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technoblue

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  1. technoblue
    HaHa! The first half gives you a false sense of comfort, then you get a wave motion gun blast of WTF?
  2. technoblue
    Thanks, @Angesdad! I missed the pre-order on this and don't have a YF-29 in my collection anymore so...
  3. technoblue
    Thanks for the tip @pafy6285! Nice to see that Amazon JP is still shipping things out as expected. Regarding GS, I've been moving more of my orders to the Goodsmile US shop, but there are still some things that are unique to Goodsmile Global so this is disappointing to see. Oh well. I'll sit tight and see how it goes. Sorry about the minor thread derail there.
  4. technoblue
    If you have the room for it, I recommend it. My current NVME-based system only has one full speed (16xPCIe) slot, which is why I paired it with a SATA SSD, but the new Ryzen desktop that I'm putting together (slowly) has two full speed slots. The improved throughput should help some with level load times in games (among other things). Also, it means fewer cables to manage.
  5. technoblue
    Same. I'll admit I did a double take. I've had no issues with them, when I've been able to get an order in. I was unable to get an order in on pre-order day. The prices on these early order opportunities are starting to give me pause, since they are all in the same ballpark. A-E at 28000JPY, MK at 29890JPY. I wonder why we're not seeing MSRP from these shops? Is it opportunistic as some members point out or is there some other explanation? Anyway, hopefully the other shops like HLJ, AmiAmi, and the like will get release day orders without the markup. I'm also curious about Amazon JP. I shop at other international Amazon sites, and the pandemic restrictions have slowed things down considerably. The same for orders at the Goodsmile global store. I wonder if AJP will change the way it handles release day orders from international customers?
  6. technoblue
    +1 Alien Theory over on Youtube has been doing creative readings of the old Dark Horse Predator comics that featured Machiko Noguchi as the main heroine. In a world where so many comics and graphic novels are now hitting the screen, I gotta wonder why this AvP chapter is overlooked. I mean, if they’re going to insist on twisting the franchises together...this is one of the better attempts.
  7. technoblue
    I’ve been happy with using NVME as my boot drive too. I finally upgraded to a motherboard that supports this standard over the summer. Still quite happy with the price/performance ratio of SATA SSDs as well. $199 for 2TB is a price I haven’t seen in a while. Nice for a storage array, if that’s your thing. I’ve been slowly upgrading the spinning discs in a mini NAS I have at home.
  8. technoblue
    FYI: In case anyone is looking to add or upgrade to an SSD, Amazon has put up their 20% off deal for Samsung 860/970 Evo and T7 portables. https://www.amazon.com/deal/6ef524f9/ref=gbps_tit___6ef524f9?showVariations=true&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
  9. technoblue
    So I put off watching the second half of Yamato 2202 on blu, but finally finished it this weekend. Oof. You guys weren't kidding. What a let down after 2199. I was hoping that we would get a well-written modern take that kept the core story intact. I was also hoping to see more of the 2199 cast return, so that was the first disappointment when a good portion of the crew was sidelined. There is a lot that felt weaker on this sequel during the first half but nothing that felt horrible to me in the beginning. Alas, once the Yamato arrived at Terezart and the crew met with Teresa in the second half, things went bonkers. I'm not sure it was wise trying to mash-up SBY2 TV and Arrivederci Yamato. In the end, things got so convoluted that I really couldn't tell which Comet Empire story 2202 was drawing from. I think the team would have had an easier time picking one story over the other this time. Yeah, that last episode sequence was a doozy. Also, it was frustrating seeing Kodai unable to get over himself when faced with real challenges. He wasn't always written like this, but it popped up enough times to be noticeable.
  10. technoblue
    Good points, Scyla. An an all-in-one MP Ultra Magnus would look much better lanky...just not overdone to the extreme KFC took it. The official was definitely too much of a beef cake and to my eyes was leaning more to capturing the skewed proportions of the movie poster. Sadly, the MP lacks the articulation to replicate the pose from the poster. I would have been okay with the all-in-one design if Takara had given us the same improved articulation we were seeing with other MPs at the time. I mean, even MP-10 has better articulation than MP-22, which is why I think this was two steps back in that regard. Compare Magnus to Star Saber (MP-24), and it's just even more of a head scratcher. Star Saber is a combining MP with a mini bot that also keeps decent articulation in super robot mode. Those were the big MPs. We also saw MP Bee v.1, Wheeljack, Exhaust, and Tracks. Later we would see repaints of Tracks, the Vanettes, and Delta Magnus. The colours on DM are nice, but I skipped this release for the same reasons I opted out of MP Ultra Magnus. Takara is missing important toy features in their callback, and it ends up being a deep cut to the Japanese trailer for the original animated movie. Great for those who are into it, but not for me. The TF:Prime version of Ultra Magnus is interesting since HasTak released two different versions. One that hit stores before Magnus appeared on screen, and one that hit stores later. IIRC, opinion was split on which iteration was better, but I own the second (screen accurate) release—the one that looks almost like a blue Optimus in alt mode. Every now and then, I do see the Prime RiD/AM version, and I'm tempted to complete the pair because it's so unique. I think I prefer the blue of Hasbro's RiD release. Planet X's Apollo and Helios do what I wish the MPs would do: These releases sacrifice the look of the video game alt somewhat to give us that very good looking and articulate bot mode. I'm not fussed about the squat proportions of the armoured Cybertronian trailer because we get so much more with this release. The only downside is that the extra paint on Helios can mess with tolerances, meaning fitment issues and paint chips. Luckily, my copy of Helios is holding up.
  11. technoblue
    You're welcome, M'Kyuun. Like the designer of these parts noted, when my add-on parts from Funbie Studios arrived I noticed the same constraints that he noticed. Anyway, after Amazon decided to mess with my pre-orders some weeks back I think I only have Shattered Glass Ratchet on the way. I was thinking of trying this add-on out on that figure. With regard to the paint apps...Well, I gotta hand it to anyone who has the time and hutzpah to do their own customizations. Indeed, the custom paint apps could have used more prep work. I'm thinking MW members could probably do the parts justice, but it really is only for those who want to put in the work. It's not a drop in upgrade by any means. And that's the big disappointment, isn't it? This add-on is only a few extra pieces. Hasbro couldn't have designed something similar built-in within budget? Hm... Man, this is going back a ways. I bought MP Ultra Magnus when it came out, and went into detail on what I thought was wrong with it over in the official thread. Since that post is well and buried now, I'll try my best to summarize my thoughts again here. This was back when Takara was first starting to add more articulated figures to the official MP line-up. I was really into that and wasn't into how they took two steps back with Magnus having limited arm and leg articulation, and no waist articulation (due to the transformation). I'm still not a fan of it. I know these constraints aren't any different than the G1 toy, but in my mind the MP line should improve on the old G1 toys in some way. MP Magnus doesn't really get there for me. If we do ever get an update, then an important feature to implement would be modern articulation. I was also disappointed by the fact that Magnus didn't keep the separate prime cab gimmick. Even though this gimmick isn't 'toon' accurate, it is one that I welcome and would consider a nice G1 toy nod (better than the G1 'face' reveal). Anyway, I would be ecstatic if Takara or some third party designed a version of Magnus that kept this gimmick. The real bonus being that it would be a great setup for a proper Delta Magnus repaint, as noted. Finally, I kind of alluded to this earlier but I wasn't impressed with the overall proportions of MP Magnus in bot mode. In order to give us the car carrying trailer gimmick, I think Takara did sacrifice bot mode for alt mode. I would have rather Takara dropped that gimmick or made it so fewer cars fit on the trailer in alt, and given us a better bot mode that was half a head to a head taller than Optimus instead of dwarfing him. Given what we got, it threw off the whole look for me. Basically, these are the reasons I sold my copy. When looking at other iterations of Ultra/Delta Magnus, my favorite is Planet-X. I have both Apollo and Helios. Siege Magnus is okay. I missed Generations Magnus. For MP, I'm still waiting for a company to wow me I guess.
  12. technoblue
    I found another set of ER Ironhide/Ratchet feet for those interested. They look nice, but will require minor modeling work to build up. The shapeways and stl file links are available if you jump to the actual youtube page.
  13. technoblue
    Hm. I didn't think about that, but then I wonder how much of an effect Black Friday will have given how odd this year has been so far? HaHa! Well, in that case I hope we all have good fortune and get the benefit of early shipping next weekend.
  14. technoblue
    Will some stores begin shipping Roy's VF-1S next Friday? I hope so. In any case, we're now 10 days away from November 30.
  15. technoblue
    Looks cool, but now I want to go searching for a good LEGO SDF-1 MOC.
  16. technoblue
    XTB Kup looks all right, but I'm still waiting for an improved MP Magnus before I decide on my definitive movie bots at this scale.
  17. technoblue
    More official than Arcadia? VF-4A Hikaru (regular release): December 2020 VF-4A Hikaru (premium finish): February 2021 I'm guessing the end of the month for both, per the usual.
  18. technoblue
    Wow. If you're reading animosity or aggression in what I wrote, then you're adding context that doesn't exist. I don't know what to say other than, have a nice day.
  19. technoblue
    Yeah. I guess it takes all kinds. For me, it's too early in the morning to try and decipher MacrossMania's purple prose.
  20. technoblue
    12 days until release weekend. Not long now.
  21. technoblue
    Oh! Thanks for clarifying. Yeah, I understand and agree. But I wouldn't categorize those adult collectors as actual LEGO fans. I would rather classify them as LEGO brick investors. I think it's a poor practice myself, since most of these 'investors' aren't really interested in building the LEGO sets or using the LEGO pieces in some creative MOC or DIY design. They seem solely interested in trading on the aftermarket to improve their financial portfolio. It's a little unnerving, and like you note it kills the regular economy for the rest of us. Maybe. The things I've seem programmers do with AI lately have me hoping that they could create an intelligent algorithm that could get ahead of the scalpers, though. The crux is that some store will have to care more about customer service than profits to do the development work. Like you say, that may be too big an ask.
  22. technoblue
    I think LEGO has shown that being for kids and being for adults is no longer mutually exclusive. They've adapted the brand so that they can reach a wider swath of customers. Clearly, LEGO is for kids and adults these days, with certain sets being aimed at both age groups. I actually think that's a good thing on the face of it. Going back to the topic of people buying up popular sets or rare minifigs...well...scalpers will be jerks no matter what brand you follow. The aftermarket on LEGO is surprising, though. I can't believe how much sellers are pulling for 1980s/90s sets that are in 'okay' condition with no box and worn instructions. Add a box and nice instructions and the sale price goes through the roof. I guess if there's one thing driving scalpers to continue raiding the well of new stuff, it's that data point. And to that point, it would be nice if these on-line shops developed a better algorithm to deter scalping. Not the bogus site slow-down methods that sites like AmiAmi or HLJ use, but something that actually works.
  23. technoblue
    +1 Even with Azalea's compromises, she is the best G1 Arcee of the bunch. Takara's alt mode may be both accurate to the toon and in scale with other car bots, but it misses its "masterpiece" moment in the conversion. Azalea has her "masterpiece" moment just with how well MMC stowed away the car bits and made her shoulder pylons work in bot mode (without creating unnecessary kibble). Oh, and her blaster pistol is the right size to boot. I do like MP-51's articulated hands and visor gimmick but these seem small concession prizes when looking at the whole. Speaking of following some of MMC's design cues, Takara did make MP-51's feet diecast like Azalea's. If they did that much, I'd be very curious to find out why they didn't also try to rework her torso to be more proportionate. In any case, I'll be waiting to see if a third-party add-on company comes up with a better solution. But maybe that's just a limitation of this design and we'll have to wait for Arcee v2?
  24. technoblue
    It seems for everything I like about the official MP, there's a big compromise to go along with it. Takara added all that improved articulation but hampered it with a clumsy backpack. To my eyes, they have one of the best shaped Arcee head/helmet sculpts, but the faces that go with it are too stylized making the official MP look strange from most angles. The blaster appears to be nicely painted and can even use effects parts, but Takara shrank it down for some reason. It looks off in that photo above. I personally don't care about the torso, but I do find it strange that Takara went in the direction that they did since today's MPs are all about cartoon accuracy. The long neck and low chest seem more of a caricature of her actual design. Oh well, I ordered a copy all the same.
  25. technoblue
    Truly. I hope Amazon is able to keep their international DHL shipping deal going. It really helps out. I use it extensively on both the Amazon JP and UK sites.
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