More Roughnecks: 2 new campaigns Feb.5 (1 Viewer)

[Stephen_L]

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, the CGI series is releasing two more DVD campaigns Feb. 5. Outlining the "Hydora" and "Tophet" campaigns, these new DVDs will fill the gap between the already released Pluto DVD (First) and Tesca Nemerosa (Fourth). Sony also has two more campaigns in production meaning almost the entire series will be released on video and DVD.

If you haven't seen it, Roughnecks is the most amazing CGI animation I've seen on TV. Animated mostly by Foundation Imaging (who did the effects for ST:Voyager and Babylon 5) the look of the series is exceptional, but I love it for the stories. Unlike most animated shows, Roughnecks tells a linear story that lets the cast change. People are lost from the squad, new one's appear, characters change. It's definately head and shoulders above most U.S. animation.

Sony has pulled out the stops on extras as well. These DVDs will have director and CGI animator commentary as well as concept art, and actor bios. I can't wait to get my hand on these episodes.

 

[Peter Overduin]

I have the first two, and these will be coming as well; not compelling, to be sure, but for animation fans they are a great buy.

 

[Nigel McN]

the increase in features suggests they sold quite well.

 

[Stephen_L]

Agreed Nigel. The first DVD (Pluto) was just testing the waters; it had very little in the way of extras. It must have done very well because the next two releases had producer-director commentary and more concept art. These two new releases (Hydora and Tophet) now add to the above extras CGI animator commentary and voice actor bios. So I'm guessing that people are discovering the value of this series.

 

[Jerome Grate]

How was the first one. I saw it in Best Buy and I was going to get it but I only buy sight unseen when I get overwhelming reviews in favor of having.

 

[Donnie Eldridge]

Awesome! They can't release these fast enough for my taste.

 

[Stephen_L]

Since I opened the thread, you can guess I loved the show. You had to love this show to see it when it was on the air. It's a sequential story that was aired out of order at an unholy early hour in the Baltimore region. I first caught Roughnecks when I was on-call at the hospital and was up early with time on my hands. I channel surfed till I found this show. I had never seen such realistic animation. I had read and enjoyed Heinlein's Starship Troopers, didn't care for the film, but discovered in this show the military action, sci-fi hardware, involving characters and plot that do justice to the original text. The CGI series borrows elements from the book and film to create its own story of Razak's Roughnecks in the First Interstellar War. It includes critical elements the film missed, like power-suits, suborbital drops, and the Skinnies. I was amazed by the facial animation, character movement, detailed, gritty look of the equipment, and splendid animation of the 'bugs'. I was also pleased to see that while not as violent as the film, the series shows the cost of war. In the entire series one squadmember will suffer mental collapse, one will be permanently disabled, another critically injured and undergo rehabilitation, and one will die. Since finding the show, I've been trying to promote it as much as I can so folks can see what their missing. (P.S. I'm not a Sony employee or some shill for the manufacturer)

 

[Terry Hickey]

I am waiting for the 2 new campaigns, but everyplace I have

looked (retailers) say that they won't be out until Feb. 19.

Unless you know something different, looks like Columbia moved the release date back a couple of weeks.

 

[Kenny Goldin]

Yup, Feb 19 it is indeed. Ah well, actually I am kinda glad...I am so far behind on my DVD watching...X-Files season 2, 3, 4, Buffy, Starget SG1, Tombstone, Tron, Almost Famous Bootleg, and on and on...ain;t DVD grand?!?!

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Sweet!

I wonder if Sony is seeing enough $$$ to consider finishing the series?

 

[PhilipW]

I've also wondered about the series being finished. It kinda left us hanging with the battle for Earth just underway. Are these the last episodes or were there more and I just missed them?

 

[Cheryl P]

You didn't miss them Philip, they haven't been produced yet. The Roughneck fans are patiently waiting and hoping the sales of the individual Arcs will encourage Sony to 'make the plunge'and finish the final episodes.
If you haven't signed the petition there is one at
www.roughneckchronicles.com
A great all around place to learn about the television show and an opportunity to meet some of the best fans out there.

 

[todd s]

Can someone tell me what episodes are covered in the new Tophet and Hydora dvd releases??

 

[Stephen_L]

Todd the series was divided into 5 episode campaigns. The Hydora campaign represents Ep. 106 to 110

106 Water, Water Everywhere

107 Swarm

108 Search and Destroy

109 Missing in Action

110 Sole Survivor

The Tophet campaign immediately follows with Ep. 111 to 115.

111 Betrayal

112 Stranded

113 Of Flesh and Steel

114 Captured

115 The Face of Truth

With these new releases added to the Pluto and Tesca campaigns already released, Ep's 101 through 120 will be available.

 

[Gord Lacey]

I've posted my review of "The Hydora Campaign" at http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/siterevi...?ReleaseID=696 . I'm going to work on "The Pluto Campaign" and "The Tophet Campaign" reviews and hopefully put them up later today (just finishing up one of the commentary tracks on Tophet).
Gord

 

[Stephen_L]

Gord, thanks for the terrific review. This little seen series is amazing for many reasons. Despite being a commercial disappointment (it was aired at very early hours and out of order for a sequential story), Sony has now guaranteed that most of the series will be released on DVD and have LOADED these latest DVDs with extras. I'm especially eager to hear the CGI animators track because I'm fascinated by the process. Sony has already committed to releasing the Klendathu and Earth arcs later which will mean all but five episodes (Ice Asteroid) are either out now or will be soon, and fans of the show can finally watch it in order in all its CGI glory.

 

[George Cifrancis]

The next 2 Roughnecks DVD's are out.

The "Klendathu Campaign" has episodes 26 thru 30

and The Homefront Campaign has episodes 132 and 134 thru 137. (Not sure why they skipped 133).

Does anyone have a complete list of the DVD's with the episodes numbers they contain?

George C.

 

[Gord Lacey]

George, I listened to the commentary track and they said that episode 33 was never complete (just the voices). A better question would be, "Where's episode 31??" since it was finished and does exist.

Here are the discs and the episodes they contain:

V1-Pluto Campaign: 1-5

V2-Tesca Campaign: 16-20

V3-Hydora Campaign: 6-10

V4-Tophet Campaign: 11-15

V5-Klendathu Campaign: 26-30

V6-Homefront Campaign: 32, 34, 35-37

Missing are episodes 21-25 (an asteroid) and 31. Episodes 33, 38, 39 and 40 were voiced but not animated.

Gord

P.S. Edited to fix an episode number

 

[George Cifrancis]

Gord,

V2-Tesca and V4-Tophet both have episode 15? Or was that a typo?

George

 

[Jeff Cooper]

That's a typo. V2-Tesca has eps. 16-20.

Episode 31 is MIA on the Homefront disc. Will we ever see this episode on DVD?