protostar8

http://www.hlj.com/faq/q16.html I could be overlooking it, but I don't see where the policy says SAL isn't covered. They mention that SAL isn't trackable in places, but again, I don't see where they say SAL is an "at your own risk" type of thing.

About RainbowTen. How is their shipping? It looks like unless you use EMS, then you risk losing your order with no re-imbursement unlike HLJ? I asked about shipping and it was 4000yen for the Luca + Super parts for EMS, but only 2000yen for them to be shipped SAL (I think it was SAL). With HLJ, they replace lost orders, which allows me to go with SAL and save $25 b/c I don't really care about speed as long as it arrives. I don't want to order with RainbowTen and either pay $20 to insure my order arrives or risk losing the package (at which point it'd be much cheaper to order with HLJ).

Cool. I just e-mailed them to see how much shipping would run. If it's not too insane I may go with them. What is up with the red and black prices? Are they really selling them at that big of a discount?

I'm actually really good at objective games. I'm already in the top 7000 players in Headquaters (and there are well over 100k people playing it). Honestly, are you sure you don't suck? I could take down a helicopter with one clip of my heavy machine gun in CoD4. If all the players on a team took 5-10 seconds to shoot the helicopter all at once, it's down in no time flat. Dogs just respawn when you kill them it seems. You must be on a really good internet connection or just are really lucky. Dogs are messed up. Again, the fact that it takes more bullets to bring down one dog than one person is just ridiculous considering that there are around 10-15 dogs that spawn if not more. Often times the knife "misses" the dog, especially if you have a bayonet on the weapon. I'll agree that artillery is really screwed up. It always seems that people on the other team somehow walk right through the strike (I've seen it happen several times) while a shell 50 feet from me miraculously kills me. Hit detection in this game is MUCH worse than CoD4. In CoD4, it was hard to get head shots, in this game, it's hard to get head or chest shots. Even when I snipe (which I do much less of b/c of the slow rifles and hit detection issues), it usually takes at least 2 shots to the chest to bring someone down when I have stopping power on the rifle. Maybe it's just me and the ten or so people I play with regularly, but when we use automatic guns, the first few bullets NEVER connect. Even if I walk up on an enemy not paying attention and put the gun to their head, the bullets just don't hit. World at War is garbage compared to CoD4. In CoD4, I never had enemy players spawn as badly as I do in WaW. Martyrdom is used a lot in both games, but Juggernaut is used far more in WaW than CoD4 simply b/c the MP40 is a beastly, overpowered gun and that's an excellent perk to choose with it. I can't stand to lose to a group of crappy players simply b/c the game gives them good spawns or they have "host" advantages. If a team beats me fair and square, no big deal, but when that's not the case, I don't like it and that happens about every 3-4 games (would be every other game except me and the guys I play with usually are good enough to overcome the game being sh*tty towards us).

Well, it sucks that the pre-orders are sold out. Are there any other dealers that are competitive with HLJ's pricing? Edit: How much does Over-Drive charge for shipping to the US (in general is it very expensive)? I live on the east coast.

After playing Call of Duty: World at War for 2.5 days (of game time since Christmas), it really makes me appreciate Call of Duty 4. Sure, CoD4 has some minor problems, but World at War is amazingly bad. Headquaters is VERY bad. Spawn points in the game are horrible at the best of times (people you just killed spawning right behind you or your team spawning across the map from the capture point while the other team spawns 50 feet away). The game often seems to "choose a side" to win and gives them lots of advantages with spawns. The weapon balance is non-existant. About 33% of the people I play use one specific gun and the perk that gives you extra health and the other perk that makes you drop a live grenade when you die. The Helicopter from CoD4 that was obnoxious has NOTHING on the dogs. They literally are unkillable until they are about 10 feet away, at which point it takes MORE BULLETS to kill them than a player. Add to that the fact that they continuously spawn for a set amount of time and it's ridiculous. Plus there are at least 3 of the 15 maps with SERIOUS glitches that let people under the maps where they are more or less invincible but can shoot you from underneath. Tanks in the game are another obnoxious addition, taking way too much to take one out unless you have a very specific class set up. As of tonight, I got so fed up with the game's horrible execution that I am considering never playing it again and just going back to CoD4, which is still fun even after I've been playing it for a year. I can't wait for Infinity Ward to release Modern Warfare 2 (CoD 6 I think).

Ah, didn't know that. I guess that works, but I think that's a shitty way for them to handle this with the kit costing $20. I can't believe they aren't even offering a small discount on the VF-25+Armor set. Edit: I also just noticed that the "colored" battroid picture has a stand/prop behind it to keep it from falling over, so I guess the armor makes it too heavy to stand straight up.

Seriously, this appears to be nothing more than a PR law (good for public relations but not enforced). For them to enforce this, they would have to hire a HUGE crew of people to search day after day for thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of items. I just don't see how it's possible. Hell, stores like TRU would lose 80% of their stores if this was enforced as it has been interpreted and I just don't see that happening. The US law system is a corrupted wasteland of useless laws that hurt people more than help them.

Just thinking, for that much money, the fast pack set might contain enough extra parts to avoid any coloring issues. Like a set for each valk. If not, then it's very expensive for the amount of parts I see.

I guess so. But the "look like toys" part might be giving them a little too much credit. They really look like dime store model kits. I have the little "AS collection" figures that came out and they are pretty cool with similar articulation, come prepainted, and I paid less than that model for each figure. The only thing is that those were kind of "stuck" jointed when I got them and had to use EXTREME care not to rip the plastic while getting the parts unstuck from the joint.

That does look pretty aweful. And KK is alright for the part, but she needs to be dressed like Chun Li. I think the shitty wardrobe has a large part in her not fitting the part well. I think Olivia Munn made a frickin awesome Chun Li in that little costume video thing she has.

Okay. Thanks for the info. I may just wait and get a Michael and Luca and just get the super parts when they come out since I believe they will come out before the Luca and Michael. If I could find an Alto for $50, I'd get it, but I doubt I'll be able to do that. I was however hoping to find one for less than $60, but even that might be sketchy. I'll wait until the big Alto restock and see what prices are.

Just from looking online, the Gundam Markers look like lead pencils. Are the pictures just deceiving or are these things really just "Gundam brand" lead pencils? I mainly think that b/c the refill sets look like lead. Oh, and what's a reasonable price to pay for an Alto model now? On evilbay, they are about $70 shipped and I don't think they are worth that much (IMO), so I'm hoping they are just a price gougers.

Man, they need to sell that VF-4 as a model kit! It kicks ass!

Ah, I had no clue personally. I guess that makes more sense then.

Just so you're aware, those little model kits (like the one you have linked) come totally unpainted. Basically white-ish gray plastic. They are cheap for a reason. And they have giant gaping holes in them where the makers didn't spend extra money to make parts to cover holes like on the insides of the legs or the backs of the legs...

It's nice, but just obscenely expensive. I don't see them selling that many. I'll continue to hope Revoltech does it one day...

Good. I was hoping they would do something like that being Bandai and all, but since the one they keep putting in magazines is colorless and I can't read what the articles say, it made me a little worried... Now all I have to do is find the cheapest place to get the Luca and Michael (possibly the Alto too)

If I remember correctly, it's supposed to come with all the stands needed, possibly even the one pictured (with the ghost and RVF-25) Edit: Anyone know if the Luca RVF-25 will be molded in color? These things look like they have very tight fight parts as is, so I'd hate to have to paint it...

Just found this thread. It's great! It does show just how bare bones this is without stickers/paint.

Okay, since these kits are a little pricey, what place is selling them the cheapest now that the US dollar sucks donkey ba**s compared to the Yen? I'm really not super interested in Alto's, but I'd like to get Michael and Luca and the Super/Armored upgrade kits (I assume there will eventually be an Armored upgrade kit like there is for the Super). I've considered getting an Alto just for the Armored version b/c Luca has a radar thing and Ghosts and I'm gonna make Michael's into the Super variant no doubt. That's at least $150-ish all total for Luca, Michael, and the super parts unless someone knows a cheap place to get them. Edit: Also forgot to ask if anywhere has a good review of the Alto model's durability now that it's been out for a little while. Are there any known fixes implemented in the newer models planned?

I don't get the sudden interest in Street Fighter. There are already SF figures and it just struck me as an odd choice??? But at least we get more Gurren Lagann figs! Come on ZOE figs (since the guy that made ZOE wants to make a 3rd game!)

Normally, I'd agree with you. But Gurren Lagann kicks so much ass that I want those mechs. Seriously, if you haven't seen the show then you need to. It will make you want these if you have manly fighting spirit!!!

Hooray!!! I'll have to get those too! Let's hope that the battleship ones come with small "Battleship" mode accessories.

B/c they know that just slapping "Dragonball" on it will draw in hordes of little kids expecting something that they won't get. But the movie makers won't care, they will already have their money by that point. It's sad really....