Gundam 00 Early Design Concept

 Hey guys,

I stumbled on some interesting but ooooooold news yesterday and want to share it with you. It’s some rumours from back in 2008 and sounds pretty believable when you think about it.

Apparently, in the extremely early phases of development, the Gundams were subtly different; the names were also based on chess. Specifically, rather than being called “~Gundam” during play they would have been called by code names like “pawn,” “knight” and so on.

The names of course are different but, these early stage design Gundams’ abilities and designs didn’t change very much, even when they became the later official designs. In accordance with the common knowledge, the official designs of the Gundams that appear in the series were created by multiple designers, this was something that was decided from the planning stages. 

During the planning stages, from the scenario idea of “surveying a war situation and fighting” the concept of using the Gundams like chess pieces developed, thus, using chess pieces as a model, each unit’s primary use and so on was roughed out and solidified so to speak. Finally, in order to sum up the work for Gundam 00, these are the names that changed from the initial creation:

Exia / Pawn Gundam
Dynames / Knight Gundam
Kyrios / Bishop Gundam
Virtue / Rook Gundam
Nadaleeh / Queen Gundam
0 Gundam / King Gundam

Pawn Gundam = Exia

With close-range combat as its forte, it was designed as an advanced guard, like a pawn, with light-weight equipment for combat amidst a group of enemies. The idea of giving the unit just a small shield and dagger-type sword to make it biased toward extreme close-range combat was conceived.However, the pawn has another special ability, which will be discussed later.

Knight Gundam = Dynames

A Knight can jump around the battlefield, and can access places that other units can’t access; almost like sniping an enemy. The Knight Gundam was originally supposed to command the other Gundams as a leader unit on the front lines, given orders by the King Gundam himself. However that was dropped and Haro was put in its place. Dynames’ spear-like sniper rifle is equivalent to the Knight being able to make a decisive strike on a point.

Bishop Gundam = Kyrios

Possessing a transformation capability, in line with the bishop's movement, a high-mobility type can slice through the battlefield and deliver a surprise attack. From the concept of a "split personality pilot," in order to express the gentle and brutal two-sided nature of the pilot, the idea of having an MS/MA mode transformation was developed.

But at the stage in which it was being considered as Bishop Gundam, it was quite different from Kyrios. MA mode was a fiendish design supposedly more animal-like, with talon and scissor weapons. Obviously, they changed the design completely, but left some traces of the “brutal” past design with Kyrio’s claw shield.

Rook Gundam = Virtue

The rook is all about defence and offence, and so is Virtue. Among the ideas developed during the planning stages was for a "castling* system" according to which "King Gundam would have a guard stored inside it", that became the prototype for the hidden armour cast off system of Rook Gundam's successor, Virtue/Nadaleeh.

The parts which constitute the Virtue that protects Nadaleeh is all just armor, but this idea was different from the one in which Rook Gundam had another unit stored inside it. The Rook Gundam also was going to have the ability to resupply other units, but that idea was dropped (and given to Trinity’s Gundam Throne Drei) and they gave the Virtue an abundance of GN particles instead.


*Castling: In chess, there is a rule that, in the early stages of the game, the king and rook have a move in which they can switch places once. Strictly speaking, there are various more specific rules to executing the castling move.

Queen Gundam = Nadaleeh

Like the queen who has no blind spots, it has an extensive attack capacity, above the board (battlefield) this type dominates the MS below with its special grabbing capability.Originally with something like a "Psychomu-like ESP enabled Gundam" ability to grasp other MS units (not limited to Gundam types) as well as being equipped with wireless weapons which could be used as attack and defence tools (funnel[s]).

It doesn't participate in normal battles, but on the occasion that the King Gundam in the command centre is threatened and other times of emergency it materialises as this guard, even against countless enemies this powerful unit is able to annihilate them all. Like Nadaleeh it was arranged to have a regal entrance around the half way point and Nadaleeh inherited the Queen Gundam’s “hair” and feminine physique.

Initially, the Rook and Queen were entirely different units. However, when the scenario changed, the Rook and the Queen became one unit. The MS grasping capability was limited to target control, and was inherited by Nadaleeh as the "Trial System" and her wireless weapons were giving to the Gundam Throne Zwei as the “Fangs”.

King Gundam = 0 Gundam / Veda

The King piece is weak in chess, but it is the most important piece in the game; not something you want as a frontline piece. Loaded with a quantum tactical computer, this type is a command unit that predicts battle conditions and assembles strategy and tactics. It was planned as a “Gundam which has no offensive abilities whatsoever”.

Later, the war and tactical forecasting roles were delegated to Ptolemy's command system and the quantum computer aspect developed into "Veda," it was also established that the unit itself was an old type which wasn't active anymore in the story. However, it's an important unit in the story's beginning, 0 Gundam helped Setsuna in the beginning of the anime when he was a little kid, but disappeared to anonymity later on.

Alternate King Gundam = 00 Gundam

In chess, if a pawn travels all the way to the end of the board it can become any chess piece, except the king. However, Gundam 00 changed the rules by turning the pawn into the king; thusly you have the 00 Gundam. Incidentally, a trace that remains is that 0 Gundam’s name is derived from “Ou” (王) in Japanese that translates to king, so the 00 Gundam can be thought of as the King of Kings Gundam.


Finally
So there you have it! Well I don’t know if you knew it earlier than I did, but it’s still pretty interesting and new to me considering it’s more than 2 years old lol. But it is still from 2ch so it might be someone’s speculation but I find this info very believable! O:

Thanks for reading guys as always! Do subscribe you like the stuff I post :D

Sources: Here (main) and here.

~Fox

10 Things International Students Should Know

Hey guys,

This post will be on some tips for those of you who are planning to study away from home e.g. in the UK.

Studying abroad, especially for the first time is a very exciting and new experience! It is important to make sure that you are fully prepared so that when you arrive you know what to expect and can enjoy both studying and living abroad.

This is from my personal experience but if there's anything I missed out, do comment below :3

1. Visa and documents

It is of utmost importance that you sort out your student visa. Without it, you cannot remain in the country of study for the period of your course or enter the country for that matter. Make sure your passport is not expiring within the period of your time abroad. All relevant documents such as certificates especially those concerning academics e.g. A levels results should be brought along just in case.

2. Accommodation

Accommodation is as important because, what's the point in being able to enter the country but have no place to stay anyway? If it's your first time abroad, you can try and search for what we call "on campus" accommodation, meaning you're practically living in your campus area. This could range from halls to houses but they would be owned by the University. The advantage to this is that you don't have to deal with the troubles of dealing with bills and so on thus letting you settle easier in your new environment. Disadvantage is you don't get to choose your flatmates and some of them can be complete a-- not nice people. But generally everyone will be like you so be sure to be friendly aha.

The other option is renting a house or apartment with friends or even a single room for yourself. This is called, surprise surprise, "off campus" accommodation. The advantage to this is you have epic amount of freedom, you get to  (hopefully) choose your housemates. The downside to living off is of course having to deal with bills including electric, water, waste water, internet and gas. Also beware, you know the TRUE FACE of your friends when you start to live with them and some of the times it's not pretty so expect drama in this case.

3. Finances

Do have a few hundreds of the local currency in hand before departing. This way you know you can survive for a while setting up a local bank account. I went for HSBC because my home account is with them but preferences might differ. If you are studying there for a while e.g. 3 years degree you should get this sorted as soon as possible when you arrive.

The UK banks are relatively strict about the requirements for opening an account. This is because credit products are usually attached and thus they need to verify your details thoroughly. You will need the following:

Identification – a passport is usually required

Proof of address – both from back home and within this country, documents such as statements are acceptable

Proof of income – this may mean a credit check and interview to establish you will be able to maintain the account

With an account, your money is more or less safe and you get a debit card. In countries like the UK which utilises debit cards (bank cards with chips) it is moving towards a more or less cashless society. You don't have to carry that much cash around with this card so it is quite handy to have.

4. Staying in Touch

There are 2 things in this information age which you cannot really do without: Internet and phones.
With the internet, staying in touch with friends and family is simply using Skype or Oovoo. If you want to call home by phone, it is recommended that you buy an international call card.

Calling home once a week will help you keep in touch with people waiting for your return and might even beat homesickness a bit?

You may also want a local phone number to use in that country and that's a good idea. Exchanging number with your seniors, coursemates, friends is a great way to keep in contact (even if you will never so much as send them a text). I, myself, have 3 mobiles. 1 for my home number. 1 for my number here and 1 for international calls (though this isn't really required). I only bring my UK line out though. No point in burdening yourself with ample phones unless of course, when you just arrived.

When choosing between pay-as-you-go or contract, keep in mind that contracts last from 12 to 24 months. Though the thought of having a fancy phone is great, if you only have enough money to pay for your contract and left with 10 bucks for food for a month, you'll wish your phone was edible. I'll recommend pay as you go for the time being when you just arrive. Once you know how much you roughly have to spend per month for rent, food and bills, you can work out whether you want a contract phone.

5. Travel

Find the best way to travel to and from your accommodation, campus, town, etc.
In the UK there are bus companies like Stagecoach which sells student bus passes for the year which give you infinite travel.

In London, getting an Oyster card is by far the cheapest way to use public transportation.

Walking is alright but do be careful when walking alone; if possible having someone to talk to as you walk isn't bad.

6. Student Discounts

Shops especially clothing stores usually have at least 10% discounts if you have a valid student card. Always ask if you're unsure, it could save you some money so it doesn't hurt to try! I've seen situations where people (myself included) were kicking themselves after paying and realising they forgot to ask and the store actually had discounts.

7. Health Check-up

Make sure you've got the necessary check-ups and vaccinations before departure. Simple, right? Do check with your academic institute as some require you to have specific vaccinations.

8. Necessities

Make some space in your luggage for stuff like toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc. Anything you would need as soon as you arrive there. Why the effort? You don't have to go around looking for those items and even save a bit of money. It doesn't hurt to bring some food you can only get from back home so you can stock for a rainy day. Don't bring in anything that might be confiscated though, that's just a waste lol.

As for clothes, if for example you are coming to the UK, you need warm clothes for the long, cold winter and most student budgets can't have the heater on 24/7 so warm clothes are a must.

9. Research

If you know people who are already there, talk to them, get their number over there, get info.

Don’t be afraid to contact the university directly to ask about the course or other arrangements. I found contacting an international officer from the academic institute to be extremely helpful. Aside from this there are usually local advisers that will provide details on studying in the UK.

10. Mental Preparation

As I said before, the prospect of studying abroad is very exciting and you may have hopes of experiencing many things you can't really experience back home.

Homesickness is a serious issue, I've heard cases where students abandon their studies because they could not handle being away from home.

Being mentally prepared for the experience is also important.


Finally!
You can find more info for studying in the UK >>HERE<<


~Fox

Random Monster Hunter Portable 3rd Screenshots

Hey ya guys,

I've got nothing to update Tales with at the moment lol. I've just been cutting my Gunpla parts off the runners, cleaning and sanding them. Will post WIPs (Work in progress) updates about it when something more significant develops haha. For now, I'll just post some random screenshots I took while I was playing MHP3rd a while ago.

Do comment and tell me what you wanna read about :3

My Jinouga set complete with switch axe! Do like! I had to farm many Jinougas to get its plate :S

Pumpkin set. Low rank though, but great for great sword and hammer because it gives the skill to reduce charge times! Wow~

 Aerobatic bug catch followed by an awesome dive back down

 10 point landing and present to you, the bugs they got from the tree (b ^.')

Fail... and they fall flat on their faces... OTL indeed

That's all for now! Again do comment with anything you wish in the comments below :3

~Fox

Top 10 Things Your Cat Does When You're Not There

Hey guys,

Just wanna share this little titbit about our felyne friends and a few cute photos. :3

Researchers investigating the crucial question of what it is cats do when unattended supply a ranking of favourite feline activities.

The researchers reportedly placed cameras in the collars of 50 cats for a week, with each camera periodically taking a photograph of the cat’s view in an effort to understand what the creature was up to.

They then analysed the resulting data to discover just what it was the cats got up to when not attended to by their human slaves.

The results:

1. Staring out of a window

 2. Spending time with other animals

 3. Playing with toys or other items

 4. Eating or staring at food

 5. Sleeping

 6. Looking at TVs, DVDs, PCs, books

 7. Loitering under a table

 8. Loitering about the bathroom and kitchen

 9. Perching on chairs or cat towers

 10. Loitering in a bedroom

Source: Sankaku


~Fox

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Review

Hey guys!

Been busy lately with presentations but now that that's done, here's a review of the NDS game, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective!

If you didn't know already, it is developed by the same people who brought us the Phoenix Wright series! And if you haven't played those games, then it is a great loss as they were brilliant games which proved you can't judge a game by it's cover.

Anyways, Ghost Trick is a game where you play Sessil, a poor fella who got murdered and lost his memories when he wakes up as a spirit. He is able to manipulate objects by doing ghost tricks (surprise surprise) and is able to jump into the corpse of those who died recently and travel to the past, namely 4 minutes before their death and try to stop their unfortunate fate from happening. He meets up with different people during that night and tries as hard as he could to regain his lost memory because he will disappear when dawn comes.

Gameplay is fun as you try to jump from point to point in the ghost world. and the top screen serves as a heads-up to what you can do with the object you possessed. You are able to rewind time over and over again to the beginning of the "4 minutes" or you can rewind to a time where a fate is changed slightly (i.e. a checkpoint) Some parts are annoying however, if you have to wait for the event to play out each time you rewind. It is somewhat of a brain teaser and you have to think fast as some parts require good timing.

Storytelling is top notch! I can't tell you how many times I got goosebumps from unexpected plot twists happening when you least expect it. It kinda gives this CSI effect which you think you know what's going on but you're far off from it. The events give you a satisfying feeling of discovery and mystery as well. Moments are tense and/or funny and are also not as predictable haha.

The hourglass is the countdown to the imminent time of a person dying if nothing's done. 

Time stops in the Ghost world.

Another view of the Ghost world in "present" time.

Manipulating objects is key to what happens!

Top screen tells you what you can do with the object

Sessil and Lynne

I give this game a 5/5. It has everything needed for a great game. Excellent character development, design, storytelling and gameplay makes it a must play.

Don't take my word for it, try the demo here!! 

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/nds/ghost_trick_phantom_detective_18194.html

This is a game you don't want to miss!

As always, thanks for reading and if you like what I write, please subscribe! :D

~Fox

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd Review

Hi all!

You might have heard about the new Monster Hunter Portable 3rd out in Japanese for the PSP. I'll give a quick review if you're still trying to decide whether to try it or not.

First of all, if you've played Freedom Unite i.e. MH2, you'd be familiar with the game mechanics. If not, basically you're a hunter and you are helping the little town which you reside by undertaking missions to thin down the local wildlife a bit.

Somehow I think it's a game to satisfy your bloodlust for killing creatures bigger than you lol. You kill or capture ginormous creatures, get materials and make better equipment so you can kill even bigger and more dangerous ones.

Anyways, most of the creatures other than docile ones like Kelbi and Popo are replaced completely. But the new monsters will remind you of what you fought in the previous game. The King and Queen of the Skies Rathalos and Rathian make a comeback but this time, like Tigrex for the previous game, the cover monster is Jinouga. I'll be honest, it looks awesome! Though I shat my pants when I first encountered it in an unstable hunting ground.

 Qurupeco - It is cute but annoying if you have no experience fighting it. It can summon other big monsters by mimicking their calls! omg

 Barroth - A hard hitting monster!

 Aoshira - Pedobear of MH

 Jinouga! It looks awesome and can supercharge itself into epic speeds. Very painful opponent!

The comrade system has been improved, you can customise your Felynes and bring 2 of them with you to battle and depending on their character, they react and fight differently! I do love the kitty companions as they are cute and occupy the monsters for a while, while I heal and recuperate lol.

The farm is as it was, you get to mine, plant, catch bugs, fish and watch your Felynes undergo the training schedule you set for them. Fishing is improved, instead of wasting time to catch them, you actually pull a massive cage out of the water and collect as with all the other stuff.

The kamikaze mining cat is replaced by a mining cart, which I find much more amusing to watch when they strike it rich. Oh and you can send up to 4 cats in.

If you've played MH Tri for the Wii, the weapons will be familiar to you. One weapon I found myself falling for is the switch axe! It's an axe which can turn into sword mode! Very awesome! Other favourites make their comeback to the franchise as well such as the great sword, long sword, dual swords, gun lance, light and heavy bowguns and so on!

When hunting, the surroundings feel really immersive and landing hits on the monsters feel solid and satisfying. An experience you expect from a game like this. You have to learn the monster's habits and use it against them while watching out for status effects which will put you at a disadvantage!

Enough rambling from me, this game is out in Japanese at the moment. The English version should take a while before release. So if you're impatient like I am, there's an English patch out here.

I give this game a 5 out of 5. Do check it out or when the English version it out!
I'll leave you with this dance.

~Fox