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mikeszekely

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Everything posted by mikeszekely

  1. mikeszekely
    For a web exclusive, the G3 doesn't seem too badly marked up. Maybe cheaper than the Casval one. I'll probably try to get one. I dig the G3's colors, and I feel like I've gotten much better at Gunpla since I built the 2.
  2. mikeszekely
    A dash of red?
  3. mikeszekely
    i5 4GB 128GB. The i3 seemed like it has too little storage, the i5 8GB 256GB was appealing but not another $300 appealing.
  4. mikeszekely
    Today was the last day of 18-month financing with the Best Buy credit card, so I bit the bullet and went to buy one. They were out and had to order it, so I won't get the unit itself for a couple days yet (current estimate is the 7th). I did come home with the TypeCover and a Microsoft Bluetooth mouse. Since I financed it, selling my iPad is now more of a "if I want to" than a "need to sell if I want to afford the Surface." Still planning to dump at least one of my laptops, though. Anyway, after it comes and I get a chance to play with it, I'll let you know what I think, myk.
  5. mikeszekely
    Yeah, I think it looks like a fantastic laptop replacement. Much more portable than my gaming laptop, much more powerful than my portable laptop. But my iPad is the right size for couch/bed surfing, casual gaming, or reading comic books. The longish (not as good as my ol' iPad 3) battery life and fantastic standby time make it a great instant-on-instant-off sort of device. I think that the Surface's full version of Windows, the i5 processor (in the one I'm looking at), the stylus, larger size, USB port, microSD slot, and optional-but-not-really-optional TypeCover will make the Surface a fantastic laptop replacement/productivity device, but those same strengths will make it less appealing as a screwing around tablet device and that ultimately I might not be happy selling my iPad over it.
  6. mikeszekely
    Does anyone hear have a Surface Pro 3? I have an iPad, and I like it for all the things that a tablet does well (like couch/bed/bathroom surfing), but I'd never say it's a PC replacement. I'm used to taking it and a laptop with me when I travel, and at home I'll sometimes find myself putting the iPad down, going to my basement man-cave, and getting on my desktop because whatever I wanted to do was just easier to do on a PC. I've been seeing ads lately for the Surface Pro 3, and it's got a lot of features I'd like in a laptop (touchscreen, lightweight, that pen, etc). As a tablet, though, I'm wondering if it's quick enough, too big, or too heavy. Articles that compare the Surface Pro 3 and the iPad seem focused more on business productivity or technical specs. But if I'm debating on whether or not to sell my iPad to buy one, I kind of want a better impression of the experience. Like, how is it for quickly looking up that guy in the show you're watching because you know you've seen him in something else but can't remember what? Or jotting down a quick note because you want to try a different build in Gundam Breaker and need your current stats handy to compare? Or (dare I admit it) playing Candy Crush Soda Saga while dropping a deuce?
  7. mikeszekely
    Nope. Too many other games that need played. And there's too many variables that may or may not affect the outcome. Maybe if I knew for sure how many of them really matter, if any. But there's The developers have hinted that there's more than two endings (including the one that happens if you never leave the table at the beginning), but I never did follow up on any details. Still, I'm going to say Game of the Year for me. The only two 2014 releases that I haven't played but really want to are Beyond Earth, Bayonetta 2 and Gundam Breaker 2, and while I will likely spend untold hours with GB2, I don't think any of those will surpass Far Cry 4. The other big games I'd hoped would be in the running, Dragon Age Inquisition and Assassin's Creed Unity, wound up being really disappointing. Even if Unity wasn't broken at release, I feel like the gameplay was just a huge step backward. As for Dragon Age, people are talking about it like it's the best thing since sliced bread. I'm just not getting that. I'd heard that the PC version has issues, and that's what I'm playing on, so maybe it's better on consoles? But it just seems like, instead of being filled with interesting side quests the way most Bioware games are, it's just filled with "zones" where you're stuck doing boring MMO-ish junk to get the necessary Power to unlock more story content. Oh, yeah, there was a lot of hype about Shadows of Mordor, too. I think it had some interesting ideas, but a lot of people seem so caught up in those ideas that they seem willing to overlook the fact that, in my opinion at least, that their Nemesis system seems to allow for broken invincible orcs and can damn you with never-ending swarms of grunts. I honestly couldn't even be bothered to finish it.
  8. mikeszekely
    I'm not debating that you have valid points for the MG line... indeed, I think all of the lines have their advantages and disadvantages, and one of the things I think makes gunpla great is that there's something for everyone. Me personally, I prefer the RG line for the insane detail, and I supplement my RGs with HGs of suits that I really want because scale is essential to me. Respectfully, though, I think you might be missing my point. I'm not upset that an HG model kit doesn't have a transformable core fighter or working hatches on the torso; I even suggested that Bandai wouldn't do it (at least in 1/144) unless they do an RG Turn A. My point is that I'm NOT glad they included a core fighter or the open hatch parts, and the reason I'm not glad is because I think they're a waste. I don't care about the non-transformable, single-color core fighter, and I sincerely doubt anybody is going to build and display the Turn A with the hatch open parts, or even further, take the model apart to swap them out later. I really feel that, instead of extra chest parts and a core fighter that the majority would have been way happier with a Gundam Hammer, a weapon Turn A is really known for. I'm also saying that, despite the unwanted junk and the lack of a Gundam Hammer, and despite the shoulder issues, that the HGUC is a pretty good kit, and I actually recommend it. I'd say that's fairly true for Unicorn, excluding extra huge stuff like the Psyco Gundam, and excluding non-Gundam MS like Kshatriya or the Zaku III. In Destroy mode, it should be similarly-sized with the Nu Gundam, around 22 meters. Most of the MS in the various Gundam series are around 18-19m. Gundam X, at around 17m, is definitely on the smaller side, but it's still bigger than most of the Gundams in G and Wing (around 16m), and a lot bigger than F91 or V (around 15m). Seeing the difference in size (F91 comes up to around Nu's waist) is part of the fun of keeping everything in scale. I happen to like 1/144, partly because I love the insane amount of detail on the RGs, partly because I like the relatively low cost and abundance of the 1/144 kits, and partly because I can fit more in a similar space. But like I said, the 1/100 MGs and even the 1/60 PGs have their charms, too. There's no right or wrong when it comes to Gunpla.
  9. mikeszekely
    It's done! Again, it's my first time doing panel lines, and all of the color is either molded that way or painted. The only stickers I used were the eyes and the Turn A on the forehead. Well, there's a lot to like about this kit! Turn A is a bigger unit than the Victory, V2, F91, and Crossbone I've worked on recently. Combined with his big round head, and it felt like I was working with a lot fewer tiny, difficult parts. I dig that Bandai included a clear yellow runner just for the cockpit hatch on the crotch, and the legs have an interesting design that gives Turn A a shallow joint halfway between the knee and the ankle. I have my complaints, though. As I mentioned, it's kind of frustrating when Bandai includes stickers for some of the detail not all of it, but it's kind of moot because I painted. My biggest complaint is actually the way the shoulders are built. The back of the shoulder armor is actually built into Turn A's back, so it's fixed in place. That'd be bad enough, as it limits the range the arms can move, but the front/top of the shoulder armor is the style that has a hole that slides over the peg from the torso and his held in place by the arm. So, most of the shoulder armor isn't lined up well with the back, but the fact that the back is fixed limits the articulation anyway. It would have been better if the back was connected to the front instead of the torso, or better still, if the shoulder armor connected directly to the arm. My other gripe is the accessories. Two beam sabers, a shield, and a beam rifle. That's standard. Two sets of beam saber holders, one set for just the sabers and a second set with extra bits to hold the shield and rifle on the back. Handy, although the rifle looks kind of dumb on the back, and either add a bit of bulk. Four total hands; two in the fist pose that can hold either weapon, two open. A little light compared to other recent kits, but it's plenty, really. Two butts for the rifle, one a single segment and one extended with a handle on the side. As seem in the anime, I suppose, but nothing to write home about. A core fighter, molded entirely in white. Honestly, if you're not going to make the core fighter a transformable part of the actual suit, like the RGs, I'm not a fan. Finally, there's extra chest and back pieces, so you can make the Turn A have the open hatches look. Now, this is the sort of thing that if they'd made one chest and back with doors that actually open, it'd be cool (like maybe on an RG version?), but I don't see too many people disassembling a large chunk of the model just to switch them around. Now, between the core fighter and the extra chest and back, that's four largish pieces that I feel are basically useless, and yet there's no Gundam Hammer. That's a shame, because even more than the RX-78 I associate the Gundam Hammer with Turn A. Gripes aside, I'd say this is one of the better HG kits I've built. The details are pretty easy to paint, and if you panel line all the grooves it certainly looks detailed enough.
  10. mikeszekely
    After the price increase I decided against renewing my Amazon Prime sub. So when I wanted to order the HGUC Crossbone Gundam (ie, not the Maoh one), I needed to spend more if I wanted free shipping, and the free shipping was adequate since I wasn't in a hurry. Anyway, I decided to throw in the HG Turn A Gundam. Ironically, Amazon shipped them separately. Well, I'm still waiting for Crossbone, but the Turn A arrived already. RG's have me working from the bottom up, so that it can stand as I work, so I got the legs built. Here's why I'm pretty excited about it... it's my first time doing panel lines. Now, I can see how some of the other HGs I've built might benefit from panel lining, but with the smoother surfaces and more natural curves it seemed more optional. Turn A has a lot of flat surfaces and sharp angles, plus grooves that run deep along those flat surfaces. It's the first model I've worked on where I've really felt that doing the panel lines was absolutely necessary for the model to look correct. So I'm using the "run over the line with a Gundam marker then wipe away the excess with a Q-tip" method, and I gotta say I'm really happy with the results. As with some other recent HGs, like Victory, V2, and F91, Bandai included stickers for some of the detailing, but not all of it. For instance, there's red stickers for the line on the knee and the dot on the thigh, and black stickers for a line on the edge of the thigh and the triangle on the front of the thigh, but not for the verniers on the sides of the lower legs, even though they're bigger than the triangles, nor the top part of the lower leg (when standing straight, the knee covers it, but in every image of Turn A with a bent knee it looks black to me). Since I figured I was going to have to do some painting anyway, I opted to paint all the black and red, so I haven't used any of the stickers. While painting isn't my strong suit, I think this might be my best work yet. Can't wait until it's done so I can show you guys.
  11. mikeszekely
    Eh? That's not my experience. The PS4 controller is more noticeably improved than the PS3's, sure, but the PS3's was a sorely dated design in dire need of an upgrade. Taken on it's own, though, the angle of the handles isn't ideal and I get wrist pains if I play too long. Plus, the L2/R2 feel flimsy. The Xbox One controller isn't the same huge improvement over the 360 controller because the 360 controller was pretty good in the first place. The Xbox One controller is slightly more ergonomic, though, has a better dpad, and the design of the trigger and bumpers is such that I can flex part of my finger to hit the bumper without taking said finger off the trigger. I'm honestly not sure where you're getting cheaper at. Maybe because they're a little lighter?
  12. mikeszekely
    I could always build a Psyco Gundam, maybe pose it in a low stance, see if it'll go. And if not, set it on top... Those Detolfs are shorter than I'd like anyway. Dang! I just have two. One has nothing on the third shelf, and I could cram a few more on all the shelves. But, I'm just using them for 1/144 gunpla. My Transformers are either on bookshelves in my computer room or in a tub in the closet.
  13. mikeszekely
    i dunno. I mean, I don't think they're ideal, but I haven't found anything better that didn't cost a fortune. Bummer. I think I can still cram Kshatryia in there, but I dunno about the other one then.
  14. mikeszekely
    Have any of you guys built the HG Psyco Gundam? If so, do you know if it fits in a Detolf? I want to keep my Gunpla on the same scale, and I currently have them in a pair of Detolfs. They're on the glass shelves, but they look kind of empty with nothing on the bottom. Most 1/144 gunplas seem too small for that area, though. i was thinking something bigger might do it.
  15. mikeszekely
    Despite buying a lot from Amazon, I actually quit Prime. All of the benefits they keep adding don't appeal to me (or in the case of Instant Video, not good enough to switch from Netflix), and most of the time I'm patient enough that I can just spend over $35 and wait a little longer. Sometimes, though I think they screw with non-Prime customers. I preorded a book, and they hadn't even prepared the order the day after release. But on those occasions, I send Amazon a nasty email, they change the shipping to one or two day, and then I'm set.
  16. mikeszekely
    I picked it up anyway, and Ubisoft has made changes to the game mechanics that, in my opinion, are for the worse. So, rest easy knowing that the one you skipped is probably the worst one since the original (which, while deserving of kudos for being an interesting new IP at the time, was also mechanically deficient). But yeah, developers really ought to take their time and do games right instead of shoveling out annual installments. The really sad thing about Unity is that Ubisoft could have delayed a whole year to polish it up and make sure it was running right if they'd pushed Rogue harder, maybe by releasing next-gen versions. The worst thing I can say about Rogue is that the gameplay was cut and paste from Black Flag, but if you're going to eschew new ideas to rush a sequel it makes sense to copy the best game in the franchise.
  17. mikeszekely
    It's the Master Grade Gundam 00 Raiser it, right? According to Gundam Planet, the kit can take 5 LEDs, but is only supposed to come with 1. The blog Mech9 and Amazon's product description second that, so if anything it sounds like you lucked out. Gundam Planet says you can buy the extra LEDs separately, but I can't find a listing.
  18. mikeszekely
    Well, it's my first extensive custom, so be gentle. After doing this, I'm torn. On the one hand, I think my custom looks better than a straight build. The Crossbone Gundam Maoh comes off as too purplish. While the black, white, and yellow swings more toward the XM-X1's colors, I'd like to believe that replacing red with blue and retaining Maoh's shiny bits helps give my custom a distinct look. On the other hand... paint is messy. Once I started building, I found spots where an area of a part maybe didn't get the best coverage, or some areas where the paint was too thick, and occasionally messed with the fit of a part (one the plus side, some of the less adequately painted parts actually made for some nice color separation around the waist). Also, and I don't know if it's a fault of my application, the fact that it was too cold outside (although I did bring them in to dry), the type of paint, or just the fact that I didn't clear coat until after parts were built, but the "satin" finish felt sort of chalky, and if I gripped a part too hard it rubbed off. While I'm sure practice or better supplies or something could deal with all of that, the question for me is why bother? I tend toward straight builds (or small detailing on HGs) of "canon" units (to me, Build Fighters isn't canon Gundam because it's a show about gunpla, if that makes sense). This sort of extensive customization shouldn't be necessary for me most of the time. In any case, I have to name it. So far I've come up with "Crossbone Gundam Blackjack", but maybe something that references how stabby it is (the cutlass, two knives, blades in the soles of the feet, the bone weapons on the hips, the beam sabers on the backpack arms, and two more beam sabers to use in the hands when its not holding the cutlass, flintlock, or knives). Crossbone Gundam Ripper?
  19. mikeszekely
    I've never heard of it, but I'm going to check it out. As I'm possibly the only person an a Macross board that doesn't collect Macross toys (sorry, too pricey), I don't do any business with HLJ. But I've found Amazon's prices on Gunpla to be pretty reasonable. For example, the HGUC F91 lists for ¥1200 ($10.17). HLJ is advertising it at ¥960 ($8.14), but for a February restock. I'm guessing that the shipping from Japan is going to run a couple bucks, and take some time as well. Amazon? $12.59 and free 2 day shipping if you're a Prime member.
  20. mikeszekely
    This isn't something I knew, but it also isn't a total surprise, either. They're apparently all over the place (except east of Pittsburgh...), but every one I've been to has seemed like such a low-budget affair and employees that seem like they're in a mom and pop shop. The closest (heh) one to me wasn't too bad, but not great either. They had maybe two RGs, two or three HGs, but a pretty large selection of MGs. Their MGs were a pretty varied selection, too, but they seemed kind of overpriced with several hanging around $100 and close to $200 for an MG EX-S. That's where I've been getting my models from. They had all the RGs and a lot of the newer HGs, you just sometimes have to wait awhile for new releases. And while I'm really grateful that there are places like Amazon, GG Infinite, and Gundam Planet around to enable my hobby without a hobby shop, I still wish there was a hobby shop. I guess it's kind of hard to explain, but when I order a kit on Amazon, it's either an RG kit (of which I'm trying to collect them all) or an HG (because scale) of a particular mobile suit that I feel belongs in my collection and is unlikely to get an RG any time soon. It's deliberate. But if I had a local hobby store, I could see myself buying more kits on a whim. For instance, my local Barnes and Noble was carrying a small selection of gunpla. I bought the HGBF Sengoku Astray. Sadly, that B&N only seems to be restocking with old HG Endless Waltz kit (back when they did HGs in both 1/144 and 1/100), and one or two Gundam Wing MGs. And at the HobbyTown I was at, I picked up Crossbone Gundam Maoh on a whim. Then decided I didn't like the colors, prompting my adventure in painting. Sounds like fun. And while you're their, maybe you can pick up some fabric to make the X1's cloak. My one buddy and I have tried using Mekton, BESM, Alternity, Cortex, Silhouette/Jovian Chronicles, and even D20. None of them felt like they actually captured the feel, despite a few that advertised they did and were seemingly created for that purpose. I may see if I can adapt Dungeon World. Oh, we also ran a few 1-on-1 playtests where we adapted the X-Wing miniatures game's rules, with tokens representing a Gundam and a pair of GMs for the Feddie side and a Gelgoog and two Zakus for the Zeons. For what it was, I thought it was more fun than the actual X-Wing game, but it totally failed to satisfy the roleplaying itch.
  21. mikeszekely
    I'll keep that in mind. Generally speaking, hobby type spray cans aren't readily available here. My local Walmart did have a few cans of Testors, by they were all opened and sprayed all over the shelving, and the selection was limited to black and a few metallics... I guess for the model car crowd? Seriously, though, I've done a search, and I'm basically in the middle of a hobby store free zone. Worse, most of what hobby stores there are don't sell gunpla, so I'm seriously left with a Hobbytown USA that's, according to Google Maps, over 30 miles and 50 minutes away (and actually, as it's to the west from downtown Pittsburgh and I'm east, I can pretty much guarantee Parkway traffic and construction will drag that out longer).
  22. mikeszekely
    Screw up how,exactly? I painted all the runners and brought them in to set. They seem good, and I'm quite satisfied with the initial result.
  23. mikeszekely
    Well, I'm a touch over eager to complete my first custom gunpla, so even though I'd probably have been better off waiting until tomorrow, I went ahead and sprayed the runners. The runner I wanted black is in the house to finish setting, and the ones I wanted white are still outside after I just finished what I think should be the second and final coat. It's dark outside, so it's hard to tell for the white ones, but the black parts look pretty good. Honestly, I wish I'd have bought a can of blue now instead of hand-painting the feet. Spray painting takes a little more prep work, but spraying seems to leave a smoother, thinner, and more even finish. I guess I was just intimidated by something I'd never done before. Big thanks for the tips and advice, everyone!
  24. mikeszekely
    Yeah, I wasn't really planning on it. I'm anal enough to touch up HGs, but this is the first kit I'm attempting to paint almost entirely. It could be the last, too, depending on how much I decide I like this customization thing. Honestly, if Crossbone Maoh's colors didn't seem so off to me, I probably wouldn't have bothered. How cold is cold? Here in Pittsburgh it's in the mid 40s today and tomorrow, and possibly into the low 50s on Tuesday. I've been more concerned about the fact that it's a little damp today. I think the only spot I have to actually do the spraying is outside, but if I can paint a whole runner at at time I can bring them inside to dry. It's very dry inside, and I keep the thermostat at 71. Since I started hand-painting a few parts, I really don't want to wait until April to finish. How long between passes? I was thinking of going left to right, then a second right to left pass, again of the entire runner. And after the runner is painted, I was thinking 15 minutes to dry, then I could bring it inside by handling the edges of the runners (not the actual parts), wait a day, then start cutting the parts off and assembling. Where an unpainted spot from a sprue mark shows, I can always touch it up with the paint markers, or use painters tape and respray later. Does that sound ok? Alas, two grays, no black. I'll see about getting a black next time I'm that way. Mind you, it's been like three years since the last time I was there.
  25. mikeszekely
    Yeah, they didn't have any flat Fusion. Was Fusion the kind of Krylon I should be working with, or would the Color Guard stuff have been ok? Seriously, I've never worked with spray paint before, so I'm a little nervous. When you want a lot of parts to be recolored, what do you guys usually do, paint the whole runner? I know I want to keep it thin, so the molded detail still shows through, but I'm also guessing that if I spray the parts on the runner I'll have to sort of angle it one way, paint some, wait for it to dry, then do it again from a different angle to make sure that the parts are covered. I'm not going to paint with the spray paint until tomorrow sometime, so please feel free to set me straight before I make a huge mess! For the red parts that I want blue (feet, a panel on the crotch, and the chin) I cut the parts off the runner, trimmed the nubs with my hobby knife, then went over them with a cheapy paint marker. Due to a lack of hobby stores around here, as I mentioned earlier, they're from Walmart. They're simply called Painters"... the brand may be Elmers? They're a tad on the thick side, but mostly I've just been using them for small spots, like the verniers on Victory/V2's legs. I'll have to wait and see how Crossbone Maoh's feet dry, but the color is good. This is pretty much what I've been doing with the verniers on Victory/V2. Even the "ultra fine" Painters aren't particularly fine, so I'll paint the spot as best I can, wait for it to dry up a bit, then gently scrape off the paint that's outside the lines, so to speak. Good to know. I tried the gray on the vents on the sides of my HGUC Nu Gundam's head... not really satisfied with the results, but I might have been to conservative with my application. I do really wish I'd grabbed the black instead of two grays. This is good to know, especially since I plan on storing them in the box from one of my models with my other paint markers, nippers, tweezers, and hobby knife. I didn't get any metallic ones, and I don't plan to... I'm still a long way away from doing any fancy metallic finishes! Mostly I'm just interested in touching up unpainted details on some of the HG kits I've bought or plan to buy (I just ordered HGUC Crossbone Gundam X1 and Turn A Gundam;) ). Mostly, those details seem to be red, black, green, yellow, or blue. I have Painters pens for all those colors (plus gray and white), but I did grab red and Yellow Gundam markers. The red seems ok, and I really like the yellow. The paint is thinner but simultaneously less runny, and the tip seems to allow for pretty fine painting. I've tried that with the Painters pens, and let me tell you, even with the smallest brush I could find I'm horrible at it. I'll get a more even coat if I use the pens, and I'm almost equally likely to not paint all the area I want while getting paint in spots I don't want.
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