Hurin

It has always been the case that the average Zentraedi is shorter than a valk in Battroid mode. I don't remember where I first read this. . . but when I saw this thread, I had that feeling of "What a silly question! Of course Valks are bigger!" I remember learning it as a kid because I remember thinking: "Hmmm, I thought they were the same size, but I guess it makes sense that --if you were going to design something to fight giants-- you'd want to make the design bigger than the giants! Dumb question: Who is it that kills Roy in DYRL? I still have a hard time keeping the Zentraedi straight in DYRL as opposed to their more easily recognized SDF Macross counterparts. H

I'd be a bit more careful than that in your assertion. I think what you mean to say is: "So, if you buy a 1/60 M+ toy, you're getting a toy that is just as big as your 1/48 VF-1s." To say that a 1/60 M+ is a 1/48 toy, well. . . that's just nonsense. I know I'm nit-picking here, and you probalby understand scale. . . but I'm constantly shocked at how many people don't understand scale and how it relates to actual size. Learn your fractions people! H Edit: Also, keep in mind that a 1/60 M+ toy will not be as detailed as a 1/48 VF-1 toy. Pilots and other things will be just as tiny in 1/60 M+ as they are for 1/60 VF-1s. So, to state that a 1/60 M+ is just as detailed in all respects is just. . . wrong.

Totally made up for Robotech: Battlecry on US Console systems. . . as far as I know. H

So far, all the heat shields have been clear, and painted to match the appropriate valk. Am I missing something? H

I think the lack of a Macross on an island in the South Pacific pretty much makes it certain. 1999 was a disappointing year.

Ah, but the problem is that so much of the feedback isn't constructive. A lot of people have a hard time saying: "I'm disappointed in x. I probably won't buy it due to these reasons. I'd prefer if x were more like y." Instead, we have people running the gammut from saying: "That sucks! I'll be pissed if it's like x!" to people lambasting entire toy lines. . . hell, we once had someone call everyone who prefers 1/48s "unscrupulous." Which, by the way, was my all-time favorite moment on this board. I agree with imode though. This all reminds me of how much people bitch about computer games when they come out. Especially, Ultima Online. People were so in love with their own ideas for the game that, when it was released, they felt that they had somehow been cheated and they bitched incessantly about how the developers sucked. . . etc. All the while, they played the game night-and-day. Best Regards, H

You really can't beat the Animeigo. Nothing else even comes close. Check out the archive boards for more praise for them. H

I'm sorta with ya too. I just bought a VF-1S Roy a few days ago so that I'd have one of the originals MISB. I hope this illness doesn't spread though. Because I can't afford to get two of each re-release! I think my obsession with MISB started when I first saw a price guide for Star Wars toys. . . I had them all. . . but I kept seeing the price for onces "mint on card". . . and I thought I'd be a rich man if I had just gotten two of each. Mind you, I think I was twelve at the time. This was a long time ago! Obviously, it doesn't work that way. . . but that's how my brain first fell in love with the look of a toy, brand-new in its box. For the first few years of the Star Wars toys of the late 90s, I bought two (or more!) of each. . . and I have a big collection of now not-so-cool mint-on-card Star Wars toys. I'm probably gonna get rid of 'em someday soon. Until the word of the re-releases came, I hadn't felt the need to the MISB route for Macross. But for some reason, when I heard that the Roy and Hikaru 1A was coming out, I thought "Crap! That means I need to get a MISB old one for each before they disappear!" So yes, it's a sickness. . . and I wonder if I'll be able to conquer it. H

I think you're missing the point. . . if they didn't mass-produce and then re-use the pool of pre-produced parts on each successive valkyrie, then these valkyries would probably cost a lot more than $140. In economics, the concept is called "economies of scale." The more you produce of a single item, the more efficient you become at it and the less expensive it becomes to produce. If Yamato had to re-tool and produce a different heatshield for each valkyrie each time they decided to make a new valk, the "economy of scale" benefits would be negated. It's much more cost effective to mass-produce them in huge batches and paint them to match. And, again, this is the first time I've heard anyone complain about the shininess of the heatshield. That might just be a bad picture where the light is hitting it at a very unfortunate angle (perhaps even camera flash). It doesn't look shiney to me on the other pictures. Or at least, I haven't noticed. What cracks me up is how people constantly make demands for a better product and then simultaneously complain that the current product costs too much. You can't have it both ways. Well, you can't have it both ways and actually expect a company to see enough profit margin in it for them to risk making such a toy. Best Regards, H

Is it really a "poor" solution? I don't remember anybody complaining that the heatshield was shiny until now. And, it's pretty rare that someone complains that they are "brittle." As for it being cheaper and them having a "couple hundred thousand" waiting to be painted. . . First, I'm assuming you were intentionally exaggerating the number. Second, that doesn't sound "cheap" to me, it sounds like a cost effective way of managing resources. You might want them to custom-cast each heat shield for each valkyrie, but doing that would increaes the price of each valkyrie. And then, of course, we'd have even more people bitching about the price. Yamato just can't win. H

That's the first 1/55 I've gotten excited about since I received my re-issues. . . and promptly stored them in the closet. That paint job is incredible. It really looks like it came from the factory. I'm with Lonewolf on that one. Great job! H

Guys, let's not be pissed about anything. Sure, express a preference for something else. . . but let's not let this thread descend into whining like every other thread where a product by Yamato is actually announced. We do not have a god-given right to Macross toys. In light of this fact, the overwhelming emotion I would think should be gratitude. Again, express a preference, but let's not get nasty. H

Yeah, those shoulders look ridiculously big. I'm not going to be a big fan of the GBP armor if you can't put it on existing 1/60s. That is not a whine. That's just me saying that I won't be buying it. . . but I can see how others who love the GBP and have never owned any rendition of it will be psyched. I personally just sold my 1/55 version. . . As for the glossy heatshield on the 1/48 Hikaru 1J. As with all 1/48s, the paint is on the inside of the heatshield. So what you are seeing there is light reflecting off the clear plastic. The only way they could prevent this, I suppose, is by coating the outside of the heatshield with a flat clear-coat. H

First, do you not have the manual for your 1/48? It has detailed photos of where each should go. . . and the numbers for each Yamato sticker. If the photo isn't clear enough, just find the number on the Yamato sticker sheet, then find its equivalent on the Taka sheet. And. . .here is my review of Takatoys stickers, complete with (mediocre) photos of applied stickers. Good Luck! H

Don't know what you're so upset about. Sounds like, if you placed the order, they'll probably honor it. A lot of places hold some "emergency stock" in case something like this happens. But, more than likely, no "emergency stock" will even be needed. If you ordered it, and *then* it was removed from the site (can't see how it could be the reverse!), then it was probably your order along with a few others that finally caused them to remove the item from the site. Just because your order hasn't been "processed" doesn't mean your order isn't taken into account where their "stock-on-hand" is concerned. Then again, I could be wrong. H

I cut along the red line. It looks much better that way! H

Hmmm. . . just for fun. . . let's go back and put another quote by you next to these: Now that is funny! Hypocrisy, anyone? It would be nice if people would actually take responsibility for the words they choose to use. Words mean things. . . H P.S. Hmmm, guess I did have something more to say.

Uh. . . I did read your posts as is evident by the fact that I quoted them back to you. Your own words speak for themselves. Nothing more to say. . . H

vf-24. Three things I see about your post that bear mentioning: 1. Skull 1 isn't pissed so much about the fact that there are problems with the 1S Roy. . . rather, he's actually upset that they're fixing it as they release more. If that isn't bass-ackwards thinking, I don't know what is. 2. Nobody has a problem with noting deficiencies and complaints. As I stated above, I just can't stand the childish whining. Especially ignorant and/or ill-informed whining. And, of course, my favorite, the "vicitimization whining." People are actually upset that they already have a VF-1S now that an "improved" version is being released. They feel like somehow they've been robbed, or taken advantage of. . . ie, they are th victim. Maybe I'm just older and have been around a while. . . and seen my TVs, cars, computers, and everything else replaced with better models shortly after I bought them. . . but this "I want the neeeew one. Wah!" BS is just so selfish and sad, that it leaves me wondering about the maturity and/or age of a lot of those who would post here. When I heard about the "improved" release, I thought to myself: "Doh! I really want one of those! I hope I can afford it when it is released!" I didn't think: "Who can I blame and rail against here!?!" It comes down to this: Yamato is supplying more of an in-demand toy. Further, they are responding to complaints that have been voiced. To actually complain that they've addressed our complaints is moronic. 3. Your complaint regarding the backpack hinge is constructive and valid. If all complaints were voiced in such a fashion, this thread wouldn't even be here. However, please also note that the backpack hinge is not what Skull 1 and Stampede are going on about. They're just pissy because their valkyries aren't perfect. And, darn it, now there is a more-perfect one available and life just isn't fair. Someone must be blamed! Okay, I'm done. H

At some point a few months ago, they did have the CF 1/60s on sale. I picked up two at $26.46 each. So, maybe they'll be on sale there again some day. H

Upset? Me? Nah. . . just can't stand people who state their opinion in such a way that implies that anyone who disagrees is an idiot. a'la: Then, my favorite part is this: Lovely. Someone gets "burned" once, and then comes in here to tell us that anyone who would buy these things is an "idiot" or "fool". . . yet he's never even seen the freakin' thing. That's worse than whining, it's ill-informed, hypocritical, whining. People need to get it through their skull: No toy is perfect. If you don't want to buy one, that's fine. But don't come in here and cast aspersions on those who do. Why not just say: "It's not worth it to me judging by what I've heard." I've said it before and I'll say it again. . . these toys (for the most part) are fine. Even the "flawed" VF-1S. People, you have to consider the source when you read reports of how "flawed" these things are. We have people here who don rubber gloves before handling their valks! H P.S. I also wish people would actually consider that we are only paying so much for these toys because they are imported via third parties. So, this "it should be perfect for the money I paid!" isn't quite as compelling when you consider how much people in Japan are paying for them.

More Valkyries for us. BTW, thanks for calling everyone who disagrees with you and still buys Yamatos "stupid." Very classy bit of writing there. But, here are some other possibilities: 1. We're not as picky as you. 2. We're not as cheap as you. (you can use the term "frugal" if you want. Might keep you from whining in a later post.) 3. We're not as whiney as you. These valks rock, even my Roy 1S. I just can't imagine looking at it and thinking: "I was robbed!" Nor can I imagine being upset when an even better one is released! Talk about selfish! H

For perfect quality control, you'd pay a whole lot more than $130. Yes, it's too bad about some of the QC issues. But to me, the only really inexcusable one was the crooked skull on the tail fin. And that stopped bothering me as soon as I realized just how hard it was to detect during every-day viewing. H

Wow, I leave town for a day, and totally miss my opportunity to vent at a whiner. . . Darn. H P.S. So, if Yamato wants to sell more VF-1S Roys because people still want them, they should be forced to release it with the earlier problems? That, my friend, is moronic. P.P.S. Any regular visitor here knew that the Roy had a few minor problems. In fact, I'm pretty damn sure that most of us wouldn't have even cared about or noticed the problems had someone here not pointed them out! I still love mine. It looks/feels great. P.P.P.S. I say again: The official Macross World Motto: When in doubt. . . whine.

Darn it. Someone beat me to the low-vis comment! H