1/1 LowViz Lurker

I think I recall graham saying "...use you common sense" which to me means "if it came out for the 1/72 that = it will come out for 1/60." Why do you like the vf-11 so much? It's the cannon fodder. That's like saying I can't wait for the brownie vf-1 to come out in 1/60. I'll admit it: I'm a big fan of this valk in fighter mode. I never really like the battroid that much though because of the shoulders looking strange; ie having a big square chunk of armor on the front face of the shoulder but nothing on the side or behind. That would be like a robot having a chest plate but no covering on the back. Whereas the yf-21 and 19 have these smooth curves and (for the 19) thrusters inside the shoulders, the vf-11 just has this square thing hanging off it. The head is basic, ("shrunken head" vf-1a design) but all of this is made up for by the fact it has the bayonet on the gunpod. Really useful if the gunpod jams or you are being rushed by a giant in a powersuit who wants to rush you. Will be interesting to see if this thing can extend the wings all the way out this time. Oh and the FP and armor better come free with it. Unlike the VF-1 I do not think I want to buy this seperate. Maybe they could sell the vf-11 atmospheric boosters, the yf-19 underarm weapon, (isn't there official lineart now??) and the ghost x-9 drone together as a gift set for the uber macross plus geek who needs all the extras. (but only as a set - this is for serious collectors who own all three mac + fighters that appeared in the show. Making it all together exclusively would entice people to buy it all) ahh the underarm weapon..

I don't get why 1J head turret is so popular. 1S looks smoother and more aerodynamic to me. Is it because it hangs down like a nutsack in fighter mode so it makes the fighter look ugly or just that you hate rounder curved shapes? Four head lasers means you can fire more rapid stream of laser pulses so it is more practical as an antimissile weapon. In gerwalk as an anti-personell weapon it can kill little targets quicker then a single or dual head laser head turret. The 1J reminds me of Cyclops from the x-men.

I've just been rewatching macross plus OVA. With regard to the "who loaded the gunpod with live ammo?" mystery, was Guld in fact guilty of having tampered with the inventory program to make Dyson look like he was trying to cheat? The goal of Guld's being that if he won the battroid brawl he would win the project, but (as a backup plan) if he lost he could then say Dyson had attempted a dirty rotten move (using real ammo to destroy the yf-21) and then still look good? (covering both ends - remember that just before this scene is when guld is confident that he's won myung, and all that he has to do now is win the competition so he might have had time to plan ahead) Or was it sharon apple who hacked into the inventory program: ie help guld frame dyson (without guld knowing what happened) so myung can sympathise with the injured guld, and that way she (sharon) can have Dyson all for herself? It was never really clear to me whose fault it was. And before you say that Guld must be guilty because (in the elevator scene) he wonders why is the black guy "helping him", that to me is not enough evidence that Guld actually put the live ammo in the gunpod. It could just be that he is curious as to why he is being helped by a filthy human (he is being cynical and guesses that being saved means the black guy expects a favour in return for this). I think it could have been sharon apple, because towards the end she reveals she is after dyson. Getting Guld injured by having dyson physically hurt him with the live ammo would allow guld to get sympathy points from myung (she hates it when they fight so she would be drawn towards the least violent one more) and then sharon can make her move unimpeded. (no love triangle if guld gets his girl)

If it's going to mean the toy doesn't shake around too much within the box I'm all for it. I hate the idea that someone else has tampered with the toy more than I hate the untwisting of millions of little twisty ties.

Maybe the tanks WERE destroids and they transform into robots? Haha that'd be funny.

Gimmicks I'd like to see if made: -Eyeball has to open and close. -Ball sockets for the guns -really flexible joints so it can "sit down" -all the weapon add-ons -legs should detach from the round ball (just like the cartoon where it flies off) -zentradi giant inside it (just like opening cockpit of qrau) -tampo printed markings -clicky joints so it can have the legs spread apart without drooping if displayed on a stand flying Maybe include a figure armed with a gun with the toy to make up for not being a transforming toy. Each different regult type has a slightly different pilot. A fat chunky guy with a mullet, a thin tall guy with long hair, and a short guy wit messy hair. (based on the three zentradi spies?) A fourth one could be based on the guy hkaru killed in the VF-1D trainer that died having grabbed his leg. By the time they make the glaug, you could have kamjin ordering these 4 soldiers and complete the set.(just as you have the cannon fodder, the 1j, and 1s in the valk range.) If they wanted to milk the regult just create non-canon schemes. (pre-SW I)

Yeah the cockpit details, will probably still be better than the 1/60 valks just because it's a bigger size. So that's why as a display piece it still has value to the collector who wants those things and is obsessed about the details more than simple transformations and super posability in battroid mode. We are all going to be buying the bloody 1/60 for the two seater anyway, but that doesn't necessarily mean 1/48 can be thrown in the bin like so many who are whining will happen now that smaller toys of vf-1 are coming. Can you imagine trying to place the tiny dashboard sitckers on the 1/60 vf-1? That was hard enough for 1/48. Not everyone has the skill and patience to panel line and cut out tiny little stickers and then place them exactly without screwing up. Smaller toys will have problems with the smaller details being harder to see and generally looking less detailed compared to the bigger toy. It's inevitable. Hell if I were given a choice between owning a 1/48 VF-1D vs a 1/60 VF-1D I would go the bigger version. (assuming they each had equal gimmicks and features) 1/48 still has its place in a collectors shelf of toys. Especially those who have the room for it.

I wold highly recommend getting a 1/48 + super pack parts. (because this way you can have the strike valkyrie or the super) Awesome details on the super/stirke packs. Just like the lineart and the covers are removable so if you watch the show when they are repairing the valks and arming them and whatnot you will appreciate all that stuff. The 1/48 are PT, and complex. Maybe still more complex than the 1/60 so if you like details and complex toys these are great for display. If you are a fan of DYRL get the Roy VF-1S or Hikaru VF-1S (yellow and red trim respectively) or if you want a tv series valk get max and milia. The colour for those two is nice. And towards the end of the tv series when you see them armed to the teeth with missiles on the wings and super backpacks in robot mode fighting as a team it really defines what macross the tv series was about: the two races coming together to kill stuff and then mate to create half breed hybrids with stronger bones that allow them to be thrown around as babies without damaging them. (isn't that what the adv subtitles say when miria throws the baby across the room assured it wouldn't die if misa didn't catch it?) But really get TV series Max and Miria (you get the extra set of tv series hands) and then maybe get roy or hikaru. All the others are imo non-essential. (GBP might be attractive to get but not over the super/strike pack) When the 1/60 come out who knows? Maybe prices for 1/48 might actually go up as people see larger size as more important to them than a few gimmicks? (would you say the alternator prime is necessarily more valued to transformer fans than the masterpiece prime? Alts in some ways are more detailed, but the actual size of MP has more presence when you see it displayed near the MP megatron fighting it out) With the toynamis, sell them, and then use the cash to get the 1/60 macross plus valks. Hopefully this yf-21 that is coming will be problem free now that graham has mentioned the QC issue of first release yamato's is going to be addressed for future releases of valks. Still going to wait for reviews first though.. Macross unlike megazone 23 can't be supported with replacements (due to the Harmony Gold problem of no official help allowed to people outside japan for macross) so they need to be extra extra sure that the pieces aren't going to snap and limbs are tight for any valks. It's too expensive for the average joe to take risks (buying multiples of first releases) unlike smaller and cheaper toys where the shipping costs aren't too crazy and where a single piece getting damaged doesn't necesarily mean the whole toy is stuffed. (smaller toys are more common, easier to find replacement parts, and the stress is lessened when handling and transforming them)

But you see hikaru in the vf-1d waste one with his gunpod in sdf:m at the very beginning. Doesn't it have nostalgiac appeal? When the vf-1D comes out, think of how you can display that 1/60 valk in gerwalk shooting the regult like in the show. it's all about the displays for me. I'd probably want a glaug for that same reason when hikaru fights kamjin and almost dies before kamjin is recalled back. Same reason why 1/60 qrau is going to look good near the new 1/60 vf-1 toys. The fight scene of the two aces from dyrl can be recreated. The qrau cockpit even opens up so you can have milia slide out. Maybe yamato could even release a two pack: 1/60 DYRL *Qrau + 1/60 vf-1 (max type - comes with a little max jenius figure) for a cheap price. Put a scene from DYRL on the front of the box of the two fighting to remind people of the significance of the two toys being bundled together. Then do the same with the Kamjin glaug + 1/60 hikaru vf-1 (tv series) to get people to buy the less popular mecha with the popular stuff. Roy's battle-damaged Vf-1 would come bundled with the female zentradi grunt mecha that killed him + his "lying on the ground with a hole in his back" figurine. Call it the "Death of roy" bundle. The boxart wold have the image of roy lying down with blood coming out and a pineapple. *all of the unsold Qrau can be put to good use

The goth chics go for the pilots of dark valkyries like vf-17 nightmare, credit card vf-1, and batman's VF-22. More privacy when doing them while they sit on your lap in zero g when nobody can see you.

They could call it the 25th anniversary vf-22. All the goth chics will want to ride in it.

But part of the reason they are also high is because we are willing to pay the high price. It's like games here in australia. The only reason we pay double the amount of the normal price overseas is because people were used to paying that amount. Same with CDs and other things. I don't think it's just the dollar value/inflation etc or just that the cost to produce it went up. Games have not gotten cheaper (locally) despite a boost in the value of the dollar here. (imorting is actually cheaper which is why it's so good to have a all-region dvd player for example) Personally I don't mind a high price if the quality matches the price and if I'm desperate to pay the price. Otherwise I wait until the price goes down. I want only the quality toys to make a profit unless there is barely any competition and no chance of seeing a better product made due to how unpopular the show is. (which is the leverage the toy maker has on the fan of the vintage show looking for toys made from it)

Nothing loose? I might just cave in an buy one after all rather than waiting for a second release ivanov.

They actually spoil the presentation of the toy too when you think about it. You open the lid to see through the clear plastic, and you see a valk in bondage. But I can see the advantage it would have in keeping it from shaking around too much for the bumpy trips. Things that would be good: -Thicker cardboard boxes that are smaller -spare parts that can be ordered if one part is damaged (whether in transit or by you on your first transformation ) and have the website with the order form on a sheet to order from (sometimes you might get sent two right shoulder or something) -images of the lineart inside the box packaging to illustrate accuracy of the sculpt for comparison. Not just the cad from the instructions. -tamperproof stickers that once removed let you know the reseller opens the boxes -boxart that looks good as if the toy is a masterpiece over a mass produced toy. -thin stickers (have these improved a lot yet?) -why not an image of the pilot on the box? So people know which character's plane it is rather than just seeing a name?

I just hope it is close to the anime. Maybe they are told to make it bright for other reasons like getting attention? (like how the original gundam was supposed to be white but they went with other bright colours to make it more appealing as a toy) If they make a non-canon dark yf-21 I hope it is as close to the gamlin vf-22 as possible. Oh yeah BTW graham: will they eventually release a VF-22 after yf-21? Would seem a waste to not do this. This is why I think bandai having the license for macross shows isn't always a good thing because they might choose to not do anything. It wastes potential.

RT.com = being in a giant monster's anus (like the halo 3 level) because of the restrictions. Can't talk about anything that isn't toynami. That's why so many people ended up here. We survived hell and as refugees raped of our freedom, sought a new promised land and happened to escape from the monster's anus and end up here. If they had just allowed for talk of other toys within the greater macross universe, we'd all still be there. Simply put, the marketing shills want to use the community and then after they have extracted what they need from them, poo them out like a waste product. There's no fun being in a forum chatting with a community of fans if you are constantly being monitored for signs of that mention of toys. People in there are scared into submission in case they get banned just because of a few words of text that may just resemble yamato, bandai, etc that competes with their toynami products. If you came here through some other means I could forgive you for not knowing what we mean. The tentacled monster rapes you of your freedom, you are the innocent fan looking for info, and you get treated like poo, (to be used) not as guests welcome in a community. People don't go to a site just only to talk about the narrow subject matter of the website but of many offtopic things too. That's the big downfall of the RT forums and why it's not appealing because you won't get that feeling you are a part of a community. Instead you are paranoid the community is spying on you for signs that you broke a little rule and they'll dob you in like the teacher's pet in primary school who wants to be recognised for his loyalty. Yes we might owe Robotech some respect for its recognition in the US as a cartoon aimed more at a teen audience and leading some people into macross, as well as for nostalgia reasons, but anti-competitive behaviour like not allowing people to speak freely is a big no no. Punishing people just for liking a product not available on their site just shows it's not about the community itself but profits. And having them spy on you through censoring of the mere mention of non-toynami stuff is just anal-retentive. Eventually people will resent it and leave like many have. I didn't mind robotech back then, but now it's got to think forward and move on. Those still trapped inside the belly of the beast, are stuck in a bubble world clinging to tidbits of info and getting very little back as fans in return. What's the point of going to a forum without any info, no promises of keeping the release dates, blackmail ("buy an alpha to get a beta"..but there's no garantee the beta gets made anyway if you do buy one) and ridiculous censorship? I have nothing against the fans of robotech, but you guys should fight for the right to speak about other things beyond the toynamis on the official RT site so more people feel welcome and therefore slowly build up a happy community able to chat about various brands of macross and robotech toys. It's their loss in the long run.

Hopefully the upcoming vf-11 toy doesn't have the damn shoulders spread so far apart. You hear me yamato? Don't make the arms so far apart this time. I couldn't stand that about the battroid mode so I never have it displayed in that mode for the 1/72.

I was reading too many of those "guro" hentai comics when I wrote that. It's screwed up my brain. Sorry if it gave you nightmares which wasn't the intention I also just finished halo 3 and there is a level where it looks like you got to go through someone's anus multiple times to retrieve this computer so it might also have had something to do with it.

But what if the subs make you think things are there that aren't? I thought "Evirus" was an actual person when watching DYRL. So the Evirus Slayer must be a legendary combatant that fought him a long time ago and minmay was singing about it in DYRL. Kinda like shenlong in street fighter who doesn't exist. Evirus might have been something britai and exedor witnessed when seeing the movie, before the mind wipe and the memory of that trautmatic event came to them right at that moment when they saw the little white dragon movie. (like guld's "I almost raped myung" scene in macross plus) and someone similar in power to the protodevlin existed and beat the crap out of evirus a long time ago. So when they saw the movie, they thought the evirus slayer was onboard the SDF-1 which is why they were scared to destroy the sdf-1.

Yes that's why the seal should be unique to something only yamato makes so the reseller won't try to counterfiet the seal. If the customer sees a broken seal they'll know the reseller isn't selling the toy MIB. I don't care so much about the box itself not being mint, so much as whether the box was opened and the toy was handled. It's not just that these are high value toys and that it will help reduce risk to the customer, but that stuff like that adds to the presentation too. Collectors complain about the crappy box design, but aren't the collectors supposed to care about whether the item itself is untampered with too? Anyone that is against seals should just buy one to play with and another to leave MIB. No excuse. If you have the money to afford to pay for the high priced toy, naturally you'd want to ensure the item inside is truly perfect condition as if it left the factory and presented in a box that looks nice. (just as you might see some comic collector who puts stuff in protective plastic bags for preservation reasons. They shouldn't be touching the paper as it might even leave oil marks from their hands) The seal would remind you that the item is fresh, the reseller didn't package an older version of the toy in a new version box, or buy a cheap secondhand valk (or maybe their own one) and replace the new one with that used one and then charge you full price. Lets say for example they like the new gummy pilots in later releases and they give you their old hard plastic pilot and take your gummy one? Or take a piece from their toy that has a loose wrist joint that they filed down too much and replace your stiff one with their old one? Wouldn't be hard to get away with if they ketp their old toy in very good condition enough to pass as new. I'm not a big fan of twisty ties though. The transformers that come with TT is just excessive and it takes ages to release the toy from the packaging. No thanks.

I want one. I bought the Qrau, in the hope that maybe this might be like voting in support of the enemies mecha. For me the diversity seen in SDF:m is partly what makes it so interesting. If you only make toys ofthe VF-1 of course the Variable fighter is only what you'll see in the future shows and nothing else. (like variable glaug or background destroid mecha) But imagine if gundam only had 1 robot? And the only toy were the flying space use gundams? While transformers fans complain that they are tired of repaints, the macross fans are glad to see repaints of the same mecha. Now that doesn't mean I'm bashing the mecha that are popular, but while they make only the popular stuff, that it takes ages for them to come up with vf-17, vf-4, the stuff you see in macross II, high detailed destroids, green Qrau etc. Instead they are just going to remilk the vf-1 again rather than make the lesser known things like VB-6 and variable glaug which to me is interesting because it shows the richness that is contained in macross beyond space vehicles. In macross zero there were a lot of interesting other mecha beyond just the VF, like the octos and cheyenne that adds to the franchise. The underwater destroid is a pretty original idea because it sounds useful just like how the regult are when used to hide in water in SDF:macross. (do these float in water?) I wonder why the un didn't invent their own version of octos to fight zentradi under water for when they decide to hide there like the anti-un?

It'd be good if lego had a macross line like the star wars stuff. That transforming monster in lego actually looks better than the yamato one.

If BoB is really working there: make the VF-11 joints like the 1/48 vf-1. But do something about chicken hands. If they can't make them beefy and tough give us non-posable ones that look bigger an beefier so that the gunpod is firmly held, along with also giving the perfect transforming ones. It's just a piece of extra plastic FFS. Helps the battroid mode a lot. The sculpt of the toys is great from yamato, just need to get the QC issue sorted to save their image. Yeah these may be "collectible" (and be common unlike real vintage toys), but only in the sense of the collectors having more money and willing to pay more, not because they are rare and stuff. Obsessive mecha geeks who never heard of yamato and didn't jump on them when they were first around might some day in future treat these like their chunky munky which is highly sought after and they are too lazy to find and hunt for so they don't mind paying a premium for the convenience of owning one. I think with the new tv series coming though right now there will be a flood of things coming out so it won't seem like macross has enough of a 'toy drought' to make those collectors feel they own stuff of value yet. But years ago people were complaining there was nothing coming out for macross. It just takes about a half decade before it finally arrives. Once it dies off, then expect those people who are hunting for stuff to start wanting to pay good money for it. Godzilla's great grandson should appear on that to see how much his valks are worth. "those konig monsters are just magnificent. Where did you find these? I would say they are worth x pounds and judging by thier condition you could proably get more for it now that the trend in transforming robots is long gone. The japanese robots are so rare to find these days and some of the most treasrued toys of past generations. Like some people's teeth you want to protect them from the yellowing. If you could just find the low visibility vf-1 you would be a rich man."

I actually prefer buying bundles as it saves a bit of money. Bit disapointed that the yf-19 with fold booster is discontinued on HLJ. I would have prefferred if that was the only version of the yf-19 release you could buy. Why would you not want to have the FP? It enhances the look of the robot mode.

Nah I'm thinking the rogue zentradi would be too dumb to make it now. Probably the anti-un who had access to a macronisation machine after learning about the events 50 years ago since they were there at the time. So they've been secretly following using the latest in cloaking technology. They armed the bug with weapons and have been reverse engineering AFOS technology ever since. This will be the test to see if the bugs are worth mass producing. Notice how their battroids are really skinny looking insect designs? They love bugs. And they have wanted to make an intelligent one which could be tamed for ages. The octos was probably inspired by a dead giant bug they found in a cave on the mayan island so they based their design on the creatures. Now they have created the ultimate in biotech weaponry which can allow them to win against the UN. All they need to do first is to wipe out those descendant of the mayan islanders who have the power to awaken the bugs from their sophisticated mind control which could turn the bug against them. Before ivanov's death he probably convinced a lot of un scientists to work for them instead since he thought they'd win the unification wars because they had stolen the VF design and had the head start. Macross F is going to be human enemies making monsters of the week and be the secret arms race to make the latest in bioweapons which will lead to variable fighters that are biomechanical with super robot abilities matching those seen in MacrossII. The president must have known they were coming so he is going to publicly unveal the secret new VFs that are biomechanical and lighter and faster than normal VFs. (just like how the un showed us the vf-1 in SDF:M at the airshow.) Alto will pilot the new generation of robot that goes back to the idea of close combat and they need people with a certain body type to make the machine react in sync to the human inputs. The end of real robots and the rise of magic biomechanical robots is here! Macross will have it's version of the bioroids from southern cross, just as it had it's version of the "thinking cap" (mckinney novels) in macross plus. PC will end up intervening and attack both sides leading to the loss of the biomecha and a return to older robots. (like how they don't use brain wave controls anymore)