Gundam - Requests for new threads
 

Since the Gundam forum is limited (only Mods and Admin can create new threads), this thread serves as a way to request a new thread to be created.

Please post here if you wish to request a new Gundam thread. Please bear in mind that we will only accept reasonable requests, we wish to maintain the focus within the forum and cut down on the noise (so no pointless threads cluttering up the place).

Don't forget that you may still post in existing threads as usual, the only restriction is that you may not create new threads within this particular forum.

Can we have a poll about "Which of the four Gundam Meisters would die first?" It's probably interesting to try to guess now since we haven't seen any death flag raised yet.

Isn't this just going to attract all sort of "xxx must die" whinge and whine posts? If there is going to be actual discussion about it, fair enough but I suspect a topic like that it will just attract to much negative issues (but it does help by saying "Who would die" instead of "Who should die" :) ). What do others think about such a topic?

Perhaps rather than "Gundam Meisters", just say "Who in 00" to make it more inclusive.


How about a "most underrated characters" thread, where people can argue for the traditionally least popular, rather than the most popular characters?

Personally, I was already quite skeptical for a "favourite character" poll, as it is really too early for any serious character developments for most of them.

The reversed point isn't exactly something I would think worthy, as it wouldn't be surprising if people begin to vote for the character they care the least, or they hate the most.
Seriously, it doesn't add much weight, and it would require a tedious coverage, as it need scope. Without that, people might vote for everyone and anyone, such like nameless grunts etc. (well... are there any grunt not unpopular in gundam franchise? :heh:).

That said, it is only my opinion, but I'm not really sold by the idea, nor by the timing.

Considering how fragmented the series has been regarding its focus on characters, i would say it is too early for any type of character polls. We have barely started to learn some more background information about some of them (while still not knowing anything about others), so i would say waiting at least a couple episodes would be a good idea. Considering it seems we are starting to dwell on the characters a bit, i feel the next few episodes might prove a much better ground for discussions than the situation is now.

One thing i can promise is a favorite character poll around episode 12-13, and a second one after episode 25. As for "underappreciated" character poll - that might be a good idea in a week or two, will likely create it then :)

Threads like that are best left alone until a series has run its course, in my opinion.

Only seven episodes into a series which should run to fifty-two after the break, no one is in any position to argue which characters are over or underrated. Heck, at this point there are most likely several key or major characters which have yet to even be introduced. I stand by my opinion that those types of threads are best left until a series has ended and we can actually make a reasonable measure of the character's contributions, merits and worth.

Also, as a more personal comment, not every thread needs a poll. I've always found that the conversation gets more interesting when one has explain their opinion rather than select an option, vote and contribute nothing more than a name on a list to a thread.

Having two character polls for series that span 2 cours is a pretty common practice ;) One poll during the middle of a show, so that people can express their opinion of characters halfway through the series, and a final poll once the series has ended - for final impressions and take on all the characters.

Actually, I didn't even consider a poll for the "most underrated" thread, or even that it be necessarily a 00 thread. I could do a fair deal on Jerid and the Titans, my favorite villain group of gundam, despite how most people see him as a clown. I'm not used to character polls period, but rather more open-ended threads without a real measure.

Which is what I think your last paragraph was touching on.

Maybe we need a Gundam 00 ratings thread to discuss its weekly ratings and how well it does in Japan?

I'm not sure it's needed. We get that info on just about every episode thread and discussions about that (and there's not many) could happen there without being off topic.

I woudl agree. Posting the weekly TV ratings in the appropriate Episode Discussion thread would seem on-topic as would be related discussion about the ratings.

How about a thread on gundam fanservice? At least it won't float around in every new episode of gundam 00 including the fan art.:rolleyes:

Sorry, no :rolleyes: If an episode contains fanservice, i see no reason why the episode thread would be unsuitable to discuss it. Rather the opposite - if episode X has fanservice, the episode X thread is the exact place to praise or condemn it.

I would like to request either "Favorite leaders in Gundam" thread or "Favorite female leaders in Gundam" with poll.

Doesn't the Favourite Gundam TV Series Lead poll cover this?

As to a generic Gundam poll, I would think there are too many options. It's best to keep the max number of choices to something like 16-20, beyond that isn't that practical. Is it possible to narrow the number of candidates down to that if you want to include all the Gundam series.

No, I mean leader, not a TV lead, but like the leader of different Gundam faction. Such as Haman, Lacus, Gihren, and other leaders. And Yeah if I do all the leader would be too much, so I think narrowing down only to female leader would be the best.
So for the poll it should be Kycilia Zabi, Haman Karn, Relena Peacecraft, Dianna Soreil, Lacus Cylne, Cagalli Yula Athha, Cecily Fairchild, Maria Pia Armonia(debatable), and maybe few more but I can't remember them all.

Several things are needed then (note: this is open to anyone, not just Terrestrial Dream).

First, a definitive list of candidates.
Second, a decent opening post that will encourage positive discussion.
Third, someone will need to convince me that such a thread will contain actual discussion and not just one-liners (I like XXX, my fav is XXX, etc.) or hate posts (I hate XXX, XXX is a #@$%).

We prefer that if a poll is created it's for the purpose of encouraging discussion (not rants, whinges or whines).

Hmm...as thought over I think having both female and male might work. Since if I do only female or male only, it might be too one sided. So instead I pick both male and female leaders.
1. Gihren Zabi
2. Paptimus Scirocco (maybe not, I think this could be debatable)
3. Haman Karn
4. Jamitov Hymem
5. Char Aznable
6. Zechs Merquise
7. Relena Peacecraft
8. Treize Khushrenada
9. Dianna Soreil
10. Lacus Cylne
11. Cagalli Yula Athha
12. Gilbert Durandal
13. Kihel Heim
14. Cecily Fairchild
15. Others.
For opening I am sure someone could write a better one, but for general idea would this be good enough xris?

"This thread is to discuss only who is your favorite character and state reasons why do you like these leaders, reasons such as their background, their ideal, or their characteristic in general. "

And this thread I don't think there will be much bashing, since it's only made to discuss their favorite leader and why. Of course I might be a optimistic here, but since I think having "why" in the title, it will be more then one liners.

Here's something that could be fun(ny).

"Who's the best Kaptain Kirk character of the cartoon love catastrophe that is Gundam?"

What do Jerid, Scirocco, Amura, Kamille, and Char have in common? All their women get whacked, of course! Who do you think has best redefined Captain Kirk Syndrome in Gundam?

etc. etc. etc.


Like it?

I was thinking, maybe we need a mecha and technology discussion thread so we can discuss all the MS and technology used in the show?

If it is made, please make it for a specific calendar (like AD) and not a generic one.

Umm, character discussion for each major character? Seeing the Clannad sub-forum has it, I think this should be included, because there are too many posts about characters in other threads(Gundam 00 ep 10 forum has a whole page dedicated to Tieria's sexuality -_-;)

I feel that character thread for every major character would be an overkill (Depends on what we define as "major" character though). The Clannad comparison does not work because the title is a fully character driven show. That said i have nothing against creating a thread for each of the Gundam meisters, and one thread for all the other characters. Will get to it in a little while.

'Drilling up' into space for energy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071223/...D1vkYaWEMPLBIF

While great nations fretted over coal, oil and global warming, one of the smallest at the U.N. climate conference was looking toward the heavens for its energy.

The annual meeting's corridors can be a sounding board for unlikely "solutions" to climate change — from filling the skies with soot to block the sun, to cultivating oceans of seaweed to absorb the atmosphere's heat-trapping carbon dioxide.

Unlike other ideas, however, one this year had an influential backer, the Pentagon, which is investigating whether space-based solar power — beaming energy down from satellites — will provide "affordable, clean, safe, reliable, sustainable and expandable energy for mankind."

Tommy Remengesau Jr. is interested, too. "We'd like to look at it," said the president of the tiny western Pacific nation of Palau.

The Defense Department this October quietly issued a 75-page study conducted for its National Security Space Office concluding that space power — collection of energy by vast arrays of solar panels aboard mammoth satellites — offers a potential energy source for global U.S. military operations.

It could be done with today's technology, experts say. But the prohibitive cost of lifting thousands of tons of equipment into space makes it uneconomical.

That's where Palau, a scattering of islands and 20,000 islanders, comes in.

In September, American entrepreneur Kevin Reed proposed at the 58th International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad, India, that Palau's uninhabited Helen Island would be an ideal spot for a small demonstration project, a 260-foot-diameter "rectifying antenna," or rectenna, to take in 1 megawatt of power transmitted earthward by a satellite orbiting 300 miles above Earth.

That's enough electricity to power 1,000 homes, but on that empty island the project would "be intended to show its safety for everywhere else," Reed said in a telephone interview from California.

Reed said he expects his U.S.-Swiss-German consortium to begin manufacturing the necessary ultralight solar panels within two years, and to attract financial support from manufacturers wanting to show how their technology — launch vehicles, satellites, transmission technology — could make such a system work. He estimates project costs at $800 million and completion as early as 2012.

At the U.N. climate conference here this month, a Reed partner discussed the idea with the Palauans, who Reed said could benefit from beamed-down energy if the project is expanded to populated areas.

"We are keen on alternative energy," Palau's Remengesau said. "And if this is something that can benefit Palau, I'm sure we'd like to look at it."

Space power has been explored since the 1960s by NASA and the Japanese and European space agencies, based on the fundamental fact that solar energy is eight times more powerful in outer space than it is after passing through Earth's atmosphere.

The energy captured by space-based photovoltaic arrays would be converted into microwaves for transmission to Earth, where it would be transformed into direct-current electricity.

Low-orbiting satellites, as proposed for Palau, would pass over once every 90 minutes or so, transmitting power to a rectenna for perhaps five minutes, requiring long-term battery storage or immediate use — for example, in recharging electric automobiles via built-in rectennas.

Most studies have focused instead on geostationary satellites, those whose orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth keeps them over a single location, to which they would transmit a continuous flow of power.

The scale of that vision is enormous: One NASA study visualized solar-panel arrays 3 by 6 miles in size, transmitting power to similarly sized rectennas on Earth.

Each such mega-orbiter might produce 5 gigawatts of power, more than twice the output of a Hoover Dam.

But how safe would those beams be?

Patrick Collins of Japan's Azabu University, who participated in Japanese government studies of space power, said a lower-power beam, because of its breadth, might be no more powerful than the energy emanating from a microwave oven's door. The beams from giant satellites would likely require precautionary no-go zones for aircraft and people on the ground, he said.

Rising oil costs and fears of global warming will lead more people to look seriously at space power, boosters believe.

"The climate change implications are pretty clear. You can get basically unlimited carbon-free power from this," said Mark Hopkins, senior vice president of the National Space Society in Washington.

"You just have to find a way to make it cost-effective."

Advocates say the U.S. and other governments must invest in developing lower-cost space-launch vehicles. "It is imperative that this work for `drilling up' vs. drilling down for energy security begins immediately," concludes October's Pentagon report.

Some seem to hear the call. The European Space Agency has scheduled a conference on space-based solar power for next Feb. 29. Space Island Group, another entrepreneurial U.S. endeavor, reports "very positive" discussions with a European utility and the Indian government about buying future power from satellite systems.

To Robert N. Schock, an expert on future energy with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, space power doesn't look like science fiction.

The panel's 2007 reports didn't address space power's potential, Schock explained, because his team's time horizon didn't extend beyond 2030. But, he said, "I wouldn't be surprised at the beginning of the next century to see significant power utilized on Earth from space — and maybe sooner."

============================================

I thought Gundam 00 is quite far fetch. Look at this news, it is coming..:)

Request For Thread: Gundam In Canada
 

I would like to post up a thread discussing as to why Gundam does a lot better in Canada as suppose to the US or other countries.

Can I ask for reason for this post in this thread? Is it meant to be the introductory post to a new thread? I suspect there may be an existing thread where the topic could be discussed.
Can I ask that you use the existing Gundam in the US / Canada thread since it seems to be discussing the same topic.

I hope you don't mind but can you make a thread for the Gundam 00 Nintendo DS game? It's been announced on ANN that Gundam 00 and something else are getting Nintendo DS games.

It's already being talked about here:

http://forums.animesuki.com/showthre...48543&page=105

If i remember correctly, don't we already have a thread dedicated to the Gundam game franchise?

Oh. Sorry. I'm so stupid!

With all the political talk happening in the episode 12 thread, I'm wondering if it is enough to warrant a thread dedicated to it?

If so, I think a title such as: Politics in the Gundam 00 World could work. :D

:cool:

There's already one right here.

After going through that thread, I got the impression that it's a "who they are and how they got here" discussion instead of nuts and bolts political discussion.

In essence the thread as it is now is dealing with the historical, current and future speculation of the factions, not specifically dealing with how they or any other country is run; so a political thread could still be viable. :D

:cool:

We don't need separate threads for separate political issues :) The already existing one should be fully suitable for the discussion you have in mind.

I wonder if it's too early to have Gundam 30years thread, since it's almost 30years that Gundam came out (1979). Or something like speculation for 30year anniversary thread or something along that line.

It COULD be cool, but what would we want to talk about in a thread about Gundam's 30 years?

I don't maybe look at the franchise through out the past, or like I said speculation for the 30years anniversary. Still I think we should have something for 30years celebration for Gundam.

It's not worth until near the end of the year. A topic like that will die pretty fast with still a year to go until it.

Could we get the Episode 13 Thread? I believe the episode has already aired in Japan as of now.

Best/Favorite Gundam attack/move/abilities thread could be good.