Jump to content

M'Kyuun

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5260

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by M'Kyuun

  1. M'Kyuun
    Yep, I get ya. Again, it comes back to a trailer-less Prime; it doesn't feel complete, even if released as a standalone figure, and it's very much a part of why I'm looking so forward to finally getting Earthrise Prime. Not only does the bot finally, after 35 years and how many iterations, look like the G1 idealized toon aesthetic, but he comes with the trailer to really complete the character. Same for Ultra Magnus- a plain white truck that turns into a plain white OP just isn't Ultra Magnus; he needs the armor to truly be the character. And the same for Jetwing Prime from Revenge of the Fallen- that combined look is part of the character now. Some of these characters need the extras to make them complete. I do think armor for armor's sake can be cool, especially if it's done in a modular fashion, where you can pick and choose the bits you attach. I was doing some housework and thinking about what you said, Kuma, and I started thinking about the old Exo-Squad toys, where the main characters had any number of armor and weapons they could call upon to attach to their exo-suits. I can get behind a concept like that. It adds an extra dimension of playability/display value, as well as a bit of personal expression if you're not beholden to any particular loadout. Deep thoughts while vacuuming my bedroom.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Oh man, you're definitely in the target demographic. It's like Mattel putting out umpteen million outfits for the latest Barbie. Like Pokeman, gotta catch 'em all! I don't mind dressing up my figs with a bit of armor, but I'm more a fan of minimalist armor, like the old school FAST packs for the valks. Once they started getting obscenely obnoxious with some of the packs for the Frontier valks, I was out. Just too busy for my liking. Heck, I've never even liked the GBP armor for the VF-1- never appealed to me at all. But again, I generally feel I'm in the minority so far as my tastes for that sort of thing. Most of the time, I just prefer my bots as-is, without all the extra add-ons. Options are good, though, so I'm glad they exist for those who want them. It makes the hobby more varied and fun.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Go for it, man. Festooned with all that armor, Ginrai and Jetforce Prime take on a strong super robot vibe, which I know is totally your jam. Personally, I find them a bit too busy for my tastes, but I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that there are elements of it that I think are cool. The overall look just doesn't grab me. BUT, that's me, and I'll happily concede that I'm probably in the minority so far as my preference goes. I wish they had a pic of Dark Warrior wearing the Jetforce armor, as, colorwise, it seems more fitting for him. Certainly, the black trailer is a better match. But I get they're going for a Bayformer Prime wearing Jetfire's carcass look, and, actually, they did a good job of it. After watching Emgo's vid review, I think PE succeeded in what they were going for rather well; it's just not my thing.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Yes, but it comes with a regular red and blue Prime instead of Nemesis. Just the same, I'm not crazy about all the jet stuff hanging off of Prime, but it's cool that all the armor condenses into a standard G1 looking trailer, albeit in black. It's certainly an option if I change my mind.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, I saw that; they also have a version based on the Bay movie where he combines with Jetfire. No interest in those. Since I already have Takara's Ginrai, I thought it'd be cool if he worked with it. I checked out the TFW board ('preciate that link), and they're definitely scrutinizing it to see if they can make it work, although the stacks are in the way and there's no large head inside for the Super Ginrai mode. At this point, I'm thinking the same as Scyla, wishing there was a trailer that came with him- just a regular OP trailer in black with appropriate deco. I don't know what it is, but Prime always looks better in truck mode with a trailer. Anyway, I've got him PO'd, so he'll be my first Nemesis Prime.
  6. M'Kyuun
    @Kuma StyleHey, thanks for the FYI, man. Kind of a bummer that it's incompatible, but it's a rather sharp looking fig on its own. Be nice if it was compatible with ER Prime's trailer, but that's probably asking for too much, too. I think I'm going to get the Dark Warrior version; it's a thing of beauty.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Question; Does anyone know if the upcoming Perfect Effect DX-11 Honor Warrior will work with Titans Return Ginrai? It looks like a slight remold of PC-16, which makes me wonder if it'll work with it, too. I've been lamenting not getting PC-16, as it was a cool little Prime figure, just a bit pricey. Honor Warrior is also $60 for basically a deluxe figure, but I like the IDW inspired legs and chest. None of the promos show it with Ginrai, but I thought it'd be a nice bonus if it worked with it. edit: I've never owned a black Prime, and their Dark Warrior looks sharp. May have to get that instead of the traditional red and blue.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Not to mention a great eye for lighting and shooting these things. Carnifex never looked more ominously vogue. Lovely shot, Kuma.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Ah, you know me so well. It's an issue I take with most of HasTaks jets. For the sake of accuracy to the original toy/toon depiction, I can grudgingly forgive it with combiners, given that they need the extra volume of the bot to fill out the limbs. But looking at this guy, and comparing him to the original Seeker design, the Seeker comes off as a much sleeker design in which the fuselage of the plane is the body of the bot as well, rather than a cubish bot hanging underneath a partial F-15 fuselage like this guy, and the majority of HasTak's jetbots. It's one area where I give the old Machine Robo/Gobots high marks over HasTak, as their jets were nearly always fairly accurate, and their bot modes created out of the aircraft, rather than being slung under them. It's the main reason I'd hoped that Action Toys' line would do well enough for them to possibly expand beyond Revenge of Cronos into the main line, as I would have loved to have seen them do all the aircraft figures, especially Harrier Robo. Alas, not to be. In other 3P news, Nonnef is creating a trailer upgrade kit for Earthrise Prime that fixes a number of inaccuracies with the official release, thus bringing it closer to the G1 toy/animation model. They're also planning an upgrade kit for Prime later. I PO'd the trailer upgrade kit, and if the Prime kit replaces all the grey bits in his legs, I'll be onboard for that, too. They're already warning that shipping is going to be costly, so there's that (about $5). But the trailer kit itself is $25, a great deal considering all that comes in the kit to really dress up the trailer, including Roller. One notable thing about Nonnef is that they are an American company, so it's nice to see a domestic party making accessories and upgrades.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I thought about it for a skinny minute, as I like the look of the Sian, and Lamborghinis in general, but I don't have the space for it, and I don't feel like paying that much for a kit that I'll build, roll around for a day or two, and then pack up and store away. As much as I enjoy building them, and the realistic features they have, I buy few Technic sets. The last one I bought was the Mack Anthem, and the next one I intend to buy is the Osprey set, which has been announced, but no pics have been shown thus far (except, perhaps, leaks, which I haven't seen). I'm not a car guy, per se, so I don't feel a strong need to get these car models. I think they're masterful models, but my tendency in the car genre is towards the Speed Champions, especially now that they've switched to 8-stud wide models, allowing for much more accurate shaping and details. They're much easier on the wallet and take up a fraction of the space as well. And, they're minifig scale, which is cool. Technoblue, all my best to you for sourcing the parts and building your Swordfish. Once you get her all put together, you'll have to do a little show & tell, without revealing too many of its building techniques (the original builder sells the instructions and deserves to have his secrets kept just so). More importantly, have fun- that's what it's all about.
  11. M'Kyuun
    That minifig scale Swordfish is awesome. Best I've seen, and I've seen a few.
  12. M'Kyuun
    First, thanks Danth and Technoblue for your kind comments. means a lot to me. Second, that Swordfish is a neat little build. I've no interest in miroscale, per se, at least as something that I want to build personally, but builds like this are amazing for how much detail is captured accurately with an economical use of parts. It's a lovely little model, instantly recognizable. The use of the Technic figs' visors (and minifig visors in other MOCs I've seen) always floor me, as, due to their design, have no apparent method for affixing them in place, and yet folks figure it out somehow. I'm just not that inventive, which makes me appreciate the technique and use of those parts all the more. Thanks for sharing, Technoblue. Gotta go listen to some Tank! now. Edit: here's another Cowboy Bebop inspired build: Red Tail
  13. M'Kyuun
    Yeah everything about Dragon's design is efficient. I like how the 4 reverse maneuvering thrusters with docking hatch at the center are hidden beneath a retractable nose cone fairing. Just good engineering. It's leaps and bounds over the designs from yesteryear, where stuff was just jettisoned off the spacecraft once they were expended or no longer pertinent. The new design philosophy is greatly cutting down on the amount of space junk floating around up there- literally hundreds if not thousands of pieces and parts from various nations' spacecraft, not to mention stuff that's been intentionally blown up. It was a long wait from successful docking to the actual boarding, due to numerous checklists for safety and functionality needing to be completed, but I enjoyed seeing Doug's and Bob's happy reunion with old friends aboard. A lot of people were watching this , so it makes me happy that there's so much interest in the space program again. I hope it continues, as the technology going forward is really impressive, and I'm looking forward to seeing the establishment of a moon base in my life time, and then Mars. Good stuff.
  14. M'Kyuun
    To be fair, the Gemini and Apollo missions were far more about ideological and political oneupmanship than science. Of all the Apollo missions, only the last carried a scientist, Jack Schmitt, a geologist, and there was a bit of a concerted effort by scientists to get him in the lineup. Most of the astronauts, including his commander-to-be, Gene Cernan, felt that only highly qualified pilot astronauts should go. But, the effort to have Schmitt go paid off, and he proved to be an astute student, learning to be a pilot, learning the LM's systems, and becoming a trusted member of Cernan's crew. But politics was was really at the forefront of Apollo, and after kicking enough sand in the Soviets' faces, and with public interest after Apollo 11 and 13 waning to nigh zero, the moon just wasn't a cost effective goal. Moving into the Shuttle age, national security was at the heart of that program, with all the science and technology that followed becoming a healthy boon to our economy and way of life. But yeah, pure science seems to interest few politicians, and NASA's budget was always the victim of cuts. And, as Dewpoint mentioned, as a federal agency, they're at the mercy of various politicians wanting this or that program at the fore, or they demand changes to a program at the risk of pulled funding. A civilian company is far freer to develop a project as envisioned, without the interference of political bias. They only have to answer to their stockholders and customers. And stay within federal regulations, of course. To that end, I think the current relationship between NASA and SpaceX holds the greatest promise of actualizing some of the dream projects , like going back to the moon, or putting humans on Mars, that have been percolating and inspiring scientists, engineers, and future astronauts since the 60s. Von Braun had his eyes on Mars back then. It just wasn't to be. But now, with enthusiasm seeming to build for humanity to become spacefarers once again, and with SpaceX making good strides, and with Boeing also working on a space vehicle program, there's some solidarity to the hope of putting boots on another planet within a decade. 2024 is the goal for the next moon mission- not far off. I'm excited to see it. I was too young to appreciate the awesomeness of the accomplishment the last time a human stood on the lunar surface, so I'm stoked to see it happen once again when I can more fully appreciate the achievement.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Those vertical rocket recovery landings will never cease to amaze me; it's sci-fi turned real, just an incredible feat of engineering. It's why I made my water recovery statement earlier; if we land a rocket on its tail, why not bring a capsule down on land. but I digress. What was notable to me was how clean the exhaust plume was from the rocket as compared to the Gemini, Apollo, and STS missions, which created huge fireballs and lots of smoke. When they called ignition and liftoff, there was no indication that the engine was firing until Falcon left the pad. Also notable was how stable the view in the Dragon appeared; I'm sure there's some vibration, but looking at the flatscreen from behind the astronauts, there was no discernable difference between prelaunch and flight. Incredible stability. It's a great feeling to see that rocket go heavenwards, to see the staging go off without a hitch, to see all those clear views of the ship separating and of course, to see the good Earth in the background. It's a proud day for America. I feel it.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Y'know, with all of the other advancements this program represents, it seems a bit anachronistic that the American space program continues to prefer water landings instead of a controlled ground landing. The Soviets have been landing on the ground since the beginning of Soyuz, so it's not like there's no precedence. It just seems a step back to me. Moreover, with water landings, there's always the possibility of losing the capsule if it takes on water. Gus Grissom was pissed when his Gemini capsule was lost. Anyway, with 18 minutes to launch, it's looking promising to a celebratory return to space via American technology. Go Demo2!
  17. M'Kyuun
  18. M'Kyuun
    Live coverage.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Huge thanks, guys. He was a long time dream project, and after many years of trial and error, mostly error, those cockpit parts gave me a nexus around which to design his look. I've taken him to LEGO conventions, and he's almost invariably people's favorite of my variable mecha, which is very personally satisfying, as of my four variable models, he's my own design. The other three are based on Macross designs. My VF-4 is my avatar.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Demo2 is scheduled to takeoff around noonish Pacific time, about four hours from now. Weather's 50% today, so fingers crossed for favorable conditions when the countdown is nearing launch time. Godspeed Doug and Bob!
  21. M'Kyuun
    Got my 52Toys BeastBox Xenomorph and Alien Queen today. The Xenomorph is a bit limited in the articulation/poseability dept, mostly b/c of its size. The Alien Queen definitely manifests some improvements, both in getting the anatomy closer to source, and improved articulation compared to the Xenomorph. The Queen is just a brilliant bit of engineering to compress her down to a 2"x2"x2"cube. Both are a lot of fun to mess with. I've got their Powerloader PO'd; the only downside is that it doesn't come with a Ripley figure to strap in. For those interested, 52Toys already have a proto for a Predator in the same line, so something to look forward to.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I've looked about on Instagram for LEGO leaks showing pics to no avail. However, I believe it was on the Eurobricks forums that someone commented about the Osprey's color scheme being orange and black. The tone of the comment made it seem as if they'd seen pics of the thing, so I'm assuming it's correct until official pics are finally revealed, which will probably be a couple weeks prior to release so the set can't be copied by Chinese KOs. It makes sense, though, as it's a real military aircraft, so to distance it from military association, I'm assuming the orange and black will be indicative of some sort of rescue livery. LEGO already made an Osprey inspired City set a few years back: #60021 Cargo Heliplane. I used the cockpit as the base for my VV-1 Samson
  23. M'Kyuun
    I received a couple shipments of some BeastBOX figs from 52Toys today. These lovelies were among them.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I don't see a hand controller anywhere, which, in my mind, is a startling omission. It has to be somewhat foreign to a couple of jet jockies, as well. All the craft during Gemini and Apollo had some sort of a manual control stick with which to fly the thing, and one would think that'd be the kind of instinctual holdover that would find its way into any craft we build until some form of reliable mind/machine interface is achieved. The sad thing is, the only true test of the theory is for something to fail catastrophically causing some disruption to attitude control or the automated flight system, thereby forcing the astronauts to take control of flight input manually. I'm sure they practice in the simulators for "all" eventualities, but it's a little different when an unforeseen event , such as Apollo 13's infamous explosion, changes the situation. I certainly don't hope for that; I'd like to see the tech proven, but the fact that sh!t happens always remains in the back of one's mind.
  25. M'Kyuun
    You said anything goes. Took a few action shots of my LEGO VB-6.
×
×
  • Create New...