The Macross Quarter. DX Chogokin

[anime52k8]

I agree, but I find it strange that the whole 'one shoulder loose and one shoulder tight' issue on the DX 25 (which is common) mimics the YF-19 'one shoulder flap loose and one shoulder flap tight' issue. As someone said, wasnt CAD supposed to eliminate stuff like that? Why is one side different from the other, and it's usually the same side affected too?

Otherwise, Bandai's credit is besting Yamato so far in terms of QC, so they have the benefit of the doubt for now. They don't however, get much faith in terms of being anime accurate =P.

CaD makes things better but it can't fix anything, and in some ways it make stuff like this more likely. with CAD making it possible to do more precise engineering in the design fase, stuff is going to be designed with tighter tolerances which should overall result in a tighter, higher quality product. but if because of how tight the tolerances are, even a tiny discrepancy in production will be noticeable. one mold just has to be a tiny amount to big or too small (tiny to the point you can't even see the difference with your eye) and you've got parts that are loose or excessively tight.

heck it could even be the result of a tiny oversight like not taking into account how much thicker a part will be once you put a layer of paint on it.

and as for anime accuracy, I haven't bothered to compare the prototype vs. the CG images, but at least so far it looks Visually apealing which is enough for me. as long as the final version looks this good, I'll be satisfied.

[jenius]

CAD on its own is one thing, it needs to be joined with computer-assisted manufacturing to get the whole effect and even then, on anything of sufficient complexity, tightness of fit issues won't be completely eliminated.

[eriku]

Have we ever seen 'hands' on the Quarter? I know there are scenes where the 'shield' part is stored away while its gripping the cannon, but I'm never sure if there are actual hands at the ends of the arms. I'm just curious if we'll have the ability on the DX to remove the cannon and shield or if they will just be permanant extensions of the arms.

[Radd]

I'm fairly certain we'll be able to remove the cannon and flight deck, as both are shown to be detachable in the show.

Also, yes, there is a scene were we get a clear view of the Quarter's hand as it winds up to deliver the Macross attack with the flight deck bow.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Radd

[eriku]

I'm fairly certain we'll be able to remove the cannon and flight deck, as both are shown to be detachable in the show.

Also, yes, there is a scene were we get a clear view of the Quarter's hand as it winds up to deliver the Macross attack with the flight deck bow.

Ah yes, I forgot about that. Thanks! Sometimes I wish I had a chip in my brain with the whole series on it so I could review it at any time I wished.

I'm hoping that both cannon and flight deck are removable because I'd like to display it without them occasionally, and also I'd like to have the option of removiing them if they cause too much strain on the shoulders.

[edwin3060]

Well, the flight deck should be removable because it needs to dock on the back like in the show

Also, as with any cast/mould product, there will be variations in the tightness due to cast/mould tolerances, wear etc etc.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Ah yes, I forgot about that. Thanks! Sometimes I wish I had a chip in my brain with the whole series on it so I could review it at any time I wished.

I'm hoping that both cannon and flight deck are removable because I'd like to display it without them occasionally, and also I'd like to have the option of removiing them if they cause too much strain on the shoulders.

Place the patient under Anasthesia...

I want this so bad...

Luckily, I'm finally old enough to get a summer job. That means I'll make money, independently of my parents and be able to buy... Minimum wage is enough to get 2 1/48s a month, part-time, and I'd bet I can find someone willing to pay minimum wage for a much-needed hand at an under-staffed place...

[westfall]

Here's a screencap where we can see the Quarter's arms and hands.

Edited February 23, 2009 by westfall

[Letigre]

Now that i've put more than a day's thought in this,is it wrong that I think I want the Quarter more than the SDF-1? Eh, maybe it's fear of potential sticker shock.

[eriku]

Now that i've put more than a day's thought in this,is it wrong that I think I want the Quarter more than the SDF-1? Eh, maybe it's fear of potential sticker shock.

I'm with you on that. While I will always love the SDF1, the Quarter will make for a more interesting and dynamic toy. The SDF1 is like a building that can move a few parts and then fire at you. The Quarter has agility and begs to be posed in offensive and defensive positions. Naturally my collection has room for both. Isn't that right wallet? Wallet...? Huh. I wonder where he went?

[505thAirborne]

Here's a screencap where we can see the Quarter's arms and hands.

Thats awesome, I am definitely buying this one!!!!!!!!

[nugundamII]

Thats awesome, I am definitely buying this one!!!!!!!!

What is Bandai's difference between the SOC DX and SOC or is it SOC and DX. Would this figure be better under the regular SOC line. I notice small difference in the amount of Metal used in SOC versus DX/SOC DX

I wish I knew what all their lines meant

[UN Spacy]

[drifand]

What is Bandai's difference between the SOC DX and SOC or is it SOC and DX. Would this figure be better under the regular SOC line. I notice small difference in the amount of Metal used in SOC versus DX/SOC DX

I wish I knew what all their lines meant

Generally:

DX = 'Deluxe', i.e. more gimmicks relative to a non 'DX' version of a toy

DX Chogokin = Deluxe toy with significant diecast content, although there have been cases where the metal was sorely lacking. This 'brand' is usually used to sell contemporary toys, i.e. those that haven't had previous toy incarnations in the last 10-15 years.

SOC = Soul of Chogokin; premier collectors' line with significant diecast content focussing on updated versions of old vintage toy designs.

SPEC = Sub-line of SOC, focussing more on 80s-90s 'real robot' designs

There will always be exceptions as a line matures. I believe recent hobby show pix revealed an SOC for a Super Robot Wars design that has never been made into a toy before.

[logos]

The shoulder joint screams for separation in that pic. I'm not convinced with its durability unless they're showing Quarter in another pose, eg. aiming the BFG with both hand while holstering the flight deck.

With the 1/4 I imagine because it's a prototype that's the reason you won't be seeing it posed for a while. Materials used for initial prototyping (especially in the case of rapid prototyping) are notorious for being weak and are only for test fitting and display purposes only (which probably explains the hot glue there).

As to the screw breakages and Yamato's shoulder problems. Everyone has brought up valid points. People who think CAD will solve all the problems of the past are living in a dream world. As a CAD manager for the company I work for I could go on forever about what programs like AutoCAD (the classic!), ProEngineer, Solidworks, Inventor, Solidedge etc. can't do for you (or they advertise that it can and it will but only after hours of frustration or sorry you need to buy this $10,000 software option to do this! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:). A design is only as good as the designer AND the guy you have running the machine making the parts. You wouldn't believe how many problems I have run into because some jerk "forced" a jig or didn't check the mold after making a few hundred parts or in the rare case you got bum batch of material that got past the QC in the factory. Sure the Yamato shoulder might have been a bad design decision, inexperience on an assembly line for a product, or a material problem. We will never know because Manufactures don't like talking about screw ups. They just sneak fixes into the next production run and fix the problem ones under their warranty programs.

Yamato had some bad shoulders on the intial 1/60s (VF-1S and some others) and Bandai looks like it may have some defective screws. That's whats warrantee is for people. The fact Yamato recongnized the problem and finally made it fairly simple for me to order replacement parts from Overdrive makes me happy with the customer service on a Toy that I purhcased from another country. If we all could read and speak Japanesse we could probably call or use their website to complain about the problems but since some of us live in countries where Yamato and Bandai don't have license to sell their toys to us we are kind of SOL. Also note that I have an initial run VF-O and no problems with the shoulders but I have a VF-1S with cracks in both shoulders. Still didn't stop me from buying 2 more VF-1s yesterday and I'll still buy a VF-25 later on. There is still allot of people like Graham that don't have problems with their toys too.

It's not the end of the world people but I guess that will never stop us from bitching will it! And so ends my stupid rant. Well at least I feel better.

Edited February 24, 2009 by logos

[MacrossJunkie]

Here's a pic I took, it lets you see the ratchets:

EDIT: after ages in the test forum, I managed to succeed.

Going by first impressions, I'm actually quite impressed with that prototype. It looks pretty good. How big would you say this was in person?

Also, what's that mecha in the poster behind the Quarter's right shoulder? It has Alto on it also, so I assume it would be frontier or at the very least macross related, but the arm and leg doesn't belong to anything I recognize. It's not a VF-25, 27, 171, Quarter, Battle Frontier, or a destroid. Nor can I think of any other previous valks that look like that.

[badboy00z]

I wonder if it will come with Perfect Grade hands...

[badboy00z]

Going by first impressions, I'm actually quite impressed with that prototype. It looks pretty good. How big would you say this was in person?

Also, what's that mecha in the poster behind the Quarter's right shoulder? It has Alto on it also, so I assume it would be frontier or at the very least macross related, but the arm and leg doesn't belong to anything I recognize. It's not a VF-25, 27, 171, Quarter, Battle Frontier, or a destroid. Nor can I think of any other previous valks that look like that.

That's the Ex-gear "action figure".

[VFTF1]

Looked at pictures.

Want.

Hope it's not "ginormusly huge"

The EX Gear Alto is mildly interesting too.

Now all Bandai has to do is come out with improved movie VF-25 DX so I don't have to assemble ALL of my VF-25s as 1/72 models...

The Quarter looks good though. Looks good.

Pete

[westfall]

I can't wait for this to come out although i would still prefer it in kit for like the 1/72 VF-25's. But if this is all they'll give us, i'll stop bitchin' and get it just the same.

Edited February 24, 2009 by westfall

[edwin3060]

I can't wait for this to come out although i would still prefer it in kit for like the 1/72 VF-25's. But if this is all they'll give, i'll stop bitchin' and get just the same.

I wouldn't be surprised if a kit came out. A PG Gundam sized Macross Quarter would be great!

[drifand]

Come on, Bandai... bring on the Jumbo Grade Frontier!!! :-)

[MacrossJunkie]

That's the Ex-gear "action figure".

Ah you're right, thanks. I was so focused on trying to figure out what sort of mecha it was that it didn't occur to me that it could have been the ex-gear.

And I guess I somehow missed a few pages in the thread. The full shot of the DX looks incredible. The gun and deck seems disproportionately ginormous though. I don't recall them being that big when the Quarter is in attack mode. I think it's partially contributed to what it seems to me that the legs appear bit shorter than normal and so the gun and stuff just seem that much bigger. Since this is a prototype being held together with hot glue, the parts of the leg that need to be extended are probably just unable to do so. So the legs are probably good already.

The carrier shot seems just right so maybe there's some shrinkage that happens in the animation regarding the gun and deck? In terms of looks, I actually don't care they if they are too big, my only concern is if the final toy will be able to hold that stuff up and if it would be able to holster a deck that size.

Overall I'm really impressed with what they have here so far I really want this thing as opposed to how I felt about the DX VF-25s where I felt they were "meh" throughout their development cycle and final product.

[jenius]

Why do you guys think Alto is an action figure? He's on the same base as all those static little statuettes.

Edited February 24, 2009 by jenius

[Vifam7]

Why do you guys think Alto is an action figure? He's on the same base as all those static little statuettes.

The pics suggest that it can hold various different poses. Also the Tamshii site notes about it being able to recreate the last scene in the series.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Vifam7

[cypherpunk]

Why do you guys think Alto is an action figure? He's on the same base as all those static little statuettes.

Eh?

[MacrossJunkie]

And up close, you can see the joints.

[Valkyrie addict]

nice...

[westfall]

nice...

Very... nice...

[jenius]

Eh?

Ah, I see. Interesting... but an easy thing to pass on (thank God).

[westfall]

Collection DX had pics of the SDF-1 prototype display but the page seems to have been downed. But the Google cashe copy of the page is still up and there it is, a huge SDF-1 that had me drooling uncontrolably.

Predicted price is around 50000 yen.

If you want to see it here's the link.

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:c6kRT...;cd=2&gl=pt

[Graham]

Collection DX had pics of the SDF-1 prototype display but the page seems to have been downed. But the Google cashe copy of the page is still up and there it is, a huge SDF-1 that had me drooling uncontrolably.

Predicted price is around 50000 yen.

If you want to see it here's the link.

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:c6kRT...;cd=2&gl=pt

Wrong thread, we alraedy have a thread for the SDF-1

[Save]

Collection DX had pics of the SDF-1 prototype display but the page seems to have been downed. But the Google cashe copy of the page is still up and there it is, a huge SDF-1 that had me drooling uncontrolably.

Predicted price is around 50000 yen.

If you want to see it here's the link.

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:c6kRT...;cd=2&gl=pt

At least they credit MW as the source but they tagged the pictures that I know for a fact they didn't take.

[Smiley424]

Woo, all kinds of wonderful items were announced Launch Day including the Macross Quarter. Looks great so far, I'm waiting for more pics and details. I haven't been this excited over Macross Toys since Yamato announced the original 1/60 valks after the whole Toycom debacle. Love what I see so far and can't wait to see more.

[westfall]

Wrong thread, we alraedy have a thread for the SDF-1

Sorry. My bad.