David Hingtgen

Catalog/instruction/prototype G1 Skywarp had differnt colors-----purple nosecone, h.stabs, launchers, missiles. Classics Skywarp used a lot of that---makes me wonder if they referenced that earlier depiction, instead of an actual production G1 toy. BUT---that older scheme also has black feet and exhaust nozzles, while Classics has them purple. If you combine everything, you get TOO much purple. Personally, I think the "ultimate" Skywarp would basically be G1 production colors, with a purple nosecone and weapons. Also, Skywarp is notable for his shiny metallic/chrome silver and purple stickers----SS and TC had dull red/white paper ones. (They all had metallic "robot" stickers--I'm talking about the jet-mode ones on wings and tail) Skywarp literally shone with color. While TC is my favorite, I vote SW as having the most "shocking" scheme, due to the very high contrast between black and silver, and 2 different shades of purple, plus his bright metallic wing and tail stickers. Here's "original scheme" Skywarp as seen in early photographs: (Yes, this is on the exact same level of blue Bluestreak---it's photographed and widely seen in catalogs, but nobody has one and it was never sold---there's probably like 1 or 2 ever made) PS---this scan comes from http://www.tfracetrack.com/instructions which is THE source for instruction, but doesn't seem as well-known in the TF community as it should be.

This is a good time to mention the new Fine Molds 1/72 Y-Wing: http://www.starshipmodeler.com/cfstore/ind...;Product_ID=944 Of course, buying a Y-Wing kit that accurate to the studio model, is more like buying 2 Tiger tank kits, a battleship, and some lasers.

Sure looked silvery-metallic to me. I mean---he was COATED IN METAL. That usually implies being shiny. Yes, technically, they used white paint to animate the scene. Much like how the Silver Surfer, and Storm of the X-Men, have "white" for their costumes in comic books, with blue highlights--because actual silver is rarely printed. Look at Prime in the movie---his grill and bumpers are mainly "white". Sometimes with Thrust's reflection. But we know they're supposed to be chrome, and are intended to be such. If you're going to argue Prime was white there, that means in the golden lagoon ep, they were "yellow and orange" and not "metallic gold".

Is your current 1GB a single stick, or 2 512's, or what? Also--buy whatever RAM matches your voltage. Generally, 2.2V RAM is "higher performance" RAM than 1.8V. But if your motherboard came with 1.8V, the odds are good it won't like trying to power 2.2V, and the 2.2V will not like running at 1.8V, if it can do it at all. Basically---any OEM RAM you have is probably cheap RAM, and buying high-quality RAM is pointless since you won't be able to take advantage of its capabilities if you use it with your cheap RAM, and it might not even be compatible to start with. I found RAM at Crucial that exactly matched my OEM RAM, just "bigger"---and went with that. No problems that I'm aware of, and I've got cool-running, Dual-Channel mode.

What I remember of the "impossible" mission (if I'm remembering it right, and this isn't just a very hard one I did eventually beat after dozens of tries): Wave after wave of 3-ship formations, many being T/B. Have to prevent them from destroying a small troop transport (possibly several of them). It'll take like 20 mins for the thing to jump out, by which time you've had to take down dozens of TIE's. Later, they may switch to T/A waves.

You could always use MW's own space, and make them attachments. Or is there really need to have them here at all? They're on Botcon.com's front page, just leave a link---like I mentioned a few posts ago.

Do you like CAG planes? Then this pic is for you: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=45190 And no, neither of those squadrons are the Sundowners. It's been a trend lately for squadrons in Japan to have a rising sun, but I think it's wrong, since that marking is THE logo of a quite famous squadron already---one that has been recently re-commissioned.

Thinner paint works better for eliminating brush strokes, for me at least. Also--white, orange, and yellow are less opaque than they used to be. Why? No lead. Lead is what's used to make quality, opaque pigments for those colors. But since stupid little kids still like to eat paint chips that flake off, it's not allowed in model paint. You'll never find a nice opaque yellow nowadays---you just need coat after coat.

X-Wing was HARD. Never beat it. I don't recall it exactly, but I stopped at one mission that just had insane odds, and even flying better than I ever had, I didn't even come close. I tried for a long time to beat it--basically until the B-Wing pack came out. Beat the B-Wing pack except for the last mission, which was the trench run, but in a B-Wing. Yeesh, even using cheat codes (long after I had given up) the Death Star missions in X-Wing are just insane. "Take out all 75 gun emplacements within 10 miles of the trench---you have 10 mins, and 50 T/A's are coming after you" TIE Fighter--that was actually beatable, and fun. And the T/I is the best. (You know someone played TIE Fighter if they type stuff as TIE, T/I, T/B, T/A, and T/D) The later expansions weren't as good, the tractor beam was just a gimmick---but it did have one nifty use: Very late, you could get it on the basic TIE and Interceptor. But it didn't take away from the engine or laser power, it added to the total power available. So if you took away all its recharge power, you could either keep your 110 speed in a T/I while recharging lasers, or "maintain charge" lasers, with like 130 speed! Also, I learned more about EU ships from TIE Fighter than anything else----everyone remembers how much harder Modified Frigates are to take down than standard Nebulon-B's. It's also about the only place to see a Nebulon-B in its intended role as an IMPERIAL ship.

Skywarp (G1 toy) in jet mode has a purple nosecone (well, he should, depends what version you go by), engine nozzles, and vertical stabs. And if you go by the prototype (catalog, instructions) he should have purple h.stabs, launchers, and missiles as well. All molded, not stickers. Even if MP SW comes with a sticker sheet 3x as big as MP SS, he won't have half as much purple as he should. In other words--WTF do you mean, G1 Skywarp is "pretty drab"? He's among the most colorful ever, winning "best colors" several years in the Trannie awards. And robot mode just adds even more color with his arms and feet. Try looking at the actual toy, not a poor scan of his boxart. If Takara wants MP SW to look at all right, they should start by molding the entire tailfins in purple.

G1 toy Dirge is lighter blue than animated Dirge IIRC, and Classics Dirge is lighter than either. But not grossly so. Animated Dirge tended to have dark grey instead of black, while G1 toy had black. Classics Dirge is clearly based off G1 toy more than cartoon. Still don't know what they based Classics SW purple off of though, he's almost magenta-pink, than lavender. (Lavender or straight Decepticon purple is generally accepted for SW, but Classics is way too pink) Still----we all expect Classics TC to look amazing, and we're all ticked we can't get it for less than 300 bucks...

Don't forget The Return of Optimus Prime---he was all chrome in that ep, to defend against the hate plague.

We had a discussion here a while ago, and we believe Shin's F-14 (the CG model at least) is based off of Fujimi's F-14D kit, which is not quite really anything. It's closest to a B, but of course has a D's chinpod. In other words: Shin's has an A cockpit, because the F-14D kit it was based off of is so inaccurate.

How so? Top Gun had A's, not A+'s. Anyways---pics of F-8 rocket launchers are rare, you pretty much need a lot of F-8 books to have a few pics. Basically there's a large panel on the belly just in front of the gear, hinged at the rear. The front end lowers, and you get a rocket launcher revealed. The speed brake is a smaller part of that panel, hinged at the front. It was taken out for the D to make room for a larger fuel tank. It was also fairly worthless to start with, as pylon-mounted rockets were bigger and better, and there was a big risk if any rockets didn't launch right--since the rocket launcher is RIGHT below the main fuel tank, and the rocket exhaust is angled into the fuel tank area when the launcher's deployed... Checking around, it seems the speed brake auto-deployed partially for trim purposes, when the rocket pack was lowered. So you do get a "zig-zag" of panels.

Go to Botcon.com for pics of Classics Dirge. He's just a Dirge-colored Ramjet, no mold changes, so I feel a lot better about not getting him. But of course, Thundercracker my fave should be perfect, mold-wise...

TIE Fighter is still the best PC game I've ever played, and the best "space sim" game I've ever played. Being in the SW universe just makes it even better.

KOTOR is one of the few comics I read now, and the best SW EU I've seen a long time. (I ignore most of it--it's all downhill from Heir to the Empire) Of course, I am a huge fan of the KOTOR games. But still---KOTOR is more "old school" SW than just about anything else nowadays.

Corsairs simply rock, 'nuff said. They sound the coolest by far, no question. (Yes, that goes out to all the Mustang fans). One of my all-time fave airshow experiences is simply eating pizza while sitting on the grass next to a Corsair.

F-14A+ Kai. Not F-14D Kai. Having the original cockpit is the main thing that makes it an A+ instead of a D.

The F-8A through F-8C have rockets built into their speedbrake panel---not sure they could use both at the same time, it's double-hinged and almost zig-zags when both are open on the ground.

Neat! Lots of tiles, lots of slopes and wedges too. I see some Star Wars parts, and new style Technic/Bionicle hinges etc. Do you happen to have LEGO set 4953, Fast Flyers? The wings are quite similar in design. http://creator.lego.com/en-US/products/4953.aspx

The above post could also be read: "I am in the early stages of playing with my XVF-7 sample so don't expect reviews for a while"

Umm, erm...

It was always perfectly clear to me from Yoda staggering and clutching his heart that he felt "the distubance in the force" from all the Jedi dying and was thus ready for treachery from his troopers.

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=231