eugimon

Yes, Thanks for the review.. I have to say, the lack of tampo and the flipped tab thing is very annoying and now I'm seriously considering cancelling my order. I really don't want to support a company that produces shoddy work and then feels justified in charging premium prices.

What's wrong with him taking credit for his own art work? He's not claiming the works in Macross Design Works. Just his own drawings, which were on the net before Design Works went to the printers. The only reason for getting lawyers involved would be for Kawamori, SN, and BW to by the designs for a later production as they're very good. That comment was in reference to mikeszekely saying that the images by greg lane were done by kawamori. it was sarcasm. Okay, before we continue this argument, let me stress that I am very much aware of the totally fan-created design for the VAB-2. They are the black and white images that hellohikaru posted at the beginning of this thread. I do not know the name of the fellow who drew those pictures, and if he is in fact Greg Lane, and if those images were the ones linked to at the bottom of this page (the links are now dead), then that would explain much of the confusion. I'm not trying to claim that Kawamori drew those pictures. I am, however, stating that the COLOR pics found on the same page are most definately Kawamori's. The color pictures are on page 24 of the Macross Design Works book, at the end of the "Color Works" section. The images are repeated on page 134 in the FBz-99G entry. According to the circles, the fighter was drawn in February of 94, and the Battroid in January. okay, I believe you. I was wrong. again. a habit for me.

True true, my bad, the stuff I said about the vab-2's supposed ground capabilities were based off that macross rpg stuff. given my giant blunder, It's jsut my personal take that battroid is a non necessary feature on the VAB-2 as with the VB-6. or the claws on the first monster... it's cool I guess, but seems to have little value and is an example of over engineering a solution to a problem when somthing simple will do.

The books do not mention the spaarti chambers because lucas didn't have the kamino stuff out yet. an example of lucas not caring. the padme stuff came from a book where leia is searching for her mom in a sidestory.. I forget which book. anyways, at the end, the force women tell leia that she can eventually go to her mom, but not luke. And yes, it is not explicitly stated that padme was a force sensitive, but if it were the case, lucas would have brought it up. The fact of the matter is, lucas himself has stated that he views the EU as seperate. "I don't even read the offshoot books that come out based on Star Wars" -GL " In general, George does not take the EU into account when he's making his movies. [...] It's our job to manipulate the EU into fitting George's future movies, which often contradict stuff we've done." - Rostoni Oh, sure. They're done outside my little universe. "Star Wars" has had a lot of different lives that have been worked on by a lot of different people. It works without me." -GL There are two worlds here,” explained Lucas. “There’s my world, which is the movies, and there’s this other world that has been created, which I say is the parallel universe – the licensing world of the books, games and comic books. They don’t intrude on my world, which is a select period of time, [but] they do intrude in between the movies. I don’t get too involved in the parallel universe.”" -GL All quotes taken from: http://www.st-v-sw.net/STSWCanon2.html So frankly, it is absolutely ridiculous to state that those of us that hold the movies as canon, seperate from the EU, and stating that EU stuff shouldn't be slotted into the movies when not expressly done by lucas as being "Nazis." In fact, to hold that view is directly antithetical to the expressed views of george lucas.

Just because it was designed as a varaible A/B doesn't mean that the mechanisms used for and during transformation wouldn't take up room that could be otherwise used for missiles/bombs. If you're going to argue that they simply made the VAB-2 larger to accomodate the same number of munitions, my counter arguement would simply be, why not make a larger bomber period? Or, produce more of the smaller bomber? The fact that the VAB-2 has limited ground capabilities also limits it's practicallity in battorid mode. Granted, a GERWALK mode could be conveivably useful, but if you look at modern A/B solutions, faster and maneuverable is more useful than slow. With the avionics that UN SPACY has at it's disposal, making a stable platform for dropping munitions would be easy, regardless of variable ability. Also, consider that modern A/B planes, hit their targets, expend their munitions, return for refuel and re-arm and then return to do more damage, they don't stay in the air and attempt air superiority missions, which is analagous to the arguement of having a VAB-2, transform and carry on the sort of missions a standard VF would be more suited for? Why waste a craft that can support fighters/bomb targets with a mission that it is ill suited for? Conceivably GERWALk mode, with internal weapon bays still ready for deployment could be useful for doing low altitude runs against ground based mecha and/or installations, but I have already concede that GERWALK would be useful.

fair enough, I guess I just like the idea of a dedicated missile boat, even in the macross universe.

What's wrong with him taking credit for his own art work? He's not claiming the works in Macross Design Works. Just his own drawings, which were on the net before Design Works went to the printers. The only reason for getting lawyers involved would be for Kawamori, SN, and BW to by the designs for a later production as they're very good. That comment was in reference to mikeszekely saying that the images by greg lane were done by kawamori. it was sarcasm.

yup

Nope, Lucas has contradicted the EU stuff pretty consistently. just so quick stuff... EU. clones affect jedi because they are abberations in the force (from timothy zahn). canon. No such thing happens nor is mentioned in episode 2. EU. Padme escapes death and is hiding out with non jedi force sensitive women, padme herself being a member of one of these force adepts. Canon. Queen/senator padme was not force sensitive and is pretty much confirmed as murdered by anakin. EU. In the Clone wars, the Jedi fought against the clones. Canon, The jedi fight with the clones. Much of the stuff that the EU brings up to flesh out the past, has been ignored or retconned by lucas, since most of the EU deals with the future,after ROTJ, it's rather safe to say lucas hasn't contradicted that stuff, but that's only because he isn't there himself chronologically in terms of the story. Just wait till he starts with the star wars TV or future CGI movie, I'm sure some more contradictions will pop up.

I keep trying to wrap my head around who massive the tragedy is... I remember sunday morning the figure was 6,000 dead... okay, that was the size of my high school, everyoon dead. Then at night, 14,000 dead... okay... that's something like my college, an entire campus, dead... and now over 20,000? that's a 1/3rd of the city I live in...

I agree, I have this sinking feeling that yamato is moving out of the high end market (in terms of quality and finish) and producing more low end stuff... and pricing what should be mid range stuff at high end prices. I wouldn't exactly call the votom a low end product, nor the monster. If anything I see a trend of Yamato slowing it's releases and trying to spend more time on each individual product to get it right. How long were they working on the votom since it was announced? almost 2 years right? Also let us not forget the rather large Megazone bike they seem to be making. If I had to theorize about yamto marketing strategy, I'd say they are releasing a large number of cheaper products between the larger higher end releases, and are slowing the speed with which they are releaseing their flagship toys. Personally I am happy yamato is widening the gap between the release dates of it's high end products, it gives my wallet a nice break. I should have qualified my statement... I meant it for their macross toys...

maybe, the FORCE affected the stormtroopers, causing them to miss!!!

I agree, I have this sinking feeling that yamato is moving out of the high end market (in terms of quality and finish) and producing more low end stuff... and pricing what should be mid range stuff at high end prices.

the amount of part swapping on the 1/60 vf-1 is pretty much my upper limit for part swapping. the 1/100 vf-0 is just... well.. so many parts for a toy that looks blah in all three modes.

Well, I'm not doubting the need of having a bomber or a missile boat, I just think making it variable only limits its payload capability. The way I figure it, if you're a bomber, and you're busy fighting in dog fights, you're doing something wrong. As a bomber, you just need to get into range, fire/drop your payload and then get back to secure air space. The front line variables should be making sure things don't get past them and escorts should be taking care of any interceptors that do make it through. Any additional mobility issues could be addressed with gerwalk mode, which could be usefull for emergency situations.

perhaps for a fighter... but a bombers main function is to deliver the greatest amount of munitions with speed and accuracy and I guess safely as well. So much of the interior space of the VAB-2 is going to be taken up with the machinery needed for transformation, space that could be used to hold more bombs. Yeah that might be true for a normal bomber but I would assume space warfare would make it difficult for them to keep a safe distance... Units can achieve very high speeds and easy break through lines, making them sitting targets for attack. Variability just adds survivablility and flexibility to a platform. true... good point, but vab doesn't carry either a gun or a shield, it's pretty limited defensively and offensively (bombs/missiles aside) It just seems like an odd choice, especially with active stealth, one could easily load up a VF-22 or 19 with bombs and missiles, fold them in close and have them deliver their payload and be able to do additional damage and/or open up an area for attacks by VF-11 or traditional bombers. besides, I'm sure dedicated fighters like the 19's could easily fly escort for bombers and do more damage than a variable bomber could do.

perhaps for a fighter... but a bombers main function is to deliver the greatest amount of munitions with speed and accuracy and I guess safely as well. So much of the interior space of the VAB-2 is going to be taken up with the machinery needed for transformation, space that could be used to hold more bombs.

I guess I'm just spoiled, but 1/72 seems awfully small for the binaltech/alternator line

*Buzzer* Wrong! The first pics in this thread are a very well-done fan design. The sketchier, color drawings in the one link ARE Kawamori. You can find those pictures in the Macross Design Works book, in the FBz-99 entry. The only fan thing about it is the assumption that it is, in fact, the VAB-2. While those sketches may have been earlier designs for the VAB-2 and inspiration for the FBz-99, there is nothing to indicate that they are, in fact, the finalized design of the VAB-2. then kawamori's lawyers should be told about this greg lane fellow who takes credit for those drawings, and to whome, credit is given on that website in question (http://unsd.macrossroleplay.org/vab-2.html)

As stated previously, those pics of the VAB-2 are fan pics, not kawamori designs. Kind of funny, in the notes on this thing, it states that the vab-2 doesn't use a gun or a shield, and yet the fan pic of it has it carrying something that looks either a gun or a shield. meh.

I think yamato is sitting on their yf-19 for following reasons: 1. I could be wrong, but the FP versions of the 21 and 11 didn't do too well, they don't know how well a new mold will do. 2. they're trying to get the VF-0 sold, and they don't think the market will hold for the VB-6, GBP, the VF-0 and the YF-19.. so they figure they'll sell the newer properties first as well as the sure thing (GBP for 1/48) 3. (pure speculation) yamato is secretly in negotiations to get the mac 7 toy rights, and they're holding off on the yf-19 until they can release it, plus myriad variants. 4. The sculpt requires high quality materials and tight QC, and yamato managment doesn't want to pony up the cash.

No, in the Zahn books, those clones were made special by admiral thrawn so he could have enough troops for that big lost dreadnaught fleet (wasn't it called the katana fleet? absolutely lame name for a fleet in a different universe a long time ago) Remember? thrawn had to go to that warehouse planet, deal with the crazy jedi clone, get the cloning things out of storage and make his clones. And even then, half the time luke is yammering on about how the cloned troopers felt weird to him by the force. Besides, you shouldn't use the books/comics/radio dramas/games to back up any claim of what is canon and what is not, as lucas pretty much ignores all that stuff anyways. And here it is from starwars.com: http://www.starwars.com/databank/organization/stormtroopers/ The military soldiers unswervingly loyal to the Emperor, stormtroopers represented the most visible extension of Imperial might. They were shock troopers meant to strike with speed and accuracy, putting down insurrections and maintaining order on the farflung worlds of the Empire. Stormtroopers served both the ground-based armies of Palpatine's forces, and the space-based Imperial starfleet. Stormtrooper training stressed complete indoctrination in the tenets of the New Order, and individuals would obey their officers without question, without regard to the rights of others or even to their own safety. Stormtroopers abandoned individuality in exchange for their loyalty. They are completely encased in a white armored spacesuit shell, and are armed with blaster pistols or blaster rifles. Their helmets contain comlinks for long-range communications. Officers were denoted with colored shoulder pauldrons. Specific environments called for specially trained and equipped stormtroopers, such as the snowtroopers that besieged the ice world of Hoth and the lightly-armored scout troopers that patrolled the forests of Endor. seems pretty clear, stormtroopers, are just normal folk who are dressed up in worthless armor and trained how to not shoot at their targets.

with the amount of parts you need to swap on the yammie, you might as well have two figures anyways.

Actually, after seeing this thing, I have no doubt yamato HAS one, and that they are sitting on it, trying to figure out how to price it.

Hehe, I ask myself this everytime I watch that scene... there must have been thousands of casualties from their little dog fight.