1/1 LowViz Lurker

I'm sorry to report that if you find your yf-21 to be floppy, you'll have your hands full of the same "flop" when you get it.

It is indeed HUGE and when I say HUGE I mean HUGE like I need three hands to hold it type of HUGE.

They did it to reduce costs. The shipping would have cost more if they made it too stiff as it would have burst out of the cardboard. These are 'adult toys', not for kiddies.

^

That would have made a nice official box cover. It just screams "Got wang?"

What does the basic pilot look like though? What if the person wants a specific character? (I think it would be cool if they just chucked all of them in there including the lowviz one)

If they release 2 seaters in the future I hope they can get minmay in the back seat.

And..banprestos rock!

Banprestos > 1/55 Bandais

jk

Ah but what happens is people are scared that lucas was able to disapoint fans of star wars with his new movies, so similarly they get scared any mention of a potentially awesome macross remake would rape the franchise of integrity. They apply that example and believe it would be disatrous.

But they should ask themselves this: without cashing in so that the masses know something about the series, how can you expect new toys to be made apart from the overdone vf1s? I think a lot has to do with this whole idea of an high quality toy needing to be a collectors item that only fans should be able to own and not be accessible to the average person. But that attiude is what kinda stunts any potential renewed interest in the old series, if you know what I mean...After a while people move on and forget the franchise and do not keep up to date with anything new. So companies may then guage interest this way and avoid devoted a line of toys for it.

Once the fanbase grows old and dies, so will the franchise unless some attempt at a ressurection of the dead franchise is given a chance.

Imagine if you will, the transformers generation 1 was given closer-to-the-movie quality animation? The bots were given a new look, that doesn't offend fans of the orignal but makes the characters better, a whole new toyline with the same quality of the BT/alternators was done up, and we didn't have to put up with the dated 80s generation 1 as being the only thing to reference for fans of the old series? (I wouldn't watch the old series again but the old movie I would. Even for nostalgia. It hasn't aged well.)

It would be beneficial to both older and newer fans because the older fans can see the original gets back to its roots in story and design, while at the same time the newer fans are not put off by dated look of the old. Apply this to macross and you can see what I mean. The story gets right back to it's roots where the meat of the thing is, a new generation of people can then get into the thing fresh and not have to worry about confusion, (thanks partly to 15 years of robotech conditioning ) and toys would more likely by made because people tend to buy what they know.

I admitedly have bought gundam kits without seeing or knowing anything about the series in the past, but now that I've seen a few series I tend to want to hunt for the models/toys of the things I've seen because of familiarity and knowing them. It's more likely the exposure to the series that makes people want toys after seeing them, rather than just wanting the toys and not being exposed to a series first. VF1s are familiar so people recognise them immediately and because of that we see more attention put to them.

I say they remake macross the way certain dead franchises were ressurected in the US. Old cartoons like heman, ninja turtles, (and even zoids which is ancient!) etc. And don't forget recent anime remakes like astroboy which has been redone fresh but still manages to retain the look and feel of the original astroboy.

Before old school fans groan, realise that they could make both old series and new series available for both generations of fans. They don;'t have to favour one over the other. In fact the new series could be a vehicle to help sales and interest in the older series. As an example you can still buy the classic 80s astroyboy tv series on dvd right alongside the newer tv series if you were more a fans of the old and had nostalgiac reasons for wanting to see the old. (Personally I'm not familiar with the pre-80s one)

Then all the money made from the toy sales will allow new movies, new tv series etc to keep going. But the question is this: do they have enough material? Isn't macross something that has new stuff only every 5-10 years?

VF1s are probably the most recognised valk because it appeared in the original tv series. Now that this generation is getting old, it is only a matter of time before interest or knowledge about the series dies out unless a new series is made in the same scale that the original series had when it first seemed fresh.

Although when macross plus came out I think it had an impact on lots of people who probably weren't that familiar with original series, so as a standalone spinoff sidestory thingy, a new fanbase was born because of the series just being easy on the eyes to watch. People who saw macross plus may not even know that zentradi were alien giants or the reason why humans needed variable vehicles, or the whole story behind sdf1, but luckily the viewer didn;t need to be filled in about all the little details about the SW to enjoy it. (But it is assumed you at least know what a "zentradi" is and the fact these zentradi made peace with humans and live amoungst them if you don;t wish to be confused)

Anyway, after they remake the original, they then paste onto it a newer series if they can.

A newer fan of macross can then sequentially watch macross zero, macross remake (without the pain of crap animation turning them away) and then gradually get interested in a new series that way. I see a big generation gap problem when it comes to macross because the meat of what made macross so appelaing is contained in the space war (a good variety of different mecha types appears here) and it is getting too old for newer people to bear watching because of the animations and simple dogfights after being spoilt with macross plus.

Bandai could then cash in on any interest generated from a new series and redo the vf1 line to rival yamato 1/48s and then gradually go onto other valks. sigh, wish this HG thing wasn't in the way or I'd be buying more macross toys (and games) because they'd be far more accessible if the mainstream could catch on and recognise macross for macross instead of as robotech. I'm glad robotech got me into it, but now that the universes have split apart and robo is going to continue with mechs from mospeada, macross should finally be given a life to live alongside robo internationally rather than being hidden and unable to unleash its potential in other overseas markets where I bet kids would snap at the chance to be able to buy toys that are mass produced from the series. (if only they were accessible and not "masterpiece collector items" that cost an arm and leg and happen to fall apart once the box is opened)

How about a mythical all-black stealth bomber like that all-black vf1, haha?

You could paint evil red eyes on the cockpit and paint the orange bits dark red. Maybe even add shark teeth. The secret stealth monster only attacks at midnight, is painted in dark colours, has no visible markings and is equiped with claws to restrain its victims from escape or raid other mecha and loot them.

In the future, the UNG will have undergone a huge war with a new species of alien that wipes out 99.9% of human life leaving only civilians struggling to live on a scorched earth which leaves only a few destroid pilots fighting over the resources of earth. People customise thier mechs to survive in this new harsh environment, and salvage wrecked mechs from previous wars which are modified for close combat and the lack of ammo and supplies becuase of the destruction of once-working factories. (stealth is more valued and heavily armored vehicles are preffered over aircraft which did not survive the "second holocaust" of space war II when the humans and zentradi lost. )

Now because of this, sand and dirt is applied onto some of the custom mecha to camoflage the non-stealth mechs during the day, and like the post apocylptic movie "mad max" we have all kinds of desperate savages trying to kill each other for survival of the fittest where there are no laws, no cops left, and no order. Just a few herioc lone gunmen in mechs killing each other with only half-working technology which can only be repaired by a few people who are knowledgable enough to understand the ancient alien technology. In the future the monster would be the weapon of choice followed closely by the spartan because of it's hands (used for construction as well as close combat) and bulk.

The idea of visually camoflaging the mech to avoid seeing them from the ground would make sense in this scenario. (not a fan of bright colours like Max and Milia's blue and red, I liked the dark green they had for the monster before. I think dark colours kind of make something look solid and heavy) A bomber, which then transforms into a robot attacking at nightime providing the first strike for others to safely invade and distract would make sense. Anything to gain an advantage. Hell, yamato should release a clear monster and call it an experimental optic camoflage mecha.

Really , when was the last time Yamato actually heard us ? isn´t it time we stop and realise no one is at the other end of the line ? If they actually cared about our opinions then we wouldn´t see much complaining , would we ?

I for one could be playing with a VF-5000 at this moment if they cared about us , but as some else coined , ¨Yamato just ain´t our whishlist factory¨ , they make money out of our valk addiction.

I know, but what if they do fix a problem that some of the complainers whine about because they took it very seriously? (there was one guy in the roy reissue thread with a missing piece) You got to at least try to let them know by providing some feedback. If they don't know about it, chances are nothing would get done. It's for thier own good even if they don't know it. Kind of like a kid who doesn't want to brush his her teeth but you make them do it. heh.

I bet even if they do not respond, they are still listening. It's just a matter of if enough people complain, or if it will affect the bottom line. Take the toynami thing for example: I bet all those who buy something and are upset by the thing who do not complain, are probably glad now that they are accepting returns for faults.

I just feel it is normal to be able to still complain about something but at the same time still feel you can support the product and company, you know what I mean? But there is always going to be some who think: "If ya don't like it, don't buy it" which isn't the point. We want to buy, but also like it. Fans are still enthusiastic about the release and WILL buy it, (just like with the toynami alphas) but they still wish for the QC and hope they aren't going to be the unlucky one who gets one with a missing piece, one with a part that was put backwards, a loose limb etc If they are unlucky and do get one, complaining about it, isn't a sign they aren't interested in the toy, since they wouldn't have parted with thier cash in the first place!

If yamato thinks that, (enough to cancel every project at the slightest complaint) then they've misinterpreted. Note to yamato: For all those who are sitting back and waiting for reviews, it is not that we are not interested in the toy, quite the opposite, we are just laidback and want to know more about it first. (otherwise we wouldn't come to forums to gobble up the latest information, would we?) We're the guy who go to EB, reads reviews, and don't mind returning stuff that doesn't satisfy us, rather than keeping something that might make us unhappy and being miserable. For some of us, buying an expensive thing whether it be a tv, or new piece of hardware, import game systems from an importer who has them early, etc...we like to at least know as much as we can before diving in. (early adopters pay the most, and sometimes get burned the most, but that doesn't stop them from wanting to pay a good price for something they really want.)

It's normal. Customers can have stupid reasons for not liking something, but in the end, if they are unhappy with something, it's best in the long term to listen to complaints imo. History proves it.

Now if only they had a TV version or perhaps a TV version add on pack consisting of hands and pilot thrown in with some fast packs....

That's what I was thinking!

If I ever buy another 1s it will be a tv 1s but this time I do not want to buy a seperate fast pack parts box and would rather have it boxed together with a valk like they did with tv max & miriya to save on shipping. My shopping list right now is to get a monster, get the fast pack for the current roy 1s I have, get the upcoming GBP, hopefully wish that a green QRau comes out, and then, if I'm still not sick of macross stuff, I will consider getting a second 1s.

If they do a tv roy I would be tempted to get it but I'm more interested in an official fastpack-equiped tv hikaru 1s. (mainly because I personally don't have any of his valks -whether dyrl or tv vers- yet. And yeah I could take the pilot from 1j hik but I don't have him )

I think that will be it for 1/48s for me unless sometime in the future they find a way to make a 1/48 VF1D.

Yeah I surprise myself sometimes with how long I can make my rants go for..

Lucky I have no large sigs or the server would crash.

Before release:

"OMG! It's so awesome!! I CAN'T WAIT!"

Or

"That's cool, but it's not worth it."

Release is late:

"OMG why is it late!! This is stupid! I want it now!! Wait, the price is kinda expensive..."

Or

"Why can't Yamato ever release on time  "

More pictures are shown:

"Dammit, I want it! I can't wait! That's sooo awesome!!"

Or

"*sigh* Once again Yamato fails. It sucks hardcore. I don't have one, but I'm going to talk about it like I do."

Day of release:

"IT'S OUT!! I'm so happy!!"

Or

"Hey wow, its out, does it come with crappy stickers?"

First day after release:

"OMG THIS IS SO AWESOME! I LOVE IT!"

Or

"This thing is a piece of CRAP! Once again Yamato fails us all. I'm never buying anything Yamato makes AGAIN! Yamato can suck donkey ****!!"

Next announced release:

"Yay!! They're coming out with that!!"

Or

"Wow, that's pretty cool. But it's probably not worth it."

Ad infinitum.

Ah.. the internet and forums. But you got to love complainers for keeping talk on the new stuff active. I find that within all the bad there is also good too. Without knowing all the little bits that are worth complaining about, how can you make an informed decision?

Take console game machines for example. I remember having bought my Xbox as an early adopter who was excited to be able to get one early paying a good price for it. Then I realised that early machines had a faulty drive that later, reduced-price machines didn't. Sometimes it pays to be patient and wait. By expecting the worse, you protect yourself from more pain on occassions when you actually have bought the thing and are stuck with something you may not be happy with. (like all those who got the faulty alphas but can't be bothered returning them )

At least with a pair of good shoes you can try before you buy. If you get stuck with ones that may feel uncomfortable the customer will be unhappy. I believe the attitude of a company should be that "the customer is always right". Even if other customers think that one whiny guy is wrong, they are still right. The reason being that any criticism should be taken in a positive way to improve the relation and if possible try to make everyone happy, not just the loyal fanboys, yes men or apologists, but everyone. To give an honest review you have to seperate your own bias or your own pet hates from the review and be able to give the facts so others can make the informed choice. "Does this thing move?" "will this last if the joint looks like thay may break if you are not extra careful?" "How does this compare with other toys in what it does?" etc

Personally I had always set my mind that I was going to get one, (and still am, but I'm not a "preoder guy" not even with games) but I don't think there has to be a crowd for complainers fighting a crowd of "complainers who are complaining about the complainers. (this always happens in forums) We all have our own reasons for liking or not liking a certain thing but it's good that people are voicing them in the end.

I think what's important is that people know the difference between a review and impressions. Impressions give a quick summary of your first impression of the toy without as much detail examination (it's mainly: "So as a fan anticipating this, what are your feelings now that you;ve bought one? Does it have that new toy smell?" - these feelings can then change over time or with further examination of the toy) whereas in a review you got to compare it to past efforts that have been done before and say what things could be improved upon without making it seem like a personal complaint or fanboy wishlist. Kind of like comparing one olympic athlete to another athlete's performance, where there can only be one winner in a race) Then hopefully in the review you have some kind of rating system as a guage for those who buy lots of other things too. (Take pc benchtests for a good example, it helps seperate the company-generated hype from reality) Some may have a broader knowledge from other purchases they've made in the past, and need a standard of some sort. When comparing two very good competitors you need people with an anal-retentive attitude towards things.

If something can be improved then it should be taken as a good thing because if the advice is taken it means the product can be ones step closer to being better than every other product that came before it. The more people you make happy, the better reputation and more profits are made. (Remember there are some people who won't buy a good quality product just because of the color) If people didn't have a place to complain on a forum, would HG have buckled under pressure to accept returns of thier toys? If it weren't for complaints, feedback -both negative and positive - I probably would not have ended up buying any yamato vf1s because I would have just accepted that toynami vfs were good enough and as fans we should be happy that these toys exist - even if it meant that newer, uninformed people who are not toynami fans are led to believe there are no alternatives. I, and probably many others who are a silent majority probably would have been ignorant that there were much better stuff out there.

Some of the complaints may be valid, others not. But it's reasonable for customers to be able to research as much as possible about the toy (including tiny faults) before making an informed purchase. What angers me more are those that listen to complaints, but out of weakness buy the thing and complain afterwards. "Boohoo, I wasted my money on this! Now I want to be compensated!" I say to them: Then why did you buy it?! Ignorance is no excuse when you could have done your research first, right?"

It's like they were given a warning, they knew the risks, but didn't heed it, and then blame the company for selling it to them instead of themselves for buying it. If you take a more laidback, common-sense safe aproach you will always win in the end. (even if an item sells out they will make more to address the high demand - companies are greedy) When enough see the complaint to be valid, such that people are withholding thier money, what happens is prices get reduced, the competition hears the complaint and tries to address it by making even better stuff to muscle in on the market, and everyone gets happy in the end because the stakes are risen and the bar is raised again, creating a new standard to measure others with. The only time this doesn't work is when there is some monopoly and you don't see any improvement because the company has too much leverage and no longer needs to listen to the complaints or suggestions and peope are forced to accept lesser standards.

As I was saying a while ago in the roy reissue thread:

"looks like harmony gold's plan to sabotage yamato is working brilliantly.."

Maybe there are toynami people working there. Maybe the joke about parts being assembled backwards wasn't so funny after all?

Joking of course. I'm going to wait for more impressions/reviews/complaints/nitpicks about it before doing anything.

The knees not bending comment in the review is strange. Was that picture some kind of custom (of a toy that hadn't been released yet??) or something?

I want this thing badly so I;m just happy these are finally here. I've already made up my mind on whether to get one, but I still will wait for more info about it.

How about joint stiffness? The good thing about the 1/48s is how light they were meaning you needn't worry about them crashing so hard to the ground if they fell. (I had an accident with my yf21fp a while ago, cracking the head laser) No major things like floppy legs or anything which some had problems with on the 1/60s and yf21?

If this thing can balance a little better by fiddling maybe with the knees (or something like the strategic postioning of the tiny yf21fp feet in gerwalk) maybe this might help ease some of the complaints about the forward leaning of the toy?

Maybe the monster should have had a sawn-off mode (portion of gun barrel splits open and rectracts back?) in its design where the cannons are short in battroid mode so it doesn't fall over so easily? I don't see it being able to walk very safely in that mode unless it fought in space or something They could make it so it's accuracy in battroid mode is lessened and that it only needed to change to that mode for close up fighting. While Gerwalk can act as the long range mode with barrel extended? (it would be the monster equivalent of the extendable gunpods )

Gerwalk seems to be the main mode for me to display this thing in. If this can't balance that well (either due to floppy limbs like yf21 or because of the way it stands in general) I probably won't display it in battroid as much unless I had some sort of a stand; like how some have set up displayed with the Qrau as if it were flying around fighting as opposed to it standing on flat ground)

The thing that disapointed me about the red qrau was how easily it fell backward because of the loose legs (also I wished the kness would bend just a little more) and the design of the mech itself where there is a lot of weight on its back. I liked the sculpt (both qrau and this) but these nitpicks are worth mentioning since for some of us, paying import prices for these is killing our wallet just enough so that we can't buy up as quickly, and for somebody like me who is a casual fan I'm not used to paying so much for toys - even though I think it's money well spent. (But wouldn't it be cool to just walk into a non-import store and pick these up off the shelf like any other toy, and if it sucked enough you could return it and/or complain because you could examine it in detail for yourself instead of hearing other people's impression?)

This is why I am still nervous to want to get a Toynami alpha because I am so used to having something in my hand when I part with my money rather than paying up and waiting for things or worrying about flaws in the thing you weren't prepared for. I'm old fashioned but its just the way I like to do things so I will take a laid back attitude to any new release toys, no matter how awesome.

No it isnt me. I am keeping all of mine unless someone offers me $1000 per low vis. I got no problem with it. Seriously, I dunno if I trust this guy.

Yeah, I was only kidding when I typed that out.

Somebody email the guy to see if he comes to macross world... I'm curious to know if it's godzilla? heh

Thanks. Will look right into it. Err... soon as I have my monster, paid for a super pack, saved for an upcoming gbp, a green and blue qrau, a cannon fodder etc etc Not used to paying for imported toys and games so regularly.

The wallet took quite a beating on christmas.

You should look into the BinalTech/Alternators (japan/us) series. Real vehicle modes sans garish color schemes. Like G1 on steroids. IMHO, BinalTech is the car answer to Yamato valks.

A friend of mine was just telling me about these as he has been a fan of them himself. Given that right now I've blown all my cash on yamato macross stuff, I like to think of myself as the macross guy and him the transformers guy. If I had enough cash to get it all now, I definately would be buying them. sigh, I'm still playing catch up to other ppls toy collections.. I haven't been following up on new stuff since the 80s you see...

Got mine today. The seat is a little crooked. But oddly the figure sits straight. Whereas my vf-1j the seat is fine, but hikaru always looks to have his eye on 4 o'clock. Can't tell if skulls are crooked because this is my first skull ever. Both skulls look the same as each other on their respective tailfin.

However, I can tell you that I'm missing a backpack antenna. There's nothing but a hole.

So, what should I do? Since I'm new here I'm not sure how the parts exchange works? Does one just post a request and hope someone can help out? Also, If I could get an extra antenna, is it difficult to install?

Looks like harmony gold's plan to sabotage the yamato factories is working. hehe

Soon there will be limbs falling apart, parts assembled backwards, missing heads etc There are probably hackers trying to screw up how the robots put the toys together as we speak. jk

Yeah but the kite symbol (not the "un spacy" words) was printed on the 1/48s (on the wing). So if something small like that can be printed, I would hope that the eyeball marking was at least on the monster instead of needing to apply a sticker. Not holding my breath, though.

It's like they have a limited amount of detail to print and the rest MUST be stickers?)

The eyes would probably be the most important and distinct marking to have printed imo since I find it is the most recognisable.

Yeah but the 1/48 roy has at least the un spacy kite symbol on its wing and the "001" marking on the other wing right?

So I'm thinking the least yamato could do was at least give us the eyeball printed on and maybe the unspacy on the arms or something. (and the rest as stickers if they are that stingy) I see the eyeball peeling off over time with handling/transforming. And it just wouldn't be the same without the eyeball you know what I mean? Even if what those pics showed were of stickers, I would hope they'd at least print something. (not that I'd refuse to buy it if it didn't or anything ) The photos they show on most websites don't seem to even have any eyeball printing.

Stickers: does anyone know if it will have stickers or have tampo printing? If anyone knows, some pics of the sticker sheet would be nice. (the pic of the monster standing next to the yf19 showed some extra detail) I hope that the eyes on the cockpit are tampo printed at least. I can tolerate a combination of print with stickers but I would prefer the whole thing with printed on details.

mostly just display my toys, but I like knowing that they transforms from one mode to another without the nead to go find the bag of parts. The engineering that goes into the figure is the appeal of Macross & Transformers for me.

Accuracy compared to the line art isn't all that important to me. In fact, I think the line art accurate battroids are ugly (too stocky looking for a robot that turns into a sleek jet). I much prefer the lanky look of the perfect transformables.

I have to agree with this. I like my robots skinny and sleek while my destroids fat and sturdy. Planes should be sleek and sexy while tank-like mecha should be robust and tough. I've always thought that because the valks need speed, thier body in battroid mode should suggest a tall athletic body type. Fast runner, gangly limbs, poseable shoulders and hips etc. When they wear the gbp or put extra armor on, THEN they start to look just right. (the armour makes them look more destroidy and chunky) But when not using that, they should be thier skinny selves where the lack of meat only adds to thier flexibiliy and ability to perform fine movements. (no chunks of bulky armour clumsily getting in the way of thier poses)

Oh yeah, and I support the "perfect transformable at a large scale" crowd. Having something that you can touch and transform and pose (well at least once a week ) while at the same time retain good detail is the key to making the toy more desirable. I think this is why I have ignored the bandai valk because it doesn't have an attitude in robot mode. I don't care too much about diecast and am quite happy with plastic. (banprestos are great when you can get them to do all the poses in robot mode without worrying if it is going to fall over. It is cheap but it looks much cooler in battroid than bandais.)

I used to really like TF when I was a kid. (I still have Grimlock)

Back then the transformers were mainly robots who only transformed to disguise themselves (no out of control colour schemes) and the autobots were mainly automobiles and civilian vehicles (often they were more about rescuing innocent people, not just soldiers) while the decepticons were more heavy military vehicles. (this to conquer and oppress others with) Autobots couldn't fly but the Decepticons could. My memories were that decepticons often had the advantage over the autobots but thanks to optimus prime the tide would change. (the autobots just seemed like an underground resistance who played by the rules while the decepticons had cheated, and this resulted in prime's loss in the duel against megatron, since he had to honour his word in the contract)

Thier design was simple, weapons having unique functional purpose, and everything was effective. Each bot had it's specialisation (like that ambulance guy for instance, can't remember his name) unique sounding voice, and personality. When they worked as a team you coud spot your fave one from a distance. (each had a distinct colour, like sound wave's blue, optimus prime's red, megatron's white etc) But nowadays....meh.

I would love to see a G1 remake. I can't stand the new characters in the all the new series. It just ain't the same. And I just had a look through a toy catalog the other day: man those toys are ugly! I think I was looking at "omega supreme" or something. There were so many bits and pieces hanging off its body and so many garish colours mixed together that it wouldn't look out of place in a macross 7 show.

Sorry this isn't a bash tf thread but I just had to get that off my chest. I dunno maybe my nostalgia is clouding my judgment but I think the old school simple transformers just seemed more cool to me than the newer generations. (I was just watching the TF movie the other day. Again very memorable design: Who could forget bumble bee, soundwave, Starscream (the Rocker-style scream for his voice was cool ) and Devastor? They ain't souless mechs, but memorable characters to me.)

Here are my suggestions: (completely made up of course )

-Longer legs allow for easier movement on slightly uneven terrain?

Taller robot = bigger strides. Crouched robot = more balance but since it can't jump or anything like the regult, it is slower.

-Battroid mode can see objects hiding behind buildings/trees/hills easier? The higher angle to shoot from, makes targeting enemies low to the ground easier since you can see more from above like observing from a tower. In the far off distance where things touch the horizon, shooting from a higher vantage point may mean more accuracy.

-Devastor was so cool in the transformers movie. Like the transformer Devastor, the crew may want to get into a fight with other mechs to see who is the strongest robot of them all. No more Zentradi giants thinking they can just punch through armour or lift the battroid over thier heads and throw them around. A monster that can transform to human form is a psycological advantage. Normal battroids are only the size of a giant zentradi soldier but smaller than a zentradi mech. Big is scary.

-The monster could be used in a team of battroids as heavy weapons man. One thing about the regults and glaug is they kind of look cool when you see them together as a team with each man speciailising in a specific task rather than all being generic and having the same ability. I imagine that this battroid-moded monster would be able to run maybe? It could be a mech that provides long range support so the other smaller battroids are covered from enemies that can shoot them down from afar? This happened in the tv series when a group of MK II monsters had the zentradi pods surrounded and they couldn't really fight back.

I just think that if the monster could be used to fly in shuttle mode/bomber mode along with other variable fighters on missions, then it could be an advantage in a team where the monster is used in various modes. (one for ground as a mere cannon that just sits there in defense, another for ground attacks that moves around in battroid mode like any normal variable fighter in battroid mode, and one for air to move about quicker.)

I also think that a monster by itself would have a hard time against a group of smaller, faster, mechs attacking it from up close. It would be slower than say a Qrau, and have a hard time trying to hit anything, which is where the smaller variable fighters could come in to help so that the monster can focus on targets further away and letting the heavy armor absorb damage from close attacks by enemies too fast to hit. But if the monster is used in a team, I can see this as being useful since most of the time the monster just sits on its ass. The Battroid mode would make it like a long distance attacking mech that can also move from one area quicker on foot as opposed to just being a defender of an area in Gerwalk mode. All the Battroid would have to do is bend down on one knee for stability to fire the 4 cannons instead of transforming to Gerwalk. In this sense, I find the gerwalk mode to be less useful than battroid.

-Space. If it had to fight in space all the disadvantages of being in battroid mode in a planetary surface would disapear. Just fly from point to point in shuttle/bomber mode, change to battroid and fire the 4 cannons. No worries about losing balance or stability or anything. All the cool humanoid Zero G acrobatic maneavers you see other battroids performing can now be done, (max's mech duels) only on a larger scale. Previous monsters may have been too simplistic in controls to perform complex moves, but a battroid mode form of control adds a more 'powered suit' feel (complete with head, arms and legs all independantly controlled by a single pilot) than a slow tank (gerwalk mode) which is suited for heavy ground attacks and limited by its own weight.

Just recently got mine.

-Slightly crooked seat

-1 slightly loose wingflap

But am happy. So is yamato going to release a tv roy vf1s (or maybe have hikaru as the skull leader pilot since roy died early with hikaru taking his plane ) with tv fast pack combination? (similar to what they did with tv super max and super miriya?)

I would love to see this. Who else is with me on this? TV vf1s with hikaru pilot?

So far I have

-a low vis 1A with normal pilot.

-a tv super max 1J with tv max pilot.

-DYRL Roy 1S with DYRL roy pilot. (need to get fast pack for this)

(I've tried to get one of each different mech head: J, A, and S. Which is why I want to see a 1D in future.)

..now I want a tv 1S (roy's skull 001 that hikaru uses) with tv hikaru pilot complete with super fast pack in a box. I don't see why they couldn't milk this. You guys have soooo much money. The most memorable scene in the tv series was when hikaru almost dies and has to eject his whole super pack and armor after being hit with minimissiles. I think that episode was one of my faves because the animation in it was done well. For the completist collectors and displayers, it will look good to have tv super max and miriya displayed next to tv super hikaru.

And for those who want a tv roy pilot with grey flight suit, they could just release the same tv 1S again but repackaged without the tv fast pack that will come in the hikaru set. (roy never used one in the tv series did he?)

Props to neova for a roy reissue he sent in excellent packaging, with fast delivery, and for being so patient with me when in responding to my questions in email that were replied to immediately.

I've never seen a toy wrapped up in so much bubble wrap. It kind of reminded me of what happens to those victims in the movie aliens where they are cocooned to provide food for the aliens later. Even the little bubbles themselves were in great condition with like .000001 % popped bubble out of the lot. And becuase there were hundreds of them it took me ages to count them all up and record the results of my findings for future reference incase somebody was interested to know because they were paranoid about damage to the boxes. jk

I say we send a spy into yamato hq disguised as an employee. They probably have the finished stuff like yf19fp lying around somewhere for graham to review but are hiding it because they are scared.

From now on it's only toynami stuff for me. that's going to teach em. just joking!

Those pics of the monster looks good. After this I probably won't have enough money for anything else for a while. Because of a lack of yf19 for me to buy I'm tempted to go and get a bandai mac7 fire valk. Are these any good? They look pretty good in battroid mode but I hear the poseability in the legs is crap?

My standards are pretty low. (I love the banprestos which everyone hates )

I'd probably buy 3 if I could but I spent all my cash on toys, games and christmas presents.

Glad I fially got to own the whole of MAK-U-ROSU (ah love the theme song )on dvd. I paid full price for mine. If I'd have known the price would go down I would have waited.

Now that dvd's are going to be superceded some day (well in the not too distant future) by a new format, there's always a chance they'll rerelease this again.