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B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

KoshN

Super Moderator
B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Same as what I posted at rastb5m:

The Enfali is in a firefight with some raider fighters. Since when have
raiders ever been able to do serious damage to a Minbari vessel, and why are
no Nials around? Since when do raider fighters have aft guns? Well, we
really don't know a lot about the context of the firefight that might
explain why no other ships were with the Enfali, or why we saw no Sharlins
in the entire movie, or why we only saw Nials and Whitestars at Minbar, and
possibly at B5. This has me wondering what type of ship the Enfali is, and
when it was built.

Tannier? The same Tannier from Learning Curve? I'd have double checked the
actors name but every airing of TLaDiS had scrunched credits (ARGH!).

I think hyperspace looked better in Lightwave. Also, the new jumppoints
seem to persist much longer than usual, before collapsing.

What happened to the bodies of the immediately previous crew of the Liandra?
Who attacked them, when were they attacked, and who betrayed them?

In Dulann's vision (when he was in the hallway of the Liandra, checking
systems before they took off), he saw Minister Kafka, the right side of his
face already beaten up. This hadn't happened yet. Kafka was on the Valen
at the time. It appears Dulann is a prophet, in addition to being a teep.
This couldn't be a vision the ghosts were sending him, unless another of
Kafka's race had been similarly beaten up. However, the ghost said he
didn't see the face of his betrayer.

Liandra is 20 years old in 2264, so it was built in 2244, before the
Earth-Minbari war. It's a small vessel and yet it *has* jump engines.
Seems odd, since Sheridan thought it was a big deal when he found out that
the Whitestar, another small vessel, had jump engines (2260).

What's the deal with engine glow? The Valen's engines glow, and the
Liandra's do not. Sharlins and Nials engines don't glow, but Whitestars and
those of the Victory class do. Is there any plan to this? You'd think that
all Minbari gravitic propulsion systems would not glow, just like a
Sharlin's don't glow.

The Valen has weapons, so why were they never fired? Maybe they were fired
but we never saw them fired.

Why enter the tail of the comet? Why not just put the comet between you and
the enemy ship. You don't have to be *in* the tail.

How is it possible to lose people for any amount of time at all on that
small of a ship?

The Valen was hit 13 times with the green energy bolts from the enemy ships.
At that point, status was "Engines hit, rear decks on fire." Then it was
hit 4 more times with the green energy bolts. Status was then "Weapons
gone. Engines, full burn." Then it was hit 13 more times with the green
energy bolts. Then, the Ram occurred (Thank the Great Maker, "Ramming Speed"
was not uttered.). Evidently the Valen was really good at taking damage,
and not so good at dishing it out.

The Liandra intercepted one green energy bolt meant for the Valen. Why
didn't it *try* to intercept the large, white energy bolt that the enemy
fired at the planet?

The Liandra, a 20 year old ship, hit the enemy ships, several times with her
fireballs (why no traditional Minbari green slicer beams?) blowing pieces
off the enemy ships. These were ships of the great enemy (admittedly toys,
given by "The Hand" to races who cooperated with them), a race that would
make the Shadows appear like insects. I can't see the Liandra making any
headway against a Shadow Battlecrab. "Seems" inconsistent.

The Liandra is hit by one green energy bolt, and suffers significant damage
(Dulann is very seriously injured.). Then, it's hit by one pinkish-white
energy bolt (definitely never was green), two mines, and 2 or 3 more
pinkish-white energy bolts. I've got to wonder what's the difference
between the green and the pinkish-white energy bolts.

Minister Kafka's race appears to be to The Hand, what the Drakh were to the
Shadows.

All in all, I liked the movie. It just felt a bit like it was not the B5
universe, a bit foreign, because of the lack of familiar Minbari ships
(except in extreme distant shots, in background only), lack of traditional
Minbari ship weaponry (green slicer beam, which even Nials had as far back
as 2248), the weird look of hyperspace (mostly hyperspace itself, but also
the jumppoints), and the weird space backdrop at B5. What's happened
between 2262 and 2264, that got back to normal for 2267? Yes, I know.
"Maya." *Please go back to Lightwave.* B5 and Crusade looked better.

While I thought all of the actors did a great job, it looks like Alex Zahara
has been playing Dulann all his life. Man, this guy is just incredible!
The chemistry between David and Dulann is right there, from the very
beginning. I'm reminded of G'Kar and Londo, and Londo and Garibaldi. There
was only one time a line made me wince, and that was when Sarah said "And
another wise man said, It ain't over 'till it's over." It wasn't the line,
but rather the delivery. Then there was Sarah's expressions and long
utterance when she was going nuts destroying the mines. That was a bit
much. Seemed over the top. Not her motions when destroying the mines, but
rather the expressions and the utterance. It was a strange thing. I was
smiling broadly at what she accomplished, but at the same time thinking
"That was over the top." Ahh, maybe it's just me. When things start to get
that hot & heavy, I tend to go the other way and get icy and silent.


JMS, regarding G'Kar's mention of Lyta (not by name), G'Kar's "conversation"
with Sheridan (not shown), and G'Kar asking David if he was going to visit
the station, YOU ARE SUCH A TEASE!


------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM & 11PM EST, January 20, 2002 at 5PM on The Sci-Fi Channel (US).
http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Why does Tuzanor look so different than it did in 2262, two years earlier?

Why did Martel say that the Narn and the Drazi were the most recent members of the alliance, they were founding members. Kafta'a race is newer than them.

Whatever happened to the Earth Alliance military base on Beta Durani?

Why were those minbari fighters flying backwards?

Why didn't Martel use a fighting pike to subdue Kafta?

Why does hyperspace look completely different?

Why is the nebula behind Babylon 5 look totally different?



------------------
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>- Why were those minbari fighters flying backwards?
- Why didn't Martel use a fighting pike to subdue Kafta?
- Why does hyperspace look completely different?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can answer only partially. The fighters were probably flying backwards to demonstrate that they can.
laugh.gif


Using a fighting pike... I could not watch the movie, but using a pike in closed space may be counterproductive. Using a pike requires some space.

Hyperspace looks different because of their new special effects software, Maya instead of LightWave. This is also part of the reason why Tuzanor looks different -- they obviously had no time to even try making it identical. With enough experience, they might, but this time they did not manage.

[This message has been edited by Lennier (edited January 20, 2002).]
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why didn't Martel use a fighting pike to subdue Kafta?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe he didn't have one? Id think that because he was on his own ship he wouldn't have thought he'd have a need for a pike. And since he was in suck a rush to get rid of the comm device he probably didn't have a chance to grab one. Just a guess.


---------
B5:LotR-"To Live and Die in Starlight"-G'Kar-"No one there is exactly what he seems... but then... who is?"
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

No character exactly states that they are on Tuzanor... it could be another Minarbi city.

Were did Epsilon 3 go?? How can a whole planet (which B5 orbits) dissapear?

------------------
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by breen:

Why were those minbari fighters flying backwards?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

GVFX screw-up, aerodynamic assumption.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by breen:
Why didn't Martel use a fighting pike to subdue Kafta?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The hallway was quite narrow, maybe not enough room.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by breen:
Why does hyperspace look completely different?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Expletive deleted Maya!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by breen:
Why is the nebula behind Babylon 5 look totally different?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good question!




------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM & 11PM EST, January 20, 2002 at 5PM on The Sci-Fi Channel (US).
http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by danny_in_space:
No character exactly states that they are on Tuzanor... it could be another Minarbi city.

Were did Epsilon 3 go?? How can a whole planet (which B5 orbits) dissapear?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They could have been looking at B5 at such an angle that Epsilon 3 was not in the background, and the crop was too tight to show Epsilon 3.

------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM & 11PM EST, January 20, 2002 at 5PM on The Sci-Fi Channel (US). http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/

[This message has been edited by KoshN (edited January 27, 2002).]
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Hrmm, I'm rather torn on the hyperspace/jump point issue.

On the one hand, the new versions look cooler -- which is a definite good thing. The jump point definitely looks more real and has more texture, and hyperspace looks significantly more volatile than it did in both Crusade and B5.

But on the other hand, it causes a bit of discontinuity when we start significantly changing the looks. The jump point, albeit cooler than the one in B5, wasn't really necessary to alter. I liked the way it was done in A Call to Arms, along with Crusade, and I don't see why the CGI people couldn't have built on that to make it look more textured and real.



------------------
"Get out of my way, or by God I'll shove you out the airlock!"
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KoshN:
Same as what I posted at rastb5m:


What happened to the bodies of the immediately previous crew of the Liandra?
Who attacked them, when were they attacked, and who betrayed them?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Whoever among the crew survived. The only survivor was the ship so it betrayed them.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
Liandra is 20 years old in 2264, so it was built in 2244, before the
Earth-Minbari war. It's a small vessel and yet it *has* jump engines.
Seems odd, since Sheridan thought it was a big deal when he found out that
the Whitestar, another small vessel, had jump engines (2260).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Can we say upgrade?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
What's the deal with engine glow? The Valen's engines glow, and the
Liandra's do not. Sharlins and Nials engines don't glow, but Whitestars and
those of the Victory class do. Is there any plan to this? You'd think that
all Minbari gravitic propulsion systems would not glow, just like a
Sharlin's don't glow.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Perhaps humans designed the Valen.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
The Liandra, a 20 year old ship, hit the enemy ships, several times with her
fireballs (why no traditional Minbari green slicer beams?) blowing pieces
off the enemy ships. These were ships of the great enemy (admittedly toys,
given by "The Hand" to races who cooperated with them), a race that would
make the Shadows appear like insects. I can't see the Liandra making any
headway against a Shadow Battlecrab. "Seems" inconsistent.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You can't see it, but it seems JMS can. Besides we don't know much about the Hand or their tech.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
Minister Kafka's race appears to be to The Hand, what the Drakh were to the
Shadows.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I seriously doubt it. As noted by someone else JMS is trying to fool us by making LOTR look like Bab5 with Hand being Shadows and Kafka's race as the Drakh, but I doubt they will be similar beyond these superficial resemblances.

------------------
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

What the frag happened to G'kar during his journey?!

Why were earth alliance maintanence 'bots used to prepare the Liandra and Valen?

Why do humans have so much influence on the rangers? Why was half of the Liandra crew human?
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Why do humans have so much control over the Rangers?

The majority of those joining during

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>Sinclair's time as Entil'zha </font></td></tr></table>

were human. Many of them would now be highly ranked.

------------------
"Crying isn't gonna get your dog back. Unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can sit here eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell like dog food or you can go out there and find your dog."-Homer in The Canine Mutiny
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

I liked the new Hyperspace...it looked more hellish than before. But the new Jump Points have to go. They dont change color if they are going in or out of Hyperspace anymore, and they looked Flat to me...like the animators took a cloud and wrapped it around a rotaing Cone. Bleh. Go back to the Crusade version please.

And for Tuzanor, Minbar has just come out of a civil war. they had to do a Lot of rebuilding.

The Valen was an UGLY SHIP. But the Liandra Rules Antarctica.

------------------
Never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it.

" The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate for the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion. We can not escape history. We will be remembered, in spite of ourselves. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the last generation. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose our last best hope."
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Perhaps humans designed the Valen.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes.
Dulann said that the Valen was one of the first ships built after humans became involved with their design. He then went into a whole thing about how ugly human ships are.

------------------
"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

All ships have jump engines.

Only large ships - really large ships - can form their own jump point. Sheridan's surprise came from the Whitestar, a small ship, could form its own jump point.

The Liandra needs to use jumpgates.

Which I think is a great conflict-creating device.

------------------
channe@[url="http://cryoterrace.tripod.com"]cryoterrace[/url] | "I wonder," said Frodo, "but I don't know. And that's the way of a real tale."
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> Why enter the tail of the comet? Why not just put the comet between you and
the enemy ship. You don't have to be *in* the tail.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Because perhaps they can still detect you if your just *next* to the comet. The sensors aren’t just a line of site thing, there more powerful than that. Since they were inside the comet it would probably distort their signal so that the enemy ships couldn’t detect them. As soon as they went out of the comet they got detected.

Also one other thing, thank goodness I wasn’t the only one that didn’t like the new jump gate graphics, they look so flat. I don’t know I liked the older ones better when you could see the ship coming and going into hyperspace. On this one the gate opens and bam!, the ship is right there like in one second.



------------------
Chaos makes you strong, chaos makes you better, chaos makes you advance........chaos will destroy you if you don’t survive it first.
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Tannier? The same Tannier from Learning Curve? I'd have double checked the
actors name but every airing of TLaDiS had scrunched credits (ARGH!).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The actors names were different, but it very well could have been the same character.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>What happened to the bodies of the immediately previous crew of the Liandra?
Who attacked them, when were they attacked, and who betrayed them?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We don't know who attacked them, but I'm willing to bet it was the Hand.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>In Dulann's vision (when he was in the hallway of the Liandra, checking
systems before they took off), he saw Minister Kafka, the right side of his
face already beaten up. This hadn't happened yet. Kafka was on the Valen
at the time.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>This could have been the traitor on board, who was probably rescued by the Hand. (Could have even been Kafta himself. You notice Dulann never actually saw Minister Kafta, if he had, he probably would have noticed him from his visions.</font></td></tr></table>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Liandra is 20 years old in 2264, so it was built in 2244, before the
Earth-Minbari war. It's a small vessel and yet it *has* jump engines.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Could either be an upgrade OR it could have been a top secret project by the Minbari using Vorlon technology. The Vorlons hadn't made contact with the Minbari before the Earth/Minbari War, that we know of. Notice the Liandra never actually used her jump engines in the movie, and yes it was mentioned that they were down. This could mean that the jump engines on the Liandra are more susceptible to being knocked out.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>(why no traditional Minbari green slicer beams?)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well the ship is 20 years old, that could explain it.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Minister Kafka's race appears to be to The Hand, what the Drakh were to the Shadows.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Seems that way, like the Minbari/Vorlon relationship = the Drakh/Shadow relationship.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why does Tuzanor look so different than it did in 2262, two years earlier?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The rebuilding part makes sense.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why did Martel say that the Narn and the Drazi were the most recent members of the alliance, they were founding members. Kafta'a race is newer than them.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I noticed this as well. Remember that the Narn and Drazi attacked Centauri Prime in B5: Season 5. Were there consequences to that? Could one of them be having no members in the Rangers for a few years.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Whatever happened to the Earth Alliance military base on Beta Durani?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Could have been destroyed during the Telepath War, or some other attack.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why were those minbari fighters flying backwards?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think I noticed that too. Thought it was an just an illusion with other ships moving making it appear they were flying backwards.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why didn't Martel use a fighting pike to subdue Kafta?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Most logical explanation is that the corridor was to small.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why does hyperspace look completely different?

Why is the nebula behind Babylon 5 look totally different?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Both have to do with a new look and new software. See my other thread titled "LotR and WB".

------------------
"We live for the one, we die for the one."
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Why was there no jump-gate at Beta Durani? Why was the nearest gate so far away?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It was mentioned that it was an IPX site they were visiting. A jumpgate had probably not been built yet.

Or if a star system doesn't have any populated planets, there is probably just one jump gate built in that system. No point in building a jumpgate around every planet in a system.

Also, the Liandra was running at something like 1/4 power, so it probably took longer than usual to reach it.

It was probably beneficial that there was no jump gate near the planet, that would help with wanting to keep the conference secret.


------------------
"We live for the one, we die for the one."
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by channe:
All ships have jump engines.

Only large ships - really large ships - can form their own jump point. Sheridan's surprise came from the Whitestar, a small ship, could form its own jump point.

The Liandra needs to use jumpgates.

Which I think is a great conflict-creating device.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No. Any ship with jump engines can form it's own jump point. Liandra needed to use the jumpgate when it's jump engines were down/offline. Ships with working jump engines use a jumpgate if one's available. It doesn't cost them any power that way.

JMS replied (my stuff has the ">"):
>Liandra is 20 years old in 2264, so it was built in 2244, before the
>Earth-Minbari war. It's a small vessel and yet it *has* jump engines.
>Seems odd, since Sheridan thought it was a big deal when he found out that
>the Whitestar, another small vessel, had jump engines (2260).

He also didn't know everything about Minbari ships and classes.

------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

"To Live and Die in Starlight"
pilot movie for "Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers"
January 19, 2002 at 9PM & 11PM EST, January 20, 2002 at 5PM on The Sci-Fi Channel (US). http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/

[This message has been edited by KoshN (edited January 21, 2002).]
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Whoever made the comment about the Narn and the Drazi being new to the alliance wasn't listening carefully. Martel said they were new to the RANGERS, NOT to the alliance.

------------------
"In the Beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move."
-Douglas Adams 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'
 
Re: B5:LotR TLaDiS - Some Observations, Questions, etc. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GKarsEye:
Yes.
Dulann said that the Valen was one of the first ships built after humans became involved with their design. He then went into a whole thing about how ugly human ships are.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And, of course, the first Human-designed ship in the predominantly Minbari fleet had to be named for Valen.

Of course, there are only half a dozen or so people in the universe at that time who will get the irony...
smile.gif



------------------
-- Marty
"Always do what you're good at," they tell me.
So I go around annoying people.
 

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