Techwright

I pop in at times to see developments. What, in your opinion, is currently the best A.I. tool for taking a screenshot of a character and converting it into something realistic, or interpreting it in a different style? I'm still trying to get an A.I. to figure out Major Ray Gunn's helmet with the fury wings, and figure if it can work from a picture, that might achieve something the others don't.

I'm not really sure where they are going with this movie. They keep saying that it is not really a sequel, and the ways that I've read its been said are confusing, especially when revealing "force ghost" Flynn. I'm hoping they reveal that they've been sitting on a surprise and that Sam Flynn and Quorra are in this, otherwise that's a massive plot hole to handwave. As to Boxleitner, depending on how much of a sequel this is, it might be an opportunity to recast Tron, with an explanation that his visuals have been altered, possibly in the explosion. Bruce at age 75, even willing, can't keep playing the character, and even with technology advances, it remains expensive to show another actor with Boxleitner's face. Human character Allen will age and die, and Tron will be on its own afterwards. That's assuming they ever want to work with the character again, which would be weird seeing how even the third movie is called TRON: Ares and not The World of TRON: Ares. Early on, I harbored a thought that perhaps Ares was a retooling of Tron, one in which his memory is still suppressed. Not so sure of that now.

First: you're right. Filoni would have turned in a greatly improved Sequel Trilogy, and probably much more closely aligned to Lucas' vision, likely incorporating many parts of the legacy books. I'll say no more as the Sequel Trilogy gets my dander up easily. Regarding the Specter crew and the last battle: That's a thought I'd not previously had, and I searched for a list of Jedi voices heard by Rey in The Rise of Skywalker. Ezra was not among them. That strongly suggests to me that he's not dead at that point, as every other Jedi in that voice list is, apparently including... Regarding Brainy Smurf: the idea of swapping Grand Admiral Brainy Smurf for Sith Lord Snoke is interesting. We've now confirmed in Star Wars that force breakthroughs are possible, even in beings with the most underwhelming potential. Considering how utterly loyal Old Red Eyes is to Old Yellow Eyes, I could have seen Palpatine taking the unusual step of seeking a force breakthrough in the Grand Admiral to forge a brilliant Sith Apprentice that is completely loyal, save for the necessity of testing his master periodically by trying to kill him. Well, in my opinion, that is what the World Between Worlds was created for. One day, we may go all Thanos on the Sequel Trilogy, and begin again.

What I discuss next is from material that's been out for a couple of years, but may still be spoilers to some. Use caution. Your concept is an interesting spin, and Mando would certainly act in at least an avenger's role were Greef to die in conflict. That said, I think the movie is intended to end the Mando & Grogu storyline, although I strongly suspect Grogu will be a major character in Star Wars lore going forward. They've explained how Grogu is not in Luke's academy, thereby likely sparing him from destruction. They've hinted that his dual upbringing of Jedi and Mandalorian is both incredibly rare and incredibly important, and with a projected lifespan of another 850 years, he's got a lot of time to influence the Star Wars universe. That said, it does leave a question of where Grogo is during the Sequel Trilogy (something I hate, but it is canon for now.) Also, the pirates, save one, were wiped out in the battle with the Mandalorians. That one showed up in the Jude Law series, which I've not seen the latter half of, so I cannot comment on what happens to that one and the pirates he gravitated to. We've a few variables that could influence the Grogu storyline. One of these is Ezra Bridger. As he's a field-trained Jedi, and has experienced the Dark Side, without falling to it, Ezra may be in a position to at least coach Grogu further in his training, especially in resisting the Dark Side. Ezra has also developed a force-driven melee "fighting monk" style which may be more appropriate for a Mandalorian than wielding a light saber. The big question is whether Ezra will survive further clashes with Thrawn, and if so, why is Ezra not in the Sequel Trilogy?

Seems like a good place to ask a question: From time to time, I've seen characters that appear to be blatantly ripping off the trademarked character, no homage or parody about it. This will usually be in a combinations of ways: name, costume, power sets, and/or biography. But the first paragraph of the biography will state something like: "This has been approved", "This is an homage, so you can't report it" or something crazy like that. Obviously, the person could just type in lines like that in hopes of not getting dinged. Since there is a potential legal issues, and we've been instructed to report any who appear to be violating the rule on this matter, leaving it with the GMs, how do we tell if a character has legitimately been cleared by the GMs? It seems a shame for you good folks to constantly be pestered about something you've already cleared, but I've never heard of a mark applied that would demonstrate formal approval. Perhaps one should be designed? Even so, if a character has been approved as "homage", what's to stop that player from abusing that approval, and altering the character afterwards to full copy, or adding costumes that do violate the license rule?

I've been thinking this one over and I think of all the changes, upgrades, etc., there is really just one change that matters. In the first two movies, humans (users) were the equivalent of Greco-Roman gods or demi-gods once they entered the digital world. They could potentially be killed, but it would be very hard (once they fully realized their situation), and while they lived there, they could develop remarkable abilities. Even by the end of the second film (and I suspect the animated series, though I've only seen small bits of that), it was clear that humans were dominant. This film changes that. Now it appears that they're saying that it is the crossing over into the alternate realm that makes the top predator: humans in the digital world, programs in the real world.

There is a way, I've been told, though it might be a bit of a challenge, at least, that's what I gathered. A discussion of this came up briefly back in April, I think it was, over on the Discord channel for base builders. I think @Easter Bunnyprovided some of the info. I never pursued it as there were options already in play in my base design that allowed me to work around this.

"Lists" would be more like it. They can be found under "Item Type" in the unofficial wiki here: https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Base_Items We probably should compile a modern list as some items with functions no longer can exercise that function. I refer to the Base Defense Items which were designed for PvP competition between supergroups, but that concept has long ended. They do make nice kinetic decor, though, even if they no longer are fed targets. Several of the Base Control Items also fall into this category, though something like the Pillar of Ice and Flame do still function. Base Energy Items tend to fall in this category as well, though I think it is still necessary to have a few to power a few items? I don't recall that clearly, and I know the wiki says they're not necessary, but I seem to recall having issues with a couple of items while I didn't have a generator. Your experience may vary.

Look at it this way: which offers you a mess hall instead of a nutrient-rich infusion? Go with that one. They might even have coffee and dessert.

Pretty sure David Dastmalchian was in that trailer. Expect Baba Yaga. 😉 Is that yellow track suit a reference to Kill Bill?

No longer a fan of 2D platformers. I left that behind when I exited the arcade scene in the early 1990s. I simply lost all taste for that style when 3D became a possibility. That said, I did watch the game trailer and for a 2D platformer, it does look quite polished. I've no doubt that had it dropped with this quality into the 1985 arcades, I'd have been playing it, rather than, say, Super Mario Brothers.

As I continue to read of confusing bits, half-baked concepts, etc. from the original game, I've lately been leaning into the idea of a retcon, not on the scale of say, a DC Comics "Crisis" arc, but more like a "Flashpoint": much stays the same, but those troublesome things the Homecoming team doesn't have the time or resources to craft (or worse, fix) get pruned, freeing the Homecoming team to lay down a neater, tighter future on a scale they can work with, and that still advances the game in a satisfying way.

I should have realized you'd pipe up. 😁

Yes, and let me tell you, for such a quiet little game, the chess professionals I spoke with got seriously violent.

"A really tiny character": see Circus Ringmaster, head of the Flea Circus SG, below. All FCSG characters are built at the smallest scalable size. I, unfortunately, do not have a max-sized character with mini mode to compare it to, but maybe someone can place theirs next to Matthew in Atlas Park for comparison. @smnolimits41, you may want to take the entirety of your avatar creation into account before going with the mini mode. Some parts may NOT scale. Now, if you'll excuse me... Serge! You got some 'splainin' to do!

I could have sworn I saw a really cracking attempt at making an Aliens movie xenomorph in this forum years back. One with the posture angled at a more bestial tilt. I thought it was in this thread, but I've yet to find it, and at 323 pages, I might have accidentally zipped past it while trying to look through everything in a "reasonable" amount of time. Does anyone else remember that, and know where to find it, in this thread or elsewhere?

Hmm, so far, I've only had to work with a one-to-one connection. For whatever reason, it's my understanding that portal lists, be they zone portals or interior portals, follow the game's design (poor as it may be) rather than any pattern the player would attempt. Assuming that information given to me is accurate, I'd suggest laying out all the portals that will eventually represent each level onto the floor close to the activation point, first. Then tie them all to the activation point. This should give you the game's demanded listing of order, top to bottom. Once you know that order, pick up each portal and take it to the corresponding level to be used as the door there. You may have to forgo Aleph as the ground floor, but a visitor will see the right pattern. Then, theoretically, you should be able to add the access points for other levels on each floor, and the game will sort it into the same order it showed before using the ground floor access point. Of course, I've never had to try this. It's possible the game's design is so borked that you get a differently-ordered list with each access point. If that is the case, there's not much you can really do except add a floor directory next to each stairwell door.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Richard Dreyfuss: 'nough said. Fatalism at its funniest. The script is brilliant, the actors completely in tune with it, and the verbal badminton scene would have been worth the price of admission if it was all I saw. It does help to have seen the play Hamlet, since this "behind the scenes" story weaves in and out with the Shakespearean play as it unfolds.

Thanks for that. I took a very quick look around, and realized quite quickly that you've likely run out of internal portals for moving between rooms and floors. I'd like to suggest an alternative to putting up a static door, and leaving a gap up top to fly over to see the next room. These are two shots from my competition base, Action Figures, from earlier this year. By the time I got to creating the On-Call team dorm, I was running low on internal portals. So I created these. The format does take a bit longer to construct, and you have to deal with the gap above the doors (the walls, and a higher, crossing wall form the passage framework), but it does allow for characters to slip into the next room while also suggesting a closable door for privacy. If I may also point out, you've done a great job of placing your zone portals close to the base portal for quick access, but then you have to run inside and around in order to get your vendors. Consider placing copies of your vendors in, or close to that little front garden. You'll not have as much running around. Likewise, try to find some way of disguising other interactables either in the front courtyard, or close to it indoors, so you'll have everything handy. Some items have a limited number, admittedly, like salvage storage, but those that can work with duplicates might make your pathing a lot easier if a copy is near the front porch.

Thanks for posting these. Hopefully, exactly what I've been looking for to get a human-only build.

Was it ever discussed as to why recipe storage was never added to bases? I suspect it had something to do with supergroups. Now that bases are often crafted for the player's characters, I wonder if the reason is nullified. Even having a personal vault for recipes as well as salvage would be a boon, especially when collecting the expensive sets.

Which server is this?

Having recently spent an intense 6 weeks building a large base, I'd be all for an instant-build cottage with services.

Katee returning would make sense. Djarin is heavily tied to the planet Mandalore now, and that is Katee's turf. Amy Sedaris...could go either way, but unless Rotta's presence indicates yet another return to the sands of Tattooine, something several fans were reasonably grumbling about, given how big the galaxy is, then the only reason for Amy to appear is to work on the Naboo fighter. Lizzo...we can hope the galaxy has learned its lesson. Giancarlo: there's a really, really good reason to say "no" to a return. That said, if the movie uses flashbacks or is still tapping into Project Necromancer... Also known: Carl Weathers will not be in it. 😭 Long, long shot: I've read rumors that Disney may finally be willing to put Cara Dune back to work after the results of the court case. I'd not expect more than a cameo, though, if it happens. I like that they're using Rotta. It answers a very long-standing question of what happened to the little Stinker after the incident at the Sarlacc pit. A partial, tacit answer comes when we realize that both Bib Fortuna and the Hutt twins had stronger claim to Jabba's position after Jabba's death than Rotta had. Do we know for certain that Rotta is "now a wealthy crimelord" given that his parent's empire went to Bib? I'm asking for confirmation, because I'd speculate Rotta might be trying to secure his own position of power, but possibly doing it by listening to a manipulator. Someone from Ol' Red Eyes' followers perhaps? This is interesting, because of what it doesn't say as much as what it says. What it says is that they're moving an unnamed, background shot, Imp warlord into a larger role. What it doesn't say is the name of the one, surviving, important Imp warlord from that conference scene, namely Captain Pellaeon, Brainy Smurf's evil "Watson". This suggests to me that this movie will be dealing with Ol' Red Eyes at a distance, if even that: the puppet master in the background. Mando and Grogu will likely be dealing with a lesser, but important, threat group, saving Brainy Smurf and Co. for an unnamed future project, likely clashing with Ezra and General Syndulla again. I could see Luke in that as well. There's a lot of story to unwrap in that, including the likely possibility that Spectre 7 will be trained by Ezra. (Let's hope it's not Luke, for Spectre 7's sake). I'd not be surprised if they didn't slip back into a new animated series to cover that, hopefully with the quality of animation that The Bad Batch season 3 had, rather than a return to Rebels animation. Speculation: Speaking of The Bad Batch season 3, I think it entirely possible that a certain pilot who flew off to join the Rebellion at the last scene of The Bad Batch, could make an appearance in this movie, likely tied to the Adelphi squadron. That would satisfy a lot of fans. Might even get a few old clones putting a call through to the pilot, which would bring in Tem Morrison to fill one of those roles (the one with the face tattoo). This pilot would be similar in age to Boba Fett, so around 40 years, perhaps a bit more. (Boba was "born" in 32 BBY. Tem Morrison is playing a much younger role. They're hand waving that by suggestion all the agony Boba has been put through has left him looking a lot older.) Regarding Zeb: I'd love it if Zeb had a substantial role, but given that they've gone on record as saying it was costly to create his character in live action, I have my doubts as to how substantial he could be. Perhaps the movie is building off the original costs of design, and therefore he'll be less expensive. Speculation: Carson Teva will be in the movie. He's another fan favorite, and Aldephi is his home base, after all. Unknown will be what's happened to him after the kangaroo court they tried to pull on General Hera Syndulla, since he was following her orders. I suspect there's no fallout, though. Speculation: We may see IG-11 again. The assassin droid's story was a nice tight wrap-up in Mando season 3, so while there's really no reason to show it, The Mandalorians have been gifted a large tract of land on Nevarro, which IG-11 guards, so it would be natural to stop over there and see the progress with that outpost. It would also allow Filoni an opportunity to address the sudden passing of Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), with IG-11 being the natural "face" to discuss this with.