#technically this version of ace is just referred to as ace without a last name but i'm going to tag ace ukiyo for the sake of organization

[t-u-i-t-c]

Giftober 2024 │ Day 3: Gold

Kamen Rider Dooms Geats

+ bonus

[huntsman-ash]

RWBY V8E4 LiveThoughts

And were back at it again, this week with turkey and Italian preserved sausage as a snack! Lets see what RT has for us this week.

Oh, 20 minutes. Are they normally this long?

Oh, wait, the openings almost 2 minutes long. Thats more like it.

And now to Robyn and Qrow. Seems Robyns actually liking Qrow a little bit now. 

Guess the cells aren’t secured if a fly got into Schnee’s. This a “Fly on Mike Pence’s face” reference?

Qrow sounds more growly again. Did he get smacked back two seasons by Clover dying?

If by “darkness” you mean “Tyrian” then, yes. Also dude, its Clover. He was shit anyway. All the Aces are shit. Dont feel too bad about him.

And he’s got a point too. If Clover had thought with his head instead of his dick (yes, Im sure they were gonna fuck, Fair Games totally a thing), he probably wouldnt be dead now, and Tyrian would be the one with the sword through his chest.

But of course this is RWBY and V7/8 so things cant go their ways.

Ouch. Deep thoughts of Qrow. And some interesting stuff from Robyn too. I still think I’d prefer hopeandharmonizing’s Briar, though.

Marrows glare gives me life. Hare’s just a moron right now though, but thats no real surprise. She’s immature emotionally.  Honestly, shes...kind of like a less bad version of our current President. Always has to be the best at everything, fastest, leader, whatever.

Thats probably why this is grating on her so much. Even though shes TECHNICALLY the Ace’s leader now (I think? Seemed like she was Clovers lieutenant, so by rate of succession she’s in command now)

A glance at the little floating control pad... “Clerance access only”. Okay, that...seems weird. Shouldnt it say something like authorized personell only? Maybe it means access by clerance only or something.

Then Robyn’s name, and then process ID 4591-27. No idea what thats useful for but its there.

Also Marrow seems to be the only competent member of the Aces rn. 

Ah now we get to see some of the hills around Atlas. For those of you who have seen my headcanons on the Hunter-Killers and their base of operations, Fortress Academy, its out in these hills somewhere.

The music sounds like a boss fight.

The screen on Ren’s hoverbike reads “HVB Rhino” and “HD5800″ I can only assume HVB stands for “hoverbike” and Rhino must be its name, like how the dropships are Mantas. No clue what the number is. 

Also apparently the cold in Solitas is so bad it corrupts machinery?

Ahh, good, some action. Lets see what we get now. Ohh, teamwork. And again, signs that aura allows you to move faster and farther than a normal human

Heh, it really is like a boss fight, like the chase scene at the end of the first Viking level in For Honor.

Oh, and it can call for reenforcements literally out of nowhere? Or is the whole tundra of Solitas just CRAWLING with Grimm?

Yes, yes it did just call for backup, Yang. Maybe these are all forward scouts and ambush units from the Grimmstorm. They did say its the biggest...

Another banger from Casey Lee Williams...

What the hell happened in Solitas to cause this geography? Seriously, its a line of bridges over a gap in two cliffs...that cant be natrual, not that equal in distance.

Man, those bikes didnt even last half an episode...I guess thats fair, they are facing obsurd odds. Or maybe they just want Yang to be the only one with a bike.

And there goes the dropwall. Woops.

Also you can just kinda see it but they bounce off the rock and thats why they slow down. Useful.

Also this part with them falling off the edge reminds me of the ending cutscene of Halo 4s Forerunner level, where Chief flies out of a portal and almost goes sailing off a cliff in a Ghost.  Except here, the bike stays on the land and THEY go off the cliff.

I paused at just the right time cause YANGS FACE XD

Holy shit what are Ren’s weapons cables MADE OF? The one atop him is holding him AND the weight of his two teammates. And the one below has both Jaune and Yang. No sign of slippage or breackage at all. 

Ahhh there’s the whaleship (Monstra? Fuck it Im gonna keep calling it the whaleship). So yeah my headcanon now is the mountain its right next too is Menachite, where Fortress is. 

Oh hey back to the Schnee manor of all things! Does...this mean military invasion of the Schnee grounds. Hey Whitley. Lesbians are here. 

Someone make a video cut of Weiss banging on the door to the “Knock knock open up the door its real!” part of that one song.

Hehehehhe. Nice Weiss.

Also convenient about the house staff. Good thing RT doesnt need to animate them or Willow now...

I hope the staff took some of the silverware and some paintings on the way out.

Why is MAY the one carrying Nora.

Ah so now they’re stuck out there with no cell service. Hehe.

Ah okay so the cold in Solitas DOES eat aura. Good, my headcanon still kind of stands. 

I wonder, does wearing proper cold weather clothing (like bundled up stuff) help? Or does it cut right through...

Why is JAUNE the one hauling the bike? Isnt Yang the strongest? Or maybe they take turns.

Ahhh inter-team talking. Also, outpost. Hmm. Atlas one? Overrun if I had to guess. Unless he saw Fortress. Which I doubt.

I do love the circling shot here, with the light on Yang’s hair and the shadows on Ren. Its...really artistic and emotional. GREAT WORK RT. 

Rens got points. And hes saying stuff I myself have been saying for ages, which is good. I wonder why this is how Ren is now...working with the Ace Ops? Being afraid of loosing Nora? No one tell him what happened last episode.

Also, Jaune’s hair seems to have gotten less crazy in recent episodes. It looks less like a banana and more like a close tactical cut.

Yangs got a point.

Ahhh and now we get to see the inside of the whale. 

SALEM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP SHOWING THE FUCK OFF. SERIOUSLY. WE GET IT. 

...this is gonna be a really criingy torture section, isnt it.

Someones gonna take that “hound didnt break you” line in the WRONG direction 

It is amusing the only thing holding Oscar down is the Hound actually. 

Ah so they’re still searching the remains of Beacon.

Also I like how Salem calls them “her forces” as if its anything but a random bunch of expendable monsters. Like, bruh, you cant search anything with THAT.

Ignoring the boring chat between these two, notice how the Hound’s shoulder literally flexes and shifts when Salem touched it. I dont think this thing is solid at all aside from the head and the bone claws...the whole thing is just amorphous Grimm material that can adapt to whatever situation it requires. A specialist unit. A...Hunter hunter.

Yo what the fuck was that. Magic? Huh. Did we actually SEE magic for once in the show? Only took us 8 FUCKING SEASONS...

Doesnt seem to be anything but an energy blast/pain never firing though. I assume his auras still gone, cause its completely singed his shirt, but it didnt do much else.

...Im not impressed.

She really needs to stop touching his face, its creeping me out.

HAHA SHE CANT DO IT HERSELF SHE HAS TO RELY ON HAZEL BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF HIM. I think we know where she stands now, doesnt she...say what you will about her letting Hazel have his vengeance (which is very valid, even he admits hit), but me? I think she A) cant actually beat up on Ozma herself because she still cares and B) shes almost out of magic too. Its weakened as the Gods have been gone and shes been forced to rely on the Grimm and on pawns. Basically, once she and Oz are both gone? That’s it for magic. Remnant will belong to the Grimm...and to technology. 

At which point without Oz around to hold them back Atlas is going to go fucking BONKERS and basically ensure the Grimm get pushed back into a corner and then finally permenantly STAMPED OUT.

More Whale insides. Seems like most of its empty grandious spaces. Or possibly muscle? Hard to tell. Either way theres a lot of open air in there...with tight corridors. If you fired a thermobaric warehead into one of the chambers the resulting blastc could possibly blow the doors off and send a raging fireball through the entire thing...Hmm. Filing that away for later.

NEO IS SO SHORT ITS FUNNY TO ME. I know its just positioning BUT SHE LOOKS EVEN SHORTER IN THIS SHOT THAN USUAL.

More note on the Hound; the “flesh” around its right shoulder spike actually sinks down when it stops moving. Its neck shifts and moves too, like the material isnt solid, but recirculating.

I also dont see any eyes. And it looks like it has some kind of...forehead mouth? Def looks like teeth down the ridge of its spine.

Oh boy yeah that...whole thing is basically melting in on itself.

I wont lie; hearing Cinder get berated by CORTANA (and yes, I still hear Cortana in Salem, espeically now that the two characters are kind of one and the same, both megalomaniacal leaders of giant armies, bar the fact that one of them is about a TRILLION times more dangerous than the other because one of them has access to Guardian Custodies and the other one is...well kind of lame and has to have beefy dudes beat up on small children etc) is pleasing to me. 

Get fucked, Cinder.

And THERE is Cortana again too.

Neo Marry Popins’s Ya’lling is fucking CUTE. And I love her little smirk.

Wait the whale’s that close?

..oh my...hold on.

...thats it. THATS ATLAS’S AIR FLEET!?!

12 AIRSHIPS? 12? EXCUSE ME!?

ARE YOU LEGITAMETLY TELLING ME THE BIGGEST MILITARY ON REMNANT HAS FEWER AIRSHIPS THAN THE SMALLEST NAVY ON EARTH HAS FRIGATES? YOUR FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT? THERE HAS TO BE MORE SOMEWHERE. THIS IS A JOKE, A STRAIGHT UP FUCKING JOKE.

...

No, thats...thats it. Thats Atlas’s airfleet. 12 tiny vessels. I swear it was bigger last season...

...HA! HAHA! HA! Oh, Ironwood, and Atlas as a whole...you deserve everything your about to get. I hope you die SCREAMING, and that when your bodies fall bleeding and shattered to Mantle, the people down there will realize that, no. You cant just assume Hunters will do all the work for you

THIS IS REMNANT. ITS KILL OR BE KILLED. YOU EITHER MAKE A FORCE POWERFUL ENOUGH THAT THE GRIMM RUN FROM YOU  OR YOU DIE INSTEAD. ATLAS FAILED. NOW THEY SUFFER.

Emerald stop simpin.

Also that is...the SHITTEST outpost...I have ever seen in my life. My overall thought process of Atlas is...sinking even LOWER than before. 

Though it seems more like a waystation. Bed, Dust, some dudes coat on it. Dead heater. Its probably a rest spot for Specialists out in the tundra.

Ren does the emo sit. Lol. Yang even says it. Brood himself to death.

Alright whats this now...something forcing itself out of the tundra?

And thats it for today! Cool ass concept art at the end there too. 

[f-117-nighthawk]

I’m in a Playlist Mood

I was scrolling through my dark matter tag looking for something I made a while ago to reference in the next chapter of Carry Me Home and ran across my last playlist explanation post. It put me in the mood to think about this again, and I’ve added...a lot. The playlist might’ve actually doubled in length since then (Thank You Abyss) and I’ve moved some stuff around in order. So, more playlist meta under the cut (it’s LONG)

So first thing: I’ve actually created two new playlists (well, one new one and actually made the third playlist have more than two tracks) since that post jhadsfljd. Working forwards in time (kinda), we have:

Dark Matter: The Road to Ruin

The Road to Ruin is the Main Playlist, the thing I use to write to, the thing I lie in bed and listen to to think up new things, and half the thing that keeps the timeline in place (it’s actually more updated than World Anvil rn whoops). Here we have overarching plot hooks, character development, and the story of six Paladins and their friends trying to save the universe.

Turn the Lights Out I sort of explained in the last post and I can’t think of too much more to add. The TLDR is it’s about the Lions (and, well, technically [REDACTED] too....) and sort of why I refer to a fully-melded Lion-Paladin duo as Spirits.

(I was here/Will you welcome and recognize me/I'll be there/I was here/Will you dread me, will you despise me/I'll be there/For the last living thing)

Remnants of Stars is again about Galran philosophy and the actual process of the quintessence nurseries filtering quintessence back into the universe. But the bit about giving in to know the truth becomes important much, MUCH later.

(As children of space/With stardust in our veins/We will give in to know the truth/We are the remnants of stars)

Your World Will Fail, Dark Matter, and Eater of Worlds are about [REDACTED], about what happens between that instant between the first plank time and the next. They’re an overarching theme, but also the event that everything else builds from, whether that be interpreted as the beginning of the universe or the Voltron comet crashing into Daibazaal.

(Your world will fail my love/It’s far beyond repair/Your world will fail my love/It is already there)

(Bring me your soul/Bring me your hate/In my name you will create/Bring me your fear/Bring me your pain/You will destroy in my name)

(Can’t imagine the violence/The rage and the love in my madness/I am the eater of worlds and I’m looking for someone to feed me)

Apocalypse 1992 is actually the main story of Through Apocalypse Skies, although its framing story is shortly after String Theory. It happens between parts of Awakenings, detailing the rise of [REDACTED] and the final hours before the destruction of everything sentient species knew beforehand.

(Fly high through apocalypse skies/Fight for the world we must save/Like tears of a unicorn lost in the rain/Chaos will triumph this day)

You Keep What You Kill covers the slow degeneration of the Empire between The Fall and the Battle of Arus. The knowledge harshly taught by the Thuanial War is forgotten under the influence of Zarkon, Haggar, and [REDACTED]. Marzin and Galraasa quickly rise the ranks as the Empire’s left and right hands, like omens of destruction before them. The four are the ‘holy half-dead,’ the ones who shape the devouring of the universe before them.

(Defying dimensions/These ruthless creatures will steal your soul/Breaking away from the chains of mortality/They won't be taken down/Bow now to the holy half dead/The master to death mongers calls)

The Seven Sisters is about Keith, mostly, and connected to Closure via its influence on Child From the Stars (Lost in the Dark) and also to Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met

(I cast my hope upon The Pleiades/The Seven Sisters who would come for me/They'd fall to Earth to grant a child's dream/But I'm still waiting)

Starlight is the newly added Adashi song. Here, it’s the sad part, based around the time that the SFSS Genesis launches for Kerberos. It also is sort of about Shiro’s thoughts throughout the war as he watches ‘from distant skies’ (and influences String Theory kinda)

(At night the earth will rise/And I'll think of you each time I watch from distant skies/Whenever stars go down and galaxies ignite/I'll think of you each time they wash me in their light/And I'll fall in love with you again)

Abyss is Awakenings again. It’s specifically the Red Lion waking up on Sendak’s ship to her new Paladin, but also sort of the rest of the Lions as they find new Paladins for the first time since The Fall

(Open my eyes in a daze/How long has it been? Am I so out of place?/Warmth I can no longer feel/My mountain is gone, I'm surrounded by steel/The strangest of structures arises ahead/Seems to be held up by nothing/Where have I gone, do I dream?/How can the stars be all I can see?)

Who Will Save You Now is about the Paladins in First Contact. It’s the video messages they send to their families, the warning that Something Is Out Here that they need to prepare for. It’s a declaration of protection for Earth, but a recognition that the Paladins may not be able to do what they say.

(I will not take from you and you will not owe/I will protect you from the fire below/It's not in my mind/It's here at my side/Go tell the world that I'm still alive)

The End of the Beginning and Nobody Gets Left Behind are the aftermath of the Battle of the Sarnan Nebula, the end of season two. The End of the Beginning hasn’t been posted yet, but it’s also the second of the four Closure fics. The End of the Beginning also has influence on String Theory. 

(Every night I die just a little/All this time, I'm caught in the middle/All your life, you fought with no winning/This is just the end of the beginning)

(Don't even try to pretend/That you're rough and just as tough/As when you're missing a friend/Attack and take him back/Cause when the team isn't whole/You've got a hole in your soul)

A Simple Plan is sort of part of The End of the Beginning, but really takes place after it. It’s the newly shuffled Team Voltron attempting to track down Lotor as Haggar tries to keep him under her control, and the new Black Paladin’s slow shift away from the things that he was pushed into and to the Blade. (And... guess what... it has influence on String Theory!) Fun fact I found out recently: The Spiritual Machines are by and large also the people behind Les Friction, which explains so much.

(What is this space we’re climbing/What is this place we’re stuck in/Why do we feel we’re sinking/How do we get out – get out of this) 

Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met skips all the way over Naxzela and to the Mission to the Baaria Shipyards, the first major offensive that isn’t somehow connected to canon (even if only a very very small part of it is actually at the shipyards lol). This is also the song that solidified Keith’s very queer identity in Dark Matter.

(In this lonely place, bathed in silence and thoughts of you/I can't see your face but I'm trying to envision you/So are you really out there? Are you awake with memories/Of a boy you haven't met yet who's wished upon the Pleiades?)

TRIALS (reimagine) and String Theory are.... hoh boy. [REDACTED], [spoilers], and the turning point for a lot of things, which is why it has the honor of being the separating fic between my two main Dark Matter folders. TRIALS being on here is a fun story, because I associate that song very heavily with my main Star Wars fics, since that’s where the series title comes from, but the reimagine version of it gave me such strong Dark Matter vibes, it ended up here. It has heavy influence on the first part of String Theory, and is what I’ve been using for general pacing of the first half. String Theory itself isn’t the weirdest song on the playlist, but it’s really hard to find the connections to it without several layers of abstraction and backstory on [REDACTED]. String Theory is also weaved into a good chunk of fics before it.

(The ending won't be forgotten/It's written in the stars and the hieroglyphs/Sending the lionhearted/The stones break bones, but we're venomous)

(You don't believe in space/You don't believe in light/You don't believe that anything is well beyond your might/We walk across the sky and beneath the ocean floor/We're never going anywhere we've never been before)

House on Fire is the aftermath of String Theory, and a large vibe of We ARE Struggling Together! (Rise Against says it’s about parenting???? lol fuck that) (okay but actually, switch the parental love part to sibling love/general familial love and that’s a pretty good description....)

(So I'll just hold you like a hand grenade/You touch me like a razor blade/I wish there was some other way right now/Like a house on fire we're up in flames/I'd burn here if that's what it takes/To let you know I won't let go of you)

Belgrade is the klance song! It is a) bop b) always stuck in my head because it is That Good. The line in the chorus about ‘sweet songs of seduction’ is eternally funny to be bc a)they’re both ace and b)QPR’s don’t usually involve seduction as far as I know. Belgrade also leads almost directly into...

(We pretend in the darkness/We pretend the night won’t steal our youth/Singing me the sweet songs of seduction/Let me be the fool, fool, fool/Who will live and die for you)

Here to Save You is about Sam. Mostly. It’s also about Pidge. And Zaivorge cannons.

(A slave for humankind/I made sure I would survive/To stay alive/Now it's time to move on/When there's nothing left to prove/I'm coming to get you)

Iron is what eventually replaced Ten Thousand Against One. The plot has actually changed a lot since it was that song like. two years ago (three?) at this point. It has more of a focus on Keith knowing what’s going on due to [spoilers] and coming to accept parts of himself that are suddenly very obvious (kiiiinda the third closure fic?)

(You can't live without the fire/It's the heat that makes you strong/'Cause you're born to live/And fight it all the way/You can't hide what lies inside you/It's the only thing you know/You're embracing that, never walk away)

Birthright and Firewall are not exactly a direct result of Iron, but they wouldn’t happen how they do without it. They’re actually largely about Lotor, but then [REDACTED] swings back into the fray and things learned in String Theory/the framing story for Through Apocalypse Skies hit in full force.

(The voices in my head have all begun to sing/(The voices in your head have all begun to sing)/And they sure as hell hope I am listening/(I sure as hell hope you are listening!))

(They come to your dreams with illusion/They come to bring shape to your mind/You know how to stop the intrusion/We all have to fight for our lives)

and then, The Day the Earth Collapsed

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Here Comes the Reign doesn’t come into full effect until several months after Birthright/Firewall after Galraasa meets their fate, but starts with The Day the Earth Collapsed. It’s largely about Haggar and [REDACTED]

(You made something they can't take away/Now bring the fire of the burning sun on everyone)

Closure is placed where the fourth of its fics is. Closure in general is a lot of Keith’s character development and some of the struggles he goes through to accept his place in the universe and the fact that yes, he does have people that care about him. The last fic is me shining a brighter light on Closure’s chorus and taking a ‘last goodbye’ as never needing to say it again

(I am the child from the stars/That got lost in the dark/Between heaven and hell/I am forced to live on/I am the cause when you sin/I am the demon you skin/But there is no more tears to beautify/This is my last goodbye)

Ember and Soulbound are two closely related missions involving both Voltron and the Blade (specifically the Dark Whispers) in which [REDACTED] comes in with a vengeance, and some revelations about certain people’s fates are had. Soulbound is actually sort of from Krolia’s perspective.

(Dark matter falling from the sky/Dancing flames reflecting in your eyes as you watch them burn/Watching all your riches witches burn)

(Soulbound, endlessly forever/Locked between the darkness and the light/Don't drown in the swarming, blackened rising/Hold on to humanity and fight)

Darker Matter and Other Worlds Than These are. Well. [REDACTED] and [spoilers] and String Theory’s revelations rearing their ugly head once again, but this time with extra context and just a little bit of [spoiler]

(Dream yourself away/The pull of you shredding time and space)

(There are monsters in the sky/There are demons in the sea/I have seen them with my eyes/I've seen what you won't see/Pull the wool out from your eyes/It won't shade your frail belief/In the end we cannot hide/There are other worlds than these)

Godhunter is a fun one. The combined effects of String Theory, Soulbound, and Darker Matter/Other Worlds Than These come to a head and Team Voltron goes, well, hunting.

(She's been watching for a century/With hatred, and with scorn/If you know the hunter's coming/Then you hide or keep on running/'Cause she's slain the gods before)

My Darkest Hour is revenge for Godhunter, as well as a distraction from it, although Godhunter continues all the way to Louder than Words. 

(When the sun comes crashing down/When the world is spinning round and round/I will face what must be my darkest hour)

Faster Than Light is almost direct aftermath of My Darkest Hour, and sort of the inverse of Godhunter, where now Team Voltron are the hunted, even as they attempt to continue hunting. Oh and, Marzin and [REDACTED] are big parts

(Once more we're flying fast as light/Dark matter passing in the night/Pursued by a force we can't outrun/As we hurtle towards a dying sun/We maneuver through the remnants of a moon/On the solar winds of supernovas/There is not a place to hide, the Matriarch is close behind/It's plain to see she's coming for us all)

The Reckoning, This is a Call, World on Fire, The Wind that Shapes the Land, and Louder Than Words are the finale, what everything has been building towards. Earth’s faction, Haggar, [REDACTED], Voltron, the Empire, and the Coalition, all clash together in a final desperate bid to finish or prevent the final result of Your World Will Fail/Dark Matter/Eater of Worlds.

(I see your face, find peace of mind/Between the madness and the sadness and the fire burning/The end of war, the great divine/We'll see the day of reckoning)

(This is a call to action/This is a call to arms/All lives for one, together/There are no false alarms)

(World on fire with a smoking sun/Stops everything and everyone/Brace yourself for all will pay/Help is on the way)

(Search within/Uncover the will to win/Turn against the tide that washes o'er/Find the strength to fall and rise again/Open up the gates, unleash the force/I am the wind that shapes the land/Old as time and twice as strong/Oceans arise at my command/I alone can carry on)

(We have the force to fight/We have the blinding light/A war is more than heard/Coming in louder than words)

Dystopian Fiction

Dystopian Fiction is focused on what happens on Earth during the main playlist. I split it out because putting stuff like Cross the Line on the main playlist was getting clunky, and I figure Adam and Veronica (and the rest of the Paladins’ families, but mostly those two) deserve a chance for their story to shine on its own.

Dark Matter is on here because title track, but also it does end up with effects.

(Don't stop, don't think/Move up, don't blink now/On your knees pray for rain/Don't breathe when you take your aim)

Codebreaker is Adam’s song! I have him primarily as a cryptologist for the Garrison, teaching on the side and as a reserve pilot. Aviators says Codebreaker is actually about Cyperpunk 2077 but uhhh Fuck That it’s about Adam being The Best and dealing with...

(Codebreaker can't you find/Can you read between the lines of code?/Tell me all that you know/How far down the hole does it all go)

Cross the Line is the Éskhayklos’ image song. They’re a neo-luddite movement turned terrorist group that are upset with the way the Sol Federation is trying to fix Earth, stating that humans are the one that pushed it into this state, they should leave it to die and die along with it. Akane Shirogane was their worst nightmare. Cross the Line fits because, well, they crossed the line when [spoiler beep] and they were happy about it. (And “human cause” comes into play later when they pick up anti-alien leanings)

(Cross the line, redefine, break away unbent, unafraid/Together we stand in the dark/Seeking the light and what is right, together we cross the line/Our journey will come to an end and then our human cause will be/Justified)

Who Will Save You Now here is about Sam, and the aftermath of Here to Save You, in addition to its referenced role in the main playlist

(Alone with this vision/Alone and blind/Go tell the world I'm still alive)

The Day the Earth Collapsed is exactly what it says on the tin.

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Dystopian Fiction is the title track for this part. With the events of The Day the Earth Collapsed, the Garrison and our heroes on Earth are at their lowest point. It really is a piece of dystopian fiction, between [spoiler] and [spoiler]. And also: “Nobody can shoot me down, not just yet” is about Adam bc Fuck Canon

(I'm a dead man/In the wasteland/I'm a soldier fighting for superstition/Under search lights/In the long nights/We've been written like dystopian fiction)

The Reckoning is the only one of its little subset that made it over here, because it’s the only one that references events from before its eponymous fic (both verses are Very Earth)

(We're all alone, walking in twilight/The night has been long and so many have fallen/Feel no remorse, light will be breaking/Our freedom is worth it all)

Filaments

Filaments is the least complete, mostly because it’s the ‘sequel series’ of sorts. I have ideas for it, but I still haven’t posted most of the major story beats from the main portion of Dark Matter, so I’ve been purposefully putting it on the backburner. I do have enough to write Carry Me Home and put some foreshadowing in other fics.

Dark Matter is here because, well. A) Title track, B) yes, it still has effects. It’s the overarching theme, after all. Filaments sort of has a subtitle itself, which is ‘The Undoing,’ after the other part of the lyric that the subtitle of the main playlist comes from. It’s about undoing a past mistake (that wasn’t obviously a mistake until much later) and reconciling the events of Your World Will Fail.

(I am the keeper/I am the secret/I am the answer/I am the end)

Filaments is the title track of this part. It’s... a little hard to explain why without giving away the entire plot (what little I have planned lol) but it’s about the connections between different parts of the universe, and some fall-out of Darker Matter/Other Worlds Than These.

(These glowing filaments/Conducting this enchanting/Sarcophagus that's holding us)

Starlight is, again, Adashi song, and this time the happy part

(Don't leave me lost here forever/I need your starlight and pull me through/Bring me back to you)

Carry Me Home is what I’m in the process of writing right now, and it’s about the aftermath of the Quintessence War, specifically about how Shiro decides to settle down on Earth and what he does to build himself a home.

(Carry me home to the morning light/carry me home before you wave me goodbye/Oh, carry me home...)

[masterweaverx]

Yatsuhashi Daichi is the big friendly giant of team CFVY, and the last member to be Dungeoned up for Dragoning by me. Let’s get to it!

On the combat side, Yatsu is pretty simple--he’s big, he’s got a big sword, so he’ll want to swing that big sword for big damage. Also he has a habit of being a human shield and protecting people, so giving him a way to do that is kinda key. The big issue is his semblence--the ability to temporarily and/or permanently wipe out memories, which he can use to make people stumble a bit in combat or... for other purposes. That’s going to be tricky to simulate, but not impossible.

Jumping right into the point array we’re putting 15 points in strength because have you seen the man? Then 14 points in Intelligence, most of the spells we want are on the Wizard list and honestly I don’t think Yatsu’s an idiot anyway. Constitution’s next with 13 points, crucial for HP and spell concentration, followed by Wisdom with 12 point because the man does try to listen to the world around him. Charisma is 10, which is fine, and that leaves Dexterity at 8 since, well, Yatsuhashi can’t really be all that sneaky can he?

Speaking of not being sneaky, Yatsuhashi is big enough that I’m going to say his race is a Goliath. They’re technically still Medium characters, but they get +2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution, as well as proficiency in Athletics and a Powerful Build so they count as one size larger for purposes of encumbrance. Goliaths also get the feature Mountain Born, giving them acclimation to high altitudes and cold weather--isn’t Mistral built into a mountain? And Stone’s Endurance lets them shrug off 1d12 plus their con modifier of damage as a reaction once per rest, which means Yatsu’s got a bit more than aura keeping him safe.

For background we’re going to go with Acolyte, mostly because Yatsuhashi seems to have a deep respect for the world around him that comes with some religious orders. Also he meditates. This gives him proficiency in Insight and Religion, in case he encounters any groups that talk about gods, an extra couple of languages, and the Shelter of the Faithful feature, which lets him get a party discount on healing at certain temples (or hospitals, flavor is everything!).

Since Yatsu’s focused a lot of his life on that big sword of his, we’ll be picking up ten levels of Fighter first. Fighters get proficiency in all weapons, all armors, Strength saving throws, Constitution saving throws, and two skills--I’d pick Animal Handling and Intimidation. First level fighters get to pick a fighting style--Great Weapon Fighting makes the most out of that big sword--and gain Second Wind, letting them regain 1d10+their fighter level HP as a bonus action once per rest. Standard tenth-level fighters also get an Action Surge (take one extra action on a turn once per rest), Extra Attack (do two attacks with a single attack action) and Indomitable (reroll a failed saving throw once per long rest).

Fighters also pick a marital archetype at their third level and I figured Cavalier works pretty well with Yatsu’s protective fighting style. Thing is, there are three different versions of Cavalier on the website I’m using as reference, so I’m going with the one from the Revise Class Options unearthed Arcana. Yatsuhashi still gets a bonus proficiency (I picked Persuasion) and Born To The Saddle (which gives Yatsu the ability to slip on and off a mount easily and stay on without too much trouble). But he also gets Combat Superiority, and at level ten that means he has a total of 5 d10 Superiority Dice he can spend on four maneuvers, which regenerate on a Rest. The Ferocious Charger feature also lets us enhance the Trip Attack maneuver, spending two dice on it to give the target disadvantage on their saving throw.

Control Mount: When Yatsu makes a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to influence a creature that he or an ally is riding, he can expend one superiority die, roll it, and add the number rolled to the check. he can do this before or after rolling the d20, but before applying the results of the check.

Precision Attack: When Yatsu makes a weapon attack against a creature, he can expend one superiority die, roll it, and add it to the attack roll. He can use this ability before or after rolling the d20, but before any of the effects of the attack are applied.

Trip Attack: When Yatsu hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the target down. Roll the die, and add it to the attack's damage roll. If the target is Large or smaller, it must also succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + Yatsu’s proficiency bonus + Yatsu’s Strength modifier) or be knocked prone.

Warding Maneuver: If Yatsu or a creature within 5 feet of him is hit by an attack, he can expend one superiority die as a reaction if he’s wielding a weapon or a shield. Roll the die, and add the number rolled to the target's AC against that attack. If the attack still hits, the target has resistance against the attack's damage.

After ten levels in Fighter come ten levels in Wizard, which mostly give us spells and an Arcane Tradition. That said, we do get Arcane Recovery, which lets us regain a number of spell slots with a total value equal to half our Wizard level per day. At ten levels, that means we can get a second level and third level slot back, or a fifth level slot back, or five first level slots back...

With ten levels of Wizard and Fighter, we get ten Ability Score Improvements total. I’d burn one for the Resilient feat, which gives us +1 intelligence and proficiency in Intelligence saving throws and leaves us eight points to spread among the abilities. Eight points is just enough to bump Yatsu’s Strength and Intelligence up to their maximum of twenty, so now he’s super strong and super smart.

For the Arcane Tradition of choice, I decided to settle on Onomancy, which gives a lot of small abilities that let Yatsuhashi screw with people’s heads while he’s casting spells. He gets the ability to Extract the Name of one creature in sight, which charms them till the end of his next turn, and he can use this ability an amount of times equal to his intelligence modifier per long rest. It also lets him learn the true name of the target, which his Fateful Naming feature uses to cast Bane or Bless on them without expending a spell slot (a number of times per long rest equal to his Intelligence Modifier). And of course he gets proficiency with Calligrapher’s Supplies, which is clearly very important.

Onomancers also get the Resonant Utterance feature, which lets them modify a non-cantrip spell they cast by adding the true name of a target and one Resonant to a wizard spell they cast. They can do this a number of times equal to half their wizard level per long rest, and at ten levels they know four Resonants. And these are the Resonants I picked for Yatsuhashi:

Devastation: If the spell requires the named creature to make a saving throw, that creature has disadvantage on the first save it makes against the spell.

Dissolution: The first time the named creature takes damage from the spell, that creature takes an extra 2d8 force damage. The extra force damage increases by 1d8 when Yatsu reaches 10th level (3d8) in this class.

Nullification: If the named target is affected by any other spells, Yatsu knows what those spells are, and he can attempt to end one of his choice by succeeding on an Intelligence check with a DC equal to 10 + the level of the chosen spell.

Puppetry: The first time the named creature takes damage from the spell, Yatsu can knock the creature prone or move it up to 10 feet, either directly toward him or away from him.

Obviously this is all great for screwing with the enemy, but it relies on Yatsuhashi casting spells. And as a tenth-level wizard with 20 Intelligence, Yatsuhashi knows five cantrips and 24 spells (even if he only has five prepared). Technically he always has Bane and Bless prepared because of his Fateful Naming feature, but for the rest of the spells he can cast on a whim, I went with a lot of ‘screw with ‘em’ spells.

Cantrips:

Booming Blade (Wizard)

Gust (Wizard)

Mind Silver (Wizard)

Thunderclap (Wizard)

True Strike (Wizard) (Concentration)

L1 (Four Slots)

Bane (Fateful Naming) (Concentration) [Prepared Without Cost]

Bless (Fateful Naming) (Concentration) [Prepared Without Cost]

Cause Fear (Wizard) (Concentration) [Prepared]

Charm Person (Wizard) [Prepared]

Ray of Sickness (Wizard) [Prepared]

L2 (Three Slots)

Crown of Madness (Wizard) (Concentration) [Prepared]

Detect Thoughts (Wizard) [Prepared]

Hold Person (Wizard) (Concentration) [Prepared]

Knock (Wizard) [Prepared]

Mental Barrier (Wizard) [Prepared]

Mind Spike (Wizard) [Prepared]

Thought Shield (Wizard) [Prepared]

Ray of Enfeeblement (Wizard) [Prepared]

L3 (Three Slots)

Bestow Curse (Wizard) (Concentration) [Prepared]

Counterspell (Wizard) [Prepared]

Remove Curse (Wizard) [Prepared]

L4 (Three Slots)

Ego Whip (Wizard) (Concentration) [Prepared]

L5 (Two Slots)

Modify Memory (Wizard) (Concentration) [Prepared]

This isn’t all the spells Yatsuhashi can know--he can theoretically know 9 more Wizard spells up to 5th level--but it does seem a decent spread to have prepared for, you know, temporarily wiping the last twelve seconds from somebody’s mind so he has an advantage on hitting them with his sword.

So yeah, there’s my take on Yatsuhashi.

[bellesdomain]

Starlight Express Workshop - Thurs 14th Sept

Let me preface this with my overall impressions - this show was fantastic in many ways, the performances were all amazing, the band was fantastic, the staging was remarkably full and entertaining given the circumstances!  It was an absolutely fascinating experience, I’m so glad I had the chance to go - and that I’m going again to see how it develops further.  

But as reviews like this are bound to, this is all going to come across as very negative - but I want to start off emphasising how much I enjoyed it overall!

The theatre is a small, steeply raked auditorium, with a thrust stage about level with the 3rd row.  The stairways on either side were accessible from the stage and used in the performance.  There’s a gantry upstage, which forms a platform for the 8 piece band and Control - yup, live Control onstage.  He had fabulous glowing headphones and an Ipad that seemed to be a racing game - I think it also included his script!  Generally I am very anti-live Control, when it comes to non-replica productions - since the entire show takes place in his imagination, he exists on a different plane to the action therefore they shouldn’t interact. But given the fluid nature of this workshop, pre-recording the kid would be impossible so it worked ok!

The show opened with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Arlene Phillips giving us the context of the evening.  Lloyd Webber explained how they’d workshopped “School of Rock” in a similar manner - no big automation, complex lighting cues or costume changes, just establishing the story telling.  Great concept!  And the venue “The Other Palace” theatre in Victoria, is being run for precisely this function.

Lloyd Webber also told us how he and Arlene Phillips had visited the German production for the English Gala, and he hardly recognised the show they were performing as his work.  And indeed, I was also at the English Gala and suddenly hearing the material in its original language made the inconsistencies and plot holes glaringly obvious!  So the point of this workshop is to see if they can get the show back into shape for a future production, as well as the German production’s 30th anniversary next May.

The show opened in a familiar manner, Control (playing with his ipad), sent to bed by his Mother. She sings her lullaby, the melody is taken up by the mouth organ.  The Overture modulates, repeats, swells, in the fans’ mind’s eye you see the shadowy figures skating around the set - and then Control interrupts with “Stop that Boring Music!” And begins to introduce the National Engines.

I think it’s fair to say this change is getting a bit of negative feedback.  That overture is the literal HEART of the show, it’s the preview of the Starlight Sequence, it’s the title song melody.  It’s the magic happening, as Control falls asleep and we enter his dreamscape.  The Overture alone will literally draw people to tears.  To have Control dismiss it as “boring music” is crass, insensitive, and a tonal mis-fire, alienating Control from the audience.  In other words, he’s a brat!

Entry of the National Trains is always a clunky way to start the show, these minor characters are so unimportant to the plot.  Placing the scene later, before AC/DC, makes for better story telling, as the audience have already established who’s important and it contextualises Electra’s entrance as we’re calling forward the competitors for the race. Anyway, the workshop has given us some new names for the Nationals - Bobo the French train is now the feminine Coco, which works well.  The German Engine is now named after Wagner’s opera das Rheingold. Rather than fix the dated and embarrassing reference, the Japanese train is still Nintendo.  And the British train is now “Brexit” - which is as topical a joke, and I suspect will last in the public conscious about as well as his APT designation did.  Yeah, that’s the point. Nobody remembers!  A very quickly dated reference.  There were a few of them throughout the night, so hopefully they’ll be reconsidered. Rolling Stock - Oliver Tompsett as Greaseball, greased back hair and stubble, was hilarious and a bit menacing - would probably be more menacing if I weren’t so steeped in his performances from Rock of Ages!  The strangest thing here though, was it. Was. so. Slow. There’s a strange quirk that the 1984 original cast recording has the Rolling Stock track at a stodgy plod - as if an LP record is played on the wrong setting! And this is what they decided to replicate live.  The performances were all brilliant, the ensemble mugging it up as their Nationals, it was hilarious and engaging, but why so slow?  As far as I know, it wasn’t performed that slow in 1984, it’s just a quirk of the recording -  but Andrew Lloyd Webber obviously approved of this!

Second number in was Crazy.  Throughout, Crazy and Call Me Rusty have been mixed up and cut together - along with remnants of Engine of Love in there as well.  It works, sort of, plot-wise it’s exactly like Engine of Love, here’s young Rusty and the coaches.  There’s a lovely bit of contextualisation where Control explains “Rusty is the first train I got when I was six” which grounds us as these are his toys.  Then into Crazy.  George Ure as Rusty may have dried on his opening lyrics, but a bit of ad-libbing and he was back on track.  Christina Bennington as Pearl got straight in there with the high option for Pearl’s “Til someone better comes along”.

Greaseball, Nationals come in to bully Rusty, and the coaches all stick up for him, however Pearl makes the point that she’s not actually Rusty’s partner, flirting with Greaseball.  Then we have a version of “Call Me Rusty”, the short version used in Vegas I believe, layering “Call me Rusty if you dare. Call me Rusty if you like…”  with the coaches still having the mid break from the original but with some new lyrics from Pearl about “we’re just friends”. Rusty is sent to fetch the trucks, and we have the original intro into Locomotion, “Rusty/can’t/be serious, him/go in/for the race?” but then there was some new material, Greaseball flirting with Pearl, saying “woowoowoo you’re brand new!” Dinah comes forward to warn him off Pearl but she gets sent to “go make the tea” by Greaseball and the Nationals.  Here’s where we’re introduced to Tassita (shhh she’s a quiet coach and doesn’t like loud noises), and we go into the new song to “introduce” the coaches, “I Got Me (and that’s all I need)”  This song felt to me like there’s some School of Rock type influence.  It’s very “I can do what I like” independent rock chick.  It’s not a bad song, but it doesn’t serve the purpose of introducing these characters at all, plus the pedantic mind says that these girls are railway coaches - and coaches DO need an engine.  Sorry to break the vibe but coaches aren’t independent - but you can easily argue the case that an engine without coaches is as useless as coaches without an engine.  The song ended quite abruptly to muted applause, but launched straight into a reprise, which was then interrupted by the Freight train.

Freight ran exactly as the 1992 London, with all the banter from the coaches, which was particularly entertaining despite being such very familiar lyrics.  Whether it was due to the small ensemble, or an effort to address the gender imbalance in the show, Hopper 3 was female, and she was having a great time of it.  Sadly no return of the Rockies, the Hip Hoppers are about the only remaining remnant of the contributions made by David Yazbek in 2003.  The only new moment in the number was one of the most jarring changes - Caboose is included, but rather than introduce himself using the “There’s Me” melody (“at the back on every piece of track…”  Being “All alone, you think you’re on your own…”) no, the Red Caboose comes straight in with “Wide Smile, High Style” melody, telling us straight off that he’s in the business of wrecking trains. His characterisation was very much aggressive, nasty and scary!  No pretense at the sweet and helpful Caboose that anyone would trust, this guy is clearly one to avoid.  Caboose made a point about being paid to do his job.

Straight after Freight, we have Control announcing technical problems…  oh boy! A late entry!  These must be his minders! Kilowatt is Electra’s security truck. Wrench is the repair truck, Purse the money truck ordered us to switch your accounts to Electra.  Again money is an active concept in this world.  Joule and Volta followed - male Volta, as with Hopper 3 is this a limitation of the size of ensemble?

Electra appeared in towering red velour heels, fishnet stockings under a conventional masculine ensemble of slacks and jacket.  Liam Tamne has an incredible voice, great range and strength and falsetto! But his characterisation flat for my personal taste for Electra, and also really reminded me of someone else, a character on TV perhaps.  He was very flamboyant and self-indulgent.

AC/DC is interrupted suddenly, as Greaseball appears.  The coaches, who 10 mins earlier were making such a point of not needing no man, especially Dinah getting up in the faces of the Nationals to protect Pearl, undergo a complete 180 on their characters, turning to the regular excited fangirls we’re used to seeing in Pumping Iron.  This felt especially wrong given Dinah’s “Back off girls, he’s mine!” - really?  Is he?  Because you were defending your girls from his flirting just now, and showed no suggestion of a relationship between Dinah and Greaseball other than antagonism.  The earlier scene is massively out of character for Dinah.

Oliver Tompsett rocked Pumping Iron, of course, it’s easy to appreciate why the girls are all fangirling over him.  The two female components stayed to dance, while Electra and his boys left in a huff.  This was one scene where the minimal staging fell flat, as the dance break needs some rock’n’roll partner work, skates or not.  

Coda Freight ran much as expected, the confrontation between Greaseball and Electra was extended by the two of them sharing the lines usually sung by the Nationals, as they mock Rusty’s intent to join the race.  Coda Freight originally did not modulate key - the German production is one where it drops into a lower key which always jars. But this time we get a modulation UP a key, which is different! But not necessary, it’s quite busy enough staying in one key.

Control announces five minutes to race time, and “if you ain’t in twos, you lose”.  This is where we would expect to find Crazy, and indeed we have a reprise of the number where Rusty approaches Pearl, but she rebuffs him with something about “don’t push me around”.  But then their conversation follows the coaches’ melody from “Call me Rusty”, as she explains in no uncertain terms that while she likes him she wants an engine of the future.  Then they are interrupted by Electra’s Bodyguard Kilowatt (shall we just call him K?) who explains Electra’s coach has a “Migraine”. Pearl has her dilemma, and will let Electra know.

Pearl has a new intro to “Make Up My Heart”, written to the “diddlydiddly” pre-race music (also used by Caboose pre-”Wide Smile”), as she discusses how Electra seems fun, then she had an echo of “He Whistled At Me” - which I think was the only occurrence of that/”Engine of Love” melody.  Then that disjointed selection of melodies led into the full “Make Up My Heart” number, as performed on the 1992 London recording.

Control starts the races, with a comment about “I’ll pick your partners for you”.  A new addition for the races which grew very tedious almost immediately, each engine as they’re introduced, sings the “Clear my track, this is my train now, this could be my dream, clear my track” fragment of “No Comeback” that Pearl sings in “Laughing Stock” - each with their own lyrics of course.  But hearing that same fragment four times in a row was repetitive, and annoying given that that melody is meant to specifically refer to Electra.  The concept of melodies referring to specific characters and event - the use of leitmotif - has more or less been lost, apart from a few occasions which shows that while they COULD use the concept, they choose not to!  Race 1 ends up with a Dead Heat between Greaseball and Electra, with only the “No Comeback” melody appearing in the race music.

As the racers clear away, we have a mopey Rusty with the “Call me Rusty” melody on the mouth organ, as he approaches the Freight yard and “Momma” is singing The Blues.  Mica Paris was poorly served by the existing score - while the major solos are within a reasonable alto range, most of Poppa’s recit is well below an alto.  However her character, and the staging for the number was really engaging and fun, and included Caboose mooching in the background.  Caboose has always seemed notable by his absence from this scene of the Freight - I presume the practical reason is that Caboose has just finished racing so to make him immediately be onstage but purely for context would be unkind.  But within the world of the show, why is Caboose not hanging out with the rest of the freight?   Momma’s response after “Let me hear you say Steam!” - the Starlight Express melody - is “When the Night is Darkest” rather than “When Your Goodnights have been Said”, which probably only coincidentally is kinder on her vocal range. But it’s slightly odd in a production that draws so heavily from the previous London productions, to bring in the Broadway variation of the title song.   Control interrupts to inform us of heat 2, Momma decided to race and ends up with Dustin much as is familiar from other productions.  The exact reason was unclear but Brexit meant the British train was missing, allowing Momma to race.  

Race Two again seemed to have Control decide the race partners, and again repeated the “Clear my Track” melody, except Momma introduced herself with the Coaches’ “I got Me” melody which seems to be pretty random for an old Steamer.  It was also incorporated into the race music.  

After Race 2, into Laughing Stock, played much as normal, but with one small 1984 detail restored - Momma points out Rusty “Couldn’t face that losing shame!”  rather than Rusty admitting his own weakness, or the line being omitted altogether.

Starlight Express - the title song closed act 1 with an unexpectedly subtle edit, new lyrics to the “When the Night is Darkest” melody.  I’m not absolutely sure new lyrics were needed for this number, but they’re evocative and very much in keeping with the scene and Rusty’s emotional journey.

(And we have the interval.  Go get a glass of wine.  You’ll need it.)

Act 2 begins with The Rap - entirely a capella, started by Hoppers “Are you Ready?” which updated lyrics. The Coaches come in with something like “Swipe to the left? Swipe to the right?  Who will be my date tonight?” which feels like it’ll date very quickly.  It was a mix between the 1992 Rap in structure, “Gotta be in the frame if you’re gonna win the game, are you ready for the big one, ready!” with quite a lot of the individual lines tweaked.  This meant that we’ve still got all the “Shut it, Dinah!” and some of the classic lines like “losing the race with this floppy disc” and “Boil with the oil or lose with the fuse”.  Performed entirely unaccompanied, with much stomping on the beat, worked really well.

“Pearl Twirl” ran unaltered, giving Dinah a COMPLETE character shift from act 1.  The confident, sassy girl is completely unrecognisable as the heartbroken Dinah singing “Uncoupled”. Fantastic performance from Natalie McQueen, really heart-felt and beautifully sung, but it was distracting how she seemed to be playing a completely different role to earlier.  The staging was even much as normal, with the other two coaches hanging out behind, with varying levels of sympathy and boredom as they sing backing vocals. But without Dinah having established a character of a devoted, in love with Greaseball, the song was very out of place.

Invitation Dinah included some new material, a longer conversation between the girls, with Dinah saying “I can’t manage on my own” - again, this is not the Dinah we saw in act 1.  The line “But if Greaseball changes his mind!” is in there.  Tassita and Belle have very little to do - no Girls Rolling Stock - but whereas in the past the coaches only had “Oh, Dinah!” to express their frustration, this gives them a little dialogue.

Caboose’s scenes in the middle of act 2 almost had me vocalising my frustration!  This scene is one of my biggest problems in the current show AND IT HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED!

First, Caboose tells Greaseball that Rusty is fast, and they plot as in the US Tour with Greaseball’s “Ohh that’s nasty, I like it!”. This conversation also gives us the existing line “Just cos I smile all the time, don’t mean I’m not into crime”.  This is not news, this is not a reveal, and this Caboose has only been smiling in an evil, mean way. There’s been no pretense at Caboose being helpful or sweet, he’s been flat-out nasty from the beginning.

Then we have the Disco-tastic 1984 version of “Wide Smile” which repeated the  “Just cos I smile all the time, don’t mean I’m not into crime” line, and included “Under the smiles, under the fun I’m public enemy number 1” - again, there’s not been any fun or smiles from this Caboose!  Also they use the full 1984 “CB” lyrics including the CB radio references which were cut for the Broadway show in 1987 as too obscure!

Patrick Sullivan’s performance was extraordinary, hitting those falsetto notes, amazing energy and rhythm, a really enjoyable number.  I don’t know if I should read significance into Electra not joining in the backing for the number, but it was only the components.

The problem is though this scene is a MASSIVE plot point.  It should be the moment we learn that Caboose is a cheating back-stabbing bastard, but this has already been established.  Also, there is a logical gap in this number - with Electra well aware of Caboose’s enjoyment of double-crossing, why on earth does Electra then choose Caboose as a race partner for the downhill final?  Especially when surrounded by his components, any of which would be a suitable race partner. The simple solution, which I was hoping this workshop would consider, would be for Electra to be removed from this scene.  Simply continue the song on from Caboose’s conversation with Greaseball, have Greaseball’s gang as the backing dancers rather than Electra’s components. Then, Electra is unaware of Caboose’s scheme, his choice of race partner makes sense.  This would also remove a flabby feeling repeat of the material as different versions have been grafted together.

Race 3 - the Uphill Final - begins with Control announcing Greaseball and Pearl, Electra and Dinah, and Rusty and Caboose.  This race has not had the extra “No Comeback” repetitions, but rather the normal spoken lines from each Engine including Rusty’s “Let’s hear it for Steam!”  

No explanation is given as to how there are only three engines, since Control earlier quoted the 1992 London instructions “There are two heats, two qualifiers from each heat”.  So what happened to the 2nd qualifier from Heat 2?  Why did only Momma come through from that race?

Well, I can tell you why, it’s because Control’s lines are taken from the 1992 London, but the races are taken from the 2003 US Tour with the pre-recorded 3D races.  Because the tour ran with only 4 Nationals including the British train, the races were run on the logic of two heats, and the winner from each would compete in the final, which should have consisted of two engines.  But since Electra and Greaseball tied, they both went through to give us 3 engines in the final.  But this story telling has been overlooked in this workshop.

The race was staged with Caboose literally picking up Rusty to make it clear he wasn’t going anywhere!  The race music also included the inverted race melody, the descending phrase as used in Germany which always jars when used to the London versions.  The Race music did include the “Wide Smile” motif. Rusty was thrown to the floor, injured, as Control shouts “Race Cancelled!  Who did it?  I didn’t do anything!” - again the 1992 London script.  

The 1992 London show was the production which cut Caboose - which is particularly relevant in this part of the show, as without Caboose driving the story, the London show included material to patch over the holes.  This material was then drafted into the UK Tour in 2004, to cover gaps where some of the David Yazbek contributions were removed, I believe.  However the result is that there are two separate scenes which cover the same actions.  

Firstly, the Caboose version is that Caboose has crashed Rusty.  The original London staging in 1984 was one of the weaker points of the show, where a fairly illogical staging required all the racers to make it onto the bridge to be carried to the top level, mid-race.  CB slowed Rusty to the point he missed the connection and the race was then cancelled due, I believe, to the fighting between Greaseball and Electra.  This had Rusty challenge Greaseball with “That CB he never took off the brakes”, which is when Pearl realised that Greaseball and CB were in cahoots.  The original version didn’t have Rusty injured apart from his pride, but gave us CB’s insane “10, 10 never again you’re no engine!”.  CB’s gloating and insane pleasure at the damage he has caused is an essential part of his character arc.  The German staging had Rusty crash and tumble down the bowl to land in a heap centre stage, where Greaseball and Pearl came by, with Pearl saying “I’ll go tell the Marshalls!” then as Greaseball pulls her away, she begins to realise she’s made mistakes.  

Secondly, the No Caboose version, the London 1992 version, has to find another reason for Rusty to be out of the race.  The Uphill final is cancelled by Control when it’s devolved into a fist fight on the bridge, Control didn’t see what happened so Greaseball and Electra jump on the chance to blame Rusty - “Rusty did it, he caused the wreck!”  Greaseball then confesses “Shut it, I did it, he was good, he was fast” - without Caboose in the show, this comes as a surprise.  The Marshalls have been wordlessly clearing everything up, Rusty then comes back to Greaseball with “They (the marshalls) say - “  “what do they say?”  Greaseball then sics his gang on Rusty, to “make sure it won’t happen again”.  The Gang then beat up Rusty (to the melody of “Wide Smile”) in order to bring him to the same, injured and dejected state, as if Caboose had been there.

These two separate scenes have been smashed together since the US Tour in 2003 gave the show major re-writes, and the story being told is flabby and confusing.  If Rusty has been wrecked by Caboose, is already on his knees and his confidence destroyed, why do the gang need to beat him up directly?  Unless the staging includes Marshalls directing the clean-up, who is Rusty talking about with “They say”?  If Caboose is there, then how does the line “You told the Marshalls I drove into you!” make any sense?  

The Workshop gives us the current version of this scene, with the 1992 London version of the show, including Greaseball and gang beating up Rusty.  Then Pearl wanders in, sees Rusty wrecked on the floor, and realises things are going bad “This wasn’t how I wanted it, this wasn’t what I saw” (what had you seen, Pearl?  We no longer have He Whistled At Me to specify her dreams and ambitions)  Flat-top has his sympathetic line “Give it up Rusty, you’ll never beat them”, and Caboose has just left. Then we have a reprise of “Crazy” at a slow, reflective pace, as the badly injured Rusty picks himself up. This reflects back to Rusty’s naive hopeful attitude at the start of the show, contrasting his previous optimism with his sad current state.  Then we hear the “Call Me Rusty” refrain on the mouth organ as standard. This reflects back to Rusty’s naive hopeful attitude at the start of the show, contrasting his previous optimism with his sad current state.  Yes, the concept of Rusty’s confident introductory number being reprised in a slow, sad tone is exactly repeated in this scene.

Where we’d expect Right Place, Right Time, we have the Hoppers wander in and paraphrase the opening lines of the number, without any particular motivation for their presence, but the full number is omitted. This scene feels like it might be a compromise as the work in progress nature of the workshop, where this is a place-holder for a new version of the full number for the Hip Hoppers.  

Rusty, alone and dejected, runs into the Starlight Sequence as normal, reflecting on how he’s “down and out”.   The Starlight Sequence is always magnificent,  but it was slightly soured after Control’s “Stop that Boring music!” comment during the overture, which is of course a preview of this scene. Mica Paris as Momma wasn’t quite comfortable with the vocal range of the song but at some moments opened up sounded glorious.  There were also some slight lyric paraphrases such as “The Starlight Express is no more or less, I’m you, Rusty”, which doesn’t quite make sense, but I suspect was simply the nature of the workshop rather than a deliberate change. George Ure’s performance was stunning and so emotional, he really carried us on Rusty’s journey.

The Rusty and Dustin scene has some new music, using the same melody as Rusty’s monologue prior to the Starlight Sequence, the melody most characterised as the Coaches’ verse in “Call Me Rusty”.  It’s a minor key, the music always suggests concern, worry, lack of confidence, so to use it for this scene felt off.  The standard score uses “Belle’s Song” at this point, as that melody is connected with the Freight and Dustin as well as Belle.

Dinah’s Disco is re-worked to be a reprise of “I Got Me” which works well in this context.  If “I Got Me” were moved from act 1 to replace “Girls’ Rolling Stock”, following “UNCOUPLED”, this reprise would work perfectly.  Electra calls CB to his side with the “AC/DC” melody, the 7/4 time makes the short scene feel a bit awkward, but replacing the “Nobody Can Do It Like a Steam Train” melody makes sense when all references to “He Whistled At Me” have been cut.  Electra and CB bargain for the price of CB’s help.

Control introduces the re-run of the Final Race, on the Downhill course.  Again the score being used is snipped from the 2003 US Tour - the pre-race 4 has two versions, the original staging called for three finalists, the Broadway and later used four finalists.  The beautiful, complex layered music was originally written for the six racers, then altered for eight.  But then the US Tour version cut it back to six, rather than referring to the original score, the two vocal lines are simply left out leaving a gap in the music.  Specifically the 1992 score had Bobo singing “Le jour du gloire est arrivé” (please pardon my french!) with Ashley singing “Gonna be hot, hotter than hot”.  The alternative for that vocal part has Caboose singing “Just for me, I’m in this just for me” (or “Nur fuer Mich” in the German score) - but the workshop uses the Tour version which simply skips this vocal line. Once part that point the complex harmonies were gorgeously performed.  While I love the “Rusty’s gonna race in the Final” moment in this number, it harks back so strongly to the original version of the Rap.  

The Downhill Final was performed with a very witty side-comment from Control about “Sorry about the lights, use your imagination!”  The race music was very much the 1984 original which was gorgeous! Control’s narration tells us the story, including Pearl being disconnected, and Rusty saves her - at which point the Crazy melody was incorporated in the race music, with the ensemble singing “Come on Rusty”.   Immediately on winning, Rusty leaves with “I must find Pearl”, as usual.  

One Rock’n’Roll Too Many was staged almost exactly as usual - in fact all that was missing was the kneepads!  Contextually this was played the same as UK Tour / Germany, not like the 1992 London, which seems a shame.  The only major difference (apart from the presence of Caboose) is that in London, the ensemble stayed onstage and witnessed the massive fall from grace of the major players in the game.  I appreciate that practically, in staging the show, I am sure the ensemble are grateful for a couple of minutes backstage, but the story telling of including them as witnesses is important.  Plus it gives the ensemble characters more time to establish their personalities.  There’s no logical reason all the characters leave before the number, and come back at the end.  Momma was struggling with the vocal range for the “Where’s Rusty gone?” section.

Pearl is introduced with the electric guitar playing the “He Whistled At Me” melody, but since neither version of her song appeared at the start of the show, her reprise that was the introduction to “I Do” has been cut.  Which is super frustrating, because that little reprise was the only good addition with this dreadful song!  

“I Do” is untouched, it’s still abysmal, with clunky, random, meaningless lyrics, poor melodic construction, long and repetitive.  The lyrics scan very poorly to the music (“you think that noboDY would love you”), and the vocal ranges are very hard to sing, it’s fortunate the cast are so strong!  They are genuinely adorable and you’re so happy that they’ve found each other, despite the music.

I have to admit, however, that with the changes to Pearl’s character, that she is given more time to think, the lyrics are not as contradictory as previously.  It feels like Pearl, and to an extent Rusty, have been ret-conned to fit this song!

I am genuinely astonished that this song has been kept, I thought the one thing this workshop would be sure to give us was an improvement on the love song.  It’s such a shame to have lost “Only He” - in any of its many variations - as the love song being a reprise of one half of the Starlight Sequence is an enormously important part of the story telling.  The “Only You” melody speaks of discovery, completion, it’s the answer to the question, where the “Starlight Express” melody is the question.  

Following “I Do”, Rusty and Pearl sing a reprise of “I Got Me”, and the “Well Done Rusty, King of the Track” is now set to the same melody, which is slowed, and jars with the dissonance.  Then the reprise of the “Starlight Express” melody is as you’d expect, into Dinah’s “Greaseball you’re hurt!”  - beautifully performed, and there isn’t the jarring sense of “No, honey, don’t go back to your abusive ex!” - which is possibly more of a negative statement since Dinah’s character is so inconsistent.  Oliver Tompsett does have the most magnificent puppy-eyes pleading expression though, making it hard to resist forgiving his character!

Leading into Light at the end of the Tunnel, Mica Paris was again having difficulty singing the role written for a baritone! I had a moment of cognitive dissonance, given how there had been strong throw-backs to the 1984 version of the show, for the one line that was originally sung by Soul Queen PP Arnold as Belle, “The man who watched the pot and said, hey I got…”  - for one moment being sung by Soul Queen Mica Paris!  The final number bounced along, full of joy and energy as ever, with no changes from the norm.  No megamix, just a play-out from the fantastic band.  

[robertvasquez763]

Audi e-tron Quattro and Sportback: New Tech Details on the Tesla Model X Rival

–

Audi may have created a rather confusing pedigree for its e-tron brand; so far, there have been plenty of electric-motor-equipped teases but very few actual production vehicles beyond the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid. But that will soon change as the company gives the e-tron brand three new battery-electric vehicles as centerpieces. The first will arrive in late 2018 for Europe and early 2019 for the United States.

–

Recent interviews we conducted with the automaker’s R&D chief, Peter Mertens, and its technical director for powertrain development, Siegfried Pint, give us a better idea of how the upcoming e-tron Quattro—and the swoopier e-tron Sportback variant that will follow it by less than a year—will shape up. These models will slot neatly between the Q5 and Q7 in size; the interiors are expected to closely follow the cabin look and layout of the new 2019 Audi A8, while exterior styling will closely hew to the appearance of the concepts bearing the same names.

–

–

Audi e-tron Quattro concept.

–

These models most certainly won’t be “compliance vehicles,” as we refer to electrified versions of existing gasoline models engineered to earn California zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) credits. Together they’ll be the first true rivals for the Tesla Model X—and the first from the Volkswagen Group built on a new set of battery-electric vehicle components developed both for global sale and volume production. Just as with those models, they’ll be offered at multiple battery sizes (at least two, in Audi’s case), corresponding to the driving range that’s needed.

–

Next-Level Charging

–

Charging is an important part of market acceptance. Audi confirmed that 150-kW CCS fast charging will be the high-speed charging base level for the production e-tron. That rate will allow them to regain more than 80 percent of charge—more than 200 miles recovered—in a half hour. Officials hinted that these models have been engineered to handle higher-power (perhaps 350 kW) fast charging but that the technology probably won’t be enabled from the start. Mertens confirmed that Audi and Porsche are working closely together on the platform and some core components, although he declined to say whether the two VW Group brands are sharing in the 800-volt charging system Porsche is reportedly still considering for its Mission E sedan.

–

Although there’s currently no publicly accessible 150-kW charging in the United States, that’s expected to change dramatically by the time the e-tron SUV launches in 2019. At that point, there will be in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 sites with 150-kW capability in the U.S. via Electrify America, plus a smaller number of additional sites from other charging providers.

–

Mertens confirmed that inductive (wireless) charging will play an important role in replenishing the e-trons’ batteries at home and work, although he wasn’t yet willing to disclose which supplier the company is working with. He did add that inductive charging will also be a “key technology” for the brand’s plug-in hybrids.

–

All-Weather Capability, Repeat Performance

–

Tesla’s vehicles tend to lose performance, we’ve observed on more than one occasion, after repeatedly tapping all-out acceleration. Audi’s Pint assured us that won’t be the case with these upcoming e-tron products, something we look forward to confirming in our own testing. “We have a requirement that the vehicle has to repeat its full power,” he said. “And the one parameter that enables you to repeat is having a low temperature in the electric-motor electronics and battery systems.”

–

To that end, these models will all have enclosed liquid cooling for the battery, traction motors, and some other components. “Batteries without liquid cooling will not be seen in the future, as the cell technology that we have these days only works within a very narrow [temperature] range,” Pint said he anticipates.

–

Furthermore, the e-tron has been engineered as a global vehicle, Pint emphasized, so a lot of attention has been paid to battery cooling and the durability of the entire power and drive systems. Both the e-tron and e-tron Sportback will follow a two-supplier strategy—with pouch cells from LG or prismatic cells from Samsung both being accommodated for in the development process. Pint reported no cooling issues with either of the cells but said he appreciates the flexibility. “Our modules are built so that we can exchange cells without changing the battery housing,” he said. “It’s the same for both cell formats.”

–

Better Traction/Stability Than Models with a Tailpipe, Audi Says

–

All e-tron Quattro models will have all-wheel drive, of course. Base models will have a two-motor system (one in back, one in front), while an upper-spec model will have a three-motor system (two in back, one in front). The latter arrangement, Pint said, makes the e-tron corner “like a hunting dog chasing a rabbit,” and it allows for the transfer of torque both front to rear and, at the rear, left to right. Pint said that the top-spec Audis are capable of applying up to 1500 lb-ft of torque to a single wheel. Not that they’ll do that in production: “Our suspension engineers aren’t able to apply all that [torque], so we have a limit for vehicle safety,” he said.

–

–

The system provides an opportunity for nuance, however. Because the torque can be fine-tuned within nanoseconds, the system can provide neutral handling across a wide range of speeds and dynamic situations, and it can support the lateral force at the tire, reducing polar inertia and theoretically making the car feel lighter than it is. It’s what gives the three-motor system in the e-tron SUV better all-weather traction and handling than any equivalent gasoline or diesel model, Pint said. So the three-motor will make it into production. “It’s already in testing, and I personally did some winter testing last winter,” he said. “It does perform really well.”

–

Motors That Avoid Conflict

–

Audi’s upcoming e-tron products will even be different at the motor level. The motors are seen as core components and thus won’t be farmed out to a supplier, said Pint. They’re developed and produced internally and, he revealed, probably won’t follow either the AC-induction design that you’ll find in the Tesla Model S or the permanent-magnet design from the Model 3 and many other models. Instead, Audi’s e-tron products will likely use specially designed current-excited synchronous motors.

–

“If you are able to develop and produce the rotor [the portion of the motor that rotates] properly, you get the best of both worlds—the efficiency and higher output of a permanent-magnet motor and an advantage at high speeds,” Pint said, adding that Audi doesn’t want to deal with the mineral and raw-material risks. “So we’re putting a lot of effort into magnet-free electric motors with the power density of a permanent magnet but the costs of an induction motor.”

–

–

Quattro Performance for the 2020s?

–

While all of the above describes Audi’s first two all-electric vehicles, the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, the automaker has been mum about the third EV variant. Our best guess at this point is that it will end up being either a compact crossover an even more performance-focused model.

–

–

Don’t Wait for an Audi Q7 Plug-In Hybrid in the U.S.

–

2019 Audi e-tron Quattro: Tesla’s Nemesis Spied in Production Form

–

Audi A8: Review, Photos, News, Info

–

–

While any system involving in-wheel motors can be ruled out—these are for now essentially restricted to concept-car flights of fancy—the four-motor setup in Audi’s recent Aicon concept is something to take seriously. As a potential tease for an all-electric reinvention of the Audi Quattro, it’s certainly intriguing.

–

from remotecar http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/-eSGQx8PMU4/

via WordPress https://robertvasquez123.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/audi-e-tron-quattro-and-sportback-new-tech-details-on-the-tesla-model-x-rival/

[jesusvasser]

Audi e-tron Quattro and Sportback: New Tech Details on the Tesla Model X Rival

-

Audi may have created a rather confusing pedigree for its e-tron brand; so far, there have been plenty of electric-motor-equipped teases but very few actual production vehicles beyond the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid. But that will soon change as the company gives the e-tron brand three new battery-electric vehicles as centerpieces. The first will arrive in late 2018 for Europe and early 2019 for the United States.

-

Recent interviews we conducted with the automaker’s R&D chief, Peter Mertens, and its technical director for powertrain development, Siegfried Pint, give us a better idea of how the upcoming e-tron Quattro—and the swoopier e-tron Sportback variant that will follow it by less than a year—will shape up. These models will slot neatly between the Q5 and Q7 in size; the interiors are expected to closely follow the cabin look and layout of the new 2019 Audi A8, while exterior styling will closely hew to the appearance of the concepts bearing the same names.

-

-

Audi e-tron Quattro concept.

-

These models most certainly won’t be “compliance vehicles,” as we refer to electrified versions of existing gasoline models engineered to earn California zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) credits. Together they’ll be the first true rivals for the Tesla Model X—and the first from the Volkswagen Group built on a new set of battery-electric vehicle components developed both for global sale and volume production. Just as with those models, they’ll be offered at multiple battery sizes (at least two, in Audi’s case), corresponding to the driving range that’s needed.

-

Next-Level Charging

-

Charging is an important part of market acceptance. Audi confirmed that 150-kW CCS fast charging will be the high-speed charging base level for the production e-tron. That rate will allow them to regain more than 80 percent of charge—more than 200 miles recovered—in a half hour. Officials hinted that these models have been engineered to handle higher-power (perhaps 350 kW) fast charging but that the technology probably won’t be enabled from the start. Mertens confirmed that Audi and Porsche are working closely together on the platform and some core components, although he declined to say whether the two VW Group brands are sharing in the 800-volt charging system Porsche is reportedly still considering for its Mission E sedan.

-

Although there’s currently no publicly accessible 150-kW charging in the United States, that’s expected to change dramatically by the time the e-tron SUV launches in 2019. At that point, there will be in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 sites with 150-kW capability in the U.S. via Electrify America, plus a smaller number of additional sites from other charging providers.

-

Mertens confirmed that inductive charging will play an important role in replenishing the e-trons’ batteries at home and work, although he wasn’t yet willing to disclose which supplier the company is working with. He did add that inductive charging will also be a “key technology” for the brand’s plug-in hybrids.

-

All-Weather Capability, Repeat Performance

-

Tesla’s vehicles tend to lose performance, we’ve observed on more than one occasion, after repeatedly tapping all-out acceleration. Audi’s Pint assured us that won’t be the case with these upcoming e-tron products, something we look forward to confirming in our own testing. “We have a requirement that the vehicle has to repeat its full power,” he said. “And the one parameter that enables you to repeat is having a low temperature in the electric-motor electronics and battery systems.”

-

To that end, these models will all have enclosed liquid cooling for the battery, traction motors, and some other components. “Batteries without liquid cooling will not be seen in the future, as the cell technology that we have these days only works within a very narrow [temperature] range,” Pint said he anticipates.

-

Furthermore, the e-tron has been engineered as a global vehicle, Pint emphasized, so a lot of attention has been paid to battery cooling and the durability of the entire power and drive systems. Both the e-tron and e-tron Sportback will follow a two-supplier strategy—with pouch cells from LG or prismatic cells from Samsung both being accommodated for in the development process. Pint reported no cooling issues with either of the cells but said he appreciates the flexibility. “Our modules are built so that we can exchange cells without changing the battery housing,” he said. “It’s the same for both cell formats.”

-

Better Traction/Stability Than Models with a Tailpipe, Audi Says

-

All e-tron Quattro models will have all-wheel drive, of course. Base models will have a two-motor system (one in back, one in front), while an upper-spec model will have a three-motor system (two in back, one in front). The latter arrangement, Pint said, makes the e-tron corner “like a hunting dog chasing a rabbit,” and it allows for the transfer of torque both front to rear and, at the rear, left to right. Pint said that the top-spec Audis are capable of applying up to 1500 lb-ft of torque to a single wheel. Not that they’ll do that in production: “Our suspension engineers aren’t able to apply all that [torque], so we have a limit for vehicle safety,” he said.

-

-

The system provides an opportunity for nuance, however. Because the torque can be fine-tuned within nanoseconds, the system can provide neutral handling across a wide range of speeds and dynamic situations, and it can support the lateral force at the tire, reducing polar inertia and theoretically making the car feel lighter than it is. It’s what gives the three-motor system in the e-tron SUV better all-weather traction and handling than any equivalent gasoline or diesel model, Pint said. So the three-motor will make it into production. “It’s already in testing, and I personally did some winter testing last winter,” he said. “It does perform really well.”

-

Motors That Avoid Conflict

-

Audi’s upcoming e-tron products will even be different at the motor level. The motors are seen as core components and thus won’t be farmed out to a supplier, said Pint. They’re developed and produced internally and, he revealed, probably won’t follow either the AC-induction design that you’ll find in the Tesla Model S or the permanent-magnet design from the Model 3 and many other models. Instead, Audi’s e-tron products will likely use specially designed current-excited synchronous motors.

-

“If you are able to develop and produce the rotor [the portion of the motor that rotates] properly, you get the best of both worlds—the efficiency and higher output of a permanent-magnet motor and an advantage at high speeds,” Pint said, adding that Audi doesn’t want to deal with the mineral and raw-material risks. “So we’re putting a lot of effort into magnet-free electric motors with the power density of a permanent magnet but the costs of an induction motor.”

-

-

Quattro Performance for the 2020s?

-

While all of the above describes Audi’s first two all-electric vehicles, the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, the automaker has been mum about the third EV variant. Our best guess at this point is that it will end up being an even more performance-focused model.

-

-

Don’t Wait for an Audi Q7 Plug-In Hybrid in the U.S.

-

2019 Audi e-tron Quattro: Tesla’s Nemesis Spied in Production Form

-

Audi A8: Review, Photos, News, Info

-

-

While any system involving in-wheel motors can be ruled out—these are for now essentially restricted to concept-car flights of fancy—the four-motor setup in Audi’s recent Aicon concept is something to take seriously. As a potential tease for an all-electric reinvention of the Audi Quattro, it’s certainly intriguing.

- from Performance Junk WP Feed 4 http://ift.tt/2zaO4Cc via IFTTT

[eddiejpoplar]

Audi e-tron Quattro and Sportback: New Tech Details on the Tesla Model X Rival

-

Audi may have created a rather confusing pedigree for its e-tron brand; so far, there have been plenty of electric-motor-equipped teases but very few actual production vehicles beyond the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid. But that will soon change as the company gives the e-tron brand three new battery-electric vehicles as centerpieces. The first will arrive in late 2018 for Europe and early 2019 for the United States.

-

Recent interviews we conducted with the automaker’s R&D chief, Peter Mertens, and its technical director for powertrain development, Siegfried Pint, give us a better idea of how the upcoming e-tron Quattro—and the swoopier e-tron Sportback variant that will follow it by less than a year—will shape up. These models will slot neatly between the Q5 and Q7 in size; the interiors are expected to closely follow the cabin look and layout of the new 2019 Audi A8, while exterior styling will closely hew to the appearance of the concepts bearing the same names.

-

-

Audi e-tron Quattro concept.

-

These models most certainly won’t be “compliance vehicles,” as we refer to electrified versions of existing gasoline models engineered to earn California zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) credits. Together they’ll be the first true rivals for the Tesla Model X—and the first from the Volkswagen Group built on a new set of battery-electric vehicle components developed both for global sale and volume production. Just as with those models, they’ll be offered at multiple battery sizes (at least two, in Audi’s case), corresponding to the driving range that’s needed.

-

Next-Level Charging

-

Charging is an important part of market acceptance. Audi confirmed that 150-kW CCS fast charging will be the high-speed charging base level for the production e-tron. That rate will allow them to regain more than 80 percent of charge—more than 200 miles recovered—in a half hour. Officials hinted that these models have been engineered to handle higher-power (perhaps 350 kW) fast charging but that the technology probably won’t be enabled from the start. Mertens confirmed that Audi and Porsche are working closely together on the platform and some core components, although he declined to say whether the two VW Group brands are sharing in the 800-volt charging system Porsche is reportedly still considering for its Mission E sedan.

-

Although there’s currently no publicly accessible 150-kW charging in the United States, that’s expected to change dramatically by the time the e-tron SUV launches in 2019. At that point, there will be in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 sites with 150-kW capability in the U.S. via Electrify America, plus a smaller number of additional sites from other charging providers.

-

Mertens confirmed that inductive charging will play an important role in replenishing the e-trons’ batteries at home and work, although he wasn’t yet willing to disclose which supplier the company is working with. He did add that inductive charging will also be a “key technology” for the brand’s plug-in hybrids.

-

All-Weather Capability, Repeat Performance

-

Tesla’s vehicles tend to lose performance, we’ve observed on more than one occasion, after repeatedly tapping all-out acceleration. Audi’s Pint assured us that won’t be the case with these upcoming e-tron products, something we look forward to confirming in our own testing. “We have a requirement that the vehicle has to repeat its full power,” he said. “And the one parameter that enables you to repeat is having a low temperature in the electric-motor electronics and battery systems.”

-

To that end, these models will all have enclosed liquid cooling for the battery, traction motors, and some other components. “Batteries without liquid cooling will not be seen in the future, as the cell technology that we have these days only works within a very narrow [temperature] range,” Pint said he anticipates.

-

Furthermore, the e-tron has been engineered as a global vehicle, Pint emphasized, so a lot of attention has been paid to battery cooling and the durability of the entire power and drive systems. Both the e-tron and e-tron Sportback will follow a two-supplier strategy—with pouch cells from LG or prismatic cells from Samsung both being accommodated for in the development process. Pint reported no cooling issues with either of the cells but said he appreciates the flexibility. “Our modules are built so that we can exchange cells without changing the battery housing,” he said. “It’s the same for both cell formats.”

-

Better Traction/Stability Than Models with a Tailpipe, Audi Says

-

All e-tron Quattro models will have all-wheel drive, of course. Base models will have a two-motor system (one in back, one in front), while an upper-spec model will have a three-motor system (two in back, one in front). The latter arrangement, Pint said, makes the e-tron corner “like a hunting dog chasing a rabbit,” and it allows for the transfer of torque both front to rear and, at the rear, left to right. Pint said that the top-spec Audis are capable of applying up to 1500 lb-ft of torque to a single wheel. Not that they’ll do that in production: “Our suspension engineers aren’t able to apply all that [torque], so we have a limit for vehicle safety,” he said.

-

-

The system provides an opportunity for nuance, however. Because the torque can be fine-tuned within nanoseconds, the system can provide neutral handling across a wide range of speeds and dynamic situations, and it can support the lateral force at the tire, reducing polar inertia and theoretically making the car feel lighter than it is. It’s what gives the three-motor system in the e-tron SUV better all-weather traction and handling than any equivalent gasoline or diesel model, Pint said. So the three-motor will make it into production. “It’s already in testing, and I personally did some winter testing last winter,” he said. “It does perform really well.”

-

Motors That Avoid Conflict

-

Audi’s upcoming e-tron products will even be different at the motor level. The motors are seen as core components and thus won’t be farmed out to a supplier, said Pint. They’re developed and produced internally and, he revealed, probably won’t follow either the AC-induction design that you’ll find in the Tesla Model S or the permanent-magnet design from the Model 3 and many other models. Instead, Audi’s e-tron products will likely use specially designed current-excited synchronous motors.

-

“If you are able to develop and produce the rotor [the portion of the motor that rotates] properly, you get the best of both worlds—the efficiency and higher output of a permanent-magnet motor and an advantage at high speeds,” Pint said, adding that Audi doesn’t want to deal with the mineral and raw-material risks. “So we’re putting a lot of effort into magnet-free electric motors with the power density of a permanent magnet but the costs of an induction motor.”

-

-

Quattro Performance for the 2020s?

-

While all of the above describes Audi’s first two all-electric vehicles, the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, the automaker has been mum about the third EV variant. Our best guess at this point is that it will end up being an even more performance-focused model.

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Don’t Wait for an Audi Q7 Plug-In Hybrid in the U.S.

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2019 Audi e-tron Quattro: Tesla’s Nemesis Spied in Production Form

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Audi A8: Review, Photos, News, Info

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While any system involving in-wheel motors can be ruled out—these are for now essentially restricted to concept-car flights of fancy—the four-motor setup in Audi’s recent Aicon concept is something to take seriously. As a potential tease for an all-electric reinvention of the Audi Quattro, it’s certainly intriguing.

- from Performance Junk Blogger 6 http://ift.tt/2zaO4Cc via IFTTT

[mybestgamingreviews]

FORZA HORIZON 3 REVIEW

The standard for this series is very high. Back in 2014 Forza Horizon 2 delivered us a sumptuous slab of Mediterranean coastline; a splendid, summertime jaunt through the rolling fields and quaint seaside towns of southern Europe that felt like it was lifted from an episode of Top Gear. It’s lovely, truly.

And Horizon 3’s world just crushes it. The cars may be the stars here, but it’s the stage that steals the show.

The cars may be the stars here, but it's the stage that steals the show.There isn’t any one reason, but many that add up. The attention to detail, for example, is magnificent, and as an Australian it’s certainly something I can wholly vouch for. The road markings, the street signs, even the garbage bins with their multi-coloured lids. It’s eerie, really. The lighting is astonishing, too, with the amazingly authentic sky bathing the whole environment in uncannily realistic sunlight and casting crisper shadows. (The latter are at their most superb as you wind through the thick rainforest sections as the sun tries to pierce through the tall trees.) Water plays a big part, too, and not just because the entire place looks even better slick from rain. Everything from the gently sloshing waves by the Twelve Apostles to the wake created by your wheels as you putter across shallow streams is top notch you can Download Forza Horizon 3.

Its greatest strength is probably the sheer variety of landscapes, though. Horizon 3 remains dwarfed by the likes of The Crew’s impressively large map, but it packs a pile of vastly different terrains into its Australian backdrop. There’s a quiet coastal town, with its picturesque beaches, and the rolling fields between it and the high-rise, urban metropolis of Surfers Paradise. There’s the damp and dense rainforest carpeted with thick undergrowth around closely packed trees. There’s also rural wine country that gives way to the sparse red dust and isolated farms of the outback. If anything, Horizon 3’s outback zone isn’t really big enough to communicate the sheer vastness of the real thing that I’d yearned for (shelve your hopes of any arrow-straight highways disappearing over the, er, horizon) but it’s nonetheless a noticeable improvement over Horizon 2 where all four corners of the map felt largely similar to each other.

The lighting certainly helps a great deal, though, as the differences between each area are also heightened by Horizon 3’s new global illumination lighting system. It gives the outback a different hue to, say, the rainforest zone as the light picks up an orange tint from the sunburnt soil. The whole environment looks extra special in the pitch black of night, too, with the red glow of the roadside reflectors and the glint of approaching signs responding to your car’s headlights. for more reviews and game plays you can visit www.skidrowsgames.com

Global illumination also does wonders for the car models, seating them in the world better than ever. It’s perhaps telling that despite the fact I’m a dyed-in-the-wool cabin view enthusiast I’m finding myself more and more regularly opting to cruise with the chase cam to marvel at the way the cars gleam and pick up realistic reflections, even of the clouds above. Cabin view, however, is the best seat in the house from which to behold Horizon 3’s wet weather. It’s improved markedly from Horizon 2, with droplets now streaking across the glass and being shoved around by the wipers, as seen in last year’s Forza Motorsport 6.

The price for all this eye candy on Xbox One is that Horizon 3 runs at 30 frames per second (as with previous Horizon games) although it remains locked there always, providing a smooth and consistent driving experience. The only time I ever saw it stumble was during the vignettes you get upon discovering a barn find (which are back, more plentiful than ever, and better disguised on the menu screens prior to their discovery). The PC version is blissfully unrestricted.

Another area of improvement is the spectacular audio; Horizon 3 is the best-sounding Forza game to date – including Forza Motorsport. The step up from Horizon 2 is immediately noticeable, and that’s already a great-sounding game, but there’s just something about the exhaust notes here in Horizon 3 that seem louder and more aggressive than ever before. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of feathering the throttle with the backfire that Horizon 3 provides; it’s like the crack of a rifle.

Horizon 2’s brand of simple and seamless opt in/opt out multiplayer returns and now includes include new co-op functionality, so if you don’t want to play the career mode alone you can join three friends and tackle it in co-op. Everything you discover and complete is consistent across multiplayer and solo play, which is great design.

Beyond its prowess when it comes to presentation, Horizon 3’s big bullet point is its pliability. There are more car customisation options than ever, and the best ones are sorted into a separate menu, so it’s clear before purchasing which rides will feature the new widebody kits and blower options. 2015’s Need for Speed actually made up a lot of ground on the Forza franchise’s level of customisation (even surpassing it in some areas, like the ability to place decals on glass, for instance) but Horizon 3 is a confident response to the challenge.

We’re also no longer restricted to a default avatar; rather we can now choose from a selection, à la Test Drive Unlimited. Playground has even had its voice actors record a host of names the commentary will refer to you by, which is a cute touch. It defaulted to Luke, but I chose ‘Sausage’ because I’m clearly easily amused. Every time I load my game I hear Anna, my GPS assistant, say, “Welcome back, Sausage!” It’s impossible not to drive away with a grin after that greeting.

You’re no longer restricted to the in-game music, either, and I really can’t stress enough how much I love the Groove Music integration here. It really is surprisingly easy to play your own music in Horizon 3 and it’s absolutely worth a try if you love driving to particular tunes. While I mentioned ‘Thunderstruck’ in the intro, Horizon 3 contains no AC/DC; I’m just playing my own. Having the built-in ability to stream your music itself is different to just playing background music via the Groove app on your Xbox One, too. Done in-game it’ll play just like any of the included radio stations; there’s no DJ but your songs will get the full post-processing treatment any time you drive into a festival location so it’ll sound like your radio has just given way to a live concert. That said, my personal songs would occasionally hang and skip like a badly scratched CD, but I can’t tell if that’s a bandwidth issue on my part or a technical one with the functionality itself.

But it’s the flexibility of the racing events themselves that gives us almost complete control over how Horizon 3 unfolds. Horizon 2 allowed us to rock up to a new championship and completely ignore the suggested car class, which meant we could progress towards the festival’s grand finale without ever leaving the cars we wanted to drive most. Horizon 3 goes a step further, not only by adjusting certain events automatically depending on what car you’ve brought to the start point but also by allowing us to either completely re-script the event from the ground up ourselves, or race a custom event created by friends or other Horizon 3 players.

The functionality is dubbed Horizon Blueprint and lets us select the time of day, the weather, the competition, and even the name of the race itself. It’s brilliant, and means every event can be raced in dozens and dozens of different ways under a whole range of conditions. Completing your own or your friends’ Blueprint events will net you the same rewards you’d earn for opting for the “official” events Playground has baked in. You can even create your own Bucket List challenges – the one-off, themed events introduced in Horizon 2 – starting at predetermined points in the world.

About my only gripe here is that the Horizon 3 still isn’t nuanced enough to distinguish between Ford vehicles from the US, the UK, and Australia. As a result Horizon 3’s Australian-themed race category ‘Aussie Rules’ is kind of a waste of space right now, considering Aussie Fords remain sorted as US cars and aren’t eligible. An odd miss considering how utterly reverent Horizon 3 otherwise is to its setting.

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Our Favorite Running Moments in Literature

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Our Favorite Running Moments in Literature

Surely, running and writing are parallel pursuits: for better or worse, both require you to spend an awful lot of time in your own head. With each, the pleasurable aspect (so far as it exists) is largely retrospective; it feels great to have written something decent, just as the best part of running is the feeling you get afterward—especially when there’s a pastry involved. With both activities, the actual process can be painful and frustrating and include prolonged periods of self-doubt. And that’s when things are going well.

It is only fitting, then, that our literary canon abounds with running references. Through the ages, the sport has featured prominently in various genres, from Greek myth to poetry to the modern short story. The following are some of the most notable running moments in literature.

“Metamorphoses,” Ovid, 8 A.D.

Nervous about an upcoming race? Read the myth of Atalanta and Hippomenes to see what real race-day pressure looks like. The huntress Atalanta is a great beauty with suitors aplenty, any of whom can win her by besting her in a foot race. Unfortunately for these aspiring lovers, Atalanta is “no less swift than a Scythian arrow.” More bad news: losing the race also means losing your life. Several young men can’t help themselves, however, and with predictable results. Along comes Hippomenes, who can’t help himself either, but he’s wise enough to ask the goddess Venus for help: “I pray you preside at my venture, aiding the fires that you yourself have ignited.” In what must be one of the first instances of technical doping, Venus gifts the young man with three golden apples, which he cunningly uses to distract Atalanta during the race. Alas, Hippomenes doesn’t sufficiently thank Venus for her assistance, an omission that eventually leads to him and Atalanta being turned into lions.

“To an Athlete Dying Young,” A.E. Housman, 1896

The scholar, classicist, and poet Alfred Edward Housman published only two volumes of poetry in his life, A Shropshire Lad (1896) and Last Poems (1922). According to the Norton Anthology of English Literature, Housman’s favorite theme is “the doomed youth acting out the tragedy of his brief life”—a subject that was all too relevant during World War I, when Housman’s poems were extremely popular in England. “To an Athlete Dying Young,” arguably Housman’s most recognizable poem today, certainly taps into this theme. The brief elegy invokes the romantic notion that a premature demise means not having to witness the fading of one’s glory, not having to “swell the rout” of “runners whom renown outran. And the name died before the man.” Beyond such quotable couplets, the morbidly clever transition that links its first two stanzas is reason enough for the poem to endure:

The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town.

“The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner,” Alan Sillitoe, 1959

We owe running’s famous epithet to Alan Sillitoe’s 1959 short story about youthful rebellion in postwar England. “The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner” is the story of Smith, a young delinquent and ace cross-country runner. After robbing a bakery, Smith is sent to prison school, where he gets favorable treatment from the authorities thanks to his athletic talent. The school’s “pop-eyed potbellied governor” expects Smith to win a local meet and thereby serve as a prime exemplar for his institution, but Smith has other ideas. For the story’s beleaguered protagonist, the sensation of his morning runs is the source of “the only honesty and realness there was in the world.” It’s a wonder that running shoe marketers haven’t tried to make hay with this. Or maybe it isn’t.

“Pheidippides,” Robert Browning, 1878

We would be remiss to have a running-in-literature list without mentioning the poem that served as inspiration for the modern-day marathon. Many are familiar with the origin story of the race: As Persian attack ships landed on the coast near Marathon around 500 B.C., Pheidippides, a Greek messenger, ran more than 200 miles to Sparta and back, seeking military aid. The Spartans said no, but the Greeks won anyway. Dispatched to send news of the victory to Athens, Pheidippides covered the 25 miles on foot, delivered the good news, and then died of cumulative exhaustion. Though there is no historical evidence for the last part of the story, Englishman Robert Browning’s 19th-century poem “Pheidippides” helped ensconce this version in popular culture. At the urging of his friend Michel Bréal, a prominent French linguist who was enthralled by Browning’s poem, Pierre de Coubertain, the French aristocrat and Hellenophile credited as the founder of the modern Olympics, included a marathon event in the inaugural games of 1896.

“The Tortoise and The Hare,” Aesop, Circa 600 B.C.

No story about running is more prevalent in popular culture today than Aesop’s beloved fable. The tale of the persistent tortoise and the cocky hare is also probably the most useful allegory we have on the importance of pacing. There are endless animated versions. There’s a sculpture near the finish of one of the nation’s oldest cross-country courses. Of course there’s a running shoe store. But that’s not to say that the moral of the story has remained consistent. In a 2015 Super Bowl ad, the tortoise literally drives over his rival in a Mercedes AMG GT with a—presumably—sexy rabbit babe riding shotgun. (Tortoise: “Slow and steady, my ass.”) I don’t know about you, but I still prefer the original.

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