RTShark

Now correct me if I'm wrong as I wasn't really active in this stuff the last time this happened, but the order of events was basically HG giving the C&D... Some retailers asking HG for proof of their claims before complying and then refusing to comply when HG didn't back up their claim... Is this about right (albeit a short-short version)?

I really dislike the Yamato stand, so I can't see getting one at all. I guess in theory it's neat to have a stand that I'm assuming is based on the launching arms we saw in DYRL, but I just think it looks silly. I'd get two of the 3 arm stands that VEX and TMP have for the same price if I were going to get a stand. As to the VF-0... I'll want to see a review before I commit, but I have a feeling I'll want one.

Sounds like it: "If you relieve the stress it goes back to a liquid," Wagner said. "It's a very interesting material in that way."

Maybe just a little. I just notice how anyone who says anything bad about the MPC must not have a valid reason for disliking it... At least that's the impression I get from certain posts. Yeah. Me too. I was really excited when I first got it. But that high sunk pretty fast after I opened it. This was before I knew about Yamato so it did get shelf time for a while until I discovered the 1/60s, and then later the 1/48. More recently I sold it to a friend of mine for cheap. He got quite a deal for the Valk + Fast pack so I don't feel too guilty. It just happens. There seem to be some things that might speed it up or slow it down, but from my experience there is no hard and fast rule for exact causes and how quickly or slowly it happens. My Toynami was a Max so there really wasn't anything to yellow. (Oh, and I definitely agree that the plastic feels really cheap and not good). Odd note that my eighties Bandai Skull-one was fine for a long time. I bought it in the mid 90s and kept it displayed for a while. Last year put it in a box of stuff in the basement (dark and dry) with plastic garbage bags over the whole box to keep moisture out (it's dry down there, but I wasn't taking chances), I took it out a few months ago and it had started to yellow. Went about 17 years with no hint of yellowing and then started all of a sudden. It's not bad, but definitely noticeable.

Hey it's all good. I love the 1/48 as much as the next guy, but that doesn't mean I can't still appreciate the 1/60. I actually like the 1/48s fighter mode better than the 1/60s but there's something about the 1/60's Battloid that I really like. (and true perfect transformation? bah! No such thing! I never had a problem with the 1/60s legs. I'd rather have that design on a cool fig like the 1/60 than a "perfect" change on a bad design like the MPC). Now as to completed sets (heh), I only have one of each... a 1/48 Hikaru 1J and a 1/60 Skull-one. Ideally I could see getting maybe one more 1/48 and one or two more 1/60s as well as some enemy mecha depending on which ones they do.

Well how else would he have *known* it was crap if he didn't own one? I guess if someone doesn't like the MPC they just can't win. If they don't own one they get ragged for talking about it without really knowing. If they do own one they get ragged because they must just be putting it down to be cool. I sold mine. I did own it, but don't anymore. Am I allowed to rag on it?

I might be interested in some parts for this, if it ends up happening. Specifically, both legs and the little pilot figure and *maybe* both arms. It would absolutely have to be a Roy VF-1S, though for me to be interested. No problem. I'm a patient man.

Key word there is combustion. It HAS to have a source of oxygen, either internal or external. Well yeah. I worded that clumsily. If it being able to work underwater (or hypothetically, in space) is due to it maybe storing a small amount of oxygen somewhere to keep the engine going... i.e., if it operating underwater (or in a vacuum) is *not* dependent on having oxygen to keep the combustion going, it *still* needs something to push against. Jet engines work by moving air, and the VF-0 was equipped with jet engines, afaik.

That's debatable I think. I think what he actually said was that it was capable of operating without an atmosphere for a short period of time. (I'll need to watch the episode again). Of course, he might have been referring to the internal combustion engines being able to work without oxygen ngine might still need something to push against in order to operate (which it would have in the water, but not in space). Jet engines don't work in space. Anyway. *IF* the VF-0 is space capable at all, it shouldn't be capable of sustained flight of anything more than a few minutes I would think.

Which is a lot of the reason I think I prefer the series. The story in DYRL felt rushed. So much was glossed over or just not touched on at all. A lot of characterization was just missing. If I hadn't seen the series a lot of these characters would have been cardboard. Now I understand that a movie has much less time to tell it's story than a series of short episodes. 18 hours versus 2 as you say, but that's why movie style storytelling is *different* than series style storytelling and why, IMO, jamming most of the Macross story as it was into 2 hours just didn't work. Agree completely here.

I just saw it recently for the first time and while I like the superior animation I think I'd prefer the story of the original series over the story in DYRL. Of course all I've seen so far of the original series is Robotech:TMS and a handful of actual SDF:Macross episodes but it's enough to make the call, IMO. Really was not impressed at all with DYRL, except for the animation. It just felt really rushed and like they were trying to fit a whole lot of story into not enough room.

VF-1 is quite a bit smaller than an F-14. I don't have exact numbers handy but a VF-1 is approximately 40 feet long and an F-14 is approximately 60 feet long.

Didn't Samurai wear their daisho on their hip? I could see the feathers representing a sashimono but not a daisho...

I've gotta agree here. Though I like the Thunderbolt design a little better. It's possibly the only Starfighter design I've seen that actually looks like it was designed to operate well in space and is shown acting in a physically realistic manner for something that's working in space.

Well that was kinda my point. It doesn't prove anything. As for the Alpha... Demand is not as high for the Alpha as it is for the VF-1, I can guarantee that by a long shot. There is some demand for it, yes. But enough to sell out the stock that Toynami produces with enough demand to make for aftermarket increases in the short term? I don't think that's likely. Enough demand for it to retain it's value in the aftermarket? Possible, but who knows. There is also the issue of Toynami having bad press to overcome as there was a lot of bad blood generated over the lack of quality in the MPC VF-1 line, a line that, for it's price had far too many issues. If Toynami sells out the Alphas and they all sell for mucho bucks on Ebay, more power to them. I'm not buying, though. And I *like* the Alpha.

I'm with you on this one. I'm not really willing to give Toynami a second chance without some pretty good indications that it's worth it. After all the MPC VF-1 seemed really good until I actually got one into my hands. I stand by what I've said... If I can get an Alpha cheap and it gets decent reviews then I'll get one. I really don't see buying one for anything more than half off list unless it gets absolutely amazing reviews. It would have to get multiple Harry Knowles orgasmic type reviews for me to even consider paying full price for it. And even then I'd still wait and see to find out where the price went. Like I said, I like the Green one, which I think is number three so I've got plenty of time to see how the first ones do.

But then, there are Southern Cross fans on rt.com also, so really, what does this prove?

Like I said in the PM and to avoid confusion caused by my descriptions, the official name for these two parts are BD2 and BD3. That is all. Carry on.

Well... I just had a thought. If there is anyone out there who wants the Max or Millia VF *without* the FP, perhaps we could come to an arrangement. You get the Valk, I'll take the FP. I have no interest in the box at all so whatever you'd want to do with that would be fine. Whoever got the Valk could keep the sticker sheet as well as I would just buy one from Takatoku anyway. My interest in this hinges primarily on being able to get the FP cheaper this way than I could buy the DYRL style FP for individually. If anyone is interested in doing this, please consider what you think would be a fair cost split and PM me. Thanks. EDIT: Added note about stickers.

Awesome work! Any chance of Gerwalk pics?

I think I'd pass on something like that. I love my 1/48 and bigger is cooler, but only to a point. To me the extra detail that could be fit on a (say 1/24?) VF would not be a big enough difference to warrant the extra cost involved. For me the 1/48 is a great compromise between model and toy, because it's about as detailed a model as I could make from a kit but still durable and solid like a toy. I don't think I need anything beyond that. The one selling point for me is that it'd be cool to see the custom work that could be done on something like that. But as I said, I wouldn't buy one.

Well, the answer is easy unless you're a completist or want the first one that comes out (the Blue Stick one if I recall). If you want the first one you're kinda stuck. If you wait, hoping to get it cheaper later, you may end up paying more for it later. If you want one of the later ones you can relax a little and see what happens with the first one. If the first one sells out quickly, then you know to jump on early for whichever one you want. If the first one languishes then you know to wait on the others. Personally I like the green one, so I'll wait and see how the first one does... I refuse to pay full price for it, (even if it does turn out to be worth it I don't feel like doing Toynami any favors after the MPC)... If I can get it cheaper later, great. If not, then I don't need one.

I'll have to second that. I've been lurking here for maybe 3 or 4 months, posting for a couple and I've been educated very thoroughly in a lot of things I didn't know much about before. I haven't seen DYRL yet either, but I have a copy coming in the mail soon. The "Perfect" Edition even, which from what I read seems to be the one to get. I actually saw the Clash of the Bionoids version a long time ago, but I remember almost nothing about it, which is probably for the best. Anyway, before coming here I had only seen Robotech (all of it), and a handful of episodes of the original SDF:Macross (I have a couple of the Perfect Collection tapes from the 90s that featured two episodes of Robotech and the same two episodes of the original series), and Macross Plus. I still haven't got a copy of the SDF:Macross series, that'll probably have to wait until fall or winter (getting married this summer, so money's a little tight), but I have obtained the first three episodes of Macross Zero, which I wouldn't have even heard of if I hadn't been frequenting these boards and the ones over at Twin Moons. Anyway. Keep up the good work... you're all doing a great job for the uninformed newbies that come in here.

It is all different from the show, which is why he said it's *not* a purists Valk. Basically he made it the way he did because he wanted it to reflect real world patterns more than the show version did. And I guess the 1J just because he likes it (I agree! 1J rocks!)

My take on it would be that I maybuy one or two items here and there. The ones that would have the best chance at my attention are Macross Plus and Macross Zero Valks and enemy Mecha of any type. I do have to say though, the the fans who post here, in general, represent the hardcore. While I could see Yamato producing VFs from the various Macross spin-offs, I doubt they'd get the level of sales with those units that they do with the more well known VF-1s. Every fan of Macross who wants a VF will start with a VF-1 and then only the more hardcore will continue with the others. All I've got so far is VF-1s (one Yammie 1/60 and 1/48 and an old Bandai 1/55) and while I am interested in M+ mecha and enemy mecha I have yet to buy anything but VF-1s. But then, as I've said in other posts, toy collecting is only one of several potentially expensive hobbies I have so I've gotta really pick and choose what I buy.