JMS: Ships, aides, etc! Cool! :)
Jonathan Roy
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 588 Mon Jun 14, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 06:18 EDT
BTW, regarding the TV Guide story (and it wasn't THE TV Guide, it seems,
but one published in a local newspaper's magazine style TV listings)...they
just got it wrong. That's the way some journalists do things: when you don't
know, make something up. I'd *LOVE* to know which newspaper that was just so
I could call them up and yank their chains for a while....
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 598 Mon Jun 14, 1993
T.REED10 [Tom Reed] at 20:24 EST
STRACZYNSKI: Joe, besides the letterboxing format, here's another technical
question. When "ST:TNG" started, the British complained a lot about it because
of the video-based visual effects. They were added to the broadcast tape
masters directly in video post. That's fine for Americans, whose TV sets have
30 frames per second, but when "DICE-converted" to the British 25 frames per
second, there's flickering that annoys them. (Almost as annoying as the
strobing that showed up in the British-video "Muppet Show", converted the
other way.)
However, all your effects and computer animation are transferred directly to
film, and not run on video. So therefore, you can ship the film of the shows
to Great Britain intact to run on their systems. Or, for that matter, send the
film to motion picture theatres in countries without good television. Am I
right? Or am I way off base, and you're about to send Britain another case of
the "flickers?"
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 605 Tue Jun 15, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:19 EDT
As of this time, the target is to deliver on video on an "as we go"
basis. But at the end of each season, we'll be able to do high quality video
to film transfers, and *those* can be used for foreign stuff, for hdtv,
whatever, and (we're told) no flickeries.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 247 Wed Jun 16, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:55 EDT
I'm still waiting to hear what's up with Cinefex.
James: will relay your comments, thanks. Re: the 4000's, it's my
understanding that the main problem is that they're very slow, which makes our
sitaution impractical; the faster we can render, the better we are.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 490 Wed Jun 16, 1993
S.ADVANI1 [Scott Advani] at 01:33 EDT
Hmm... is it my imagination... or do the different races have vastly
different scientific abilities and knowledge? Unlike some OTHER shows, where,
except for a few VERTICAL markets, the technology is pretty well identical...
and compatible.
-= Scott =-
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 491 Wed Jun 16, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:55 EDT
It's not your imagination.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 496 Thu Jun 17, 1993
J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 02:06 EDT
What we need is more of each alien! I'd rather see small groups of a few
aliens than lots of different ones. The one thing everyone I show B5 to seem
to ask is why every alien is alone. "Don't any of them travel in pairs?"
That sort of stuff. :)
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 497 Thu Jun 17, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:09 EDT
Both these concerns have already been dealt with. You'll be seeing more
of any one kind of alien this time out, for starters; we wanted to see what
worked, and what didn't, and now we'll concentrate on showing groups of those
that worked. Also, you'll be seeing reps from the smaller alliances as well.
Starting with the first episode.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 511 Sat Jun 19, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:38 EDT
A jump gate it's always open. It has to be activated by a coded sequence
on the correct frequency. An asteroid wouldn't do that. If you recall the
pilot, when the Vorlon ship began to emerge, they make a reference to the
"frequency" of the ship. Each ship has its own frequency and coded sequence.
That "unlocks" the gate, and THEN it flares into existence.
As for the Minbari ships...yes, I expect them to look quite elegant,
based on my conversations with Ron. I'll probably be seeing some versions
this coming week for approval. We're doing things in a priority-basis right
now, and that means the Minbari ship has to wait until we take care of the
Narn warship and fighters....
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 635 Sat Jun 19, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:54 EDT
Look for a roundup piece about SF shows coming your way in the July 17th
TV Guide, which will include a paragraph or two about B5 the series.
For those who'd inquired...yes, we've locked down Peter Jurasik and
Andreas Katsulas along with Mira Furlan, so all of our ambassadors are now in
place. More information as I can release it.
This week Harlan started officially as our Conceptual Consultant on B5.
To insure against any possible conflict of interest among those not wired into
the 'net, he just finished a commentary for the Sci-Fi Channel explaining his
new affiliation.
Each of our ambassadors will be getting an assistant/aide de camp;
tentatively the roundup is this: VIRELL, male Centauri, who works with Londo;
younger, softer, rounder, sometimes indolent (sort of a Josh Mostel
type)....KO'DATH, G'Kar's second in command, female, dedicated almost wholly
toward personal advancement, lean and hard...LENNIER, the monk-like aide
working with Delenn, only recently out of a very monastic existence, an
innocent in B5, male. Kosh will not be getting an aide for some time yet.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 649 Sat Jun 19, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:52 EDT
The characters were planned from the beginning. There are differences to
what you do in a pilot episode, vs. the series. You can introduce characters
over the course of a season, which is easier and doesn't seem as crowded than
bringing them all in during a 2-hour movie. Bear in mind that this series has
9 regular/recurring characters, 5 supporting characters, and a handful of
characters who will appear in 3-5 episodes per season. That's a LOT of
people. So you phase them in over time.
What I *don't* want is for this to turn into one of those Russian novels
where you can't keep track of the players without a scorecard.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 676 Fri Jun 25, 1993
M.SKI [Joe] at 16:59 EDT
It's not my new address, it's a temporary glitch. It will get fixed.
BTW, I've seen some new footage of the B5 station via CGI, and it's even
better. They've increased the resolution of the station by nearly 1,000%, so
now details really jump out at you, and the difference between, for instance,
the collar and the rotating hub of the station is much clearer. We've (well,
Ron's) also rebuilt the nearby planet to look more like a real, proper planet,
and it's *very* cool. It was kinda nice, seeing the old place again, all
polished up and improved, ready for the next phase.
Also doing some tests with our new guns, which look kinda neat, I think.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 293 Mon Jun 21, 1993
T.BRUSH [klaatu] at 02:14 EDT
JMS--since the character of Delenn was originally supposed to be a male, has
the gender change forced any major re-thinks on what was planned for the
character?
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 294 Mon Jun 21, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:52 EDT
Yes and no.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 298 Tue Jun 22, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EDT
It is also absolutely true. In ways you'll discover soon enough.
jm(answer unclear, try again later)s
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 512 Sat Jun 19, 1993
J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 22:55 EDT
Joe,
Is there any small race more technologicly advanced than the Minbari? I
thought perhaps someone would be super high-tech, but small/weak in
military/size... ?
(Sorta like Ix, if you recognize the name. :) )
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 514 Sun Jun 20, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:05 EDT
Yes, the EA fighters have been designed, but you haven't seen them yet.
And yes, there's one race more advanced than either the Minbari or the
Vorlons, probably our two most advanced species. You haven't seen them yet,
either.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 526 Mon Jun 21, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:54 EDT
Bear in mind, though, that a) the Narns have been buying from anyone and
everyone who'd sell them the technology (and then re-selling it to others
along the way) for a long time now, and b) they still don't have the
manufacturing capabilities of a thousand-year old empire, and thus what they
produce will look clunkier, be more of a hodge-podge.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 13
Message 540 Tue Jun 22, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:26 EDT
<dragging self up from the floor, grabbing a table for support> Yes, I
think one ship could catch up with another in hyperspace...at least, I think
this now and will probably continue to think so until such time as any science
advisor we might use on the show slaps me upside the head and tells me why I'm
wrong.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 267 Sun Jun 20, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:56 EDT
The war lasted for several years, yes; but believe me, the Minbari
military are lethal soldiers. To the Minbari warriors, war is jihad, a holy
cause. Thing to bear in mind is that a) it takes a while to gear up into full-
scale war, and b) most important, as the Hitchhiker's guide pointed out, space
is just plain big. The distances are substantial. The EA blew up any
jumpgates the Minbari could use, and changed the frequency on those the EA
used to allow only those craft specific to the EA. So the Minbari had to
resort to carrier-style craft which could produce their own entry and
departure points (jump points) in and out of hyperspace. They could then set
up a jump gate for other ships to follow, but it's time consuming, and if
they're caught in the process, they're in danger. Naturally, the Minbari did
the same to our side.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 272 Mon Jun 21, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:56 EDT
G'Kar only has one name, and that's it.
Ditto for Delenn.
The Vorlon ambassador's full name is Kosh Naranek, but their family name
goes at the beginning, Naranek is Kosh's given name.
Londo Mollari's name works the same as ours, given then family.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 277 Tue Jun 22, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:48 EDT
They call him Ambassador Kosh because that's his family name; same as Mr.
Straczynski, except his family name comes first.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 279 Tue Jun 22, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:30 EDT
That's because it's easier to say Kosh than it is to say Straczynski.
Talk about alien sounding names....
By the way...those of you who've been asking for REALLY non-humanoid
aliens...I saw a sculpture today of one of our new aliens, and this one is
majorly cool. His/its name is n'grath, all lower-case, and it's very, VERY
non-humanoid.
We're now also in the process of making multiples...so you'll see more
than one of any of our various major races at a time. And determining what
differences should be present between individuals within those alien species.
Write down that name, n'grath...you'll see him/it in one of our very
first few episodes, probably #3. I really think it'll knock your socks off.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 280 Tue Jun 22, 1993
E.HALLIWELL [Macabre Kiwi] at 04:06 EDT
Will there be species with MAJOR differences between males and females, as
sometimes happens here on Earth?
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 281 Tue Jun 22, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:34 EDT
Depends on how specifically you want to define "major," but yes, we plan
on something like that.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 15
Message 288 Wed Jun 23, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT
That's as close as one can come from the sound it makes.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 29 Sat Jun 19, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:58 EDT
There's some shielding, mainly for the large carrier or cruiser class
ships, sufficiently big to a) have enough energy, and b) be of more financial
value. Smaller ships...take their chances.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 34 Sat Jun 19, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:40 EDT
We've redesigned the flak jackets a little to make them more practical.
And yes, there's still projectile weaponry in the time of B5, but not
used as you might expect....
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 37 Sun Jun 20, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:30 EDT
Yes. We've found a way to drop the ships that takes advantage of B5's
rotation that should be quite nifty, visually. I think we worked it out to
having a maximum of 24 fighters capable of launch at any given moment; then
you have to "re-load" to use that term before you can launch the next flight.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 54 Tue Jun 22, 1993
T.BRUSH [klaatu] at 04:21 EDT
I wonder how the Battle of the Line--or any major space zap-em-up is going to
be depicted in B5 when we finally see it.
Traditionally, in most TV shows and movies, space combat seems to be handled
in one of two ways:
A) Little ships making very exciting but scientifically implausible swoops and
aerodynamic twirls around each other, WW I dogfight style ala Star Wars,
or....
B) Big, *Big* BIG Capital ships lazily turning about--to convey that oh- -so-
difficult-to-achieve-sense of size and majesty, essentially staying in more or
less one spot relative to each other, and blasting away until the other's
deflector shields are breeched, ala Star Trek: The Next Generation. I would
surmise that in B5 we are probably going to see a combination of the two
styles, probably with disorienting, constantly changing, point- -of-view shots
to convey that, yes, ma'am, space battles are in a fully three dimensional
medium, which few films have ever attempted to show.
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 55 Tue Jun 22, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:36 EDT
A little of both, but a lot of neither. We want to try something a
little different....
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 59 Wed Jun 23, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:05 EDT
Rich....that would be telling. I can say only so much, and no more,
partly because I want there to be some surprises, partly because I'd like some
of what we're doing to show up on *our* show before it does elsewhere. On the
details, I know Ron's chomping at the bit to do a B5 tech manual, and I can
fairly well assume that all of that info will be in there.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 65 Wed Jun 23, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:29 EDT
I'm not saying anything specific...but any writer knows that you don't
just toss your working notions out there until they're finished and ready to
go, because then they become something of a common shared item, and it belongs
to anyone. Just being cautious, that's all.
jms
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--
F F Jonathan Roy, of the Free Access Foundation Email: ni...@faf.org
A Mail f...@halcyon.com for information, or FTP to halcyon.com: /pub/faf/
F F Vorlons, of the Galactic Bloodshed Development Team GEnie: J.ROY18
"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design." - _RotJ_
William December Starr
jms> A jump gate it's always open. It has to be activated by a coded
jms> sequence on the correct frequency. An asteroid wouldn't do that.
Unless some joker hooked a properly-tuned transponder to one...
-- William December Starr <wds...@world.std.com>