzwuUsbt9D1KBeH1bjYkO1JtbP22IznL3J39hS3WC1vibt7TgKEIoOXhzvaJSvvUGtFD60Rz5tiheVU-JIO441Egmj2T7EOogopl--oDT1f8jfo0QkyQb-WFuI4Go9vQIQMUfYF1zMucSSl-K7n-0EFyljcTn1yNfd51jKWr4BNmcZiWlCwCCl3Q/w400-h276/DS3kdreVwAAjaaX.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Since the dawn of storytelling in those flame lit caves, humans have told stories of gods and monsters with some of them that dined on humans. At that time, the struggle was real and the people at that time were on the menu. This common, ancient fear manifested itself in the stories that we tell to this very day. Since the foundations of science fiction, there have aliens and fellow humans have come to dine on human meat with the Martians of H.G. Wells’ <i>War of the World</i>s and the <i>Time Machine</i>. The trend was expanded into the public imagination with the <i>The Twilight Zone</i> 1962 episode "To Serve Man", which was used for the <i>The Simpsons' </i>and then there was the <b><i><span style="color: red;">V</span></i></b> miniseries airing on NBC in 1983, that I watched as a small kid. These works propelled the sci-fi trope of aliens that wished to serve man at the breakfast table a very popular type of enemy motivation. In science fiction, there are 4 types or categories of "eaters of man" in the genre:</div><div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0S91tTk_klfV1KGECUV7Ehjy2r5sBcmCDoOQ9ao2ssZVHPKXm54gJmqiWlqtG7xjBrRCcSI4fRHPtOsoUy7OtYtKlGVYzQnk_hEDQWWykYf7hyWBz_tuyJGLtes-8YrFMnnh6m4Rcm6seLgrOfAnQ6YoM9rYlmmgTfYxyhruUU0y8RGJge6D7B3z1Uw/s1280/20220226_CUP004_0.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0S91tTk_klfV1KGECUV7Ehjy2r5sBcmCDoOQ9ao2ssZVHPKXm54gJmqiWlqtG7xjBrRCcSI4fRHPtOsoUy7OtYtKlGVYzQnk_hEDQWWykYf7hyWBz_tuyJGLtes-8YrFMnnh6m4Rcm6seLgrOfAnQ6YoM9rYlmmgTfYxyhruUU0y8RGJge6D7B3z1Uw/w400-h225/20220226_CUP004_0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>1. the "eaters" are former humans that been infected with something that change their behavior to push them to a hunger spree against other uninfected humans to further spread that disease.</div><div>think about all the vampires, werewolfs, zombies etc. The website TV Tropes have an entry about it - '<a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheVirus"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">The Virus</span></b></a>'. Usually, those examples fit more into the realm of fantasy and/or horror setting rather than typical sci-fi but many work of sci-fi tried to working it in under some scientific appearance. This type of "eater" normally won't eat at all, but it is the overwhelming drive to consume thy flesh is use to spread the illness and partly eaten victims can't effectively further propagate the contingent pathogen. The source of eating virus is either natural or artificial.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fzqrglrftnc0keHeZnAN4xloMsSNS-rcybgAS0A_xkTcUTTvUY1jqq_eQmXTgemlcasQiTe0vUiZpg_Or0xZp0phDKsAp-I5_srSgoETK-GMT2M5ZENV6B2LB6yoaZ8TcBxCPP-sCypfpUTGzTiDXbhnXbkLwxHOdBORvUdsAKYya4zGOy8k-0PjtQ/s570/after-earth-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="570" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fzqrglrftnc0keHeZnAN4xloMsSNS-rcybgAS0A_xkTcUTTvUY1jqq_eQmXTgemlcasQiTe0vUiZpg_Or0xZp0phDKsAp-I5_srSgoETK-GMT2M5ZENV6B2LB6yoaZ8TcBxCPP-sCypfpUTGzTiDXbhnXbkLwxHOdBORvUdsAKYya4zGOy8k-0PjtQ/s320/after-earth-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>2. The "eaters" are a macroscopic equivalent to tailored-made virus or bacteria that was designed to hurt only humans. Mostly artificially and made by non-human foes to target humans without damaging the planet, ecosystem and infrastructure. One such example is the Ursa from the Will Smith film <i>After Earth</i> might be an example for such if it does eat humans, instead of just using its mouth as a tool of death.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLCxBr3wa3px0sQn_AbPPT6JM_dXNRTxOtiyJ22HRS2hb3RdLFDdMIQEulWDHVGBdWHCSPgRmrESKc0GKs_0VuQ6_hsY160ESZdjCQoImZtwYExwGqnWK9hQl4KxJTKkOovkeHjikJ5FHFNtaoR4mD5JuDx3DIEPc_cP1sYhVuiq7qClVXglYGY_x4Q/s970/Soylent-Green-feature.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLCxBr3wa3px0sQn_AbPPT6JM_dXNRTxOtiyJ22HRS2hb3RdLFDdMIQEulWDHVGBdWHCSPgRmrESKc0GKs_0VuQ6_hsY160ESZdjCQoImZtwYExwGqnWK9hQl4KxJTKkOovkeHjikJ5FHFNtaoR4mD5JuDx3DIEPc_cP1sYhVuiq7qClVXglYGY_x4Q/s320/Soylent-Green-feature.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>3. The "eaters" are humans and like all examples of historical cannibalisms, are driven to consume the flesh of their neighbors due to harsh external circumstances or human meat being a protein source for this futuristic community. We could see this on a "Jamestown" or "Donner Party" like scenario on a off-world colony that is cut-off from further supplies or the exo-environmental conditions are more harsh than assumed. This is much more rare in sci-fi, but it has been featured. One of the best examples is in the book of the <i>Martian </i>and the green wafers from <i>Soylent Green</i>(see examples). Then there is the example from the <i>Book of Eli</i>, the Terminus settlement from <i>The Walking Dead</i>, the experience of the character of Jesika Hendricks from the <i>World War Z </i>book, and the feral human cannibalism from <i>The Walking Dead.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIX0s8EszBcXK1SeSsYdgQJXiWlSYd_JL-z-h7kOhjAXuCvofYzD-l2E3GH6TG0tDmpHwQmUw8RRFyQMk8GXlRgh0El20ls4N3AQMcTY3pLMmz_0423YRiS9JXkMFvDuDLU8_NaMQfHcbllvl5XFIVeG6uuUh9dWedBJtvMFiFe76xABqfBo0DbpdtQ/s480/hi-moo.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIX0s8EszBcXK1SeSsYdgQJXiWlSYd_JL-z-h7kOhjAXuCvofYzD-l2E3GH6TG0tDmpHwQmUw8RRFyQMk8GXlRgh0El20ls4N3AQMcTY3pLMmz_0423YRiS9JXkMFvDuDLU8_NaMQfHcbllvl5XFIVeG6uuUh9dWedBJtvMFiFe76xABqfBo0DbpdtQ/s320/hi-moo.gif" width="320" /></a></div>4. Then, lastly, the "eaters" are aliens who are either carnivores or omnivorous, who, by some miraculous of the writer's imagination are biochemically compatibility to consume Terran animals or live matter. These "eaters" don't really specifically want humans over other options on Earth, but it make sense to open the planetary conquering operation by eliminate the only viable resistance to their planetary victory, which are the folks with the guns and nukes. When life hands you billions of humans and your alien body can absorb, you use these tasty humans' flesh for jerky. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Examples:</u></b></div><div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<u>The Visitors from the <i><b><span style="color: red;">V</span></b></i> universe</u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9vOPgmp9dTsVyv96FXOu88cO8SIxbQ4eJzcE70h1cn8Pk8VBrKzApioFz9138ygwm5OsrLyfd-I7T_ko25yuKx8dVam6NpCU9tXDCzCqDm5037AmUAEMIyvVoDa6i9vGjo73HMIAbtU/s1600/images+(3).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9vOPgmp9dTsVyv96FXOu88cO8SIxbQ4eJzcE70h1cn8Pk8VBrKzApioFz9138ygwm5OsrLyfd-I7T_ko25yuKx8dVam6NpCU9tXDCzCqDm5037AmUAEMIyvVoDa6i9vGjo73HMIAbtU/s1600/images+(3).jpg" width="268" /></a><div>Here is the one of the nastiest space lizard man-eaters race ever seen in sci-fi and one that that introduced me and some of my generation to the concept (and horror) of Reptilians and aliens that want to eat people. The original NBC miniseries from 1983 came out when I was seven year old and exposed me to these nasty space lizard and their vile plot to invade the Earth for the purposes of robbing the planet of its resources and serve man on the dinner table. The "Visitors" were from a world needing resources and viewed Earth in the same way that the conquistadors did Mesoamerica. They hid their true selves in an artificial skin that made the Visitors appear more like us than something from the reptile section of the Zoo. During an investigation onboard one of the mother ships of the Visitors, journalist Mike Donavon discovered that the Visitors were not ambassadors of interstellar peace and brotherhood, but their real motivation was to steal our resources and us for food, slave labor, and foot soldiers in wars against other alien races that were unseen in the series. Their own world, which may have been circling the star Sirius was either captured during the alien wars or was used up. In the hidden parts of the massive mother ships of the aliens was thousands of missing humans that had gone missing during the Visitors time on Earth. The Motherships in orbit at present were only the vanguard of a vast convey of ships to turn Earth into a desert and human into livestock for the aggressive space lizards. In the 2009 ABC reboot, we see Queen mate and then consume a fellow lizard. </div><br />
<u></u><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Kanamits from <i>The Twilight Zone </i>Episode "To Serve Man" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoRUcRJGvgqvM_peWMWyC2QYkVX8kiKKf9afiLvByODYvOLpJf7gPF-rO5fSaWV5LOtcygH_K8hZcWjegE71mND9pg4xM4tNmekmPUEObJ1MRgbF7ZOHYuH1vFPUNctB45hwseK8o-AfpoqQb_3dj7LL4SuCHm7Co07Hu48qEDjf36ohvdCvEfrLm-A/s500/Twilight_Zone_3x24_001.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoRUcRJGvgqvM_peWMWyC2QYkVX8kiKKf9afiLvByODYvOLpJf7gPF-rO5fSaWV5LOtcygH_K8hZcWjegE71mND9pg4xM4tNmekmPUEObJ1MRgbF7ZOHYuH1vFPUNctB45hwseK8o-AfpoqQb_3dj7LL4SuCHm7Co07Hu48qEDjf36ohvdCvEfrLm-A/w400-h300/Twilight_Zone_3x24_001.webp" width="400" /></a></div>One of the introductory works to the sci-fi trope of aliens that come to in the name of peace, only to have it be a cloak for the harvesting of humans was introduced to many of us via the excellent 1963 episode "To Serve Man" from the classic <i>The Twilight Zone</i>. In one of the most remembered episodes of the original series, the nine foot bald "male" aliens, called Kanamits arrived on Earth during the Cold War and give the Terrans everything they could hope for, or "<b><i><span style="color: red;">the age of Santa Claus</span></i></b>" as said in the show. During the Kanamit representative visit to the UN, the Kanamit leaves a book behind. Due to the complex and alien language used by the Kanamits, only the title of the book was learned, "To Serve Man" and it took some time for the rest to be translated. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmgECTvgqYKIONdKGbs4qtXPxHXyyFosxtIr1qoTjgGxTxVBeEzufqQeGnx4Un7DxTlR8JxBEMS2b9SybiHCut6DTazSabodp0Y6ELphmORosHlO0bntzMuYMLRBvG_5yc58DSlUKwCzn07KpVzKZtRPosiZi-ceksURifAkX92h2KIJrUykE-pd6JA/s1008/D97LG89XoAA-xvv.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1008" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmgECTvgqYKIONdKGbs4qtXPxHXyyFosxtIr1qoTjgGxTxVBeEzufqQeGnx4Un7DxTlR8JxBEMS2b9SybiHCut6DTazSabodp0Y6ELphmORosHlO0bntzMuYMLRBvG_5yc58DSlUKwCzn07KpVzKZtRPosiZi-ceksURifAkX92h2KIJrUykE-pd6JA/w400-h305/D97LG89XoAA-xvv.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>From that time until the end of the tale, the Kanamits had arranged popular tours of their homeworld and so far, no one had yet returned from one of these tours. It was here, on the tarmac of the spaceport that the truth was learned and it was too late for one of the main characters. After rewatching this iconic episode of the series, I realized that the "gifts" of the Kanamits were to secure a more stable food supply on Earth via the increased crop yield and the energy shields that prevented war. Of course, it could have been that the alien book was just dusty and not an actual cook book. </div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Magog from </u><i><u>Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda</u></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBdpMhYUfUNhT8TNDG939uJeLm3eGA4hAaXNaAqIsWS3bASHl2Rn5-tMD8ufrp4OVgxjxn7QftuzX3C2jGg_OoSjPPXS7sGwo12tYkgBn3nwzOfVjwCqJkxqAbRfFvRA1p_8OcEzhS4eEzVIPRv7qNcJOjSn_lkTM2EZakpP23v8HnBkixsjsnL1OLw/s299/MAGOG.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBdpMhYUfUNhT8TNDG939uJeLm3eGA4hAaXNaAqIsWS3bASHl2Rn5-tMD8ufrp4OVgxjxn7QftuzX3C2jGg_OoSjPPXS7sGwo12tYkgBn3nwzOfVjwCqJkxqAbRfFvRA1p_8OcEzhS4eEzVIPRv7qNcJOjSn_lkTM2EZakpP23v8HnBkixsjsnL1OLw/w400-h225/MAGOG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In one of the more forgotten science fiction series on American TV back in the early 2000's, we have a terrifying enemy in the Magog in <i>Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda</i>. The Magog were a genetically created or modified species that reproduced asexually by implanting their eggs into an unwilling host. The baby Magog do consume their host and the adult Magog do consume victims of their raids. In one scene, one of the higher born Magog insulted Rev Bem by calling his new Way name, a "food name". This sheds some light on the Magog thinking. During the same 2-part episode arch, Rev Bem runs across several Magog eating another Magog onboard the World Ship, and we pressed the Magog stated that the one being eaten was born out of a low-regarded host species. So, the Magog are both eaters of man and themselves. Some believe that the Magog were based on the Krite from <i>The Critters</i> films. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The "Plan" of the <i>Hermes </i>Crew for Beth from <i>The Martian </i>Book</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DIDJcss3PK1_gKgPLPdGcE_ZUZOlCFGwdXN_d-MOMmGdgcFVZTAD64pQhFgfwi2fW6g9ZltT9Rdmtb8zTYYsSJU_W7jRXmyCWETZXMpUGwmy60PiSVhIMnP29Hl_-vols5j4JXh8P9sXTQNd6kSR8v1w95lCZRKBaTX_HLRBLh1tY7x1Xw6owDzp7Q/s611/tumblr_nuy3cw1y7b1uax9n3o1_500.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="389" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DIDJcss3PK1_gKgPLPdGcE_ZUZOlCFGwdXN_d-MOMmGdgcFVZTAD64pQhFgfwi2fW6g9ZltT9Rdmtb8zTYYsSJU_W7jRXmyCWETZXMpUGwmy60PiSVhIMnP29Hl_-vols5j4JXh8P9sXTQNd6kSR8v1w95lCZRKBaTX_HLRBLh1tY7x1Xw6owDzp7Q/w255-h400/tumblr_nuy3cw1y7b1uax9n3o1_500.png" width="255" /></a></div><div>One of the scenes from the original book, <i>The Martian</i>, that was cut from the film was how the character of Beth Johanssen would have survived if the Chinese supply capsule via the <i>Taiyang Shen</i> rocket had missed the <i>Hermes</i> on its way back to Mars to rescue Mark Watney. Beth was the youngest and smallest of the crew and the internet star of that <i>Ares 3 </i>Mission, who survived as the computer expert onboard the ship. When the <i>Hermes</i> crew decided to extended their mission by more than a year of travel time, it was critical that the Chinese resupply ship got to the <i>Hermes</i> during their slingshot and if the American Martian ship missed the capsule, there was no enough food to complete the rescue mission back to the Red Planet. During a talk with Beth's family, she revealed that their was a plan laid down by the disco-loving Commander Lewis and it was a grim plan. Beth told her parents that she would survive even if the resupply mission failed. Given her smaller size, the rest of the <i>Hermes</i> crew would take a suicide pill and become the extended food supply for Beth and Mark. Beth told her parents about this by saying: "<b><i><span style="color: red;">they always have a plan</span></i></b>." While a realistic plan, it was a little too grim from the film. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Blob from the <i>The Blob</i> 1988 and 1958 films </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7Yta3nHTDW8cG_8GFXvPW6xfG7jk0WKJxhAnTHd7rAFPYq87pQ9RthlR-Nn7qRjAN4jK6khnrzDBD0AYfWC8npDvAmEaJ4uTVY3Xlb9rDBLdXvsil40tLSWQfY8i8MbL_j1f-t7UsuHUaUG3Z4L8MssPfioWTrMmh0Y_TRNf9uvdwIK0kNrBTRZrSw/s400/the-blob-anim.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="400" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7Yta3nHTDW8cG_8GFXvPW6xfG7jk0WKJxhAnTHd7rAFPYq87pQ9RthlR-Nn7qRjAN4jK6khnrzDBD0AYfWC8npDvAmEaJ4uTVY3Xlb9rDBLdXvsil40tLSWQfY8i8MbL_j1f-t7UsuHUaUG3Z4L8MssPfioWTrMmh0Y_TRNf9uvdwIK0kNrBTRZrSw/w400-h263/the-blob-anim.gif" width="400" /></a></div>In the B-movie horror icon, the human eating machine from outer space was a red-colored Blob that consumed whole people while they struggled. The more people it eats, the more the Blob grows. In the original film, the Blob came to Earth via a meteor and was only stopped by being transported to the artic and they hoped that the artic stayed cold...and given the state of climate change...the Blob should be coming back to eat us. Crazy enough, the story of the Blob was taken from a Star Jelly incident in Pennsylvania in 1950. The film had a sequel and a remake in 1988 when the Blob was developed by a bio-weapons program and given how dangerous the Blob was, the US government shot the thing into space...that worked out. For the 1988 film, Tony Gardner worked on the special effects, who also made the Draft Punk helmets...crazy. <br /><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>The Krites from the </u><u><i>Critters </i>Franchise </u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL1MzgK2mAAgPK-zFMG23TmtOPg2CriVz7DuLiJaslLf4StC2htWwbA1Er-UuWmQBkUCMuLBAPoyRN6W8cCl0DgCSAs23pq2-cQa8Y4_cHiyLPBorVvaptDCYnTH7sK2dkrrQHX8A6nlyk2Wnb-X6I5L7oSNbUgIlYyXRjRE7p5GVCavi1JFikMG8XA/s670/awesome-behind-the-scenes-photos-from-horror-movies-29.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="624" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL1MzgK2mAAgPK-zFMG23TmtOPg2CriVz7DuLiJaslLf4StC2htWwbA1Er-UuWmQBkUCMuLBAPoyRN6W8cCl0DgCSAs23pq2-cQa8Y4_cHiyLPBorVvaptDCYnTH7sK2dkrrQHX8A6nlyk2Wnb-X6I5L7oSNbUgIlYyXRjRE7p5GVCavi1JFikMG8XA/s320/awesome-behind-the-scenes-photos-from-horror-movies-29.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>In the <i>Critters</i> franchise, the terrifying and always hungry alien species known as the "Krites" were a menace to the interstellar society with specialized hunters being trained and outfitted to find and kill these terror of the stars. During the origin 1986 film, the last of the Krtie species were being transported to be destroyed until these intelligent creatures took control of the transport vessel and go to Earth to feed and breed. The bloody tale of these little fuzzy alien creatures has been told over four films and a web series in a variety of locations. In all of the mostly dark comedy films, the gross out horror comes from the eating habits of these critters...and who they eat. They eat everything, but they like living meat and Earth was a massive buffet for them. These creatures scared the hell out of me and I still can remember the VHS tape cover art at the local rental shops. <br /><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Graboid from the <i>Tremors</i> Franchise </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50_eFK8KNnRV2h2EgzSLBMkrdpyw1ns_n4ZoOh3oV82nz2w8yaIFl0shyeo1oMqBdqh0I6JLBE6_6qyXCBIQrYspZJRgrQifj9oVQLkXkcR4hegd0Y-f0sL0KXQHZOWYm9-VezypAl-UH1KVbO-SdCIwEZkpLJAZlGXlF2i5Gjh1-Pl3C7GAiGRf3Ag/s500/MV5BMGEzNjBmNWQtNmFiMi00NjMzLWIyZTUtMWMzNDI0NzA1N2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzcxMzY0MDE%2540._V1_.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="500" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50_eFK8KNnRV2h2EgzSLBMkrdpyw1ns_n4ZoOh3oV82nz2w8yaIFl0shyeo1oMqBdqh0I6JLBE6_6qyXCBIQrYspZJRgrQifj9oVQLkXkcR4hegd0Y-f0sL0KXQHZOWYm9-VezypAl-UH1KVbO-SdCIwEZkpLJAZlGXlF2i5Gjh1-Pl3C7GAiGRf3Ag/w400-h230/MV5BMGEzNjBmNWQtNmFiMi00NjMzLWIyZTUtMWMzNDI0NzA1N2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzcxMzY0MDE%2540._V1_.webp" width="400" /></a></div>One of the best surprises in 1990's cinema was 1990's <i>Tremors</i> starring Kevin Bacon and it still holds up to this very day. In the film, the prehistoric underground creatures that hunt via vibration, the Graboid, stalk and consume humans through the film in a gruesome way that feed into the horror aspect of the film. The sequels and TV show of the original film continued the human feeding and expanding Graboid species. While there are many, many films that feature man-eating creatures, <i>The Tremors</i> was so interesting and compelling that I wanted to feature this creature. <br /><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><u><div><u>The Morlocks and Eloi from <i>The Time Machine</i></u></div></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRw7FpzI60EBvKbcYtLyvZLpH_P8i1yF5NJzt8nVPrgcVPdMhyuOpiyumQVpPt7QF6HM-9YedDfbPdrqmEBCYldG93UaUm9n1xY8lpc0oWJMI3r5xbmaRPxbc5cqY4wh94dpWiPAc2jg25scVNw6jULpPNE9gkzg7egE-530Gtaikxgkq-ZFmxIIQOw/s700/VKQ2N25.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="700" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRw7FpzI60EBvKbcYtLyvZLpH_P8i1yF5NJzt8nVPrgcVPdMhyuOpiyumQVpPt7QF6HM-9YedDfbPdrqmEBCYldG93UaUm9n1xY8lpc0oWJMI3r5xbmaRPxbc5cqY4wh94dpWiPAc2jg25scVNw6jULpPNE9gkzg7egE-530Gtaikxgkq-ZFmxIIQOw/w400-h225/VKQ2N25.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><div>In the classic tale of the Victorian-era Time Traveler, we see the very far future of 802,701 and sees the “progress of man” and the horrors of the far-future. In this time period, there two primary human species that occupy the Earth: the Eloi and the Morlocks. According to the 1898 text and the 1960 film, the Morlock use their technology hidden in underground cities to meet their basic needs until harvest time, and the fruit-eating Eloi are called into the Sphinx to be the source of meat for the Morlock. The Time Traveler theorized that the Eloi had been robbed of their intelligence and basic survival instinct. The cannibalistic nature of the Morlocks has rich food for thought for others reading into the text, such as man feeding on themselves. This became a source for other science fiction writers and creators to use cannibalism as seen in the film Soylent Green</div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Soylent Green Wafers from Soylent Green (1973)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Wbfq3JiMYYP_TU6VWPlzNd3ZDdpKisHSanmVaCHObvqfWncMv5QQF3YHd42RVpMpB4h_3cXTqHOZckDHzqMyVdGIUg77qQCDQk9pOJ2B-ljMqR5-zz7XwBwArt6RjdviVBxEdwPHD-_nDlEmfPgincrpTmF8jdhup4GCMVBLGOU3Bfj6dQQYOAwgww/s780/ba7f839b-445b-4265-a44f-3e15aabc1277.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Wbfq3JiMYYP_TU6VWPlzNd3ZDdpKisHSanmVaCHObvqfWncMv5QQF3YHd42RVpMpB4h_3cXTqHOZckDHzqMyVdGIUg77qQCDQk9pOJ2B-ljMqR5-zz7XwBwArt6RjdviVBxEdwPHD-_nDlEmfPgincrpTmF8jdhup4GCMVBLGOU3Bfj6dQQYOAwgww/w400-h266/ba7f839b-445b-4265-a44f-3e15aabc1277.webp" width="400" /></a></div>In the much remembered and meme’ed 1973 sci-fi film, the world of 2022(!) is a dark overpopulated hot world of billions with New York City being at 40 million people. There is a lack of water, jobs, food, and shelter. Given the desperate conditions, there was a desperate solution to the hungry: people. In the film, the Soylent Corporation was originally making the Green wafers from ocean algae and plankton, but with the seas unable to support the level of need, the Soylent Corporation had to look elsewhere for a protein supply and they found it in the recent dead from government operated assisted suicide centers and medical centers. These bodies were moved to the Soylent processing centers and turned into the green crackers for the living. What it is interesting is that in the original 1966 books that the film is loosely based on, <i>Make Room! Make Room!</i>. It does not feature the human-based meal crackers.</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><u>The Strogg from the <i>Quake </i>Universe</u><br />
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While the Borg from<i> Star Trek</i> are pretty bad…there is the Strogg from <i>some</i> of the <i>Quake</i> games. These collective cybernetic aliens are butchers of men and have made their way across the galaxy leaving a bloody wave in their path. They are harvesters of worlds and the ender of civilizations. Their origins are unknown, but some have assumed that the Strogg were a holdover from previous ancient war were the Strogg were the Supersoldiers of that conflict and they outlived their creators...or ate them. Their victims can and do become their lunch or another drone for the endless campaigns. Among the various forms of Strogg Army are their victims and along with altering the biological forms of their conquests, the Strogg society also consumes their victims and their fallen. <br /><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Brutes from the <i>HALO </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHkEvGSL4LSXRgFTvMfQ9_GZ-_8RaG73bux40Z8INMh3ckaWuI-s2i1OurwVZETQdlwIRtz_tdxtgpex5f0XkZ3C5hryblGGZ92PqSoTGpRU8pUAliuvyfE-DJyl6EPEv5L7amxZtMDIGwASnfCm1Rw0dnLL98Qis513MgN8PWAfFFlXpFspHRP0ROw/s640/h05kcrz9mi381.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHkEvGSL4LSXRgFTvMfQ9_GZ-_8RaG73bux40Z8INMh3ckaWuI-s2i1OurwVZETQdlwIRtz_tdxtgpex5f0XkZ3C5hryblGGZ92PqSoTGpRU8pUAliuvyfE-DJyl6EPEv5L7amxZtMDIGwASnfCm1Rw0dnLL98Qis513MgN8PWAfFFlXpFspHRP0ROw/s320/h05kcrz9mi381.webp" width="320" /></a></div>In the ranks of the vast Convent, there is the Jirlhanae or "the Brutes". First seen in HALO 2, the Brutes took the place of the Elites as the chosen warriors of the religious crusade of the Covenant. I personally dislike the Brutes since the 2nd HALO game, despite enjoying the Mauler and the Spiker. Due to this, HALO Infinite has not been fun for me due to the amount of dammed stinking dirty space apes! Throughout the many stories of HALO, the dialog, along with the fandom, we have a picture of the Brutes eating the dead of their enemies. In HALO 2, we heard the Brutes that dragged the future Arbiter to the tomb of the Arbiters and they discussed how his flesh was cooked the way they liked it. There are other stories of how the Jirlhanae setup survivors into flesh farms for cookouts. This gave the Brutes even more fearsomeness and plays into the Trope of the Eaters of Man.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Rraey from the <i>Old Man's War </i>Universe</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgobH1qu-zWycmgk5aQso5Fg3WITkEaGazHOQRPgrdX6dq4Mf6oez_RIN3qhiFSluC373IzjgF7TJBXmhmlnW6UukMODIagOQWMVZsSe6czYomli6m0F4Wejy6aJ6eoxWIfE_qQc_bSNOZHiKWTMZGgdB1OiHTaDxJvr9YbB9D3BSgXdKecZef-lsj9Q/s787/ndtkhb4diie61.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgobH1qu-zWycmgk5aQso5Fg3WITkEaGazHOQRPgrdX6dq4Mf6oez_RIN3qhiFSluC373IzjgF7TJBXmhmlnW6UukMODIagOQWMVZsSe6czYomli6m0F4Wejy6aJ6eoxWIfE_qQc_bSNOZHiKWTMZGgdB1OiHTaDxJvr9YbB9D3BSgXdKecZef-lsj9Q/s320/ndtkhb4diie61.webp" width="260" /></a></div>This likely one of the more infamous and terrifying Eaters of Man in modern Sci-Fi literature: the Reaey from the <i>Old Man's War </i>Universe. Throughout the original <i>Old Man's War</i> Trilogy that contain the only good books within the series, the various characters have gory interactions with the bird-like Rraey. In the books, these aliens very much enjoy cooking and eating human flesh. To the point, that when theese interstellar assholes capture a human colony, they bring in celebrity chefs to prepare human meat based meals. Lovely. During the 2nd book in the series, the Rraey had a human meat farm with babies harvest for a type of human veal. This was all very shocking and made you want to have every Rraey filled with MP-35 rounds. This is one of the better examples and done extremely well in all of military science ficiton. <br /><u><br /></u>
<u><br /></u></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Titans from <i>Attack of the Titans</i></u></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNliVatsH_KOB2id93SVSpdAmM7i1jYj5JsXwXptn_GE53gKZGJ21QzSJS0Htxg86g03NkG-aZBp8s99qLPXBt-nvAog6VthCWbOYfZbgktkyCI2T0z3JwTM-DOK1CG8rLdk4CJrIQ4Do3CRtuzxk8ClV8r0JlXVSL7uNJBIhfxSCcK1jRqeNbuWrv4w/s825/what-are-titans-825x440.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="825" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNliVatsH_KOB2id93SVSpdAmM7i1jYj5JsXwXptn_GE53gKZGJ21QzSJS0Htxg86g03NkG-aZBp8s99qLPXBt-nvAog6VthCWbOYfZbgktkyCI2T0z3JwTM-DOK1CG8rLdk4CJrIQ4Do3CRtuzxk8ClV8r0JlXVSL7uNJBIhfxSCcK1jRqeNbuWrv4w/w400-h214/what-are-titans-825x440.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, the world of <i>Attack of the Titans</i> is complex and one I not understand because I have not yet watched the <i>AOT</i> show. In the anime TV series, the massive Titans attack human settlements and seem to scoop up humans and consume them faster than Texans eat street tacos. In season 3, the answer of why the Titans attack and seem to bite the heads off of humans is too seek out "Titan Shifters" that contain a special type of spinal fluid that can convert themselves back into humans and not the monsters. So, they are biting and killing humans to find these special types...I guess it is like searching through the mixed nuts at a party. <br /><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></i></div><div><u>The Fucking Ewoks from <i>SW:ROTJ</i></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00P6BIwkRwnM-1uf7Bjgk1P2CJviLXd_dwfW3WpM0xNFfVoyTSj03CoSzFs3Ws1KuDEY9ZUimgJc7a1-DOtC-CSuYuWpH9NsnKeavNkzlDPEUrGPBm8gKXmm9nQGtooRNagYqNjEjzfE/s1600/tumblr_nfo5s2asQh1rjykqoo1_1280.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00P6BIwkRwnM-1uf7Bjgk1P2CJviLXd_dwfW3WpM0xNFfVoyTSj03CoSzFs3Ws1KuDEY9ZUimgJc7a1-DOtC-CSuYuWpH9NsnKeavNkzlDPEUrGPBm8gKXmm9nQGtooRNagYqNjEjzfE/s1600/tumblr_nfo5s2asQh1rjykqoo1_1280.png" width="278" /></a></div>
On the forest moon of Endor, there exists the dominate intelligent species, the fuzzy cute Stone Aged Teddy Bears known as “Ewoks”. These creatures live in treehouse like villages among the massive trees and they are blood-thirsty meat-eating savages that eat Stormtroopers and other Imperials and other alien visitors by the bucket. And this is canon and seen in the film! It was odd what I accepted as a kid watching <i>SW: ROTJ</i> back in 1983 and what I now know about these little fuzzy killers. Throughout the film, the Ewoks that Rebel assault team contacts were interested in Han and Company as the main dish at a dinner party at Bright Tree Village for their new golden god and Leia! And it is heavily hinted that the Ewoks celebrated the destruction of the 2nd Death Star with Imperial and Stormtrooper brisket. <br /><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Human Battery Farms from the Matrix Universe</span></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuAWEIPrd43VrrqBNiJXboMTg5a4y53wOVYGIHbbH_wDHQA32YBk7aAZrAvPnWvarYIE5Sis5b0JQW8ouKko-0wLu0gD0gm1_M6TXZuwli0pXAWzDXjO4AFxALhBfQelm0laHnz9jNmVpEozGY29wEBTG4KeNC61h0AiH0uNc6YHvFtuJ-Jzp0WtwYw/s1160/the_matrix_human_batteries.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1160" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuAWEIPrd43VrrqBNiJXboMTg5a4y53wOVYGIHbbH_wDHQA32YBk7aAZrAvPnWvarYIE5Sis5b0JQW8ouKko-0wLu0gD0gm1_M6TXZuwli0pXAWzDXjO4AFxALhBfQelm0laHnz9jNmVpEozGY29wEBTG4KeNC61h0AiH0uNc6YHvFtuJ-Jzp0WtwYw/w400-h225/the_matrix_human_batteries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In a nearly throwaway line in the first <i>Matrix </i>movie from 1999, it is mentioned that the humans hooked up to the Matrix in the human battery farms are feed the dead intravenously after they have been liquefied in an gelatinous nutrient solution. I guess everyone is Tasty Wheat in the Battery Farms. In addition, everyone liberated from the Battery Farms is a unwilling cannibal. Let that settle in...</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Reavers from <i>Firefly</i></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xMytFpoWwfE1g2bONzdjTvammPHFIsClkfwa4hz9m7dfnUPSO4Fto3JHRNOWHWTtOU2C7Fh5bENY-KiA6cqxmCY7ex4OHhqIG6Ws4VhuFdnJ021yCPjU2PsJO_dxRx85-Fwx-X6cAwQ/s1600/Reavers2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xMytFpoWwfE1g2bONzdjTvammPHFIsClkfwa4hz9m7dfnUPSO4Fto3JHRNOWHWTtOU2C7Fh5bENY-KiA6cqxmCY7ex4OHhqIG6Ws4VhuFdnJ021yCPjU2PsJO_dxRx85-Fwx-X6cAwQ/s1600/Reavers2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In the TV show, RPG, and the movie, the Reavers were the monster of the space western setting and they are quite the monsters and they are humans and not some sort of alien species. Born out of the Pax experiments on the failed Alliance colony of Miranda, the Reavers were driven mad and did unspeakable acts of violence on the humans living in the Verse with cannibalism being one of those. Or as Zoe said: <b><i><span style="color: red;">"If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing – and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order</span></i></b>." The Reavers were considered something of a boogieman by citizens living in the core worlds rather than the frontier worlds. <u><i><br /></i></u>
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<u>The Wraith from <i>Stargate: Atlantis</i></u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwolJ-IyQEZa68IHQUmgAuGhPf0iYQzkNiO3XMIH0W70L05jJqaY4xqmVA0WJmF-PHLNulj6RarPnkjBnML8AXP6w-NhenBKvfTbW1vyZmePAn9dr0KipzoNTYNtH3GWUaVV2amDysvg/s1600/wraithqueen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwolJ-IyQEZa68IHQUmgAuGhPf0iYQzkNiO3XMIH0W70L05jJqaY4xqmVA0WJmF-PHLNulj6RarPnkjBnML8AXP6w-NhenBKvfTbW1vyZmePAn9dr0KipzoNTYNtH3GWUaVV2amDysvg/s1600/wraithqueen.jpg" width="400" /></a>In the TV show spinoff <i>Stargate Altantis</i>, we are introduced the Pegasus galaxy big-bad: the Wraith. Born out of the Ancients and the Iratus Bug when the nasty bug began to consume human flesh and it altered into the Wraith that consumed the lifeforce of humans for food. Another origin story is that Wraith were the failed product of a experience by the Ancients to achieve immortality if they could not ascent. The feeding process of the Wraith involves placing the right hands onto the victim's chest and sucking the lifeforce from their victim via specialized organ. The Wraith must feed from living human hosts and the Wraith inject the host with a special enzyme to prevent the subject going into arrest. This enzyme could be used to enhance a normal human as seen in Lt. Ford. While feeding can be fast, it can be done slowly for other purposes. The Wraith can and do cull entire worlds when it is feeding time and some worlds take to underground cities to prevent the entire population from being consumed...some most be culled for the trick to work. To increase the feed stock for tasty prey, the Wraith experimented on some subjects and one was Teyla. <br /><br />
<u>Q'tara from <i>The War of the Worlds </i>TV Series </u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZM3Yz9MiT0_J4JydrzYloI4GNP1MZO9dujbBBOVWpQY19AYSDd2rBaRItX38uVBJWhB5UMHC0M2ydawWrbqwCkZCZSYsq23r5haAoBRht_q2Zasj0uZiyMgcib6_zWcsQEGpGaumpU0/s1600/picture2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZM3Yz9MiT0_J4JydrzYloI4GNP1MZO9dujbBBOVWpQY19AYSDd2rBaRItX38uVBJWhB5UMHC0M2ydawWrbqwCkZCZSYsq23r5haAoBRht_q2Zasj0uZiyMgcib6_zWcsQEGpGaumpU0/s1600/picture2.jpg" width="400" /></a><div>During the first season of the oddball and terribly cheesy <i>War of the Worlds </i>TV show that I watched back in the day, we are introduced to another race that is interested in the human race as well: the Q'tara. Known to the Mo-Tax aliens of the original 1953 invasion, it is during their reattempt at Earth invasion in 1988 that another alien race makes an appear on Earth in the form of human woman synthetic creation during the last episode of the 1st Season. this enemy is known to the Mo-Tax and it is during her mission to Earth, she communicates with the Q'tara that the Earth would make an excellent feeding ground. This concept was abandoned for the more cyberpunk 2nd Season. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><u>The Alien Creatures from <i>Lifeforce</i> (1985)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLBmFQRS0K_JPx_2cPtESKSMuxCCpiL5Y4dsLrX6BWFcAJziYMMEAHHW9iyZGhOaNc5EkolNLFV8_I3FAieKUfdsBjgyk8_2ew_75BLFJN3Awf57VUohSsJ8cytK7r0v8cWu3iI6yO0REMc-dHyAyDc0JhLlXVlhsgUV5KpDvIBkJyHahXvBL5jSrLg/s750/lifeforce-film-58605fe9-9860-4587-b649-b00d371d551-resize-750.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLBmFQRS0K_JPx_2cPtESKSMuxCCpiL5Y4dsLrX6BWFcAJziYMMEAHHW9iyZGhOaNc5EkolNLFV8_I3FAieKUfdsBjgyk8_2ew_75BLFJN3Awf57VUohSsJ8cytK7r0v8cWu3iI6yO0REMc-dHyAyDc0JhLlXVlhsgUV5KpDvIBkJyHahXvBL5jSrLg/w400-h200/lifeforce-film-58605fe9-9860-4587-b649-b00d371d551-resize-750.webp" width="400" /></a></div>While all Vampires are the consumers of man, there is Space Vampires and they are also consumers of man. One of the best space vampires films of all time is 1985's <i>Lifeforce. </i>In the British film, the British American-made Space Shuttle <i>Churchill</i> is sent to investigate an space ship hidden in Halley's Comet. There, the astronauts in MMUs discover three naked humans in crystal that appear to have them in status. The only female alien is played by French actress Mathilda May (who is stunning in this film) and she uses her beautiful and nudity to lure in prey and drain them of their lifeforce energy. Not a bad film overall and an interesting take on the eaters of man. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Ip-hNxkpwyoU1j5ta8G-1K8GbZqzGZcwPJSaYlufolVXXEJJemJXNvKoHvI8fq-IKDY5TE9KdVpFvmA1U8QFOcLuVAaPoxXpWHtHwiKBgPRJPqKttvsE-68O14ycdanB-jDWLPdZHDaGrDaiAqaWz07CIH9i_jqiXONlQA6GnPnbOCaiAf0w3QTYQ/s2560/91x3E32G6GL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1976" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Ip-hNxkpwyoU1j5ta8G-1K8GbZqzGZcwPJSaYlufolVXXEJJemJXNvKoHvI8fq-IKDY5TE9KdVpFvmA1U8QFOcLuVAaPoxXpWHtHwiKBgPRJPqKttvsE-68O14ycdanB-jDWLPdZHDaGrDaiAqaWz07CIH9i_jqiXONlQA6GnPnbOCaiAf0w3QTYQ/w309-h400/91x3E32G6GL.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>It is finally time to discuss one of those memories I have from my wandering around comic book stores in the 1980's and 1990's: the ALIENS and <i>Terminator 2</i> adventure games by Leading Edge Games. While only existing for a short time, these miniature based games were something very interesting and compelling when seen on the shelves in comic book and hobby shops until the closure of the company in 1992. In the next installments of MSF Oddities, we will looking into both the <i>ALIENS Adventure Game</i> and the<i> T2 Year of Darkness </i>games. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u>
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<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-89570030865602066732022-06-17T00:29:00.000-05:002022-06-17T00:29:28.944-05:00FWS Starfighters: The Space Fighter-Bomber<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCT1u3Agny2o7TSlXJafeUjODJa8igrYi3kVMd5HdS_FiFBL6rEYvQ0_XqpBdsJ-QzsU_Ccbyfk1Iq2H_oWX5f_Vwty1sPaciu-effkmmjE2HtiUKZq6Xjzyym2F_zObcnbv_gf_H_Sq7/s1600/Y-Wing_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCT1u3Agny2o7TSlXJafeUjODJa8igrYi3kVMd5HdS_FiFBL6rEYvQ0_XqpBdsJ-QzsU_Ccbyfk1Iq2H_oWX5f_Vwty1sPaciu-effkmmjE2HtiUKZq6Xjzyym2F_zObcnbv_gf_H_Sq7/w640-h272/Y-Wing_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>There are always those that live in the shadows of someone or something else that is more well-known or popular than them. For every Porsche 911, there is the Porsche 912. For every Porsche 944 and 928, there is the Porsche 924. For every Nintendo NES, there is the Turbo Grafx 16 and the ATARI 7800. For every Coca-Cola, there is RC Cola. And this is very true within the realm of military aircraft as well as fictional space fighters. For most people, the hero starfighters of the <i>Star Wars</i> universe are the X-Wing and the TIE Fighter...but there is the TIE Bomber and the Y-Wing that live in the show of them. In this first installment of the new <u>StarFighters</u> serial, we will exploring and explaining the fighter classification that lives in the shadow of the fighter interceptor and the air superiority fighter: the Fighter-Bomber! <div><br /></div><div><b><u>What Will this New Serial be About?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGqZpy5ZFSuq6SlLITfsLk5rWn79VZP96LKMtSru2CPNHcIe-aeg-ALOeZ0ZthoZkJTdYNxluAnca7_AibJF6K_An_lZKhAOV-YRs38sIDGt8zki24X4P4Zov-ZSGKJOPEOrFKllAJOEKf4c9R1FIwbyqhcTxysO9ertw30rhaykWH5_pAbnsFy6v_IA=s364" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="364" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGqZpy5ZFSuq6SlLITfsLk5rWn79VZP96LKMtSru2CPNHcIe-aeg-ALOeZ0ZthoZkJTdYNxluAnca7_AibJF6K_An_lZKhAOV-YRs38sIDGt8zki24X4P4Zov-ZSGKJOPEOrFKllAJOEKf4c9R1FIwbyqhcTxysO9ertw30rhaykWH5_pAbnsFy6v_IA=w400-h301" width="400" /></a></div>For years, FWS has been diving deep into the world of space warship classes and it was time to take the same dive into the other famous sci-fi space vehicle: the space fighter. Much like <u>Ships of the Line</u>, <u>Starfighters</u> will be looking at the classifications and examples of the military science fiction starfighters. This will not cover space shuttles, dropships, tactical transports; just combat space fighters. FWS will be connecting these spaceborne fast-attack craft with their real-world military aircraft equivalent when possible. When possible, FWS will be attempting to discuss if this fictional spacecraft could be realistic...and yes, I know that the vast majority of spacefighters are not realistic when the harsh mistress of science is applied. This new serial has been on the books since 2015 and it is high time to get started. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>What is an "Fighter-Bomber" and how is it Different from other Military Aircraft?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrGUh21i5cqBJFLhVmz0oZTAJ0M97ZBo6I4Ntft15QVDY5KEpzWBUcWGET33Ig1WI73SwqhnP9Yn0Z6LE9am6JWowXyUa3z4r3XH-Mr6PMqTvcyDrmJpeNN8warnmftYiBTcAyQvHmZXWx48Z97qS1iyww3FmYpA4zV3NNa94BuJXnzzo5VCeu3y5Eg/s1451/Last_VA-34_A-6E_Intruder_launch_from_USS_George_Washington_(CVN-73)_on_22_July_1996_(6526829).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1451" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrGUh21i5cqBJFLhVmz0oZTAJ0M97ZBo6I4Ntft15QVDY5KEpzWBUcWGET33Ig1WI73SwqhnP9Yn0Z6LE9am6JWowXyUa3z4r3XH-Mr6PMqTvcyDrmJpeNN8warnmftYiBTcAyQvHmZXWx48Z97qS1iyww3FmYpA4zV3NNa94BuJXnzzo5VCeu3y5Eg/w400-h276/Last_VA-34_A-6E_Intruder_launch_from_USS_George_Washington_(CVN-73)_on_22_July_1996_(6526829).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Given the wide, weird of military terminology can be baffling especially to those of us on the outside of the world of the military. As with naval warship classifications and designations, we need to break down what is and what is not a fighter-bomber. Currently, the term of fighter-bomber is used, especially by civilian, but the new term for this type of military jet aircraft is “multi-role attack aircraft”. The term fighter-bomber is either a fully designed or a special variant fighter that occupy both roles as an attack jet and a light bomber that carries a limited stock of bombs. The need for the fighter-bomber came about due to the high price that the bombers suffered due to anti-air artillery and interceptor aircraft. Thus, the fighter-bomber could do both. At times, the fighter-bomber is a variety of an already existing attack fighter, like the F-4 Phantom. At times, the lines get blurred, such as with the USN/USMC A-6 “Intruder”. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3dvvxEwOJtW_acOV1HaNbXqX0spuLwikZOrTqFYb1ae4vVSn67Sb3ohCLeaCWIju83XTAqa-NAoAQFGvg6vuyBNd9UP2rSWomTRE6m93NXoRx3fK6-awL6dsSgxsG49B_tqfHqk7VXo9Q_4XTM66QzQCdpdTifKtdEtBxYLVv3I8mBeMLALr9cneNQ/s1800/eb10e157493cf935c65dbc4af33c4c78.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3dvvxEwOJtW_acOV1HaNbXqX0spuLwikZOrTqFYb1ae4vVSn67Sb3ohCLeaCWIju83XTAqa-NAoAQFGvg6vuyBNd9UP2rSWomTRE6m93NXoRx3fK6-awL6dsSgxsG49B_tqfHqk7VXo9Q_4XTM66QzQCdpdTifKtdEtBxYLVv3I8mBeMLALr9cneNQ/w400-h266/eb10e157493cf935c65dbc4af33c4c78.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The A6 is an attack aircraft that is more like a light bomber due to its lack of a gun pod and inability to engage in ACM with another fighter. Hence why the Intruder carries the “A” designation and not the “F”. Pure bombers, like the B-2 or B-1, or the B-52 all carry the “B” designation and not the “F”. Some have a blend, like the F/A-18 “Super-Hornet”. Then there is the label of “strike aircraft” or “attack aircraft” or attack bomber” or even “ground attack aircraft” used as well. These are slower aircraft designed to attack ground targets, like a tank, missile platform, a specific building, and even close air support. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiACeRlSSHVgUNzFfm7xtYgEXZqt8lzl1rEG_WkM06Eh11FJV5xmzPn8aMdWexAANMVRe4YO5YztQHPP9nUwbXRSNjIxeeTUgwUroW8nLZTcU8PiwzEQqHmQth15NlK2fWw118Isc1T_zJX-4_97Em42GCjQxOzt410sOPPIYEhS5f9Yg6xKbujdu5fA/s1440/rc-rcp_8974aa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="1440" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiACeRlSSHVgUNzFfm7xtYgEXZqt8lzl1rEG_WkM06Eh11FJV5xmzPn8aMdWexAANMVRe4YO5YztQHPP9nUwbXRSNjIxeeTUgwUroW8nLZTcU8PiwzEQqHmQth15NlK2fWw118Isc1T_zJX-4_97Em42GCjQxOzt410sOPPIYEhS5f9Yg6xKbujdu5fA/w400-h248/rc-rcp_8974aa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The best example of this is the badass A-10 Warthog that is the grim reaper of armored vehicles and attack infantry, but could not engage in a dogfight. Then we have one of the oddest attack aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk. While fearsome in design and abilities, the F-117 has a limited tactical scope and was not a “stealth fighter”, but a stealth attack aircraft and should have been given the “A” instead of the “F” designation by the USAF. The F-117 could not engage in ACM, but if you needed a specific building targeted in downtown Baghdad, the F-117 was your girl. Some of these battlefield tasks by attack aircraft have been taken over by armed drones and the attack helicopter gunship. FWS will cover attack aircraft in a future article. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><u>What is Difference between Fighter-Bombers and the Bomber</u></b></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjny5ebiLXnkEI10JqLBc2hly-uqZuMVfeS28weM9Yg8hLwrhPj9PKK9-5ia418VTc2p9JZTrXrYzta3vQ3vvWTgcf3B8UcI1dAy7t1zFmM8o-BJeqmDIcqA_U5xIGXKkxCboNUXCRgf6bfXTIjQMF-X5B2B2nHgS5wHiWvfx7jme19yWzBXCLsGZZS7w/s500/1c0d3525e2eed73e0602cfbafc59e48c.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="500" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjny5ebiLXnkEI10JqLBc2hly-uqZuMVfeS28weM9Yg8hLwrhPj9PKK9-5ia418VTc2p9JZTrXrYzta3vQ3vvWTgcf3B8UcI1dAy7t1zFmM8o-BJeqmDIcqA_U5xIGXKkxCboNUXCRgf6bfXTIjQMF-X5B2B2nHgS5wHiWvfx7jme19yWzBXCLsGZZS7w/s320/1c0d3525e2eed73e0602cfbafc59e48c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There two very different types of military aircraft that are labeled "bombers" and they differ mostly in speed, range, weight, and crew size. One of the best fighter-bombers of all time was the F-4 “Phantom”. At full load, the Phantom could carry about 16,000lbs of ordinance at a top-speed of MACH 2 at a range of 1,750 miles. Compare that with the B-52, Stratofortress which has a top speed of 595 to 650 MPH with a crew of five with a range of over 8,000 miles. An B-52 bomber can drop 84,500lbs of conventional munitions. Fighter-Bombers are designed for quick and limited bomber runs that could be in the opening attacks of an invasion or supporting troops in contact. The traditional bomber is designed to pound cities into rumble or nuke nations into the dark ages and has limited ability to defend itself from interceptor aircraft. Some fighter-bombers, especially the modern multi-role fighter can engage in ACM if needed and often carry the “F” designation rather than the “B’ or “A” of bombers and attack aircraft respectfully.<br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><u><b>What is the Difference between the Missile, Bomb, and Torpedo in Sci-Fi Space Combat</b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jq2qodi-S4-4DphkKuRd8rwQ7ntvTA4S2b26mqkYDNGC67THq_Lbhhaap66GprVYXfeNbNPYLWb5eJlR4Gs47vGUozg3DiLPElWCArSILxngKRKJYjTB0ZGXOSSu6mMm8Qojpe8BGY9PN7cadxe5v2f_cbvKNGOwdpj_Xm4csLZtjgFZFCJnKhp9mg/s2048/Navy_27.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jq2qodi-S4-4DphkKuRd8rwQ7ntvTA4S2b26mqkYDNGC67THq_Lbhhaap66GprVYXfeNbNPYLWb5eJlR4Gs47vGUozg3DiLPElWCArSILxngKRKJYjTB0ZGXOSSu6mMm8Qojpe8BGY9PN7cadxe5v2f_cbvKNGOwdpj_Xm4csLZtjgFZFCJnKhp9mg/w400-h266/Navy_27.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div>During the research phase of this article and something I have noticed throughout my lifetime of being a sci-fi fan…the use of the word “torpedo” in space warfare. Given the trope of sci-fi creators connecting wet navies to space navies along with the trope of spaceships being submarines in space concept, the use of torpedoes in sci-fi goes back to its founding despite the fact that torpedoes are used for naval combat. With some sci-fi creators really wanting gravity bombing like we witness in World War II, they will create the use of falling bombs in space as well, as we witnessed in the fucking bullshit <i>The Last Jedi </i>bomber scene along with the Wing Commander “film”. Then we have missiles, which are part of current space combat. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoROIyEvKjlE464B_HlFvc-NCsEF0tUfB2tY96eM_H8wEtdnpvQNuL7299S6YMyGDdCCNps9zqexu5x6CyyWB0xtmy82Ky3Q2-r1ZVdfZqpXk63ofnV1bjEkwkF4u4JuYARszyBcidd-3uiAUR4V9cRDjBREwmWm6bgYC1Xyk638l5GsivHNGzYjq1WQ/s540/tumblr_fad9b2fbab0a002728344e18fecc6fe9_adaad213_540.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="540" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoROIyEvKjlE464B_HlFvc-NCsEF0tUfB2tY96eM_H8wEtdnpvQNuL7299S6YMyGDdCCNps9zqexu5x6CyyWB0xtmy82Ky3Q2-r1ZVdfZqpXk63ofnV1bjEkwkF4u4JuYARszyBcidd-3uiAUR4V9cRDjBREwmWm6bgYC1Xyk638l5GsivHNGzYjq1WQ/w400-h300/tumblr_fad9b2fbab0a002728344e18fecc6fe9_adaad213_540.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Let us sort how all of these could exist in a sci-fi setting. Bombs that use gravity to arrival to their target(s) could still be used within the atmosphere of a planet with gravity that would allow for the dropping of bombs as we understand here in on Terra. Bombs would not be part of most sci-fi space combat save for teleporting over a bomb or using a shuttle to ferry the bomb to its target, as we witness in the Stargate franchise. The use of gravity bombs in space is fucking stupid and the bullshit magnetic bomb idea ventured forth in The Last Jedi is also really fucking stupid to a whole new level. Yes, I know about the Reddit explanation of the "repulsor chute” to eject the bombs onto the target…but you have to get “over” the target in very close combat and release which is still fucking stupid. To me, you could use the term “torpedo” to define a heavier, more anti-ship missile system packed with more explosive, countermeasures, and even possibly the ability to travel in hyperspace. Missiles could be a higher speed weapon system for engaging faster targets and even be used to intercept incoming fire. That could how we can keep using these terms for sci-fi space combat. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The History of the Fighter-Bomber</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig83SDXJtOO0folAVPeB_ZDoYy2hcya4FnzDGHgvE7YZMs_SA7I9GNiKpUIQk74qbS-gPM0-1mUNH80XgClWjYqVMJrit3lbTp3bCNmHf_ZNrp6US_VSQHBLidnNFY_yHbgVabXxcbBoCnDJyNgbwtwq6oDRAs21P2VB7JklLeBlyg73uYAjmzTk8rwg/s1485/Fleury._Escadrille_V.114._Nouveau_Voisin_VII._R._B._-_Fonds_Berthel%C3%A9_-_49Fi356_(cropped).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig83SDXJtOO0folAVPeB_ZDoYy2hcya4FnzDGHgvE7YZMs_SA7I9GNiKpUIQk74qbS-gPM0-1mUNH80XgClWjYqVMJrit3lbTp3bCNmHf_ZNrp6US_VSQHBLidnNFY_yHbgVabXxcbBoCnDJyNgbwtwq6oDRAs21P2VB7JklLeBlyg73uYAjmzTk8rwg/w400-h320/Fleury._Escadrille_V.114._Nouveau_Voisin_VII._R._B._-_Fonds_Berthel%C3%A9_-_49Fi356_(cropped).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Military aviation began with the era of hot-air balloons, but heavier-than-air aircraft began with the US Army buying an Wright 1909 and by the time of the First World War, the concept of using aircraft in warfare was being incorporated. It was the First World War that forged the role of the military aircraft. However, the Great War was not the first combat use of airplanes. That came during the Italian-Turkish War of 1911-1912, which I did not know about until this article. Seriously. During this conflict, the Italian military conducted the first use of an aircraft for recon and for bombing missions. This was the pathfinder for the use of combat aircraft. During the 1st World War, most fielded combat aircraft were what we would consider “multi-role” with the most bombs dropped from the legendary British Sopwith Camel fighter. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyauiwvMPICcY4HBLTYPi__8GEdnheDNRjmw-1nl1fhbAFmwcqt7cqAamP8WG55n0N2vrbVa7AvObDU93mjKvzPlj-3v4PSKsX80gp_32xXeDYJUd2t8lRDx80fI0H9J-PLlLe-ZhpcoacI61knOh8D3RYcKHT-1tBq5iwY5YztNdYrcUbNjJy7cg4iA/s960/KA114_NeilHutchinson.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyauiwvMPICcY4HBLTYPi__8GEdnheDNRjmw-1nl1fhbAFmwcqt7cqAamP8WG55n0N2vrbVa7AvObDU93mjKvzPlj-3v4PSKsX80gp_32xXeDYJUd2t8lRDx80fI0H9J-PLlLe-ZhpcoacI61knOh8D3RYcKHT-1tBq5iwY5YztNdYrcUbNjJy7cg4iA/w400-h266/KA114_NeilHutchinson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During this time, the concept of the fighter-bomber and the traditional bomber were muddled, especially when you examine the first purpose-designed and fielded bombers: the Italian Caproni Ca.1 and the British Bristol T.B.8 both from 1913. When the first bomber, as we understand them, began being fielded before the 2nd World War, the role of the fighter-bomber was not really filled save some elements being seen in the torpedo-bombers that came about in 1915 and quickly died out due to the technological improvements after the war. However, torpedo-bombers are more bomber than fighter and fighter-bombers occupy both roles. During the 2nd World War, there were many fighter-bombers (or “Jagdbombers” in German) on both sides of the conflict like the American P-38 “lightning, the German Fw 190 A-3/U3, the British de Havilland DH.98 “Mosquito”, and the British Hawker Typhoon. With the era of the jet technology. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1TsAVxYUe2-mqZyzhDC0MM-aqcWuGtWNnXXUDg7xQ1aYK0wRQe--nlHxmRoRuTltOtW0pYPESyP0TTCoiSmtyDKPDm_1_aVBRIcVQ2aOQefE5HxS7mv2FeZuAzqXZ0RxlkmTmi5DKSWT9YVGK3wG47v7qIqIiiJG-68bHjnTLqFyXHj9oGHwnvz-rg/s640/mwux2vs5j6881.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="640" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1TsAVxYUe2-mqZyzhDC0MM-aqcWuGtWNnXXUDg7xQ1aYK0wRQe--nlHxmRoRuTltOtW0pYPESyP0TTCoiSmtyDKPDm_1_aVBRIcVQ2aOQefE5HxS7mv2FeZuAzqXZ0RxlkmTmi5DKSWT9YVGK3wG47v7qIqIiiJG-68bHjnTLqFyXHj9oGHwnvz-rg/w400-h243/mwux2vs5j6881.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Korean War saw the introduction to modern attack jet fighters being used in a dual-role as a light bomber, as was seen with the Soviet MiG-15. Before the era of the “smart-bomb” and the increased need of units in contact needing close air support, already existing attack jet fighters were retasked with ground attack roles as we witnessed with the Vietnam War. One of the mechanical symbols of that war was the F-4 “Phantom”. This beautiful aircraft was pulled into bombing missions due to the great need of infantry in the bush and served along side B-52s and the wonderful light all-weather bomber air-ground attack aircraft, the US Navy/ USMC A-6 Intruder. During that war, missile technology was improving, and the duties of the old fighter-bomber could be handled differently, resulting in development of multi-role strike fighters like the F-35A and the F-15E. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>The Modern Fighter-Bombers: The Multi-Role Strike Fighter Aircraft (MRCF)</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdIr7Ox9Arp_Rw50WPteRQKq1v2vGZPQwRSl-WfMKz1K5ZeOULW2w4Xa9DaB0pBsiP1WMuSaW3bloeoghB4FQZ-KE0x5XSvEEMf7m9l7Qb3B6exG6OzGX4XfsLA_4wonueeiWCT9mhg0gfCavlwvv4lTb4ZKTpKTO2k5B_S4MLP4puOsYY8Ca_oE03g/s1843/F-16V_CFTs-in-hangar_1920.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1843" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdIr7Ox9Arp_Rw50WPteRQKq1v2vGZPQwRSl-WfMKz1K5ZeOULW2w4Xa9DaB0pBsiP1WMuSaW3bloeoghB4FQZ-KE0x5XSvEEMf7m9l7Qb3B6exG6OzGX4XfsLA_4wonueeiWCT9mhg0gfCavlwvv4lTb4ZKTpKTO2k5B_S4MLP4puOsYY8Ca_oE03g/w400-h235/F-16V_CFTs-in-hangar_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In modern air warfare, the traditional bomber still exists, but the fighter-bomber does not in its original form. The modern fighter-bomber is the multi-role strike fighter, like the US Navy/USMC F/A -18C "Hornet" and the Eurofighter Typhoon. So…what happened? <span>Technological advancements in fighter technology, material technology, and missile technology all allowed for the role of the fighter-bomber to be rolled into a multi-role attack jet fighter platform. This is far, in terms of logistic, easily for most military organizations, especially those that are more economical minded…military attack jets are extremely expensive machines with a nation like New Zealand not having any. A great deal of modern military attack jets are being designed and fielded as a MRCF classification. Some nations, like the US, China, and Russia still have air superiority fighter like the F-22, J-11, and the Su-57 respectively. </span></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Some Thoughts on Endo/Exo Atmospheric Starfighters</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8TYjH19Ajc-MfJbmMNI-mdB0C6n2-dSHMGGYbcvoGm8azwjSR7peFBkQpPOlarOacRrLZH4xRjh-R2_52aNxfZWl2KvHo6TXRAFv_w5ofTQDwZcXbDM9wAeJdqVBe6rr7BqrUcMBe3nT3D-PuExfPC8mWAbzn00pL4RKiabBcWlbv_iBUZNBdQroWA/s540/AcclaimedPoisedAcornwoodpecker-size_restricted.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="540" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8TYjH19Ajc-MfJbmMNI-mdB0C6n2-dSHMGGYbcvoGm8azwjSR7peFBkQpPOlarOacRrLZH4xRjh-R2_52aNxfZWl2KvHo6TXRAFv_w5ofTQDwZcXbDM9wAeJdqVBe6rr7BqrUcMBe3nT3D-PuExfPC8mWAbzn00pL4RKiabBcWlbv_iBUZNBdQroWA/w400-h225/AcclaimedPoisedAcornwoodpecker-size_restricted.gif" width="400" /></a></div>One of the aspects of all starfighters that FWS will discuss in every article with be that most starfighters in science fiction are dual atmospheric vehicles that operate both in-atmosphere (Endo) of a planetary body and in outer space (Exo). This true of nearly every starfighter, especially the most iconic fighters of sci-fi…but it is reality or even some-what real? One of the most iconic starfighters is the EarthForce Starfury from B5 and it is one of the only starfighters that is exo-atmospheric only. You could not fly a Starfury from space into the atmosphere of an M-Class planet…but you can with an X-Wing, a Viper, and a Thunderhawk. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-T0PMpndgaqt5j5rYwygv9VE5TN1Q77y1N8VCuMa4XNy-pfY9FXqkHWPvwq2CQB-ETNnDXOwckmb0XO6D2ZKnHZa3q2ukWKa2l-BE2qsBNGyVT7yckm7oGzFosWrAsPdFnXCJF0UJIZZR9HetjrsmDNHidyCZPdSgNrKP3Y8oHvbjj6oM7G2b2L8nw/s1280/tumblr_o5pyg4ZJAu1r39szco1_1280.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1280" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-T0PMpndgaqt5j5rYwygv9VE5TN1Q77y1N8VCuMa4XNy-pfY9FXqkHWPvwq2CQB-ETNnDXOwckmb0XO6D2ZKnHZa3q2ukWKa2l-BE2qsBNGyVT7yckm7oGzFosWrAsPdFnXCJF0UJIZZR9HetjrsmDNHidyCZPdSgNrKP3Y8oHvbjj6oM7G2b2L8nw/w400-h250/tumblr_o5pyg4ZJAu1r39szco1_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In reality, space-based fighter craft that we know of would not exist and when we talk of real-world hard science fighters, we discuss how they would not exist in the way that sci-fi has shown. It is space pornography. The idea of a dual-atmospheric craft that can fight between space and sky and back again is again, pure space pornography. Just look at the US and Soviet Space Shuttles long with the attempted space planes. It takes a great deal of fuel and thrust to get into orbit and then once in orbit, the space plane is more an in-atmospheric glider than an attack jet that engages in ACM. Any damage to the dual-atmospheric space fighter thermal protection would be a death sentence to the crew, marooning them in space or worse…just look at Soyuz 11 and Columba. To me, any soft-serve sci-fi universe where starfighters exist, it maybe best to have an endo and exo exclusive models rather than a dual atmosphere attack jet. This would mean that important colonial sites would have endoatmospheric attack aircraft that would be similar to modern MRCF models stationed at planet-side hardened airbases from orbital attack and ready to repeal any invader. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Could Space-Based Fighter-Bombers Really Exist?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UKwqcIDEeIo2Pp0E0KRazx0wYG5tedFpqombwKAWlxw2iCfunBXZDcU6BixOkIR2EKiaGKBUrQ1eU8ZvKZUu13Y6VbHkqOq_jm8ACG5q4M0_JYHr2b--LZBKLKtRt17pckOziIPiE7JNy1wegjC_moOc9ii2yKeG9wO3kSOv-N_0Jx8YAdhuQAO6zQ/s760/rocky_mountain_space_men.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UKwqcIDEeIo2Pp0E0KRazx0wYG5tedFpqombwKAWlxw2iCfunBXZDcU6BixOkIR2EKiaGKBUrQ1eU8ZvKZUu13Y6VbHkqOq_jm8ACG5q4M0_JYHr2b--LZBKLKtRt17pckOziIPiE7JNy1wegjC_moOc9ii2yKeG9wO3kSOv-N_0Jx8YAdhuQAO6zQ/w400-h266/rocky_mountain_space_men.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In a way, it could be, and the US, China, and Russia have investigated the possibility of development of an orbital spaceplane bomber over the years. This label of “space bomber” has attached to the the rumored Area-51 BLACKSTAR project, the mysterious USAF X-37B, a possible use for the USSR Buran Space Shuttle. The concept of a orbital spaceplane being on hot standby to deliver a nuclear/conventional payload has been around since the 1940’s, but the technology exists to allow that to happen, if it wasn’t for a massive violently of current treaties. Now, the science fiction concept of a space fighter-bomber that engages into deep space combat against moon-sized space stations is fantasy. When starships will engage in ship-to-ship combat or we engage in bomb runs on off-world targets, it will be AI-controlled missiles that more akin to “Dreadnough” in <i>Star Trek: Voyager</i> episode. </div><div> </div><div><b><u>The Space Fighter-Bomber in Sci-Fi</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKKg7qOAVvvCTPKnrnnexHfO9tHHOfQaHmYyEWyEZmjJoNWUnpqt0JjWL5NoQFtZoLAKrkpn8nMO87letwsz6f6WA1BG1TWIOoJOkLGRMxkJJo6AYjHgSFnZl9EVwtgByPAmYXNGIAmd5EeE3o8L5KZrpVScB7-ZYSfUZkE1V59Z0IuW0FK9UEZQJZYg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="854" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKKg7qOAVvvCTPKnrnnexHfO9tHHOfQaHmYyEWyEZmjJoNWUnpqt0JjWL5NoQFtZoLAKrkpn8nMO87letwsz6f6WA1BG1TWIOoJOkLGRMxkJJo6AYjHgSFnZl9EVwtgByPAmYXNGIAmd5EeE3o8L5KZrpVScB7-ZYSfUZkE1V59Z0IuW0FK9UEZQJZYg=w400-h309" width="400" /></a></div>The concept of space fighters has been in sci-fi since the novella "The Black Star Passes", first published in 1930 and again in 1965 by John Campbell and the concept skyrocketed into the popular conciseness with <i>Star Wars</i> in 1977. It was then that starfighters became an important part of science fiction in all types of media. While the public expects starfighters in their military science fiction works, one of the factors with all space naval and starfighters classes that are appear in visual sci-fi media is money. Most productions have to limit the amount of spacecraft that are on-screen or in-game due to cost with special-effects and filming. This being said, the starfighter-bombers that appear in-game or on-screen are purpose built. Much like what we've discussed before on FWS with combat starships, RPGs and books often have the most variety of starfighters and starships because the cost is low. When it comes to video games, movies, and TV, the fighter-bombers are there for a specific reason or purpose, even if it is the creator's fancy. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs6W4xuQa1bVW-LAPrayUsC3X29EA5pFCtDILRWpiNPgKGLmvHvYWGuyX3tOR2yXG7T972NlBMTa_Fg6_6B88x48hgv7wjRR2cwMsBKIOvqotZKENFx4Xscpx7RlDrh2McdhH5iUHeMU9OhBr9eC1rRqW61G-bRn9ZKbGkIhmha494JxR9zPSgSJU8Q/s466/41bJ7SuNDtL._SX466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="466" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs6W4xuQa1bVW-LAPrayUsC3X29EA5pFCtDILRWpiNPgKGLmvHvYWGuyX3tOR2yXG7T972NlBMTa_Fg6_6B88x48hgv7wjRR2cwMsBKIOvqotZKENFx4Xscpx7RlDrh2McdhH5iUHeMU9OhBr9eC1rRqW61G-bRn9ZKbGkIhmha494JxR9zPSgSJU8Q/w400-h225/41bJ7SuNDtL._SX466_.jpg" width="400" /></a>The starfighter-bombers, like many starfighter classifications, are often confused and muddled. Some creators lump in the torpedo-bomber and the fighter-bomber onto the same fighter, as seen <i>Space Cruiser Yamato</i>. Originally, FWS was goin to craft a sperate article on space torpedo-bombers, but the realities of confusion among sci-fi creators caused the two classifications to be fused. There there is the World War II bomber issue and the lack of clarity of what a "fighter-bomber" is. This causes starfighter-bombers to carry both missiles and torpedoes. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqVY0x86Eej1mUnchj3nDBtdgiQiqRUzYnxnbbqaXoGh8CbfKBX2PimLeTzAtwlRlZ3TqIHUrgRyePY0t5Wu8CwEBi3BAyWPqEZ8JfOBGckGr64LyiKkj1m4rjwz3Vrm1fLMTVjqMqI1Wi6qm8GBefY65uNuxuzYoN6v6Os-ZMwp2QPm1l_hk8K9Y1A/s1200/a-wing-figher-the-last-jedi_50a8a2c7.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqVY0x86Eej1mUnchj3nDBtdgiQiqRUzYnxnbbqaXoGh8CbfKBX2PimLeTzAtwlRlZ3TqIHUrgRyePY0t5Wu8CwEBi3BAyWPqEZ8JfOBGckGr64LyiKkj1m4rjwz3Vrm1fLMTVjqMqI1Wi6qm8GBefY65uNuxuzYoN6v6Os-ZMwp2QPm1l_hk8K9Y1A/w400-h166/a-wing-figher-the-last-jedi_50a8a2c7.webp" width="400" /></a></div>The 2nd World War is a massive influence on sci-fi as a whole and the the desire to include World War II style bomber and bombing scenes is hard to resist, just look at the bullshit bombers from <i>The Last Jedi</i>. This confusion leads to a blurring of lines between bombers and fighter-bombers and even the anti-capitol ship fighter, like the Rebel B-Wing class...which is not on this list due to it being more of a gunship than an fighter-bomber, although, the B-Wing could be used in a bomber role against in-space targets like space stations and asteroid bases. Some of this confusion and blurring comes for the nature of space as well.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCvCTabjtZNXMjT92hHx4dswwmsLYDUVwqpTEDN3OItA5Dic-j3ZLQciAjJtV223_BSCdeBDWa1ipjcCSn2w-Uz5J0Oj3hA8M0kkPUra4N2u8BFIJtF2IuTYGFUWU900icRhKZJCiW7yv86gTOBFtkZ20_kM1Ozck8T2icwPqNuB8-zecdU8lRhodRQ/s878/ep8-018959_bg_40a476d8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="878" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCvCTabjtZNXMjT92hHx4dswwmsLYDUVwqpTEDN3OItA5Dic-j3ZLQciAjJtV223_BSCdeBDWa1ipjcCSn2w-Uz5J0Oj3hA8M0kkPUra4N2u8BFIJtF2IuTYGFUWU900icRhKZJCiW7yv86gTOBFtkZ20_kM1Ozck8T2icwPqNuB8-zecdU8lRhodRQ/w400-h400/ep8-018959_bg_40a476d8.jpeg" width="400" /></a>One of the factors with all space naval and starfighters classes that are appear in visual sci-fi media is money. Most productions have to limit the amount of spacecraft that are on-screen or in-game due to cost with special-effects and filming. Interestingly enough, most science fiction fighter-bombers are their own dedicated spaceframe (or model) and not often an upscaled attack fighter, as we have seen with the <i>Babylon 5</i> EathForce <i>Starfury</i> Fighter-Bomber variant. Some RPG systems like <i>Renegade Legions </i>and<i> Battletech,</i> use the “Heavy Fighter” to describe the fighter-bomber and is actual term used in military aircraft around the 2nd World War. The heavy starfighter of sci-fi are not always a fighter-bomber and one has to look at the loadout associated with the craft. In addition, there is no consistency with the amount of crew members in an fighter-bomber of sci-fi. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRvaVo2_TkFXfsKbE-gmKpWXXznFARyfh-IdejbfzfJ8oetw0VuWBG_5X557OQ9_XUOQd4X9RU-EwDuzvgTSLe3_8fr7RT1hULCa6CDZg9wSf2TIiZInK1xxv9pxn9uM156rKJ1grFTma7iLKiKpUJ2mk8HYhoqh4cgRH4gSBDxt7AlSrsYTG7gcuGw/s2048/dux38yvdbpf51.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2048" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRvaVo2_TkFXfsKbE-gmKpWXXznFARyfh-IdejbfzfJ8oetw0VuWBG_5X557OQ9_XUOQd4X9RU-EwDuzvgTSLe3_8fr7RT1hULCa6CDZg9wSf2TIiZInK1xxv9pxn9uM156rKJ1grFTma7iLKiKpUJ2mk8HYhoqh4cgRH4gSBDxt7AlSrsYTG7gcuGw/w400-h211/dux38yvdbpf51.jpg" width="400" /></a>Some will have one pilot, one pilot with a droid, one pilot and one gunner and so on. Even the most iconic starfighter-bomber, the Y-Wing, there is no consistency with regards to the amount of crew in the Y-Wing and sometimes, it depends on the source material and the Y-Wing variant. The rarest fighter-bomber in sci-fi is the dedicated endo-atmospheric only, due to the domination of dual-atmospheric vehicles in all of science fiction. I can imagine that in the next few years, the concept of the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft will populate throughout the realm of sci-fi and creators will turn away from fighter-bombers and Heavy Fighters to the MRCA concept. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>What About Sci-Fi Bombers?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbIvbQWHsNSn9thDlmbdigX8bXiruhLoa1-pPAGVctO9ylHSQ6Rv_Nqnj0jD9VHub4BH9OaKvGOWTzsolX0nDM7Db-DjhgcXT0qJNCoTD4Z2FDEjzwlUKMDxmJGch5pWokqhF8WZ0uTYqlhJ2sxrqabJUPSiozTe4mh42wg3HsfLS6Bhhl1vao08EUw/s1920/howie_broadsword19.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbIvbQWHsNSn9thDlmbdigX8bXiruhLoa1-pPAGVctO9ylHSQ6Rv_Nqnj0jD9VHub4BH9OaKvGOWTzsolX0nDM7Db-DjhgcXT0qJNCoTD4Z2FDEjzwlUKMDxmJGch5pWokqhF8WZ0uTYqlhJ2sxrqabJUPSiozTe4mh42wg3HsfLS6Bhhl1vao08EUw/w400-h225/howie_broadsword19.png" width="400" /></a></div>At some point, FWS will discuss the bombers in both the real-world and science fiction, but during the research phase for this article, I gained new insight into what the difference between the starfighter-bomber and the bomber in sci-fi. Often, the bomber is crewed by more than 2, long-ranged w/hyperdrives, heavier weapons loads, more defense cannons that are manned or computer-operated and they go after heavier targets…like capital ships, space stations, and even planetary targets. Such examples are the iconic Boardsword from <i>Wing Commander II</i> and the Chig Bomber from <i>Space: Above and Beyond</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Examples:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Heavy & Super-Heavy Fighters from the <i>Renegade Legion</i> Universe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49UR2ZCS1A5Za5IjDtZpWUXB2SP10OIAdfCx6KbCPni9mx8DrOjb10CIaXpthVfoZf1jL9cKAxzdJbLQxzXMvM_bL5ZCUBibM6sJKtqjq4q0AG4FmvC8eVtLFr0O9BDRc9e-jkAm7_LNL5eJE_NuugujnoVc9vFgQIjinfI33wBG4tie7vIcys7WOxg/s1213/248091-renegade-legion-interceptor-dos-front-cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49UR2ZCS1A5Za5IjDtZpWUXB2SP10OIAdfCx6KbCPni9mx8DrOjb10CIaXpthVfoZf1jL9cKAxzdJbLQxzXMvM_bL5ZCUBibM6sJKtqjq4q0AG4FmvC8eVtLFr0O9BDRc9e-jkAm7_LNL5eJE_NuugujnoVc9vFgQIjinfI33wBG4tie7vIcys7WOxg/w264-h400/248091-renegade-legion-interceptor-dos-front-cover.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>During the apex of FASA Games Inc, they had a number of RPG titles that were the bread-and-butter to the non-D&D crowd and one of the most arresting to the younger me was <i>Renegade Legion </i>that existed from 1989-1993. This is a title that FWS will cover in the next few months, but in the combat between the TOG and the Renegade Legion in the 69th century. In three of the titles of the Renegade Legion franchise were devoted to fighter combat in struggle between the RL and TOG: <i>Interceptor</i>, <i>Battle of Jacob's Star</i>, and <i>Leviathan</i>. SSI developed <i>Interceptor</i> and <i>Battle of Jacob's Star</i> for the home computer market, while <i>Leviathan </i> was a classic RPG system based around fleet combat. Starfighters (any space vessel under500 tons or less) in the <i>RL</i> franchise were unable to survive more two direct hits by capitol ship weaponry and were used to inflict pinpoint damage to their targets. In the classification of fighters involved in the conflict is the "Heavy Fighter" classification. From the research that I can do on a RPG system that ended when I was in high school, the heavy fighter was more akin to the MRCF and the fighter-bomber and are 300 tons or less. Then there is "super-heavy" fighter that are the heaviest of all starfighters in the conflict, which is 500 tons or less. While the missiles loaded on the heavy fighters of the RL and the TOG are not effective against the capitol ships of the RL and TOG Navies, they can attack on another and other targets. There are a number of heavy fighters produced for the game and even a way for players to design and field their own designs in the computer and tabletop games, there are no real examples of super heavy starfighters that I can find used by the RL & TOG factions...some of the alien races have listings for super-heavy starfighters. It could be that the super-heavy starfighers were an in-progress concept when the game was cancelled and FASA went out of business. <br /><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div><u>The Space Wing A-9 "Starmax" STS/Fighter-Bomber from the <i>STARCOM: The US Space Force</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBTQ9Ax36YiQ86jtkCS05k0TQB_MiXMxQAPNqZHhlYXc-GOuHXSsTUVIX8WTM8OUQiivDXsQB-VhAoyMLPkIPYldwkswa4nNxaOpGtaMakypr1_hBhgsLeJrrNKTztiEOscM3__Gk0qeEkDgAzZSCo7pY9RpYDZHCcVACuK1xaJvYBO2uXGiNAclHJA/s1000/146877.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1000" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBTQ9Ax36YiQ86jtkCS05k0TQB_MiXMxQAPNqZHhlYXc-GOuHXSsTUVIX8WTM8OUQiivDXsQB-VhAoyMLPkIPYldwkswa4nNxaOpGtaMakypr1_hBhgsLeJrrNKTztiEOscM3__Gk0qeEkDgAzZSCo7pY9RpYDZHCcVACuK1xaJvYBO2uXGiNAclHJA/w400-h284/146877.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>In an era filled with military and sci-fi toylines, one of the most pure (and forgotten) military science fiction toylines was COLECO's <i>STARCOM: The U.S. Space Force</i> from 1986. While only lasting about 2 years in the US and a fewer more years in Europe, <i>STARCOM</i> also had a limited run cartoon series that also doubted as a advert for the toys...as was very common in the 1980's. There had been an attempt to bring real space science into the cartoon via the NASA Young Astronaut Program. Both in the TV series and the toyline, the most important vehicle of the US Space Force was the Space Wing A-9 "Starmax" STS/Fighter-Bomber. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszOhjjdfOUk8cSF_BeE3ZusZHXjfSXGHcRY3G7eFN1G0sh9zdH6t_t6dpGhbNCcjPRvXNF-OjBE2KMd634NUc0Kcw6Pk95HjxelBYHXZEo2Xf0x3AJUxZUGJgB8e5HjYQk4HPp0QftOtX3SqGoaXC1pYhkXjNYGoWMEIvLDzmlB8cv_6pNr6gkz5V5g/s600/488345624c6294715_w.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszOhjjdfOUk8cSF_BeE3ZusZHXjfSXGHcRY3G7eFN1G0sh9zdH6t_t6dpGhbNCcjPRvXNF-OjBE2KMd634NUc0Kcw6Pk95HjxelBYHXZEo2Xf0x3AJUxZUGJgB8e5HjYQk4HPp0QftOtX3SqGoaXC1pYhkXjNYGoWMEIvLDzmlB8cv_6pNr6gkz5V5g/w400-h225/488345624c6294715_w.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This, according to the text on the box of the toy, was the flagship of STACOM's air-and-space fleet, Star Wing and it was considered to the most powerful fighter in their fleet as well as the Swiss Army Knife of the entire STARCOM. It would serve as a space transport system for cargo, Astro Marines/STARCOM personnel, and smaller off-world combat vehicles. This was thanks to the modular cargo bed located at the rear of the A-9 Starmax. Given the local hostile conditions of the Terran solar system, an armed FTL transport was the best way to go, and the Star Wing A-9 fighter-bomber was very nearly the symbol of the United States power in outer space. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOEqaIDu-KERLq3RfPAxiP-afGfhSXdBgiIXd5QW87CaebE01Med9VRNLNAiXTrMRTDiaPT7FwVka9UTwlGHU1UeZ-zIOAGjLw9JKxJ3OCX6p1vppv8vcG9XLSninDAaaBbTBxaYmWpg51qSBbM4Tpilq6jgjkvsLg13lkLrE8fV74kpIiF3DrheuMQ/s2000/starcom---mattel---starmax-bomber--loose-with-box--p-image-421399-grande.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="2000" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOEqaIDu-KERLq3RfPAxiP-afGfhSXdBgiIXd5QW87CaebE01Med9VRNLNAiXTrMRTDiaPT7FwVka9UTwlGHU1UeZ-zIOAGjLw9JKxJ3OCX6p1vppv8vcG9XLSninDAaaBbTBxaYmWpg51qSBbM4Tpilq6jgjkvsLg13lkLrE8fV74kpIiF3DrheuMQ/w400-h310/starcom---mattel---starmax-bomber--loose-with-box--p-image-421399-grande.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Armed with two rail RIP cannons, two DE cannons and two rapid pulse DE cannons, it was also outfitted with a rear-mounted spin-launcher for four "TeraForce" HE bombs that appear to be gravity fall bombs or in some literature, "smart missiles". With a crew of three and the passenger capability of six, the Starmax served in many roles in STARCOM and on the frontier of the solar system. To complete its STS duty, the A-9 Starmax was fitted with the FTL Transtar drive and the ability to add a personnel carrier in the cargo bay to transport troops or personnel around the solar system. For combat operations, the A-9 would be supported by several other Star Wing interceptor/attack fighters, but the Starmax could engage in ACM as the need arose.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBrcOZcdZquYCy2JrxXUXIcERZQ1CGVmztAOL5gailXGseLSlAv1_dCC_yYLvfH7xVr6bqRIk4v-Cb7szR519_Ss5dH-5JLfhvM27xEXIq654oKUenbvUWns3PdH9-h43N57IxSeubH2a-UJhf_qV3yrBoW35ubJEIfPBH2fBI3MuCIytxB1sKxK6rQ/s1024/starcom---mattel---starmax-bomber--loose--p-image-324520-grande.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1024" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBrcOZcdZquYCy2JrxXUXIcERZQ1CGVmztAOL5gailXGseLSlAv1_dCC_yYLvfH7xVr6bqRIk4v-Cb7szR519_Ss5dH-5JLfhvM27xEXIq654oKUenbvUWns3PdH9-h43N57IxSeubH2a-UJhf_qV3yrBoW35ubJEIfPBH2fBI3MuCIytxB1sKxK6rQ/w400-h235/starcom---mattel---starmax-bomber--loose--p-image-324520-grande.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The toy was made by COLECOM and was the star of the toyline and the cartoon with this toy being common across the toy markets in the US and Europe. Selling in the US at the time for about $18 (or $44 in today's money). This has become of the must-haves for the STARCOM toyline with complete examples that are not yellowed selling for hundreds of dollars. The arms of the laser cannons and the bombs being commonly lost. The white of the Starmax bomber does yellow and honestly, it looks like an off-world camo pattern and seems natural in a way. This is a toy from my childhood that I would love to have. FWS will be discussing the entire COLECO <i>STARCOM: The US Space Force </i>toyline in a future installment of <u>Military Sci-Fi Toys</u> soon. <br /> </div></div><div><u>The Koensayr Manufacturing BTL "Y-Wing" class starfighter-bomber from the <i>Star Wars </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22tANCrxVNWspXvfwdfUjBxTLdeZHaK87SowkcJt_Co7E-2E9rrUrHk4Q-YP4SvukUSnP5by9yozaeSS0YfzC7oAuYv8QOXlDtqLM9ETlnKZl0J0MMYcG3W1pGKMQ2zvbgUvNOEVRf8vRzTkvOFuF9qKEjdok-Q2f-ZZSkoOmLti48h4TDrMWwA4N1A/s1280/y-wing-size1.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1280" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22tANCrxVNWspXvfwdfUjBxTLdeZHaK87SowkcJt_Co7E-2E9rrUrHk4Q-YP4SvukUSnP5by9yozaeSS0YfzC7oAuYv8QOXlDtqLM9ETlnKZl0J0MMYcG3W1pGKMQ2zvbgUvNOEVRf8vRzTkvOFuF9qKEjdok-Q2f-ZZSkoOmLti48h4TDrMWwA4N1A/w400-h263/y-wing-size1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>There is no more famous starfighter-bomber in all of science fiction than the Rebel Alliance Y-Wing , and for many of us that grew up with <i>Star Wars</i>, the Y-Wing is very symbol of space fighter-bombers. First seen in the massive Grand Temple hanger of Yavin-4, the Y-Wings of Gold Squadron were to launch the killer blow to the Death Star and the unit had just gotten back from the Battle of Scarif. Out of the 8 Y-Wings of Gold Squadron tasked with the Darth Star Trench Run, only one Y-Wing, Gold-3, would return to the Great Temple complex on Yavin 4 under the command of Lt. Evaan Verlaine. We would see Gold Group return for the Battle of Endor. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKs9WuQWewAo7n_RitB4kwbaLYAvPFmjCi-uMmsFylMAMEylGGYdCm0gpfYb1bCAnUUEh8wyJOIdQjAytexZdK9hty8n9HQ0s4Oq5hZeZ6NeaxtGdEA-xfUflfTW5mbdLSHHAzy3kSXJdEM83vo7AGiHvJCwSKK1IOx5fzBONYVbbObPWlgQx8574Ow/s2760/BTL-B_Y-wing_BF2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2760" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKs9WuQWewAo7n_RitB4kwbaLYAvPFmjCi-uMmsFylMAMEylGGYdCm0gpfYb1bCAnUUEh8wyJOIdQjAytexZdK9hty8n9HQ0s4Oq5hZeZ6NeaxtGdEA-xfUflfTW5mbdLSHHAzy3kSXJdEM83vo7AGiHvJCwSKK1IOx5fzBONYVbbObPWlgQx8574Ow/w400-h233/BTL-B_Y-wing_BF2.webp" width="400" /></a></div>While much attention is paid to the T-65 "X-Wing" Space Superiority Fighter, the Y-Wing was the original starfighter of the Rebel Alliance and the space fighter-bomber was developed for the Clone Wars. The BLT-series of Y-Wings were designed by Koensayr Manufacturing for the Republic Navy as a starfighter and long-range bomber and was flown by Clone pilots and Jedi alike. The original BTL-B was a complex, heavily armored and armed starfighter for a different type of war against a different type of enemy. The inclusion of a hyperdrive motivator allowed for the BTL-B Y-Wing to strike CIS targets.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpBMr0v1K_w4RZ0LNVTsu1qABD_p1Fwlo4h0NZvOiKPV0qBaoV7duCrdcQ8m85EdvkhIB1cxgU5ST1mX8zQvQsPSQFGE9oJT2eTyDkr99TZ3qhGBuG97Y91r_LoYwm8ewYt_Cp6tZCUB0UK_kF0k1bdn2aPKqSKK9T7KMBhVvfaQpQwr5WE2kGu8lYg/s809/GojiPayloadSpecialist-SWZ.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="809" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpBMr0v1K_w4RZ0LNVTsu1qABD_p1Fwlo4h0NZvOiKPV0qBaoV7duCrdcQ8m85EdvkhIB1cxgU5ST1mX8zQvQsPSQFGE9oJT2eTyDkr99TZ3qhGBuG97Y91r_LoYwm8ewYt_Cp6tZCUB0UK_kF0k1bdn2aPKqSKK9T7KMBhVvfaQpQwr5WE2kGu8lYg/w400-h254/GojiPayloadSpecialist-SWZ.webp" width="400" /></a></div>One of the interesting elements of the Y-Wing, is that there is several variants of the familiar Y-Wing of the Galactic Civil War and the Clone Wars. </div><div>The first Y-Wing was the BTL-B that was fully encased in armor and featured a bubble-turrent manned by a gunner. Another variant was the two-man larger BTL-S3 Y-Wing that was not a starfighter-bomber, but classified as an "assault starfighter. This variant was first seen in the 1978<i> Splinter of the Mind's Eye</i> book by Alan Dean Foster and later used in the <i>Star Wars Holiday Special</i>. The most common variant of the Y-Wing is the BTL-A4 that served in the Rebel Alliance and it was a more stripped down one-man starfighter-bomber.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgof-nRpYMXuCyH5EWwr--6UOjcHbuR6mcwP9X5TBMzpGKY2-XnkAnBkMfo33fvaRHL_Ot241KW1ztiGVpQ_ASQ3ejl3j09vgNIzElA0R-WzR3r57iDq2mcA3WvOPe4JKuZd3gGTN_y5L8f07ZGpN8lwT50EOk_qyEp9AtAsfEyRXsg-m6qu0jboOYvDw/s1200/y-wing-2-retina_c1c9a0ff.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgof-nRpYMXuCyH5EWwr--6UOjcHbuR6mcwP9X5TBMzpGKY2-XnkAnBkMfo33fvaRHL_Ot241KW1ztiGVpQ_ASQ3ejl3j09vgNIzElA0R-WzR3r57iDq2mcA3WvOPe4JKuZd3gGTN_y5L8f07ZGpN8lwT50EOk_qyEp9AtAsfEyRXsg-m6qu0jboOYvDw/w400-h225/y-wing-2-retina_c1c9a0ff.webp" width="400" /></a></div>When the Rebellion was forming against the Galactic Empire, there was healthy supply of BTL-A4 Y-Wings in mothball depot sites around the galaxy. This was due to the change in Republic naval combat policies and the company attempted to sell the surplus Y-Wings to local system defense organizations as a patrol vessel. However, it was the early Rebel Alliance gathered them up for the fight and this gave the Y-Wing a new purpose as the fighter that broke the Empire. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnD0eYnXNOtSf430VIjcao9PZkK-hf3MAk6gCZ_3YkpXA-ECsczpGCiSIcU4F-1PLKHi8TaVHVBHiFtR0pg8f2QCVOOCZQG9SypZBqpFAS50agg5Nsihu96aqrIGdPy55b3J8u9QAXgAbpBD2hIvKEtpSv5sPuhg9hcm62bpC8vv_oqYl2nLW1fFS9w/s1000/ralph-mcquarrie--star-wars-concept-art-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="1000" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnD0eYnXNOtSf430VIjcao9PZkK-hf3MAk6gCZ_3YkpXA-ECsczpGCiSIcU4F-1PLKHi8TaVHVBHiFtR0pg8f2QCVOOCZQG9SypZBqpFAS50agg5Nsihu96aqrIGdPy55b3J8u9QAXgAbpBD2hIvKEtpSv5sPuhg9hcm62bpC8vv_oqYl2nLW1fFS9w/w400-h194/ralph-mcquarrie--star-wars-concept-art-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Before the development of the X-Wing or the B-Wing, the Y-Wing served as both fighter and bomber during the early years of the Civil War. One of the issues of the Clone Wars era BTL-A4 Y-Wings was the complexity and weight. Rebel technicians stripped the fuel recyclers and the extra armor, allowing the Rebel Y-Wing to have a very different look and feel that the Clone Wars models. One of the major issues facing the Y-Wings involved in the Galactic Civil War was the enemy that the old BTL series were up against: The Imperial TIE Fighter. The Y-Wing was not developed for much consideration to dogfighting with the TIE fighter and many were lost prior to the development of the T-65 X-Wing. Once the X-Wing was fielded, the Y-Wing would be used less and slotted into the fighter-bomber role. </div><div>One of the variants developed by the Rebel Alliance for the larger, and more rare BTL-S3 Y-Wing was the BTL-A4 LP "Long-Probe". Used by the Rebels as a recon bird and scout for evaluating strike targets, the Long-Probe variant could wait and watch with the larger interior space. This variant was first seen in the West End Games Rebel Alliance sourcebook for their <i>Star Wars</i> RPG. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL32SpI_W5BnKrwIejJyC8o4tcA01BCj1j-9K1Wc83M5r5A0UbojKqL7vxHwvjxRxng_pgVVrvwEkLPo9TFXbNAg5SfKHvCyISsSxJCvwocao0NEUErGEzKsHcMgdYOtvUK2epf1X0hm-9Rina8UfvX8ULLH2MqbSJ3m_rZqKaGJCkSn2eoFnED7EbYQ/s1270/BTA-NR2-Y-wing-RSOWM.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1270" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL32SpI_W5BnKrwIejJyC8o4tcA01BCj1j-9K1Wc83M5r5A0UbojKqL7vxHwvjxRxng_pgVVrvwEkLPo9TFXbNAg5SfKHvCyISsSxJCvwocao0NEUErGEzKsHcMgdYOtvUK2epf1X0hm-9Rina8UfvX8ULLH2MqbSJ3m_rZqKaGJCkSn2eoFnED7EbYQ/w400-h196/BTA-NR2-Y-wing-RSOWM.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Then that brings us to the modern variant of the Y-Wing, the BTL-S3 Y-Wing. Built by Koensayr Manufacturing again, this new BTL series Y-Wing would serve in the fight against the First Order in the service of the New Republic and the Resistance forces. With the role of the BTL-A4 Y-Wings in the Galactic Civil War, the company designed a updated Y-Wing and marketed it for planetary defense and fighter-bomber roles cashing in on the killer-rep of the older model. The new Y-Wing would serve in the war against the First Order and be seen at the Battle of Exegol. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQhw9plGi-AgVGgNMRGMAeEtkdHO2flfR_kf2ea8ikxOIJxQT2i5mnTadlMuWuGnDwUVYIamiWF3PemPTd4RmYYkIU2PMsFcjQyL6SXymqmcMUHZh47YTBjSwVUhy0rQmEADZ5uGo5SYJTTWHrN-np1VrQReAVM4XyGZon_fiwGB0H0nxZok1c1kE9Q/s1341/bihmGxe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1341" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQhw9plGi-AgVGgNMRGMAeEtkdHO2flfR_kf2ea8ikxOIJxQT2i5mnTadlMuWuGnDwUVYIamiWF3PemPTd4RmYYkIU2PMsFcjQyL6SXymqmcMUHZh47YTBjSwVUhy0rQmEADZ5uGo5SYJTTWHrN-np1VrQReAVM4XyGZon_fiwGB0H0nxZok1c1kE9Q/w400-h210/bihmGxe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For the original 1977 <i>Star Wars </i>film, the fighter-bomber that would become the Y-Wing would be designed in pre-production art by none other than Ralph McQuarrie. When the film moved to production, the Y-wing models were made bu the wizards at Industrial Light & Magic with Joe Johnston bring the vision of the space bombers developed in preproduction art by Colin Cantwell and Ralph McQuarrie. It seems that Joe Johnston was the one who developed the lore that the once sleek fighter had been "chopped and stripped like a hot rod by Rebel Alliance technicians".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUy3AYxMBPUc5lALoWlpWv2_A_wCSV7ygYOlUyT3DNy04lHTxvPEPGnQo1vo4e0IJBQVLA8kAqhWn6RCEzy3YdZS8PFxnfpU0GlA5X_qAVS6TV0dDF3qnHbuhlh6Us_UKBx8h3wn4l2GVQdzO3gmuxLb3gN32B8w485nVu-zU2lJH8SVUO2jTqT7NGg/s1280/tumblr_md6vs2KSOH1rkpedso1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="1280" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUy3AYxMBPUc5lALoWlpWv2_A_wCSV7ygYOlUyT3DNy04lHTxvPEPGnQo1vo4e0IJBQVLA8kAqhWn6RCEzy3YdZS8PFxnfpU0GlA5X_qAVS6TV0dDF3qnHbuhlh6Us_UKBx8h3wn4l2GVQdzO3gmuxLb3gN32B8w485nVu-zU2lJH8SVUO2jTqT7NGg/w400-h203/tumblr_md6vs2KSOH1rkpedso1_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Y-Wing returned for the Clone Wars animated show, it was designer Russell G. Chong that used the original concept art and reverse-designed the original Y-Wing design for the Clone Wars: "<b><i><span style="color: red;">The Y-wing was a really fun project, bringing it back fully faired, We back-engineered the Y-wing and turned it back into a bomber. I took images of the actual Y-wing model from the files at Lucasfilm and I designed our new version over it. We revitalized the bubble turret that Colin Cantwell and Ralph McQuarrie had developed. All the body panels are very much the same as the original Y-wing. I did my best to give it the same styling and the same look as the original Y-wing</span></i></b>."</div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlWJ7ksyCYOVuzjD-wg2c8JLEMumonc-lfAvyw7JB6hPrrIO6PFtdXNwtxw0W8a4qIbzQ7V3ZFElr8GFjV6wiNFnVg6FMMQws59IXyJ1N_yg_uu7FdkLF1xVLwI0t9XSEVuaf07LuKO6AvH7ijVVIAjjPDlqXS98jQzCCFYo54FU1cFXugM6gkUpwyw/s1417/star-wars-rotj-1984---kenner---y-wing-fighter--loose-with-box--p-image-429478-grande.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="1417" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlWJ7ksyCYOVuzjD-wg2c8JLEMumonc-lfAvyw7JB6hPrrIO6PFtdXNwtxw0W8a4qIbzQ7V3ZFElr8GFjV6wiNFnVg6FMMQws59IXyJ1N_yg_uu7FdkLF1xVLwI0t9XSEVuaf07LuKO6AvH7ijVVIAjjPDlqXS98jQzCCFYo54FU1cFXugM6gkUpwyw/w400-h366/star-wars-rotj-1984---kenner---y-wing-fighter--loose-with-box--p-image-429478-grande.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then that brings us to the original Kenner <i>Return of the Jedi</i> Y-Wing toy vehicle...of which I owned one and it was an amazing toy. While the Y-Wing was part of the 1977 film, Kenner did not bring the fighter-bomber to plastic reality until the 1983 <i>ROTJ</i> toyline. However, the Y-Wing had been a diecast toy in 1979 that had red racing strips and not the familiar yellow one as seen in the film. The 1983 toy was loving designed and featured a release bomb, a cool cockpit and a place to put your favorite astromech droid. What I remember about owning this was the damn engines...those engine struts were a bitch to keep on and not get them lost. Given this and that the bomb is in two pieces(?), these items are lost. A complete vintage Y-Wing sells for good money. In the time of release, the <i>ROTJ</i> 1983 Y-Wing was widely available and sold for $19.99 (about $58 in today's money). </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Heavy and Bombers Fighters of <i>Battletech</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5qrRk4RzxPFYvnTYgBBQcSg0FBl93w6V-__KIfhtd-Q-ZI-mHyzj9_Wrr3p0OaMhgOOYtK8wQpqPsMPtloylExLNL-y8eEdQ1HAxxhnMK-BO6hdG-CG9f0UUTsHdIv4qVDs3iBeH6uqOteN5sahn3lPxEIgACawxTmT55KJc6Q98kx9R285Cn3Meb4A" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="467" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5qrRk4RzxPFYvnTYgBBQcSg0FBl93w6V-__KIfhtd-Q-ZI-mHyzj9_Wrr3p0OaMhgOOYtK8wQpqPsMPtloylExLNL-y8eEdQ1HAxxhnMK-BO6hdG-CG9f0UUTsHdIv4qVDs3iBeH6uqOteN5sahn3lPxEIgACawxTmT55KJc6Q98kx9R285Cn3Meb4A=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div>When it comes to smaller attack spacecraft and aircraft in the <i>Battletech </i>universe, there is some explanation needed. There are two main types of fighters in the <i>Battletech</i> universe: Aerofighters and conventional fighters. Aerofighters are designed to be a dual-atmospheric craft that operate in both environments and are divided up into three weight classes: light, medium, and heavy. Then there is the conventional fighters that are endo-atmospheric and are all below 50 tons. While it may seem that Aerofigthers are the way to go, they are much more expensive and complex, while conventional fighters are cheaper and simpler in design. In the realm of Aerofighters, the heavy (up to 100 tons) fighter is akin to the starfighter-bomber/MRCF. These heavy aerofighter work in packs to protect dropships, attack capitol ships, or act as bombers to planetary targets, like the Clan Xerxes Aerospace Heavy Fighter In the realm of conventional fighters, there actually fighter-bombers that are used like modern day fighter-bombers like the AB-18C "Raubvogel" bomber. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Proposed Colonial Fighter-Bombers of Classic <i>Battlestar Galactica</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHyYPUS4sxRApXVkOKUMRwQBDXpYnwUlp569V27x2-AL2KLQkFV6c-SX0h3dnAPUrNkRnv8sKVUbsOlJH02G3BMgDTeTfNr14gSGOmkP2OTXlEAOxxw9xxKa2vzINfX3MYjQVgsekT1jyQZJpwFtHOnq4qhPbhbiI4QzHE0d5rNTRROtOLc8uud9hkQ/s2048/FVUub0EWUAApeIj.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1657" data-original-width="2048" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHyYPUS4sxRApXVkOKUMRwQBDXpYnwUlp569V27x2-AL2KLQkFV6c-SX0h3dnAPUrNkRnv8sKVUbsOlJH02G3BMgDTeTfNr14gSGOmkP2OTXlEAOxxw9xxKa2vzINfX3MYjQVgsekT1jyQZJpwFtHOnq4qhPbhbiI4QzHE0d5rNTRROtOLc8uud9hkQ/w400-h324/FVUub0EWUAApeIj.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While on the last day of production on this article, the Twitter Spaceshipper account gifted me this image and I was floored. This was a production art piece for a possible two-pilot Colonial Viper for the Classic <i>BSG</i> TV show that was listed as a "fighter-bomber". Sometimes, the universe gives you a gift. Designed by one of the legends of science fiction production design: Andrew Prober. Look him up and see the mark that this man has left on the some of the best designs in all of science fiction including the Vulcan shuttle, the Cylons, the refit <i>Enterprise</i> and the <i>Enterprise D. </i>Bloody Legend. Anyways, there is very little on the two proposed designs for a possible fighter-bomber in the inventory of the last Battlestar of the 12 Colonies. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJjrMgoIoO0t6irnOAAsadCS4U9cC8fyLajz6RhJMTscs0sm-uXRhw3xugOIRAomKcod-g_Z-E7V8c_8khjgc6JyVzcN-8ZxcdQxaLX_NnEIF5F3XOHKt-Xw78feSAwUFLgk1xh-uHEMZKWYuJ8y7JetZh5qEYmNlhuN_lAjGEUB_8ZomiaT-kLYp6A/s1034/Viper_Concept_Art_24.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="1034" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJjrMgoIoO0t6irnOAAsadCS4U9cC8fyLajz6RhJMTscs0sm-uXRhw3xugOIRAomKcod-g_Z-E7V8c_8khjgc6JyVzcN-8ZxcdQxaLX_NnEIF5F3XOHKt-Xw78feSAwUFLgk1xh-uHEMZKWYuJ8y7JetZh5qEYmNlhuN_lAjGEUB_8ZomiaT-kLYp6A/w400-h229/Viper_Concept_Art_24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One is more of a dual cockpit design and the other looks like a heavier, larger starfighter...both share some common design elements with the iconic Viper design. Given that all of the starfighters in the Classic <i>BSG</i> fire DE bolts, on has to wonder what would these "fighter-bombers" of these series would have fit within the combat seen in the series. Why were these cool designs not given any screen time? Money. Maybe if <i>BSG</i> had lasted a few seasons, we might have seen more Colonial combat spacecraft, but alas, it was cancelled after one season. There just wasn't a need for more Colonial spacecraft and the show was expensive enough as it was. During the first season of <i>Buck Rogers and the 25th Century</i>, in the episode "Buck's Duel to the Death", we see an shuttle that looks very close to the 2nd proposed design of the Colonial Fighter-Bomber. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Kilrathi Starfighter-Bombers </u><u>from </u><u><i>Wing Commander </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtbBwfT8Z1qdyOYg9yA1bis9G0Rf-2iVXdWnqRELCma_4jnjNmVrANm3pA9ZS7trxulO3YlhPoe_tvgIcXa9laX7PQHILSAzJdgaOmzWQpvORdfMQjMaITnOCgUUCjfalaZQb-wUt4T2AZEqYDfEcK6MtnLnR8fyskpi44gK2JGkC1UudVTWNIAR7YQ/s259/download.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtbBwfT8Z1qdyOYg9yA1bis9G0Rf-2iVXdWnqRELCma_4jnjNmVrANm3pA9ZS7trxulO3YlhPoe_tvgIcXa9laX7PQHILSAzJdgaOmzWQpvORdfMQjMaITnOCgUUCjfalaZQb-wUt4T2AZEqYDfEcK6MtnLnR8fyskpi44gK2JGkC1UudVTWNIAR7YQ/w400-h300/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In one of the most iconic space fighter combat games of all time, <i>Wing Commander,</i> the killer space kitties from outer space have a few starfighter-bombers in their inventory with the <i>Vaktoth </i>and the <i>Grikath</i>. One of the best Kilrathi fighter-bombers was the <i>Grikath </i>and it hunted Terran capitol ships in packs of four or more <i>Grikath. </i>These heavily armed and armored starfighter-bombers fire volleys of anti-ship torpedoes along with pounding the ship's defenses with the large neutron cannons. One of the replacements to the <i>Grikath</i> that was more of fighter-bomber than a torpedo bomber was the fang-like <i>Vaktoth </i>heavy fighter.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl34J9cRBlGy_tm0uyY7LLRg4BmVPU55-2SCSwfkLLord9S2d395e1lhCNJUw8SDCrdfaxOvWL4VENMAX4IFSR2GihpluySFBlnssKe8NhpOxNVg_w9nT0b8wpcaRVf8FZEG9ZvDh78N_poSL36tZWQW0KzZw1CKvoc-9HYYFKJQpmVzrUG-4h8UL9Rw/s891/wc3vaktoth.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="891" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl34J9cRBlGy_tm0uyY7LLRg4BmVPU55-2SCSwfkLLord9S2d395e1lhCNJUw8SDCrdfaxOvWL4VENMAX4IFSR2GihpluySFBlnssKe8NhpOxNVg_w9nT0b8wpcaRVf8FZEG9ZvDh78N_poSL36tZWQW0KzZw1CKvoc-9HYYFKJQpmVzrUG-4h8UL9Rw/w400-h223/wc3vaktoth.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>Designed around front arch firepower with massive offensive capability with five DM cannons, this was better platform for ACM with Terran forces than the other space kitty starfighter-bombers. This was introduced late into the Terran-Kilrathi War and while impressive, it was expensive and less able to defense itself when out-maneuvered by a Terran fighter. Once on it's six, you unloaded and watched the kitty fighter burn. In-game, both of the fighter-bomber were trouble and often you were running interception missions to prevent the killer space-kitties from taking down a TC capitol ship. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Imperial TIE/sb Bomber from the <i>Star Wars </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7MxU_5aXpdj8sKSNvm14vh6Yr5bxNmOhqc7Zn-Gv2ZjdoRC4SG0WsD2hueoELWjIXrPNGdaW3KGEw3IKtq5pk45pt3Mcrq4ir48a1jhG8xd6L2_KpK4JprlGvIe9LqBpFvgunoyzpmBWuFtRLm85XNzUdtjZWT-UOF4-7RA2xDZliutTDbKWl_IY2g/s600/TIE_Bomber.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7MxU_5aXpdj8sKSNvm14vh6Yr5bxNmOhqc7Zn-Gv2ZjdoRC4SG0WsD2hueoELWjIXrPNGdaW3KGEw3IKtq5pk45pt3Mcrq4ir48a1jhG8xd6L2_KpK4JprlGvIe9LqBpFvgunoyzpmBWuFtRLm85XNzUdtjZWT-UOF4-7RA2xDZliutTDbKWl_IY2g/w400-h236/TIE_Bomber.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>For the Imperial Navy, Sienar Fleet Systems developed a starfighter platform and variants were developed off of the familiar TIE Fighter design. One of the most interesting and noticeable was the TIE/sb Bomber. Later and seemingly double stacked, the TIE Bomber was a powerful and fast fighter bomber that was used by the Empire to spread terror and fear. This campaign included the bombing of the Mandalorian homeworld and Rebel bases and installations. While the primary hull was for the pilot and fighter systems, the secondary hull was designed to carry whatever the mission required, up to 16 tons. This could range from missiles, drop-charges, proton bombs, mines, propaganda materials, and even thermal charges. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktxxl1rT8jeD5mrcI-3hkpPw9Jts9vRDPLwotam825h8CW3k2S8ZrnIF34bUkSRnqjteuC9mtT1gBBQsMXvmQxfNNRAMehWR6yGbQWGGN-5RQ5OEG1RZxumhi7nOZgviIe7X6tRnKTlKhOQaqo3mbCw9_N1xuQrJzZEQV4nV0NazLO5KVFoj_I3Vn3g/s600/a58da7bfd9a7d99c8062d6a6e9329bb7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktxxl1rT8jeD5mrcI-3hkpPw9Jts9vRDPLwotam825h8CW3k2S8ZrnIF34bUkSRnqjteuC9mtT1gBBQsMXvmQxfNNRAMehWR6yGbQWGGN-5RQ5OEG1RZxumhi7nOZgviIe7X6tRnKTlKhOQaqo3mbCw9_N1xuQrJzZEQV4nV0NazLO5KVFoj_I3Vn3g/w400-h284/a58da7bfd9a7d99c8062d6a6e9329bb7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>With some modifications, the TIE Bomber could serve as a backup shuttle, VIP craft, and even a boarding craft for Navy Marines and/or Stormtroopers. Interestingly enough, the TIE Bomber was designed in 1977 for the original film, but pushed off until TESB and it would later be included into many of the video games that kept us Star Wars going during the wilderness years. Much like the Kenner Y-Wing toy, we must examine the toy history of the TIE Bomber. There was no action figure scaled play vehicle of the TIE Bomber for the Kenner TESB, but instead we got a TIE bomber for the Kenner diecast vehicle line…which my brother and I had a few of the diecast spacecraft back in the day…but never the rare TIE Bomber. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlIwYOqj3yxtrk-WsDTHhjE2JOA52AqHkAQV9wznnIX7WbfY6xQ_Wqezt1nFVJOAA6z-wzHNojmUslfOvLnrbL_N0NhfH0sLHhdCT4_6ayXOm25HDNihv9K28Oj6hn66zFqG6SIo6fBDvm_q_gXoQK3roHf0yr1NEhIwibNbA0tznLoOaZa-Q1Qnlig/s1200/SWNS_TIE_BOMBER_04.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlIwYOqj3yxtrk-WsDTHhjE2JOA52AqHkAQV9wznnIX7WbfY6xQ_Wqezt1nFVJOAA6z-wzHNojmUslfOvLnrbL_N0NhfH0sLHhdCT4_6ayXOm25HDNihv9K28Oj6hn66zFqG6SIo6fBDvm_q_gXoQK3roHf0yr1NEhIwibNbA0tznLoOaZa-Q1Qnlig/w400-h300/SWNS_TIE_BOMBER_04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Quite recently, a British man found an in-box TIE Bomber made by the British toy company Palitoy, who is father worked for in the 1980’s, in a loft. This is considered one of the rarest of the original Star Wars line and sold for thousands of pounds when it came for auction. In the US market, there is conflicting information on the diecast TIE Bomber that states that was released in a limited “testing” fashion by Kenner, with “only” 75,000 made. That is way too many and collectors have stated that they saw examples of these around the USA in the 1980s. This myth was busted by That Junkman and according to his theory that the larger toys of the diecast line were ordered less than the smaller ships and it was not a tester…it was just unpopular and part of a line that wasn’t as successful as the action figure line.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRR8IvQzt1_sZNv1L2Zr-ii3cEInfNdpBNbye-ekbNSX0ne66MmGvL3Mi_Q2E6UY2i01jB--E0qKBW9o9ueDDpfc6N09Hy9WGDs7qmiUnLqr3079fxmCg9P7wS9UgtmZkH9mq0Rm-WFZ6hwUwR0njX9qvA1FbTuDH69z3h6_HBLid89yqLdZWkVEpHg/s569/91ENiohbTlL._AC_SX569_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="569" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRR8IvQzt1_sZNv1L2Zr-ii3cEInfNdpBNbye-ekbNSX0ne66MmGvL3Mi_Q2E6UY2i01jB--E0qKBW9o9ueDDpfc6N09Hy9WGDs7qmiUnLqr3079fxmCg9P7wS9UgtmZkH9mq0Rm-WFZ6hwUwR0njX9qvA1FbTuDH69z3h6_HBLid89yqLdZWkVEpHg/w400-h375/91ENiohbTlL._AC_SX569_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We finally would get a proper TIE bomber for the 3.75inch figure in the Power of the Force line in 2002 and sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores. While a nice plastic take on the TIE Bomber, it does have an odd feature…the bomber bay pod is unable to open and only the drop-bomber arm opens up and releases three red bombs…like we saw in the asteroid scene in TESB. I’ve always thought the mouth-like opening to the ordinance pod to be odd to say the least and it is very odd on the 2002 toy. Today, the 2002 TIE Bomber sells for about $200 complete and in-box…not bad for a $30 original price tag. Since that first full-sized TIE Bomber toy, there have several other TIE Bomber toys releases, including a rather cool Lego verious. </div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div></div><div><u>The Star Wing B-1 SF/B "Starhawk" Fighter-Bomber from <i>STARCOM: US Space Force </i></u></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkihimyOsjIYNAfi2svCXY_X2O0f1HO9V_KQxmsAG05KOxCiEm0BjGuGCJebPU5VK_-LgLYMz3dxfxeHUN2HO7c58iuc5bfW1FBSHtq4u0zjpzMUsQ4mNE52Sl3RSgrIAJctND5d4JvDZkS14NmpzVQA1a6ZUGhID8gRgfto62YjetL_eg-qOR3KP6ew/s1000/146889.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1000" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkihimyOsjIYNAfi2svCXY_X2O0f1HO9V_KQxmsAG05KOxCiEm0BjGuGCJebPU5VK_-LgLYMz3dxfxeHUN2HO7c58iuc5bfW1FBSHtq4u0zjpzMUsQ4mNE52Sl3RSgrIAJctND5d4JvDZkS14NmpzVQA1a6ZUGhID8gRgfto62YjetL_eg-qOR3KP6ew/w400-h394/146889.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the inventory of the <i>STARCOM: US Space Force</i> toyline, there is yet another starfigher-bomber: the SF/B "Starhawk". Released in 1987 with the rest of the original line, this is oddball starfighter design that reminds me greatly of the P-82 "Twin Mustang" Long-Range Bomber Escort of the 2nd World War. I guess that SF/B Starhawk was based on that design and I have my doubts about the "bomber" part of the name of this starfighter. With the "power deploy" feature, the middle section of the Starhawk opens up to reveal more rapid-laser cannons. In the text for the toy, it mentions that the Starhawk is rarely deployed and normally operates in CAS role for Astro Marine planetary operations. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Earth Defense Directorate "Quadfighter" from <i>Buck Rogers in the 25th Century</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf70byss6gomU7ySyuokbFcQhbkYWJulq6gXF0qVZEKP0idKM6KweEymYo5FhQhIuhIVonyMBle4MRvHBRtShgYjg8YLreTW2DqqpTev4XRPPXQugu-L893YU9uOIiWtth36m_cuYmEwFf2d76HbeUeFGnxm3j714-_BpRxmIjSLv0QAt_MWDbfUuTTw/s742/Quadfighter_in_hanger.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="742" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf70byss6gomU7ySyuokbFcQhbkYWJulq6gXF0qVZEKP0idKM6KweEymYo5FhQhIuhIVonyMBle4MRvHBRtShgYjg8YLreTW2DqqpTev4XRPPXQugu-L893YU9uOIiWtth36m_cuYmEwFf2d76HbeUeFGnxm3j714-_BpRxmIjSLv0QAt_MWDbfUuTTw/w400-h272/Quadfighter_in_hanger.webp" width="400" /></a></div>During the "Star Wars Craze" of the late 1970's, it was critical to copycat productions to feature some sort of starfighter. One of the shows that greenlit during this time by NBC was <i>Buck Rogers in the 25th Century </i>TV show. In the first season and the TV movie, one of the most iconic and memorable elements was the wonderfully designed Terran "Thunderfighter". The design of the spacefighter was originally under consideration for the Colonial Viper from Classic <i>BSG</i>, but was rejected and recycled for <i>Buck Rogers. </i>In the first season of the show, the primary combat spacecraft of the Earth Defense Directorate is the <i>Thunderfighter</i> to the point that the EDD does not seem to construct or field any type of combat space ship...only starfighters. The standard <i>Thunderfighter</i> class Space Superior Fighter is a two-seat attack craft, however, there is four-seater model, the so-called "Quadfighter". </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9vbjlHaNWjFgaBa9Fq1yQhKhy76QBaL2j5E6oexqw8u_jBw-0acSSe99D5Ywt2zf19yUAfm4OCkPHM9xli5KY0mGWRIUz2IC6-ODTHihM6uJa6Q7IFFz69G3wu_S5-rPwC18G47UMAarqBzHoKuJUH2dpwo9wXZdKDtNpWhNHZUNjahr6S_KIGRyng/s1000/Starfighter_Full-Sized_Mockup_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1000" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9vbjlHaNWjFgaBa9Fq1yQhKhy76QBaL2j5E6oexqw8u_jBw-0acSSe99D5Ywt2zf19yUAfm4OCkPHM9xli5KY0mGWRIUz2IC6-ODTHihM6uJa6Q7IFFz69G3wu_S5-rPwC18G47UMAarqBzHoKuJUH2dpwo9wXZdKDtNpWhNHZUNjahr6S_KIGRyng/w400-h284/Starfighter_Full-Sized_Mockup_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Much like two-seater starfigther, there was a full-sized mockup constructed and it would appear several times in the first season as a variant that allowed Buck to interact with a co-stars for the flight scenes. The four-seater variant was seen in "Planet of the Amazon Women", "The Plot to Kill a City", "Vegas in Space" and first introduced in "Plant of the Slave Girls", the 3rd episode of the show. This four-seater Thunderfighter acting almost like an armed shuttle and according to some information online, it is believed that the four-seater variant was built at the request of the Buck Rogers actor himself. When the show switched directions in season two, the full-scale mockups of the EDD starfigthers were abandoned to rot. Pity. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4ON16AabJ7o0lH3pACQxIKQl04ZMaFMtFnjX2f8RbxHUilMb6569mU6S80h9zGQwITi6MKmMbyV2eOtoYhUd2dhLx7YrF3jniPmIxNyBInhlXaO0K6eFFhYOs82RFI7s5T1z8n0wqcbo3rAdYTc8dkWp-LkWMGx6K8rs2M3Y6Afdbwx4VMd5jXB7XA/s640/cap537.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4ON16AabJ7o0lH3pACQxIKQl04ZMaFMtFnjX2f8RbxHUilMb6569mU6S80h9zGQwITi6MKmMbyV2eOtoYhUd2dhLx7YrF3jniPmIxNyBInhlXaO0K6eFFhYOs82RFI7s5T1z8n0wqcbo3rAdYTc8dkWp-LkWMGx6K8rs2M3Y6Afdbwx4VMd5jXB7XA/s320/cap537.jpg" width="320" /></a>When it came to film the SFX shots of the space combat and flight scenes in the first season, there were many mistakes made when matching up the two types of <i>Thunderfighter </i>to the footage of the actors in the mockups.<i> </i>So, why are we discussing the<i> Buck Rogers </i>starfighter?<i> </i>Well, because according to some online fan sources, the Quadfighter maybe the starfighter-bomber variant of the <i>Thunderfighter</i> class Space Superior Fighter. One source has the Quadfighter mount two anti-ship missiles on hardpoints on the belly of the starfighter-bomber variant. This was never seen on-scene and only the standard DE cannons are used during ACM. Still, it is nice to discuss a little-known variant to one of the best designed starfighters in all of science fiction. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The "Solvalou" Advanced Fighter/Bomber from the <i>Xevious</i> Franchise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyqYTr983CwI6MW9eelRtzH-ckaAjJLI5HrouNoAHvd7ivbJtTE49YAUSuPTBtJ-y8cni2N7-kYIa8OSrfSYSnA7TkLdMzHIxQf3NpiVz6kARk2D5sGyrQPS_f5TGUuTvDp5ZoNQQxgnilQ3qWGKp_OAs_UlrZVdhdaAcieyRLxMFAvuhlSumYAVvqA/s512/138406.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyqYTr983CwI6MW9eelRtzH-ckaAjJLI5HrouNoAHvd7ivbJtTE49YAUSuPTBtJ-y8cni2N7-kYIa8OSrfSYSnA7TkLdMzHIxQf3NpiVz6kARk2D5sGyrQPS_f5TGUuTvDp5ZoNQQxgnilQ3qWGKp_OAs_UlrZVdhdaAcieyRLxMFAvuhlSumYAVvqA/w400-h375/138406.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>An Advanced spacefaring civilization arose on the Earth before the last Ice Age. When it looked like incoming ice age would be too much for the advanced human society, most of the human race left the Earth for several colonial worlds, one being Xevious. Many years later, the Xevian race has come back to the Earth and they want it back. To aid in the defense of the nearly defeated Earth Forces is the "Solvalou" alien fighter-bomber that has sent to Earth to aid in their struggle. In the Xevian language, "Solvalou" is translated in "Sun Bird". To attack the various aircraft, armored vehicles, and the alien installations, the Solvalou attacks using somesort of DE cannons and ground blaster. Growing up, I played this shooter arcade game by Namco in the early 1980's and even had a copy of the game for my ATARI 7800...good memories. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The B-290 "Barracuda" Fighter/Bombers from <i>Space: Above & Beyond</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl-5o-sZXc58qZfoa53zZ3btBeHNr6J4MDor0IMTu5x3DiLzICdQUt2pFB-lZeP6JLwXayyaRd03UUS_NK4dA-hdcS1tpQCaq0sXtjcKFUZOv3TBNwOWywr7Ha2_JifK-jypeCQJtnRYo-Bliq0vGizZE63q2CPZlVrst2v_ZyIt7LNBbrPVhOfOgww/s1315/John_F._Kennedy-Class_Space_Carrier_%2528USS_Saratoga_SCVN-2812%2529.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1315" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl-5o-sZXc58qZfoa53zZ3btBeHNr6J4MDor0IMTu5x3DiLzICdQUt2pFB-lZeP6JLwXayyaRd03UUS_NK4dA-hdcS1tpQCaq0sXtjcKFUZOv3TBNwOWywr7Ha2_JifK-jypeCQJtnRYo-Bliq0vGizZE63q2CPZlVrst2v_ZyIt7LNBbrPVhOfOgww/w400-h231/John_F._Kennedy-Class_Space_Carrier_%2528USS_Saratoga_SCVN-2812%2529.webp" width="400" /></a></div>During the 1990's, chances were taken with the realm of sci-fi TV with shows like <i>The X-Files</i>, <i>Earth 2</i>, and <i>Space: Above and Beyond. </i>While<i> SAAB</i> only ran for one single season of greatness, we did seen some of what could have been in some of the production art created by Geoffrey Mandel. In blueprint for the US Space Carrier <i>USS Saratoga </i>of the <i>John Kennedy </i>class, we see mention of the '<i>Toga</i> carrying eight B-290 "Barracuda" fighter-bombers. This US space-based bomber was never seen on-screen and I was wondering if the B-290 have been in some stage of development when the show was canned in 1996. When I asked the <i>SAAB</i> fan community on Facebook, none other than Glenn Campbell responded to me. Glenn Campbell was the visual effects supervisor for Area 51 and he confirmed that no bomber designs, besides the Chig Bombers, were in development. It is a pity that Geoffrey Mandel's B-290 was never developed for season 2. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Gamilon/Garmillas Empire Fighter-Bombers from the <i>Yamato </i>Universe</u></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcgQWMMlt29MInlZ_VOYDHgjJt4XduM5TkDsAcgwDrYjQYojwiXfJGckuoJu6WmzLEQkEWMsNUzpfdJqO-YSrYPx3qGCyilrTAlD3GPLb97Qsm1oWomW1LNEfRhIT1TKM1Edj55XDbHgC7Do02VZShWx4QyZA3RFGppjU-_RK8jqELjFTWsPkHjFrBw/s800/74524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="800" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcgQWMMlt29MInlZ_VOYDHgjJt4XduM5TkDsAcgwDrYjQYojwiXfJGckuoJu6WmzLEQkEWMsNUzpfdJqO-YSrYPx3qGCyilrTAlD3GPLb97Qsm1oWomW1LNEfRhIT1TKM1Edj55XDbHgC7Do02VZShWx4QyZA3RFGppjU-_RK8jqELjFTWsPkHjFrBw/w400-h195/74524.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the original Quest to Iscandar, the SBB <i>Yamato </i>was pitted against the might of the Gamilon or Garmillas Empire and their many space forces. Given who designed this important military sci-fi anime and the World War II theme, the Garmillas had some of their hardware based on Nazi craft and World War II. That being said, one of the most common fighter-bombers of the Great Garmillas Imperial forces, the DMB87 Snuka dive bomber, is a very much styled after the Junkers Ju 87 "Sturzkampfflugzeug" dive bomber. This is a trend repeated throughout both the classic and rebooted series. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbD5r9vF_lpw3d1p1LPRCd_9-1P1N8RL1V0ugvzpLSq7R3T1nTNYdhv5z10_oTpwN346NBIOXbFLUVf90MOIyYVem-yvMA28m2Q5wfDDjO9J9LHlzgq3AcI3HFrqpJmyGzG_nMC-u3YIJWBeMSniBpDkfgNZAxvylpOiDGrWsU_akhGNypOoEwtZcSMg/s800/74527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="800" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbD5r9vF_lpw3d1p1LPRCd_9-1P1N8RL1V0ugvzpLSq7R3T1nTNYdhv5z10_oTpwN346NBIOXbFLUVf90MOIyYVem-yvMA28m2Q5wfDDjO9J9LHlzgq3AcI3HFrqpJmyGzG_nMC-u3YIJWBeMSniBpDkfgNZAxvylpOiDGrWsU_akhGNypOoEwtZcSMg/w400-h195/74527.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then there is the FWG.97 "Doshira" torpedo bomber that is fashioned after the<i> </i>Nakajima B5N Type 97 torpedo bomber of the Imperial Japanese forces of the 2nd World War. Much the original 1974 <i>Space Cruiser Yamato</i>, the starfighter-bombers of the Garmillas are more torpedo-bomber that are tasked with anti-capitol ship roles and very limited in ACM. The only fighter-bomber with a ground attack role is the DM87 that is featured in the Classic and Rebooted series. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtkEaDVNJ12p2-gpbjJhAUl0flFDUKGPqz4eBX9PxuW79m8QFSGpWCqSPqU_Cre_tOR8IXTS4uA5bwuYYM1dPsAvvXvoyu0JJp7_kMjvNz2d6YYYt0F5CXZ_ak27HHB0MC9XhSXBlZUEHKxBNk7Fb6BbT3jm8JKcbnd7QgctkGmFvbf_JwNm8KYXlxA/s540/tumblr_inline_pg7ompzkju1r3swmi_540.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="540" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtkEaDVNJ12p2-gpbjJhAUl0flFDUKGPqz4eBX9PxuW79m8QFSGpWCqSPqU_Cre_tOR8IXTS4uA5bwuYYM1dPsAvvXvoyu0JJp7_kMjvNz2d6YYYt0F5CXZ_ak27HHB0MC9XhSXBlZUEHKxBNk7Fb6BbT3jm8JKcbnd7QgctkGmFvbf_JwNm8KYXlxA/s320/tumblr_inline_pg7ompzkju1r3swmi_540.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The only fighter-bomber mentioned in my <i>Starblazers Technical Manual </i>by Voager Entertainment is the "Viper". Seen in episode 13 "the Gamilon Pilot", the crew captures a Gamilon pilot in a DMAB-85 "Viper" attack-bomber. This is oddball design that makes little sense. This type of alien attack-bomber was not updated in the rebooted series when they took the concept of the classic episode and transformed it into the solid episode 10: "Graveyard of the Universe". In that much better telling, the alien attack spacecraft is altered from the DMAB-85 Viper to the DWG-262 Czvarke, which is designed from the attack jet Nazi Me 262 of World War 2. <br /><div><br /></div><div><u>The EarthForce SA-23E <i>Badger</i>-class <i>Starfury</i> from <i>Babylon 5</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjpJkETxw1LGJmQh5dvBNLhILl7096w9mBqaFBIcbGr-wjN-Uf13pdGw8GWJK4Bl5g9ccH4DpRbgNmzZOPX1Wg8eOViuidsL7HZ9JVuazC-lsuQ4NZOelrHBuOQg6bkrhLXj7mgJTV-chSo7CaDhjfGAo3JZiPb1FKWYC9i2eQEV5tUdwHcQ9F6h-iA/s690/Capture.PNG.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="690" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjpJkETxw1LGJmQh5dvBNLhILl7096w9mBqaFBIcbGr-wjN-Uf13pdGw8GWJK4Bl5g9ccH4DpRbgNmzZOPX1Wg8eOViuidsL7HZ9JVuazC-lsuQ4NZOelrHBuOQg6bkrhLXj7mgJTV-chSo7CaDhjfGAo3JZiPb1FKWYC9i2eQEV5tUdwHcQ9F6h-iA/w400-h309/Capture.PNG.png" width="400" /></a></div>One of the most iconic spacecraft of the Earth-Minbari War and the Earth Alliance Civil War was the <i>Starfury</i> Terran space fighter and among the various versions of the starfighter that carried that name, the SA-23E was the most iconic. First put into service with the EarthForce in the 2240's by the Mitchell-Hyundyne corporation, the SA-23E would serve in the bloodiest interstellar war in human history, the Earth-Minbari War. During the service life of this <i>Starfury</i>, several variants were made, including a fighter-bomber: the <i>Badger. </i>This two-person S<i>tarfury </i>was purpose built to be a long-range bomber with the rear section being fitting missile racks tucked into the hull until the missiles were launched. The <i>Badger </i>was also fitted with heavier pulse cannons as well. This <i>Starfury</i> variant also related to the two-seater heavy <i>Starfury</i>, the "Muskrat" that saw only very limited production. When the SA-32A <i>Thunderbolt </i>was rolled out in 2260, the days were numbered for the SA-23E class and all of its variants. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTkdVtmozIwCHf2fCQTLIKRiys1WZjePj_QcOBA_2XVBIljhGqxO0pJG1WjVUrosrtginDuZScHrVUB376VdxFRh7T_u2rlzlKRC0f98naFGFCmv4dCWcauY6LPQsD-v_ZsDyhqewLdAVluO8BuHSKuKZLetCPSslp__qt0qfzBEaOwuj6up4zGrp-w/s273/images%20(8).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="273" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTkdVtmozIwCHf2fCQTLIKRiys1WZjePj_QcOBA_2XVBIljhGqxO0pJG1WjVUrosrtginDuZScHrVUB376VdxFRh7T_u2rlzlKRC0f98naFGFCmv4dCWcauY6LPQsD-v_ZsDyhqewLdAVluO8BuHSKuKZLetCPSslp__qt0qfzBEaOwuj6up4zGrp-w/w400-h270/images%20(8).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While the <i>Badger</i> was never seen on-screen and only exists online and in the art books of Tim Earls, who designed for Season 4 of <i>Babylon 5</i> and the TNT <i>B5</i> TV films. He would also design the unseen <i>Cotton </i>Tender<i> </i>class and the <i>Olympus </i>class Corvette that was seen on-screen in the TNT <i>B5</i> film 1997 "In the Beginning", which is damn amazing. These designs were at the request of George Johnsen and Tim Earls based the <i>Badger </i>on the F-111. However, the <i>Badger</i> and another barely seen EarthForce <i>Starfury, </i>the heavy <i>Starfury</i> "Muskrat", are often confused. According to various sources, there was some confusion when George Johnson made a statement in 1997 online about upcoming designs for the TNT movie and he connected the name <i>Badger </i>to the Heavy <i>Starfury</i> seen in only one episode of the <i>B5</i> TV series: "Voice in the Wilderness". This was picked up by gaming studio Chameleon Eclectic and adding to their <i>B5</i> RPG. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Ko-Dan Deck Fighter from <i>The Last Starfighter</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQhRMk98Mr_Ikg2YgQeKT24H-aZ3nSTIzIQApY9TU3a-UYaNYeuYT8YQTSBteg4RBoEaBgbyoVtu7SgLsDp2eDgjnPcO6xjXlTDMVdbgXsQfCSfGdhFBxK2yBfChM-P9dGsKLr1iY_RT88KkNu9m1A-uIZismJsKigYixC3KN50d66RiFLH5HFEmmtg/s1000/DykPMtvWkAEafSt.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1000" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQhRMk98Mr_Ikg2YgQeKT24H-aZ3nSTIzIQApY9TU3a-UYaNYeuYT8YQTSBteg4RBoEaBgbyoVtu7SgLsDp2eDgjnPcO6xjXlTDMVdbgXsQfCSfGdhFBxK2yBfChM-P9dGsKLr1iY_RT88KkNu9m1A-uIZismJsKigYixC3KN50d66RiFLH5HFEmmtg/w400-h294/DykPMtvWkAEafSt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In one of the better 1980's sci-fi that came about due to the impact of <i>Star Wars</i>, <i>The Last Starfighter</i>, features some amazing starfighter designs. In the film, the Ko-Dan Empire and the Star League face off and the primary weapons of war are starfighters. While we will devote much press to the iconic <i>Gunstar</i> class space superiority starfighter, it is the starfighter-bomber that is also the primary of the Ko-Dan Empire: the Deck Fighter. Designed by Ron Cobb for the 1984 film, the Deck Fighter was designed as a computer model and not a real world model, unlike the X-Wing or the Thunderhawk. Originally, I would have thought that the Ko-Dan Deck Fighter would be more of a standard attack starfighter, it seems that the Deck Fighter was more designed with attacks on installations via missiles. In the film, we can see the Deck Fighters attack the last <i>Gunstar</i> with missiles primarily. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The EDF SSF "Cosmo Tiger II" Attack Bomber from <i>Starblazers </i>and <i>Space Cruiser Yamato</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2yC9f0iPAGWFAw8jCRSj3HCjpeFcUsFvtSZG0u_6nQ_pz7r3Io6sLZHi9J3OAXd2WmtcGfe-iE2EasUJc_NvBShEb8hJpssBRQOsoFr9Wm1Zp_NqHmTX3lCHlswMRFladP3eqL4I4NDNaNL9dOWkSlrWf72R-PxlVqAbf_pSDIy5Unpnq37t1RJWyg/s640/dc6f4e995ce39ca29c682a6dcc78ac22.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="640" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2yC9f0iPAGWFAw8jCRSj3HCjpeFcUsFvtSZG0u_6nQ_pz7r3Io6sLZHi9J3OAXd2WmtcGfe-iE2EasUJc_NvBShEb8hJpssBRQOsoFr9Wm1Zp_NqHmTX3lCHlswMRFladP3eqL4I4NDNaNL9dOWkSlrWf72R-PxlVqAbf_pSDIy5Unpnq37t1RJWyg/w400-h283/dc6f4e995ce39ca29c682a6dcc78ac22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>After the <i>Yamato</i> completed its epic quest to recover the Cosmo DNA from Queen Starsha on planet Iscandar along with the defeat of the Gamilon Empire, the Earth Government was tasked with rebuilding their world and their military. During this reconstruction and reorder of the new EDF, a new primary space attack fighter was developed from the experiences of the <i>Yamato</i> air/space wing, the Black Tigers. From this was developed the Cosmo Tiger II Space Superior Fighter (SSF) in 2200. One of the variants of the SSF Cosmo Tiger II was the Fighter-Bomber and this would see use in the White Comet Invasion with Derek Wildstar piloting one of these for the assault on the Gatlantis city-state mobile headquarters for the entire empire and was one of the great wonders of that time. Crewed by two with a manned turret twin-barreled 20mm DE cannon and 2 hardpoints for missiles on the wings and two hardpoints on the belly for larger torpedoes. This model was replaced with the Cosmo Tiger II "Electra" for anti-capital ship missions. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The </u><u><i>Seymour </i>Class Cargo Sled Fighter-Bomber from <i>Buck Rogers in the 25th Century</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWdLkXTdVWDKbJNDWOEx5rhNew4fiGI9WxrULqjArDNf80a5YqJHbayqjNxcVC6jRlTBr-zAeVZ1E4vARNJI0tk3yrACLw06EXuAnCnxmxypIJXmra4YHUsRfnga-cNhk7cB333SW9Iu6IrA95H5R_hHcjHdaD05B0cBPVay-jUAgwLuMqIbB_M8RSw/s710/710x528_22286237_12452871_1518716089_1_0.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="710" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWdLkXTdVWDKbJNDWOEx5rhNew4fiGI9WxrULqjArDNf80a5YqJHbayqjNxcVC6jRlTBr-zAeVZ1E4vARNJI0tk3yrACLw06EXuAnCnxmxypIJXmra4YHUsRfnga-cNhk7cB333SW9Iu6IrA95H5R_hHcjHdaD05B0cBPVay-jUAgwLuMqIbB_M8RSw/w400-h297/710x528_22286237_12452871_1518716089_1_0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the research for this article, I could recall some sort of bomber from the 1970's <i>Buck Rogers in the 25th Century </i>TV show that was helmed by Glen A. Larson. In the 8th episode of the 1st season, we got "The Return of the Fighting 69th", airing in October 25th, 1979. Basically, some Terran gunrunners, Roxanne Trent and Corliss operating out of a asteroid base and both were horribly wounded by a failed arrest by Colonel Wilma Deering and they swear to get back at the Earth and Deering. Their masterplan is to use 20th century nerve gas shells on the Earth and kill the reminds of the human race. The finer points of their plot are not explained and everything seems rushed. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3Jx1MZ_TPXW_wkdY0AAVk925TCea3z2Z0x-lzK5mENY0j-RoGJsf8WchKaJy5CzGvntIJje6QjfDJ7Csx-ZCRPesItIvOefuEIoYP_UDYeX4JJVcRXUyjLS-O6B9XNaWw0tV_lmYnkKFe5WvrOh0tc1tVNW-NJDv8PsGMfHz_gbiY_Gy5Y2mjTG__g/s1920/190626_3979539_Return_of_the_Fighting_69th.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3Jx1MZ_TPXW_wkdY0AAVk925TCea3z2Z0x-lzK5mENY0j-RoGJsf8WchKaJy5CzGvntIJje6QjfDJ7Csx-ZCRPesItIvOefuEIoYP_UDYeX4JJVcRXUyjLS-O6B9XNaWw0tV_lmYnkKFe5WvrOh0tc1tVNW-NJDv8PsGMfHz_gbiY_Gy5Y2mjTG__g/w400-h225/190626_3979539_Return_of_the_Fighting_69th.webp" width="400" /></a></div>With the intelligence pointing to this plot, the Earth Defense Directorate believes a bombing run to the only answer, but the asteroid base were their operation is based is dense, the Earth Directorate needs someone who has been there. One of the Terran units that operated in that Necrosis belt was the 69th Earth Space Marine Squadron, and they were grounded by Col. Deering when they reached 85. When Deering and Buck met with the aging space fighter-jocks, they agree to come back for one last mission if they get back their silver wings. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9DotRCkv8W2TnyQwXf0aprT3O-qJvOMJ9qX8TFU1T36HWm08rHRdTjt11ADBSGMNKrnjCg4s0PB96NTJdI2DEgGKdG8cmWNTyZz4OpdILyeedAAfK0ar3CIyPbW8TnYnHbSqxOCJSdpXa9eTymsb9Q8HP8wrml2irWfQZ-yXoGgUgl4tV3DJmIInhQ/s636/cap054%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="636" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9DotRCkv8W2TnyQwXf0aprT3O-qJvOMJ9qX8TFU1T36HWm08rHRdTjt11ADBSGMNKrnjCg4s0PB96NTJdI2DEgGKdG8cmWNTyZz4OpdILyeedAAfK0ar3CIyPbW8TnYnHbSqxOCJSdpXa9eTymsb9Q8HP8wrml2irWfQZ-yXoGgUgl4tV3DJmIInhQ/w400-h303/cap054%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It is during discussion of the mission to destroy the stockpile of pre-World War III nerve gas canisters, that the 69th comes up with a plan to convert cargo sled spacecraft into the role as a fighter bomber with rear-facing laser pulse turrets and such. Now, the actual fighter-bomber of this episode is odd and is not 100% a "fighter-bomber", but FWS will allow it. Due to the terrible inconsistency of the show itself and the script, the actually identity of the spacecraft is in question. The space pilots dialog seem to indicate that they converted <i>Seymour </i>class cargo sleds into a something called "star belly" (Sneetches?) or even "belly bombers", but there is other dialog that calls these "sled bombers". Ugh. The case of the what the hell these ships are or were or even what they were intended to be is lost. However, the story of the model is much more interesting that the very half-baked <i>Buck Rogers</i> TV show was.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh245OlGeObNaMtmN5B3QzoNanZ5e515k0LNTYnK__jPB_9QScB1dSmf4MCqB-gQsLZ-BetLHRvbzwi94qFgkDtZg0EuCEkS97ufBsNGE2w_qkinLQ8f4rMqpmrReXNNOjzMQtf0LZW3Ad09tJ3njt5YzmvSISQk8UEqugJWqR4SzPUe1GUFB4zybq1XQ/s1242/446bd08ec1c1e8baa8eb2b5db861da77.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1242" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh245OlGeObNaMtmN5B3QzoNanZ5e515k0LNTYnK__jPB_9QScB1dSmf4MCqB-gQsLZ-BetLHRvbzwi94qFgkDtZg0EuCEkS97ufBsNGE2w_qkinLQ8f4rMqpmrReXNNOjzMQtf0LZW3Ad09tJ3njt5YzmvSISQk8UEqugJWqR4SzPUe1GUFB4zybq1XQ/w400-h309/446bd08ec1c1e8baa8eb2b5db861da77.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Oddly, the actual shooting model for the bomber was held by one of the actors on-screen when the group was discussing how to modify the cargo ships, which adds to the confusion of these fighter pilots just happened to have a model of a cargo ship in the meeting room is beyond me. The model was developed first by David Jones of Future General when the studio was working on the ShowScan filming method. For the testing, they constructed a spacecraft called "AstroSled", but it was never finished by David Jones. This model was bought by the Universal Studios in-house effects department, Universal Hartland Visual Effects (1979-1981) to save on time due to the pressures of filming a TV show was attempting to bring <i>Star Wars</i> to the small screen. There are two paths for the original AstroSled model. It was to be used for the space Olympics episode of <i>Buck Rogers </i>with Ken A. Larson (no relation to Glen A. Larson), the model marker for Universal Hartland and Vance Frederick working on finishing the model and developing a set to shoot in. This AstroSled was used to then construct a bomber spacecraft for another episode that was coming soon in production and this why the Sled Bomber has such a great look to it and why I remembered it from watching <i>Buck Rogers</i> all of those years ago. It should be stated for the record that I re-watched "The Return of the Fighting 69th" episode (so you don't have to) and I found it terrible and horribly written and paced, but, the sled fighter-bomber design was awesome. Please note, it is highly that this example will be recycled for a Bomber post. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The EDF SSF Cosmo Tiger II "Electra" Attack Torpedo-Bomber from <i>Starblazer </i>& <i>Yamato</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQfpwZ_uxh578at7t6XV30W20JfvuGuGdv-bSZR8b5eta9fcmDD2yb1hh-Zx-sIHuqdn0pS3XqR0uirm7_HWWywd7kR6PZ7JAF07ZlgFOQKaVer8ae4m4fesWrTqBHn4mflfPEeZyqrK3h1g22l5bFwpUU1ESUufey5gNajBb_99liLJU3IUYq67wAg/s657/electra-bomber.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQfpwZ_uxh578at7t6XV30W20JfvuGuGdv-bSZR8b5eta9fcmDD2yb1hh-Zx-sIHuqdn0pS3XqR0uirm7_HWWywd7kR6PZ7JAF07ZlgFOQKaVer8ae4m4fesWrTqBHn4mflfPEeZyqrK3h1g22l5bFwpUU1ESUufey5gNajBb_99liLJU3IUYq67wAg/w365-h400/electra-bomber.jpg" width="365" /></a></div>As with the Gamilon Empire, there is a fine line between fighter-bomber and torpedo bomber that often gets blurred. Introduced in 2200 during the massive rearmament of Terran forces and reconstruction of Terra and the Sol System, the "Electra" was a anti-ship torpedo-based starfighter-bomber. to help with defensive of the fighter-bomber during runs on a capitol ship, a manned rear-facing rapid laser pulse cannon was added. This was the chosen successor to the EDF SSF "Cosmo Tiger II" Attack Bomber and the "Electra" served in a number of invasions with the <i>Yamato</i> and other EDF vessels. For the role as a "torpedo-bomber", the "Electra" was fitted with two Pellam XL Harpax II attack torpedo launch systems for the two hardpoints on the belly of the "Electra". <br /><i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></i></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The </u><u>Confederation HF-66A "Thunderbolt" VII Heavy Fighter from <i>WC: IV</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRTUhwCsKDq2PE_Nl_a008uJkDGWd9Z4V9VNo2yRNi4F1FtdNbVqM6XIvz52sPyCdgAR-dFcYxMEsZbXHUgSPBGRNU97J8lQKX2nCwkBeAeM2BJrlMjJEwbmCBPDv-oD4x6cEPUVmtV70PTLGbxp60sl1MmRWDAP_zFi4YMQF5cb2yHtnLNViCB9Czw/s800/tbconf.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRTUhwCsKDq2PE_Nl_a008uJkDGWd9Z4V9VNo2yRNi4F1FtdNbVqM6XIvz52sPyCdgAR-dFcYxMEsZbXHUgSPBGRNU97J8lQKX2nCwkBeAeM2BJrlMjJEwbmCBPDv-oD4x6cEPUVmtV70PTLGbxp60sl1MmRWDAP_zFi4YMQF5cb2yHtnLNViCB9Czw/w400-h300/tbconf.png" width="400" /></a></div>One of the computer games that got me through the 1990's was <i>Wing Commander</i> and during the third and fourth game, we got one of the best Terran heavy fighters that was used in starfighter-bomber role: The HF-66A "Thunderbolt" VII. While mostly a heavy space superiority starfighter, it was used by the Terran Confederation Forces for anti-capitol ship work. Introduced in 2668 during the tail end of the Terran-Kilrathi War, the Thunderbolt VII would see extensive action due to it ability to take damage and deal it out via its massive weapons loadout. One of the awesome abilities of the Thunderbolt VII class starfighter-bomber was to mount a single anti-ship tropedo, and a few sister ships would work together to take down larger furball warships. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt5I2yRITxB1ixJLxMyNvtltXyWMs14TJi3ygOH4-lwBe2Rdv4w-C5P9moGTr6HwZ6Iltx0bhqKP1fyRWiIer6EOpwJtG-Hu2_q8FqEBaMXV6V6hGT-YheKXQkuHE5RnCWlBHc4yygxSZbhF3aIVV9evC351SlZ6yjyVvTsTti0txZya3soY2P-m2q_A=s350" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="350" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt5I2yRITxB1ixJLxMyNvtltXyWMs14TJi3ygOH4-lwBe2Rdv4w-C5P9moGTr6HwZ6Iltx0bhqKP1fyRWiIer6EOpwJtG-Hu2_q8FqEBaMXV6V6hGT-YheKXQkuHE5RnCWlBHc4yygxSZbhF3aIVV9evC351SlZ6yjyVvTsTti0txZya3soY2P-m2q_A=w320-h240" width="320" /></a></div>One of the great fears of most humans is to be eaten and certainly movies, TV shows, books, and even the stage have played upon those collective fears of being on the menu to entertain and horrify. This fear of being breakfast has been capitalized on in sci-fi with the common concept that aliens will come to Earth to harvest us as a food source...but, would that be true? In the next installment of <u>Our Enemies</u>, FWS will examine the Eaters of Man down here on Earth and out among the stars. <br /></div><div><b><br /><u><br /></u></b></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-69099391259280986142022-04-09T06:48:00.000-05:002022-04-09T06:48:12.286-05:00FWS Topics: Military Camouflage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH0p-Z0R7h_GqdSwrYrNmVUrHB6MfGOLyv_h9HmBqL53ellvNSx2KBjUGScFRkEoUuk6cqufJLzTHvbCi3zwVrpdf7t8wHZOIH2zSbYUPYpEm99IzFHLv6_n5JqYlCbd81ppVsYXzwcJY/s720/1eaef44e081e8a089f6c0a3b8557306c.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH0p-Z0R7h_GqdSwrYrNmVUrHB6MfGOLyv_h9HmBqL53ellvNSx2KBjUGScFRkEoUuk6cqufJLzTHvbCi3zwVrpdf7t8wHZOIH2zSbYUPYpEm99IzFHLv6_n5JqYlCbd81ppVsYXzwcJY/w640-h360/1eaef44e081e8a089f6c0a3b8557306c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Today, there is nothing that quiet sums up the military like a piece of camouflage clothing and the patterns themselves say a great deal about the military organization, the historical context, and even the wearer. The journey for military camouflage has not been an easy one and our common understanding of military camouflage is a very recent development. And what about the future of military camo and will there be off-world camo patterns like we saw in <i>Ad Astra</i>? In this installment of FWS, we will be exploring and explaining the world, history, and future of military camouflage. Please note: this will be a limited scope article, there have volumes of books composed on the subject. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Sources for this Article:</u></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Camouflage at War</u> by Martin J. Dougherty from Chartwell Books, published in 2017</li><li><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCebmISDdPW_2JdM9IesZhKA"><span style="color: #04ff00;"><b>Uniform History</b></span></a></u> YouTube Channel </li><li><a href="https://www.camopedia.org/index.php/Main_Page"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">Camopedia</span></b></a> Website</li></ul></div><div><b><u>What is Camouflage and What is Military Camouflage?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1wCQKmSSzXw4tv25RxOCfgBv6j7MG7ZQTtZMZa69R3gzDbiZ4I1v4CyTGQXwsSIa-Q1ztRkqBB9bH7gnK4heErnmHgnxf-qHuKZZ5UHxcBzw7y4kI_AI7wizSAg56N7Tf1acGwlTNZLrIYIhrr4saVI-MKhwXmytuC091YgINL1TQBP2uTv6_41jcgA=s1596" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1wCQKmSSzXw4tv25RxOCfgBv6j7MG7ZQTtZMZa69R3gzDbiZ4I1v4CyTGQXwsSIa-Q1ztRkqBB9bH7gnK4heErnmHgnxf-qHuKZZ5UHxcBzw7y4kI_AI7wizSAg56N7Tf1acGwlTNZLrIYIhrr4saVI-MKhwXmytuC091YgINL1TQBP2uTv6_41jcgA=w251-h400" width="251" /></a></div>Before we embark on this broad and complex subject, I think we need to discuss <u>what is</u> and <u>what is not</u> military camouflage. The word itself, "camouflage" originates from French and it became used in a military terminology context during the First World War. Before this, there was the Imperial British Khaki uniforms of the Victorian Period that started the camouflage incorporation movement that moved military uniforms away for Napoleonic boldly colored uniforms to the battle dress we know today. That evolution of standard battle dress took nearly a century. First, there are 2 major forms of camouflage: ones that appearing in the natural world and the human-designed camouflage. Within these two forms of camouflage, there are 4 types of camouflage: concealing coloration, disruptive coloration, disguise and mimicry. Either way, the major general purposes of camouflage both in the natural and human realm is for concealment and misdirection for both predator and prey. Camo'ed Predator animals, like my brown tabby housecat, use their natural camouflage to stalk, observe, and close the distance on prey via the values of misdirection and concealment. For prey animals, they use their own camouflage and lack of motion to avoid detection and being breakfast to live to fight another day. In the natural world, there is an biological arms race to developed the best camouflage for both predator and prey. At times, this is to misdirection a predator in thinking that moth is no moth, but an Owl or that an animal is poisonous when it is not. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCZcLclgNfhiG2MWdwcucSPygtWZjylu0zZAyN1Iip0yLkNNUCcOJbIwu4X1SSjThXlVlHlqT151TUy1NSCpFHJMK0vXPAPVgyxS7KstZbVacOe1HFRMIKa3CsQVlZjUlP-7-Az3lKzCZsE9Au-qEEh4y_psLYT2PC8PImvSTk-G_Orv0WcaZ3yA8VbQ=s550" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="550" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCZcLclgNfhiG2MWdwcucSPygtWZjylu0zZAyN1Iip0yLkNNUCcOJbIwu4X1SSjThXlVlHlqT151TUy1NSCpFHJMK0vXPAPVgyxS7KstZbVacOe1HFRMIKa3CsQVlZjUlP-7-Az3lKzCZsE9Au-qEEh4y_psLYT2PC8PImvSTk-G_Orv0WcaZ3yA8VbQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div>That is the foundation of animal mimicry. Mimicry is when one animal appears to be another animal to deceive. This is present in predator and prey. There are forms of this mimicry in humans that allow predators to appear as more docile to drawn in prey. Native American hunters could do this with Buffalo skins. Serial killers and abusers do this as well with behavior and emotional camouflage. When it comes to human manufactured camouflage, there several kinds: military, ghillie (or Yowie), hunting, and the civilian developed patterns. Military camouflage is designed for a military organization for their forces and can vary from branch to branch in their military organization like Navy vs, Air Force vs Army. There can even be patterns only for Special Operations Forces. All military organizations use camouflage for their armed forces that is either designed for their military organization and the local conditions of their territory or they buy a camo pattern already used by other nations (like M81 Woodland). All military camo patterns use two of the four forms of camouflage: concealing coloration, disruptive coloration. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMnTYc26ilJe-wHqqf0l1psyKD8f7XHCMhr9WcfMKq61gbQcPcpM-Jm--dR441yV6Wt91KotHpmljC29kJlO1c4mGAS6zmxm1DUDEcHTMkGIYsiwH0bqertgArY1_4YNQbSr1F1jPFZxux0k1kOVHLgAMKsR-l2wRNcB1rcm4ncdQAIEoV4Zvu-NwN2w=s1920" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMnTYc26ilJe-wHqqf0l1psyKD8f7XHCMhr9WcfMKq61gbQcPcpM-Jm--dR441yV6Wt91KotHpmljC29kJlO1c4mGAS6zmxm1DUDEcHTMkGIYsiwH0bqertgArY1_4YNQbSr1F1jPFZxux0k1kOVHLgAMKsR-l2wRNcB1rcm4ncdQAIEoV4Zvu-NwN2w=w400-h250" width="400" /></a></div>Many nations used the Brushstroke patterns and the US M81 Woodland. The vast majority of military organizations have several patterns for even deployed forces go to the desert, the jungle, or artic conditions. In an attempt to limit the logistical and financial strain of issuing many camo patterned uniforms and gear, there have been attempts to design an all-terrain camo pattern for both woodland, urban, and desert conditions in recent years with various results. The purpose of the standard military camo patterns used in battle dress uniforms and gear is not to complete obscure the wearer like T<i>he Predator</i>, but to have the wearer blend in better into their environment and then by using their training to use the local conditions to enhance the camo they are wearing. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF3jPVlTPn5I8we7tV4kse0I1XgfwD3h-cktoSE_0tNdOwR3j2uJYcl5ut-Il-GUf5XuXt2e5RFzlDNnaBR3cgYYkUN5Nu43cxdyDeOHnUSgDfS09lWt3jV6bpiG77lkHuw8erG_-Awp9NUrwT8gIlHyeh1hoMilJkSzd4_U2WxAZT1lcIkRO0SxRvMg=s380" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="380" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF3jPVlTPn5I8we7tV4kse0I1XgfwD3h-cktoSE_0tNdOwR3j2uJYcl5ut-Il-GUf5XuXt2e5RFzlDNnaBR3cgYYkUN5Nu43cxdyDeOHnUSgDfS09lWt3jV6bpiG77lkHuw8erG_-Awp9NUrwT8gIlHyeh1hoMilJkSzd4_U2WxAZT1lcIkRO0SxRvMg=w400-h210" width="400" /></a></div>In my experience on the paintball field, just wearing camouflage will help somewhat with the enemy aiming at you for a few heartbeats. At times, being in deep cover in low-light with camo on and being motionless helps even more. Camo patterned clothing and gear can be enhanced by the use of camo face/body paint. While camo may not be effective close up, it does work in long distance engagements. When reviewing firefights conducted in the hills and mountains of Afghanistan, it was hard to see both sides that used different forms of civilian and military camouflage. </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0a2YJb4sWvNY4uuN4Y5JOzVA5X_NbHaF9wMYRCsC9UTE_Gx-QX232cWmaD7kCqXeq9HCA9Q5MSO-ftjDDtQJ99xdFiU3s6RThBs0-eE7wIxHAnXcjrRWuN2dUXRazY97mUACRizN4LlpqWvAjWt8Go_ypYomakVKM9JPn7M01dIjCQ63GAHieKg9iog=s1908" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1908" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0a2YJb4sWvNY4uuN4Y5JOzVA5X_NbHaF9wMYRCsC9UTE_Gx-QX232cWmaD7kCqXeq9HCA9Q5MSO-ftjDDtQJ99xdFiU3s6RThBs0-eE7wIxHAnXcjrRWuN2dUXRazY97mUACRizN4LlpqWvAjWt8Go_ypYomakVKM9JPn7M01dIjCQ63GAHieKg9iog=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></div>However, there is a painful truth to modern camouflaged military clothing...it is as much a identifying uniform as the pre-World War One boldly colored uniforms of the French and British armies or even the Blue & Grey of the American Civil War. Let me explain. Most nations design and field their own brand of camouflage clothing for their troopers and those of us trained in spotting the difference can tell a British Infantrymen in DPM from a German soldier in Flecktarn to a Kiwi in NZDPM. This makes the camo pattern of one nation or even a specific branch of an military organization an identifier as much as the red uniforms of the 18th century British Army. In addition, these camo patterns can serve as an identifier of the time period or even when or even where a person served. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJh5RY_DsBvKux9V1jEEdrF2anWXV6ZGQTiyZVyFfPlja7tjo4x7DnIqIvCkVMNLGCuHODn0fOLhSd6BjAVtf5MiTw314H8kXOs8zP3HqrBe6ozKjyfxwevm8StKsozXVGJP363S6uADTyJXqSoQ4HhT5-dk2w6znOhLx1mXtz1nbNPfL_9mqlyA2L5g=s1024" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJh5RY_DsBvKux9V1jEEdrF2anWXV6ZGQTiyZVyFfPlja7tjo4x7DnIqIvCkVMNLGCuHODn0fOLhSd6BjAVtf5MiTw314H8kXOs8zP3HqrBe6ozKjyfxwevm8StKsozXVGJP363S6uADTyJXqSoQ4HhT5-dk2w6znOhLx1mXtz1nbNPfL_9mqlyA2L5g=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>Then that brings us to the (in)famous Ghillie Suit worn by scout/snipers in both military, civilian, Law Enforcement, and even AirSoft/Paintball circles. The word is taken from the Gaelic term "Gille" that means someone who works as a outdoor servant. Or it could be from the term "Gille Dubh" that is a spirit found in Scottish mythology that is covered in leaves and moss. Ghillie Suits came to us from the 14th Lord Lovat, Simon Fraser, who is a complete badass along with his son. During the 2nd Boer War in 1899, the suit used by hunting and wildlife stalkers and gamekeepers was retrofitted for war by his Lovat Scouts. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhouLyGdL8trgRV1hkbsYTQ3-H-NQa1AsnQ_X3K1CdCLv7CTicLhHlu8amFqf62F2Fa47BXBGWD-cKSzro4ttI6eUDVCzIldr2kfhE5ojXc5IBfVFmU6XGeYyccvLIUwZQRqQ4EgOltS7wOvWXjSUU4osLiZbliWrtXV8IN-uJI2J6WmfSTFuKWkPVypw=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="800" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhouLyGdL8trgRV1hkbsYTQ3-H-NQa1AsnQ_X3K1CdCLv7CTicLhHlu8amFqf62F2Fa47BXBGWD-cKSzro4ttI6eUDVCzIldr2kfhE5ojXc5IBfVFmU6XGeYyccvLIUwZQRqQ4EgOltS7wOvWXjSUU4osLiZbliWrtXV8IN-uJI2J6WmfSTFuKWkPVypw=w400-h304" width="400" /></a></div>After that war, the Lovat Scouts were disbanded until the 1st World War, when the Lovat Scouts became the first British sniper unit and their Ghillie Suits came with them in 1916. These scouts were drawn from men with experience working in the woods as wildlife stalkers and gamekeepers. By the time of the 2nd World War, the Ghillie Suit was established and used by both sides of the war. Since then, the tradition and filed use of the sniper Ghillie Suit has been entrenched into both the military and civilian worlds and is one of the most effective military camouflage systems on the planet. However, the Ghillie Suit is not suitable for all missions and terrain types with the building up of heat being a real issues. Those trained in the fieldcraft of scout-snipers, the construction and customization of their Ghillie Suit is an important part of the spin-up to the mission. Often, Ghillie Suits are altered based on the season and local conditions on the ground. While "Ghillie Suit" is widely used, the Australian Army uses the term "yowie suit" after their Bigfoot-like cryptid creature that lives down under. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga0EflFpbh1IikblDqd3nYkEJSbEfmMyoZSGybsudcILG_dlFTWuw3sQKlguvUdWHu5l545uZwZPpCNvxfgVHX3tY11WN-8tjvFjK4KyarW6fmSxw8iowM32K6z1-1DIzuhGk6SDODFNYTabZDbzXdw79IQYEdY39L_7FQDNrn0dcXqf9Zof5v97iTNg=s835" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="835" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga0EflFpbh1IikblDqd3nYkEJSbEfmMyoZSGybsudcILG_dlFTWuw3sQKlguvUdWHu5l545uZwZPpCNvxfgVHX3tY11WN-8tjvFjK4KyarW6fmSxw8iowM32K6z1-1DIzuhGk6SDODFNYTabZDbzXdw79IQYEdY39L_7FQDNrn0dcXqf9Zof5v97iTNg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>That that brings us to the Hunter Camo patterns and how they are unique in the world of human-designed camouflage. Most military camo clothing is designed to work on the human eye and some electronic systems that use IR. However, most military camo is not designed to block on the primary methods employed by animals: scent. This is partly due to how different animals see and interpret what they see. If the human hunting camo blends the outline of the human form into the background and the hunter is remaining still, the animal could pickup the hunter's scent and know that bad shit is about to go down and they rapidly leave the threat envelope. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMu6NwCnHNf7LhQ1IG3sl2p4ulwxBrWpqTfQacLtF3KtMUO3C6zJSWlxSpD9nOWExQboaOifCq53WK3D2GRd5kiHO_WeUIP51GpJ2iVjFgNUjJGt6TNZk1HrsbJfBkca10W8N6uoc1I8Pp9Akt3q8gZvJE7FfBsDMiUB868D5zxL3uXTsFSf1kj5N_Mg=s737" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="737" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMu6NwCnHNf7LhQ1IG3sl2p4ulwxBrWpqTfQacLtF3KtMUO3C6zJSWlxSpD9nOWExQboaOifCq53WK3D2GRd5kiHO_WeUIP51GpJ2iVjFgNUjJGt6TNZk1HrsbJfBkca10W8N6uoc1I8Pp9Akt3q8gZvJE7FfBsDMiUB868D5zxL3uXTsFSf1kj5N_Mg=w400-h223" width="400" /></a></div>Hunting camouflage is also unique in the amount of variants of camo produced for various and specific terrain types along with wearing a specific camo pattern for a specific animal that you hunting. When research this, I cam across <a href="https://ufpro.com/us/blog/hunting-vs-military-camouflage-difference"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">an article</span></b></a> that spelled out the difference between hunting camo and military camo. For the modern military camouflage, the article uses Multicam as an example, is designed to be used while moving, against humans, and in various terrains. Hunting camo, the article uses RealTree Xtra as an example, is design for a single environment, while the hunter is still in motion, and it designed to be used against animals. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1fCqOn8sC2rthqrd25OYoML6w9QVvkr9iE1qH7AanZCDE4ZmS3JcVVP7d6GIcy6-sAW0JapBDHzk6_8POu9T0onip3gWUmY3yOOjX0fRkmNQAU6iJ7t_wEaVXZy6QNf7hbI8HPHvGHxmb_7WC_4-R53ZAOD0aTuY79oNeFcDF_Cak2l0m34vxjVz-_Q=s1440" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="1440" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1fCqOn8sC2rthqrd25OYoML6w9QVvkr9iE1qH7AanZCDE4ZmS3JcVVP7d6GIcy6-sAW0JapBDHzk6_8POu9T0onip3gWUmY3yOOjX0fRkmNQAU6iJ7t_wEaVXZy6QNf7hbI8HPHvGHxmb_7WC_4-R53ZAOD0aTuY79oNeFcDF_Cak2l0m34vxjVz-_Q=w400-h398" width="400" /></a></div>Is hunting camouflage patterns used for combat by military forces? It has been used and normally by irregular forces that buy the gear from civilian sources and use it in place of military camo pattern clothing and gear due to lack of access. At times, hunting camo is used because the irregular forces involved are fighting a guerilla campaign against the invaders. I have seen civilian hunting camo on some brave civilian fighters in Ukraine, Hunting camo was seen on the Wolverines in the 1984 film <i>Red Dawn. </i>We have visual evidence that even some American Special Operations units that were testing hunting patterns or bought a piece of specific gear in hunting camo. The American Kryptek hunting camo company has been consulted by US Special Operations for development of new camo patterns and Kryptek has marketed a line of military camo to Law Enforcement, MILSIM, and military/PMC clients. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRhwi1_nrm_9NvrtQ9iiBUmrr1jpxFCTilNQqiazbS-HkROI2lyqXNLsPfyOBANnl2cWWKeNYgTL8_6dyTwpt88Mi66gPqjf84ZAvU8LjUqsL3NwSt6lzRG0B5X2aJiDCTBKoxNz5pPPAkOil7Ji3aqex-PrgLXQyztOZhLq_f1UkbGCHncFBjlYnxCQ=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRhwi1_nrm_9NvrtQ9iiBUmrr1jpxFCTilNQqiazbS-HkROI2lyqXNLsPfyOBANnl2cWWKeNYgTL8_6dyTwpt88Mi66gPqjf84ZAvU8LjUqsL3NwSt6lzRG0B5X2aJiDCTBKoxNz5pPPAkOil7Ji3aqex-PrgLXQyztOZhLq_f1UkbGCHncFBjlYnxCQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Then we come to the last type of human-produced camouflage: civilian produced camo patterns. Okay, these rule the gambit when it comes to actually tactical application and fabulousness fashion. Civilians wearing military clothing is a very ancient tradition and there is much of modern civilian clothing that is lifted from military clothing and not just camo patterns. We all have seen the famous James Dean photos of him sporting a 1940's Navy Officer Bridge Coat. Military camo patterns worn as fashion goes back to the first issued camo clothing. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5DqyKEwiKz3VDK_nG5QU-9-Pgm5TAOleJZ_sB7u0Tv4X2C1fdW6vCRlS2aWnYJJSiPhKqbGwEsmWYgeC3ZvpzvLeMmpOrHH4Sf_zvPl7_6prCgim0TFowhqRLacOsuv853JJ2NRjSUr6lfZ_L7vi2LUfwld967T4QkFZJ3JGuS5eG5rFQrfquigRWkg=s604" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="453" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5DqyKEwiKz3VDK_nG5QU-9-Pgm5TAOleJZ_sB7u0Tv4X2C1fdW6vCRlS2aWnYJJSiPhKqbGwEsmWYgeC3ZvpzvLeMmpOrHH4Sf_zvPl7_6prCgim0TFowhqRLacOsuv853JJ2NRjSUr6lfZ_L7vi2LUfwld967T4QkFZJ3JGuS5eG5rFQrfquigRWkg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div>This was seen on former veterans that keep their camo gear due to usefulness or as a symbol of their service or it just all they had due to homelessness. One of the key influences on modern fashion trends is the world of Hip-Hop/Rap and the fusion of military and street fashion has been using camo clothing since the 1980's with the legend that is Tupac Shakur seen wearing an M81 Woodland Jacket in March of 1996, just a few months before his "death". To this very day, the fashion industry products civilian camo clothing that is for street wear and not urban combat. Much of this civilian street clothing printed in military camo patterns is based on the 1981 US Army Woodland pattern with a range of colors being seen. These items are not intend for any tactical or MILSIM use, just fashion for the sake of fashion. This "fashion camo" extends from more realistic M81 patterns to boldly colored camo clothing in neons, pinks, and purples. These were sold along side real camo patterned clothing at the local Army/Navy stores. I, for one, do not wear camo save for the paintball field. This is one element of civilian camo patterned clothing and the other is intended for actually combat use that is developed by civilian firms hoping to land a major defense or Law Enforcement contract. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkzpYQG4UOyla5ukeou9lP9Nff50sdSGX-79piXVBfCkCJiq68a-bI9-RacfjPQUkrj_va1CfdLUx6tt8dI5hV3Ekxo0LASzCA_O7JvSl4NI4FVzr4aU3Tmg812d0fbV9S-MxnRC0mSRAhOxD6b4xArF_u_tU5w3hpPNu--LetNqK-rjRo3jcPrRsfSw=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkzpYQG4UOyla5ukeou9lP9Nff50sdSGX-79piXVBfCkCJiq68a-bI9-RacfjPQUkrj_va1CfdLUx6tt8dI5hV3Ekxo0LASzCA_O7JvSl4NI4FVzr4aU3Tmg812d0fbV9S-MxnRC0mSRAhOxD6b4xArF_u_tU5w3hpPNu--LetNqK-rjRo3jcPrRsfSw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>This has been seen with companies like Crye Precision, the developers of Multicam. I can remember Crye Precision being placed in <i>Ghost Recon 2</i> and <i>Advanced Warfighter</i> and this was before they had gotten the nod from the US Government. Civilian firms design and developed camo patterns to advanced the science of camouflage and seek out juicy government contracts all the time with varied results. At times, they will sell to a police department or one small unit in the military...then other times, the entire military branch buys your camo pattern. Some of this camo developed by civilian firms was never really intended for military or LE clients, but for the civilian MILSIM and shooter markets. People like me that played Paintball bought camo or who did Airsoft, and there were companies that marketed to that. <div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><b>Why Does the Military use Camouflage Now and Why Didn't They for Centuries?</b></u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOJCR89Tw_oXSO1NY0_pIEJrMxLuBJLWdi1IAJjS3Rv2kgSm0j05hojW-8jZ7OBomuM8smLNvkVDDnzfXaTSEPWSBVl9cQx0L8JVjZauuiYFzKyMDEqGvCTNX8WC2j2WBOTbWCNMo8dR6/s602/Catlin_and_His_Indian_Guide_Approaching_Buffalo_under_White_Wolf_Skins_1847.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="602" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOJCR89Tw_oXSO1NY0_pIEJrMxLuBJLWdi1IAJjS3Rv2kgSm0j05hojW-8jZ7OBomuM8smLNvkVDDnzfXaTSEPWSBVl9cQx0L8JVjZauuiYFzKyMDEqGvCTNX8WC2j2WBOTbWCNMo8dR6/w400-h286/Catlin_and_His_Indian_Guide_Approaching_Buffalo_under_White_Wolf_Skins_1847.jpg" width="400" /></a>The art and science of obscuring yourself from your prey or from a predator or your enemy on the battlefield begin when our modern human ancestors several million years ago began to hunt animals and engage in paleo warfare with other tribes and groups. Lessons that were gained on a hunt could also be applied to the primate battlefield. We stalked, observed, and attacked using the natural surroundings, shadows, and costuming that allowed for being not being seen until it was too late for the target. Given that the dyeing of clothing easiest example is from 34,000 years ago, which was done for "fashion" purposes and not for camouflage, the natural look of the animal skins used were good enough for blending in. At times, early human hunters dressed up in furs a form of animal mimicry to close the distance between themselves and their prey. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMGTpCy5z2A2Mk1PpyTvkjJVRic5E_8K8uLSPV2TS5gRrqCX2SXnb9XqEBKn8Cq3AEZXxTNpDrP6xRYdee10CMJr_THkdCZMTSZSm0RvTNOgkK0UeBPKu6IG4DJ7IeQ7BU6kstpSTJINepuoCqyw8eC6r-NdUxc7Hcbj_P0A3FLkhB3pOrs3gfRvPXRQ=s675" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="675" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMGTpCy5z2A2Mk1PpyTvkjJVRic5E_8K8uLSPV2TS5gRrqCX2SXnb9XqEBKn8Cq3AEZXxTNpDrP6xRYdee10CMJr_THkdCZMTSZSm0RvTNOgkK0UeBPKu6IG4DJ7IeQ7BU6kstpSTJINepuoCqyw8eC6r-NdUxc7Hcbj_P0A3FLkhB3pOrs3gfRvPXRQ=w400-h231" width="400" /></a></div>However, the likely millions of years of skills developed for the hunt that involved the world of camouflage were seemingly abandoned when the first city-states developed military organizations. For the earliest standing armies of the key ancient civilizations, we see very basic "uniforms" and the commanders and kings went into battle with bold displays of their power in garish costumes...being unseen was not the mission with them. During the Bronze Age, the uniforms of soldiers were designed to broadcast fear, marshal power, and identify who they were to avoid friendly fire so that you did not get a blade in your belly from your mate.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeL3fJznwudSum8bgfz6evJcjgD_NjlKe0gKiqTTlPrtM5KsiSwKsqk4nJ8A8pf6Cob27Fgg9I7ydjXLO4LON9Nd8LG4F5RsY_khaW8GWnL8wYL414XIJOJ2hybnLwostQ9gSH9plNFclZynF0CLnV5wDUkyZCl1cE6QGhPEs9tp4kx9oF3jycH4fxaw=s450" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="450" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeL3fJznwudSum8bgfz6evJcjgD_NjlKe0gKiqTTlPrtM5KsiSwKsqk4nJ8A8pf6Cob27Fgg9I7ydjXLO4LON9Nd8LG4F5RsY_khaW8GWnL8wYL414XIJOJ2hybnLwostQ9gSH9plNFclZynF0CLnV5wDUkyZCl1cE6QGhPEs9tp4kx9oF3jycH4fxaw=w400-h303" width="400" /></a></div>When armor was developed, this pushed ancient warriors further from the ancient art of hunting camouflage. As the complexity of human civilization deepened into vast empires, there were massive engagements of warriors like Thymbra, Plataea, Marathon, and Gaugamela. During the fields of battle, the warriors needed to know who was friend and who was foe and often the battle dress helped this during the melee of ancient battles. This concept of battle dress being mostly used to positivity identify who was who lasted for centuries and well into the 19th century. While some groups used camouflage for stealth to observe and gather intelligence on the movements and strength of their enemies via scouting, the vast amount of soldiers in warfare worn uniforms that identified themselves. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfP8PFRUkLMfIk6uPsOzynegPSeUnLZIgukweKddNjjkmrTlUscK4_VfIIxsYL9kfWWTcfp3O9KW8xYreL3In-qYfrBRIER1bPePEO-eLTD_Y5CXVwQhTBswKoZDu0CrAdJbRsZXxnrILSi_iymdlorkAJL6lJyg3NAjx8v6E9EuO7DqdTpg0jmFk8hg/s553/52nd_Regiment_of_Foot_by_J.C._Stadler.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfP8PFRUkLMfIk6uPsOzynegPSeUnLZIgukweKddNjjkmrTlUscK4_VfIIxsYL9kfWWTcfp3O9KW8xYreL3In-qYfrBRIER1bPePEO-eLTD_Y5CXVwQhTBswKoZDu0CrAdJbRsZXxnrILSi_iymdlorkAJL6lJyg3NAjx8v6E9EuO7DqdTpg0jmFk8hg/w289-h400/52nd_Regiment_of_Foot_by_J.C._Stadler.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>This can be seen in the garish hued uniforms of the classic battles of the Napoleonic Wars, the Colonial Wars of the British Imperium, and the American Civil War. In these battles, we see the blue of the French, the Red of the British, the Grey of the Confederacy, and the Blue of the Union. We also have to remember that while some of the tools of modern warfare were in those long ago battlefields, the gun and the artillery cannon were not the AK47. Less accuracy, volley lines, and a sense of <i>esprit de corps</i> allowed for the bright and elaborate uniforms of that time period to not as much as a factor. One unit of the British Army, the 95th Rifles Regiment of Foot were some of a harbinger of the future back when formed in 1800 as an experimental unit. They worn green jackets, black leather, and were issued the Baker Rifle that was far more accurate the the Brown Bess. Then came the expansion of the British Empire into India, the Middle East, and into Africa...this set the stage for the incorporation of the first military camo pattern: Khaki. The battlefields and colonial holdings in the newly expanding British Empire were ill-suited for the blazing red tunic of the standard royal uniform. There were white uniforms for these tropical climates, but it was the native forces uniforms that were the genesis of the military khaki that we know today. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h0X5RImRTFTCwgUG1s1StJmu18LFzqKXPardz8YJL6sBLIunMVxxBch4LZ6alugxCg0z0QX8f1HU4yJXPtqMt_SKNA0-_4RxQt8uBH_sN7ZBLpcF4ocVmuBoSaKGDaeudopcBUfNOXf2yqj4TjmXEHiIBHu-4ZOIthuAc_pZNOVsyg8YOqkr0oonZw/s600/Corps_of_Guides_(Infantry_&_Cavalry)_-_Richard_Simkin.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h0X5RImRTFTCwgUG1s1StJmu18LFzqKXPardz8YJL6sBLIunMVxxBch4LZ6alugxCg0z0QX8f1HU4yJXPtqMt_SKNA0-_4RxQt8uBH_sN7ZBLpcF4ocVmuBoSaKGDaeudopcBUfNOXf2yqj4TjmXEHiIBHu-4ZOIthuAc_pZNOVsyg8YOqkr0oonZw/w400-h300/Corps_of_Guides_(Infantry_&_Cavalry)_-_Richard_Simkin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 1848, Sir Harry Lumsden used native Indian soldiers as guides and scouts on the border of India and Afghanistan in the region of Peshawar (modern day Pakistan), known as the Corps of Guides. These local forces used their own manner of dress and coloring, which was dust colored. This caused Sir Lumsden to dye the British white uniforms in mulberry juice to a yellowish-color. This color became referenced to as "khaki" which is a Persian and Urdu in origin and means "soil" or "soil colored". While effective, the manner of dying was not and I read many accounts of these newly dyed uniforms fading to all manner of color. Soldiers dyed their uniforms with tea, coffee, mud, curry, and even tobacco and this caused a wide amount of variation in the coloring. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitla9kjtecS-2drJ47uJqM_mzY_QS633j_M5gaRSL_YZUtD-4YhNf4DK16ZUp_57g7h-sJJxGyIMQdZUTq_APlKHm0UIwizgz9YzroNeBTehETUUxn23tUAUfrUqdBo7WBw2jZGLo1EdLwf7L3lwWw8885tMt2f4oI59VKiQkYiclAXLesISzl070ZBQ/s860/BoerWar-Illustration.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitla9kjtecS-2drJ47uJqM_mzY_QS633j_M5gaRSL_YZUtD-4YhNf4DK16ZUp_57g7h-sJJxGyIMQdZUTq_APlKHm0UIwizgz9YzroNeBTehETUUxn23tUAUfrUqdBo7WBw2jZGLo1EdLwf7L3lwWw8885tMt2f4oI59VKiQkYiclAXLesISzl070ZBQ/w373-h400/BoerWar-Illustration.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>Throughout the small wars and campaigns in India and Africa, the new khaki uniform was more of less official issue for British units. During the 2nd Boer War, the use of camo was seen on both sides with the British and the local Boers. Once the British colonial forces began using the new dye, other major colonial powers did as well with the both the French and Germans developing their own take on the soil-colored uniforms for colonial operations. Even the Japanese and the American altered their uniforms with more khaki colored "camo" as seen in the Japanese M1904 uniform and the Americans during the Spanish-American War of 1898 and the local suppression operations of the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902. Thus, khaki is known as the first official camo pattern in military history. Then came the Great War and all of the changes that came from the terrible conflict. World War One changed the face of war forever and the look of the military especially. The last holdovers of the old 19th century uniforms was wiped out in a sea of mud, blood, and machine gun fire. The iconic French blue uniforms with red pants was altered only after thousands were dead. Soon, muted hues of greys, green, OD, and blues were the standard. The British had already adopted their take on the khaki color uniforms as their official uniform in 1902 and gave their own forces some degree of camouflage during the Great War. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVXiT-UjM7fEfz6UyB4nNK3mSlHxCCAq5PLB0boHanlglGTfgEs8gjIQ8pj-lC22hBY6O8i5bywvQ9iEMopNRTfaYSUsRC-SThisvVs0XasVJcNc5JJPWfkU1YkOrsTj7RM0G1wcH3E-l0kgstHqmg2biWVMZis9wfXnUpHDBfH0YUb-vZuK62zYRyA/s534/Camoufleurs+at+work,+World+War+I.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="534" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVXiT-UjM7fEfz6UyB4nNK3mSlHxCCAq5PLB0boHanlglGTfgEs8gjIQ8pj-lC22hBY6O8i5bywvQ9iEMopNRTfaYSUsRC-SThisvVs0XasVJcNc5JJPWfkU1YkOrsTj7RM0G1wcH3E-l0kgstHqmg2biWVMZis9wfXnUpHDBfH0YUb-vZuK62zYRyA/w400-h200/Camoufleurs+at+work,+World+War+I.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the horror of the Great War, there were many experiments with camo, including the first official camouflage patterns and government employed artists to create camo patterns for the modern battlefield, the<i> Camoufleurs</i>. French artist like Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola used cubist ideas and concepts to create some of the first official camo patterns and paint schemes as we understand them today in 1915 in a studio in Toulin and by 1917, 3,000 were employed in his team to create all manner of camouflage. Some of the artists were in such demand that Guirand de Scévola unit was able to pull artist from the trenches of hell.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TrGUGYKA377lrctn1T9qQCqiDQUJllr9lxRAsvdtZe6aGk0xugHQ282AaQXLqp91w20wOVTmj3jpZv7zUwn967AvYqbslRpFGLLXT8XBHcZLt_IRQHU2ZVwwU8MmhNPUGTzV949PINjKF3_3-Q8Aro3qJMaMk_scXiLwgg4ZeRcX79vAwFygzKjpMA/s3542/MV5BMjAyNzYzMDc2MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjcyNjU3MTE@._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2724" data-original-width="3542" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TrGUGYKA377lrctn1T9qQCqiDQUJllr9lxRAsvdtZe6aGk0xugHQ282AaQXLqp91w20wOVTmj3jpZv7zUwn967AvYqbslRpFGLLXT8XBHcZLt_IRQHU2ZVwwU8MmhNPUGTzV949PINjKF3_3-Q8Aro3qJMaMk_scXiLwgg4ZeRcX79vAwFygzKjpMA/w400-h308/MV5BMjAyNzYzMDc2MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjcyNjU3MTE@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>At the end of the Great War, the traditions of military uniforms and colors had been abandoned or completely rethought. The very ideas that we living in the 21st century have about military camo patterns and colors associated with the military originated from British in India and the horrors of World War One. By the time of the 2nd World War, camo patterns were applied to planes, ships, uniforms, buildings, and armored vehicles. The lessons of World War One and Two finally put the nail in the coffin of the military costume and led to the camo patterned uniform we know and love today along with the association of OD green, wolf grey, and khaki brown being military colors. </div><div><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">The Different Types of Camouflage Pattern Families</div><div>Up until the research phase for this article, I did not know that all military camouflage patterns fall within families. Often, these patterns form the foundation for sub-patterns. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Brushstroke</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Sc05Z7mb7pvgRlLmqH1IPERwr5SLsfhKMvwXKN14lKfoowrgirvw1SzHf1eZq52hfwsyyxWk6cbH3x_a3dOJTrFJSPcv3ClRZu0SnwPxReToWIeKIX7RbCmgERq-XhVRfp_NB4o_avARRXSA3GBJKzeJIFMUi5rJFAaEc5uSj0DYeLmW07yzonyJnw/s700/Rhodesian_Brushstroke_pattern.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="699" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Sc05Z7mb7pvgRlLmqH1IPERwr5SLsfhKMvwXKN14lKfoowrgirvw1SzHf1eZq52hfwsyyxWk6cbH3x_a3dOJTrFJSPcv3ClRZu0SnwPxReToWIeKIX7RbCmgERq-XhVRfp_NB4o_avARRXSA3GBJKzeJIFMUi5rJFAaEc5uSj0DYeLmW07yzonyJnw/w202-h202/Rhodesian_Brushstroke_pattern.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1941</div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development: </span>United Kingdom</div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> One of the earliest military camo patterns adopted and led to the camo pattern revolution during the Cold War. </div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</span> Rhodesian Brushstroke</div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Still in Use?</u> Yes, with the Zimbabwe Defense Force and irregular forces. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Lizard</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANo2Wk9-kEqJnzU8xYvVwqNvM1IdyKfR43NAomfZLgOldATIQc9_roO484M_9ElGbPSF0U1J5T9rJ4Ph-L1ETwpb-XQPEZtl9HBvUN7OgS_rwjfFRNd9CTdG8sfiVombsV2Ec5Y0YXqTJDnvT_rb9T9mCygUXzUClwwSwjZBOQliUhRjRzuWdc6H-UA/s500/French_lizard_pattern_camo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANo2Wk9-kEqJnzU8xYvVwqNvM1IdyKfR43NAomfZLgOldATIQc9_roO484M_9ElGbPSF0U1J5T9rJ4Ph-L1ETwpb-XQPEZtl9HBvUN7OgS_rwjfFRNd9CTdG8sfiVombsV2Ec5Y0YXqTJDnvT_rb9T9mCygUXzUClwwSwjZBOQliUhRjRzuWdc6H-UA/w193-h193/French_lizard_pattern_camo.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><div><u style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</u> 1947</div><div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development: </span>France </div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> Developed from the Denison smock of the 2nd World War British Paratroopers. Used throughout the world, including Israel. </div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</span> American Vietnam Tiger Stripe</div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Still in Use?</span> Yes, an variant is in service in Syria</div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Splittertarnmuster</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0oEZO5zCdkLEq1UnqeHosHUYqHeSCj9eD3BTuJLgPrSeIarC9ZLJWB45BkEFiKEOyM6YNJ11bXjpZTIs-yWMiwoHGuh8P0suCNO2VSiZGeklRHCUYELWCjEHL-URgK48YaclGdNPZ7s4qSnWlBZG0QQVfCirF7UFdzLBbQD3TzzHBRllSvXDs6pZ4A/s1071/Buntfarbenmuster_31_(Splittertarn)_(cropped).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="787" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0oEZO5zCdkLEq1UnqeHosHUYqHeSCj9eD3BTuJLgPrSeIarC9ZLJWB45BkEFiKEOyM6YNJ11bXjpZTIs-yWMiwoHGuh8P0suCNO2VSiZGeklRHCUYELWCjEHL-URgK48YaclGdNPZ7s4qSnWlBZG0QQVfCirF7UFdzLBbQD3TzzHBRllSvXDs6pZ4A/w169-h231/Buntfarbenmuster_31_(Splittertarn)_(cropped).jpg" width="169" /></a></div><div><u style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</u> 1920's and issued 1931</div><div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> Germany </div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> One of the earliest military camo patterns and was used by the Nazi German Wehrmacht as their camouflage. Given its connection to the evil Nazi regime, the pattern is not widely used by military forces. </div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</span> The M90 Swedish Camo pattern</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Still in Use?</u> Yes, in the form of the M90 pattern</div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Chocolate Chip (Six Color Desert)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GKRoD8t6BIaTdz4ROUZ5R5JLBXC5KvADHc8jDx1wRSQKDplppefDjxsxhhZia52Y1r9MNIDRUv8v76pU3QJKuDW0TpEcjcNV40E7c70rvByuyw8As9bPXJQVyTJKVdZoy_JAvJCo3QX68NmicaUS1Fnnz-TmWj4G7rNGE7mbDo0SODc5-tisBZeTFg/s750/Chocolate-Chip-Desert-Storm-Camo-22-thumb-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GKRoD8t6BIaTdz4ROUZ5R5JLBXC5KvADHc8jDx1wRSQKDplppefDjxsxhhZia52Y1r9MNIDRUv8v76pU3QJKuDW0TpEcjcNV40E7c70rvByuyw8As9bPXJQVyTJKVdZoy_JAvJCo3QX68NmicaUS1Fnnz-TmWj4G7rNGE7mbDo0SODc5-tisBZeTFg/w253-h253/Chocolate-Chip-Desert-Storm-Camo-22-thumb-1.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1971</div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>Country of Development:</u> United States of American</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> This was the first desert camo pattern developed for the US Military due to the increase in likelihood of a Middle Eastern war involving US Forces (how true that turned out to be). It gain fame during the 1st Gulf War and became a symbol of that war. It was replaced by the 3-Color Desert pattern just as the 1st Gulf War was ending. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant: The original is still the most famous. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Still in Use?</span> Yes and widely by many nations across the globe. </div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">DPM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAwADerahmtuigwHtZA3dXBgn2wwziSyTa0OJ9JpprxmgjxEYvkyxwgzRXhrU26wZEjD26ne_VqP4Cy0oSS_H5mt7sx3SbJEqiW3hSlPSeeVAPi6cbjNnkY8ilc_QRBdE45TWXM_dfasFKTtwkd_g8INJ_QomXL3lzVPReXtcIMpCqn3F8nJn6Jjwag/s3243/DPM_Combat_95_Camouflage_Material_MOD_45149982.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2384" data-original-width="3243" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAwADerahmtuigwHtZA3dXBgn2wwziSyTa0OJ9JpprxmgjxEYvkyxwgzRXhrU26wZEjD26ne_VqP4Cy0oSS_H5mt7sx3SbJEqiW3hSlPSeeVAPi6cbjNnkY8ilc_QRBdE45TWXM_dfasFKTtwkd_g8INJ_QomXL3lzVPReXtcIMpCqn3F8nJn6Jjwag/w292-h282/DPM_Combat_95_Camouflage_Material_MOD_45149982.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1941 and 1960</div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> The United Kingdom</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> Given the influence of the British military forces and the Commonwealth, when the British Armed Forces adopted the DPM pattern in 1960. other nations followed. This pattern was changed over time and a desert variant was made, but it remained in service until just recently with the UK, New Zealand, and Austrailia replacing the DPM for the newer multi-cam patterns. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u> Still in Use?</u> Yes, dozens of nations use the pattern or a clone of it. </div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Digital Pattern</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EoWFlN1dhS7fpa0Sz37LE3ZnStxGQYYVU5ap8w2raBSaE_a8HRdQBmTdwglshp71Pk26Yt-GCQ9yrKYHvGjJQnMXwr6cIL5gAwnyL6ALOHKEy9SIMhXALYFi9OhKvmd6STHLsrJEJT9tY-8Prd8j_5941cJCgzTysHbk_JnKAObhRsR7hX2DMxQWiQ/s3490/CADPAT_digital_camouflage_pattern_(Temperate_Woodland_variant).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3490" data-original-width="2534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EoWFlN1dhS7fpa0Sz37LE3ZnStxGQYYVU5ap8w2raBSaE_a8HRdQBmTdwglshp71Pk26Yt-GCQ9yrKYHvGjJQnMXwr6cIL5gAwnyL6ALOHKEy9SIMhXALYFi9OhKvmd6STHLsrJEJT9tY-8Prd8j_5941cJCgzTysHbk_JnKAObhRsR7hX2DMxQWiQ/s320/CADPAT_digital_camouflage_pattern_(Temperate_Woodland_variant).jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1997</div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> Canada</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>Importance:</u> This will go down in the history of military camouflage patterns as one of the most game changing. Digital camo patterns have been seen as the future of passive modern military camouflage. Since the Canadian introduction of CADPAT in 1997, every major military organization has examined the adoption of digital camo. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</span> MARPAT</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Still in Use?</span> Oh yes...and it is just getting started. </div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Duck Hunter/Frog Skin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBz_91wWEUJdUUVByjyA0aeOV7QQjYeuHVt2OH9NJPeFcLcyFDSE0FbTAzkPpc3JbQLR0VnotpaefIa1Tk6dMaSSEptdAGXGkYEmQVQouUNXqU0f31v6IqCaBFH9hVRjU69RsfbWieINf9vEuRbJhPri5UuCM4z0829EQMLU6iRxcEyuRfqazh2kfDPA/s800/post-342-0-67281300-1523168617.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBz_91wWEUJdUUVByjyA0aeOV7QQjYeuHVt2OH9NJPeFcLcyFDSE0FbTAzkPpc3JbQLR0VnotpaefIa1Tk6dMaSSEptdAGXGkYEmQVQouUNXqU0f31v6IqCaBFH9hVRjU69RsfbWieINf9vEuRbJhPri5UuCM4z0829EQMLU6iRxcEyuRfqazh2kfDPA/s320/post-342-0-67281300-1523168617.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1942</div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>Country of Development: </u>United States of America</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> Designed by Norvell Gillespie, who was an horticulturist and garden editor for a number of noted newspapers and publications. The pattern, known as "Duck Hunter" and "Frog Skin" was used by US Marines during the Pacific Campaign and by US and ARVN forces during the Vietnam War. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</span> The Original</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Still in Use?</span> No</div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Flecktarn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92b_uvTisi9lKEJCvztHDBLNMqM_B7_Xhe_gcFbouP-hRprRw5oGaTUG130Zb9INse4EVALHkp91ZbHDB8xv9CQVM3GkOZwMrhjKDrAfnn9wQFduJrBst6LipPrqtBg7GwBa1n5WRDwXPR_gku22yMJN2172-v2EyUk6zrpTeIdWM3ZOKlQeCqGBPGw/s500/Flecktarn_pattern.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92b_uvTisi9lKEJCvztHDBLNMqM_B7_Xhe_gcFbouP-hRprRw5oGaTUG130Zb9INse4EVALHkp91ZbHDB8xv9CQVM3GkOZwMrhjKDrAfnn9wQFduJrBst6LipPrqtBg7GwBa1n5WRDwXPR_gku22yMJN2172-v2EyUk6zrpTeIdWM3ZOKlQeCqGBPGw/s320/Flecktarn_pattern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>Year of Development:</u> 1976</div><div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> West Germany </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> Developed from some of the concepts laid down by the Nazi camo patterns, the modern Flecktarn was tested in 1976 and made by Marquardt & Schulz. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Still in Use?</span> Yes</div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Leaf (Woodland/ERDL)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO8I1voJBwIBtIO-IT882U5BrejpwowuNlS7Muo7-xGych1k2q-HTOv96-cdCgeBIoeaQtRdxi_g61VoiJviifQmfgVRf7f2wt_XsvFLuRQCkRBkfI_yTYz6JcwQ1jHxVhqLXoMXxB--dM3JdUHwIb0vaF2dwbedQ9I56yNXHEZyyH-ig_yVTT6R4tQ/s750/M81-Woodland-Camo-thumb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO8I1voJBwIBtIO-IT882U5BrejpwowuNlS7Muo7-xGych1k2q-HTOv96-cdCgeBIoeaQtRdxi_g61VoiJviifQmfgVRf7f2wt_XsvFLuRQCkRBkfI_yTYz6JcwQ1jHxVhqLXoMXxB--dM3JdUHwIb0vaF2dwbedQ9I56yNXHEZyyH-ig_yVTT6R4tQ/s320/M81-Woodland-Camo-thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1948</div><div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> United States of America</div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> The Leaf pattern is a board term for two camo patterns that changed the world of military camo patterns: ERDL and M81 Woodland. In 1948, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratory (ERDL) developed the "Leaf" pattern and was seen in specialized units during the Vietnam War. In 1981, the US Army adopted the M81 Woodland pattern and every other branch followed. This pattern became one of the most iconic and used military camo patterns for Armed Forces, MILSIM, and fashion. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Most Famous Variant:</u> The M81 US Military Woodland pattern</div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Jigsaw (Puzzle)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9C4L7kT6BdXxHI8Qp9y0OvxeIuZLej__0RryOK1TxowSWB8s9g7ZmzR-ZwOMtPGcmaCsc9WDoMui_Hu9Wozj-5_SBxKm2U5AV0mB-NrfbatFp0LEjQofKBIhMWlz6lCCX351CqnCefhqgBSJgDhgVWESxEdONwuvL0LPsfExqPlGRrgLKRqF-8FxQg/s640/83efdb96590fb87c5a59fd1014d4d972.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9C4L7kT6BdXxHI8Qp9y0OvxeIuZLej__0RryOK1TxowSWB8s9g7ZmzR-ZwOMtPGcmaCsc9WDoMui_Hu9Wozj-5_SBxKm2U5AV0mB-NrfbatFp0LEjQofKBIhMWlz6lCCX351CqnCefhqgBSJgDhgVWESxEdONwuvL0LPsfExqPlGRrgLKRqF-8FxQg/s320/83efdb96590fb87c5a59fd1014d4d972.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1958</div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> Belgium</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> For many on the internet, the Belgium "puzzle" camo pattern takes the cake as one of the oddest and garish modern military camo patterns. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>Most Famous Variant:</u> The original</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Still in Use?</u> Yes, it was last updated in 2016 by the Belgium armed forces. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Rain ("Strichtarn")</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7hRWWqla-8QWserqvfqe1EvUt6YLURdRQVcdNEv4TRVj_11dAp7PF4bQn2gFrYtKks9nBoN7RFSJFPxfz2Up2UzJDMzj6Z1NVdW1r2oGo0rNRdjuo0PxpEWyx2JmnsjTFmqZb_Tb9LUsTy1DSVsxOFZh6RZv5na0AobjxqqWmndC8jhwkEm54FbpfXQ/s500/Rain_pattern.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7hRWWqla-8QWserqvfqe1EvUt6YLURdRQVcdNEv4TRVj_11dAp7PF4bQn2gFrYtKks9nBoN7RFSJFPxfz2Up2UzJDMzj6Z1NVdW1r2oGo0rNRdjuo0PxpEWyx2JmnsjTFmqZb_Tb9LUsTy1DSVsxOFZh6RZv5na0AobjxqqWmndC8jhwkEm54FbpfXQ/w221-h221/Rain_pattern.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Year of Development:</span> 1965</div><div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Country of Development:</u> East Germany</div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> Developed from the "Splittertarnmuster", the Rain pattern became on of the camo patterns of the Warsaw Pact. </div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most Famous Variant:</span> The Bulgarian Frog-and-Rain Pattern</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Still in Use?</u> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Tigerstripe</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtAV1sjJLsa-6cT4k1zgHgIF-NN2u0Fr-MRSC3SAflKV6mY3eoqZvjdTBZ864-dYjTKMrVgKG-8KFLRsKZiTcQJ_U_VRcGnE0zhiz_5iUxlEtUjqr52X-2ml4vuLXJ9Yd3HOuCUHINVGwnCcrfFeqj3UCc3StrgWGt971ovjLI773NOODYTUGDfx4bVg=s1000" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="559" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtAV1sjJLsa-6cT4k1zgHgIF-NN2u0Fr-MRSC3SAflKV6mY3eoqZvjdTBZ864-dYjTKMrVgKG-8KFLRsKZiTcQJ_U_VRcGnE0zhiz_5iUxlEtUjqr52X-2ml4vuLXJ9Yd3HOuCUHINVGwnCcrfFeqj3UCc3StrgWGt971ovjLI773NOODYTUGDfx4bVg=w224-h400" width="224" /></a></div><div><div><u>Year of Development:</u> 1962?</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Country of Development:</span> South Vietnam?</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Importance:</span> This camo pattern is very famous and is iconic of the Vietnam War...however, it's origin story is unknown. It is believed to have been developed from the French Lizard pattern due to the French colonization of Vietnam and the use of the French Lizard pattern with Vietnamese forces on both side of the Indochina War. The South Vietnam military developed and used Tigerstripe camo patterned uniforms for their more elite forces. During the American Vietnam War, US specialized units, like MACVSOG, Navy SEALs, and LRRP. After the war, Tigerstripe was adopted by a number of nations and 19 different variants were made with the pattern still being tested and issued. When I was growing in the 1980s, this was the badass pattern and I still wear a tigerstripe variant to paintball in woodland colors. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Most (In)Famous Variant:</span> The USAF Airman Battle Uniform<br /><br /></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Still Used?</span> Oh yeah...</div></div><u><div><br /></div></u><div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Why Doesn't the IDF use Camo Patterned Uniforms?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWZ-VeRNIBNCT5uqjLY0hS0oq4Nzmi_xymzAkV76M4gAnPvpVPG_lupLKeZWVvJSbFY90t4T6VJGY15hWRXUFiNSgvWVlfo1QPacKQHebnYS5VUZmHqQgplSfoG6fNxKpUfjSs5ZUs-jXMyHVYj_h06r1chhvzezrmQK51psWhR0iKFUe6Y4NRKKA5Dg=s581" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="581" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWZ-VeRNIBNCT5uqjLY0hS0oq4Nzmi_xymzAkV76M4gAnPvpVPG_lupLKeZWVvJSbFY90t4T6VJGY15hWRXUFiNSgvWVlfo1QPacKQHebnYS5VUZmHqQgplSfoG6fNxKpUfjSs5ZUs-jXMyHVYj_h06r1chhvzezrmQK51psWhR0iKFUe6Y4NRKKA5Dg=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>While nearly all of the world military organizations don some sort of camo patterned field uniforms. However, one of the combat experienced armies in the entire world, the IDF, does not...so, why not? To be fair, the IDF has in the past had some units that did indeed wear camouflage uniforms that were mostly reused French "lizard" camo pattern uniforms that were given to Israel by France seen in the Six Day War. At one point during the early years of the IDF soldiers worn OD, Khaki, and French lizard camo uniforms (referred to as "tiger suit" camo by some online). </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC85cS8t_e6L8K9DHSLLbsvLreC8YTyponKDom1eOA9ULDnGHMba-6XIB2uTDp6H8QD5w8kNLmnZ5svtVVpm2kCQIu81yU-5XQWOAda1cpIxZEBUcNrc7bYALDvrNbMR6xa4vwEjPo9wdphEu7nMFhmMfF7nhwiPhMaF3AX8UHz7fRHBCrUQuKAvnOng=s980" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="980" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC85cS8t_e6L8K9DHSLLbsvLreC8YTyponKDom1eOA9ULDnGHMba-6XIB2uTDp6H8QD5w8kNLmnZ5svtVVpm2kCQIu81yU-5XQWOAda1cpIxZEBUcNrc7bYALDvrNbMR6xa4vwEjPo9wdphEu7nMFhmMfF7nhwiPhMaF3AX8UHz7fRHBCrUQuKAvnOng=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>According to a retired IDF reservist from the 188th Armored, Michael Davison, he said that he was issued the French Lizard camo patterned uniforms in the 1970’s. From his post, this camo uniform was the same issued to 1970’s Paratroopers. This uniform was dropped to some near friendly-fire incidents due some PLO and other groups using camo patterned uniforms. From the 1950’s onward, the standard “work” uniform of the IDF is OD fatigues that are very similar to the US BDUs with some modifications. This was a simple solution to the nature of the local environmental conditions that region of the Middle East. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheVudGGEnOkPRM49mnk6SkTnxhrIJJv3wCPAfsnKefUbHYkvCUpItjOGesyBu_S44S8gqVX3Rm9rEAalhCyvvQL1G0RB6Z3_esLbH4ccN9RBxyxwEmBd4JCczsEr6Eu7UBmYzffrYypVtmRxVVkd7Sc99p0RX5nrgXBWYxRiu9Bs2_oYYvTEY_FYT2ag=s2122" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="2122" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheVudGGEnOkPRM49mnk6SkTnxhrIJJv3wCPAfsnKefUbHYkvCUpItjOGesyBu_S44S8gqVX3Rm9rEAalhCyvvQL1G0RB6Z3_esLbH4ccN9RBxyxwEmBd4JCczsEr6Eu7UBmYzffrYypVtmRxVVkd7Sc99p0RX5nrgXBWYxRiu9Bs2_oYYvTEY_FYT2ag=w400-h263" width="400" /></a></div>One camouflage element worn by IDF soldiers for their OR-201 helmets is the Mitznefet. In a Slate article from August 2006 that sums up things better than I could, stated this: “<i><b><span style="color: red;">The hat—called a mitznefet in Hebrew—attaches to a regular combat helmet and obscures its rigid, round shape. As the mitznefet flops about, it takes on an irregular form that's harder to recognize in a shadow or out of the corner of your eye. The hat also protects against the sun and the moon, which might reflect off the surface of the helmet. A standard mitznefet consists of reversible mesh fabric, with a greenish woodland camouflage print on one side and a brown desert print on the other...What does the word mitznefet mean? One common translation is "clown hat," but the term has some more dignified connotations. The biblical Book of Exodus uses *mitznefet *to describe the ancient headgear of the Jewish high priests. As such, the word has been translated as "mitre" or "headdress." But some biblical scholars think *mitznefet *comes from the root "to wrap," and say that a better translation would be "turban."</span></b></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnE7c34fvT-JvLA-x0CMJ0NCHme30PA5zYvaaBzRYPztUhnWP0kgs8Wdfr0ukPAIV2aGwm7JgBAP1jIfOvqFYNvkHEovbVP9-Ns4uCVqhW4zA-Zkx80YyVYttQ5Ct_Ihm7GTJqfk4e3PXmWkDaknvKGADUlu6rQf2M3vE5Lr_2RMnR5-S5rsaCyeZoVw=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnE7c34fvT-JvLA-x0CMJ0NCHme30PA5zYvaaBzRYPztUhnWP0kgs8Wdfr0ukPAIV2aGwm7JgBAP1jIfOvqFYNvkHEovbVP9-Ns4uCVqhW4zA-Zkx80YyVYttQ5Ct_Ihm7GTJqfk4e3PXmWkDaknvKGADUlu6rQf2M3vE5Lr_2RMnR5-S5rsaCyeZoVw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Then, it seemed, that the IDF maybe changing from their familiar OD fatigues to their own take on modern camo patterned uniforms. In 2018, the IDF was testing a new camouflage pattern for a month with about 350 soldiers taking part in the camo testing group. These soldiers are from, as reported by the <u>Times of Israel</u>, the: Paratroopers Brigade’s training base, the mixed-gender Bardelas and Lions of the Valley battalions, the Home Front Command, the Military Intelligence’s Unit 8200, the Israeli Air Force’s Air Defense Command, the Ground Forces’ shooting instructor unit, and the Israeli Navy’s Red Sea patrol unit. However, the experiment was ended and the new uniforms were not accepted by the IDF and they are currently maintaining their OD fatigues. At this point in military history, the IDF OD combat/work fatigue uniform is the longest serving uniform. </div><div> <br /></div><div><b><u>The Digital Camouflage Revolution and the United States Armed Forces Growing Pains</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkp4S0AZx7v0RPAdPbuzy-5VxW1TKs7mj9E_sKN4IJaGJGrPYpU2MqK6ghFLK05rGFfz0bjKEvXYs0rMSNvK8jVo21SE8uv6-LEuUhhHtMW7c_2u4jxmdh3OQG4ssvZUdK00Sgff3cyBLYNs5C8GFyADmu5ylNkdUY30tgOMH3LKB0DCjt8WlkQQbqZQ=s400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkp4S0AZx7v0RPAdPbuzy-5VxW1TKs7mj9E_sKN4IJaGJGrPYpU2MqK6ghFLK05rGFfz0bjKEvXYs0rMSNvK8jVo21SE8uv6-LEuUhhHtMW7c_2u4jxmdh3OQG4ssvZUdK00Sgff3cyBLYNs5C8GFyADmu5ylNkdUY30tgOMH3LKB0DCjt8WlkQQbqZQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>The military history of camouflage patterns is relatively short when compared to the history of the sword or the gun. In that limited history of about 100 years, there is a current major revolution in the world of military camouflage: digital camo patterns. While many believe that the first issued digital camouflage was the US Marine Corps "MARPAT", it is actually older than I originally believed. Some of the "digital camouflage" patterns we know make use of micro and macro patterns, and this ideal was first tested by the 3rd Reich via the man who developed the camo patterns for the SS: Johann Georg Otto Schick. His ideas were later recycled into the development of the West German standard camo pattern. Another element of the digital camo pattern is the pixeled look and that was experimented by the USSR in the 1940's with the "TTsMKK"pattern. This was used by Albania for their camo pattern for Special Operations soldier's uniforms up until the 1990's. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEHvdOtrzCOoLEIc_a2uvDEKkD_t3q8tITUV-f6NoevT5yyZzudOtUSzvLmroezybMz7MI97bhS4nWz46RpJ2RADfmEEAQnIxGK_0UOaMSKxONrA5WZ2VQLWCcaRGthNAt-Oh3d57NqsgA3Ms_zz3Z-zeY_yHWUe4RoXF8fLQ0B6ljwe_WoCczKUN_nw=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1200" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEHvdOtrzCOoLEIc_a2uvDEKkD_t3q8tITUV-f6NoevT5yyZzudOtUSzvLmroezybMz7MI97bhS4nWz46RpJ2RADfmEEAQnIxGK_0UOaMSKxONrA5WZ2VQLWCcaRGthNAt-Oh3d57NqsgA3Ms_zz3Z-zeY_yHWUe4RoXF8fLQ0B6ljwe_WoCczKUN_nw=w400-h259" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div>After the Timothy O’Neil experiments with the tank “digital” camo patterns in the 1970's, there was another digital-like camouflage pattern prior to CADPAT: The US Desert Night Camo pattern. When the US began to develop a desert camouflage pattern after 1973 when it looked more likely that US Forces could be involved in a Middle Eastern conflict. The desert pattern that came out of the tests is the six-color desert camouflage or the iconic “Chocolate Chip” of the 1st Gulf War. During this, a night desert camo pattern was developed to obscure the wearer from Soviet Night Vision equipment of the 1970’s. The pattern was chosen after the evaluation period was a OD green and black grid pattern with spots and it did enter into limited service in a jacket for the cold desert nights. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn2GbOfa_HjG7Yre7JWzO9xRsBB3fuLq7EUcS8ki9N3DzQJrdIP12TBBzUJoX9JtFELKi23S1IIJJJ9f4xlotRmmAH0uvb_XPcytIuRGy35FKaAmTgzRJBJ0da657VW-XuUpi58oQa_EXHAFlHYUthmFDzH8OVTbU6I76hgXMXJk_26Oth5oMVVhKegw=s628" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="628" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn2GbOfa_HjG7Yre7JWzO9xRsBB3fuLq7EUcS8ki9N3DzQJrdIP12TBBzUJoX9JtFELKi23S1IIJJJ9f4xlotRmmAH0uvb_XPcytIuRGy35FKaAmTgzRJBJ0da657VW-XuUpi58oQa_EXHAFlHYUthmFDzH8OVTbU6I76hgXMXJk_26Oth5oMVVhKegw=w400-h223" width="400" /></a></div>By the time it was rolled out, the pattern was obsolete due to advancements in Soviet NVD technology and certainly by the time of the 1st Gulf War. However, the Desert Night Camouflage (DNC) has lived on to this very day due to its unique look in both the civilian and Special Operations world with Operators in Afghanistan being seen wearing DNC patterned jackets. The DNC is important in the discussing of military camo patterns overall and in American military camo. As one article put it, this was the first camo pattern to defeat an image technology and to be used at night only, along with being one of the first “digital” camo patterns officially adopted by a military organization. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiajhnf38r-Kp1efUHsTSn3LssNoIOjQxYyrKZ-7S5WYtA1kQS5XKI6wL5lGuyc3UNQ6HrPzfERI_STVRyHESzyy-WTbEo6IAgmuTTwoWZZBmT5rQ4iuWZihFXwn9QtKxephKi-omSIrc35got5Y579gx5-nkggTFc8sKmLgxhdkqLbyjyRR6r5_YqJQw=s1080" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1080" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiajhnf38r-Kp1efUHsTSn3LssNoIOjQxYyrKZ-7S5WYtA1kQS5XKI6wL5lGuyc3UNQ6HrPzfERI_STVRyHESzyy-WTbEo6IAgmuTTwoWZZBmT5rQ4iuWZihFXwn9QtKxephKi-omSIrc35got5Y579gx5-nkggTFc8sKmLgxhdkqLbyjyRR6r5_YqJQw=w400-h250" width="400" /></a></div>Then came the first digital camouflage patterned military combat uniform and this was developed by Canada: The CADPAT. One of the odd elements of the story of Canada adopting a next-generation, cutting edge camo pattern is that the Canadian Army did not really use camouflage prior to this. Through several programs, projects, and studies, the Canadian Army, via their "Clothe the Soldier" Project, designed the pattern that would be the Canadian Disruptive Pattern or the CADPAT after 10 years. First issued in 1997, this was the first computer-generated digital camouflage pattern and was the vanguard for this modern trend. From the woodland pattern, the Canadian military added three more in service: arid, winter, and a multi-terrain. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7epKFbSzwvr-rhJtOSSESVXpwzO4G7MUtbp6u7uIBEZTfK5_dhOYdSysW6pAAYzPfbMVL7G1MgpbLizP_lcH8rf1C5ELhQRmDgNv1arKhnplIypyi9J5-l0p0rvDN1uDOZg1JKXyXJd94DamFLoTHtw8vvMkn9lR4cvYxMuXC9LQBfwdGMv3ZsdsDGA=s800" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7epKFbSzwvr-rhJtOSSESVXpwzO4G7MUtbp6u7uIBEZTfK5_dhOYdSysW6pAAYzPfbMVL7G1MgpbLizP_lcH8rf1C5ELhQRmDgNv1arKhnplIypyi9J5-l0p0rvDN1uDOZg1JKXyXJd94DamFLoTHtw8vvMkn9lR4cvYxMuXC9LQBfwdGMv3ZsdsDGA=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>In 2011, there was a project to develop an urban pattern of CADPAT, however, it does not seem to have been adopted. From this point onward, the digital camouflage pattern revolution was beginning. The first US military digital camo was very close to the CADPAT and was developed for the US Marines. According to articles I read on the relationship between CADPAT and MARPAT, the USMC basically took their research and copied it to a point. Much like the CADPAT, the USMC had a desert and did research into an unique urban pattern. However, this urban pattern, like many attempts an officially issued urban camo pattern, was not issued. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghVJUvQbWBcwVI6wUFJ9_SgEih6wAj6HwSeunosz3ESj2m-aSeT1XuNHiJ2VSNnxi8uc71XJ0c3rNWKMi_Dl0pJmUDV5f5hxnpGExS5SFPa9tDDtMIibHlVHK8q3WLVxiEYICQsTf0OP-Uk_RpkTxW_g1j-flyIOnyvlQ8TizVmobtMEFGGeD_c9yMxA=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghVJUvQbWBcwVI6wUFJ9_SgEih6wAj6HwSeunosz3ESj2m-aSeT1XuNHiJ2VSNnxi8uc71XJ0c3rNWKMi_Dl0pJmUDV5f5hxnpGExS5SFPa9tDDtMIibHlVHK8q3WLVxiEYICQsTf0OP-Uk_RpkTxW_g1j-flyIOnyvlQ8TizVmobtMEFGGeD_c9yMxA=w400-h266" width="400" /></a>With these officially issued digital patterns of military camouflage by two major military organizations, the rest of the world took notice and to this very day, military organizations, tactical gear companies, and defense contractors are making the switch to the digital camo patterns. For example, one of the most popular traditional camo pattern is the British DPM and after decades of service, the pattern was replaced with the new Multi-Terrain Pattern in 2010 (seen in photo). Another element that did change as well during the digital camo revolution was the uniform itself. Velco pockets, banded collars and pocket placed for tactical gear considerations as well were developed over the more tradition BDUs.</div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCXHIUIaAm-H_J08qpfzOdICYAtn9b25IcfyOypgMkPqTUaxLRvVjXKvYWaeBsx3ERq-tv6hAMeJBF3II5bCfRhfkmmUN4kYy0wKlaA7FPQ-6cSJfGq23GZEvAPpr2LR8lWz-HsVU7NzG3in4k_ZwiYK2JfL7Qwbszpz64ItO7kRiq76JUxI6IyQfyfA=s1024" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCXHIUIaAm-H_J08qpfzOdICYAtn9b25IcfyOypgMkPqTUaxLRvVjXKvYWaeBsx3ERq-tv6hAMeJBF3II5bCfRhfkmmUN4kYy0wKlaA7FPQ-6cSJfGq23GZEvAPpr2LR8lWz-HsVU7NzG3in4k_ZwiYK2JfL7Qwbszpz64ItO7kRiq76JUxI6IyQfyfA=w400-h266" width="400" /></a>However, that switch has not been without its own issues and the none more acute than the rest of the US Armed Services. The US Army, the US Navy, and the US Air Force made several attempts at their own digital camo patterned uniforms that ended in failure and massive costs until most of the US armed forces adopted the OCP Pattern. With the success of the homework-copied MARPAT from CADPAT, the US Army developed their own multi-terrain digital camo pattern, the UCP. From 2003-2004, the Natick Soldier Center worked on six patterns and oddly, the one that got selected was not really evaluated or tested to the same degree as the others patterns. </div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinM-9aam9xlCWJplQP4E6wAKQLbor_AnuOsQD6SG47RqI5bNH2wju1qnJoAmmEcTNvYs6-4uAlMGFyzLECW57AvCc30aziVjDhXaYgxX4ta9uSwZI7gRONXO89031-UVnCrGKNHaCPUq1NWNxhS70EQQi_vbcraiZLNKWMSLgbVG7TW4dCDvtXdilsDg=s720" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="720" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinM-9aam9xlCWJplQP4E6wAKQLbor_AnuOsQD6SG47RqI5bNH2wju1qnJoAmmEcTNvYs6-4uAlMGFyzLECW57AvCc30aziVjDhXaYgxX4ta9uSwZI7gRONXO89031-UVnCrGKNHaCPUq1NWNxhS70EQQi_vbcraiZLNKWMSLgbVG7TW4dCDvtXdilsDg=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div>When the US Army UCP ACU digital camo pattern entered into the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, it was plain to see that this pattern did not work and the soldiers hated it as well. It would be replaced by the US Army variant of the Crye Multicam pattern in 2014 and 2015 now known as Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). It should be noted, that some Special Operation units did not ever use the ACU and used Multicam or continued to use the 3-color desert. With the failure of the US Air Force Tigerstripe-based ABU, they would also adopt the OCP along with their US Space Force (it <b><u>should be</u></b> the US Space Command...fucking morons)brethren. It is a pity that the ABU tigerstripe was not in the color pattern of the OCP...and it may have worked then and been something different for the USAF. The US Navy had their own issues with their own in-house developed Battle Dress Oceanic blue digital pattern for the Navy Working Uniform, also known as "the Blueberries". This uniform was dumped in favor of the NWU Type III that has more MARPAT coloring and appearance. After billions of dollars wasted, it seems that the US military has settled into the camo patterned uniforms that will be in service for the next two decades. </div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><b>Beyond the Passive Camo Patterns: Active Camouflage</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfE1w-SA28o_S405cnfYn-dRjFEuTx9b-BuBm-YKVO6idC9rDLTgrTU4sJGE9tR9ZLFl26txO-Jyd0PBpDrbaeGPDX7TVAEB6EVCZrRjLN48Uh-X-xpXu_Ez4SdlBFXKBeKnDfIJQvnKqSmS691WkuKaA5_A6X-bLJvELhEZ3h7uv61IhwZi3ri06RQ/s360/TtC1.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="360" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfE1w-SA28o_S405cnfYn-dRjFEuTx9b-BuBm-YKVO6idC9rDLTgrTU4sJGE9tR9ZLFl26txO-Jyd0PBpDrbaeGPDX7TVAEB6EVCZrRjLN48Uh-X-xpXu_Ez4SdlBFXKBeKnDfIJQvnKqSmS691WkuKaA5_A6X-bLJvELhEZ3h7uv61IhwZi3ri06RQ/w400-h225/TtC1.gif" width="400" /></a></div>The majority of camouflage in the nature and all man-made world is a static or passive pattern than blends, as best it can, into the local conditions. However, within the animal world, some creatures can adapt on-the-fly with color and/or counter-illumination changes. In the creative minds of fiction writers and creators, active camo is the future with aliens hunting humans in jungles and ringed space stations. At times, human donning powered armor use active camo “cloaking” technology to disappear and wreak havoc on the alien invaders. The catch is that like “normal” camouflage, motion decreases the effect, and that active camo is most effective at one angle. In fictional active camo systems, often motion, the “simmer effect”, and power demands decrease the effeteness of these active camo system. We shall see if the current research into Active Camo bears fruit and some believe that Active Camo technology is already used...</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>T</u></b><b><u>he Myth of Urban Camouflage</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVKVAb9cbWS1SAA0wMbujP9sgvQqHYSWFJY6ZeYDeAnhuGUOPfIdHRln_X-dbCtl1BS0U6TnSdGU8Vrf7c0dvt2qu6XzpxMFIaN2gEKXk3Zwt_TeJFfJs6OvH1f9niwCixEiU_4IIW0ASOUdImDE4JIt2FeV7B5ae8Ai8JQ4GuaI_PXL0-AygIb5GYZA=s509" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVKVAb9cbWS1SAA0wMbujP9sgvQqHYSWFJY6ZeYDeAnhuGUOPfIdHRln_X-dbCtl1BS0U6TnSdGU8Vrf7c0dvt2qu6XzpxMFIaN2gEKXk3Zwt_TeJFfJs6OvH1f9niwCixEiU_4IIW0ASOUdImDE4JIt2FeV7B5ae8Ai8JQ4GuaI_PXL0-AygIb5GYZA=w333-h400" width="333" /></a></div>Going up in the 1980's and being very aware of the world of the military, there was this "look" for urban operations and the operators engaged in them that I noticed. For me, this was encapsulated in the first <i>RAINBOW 6</i> game in 1998 with the FBI HRT themed loadouts. Given the increase of urban warfare operations likely in modern warfare, military organizations, military suppliers, and specialized law enforcement groups began to look beyond grey and black BDUs to something more akin to the M81 Woodland camo pattern for the city environment. In the United States, there was a recoloring of the M81 Woodland pattern for urban environments with whites, greys, and black mixed. This pattern was never officially used by US forces, but used by various SWAT units, TV/movie productions, video games, and AirSoft/Paintball players. The issue with this pattern that it doesn't work and actually stands out when used and partly this is due to the challenges of the urban battlefield. For most urban operations conducting during the 1980’s and 1990’s, color pattern was whatever the soldier would normally wear for the broad environmental conditions, which would be mostly desert or woodland patterns. For targeted urban operations by Special Operations and/or specialized Law Enforcement, the camo pattern was an all-black or grey look. This was seen during the legendary Operation: NIMROD conducted by the back-clad (ninja) SAS at Princess Gate in 1980. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggunfDICedvooU3HoLJeBK-wZPHPtW8ykGhy_jyAKR5RhUFwP8VZL1mWJ5MgMV3KEbH00sSWtSr99sCmHNpyTZRFLTDG8RolJ7nIAV4oZvUyKXoPGLrqaKZjQ8gNfMH5UV-Pb-BGepQbqe4CD8pLrV27x-ElnCJCGNcoclEaqTHDY1RUqD7B8O7Q6HPg=s640" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggunfDICedvooU3HoLJeBK-wZPHPtW8ykGhy_jyAKR5RhUFwP8VZL1mWJ5MgMV3KEbH00sSWtSr99sCmHNpyTZRFLTDG8RolJ7nIAV4oZvUyKXoPGLrqaKZjQ8gNfMH5UV-Pb-BGepQbqe4CD8pLrV27x-ElnCJCGNcoclEaqTHDY1RUqD7B8O7Q6HPg=w268-h400" width="268" /></a></div>However, it was the bloody and brutal urban combat of the Battle of Mogadishu (10/3-4/1993) that started the ball rolling on development of official urban camouflage pattern for the US military as well as an increase in urban operations training via USMC Operation URBAN WARRIOR and the MOUT facilities. During this time in this time period in the mid-1990’s, both the US Marines and US Army evaluated urban camo patterns in 2 or 3 color patterns. The most famous is the nearly mythical “Urban-T” pattern worn by US Marines for the 1998 and 1999 Operation URBAN WARRIOR training exercises. This blocked pattern on the tradition BDU uniform was colored in black and a light and darker grey that in some examples formed the letter “T”. While there were lessons learned from the exercises that aided in current operations, the Urban T camo pattern was not continued by the USMC. This Urban-T is one of the most sought-after camo patterns of all time due to rarity (about 800 examples were produced for the exercises) and how different is from other US camo patterns. While the Urban-T was not adopted, during the development and roll-out of the US Marines Digital Camouflage (MARPAT) pattern, there was an urban pattern researched, but it was not adopted. Given all of the examples of military organizations, Law Enforcement, and private companies involved in repeated development and then abandonment of urban camouflage and the few examples of officially adopted urban camo patterns, what is the deal with urban camouflage? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlQH0VMatn6XczAxjwRteVg7IV1yIovWdIl_CLKbofpI85bOfG5ZvC1_d-Hg1ewsij2dL9ZSbHERJXzo85BLxRiXlpgRRYnj_P_clJCLHuwsDz3YtB5j39yTSdD9R5ckQAoTY-grxLqp-Wc58yYkw11hps1ejoCPb18tDZlwJengpLm8d_NKt0EwPvqA=s640" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlQH0VMatn6XczAxjwRteVg7IV1yIovWdIl_CLKbofpI85bOfG5ZvC1_d-Hg1ewsij2dL9ZSbHERJXzo85BLxRiXlpgRRYnj_P_clJCLHuwsDz3YtB5j39yTSdD9R5ckQAoTY-grxLqp-Wc58yYkw11hps1ejoCPb18tDZlwJengpLm8d_NKt0EwPvqA=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>Simply put, the urban environment is too diverse in patterns, colors, and shades that resist the blanket environmental camouflage patterns like jungle, woodland, and desert. For example, soldiers assaulting a major urban center like New York, London, Tokyo, or Moscow might be fine with some sort of urban camo more in the grey hues, it would not work for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that I live in, which has a mix of green spaces among the dense urban terrain of downtown Dallas. Take Albuquerque or Santa Fe New Mexico were my family is from, desert or multi-cam would be worn for the local conditions and building material style more than woodland or even tradition urban camo patterns. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmRecqkNMKPBh_V0SWSxvpdLjLpiLGwr4XIIhaVOO1RGy4Y0rsw1e3GykLDCEMBf3X0PIw73vuS0GJ9JKRRxXxKxUQfGnxvbbMWfYBUUo7fk7JGrIq1m9f2riJgANnOvJTWDK9WJjn2KO-KYvKkoL0OMg8MTynWzrzXdlMsPJXvJ8wNUIRVn3s4pXu7A=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmRecqkNMKPBh_V0SWSxvpdLjLpiLGwr4XIIhaVOO1RGy4Y0rsw1e3GykLDCEMBf3X0PIw73vuS0GJ9JKRRxXxKxUQfGnxvbbMWfYBUUo7fk7JGrIq1m9f2riJgANnOvJTWDK9WJjn2KO-KYvKkoL0OMg8MTynWzrzXdlMsPJXvJ8wNUIRVn3s4pXu7A=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>Even when I played paintball in more urban conditions, the few players that worn urban-like camo were easy to see, while I, in my woodland tiger-stripe camo pattern with black gear was more obscured. During the winter and fall in Texas, I wore three-color desert to blend in better in the local conditions when at my local paintball fields. Then there is the issue of logistics. During combat, where forces can flow from different battlefields and operational areas, switching out tactical gear and uniforms can be impossible as well as impractical. Think of the paratroopers during the Normandy invasion. They flowed over a few days from the French countryside to villages to towns without changing from their original uniforms. We saw this in Iraq and Afghanistan as well where forces patrolled or were sucked into firefights that ranged from the open desert, mountains, into villages and cities. This is way there has been a move towards a single multi-environmental camouflage pattern that would go from the woods to the streets…which is a great deal to ask of a camo pattern and mostly fails.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7Ydspm4OFlEp2DRkDWf4xJecWJZ4JVN7_WehuMCguEDrwVLQpTyTChTm20cPStjOkCkYsloOXaqu285XRsY8nuldaPQ1iGyoe2c31hiEGvEiYazIKdW8-4NVAsCTfnpH9cfZT2N5cTBrrXKZvC0lwO8PYw0MrblwMI3ipZFKbZWUprrP89t3zGyStdA=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7Ydspm4OFlEp2DRkDWf4xJecWJZ4JVN7_WehuMCguEDrwVLQpTyTChTm20cPStjOkCkYsloOXaqu285XRsY8nuldaPQ1iGyoe2c31hiEGvEiYazIKdW8-4NVAsCTfnpH9cfZT2N5cTBrrXKZvC0lwO8PYw0MrblwMI3ipZFKbZWUprrP89t3zGyStdA=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Recently, the British Army has been researching an...unique...take on the issue of urban camo with their "red brick" urban camo pattern for uniforms and armored vehicles. This pattern is called "Urban Pattern" (UP) and comes seven years after the introduction of the British Army’s Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) camouflage that replaced the long-used DPM. The idea of UP was for a pattern to be used for built up areas in Europe that the UP comes in Brick (pictured), Stone, or Pebble Dash. According to some articles I read, the Brick UP camo was first seen in 2016 during an exercise, but the Pebble Dash and Stone have not been seen outside of the MoD. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8nZaUhv0uwrvyhLKiT8fuFSM1dHdhr68d-PUnAMObvNBqme4WK4eRr2k9_pk4jviFMr_VeTUiD03IhFTIRAcc7Y7ivC0Hf5egNskpZHq8JQN2ZuulbR2bvCSIsDG9XN5JUKku3gS2sSAy4fl7KsI7b6iHai_FosXCa4F6n1HTCtRbilgAk7oxghgQ-Q=s1094" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1094" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8nZaUhv0uwrvyhLKiT8fuFSM1dHdhr68d-PUnAMObvNBqme4WK4eRr2k9_pk4jviFMr_VeTUiD03IhFTIRAcc7Y7ivC0Hf5egNskpZHq8JQN2ZuulbR2bvCSIsDG9XN5JUKku3gS2sSAy4fl7KsI7b6iHai_FosXCa4F6n1HTCtRbilgAk7oxghgQ-Q=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div>There are even rumors SAS and SBS testing the new UP camouflage in British towns and cities without being spotted by the civilians. However, there is the real urban camouflage that is not a camo pattern. As we have learned from urban police departments, plainsclothed police can melt into the local population to conduct undercover operations and eyes-on surveillance. And this is the same for Special Operations, where the best "urban camouflage" is appearing as everyone else. This was used in Afghanistan and Iraq with Special Operations units using local clothing for conducting covert operations that are more than direct action missions. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjizzDBToTsoYU2ZfotcSApkhiAP7xPDUmi94hY21lYeC4MwqAFYEOuCrqsOYtb665Ee7ECRhwVPSkq-t-bzagdINNQRSIRqwsc4REMxJQkn8HaqtOLR9KJ-CTF-NYwLBfYdnmQFAjSFCtNh2chZeNSJ97v2yyXizNeJyIBPnoXOTCmb8l3d1KDjEHCKg=s2500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjizzDBToTsoYU2ZfotcSApkhiAP7xPDUmi94hY21lYeC4MwqAFYEOuCrqsOYtb665Ee7ECRhwVPSkq-t-bzagdINNQRSIRqwsc4REMxJQkn8HaqtOLR9KJ-CTF-NYwLBfYdnmQFAjSFCtNh2chZeNSJ97v2yyXizNeJyIBPnoXOTCmb8l3d1KDjEHCKg=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div>Currently, special law enforcement units, like SWAT & FBI HRT, are using current US multi-cam patterns, like OCP, as was seen law enforcement units involve in the Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis. Personally, I am against local, state, and federal Law Enforcement specialized tactical units wearing military camo patterns. These SWAT units are not military and there laws against military units being used on US soil (Posse Comitatus Act), and this blurs the lines. I firmly believe that SWAT-like LE units should be using wolf grey coloring for their specialized officers to hold the line between SWAT and Special Operations. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Myth of the Universal Camo Pattern</u></b></div><div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki8hknKJwZ3TuOw0hQwFXrN0sX70_w8cgahWxwIzr2MOfcXjpCa0jFc-uf_g8nX0XvmivtSdRTEXoiAj7lD7lbfbh4iyQ5dap5bVN76q3lJtXmdTIS1uZj48md65v-q8IQpZ6Mo_k7ZVW/s640/696px-us_army_at_khost_province_of_afghanistan-495x640.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="495" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki8hknKJwZ3TuOw0hQwFXrN0sX70_w8cgahWxwIzr2MOfcXjpCa0jFc-uf_g8nX0XvmivtSdRTEXoiAj7lD7lbfbh4iyQ5dap5bVN76q3lJtXmdTIS1uZj48md65v-q8IQpZ6Mo_k7ZVW/w310-h400/696px-us_army_at_khost_province_of_afghanistan-495x640.jpg" width="310" /></a>It seems that since the development of official camouflage uniforms in the late 19th century with the Khaki of the British Indian Army, there has been the concept that one day, science would allow for the development of a universal camouflage pattern (UCP) or all-terrain pattern (ALLTPAT). this concept of the ALLTPAT camo makes science fiction creators and logistic officers wet with the possibilities. However, it is just a myth and the prime example is the terrible US Army ACU UCP and its $5 billion failure. While the concept of a single camo pattern for military use would be wonderful for logistical considerations, it is not realistic. As we have seen with Crye Precision's Multicam pattern, there can be multi-terrain camouflage that works in woodland, jungle, and some arid conditions and even some "urban" conditions as well, it will not work in the snow or other environmental conditions. Of course, military camo patterns are not designed or even intend to transform each soldier or marine into an alien trophy hunter, but to obscure and blend. There is no current printed camo pattern that likely will ever be able to conform and obscure the wear in all environmental terrains and conditions. However, that is not to say that material science will not design a technology allowing for an active camouflage garment to allow the wearer to blend into any environmental condition as we see in the animal kingdom. It highly likely that the first users of active camo on a military application will be military vehicles as we witnessed with the Israeli Eltics and BAE Systems Adaptiv. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Outer Space Camo Pattern?</u></b></div><div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSX0xHpOnlKVzDhdd7x2d3rar_X1JdhUKdDINZsEFK2hR-5AHOfSChlg-hVFEaO_ZwL2M9ySCH8YbiLzWmqO0JRWeKWAoxo3hMELd9E6IuheUxJCd6cjSFUXACCerBjgDnxEMVSipGu_8-/s736/e67cd9bbd857a6e61fb289be1250444e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="616" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSX0xHpOnlKVzDhdd7x2d3rar_X1JdhUKdDINZsEFK2hR-5AHOfSChlg-hVFEaO_ZwL2M9ySCH8YbiLzWmqO0JRWeKWAoxo3hMELd9E6IuheUxJCd6cjSFUXACCerBjgDnxEMVSipGu_8-/s320/e67cd9bbd857a6e61fb289be1250444e.jpg" /></a>There are many jokes about the current US Space Force camo pattern duty uniforms that were culled from the US Army OCP and the possibility of space-themed camo patterns...but, that got me to thinking...could there be a space camo pattern? This is not about off-world exo-environmental camo patterns like we witnessed in AVATAR and ALIENS, but actually camo patterns designed for combat EVA mission in the near-vacuum of outer space, like we have seen in the orbital FPS <i>Boundary </i>or in those two missions in <i>COD: Ghosts</i>. Because I was stumped on if this could actually be a good idea to apply orbital camo to a combat space suit, I reached to Winchell Chung of Atomic Rockets. He said: "<b><i><span style="color: red;">camo should work in space. The question is what sort of background can be expected in various space war theatres. Note, the space suit heat radiators will show up when viewed with infrared goggles</span></i></b>." As with many things in space combat, heat is the enemy. This also goes back to a point I asked when I was a kid: "Why are space suits white?" Well, the original Mercury astronauts wore silver suits...but when the astronauts began to perform EVAs and moon walks, the color switched to white for both NASA and the Soviet space program. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdOWXVegQZnZnbWji2-eg5m5Rk2EUHQyEqJL6TwSZdqYb4lRiIA5g3nKfWMpG9p4M560aNtRyctuOMVN7eX141OrIGEbbbjtF61cSW5secvLpWMmFEc0fjJ9kHfXBcGUAfD1dqP1L3F9X/s1000/intro-1595714044.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdOWXVegQZnZnbWji2-eg5m5Rk2EUHQyEqJL6TwSZdqYb4lRiIA5g3nKfWMpG9p4M560aNtRyctuOMVN7eX141OrIGEbbbjtF61cSW5secvLpWMmFEc0fjJ9kHfXBcGUAfD1dqP1L3F9X/w400-h225/intro-1595714044.jpg" width="400" /></a>The reason for the white color, even after Labor Day, is radiation and heat. White is best color to keep the astronauts safe from radiation in outer space that our own atmosphere here on Terra keeps us safe from killing us. The reflective nature of white keeps this radiation and heat from harming the astronauts. It is also easier to visually pick out the astronaut while they are working outside the space station or space vehicle from the dark background of orbital space. The space suits worn for a manned mission on Mars could be different colors due to the EVA being conducted on a planetary body with some sort of atmosphere. <br />
<br /><u><div style="font-weight: bold;"><u><b>Will There be Exo-Environment Off-World Camouflage Patterns?</b></u></div></u><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4AvzShjxPs-72PCSNFr2CTBXo2QF-DEfdGfmEz8-dofRieAL4uMzRX_cUvgDjsxpFiJY1aEey0YfiYWya8t_SOfBAw7YHq7FRIcweImzlEZLKJpg1-SkMf1RUTeb0ic6MMxmDFcObCcu/s1800/31190280_18.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4AvzShjxPs-72PCSNFr2CTBXo2QF-DEfdGfmEz8-dofRieAL4uMzRX_cUvgDjsxpFiJY1aEey0YfiYWya8t_SOfBAw7YHq7FRIcweImzlEZLKJpg1-SkMf1RUTeb0ic6MMxmDFcObCcu/w400-h225/31190280_18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the inventories of most modern military organizations are several camo patterned uniforms for operations in either woodland/jungle environments or desert environments. At times, there are black "ninja kit" uniforms worn by special assault forces as well. The majority of the time, military organizations do not spend the time or money to design camo patterns based on very specific environmental conditions. One interesting example is that the US Army ACU pattern did not survive the War in Afghanistan and its failure altered the camo pattern for the US Army to the current OCP. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4juymvYoRZ48TiJsirVPWXA3H8mO3WT8iQPBw3v1wrUaFAOJ1A1bh7AH0hN3vpyhZvDxbgAi-P91w80KDTK60e63Bc8upPXfmgedrzaz8suLC1kOy0pN1U0mYs2UE2Cy3M7SZpfP8R_Mn/s637/download+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="637" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4juymvYoRZ48TiJsirVPWXA3H8mO3WT8iQPBw3v1wrUaFAOJ1A1bh7AH0hN3vpyhZvDxbgAi-P91w80KDTK60e63Bc8upPXfmgedrzaz8suLC1kOy0pN1U0mYs2UE2Cy3M7SZpfP8R_Mn/w400-h225/download+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If the human race ever gets off of Terra moves out into the cosmos, there maybe the reason for an interstellar military organization to develop "off-world" camouflage patterns for soldiers to blend into the alien conditions. Could we see a Martian "red dust" pattern? An Titan Orange/yellow haze pattern? Time will tell, but movies like <i>Ad Astra</i> and the video game <i>COD: Infinite Warfare</i> have shown us off-world camo patterns for use in various alien exo environments. This largely depends on the effectiveness of simple camo patterns printed or painted on to the uniforms and war machines of the deployed soldiers. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JEWiqH-CsXv5XPqZUtDDjegckQ5jydTrfgnFJttQ08jacoGmH2c0hcVdKzeBVrZ952QYN1U7kqFCnk72SbCusIrDsrIdTOMlg84Pow_TOQa3-MOgyGHhhGleAiMWLigDsA0wjpW4EC87/s512/unnamed+%25289%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JEWiqH-CsXv5XPqZUtDDjegckQ5jydTrfgnFJttQ08jacoGmH2c0hcVdKzeBVrZ952QYN1U7kqFCnk72SbCusIrDsrIdTOMlg84Pow_TOQa3-MOgyGHhhGleAiMWLigDsA0wjpW4EC87/w311-h400/unnamed+%25289%2529.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>It could be simpler to take the IDF approach and do what the show <i>Space: Above & Beyond </i> did: OD green for all of the uniforms and gear. I could also see the possibility of ship-based fabrication technology onboard the troop FTL ships designing new uniforms and paints based on the local conditions for the inbound soldiers. This is a feature in all of my MilSF novels I've written. I could also see local forces assigned to the off-world colonial site being issued camo pattern based on those conditions and this could mark them as being from that colonial world...like we see in the different types of international camo patterns. There could also be adaptive camouflage technology that allows for the pattern to alter in color, hue, and shape based on the local conditions (like the Elven cloaks in <i>Lord of the Rings</i>). Given that camo patterns and military colors are so engrained in modern military culture, I seriously doubt that this will change even after we get off-world and even out of our solar system. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Camo Patterns on Military Vehicles</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmDyUN_HWxK-tcHpJCBEZi1jRje-xhXryFCLNfdfokP38kQzreIDz7s6oe5Cq0xKIARCKb4_DPUaHtL-PRQQV4MlmImVzrOl-FbYSCEG8eyYtASEcLSj0k9m1sYTOIL9N07F2nGHJeZFC5ELyhYnqWrKvo15In1-tki42-ANlptzbUMnbpywQOhR3ovA=s780" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="780" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmDyUN_HWxK-tcHpJCBEZi1jRje-xhXryFCLNfdfokP38kQzreIDz7s6oe5Cq0xKIARCKb4_DPUaHtL-PRQQV4MlmImVzrOl-FbYSCEG8eyYtASEcLSj0k9m1sYTOIL9N07F2nGHJeZFC5ELyhYnqWrKvo15In1-tki42-ANlptzbUMnbpywQOhR3ovA=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div>While the majority of this article has been focused on military camouflage patterned clothing, the official camo patterns of a military organization are also applied to military vehicles as well, like light military utility vehicles, tanks, helicopters, and fighters. Please note, we will not be discussing stealth technology in this section of the article, due to it being discussed in a future FWS article. As with many modern warfare elements, the Great War saw the introduction of military vehicles along with the painting of them in camouflage patterns. With the hard lines of a truck or tank, the camo patterns applied to the vehicle is hoped to breakup the lines of the vehicles and give it some element of passive camouflage effectiveness. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1NHHKn1eazuVjYL6_Z6G3NXBkvT_GYcWE_oFSeKkHrM65AU8f9V1EwVSYDD52hr_fXfzRFW4KVvhuJbFru5Oa5lKk87u9cdVeqzQuMSRrCjYYkEUWCu2oOTOAXoM3HU_jCnXVM6fUiNDmdsKwNIaj_K3HAFFKrbZVR9EnScZgYkzn4lHiRAy8baEaQ/s2272/fgwgerge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1521" data-original-width="2272" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1NHHKn1eazuVjYL6_Z6G3NXBkvT_GYcWE_oFSeKkHrM65AU8f9V1EwVSYDD52hr_fXfzRFW4KVvhuJbFru5Oa5lKk87u9cdVeqzQuMSRrCjYYkEUWCu2oOTOAXoM3HU_jCnXVM6fUiNDmdsKwNIaj_K3HAFFKrbZVR9EnScZgYkzn4lHiRAy8baEaQ/w400-h268/fgwgerge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, this camo patterned paint scheme may be best when the main battle tank or LMUV is not moving or in use due to the smoke and heat that these vehicles generate. Main battle tanks of current deployment have the ability to scan for targets via several means, and thermal is one and tanks product a great deal of heat. It is more likely that the use of camo patterned paint schemes and netting is not for other tanks as much as for the tank hunters. On the modern battlefield, infantry (as we have seen in Ukraine) armed with anti-tank rocket systems, helicopters, multi-role fighters hunt for the tank and this camo could help the tank blend into the forest or the desert to avoid detection and destruction.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAY7cHRmdMbElOY0Dcm5lg3rKRqIiV8AW0gQrXdqjmsYcv1CA40wYzS_Fl-LXlAplS24J63NTZ6DV-lBUNh2lgxC1fe8Is2gQFCmLGv0fEirfsp2HsveTF6w36Og35m9BAypH6cjIco-fOzVF18TJzDGValr0Nn9ZZsfZm9jM_kCrKAJ573Bx0YeRPTQ=s4016" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2616" data-original-width="4016" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAY7cHRmdMbElOY0Dcm5lg3rKRqIiV8AW0gQrXdqjmsYcv1CA40wYzS_Fl-LXlAplS24J63NTZ6DV-lBUNh2lgxC1fe8Is2gQFCmLGv0fEirfsp2HsveTF6w36Og35m9BAypH6cjIco-fOzVF18TJzDGValr0Nn9ZZsfZm9jM_kCrKAJ573Bx0YeRPTQ=w400-h260" width="400" /></a></div>When combat airplanes took the skies, it was the First World War and the reality of having airplanes within society was still settling in, let along these new flying machines being used for warfare. During the Great War, airplanes were used for air-to-air engages in such close quarters that shotguns and bricks were used! The use of camo was limited in such engagements, but at a distance or to obscure the plane while conducting air recon. As with most camo during the First World War, the French introduced aircraft camouflage. The odd thing is that aircraft camouflage is not that effective, save for some of the <br />night camo patterns used for special night operational fighter and/or bombers. Despite this, aircraft camo endures to this very day with digital camo patterns appearing on a Russian fighter...so, what is the reason behind that? </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcs81BGLqGETsrCvOtrG-_yEgTpCSJ33no5V1jY_zPPALhULZXiosthrsyPWL5jQ5-umMUje6wecms9i8dGfFv7pFh5uB9tXlkeGZ4zbpA_YrQiQryM-BUWmQk6mFEOw_VOYCz56vVsDVjtINBUlrgpkkjnQwpXBQ-kXCU8MZ1Xb1x_x4eQDbsqAX-CA/s600/after%5B2%5D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcs81BGLqGETsrCvOtrG-_yEgTpCSJ33no5V1jY_zPPALhULZXiosthrsyPWL5jQ5-umMUje6wecms9i8dGfFv7pFh5uB9tXlkeGZ4zbpA_YrQiQryM-BUWmQk6mFEOw_VOYCz56vVsDVjtINBUlrgpkkjnQwpXBQ-kXCU8MZ1Xb1x_x4eQDbsqAX-CA/w400-h283/after%5B2%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Some of the Cold War NATO fighters were painted a woodland camo pattern, like the RAF Harrier jump-jet, and the reason for this is to avoid being seen and destroyed while on the ground. This is especially true if the military air base was designed to blend itself to avoid bombing. This is an interesting result of air power coming about in World War One, building camouflage of all manner and types to avoid detection. One of the most famous examples of this was that during World War II, Lockheed camouflaged their aircraft production plant to avoid Japanese bombers. Of course, the use of dummy tanks during World War II on both sides to fool scouts at the position and number of enemy armored units. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWLUqBdbibwMk6KPqRPUzCIzT6kSq2zsJlzORYES8ZD1QkbUvzYf8dA2IeCWepm_K7dJZOeZbAozwphtreH3W2bBW19X9Z3tH3EG19vjsuIDrOxgefGzW4CFf57c_0375BpJej8WnEe0YvLbv78qvqqVd1Rc7SejBwPJLdbaZWFEO585MHQYEF-6oDA/s1280/USS-Freedom-LCS1-Port-Visit.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1280" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWLUqBdbibwMk6KPqRPUzCIzT6kSq2zsJlzORYES8ZD1QkbUvzYf8dA2IeCWepm_K7dJZOeZbAozwphtreH3W2bBW19X9Z3tH3EG19vjsuIDrOxgefGzW4CFf57c_0375BpJej8WnEe0YvLbv78qvqqVd1Rc7SejBwPJLdbaZWFEO585MHQYEF-6oDA/w400-h253/USS-Freedom-LCS1-Port-Visit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, the oddest camouflage on military hardware is naval camouflage. During the hunting of military naval craft by U-Boats, the Allies developed this zebra-like "dazzle" camouflage pattern or even wave patterns to fool the U-Boats on the direction of the naval vessel. There were also other attempts to counter-shade the naval vessel with patterns and colors. The effectiveness of this camo is debated and was dropped pretty much after the 2nd World War. However, the US Navy <i>USS Freedom</i> of the <i>Freedom</i>-littoral combat ship class features a form of World War II naval camo. In 2013, Cmdr. Pat Thien had the <i>USS Freedom </i> painted in a naval camo called "Measure 32" to make the <i>USS Freedom </i>more "mean" and this was to be a test of a possible resurrection of naval camo. Yeah...that didn't happen and the <i>Freedom </i>class will be decommissioned. This Of course, there is the "Q-Ship" that were decoy vessels that appeared to be nearly-helpless merchant, but were actually heavily armed to draw in U-Boats for the close kill or wounding. </div><div><br /></div><div><u><b>Military Starship Camo?</b><br /></u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKk4LOu_WPeehZT0wtKoUEfRTi22-KfumbBVwqjsBBVUgdyoyqwfdCrxWmACEoJ4B7-D3UETB-psUtojgZH8qGmShMsl2LDyzZ5yoLk7JcsK9heh5t1lcYFaGBKr9YZs2UDiEn2CRe7wbmAe6GSucCRT4P73Kl7hL_vNSKuvBeUQ6zyUbvNYCLhApLAA=s498" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="498" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKk4LOu_WPeehZT0wtKoUEfRTi22-KfumbBVwqjsBBVUgdyoyqwfdCrxWmACEoJ4B7-D3UETB-psUtojgZH8qGmShMsl2LDyzZ5yoLk7JcsK9heh5t1lcYFaGBKr9YZs2UDiEn2CRe7wbmAe6GSucCRT4P73Kl7hL_vNSKuvBeUQ6zyUbvNYCLhApLAA=w400-h169" width="400" /></a></div>Real-world spacecraft are mostly white in nature due to the issues of radiation and heat along with visual detecting the spacecraft in orbit. Look, as science has informed us over and over...there is no stealth in outer space and painting your Bird-of-Prey green and red may not be the best choice for radiation reflection. In addition, any real-world spacecraft will have blazing heat radiators and those can be seen a long distance away, like solar systems away. It seems that the best place for boldly painted combat spacecraft is on the hex board. <br />
<br /></div><div><b><u>To Camo or not to Camo...That is the Question in Sci-Fi</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOsnUfMCjZr8V082uFyuRI_3O-z8fZ9F3nlk9AZZ1Jn9laFYlm8anInWo-rtmbYWMjq4lYB-_leyNDn01dEXveoVEuJoUkHGX7-IHd94dFblN7e7o55p2-LbVCYgEoPc760jnerXdRWQt/s960/image_3f4de5de.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOsnUfMCjZr8V082uFyuRI_3O-z8fZ9F3nlk9AZZ1Jn9laFYlm8anInWo-rtmbYWMjq4lYB-_leyNDn01dEXveoVEuJoUkHGX7-IHd94dFblN7e7o55p2-LbVCYgEoPc760jnerXdRWQt/w400-h225/image_3f4de5de.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div>The relationship between fictional off-world military organizations and camouflage uniforms and painted equipment is…complicated to say the least. Much like real-world military organizations, it has taken decades for sci-fi creators to get the memo that even space marines will wear camouflage. Despite the vast acceptance of camo uniforms in real-world military, the sci-fi community has been very slow or completely resistant to camouflage. Why? Part of it is due to an image that the creators are wishing to convey, like red or black powered armoring wearing assault genetic warriors putting the fear into their enemies for the glory of the Emperor or the Blood God. This is very true in military circles as well at some points in history as seen with the Samurai, the Spartans, or even the Knights of Europe. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWD1l1aqP0cncEXmCdajCm9LvwJX92ixvgizv-cgwruUwbqKbIZHRo6q2DknG9eKdFspqBSAM9J6k7QUZ2EjW54ZScjNeDX8LkmSRw9HSb36-MGMK4IPgh5UtjtZj0pSVi0XDFfrXbp0/s1600/blood+angels+assault.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWD1l1aqP0cncEXmCdajCm9LvwJX92ixvgizv-cgwruUwbqKbIZHRo6q2DknG9eKdFspqBSAM9J6k7QUZ2EjW54ZScjNeDX8LkmSRw9HSb36-MGMK4IPgh5UtjtZj0pSVi0XDFfrXbp0/w338-h400/blood+angels+assault.jpg" width="338" /></a>Military/Tactical gear can and is used to project the power of the soldier, especially combined with special colors or patterns. Some of this has been populated into sci-fi circles. This is seen in the majority of armor-wearing soldiers in military science fiction works like the Imperial Stormtroopers, the First Order Stormtroopers, all of the Adeptus Astartes, <i>Iron Man</i>, and some of the SPARTAN armor from HALO. After all, terrifying the enemy via psychological projection through armor is a classic military tactic that nearly as old as warfare with the Japanese Samurai armor being a prime example and the English pirate Blackbeard using smoking candles from his hair for shock-and-awe effect. Of course, there is the “military” uniforms seen in some sci-fi movies, anime, and TV shows that are completely non-camouflage and they even wear them during on-world operations. The most infamous example is the garish Starfleet uniforms seen in all time periods (and alternate realities) with bold reds and yellows. Even when Starfleet mounts intelligence/low-profile missions, their standard uniform is a all-black space ninja outfit. Another element comes from the early days of sci-fi with characters like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon wearing bold “superhero” uniforms. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeF00WHn_kI1sehXERw9XenUcZPG4AO8iyNsiYFtLeAmnUo-3wxcSdzK5tx2oaeohYRwqQQm500C-KKSFExACV-Zz6axX128aNnBiW7YAxD3wVqxoUTy8Q4JpSRTYC2n25jnxBg-RHLDN/s1200/EfAFdjrXkAAaRr4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1106" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeF00WHn_kI1sehXERw9XenUcZPG4AO8iyNsiYFtLeAmnUo-3wxcSdzK5tx2oaeohYRwqQQm500C-KKSFExACV-Zz6axX128aNnBiW7YAxD3wVqxoUTy8Q4JpSRTYC2n25jnxBg-RHLDN/w369-h400/EfAFdjrXkAAaRr4.jpg" width="369" /></a>Of course, these characters were developed prior to the widespread acceptance of camouflage uniforms by military organizations. One reason for the sci-fi community embracing camouflage patterns came with the rise in military sci-fi in the 1980s, we began to see futuristic camo patterns being developed and the use of then-current military camo (the odder, the better) for future soldiers. Of course, the custom-designed Colonial Marine off-world camo pattern in 1986’s ALIENS was a watershed moment and became an inspiration for many creators. The other watershed moment came a year later with the movie <i>Predator</i> with the Yautja hunter’s optical camouflage. Another element of the story of military camo patterns within the world of sci-fi is the comedically use of the wrong camo pattern. This is extremely common with “urban” like camo patterns being seen in woodland conditions. While writing about your future space troopers are wearing elaborate off-world camo patterns is one thing, there is the actual physical act of designing an futuristic camo for a film, TV show, or even an anime. Added to this, is sci-fi camo patterns painted onto miniatures and models. Some of the fans of military science fiction wargames have taken to customize their own camo patterns and the results are stunning. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Science Fiction and Military Camouflage</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFJRvjlF8DN8JQGyYCYi7Q2NlYrXO9VvDXI3K0GDQiaOHZ7ZJFWhOS6BWxdBeCWksidLXCFzrbXHmSSzpn4N1wbEt6apRYiTgZYGlcpFDQk5HGG-y4BRB2N2xAOFI-eunVG3udIzMEvgLbB2486YOOcfstJy1nyxReUbBpr101Bs7xrO0tLGfKNKp-AQ=s639" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="430" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFJRvjlF8DN8JQGyYCYi7Q2NlYrXO9VvDXI3K0GDQiaOHZ7ZJFWhOS6BWxdBeCWksidLXCFzrbXHmSSzpn4N1wbEt6apRYiTgZYGlcpFDQk5HGG-y4BRB2N2xAOFI-eunVG3udIzMEvgLbB2486YOOcfstJy1nyxReUbBpr101Bs7xrO0tLGfKNKp-AQ=w269-h400" width="269" /></a></div>As we covered above, when creators are developing their own future military organizations today, they will generally think about or even design so sort of camouflage. This exists in cover-art, video games, RPGS, toys, animation, comics, and models. This is because military camo patterns are uber common today and have been in the public eye since the 1980s at the very least. However, this means for over a 100 years of military sci-fi history, there were painfully few camouflage patterns seen. The bulk of military uniforms were like those in <i>Star Trek</i> or <i>Buck Rogers</i> or <i>Flash Gordon</i> type of works. Part of this is linked to the real-world reality that when the first military science fiction stories were being crafted in 1898, camo was not really used. It would not be until the 2nd World War that camo was even more of a consideration in military uniforms and vehicle paint schemes, and even then, it would not be until the 1960's that most major military organizations push out camo patterned uniforms. Hell, it would take the US Armed Forces until the 1980's before the M81 Woodland was adopted. During the 1980's. military camouflage became more widely seen in sci-fi works and it should be said that films like ALIENS and <i>Predator</i> helped spread the gospel of military camo patterns. Still, custom off-world exo-environmental was very rare and still is in the wider world science fiction.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ07vQssX2-NLdA71tZHKuuBH31hzgqBejOHMJWKmDTEa8puPKf_p8eTiFLF_U_PWzuW2RrCsxTJIOCR5g8JdTwiNSz3GBBThMBOlROKdBB957rsD-KMMyYZE-AgbTE-Z4ifbe3-vodkk/s1600/2241654YbaW+S0Nk9IrXO0QCnIQawdIBHTqZL2AId_hyIjlV1i5vlLma+InCuf+WGyZGONpFG54BcGDKzs2m9EcdXUIwQ.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ07vQssX2-NLdA71tZHKuuBH31hzgqBejOHMJWKmDTEa8puPKf_p8eTiFLF_U_PWzuW2RrCsxTJIOCR5g8JdTwiNSz3GBBThMBOlROKdBB957rsD-KMMyYZE-AgbTE-Z4ifbe3-vodkk/w400-h268/2241654YbaW+S0Nk9IrXO0QCnIQawdIBHTqZL2AId_hyIjlV1i5vlLma+InCuf+WGyZGONpFG54BcGDKzs2m9EcdXUIwQ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>This brings about a change as well. While military camo patterns being the standard for real-world military forces, people nearly always expect that military science fiction stories with soldiers would have soldiers donning camo uniforms. Like I said above, when future soldiers are NOT wearing camo, it seems like a choice by the production, as we saw with the Mobile Infantry in the <i>Starship Troopers </i>films. Another element of sci-fi and military camo is that some productions, to save money or time, they use real-world modern camouflage uniforms. At times, this is okay due to the sci-fi setting being near-future. However...it is always odd (to me) when I see four-color Woodland from the 1980's being used by military forces on off-world battlefields in the far future. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvpHwSWJ2Xd2vTFC537ybsQ3vcFoXz0dXL1f8aE-JlvpxYg8KQrXvBF3jlriMY3Lx9LijV4_yZcio5SHc3J5U5ARqCf0Ol9sMbzAICcf2R77iiZmm97gj8uQZ_Icdz6pIgX_Zg2zm1Z9Lh74RpkAp5K0Kuu56JGjwpyggXNIA6MVwoaT27lde6fuoxgg=s1440" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvpHwSWJ2Xd2vTFC537ybsQ3vcFoXz0dXL1f8aE-JlvpxYg8KQrXvBF3jlriMY3Lx9LijV4_yZcio5SHc3J5U5ARqCf0Ol9sMbzAICcf2R77iiZmm97gj8uQZ_Icdz6pIgX_Zg2zm1Z9Lh74RpkAp5K0Kuu56JGjwpyggXNIA6MVwoaT27lde6fuoxgg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Another factor that limited the appearance of military camo patterns in one of the most popular mediums for military science fiction is video games. When discussing this, Yoel mentioned that computer graphical technology limited the ability for camo patterns to be rendered on-screen. When checking around, it seemed this was a valid theory with noted military games like <i>Rush'n Attack, Contra, Commando, </i>and even the original <i>Metal Gear</i> being unable to render camo patterns despite their best efforts and what was advertised on the box art. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgSKMwT8bXT9YH_QkTScfjG4HyHE17aSOgv4mho3zqs_-Im7wlzG-CMewz5CjYXg0aKa8d5t5J1eJrRfLaBBr2k220W7YunwXvHlhpJELERJ_W5jKG0lFVDaXXjEtEZD_fteisUZNE1Ni39MFopZAkt4Sc8EfcODD-rl6Rgt2F_AB6DKiKIqhGsIZ24g=s640" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgSKMwT8bXT9YH_QkTScfjG4HyHE17aSOgv4mho3zqs_-Im7wlzG-CMewz5CjYXg0aKa8d5t5J1eJrRfLaBBr2k220W7YunwXvHlhpJELERJ_W5jKG0lFVDaXXjEtEZD_fteisUZNE1Ni39MFopZAkt4Sc8EfcODD-rl6Rgt2F_AB6DKiKIqhGsIZ24g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>One prime example was the original concept for the type of munitions fired by the BFG-9000 in the original <i>DOOM</i>. During the early days of the iconic FPS title, the BFG9000 was called the "BFG 2704". Instead of the familiar green glowing orb of death, the BFG 2704 sprayed-prayed green and red plasma bolts that could bounce around the room and kill the godless horde. This would link, in technology, the BFG 2704 to the Plasma Gun and a single shot of the BFG 2704 came a the cost of 40 power cells per shot. Given this, the BFG 2704 could hurt our space marine character as well as the slaves of Hell. The original concept of the BFG slowed down the game too much due to the amount of sprites on screen, which was against the basic concept of the game itself. This resulted in the weapon being changed as well to what we know today. Also, John Romero thought that its original form that the red and green plasma bolts of the BFG 2704 "<i><span style="color: red;"><b>l</b></span></i><b><span style="color: red;"><i>ooked like Christmas</i></span></b>". </div><div><br /></div><div><u><b>The Best There is: The Colonial Marines Camo Pattern from ALIENS</b></u></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinE-kkoaXNqajpsOUsPSeeRUYW3RZLsF0dAKVD8-J_-ol7jih3aUbTzRpZysLVs7QZ6Oqp9NRtW31mL2BbDZQnyAgOkc09Zf2cKYZ5ZMh9v2A_mXwvmoYO9n1n5bMWa_FEnZJ3yZHLqihH/s604/0bf29add204c3484f325987d6d1a8200.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinE-kkoaXNqajpsOUsPSeeRUYW3RZLsF0dAKVD8-J_-ol7jih3aUbTzRpZysLVs7QZ6Oqp9NRtW31mL2BbDZQnyAgOkc09Zf2cKYZ5ZMh9v2A_mXwvmoYO9n1n5bMWa_FEnZJ3yZHLqihH/w264-h400/0bf29add204c3484f325987d6d1a8200.jpg" width="264" /></a>Within the realm of sci-fi camo patterns/uniforms, the custom-created camouflage pattern is the holy grail and the best example ever of an off-world/futuristic camo pattern for a military organization. This is the one and for very good reasons. Those reason include that the prop department did not use the British DPM, West German Flecktarn, or the US 4-color Woodland, but instead developed a unique camo pattern and a unique uniform design that was not fully based on the then-current fatigue design. It just so happens that the Colonial Marine camo pattern was used in the best military science fiction film of all time , which helped. Another reason, to me, is that the pattern is not common or reused for tons of other productions, like some of the digital patterns today. The pattern used in the 1986 film was the creation of a British textile company in London called C&J Costumers. According to an article written by ALIENS collector Harry Harris who actually owns an screen-used example, the pattern was made from altering the ERDL (AKA “Frog-&-Leaf”) pattern used in Vietnam. Naturally, this was a limited run of this custom pattern and besides the actual screen-used uniforms, very little of the original material survives to this day. In 1995, some reproduction uniforms were made using the surviving roll of camo material by a company called “Fiction & Fantasy Models”. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWnPBKvzzl2RD-_Lrcj8L1FYhp3AG74dS4lMXmgXtbQ8ZsAZXl5uOmbTy7MfuEDUeX5caYE2rw6Tx8UXgWcwXHozIYJzaU9sYwEKX7TNDukgWcma82q9Th8tHyPVOhBX651KQgz41_Im973nPwxop6zOpBTJIxStwiydRyzjyIlrk-27hAtlDmtq-eMg=s1328" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1019" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWnPBKvzzl2RD-_Lrcj8L1FYhp3AG74dS4lMXmgXtbQ8ZsAZXl5uOmbTy7MfuEDUeX5caYE2rw6Tx8UXgWcwXHozIYJzaU9sYwEKX7TNDukgWcma82q9Th8tHyPVOhBX651KQgz41_Im973nPwxop6zOpBTJIxStwiydRyzjyIlrk-27hAtlDmtq-eMg=w308-h400" width="308" /></a></div>Today, these sell for big money. This hints on the critical elements of this camo pattern…its rarity. This pattern was designed for a single production and it was only reused for the ALIEN War experience in London from 1992-1996. Given this and how camouflage patterns can be difficult to photograph accurately, the ALIENS Colonial Marine pattern became nearly mythological in the mind of the ALIEN fanbase, collectors, and cosplayers. One interesting element, is that the painted camo pattern on the Colonial Marine armor/tactical gear is not the same as the uniform camo. The set Armorer, Terry English had forgotten a piece of the camo fabric back at his workshop and was forced to paint the armor from memory at the studio. Unfortunately, the armor camo pattern is actually closer to British DPM than the Colonial Marine pattern. However, James Cameron dug it and kept it. The pattern from the film is confused with the very similar “Frog-and-leaf” pattern with some sites labeling the Colonial Marine pattern as that. Today, the “Frog-and-Leaf” ERDL pattern is often used by cosplayers for their Colonial Marine uniform. In the fictional 22nd century universe of ALIENS, the United States Colonial Marine Corps and US Army uses several patterns of BDUs for jungle, desert, and temperate conditions that are based on a tri-color mix with imbedded IR absorption into the material that breaks down over time.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b>The Worst There Is: The Blue Berets </b></u><b><u>UFO Retrieval Team from <i>The X-Files</i> “Little Green Men”</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGQUqRfDcK4bikGloUHar5XJekE9-XnmU39FNA6FblHu0WM04Md80gs1thpsWM-tYnH6OVItHM04zvkmWj7Fziu_hk-B2Q1yP3NquK4DTNNfyTgOExyjhC-FcH73NO6y0Dkxk6R36bo2TTOK5ZdFaZYP_bwcfpkY2BX1xbHDrvkRjGoCG3VKg9cjpSjg=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGQUqRfDcK4bikGloUHar5XJekE9-XnmU39FNA6FblHu0WM04Md80gs1thpsWM-tYnH6OVItHM04zvkmWj7Fziu_hk-B2Q1yP3NquK4DTNNfyTgOExyjhC-FcH73NO6y0Dkxk6R36bo2TTOK5ZdFaZYP_bwcfpkY2BX1xbHDrvkRjGoCG3VKg9cjpSjg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>In the first episode of the second season of the iconic <i>X-Files</i> TV show, we see Mulder headed to the Arecibo Observatory dish in Puerto Rico to intercept an possible alien radio signal. These radio signals were being collected in secret and not released to the general public. To prevent Mulder and Scully from collecting the radio signals, the CIA or the Syndicate tasked the special USAF UFO retrieval team, AKA “The Blue Berets” to Arecibo to secure the data and later on, to capture or killed Mulder and Scully. In inclusion of the USAF UFO Retrieval Team in the <i>X-Files</i> mythology was very cool idea and it mirrors with rumors for decades that there are real-world UFO crash recovery teams developed by most of the major nations and even including NATO, to secure and recover alien technology. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu6etg5jL8zQ5dtkNem8YgyXrdvQR7uxl6vRwYN_EkNLvr4CCtfB2cS7iFhlzEZaCpW7l4DyC2hNMFFjmS4Qll50IOOkFfdi0bU4uowiDtmSXzyAzb3UX0eJegs14bN8cuahb3kBXQsfmvEYPzObPZQRgbfgXs6KtA0LGXh08kp6-G0oLa-JTTeezpMQ=s1920" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu6etg5jL8zQ5dtkNem8YgyXrdvQR7uxl6vRwYN_EkNLvr4CCtfB2cS7iFhlzEZaCpW7l4DyC2hNMFFjmS4Qll50IOOkFfdi0bU4uowiDtmSXzyAzb3UX0eJegs14bN8cuahb3kBXQsfmvEYPzObPZQRgbfgXs6KtA0LGXh08kp6-G0oLa-JTTeezpMQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>However, these Blue Berets on-screen is one of the worst examples of the wrong camouflage for the local conditions. In "Little Green Men", the Blue Berets are seen using non-official weapons, like our friend, the Steyr AUG, and wearing commercial urban camo BDUS…in the jungles of Puerto Rico (or Canada). Even at the time when the episode aired in 1994 I was shocked at the stupidity of the camo choice made by the production. To me, this is the worst example of the wrong camo for an environment in science fiction. Interesting fact, one of the actors playing the Blue Berets airmen was none other than “Property Brother” Jonathan Silver Scott! He confirmed this on Twitter in 2017.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXZD64zPvle__E1PwKiVBYb1UqW88z0RaAo_r7-yTOThWkeoXAZJDZHXxTJ4dSYnlCnARPzhmpI4X06ugXp9ZfakY9o6llDT5ReW7C913M266QoxE8EzLWhwAqiybeAgZH31olZXlk_XnWdiqnEcP3hsr3bHsuUy9OYyvM1rbZCPEqPpjHt6n_y-OhDw=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXZD64zPvle__E1PwKiVBYb1UqW88z0RaAo_r7-yTOThWkeoXAZJDZHXxTJ4dSYnlCnARPzhmpI4X06ugXp9ZfakY9o6llDT5ReW7C913M266QoxE8EzLWhwAqiybeAgZH31olZXlk_XnWdiqnEcP3hsr3bHsuUy9OYyvM1rbZCPEqPpjHt6n_y-OhDw=w400-h209" width="400" /></a></div>The question might be raised of why the USAF "Blue Beret" Team is the worst over this prime example from the abortion that is the 1994 <i>Street Fighter </i>with the "Smurf Village" garish camo pattern of the Allied Nations. To me, the 1994 <i>Street Fighter</i> film is a near comedy and was not a serious attempt at showing a real military unit. I do think that the Smurf Village <i>Street Fighter </i> movie pattern is one of the worst patterns I've ever seen and is a near war crime. However, Kylie Minogue does pull it off. <br /><div><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><u style="font-weight: bold;">Examples</u></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The US SPACECOM Lunar and Martian Camo Patterns from <i>Ad Astra</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStuzVaRFPjLihsBUhmR6SHCXPJp_DiLPna1j6PpZs4voklfbaA2CHqoU7oAJ0fzDTeDdxdHh6PhNKW8fE-NwzwOZg3rOoXTnXHaZ-V7Xrtw7qA3pFNSJKt99UiKcaWSx72FPz1cdXjowu/s1357/MV5BYmE2YjQ4MjEtNDkwNC00NzM0LTgxMDQtNGYzZjRkYzA2OWMzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzI1NzMxNzM%2540._V1_+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1357" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStuzVaRFPjLihsBUhmR6SHCXPJp_DiLPna1j6PpZs4voklfbaA2CHqoU7oAJ0fzDTeDdxdHh6PhNKW8fE-NwzwOZg3rOoXTnXHaZ-V7Xrtw7qA3pFNSJKt99UiKcaWSx72FPz1cdXjowu/w400-h168/MV5BYmE2YjQ4MjEtNDkwNC00NzM0LTgxMDQtNGYzZjRkYzA2OWMzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzI1NzMxNzM%2540._V1_+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On of the more interesting and lifeless space films to come out was the Brad Pitt space odyssey film <i>Ad Astra</i> in 2019. While the film is very depressing and not as good as the sum of its parts, the lunar buggy battle is epic along with the design of the entire film is excellent. In the film, US Space Command member Roy McBride wears a set of US Space Command utilities in a pattern that has been called "Moon Dust". The actual pattern is grey-scaled variety of Pre-WWII German "Splittertarnmuster" pattern that was applied to a modern military uniform. <br /></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiVPaXmMXzKZviuJITewOnOeM4EZ-l_u6D3S99D0h5iFkmBAxkv43RBM4YBvseDUnj2rj6ApQSlBm53imRONcmf6ZXs1udHbVYVUniMKDWMFia9rGgoX0-O5KJbNJDX0tPLp-JxEzFuQo/s1753/berk3x0kz0541.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1753" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiVPaXmMXzKZviuJITewOnOeM4EZ-l_u6D3S99D0h5iFkmBAxkv43RBM4YBvseDUnj2rj6ApQSlBm53imRONcmf6ZXs1udHbVYVUniMKDWMFia9rGgoX0-O5KJbNJDX0tPLp-JxEzFuQo/w400-h186/berk3x0kz0541.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, that is not all! Besides the Lunar Camo Pattern worn by Brad Pitt, we would see another off-wold Space Command uniform on Mars. When McBride is checked onto the base, we see what maybe soldiers in a Mars-like camouflage uniform. Some believe that this is a recoloring of a German Flecktarn pattern, but we only see it for a few seconds and Brad Pitt never dons it. This is impressive overall for a film to develop two custom off-world exo-environmental camo patterns. Shame that they did not devoted that attention to the plot of this film.</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Clone Scout Trooper Kashyyyk Pattern from <i>SW III: ROTS</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFidADvk415xkq96Jp72XZ-11HCHasUqnau2wtE8eP4Xx598VYLrJsiY_H0Swlt7yrNt0Uu2vypJ5AnrbGxWNwOQvdxWwXodCnC__leTRNobGGs9S9n_Dj397qJ4s2tZCA4Ca-fRs_Z2H8L7MLlY1_V5kwoomuVygJOq3RYwUhMLcmS3HPi9rIzkbLvQ=s2047" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="2047" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFidADvk415xkq96Jp72XZ-11HCHasUqnau2wtE8eP4Xx598VYLrJsiY_H0Swlt7yrNt0Uu2vypJ5AnrbGxWNwOQvdxWwXodCnC__leTRNobGGs9S9n_Dj397qJ4s2tZCA4Ca-fRs_Z2H8L7MLlY1_V5kwoomuVygJOq3RYwUhMLcmS3HPi9rIzkbLvQ=w400-h305" width="400" /></a></div>The world of <i>Star Wars</i> and especially the Stormtroopers are known for not having camouflage and glowing energy swords doesn't help either. While most of the Clonetroopers of the old Republic and the Stormtroopers of the Empire and First Order are mostly known for theit black-and-white armor, during the Clone Wars, there was the camo'ed Clone Scout Trooper armor. During the key battle for the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk, the Grand Army of the Republic depolyed specialized Clone Scout Troopers that were in the early variant of the Scout Trooper armor and it was finished in a woodland/jungle camouflage pattern. When I watch <i>SW III: ROTS</i>, I took note of this as it was unique in the realm of <i>Star Wars</i>. <br /><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></i></div><div><u>Public Security Section 6 & Section 9 Thermoptic Camouflage from <i>Ghost in the Shell</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjF30In_q6GSOSoUrJuEoiZV93ciC8zYFWE29mBQQhFRmVv8xUIQK3shK4loCLVEPepYdKbUcKdoA7l4S2dQY1bJZ3nHeM35HFGeCy83R10rIwNs3Q79V56crPMem4kDIMFzuygrK72YlFYLsClp0yOSWPhmKkzOZ7bOAOXfVcfNUyWzxRj4UjWtwLBg=s500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="500" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjF30In_q6GSOSoUrJuEoiZV93ciC8zYFWE29mBQQhFRmVv8xUIQK3shK4loCLVEPepYdKbUcKdoA7l4S2dQY1bJZ3nHeM35HFGeCy83R10rIwNs3Q79V56crPMem4kDIMFzuygrK72YlFYLsClp0yOSWPhmKkzOZ7bOAOXfVcfNUyWzxRj4UjWtwLBg=w400-h216" width="400" /></a></div>To me, one of the best active "Predator-like" camo systems is the Thermoptic Camouflage seen in the <i>GITS</i> franchise. In the original manga, this technology is worn by members of the Major Motoko Kusinagi's rescue team and their Fuchikoma spider mechs and i made by KYO-RE . This camo was also used by a number of others in the manga that were both enemy and ally. It is heavily hinted in the manga and the 1995 film that the type worn by Section 9 and the Rangers of Section 6 of Public Security are 2902 model and state-of-the-art. Others may have active camouflage jackets and gear, but theirs is not on the same technological level in 2029. Water and a special spray can reveal the wearer. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoq0GriS1xJXp4aHWfQcIDFhDcCaaz1k3jGS9TdP4HmQuWmzx8L0xJ9Rc87LLsfHK8GqPaMrpwcPoTecTCtas13QhaMX7240w8iWeT3PIau_qIyPLdrteHwgHRWvALSm7bL7PJoJrE3j9u_3rub42BrJCsV6Aifc7XXKGxSFQEW7NEg1KEyTz9emQMMg=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoq0GriS1xJXp4aHWfQcIDFhDcCaaz1k3jGS9TdP4HmQuWmzx8L0xJ9Rc87LLsfHK8GqPaMrpwcPoTecTCtas13QhaMX7240w8iWeT3PIau_qIyPLdrteHwgHRWvALSm7bL7PJoJrE3j9u_3rub42BrJCsV6Aifc7XXKGxSFQEW7NEg1KEyTz9emQMMg=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div>The 1995 anime film, the thermoptic camo gains much exposure and popularity due to its abilities and that the Major is nude when using the 2902 Thermoptic camo. This is not true in the manga and it was mainly due to the desire to have the character naked and drive sales. Personally, I always thought it was stupid and cheap way to incorporate kink into the film. Then...came the American 2017 live action film with Scarlett Johansson as the Major. In the film, the Major is able to use the thermoptic camouflage when she is "nude" as it was in the 1995 anime, and while seeing Scar-Jo nude on-screen would have sold more tickets for this terrible film, the production had the actress strip down to her cybernetic robotic body that was encased in a white form-fitting suit that was the source of the active camo effect. This looked arresting in the trailers and production stills due to the costume and Scarlett's physical form, and it was close to the anime version of the thermoptic camouflage. The suit costume itself was fully silicone and was developed by WETA Workshop of New Zealand headed by Flo Foxworthy. While the overall look of the suit and the special effects made it very close to what the anime and manga had promised, the suit looks funny on-screen and it should have been closer to the version the in pages of the manga. <br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: underline;">The Camo'ed "Raven" VTOL Dual-Atmospheric Tactical Transport from <i>Elysium</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs_a4arFYxhMUZ66nEaAiH1UPBXfpwCksH9fBxIHiR4sWQ9tSVZpAvBzzms_wt5i0CGwGJR1iWs0nvL0S9sA0kVeUDDOp5yNQig13mKwroS2dOuqTxUvUtRrkWQtv8-bnQDUdR3xTMsBh8qu2rka_7ia0sQ8cqpTrJCOAgZga8esNe8OaEXJfx2-TWiA=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1200" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs_a4arFYxhMUZ66nEaAiH1UPBXfpwCksH9fBxIHiR4sWQ9tSVZpAvBzzms_wt5i0CGwGJR1iWs0nvL0S9sA0kVeUDDOp5yNQig13mKwroS2dOuqTxUvUtRrkWQtv8-bnQDUdR3xTMsBh8qu2rka_7ia0sQ8cqpTrJCOAgZga8esNe8OaEXJfx2-TWiA=w400-h283" width="400" /></a></div>In the very cool 2013 <i>Elysium, </i>we see a group of private military contractors that may work for the "Oryx Warfare Group" and are presently contacted with the Elysium government to conduct Black Ops via the CCB. The method of travel for the three warfigthers if the endo-exo atmospheric "Raven" tactical transport. This craft may or may not be of Elysium design and construction. In the film, the Raven is painted in this woodland patterned camo skin that screams African military to me and given that actor Sharlto Copley worn South African military camouflage pattern for his costume, the camo paint scheme could be linked to either South African camo or even the old Rhodesian brushstroke. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVugSi6EFNgKqkfvM0Z_XuWB3UKV6KVCPcGJJLYFUFDV4MxgW8_LaBE1EQWXAATkhtkBhfkDRtXaNLTtQ9kaiebN1po14qCi1cqqEBv1rpklnj-oAPTwURQiJu131h9dhGRlRYSKrt8_8SkEVp8raMR7EZLkwNXVjkk2nPjwcq1t4_ZtbRYwcpx8kDlA=s640" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVugSi6EFNgKqkfvM0Z_XuWB3UKV6KVCPcGJJLYFUFDV4MxgW8_LaBE1EQWXAATkhtkBhfkDRtXaNLTtQ9kaiebN1po14qCi1cqqEBv1rpklnj-oAPTwURQiJu131h9dhGRlRYSKrt8_8SkEVp8raMR7EZLkwNXVjkk2nPjwcq1t4_ZtbRYwcpx8kDlA=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div>According to several articles on <i>Elyisum</i> production, the paint scheme and surface detailing of the Raven craft was done by Christian Pearce & Leri Greer with the craft itself being designed by TyRuben Ellingson. I reached out to Mr. Christian Pearce about the camo pattern and this what he had to say: <b><i><span style="color: red;">But yes, the south African pattern was a main reference. I didn't have time to fully resolve the camo, it was just quickly sketched in while I was trying out graphics, surface details and external equipment concepts. However it appears in the film would have been finalized by the art department. The USAF Vietnam era camouflage was a big influence too. Sorry I can't be more help. That stuff was all done so quickly! </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></i></div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The "Two Weeks" Disguise from <i>Total Recall</i> (1990)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGSuxDqWQxAmvdiNjSRBoLFs6sWRT7cLz70aIFntN7QqWUa28wW9OlMsrrkglrnLD1MWZbLpKsw3qGJurxfonHTWtJGrkToyQq8WONNiVTaaK-hb32WN5qNEJdjNFButYXMasMjPFbxi6dpCcHlyQy_00Nm3vsn-jCjjaUexgK6l4ijQZLQxZaTEJgGA=s1920" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1920" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGSuxDqWQxAmvdiNjSRBoLFs6sWRT7cLz70aIFntN7QqWUa28wW9OlMsrrkglrnLD1MWZbLpKsw3qGJurxfonHTWtJGrkToyQq8WONNiVTaaK-hb32WN5qNEJdjNFButYXMasMjPFbxi6dpCcHlyQy_00Nm3vsn-jCjjaUexgK6l4ijQZLQxZaTEJgGA=w400-h200" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, this is the second Philip K. Dick story we've referenced on this article and they are note <i>BLADE RUNNER!</i> In the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger big budget retelling of "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" as <i>Total Recall</i>, we see Arnold travel to Mars, a colonized world by this point in 2084, to undercover who he is and who he is not. To accomplish this, one of Arnold's characters is given a robotic mask and clothing to disguise (a form of camouflage) to get himself past Mars Federal security and gain access to the Martian colony. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjteSnKWSoHTLrWH564Q-jOCW_Vg40SZu947u-V3kWKKkZu-JW-jSpb8_dC7V6aReGmemKnQYhwCw3OsAAQ94A2uzWrhJfJY7Gqf1D1EzPXQQ7M0_rVz47cJthw1Unyccw6Jifae6u7o3o4XEoWy7YG_OlO0jDEaxmNpIxTaSCTbWIXkIuodCArLNtQNw=s1280" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1280" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjteSnKWSoHTLrWH564Q-jOCW_Vg40SZu947u-V3kWKKkZu-JW-jSpb8_dC7V6aReGmemKnQYhwCw3OsAAQ94A2uzWrhJfJY7Gqf1D1EzPXQQ7M0_rVz47cJthw1Unyccw6Jifae6u7o3o4XEoWy7YG_OlO0jDEaxmNpIxTaSCTbWIXkIuodCArLNtQNw=w400-h219" width="400" /></a></div>In the film, the disguise fails when the lady repeats "two weeks" over and over and then Arnold is reveled in a cool, but dated special effect. This idea is deep when considering the technology needed to develop a robotic mask that allows the wearer to be someone else fully and fool others around them. This idea was gain used in the 2002 film <i>Minority Report</i> when Tom Cruise's actor uses a muscle relaxer to fool the facial software to get into Pre-Crime. <div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Urban Grey Fatigues of the Human Resistance from <i>The Terminator & Terminator 2</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJ2egzRybLye6jzWvbKocn9od6B4fz0Fxq7yS4bo1naoQl6UYTXW1zaAWbm27y3h6jvsw2fDMpovV6jZMB8zOd4UXofmSJpM1jlICnR9Axqz-Gda1WLtsMnf2SWSTm01rGrg9bpCzGvyBIFCzW23jEqKP1c0CXl9rpiWmYIyYTfd1bCEak9l5IjG1RIg=s550" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="550" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJ2egzRybLye6jzWvbKocn9od6B4fz0Fxq7yS4bo1naoQl6UYTXW1zaAWbm27y3h6jvsw2fDMpovV6jZMB8zOd4UXofmSJpM1jlICnR9Axqz-Gda1WLtsMnf2SWSTm01rGrg9bpCzGvyBIFCzW23jEqKP1c0CXl9rpiWmYIyYTfd1bCEak9l5IjG1RIg=w400-h270" width="400" /></a></div>In the only proper two <i>Terminator</i> films and some of the video games, we see a sort of standard uniform with a standard color for the some of the Human Resistance in the War Against the Machines in the 2020s. Seen in the first two films are official elements of the organized human resistance under John Conner donned in grey uniforms that seemed culled for law enforcement or military pre-war stock. These uniforms are all in a grey hue with mostly black footwear and grey hats and helmets. In the post-Judgement Day urban ruin battlefield of L.A., the human fighters strike at the Skynet units in guerrilla tactics of hit-and-run or the more rare large scale direct engagements, like when the Time Displacement Lab was captured at the beginning of <i>T2</i>, at night. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2smEFJ03kEoI2BohC5naF4C_AVAVE2n9ykMwgPlfl8gvBL4iUqDtzCSoOUnPC53exdH6izxj2VKyI_lvUGVYlRQoGQIO-h5gh3Biop34x-ix_MV3p-rg7pTtUZZyhz48FoH83j0oLuM2ATdoWKzMPaeMWcIKXzIcvuNmD0bAtFnBY-I05kwon5UF61Q=s1920" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2smEFJ03kEoI2BohC5naF4C_AVAVE2n9ykMwgPlfl8gvBL4iUqDtzCSoOUnPC53exdH6izxj2VKyI_lvUGVYlRQoGQIO-h5gh3Biop34x-ix_MV3p-rg7pTtUZZyhz48FoH83j0oLuM2ATdoWKzMPaeMWcIKXzIcvuNmD0bAtFnBY-I05kwon5UF61Q=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>This, coupled with the overall color of the landscape being grey, it make sense for the human resistance fighters to be wearing all grey uniforms. The few pieces of screen-used resistance fighter costumes that have gone to auction, everything was dyed in the grey on purpose, but not reason as been officially given. According to what I read, grey would be a good choice for night operations instead of black.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Rebel Alliance Forest Camo Pattern from <i>SW VI: ROTJ</i></u></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L_bPWEDZe0lMkHrIBq9C0PQbgKjiFtLXUugwRlpoDf2R0QFOvyxVxWSZTjK_J47RCaKA9UuBpJztYS5ZOKmFBkmaXXOJMFBm7lfYpsu1cC4IhYTcNTFzACunkKGFABLeLfwdABYjx-I7/s624/04fSt6a.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="489" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L_bPWEDZe0lMkHrIBq9C0PQbgKjiFtLXUugwRlpoDf2R0QFOvyxVxWSZTjK_J47RCaKA9UuBpJztYS5ZOKmFBkmaXXOJMFBm7lfYpsu1cC4IhYTcNTFzACunkKGFABLeLfwdABYjx-I7/w314-h400/04fSt6a.jpg" width="314" /></a></div></div><div>While Star Wars is not known for camouflage, we do see an example in the 3rd and final film in the original Trilogy, ROTJ. In the film, Rebel strike force under the command of General Solo land on the Forest Moon of Endor and attempt to take out the shield generator to the 2nd Death Star. This small strike force is composed of handpicked Rebel Alliance Special Forces “pathfinder” Commandos along with Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. For the strike force, they seem to all don some sort of forest camouflage in various clothing designs. For example, General Solo wears his normal space pirate clothing with a more muted brown trench “the endor duster” coat. While Luke and Leia don forest camo ponchos. For the “look” of the commandos, the costume department on the film did a great job of designing their look being somewhat uniform and somewhat a motley crew especially when compared to the Imperial Forces. When one examines the camouflage pattern up close, it is a classic “woodland” themed camo pattern, but the patterns is more muted and washed out. From the Star Wars cosplay sites have basically determined that it is highly likely that the commando uniforms were spray painted and that may account for the look of the pattern. Today, this is how the pattern is replicated. It should be noted as well, that several figures have been made of the Rebel Commando Strike Force and the Endo variants of Luke, Leia, and Han. </div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><u><span>The "Flying Banana" Camo Pattern from </span><i>ALIENS Colonial Marine Technical Manual</i></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeh1HJj3zf5W-kCvmLcjN7g-cWcnaMdmGbNfCEpfX_5h1uEYzGMUDE5oi2VBV-o5boQPZXGuh0zYiag6JLEA68FwlqXzmcwaRn1O7QEKqAAnD277WVhvWVynxxYh2rF2SbwJzmg8JPzYg/s1600/368691946_849aa8693a_b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeh1HJj3zf5W-kCvmLcjN7g-cWcnaMdmGbNfCEpfX_5h1uEYzGMUDE5oi2VBV-o5boQPZXGuh0zYiag6JLEA68FwlqXzmcwaRn1O7QEKqAAnD277WVhvWVynxxYh2rF2SbwJzmg8JPzYg/w400-h116/368691946_849aa8693a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>In the best military sci-fi technical manual of all time, the 1996 ALIENS <i>Colonial Marines Technical Manual </i>by lee Brimmicombe-Wood, on page 58 we see an Colonial Marines UD-4J "Cheyenne" Tactical Transport painted a the "Flying Banana" off-world exo-environmental camo pattern. In the book, it is explained that the US Colonial Marine units were conducting operations on Helene 215 in the 82 Eridan star system (20 LYs from Sol) against the Beebops. Given the local conditions on Helene 215, the 21st Marine Assault unit repainted their Cheyennes this garish yellow color to match the local jungle conditions that was very yellow. Very cool example of a exo-planetary camo pattern that looks alien to Terran eyes, </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The MACO Uniform from <i>ST:ENT</i></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vhyphenhyphenxLYl2fsRY70VQ8BxYfeMal0k3zOFTCCVtDHrl_xyq9xbxGRSGn0xsOSWnSS3FoCrCDQteiSO9nWM_JQLi7IkXw8eLgKYs77lOC72D8oghpEIl6RHLxL__k0um9g07ZBx-I2pbsu6S/s1800/img01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1008" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vhyphenhyphenxLYl2fsRY70VQ8BxYfeMal0k3zOFTCCVtDHrl_xyq9xbxGRSGn0xsOSWnSS3FoCrCDQteiSO9nWM_JQLi7IkXw8eLgKYs77lOC72D8oghpEIl6RHLxL__k0um9g07ZBx-I2pbsu6S/w224-h400/img01.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div><div>In the 3rd and 4th season of <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i>, Captain Archer asks for military assets from the United Earth government during their hunt for the Xindi superweapon under development. What came was in the form of a team of Military Assault Command Operations under the command of Major Hayes. These MACO operators used specialized equipment and they also worn a military utility uniform in a custom camo pattern of gray with white, black, and brown color patterns. Some fansites have called this pattern “urban” or “starship corridor” camo or even “exo-planet multi-cam”. To me, the overall effect looks like a modern take on German Flecktarn. According to those that have seen the actual screen-used uniforms up close, the pattern appeared to be hand-painted and looks cruder up close. This hand-painting was used to diverse the pattern, like real-world military camouflage patterns. This MACO camo pattern was extended to the boots as well, which is unusual. I celebrate that the production staff on ST:ENT did design something original and more thought out than just buying some off-the-shelve digital camo pattern and pass it off as an 22nd century camo as so many productions do. However, this has created hell for the <i>Star Trek</i> cosplay community to replicate the look of the MACO uniforms. One interesting note: the MACO represents the only camouflage Starfleet uniform in all of <i>Trek. </i><i> </i></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Snake’s Urban Camo Pants from<i> Escape from New York</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreGHKBSY7A06xO-CFfqyBEoEOJYi3hCbzivUZbOR4igKpNhdEjvqE2Bpvf2PARRJsGszBHStn0gDF0yK-9R70f8DVFDhsqqk9cU8azUKJeLUUJhbEMeKgtGtvAcmynmvvl18_qBljIgNc/s800/mllr9iy4f5g11.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreGHKBSY7A06xO-CFfqyBEoEOJYi3hCbzivUZbOR4igKpNhdEjvqE2Bpvf2PARRJsGszBHStn0gDF0yK-9R70f8DVFDhsqqk9cU8azUKJeLUUJhbEMeKgtGtvAcmynmvvl18_qBljIgNc/w400-h400/mllr9iy4f5g11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There is no doubt that one of the best movie characters of all time is Snake Plissken and the 1981 film that featured this badass was also one of the best movies of the 1980's with it being a highlight of director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. In the time, in the far off world of 1997, New York is a maximum security prison with the island being walled off and the US national police force guarding the walls. When the POTUS's escape pod goes down in NYC, they call on World War III veteran and Special Forces operator SD Plissken. In the film, Snake wears some sort of oddball urban camouflage pattern that is too tight to be official issue BDU style. Some on RFP board have thought that the pattern was based on the Soviet SPLAV camo pattern and this would make sense due to Snake's service during the 3rd World War. To me, after watching <i>EFNY</i>, it seems that the pattern is more tiger stripped and the color pattern is more arctic than urban to me. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXz7vEA2hEvwL9nnO6IDsoJRkRpoLISaACyb1CJ_qtrRE7_kiKWgex9Yl7CjrZclOUVp-C9KZOis5e0g-prs9cygtbSwSglgRvkbAEJSO8NXYVpr8p3CBTXKaSoUsxXmVdoKX4jQRREo2/s2048/mfdv26mzvsc21.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1376" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXz7vEA2hEvwL9nnO6IDsoJRkRpoLISaACyb1CJ_qtrRE7_kiKWgex9Yl7CjrZclOUVp-C9KZOis5e0g-prs9cygtbSwSglgRvkbAEJSO8NXYVpr8p3CBTXKaSoUsxXmVdoKX4jQRREo2/w269-h400/mfdv26mzvsc21.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>In addition, they have few cargo pockets for being military...there are two larger tight pockets. We know that that the camo pattern and the pants themselves were likely custom for the film and urban camo patterns were not really a thing in 1981. Kurt Russell actually owns the original custom to this day and even worn it for the opening scenes of the terrible <i>Escape from L.A.</i> sequel/remake. Cosplayers have been using various urban and winter camo pants to similar the look with some even going as far commissioning custom camo patterns screen-accurate to the 1981 film. It is likely that Plissken was wearing something he worn in the war with items from his days on the run and avoiding the draconian US government. We may never have a real answer for the how's and why's of the screen-used urban/acratic camouflage pattern used in the film, however, this could be one of the first examples of an "urban" type camouflage pattern seen on film with most urban military camo being experimented with around the 1980's. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Yautja Optical Camo from the <i>Predator</i> Universe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0VaLVx4dRj9HSmO6pu90zSHcYmTYeLOIeGOVmcFGhvLgYhtoAjYJklbpibLygRrhP_ilNPtY4P2ci88LyaCCg21ABNNUDM9O_WJa8EXpurUEYtOrYD61xjS7C6Sbt5s9uwIzRZlmXRM3XnUJlBrB3bTFmupCODgWYOCwfXkW-IOxwlqbQeJyp_Dqj8w=s498" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="498" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0VaLVx4dRj9HSmO6pu90zSHcYmTYeLOIeGOVmcFGhvLgYhtoAjYJklbpibLygRrhP_ilNPtY4P2ci88LyaCCg21ABNNUDM9O_WJa8EXpurUEYtOrYD61xjS7C6Sbt5s9uwIzRZlmXRM3XnUJlBrB3bTFmupCODgWYOCwfXkW-IOxwlqbQeJyp_Dqj8w=w400-h230" width="400" /></a></div>There is few sci-fi camouflages more well known and terrifying than the light-blending optical camouflage used by the Yautja Hunters. This power-tensive equipment allows for the Hunter be cloaked into a distortion bubble that picks up the local conditions and allows the massive alien hunter to blend in. The effect is more effective when not moving and if the power supply is damaged or low, the optical camo is not able to work. This technology goes by many names like the Shiftsuit, cloak, invisibility system, and the Chameleon Field and it also applied to the Yautja spacecraft as well when on-planet. This technology has fallen into the hands of prey species, like the Terrans, as seen with Ronald Nolan on the Hunting Game Preserve planet. Many Terran and other alien governments and company want the technology for themselves and also to turn the tables on the Hunters. </div><div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Bio-Dampener Field from <i>Star Trek: Voyager</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmGctsgTuoqZ43YlchfaUhTFeSu5HeGFq6lGlWJTDupkOBgStanlIYCUl1C-B25MaKWosLIUtaLeiDe8zRkCUpYg36bwwdFI8IIhMgrYS3zq-gMqoWHPnOg7KITuVUfV_5wpZp4DhgIIeHkHSdo9ldcbnGvO8ea0V3wzUxPfyfHw_bcZ9EOFsHOOcIzQ=s709" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="709" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmGctsgTuoqZ43YlchfaUhTFeSu5HeGFq6lGlWJTDupkOBgStanlIYCUl1C-B25MaKWosLIUtaLeiDe8zRkCUpYg36bwwdFI8IIhMgrYS3zq-gMqoWHPnOg7KITuVUfV_5wpZp4DhgIIeHkHSdo9ldcbnGvO8ea0V3wzUxPfyfHw_bcZ9EOFsHOOcIzQ=w400-h299" width="400" /></a></div>As we discussed with the altering of warp signatures, another way to mask or cloak yourself in the Star Trek universe is dampening fields, and this was used against the Borg during the run of Voyager. It seems that Seven-of-Nine’s parents, Erin and Magnus Hansen, were exo-biologists that were given a small Federation science-based runabout to study the rumored cybernetic race that turned out to be The Borg in 2353. Once located, Erin and Magnus developed the “Bio-Dampener” to trick the sensors of the Borg ship to A bio-dampener was a small device developed by Erin and Magnus Hansen in 2353 for use in remaining undetected aboard Borg vessels. The device was designed to create a field to broadcast Borg bio-signs, having the wearer appear as a Borg drone…thus, being a form of camouflage. This was used by the Voyager during the UniMatrix storyline.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><u>The CryNet Nanosuit “Cloak Mode” from the<i> Crysis </i>Franchise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf6LFkHxmeJaa7PXpQLIM61WRCRtuSorcWHmfouvypDGbEycblMvYiX2cNANvdpOwNJrkB7bl4KBaPPZrB_coc5BFDa2j5-_FFs9V0mrpU-3JgAZLX-EbBy6Ze13f2_HxJgZQZa-m3C7CRPld1AsHfR5hKGaQPIPPHlRDMbvBBCGh7cYCcCGdbMEgQ4w=s444" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="444" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf6LFkHxmeJaa7PXpQLIM61WRCRtuSorcWHmfouvypDGbEycblMvYiX2cNANvdpOwNJrkB7bl4KBaPPZrB_coc5BFDa2j5-_FFs9V0mrpU-3JgAZLX-EbBy6Ze13f2_HxJgZQZa-m3C7CRPld1AsHfR5hKGaQPIPPHlRDMbvBBCGh7cYCcCGdbMEgQ4w=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>One of my favorite video games on the Xbox 360 is <i>Crysis 2</i> and I thought the active “cloak” mode camouflage was cool take on the active camo presented in Predator. According to the wiki, the Nanosuit are able to use a active camo via the “use of a crystalline generation, capable of fully absorbing or bending incoming wave spectrums such as visible light, radiowaves (Radar), Infrared (Thermal Imaging), and possibly microwaves or others, to render itself completely invisible to the human eye and most surveillance equipment.” When cloak is engaged, there is a distortion in the form of a shimmer that becomes worse when the Nanosuit wear is in motion or firing a weapon. Given the high power demand of the Cloak mode, it is limited in effective time. In the 3rd game, the cloak was very lethal with combined with the compound bow.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Covenant Active-Cloak Camouflage from HALO</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwgCTq8FGsgnXF7DUlALLmcz5FJW1GHQJrp_GcRXfbPgGFhD6sGe-K4yDhR0jcYjLaS6kG5dp7wglKZLXvMdXk1uaz1lPvX-VDXCA5MWOl_JquaKHC2RpIExIlXQSQRo-Zr1ddzS84miIe98cca2rO2YMlWab5zKmjGefo8aXCm0E-jDUFp8piNVNHqQ=s1166" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1110" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwgCTq8FGsgnXF7DUlALLmcz5FJW1GHQJrp_GcRXfbPgGFhD6sGe-K4yDhR0jcYjLaS6kG5dp7wglKZLXvMdXk1uaz1lPvX-VDXCA5MWOl_JquaKHC2RpIExIlXQSQRo-Zr1ddzS84miIe98cca2rO2YMlWab5zKmjGefo8aXCm0E-jDUFp8piNVNHqQ=s320" width="305" /></a></div>Since the first HALO came in 2001, there has been the use of light-bending active cloak by both the player and the enemy forces in the games, from Elites and Grunts to some of the Flood forms. In the first game, The Chief could see the Cloaked Elite Assassins due to their use of the energy sword. By the time of HALO 2, when we played as the Arbiter, we witnessed the evolution of the cloaking technology and that some specialized Grunts and Brutes used the active cloak technology. In-game during campaign, the cloak could be located via a power-up and used during key missions. It could also be a amor power-up that could be picked up and used. Of course, the cloak was directly borrowed from Predator by Bungie and despite this, the HALO active camouflage has become its own icon to several generations of gamers. </div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Prehistoric Jungle Digital Camo Pattern from <i>Terra Nova</i></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVDKJjNpNa_tkOCiLUkgU-cK5M34ANB_4cjLQzXdgHwRBipAU7TsPL9jtTlGJpu-1nawCHCPBxWJVSPjdkgno3bjhI897kmTJ1q4HeGmAdAAwCxs3sNS5UMUwOEk7yKpkwc_jmxvQ2u_e/s621/Phoenix_Soldier.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVDKJjNpNa_tkOCiLUkgU-cK5M34ANB_4cjLQzXdgHwRBipAU7TsPL9jtTlGJpu-1nawCHCPBxWJVSPjdkgno3bjhI897kmTJ1q4HeGmAdAAwCxs3sNS5UMUwOEk7yKpkwc_jmxvQ2u_e/w343-h400/Phoenix_Soldier.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><div><div>In the single season of the FOX Network TV time-travel show called “Terra Nova” that aired in 2011, we were introduced to a show that attempted to combine Jurassic Park and AVATAR into a weekly show about humans settling in the distance past prior to the environmental damage. The show attempted to channel a “LOST” vibe, but given the expensive and lack of focus in the episodes, the show failed. Towards the end, one of the main characters took over the primary settlement with his own private army, called “Phoenix Group”. These soldiers donned camo painted motorcross armor and a digital camo patterned battle uniform that looks very much like an off-the-shelf urban-like camo made likely by Tru-Spec. At the time of release, digital camo was all of the rage in the civilian world and it makes sense that the production company used it, especially at the end of the show’s lifespan. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The USMC OD Uniforms of the 2060s from <i>SAAB</i></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjwqhDHuSCe4Wd9Xn7tE8WjiI4tu-ktqjMKkuQgYwB29cbG3tWqMdGi8iqqB_4v4QjeNb4IokuAWA4w_UV2qe5aQnq47fF97-El1TXFYQO6IxcpiFKEai6HXQqfZHIkLdjMuPkxVntExk/s1426/Marines+on+Mars+6+from+Space+-+Above+and+Beyond+TV+series.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1426" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjwqhDHuSCe4Wd9Xn7tE8WjiI4tu-ktqjMKkuQgYwB29cbG3tWqMdGi8iqqB_4v4QjeNb4IokuAWA4w_UV2qe5aQnq47fF97-El1TXFYQO6IxcpiFKEai6HXQqfZHIkLdjMuPkxVntExk/w400-h301/Marines+on+Mars+6+from+Space+-+Above+and+Beyond+TV+series.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>In the best military science fiction television show of all time, <i>Space: Above & Beyond</i> we see an interesting example of camo and non-camo space marine uniforms. Throughout the single season run of the FOX tv show from 1995-1996, the main cast of US Marines of 2063-2064 wear OD flight suits that are still commercially available. The Marines of the 58th and other US Army and US Marine units seen in the show seem to all wear the OD flight suits for both atmospheric standard planetary conditions and when flying their "Hammerhead" endo-exo attack fighters. It is heavily implied that these flight suits are some sort of pressure suit that allows the wear to operate in hostile environments...to a certain limit. Traditional spacesuits are seen on the show, being used in an EVA situation. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVFsDSEmn5Bc6wcr6eIa9Krau9KrIcquDfCoR5TENoBo7ixC7ztZx77eniVuRFThzQoZMfGC5q7qiEMsc1UUIY8ZHG3Zmg-fcfj32L99y6Sf19MNi-Hm_Q86DhkBQBA0Xwm5dOSN488H_qz8k7dbMzcKB-EWOCs1Cb7ioc1zp-zgdiH2zqjW93mgHw8Q=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVFsDSEmn5Bc6wcr6eIa9Krau9KrIcquDfCoR5TENoBo7ixC7ztZx77eniVuRFThzQoZMfGC5q7qiEMsc1UUIY8ZHG3Zmg-fcfj32L99y6Sf19MNi-Hm_Q86DhkBQBA0Xwm5dOSN488H_qz8k7dbMzcKB-EWOCs1Cb7ioc1zp-zgdiH2zqjW93mgHw8Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>The OD color of the flight suits is never explained and while it works on some exo-solar planets' alien environments, it stands out in others. The tactical gear worn by the US Marines and US Army are black while the M590 exo-assault rifle is painted an OD color as well. So, what is going on here with this one standard "camouflage" color of the US Marines and US Army of the 2060's? There is no to officially explain the reason of the OD flight suits that fits within canon besides it would maybe the best color for the alien environments seen by humans during that point of space exploration and surveying. It could be an budget and logicalities consideration for the spaceborne military forces. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOutGCEhVpxh7Xl-7BVFYOs1bQ9z4eoA88zAh3i85HF4PaSddaLC0aIVh7R0kgKKOVOVz0YjGWbQcolwgcAYsb4bzH5Tk43glqoHZgvvmRQPGeuvNRRlJf6Rt_QGZLICLwPfPgKJApeRpZrtPE-GMq1qcsF2zKzU1_AWMHIG8R5BI7g7i17FtCcCPl4g=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="800" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOutGCEhVpxh7Xl-7BVFYOs1bQ9z4eoA88zAh3i85HF4PaSddaLC0aIVh7R0kgKKOVOVz0YjGWbQcolwgcAYsb4bzH5Tk43glqoHZgvvmRQPGeuvNRRlJf6Rt_QGZLICLwPfPgKJApeRpZrtPE-GMq1qcsF2zKzU1_AWMHIG8R5BI7g7i17FtCcCPl4g=w400-h255" width="400" /></a></div>However, the real-world reason for the use of OD flight suits is that is was cheaper than construct custom near-future military uniforms for the production team. In addition, I had read back when the series was in production that the costume and clothing was chosen to be realistic and not something "sci-fi". With fighter pilots wearing flight suits, it made sense to outfit the 58th in the same clothing. Added to this, is that the main characters of the 58th were Marine aviators first, they would need to be in flight suits when in their SA-43 space fighters. Due to the expense of the CGI space combat scenes, the 58th were seen in more planet-side missions than flight missions. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFCJQvS5mDlXXb6S_3vggrvKMsxVxLP80SrpsmasUDkzNpq2B6w9WMaG7yeOpWez-8PoSNZXMU45YwzyJT7TcW_yGRcSgRPHj9AeM_5nq1J1jgfN_uXPK2Zn-ink6-SEgp7WkZ9_R6pJtzndJfBNypr0hQCIAUyPvZ6Em1koUfgAEwQZiVIKX4WucR8Q=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFCJQvS5mDlXXb6S_3vggrvKMsxVxLP80SrpsmasUDkzNpq2B6w9WMaG7yeOpWez-8PoSNZXMU45YwzyJT7TcW_yGRcSgRPHj9AeM_5nq1J1jgfN_uXPK2Zn-ink6-SEgp7WkZ9_R6pJtzndJfBNypr0hQCIAUyPvZ6Em1koUfgAEwQZiVIKX4WucR8Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>Then that brings us to only camouflage example in the show from one of the finest episodes: "Who Monitors the Birds". Cooper Hawkes is given the opportunity to be part of a black operations mission to assassinate a high-ranking Chig officer on the Chig-held world of Tigris. If the mission is successful, Cooper will get his discharge from the USMC. Cooper and Marine Corps Sniper Colonel Colquitt both don what I believe is an M81 Woodland camo patterned one-piece jumpsuit or it could be an 1990's commercial camo pattern close to the M81 US Military Woodland pattern. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Warp Signature Mimicry Trick from the <i>Star Trek </i>Universe</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRNjAb5NkT0ImPCe-UxI2HxdLFm2IYUAyshf9fz6r_4QvzhuwduUOPKWPIFzgtDlXepfKochT9qkH1RhptCgkbfCk2RNpNIdOpeFOVieii0T4xtKDf_IpiU1Y7YAEvi_ciULGtn811SUqthA3kV_PyZmQv8Dx0RZtwD-gwkydh3GwifzmLFL5Rdfezcg=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRNjAb5NkT0ImPCe-UxI2HxdLFm2IYUAyshf9fz6r_4QvzhuwduUOPKWPIFzgtDlXepfKochT9qkH1RhptCgkbfCk2RNpNIdOpeFOVieii0T4xtKDf_IpiU1Y7YAEvi_ciULGtn811SUqthA3kV_PyZmQv8Dx0RZtwD-gwkydh3GwifzmLFL5Rdfezcg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Periodically, in <i>Star Trek</i>, an entire starship hides using a form of camouflage mimicry in altering their warp signature to appear as another ship from another space navy. From its common usage in the <i>Star Trek </i>shows for decades, the "warp signature" can allow for the identification of a starship and that this is a way that most sensor tell friend from foe. This has been used many times to fool sensors and even allow for weapon systems to target their own rather than the enemy. This trick most only works when the ship is well out of visional range and if someone looked out a window, the trick is up. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Camo Patterned Uniforms of the Stargate Teams from the <i>Stargate</i> Franchise </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnjFF3KI2wzazc50R0F16kU5pHtXzg6l2Xm20qMC3NlvuzR7kRqUkLNL6e1UMKsRaIRdL6KCQhQ5gGGQVsv3DTyB-zrnCO0bUMVj2HT1ktlwaEds08hadgoshEzmlokv2KSV9hkKkUKGAHpZuUomeqs4NfjZtJrfKZ85KDyoMzKutpRf95lg5WAZpcEw=s582" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="582" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnjFF3KI2wzazc50R0F16kU5pHtXzg6l2Xm20qMC3NlvuzR7kRqUkLNL6e1UMKsRaIRdL6KCQhQ5gGGQVsv3DTyB-zrnCO0bUMVj2HT1ktlwaEds08hadgoshEzmlokv2KSV9hkKkUKGAHpZuUomeqs4NfjZtJrfKZ85KDyoMzKutpRf95lg5WAZpcEw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>In the 1994 film and the TV show beginning in 1997, the mostly US Air Force SG-1 team is show wear OD BDUs with OD caps and black tactical gear. Throughout the many year of the TV show, the basic uniform of the primary SG team did not change save for when they needed to operate in desert conditions, and then 3-color desert was donned. M81 Woodland camo was seen on other USAF armed teams and some of the international SG teams worn camo, but the original SG-1 team continued to wear the OD. When the Pegasus Project was undertaken to explore the Pegasus Dwarf Irregular galaxy (3 million LYs away) and the city of Atlantis, the Expedition team members worn uniforms more akin to<i> Star Trek</i> than modern military. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCpyo0wcLKLvAIUTv-QX7iUsJU63x-yS8KR9h3lC6eqCQkuGy3gLcoq--jCIa4ZoUVQZp9rtjE8VPQ1_IHNzgWCDOrUuhkzGa0mXtf4Fmy29zl48wBHCP8ltg9ZMPSE8CbHBhbgtCpPSkd1ffPYxnHd8-qykNadGIYLbNh2crcELDuH2Kky_JOExYEyQ=s567" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="567" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCpyo0wcLKLvAIUTv-QX7iUsJU63x-yS8KR9h3lC6eqCQkuGy3gLcoq--jCIa4ZoUVQZp9rtjE8VPQ1_IHNzgWCDOrUuhkzGa0mXtf4Fmy29zl48wBHCP8ltg9ZMPSE8CbHBhbgtCpPSkd1ffPYxnHd8-qykNadGIYLbNh2crcELDuH2Kky_JOExYEyQ=w400-h325" width="400" /></a></div>For the <i>Stargate Universe </i>team, the military uniform was the (then) standard modern Tiger Stripe Airmen Battle Uniform (ABU). So, why did the members of the SG-1 team wear OD BDUs? Well, since all alien worlds in the Stargate universe look like the woods of Canada, the color mostly worked…okay…the uniform color, which was out of the USAF standards at the time was never addressed in-universe. According to one fan of <i>Stargate</i>, Michael Strikler, the team’s primary mission was survey and contact that this project a less than threatening look and more basically allowing for the team to represent Earth and peacefully exploration and contact.</div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The British Army Urban Digital Camouflage from <i>Children of Man</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmIp0hR17SWioEcb9CEOPRgP-otIi39wtzWq9ttrIMMSdxx_PM8mv1UP_FPchJUfhXMiu4Xy-YOixs8gvctmi3_54k4pRhtfQ-ro1t8e9pY1bjcCe5PRGrQ_U8QdLofQlTV3Ir3F8nZAf6UlPFW2KdnyUBUn2KjpFmETpqi6KFZchbMjCzopMqJw7LdQ=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmIp0hR17SWioEcb9CEOPRgP-otIi39wtzWq9ttrIMMSdxx_PM8mv1UP_FPchJUfhXMiu4Xy-YOixs8gvctmi3_54k4pRhtfQ-ro1t8e9pY1bjcCe5PRGrQ_U8QdLofQlTV3Ir3F8nZAf6UlPFW2KdnyUBUn2KjpFmETpqi6KFZchbMjCzopMqJw7LdQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>One of the best science fiction films of all is 2006's <i>Children of Men</i> and you have not seen it, than you need to do this now. In the dark world of 2027, it has been 18 years since human infertility came to an end and the society is coming apart to the point that home suicide kits are sold and used. The United Kingdom is one of the few government still working and it is flood with refugees from the rest of the world that is in chaos. It is during an all-out urban battle between armed refugee groups and the British Army at the Bexhill refugee camp that the first baby is born in 18 years. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCNmmlidPTLjBDJ7sjhYtS2RQWsHEZfFVwjmHM3LrejBdvsaVBBWnkcV5KmG71tXwQrfprCjHtcrbj29jJGFf4uy28qsgQodqKLGEhxGAcwU6n2ycZ6J4NMWnLYP4qH7fNE0vbTor6CVLb_8pNGgkkTJ2AnC47VbrIywN4EhSzhlUq3SZxPQ2Hu0Jnhg=s1920" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCNmmlidPTLjBDJ7sjhYtS2RQWsHEZfFVwjmHM3LrejBdvsaVBBWnkcV5KmG71tXwQrfprCjHtcrbj29jJGFf4uy28qsgQodqKLGEhxGAcwU6n2ycZ6J4NMWnLYP4qH7fNE0vbTor6CVLb_8pNGgkkTJ2AnC47VbrIywN4EhSzhlUq3SZxPQ2Hu0Jnhg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>During the battle between the Fishes and the British Army that we see that the British solders are outfitted an urban camo pattern. According to a prop site, the British Army uniforms were specially designed for the 2006 film and based around the British DPM pattern. According to the author: "<i><b><span style="color: red;">then reversed the</span></b> </i>(DPM) <i><b><span style="color: red;">pattern, changed the color to something urban and ended by giving it a digital look</span></b></i>". This pretty amazing effort made by the production of this film. During this battle, we see Chieftain MBT and other military vehicles are painted in the real-world "British Berlin Brigade" urban camouflage pattern. <br /><i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><div><br /></div></i></div><div><u>The Mordan IV Military uniforms from <i>Star Trek TNG</i> “Too Short a Season”</u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn_vy6uGxaoxC5jBxptUXYCbxGgdDcKBe9I9HL1wjyNJdnCWkoQ3o-C3GIgBReSMF62aHW_9aC8KV1XKRLNkovxBdikmjIe-O90w5eB0zNlqPH9rPZp8-w3TEhUrB27p68nEhasZt3DRl/s500/Karnas.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn_vy6uGxaoxC5jBxptUXYCbxGgdDcKBe9I9HL1wjyNJdnCWkoQ3o-C3GIgBReSMF62aHW_9aC8KV1XKRLNkovxBdikmjIe-O90w5eB0zNlqPH9rPZp8-w3TEhUrB27p68nEhasZt3DRl/s320/Karnas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The first season of <i>TNG</i> was rough and while <i>TNG</i> is much beloved today, it was touch-and-go if this bold experiment in brand new <i>Star Trek</i> on the small screen would work. One of the more interesting episodes was the 16th in the first season of <i>The Next Generation</i>: "Too Short a Season". Federation embassy hostages are being held by the terrorist on the world of Mordan IV. The planetary governor, Karnas and Starfleet believe that Admiral Mark Jameson is the right man to free the Federation hostages via diplomacy. 45 years ago, Mark Jameson negotiated the release of hostages on the same world with some of the same players. However, the Admiral is suffering from the crippling effects of Iverson's Disease and there is doubt on the part of the <i>Enterprise-D</i> crew that the Admiral should even be there. The world of Mordan IV is only five years peaceful after a global civil war between various factions that torn their world apart for over 40 years and then the tribal leader Karnas won the war of supremacy and united Mordan under his banner. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_I6pKRxT_xMUszNDVsffqMQjzIlkv2GC5jWnAR7woHDVBeN0OBPwG81EhcVnms2tNEhAnTvMiBSM0xzT0dbnbocnOaSGNABQFR_JcHYW_YVrAMnM39GoXAdvBMxzBNfjWgah_UPT-OKOgVrlaDxuJdK864TZknQjmFyM7i7ek59s5Wh8XVmya6LGlqg=s1440" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_I6pKRxT_xMUszNDVsffqMQjzIlkv2GC5jWnAR7woHDVBeN0OBPwG81EhcVnms2tNEhAnTvMiBSM0xzT0dbnbocnOaSGNABQFR_JcHYW_YVrAMnM39GoXAdvBMxzBNfjWgah_UPT-OKOgVrlaDxuJdK864TZknQjmFyM7i7ek59s5Wh8XVmya6LGlqg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>Back then, Karnes wanted a secret arms shipment of off-world weaponry to helped Karnas to turn the tables and win the war against the rival tribes. If he got these weapons, Karnas would release the hostages. Jameson did give Karnas the weapons and to balance the local situation, Jameson gave his enemies with the same weapons. This fueled over forty years of bloody war. Karnas held Jameson responsible for the bloodshed and he used another hostage crisis to get Jameson back to Mordan and make him answer for his war crimes. During the away missions to Mordan IV, we seen these blue-grey-purple camo patterned military utility mandarin-collared uniforms. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFe_RiYRKqV_ZxLh3hmZS1UaXc6MJgMvv_tOwHFF3wK5VpjATccx71w9L9VcX2I2VQx1sWWYmIKIrdJNns3g1PTcsu5P77Q8Pb9OkErmr6MpTKIGi11h1t977YEykcBNXRuhPyVCcqD3xTCDaVWXLpllzWzMBEID17bVOpNvipENyw1W9pUtXTu6ajdg=s1440" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFe_RiYRKqV_ZxLh3hmZS1UaXc6MJgMvv_tOwHFF3wK5VpjATccx71w9L9VcX2I2VQx1sWWYmIKIrdJNns3g1PTcsu5P77Q8Pb9OkErmr6MpTKIGi11h1t977YEykcBNXRuhPyVCcqD3xTCDaVWXLpllzWzMBEID17bVOpNvipENyw1W9pUtXTu6ajdg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>This uniform was also worn by the Mordan soldier encountered in the souterrain tunnels during the aborted hostage rescue missions by the <i>Enterprise-D</i> crew. During the firefight, we seen that the Mordan soldiers wearing protective gear and those helmets are colored in the same camo pattern. It is likely that these "urban" like camo pattern was the standard uniform of the Mordan military in the post-civil war era. However, given what we audience saw of the surface of Mordan, this camo pattern is not even close to the Mars-like color scheme we witness. So, what gives with this rare <i>Star Trek </i>camo pattern? There is nearly nothing on the military costume used in "Too Short a Season" and I am assuming that the camo pattern was influenced by 1980's camo </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Lt. Michael "Tank" Ellis Camo'ed Power Suit from <i>Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT7uBTWlj9rasiV-07TXSIjKyxSHycYoR8SPInOGfRgKyd-VGiP_aKbuGGByz7P1qIn_jYtdVJgyO4JXJ5dh-J33TmiwvZAFZUuI7D0a18BBUH6eLh3WFi-SeCH0RU61tut3dqzGczfFpVrdl7qoi8RwP8W_liytcP7fjCQCcYYCTc9k38SAJwUwdKZg=s1000" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT7uBTWlj9rasiV-07TXSIjKyxSHycYoR8SPInOGfRgKyd-VGiP_aKbuGGByz7P1qIn_jYtdVJgyO4JXJ5dh-J33TmiwvZAFZUuI7D0a18BBUH6eLh3WFi-SeCH0RU61tut3dqzGczfFpVrdl7qoi8RwP8W_liytcP7fjCQCcYYCTc9k38SAJwUwdKZg=w400-h288" width="400" /></a></div>During the mid01980's an usually show came onto American airwaves that was a kid's interactive show about a machine uprising and the near death of the human species with a band of next-gen human heroes in power suits attempting to stop the end of the human race. This was <i>Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future </i>and it only lasted one season. For the show, a massive roll-out of toys was made that directly interacted with the TV show by Mattel and my favorite character of the show, Lt. Michael "Tank" Ellis who was dressed in a woodland-theme camo heavy powered armor and worn a another camo pattern pants when not in the Power Suit. Played by Sven-Ole Thorsen, who was in a number of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies including <i>Predator. </i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSQ22TdneKYOtOci_oBsvao8gW7iclwV7IMesiLmzI97xdBT_p2_7N8kJd_dHj6P56fd4dlQXkgQJhpSw3pk9m47ddsyKjQzAQJfa40B7A0PDdnxXJdsUxFx8J0AQJMSzikkZn4lJaTRwFlDoN3jtc5aT363ZZP7dj8OJhvNHK4YTxJg3EzSxfQMwhPg=s259" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="259" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSQ22TdneKYOtOci_oBsvao8gW7iclwV7IMesiLmzI97xdBT_p2_7N8kJd_dHj6P56fd4dlQXkgQJhpSw3pk9m47ddsyKjQzAQJfa40B7A0PDdnxXJdsUxFx8J0AQJMSzikkZn4lJaTRwFlDoN3jtc5aT363ZZP7dj8OJhvNHK4YTxJg3EzSxfQMwhPg=w400-h301" width="400" /></a></div>According to the background material, Lt. Ellis was the product of military genetic engineering at a place called "Babylon 5" and at some point, Ellis escaped. He would serve in the Metal Wars in the United Earth Forces United Ground Assault Corps. His skills caused him to be folded into Power's group. Given his ground combat skills, he would be assigned the heaviest and most powerful suit in the inventory. With it being a ground attack suit, the suit's external color would be one of a camouflage pattern...however, I cannot tell what the camo pattern actually looks like due to the low-quality of the videos. From some behind-the-set photos I've seen, the camouflage pattern was much richer and closer to British DPM than the "Frog Skin" pattern I thought it was. There was a dark woodland style camo pattern worn by the United Earth soldiers, but it was not similar to the camo worn by Tank. All of the power suits were developed by Robert Short Productions and there are no notes on the camo itself.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD_Pf-OeNF_EXlvR6AXXFSSZ7Nfj7ea9KtTgmVYFJ-jLOT7koG-7cAq0JRL-iI_6ewwjY8bqe9sU_8tTCnXM2d-VxVnQO-jPn7YfEgpHQeo3IHKpcrcPoKxba4XF-14HO7txN6NhpQh27AyzA-soFI2OeAROnpqUfSJAhkpj129OYBoobnL8f86GZ2HA=s1000" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="799" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD_Pf-OeNF_EXlvR6AXXFSSZ7Nfj7ea9KtTgmVYFJ-jLOT7koG-7cAq0JRL-iI_6ewwjY8bqe9sU_8tTCnXM2d-VxVnQO-jPn7YfEgpHQeo3IHKpcrcPoKxba4XF-14HO7txN6NhpQh27AyzA-soFI2OeAROnpqUfSJAhkpj129OYBoobnL8f86GZ2HA=w320-h400" width="320" /></a></div>For the action figure, the Tank figure was painted in a tan with green spots to simulate camouflage. So, why is FWS discussing <i>Captain Power</i> and the limited camouflage of this 1987 TV series? For one, I grew up watching the show during its run and I loved the <i>Terminator</i> like atmosphere of the show and when I can include it, I do. However, the main reason, is that Tank Ellis is the <i>only</i> camouflaged member of the Power Strike Team. The rest of the Power team are dressed in overdone "futuristic" styled armor costumes. For example, Cpt. Power's gaudy gold-and-blue armor stands out among the grey-and-blacked out ruins of 22nd century America. All of the team were involved in guerrilla urban combat, save for one, and Tank was the only one in a semi-military "uniform". What makes this interesting is that design team decided that since Tank Ellis was the ground combat 3expert, he needed a camouflaged armored costume, but not of the other Power team members and that the United Earth troopers also needed camo, but again, not the bulk of the Power team. This means that in the thinking of the design and production team, camouflage=military and only the Tank character needed to be camo'ed up and not the rest, because he was military, and the other are not...I guess? <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Bell Labs Scramble Suit from <i>A Scanner Darkly </i>Book and Film</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk7a3KeB9g-AoNNETV7G2hJWwFrw-tzv4226jFdbU763nW-WUZn6mv0u0ol9FzFO0ZhqEZn1kNhh7ISCPC-r6u7MuWX2_viw7w-gTw3anWh1td3rpK-9JvbuvrWedD0vYXJ2Jp8qcnQ5oQoox6JkQ_KesEYIDIbPx0W65EXsQO96JoPX6ohV2lqgXnfw=s640" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk7a3KeB9g-AoNNETV7G2hJWwFrw-tzv4226jFdbU763nW-WUZn6mv0u0ol9FzFO0ZhqEZn1kNhh7ISCPC-r6u7MuWX2_viw7w-gTw3anWh1td3rpK-9JvbuvrWedD0vYXJ2Jp8qcnQ5oQoox6JkQ_KesEYIDIbPx0W65EXsQO96JoPX6ohV2lqgXnfw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Philip K. Dick is a most odd man and when he crafted <i>A Scanner Darkly</i>, he was deeply into the drug culture of the 1970's. It was during this dark time that he penned the 1977 book <i>A Scanner Darkly</i>. In the future, the US has lost the War on Drugs and it seems that 20% of the US population is on the new drug "Substance D". The Undercover police officers involved in the battle against Substance D wear a "scramble suit" was expertly reproduced on screen for the 2006 film (which completely bombed at the box office). The suite appears in the film when not active to be full-body suit that looks like chemical suit. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcZZvlJMFcaYUdy_yUqCatgZPNnmhqA6ZaKDev9eBRyOyVwUmuO-PbKsVyb2ddpLB6qNjb1xN8e4Ahut_60Vp6J4FdBHw89uzh5P_ERffnuRvl8VS7lF8oyaqIcNQ8LXDVc_BNOOR7Hxm-QMTwVG6s6fMO9qam8yqBg5dqJIVYzOHs7Tt5FSJ_EZ3tHw=s274" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="274" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcZZvlJMFcaYUdy_yUqCatgZPNnmhqA6ZaKDev9eBRyOyVwUmuO-PbKsVyb2ddpLB6qNjb1xN8e4Ahut_60Vp6J4FdBHw89uzh5P_ERffnuRvl8VS7lF8oyaqIcNQ8LXDVc_BNOOR7Hxm-QMTwVG6s6fMO9qam8yqBg5dqJIVYzOHs7Tt5FSJ_EZ3tHw=w400-h269" width="400" /></a></div>In the book, the suit is introduced and explained in this text: "<b><i><span style="color: red;">Now you will notice," the Lions Club host said, "that you can barely see this individual... because he is wearing what is called a scramble suit...</span></i></b><div><b><i><span style="color: red;">"Let's hear it for the vague blur!" the host said loudly...The scramble suit was an invention of the Bell laboratories, conjured up by accident by an employee named S. A. Powers... Basically, his design consisted of a multifaceted quartz lens hooked up to a million and a half physiognomic fraction-representations of various people: men and women, children, with every variant encoded and then projected outward in all directions equally onto a superthin shroudlike membrane large enough to fit around an average human. As the computer looped through its banks, it projected every conceivable eye color, hair color, shape and type of nose, formation of teeth, configuration of facial bone structure - the entire shroudlike membrane took on whatever physical characteristics were projected at any nanosecond, then switched to the next...In any case, the wearer of a scramble suit was Everyman and in every combination (up to combinations of a million and a half sub-bits) during the course of each hour. Hence, any description of him - or her - was meaningless</span></i></b>". This is one of the more unique examples of camouflage in a sci-fi product and as a bonus, Keanu Reeves in the film. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The RDA Digital Jungle Camo "AVPAT" Pattern from AVATAR</div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVr2TDnWR9DLxGioT_RihkEvSjRZBkdS4IRwPFvGAUdfl-EOhKUKhYAWg-5KgQfWVjWY8gUJtldnQb4faFuE5WctHEuAiazzBHtoVOibNTZqi6wPyUif2DQaYwCDm0_GuvEmBmjETEsOrb/s557/Stephen_Lang.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="557" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVr2TDnWR9DLxGioT_RihkEvSjRZBkdS4IRwPFvGAUdfl-EOhKUKhYAWg-5KgQfWVjWY8gUJtldnQb4faFuE5WctHEuAiazzBHtoVOibNTZqi6wPyUif2DQaYwCDm0_GuvEmBmjETEsOrb/s320/Stephen_Lang.png" width="320" /></a></div><div>In the 2009 mega-hit that was part of the push to get me to forge what we know today as Future War Stories, James Cameron's AVATAR would feature a PMC unit of the RDA called "Security Operations" or SecOps. the uniform that the SecOps soldiers don is some sort of digital jungle camo pattern that may have been custom designed for off-world operations on Pandora. I can only imagine the look of the night camo pattern for Pandora...I am guessing TRON-like? Anyways, there have been fan reproductions of the digital camouflage pattern, but no official source on the camo that is called "AVPAT" in the community. It is highly likely that given who James Cameron is, he based the desired look of the SecOps soldiers from the 22nd century on the most current camouflage technology of the time and the official military digital camo patterns coming out at the time greatly influenced the costume production design of the RDA SecOps camo...which is likely based on CATPAT and MARPAT. For the upcoming AVTAR 2, it seems that the RDA SecOps have gotten upgraded uniforms. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div><u>"Bravoflage" from <i>Suicide Squad </i>(2016)</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij2ETe9M0JfojfkzKKjljZHua2FxkbwZiealLAazYCDX05pSOmZT4gdcj5c3GRFRH6xcX1icjKNRRrgk_cUOe2dN5Dwm9IMq2AXAAuU2JJkr5LgPcVTrE91lkv-rTuLjQ3Wt-b84RHYfECuJgAAXwJwhV-aEuQiOe0quJ8A5V4RmsQrT-BbG0KCqErrw=s1294" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1294" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij2ETe9M0JfojfkzKKjljZHua2FxkbwZiealLAazYCDX05pSOmZT4gdcj5c3GRFRH6xcX1icjKNRRrgk_cUOe2dN5Dwm9IMq2AXAAuU2JJkr5LgPcVTrE91lkv-rTuLjQ3Wt-b84RHYfECuJgAAXwJwhV-aEuQiOe0quJ8A5V4RmsQrT-BbG0KCqErrw=w400-h314" width="400" /></a></div>In the 2016 DC Universe comicbook film <i>Suicide Squad</i>, the SEAL accompanying the members of <i>Suicide Squad </i>are wearing a unique camouflage pattern that was not easily identified. According to the several articles online, the custom camo pattern was named "bravoflague" and was developed by combining six different types of camouflage patterns. This blue-black pattern seems like a urban pattern that fused 6-color US Desert (Chocolate Chip), US Army OCP Multicam, the experimental USMC Urban-T, the German Flecktarn, and the French Lizard. This pattern is not well seen on-screen and the few shots of it make me like the pattern. According to rumor on the internet,"Bravoflague" pattern was made by King's Camo for the production. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Urban Digital Camo Pattern from <i>BSG</i></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsVBuv3X255zvSRlu_QX39QAinqGYX5l6APyIe8711B6L9U3XFrRm2OiLpDCeUL-OiY53SptRK_uknfs1W8_dZKL6ntXPGOEuXHNQRw1pSKUyFDkiVgsS7bbf-iY67jfPcFsUGUfLL7_V/s512/unnamed+%25288%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="340" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsVBuv3X255zvSRlu_QX39QAinqGYX5l6APyIe8711B6L9U3XFrRm2OiLpDCeUL-OiY53SptRK_uknfs1W8_dZKL6ntXPGOEuXHNQRw1pSKUyFDkiVgsS7bbf-iY67jfPcFsUGUfLL7_V/w266-h400/unnamed+%25288%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a>When the <i>Galactica</i> and the Civilian Fleet arrive at the original home of humanity, Kobol (maybe?), the military portion of the landing party dons this grey digitial camouflage uniform that makes little sense in the dense woodland environment. However, this pattern makes me think of the US Navy "Blueberry" NWU digital camo pattern. Maybe this camo pattern was used onboard the Colonial Fleet and not intended for dirtside use. According to some research, the production of <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> used civilian made off-the-shelf camo uniforms. The uniforms were sourced from the American uniform maker Tru-Spec and the pattern was their take on "urban digital camo". This uniform was recycled after the Kobol-centered episodes once more in the episode "Shattered". This is pretty much true for so many productions during the time when digital camo patterns hit the civilian market...but...I wished the camo pattern for <i>Galactica</i> was more in woodland pattern than a urban pattern. </div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The SDF Mars Camo Pattern from <i>COD:IW</i></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2ASEHSKLFfG1SOXs9gn_fh7BmGACX7j2LRYpzsyibOVQ89rsY9znK4tFeNF8Gm8-bcM_73E-KQhW0be6PbrSwSEnwKE9hWnJfMvjiccHkzhvhdTuRNRN4N2hhmuqlzQomv_Af6C65N2D/s1400/nv4_camo000.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2ASEHSKLFfG1SOXs9gn_fh7BmGACX7j2LRYpzsyibOVQ89rsY9znK4tFeNF8Gm8-bcM_73E-KQhW0be6PbrSwSEnwKE9hWnJfMvjiccHkzhvhdTuRNRN4N2hhmuqlzQomv_Af6C65N2D/w400-h225/nv4_camo000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>Unlike most of the <i>COD </i>community, I actually liked and still play <i>Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare,</i> and I see as a game heavily influenced by <i>Space: Above and Beyond</i>. Anyways, in the game, you can customized the look of your weapon with some camo skins and one is "Mars". This deep red pattern is not a favorite of mine, but what is deeply interesting to me is the development of camo patterns based on off-world exo-environments. </div></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The US Space Force "LUNPAT" Camo Pattern from <i>Space Force</i></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJrvia6rCKO4wPkIAE9vNRcBT7QlgOLsIaU4-CPEenXOm31HoOKDEXAZETcIs-dN_m7CN3ZTihNJDH8OJnbGSC7Se4BPT8WMgspo35K24uGoDLeR2mp9bZhK6jvF_tykGleev3-33KBLBmftgjclzGb-owxH-u4xAi_830xVtwPOhDv4QIFQAmTxvt8g=s1080" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJrvia6rCKO4wPkIAE9vNRcBT7QlgOLsIaU4-CPEenXOm31HoOKDEXAZETcIs-dN_m7CN3ZTihNJDH8OJnbGSC7Se4BPT8WMgspo35K24uGoDLeR2mp9bZhK6jvF_tykGleev3-33KBLBmftgjclzGb-owxH-u4xAi_830xVtwPOhDv4QIFQAmTxvt8g=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, I know that this show is a comedy about the 6th branch of the US Armed Forces, the Space Force...but, damn, the lunar camouflage pattern is damn funny and makes more sense than the actual US Space Force camo pattern uniform, The internet had a great amount of fun at both of the uniforms and I thought it deserved a mention here. Maybe Ronald D. Moore ought to look into using this uniform for his <i>For All Mankind </i>series? Anyways, just marvel in how awesome this off-world lunar camo pattern is!<br /><i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></i></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>The Wraiths & Eska Hunters from ST:ENT Episode “Rouge Planet” (1x18)</u></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij6iLEUcnR3et-dml-tMUyAdMnhVk7GedX0ne2PlTQB6fE9VqPQK2U18yCZlnACiOZOHm-VijCecoyRg34bvp5BjEgGG5s6vgBHkiRw1Y2vxRnQpIkJN4leACAZTefcWW5QOsNfTrIpr_wnAQbKi73nMCVwZ3P_URnLMTvvsOqKs1RZ_p7q-tdqOtCMw=s700" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij6iLEUcnR3et-dml-tMUyAdMnhVk7GedX0ne2PlTQB6fE9VqPQK2U18yCZlnACiOZOHm-VijCecoyRg34bvp5BjEgGG5s6vgBHkiRw1Y2vxRnQpIkJN4leACAZTefcWW5QOsNfTrIpr_wnAQbKi73nMCVwZ3P_URnLMTvvsOqKs1RZ_p7q-tdqOtCMw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>In one of the final last episodes for the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise, we see the NX-01 investigate an M-Class “Rogue” planet that is maintaining a habitual environment via hot gas vents (also me after Taco Bell). While a scientifically dumb and simple setup, the meat of the episode was that some humanoid alien hunters called “Eska” travel to the rouge planet that they call “Dakala” to hunt (via some 1980’s NVG visors) a most elusive prey, the shapeshifting “Wraiths”. The slug-like shapeshifters use highly advanced biological active camouflage to mimic and fool the Enterprise crew and the Eska Hunting party. For nine generations, the Eska have come to Dakala and some have died hunting the Wraith. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj59yjwKWbDnpkPHy5Tn2TbNMXbLctasqIRgv75b-PfH647vwWlxbmocNONAQ0iR6BLieSYupQYD1Yp4I9TDjqpeylxsBb2wc8N-nAQ_8464cz2iuJ2earT4FrS3UqfbJOLK8fWtsFj-biKNl7bQErH7-cfi6xlOABhLi3VBZlqrmQKkCGPruRoc0bPaA=s1024" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1024" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj59yjwKWbDnpkPHy5Tn2TbNMXbLctasqIRgv75b-PfH647vwWlxbmocNONAQ0iR6BLieSYupQYD1Yp4I9TDjqpeylxsBb2wc8N-nAQ_8464cz2iuJ2earT4FrS3UqfbJOLK8fWtsFj-biKNl7bQErH7-cfi6xlOABhLi3VBZlqrmQKkCGPruRoc0bPaA=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div>In addition to the prey, the hunters wore a unique alien camouflage “safari” like patterned jumpsuit. This camo pattern is close in some of the coloring to the terrible US Army ACU. To be honest, there is likely no reason for the Eska hunters to be wearing camo due to the local conditions, especially that very pale camo pattern. I recently re-watched this episode and I found the concept interesting, but it is a terrible episode with odd-ball futuristic NVGs, but the DE Eska Hunter Rifles were a good design though. </div></div><div style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><b>Next Time on FWS...</b></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYHBtwUlN2O5ws1noFqU9MstfCpYvrrG2ffsl9Yhd2xIc0fB3iPs-yYcxjTVq8IyAjzFBgDYpxiypiYNjH6ygJrbhPULXi5l6X9vwmXLCw1ycS9d9T1ytEDLaBxeCQzMRc9n_IqwWgPg0/s500/main-qimg-26c5b24ab05c8ae7613c81f67f83868a.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="500" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYHBtwUlN2O5ws1noFqU9MstfCpYvrrG2ffsl9Yhd2xIc0fB3iPs-yYcxjTVq8IyAjzFBgDYpxiypiYNjH6ygJrbhPULXi5l6X9vwmXLCw1ycS9d9T1ytEDLaBxeCQzMRc9n_IqwWgPg0/w400-h230/main-qimg-26c5b24ab05c8ae7613c81f67f83868a.gif" width="400" /></a></div>For many years, FWS has promised to bring a new serial about space fighters and after years, I am very pleased to announce that will take shape with the first installment of <u>FWS: Starfigthers</u>! For this first installment, we shall be exploring and explaining the interesting classification of the "Fighter-Bomber" in both the real-world and in sci-fi. So, get into your Y-Wings and join us for Fighter-Bombers! <br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-84537048258031044582022-04-01T13:20:00.000-05:002022-04-01T13:20:33.411-05:00FWS Newsfeed: So...I Finally saw The BATMAN (2022)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEE8HqUR0fUvCWYsZTgkCalEso901ay7nMEUy1Oyi6gtxxLiZXacyP3qwPSaQ7nKwQkODW0RCgt9pZVGeYnWkVJ_dW_OAKytfr6t_z8BQDCicb5Zp11nuleU-RNJ_vh-RfQwyOEeSgqsIAsFagVM-Pj7JIxBkyoq1CGoUHbCEKjfjl418oNyOfLgARTQ/s1200/file-20220302-25-26i6jm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEE8HqUR0fUvCWYsZTgkCalEso901ay7nMEUy1Oyi6gtxxLiZXacyP3qwPSaQ7nKwQkODW0RCgt9pZVGeYnWkVJ_dW_OAKytfr6t_z8BQDCicb5Zp11nuleU-RNJ_vh-RfQwyOEeSgqsIAsFagVM-Pj7JIxBkyoq1CGoUHbCEKjfjl418oNyOfLgARTQ/w640-h360/file-20220302-25-26i6jm.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Last night, after several grueling weeks at work, I was able to get a night off of the work and family and went to see <i>The Batman</i>. Now, I know that this film is not military science fiction and nor am I much for superhero movies either...but, this one I needed to see on the big screen. My confession is that I am not much for Superhero Movies. My favorite is <i>The Watchmen</i> from 2009 and the new <i>Batman </i>movie might be right up there. Most Superheroes bore me along with their films and while I did read some Superhero comics back in the 1980s, I was attracted comics like <i>The 'Nam, Star Trek</i>, <i>The Terminator, ALIENS,</i> and <i>Lone Wolf and Cub</i>. Truth be told, I hated the 1989 <i>Batman</i> movie and hated all of those original batch of <i>Batman</i> films. However, I was surprised when I enjoyed the Christian Bale <i>Batman </i>movies due to they are strong films in their own right. Then came Ben Affleck and I hated Ben Affleck as Batman and his films were trash. However, when I witnessed the first trailer for Robert Pattinson <i>Batman</i> film, I was properly excited. Then I got to see it...and I was blown away. Great directing, music, set design, and the angle of the Batman on the hunt for a serial killer was transformative when compared to the recent films. Then there is Pattinson. He nailed the tortured, sad, and trauma-filled character. I want to see more of his dark knight, but I am worried they will ruin this new Batman. This is the best <i>Batman</i> film I've seen and I grateful that they took the bold step to have a 3-hour run time. </p><p></p>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-88263201420507788512022-01-17T02:11:00.000-06:002022-01-17T02:11:33.964-06:00Military Sci-Fi Oddities: The TITANFALL Franchise <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyuHjj_qf_XVyT-U9OlMkMgbfFzM8_vhCCnAk13rdqBitv1fxX-3b9bQKvc__kqWa82PmnSozyQtstDT8l6Q8F3hw4JLZyNI9vtOrS1Sk033bN6_INSRlY0GuD9rYqunB07CruiPUb1FV/s2048/DofWaSgGffRBByLa8OvYgYFG.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyuHjj_qf_XVyT-U9OlMkMgbfFzM8_vhCCnAk13rdqBitv1fxX-3b9bQKvc__kqWa82PmnSozyQtstDT8l6Q8F3hw4JLZyNI9vtOrS1Sk033bN6_INSRlY0GuD9rYqunB07CruiPUb1FV/w640-h360/DofWaSgGffRBByLa8OvYgYFG.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On April 8th, 2014, Respawn Entertainment released a online-only mecha-based first person shooter infused with the DNA from the <i>Call of Duty </i>franchise via some of the talent behind Infinity Ward. While it was cause for celebration by us fans of military science fiction and mecha, it soon twisted to ash and broken promises via a series of oddities. So, why is TITANFALL listed under the <u>Oddities</u> series instead of the<u> Broken Promises</u> or even the <u>Forgotten Classics</u> serials...well, because the entire history of the TITANFALL franchise and its current status is all just odd and I think it needs to be discussed in that light and lens.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Before We Begin...My POV on TITANFALL 1 & 2</u></b></div><div>So, I have to admit that despite my best efforts to stay neutral about the TITANFALL games and their franchise, I have noticed that I am writing this article more from my own opinion, colored by my own experience with T1 and T2. I was very much let down by T2 and it has been hard for me to see the love and worship that is paid to TITANFALL 2 given how disappointed I was by it. Anyway, your mileage may vary from my own. </div><div> </div><div><b><u>Why Did Respawn Make a Mecha Shooter Game in 2014?</u></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4cOyC63JsFhV-xNr8zrTG-msLJ-ZYDPQgpPpsfelmnTJDgI1Ix5kEi4k0v43yIJJAGa3IHRqtSke62u-l5mdXRBsQy6FAC205wRFe51OXsBHg5ko-P6CnervWF085md9mbOaadofZxdX7IORxAWpFgmGdptx55XFRRou11eir8Vq-IovdJzHCCRYfAg=s284" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="284" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4cOyC63JsFhV-xNr8zrTG-msLJ-ZYDPQgpPpsfelmnTJDgI1Ix5kEi4k0v43yIJJAGa3IHRqtSke62u-l5mdXRBsQy6FAC205wRFe51OXsBHg5ko-P6CnervWF085md9mbOaadofZxdX7IORxAWpFgmGdptx55XFRRou11eir8Vq-IovdJzHCCRYfAg=w400-h249" width="400" /></a></div>Since the rise of the Giant Robot genre in Japan during the 1960’s and its importation into the Western market in the late 1970’s (2nd Wave of Anime), there has been a certain romantic about robotic war-machines in tales of future wars. For years, creators have been inserting combat and work mecha into all media types, however, money and technological limitations have plagued the inclusion of mecha into live-action and video game productions. At the time that Respawn Entertainment was formed from ex-Infinity Ward employees, the graphical and processing technology existed for the next evolutionary step for video game mecha combat games. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi58nQMCTNAHk4BRDsyr7hXxhAMZYILnImtAWhin_MaZgTAeKIvv9TcabqLdTlFYn0ll91m7AyotvN651SF46J3KKedIGiwXgkIfXqM3HNPzNSA7tu1EXcUcg8qR9xXymFPBhxywiH-k0kCGxgCprNCy3-lO2bUx05ES4xEqAnQ2yEIFkkOabDm4ZSakg=s590" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="590" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi58nQMCTNAHk4BRDsyr7hXxhAMZYILnImtAWhin_MaZgTAeKIvv9TcabqLdTlFYn0ll91m7AyotvN651SF46J3KKedIGiwXgkIfXqM3HNPzNSA7tu1EXcUcg8qR9xXymFPBhxywiH-k0kCGxgCprNCy3-lO2bUx05ES4xEqAnQ2yEIFkkOabDm4ZSakg=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div>With their collective experience with the chaos and gunplay of the <i>Call of Duty</i> franchise, the concept of adding a future war setting combined with mecha seemed like a winning combination…but, what did Respawn Entertainment decide to undertake a mecha combat game in 2010? When the studio was founded, the first game to be created was placed under the name “R1” and there were several concepts floated, like urban warfare against dragons, (which sounds like <i>Reign of Fire </i>to me), then it moved to demons. By late 2010 and early 2011, the first hints of the Titans began. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqfXFbXebMspCZM-7Fo0OwfhhL6PidzKIx8nW8MYDh3MCdVDN4yn1uHu5IsY8TTq8Rj1blV3_a2R5DBmzMdmK0xYcnb6yJDS122RGga5AWSHB8oqRbuqNRTWZVATDY7--QiDmGEzMHhusIhQboCYhCSi_vjydemmP44XL7hBQ7cIppWpW-b9Cb5XHxxw=s740" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="740" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqfXFbXebMspCZM-7Fo0OwfhhL6PidzKIx8nW8MYDh3MCdVDN4yn1uHu5IsY8TTq8Rj1blV3_a2R5DBmzMdmK0xYcnb6yJDS122RGga5AWSHB8oqRbuqNRTWZVATDY7--QiDmGEzMHhusIhQboCYhCSi_vjydemmP44XL7hBQ7cIppWpW-b9Cb5XHxxw=w400-h233" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>The Mechs that became Titans were influenced by the powered armor from <i>Iron Man</i> with artist Joel Emslie designing the Titans. One of the original concepts for the game, was for the mechs to defends a downed and being repaired starships against hostile native wildlife threats to the ship...sounds like <i>Avatar. </i>This would have been called <i>Redeye</i> after the ship. During this, there were lawsuits, fistfights, and loss of direction with their first game. Finally, in 2011, the <i>R1</i> demo with pilots, infantry, and the Titan mechs were shown to EA, and thus, the rest is history. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Historical Context of TITANFALL </u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY-5aGBc_5txqUKIwcxNgPIElDEGJgPrhmzwaVlMQ0JX_YcGmGSmame--48L4PhV8-Mt4NrwebkV4k1cAeYmnwOZsF8pAUCH8QAUpDZxbYXNkl0iO5ILwtKLKyAtOmb72h2gweLgypeGv1G9mMz6JYR9957MFApbVLr5dCRzcoXpq9Eamvw6Ltori8wg=s1400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY-5aGBc_5txqUKIwcxNgPIElDEGJgPrhmzwaVlMQ0JX_YcGmGSmame--48L4PhV8-Mt4NrwebkV4k1cAeYmnwOZsF8pAUCH8QAUpDZxbYXNkl0iO5ILwtKLKyAtOmb72h2gweLgypeGv1G9mMz6JYR9957MFApbVLr5dCRzcoXpq9Eamvw6Ltori8wg=w286-h400" width="286" /></a></div>TITANFALL and its studio was forged in the fires of <i>Call of Duty </i>and the world that gaming empire built. With that sematic change in the world of video games, TITANFALL would be of the world it was born into, one dominated by the DNA of <i>Call of Duty</i> and the world of online combat. At the time that the first TITANFALL game was released during the 8th Generation of home video game consoles was launched with the PS4 and the Xbox One. On these systems was games like <i>Destiny, HALO: The Master Chief Edition, ALIEN Isolation, </i>and <i>Wolfenstein New Order. </i>At the time, there was not really any mech based combat games on the 8th Generation and TITANFALL represented that genre-within-a-genre. This is at a time when the "always online" model was being basically forced on players and when more and more shooter based games were abandoning the single-player campaign. Just four years after the release of the first TITANFALL game, <i>Call of Duty </i>would release a campaign-less game: <i>Black Ops IV</i>. This is also a time when <i>Call of Duty </i>would push further into the future with <i>COD: Advanced Warfare </i>in 2014 after the <i>COD </i>universe had gone into the future with <i>Black Ops II</i>. <br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></div><div><b><u>Why is the TITANFALL Franchise an Oddity?</u></b></div><div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Origins of the Studio</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ7ebfLdoPR59anHgBTmKOOXVRIiZXHNdy4zXFlvNMwldjUTIF_zaIGo88Jvr1Jybu2dsR6PPfOzyKdsb-Z8d5VJSwWdkdc8l9GX3Ejb2TMVntOgS-1RkEtuB9UrsfYFMpPyRQe5t_3Kr7ixRhBQQ6Ih3JknDqzvbCxjrFMU_MTGOiWAI4J4cDewjdvg=s800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="800" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ7ebfLdoPR59anHgBTmKOOXVRIiZXHNdy4zXFlvNMwldjUTIF_zaIGo88Jvr1Jybu2dsR6PPfOzyKdsb-Z8d5VJSwWdkdc8l9GX3Ejb2TMVntOgS-1RkEtuB9UrsfYFMpPyRQe5t_3Kr7ixRhBQQ6Ih3JknDqzvbCxjrFMU_MTGOiWAI4J4cDewjdvg=w400-h191" width="400" /></a></div>It is well known that the origins of Respawn Entertainment was firmly rooted in the world of Call of Duty and this fact made the gaming public and fans of mecha downright thirsty for their take on mecha combat with COD DNA infused. Behind the scenes, it was a bloody mess with lawsuits, counter lawsuits, and even rumors of email hacking. The founders of Respawn are Jason West and Vince Zampella were originally employed by Infinity Ward and were on the development of COD: Modern Warfare. With the massive success and new contract talks undergoing, West & Zampella pushed for more money and control over MW2. If the pair were fired, the control of the sequel would go back to Activision. In March of 2010, that happened and this was around the time that there was discussions of getting Infinity Ward out of the shadow of Activision. After the pair were fired for debated reasons, they established Respawn Entertainment while dueling lawsuits were being filed. Shortly after the founding of Respawn, West left (he would later join Epic) due to family issues and it was just Zampella in the driver seat. In 2017, Respawn bought by EA for nearly $500 million, and then they became more of the masters than the founder. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The lack of a campaign in TITANFALL 1</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOcSKslXdVlsMCS3nNg7H-J4a1TiJCVddgDHvd6jpbciaFPN6OfAMDK7NR2a7Ym40D8_Jlb5fRfDl2w2T-n7VjX0KzMI8tE4T7PX2PFDLpNmqtfwNFNLXUE-FmvOMukxtFkp-Fasd2oxQXweVggwk_LEyMOBfxzzkrE3Jyw6oXGsznB2ub4Wn7AfpgnQ=s800" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="800" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOcSKslXdVlsMCS3nNg7H-J4a1TiJCVddgDHvd6jpbciaFPN6OfAMDK7NR2a7Ym40D8_Jlb5fRfDl2w2T-n7VjX0KzMI8tE4T7PX2PFDLpNmqtfwNFNLXUE-FmvOMukxtFkp-Fasd2oxQXweVggwk_LEyMOBfxzzkrE3Jyw6oXGsznB2ub4Wn7AfpgnQ=w400-h215" width="400" /></a></div>In 2020, Respawn Design Director Jason McCord released about 90 seconds of prototype footage of a single-player campaign for the original TITANFALL game on his Twitter. The T1 single-player campaign was being worked on around 2012 before it was scrapped to focus completely on the multiplayer, which was designing a limitation into the game automatically like a limited lifespan similar to the NEXUS-6 models. In addition, Respawn Vince Zampella shared that one reason for the lack of T1 SPC was that most players, in their experience, do not finish the campaign and it is a waste of resources. He mentioned that the development of a single-player and a multiplayer splits the studio and team in half and sets them apart from one another. Of course, if there had been an off-line multiplayer and/or a campaign, the original TITANFALL could outlive this if and when the servers are shut down. Sadly, this not that much of oddity in modern gaming. </div><div> </div><div><u>The story campaign of T2</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8OptZ8Uge3EqWcPMc2lHUx-1xEfzCVfgcpf81wxk5tyClSoGXb8VE4E1a05uHG3n9bjTO89eEUElw8l2g4otj-ECcu6w4WzweQo8ZzAHjc0LvRcUhnfKU70khr7OQrrAccSgWptYAo0xTkOEELLEbgqWzvJPCHJA3-5MVMgvhBmeCU45XC46T3BZxFg=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8OptZ8Uge3EqWcPMc2lHUx-1xEfzCVfgcpf81wxk5tyClSoGXb8VE4E1a05uHG3n9bjTO89eEUElw8l2g4otj-ECcu6w4WzweQo8ZzAHjc0LvRcUhnfKU70khr7OQrrAccSgWptYAo0xTkOEELLEbgqWzvJPCHJA3-5MVMgvhBmeCU45XC46T3BZxFg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I was surprised when I finally engaged with T2’s story campaign and the division between my own opinion and those of the gaming journalism public. I found the central story of a foot soldier taking on the role of the pilot when he discovers a wounded rebel Titan mech called “BT” to be lackluster and not that engaging to the point that I never finished the campaign and moved on. The story was much more about separating BT and the pilot from one another and while the time travel element was cool, the wall running and jumping was bullshit. There was a lack of mech combat and I never felt as powerful in BT as I have in other mechs. To me, the story of combat on off-world colonies using these Titans would have been fine as it was in the old Xbox <i>Mech Assault</i> games. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Gamers Forgot about the PS4 T2 Release </u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1Alx4jF-nEG2CtMRDLlF6B2Ewz9l6dorExVIupS6YCx-oKJzejxhkrIsqpKN1Xp2OLQtR972HFQciFnSJrRRSUOsxo70XrwY4YGUF4Zcmr904gK0o8lO_0l-WBYW_mb5EuTVICe2B_dbb4ma1ziiOyFhQPl4bT08yxYRw3Byn0kQGqAUm6GgnlH40Dw=s267" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1Alx4jF-nEG2CtMRDLlF6B2Ewz9l6dorExVIupS6YCx-oKJzejxhkrIsqpKN1Xp2OLQtR972HFQciFnSJrRRSUOsxo70XrwY4YGUF4Zcmr904gK0o8lO_0l-WBYW_mb5EuTVICe2B_dbb4ma1ziiOyFhQPl4bT08yxYRw3Byn0kQGqAUm6GgnlH40Dw" width="267" /></a></div>One of the reasons often given behind T2 lacking performance is that unlike the first game, the sequel was released on both the Xbox One and the PS4. With the first game being a much bragged on Xbox exclusive, it make some sense that the game buying community did not know that the sequel would be on both for the major home video game consoles. It seems that marketing failed that one. And it directly impacted the longevity and sales of the sequel. To be honest, I am in this group as well, I completely forgot until writing this article that TITANFALL 2 came to the Sony brand. </div><div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Disconnect between Reviews and Sales</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCIgbcyvy3P3XyoQg-ZN7L0QIHhr7Ko02vRGaCZEeYyM-hIvYfi62beRv-3cRdK1vxOFrE9zea3jYcMITZ8ShtI9QoFVVLIXrPsAxBIdtiExMBuc2-J7xOCXc8U16ADuaFfQAKrbJYS4IaUvr9dWi6DrmKQzlYvkNPeO3OHMAdfNP5oS5BG2XlEZUt7Q=s300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCIgbcyvy3P3XyoQg-ZN7L0QIHhr7Ko02vRGaCZEeYyM-hIvYfi62beRv-3cRdK1vxOFrE9zea3jYcMITZ8ShtI9QoFVVLIXrPsAxBIdtiExMBuc2-J7xOCXc8U16ADuaFfQAKrbJYS4IaUvr9dWi6DrmKQzlYvkNPeO3OHMAdfNP5oS5BG2XlEZUt7Q" width="300" /></a></div>Overall. T2 is a vast improvement to T1 and the game was a bright spot during its window of release garnering very positive reviews. However, that did not translate into increase hard sales that the EA overlords demand over the original game. From the limited data, it is believed that the gap between T1 and T2 was nearly five million units. Up until Respawn pulled T1 from being sold, it had moved 10 million units and the sequel moved around four million. We do not know if the sales were to the retailors or to the hands of the gamer. If you listen the gaming review public, TITANFALL 2 was a game worthy of taking the crown off John-117 and teabagging as they took the mantle of military sci-fi shooters. Of course, that did not happen, but to this day, T2 is still spoken about with hallowed reverence and the faithful still await the 3rd game.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The Other Media Ventures that didn’t Happen</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcFHBhVGZtEc__sZH0uTJDFRa7DyymP93sqjrXrzoASvovBaARPOi3-S_a_9X3ikTAdXZmIi1ULyVyvKW5VikO_IlhURYp6Y7tsf34c4oGVBR1dq5koe4WFzkhlr5t2lJpMASZ-62dVYaZ70_ZLvxS1xg5Sr8s8Kz7PEJ1L6OtEWpIY8ZLx_ohHilVDQ=s1400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcFHBhVGZtEc__sZH0uTJDFRa7DyymP93sqjrXrzoASvovBaARPOi3-S_a_9X3ikTAdXZmIi1ULyVyvKW5VikO_IlhURYp6Y7tsf34c4oGVBR1dq5koe4WFzkhlr5t2lJpMASZ-62dVYaZ70_ZLvxS1xg5Sr8s8Kz7PEJ1L6OtEWpIY8ZLx_ohHilVDQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div>During the success of the first game and the assumed success of the 2nd game, there was much effort put into transforming TITANFALL into a multi-media empire like HALO. Unlike HALO, the TITANFALL universe was going to the small-screen first with a realistic Military Sci-Fi television series via Lionsgate with Respawn’s Jesse Stern. This announcement broke in early 2016 and there has not been any traction on developing the series since. During an interview with Stern in 2016, he discussed the massive expense of a TITANFALL live-action series. Some mention during the interview was made of animation series as well. Stern was going to frame the series in the light of the American Civil War and the American Revolution. Despite the interest and a live-action trailer, the series has not happened and given the current status of TITANFALL, it will likely not happen. During the apex of TITANFALL’s popularity, there were rumors of comic books and even books…both never happened if they were even officially planned. </div></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>The Current Status of the TITANFALL Franchise</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3SWjkOb-3a5oyRDI7ntg355KeQpX7mscCnhwu8KJc0rSHTP6tkQvsIo1UsGf1WcC6baIu65N3Hk1uMR-Obiatx8l2pImWUJQzeOfEi2OhUnd6DWNl-kt2wrC9nr8xeTggppUHGeiBoJs/s280/SarcasticEducatedJohndory-max-1mb.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="280" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3SWjkOb-3a5oyRDI7ntg355KeQpX7mscCnhwu8KJc0rSHTP6tkQvsIo1UsGf1WcC6baIu65N3Hk1uMR-Obiatx8l2pImWUJQzeOfEi2OhUnd6DWNl-kt2wrC9nr8xeTggppUHGeiBoJs/s0/SarcasticEducatedJohndory-max-1mb.gif" width="280" /></a></div>During the course of this article, I've added or changed this portion of the article three times based on new developments of the TITANFALL franchise. Simply put, it is firmly believed by the fans of the franchise that there will be 3rd game. However, the reality is...different? Despite the piles of praise, millions of sales, and being the foundation for <i>Apex Legends</i>, the 3rd game in the TITANFALL series is…what? Still alive? In deep cold status, dead, missing on that island where LOST takes place? In the 8th dimension? Honestly, for years there has been a few statements by Respawn and EA saying how important TITANFALL is and how there will be more TITANFALL EA has publicly in October 2019 said how they committed to the TITANFALL and “<b><i><span style="color: red;">won’t forget about TITANFALL 3</span></i></b>”, but it seems that EA was more focused on <i>Apex Legends</i> and <i>Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order</i> to generate profits and fans that those games are making. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpYoka-gQjbBBCm1P8kJX6RY3sViNnkEznVoif5A2s-XUvS32sYPARhex58yminbWtc1aoIrTmIGcMBHVKLMuRXUu0b3iY7Qv_Krrt8vf1i8yyZm_EtYuosFByyIMjEFyHMudiBODphJMujXUTNG4tYPZqhWuR2a3zzpjoTBWLCAi748yPFHb6dIcBPA=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpYoka-gQjbBBCm1P8kJX6RY3sViNnkEznVoif5A2s-XUvS32sYPARhex58yminbWtc1aoIrTmIGcMBHVKLMuRXUu0b3iY7Qv_Krrt8vf1i8yyZm_EtYuosFByyIMjEFyHMudiBODphJMujXUTNG4tYPZqhWuR2a3zzpjoTBWLCAi748yPFHb6dIcBPA=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Between the lines, this means that those games grow fans and made money, and T2 did not. Given the relationship between EA and Respawn, there has been tension about the 3rd game and this was shown during an interview with Glixel, EA and Respawn CEO Vince Zampella, the EA publicist. During the interview, EA stated that they were “<b><i><span style="color: red;">committed to the franchise</span></i></b>” and Zampella came back with: “<b><i><span style="color: red;">So, whatever the fuck that means</span></i></b>”. To most of the TITANFALL fanbase, this was sad news, because it means limbo. That is what it means, and it could be years or never when TITANFALL 3 drops and by then it will be too late. Adding to the possible death of the TITANFALL franchise is that first game was pulled from online retailers. This may have been a good thing, as DDOS hack attacks had made the original TITANFALL unplayable and it seems that Respawn did nothing about it. Recently, hacks have targeted TITANFALL 2 and Apex Legends as well.</div><div><br /><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br />The Impact of the TITANFAL Franchise</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF7QUjP0uyulT6JH2cnafTPADcNhbYziu8dKe7Qw94mmnPKgjiEyp1JrBfvdV2XhFwYcp-Kt6psn61Vkmjh9vvJP5JTU6m7GB_dBXvWb52IH9leRhbJ5c8kUhQk_lZeujhyphenhyphenY61VsHaOEQ/s2048/Respawn_Entertainment_team_photo_at_E3_2013.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF7QUjP0uyulT6JH2cnafTPADcNhbYziu8dKe7Qw94mmnPKgjiEyp1JrBfvdV2XhFwYcp-Kt6psn61Vkmjh9vvJP5JTU6m7GB_dBXvWb52IH9leRhbJ5c8kUhQk_lZeujhyphenhyphenY61VsHaOEQ/w400-h225/Respawn_Entertainment_team_photo_at_E3_2013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div>While the original TITANFALL did not usher into creation more mech-based shooter games, it did show that the gaming community is still interested in their games having a single-player campaign and that that the DNA of TITANFALL warranted a sequel. When that sequel dropped, one of the levels in the game, “Cause-and-Effect”, generated ripples in the waters of the gaming community. The use of time travel is certainly not new in the realm of video games, but “Cause-and-Effect” was something special and allowed the player to attack the targets via the present or the past and it was a masterclass in level design. While I was not a fan of T2, I was massively impressed by that level and it was something original in the world of shooters. To me, the greatest impact could be seen in a both a micro and macro level. On the micro level, TITANFALL was a beloved game to the fan base and for some, it was an introduction to mech combat and likely served as a gateway drug for some players to move on to the <i>Battletech</i> universe. On the macro level, the impact of TITANFALL shows a promising concept can fail despite being a solid game and how give the wrong release date can impact its sales success. Another impact of TITANFALL on the larger scale is that the <i>Call of Duty</i> DNA can be successful injected into shooter game formats and work successful by refreshing a long-established genre (mecha games). Time will tell more about the more long-term impact. </div><br /></div><div><b><u>My Thoughts on the TITANFALL Games</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-A-8Kh-0Y9Zf3q1Xc9H3ukAe8JvukalivLOrmkxXVcvWXW6eHhaIkcZXa-CroAzQmVX4Xy3K9UmJ7yEN9pnfwjJewWr8He2wwQeE-gAnir7bOk6f9ZLTQpfU_qt3y5nSnQwzHfYyGyVH/s500/4042004_ba.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="500" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-A-8Kh-0Y9Zf3q1Xc9H3ukAe8JvukalivLOrmkxXVcvWXW6eHhaIkcZXa-CroAzQmVX4Xy3K9UmJ7yEN9pnfwjJewWr8He2wwQeE-gAnir7bOk6f9ZLTQpfU_qt3y5nSnQwzHfYyGyVH/w400-h348/4042004_ba.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I am into mecha like Sir Mix-a-Lot is into...well...anyways, I love mecha and mecha based video games have been a passion of mine since the first time I played FASA's <i>CityTech</i> back in the mid-1980s. When the original TITANFALL was announced for the Xbox One, I was hooked. Since I could not afford the system yet, I played my brother's with the TITANFALL game. I very much enjoyed the game and the mech-on-mech combat was sweet. Since my exposure was short, I did not experience the issues with matchmaking and such. When I thought about buying it for my Xbox One, I learned about it being an online only shooter and I avoided it. It pissed me off that the lifespan of the game would be shorter than a NEXUS-6 and it would be a dead property within two years. My hopes were up when the second game was announced with a single-player campaign...and then I played it. From the reviews, TITANFALL 2 was one of the best military science fiction shooters of this generation of home video game consoles, and I fully expected to be amazed and I was not much liking HALO 5. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhgp2R4H4mujrHtaCsmQ5uXx80lIrD6OkFqPxo7kdNqxBv102FaGz_96Fi4-cAb4UKAOBNMrClWJn1bafeB0sw8NtNCDOAmIUcigdVcHyVYlDsBK2h2-WO7tM2KY5JPTYnLEPACUPuDan/s800/368083-titanfall-2-playstation-4-front-cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhgp2R4H4mujrHtaCsmQ5uXx80lIrD6OkFqPxo7kdNqxBv102FaGz_96Fi4-cAb4UKAOBNMrClWJn1bafeB0sw8NtNCDOAmIUcigdVcHyVYlDsBK2h2-WO7tM2KY5JPTYnLEPACUPuDan/w400-h400/368083-titanfall-2-playstation-4-front-cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>To put it in some perspective, I enjoyed <i>Mass Effect: Andromeda</i> much more than TITANFALL 2, and on my recent replay of the game for this article, was still left pissed off by the experience and I sold it for <i>Shadow of the Tomb Raider</i>. In short, the story is a mess, you do not spend enough time with BT and the wall-running is a bullshit feature....I mean, is this <i>Mirror's Edge </i>or is it a mech combat game?! Certain elements of the beginning were fine and the time travel level was ingenious, resulting in one of the innovative selections of a shooters in years. However, it was ruined by the terrible wall-running feature and mechanics as well as that the game tried everything to make you get out of BT and hoof it solo. Then there is the technological level of the IMC. I know that the time travel equipment is alien in origin, but, the massive production plant is just too much. While I enjoyed the weapons and the <i>Call of Duty</i> like gameplay and handling, it was just off and I was left feeling that the game could have been so much better. It is an oddity to me how much I disliked TITANFALL 2 and how much the gaming review community loves it. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Other Oddity: the TITANFALL Toys</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDM5N1FlNVuN-YZuA7cx0P9LHRSfY1AWJjUv_jASs6LX_rczkCsS6SRXND36JKmM0N7oMIofWRw1Rrao5PsRDgK9aXqhDKZRVtNuYq6_cqtXt6906Zt4RYSFs_8RKpH8nEyfmqcjaZ54dN/s2000/spin_prod_1261039312.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDM5N1FlNVuN-YZuA7cx0P9LHRSfY1AWJjUv_jASs6LX_rczkCsS6SRXND36JKmM0N7oMIofWRw1Rrao5PsRDgK9aXqhDKZRVtNuYq6_cqtXt6906Zt4RYSFs_8RKpH8nEyfmqcjaZ54dN/w319-h400/spin_prod_1261039312.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>Given the setting of the TITANFALL universe, it seems a natural production for being transformed into a very cool toyline, especially, if there was a live-action TV show or movie. However, because this TITANFALL, the actually produced toylines were odd to say the least. For the original 2014 game, Respawn Entertainment partnered with K'Nex to bring a line of building sets based on TITANFALL first game. So, who is K'Nex? I had never heard of them until the TITANFALL sets came out and my nephew got the ORGE set for Christmas. K'Nex was founded by Joel Glickman in 1992 . Unlike plastic block construction sets, K'Nex used rods and connectors along with wheels and pulleys. While the idea was turned down by the major companies, Toys R Us partnered with K'Nex to become a vendor for the new toys. While originally K'Nex did not partner with license brands, that changed in 2001 when they released Battletech/MechWarrior themed sets. From there, K'Nex would release <i>Mario Cart</i> themed sets as well as <i>Plants vs. Zombies</i>. In 2014, Respawn and K'Nex partnered to bring the world of TITANFALL. This was odd in the way that it was pretty small building toy company that got the rights to a major up-and-coming property much like Joyride Studios with HALO. In addition, these were construction set toys, not traditional action figures and vehicles. Both of these were odd...but at least K'Nex had experience with mech-based toys. Why didn't Lego or Mega Bloks get the license? I know that Lego maintains that they do not built "military sets", which is bullshit considering that Lego has a highly successful <i>Star Wars</i> line...intergalactic civil war anyone? The line did not make much of impact and it still reasonable to pick today. It was a bold idea and I celebrate the concept...but it was lacking. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4EVqTkw49KLyKlwGFHysRitvlVm8JB0rH18Z8ptILS3jupUp-qn1xXFlq2qaNo9k7adIedxmZqPCs69t_UV4kqyCF2ZeA3V60sEkyGA-p1J8BiiWWvCas2eCgSIh8HEhUO6LCEqXWGc7QmbOGnkH-Ok9_pvZUXPVIhTz-vyWJTlhDTBA6FQBk68Jr5g=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4EVqTkw49KLyKlwGFHysRitvlVm8JB0rH18Z8ptILS3jupUp-qn1xXFlq2qaNo9k7adIedxmZqPCs69t_UV4kqyCF2ZeA3V60sEkyGA-p1J8BiiWWvCas2eCgSIh8HEhUO6LCEqXWGc7QmbOGnkH-Ok9_pvZUXPVIhTz-vyWJTlhDTBA6FQBk68Jr5g=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>For the sequel, that was planned by everyone to be a massive affair, Respawn turned to the plastic wizard surgeons at McFarlane Toys, In late 2016 and throughout 2017, MacFarlane Toys released TITANFALL 2 "toys" to the market. The line would be composed of several highly-detailed seven inch figures that included Pilot Jack and Jester along with a large BT figure that is the most rare and expense of the line. Coming in a 10inches, BT-7274 is armed with his X016-A2 weapon and a three-inch Jack Cooper figure. It is actually quite stunning in person and today, it sells for over $400. While it is not odd that Macfarlane made the toys for TITANFALL 2, it is odd that no more Titans were made and the figures hung around the stores for sometime after. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw37xWcuSCOfAfomCw60DYLKEJ_pHTOt4ixncz2IKDkl8R5nv7nyqKKTH5n26WsdCh04t8sc9mIsloRL7aKXc5taKMUCCDk9Soqs_9hrW6t9XGGZDdfXpzGDPCpjV3_2OI7k9nGuswXuF/s1124/FNK-11621-CA_1200x.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1124" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw37xWcuSCOfAfomCw60DYLKEJ_pHTOt4ixncz2IKDkl8R5nv7nyqKKTH5n26WsdCh04t8sc9mIsloRL7aKXc5taKMUCCDk9Soqs_9hrW6t9XGGZDdfXpzGDPCpjV3_2OI7k9nGuswXuF/w400-h268/FNK-11621-CA_1200x.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then, there was the Funko Pop! TITANFALL 2 line....because, of course there was! Around the time of the release of the game in October of 2017, Funko Pop! released three Titans and their pilots as deluxe figures. While the Funko Pop! figures are odd in of themselves (I have a WH40K Blood Angel one), it is odd how awesome these are in real life. I saw one out of the box at a local Dallas resale shop and it was stunning. There were four Titans released: BT & Jack, MOB-1316 and Sarah, Blisk and Legion, and the GameStop exclusive figure: Atlas and Pilot. These were hard to come by back when released and they are very expense today, with the price matching close to the holy relic quality of the Square Enix Play Arts Kai Atlas Action Figure. Still, owning all four of the Funko Pop! TITANFALL 2 figures and the helmet from the Collector's Edition would be a nice display... </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div><div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVCvfEZ3eojrBDiZTg9wcPNSFhVU6rI6PY9LQBgOAa0wnS4FTSknk9_y-0jqALt3-4ftQT4tK9EW5Wly1J-pdG-3mlTfb7Ju6l_qCuJSI93TxlS6vgR3wDkEMBNCrz1gA0tGlConlXPwy/w400-h266/original+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><b><i><span style="color: red;">“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”</span></i></b> -Sun tzu, The Art of War. <br />In some ways, military camouflage is just that, deception. In the next installment of FWS, we will exploring and explaining the world, the history, and the future of military camo. Please be patient with this one...it is going to be a long one...</div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-55036855915946679632021-12-24T14:11:00.001-06:002021-12-27T12:33:42.229-06:00Guns from the Future: The Steyr AUG <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRXznydMXY7xP-ESVuos3oONQvSmGahs0Nc8xIEhZtw-uv6zsFfvSefW1yci8e6gSGngpVzmMobWuHmYv1sxGUljiKgLP9AArOGC3nluRRA0KwAZTHGZreNBdryUt4mhHGcVrIlhosDT_/s1024/40446861025_9e3b25598b_b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRXznydMXY7xP-ESVuos3oONQvSmGahs0Nc8xIEhZtw-uv6zsFfvSefW1yci8e6gSGngpVzmMobWuHmYv1sxGUljiKgLP9AArOGC3nluRRA0KwAZTHGZreNBdryUt4mhHGcVrIlhosDT_/w640-h360/40446861025_9e3b25598b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In 1978, the Austrian army began fielding one of the most futuristic looking military assault rifles ever developed at that point in military history in the Steyr StG-77 "Armee-Universal-Gewehr: or AUG. Designed around a bullpup layout and firing 5.56mm from a plastic see-through magazine, the AUG soon became a raising star in both the realm of military small arms and entertainment. By the 1980's, the AUG was being used as a futuristic rifle in films like <i>RoboCop, the Running Man, LifeForce, </i>and <i>Predator 2. </i>By the 1990's, over 20 nations used the Steyr AUG as an military rifle for some element of their national defense and it was also popular among Law Enforcement circles. For this entry into the <u>Guns from the Future</u> serial, we are looking into one of the most popular real-steel future weapons: the Steyr AUG! </div><div> </div><div><b><u>The Steyr AUG...by the Numbers</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZPAMwGyc6BvByvsnLS8htVnQxTSnG8_5ziMAt5aX6mWDaptJDalpP52xAeN_Q5HUZOL0t0REDQuo93M7QRkT3mNoR2z4ylesn8AFOi1U6ZEQ7Hf_U_QdkxfgzY0uSlOSHR_seB0SGKC8/s900/437343.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZPAMwGyc6BvByvsnLS8htVnQxTSnG8_5ziMAt5aX6mWDaptJDalpP52xAeN_Q5HUZOL0t0REDQuo93M7QRkT3mNoR2z4ylesn8AFOi1U6ZEQ7Hf_U_QdkxfgzY0uSlOSHR_seB0SGKC8/w115-h320/437343.jpg" width="115" /></a></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Nation of Origin:</u> Austria</li><li><u>Company of Origin:</u> Steyr Mannlicher AG</li><li><u>Year Released:</u> 1977 (A0), 1982, (A1)1997 (A2), 2005 (A3)</li><li><u>Type of Weapon:</u> Modular Military Service Rifle, DMR, SMG, Carbine, and LMG</li><li><u>Calibers:</u> 5.56x45mm NATO, .300 Blackout, and 9x19mm</li><li><u>Weight:</u> 8.6lbs - 7.1lbs</li><li><u>Length w/ standard 20inch Barrel:</u> 31.1 inches or 790mm</li><li><u>Magazine:</u> 30,42, and 100 </li><li><u>Action:</u> Gas-operated rotating bolt</li><li><u>Rate of Fire:</u> 680RPM - 750RPM </li><li><u>Barrel Lengths:</u> 13,16,20, 24</li></ul></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>What is the AUG?</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_JWAt6WyWo-SYmWi5IjJnff0k6h7HB6AwwCUr2L203mOzu7FpaTLRr3Qlx-hjC2iTpweDVeBKbWmcD-6UkG_Q5IdBXwRMQMRKG9F15WC2cAysblMWQ4NBRBy2UyhRRMmnCSVBTu45V7o/s960/XoW4NI-EaEesGizQdDoSiUx76orDo1XDXweMcqRzGoY.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="960" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_JWAt6WyWo-SYmWi5IjJnff0k6h7HB6AwwCUr2L203mOzu7FpaTLRr3Qlx-hjC2iTpweDVeBKbWmcD-6UkG_Q5IdBXwRMQMRKG9F15WC2cAysblMWQ4NBRBy2UyhRRMmnCSVBTu45V7o/w400-h250/XoW4NI-EaEesGizQdDoSiUx76orDo1XDXweMcqRzGoY.jpg" width="400" /></a>Designed and developed by Austrian firearms & truck marker Steyr-Daimler-Puch (which later was spun off into its own arms company: Steyr Arms in 1989) during the 1970's by Horst Wesp, Karl Wagner, and Karl Möse with direct input and guidance from Colonel Walter Stoll of the Office of Military Technology for the Austrian Army. The AUG is a bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle that was designed to feature quick release barrels to create the AUG to be a modular platform, which is featured in its full name: <i>Armee-Universal-Gewehr </i>or "Army Universal Rifle"<i>. </i>When released and formally adopted by the Austrian Army in 1977, the AUG would become known as the StG-77, where it still serves the Austrian military to this very day in a 3rd generational update. The weapon is noted for being one of the first bullpup service rifles, its futuristic design, the translucent waffle magazines, the 1.5x standard optical sight, and the heavy use of polymers and aluminum components. The AUG is a popular modern military assault rifle that is current used on and off of the battlefield around the world by regular and irregular forces. </div><div><br /><b><u>The History of the AUG<br /></u></b><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSrcGXphHK8UP034h1FpH0YCIHcApZLkEGkQ5GYYhj8hupkUeHy2nWNKQnmVOq2gT3PqMBNLiDiBbgwotuqLvZEkOlDQvMGS9IIZYrSdg32A4GACZstvLQfEFpNvxN0T0qsPgllBXsiBy/s774/a3017ac524c57237d05833b4aae152a4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="532" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSrcGXphHK8UP034h1FpH0YCIHcApZLkEGkQ5GYYhj8hupkUeHy2nWNKQnmVOq2gT3PqMBNLiDiBbgwotuqLvZEkOlDQvMGS9IIZYrSdg32A4GACZstvLQfEFpNvxN0T0qsPgllBXsiBy/w275-h400/a3017ac524c57237d05833b4aae152a4.jpg" width="275" /></a>During the post-war years, much of the NATO member nations and the Commonwealth members used variants of the 7.62x51mm FN FAL battle rifle, the “right hand of freedom” that went up against the other big dog: the AK47 (AKM actually). At this time, NATO’s standard rifle cartridge was the heavy 7.62mm round and all NATO nations based their service rifles around the iconic round…that was until the Stoner arrived on the scene. When the FN FAL was being adopted by most western militaries, the US was using the M-14 7.62mm battle rifle and in 1957, the U.S. Continental Army Command (CONARC) put forth a call for an lightweight rifle that used a smaller, high-velocity cartridge. During this time, Fairchild industries would develop both the 5.56x45mm round and another division of Fairchild, Armalite, would develop the weapon: the AR15. Another weapon that was part of the AUG story was the British post-war bullpup .280 service rifle: the EM-2. This bullpup assault rifle was centered around an intermediate cartridge that was developed after witnessing the 3rd Reich StG-44 7.92x33 “Kurz” round in 1945: the .280 British (7.2x43mm). This was the first bullpup assault rifle officially adopted by a military around 1951…and then it wasn’t. The Churchill government repealed the EM-2 due to the .280 cartridge to favor the NATO 7.62mm. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA-VZMwKJTPQCbTT9MxbWsuDqAZTGC7ChYaVrJfE8HrcGjED12GCA9nyoefBrEQ5vRYn0L8YqHjbcpxzriWSaAZbWA0HNxHDa6325J7BzVc7A5AHhDe8HaHgI0_zexXB-oby7eZEtNlxo/s813/1947-EM2-soldier.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAA-VZMwKJTPQCbTT9MxbWsuDqAZTGC7ChYaVrJfE8HrcGjED12GCA9nyoefBrEQ5vRYn0L8YqHjbcpxzriWSaAZbWA0HNxHDa6325J7BzVc7A5AHhDe8HaHgI0_zexXB-oby7eZEtNlxo/w329-h400/1947-EM2-soldier.jpg" width="329" /></a>This led to the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations adopting a version of the FN FAL: the SLR. The story begins to change when the 5.56mm round was being used in Vietnam with the M16 and this was a break from the NATO standardization protocol. During this time, around 1971, Steyr and GIAT were both working on next-generation bullpup assault rifles that were chambered to fire the 5.56mm American round. When it comes to the development of the AUG, it was around 1975 that the Austrian military was looking to replace their own FN FAL clone, the StG-58 battle rifle. It was also around this time that Colonel Walter Stoll of the Office of Military Technology for the Austrian Army was working with the team at Steyr to develop something new and revolutionary in military small arms. Steyr used Col. Stoll's advice and combined it with some of the work already undergoing at the time. Since the 1960's, it was clear to most military planners and military arms companies that the era of the FN FAL with the larger 7mm cartridges was coming to an end, and thus, Steyr and the Office of Military Technology for the Austrian Army was looking at at a modern assault rifle in 5.56mm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SMQe-FmM1OJLYrwwKED2p_082i8WhlD7lQMzvaf-42XunywuxrhYCj17JKttSgvEYK7KbRCRp6EpzJ2PgqKTOPwklKu0YGc8CKDFG7AwQab86PzHbc2odAmGeRyO0HDkp1K90iSC6aKh/s625/o0625045014554335574.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="625" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SMQe-FmM1OJLYrwwKED2p_082i8WhlD7lQMzvaf-42XunywuxrhYCj17JKttSgvEYK7KbRCRp6EpzJ2PgqKTOPwklKu0YGc8CKDFG7AwQab86PzHbc2odAmGeRyO0HDkp1K90iSC6aKh/w400-h288/o0625045014554335574.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 1977, the Steyr AUG was adopted by the Austrian Army as their service rifle with the first AUG coming into the hands of the Austrian soldiers in 1978 as the StG-77 or the AUG A0. At around the same time, the French Army was beginning to get their first FAMS bullpups into their hands as well. Given its revolutionary design, construction materials used, and integrated optic; the AUG was an immediate star in the realm of military small arms. Within the first 10 years of service, the AUG was being adopted by military organizations around the world as well as law enforcement like the US Customs in 1987. Within the first years of the AUG, it was slightly updated, from the A0 to the A1 in 1982. The A1 is the most commonly scene-used AUGs of the classic design. During the 1980's, the AUG would also take starring roles in TV and film around the world as well in comic books, anime and manga. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOStDxxjgJ8XZESf1E2f1oFR16ag0gOjgNDDM1vNMfxIWnEPkj_YxZOsO6QTrgeGK3ozwvyPc4ySd6UFIKnvuiAcKq7AcgvSAEB0WpzX0x0ZGHUAfOc-ir1hlSmugbQL3FAoZXrJKToVL/s800/iUtGGxf.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOStDxxjgJ8XZESf1E2f1oFR16ag0gOjgNDDM1vNMfxIWnEPkj_YxZOsO6QTrgeGK3ozwvyPc4ySd6UFIKnvuiAcKq7AcgvSAEB0WpzX0x0ZGHUAfOc-ir1hlSmugbQL3FAoZXrJKToVL/w400-h300/iUtGGxf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the run of the A1 AUG, several variants were used, but it was clear by the 1990's, that it was time to update the bullpup platform. The first major change came in December of 1997 with the AUG A2 arrived on the scene. The A2 improved from the A1 with a redesigned charging handle along with replacing the integrated scope system with a Picatinny rail. This was followed by the further improved A3 in 2007. During this period of the AUG's life, it was facing the new crop of weapons more heavily based on the M4 carbine and the greatest innovation came to the AUG platform not from Austria, but from Australia. While the ADF and NZDF adopted the AUG A1 in 1988, the local licensed producer of the Aussie/Kiwi AUG is Lithgow Small Arms. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldZeT3805Coyr-UxVoymmqRIQffVgIaXW40omg1pzfXFtJ9HRSfVWBpcndQTpySqAsUas1Sq4TUhoulhKm3ur5xoWhapPXXW24jgma1KVP5ZrKbFgTynyTOuN3Udz8HpE_Nh8B1cmY-7d/s700/lithgowarms_f90mbr.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldZeT3805Coyr-UxVoymmqRIQffVgIaXW40omg1pzfXFtJ9HRSfVWBpcndQTpySqAsUas1Sq4TUhoulhKm3ur5xoWhapPXXW24jgma1KVP5ZrKbFgTynyTOuN3Udz8HpE_Nh8B1cmY-7d/w400-h286/lithgowarms_f90mbr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>They have been altered the AUG for decades under the name of the F88 Austeyr to met their needs. The latest installment to the Aussie AUG is the Lithigow F90 (AKA the EF88), which still looks the AUG basically, but it altered and could show a path to the AUG 2.0 design...if there is one. Since the First Gulf War in 1991, the AUG has been used in direct combat, law enforcement, by criminals, by rebels, by terrorists, and by civilians in actually real world uses. With the War on Terror and the civil wars in Syria and Libya, we have the various AUGs being used more than they ever have in its operational history. In addition, millions of virtual AUGs have been used in video game combat. Also, the AUG is a popular airsoft design with several very good, nearly 1:1 copies of the iconic future gun being sold and used the world over spraying 6mm BBs. What is the future of the AUG? It is likely that the Aussie F90 will be used for the next decade, but Austria is another story. There have been some reports and rumors that the Austrian Army is looking at replacing the AUG with the H&K G36. However, from a combat operational record, the AUG is better gun and has a better history. However, we shall see. </div><div> <div><b><u>What Makes the Steyr AUG Futuristic?</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA3xcZxsKy_MPNO8ZnxZhza_5eFUbZB50Wl32H5kr3O6eVBW-nDdk9wSMGnvIIz2k-iSaAEBg7WFRl2fotcWxVyNbSLn-oTkmX_eEEwHdhH2luWJAefMGjHR8My1ooy3hY9rV-P70j601/s1600/Guns+and+Action.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1169" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA3xcZxsKy_MPNO8ZnxZhza_5eFUbZB50Wl32H5kr3O6eVBW-nDdk9wSMGnvIIz2k-iSaAEBg7WFRl2fotcWxVyNbSLn-oTkmX_eEEwHdhH2luWJAefMGjHR8My1ooy3hY9rV-P70j601/w293-h400/Guns+and+Action.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><div>Since the AUG emerged in 1977-1978, it has been framed as a futuristic weapon. When the western press got a hold of the AUG, they also framed in a future gun mindset. Why do so many, including me and FWS, consider the Steyr AUG a sci-fi daring? Honestly, just look at the weapon! It terms of style, color, and being a bullpup, the AUG is striking and was not like anything else on the military firearms market, save for the GIAT FAMAS. The AUG had a standard installed optic, a foldable forearm vertical grip, OD polymer, swappable barrel system, being designed to be a modular weapon system, the unqiue trigger guard, and these cool see-through magazines. All of these were either new or seen rarely on another weapon, but not all of the features, especially on a weapon built by a noted firearms marker for a member of NATO. When seen in the hands of anyone, it just somehow screams that it is a gun from the future. Even when seen in films like <i>Die Hard</i> or in TV shows like <i>The A-Team</i>, it space age design stood out against the typical guns of the era. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The AUG Combat Record</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsREUZb185PGSexmW6N37xqqmKWhyphenhyphen1Of3t72HrYzDjcYmZnaWS4RNl3PjH7R9Py_Ln6AaAufwiDA0ZlRPkVyD6FATul2Bkh20Loe6XxIEpIUaVcWEpsKEBFY3n-S8_czRxcq_E3Y2xPUyQ/s2048/PD14-2-91-scaled.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1371" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsREUZb185PGSexmW6N37xqqmKWhyphenhyphen1Of3t72HrYzDjcYmZnaWS4RNl3PjH7R9Py_Ln6AaAufwiDA0ZlRPkVyD6FATul2Bkh20Loe6XxIEpIUaVcWEpsKEBFY3n-S8_czRxcq_E3Y2xPUyQ/w400-h268/PD14-2-91-scaled.webp" width="400" /></a></div>With the AUG being accepted into military service by a number of military and law enforcement organizations around the world, this futuristic weapon would be used in combat situations up this very day. So, what is the combat record of the AUG? Like many of the weapons of this time period, the First Gulf War of 1991 was the first test of the AUG in actual combat. Several of the nations carried the AUG into that 1991 war and we know little about its usage in combat. Then came another battlefield in Somali. From 1992 through 1993, the Unified Task Force operated in the wartorn nation to create peace and stability. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynykbc6yuV5w20996wUGMKTu87M2cNtkDZEnD3tCeNFDJTSBVRnV38tjtaw13AUb3Yo6HN2yclGAp8_fbE_zzLpHztajHco9E-Ml1MU-iimnezRjukkb4z9mC4H4-BZ2zjrHJ25wf1a38/s422/1rar-06-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="336" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynykbc6yuV5w20996wUGMKTu87M2cNtkDZEnD3tCeNFDJTSBVRnV38tjtaw13AUb3Yo6HN2yclGAp8_fbE_zzLpHztajHco9E-Ml1MU-iimnezRjukkb4z9mC4H4-BZ2zjrHJ25wf1a38/w319-h400/1rar-06-1.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>The forces involved were from a variety of nations, including New Zealand, Irish, Bangladesh, Australia, and Morocco...who were using the AUG. In 1999 and 2006, the Australians forces deployed to East Timor during a time of crisis via a UN mission of peacekeeping. Here is where the AUG was used in street combat and being carried around on long patrols. In 2006, the instability again in East Timor caused the deployment of UN forces. Besides Australians, there was also Kiwi soldiers, Irish, and those from Malaysia, all used the AUG. During the wars that came about due to the attack on America, the AUG was used by allies of the United States in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The AUG, mostly in its F88 variant was carried into battle in these nations by the New Zealand, Austrian, and Aussie soldiers. The interesting thing about the combat history of the Steyr AUG and its variants is that nation that developed and first fielded the space age AUG, Austria, has barely used the AUG in combat missions, but the Australians and the New Zealanders have used in their AUG variant, the F88, in various battlefields. </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF49xX5SQ0jm4htT7bj3cXwMnvbiLolDjvfYsW71HuwYP3Sv4UyChSqeF-KEwmpPoIWcS2bnYDNMBN-1d4B94BCzJtBsyqfB29Wo_Y7jHZF0bfdrFIkXqivK5QFERY8wORwJfAJfUh6M2/s500/CYJHQExUwAEgV9-.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="500" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF49xX5SQ0jm4htT7bj3cXwMnvbiLolDjvfYsW71HuwYP3Sv4UyChSqeF-KEwmpPoIWcS2bnYDNMBN-1d4B94BCzJtBsyqfB29Wo_Y7jHZF0bfdrFIkXqivK5QFERY8wORwJfAJfUh6M2/w400-h272/CYJHQExUwAEgV9-.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then the combat story of the Steyr AUG goes to a dark moments in Middle East history: Syria and Yemen. During the bloody civil wars in those nations, we began to see a number of unique weapons in the hands of the fighters of these conflicts. Everything from the FN F2000, the FN P90, and even an STG-44! In larger numbers was the AUG in the A1 and A2 variety. This maybe one the largest and longest combat usage of the AUG in its operational history. In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4L1d1hahR0&list=WL&index=48"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">Garand Thumb video</span></b></a>, Plaid Daddy reached out to combat users of the AUG, and he found that many Aussie and Kiwi veterans that used the AUG in service, the trigger was a source of complain due to long pull and the semi-and-full-auto in one trigger to be problematic. This could be said of most bullpup style assault rifles. Plaid Daddy stated it was one of the worst triggers he'd ever used and it was a plastic mushy mess. Some have discussed issues with the incorporated vertical handgrip moving around during combat movements. However, many praised the reliability during terrible conditions and the AUG has seen a fair amount of combat and the great balance with the weapon, especially when reloading using the shoulder. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Users of the AUG</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QKiW4q8cX9arzFX7J3xeXqd8ZqcxvCsdDLiEP4awX63hE277Oahw22JzhrDwDfukaVch5o4wNm9ZqNVB5SzZrl4Ek9752fxeInWeVlG7fiCQhjllKmfihq8kjOPNt1xms6d-kdW42XFy/s1424/isks74o1g8q61+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QKiW4q8cX9arzFX7J3xeXqd8ZqcxvCsdDLiEP4awX63hE277Oahw22JzhrDwDfukaVch5o4wNm9ZqNVB5SzZrl4Ek9752fxeInWeVlG7fiCQhjllKmfihq8kjOPNt1xms6d-kdW42XFy/w316-h400/isks74o1g8q61+%25281%2529.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div>While many may assume that the Steyr AUG is just a futuristic plastic-fantastic gun with its magazine in the wrong place, but the AUG is a hardened military service rifle that has been on the frontlines of combat and law enforcement since 1978 and it continues to be the standard service for several major military organizations. Steyr-Mannlicher was working on the weapon that would become the AUG since the 1960’s and in 1977 the final design was tested and approved to be the 5.56mm standard assault service rifle for the Austrian Army with the first delivers of the AUG with the 20-inch standard barrel and 30-round waffle magazine in 1978. This was around same time that the French Army was getting deliveries of their own futuristic bullpup 5.56mm service rifle, the GIAT FAMAS. It should be noted that the <i>Armee Universal Gewehr</i> (known as the StG-77 in the Austrian military) was developed by and for the Austrian military and not for the export market originally. As stated above, much of the western world was using variants of the 7.62mm FN FAL battle rifle, like the Austrian StG-58 and British Self-Loading Rifle, and the AUG was part of the NATO allied nations move toward the 5.56mm and 9x19mm cartridge for the Small Arms Standardization Agreement (STANAG) (this is why the US adopted the Beretta 92FS 9mm). </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ppALqw58-wkh1w5GEoVQnbRop1TX98Owpra939x_Vkg2R25GRBqnP6Vsww3kWOnJV-32mhfXQKWvaIMZ6qu-vf-yfcrsAeZYGUq8eODn5XkXtIx_c8SpaGWLEZec_AopNP-xcue8fcau/s800/main-qimg-61061305022b5c7ce5b63edb7e793986-c.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ppALqw58-wkh1w5GEoVQnbRop1TX98Owpra939x_Vkg2R25GRBqnP6Vsww3kWOnJV-32mhfXQKWvaIMZ6qu-vf-yfcrsAeZYGUq8eODn5XkXtIx_c8SpaGWLEZec_AopNP-xcue8fcau/w400-h268/main-qimg-61061305022b5c7ce5b63edb7e793986-c.jpg" width="400" /></a>With this trend in military small arms, other western nations in orbit of NATO or in NATO began exploring the possibility of switching from the 7.62mm battle rifle to an 5.56mm assault rifle. For about 10 years, the Austrian military was the only one to field the AUG…and then the flood gates opened. In 1988, the Australian military adopted the Steyr AUG A1 as their standard service rifle. The first rifles were delivered in 1989 to 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Quite recently, the testing report of the M16A2 vs. the AUG was released by the Australian Defense Force and from the report, the AUG bested the M16A2 in nearly every category. However, some have leveled that the real reason that the Steyr AUG was selected was due to the fact that Steyr would allow a licensed copy of the AUG to be made Down Under by Lithgow in New South Whales as the F88. Colt would not allow this for their M16A2. Also in 1988, New Zealand would also follow the example of the Aussies and adopt the Steyr AUG with the majority of their bullpup service rifles being sourced from Lithgow in the form of F88 rifles. </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyVsB7kBWusIFFoDQkL1NJ9YrfoncvYobP96s7kPKUBqfW7ZTRKAd3CkNMkLqcsxOe_gI3r6nQ12g0ihbfhdJhJPXcdsJdb5EuwF5aAx-KSd4UsCnOmJScLEucN-KTZWcLpXwapygZOTg/s2048/Argentinean_Army_soldiers_with_Steyr_AUG_rifles_in_1986..jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyVsB7kBWusIFFoDQkL1NJ9YrfoncvYobP96s7kPKUBqfW7ZTRKAd3CkNMkLqcsxOe_gI3r6nQ12g0ihbfhdJhJPXcdsJdb5EuwF5aAx-KSd4UsCnOmJScLEucN-KTZWcLpXwapygZOTg/w400-h300/Argentinean_Army_soldiers_with_Steyr_AUG_rifles_in_1986..jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The likely earliest foreign nation to field an AUG to some element of their military was Argentina in 1986, if the old photo is to be believed. However, according to the February of 1985 AUG review in <i>Soldier of Fortune</i> magazine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Oman, Tunisia, Malaysia, and Morocco all HAD already adopted the AUG into their military ranks. From the Wikipedia page on the AUG states that Tunisia adopted the AUG as their standard service rifle in 1978...the same year as the Austrian Army...which would make Tunisia the winner for the first foreign nation to use the AUG. While we had confirmed dates for Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia adopting the AUG, I cannot locate confirmed dates for much of the nations on that Wikipedia list. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPjav6Z5Wk-QqkfCnLROyI31dJUOqHMGJltFnFGtfHwmTVcRsx9a7im-TmLvI2-wfs0HkvYbykyHrn5JlwOsAu9yWZ5QkNEDoWWoOU3ZQQDpfh3xWyvO1Gzyc_ovcTt5htrvjopOZQBDH/s800/aug-steyr-soldiers-with-the-royal-army-of-oman-exit-a-building-after-clearing-a-room-with-u-s-marines-with-battalion-landing-team-1st-bn-4th-marines-2017.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="800" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPjav6Z5Wk-QqkfCnLROyI31dJUOqHMGJltFnFGtfHwmTVcRsx9a7im-TmLvI2-wfs0HkvYbykyHrn5JlwOsAu9yWZ5QkNEDoWWoOU3ZQQDpfh3xWyvO1Gzyc_ovcTt5htrvjopOZQBDH/w400-h254/aug-steyr-soldiers-with-the-royal-army-of-oman-exit-a-building-after-clearing-a-room-with-u-s-marines-with-battalion-landing-team-1st-bn-4th-marines-2017.jpg" width="400" /></a>However, from the the 1985 article is clear and is seems that just eight years after the AUG was accepted by the Austria military, it was accepted by several Middle Eastern and Asian nations as their weapon-of-choice. The AUG usage was just confined to military organizations. Various law enforcement bodies have adopted the AUG and even the 9mm SMG AUG Para as seen in Austria. In the United States, several police departments and government agencies would select the AUG for their service rifle over the AR15 platform. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement used the AUG from around 1987 to 2003 when it was replaced by the Colt M4 carbine.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The AUG Variants</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><u>The AUG A0/A1/A2/A3</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeV0zUZF08JwKtK3axYzOxuv0ZeyvblTdalNzCZ4JIYeEt7BHIhLlnIF_kyIfYisUXQCME6UYUBGQwJtTiOvCPJGysfpOSqsOPSI7Xdtb7AHPkrYAaJOQLW73LI567pIXJ9tE_rqz4q4j/s958/download+%25281%2529.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="958" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeV0zUZF08JwKtK3axYzOxuv0ZeyvblTdalNzCZ4JIYeEt7BHIhLlnIF_kyIfYisUXQCME6UYUBGQwJtTiOvCPJGysfpOSqsOPSI7Xdtb7AHPkrYAaJOQLW73LI567pIXJ9tE_rqz4q4j/w400-h299/download+%25281%2529.png" width="400" /></a>The original StG-77 adopted by the Austrian <i>Bundesheer</i> in 1978 is know as the AUG A0, and by 1982, Steyr came out with a variant called the A1. There is little on the difference between the A0 and A1, however, I do believe that one of the modification was from the clear magazine to the smoke-olive drab and that the gun was available in the original OD color as well as black. It was the A1 that became the AUG we know and love today, as well as being the model adopted by governments around the world, like Australia and Ireland. One of the interesting variants of the A1 is the “StG 77 A1 MP” that is used by Austrian military police force and was put into service in 2018. Where the two rifles differ is the A1 MP uses an Picatinny rail to fit a variety of attachments like the Aimpoint Micro T1 Red Dot Sight and magnifier, an Ase-Utra flash hider and the Rheinmetall Vario Ray laser and light module mounted on the right side. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPtQQwdZoOq5u6Se8u9ahowGtVSY7gyAB5fELLZxJtb45YOD1l_4EeaF0WxJXMA2wqTEgrtZWElW5QCpXOWYSRMY2DMeykHVvlDH_J-vOmeTRUOG1eKuZhw5GhtPYrHES3zYLAGBfD49MwXJab-m6Y79eF7fat6ae7RvEWHjw_AVokINdZhVi68Djacw=s800" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPtQQwdZoOq5u6Se8u9ahowGtVSY7gyAB5fELLZxJtb45YOD1l_4EeaF0WxJXMA2wqTEgrtZWElW5QCpXOWYSRMY2DMeykHVvlDH_J-vOmeTRUOG1eKuZhw5GhtPYrHES3zYLAGBfD49MwXJab-m6Y79eF7fat6ae7RvEWHjw_AVokINdZhVi68Djacw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>In December of 1997, the AUG was updated again with the A2 variant that redesigned the charging handle and provide a MIL-STD-1913 rail that allowed for various optics to be used instead of 1.5x Swarovski Optik “Donut of Death” scope. The A3 model in service with the Austrian military is known internally as the “StG-77 KPE” with a upgraded A1 to the A3 housing that was official accepted for use in 2017. The latest variant of the Steyr AUG is the A3 and this variant came about in 2004. One of the most visual changes was that the A3 is a “flat-top” AUG, like the Colt M4, and an external bolt release along with the NATO kit that allows for the AUG A3 to accept STANAG Magazines. There is yet no word on the A4 variant from Steyr or if there will be one. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The AUG HBAR & HBAR-T</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi45w4WCMKpMiQXYgZt2OWlSuLjRtlgcuTKS-m-jFhgxF9epUHERvPaERhGI3fI5fZXktAw8s4ZqCHIsRRwMrI0g9RIAPLWxPOg1XN4nVNFm7FcFbH8KfoAEKWoYlSbg_Xhjk7nyRxqJ4nv7OY03LUl6AnT_m5fICtIDiJapdWFQOXkOQDh_UbkfacEIg=s640" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="640" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi45w4WCMKpMiQXYgZt2OWlSuLjRtlgcuTKS-m-jFhgxF9epUHERvPaERhGI3fI5fZXktAw8s4ZqCHIsRRwMrI0g9RIAPLWxPOg1XN4nVNFm7FcFbH8KfoAEKWoYlSbg_Xhjk7nyRxqJ4nv7OY03LUl6AnT_m5fICtIDiJapdWFQOXkOQDh_UbkfacEIg=w400-h186" width="400" /></a></div>The Heavy Barreled Automatic Rifle (HBAR) was one of the original variants of the <i>Armee-Universal-Gewehr</i> modular service weapon platform concept proposed by Steyr and the Austrian Army. With the swap of the standard 20inch barrel for the heavier 24inch barrel complete with bipod and 42 round magazine. For better fire, there is the open-bolt option along with a few other modifications to allow the HBAR to be more of an light machine gun. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3xT4PqWXcDPyt1rULYgbjo-q2BQ9Y_BQzVQIcjn8zQNlV0pTYbpWQhMqWuXXRhvk-SNqfQxEbrACaAPEBLw4rORKOQt3k40GgedNfHEpretl4acp3rc7Qk3RZ4h7Nda9cmdscOSHrD4xcF7-SBPPAuL_s7ViV2MHYf0-seRkuFG7Jdj-r9t81jjfwAw=s570" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="570" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3xT4PqWXcDPyt1rULYgbjo-q2BQ9Y_BQzVQIcjn8zQNlV0pTYbpWQhMqWuXXRhvk-SNqfQxEbrACaAPEBLw4rORKOQt3k40GgedNfHEpretl4acp3rc7Qk3RZ4h7Nda9cmdscOSHrD4xcF7-SBPPAuL_s7ViV2MHYf0-seRkuFG7Jdj-r9t81jjfwAw=w400-h173" width="400" /></a></div>While this variant was promoted by Steyr, tested by gun magazines and YouTubers, along with being seen in video games like <i>COD:MW2</i>, I cannot find much actual military usage of the AUG HBAR. Most military organizations use more standard LMGs like the very popular FN Minimi and the RPK. Then there is the HBAR-T (heavy barreled automatic rifle with telescopic sights). This is a variant-within-a-variant that takes the 24inch cold hammer-forged heavy barrel with integral bipod of the LMG variant and pairs it with a Kahles ZF69 6×42 optical sight. Much like the HBAR LMG, I cannot find anyone that uses the DMR AUG…</div><div><br /></div><div><u>The AUG PARA/PARA XS/ PARA 40</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5bHYfwtQK4lsbp1jkYKRGjx0CBcuZz8lBFFDuqf2KWchiDMHh_ozKUXjjQsnuoEIpLqDBHWPPiNO7WsNPaoQxd4TKJKZD1UwMGQAcERmcJnwxwI061GzMDkd7kG2FBnWcL0DPRb6mXsm/s734/6a0133ec985af6970b017c34450ea9970b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="734" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5bHYfwtQK4lsbp1jkYKRGjx0CBcuZz8lBFFDuqf2KWchiDMHh_ozKUXjjQsnuoEIpLqDBHWPPiNO7WsNPaoQxd4TKJKZD1UwMGQAcERmcJnwxwI061GzMDkd7kG2FBnWcL0DPRb6mXsm/w400-h328/6a0133ec985af6970b017c34450ea9970b.jpg" width="400" /></a>In 1988, one of the more famous variants of the AUG came about, the submachine gun or “Para”. Chambered in 9x19mm and using the 25-round magazines from the Steyr MPi 69 SMG and TMP machine pistol, the AUG Para was envisioned as a way for a military to use the AUG platform for all roles. For the AUG assault rifle to go to an sub-gun, there is a conversion kit that is used that includes the special bolt, special 16.5inch barrel with recoil compensator, stock adapters, and a magazine. Unlike the HBAR and the HBAR-T, the AUG Para has its users, mostly European Law Enforcement and some CT units. In popular culture, the AUG Para has been a darling of the shooter video game world and is seen in games like <i>R6: Vegas </i>and <i>COD: Warzone</i>. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicjSjls6NZTxMz3sCujs_AEsD8Scoj2FUex2l6hyLnXWf7cSx7AuX0eN6RayyVvN-CA9iBMGr4Y05AxU33x97VlNxtXYtxR8yW1qmZxFdhUvE11WgUqV___XP_NRlKRoDb9JA48J5RL9NpeOoMVpGprAnQ56z-MX3mJclsb_eJKekpxqX5tNwJVMUCaw=s650" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="650" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicjSjls6NZTxMz3sCujs_AEsD8Scoj2FUex2l6hyLnXWf7cSx7AuX0eN6RayyVvN-CA9iBMGr4Y05AxU33x97VlNxtXYtxR8yW1qmZxFdhUvE11WgUqV___XP_NRlKRoDb9JA48J5RL9NpeOoMVpGprAnQ56z-MX3mJclsb_eJKekpxqX5tNwJVMUCaw=w400-h184" width="400" /></a></div>When the A3 came out, there was a new version of the Para, the Para XS with the features of the A3 and a 12.8inch barrel. At some point, Steyr decided to gift the world with an .40 SMG variant of the Para XS with a 13.1inch barrel that uses the Glock .40 double-stacked extended 31 round magazines. One of the users of the AUG Para 40 is Sao Paulo, Brazil Police department. One of the issues with the AUG Para is that it is a 9mm sub-gun that is battling for operational space with the Godzilla of 9mm sub-guns: the H&K MP5…the best that ever was. If you need a 9mm SMG, you are going to use the MP5 because it is the best in every way. To demonstrate how rare the Para was, one vintage 1980's article stated that only 175 9mm kits were in the United States.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><u>The F88/F90</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1z4BDZQngcK8yF8tQnJgNfudFWOA50YRK9EXfkPlThUZJgp52n33Apyf6meRekH_r_4xbhKBobZtjnMEFTeBbbkHfowhMNCcatMaMqYIBTFLrv0Lu-y5rKVY9HIAoXqlPhChc5zJSyYR/s1332/australian-army-soldat-oruzhie-6643.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1332" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1z4BDZQngcK8yF8tQnJgNfudFWOA50YRK9EXfkPlThUZJgp52n33Apyf6meRekH_r_4xbhKBobZtjnMEFTeBbbkHfowhMNCcatMaMqYIBTFLrv0Lu-y5rKVY9HIAoXqlPhChc5zJSyYR/w400-h255/australian-army-soldat-oruzhie-6643.jpg" width="400" /></a>When the Aussie Defense Force selected the AUG A1 over the M16A2 as their new service rifle after retiring the FN FAL in 1988, they began something that altered the AUG into their own…much like Australia in general. The AUG Down Under became the F88 Austeyr. From 1988 onward, the F88 was produced by a local Aussie gun company called Lithgow Small Arms Factory. This was one of the reasons for Australia to go with the AUG over the M16A2, due to Colt refusing to allow Australia to manufacture the weapon locally. One of the most interesting variants of the F88 was the training variant for cadets that fired .22, the F88T. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAb8hfC980Pc2SG6kdgPUHDdxcWRohNj7bDRUwNjMq7pWFlVX4wsv25m32mXId8SmsAFXWpfUBdyGmgylWYv5NGLsnG4EimsbElDpwCX9r1De0WfDlbA8q2AxODeRu1IeF72Lw6hqd0FWmFYQWpvH67WEJoxg5ZpDLNfQjdRjs2lrzpkIwtzgpOY0G9A=s1024" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1024" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAb8hfC980Pc2SG6kdgPUHDdxcWRohNj7bDRUwNjMq7pWFlVX4wsv25m32mXId8SmsAFXWpfUBdyGmgylWYv5NGLsnG4EimsbElDpwCX9r1De0WfDlbA8q2AxODeRu1IeF72Lw6hqd0FWmFYQWpvH67WEJoxg5ZpDLNfQjdRjs2lrzpkIwtzgpOY0G9A=w400-h283" width="400" /></a></div>One of the biggest changes to the F88 Austeyr was the F88A2 in 2009 fueled by Australian forces experiences in Afghanistan deployments. For operational use, the gas system was modified to allow the US military 5.56mm ammunition to be used along with a longer rail. Improved sight housing and color changes to khaki. Then came the F90 AKA the Enhanced F88 (EF88). This was a major change to the AUG platform that had been used since 1988 by the ADF and looks very different than the standard AUG A3 with several changes including a 15mm shorter trigger pull and there are several variants of the F90 as well. For the export market, the F90 can use the STANAG 5.56mm magazines which was a major feature for Steyr and Lithgow to go after contracts with NATO nations. One government interested in the F90 is France, as a replacement for the aging FAMAS.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>The AUG A3 SF</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhayqQUnFr_-JUzK8avLEs4ucMopMDpVo4SNWEfuA8DrUQyKWKAL3_L3E49o4pMaga5OUHlGNT4J69PvBtN90ShyVRRuhuRDjdng8YzH3AJDY9rOevzquSQaDRQh-dWuMmtbBPpkBZDH15FE_GG8UQ7nKgicCSqGnacXnarLONpC23o6BLxcd2kqXbXw=s759" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="759" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhayqQUnFr_-JUzK8avLEs4ucMopMDpVo4SNWEfuA8DrUQyKWKAL3_L3E49o4pMaga5OUHlGNT4J69PvBtN90ShyVRRuhuRDjdng8YzH3AJDY9rOevzquSQaDRQh-dWuMmtbBPpkBZDH15FE_GG8UQ7nKgicCSqGnacXnarLONpC23o6BLxcd2kqXbXw=w400-h264" width="400" /></a></div>In 2007, the A3 was given a “Special Forces” or “Commando” variant that is used by the Austrian <i>Jagdkommando</i> as the StG-77 A2. This variant can be modified for a variety of tactical uses and situations with 13.8 (with a sound suppressor) and 16 inch barrels. The SF A3 could be thought of as the Steyr attempt at the SOPMOD kit for the Colt M4 assault carbine and given its clients for the A3 SF, it makes some senese. </div><div><br /></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The AUG A3 CQC</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZPn52-0tCjADNXN8noV_-KaROrQYRw_HzV5wFa6tpfwEAvaB2-iCSbAejrC79l2_FXpS6TH2g605o_ctl5UgZmHyq1LY8zG-gmqGdhQFnw9PQXWV8WUr5xRV-jXuLP_GjfkO-1uvwlTMQiaCAgXVXdq_Lx1b0KqrKFR_BeZN5cpioz25AceOhpyeTqg=s512" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="512" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZPn52-0tCjADNXN8noV_-KaROrQYRw_HzV5wFa6tpfwEAvaB2-iCSbAejrC79l2_FXpS6TH2g605o_ctl5UgZmHyq1LY8zG-gmqGdhQFnw9PQXWV8WUr5xRV-jXuLP_GjfkO-1uvwlTMQiaCAgXVXdq_Lx1b0KqrKFR_BeZN5cpioz25AceOhpyeTqg=w400-h185" width="400" /></a></div>One of the interesting variants that was explored is the A3 CQC. Designed as a prototype in 2005-6, it as displayed at the SHOT Show in 2006 and it was unique among the AUG variants. The CQC had different handguard that were railed for your pleasure and this caused issues with field stripping. There was weight issues, extra cost, and reliability concerns. By 2008, Steyr had abandoned the failed CQC prototype with only five being made for sales and promotion activities. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7yflj6p107X3yuNQnEH33sVDVk7cdxi4P7C8F6ckFQ4neNcUTtvN6--Ab66cadYH0jvbfILfvrKQJx8DBdo0vY3FaxV3bw2M3rANLxkZmZQjGEMQZIYCJu4vJ9SgnS1WZqifPho50lYty-dQzbERc3LuOFDv4G_uPg5FbHTdYEVHqiQkCzkYeIIGJ6g=s882" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="882" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7yflj6p107X3yuNQnEH33sVDVk7cdxi4P7C8F6ckFQ4neNcUTtvN6--Ab66cadYH0jvbfILfvrKQJx8DBdo0vY3FaxV3bw2M3rANLxkZmZQjGEMQZIYCJu4vJ9SgnS1WZqifPho50lYty-dQzbERc3LuOFDv4G_uPg5FbHTdYEVHqiQkCzkYeIIGJ6g=w400-h255" width="400" /></a></div>Four of the five prototypes were fitted with the 18inch barrel and one was fitted with the HBAR 24inch barrel and a smaller 20 round magazine. While the prototype died, an American company, PJA brought the five prototypes around 2012, pulled them apart and designed AUG A3 CQC conversion kits. The CQC A3 was also featured in the <i>Battlefield Bad Company </i>games along many of the Tom Clancy games including: <i>RAINBOW 6: Vegas 1 </i>and <i>2</i> (where I was introduced to the AUG , <i>Ghost Recon: Wildlands, the Division 2, </i>and<i> Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The AUG USR and the “P”</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd090MVZpG6PEmMT75HBpb3CILJE6lYUki_0GhyXAhv5zZGek5XRwYf5JUzOYrW7QyZPvcC4P5KKYpefsEgjDTbd1GyRU4-ehilBSTsW_3PrXWz_jFo-NMb_zXcSyTdFOXZt-gFPHygVoiOo0-JT_5SGiwF-86GTzbtb6WslBlVFyRsS8PySI7j_-ctA=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd090MVZpG6PEmMT75HBpb3CILJE6lYUki_0GhyXAhv5zZGek5XRwYf5JUzOYrW7QyZPvcC4P5KKYpefsEgjDTbd1GyRU4-ehilBSTsW_3PrXWz_jFo-NMb_zXcSyTdFOXZt-gFPHygVoiOo0-JT_5SGiwF-86GTzbtb6WslBlVFyRsS8PySI7j_-ctA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>During the early days of the AUG A1, semi-auto versions of the AUG were imported to the US firearms market and they were stars of local gun shows and they were expensive. That original variant was called the "AUG P" (maybe also the SA?) and it was marketed to civilian and Law Enforcement markets in semi-auto only with a 16inch barrel. With the Federal Assault Weapon Ban of 1989, there was an attempt by Steyr to continue to import the AUG assault rifle to the US market like many other foreign arms makers. The Steyr attempted was via their 1997 “Universal Sport Rifle (USR)” as the federal law had banned the importation of foreign made assault weapons and the AUG was just that. This conversion from semi-auto assault rifle to sporting rifle was in part in cosmetic and part mechanical. The USR is noted for being a grey color and not an OD and have a funny loop on the handle along with the flash hider being removed. Under the grey plastic, the USR is actually an A2 and this has caused collectors today to pick up the USR cheaper than a current AUG A2 and alter it to be an A2.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>The 2017 AUG "Survival Kit" Prototype</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLdi9JEMeq3kDKDEZYh8sucEJfK32fB1HA9791cOfr-mpKny5ztHNRCPEgoV0dMVcRa_ulYGVepBhccui7b4uEOPcaqeBRMw1i6qg7_zmOEgdhuJRaOuo5zSMVnZ5a4UjVHAnwexv1-g25QPwDAdqFmmL9PrcTchgYhJ2NT5iNqhVjPptc3rv1UAOX4A=s1215" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1215" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLdi9JEMeq3kDKDEZYh8sucEJfK32fB1HA9791cOfr-mpKny5ztHNRCPEgoV0dMVcRa_ulYGVepBhccui7b4uEOPcaqeBRMw1i6qg7_zmOEgdhuJRaOuo5zSMVnZ5a4UjVHAnwexv1-g25QPwDAdqFmmL9PrcTchgYhJ2NT5iNqhVjPptc3rv1UAOX4A=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div>During the 2017 SHOT Show, <i>S</i>teyr Arms displayed am interesting prototype at the "Steyr AUG Survival Kit". In the Pelican watertight/floating case was a AUG A3 M1 with a 3x optic painted a garish high-visibility orange that it makes it look a sci-fi prop gun. In the case besides the Fanta AUG were a survival knife, flare gun, whistle, streamlight, 2x42 magazines, and 2x30 magazines. This was all to be sold for around $3,295 and was designed to be used in waterborne evac emergency that likely would involve piracy. This likely would be used in concert with emergency kits that contained food, water, and first aid. This would be cool for a sci-fi setting as well. For the research conducted, Steyr did not move this AUG Survival Kit beyond the prototype stage. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Future of the AUG</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyFtKaUIeTi0sqrZ6wocXjeFZgXTAkNm-8uJ_2VO1gJItoKyPv1X04SVJJ_1ca7ULaW2wUn06l212UaZP6iWLklwGYBaEDX-1lZXRocloBrX-wVnmneBsazYIIMacidMllmD-8bXAt-B6/s1200/DtCnpo-U4AAVgEg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyFtKaUIeTi0sqrZ6wocXjeFZgXTAkNm-8uJ_2VO1gJItoKyPv1X04SVJJ_1ca7ULaW2wUn06l212UaZP6iWLklwGYBaEDX-1lZXRocloBrX-wVnmneBsazYIIMacidMllmD-8bXAt-B6/w400-h266/DtCnpo-U4AAVgEg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>At present, the AUG is nearly as old as I am, and at nearly 50 years old; it is becoming time for most military organizations to look at the future. At present, Steyr undertook three generational changes to the AUG platform and there is no news about an A4 update to the AUG. Most of the military organizations that have been adopted variants of the Colt M4 platform, like the LMT MARS-L for the New Zealand defense forces, to replace their F88 AUGs. Part of this is due to long-term experience with bullpup rifles, the issues with the 40mm grenade launcher, and the pornstar status of the Colt M4 carbine system since the beginning of the global war on terror. Due to this trend, it is likely that the last holdouts that still use the AUG: Austria, Australia, and Ireland will adopt a different service rifle in the next 10 to 15 years. Some of these cracks are seen in those above military organizations with the Irish Rangers using the H&K 416 and the Aussie SAS using the Colt M4. The last holdout with likely be the Austrian army and bottom line, this means that despite the years of faithful service, the future of the AUG is dim. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>What Doesn't the Steyr AUG use the STANAG Magazine?</u></b></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz5u2amGacTyxuObywl9LtAWsRsDqqrezAyzsVm4TTF3qN4a7JfTOfV8MkjQztz06VE83ajRHRpoHJDSxbh9jl3B679krWHbVsu1cIkcx86V3xFtoYweLPBh_EQ-jy7mgzDwA6LGfby4l/s500/RSR-STY1200050502-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz5u2amGacTyxuObywl9LtAWsRsDqqrezAyzsVm4TTF3qN4a7JfTOfV8MkjQztz06VE83ajRHRpoHJDSxbh9jl3B679krWHbVsu1cIkcx86V3xFtoYweLPBh_EQ-jy7mgzDwA6LGfby4l/s320/RSR-STY1200050502-2.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>One of the unique features of the AUG is the translucent waffle magazine that allows the user to see their round count, however, these magazines were not compatible with the AR15/M16 30-round 5.56mm STANAG (<b><u>stan</u></b>dardization <b><u>ag</u></b>reement) magazines. Why? The olive-yellow hued waffle magazines (the original clear plastic magazines were replaced soon after the AUG release due to issues with the magazines) were designed during the 1970's and the STANAG magazine did not come about until October of 1980, which was just a few months after NATO approved the 5.56mm cartridge for standardization over the 7.62mm for service rifles. The idea for the Standardization Agreement was to allow all NATO nations to share munitions for logistical and battlefield effectiveness during a war with the Warsaw Pact. While Steyr-Mannlicher of Austria did use the 5.56mm round for their AUG, the idea of using M16 magazines did not occur to them and it makes sense in some ways given the time period. Ian McCollum stated in one video that Steyr developing a magazine just for use in the AUG was due to the fact that Austria did not have spare M16 magazines around due to the Austrian Army using their FAL clone, the StG-58 and that the AUG was developed, originally, solely by Stery for the military for Austria. With this, the Austrian military was converting over from 7.62mm to 5.56mm already and the idea of replacing all of their old magazines was already considered. It wasn't until nearly 10 years later that the AUG was selected by other nations as their service rifle. There are NATO magazine conversion kits for the A1 and A2 AUGs on the market and the AUG A3 that arrived in 2004 did have a variant that accepted STANAG magazines for the export market. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The AUG A3 in .300 Blackout?!</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRvuC5yS4fBLd6uXTV4pfYhmO93pt-72vqQfSqmCm5Vs5-dEGgz43rJsGYx-cLXaQRXp6DP1ntq65k544-pJXmbf6ljMrg8dbhOVX-PQTeOuI5HtUsQL2vs9h_ctMXZt6c79K1MUuelg-/s750/RS556_Sturmgewehr_01.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRvuC5yS4fBLd6uXTV4pfYhmO93pt-72vqQfSqmCm5Vs5-dEGgz43rJsGYx-cLXaQRXp6DP1ntq65k544-pJXmbf6ljMrg8dbhOVX-PQTeOuI5HtUsQL2vs9h_ctMXZt6c79K1MUuelg-/w400-h266/RS556_Sturmgewehr_01.png" width="400" /></a></div>For years now, Steyr Mannlicher AG has been teasing the possibility of an AUG A3 being offered in the .300 Blackout cartridge. In 2012, Steyr became making their own AR15 clone, the Steyr STM556 with some AUG-DNA injected into the AR15 platform. This is being offered in .300 Blackout and from the mockups at IDEX 2019, ideal with suppressor usage. On the table was an blacked out AUG A3 with the words "300 BLK" on the body of the bullpup rifle. Steyr has been teasing the possibility of the 3rd generation AUG chambering the .300 Blackout caliber since 2017 and has not yet yielded fruit. While the AUG in .300 Blackout is certainly real in one sense, it is not yet released and may never be. </div><div><br /></div><div><u><b>Did the US ever Test the AUG for Adoption?</b></u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkJkvNHbRLVcky_kCNDlfxFbsDMnZktMu0-ZCVzGY8TV90jd7HgTuG0scfaIWeS_F10PF5nsqmDZwkKVT7Ydjf_PBvWpseS1AW2MyYB5-R6PSGjvsaAld8v8iUb197dn8alkd2z1bOSax/s501/acr.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="501" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkJkvNHbRLVcky_kCNDlfxFbsDMnZktMu0-ZCVzGY8TV90jd7HgTuG0scfaIWeS_F10PF5nsqmDZwkKVT7Ydjf_PBvWpseS1AW2MyYB5-R6PSGjvsaAld8v8iUb197dn8alkd2z1bOSax/w400-h263/acr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div>During the 1980's, some gun and military publications issued rumors that the US military was testing the AUG as a possible replacement for the M16A2. Of course, there is no actual truth to these rumors from what we can find and it is highly likely that some elements of the US government may have informally tested the AUG given that it was the weapon of choice for allied nations. What some of the magazine's sources may have been seeing is the Steyr ACR advanced flechette high-velocity dart firing rifle for the US Army Advanced Combat Rifle Program. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooeljzOLOlIeLWGsmSK80gjjG3Pxfgnd9PUTkDV_otLrOnLhK27-mycQkSRa1dCy8GzWltFqxQ5OUOIB2fpL5hpkUbGuUXLTd9V8cGOz1qOqCnaw7kII1AYzWAbqR0J1PH3ccC8AcDb1b/s512/unnamed+%25281%2529.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooeljzOLOlIeLWGsmSK80gjjG3Pxfgnd9PUTkDV_otLrOnLhK27-mycQkSRa1dCy8GzWltFqxQ5OUOIB2fpL5hpkUbGuUXLTd9V8cGOz1qOqCnaw7kII1AYzWAbqR0J1PH3ccC8AcDb1b/w308-h400/unnamed+%25281%2529.gif" width="308" /></a></div><div>Began in 1985, the ACR Program was testing the newest small arms weapons and ammunition for a changing battlefield. Several companies offered their most cutting-edge designs for consideration and by the time of the field testing in August of 1989, there was four candidate rifles. For their candidate to the US Army ACR trials, Steyr-Mannlicher of Austria of Austria sent a weapon that was designed by Ulrich Zedrosservery and stylistically similar to their famous bullpup futuristic-looking 5.56mm assault rifle. The Steyr ACR was the most compact of the ACR candidate of the other candidate rifles and had the lowest magazine count at 24, but it has the longest barrel due to its bullpup configuration. It was noted by the evaluators having the lowest cost of production in both weapon and ammunition along being simple in operation. The ACR bullpup assault rifle fired a high velocity 1.6inch long 9.85 gain finned flechette projectile from a synthetic casing that was rough the same size of the M16 5.56x45mm round. These SCF darts were aimed by the shooter by either an iron sight or a low-power 1.5x optical sight. One of the standout features of the Steyr ACR was that the flechettes had a velocity of 4,700-4,900 feet-per-second (an M16 M855 5.56mm round travels at roughly 3,100 feet-per-second). For the Phase III testing at Ft. Benning, Steyr sent 15 rifles with 90,000 flechette rounds and it provided to one of the top two ACR candidate rifles. If you are interested in learning more about the ACR Program FWS has written a very <a href="http://futurewarstories.blogspot.com/2019/12/guns-from-future-us-army-advanced.html"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">in-depth article </span></b></a>on the program </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The AUG in Popular Culture</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnf0jjzrgfVbbRk2cM45TqTfisd141ZDRno8UAA8BhtP_1UGnM-woC1sAbq6VWiRb7ntGuLJHWDa5ncx-lKqAT2XOOnPnS5SHmcV7O6PW6yXy88-Iej3Fm6EioSWjdOCpJV5JqKuU4YGp/s1200/EeNloORU0AAULt6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="947" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnf0jjzrgfVbbRk2cM45TqTfisd141ZDRno8UAA8BhtP_1UGnM-woC1sAbq6VWiRb7ntGuLJHWDa5ncx-lKqAT2XOOnPnS5SHmcV7O6PW6yXy88-Iej3Fm6EioSWjdOCpJV5JqKuU4YGp/w316-h400/EeNloORU0AAULt6.jpg" width="316" /></a>For many, their introduction to the futuristic AUG assault rifle was when Karl assembled his AUG A1 in 1988’s <i>Die Hard</i> to average his brother’s death. It was here and, in some ways, continues to be one of the introduction media for the AUG. However, this was basically the Austrian future gun’s 7th major motion picture appearance! The AUG would first be seen in 1983’s <i>Octopussy</i> in the hands of Soviet soldiers(!) and this would be followed closely by an appearances in the Arnold-kill-fest<i> Commando</i> in 1985 in the hands of warlord scumbag Arius and in the vampires-from-outer-space <i>Lifeforce</i>. Then came 1987 and the Steyr AUG would be seen in three major films:<i> The Running Man, RoboCop, </i>and<i> Who’s That Girl. </i>Yes, that’s right gentle readers of FWS…the AUG is in <i>Who’s That Girl</i>, the Madonna vehicle film. Fucking crazy. In <i>the Running Man</i>, the Resistance would be armed with AUGs and some ICS soldiers. In 1987’s <i>RoboCop</i>, some of the Detroit Police Department SWAT officers that we charged with hunting down Murphy used the AUG in the parking lot firefight. Oddly, the actors playing the SWAT officers, turned their AUG on their side to prevent the brass from ejecting on their fellow actors while in the advancing firing line. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzUJRlOdUDOCNMchUQIgJbsa85NIT1fU4ei8__jSgEr9NhhU525SgQhT0niIb3nQ2T1D1yUjNltwwVMNnOrEhxLcv5GMSNz8Wpb-ipDil1A2ZZPGX8MFv-Y7tswE8_0zi9Y4t_aQx8UEWXURLG-ArZjsvQBB9RfuaeY3lanimx8VEguL3CXNJFBTsOVw=s500" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="500" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzUJRlOdUDOCNMchUQIgJbsa85NIT1fU4ei8__jSgEr9NhhU525SgQhT0niIb3nQ2T1D1yUjNltwwVMNnOrEhxLcv5GMSNz8Wpb-ipDil1A2ZZPGX8MFv-Y7tswE8_0zi9Y4t_aQx8UEWXURLG-ArZjsvQBB9RfuaeY3lanimx8VEguL3CXNJFBTsOVw=w400-h301" width="400" /></a></div>The first appearance of the A1 AUG on the American airwaves was in the 4th season (1985-1986) of <i>The A-Team</i> in the hands of Dirk Benedict during the 3rd episode of the 4th season, "Where is that Monster When You Need Him" first airing on October 1st, 1985. This likely was where many Americans first witness the AUG. Finally, the AUG would appear in <i>Die Hard</i> on July 22nd, 1988. From this point on, the AUG would be forever linked to <i>Die Hard </i>and being futuristic as well. It would be August of 1999 in the sequel to <i>Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear </i>before the AUG would arrive into the realm of video games, but it would be <i>Counter-Strike</i> that really showed off the AUG in video warrior combat. In the realm of Anime, the AUG would take longer to be seen than one might figure. Originally, some sites credit 1989's <i>Riding Bean</i> OVA has the first appearance of the AUG in Anime, however, I cannot see it when I review the OVA. It could mean, that the first appearance of the AUG could be in 1995's <i>Gunsmith Cats. </i>When researching the AUG within the public consciences, I read a thread from an Aussie who put things with the AUG's look and style into context. He said that while the AUG is a future gun to most of the world, to those veterans of the Australian army, it was their service rifle and the weapon they depended on in combat and in training. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Why was the AUG Included into <i>Die Hard</i>?</u></b></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaa31q2HRPX9hjumOqwugbTh1nEGJuWVIU-0YNbGAvT-_9szu3iz0bkVVAZTBwmdqflK5Zhrx2CYK_9UDnn4ajVcGNiDc_E6AI2W-HjlYP6KXuARSvNOyq8j0Ab9iLY3ivZJG-Wp1q90Y/s1920/DH-AUG-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaa31q2HRPX9hjumOqwugbTh1nEGJuWVIU-0YNbGAvT-_9szu3iz0bkVVAZTBwmdqflK5Zhrx2CYK_9UDnn4ajVcGNiDc_E6AI2W-HjlYP6KXuARSvNOyq8j0Ab9iLY3ivZJG-Wp1q90Y/w400-h169/DH-AUG-1.jpg" width="400" /></a>For many of my generation, their introduction to this Austrian bullpup with the waffle magazine was the 1988 magnum opus <i>Die Hard</i>. About midway through the best Christmas movie of all time (suck it <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i>!), the main muscle of Hans Gruber gang was Karl and when his brother was killed by NYPD cop John McClane, he seeks vengeance. When that opportunity arises when McClane is on the roof, Karl is tossed a black gym bag. When riding the lift up to the roof, Karl assembles an A1 Steyr AUG as says: “<i><b><span style="color: red;">Nobody kills him but me</span></b></i>”. This element of theater with the weapon being assembled caused many of us to take notice and it was here that many asked to themselves “what is that gun?” </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGOGyTg3mEDYaA-utt38IokeXtPv2sRU6-ZFgMyQPARrxSUUKR9iYrN2zWjZkkuSnQA65D8ffVoBEvQ4WOoepLnFbreT1S65TGIrp5lXZKxsUF8LIo5LXFMULWTLumTc5MMnCQqlsOewo/s684/dh16-steyraug.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="684" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGOGyTg3mEDYaA-utt38IokeXtPv2sRU6-ZFgMyQPARrxSUUKR9iYrN2zWjZkkuSnQA65D8ffVoBEvQ4WOoepLnFbreT1S65TGIrp5lXZKxsUF8LIo5LXFMULWTLumTc5MMnCQqlsOewo/w400-h225/dh16-steyraug.jpg" width="400" /></a>From here, the AUG would achieve a status among other guns of the time and for future creators, they wanted to include an AUG due to <i>Die Hard</i>…like in <i>Counter-Strike </i>and <i>COD</i>. It is odd that <i>Die Hard</i> was not the first, second, or even third appearance in a major action film, but it likely the most memorable due to the gun being in one of the best action films ever made. So, why was the Steyr AUG in <i>Die Hard</i>? The film armourer was Michael Papac and he is a bloody legend among Hollywood Weapon Masters. He has been the armourer for such films as <i>Terminator 3, RED, Lethal Weapon, We Were Soldiers, Predator,</i> and<i> Iron Man</i>; along with founding his own film armory company: Cinema Weaponry. He likely used the AUG due to the look and the place of manufacture. The weapons that the terrorist carry are European made and speak of them being separate from the American characters in both speech, dress, and weapon choice. In the film, to me, the AUG informs us that Karl is a badass with military training and the AUG adds to that along with its own outlandish appear.</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div></div><div><b><u>The Steyr and Sci-Fi</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4lissaZyWuWkJweIEjDE1NsNKLCpNBuVc-DU9lho8Fa7kBUpjG_T2H-bcIfPZ_AlfJMQBxRFbNntPvRvJzkWx1sKxEUP_WcHtVLqlSknuxVdXIhxV8BELnhEevsrl7z_feHeGKojR6ys/s640/C_gmFCAU0AE8dE9.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="640" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4lissaZyWuWkJweIEjDE1NsNKLCpNBuVc-DU9lho8Fa7kBUpjG_T2H-bcIfPZ_AlfJMQBxRFbNntPvRvJzkWx1sKxEUP_WcHtVLqlSknuxVdXIhxV8BELnhEevsrl7z_feHeGKojR6ys/w400-h276/C_gmFCAU0AE8dE9.jpg" width="400" /></a>For film and TV productions, weapons like the Steyr AUG, the H&K G11, and the FN P90 occupy a solution for the issue of designing a futuristic weapon that does not need to be designed from the ground up. For many productions, this why the AUG was inserted into the production due to just how futuristic and different this assault rifle appeared. For the AUG, it was all about the looks and the this worked for the AUG to be included as a “future gun” in all forms of media including sci-fi book cover-art! For some other inclusions in science fiction, the AUG served as foundation for a futuristic weapon and more sci-fi bits and pieces were added, as we witnessed in the terrible sequel to P<i>acific Rim</i>. The AUG was also an inspiration for creators as well that allowed them to rift off to create something new. With newer AUG variants, like the Aussie F90, it appears that the Steyr AUG will continue to be a part of sci-fi productions for some time. </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Examples:</u></b></div><div>Please note that the AUG appears throughout TV and movies since the 1980s and there are a great deal of examples that could be listed. For the purposes of this article, I picked a few examples of the AUG and left the cataloging to IMFDB.org. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>In the Hands of Angelica from the <i>Gunslinger Girls </i>Universe</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpMQK_3HNyBTaHVjRQgJzStn9mxRtZ8cfkUioxdZPy89tbmcpTztygB4AJ34EEGZUGnpNGvOipUOIwJI290suqswgLbvlaVxX8bZmqxrCExqcLLSYMH761YzDYv-JAg0RebtPfN4_YyrF/s853/wH_5flBAzrOUvW9VyFRq0yL5h5yr4HURVSpIjj6kgbQ.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="853" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpMQK_3HNyBTaHVjRQgJzStn9mxRtZ8cfkUioxdZPy89tbmcpTztygB4AJ34EEGZUGnpNGvOipUOIwJI290suqswgLbvlaVxX8bZmqxrCExqcLLSYMH761YzDYv-JAg0RebtPfN4_YyrF/w400-h225/wH_5flBAzrOUvW9VyFRq0yL5h5yr4HURVSpIjj6kgbQ.png" width="400" /></a></div><i>Gunslinger Girls </i>is an anime and manga series that details the deeds of a team of cybernetic girls that were constructed for combat by the Italian government to deal with the right-wing Five Republics Faction that is a threat to the Italian government via acts of terrorism. From 2002 to 2012, the Shonen manga ran in <i>Dengeki Daioh</i> and was developed by Yu Aida. Two anime TV series were developed in 2003 and 2008 along with a series of video games. The cyber CT girl teams uses a vast array of real-world firearms included our beloved Austrian bullpup. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmTsCzhE5lOKMnU_IDFYnEcN1Bq12fOVb4KbkGhh9NXRG5U7MTcBtVeknBpnMx1aJkzlcZ2E-6rBeE3yZKG-XBcw8JSPuUB4yPTsozDsMH7zOeXp1hUowSrpmYpOsF3kJNAj_ayJLrDL9bAR6XgCipIgbYyaDV5sw3BFNMjeSuwkPl-bwTfRhPMRcTTg=s1920" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmTsCzhE5lOKMnU_IDFYnEcN1Bq12fOVb4KbkGhh9NXRG5U7MTcBtVeknBpnMx1aJkzlcZ2E-6rBeE3yZKG-XBcw8JSPuUB4yPTsozDsMH7zOeXp1hUowSrpmYpOsF3kJNAj_ayJLrDL9bAR6XgCipIgbYyaDV5sw3BFNMjeSuwkPl-bwTfRhPMRcTTg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>One of the cyber-girls, Angelica, uses an AUG A1 and A2 in both the HBAR and assault rifle variants along with an Steyr M9A1, TMP. She was the first cyborg developed by the "Social Welfare Agency". The cool elements of this MSF anime that is this conversion from assault rifle to DMR to LMG is extremely rare for AUGs in media. Often one or another is seen and used, with video games being one of the media forms that allows users to switch to different variants of the AUG. In the 2008 anime sequel, <i>Gunslinger Girls II Teatrino</i>, Angelica switches her A1 from the standard assault rifle to the HBAR complete with 42 round magazines. Gotta love the Japanese! This is one of the only on-screen conversions of an AUG that I can find. <br /><br /></div><div><u>The Steyr AUGs from the <i>Call of Duty</i> Games</u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0c4zXKPkcoxPUoZovKT16rOALW6ceXjrm8GxdS62vQMCXXYjaSHIyG6DuUwNtCgLY6hOKvG1GtWd3uH6KvY7rdLV5pYyDHdX3qNtM8uPmXXifjkQWBB8dAfXA2rjvB6XE9PY_805PYPD/s1400/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-AUG-header.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0c4zXKPkcoxPUoZovKT16rOALW6ceXjrm8GxdS62vQMCXXYjaSHIyG6DuUwNtCgLY6hOKvG1GtWd3uH6KvY7rdLV5pYyDHdX3qNtM8uPmXXifjkQWBB8dAfXA2rjvB6XE9PY_805PYPD/w400-h200/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-AUG-header.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While the AUG was featured in many games prior to being first seen in <i>COD: Modern Warfare 2</i>, the AUG has become a gun featured many times in the series of FPS games and one of the guns use a great deal in the multiplayer. The first appearance of the AUG was in 2009's <i>COD:MW2</i> as the "AUG HBAR", making the AUG in the game to be really the light machine gun variety. However, in the original and remaster versions, the COD: MW2 version was a mashup of the AUG A2, the A2 HBAR-T, some elements of the A1 and even A3. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxhP9N8aKdSto2k20p6WzE7dYOjDYb6OymisRXIdepfjkoLfDYY08KA4d7I0U5Yf-OuVHwlm_0CbcJCeZurpxFGws1kNzd9kF47-chnUG699ccE1f4hwBr_uACR1Z4NuPzrrkzqGeTbrj/s250/AUG_HBAR_Swarovski_Scope_MW2.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="250" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxhP9N8aKdSto2k20p6WzE7dYOjDYb6OymisRXIdepfjkoLfDYY08KA4d7I0U5Yf-OuVHwlm_0CbcJCeZurpxFGws1kNzd9kF47-chnUG699ccE1f4hwBr_uACR1Z4NuPzrrkzqGeTbrj/w320-h307/AUG_HBAR_Swarovski_Scope_MW2.png" width="320" /></a></div>At times, the <i>COD: MW2</i> AUG has the traditional Swarovski scope or a red dot optic. It would reemerge in <i>Black Ops</i>, but its appearance was not accurate to actually history as the AUG was not even in prototype form in 1968 and it would not be released for another decade. There are these iron sights seen in the game were not on the original A1 weapon. It is a hot mess, but the <i>Black Ops</i> AUG was one of my all time favorites in the game during online play. In the two most recent modern setting <i>COD</i> games, the AUG Para and the classic AUG would be available for use. Oddly, in the very cool weapon customizer in the 2019 <i>Modern Warfare</i>, you can alter the 9mm AUG SMG Para into a regular 5.56mm AUG assault rifle. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><br /></div><div><u>In the Hands of Major Cyril McKendrick from <i>Space: Above & Beyond </i>Episode "Pearly"</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPK7lHG_IhcpVEZPCLd37IxSm4Lbh6H4R95AssjUODxD-nfs03xsOksPZBkevFsmdweFWJxH7IlPzBuX5nsyKt-5iUrScXxmsyAAmVaSjBf4GBJmMp92ho0YoORyv4Uozgpq2M8ZeLCyk/s1200/extant_SpaceAboveAndBeyond_1x19-Pearly_2437.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPK7lHG_IhcpVEZPCLd37IxSm4Lbh6H4R95AssjUODxD-nfs03xsOksPZBkevFsmdweFWJxH7IlPzBuX5nsyKt-5iUrScXxmsyAAmVaSjBf4GBJmMp92ho0YoORyv4Uozgpq2M8ZeLCyk/w400-h300/extant_SpaceAboveAndBeyond_1x19-Pearly_2437.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>During the opening months of the Earth-Chig War of 2063-2064, the Human colony of Minerva was hit hard by Chig forces and the British Forces and US Army US Calvary on Minerva were routed during the bloody battle of Mandrake Ridge, During this battle, Logistics Major Cyril McKendrick of the Cold Stream Guard was separated from his unit and using a radio as able to learn the Chig language, the only Terran known to do so. During this run in with the retreating 58th in an 7th Cav APC, Major McKendrick came unwilling with the 58th. In his hands was an A1 Steyr AUG. It is presumed, given the lack of evidence that the AUG is either the official issue British service rifle or that the Major took the weapon from a dysfunctional Silicate unit. This appearance of the AUG in this military sci-fi show is due to its futuristic look. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The UNSC BR75 Waffle Magazine from <i>HALO: Infinite</i></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC1P3Iee1lR1f-aLjHTYIlEhO5U5nnl990Y4zbxxO7IBI1qnJ5NOy8YRZF_O83SC_xlg6IgdrhEozqKxoYGl1DIuWQUKfNMyVn45Y1rv9B2_RAlmUhPVVZfJOzd0ZZYebbdzCL6roQtCAeBkS8Sz70e_n440Rka5-3pAhh1mK6OTqSJvfykLXj5pgHwg=s1155" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1155" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC1P3Iee1lR1f-aLjHTYIlEhO5U5nnl990Y4zbxxO7IBI1qnJ5NOy8YRZF_O83SC_xlg6IgdrhEozqKxoYGl1DIuWQUKfNMyVn45Y1rv9B2_RAlmUhPVVZfJOzd0ZZYebbdzCL6roQtCAeBkS8Sz70e_n440Rka5-3pAhh1mK6OTqSJvfykLXj5pgHwg=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div>In the newest installment of 343 Industries of attempting to make <i>HALO</i> great again while attempting to get us to collective forgot about how unbelievably bad <i>HALO: 5 Guardians </i>was. While watching a review of the game, I noticed that the newest variant of the UNSC Battle Rifle from Misriah Armory, the BR75 loads from waffle-patterned magazines that look like the AUG magazine. Sadly, the BR series of burst-fire rifles is not based on the Steyr AUG, but the FAMAS and the XM8 assault rifles, but it is interesting that for years the BR series was loaded from an magazine that looked like a normal STANAG magazine, and now...waffles. The screenshot comes from this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDsNUncbokY&t=270s"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">video</span></b></a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>The F90 from <i>Alien: Covenant </i></u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPt5zTwLUeAJOCEEbJNWNvknSwRPd6l-zM3I9lqU7BdoNU3Hm8nMDS_-M7C9kzOskM__ZXYcAAK9RmUN1TZL4wk1uJQrVc6s5Igff76s6PI77awlKUThixdAigOlK9GKkMd6AbGBkvVGAn/s759/katherine-waterston-759.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="759" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPt5zTwLUeAJOCEEbJNWNvknSwRPd6l-zM3I9lqU7BdoNU3Hm8nMDS_-M7C9kzOskM__ZXYcAAK9RmUN1TZL4wk1uJQrVc6s5Igff76s6PI77awlKUThixdAigOlK9GKkMd6AbGBkvVGAn/w400-h223/katherine-waterston-759.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>I've been a fan of the ALIENS universe since I first watched the CBS airing of the film and an original 1986 poster of ALIENS hangs above my desk as I write this. I love ALIENS, but I hate all of the movies that have come after it. All of them are broken promises and one of the worst was 2017's <i>ALIEN: Covenant. </i>Dumb, dull, and without soul, this film is bad in all ways that even <i>Prometheus </i>wasn't. For the film, there was more of an armory than in <i>Prometheus</i> and legendary film armourer John Bowring was in charge of the film's futuristic weaponry. According to an interview with John Bowring by Adam Savage, he said that director Ridley Scott wanted the weapons to be real and modern than the pulse rifles. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUE2Dp0hnzG4V0oOgRQXGkorWKXU2scd4sC45PjSLetzDwuL9KnpmxTTz6Kt2xykRPMVBhe_kSGwyp6PMy7pFLfWekEi2G0lfka4nCUBPU-5Oh8pGn1uyzl3J2IhjvM1n8xZTnKk9Optl/s1280/maxresdefault+%25285%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUE2Dp0hnzG4V0oOgRQXGkorWKXU2scd4sC45PjSLetzDwuL9KnpmxTTz6Kt2xykRPMVBhe_kSGwyp6PMy7pFLfWekEi2G0lfka4nCUBPU-5Oh8pGn1uyzl3J2IhjvM1n8xZTnKk9Optl/w400-h225/maxresdefault+%25285%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Several of the rifles used by the <i>Covenant </i>crew were based on the F90, the update to the Aussie F88, and these were given to the production by the factory themselves. To "future up" the F90, Bowring's crew developed a rail system that was so good, Lithgow Arms, took a hard look at it. According to some sources, the F90 weapons used on the production were actually the export market civilian legal F90 Lithgow ATRAX. However, two years after the film was released, Lithgow cancelled the ATRAX bullpup rifle due to "ethical concerns". One of the reasons for the Aussie AUGs being included in the film was that <i>ALIEN: Covenant </i>was filmed in Australia and New Zealand. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>The Monican Rebel Sniper Rifle from the live-action <i>Aeon Flux</i> 2005 Film</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp65fjWRK9o28DZgHI8oSa7Vk7tOwit2_hZuZP9o4zqw-IEUFDb1McoMVtrGkDko0fwQeLFIEoW8XSTR6RbwoCKfcnI8CgQBjgYQt5IyKZ29uiZAOp5pa9Vb4rSJAFsO0msmnfcfODkDot/s1280/Aeon-Flux-Monican-Sniper-Rifle-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp65fjWRK9o28DZgHI8oSa7Vk7tOwit2_hZuZP9o4zqw-IEUFDb1McoMVtrGkDko0fwQeLFIEoW8XSTR6RbwoCKfcnI8CgQBjgYQt5IyKZ29uiZAOp5pa9Vb4rSJAFsO0msmnfcfODkDot/s320/Aeon-Flux-Monican-Sniper-Rifle-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Okay, the original <i>Aeon Flux</i> animated shorts on MTV's Liquid Television were odd and very cool, and the popularity of <i>Aeon Flux</i> caused MTV to order an TV animated show that ran for three seasons with 21 episodes total. Given this popularity and the associated style with the character and her world, Hollywood came knocking. What resulted was the unholy 2005 <i>Aeon Flux</i> film starring Charlize Theron as the female Monican assassin. In the "film", Sophie Okonedo plays Sithandra, another Monican agent as she is backing up Aeon during a critical moment, which was based on one of the animated shorts. In her hands is a rather odd take on the AUG. Along with Sithandra are other Monican rebel snipers armed with the same AUG-patterned "sniper rifle". <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcam_6_BPu9g2Hy27tB8s5fmiEm7qdV0HB2uZvkuCZrl3XykutDmSX-cn8vAF9HpGQGtqZa7xfktOJOwnL4WFOSrxlV418pDMbA3hbNbXMdOZZZ9H9ByXA-qOz4sZq0Rke_eVo4S5bh_lt/s500/unnamed+%252811%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="500" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcam_6_BPu9g2Hy27tB8s5fmiEm7qdV0HB2uZvkuCZrl3XykutDmSX-cn8vAF9HpGQGtqZa7xfktOJOwnL4WFOSrxlV418pDMbA3hbNbXMdOZZZ9H9ByXA-qOz4sZq0Rke_eVo4S5bh_lt/w400-h173/unnamed+%252811%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It seems that the AUG used in the film were maybe patterned after the Steyr AUG A2 Special Receiver with a working scope attached. to add the sci-fi elements, the buttstock was reworked to be a looped expanded stock, a specially designed barrel, and painted black. One feature that caught my eye when viewing the prop was that the Monican sniper rifle was based on the AUG A2 Para 9mm due to the 9mm magazine in the prop weapon. However, IMFDB.org has the prop being based on the AUG A2 SR, which were chambered in 5.56mm. To me, given the nature of the other weapons in the 2005 film, the AUG sniper rifles could be an AirSoft copy or modified A2 Para to be an sniper rifle...for reasons? There is limited information due to the poor performance of the film and how bad the film was in general. <br /><div><br /></div><div><u>In the Hands of Lt. Col. T.C. McQueen from <i>Space: Above & Beyond</i> "Choice or Chance"</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9d6jj1aOmbstNaZ3I8BvhMVoXECvO6655N7tP6cWsvh93O-12z7jMPTk5eigFVYsDjXau0kBNzKvoLpm6ZqZZ5ic3cgoFw-6tXaiTP04lLYLkZKEEdr5PlH2kzwu8gxAhQCyAXKB97zjJ/s1166/extant_SpaceAboveAndBeyond_1x10-ChoiceOrChance_3076.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1166" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9d6jj1aOmbstNaZ3I8BvhMVoXECvO6655N7tP6cWsvh93O-12z7jMPTk5eigFVYsDjXau0kBNzKvoLpm6ZqZZ5ic3cgoFw-6tXaiTP04lLYLkZKEEdr5PlH2kzwu8gxAhQCyAXKB97zjJ/w400-h308/extant_SpaceAboveAndBeyond_1x10-ChoiceOrChance_3076.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>During the way-too-short run of the best military science fiction show on TV, <i>Space: Above and Beyond</i> had a wonderful two-part arch of 58th on a hostile planet during E&E operations following a failed bombing run on a Chig world. Colonel McQueen and Hawkes were able to avoid being captured by the Silicates and endeavored to rearm and recon the prison site where the rest of the 58th were being held in the Kazbek Penal and mining colony that is controlled by the Chigs, but run by the Silicates. When McQueen took out several Silicate patrols, he was able to gain the use of an Steyr AUG A1 and used to hold off the Silicate guards during the prison break. It is easy to see that the AUG was chosen for its instant-no-need-to-add-water sci-fi look and it was easy to add for a scene with a number of firearms and a limited budget. This same AUG prop weapon was used again for the episode "Pearl". </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Bullhorn from <i>G.I Joe: Real American Hero</i> (1990)</u></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vkUVRSXshlQVWbFOTeCLfFqpnBBEQc1cTBWec6zEiIkboMuJbg1-mPADioLhZ636G-7heaIljaGNsbjUWMIzqapLWj6SL5gmJLdiZkqkuM8rTMoZQhyphenhyphenKNzPD1Mr_AcxFWOSuOfFHTr8z/s512/1090_orig.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="339" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vkUVRSXshlQVWbFOTeCLfFqpnBBEQc1cTBWec6zEiIkboMuJbg1-mPADioLhZ636G-7heaIljaGNsbjUWMIzqapLWj6SL5gmJLdiZkqkuM8rTMoZQhyphenhyphenKNzPD1Mr_AcxFWOSuOfFHTr8z/w265-h400/1090_orig.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div>By end of the 1980's, the <i>G.I Joe: A Real American Hero </i>toyline by Hasbro had run its course and it was failing to capture the current imagination and wallets of kids that were into heavily armed martial arts trained talking pizza loving turtles. In addition, the <i>G.I Joe</i> toyline had been becoming more and more extreme with the soldiers to the point of near-mockery. By the 1990's, the party was over for the animated series, the toys, and the Marvel Comic series (Transmedia approach). During the last years of the original 3.75inch figure line, we finally got an Steyr AUG in the hands of an <i>Joe</i>: Bullhorn. It is odd to think that the AUG, a futuristic and celebrated rifle of film and TV was not given a plastic gun doppelgänger sooner than 1990. Criminal it is because I would have loved an AUG when I was buying <i>GI Joes</i>. The AUG is used by Bullhorn, who is a "intervention specialist" with a shoulder-mounted bullhorn for blasting Guns-N-Roses to force out ex-Panamanian dictators from Catholic embassies. The AUG that Bullhorn is armed with is an Steyr AUG A1 that seems to be equipped to be an DMR with the longer HBAR barrel, the large scope and a sound suppressor. He was remade in 2016 with a improved and more dynamic AUG for his role has an "crisis negotiator". To me, the name "bullhorn" will always be linked to the character in the film <i>Black Dynamite</i>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Larmi "AUG" Motorized Water Guns from 1989-1990</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT97s8EhkGWYC16v6L11lTRhAIUMv4Nmg5zyOkSq0WThYh_M6h4jxGbNXI1Y_HIFe4jPCwkgzeZpA_NOhvY6WjsItzSefRIelRBZKemhBKa9xzLsfvTnsUr-lNg0NiYUkqtQ81khRW-nmO/s512/unnamed+%252810%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="512" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT97s8EhkGWYC16v6L11lTRhAIUMv4Nmg5zyOkSq0WThYh_M6h4jxGbNXI1Y_HIFe4jPCwkgzeZpA_NOhvY6WjsItzSefRIelRBZKemhBKa9xzLsfvTnsUr-lNg0NiYUkqtQ81khRW-nmO/w400-h256/unnamed+%252810%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>During the 1980's, the toy gun industry reached an apex, and it was a good time to be a kid with the stores being packed with an array of plastic armories for hunting your friends in the woods. However, this did not last long...the more militaristic designed motorized water guns and toy guns were being phased out due to accidents with police mistaking these toy guns for real guns resulting in some deaths and stores being held up with toy guns. To solve this, many of the toy gun markers started to paint their toy guns in some garish unnatural colors that were the most unnatural colors that could be placed on a gun. It was shocking to me, to grow up with black toy guns and then be subjected to these garish neon-hues in the closing year of the 1980's. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTdQqMH_rjLQiGkDUvkyLv9bQgYwsJsUiRrspC4PrS8LGtNHMBMcS5C2nCeIeXLpi5DkthVvltXzHQPn7EyQiD0CeduecsvIjIajdrPEeJNrW3bKVssjKMZAs2lghVXP0yrw9mSVAYOBS/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTdQqMH_rjLQiGkDUvkyLv9bQgYwsJsUiRrspC4PrS8LGtNHMBMcS5C2nCeIeXLpi5DkthVvltXzHQPn7EyQiD0CeduecsvIjIajdrPEeJNrW3bKVssjKMZAs2lghVXP0yrw9mSVAYOBS/w400-h300/s-l1600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the 1980's, noted toy gun and water gun marker Larami (who invented the Super Soaker in 1990) came out with a line of motorized water gun that feed from a removable magazine along with Entertech as well. These motorized water guns by these two companies were in the fashion of SMGs and pistols like the Colt 1911, the M16A2, the MAC-10, the H&K MP5, UZI, and even the RPG-7! For the Larami 1989 lineup, Larami would release a motorized water gun that looked like a compact Steyr AUG complete with waffle magazine and powered by 4 AA batteries in the handle. I actually owned one of the lime-green models that I bought from a Target store in Tulsa on Memorial and it was a cool mini-copy of the Austrian weapon. However, it was odd to me at the time that this thing actually existed. There was an orange-colored model as well that I never knew about until it came up for sale on eBay recently. Wished I still owned it. One my brother's friends, Alan, called told me that AUG stood for "Awfully Ugly Gun" when he was inspecting my water gun collection. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>From the <i>Running Man </i>(1987)</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8QCMKadWgV-iE6dn2DZEE5F8Ny8wmRuwJC-rTDqWHi2uLf6F5I0ZggOzNt-s7OjnBGBwqYMvOU6cY4qGX_EAGis8HZ21GZEw79PS3kfIRo1Hu9hZR0gMJnyFI9QSj7niwGjNRpRbNui6/s1280/TRM18.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8QCMKadWgV-iE6dn2DZEE5F8Ny8wmRuwJC-rTDqWHi2uLf6F5I0ZggOzNt-s7OjnBGBwqYMvOU6cY4qGX_EAGis8HZ21GZEw79PS3kfIRo1Hu9hZR0gMJnyFI9QSj7niwGjNRpRbNui6/w400-h225/TRM18.jpg" width="400" /></a>During the Gold Age of Arnold Schwarzenegger films, there is a standout among his core film: 1987's <i>The Running Man</i>. Very loosely based on a 1982 book by Stephen King under his<i> nom de plume</i> "Richard Bachman", Ben Richards is a former police helicopter pilot is framed for the killing of civilians in a Bakersfield food riot, he was tossed into a government labor camp in near-future America that has been transformed into a totalitarian police state in 2017(!). The number one TV show is "The Running Man" on the ICS network that pits criminals running from killer bounty hunters for a chance at a fresh start on life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMccrqSvRUukpnUFXfeHRkwPbBaK-ElKB0lb26TY-XUehOWB3PDKc6_YDjqXpPEyviA1qznn3Vv28NfMxQsqT5TBASEj_RV8erBh_pwlbba4_QhQzOUSTPAwkyUljRxc-73rgGoe9a5JQ/s1280/TRM19.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMccrqSvRUukpnUFXfeHRkwPbBaK-ElKB0lb26TY-XUehOWB3PDKc6_YDjqXpPEyviA1qznn3Vv28NfMxQsqT5TBASEj_RV8erBh_pwlbba4_QhQzOUSTPAwkyUljRxc-73rgGoe9a5JQ/w400-h225/TRM19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While the film has been given much praise in the last few years for showing some elements of our current reality in 1987, it has also uncomfortable with the some other predictions that are still unfulfilled. This is not one of Arnold's best films, but it is memorable. When it comes to our Austrian bullpup rifle, our Austrian star does not wield one in the film, that goes to a H&K HK94, the rare civilian-legal MP5, which he used in <i>Raw Deal </i>as well<i>. </i>The AUG is used by ICS security guards, the Resistance cell fighters, and the police as well, making this weapon likely the standard issue assault rifle for the US at the fictional time, according to the film. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Cindy and her AUG from <i>Jackie Brown's "Chicks that Love Guns!"</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wELGzOCiAhcvEi1TSob-RRC2cow_KEWJf3Id0MssLLCjdVGgpUCQoyebW6I1uDZphkShIDbXU1P4Rh33mgwGfIuuBhG_Ev1rEu5GeoTtKsihMZIN1_RYguUMxkwM2dU0Ibqd_QmEzOlG/s690/Cindy-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="690" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wELGzOCiAhcvEi1TSob-RRC2cow_KEWJf3Id0MssLLCjdVGgpUCQoyebW6I1uDZphkShIDbXU1P4Rh33mgwGfIuuBhG_Ev1rEu5GeoTtKsihMZIN1_RYguUMxkwM2dU0Ibqd_QmEzOlG/w400-h308/Cindy-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the overblown follow-up to <i>Pulp Fiction</i>, <i>Jackie Brown</i>, we do get to see an AUG in the lovely hands of "Cindy" for the movie-within-a-movie "Chicks That Love Guns". During the best scene in the film, Sammy J is discussing his gun business and the various guns seen in the VHS tape as they discuss to his business. According to him, the Steyr AUG is not a good seller partly due to the bullpup not being in an iconic film(!) and it is expensive. According to Quentin Tarantino, the "Chicks that Love Guns" was fully filmed and only parts were used in the final film . From the limited information on the model that used the AUG, her name is actually Julia Ervin and she was mentioned in the <i>Deathproof</i> credits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>In the hands of Det. John Schaefer from Dark Horse <i>Predator: Concrete Jungle </i>(1989-1990)</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDt_W0AArZFjKHoAh5bj6oi2B_U54mbvyJcNyj1fL3y3544SGsJeMaaEogKXCDdB01YaBsUVYd2aSb64oqKUWSPe0660LA4n28k2d1FxmXCESEBxg2inx5WttjE_WVJGCCgVoU4AdcjD1/s1539/RCO020_1583694551.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDt_W0AArZFjKHoAh5bj6oi2B_U54mbvyJcNyj1fL3y3544SGsJeMaaEogKXCDdB01YaBsUVYd2aSb64oqKUWSPe0660LA4n28k2d1FxmXCESEBxg2inx5WttjE_WVJGCCgVoU4AdcjD1/w260-h400/RCO020_1583694551.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>Before ALIENS or <i>Predator</i> got sequels of various quality, there were the years that fans of the films got to fill in part of that dark world via comic books. At the time, up-&-coming Chicago comic book publisher Dark Horse was able to secure the rights from 20th Century to <i>Predator </i>and ALIENS. The comics that would follow were some of the best and the <i>ALIENS vs. Predator </i>comic is better than anything done via those shitty films. In June of 1989 through March of 1990, Dark Horse would release their first <i>Predator</i> comic called <i>Concrete Jungle </i>that was written by one of the greats of comics: Mark Verheiden.<i> </i>The comic is set in current times with the central character being NYPD Detective John Schaefer, who is the brother of Dutch Schaefer, the Schwarzenegger character from the first film. The comic story is centered around the Yautja hunting during a hot New York summer. Schaefer was able to acquire a Yautja helmet and use during the climax battle on the streets of NYC as the hunters invade. During this street battle, Schaefer uses an illegally acquired Steyr AUG A1 from the Police heavy weapons lock-up. He would lose it during the battle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>In the hands of Major Grace Pedersen in <i>Combat Hospital</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYUJrEpkzah5-4L-GXKpvpHtDDwKu49fqnN5ZKQ0k85PCKjDetv-zWzbmOPmdoMlYLlX4B0lreB7C-CJndrCaLp2KfH2bSreHsteSXVoimRzCmO6EHKZl87Pwd-fSkzoSTvutMHqi3lC4/s1920/CHE06_04.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYUJrEpkzah5-4L-GXKpvpHtDDwKu49fqnN5ZKQ0k85PCKjDetv-zWzbmOPmdoMlYLlX4B0lreB7C-CJndrCaLp2KfH2bSreHsteSXVoimRzCmO6EHKZl87Pwd-fSkzoSTvutMHqi3lC4/w400-h225/CHE06_04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 2011, the American TV network ABC aired <i>Combat Hospital</i> and I tuned in a few times and was impressed by this Canadian produced Global show about a combat hospital in Kandahar Providence, Afghanistan in 2006. While the show was not fully formed when the 2nd season was cancelled, it had promise. One interesting element that I noticed was that attention was paid to various uniforms, equipment, and weaponry of the various nations working at the combat hospital. In the hands of the female Aussie Major, Grace Pedersen, was an Steyr AUG A1 and it was nice to see it there given that most shows would have missed this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Peacekeeper "Pulse Rifle" from the <i>Farscape </i>Universe</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJTTQ4ped39ggXS7oDw8vRgnM2g3WaQGDwHER2GSEXR_qcVf7tKF8N_stFKiPSvc67T1c2aKgiIIOAqpxGGfkLHaa-eHb7jBs7oA-Xx2VjchKWtTAsQCiXWSFIvm4XqdEeJFQ4ajkvfuaJYy75gupC9z1ZYaj0ex8JKeaaBaB4gJfYmrlW53ZZUxSY4w=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1800" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJTTQ4ped39ggXS7oDw8vRgnM2g3WaQGDwHER2GSEXR_qcVf7tKF8N_stFKiPSvc67T1c2aKgiIIOAqpxGGfkLHaa-eHb7jBs7oA-Xx2VjchKWtTAsQCiXWSFIvm4XqdEeJFQ4ajkvfuaJYy75gupC9z1ZYaj0ex8JKeaaBaB4gJfYmrlW53ZZUxSY4w=w400-h209" width="400" /></a></div>In the <i>Farscape </i>series, the primary directed energy weaponry of the Peacekeepers and those that acquired their armaments was the pulse rifle and pulse pistol. These were powered by Chakan oil which the Tannot root was one of primary sources of the oil. A single oil charger could power a pulse DE weapon for hundreds or even thousands bolts. The rifle of the Peacekeepers was seemingly based around the Steyr AUG with some sci-fi attachments and covering, but it seems that for the prop sci-fi DEW rifle, it based on the design and not a "futured-up" AirSoft or prop gun. I want to thank an FWS reader Leon Cranson for catching this example that I missed when the article was originally released. One of these Pulse Rifles went up for sale on a British auction site with this description: <i><b><span style="color: red;">Made of fibreglass, the weapon features elaborate detailing across the receiver, grips and barrel, and features a cast-in scope running along the top of the receiver. The futuristic rifle is finished in metallic gunmetal grey paint with washes and distressing applied to make the weapon appear well-used. The piece displays some minor wear from production use, including scratches to the left side of the scope and grips. Dimensions: 58 cm x 9 cm x 24 cm (22 3/4" x 3 1/2" x 9 1/2")</span></b></i></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Nerf/Fortnite B-AR Dart Blaster</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWR_Sj6x3oB_GvQVySbI9FkBhCjsEiOnMzcvIhufbeAJeoePPDDJEdcigLhxryyzMDTcUQNDRDFZmQvf6ied8C3RmsVMUW7aJBWCg1VdHqknWi3N91YJBA5Zb2P7CtlFdSmGG6c9WFO_g/s1000/33338c81e05b4031271b114a8414d71f2fdf0d10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWR_Sj6x3oB_GvQVySbI9FkBhCjsEiOnMzcvIhufbeAJeoePPDDJEdcigLhxryyzMDTcUQNDRDFZmQvf6ied8C3RmsVMUW7aJBWCg1VdHqknWi3N91YJBA5Zb2P7CtlFdSmGG6c9WFO_g/w400-h400/33338c81e05b4031271b114a8414d71f2fdf0d10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Since 2003, Nerf has been putting out all manner of toy projectile weapons that now form a vast arsenals for playtime and "Nerf Wars". Over the years, the line has been split off into several sub-brands and such and one is a licensing agreement with the extremely popular video game <i>Fortnite. </i>The designs are so good that these Nerf Blasters are used by science fiction films and TV shows for their futuristic weaponry. While at my local Dallas Target, I noticed while my daughters where in the toy section a new addition to the Nerf Blaster line: an AUG...or in the case of Nerf <i>Fortnite </i>line: the 10-dart flywheel semi-auto B-AR. Painted up in garish red-and-white, this bulky (& noisy!) weapon looks mostly like an AUG with a few changes, including an odd-looking optical scope that has attachment rails. Of course, the AUG was added in digital form as well to the game. It is crazy to think that in 2021, there is a toy AUG in the stores. Crazy world...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>In the Hands of the "Governor" from the <i>Walking Dead</i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM1F2gU2W9GXFPwXHjVbLlKawlHABxRnBydSXdP_ULTkCHlpE_0RWxI4Dc3mVfJ1EonniNuaVBIU4IkZQhsbwfY_Xt0UcEk04H94a9eVtUwsM0fzKSA-4YA2Pm5zy0D6Te7Bnpj6UXLGr/s550/B9LYKYeCEAAR-BD.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="550" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM1F2gU2W9GXFPwXHjVbLlKawlHABxRnBydSXdP_ULTkCHlpE_0RWxI4Dc3mVfJ1EonniNuaVBIU4IkZQhsbwfY_Xt0UcEk04H94a9eVtUwsM0fzKSA-4YA2Pm5zy0D6Te7Bnpj6UXLGr/w400-h266/B9LYKYeCEAAR-BD.jpg" width="400" /></a>Here is the entry for the AUG A1 used in the 3rd Season of the Walking Dead from <a href="http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Walking_Dead,_The_-_Season_3"><b><span style="color: #04ff00;">IMFDB.org</span></b></a>:<i> "<b><span style="color: red;">The Governor opens fire with a Steyr AUG A1 in "Home" (S3E10), hitting one of the prison survivors in the head (an impressive shot, considering it was done at a long distance with a 1.5x magnification scope). Despite his right eye being useless, he still fires right-handed instead of left. The weapon is likely meant to be a full-auto conversion of an AUG SA, a semi-automatic variant of the A1 which was imported to the US for civilian use before being banned in 1989. Fully-automatic AUGs are extremely rare in the United States, as unlike the M4A1 they are not military issue and are not used by any law enforcement entities apart from US Customs and Immigration Enforcement. The civilian variant of the AUG is the STG-556 which has a different design than the A1</span></b>."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAbLovEzzukxDNIeCClqego1B8evAtDG9LlrKcTkKnhfotP81_H58afHnLOMn12Xv06TJv78B_2GHkpOdK8r3A1bNP-IKM5iDpabq_mHRdVV0VjEvEIyywuNu3OCPTVlH6R6-DIQFw165/s497/tumblr_p1yf4kPu8Z1r7sijxo2_500.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="497" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAbLovEzzukxDNIeCClqego1B8evAtDG9LlrKcTkKnhfotP81_H58afHnLOMn12Xv06TJv78B_2GHkpOdK8r3A1bNP-IKM5iDpabq_mHRdVV0VjEvEIyywuNu3OCPTVlH6R6-DIQFw165/w400-h225/tumblr_p1yf4kPu8Z1r7sijxo2_500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>One of the up-and-coming Military SF franchises of the 21st century was to be Respawn's TITANFALL universe. However, the master plan of how TITANFALL was to become of the key players in the realm of military science fiction is now broken and lost. In the next installment of <u>Military Science Fiction Oddities</u>, FWS will examine just how odd the world of TITANFALL was and continues to be. </div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-7272264685713983692021-11-16T13:17:00.000-06:002021-11-16T13:17:41.662-06:00HALO: Combat Evolved Turns 20! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgw_ZfWTjh1yzgKigCF73aYDIPkxPEElX7D7G_V5KnF1FmNEKvbHl3IbsUQMRroaVm8UwiVY-5T__y1yu1f7vFfYCBBlMVNTjLjaU6iqHqt-qujQLLTCxor3PgUn3V67gLb9aVH5p-Bbib/s1920/halo-combat-evolved-pc-beta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgw_ZfWTjh1yzgKigCF73aYDIPkxPEElX7D7G_V5KnF1FmNEKvbHl3IbsUQMRroaVm8UwiVY-5T__y1yu1f7vFfYCBBlMVNTjLjaU6iqHqt-qujQLLTCxor3PgUn3V67gLb9aVH5p-Bbib/w640-h360/halo-combat-evolved-pc-beta.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of Bungie's <i>HALO: Combat Evolved, </i>and it got me thinking about <i>HALO:CE </i>and its importance to me and the wider world of military science fiction. During the first season of <i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i>, I saw the TV ad spots for this game called "halo" on that new system, by Microsoft called the "Xbox". Then I started reading gaming magazines that basic said the <i>HALO: Combat Evolved</i> was the second coming of Christ. Then I played some of <i>HALO: Combat Evolved </i>and I was hooked like an addict and I need some <i>HALO</i> in my life. Then my home was robbed and the meth-head took my PS2 and with the insurance money, I bought an OG Xbox and <i>HALO: Combat Evolved </i>in 2003 and I never looked back. After the first play through, I knew <i>HALO: Combat Evolved</i>, was going to be my favorite game of all time and it still is. I still own my original copy of <i>HALO: Combat Evolved</i> and my original Xbox and I cracked it up on the 20th anniversary of the game and I time traveled back to 2003. I've been a video gamer since my dad gave me ATARI 2600 in 1982 and this game was nearly a religious experience and I replayed it over and over. None of the sequels have equaled the original to me (<i>HALO: Reach </i>is my 2nd favorite). In terms of the wider world of military science fiction, <i>HALO: Combat Evolved</i>, it was a key moment the history of the genre and the <i>HALO </i>franchise would go to be one of the best ambassador products for the genre to this very day. <i>HALO</i> forged new fans and reinforced fans of military science fiction. However, the apex of <i>HALO</i>'s power and influence was reached several years ago and currently <i>HALO</i> is struggling with how to navigate far away from the poor handling (and shrapnel) of the sequel games by 343 Industries. The fate of <i>HALO</i> as a franchise will greatly rest on the how well <i>Infinite </i>performances with critics and fans, but the whole of <i>HALO</i> will stand, despite <i>HALO 5, </i>as one of the greatest military sci-fi franchises of all time. <p></p>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-873649243425616282021-11-05T00:35:00.001-05:002021-11-05T00:35:19.107-05:00FWS Movie Review: DUNE (2021)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4i795qInjgtgZlFAKJK1G34P-jr2FLX1vHDIIX951a4iqx3euih0_15YArfwYCYG6CrH6ufV8NQg-H2dB6705fshLvTqamwZFvkEGb_LRo8dGSmHXcL5Jwhs7J9Cf4zAB_P-OkzJQQWp/s1280/duneee.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4i795qInjgtgZlFAKJK1G34P-jr2FLX1vHDIIX951a4iqx3euih0_15YArfwYCYG6CrH6ufV8NQg-H2dB6705fshLvTqamwZFvkEGb_LRo8dGSmHXcL5Jwhs7J9Cf4zAB_P-OkzJQQWp/w640-h360/duneee.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>DUNE has been considered by many to be one of the finest works of human imagination and since being published 1965, the world of DUNE has been a special place for millions, including me. Since the 1970's, there have been several major attempts to bring DUNE to the big and small screens with a film finally coming in December of 1984 and the Sci-Fi Channel Miniseries in 2000. Only one other DUNE title has been brought to the visual media with Sci-Fi Channel <i>Children of DUNE </i>miniseries in 2003. Both have been marked by odd production, casting, and theme choices. DUNE is a hard book to bring to screen due to the complexity of the subject matter and the universe. For years there have been rumors and failed attempts of another DUNE production. Finally, the man and mind behind the epic and heartbreaking <b><span style="color: red;"><i>BLADE RUNNER: 2049</i> </span></b>was given the helm to ride the worm and bring DUNE to the 21st century audience with a stellar cast. As a DUNE fan since the 1980's, I was beyond excited to finally have another DUNE movie besides the oddity that is the 1984 DUNE. I witnessed DUNE 2021 at an a Dallas IMAX theater on November 3rd and here is the FWS review:<div><br /><div><div><b><u>The GOOD</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZQgg17BPfqTZ7fR-a9ByNN6ECqSp__d3MyYK1BZYedQVVQCMsWRXmaFEyI25IdJINwm4fGIuv1FcSa-a5k439HFLJ3ZjgFNC1Ob7VIMzZPxu5twa4lzFUgbePSsaVbY32F1SiE1jk2gO/s1080/download+%25283%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1080" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZQgg17BPfqTZ7fR-a9ByNN6ECqSp__d3MyYK1BZYedQVVQCMsWRXmaFEyI25IdJINwm4fGIuv1FcSa-a5k439HFLJ3ZjgFNC1Ob7VIMzZPxu5twa4lzFUgbePSsaVbY32F1SiE1jk2gO/w400-h288/download+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>To best sum it up in two words: Denis Villeneuve. DUNE showcases, to us, a wonderful visionary filmmaker that loves the source materials can do to bring a beloved sci-fi classic to the big screen in a way that is pure escapism. DUNE 2021 is beautiful, emotional, loud, brutal, and captivating filmmaking that visually and sonically blows the doors of the 1984 version. This is thanks to some of the rich DNA of <b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: red;">BLADE RUNNER 2049</span></b><i> </i>being injected into DUNE 2021 along with improved scale and scope of the world of DUNE forging a grand adventure worthy of the words of Frank Herbert. One of the cool elements for a DUNE fan is that 2021 film includes the visions of Paul's possible paths of destiny, the battle languages, the desert mouse, the coming Jihad, the seed myths of the Sisterhood to the Fremen, proper ornithopters, and even the Still-Tent! Then there is decision to break the book into two films, which was a smart move to allow the unfolding of the story and the journey of Paul Atreides into Muad'Dib with the gift of time. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgQm70PGyNbAomBw2l5AXJcCnhzMCZqLp8RKogk6NkF5kL62CDCC-6rBdayQtyWMUkX-gT2QEX1a0rnPoOkj6lskqs7WS3o1t5IyvXI6WZ2OWRnHyV4rMAFIbpa8LSGV-KwZCvEi5wyn3/s1918/Dune-Trailer-Rabban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1918" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgQm70PGyNbAomBw2l5AXJcCnhzMCZqLp8RKogk6NkF5kL62CDCC-6rBdayQtyWMUkX-gT2QEX1a0rnPoOkj6lskqs7WS3o1t5IyvXI6WZ2OWRnHyV4rMAFIbpa8LSGV-KwZCvEi5wyn3/w400-h166/Dune-Trailer-Rabban.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Several highlights for me was the kinetic brutality of the knife fights, the way that Fremen are shown as killer ghosts of the sands with Arabic themes and style, the improved personal shield special effects, the look and feel of war among the great houses, and the 2021 film's take on the Harkonnen, the Guild Highliners, and the Sardaukar. Another strong element was the improved threat of the looming sandworms that are moving just under the oceans of sand on Arrakis. This was stated in the book, but this film finally demonstrates the power, speed, and horror of the old man of the desert. Speaking of the desert, I do not know where they filmed the open desert scenes, but it looks like an alien desert world to the degree that I half-expected Matt Damon to come into the shot in a spacesuit. This film captures DUNE and it has been a long time coming for us fans and the next generation of fans. <br /><br /><b><u>The BAD</u></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFulujPvK37KCm3bbBWQtyd7gBrHQoOClo6Vfh2NMv3DZF1notwRyLIJsFxayPtYzCBkDXu9Szs-2zz1nt8Fs869Xz-oDdqdI6Yx6UH_zpzIojfwSESbT7LAAjjRVR0gAU1nhC6aWNcpK/s1920/JOSH-BROLIN-as-Gurney-Halleck-and-OSCAR-ISAAC-as-Duke-Leto-Atreides-in-Dune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="1920" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFulujPvK37KCm3bbBWQtyd7gBrHQoOClo6Vfh2NMv3DZF1notwRyLIJsFxayPtYzCBkDXu9Szs-2zz1nt8Fs869Xz-oDdqdI6Yx6UH_zpzIojfwSESbT7LAAjjRVR0gAU1nhC6aWNcpK/w400-h274/JOSH-BROLIN-as-Gurney-Halleck-and-OSCAR-ISAAC-as-Duke-Leto-Atreides-in-Dune.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The opening to DUNE 2021 is very odd compared to the other productions. It shows Chani's tribe attacking Harkonnen spice mining with Lasguns and it allows us to hear some voiceover by Chani to introduce some of the DUNE universe and how the combat of DUNE will look, but it is out of place and gets DUNE 2021 off to an odd start. Connected to this is the way the scenes are linked together, which in most cases is they are not linked together causing the pacing & flow to be off for me. Another element that was off was the look of Arrakeen. It does not look like a city and more like a futuristic citadel that belongs in another film. Then there are some of casting choices in this film: Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, and Chang Chen as Dr. Yueh.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMNUaB3POTkzYOCVLV4HAe4eRTouyJKWhjPRxvlu_pr8bvHsOzjEEzaBHsIrouQhy2Y_PXi1p60QAVJhOQNtoqcum-ZnK5spr5FnZGt8yp3Kcnc_3kiWTr8P4zLPWK7aCVy8DQJ8WnlL7/s1239/o7uc98r0hbi71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1239" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMNUaB3POTkzYOCVLV4HAe4eRTouyJKWhjPRxvlu_pr8bvHsOzjEEzaBHsIrouQhy2Y_PXi1p60QAVJhOQNtoqcum-ZnK5spr5FnZGt8yp3Kcnc_3kiWTr8P4zLPWK7aCVy8DQJ8WnlL7/w400-h271/o7uc98r0hbi71.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, no work outside of the Sci-Fi Channel DUNE Miniseries has been been able to breath life into Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck characters in the way read in the pages of DUNE. When compacting the beginning of the DUNE story, these characters are lost in both the 1984 and 2021 versions. However, while Jason and Josh are good actors, there was just something off about their portrayals of their characters in a way that I cannot explain fully. Then there is Dr. Yueh. He is a critical character of the DUNE universe due to his betrayal of House Atreides causing the downfall of one of the great houses as well as the death of the Duke and thousands of Atreides. In the 1984 film, Dean Stockwell gives the character life along with more foundation for his horrible actions. That does not exist in the 2021 version and the actor does not bring the character to life or even out of the shadow, harming the overall story. <br /><br /><u style="font-weight: bold;">The UGLY</u><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibjACiAuuQEfdchux52rhKYWkvHKuf1P2FL73UCV41VdvBKXZvDsYOETz7L1A5ejrgTh17F94_wjZRsrXejzxnLJcZtI3tLsBLYtIk1mKib3TYXxO0z6KvCmztXkwIkpvKL_cvmfRt4Q1/s1200/E-mx6YgX0AMODzY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibjACiAuuQEfdchux52rhKYWkvHKuf1P2FL73UCV41VdvBKXZvDsYOETz7L1A5ejrgTh17F94_wjZRsrXejzxnLJcZtI3tLsBLYtIk1mKib3TYXxO0z6KvCmztXkwIkpvKL_cvmfRt4Q1/w400-h225/E-mx6YgX0AMODzY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As someone who has read the six-book series several times, the world that Frank Herbert created in 1965 is a masterclass in worldbuilding and DUNE is a rich universe of galactic politics sex, murder, war, religion, power, combat, ecology, and drugs. Shame that nearly none of that universe was in DUNE 2021. The elements I mentioned were all there in small scale, but without the epic scale of the universe of DUNE to frame them. This film is like a beautiful meal that is served on a tea dish. Nothing is mentioned of why and who the Mentats are, we do not see the Emperor, the Spacing Guild (who look like Daft Punk in this film!), the Butlerian Jihad, the lack of thinking machines, and even the spice itself. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodgoW6UWdCeYTE6ixVt2ayD-yl9lE9_6LeOdD7EJbOXwB0cUna2ZE3pd7B98oZ7_eidfucsWN5d0b8KeQE-NK7bU92mldGJyuUHXeC1eTWXzwa34Gm42LzgFZKehzYY5TSj5PqIwAhJWe/s1440/10cpr4a3gwu71.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1440" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodgoW6UWdCeYTE6ixVt2ayD-yl9lE9_6LeOdD7EJbOXwB0cUna2ZE3pd7B98oZ7_eidfucsWN5d0b8KeQE-NK7bU92mldGJyuUHXeC1eTWXzwa34Gm42LzgFZKehzYY5TSj5PqIwAhJWe/w400-h160/10cpr4a3gwu71.png" width="400" /></a></div>Sure, there are references to all of this in the filmbook scenes, but there is no weight to the words and the world of DUNE 2021 seems to orbit around three worlds in the vastness of the Imperium. Oddly, these elements of the wider DUNE universe are there in style and look, but not in words and actions...like they are waiting for the next part of DUNE. Simply put, DUNE 2021 needs to be enjoyed by audiences that are already familiar with the DUNE universe, because this film does not give you really anything and this could hurt the ability for the 2021 film to mint new fans to the series. <br /><br /><b><u>How Does DUNE 2021 Compare to DUNE 1984?</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gEzDP3csaGFfsmN_zcZ1Dp46QnzUaGux2gLhq0Iz6jGBp2QvVyHiEf8Scz5UCkmPeClCKETgfOe7i6bVMBdXQiTCxpnLK2uv2rykhGMXRedpJZ9tCmphgmkQGOgeLHAcrkdtYEDIs60C/s768/Dune-2021-versus-Dune-1984-with-Timothee-Chalamet-and-Kyle-maclachlan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gEzDP3csaGFfsmN_zcZ1Dp46QnzUaGux2gLhq0Iz6jGBp2QvVyHiEf8Scz5UCkmPeClCKETgfOe7i6bVMBdXQiTCxpnLK2uv2rykhGMXRedpJZ9tCmphgmkQGOgeLHAcrkdtYEDIs60C/w400-h225/Dune-2021-versus-Dune-1984-with-Timothee-Chalamet-and-Kyle-maclachlan.jpg" width="400" /></a>The 1984 film was how I was introduced to the world of 10,191 and it served as my imagination foundation for the world of DUNE. I've seen the 1984 DUNE over a dozen times and in all of the major cuts of the film. I think it is only right to compare the 2021 film to the 1984 original. For some of the major characters, like Lady Jessica, Paul, Chani, and Duke Leto; we have much talent in both films and what is interesting is that the actors take different angles on the characters. The Lady Jessica is more like a mother to Paul in the 2021 film than in the 1984 film with the 1984 Lady Jessica is more Bene Gesserit with the calm appearance and emotional control. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3Dc3FvuaLDTVi2Dir0DSrBKnXiOB9ukaI1C6vmQ6oJHEUDlQoA49hRBrng_muthxTpvQrKrtHbivGNNfWdmtOfAedrovRjJu11VXA4aLD7pUeRA8o7c_9MHvkv2aWQqLvK5996eyuohC/s1920/sub-buzz-414-1634058770-11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3Dc3FvuaLDTVi2Dir0DSrBKnXiOB9ukaI1C6vmQ6oJHEUDlQoA49hRBrng_muthxTpvQrKrtHbivGNNfWdmtOfAedrovRjJu11VXA4aLD7pUeRA8o7c_9MHvkv2aWQqLvK5996eyuohC/w400-h225/sub-buzz-414-1634058770-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This applies to Duke Leto, who is more like a father to Paul than the more royal Duke of the 1984 film. Both films have issues with bring Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck up to their roles in the book and both are searching for their moment. The new film has a more fleshed out and active Duncan Idaho than the 1984 take, while Gurney Halleck is more angry without the soul of Sir Patrick Steward's version. Paul and Chani are closer in appearance to the characters of the book than in the 1984 film. What is ironic is that Kyle MacLachlan was 24 during the filming of DUNE and Timothee Chalamet is 25. Both actors are good as Paul, but Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Javier Bardem, and Stellan Skarsgård kill it their respective roles in the film. Both films have amazing designs that show the world of DUNE in different way, but the Ornithopters in the 2021 film are stunning and feel very real, causing them to be one of the best designed fictional aircraft of all time. The Freman are a real highlight here and they are very much closer in the book in the 2021 film by far.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B4oP6mbjdeOwah8zH7aRf97tVMHdkrhC13-T-B83rtx0sUbi7Eri-F_JgnqMkAhnCe6RtPpSmLoDsYu_LjRe9NKnnnJWjg1ueYgazh7HgpW5R2X2RwVXLUmJRr9saiX2B9xgVWgBqVeC/s600/3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="600" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B4oP6mbjdeOwah8zH7aRf97tVMHdkrhC13-T-B83rtx0sUbi7Eri-F_JgnqMkAhnCe6RtPpSmLoDsYu_LjRe9NKnnnJWjg1ueYgazh7HgpW5R2X2RwVXLUmJRr9saiX2B9xgVWgBqVeC/w400-h321/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, there are some major differences and some where the 1984 film is superior to the 2021 film. The design of Arrakeen is far better in 1984 than 2021 along with the Spice Harvester, but these are minor. There three scenes that were in the 2021 and 1984 films that we need to discuss. The scene with the Gom Jabbar in 1984 is much better by far with better acting and presentation. This is also true of the scene where the Duke and company are rescuing the crew of the Spice Harvester during the worm attack. The 2021 has superior SFX and is closer to the book, but the fire and command of Jurgen Prochnow's Duke Leto is very superior in that scene and fills the cockpit of the golden Orthinopter beyond the limited SFX of that time. After the plot is unfolded and the attack successful placing House Harkonnen back in command of Arrakis, the Baron is confronted by a drugged Leto with a poison tooth. The original 1984 scene is much better in terms of power, emotion, and creepiness. Part of this is likely due to the actors playing Dr. Yueh and it is clear to me that Dean Stockwell is superior in the role. Of course, the 2021 Dr. Yueh part is much more cut down than the 1984 or the book. <br /><div><br /></div><div> <b><u>Should You See DUNE 2021?</u></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4idaq_lK0-0j3kIDm-gtpD8GT8IOO2BxjcijHD3T5GAmGRGXLRmoWDc0wcyVxEp_KtgfdEIAyyfUAbCF9yiEKW07whduUFU0nQcoFb3DT7Iz1e5fa5dKrIF0KIzZyj7FVM-SB9YbyUaVj/s245/tumblr_obg0wj21lG1sa8ezpo6_250.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="245" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4idaq_lK0-0j3kIDm-gtpD8GT8IOO2BxjcijHD3T5GAmGRGXLRmoWDc0wcyVxEp_KtgfdEIAyyfUAbCF9yiEKW07whduUFU0nQcoFb3DT7Iz1e5fa5dKrIF0KIzZyj7FVM-SB9YbyUaVj/w400-h245/tumblr_obg0wj21lG1sa8ezpo6_250.gif" width="400" /></a></div>You're still here?! GO! Go see this movie in the theater in IMAX and be delighted in a masterclass of filmmaking and escapism. It has been a long time coming, but we fans of DUNE finally have a movie worthy of the words of Frank Herbert. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726484495782035142.post-6132911728745994382021-09-17T23:31:00.000-05:002021-09-17T23:31:22.962-05:00Military Sci-Fi Toys: The Kenner Star Wars MICRO Collection (1982)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmaxDPicwiTZxV6dTX2YrNQljkynxiwWxk_EgX6rjNRCXWMl3y1LdZD8fcXknPWAjITxokKvRp1bJcSmJUeDL4OddDoAokfDmKQU8dkyjs9Pqw0oN_Gkkw4cGYR9cEN9VaCb7nyGn9mDu/s1600/Hoth_World-1536x864-933779306663.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1536" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmaxDPicwiTZxV6dTX2YrNQljkynxiwWxk_EgX6rjNRCXWMl3y1LdZD8fcXknPWAjITxokKvRp1bJcSmJUeDL4OddDoAokfDmKQU8dkyjs9Pqw0oN_Gkkw4cGYR9cEN9VaCb7nyGn9mDu/w640-h360/Hoth_World-1536x864-933779306663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The world of science fiction, cinema, and even the toy industry all changed when <i>Star Wars</i> was released in May of 1977. For a time, the brainchild of George Lucas dominated the toy stores and allowance money of kids of my generation due to the awesome offerings by Kenner. While its seems that the iconic and nearly holy Kenner toyline was nothing but a raging success, there were some failure among the various <i>Star Wars</i> toylines, and one being the subject of this installment of <u>Military Sci-Fi Toys</u>, the <i>Star Wars </i>MICRO Collection from 1982. </div>
<div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>What was the Kenner Star Wars MICRO Collection and Why did Kenner Make this?</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_vHeqySoD-SeTf3ym4SJY91TGdE9qvR15UMrXu438Y1_p-8V28cIaUfVrFELPzP7GFW8PdMQ5zamg0ABLvFzF8v8Rl6n-Ho_qi_86txixle28J_fGdh2-RXcYT0bqRhe_ZTl0vxfQcxl/s450/inside.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="450" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_vHeqySoD-SeTf3ym4SJY91TGdE9qvR15UMrXu438Y1_p-8V28cIaUfVrFELPzP7GFW8PdMQ5zamg0ABLvFzF8v8Rl6n-Ho_qi_86txixle28J_fGdh2-RXcYT0bqRhe_ZTl0vxfQcxl/w400-h309/inside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the summer of 1982 while some of the most iconic movies of the decade we were being released, Kenner would release one of the oddest members of their legendary <i>Star Wars</i> toyline: the MICRO Collection. This was a diecast line of painted 1 1/4inch tall static action figures with accompanying vehicles and playsets to match the scale being presented. Some modern <i>Star Wars</i> collectors have nicknamed it: "the Lilliputian <i>Star Wars</i> Collection". According to Kenner sculptor Rudy Vap, his vision for the MICRO Collection was centered around the concept of showing the true scale of the <i>Star Wars </i>locations seen in the first two films. Unlike the primary toyline centered around the 3 3/4th inch figures, the MICRO Collection was envisioned by Mr. Vap being a collectible more than a true toyline. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJUQriQ7vWQNmKfv-kQQAjGMPLSN-GJJgOFSj024EiSKvKahdNpgWlkhvmdq1eCuInnyiSg5kPPOxTWd6gwQQD1nCO2o-BNwT1GUIjeLuASGwOIkdtVFPO6FRSvfG5_hyp_Q2ScVCBEe7/s450/BuildArmies.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="450" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJUQriQ7vWQNmKfv-kQQAjGMPLSN-GJJgOFSj024EiSKvKahdNpgWlkhvmdq1eCuInnyiSg5kPPOxTWd6gwQQD1nCO2o-BNwT1GUIjeLuASGwOIkdtVFPO6FRSvfG5_hyp_Q2ScVCBEe7/w400-h226/BuildArmies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For many toylines, one of the key questions is in what scale should the line be designed around? Kenner's <i>Star Wars</i> nearly four inch figures soon became the standard of the industry and it was smaller than most action figures at the time. This scale for the action figures was done due to the heavy focus on the iconic machinery of the films, like the <i>Millennium Falcon, X-Wing, </i>and the <i>TIE </i>fighter. In order to build and sell these vehicles for the figures, they had to be in a scale that allowed for a marketable price point, playability, and shelve space at the retailor. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_5Mm7CBBAPpsBE2reag5-AgAWRPMpoOujMsANHV6wq5pbVRfm2clKKfAMSW5ZaqVF2BOwTT8Sh9VgJYTqZi1rSdpdpv2-qZTV35dxg6EBDuGo_Y5LYhEc1V-KMF82dDoh6N-K6vtzTly/s500/Article-Pic5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="500" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_5Mm7CBBAPpsBE2reag5-AgAWRPMpoOujMsANHV6wq5pbVRfm2clKKfAMSW5ZaqVF2BOwTT8Sh9VgJYTqZi1rSdpdpv2-qZTV35dxg6EBDuGo_Y5LYhEc1V-KMF82dDoh6N-K6vtzTly/w400-h264/Article-Pic5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>However, the environmental set pieces of the Kenner line were limited, lacking in structural integrity, and expensive. This was the <i>pièce de résistance </i>of the MICRO Collection, it could display the grandeur of Cloud City that the 3 3/4inch line could not. Given this, most of the MICRO Collection was centered around an location from the films with four-to-eight 1 1/4th inch miniatures packed inside. Several of the location pieces were combined into a boxset called an "World" with three World being released in 1982. In total, the MICRO Collection topped out at nine playset locations, four vehicles, and the mail-away "Build Your Own Army" offer of six diecast painted figures for the Hoth World location. For modern day collectors of the MICRO Collections, one thing really shines through about the MICRO Collection is its level of detail and craftsmanship. While the paint does indeed peel off easily with the miniatures, the other all construction and presentation of the playsets, coupled with the damage feature, is first rate. </div><div> <i><br /></i></div><div><b><u>The Different Between the "Micro Collection" and "<i>Star Wars</i> Micro Machines"</u></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmX21V_d04kfFDnmGXPubbEe6ZNZNiDcck3RK7dp_xDWuyw4J564yQkjMYSsdc_tGZPQzrBpmP-ZEYessBHVz4iy3MNknyrrAQMJBMUpNwZJZdWvBoDN3sW0iRFKIaYXYA570tEX3paB7H/s2048/81vln-yMFnL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="2048" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmX21V_d04kfFDnmGXPubbEe6ZNZNiDcck3RK7dp_xDWuyw4J564yQkjMYSsdc_tGZPQzrBpmP-ZEYessBHVz4iy3MNknyrrAQMJBMUpNwZJZdWvBoDN3sW0iRFKIaYXYA570tEX3paB7H/w400-h255/81vln-yMFnL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Given the brief length of time that the Kenner MICRO Collection was out in the toystores, there is some natural confusion between it and the 1990’s Galoob Micro Machines <i>Star Wars</i> collection. One interesting difference is when Galoob and Kenner got their licenses from the Studio. Kenner was in on the ground floor when <i>Star Wars</i> was an unproven concept and was predicted to be a bomb. However, Galoob entered into the Star Wars world well after the brand was established and a cultural icon…that was in demise and waiting for <i>Episode I </i>to lit the fire again. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjozhiylLCyM0fyVCIL3HxJ8pAUuh2_Nv_PPGplAvzYAkUwjcAFJDSJreEvLZ7nqusew43stZupivGlg9ihVL_se2AEkoCyxX18N3_EW8izQgwEd2AtY1w5Fm1CJC9XABv8C-bTewySf-W/s720/0010a-50.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjozhiylLCyM0fyVCIL3HxJ8pAUuh2_Nv_PPGplAvzYAkUwjcAFJDSJreEvLZ7nqusew43stZupivGlg9ihVL_se2AEkoCyxX18N3_EW8izQgwEd2AtY1w5Fm1CJC9XABv8C-bTewySf-W/w400-h320/0010a-50.jpg" width="400" /></a>During an interview with Starwars.com, the chief designer for the micro machines line was Jim Fong and recalled that when Galoob got the license for <i>Star Wars</i>, it was during a time when <i>Star Wars</i> was old news and no one was really that interested in the license, which allowed Galoob to acquire it for their micro machines line. Much like the sacred <i>Lego Star Wars</i> line, it seems to be a match made in heaven. Fong recalls that when Galoob got the license that it was during a slow sales year at the company and the company itself was downsizing. However, the tri-pack of classic Star Wars vehicles was a massive success and turned the company around after the 1994 launch of the <i>Star Wars</i> Micro Machines line. During the first year of run of the line, Galoob would launch a line of micro-figures (sold in “packs” of around 9 micro-figures) and a series of environmental playsets based on locations in the Holy Trilogy. Unlike the 1982 Kenner MICRO Collection, these would be success and playsets would be designed and released for years. However, unlike the previous MICRO Collection, these micro-figures would not fit into the vehicles. Some of the Mirco Machines playsets would directly correspond to the MICRO Collection and this gives us a window into what the MICRO Collection could have done with the <i>ROTJ</i> film locations. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Historical Context of the MICRO Collection</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiKzTKMNmUcatMp-rF8kIlPxNaW3sRkGSVpvDDBw4WMSgGSZbQzJkiGpBBr9FSiyxIa_rOUztrMZk7dWwwvQJvqg9uCRBs32Kr_Ch2iekTOzWcIZHH6CcecIExYeBtxuWFHDQu-3tQtsH/s1068/4d8cc7fde3b9fefc84df8397f6f236d2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiKzTKMNmUcatMp-rF8kIlPxNaW3sRkGSVpvDDBw4WMSgGSZbQzJkiGpBBr9FSiyxIa_rOUztrMZk7dWwwvQJvqg9uCRBs32Kr_Ch2iekTOzWcIZHH6CcecIExYeBtxuWFHDQu-3tQtsH/w263-h400/4d8cc7fde3b9fefc84df8397f6f236d2.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>At the time of release in 1982, Kenner itself was spinning down their <i>TESB</i> toyline and was deep in production for the <i>ROTJ</i> toyline. Given this, the company was willing to take some chances with the monumental success of the <i>Star Wars</i> toyline in general and the MICRO Collection was a symbol of that risk taking. Also, during this time, we can see the trend of miniatures for role playing games and tabletop gaming, like <i>D&D, Battletech, </i>and the <i>Star Trek</i> combat simulation game by FASA exploding onto the hobby market. I can remember walking into hobby and gaming stores, and seeing walls of unpainted miniatures and some painted examples during the 1980's. It is likely that Kenner saw this trend with miniatures and decided to tap into that market with some interesting results. We have also remember that in 1982, the <i>Masters of the Universe</i> and <i>G.I. Joe: Real American Hero </i>had been released and they were a real threat for the Kenner domination over the toy market. This also the time when the 2nd Generation of home video game consoles was on the market and was in its prime with machines like the ATARI 2600, the newly released (in 1982) 5200 and ColecoVision and VecTrex machines. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Why FWS Will Never Discuss the Kenner Line in Full</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6N3mIAHxHlQqFw6h_Ny1SEC48flPgwAbEH4RsP6o_oAaSkSGpY6R64TOYCJ2wkRTdc5g5yeg4ZHov2_aMWoddQh_tbnUSaFBEb5e5mkGYZOeAcSV_b0sJKRVw4iYM5C9DaskZe5Dmj5jK/s1199/kenner-1978-luke-skywalker.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6N3mIAHxHlQqFw6h_Ny1SEC48flPgwAbEH4RsP6o_oAaSkSGpY6R64TOYCJ2wkRTdc5g5yeg4ZHov2_aMWoddQh_tbnUSaFBEb5e5mkGYZOeAcSV_b0sJKRVw4iYM5C9DaskZe5Dmj5jK/w268-h400/kenner-1978-luke-skywalker.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>There is no military science fiction toyline that has generated as much cold-hard cash and impact than the original trilogy Kenner toyline that ran from 1978-1985. It altered the entire toy industry to this very day and few toyline since have even come close to the power of the Kenner line. I lived through the Kenner <i>Star Wars</i> toys and I had many...but Legos were the toys I loved and Kenner <i>Star Wars </i>toys were just a prop to occupy my time. Many of my generation love and worship the original Kenner line and if they had a time machine, they would certainly go back and buy original figures and vehicles. Given the amount of love and nostalgia associated with the Kenner line, there are hundreds of websites and videos detailing in masterclass levels every aspect of the original Kenner line. With this in mind, FWS has decided NOT to devote a full article on the original Kenner line itself. There is just nothing we could say about this much mined topic to be of any value. Only the MICRO Collection of original Kenner line peaked my interest enough to devote some digital space to it. To me, Retroblasting continues to covered this topic better than I could ever. <br />
<b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Where Does the MICRO Collection fit into the Entire Kenner Line?</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2NL6dVdsRllHRuWLcBKC0iFxvfQOOCtmBz0ACE5VWrbUCe1bhsLQVLCwKLrO9nYxEd__r8hfFhizf0XhTP4b4FWevZ8J_KFEWSyA-sB54FrX0krbU6uAt3Uso4k2qUr7kQeYd5tCTAYS/s1023/3372445930_24d2400961_b.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1023" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2NL6dVdsRllHRuWLcBKC0iFxvfQOOCtmBz0ACE5VWrbUCe1bhsLQVLCwKLrO9nYxEd__r8hfFhizf0XhTP4b4FWevZ8J_KFEWSyA-sB54FrX0krbU6uAt3Uso4k2qUr7kQeYd5tCTAYS/s320/3372445930_24d2400961_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Among the most iconic and most profitable toylines of all time, the original <i>Star Wars </i>Kenner line that ran from 1977 until 1985 is counted along side <i>Barbie</i>, <i>Hot Wheels,</i> and <i>Lego</i>. Like all successful toylines, not everything in the collection is a smash hit and Kenner has two lines that did not survive: the 12inch dolls and the MICRO Collection. It seems that once Kenner deviated outside the realm of 3 3/4inch figures, it was destiny to fall. That is how the MICRO Collection seems to fit within the narrative of the Kenner <i>Star Wars </i>toyline...however, there is another way of viewing the MICRO Collection among the complete Kenner line: as a symbol of how much Kenner had mastered the universe of this galaxy far, far away in plastic. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigCJv3BEF_jUxKcW6hQdfkXelMODvyCx6QlXoTpwyhByqsKJxEAvkJHTjJ354BQD9-_LcXVRpyxALVubBdLrt2oMpB6igYsq788UkGkj4rxdZ7i_vZ7iOZUIjF6LeeRHq_cZSZ9NuKIL7/s1447/cloud-city-playset-2235.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1447" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigCJv3BEF_jUxKcW6hQdfkXelMODvyCx6QlXoTpwyhByqsKJxEAvkJHTjJ354BQD9-_LcXVRpyxALVubBdLrt2oMpB6igYsq788UkGkj4rxdZ7i_vZ7iOZUIjF6LeeRHq_cZSZ9NuKIL7/s320/cloud-city-playset-2235.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>What I mean is that the playsets based around the nearly four inch figures did not or could not represent the location of Baspin nor Hoth in its full scale. But, the MICRO Collection could and did. Besides a lame Sears-exclusive cardboard "Cloud City Playset" issued in 1980, Cloud City was ignored in favor of other locations in <i>Empire </i>in the main toyline, but was a key location for the MICRO Collection and we got to see and work within Bespin via the Lilliputian-scaled plastic world. In addition, the attention to detail and clever features were symbols of the Kenner MICRO team being passionate for the project with the skills to bring their vision to the market. To me, that is how the MICRO Collection fits within the larger Kenner toyline. Side note, Michael of RetroBlasting recently commissioned a upscaled version of the MICRO Collection from Joe Dickerson and it is in the prototype phase. <br /><div><br /></div><div>
<b><u>The Overview of the Kenner MICRO Collection</u></b><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh758bcTitcEB-pE9Y3UzhkNGtu32E0VTPp6EhIoD11ZFODYxUWepEK6C5lajPdNErWeb-oHYWnRmrzYe52THQwBlKuFZ7R98JOCLirvjHIEIbuZUWetgcbblfpDWvekCOcgGg6FWtTbOUc/s700/Article-Pic4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="700" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh758bcTitcEB-pE9Y3UzhkNGtu32E0VTPp6EhIoD11ZFODYxUWepEK6C5lajPdNErWeb-oHYWnRmrzYe52THQwBlKuFZ7R98JOCLirvjHIEIbuZUWetgcbblfpDWvekCOcgGg6FWtTbOUc/s320/Article-Pic4.jpg" width="320" /></a>The entire 1982 MICRO Collections amounts to 70 die-cast metal miniature figures, nine playsets (combined into 3 World sets) and four vehicles. Besides the mail away “Build Your Armies” offer from Kenner of Hoth themed Snowtroopers and Hoth rebel soldiers, the die-cast metal miniatures figures were packed in with the vehicles or playsets and not sold separately. Each of the miniatures were painted but were prone to chipping and rubbing when played with. The Bespin, Hoth, and Death Star playsets were combined into three massive World sets with all of the figures. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUrs95l4poUE4Nur3mhL1WH7Cyh2DRecSaiVnlxcfhrEezKTMIHUZIslHOh8iVP06l61IDG11ig_ifVe-uUAeBd5M4ZgIp8AHGNfKSK2eTtVxefvywM8fMp2Zw8ADcThX6va0KnEpskg5/s1400/image+%25284%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1400" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUrs95l4poUE4Nur3mhL1WH7Cyh2DRecSaiVnlxcfhrEezKTMIHUZIslHOh8iVP06l61IDG11ig_ifVe-uUAeBd5M4ZgIp8AHGNfKSK2eTtVxefvywM8fMp2Zw8ADcThX6va0KnEpskg5/w400-h224/image+%25284%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a>Three out of the four vehicles, the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and the Snowspeeder all were fitted with this “battle damage” feature that allowed for the vehicle to break apart, but the pieces were connect via wires and the vehicle could be restored at the press of a button. Every playset and vehicle had some very cool features that were not present on the larger scale playsets and these features show off the love and attention paid to the MICRO Collection by Kenner. Some elements of the playset could explode, spring-loaded doors, and a the carbonite-freeze chamber could swap the Han Solo miniature with an miniature carbonite frozen Han Solo. Very cool. </div><div>There is the entire line:</div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Vehicles</u></div><div>- Millennium Falcon (Sears Exclusive) w/ 6 figures</div><div>- X-Wing w/ 1 figure</div><div>- TIE Fighter w/ 1 figure</div><div>- Rebel Snowspeeder (JC Penny Exclusive) w/ 2 figures</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Playsets</u></div><div>- Bespin Control Room w/ 4 figures</div><div>- Bespin Gantry w/ 4 figures</div><div>- Bespin Freeze Chamber w/ 8 figures</div><div>- Death Star Escape w/ 4 figures</div><div>- Death Star Compactor w/ 8 figures</div><div>- Hoth Generator Attack w/ 4 figures</div><div>- Hoth Turret Defense w/ 6 figures</div><div>- Hoth Wampa Cave w/ 4 figures and the Probe Droid</div><div>- Hoth Ion Cannon w/ 8 figures</div>
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<b><u>What Happened to the MICRO Collection?</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXMOSFS12uuQj206Qn5XUzqQmBNZcckAakd02G-YuwarcCBSu-SweldqySpfjxrDDWNYRphR7OKr9Gjy_tcBeLVeJP927CgIh9Y2Tm0_lxqBvknamkKXvRhg3wIe0OQoZ5J1a135d4GY0/s1600/2a841c0940d9e123ac09e35949d3d621.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXMOSFS12uuQj206Qn5XUzqQmBNZcckAakd02G-YuwarcCBSu-SweldqySpfjxrDDWNYRphR7OKr9Gjy_tcBeLVeJP927CgIh9Y2Tm0_lxqBvknamkKXvRhg3wIe0OQoZ5J1a135d4GY0/s400/2a841c0940d9e123ac09e35949d3d621.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>From everything I could read, the people at Kenner that were involved with the creation of the MICRO Collection believed in their vision of a smaller<i> Star Wars</i> play world for kids and collectors...sadly, no one else did. This toyline did not last a year. It was born and died in 1982, taking down the prototype <i>Return of the Jedi</i> MICRO Collection as well. If the Kenner<i> Star Wars</i> toyline enjoyed so much success and praise, why did the MICRO Collection crash and burn in less than one year? The plain fact is that we do not know preciously why the Kenner MICRO Collection failed…we have only assumptions. It is assumed by most that parents and kids were unwilling to invest their cash into another Star Wars toyline when there was a massive line of figures and vehicles designed around the 3 ¾ inch scale that they already owned figures for. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz6YRCTm2WDIOYNJaO_NL7td9WTK6RB81C93UoeiLRJdB3nfxil3TQ679_AlmhnP81Mts0XWap6MWgMDQJEsNjak2hJLOL8knYzfw49FPE-7tJ1uSLKer0sJZ55KJZXBTrZ15QRjGKacI/s1600/starwars.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1600" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz6YRCTm2WDIOYNJaO_NL7td9WTK6RB81C93UoeiLRJdB3nfxil3TQ679_AlmhnP81Mts0XWap6MWgMDQJEsNjak2hJLOL8knYzfw49FPE-7tJ1uSLKer0sJZ55KJZXBTrZ15QRjGKacI/w400-h274/starwars.jpg" width="400" /></a>Then there was playability, some kids got the idea of the MICRO Collection with its toy soldier favor, but most did not and rejected it out-of-hand, especially at the price point of about $8-$15 per set ($22.62-$42.44 in today’s money) about $32-$37 set ($93.53-$104.67 in today’s money) for the Death Star World and the Hoth World combined playsets. For some perspective, the Millennium Falcon vehicle cost $26 ($73.56 in 2021 money) new in 1982. While the MICRO Collection was awesome in its details and the cool battle-damage feature, you could not change the figures from the static pose and that limited play to kids used to adjustable figures. Within a short amount of time, the MICRO Collection was not moving at the original price point and discounts were made…and then again…and again. Then the line was cancelled and the remining stock went on deep discount with some pieces at 70% off of their original price tag. This is when some buyers got into the line and scooped up the entire collection on the cheap. By some accounts, boxed examples of the MICRO Collection could be found on the store shelves until 1987! <br /><b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>The Lost MICRO Collection Prototypes</u></b></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5pEhleIcq0F5X8jjkPj5GdFgp5iKr3NuXaldlbh_lAwAJfw4LrwzWGMJkCfrCDBrQRmPD70UwvdxhQrhScxDy60TA-aglXJvUX5nrXWQZhL0szmYmbI7-hPnUFXdAIoHyUpweDT4KHUl/s347/unnamed+%25284%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="347" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5pEhleIcq0F5X8jjkPj5GdFgp5iKr3NuXaldlbh_lAwAJfw4LrwzWGMJkCfrCDBrQRmPD70UwvdxhQrhScxDy60TA-aglXJvUX5nrXWQZhL0szmYmbI7-hPnUFXdAIoHyUpweDT4KHUl/s320/unnamed+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>Despite the hard work by the people at Kenner, the MICRO Collection died on the vine, and just as new product was coming to the Hoth and Bespin playset lines. The Hoth Bacta Chamber and the Bespin Torture Chamber were both far enough in development that there are boxed prototypes of both. Besides these, there are several cancelled prototypes that were cut down in different stages of development. The Bacta Chamber would have been added to the Hoth World and the Bespin Torture Chamber would have rounded out the Cloud City World. These were the closest in the cancelled prototypes. For the addition to the Death Star World, Kenner would have added a playset from <i>Return of the Jedi</i>: The Throne Room. This set was far in development and would have made a nice addition to the Death Star sets. Coming with two versions of the Emperor, Vader, Luke, two Royal Guard, and a rumored royal Dignitary. This was next closest in development, with several plastic mockups of the set in several levels of detail. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0BL8MRzB2DnpdNUnlFEEwpJVpnlLYg_6GOxK0K0jRnUpCPq8HQailae15ShyphenhyphenISInfz2MbtNyVwGRJFxL0WYcF-dEHNglbnwr90h7ip0Ka9XhHyFEoT3an1MA2WwqYKX0_gtck4JlGzOJ/s465/unnamed+%25285%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0BL8MRzB2DnpdNUnlFEEwpJVpnlLYg_6GOxK0K0jRnUpCPq8HQailae15ShyphenhyphenISInfz2MbtNyVwGRJFxL0WYcF-dEHNglbnwr90h7ip0Ka9XhHyFEoT3an1MA2WwqYKX0_gtck4JlGzOJ/s320/unnamed+%25285%2529.jpg" width="317" /></a>Three new World would have been added for the <i>Return of the Jedi</i> and <i>Empire Strikes Back</i>: the Forest Moon of Endor, the Dagobah Swamp, and Jabba’s Court. The Endor World would have had the Ewok Village, the Bunker, and rumors point to the shuttle landing pad or the forest. Wax molds for Ewoks, Biker Scouts, and Rebel Commandos have been located for the Endor sets, but no mockups of the playsets, only text and some production art. Jabba’s Court was farther along with a Jabba throne (complete with a slave Leia!) mockup, a Droid Dungeons, and likely a pit set. Lastly, the Dagobah swamp would have been in the MICRO Collection scale with Yoda’s home, the “grotto” where Luke confronted Vader, and possibly, the X-Wing swallowing bog. There is only one prototypes of an new MICRO Collection vehicles and it was close to completion: Boba Fett's <i>Slave-1</i>. We do not have any information on <i>ROTJ</i> vehicles though, but it was likely the Imperial Shuttle, A-Wing, and the B-Wing would have been likely targets for production. <br /><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>The Other Attempted MICRO Collections</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4-QIM5-SdcF9d3JCUS71ZShoM-BRgQUoHoe__gz-W8tZIhUchXqQ4FPJVxOAxoaSToI8vDmG0oiSoW81AihjntpT0ak2ZUwDnDdtrnfsoZiur7fnbCGBMo42hs7rvvK4ncPcUd3CjF50/s442/unnamed+%25287%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="442" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4-QIM5-SdcF9d3JCUS71ZShoM-BRgQUoHoe__gz-W8tZIhUchXqQ4FPJVxOAxoaSToI8vDmG0oiSoW81AihjntpT0ak2ZUwDnDdtrnfsoZiur7fnbCGBMo42hs7rvvK4ncPcUd3CjF50/w400-h176/unnamed+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When Kenner was developing the MICRO Collection in 1981, the initial rollout of the concept was to be with the most successful franchise in their inventory:<i> Star Wars</i>. Once the <i>Star Wars</i> MICRO Collection, being the vanguard force, established a beachhead, Kenner had plans to rollout two more MICRO Collections: S<i>uper Powers</i> and <i>Indiana Jones</i>. During this time, Kenner was spinning up the <i>Adventures of Indiana Jones</i> toyline based around 3 ¾inch figures (I had some of these back in the day) and they devoted some effort into scaling down the world of Dr. Jones to less than two inches. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioITJZDImVa71VDwoYW_7G1oL2mC6cgOGaX0BPXNs0wyrbkzUEs56b6orlAPoo_9Wd5udf5j87oqLU0nrIPybBS7nLTw7rN8k57xzmtvfWz4_bZxUaJqMcYBDlEPidqxbe57sNO8hJXX-r/s512/unnamed+%25287%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="512" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioITJZDImVa71VDwoYW_7G1oL2mC6cgOGaX0BPXNs0wyrbkzUEs56b6orlAPoo_9Wd5udf5j87oqLU0nrIPybBS7nLTw7rN8k57xzmtvfWz4_bZxUaJqMcYBDlEPidqxbe57sNO8hJXX-r/w400-h303/unnamed+%25287%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Much like the <i>Star Wars</i> MICRO Collection, we would have seen the environments presented in <i>Raider of the Lost Ark </i>rendered in much grandeur than the Kenner playsets we did get and with great playset interactivity pieces. According to some that have seen the Kenner mockup material for the <i>Indiana Jones</i> MICRO Collection, there would have a playset with a rolling bolder and one with intercepting the Ark on the Nazi truck, complete with a drag-capable Indy miniature. The work on this was mostly confined to concept art and a single converted Luke Skywalker miniature into an Indiana Jones with a whip. Then there is the <i>Super Powers </i>MICRO Collection prototype. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYjT1SEq3Lc84D-0MIykZck72kGBKi8KbKNzK0Myk1UmwmiVLQeiu-K0Y4f-ZrVhmSi42hQ54J_t3LY92gSDalyiEZ7JtfUtMgY3-8htWJ6qfRmt6wXuIgPduPb4AoXXsFfg7xK4J1vDg/s2048/GG-Packagingback.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="2048" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYjT1SEq3Lc84D-0MIykZck72kGBKi8KbKNzK0Myk1UmwmiVLQeiu-K0Y4f-ZrVhmSi42hQ54J_t3LY92gSDalyiEZ7JtfUtMgY3-8htWJ6qfRmt6wXuIgPduPb4AoXXsFfg7xK4J1vDg/w400-h250/GG-Packagingback.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>Super Powers</i> was the name of the 1984-1987 Kenner DC action figure and vehicle toyline that attempted to capitalize on the success of the S<i>uper Friends </i>ABC cartoon based on the DC <i>Justice League</i>. DC themselves heavily promoted the <i>Super Powers</i> toyline in comic adverts and even a tie-in comic limited series. There are prototype miniatures of the Riddler and Batman, who were converted Vader and Luke miniatures with some playset locations in the early mockup stages. However, this leaves me with some questions. The Kenner <i>Super Powers</i> figures did not come out until 1984, some two years after the Star Wars MICRO Collection was released AND cancelled all within the same year. Why was there work on a <i>Super Powers</i> MICRO Collection undertaken? Maybe a better question would be when was the work undertaken to bring the DC Heroes and Villains in the dicast two-inch scale? </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>The Legacy of the Kenner SW MICRO Collection</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu8i2srVVWYdojA_n_TaofZdXENM0JuddILYJuvJsiIHymybzexXwC4XbU39UqZu1Edy8X0uD2yqNu3yPK-oqGbRFeD9qfiMq3CNAaTnCyar_ulyMgxCSBvfdFNvP-jncVyhGPo1i_9qM/s1600/iceplanethothmcquarrieL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu8i2srVVWYdojA_n_TaofZdXENM0JuddILYJuvJsiIHymybzexXwC4XbU39UqZu1Edy8X0uD2yqNu3yPK-oqGbRFeD9qfiMq3CNAaTnCyar_ulyMgxCSBvfdFNvP-jncVyhGPo1i_9qM/s400/iceplanethothmcquarrieL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>When the MICRO Collection came out in the summer of 1982, there was not much of an impact made, save for the lack of profit on Kenner’s balance sheets. For years, the MICRO Collection was marked down and waited for their fate while gathering dust. At the time, there were fans and collectors of the line and they moved in and bought the deeply discounted line. Another impact at the time and it is a legacy of the MICRO Collection is that some kids got the MICRO Collection toys by mistake instead of the full-sized toys. This was mentioned repeatedly on boards and comments when the MICRO Collection was discussed. However, some became fans of the line via these mistakes. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggj68pci4AVuGbo-T5dp9YPg0xAugqTxsQvG2L3nRY9mTYPEJe9MUAkwndCG6y_fuILHwJo7X0C0CG9zdKcYlktTZgCDSOymdBoZBW4-LH2qF3Nnrbl4O7IetEHiEa7RSGZLcBFOLcq3zK/s2000/96063418-90b8-4c80-8137-1c0b54930ae6_1.b0d24bdcb724e5aec65ba9e2d65480ee.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggj68pci4AVuGbo-T5dp9YPg0xAugqTxsQvG2L3nRY9mTYPEJe9MUAkwndCG6y_fuILHwJo7X0C0CG9zdKcYlktTZgCDSOymdBoZBW4-LH2qF3Nnrbl4O7IetEHiEa7RSGZLcBFOLcq3zK/s320/96063418-90b8-4c80-8137-1c0b54930ae6_1.b0d24bdcb724e5aec65ba9e2d65480ee.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The other legacy is the micro-sized toylines owe a big debt to this vanguard of the trend and the loss it suffered. The micro machines Star Wars is one of the legacies of the MICRO Collection. Another legacy is the workmanship that went into the MICRO Collection playsets, and this commented on by modern day collectors. One legacy I witnessed is that elements of the MICRO Collections were used in Westend Games RPG as gaming pieces given their scale and already painted. Lastly, the lasting legacy is that the MICRO Collection is one of the lost lines of the classic Kenner toyline and one of its rare failures. Unlike the failed 12inch doll line, the MICRO Collection showed some passion, thought, and talent of the Kenner team and it is true shame that we never got to see the <i>ROTJ</i> MICRO Collection toys. </div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><u>The MICRO Collection Today</u></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXtTJSAwqhDOfgEHod4rsh2jsjwR0ReWo69Sz43GRTS-6jY7H_S1GZ8bkvEvIuzjQQIVGsSD3n8yu2FoswRckV1GTOGCgYxWmmUusRP0esOsJl2d45Z2UNvV9JQKf2p8VOd8SujJQ4PFK/s1280/maxresdefault+%25288%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXtTJSAwqhDOfgEHod4rsh2jsjwR0ReWo69Sz43GRTS-6jY7H_S1GZ8bkvEvIuzjQQIVGsSD3n8yu2FoswRckV1GTOGCgYxWmmUusRP0esOsJl2d45Z2UNvV9JQKf2p8VOd8SujJQ4PFK/w400-h225/maxresdefault+%25288%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Since the invention of the internet and video-hosting sites, fans of <i>Star Wars</i> and toy collecting have created cyberspaces for discussion and dissection of this iconic toyline. Some of the websites and channels cover the MICRO Collection from 1982 in some way or fashion. Some collectors that lived during the time of Kenner have been rediscovering the MICRO Collection and buying examples of it. Others that are getting into vintage collection have also been venturing into the waters of the MICRO Collection. Currently, there is a market for the MICRO Collection and boxed examples go for solid money with the most expensive being the exclusive <i>Millennium Falcon </i>and the Rebel <i>Snow Speeder</i> selling in the hundreds of dollars all the way up to thousands. However, many consider the Kenner MICRO Collection to be one of the accessible collections in the entire line due to its scale and size of the line. When I called around in the DFW Metroplex to vintage toy stores, they had a few MICRO Collection items and they informed me that these toys came in with much less frequency then the regular <i>Star Wars</i> toys. Some stores confused the MICRO Collection from 1982 with the Micro Machines line in my experience, but said demand for these smaller <i>Star Wars</i> lines were much less than the other full-sized toylines. <br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Next Time on FWS...</u></b></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cAUZBNQLobbaMGc0Jhkd1TXadTBygVN5JYRLK0Ob_g4XLmJpEzkjr8Ymi6lZryjMUd5qBMbx4Qr6A048yANdu5Y_EobPLqu5lgKb5gmbgEMfJ9qQgGOM14J3XeSLF6mPvWPXFxSRVrF_/s2048/Army_Reservists_Applying_Camouflage_MOD_45156161.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cAUZBNQLobbaMGc0Jhkd1TXadTBygVN5JYRLK0Ob_g4XLmJpEzkjr8Ymi6lZryjMUd5qBMbx4Qr6A048yANdu5Y_EobPLqu5lgKb5gmbgEMfJ9qQgGOM14J3XeSLF6mPvWPXFxSRVrF_/w400-h265/Army_Reservists_Applying_Camouflage_MOD_45156161.jpg" width="400" /></a>In nearly all modern military organizations, MILSIM paintball and AirSoft teams, online shooters, and even toys; military camouflaged patterns are used for weapons, uniforms, and vehicles. Patterns of tans, greens, browns, and yellows are used to allow soldiers and vehicles to blend into the background. While camouflage has been used humans were hunting and gathering, the practice of blending was rare once civilization and professional military organizations were established. However, during the Great War, it finally was made very painfully clear that the old garish uniforms of the past were dangerous in the era of modern warfare. In the next installment of the Barrack, we shall be exploring and explaining military camo in a few months time. </div></div></div>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17218428427067689631noreply@blogger.com6