LucByard
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Posts posted by LucByard
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Blastoise bowed as low as it could before the official while the magnetic medal was attached to its dented torso. The official moved on but Blastoise remained, unmoved, in place. It was the same for Black Ivan, taking one knee, eye floor-bound as if barely acknowledging the reward. As Lil’ Longlegs lowered his torso and took as similar pose as his design would allow, the significance had become clear. The gold medal firmly in place, the official backed away but Lil’ Longlegs maintained his respectful pose. A sombre whistle blew and each of the other competing mechs proceeded into the area accompanied by their operators… save for one. Some were worse for wear than others but all repaired to some working degree with one exception. Carried by the MANTIS entrants, the frame of Harmabot, unrepaired after a particularly hard-fought defeat, was brought in procession to the centre stage… It's operator absent, and laid before the podium. Each operator stood side-by-side in a line and held out a small glass containing some exotic liquid.
Silence fell.
No anthems were played,
no flags were raised,
celebrations for these hard-earned medals were stayed.
A promise to fulfill,
to a crowd stood still,
by competitors unified in singular will
Here no battles to fight,
here no red, green or white,
and here no displays of corporate might.
But builders in arms, their respect they intend,
to show, glasses raised, to their fallen friend.
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I'm very jealous
I think I had to kill you in one of my built 
...Thanks, but are you sure the Proff. want's to go pick a fight with Yseult? She has a mysterious chequered past and a bad temper. Not sure it would turn out well for you
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Location: E01 - Donwarr.
Tags: Civil, Spaceship, Spying.
Previously on Andromeda's Gates: The mark, Uplink, Pay dirt. Departure, The Gyrocube, Darksight.
Chapter 7: Jade Sun.
Octan, Kawashita, MANTIS… In the year since they arrived in Andromeda, they’d swept across the Galaxy taking control of anything… everything, one way or another. They call themselves pioneers but to those that were already here, grafting the space-lanes, running the boxes, working the Galaxy, they’re nothing but poachers, using their influence to buy what they cannot earn and steal what they cannot buy. Yseult had never run freight for one of the big three, That was all taken from me before they arrived… And now I’m working for one of them… Doing their dirty work.
Silently, Yseult had manoeuvred Darksight around to the far side of Donwarr, a world on the edge of the Galaxy in a contested region of space that some now called ‘The Quarrel’, a block of six worlds from Donwarr to Illustria that MANTIS and Octan had fought bitterly over. It was currently under MANTIS control but all of that Octan activity didn’t just go away; planets are big and the space around them is bigger. For Octan, this region was now about what you could do without MANTIS seeing or stopping. I guess that’s why I’m here she thought. At the appointed time, the recorded mission brief played. “Yseult.” The voice began. “This is Riddaeon. You have been selected for this mission by senior executives who are concerned about the loyalty of other operatives. A new form of refined liquid mythril has been manufactured on Freegate. It is transported to Mynderis via Donwarr on a super-freighter called Jade Sun but it arrives at Mynderis without the mithryl. Our sources believe that Octan is using planted operatives inside MANTIS to intercept the shipment but we have not been able to ascertain how. We believe Donwarr may be the location of the intercept as it will be easier for Octan to get it across the border through The Quarrel. Darksight was designed for silent pursuit and surveillance. Your mission is to observe the arrival of the freighter and covertly record its orbit of Donwarr before it re-enters the anomaly for the jump to Hunston. You are not to interfere with any transfers to or from the ship. Your data-file contains all of the information we have on the Jade Sun and its schedule… Good luck.” The recording ended and the data-file opened for Yseult to digest. Once she knew all she needed to, she began recording the activity of traffic between the anomaly and Donwarr. One hundred and thirty-eight minutes later, precisely on schedule, the MANTIS ore super-freighter Jade Sun emerged from the Donwarr anomaly.
Thanks for reading.
C&C welcome on both the build and the writing.
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Forgot to take a size compliance shot: now added.
And thinks for the positive feedback guys.
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Gutted. I lost to a head in a box. Clearly, the mech with biggest head won.... I shall not cry.
Rooting for Black Ivan now while I adjust to a life where Tiptoe never faced Lil' Longlegs.
: )
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Hi Bob. Loving this: exciting stuff.
Just want to point out that on the tournament spreadsheet, you've got Monty Python's boat, 'Quite Similar PB' in White for Octan but I think he's a Kawa.
I really want to see Big Head Mech vs. Bigger Sal!
No you don't ; )
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Right... What a pity I'm so bad with a photosoftware
I wasn't suggesting everyone does one
so don't worry, but feel free to have a go if you want, of course. -
While Bob gets busy getting better, here's some fun to keep us going: What wrestling match would be complete without a photoshopped poster with png's from the first page of search results and over-used text effects...
Currently pasted to walls and bus stops across the Galaxy:
With a rating of 5 out of 7 each, the competition will open with a big match-up and no clear favourite. Who do you think will be left standing?
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Originally designed for assault and infantry support, the M2-A Quarab is a maglev powered 2-wheel-drive cycle with optional weapon and supply mounts. Already built for a high power-to-weight ratio when unloaded, it was an obvious choice for conversion to a racing machine.
Oh, the poster.... Couldn't resist, though it would have been better if I'd bothered to check the real one first.
A Quarab is a breed of horse that is a cross breed of certain other types. With strong influences from Tron and Akira, this design is also a cross-breed of design ideas with my own personal touches mixed in.
Handlebars and foot pedals.
The front forks turn on an axle connected to the handlebars.
Compliance photo:
Thanks for looking.
C&C welcome.
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Thanks everyone. Was really pleased (and surprised) to see it get blogged too.
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My first proper go at a fully stickered GARC racer.
I designed the engine first, then it took several iterations to figure out a body design that I felt suited it. The stickers took about three hours, then my eyes gave up but it's my first go so I'm really pleased with the outcome. Mostly the cut-to-size hexagon pattern from a Super Heroes Brainiac set.
Here's the energy core which is mostly hidden from view.
And here's the underside:
There's more photos on my Flickr feed. Thanks for looking.
Luc.
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Front end looks good. You finished it off nicely.
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I'm sorry for the delay guys, but I'm having some health issues at the moment...
As long as it takes Bob. It's just a game. Feel better soon.
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I like how the handle-bar piece greebles the engine area while creating the slight angle on the bodywork either side of the cockpit. Very effective design. I'd love to see the core; Is it on some kind of Bionicle ball-joint piece?
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Nice use of unusual parts gives this design an eerie organic skeletal look.
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With three of the four significant asteroid fields in Andromeda all near each other around the Octan / Kawashita border, it is to be expected that when M.A.N.T.I.S. based itself on Torresta, it found itself in the part of the Galaxy furthest away from most of Galaxy's G.A.R.C. racing culture... The teams, the drivers, the fans; with the Hamilton Belt, Fascini Cluster and Sinden's Run all near each other, racing was rife and popular... it was just popular somewhere else for M.A.N.T.I.S.
There had been G.A.R.C. races over on 'this side' of the Galaxy but the dense and unpredictable nature of Barker's Folly had defeated them... Too many lost machines... Too many lost pilots.
But, of course... That didn't put everyone off and while the rest of the galaxy played it safe on what had become the 'regular circuit', spending half of their time dealing with the logistical difficulties of trying to practice and race in sectors that live constantly on the verge of changing corporate hands, deep within M.A.N.T.I.S territory in the heart of Barker's Folly, when the patrols are lightest... They gather.
News of a G.A.R.C. event in the Olympics had spread quickly and suddenly, M.A.N.T.I.S. engineers found themselves trying to engineer racing machines instead of spy-ships... The racers of Barker's Folly were not going to miss this opportunity; no testing ground was more difficult to hone your skills in and prove your worth... Now was their chance to show the Galaxy. They arrived at Torresta en-mass; a show of force. M.A.N.T.I.S. would respect that.
With the resources of M.A.N.T.I.S. combined with the skills and knowledge of the racers of Barker's Folly... We would be ready.
Race number: 0
Machine: Zero Tolerance
Team: M.A.N.T.I.S.
Origin: Barker's Folly
Pilots: Imogen Goodheart / Heidi Von Schnelle
Additional images:
Front quarter.
Plan:
Underside:
Rear:
Scrutineering:
Vertical core:
Horizontal core:
Parts (ish)
Note: Since taking this photo I've made the front grille all one section by using 1x1, 1x3, 1x1 black plate to back it. It has to be removed separately but is much stronger.
Thanks.
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Nice design. It has an oriental dragon feel to it too; very appropriate for a Kawashita racer.
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Darksight is a prototype spy ship designed for space and atmospheric flight.
The canopy opens for cockpit access. I used arches to match the shape of the canopy piece.
Here's the rear
Features include retractable landing gear, opening cargo bay and opening intakes behind the cockpit.
The full set of images is on my Flickr feed.
Thanks for looking. Comments, feedback and/or questions all welcome
Luc.
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Don't put yourself down Dan, small builds have scored well in the Wrestling; I think concept, design and technique all count and there's some nice greebling and angle-work on your entry.
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Starting to get the feeling you and I think alike.
I nearly called mine 'Wraith' too.
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You can see all the scores and the tournament structure here
Will there be a Copper medal playoff for the semi-final losers?
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Very impressive boat...
and another good SNOT built
Thanks.
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Love how you've integrated the snake parts into the design.
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Slipwave is a heavily modified racing boat constructed by a team of MANTIS marine engineers and special forces agents on Sorn. The need to ensure critical MANTIS operations could continue following the planet's capture by Kawashita, the team developed a craft both fast and quiet by levitating the rear engine section out of the water and propelling it with an extra pair of anti-gravity engines mounted at 90 degrees.
Compared to more traditional aquatic propulsion methods, the anti-grav engines are less powerful than hydro-jets and less responsive than propellors but with such a small displacement, resistance from the water is minimised allowing them deliver comparable power-to-weight ratios. The overdrive boosters positioned amidships burn Nitronium Oxide to super heat the anti-matter in the repulsers and provide more power but the system overheats quickly, utilising two dump-valves on each side to expel unburnt fuel and heat when the anti-matter reaches critical temperatures.
The rear is suspended by two angled anti-matter repulsers which also steer the craft.
The front-end maximised aero and hydro-dynamicity by reducing displacement and air/water resistance.
Technical cutaway of front-end.
Scrutineering:
Thank you for looking.
[Challenge 5][Cat E] Rocket powered hammer throw
in AG1 Archive
Posted · Edited by LucByard
Strangely, no-one wanted to go first.
Guess I'll have to show them how it's done...
The vignette spins the athlete and hammer. The link goes to a short video.