Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 9h

Definitely.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 9h

So clean. And varied!

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 9h

I was just made aware of Rocketmen! Looked terrific! Yeah, real economic design and delivery in these games. Might be anathema to the era of ultra-detailed resin and whatnot, but there's something to be said for building a little fleet in minutes.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 9h

Agreed. As much as Heroclix et al. did fill a gap, something about popping the ship parts from sprues that were also stat cards etc. Big props to the designers, too. Multi-decked galleons, galleys, war junks, forts, monsters etc. All assembled from a few styrene cards.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 12h

Does the Pirates Constructible Strategy Game count? Absolute banger. Cheap, ready in seconds, highly enjoyable. Sadly sank with Wizkids. Would love to see the concept of styrene minis delivered in trading card format return. Maybe it has?

Everything else was an exercise in collecting ornaments.

Three sailing ships assembled from styrene anchored around a small, flat island. From the Pirates Constructible Strategy Game.

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Reposted by Alex Connolly ▞

zogingu @zogingu.bsky.social · 16h

(from 2019)

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 17h

Paging hard surface perverts.

How I built my own world record prototype - The APX hydroplane

YouTube video by CDAero

youtu.be

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 1d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 40: 沿岸警備命令 / Coast Guard Orders
First aired August 8, 1990
Directed by Shigeyoshi Sugama

Alongside dumbstruck locals, Goto witnesses yet another SV2 calamity.

Via Wikipedia:
Near a shrine on the coastal village of Shikura, a fishing boat has an accident and catches fire. The locals claim a sea monster named Plessie is behind it all. The coast guard order Division 2 to look into the matter. Soon the media get involved (including Momoko Sakurayama), and tourists start coming to the area in hope of catching a glimpse of the monster. The locals, however, seem to be rather well prepared for this onslaught of tourists. Is it all just a hoax to get the tourist buck?

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 1d

To quote one of the sultry voice-overs, 'have a wonderful time!'.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 1d

I note Flipnic has gotten a bit ridiculously priced in the second-hand market around these parts. Hopefully it's a lot cheaper in Blighty.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 1d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 39: 量産機計画 / Mass Production Plan
First aired August 1, 1990
Directed by Satoshi Namiki

Chief Sakaki addresses Noa as she sits in the open cockpit of her AV-98 Ingram.

Via Wikipedia:
Shinohara Heavy Industries completes a new prototype version of the Economy Ingram. Noa, Gomika and Ohta are sent to help test it out and give feedback to the engineers. Noa gives the now model a fairly average score, to which Ohta accuses her of bias, because she seems to love the Ingram so much. But it seems to be an improvement over the Ingram in some ways, but needs some improvement. Jitsuyama, who is heading up the project, implements the changes and all three notice the results straight away, even though Noa is still quite skeptical. Shinohara Heavy Industries are pleased with the results. They are so confident that they suggest that they should have a mock fight between the prototype Labor and the Ingram. Noa is chosen to battle the new Economy Ingram much to Ohta's disappointment.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

It got a bit of a shellacking on account of difficulty, but the Anabasis expansion is so good. For real Ragnar Anchorage/33 perverts.

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock - Anabasis Release Trailer

YouTube video by SlitherineGames

youtu.be

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

F_T_B doing what F_T_B does best.

Forgotten Horror: How early tabletop gaming in Japan led to a forgotten Lovecraftian game series

YouTube video by F_T_B

youtu.be

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 38: 地下迷宮物件 / Underground Labyrinth Case
First aired July 25, 1990
Directed by Mamoru Oshii

The SV2 team square up against an unknown foe in the sewers beneath HQ.

Via Wikipedia:
Mysterious things have been happening at the SV2. Food and alcohol have been disappearing over the time. One night somebody steals two of the chickens. This causes fights amongst mechanics, some even blame each other. But who is the culprit? Nightly patrols commence and a man is discovered running from the greenhouse that hoses the tomato plants. The entire SV2 gives chase, but he mysteriously disappears. Morning brings the discovery of a manhole. Apparently there is a maze of tunnels underneath the landfill that was used to transport material for the site many years ago. They were abandoned long ago and thought to be disused, but the criminal is using the tunnels to escape. Ohta and Shinshi are sent down to find him, but after several hours they fail to make contact. The rest of Division 2 follow, but are having a difficult time with all the cats and rats down there, and also the fact they are completely lost. But to add to their woes there is something else lurking down in the water.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 37: 安心売ります / Safety on Sale
First aired July 18, 1990
Directed by Satoshi Namiki

Ohta visits the house of one of his victims of recklessness with a gift.

Via Wikipedia:
After Ohta damages a number of cars on a call-out, the SV2's insurance company sends in an investigator to check up on the SV2 due to their high number of claims. Naoyo Yamada, a middle-aged woman from the insurance company asks Division to re-create the crime. After the re-creation, she still cannot decide if they should have their insurance renewed or not, so she decides to stay until their next mission. Though they apprehend the criminal without any damage, the clean-up is a total disaster. Ohta is ordered to move the criminal's truck, but in the process causes several cars to have an accident which in turn cause a massive pile up. Then Ohta accidentally crushes a child's bike. Will the SV2 be running without insurance, or is there hope yet?

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Reposted by Alex Connolly ▞

Peter Queckenstedt @scut.bsky.social · 3d

This week i re-learned how to do waterslide decals.

Small Hours

#kitbash #scalemodeling

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 3d

Heads up, Electrosphere freaks. Gearbits dev Quackpond Games has a new title in the works for PC, MacOS and Linux.
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3911300/...
Itchio: quackpond-games.itch.io/carrier-wing...

Carrier Wing Ypsilon: Project announcement trailer

YouTube video by Duckpondanimations

youtu.be

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 3d

Happy birthday, mate!

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 6d

Indeed. But looking for silver linings, I reckon this might be the sort of energising factor for the FOSS ecosystem; both in terms of usership AND donations to keep developing open source stuff.

Hope to leave this destructive, wanton grift and bag-chasing in the rear view mirror.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 6d

*and Affinity, if this suspiciously vague tease continues to walk and quack like a stolen image of a duck.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 6d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 36: 野明の冒険 / Noa's Adventure
First aired July 11, 1990
Directed by Satoshi Namiki

Noa pointing a flashlight at an unknown assailant in the wildness.

Via Wikipedia: Division 2 return to the Police Academy to hone their fighting skills. Noa is getting a little depressed at the fact Ohta is much better than her, and she is not getting much credit for her work. One night she sets off to get dinner for everyone, and sees a few ¥10,000 notes floating down a stream. She sees this as a big chance to prove herself and follows the trail of money upstream. Noa does not return to the Training Grounds, and the team are worried. They come across a local policeman who tells them a robbery has taken place. This behavior is quite unlike her and Division 2 are now quite worried and begin to search for her.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 6d

The best Burnout, with the best Crash Mode. Clean, uncomplicated bliss.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 6d

I'm a Front Mission weirdo, looking on enviously at remakes given proper in-house treatment, rather than being farmed out on the cheap.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 7d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 35: グリフォン墜つ / Griffin Down
First aired July 4, 1990
Directed by Kazunori Ito

Noa regrets letting the Griffin slip through her fingers, despite her best efforts.

Via Wikipedia:
The fight continues, and Noa manages to backflip the Griffin. By now the Griffin is starting to malfunction. It is still putting up a fight though, smashing Noa's main camera. Ohta tries to help Noa by firing his Labor gun with the help of Yamazaki, and manages to shoot out its main camera. Both machines are heavily damaged, and the fight will probably not go on for much longer. Utsumi orders Bud to escape. The Griffin flies off but crashes in Tokyo Bay. Bud is saved; however, the Griffin sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Asuma, who has been giving instructions to Noa all this time, rushes over to Noa's battered Ingram to see her crying inside. Utsumi cuts a deal with Schaft to avoid having Three-S chase him, and escapes Japan with Bud. Though Kanuka's investigation is unresolved, it is over for now, and she bids the SV2 farewell again.

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Alex Connolly ▞ @alexconnolly.bsky.social · 7d

Patlabor: The TV Series
Episode 34: 城門の戦い / The Battle of the Gate
First aired June 27, 1990
Directed by Kazunori Ito

While Schaft mercenaries scheme to destroy their rogue target, Noa confronts the Griffon to make an arrest.

Via Wikipedia:
The Griffin lands on the far side away from where Division 2 are, and they have race to the other side. Meanwhile Three-S attempt to ambush the Griffin but several of their Labors are destroyed. Asuma, who has been discharged from hospital, watches the events on TV and tries to find a way to get to the scene. He has been ordered not to go. Sasaki decides he can come with him to deliver a backup battery by helicopter. Noa goes in to attack but Momoko Sakurayama's TV crew arrive and she cannot take a shot at the Griffin because they are in the way. Three-S decide to blow up the Griffin by getting one of its Labors to attach explosives to it. The Griffin attacks Noa, she responds by hitting it with her shotgun, which goes off and almost hits her. The battle between Noa and the Griffin continues. Kanuka eventually removes Momoko and her crew so that Noa can shoot the Griffin. She shoots and the Griffin dodges and the bullets hits the Three-S Labor carrying the explosives, causing an explosion that knocks both Noa and Griffin out.

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